Participants: Jill Morikone
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210048S
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00:29 Hello, I'm Jill Morikone
00:30 and welcome to 3ABN Worship Power. 00:32 I love this time where we get to open up the Word of God 00:36 and study and share it together. 00:38 Today's message is titled simply "Leadership's Call," 00:42 but the subtitle 00:44 is "Pitfalls or Dangers for Leaders." 00:48 Now, before you change the channel and say, 00:50 well, I'm not a leader, 00:51 I'm not a manager in a corporation. 00:54 I'm not a leader at my church. 00:56 Leadership can be management, 00:58 yes, but leadership is also influence. 01:02 We all have an influence on someone else. 01:04 It can be an influence for good. 01:06 It can be an influence for bad, 01:08 but we all have some sort of influence. 01:10 We have influence if you're a parent. 01:12 You definitely have influence on your children. 01:15 If you're a child, you have influence on your parents, 01:17 or siblings, or neighbors, or coworkers, or friends, 01:22 or the people you go to church with, 01:24 we all had some measure of influence. 01:28 Therefore, this message about the pitfalls 01:31 or the dangers that we need to watch for 01:33 as leaders. 01:35 That message is for all of us. 01:37 We're gonna be looking at one verse 01:40 in the Book of Ezra. 01:41 It's unusual for me to take an entire message 01:43 and hinge it on one verse, 01:45 but we're gonna be looking at one verse in the Book of Ezra. 01:47 As you study the themes of the Book of Ezra 01:50 and the Book of Nehemiah, 01:52 I look at them as twin books, they're really put together, 01:55 both detailing the history of the Jews. 01:58 Remember they were taken captive into Babylon 02:01 and after 70 years of captivity, 02:04 then they were released and free to go home 02:08 to their homeland, back to Jerusalem. 02:10 Now it had been burned with fire 02:12 and it was devastated. 02:14 The first return 50,000 Jews 02:19 decided to go back home to Jerusalem. 02:22 The first return of course is in 537, 02:24 and this is 70 years after the captivity 02:26 and Zerubbabel led 50,000 of them 02:29 back to their homeland. 02:31 We see that and we can study that in the Book of Ezra. 02:35 Then we also see a few chapters later. 02:38 We see the second return and the third return. 02:42 The themes of the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah 02:45 is God's providence, 02:47 His faithfulness, His covenant to His people 02:50 who had broken that covenant, 02:52 who had turned their back on Him 02:55 because of them breaking that covenant, 02:58 because of them following after other gods, 03:01 engaging in intermarriage with other nations, 03:04 because of that, they were taken into captivity, 03:08 but yet God restored and renewed 03:11 that covenant with His people. 03:13 We see in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, 03:17 we call it the second Exodus. 03:19 Remember the first Exodus was when they were in bondage, 03:22 in captivity in the land of Egypt, 03:25 and then God delivered His people by a mighty hand. 03:29 And then this is the second return 03:32 from captivity or from exile. 03:35 That would be from that Babylonian captivity. 03:37 We see in Ezra and Nehemiah, the reconstruction. 03:41 Ezra was involved 03:42 in the reconstruction of the temple 03:43 and, of course, Nehemiah 03:45 in the reconstruction of the walls. 03:48 We see revival and reformation 03:50 and a purification of the people 03:52 and a desire to come back, 03:55 to return to God again. 03:57 We see opposition both from within the ranks, 04:00 from fellow Jews, from fellow church members. 04:03 And we see opposition from outside those ranks. 04:06 And we especially see leadership 04:09 exemplified both in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. 04:14 Our opening scripture is our theme scripture. 04:16 And then we're going to pray. This is in Ezra Chapter 8. 04:20 And you might think this is an unusual scripture, 04:23 but we're going to read Ezra 8:15, 04:26 and then a little bit into the message. 04:28 You'll see why I chose this scripture. 04:30 "Now I gathered them 04:31 by the river that flows to Ahava, 04:33 and we camped there three days. 04:36 And I looked among the people and the priests and found," 04:40 what's that word? 04:42 "None of the sons of Levi there." 04:46 Where are the Levites? 04:49 Let's pray. 04:50 Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus. 04:53 And I ask right now that Your Word, 04:55 which is already anointed, which is already alive, 04:59 that You would speak to us 05:00 by the power of Your Holy Spirit. 05:04 And, Father, show us, show me the areas in my life 05:08 that You want me to grow and change. 05:11 Thank you for the convicting power 05:14 of Your Holy Spirit. 05:16 In Jesus' name, amen. 05:19 When I was little girl growing up, 05:21 probably at least to the age of 12, 05:23 my mom and dad and sister, 05:25 we always lived away from family. 05:29 My dad was a teacher for the denomination 05:31 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 05:33 and he taught many different places, 05:35 Texas, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, 05:39 and all of our family was all back in Massachusetts. 05:43 And so I remember my entire growing up years 05:46 being separated from the rest of my family. 05:51 We were very close. 05:52 My mom has a twin sister 05:54 and we were very close to her kids. 05:56 So we considered them like brothers, my sister and I, 06:00 and there were two male cousins actually, 06:02 but we considered them, 06:03 we had a brother sister relationship. 06:06 And back in those days, I'm not sure why, 06:09 whether it was a money factor or what, 06:11 but we didn't really talk on the phone. 06:12 Instead we sent old fashioned cassette tapes. 06:17 So I would put the tape recorder, press play. 06:20 And I would talk to my brothers, my cousins. 06:24 This is what we did today and this is what's happening 06:26 and this is what I learned in school. 06:28 And this is what I played. 06:29 This is from the age of two, three, four, five, six, 06:33 all those growing up years. 06:34 Why? 06:36 Because we were separated from them. 06:38 And then pretty soon a week would go by. 06:41 And then I would get a cassette tape in the mail 06:43 and we would put it on and we would play. 06:45 And we would receive the update of what our cousins were doing. 06:48 And it seemed like they were so far away. 06:50 And I remember every summer we got to go home. 06:54 We got to go back to Massachusetts 06:56 and we would spend a couple of weeks 06:57 at our cousin's house. 06:59 And I remember being so excited. 07:00 Pretty soon we get to see them. 07:02 Pretty soon, we'll be back. 07:04 I imagine that's a very small taste 07:07 of what the Jewish people felt when they were ripped 07:10 and taken by force 07:12 from their homeland there in Jerusalem. 