Participants: Donnie Shelton
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000030A
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00:25 This is "Pillars of Faith."
00:28 A word for today in today's world. 00:31 I'm C.A. Murray and it is my privilege, my pleasure, 00:33 to welcome each of you to session number five 00:37 in this particular series by Pastor Donnie Shelton, 00:41 he of, Touching Hearts Ministries. 00:45 This has been a wonderful series. 00:46 The overall theme has been, 00:48 Faith Leading To A Closer Walk With God. 00:54 His first message, Faith Equals Knowledge Times Light. 00:59 I like that title. 01:00 Second message, My Grace Is Sufficient For Thee. 01:06 Third message was, The Gift Of Eternal Life. 01:10 And then our last sitting together, 01:12 A Piece Of The Puzzle. 01:14 But this time the title of the message is, 01:19 He Found Me. 01:21 And perhaps that is a fitting title to close out this 01:24 wonderful series by Donnie Shelton. 01:26 God has blessed him to be a preacher with energy 01:29 and enthusiasm who loves the Lord, 01:31 who loves the Word of God, and has been given an ability 01:34 to preach and teach that Word of God. 01:37 So we look forward to and anticipate a great blessing 01:40 as we hear the message, He Found Me, 01:44 by Pastor Donnie Shelton of Touching Hearts Ministries, 01:47 who has taken time out of his schedule to come to be at 01:50 this desk and to give us the Word of God. 01:53 I'm going to pray now, and then we're going to ask the 01:56 man of God to come forward and preach the Word of God, 01:59 and we will ask from God for him and you open, receptive, 02:04 listening ears, and a will to do that which we know is right. 02:11 Shall we pray. 02:13 Father God, again we do praise You. 02:14 We thank You so very, very much for the privilege we have 02:18 of studying the Word of God. 02:20 We thank Thee that through the foolishness of preaching 02:23 You have designed that men and women will be brought 02:26 to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 02:29 I ask, Lord, that You will bless Donnie in a very special way. 02:32 Touch his lips, touch his mind. 02:34 Help him to speak what You would have him to say. 02:37 And then help us to hear and to do, for it is in the doing 02:42 that we are made like Christ Jesus. 02:43 Forgive us of our sins, open our heart, 02:46 clear the way for the reception of the message, 02:49 and then make it live in us so that we may live for Thee. 02:55 We thank You, dear Father. 02:56 In Jesus' name, amen and amen. 03:00 And now Pastor Donnie Shelton. 03:07 Thank you so much, Pastor C.A. Murray. 03:11 I've had a wonderful time here. 03:13 There's a group of people here at 3ABN that are grace given, 03:19 as we've said throughout our sermons here, 03:22 grace given and faith driven. 03:25 A group of people that have bonded together 03:30 to take the undiluted message of truth to a lost and dying world. 03:38 These folks here are dedicated, they're persistent, 03:41 and they're consistent in their walk with Jesus Christ. 03:44 And I love to mention this; they're filled with the power 03:50 of the Holy Spirit. 03:51 We've talked about in our past sermons, the Holy Spirit 03:55 transforms, the Holy Spirit guides and directs. 03:59 So these folks are bonded, they're knitted. 04:03 Their desire is to bring as many people into the kingdom of God 04:09 before God comes. 04:10 So I want to thank them so much for allowing me 04:14 to be on, Pillars of Faith, and to speak with you 04:18 and to share my faith with you. 04:22 The sermon today, He Found Me. 04:27 As I was working on this sermon, when I put 04:29 right here, He Found Me, I went back over my past life; 04:34 how I was living, what I was doing, 04:38 all the troubles that I was in. 04:41 And then I remembered back to the first time 04:45 that I heard the voice of Jesus. 04:49 And I thought, "Is that Jesus calling me? 04:53 A sinner who is the worst of all sinners? 04:57 And He's calling me?" 04:59 Not only into the gospel to preach the message 05:01 of His undying love, but to actually accept me 05:06 into the family is God. 05:08 It says in Ephesians the first chapter that we are adopted 05:13 into this family, of course by God's grace. 05:16 But we are adopted by the redeeming power 05:21 and the precious blood of Jesus. 05:24 And as we study the Word of God today, 05:28 as we listen to God's words today, this will increase 05:35 our faith in Him. 05:38 I found this out in my own life. 05:40 The more I study the Word of God, the more that I find out 05:45 about this God, this Creator, this Redeemer, 05:49 the more I find out about His character, 05:52 the more that I love Him. 05:54 The more that I want to serve Him. 05:57 It's still hard for me to fathom that a God that is so holy 06:02 and pure would have loved someone like me. 06:06 But I had to get rid of that low self-esteem. 06:10 Because now that I had been accepted into God's church 06:14 and into the family by the redeeming blood of Christ, 06:18 that makes me somebody. 06:20 I'm a child of the King. 06:21 Jesus Christ is my Brother. 06:24 That makes me somebody. 06:25 You know, out here at 3ABN, 06:28 I have a chance every now and then to come out 06:31 and visit with the folks here. 06:32 Now when I go through those doors, they hit a buzzer 06:35 and I walk into 3ABN. 06:38 Now, because of the Shelton name... 06:42 Nothing I've done. 06:44 It isn't me. 06:45 ...I can walk with confidence to the back 06:49 and sit down with my cousin Danny, who is 06:52 president and founder of 3ABN. 06:54 I feel very comfortable. 06:55 I feel privileged that I can just walk... 06:57 I don't need an appointment to do that. 07:00 Not because I've done anything. 