Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC190016S
|
00:20 Good afternoon ASi!
00:24 I hope your lunch was excellent 00:26 but I hope it was not too much because you want to stay awake. 00:29 We want to welcome you and give you an invitation. 00:32 We want to welcome you because the program this afternoon 00:35 is going to be amazing. If you like stories, 00:38 you're going to love these stories. 00:41 We also want to give you an invitation. Lyndi, why do we 00:43 want to invite them? Well, ASi is going to be coming up 00:47 July 29 to August 1 next year. 00:51 If you're at ASi this year, you know why you need to be here 00:54 next year. ASi has been a wonderful experience 00:58 from the seminars we've attended to the morning sessions. 01:01 Even Sabbath School was a blessing. Why would anybody 01:05 want to miss ASi? 01:09 If I could pick a favorite spot, I think it would be 01:11 Sabbath School. Amen! How often have you gone to Sabbath School 01:15 and cried? It was really a blessing. 01:18 Amen. Well, why don't we bow our heads to pray. 01:23 Father in heaven, 01:26 Lord, I thank you so much for this Sabbath Day that 01:28 You've given us. I thank you for ASi 01:32 and for the reminders that we've had 01:35 ever since Wednesday of our need not just to 01:40 have knowledge of the Scriptures 01:43 but to put those Scriptures into action. 01:47 In Your holy name I pray, Amen. 01:51 We were trying to get... We were going to have 01:54 Ray and Madeline Hamblin Skype with us right now. 01:57 We're trying but we're having a little bit of 01:59 technical difficulties. 02:00 But Ray and Madeline, when I tried to call them 02:02 to ask them to come and get on the phone with us today 02:06 they were busy because they were out giving Bible studies. 02:11 And then when I asked them if they could Skype with us today 02:14 at this time they said: "Well, we'll have to re-arrange 02:17 because of our nursing home ministry 02:20 that we're involved with. " 02:21 Now those are what I call true ASi friends and family. 02:26 This is something maybe to educate you 02:29 and to inform you a little bit about exactly how much 02:32 they've meant to ASi and how much they mean to us... 02:35 particularly this leadership team that you see 02:38 up here on stage. 02:40 They've worked with us for many many years. 02:42 And so we have bonded significantly with the Hamblins. 02:47 And I remember... I'm looking at Harold over here 02:50 at your far right. Harold Lantz and Ray Hamblin 02:55 are like schoolboys when they get together. 02:57 They're such buddies, and so it's really exciting to see it 03:01 when they get together. And you really recognize that 03:03 they are indeed family. 03:06 So I guess I'll go ahead and proceed with the presentation 03:09 that we have crafted for them 03:11 so that you'll understand a little bit about what they mean 03:14 to us. It is fitting to recognize the efforts 03:17 of God's workers and more importantly 03:20 to say thank you for being invaluable mentors 03:23 and positive examples of leadership. 03:26 Ray and Madeline Hamblin fit in this category. 03:29 They are not only the reason behind my husband Ray and I 03:33 joining ASi but why we became active in the organization. 03:38 They have not only been "die-hard" supporters 03:42 of ASi but great encouragers of fledgling ministries, 03:47 candid advisors, and beloved friends. 03:51 Ray was a past president of both ASi and ASi Missions Inc. 03:57 was one of the original team... Oh, and there they are! 04:01 Forgive me for interrupting 04:04 but we see Ray and Madeline Hamblin on screen. 04:08 And we... Oh, you can? Can you talk? So Hi! 04:14 Hi. And can our audience see them? 04:19 No, our audience cannot see them yet. Oh. 04:21 OK... so the audience can't see you yet 04:23 but you can see us, right Ray and Madeline? 04:26 There they are! We can, yes. OK! There we go! 04:29 All right! ASi audience, would you permit me to begin again? 04:32 Amen. All right! 04:34 So Ray and Madeline, we love you dearly. 04:37 We're so sorry you're not here with us 04:39 but we just have a few words that we wanted to share 04:42 with you. And in your fashion, we had to go ahead and get 04:46 started because you were so busy workin' for the Lord. 04:49 But since you're here with us 04:51 we're going to go ahead and start from the beginning. 04:54 So this is for you: 04:57 It is fitting to recognize the efforts of God's workers 05:01 and more importantly to say thank you 05:04 for being invaluable mentors and positive examples 05:07 of leadership. Ray and Madeline Hamblin 05:10 fit in this category. 