Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU180003A
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00:06 "And this is eternal life that they may know you,
00:10 the only true God and Jesus Christ 00:14 whom You have sent." 00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:31 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:36 I like that. Do you? 00:38 Amen. It is a homecoming indeed. 00:40 And we're talking about knowing God. 00:43 I'm Rosemary Malkiewycz and... 00:45 This is a Ryan Day. 00:48 We have different accents if you didn't notice. 00:50 That is true. 00:51 I am from America, 00:53 and this is my first time in Australia. 00:55 In fact, this is my first time overseas. 00:58 I had been... 01:00 I travelled with Amazing Facts for about five years 01:02 and done evangelistic series. 01:04 And I had the wonderful privilege 01:05 of preaching messages all over the continent 01:07 of North America, but never actually 01:10 had the privilege to fly overseas. 01:12 And this is my first time being here in Australia. 01:15 And it's been a blessing. It's been such a blessing. 01:17 And when he went overseas, he went overseas. 01:20 That's true. Fifteen hours. 01:22 Oh, man, that flight here was... 01:25 It was tough. It was tough. 01:27 It was very, very interesting for him. 01:30 I'm sure. 01:32 But it's really great to have you here. 01:33 Yes, it's a blessing to be here. 01:34 And we're glad that you could come 01:36 and you're going to preach. 01:37 Yes. Two sermons. 01:39 Yes, I'm gonna have two sermons. 01:40 One will be tomorrow at 3 o'clock, 01:42 and then another one... 01:43 Actually, it's a last sermon on Sunday. 01:46 So, yeah. 01:47 And also you're going to do some more music for us. 01:49 I will be doing some more music. 01:52 Tim and I will be sharing our gifts, 01:54 our talents with you for God's glory. 01:56 That's what it's all about. 01:58 And we have a big 3ABN concert on Saturday night, 02:01 so make sure you're here for that. 02:02 We're planning something really powerful. 02:04 But we have a special item right now. 02:07 Yes. 02:08 And that person is David Aitken who is all the way 02:10 from Western Australia with us tonight. 02:13 And he is going to sing, but who is preaching? 02:16 Okay. 02:17 So this would be Pastor or Brother Danny Milenkov, 02:21 Milenkov. 02:23 And the title of his sermon is knowing God 02:26 as the one who answers prayer. 02:28 And you met him today? 02:29 Yes, he is wonderful man. 02:31 So I would like to introduce you right now 02:34 David Aitken who is going to be singing 02:37 "Would I Know You." 02:39 So, welcome David and Danny after that. 02:46 Good evening, everyone. 02:49 Have you been blessed? 02:51 Me too. 03:34 Would I know You now 03:40 If You walked into the room 03:45 If You stilled the crowd 03:50 If Your light dispelled the gloom? 03:55 And if I saw Your wounds 04:01 Touched Your thorn pierced brow 04:07 I wonder if I'd I know You now? 04:16 Would I know You now 04:20 If You walked in to this place 04:25 Would I cause You shame 04:29 Would my games be Your disgrace? 04:33 Or would I worship You 04:39 Falling on my face? 04:45 I wonder if I'd I know You now? 04:53 Or have the images I painted 04:57 So distorted who You are 05:01 That even if the world was looking 05:05 They could not see You, the real You? 05:10 Have I changed the true reflection 05:14 To fulfill my own design 05:18 Making You what I want 05:21 Not showing You forth divine 05:26 Oh divine? 05:34 Would I miss You now 05:40 If You left and close the door 05:45 Would my flesh cry out? 05:50 I don't need You anymore 05:54 Or would I follow You 06:00 Could I be restored? 06:07 I wonder 06:11 I wonder will I ever learn? 06:17 I wonder if I'd know 06:22 You now? 06:37 Amen. 06:47 Thank you for that beautiful message in song. 06:49 David. 06:51 Just a beautiful song, 06:52 I was at the back and reading the lyrics 06:56 to the powerful message in song. 06:58 And it really touched my heart. 07:02 Thank you for the opportunity 07:05 of having the opportunity to share God's Word here. 07:08 It's good to be back in this church 07:11 that was my home church for three years. 07:15 And it's wonderful to see each and every one of you here. 07:18 Some familiar faces, others that I don't recognize. 07:22 I want to welcome those who are watching, 07:24 wherever they may be around the world, listening. 07:27 It's great to be here 07:29 for this first homecoming service. 07:31 Amen? 07:33 Fifteen years of blessings, and I mean, 07:35 I'm just so blessed to have a small part to play. 07:39 And it's been a wonderful journey 07:41 to enjoy this time at 3ABN. 07:44 I'm a local boy lived here in Cooranbong. 07:47 So I didn't have to travel far to come to this church. 07:51 And so I'm looking forward to spending this time 07:55 in God's Word together. 07:59 As has already been shared, 08:01 my topic is knowing God as the one 08:05 who answers prayer. 08:07 And I really wanted to talk about this subject. 08:10 So when I came up, 08:11 I was one of the first ones to jump on board. 08:13 And I beat my good friend, Pastor Abel 08:16 who'll also be sharing. 08:17 He also wanted to share on this, 08:19 and he'll be sharing a powerful message as well. 08:23 Before we open up God's Word together 08:25 and unpack this all important message, 08:27 I just want to ask and pray 08:29 that God will bless our time together. 08:31 Loving Father in heaven, 08:32 we just want to thank you so much 08:33 for all that You have done, all that You are doing, 08:37 and all that You have promised to do. 08:40 So as we take a look at what Your Word has to say 08:43 about this incredible God of love 08:45 that loves to answer prayer. 08:47 I pray that as we open Your Word, 08:49 You'll open our hearts and our minds 08:51 that we may be willing to receive 08:52 what the Spirit has to say to the church, 08:54 is our prayer in His name. 08:56 Amen. Amen. 08:58 Well, I did some research on prayer, 09:00 and I discovered that in the scriptures, 09:03 there are some 650 prayers. 