07:02 It's all of what God has done through Danny here at 3ABN 07:05 and having the Shelton name. 07:07 I'm in the family, I can just walk on back and talk to him. 07:09 I don't need an appointment. 07:11 Well praise God, you are a child of the King. 07:15 With confidence you can walk and spend time 07:20 and converse with Jesus Christ because of His blood. 07:24 You are somebody. 07:26 If you are saved and given your life to Christ, 07:30 get rid of that low self-esteem. 07:33 Because of Jesus' name, that makes you somebody. 07:38 Praise God. 07:39 Again, nothing that you've done. 07:41 Nothing that I've done. 07:42 It's by His grace and His mercy. 07:44 So this message, in a way, sort of surrounded my life. 07:48 And I wanted to share it today with you. 07:51 He found me. 07:54 That means He found you. 07:57 Let's read the Scriptures together. 07:59 Let's turn to Romans 5, let's read verse 8 together. 08:04 Now as I always say, get out that pencil, get out your pad. 08:09 Get into the recliner, put your feet up. 08:13 Relax, because we are about to take a trip 08:15 that will take you deep into the depths of the Bible 08:18 and will be made simple because of the Holy Spirit. 08:23 He makes things simple because He's the interpreter. 08:26 Let's read that together, Romans 5:8. 08:28 "But God commendeth his love toward us..." 08:32 Who's us? 08:34 Donnie Shelton and you that are viewing in 08:36 or listening in today. 08:38 "But God commendeth his love toward us, 08:41 in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 08:46 I love that because Jesus Christ died for me, and you today. 08:51 He died for us in our worst state. 08:54 In our sinful being. 08:56 We hadn't said, "I tell you what, God. 08:58 I want to join Your church, be a part of Your church," 09:01 and then He died for us. 09:02 He died for us while we were yet living in sin. 09:05 Is everybody with me so far? 09:07 Let's read. Now listen. 09:09 What an amazing and incomprehensible statement 09:13 that we just said. 09:15 That God not only loved us in our sinful and lost state, 09:20 that He sent Jesus His Son to die for us in our place. 09:28 Incomprehensible. 09:29 "Well Donnie, what exactly does that mean?" 09:31 Impossible to comprehend or understand. 09:36 I still don't understand it, 09:38 how Jesus could leave all of heaven for me. 09:42 I don't understand it, but I certainly accept it 09:46 and I praise God for it. 09:47 Now the thought that we were entangled in the cares 09:52 of this life, we were filled with selfish gains, 09:56 and we continually ignored the Holy Spirit, 10:00 that God in His mercy and compassion 10:03 He sent the lovely Jesus, not only to save us, 10:07 but to find us in our lost condition 10:11 with no hope, other than the Shepherd 10:14 who's only goal is to find, save, and give eternal life. 10:20 Praise God. That was Jesus Christ's mission. 10:22 To come here and to find us, and then save us. 10:28 And then to cleanse us. 10:31 And then, by His blood and His sacrifice, 10:35 His redeeming power, we are made partakers of heaven. 10:40 Praise God. 10:41 Now, here's what Deuteronomy 26:8 says. 10:45 Now remember, God went out into the world, 10:47 and He went out and He found me and He found you out there. 10:52 Here's what the Bible says. 10:54 "And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt..." 10:57 Well, that's the land of sin. 11:00 "...with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, 11:04 and with great terribleness, and with signs and wonders." 11:09 I believe I was so far out in sin that this text 11:15 was talking about me. 11:17 I was so far out there that God had to stretch 11:20 way out there and grasp a hold of me 11:24 and pull me out of the world of sin. 11:27 Let's read what Romans 8:38 says that Paul wrote. 11:30 I love this Scripture. 11:32 In fact, it's one of my favorite Scriptures. 11:35 Let's read this together. 11:37 "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, 11:42 nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, 11:46 nor things to come, nor power, nor height, nor depth, 11:50 nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us 11:55 from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. 11:59 God loves us with an unconditional love. 12:04 Nothing can change that. 12:07 No power in the universe and no power on earth 12:11 can change how God feels about you and I today. 12:16 Praise God. 12:18 Matthew 11:28-30 12:20 Now let's get them Bibles out. 12:23 I want you to study with me today and read with me today, 12:26 that your faith may be increased as you not only 12:28 hear the Word of God, you're reading the Word of God. 12:31 Now listen. 12:33 Matthew 11:28-30 12:35 Here's what the Bible says. 12:37 And I believe what the Bible says. 12:39 It's the promises of God. 12:41 Here's what Jesus said. 12:44 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 12:49 and I will give you rest. 12:52 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me. 12:56 For," Jesus said, "I am meek and lowly of heart." 13:01 And I love this promise. 13:04 "Ye shall find rest unto your souls. 13:07 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 13:11 Life is hard. 13:14 Life is tough. 13:17 Under the best of circumstances. 13:20 We live a rough hard life. 13:22 I can't imagine now of living this life without my Brother 13:27 Jesus Christ guiding me and directing me. 13:30 Someone that I can lean upon. 13:33 Someone that I can trust. 13:35 And He said, "My yoke is easy, and I'm lowly of heart. 13:38 And if you would just accept Me, I will give you some rest." 13:42 As you go through life, He helps carry those burdens. 13:46 He helps in those grief situations. 13:49 God is with you. 13:51 He will never ever forsake you or leave you. 13:54 Even when you don't feel His presence, 13:56 He promised, "I am there. 