Participants: C.A. Murray
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000792
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01:00 The fame that I might want and all the things
01:08 that seem so dear I'd rather have Him than any 01:18 praise That men may give to me I want Him 01:30 to have control And be the breath of life in me 01:40 I'd rather have Jesus I'd rather have Him than 01:49 anything As I go on through life with Him 02:03 There can be no other way I want Jesus 02:14 more than anything, more than anything. Amen. 02:36 That was absolutely incredible 02:38 and I don't want the quire to go anywhere. 02:40 We're gonna ask you to minister another 02:42 song for us, and as soon as they're finished 02:45 ministering. We're going to have pastor 02:48 C.A. Murray come and share our morning 02:52 worship service, but right now I would 02:54 like to introduce to you Girvan Coley, and he's a 03:00 gentlemen that I met out in the lobby a 03:02 little earlier and he had the most 03:04 incredible testimony. Tell us a little about 03:07 your testimony Girvan. Well at first, 03:10 the first I'm about this 12 feet satellite dish. 03:16 I didn't buy with no intention of being 03:18 a Christian; I bought because I wanted 03:21 to listen my Jamaican Reggae music and stuff 03:25 like that. Where were you living at the time, 03:27 when you bought? Still living Lauderhill 03:29 here, but I was. You were here in Lauderhill 03:30 and you bought one of those big 12 foot dish. 03:33 Big dish 12 feet dish, and it's so unfortunate 03:38 that I'm, this radio station came off the 03:41 air, because they couldn't support it, 03:43 I'm just running down the satellite this 03:47 Sunday evening saw Donny was interviewing 03:52 somebody and I said what and because I 03:56 wasn't an Adventist, my mother was and 03:58 some of my family but I wasn't into church, 04:01 I was always playing disco Satan playing 04:05 music, and running down the disc and I saw 04:09 this station and I said God, this is so you know 04:13 it was interesting and beginning to 04:16 listen to views and then I get stuck to it. 04:20 People get stuck on 3ABN quite often, 04:25 we're addictive. And by watching it, 04:29 I begin to realize that you know more 04:35 about I get more serious and then I 04:39 started to come to church. What church did you 04:42 start coming to? This Lauderhill church here. 04:43 Okay. And by coming to church, when the 04:48 elder who come to give me Bible study I told 04:51 I was ready he didn't have to, because I 04:54 already get both from 3ABN and bought 04:57 what I know that when I was smaller. So I 05:00 said to myself this got to be the church and 05:02 God has blessed me that since I've been 05:04 here, now I've become a deacon. Praise God. 05:08 And I'm happy, it's only pity that I wasn't in 05:12 here from the day I was born. Amen, amen. 05:15 And coming here I tell the people in Lauderhill 05:19 about 3ABN. Alright, thank you. I'm so 05:22 fortunate so many of us get stuck to 3ABN. 05:25 And we are so happy that 3ABN is here 05:27 today. Amen. Thank you very much Girvan, 05:30 thank you God bless you. We want 05:33 everyone of you to get stuck on 3ABN don't we. 05:36 You know the most incredible thing happens 05:39 I told you this a little earlier, when you get 05:41 3ABN in your community or in your life, a change 05:46 starts taking place. Girvan was speaking 05:50 of it, when he came to church, of course 05:53 the pastor wants to give you, your Bible studies, 05:56 but he said I'm ready, why was he ready 05:59 because he had been learning these 06:02 teachings, these truths that are so 06:06 important to us, by some of the best 06:08 Bible teachers in the Seventh-Day Adventist 06:10 church by watching Three Angels Broadcasting 06:12 Network. We get this testimony from 06:16 all over the world, people say, the pastors 06:19 will write and tell us people just walk-in off 06:22 the street ready for baptism. I believe this 06:26 is my confidence that Three Angels 06:27 Broadcasting Network is one of the greatest 06:30 evangelistic tools in the world today. 06:33 Amen. We just ask that you keep us in your 06:35 prayers. Well that wonderful choir now 06:38 is gonna to come back and minister and 06:40 then pastor C.A. Murray. He is just, we have 06:43 known him, he has been in 3ABN now 06:45 for two years, when he first came we 06:48 didn't know what we were gonna to do with him. 06:50 Now we don't know what we would do 06:52 with out him. We have found such a 06:55 servant's heart in him, and a man 06:58 that's really after God's own heart. So 07:00 after the choir Pastor C.A. will 07:02 come and minister the morning 07:03 service, God bless you all. Amen. 07:41 He's Worthy, God's Worthy, almighty 07:43 Creator, alpha, Omega, Beginning And The End. 07:48 Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which Was 07:53 And Is, and Is To Come. He's Worthy, 07:57 God's Worthy, almighty Creator, alpha, Omega, 08:02 Beginning And The End. Holy, Holy, 08:06 Lord God Almighty, which Was And Is, 08:09 and Is To Come. Hallelujah, hallelujah, 08:19 hallelujah, hallelujah. Blessing And Glory, 08:29 Wisdom And Power, God Of My Rock, 08:33 In Him Will I Trust. My Strong Tower And 08:38 My Refuge, Savior, Deliverer And Soon 08:42 Coming King. Hallelujah, hallelujah, 08:51 hallelujah, hallelujah. The King Will Come 09:01 In The Clouds With Great Power And Glory 09:06 With Him. Oh, But No Man Knows The Day Nor 09:10 The Hour, But We Await His Soon Return. 