Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME250329S
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00:10 ♪ 13:38 >> Matthew chapter 3, please, 13:39 verse 1. 13:40 Matthew 3:1. 13:42 It's found on page 650 13:44 in the red pew Bible, 13:45 which is probably somewhere 13:46 nearby where you're sitting. 13:48 Page 650, Matthew chapter 3, 13:50 beginning with verse 1. 13:52 Let me give you 13:52 a little context of 13:54 where we're going to be reading. 13:56 This is obviously early 13:57 in the book of Matthew. 13:58 Jesus has been born. 14:00 His family and He have fled 14:02 from government forces 14:03 that wished them ill. 14:04 They have now returned 14:05 to Nazareth, 14:06 and John the Baptist 14:08 enters the scene. 14:11 And for our purposes 14:11 this morning, 14:12 one of the reasons 14:13 that's so important is 14:14 because John the Baptist 14:15 is a type of the Seventh-Day 14:18 Adventist movement. 14:19 Just as John the Baptist 14:20 had a particular message 14:22 to proclaim to prepare people 14:24 for the first coming of Jesus, 14:25 we also have 14:27 a particular message 14:28 that we are to proclaim 14:29 to prepare the people 14:30 for the second coming of Jesus. 14:32 So let's see what it was 14:35 that John had to say. 14:38 John chapter 3, 14:38 beginning in verse 1. 14:39 "In those days 14:41 John the Baptist 14:42 came preaching in the desert 14:43 of Judea and saying, 14:45 'Repent, for the kingdom 14:47 of heaven is near.' 14:50 This is he who was spoken 14:51 of through the prophet Isaiah: 14:52 'A voice of one 14:53 calling in the desert, 14:55 prepare the way for the Lord, 14:57 make straight paths for him.' 15:00 John's clothes were made of 15:00 camel's hair, 15:01 and he had a leather belt 15:02 around his waist. 15:03 His food was locusts 15:04 and wild honey. 15:06 People went out to him 15:07 from Jerusalem and all Judea 15:08 and the whole region 15:09 of the Jordan. 15:10 Confessing their sins, 15:11 they were baptized by him 15:14 in the Jordan River." 15:17 Pause there, please. 15:19 The essence of the first part 15:22 of John the Baptist's 15:23 preparatory message 15:26 was repent and be what? 15:29 Be baptized. 15:30 It's very clear, isn't it? 15:31 It doesn't have to take 15:32 deep study to see that. 15:33 It's right on the surface. 15:34 His message was, 15:35 the first part of his message, 15:36 repent and be baptized. 15:37 In other words, 15:39 John the Baptist first message 15:41 was one to revival. 15:44 Now, we've talked quite a bit 15:45 about revival here 15:46 over this last month or so, 15:47 and for good reason. 15:48 John the Baptist here, 15:49 his first message was one 15:51 of revival, "Repent, 15:52 turn from your sins. 15:53 Be baptized. 15:54 Come back to Christ." 15:55 And, of course, this was exactly 15:56 what Israel 15:57 of that day desperately needed. 16:00 And, praise the Lord, 16:01 it's what so many of us 16:02 here in the last few weeks 16:04 have begun to experience more 16:05 and more 16:06 through the More conference. 16:10 But as I shared with you 16:11 two Sabbaths ago, 16:12 as good 16:13 as the More conference was, 16:15 it was blessedly only intended 16:17 to be a beginning. 16:19 There is something more 16:21 than more that we must have. 16:25 And as I mentioned two Sabbaths 16:26 ago, it is this something more 16:28 than more that will usher 16:30 in the great final events 16:31 that God longs 16:32 for us to see, the outpouring 16:33 of the Holy Spirit 16:34 in the latter reign. 16:35 Thousands converted in a day, 16:36 miracles being done, 16:37 signs and wonders, 16:38 all of this 16:40 is predicated on this 16:41 something more than more, 16:43 something beyond revival 16:44 taking place. 16:45 Now, in my short life, 16:48 my experience is that 16:49 many Christians are baffled 16:51 by the idea that something more 16:52 than revival is needed. 16:55 And at first blush, I get it. 16:57 Revival, it's exciting. 16:58 It can be very exciting. 17:00 It's invigorating. 17:01 By definition, 17:01 it's reinvigorating. 17:03 How could there possibly be 17:05 something more than revival that 17:08 is needed in a Christian's life? 17:11 Well... 17:13 as any experienced Christian 17:14 will tell you today, 17:15 and as John the Baptist 17:17 knew very well back in his day, 17:19 revival, as good 17:20 as it is, by itself 17:23 would not be enough to achieve 17:25 God's plan for His people. 17:28 Something still more 17:30 was necessary, 17:31 and we find out what 17:33 that something more 17:34 is beginning in verse 7. 17:36 Matthew 3:7. 17:39 Again, page 650. 17:42 Says, "But when he," 17:43 John the Baptist, 17:44 "saw many of the Pharisees 17:46 and Sadducees coming to 17:47 where he was baptizing, 17:49 he said to them: 17:51 'You brood of vipers! 17:52 Who warned you to flee 17:54 from the coming wrath?'" 17:55 Key verse here, verse 8. 17:57 "'Produce fruit 17:59 in keeping with repentance. 18:02 And do not think you can say 18:03 to yourselves, 18:04 "We have Abraham as our father." 18:06 I tell you that out of 18:07 these stones God can raise 18:08 up children for Abraham. 18:10 The ax is already at the root 18:11 of the trees, 18:12 and every tree 18:13 that does not produce good fruit 18:14 will be cut down 18:15 and thrown into the fire. 18:17 I baptize you with water 18:18 for repentance. 18:20 But after me will come one 18:21 who is more powerful than I, 18:23 whose sandals I am 18:24 not fit to carry. 18:25 He will baptize you with 18:27 the Holy Spirit and with fire.'" 18:33 In other words, 18:35 repentance and baptism 18:38 were excellent, 18:40 but unless accompanied by good 18:43 and lasting fruit 18:45 lived out in the life, that is, 18:46 unless accompanied 18:47 by a genuinely 18:48 changed life in Christ, 18:51 repentance and baptism would 18:53 eventually lose their meaning. 18:57 Or to put it another way, 18:59 revival must be followed 19:01 by reformation. 19:03 Revival must be followed 19:06 by reformation. 19:08 Now, I want to be 19:09 crystal clear about something 19:10 right at the outset. 19:11 No one is going to be saved 19:12 because of fruitfulness. 19:16 Well, I thought we might have 19:17 at least one "amen" on that. 19:18 So... 19:19 >> Amen. 19:19 >> Thank you. 19:20 Thank you, brother, yes. 19:21 Let me pause for just a moment, 19:22 then. 19:23 No one will be saved 19:24 by fruitfulness. 19:25 That will have already 19:25 taken place. 19:26 We are not saved 19:27 by the good things that we do. 19:28 We are saved by faith 19:29 in the grace of Jesus Christ. 19:30 Amen? 19:31 >> Amen! 19:32 >> That's it. 19:32 Salvation by grace alone. 19:34 We still believe that, because 19:35 the Bible teaches that. 19:35 The Adventist Church 19:37 has taught that for decade 19:38 after decade after decade. 