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Series Code: TWH
Program Code: TWH000043A
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00:01 Music...
00:37 This morning our Scripture Reading 00:39 pause 00:41 is from 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7. 00:44 Pause. 00:50 If you have your Bibles, you can follow along, 00:52 if not, it is on the screen, 00:53 reading from the Word of the Lord the Bible says, 00:57 in 2nd Timothy 1 and verse 7, 00:59 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear... " 01:04 can you join me on the remaining part... 01:07 "but of power and of love and of a sound mind. " 01:13 Pause. 01:15 "Father in heaven, this morning, 01:17 speak through my lips 01:20 and speak into my mind and into my life. 01:25 May the words that you have given to me Lord, 01:29 find fertile soil 01:31 that we may be a people of faith 01:35 in a society of fear. 01:38 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. " 01:42 Audience: Amen. 01:45 It was 2001 when American audiences were introduced 01:50 to a weekly nail-biting, gut-wrenching NBC Series 01:55 called "Fear Factor. " 01:57 Even now, just mentioning the name 02:00 you might have received some of the former images, 02:02 they were recalled in your mind. 02:04 The gist of the Show was to push contestants 02:10 to the limits of their fears... 02:12 to see who could endure whatever the Producers came up with. 02:19 To determine how fearful each individual is 02:23 or how fearful the groups were. 02:27 Pause. 02:29 The reality of the show 02:31 is something that caught my attention 02:33 even more than the gist of the Show. 02:34 The reality of the Show is this, 02:37 "Those that did not conquer fear 02:41 were conquered by fear. " 02:44 Fear Factor... 02:45 trying to determine whether or not a person can hang on 02:50 when everyone else is letting go. 02:53 Pause. 02:55 In the Fear Factor Program, 02:57 each challenge was designed to reveal the hidden strengths 03:00 or hidden weaknesses of each contestant. 03:03 Do you know that each one of us has hidden strengths 03:07 and hidden weaknesses that are often concealed 03:10 until the time of testing comes 03:12 and we really never know who we really are 03:16 until we are pushed to the limits of our fears. 03:20 I pay particular attention 03:24 as I rewind my mental picture 03:28 through doing some research about the Program, 03:31 you've seen it... people jumping from buildings, 03:34 the first stunt was the physical test, 03:36 where they tested people 03:38 whether they were willing to jump from buildings 03:40 or hanging on to helicopters as they moved... 03:43 or climbing a ladder that is suspended 03:45 between two skyscrapers by a narrow cable... 03:50 the physical test. 03:52 In the minds of some you can feel it... 03:54 you can be there and you can remember... 03:56 you can take that... that's not anything that I would do... 03:59 jumping from buildings 04:00 and even though they had safety nets 04:03 or padded drops where you can fall into a bed filled with air, 04:07 there were some people that just could not capture their fear. 04:11 This brought me to the picture of... 04:14 a number of years ago, we were on the... 04:18 one of the... one of the cruise ships... 04:22 I forgot the name of the cruise ships... 04:24 The Allure of the Seas 04:27 and they... they had a... they had a zip line... 04:30 that was all of seven stories above the sea... 04:33 above the actual promenade of the ship. 04:37 just seven stories... just seven stories. 04:41 There was a safety line and then a backup safety line 04:45 and they gave you a helmet... 04:46 they strapped you in very comfortably, 04:48 I could not get my wife to get on that cable. 04:54 Her sister went... other people went... 04:57 I said, "Honey, you're safe, 04:59 you're gripped in... you're locked in... 05:00 you will not fall... 05:01 but she couldn't push beyond her fear factor. 05:04 She was all strapped in... got the helmet... 05:08 stood on the platform 05:10 and just before the guy released the line, 05:12 she said, "No, no, no, no, no, no... I want to go back. " 05:15 She got that far 05:16 but because she was pushed to the limit of her fear, 05:19 she never captured her fear. 05:21 The same was true when we were in Zimbabwe. 05:23 Garwin McNeilus said, "I have a special treat for you" 05:29 and we decided, 05:31 "Well, I didn't know what the special treat was 05:33 but since he paid for it, 05:34 it was might as well our benefit to take advantage of it... " 05:36 and what I did not know was the special treat was 05:41 a ride on... I don't know what they call it 05:44 but it had just one blade behind it, 05:46 it has a... a... a... a wing over the top of it 05:52 and you are strapped into a single seat 05:58 with just a seat belt... 05:59 no shoulder harness 06:01 and the pilot... just you and the pilot... 06:05 and you take off from a dirt strip 06:07 and you fly as far as you can 06:09 and he takes you up to about 3,500 feet 06:12 Ultralight... 06:13 well, being courteous, 06:17 my wife said, "Well, who will go first?" 06:18 I said, "Honey, ladies first. " 06:21 Audience: Laughing. 06:23 And I have the video of her taking off 06:26 but what I did not know was... after she took off 06:30 and opened her eyes, 06:31 she said to the pilot, "Take me back... 06:35 take me back... take me back now. " 06:39 And he said with his dialect, 06:42 "But Angela, we did not go to the Falls yet" 06:44 that's Victoria Falls... 06:46 she said, "I don't want to go to the Falls 06:47 take me back now. " 06:48 Well, it was all of six minutes 06:51 that we saw them take off 06:53 and come and circle back around and land 06:55 the good part of that was, she was safe 06:57 but the better part of that was, I had 45 minutes 07:00 and I was able to go to Victoria Falls. 07:04 I think back on that now and I think to myself, 07:06 "Here I am in a foreign country... 07:11 with no real safety regulations 07:12 and all the pilot kept saying to me was, 07:15 'If we land there, we will die 07:17 because that's the water 07:18 and there are snakes or maybe alligators... 07:20 if we land there, that's the Game Preserve 07:23 and that's not a safe place to land, 07:24 if our engine stops above Victoria Falls, 07:28 well, we could coast... but where we land is up to God. '" 07:31 and I want to say, "Praise the Lord, 07:33 I faced my fear and God was with me all the way. " 07:36 They physical test... the first stunt... 07:39 then they took you to the mental test. 07:42 Facing your fear... eating disgusting things 07:46 or being covered by snakes 07:47 or large hissing roaches from Madagascar 07:50 or being overrun by rats as you are strapped to a board, 07:54 the mental test of your fear... 07:56 the physical test... the mental test. 07:58 And finally, the third stunt was always the most extreme 08:02 usually dealing with the fear of water... 08:04 the fear of heights 08:06 or the fear of extreme vehicle stunts... 