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, friends, and
welcome to another edition
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of 3ABN Family Worship,
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and we want to
say Happy Sabbath,
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and that we are so thankful
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that you're
joining us during this time
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as we're coming
together as family.
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That's what is
called, Family Worship, right?
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We are here to study, to learn,
to grow together as family
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here on the Sabbath evening.
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And we have a very,
very exciting special topic.
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I'm excited to talk about
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because it's dealing
with the subject of witnessing
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and how to represent
Jesus the best way possible
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when we are witnessing
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or trying to reach
someone else for Jesus Christ.
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So you don't
want to go anywhere.
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So stay tuned, because
we're going to be learning a lot
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during this hour together
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about how to
witness the right way.
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That's our title,
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"Witnessing the Right Way."
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But before we go any further,
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I want to go ahead
and introduce our family
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at this time.
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I'm going to start
to my far right here.
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I have Pastor John Dinzey
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and his beautiful
wife, Idalia Dinzey,
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it's wonderful to
have you both here
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joining us during this time.
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Well, it's a
blessing to be here,
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especially when
my wife is with me
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to participate in
the Family Worship.
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Thank you for the invitation.
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And it's always a feast
to share about God's Word
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and about sharing
God's Word with others.
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Amen. I like that. It's a feast.
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And this is Family Worship.
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And so we're gonna be feasting
on the Word of God, for sure.
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Thank you so much for that.
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Of course, to the
far left over here.
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He's back with us again.
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My brother Dakota Day,
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Amazing Facts evangelist
full time, on the road,
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all the time preaching
the gospel for Jesus Christ.
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And, as always,
it's always blessed
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to have you here, Brother.
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I appreciate it, Brother.
It's a blessing to be here.
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Look forward to this study.
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Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord.
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Well, before we
get right into talking
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about witnessing the right way,
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we're going to go
ahead and have a prayer
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and invite the Holy
Spirit to lead and guide us
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during this time.
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So Pastor Dinzey,
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why don't you
say a prayer for us?
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Sure.
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Our loving and
wonderful Heavenly Father,
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we just want to thank You
for this opportunity, Lord,
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to join as a family
to worship together,
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to study Your Word,
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and also to share with
the rest of our family,
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many of which we
have not yet met.
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But we pray that
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You will give us the
privilege some day to meet them.
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Heavenly Father, we pray that
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You would direct our
conversation, guide us,
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so that You will bring
things to our remembrance
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and even give us words to speak,
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there will be words
full of life and hope
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and encouragement.
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And it may be that
someone may need a warning.
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So we pray that You
will use us in all ways
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to bring You honor and glory.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord.
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This is one of
those subjects that,
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to me is near
and dear to my heart.
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And I think all of
us can relate to that
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in the sense that
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I learned many years
ago from another minister,
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he's talking about
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what's called the Christian
three legs of the stool.
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It's what we need
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for a proper balanced connection
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in relationship with Jesus.
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And the three legs were, of
course, Bible study, prayer.
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And, of course, the
third leg of the stool
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that you have to have
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in order for the stool
to stand properly, right?
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In order for it
to function properly,
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is witnessing,
proper witnessing.
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And over the years I can have,
I have to admit, I have to say
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that I haven't always
been the best witness.
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It's kind of a learning
and a growing experience.
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But the Lord has certainly
opened my mind and my eyes
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over the years to the better
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and proper ways of witnessing
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and sharing the gospel
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and leading
someone to Jesus Christ.
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And it really does, you
have to kind of approach it
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in a kind of a methodical way.
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Make sure you're practicing
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the proper
techniques and tactics
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in order to make sure that
you are nurturing that person
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and leading them to Jesus.
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But you know, we've all had
that bad witnessing experience.
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I think I have, I know
you guys probably have.
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We all have experienced
that bad witnessing experience,
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where it kind of just
left a bad taste in our mouth
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or maybe a
negative emotion or feeling
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about either a
doctrine, or a teaching,
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or a passage of scripture,
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or maybe just
Christianity in general.
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There's a lot of
people that I know that
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because of a bad
witnessing experience they had,
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either them giving,
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you know, trying
to witness to someone
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or someone trying
to witness to them,
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they experienced and had
a bad witnessing experience
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that just
pretty much left a bad,
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you know, mindset
or a bad mentality
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about Christianity in general,
or following Jesus in general.
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So I just want to open
that up, let's talk in the...
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It's kind of an
unconventional way
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to start the study.
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But I want to talk first
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about how not to witness
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because that's important, right?
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We want to make sure that
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we are practicing the
proper methods of witnessing,
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but we've all had
that negative experience.
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Pastor Dinzey,
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I know you probably
have had one in the past
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or know of
someone who has had one.
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Talk about maybe an experience
that you've had in the past
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and point out to us
some, some identifications
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of how not to witness.
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How not to witness.
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I know that's kind of opening
Pandora's box right there.
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But no, seriously.
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You know, thinking about it.
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Like this quickly,
I'm going to say that
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I was reading
that particular day,
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the parable
that Jesus gave about
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that the master of
the vineyard went out,
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and he saw some people,
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you guys not doing anything?
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Why don't you come
to my vineyard and work?
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And so, and I will
pay you what is right.
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And so he went in the
early part of the day,
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you know the story,
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and later and later and later,
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and he went out
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when it was just
like one hour left
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in the day of work.
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And he found some
people not doing anything,
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"Hey, why aren't
you guys working?"
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"Nobody's hired us."
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"Come with to vineyard to work."
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So he started paying everyone
from the very last to the first
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and he gave everybody a
penny, according to the Bible.
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Of course, a penny today
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will get some
people pretty upset.
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But, anyway, and I
was thinking about that
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and I said, that's wonderful.
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How God is so good.
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I mean, if you accept
Christ when you're younger,
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and maybe when you lay it later,
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is when you
finally hear the message,
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you go to the same heaven,
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and I'm sharing this
with some young lady that,
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so how was your day?
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And I started
sharing this with her.
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And I said,
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"Isn't God good that
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He's going to put
everybody in the same heaven,
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we're all going to
enjoy His presence,
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and not people being
in a lower heaven here
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and someone lower
and someone lower.
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And she goes,
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"I don't know, but
you've completely destroyed
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one of my church's doctrines."
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I was shocked. I didn't know.
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And so I said, "Wow!"
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I didn't prepare
myself for the reaction.
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I was overjoyed
with what I had just,
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you know, touched
me so hard so much.
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And I say,
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"Well, what I learn
from this, you know."
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You really have
to be in much prayer
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before you witness,
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because the Lord wants
to give people hope, life
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and encouragement
and lead them to Him.
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And I don't know,
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I looked at this as,
wow, I failed on that one.
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But perhaps, you know,
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the Lord would make
her wondering, thinking
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or maybe I'm looking
at this the wrong way.
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But to me, it seemed like
that didn't work out well.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Absolutely.
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I'll go ahead and share
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what one of the
experiences anyway.
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We used to go
door-to-door a lot.
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Do you remember those days?
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Door-to-door
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and people were happy to see you
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and some were not so happy.
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And sometimes I'm like,
I'm not touching that door,
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you know, because of fear.
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There was one in particular
that was, it was torn down.
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And apparently there had
been a fight in that home.
00:08:51.33\00:08:55.83
But the Lord took us to a home.
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I was being trained to
do the door-to-door thing,
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witnessing with an
older lady from the church.
00:09:02.84\00:09:05.31
So I'm trusting 100%
00:09:05.34\00:09:06.91
you know, she's the
leader and she's gonna,
00:09:06.94\00:09:09.28
I'm gonna learn from her.
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So, this is what happened.
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We got to the
door and the lady said,
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"Oh, hello, come
around the back."
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Okay, so we
went around the back,
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it was the
kitchen entrance. Okay.
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As we're
entering, the lady said,
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"Well, I got to cover the pot,"
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because her lobsters
were coming out from the pot.
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Okay. Okay?
00:09:31.47\00:09:32.93
So it's a stock pot,
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and the lady says
that's training me,
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"You're not
supposed to eat lobster,
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that's condemned in the Bible.
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You know, you need to read.
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That's an unclean
animal, Leviticus...
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Oh, no. And I'm like.
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So she said this
to the lady that's...
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To the person who were visiting.
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Oh, no!
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Okay.
00:09:50.99\00:09:52.32
I'm like, okay,
lest speak truth in love.
00:09:52.35\00:09:54.99
Right. You know what I mean?
00:09:55.02\00:09:56.36
And I'm like,
where is our hall cave
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where I can crawl in.
00:09:58.93\00:10:00.66
And, quite frankly,
00:10:00.70\00:10:02.40
I didn't want to go out anymore,
00:10:02.43\00:10:04.33
you know, to with this
person to go door-to-door.
00:10:04.37\00:10:08.70
Nobody's perfect,
00:10:08.74\00:10:10.07
you know, and
sometimes maybe she got scared.
00:10:10.11\00:10:13.44
You know, when those things
were popping out of the pot.
00:10:13.48\00:10:17.08
They were still alive, I think.
00:10:17.11\00:10:18.45
Oh, yeah. They were alive.
00:10:18.48\00:10:19.81
No, absolutely.
00:10:19.85\00:10:21.18
So, she was like,
so direct and so blind,
00:10:21.22\00:10:25.05
that I think it
killed the spirit, you know.
00:10:25.09\00:10:28.32
Right.
00:10:28.36\00:10:29.69
And we did go back
00:10:29.72\00:10:31.39
and the lady was so nice
00:10:31.43\00:10:33.63
to take us back into
the home, received us.
00:10:33.66\00:10:37.73
And she became normal
or a frequent visitor,
00:10:37.77\00:10:42.60
but she never got baptized.
00:10:42.64\00:10:44.84
So, to this day,
00:10:44.87\00:10:47.11
we keep in touch with that lady
00:10:47.14\00:10:48.98
because of social media,
you know, but what do you do?
00:10:49.01\00:10:52.48
You plant seeds of
hope and encouragement.
00:10:52.51\00:10:55.45
So, yeah, just forget
00:10:55.48\00:10:57.12
about what's
popping out of those pots,
00:10:57.15\00:10:58.82
you know, just
give the love of Jesus.
00:10:58.85\00:11:03.32
That's an interesting story.
00:11:03.36\00:11:04.69
And we'll get into
00:11:04.73\00:11:06.06
probably come
back to those instances
00:11:06.09\00:11:07.43
in a little bit to identify
00:11:07.46\00:11:09.10
some of the aspects
00:11:09.13\00:11:10.47
that could have been
done differently, right?
00:11:10.50\00:11:11.83
In those situations to improve.
00:11:11.87\00:11:13.34
Dakota, what about you,
if something comes to mind?
00:11:13.37\00:11:15.57
I could write a
whole book on that.
00:11:15.60\00:11:17.31
I really could.
00:11:17.34\00:11:18.67
I'm not even
joking, like, so like,
00:11:18.71\00:11:20.84
the first thing
that came to my mind
00:11:20.88\00:11:22.21
when I heard,
00:11:22.24\00:11:23.58
you know, we're going
to do this study together,
00:11:23.61\00:11:25.18
is that when we thought
about wrong ways to witness,
00:11:25.21\00:11:27.42
it's the spiritual machine gun.
00:11:27.45\00:11:28.88
Oh, there you go.
00:11:28.92\00:11:30.25
Spiritual machine gun,
00:11:30.29\00:11:31.62
you guys know what
I'm talking about, right?
00:11:31.65\00:11:32.99
When you get so
on fired, so excited.
00:11:33.02\00:11:34.99
You're about to do Bible studies
00:11:35.02\00:11:36.42
with this new
person or this new friend
00:11:36.46\00:11:37.93
or whatever who's showed
interest in Bible studies.
00:11:37.96\00:11:40.70
And, you know,
maybe you're studying,
00:11:40.73\00:11:42.06
I don't know
about the tribulation,
00:11:42.10\00:11:43.43
or you're
studying about the rapture,
00:11:43.47\00:11:44.80
you're studying
about, you know, anything,
00:11:44.83\00:11:46.33
Antichrist, whatever.
00:11:46.37\00:11:47.70
There's always that that urge
00:11:47.74\00:11:49.67
to give them the
spiritual machine gun
00:11:49.70\00:11:51.34
and overload them
with too much information.
00:11:51.37\00:11:53.44
Okay. Give us an example?
00:11:53.48\00:11:54.81
And so like, I'll
give you an example.
00:11:54.84\00:11:56.44
So like, there
was this one time,
00:11:56.48\00:12:00.22
this lady, so she
actually was coming
00:12:00.25\00:12:03.32
to one of my
evangelistic meetings.
00:12:03.35\00:12:05.05
And she said,
hey, listen, you know,
00:12:05.09\00:12:07.06
I'd like you to
come visit some time.
00:12:07.09\00:12:08.42
She told me,
00:12:08.46\00:12:09.79
"The pastor would like
you to come visit some time."
00:12:09.82\00:12:11.16
And we said, "Okay, great."
00:12:11.19\00:12:12.53
We'll come by
and give you a visit.
00:12:12.56\00:12:13.90
So we show up,
she had been coming,
00:12:13.93\00:12:15.26
probably, we were like
00:12:15.30\00:12:16.63
halfway through our
evangelistic series.
00:12:16.67\00:12:18.00
So I'd already covered like,
the second coming of Jesus,
00:12:18.03\00:12:19.37
the truth about the rapture.