05:11 They are not only the reason behind my husband Ray and I 05:15 joining ASi but why we became active in the organization. 05:20 They have not only been "die-hard" supporters of ASi, 05:24 but great encouragers of fledgling ministries 05:27 candid advisors, and beloved friends. Amen! 05:32 Ray was a past president of both ASi and ASi Missions Inc. 05:37 and was one of the original team to pilot New Beginnings 05:42 in the Philippines almost 20 years ago. 05:45 An initial board member of GYC 05:48 and still a faithful advocate of the YFJ Initiative 05:53 first chairing and now still serving on the life board 05:58 which provides YFJ oversight. 06:02 Madeline served on the ASi board 06:05 and in ASi program coordination roles 06:08 bringing a standard of excellence the ASi convention 06:12 still possesses today. 06:14 They are not only team members running their own printing co. 06:18 but also active in ministry together at their home church. 06:23 Ray and Madeline, we remain indebted to you 06:27 for your friendship and grateful for your service and support. 06:33 We just want to take this opportunity 06:35 and Ray and Madeline, thank you for joining us today 06:38 by Skype. We know that's not the best way. 06:41 We would love to have you here in person! 06:43 But some of you may and may not know 06:48 but it is seldom that the ASi organization 06:52 recognizes and chooses to fill this category 06:56 for membership. It's called the honorary membership of ASi. 07:01 And it is done for people who have gone way above 07:04 and beyond the call of duty in service for ASi. 07:08 And I want you to know, Ray and Madeline, that today 07:11 your names have been voted into honorary membership 07:15 for ASi by a full vote of the ASi executive committee 07:21 as well as the board, and it's a unanimous decision. 07:24 We love you guys and we want you to continue to be 07:27 a part of the family of ASi as we move forward. 07:30 Today we have... we're going to give you something 07:35 that we'll have to ship it to you. 07:37 I don't know if you can see it here but I hope you can. 07:39 It's a very beautiful globe that represents to us 07:44 a gift fitting for those who have had world-wide impact 07:49 in the ministry of ASi. 07:51 And I don't know all the stories. 07:55 I've only heard a few of them. 07:56 But I know Harold has shared some stories about some of the 08:00 travels that you guys participated in some years ago. 08:05 But it's been a blessing to our ministries around the world. 08:08 You've been a blessing here. Madeline and I have served 08:11 on program committee together for I don't know how many years. 08:14 But Madeline has been a huge blessing to us on the program 08:18 committee helping us to stay anchored in what ASi 08:21 is really all about. Amen! 08:23 So again today, we just want to say thank you 08:27 Ray and Madeline for all that you have done 08:29 and for all that you continue to do 08:32 and for the service you are providing right now even in 08:35 your local community being active and sharing Christ 08:38 in the marketplace. We know that you've been a mentor 08:41 to many people. Many of those people are here today 08:44 that know you, and we're just grateful 08:46 for the opportunity to recognize that leadership 08:49 and mentorship you and Madeline have provided 08:52 to the younger generation of ASi ministries and members. 08:57 So thank you today. We love you guys and appreciate you. 09:02 Amen! Well thanks, Steve. This is totally unexpected. 09:08 It's an honor, but I want to note that starting with 09:12 Elder Ken List going forward 09:16 that we have been blessed: ASi, the ASi family 09:21 in the opportunity that we were given. 09:26 You know, for me ASi has been a springboard 09:30 to draw closer to Jesus 09:33 and it's been a learning curve on how better to serve 09:36 my local church and the marketplace. 09:39 As you know, we have met some of the dearest people 09:43 on earth through ASi. And it's been a privilege 09:45 too, for us to watch ASi grow into what it is today. 09:49 Thank you so much. 09:51 This is just unbelievable. Thank you. 09:55 Thank you again Ray and Madeline Hamblin: 09:57 honorary members of ASi! 10:19 Have you ever wondered where we began? 10:23 The spark to begin this movement? 10:29 Remember: 11:05 Under her guidance this college was established. 11:10 Self-supporting, inspiring, educating. 11:13 The foundation was laid. 11:15 Ministries sprang up all over the world. 