13:59 And I will take your burdens and your griefs 14:03 and your trial, and I will lighten them." 14:06 Because Jesus Christ said, "I will carry them for you." 14:09 Praise God. 14:11 He said, "Once you start this race, those that are faithful, 14:16 those that are just, those that are righteous, 14:19 once you start the race, I will help you finish." 14:23 In fact, I think He will carry us across that finish line. 14:29 Carry us. 14:30 Alright, let's go a bit further here. 14:31 He found me. 14:33 Now, Mrs. White said, and I love her writings, 14:38 we should contemplate and meditate about heaven. 14:42 About the things of God. 14:44 The more I meditate and contemplate, 14:47 and I study and I read and I pray, 14:51 it makes the things of heaven more real. 14:55 It makes my heavenly Father more real, 14:58 and the plan of salvation more real, if I think about it. 15:03 And what I like to do is use my own mind's eye, 15:07 and I like to come up with different things that 15:09 may have been going on. 15:11 It just makes it more real to me. 15:13 And I put this down here; now this is ole Donnie Shelton. 15:16 Because I've studied and I fell in love with Jesus. 15:19 I call it, the plan of redemption and my thoughts 15:22 about the plan of redemption. 15:24 Listen. 15:26 God says to Jesus, "Jesus, I have a boy, 15:31 and he's lost his way. 15:34 Jesus, I want You to go and find him and bring him home." 15:39 Now I'm in my own mind's eye here. 15:41 I love this because I'm thinking about 15:43 Jesus coming and finding me. 15:45 And Jesus looks into the eyes of the Father, 15:48 and God continues to speak. 15:51 "This mission, Jesus, involves sacrifice on Your part. 15:55 For no matter how long it takes, or how many miles Your feet 16:00 will tread upon the face of the earth, 16:01 I love Donnie and I want him in the kingdom. 16:06 I want him here with Me." 16:09 I'm just trying to break down the plan of salvation 16:12 in my own mind. 16:13 It just makes it so real, folks. 16:15 And without hesitation, Jesus said, "Father, I will gladly go 16:20 and find My brother Donnie. 16:22 If I must go to the uttermost part of the earth, 16:26 then let it be so. 16:28 Whatever it takes, even My death, heavenly Father, 16:33 I will find him and I will bring him home." 16:37 Praise God. 16:38 And you know what? 16:40 Put yourself in this little story I've written here. 16:43 In my eyes, I was trying to make it clear to myself 16:47 just how clear the plan of salvation is, 16:50 how simple it really is. 16:53 And you know, I got to thinking. 16:55 He may have said, "Oh, Jesus, by the way. 16:58 On the way to find Donnie, you might find a boy named Doug 17:02 living in a cave. 17:04 You might find a boy named Danny on top of a roof 17:08 rebuilding a new home. 17:11 You might find a man named John who's working in a disco 17:16 in New York City. 17:17 I've got plans for him. 17:19 You might find a woman named Mollie 17:21 who lives down in what will be the state of Alabama." 17:25 It just makes it more real if you'll put your name 17:28 in those Scriptures. 17:30 That God went out into the world to find you. 17:36 Because he wants you to spend eternity with Him. 17:41 You know, a few years ago... 17:43 I watch a lot of Mark Finley cd's, and a lot of his 17:47 older tapes, by the way. 17:49 And I tell you, when I watch him... 17:53 I do. 17:54 I missed it a couple of sermons ago. 17:56 ...my wife and I get out a big ole box of tissues. 18:01 And I can guarantee you, before the sermon is over 18:05 the snot's a pouring. 18:06 The tears are pouring. 18:08 I've got to have hankies. 18:09 He really touches your heart, 18:11 because he makes the Scriptures come to life. 18:14 And he puts thoughts in your mind that fills you with joy. 18:19 And in one of his sermons, I don't remember which one is was, 18:22 he talked about being in heaven. 18:24 Now this was in his mind's eye 18:26 as he meditated and contemplated. 18:28 It just makes it real for him too as well. 18:30 What an incredible guy that's empowered 18:32 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 18:34 But, he said he was looking forward to walking 18:38 the streets of gold in heaven, and living in that mansion 18:42 that Jesus Christ had built just for him. 18:46 And he said, one day there was a knock at the door. 18:50 Mark, thank you. 18:52 A knock at the door. 18:54 And it was Jesus. 18:56 And he said Jesus took him by the hand. 18:59 And they went through all of heaven. 19:03 Finally they left the city of Jerusalem 19:06 and they went out into the country. 19:08 And they talked about heavenly things. 19:12 As they walked, Jesus said, "Oh by the way, brother Mark, 19:16 I have something special. 19:18 I want you to see it." 19:20 And Mark Finley said he had a hold of Jesus' hand. 19:23 And Jesus took him out into green pastures out there. 19:27 And he noticed, Mark said, that out in the middle of the field 19:30 was a beautiful tree. 19:33 And as they went out there, 19:35 he found the tree was full of fruit. 19:37 And as he went out underneath the tree, he and Jesus, 19:41 Jesus looked at him and said, "Mark, I grew this tree 19:45 just for you." 19:49 What Mark is trying to say is, 19:51 a personal relationship with Jesus. 19:55 It's one on one. 19:58 It's a spiritual intimate relationship. 20:02 So, why don't we do this today. 20:06 If you're watching a TV program, a worldly program, 20:11 turn it off. 20:13 Sit down, open your Bible. 20:16 Read the Scriptures. 20:18 Begin to meditate upon His Word. 20:20 And contemplate, oh, the wonderful things of heaven 20:25 and what a wonderful Jesus that you serve. 20:27 He's your big Brother. 20:29 By Him you will be in heaven. 