19:39 You will not be saved 19:40 by fruitfulness. 19:42 But if you are saved, 19:43 there will be fruit. 19:45 It is the evidence. 19:46 It's not the cause 19:47 of our salvation, 19:48 but it is the evidence 19:49 that we have been saved. 19:51 Now, this takes a lot 19:51 of pressure 19:52 off of this whole idea 19:53 of growing in Christ. 19:54 You're not trying to earn 19:54 your salvation. 19:55 You're simply following 19:56 after Jesus. 19:58 To use the verbiage 19:59 of Ellen White 20:00 in "Great Controversy," 20:01 "Good works are the fruit, 20:03 not the root of salvation." 20:06 "Good works are the fruit, 20:08 not the root of salvation." 20:09 So I want you to understand 20:10 this right at the beginning. 20:11 We're not talking about 20:12 salvation by works here. 20:13 We've already been saved 20:14 by grace through Jesus Christ, 20:16 through faith in Him. 20:17 And if we have been saved, 20:18 there will be fruit. 20:19 That's why John could say 20:20 with such confidence, 20:22 "If a tree does not bear 20:23 good fruit, 20:24 it will be cut down 20:25 and thrown into the fire," 20:26 not because the fruit saved it, 20:28 but because the lack 20:28 of fruit showed that 20:29 it had never been. 20:32 It's evidence, not the cause. 20:35 Speaking of Ellen White, 20:37 notice what she has to say here. 20:39 The book called "True Revival," 20:40 page 15. 20:41 She says, "A revival 20:43 and a reformation 20:45 must take place 20:46 under the ministration 20:47 of the Holy Spirit. 20:48 Revival and reformation 20:49 are two different things. 20:51 Revival signifies a renewal 20:53 of spiritual life, 20:54 a quickening of the powers 20:55 of mind and heart, 20:56 a resurrection 20:57 from spiritual death." 20:58 Now, we're all 20:59 familiar with this. 20:59 We've been talking -- 21:00 If you've been here at all 21:01 over the last month, 21:01 we've been talking 21:02 about this very thing. 21:03 It is a return to breathing, 21:06 to being alive in Christ, okay? 21:07 That's revival. 21:09 But there's something more. 21:11 "Reformation signifies a," 21:14 and then notice this list, 21:15 "a reorganization, 21:17 a change in ideas and theories, 21:19 habits and practices." 21:21 Let me read that one more time. 21:22 "Reformation signifies 21:24 a reorganization, 21:25 a change in ideas and theories, 21:28 habits and practices. 21:30 Reformation will not bring 21:31 forth the good fruit 21:32 of righteousness 21:32 unless it is connected 21:34 with the revival of the Spirit." 21:35 In other words, 21:36 if you're trying to bear 21:37 fruit apart from the Holy Spirit 21:38 of Jesus Christ, 21:39 you're wasting your time. 21:41 But the two together, 21:42 "Revival and reformation 21:43 are to do their appointed work, 21:45 and in doing 21:46 this work they must blend." 21:50 So with this in mind, 21:51 and the words and experience 21:53 of John the Baptist 21:53 that we just read about 21:54 in Matthew 3, 21:55 we can now begin to craft 21:57 a working definition 21:59 of what reformation is. 22:00 Let me put it 22:01 here on the screen. 22:02 Reformation is 22:04 living life differently -- 22:07 differently in a positive, 22:09 biblical, long-lasting, 22:12 Christ-centered way. 22:15 Now, that's a lot of qualifiers. 22:17 Let me unpack each one here. 22:18 The first one, 22:19 "Reformation is 22:20 living life differently." 22:22 Make no mistake, if we didn't -- 22:24 if we did not need to live 22:26 differently, you never 22:27 would have needed revival 22:29 in the first place, right? 22:31 That's the thing. 22:31 And if you continue 22:33 after revival to live 22:35 the same way 22:36 that you did before revival, 22:38 you will continue 22:39 to get the same results and 22:40 you're just going to fall back 22:41 into spiritual death once again. 22:43 So make no mistake, 22:44 there is a change 22:45 that God is asking for here. 22:47 Secondly, "differently 22:48 in a positive way." 22:50 That's what reformation 22:51 is -- living differently 22:52 in a positive way. 22:53 Why do I say this? 22:54 Because some people who claim 22:55 to be experiencing revival 22:57 and reformation are grumpy 22:58 and terrible to be around. 23:00 Okay? 23:01 They're not fun to be -- 23:02 The sour face, 23:03 they're frowning all the time. 23:05 Let's be honest, 23:06 there will be some things 23:07 in reformation 23:08 that are going to be hard work. 23:09 Jesus will ask us -- 23:10 Jesus will take us some places 23:11 that are going to be difficult. 23:12 That's all true. 23:13 And at the same time, 23:14 praise the Lord, 23:15 because we are in Christ, 23:17 there is His joy within us, 23:19 that underlying joy. 23:20 That peace 23:21 that passes all understanding 23:22 has a partner, and it's joy. 23:24 And indeed, 23:24 if you are sour-faced 23:25 and you're hating 23:26 this whole thing about revival 23:27 and reformation, 23:28 you have the privilege 23:29 of knowing that you're doing 23:30 it wrong, because there's joy 23:32 to be found in Jesus Christ. 23:34 There's more still. 23:35 Reformation is 23:36 living life differently 23:38 in a positive, biblical way. 23:39 In other words, 23:40 once I have come to life 23:42 in Jesus Christ by His grace 23:43 raising me up out 23:44 of that spiritual grave, 23:45 I don't determine the agenda 23:47 for what happens next. 23:48 His Word does. 23:50 And the same goes for you. 23:51 You can't just kind of choose 23:52 what you would like to do 23:53 or what you think is best 23:54 in there, 23:55 because maybe you're right, 23:56 maybe you're wrong, 23:57 but God knows best. 23:58 And so He's written 23:59 this in His Word. 24:00 That is the guide for 24:01 how reformation is to proceed. 24:04 The next one -- long-lasting. 24:07 You know what one 24:08 of the greatest things 24:09 someone can say about revival in 24:11 your life is that you 24:13 will never need it again. 24:15 Wouldn't that be great? 24:18 I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah. 24:19 You know, 24:20 it's interesting, they have 24:21 a saying in church-planting 24:22 circles -- "It's easier to give 24:25 birth than to raise the dead." 24:27 It's easier to plant 24:28 a new church 24:28 than it is to take 24:29 a dying church and try 24:30 to raise it back up out 24:31 of the grave there, okay? 24:33 Wouldn't it be great if we never 24:34 needed to be raised up again? 24:36 Well, if that's going to happen, 24:37 then we need to put in place 24:38 some things that will lead 24:39 to long-term change. 24:42 Revival can be the work 24:43 of a moment, 24:44 even, a conviction in Christ 24:45 and surrendering 24:46 our lives to Him. 24:47 It can take a very short amount 24:48 of time, 24:49 but reformation is long-term. 24:52 And lastly, Christ-centered. 