Participants:
Series Code: GYC
Program Code: GYC190012S
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00:32 Friends, for our last song of contemplation this evening,
00:37 I would like to remind us of the last few days. 00:42 We have a God who understands the trials that we face, amen? 00:47 So much more Christ did what no human could ever do. 00:52 Spotless was He born and spotless was He torn. 00:57 He died of a broken heart for me 01:01 and for you. 01:03 So we would never have to face complete separation from Him. 01:07 Because of this, my only hope 01:11 is for Him to be born in me. 01:15 This week we have asked for that 01:18 for Him to take control. 01:22 Now one challenge is left, 01:27 do not be afraid. 01:33 He will take you 01:35 where you had not planned to go, 01:38 where you've never been before. 01:41 But don't be afraid 01:44 because He has redeemed you. 02:07 Do not be afraid 02:15 Do not be 02:19 Afraid 02:23 For I have 02:27 Redeemed you 02:31 I have called you 02:34 By your name 02:38 You are mine 02:47 You are mine 02:55 When you walk Through the waters 03:00 I'll be with you 03:04 You will never sink 03:08 Beneath the waves 03:12 When the fire is burning 03:17 All around you 03:21 You will never 03:23 Be consumed by the flames 03:29 Do not be afraid 03:38 Do not be 03:42 Afraid 03:46 For I have 03:50 Redeemed you 03:54 I have called you 03:57 By your name 04:01 You are mine 04:10 You are mine 04:19 When the fear 04:22 Of loneliness is looming 04:27 Then remember 04:31 I am at your side 04:36 When you dwell 04:38 In the exile of a stranger 04:43 Remember you are 04:47 Precious in my eyes 04:53 Do not be afraid 05:01 Do not be 05:05 Afraid 05:09 For I have 05:13 Redeemed you 05:17 I have called you 05:20 By your name 05:24 You are mine 05:32 You are mine 05:40 You are mine 05:45 Oh my child 05:50 I am your 05:55 Father 05:57 And I Love You 06:02 I love you 06:06 I love you 06:10 I love you 06:14 With a perfect 06:19 Love 06:22 A perfect 06:27 Love 06:32 Do not be afraid 06:41 Do not be 06:45 Afraid 06:48 For I have 06:52 Redeemed you 06:56 I have called You 06:59 By your name 07:03 You are mine 07:11 You are mine 07:20 You are mine 07:37 Thank you so much. 07:39 Thank you so much for that wonderful special music. 07:43 I want to thank the music team in the evenings, 07:46 well every musician, but I want to thank you 07:50 especially at this time 07:51 for the wonderful gift of music. 07:55 Throughout church history, 07:58 one of the greatest battles 07:59 that the church has had to fight 08:04 is the battle dealing with culture. 08:08 When Jesus began His ministry, 08:11 started the greatest movement of all time, 08:13 the Christian church. 08:16 It was something that was unpopular. 08:19 And yet over time, as a message began 08:22 to take its root in the heart of people, 08:26 people began to accept the teachings of Scripture, 08:30 the message of Jesus. 08:33 But this multitude became mixed. 08:36 And somehow, someway, 08:38 culture began to impact the church. 08:44 We live in a society today 08:46 where the church is not only in danger 08:50 of being impacted by culture, 08:53 but it is also in danger of being impacted by politics. 08:59 I'm not talking about politics that take place 09:02 between one person and another. 09:04 But I'm talking about 09:06 global politics, national politics. 09:09 It seems as though everywhere you look, 09:12 politics has invaded our thinking. 09:16 Wherever we turn, wherever we look, 09:18 we see that politics is dominating the conversation. 09:23 And it has so changed 09:25 the mentality of even Christians 09:28 that now we think that 09:30 in order to change the world, 09:32 that in order to change the church, 09:35 the same methods of politics must be applied. 09:40 My brothers and sisters, 09:42 if you don't believe 09:44 this to be a legitimate problem, 09:46 just scroll down the latest social media. 09:50 Everywhere you turn, everywhere you read it, 09:53 it seems as though politics 09:56 and culture have so gripped our minds 10:00 that is what we talk about more 10:02 than even our walks with God. 10:05 And I want to tell us today that it is impossible for us 10:10 to advance the kingdom of God 10:13 and to prepare an army of young people 10:15 to meet their God while focusing on politics 10:19 and while focusing on culture. 10:22 Politics divides, the models have been 10:27 stated throughout in the United States, 10:30 throughout the last several years. 10:32 I'm with her. Let's make America great again. 10:37 And I want to tell us today that I'm with Him. 10:43 And more than making America great again, 10:46 we need to make Adventism good again. 10:51 The church can only be changed. 10:54 The world can only be won, 10:57 not by something as attractive as greatness. 11:02 It will be won, it will be changed 11:04 by something less dramatic, 11:06 something less attractive, 11:07 something less beautiful and charming and shiny. 11:12 And that something is you and me. 11:16 Let us pray. 11:18 Father in heaven, as we open Your Word, 11:22 speak to our hearts, 11:24 bypass the human instrumentality. 