08:08 but the motivation that pushed people beyond their fears 08:11 was... whoever endured to the end 08:14 received a $50,000 reward 08:16 pause 08:18 but I've quickly learned 08:20 that physical appearance is no indication 08:22 that a person is going to endure to the end 08:24 pause 08:26 because in that show, I saw physically strong men 08:29 muscle-bound men fall 08:31 to the challenge of a small, petite woman 08:34 who had less fear than they did when they faced their fears. 08:38 So, physical attributes 08:42 were no special gift 08:45 when it came to determining whether or not 08:48 that person would endure. 08:50 Each test was designed 08:52 to bring out the worst or the best in the contestants 08:55 and only those that endured the test... won the price. 08:59 I say it again, 09:02 "You never know what you're made of until the test comes. " 09:05 Pause. 09:07 People that are quite often... the ones that say the least 09:11 are often discovered to be the person that's the most fearless. 09:15 But I discovered also that 09:17 people that boast their abilities... 09:19 the ones that talk brave 09:21 are sometimes the people that are the least brave 09:24 but Bob, you'll never know 09:26 what you're really made of until you face your fears. 09:31 Take Peter for example, 09:34 go with me to Luke chapter 22 and verse 33, 09:37 look at Peter for example, 09:39 Peter was a fisherman, 09:41 very aware of the challenges and the dangers of being at sea... 09:47 at rough seas... 09:48 and if you looked at Peter, from the natural standpoint, 09:52 you would think that his rugged hands and his experience 09:54 in dangerous situations were sufficient 09:56 for him to make the proclamation that he did to Jesus 10:00 and he vowed to follow Jesus even if it meant his death. 10:04 Luke 22 verse 33, Peter said, "But he said to Him, 10:07 'Lord, I am ready to go with You, 10:10 both to prison and to... and to death. '" 10:14 But when the test came, this former fisherman 10:18 was pulled in by his own hook of fear 10:23 when being challenged in the crowds in the city... 10:27 following Jesus at a distance... 10:29 the Bible says in verse 57 of Luke 22 10:32 when a woman said, "I know who you are... " 10:34 he said, "Woman, I do not know Him. " 10:36 When pushed to the limits of his fear, 10:39 he denied his Lord. 10:41 Now, the question you might ask is, 10:42 "Why do I bring up a topic called: Fear Factor. " 10:44 Pause. 10:46 Am I trying to figure out what you're afraid of? 10:49 Whether we know it or not, 10:51 the stage is about to drastically change 10:56 for the function of the church in our world. 11:00 Right now in America we enjoy religious freedom. 11:04 We are able to preach what we want to 11:06 and teach what we want to 11:07 although many of our sermons are challenged, nonetheless. 11:10 We're able to go to whatever church we want to go to 11:13 on whatever day we want to go to, 11:15 sing whatever songs we want to 11:18 but soon the stage is going to change, 11:21 but it's hard to tell the difference 11:25 between a fearless Christian and a fearful Christian 11:29 until the winter comes. 11:31 It's hard to tell the difference until the scenario changes, 11:36 it's hard to really tell who will stand 11:39 and who will turn and run 11:42 until the scenario changes 11:44 and today, we are in a society 11:48 that's challenging whether or not 11:50 we can teach what we want to 11:52 or believe what we want to 11:54 or espouse to the things that we doctrinally accept... 11:59 we are being challenged... 12:00 not only by other churches 12:02 but by the society in which we live. 12:04 I found this quotation in the book Maranatha 12:07 that makes the point very clear 12:09 that you know it's winter right now 12:11 and most of the trees are devoid of leaves, 12:14 you can't a leaf on most of the trees 12:16 except the evergreen 12:18 because regardless of the climate that surrounds it, 12:22 the evergreen is what? Ever green. 12:26 Pause. 12:27 The Christian should not be Christian because of the... 12:31 of the climate that surrounds him, 12:33 or the circumstances in which it exists 12:36 but the Christian should be evergreen 12:40 regardless of the coldness or the warmth 12:43 of the climate that surrounds it. 12:46 Maranatha page 196, this quote is an amazing one. 12:49 "In the summer there is no noticeable difference 12:52 between evergreens and other trees... " 12:54 that's because the summer is conducive and warm 12:57 and all the trees enjoy the same kind of climate, 13:00 "but when the blast of winter comes, 13:03 the evergreen remains unchanged... " 13:07 remains what? 13:09 remains what...? 13:11 Audience: Unchanged... 13:12 In other words, when circumstances... 13:14 when you're at work or at home, 13:16 when you're with your family 13:18 or when you're worshipping 13:20 with those that are in church with you, 13:21 your beliefs don't change... 13:23 I've seen people change. 13:24 When I was growing up... 13:27 when I was a young man, 13:29 I was a lot more forceful than I am now, 13:31 the Lord has tempered me 13:32 but I'm still a soldier of the cross, 13:34 I just find more... I wouldn't say, "subtle" 13:37 I find more... yeah, I'll use the word "subtle" 13:40 I find more subtle yet unwaveringly determined ways 13:44 to introduce what I believe. 13:45 When I was young, I was like a bulldozer. 13:47 I really didn't care what you thought. 13:49 I just tell it to you 13:51 and I'd challenge you at every point. 13:53 When I was around Max Mace 13:55 who is the Director and Founder of the Heritage Singers, 13:57 he said to me, "John, you mellowed with age. " 13:59 Pause. 14:01 But I'm still a soldier of the cross, 14:03 can you say, "Amen. " 14:04 Because the things that I believe 14:06 have not changed although my approach 14:09 to introducing it may have changed. 14:11 Pause. 14:13 I go on to read... 14:15 "The evergreens remain unchanged, 14:17 while other trees are stripped of their foliage 14:20 and so, the falsehearted professor 14:25 may now be distinguished... 14:28 may not be distinguished from the real Christian, 14:32 but the time is just upon us... " 14:34 hear me carefully, 14:36 "when the difference will be apparent. 14:38 Let opposition rise... " 14:41 let what rise? "Opposition... 14:43 let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, 14:47 let persecution be kindled, 14:50 and the halfhearted and the hypocritical 14:52 will waver and yield the faith; 14:55 but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, 15:00 his faith stronger, his hope brighter, 15:04 than in days of prosperity. " 15:06 "Amen," somebody... 15:07 The reason why the Lord allows difficulty to come our way 15:10 is not that He wants to give us difficulty, 15:12 but it's often in difficulty 15:15 when the person's character is really revealed. 15:18 It's easy for anybody to be a Christian 15:20 when things are going well, 15:22 but when the trial and the tests come, 15:25 that is when those who are firmly established 15:28 in their faith 15:29 pause 15:30 will stand among the wintry blast 15:33 and the storm that surrounds it. 15:35 I learned from someone who told me to notice 15:38 when we were going to a particular place, 15:40 they said, "Now when you get to that town, 15:43 there's a tree that stands all by itself. 