Participants: Randy Skeete
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000838
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01:00 We want to talk about the impact that this
01:03 program has had on our communities here. 01:08 And we have here first we are going 01:10 to have John, John Foote here, 01:13 why don't you step up here and may be 01:15 you guys can step back a little back a little bit. 01:17 John, anybody who knows John loves John, 01:21 and it is. John, what would you say 01:25 what kind of an impact has this had, 01:27 but before we even get into that, 01:28 why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself. 01:30 You grew up in a church, how did you end up, 01:33 up here tonight if you grew up in a church. 01:35 I mean a faithful churchgoer for many, 01:38 many years I presume is that correct? 01:42 Not as many as I would like to have been. 01:46 Okay, why don't you tell us about that. 01:49 Ladies and gentlemen and the auditorium 01:52 audience and television viewers, 01:56 I grew up in the city of Louisville. 01:59 I went to the church out on Fourth Street 02:03 that I believe is now called the First Church. 02:09 My mother graduated from that school, 02:12 went to nursing school. I had an uncle that 02:14 graduated from there. If you know teenagers 02:21 there is an awful lot of, when they get about 14, 02:25 15 years old, there ain't nobody 02:28 as smart as you are. I can say that I 02:35 have tried many different churches, 02:40 but no church could ever get me because 02:43 they didn't worship on the right day. 02:47 So as you grew up basically in the 02:49 Seventh-day Adventist church what happened, 02:52 why are you up here today? 02:54 Tell us about yourexperience in the 02:57 Adventist church, going to church 02:59 every week for however many years, 03:03 or is that so? I rejoined the Adventist 03:08 church in California, kind of a biblical name 03:13 community Antioch. And I drifted away 03:19 again for about 33 years, there was a sign on 03:27 highway 55 and highway 53, 03:33 it says, welcome Adventist church. 03:38 I told my wife I should find out where 03:41 that church is because I am going back. 03:44 And that's here in Louisville. 03:47 Shelbyville, Shelbyville, excuse me Shelbyville, 03:52 the Louisville area. Right, and so how 03:56 long were you going so now you had been 03:57 away from the church for 33 years. 04:00 That's a lifetime, that's affirmative. 04:02 And so how did you, so tell me little bit 04:06 more about that. Here we are tonight, 04:09 backed up a few weeks possibly. 04:11 I returned, I just one Sabbath 04:15 I walked into the church. Loving awesome take 04:24 your right hand and this I remembered as a child. 04:34 Three weeks ago tomorrow I was re-baptized 04:37 into the Adventist church, amen. Thank God, 04:44 and I would like to say if I may this ASI group, 04:52 these young people oh my goodness 04:55 what an inspiration. Amen. The Lord is truly 04:59 speaking through them, amen, amen. 05:03 Thank you very much John and you 05:04 have been an inspiration to all of us, 05:07 to all young people. Thank you Kevin, 05:09 we just love this guy John here. 05:11 We are so grateful he came back. 05:22 And this here is Andy, Andy was over at 05:27 the New Albany church side and we are 05:29 very excited to take on New Albany right 05:34 from the beginning. They had a lot of youth 05:36 there and we like the youth obviously. 05:38 We like everyone but we like working especially 05:40 with the youth. And so Andy, 05:42 why don't you tell us a little bit 05:43 about your experience. How did you, 05:47 obviously you were a church member 05:48 over at New Albany and so you heard 05:51 about the meetings and then ASI through 05:54 being in the church. And tell us a little bit 05:55 about what this has done for you, 05:57 being a church member. Well I found out , 06:04 I made up an acronym for ASI, 06:06 Adventist Secret Investigation but 06:10 I found out really what Adventist laymen 06:12 service and ministries, but just I stand 06:19 before you all tonight to tell you that ASI 06:23 has literally changed my life, amen. 06:27 I have seen preachers, 06:29 you see the televangelists, 06:31 you see them make these awesome 06:32 sermons sometimes. I have never in my 06:36 life seen people with such a passion for the Lord, 06:40 amen. I have never, even well seasoned 06:44 preachers I had never seen them just rolling 06:48 with the Lord's word and they were the coolest 06:51 people that came here and I'm gonna miss 06:53 when they go but my testimony basically is, 06:58 I'd a spiritual revival, amen and over seven 07:05 years ago they mention this I was re baptized 07:08 because ASI is so powerful, amen. 07:10 But seven years ago I was paralyzed in a 07:17 wheelchair and three years ago, 07:25 lo and behold the Lord blessed me, 07:28 I'm walking again, amen. But I don't wanna, 07:35 I don't wanna be self righteous or 07:38 focus on me or anything because it was a 07:40 spiritual revival, you have a spiritual body 07:42 and you have a physical body. 07:45 ASI has revived that in me and I have never, 07:51 any city that holds reluctance for ASI 07:54 to come to should not have it. 07:56 No city would ever do that no, no. 08:00 But they said I'm back to physical part they 08:03 said be a miracle in the magnitude 08:05 at the Red Sea party. Moses planning 08:07 the red sea, that's exactly what 08:08 my doctor said, the surgeon, 08:10 but I'm up here now. And Jerry Higgs, 08:13 my pastor, he got a pray circle around me 08:17 to get me up walking and I had legs 08:21 literally dead to the world. 