11:27 And through the foolishness of preaching, 11:29 apply Your word to every individual heart 11:34 that is present here today. 11:36 It is my prayer in Jesus' name. 11:38 Amen. 11:41 In his book, Good to Great, 11:44 Jim Collins speaks of different organizations, 11:49 good organizations that over the process of time 11:52 became great organizations. 11:55 He differentiates 11:56 these organizations by different criteria. 11:58 For example, He excludes Coca Cola 12:00 because he thinks that 12:02 Coca Cola had always been a great brand. 12:05 But there are certain organizations 12:06 that started off as good organizations, 12:08 Fortune 500 companies, 12:10 yet they lacked something 12:12 that took them to the next level, 12:14 the level of greatness. 12:17 And so in his book, he outlines principles on 12:20 how organizations and people can move 12:23 from something that is good to something that is great. 12:26 Why? 12:28 Because we live now in a culture of greatness. 12:32 And so, as he speaks in his book 12:35 of these different organizations, 12:37 he discovers or he shares principles 12:39 of how it is possible for someone 12:42 or some organizations to go from good to great. 12:46 One of the foundational principles of his book is this. 12:51 That good is the enemy of great. 12:56 In other words, the reason 12:57 why many people don't achieve greatness 12:59 is because they're content to settle with goodness. 13:05 I want to tell us today that good, 13:08 that great many times 13:10 is actually something that is overrated. 13:14 Let me share with you a story. 13:17 When I was a high school student, 13:19 Ouachita Hills Academy, 13:21 I remember very clearly 13:22 the principal of the school Mrs. Clark, 13:25 standing before a group of anxious students, 13:28 me being one of them. 13:29 We were in our third year in high school. 13:32 And she began to hand out envelopes 13:36 that contained the scores of each student 13:39 who had just recently taken a standardized test, the PSAT. 13:45 And as she shared these envelopes, 13:47 she began to try to calm our nerves by saying, 13:50 "Listen, guys, don't worry. 13:52 In the history of our school, 13:54 most of our students do very well on these tests." 13:57 And she said, "As a matter of fact, 13:59 never in the history of a school has anyone scored 14:02 below this certain percentile." 14:06 I opened up the envelope to discover that 14:09 I was part of a particular group of people. 14:12 I, for the first time in history, 14:14 I created a new and distinctive group 14:18 that scored in the one percentile. 14:23 I think that to this day, 14:24 no one in Ouachita Hills Academy 14:27 has scored in the one percentile. 14:31 Now, if I was to ask you here tonight, 14:33 this evening, how many of you know 14:36 someone that has scored in the 99th percentile 14:39 of a standardized test? 14:41 I would guess that many of you would raise your hands. 14:43 As a matter of fact, in the work 14:45 that I'm involved in today, I come across people 14:48 who score in the 99th percentile 14:51 of their tests and who know other people 14:53 who do the same so much so 14:56 that they are unimpressed by this kind of score. 14:59 And I think to myself, they're all average. 15:02 But when I tell someone 15:04 that I've scored in the one percentile, 15:05 these people are shocked. 15:07 They think to themselves, man, I thought you need to be 15:09 a lot smarter to score in the one percentile. 15:14 Greatness is often overrated. 15:19 We think about people 15:20 who seek to accomplish great things. 15:23 And we discover that the truth of the matter is, 15:27 greatness is overrated. 15:31 Also, in Scripture, 15:36 and in the church, 15:38 great is the enemy of good. 15:43 Great is the enemy of good. 15:45 Think about it. 15:47 We live in a society today where Instagram has taken over. 15:52 We take pictures of ourselves 15:54 on our phones in our beds in the morning, 15:57 acting as though we woke up 15:59 with our make-up done, hash-tagging just woke up. 16:05 We want to be great. 16:06 And this obsession 16:08 has caused many to come up with the dream 16:11 of dropping out of school 16:12 to launch a GoFundMe campaign to become self-employed 16:17 and start up a company 16:18 that will make them millionaires, 16:21 so they can be an awesome Adventist philanthropist. 16:25 But when the philanthropic opportunities 16:28 come knocking on our doors, 16:31 and the offering plate is passed at church, 16:35 we don't have enough money to give. 16:37 And we don't take advantage of those opportunities. 16:41 Many times, in other words, 16:43 we don't do something because it is not great enough. 16:48 We talk about our need to go protest 16:51 and go marching down the streets 16:52 and promote social justice and yet we walk down 16:56 the streets of our city every day. 16:58 Homeless people asking for food, 17:01 asking for support. 17:03 And they go by without our notice, 17:06 because that is not great enough. 17:10 In other words, because we seek to be great, 17:13 we neglect the little opportunities 17:16 that God places before us day after day after day. 17:21 Heaven doesn't value greatness. 