But this morning, let us
bow as we go before the Lord,
00:00:30.93\00:00:33.86
then we are going
to read the scripture.
00:00:33.90\00:00:36.56
And then we are
going to open our hearts
00:00:36.60\00:00:38.40
to allow the Lord to lead us.
00:00:38.43\00:00:40.87
Loving Father in
heaven, this is Your time.
00:00:40.90\00:00:47.61
I am Your servant.
00:00:47.64\00:00:50.51
Speak to me and through me,
00:00:50.55\00:00:54.45
I pray in Jesus' name.
00:00:54.48\00:00:57.99
Amen.
00:00:58.02\00:01:01.99
In your Bibles, this morning,
I'd like you to turn with me
00:01:02.02\00:01:04.63
to the scripture
reading of the day.
00:01:04.66\00:01:06.06
I forget where I was
00:01:11.20\00:01:12.63
but it was just
about a month ago.
00:01:12.67\00:01:14.07
Not that I need a
new project, Pastor CA
00:01:17.14\00:01:20.41
because I have two,
I haven't finished yet.
00:01:20.44\00:01:23.24
But the Lord impressed
me to work on a new project.
00:01:23.28\00:01:26.68
If you're watching this
sermon, don't steal my project.
00:01:26.72\00:01:32.55
We are all born with the...
00:01:32.59\00:01:35.66
It seems as though
in the birthing room
00:01:35.69\00:01:38.56
that the doctor
repeats to us John 3:16.
00:01:38.59\00:01:43.16
Because no matter where I go,
00:01:43.20\00:01:45.57
what the sporting events or not,
00:01:45.60\00:01:47.80
John 3:16 seems to be
the most popular verse
00:01:47.84\00:01:52.07
ever quoted.
00:01:52.11\00:01:56.41
And so the Lord impressed
me to write a little booklet
00:01:56.44\00:02:00.48
with a simple title "John 3:17".
00:02:00.52\00:02:04.85
John 3:17.
00:02:04.89\00:02:07.62
Because this verse to me,
00:02:07.66\00:02:10.66
encapsulates why we are called.
00:02:10.69\00:02:14.63
What a minister ought not do?
00:02:14.66\00:02:17.10
What a teacher ought not do?
00:02:17.13\00:02:20.27
What Christians ought not do?
00:02:20.30\00:02:24.87
And so this
morning, walk with me
00:02:24.91\00:02:26.47
through what I refer to
00:02:26.51\00:02:28.28
as one of the verses that reveal
00:02:28.31\00:02:30.55
at the very cellular level,
00:02:30.58\00:02:33.11
why Jesus came.
00:02:33.15\00:02:37.65
Let's read this together.
00:02:37.69\00:02:39.82
Are you ready?
00:02:39.85\00:02:41.29
"For God did not send His Son
00:02:41.32\00:02:44.33
into the world to
condemn the world,
00:02:44.36\00:02:48.70
but that the world
through Him might be saved."
00:02:48.73\00:02:53.94
The ministry of reconciliation,
00:02:53.97\00:02:56.27
not the
ministry of condemnation.
00:02:56.30\00:02:59.81
I was raised in an environment
00:02:59.84\00:03:03.18
where if the pastor didn't
beat us up on Sabbath morning,
00:03:03.21\00:03:06.21
we didn't think we had church.
00:03:06.25\00:03:07.82
If we were not
told how bad we were,
00:03:11.42\00:03:16.02
how swiftly we
were going to hell,
00:03:16.06\00:03:18.46
how no good we were,
00:03:18.49\00:03:19.93
we didn't think we had church.
00:03:19.96\00:03:23.93
If our sins were not magnified
and projected as it were,
00:03:23.97\00:03:29.00
if our sins were not
trumpeted in all the categories
00:03:29.04\00:03:33.01
so emphatically chronicled
before the congregation,
00:03:33.04\00:03:36.58
we didn't feel
that we had church.
00:03:36.61\00:03:39.08
And we would say, "Pastor
really beat us up today."
00:03:39.11\00:03:42.52
And we'd go home
wounded and cut and bleeding.
00:03:42.55\00:03:46.72
But we'd come
back the next week,
00:03:46.76\00:03:48.79
but that wasn't Pastor CA, I
just want to make that clear.
00:03:48.82\00:03:53.50
I want to take
bishop off the hook.
00:03:53.53\00:03:58.10
When you preach Jesus...
00:03:58.13\00:04:01.37
you cannot preach
condemnation of the sinner
00:04:06.54\00:04:10.18
but you must preach
condemnation of the sin.
00:04:10.21\00:04:16.25
There is no third choice.
00:04:16.28\00:04:19.75
Jesus came to condemn sin,
00:04:19.79\00:04:22.62
He did not come
to condemn sinners.
00:04:22.66\00:04:29.60
As I was thinking about this,
00:04:29.63\00:04:31.93
I was asking
myself the question,
00:04:31.97\00:04:33.64
"How many pages would
this booklet need to be?"
00:04:33.67\00:04:38.21
And I thought to myself,
00:04:38.24\00:04:39.71
"If I don't
determine that ahead of time,
00:04:39.74\00:04:41.68
it might become
another book with more pages
00:04:41.71\00:04:43.91
than war and peace."
00:04:43.95\00:04:46.01
Because when you talk
about the ability of Jesus
00:04:46.05\00:04:49.92
to see the vile sinner
00:04:49.95\00:04:52.92
and to forgive
the most hideous sin,
00:04:52.95\00:04:55.62
we are talking about a Savior
00:04:55.66\00:04:57.86
who has come with a
mission to seek and to save
00:04:57.89\00:05:02.93
that which was lost.
00:05:02.96\00:05:07.30
And I try to figure
out what title can I get,
00:05:07.34\00:05:10.31
and so I decided to choose
the title today "Undercover".
00:05:10.34\00:05:14.74
Well, needless to say
00:05:14.78\00:05:16.34
the title found its
birth in a program I saw,
00:05:16.38\00:05:20.08
I think, once or twice
called Undercover Boss.
00:05:20.12\00:05:25.15
I could tell by
the reverberation
00:05:25.19\00:05:26.69
that many of you have
peeked at that program.
00:05:26.72\00:05:28.76
It featured a high
level corporate executive,
00:05:32.06\00:05:35.20
leaving the comfort of
his suite, of his office,
00:05:35.23\00:05:41.44
of his limousines, of
his palatial surroundings.
00:05:41.47\00:05:48.21
It pictures a man who has
wealth that cannot be counted
00:05:48.24\00:05:53.35
or a woman who has
wealth that cannot be estimated,
00:05:53.38\00:05:58.22
who is used to
being driven to work,
00:05:58.25\00:06:01.26
who is used to being saluted.
00:06:01.29\00:06:02.86
"Good morning, sir.
Good morning, ma'am.
00:06:02.89\00:06:05.29
Is there anything
I can do for you?"
00:06:05.33\00:06:08.30
And at the snap of their finger,
00:06:08.33\00:06:10.37
they get a
reaction without delay.
00:06:10.40\00:06:14.04
High level corporate executives
who chose to go undercover
00:06:14.07\00:06:19.84
to find out what their employees
00:06:19.87\00:06:22.98
thought about them.
00:06:23.01\00:06:25.58
But to do so,
00:06:25.61\00:06:26.95
he had to remove himself
from all the comforts of life.
00:06:26.98\00:06:29.32
And I've seen some of
the beginning scenarios
00:06:29.35\00:06:31.95
where they showed the
corporate executive going so far
00:06:31.99\00:06:34.86
as coloring his hair jet black,
00:06:34.89\00:06:40.40
choosing not to
shave for two weeks,
00:06:40.43\00:06:43.60
to put on scruffy jeans
00:06:43.63\00:06:45.60
and give his
address at a local motel
00:06:45.63\00:06:48.17
rather than his palatial mansion
00:06:48.20\00:06:50.07
somewhere on the isle.
00:06:50.11\00:06:52.67
And coming in to fill
out a job application,
00:06:52.71\00:06:55.74
and sitting before and asking
for whatever job he could have.
00:06:55.78\00:06:59.21
But he worked in such a way
00:06:59.25\00:07:02.08
that he was
going to get in anyhow.
00:07:02.12\00:07:05.49
And he decided what
parts of the company to visit.
00:07:05.52\00:07:07.69
So he began in
the remedial places
00:07:07.72\00:07:09.92
and he puts himself under
the control of an employee
00:07:09.96\00:07:16.20
wondering what
he's going to get.
00:07:16.23\00:07:20.27
So he starts in the kitchen,
00:07:20.30\00:07:22.30
or the mail
room, or the janitor.
00:07:22.34\00:07:24.91
And he says to the janitor,
00:07:24.94\00:07:26.44
"This is my
first day on the job.
00:07:26.47\00:07:28.11
I don't know what to
do. Can you tell me?"
00:07:28.14\00:07:29.88
And the janitor says,
00:07:29.91\00:07:31.25
"Well, I'm going
to sweep, you mop."
00:07:31.28\00:07:35.55
And he says, "And
don't miss the corners.
00:07:35.58\00:07:37.55
I know this is your
first day on the job
00:07:37.59\00:07:39.32
but this company is
really particular about
00:07:39.35\00:07:41.19
how clean its floors are,
00:07:41.22\00:07:42.72
so clean the corners very well.
00:07:42.76\00:07:45.26
And I'm going to inspect it,
00:07:45.29\00:07:46.63
and if I don't like it,
you're going to do it over."
00:07:46.66\00:07:48.50
He's talking to the boss.
00:07:48.53\00:07:51.73
The boss humbles himself.