20:31 Think about that relationship. 20:34 Think about spending time with Him. 20:37 It makes it more real. 20:39 And this God, this Jesus, that hung upon the cross, 20:44 that shed His blood just for you, went out into the world 20:49 and He found you. 20:51 You didn't find Him. 20:52 He found you. 20:54 And as I always say in every sermon, 20:56 He picks you up, and me up, out of the muck, and the sin, 21:02 and the filth, and the unrighteousness of this world. 21:05 And he picks you up once He's found You, 21:08 and He washes you clean, from the blood that 21:12 flowed from the cross, and He wraps His robe of 21:15 righteousness around you. 21:17 He fills you with the power of the Holy Spirit. 21:19 And then He offers you, as a free gift, heaven. 21:25 Heaven as a free gift. 21:27 Now that's my Brother. 21:29 It just makes it more real. 21:30 Let's go a bit further here in Luke 15:4-5. 21:35 Luke 15:4-5 21:39 "What man of you," this is Jesus speaking, 21:44 "having an hundred sheep, if you lose one of them, 21:49 doth not leave the ninety and nine 21:52 and then you go out in the wilderness," 21:55 go out into the world, "and go after that which is lost," 21:59 and you search, and you search until you find it? 22:03 You know, there was a group of sheep herders, 22:06 I'm sure, within the area there as He was speaking. 22:09 So this really paralleled with their life. 22:13 Jesus made things simple to understand. 22:16 Praise God. 22:17 So He said, "What men that's standing around here 22:21 that you have sheep herding. 22:23 And say, you've got a hundred sheep. 22:26 And one morning you realize that one of them is gone. 22:30 Are you going to just let that sheep stray 22:33 and never go to look and bring them back into the fold?" 22:36 He said, "No." 22:38 You'll leave this ninety-nine. 22:40 You'll leave the portals of heaven. 22:43 You'll step off your throne and you'll go down, like Jesus did, 22:48 and you will search and search until you find them. 22:54 Praise God. 22:55 Now listen to this. 22:57 I think often of the sheep which left the flock 23:01 and ventured out into the wilderness of the world. 23:05 Now look, this sheep that left the fold, 23:09 he must have thought that things looked a little 23:11 bit better out there. 23:13 As we said in a few sermons ago, that Joshua drew a line, 23:17 and that Danny Shelton drew a line, 23:19 and said, "This is my world, the world of God. 23:22 This is the world over there. 23:23 I will not go out into the world. 23:25 And, world, I don't want you coming across the line 23:28 into my world." 23:30 So, this sheep must have been on this side of the line, 23:35 God's world, and decided one day for some reason or the other 23:40 that it looked better on the other side of the line. 23:43 And it said he ventured out into the wilderness. 23:49 That something overpowered his reasoning. 23:52 There he was. 23:54 Now I want you to think about the sheep that strayed. 23:58 I think about these things. 24:01 He was amongst his own kind. 24:05 He was watered. 24:07 He was fed. 24:09 He was protected by the good shepherd. 24:11 Because the shepherd, the good shepherd, 24:13 by the way, is Jesus Christ. 24:15 Whereas his eyes were continually 24:18 focused on the flock. 24:20 Yet the call of the world superseded the soft 24:25 patient voice of the shepherd. 24:28 And this sheep, even though he was cared for, he was protected, 24:33 he was watered, he was fed, he left the flock 24:38 and he became lost. 24:41 I've always wondered why someone that is saved, 24:46 that's been washed in the blood, and that Jesus Christ is their 24:50 Shepherd, why do they leave the church? 24:55 What is that fantastic out in the world that I would give up 24:59 eternal life? 25:01 What gets in our heads? 25:05 What are we thinking? 25:08 But I love, as we continue in this story. 25:12 Listen what the Bible says. 25:15 The Bible says that once the shepherd discovered 25:19 that one of his sheep was gone, he set out on a mission, 25:26 not only to find the sheep, but to reunite that sheep 25:31 with the flock. 25:33 When he discovered the sheep had strayed, 25:37 the shepherd, Jesus Christ the good Shepherd, 25:40 went out into the world and found them. 25:43 Now we're going to find out he brought him back. 25:45 Now, the sheep that was lost, think about this, 25:50 was it injured? 25:52 Had the sheep become entangled in briers? 25:56 Or was it down in a ravine and the sheep could not get out? 26:01 Had the sheep gotten itself in a bad situation? 26:06 Have you ever gotten yourself in a bad situation 26:09 and the only one that could save you was Jesus Christ? 26:11 I have. Praise the Lord. 26:13 Have you ever been entangled in the briers of this world? 26:16 I have. And Jesus Christ saved me. 26:18 Praise God. 26:19 Now, the question crossed my mind: 26:22 Why, oh why, did the sheep leave the fold in the first place? 26:29 Did not the sheep... 26:31 I ask myself this question. 26:33 Did not the sheep feel comfort in the fact that he lived, 26:37 and he grazed, and he interacted with the sheep 26:41 that were of the same mind? 26:42 In the Adventist church, we are unified. 26:47 We preach truth. 26:49 We are filled with the Holy Spirit. 26:52 We are one in group, in oneness, 26:56 through the power of God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 27:01 I cannot imagine of leaving the Seventh-day Adventist Church 27:07 or the Seventh-day Adventist Movement 27:10 and going somewhere else. 27:13 What would I be thinking? 27:16 Let's go a bit further now. 27:18 There are many reasons that folks leave the church. 27:23 We're going to talk about a few of those today. 27:26 I don't want to offend anyone. 