00:12:19.40\00:12:20.74
And, you know, told him that
the left behind truth, right?
00:12:20.77\00:12:23.17
Truth that was left behind,
00:12:23.20\00:12:24.54
and she didn't
know all that stuff.
00:12:24.57\00:12:25.91
So this is
brand new information.
00:12:25.94\00:12:27.28
So she was so on fire.
00:12:27.31\00:12:28.64
She was calling
all her family members
00:12:28.68\00:12:30.01
and telling them
how wrong they are.
00:12:30.05\00:12:31.38
Hmm. And...
00:12:31.41\00:12:33.72
So well, we didn't know
me and pastor showing up
00:12:33.75\00:12:36.08
and we're
walking into this door.
00:12:36.12\00:12:38.85
And she answers the phone,
00:12:38.89\00:12:40.56
I mean, she
answers the phone like,
00:12:40.59\00:12:41.92
right when we knock on
the door, and she goes,
00:12:41.96\00:12:43.66
"Oh, come on in, they're here."
00:12:43.69\00:12:45.69
And we're like, okay,
00:12:45.73\00:12:47.06
so we walk on in and she's like,
00:12:47.10\00:12:48.43
here, she's like,
00:12:48.46\00:12:49.80
tell my daughter how
she's wrong and she...
00:12:49.83\00:12:53.60
and she hands us the phone.
00:12:53.64\00:12:54.97
She goes, I've been telling
her that she's wrong about,
00:12:55.00\00:12:57.07
you know, the state of the dead,
00:12:57.11\00:12:58.57
she's wrong about
hellfire, she's wrong about,
00:12:58.61\00:13:00.58
and she just gave her
the spiritual machine gun.
00:13:00.61\00:13:04.01
And she just
unloaded on her daughter
00:13:04.05\00:13:05.88
about all these
things that she's been,
00:13:05.91\00:13:07.25
you know, taught that
now they have it wrong.
00:13:07.28\00:13:09.98
And then she's given
us and she's wanting us
00:13:10.02\00:13:11.45
to give her the
spiritual machine gun.
00:13:11.49\00:13:13.09
And there's always that,
00:13:13.12\00:13:14.96
you know, that, that
I guess you can say that
00:13:14.99\00:13:17.39
drive where as an evangelist,
00:13:17.43\00:13:19.33
especially you want
people to know the truth.
00:13:19.36\00:13:21.36
So there's always that,
you know, encouragement,
00:13:21.40\00:13:23.60
they're like, you
know, you want them to see,
00:13:23.63\00:13:24.97
this may be the only
cop opportunity you have
00:13:25.00\00:13:26.80
to actually tell them the truth.
00:13:26.84\00:13:28.17
That's right.
00:13:28.20\00:13:30.37
And so, what ends
up happening sometimes
00:13:30.41\00:13:31.74
is you end up giving
them a spiritual machine gun,
00:13:31.77\00:13:33.17
and you just...
00:13:33.21\00:13:34.84
You hit them with
so much scriptures,
00:13:34.88\00:13:36.21
so much truth that
their mind is just like,
00:13:36.24\00:13:38.38
I can't handle it, you know,
00:13:38.41\00:13:40.38
and they kind of
freak out on you.
00:13:40.42\00:13:41.78
And then you oftentimes
will lose your witness.
00:13:41.82\00:13:44.29
You can lose
your witness in that,
00:13:44.32\00:13:45.89
you overwhelm someone
so much with so much truth,
00:13:45.92\00:13:49.69
that now they're like,
00:13:49.72\00:13:51.06
well, that's just
so much information,
00:13:51.09\00:13:52.53
so exhausting for my mind.
00:13:52.56\00:13:54.26
I don't even want to
study with him anymore.
00:13:54.30\00:13:56.16
You know, Jesus Himself.
00:13:56.20\00:13:57.53
So I was reminded of a
scripture in John 16:12,
00:13:57.57\00:13:59.93
He said to His own disciples,
00:13:59.97\00:14:01.30
"I have yet many
things to tell you,
00:14:01.34\00:14:02.84
but you cannot yet bear them."
00:14:02.87\00:14:04.21
That's right. There
you go. I like that.
00:14:04.24\00:14:05.91
And there's lots of things
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.28
that Jesus wanted
to tell Peter, James
00:14:07.31\00:14:08.64
and all the rest of them,
00:14:08.68\00:14:10.01
but they weren't ready for that.
00:14:10.05\00:14:11.41
And so we have to
understand and being a witness,
00:14:11.45\00:14:13.55
especially being a good witness,
00:14:13.58\00:14:15.02
of how to share
things at the right times,
00:14:15.05\00:14:18.09
and share just
enough to whet their mouth,
00:14:18.12\00:14:21.26
get them hungry for more truth,
00:14:21.29\00:14:22.76
but not overwhelm
them at the same time.
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.13
Absolutely.
00:14:24.16\00:14:25.49
That's a great
point that you made
00:14:25.53\00:14:26.86
because there's some
people in the church,
00:14:26.90\00:14:29.30
I'll just say the
church in general,
00:14:29.33\00:14:30.67
because there's
many different churches,
00:14:30.70\00:14:32.43
denominations,
00:14:32.47\00:14:33.80
but many people
that have this mentality
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.57
where they take the
scripture and they will twist it
00:14:35.60\00:14:37.61
or manipulate it to
their own destruction.
00:14:37.64\00:14:39.51
For instance,
that famous scripture
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.14
I believe it's in
Isaiah maybe 58 where it says,
00:14:41.18\00:14:43.81
"Cry aloud, spare not, show
my people their sins," right?
00:14:43.85\00:14:47.78
Some people take that text
and that principle and they go,
00:14:47.82\00:14:50.12
"Oh, you know, it's
my duty to go out here
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.49
and just give people the truth."
00:14:52.52\00:14:54.69
And it's not, it's not my fault
00:14:54.72\00:14:56.36
if they don't receive the truth.
00:14:56.39\00:14:57.73
So I'm just gonna
give it to them straight
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.63
and so, and I've
been in one of those,
00:14:59.66\00:15:01.06
I've been in many
of those situations
00:15:01.10\00:15:02.90
where people have witnessed
to me in a negative way
00:15:02.93\00:15:05.87
and left a bad taste in my mouth
00:15:05.90\00:15:07.97
for a particular message.
00:15:08.00\00:15:09.34
And it doesn't mean that
00:15:09.37\00:15:10.71
what they're
sharing is not true, right?
00:15:10.74\00:15:12.11
A lot of times what
people share is that
00:15:12.14\00:15:14.08
it's the straight truth
if you've never heard it,
00:15:14.11\00:15:16.75
but it's the method,
00:15:16.78\00:15:18.11
it's the way that
they present that.
00:15:18.15\00:15:19.68
And if we don't learn to
package it in such a way,
00:15:19.71\00:15:22.15
and present it in a
methodical, tactful way
00:15:22.18\00:15:24.82
to reach that
person in the correct way,
00:15:24.85\00:15:27.66
then we can kill our witness.
00:15:27.69\00:15:29.02
I'll never
forget many years ago,
00:15:29.06\00:15:30.39
and I'm being just transparent,
00:15:30.43\00:15:31.76
open right now about
just some experience I've had.
00:15:31.79\00:15:33.73
Many years ago, went
to this particular church,
00:15:33.76\00:15:35.93
I was preaching at this church,
00:15:35.96\00:15:37.30
they invited me to come out.
00:15:37.33\00:15:38.67
And I preached the
message, place was packed.
00:15:38.70\00:15:40.40
I mean, it was a
wonderful experience.
00:15:40.44\00:15:41.87
And at the end,
as we're walking out
00:15:41.90\00:15:43.37
and while exiting the
church, lady comes up to me,
00:15:43.41\00:15:45.91
and there was,
again, four or five people
00:15:45.94\00:15:47.98
standing around there.
00:15:48.01\00:15:49.34
So it was very clear,
00:15:49.38\00:15:50.71
lady comes up to
me, and she goes,
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.08
and of course, my wife
was standing next to me.
00:15:52.11\00:15:53.45
And if you've ever seen my wife,
00:15:53.48\00:15:54.82
she's a little
tiny petite thing.
00:15:54.85\00:15:56.18
And of course,
you know, opposites,
00:15:56.22\00:15:57.55
you know, me and her
are direct opposites.
00:15:57.59\00:15:59.25
And so the lady
comes right up to me,
00:15:59.29\00:16:00.66
and she goes, Brother
Day, I just want to say to,
00:16:00.69\00:16:03.49
you know, I just feel like
00:16:03.53\00:16:04.86
the Lord's laid
this on my heart,
00:16:04.89\00:16:06.23
I've noticed that
00:16:06.26\00:16:07.60
that you are significantly
larger than your wife.
00:16:07.63\00:16:09.26
I can tell that
your wife practices
00:16:09.30\00:16:11.17
the health
message, but you don't.
00:16:11.20\00:16:12.53
Oh, mercy.
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.30
Oh, my. Wow.
00:16:14.97\00:16:16.47
It was like taking a ball bat
00:16:16.50\00:16:17.84
and ping right
across the forehead, right?
00:16:17.87\00:16:20.28
In that moment, you know,
00:16:20.31\00:16:21.81
the Lord has been teaching me
00:16:21.84\00:16:23.88
and I'm growing
and I'm learning.
00:16:23.91\00:16:25.25
It's been an
experience for sure.
00:16:25.28\00:16:26.61
It's been a challenge.
00:16:26.65\00:16:27.98
But nonetheless, in that moment,
00:16:28.02\00:16:29.35
let's assume that's
what she's saying was true.
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.92
Okay, it's truthful.
00:16:31.95\00:16:33.29
But did she witness
to me in a proper way
00:16:33.32\00:16:34.92
that was leading
me and nurturing me,
00:16:34.96\00:16:36.46
and bringing me to Christ?
00:16:36.49\00:16:37.83
No, it was that
machine gun method
00:16:37.86\00:16:39.36
take, you know, take
this right here, Brother Day,
00:16:39.39\00:16:43.57
you know, just blowing
me down as if you know,
00:16:43.60\00:16:46.13
and plus in
front of other people.
00:16:46.17\00:16:47.50
We have to make sure
00:16:47.54\00:16:48.87
that our tactics and
our methods are correct.
00:16:48.90\00:16:51.31
And that's what
we're talking about today,
00:16:51.34\00:16:52.74
witnessing the right way.
00:16:52.77\00:16:54.64
There's a right way
and there's a wrong way.
00:16:54.68\00:16:56.31
And we've talked
a little bit here
00:16:56.34\00:16:57.68
as in the opening
about wrong ways to witness.
00:16:57.71\00:17:00.42
But let's get into
right ways to witness.
00:17:00.45\00:17:02.58
First of all, I want
to start with Matthew 28.
00:17:02.62\00:17:04.52
So let's go to Matthew 28.
00:17:04.55\00:17:06.02
And we want to talk
about why we witness?
00:17:06.05\00:17:07.76
What's the
purpose of our witnessing?
00:17:07.79\00:17:09.49
And that is, of course,
let's start with Matthew 28,
00:17:09.52\00:17:12.16
that great divine commission
that Jesus gives us there.
00:17:12.19\00:17:15.10
Matthew 28:19-20.
00:17:15.13\00:17:17.97
And, Dakota, I don't
know if you have that
00:17:18.00\00:17:19.60
or, Brother Dinzey, if you want
to read that, Matthew 28:19-20.
00:17:19.63\00:17:23.27
Nineteen and twenty,
00:17:23.30\00:17:24.64
"Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations,
00:17:24.67\00:17:27.44
baptizing them in
the name of the Father,
00:17:27.48\00:17:30.05
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost,
00:17:30.08\00:17:32.58
teaching them to
observe all things
00:17:32.61\00:17:35.15
whatsoever I have commanded you.
00:17:35.18\00:17:37.52
And lo, I am with you always,
00:17:37.55\00:17:39.99
even unto the end of the world.
00:17:40.02\00:17:42.56
Amen."
00:17:42.59\00:17:43.93
Okay.
00:17:43.96\00:17:45.29
So that was the
King James Version?
00:17:45.33\00:17:46.70
Was that the King James Version?
00:17:46.73\00:17:48.06
New King James Version.
00:17:48.10\00:17:49.43
That's the New King
James Version? Okay.
00:17:49.46\00:17:50.80
Just a moment. All right. Okay.
00:17:50.83\00:17:52.17
Well, my New King James
Version actually starts with,
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.77
Go therefore and make disciples.
00:17:54.80\00:17:57.67
Okay, this is King
James. That's what mine says.
00:17:57.71\00:17:59.11
Disciples.
00:17:59.14\00:18:00.78
So let me let me read it
00:18:00.81\00:18:02.14
the way many church
members see this, okay?
00:18:02.18\00:18:05.18
Go therefore, and make
church members of all nations.
00:18:05.21\00:18:07.95
Oh! There you go.
00:18:07.98\00:18:10.09
And many times,
00:18:10.12\00:18:11.45
we think it's our
duty to convert someone
00:18:11.49\00:18:14.29
to our particular denomination,
our particular faith.
00:18:14.32\00:18:16.62
In this case, you know,
00:18:16.66\00:18:17.99
I'm a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian.