00:07:51.77\00:07:55.74
With all the
authority within himself
00:07:55.77\00:07:57.67
to turn this employee
00:07:57.71\00:08:00.01
into a mound of
sweating perspiration,
00:08:00.04\00:08:04.61
he humbles
himself to take a command
00:08:04.65\00:08:07.85
from a lowly man at the
bottom of the totem pole.
00:08:07.88\00:08:13.56
The story continues and he goes
from one employee to the next,
00:08:13.59\00:08:16.26
and he gauges
his final reaction.
00:08:16.29\00:08:18.86
And they are stunned
00:08:18.89\00:08:20.23
when they sit before him one day
00:08:20.26\00:08:21.66
as they are called
to corporate office
00:08:21.70\00:08:24.03
to sit before the man, the woman
00:08:24.07\00:08:28.20
who has all the power.
00:08:28.24\00:08:29.60
And they walk in.
00:08:29.64\00:08:32.61
And in a very unusual way,
00:08:32.64\00:08:34.08
they, who have
never met him before,
00:08:34.11\00:08:37.11
never met her before,
they look and they say,
00:08:37.15\00:08:40.48
"Don't we know each other?"
00:08:40.52\00:08:43.15
And he says, "I
told you my name was Mark
00:08:43.18\00:08:46.52
but actually my name is Jeffrey.
00:08:46.55\00:08:49.49
I'm the CEO of the
company, have a seat."
00:08:49.52\00:08:52.39
And they sit down,
00:08:52.43\00:08:54.80
only to be told how much
they are appreciated, how much.
00:08:54.83\00:09:00.67
He takes into estimation
00:09:03.84\00:09:05.61
their dedication to
the mission of the company.
00:09:05.64\00:09:08.64
And then he
continues to unfold before them
00:09:08.68\00:09:11.61
the gift, either
financial or material,
00:09:11.65\00:09:14.08
I'm going to pay for
your children's education,
00:09:14.12\00:09:16.02
I'm going to put
aside a college fund,
00:09:16.05\00:09:17.82
I'm going to give you
00:09:17.85\00:09:20.32
to do what you will.
00:09:20.36\00:09:21.89
And they sit
there only to realize
00:09:21.92\00:09:25.59
that when they
succeed, he succeeds.
00:09:25.63\00:09:30.30
When he succeeds, they succeed.
00:09:30.33\00:09:35.67
And for the first
time, they come to realize,
00:09:35.70\00:09:39.07
"Me and the boss
are on the same level."
00:09:39.11\00:09:44.35
They have a camaraderie.
00:09:44.38\00:09:45.71
And from that day on,
they go back to their position
00:09:45.75\00:09:48.45
and they serve him
00:09:48.48\00:09:49.85
with the tenacity
and the dedication
00:09:49.88\00:09:52.15
unseen by any other employee.
00:09:52.19\00:09:55.46
You know, I
believe, listen to me today,
00:09:55.49\00:09:59.03
I believe when we embrace
00:09:59.06\00:10:02.23
and come to the realization
00:10:02.26\00:10:04.93
that our dynamic,
awesome, palatial,
00:10:04.97\00:10:09.64
ever living, glorious,
00:10:09.67\00:10:13.11
almighty God can
come down undercover
00:10:13.14\00:10:18.58
through the back door
of a manger in Bethlehem
00:10:18.61\00:10:21.42
and choose to lay
with the cow and a goat
00:10:21.45\00:10:27.06
just to save me.
00:10:27.09\00:10:30.83
I want to talk to
you about that man.
00:10:30.86\00:10:33.63
Excuse me.
00:10:33.66\00:10:35.00
He came undercover to find me.
00:10:37.73\00:10:44.01
And I'm going to walk you today.
00:10:44.04\00:10:45.67
I'm going to walk you today
00:10:49.08\00:10:51.48
and reintroduce you to a man
00:10:51.51\00:10:56.08
who is willing to
lay it all down...
00:10:56.12\00:11:01.32
to find me.
00:11:01.36\00:11:05.53
And I'm going to try to do it
00:11:05.56\00:11:06.90
through the man
named Levi, Levi Matthew.
00:11:06.93\00:11:11.63
Come with me to the
entrance of the city.
00:11:11.67\00:11:13.64
And see a man standing
00:11:16.64\00:11:18.37
at the gate of the
entrance of the city
00:11:18.41\00:11:20.44
asking for the tax to
be paid upon entrance.
00:11:20.48\00:11:24.81
Levi stands at the entrance.
00:11:24.85\00:11:29.22
And in his position as
publican and tax collector,
00:11:29.25\00:11:34.62
he loves to see people coming
because he knows that today,
00:11:34.66\00:11:39.03
he's going to fill two pockets.
00:11:39.06\00:11:41.80
One for the city council,
for the local IRS office,
00:11:41.83\00:11:47.27
and the other
pocket for himself.
00:11:47.30\00:11:50.21
And he takes delight
in choosing his victims.
00:11:50.24\00:11:53.51
What makes it even worse
00:11:53.54\00:11:55.74
than being a tax collector
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.68
is he is a Jew.
00:11:57.71\00:11:59.58
The Jews didn't like
tax collectors at all.
00:11:59.61\00:12:04.05
But he chose to be
hired by the Roman government.
00:12:04.09\00:12:06.59
And in his own community,
00:12:06.62\00:12:08.79
if there was a
man that was hated,
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.99
it was a tax collector.
00:12:11.03\00:12:13.40
He was considered
the lowest of the low,
00:12:16.43\00:12:18.53
he was under the radar.
00:12:18.57\00:12:21.20
He wasn't invited to dinners,
00:12:21.24\00:12:23.67
he was never
thought of as a just man.
00:12:23.71\00:12:27.28
And rightfully so,
because tax collectors
00:12:27.31\00:12:29.48
as you look at
the word publicans,
00:12:29.51\00:12:31.61
they didn't have
a good reputation
00:12:31.65\00:12:33.21
because they skimmed,
00:12:33.25\00:12:34.62
they even taught
their under workers...
00:12:34.65\00:12:37.19
The publican was
the guy at the top.
00:12:37.22\00:12:39.15
He was the one that supervised
all the other collectors.
00:12:39.19\00:12:42.16
And as they brought to him,
00:12:42.19\00:12:43.53
they skimmed ones off
of the first collection,
00:12:43.56\00:12:46.13
and then they
skimmed off the profits
00:12:46.16\00:12:47.60
of all the guys that
brought the collection.
00:12:47.63\00:12:49.60
So Matthew had a
thick pocket on both sides,
00:12:49.63\00:12:52.63
and Jesus knew it.
00:12:52.67\00:12:54.00
While Jesus is
entering Capernaum...
00:13:03.91\00:13:06.82
He approaches the
toll booth where Matthew,
00:13:10.89\00:13:14.19
sorry, where Levi is sitting.
00:13:14.22\00:13:16.99
I would love to have been there
00:13:23.77\00:13:27.10
to see the look on Levi's face.
00:13:27.14\00:13:30.74
I don't know if he
asked Jesus for a tax or not,
00:13:36.21\00:13:38.45
but Jesus greeted Levi
00:13:38.48\00:13:40.22
with the statement in Mark 2:14.
00:13:40.25\00:13:43.82
And the Bible
says, "As he passed by,
00:13:43.85\00:13:50.46
he saw Levi,
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.13
the son of Alphaeus,
00:13:53.16\00:13:56.06
sitting at the tax office
00:13:56.10\00:13:58.67
and he said to him, 'Follow me.'
00:13:58.70\00:14:03.37
So he arose and followed him."
00:14:03.41\00:14:09.48
And I don't
know why he did that.
00:14:09.51\00:14:10.98
But I can't help but
to think that any time
00:14:14.05\00:14:16.18
you're in the presence of Jesus,
00:14:16.22\00:14:17.79
there's got to be
something overwhelming
00:14:17.82\00:14:20.59
about His divinity.
00:14:20.62\00:14:24.56
When He spoke,
00:14:24.59\00:14:26.19
it was said of Him and recorded,
00:14:26.23\00:14:28.00
He didn't speak like other men,
00:14:28.03\00:14:29.86
He spoke as one
having authority,
00:14:29.90\00:14:32.43
He didn't joke and jest,
00:14:32.47\00:14:34.00
but He was a happy individual.
00:14:34.04\00:14:37.31
He was not the guy
cutting up in the party
00:14:37.34\00:14:42.44
but He was ever so cheerful.
00:14:42.48\00:14:45.48
He was the last one to speak
00:14:45.51\00:14:46.92
but His words were remembered
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.42
beyond all the other
words spoken prior to His.
00:14:48.45\00:14:52.65
And there was a
persona about Him,
00:14:52.69\00:14:55.16
you could only
cover up so much divinity.
00:14:55.19\00:14:57.73
And I'm sure that
every now and then,
00:14:57.76\00:15:00.50
the beauty of His
divinity would flash through
00:15:00.53\00:15:03.16
in the eloquence and the
pathos of His sympathetic words.
00:15:03.20\00:15:07.54
I'm sure He
didn't say, "Follow Me."
00:15:07.57\00:15:11.94
He probably said,
"Levi, follow Me."
00:15:11.97\00:15:17.45
But there is something about
the textures of divine words
00:15:21.35\00:15:24.59
that finds within the
heart of a man, a woman.
00:15:24.62\00:15:29.02
The sincerity of longing
to be free from the condition
00:15:29.06\00:15:31.76
they were in,
00:15:31.79\00:15:33.50
and Matthew who
Jesus renamed Matthew,
00:15:33.53\00:15:38.13
meaning the gift of
Yahweh, He renamed him,
00:15:38.17\00:15:41.54
some expositor suggest
00:15:41.57\00:15:43.41
that Jesus changed his
name from Levi to Matthew
00:15:43.44\00:15:47.28
so that in the
community when they said,
00:15:47.31\00:15:50.15
"Is Levi coming to
get the tax today."
