Participants:
Series Code: GYC
Program Code: GYC180006A
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00:34 I'll be reading from Micah 6:1-8,
00:40 Micah 6:1-8. 00:44 And it reads, "Hear what the Lord says, 00:48 'Arise, plead your case before the mountains, 00:53 and let the hills hear your voice.' 00:56 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, 01:00 and you enduring foundations of the earth. 01:03 For the Lord has an indictment against His people, 01:06 and He will contend with Israel. 01:09 'O My people, what have I done to you? 01:13 How have I wearied you? 01:15 Answer me! 01:17 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, 01:20 and redeemed you from the house of slavery, 01:24 and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 01:29 O My people, remember what Balak, King of Moab devised, 01:35 and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him. 01:38 And what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, 01:42 that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.' 01:46 " Verse 6, 01:47 "With what shall I come before the Lord, 01:51 and bow myself before God on high? 01:54 Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, 01:57 with calves of a year old? 02:01 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 02:04 with ten thousands of rivers of oil? 02:07 Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, 02:11 the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 02:17 He has told you, O man, what is good. 02:21 And what does the Lord require of you 02:25 but to do justice, and to love kindness, 02:30 and to walk humbly with your God?" 02:35 I have the privilege of introducing 02:38 our evening speaker tonight. 02:41 He has a heart for GYC. 02:43 In fact, he was a speaker at the very first GYC. 02:50 His firstborn Israel was six months old. 02:56 Today, he's 16 02:58 and he's attending the 17th GYC. 03:04 He's a thinker, he's a lover of bow ties, 03:07 that's why I'm wearing one tonight. 03:10 He's a relationship and family specialist. 03:14 You kind of earn that 03:15 when you have four very active children. 03:20 Steve Conway is also pastor of the Cherry Hill at Detroit, 03:25 Northwest Churches, 03:27 and married to the beautiful 03:30 and perennial, sanguine Tambi. 03:35 He brings to the table a very unique experience 03:38 that adds weighty depth to his preaching. 03:43 First lasting memory of him was when I heard that 03:49 an African-American brother was going to pastor 03:52 a Korean Church. 03:54 And I remember thinking that's going to be 03:57 very interesting. 03:59 The Lord blessed. 04:00 In fact, he pastored two Korean churches. 04:06 He also served as the chaplain 04:08 on the campus of the University of Michigan with campus, 04:13 the center for Adventist ministry 04:15 to public university students, 04:18 and has also served as boys' dean 04:22 at one of our academies. 04:24 You can expect from Brother Conway, 04:27 the preaching of the word that both activates the mind 04:32 and resonates with your soul. 04:35 Here at GYC, we've all accustomed 04:38 to hearing profound, straightforward 04:41 biblical preaching numerous preachers that torch, 04:46 that baton will be held very high tonight 04:50 and each evening to the end. 04:55 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 05:00 Heavenly Father, we thank You so much 05:02 for the Word of God. 05:05 I pray that You'll be with Pastor Steve Conway, 05:11 that You'll anoint his lips that the words 05:14 that are preached are not his own, 05:17 but from on high. 05:19 In the name of Jesus, amen. 05:41 Wonderful, merciful Savior 05:47 Precious Redeemer and Friend 05:54 Who could have thought that a Lamb 05:58 Could rescue the souls of men 06:04 Oh, You rescue the souls of men 06:15 Counselor, Comforter, Keeper 06:21 Spirit we long to embrace 06:27 You offer hope when our hearts have 06:33 Hopelessly lost the way 06:38 Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way 06:45 You are the One that we praise 06:51 You are the One we adore 06:57 You give the healing and grace 07:02 Our hearts always hunger for Oh, 07:08 our hearts always hunger for 07:49 Almighty, infinite Father 07:55 Faithfully loving Your own 08:01 Here in our weakness You find us 08:07 Falling before Your throne 08:11 Oh, we're bowing before Your throne 08:19 You are the One that we praise 08:25 You are the One we adore 08:31 You give the healing and grace 08:35 Our hearts always hunger for 08:41 Oh, our hearts always hunger for 08:49 You are the One that we praise 08:55 You are the One we adore 09:01 You give the healing and grace 09:05 Our hearts always hunger for 09:11 Oh, our hearts always hunger for 09:47 Let's hear another hearty amen. 09:49 Amen. 09:51 Bow your heads together with me. 09:53 "Father, we are grateful 09:55 for the privilege of Your presence 09:56 and for the power of Your Word. 09:59 Now we ask that You would be with us 10:02 as we spend time together considering eternal things. 