17:25 It values the common little things 17:28 that are often neglected. 17:31 And we find this in Scripture. 17:34 Turn with me if you would, 17:35 in your Bibles to the Book of John. 17:38 John Chapter 12. 17:40 The Bible says in verse 1, 17:43 "Then, Jesus, six days 17:45 before the Passover came to Bethany, 17:49 where Lazarus was which had been dead, 17:52 whom He had raised from the dead. 17:56 There they made him a supper, and Martha served: 17:59 but Lazarus was one that was with them 18:01 and he sat at the table with him. 18:04 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, 18:07 very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, 18:09 and wiped his feet with her hair: 18:12 and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. 18:16 Then saith one of his disciples, 18:18 Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 18:22 'Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, 18:26 and given to the poor? 18:28 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, 18:31 but because he was a thief, and had the bag, 18:33 and he bare that which was put therein. 18:37 Then said Jesus, 'Leave her alone: 18:40 against the day of my burying has she done this, 18:44 the poor you have with you always, 18:47 but me you don't have with you always.'" 18:52 John tells us a story about Jesus. 18:55 And He lays the context by telling us that 18:58 this event takes place 19:00 just six days before the Passover. 19:03 In other words, it takes place just six days 19:05 before the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. 19:09 The Bible tells us that Jesus is in Bethany, 19:12 which is translated as the house of the poor. 19:16 If you look at Mark's account and Matthew's account, 19:18 you discover that 19:20 there's another group of people, 19:22 the Pharisees, they've also gathered together, 19:25 and on their radar, 19:26 their topic of conversation is also Jesus. 19:30 They're gathered in the city of Jerusalem, 19:32 which is translated as the city of peace. 19:35 The purpose of their gathering is to talk about Jesus 19:39 but it is not to honor Him. 19:41 As a matter of fact, they're gathered together 19:44 to come up with a plan to crucify the Son of God. 19:47 Two groups of people meeting talking about Jesus 19:51 but with two different purposes. 19:54 Friends, the question that we must first answer 19:56 is why are we here tonight? 20:00 The fact that we are here at a conference 20:02 that is seeking to speak about Jesus Christ 20:05 does not guarantee that everyone is here 20:08 because we want to honor Him. 20:10 Just because Jesus is being spoken of, 20:13 just because Jesus is being talked about 20:15 does not mean that 20:16 we are gathered here today to honor the Son of God. 20:22 In Bethany, they're there to honor Him. 20:25 And I'd like to think that 20:26 the reason why we are here today 20:28 is not to spend a nice evening in the cool hotel, 20:32 or to enjoy the great food, 20:34 or to ride on a school bus, 20:35 or to hang out with our friends, 20:37 or to get away from our parents, 20:39 or to visit a new city. 20:41 But I'd like to think in my heart of hearts 20:43 that the reason why we are here tonight, 20:47 is because we want to honor Jesus Christ. 20:51 However, as this group of people 20:54 gather in Bethany, 20:55 the house of the poor, to honor Jesus Christ, 20:58 something interesting takes place. 21:00 The Bible says that sitting next to Jesus 21:03 is a man named Lazarus. 21:06 This is a man whom Jesus has raised from the dead. 21:09 The greatest miracle that Jesus performs 21:11 in the Book of John, there are six of them. 21:14 The culmination of these miracles 21:16 is the resurrection of Lazarus, 21:18 someone who has been in the grave so long 21:21 that his body is beginning to decay. 21:23 And the Word of God demonstrates so much power, 21:27 that it has the ability to transform a dead 21:30 and decaying body and give life into that dead, 21:34 into that lifeless form. 21:37 On the other side, 21:40 Matthew tells us and Mark tells us, 21:43 there's a man whose name is Simon. 21:47 This man is the one 21:48 who has actually thrown the feast. 21:51 The Bible says that this man used to be a leper, 21:55 outcast of society, outcast of the church. 22:00 Because Jesus has given him his health, 22:03 this man of great means, 22:05 seeks to celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ. 22:11 And so to honor Him, he throws a feast. 22:16 The Bible tells us that 22:17 there's another character in the story, 22:19 a woman by the name of Martha. 22:22 She is also invited to this feast. 22:25 But the reason why she's invited is to serve. 22:29 And so she is serving the guests. 22:33 Finally, we're introduced to a woman in verse 3. 22:37 This woman has no introduction regarding why she's there. 22:41 We don't know why she's supposed to be there. 22:44 She doesn't have any specific, 22:45 any special tasks that she is accomplishing. 22:49 She's not the person in charge of the feast. 