08:23 But that's the physical part, 08:24 spiritual part ASI has revived me but 08:29 and I have see my friend Jeremy Wong 08:33 he is out there somewhere, seventeen years old 08:37 and he was one half of the tag team you can 08:41 call them to preach the Lord's word 08:44 and he did it with such passion I have never, 08:48 I keep saying tonight, I have never seen it. 08:51 And ASI is definitely should be supported 08:55 and Jeremy, Keith, Cal, all of them, 08:59 there is too many to mention but they all 09:01 are such inspirations and I'm gonna miss them. 09:05 But we will all be one day united in heaven 09:07 I say that. Thank you Andy, 09:09 thank you very much. 09:13 These church members have been such an inspiration 09:16 to us they don't even understand. 09:19 Brenda, come on over here and Brenda 09:21 is gonna try and contain her excitement tonight 09:24 she is just an excited, on fire. Brenda, 09:28 tell us, now you came to the meetings at 09:31 the Pewee Valley Church, is that correct? 09:34 That's correct. And how did you find out about 09:36 these meetings, you are not a member 09:37 of the church, no, how did you find out 09:39 about these meetings? I have two friends that 09:41 are very nagging friends and they would not 09:44 leave me alone about coming up 09:46 to the Bible study that John and Paula 09:48 having at their home. John and Paula are 09:51 church members, they are husband 09:52 and wife that were a part of the two that 09:55 were nagging her so to speak, yes, 09:57 they had a Bible study at their home 09:59 if I could interrupt you, yeah sure. 10:00 They had a Bible study at their home where 10:03 they had twenty non Adventist people 10:06 every Sunday coming to their Bible study, 10:09 friends that's not a Bible study that's 10:11 a church plant, amen. And so they were, 10:14 Brenda was one of their victims. 10:18 Well, John had said this one thing to me 10:20 and it stuck like glue. He said learn to love, 10:24 fall in love with the truth and embrace the truth 10:28 and that God would set me free from 10:30 all of these confusion upon all of these 10:31 different denominations that 10:32 I have been a part of. I come from the Catholic 10:35 background, went to Baptist, 10:37 got into a Pentecost movement, 10:39 got into somewhere God and I was so confused. 10:42 So, then Brenda tried to straighten me out 10:44 and I'd just said no way, there is too much laugh 10:46 coming from her and I have just didn't 10:49 associate love with the Seventh-day 10:50 Adventist so anyway. And so Brenda was 10:55 another friend from the Adventist church 10:57 where you getting this love from, yes, 11:00 she loved me through the whole thing her 11:02 and Paula and John loved me into the 11:04 Seventh-day Adventist church, 11:05 amen. It was all about love. 11:07 Soul winning is easy isn't it? 11:09 Yes and then I got baptized Tuesday, 11:13 that was Tuesday night I got baptized 11:16 and there was just a feeling when I come up 11:19 out of the water that it was just different 11:21 then the first time when I got Baptized 11:23 which was twelve years ago. 11:25 Brenda is the one that Pastor Rich said her 11:27 eyes were like this, I don't remember 11:30 going up like this, well they said I did 11:32 but it was awesome, it was the most awesome 11:35 experience in this whole week God has opened 11:38 up doors like you would never believe, 11:41 amen. And I didn't think I be up here 11:42 tonight at all, I told Kevin I said all those 11:45 people I can't talk in front of all those people, 11:47 we knew she could. He had a tone in his 11:54 so that's why I'm here but I mean it's love 11:57 that brought me to the church, 11:58 that's the bottom line, amen. 11:59 And Brenda had so many questions, 12:02 I remember when I first met her and she just 12:05 had question after question after question 12:08 and that is what we love. 12:10 We love when people have questions 12:12 and so we are able to answer her questions 12:15 and she has just been a tremendous 12:17 blessing to the church, to all of the ASI and we 12:20 just love Brenda. Every time something 12:22 comes up about clothes or jewelry or food, 12:25 especially food I tell him I wanna seen 12:29 in the Bible you show me the Bible 12:31 and I will believe anything. 12:32 Amen. It's what he does with me, 12:34 he takes me straight to the word. 12:35 And what an example right here, yeah, 12:39 that's exactly how Brenda is. 12:41 She would not argue but she would have her 12:44 things that she was going to present to us 12:47 and if then she would say if you can show me 12:50 in the Bible then I will do it and immediately 12:53 as we showed her in the Bible it was gone 12:56 out of her life, it was so amazing 12:57 so we were praise the Lord for Brenda. 13:00 The Fourth Commandment God said, 13:01 remember to keep it Holy, Sabbath day Holy 13:05 and you know I were work for many doctors 13:08 and they want me to work on Saturdays. 13:09 Well I told them, I can't do that no more, 13:11 amen. I said I honor the fourth commandment 13:13 why don't you, and it really kind of put 13:16 the ball in their corner, but they were really 13:18 sweet with me. They gave me hugs, 13:20 they told me go on, you don't wanna work, 13:22 but they don't like it one bit. 13:23 But I love it, I'm so excited. Amen. 13:26 Already she loves the Sabbath amen, 13:28 I'm gonna scream it in the parking lot tomorrow. 