10:08 It is our prayer that we would leave different 10:10 than we entered in Jesus' name. 10:12 Amen. 10:16 Bring you greetings from 10:17 the Cherry Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church 10:19 and Garden City, Michigan, 10:21 and the Detroit Northwest 10:23 Seventh-day Adventist Church in Detroit, Michigan. 10:28 I'm grateful that 10:30 our congregations have allowed us to come here 10:32 and to spend time together with you and share. 10:38 In the Book of Acts Chapter 1, 10:43 beginning with verse 6. 10:48 The Bible says, "When they therefore were come together, 10:51 they asked of him, saying, 'Lord, 10:55 wilt thou at this time restore again 10:59 the kingdom to Israel?' 11:05 " Wilt thou at this time restore again 11:09 the kingdom to Israel? 11:11 Verse 7, "And he said unto them, 11:12 'It is not for you to know the times 11:16 or the seasons, 11:17 which the Father hath put in His own power. 11:21 But ye shall receive power, 11:24 after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, 11:26 and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, 11:31 and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, 11:34 and unto the uttermost part of the earth'" 11:37 or as the theme is to the ends of the earth. 11:43 The first thing that jumps into my mind is 11:47 found in verse 6. 11:48 The Bible tells us that when they were come together, 11:52 they asked him, and in the original language, 11:55 they did not merely ask one time, 11:58 but they persistently pressed Jesus. 12:02 So they asked over and over and over again. 12:07 It's like one of my children, when I've told them 12:10 that I'm going to do something for them, 12:12 they will never let me forget. 12:15 They press over and over and over again. 12:21 But it is not this pressing 12:23 so much as it is what the disciples ask 12:27 that is at the very least puzzling to me. 12:31 Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again 12:36 the kingdom to Israel? 12:39 If you're familiar with Jesus' teachings on the kingdom, 12:42 which all of us should be to some degree, 12:46 Jesus had much to say about the kingdom, 12:50 but actually He said very little 12:52 about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. 12:57 In His parables, you will read about the kingdom being removed 13:01 or taken away from Israel and given to another nation 13:04 bringing forth fruits. 13:07 And so my question is, 13:09 where does the disciples question come from? 13:14 Beloved, I believe that it came from 13:18 the theological interpretations of the Pharisees. 13:24 Now the reason why this is troubling to me 13:27 is because the crucified, and resurrected, 13:32 and glorified savior was standing right there 13:35 in front of the disciples. 13:37 They had spent the last 40 days with their master. 13:44 And, beloved, Jesus was not enough. 13:48 What did I say? 13:51 I heard three people here on the front row. 13:55 Jesus was not enough. 13:56 What did I say? 13:58 Jesus was not enough. 14:01 Please imagine with me that 14:03 the man that you have seen raise the dead 14:04 and feed 5,000 on one occasion 14:07 and 4,000 on another occasion, 14:09 and that's not even counting the women and children, 14:13 a man that you have seen calm stormy seas, 14:17 a man that you have seen cast demons 14:20 out of countless individuals, 14:22 and then imagine with me that you see this same man 14:25 hanging on a cross. 14:27 Your hopes in Him as the Messiah are dashed, 14:32 destroyed. 14:36 And then, you see Him after He has risen. 14:41 Imagine that you're inside of a house for fear 14:44 of what the Jews are going to do to you, 14:46 and the same Jesus walks through the wall, 14:50 comes into the midst, 14:52 approaches Thomas, 14:54 and says, "Touch me, touch me." 15:00 And then imagine that you and Jesus 15:02 spent 40 days together. 15:05 And at the end of this, the only thing on your lips 15:09 is a twisted theological interpretation. 15:12 When will you restore the kingdom to Israel? 15:18 Not Jesus. 15:20 How many more people are going to be resurrected? 15:22 Not Jesus. 15:24 What grand things do you have in store for us, 15:27 but when will you restore the kingdom to Israel? 15:30 It makes me wonder tonight 15:32 for how many of us is Jesus not enough? 15:37 How many of us need a new car? 15:39 How many of us need another degree? 15:41 How many of us need a better relationship? 15:44 How many of us need to make more money? 15:46 How many of us need something else 15:50 other than Jesus? 15:53 The disciples asked this ridiculous question, 15:56 but Jesus in His manifold wisdom 15:59 does not directly address the question. 16:04 "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons 16:08 which the Father has put in His own power. 16:11 But ye shall receive power, 16:13 after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. 16:16 And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, 16:21 and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, 16:23 and unto the uttermost part of the earth." 