15:45 There are no trees for a great distance around it" 15:48 and I said, "What's special about that tree?" 15:51 They said, "Well, it's been there for at least a 100 years" 15:53 I said, "A 100 years in the Midwest?" 15:56 They said, "A 100 years. " 15:57 I said, "What's so different about that?" 15:59 They said, "A tree that stands alone 16:02 during the changing seasons of the year, 16:05 from rain to snow to heavy winds to tornadoes... 16:08 a tree that still stands 16:10 during the changing climate of the year, 16:15 has its roots deeper and farther and wider 16:17 than trees that disappear and fall 16:20 when the wintry blast comes. " 16:21 And I said, "So, what's the point? 16:23 They said, "Did you not get it?" 16:25 only when your roots are deep in your faith, 16:29 will you stand when the test comes. " 16:32 And so, I don't know where your roots are, 16:35 but the reason why the Lord allows the climate to change 16:39 is in the middle of the climate 16:42 is when our roots are revealed to be either shallow 16:47 or to be firmly established 16:49 on the foundation of our faith. 16:51 The world stage is being built 16:54 to separate the fearful Christian 16:56 from the fearless Christian 16:57 and when you look in Scriptures, 16:59 you find a couple of examples. 17:00 One of the ones that jumped out at us 17:02 is in Daniel chapter 3, go there with me, 17:04 Daniel chapter 3, this is a time-tested example in Scripture 17:09 as to those who would not allow their political commitments 17:14 to supersede their spiritual allegiance to God. 17:18 Pause. 17:19 Very important point. 17:21 Daniel chapter 3, look at verse 16 to verse 18 17:25 and this is about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 17:29 Now we know the setting was... 17:31 Nebuchadnezzar established a golden image 17:36 on the Plain of Dura. 17:37 The image was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide 17:41 and all the nations that were under his rule 17:44 gathered together for worship. 17:46 What did they gather together for? 17:49 For worship. 17:50 And he said, "When the sound of the instruments are played, 17:54 everyone must fall down at that moment 17:57 and worship the golden image. 17:59 Now, put the relationships together. 18:01 This is where relationships are often tested. 18:05 If our relationships with each other 18:10 are only second to our relationship to God, 18:17 when the test comes, 18:18 we will always put God above human relationships. 18:23 Did you hear that? 18:25 Whenever our relationships with each other 18:28 are only second to our relationship to God, 18:32 when the test comes, 18:33 God will always be first in our relationship. 18:36 Look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego... 18:38 look at their response 18:39 and it's amazing to me that this text 18:43 continues to give me courage. 18:45 "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego... " 18:48 verse 16 of chapter 3 18:50 "answered and said to the king, 18:53 'O Nebuchadnezzar, 18:55 we have no need to answer you in this matter. 18:57 If that is the case... " 19:00 pause 19:01 in other words, "if we're going to lose our lives, 19:03 our God whom we serve is... " what? 19:06 "is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, 19:11 and He will deliver us from your hand O king, 19:15 But if not... " 19:17 how many of us will serve God in the "if not"? 19:22 "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, 19:26 that we do not serve your gods, 19:29 nor will be worship the gold image 19:31 which you have set up. " 19:34 How many of us will serve God in the "if not"? 19:39 See we if have the assurance that we will be delivered 19:43 pause 19:45 then we can go forward with confidence, 19:48 but if we... if we live in the "if not" 19:50 "I'm going to serve God anyhow" 19:53 we have got to serve God in the "if not moments" 19:57 come on say, "Amen" someone. 19:58 Not just the moments where we have that blessed assurance, 20:01 but when the furnace is heated seven times hotter, 20:04 when all political connections have turned against us, 20:09 when all societal norms have been removed from us, 20:13 when all support from friends and family 20:15 are no longer ours to enjoy, 20:17 we've got to serve God in the "If not" moments. 20:21 But look at Daniel, Daniel 6 and verse 10. 20:24 Daniel 6 and verse 10. 20:27 "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, 20:31 he went home. 20:32 And in his upper room, 20:34 with his windows open toward Jerusalem... " 20:36 what did he do? 20:37 "he knelt down on his knees three times a day, 20:41 and prayed and gave thanks before his God, 20:46 as was his custom since early days. " 20:50 Now notice what made a difference in Daniel's life, 20:52 Daniel didn't begin to pray when the writing was signed, 20:55 Daniel had a prayer life before the writing was signed. 20:58 In other words, if your life... 21:00 if your relationship with God is not active 21:02 before the trial comes, 21:04 it's no use for you when the trial comes. 21:06 Amen, Pastor C.A. 21:08 until your work with God... until your walk with God 21:12 is something that is daily... 21:14 it's not going to make a difference when the test comes. 21:17 Pause. 21:19 There's going to be no change in the way that you deal 21:26 in your day-to-day life 21:28 unless your day-to-day life 21:29 is already in the process in your walk with God. 21:34 We have people today 21:36 and I've spoken to some of them and... 21:39 let's take some of these examples, 21:42 sometimes, we might be at a... 21:45 and take this for what you will or how you will 21:48 but I'm the kind of individual 21:50 that if I hear somebody in my family... 21:52 I have families that... 21:54 family members that I've so often corrected them 21:59 and they're... they'll say for example 22:01 "Oh, Uncle is in heaven now playing baseball... " 22:05 and I'll say, "He's not in heaven playing baseball, 22:10 that's not what the Bible teaches" 22:12 and they say, "He's not... really?" 22:14 And then I'll get an opportunity 22:16 to tell them what the Bible teaches 22:18 but you know what, 22:19 I know that there are people that are too fearful 22:21 to say to their own family members, 22:23 "That's not what the Bible teaches" 22:25 now here's my point, 22:28 if we cannot tell the people that we are related to... 22:33 the truth about God's Word, 22:36 do you think that we're going to be able to tell strangers 22:39 that we have no relationship with 22:41 about the truth of God's Word? 22:42 It's not going to happen. 22:44 I'm the kind of guy on Facebook... 22:47 just recently I saw something, my wife showed me... 22:50 somebody died and... and somebody posted there, 22:53 "He's in heaven singing now" 22:55 and what shocked me more than anything else 22:59 is the person that wrote it was an Adventist. 23:02 Pause. 23:04 And I'm thinking to myself, "What?" 23:06 I said, "Honey, can I respond?" 23:08 She said, "Do it on your own Facebook page" 23:10 Audience: Laughter. 