09:08 And of those 650 prayers, we have the answer to 450. 09:13 So what happened to those 200 prayers 09:16 that we don't have an answer in the scriptures? 09:18 Were they answered by this prayer answering God? 09:23 I believe they were. 09:25 That is, every prayer that was uttered by faith, 09:28 I believe, it was answered by God. 09:30 Now, how can I be so sure? 09:32 That's because Jesus said these words 09:34 and in John 14:14, we read the words of Christ. 09:38 "If you ask anything," in what? 09:41 "In My name, I will do it. I will do it." 09:45 Now what does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? 09:50 The name in the Bible 09:53 is synonymous with the character of God. 09:55 Often, when parents in the Old Testament 09:57 or New Testament wanted to name their children, 10:01 they wanted to name their children 10:03 based on the character or the characteristics 10:05 they wanted to see in their children. 10:08 And so a name is synonymous with character. 10:12 It's synonymous with praying God's will, 10:15 praying that which is in harmony 10:16 with His divine will. 10:19 In 1 John 5:14 and 15, we read these words. 10:26 1 John 5:14 and 15, John the disciple writes, 10:33 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 10:36 that, if we ask anything according to," what? 10:40 "His will," he does what? 10:42 "He hears us." 10:43 Verse 15, "And if we know that He hears us, 10:45 whatever we ask, 10:47 we know that we have the petitions 10:49 that we have asked of Him." 10:51 Notice what John, here, writes. 10:54 Everything and anything that is asked 10:56 in the will of God, 10:58 we can be assured that He hears us. 11:02 And we can know for certain that He hears us. 11:06 We can know, we can know, 11:08 because we have asked 11:09 and we have prayed in the will of God. 11:13 That is exactly how Jesus taught us to pray. 11:16 Jesus taught us to pray, and I think most of us, 11:18 if not, all of us here would be familiar 11:21 with at least the opening of the Lord's Prayer. 11:24 How does it begin? 11:25 Let's say together if we know it. 11:27 Our Father, which art in heaven, 11:30 hallowed be Thy name, 11:31 Thy kingdom come, 11:33 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11:37 So right at the very outset, 11:39 we are taught to pray according to the will of God, 11:42 to pray in the name of the Father 11:45 which is to pray in harmony with His will. 11:48 Now, did Jesus practice what He preached? 11:51 Did Jesus practice this opening prayer? 11:56 He indeed did. 11:58 All through His life, He practiced, 12:00 "Not My will but Thy will be done." 12:02 We want to go to the most excruciating time 12:06 in the ministry of Christ, 12:08 when the salvation of this world 12:10 was in the balance. 12:12 Your salvation and mine was in the balance. 12:15 And Jesus was there on that first day evening 12:18 in that oil press, the Garden of Gethsemane. 12:21 And notice the prayer that He prayed 12:24 to His heavenly Father. 12:25 We find these words recorded by Luke, 12:29 Doctor Luke, the evangelist Luke. 12:31 In Luke 22:41 to 43, notice what we read. 12:37 "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, 12:41 and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, 12:43 'Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: 12:48 nevertheless," not what? 12:50 "Not My will, but Thine be done.' 12:52 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven," 12:55 doing what? 12:56 "Strengthening him.'" 12:58 You see, this is the truth, my friend. 12:59 This is what I have discovered. 13:01 And tonight, I want to share with you 13:02 a little bit of my journey. 13:06 And what I have discovered in praying this prayer, 13:09 "Father, not my will but Your will be done." 13:11 Each and every time we pray this prayer, 13:14 we can be assured, 13:15 just like Jesus was strengthened in the garden, 13:18 you and I will be strengthened, strengthened 13:21 for whatever will come when we say amen. 13:26 Now, what does that look like? 13:28 What does that strength that God alone imparts 13:32 look like when you pray, 13:34 "Not my will but Thy will be done"? 13:37 I want to share with you 13:38 a precious family that has become 13:40 very near and dear to me. 13:43 Those that you see on the screen there, 13:46 that is Lyndon. 13:47 He is someone I grew up with. 13:48 We went to the same church together, 13:50 there in Melbourne, 13:54 South of Cooranbong. 13:57 We spent number of years in church together. 14:00 He's a few years younger than me, 14:01 12, 13 years younger than me. 14:02 That's his dear wife Elizabeth, 14:04 she wasn't always a follower of Jesus. 14:07 But in 2007, through Mark Finley, 14:11 Pastor Mark Finley campaign in Melbourne, 14:13 she was going out with Lyndon, she gave her heart to the Lord. 14:15 That's their two precious children, 14:17 Sienna and Lukas. 14:20 Now, their photo was taken shortly after Lyndon 14:25 was diagnosed with a brain tumor. 14:29 That brain tumor was cancer. 14:33 For two and a half years, Lyndon and his wife, 14:36 his family, he is an only child, 14:39 battled this horrible disease, two and a half years. 14:43 I had the privilege and the honor 14:45 of journeying with them. 14:48 And we would pray. 14:50 I'm here, I'm thousand kilometers away 14:52 but we would pray together, and I'd encourage him. 14:55 At times, I was able to visit. 14:58 And we prayed, 14:59 "Father, take this affliction away, 15:02 take this bitter cup away." 15:04 Only in his early 30s, a young family, 15:07 his whole life ahead of him, and we prayed, 15:10 and we prayed and we prayed, and we prayed. 15:15 Two weeks ago today, 15:18 his wife sent me a text sharing with me that 15:23 Lyndon only had days to live. 15:27 And so I made a decision, 15:28 although I was really caught up at that time, 15:30 I was running a program, 15:32 I had made a decision 15:33 the Lord had provided a window of opportunity, 15:35 and I headed to Melbourne. 