16:27 This is a wonderful promise, 16:30 and we've heard a little bit about it today. 16:34 Your theme takes the end of verse 8 16:37 and seeks the focus our minds on that. 16:40 But I want to take your minds away 16:42 from the ends of the earth. 16:44 And I want to take your minds to the beginning. 16:50 Jesus tells them to go to Jerusalem. 16:53 He tells them to go where? 16:55 Jerusalem. 16:56 Now I don't know if you're awake this evening, 17:01 but if you are like me and I'm one of the disciples, 17:03 I'm like, "What, Jesus? 17:07 You want us to go where?" 17:10 After all, it was in Jerusalem that Jesus had been... 17:16 Yeah. 17:17 In the 11th chapter of John's gospel, 17:19 the Bible tells us how Jesus' apostles felt about Jerusalem, 17:24 when Jesus said, "Let us go into Judaea," 17:28 because He wanted to resurrect Lazarus. 17:30 They say, "Well, yeah. 17:31 Come on, let's go so we can die like Him." 17:36 This was not a place that any one of Jesus' followers 17:40 would covet going, 17:42 and yet it is the very first place 17:44 that Jesus commanded that His disciples must go. 17:51 I would submit to you this evening 17:54 that Jesus was borrowing from a principle 17:57 or an idea that is in scripture. 18:00 Again, if I'm one of the disciples, 18:02 I don't want to go to Jerusalem 18:04 because they've crucified Jesus. 18:06 Not only have they crucified Jesus 18:09 but they've already heard Jesus preaching. 18:13 They've seen Jesus perform miracles. 18:17 Humanly speaking, one would conclude 18:19 it would be a waste of time to go 18:22 and take the gospel message to those 18:24 who have apparently already heard. 18:29 If there were classes of people who were deserving 18:33 to receive the gospel, 18:35 I believe that those in Jerusalem 18:37 would probably be considered amongst the most undeserving. 18:43 And yet, Jesus said, 18:44 before you reach the ends of the earth, 18:49 you must first go to Jerusalem. 18:53 What is this principle that we suggested? 18:57 Turn with me to Micah 6. 19:00 It was our scripture reading this evening. 19:05 Micah 6. 19:09 People have composed beautiful music, 19:11 beautiful songs about these verses. 19:14 But tonight, we will try to extract 19:17 something that helps us understand Jesus' command 19:22 in the first chapter of Acts. 19:26 "Hear you now what the Lord says, 19:29 Arise, contend thou before the mountains, 19:33 and let the hills hear your voice." 19:36 Whenever God has a problem with His people, 19:38 and they're not listening, 19:40 God calls nature to witness against His people. 19:44 Verse 2, "Hear, ye, O mountains, 19:47 the Lord's controversy, 19:49 and ye strong foundations of the earth. 19:52 For the Lord has a controversy with His people 19:55 and He will plead with Israel. 20:00 O My people, what have I done unto you? 20:03 And wherein have I wearied you? 20:05 Testify against me. 20:08 For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, 20:10 and redeemed you out of the house of servants. 20:13 And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 20:16 O My people, remember now 20:19 what Balak, King of Moab, consulted, 20:21 and what Balaam, the son of Beor answered him 20:24 from Shittim onto Gilgal, 20:26 that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord." 20:31 Now here's where it gets interesting. 20:35 Verse 6. 20:36 Israel personify is responding to God's accusations. 20:42 And I want you to notice the tinner of their response. 20:47 "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, 20:50 and bow myself before the high God? 20:53 Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, 20:57 with calves of a year old? 20:59 Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousands of rams 21:02 or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? 21:05 Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, 21:09 the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" 21:13 So God says, 21:15 "I've got a controversy with My people." 21:19 And Israel's response is, 21:21 "Well, what do you want from us? 21:24 What do you want? 21:28 Do you want thousands of burnt offerings? 21:31 Do you want thousands of rams, 21:33 ten thousands of rivers of oil?" 21:36 Those things are all in reference 21:38 to the sacrificial 21:40 or the ceremonial services. 21:43 "Do you want us to just keep going 21:44 through a round of religious practices? 21:48 Is that what you want, God? 21:50 More churches, 21:52 more grand events like this one, 21:55 more seminars, 21:57 more explanations on how we are to do this, 21:59 and how we are to do that. 22:01 Is that what you desire?" 22:04 And then, Israel goes a step further 22:06 and suggests that God is unfair in what He desires 22:12 beyond the religious rituals. 22:16 "Do you want Me to give the fruit of My body 22:21 for the sin of My soul? 22:24 Are You asking me for that 22:26 which it is uncharacteristic of You to request, 22:31 illogical of You to request. 