00:15:50.18\00:15:53.25
"No.
00:15:53.28\00:15:54.82
Who's that sitting with Jesus?
00:15:54.85\00:15:56.18
It looks like
Levi." "No, it's Matthew."
00:15:56.22\00:15:59.42
But it looks like
Levi, but it's Matthew.
00:15:59.45\00:16:03.29
I love it.
00:16:03.32\00:16:04.66
Jesus is a God who believes
in anonymity for the sinner.
00:16:04.69\00:16:10.60
That's a big word,
let me just break it down.
00:16:10.63\00:16:12.70
He believes in
covering our past.
00:16:12.73\00:16:17.31
So instead of
looking at Matthew,
00:16:17.34\00:16:19.91
as they looked at Levi,
00:16:19.94\00:16:22.68
Matthew is so touched by
the welcoming words of Jesus
00:16:22.71\00:16:28.82
that he leaves, he drops
his tax collector's pencil,
00:16:28.85\00:16:34.72
he leaves the books
00:16:34.76\00:16:37.03
and he exits the office
00:16:37.06\00:16:39.06
following Jesus on a
journey for which he has no idea
00:16:39.09\00:16:44.83
about its
itinerary, "Just follow me."
00:16:44.87\00:16:48.40
You remember the phrase,
00:16:52.04\00:16:53.38
"Follow me and I will make you?"
00:16:53.41\00:16:55.78
Wait, I said to follow
Me and I will make you.
00:16:55.81\00:17:00.92
Unless you follow
Jesus, He can't make you.
00:17:00.95\00:17:05.32
Forget about the fish.
00:17:05.35\00:17:07.96
If you don't follow
Jesus, He can't make you.
00:17:07.99\00:17:10.89
Matthew could have
said, "Thank you but I've got
00:17:10.93\00:17:14.60
some accounting work to do
and check with me tomorrow."
00:17:14.63\00:17:17.57
He, for whatever
reason, knew and you know what,
00:17:17.60\00:17:20.20
I believe that
when those moments
00:17:20.24\00:17:22.64
where divinity
connects with humanity,
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.71
and hopelessness
connects to hopefulness,
00:17:24.74\00:17:28.44
when darkness is
chased by divine light,
00:17:28.48\00:17:32.81
and apprehension with assurance,
00:17:32.85\00:17:35.28
I know that
there are those moments
00:17:35.32\00:17:36.79
when you know
that somebody pulls up
00:17:36.82\00:17:39.35
and says get in.
00:17:39.39\00:17:40.72
You don't say why, you get in
00:17:40.76\00:17:44.59
because you know this
is not a basic 'get in'
00:17:44.63\00:17:47.30
but the journey
is about to begin.
00:17:47.33\00:17:50.40
And here we are today,
able to talk about Matthew.
00:17:50.43\00:17:53.54
So change, you see,
the reality of it is,
00:17:53.57\00:17:58.41
Jesus looked under the
surface of who Matthew was,
00:17:58.44\00:18:02.38
of who Levi was, to
who Matthew could become.
00:18:02.41\00:18:06.92
He looked below the surface
of what everybody else saw.
00:18:06.95\00:18:09.82
1 Samuel 16:7, the
latter part of the verse
00:18:09.85\00:18:13.36
that often refers
to Saul says this,
00:18:13.39\00:18:15.46
I'm going to just read
the latter part of the verse,
00:18:15.49\00:18:17.49
"For the Lord does
not see as men sees,
00:18:17.53\00:18:20.60
for man looks at the," what?
00:18:20.63\00:18:23.13
"Outward appearance but
God looks at the heart."
00:18:23.16\00:18:27.40
He saw in this man.
00:18:27.44\00:18:29.57
And Ellen White
comments on that.
00:18:29.60\00:18:31.17
She says, "God saw
in this man a heart,
00:18:31.21\00:18:34.48
a longing heart to be set free,
00:18:34.51\00:18:36.38
a longing heart to be different,
00:18:36.41\00:18:37.91
a longing heart
to know something
00:18:37.95\00:18:39.75
and have a different reputation
00:18:39.78\00:18:41.45
than what he had so far
engineered for himself."
00:18:41.48\00:18:44.85
And I can say much of
the reputation that we have,
00:18:44.89\00:18:48.52
we engineer it of ourselves.
00:18:48.56\00:18:53.16
We make ourselves
who we want to be.
00:18:53.19\00:18:56.00
We are known by
the life we live.
00:18:56.03\00:18:59.03
We are known by
the choices we make.
00:18:59.07\00:19:01.60
We are known by the
failures in our past
00:19:01.64\00:19:05.97
by the way we treat
each other, we are known.
00:19:06.01\00:19:10.51
But I believe there comes a day
00:19:10.55\00:19:13.92
where Jesus can
look at the worst of us,
00:19:13.95\00:19:16.82
and see the best of us.
00:19:16.85\00:19:18.29
Come on, somebody.
00:19:18.32\00:19:19.79
I believe before
He finishes the work,
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.49
He sees the finished work.
00:19:22.52\00:19:25.49
I believe, He
walks up to the project
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.76
and says, "Jim, follow me.
00:19:28.80\00:19:34.04
Donald, follow me.
00:19:34.07\00:19:35.87
Angie, follow me.
00:19:35.90\00:19:39.94
Brian, follow me.
00:19:39.97\00:19:43.58
Jorge, what do
they say in Spanish?
00:19:43.61\00:19:46.65
que pasa."
00:19:46.68\00:19:49.55
I don't know what I just said.
00:19:49.58\00:19:52.12
"Follow me."
00:19:52.15\00:19:54.19
He can speak any language.
00:19:54.22\00:19:57.06
And He says it.
00:19:57.09\00:19:59.03
As on the day of Pentecost,
00:19:59.06\00:20:00.40
we hear them do
speak in our own tongue,
00:20:00.43\00:20:02.60
the wonderful works
of God, "Follow me."
00:20:02.63\00:20:06.43
Every nation, every kindred,
every tongue, every people,
00:20:06.47\00:20:09.07
it is said in Revelation,
00:20:09.10\00:20:10.44
"They follow the lamb
whether so ever he goes."
00:20:10.47\00:20:12.77
And let me make this point,
00:20:12.81\00:20:14.14
it is not up to us to
know where He's going,
00:20:14.18\00:20:16.01
it is up to us to follow him
00:20:16.04\00:20:18.41
because He doesn't
follow us on the path we choose,
00:20:18.45\00:20:20.92
He follows us on
the path He chooses.
00:20:20.95\00:20:24.35
And it's a narrow path,
00:20:24.39\00:20:26.05
which means you got
to leave some things
00:20:26.09\00:20:27.89
before you get on the path.
00:20:27.92\00:20:29.36
But I want to tell you,
00:20:33.80\00:20:36.06
I rather squeeze
through a tight opening
00:20:36.10\00:20:38.83
and get into heaven...
00:20:38.87\00:20:40.20
than stay on this
side of the opening
00:20:44.44\00:20:46.27
because I won't unload my stuff.
00:20:46.31\00:20:48.64
Why else do you think
Paul wrote what he did?
00:20:53.92\00:20:55.75
In Philippians 1:6, he said,
00:20:55.78\00:20:57.45
"When Jesus looks
at us, He said to us,"
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.52
and this is what
some of us need today,
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.26
we need the confidence.
00:21:01.29\00:21:02.62
What word did I just use?
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.73
We need the confidence.
00:21:04.76\00:21:06.93
Being confident
of this very thing
00:21:06.96\00:21:11.00
that he who has
begun a, what kind of work?
00:21:11.03\00:21:15.24
Good work in
you will complete it
00:21:15.27\00:21:17.64
unto the day of Jesus Christ.
00:21:17.67\00:21:19.34
He didn't start
what He couldn't finish.
00:21:19.37\00:21:22.01
Amen.
00:21:22.04\00:21:23.81
But some of us think He did.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.95
Some of us look at ourselves,
00:21:25.98\00:21:27.55
I could imagine what Matthew's
00:21:27.58\00:21:29.12
alternative
ending could have been.
00:21:29.15\00:21:31.89
You know, there are
movies with alternate endings.
00:21:31.92\00:21:35.12
We now live in a
world with alternate facts.
00:21:35.16\00:21:39.79
Fake news, real news,
but Jesus is good news.
00:21:39.83\00:21:45.33
I could imagine what
Matthew's end would have been
00:21:45.37\00:21:48.44
if he had said to
Jesus, "No, I got work to do.
00:21:48.47\00:21:53.31
Not today."
00:21:53.34\00:21:54.74
Do you know...
00:21:54.78\00:21:59.41
that when blind
Bartimaeus said to Jesus,
00:21:59.45\00:22:02.62
"Don't pass me by,"
00:22:02.65\00:22:04.72
that was the last journey
00:22:04.75\00:22:06.55
Jesus was taking through
that portion of the city.
00:22:06.59\00:22:09.89
If he had not
reached out to Him,
00:22:09.92\00:22:11.39
then he would have
not had the deliverance.
00:22:11.43\00:22:14.86
If the woman who had
been bound for 12 years
00:22:14.90\00:22:19.77
with the issue of
blood did not say to Him,
00:22:19.80\00:22:22.17
"If I could touch
the hem of Your garment,"
00:22:22.20\00:22:24.24
she would never
have been made whole
00:22:24.27\00:22:25.67
because it was the last journey
00:22:25.71\00:22:27.84
that Jesus was
taking through that region,
00:22:27.88\00:22:31.15
in that village
before He made it to Calvary.