15:38 I went to Lyndon's home, encouraged him, 15:41 strengthened him, prayed with him. 15:43 The next day, there's a photo. 15:45 The next day, I was there by the bedside of Lyndon, 15:49 opening up God's Word to Lyndon, 15:53 and sharing with him once again those blessed promises 15:57 that he had put his faith and trust in. 15:59 Those blessed promises that had strengthened his faith, 16:03 that had strengthened the faith of his wife, 16:05 those promises that had brought him to the point, 16:08 where not once, not once did he question God 16:12 in allowing the enemy to afflict him in this way. 16:20 Just a few days ago, I received a text message 16:24 from his dear wife Elizabeth 16:27 sharing with me that Lyndon had passed away. 16:32 And she ended the text, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 16:37 Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 16:41 You see, my friends, when we go through the valley, 16:45 when we know God as a prayer answering God, 16:49 we know that He knows the end from the beginning. 16:53 And we can put our faith and trust in Him 16:56 like Job of old who, 16:58 in his time of trial and tragedy 17:02 that you and I cannot even begin to understand or imagine, 17:06 he prayed those words, "Even though He," what? 17:10 "Slay me, yet I will," what? 17:12 "Trust in Him." 17:15 I serve a prayer answering God. 17:19 Although I do not understand, 17:22 I can trust Him. 17:24 Although I do not understand, 17:26 I can trust Him. 17:31 Prayer was at the very heart of the DNA of Jesus Christ. 17:37 The Bible records 25 occasions when Jesus prayed. 17:43 Beginning with His ministry there, 17:46 as we read these words in Luke 3:21 and 22, 17:52 the Bible says, 17:54 "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, 17:57 that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, 18:00 the heaven was opened and the Holy Ghost descended 18:03 in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, 18:05 and a voice came from heaven, which said, 18:08 Thou art my beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased." 18:14 Jesus prayed at the very beginning of His ministry. 18:16 And all the way through His ministry, 18:18 He continued to pray. 18:20 What I've discovered in my journey through scripture 18:23 and in particular, in my journey 18:25 in the ministry of Christ 18:27 is that prayer and the Holy Spirit 18:29 go hand in hand. 18:32 You notice from the scriptures that we have just read 18:34 that the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ as He prayed. 18:41 What were the final words of Jesus to His disciples 18:44 before He ascended to heaven? 18:46 Pray for what? 18:48 The Holy Spirit. 18:51 And all the way through the ministry of Christ, 18:54 the Holy Spirit was at the very heart 18:58 and at the very center of prayer. 19:00 Now, why ought that to be the case? 19:04 That is because the scriptures clearly teach us 19:06 that you and I do not know how to pray 19:09 as we ought to pray. 19:11 Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote 19:13 in Romans 8:26, we read these words. 19:17 "Likewise the Spirit," the Holy Spirit, 19:20 the third person of the Godhead, 19:22 "Also helps us in our weaknesses. 19:25 For we do not know 19:26 what we should pray for as we ought, 19:28 but the Spirit Himself makes intersession for us 19:31 with groanings which cannot be uttered." 19:34 We do not know how to pray for that 19:39 which God wants us to pray for. 19:41 And so that is why we need the Holy Spirit 19:44 to lead and to guide us in our time of prayer. 19:48 That is why the Holy Spirit is front and center 19:51 in the time of prayer in the Book of Acts. 19:54 As you go through those 28 chapters 19:57 in the Book of Acts, 19:58 you discover that the believers are praying together, 20:03 praying together, seeking the Holy Spirit, 20:06 and God is working in a mighty way. 20:11 That dunamis, dynamite power 20:16 was because they had prayer and the Holy Spirit together. 20:22 My friends, you and I are living in a day and age 20:25 as Pastor John Lomacang shared in that previous message, 20:29 we are living at the very end of earth's history. 20:34 I don't believe that there are too many more ages to come. 20:39 We've reached the information age 20:41 and Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom 20:43 will be preached in all the world 20:45 as a witness to all the nations," and what? 20:47 "The end will come." 20:50 Surely, the information age 20:52 is enabling God through the Holy Spirit 20:55 to preach the gospel to the outer ends of the earth. 21:00 You and I live in a time 21:01 where it's not business as usual. 21:04 It's not a time to namby-pamby around. 21:07 I believe, we live in a time 21:09 when we need to get on our knees collectively, 21:12 individually, and seek the Holy Spirit 21:15 like we've never sought the Holy Spirit before. 21:19 If 2000 years ago, 21:22 there was no plan B, surely today, 21:28 with all the attractions and the distractions 21:30 that the enemy throws, 21:34 we need the Holy Spirit, my friends. 21:37 So what happens? 21:39 What happens when God's people come together 21:42 as they did in the Book of Acts 21:44 and they pray for the Holy Spirit? 21:48 What happens? 21:49 Today in 2018, 21:52 well, let me tell you, my friend, 21:54 God works miracles. God works miracles. 21:58 Let me share with you the story of a Miko or Amy. 22:01 There is a picture, I think of her on the screen. 22:05 There is Amy, and she was baptized 22:06 in this very church. 22:08 This is a Miko, and Japanese young lady who, 22:14 to cut a long story short, met an Australian. 22:20 Met an Australian, former Seventh-day Adventist, 22:24 young man who grew up in a loving Adventist home 22:27 but wandered away. 22:29 She met him in the cinema. 22:32 Or as my friend Roy likes to say, 22:34 he's baptizing her, she calls him dad. 22:38 And that's Pastor Dan Brunt. 