22:34 God, what is it that You want from me?" 22:38 I imagined that there are some of you 22:40 who are listening to this right now, 22:43 who have asked yourself the very same question. 22:47 God, I go to church every week. 22:49 God, I try to study my Bible. 22:51 I try to spend time with You, 22:53 but it seems like things are just not clicking. 22:56 "What else do You want from me? 22:59 I've sacrificed, and I've given up music, 23:01 and I've given up the partying scene, 23:03 and I've tried to get away from the old life, 23:06 but what else is it that You desire?" 23:11 Listen to God's response. 23:16 Verse 8. 23:19 What does it say? You probably can quote it. 23:22 "He hath shewed thee, 23:26 O man, what is..." 23:28 "Good." 23:29 "And what doth the..." 23:30 "Lord." 23:33 Now the interesting thing is, if you're like me, 23:36 I'm looking at that and I'm saying to myself, 23:38 "Okay, God has shown them what it is that is good, 23:42 and what He requires of them, 23:44 so they already know." 23:45 They already what? 23:48 They already know. 23:50 But if you're like me, I didn't know. 23:54 Here's the punch-line if you will. 23:59 Israel had been shown what God required of them 24:05 based on his treatment of Israel. 24:09 Let me say that again. 24:11 Israel had been showed 24:14 or shown what God required of them 24:17 based on his treatment of Israel. 24:21 Listen to this. 24:23 Verse 4, 24:26 "For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, 24:29 and I redeemed you out of the house of slavery. 24:33 And I send before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." 24:37 God is saying, "I have liberated you." 24:40 I have what? Liberated. 24:42 "I have liberated you. 24:45 And I also gave you guidance and leadership." 24:48 I gave you what? 24:49 Guidance and leadership. 24:51 "I liberated you, 24:52 I provided guidance and leadership for you." 24:56 Verse 5, "Remember now 24:59 what Balak king of Moab consulted, 25:01 and what Balaam the son of Boer answered him..." 25:05 Now listen, you guys remember this. 25:06 This is from the Book of Numbers, right? 25:09 Did Israel know 25:11 what Balaam and Balak were doing 25:13 on the mountain? 25:15 Did Israel know 25:17 that an attempt was being made to curse the entire nation? 25:22 Come on, yes or no? 25:25 Listen to me, friends, 25:27 God was saying, "I protected you from dangers 25:32 that you did not even know existed. 25:37 I protected, and I preserved you." 25:40 Amen. 25:43 "I caused blessings to come from your enemies 25:46 and you didn't even know it." 25:51 And so this, beloved, 25:52 is the foundation for what God says, 25:56 "I have shown you what is good, 26:00 and I have shown you what I require of you." 26:06 Listen to what He says 26:09 in the end portion of verse 8, 26:12 "To do justly, 26:14 to love mercy, 26:16 and to walk humbly with thy God?" 26:20 To do justly. 26:21 That is to do what is right, 26:25 to do what is right. 26:28 And to love mercy, 26:31 and then to walk in humility. 26:35 We should love mercy. 26:37 Israel was being encouraged to love mercy 26:42 because God had been merciful to them. 26:46 Israel was being encouraged to do what was right 26:49 because God had done right by Israel. 26:54 Israel was being encouraged to walk in humility 26:58 because the blessings that they enjoy were not 27:00 because they had been faithful to God 27:02 but because God had been faithful to them. 27:07 And so God says this, beloved, 27:11 "I want you to treat others 27:14 the way that I have treated you." 27:17 Did you get that or did you miss it? 27:21 "I want you to treat others 27:23 the way I have treated you." 27:29 But what if they're undeserving? 27:33 Well, guess what? 27:35 You're undeserving too. 27:38 This principal difference 27:40 I believe is what Jesus... 27:45 What Jesus concentrates in the Acts 1. 27:50 It's the reason why Jesus told 27:52 the disciples that they must first go to Jerusalem. 27:57 It was the most hazardous mission 27:59 that they could undertake 28:01 to the most undeserving of people 28:03 on the face of planet earth, 28:05 and yet Jesus says, "You must start there." 28:11 Now let me ask you. 28:14 Did the disciples stick close to Jesus' side 28:21 when He was going through His passion? 28:26 You know, I had a friend 28:28 when I was young about 15 or 16, 28:32 and I remember my brother and I, 28:33 we got into a fight, we got junked. 28:36 And it was three of us walking down the street. 28:42 And this brother was ruptured away instantly 28:46 when the fight broke out. 28:51 And two hours later, he reappeared. 28:57 I'm like, "Man, what happened?" 28:58 "Oh, man, I ran, I thought Saul was running too." 29:04 Bible says that one of Jesus' followers ran so fast 29:08 that the brother ran up out of his clothes. 29:11 Now I know some of you are fast in here tonight, 29:13 but you ain't that fast. 29:15 His brother ran up out of his clothes. 