Participants: James Gilley
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000871
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01:00 I am gonna do something that's gonna make
01:02 my producers very nervous and so I'll 01:05 be just be out from with it you see I have 01:06 another mike in my hand and I grabbed her she was 01:10 leaving because I wanna do something special and not 01:12 only will it make the producers nervous, but it 01:15 could intimidate lot of folks what I'm about to do, 01:18 but I want this person. We have not talked, this is not 01:20 planned. Brother Redge De Swardt, why don't you 01:23 come up and say hello to folks and give us a little 01:25 testimony and Redge is my buddy and he is a guy 01:30 in ministry that loves the Lord and I just want the 01:32 folks don't know you around the world to get to know 01:35 you and hopefully they can, I'm on mike number 10. 01:38 How you doing my friend? Fine. Can we hug? 01:40 Yeah. Alright, 01:42 Well, How you doing? 01:43 Well, I'm doing alright now. 01:44 This is the first time you hug me, so you should beat 01:46 me in the game of basketball. 01:47 Oh! Well, Yeh! I like this guy is a nice guy, 01:50 since you let me you mean. Alright. 01:54 Tell us a little bit about, you know, 01:55 who are here from around here, right. 01:57 Yes, I am, I live in Duncanville, 01:58 which is just south of Dallas. 02:00 Alright. Now what did you do after you got the 02:01 high school, you went to college and what did 02:03 you do for living for a while? 02:05 Well, I played NFL for five seasons. 02:07 NFL for five seasons. What teams did you play for? 02:09 I started I was the first round draft pick up the 02:11 New England Patriots and then my last two years 02:14 I played with the Washington Redskins. 02:15 He looks like he is a football 02:17 player don't he. Alright. 02:18 First-round draft pick. Correct. 02:21 Alright. So you had things going for you, 02:23 things were going great and you have probably made 02:25 an pretty good money. 02:26 Real good money. 02:27 More and better, better then minimum wage right. 02:29 More than I can make it now, right. 02:31 Yeah, more or so, so you are making money wasn't a problem, 02:35 you probably could buy, you know, nice suits 02:37 and fur coats for Lashanda or whatever. 02:39 Anything I wanted. Anything you wanted, 02:41 you can do that. Then something happen, you 02:44 quit in the peak of your career that doesn't make 02:46 sense to the world. Well, God first of all he 02:49 gave me a lovely wife Lasanda. 02:51 Yeah. As she around here. I would have got her up to. 02:53 Well, my daughter is on a program at another church 02:56 so, okay, they on their way. Sure they maybe here. 02:58 But you know, you guys don't let folk 02:59 in once they come late. 03:00 Yeah, I know they didn't let me in earlier so. 03:03 You, well, Lord bless her and she began the study 03:07 with Seventh-Day Adventist and they showed her 03:09 Jesus Christ, showed her the Sabbath and she in turn 03:12 showed it to me. Yeah, I mean but that's 03:15 incredible, you know, a lot of people accept the Sabbath, 03:18 but when you're in your position you've got your fame 03:20 and your fortune and all those things, it's happening. 03:23 What was it that was, where you open all along 03:26 did you have, what is does it captured you 03:28 blind sighted, I mean, where you are studying. 03:30 What did you expect from blind sighted, but I tell 03:33 everyone the key was that my wife which was, 03:36 she wasn't, she didn't grew up the Seventh-Day Adventist. 03:39 She grow up in the Baptist church and she always go to, 03:42 always went to church. But what showed me the 03:44 most was when she began to live her life and she began 03:47 to be a true witness for Jesus. 03:49 Oh! Okay. So, she accepted the Christ and then she 03:52 joined this Seventh Day Adventist Church. 03:54 That's correct. And then did she 03:56 nag you all the time and say Redge, you know, 03:58 most football games are when, weekends, right. 04:00 They are on the Sabbath, but you know, 04:02 she didn't, she told me she wouldn't be able to support 04:04 the game. She wouldn't go to the games, 04:06 but she loves me and she supported me 04:08 and at the same time she still live her life 04:11 before Jesus. So, when she first did, 04:13 I mean one of the things, she probably enjoyed the 04:15 most is your wife watching you on these great games. 04:18 Well, and all of a sudden she says 04:19 no that doesn't bother your pride a little bit. 04:21 Well, it does Buddy, but I saw a whole demeanor, 04:25 her dress changed, everything changed. 