00:22:31.18\00:22:33.62
You see, in so
many of our lives,
00:22:33.65\00:22:35.58
we come to the last journeys.
00:22:35.62\00:22:37.29
We never know
when it's going to be,
00:22:37.32\00:22:39.05
but if Jesus ever extends to
the invitation to follow Him,
00:22:39.09\00:22:42.29
follow Him, let Him make you.
00:22:42.32\00:22:45.09
And I've been through a
whole lot of following journeys.
00:22:50.07\00:22:52.87
But I'm getting to the place,
00:22:56.81\00:22:59.31
you know, this week
I looked in the mirror
00:22:59.34\00:23:00.71
and I thought,
"Man, I don't know
00:23:00.74\00:23:02.21
if it's a white
light in my bathroom,"
00:23:02.24\00:23:05.25
because white light makes
00:23:05.28\00:23:06.78
your hair look
grayer than it actually is.
00:23:06.82\00:23:11.25
Have you notices that?
00:23:11.29\00:23:12.75
If you use a yellow
light, it looks better
00:23:12.79\00:23:15.86
but white light accents.
00:23:15.89\00:23:17.83
Come on, JD, say amen.
00:23:17.86\00:23:20.40
But white light
accents the gray,
00:23:20.43\00:23:22.76
it makes it look super gray.
00:23:22.80\00:23:26.53
And I say to my wife,
00:23:26.57\00:23:27.90
"Now when we celebrate
00:23:27.94\00:23:29.27
our 35th anniversary next year,"
00:23:29.30\00:23:30.97
she said, "Now you're
gonna color your hair."
00:23:31.01\00:23:32.77
I said, I don't know.
00:23:36.14\00:23:39.01
If I get a command on my...
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.92
But I think
she'll let me keep it.
00:23:41.95\00:23:45.25
But there are those moments,
there's a reason for that.
00:23:45.29\00:23:48.66
There are those moments
00:23:48.69\00:23:50.03
when the gray reminds you
of the lessons you've learned
00:23:50.06\00:23:52.73
when it was black.
00:23:52.76\00:23:55.66
And when the first
gray strand showed up,
00:23:55.70\00:23:58.83
you remember that lesson.
00:23:58.87\00:24:00.90
And the day you pulled out
which you don't do anymore...
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.81
because you know what the
end of the story would be.
00:24:07.84\00:24:10.71
Pastor CA made that mistake,
00:24:10.75\00:24:14.52
pulling out the greys.
00:24:14.55\00:24:16.69
I love him.
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.05
But everything about
our life is a journey,
00:24:20.76\00:24:22.86
everything about
our life is a journey.
00:24:22.89\00:24:25.66
When Jesus called
me, I could not fathom
00:24:25.69\00:24:29.06
that I would go
through what I did,
00:24:29.10\00:24:31.40
make the choices that I did,
00:24:31.43\00:24:33.70
go to the pitfalls that I did,
00:24:33.74\00:24:36.64
fall down and get up,
and get up and fall down.
00:24:36.67\00:24:40.31
You know, the Bible says,
00:24:40.34\00:24:41.68
"A righteous man
falls down seven times
00:24:41.71\00:24:44.55
but he gets up."
00:24:44.58\00:24:45.91
Amen.
00:24:45.95\00:24:47.28
And when I read John 3:17...
00:24:52.12\00:24:54.09
When I read John 3:17...
00:25:03.47\00:25:08.07
Donna, when I read John 3:17,
00:25:08.10\00:25:13.78
I found hope again
00:25:13.81\00:25:18.38
because it's hard to
live in a world like ours.
00:25:18.41\00:25:22.32
And even in the
Christian community,
00:25:22.35\00:25:26.65
not to feel condemned sometimes.
00:25:26.69\00:25:28.92
And then I read the words
00:25:33.19\00:25:34.53
of the only man
that could do it.
00:25:34.56\00:25:36.67
And He says, "I
didn't come to condemn you.
00:25:36.70\00:25:41.90
I came to save you."
00:25:41.94\00:25:46.07
One of the
failures of the Christian
00:25:46.11\00:25:47.61
is that we don't
see Jesus as He is,
00:25:47.64\00:25:51.88
and we don't see
ourselves as He sees us.
00:25:51.91\00:25:56.15
Go to 1 John 4:17.
00:25:56.18\00:25:58.39
1 John 4:17, look
at how He sees us.
00:25:58.42\00:26:04.56
The beginning of this verse
is just as important as the end.
00:26:11.07\00:26:15.67
As He sees us.
00:26:15.70\00:26:17.61
He writes, "Love has been
perfected among us in this."
00:26:21.44\00:26:25.98
Let me not rush.
00:26:26.01\00:26:27.35
What it means in the
beginning of the verse,
00:26:27.38\00:26:29.92
what it's saying is
00:26:29.95\00:26:31.29
that we finally get
it about the love of God.
00:26:31.32\00:26:35.69
When love brings security in us
about our standing before God,
00:26:35.72\00:26:41.83
He says, "Ah!
00:26:41.86\00:26:43.47
It's perfect now."
00:26:43.50\00:26:45.07
When we embrace with
the rest of the text,
00:26:45.10\00:26:49.50
when we see
ourselves the way He sees us
00:26:49.54\00:26:52.74
not as we are but as we can be,
00:26:52.77\00:26:56.24
we say, "Only love
00:26:56.28\00:26:59.91
could see me in the final phase
00:26:59.95\00:27:03.72
and not condemn me
in the present phase."
00:27:03.75\00:27:07.06
That's what He's saying.
00:27:07.09\00:27:08.42
Read the rest of the verse,
00:27:08.46\00:27:09.92
"That we may have," what?
00:27:09.96\00:27:12.26
Come on, talk.
00:27:12.29\00:27:13.63
We have may, what?
00:27:13.66\00:27:15.00
Boldness in the day of...
00:27:15.03\00:27:16.40
How many of you want to
look at the judgment and say,
00:27:16.43\00:27:19.03
"I'm not afraid."
00:27:19.07\00:27:20.40
Amen.
00:27:20.44\00:27:22.47
I used to be
raised in a church where,
00:27:22.50\00:27:24.64
"We are living
00:27:24.67\00:27:26.01
in the
antitypical day of atonement."
00:27:26.04\00:27:27.44
That's right.
00:27:27.48\00:27:28.81
But the rest of the
sermon made me feel like
00:27:32.25\00:27:35.28
I was going nowhere
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.82
until I did this, and I
did that, and I did that,
00:27:38.85\00:27:43.12
and I did that, and I
did that, and I did that,
00:27:43.16\00:27:47.00
and I gave up
that, and gave up that.
00:27:47.03\00:27:51.87
And I thought I can't do it,
00:27:51.90\00:27:54.24
but I still came to church.
00:27:54.27\00:27:55.60
I had a conversation
00:27:59.91\00:28:01.24
with somebody earlier this week.
00:28:01.28\00:28:02.61
I'm going to read
the rest of the text,
00:28:05.88\00:28:07.22
I didn't forget.
00:28:07.25\00:28:08.58
That said they were raised
00:28:11.45\00:28:14.32
in an Adventist
community not like ours
00:28:14.36\00:28:16.02
but it was a
number of years ago,
00:28:16.06\00:28:17.73
you know, the Adventist church
went through some transitions.
00:28:17.76\00:28:19.69
It was a time when we were law,
law, law, law, law, law, law.
00:28:19.73\00:28:22.53
Anybody remember that?
00:28:22.56\00:28:23.90
Law, law, law, law, law.
00:28:23.93\00:28:27.04
Condemn, condemn,
condemn, condemn, condemn.
00:28:27.07\00:28:29.64
We were not fire
and brimstone preachers
00:28:29.67\00:28:31.94
but we'll get real close.
00:28:31.97\00:28:34.01
We were not on the
way to hell preachers
00:28:34.04\00:28:36.58
but we had so
much do's and don'ts.
00:28:36.61\00:28:39.28
It was the
generation when you counted
00:28:39.31\00:28:40.85
how many tracks you gave out,
00:28:40.88\00:28:42.82
how many people you
witness through this week,
00:28:42.85\00:28:44.99
how much money
you got in gathering.
00:28:45.02\00:28:46.35
Remember those
days, Karen, Mitch?
00:28:46.39\00:28:48.62
And surely if you got $200,
00:28:48.66\00:28:50.56
you were more righteous
than the person that got $30.
00:28:50.59\00:28:52.73
And they give you a plaque
00:28:52.76\00:28:54.10
and brought you
before the church.
00:28:54.13\00:28:55.46
And everybody else
felt like they were peons
00:28:55.50\00:28:56.83
because they only got $7.
00:28:56.87\00:28:59.50
So they're going to
try harder next year.
00:28:59.53\00:29:01.14
In one of our churches,
00:29:01.17\00:29:02.50
Pastor CA knew
who I'm speaking of.
00:29:02.54\00:29:03.91
One of our members in
Bethel won every year.
00:29:03.94\00:29:07.58
He always got
the gold every year.
00:29:07.61\00:29:10.25
People wondered how
could they beat him.
00:29:10.28\00:29:12.11
They were more
concerned about beating him
00:29:12.15\00:29:15.25
than they were
about serving Jesus.
00:29:15.28\00:29:20.66
We were
statisticians of righteousness
00:29:20.69\00:29:23.22
until I realize it
is God who works in us
00:29:23.26\00:29:28.36
both to will even to bring
the desire out and then to do.
00:29:28.40\00:29:32.53
If we simply
yield ourselves to Him,
00:29:32.57\00:29:34.97
we begin to see
ourselves in the final stage
00:29:35.00\00:29:38.97
as He sees us in
the present stage.