09:15 Hallelujah, glory, Glory, hallelujah, praise 09:23 His Name. Hallelujah, glory, Glory, 09:27 hallelujah, praise His Name. Hallelujah, glory, 09:35 Glory, hallelujah, praise His Name. Hallelujah, 09:41 glory, Glory, hallelujah, praise His Name. 09:48 Hallelujah, glory, Glory, hallelujah, 09:53 praise His Name. Hallelujah, glory, 09:59 Glory, hallelujah, praise His Name. 10:04 Hallelujah, glory, Glory, hallelujah, 10:10 praise His Name. Hallelujah, glory, Glory, 10:16 hallelujah, praise His Name. Hallelujah, 10:22 glory, Glory, hallelujah, praise His 10:27 Name, Hallelujah, glory, Glory, 10:32 hallelujah, praise His Name. 10:55 Amen. Thank you choir, thank you 10:58 so very much, thank you Mollie, 10:59 thank you Emily, thank you Melody. 11:01 Do you not feel the presence of a Lord 11:04 in this place? God is so very, very good. 11:07 Our time is far spend, and I was thinking 11:12 about doing something seasonal but I have a 11:14 burden that I want to sort of lay on you 11:16 today. During this time of year when 11:19 everyone is celebrating the birth of Christ 11:21 it is a season of the soul. This is a time 11:24 of year, when the hearts of secular 11:27 people are open to the Gospel. Amen. 11:31 And so I want to come from that mind set, 11:33 that framework as we deal with the subject, 11:36 somebody must be Martha. I ask you 11:41 to turn with me, if you will to the 11:43 gospel as written by Dr. Luke. Chapter 10, 11:48 and we shall consider as our platform text, 11:53 verses 38 through 42, Luke chapter 10 12:00 verses 38 through 42, now I'm gonna to 12:09 ask the sound man, John turn me down 12:13 just a little cause I'm starting to get loud 12:15 here in a few minutes and I don't want to 12:18 scream in anyone ears, not too much. 12:21 Luke chapter 10, thanks John 38 12:26 through 42, the word of God says now it 12:29 happened as they went that He entered a 12:33 certain village; and a certain woman named 12:36 Martha welcomed Him into her house. 12:40 And she had a sister called Mary, who 12:45 also sat at Jesus' feet, not a bad place 12:50 to be, and heard His word, but Martha was 12:55 distracted with much serving, and she 13:00 approached Him and said, "Lord, do You 13:03 not care that my sister has left me to 13:08 serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 13:15 And Jesus answered and said to her, 13:19 "Martha, Martha, you are worried and 13:22 troubled about many things. But one 13:26 thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that 13:32 good part, which will not be taken 13:36 away from her." Amen. Somebody must 13:41 be Martha. Father God, open our ears 13:47 and our hearts to hear a word from the Lord, 13:55 because we need to see Jesus. It's all about 14:00 and always has been about Jesus. And so 14:06 now in this place at this time, around this 14:09 globe that you created, give us Jesus 14:13 and we thank you in his name, amen. 14:18 This is the second sermon in a series of 14:21 sermons that I've written about this 14:22 family I've studied this family thoroughly. 14:25 And I've really come to love them I think I 14:29 might have read a book if I ever get time, 14:31 and I put all of these messages in a book 14:34 the first sermon is identified by disease 14:36 the case of Simon the Leper. The second 14:39 somebody must be Martha, the third she 14:42 have done what she could that's Mary's 14:44 story. Lazarus story is called up he popped, 14:47 out he hopped dead man walking alive again. 14:51 Amen. And the last in the series born to 14:55 raise a fuss, the Judas in us. So I've 15:01 studied this family thoroughly I feel I know 15:04 them and I have found that one of the 15:06 most exciting and interesting ways to 15:08 study the word of God is study the 15:11 stories in the Bible. Amen. To study the 15:14 interplay, the characters in the Bible, 15:16 because when you study the Bible that 15:17 way the characters come alive. And you 15:20 see merit in your life and in their life the 15:25 same experiences, you find yourself going 15:27 through the same things and the same 15:29 experiences and you see as you watch 15:32 interaction, the interplay, the 15:34 interposition of God and their lives you 15:37 see that the same God who was patient 15:41 and loving and long suffering with them 15:43 is patient and loving and long suffering with 15:47 you. Amen. And you are forced to the 15:51 conclusion that God is good. Amen 15:54 Now you don't understand me. Yes. 15:56 Because God is not just good. God is 16:00 insistently good. God is incessantly good. 16:04 God is consistently good. God is 16:07 intransigently good. Amen! God is good 16:11 yesterday. God is good today. 16:13 God is good tomorrow. God is inexorably 16:15 good. God is implacably good. God is just, 16:18 he is just, he is just good. And every time 16:25 you read about God and how He treats 16:27 His children you are forced to the 16:29 realization that God is so very, very good. 16:32 This I must admit is my favorite family 16:34 in the Bible. We meet them fully grown, 16:39 we've got Lazarus who is the oldest. We've 16:42 got Martha who is the middle child and Mary 16:46 is the baby. By the way psychologist 16:48 say there is interesting dynamic that happens 16:50 when you have three or more children 16:52 in a family. Psychologist will tell 16:55 you that usually the oldest of the child 16:57 tends to be a little authoritarian and bossy. 