23:12 "not on mine... " 23:13 because I have... when the... you know the... 23:16 I like to use the term, 23:19 "righteous indignation" 23:21 when the thought has come up and I see ridiculous things 23:25 on Facebook that don't honor God and that are not truthful, 23:29 I would respond... 23:30 and... and it would start a firestorm 23:34 of course it would, 23:35 but I could tell you this... 23:37 I put the Scriptures there... the quotations there... 23:39 and here's the point... 23:40 somebody always comes 23:42 to the knowledge of the truth of God's Word 23:44 in those moments of controversy 23:46 when we don't allow the wrong opinion 23:50 to cancel the truth about the situation of God's Word 23:53 and sometimes we give way to the wrong opinion 23:58 or to the false teaching because we are afraid. 24:02 The fear factor comes in. 24:04 Daniel's relationship with God was not about to be altered 24:08 by the prohibitions to his prayer life, 24:11 he had a walk with God before the trial came... 24:13 the point of the matter is, when fear is ruling our lives, 24:18 we cannot be effectively used 24:22 to be servants of the Most High God. 24:25 I mean, think about it, these are stories in the Bible 24:28 if we believe that these stories are true 24:31 and we see the challenge... 24:33 we see God with Daniel and the Hebrews in the challenge, 24:37 we see God bring them through the challenge 24:40 and then we realize in the Bible 24:41 that these things were written for our admonition 24:44 upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 24:47 If the devil was intense then 24:49 and he has come down having great wrath now, 24:51 don't you think it's time that we strengthen our faith 24:54 for the trials ahead of us? 24:56 We got to be like Esther, 24:58 willing to trade her life if that's what it took, 25:02 she says, "If I perish, I perish" 25:05 but if she did not stand firmly, Mordecai said, 25:08 "If you choose not to stand firmly 25:10 when God has called you to stand firm, 25:11 relief will come from somewhere else 25:13 and your house 25:17 will receive the negative results 25:19 of you refusing to stand when you should take a stand. " 25:21 So, it's not just, 25:23 "Well, I don't want to offend anybody... 25:25 if I... " that term just... 25:27 that term is like sandpaper to me. 25:29 "How come you didn't say something?" 25:31 "Well, I don't want to offend them. " 25:32 When we did an evangelistic series in Vallejo, California, 25:36 when I say, "We" Pastor Doug Batchelor and I, 25:39 pause 25:40 there was a Baptist lady who was married to a Catholic... 25:42 she was Baptist, her husband was Catholic 25:45 and in their home they did not talk about religion at all 25:48 they didn't even discuss it. 25:49 Obvious reasons, they did not believe the same thing. 25:52 Well, she received the Flyer 25:54 and she came to our Revelation Seminar. 25:56 She was one of the ones that got baptized. 25:58 At the Revelation Seminar, praise God, 26:00 when I visited with them, 26:02 finally she and her husband were on the same page 26:04 because they accepted the truth of God's Word together 26:07 pause 26:09 but here's the point, 26:10 at the baptism, 26:12 she noticed a co-worker that was a member 26:16 at the church where she got baptized 26:18 and she said in our presence to that co-worker, 26:22 "You mean to tell me, you came to my church 26:26 when I invited you to my baptism at my Baptist Church 26:29 and you knew the truth and you didn't tell me about it?" 26:32 Pause. 26:34 I won't tell you her name 26:35 because it wouldn't even matter to you 26:38 but I remember that as distinctly 26:40 as if it happened just the other day. 26:42 I can see the couple 26:44 pause 26:47 and her friend had nothing to say. 26:49 She was at the baptism... 26:52 she sat on the first or second row 26:54 for her friend's baptism 26:55 and I wondered why the lady was so... 26:56 kind looked perturbed in the baptismal pool, 26:58 and afterwards she said, "You mean to tell me 27:01 you came to my church and watched me being baptized 27:04 into a different faith 27:05 and you knew this message and didn't tell me?" 27:08 Pause. 27:09 Well, thank the Lord, I mean, they amended their friendship, 27:12 but the point of the matter is, 27:13 sometimes God allows you to be in places 27:16 so that people... who are not where God wants them to be... 27:20 you can be used as a light to lead them out of darkness. 27:23 But you cannot be fearful 27:25 and we have so much of this political correctness now-a-days 27:28 it's kind of like, nauseating. 27:30 "Don't offend anybody... " 27:32 "Well, what if... what if they got mad at me?" 27:36 They will get mad at you 27:37 when they find out that you knew the way 27:39 and didn't show them the way. 27:41 Pause. 27:42 So, now-a-days... rather than... 27:44 we look for the conveniences and... 27:46 that's a dangerous thing 27:48 when Paul stood and he testified 27:50 with all of his superior intellect 27:53 I think it was to Agrippa or to Festus, 27:56 he said, "Come back in a convenient season" 27:59 there is never a convenient season to tell the truth, 28:03 every season is a convenient season. 28:05 You don't wait for better situations 28:07 Somebody said, "Well, I don't want to do it then 28:10 because you know it's not the right time 28:11 pause 28:17 if all you can do is say... 28:19 I remember... let me give you an example of somebody 28:21 who didn't care about the convenient season. 28:23 Pause. 28:25 My brother's first wife... well his only wife... 28:29 he's not married right now, 28:30 but she was a Catholic young lady 28:34 and I was... I would always go to the Virgin Islands 28:37 to visit with my family 28:38 and one day... 28:40 and my family is very dedicated to their faith... Catholics... 28:43 90 percent of my family... 28:45 but one day she said to me, 28:46 "John, tell me about your church" 28:48 and I said, "Really?" 28:52 Pause. 28:54 She said, "Tell me what you believe. " 28:56 I said, "Now, I know you're Catholic... 28:58 everything I tell you about my faith 28:59 is going to undo what you believe about yours... " 29:01 stay with me... 29:03 She said, "I can handle it, I'm French" 29:07 "All right, here goes" 29:09 and she asked the tough questions, 29:12 she didn't ask the easy questions... she... 29:14 I said, "Okay, what do you want to know?" 29:15 She asked the tough questions. 29:17 "Okay, what do you believe about what happens when you die?" 29:20 "All right, here goes... " 29:21 "What do you believe about the Sabbath?" 29:23 "Okay... here goes... " 29:24 And she continued to grill me and... and... 29:26 and asked me the tough questions. 29:28 When I got back home, 29:30 we were, at the time, living in Missouri. 29:32 When I got back home, 29:34 "Could you send me some material?" 