Participants: Pr. John Carter
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001002
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00:07 From Arcadia, California, the Carter report presents
00:10 "The Living Word" around the world. 00:17 Hello, friend. 00:19 I am John Carter standing on the banks of Kazan River-- 00:23 that's a tributary of the mighty Volga River 00:27 in the land of Russia. 00:30 This is the city of Kazan the capital of Tatarstan-- 00:35 a Muslim Republic of the Russian Federation. 00:39 We're here by the sheer grace of God 00:43 and we say glory be to God for this opportunity. 00:47 Because during the year 2008, 00:50 the Carter Report team once again by the grace of God 00:54 baptized hundreds of Muslims into Christ 00:58 in front of the Muslim mosque. 01:01 People said "It could never happen." 01:04 But remember this. 01:06 GOD is great and Jesus said, 01:09 "With God all things are possible." 01:14 I want to thank you today for your marvelous support 01:18 for standing with us 01:19 in the preaching of the everlasting gospel. 01:23 Please continue to pray for us and pray for Kazan. 01:27 Write to me please, John Carter, PO Box 1900, 01:33 Thousand Oaks California 91358." 01:38 We're not giving up on Russia, neither should you? 01:42 Please write to me, John Carter, PO Box 1900, 01:47 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 01:51 That's John Carter, PO Box 1900, 01:55 Thousand Oaks California 91358. 01:59 Support us in this great work. 02:03 Pray for Russia and thank you in Jesus' name. 02:08 May God richly bless you? 02:18 The topic today is "Mine eyes have seen the glory." 02:23 I'm going to tell about 02:24 some of the great miracles that God is working. 02:28 We sometimes think that 02:30 God doesn't seem to be involved in our lives. 02:34 "Mine eyes have seen the glory." 02:37 But before my talk today, 02:39 would you please welcome Beverley 02:40 who is going to give you some great stories about dogs. 02:44 Would you please welcome Beverley? 02:52 This is a story for the boys and girls 02:55 and the young people and parents and other friends. 03:01 Does anyone know what day this is? 03:05 It's Friendship Day. 03:07 Back in 1935, the US Congress 03:10 proclaimed the first day of August as Friendship Day. 03:14 Well, yes, I know, this is not August 1, 03:17 but isn't everyday or shouldn't everyday be Friendship Day. 03:22 Don't you agree? 03:24 And then, you know, I don't know what they were thinking, 03:27 August 1 we're friends, August 2, we're not friends. 03:31 But who am I to question the US Congress. 03:35 In 1997 the United Nations 03:38 named their world's ambassador of friendship. 03:41 And boys and girls guess who it is. 03:45 It's nevertheless than that illustrious fellow 03:49 "Winnie-the-Pooh." Now who knew that? I didn't. 03:53 Now I love Winnie, I've him 03:55 in my collection of teddy bears at home. 03:59 And even though teddy bears make wonderful friends. 04:02 There is another animal who rates even higher 04:06 on the friendship list and let me tell you about him. 04:10 There's a story about Adam in the Garden of Eden 04:12 and this happened before Eve was created. 04:15 And he was feeling very lonely and a bit sad one day. 04:18 So he sat down on the rock and put his head in his hands. 04:23 And then all of a sudden, 04:25 he felt a cool wet touch on his hands. 04:30 And looking up, 04:31 he looked into the big brown eyes of the beautiful Labrador 04:36 and dogs have been 04:37 man's best friend ever since, true story. 04:41 Well, I'm not quite sure, but why not? 04:44 You know, dogs are that kind of person. 04:49 Now, let me tell you another story 04:52 and this is truly a true story. 04:55 It's about a lady called Lu Picard 04:58 who lives in Connecticut here in the US. 05:01 She takes specially bred pups at 2 months old 05:04 and trains them for 2 years 05:06 to help physically challenged people. 05:09 Now there are other groups of people 05:11 who do this kind of work but she had something to it. 05:15 She takes young people, adolescents 05:20 who have emotional and other problems 05:24 and she trains them to train the dogs. 05:28 And she writes the effect of this work on the kids 05:32 is wonderful to watch. 05:34 Most of our students are struggling with anger and pain 05:37 and often feel incapable of giving or receiving love. 05:42 Working with the dogs helps even the most difficult children 05:46 establish a sense of self worth and they learn to trust again. 05:52 They also learn a strong work ethic 05:55 that becomes invaluable to them. 05:58 Now, over the 2 years, the dogs learn to perform 06:01 over 80, eight-zero commands. 06:05 Now apart from helping in everyday activities, 06:08 Lu has also added another therapy 06:10 and this is to help returning soldiers 06:13 who have posttraumatic stress disorder. 06:16 Trained by at-risk teams 06:19 these dogs pick up dropped objects. 06:22 They can open and close doors like on cars, refrigerators etc. 06:26 they can pull wheelchairs. 06:28 They remind them to take their meds. 06:31 They interrupt nightmares and flashbacks. 06:35 All the while providing unconditional love and comfort. 06:40 After the 2 years of training comes graduation. 06:43 And as you can imagine it's not easy 06:45 for the young people to say goodbye to the animals. 