13:32 Well Brenda, thank you very much, 13:34 Andy and John, thank you very much 13:36 and thank you every one. Amen. 13:46 You know we have so many more 13:47 testimonies like that, and I just wish all of 13:49 you could come and visit us at least for 13:51 like a twenty four hour period, 13:53 and I'm going to just invite you to, 13:55 if you ever get a chance next show it 13:57 will be in Tampa, Florida. And so, 14:00 if you live in that area or if you're visiting 14:03 in the month of July, you need to come 14:05 and experience this year for yourself. 14:08 Well, I have three youths here who have been 14:10 part of our youth for Jesus program 14:12 this year and of course it's called ASI 14:16 youth for Jesus, because we want 14:18 to impact youth who have a passion 14:21 and love to spread the word of God with 14:23 others and to share the love of Jesus. 14:26 And I have, here with me Jeremy Wong, 14:29 now Jeremy what church are you with? 14:33 I'm with the New Albany Seventh-day 14:34 Adventist Church in Indiana. 14:38 And where do you live? I live in Sellersburg, 14:39 Indiana which is about five minutes 14:40 from New Albany. Okay, now we met you 14:44 last year because you were, 14:46 you had organized an evangelistic 14:50 meeting in your church for the youth. 14:53 That's correct. How did you do that? 14:57 Well, it all started at GYC 2005 in 15:00 Chattanooga, Tennessee. I was attending a 15:04 seminar the Pastor Mark Finley talking about 15:07 the logic project and that's where I caught 15:10 fire and that's where the fire started. 15:13 I was so excited to go back to my church, 15:15 talk to my pastor, talk to my parents, 15:17 saying we need, we need to get involved with this, 15:22 youth need to be getting involved in evangelism, 15:25 amen. So, I went back to my church, 15:27 I told my parents, I talked to my pastor 15:30 and after seven and half long months 15:33 my dream finally came true in October of last 15:37 year me and seven other young people 15:41 preached our first evangelistic series 15:43 through their logic project. 15:49 You know when we met eremy and his friends, 15:52 we knew we have to get them involved 15:53 in our youth for Jesus program, 15:55 because you know he planned and organized 15:57 this without any training. And so we thought he 16:00 needs our training, he needs the experience 16:03 of ASI youth for Jesus and so how did that 16:06 change your view on evangelism and how to 16:10 organize your next one? Amen, 16:14 ASI has been such a blessing to me through 16:17 the training and to talk into the staff 16:19 and talking with the different teachers, 16:21 they've really equipped me now to really 16:24 plan an evangelistic series be able to 16:26 preach better. I remember talking to Kevin Sears, 16:29 he gave me so much information, 16:31 so much tips on how to preach better, 16:34 to win souls for Christ. And through this ASI 16:36 youth for Jesus, I'm better equipped 16:39 to preach the Gospel and win many souls for Christ. 16:42 Amen. Now, you're going to be a senior 16:45 in high school this year and after that what 16:48 are your plans? My plans is I'm gonna 16:52 go to Southern Chattanooga, 16:55 Tennessee and I'm planning to major 16:58 in theology and minor in business. 17:02 So, you're going to, so winning souls is 17:06 going to be your profession. 17:09 By God's grace it is. Amen. 17:12 Now, we have Sherene Becca and Sherene, 17:15 tell us where are you from? 17:16 I am from Austin, Texas. And how did you hear 17:20 about ASI youth for Jesus? 17:22 Its a little interesting, its kind of a long story 17:24 but I'll make it short, I never heard of 17:28 ASI youth for Jesus until the end of May. 17:31 And this was kind of a little late 17:34 in the ball game, at the end of May 17:38 I heard about the program and basically 17:40 I just prayed and I said you know Lord, 17:41 if you want me to go you will find a way 17:43 for me to go. And I just want to 17:45 tell you that God is real, 17:46 because I'm a college student, 17:49 I go to Baylor University, 17:51 I'm a Freshman I just started last month 17:53 and I did the first summer session. 17:56 But that wasn't the plan, the plan was for me 17:58 to go for the whole entire month of July 18:01 and this had been set up from back in about April. 18:06 And in April everything was set and still, 18:09 so come May there was no way that 18:12 I was gonna be able to come out to this 18:13 program and I just said, you know what Lord, 18:15 if you want me to go you will find a way 18:17 and he found a way. And I have been 18:19 blessed as a result of that, 18:21 I just want to say that God is here in Louieville 18:24 and he is not leaving. Amen. I was seen 18:29 that in this program. Amen. now, you had a 18:35 goal that you wanted to accomplish while 18:37 you were here, for when you go back 18:39 to Baylor University and what was that? 18:42 Well, my goal is basically I want to 18:44 minister to all the students there, 18:48 you know like I said earlier God's here 18:50 in Louieville and he is not leaving. 18:51 I wanna take God back to Baylor and I don't want, 18:53 I don't wanna see him leave. 18:54 I want him to be there forever and I just 18:56 wanna use what I've learned here, 18:58 you know the classes that we've doing 19:00 that the youth for Jesus program 19:01 they have been so helpful. 19:02 I've learned more spiritually within myself 19:06 and I hope that as I go out to campus, 19:09 go out and stay on campus that I can just 19:11 reflect God in all ways that I know and I'm, 19:14 also the evangelistic stuff, 19:16 the door knocking, that helped me also 19:18 I had the pleasure of working with the NAPS 19:21 group and through that I've learned so much, 19:24 I'd never done door knocking in my life 19:26 and this program has just been so beneficial. 