22:53 She's not Lazarus who Christ has raised from the dead. 22:57 The Bible just says that there's this woman named Mary, 23:01 who comes into the story 23:03 because she takes an alabaster box, 23:06 breaks it open and begins to pour 23:08 its content on the feet of Jesus Christ. 23:14 The Bible says that the effect is significant. 23:19 The Bible says that this uninvited woman, 23:23 on top of being uninvited, 23:26 does something that is unimaginable. 23:30 She breaks this perfume and the perfume 23:33 begins to fill the air with its aroma 23:37 so that the whole house is full. 23:42 Friends, if there's anything that's radical that's radical, 23:45 to go to a party that you are not even invited to, 23:50 and to instead of sitting down quietly 23:53 and observing what is going on, 23:55 you open up a bottle of heavily scented perfume 24:00 and you dump its content on the feet of Jesus Christ 24:05 and you begin to weep over this man. 24:10 Talk about awkward moments. This is one. 24:16 People begin to look at what is going on. 24:19 And the Bible says that 24:21 the response of the people there is not a positive one. 24:24 Judas begins to get upset. 24:28 And he begins to whisper to the other disciples, 24:32 "What in the world is this girl thinking? 24:34 Why was this waste made?" 24:36 Its ultimately would have stated, 24:38 something that begins like a whisper 24:40 when you compare the different accounts 24:42 of the gospel writers, 24:44 something that begins like a whisper mounts up 24:47 and builds up steam to the point 24:48 where people are now 24:50 beginning to openly rebuke this person, 24:52 this woman Mary, 24:54 what in the world were you thinking? 24:55 Why have you wasted all this money 24:57 it could have been sold 24:59 they say for 300 pence, 300 denarii. 25:03 Other accounts tell us that 25:04 it could have been sold for even more than that. 25:10 And so we are now introduced to the cost of the gift 25:13 that this woman gives to Jesus Christ. 25:17 The cost is 300 denarii. 25:21 In the parable of the workers that go into the vineyard. 25:27 You remember that the first group of people came, 25:31 they made a deal 25:32 that they would work in the farm, 25:34 and they agreed upon the price. 25:37 The price was one denarii. 25:39 And then the people that came the next hour, 25:41 and the next hour, and the next hour, 25:42 and finally the 11th hour workers 25:45 received one denarii as well. 25:47 And the point of the parable was simply this, 25:50 that the people that worked 11 hours 25:52 were upset that the people that only worked one hour 25:56 received the same wage. 25:59 They said to themselves and to their master, 26:01 how was it possible that these individuals 26:03 that worked only one hour 26:05 will receive the same compensation 26:07 that a person would receive when they worked an entire day? 26:12 The point of that parable for this purpose is this, 26:16 that a person who worked an entire day 26:19 would receive a salary of one denarii. 26:24 And the Bible says that this woman Mary 26:26 who poured this perfume on the feet of Jesus 26:30 poured a gift on the feet of Christ 26:33 that was worth 300 denarii. 26:36 That's, in other words, 300 days of working. 26:41 If Mary lived today, that's about a year 26:45 and she worked minimum wage. 26:48 That would probably be about a $20,000 gift. 26:53 Have you ever stopped to think about that? 26:56 Because if you did, 26:58 all of a sudden you'd be thinking to yourself 26:59 why did she waste that much money? 27:03 I mean, when we buy perfume, when we buy cologne, 27:08 our stuff comes nowhere near the price 27:11 that Mary paid for what she gave to Jesus. 27:15 And when we use these kinds of gifts, 27:18 we use them sparingly. 27:20 We spray it and then we walk into it, 27:22 so I can get the whole body right there. 27:24 There's a science to how we use these expensive perfumes. 27:32 And we think to ourselves, Mary, I mean, 27:33 couldn't you just have put 27:35 a little bit of perfume on the feet of Jesus, 27:37 that would have been enough. 27:40 But Mary wasted an entire pound 27:45 of spikenard on the feet of Jesus Christ. 27:50 It's no wonder that the comment was made. 27:55 Why was this waste made? 28:00 By all appearances, 28:01 the gift of Mary was not a gift of greatness 28:03 or an act of greatness but one of wastefulness. 28:08 But what determines 28:11 whether or not Mary wasted on Jesus, 28:16 or whether she gave Him a good gift? 28:18 This depends upon what Christ has done for us. 28:24 Whether or not we consider 28:26 the gift of Mary to be a good gift 28:28 or a waste depends on 28:29 how we value the gift that Jesus has given to us. 28:35 You see, for Mary, 28:37 it was not a waste to waste on Jesus, 28:40 because Jesus had done so much for her. 28:44 It was Jesus who raised her brother from the dead. 28:48 It was Jesus who cast out seven demons out of her. 28:52 It was Jesus who saved her life 28:55 when at the point of being caught in adultery, 28:58 the rest of the society wanted to put her to death. 29:02 And because of everything that Jesus had done for her, 29:05 wasting on Jesus was not a waste. 