06:48 But they do it with a sense of pride and accomplishment. 06:52 Now for those of us with good health 06:55 and who are able bodied, 06:57 we may not see the full significance of this. 07:00 But if we had a child who had a disability 07:03 or a friend who is a paraplegic 07:05 or had to return soldier son 07:07 or a husband with posttraumatic stress, 07:10 we would realize what a blessing 07:12 and a life saving work this is. 07:15 I'd encourage you to visit 07:17 Lu's website at ecad1.org. 07:24 What a friends-- 07:26 the best of friends can change a frown 07:28 into a smile when we feel down. 07:31 The best of friends will understand 07:33 our little trials and lend a hand. 07:36 The best of friends worth more than gold, 07:39 give all the love, a heart can hold. 07:42 May God help us to be that kind of friend? 07:52 Today's topic is "Mine eyes have seen the glory" 07:58 of the coming of the Lord. 07:59 I want you to take your Bibles out. 08:01 I want you to hold them up please. 08:03 And I want you to repeat after me these words 08:07 that I guess you've got into your souls now. 08:09 This is my Bible. This is my Bible. 08:13 Come on, this is God's word. This is God's word. 08:16 God has a message for me today. 08:19 God has a message for me today. 08:21 This message will give me everlasting life. 08:24 This message will give me everlasting life. 08:27 And make me a better person. 08:29 And make me a better person. 08:30 I now open my heart. I now open my heart. 08:32 To receive God's words. To receive God's words. 08:34 In Jesus' name amen and amen. 08:39 Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 25. 08:42 Are you glad to be here today? Amen. 08:46 Matthew 25:14 and onwards. 08:52 Jesus said, "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, 08:56 who called his servants 08:58 and entrusted his property to them. 09:01 To one he gave five talents of money, 09:03 to another two talents and to another one talent, 09:06 each according to his ability. 09:08 Then he went on his journey. 09:10 The man who had received the five talents went at once 09:13 and put his money to work and gained five more. 09:16 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 09:21 But the man who had received the one talent went off, 09:24 dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money." 09:30 After how long? A long time. 09:35 It seems a long time 09:36 we have been talking about Jesus' coming. 09:39 "After a long time the master of those servants returned 09:43 and settled accounts with them." 09:44 Look at me friend, the day is coming 09:47 when God is going to settle accounts with us. 09:50 And he is talking here about people in the church. 09:53 God is going to settle accounts with us. 09:56 And all the pious talk and all the world 10:00 will not eliminate this last judgment. 10:04 "The man who had received the five talents 10:07 brought the other five. 10:09 'Master,' he said, 10:10 'you entrusted me with five talents. 10:12 See, I have gained five more.' 10:14 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! 10:17 You have been faithful with a few things. 10:19 I will put you in charge of many things. 10:22 Come and share your master's happiness!' 10:25 The man with the two talents also came. 10:27 'Master,' he said, 10:28 'you entrusted me with two talents, 10:30 see, I have gained two more.' 10:32 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. 10:35 You have been faithful with a few things. 10:37 I will put you in charge of many things. 10:41 Come and share your master's happiness!' 10:44 Then the man who had received the one talent came. 10:47 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, 10:52 harvesting where you have not sown 10:54 and gathering where you have not even scattered seed. 10:58 So I was afraid and went out 11:00 and hid your talent in the ground. 11:01 See, here is what belongs to you.' 11:06 His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! 11:13 So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown 11:16 and gather where I have not scattered seed? 11:18 Well then, you should have put my money 11:20 on deposit with the bankers, 11:22 so that when I returned 11:23 I would have received it back with interest. 11:27 Take the talent from him 11:29 and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 11:31 For everyone who has will be given more 11:35 and he will have an abundance. 11:38 Whoever does not have, 11:39 even what he has will be taken from him. 11:43 And throw that worthless servant outside, 11:48 into the darkness, where there will be weeping 11:54 and gnashing of teeth."' 11:58 Every person who has received Christ 12:02 and the gift of the Holy Spirit is endowed with certain gifts 12:09 and God has given us those gifts 12:11 to use for preaching the gospel. 12:19 The day is going to come 12:21 when there's going to be an accounting. 12:25 And God is going to call us all in one by one. 12:30 And God is going to say "What did you do 12:36 with the gift that I gave to you 12:39 for the building up of His kingdom." 12:42 You've all heard of mustard seed, haven't you? 12:45 Jesus told story of the mustard seed. 12:48 It's only a tiny little thing. 