22:41 He calls the cinema, the picture theatre. 22:43 I guess that's what they used to call it, 22:45 the picture theatre. 22:47 The movies. 22:48 They met in the movie theater in Japan. 22:52 What's she doing 22:53 in the baptismal font in Cooranbong, 22:55 that's what I want to know? 22:57 You want to know that too, don't you? 23:01 We prayed. 23:02 We prayed as these two entered into a relationship 23:05 as the son of Roy Graham entered into a relationship 23:10 with Amy based on that first encounter 23:12 in that cinema there in Japan. 23:15 They got to know each other. 23:17 And through the course of events, 23:20 Graham sadly contracted a terminal illness 23:24 and he passed away. 23:26 But before he passed away, he gave his heart to the Lord. 23:31 And we prayed for Amy, we prayed for her, 23:33 we prayed for her that the Holy Spirit 23:35 would somehow touch her heart. 23:38 God has a thousand ways to reach people 23:40 of which we know nothing of. 23:42 And I was running an evangelistic program 23:45 in Blue Haven Church where I was before, 23:48 what I'm doing currently. 23:50 And we were praying that she would come, 23:53 and that she would be part of it, 23:54 and that she would hear the message, 23:56 and that God would touch her heart, 23:57 and she would give her heart, 23:59 but she couldn't come at the very beginning. 24:00 And then she eventually came, 24:02 sort of, halfway through towards the end of the program, 24:05 and there she was. 24:06 She was sitting there, and we had prayed for her. 24:09 We had prayed for her in our small group, 24:12 in our small prayer group. 24:13 And I saw her taking photos with her phone. 24:17 John, she was taking photos with her phone. 24:20 And I'm like, "Well, that's cute. 24:21 She's taking photos. 24:22 She's Japanese, 24:24 doesn't really know any English at all. 24:26 What would she understand?" 24:28 And at the end of the message, Roy says to me, 24:32 "Amy has something to say to you, Danny." 24:34 And I'm like, "Yeah, what is it?" 24:36 And Amy is like, "I want to get baptized. 24:38 I want to follow Jesus." 24:39 I'm like, "How do you know what I just spoke of 24:43 unless the gift of tongues was poured out. 24:46 That wasn't the case." 24:48 What she had been doing is 24:49 she had been taking photos of the scriptures 24:52 that I have been putting up on the screen. 24:54 And through some app, she had been translating them 24:56 into Japanese. 25:01 And this gospel will go to all the kingdom. 25:06 God is a prayer answering God, 25:07 and there is Amy from the movie theater 25:12 in Japan to the baptismal font 25:15 in the Cooranbong Seventh-day Adventist Church 25:17 at Avondale Memorial. 25:19 When you and I pray, God does some amazing things. 25:25 God is a prayer answering God. 25:28 All the way through the Bible, prayer is front and center. 25:31 The Apostle Paul, some 40 occasions, praised. 25:34 This is how the Bible ends. 25:36 It ends with a prayer. 25:37 The scriptures end with a prayer. 25:41 John writes, 25:42 "He which testifieth to these things says," 25:45 Revelation 22:20 and 21, He is, Jesus speaking, 25:50 "Surely," I am doing what? 25:52 "I am coming quickly." 25:54 And notice the prayer of John, the final prayer in the Bible. 25:58 It comes from the Apostle John. 25:59 He cries out, he says, "Amen, even so," what? 26:04 "Come, Lord Jesus. 26:05 The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. 26:09 Amen." 26:11 We serve a prayer answering God. 26:14 My conclusion based on my study of scripture is that 26:17 prayer and knowing God go hand in hand. 26:21 What's God's ultimate purpose for us 26:25 as His end time servants, His end time ambassadors? 26:29 Let's go to John Chapter 17 to our theme scripture. 26:33 John Chapter 17, our theme scripture. 26:38 And this is eternal life that they may know you, 26:42 the only true God and Jesus Christ 26:44 whom You have sent. 26:46 Notice the context that these words are found in. 26:49 Let's pick it up in verse 1, John 17:1. 26:53 "Jesus spoke these words, 26:54 lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 26:56 'Father, the hour has come, glorify Your Son 27:00 that Your Son also may glorify You. 27:03 As You have given Him authority over all flesh 27:06 that He should give eternal life 27:08 to as many as You have given Him." 27:10 And then our theme scripture, "And this is eternal life 27:14 that they may know You the only true God, 27:16 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 27:19 I have glorified You on the earth. 27:21 I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." 27:24 Verse 5, "And now, O Father, glorify Me together 27:29 with Yourself with the glory 27:32 which I had with You before the world was." 27:35 As I meditated on these scriptures, 27:37 this prayer of Jesus Christ on the eve of His crucifixion, 27:43 I discovered that there is a word 27:44 that pops up over and over again. 27:49 Can anyone guess what that word is? 27:54 That's the word glory. 27:56 Five times. 27:59 Five times that word glory, 28:01 in its different forms, appears. 28:04 Glory, glorify, glorified. 28:08 The prayer of Jesus was, "Father, 28:11 the time has come for Your Son to glorify You, 28:16 and for You to be glorified in Your Son." 28:20 The glory of God that is at the very heart 28:26 of the prayer of Jesus Christ in this opening of His prayer. 28:30 Now, what's the glory of God? 28:32 There are several aspects to the glory of God. 28:37 But I believe at the very heart of the glory of God 28:40 is what Moses asked God 28:42 when Israel had that moral meltdown, 28:46 that spiritual meltdown. 28:47 They're at Mount Carmel, 28:48 they had heard the voice of God. 28:50 They had received the covenant of God 28:53 through the Ten Commandments. 28:55 And the very next thing we find 28:57 that they make that golden calf. 29:00 And Moses comes and he pleads on behalf of his people. 