00:18:18.03\00:18:19.59
And so, you know,
it's not my intention,
00:18:19.63\00:18:22.16
when I'm going out
to witness to someone,
00:18:22.20\00:18:24.07
I don't have the mentality of,
00:18:24.10\00:18:25.43
you know, what
I'm going into this
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.14
with the full idea
00:18:27.17\00:18:28.70
that I'm going to
try to convert them
00:18:28.74\00:18:30.34
to be good Seventh-day
Adventist Christians, right?
00:18:30.37\00:18:33.41
And many people
approach witnessing in that way.
00:18:33.44\00:18:35.71
And so, their mentality is,
00:18:35.74\00:18:37.08
I'm going to make
them a good church member.
00:18:37.11\00:18:38.81
But in order to graft them and
00:18:38.85\00:18:40.85
to draw them into my church,
00:18:40.88\00:18:42.82
well, I've got to prepare them.
00:18:42.85\00:18:44.19
So I've got to just shower them
00:18:44.22\00:18:45.69
with all of these
different doctrinal teachings,
00:18:45.72\00:18:47.62
so that we make sure that
00:18:47.66\00:18:48.99
they line up to our
particular way of life.
00:18:49.02\00:18:51.09
And we're certainly
not condemning or saying
00:18:51.13\00:18:53.76
that we should not
share those doctrinal truths,
00:18:53.80\00:18:55.73
because doctrine is important,
those individual truths,
00:18:55.76\00:18:58.43
those pillars of our faith
00:18:58.47\00:18:59.93
that make us who we are
00:18:59.97\00:19:01.30
as Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
00:19:01.34\00:19:02.67
Absolutely, they're important,
and we want to share them.
00:19:02.70\00:19:05.31
But that being said,
00:19:05.34\00:19:06.68
"Go and make
disciples of all nations,
00:19:06.71\00:19:10.98
baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son
00:19:11.01\00:19:12.81
and of the Holy Spirit,
00:19:12.85\00:19:14.18
teaching them to
observe all things
00:19:14.22\00:19:15.85
that I've commanded you.
00:19:15.88\00:19:17.22
And lo, I'm with you always,
even to the end of the age."
00:19:17.25\00:19:19.35
So get this, it's
Jesus saying, teach them,
00:19:19.39\00:19:23.56
make a disciple out
of them, baptize them
00:19:23.59\00:19:27.00
and then continue teaching them.
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.63
Our growing
experience never stops, right?
00:19:28.66\00:19:30.57
That's right.
00:19:30.60\00:19:31.93
But what does it
mean to make a disciple?
00:19:31.97\00:19:34.50
What are we doing
00:19:34.54\00:19:35.87
when we're making
disciples out of someone?
00:19:35.90\00:19:39.24
You're forming them
and training them to,
00:19:39.27\00:19:43.55
to be able to be
part of and follow.
00:19:43.58\00:19:48.25
I wanted to say also that,
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.92
for example, I have a friend
00:19:50.95\00:19:52.65
who visits a church
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.62
and one of the
friends from church
00:19:55.66\00:19:59.23
in that congregation said,
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.26
"You have to get
baptized already.
00:20:02.30\00:20:03.67
You've been visiting too long.
00:20:03.70\00:20:05.03
It's time for
you to get baptized."
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.04
You know, so the time
00:20:07.07\00:20:09.77
the Holy Spirit
will prompt the heart
00:20:09.80\00:20:11.47
of that person.
00:20:11.51\00:20:12.84
But in order to be a disciple,
00:20:12.87\00:20:14.64
I need to learn
who I'm following.
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.85
I need to
enhance our relationship.
00:20:16.88\00:20:20.22
I need to bond, you know,
because if it's just words,
00:20:20.25\00:20:25.02
and I'm doing a ritual,
00:20:25.05\00:20:26.39
just because it's nice,
00:20:26.42\00:20:27.89
you know, or the
right thing to do,
00:20:27.92\00:20:30.26
but it's not my time.
00:20:30.29\00:20:31.63
I'm just gonna
walk out the back door
00:20:31.66\00:20:33.03
from the church, so.
00:20:33.06\00:20:34.40
Right. Absolutely.
00:20:34.43\00:20:35.76
That's a good point. Good point.
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.13
That's right. You
want to add to that?
00:20:37.17\00:20:38.50
No, yeah, I mean,
in making disciples,
00:20:38.53\00:20:40.30
that disciple is
a follower of Jesus.
00:20:40.34\00:20:42.20
I mean, and you
making disciples,
00:20:42.24\00:20:45.21
you're making
followers of Jesus.
00:20:45.24\00:20:46.57
So as the scripture says,
00:20:46.61\00:20:47.94
teaching them to
observe all things
00:20:47.98\00:20:49.34
that I have commanded you.
00:20:49.38\00:20:51.01
So, yes, teaching them
was a big part of that.
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.85
But also, it's teaching
them how to be a good disciple.
00:20:52.88\00:20:55.62
In other words, make
other disciples as well.
00:20:55.65\00:20:58.45
And so that's part of
our ministry that too,
00:20:58.49\00:21:00.99
oftentimes, we forget,
00:21:01.02\00:21:02.36
again, we think we
get them in the church
00:21:02.39\00:21:03.93
and our job is done.
00:21:03.96\00:21:05.39
But we never stopped growing
00:21:05.43\00:21:06.76
even when we
get into the church.
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.13
We always need to grow
and draw closer to the Lord.
00:21:08.16\00:21:11.00
And, you know, too
oftentimes, I think that,
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.30
you know, we have as
Idalia was bringing out,
00:21:13.34\00:21:15.14
we have a lot of people
00:21:15.17\00:21:16.50
who are trying to
witness for the Lord
00:21:16.54\00:21:18.94
and they don't
even know the Lord.
00:21:18.97\00:21:20.31
Right.
00:21:20.34\00:21:21.68
Like in Acts Chapter 19,
you read about the man who...
00:21:21.71\00:21:24.18
It was the seven sons, actually,
00:21:24.21\00:21:25.68
they come and they're exorcist,
00:21:25.71\00:21:27.68
and they're going to
try to cast out demons
00:21:27.72\00:21:29.28
because they
saw, you know, Paul,
00:21:29.32\00:21:30.65
and all the rest of them do it.
00:21:30.69\00:21:32.02
They're going to cast out demons
00:21:32.05\00:21:33.39
in the name of the Lord.
00:21:33.42\00:21:34.76
What does Paul say?
00:21:34.79\00:21:36.12
What eventually the
Bible transpires in Acts,
00:21:36.16\00:21:37.83
I think it's
verses 13 through 16,
00:21:37.86\00:21:39.73
you can read there,
00:21:39.76\00:21:41.10
and they say,
00:21:41.13\00:21:42.46
"We're going to
cast out these demons
00:21:42.50\00:21:43.83
in the name of the Lord Jesus."
00:21:43.87\00:21:45.20
And the demon speaks
to him through the man
00:21:45.23\00:21:46.70
and says, Paul, I know,
Jesus, I know, who are you.
00:21:46.74\00:21:52.64
In other words, this
man didn't even know Jesus
00:21:52.67\00:21:55.81
for the demons
to know him, right?
00:21:55.84\00:21:57.48
I think the demons
are only going to know you
00:21:57.51\00:21:59.11
who you are,
00:21:59.15\00:22:00.48
if you're a threat to them.
00:22:00.52\00:22:01.85
You see what I'm saying.
00:22:01.88\00:22:03.22
If you're a true
disciple and follower of Jesus.
00:22:03.25\00:22:04.72
This man was trying to witness
00:22:04.75\00:22:06.09
and trying to do
some work of the Lord,
00:22:06.12\00:22:07.49
some mighty work of the Lord.
00:22:07.52\00:22:08.86
And he didn't
even know the Lord.
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.39
And I think too often times
we have people try to do that.
00:22:10.43\00:22:13.09
How many times
we've seen it, Ryan,
00:22:13.13\00:22:14.46
where someone who
doesn't know the Lord,
00:22:14.50\00:22:17.17
talk about the Lord,
00:22:17.20\00:22:18.53
and he just makes
you just want to go like,
00:22:18.57\00:22:20.64
you know, you just start
showing those faces like,
00:22:20.67\00:22:22.67
"Oh, no, here we go."
00:22:22.70\00:22:24.94
And they start
talking about scriptures
00:22:24.97\00:22:26.31
they know nothing about.
00:22:26.34\00:22:27.68
This is a really
bad way to witnessing.
00:22:27.71\00:22:29.61
I think it's
important what Idalia said,
00:22:29.64\00:22:31.25
we need to get
to know Jesus first,
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.45
and focus on our
relationship with Him first,
00:22:33.48\00:22:35.95
before we go out there
00:22:35.98\00:22:37.32
and start flapping
our gums about the Lord.
00:22:37.35\00:22:38.69
Right. That's right.
00:22:38.72\00:22:40.06
Now, that's a good point,
00:22:40.09\00:22:41.42
as good relationship
is absolutely important.
00:22:41.46\00:22:42.79
When we're talking
about making disciples,
00:22:42.82\00:22:46.26
we have to first have
that relationship with the Lord
00:22:46.29\00:22:48.16
before we can
lead and guide someone
00:22:48.20\00:22:50.20
on how to grow
their relationship
00:22:50.23\00:22:51.83
with the Lord.
00:22:51.87\00:22:53.20
Amen. That's right.
00:22:53.23\00:22:54.57
So that's vitally
important, you know,
00:22:54.60\00:22:55.94
for someone you know,
00:22:55.97\00:22:57.87
it's there's a sign
00:22:57.91\00:22:59.24
at the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:22:59.27\00:23:02.74
As you go out to
the back, and it says,
00:23:02.78\00:23:07.48
present Jesus to
people in an irresistible way.
00:23:07.52\00:23:12.32
And that captured my attention.
00:23:12.35\00:23:13.69
You know, I don't know how
many times I read the sign.
00:23:13.72\00:23:15.36
But one day I
stopped and I said,
00:23:15.39\00:23:17.43
you know, people
really need this,
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.39
people really need to know
00:23:19.43\00:23:21.30
that the Christ is
irresistible in the sense of,
00:23:21.33\00:23:25.13
we need a Savior,
00:23:25.17\00:23:27.24
and He is the only
one that can save you.
00:23:27.27\00:23:30.21
You need Jesus. Amen.
00:23:30.24\00:23:31.77
And the people that are new,
the Bible calls them new babes.
00:23:31.81\00:23:37.01
And, you know,
when a baby is born,
00:23:37.05\00:23:40.22
you don't say congratulations,
welcome to the world.
00:23:40.25\00:23:42.28
We'll see you, you know.
00:23:42.32\00:23:43.95
You don't find that.
00:23:43.99\00:23:45.59
That's right.
00:23:45.62\00:23:46.96
We call it even
born again, right?
00:23:46.99\00:23:49.32
Yeah.
00:23:49.36\00:23:50.69
So you have to bring them up
00:23:50.73\00:23:52.06
as it's applied
here in the nurture
00:23:52.09\00:23:55.20
and admonition of the
Lord as you would children.
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.87
Amen. Amen.
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.23
Praise the Lord. I love this.
00:23:59.27\00:24:00.60
Amen. Absolutely.
00:24:00.64\00:24:01.97
I believe we need to learn
00:24:02.00\00:24:03.34
to nurture our
very own family members,
00:24:03.37\00:24:06.31
you know what I mean?
00:24:06.34\00:24:07.68
Because while we
don't practice in the house,
00:24:07.71\00:24:09.91
you know, it's not gonna go...
00:24:09.94\00:24:11.28
How can we share it outside?
00:24:11.31\00:24:13.11
So, and the Lord has
really been working in me,
00:24:13.15\00:24:18.52
because I would just
like, if I get some news about,
00:24:18.55\00:24:22.99
you know, one of the
kids did something wrong
00:24:23.02\00:24:24.66
or whatever I used to be like,
00:24:24.69\00:24:26.43
like what, you know,
00:24:26.46\00:24:29.06
and I'm like, well,
00:24:29.10\00:24:30.77
Lord, I'm gonna pray about this.
00:24:30.80\00:24:33.70
You know, that's
just totally different
00:24:33.74\00:24:35.47
when the Lord is
just working in your life.
00:24:35.50\00:24:37.27
And you see how
that hate teems down,
00:24:37.31\00:24:41.31
and glory to God,
00:24:41.34\00:24:43.04
because God can change us
if we're willing to change.
00:24:43.08\00:24:48.58
So, I would love to see is that
00:24:48.62\00:24:51.85
we love people
into our congregations,
00:24:51.89\00:24:55.56
that they may feel they
they're part of a family,
00:24:55.59\00:24:59.16
you know, but a
lot of people leave
00:24:59.19\00:25:01.10
because of lack of love.
00:25:01.13\00:25:02.96
You know, conditional
love is what we offer.
00:25:03.00\00:25:06.60
And Lord have mercy on helpless.
00:25:06.63\00:25:08.30
That's right.
00:25:08.34\00:25:09.67
Conditional love. That's right.
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.04
It happens
between families, friends
00:25:11.07\00:25:13.81
or other people
in the community.
00:25:13.84\00:25:17.01
It happen,
that's humanity, right?
00:25:17.05\00:25:18.98
But the Lord can
change that heart around.
00:25:19.01\00:25:20.95
Amen.
00:25:20.98\00:25:22.32
Oh, I'm so glad
that you brought it,
00:25:22.35\00:25:23.69
brought that up, because
00:25:23.72\00:25:25.05
now we're going to get into,
00:25:25.09\00:25:26.89
I would like to
say maybe the equation,
00:25:26.92\00:25:29.99
the right way to witness.