12:51 But Jesus said, "The mustard seed 12:53 has the capacity because God puts His spirit in it 12:56 to grow into something big." 13:00 God can take little things and little people 13:05 and little churches and do great things for His glory. 13:11 And mine eyes have seen the glory 13:15 of the coming of the Lord. 13:17 Would you come over here to Zachariah 4? 13:20 This is a minor prophet with a major message. 13:26 Daniel, Hosea, then you get over there little bit further 13:30 and just take your time because I want you to find it. 13:34 Zachariah 4:6-7. Have you found it? 13:40 Zachariah 4:6-7. 13:43 "So he said to me, 13:44 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. 13:47 Not by might nor by power, 13:49 but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. 13:54 Who are you, O'mighty mountain? 13:57 Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. 14:02 Then he will bring out the capstone 14:04 to shouts of God bless it! God bless it!'" 14:08 And so as you see this mighty mountain-- 14:10 well by the grace of God 14:12 this mighty mountain is going to become a plain 14:16 and on the plain we're going to build a temple. 14:20 Now look at verse 10, 14:23 "Who despises the day of small things? 14:28 Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line 14:32 in the hand of Zerubbabel..." 14:35 And I like it best in the King James Version 14:37 because it says in that beautiful old English 14:40 that goes back to the 15th century. 14:43 "Who has despised the day of small things. 14:50 It is God's glory to beat a mountain with a worm." 14:58 We read in the Book of Isaiah. 15:02 And mine eyes have seen the glory. 15:09 I have been blessed to see what God has done 15:15 with the 3ABN Center. 15:16 The Christian Cultural Center in Russia. 15:22 When people said, it cannot be done. 15:28 And I want to tell everybody today 15:31 that this magnificent center was build by people 15:36 who believed in spreading the gospel of Christ. 15:41 They take these words seriously "Go into all the world." 15:45 Danny Shelton got a burden from God and God moved him. 15:52 People around the world particularly here 15:55 in the great United States of America 15:58 gave to build what I believe is the largest 16:02 Protestant Evangelistic Center in all of Russia. 16:07 And people said, "No, it could never happen." 16:10 But how did it start? 16:13 I want you tell you very briefly how it started. 16:17 It happened because of a miracle that happened in '92. 16:24 When we ran by the grace of God, 16:27 a campaign in the city of Nizhni Novgorod. 16:33 Just a little team. With a little budget. 16:38 And the people came out to the meetings 16:41 by the hundreds of the thousands. 16:47 I remember the old communist director 16:49 of the palaces body, said to me, "They will not come 16:53 because here we've taught the people 16:56 not even to think of Him anymore, He's dead to us." 17:00 And we saw baptized in the river 17:04 up to that point of time the largest baptism 17:08 in the history of Russia in a river. 17:13 These are historical pictures and out of that baptism came 17:20 the dream to supply these people with a church. 17:29 And 3ABN, God bless them, 17:34 moved by the Spirit of God moved in, 17:39 and this great evangelistic center 17:42 was build to the glory of God. 17:46 It was done by pastors and lay people working together. 17:53 Now sometimes we hear those obnoxious terms, 17:56 the clergy and the laity. 17:59 Don't talk about it to me 18:01 because those terms come from our beloved friends 18:05 in the Roman Catholic Church. 18:08 There is a word that is used 18:10 for laity in the Bible and here it is. 18:14 The word is laos and it means the people of God. 18:21 And in the scriptures 18:23 the ministers are a part of the laos, 18:27 the people of God. 18:31 And this work is been done by the laity. 18:34 The people of God working together. 18:38 As I saw them in the great Bible conference over there. 18:41 What a blessing that was. 18:43 To mix with so many pastors and so many as they call them 18:50 erroneously lay people doing this work 18:54 of preaching the gospel in a land my friend, 18:57 that is been ruled by despots and tyrants. 19:03 I want to remind every person today 19:06 and I want this to sync down into your minds 19:08 because my authority is the Word of God. 19:12 If I have the Bible, that is the only authority that I need. 19:18 My authority is the Bible, the Word of God. 19:21 And the Bible tells me that in the church of the living God, 19:25 there is no hierarchy. 19:29 I want you to come over here to 1 Corinthians 12. 19:33 1 Corinthians 12:27 and onwards. 19:41 The Bible says, Paul writing 19:44 under the inspiration of the Spirit of God said. 19:46 1 Corinthians 12, "Now you are the body of Christ." 19:50 That's the church. 19:52 "And each one of you is a part of it. 19:55 And in the church God has appointed 19:58 first of all apostles, second prophets, 20:02 third teachers, then workers of miracles, 20:06 also those having gifts of healing, 20:10 those able to help others, 20:13 those with gifts of administration." 20:17 Never despise the gift of administration 20:20 even though it is number 7. 20:25 God has placed administration in the church 20:28 to coordinate the functions of the church. 20:34 And you notice the next gift. 20:36 It says, "And those speaking in different kinds of tongues." 