29:09 Secondly, what is it critical for us to acknowledge 29:12 about the story is a fact that Mary not only wasted on Jesus, 29:17 but she wasted on Jesus at the right time. 29:21 Jesus was six days from His crucifixion. 29:26 And at a time when people sought to honor Christ 29:29 with measured gifts, 29:31 Mary gave everything that she had. 29:36 Many times, we say, we don't want to give 29:41 everything that we have to Christ, 29:42 it would be a waste. 29:44 Or sometimes we think 29:46 we're willing to waste on Jesus but not right now. 29:49 Let me waste on Jesus 29:50 when I have something significant to offer Him. 29:54 Mary says to you and to me, no, 29:57 waste on Jesus and waste on Him right now. 30:01 It is better to waste on Jesus now 30:03 with what we have than to wait 30:05 until we have something greater to offer Him. 30:09 Although society has played 30:11 with our minds to strive for that 30:13 which is great, Jesus is saying no, 30:15 don't strive for that which is great, 30:17 strive for that which is good. 30:19 And that which is good is giving everything 30:22 that we have to Jesus Christ at the right time 30:25 and that right time is now. 30:29 A good work is better than a great work. 30:34 And so Jesus responds 30:35 to these people leave her alone. 30:39 In another passage in Scripture in Mark's account, 30:42 or in Matthew's account, it says, 30:43 she has done a good work 30:47 and to the Mary's of today, 30:51 Jesus response is, 30:55 why do you trouble them? 30:57 Why do we trouble people 30:59 that radically seek to give God everything that they have. 31:03 Leave them alone. 31:05 They are doing a good work. 31:10 Mary's good work was more valuable 31:13 than everyone else's great work. 31:18 The Bible tells us that the story of Mary will be told 31:21 everywhere the gospel is preached. 31:24 And I've often wondered why that is. 31:26 Why is a story so significant that it should be mentioned 31:30 whenever wherever the gospel is preached? 31:34 Although we think Mary's gift is great, 31:39 it actually isn't. 31:41 Turn with me your Bibles, 31:42 just a few pages over to the Book of John Chapter 19. 31:47 John 19:38, "And after this Joseph of Arimathea," 31:52 speaking after the crucifixion of Jesus, 31:55 "being a disciple of Jesus, 31:56 but secretly for fear of the Jews, 31:59 besought Pilate that 32:00 he might take away the body of Jesus: 32:02 and Pilate gave him leave. 32:06 He came therefore, and took the body of Christ. 32:08 And there also who came with him Nicodemus, 32:10 which at first came to Jesus by night, 32:12 and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, 32:18 about an hundred-pounds in weight. 32:21 And they took the body of..." 32:23 Sorry, yeah, and they, then took they, 32:26 "the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes 32:30 with spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." 32:35 Did you just catch what Nicodemus 32:37 and Joseph of Arimathea did? 32:41 If you want to talk about a great gift, 32:43 this is a great gift. 32:46 The Bible says that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus 32:50 took the body of Jesus Christ. 32:54 And they gave Him a gift of myrrh 32:56 which by the way is comparable to spikenard in its value, 33:00 it was a gift that was given to the kings. 33:03 Very costly. 33:05 And it says that they took this myrrh, 33:08 about 100 pounds worth. 33:12 And with it, they buried the body of Jesus Christ. 33:17 If you want to talk about a great gift, 33:20 there was no greater gift than the gift 33:22 that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea 33:25 gave to Jesus Christ, it was hundred times more, 33:29 the gift of Mary. 33:33 But listen, listen to what the Desire of Ages says 33:37 concerning the gift of Joseph of Arimathea. 33:41 "The fragrant gift, which Mary had thought 33:45 to lavish upon the dead body of the Savior, 33:48 she poured upon His living form, 33:52 at the burial, his sweetness 33:55 could only have pervaded the tomb. 33:57 Now, it gladdens his heart 34:00 with the assurance of her faith and love, 34:04 Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus offered 34:08 not their gift of love to Jesus in His life. 34:12 With bitter tears, 34:13 they brought their costly spices 34:16 for His cold, unconscious form. 34:20 The women who had bought spices to the tomb, 34:23 found their errand in vain, for He had risen. 34:29 But Mary, pouring out her love upon the Savior, 34:34 while He was conscious of her devotion, 34:37 was anointing His body for His burial. 34:42 And as He went down 34:43 into the darkness of His great trial, 34:48 He carried with Him the memory of that deed, 34:52 in earnest of the love that would be His, 34:56 from His redeemed ones forever. 35:00 Did you catch the significance 35:02 of what is said there in the book, 35:03 Desire of Ages? 35:06 She tells us that the gift 35:09 that Mary gave was a reminder of Jesus. 35:14 During the darkest hour of His time, 35:17 it was a reminder that it was a reminder," 35:21 what does it the say here? 35:23 "Was a reminder of an earnest of the love 35:25 that would be His from His redeemed ones forever." 