00:29:39.01\00:29:41.91
Look at the rest of the text.
00:29:41.94\00:29:44.18
Because as He is,
is that present tense?
00:29:44.21\00:29:48.15
So are we, when?
00:29:48.18\00:29:51.89
In this world.
00:29:51.92\00:29:53.86
End of 1 John 4:17, as He is.
00:29:53.89\00:29:57.46
How is He? Somebody tell me.
00:29:57.49\00:29:59.29
He's righteous. He's holy.
00:29:59.33\00:30:01.43
He's lovely. He's divine.
00:30:01.46\00:30:04.43
As He is.
00:30:04.47\00:30:05.83
When we come to
Him so are we now.
00:30:05.87\00:30:11.51
Can I get an amen? Amen.
00:30:11.54\00:30:13.51
Not going to be, but now.
00:30:13.54\00:30:16.71
You see we've used the phrase
'sinner' to define ourselves,
00:30:16.75\00:30:20.68
how can you be a
sinner and come to Jesus
00:30:20.72\00:30:23.18
and still be a sinner?
00:30:23.22\00:30:27.56
Something wrong with that.
00:30:27.59\00:30:29.69
Read your Bible.
00:30:29.72\00:30:31.13
Paul said, "Greet
the saints in Rome,
00:30:31.16\00:30:34.03
greet the saints in Ephesus,
00:30:34.06\00:30:36.56
greet the saints in Corinth.
00:30:36.60\00:30:38.77
When you come to
Jesus, you were a sinner
00:30:38.80\00:30:42.80
but you are now a
saint by His righteousness."
00:30:42.84\00:30:48.31
But so many of us live
in that, "I'm only human,"
00:30:48.34\00:30:55.22
rather than we have become
partakers of a divine nature,
00:30:55.25\00:31:01.02
having escape the
lusts that are in the world.
00:31:01.06\00:31:05.99
And then we don't realize,
it is no longer I who live
00:31:06.03\00:31:09.60
but Christ who lives in me.
00:31:09.63\00:31:13.64
The life that this
old broken body lives,
00:31:13.67\00:31:16.57
I now live by
faith in the Son of God
00:31:16.60\00:31:19.27
who loved me and
gave Himself for me.
00:31:19.31\00:31:24.25
You know, I believe
00:31:24.28\00:31:26.05
that there will be a
revolution in this denomination
00:31:26.08\00:31:30.02
if we really preach
righteousness by faith.
00:31:30.05\00:31:35.89
Forget about the
Revelation seminars,
00:31:35.92\00:31:37.33
we've had a million of those.
00:31:37.36\00:31:40.03
I don't mean to...
00:31:40.06\00:31:41.86
I got invited to do
a Revelation seminar.
00:31:41.90\00:31:43.47
I understand there's
not a production issue
00:31:43.50\00:31:46.33
but I did ask, "Can I
preach about Jesus instead?"
00:31:46.37\00:31:49.30
So since I didn't get release
from the Revelation seminar,
00:31:52.61\00:31:54.98
I'm going to use
Revelation to preach about Jesus
00:31:55.01\00:31:58.31
because He is in there,
the Revelation of Jesus.
00:31:58.35\00:32:01.15
Because beasts got their place,
00:32:04.45\00:32:06.62
plagues got their place,
00:32:06.65\00:32:09.76
the woman on the
beast got her place,
00:32:09.79\00:32:13.40
but Jesus has His place.
00:32:13.43\00:32:16.60
When all those,
where there are prophecies,
00:32:16.63\00:32:19.10
the Bible says they will cease
00:32:19.13\00:32:22.67
but love never fails.
00:32:22.70\00:32:27.24
I used to grow up
thinking that sermons about love
00:32:27.28\00:32:29.61
were just like,
"Oh, am I going to church
00:32:29.64\00:32:32.38
to hear a sermon about love?
00:32:32.41\00:32:33.75
Can you preach something else?"
00:32:33.78\00:32:36.25
Until I got captured
by the love of Christ
00:32:36.28\00:32:40.66
that constrains me.
00:32:40.69\00:32:42.32
That has changed me.
00:32:45.89\00:32:47.66
That gives me
hope in the morning.
00:32:51.37\00:32:55.90
And in our home,
gives us victory.
00:32:55.94\00:32:59.14
Because I realize that
nobody could salvage a wreck
00:33:03.45\00:33:06.82
better than Jesus.
00:33:06.85\00:33:10.39
Isaiah 61:1.
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.25
Look at it.
00:33:13.29\00:33:15.92
Jesus likes to fix
broken and leaking things.
00:33:15.96\00:33:20.36
He likes to spend
time renovating the falling
00:33:20.40\00:33:23.80
and refurbishing the valueless.
00:33:23.83\00:33:26.47
Isaiah 61:1.
00:33:26.50\00:33:30.81
"The Spirit of the
Lord God is upon Me,
00:33:37.38\00:33:42.52
because the Lord
has anointed me,"
00:33:42.55\00:33:44.89
I'm taking this personally,
00:33:44.92\00:33:47.96
"To preach good
tidings to the poor.
00:33:47.99\00:33:51.73
He has sent me to
heal the brokenhearted,
00:33:51.76\00:33:57.37
to proclaim
liberty to the captives,
00:33:57.40\00:34:00.30
and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound,
00:34:00.34\00:34:06.84
to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord...
00:34:06.88\00:34:11.61
And the day of
vengeance of our God,
00:34:14.85\00:34:17.52
to comfort all who mourn,
00:34:17.55\00:34:19.52
to console those
who mourn in Zion,
00:34:19.55\00:34:22.56
to give them," what?
00:34:22.59\00:34:24.19
"Beauty for ashes, the
oil of joy for mourning,
00:34:24.23\00:34:30.40
the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness,
00:34:30.43\00:34:35.14
that they may be
called trees of righteousness,
00:34:35.17\00:34:37.64
the planting of the
Lord that He may be," what?
00:34:37.67\00:34:42.48
"Glorified."
00:34:42.51\00:34:43.85
That's the message
of the first angel.
00:34:43.88\00:34:45.68
Fear God and give glory to Him.
00:34:45.71\00:34:47.52
How can broken
lives glorify God?
00:34:47.55\00:34:49.78
No.
00:34:49.82\00:34:51.15
Lives put back
together can glorify God.
00:34:51.19\00:34:54.26
Lives that proclaim
liberty to the captives
00:34:54.29\00:34:56.86
can glorify God.
00:34:56.89\00:34:58.23
Lives that
says, I see your ashes
00:34:58.26\00:35:00.13
but let me give
you a beauty instead
00:35:00.16\00:35:03.23
can glorify God.
00:35:03.26\00:35:04.60
You see, the
glory that God wants
00:35:04.63\00:35:06.67
is not in just the
proclamation of 28 fundamentals,
00:35:06.70\00:35:10.17
but the proclamation
of freedom of liberty
00:35:10.21\00:35:13.38
of the opening of those
doors that keep people bound
00:35:13.41\00:35:16.61
in the prison of circumstances.
00:35:16.64\00:35:20.82
And Levi knows what it's like.
00:35:20.85\00:35:26.19
He got a call
that He responded to,
00:35:26.22\00:35:28.52
He had a dinner,
Jesus got invited there,
00:35:28.56\00:35:31.53
and they didn't like
it, and the publican said,
00:35:31.56\00:35:36.50
"Who is that?"
00:35:36.53\00:35:38.97
Look at Luke 5:28.
00:35:39.00\00:35:43.71
Diving back into
the story of Matthew,
00:35:43.74\00:35:45.54
"Who is that?"
00:35:45.57\00:35:47.44
Not only did Matthew follow
00:35:55.98\00:35:58.22
but everybody else
that Jesus invited follow.
00:35:58.25\00:36:01.89
I'm going to dive
into another story
00:36:01.92\00:36:03.26
and come back into Matthew.
00:36:03.29\00:36:04.79
Speaking of the other disciples.
00:36:12.33\00:36:14.84
When they were invited,
the Bible says in Luke 5:28,
00:36:14.87\00:36:18.07
"So He left," how
much, "all, rose up,"
00:36:18.11\00:36:23.31
and did what, "followed Him."
00:36:23.35\00:36:25.55
Matthew became the
fifth disciple of Jesus.
00:36:25.58\00:36:31.15
He did what the
other disciples did
00:36:31.19\00:36:34.02
when the invitation
to follow Jesus came.
00:36:34.06\00:36:36.36
What many of us
don't know is that
00:36:36.39\00:36:38.59
Peter waited a year and a
half before He followed Jesus.
00:36:38.63\00:36:44.13
Andrew, his
brother introduced him
00:36:44.17\00:36:46.27
but Peter hung out,
and watched from a distance
00:36:46.30\00:36:49.50
until the
invitation came to him.
00:36:49.54\00:36:51.54
So when you read the invitation,
00:36:51.57\00:36:53.01
it's powerful in
the Book of John,
00:36:53.04\00:36:54.51
you see where Andrew
introduces Peter to Jesus.
00:36:54.54\00:36:57.25
And then the next verse
is a year and a half later,
00:36:57.28\00:36:59.55
when the Bible
says He followed him.
00:36:59.58\00:37:01.15
Ellen White
gave me that insight.
00:37:01.18\00:37:02.58
She said Peter studied Christ
00:37:02.62\00:37:04.65
but He didn't immediately
commit himself to Him.
00:37:04.69\00:37:06.45
But when Peter
committed himself to Christ,
00:37:06.49\00:37:08.26
Andrew fell off the scene.
00:37:08.29\00:37:11.49
That's why Peter
had a lot of difficulty
00:37:11.53\00:37:12.99
because he only followed
Jesus for a year and a half
00:37:13.03\00:37:15.43
out of the three.