20:44 What I'm going to put over here on the blackboard 20:47 is that which I do not believe in. 20:51 I do not believe in the system of the pyramid 20:56 which is the system of a hierarchy. 20:59 Well, you have an infallible leader 21:03 and it goes down through various status of hierarchy. 21:12 The Bible says, "That god has placed 21:15 in his church certain gifts." 21:17 You say to me "Why is it that 21:20 I as an individual are so impotent 21:23 in my Christian outreach." 21:25 Could it be that you have not accepted the gift 21:30 that God has been wanting to give you? 21:33 And you have swallowed the idea 21:35 that the laity are the people 21:38 who do the praying and the giving 21:40 and the clergy are the people 21:42 up the front who give the direction. 21:46 That is not the teaching of the Bible. 21:48 The teaching of the Bible 21:51 that God has placed in His church 21:53 certain gifts at the very center. 21:57 This is what I believe. 21:58 At the very center of the church is Christ. 22:03 Christ is the center of our church. 22:07 And Christ is the head of our church. 22:11 And we're saved by looking to Christ. 22:16 Remember Solus Christus, 22:19 Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, 22:24 only Christ, only scripture. 22:27 And in the church, God has placed certain gifts, apostles. 22:32 What is this word apostle mean? 22:34 It is from the Greek word Apostello 22:37 and it means sent forth. 22:40 If we use the word today, 22:42 we would say God has placed in the church missionaries. 22:46 People don't be afraid of the word. 22:49 People with the sense of mission 22:51 who are sent forth to go into all the world. 22:54 Apostles and prophets and teachers 23:00 and all of these gifts are centered upon Christ 23:04 because Christ is the head of the church. 23:11 And when the Spirit of God comes upon us, 23:13 my beloved brethren, 23:15 we will shake off this deadly lethargy 23:19 and we'll be alive for God. 23:22 I want you to meet Dr. Julia Outkina. 23:26 I have the privilege, my team had the privilege 23:30 back in 1992 of baptizing this saint. 23:36 Here she is a saint but then every person 23:39 who truly believes in Christ is the saint. 23:43 Dr. Julia has a doctorate in from Leningrad, 23:47 St. Petersburg University in Linguistics. 23:52 She came to hear English spoken by a foreigner. 23:57 Over there they have a center 24:00 for winning souls in Nizhni Novgorod 24:04 and Dr. Julia who once was an atheist, 24:09 a Jewish atheist 24:12 is now preaching Christ on a 165 stations. 24:17 I say, "Mine eyes have seen the glory." 24:23 And when I visited her and her team, 24:26 my heart lift up with joy. 24:30 Because she said to me, 24:32 "Pastor Carter, I say this in humility." 24:35 She said, "90% of our staff 24:38 were either baptized by your team 24:43 or were brought into church by people 24:45 who were baptized by your team." 24:51 And I want to say to the people 24:53 watching throughout the land of the United States 24:55 and Australia and the rest around the world-- 24:58 but especially to those two great countries. 25:04 You have had a part in something 25:07 which is historic and significant. 25:12 Humanly speaking, 25:14 if we as a church had not gone to Russia in 1992, 25:20 2,530 people would not have been baptized in the Volga River 25:25 and some of you came with me. 25:29 And if that didn't happened, 25:32 then 3ABN would not have been there 25:34 and they would not have come 25:36 and build this great building for the glory of God. 25:42 "Mine eyes have seen the glory." 25:48 I made up my mind years ago 25:53 that I was not going to be person 25:57 who spend his time simply solving church problems. 26:04 You know why, because when he goes 26:06 the same problems will be there. 26:09 Problems have got a way of growing legs. 26:14 I made up my mind 26:17 and I didn't know how I was going to do it. 26:20 But I'm going to do it by the grace of God 26:24 until I go home to glory when Jesus comes. 26:30 I made up my mind 26:32 that I would obey the words of Christ. 26:35 Go into and it says all the world. 26:38 People say to me, but it doesn't mean that. 26:42 Who are you to argue with God? 26:44 Jesus said, "Go into all the world." 26:47 And because this church and 3ABN 26:52 and our supporters caught the vision. 26:57 We have the work there that makes the angels glad. 27:03 And I'm proud unto to God 27:06 to had a small part in it. 27:11 I want to talk to you 27:13 about the tragedy of a great church 27:16 that has lost its way. 27:19 Because history has a way of repeating itself. 27:24 The tragedy of a great church that has lost its way. 27:30 It is a church with a beautiful liturgy. 27:36 I love the liturgy. 27:38 When I go into these great churches 27:43 and I see the priest 27:45 in their gorgeous robes and I hear the choir 27:49 and the music goes up to the domes. 27:56 I'm moved... 28:02 but I have plenty of room to enjoy those ceremonies. 28:08 Because there's no body else there. 28:11 On Sunday morning or hardly anybody. 28:16 So let me tell you about this great 28:19 and marvelous and wonderful church. 28:22 Great soul stirring music. 28:26 Great soul stirring music doesn't save a church. 28:33 Though I love it and wanted. 28:39 A great liturgy, gorgeous robes, don't save a church. 28:45 Talented preaching, don't save a church. 