24:55 This, of course, 24:56 is the pinnacle 24:57 of what reformation means. 24:59 Reformation means 25:01 that we are not called first 25:04 and foremost to a way of life, 25:06 but rather we are first and 25:08 foremost called to the source 25:09 of life, Jesus Christ. 25:11 More on that in just a moment. 25:15 All of which naturally raises 25:16 the question, 25:18 what does this look like 25:19 practically, day to day 25:21 in the Christian's life? 25:22 Let's say that you've 25:23 experienced revival. 25:24 You're experiencing it now. 25:25 You're alive in Jesus Christ. 25:26 You see the need. 25:28 John the Baptist is hardly 25:29 the only place in the Bible, 25:30 by the way, where we find 25:31 this transition needed 25:32 from revival to reformation. 25:33 If you want to move 25:34 into reformation, 25:35 what does that look like 25:37 for you, practically speaking, 25:38 on a daily basis? 25:39 Well, there's lots 25:42 that we could say about that, 25:44 but from my study, 25:46 there are three calls 25:49 that reformation 25:51 speaks into our lives. 25:53 Reformation calls us 25:55 to do at least three things. 25:58 And I want us to look briefly 25:59 at these things this morning. 26:00 First, the first call. 26:03 I want to remind you 26:04 of a foundational text. 26:05 You've seen it before. 26:06 You're going to see it again, 26:07 because to my understanding, 26:09 this is at the hinge 26:11 of what the New Testament 26:12 and what the Gospel turn upon. 26:14 It's John 17:3 26:17 and the words of Jesus Himself. 26:18 He says, "Now this is 26:19 eternal life." 26:21 He's going to define it 26:22 for us now. 26:23 "This is eternal life, 26:24 that they may --" 26:25 What's the next word? 26:26 "Know." 26:27 "That they may know You, 26:29 the only true God, 26:30 and Jesus Christ, 26:31 whom You have sent." 26:32 Those of you that know 26:33 the original language is this -- 26:34 the Greek word here for "know" 26:36 is a reflection of the Hebrew 26:36 "yada." 26:37 It's this guttural. 26:39 It's in the back of your throat. 26:40 And it doesn't mean just 26:40 to know factually. 26:41 It means to know intimately. 26:42 It's a deep, deep bond 26:45 that is being referred to here. 26:46 "This is eternal life, 26:47 that they may know You, 26:48 the only true God, 26:49 and Jesus Christ, 26:50 whom You have sent." 26:51 Ladies and gentlemen, 26:52 this is our destination. 26:55 This is 26:56 where God wants us to go. 26:59 All of which reveals 27:00 the first call in reformation. 27:03 Reformation is, first 27:04 and foremost 27:05 and primarily, a call 27:07 to relationship -- 27:09 to relationship 27:10 with Christ, personally, 27:12 daily, intimately, being 27:14 transformed to be like Him. 27:19 Now, I know what some 27:21 of you are thinking. 27:23 You're thinking, "That sounds 27:24 pretty basic, Pastor Shane. 27:27 Tell us something with 27:28 a little more grit to it." 27:31 If that's your idea, 27:33 let me just share 27:33 a little bit more about this. 27:36 It turns out, in my 30 years 27:38 of pastoral experience, 27:39 this is my understanding. 27:42 Too many people are dating Jesus 27:44 but never getting married. 27:48 Too many people are standing 27:51 on the shores of heaven's 27:52 river of life 27:53 but never diving in. 27:56 They are forever window shopping 27:58 in heaven's hardware store 27:59 but never quite owning 28:00 a clear viewpoint 28:01 on spiritual matters. 28:02 They are always a bidder, 28:04 never a buyer. 28:05 They are endlessly dabbling 28:07 in the things of Christ 28:08 but never unreservedly 28:10 committing themselves to Him. 28:14 Spiritual tire kickers, 28:16 seemingly endlessly. 28:17 So please hear it 28:18 and hear it well. 28:20 Reformation is a call out 28:23 of that chaos and wilderness 28:25 into the arms of Christ. 28:27 Because Christianity is 28:29 not a call to a culture. 28:31 Christianity is 28:32 not a call to a hobby. 28:33 It is not a call 28:34 to a casual pastime. 28:35 No. 28:36 It is instead a call 28:38 to Christ Himself, 28:40 to a deep, abiding, 28:41 ongoing, transformational 28:43 relationship with Him. 28:45 And if this relationship is 28:48 to be real in our lives 28:50 after revival, 28:52 we will need to just do 28:54 a handful of simple things -- 28:56 not always easy ones, 28:57 but they are simple. 28:59 For instance, 29:01 we need to make the practices 29:02 of Bible study and prayer 29:04 a regular part 29:05 of our daily lives. 29:07 The Bible is 29:08 how God so often speaks to us, 29:10 making His will known to us. 29:11 It is indispensable. 29:12 We must have it. 29:13 In our lives, 29:15 in which emotion can move us 29:16 from one pole to the next 29:17 and we go up and down 29:18 in our experience, 29:19 the Word of God 29:20 remains above all of that. 29:21 It is firm. 29:22 It is the rock on which 29:23 our faith is built. 29:25 It's an expression of Christ. 29:26 Prayer is 29:27 how we make ourselves 29:28 increasingly more open to God. 29:29 Let me say that again. 29:30 Prayer is 29:31 how we make ourselves 29:33 increasingly more open to God. 29:36 It is sharing with Him 29:37 our praises, our concerns, 29:38 our requests, 29:39 and hearing the Holy Spirit 29:40 speak back to us God's will. 29:43 And remember, those of you 29:44 that were here 29:45 for the More conference, 29:46 do you remember how sweet 29:47 these two practices were 29:48 during that time, 29:49 Bible study and prayer together? 29:51 You know, every night we had 29:52 multiple times 29:53 in which we would do just that. 29:54 We would study 29:54 the Bible together, 29:55 we would pray together 29:56 multiple times each evening. 29:57 How sweet it was. 30:00 Now take those practices 30:02 and make them a part 30:04 of your daily life. 30:06 Pick a time and a place each day 30:08 that you can study and pray. 30:09 It's probably 30:10 not going to happen 30:11 unless you plan for it. 30:14 Try various ways 30:15 of praying to find out 30:16 what works best for you. 30:17 Prayer journaling -- 30:18 Write down your prayers to God. 30:20 Pray while walking 30:21 outside in nature. 30:22 Pray in such a place 30:23 that you can pray out loud 30:24 rather than only in your mind. 30:26 Sing spiritual songs to God 30:28 as prayers to Him. 30:29 And, of course, take time 30:31 regularly to simply listen 30:33 and to hear God's responses. 30:36 And, you know, as simple 30:37 as this sounds, it works. 30:40 It works. 30:42 God wanted to make the way 30:44 to have an intimate relationship 30:46 with Him accessible to everyone, 30:47 from a little child 30:48 to the rest of our lives. 30:50 These are two 30:51 of the indispensable keys 30:52 to building 30:53 a real relationship with Jesus. 