35:29 In other words, the gift of Mary 35:32 was supposed to be 35:34 the first fruits in the mind of Christ, 35:38 a reminder of the love that you and I, 35:41 when we go to heaven will demonstrate to God to Him 35:44 for the rest of our lives. 35:47 During the darkest hour of Jesus' life, 35:51 as He walked from place to place, 35:55 the trial after trial after trial, 35:58 to the very cross itself. 36:00 There was but one reminder 36:03 that there would be something special 36:06 after this hell that He experienced 36:07 would all be over. 36:09 And that reminder was given to him 36:12 by none other than Mary herself. 36:16 Think about that. 36:19 Now, friends, nobody, nobody, 36:24 no human being 36:27 has ever saved humanity. 36:31 But when Christ wrestled over my salvation, 36:37 Mary's perfume encouraged him 36:41 to save my life. 36:44 Yeah, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, 36:48 they gave a lot of money to Jesus. 36:51 But it was worthless. 36:53 It was worthless 36:55 because it fell upon a lifeless form 36:59 and this is why the story of Mary is forever told, 37:03 the story of Mary is forever told 37:05 because if there was any human being 37:08 who played any role in your salvation and mine, 37:11 it was Mary. 37:12 It was Mary's perfume that encouraged Christ. 37:15 Although all these people will forsake you, 37:18 although Peter has run away, although John 37:20 is nowhere to be found, 37:21 I believe that you are Jesus Christ, 37:24 the Son of God, go and die for my sins, 37:27 and when You are resurrected, 37:29 and when You come 37:30 as a King of kings and Lord of lords, 37:33 and when the redeemed of the earth 37:35 enter into the gates of heaven, 37:37 there will be more Mary's 37:39 that will show their love 37:41 and devotion to you throughout eternity. 37:44 Jesus in the darkest hour of your life, 37:48 press on and save humanity. 37:52 Friends, greatness is the enemy of goodness. 37:57 Because if we wait to be like Joseph of Arimathea, 38:01 if we wait to be like Nicodemus, 38:04 if we wait to become millionaires 38:05 before we give everything 38:07 that we are to the cause of Jesus Christ, 38:09 we will never do it. 38:13 We'll never do it. 38:15 Greatness never comes. 38:19 Don't do something great. 38:22 Do something now. 38:26 Forget the obsession with trying to become 38:28 something better and better 38:30 and better although, as though some, 38:32 as though we can make ourselves good enough 38:36 to be useful in the service of Christ. 38:39 It is not the capabilities that we now possess. 38:42 It is not the capabilities that we'll ever possess 38:46 that will make us worthy 38:47 to work in the service of Jesus Christ. 38:51 It is only what God can do for us. 38:57 There are moments in history when greatness is eclipsed. 39:02 Story is told about a woman by the name of Julie Moss. 39:07 She was a student studying in California, 39:09 trying to earn a degree in education. 39:13 And as part of her experiment program, 39:18 she signed up to run one of the most difficult races 39:22 in the United States and really around the world. 39:25 It's called an Iron Men, which, by the way, 39:28 our outgoing President Moyes, he didn't run two-thirds, 39:31 he ran the whole thing and maybe a little extra, 39:34 we got to make that correction for him. 39:36 Because I know Justin switched the story a little bit there. 39:41 Julie Moss embarked upon this journey. 39:46 No training, had never even completed 39:49 the three disciplines that make the race. 39:52 The race begins with a two-mile swim 39:55 more than 112 miles on the bike 39:59 and then you top it off with a full marathon. 40:02 Julie Moss had never completed all three things. 40:07 And when she showed up in Kona, Hawaii, 40:11 she started the race. 40:14 To her surprise, 40:16 and to the surprise of many people 40:17 watching on television, 40:19 she was actually in first place. 40:24 As she began the marathon, she began to build a distance 40:28 between her and the second place person 40:30 by more than a minute or more than a mile. 40:34 But something happened towards the end of the race. 40:38 About 400 yards or so before the finish line, 40:43 she experienced dehydration 40:45 and she had no nutrition in her body. 40:48 She says that 40:49 she actually had carried with her 40:51 a Snickers bar. 40:52 But because the TV cameras were there, 40:55 she did not want to open it up 40:56 because it was melted 40:58 and she would not look nice on TV. 41:00 So she threw the thing away, 400 miles or 400 meters 41:04 or yards before the finish line, 41:07 her body was completely depleted of energy. 41:11 And she began to stumble towards the finish line. 41:15 Her body actually looked 41:17 as though it was deformed and convulsing. 41:21 She struggled to put one foot after the other, 41:24 and although she was determined in her mind 41:26 to finish the race, she fell down to the ground. 41:33 She got up, she saw 41:35 the finish line in front of her. 41:38 And she began to walk towards the finish line 41:41 putting one foot after another, she fell again. 