27:28 I really don't. 27:29 I don't want anyone to leave the church because of 27:31 something that I did or said. 27:34 I don't. 27:35 There are many reasons that folks leave the church. 27:37 And some of them should have never had taken place. 27:41 But what does the shepherd do, what does the pastor do, 27:48 when he discovers that one of his members 27:51 have gone astray and they're gone? 27:56 That one of his members has backslidden 27:59 and have gone back out into the world? 28:02 What does the elder do? 28:05 We put all the pressure sometimes 28:07 and all the responsibilities on the pastors. 28:10 But they need help. 28:12 Oh they have Christ, they have the Spirit, 28:14 they have the heavenly Father. 28:16 They need our help. 28:17 The pastor needs elders and deacons and deaconesses. 28:21 He needs workers in the church. 28:23 So, what does the elder do, what does the pastor do, 28:28 what does the brother or sister do in Christ 28:30 when someone leaves the church? 28:35 What does God do? 28:36 Let's talk about that. 28:38 In, Christ's Object Lessons, page 187-188... 28:45 "Christ's Object Lessons" was written by one of my 28:49 favorite writers. 28:51 Ellen G. White 28:54 Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. 28:57 And here's what she said. 29:00 "The shepherd who discovers one of his sheep is missing..." 29:05 He has backslidden. 29:08 I'm trying to break it down in her words. 29:12 He has left the church. 29:14 Does not one think, "Well, we have ninety-nine left. 29:19 It's just too much trouble to go out and find them." 29:23 Should that be our beliefs? 29:24 When someone leaves the church, they need to be found. 29:30 Someone needs to call them. 29:32 Someone needs to visit them. 29:34 Someone needs to text them or email them at least. 29:38 With all the different avenues, we can reach that person today. 29:42 Especially with the technology that we have. 29:44 But really, we should personally go to their house 29:50 and visit with them one on one. 29:53 They are lost. 29:55 They need to be found. 29:56 The pastor needs to go. 29:58 The elders, the deacons. 30:00 The brothers and sisters in Christ need to unite 30:03 and go and visit that one that has strayed. 30:07 The minute the pastor, elder, or laymen is aware 30:14 that a member has left, he should be filled, she said, 30:17 with despair and anxiety. 30:21 She went on to write, one should be unable to sleep 30:25 and should seek the lost in earnest and make every effort, 30:32 every effort, to find and bring them back into the fold. 30:41 Those that are living in the world of sin, 30:45 some may have been in the flock at one time or another, 30:50 God does all that He can without forcing them 30:56 to come back to the fold, to the church. 30:59 God never forces anyone to accept Him. 31:04 God's government is built on love, not force. 31:09 John says that God is love. 31:13 Mrs. White, in the spirit of prophecy, went on to write, 31:16 that God's love permeates His every being, His every fiber. 31:23 God is love. 31:26 So when one of His babies leaves the fold, that sheep, 31:32 God goes out into the world and He will find them. 31:36 He sends Jesus Christ His Son to find them. 31:41 He could have sent an angel. 31:44 But He didn't. 31:45 He sent Jesus Christ. 31:47 And Jesus willingly left all of heaven 31:52 to come and find me... 31:57 ...and you. 32:00 No matter whether you are a prostitute, 32:06 whether you're an alcoholic, 32:09 whether you are involved in drugs, 32:13 whether you are a wife beater, 32:16 whether you have left your children and ran off 32:19 with another person, 32:20 God wants you back. 32:26 If you're listening to this message today, 32:29 if you're watching, if you're sitting in a hospital 32:32 visiting someone and 3ABN is on the air 32:37 and you're watching this program, 32:39 God is giving you the opportunity to come back. 32:44 It may be through this telecast on Three Angels Broadcasting, 32:50 that He has found you, and He is offering you eternal life. 32:55 He is offering you forgiveness. 32:59 So we need to leave that old life 33:02 and come back into the fold. 33:04 If you've been in drugs and you've been into prostitution, 33:08 you have left your family, 33:09 whatever you've been involved in that's ungodly, 33:13 the blood of Jesus Christ can wash you clean. 33:17 Praise God. 33:20 You know, I have this blister on my hand here. 33:23 We were in the daycare the other day and I was moving 33:25 one of the toys and my hand, it got pinched there 33:29 and gave me a blood blister. 33:31 Praise God, eventually that will clear up. 33:33 Now if that was a stain, I could have cleaned it off. 33:37 Here's the good news about Jesus Christ's blood. 33:41 No matter how deep the stain, Jesus Christ can wash you clean. 33:48 Jesus Christ can take that earthly, worldly, 33:53 devilish, unrighteous robe and wash it clean 33:57 and make it spotless and wrinkle free with His blood. 34:00 He is offering you this robe today. 34:03 He has found you through this broadcast. 34:06 Maybe you're listening on 3ABN radio. 34:09 Wherever you are today, God loves you. 34:14 He is intensely in love with you. 34:19 He will never stop loving you. 34:23 He is calling you today, wooing you through the Holy Spirit, 34:28 to come back to the flock. 34:31 Or if you've never accepted Christ, 34:33 today He's giving you the opportunity. 34:37 The opportunity of a lifetime. 34:40 The opportunity of a lifetime that you may live forever; 34:48 through His grace, through His mercy, 34:50 through His compassion, and through His love. 34:53 So when the pastor, and the elder, and the laymen are aware 34:58 that someone has left the church, we must immediately 35:02 contact that person. 35:04 Now Mrs. White went on to write... 