30:55 I cannot emphasize enough 30:57 this relational aspect 30:58 of reformation 30:59 in the Christian's life. 31:02 Revival brings us to Christ. 31:06 Reformation brings us 31:08 into Christ and Christ into us. 31:13 Christianity is not a cold list 31:15 of do's and don'ts. 31:16 It is instead a real, 31:17 live, breathing relationship 31:19 with the most powerful being 31:20 in the universe, 31:20 who also happens 31:21 to be our Savior and 31:22 our best friend, Jesus Christ. 31:25 That's why Jesus Christ, again, 31:26 Himself, He said this. 31:27 John 17:3 -- 31:29 "And this is eternal life, 31:30 that they may know You, 31:31 the one true God, 31:32 and Jesus Christ, 31:34 whom You have sent." 31:36 Salvation is 31:37 a relationship with Jesus. 31:41 And here's the thing. 31:43 It's in the context 31:45 of that relationship, daily, 31:47 vibrant, back-and-forth 31:48 relationship, with Him 31:49 that Jesus speaks to us. 31:51 So many people want to hear 31:52 Jesus speak 31:53 and guide their lives. 31:54 This is where it happens, 31:54 in that relationship. 31:56 It's in that relationship 31:57 that He convicts us of sin. 31:59 It's in that relationship 32:00 that He calls us to leave 32:01 sinful habits behind. 32:04 Do you have any idea 32:06 how awful it is to be convicted 32:09 of your sin 32:10 but to not have a relationship 32:11 with Jesus Christ? 32:13 Some of the most miserable 32:14 people on the planet, 32:15 I'm convinced, are those 32:16 who have a deep sense 32:17 of their guilt of sin, 32:18 but they don't know Jesus. 32:20 And the only solution 32:22 they have is themselves. 32:23 I tell you, 32:24 there's a legalist born often 32:26 in that situation, 32:27 or at the very least, 32:28 someone who is in despair. 32:30 But when you know Jesus, 32:32 when you're in a relationship 32:33 with Him 32:34 and the master physician comes 32:35 to you and says, 32:36 "We need to do some heart 32:37 surgery. 32:38 There's some things 32:38 in your life that have to go." 32:40 It is so much different because 32:42 you know the surgeon loves you. 32:43 In fact, 32:43 the surgeon died for you. 32:45 And He says, 32:46 "I not only am going to convict 32:48 you of sin, but if you wish 32:49 and will partner with Me, 32:50 I will give you 32:51 the power to overcome it." 32:53 Praise the Lord. 32:54 It doesn't get 32:55 any better than that. 32:55 I mean, this is -- 32:56 this is where that happens, 32:58 in a relationship with Jesus. 33:00 It's in that relationship 33:01 that He calls us to treat others 33:02 with love and respect. 33:04 This is where He calls us 33:05 to love our enemies, 33:06 to care for our physical bodies, 33:08 to defend the fatherless, 33:09 to help the poor, 33:10 et cetera, et cetera, 33:12 all in the context of a living, 33:13 breathing, daily relationship 33:15 with Him. 33:16 There is no higher 33:17 privilege than this. 33:19 There is no greater honor 33:20 for a human being on Earth 33:22 than this relationship. 33:23 This is what 33:24 we were created for. 33:28 And reformation calls us 33:30 to do all that we can 33:31 to make this our 33:32 deep, daily reality. 33:35 Because reformation is, first 33:37 and foremost, a call 33:39 to relationship with Christ 33:40 personally, daily, 33:42 intimately, being 33:43 transformed to be like Him. 33:45 That's the first call. 33:50 There is a second call 33:52 that reformation makes. 33:54 And let me put a verse 33:56 on the screen here for you, 33:56 probably familiar to many 33:57 of you -- Acts 2:42. 34:00 Says, "They --" 34:01 this is referring to 34:02 the early Christians 34:03 in the early Christian church. 34:05 "They devoted themselves 34:06 to the apostles' teaching 34:08 and to the fellowship, 34:10 and to the breaking of bread 34:11 and to prayer." 34:13 Now, this group of people 34:15 has clearly experienced revival, 34:17 alright? 34:18 Most of the early Christians 34:19 were converts from Judaism, 34:20 okay? 34:21 So they had come up out 34:23 of dead legalism, dead religion, 34:24 revived in Christ. 34:25 3,000 people had 34:26 just been baptized 34:27 earlier in this chapter. 34:29 So they have experienced 34:30 revival. 34:31 Now they are experiencing 34:32 reformation, okay? 34:34 And notice in experiencing 34:36 reformation, notice what 34:37 they devoted themselves to. 34:38 That's pretty strong word, 34:38 isn't it? 34:39 "Devoted," right? 34:40 Not just kind of liked it 34:40 or whatnot. 34:41 They devoted 34:42 themselves to these things. 34:43 "They devoted themselves 34:44 to the apostles' teaching." 34:46 Well, that makes sense, 34:46 doesn't it, right? 34:47 "The apostles have been 34:48 with Jesus personally. 34:49 Surely they must know what 34:49 they're talking about. 34:50 Let's devote ourselves to that." 34:51 Makes total sense. 34:52 Uh, breaking of bread, 34:54 probably a reference 34:55 to the Communion service. 34:56 You know, 34:57 we want to keep doing this. 34:58 The Lord commanded it. 34:58 That makes sense. 34:59 And to prayer. 35:00 We just talked about that. 35:02 But what about this phrase? 35:05 "They devoted themselves 35:06 to the apostles' teaching 35:07 and to the fellowship." 35:09 Frankly, by modern standards, 35:11 that seems out of place. 35:15 But God doesn't make mistakes. 35:17 And He clearly inspired Luke, 35:20 the writer of Acts, 35:22 to put -- listen carefully -- 35:24 devotion to fellowship with 35:26 other believers on the same par 35:28 as devotion to doctrine. 35:32 That's what it says. 35:33 "They devoted themselves 35:34 to the apostles' teaching 35:35 and to the fellowship," 35:38 which leads us 35:40 to the second call. 35:41 Reformation is indeed a call 35:43 to relationship with Christ. 35:44 But reformation is also a call 35:46 to fellowship 35:47 with other believers, regularly, 35:49 meaningfully, 35:51 for mutual strength and growth. 35:53 Now, if you've been around 35:54 Christian circles for a while, 35:56 this sounds illegal. 35:58 This sounds 35:59 like someone is fudging 36:00 a little bit here, right? 36:02 For us to conceive of the fact 36:04 that this fellowship is 36:06 something that we ought to be 36:07 devoted to is sometimes 36:09 a little bit of a stretch. 36:10 But as you're thinking about 36:11 that, let me ask you a question. 36:12 Don't raise your hand. 36:13 This is just for the quietness 36:14 of your own cranium. 36:15 How many of you are devoted 36:17 to fellowship 36:18 with other believers? 36:21 How many of you are as devoted 36:23 to fellowship with 36:24 other believers 36:25 as you are to doctrine? 36:29 And yet that is precisely 36:30 what God calls us to. 36:33 Listen carefully. 