17:06 That's because the oldest child usually 17:08 gets over parented. You know that's the 17:11 experiment child, that's the one you really 17:14 worried about. My sister is a great example, 17:17 she is a nurse. Bossy, one day I came home 17:22 and she had a dent in the front of the car. 17:24 I said Donna what happened he wouldn't 17:26 move out of the way. Type A Choleric 17:29 personality, that's the first born. Then you 17:31 have the baby. Psychologist tell you 17:33 that, they will tell you that the baby of the 17:35 family tends to be a little spoiled, a little 17:38 self-centered, a little self-willed because 17:40 they're under parented. You see by the 17:42 time you've had three, four, five, six children 17:45 you're so tired of saying clean up your 17:47 room and wash the dishes and you know 17:48 the baby's case and those of you who 17:50 are older children know that that last one 17:54 didn't get the same kind of parenting you got. 17:56 True, then you just wore your parents out so 18:00 that, that last that baby sort of escapes 18:03 a little bit. He gets by with murder, 18:05 but hardly enough the doctor I mean the 18:08 psychologist says that it is the baby who 18:12 usually are the entrepreneurs, the 18:14 inventors and the ones who take risks, 18:17 who will step out and do things that 18:19 the other two will not do, Danny Shelton 18:22 is the baby of the boys in the family. 18:24 And a baby is the one that usually 18:26 sets out and does wonderful things, then 18:31 you've got the middle child. The middle 18:33 child that I could say can be a little 18:36 schizophrenic, because he is not quite 18:39 sure what's going on. Sometimes he 18:42 gets parented, sometimes he gets neglected, 18:44 sometimes he is in charge of the family, 18:45 sometimes he's treat like the baby, 18:47 but interestingly enough, the doctor says 18:51 that genius tends to reside in that middle 18:57 child, and I should know because I'm a 19:05 middle child. So we've got Mary, Martha 19:12 and Lazarus and they lived in the city of 19:14 Bethany. We have no record of their parents, 19:17 their lineage. I found out just recently in my 19:20 research that Simon the Leper was their uncle 19:24 and that's very, very interesting. We don't 19:27 have time to go into all of that today, but with 19:32 Lazarus, it was love and faith in Jesus at 19:37 first sight. Lazarus greatly loved Jesus, 19:42 and the Bible says Jesus greatly loved 19:47 Lazarus. There were two men who just 19:50 bounded to each other and who loved each 19:52 other. I believe that Lazarus was Christ's 19:55 closest friend on Earth. They loved each 19:59 other, they cared about each other. Lazarus 20:02 was closer than even the disciples. He was 20:06 Christ's closest buddy on earth. What would 20:09 it be like us some one could say to you, 20:11 Jesus and you are best friends? You talk 20:15 about dropping in what do you know well 20:17 I know President Bush, who you know, Jesus. 20:26 Best friend on earth they loved each other 20:29 I mean Lazarus respected Jesus as Lord 20:32 and Savior, but more than that he just loved 20:34 him as a friend, close were Lazarus and Jesus. 20:40 And so Ellen White says he was often 20:42 at their house, he liked to go to this 20:44 particular house to relax. He could be 20:47 himself at this house, he could as it were 20:50 let us head down at his house. You know, 20:53 you know you like to go places where you 20:55 can relax. Where you're not challenged, 20:57 I remember as a young pastor go into a house, 20:59 visited a house and a lady had 100 cuckoo 21:02 clocks in her house. She had collected cuckoo 21:05 clocks from all over the world. Every hour on 21:08 the hour, 100 cuckoo clocks went off 21:10 cuckooing. You talk about bed now, but the 21:16 reason I remember the house is because while 21:18 we were waiting for dinner to come, she had 21:21 there on the coffee table a large golden or 21:24 bronze locust. I never seen something like 21:27 that in my life, and it was anatomically 21:31 collect, it had the wings and the head 21:32 and the thorax and the abdomen and all the 21:34 legs and these eyes bugging out and it 21:36 sit there waiting for dinner this locust is 21:37 staring at me. And so, we were talking about 21:42 it and I was closest one, I wanted to feel 21:44 if it was solid or hallow, so I picked it 21:47 up and I felt it was heavy she had got 21:49 it from Morocco or some trip to North Africa, 21:51 but when I put it down I put the locust 21:54 down facing away from me. And when 21:58 the lady came into call us to dinner, 22:00 I notice her eyes went right to that locust, 22:02 and then her eyes went to me. And then 22:07 she walked over, she picked up her golden 22:11 locust and then she planted it back down 22:13 on the table just like it was before. 