00:25:30.03\00:25:31.93
And so I put here as a question
in my little outline here.
00:25:31.96\00:25:34.96
How many ways are there
00:25:35.00\00:25:36.53
to properly
witness for Jesus, right?
00:25:36.56\00:25:39.73
And, you know, what's amazing,
00:25:39.77\00:25:41.10
everybody has
their own perception,
00:25:41.14\00:25:43.00
their own perspective of,
00:25:43.04\00:25:44.44
well, you know, my ideal concept
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.68
or idea of witnessing is this.
00:25:47.71\00:25:49.41
So everyone has
their own little method.
00:25:49.44\00:25:51.08
But at the end of the day,
00:25:51.11\00:25:52.91
how many ways or how
many methods are there.
00:25:52.95\00:25:56.12
And I'm going to
share a quote with you here.
00:25:56.15\00:25:57.62
Many of you watching
may have heard this before.
00:25:57.65\00:26:00.12
Many of you may have
not, but I want to share this.
00:26:00.16\00:26:01.89
This is from the book,
00:26:01.92\00:26:03.29
The Ministry of
Healing, page 143.
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.79
And before I read
this, I just have to say,
00:26:05.83\00:26:08.16
I will never get many years ago
00:26:08.20\00:26:10.83
when myself and Dakota,
00:26:10.87\00:26:12.47
our wives, Stephanie, and
Anna and our friend, Jordan,
00:26:12.50\00:26:15.50
we all packed up and
we went for four months
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.91
out to California,
00:26:17.94\00:26:19.77
to attend the
Amazing Facts Center
00:26:19.81\00:26:21.71
of Evangelism.
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.08
We wanted to learn
and educate ourselves
00:26:23.11\00:26:25.05
on how to
properly witness to someone
00:26:25.08\00:26:27.52
and to bring someone to Christ.
00:26:27.55\00:26:29.15
And I'll never forget
going through that program.
00:26:29.18\00:26:31.55
The quote that
I'm about to read here
00:26:31.59\00:26:32.99
from Ministry of
Healing, page 143.
00:26:33.02\00:26:34.62
This was kind of the epicenter.
00:26:34.66\00:26:36.49
This was like the, this
was like the ultimate method
00:26:36.52\00:26:41.10
in which we shared
in which we live by,
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.20
because when
you break this down,
00:26:43.23\00:26:44.57
as we're going to do
00:26:44.60\00:26:45.93
for the
remainder of this program,
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.64
it gives us the
true only working way
00:26:47.67\00:26:51.67
to win a soul to Jesus Christ.
00:26:51.71\00:26:53.04
That's right.
00:26:53.07\00:26:54.41
I'm going to go
ahead and say it clear.
00:26:54.44\00:26:55.78
There's only
one right way. Okay.
00:26:55.81\00:26:57.81
And there may be
someone watching say,
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.21
oh, you know what,
you've got your way, Ryan.
00:26:59.25\00:27:00.78
And I've got my way,
and she's got her way,
00:27:00.82\00:27:03.12
and they got their way.
00:27:03.15\00:27:04.49
But at the end of the day,
00:27:04.52\00:27:05.85
there's really only one
proved method that works.
00:27:05.89\00:27:09.92
And that is Christ method alone.
00:27:09.96\00:27:13.63
So listen to this,
Ministry of Healing, page 143.
00:27:13.66\00:27:17.03
And this is what it says,
00:27:17.07\00:27:19.20
"Christ's method
alone will give true success
00:27:19.23\00:27:23.61
in reaching the people."
00:27:23.64\00:27:24.97
So pause there, let's just get
that soak that in for a moment.
00:27:25.01\00:27:27.34
So whose method alone?
00:27:27.38\00:27:29.31
Christ's method
alone, there's only one.
00:27:29.34\00:27:31.68
So if you're out
there trying to witness
00:27:31.71\00:27:33.15
and trying to
win people to Christ,
00:27:33.18\00:27:34.58
and you're not implementing
Christ method alone,
00:27:34.62\00:27:36.99
and we're gonna see that
00:27:37.02\00:27:38.35
this is clearly
backed by Scripture, right?
00:27:38.39\00:27:40.89
Only Christ method works.
00:27:40.92\00:27:42.96
And so, it only
brings true success
00:27:42.99\00:27:44.43
in reaching the people.
00:27:44.46\00:27:45.79
And then it goes on to say,
00:27:45.83\00:27:47.16
"The Savior mingled with men,
as one who desired their good.
00:27:47.20\00:27:52.17
He showed His sympathy for them,
00:27:52.20\00:27:54.97
ministered to their
needs, and won their confidence,
00:27:55.00\00:28:00.41
then he bade them, follow me.
00:28:00.44\00:28:04.15
Amen.
00:28:04.18\00:28:05.51
I love that, it's
short and sweet and simple,
00:28:05.55\00:28:08.12
but yet, there is actually
a multistep process here.
00:28:08.15\00:28:12.52
I mean, think about it,
when you and I use this,
00:28:12.55\00:28:14.92
I use this, I did
some evangelism training
00:28:14.96\00:28:16.56
not too long ago,
00:28:16.59\00:28:17.93
and I was given it
at a particular church
00:28:17.96\00:28:19.29
that I was at.
00:28:19.33\00:28:20.66
And I gave this illustration,
00:28:20.70\00:28:22.46
you know, when you
want to start a garden,
00:28:22.50\00:28:24.33
or you're wanting to
plant seeds, or sow seeds
00:28:24.37\00:28:27.14
for the purpose of growing
00:28:27.17\00:28:28.60
and producing
fruit from a plant,
00:28:28.64\00:28:30.27
whether it's a
vegetable or whatever it is,
00:28:30.31\00:28:32.31
you don't go out to the ground
00:28:32.34\00:28:34.11
that you're hoping to
harvest this fruit from,
00:28:34.14\00:28:37.11
eventually, you
don't go out to the ground,
00:28:37.15\00:28:38.85
and you don't take
the seed and just like,
00:28:38.88\00:28:40.95
throw it out onto the ground,
00:28:40.98\00:28:42.68
and then just
walk back in the house
00:28:42.72\00:28:44.15
and expect to come
back out a few days later.
00:28:44.19\00:28:46.15
And there's
this beautiful plush,
00:28:46.19\00:28:47.86
you know wonderful juicy fruit
00:28:47.89\00:28:49.59
out there for you
to receive, right?
00:28:49.62\00:28:51.79
There's a process to it.
00:28:51.83\00:28:53.56
And essentially,
00:28:53.60\00:28:55.00
what you're seeing in
this powerful quote here
00:28:55.03\00:28:57.63
from Ministry of
Healing, page 143,
00:28:57.67\00:29:00.47
is that Jesus,
00:29:00.50\00:29:01.87
there was a multistep
process that Jesus used.
00:29:01.90\00:29:05.01
He just didn't walk up
to someone and be like,
00:29:05.04\00:29:06.64
hey, you're a sinner,
00:29:06.68\00:29:08.14
and you're going to hell
if you don't change your ways.
00:29:08.18\00:29:10.48
I mean, Jesus was
very straightforward
00:29:10.51\00:29:12.25
with a lot of
people in certain aspects,
00:29:12.28\00:29:13.95
but it was only
because He knew the heart.
00:29:13.98\00:29:16.05
We don't know the heart.
00:29:16.08\00:29:17.42
As human beings, we
don't have that that gift
00:29:17.45\00:29:19.05
or that ability to
read someone's thoughts
00:29:19.09\00:29:20.86
in another heart.
00:29:20.89\00:29:22.22
He did that.
00:29:22.26\00:29:23.59
But yet in the
majority of cases,
00:29:23.63\00:29:25.59
He used what is coined here
00:29:25.63\00:29:27.50
as Christ method alone
where He mingled with men
00:29:27.53\00:29:31.17
as one who desired their good.
00:29:31.20\00:29:33.67
He showed them sympathy.
00:29:33.70\00:29:35.80
He ministered to their needs.
00:29:35.84\00:29:37.91
He won their confidence.
00:29:37.94\00:29:39.74
And once He had
done all those things,
00:29:39.77\00:29:41.61
then came the day
00:29:41.64\00:29:42.98
where He was
like, hey, follow Me.
00:29:43.01\00:29:45.41
Do what I do.
00:29:45.45\00:29:46.78
You know what?
And so it's awesome.
00:29:46.82\00:29:48.15
So let's talk about,
let's unpack this one by one.
00:29:48.18\00:29:50.55
My next question here.
00:29:50.59\00:29:52.45
What does it mean that
Christ mingled with men
00:29:52.49\00:29:56.16
as the one who
desired their good?
00:29:56.19\00:29:58.79
Well, what does that
mean that He mingled with men?
00:29:58.83\00:30:01.16
And how important is that
00:30:01.20\00:30:02.53
in the opening
steps of witnessing?
00:30:02.56\00:30:04.17
This is extremely huge to me,
00:30:04.20\00:30:05.53
because as a Bible worker,
00:30:05.57\00:30:06.97
I was, I used to
be a Bible worker
00:30:07.00\00:30:08.34
before I became
hired by Amazing Facts
00:30:08.37\00:30:09.77
as an evangelist.
00:30:09.80\00:30:11.14
And what was really cool about
being a Bible worker is that,
00:30:11.17\00:30:14.21
you know, you're, literally
your job as a Bible worker
00:30:14.24\00:30:17.15
is to get out there
and meet new people.
00:30:17.18\00:30:18.81
That's your whole
job to find these,
00:30:18.85\00:30:20.32
you make these connections.
00:30:20.35\00:30:21.98
And I went
door-to-door for a long time,
00:30:22.02\00:30:24.02
and that's effective,
00:30:24.05\00:30:25.39
you can find
people door-to-door.
00:30:25.42\00:30:26.76
I'm not disclaiming that at all.
00:30:26.79\00:30:28.12
But I will say this, though,
00:30:28.16\00:30:29.49
that one of the greatest ways
00:30:29.52\00:30:30.86
that I met people
00:30:30.89\00:30:32.23
that were actually
interested in Scripture,
00:30:32.26\00:30:33.60
and that I could do
Bible studies with them,
00:30:33.63\00:30:34.96
is I went out and did
activities with people.
00:30:35.00\00:30:37.60
And door-to-door
00:30:37.63\00:30:39.17
was one of the activities I did.
00:30:39.20\00:30:40.54
I remember, I was training
the church in Tennessee,
00:30:40.57\00:30:42.97
about six years ago this was.
00:30:43.00\00:30:45.01
I was turning a
church in Tennessee,
00:30:45.04\00:30:46.37
and I was doing,
00:30:46.41\00:30:47.74
you know, basically
00:30:47.78\00:30:49.11
door-to-door
evangelism with them.
00:30:49.14\00:30:50.48
But I said before
we go door-to-door
00:30:50.51\00:30:51.85
and we start asking people
to study the Bible with us.
00:30:51.88\00:30:53.21
We're going to show them
how much we care about them.
00:30:53.25\00:30:54.92
Yes.
00:30:54.95\00:30:56.28
And then they're
like, what do you mean,
00:30:56.32\00:30:57.65
what are we going to do?
00:30:57.69\00:30:59.02
And so, we did
all kinds of things.
00:30:59.05\00:31:00.39
But one of the main
things we started to do
00:31:00.42\00:31:02.59
was we went door-to-door,
00:31:02.62\00:31:03.96
we went into door-to-door
00:31:03.99\00:31:05.33
just as Jesus sent
out the 70 in twos, right?
00:31:05.36\00:31:08.00
We went door-to-door,
and we knocked on their door,
00:31:08.03\00:31:10.73
and all we had was our Bibles,
00:31:10.77\00:31:13.13
and a pin pad
with us with a pin.
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.44
And we knocked on the
doors that answered the door.
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.77
And we say, listen, so
sorry to bother you today.
00:31:17.81\00:31:19.51
But we're going
around the neighborhood,
00:31:19.54\00:31:20.88
seeing if there's
anything that people know of
00:31:20.91\00:31:22.84
or anyone that anybody
knows that we can pray for.
00:31:22.88\00:31:25.58
Do you have any prayer requests
that we can take from you?
00:31:25.61\00:31:28.65
You should have saw
these people's faces.
00:31:28.68\00:31:30.72
I kid you not like
they were blown away.
00:31:30.75\00:31:32.22
They're like, "Hold on, wait,
who's paying you to do this?"
00:31:32.25\00:31:35.56
That's what they
were saying to me.
00:31:35.59\00:31:36.93
And I was like,
"Nobody's paying me to do this."
00:31:36.96\00:31:38.36
And they're like,
00:31:38.39\00:31:39.73
"No, no, no, seriously, like,
00:31:39.76\00:31:41.10
you're out here doing this
00:31:41.13\00:31:42.46
because you're
getting paid, right?"
00:31:42.50\00:31:43.83
And I'm like, "No,
no, I'm, I'm doing this
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.20
because I genuinely
care about our community.
00:31:45.23\00:31:46.70
And I'm seeing
in what ways we can
00:31:46.74\00:31:48.44
you know, help the community.
00:31:48.47\00:31:49.87
And, so if there's anybody that
you know of that needs prayer,
00:31:49.90\00:31:51.84
if your family,
someone that's sick,
00:31:51.87\00:31:53.78
we would like to put
them on our prayer list
00:31:53.81\00:31:55.51
and pray for them continually."