36:34 We're going to spend 36:35 a fair amount of time on this 36:36 in the not too distant future. 36:37 So I'm not going to dwell 36:38 a whole bunch on this one today, 36:39 but I will at least say this. 36:41 Those of you that attended at 36:42 the More conference, 36:43 wasn't the fellowship sweet? 36:46 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 36:48 As I mentioned before, 36:48 it was hard 36:49 to clear the place out. 36:50 I mean, not that we were 36:50 trying to. 36:51 Be a half-hour, 36:52 45 minutes, an hour, 36:53 hour 15, hour and a half. 36:54 I mean, sometimes I left 36:55 after 10:00, right? 36:57 Because we're fellowshipping 36:58 together. 36:58 It was like camp meeting 36:59 for Pioneer, right? 37:00 We were so glad 37:01 to be able to see one another. 37:03 And furthermore, your responses, 37:05 those of you that were at 37:05 the More conference, 37:06 on Sabbath afternoon, 37:07 the final Sabbath afternoon, 37:08 that survey that we did, 37:11 so many of us 37:12 said we crave more fellowship. 37:15 We crave deeper 37:16 relationships in this church. 37:18 We want to build friendships 37:19 across generations 37:20 and do it on a regular basis. 37:22 And according to Scripture, 37:24 to God's Word, 37:25 fellowship is not 37:25 merely a convenience. 37:27 It is something that we are 37:29 to be "devoted to." 37:32 God designed us 37:33 to need each other. 37:34 The Bible knows nothing 37:36 about solo Christians, 37:38 and Christ himself is the one 37:40 who established His people 37:40 in groups, 37:41 in church families 37:42 so that they could support 37:43 one another and grow together. 37:45 So as the elders continue 37:46 their strategic planning 37:47 process, including 37:48 how to help us to fellowship 37:49 better together, 37:50 the good news is, 37:52 is that you individually 37:53 can answer this second call 37:54 of reformation, 37:55 even beginning today. 37:58 Let me show you how. 37:59 Some very practical things. 38:00 You can create fellowship 38:01 by having Sabbath lunch 38:02 with other people. 38:05 Now, that's pretty simple, 38:05 isn't it? 38:07 Now, if you're like me 38:08 and you can't cook 38:09 and you burn water, 38:10 and, I mean, it's just not -- 38:11 you know, I'm not gifted 38:12 in this way, right? 38:14 So I married that, right? 38:15 That's one 38:15 of the thousand reasons 38:16 I married my wife. 38:17 You don't have to marry somebody 38:18 to have Sabbath lunch. 38:19 You just find somebody. 38:20 Say, "Hey, I'll provide 38:21 the place. 38:21 Would you bring the food? 38:22 We're going to have 38:23 some other people come over." 38:24 Even I can make juice. 38:26 Well, I can't actually make it. 38:27 But I did bring the ingredients 38:28 for where I'm going after 38:29 services today to Sabbath lunch, 38:30 okay? 38:31 You can make this happen. 38:32 I am convinced 38:33 that this is one of the lost 38:35 arts in the Adventist church. 38:37 We don't have 38:38 Sabbath lunch together enough. 38:40 It's time to stop that. 38:41 Let's make a change. 38:43 Friday or Sabbath evening 38:44 vespers. 38:44 If you have a place, 38:45 if you got a dorm room, 38:46 if there's a place in the dorm, 38:47 if there's a place here 38:48 at the church you want to use. 38:49 Let's say you can't sing 38:50 and you can't speak. 38:51 Invite people who can. 38:52 And then invite your friends 38:53 to come join you. 38:54 We need to fellowship 38:54 together in Christ. 38:56 Game nights. 38:57 There's a long and rich 38:58 tradition in Adventism, 38:59 at least in days gone past, 39:01 when the sun went down 39:01 on a Saturday night, 39:02 the games came out, 39:03 the fruit went on the table, 39:04 and the popcorn was popped. 39:06 We need to reinvigorate that. 39:07 It's got to happen. 39:08 Make it happen. 39:09 Those of you listening 39:09 right now, 39:11 if the Spirit is tapping you 39:12 on the shoulder and saying, 39:13 "You can do that," listen. 39:15 How about this one? 39:17 Start a GROW Group in your dorm 39:18 room or in your living room 39:19 or some other room. 39:20 If you need a room, 39:20 we'll provide it. 39:21 You don't have to wait for this. 39:22 You can start now developing 39:24 ways to have fellowship 39:25 with other people. 39:26 How about this one? 39:27 Join a Sabbath School class. 39:31 My dear brother 39:32 who said "amen" in the balcony, 39:33 we are alone in 39:34 this world together. 39:35 But let's stick together. 39:36 We can make some converts, 39:37 I hope, alright, okay? 39:39 Let me tell you something. 39:40 We have some great things 39:41 going here with Sabbath School 39:42 for adults and kids, both, 39:44 and we are looking at ways 39:45 to actively expand 39:46 those opportunities. 39:47 Here's the thing. 39:48 Every one of our 39:49 currently existing 39:50 Sabbath School classes has room. 39:53 There's a seat for you in it. 39:55 There are so few 39:56 denominations -- 39:57 I think I'm 39:57 pretty safe in saying this. 39:58 I haven't researched 39:59 every single denomination 40:00 about this, but I have a lot. 40:01 There are very few denominations 40:03 that have still, 40:05 as a regular part 40:06 of their program, 40:07 a Bible study class 40:09 where people can come together, 40:10 iron sharpens iron, 40:11 pray for one another, 40:12 encourage one another. 40:13 But the Seventh-Day 40:14 Adventist church still does. 40:16 And every Sabbath, 40:17 you need to come 40:18 to Sabbath School. 40:19 You will be blessed. 40:20 You will be enriched 40:21 theologically, and you will find 40:23 community in those places. 40:26 And lastly here, 40:27 join a ministry at the church 40:28 that has groups in it, 40:29 or start a new ministry 40:30 and invite others to join you. 40:31 You can make decisions, 40:32 even beginning today, 40:34 to help other people and you 40:35 to experience this fellowship 40:37 that Christ commands us 40:38 to devote ourselves to. 40:41 So don't wait. 40:42 Don't wait for somebody to come 40:43 and make this happen for you. 40:44 Reformation is a call 40:46 to personal, regular, 40:47 meaningful fellowship 40:49 with other believers. 40:51 That's the second call 40:52 in reformation. 40:56 Which brings us to the third. 40:59 Mark chapter 5, please, 41:00 verse 18. 41:02 Mark 5:18. 41:04 Page 676 in your red pew Bible. 41:06 Mark chapter 5, 41:07 beginning with verse 18. 41:09 I wish we had the time 41:10 to read earlier in chapter 5. 41:12 This is a powerful story. 41:13 Jesus is in a boat on the Sea 41:15 of Galilee with His disciples. 41:16 They cross over to the region 41:17 of the Gerasenes. 41:19 A demon-possessed man greets 41:20 them on the shore. 41:22 The disciples flee 41:23 'cause they're scared. 41:23 Jesus stands there 41:24 because He's not. 41:25 He casts the demons out. 41:26 The demons go into pigs. 41:27 The pigs go off a cliff. 