19:28 I wanna go back to Waco, 19:30 Texas and just serve God and bring glory 19:33 to his name, amen, I'm excited. 19:36 So, you have been equipped to go back to 19:37 public university campus to be a witness, 19:42 a powerful witness for him, yes. 19:43 Well we will be keeping you in our prayers, 19:44 thank you Sherene, thank you. 19:50 Now, this is Alicia Zimmerman and Alicia 19:55 tell me are you, have you been a 19:57 Seventh-day Adventist all your life? 19:59 I have been an Adventist all my life 20:01 and I'm actually a 5th generation Adventist. 20:05 Fifth generation Adventist, that's right, 20:07 so you know what being a Seventh-day Adventist 20:10 Christian is all about. Yes, I grew up believing 20:14 in everything that Adventist teach 20:16 and my parents taught me everything from 20:19 basically the time I was born. 20:22 And where were you born? I was born in Zambia, 20:24 Africa. So, you're a missionary kid, I was. 20:28 And so, your spiritual life was just perfect 20:31 and you were ready to be translated. 20:35 No, actually I felt like being a Christian was 20:40 just all about works, like all about doing 20:43 stuff and rules and everything and I didn't 20:46 have experience with God, with God for myself. 20:51 And how did you come to ASI Youth 20:53 for Jesus program? I actually came because 20:56 my mom wanted me too and I didn't really 20:58 wanna come in the first place, 21:00 but she convinced me to come and I'm so 21:02 glad that I came. Now, how did this change 21:06 your outlook on what Christianity 21:08 is all about? I realize that God is about love, 21:13 that God loves us and it's the devil that wants 21:17 to make us unhappy not God. 21:19 And how did that change your life? 21:22 Well, I really want to share God and I realize 21:25 too that like if we just keep things to 21:29 ourselves it's not gonna help us, 21:32 but if we share with others that's what 21:33 helps us more than anything. 21:35 As we bless others we are blessed more, 21:38 okay, great. And, now you made a decision 21:41 while you were here and what was decision? 21:43 I decided to be re-baptized and this last 21:46 Tuesday night I was re-baptized, amen. 21:52 Thank you Alicia. You know as we work 21:55 with this youth and we see them just change 22:01 their lives, just right in front of our eyes. 22:04 And we have had such wonderful staff 22:06 that have pleaded with God for each one 22:09 and it was just such a blessing because 22:12 you know we would see this young person 22:13 struggling and our staff would meet 22:16 and we would pray and we would plead with 22:18 God for that young person. 22:20 And the next day we would see a complete change, 22:23 you know we would see an improvement 22:24 in their attitudes, improvement in 22:26 their outlook, improvement in their 22:28 desire to, to grow in their 22:30 Christian experience. And this year we have 22:33 had twelve students; ASI students that have 22:36 either been baptized for the first time 22:38 or have been re-baptized. 22:42 Thank you so much, now the fourth 22:47 objective of our ASI Youth for Jesus 22:50 program is to make this so that it 22:52 can be duplicated, not just once a 22:55 year event at an ASI convention city. 22:59 But we encourage and teach the students 23:01 to take it back to their own churches, 23:03 their communities, their schools, 23:05 wherever they are and light a fire under 23:08 their churches and their schools and their 23:10 communities. And I want Olivia and Mary 23:13 Jo to come up right now, because these were two 23:16 of our students, first time students 23:19 last year at Dallas, ASI Youth for Jesus program. 23:23 Now, Olivia and Mary Jo, this is your second year? 23:26 Yes, and but last year you came to youth 23:31 for Jesus and what was the result, 23:35 what was the end result of your attending 23:38 youth for Jesus? Well, youth for Jesus, 23:40 we enjoyed all the classes, 23:42 all the inspiration from all the staff and 23:45 both of us felt called at youth for Jesus, 23:46 we felt like we couldn't just go home 23:48 and go back to how life used to be. 23:50 We felt like we knew, we learned so much 23:53 and we have such a passion that we couldn't 23:54 just go home and let that die, 23:57 we decided to go home and do something about it. 24:00 And Mary Jo, what was that? 24:02 Well, during one of the classes we had actually, 24:06 I think it was Pastor Shawn Boonstra I can't 24:07 remember for sure for, but he was saying 24:10 you know this is not hard to you guys 24:11 you can do it if you're a youth. 24:13 It doesn't really matter, 24:14 it just lot of work but you can do it 24:16 and that just planted a seed in my mind 24:18 and I started thinking well is that possible. 24:21 Can I really take it home and so we've 24:23 heard about it, you know we prayed 24:25 about it for a really long time and when 24:27 I got home I talked to my pastor and my parents 24:30 and everybody was all for it so. 24:32 We started organizing an evangelistic 24:35 series at home. So, you were sixteen 24:37 at the time and you were seventeen right. 24:40 So, when you got back and you approached 24:42 your church board and your church pastor 24:45 and you said we want to organize an 24:47 evangelistic meetings, what was that like? 24:51 My pastor and my whole church family actually 24:53 were supportive from the very beginning, 24:55 it was so awesome because my dad would 24:57 actually told me before he was like now 24:59 remember you are sixteen years old 25:01 and the pastor he may say. 25:03 Well, that's a lot of money I don't know 25:05 about it but we prayed about it and when 25:07 I went in before my pastor he was 25:09 like definitely, just tell me what you 25:11 need for me and I will help you 25:12 anyway I can so. I had so much 25:14 support from my entire church family. 