07:15 This would have been 605 BC. 07:17 Remember Daniel and his three friends 07:20 were all taken captive and taken to Babylon. 07:24 It was an incredible experience that journey across the desert. 07:29 Thousands of Jews captured. 07:31 The temple was ransacked. 07:33 The gold and silver vessels from the temple were stolen 07:37 and the people left their homeland. 07:39 They left their communities. 07:42 They left their jobs and they were forced as slaves 07:46 as it were captives in a strange land. 07:49 But not just a strange land, it was a land of idolatry, 07:54 a heathen country. 07:55 Now they were in there 70 years, 07:58 they were there in captivity. 08:00 They died there in captivity. 08:02 At the end of those 70 years, 08:05 this is where we see in Ezra and Nehemiah. 08:07 We see that first return, that call under King Cyrus, 08:11 and they had the opportunity and the privilege 08:15 to return back to their homeland. 08:19 The Prophet Jeremiah, while they were in captivity. 08:22 Let's jump over there. 08:23 Jeremiah Chapter 29. 08:26 I love this passage. 08:27 Remember Jeremiah would have been a prophet 08:29 right at that time when Daniel was taken captive, 08:31 he would have been a prophet, he was not taken to Babylon, 08:34 but he was a prophet during that time. 08:35 And he had this counsel 08:38 as it were for the Jewish people. 08:40 This is Jeremiah 29:5. 08:42 He says, "Build houses and dwell on them." 08:46 This is for those people 08:47 who are carried captive to Babylon. 08:49 "Take wives and beget sons and daughters, 08:51 take wives for your sons 08:53 and give your daughters to husbands." 08:54 Verse 7, "Seek the peace of the city, 08:58 where I have caused you to be carried away captive, 09:02 and pray to the Lord for it. 09:04 For in its peace, you will have peace." 09:07 And then it goes on about 70 years, 09:09 this captivity will be, 09:11 and then you will be released again. 09:15 So during this time they truly did settle down 09:18 and plant vineyards 09:20 and took themselves husbands and wives and had children. 09:24 And they had a prosperous life there as captives 09:28 in the land of Babylon. 09:30 But when this call went forth under King Cyrus 09:32 for the people, 09:33 they could return back to their homeland. 09:37 Fifty thousand of them chose to go back, 09:40 but they all didn't choose. 09:42 They all did not want to go back. 09:45 Some of them were settled in Babylon 09:48 and some of them chose to remain there. 09:52 Eighty years went by, 09:54 we go all the way down to 457 BC. 09:57 And now this is the time of Ezra. 10:00 And there is a second return, 10:03 a second call for God's people 10:06 to leave Babylonian captivity 10:09 and to return back to their homeland. 10:13 Now, all of these people had been born in captivity. 10:15 All of these people were raised in Babylon. 10:17 All of these people were used to Babylon. 10:19 And to be honest, they probably had adopted 10:22 some of the Babylonian customs. 10:25 This return of Ezra, 10:27 there was probably 5 or 6,000 people in total 10:29 that returned. 10:31 And we see this. 10:32 This is where we get to our passage. 10:33 We see this. 10:35 In Ezra 7, we see Ezra being called to return 10:38 and go back and to lead the people back. 10:40 And in Ezra 8, 10:42 we see this amazing list of people 10:46 who were going back to Jerusalem. 10:49 This is, of course, the second return. 10:51 Everyone on the list, if you read Ezra Chapter 8, 10:54 everyone on the list, 10:55 except for one person is connected 10:58 somehow to the first return of exiles. 11:01 They connected to those people 11:03 who had returned 80 years before. 11:05 So these would be kids, grandkids, 11:08 great grandkids who had, 11:10 they're related to people who had returned before. 11:13 This means that the original call, 11:16 the one with 50,000 people went back to Jerusalem. 11:19 It had a mixed response, 11:21 dividing families right down the middle. 11:24 Some chose to go back to Jerusalem, 11:26 some chose to remain in Babylon. 11:29 To me, it shows two things. 11:30 Number one, the spiritual indifference 11:33 of those who were in a comfortable lifestyle 11:36 in Babylon. 11:37 They had kind of settled down and taken up residence. 11:41 Number two, it really demonstrates 11:43 the faith and commitment of those people 11:47 who had made a choice to return, 11:50 to leave behind everything that they knew 11:52 and to return back to their homeland. 11:55 If you read Ezra Chapter 8, you see this list of... 11:58 There's kind of an order to the list of names. 12:02 In Ezra 8: 2, 12:06 this is Ezra 8:2. 12:08 We see that some of the priests returned. 12:12 In Ezra 8:2, it says, 12:13 "Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom, 12:15 of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel." 12:18 Now Phinehas was Aaron's grandson. 12:20 We are many decades and centuries 12:22 removed from Aaron, 12:24 but it would have been a descendant of Aaron. 12:27 And Ithamar was actually the son of Aaron. 12:30 So another words, this second return, 12:32 this is when Ezra made the call 12:34 and these people went back to their homeland to Jerusalem. 12:39 Some of the priests, descendants of Aaron 12:42 decided that they wanted to go back. 12:45 Then we see if you keep reading that verse Ezra 8:2, 12:48 it says, "Of the sons of David, Hattush." 12:51 And then it goes on. 12:52 So we see there are some of royal lineage or blood. 12:56 Some of the sons of the house of David 12:59 decided to go back as well. 13:02 So Ezra starts with the priest, the priests are going back. 13:04 Then he switches and he says, okay, 13:07 there's some of the royal house of David who are going back. 13:10 And then the rest of the list of names 13:12 are all ordinary laypeople, you could say. 13:16 It was probably 1500 men who chose to go back. 13:19 It adds up to maybe 5 or 6,000 13:22 if you include the woman and the children. 13:24 But our pivotal verse is verse 15, 13:26 which we read before. 13:28 And I wanna read it now. 13:29 Now, remember we already established 13:30 that the priests were going back. 13:32 Some of the royal blood of the house of David 13:35 were going back, 13:37 and the ordinary laypeople were going back, 13:39 but there was one group who was not going back. 13:44 This is in the second return. 13:45 We're in Ezra 8:15. 13:48 Now I gathered them. 13:49 This is Ezra, gathered all these people 13:51 who are going back by the river that flows to Ahava. 13:55 And we camped there three days. 13:57 And I looked among the people and the priests 14:00 and found none of the sons of Levi there. 14:05 So my question to you is where are the Levites? 14:10 Before we unpack that, 14:12 we're gonna talk about the seven pitfalls 14:15 or dangers for leaders. 