29:18 The disciples... My point is this, 29:20 the disciples were undeserving of the mercies of God 29:24 because they had forsaken Jesus 29:27 at the time when He needed them most, 29:29 and yet, He had extended mercy to them. 29:35 And now Jesus says, "I want you to go 29:38 and extend mercy to the undeserving 29:43 just as I've extended mercy to you." 29:48 Let me ask you a question tonight. 29:51 Who do you think is undeserving of the gospel? 29:55 Let me ask it another way. 29:59 Who are you least inclined to share the gospel with? 30:05 I want you to think about that. 30:07 Somebody alluded to it earlier today 30:10 in one of the presentations, 30:11 I like the fact that Jerusalem was a city. 30:13 Jerusalem was a what? 30:15 City. 30:16 Now I know as all good Seventh-day Adventists, 30:18 we're trying to make our way to the hills 30:20 and get away from the cities. 30:22 So we can prepare 30:25 to be translated to heaven without seeing death. 30:31 But I just want to put this in your ear tonight. 30:34 There was work to be done in the cities. 30:38 And I know some of us 30:40 talk about being afraid of going to the cities. 30:44 I hear no amens on that. 30:47 I know some of us talk about being afraid of going 30:50 into the cities because, 30:51 "Oh, all the crime and all the violence, 30:54 I heard that about Detroit, 30:56 but they pack out for field 30:58 with 80,000 people all the time. 31:01 They pack out tigers, not Tiger Stadium, 31:03 but Comerica Park. 31:05 All the folks going down to see the baseball game, 31:09 and they pack out the hockey arenas. 31:12 And people tend to go to the cities 31:15 for what they want to go to the cities for. 31:19 And I'm not just talking about worldly folks, 31:22 I'm talking about us too. 31:25 Welcome to the city for GYC. 31:29 But we won't go to labor amongst those 31:32 who are needy in the cities. 31:35 And yet, what we're reading tonight from God's Word is, 31:38 God says, "Have I extended mercy to you?" 31:43 "Yes." 31:44 "Then I expect you to extend mercy 31:47 even to those that you may deem to be undeserving." 31:53 "Well, Lord, I'm afraid of what's going to happen 31:55 if I go into the cities." 31:57 Let me tell you. I used to... 32:01 For many years, like many of you 32:04 or some of you, anyway, 32:06 go door to door, canvassing, 32:08 and I lay up programs, big booked, 32:10 and all of that stuff. 32:11 And you know what they would tell us 32:13 when we would go door to door, and, you know, 32:15 you don't know the people that were telling me this, 32:17 so don't think anything. 32:20 They would tell us there are certain communities 32:22 that you want to look for. 32:25 Don't say amen too loud. 32:28 Young families with... 32:33 Young families with kids. 32:36 These are the communities that we want to target. 32:42 And when we conduct our evangelistic crusades, 32:45 listen to me beloved, 32:47 who are we expecting to get? 32:52 If you're honest with yourselves, 32:54 you want nicely-dressed professionals 33:00 who have well-mannered families, 33:04 who have good jobs to join your church. 33:10 I heard one amen. 33:15 We want people who are as close to us 33:18 as they possibly can be to come and join our churches, 33:23 and we are uncomfortable when people don't look like us. 33:28 We're uncomfortable when we smell them. 33:33 We're uncomfortable when their coming means 33:36 that our church is going to have to expend 33:39 more of its budget in order to bless 33:41 and care for them. 33:44 You mean we spent all this money on evangelism 33:47 and now we're going to have to keep spending? 33:50 I thought we were trying to get good. 33:58 And yet Jesus says, 34:01 "You didn't deserve my mercy or my grace." 34:05 And so I'm imploring you to extend 34:09 My mercy and My grace to others 34:12 just as I've extended it to you." 34:13 In fact, beloved, let me say this. 34:17 The love and mercy of God ought to change us. 34:21 Amen. 34:23 It ought to change us at our very core 34:26 so that we are willing to go first to the people 34:29 and the places that are most undeserving 34:33 or that redeem as most undeserving, 34:35 the people and places that we are most uncomfortable 34:38 going to. 34:42 If you only want people who look like you 34:46 and who are in the same social, economic bracket as you are, 34:50 what gospel are you talking about? 34:53 Mercy. 34:55 What message are you taking? 34:59 If I read my Bible correctly, 35:01 Jesus went to the sick, diseased, 35:04 and the outcast of society, first, 35:09 the most undeserving. 35:10 Why? 35:12 Because they were the most likely to accept His message 35:16 and be transformed by it. 35:20 But you and I want folks who are readymade Christians. 35:26 Let me tell you, we had a precious sister. 35:29 We had outside service at the Cherry Hill Church. 35:33 Precious sister, 35:34 she would drove up and down the street five times. 35:37 She ended up coming in, 35:40 and she says she wanted to bring her whole family. 