11:18 Lay members and church leaders burned to join ministry with 11:22 the church. ASi was born. 11:27 Today ASi continues with the example of the apostle Paul 11:31 sharing Jesus Christ in the marketplace. 11:36 Business professionals were needed on the team. 11:39 And as ministry and business united in their efforts 11:42 a dynamic network was formed. 11:45 Every day ASi members and ministries 11:48 carry the light to mission fields across the North American 11:51 Division and the whole world. 11:58 It's important to be a part of ASi 12:00 because I'm able to share my gifts with a team of people 12:03 in so many ways worldwide. 12:05 It's not just a blessing to the people I teach... 12:08 it's a blessing to me as well. 12:12 Building a One-Day Church is a really special experience 12:16 because you get to come in here and these people 12:19 sometimes don't even have a church. They value the church 12:23 so much, and building it... It's a good build! 12:27 It's not hard. I didn't have to go through any special training 12:30 to do it, but the rewards from it are incredible. 12:34 Such an experience! 12:36 It's a great opportunity to be part of ASi as a business 12:40 because it's God who gave us these businesses 12:43 in the first place. And now being a part of the ASi family 12:48 I can work together in a strategic way 12:50 to use my business to multiply the kingdom of God 12:53 in a way that I never could have done before. 12:56 Well, you know, I think that this whole program 13:00 says 2 or 3 important things. Number one: 13:04 It says: "I can be involved. No matter who I am - 13:08 no matter what my skill level or what my talent - 13:10 I can be involved. " And that really is a message 13:12 for the whole church. The take-away is: 13:15 we can work together. 13:18 We can build community that goes beyond 13:23 what differences we have. 13:43 This is who we are. 14:35 We are a team in business and ministry together... 14:40 focused on Christ, 14:42 passionate about the mission of the church 14:44 just like you. Join us in spreading the light 14:49 of the Advent message to the world. 14:51 What the world needs is Jesus. 14:55 Remember. 15:00 I would like you to take note of a verse of Scripture 15:02 which we have referred to several times during this 15:05 convention found in Romans chapter 12 verse 1. 15:09 "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God 15:13 that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice 15:17 wholly acceptable unto God 15:19 which is your reasonable service. " 15:23 Apparently Catherine and Chris and Dudley 15:28 and Ava and Eric and Ida 15:31 and Ethel and other stories that were mentioned here today 15:35 felt like this verse of Scrip- ture meant something to them. 15:39 They did not walk away from this reasonable request 15:44 that we present our bodies as a living sacrifice 15:47 even though many of them ended up pouring out their lives 15:51 for the cause of Christ on the front lines. 15:55 This afternoon as we talk together 16:00 for just a few more minutes 16:02 I'm wondering what it really means 16:05 to be a living sacrifice. 16:10 I believe that in today's world we would consider 16:13 what we have just heard to be unusual. 16:18 We would consider this to be almost insane to go out 16:22 into the mission field knowing that you would probably live 16:24 only two years. 16:28 Paul speaks about this in II Corinthians 4:2 when he says 16:32 this: "For our light... " Excuse me, verse 17: "For our light 16:37 affliction which is but for a moment 16:42 worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal 16:48 weight of glory. " What God has done 16:50 in giving us the opportunity to be involved in sacrificial 16:54 service is actually for our benefit. 16:57 We look at it many times and we say: "Oh, 17:00 what a sacrifice they're making! " 17:02 When in reality what God is doing is He is 17:05 showing us the benefit that we can have personally 17:09 from this kind of sacrifice. 17:11 II Timothy Paul says this, chapter 2 verse 12 17:14 he says: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. " 17:20 "If we deny Him, He will also deny us. " 17:24 How many of us here today want to be denied 17:27 by our Savior? 17:33 I really believe I'd rather suffer 17:35 than to be denied by Jesus. 17:42 Paul calls us again. We find in Ephesians chapter 5 17:47 and verse 2 this call. 17:52 And this is the way Paul says it: "And walk in love 17:57 as Christ also has loved us 18:02 and hath given Himself for us 18:05 an offering and a sacrifice to God 18:10 for a sweet-smelling savor. " 18:13 There's something about this idea of sacrifice 18:17 as exhibited in the life of our Savior 18:23 that we often fail to take note of. 18:31 If Jesus is really our example, 18:38 should we be willing to sacrifice as He sacrificed? 