29:05 Says, "God spare their lives or take my name 29:08 out of the book of life." 29:10 And in the process of that pleading, 29:13 the words are recorded there in Exodus Chapter 33 29:16 where Moses prays 29:18 that all powerful prayer to God. 29:24 "Father, God, show me your," what? 29:29 "Glory. Reveal to me Your glory." 29:33 And then Moses records what he sees. 29:36 He sees the goodness, the love, the mercy, the grace, 29:40 the long-suffering. 29:44 Not slow to forgive but at the same time, 29:48 not turning His back on sin and evil. 29:51 The glory of God is His character. 29:54 It's His character. 29:55 That's why Moses witnessed, the character of God. 29:58 And now it was time for Jesus Christ 30:02 to reveal the character of God in a way that this world, 30:06 that this universe had never before seen or experienced. 30:12 Did the Father answer the prayer of Jesus? 30:16 What was that prayer? 30:18 "Father, the hour has come, glorify Your Son 30:21 that Your Son also may glorify You." 30:24 Was the Father, was the Son glorified? 30:27 He indeed was. 30:30 From the Garden of Gethsemane till Golgotha's cross, 30:36 the love of God was portrayed in a way 30:41 that this universe has not seen and will not see. 30:47 So what's God's plan for you and I? 30:49 The plan that God has for you and I, my dear friends, 30:52 wherever you are watching, wherever you are listening, 30:55 is this, I believe that at the end of time, 30:58 God's plan for His people based on that prayer of Jesus 31:02 is that the world would know God 31:04 through the character 31:07 that is demonstrated by His people, 31:11 who have chosen, 31:13 who have chosen to turn their backs 31:16 on the ways of this world. 31:21 And I have chosen to live their lives 31:24 in harmony with the will of God 31:27 and to emulate the character of Jesus. 31:30 That is what God is waiting for. 31:33 Really, is that what God is waiting for? 31:34 Is He waiting for His beautiful character 31:38 of love to be demonstrated 31:41 before the entire world through His people? 31:43 Is that what God is really waiting for? 31:47 If I read my Bible correctly, and I believe I do. 31:50 The final message of love 31:51 that needs to go to the entire world 31:53 contains these words. 31:56 Revelation 14:6 and 7, John cries out, 32:02 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 32:05 having the" what? 32:07 "The everlasting gospel." What's the everlasting gospel? 32:10 What's the word gospel mean? 32:12 It means good news. Good news about what? 32:14 Good news that God has tipped heaven upside down 32:17 in order to save the human race. 32:20 The goods news that God was willing 32:22 to bankrupt heaven in giving Jesus Christ 32:25 in order to save the human race. 32:28 The everlasting gospel that needs to be preached 32:30 to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, 32:33 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him, what? 32:37 "Glory, for the hour of His judgment has come 32:39 and worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the sea 32:42 and the springs of water." 32:43 That is God's plan, 32:45 that is God's aim for you and I. 32:47 At the end of time, 32:48 to be part of God's end time army 32:51 to show forth the character of God, 32:54 the love of God, 32:56 that all may know the reality of who God is. 33:00 This is eternal life that they may, what? 33:04 Know you, the only true God 33:07 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 33:10 That's God's plan. 33:12 That's God's plan A. 33:14 And there isn't a plan B. 33:16 If there isn't a plan B, 33:20 that's God's primary purpose for you and for me, 33:25 to give Him glory in all that we do. 33:28 And I have come to the conclusion 33:31 that there is no way, 33:34 there is absolutely no way that this wretched, miserable, 33:41 poor, blind, and naked sinner 33:45 that stands before you 33:48 can show forth the glory of God 33:52 as I have been invited to in the everlasting gospel 33:56 unless I'm daily willing to be filled 34:00 with the Holy Spirit. 34:02 I just can't, and I've tried. 34:04 Trust me, I've tried. 34:06 I've tried plan B, C, D, 34:08 E, F, Z, ZA, ZB, ZC. 34:14 I have tried them all. 34:17 And I've discovered, unless the Holy Spirit fills me 34:20 day by day, there is no hope. 34:25 But when the Holy Spirit fills you and the Holy Spirit 34:29 fills me for the glory of God, 34:31 we are willing to do everything and anything. 34:34 We are willing to go no matter where God leads 34:38 because we are daily praying in harmony with His will. 34:43 Because someone who knows God has learnt to trust 34:47 that the will of God is always the best way forward. 34:52 No matter what anyone says, 34:54 no matter even what the government says, 34:57 what do you mean by the government, Danny? 34:58 What's the government got to do with your sermon tonight? 35:00 Well, let me tell you a story. 35:03 This year... 35:04 Well, actually last year, I was invited to go 35:07 and preach an evangelistic series 35:10 in the country of Burundi. 35:13 Anyone know here who, where Burundi is? 35:15 Okay, a few of you know. 35:17 Burundi is there in mid Africa, borders with Uganda and Rwanda. 35:23 I think, most people here would be familiar with Rwanda 35:26 and the terrible atrocity 35:28 that took place there a couple of decades ago. 35:31 And anyway, I'm the kind of person 35:33 that when I'm invited to go to Africa, 35:35 I just love Africa. 35:37 Africa is like where I get my spiritual renewal, 35:42 evangelism, I'm not sure what it's like in America, 35:44 Pastor John. 35:46 But in Australia, evangelism is tough work. 35:49 You know, you invite people to the football, 35:53 and they'll queue up all night with their sleeping bag 35:56 to get tickets. 35:58 You invite them to come to hear the good news of the gospel, 36:00 and in Australia, it's hijacker. 36:02 So, when I have an opportunity to go to Africa, I do. 36:05 So anyway, without any hesitation, 36:08 I said, "Yeah, sure. I'm in." 36:10 I'm off. 36:12 And I was about to book my ticket. 