35:42 We say, "Sure, come on in." 35:44 And so she came with her family, 35:47 precious family, beautiful family. 35:50 Five children, 35:52 two of her children were autistic. 35:56 And this made our church uncomfortable. 36:01 Now here we're praying that the Lord brings souls, 36:04 then He brings some, and we're like, "Oh!" 36:11 But here's what He forced us to do. 36:12 And I praise God for my saints at Cherry Hill. 36:16 We decided to get together and pray, 36:18 and say God has sent us these precious souls, 36:21 and we need to be equipped, 36:23 so that we can minister to them. 36:25 Amen. 36:27 And so we had a whole big thing and had folks 36:31 from the Autism Alliance come in and tell us 36:33 how we could better equip our church. 36:36 Here is the thing we learned. 36:37 Our Sabbath School was set up for our children 36:40 and our grandchildren, 36:42 but it wasn't set up for autistic children. 36:46 Now as I'm listening to this presentation 36:48 that these folks from Autism Alliance are sharing, 36:51 it begins to settle in on my mind, 36:54 "Hey, it's not just our Sabbath School Program, 36:57 our entire church service is set up for our own comfort." 37:06 And just like an autistic child could come 37:09 into a Sabbath School room 37:10 and be completely out of place, 37:12 and we don't even understand why, 37:15 and it means that we must invest 37:17 and take the time to get to know that child 37:19 so that we can minister to them in a relevant way. 37:22 Likewise, it's not just with autistic children, 37:25 but it's with everybody, beloved. 37:34 Before you go to the ends of the earth, 37:39 first, start in the most undesirable place. 37:42 1997, I was supposed to go to Korea to teach English. 37:46 The plans fell through. 37:48 I was reading somewhere in the Spirit of Prophecy, 37:50 and this powerful quotation came, 37:53 and it said, 37:55 it said that, 37:56 "Those who seek to be missionaries in a foreign land 37:59 must first learn to become missionaries 38:01 in their own homes." 38:03 Amen. 38:04 In their own homes. 38:07 Lord, have mercy. 38:10 It ain't easy at home, is it? 38:13 'Cause folks know you. 38:20 No matter how high you were walking at GYC, 38:23 they're like, "I'm going to give it a week." 38:26 See if you aim back to doing the same old foolishness 38:29 you were doing before you went. 38:32 And it's uncomfortable when people want to test 38:34 the validity of our experience, isn't it? 38:37 No, we just want people to accept 38:39 that we've changed and we're new. 38:41 But the people in our homes are like, 38:43 "Let's see how long this is going to last this time." 38:48 'Cause they've been on that rodeo before. 38:52 Oh, my heart was touched. 38:54 Let's see if you're going to continue to be patient. 38:57 Let's see if you're going to continue to walk with humility. 39:00 And beloved, here it is, Jesus wants us to begin. 39:04 He wants us to what? 39:05 He wants us to begin in the most difficult places. 39:13 I was in Tennessee 39:15 and... 39:19 pastor by the name of George Shaw 39:20 came and visited me. 39:23 I was a boys' dean at Lowbrook Academy, and... 39:27 he came and sat me down, he says, "Steve, listen, 39:29 I think that God has placed His hand on you 39:31 for pastoral ministry. 39:33 Have you ever considered that?" 39:34 I'm like, "No, not really." 39:37 And this silver haired wise man laid the burden on me 39:41 for over an hour. 39:46 And, beloved, I came face to face with this reality 39:50 that I had surrendered to the Lord Jesus, 39:52 but I had told them two things. 39:57 I said, "Lord, I don't want to be a pastor. 39:59 I'll do anything, 40:02 but I'm about to be no pastor. 40:05 Lord, I'll go anywhere, jungles, 40:10 desert, 40:13 but don't send me back to Cleveland. 40:17 That's where I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. 40:20 And I'm like, "No, no, no, no, no, Lord. 40:21 Literally, Lord, you can send me anywhere 40:25 except for home. 40:28 And, Lord, I'll do anything 40:30 except for pastor." 40:33 And at the end of that conversation, 40:34 and I've been walking with the Lord 40:36 for about five or six years at this point. 40:38 At the end of that conversation, 40:40 I realized that I had never truly surrendered to God. 40:47 Now let me rephrase that. 40:50 I realized that my surrender was not thorough. 40:55 I had indeed surrendered, 40:57 but it was not thorough 40:59 because I was with holding things. 41:03 There were places I did not or a place, 41:06 excuse me, singular, a place I did not want to go. 41:09 And there was a task 41:11 that I had no interest in fulfilling. 41:16 Beloved, we read Acts 1:8 and we think, 41:20 "Ye shall receive power," and that's where we focus. 41:23 But you got to understand, folks. 41:25 The disciples were not thinking about the power, 41:28 they were thinking about where Jesus was telling them to go. 41:33 Jerusalem. 41:36 They would have preferred to go to the ends of the earth 41:41 but not Jerusalem. 