41:28 They die. 41:28 They drown 41:29 in the Sea of Galilee. 41:30 The locals come and say, "Uh, 41:32 you're not so good for business, 41:32 Jesus. 41:33 Why don't you get out of here?" 41:34 And Jesus, being a gentleman, 41:35 says, "Okay." 41:37 That's where we join the story. 41:39 Matthew -- or excuse me, 41:40 Mark 5:18. 41:42 "As Jesus was getting into 41:44 the boat, the man who had been 41:46 demon-possessed begged to go 41:48 with him." 41:50 Stop for just a moment. 41:52 I tell you what, 41:53 if ever there was a guy 41:54 that we could point to 41:55 and say, "He's 41:56 experienced revival," it's him. 41:59 I mean, it doesn't get much more 42:00 spiritually dead 42:01 than to be possessed 42:02 by the enemy, right? 42:03 You know, this legion of demons 42:04 was inside of him. 42:05 He was dead, 42:06 dead, dead, dead, dead, 42:06 spiritually speaking. 42:08 Jesus cast those demons out. 42:09 This guy has 42:10 experienced revival. 42:13 But Jesus, the master teacher, 42:15 our creator, knows what's best. 42:17 And He knows that revival 42:19 must be followed by reformation 42:20 if revival is going to stick. 42:22 And notice the nature 42:24 of the prescription 42:25 that the master physician gives 42:27 to this formerly 42:28 demon-possessed, 42:29 now revived man. 42:31 Verse 19, "Jesus did not let 42:34 him, but said, 'Go home to your 42:37 family and tell them 42:39 how much the Lord has done 42:41 for you, and how much he 42:42 has had mercy on you.' 42:44 So the man went away 42:46 and began to tell 42:47 in the Decapolis 42:48 how much Jesus had done for him. 42:50 And all the people were amazed." 42:54 And if we were to read 42:55 to the end 42:55 of this particular story, 42:56 we would find 42:57 that sometime later, Jesus 42:59 came back to the Decapolis, 43:01 and He had a great harvest 43:02 of people there 43:03 because this man 43:05 had done exactly what 43:06 the prescriber had said to do. 43:08 He went back, 43:09 he shared his testimony, 43:10 and apparently he did it 43:11 multiple times, and there was 43:12 a great harvest as a result. 43:15 Reformation -- three calls. 43:18 The first call, indeed, is 43:19 to a relationship with Christ. 43:20 The second is to fellowship 43:22 with other believers. 43:23 And the third call 43:24 of reformation 43:25 is making more disciples, 43:28 to make more disciples according 43:29 to your giftedness, 43:30 regularly, with other believers' 43:32 help or by yourself, 43:33 until Jesus returns. 43:38 You know, I don't have any 43:39 objective survey to back up what 43:40 I'm going to say next here. 43:41 So this is just my personal 43:42 experience, 43:44 but my pastoral experience tells 43:45 me that one of the top killers 43:48 of genuine revival 43:51 is people fail to take what 43:53 they have been given 43:54 and share it with others. 43:56 I've seen it happen 43:57 way too many times. 43:59 Sometimes it's even been 43:59 quite dramatic. 44:00 You know, somebody that you 44:01 thought, "There's no way 44:02 they're ever going to come 44:02 to church, no way 44:03 they're ever going to become 44:04 a follower of Christ." 44:05 And they do. 44:05 Christ breaks through, 44:07 and there's this tremendous 44:07 revival in their life, 44:08 and they're so excited, 44:10 but they don't share it 44:12 with somebody else. 44:14 They don't give it away. 44:15 They don't seek 44:15 to make other disciples. 44:16 And it's not too long before 44:18 that fire goes right back to 44:19 where it was before -- 44:20 cold, dark 44:22 charcoal on the hearth. 44:26 Ladies and gentlemen, 44:27 there's no substitute for 44:28 discipling others for Christ. 44:31 You can't fake this. 44:33 You can't merely, 44:34 like, imagine making disciples 44:36 for Christ 44:36 and have it be of any 44:37 lasting benefit to anybody. 44:39 You actually have to do it. 44:41 And the benefits of doing this? 44:43 Yes, of course 44:44 it's for the harvest. 44:45 Yes, of course it's for those 44:46 that will accept our invitation 44:47 to come to Christ. 44:47 Of course it is. 44:48 Praise the Lord. 44:49 But not only they 44:50 will be blessed. 44:52 We will be blessed, as well. 44:55 How do I know? 44:56 Because my Bible tells me so. 44:58 Revelation -- I'll put it 44:59 on the screen here for you. 45:00 Chapter 12, verse 11. 45:01 Looking down to our day 45:03 at the end of time. 45:04 Says, "They --" the saints, 45:06 the believers in Christ -- 45:07 "overcame him," Satan, 45:09 "by the blood of the Lamb --" 45:11 we know about that -- "and the 45:12 word of their testimony." 45:15 In other words, 45:16 power was granted to them 45:17 over Satan to be overcomers 45:19 because of their testimony. 45:21 That's tremendous. 45:23 In other words, 45:23 there is a distinct 45:25 and biblically identified power 45:26 and strength that we gain 45:27 when we share our testimony 45:29 and witness with others. 45:31 Now, "The Spirit of Prophecy" 45:31 mentions this on 45:32 numerous occasions. 45:33 Let me just show you three 45:34 very brief quotations here. 45:36 This is from, uh, 45:37 "Fundamentals of Christian 45:38 Education," page 207. 45:40 She says, "Those 45:42 who would be overcomers 45:44 must be drawn out of themselves, 45:46 and the only thing 45:48 which will accomplish this great 45:49 work is to become 45:50 intensely interested 45:52 in the salvation of others." 45:55 Now, show of hands -- 45:55 And I really do want to see 45:56 your hands on this one. 45:57 How many of you would like 45:58 to be overcomers? 46:01 Okay, those of you that don't, 46:02 we're praying for you. 46:03 We'll talk to you afterwards. 46:04 We'll help to encourage you. 46:04 Okay? Right? 46:06 I get sick and tired 46:07 if the devil overcomes me. 46:08 It gets old, right? 46:09 It's a royal pain. 46:10 It's terrible. 46:11 It's awful. It's diabolical. 46:13 Wouldn't it be awesome 46:14 to be an overcomer? 46:15 Yes. Amen. 46:17 And she says here, to do that, 46:18 we must be drawn 46:19 out of ourselves. 46:21 She's not talking 46:21 about shy people. 46:23 She's not talking 46:23 about introverts. 46:24 She's talking about being drawn 46:25 out of our selfishness, 46:27 our self-focus, okay? 46:29 They must be drawn out of that. 46:30 "And the only thing 46:31 which will accomplish this great 46:32 work is to become 46:33 intensely interested 46:34 in the salvation of others." 46:37 Notice this. 46:38 This is "Desire of Ages," 46:39 page 142. 