28:49 This church has got some of the most talent-- 28:52 there you see it, that's Sunday morning, 28:55 in the cathedral in Kazan. 28:58 Kazan is the city of more than a million souls 29:03 and Sunday morning 8 or 9 people go to church 29:08 in this great Orthodox Church. 29:13 But it's a gorgeous church. 29:16 Yeah, I love to see the candles flickering. 29:20 I even like to look at the icons 29:24 but once again I'll tell you 29:25 I have not been pushed out of the way 29:28 by a great tumultuous crowd. 29:30 I'm there up basically by myself. 29:35 When my team and I came into that church, 29:39 we immediately doubled the congregation. 29:44 And thus we were made tremendously popular 29:48 because that church 29:54 with all its glory is dead. 29:58 I noticed one thing in that church 30:01 besides the lack of people. 30:03 I notice one thing in that church. 30:06 Nobody including the preacher had a Bible. 30:13 Reminds me of a preacher in this part of the world. 30:16 This is true. 30:17 He said, "I never take my Bible to church on the Sabbath." 30:21 He said, "I think I may lose it." 30:25 Well he's lost it. He lost it a long time ago. 30:29 I want to tell people watching overseas, 30:32 this is what we face today. 30:36 I don't take my Bible to church, I might lose it. 30:43 In that church, 30:46 there's no thundering from the Word of God. 30:53 Let me tell you what happens many time in the west. 30:56 Right here in the United States of America 30:58 because it leans the world in religion. 31:01 I didn't say in Christianity. 31:05 This is the most religious country 31:08 on the face of all the earth and what happens here 31:11 is going to happen somewhere else. 31:13 And Southern California leads America in religion. 31:17 Therefore I say "God helped the world." 31:25 Let me tell you what happens. 31:27 Churches discover and preachers discover-- 31:34 there's a dreadful vacuum. 31:38 People are dissatisfied, 31:40 they're bored, they're empty 31:45 and so what they do is this. 31:48 They'll say, "There's a solution." 31:51 And they have a meeting. What's the solution? 31:52 Let's get a rock band. 31:56 Hey, that happens everywhere here in Southern California. 31:58 Let's get a rock band. 32:01 And that after the rock band, they'll say well to make it 32:03 even more congenial, let's dance. 32:08 Let's all dance and so in some churches 32:11 they'd push back to pews and the people dance. 32:19 How sad? How spiritually dead? 32:25 And then they put on the seminars on finances. 32:29 How you gonna make more money? 32:31 And if you do invest in certain sorts of ways, 32:34 the prosperity gospel. 32:36 You'll become a millionaire. They call it Christianity. 32:42 Well, the people don't know any difference 32:43 because they don't read their Bibles anymore. 32:49 But when this is going on and also to generally speaking 32:54 the preacher preaches a many sermon. 32:59 Remember sermonites make Christianites. 33:02 And so and also they'd stopped 33:05 even bringing their Bibles to church 33:07 and they get it on their iPhone. 33:10 Ah, this is a cute. It never happened before. 33:12 I got an iPhone. Hey, I got it. 33:16 Listen everybody's got a cell phone. 33:19 Doesn't make you smart or anything like that. 33:22 So don't think it gives you prestige. 33:23 Something people say oh, look I get to do-- 33:26 moved it all around. 33:28 And look I can bring up the text. 33:29 Look I've got the text. 33:32 Come on, please, please, 33:38 don't you know what they're saying. 33:40 They're saying that we are breeding a race, 33:43 a people who are monumentally ignorant. 33:49 And in the great seminaries 33:51 they're saying to the young preachers 33:54 "10 minutes brother, that's all I can take." 33:56 That's probably true. 33:58 The sermons happening up here, it's all done. 34:01 He said at the most 34:03 if you want to preach a long sermon, 15 minutes. 34:05 Three points and a poem. 34:08 Three points and a poem 34:09 and if you can dance around the front 34:11 and if you can tell lots of jokes, 34:14 it works for a while. 34:15 And then, you know, what happens? 34:17 They're bored again. 34:19 I know a church in Australia had sort of a semi rock band. 34:23 You couldn't dignified by the term rock band. 34:26 But I'd a people jigging around up a front. 34:29 They stopped wearing shoes to church. 34:31 Oh, that's the hip and thing. 34:33 You don't wear shoes to church. 34:34 So the band is up the front with no shoes 34:37 and not much else-- and this went on for years. 34:43 And I've discovered they've swung the arms at extreme. 34:48 Now they've become a bunch of legalists 34:52 because they're empty inside. 34:58 There's a great church I shouldn't mention the city 35:00 because you know where it is. 35:02 Great church, great preacher and a good man. 35:06 You know what he has he discovered. 35:09 After all this stuff, his congregation of 20,000 35:14 virtually non of them know Jesus. 35:18 And they've had a big emergency meeting. 35:20 I'd say our people are monumentally ignorant. 35:22 They don't know Jesus. 35:27 One of the saddest things is 35:29 that when people get this bug in them, 35:32 they don't take advice. 35:34 Don't want to take any counsel. 35:36 "Hey, we're going to try it." 35:40 That's what the Russian Orthodox Church did. 35:44 Let me tell you some facts. 