29:35 Then she'd call me, then we moved to 3ABN. 29:38 We were traveling back and forth between Missouri and 3ABN 29:42 before we moved here, 29:43 and she took in sick... and they found Cancer 29:46 and they discovered she had Melanoma 29:49 and it advanced to the point 29:51 where it was going to possibly take her life 29:53 pause 29:55 and she stopped going to her church 29:57 and her father called her and said... 30:00 when he noticed she would not come to church 30:03 he said, "I want you to get rid of John and his brother Jimmy" 30:07 James and John... 30:08 "and come back up the hill and come back to church. " 30:11 She said, "I'm not going back up the hill, 30:13 I don't believe that anymore" 30:16 pause 30:19 and while I'm driving... 30:21 I was on my way back from 3ABN going back to Missouri 30:23 where we lived at the time, 30:25 and she called me... I said, "Are you okay?" 30:27 "Oh, well, one of my family members is here... " 30:30 she said, "could you stay on the phone with me 30:32 until my aunt leaves?" 30:34 I said, "I got a long... " 30:36 she said, "Could you stay on the phone with me 30:37 as long as you can? 30:38 I just... I want to outlast my aunt. " 30:40 I said, "Why?" 30:42 She said, "She has a gallon of holy water... 30:43 she wants to pour on me. " 30:45 Audience: Laughter. 30:46 I'm not belittling anyone's faith, 30:47 I'm telling you the story, 30:49 pause 30:51 she said, "But I don't believe that anymore, 30:52 if you just pray with me, 30:54 maybe the Lord will move in their behalf. " 30:55 Well... 30:58 when she died in her hospital bed, 31:01 pause 31:02 at 34 years old... 31:04 15 minutes after she was pronounced dead 31:08 and they took all the leads off of her, 31:12 she woke up in her hospital bed 31:16 pause 31:18 I wouldn't be telling you this story 31:20 if her father and mother and brother... 31:22 seven people were there... one including the nurse, 31:25 my brother was there... 31:27 15 minutes after they pronounced her dead, 31:29 she woke up and sat up on the bed... 31:31 without her glasses... looked across the room 31:33 and said, "What time is it?" Her mother told her... 31:35 She said, "How could you see the clock 31:36 you don't have your glasses on?" 31:38 And she said, "I could see it perfectly clearly... " 31:40 Pause. 31:41 She says, "If we do this right, 31:43 I could be out of here in 15 minutes. " 31:46 This is the woman that was dead... 31:47 pause 31:49 she said, "Mom and Dad, 31:52 if you have anything against Jimmy... 31:53 if you do... settle it now... 31:54 get a piece of paper and a pencil, 31:56 I want to give you instructions about what to do with the house 31:58 and how to plan my funeral... " 32:00 she said, "I want John to do my funeral 32:02 and I don't want it done at the church I used to attend 32:05 pause 32:07 and I want him at my funeral... " 32:10 she just found out about the truth... 32:13 fearlessly she says, 32:15 I want him to give a presentation on slides 32:20 as to what the Bible teaches about when you die. " 32:24 Pause. 32:26 That was my commission. 32:27 Did I put a slide together? 32:29 Did I put a slide presentation together? 32:31 Just like saying to the dog, "Bite whoever you want... " 32:34 Here... here I am in the Virgin Islands... 32:39 all these people I don't know... 32:41 the... the funeral parlor packed 32:43 my big evangelistic screen... my projector... 32:49 at the time it was... 32:51 I took the... the projector... 32:53 as a matter of fact, we were here at the time, 32:54 I remember that very well 32:56 because the old projector we used to have... 32:57 that little old gray one that had low lumens... 32:59 we used to use in the Fellowship Hall 33:00 I remember taking that with me... connected it to my laptop 33:03 and there on the screen... 33:05 walked through the Bible teaching all these people 33:08 what the Bible teaches... happens when you die. 33:12 Audience: Praise God. 33:13 I saw the pastors there... 33:15 I saw a person I didn't recognize 33:17 and I found out later that was the Catholic Priest. 33:19 Pause. 33:21 I saw the local pastor, 33:22 I knew he was of the Assemblies of God Church... he was there. 33:24 I saw him swallowing all through the sermon, 33:27 pause 33:30 you know what happened as a result of that? 33:32 The very father who'd told his daughter 33:35 to get rid of me and my brother 33:37 was the very father who said to me... 33:39 and I... and I said to him, 33:41 "You know, in respect to your family, 33:44 go ahead and do a funeral... 33:46 go ahead and do a service at the Catholic Church, 33:48 out of respect for your family. " 33:50 And he asked the Catholic Priest, 33:52 "Can you let John sing at my daughter's funeral service?" 33:56 The Priest said, "No... not at this church. " 33:58 He said, "Why?" 33:59 "Because he's an Adventist Pastor... that's why. " 34:01 And I did not sing at the Service 34:04 but you know what that did? 34:05 That turned the whole family around... 34:08 they said, "The real funeral service we had 34:10 was down in town at the Chapel... 34:12 the one you had done. " 34:13 Where I shared from God's Word fearlessly 34:16 what the Lord teaches in His Word 34:18 about what happens when you die. 34:20 In the closing moments of that young lady's life, fearlessly... 34:24 standing against her family and her tradition 34:27 of generation after generation... 34:28 these European French people... 34:30 they... they... they cling to their faith 34:33 like Velcro to... to lint... 34:35 and for her to make up her mind, 34:38 she said, "I don't care what the church teaches, 34:41 I want what God's Word teaches. " 34:43 Audience: Amen. 34:44 And she just got it... she didn't get baptized... 34:47 but I believe I'm going to see her when Jesus comes. 34:50 Audience: Amen. 34:51 Because when she was on her deathbed, 34:53 my brother... there were tears in his eyes... 34:54 he said, "We've been praying to the Lord to heal you, 34:57 why wouldn't He heal you?" 34:59 And she said... 35:00 Lord, if we would have the faith like... 35:02 she said, "He did heal me, 35:04 He healed me long enough for me to give my life to Him 35:10 and He's going to lay me to rest 35:12 so that I will never have a chance to go back out there 35:16 and turn around. " 35:18 Audience: Amen. 35:19 And her parting words... as the family said... 35:22 with a young lady who just learned the message... 35:25 she says, "Don't worry about me 35:27 I'm going to go to sleep... 35:30 rest until Jesus comes... 35:32 and I'll see you in the morning. " 35:34 Audience: Amen. 35:36 Fearless... 35:39 what happens if our family members 35:41 put us in the precarious position 35:43 and they challenge our faith? 35:45 There's a need for people like her in our own lives... 35:50 in our own family circles. 35:52 Last Sabbath when I spoke, 35:54 I was at the Linden Boulevard Church in New York 35:57 and I spoke and my sister was there 35:58 and I've been praying for my sister my whole life, 36:01 she was at the World Trade Center 36:03 when the buildings came down 36:04 and by God's grace... 36:06 the night before the Lord impressed her 36:07 to go to work at 10:00 o'clock 36:09 rather than 6 a. m. in the morning 36:11 when... if she had gone at 6:00 a. m. 36:12 she would have died like her other co-workers died 36:16 when the building came down. 36:18 It fell down on them in their triage 36:20 and all of those that worked with her... 36:22 that went to work at 6:00 that morning 36:25 died when the building came down. 36:26 God spared her life and she went to work at 10:00 36:29 after the buildings came down. 36:30 Pause. 