22:15 See she gave me a message, and I got the 22:19 message. The message was keep your 22:22 cotton picking hands off my locust. So I, 22:24 but from then on I felt uncomfortable you know 22:26 you can't relax and I felt very, very 22:28 uncomfortable. Now I'm watching my step and 22:31 watching what I do, my point is Jesus like 22:33 to come to this house, because he could relax, 22:36 he could be himself, he wasn't challenge, 22:38 he wasn't threatened, he was believed in 22:41 this house and he was received in this house 22:43 and they loved him in this house what must it 22:46 have been like to have been Jesus. Never 22:50 get any peace, never get any rest, never get 22:53 any down time, never have time when you 22:55 can just be yourself. Pharisees looking at 22:58 your heels, Sadducees trying to trip you 23:00 up with your words, Scribes writing every 23:03 thing down not because they want to take it 23:05 home and study it, but they want to have 23:06 something to accuse you of, so they could put 23:09 you to death. And so Jesus liked to come 23:16 to this house. Hey, what if Jesus pulled a 23:19 Zacchaeus on your right now and said 23:21 I'm coming to your house right now. Would 23:24 you have to say Jesus give me about just 23:26 half hour head start. So I could go home 23:29 and clean out my refrigerator or my CD 23:33 rack or my video rack. Hmm, or maybe you are 23:44 saying because your house is not in the best 23:46 part of town. Well let me disabuse you 23:49 of that fear, because Jesus is not concerned 23:52 about your house. Amen. Jesus is far to busy 23:56 trying to get inside your heart. Amen. 23:59 And if your heart is clean you don't worry 24:03 about your house. He was born in a stable 24:05 and grow up in Nazareth so He is not fussy 24:08 about a accommodations, he is trying to get 24:10 inside your heart and if your heart open 24:12 he would be glad to come to your house. Amen. 24:14 And so Christ liked to come to his house, 24:17 because he was believed in this house 24:19 and received in this house and they follow 24:22 him and they listen. We know about Lazarus 24:25 and his love for Jesus. And Mary's love 24:29 was equal to that of her brother. Mary had 24:33 been so blessed by Jesus that when he came she 24:37 sat at his feet and hung on his every word. 24:41 Well why not, he had freed her from sin, 24:45 he had lifted her up, so she is transfix, 24:49 she is in froze, she is in ruptured, 24:51 every word is like dew in the morning from the 24:55 lips of Jesus. I know the kind of girl that 24:57 Mary was. I've studied her thoroughly. 25:01 Mary is kind of soft and dazzle and perhaps 25:05 easily led and maybe even a little naive, 25:09 but she is a kind of girl that puts her whole 25:12 heart into everything she does. She is a 25:15 kind of girl pastor make a great Christian, because 25:18 she doesn't do anything half way. She doesn't 25:21 have to when she puts herself into something; 25:23 she puts it in all the way. She gives her 25:26 all that's the kind of girl she is but sadly, 25:29 she has also the kind of girl that makes fairly 25:32 easy prey for a slick talking pair of pants. 25:41 And she met a slick talking pair of pants. 25:44 You know where she met Him, in church. 25:48 You know who he was, her pastor. He was 26:00 also her uncle. His name was Simon, 26:04 he is known as Simon of Bethany, Simon the 26:10 Pharisee, Simon the leper. You see, ladies 26:17 and gentlemen I cannot stress too strongly 26:19 you've got predators even in the church. 26:23 That is why, that is why, that is why 26:27 you've got to keep your eyes on Jesus. 26:31 Amen! You can lean too heavenly on 26:35 your pastor, on the elder, on the conference 26:40 president, on Danny Shelton, on your 26:44 humble servant or anybody else. You've 26:48 got to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, Amen! 26:51 because there are predators even in a 26:52 church. You got one church that is spent 26:55 $772 million trying to clean up pastor mal 26:59 fees. You know Ellen White says that one 27:03 out of every three in the church today is a 27:07 predator and unconverted and not ready 27:10 for Jesus to come, one out of three. 27:12 Now do me a quick favor, glance at the 27:14 person on either side of you. Don't stair 27:17 that's impolite, just glance. Now if you 27:20 didn't see a predator or other side. 27:32 Ellen White says in her monumental book 27:34 the Desire of Ages, Simon led her into sin, 27:37 her uncle, her pastor led her into sin. 27:41 Now Ellen White does not elaborate 27:44 on the precise nature of the relationship 27:46 between Simon and Mary, and I believe 27:51 that to the digest of your pure minds, 27:53 I will not speculate, safe to say. Whatever 27:58 the assignations were between Simon and 28:01 his niece, he did have an inappropriate 28:05 relationship with her and whatever kind 28:09 of shenanigans and older authority 28:13 figure can get into with a young 28:15 impressionable girl Simon evidently got into 28:20 with Mary and Ellen White says he did her 28:24 a great wrong, a great wrong. You see I 28:38 know the kind of girl Mary was. Mary is a 28:41 type of soft girl that if a fellow begins to 28:44 disabuse himself on a day, she would say 28:47 don't touch me don't, don't, don't, don't 28:48 put your hands on me don't, don't, don't 28:49 touch me don't do that, don't do that, 28:51 don't do that, but Martha's a little 28:52 different. You see somebody must me Martha. 