14:16 Let's just talk about the difference 14:18 between priests and Levites 14:19 'cause you might be saying, 14:20 but I thought priests were Levites. 14:22 And I don't really understand that. 14:24 So all priests were to be Levites. 14:27 So if you were a priest, you had to be a Levi, 14:30 but not all Levites were priests. 14:34 Let me say that again. 14:35 All priests were to be Levites, 14:37 but not all Levites were priests. 14:40 The Levitical priests were given the privilege 14:43 of doing service in the tabernacle. 14:45 They served as judges. 14:47 You can read that in Deuteronomy 17. 14:50 They served as teachers of God's law. 14:52 You can read that in Deuteronomy 33. 14:55 Some of the more well-known Levitical priests 14:58 would have been Aaron. 14:59 He was a Levite, but he was a priest. 15:02 Would have been Ezra, he was a Levite, 15:04 but he was a priest. 15:06 Would have been Eli, he was a Levite, 15:08 but he was a priest. 15:10 And the New Testament, Zachariah. 15:12 Remember, the father of John the Baptist, 15:15 the forerunner of the Messiah. 15:17 He was a Levite, but he was also a priest. 15:20 Now there were certain Levites who were not priests, 15:25 the non-priestly Levites, 15:28 the Levites who were not priests 15:30 were involved in taking care of the tabernacle 15:33 and its furnishings. 15:35 You can read about their duties in Numbers 3, 15:37 if you wanna look it up later. 15:40 None of the sons of Levi, 15:42 none of the ordinary Levites wanted to return. 15:47 In addition, none of the temple servants 15:51 wanted to return either. 15:53 The temple servants were specifically involved 15:56 in the care of the furnishings for the tabernacle service. 16:00 So what is the danger of the Levite mentality? 16:05 This is pitfalls or dangers for leaders. 16:08 Now, you know I like lists, 16:10 so we're going to talk about seven. 16:11 Seven pitfalls or seven dangers that we have for leaders. 16:16 And this could be any one of us, 16:18 'cause we all have influence on someone else. 16:21 I'm gonna give you the seven and then we'll go back 16:23 and unpack them. 16:24 Danger number one, the danger of comfort. 16:28 Number two, the danger of tradition. 16:32 Number three, the danger of complacency 16:35 and the fear of hardship. 16:37 Number four, the danger of avoiding responsibility. 16:43 Number five, the danger of feeling insignificant. 16:48 Number six, the danger of family ties. 16:53 And number seven, the danger of the unknown. 16:57 So let's unpack them. 16:59 The dangers of what I call the Levite mentality. 17:01 Danger number one, the danger of comfort. 17:04 Babylon was very comfortable and safe. 17:07 Remember these Levites had grown up in Babylon 17:10 and their parents and grandparents had, 17:11 they'd been in Babylon for years. 17:14 It was comfortable. It was safe. 17:16 It was all they knew. 17:18 It is very dangerous 17:20 when you and I become comfortable 17:23 where we are serving the Lord. 17:26 Turn with me to Zephaniah 1:12. 17:31 "And it shall come to pass at that time, 17:33 that I won't search Jerusalem with lamps 17:37 and punish the men 17:39 who are settled in their complacency, 17:43 who say in their heart, 17:45 'The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.'" 17:49 What does that saying? 17:50 Complacency, the danger of comfort complacency 17:54 will be punished. 17:56 Luke 12. Let's look to Luke 12. 17:59 This is, of course, one of the parables of Jesus. 18:02 And we see complacency, not just in the Old Testament, 18:05 but we also see it in the New Testament too. 18:07 Let's look at Luke Chapter 12. 18:10 We're gonna pick it up. I think in verse 13. 18:14 Most of the parables of Jesus, 18:16 when you read the parables 18:17 in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, 18:19 they answer a question and they deal with an attitude. 18:22 The attitude in this parable is covetousness, 18:26 but not only that, it's the danger of comfort 18:31 as we'll see in this parable. 18:32 So we pick it up in Luke 12:13, 18:35 "One from the crowd said to Him, 18:37 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide 18:40 the inheritance with me.'" 18:42 Now it's interesting. 18:43 He says, teacher tell my brother to divide 18:45 the inheritance with me. 18:47 He didn't want a teacher. 18:48 He wanted a judge 18:49 to judge between the financial responsibilities 18:53 of his inheritance. 18:55 "But He said, that's Jesus said to him, 18:57 'Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?' 19:02 And He said to them, 19:04 'Take heed and beware of covetousness.'" 19:08 That word covetousness in the Greek 19:09 is a greedy desire for more. 19:12 Beware of a greedy desire for more. 19:15 "For one's life does not consist 19:17 in the abundance of the things that he possesses. 19:21 Then He, that's Jesus, spoke a parable to them saying, 19:24 'The ground of a certain rich man 19:26 yielded plentifully. 19:28 And he thought within himself saying, 19:30 'What shall I do since I have no room to store these crops?'" 19:33 So he had a good crop. He had a good year. 19:34 He was a farmer. 19:36 It was an incredible crop. 19:37 And he thought what am I going to do? 19:39 I have an overabundance. 19:42 What do I do with my overabundance? 19:44 "And I will say to my soul, 19:46 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years, 19:50 take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.' 19:53 But God said to him, 19:54 'Fool, this night, your soul shall be required." 19:59 That word in Greek means asked back, demanded. 20:03 "Then whose will these things be, 20:07 which you have provided? 20:09 So is he who lays up treasure for himself 20:12 and is not rich toward God." 20:14 So this man was wealthy. 20:16 He had a fabulous harvest and he said, 20:18 "Okay, this is great. 20:20 I want this for myself. 20:22 I'm gonna tear down these barns and build bigger. 20:25 And I'm going to relax the danger of comfort. 20:29 I'm going to sit down the danger of comfort. 20:34 I'm not going to worry about even having to farm," 20:37 the danger of comfort. 20:41 You know, I wish I could say this was a long time ago, 20:44 but it actually just happened this week. 20:48 There was a decision that we were facing 20:50 here at the ministry of 3ABN 20:52 and the direction that we were talking 20:56 about going bothered me, 20:59 and I didn't know why it bothered me. 21:01 And so I took it back to God and I prayed about it. 21:03 And I said, "Why am I bothered? 21:05 Why am I unsettled in my spirit?" 21:10 And as I prayed about it, 21:12 I realized that the direction 21:13 that we were leaning toward going for the ministry 21:16 was a good thing. 21:17 It was needful for ministry. 21:19 It was helpful. 21:21 You know why I didn't want to do it. 21:23 You know, why I felt unsettled in my spirit? 