46:41 "God could have reached 46:42 His object in saving 46:43 sinners without our aid. 46:45 But in order 46:46 for us to develop a character 46:48 like Christ's --" this is 46:49 fruitfulness that 46:50 John the Baptist 46:50 was talking about -- 46:51 "we must share in His work. 46:54 In order to enter into His 46:55 joy --" well, I'd like that, 46:56 that sounds great -- "to enter 46:57 into His joy -- 46:58 the joy of seeing souls redeemed 47:00 by His sacrifice -- we must 47:02 participate in His labors 47:03 for their redemption." 47:06 And lastly, 47:07 "Christian Service," page 253. 47:09 She says, "The great outpouring 47:10 of the Spirit of God, 47:11 which lightens the whole 47:12 earth with His glory --" 47:13 this is Revelation 18, 47:14 the latter reign 47:15 of the Holy Spirit -- "will not 47:17 come until we have 47:20 an enlightened people that know 47:21 by -- " what's that next word 47:22 there? 47:23 Experience -- 47:24 "that know by experience 47:25 what it means to be laborers 47:26 together with God. 47:28 When we have entire, 47:29 wholehearted consecration 47:30 to the service of Christ, 47:31 God will recognize 47:32 the fact by an outpouring 47:33 of His Spirit without measure, 47:35 but this will not be 47:36 while the largest portion 47:37 of the church are not laborers 47:39 together with God." 47:42 Ladies and gentlemen, 47:43 this is powerful stuff. 47:45 Making disciples for Christ. 47:46 I mean, the bonuses are just -- 47:48 I mean, it just explodes 47:49 out of this thing. 47:50 The benefits of sharing 47:52 our faith with 47:53 other people are incredible, 47:55 astonishing. 47:59 And I'd like to have you hear 48:01 from two guys that have 48:03 recently been doing this. 48:05 I'd like to invite Sean and 48:06 Nicky to come and join me here. 48:12 Gentlemen, why don't you take 48:13 just a moment, 48:14 introduce yourselves 48:14 so that we know who you are. 48:16 >> Yeah, my name is Sean, 48:18 and I study biochemistry here 48:20 at Andrews University. 48:21 >> And my name is Nicky. 48:22 And I study 48:23 architecture here at Andrews. 48:25 >> Okay, and we had spring break 48:26 not too long ago, 48:27 just a little bit ago. 48:29 And you did something besides 48:32 sipping lemonade on a beach 48:33 under a cabana somewhere. 48:34 What did you do? 48:35 >> So, me and Sean 48:37 are part of the friendship team, 48:38 if you could put on the slide. 48:40 And over spring break, 48:42 we went to Beirut, Lebanon. 48:44 And who was leading the group 48:47 is Pastor Russell. 48:48 Uh, and Pastor Russell 48:50 has been leading this trip 48:51 for the past 25 48:53 consecutive years. 48:54 But this specific year, 48:56 after the war started, he was 48:58 like, "I don't think we're 48:58 going to be able to go." 48:59 So he called up Middle East 49:00 University and told them, 49:02 "We can't come this year." 49:03 So he started looking for 49:04 other options, 49:05 but it seemed like all 49:06 the other options, 49:08 the doors just kept on closing. 49:10 And right when those doors 49:12 closed, the door for Lebanon 49:14 seemed to open back up. 49:15 There was a cease-fire, 49:17 and the doors just kept opening. 49:19 They called us. 49:20 They said, "Could you guys 49:20 please come, even 49:22 though it's last-minute? 49:23 Could you please come?" 49:24 So we went to Lebanon 49:25 last-minute. 49:27 >> Yeah, so some of the things 49:27 we did while we were there 49:28 was we helped with the Week 49:30 of Spiritual Emphasis 49:31 at Middle East University. 49:33 Uh, then we also helped 49:34 with the ARISE Beirut meetings 49:35 with the children's program, 49:38 uh, 'cause Pastor John Bradshaw 49:39 and It Is Written were leading 49:41 the adult meetings. 49:42 And then our main focus was 49:44 with the secondary 49:46 and elementary school at the -- 49:49 at the Adventist school 49:49 there in Beirut. 49:51 And so we led the week of prayer 49:52 there. 49:53 We sang songs with them. 49:55 We prayed with them and we 49:57 got to preach to them. 49:59 >> And I remember 50:00 when I initially signed up 50:01 for the trip, 50:02 Pastor Russell came up to me 50:03 and he's like, "Alright, 50:04 guys, I need you all to preach." 50:07 And I was like, "Preach? 50:08 Hold on a second here. 50:09 You know I'm studying 50:10 architecture, right? 50:10 I can't preach, right?" 50:11 And he's like, 50:12 "Well, don't you help lead 50:13 some small groups on campus?" 50:15 And I was like, "Yeah." 50:15 He's like, "Okay, 50:16 so just pretend 50:17 that it's a big Bible study." 50:20 And I was still really nervous 50:24 and I didn't 50:25 think I could do it. 50:26 So I had to find my strength 50:29 in God, 50:30 and I had to depend fully 50:32 on God. 50:33 And when we fully depend on God, 50:35 that's when He speaks 50:36 through us. 50:37 >> Amen. Amen. 50:38 >> And because each 50:40 and every person on our team 50:41 really chose to rely on God, 50:43 to allow God to speak 50:44 through us, 50:45 God was able to reach the hearts 50:47 of the kids listening. 50:49 And the way we saw that was 50:51 through their prayer requests. 50:52 These weren't just 50:53 shallow, surface-level 50:55 prayer requests, 50:55 but they were deep. 50:57 Kids were expressing their 50:59 deep struggles, 51:00 their deep hurts, 51:02 all the problems that they 51:03 were going through with the war. 51:05 They were experiencing doubts 51:06 about God, 51:07 doubts about their faith. 51:09 And we saw 51:09 that they were searching 51:10 for something more, 51:11 searching for hope, 51:13 searching for 51:14 a relationship with God. 51:16 So we knew we had to do 51:18 something about it. 51:19 >> Amen. 51:19 >> So what did we do about it? 51:21 Well, we used Christ's method. 51:24 We didn't just preach 51:25 to the kids, 51:25 but we mingled 51:26 and connected with them. 51:27 So after our program that we set 51:29 up, we're like, "Why don't 51:29 we go to the classrooms? 51:31 Why don't we go to the recess?" 51:32 And we built these connections 51:33 with the kids, 51:34 so then we could share Christ's 51:35 love with them 51:36 on a personal level. 51:37 And how we did this 51:39 practically also was we held 51:41 Bible studies during recess, 51:43 and I was surprised 51:44 how many students stopped 51:45 playing and came 51:47 for the Bible studies. 51:48 And they didn't just come, 51:49 but you could tell 51:50 they were eager for more, 51:51 more of Christ. 51:53 >> Amen. Amen. 51:54 >> So what did we learn 51:55 from this trip? 51:56 Well, we learned that because we 51:59 took a leap of faith, 52:01 because we stepped -- 52:03 stepped out of our plans, 52:06 stepped out of going on vacation 52:07 for spring break, 52:08 because we chose 52:09 to go to Lebanon, even 52:10 though it was last-minute, 52:11 even though we -- 52:12 we didn't know exactly what 52:13 we were going to be able to do, 52:14 because we did that, 52:16 we were able to help 52:17 reach those kids. 52:18 If we hadn't gotten out of 52:20 our comfort zone to say, 52:21 you know, we're going to get up 52:22 front and get to speak to those 52:24 kids, we would have never 52:25 experienced 52:26 God speaking through us. 52:28 Only because we chose 52:30 to share our faith were we 52:33 able to grow in our faith. 