36:32 And I said to her in... in the presence of all those people, 36:36 I said, "My sister's here today, 36:37 she works for the Fire Department... 36:39 her boyfriend's here today... 36:41 I'm praying for both of them 36:42 that they'll be in the kingdom. " 36:44 They live together, I'm straight with my sister 36:49 because she's always straight with me... 36:51 I'm praying for my sister and her boyfriend 36:53 that they'll be in the kingdom 36:55 and I told the story and I said, 36:57 "When the buildings came down, 36:58 my sister was concerned about me and I was concerned about her. " 37:01 Pause. 37:04 And I got a phone call when I got home. 37:06 My sister called and said, 37:09 "Where is Angie, let me talk to Angie. " 37:11 And Angie put it on Speaker... 37:13 because I said to my sister in the front of the congregation 37:17 I said, "When Jesus comes... and the lady who raised us... 37:22 Momma Haynes... we meet in the kingdom 37:26 and she says to me, 'John, where is your sister?'" 37:30 I said to her publicly, 37:32 "Val, what am I going to tell her if you're not here?" 37:36 Pause. 37:38 "What am I going... " 37:39 and I was tearful when I said that. 37:41 And she called me, 37:42 she said, "Brother, I'm listening 37:46 and I'm going to shock you real soon. " 37:48 Amen somebody. 37:50 Audience: Amen. 37:52 I've been praying for her since she was 16... 37:54 now she's in her 60s... 37:56 pause 38:00 because what I fear more than fear itself 38:03 is having an opportunity to tell somebody about Jesus 38:07 and fear prevents me from telling them about Jesus. 38:11 Pause... 38:15 more pause... 38:17 The Psalmist David said, 38:20 in Psalm 56 and verse 11, 38:22 "In God I have put my trust; 38:25 I will not be afraid. 38:27 What can man do to me?" 38:29 What can man do to us? 38:32 Pause. 38:34 If your life was based on you selling a car, 38:38 would you be deterred if somebody says, 38:40 "I don't want your car?" 38:42 Absolutely not, 38:43 You'll be out there the very next day 38:45 suit and tie... whether you're male or female 38:47 you'll walk up to the very next customer 38:49 as if that's the most important person on the planet and say, 38:51 "How can I help you?" 38:53 "How can I sell a car to you that day?" 38:55 They might say, "I don't want your car" 38:57 you'll do the very same thing the next day. 39:00 "Can I sell you a car?" 39:02 Because you know that your livelihood 39:07 depends on your determination to convince them 39:10 that you have a vehicle that they need. 39:12 Well, you know what? 39:13 Our salvation... the Lord has saved us... 39:17 not for the purpose of membership 39:19 but for the purpose of working for His Kingdom 39:22 to let... let other people know 39:24 that we don't have a car that they need 39:27 but we have a Savior that they need... 39:29 a message that they need. 39:33 In this day and age... 39:35 I was reading an article... 39:36 I'm going to kind of jump a little bit from here because, 39:38 you know, in faithfulness to the time 39:41 I'm going to exclude a few things. 39:44 Pause. 39:47 But when we are given the opportunity... 39:51 I remember being back in the Heritage Singers 39:54 and I was on the bus 39:56 and we'd go from church to church every day 39:59 and frequently in the evening after we did the Alter Calls, 40:02 I would stay by and pray with someone 40:04 or have... talk to someone 40:06 or just kind of encourage people 40:08 and it all of a sudden became a trend 40:10 and what I did... 40:11 I noticed... I said to myself, "Wait a minute, 40:13 when we pray and we have people come forward at those concerts, 40:16 we never see them again, 40:17 we don't know what happened to them. 40:18 So, what did I do? 40:20 At the Ranch we had "Steps to Christ" 40:21 we had "The Desire of Ages" 40:23 and we had "The Great Controversy" 40:24 and each one of us had a thin locker 40:26 that had just our clothes that we needed on the road, 40:29 we had our own drawer, 40:30 we couldn't carry very much... 40:32 most of what we had on the road was our concert clothing 40:35 and we'd go out weeks at a time 40:37 and we'd recycle and wash our clothes at the laundromat 40:40 and all that... but I remember going to these people 40:43 and periodically, 40:44 the bus will be outside waiting for me, 40:47 everybody in the bus would say, "Where is John?" 40:48 "Oh, he's talking to somebody" 40:49 "He's praying with somebody" 40:51 "He's talking to a pastor" 40:52 "He's praying with somebody they just met" 40:54 and I would give them The Desire of Ages, 40:56 The Great Controversy and the Steps to Christ 40:59 or one of the three 41:00 and I remember somebody making the comment, 41:05 "Why are you going to give them The Great Controversy... 41:07 don't you know that book is going to cause trouble?" 41:10 I said, "That's the kind of trouble I want to cause. " 41:12 Come on, say "Amen" somebody. 41:14 Give them a book that will give them the truth 41:16 about what's going on in our world today 41:18 so that if you never see them again, 41:21 pause 41:23 God could take that tool... that seed that was planted... 41:27 and make a difference in somebody's life. 41:29 Don't you know that's why we're here? 41:31 This church would not exist... 41:33 this church would not be in this former corn field 41:36 if that ministry across the road 41:39 didn't believe in the undiluted three angels' messages. 41:42 But how amazing! 41:45 We're preaching it over the airwaves 41:47 but sometimes it's not being preached on the ground 41:50 because we dilute it. 41:53 We're afraid to tell it like it is. 41:56 We're afraid to share with people... 41:59 you don't have to... 42:00 you don't have to put people up against the wall, 42:02 like Elder E.E. Cleveland's wife used to do, 42:06 he said, when he stopped at a truck stop, 42:09 he'd said, "Where is... where is my wife?" 42:12 forgot her name... 42:14 Celia... "Where is Celia?" 42:16 And she'd come out of the Women's Room 42:19 and she'd say, "Honey, give me some tracts, 42:20 I have some women in the bathroom... 42:22 up against the wall... " 42:23 laughter... 42:25 she wouldn't let them out of the bathroom 42:26 till she gave them a tract. 42:27 Pause. 42:31 But unless you plant that seed, God can't bless it, amen. 42:34 We have got to be people 42:37 that recognize that Jesus is coming soon 42:40 and only if the fear factor has no more grip on us, 42:44 can we then be lights that are unrestrained 42:48 to shine amid darkness and people can find the light. 42:50 When Jeremiah was a young man 42:53 called to the ministry, 42:54 you know, we hear the word, "Jeremiah the Prophet" 42:57 we think of an old guy with a long beard 42:59 and sitting on a stool like, you know just old... 43:02 but Jeremiah was a young man at one time, 43:04 when God gave Jeremiah a message, 43:07 in Jeremiah 1 verse 6 to 8, 43:10 the Lord had to encourage Jeremiah 43:13 because Jeremiah... after receiving the message... 