00:31:55.54\00:31:57.51
And they were just
like, "Hold on a second,"
00:31:57.55\00:31:59.68
like this is,
this can't be real.
00:31:59.71\00:32:01.05
But you know what the
number one answer there was
00:32:01.08\00:32:03.39
they asked me right after that.
00:32:03.42\00:32:05.09
What church do you go to? Amen.
00:32:05.12\00:32:07.02
That was the next
thing they wanted to know.
00:32:07.06\00:32:08.66
Who? Who are you? And
what church you go to?
00:32:08.69\00:32:12.49
'Cause I've never seen
this before in my life.
00:32:12.53\00:32:14.36
No one's knocked
on my door and said,
00:32:14.40\00:32:15.86
how can I pray for you?
00:32:15.90\00:32:17.23
Right.
00:32:17.27\00:32:18.60
And so that was one
of the greatest ways
00:32:18.63\00:32:19.97
we make contacts.
00:32:20.00\00:32:21.34
People saw that
we genuinely cared.
00:32:21.37\00:32:22.70
And we will go
back the next week,
00:32:22.74\00:32:24.07
and we'd follow up with them.
00:32:24.11\00:32:25.44
We'd say, hey,
how's Daniel doing?
00:32:25.47\00:32:26.81
How's his shoulder doing better?
00:32:26.84\00:32:28.18
I know, he got an
injured in that car accident,
00:32:28.21\00:32:29.54
how's he doing it?
00:32:29.58\00:32:30.91
And they'd be like,
00:32:30.95\00:32:32.28
"Oh, man, God's
answering prayer.
00:32:32.31\00:32:33.65
Thank you guys so much."
00:32:33.68\00:32:35.02
And then we had,
00:32:35.05\00:32:36.38
I would go out in the community,
00:32:36.42\00:32:37.75
and I would play basketball
00:32:37.79\00:32:39.12
with the youth
out in the community,
00:32:39.15\00:32:40.49
just go to the local park.
00:32:40.52\00:32:41.86
And lot of
people probably thought,
00:32:41.89\00:32:43.22
you know, if the somebody
was driving by and saw me,
00:32:43.26\00:32:44.59
they'd probably be like,
00:32:44.63\00:32:45.96
Dakota is not
even doing his job,
00:32:45.99\00:32:47.33
that's probably would
have been their thing.
00:32:47.36\00:32:48.70
But I wasn't there,
00:32:48.73\00:32:50.07
even though I
enjoy playing basketball.
00:32:50.10\00:32:51.43
I wasn't there for myself.
00:32:51.47\00:32:52.83
I would
literally tell those guys,
00:32:52.87\00:32:54.20
hey, listen, if
there's anything you ever need,
00:32:54.24\00:32:56.14
here's my phone number.
00:32:56.17\00:32:57.51
Give me a call and let me know,
00:32:57.54\00:32:58.87
I'll be there to
help you with anything.
00:32:58.91\00:33:00.24
I actually had
some of them call me
00:33:00.28\00:33:01.61
and I've actually done
studies with many of them.
00:33:01.64\00:33:03.24
This is how we got
to mingle with men.
00:33:03.28\00:33:05.51
We got to get out
there meet these people,
00:33:05.55\00:33:07.55
as the Bible says,
00:33:07.58\00:33:08.92
or as the
Ministry of Healing said,
00:33:08.95\00:33:10.29
as one who desires their good.
00:33:10.32\00:33:11.92
I like that. Right?
00:33:11.95\00:33:13.29
You got to let
them know, I care about,
00:33:13.32\00:33:14.66
you know, people don't
care how much you know,
00:33:14.69\00:33:16.62
until they know
how much you care.
00:33:16.66\00:33:17.99
That's right.
00:33:18.03\00:33:19.36
They don't, so
yeah. That's a good point.
00:33:19.39\00:33:20.73
At one given
time in my lifetime,
00:33:20.76\00:33:23.30
the Lord impressed me to
start calling people that
00:33:23.33\00:33:27.14
this is way back
00:33:27.17\00:33:28.50
when they had the Yellow Pages.
00:33:28.54\00:33:29.87
I don't know if
you've seen any of those.
00:33:29.90\00:33:32.11
But I had the
Yellow Pages at home.
00:33:32.14\00:33:34.64
And the Lord just
impressed me to start a ministry
00:33:34.68\00:33:38.68
of calling
people on the phone, so.
00:33:38.71\00:33:40.85
Unknown people, strange.
00:33:40.88\00:33:42.22
I mean just going down the line.
00:33:42.25\00:33:44.65
You just reminded me,
00:33:44.69\00:33:46.02
I even forgot I used to do that.
00:33:46.05\00:33:47.79
Wow. Praise the Lord.
00:33:47.82\00:33:49.46
So I'm like, my name
is a little hard to say.
00:33:49.49\00:33:52.59
But I would say this is Dolly.
00:33:52.63\00:33:54.93
And I'd like to,
I'm just calling to,
00:33:54.96\00:33:57.93
ping, somebody hung up.
00:33:57.97\00:33:59.93
And then other
people who are you?
00:33:59.97\00:34:02.80
I'm Dolly.
00:34:02.84\00:34:04.17
I'm just from the community.
00:34:04.21\00:34:05.54
And I just want you to know
00:34:05.57\00:34:07.11
that the Lord placed
you right in front of me
00:34:07.14\00:34:09.68
this number, your name,
00:34:09.71\00:34:11.51
and I want to take
time to pray for you today.
00:34:11.55\00:34:14.65
So could you please
tell me your prayer request?
00:34:14.68\00:34:17.35
You know, is there anything
you wish for me to pray over?
00:34:17.39\00:34:20.86
And so, some people
were very, very warm
00:34:20.89\00:34:24.53
and very receiving,
00:34:24.56\00:34:26.09
others were I have my
own pastor to pray for me
00:34:26.13\00:34:28.36
and they will hang
up on me which is okay.
00:34:28.40\00:34:31.23
And one of the
calls, a nine year old says,
00:34:31.27\00:34:35.77
"Do you only pray for my parents
00:34:35.80\00:34:38.41
or will you pray for me?
00:34:38.44\00:34:40.71
I said, "No, sweetheart,
I will pray for you too."
00:34:40.74\00:34:43.38
Well, I still can see
and can hear his voice.
00:34:43.41\00:34:47.45
"If you could pray for
me because I am diabetic."
00:34:47.48\00:34:51.09
I'm like, "Well, of
course, I'm gonna pray for you."
00:34:51.12\00:34:53.49
I'm getting all emotional.
00:34:53.52\00:34:55.72
Wow.
00:34:55.76\00:34:57.09
But I said, of course,
00:34:57.13\00:34:58.59
of course I'm
going to pray for you.
00:34:58.63\00:35:00.33
Let's pray together.
00:35:00.36\00:35:01.90
What other thing would
you like for me to pray over?
00:35:01.93\00:35:04.83
And that was such a
special time in my life.
00:35:04.87\00:35:09.70
The Lord just impressed
00:35:09.74\00:35:11.07
and I'm like,
Lord, why are we going
00:35:11.11\00:35:12.44
to all these
strangers like they hung on me.
00:35:12.47\00:35:14.54
Not everybody, you
know, hung up on me.
00:35:14.58\00:35:16.95
So praise the Lord,
00:35:16.98\00:35:18.31
it's not a very
common way of doing it.
00:35:18.35\00:35:21.35
But back then,
00:35:21.38\00:35:23.39
when there was the
Yellow Pages, say wait.
00:35:23.42\00:35:25.69
Yeah, I mean, so it's not like
you're calling these people up
00:35:25.72\00:35:27.82
or going and
knocking on their door
00:35:27.86\00:35:29.19
and, you know, trying
to beat them over the head
00:35:29.22\00:35:30.93
with Bible doctrine.
00:35:30.96\00:35:32.29
What day do you go to church on?
00:35:32.33\00:35:33.66
Did you know the
Sabbath is Saturday?
00:35:33.70\00:35:35.50
I mean, that's a truth.
00:35:35.53\00:35:37.40
But you got to, you
got to befriend them,
00:35:37.43\00:35:40.00
you got to make friendships.
00:35:40.04\00:35:41.37
And that's what this
mingling with men is all about.
00:35:41.40\00:35:43.81
That's why Jesus
mingled with men,
00:35:43.84\00:35:45.67
as one who desired the good
00:35:45.71\00:35:47.04
because Jesus wanted to
create friendships first.
00:35:47.08\00:35:49.74
That's why I
love Romans 12:15-16.
00:35:49.78\00:35:53.05
That's what the Bible
says in Romans 12-15-16.
00:35:53.08\00:35:55.02
It says,
00:35:55.05\00:35:56.38
"Rejoice with those who rejoice,
00:35:56.42\00:35:57.92
and weep with those who weep,
00:35:57.95\00:36:00.62
be of the same
mind toward one another.
00:36:00.66\00:36:03.59
Do not set your
mind on high things,
00:36:03.63\00:36:05.66
but associate with the humble,
00:36:05.69\00:36:08.36
do not be wise in
your own opinion."
00:36:08.40\00:36:10.93
So in other words,
this is simply saying,
00:36:10.97\00:36:12.83
you know, come together,
sympathize with others,
00:36:12.87\00:36:15.67
grow together, learn together,
00:36:15.70\00:36:17.27
take time to spend time
00:36:17.31\00:36:18.64
to become like
minded with one another,
00:36:18.67\00:36:20.51
to understand what
it is that people need.
00:36:20.54\00:36:22.68
Because ultimately,
you're trying to befriend them,
00:36:22.71\00:36:25.88
you're trying to
become a friend to them,
00:36:25.91\00:36:27.68
so that
ultimately you get down here
00:36:27.72\00:36:29.12
to where we're
going in just a moment.
00:36:29.15\00:36:30.55
And that is that you
win their confidence, right?
00:36:30.59\00:36:32.62
And that's what
this is all about.
00:36:32.65\00:36:33.99
Pastor, you want
to share something?
00:36:34.02\00:36:35.36
That's right, you know,
00:36:35.39\00:36:36.73
that's the key to
winning people's interest.
00:36:36.76\00:36:39.79
And you befriend
them, like he says,
00:36:39.83\00:36:42.53
as one who desires their good.
00:36:42.56\00:36:44.87
We want you to be well.
00:36:44.90\00:36:46.40
I remember we were
on a trip in Guatemala.
00:36:46.43\00:36:49.30
I was telling Idalia about this.
00:36:49.34\00:36:51.24
And we were...
00:36:51.27\00:36:54.31
It's interesting, we
were on a mission project,
00:36:54.34\00:36:56.48
we were going to a GYC meeting.
00:36:56.51\00:37:00.48
And one of the
projects they were saying was
00:37:00.52\00:37:04.62
that they were making stoves,
the stoves for people out of...
00:37:04.65\00:37:08.32
Clay stoves.
00:37:08.36\00:37:09.69
Yes, out of some clay.
00:37:09.72\00:37:11.86
And so Idalia says,
00:37:11.89\00:37:13.96
"Well, what else are
you doing for these people?"
00:37:14.00\00:37:16.87
And he says,
00:37:16.90\00:37:18.57
"Well, we're making the stoves."
00:37:18.60\00:37:21.47
He said, Well, you know,
the Lord has impressed me
00:37:21.50\00:37:23.44
that maybe we should
bring them some food too.
00:37:23.47\00:37:25.34
Okay.
00:37:25.37\00:37:26.71
And so and so she says,
00:37:26.74\00:37:29.08
I'm sure my husband would agree
00:37:29.11\00:37:30.45
that we're going to
donate some money toward this.
00:37:30.48\00:37:32.01
And I said, you're having money.
00:37:32.05\00:37:36.72
And so yes, so
we were committed.
00:37:36.75\00:37:38.89
And now we went to this
market to pick up the food.
00:37:38.92\00:37:42.59
Yes, produce.
00:37:42.62\00:37:43.96
Produce, you know,
00:37:43.99\00:37:45.33
because we were
putting produce in there
00:37:45.36\00:37:46.70
and we bought rice
and beans and there was,
00:37:46.73\00:37:48.76
it was a sack of
food for each family.
00:37:48.80\00:37:51.93
And I forgot how
many families 25 families
00:37:51.97\00:37:53.67
that were building stoves for.
00:37:53.70\00:37:55.04
So now we're
gathering this food to say,
00:37:55.07\00:37:56.44
well, we're
hungry, we're going to eat
00:37:56.47\00:37:57.81
so we stopped at a restaurant.
00:37:57.84\00:37:59.17
And we noticed there
was this old gentleman
00:37:59.21\00:38:02.71
that was going
from table to table
00:38:02.74\00:38:05.05
and sometimes he will stop
and he will play his accordion.
00:38:05.08\00:38:09.82
And we didn't know who he was,
but eventually he comes to us,
00:38:09.85\00:38:13.96
he identify himself as Rubens.
00:38:13.99\00:38:15.99
And he said,
00:38:16.02\00:38:17.36
"Do you, would you like a song?
00:38:17.39\00:38:18.73
I sing in Spanish, I
can maybe sing in English, "
00:38:18.76\00:38:20.30
he says.
00:38:20.33\00:38:21.66
" So he's, he
would kind of give you
00:38:21.70\00:38:23.03
like a little a little
taste of what he can do.
00:38:23.06\00:38:25.73
So he sang one without
us requesting anything.