18:45 In Acts of the Apostles it talks about the apostle John 18:49 and it makes this interesting statement. Says: 18:51 "When John had been brought into sympathy with Christ... " 18:57 Now we think about that. How many here would like to be 19:01 brought into sympathy with Christ? 19:04 Is that a thing that we should crave? To understand 19:08 how to be brought in sympathy with Christ? 19:12 Well unfortunately, the statement doesn't stop there. 19:16 It says: "When John had been brought into sympathy with 19:18 Christ through the fellowship of His sufferings 19:23 the Lord revealed to him 19:29 what is the condition of the nearness to His kingdom. 19:33 'To him that overcometh, Christ said, I will grant to sit 19:36 with Me on My throne 19:38 even as I also overcame 19:40 and am sit down with My Father in His throne. ' " 19:42 Revelation chapter 3 verse 21. 19:45 "No one who stands nearest to Christ will be... " 19:50 "The one who stands nearest to Christ will be one who 19:53 has drunk most deeply of the spirit 19:57 of self-sacrificing love. " 20:02 You know, I started by saying we've been talking about 20:06 business unusual, and this afternoon we've kinda 20:10 focused on sacrifice unusual. 20:13 I believe this is the essence of sacrifice unusual 20:17 is to model our lives after the lives of our 20:22 self-sacrificing Savior. 20:26 It goes on to say: "This is the kind of love that vaunteth not 20:29 itself up. It is not puffed up; it seeketh not her own. 20:33 It's not easily provoked; it thinketh no evil. " 20:38 It's the kind of love that moves the disciples 20:41 as it moved our Lord 20:43 to give all. To live and to labor 20:48 and even to sacrifice unto death 20:52 for the saving of humanity. 20:55 This is the kind of sacrifice that Jesus showed us 20:59 through His life that He lived on this earth. 21:02 Through the way that He walked; 21:03 through the way that He ministered; 21:06 through the way that He interacted with people. 21:10 This morning we were pointed to the cross. 21:16 David Asscherick talked about the cross and how 21:23 that kind of death at that time in history 21:29 was really not something that was looked on favorably. 21:36 But the cross is the demonstration of the great love 21:40 that God had for us. 21:44 Acts of the Apostles page 519 says this: 21:47 "The plan of salvation was laid in sacrifice. " 21:54 The plan of salvation was laid in what? 21:57 Sacrifice! 22:03 II Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9: 22:06 "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 22:12 that though He was rich yet for your sakes 22:15 He became poor 22:18 that ye through His poverty 22:21 might be rich. " 22:26 Christ gave Himself, sacrificed Himself 22:32 that we would have the opportunity 22:36 to have eternal life. 22:38 I think we really don't understand that. Honestly. 22:41 I don't think I understand it personally. 22:44 We often say this, we talk about this, but 22:47 the reality is that without this sacrifice of Christ 22:51 we would have no hope. 22:58 What does that kind of sacrifice mean to us? 23:07 What does that kind of sacrifice say to our hearts? 23:11 Do we ponder this enough? Do we think about the sacrifice 23:16 that Jesus made for us? Do we ponder the sacrifice 23:20 enough to really even say it's a part of our thinking? 23:27 Because when we think about this, when we ponder this idea 23:30 of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ 23:33 I believe it will change the way that we look at the world 23:36 around us. 23:40 Acts of the Apostles page 370. 23:43 "For the conversion of one sinner 23:47 the minister should tax his resources to the utmost. " 23:52 Now let's just take a little quiz here. 23:55 We could say the minister and we could all... well, not all 23:58 but most of us could comfortably walk away from this 24:02 conversation because we could say: "Oh, 24:05 that means the preacher. " 24:08 Right? That means the preacher should sacrifice. 24:12 So we could get by with that. 24:15 Are we not all called to be ministers of the gospel? 24:20 Have we not all been empowered by the Holy Spirit 24:23 to do something for God? 24:25 To share the good news with those who are perishing 24:27 in this world? 