21:28 It was because it caused change, 21:29 because I was comfortable, 21:32 because I didn't want to step out of my happy place, 21:37 my comfortable place, 21:39 and step into something 21:41 that God was actually calling us to do. 21:44 Never make decisions based on what feels good, 21:49 based on your own comfort, 21:51 base them on principles found in the Word of God. 21:56 If you are a leader, I wanna talk to you right now, 21:58 do not make decisions based on your own comfort. 22:04 Danger number two, the danger of tradition. 22:08 The Levites had only known Babylon. 22:11 They had been born there, bred there, raised there. 22:14 It was the only thing that they had ever known. 22:18 It is dangerous when we serve the Lord 22:21 because our parents did 22:23 or because somehow it is what we have always done, 22:27 it's dangerous. 22:29 Colossians 2:8 says, "Beware, lest anyone cheat you 22:33 through philosophy and empty deceit, 22:36 according to the traditions of men, 22:38 according to the basic principles 22:40 of the world 22:42 and not according to Christ." 22:44 What is Paul saying here? 22:46 It is dangerous when you and I do things 22:49 because mama did it, or daddy did it, 22:52 or that's the way we were always taught. 22:55 The church I grew up in, that's what they taught. 22:57 That's why I do things the way I do. 22:59 The place, my environment as a child, 23:02 that's what they always did. 23:04 That's why I do things the way that I do. 23:07 It's dangerous if we don't base everything 23:10 on the Word of God. 23:12 Joshua 24:15, I love this promise. 23:16 Joshua 24:15. 23:18 This is Joshua speaking to the children of Israel. 23:22 They have crossed the Red Sea. 23:24 They have spent their 40 years in the wilderness. 23:27 They have entered the Promised Land, 23:30 and he's giving a challenge to the people. 23:33 "If it seems evil for you to serve the Lord, 23:36 choose for yourselves this day, 23:39 whom you will serve, 23:40 whether the gods which your fathers served, 23:43 that were on the other side of the river 23:45 or the gods of the Amorites 23:48 in whose land you dwell. 23:51 But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 23:55 Now it's the challenge, 23:57 of course, to the children of Israel. 23:58 And I hear that challenge echo down through the centuries. 24:01 To you and I today, it is a challenge to us, 24:04 but it's interesting to me. 24:05 He says, please choose Jesus, 24:07 make a choice to serve the Lord. 24:10 But in addition to that, 24:12 he kind of throws out two things 24:14 that we often serve instead of God. 24:18 The first is he said, 24:19 are you gonna serve the gods which your fathers served? 24:22 Now that's little g, not God in heaven, 24:25 but the idols that their father served, 24:27 the false pagan gods that their fathers served. 24:31 Those are what I call the gods of tradition. 24:34 Are you going to do it 24:36 because it's the way you were raised? 24:37 Are you gonna do it 24:38 because it's the way we always did it. 24:41 And sometimes I fall into that trap. 24:43 Well, I don't know why we do it, 24:44 but we always do it that way. 24:46 Well, I don't know why we make that decision, 24:47 but it's the way that decision has always been done. 24:50 The danger of tradition 24:52 of making decisions based on past tradition, 24:58 but that's not the only God 24:59 that Joshua challenged them to beware of, 25:02 not just the god of tradition 25:03 or the god that their father served, 25:05 but he also says, or the gods of the Amorites 25:08 in whose land you dwell. 25:11 I look at that as the gods of our acquaintances, 25:14 the gods of our friends. 25:15 You see, we can grow up 25:17 and maybe make a decision for God 25:19 and put the past 25:20 or those traditions in the past, 25:22 if they were ungodly, we can put them behind us. 25:24 But then we are influenced 25:27 by the people we associate with. 25:29 We are influenced by friends and neighbors 25:31 and coworkers and acquaintances. 25:33 So Joshua was telling the people, 25:35 don't be influenced by the past 25:37 or what you have always done. 25:39 Don't be influenced by the present 25:42 and those who surround you. 25:46 Make a choice, choose the Lord, study your decisions. 25:51 Are they based on others? 25:53 Are they based on traditions? 25:54 Or they based on the Word of God 25:56 and on principle? 25:58 So the first danger or pitfall for leaders 26:01 is the danger of comfort. 26:02 The second danger is the danger of tradition. 26:05 The third danger, 26:06 the danger of complacency or the fear of hardship. 26:13 You see the journey to Judah. 26:14 It was long and it was difficult. 26:16 In fact, if you look at Ezra Chapter 7, 26:18 Ezra delineates that he left on the first day 26:21 of the first month of a certain year, 26:24 and he got to Jerusalem 26:27 on the first day 26:28 of the fifth month of the same year. 26:31 That means the journey was four months long. 26:34 He started, we would say January 1st 26:36 and he arrived in Jerusalem, 26:37 we would say May 1st, that is a long journey. 26:41 And it was arduous, and it was across the desert. 26:47 It was dangerous. 26:49 It is dangerous when we refuse to serve the Lord 26:53 because of our unwillingness to encounter hardship. 26:58 Have you ever made a decision and went this way? 27:03 Because this way over here looked hard, 27:05 it looked difficult. 27:07 It looked maybe like 27:08 something you did not want to encounter. 27:11 Paul talking to his son in the faith. 27:12 I love 1 and 2 Timothy and talking to his son Timothy, 27:17 of course, this is not biological, 27:19 but he had mentored Timothy. 27:21 And now of course, Paul is in prison 27:23 right at the end of his life. 27:26 And he gives counsel to Timothy. 27:28 2 Timothy 2:3, 27:31 "You therefore must endure a hardship 27:34 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 27:36 Did you catch that? 27:37 You and I are in a warfare, we are in a battle. 27:40 We are called to be soldiers of Jesus Christ. 27:44 Endure hardship, not okay, it's gonna be a life of roses. 27:49 It's gonna be easy. It's gonna be painless. 27:52 No. 27:54 Endure hardship 27:56 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 27:59 The danger of the fear of hardship. 28:01 Have you ever made a decision 28:04 because the right decision was too hard? 28:07 And so you took the wrong decision. 28:09 I think of Ruth and Orpah, remember them. 28:12 They were daughters-in-law of Naomi. 28:15 Now, Naomi and her husband and two sons 28:17 had left Bethlehem. 28:20 It was a time of famine 28:22 and they felt like 28:23 maybe God had deserted the Israelites. 28:25 I don't know what they felt, but they left Bethlehem. 28:28 And they went to the land of Moab. 28:30 And when they got to Moab, it was not a life of roses. 28:33 It might have initially started out good. 28:35 Her two sons got married, Ruth and Orpah. 