41:45 This time she could not get up 41:46 and she begins to explain what is going through her mind. 41:49 And she says, I made a deal with myself 41:52 that I would finish the race 41:53 and I'm going to finish the race. 41:55 And so she put her hands in front of her. 41:58 She spread her legs behind her stood up 42:00 like a tripod 42:01 and forced her way up and began again. 42:05 But she fell. 42:08 The person behind her got closer 42:10 and closer and closer and finally passed her up. 42:16 Passed her up just before she finished the race. 42:20 Julie speaks of this experience. 42:23 And she said that at that point, 42:25 she said to herself, I quit. 42:29 There's no point in finishing this race. 42:31 I lost the race. There's no point in continuing. 42:36 And it was at that time 42:38 that a voice came to her and said, 42:40 "You made a deal with yourself 42:41 that you would finish the race, so finish the race." 42:48 And so she began to crawl 42:51 and crawl and crawl 42:54 until she crawled over the finish line. 42:58 Television reporter said, 43:00 "The sport of Iron Men 43:03 will never be the same again." 43:08 When you run most races, 43:10 they say now you can run, 43:13 walk or crawl across the finish line. 43:17 You know what's significant about this? 43:21 What's significant about this race is the fact 43:25 that although Julie Moss never won, 43:28 and although she made 43:30 a fool of herself by many accounts, 43:32 crawling over the finish line, 43:35 although she's known as the person 43:36 who wobbled across and looked 43:38 as though she was convulsing, 43:41 although she's known as the woman 43:43 who went to the bathroom on herself 43:45 as she crossed across the finish line. 43:50 Nobody remembers. 43:51 I shouldn't say nobody 'cause some people do. 43:54 But rarely do we remember the person 43:56 who even won the race. 43:58 We remember Julie Moss. 44:01 But we have to go back and look to see 44:03 who was it that actually won this race. 44:09 Friends, being number one is not what it's all about. 44:14 Oh yeah, we need to strive for excellence. 44:17 But excellence is not determined 44:18 by what we achieve. 44:20 Excellence is determined by how much of ourselves 44:23 we're willing to give. 44:25 And when a person gives all, 44:28 to anything, that person is recognized. 44:34 Friends, we don't live in a time 44:37 where Jesus needs your riches. 44:40 We don't live in a time 44:41 where Jesus needs your greatness. 44:44 We don't live in a time when Jesus needs our talents. 44:48 We live in a time when Jesus needs you now. 44:52 That's the time in history that we live in today, 44:58 a time where Jesus does not need our greatness, 45:02 He needs us now. 45:06 I want to challenge you this evening 45:09 as we conclude this great conference. 45:14 What has been the driving force in your spirituality? 45:19 We have more than 1,000 people come into prayer groups. 45:23 That's great. 45:25 But will we have one person 45:28 going to prayer group every morning in your house, 45:31 in your room, when you're by yourself. 45:35 Oh, we have many buses going out on outreach, 45:39 handing out stuff, rebuilding churches. 45:43 But will we have one person, go back home 45:47 and do something for their community, 45:50 all alone without the spotlights. 45:56 We've accomplished a lot of great things 45:58 but will we do what is good when we go home, 46:02 that's the question that we need to answer. 46:07 So my appeal for you 46:10 tonight is this. 46:15 How many of you feel 46:18 God's call upon your heart 46:23 to not do something great, but to do something now. 46:29 As you've been sitting through this conference, 46:32 through this convention, 46:33 as you walk down the halls 46:34 and you see the different booths 46:36 that are here, 46:38 you pass by Adventist Frontier Missions, 46:42 people are dying all over the world, 46:44 dying all over the world without even the opportunity 46:47 of knowing the name of Jesus Christ. 46:50 There are people that have come here. 46:52 We have a youth director from Hong Kong, 46:56 who's telling me that they need people to go to Asia 46:59 to serve as missionaries. 47:03 There are people, places that need people 47:07 who will serve 47:09 in some of the most dangerous places in the earth. 47:13 Who will boldly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 47:16 not in a big massive place like this, 47:19 but home by home, 47:21 person by person with little success. 47:25 But people who understand that 47:27 greatness is never something that is revealed openly, 47:30 but rather it is something that is only estimated 47:34 in the private halls of heaven. 47:37 You've heard the stories of people that need to go beep, 47:40 they need to go preach sermons all around the world. 47:44 People who will go, 47:45 who will sacrifice their education, 47:47 who will pay for themselves to go, 47:50 who will work and make money 47:52 and pay for themselves to go. 47:55 People who will go door to door 47:57 in different places in the world 47:58 to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 48:00 whether it's through an evangelistic campaign 48:04 or in the darkest places in earth's history, 48:07 these are the kind of people that we need. 48:09 And these are the kind of people 48:10 that we need now. 48:12 We need Mary's 48:14 that's essentially what we need. 48:17 Someone that will not say, this is a waste. 