24:32 Why would this be true? Why would we do this? 24:35 Why would we consider this? Why would we even think 24:38 that this is the kind of life that God desires us to live? 24:41 And it's really for our own good. 24:45 It's because of the value of the human soul. 24:53 Goes on to say in Acts of the Apostles: "The soul that God 24:56 has created and Christ has redeemed 24:58 is of great value because of the possibilities before it. 25:03 The spiritual advantages that have been granted, 25:07 the capabilities that it may possess, 25:09 and if vitalized by the Word of God 25:15 and the immortality it may gain through the hope 25:19 presented in the gospel. 25:22 And if Christ left the 90 and 9 that He might seek and save 25:28 one lost sheep, can we be justified in doing less? " 25:37 She goes on to say in this paragraph 25:40 "Is not a neglect to work as Christ worked, 25:46 to sacrifice as He sacrificed, 25:50 a betrayal of sacred trust? " 25:54 Is not this an insult to God Himself 25:58 if we do less than Jesus did? 26:07 It's just a little bit challenging 26:11 to think this way. It's a little bit challenging 26:15 to talk about the kind of sacrifice that Jesus had 26:20 and to consider that that is the kind of life 26:23 that He is calling us to. 26:27 We need a deeper sense of the value of a soul. 26:30 We need a deeper sense of the sacredness of the work 26:33 that God has called us to do. 26:35 We need to understand that we should not be studying 26:38 our own ease and our own convenience 26:42 and how we can make self-comfortable. 26:45 But we need to be more forgetful of who we are. 26:54 When we read the parable of the lost sheep, we find 26:58 the shepherd going and searching and searching 27:04 and searching 27:06 until that one lost sheep is brought home. 27:16 We read the life of Paul and we see that many times 27:19 we find him and he talks about this being adrift 27:24 in the sea and being hungry and being naked and being beaten. 27:31 And when we read that we think: "Well that was the apostle Paul. 27:35 It makes a great story in the Bible of a great apostle, 27:38 a great man who worked for Christ 27:40 and sacrificed his life for Christ. " 27:45 Should we not consider that Christ has also called every 27:49 single one of us to reach to the lost souls of our world? 28:01 When Jared spoke to us on Friday evening 28:05 I was thinking: "How true it is 28:09 that we often pat ourselves on the back 28:12 for the great progress that we have made around the world. " 28:16 Ellen White speaks to this in Historical Sketches page 290. 28:22 This is a very interesting thing that she says. 28:25 "Seventh-day Adventists are making progress. " 28:29 Amen? "Doubling their numbers. " Amen? 28:33 "Establishing missions. " Amen! 28:37 "And unfurling the banners of truth in the dark places 28:41 of the earth. " And then she uses two words 28:47 similar to the word but. 28:48 She says: "And yet... and yet 28:52 the work moves far more slowly than God would have it. " 28:59 And then in the little quotation marks the question is: "Why? " 29:03 And the answer is disturbing, and this is what the answer 29:07 says. And I believe that if she were here today 29:10 the answer would be very similar if not identical. 29:13 "The members of the church are not individually aroused 29:19 to put forth the earnest efforts that they are capable of. " 29:27 The members of the church. Now I think 29:30 if I don't mistake it that's talking about us. 29:34 We are the members of the church. We are the essence 29:37 of the church... it's us! 29:41 "We are individually not aroused 29:44 to put forth the earnest effort that we are capable of making. " 29:49 She goes on to say: "And every branch of the work 29:51 is crippled by lack of fervent piety 29:55 and devoted, humble God-fearing laborers. " 29:58 And then she asks the question: "Where are the soldiers 30:03 of the cross? " If we really believe that Jesus went to that 30:06 cross for you and I, and we have agreed that we should join 30:10 His army, she asks this question: 30:12 "Then where are the soldiers of the cross? " 30:14 Why are we so much asleep 30:18 at the switch when there's so much to be done? 30:30 What will it take 30:34 for us to see 30:37 the joy of self-sacrificing effort for Christ? 30:44 You know, Jesus lived a life to give us an example 30:47 for a reason because He said: "I have come that you might 30:50 have life and have it... " What? "more abundantly. " 30:54 Well evidently the abundant life comes through sacrifice. 30:59 I think we've kinda lost sight of that. 31:02 The idea that the abundant life... We think 31:05 "Well the abundant life means I'm going to be healthy. " 31:07 Well what about these missionaries we just talked 31:09 about who have died on the field of battle? 