04:28 Alright. Some of the things we used to 04:30 do she no longer could do with me. 04:31 Yeah. And let's tell the whole 04:33 world my business, but. But God knows and so 04:38 she changed in and she was able to be 04:40 a true witness for Jesus. Yeah, well I appreciate 04:43 you so much in what you're doing though, so you accepted 04:46 the call to, to now what were you prepared to do. 04:50 When you quit NFL, I mean you planned on doing 04:53 that when you retire and, Correct. 04:55 And then whatever, but all of a sudden, 04:56 it's a great change. What did you do I mean. 04:58 Well as a key edge, I thank you can play football, 05:00 because being in NFL was a lifetime goal, lifetime dream 05:04 that I've had, I was at the highest level of my 05:07 profession and it was at the time, 05:09 when I was playing in a NFC Championship Game, 05:11 where God really convicted me on the Sabbath 05:14 that I should be playing football and so 05:16 when I retire, I was ensure what I was gonna do. 05:20 But, somehow, how old was you, you're talking about retiring, 05:23 I was 26 years old 26, he retired at 26. 05:25 So, I was fairly young and I had a lot of 05:27 Fairly young. Okay. I thought I had football, good football 05:28 lift in me because some things I want to accomplish. 05:31 Well, of course you could have several good years, 05:33 but you, you heard the call of the Lord you quit, 05:36 now you hadn't planned on retiring so early, 05:38 so what did you decide to do? I mean you didn't have 05:41 enough money you make good money, but not last 05:43 you forever. No, I did save some money, 05:45 but God when open up the door, I had youth ministry 05:48 and I decided to share my experiences and talk to the 05:51 young people about my experience and about the 05:53 Lord and the first thing I've to do, I've to go 05:55 back to school. Because I thought, I'm gonna play 05:57 football forever and so I did, I trained at 05:59 Southern Methodist University in 06:01 Dallas, so I was able to go back and get my 06:02 undergraduate degree and began to witness in, 06:06 I've a youth ministry, where I'm all over the country 06:09 speaking to the young people and what blessed me the most 06:12 was when I got on to 3ABN and we talked about my testimony 06:15 and my ministry really just took off and I've been to 06:19 places, where really tell the truth I've never been 06:21 before. I went to Montana and some places I've been, 06:24 you know, I didn't see any black people in those areas. 06:28 And so, I'm thinking anyone was there. 06:30 If you remember one of your first trips to 06:33 West Frankfort, you and I were together and they are 06:36 not used to say black people, right. 06:37 You have to tell us that story, I'll let that go. 06:38 No, I don't want to tell that story, but we stood toe 06:42 to toe with them anyway. Yes, we did. 06:43 Yes, sir they left to alone after while. 06:45 Amen. Amen. God is good. Yeah. 06:47 Good is good. Yes, surely he is. 06:49 Well, you know, what I love you guys and I love what you 06:52 do and course they do team pathways on 3ABN, 06:54 but the ministry that you're in is so incredible 06:57 because you're looking out for the youth. 06:59 You of all people know that the world has so much to 07:03 offer these young talented kids growing up in church 07:08 that the devil wants them. That's correct. 07:09 And what better do they look up, they don't look 07:11 up to me and they say what's your background, I am a 07:14 carpenter or so what. But you know young kids, you're 07:17 in NFL football player at the peak of your game and 07:20 I mean it's about as high as you can go, right and 07:23 these people disgrabs their attention. Why would 07:26 somebody like you with all of the things that they 07:29 dream for someday give it up. 07:31 And I'll tell you the truth. That's the first 07:32 thing, when I play football I didn't want to talk, 07:34 I used to go places and I wouldn't tell everyone 07:36 else NFL player they want me to sign 07:38 autographs, but now I uses as witnesses into 07:40 That's right. and they want to hear 07:42 and the kids really won't you tell them you are an NFL 07:44 football player, you get the attention and little 07:47 do they know, I'm giving them Jesus. I'll talk about 07:50 Football, but the most important thing I could 07:52 do was change my life and gave 07:53 my life to Jesus Christ. Amen. 07:55 One time, One time, I was flying on a Aeroplane 07:57 and this guy that was said, it was nearly full