28:58 Ellen White in describing Martha says 29:00 she was naturally positive and assertive 29:04 in personality. Amen. Naturally positive 29:08 and assertive. In other words, she stood 29:12 up for herself. Martha didn't back down 29:15 from anybody. Where as Mary was shy 29:18 and retiring and kind of dulcet and kind of 29:20 sweet, didn't want to break a nail, Martha 29:22 would break your neck. You see, again if a 29:28 man begins to do disabuse himself 29:29 on a day, Mary would say please don't 29:31 touch me, don't do that, don't, don't touch me, 29:33 don't handle me, don't, let's just read a Bible, 29:34 let's have our Bible study, let's be nice, 29:36 don't touch me but Martha will straighten 29:37 you out. See my words say unless 29:40 you what that I'm broken you need to 29:43 put your hand in your pocket. Amen! 29:49 She's positive she stands up for herself, 29:51 in other words Simon would have never 29:54 done to Martha what he did to Mary because 29:59 Martha wasn't that type of girl. 30:01 Martha would not allow any guy to abuse her 30:05 or to do that kind of thing. You see, 30:07 you push up on Martha you're gonna to get your 30:09 feelings hurt and your skull fractured. 30:17 Somebody must be Martha. We get some insight 30:21 into their respective characters at the death 30:23 of their brother Lazarus. Mary and Martha 30:28 both Bible says accosted Jesus. 30:31 Mary met him in town outside of the house, 30:36 but to show you that kind of person Martha was, 30:39 the Bible says Ellen White backs us up, 30:41 Martha met him on the road, Martha left town, 30:44 didn't let him get into town she met him 30:46 on the road. No greetings as you look 30:49 at John 11:21, no how you doing, how this happen, 30:52 how are things going and in describing 30:55 Martha's state of mind, Ellen White says 30:59 she met Jesus and the words she uses 31:02 is agitated, when Martha went out on the road 31:07 she met Jesus agitated. Now there's agitated 31:11 and there's agitated. Parenthetically 31:16 I need to say this; Martha is as converted as 31:24 Mary and Lazarus. I need to put a pin there, 31:29 there is some theology that tribes to pin her 31:31 as some Godless loose cannon, it is not true. 31:35 Martha is as converted as Lazarus and Mary, 31:41 but she is a different personality 31:44 and her brother is dead. This is a very close 31:50 family and the leader of the family, 31:55 the oldest boy is now dead, and the one man 31:58 who could have healed him, when he gets 32:02 the telegram, delays his leaving, 32:08 Bethany is two miles from Jerusalem, stops 32:14 and heals other people along the way 32:18 and then strolls into Bethany four days late. 32:23 Well, excuse me Martha is just a little ticked off. 32:32 And her anguish coalesces around one 32:38 repeating phrase, if you would have been here. 32:47 He wouldn't be dead. Jesus delay was purposeful. 32:55 You see the Lord does not cause pain unnecessarily, 33:01 Jesus had a plan. There was a lesson 33:05 he was trying to teach and the truth 33:08 is you sometimes can learn lessons in pain 33:15 that you cannot learn in pleasure. 33:18 You know you tell your child don't touch 33:20 the stove it's hot, don't touch the stove it's hot, 33:22 don't touch the stove it's hot, 33:23 you wear your lungs out telling him 33:25 don't touch the stove it's hot, 33:26 he touches the stove one time. 33:28 You don't have to tell him anymore. 33:33 Pain is a great insulator, I to this day, 33:37 I have a burn on my chest I was ready to take 33:39 my shirt off and show my muscles, 33:44 because when I was three years old, 33:46 my mother cooked us a pot of hot soup, 33:50 and my cousin was over there and he decided 33:54 at 5 we got to have some soup now. 33:57 So I pulled a pot of bowling hot soup 34:00 down on me, and six months and 34:03 several thousands dollars worth of skin 34:05 grafting later I left the hospital, 34:06 so now I have no time taste talent 34:09 inclination to be in the kitchen, 34:11 I hate the kitchen. Can't cooking 34:14 and don't want to learn? My wife cooks, Irma cooks, 34:17 I wash the dishes and I'm a very good dishwasher 34:20 she'll tell you. In fact, I rather wash them myself 34:24 than used the dishwasher, we have a running battle 34:26 about that she says put it in the dishwasher 34:27 and no I rather do it myself, 34:28 cause I'm so good at it, can't cook. 34:33 So pain is a great insulator it teaches us 34:36 lessons, but right now Martha is not concerned 34:38 learning any lesson. She is not concerned about 34:41 learning any lesson. All she knows is that 34:44 in that cold tomb is the rotting corpse 34:47 of what used to be her beloved brother 34:49 and her pain is crystallized and coalesces 34:52 around one repeating phrase, if you would have 34:57 been here, wouldn't be dead, 35:02 he wouldn't be dead. And then, Jesus response 35:10 in the shortest text in the Bible you know 35:12 it all John 11:35 two words, Jesus wept. 35:19 Now there are those who are watching who said 35:22 look at Jesus crying, he must be crying 35:27 because Martha turned that sarcastic, sardonic, 35:31 ebonic, bionic, tongue loose on him, 35:35 and he is crying for that, but I submit to you today 35:39 that's not why Christ is crying. 35:41 There were people plotting to take his life, 35:43 there were people plotting to kill him, 35:45 a few harsh words don't bother Jesus. 35:49 Yes, let's me tell you something parenthetically, 35:54 you can go to Jesus mad, you can, 36:00 you can go mad yeah. You won't stay 36:05 that mad long, because you can't stay mad 36:08 in the presence of Jesus, you will go angry, 36:11 you know sometimes we go through things 36:14 through life that just bother us, 36:17 you can say Lord it's not that I don't believe you, 36:20 it's not that I don't love, it's not that 36:22 I don't trust you, it' not that 36:24 I don't want to follow you, but I'm going through 36:25 some awful times here Lord and I just 36:28 want to know why. That is not so thin skin 36:33 that upsets him, because he's got the answer. 