00:37:15.46\00:37:16.80
He had a lot of bugs
to work out in his life.
00:37:16.83\00:37:19.63
He didn't have the three
year itinerary that Jesus had.
00:37:19.67\00:37:25.51
That's why he talks so much.
00:37:25.54\00:37:30.28
That's why he always
stumbled over himself,
00:37:30.31\00:37:32.68
he was impetuous.
00:37:32.71\00:37:34.55
But when he got
delivered, watch out,
00:37:34.58\00:37:36.85
the New Testament
Church was not the same
00:37:36.89\00:37:39.15
because God lit Peter on fire.
00:37:39.19\00:37:42.66
Verse 11 speaks
about this again,
00:37:42.69\00:37:44.79
speaking of
Peter, James, and John,
00:37:44.83\00:37:46.36
the Bible reveals
about these three disciples.
00:37:46.39\00:37:50.27
Verse 11 of John, I
mean of Luke 5, it says,
00:37:50.30\00:37:53.03
"So when they had
brought their boat to land,
00:37:53.07\00:37:56.71
they forsook all and did," what?
00:37:56.74\00:38:00.11
"Followed him."
00:38:00.14\00:38:01.48
You see when it
comes to following Jesus,
00:38:01.51\00:38:03.65
let me put the gift of Jesus
00:38:03.68\00:38:05.05
in the most
beautiful light today.
00:38:05.08\00:38:06.41
Lord, give me the words.
00:38:06.45\00:38:08.18
When it comes to
following Jesus...
00:38:13.05\00:38:15.69
You can't anticipate
what you're going to get
00:38:20.30\00:38:23.93
because you're
going to be disappointed.
00:38:23.97\00:38:25.73
You know why,
because you're going to get
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.40
better than
what you anticipated.
00:38:27.44\00:38:29.07
You can say,
00:38:32.17\00:38:35.24
"We're just
following Him for job."
00:38:35.28\00:38:39.58
And when He reveals to
you who you are becoming
00:38:39.61\00:38:43.22
because of following
Him, it even shocks you.
00:38:43.25\00:38:49.02
Today, we don't
talk about the Pharisees,
00:38:49.06\00:38:51.33
we don't know their names,
00:38:51.36\00:38:52.69
we don't know the
names of the scribes,
00:38:52.73\00:38:54.06
we talk about
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
00:38:54.10\00:38:56.83
because they followed Jesus.
00:38:56.87\00:38:58.67
Their names are immortalized,
00:38:58.70\00:39:00.24
their lives are
now a testament to us
00:39:00.27\00:39:03.10
to what the Lord can do for us.
00:39:03.14\00:39:04.54
And every one of us, remember,
every one of us is a disciple.
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.94
Didn't He say, "Go and
make disciples of all nations?"
00:39:07.98\00:39:10.55
Didn't He say, "If
you would be My disciple,
00:39:10.58\00:39:12.95
you must deny yourself?"
00:39:12.98\00:39:14.45
You see, when they forsook all,
00:39:14.48\00:39:16.95
let me give you the
rest of the scenario.
00:39:16.99\00:39:18.59
And I've said
this a thousand times
00:39:18.62\00:39:19.95
but allow me to say it one more.
00:39:19.99\00:39:22.56
I could never have
orchestrated my life.
00:39:22.59\00:39:25.86
My wife and I could
have never orchestrated
00:39:25.89\00:39:28.76
what has happened to us.
00:39:28.80\00:39:33.20
We couldn't pay for it.
00:39:33.23\00:39:35.50
We couldn't choose it.
00:39:35.54\00:39:40.58
We could never have
experienced what we have.
00:39:40.61\00:39:45.11
That was done on the
dime and the blood of Jesus.
00:39:45.15\00:39:50.39
So you don't
ever give up anything
00:39:50.42\00:39:53.02
without getting
much more in return.
00:39:53.05\00:39:57.23
You don't ever give up
anything that's not placed with,
00:39:57.26\00:40:00.80
replace with
something far better.
00:40:00.83\00:40:03.87
Doug and I was sitting down
having lunch in the airport.
00:40:03.90\00:40:07.10
We love to have fun together.
00:40:07.14\00:40:10.37
You don't see the funny
side of Pastor Doug Batchelor,
00:40:10.41\00:40:12.87
I said Doug but
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:40:12.91\00:40:16.04
He's a fun guy to be around.
00:40:16.08\00:40:19.61
But he has the pressure of
being in public all the time.
00:40:19.65\00:40:22.98
And he's a godly man.
00:40:23.02\00:40:25.35
We could sit
down and we chronicle
00:40:25.39\00:40:27.09
our journey together,
00:40:27.12\00:40:28.72
we were sitting in
the airport together.
00:40:28.76\00:40:30.09
He and I, and my wife,
and Karen were sitting there,
00:40:30.13\00:40:34.50
talking about how God
led us through the years.
00:40:34.53\00:40:38.17
And they were just
two guys with our caps on,
00:40:38.20\00:40:41.34
I didn't do my hair.
00:40:41.37\00:40:43.51
He didn't have any hair to do,
00:40:43.54\00:40:46.81
waiting for our flights.
00:40:46.84\00:40:49.31
And we just sat
there and just meandered
00:40:49.34\00:40:51.35
for the few minutes we
had as we ate our lunch
00:40:51.38\00:40:53.38
before he got on
to go to California,
00:40:53.42\00:40:55.42
and we got on the
plane to go to Illinois.
00:40:55.45\00:40:57.39
We just talked
about, "Look at us.
00:40:57.42\00:41:00.29
Could we have
ever imagined this?
00:41:00.32\00:41:02.06
No. No."
00:41:02.09\00:41:04.76
So when Pastor
Batchelor one day said to me,
00:41:04.79\00:41:08.46
"John, there's no way
that you're going to go
00:41:08.50\00:41:10.03
to California without any
prior theological education,
00:41:10.07\00:41:13.74
and be here for less
than a year, and get a church.
00:41:13.77\00:41:17.44
There's no way that
that's going to happen."
00:41:17.47\00:41:19.97
And I said, "Doug,
God found you in a cave.
00:41:20.01\00:41:22.11
What are you talking about?"
00:41:22.14\00:41:25.48
We laughed about that.
00:41:25.51\00:41:29.92
We recalled our journey
00:41:29.95\00:41:31.29
of flying in a
plane with no fuel,
00:41:31.32\00:41:33.32
looking for a place to
land in northern California
00:41:33.36\00:41:35.92
on an
evangelistic Sabbath morning.
00:41:35.96\00:41:37.86
My wife and his son,
now deceased in the backseat
00:41:37.89\00:41:42.50
can't find the
airport, it's socked in.
00:41:42.53\00:41:44.90
He's not an instrument
pilot, switching between tanks,
00:41:44.93\00:41:49.07
trying to fly on flumes.
00:41:49.10\00:41:51.61
And we end up
over the Pacific Ocean.
00:41:51.64\00:41:55.34
And turn around and by
faith just pull the yoke up.
00:41:55.38\00:41:59.51
And God in His foresight,
00:41:59.55\00:42:03.32
knowing what
His plan for us was,
00:42:03.35\00:42:07.32
allowed our plane to come up
00:42:07.36\00:42:09.12
between the peak
of two mountains.
00:42:09.16\00:42:12.73
And we saw it maybe
30 feet to the right
00:42:12.76\00:42:15.80
and 30 feet to the
left in the dense of fog,
00:42:15.83\00:42:19.30
our story could have
ended a different way
00:42:19.33\00:42:21.00
but God, but God,
00:42:21.04\00:42:24.87
but God.
00:42:24.91\00:42:28.54
The devil would
have loved to shut us up
00:42:35.25\00:42:37.22
that Sabbath morning.
00:42:37.25\00:42:38.95
We didn't get
there for the sermon,
00:42:38.99\00:42:40.32
it was too late.
00:42:40.36\00:42:42.32
We got there for
the closing prayer
00:42:42.36\00:42:43.69
and the closing song,
00:42:43.73\00:42:45.49
but we went back for
the evangelistic series.
00:42:45.53\00:42:48.66
And here we are 30 years
later, looking back at us,
00:42:48.70\00:42:52.47
older now, wiser
now, grayer now, saying,
00:42:52.50\00:42:58.61
"Thus far has
the Lord helped us."
00:42:58.64\00:43:03.04
You see,
00:43:03.08\00:43:06.28
if you give up
your job, your alcohol,
00:43:06.31\00:43:08.05
your cigarettes, your
lifestyle, your friends,
00:43:08.08\00:43:10.15
your pleasures,
your opinions for Jesus,
00:43:10.19\00:43:12.82
you'll always get so much more.
00:43:12.85\00:43:16.76
Luke 14:33, look at it.
00:43:20.76\00:43:25.00
"So likewise, whoever of you
00:43:25.03\00:43:27.64
does not forsake all that he has
00:43:27.67\00:43:30.11
cannot be My disciple."
00:43:30.14\00:43:33.98
Quickly now, in Matthew 10:37.
00:43:34.01\00:43:36.75
If you are not fast
enough, it'll be on the screen.
00:43:36.78\00:43:38.68
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:43:38.71\00:43:41.98
"He who loves father
or mother more than Me
00:43:42.02\00:43:45.19
is not worthy of Me.
00:43:45.22\00:43:48.12
And he who loves son
or daughter more than Me
00:43:48.16\00:43:51.33
is not worthy of Me."
00:43:51.36\00:43:54.26
So here we are, Matthew
stands at the intersection
00:44:00.20\00:44:06.61
of all of his extortioned money.