43:16 after receiving the message 43:19 Jeremiah was afraid to preach, you notice what he said, 43:24 he said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, 43:28 for I am a youth. 43:31 But the LORD said to him, 'Do not say, I am a youth' 43:35 for you shall go to all whom I send you, 43:39 and whatever I command you, you shall speak. " 43:42 And I like verse 8, because I used to be there... 43:45 when I was a young man, I used to take my glasses off 43:48 so my eyes were blurry 43:50 so I couldn't see the people when they got upset 43:52 laughing... 43:54 I remember being... because I had a church, man... 43:56 they would always be writing letters to the Conference... 43:58 they didn't like what I preached... 43:59 I still have those letters 44:01 and the Conference would say, 44:02 "Keep on preaching it, we're behind you" 44:04 yeah... 38 miles away... 44:05 I'm the one on Sabbath morning so I intentionally... 44:09 Jan knows what I'm talking about... 44:10 I intentionally would take off my glasses 44:12 before I started wearing contact lenses, 44:14 and I'd preach my heart out 44:15 like I'm about to burn the building down, 44:17 and I took my glasses off so I couldn't see their faces 44:21 because Jeremiah said... 44:22 "The Lord said to Jeremiah, 44:24 'Do not be afraid of their faces, 44:26 for I am with you to deliver you,' says the Lord. " Amen. 44:29 Fear... the roadblock to somebody's salvation. 44:35 "I don't want to offend... " 44:37 this politically correct climate 44:41 is trying to press us into the same mold. 44:43 I just recently listened to an article... 44:46 I listened to a... actually an exposé 44:49 by one of the chief developers of Facebook... 44:53 a young Indian man, 44:55 he's so wealthy... with Mark Zuckerberg... 44:58 he's won... 44:59 he knows the 150 people that run the world financially 45:02 and he said, "When we created Facebook, 45:07 it was never our intention for it to become what it has become" 45:11 the dopamine that fills the veins and minds of the society 45:18 and keeps them drunk with media... " 45:20 He says, "Now I... r... r... I... I am so sorry 45:24 that I even developed Facebook. " 45:26 He said, "But I can't speak for anybody else... 45:29 I can speak for myself, 45:30 I disconnect from media altogether 45:32 and my children... 45:34 we have no parts with Facebook whatsoever 45:37 because I know what we designed it to do 45:40 and we designed Facebook to give you that instant dopamine hit 45:44 to keep you hooked to media 45:46 and that's exactly what it has accomplished 45:48 but I am sorry I participated. " 45:50 He's repenting, "I'm so sorry I did that... " 45:53 because our world has become a world addicted to things 45:56 that give them the hits 45:57 and he said, "We are socially dysfunctional. " 46:00 We have forgotten what's most important in life, 46:02 we have left the things that matter for eternity 46:05 out of this... out of the conversation 46:07 because we are pursuing things 46:09 that have made us politically correct 46:11 while socially dysfunctional 46:13 pause 46:14 because we don't want to offend anybody. 46:16 Pause. 46:22 I'm going to go to Revelation chapter 2 and verse 10. 46:25 Pause. 46:27 What did the Lord say to His church? 46:29 Pause. 46:30 He said, "Do not fear any of those things 46:33 which are you are about to suffer. 46:35 Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison" 46:38 that's the only time some of you 46:40 will be participating in Prison Ministry... 46:42 you got to get thrown into prison... 46:44 Audience: Laughter... 46:45 "that you may be tested, 46:46 and you will have tribulation ten days. 46:50 Be faithful unto death, and I will do... " 46:54 what? "give you a crown of life. " 46:57 Amen. 47:00 God was with the Israelites 47:02 and He carried them through the Red Sea 47:05 across the Jordan 47:06 and... and the Egyptians that tried to follow them 47:10 God drowned them. 47:12 "Be not fearful. " 47:15 God will never put you in a situation 47:17 that He cannot bring you through. 47:20 Do not be fearful. 47:22 "Testimonies for the Church" 47:24 volume 5 page 463, 47:27 a chilling but a very... a very sobering few sentences, 47:32 "The work which the church has failed to do in time... 47:38 in a time of peace and prosperity 47:40 she will have to do in a terrible crisis, 47:43 under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. " 47:47 The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced 47:50 or withheld... " 47:52 that's what's happened... silenced our message 47:54 made us withhold it... 47:56 will be given under the fiercest opposition 47:59 from enemies of the faith. 48:01 and at that time, 48:03 the superficial, conservative class, 48:07 whose influence has steadily retarded 48:10 the progress of the work... " 48:12 in other words, they continue... "No, no, don't say that... 48:14 no, no, don't do that... no, no, no, not right now... 48:16 no... you're going to get somebody upset. " 48:19 "steadily retarded the progress of the work, 48:21 will renounce the faith, 48:23 and take their stand with its avowed enemies... " 48:26 in other words... 48:28 those who refuse to stand up for their faith 48:31 will one day stand up against their faith. 48:33 Pause. 48:39 "Will stand with its avowed enemies, 48:41 towards whom their sympathies have long been tending. " 48:46 Pause. 48:48 I was so encouraged when I got a call from a young lady 48:51 who's been listening to 3ABN, 48:53 3ABN Radio... she's a... 48:56 she goes to the Assemblies of God Church... 48:58 spoke to her the other day... just this week... 49:00 pause... 49:02 she said, "I can't believe I'm speaking to Angela and John, 49:05 my wife... she called her at work 49:07 and she called me at home, 49:08 she says, "I go to this particular church" 49:11 and I could see she was tiptoeing but she was so... 49:15 she said, "I've been listening for a number of years 49:17 and I'm learning so much... " 49:20 so my wife said, 49:21 "Have you heard about the Sabbath?" 49:24 "Oh, yes I have and I... 49:27 I don't think I went to my Minister yet... oh yes... 49:31 no, I did go to my minister about that, 49:33 and he said to me, 49:36 'Well, really the Sabbath message is... 49:39 just pick any day you like and make it your Sabbath. '" 49:42 That's what he told her. 49:44 But she said, "I got 20 plus Scriptures 49:48 from the Bible... telling me how important the Sabbath is. " 49:51 Amen. 49:53 But she continued to say, 49:54 "I started attending an Adventist Church 49:56 and I'm going to another one this weekend" 49:58 pray for those people 50:00 because when you're fearlessly proclaiming 50:03 the truth of God's Word, as it is in Christ, 50:06 always do it in love but do not dilute it 50:10 pause 50:12 and I immediately spoke to her 50:14 and as I'm speaking to her... 50:16 those are slices of moments... 50:18 I said, "Do you have an e-mail?" 50:19 "Yes I do. " 50:20 "Can I send you some links?" 50:22 "Yes, you can. " 50:23 "Give me your e-mail" 50:25 and I sent her some links from Amazing Facts 50:26 some particular topics... some Bible topics... 