25:17 Amen. So, now you've decided to duplicate 25:23 what you've learned at ASI Youth for Jesus 25:25 and take it to your home church and what was 25:28 your church like? Well, my church it was 25:31 really interesting because I hadn't even, 25:32 our church had a new pastor at the time 25:34 I hadn't even met him yet so. 25:36 The first time I meet him I come up to him, 25:38 and he said well I hear you had a busy summer 25:41 and I said yeah and he said well, 25:43 tell me what you wanted to do and so 25:45 I just laid it on i n front him and told him 25:48 what our goals were and he was right behind 25:51 me the whole way, he just said alright 25:53 take it and run with it. He helped a whole lot, 25:55 it was awesome. Praise the Lord for 25:57 supportive pastors, okay so now how 26:04 did this impact your church, 26:06 I mean you're just teenagers, so how did, 26:08 how did your meetings impact your church? 26:12 Well, I think that God, they used to little bit 26:14 more involeved I mean my friends came an helped us 26:16 out it was so cool to see how it just, 26:19 it pulled our church together, 26:20 really we are really a small church. 26:22 And if there is any youth out there that 26:23 are thinking well I can't do it, 26:25 I'm just a kid thatis way too 26:27 hard. Well, it is a lot of work but you 26:29 really can do it, it's possible. Amen. 26:33 And Olivia, how did this impact your church? 26:35 Well, my church had actually a couple years 26:37 before had gone through kind of a rough time 26:39 and we have a low membership but 26:42 it was built, starting to built backup. 26:43 But people were still kind of, 26:46 I don't know we weren't as united as we 26:47 should be and there was still a lot of issues 26:49 but it was on its way to recovery 26:51 and when we did the series of meetings, 26:53 we had church training for this Sabbaths before. 26:56 And the meetings were the best thing that's 26:58 never happened to our church, 27:00 it pulled our church together and everybody 27:03 worked together and I was explaining to Lisa, 27:05 I was like it was so cool because everybody 27:06 was so focused on God, so focused on trying 27:09 to win others to Jesus, 27:11 that they forgot to fight. 27:12 And we forgot to be worried about 27:13 others stuff, so it was a real 27:15 blessing and pulled our church together. 27:18 Amen. The youth are the church of today amen? 27:24 Amen, they're not the church of tomorrow 27:26 and they can win souls and even pull churches, 27:29 fighting churches together. 27:31 Thank you so much, you know we all 27:34 have work to do. Every single one of us, 27:41 whether you are 16, 17, 13 or 80 or 90 27:46 we all have work that we need to do 27:49 outside of our walls. Amen, amen, amen. 28:23 Within these walls we join our hearts 28:32 We come together to be set apart 28:40 But worshiping on Sabbath 28:44 Is just a way to hide. 28:48 If we can't face on Monday 28:52 The dying world outside. 28:58 Do the crying know we care? 29:02 Do the lonely find us there? 29:06 Are we so involved, 29:08 we do not hear them call. 29:14 Everywhere men are searching 29:19 They're wondering why they're hurting 29:23 Do they see the love of Jesus 29:27 at all outside these walls? 29:48 Within our hearts He planted a seed 29:56 A love that we can count on 30:00 for everything we need 30:04 But safe in our seclusion 30:09 How can we grow 30:12 When outside these walls 30:16 There are fields we need to sow 30:22 Tell me do the crying know we care? 30:27 Do the lonely find us there? 30:31 Are we so involved, 30:33 we do not hear them call? 30:39 Everywhere men are searching 30:43 They're wondering why they're hurting 30:47 Do they see the love of Jesus 30:51 at all outside these walls? 30:59 O Lord, through our lives 31:03 please let others see 31:07 Your love reflecting through us perfectly 31:14 Everywhere men are searching 31:19 They're wondering 31:20 why they're hurting 31:22 Do they see the love of Jesus 31:26 at all outside these walls? 31:35 Do they see the love of Jesus 31:41 at all outside these walls? 32:09 This is my privilege this evening to introduce 32:12 this speaker for the hour, 32:14 he needs no introduction to young people, 32:16 students and especially young professionals. 32:19 His name is Randy Skeete, 32:23 he is currently the Director or In-charge 32:26 of Campus evangelism, he is our evangelism 32:29 Director for Secular University Students. 32:33 Prior to working as full time evangelist 32:35 for Secular University students, 32:38 Randy Skeete served as a Director for Academic 32:42 enrichment for the University of Michigan 32:44 Medical School. He has lead and 32:47 guided many medical students through 32:49 the program, and six years ago the Lord 32:53 convicted him to dedicate the entire 32:57 reminder of his life to the service of the Lord. 33:00 Waking us an evangelist, evangelizing secular 33:03 universities and having a special 33:06 heart for Africa. Randy Skeete is a 33:09 studious Bible student. He has literally 33:12 memorized a substantial section of the Bible. 33:16 One thing I appreciate most from him is he 33:19 brings a life of excellence, 33:22 doctrinal clarity and a sense of urgency 33:26 to the task of evangelism. 33:30 He is gonna be our speaker tonight, 33:33 pray for him as he speaks to us. Amen. 33:43 Good evening everyone, may the Lord bless us as 33:46 we study His word tonight whether 33:47 we are here or watching by television, 33:50 let us pray because time is moving quickly. 