00:44:06.64\00:44:10.55
Probably got a
thick bank account.
00:44:10.58\00:44:13.42
Probably got some money
hidden in his leather sack.
00:44:13.45\00:44:17.45
But he forsakes it
and he follows Jesus.
00:44:17.49\00:44:24.33
And the Lord changes his name
00:44:24.36\00:44:26.96
from the one who Yahweh loves,
00:44:27.00\00:44:31.90
calls him the
man that Jesus loves.
00:44:31.93\00:44:35.64
So I want to pause this morning
00:44:35.67\00:44:37.01
and take you
through your journey,
00:44:37.04\00:44:38.37
Matthew 19:28-30.
00:44:38.41\00:44:40.18
Matthew 19:28-30.
00:44:40.21\00:44:43.11
I'm going to move a
little more expeditious.
00:44:43.14\00:44:45.65
"So Jesus said to them,
00:44:45.68\00:44:48.45
'Assuredly I say to you,
that in the regeneration,
00:44:48.48\00:44:51.92
when the Son of Man sits
on the throne of His glory,
00:44:51.95\00:44:56.73
you who have
followed Me," get this,
00:44:56.76\00:45:00.16
"You who have followed
Me," can I say one more time,
00:45:00.20\00:45:04.70
"You who have followed Me
00:45:04.73\00:45:07.44
will also sit on twelve thrones,
00:45:07.47\00:45:12.31
judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.
00:45:12.34\00:45:15.44
And everyone who has
left houses or brothers
00:45:15.48\00:45:19.81
or sisters or father or mother
or wife or children or lands,
00:45:19.85\00:45:23.99
for My name's sake,
shall receive," say it,
00:45:24.02\00:45:30.79
"a hundredfold, and
inherit eternal life."
00:45:30.83\00:45:36.20
Praise the Lord.
00:45:36.23\00:45:39.63
I don't know
anybody wealthy enough
00:45:39.67\00:45:41.50
that could guarantee that.
00:45:41.54\00:45:44.17
I don't know
anybody wealthy enough
00:45:44.21\00:45:47.34
that can buy me a
ticket to be with Jesus.
00:45:47.38\00:45:53.92
Ellen White says
in Desire of Ages,
00:45:53.95\00:45:56.82
page 273, paragraph 2.
00:45:56.85\00:45:58.65
She says,
00:45:58.69\00:46:00.39
"There was no
hesitation, no questioning,
00:46:00.42\00:46:04.09
no thought of the
lucrative business
00:46:04.13\00:46:07.00
to be exchanged for
poverty and hardship."
00:46:07.03\00:46:10.57
Speaking about
Matthew, "It was enough for him
00:46:10.60\00:46:14.70
that he was to be with Jesus
00:46:14.74\00:46:17.61
that he might
listen to His words
00:46:17.64\00:46:19.71
and unite with Him in His work."
00:46:19.74\00:46:22.74
When Jesus called Matthew,
00:46:22.78\00:46:24.48
he didn't think
about the business,
00:46:24.51\00:46:25.88
he didn't think
about hesitation,
00:46:25.91\00:46:27.25
he didn't think
about the questions,
00:46:27.28\00:46:28.62
he didn't think about
the hardships of the poverty.
00:46:28.65\00:46:30.69
He said, "All that I
want to be able to be
00:46:30.72\00:46:33.12
is to be with Him,
and to hear His words
00:46:33.15\00:46:36.22
and do His work."
00:46:36.26\00:46:39.63
But I continue in
the next paragraph,
00:46:39.66\00:46:41.73
Desire of Ages,
273, paragraph 3.
00:46:41.76\00:46:45.10
"So it was with the
disciples previously called
00:46:45.13\00:46:48.34
when Jesus bade Peter and
his companions follow him,
00:46:48.37\00:46:53.24
immediately they
left their boats and nets.
00:46:53.27\00:46:57.08
Some of these
disciples had friends
00:46:57.11\00:47:00.68
dependent on them for support."
00:47:00.72\00:47:03.85
Did you get that?
00:47:03.89\00:47:05.49
Peter, you need to support.
00:47:05.52\00:47:06.86
If you don't, if
you stop fishing,
00:47:06.89\00:47:08.22
what are we going to do?
00:47:08.26\00:47:09.59
Some of these
disciples had friends
00:47:09.62\00:47:11.46
depended on them for support
00:47:11.49\00:47:13.90
but when they received
the Savior's invitation,
00:47:13.93\00:47:16.63
they did not
hesitate and inquire,
00:47:16.67\00:47:19.80
"How shall I live
and sustain my family?"
00:47:19.83\00:47:23.67
They were obedient to the call.
00:47:23.71\00:47:25.61
And when
afterward Jesus asked them,
00:47:25.64\00:47:29.81
look at Luke, Jesus asked them.
00:47:29.84\00:47:32.15
Luke 22:35, "Jesus asked them,
00:47:32.18\00:47:34.45
'When I sent you
without a money bag,
00:47:34.48\00:47:37.02
without a knapsack, no sandals,
did you lack anything?'"
00:47:37.05\00:47:41.92
And so they said nothing.
00:47:41.96\00:47:46.46
At ASI I was in the pool,
00:47:46.49\00:47:51.33
in the Jacuzzi.
00:47:51.37\00:47:54.40
And I saw this
young Asian man on fire.
00:47:54.44\00:48:00.14
He was talking 300 miles
a minute with gusts of 500.
00:48:00.18\00:48:05.98
I said, "Who is this kid?"
00:48:06.01\00:48:10.02
Wednesday night he
was at our prayer meeting.
00:48:10.05\00:48:11.99
He said he was a
video game addict.
00:48:17.19\00:48:20.36
He was a movie addict.
00:48:20.40\00:48:24.03
And he became a
youth pastor and he said,
00:48:24.07\00:48:25.90
"On Saturday nights,"
what do you think He did,
00:48:25.93\00:48:29.04
"He invited the kids
over to see a movie."
00:48:29.07\00:48:32.71
That's how addicted he was.
00:48:32.74\00:48:34.38
And somewhere along
the way, he met Jesus.
00:48:39.25\00:48:43.82
Gave up
everything, including job.
00:48:43.85\00:48:47.52
He has no income.
00:48:47.56\00:48:50.66
He receives no
money from anywhere
00:48:50.69\00:48:53.23
on a weekly or daily basis.
00:48:53.26\00:48:56.70
Yet, he's booked
14 months in advance
00:48:56.73\00:49:00.44
to be speaking everywhere.
00:49:00.47\00:49:03.30
And everywhere
he goes, all he has
00:49:03.34\00:49:06.41
is his clothes and a backpack.
00:49:06.44\00:49:10.41
And he says, "I'm happier
than I've ever been before."
00:49:10.45\00:49:14.02
We said, "Can we
get you to come here?"
00:49:14.05\00:49:15.75
He said, "I'm
booked for year and a half.
00:49:15.78\00:49:19.82
And I've put out no invitations.
00:49:19.85\00:49:23.09
And I'm happier than
I've ever been before."
00:49:23.12\00:49:25.79
He said, "I got into prayer.
00:49:25.83\00:49:29.66
And when I started
prayer, I couldn't hardly pray.
00:49:29.70\00:49:32.73
But I prayed for a
minute, then five minutes,
00:49:32.77\00:49:34.87
then ten minutes,
00:49:34.90\00:49:36.40
then one day I
made it to an hour.
00:49:36.44\00:49:38.84
I introduced the
young lady to prayer.
00:49:38.87\00:49:40.28
She said, "I
don't like to pray."
00:49:40.31\00:49:42.54
She prayed for a
minute, five minutes.
00:49:42.58\00:49:44.11
He said, "I have a prayer room.
00:49:44.15\00:49:45.58
I invited her to pray in."
00:49:45.61\00:49:47.35
He said, "One day
the Lord got hold of her
00:49:47.38\00:49:49.12
and she prayed for eight hours."
00:49:49.15\00:49:52.22
He said, "When I
call young people to pray,
00:49:52.25\00:49:54.79
they're tumbling
over themselves to pray."
00:49:54.82\00:49:59.86
And he said, "I
cannot live my life
00:49:59.89\00:50:02.56
without talking to
God and reading His word."
00:50:02.60\00:50:08.10
"So where did
you get income from?"
00:50:08.14\00:50:10.31
"I don't have an income.
00:50:10.34\00:50:12.27
People just give me stuff.
00:50:12.31\00:50:15.31
And I've never lacked anything.
00:50:15.34\00:50:17.45
God provide every need."
00:50:17.48\00:50:19.85
Did you ever lack anything?
00:50:19.88\00:50:22.08
They said nothing.
00:50:22.12\00:50:25.15
And so while Jesus is
sitting and inviting Matthew
00:50:34.53\00:50:37.23
to come to this
place of transformation,
00:50:37.27\00:50:40.14
my sermon's going to
take a little twist today
00:50:40.17\00:50:41.94
in light of the time,
00:50:41.97\00:50:44.34
because I want to be true
to what I just committed to.
00:50:44.37\00:50:46.91
Matthew went
through one condemnation
00:50:50.25\00:50:52.78
after the other
for following Jesus.
00:50:52.81\00:50:55.88
Jesus went
through one condemnation
00:50:55.92\00:50:59.02
after the other,
00:50:59.05\00:51:00.66
for inviting Levi
to be His disciple.
00:51:00.69\00:51:04.56
At the suppers, the
Pharisees called Jesus
00:51:04.59\00:51:07.66
a friend of sinners.
00:51:07.70\00:51:09.36
I want to tell you that's
the most beautiful statement
00:51:09.40\00:51:12.07
I've ever heard,
a friend of sinners.
00:51:12.10\00:51:17.31
Ivors, I'm going to go to...