50:28 and I said, "Here's my phone number 50:30 read them... call me if you have any questions. " 50:32 "Thank you so much... " and we prayed together. 50:34 Those are moments in time... 50:37 those are small moments in time 50:39 where when we put fear behind our faith... 50:44 not ahead of our faith... 50:47 God can do marvelous things. 50:49 I read a short exposé by a Pastor... 50:53 Pastor Colin Smith, 50:55 he is the Senior Pastor... just to give you the reference 50:57 of the Orchard Evangelical Free Church 51:00 in the northwest suburbs of Chicago 51:03 he wrote an article that had a particular point in it 51:05 that grabbed my attention 51:07 and the article was entitled, 51:08 "Why are there so many fearful Christians?" 51:11 Pause. 51:12 And he goes on to say, 51:14 "Sometimes it seems that there are... 51:17 is much fear in the church... 51:19 that there is as much fear in the church 51:21 as there is in the world. 51:23 Pause. 51:25 When Peter says, 'Do not fear what they say' 51:28 your honest response may be to say, 51:31 'That sounds great but I'm not there yet. ' 51:34 Why are you not there? 51:36 Why are there so many fearful Christians? 51:40 Why are we not more obviously different 51:44 from the culture of fear in which we live? 51:47 The answer is 51:50 that the self-exalting spirit of the world 51:53 has widely permeated the church. " 51:56 It's all about us. 51:58 It's all about how people perceive us 52:01 rather than how they perceive the Jesus in us 52:04 and you don't need a sledgehammer to share your faith 52:06 you could do it on the plane... 52:08 when we go to places, we leave tracts, 52:11 put it inside the American Airlines magazine... 52:14 or put it in the menu 52:16 or give a tip to the waiter... a good tip with a tract 52:19 if you give him a dollar, he's going to put that tract away, 52:22 give him a tip with a tract... 52:25 find ways of planting seeds because, you know what? 52:28 One plants... another waters 52:31 but God gives the increase. 52:34 But if the fear factor is what grips us 52:36 more than anything else, 52:38 the Lord will never be able to use us 52:40 for the kingdom of God. 52:42 Pause. 52:45 We are told in "Testimonies for the Church" 52:48 book 5 page 463 these closing words, 52:52 "The day is just before us. 52:54 The members of the church will individually... " 52:58 will what? 52:59 "individually be tested and proved. " 53:02 Are you ready for the test? 53:04 "They will be placed in circumstances 53:07 where they will be forced to be a witness for the truth. 53:11 Many will be called to speak before councils 53:15 and in courts of justice, 53:18 perhaps separately and alone. " 53:21 Nobody there to speak for you, 53:23 Elder ain't there... Pastor's not there... 53:26 Sabbath School Teacher's not there... 53:28 Evangelist is not there... by yourself... 53:29 pause 53:31 "The experience which would have helped them... 53:35 which would have helped them in this emergency 53:38 they have neglected to obtain, 53:41 and their souls are burdened with remorse 53:44 for wasted opportunities and neglected privileges. " 53:50 And all these opportunities granted for us 53:53 in preparation for the coming of our Lord 53:57 when we don't allow ourselves to be the vessels 54:02 through which God's Spirit works, 54:04 we will become the vessel 54:07 through which the enemy of God's work will work. 54:11 Either your faith will capture your fear 54:16 or your fear will capture your faith. 54:20 But if you're fearful... 54:24 God has not given us the spirit of fear 54:26 but of love... of power and of a sound mind. 54:31 How many of you today want to recommit 54:34 to being a people of the hour... 54:37 in a fearful world, we can stand with a fearless God. 54:42 How many of you want that commitment today? 54:43 Would you stand with me this morning 54:45 pause 54:46 I want to sing one stanza of that closing hymn 54:49 and then I'm going to pray that... 54:51 that God will give us the wisdom to not be fearful 54:55 but be fearless... 54:58 "Fear not I am with you, 55:00 be not dismayed, I am your God. 55:02 I will strengthen you, I will help you, 55:04 I will uphold you with my righteous right arm. " 55:07 That promise is available to us today... 55:09 where can you go? 55:11 If you're fearless... anywhere 55:13 anywhere with Jesus... 55:14 let's sing this song before we close with prayer. 55:17 Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go, 55:24 anywhere He leads me in this world below. 55:31 Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade, 55:37 anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid. 55:44 How? Anywhere anywhere... 55:47 listen... 55:48 fear I cannot know, 55:51 anywhere with Jesus I can safely go. 55:56 How many of you want to go with Jesus? 56:01 Where do you want to go? 56:03 Anywhere. 56:04 Anywhere His Spirit decides to send you. 56:07 If you wake up tomorrow morning and say, 56:09 "Lord, send me some place to do an Evangelist Series... " 56:14 He might turn you into Philip 56:15 and send you to one person... that Eunuch somewhere 56:19 in the midst of a society that is aching to hear about Jesus 56:23 and the gospel went back to Ethiopia 56:26 and Ethiopia hasn't been the same since. 56:30 Just one man... one woman asking God to make a difference 56:34 don't allow the Fear Factor to crush your Faith Factor. 56:38 God wants to do in you more than you can ever imagine 56:43 if you simply commit your life to him. 56:45 "Our Father in heaven, 56:47 in this society 56:49 where men's hearts are failing them for fear, 56:51 in this tragic world... 56:54 in our nation where people are fearful about going outside... 56:59 going back to school... 57:00 going to work... 57:02 places that should be safe... 57:06 have become places filled with fear 57:09 and in our hearts and in our minds 57:13 we are shutting ourselves in hoping to preserve our lives 57:15 hoping to find courage 57:18 to make it through the next crisis that will come, 57:21 and paint the news with its tragic stories, 57:24 pause 57:25 Lord Jesus, the church is being attacked in a different way... 57:29 in a spiritual way 57:31 Satan has turned his weapons against the church 57:34 compromise... 57:35 a vacillating uncertain spirit... 57:39 uncertain about whether or not to stand firm... 57:44 uncertain about whether or not 57:46 somebody will be turned off or offended, 57:48 oh Lord, help us to remember what the Apostle said, 57:51 'Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?' 57:54 Help us lovingly Father but determiningly 57:58 sow seeds of faith in our family... in our community... 58:02 in our workplace... 58:04 among those we meet... in the avenues of life... 58:08 so that when fear is replaced with eternal faith, 58:12 we will be able to hear, 58:14 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant... 58:17 you endured hardship as a good soldier, 58:20 you've been faithful over that which is least... 58:23 I will now make you ruler over that which is much, 58:25 enter now into the joy of thy Lord. ' 58:28 May this be our experience 58:31 in Jesus' name I pray... 58:34 and God's people said... amen and amen. " |
Revised 2018-10-09