00:38:25.77\00:38:29.17
And then somebody said,
"Well, can you sing this one."
00:38:29.20\00:38:32.07
And Viejo San Juan
00:38:32.11\00:38:33.44
which is famous
song in Puerto Rico.
00:38:33.48\00:38:34.81
The nationals.
00:38:34.84\00:38:36.18
And then Idalia say, can
you play Mas alla del sol.
00:38:36.21\00:38:39.91
I don't know if you've
ever heard of that song.
00:38:39.95\00:38:41.28
But it's far beyond the sun.
00:38:41.32\00:38:42.78
It's like you have in English
the we have this whole pool.
00:38:42.82\00:38:46.55
In Spanish Mas alla
del sol is the song...
00:38:46.59\00:38:48.99
Far beyond the sun.
00:38:49.02\00:38:50.36
Yeah, far beyond the sun
which talks about our home
00:38:50.39\00:38:52.56
far beyond the sun.
00:38:52.59\00:38:53.93
Anyway, so we kind of
made a little contact with him.
00:38:53.96\00:38:57.53
And we went to the GYC meeting.
00:38:57.57\00:38:59.10
This was like a Tuesday.
00:38:59.13\00:39:01.47
So we're returning from
the GYC meeting on Sunday.
00:39:01.50\00:39:04.11
Sunday, late afternoon.
00:39:04.14\00:39:05.67
Late afternoon because we
went and helped build a stove.
00:39:05.71\00:39:08.11
It was mud and everything.
00:39:08.14\00:39:09.48
Oh yeah, it was great.
00:39:09.51\00:39:10.85
Oh, people cried
because you were not only...
00:39:10.88\00:39:13.31
I mean, here's the
situation, people in Guatemala,
00:39:13.35\00:39:15.78
in their homes they were cooking
00:39:15.82\00:39:17.49
with these stoves they had
00:39:17.52\00:39:19.95
but there was no
funnel ventilation,
00:39:19.99\00:39:24.49
and the smoke was inside.
00:39:24.53\00:39:26.06
And they were inhaling this.
00:39:26.09\00:39:27.83
The stoves that the
church people were making,
00:39:27.86\00:39:30.00
the young people were making
00:39:30.03\00:39:31.37
we helped to had these
pipes that would go out,
00:39:31.40\00:39:36.30
so now they have
healthier, a healthier stove.
00:39:36.34\00:39:39.51
Remember, it was an open pit
and kids would burn their feet.
00:39:39.54\00:39:43.04
That was also another problem.
00:39:43.08\00:39:44.41
The upper respiratory infections
00:39:44.45\00:39:46.15
and what have you is.
00:39:46.18\00:39:47.52
It's all kinds.
00:39:47.55\00:39:48.88
So it was a great blessing,
00:39:48.92\00:39:50.25
people will cry when they say
00:39:50.29\00:39:51.62
well, why are you
doing this, you know?
00:39:51.65\00:39:52.99
But here's the thing.
00:39:53.02\00:39:54.36
Now we're coming
back Sunday night.
00:39:54.39\00:39:56.09
And we're in another restaurant,
00:39:56.12\00:39:57.69
almost in the same area.
00:39:57.73\00:39:59.39
And here comes
this old gentleman.
00:39:59.43\00:40:01.63
And it's the same guy
in another restaurant.
00:40:01.66\00:40:04.40
And we're like,
hey, that's the same guy.
00:40:04.43\00:40:05.77
So he comes over by us.
00:40:05.80\00:40:07.70
And we didn't know if
he would recognize us,
00:40:07.74\00:40:10.57
because he go to so many tables,
00:40:10.61\00:40:11.94
you know, it had
been several days.
00:40:11.97\00:40:13.64
And so eventually,
00:40:13.68\00:40:15.74
we had him play that
other Christian song.
00:40:15.78\00:40:18.05
Okay.
00:40:18.08\00:40:19.41
And now we say,
"Can you sing some more?"
00:40:19.45\00:40:22.15
And he remembered a song
that I don't know how long
00:40:22.18\00:40:25.19
maybe he thinks that many years,
00:40:25.22\00:40:26.92
but he sang this
song, very known to us.
00:40:26.96\00:40:29.69
And we go,
00:40:29.72\00:40:31.06
"Wait a minute, who is this guy?
00:40:31.09\00:40:32.79
You know, why does
he know these songs?"
00:40:32.83\00:40:35.23
And so, as we talked to him,
00:40:35.26\00:40:37.40
we learned that he
was many years ago,
00:40:37.43\00:40:40.64
member of the church
or help build the church.
00:40:40.67\00:40:43.64
And somehow we
won his confidence.
00:40:43.67\00:40:47.01
We invited him to dinner.
We invite him, you hungry?
00:40:47.04\00:40:49.24
You know, we would like to pay?
00:40:49.28\00:40:50.61
Yeah, we're gonna pay for you.
00:40:50.65\00:40:51.98
And that, you
know, because before,
00:40:52.01\00:40:55.05
he said, Oh,
that's so beautiful.
00:40:55.08\00:40:56.42
We want to take
video of him singing,
00:40:56.45\00:40:58.32
he will hide his face, you know.
00:40:58.35\00:41:00.72
And so after a
while, he warms up.
00:41:00.76\00:41:02.39
And he began to tell us about
his son that lives in America,
00:41:02.42\00:41:06.76
he lost touch with
him, he can't reach him
00:41:06.80\00:41:08.60
and some problem
with his phone and...
00:41:08.63\00:41:10.93
So much in that story.
00:41:10.97\00:41:12.30
It was so much
in the story that,
00:41:12.33\00:41:13.67
you know, we
have to cut it short.
00:41:13.70\00:41:15.07
But anyway, we
won his confidence.
00:41:15.10\00:41:16.87
And he opened up
his heart. He cried.
00:41:16.91\00:41:19.74
I mean, and so he said,
00:41:19.77\00:41:22.44
I just wondered
00:41:22.48\00:41:23.81
if you would be
willing to help me
00:41:23.85\00:41:25.18
because my wife
hasn't eaten either.
00:41:25.21\00:41:26.55
So sure, sure.
00:41:26.58\00:41:27.92
You know, so we, we
brought lunch for his wife
00:41:27.95\00:41:29.32
and he wants to, he
wants to go eat with his wife.
00:41:29.35\00:41:31.09
Right.
00:41:31.12\00:41:32.45
So anyway, now, we
call the number of his...
00:41:32.49\00:41:36.46
He gave us the phone
number for his son in America,
00:41:36.49\00:41:39.33
you know, and we call
him, no answer of course.
00:41:39.36\00:41:41.70
We say, Well, I
didn't expect him.
00:41:41.73\00:41:43.06
You know, nowadays.
00:41:43.10\00:41:44.43
You hear, you
see a strange number.
00:41:44.47\00:41:45.80
You says, I'm
not answering that.
00:41:45.83\00:41:47.17
Right.
00:41:47.20\00:41:48.54
So sometime later,
00:41:48.57\00:41:49.90
just as we were
dropping him off.
00:41:49.94\00:41:51.67
I mean, the door
was about to open.
00:41:51.71\00:41:53.58
And the phone rings.
00:41:53.61\00:41:54.98
And it's his son.
00:41:55.01\00:41:56.38
Oh, wow.
00:41:56.41\00:41:57.75
And they said yes.
00:41:57.78\00:41:59.11
I said, Yes. You
called me a moment ago.
00:41:59.15\00:42:01.12
Oh, is this so and so?
00:42:01.15\00:42:02.52
Right. Yes.
00:42:02.55\00:42:03.89
Oh, the reason I was calling
is because we met your father.
00:42:03.92\00:42:05.75
You met my father? Yes.
00:42:05.79\00:42:07.72
You know, and he
was talking to him.
00:42:07.76\00:42:09.09
He goes, and he's right here.
00:42:09.12\00:42:12.03
What he's right there, you know,
00:42:12.06\00:42:13.76
and, we gave him the phone,
00:42:13.80\00:42:15.76
and it was just
one of those things.
00:42:15.80\00:42:17.67
He said, the Lord
did, the Lord did.
00:42:17.70\00:42:19.93
Divine appointment.
00:42:19.97\00:42:21.30
That's right. Yeah.
00:42:21.34\00:42:22.67
And we didn't even say
come to church with us.
00:42:22.70\00:42:25.21
We wanted to share
00:42:25.24\00:42:27.44
what the Holy
Spirit impresses us to do.
00:42:27.48\00:42:30.38
You see, sometimes
the Lord impresses us
00:42:30.41\00:42:32.71
to do something we don't do it.
00:42:32.75\00:42:34.35
Sometimes the Lord impresses us
00:42:34.38\00:42:35.92
or He puts that
thought in there.
00:42:35.95\00:42:37.39
And we're like, later,
00:42:37.42\00:42:39.25
you know, or
we're just too busy.
00:42:39.29\00:42:41.06
Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
00:42:41.09\00:42:42.69
You know, as we're
talking about this,
00:42:42.72\00:42:44.06
what come to my mind is,
00:42:44.09\00:42:45.63
and I usually give this
00:42:45.66\00:42:47.00
when I'm giving an evangelistic
training of some kind,
00:42:47.03\00:42:48.90
is that you can
desire to be a witness,
00:42:48.93\00:42:51.43
but you're never going
to be an effective witness,
00:42:51.47\00:42:53.07
if you don't have
the power behind you
00:42:53.10\00:42:56.30
in order to be that witness.
00:42:56.34\00:42:57.67
So let's go to Acts
Chapter 1 real quick,
00:42:57.71\00:42:59.04
I just want to read
this, Acts Chapter 1.
00:42:59.07\00:43:02.01
And this, of course,
00:43:02.04\00:43:03.38
was actually
really, technically,
00:43:03.41\00:43:06.21
the last words that
00:43:06.25\00:43:07.58
the disciples would
have heard from Jesus,
00:43:07.62\00:43:09.22
before He ascended.
00:43:09.25\00:43:10.69
This is Acts Chapter 1.
00:43:10.72\00:43:12.05
So this is, a few
days before the Pentecost,
00:43:12.09\00:43:15.32
they have Pentecost,
00:43:15.36\00:43:16.69
where they received
00:43:16.73\00:43:18.06
the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit.
00:43:18.09\00:43:19.43
But notice what
Jesus says in Acts 1:8,
00:43:19.46\00:43:21.63
and this is crucial.
00:43:21.66\00:43:23.16
It says, "But you
shall receive power,
00:43:23.20\00:43:25.80
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you.
00:43:25.83\00:43:28.40
And you shall be
witnesses to me in Jerusalem,
00:43:28.44\00:43:31.11
in all of Judea, and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth."
00:43:31.14\00:43:34.94
This is crucial,
00:43:34.98\00:43:36.31
because in order for us
to be a powerful witness,
00:43:36.34\00:43:39.15
we have to have the
power to be a witness,
00:43:39.18\00:43:41.35
and what is that power?
00:43:41.38\00:43:42.72
It's the Holy Spirit.
00:43:42.75\00:43:44.09
And the reason
why I bring that up.
00:43:44.12\00:43:46.02
As I'm looking
through this list here,
00:43:46.05\00:43:47.42
I'm looking through this
list of what's mentioned here
00:43:47.46\00:43:49.82
in the Ministry of
Healing comment from page 143,
00:43:49.86\00:43:52.66
the Savior mingled with men,
as one who desired the good.
00:43:52.69\00:43:56.36
You're not going to
genuinely desire someone's good
00:43:56.40\00:43:59.00
if you don't have the compassion
00:43:59.03\00:44:01.04
of the Holy Spirit behind you.
00:44:01.07\00:44:03.20
Which leads me to the next point
00:44:03.24\00:44:04.67
because once He
desired their good
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.34
and He mingled with them.
00:44:06.37\00:44:07.71
Notice what it
says first that He did.
00:44:07.74\00:44:09.08
He showed His sympathy for them.
00:44:09.11\00:44:11.78
That's right. Yes.
00:44:11.81\00:44:13.15
If you do not have the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:44:13.18\00:44:15.18
in your life working,
00:44:15.22\00:44:16.58
it's gonna be
kind of hard for you
00:44:16.62\00:44:17.95
to muster up that sympathy.
00:44:17.99\00:44:19.39
I'm certainly not saying that,
00:44:19.42\00:44:20.76
you know, people
can't be sympathetic,
00:44:20.79\00:44:22.32
you know, if
they are not Christian
00:44:22.36\00:44:23.86
or they're not of
the Christian faith.
00:44:23.89\00:44:25.23
That is possible,
00:44:25.26\00:44:26.59
but I'm talking about true
genuine Christian sympathy,
00:44:26.63\00:44:29.50
Christ like sympathy.
00:44:29.53\00:44:30.97
You have to have the power
of the Holy Spirit behind you.
00:44:31.00\00:44:33.20
And the text that
also came to my mind
00:44:33.23\00:44:34.64
as I was thinking of this
00:44:34.67\00:44:36.00
was 1 Peter 3:8-9
00:44:36.04\00:44:38.94
talking about how Jesus
showed sympathy for them, right?
00:44:38.97\00:44:42.34
And it led to many
other great things.
00:44:42.38\00:44:43.98
But He showed sympathy for them.
00:44:44.01\00:44:45.81
Notice 1 Peter 3:8-9.
00:44:45.85\00:44:48.58
It says,
00:44:48.62\00:44:49.95
"Finally all of
you be of one mind
00:44:49.98\00:44:52.69
having
compassion for one another."