36:14 And I mean, I got a call from a fellow pastor, 36:17 Pastor Fred who was also planning on going, 36:19 and he's like, "Danny, my wife has advised me that 36:24 it may not be all that safe to go to Burundi. 36:27 There's a travel warning by the Australian government." 36:30 And I'm like, "Really?" 36:31 So I get online and I go 36:33 to the Australian Foreign Affairs Department website 36:36 to check out what's up with Burundi. 36:38 And sure enough, 36:43 "Do not travel" in red, red alert. 36:48 We all know what a red light means, don't we? 36:50 Well, we should know what a red light means. 36:53 And I'm like, "What's up with this? 36:56 I was all excited, I was ready to go." 36:59 But that kind of really, 37:00 you know, put a dampener on things. 37:04 And so I looked at some of other countries 37:05 that have a red alert, 37:07 and you may recognize some of them as Afghanistan, 37:10 Yemen, Syria, South Sudan. 37:14 I mean, these were in the same basket. 37:17 So I'm like, "What do I do? 37:19 And I just started to pray. 37:23 I've learnt to trust in God. 37:25 "Lord, this is what the government says, 37:27 what do I do? What do I do?" 37:30 And so the Lord said, "I'll take care of it. 37:34 I'll take care of it." 37:35 So anyway, first hurdle, I had to tell my wife. 37:40 So I was like, "Lord, you've got to open up 37:41 a lot of doors for me to get on that plane to Burundi, 37:44 You've got to open up a lot of doors." 37:46 And the first hurdle was my wife. 37:48 And I said to her, I had to tell her. 37:52 I wasn't gonna jump on the plane 37:55 and then something happen, and she's like, "What? 37:57 You knew all of this and didn't tell me?" 37:59 Anyway, so I shared with her. 38:01 I said, I said, "Honey, you know, this is the story. 38:04 This is what the government is advising, 38:06 and I'm preparing to go, the people are waiting for me,' 38:09 and so and so, and so on and so forth, 38:11 there's a whole big TMI or Total Member Involvement 38:14 program going on there throughout Burundi. 38:17 And you know, I don't want to disappoint these people, 38:19 I've been preparing for months and months and months. 38:23 And you know, what she said to me? 38:25 "Go, I can't wait for you to go." 38:26 No, she didn't say that. She didn't say that. 38:31 I thought she was going to say, "No, don't go." 38:33 But instead, she said, "Pray about it. 38:38 Pray about it." 38:40 I'd received the all clear from the folk there in Burundi. 38:43 I was expecting that. 38:45 That, kind of, wasn't a big door to get through. 38:48 And then that morning, that morning, 38:50 when I prayed that prayer, 38:52 I have a habit of singing hymns. 38:54 I won't sing it here this evening. 38:57 Otherwise, it'll be the end of the whole weekend. 39:01 I cannot sing. 39:02 I'm not even allowed to sing at home. 39:05 Only to myself. 39:07 That morning, I was up to this particular hymn 39:10 in the hymn book. 39:11 I go through the hymn book, 39:13 and I sing the hymns that I know. 39:15 True story, God is my witness. 39:17 That morning, I was up to hymn number 508. 39:23 Can anyone guess what hymn number 508 is? 39:27 Anywhere with Jesus, and here I am singing, 39:31 "Anywhere with Jesus, I can safely go 39:34 anywhere He leads me in this world below," 39:37 including Burundi. 39:39 "Anywhere without Him, dearest joys would fade. 39:44 Anywhere with Jesus, I am not afraid." 39:47 I was like, "Lord, I'm ready to go. 39:50 I'm ready to go." 39:53 When you know the prayer answering God, 39:58 even if the circumstances say no, 40:03 if God says yes, you can go forward in faith. 40:07 Little did I know that 40:08 there was a demon-possessed young lady 40:11 that God wanted me to minister to, 40:13 that was baptized and gave her heart to Jesus. 40:16 Little did I know that there was a Muslim woman 40:18 and her husband who was in prison 40:20 that gave their hearts to Jesus. 40:22 Little did I know what God would do, 40:25 little did I know. 40:28 I have learned to trust in God. 40:31 I have learned that God is a prayer answering God. 40:34 And when God answers prayer, 40:35 He gives you a peace, 40:36 a wonderful peace that passes all understanding. 40:40 Now when I go to one of my, 40:42 if not my favorite scripture, Philippians 4:6 and 7. 40:48 Philippians 4:6 and 7, 40:50 "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by," what? 40:54 "Prayer and supplication, 40:55 with thanksgiving in your hearts, 40:57 let your requests be made known to," who? 41:00 "To God, and the peace of God, 41:02 which surpasses all understanding, 41:04 will guard your hearts and minds through," who? 41:07 "Christ Jesus, our Lord." 41:08 Now what does that look like 41:09 and why has Philippians 4:6 and 7 41:12 become one of my, if not my favorite scripture? 41:15 Let me show you my right shoulder. 41:18 Is there a picture of my right shoulder 41:19 up there somewhere? 41:21 I'm not sure if there is. 41:22 There it is, that's my right shoulder, 41:25 and there's a 10-centimeter scar here 41:27 on my right shoulder. 41:29 Now I would take off my jacket and undo my shirt to show you 41:33 but that'll take time and I don't want to show you 41:35 my big muscles to scare you. 41:37 So just believe me, that's my right shoulder. 41:41 Why have I got that 10 centimeter scar 41:44 on my right shoulder? 41:45 Well, you see, back in 2007, 41:48 what had been diagnosed by doctors 41:52 over a period of about one to two years, 41:55 as simply a dark brown mole. 42:00 "Nothing to be afraid of, Danny. 42:01 Go home, live happily ever after." 42:05 After my brother-in-law, who's a doctor, 42:09 recommended I go and just simply take it out. 42:12 It was discovered that 42:13 it wasn't simply a dark brown mole, 42:17 but this was a melanoma, a malignant melanoma, 42:22 an invasive malignant melanoma that had been growing 42:27 ever so slowly, but it was growing. 42:30 Now what was the result? 42:32 What was the result? 