31:13 Is that the abundant life that Jesus is calling us to? 31:17 And the answer is yes, that's the abundant life 31:20 that Christ is calling us to because it's the life 31:22 of self-sacrifice that results in souls for His kingdom. 31:27 Can we do any less than Jesus did? He gave His life! 31:32 And yet we appreciate sitting comfortably. 31:45 I really don't even like to read this because it kind of 31:48 speaks to us. She says: "There are too many faint, 31:51 cowardly hearts in this hour of spiritual conflict. " 31:55 There are too many what? 31:57 "Faint and cowardly hearts 32:01 in this hour of spiritual conflict. " 32:04 Our world today is in a battle 32:06 and the great controversy rages all around us. 32:10 Without a doubt we ARE in spiritual conflict. 32:18 In Review and Herald May 6, 1890, she wrote these words: 32:23 "The Lord is in need of workers 32:27 who will push the triumphs of the cross of Christ. " 32:33 Well if that was true in 1890 I believe it is true in 2019 32:39 but even to a greater degree. There are 7+ billion people 32:43 on this planet who many of them have never even heard 32:48 the name of Jesus. That's hard for us to imagine. 32:56 The cross of Christ... It's true: the cross of Christ 32:59 is covered with stigma and reproach 33:04 yet it is the hope of life. 33:10 It is the hope of life. 33:14 I believe God is calling us to joyfully sacrifice. 33:24 You know, heaven is a place where God lives. 33:30 But the spirit there is not a miserly spirit. 33:33 It's a very generous spirit. And God gave everything 33:37 through His Son. And this is what it talks about: 33:42 the life of Christ. Counsels to the Church 33:46 page 272 if you want to look this up. 33:49 "The cross of Christ appeals to the benevolence of every 33:52 follower of Christ. " I hope today that it appeals to you. 34:01 She goes on to say in Christian Service page 21: 34:06 "Let us give while we have power. 34:10 Let us do while we have strength. 34:12 Let us work while it is day. 34:15 Let us devote our time and our means to the service of 34:19 God that we may have His approbation and receive 34:22 the reward. " I want to close today 34:27 with the story of Wm. Borden. 34:34 The Borden family, if you know much about 34:38 brands today, is actually still a brand. 34:41 It's in the dairy industry. 34:43 And you've seen the little pictures of Elsie the Cow? 34:46 That's the Borden brand. 34:50 William was born in the early 1900's, living in the early 34:53 1900's. And their family was a very prosperous family. 35:02 Yet one of their members by the name of William 35:05 deviated from this path. 35:09 He... Under the influence of Dwight Moody 35:13 he had come to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. 35:18 As he graduated from high school his parents said: 35:21 "What can we do for William that will be a wonderful 35:24 high school graduation gift? " 35:28 And so they gave him a trip around the world. 35:32 During this trip around the world 35:37 William became convicted 35:40 that God was calling him to be a missionary. 35:43 He went home to his family and he said: 35:46 "God is calling me to be a missionary. I know it! 35:49 I feel it! I've been around the world. 35:51 I've seen these suffering people and I know that God is 35:53 calling me to be a missionary. " 35:58 His family and his friends disagreed with his decision. 36:01 In fact, they tried desperately to discourage him 36:04 saying: "Why waste your life on the mission field? 36:08 Anybody can do that. 36:09 You're rich. You have a fortune ahead of you. 36:12 Why are you going to waste your life on the mission field? " 36:17 But William would not be dissuaded from his desire to be 36:21 a missionary. He went to receive training. 36:27 He was pursuing a career as a missionary. 36:36 He wanted to go to the Far East 36:38 and minister to the Muslim community there. 36:41 It was so difficult for his family and his peers 36:45 to actually believe that he would do this. 36:47 But he was determined. 36:51 During this difficult time 36:53 he wrote two words in his Bible. 36:57 He wrote: "No reserves. " 37:01 He had decided he was going to put everything that he had 37:04 on the line for Jesus Christ come what may. 37:08 He also wrote this in his Bible: "Say no to self and yes 37:13 to Jesus every time. " 37:16 I think those are some pretty good words. How about you? 37:21 After preparing himself for mission service 37:24 he was on his way sailing for China. 