00:51:25.68\00:51:27.78
Mike, I'm going to Romans
8, my last two scriptures.
00:51:27.82\00:51:30.79
Romans 8:1 and 2.
00:51:30.82\00:51:32.92
You see Matthew was invited
00:51:35.82\00:51:42.80
to reveal the glory of
Jesus, I'm winding up now.
00:51:42.83\00:51:47.84
I want to invite
someone to come and play softly.
00:51:47.87\00:51:51.07
Matthew was
invited to do one thing,
00:51:51.11\00:51:55.71
that is reveal
the glory of Jesus.
00:51:55.74\00:52:01.18
What was he invited to
do? Reveal the glory of Jesus.
00:52:01.22\00:52:07.89
And he lived in an atmosphere
00:52:07.92\00:52:09.56
of constant
bickering and condemnation,
00:52:09.59\00:52:12.69
they saw him for who he was
and not for who he had become.
00:52:12.73\00:52:16.20
But Matthew decided,
"I'm leaving that with you."
00:52:19.33\00:52:24.21
As one preacher said,
00:52:24.24\00:52:27.08
"Where they're talking about it,
00:52:27.11\00:52:32.85
it doesn't matter.
00:52:32.88\00:52:34.22
And where it matters,
they ain't talking about it."
00:52:34.25\00:52:37.02
Matthew went through
the personal condemnation
00:52:44.73\00:52:48.03
to reflect the
personal glory of Jesus.
00:52:48.06\00:52:54.24
But I want to
encourage you this morning.
00:52:54.27\00:52:55.60
If you decide to follow Jesus,
00:52:55.64\00:52:57.61
there's only one
thing that you can do,
00:52:57.64\00:52:59.57
and there's
something that you don't have
00:52:59.61\00:53:00.94
to concern yourself with.
00:53:00.98\00:53:02.41
Romans 8:1, here it is,
00:53:02.44\00:53:04.91
this is what we must
come to the realization.
00:53:04.95\00:53:07.38
When we are at the
intersection of who we were
00:53:07.42\00:53:11.29
and who we can be in Christ,
00:53:11.32\00:53:13.12
we must remember that when
we decide to follow Christ,
00:53:13.15\00:53:16.66
don't worry about
what other people think,
00:53:16.69\00:53:23.67
because these are
the words of a man
00:53:23.70\00:53:26.53
who knows this firsthand.
00:53:26.57\00:53:27.90
He says, "There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:53:27.94\00:53:30.84
to those who
are in Christ Jesus,
00:53:30.87\00:53:34.21
who do not walk
according to the flesh
00:53:34.24\00:53:35.91
but according to the Spirit.
00:53:35.94\00:53:38.01
For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
00:53:38.05\00:53:42.92
has made me free from
the law of sin and death."
00:53:42.95\00:53:48.32
God broke the law
that held Matthew,
00:53:48.36\00:53:50.59
and put a new law in
place that kept Matthew.
00:53:50.63\00:53:53.53
Matthew, he was
already condemned,
00:53:53.56\00:53:55.56
Jesus came to free him.
00:53:55.60\00:53:57.63
He was already rejected,
Jesus came to accept him.
00:53:57.67\00:54:02.10
Matthew was saved not
because of what he gave up,
00:54:02.14\00:54:06.31
hear me carefully,
00:54:06.34\00:54:07.68
but because Jesus
refused to give him up.
00:54:07.71\00:54:11.71
And so I'm
going to challenge us.
00:54:15.42\00:54:17.19
As a people that
sometimes one of the challenges
00:54:17.22\00:54:20.16
we have as a people
that are still flesh,
00:54:20.19\00:54:25.93
especially when you know
each other as well as we do,
00:54:25.96\00:54:28.66
it's easy for us to say,
00:54:28.70\00:54:30.03
"Did you hear what
happened to so and so?
00:54:30.07\00:54:31.90
Did you know what
went on this week?
00:54:31.93\00:54:33.70
Did you know what happened?"
It's easy for us to say that.
00:54:33.74\00:54:36.67
But I'm going to ask Mike
to put this final quotation
00:54:36.71\00:54:38.91
up on the screen.
00:54:38.94\00:54:41.31
And I want you to
follow me very carefully.
00:54:41.34\00:54:43.21
This quotation is powerful.
00:54:43.24\00:54:44.91
I've been challenged by
God to take a different walk
00:54:44.95\00:54:48.55
when it comes to
looking at his children.
00:54:48.58\00:54:52.15
Testimonies for the
Church, book 5, page 94 to 96,
00:54:52.19\00:54:58.93
"God's all-seeing-eye
00:54:58.96\00:55:02.80
notes the defects of all,
00:55:02.83\00:55:07.04
and the ruling passion of each.
00:55:07.07\00:55:10.24
Yet He bears with our mistakes
and pities, our weakness.
00:55:10.27\00:55:17.15
He bids his people,
cherish the same spirit
00:55:17.18\00:55:22.45
of tenderness and forbearance."
00:55:22.48\00:55:25.22
Can you say amen?
00:55:25.25\00:55:26.59
Amen. That's the check.
00:55:26.62\00:55:27.96
True Christians will not
exalt in exposing the falls
00:55:27.99\00:55:31.93
and deficiency of others.
00:55:31.96\00:55:34.86
They will turn away
from vileness and deformity
00:55:34.90\00:55:38.90
to fix the mind upon that
which is attractive and lovely.
00:55:38.93\00:55:43.07
To the Christian,
every act of fault finding,
00:55:43.10\00:55:46.51
every word of censure
or condemnation is painful.
00:55:46.54\00:55:52.21
Painful to who?
00:55:52.25\00:55:54.75
To Jesus.
00:55:54.78\00:55:57.05
For I end with
the text I began with,
00:55:57.09\00:55:59.52
and I invite you to
read it with me in your mind.
00:55:59.55\00:56:02.02
"For God did not send His Son
00:56:02.06\00:56:05.76
into the world to condemn us,
00:56:05.79\00:56:11.60
but that the world through Him
00:56:11.63\00:56:16.27
might be saved."
00:56:16.30\00:56:19.01
Loving Father in heaven,
00:56:19.04\00:56:21.58
I want to invite
Your people to stand today
00:56:21.61\00:56:23.14
as a dedication to
wanting to reveal Jesus
00:56:23.18\00:56:26.72
to the world in
them, in our conversation,
00:56:26.75\00:56:29.68
in our reaching
out, in our love,
00:56:29.72\00:56:32.15
in our prayers for one another,
00:56:32.19\00:56:36.69
and our thoughts of one another.
00:56:36.73\00:56:38.49
You found us at a tax office.
00:56:45.47\00:56:50.07
You bid us to follow You.
00:56:50.11\00:56:53.44
And now today, we want to
do what You have called us
00:56:53.48\00:56:59.11
and equipped us to do.
00:56:59.15\00:57:01.38
And that is to reveal
Jesus in and through our lives,
00:57:01.42\00:57:07.16
but not just our
own independent lives,
00:57:07.19\00:57:10.53
we want to be the vessels
through which Jesus is seen
00:57:10.56\00:57:13.19
in others through us.
00:57:13.23\00:57:16.03
He's revealed to others by us.
00:57:16.06\00:57:19.33
So today, Lord
Jesus, help us we pray.
00:57:19.37\00:57:23.04
Give us the desire
and the willingness
00:57:23.07\00:57:28.41
to invite this
great Savior to come in.
00:57:28.44\00:57:31.45
Live in us, work in us,
00:57:35.75\00:57:39.32
transform us from the inside out
00:57:39.35\00:57:42.72
that the
undercover God may be revealed
00:57:42.76\00:57:47.23
beautifully before a
world that needs a testament
00:57:47.26\00:57:50.93
of the
transforming grace of Christ,
00:57:50.97\00:57:53.94
to a world that
needs to know that
00:57:53.97\00:57:55.57
we serve a God who
forgives and delivers,
00:57:55.60\00:57:58.84
who loves and cherishes,
who has not come to tell us
00:57:58.87\00:58:04.75
what we know about
ourselves but to tell us
00:58:04.78\00:58:08.68
what we don't
know about our Savior.
00:58:08.72\00:58:11.49
Send us forth
from this place, Lord,
00:58:11.52\00:58:13.72
as lights shining
in this dark community.
00:58:13.76\00:58:18.06
And when the day comes that
00:58:20.90\00:58:23.67
the world is in abject darkness,
00:58:23.70\00:58:26.47
may the lights in the
lives of Your children
00:58:26.50\00:58:30.41
shine so brightly that
in the hour of judgment,
00:58:30.44\00:58:36.58
we will give You the
glory that You are worthy of.
00:58:36.61\00:58:41.45
This is my prayer, Father.
00:58:41.48\00:58:44.45
Do it for me, do it for
us, do it for the families,
00:58:44.49\00:58:49.06
the husbands, the
wives, the children.
00:58:49.09\00:58:51.39
We pray that You'll
anoint our young people
00:58:51.43\00:58:53.03
as they go away.
00:58:53.06\00:58:54.96
Shine through
them, the young men,
00:58:55.00\00:58:57.83
the young women,
shine through them.
00:58:57.87\00:59:01.24
Shine through
Ferrer, this young lady
00:59:01.27\00:59:03.77
who's just committed her
life to you, shine through her.
00:59:03.81\00:59:07.94
And may the glory of God
00:59:07.98\00:59:09.38
be always seen
00:59:09.41\00:59:15.88
in the hearts of those
00:59:15.92\00:59:17.99
that respond to
the call, "Follow me."
00:59:18.02\00:59:22.66
In Jesus' name I pray.
00:59:22.69\00:59:24.79