35:48 There are one million Russian orthodox people 35:51 who go to church once a year. 35:55 They have a 140 million on their roll. It's 140. 36:01 Protestant churches are tiny minority so are Advents. 36:05 There are more Protestants in Russia 36:07 who go to church every weekends 36:09 than the Russian orthodox people do 36:11 during the entire year. 36:14 So when I'm preaching in Kazan, 36:16 I have a congregation 36:18 which is probably 50 or 60 times bigger 36:24 than the Great Russian Orthodox Church. 36:28 You know why? 36:30 Because there's some Bible preaching. 36:33 And because we're not relying 36:35 upon those silly little peripheries, 36:38 we're relying upon the Word of God 36:41 and the Spirit of God. 36:44 And if you get away from that my friend, you're dead. 36:47 You're dead in the water. 36:50 Would you like to know why 36:51 the Russian Orthodox Church is persecuting the Protestants? 36:55 Because they're jealous. 36:58 They say, if we can't beat on with liturgy, 37:01 we're going to put them out of business 37:04 by persecuting them, closing down their churches. 37:08 That's going to happen one day here 37:10 in the United States we know that. 37:13 Now I want to tell you folk something, 37:14 I'm just an old fashioned preacher, 37:18 who believes the Bible but who has seen the glory. 37:23 So when people come to me and they say, 37:25 but you know, you belong to our past era. 37:28 I say I do. The Bible era. 37:33 When Dr. Billy Graham came here 37:36 and Dr. Rick Edwards told me this story 37:37 because he attended the meeting. 37:39 He was one of the ministerial secretaries 37:42 in our General Conference. 37:44 And Billy Graham came here 37:45 and he said, we're going to have a campaign. 37:47 They've got all their pastors from this part of the world, 37:50 all the Protestant pastors. 37:51 He said, "We're going to preach Christ. 37:53 We're going to do evangelism. 37:55 We're going to have altar calls. 37:57 We're going to preach against sin 37:59 and we're going to preach about Christ." 38:01 The one pastor from Southern California, 38:07 not of our church but one pastor got up 38:10 and he said with a sneer, he said, "Dr. Graham, 38:16 you're going to take the church back 200 years." 38:22 Dr. Rick Edwards said, he saw the evangelist 38:27 and he could see the wheels spinning. 38:29 And he got to his feet. And he went to the pulpit. 38:33 He said, "It's not my plan 38:36 to take the church back 200 years. 38:39 If I do that'll be a great failure." 38:43 He said, "It is my plan to take the church back 38:46 not 200 years but 2,000 years." 38:52 And that's our plan. 38:56 Now I know I'm going to be in the minority 38:59 but I won't be in the minority when Jesus comes. 39:05 Boy, that was a tepid sort of applause, wasn't that. 39:08 Look like it was dying before it got out. 39:12 You folks, I want to talk to you folks. 39:15 Sometimes you folks are good preach to 39:17 and sometimes you're not. 39:18 So get good to, preach to 39:20 and if you like something I'd say-- 39:23 squeeze out if you can, amen. 39:28 It won't kill you. 39:31 If you suppress it, it might choke you or something. 39:36 Now I want to tell you folks something, 39:38 this is a rambling sort of sermon but that's okay. 39:40 I believe God still answers prayer. 39:43 Pastor Vadim Butov told me a story that warmed my heart. 39:47 You know, I'm not a charismatic. 39:49 I'm not a faith healer. 39:50 I don't do any of those things. 39:52 I just preach the Word of God and tell people about Jesus. 39:55 And I can't stand a lot of spiritual gunk. 39:58 I really can't. I can't stand a lot of smooth talk. 40:01 I can't stand that. 40:02 I can't stand a lot of pious 40:05 stuff that doesn't mean anything. 40:07 Well, last January I got a call when I was in Nizhni Novgorod 40:12 and it broke me up 40:13 because it is from the same hospital 40:15 where Anna died... back in 93. 40:21 And so got in a car drove to the same hospital, 40:26 put on the gown when you go into the emergency place. 40:32 They wouldn't let us go in but an old babooshka 40:35 who is a nurse brought out this poor little baby boy. 40:38 I told you about him. 40:39 He was sniffling and he was dying. 40:42 He couldn't raise his head. 40:43 The poor little fellow was dying. 40:45 You say, show me a picture. 40:46 I couldn't take a picture of him. 40:48 How could I say can I take a picture of this baby. 40:50 The mother was there. 40:53 Her husband had been baptized by us 40:55 but he'd given up the faith. 40:58 Only the mother was there. 41:00 And I couldn't hold the little baby 41:03 because the baby has so many tubes. 41:05 But I put my hands on the little baby 41:08 and I prayed for the little baby in faith. 41:11 And they would said, the baby it is too late, 41:14 better for the baby to die 41:16 because the baby had brain damage." 41:20 Vadim told me something. 41:24 He said, "The baby is getting better." 41:27 And the baby doesn't have brain damage. Amen. 41:29 And they think the baby is going to make a full recovery. 41:36 It's bit amazing, isn't it? 41:40 May be we'd see more miracles here, 41:41 we'd a little bit more faith 41:43 and stop grizzling and complaining. 41:48 And trust to God 41:49 and got rid of the criticism out of our souls. 41:54 I like you to pray for this young woman. 