36:38 He knows, I mean just because we don't know 36:43 doesn't mean he doesn't know. 36:48 So you can go to him upset. It's alright; 36:51 you won't stay upset long. So he wasn't crying 36:55 because Martha was upset. Some were saying, 37:00 he is crying because his best friend is dead, 37:07 and I reject that theory, because when you can 37:13 dunk death like a basketball, 37:18 when you can kick death like a football, 37:22 when you can tell death where to go 37:25 and how far to go and when to stop 37:27 and when to leave, when death is your slave, 37:32 death is nothing to cry about. Jesus knew 37:37 what he was about to do, so he wasn't crying 37:41 for the dead, Christ was crying for the living, 37:45 and so Jesus says roll away the stone, 37:50 and Martha true to her nature. 37:52 You know she has always got to speak up, 37:54 roll away the stone? He's been in there four days, 37:58 do you know what that smells like? 38:04 But the stone is indeed rolled away. 38:07 And Jesus turns to Martha and says, 38:12 you are going to see your brother again 38:22 and Martha she can't contain herself, 38:26 because she is Martha. Somebody must be Martha. 38:33 You don't think I know about the 38:35 resurrection Jesus, I know about the resurrection, 38:41 I know all about the resurrection. 38:43 I preach the resurrection, I teach 38:46 the resurrection, I know the soteriology 38:49 of the resurrection, I know the ecclesiology 38:51 of the resurrection, I know the theology 38:53 of the resurrection, I know all about 38:55 resurrection, I live in the blessed home of 38:58 the resurrection. There is nothing anybody 38:59 could tell me about the resurrection. 39:01 I know and understand the resurrection 39:03 and Jesus had to stop her and midst 39:06 and say yes Martha what you will understand 39:09 is I am the resurrection and the life, 39:16 he that believes in me though he were dead 39:19 yet shall he live. Amen! The resurrection 39:22 is more than a dry theology. 39:24 The resurrection is living and breathing 39:27 and walking and talking, this is the resurrection 39:30 standing right in front of you. 39:31 It's the resurrection that's eating your food 39:33 and sleeping in your bed and walking these 39:35 dusty streets, is the resurrection. 39:37 I am the incarnation of the resurrection. 39:40 You want to know what the resurrection 39:41 is all about, look at me. You've been giving me 39:47 the theology of the resurrection. 39:50 Now I want you to understand the Dunamis, 39:53 the power of the resurrection. 39:56 Lazarus, get up out of that tomb 40:01 and up he walk and out he hopped, 40:03 still wrapped in his grave clothes 40:05 and Jesus said loose him and let him go. Amen 40:13 It's the power of the God we serve. 40:18 So we understand a little bit more now 40:20 about Martha, she's not a bad girl. 40:25 She just needs to know, like we need to know. 40:36 She is a servant, and if the church is to do 40:42 the will of God, we need to serve, 40:47 we need to serve, we need to serve. 40:51 Remember this, deeds of kindness tear down walls 40:59 of separation and open up avenues for salvation, 41:05 are you hearing me. Deeds of kindness 41:09 break down walls of separation, 41:14 open up avenues for salvation. 41:16 Now allow me to get iconoclastic 41:19 for just a moment, Because my thesis is this, 41:24 the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has been Mary 41:29 far too long. We've been married for 175 years. 41:41 Somebody must be Martha. Amen. 41:45 There is nothing wrong, ladies and gentlemen, 41:48 with sitting at the feet of Jesus. You got to sit, 41:53 you got to have before you go, 41:57 but our problem is brothers and sisters 42:00 we've been sitting too long. 42:03 Everybody wants to be Mary, we want to spend 42:08 all our time sitting at the feet of Jesus, 42:10 but if the works gonna be done, 42:12 if lives are gonna be saved, 42:15 if the world is gonna be lightened with the power 42:19 of the glory of God, somebody must be Martha, 42:25 been Mary too long. Mary is, and always been, 42:29 has always been the Diva of distinction 42:31 in the New Testament. We've lauded and applauded 42:33 her for sitting at the feet of Jesus, 42:35 oh yes, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus, 42:37 but once you sat, you've got to get up and get. 42:43 Forgive my pejorative English, 42:45 you need to raise yourself from your seat 42:49 and move into the street, because you are not 42:53 gonna save the world in here, if indeed all 42:57 we do is come and sit and sing and pray 42:59 and say oh how I love Jesus while thousands 43:03 are dying and going to Christ-less graves 43:05 we do ourselves and our God 43:07 an egregious disservice. Look at the story, 43:10 look at the story Mary is sitting, Mary is sitting 43:12 and Martha is running back and forth, 43:13 back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, 43:15 and every time she passes that living room, 43:20 there's her sister sitting at the feet of Jesus 43:26 and the pots are boiling and so is Martha, 43:32 and so it's like an Isle of Lucy comedy, 43:35 she filters her angst through Jesus. 