35:07 I'm trying to break down her words as best I can. 35:11 Some new converts leave the church. 35:15 Because to unlearn everything that they've been taught 35:19 makes things perplexing for them. 35:22 Many, many years ago back in the 70's, 35:26 I was in a church that kept Sunday. 35:29 When I accepted the Seventh-day Adventist truth 35:34 about the Sabbath, when I first joined the church, 35:37 I had to unlearn all of the teachings I had learned 35:43 in this Sunday keeping church. 35:46 "So, Donnie, are you saying that all Sunday keepers are lost?" 35:49 Absolutely not. 35:51 Everyone that lives up to the light they have received, 35:56 and have accepted Christ and have been washed in the blood, 35:59 that are born again, will be in the kingdom. 36:01 But once you receive truth and light, like I did, 36:07 I had to unlearn everything that I had learned 36:12 in this Sunday keeping church. 36:14 And it was perplexing. 36:15 It was like starting all over again. 36:18 And you know what? Maybe I needed to. 36:20 Praise God. 36:21 Each new convert that joins this church, 36:26 the Seventh-day Adventist Church which I absolutely love, 36:29 each new convert that's been found and has joined the church 36:34 should be prayed for. 36:36 They should be instructed gently and watched over. 36:42 They're just little babies. 36:45 Don't try to cram the meat of the Word down their throats. 36:48 Give them a little bottle of milk and honey 36:53 that's something they can digest and get down. 36:57 Don't just start cramming prophecies and doctrine. 37:00 What we need to do is introduce Jesus. 37:04 And once they really fall in love with Jesus, 37:07 Sabbath keeping, the prophecies, and the doctrines, 37:10 and the Adventist movement will come easy to them. 37:13 And they will hunger for these truths. 37:15 Once you give them the milk, they get stronger. 37:18 And then they hunger for more. 37:21 Then we can gently guide them and direct them 37:25 into all truths, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 37:30 Now, when the Good Shepherd found the lost sheep, 37:38 He did not scold him. 37:41 That sheep that had went out into the world 37:44 and Christ left the flock to go find them, 37:47 listen, when He found them He did not scold them. 37:52 He did not whip them. 37:55 He did not just lead them home and say, "I tell you what, 37:59 you've left the fold, you don't deserve to walk with Me. 38:02 You'll walk behind Me." 38:04 No, He didn't scold and He didn't whip. 38:08 He led them home alright. 38:11 Mrs. White says that He tenderly placed the sheep 38:16 on His shoulders and He carried him with joy. 38:23 I believe that all of heaven shouts praises 38:27 when Jesus finds someone and brings them into the church 38:32 to live eternal life with them. 38:35 I believe there's joy in heaven. 38:38 So when Jesus finds us out in the world, 38:42 He doesn't scold us. 38:43 He's not mad at us. 38:46 He loves us. 38:47 He's gentle, He's long-suffering, 38:50 He's kind, He's tender. 38:53 And Mrs. White says that He gently bent down 38:58 and He picked up the sheep and carried the sheep home 39:02 on His shoulders. 39:04 Praise God for a God like that. 39:07 So forgiving, so loving. 39:09 Let's go a bit further, friends. 39:11 Get your Bible, open them up. 39:13 If you've closed them, open those Bibles back up. 39:15 I want you to read with me today. 39:17 John 10:14 39:22 "Who is that shepherd that we've been reading about, Donnie?" 39:26 Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. 39:30 I know My sheep and I know they know me." 39:35 You know, I've done a lot of traveling the last 14 years. 39:40 A lot of miles. 39:41 And I've enjoyed every last one of them. 39:44 Been in many, many churches. 39:46 Many, many states and cities. 39:49 I love what I do. 39:52 Preach the grace of Christ. 39:54 We were in a church in Missouri, I won't give the church's name. 39:58 It was a church in Missouri. 40:00 A wonderful Seventh-day Adventist Church, by the way. 40:02 Full of loving people. 40:04 And it just so happens I was preaching the sermon 40:08 that God taking you... 40:09 This is one of my favorite ones. 40:11 ...just as you are in your "as-is" condition, 40:15 that He loves you. 40:17 And a couple came in, a man and a woman. 40:20 Probably in their thirties. 40:22 Now they had never been in a Seventh-day Adventist church. 40:28 Ever. 40:30 This was their first time in a Seventh-day Adventist church. 40:35 Now I knew they were strangers. 40:37 I knew these folks in this church quite well. 40:40 I had been there many, many times. 40:41 And so when the couple came in, I thought they were 40:44 somebody that had been invited. 40:46 But it just so happens God had led them there that day. 40:49 No one invited these folks to church. 40:52 They came in through the doors and they sat down. 40:54 And I preached the message of God going out into the world 40:59 and finding folks that had strayed, or maybe had never, 41:02 ever had known Him. 41:05 These folks had never left the church. 41:09 They had never met Christ yet. 41:11 They were about to meet their Savior today. 41:16 God had found them. 41:19 He put them there in that Seventh-day Adventist church 41:22 to hear the message of coming to Him just as you are. 41:29 The message was given. 41:31 We had prayer. 41:33 I walked to the back of the church, 41:37 and they were waiting for me. 41:39 They had some questions. 41:41 They wanted answers. 41:44 So I asked God, "Oh faithful God, give me the words to speak, 41:50 to comfort. 41:52 May they have hope, may they be encouraged. 41:55 May they be lifted up today before they leave this church. 42:00 The man came up to me and said, "Pastor Donnie, 42:03 last week I was released from prison. 