28:38 They took Moabites woman and they lived happily. 28:42 And then all of a sudden Naomi's husband died. 28:45 And then Naomi's two sons died and they were left destitute, 28:50 penniless widows. 28:52 Now in their society and their culture 28:56 being a widow as a woman was a lot worse 28:59 even than it would be being a widow as a woman today. 29:02 They weren't allowed to own property. 29:04 They weren't allowed to do that, buying and selling. 29:06 They weren't allowed to speak up for themselves. 29:09 And so, Naomi decided 29:11 she's going to return to her homeland. 29:14 She's going back to the land of Israel. 29:16 And Ruth and Orpah started the journey with her. 29:19 And then what happened? 29:20 She says, "Please go back. 29:22 There's nothing for you. 29:23 I can't provide for you. 29:25 I don't have finances for you. 29:27 I don't have another child for you to marry. 29:30 Please go back to your home." 29:33 Orpah went home, 29:34 but Ruth said this incredible statement. 29:36 This is in Ruth 1:16 and 17. 29:41 Ruth said, "Entreat me, 29:42 she's talking to her mother-in-law Naomi, 29:45 "and treat me not to leave you." 29:47 Don't make me leave you 29:49 or to turn back from following after you. 29:53 "For ever you go, I will go. 29:56 And wherever you lodge, I will lodge. 30:00 Your people shall be my people and your God, my God, 30:05 where you die, I will die. 30:08 And there I will be buried. 30:11 The Lord do so to me and more also, 30:14 if anything, but death part you and me." 30:18 Now, this is an incredible statement 30:21 of devotion of love. 30:23 A decision to follow not only her mother-in-law 30:26 and take care of her, 30:28 but to follow her mother-in-law's God. 30:30 She was choosing our God as her God. 30:34 But what's interesting to me in that passage, 30:36 and I never really unpacked this before 30:38 or really understood this before. 30:40 What's interesting to me is that we always say, 30:42 God's the one who lives, who is with us, do we not? 30:45 Hebrews 13, it says, 30:47 "I will never leave you nor forsake you, 30:51 so that we may boldly say, 30:52 'The Lord is my helper, what can man do unto me?'" 30:55 So we say, praise the Lord, God is with us always. 30:58 I'm so grateful that He's with us and He is. 31:01 We say, "Praise the Lord that He will walk with us 31:04 through the valley and through the dark times," 31:06 and He does. 31:08 We say, "Praise God that He will never leave us." 31:11 And He won't. 31:12 But in this case, it's Ruth making that statement, 31:16 that what she is going to do. 31:18 To me, it's a flip of the statement, 31:20 instead of God is with me I'm so grateful. 31:22 He'll never leave me. That's wonderful. 31:24 And that is true. But Ruth says what? 31:27 I will follow you, God anywhere, 31:30 I will stay with you, God, for always, 31:34 I will follow you even unto death. 31:39 You know, there's a story told of a man by the name of Garrow. 31:43 And he was in a remote Indian village 31:46 with his wife and a couple of kids 31:48 and some missionaries were sent out 31:50 from the foreign mission field sent to the country of India, 31:54 sent to teach the people about Jesus. 31:57 And he came night by night, 32:00 listened to the meetings, 32:02 learned about Jesus and was so excited. 32:07 Wow, I wanna follow this God. 32:10 He died for me. He loves me. 32:13 I'm going to become a Christian. 32:16 I'm going to give my life in service to Him. 32:20 And so Garrow and his wife 32:22 and their two children accepted Jesus. 32:26 Well, then, no sooner does one of us, 32:30 any of us, except Jesus then is born in our heart 32:34 a desire to share Him with someone else. 32:36 Have you experienced that? 32:38 When we know Him, when we've walked with Him, 32:41 when we've experienced Him, what do we want? 32:44 We want to share that with others. 32:47 In fact, that reminds me, 32:49 let's jump over there real fast. 32:51 2 Peter 2:9, but you are what? 32:53 A chosen generation, 32:56 a royal priesthood, a holy nation. 32:59 I gave you the wrong reference. 33:01 It's actually 1 Peter 2:9, 33:05 His own special people, why? 33:08 Why are we called? Why are we chosen? 33:10 Why are we His people? 33:12 That we may proclaim the praises of Him 33:15 who called us out of darkness into this marvelous light. 33:21 Who once were not a people. 33:23 You and I walked far from God. 33:25 I know I have, I did my own thing. 33:29 I went my own way. 33:30 Who once were not a people, 33:32 but now are the people of God 33:35 who had not obtained mercy, 33:37 but now we have obtained mercy. 33:41 So we are called into relationship with Him. 33:46 We are justified in the process of being sanctified. 33:49 Why? 33:51 So that we can proclaim His praises, 33:53 so that we can share what He has done with us, 33:56 with someone else so that we can be His witness. 34:01 So Garrow in this Indian village, 34:03 he decided I want to be His witness. 34:05 He had just accepted Jesus. 34:06 He's a brand new Christian. His wife's a Christian. 34:09 His two kids are a Christian. 34:11 Now, what does he wanna do? 34:13 He wants to share the love of Jesus, 34:16 the gospel, the Word of God, 34:18 with those people in his village. 34:20 And so he started. 34:21 And so they started to accept Jesus, 34:23 one villager after another, after another. 34:26 And Christianity began to spread in that village. 34:31 And the village chief began to be upset. 34:34 He didn't like this very much. 34:36 He didn't want these people 34:37 leaving behind those heathen customs 34:41 and accepting Jesus. 34:44 So he went to Garrow and the whole family was there. 34:48 And he said, "Renounce your faith in Jesus, 34:52 or I'm going to kill your children." 34:56 And Garrow looked at the chief and he said, 34:59 "I have decided to follow Jesus." 35:03 Do you know that song? 35:04 This is the origin of that song. 35:06 I have decided to follow Jesus. 35:08 I have decided to follow Jesus, 35:12 no turning back, no turning back. 35:16 And so the chief killed both of his children. 35:22 And as they're there on the floor, 35:24 the chief looked at Garrow again and said, 35:26 okay, you know, I'm serious 'cause your children are dead. 35:30 'Renounce your faith in Jesus, 35:33 or I'm going to kill your wife." 35:37 And Garrow said, 35:39 "Though no one joins me, still I will follow." 35:44 Though no one joins me, I will follow. 35:47 No turning back, no turning back. 35:50 And so the chief killed the wife. 35:53 And then the chief looked back again at Garrow 35:56 and said, "Your last chance, I'm gonna kill you. 35:59 Renounce your faith in Jesus." 36:05 And Garrow said, "The world behind me, 36:09 the cross before me, no turning back, 36:14 no turning back." 36:16 And he was killed. 36:17 That is the origin of that song. 36:20 I have decided to follow Jesus. 