43:38 Now that's her sister, she could have said 43:40 sis get up and give me a hand, 43:42 but she's trying to drive the nail in 43:44 so she says Jesus, tell my sister, 43:50 she was sitting right there. Jesus tell her 43:54 to get in here and help me. Now I want you 43:59 to lock down on what Jesus does not say, 44:05 its very interesting, His rebuke of Martha 44:08 is incredibly mild. In fact, it is not a rebuke, 44:12 it is not, look at what He does not say, 44:16 He didn't say Martha, you need to put those 44:21 pots down and get in here yourself 44:24 did you notice that, he didn't say that, 44:26 he didn't say Martha one thing thou lackest, 44:31 he didn't say Martha, you must be born again, 44:35 he didn't say Martha sell all you have 44:38 and follow me, it was an incredibly mild rebuke. 44:42 What Christ basically said was, Mary needs this, 44:50 and for her this is better, I am not gonna 44:55 take it away from her. You see Martha 44:58 didn't need it, because Martha already 45:02 had a connection with Jesus, 45:03 Martha was already strong willed 45:05 and firm in the faith, but Mary had been abused 45:09 by her uncle, and treated as dirt 45:13 and so Mary needed what Christ had to give, 45:16 Mary needed what Martha already had, 45:20 and so Mary had to stay at the feet of Jesus, 45:23 Martha already had that, there's nothing wrong 45:26 with serving people, there's nothing wrong 45:28 with hustling pots and pans and making your house 45:31 nice for people. First, you got to sit 45:35 at the feet of Jesus, but after you've gotten 45:37 what God has to give you, you got to get up 45:39 and share it with the world. 45:42 You got to set the table. We here in the 45:45 Seventh-Day Adventist Church are eating 45:46 a seven course gourmet meal 45:49 and the world is eating potato chips, 45:52 and we got to tell them Jesus saves. 45:55 Now, let me tell you something in just 45:57 a last few minutes, this comes from testimonies 46:00 volume 6, page 118 listen to this, 46:06 all who wok for God should have the Martha 46:11 and Mary attributes blended. 46:16 You got to have some Mary and some Martha, 46:20 one, a willingness to minister that's Martha. 46:25 Hey somebody must be Martha, and a sincere love 46:31 of the truth that's Mary, you got to love the truth 46:35 then you got to be willing to take the truth. 46:38 Mary and Martha blended together, 46:40 listen to this, self and selfishness 46:45 must be put out of sight. Amen. 46:49 If you're gonna for work for Jesus 46:50 you got to forget about yourself. 46:52 Self and selfishness must be put out of sight. 46:56 God calls for earnest women workers, 47:01 workers who are prudent, warmhearted, tender 47:06 and true to principle. As men and women, 47:10 he calls for persevering women as Martha, 47:14 who will take their minds from self 47:17 and their personal conveniences 47:20 and will center them on Christ. 47:24 You see Ellen White says it, 47:25 over and over and over again there is no limit 47:28 to the usefulness of one who put himself 47:31 aside opens up their heart for Jesus 47:33 and lives a life wholly dedicated to the master. 47:36 No limit to the one, when Danny started this thing 47:40 back in 1984. Let's let me just, 47:42 let me allow me this digression, 47:45 its just a some ecclesiological 47:47 obiter dictum, some eschatological 47:49 gastroenteritis, not in my notes, 47:51 just thought about this. 1984, 47:55 the Lord spoke to Danny and said, 47:58 build a television station that reaches 48:00 the world, carpenter, high school education, 48:03 no money. So you're either insane 48:11 or you know Jesus. In early 1800's, 48:19 the Lord spoke to a seventeen year old girl 48:22 and said start a Church and she began immediately 48:29 to preach, insane or you know Jesus huh. 48:36 You know, when I came to 3ABN I've spent 48:40 30 years in New York, pastor of a 2000 member 48:44 church, worked in a conference office. 48:45 Now I'm going to Thompsonville, Illinois, 48:47 what I can't even find on a map. Amen. 48:53 And I walk in for a prayer and praise day, 48:56 we start everyday up, Mollie will tell you 48:57 with prayer and praise, and Danny gets up 49:00 and says, we're broke, and somebody says 49:06 glory to God. We don't have any money, 49:13 praise the Lord, put it over my shoulder. 49:16 So I'm trying to see, he didn't say hope, 49:24 he didn't say rope, he didn't say soap, 49:29 he said broke. We don't have any money, 49:33 glory to God. So I'm figuring, maybe it's like 49:39 the Church, because the pastor will tell you that 49:42 the Seventh-Day Adventist Church never spends 49:43 every dime, never does, from general conference 49:47 on down, you spend 95 percent, 49:49 you budget 95 percent. So when the church says 49:51 we're broke that means we got five percent 49:54 we're not willing to touch. So I figured, 49:57 Danny's got five percent someplace, 50:00 he's not willing to touch, and he said no 50:03 we're broke, have any money 50:07 and they've been broke for 22 years. 50:11 Praise the Lord, amen, amen, amen. 50:14 World wide ministry, flat broke, 50:17 and everybody gets paid. Amen, amen, amen. 50:22 And everything is new. Yes. 50:25 I got a brand new laptop computer. 50:27 Mollie just got a brand new lap top computer. 50:29 She was playing with it last week, 50:30 Edward got brand new cameras, 50:32 brand new state of the art equipment. Amen. 50:35 Worldwide ministry, just put up a station in Papua, 50:40 New Guinea. Listen, listen, the station 50:44 went on air on Tuesday. Sabbath, 50:49 people started walking in the 50:50 Seventh-Day Adventist churches, Wednesday, 50:52 Thursday, Friday, Sabbath. Amen. 50:54 Four days walking in the Seventh-Day Adventist 50:57 broke, we don't have any money, but got vision. 