42:08 I was sentenced for life. 42:13 After a few years, for some unknown reason 42:18 they let me out. 42:20 I didn't deserve it, but they let me out. 42:24 This is the first church I've been in since 42:28 my release from prison. 42:30 And for some reason we came to this church today. 42:36 You said that if I came to God just as I am, 42:39 even though I've been in prison, I committed a horrible sin, 42:43 that He would forgive me and cleanse me, 42:45 and take me into the kingdom. 42:47 He promised me eternal life. 42:49 Is that what you're saying, brother Donnie?" 42:52 I said, "Brother, it doesn't matter what you've done. 42:55 It's in the past now. 42:58 It's what you do in Christ, through Christ, 43:02 and for Christ today that will determine 43:06 your eternal destination." 43:08 God loves those poor men and women in prison. 43:12 They're there. 43:14 They're paying a price. 43:15 But He wants to find them, He wants to save them. 43:18 He loves them just as much as He loves you and I. 43:22 They made a mistake, friends, and they're paying for that. 43:26 We need to pray for those precious folks today 43:28 that are barred and in prison, that God would find them 43:32 and that they would give their lives to Him as well. 43:35 This man had just been released from prison. 43:38 On that day, he and his wife gave their lives to Christ, 43:46 by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. 43:50 They knelt down and they were cleansed. 43:53 This man and woman now have a ministry 43:57 in the Seventh-day Adventist movement 43:59 and they're working for Jesus. 44:00 They've joined the church. 44:02 They're on this side of the line. 44:04 They're out of the world, they're in God's world now. 44:07 God found them. 44:11 Praise the Lord. 44:14 Whatever you've done, the blood of Christ cleanses. 44:20 It removes all stains of sin. 44:23 That robe of righteousness that He puts around you 44:26 is not your righteousness. 44:28 I always try to make that clear. 44:30 It's His righteousness. 44:32 By His merits, by His life, by His death, by His mercy, 44:39 by His forgiveness, that's why you will be in heaven. 44:44 Praise the Lord. 44:46 Oh my. 44:47 And because... Let's go a bit further here. 44:50 And because the sheep are so well protected and fed, 44:53 and guided by the gentle hand of their Shepherd, 44:57 they know His voice. 44:59 And they tend to want to stay with Him. 45:02 They trust Him. 45:04 The good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is my Shepherd. 45:09 He's your Shepherd. 45:11 He protects you. 45:13 He guides you. 45:15 And the longer that we serve Him, we fall more 45:18 deeply in love with Him, and the more that we learn to trust Him. 45:23 And here's what Jesus said... 45:24 Pastor, elders, deacons, those that stand behind the 45:30 pulpit and preach the Word of God, 45:32 here's what I want you to do, I'd love for you to do. 45:35 Are the doctrines in the Adventist movement, 45:38 are they important? Oh yes. 45:40 Are prophecies? Oh yes, they are. 45:43 But let us, I have, incorporated Jesus as the central point, 45:51 as the cornerstone, as the center point, 45:55 of our sermons. 45:57 That we lift Him up. 45:59 And that all things evolve and revolve around Jesus Christ. 46:05 His law, His doctrines, the prophecies; 46:09 they all revolve and evolve, 46:12 and are in and through and about Jesus. 46:17 So in my messages, as I teach some doctrines, 46:22 some prophecies, I love to incorporate the lovely Jesus. 46:27 And here's what Jesus said in John 12:32. 46:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from this earth, 46:38 will draw..." How many men? 46:40 Look at your Bible, what it says. 46:42 "...all men unto Me." 46:46 "Raise Me up. 46:47 And once the world sees My character, 46:51 My loveliness of spirit, my patience, My kindness, 46:58 by lifting Me up, it will draw all men unto Me." 47:04 Once they accept Christ, and once I accepted Christ 47:08 as my personal Savior, and they fed me that milk, 47:13 the more milk I drank the stronger that I became, 47:16 and I wanted more of the meat of the Word. 47:19 And I dug into the doctrines of the truth of the Word of God. 47:24 I dug into the prophecies. 47:26 We have men and women out there. 47:29 We have Shelley Quinn, we have Pastor Ken Cox, 47:34 we have Pastor Kenny Shelton who is a dynamic speaker 47:40 on doctrine and prophecy. 47:41 We have David Asscherick, we have Doug Batchelor, 47:45 we have Pastor John Lomacang, Pastor C.A. Murray, 47:48 Pastor Hal Steenson; they deliver doctrine and prophecies. 47:53 But they also deliver, and they always do, Jesus Christ. 47:58 He is their center part of all their messages. 48:01 And I love that. 48:03 John 12:32, here's what the Bible says. 48:09 Not only did His death signify that He should be lifted up, 48:14 but it also meant when you lifted Him up 48:17 you saw His life, you saw His character, and you saw His love. 48:25 God's desire is that once the world can catch just a glimpse 48:30 of His love, that they will come to Him. 48:35 We don't want to do anything, anything to offend anyone. 48:41 Now, even in our walk with God, 48:46 we will be involved in confrontations. 48:49 Man, you can't stay away from them. 48:52 It's almost like they come and find you. 48:54 You will be involved. 48:56 But don't let any type of confrontation discourage you, 49:01 break down your faith. 49:03 cause you to step over this line. 49:07 You stay over here. 49:08 Don't let any type of confrontation. 49:11 Always, in confrontations, always fall back 49:16 on the Word of God. 49:18 Not how you feel, what you think. 49:20 Always use what the Bible says if a confrontation 49:24 comes about in your life. 49:26 And I can tell you something, folks. 49:28 It will happen. 