33:53 Our Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus 33:54 we come to you, I ask today God to 33:56 bless me quickly, speak through me, 34:00 take control of my mind and enlightened 34:02 the understanding of your sons and daughters 34:03 who have come. I offer this pray 34:05 from my heart, in Jesus name, amen, amen. 34:09 In your bulletins the sermon is entitled, 34:11 Right But Not Righteous Under The Force 34:13 of A Conviction, I have had to change 34:15 that the titled is now "Tell God Tell Him Now." 34:19 In John 17 verses 3 and 4 I won't wait for you to 34:22 find it because that will eat up my time. 34:24 The Bible says, And this is life eternal, 34:27 that they might know thee the only true God, 34:29 and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 34:31 Now, verse 4, listen carefully: 34:33 I have glorified thee on the earth: 34:36 I have finished the work which 34:38 thou gavest me to do. Now what was this 34:41 work that Jesus Christ declares very confidently 34:45 to whom have finished? I have finished 34:48 the work which thou gavest me to do. 34:51 Before answering that question let me tell us 34:54 what the work was not. Now, in 1st John 5:19 34:59 the beloved disciple of Christ John 35:01 writes these words: And we know that 35:03 we are of God, and the whole world 35:06 lieth in wickedness. These was written 35:09 2000 years ago, the same author 35:12 John in the book of Revelation chapter 35:14 13 verse 8 he writes: And all that dwell 35:17 upon the earth shall worship him, 35:19 whose names are not written in the book of 35:20 the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 35:23 Seeing things as they would be 35:25 in the end of time, a revelation given 35:28 to John by Christ, John sees that most 35:32 of the world would worship the beast. 35:35 In Revelation 13 verse 3 John writes: 35:38 And I saw one of his heads as it were 35:40 wounded to death; and his deadly wound 35:42 was healed: and all of the world 35:44 wondered after the beast. 35:46 When you read all the world, 35:48 you must include except a few of them, 35:51 what I am saying is this. 35:52 It was clear in the days of John, 35:55 as it was in the days of Noah that most 35:58 of the world was wicked, as it was in the days of 36:01 Noah so shall it be in the days of the 36:04 coming of the son of man, 36:05 most of the world is wicked. Ellen White writes 36:09 in Christ Triumphant page 36 and paragraph 5: 36:13 The great majority of the earth's inhabitants 36:17 are in the kingdom of Satan. 36:21 She wrote that about 1903, now it says the 36:23 Bible teaches the world is getting worse, 36:26 we know the situation must be worse now 36:29 overwhelmingly I say the great majority of 36:33 the inhabitants of the earth are in the 36:36 kingdom of God. She writes in Gospel Workers 36:39 page 26, paragraph 2: The great majority of 36:43 earth's inhabitants have given their allegiance 36:45 to the enemy. That is what we are up against 36:48 as a church. So it is clear that in the end 36:51 time most people will not be save Jesus Christ 36:56 laments the condition in the last days when 36:59 He says in Luke 18:8: Nevertheless, when the 37:02 son of man cometh, shall he find faith on 37:05 the earth? And the obvious answer is no, 37:08 there will be little faith found on the earth 37:11 when Jesus Christ comes back. 37:13 Now, if this is the case and it is, any 37:18 organization who makes as his mission baptizing 37:23 the whole world is planning for failure, 37:25 are you listening to me? If our goal as a church 37:32 is to baptize the whole world, we are planning 37:36 for expensive failure. Now, don't 37:39 misunderstand me, evangelism is an 37:42 expression of a converted heart, 37:44 because one of the evidences of a converted 37:46 man or woman is a burden for souls do 37:50 you understand that. But the Bible is still clear 37:53 when Jesus comes back shall he find faith on 37:57 the earth and the answer is no in the 37:59 sense that he will find very little faith when 38:02 the flood came and destroyed the world, 38:04 8 people went into the Ark. 38:06 When the fires came to destroy Sodom, 38:07 Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Bella, 38:10 three people came out of Sodom and 38:12 only one is described as righteous. 38:19 Are you following me? Amen, our subject is 38:22 tell God, tell him now let's go back to John 7 38:25 and 4, the mission of Jesus Christ was not to 38:28 convert the whole world. It never was, it never 38:33 will be and the mission of the church cannot be 38:36 different from the mission of Christ. 38:39 Because Christ said in John 17 verse 18: 38:43 As thou hast sent me into the world, 38:45 even so have I also sent them into the world. 38:48 He says similar words in John 20 verse 21: 38:51 As the Father has sent me, so send I you. 38:54 Nor the manner of coming but the mission 38:57 for which he came, and the mission for Christ 39:00 is the mission for the church that is why when 39:03 Jesus said: I have glorified thee on the earth: 39:06 I have finished the work which thou gavest 39:08 me to do. Jesus was saying the mission 39:11 I came to fulfill I have fulfilled, which was the 39:15 glorification of God. Now, what is that, 39:20 what did that Jesus mean when He said I have 39:22 glorified thee on the earth, what is glory? 