48:22 Someone that is willing to say, 48:23 I am aware of the sacrifice 48:28 that Jesus has made for me. 48:30 I am aware enough of the cost 48:32 that Jesus paid for my salvation, 48:35 that there is no limit to the wasting 48:39 that I'm willing to do. 48:43 To give back to my master. 48:48 I work on public university campuses. 48:52 More than 70% of our young people 48:53 like you are attending schools 48:57 that are not Seventh-day Adventists. 49:00 Many of these people are losing their faith. 49:02 By the time many of you reach my age, 49:06 many will have left the church. 49:10 We need people to go as missionaries across the world. 49:14 And we need them across the street. 49:15 We need them 49:17 on our public university campuses. 49:20 We need people who will not go for greatness, 49:22 not go for numbers, not go for fame, 49:26 but people who will go now. 49:29 I want to make an appeal to you. 49:31 If the Lord is calling upon your heart, 49:35 to give your all to Jesus right now, not tomorrow, 49:38 not next year, not when you become something great. 49:41 But right now, this appeal is for you. 49:46 We don't want people who are impulsive. 49:49 We don't want people who have nothing to do. 49:52 We don't want people who have nothing to sacrifice, 49:54 no cost to pay. 49:56 We want young people 49:59 who after counting the cost 50:01 and understanding the cost that Jesus has paid 50:03 for them will say, 50:06 if I believe that Jesus is in fact coming soon, 50:10 I do not care 50:11 what everyone else is going to say. 50:13 I don't care the people, 50:15 if people are going to say, "Man, 50:16 you're wasting your youth, you're wasting your means, 50:19 you're wasting your talents." 50:20 I want to give my life 50:21 to Jesus today in service for Him. 50:25 I want to do something good, 50:26 and not care so much about doing something great. 50:30 If that's you, I want to call upon you 50:31 to respond to this appeal. 50:35 I'm especially calling upon young people, 50:38 who are between the ages of 18 to 25. 50:43 If this fits you, you are a young person 50:46 between the ages of 18 to 25. 50:50 The prime of your young adult life 50:53 and you sense God's calling to give everything 50:57 that you have, 50:58 everything that you are to Jesus Christ today 51:01 and work for Him immediately, 51:03 give a year of your life to Him. 51:06 I want to call upon you 51:07 to come up here with me and answer this appeal. 51:13 This appeal is not for everyone. 51:16 This appeal is only for a few. 51:18 If you fit this category between the ages of 18 to 25, 51:23 and you have looked at your life, 51:25 you look at what God has done for you, say, 51:27 I want to give at least a year of my life. 51:29 I want to give five years of my life. 51:31 I want to give everything that I have in my life 51:35 surrender to Jesus Christ 51:37 because of what He has done for me. 51:38 I want you to come up, so we can pray for you. 51:41 God bless you. 51:47 God bless you. 51:51 God is looking for a group of young people 51:54 that will not focus on something that is great, 51:57 but do for Him something now. 52:01 We can't close this meeting without making an appeal 52:06 for that young person 52:09 who is yet to give their life to God 52:11 and express it through baptism. 52:14 Is there someone here tonight as we close this conference, 52:18 that wants to give their life to Christ, never been baptized, 52:20 you want to say, 52:22 I want to give my life to Jesus. 52:23 I want to make, take my stand with God's people. 52:26 I want to become a baptized member 52:29 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 52:31 God's remnant church. 52:33 I want to prepare for baptism. 52:34 I want to study the Bible. 52:37 I want to find out for myself 52:38 what it takes to be baptized a disciple of Jesus Christ. 52:42 If that's you, I want you to raise your hand 52:44 wherever you are. 52:45 Never been baptized before, you want to bap, 52:47 you want to be baptized. 52:48 I see your hands. God bless you. 52:50 We want to pray for you. Let us pray. 52:54 Father in heaven, 52:58 You have never asked us to be great. 53:04 You've only asked us to selflessly follow You 53:09 with everything that we have. 53:12 There's a group of young people before You tonight 53:14 who want to follow You. 53:16 And we want to pray that You bless them. 53:19 There's a group of people tonight 53:20 that want to be baptized, 53:21 they want to give their lives to You through baptism, 53:23 be buried and buried in Christ and resurrected a new life. 53:28 Bless those commitments 53:29 and make them disciples of Jesus Christ. 53:31 Father as we, as we get ready to welcome 53:34 the soon coming of Jesus Christ, 53:36 give us, give us 53:40 a deeper yearning 53:43 to surrender everything that we have to follow You. 53:48 This is my prayer. |
Revised 2020-09-11