49:30 Now listen, in the courses of these confrontations, 49:35 and in the battles, sometimes we're discouraged. 49:39 And we can find, as I wrote here, a hundred reasons 49:45 just to give up. 49:47 So you have to find one good reason to stay in there, 49:54 to stay in this fiery trial. 49:57 You have to find one good reason. 50:01 And I will always go back to: when the battles come, 50:05 and in the heat of the battle, my mind goes back to the day 50:09 that God found me. 50:13 And I remember that weight that was lifted off my shoulders. 50:18 And I placed this yoke, this weight, on Jesus Christ, 50:25 the one whom has the broad shoulders. 50:28 And I remember I felt like a new man, a new creature. 50:33 The guilt was gone, the discouragement was gone. 50:37 Finally I had found hope. 50:41 I found Jesus. 50:44 He found me. Praise God. 50:47 So, no matter what type of circumstance that 50:51 you're in today, and it seems overwhelming, 50:53 don't give up, please. 50:55 Don't get discouraged. 50:57 Remember the day that God discovered and found you. 51:04 That will keep you going. 51:05 Praise the Lord. Let's go a bit further. 51:07 Now I got to thinking about the Seventh-day Adventist 51:11 precious folks. 51:14 I got to thinking about this movement. 51:17 And I thought, we need to reach the world 51:22 with this undiluted truth. 51:26 Three Angels Broadcasting is literally reaching thousands 51:31 upon hundreds of thousands, and millions of people. 51:35 But still, Jesus is coming soon. 51:38 We need to reach all of the world before it ends. 51:43 So I got to thinking. 51:47 Numbers started going through my head. 51:50 And I put this down on paper. 51:52 And it works. 51:54 There are 17,500,000 Adventist today. 52:00 And that is constantly growing. 52:02 It's grown since I came up with this message, I'm sure. 52:06 There are 17,500,000 across the world today. 52:11 Isn't that enough Christians to reach the whole world 52:16 when twelve men turned the world upside down? 52:20 If twelve men empowered by the Holy Spirit 52:24 can turn the whole world upside down, surely almost 52:29 18 million Seventh-day Adventists can turn the 52:33 world upside down and reach everybody 52:36 with the good news that Jesus, that Jesus saves. 52:40 We can do that. 52:42 So these numbers started going through my head. 52:45 Almost 18 million. 52:47 If every Adventist in the world would reach one person 52:54 every day 365 days a year, in the matter of a year or two... 53:03 If Donnie Shelton reaches 365 people this year, 53:07 let's put it that way, and the other 18 million 53:11 Seventh-day Adventist folks, they reach 365 people 53:15 in one year, we can reach the whole world with the gospel 53:20 of Christ in one year. 53:23 Praise the Lord. 53:25 But praise God we have ministries such as 3ABN 53:29 that are continually working and moving forward 53:33 trying to reach as many of the lost as possible 53:37 to bring them unto Christ before He comes. 53:42 And I can tell you, He's coming. 53:46 Isn't a soul, a soul that Jesus loved and died for, 53:52 isn't that man, isn't that woman, isn't that child 53:57 worth your time and your money? 54:00 Aren't they? 54:02 Maybe you think they're not. 54:04 We need to give everything that we have for the cause of Christ. 54:10 Not just material things, but our time and our talents. 54:15 We need to give them to God so that God can take these 54:19 talents and magnify them so that we can save as many souls, 54:24 babies, men, women, children, to bring them into this church, 54:31 Jesus Christ's bride. 54:34 Bring as many as we can before that great judgment day. 54:40 Now, we don't need to have an MBA or a BA or a PhD. 54:45 God can use us just as we are. 54:49 Proverbs says that every one of us were born 54:54 to be a soul winner. 54:55 That each and every one of us can reach somebody 55:00 that maybe 3ABN isn't able to reach. 55:03 Or Doug Batchelor, or Mark Finley, 55:06 or Kenny Shelton, John Lomacang. 55:09 They can't reach everybody. 55:11 But God has designed us; we're very, very unique. 55:16 We all have talents, some talent that God has 55:21 given to us as a free gift, that we might take these talents 55:25 and reach somebody for Jesus. 55:28 We all need to be soul winners for Jesus Christ. 55:33 It can be done. 55:36 Jesus Christ does not need surveillance 55:38 cameras to find you. 55:40 He doesn't need police dogs to find you. 55:43 Are you with me so far? 55:44 Listen, He sees us in our distress today. 55:47 He hears us as we call for help. 55:50 He says, "No matter where you are at, 55:54 no matter how deep in sin you are, 55:58 I am out to find you. 56:00 Why? 56:02 Because I love you. 56:06 I want to spend," Jesus said, "one on one time with just you." 56:14 If you... Listen. 56:17 Jesus said, "If you accept Me, there will come a time," 56:22 like Mark Finley said, "that in heaven I will come 56:26 to your mansion door, I will knock on your door. 56:29 And then you and I will spend that day, that time, together. 56:36 We will walk the streets of gold." 56:39 And I believe that Jesus knows me very well. 56:42 He knows you very well. 56:45 He knows your likes and dislikes. 56:47 He knows what pleases you. 56:49 And He wants to make you happy. 56:51 I believe that in heaven Jesus Christ has something 56:54 special for everybody that arrives at that pearly gate. 56:59 So, my friend, today bow before Him, 57:02 give your life to Him, trust in Him, 57:05 put your faith in Him. 57:08 His blood can cleanse you. 57:09 His Spirit can empower you to do impossible things. 57:13 Why? 57:14 Because He wants you to spend eternity with Him 57:19 for one reason. 57:22 I'll say it one more time. 57:24 He is intensely in love with you. |
Revised 2017-01-17