42:34 Before we get to the result, 42:36 I want to share with you what took place immediately 42:40 after I had received that news from the doctor, 42:44 after the tests came through. 42:46 Before I share that, 42:48 let me share with you what took place immediately 42:49 before I entered the office of the doctor. 42:53 There on the wall, in the Port Macquarie 42:56 where I was living at the time on the Central Coast 42:59 of New South Wales, 43:01 there on the wall of the skin cancer clinic 43:05 was a poster with the tragic statistic 43:10 than more than 1,000 Australian males 43:13 every year die of melanoma. 43:16 So I had just read that, and I had that in my mind, 43:19 and I'm walking into the doctor's office. 43:22 And he shares with me the results, 43:24 "Danny, it's bad news, very bad news. 43:29 It's been there for a while. 43:30 We don't know if it's spread into your lymph nodes. 43:33 We don't know. We just don't know. 43:38 Do you have months to live? Do you have a year, two? 43:42 We don't know until we get that operation done. 43:46 And then we'll know." 43:48 I remember moving from the office into my car, 43:53 and I remember it like it happened yesterday. 43:57 I sat in my car and this incredible peace 44:02 overwhelmed me as I began to pray, 44:05 "Lord, I just want to thank you for the 36 years of life 44:11 that You have given to me. 44:13 I want to thank You that 44:15 You revealed Your love to me 44:17 in such a beautiful and such a powerful way 44:20 ever since I gave my heart to You, 44:22 some 18 years before. 44:24 This second half of my life has been beyond 44:28 what I could imagine. 44:29 I want to thank You, I want to praise You. 44:30 And, Lord, if this is the last year, so be it. 44:34 May Your will be done." 44:35 And I went home singing hymns as you do 44:40 after the doctors told you, 44:41 "You've got a malignant melanoma." 44:46 I went home singing hymns. 44:48 I went home praising the Lord. 44:52 My wife looks at me 44:53 and she thought the news was good. 44:54 She didn't know what the news would be. 44:56 I was just told that I needed to see the doctor 45:00 for the results. 45:02 And she thought the news was good 45:03 and she's like, "Danny, is all well?" 45:07 And I'm like, "Yes, it is." 45:11 God is good. 45:13 God is on His throne. 45:16 On the other side, 45:18 this is what I haven't, she's like... 45:20 You can imagine. You can imagine. 45:24 I'm still here. 45:26 God preserved my life, I believe. 45:28 But doctors were shocked that it had remained 45:31 dormant for so long. 45:34 Not my concern. 45:36 When I prayed, 45:38 "Father, not my will but Your will be done," 45:40 I was in complete peace. 45:42 My friend, you and I can have complete peace 45:45 when we simply surrender whatever it is 45:48 into the hands of God, 45:50 knowing that when you know God through prayer 45:54 and you trust in Him with all things, 45:56 you can sing in the storm. 46:00 There was a beautiful, beautiful song 46:02 that I remember singing in Sabbath school 46:04 as a little boy, With Christ in the vessel, 46:08 I can, what? 46:09 I can smile at the storm. 46:13 With Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm. 46:18 I love this statement, 46:19 this one line statement from Ellen White 46:24 where she writes in Ministry of Healing, 46:27 that chapter entitled "Prayer for the Sick" 46:29 and I have shared this on so many occasions 46:32 to those that I have been privileged to anoint 46:37 in the name of God, in the name of Christ. 46:39 "God is too wise and good to answer our prayers 46:43 always at just the time 46:46 and in just the manner we desire." 46:49 He's too good, He's too wise. 46:52 He knows what's best for us. 46:56 We serve a loving and kind God who is always thinking of that 47:02 which is in our best eternal interest. 47:06 When you know that kind of God, everything will be okay, 47:13 and you can sing 47:16 no matter what you have been diagnosed with. 47:19 No matter what your financial situation may be, 47:22 no matter what your family situation may be, 47:26 no matter what storm comes your way, 47:28 you can sing in the storm, 47:32 because you know 47:33 that you serve a prayer answering, loving God. 47:38 As we prepare to land, 47:40 I want go to one of my favorite stories, 47:42 a chapter in the life of Christ from the Book of Matthew. 47:46 In Matthew Chapter 8, 47:48 we read these beautiful words 47:52 of what took place on one night, 47:55 one hairy and scary night. 47:58 Matthew 8:23, 48:01 "Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 48:04 And suddenly, a great tempest arose on the sea, 48:06 so that the boat was covered with the waves, 48:09 but He was asleep. 48:13 Then His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, 48:15 "Lord," what? 48:17 "Save us." 48:19 What a prayer to pray! 48:20 "Lord, save us. We are perishing." 48:23 But He said to them, 48:25 "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? 48:28 Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, 48:31 and there was a great calm.' 48:34 So the men marveled, saying," notice these words, 48:37 "Who can this," what? 48:40 "Be that even the winds and the sea obey Him?' " 48:46 My question for you tonight, for me, for all of us, 48:51 wherever you may be watching or listening is, 48:53 do you know, do you know the God 48:59 who answers prayer? 49:00 "Who can this be? Who can this be?" 49:03 Have you discovered who He is? 49:06 I can guarantee you, my friend, if you have discovered 49:09 who He is, you will not be afraid. 49:12 You will not be afraid 49:15 because instead of a great tempest, 49:18 it will be a great calm, a great calm, a great calm. 49:24 Do you know Jesus as the one who answers prayer? 49:29 Jesus said, "This is eternal life, 49:31 that they may know You, the only true God, 49:35 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." 49:39 I want to encourage you 49:41 to get to know Jesus through prayer, 49:43 and watch how He answers your prayers. 49:46 Watch how He changes and transforms your life. 49:50 I want to end by sharing with you a personal journey, 49:54 personal journey. 