51:03 Yes. Let me finish this. We have to center 51:08 on Christ, speaking the words of truth praying 51:10 with the persons with whom they can obtain access, 51:14 laboring for the conversion of souls. 51:16 Somebody must be Martha, see Martha is not 51:19 generic men can be Martha. Danny is a Martha. 51:25 I went to 3ABN, because God said get out 51:28 of New York, and get out to the cornfields 51:34 and serve me there and I wanted to be where 51:37 the blessings are, because I saw 51:40 the blessings of God on 3ABN. Amen. 51:43 On 3ABN, I am gonna depart from my sermon 51:46 for just a minute to tell you something. 51:47 Listen, it's such a powerful story. 51:50 You got a fellow in the Western Indies, 51:53 in Jamaica, sitting in a bathroom, 52:02 getting ready to kill himself, gun in hand, 52:06 getting ready to take his life. 52:09 He even got the door locked. Can't get in, 52:17 and he comes out for some reason and he turns up 52:21 the stereo because he doesn't want anybody 52:22 to hear the gunshot now he's getting ready 52:24 to kill himself but he's being consider. 52:25 So he turns up the stereo, so nobody can hear it. 52:30 Walking through the living room in the dark, 52:35 he knocks over the remote control, 52:45 he knocks over the remote control. 52:50 Now all of you from Jamaica, even I've been 52:51 to Jamaica 15 times I know all about Jamaica, 52:54 3ABN is all over Jamaica. Amen! So in the dark, 53:00 gun in hand, he knocks over the remote control 53:03 and bless your soul what's on. 53:05 3ABN. Amen! Praise the Lord. 53:09 Mark Finley is there, Mark Finley is there. Amen. 53:12 And at that time Mark Finley just happens to be 53:16 saying if you're thinking about taking your life 53:20 don't do it. And to punctuate the thing 53:27 one of our big studio lights explodes boom, 53:31 and a gun drops to the ground. Amen. 53:34 The gun drops to the ground. Amen. 53:40 Hey all, the gun drops to the ground, 53:47 and he drops to his knees. Amen. 53:52 And when he gets up from his knees, 53:54 he calls and he gets our pastoral department. 54:07 I can't even tell you no I have to tell you. 54:13 He's a theology student today. Amen! 54:16 He is studying for the ministry. 54:19 Studying ladies and gentlemen 54:21 for the ministry, not only did he not take 54:25 his own life, he is studying to save lives. 54:30 That's the power of this ministry. 54:32 Now I'm gonna tell you something else, 54:33 it's not in my notes forgive me, 54:34 but it is true I'm convicted of this. 54:37 In 1984, when God spoke to Danny, 54:44 the Adventist Church stepped into a new age. 54:50 Amen. Listen to me, I'm very serious 54:52 about this I was convicted about this last night. 54:53 When my wife was kicking me in the bed, 54:57 she has, she has restless legs syndrome, 55:00 she does and every night again 55:01 she will have a night when she's just 55:02 she's kicking and she didn't really sleep well 55:05 last night. And I've got news I used to hate it 55:07 but now I kind of look forward to the kicks. 55:10 But since I was awake my mind began to turn 55:13 and this occurred to me that when 3ABN 55:17 went into international satellite television, 55:21 the church entered a new age. 55:23 You see, you see don't God always uses 55:26 the most improbable. He used William Foy, 55:30 Hazen Foss, Ellen White, Danny Shelton. Amen. 55:36 Now, you're saying Danny Shelton equal to 55:39 Ellen White. I'm saying God picks his people. 55:43 He didn't pick him because they're perfect. 55:45 He doesn't pick them because they're sinless, 55:47 he picks him because they're just 55:49 foolish enough to put the full weight 55:51 of their faith on Him. Amen! Praise the Lord. 55:53 So in 1984, Danny called, God called Danny Shelton 55:58 and a new era of television began. 56:00 See I know that because I was working 56:02 with the church at that time, 56:04 I was listening to the discussions about ACN, 56:07 I was listen to the discussions 56:09 about first Wednesday, I was listening to the 56:12 discussions about ATN, I was in the committees 56:16 discussing how is the church gonna move 56:20 into the most powerful medium ever created 56:23 for the influencing of the hearts and minds of men 56:26 and women and that is television 56:28 and while we were in committing meetings 56:30 Danny Shelton was putting 3ABN on. Amen. 56:36 And then 11 years later I was on a production crew 56:42 of Net 95 and Net96 and Net98 and Net99 56:48 by Net95 3ABN was the 11 years old. 56:55 Lives had been changed for 11 solid years. 56:59 I am saying that God picks His people. 57:03 He picks His time. He picks His place 57:06 and when God builds that up 57:08 no one can tear it down. No one can destroy it, 57:11 there and there will be those will try 57:14 what enterprise has God ever tried to erect 57:17 on planet earth that some devil filled person 57:20 didn't try to destroy, we're not worried about 57:23 that for greater is He that is in us 57:26 then he that is the world. Amen. 57:30 And if we're gonna to do what God has called us 57:33 to do, if we're gonna to spread this gospel 57:35 to the ends of the earth, if we're gonna go further 57:38 and faster than ever before time to stop being 57:41 Mary, somebody, somebody, somebody must be Martha. |
Revised 2014-12-17