00:44:52.72\00:44:55.62
Love has brothers, okay?
00:44:55.66\00:44:59.13
"Be tenderhearted, be courteous,
00:44:59.16\00:45:02.30
not returning evil for
evil, or reviling, for reviling.
00:45:02.33\00:45:06.23
But on the
contrary, blessing, right,
00:45:06.27\00:45:09.47
knowing that you
were called to this,
00:45:09.50\00:45:11.57
that you might
inherit a blessing."
00:45:11.61\00:45:14.34
It's a blessing
for us to witness.
00:45:14.38\00:45:16.61
But if we do it the right
way, at some point in time,
00:45:16.64\00:45:19.58
as we're looking at our brethren
00:45:19.61\00:45:20.95
around us in the
world, in our communities,
00:45:20.98\00:45:22.65
in our homes,
00:45:22.68\00:45:24.02
and wherever it is that we are
00:45:24.05\00:45:25.49
and God places an individual
upon our heart to witness to.
00:45:25.52\00:45:28.56
We're going to
sympathize for their needs,
00:45:28.59\00:45:31.23
and what it is that they need,
00:45:31.26\00:45:32.69
we're going to show
that sympathy to them.
00:45:32.73\00:45:34.73
And to me that's
an important part,
00:45:34.76\00:45:36.16
as we see here,
00:45:36.20\00:45:37.53
Christ showed sympathy for them.
00:45:37.57\00:45:38.90
If someone doesn't receive
00:45:38.93\00:45:41.87
or sense that we
sympathize with their needs,
00:45:41.90\00:45:44.47
that we
sympathize with what it is
00:45:44.51\00:45:45.91
they're going through in life,
00:45:45.94\00:45:47.38
then how in the world are
we going to befriend them?
00:45:47.41\00:45:49.01
Oh, I got to say
something on that, man,
00:45:49.04\00:45:50.51
'cause you hit
the nail on the head,
00:45:50.55\00:45:51.98
that is so true.
00:45:52.01\00:45:53.45
We have to have a
relationship with Jesus first,
00:45:53.48\00:45:55.55
before we can
ever show sympathy.
00:45:55.58\00:45:57.25
And that is absolutely crucial
00:45:57.29\00:45:59.39
to be a powerful
witness for the Lord,
00:45:59.42\00:46:01.22
to be a winsome
witness for the Lord.
00:46:01.26\00:46:02.79
And in saying that
I'm reminded of the story
00:46:02.82\00:46:05.59
of the Good Samaritan.
00:46:05.63\00:46:07.53
Luke Chapter 10, if you
guys want to turn there.
00:46:07.56\00:46:08.90
Yeah. Let's go there.
00:46:08.93\00:46:10.27
Luke Chapter 10.
Let's look at the story.
00:46:10.30\00:46:11.63
This is powerful,
because in Luke 10:30,
00:46:11.67\00:46:13.97
you read about the story.
00:46:14.00\00:46:15.74
Let's just quickly
read through this real fast.
00:46:15.77\00:46:17.97
It says,
00:46:18.01\00:46:19.34
"And Jesus answering and said,
00:46:19.37\00:46:20.71
A certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho,
00:46:20.74\00:46:22.91
and fell among thieves,
00:46:22.94\00:46:24.28
which stripped
him of his raiment,
00:46:24.31\00:46:25.65
and wounded him,
00:46:25.68\00:46:27.02
and departed,
leaving him half dead.
00:46:27.05\00:46:29.08
And by chance there
came down a certain priest."
00:46:29.12\00:46:31.75
So who comes to him first?
00:46:31.79\00:46:33.12
Priest.
00:46:33.15\00:46:34.49
A priest, a preacher, right?
00:46:34.52\00:46:35.96
You know, a man, a man
is supposed to be of God
00:46:35.99\00:46:39.26
came that way.
00:46:39.29\00:46:40.63
And when he saw him, he
passed by on the other side.
00:46:40.66\00:46:43.26
It says, when he saw him. Right.
00:46:43.30\00:46:45.00
This priest saw him. Right.
00:46:45.03\00:46:46.43
And he's like,
you know, whatever.
00:46:46.47\00:46:48.87
And he just keeps on
walking by a preacher now.
00:46:48.90\00:46:51.44
And then notice
what it goes on to say,
00:46:51.47\00:46:53.48
it says,
likewise, also a Levite.
00:46:53.51\00:46:56.88
Now, this would
be a church member,
00:46:56.91\00:46:58.25
this would be someone
who's very close to the Lord,
00:46:58.28\00:47:00.95
who goes to
church every Sabbath,
00:47:00.98\00:47:02.35
who goes to every
prayer meeting, right?
00:47:02.38\00:47:05.95
The tribe of Levi
was extremely important,
00:47:05.99\00:47:08.06
especially in the priesthood.
00:47:08.09\00:47:09.79
And then notice
what it says here.
00:47:09.82\00:47:11.16
A Levite comes by,
00:47:11.19\00:47:12.63
and when he was at the
place came and looked on him
00:47:12.66\00:47:15.36
and passed by on the other side.
00:47:15.40\00:47:17.53
Now you have two brothers here.
00:47:17.57\00:47:18.97
He didn't even want
to stay on the same side.
00:47:19.00\00:47:20.50
I know. Yeah.
00:47:20.54\00:47:22.14
Yeah, you got two brothers here,
00:47:22.17\00:47:23.77
who you would
expect would show sympathy.
00:47:23.81\00:47:26.01
Right. Right.
00:47:26.04\00:47:27.61
But he doesn't
show sympathy. Right.
00:47:27.64\00:47:29.01
How many people in
the world are there
00:47:29.04\00:47:32.21
who's out there struggling
going through a trial?
00:47:32.25\00:47:34.18
I mean, they've been
00:47:34.22\00:47:35.55
you know, I mean, it seems
like uppercutted by the devil.
00:47:35.58\00:47:38.55
They've been hit and
almost knocked out by the devil
00:47:38.59\00:47:40.49
and they're
laying there lifeless,
00:47:40.52\00:47:42.16
hoping that
someone would come by
00:47:42.19\00:47:43.56
and show them sympathy.
00:47:43.59\00:47:44.93
And the church sometimes
is failing in this issue.
00:47:44.96\00:47:49.20
That's true.
00:47:49.23\00:47:50.57
And then and then who comes by?
00:47:50.60\00:47:52.80
What's the story, the
Good Samaritan, right?
00:47:52.83\00:47:54.50
The Samaritan, now
Samaritans were not liked,
00:47:54.54\00:47:57.51
they were not a part
00:47:57.54\00:47:58.87
of the holy people
of God so to speak.
00:47:58.91\00:48:01.14
They had already intermarried
00:48:01.18\00:48:02.51
with the
Assyrians and in history
00:48:02.54\00:48:03.95
and so they were
considered a lost lineage,
00:48:03.98\00:48:06.15
someone who was not significant.
00:48:06.18\00:48:08.22
The dogs. Yeah.
00:48:08.25\00:48:09.58
The dogs of society.
00:48:09.62\00:48:10.95
And this Samaritan comes by
00:48:10.99\00:48:12.32
and shows this man
kindness and sympathy,
00:48:12.35\00:48:14.99
puts him on his
horse, carries him to an end.
00:48:15.02\00:48:18.29
And then he, get
this, he pays two pence.
00:48:18.33\00:48:20.10
Now you look that up.
00:48:20.13\00:48:21.63
That's two days wages.
00:48:21.66\00:48:23.97
I wanna you think about
00:48:24.00\00:48:25.33
all the money
you make in one day.
00:48:25.37\00:48:26.70
You were to
calculate whatever that may be
00:48:26.74\00:48:28.07
those of you online,
00:48:28.10\00:48:29.44
whatever money
you make in one day.
00:48:29.47\00:48:30.81
I mean, that's probably a
good deal of money, right?
00:48:30.84\00:48:32.47
Two days wages, this
guy gave to them and said,
00:48:32.51\00:48:35.14
Take care of him.
00:48:35.18\00:48:36.51
But when I get back,
00:48:36.54\00:48:37.88
if there's any
more that you've spent,
00:48:37.91\00:48:39.25
I'm going to cover
that too. Incredible.
00:48:39.28\00:48:41.08
And it's like... For a stranger.
00:48:41.12\00:48:42.45
Yeah, for a
stranger. He didn't even know.
00:48:42.48\00:48:44.19
This is, his
brother was unconscious
00:48:44.22\00:48:45.72
when he arrived, right?
00:48:45.75\00:48:47.09
I mean, this is the kind of love
00:48:47.12\00:48:49.22
that we need to
be showing people
00:48:49.26\00:48:51.13
but again, that love works.
00:48:51.16\00:48:54.23
You expect it
from the preachers,
00:48:54.26\00:48:55.60
we expect it from the Levites,
right, the church members.
00:48:55.63\00:48:58.83
But to oftentimes,
00:48:58.87\00:49:00.60
we need to realize that
00:49:00.64\00:49:01.97
it's also those that
anyone can show that love
00:49:02.00\00:49:05.57
if you spend that
time with the Lord.
00:49:05.61\00:49:06.94
And it's not just the preachers
that are called to do this.
00:49:06.98\00:49:09.61
It's not just the tribe of Levi,
00:49:09.64\00:49:10.98
it's the Samaritan,
00:49:11.01\00:49:12.35
it's the people
who are considered
00:49:12.38\00:49:13.72
the lowliest of the low
00:49:13.75\00:49:15.08
can have that love
to, can be transformed
00:49:15.12\00:49:16.45
and brought into
the kingdom of God.
00:49:16.48\00:49:17.92
In fact, Jesus says
here in this passage,
00:49:17.95\00:49:19.75
He goes, which
one is his neighbor?
00:49:19.79\00:49:21.89
Because that's what
they're asking me in a context
00:49:21.92\00:49:23.36
of who is my neighbor.
00:49:23.39\00:49:24.73
He tells the story,
00:49:24.76\00:49:26.09
and He says,
which one helped them?
00:49:26.13\00:49:27.50
He's like the Samaritan,
He goes, that his neighbor.
00:49:27.53\00:49:29.03
That's right.
00:49:29.06\00:49:30.40
Right? That's right.
00:49:30.43\00:49:31.77
So that that's what we
need to take something on,
00:49:31.80\00:49:33.13
that's huge.
00:49:33.17\00:49:34.50
You know, you took me
back to a few years back,
00:49:34.54\00:49:36.20
you know, praise the
Lord for opportunities
00:49:36.24\00:49:38.51
and for growth
and maturity and all,
00:49:38.54\00:49:40.71
but I did something well,
00:49:40.74\00:49:43.45
confession is good for the soul
00:49:43.48\00:49:44.88
and hard on the
reputation, right?
00:49:44.91\00:49:46.82
But there was, you know,
the beggars in the street.
00:49:46.85\00:49:52.15
And I was in
Puerto Rico at that time
00:49:52.19\00:49:55.49
and, and the
girl looked strong fit
00:49:55.52\00:49:59.03
and very
qualified to be doing good,
00:49:59.06\00:50:02.23
you know, but there
she was begging for help,
00:50:02.26\00:50:08.14
you know, for money.
00:50:08.17\00:50:09.54
I don't know if she
was a drug addict or what?
00:50:09.57\00:50:12.61
But I got so frustrated.
00:50:12.64\00:50:15.84
You know, I'm like,
00:50:15.88\00:50:17.58
girl, you've got
so much going for you.
00:50:17.61\00:50:20.25
Why don't you pick up
your stuff and knock it out?
00:50:20.28\00:50:23.49
You know, knock it off.
Just, you know, you can?
00:50:23.52\00:50:26.42
And, but I'll
help you in whatever.
00:50:26.45\00:50:28.86
What is it that you need?
00:50:28.89\00:50:30.39
She says, I don't know.
00:50:30.43\00:50:32.23
But I don't sense
any love in your voice.
00:50:32.26\00:50:35.30
Oh.
00:50:35.33\00:50:37.37
And she was right. Wow.
00:50:37.40\00:50:39.07
She was right. I'm like, ooh...
00:50:39.10\00:50:40.77
Had an eye
opening moment, right.
00:50:40.80\00:50:42.20
Slap me again, girl.
00:50:42.24\00:50:43.71
Go ahead, give me that holy slap
00:50:43.74\00:50:45.21
that we need to be shaken.
00:50:45.24\00:50:47.08
It's like hello, get with it.
00:50:47.11\00:50:49.14
I needed to get that, not here.
00:50:49.18\00:50:51.48
Because I knew better. Right?
00:50:51.51\00:50:53.95
So it's embarrassing.
00:50:53.98\00:50:55.32
But you know, talking
about all these stories
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.69
just, it's been
years since that happened.
00:50:57.72\00:51:00.89
And then a gentleman approached.
00:51:00.92\00:51:03.66
And he was like,
00:51:03.69\00:51:05.13
"Hey, baby girl.
00:51:05.16\00:51:06.49
Would you like something
to eat and all this cuteness
00:51:06.53\00:51:10.17
and sweetness and compassion.
00:51:10.20\00:51:12.23
I'm like, she needs
just to get her act together,
00:51:12.27\00:51:15.14
you know?
00:51:15.17\00:51:16.50
But she did. He
did the right thing.
00:51:16.54\00:51:18.91
We cannot pass judgments.
00:51:18.94\00:51:20.78
Those people in the
corners begging for a coin.