39:26 Ellen White writes in God's Amazing Grace 39:30 page 322 and paragraph 2, God's glory is his 39:34 character, somebody say amen? Amen, 39:37 God's glory is his character, she writes 39:40 in the same book, God's Amazing Grace page 322 39:43 and paragraph 3: This character was revealed 39:47 in the life of Christ, then she writes, same book 39:52 God's Amazing Grace same page 322 and paragraph 4: 39:57 Christ desires his followers to reveal 40:00 in their lives this same character, amen. 40:05 Now, let me introduce you an expression with 40:08 which we are familiar, The Great Controversy, 40:12 everything that Jesus did. He did within a 40:17 context of The Great Controversy; 40:20 His mission was a part of His Father's plan to win 40:24 The Great Controversy. The church which Christ 40:27 has authorized to carry on his work must conduct 40:31 it's business in the light of The Great Controversy 40:35 and what is The Great Controversy? 40:37 It is that battle that began when Lucifer 40:39 made unfair charges against God's character 40:42 and against God's law we do not have the 40:44 transcript of his speech forbidden, 40:47 but by reasoning from scripture to scripture 40:49 we can conclude that if the devil succeeding 40:53 and getting one third of perfect angels to 40:55 follow him into his kingdom. He must 40:57 have said something false about God's kingdom, 41:00 are you with me? Yeah, Bible study requires 41:04 reasoning, if Satan succeeded in getting 41:09 perfect angels to accept his worship then 41:13 he must have convinced them to express doubt 41:16 in God's word. Somehow the devil cast aspersions 41:21 on the character of God and to impune the 41:24 character of God is to impune God's law. 41:28 Because the law of God is an expression of the 41:30 character of God when we pray the Lord's pray, 41:33 thy will be down on earth as it is in heaven, 41:35 what it means that the way God is obeyed in 41:38 heaven he must be obeyed on earth. 41:40 If that is the case and the Ten Commandments 41:42 are the whole duty of man than the duty of 41:45 man is no different from the duty of angels, 41:47 which is perfect obedience to God, amen. 41:51 That amen was weak, say it again. Amen. 41:56 Perfect obedience to God's word, to God's law, 41:59 Satan convinced some angels and he convinces 42:05 us that God's law cannot be kept, 42:09 God's law is unfair, God's law represents 42:12 a standard that is so Himalayan no one can 42:15 reach it. Here comes Jesus to demonstrate 42:22 in his life don't sleep, don't talk to people 42:26 next to you, here comes Christ to demonstrate 42:31 in his life and through his life that Satan's 42:35 charge was false, wrong, no foundation in fact. 42:42 And at the end of his life he is moving toward 42:45 the cross, he is hours away from the cross 42:48 and Jesus says in John 7 and 4, I have glorified 42:52 thee on the earth, glory is character this was 42:56 what God demonstrated to Moses in Exodus 34 42:59 verse 6: And the Lord passed by before him 43:02 and declared, "The Lord, the Lord, merciful 43:04 and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in truth. 43:09 He showed Moses his character and Jesus 43:13 Christ said in my life I have glorified you, 43:18 I have reflected your character but as we 43:23 continue with tell God tell him now. 43:26 And I have ten minutes and five seconds to go, 43:30 Jesus is only one man, listen to me carefully. 43:35 Christ was one man on this earth, so in Christ 43:40 in his life proclaimed the fairness of God's law 43:43 and the beauty of God's character. 43:45 The devil said but you are just one witness 43:47 for the glory of God. Now in the jury system, 43:51 any claim had to be establish in the mouth 43:54 of how many witnesses at least, 2. 43:58 So, here is Jesus and he says in my life 44:02 I have glorified God, I have reflected 44:05 his character, Satan you were wrong my Father 44:07 is just and righteous his law can be kept. 44:10 The devil said but you are one man and you 44:14 inspired mortals to right, in Deuteronomy 19:15: 44:17 One man shall not rise up, one witness shall not 44:20 rise up against a man for any iniquity, 44:23 in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth 44:26 of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three, 44:28 shall the matter be established. 44:30 Satan says, Jesus you need one more witness, 44:36 your testimony by itself cannot stand. 44:41 Jesus needs another witness to the glory of 44:45 the character of God, Jesus needs another 44:48 witness to stand with him that the universe might 44:51 know forever that God is good, how many, 44:55 much of the time? All the time, now who will that 45:00 second witness be the church, the church. 45:07 This is the mission of the church, to rise up 45:12 and reflect in our lives, the character 45:15 Jesus tried to reflected in his that Satan's 45:18 mouth maybe stopped, amen. Not every knee 45:23 bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ 45:26 is the Lord but as long as the testimony of 45:29 Jesus hangs by itself. The controversy cannot 45:34 come to an end, God needs another witness, 45:37 for in the mouth of two or three God just needs 45:41 one more and that's you and that's me that is 45:44 the church, amen. Now, my Seventh-day tell 45:47 God tell him now, we need to understand 45:51 that as a church. The reason Christ has not 45:55 come is not because Muslims are not getting 45:56 baptized. I say that with respect, 46:00 Christ has not come not because Jews not 46:03 accepting Adventism, not because the Buddhist 46:05 are not accepting, or the Hindus or the followers 46:08 of Hinduism or Taoism or Jainism. 