41:46 But that's precisely where Jesus sent them. 41:51 Why? 41:53 Because there would be no greater evidence 41:55 that their hearts had been transformed 41:57 by the love of God. 41:59 Then for those men to go to Jerusalem, 42:03 and labor intensely 42:05 and passionately for the same people, 42:08 who had not only crucified Jesus, 42:11 listen to me, beloved, 42:14 but who had seen their cowardice. 42:18 The same people who had witnessed 42:20 as they abandoned their master. 42:25 Jesus said, "I want you to start right there." 42:32 I want to ask you something this evening. 42:36 Have you been changed by the mercy 42:41 and grace that God has extended to you? 42:46 Have you truly been transformed? 42:51 I'm going to suggest tonight that perhaps, 42:53 you have been, 42:54 but like me, in Tennessee, 42:57 you need a more thorough transformation. 43:00 Last year, I was reading a book 43:02 'cause I wanted to become a better father, 43:05 specifically for my daughters. 43:07 Wonderful book called 43:08 "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters." 43:10 And as I was reading this book, 43:11 I came across a story 43:14 about a father and his daughter. 43:19 Christian family raising their children 43:24 all to love and serve God. 43:28 And then, 43:31 their oldest daughter 43:33 decides to go into the parents room 43:35 and steal some precious things 43:38 and money from the parents and takes off. 43:44 Not a word to the parents about where she's going, 43:46 why she's taken off. 43:48 In fact, the mother and father hired a private investigator 43:53 to find out where their daughter was. 43:56 They lived in Michigan, 43:57 and their daughter was tracked down 44:00 all the way out in California. 44:04 The father jumped on an airplane, 44:06 and he caught a flight out to California. 44:10 His daughter was working in a convenient store. 44:14 And so for about an hour and a half, 44:16 the father comes and he just looks 44:19 at his daughter. 44:22 Doesn't say anything, just looks at her. 44:24 He hasn't seen her in months. 44:27 The daughter turns around. 44:30 You know how you can tell 44:31 when somebody's been staring at you for a long time. 44:33 She turns around and sees her father, 44:35 and when her break comes, 44:38 she comes out to speak with her dad. 44:41 Instead of receiving a warm embrace, 44:45 she curses her father out. 44:50 Tells him that it's your fault that I'm here, 44:55 it's your fault that I left home. 44:59 "Now I don't know what home you grew up in, 45:01 but the home I grew up in, you don't do that." 45:05 You might lose some teeth 45:07 or need some dental work or something like that. 45:13 Lambasted him, 45:16 refused to talk to him anymore. 45:18 The father cocked on a plane and went back home by himself 45:23 heartbroken. 45:27 Six months later, the father comes back. 45:32 Maybe she's had a change of heart. 45:34 He goes to the convenient store, 45:35 he doesn't see his daughter, he asks around. 45:38 She doesn't work here anymore. 45:40 The father begins to search 45:42 around the homeless shelters of the city 45:44 seeking to find his girl. 45:49 He finds her up under a bridge. 45:54 Her clothes are dirty, she is emaciated. 46:01 He suspects that she's on drugs, 46:03 maybe even prostituting herself to get the drugs. 46:09 He burst into tears, and he runs to his girl, 46:12 but there's still this coldness. 46:14 He takes her to a store, buys her some clothes, 46:16 ask her what's going on. 46:18 She refuses to share anything. 46:22 He discovers that she has being staying 46:24 with a man who is twice her age. 46:28 He pleads with his daughter, "Please, come home." 46:32 "No." 46:35 The father returns, goes home. 46:41 All this time, the father has a ritual. 46:45 He is writing letters to his daughter 46:48 on a weekly basis. 46:51 And he's putting the letters away. 46:53 Listen to me, beloved, he's putting the letters away 46:57 hoping that when she comes home, 47:00 if she comes home, he'll give the letters to her. 47:05 Not only is he writing letters, 47:07 but unbeknownst even to his wife, 47:09 he's taking a small sum of money 47:12 and setting it aside in a special account 47:15 for his daughter. 47:18 One day, the father is at work 47:22 and his phone is just ringing, and ringing, and ringing. 47:24 He's in a meeting and he steps out and, "Hello." 47:29 There was no sound on the other end of the line. 47:33 "Hello, sweetheart, is that you? 47:37 Is that you?" 47:39 He hears his daughter sobs on the other end of the line. 47:43 "Where are you? 47:44 Tell me where you are, 47:45 and I will come and get you right now." 47:47 She said, "I'm in a bus station in Grand Rapids." 47:50 The father hung up the phone, he jumped in his vehicle, 47:53 told everybody he will be back tomorrow. 47:56 He drove to that bus station, 47:58 picked up his little girl and brought her home. 48:02 I've got to confess to you tonight. 48:05 When I read that story, 48:08 I put myself in that father's place. 