00:51:20.81\00:51:23.61
You know, it's
not my responsibility
00:51:23.65\00:51:25.48
what they use that money for?
00:51:25.51\00:51:26.85
That's right.
00:51:26.88\00:51:28.22
My responsibility is
to have that compassion
00:51:28.25\00:51:30.35
and be there for them.
00:51:30.39\00:51:31.72
Amen. Amen.
00:51:31.75\00:51:33.09
That's so true. Powerful.
00:51:33.12\00:51:34.46
I want to read here
from Mark Chapter 1,
00:51:34.49\00:51:35.82
if you don't mind here.
00:51:35.86\00:51:37.19
Oh, yeah.
00:51:37.23\00:51:38.56
In Mark Chapter 1, we have...
00:51:38.59\00:51:40.16
Jesus spent the
previous day healing the sick,
00:51:40.20\00:51:43.63
driving out devil's clean,
healing people from diseases.
00:51:43.67\00:51:47.27
And verse 35,
Matthew, Mark 1:35, he says,
00:51:47.30\00:51:50.54
"And in the morning,
00:51:50.57\00:51:52.64
rising up a great
while before they,
00:51:52.67\00:51:55.24
he went out
00:51:55.28\00:51:56.61
and departed
into a solitary place
00:51:56.64\00:51:59.55
and there prayed."
00:51:59.58\00:52:01.32
And so we were talking about,
00:52:01.35\00:52:02.82
you know, that we need to
communicate with the Lord.
00:52:02.85\00:52:08.12
And we have mentioned
that a few times here.
00:52:08.16\00:52:10.36
Before we go out
to commune with people
00:52:10.39\00:52:13.13
to mingle with
people as Christ did,
00:52:13.16\00:52:15.50
we need to mingle with the Lord,
00:52:15.53\00:52:17.37
commune with the Lord.
00:52:17.40\00:52:18.87
So that we get in
tune with heaven's way
00:52:18.90\00:52:22.50
of reaching people.
00:52:22.54\00:52:23.87
Amen.
00:52:23.91\00:52:25.24
Because there are many
people out there to be reached.
00:52:25.27\00:52:26.61
Absolutely.
00:52:26.64\00:52:27.98
And I mean, soon as,
00:52:28.01\00:52:29.58
you know, there's
ministry to be done
00:52:29.61\00:52:31.01
inside your home.
00:52:31.05\00:52:32.91
And once you step
outside of your house.
00:52:32.95\00:52:34.28
That's right.
00:52:34.32\00:52:35.65
I mean, you
literally can spend your life
00:52:35.68\00:52:38.19
mending broken
people that's what it says.
00:52:38.22\00:52:39.75
Amen.
00:52:39.79\00:52:41.12
And so but in
order for us to do that,
00:52:41.16\00:52:42.79
we need to, we
need to be strengthened
00:52:42.82\00:52:45.19
by the Lord each and every day,
00:52:45.23\00:52:47.00
because we don't know
who we're going to run into
00:52:47.03\00:52:48.76
in one of those moments,
00:52:48.80\00:52:50.47
you know, that an
opportunity arises,
00:52:50.50\00:52:52.67
we want to react the right way,
00:52:52.70\00:52:54.50
and say the
right thing, because...
00:52:54.54\00:52:57.11
Even when it's your spouse.
00:52:57.14\00:52:58.47
Even when it's, you
know, I had a ministry,
00:52:58.51\00:53:01.41
if you want to call it that,
00:53:01.44\00:53:02.78
because I used to take
these monthly trips to Chicago.
00:53:02.81\00:53:05.65
And eventually to, you know,
00:53:05.68\00:53:07.85
I know, she already
knows what I'm going to say.
00:53:07.88\00:53:10.42
And that was for some reason,
00:53:10.45\00:53:12.39
you know, people
walking down the highway,
00:53:12.42\00:53:14.66
I mean, talking
about the highway,
00:53:14.69\00:53:16.02
people were
going 65 miles an hour
00:53:16.06\00:53:17.73
before but now it's 70.
00:53:17.76\00:53:19.53
And so, and sometimes,
00:53:19.56\00:53:21.33
you know, it was dark out there.
00:53:21.36\00:53:22.93
And I had done this many times,
00:53:22.96\00:53:24.30
you know, and say, Lord,
00:53:24.33\00:53:25.90
give me some way to
speak to this person.
00:53:25.93\00:53:27.70
Right.
00:53:27.74\00:53:29.07
And incredible stories,
00:53:29.10\00:53:31.67
incredible stories will surface
00:53:31.71\00:53:33.11
eventually she told
me to stop doing that,
00:53:33.14\00:53:34.48
you don't know
you're gonna run into.
00:53:34.51\00:53:36.24
But anyway, I remember one time,
00:53:36.28\00:53:38.41
there was this co-worker,
00:53:38.45\00:53:40.42
I'm going to
call him a co-worker.
00:53:40.45\00:53:41.78
Okay.
00:53:41.82\00:53:43.15
Thank you, Idalia.
00:53:43.18\00:53:44.52
Anyway, we were
driving, we're both coming home.
00:53:44.55\00:53:47.89
He was, you
know, driving with me.
00:53:47.92\00:53:50.16
And it was dark.
00:53:50.19\00:53:52.23
And he goes, John,
what are you doing?
00:53:52.26\00:53:54.60
Because I was stopping.
00:53:54.63\00:53:55.96
I said, there
was a guy out there
00:53:56.00\00:53:57.33
walking in the dark.
00:53:57.37\00:53:58.77
And he goes,
"And you gonna stop."
00:53:58.80\00:54:01.97
And I say, "Yes." Yeah.
00:54:02.00\00:54:03.37
I said, "Well,
there are two of us,
00:54:03.41\00:54:04.74
you know, he's only one."
00:54:04.77\00:54:06.34
Right.
00:54:06.37\00:54:07.71
But I'd said that
to encourage him now
00:54:07.74\00:54:09.71
because don't be
afraid, the God is with us.
00:54:09.74\00:54:12.08
He said, "Don't
worry, God is with us."
00:54:12.11\00:54:13.45
And he said,
00:54:13.48\00:54:14.82
"We're gonna
minister this person.
00:54:14.85\00:54:16.18
I don't know,
John, I don't know."
00:54:16.22\00:54:17.55
He says, you know,
just let see what happens.
00:54:17.59\00:54:19.02
So anyway, the
guy went in the car
00:54:19.05\00:54:20.52
and we're driving down the road,
00:54:20.56\00:54:22.12
and I'm praying,
Lord, give us a way
00:54:22.16\00:54:24.06
to talk to this person.
00:54:24.09\00:54:25.69
And this guy, he
begins to talk to him.
00:54:25.73\00:54:28.50
And he's, I mean, he
sparks a conversation.
00:54:28.53\00:54:31.17
And soon he says,
"Do you know the Lord?"
00:54:31.20\00:54:33.74
He started to talk to the guy
00:54:33.77\00:54:35.50
and he begins to
minister to the person.
00:54:35.54\00:54:37.97
Wow. And I say, wow.
00:54:38.01\00:54:39.37
Amen.
00:54:39.41\00:54:40.74
And after all was over, he goes,
00:54:40.78\00:54:42.78
I was really
hesitant about that.
00:54:42.81\00:54:44.18
But it was a real
blessing the person was blessed.
00:54:44.21\00:54:47.72
That's what we pray for him.
00:54:47.75\00:54:49.08
He was on a
journey to California.
00:54:49.12\00:54:50.99
I mean, I mean, he
wasn't, he had a long trip.
00:54:51.02\00:54:53.52
We just took
him part of the way.
00:54:53.56\00:54:55.22
But you see,
opportunities are there,
00:54:55.26\00:54:56.79
you ask the Lord,
00:54:56.83\00:54:58.16
Lord, what would
you have me to do?
00:54:58.19\00:54:59.53
Use me today to be
a blessing to someone
00:54:59.56\00:55:01.86
and you will find
yourself doing many things.
00:55:01.90\00:55:04.03
Amen. Amen.
00:55:04.07\00:55:05.40
Praise the Lord.
00:55:05.43\00:55:06.77
You need a few
hours for this topic.
00:55:06.80\00:55:08.44
I know, right.
00:55:08.47\00:55:09.80
Just a little
bit more time, right?
00:55:09.84\00:55:11.17
You know, it's
powerful, because, you know,
00:55:11.21\00:55:13.01
I'm gonna read this text here.
00:55:13.04\00:55:14.81
This is, this
comes from Luke 9:23,
00:55:14.84\00:55:17.01
this is Jesus speaking,
talking about following, right,
00:55:17.05\00:55:19.61
following Him.
00:55:19.65\00:55:20.98
And this is what
He says in Luke 9:23.
00:55:21.02\00:55:22.65
He says to them all,
00:55:22.68\00:55:24.02
"If anyone
desires to come after Me,
00:55:24.05\00:55:25.82
let him deny himself,
take up his cross daily,
00:55:25.85\00:55:28.96
and then follow Me."
00:55:28.99\00:55:30.33
Right? Yes.
00:55:30.36\00:55:31.69
Now we read that,
00:55:31.73\00:55:33.06
that's a very, that's a
strong spiritual message there.
00:55:33.09\00:55:34.86
And so deny yourself,
take up your cross daily.
00:55:34.90\00:55:38.60
I would never meet someone
on the street and be like,
00:55:38.63\00:55:40.44
"Hey, you know, don't
you know that Jesus said that
00:55:40.47\00:55:42.70
you got to deny yourself
and take up your cross daily
00:55:42.74\00:55:45.21
and then follow Him?"
00:55:45.24\00:55:47.04
You know, there's a
process that needs to be met
00:55:47.08\00:55:49.41
before we asked
someone to follow Jesus
00:55:49.44\00:55:51.98
just as this powerful
message here says that
00:55:52.01\00:55:55.28
we read earlier
from Ministry of Healing.
00:55:55.32\00:55:57.35
It says that, let me
go back and find it here.
00:55:57.39\00:56:00.42
It says here that he
ministered to their needs,
00:56:00.46\00:56:02.16
He won their confidence.
00:56:02.19\00:56:04.33
Then He bade them to follow Him.
00:56:04.36\00:56:06.16
So all that
we've been discussion
00:56:06.19\00:56:07.66
and we're now in the last minute
00:56:07.70\00:56:09.33
and a half of this program.
00:56:09.36\00:56:10.97
You're right, we do need
two extra hours for this.
00:56:11.00\00:56:13.97
But what all that
we've been discussing here
00:56:14.00\00:56:16.00
talking about
Christ mingling with men,
00:56:16.04\00:56:18.51
as one who desired their good,
00:56:18.54\00:56:20.58
that He showed
them sympathy, right?
00:56:20.61\00:56:23.31
He met their needs,
these are all of these things,
00:56:23.35\00:56:26.25
He won their confidence.
00:56:26.28\00:56:27.68
How did Jesus
win their confidence?
00:56:27.72\00:56:31.52
He became a friend
to those. That's right.
00:56:31.55\00:56:33.86
We're talking about
friendship evangelism.
00:56:33.89\00:56:36.19
And I know so many people
out there that are just like,
00:56:36.22\00:56:38.26
"Oh, I gotta go out here
and sow the seed," right?
00:56:38.29\00:56:40.23
You don't go out to a place
00:56:40.26\00:56:41.60
where you're
going to plant a garden,
00:56:41.63\00:56:43.26
and just throw
seeds on the ground
00:56:43.30\00:56:44.73
as we said earlier.
00:56:44.77\00:56:46.10
You got to prepare the soil,
00:56:46.13\00:56:47.47
you got to prepare
to receive that seed.
00:56:47.50\00:56:49.94
And so, what we're talking
00:56:49.97\00:56:51.31
what we've been
talking about today,
00:56:51.34\00:56:52.67
as time has flown by,
00:56:52.71\00:56:54.18
is we're talking about the true
00:56:54.21\00:56:55.54
and only correct
method of witnessing,
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.98
Christ method alone.
00:56:58.01\00:56:59.51
We've got to learn, my friends,
00:56:59.55\00:57:00.98
to adopt Christ's method alone.
00:57:01.02\00:57:02.85
Study that, pray about it.
00:57:02.88\00:57:04.82
Ask the Lord to show you.
00:57:04.85\00:57:06.59
Lord, put within me,
00:57:06.62\00:57:07.96
create in me a clean heart
00:57:07.99\00:57:09.32
that I can be the best
witness for you, Jesus,
00:57:09.36\00:57:11.49
that I can be,
00:57:11.53\00:57:12.86
that I can mix
and mingle with men,
00:57:12.89\00:57:14.50
desire their good,
show them sympathy,
00:57:14.53\00:57:17.00
meet their needs
00:57:17.03\00:57:18.37
and witness to
them as you would.
00:57:18.40\00:57:20.30
That's what it's all
about becoming a friend,
00:57:20.34\00:57:22.77
as Jesus is our friend.
00:57:22.80\00:57:24.21
My friends,
we've run out of time.
00:57:24.24\00:57:25.57
Thank you so
much for joining us.
00:57:25.61\00:57:26.94
Thank you, guys,
for joining us today.
00:57:26.98\00:57:28.71
And we will see you again,
00:57:28.74\00:57:30.55
I'm sure down
the road right here
00:57:30.58\00:57:32.41
on 3ABN Family Worship.
00:57:32.45\00:57:34.72
God bless.
00:57:34.75\00:57:36.08