52:34 >> Amen. Amen. 52:36 Thank you, gentlemen. Yes. 52:38 [ Applause ] 52:46 I've said it before, 52:47 and I'm going to say it again. 52:49 There are some things about God 52:50 that can only be learned 52:52 by sharing Him with others. 52:54 And I'd even take it 52:55 one step further. 52:57 The deeper things of God 52:59 can only be deeply understood 53:02 when we are actively 53:02 and regularly seeking 53:04 to help other people know Jesus. 53:06 Because it's only in 53:07 those situations 53:08 that we truly have a glimpse 53:09 of His heart, 53:11 the very heart that caused 53:12 Jesus to give His life 53:13 on the cross for humanity. 53:15 There's gold in this. 53:17 Don't pass it by. 53:19 Reformation is indeed a call 53:21 to Jesus, 53:21 to be in relationship with Him. 53:23 It is a call to devote 53:24 ourselves to the fellowship 53:25 with one another. 53:26 And indeed, it is a call 53:29 to make disciples according 53:30 to our giftedness, 53:31 either by ourselves 53:32 or with other people, 53:33 until Jesus returns. 53:36 This is the calling of 53:36 reformation. 53:38 Can you see -- 53:40 Can you see why reformation 53:43 must follow revival? 53:46 You can't just have 53:47 the momentary experience. 53:48 As mountaintop as it is, 53:49 praise the Lord 53:50 for all of those things. 53:51 And there is indeed 53:53 more than revival. 53:54 There is reformation. 53:56 That's where the gold is found. 53:58 And so I want to leave you 53:59 with two invitations. 54:00 Very practical things here 54:02 that I want to leave you with. 54:03 Two invitations that I hope each 54:04 of you will accept. 54:07 The first invitation you already 54:08 know something about. 54:09 One week from today, 54:10 April 4 and April 5, 54:11 that's this coming Friday, 54:12 next Friday and next Sabbath, 54:13 Mark Finley is going to be 54:14 with us for the Pentecost 2025 54:17 training weekend. 54:18 The "Lake Union" is 54:19 sponsoring this. 54:20 The King's Heralds are 54:20 going to be here on Friday 54:21 night, as well as for much 54:22 of the time on Sabbath. 54:23 If you are involved 54:24 in Pentecost 2025, 54:26 this is where you need to be, 54:27 right here at Pioneer 54:28 on April 4 and 5 54:30 to go through this training. 54:31 But even if you are simply 54:33 wanting personally to know 54:35 how to better share your faith, 54:36 how to better witness to others 54:38 to help make disciples, 54:40 this is where you need to be. 54:41 It's a perfect follow-up 54:42 for what we've been doing here. 54:43 Come and join us on 54:44 April 4 and 5. 54:45 If you need -- 54:46 If you're going to come, 54:46 please register -- 54:47 pmchurch.org/pentecost. 54:51 And secondly, only a handful 54:53 of you in this room 54:53 know about this one. 54:54 This is a special thing 54:55 that's coming up fairly soon. 54:56 April 16 of this year, 54:58 April 16, just a few weeks from 55:00 now, we are going to be holding 55:01 the More Than MORE+ 55:03 Discipleship Training process. 55:05 It starts on a Wednesday, 55:06 and it will be meeting 55:07 on Wednesdays. 55:08 There are seven 55:09 of these sessions. 55:10 They'll start at 5:45 55:11 with a simple supper. 55:12 That means you can come straight 55:13 from work or from class. 55:14 Come and join us. 55:15 It's going to be 55:15 in the commons downstairs. 55:17 So come as you are. 55:18 Let's eat together. 55:20 At 6:15, the discipleship 55:21 experience is going to begin, 55:23 and we'll be done by 7:30. 55:25 So it's not that much time here. 55:27 The curriculum 55:28 that we will be going through 55:29 was written 55:30 by Elder Don MacLafferty, 55:32 the very same Don MacLafferty 55:32 that was with us 55:34 during the More conference. 55:35 He has written this 55:36 specifically as a follow-up for 55:38 the first series of meetings. 55:40 So if you're wanting to answer 55:41 those three calls 55:42 of reformation, you know, 55:43 to be with Jesus 55:44 in relationship with Him 55:45 regularly, to be in fellowship 55:46 with others, and to make 55:47 disciples, you need to be there 55:49 beginning on April 16. 55:51 Everyone is invited to come. 55:52 Come and join us in the commons, 55:54 5:45 opening night, April 16. 55:57 I hope that you'll be 55:58 able to join us for that. 55:59 We do need to know how many 56:00 people are coming so that I know 56:01 how much soup to make. 56:03 That's not true. 56:04 I'm not going to make it. 56:05 Somebody else 56:05 is going to do that. 56:06 But we do need you to register. 56:07 You can register at 56:08 pmchurch.org/announcements. 56:10 It's at the top of the list 56:11 of the announcements there, 56:12 another Google doc 56:13 that you can go to. 56:14 You can register at that time. 56:16 I hope that you will join us. 56:18 Pioneer family, 56:19 there really is more 56:22 than more that we need. 56:25 We must go beyond revival 56:27 and actually put 56:28 into lifelong practice the words 56:30 that Jesus spoke. 56:31 We must dig down deep to the 56:32 rock on Jesus Christ. 56:34 By the grace of God 56:35 and His strength, 56:37 we must build a final movement 56:38 that will indeed last 56:40 until Jesus returns. 56:42 May God bless each one of us 56:44 as we do our part 56:46 in revival and reformation. 56:53 >> I'm Shane Anderson, 56:54 the lead pastor here 56:55 at Pioneer Memorial Church. 56:57 At Pioneer Media, 56:58 we have been blessed 56:59 by the financial support 57:01 that comes from our viewers 57:02 like you that enable us 57:04 to continue this ministry. 57:06 We've made a conscious decision 57:08 not to continually appeal to you 57:09 for that support. 57:11 However, keeping this ministry 57:12 going takes money 57:13 to support our staff and 57:15 technology needs. 57:17 If God has blessed you 57:18 and you would like to further 57:19 the work of this ministry, 57:21 we invite you 57:21 to partner with us. 57:23 You can donate on our website, 57:25 pmchurch.org, 57:27 then click "giving" at the top, 57:30 then select "media ministry," 57:33 or call the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:36 Again, that number is 877, 57:39 the two words HIS-WILL. 57:41 My prayer is that the God 57:43 who has blessed 57:44 you will continue to pour 57:46 into your life the gifts 57:47 of His joy and His hope. 57:49 Thank you, and 57:50 I'm looking forward to seeing 57:52 you right here again next time. 57:59 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:19 ♪ |
Revised 2025-04-28