36:23 But the incredible thing is that the influence of Garrow 36:28 and his family 36:29 who made a choice to follow Jesus, 36:32 even if it involved hardship, even if it involved suffering, 36:36 even if it involved death, they said, 36:39 I want to follow You, God, regardless. 36:42 The chief accepted Jesus 36:45 and many other people did as well. 36:48 We have the danger of comfort, 36:49 the danger of tradition, 36:52 the danger of complacency and the fear of hardship. 36:56 Danger number four, 36:58 the danger of avoiding responsibility. 37:02 The Levites, the ones who had not chosen 37:05 to go back with Ezra, 37:07 they weren't serving in the temple of Babylon. 37:10 Perhaps they didn't want that responsibility. 37:13 If they went back with Ezra, 37:15 if they went back to Jerusalem, what would happen? 37:18 They would go to work. 37:19 They would be put into service there in the temple, 37:23 serving God. 37:25 It is dangerous when we shirk a duty 37:28 that God has placed upon us. 37:32 I don't know what duty God has put before you, 37:34 what command He's put in your heart. 37:36 Maybe He said, I want you to do this. 37:38 Maybe He's saying, I want you to make 37:40 this decision for your family, for your church, 37:43 for the organization that you're a leader in. 37:46 It is dangerous if we avoid the responsibility 37:50 that comes with the position that God has placed us in. 37:54 This is Galatians 6. 37:56 Galatians 6:4-5. 37:58 This comes from the NIV 37:59 'cause I like the way the translation is here. 38:03 Galatians 6:4-5, 38:05 "Each one should test their own actions, 38:08 then they can take pride in themselves alone 38:11 without comparing themselves to someone else, 38:15 for each one should carry," what's that word? 38:18 "Their own load." 38:21 We're not called to depend on other people. 38:23 We're not called to say, 38:25 I don't really like the responsibility 38:27 of my position 38:28 or what I'm supposed to do here. 38:30 I'm going to pass that off on someone else. 38:34 No, each one should carry their own load. 38:37 Meaning whatever God has given you to do, 38:39 that is what you need to do. 38:41 That is what you need to step up and say, 38:44 okay, God, I don't know how, but I'm gonna do it. 38:47 You know, when I first stepped into my position here at 3ABN, 38:52 Mollie had retired and this was start of 2018. 38:57 Mollie had retired, and I remember the first day 39:00 sitting behind her desk saying, 39:02 God, I have no idea how to do this. 39:06 I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. 39:09 I don't know what decisions to make. 39:13 And when the decisions become hard 39:15 and things need to be said, 39:17 that need to be said, God, I'm afraid. 39:19 God, I don't know if I can do this. 39:22 And He said, my daughter, I want you to look to me, 39:25 for I am your source of strength. 39:28 I want you to look to me for wisdom. 39:30 I want you to look to me for peace. 39:33 I want you to look to me any time you have a question. 39:37 What a gift to be able to depend 39:40 on our Father, 39:42 no matter what God has called you to do, 39:44 you can choose to depend on Him. 39:46 You can go to Him in your time of need and say, 39:49 "I need wisdom. 39:50 I need help. I need assurance. 39:52 Please, God, would you teach me. 39:54 Please, would you show me? Would you instruct me? 39:58 And go to God 40:00 instead of avoiding that responsibility. 40:04 I know there's some times 40:05 where I have felt like avoiding that responsibility. 40:07 And there's been times 40:08 when I have avoided the responsibility 40:11 and it's not worked out so well. 40:13 Romans 14:12 says, 40:15 "So then each of us 40:17 shall give an account of himself to God." 40:21 We don't give an account of our neighbor. 40:23 We don't say, well, I think Sally didn't serve 40:25 in the way she was supposed to. 40:27 I don't think John or Harry over here 40:29 did what God had called them to do. 40:31 No, we're not responsible for other people. 40:34 And we're not responsible for their salvation. 40:36 We're not responsible for their work. 40:37 We are responsible for ourselves before God 40:41 and whatever duty God has given you, 40:44 whatever responsibility God has instructed you with 40:48 and placed in your hands, 40:51 that is what we're called to do. 40:54 What has God called you to do? I think of little maid. 40:57 You know that story. 40:59 She was taken as a captive from the land of Israel, 41:03 captive in a heathen country. 41:04 She was placed in service at the home of captain Naaman. 41:09 Now she could have clearly said, 41:11 well, I don't want this responsibility. 41:13 I'm going to cry in the corner. 41:15 I'm going to sulk. 41:16 I'm only going to work when they make me work. 41:19 No. Did she avoid responsibility? 41:22 Absolutely not. 41:23 I think of Peter and John, New Testament. 41:25 This is now the Peter and John after Pentecost. 41:28 We know what the Peter and John were like before Pentecost. 41:32 Remember at the crucifixion, they all forsook Him and fled. 41:36 Remember Peter saying, I will not deny you. 41:39 And then he turns and denies his Lord and master. 41:42 But after they were converted, 41:44 after Pentecost happened in Acts Chapter 2, 41:47 what happened? 41:49 Their lives were changed. 41:51 They were transformed 41:53 by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 41:55 In fact, they were changed so much 41:59 that when the priests and the leaders, 42:02 the scribes and the Pharisees sought 42:04 to throw them in prison, sought to question them, 42:07 sought to challenge them and say, 42:09 you cannot speak of Jesus, we forbid you. 42:13 What did they say? 42:14 We ought to obey God rather than men, 42:17 and the Pharisees and the religious leaders 42:19 were amazed that these were unlearned, 42:23 unlettered men from Galilee, simple fishermen. 42:27 And yet they spoke with such boldness. 42:31 Did they avoid their responsibility? 42:33 Absolutely not. I think of Abraham. 42:35 Remember the call of God came to him, 42:38 leave Ur of the Chaldees, leave your home, 42:42 leave your family. 42:44 Of course, he took his wife, 42:46 leave those who are your associates, 42:49 leave your job, leave everything there 42:51 and go to a land that I will show you. 42:54 He didn't know where he was going, 42:56 but he set out because why? 42:59 God had called him to a certain responsibility. 43:04 Did he avoid responsibility? 43:06 Absolutely not. I think of Moses. 43:08 Turn with me to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11. 43:10 If you want a list of men and women of God 43:13 who did not shirk responsibility, 43:15 who did what God called them to do 43:18 at the risk of ridicule, at the risk of persecution, 43:22 at the risk of failure, at the risk of death, 43:26 all you have to do is read Hebrews Chapter 11, 43:29 to see these heroes, men and women of faith. 