37:28 He decided he would make a stop 37:30 in Cairo so he could learn the Arabic language 37:35 because he wanted to minister to the Muslim people in the 37:38 Far East. So he figured: "I need to know this language. " 37:42 But before he had sailed on the boat he made another decision 37:48 and he gave his entire fortune to missions. 38:00 While he was in Cairo 38:02 he was stricken with spinal meningitis 38:10 and he gave his life. 38:12 A young man just in his 20's giving his life! 38:17 He had given away his fortune. 38:19 He had been trained to go as a missionary 38:29 and he made the sacrifice of his life. 38:35 So he had written these words in his Bible, 38:38 and when they took his Bible home to his parents 38:41 they found these words: 38:45 "No reserves. 38:48 No regrets. 38:49 No retreats. " 38:55 We've heard the stories of other missionaries. 38:58 And I don't know if you were listening today 39:00 but I was listening to the presentation 39:02 and I noticed that Ina also said that. She said: 39:06 "I have no regrets. " 39:09 And George said that about his brother. 39:11 He said: "I have no regrets 39:12 that my brother has died at the post of duty. " 39:17 I wonder if we could live that kind of life today 39:20 and it would make any sense to the world. 39:23 I doubt it. 39:25 I doubt if it would make any sense to the world 39:29 but I believe it'd make a lot of sense to Jesus 39:34 who gave His all. He gave His all and then He gave His life! 39:38 He poured out everything for us. 39:42 I'm appealing to you today 39:44 to live a life 39:47 patterned after the life of our Savior. 39:54 You know, I think Jesus could have written these 3 statements. 39:58 "No reserves. " He poured out everything. 40:02 "No retreats. " He did battle with Satan 40:06 on his territory 40:08 and in the end "No regrets" 40:11 because it resulted in the salvation of souls. 40:15 We're told that He would have come for just one. 40:19 What will we do for just one? 40:27 I want you to just think and pray 40:32 but I want you to make a de- cision to leave this place today 40:39 and to change the way... change your paradigm 40:43 about how you think about life. 40:45 So at the end of your life it can be said about you 40:50 "They had no reserves; they never retreated from the battle; 40:56 and no regrets. " 40:58 May God helps us that we would live that kind of life 41:04 because Jesus did. 41:29 In shady green pastures 41:35 so rich and so sweet 41:39 God leads His dear children 41:45 along. 41:49 Where the water's cool flow 41:54 bathes the weary one's feet 42:00 God leads His dear children 42:06 along. 42:11 Some through the water, 42:17 some through the flood. 42:21 Some through the fire, 42:25 but all through the blood. 42:31 Some through great sorrow 42:36 but God gives a song 42:41 in the night season 42:46 and all the day long. 42:59 Sometimes on the mount 43:04 where the sun shines so bright 43:09 God leads His dear children 43:13 along. 43:17 Sometimes in the valley 43:21 in darkest of night 43:26 God leads His dear children 43:32 along. 43:36 Some through the water, 43:41 some through the flood. 43:45 Some through the fire, 43:49 but all through 43:53 the blood. 43:58 Some through great sorrow 44:03 but God gives a song 44:10 in the night 44:13 season... 44:21 in the night 44:24 season 44:29 God leads 44:32 His dear children 44:37 along. 44:54 Amen! Thank you, Jennifer, for that beautiful music. 44:59 What a wonderful way to have us pause and consider 45:02 how we will live our lives from this day forward. 45:05 Let's bow our heads as we pray. 45:08 Father in heaven, 45:11 You have poured out all of heaven for us. 45:15 Lord, we confess today that we've been ungrateful. 45:18 We confess today that we have been unfaithful 45:20 and we desire, O God, to be back in Your graces. 45:24 We desire, O God, to be used by You. 45:31 We know that You lead us individually, 45:34 and I pray for every person in this audience today 45:37 that as we leave this place 45:40 You will lead and guide us. And that as You call us 45:44 we will step forward. That if You call us to sacrifice 45:47 we will joyfully sacrifice for You... whatever You may ask 45:51 because You gave all for us. 45:54 Heavenly Father, we are incapable as human beings 46:00 of appreciating this great sacrifice. 46:03 Please send us the Holy Spirit 46:05 to convict our hearts of what You have done for us 46:09 and what we should be willing to do for others. 46:12 Thank you that You hear and that You answer our prayers. 46:18 In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. |
Revised 2020-03-30