41:58 Bless her heart, her name is Anna too, Anna. 42:02 She's got muscular dystrophy. 42:07 I anointed her in the name of Lord. 42:11 If there's a doctor out here out there 42:14 watching the telecast can you do anything. 42:17 Here's a beautiful girl in walk to grave. 42:20 Can we do something? 42:21 I don't know what to do, I prayed for her. 42:25 Look at this beautiful girl. And she is dying. 42:31 It makes me think of the words of a song, 42:34 do you know the world is dying, 42:37 for the story of his love. 42:42 How can I be saved any how? 42:44 What must I do to be saved? 42:47 Well, the good news is that in the last day, 42:50 there is going to be a multitude of people saved. 42:54 I want you to come over here to Revelation 7:9. 42:58 You know, what my problem is in these sermons. 43:00 I get to the same spot every time, each Sabbath 43:04 and then I find I'm running out. 43:07 And so I put that on 43:08 at the beginning of the sermon the week after. 43:10 Revelation 7:9, "After this I looked 43:15 and there before me was a great multitude 43:18 that no one could count, 43:20 from every nation, tribe, people and language, 43:22 standing before the throne and in front of Lamb. 43:25 They were wearing white robes 43:27 and were holding palm branches in their hands." 43:29 These are people who were saved in the last days. 43:33 And the Bible says, they come from Mexico, 43:36 they come from Spain, they come China, 43:39 they come from India, they come from Africa 43:42 and they even come from Los Angeles. 43:44 I want you to come over here to the words of Jesus. 43:46 Matthew 7:13-14. 43:50 Matthew 7:13-14. 43:55 And notice the words of Jesus here 43:57 because these words seem to be a contradiction 44:00 but they're not. 44:01 Matthew 7:13-14, our blessed Lord said, 44:06 "Enter through the narrow gate. 44:08 For wide is the gate and broad is the road 44:12 that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 44:15 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life," 44:19 What does it say? "And only a few find it." 44:23 God is going to have a multitude saved in the last days 44:26 but that multitude in comparison to the vast numbers, 44:32 is a tiny little remnant. Just a few. 44:36 There are many deceptions today. 44:40 There are many besetments, that are trying to pull us down. 44:45 But the good news is this. 44:49 God is going to have in His kingdom a great multitude. 44:55 I showed you pictures last week 44:57 of a Vasilly and Ildar, the Russian mafia man. 45:00 How were they saved? 45:05 I'm interviewing Vasilly there. 45:09 We couldn't play everything but he told us. 45:16 But firstly they felt their need. 45:18 That's what you got to do. Do you feel your need? 45:21 Remember the Publican and Pharisee. 45:25 Pharisee had no need. 45:26 He said, "I'm better than everybody." 45:29 But the Publican, and tax collector said, 45:31 "Lord be merciful to me a sinner." 45:34 You got to feel your need. 45:37 If you don't feel your need today... 45:42 God can't help you. 45:44 But you can ask God to help you to feel your need. 45:48 And then they looked to Christ. 45:51 You know the text as well as I do. 45:53 John 3, you know the text. 45:57 John 3 it says "As Moses lifted up the serpent 46:02 even so the son of God must be lifted up. 46:04 Son of man. 46:06 So that whoever believes in him will not perish 46:09 but have everlasting life." 46:12 My friend we've got a look to Jesus. 46:14 Not look to the church organization 46:16 even though that may be great 46:19 but you're not saved by the church organization. 46:21 You're saved by looking to Jesus. 46:24 And then like Vasilly and Ildar you got to believe. 46:28 Somebody said that faith or belief is like a small boy 46:35 and is invited to a banquet 46:37 and he says, "All I want is a knife 46:40 and a fork and an opportunity." 46:42 That's faith. I'm going eat it. 46:47 I can't afford it. I believe its trust. 46:52 I believe those guys over there repented, 46:59 they said "I'm sorry." 47:01 That's what you and I got to do. 47:04 You and I cannot be saved 47:07 while we're hanging on to our sins. 47:10 One of the biggest sins today in the church. 47:13 Can I whisper it to you? 47:15 Is gossip. 47:17 It's telling lies. It's slander. 47:21 You can't be saved with those sins. 47:24 Those mafia guys had to repent and they did it 47:29 and then they had to confess it to God 47:32 and to the people that they had sinned against. 47:34 And they made restitution. 47:38 Started giving back money to people. 47:42 Going to people and saying, "We stole, we did bad things." 47:46 You say, it doesn't sound like American Christianity. 47:49 It's Bible Christianity that happens to-- 47:52 they believe by lot of Americans too... 47:56 making restitution. 47:58 And then we got to testify. 48:01 Sergei, he is head elder of our church 48:05 in Nizhni Novgorod which is our biggest church 48:08 in Russia established by this ministry. 48:12 Glory be to God. 48:15 He got baptized with two other mafia chieftains. 48:18 They went back to their bosses 48:21 and they said, "We'd become Adventist Christians." 48:26 The mafia bosses said, 48:28 "We're going to blow your brains out." 48:30 Sergei said, "Blow away, I'm not giving up." 48:34 The other two guys because of cowardice 48:37 gave in and gave up their faith. 