43:34 Moses is one of those. 43:35 Hebrews 11:24- 26, 43:38 "By faith Moses, 43:40 when he became of age, refused," 43:44 what? 43:45 "To be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 43:47 choosing rather to suffer affliction 43:50 with the people of God 43:52 than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." 43:55 King James says the pleasures of sin 43:57 for a season. 43:58 "Esteeming the reproach of Christ, 44:01 greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, 44:04 for he looked to the reward." 44:08 Did Moses avoid responsibility? 44:11 He could have stayed in the palace 44:12 where it was cushy. 44:13 He could have enjoyed those pleasures of sin. 44:16 He forsook that. Why? 44:18 Because God had given him a responsibility 44:22 and he did not shake that. 44:24 Danger number five, 44:25 the danger of feeling insignificant. 44:29 You know, the Levites could have thought, 44:31 but we're only Levites. 44:33 We're not priests, we're not at as important. 44:38 We don't do service in the tabernacle. 44:40 We don't serve as judges or teachers of the law. 44:43 Our job is just to care for the tabernacle 44:45 and its furnishings. 44:46 Have you ever felt insignificant? 44:49 Have you ever felt not valued? 44:52 Have you ever felt not needed? 44:55 It is dangerous when we measure the responsibilities 44:58 that God has given to us 45:00 against someone else's responsibilities, 45:05 instead of doing what we're given 45:06 to the best of our ability. 45:09 2 Corinthians 10:12, 45:11 "We dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves 45:14 with those who commend themselves, 45:16 but they measuring themselves by themselves 45:19 and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise." 45:24 You know, I could sit here and say, 45:25 I surely wish I could sing like Ryan. 45:27 I wish I could play the piano like Tim. 45:29 I wish I could preach like Pastor John, 45:32 but that's not, 45:33 none of those is who God has called me to be. 45:36 We are called to be what God has called us to be. 45:41 We're called to be who God has called us to be. 45:44 I can't tell you the number of times, 45:46 people call the office at 3ABN and say, 45:48 but I only wish I could be doing this for God. 45:51 I only wish I had whatever. 45:53 Oh, if I could be at 3ABN 45:55 and doing this and I always tell them, 45:57 God has called you 45:58 with a certain responsibility in your sphere. 46:02 Do what God has called you to be. 46:05 That is not insignificant. 46:08 That is the greatest gift 46:09 is to be who God has called you to be, 46:12 to serve, to minister where God has called you to be. 46:16 Danger number six, the danger of family ties. 46:21 You know, we already established 46:22 that the first return, this is under Zerubbabel 46:27 from Babylon back to Jerusalem 46:29 that not everybody went back 46:31 and that families were split apart. 46:35 Perhaps this time, the second return, 46:38 perhaps the Levites felt, 46:40 but some of my family doesn't wanna return to Judah. 46:43 What then? 46:44 Were they willing to leave their family behind 46:47 to answer that call of God? 46:50 It is dangerous when we place family above God. 46:54 Matthew 10:37, 46:57 "He who loves father or mother more than Me 47:01 is not worthy of Me. 47:04 And he who loves son or daughter more than Me 47:07 is not worthy of Me." 47:09 Now, I wanna be careful here 47:10 'cause we are called to love our families. 47:12 We are called to honor our husbands or love our wives. 47:16 We are called to have a family unit 47:18 that is vitally important. 47:20 At the same time when you are faced 47:23 with a decision of principle 47:25 and you choose your family over God's call, 47:30 over your life, that is a problem. 47:33 Greg and I talk about this sometimes. 47:35 What are we going to do if we were persecuted? 47:38 What if we were in a country right now, 47:40 and we were being persecuted for our faith? 47:43 What would we do? Would we be faithful to God? 47:46 If someone came in and said, 47:47 okay, Greg, I'm going to kill your wife 47:49 if you renounced Jesus. 47:50 Would he still be faithful to God? 47:52 Well, it's important that we place 47:55 first allegiance to God and not to our family. 48:00 Finally, the seventh danger is the danger of the unknown. 48:05 There were many unknowns in Jerusalem. 48:07 They'd have to find a new place to live. 48:08 They'd have to find a house. 48:10 They would have new neighbors, a new job, new, 48:13 everything would be new. 48:15 It's dangerous when you and I allow fear 48:18 to dictate our current choices. 48:21 1 John 4:18, says what? 48:23 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love, 48:27 it casts out fear because fear involves torment. 48:31 He who fears has not been made perfect in love." 48:34 We don't have to be afraid. 48:35 We don't have to fear the unknown. 48:37 If God is calling you to something, 48:39 if He wants you to do a certain responsibility, 48:41 a certain job, if He says my child, 48:43 this is what I've put before you right now, 48:46 you do not have to fear the unknown. 48:49 Why? Because God is with you. 48:53 The danger of the Levite mentality, 48:56 the danger of comfort, the danger of tradition, 48:59 the danger of complacency and the fear of hardship. 49:03 The danger of avoiding responsibility, 49:06 the danger of feeling insignificant. 49:09 The danger of family ties, the danger of the unknown. 49:14 It was a rainy day 49:16 and I had forgotten my umbrella, 49:17 which is not unusual for me. 49:20 And as I ran into Walmart, 49:22 I kind of dodged the raindrops 49:24 and I just started into my list. 49:28 When I shop at Walmart, I'm always in a hurry 49:30 and I run as fast as I can behind the cart. 49:32 And I just started down the shampoo aisle. 49:36 And all of a sudden I saw her, 49:38 older woman hair swept up from her face, 49:42 kind looking face, 49:43 but her hand was wrapped in a bandage. 49:46 And instantly I felt an impression 49:48 from the Holy Spirit, 49:49 "Jill, go over and talk to her right now." 49:51 And so I went over and I said, 49:53 "Hey, my name's Jill and how are you? 49:55 And what happened to your hand?" 49:57 And so she was very friendly and we talked a bit, 50:00 she shared how she'd been to Mayo clinic. 50:02 She'd been to many different places, 50:04 hoping to get help for her hand 50:07 and she still didn't know what to do for it. 50:10 Just then I felt the second impression 50:13 of the Holy Spirit, 50:15 "Jill, pray with her right now." 50:18 And I thought, "What, God? 50:20 You want me to pray with her? 50:23 Are you serious? We're in Walmart. 50:24 Did you forget about that? 50:26 Did you forget that there's a lot of people here. 50:27 Did you forget that that might be 50:29 embarrassing for me? 50:32 I'm not going to do that." 50:34 And so I said no 50:36 to the responsibility that God had given to me 50:41 to the job, 50:42 you could say he had given me at that moment. 