46:11 Christ has not yet come because of his people, 46:14 amen. When he came the first time the world 46:18 was not ready because his people have not 46:21 prepared the world. Now, so while we're planning 46:26 all kinds of expensive strategies to reach the 46:29 post modern mind and pre-modern mind 46:34 and the Jurassic Park mind someone needs to 46:38 tell God how do I reach the Adventist mind. 46:42 To led them understand the responsibility is 46:45 theirs to bring me back. Amen. 46:49 By representing in their lives my character, 46:53 this is the mission of the church. 46:55 Now, evangelism is an expression of that mission. 47:00 But it is not the end all and the be all, 47:03 let me tell you something with respect. 47:07 If every person on earth became a Seventh-day 47:10 Adventist today and Christ came tomorrow, 47:15 most of the world would still be lost, amen. 47:22 Now, that should effect our evangelism. 47:25 Jesus can save everyone I am not undermining 47:29 evangelism, I am saying evangelism must replace 47:33 in it's proper context and the context is the 47:35 Great Controversy between Christ and Satan 47:38 and the last piece missing is the reflection 47:42 of Christ in his people, amen. 47:46 And so in Christ Object Lessons page 69 47:49 and paragraph 1, our servant, our messenger, 47:52 our prophetess Ellen White, come on give 47:54 Ellen White an amen. We live in a day when 47:58 she gets no respect, don't join that bandwagon. 48:01 She writes, Christ is waiting with longing 48:04 desired for a manifestation of 48:06 himself and his people when the character of 48:08 Christ shall be perfectly reflected or represented 48:11 in them, then he will come not when every 48:14 Muslim has been baptized, amen. 48:18 I am talking about prospective, 48:21 the prospective, the context of evangelism 48:24 must be the Great Controversy. 48:27 God's name has some mud on it. 48:29 Jesus whipped off course some, it is up 48:34 to us to whip off the rest. By committing 48:39 ourselves to living a Christ like life but if 48:44 we don't believe that victory over sin 48:46 is possible, now some of us don't. 48:49 We can never contribute to the Great Controversy 48:52 on God's side, alright, amen. If we don't know 48:56 whether Christ had a human nature or not, 48:57 if we don't know whether the atonement finished 48:59 at the cross or not if we don't know these things 49:02 how can the character of God be revealed in us. 49:04 Because God's character is associated with truth, 49:08 amen that's right. God according to Rome is 2:24, 49:17 the name of God is blasphemed among 49:19 the Gentiles because of whom you, 49:22 God's people. No unbeliever can does 49:26 got a bad name because he does not claim 49:28 to have a relationship with God, those of us 49:31 who make that claim we give God a bad name. 49:34 And so to take the honors of ourselves, 49:39 we try to make others perfect. 49:43 So we wanna baptize every Muslim, 49:45 wanna baptize every Hindu, wanna baptize 49:49 every person who is not Adventism. 49:52 You know we have sociologists in our church, 49:55 we have biostatisticians, we have everyone 49:57 who can develop instruments to measure 50:00 the benefits of drinking soy milk and the 50:03 benefits of eating almonds and the benefits 50:05 of riding a bicycle and swimming. 50:07 We need someone to develop an instrument 50:09 to determine who is converted into church, 50:11 amen. The results maybe embarrassing 50:15 yes they are thirteen million members 50:17 I understand that, but how many are converted, 50:20 amen. Three minutes and eight seconds, 50:27 my brothers and my sisters, we need to 50:32 understand that God's problem is not the Buddhist. 50:39 His problem is not the Muslim, he knows 50:44 how to reach them when his people are already 50:46 to receive them. Jesus said in Matthew 23 and 50:50 verse 15: Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, 50:52 hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land 50:55 to make one proselyte, and when he is come 50:57 you make him twice to tried of hell as yourselves. 51:00 God knows that if many people came to this church 51:03 we would make them like we are, because 51:05 organizations produce after their kind. 51:11 And so God is waiting there are thousands that 51:14 God is holding back and no evangelistic expert 51:17 can win them if God is holding them back, amen. 51:20 You wanna see evangelistic success, 51:22 lets get our lives right with Christ, amen. 51:28 God knows how to convert people, 51:30 there is nothing to stop God from giving the 51:33 vision to some tribe lead into the jungle 51:35 somewhere and telling him look there is the 51:36 Sabbath, keep it. Can we stop God for doing that? 51:40 No, God used an Ass to talk to Balaam, amen. 51:44 But no one can tell God how to reach Adventism, 51:48 my subject is tell God, tell him now how do 51:52 I reach my church, amen. Listen to me, 51:59 not because it's just me but I'm coming from 52:01 the word of God. God needs a people in these 52:06 last days in whose life? His character is 52:12 perfectly reflected, amen. Not 99 percent, 52:17 God does not lower his standards to incorporate 52:19 our creative recommendations, 52:24 are you understanding me? Yeah, tell God, 52:27 tell him now, tell him what how do I awake 52:30 my church up and get them to understand 52:33 that I am waiting for them, not the Buddhists. 52:40 God's program has always held up frustrated 52:43 and delayed, retarded by his people. 52:45 My brothers, my sisters you and I must make 52:47 individual commitments to not tonight by the 52:50 grace of God, I offer myself to God that in 52:53 my life the character of God maybe seen. |
Revised 2014-12-17