48:40 But Sergei, he didn't, he stood up for Christ. 48:45 You know what the mafia guys did, they forgave him, 48:49 they said we're going to say you're insane. 48:53 And they forgave him. 48:59 We're talking here today about what God can do. 49:07 I love this hymn. 49:09 It was Winston Churchill's favorite hymn. 49:13 He loved it. I loved it. 49:15 Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, 49:21 he is trampling out the vintage 49:23 where the grapes of wrath are stored. 49:27 He has loosed the fateful lightning 49:29 of his terrible swift sword, 49:32 his truth is marching on. 49:37 I have seen him in the watchfires 49:38 of a hundred circling camps, 49:41 they have builded him an altar 49:44 in the evening dews and damps. 49:47 I can read his righteous sentence 49:49 by the dim and flaring lamps, his day is marching on." 49:55 You cant stop it. 49:58 Men may have their hour 49:59 but our God will have His day and it's coming. 50:04 The signs and the judgments are already in the earth. 50:09 Suzy Perino said something this week that shook me up. 50:12 And I wish she had not said it. 50:14 She said I think perhaps we should-- 50:17 don't know if I can say. I'll break it down. 50:21 She said, it may be a good thing that we have a huge earthquake. 50:26 And then you won't fit the people in church. 50:30 1 session, 2 session, 3 sessions, 50:33 we have got so far from God. 50:36 God is going to send us a earthquake. 50:39 It's coming. 50:45 "I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel. 50:50 As you deal with my contemners, 50:52 so with you my grace shall deal. 50:55 Let the Hero, born of woman, 50:57 crush the serpent with his heel, 51:01 Since God is marching on. 51:04 He has sounded forth the trumpet 51:06 that shall never sound retreat. 51:08 He is sifting out the souls of men 51:11 before His judgment-seat. 51:13 Oh, be quick, my soul, to answer Him! 51:16 Be jubilant, my feet! 51:21 Our God is marching on. 51:24 In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea. 51:30 With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me. 51:35 As He died to make men holy, 51:38 let us die to make them free, 51:45 While God is marching on." What a song it is, glory. 51:50 Glory, hallelujah. 51:54 Glory, glory hallelujah. 51:59 Glory, glory hallelujah. 52:05 His truth is marching on, nothing will stop it. 52:13 In the name of the Father and of the Son 52:16 and of the Holy Spirit, amen. 52:19 Amen. Let us kneel. 52:31 Our Father, we thank You 52:34 for the privilege of coming to church 52:37 before the earthquake strikes. 52:40 So that we can right with You. 52:44 We thank You for what You've done through this church, 52:49 through this ministry, a little flock. 52:53 But Lord, You've beaten the mountain with a worm. 52:57 And who has despised that they've small things 53:01 because it is not by might nor by power 53:03 but by the spirit of living God. 53:05 Hallelujah, praise the Lord. 53:08 His truth is marching on. 53:12 Our Father, You've given us talents and abilities. 53:15 You've given us money. You've given us time. 53:17 You've given us the ability to talk 53:21 because if we are part of the church 53:23 then You have given to us gifts by the Holy Spirit. 53:28 Oh, God do something for us today 53:31 and put those gifts so firmly in our hearts 53:34 and make us aware of them 53:36 that we will break from the spell 53:38 of this false theology of clergy and laity, 53:43 two distinct classes in the church. 53:45 Help us all to realize 53:47 that we are a part of the people of God. 53:52 And that we're all equal 53:55 and as we stand at the foot of cross 53:57 there is neither male nor female, 53:59 Jew nor Gentile, we're all one in Christ Jesus. 54:04 We thank You for what you've done. 54:07 We thank You for what You're going to do. 54:12 And as You used Sergei 54:16 and as now you're using Ildar and Vasilly 54:20 who are organizing hundreds of Bible studies a week. 54:24 Help us to know in this church 54:27 that we are not called to mediocrity 54:32 but we're called to greatness. 54:35 The greatness of the gospel 54:38 and the greatness of your redeeming grace. 54:41 As we are praying in our church today 54:43 how many will raise a hand and say, oh Lord, 54:48 wash me in the blood and use me. 54:51 Raise your hand if that's your prayer. 54:53 Lift it up high, while you have an opportunity 54:56 to say that aloud, 54:57 Lord wash me in the blood 55:01 and use me 55:04 and fill me today with the spirit. 55:09 So I worship You and I bless You 55:12 and I thank You and I give You glory 55:17 in Jesus' precious name. 55:20 Amen and amen. Amen. 55:41 Great is Thy faithfulness 55:47 O God my Father 55:52 There is no shadow 55:57 Of turning with Thee 56:03 Thou changest not Thy compassions 56:10 They fail not 56:14 As if Thou hast been 56:17 Thou forever wilt be 56:24 Great is Thy faithfulness 56:30 Great is Thy faithfulness 56:35 Morning by morning 56:40 New mercies I see 56:46 All I have needed 56:50 Thy Hand hath provided 56:56 Great is Thy faithfulness 57:03 Lord, unto me 57:17 Summer and winter 57:22 Springtime and harvest 57:27 Sun, moon and stars 57:31 In their courses above 57:37 Join with all nature 57:42 In manifold witness 57:47 To Thy great faithfulness 57:53 Mercy and love |
Revised 2014-12-17