49:56 Now almost three decades old. 50:00 Some of you can see up on the screen here 50:02 and recognize these series produced 50:07 more than 30 years ago now by Pastor Kenneth Cox. 50:11 I understand he's still alive and going strong. 50:15 He must be filled 50:16 with the Holy Spirit, Pastor John. 50:18 He is indeed a man filled with the Holy Spirit. 50:21 The Book of Revelation through these videotapes 50:25 had a huge impact on my life. 50:27 As an 18-year-old, I had grown up 50:32 in a beautiful, loving, kind 50:35 Seventh-day Adventist Christian home. 50:38 But during my teenage years, I decided that 50:43 I needed to find out more about the world 50:45 and know less about God. 50:48 So I wandered away. 50:49 But through the prayers of a loving mother, 50:52 through the prayers of a loving mother 50:55 who was willing to travel by train, by train 51:00 two hours from where we lived 51:03 all the way to the conference office 51:05 there in Victoria in a place called Nunawading, 51:08 to go in and hire these videos. 51:11 Back in the days... 51:12 Do you remember the days when we had videos? 51:14 I don't even think many people even know 51:16 what DVDs are in this time, know little of videos. 51:19 She would go and she would hire these videos 51:23 produced by Kenneth Cox, 51:25 Pastor Kenneth Cox, an American evangelist, 51:28 bring them home, two more hours on a Friday afternoon 51:34 in order that God may work through these message 51:39 to touch the heart of her son, her prodigal son 51:43 at the age of 18. 51:46 At the age of 18, 51:49 this prodigal gave his heart to Christ one Friday night. 51:55 It was November, Friday night back in 1990 51:59 when Jesus took all my sins away. 52:02 I confess them all. 52:04 He took them all away, 52:05 and He gave me a brand new start. 52:09 Is God a prayer answering God? 52:12 My friends, I'm here. 52:14 I'm here today because of the prayers 52:16 of a mother who prayed and worked. 52:21 And through this American preacher, 52:25 through a video cassette, God was able to, 52:28 through His Holy Spirit, 52:30 to touch an 18-year-old teenager, 52:34 interested in everything... 52:38 but God has a thousand ways to reach people 52:40 of which we know nothing of. 52:42 My friends, pray, pray, pray. 52:46 If you have children, who have wandered away, 52:49 pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. 52:52 And God will impress you what to do. 52:54 You may need to go by train two hours 52:57 in order to pick up what you need 52:58 and go back home two hours. 53:00 You may need to make that sacrifice. 53:04 God is a prayer answering God. 53:06 The individuals 53:08 who were producing these videos, 53:11 Carl Branster who's still alive up there in Queensland 53:16 was heading up the videotaping in the productions. 53:20 There by his side was his son. 53:23 There by his side was his daughter-in-law, Liz. 53:29 God is a prayer answering God. 53:30 Twenty five years, fast forward 25 years from 1990, 53:35 and I have the opportunity 53:37 through a miraculous chain of events 53:41 to reach out to Elizabeth Liz 53:46 and lead her to Christ 53:48 who was there producing those videos. 53:53 I had the opportunity to study with her, 53:55 to baptize her in this very font here 53:59 at Avondale Memorial Church. 54:01 Twenty five years later, I had the opportunity 54:03 to study with her prodigal son and her prodigal daughter. 54:09 And God, through His Holy Spirit, 54:11 led them to Jesus. 54:16 God is a prayer answering God. 54:20 Through the ministry of an American evangelist, 54:23 through the hard work of church members 54:28 willing to do whatever it takes, 54:30 all hours of the night, God was able to work miracles. 54:35 They pray that these videos 54:36 would end up in the hands of someone 54:41 who would give their heart to Jesus. 54:42 Little did I know that that video would end up 54:45 in my mother's hand 54:46 who would share it with her son 54:48 who 25 years later, 54:50 God would use to reach out to them 54:51 and bring them back into the fold. 54:54 Our God is a prayer answering God, my friends. 54:59 Our God is a prayer answering God. 55:01 My question is, do you know 55:05 God as a prayer answering God? 55:08 Do you know God as a prayer answering God? 55:11 Taste and see that Lord is good. 55:13 Get to know Him, 55:14 get to know Him, get to know Him. 55:18 Let us pray. 55:19 Loving Father in heaven, 55:22 wow, You are indeed a prayer answering God. 55:28 Father, the prayer of Your son was 55:34 that they may know You, the only true God 55:40 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 55:43 Oh, Father, I stand here not because I'm worthy 55:47 but, Father, I stand here because a prayer answering God 55:51 answered the prayer of my dear mother 55:54 all those years ago. 55:56 And I am here now basking in the grace and the glory 56:01 of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ 56:05 who has given me this privilege, 56:07 this incredible privilege that I do not deserve 56:11 to be a messenger of His love. 56:14 Oh, Father, that's Your prayer for each and every one of us. 56:19 Father, it's Your prayer that all of us 56:21 will live our lives 56:22 for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ, 56:25 that we will reveal the character of God 56:27 and His love to those around us who are in darkness, 56:31 deep darkness. 56:34 Oh, Father, may the things in our lives that attract us 56:39 and distract us from seeking the character of Christ 56:44 and being filled with the Holy Spirit 56:46 as Pastor John prayed earlier and preached, 56:48 may there be a blackout so that the light of Jesus 56:54 may shine in our hearts, that it may shine out 56:57 and that others may be brought 56:59 into the fold of Jesus Christ and prepare for His kingdom, 57:03 is our prayer in Jesus' name, and everybody say it, 57:05 amen and amen. 57:07 And God bless you. |
Revised 2019-02-11