50:45 And so instead I said, 50:47 my husband and I keep a prayer journal 50:51 and we'll write you on our prayer list. 50:53 And I promise you we'll pray for you. 50:55 Now that's good to tell people you're going to pray for them, 50:57 but that's not what God had told me. 50:59 God had told me to pray with her 51:00 then and I had refused. 51:03 She said, Oh honey, 51:04 thank you for being willing to pray for me. 51:06 And so sure. 51:07 And so I wrote it down in my little book 51:09 and I went away, 51:11 but my conscience was not at peace 51:12 because I had been called to do a job. 51:15 I had been called to pray with her there in Walmart 51:20 and I had refused. 51:22 And so I walked away and went around the corner. 51:24 And just a few minutes later, 51:26 I'm passing the candle aisle. 51:28 And there she was, I couldn't believe it. 51:30 The same lady, and I felt the third impression 51:34 from the Holy Spirit, 51:36 "Jill, go pray with her right now." 51:38 And I thought, God, I agree. 51:40 I should've prayed in the shampoo aisle. 51:41 I get that. 51:43 But God, I'm not gonna say, excuse me. 51:45 I was supposed to pray with you before 51:47 and I'm supposed to pray with you now, 51:48 would you let me pray? 51:49 No. 51:51 And so for the second time 51:52 I refused to answer the call of God. 51:57 We went parted way. 51:59 She just kinda smiled, 52:00 you know, that smile of recognition. 52:01 And we went 52:03 and I went back around Walmart 52:08 till you get to the food section. 52:09 And I saw her again, in the butter and eggs section, 52:13 and God said, this is now the fourth impression, 52:17 "Pray with her." 52:21 And I said, no, God, 52:24 it's been probably 20 minutes. 52:25 And it's a little embarrassing. 52:26 And I didn't even know 52:28 how to bring it up again and no. 52:30 And so I went around the corner, 52:32 she and I kind of smiled and nodded when we pass, 52:34 that was it. 52:35 And I started going up and forth, 52:37 back and forth through the food aisles. 52:39 And I was in the baking aisle. 52:41 You know, the one with the chocolate chips. 52:42 It also has flour and oil and those things. 52:45 So I was in the baking aisle 52:47 and finally God broke through all my defenses, 52:51 all my resistance, 52:55 my disobedience, and said, 52:57 "How many times Jill do I have to ask you 53:01 to do something? 53:02 How many times do I have to ask you to obey 53:06 before you will say, yes, God." 53:10 And I cried right there in Walmart. 53:12 And I said, "God, I'm so sorry. 53:15 I want to be obedient. 53:18 I want to do what You've called me to do. 53:20 I don't wanna shirk this responsibility. 53:22 I don't want to sit back in comfort. 53:25 I don't want to be complacent. 53:27 I don't want to be afraid of the unknown. 53:31 I want to be obedient. 53:33 Will you give me one more opportunity 53:37 to do what I should have done in the first place?" 53:40 And so I went to the end of the baking aisle 53:43 and I peaked to the right all the way at the back. 53:46 The last place, remember I'd seen her 53:47 was in the butter and egg section 53:49 in the back of the store 53:50 and she was there. 53:52 And so I ran to the back of the store and I thought, 53:54 God, I don't even know how I'm gonna do this, 53:56 but I want to be obedient. 53:58 And so I ran to the back of the store 53:59 and there was a couple of there 54:02 talking with her and they walked away 54:05 just as I walked up and she said, 54:08 "Oh, hi, Jill, this couple's from my church. 54:11 And I was just telling them about the nice girl 54:14 I met in Walmart, 54:16 who said she would pray for me." 54:18 You know what? 54:19 God gave me the opening that I needed. 54:22 And I said, actually, that's why I came back. 54:24 I wanna know, can I pray with you right now? 54:26 And she said, "Oh honey, I'd love that." 54:28 And so she held out her good hand 54:30 and we held hands right there in the middle of Walmart 54:33 in the middle of this major thoroughfare. 54:35 And we petitioned the throne of grace, 54:37 knowing that we would find grace and mercy 54:41 and help in our time of need. 54:46 I turned around and walked away. 54:48 And she said, "Thank you 54:49 for coming back to pray with me." 54:50 You see she had no idea of the challenge in my heart. 54:52 She had no idea of the battle I had faced. 54:54 She had no idea that I had been disobedient, 54:57 not once, not twice, 54:59 but three times 55:00 to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 55:02 She had no idea of the victory 55:04 that God had given me that day 55:06 when I had said finally, I said, 55:08 "Yes, God, I'm a Levite in Babylon, 55:11 but I'm willing to go back to Jerusalem. 55:14 You know how the story ends in Ezra? 55:17 Those Levites, they answered the call. 55:20 Remember they were not willing to go and Ezra says, 55:23 "Where are the Levites?" 55:25 And so they sent out people searching for Levites 55:28 and 38 Levites answered the call of God, 55:32 as well as several hundred temple servants. 55:35 And they came back 55:38 and they decided to go back to Jerusalem. 55:41 Will you be a leader? 55:42 You are a leader 55:44 because you influence other people. 55:48 Don't sit when you're supposed to stand. 55:51 Don't walk when you're supposed to run. 55:55 Stand for truth, come what may. 55:58 Do what you're called to do, no matter how difficult, 56:01 no matter if you wanna do it, no matter if it hurts, 56:04 do what's right, 56:05 because I have decided to follow Jesus. 56:09 I have decided to follow Jesus. 56:13 I have decided to follow Him. 56:15 No turning back. 56:17 No turning back. 56:18 Though none go with me still I will follow. 56:24 Though none go with me still I will follow. 56:28 No turning back, no turning back. 56:32 The world behind me, the cross before me. 56:37 No turning back, no turning back. 56:40 Will you make a choice today and say, yes, God, 56:44 I want to be the leader that You've called me to be. 56:47 I don't wanna walk in comfort anymore. 56:50 I don't want to walk in the tradition 56:53 of my fathers or what I was taught before. 56:55 I don't want to walk in complacency. 56:58 I don't want to let the fear of hardship 57:02 keep me from doing something that God has called me to do. 57:06 I don't want to avoid responsibility anymore. 57:10 I don't want to feel insignificant. 57:13 I don't want to put family 57:15 or friends 57:17 or anything else ahead of Jesus. 57:20 I don't wanna be afraid of the unknown anymore. 57:22 Yes, Lord, I have decided to follow You. 57:27 Is that your prayer and commitment today? 57:29 Let's pray. 57:30 Father, we come before You 57:32 grateful that You are our Father. 57:35 Right now, we choose You and we trust You in Jesus name. 57:40 Amen. |
Revised 2021-05-23