48:13 And I said, "I don't know 48:14 if I could love my daughter like that 48:18 after she has treated me like that." 48:23 One reality settled in on my mind, 48:26 actually two. 48:27 The first reality was this. 48:30 Steven, you don't really know 48:32 what love is yet 48:35 because your love even for your precious children 48:38 has not been tested like that yet. 48:42 The second reality that settled in on my mind is this. 48:46 Steven, why would you be unwilling 48:48 to love your own children that way, 48:52 when at all time I've loved you? 48:56 That's how I've loved you. 48:59 That's what you've done to me. 49:02 That's how you've exasperated my love. 49:04 That's how you resisted and refused my love. 49:08 But, Steven, I've been writing love letters to you. 49:14 I've been storing away the blessings for you 49:17 when you come back. 49:22 And, Steven, I don't just want you to come back, 49:26 but I want you to go and get others too. 49:30 Go get someone else 49:32 who is exasperated your patience and your love 49:35 like you've exasperated mine. 49:39 Go, get them. 49:42 As this special music is shared with you, 49:47 I want you to think about the love of God, 49:52 and whether you need a more thorough experience 49:55 with that love. 49:57 I'm going to ask you to do something 50:00 after this special music is shared. 50:08 Life was formed in Your hands 50:12 You alone tell my story 50:16 All my hours like sand 50:20 I surrender all 50:24 Through the battle I'll sing 50:28 Lord, I know You are for me 50:32 My whole heart I will bring 50:36 I surrender all 50:39 In You I find rest 50:44 I find rest 50:48 In You I find rest 50:55 In You I find rest 50:59 I find rest 51:03 In You I find rest 51:10 In my deepest of fears 51:14 In my hours of weakness 51:18 From an ocean of tears 51:22 I surrender all 51:25 For Your word is my sword 51:29 And Your arms are my fortress 51:33 I know victory is Yours 51:37 I surrender all 51:40 In You I find rest 51:45 I find rest 51:49 In You I find rest 51:55 In You I find rest 51:59 I find rest 52:03 In You I find rest 52:11 Here's what I want to ask you. 52:15 I want to ask you to do these two things. 52:19 First thing I want to ask you is this, 52:23 if you like me can acknowledge 52:25 that you need a deeper revelation 52:28 of God's love 52:29 because there are places 52:31 that you don't want to go 52:33 and people that you are uncomfortable 52:36 ministering to, 52:38 but you understand that if God has loved me, 52:41 then it means that I've got to love others, 52:43 and I've got to extend 52:44 the same mercy and grace 52:46 that's been extended to me. 52:47 That's appeal number one. 52:49 If you feel that you need 52:50 a deeper revelation of God's love. 52:54 My second appeal is this. 52:59 If there are people in your life 53:03 that you have not found the grace 53:07 to be able to forgive, 53:11 and it is stunting your spiritual growth, 53:15 it is keeping you from experiencing 53:18 fullness of joy. 53:21 It's keeping you from experiencing 53:23 rest and peace. 53:27 And you want to say, "Lord, 53:29 transform me by Your grace and Your love 53:33 so that I'm able to extend that grace and love 53:37 to these particular people in my life." 53:40 Two simple things, 53:42 bow your heads with me and close your eyes. 53:44 I'm not going to ask you to come forward tonight. 53:47 I want you to simply talk with God. 53:52 "Lord, help me, help me. 53:58 There are people I don't love like you do. 54:02 There are places that I'm unwilling to go, 54:05 the ends of the earth sounds better to me 54:08 than going to these places. 54:11 And yet, just like Jesus has commanded the disciples 54:15 before I can reach the end of the earth, 54:18 I must first reach the end of myself. 54:20 So, Lord, help me. 54:23 Lord, help me." 54:25 I'll give you a minute. Just talk to the Lord. 54:46 Loving Father, tonight, 54:47 we just want to say thank You. 54:49 Thank You for liberating us, 54:52 thank You for giving us guidance, 54:56 thank You for protecting us 54:57 when we didn't know we needed to be protected. 55:02 Just like You said to ancient Israel, 55:05 tonight, You have also shown us 55:08 already what is good and what You require of us. 55:14 It is the righteousness 55:15 that reflects Your righteousness, 55:18 a righteousness that extends love and grace and mercy 55:22 even to the undeserving. 55:27 Father, if we don't have this resonating in our hearts, 55:30 what we say with our lips does not matter. 55:36 The soundness of our message is compromised 55:40 if this is not residing in our hearts. 55:45 Lord, tonight, we want to be transformed by You. 55:51 I know what You have done and are doing for us. 55:56 Grab Your loving arms around each and every one 55:58 of Your precious children tonight. 56:01 May Your grace richly and freely bestowed upon us, 56:05 the uppermost in our thoughts 56:07 on this night we pray 56:10 in Jesus name. 56:11 Amen. |
Revised 2019-05-30