plane there 08:01 was one seat beside me and I was happy to have that 08:04 from California empty, and so when they shut 08:07 the door somebody came into last minute 08:09 and the Steward has moved that person, so the guy 08:12 who sit across to me ended up sitting right beside me 08:15 and I had already hide him over. He was black guy, 08:18 he had long hair, he had necklaces and jewelry 08:21 allover and I said he is a rock singer. I can tell, 08:23 he is a rock singer, so he came and sit by me so we 08:27 are flying little bit and I said what kind of 08:28 work you in. He go I'm with the Colts and I said, Oh! 08:31 that's a rock band you know, no I'm thinking 08:35 football, I think I know people, I've traveled 08:37 around the world I see everybody I'm not that 08:40 bad of judging character, this guy is a rock singer. 08:42 I can tell by looking at him. He said I am 08:44 the Colts, I say, Oh! Rock band he says no the 08:47 Indiana Colts Football Team. He was a football player, 08:51 but after we would travel then he asked me what 08:54 I did. Well, what do you do? I said, well I'm 08:56 in television, how did you get into that. I said, 09:00 well, it's a long story, he said well, we got about 09:01 four hours to go, no place to go, but during the course 09:06 of our conversation and he was running back and 09:09 had just was moving from Canada to Indiana and 09:12 I was able to lead him to Christ, Amen 09:15 he had been raised to Christian. 09:16 Amen. Had left turned away 09:19 from God, That's right. 09:20 But before the flight was over I don't know what the 09:24 rest the folks talk he and I held hands 09:26 and we prayed Amen. 09:28 And we prayed together and he asked Jesus into his life 09:30 and that was so rewarding to me to have that opportunity. 09:33 God is good, God is good. Amen. 09:34 Alright, Redge thank you so much and thanks for being 09:36 a minute man, minute person who just come it out I know 09:39 you wouldn't mind it. Oh! That's no problem. 09:41 Alright closing thought for any of the folks at home may 09:43 be watching television today, is closing thought 09:45 for those maybe they are discouraged, maybe they 09:47 not sure what God has restore for them. 09:50 Well, I like to say just keep your eyes on Jesus 09:51 and my focus is on young people and what we 09:53 need to do, we need to continue and encourage them, 09:55 tell them positive things and tell them you may go 09:57 through struggles, but keep your eyes on Jesus, but he 10:00 will never leave you nor forsake you. Amen 10:02 Amen, thank you so much. God bless you. 10:12 It's my privilege now to introduce to our world 10:15 church those watching around the world, but 10:18 of course no stranger to all of you here senior 10:20 pastor Dallas Seventh Adventist First Church 10:23 pastor Jim Gilley for that great testimony. 10:29 Oh! That's a great testimony, Alright, and let me tell you 10:31 I remember when Redge was playing football 10:33 and you know the Redskins are not number 10:36 1 team in this area. I think 10:40 I wonder who would be here in Dallas, I can't. 10:42 In fact when I left this area I went to 10:44 Washington DC, the people their were saying 10:49 Oh! You gonna be a Redskin fan. 10:51 I said I'm so excited I can now watch 10:54 my second favorite team and they said now, 10:57 who would that be and said anybody play 11:00 in the Redskins. Alright. But we were so thankful 11:05 when Redge retired so that the Gospel did 11:10 a great thing he cleaned out a great runner 11:12 back from the Redskins you know. Alright 11:15 and thank you pastor. 11:16 It's so good to be with you and I had seen 11:18 Redge here and I have heard him testified 11:20 before and I'm glad you brought him up 11:23 Danny because he kept me from having to do 11:26 that. We appreciate you you come in every week. 11:30 This is a good place to come. 11:31 I know you are preaching everywhere 11:33 and when you are not out preaching 11:35 you're welcome right here at Dallas first church 11:37 and all of you are welcome here. 11:40 You know, you don't have to just come 11:41 on special days, every week is a special day 11:44 here, Amen, the Lord, the Lord blesses week after week 11:49 and you know I tell you there is several 11:53 people here in red suits today, 11:55 I felt like I should have worn a red suit. 11:59 And I almost wore my yellow sport coat 12:03 a few weeks ago. 12:05 I told the members that my wife taught me out 12:06 of it and she has desecration 12:11 and sometimes that's important to have. 12:15 We just so thankful that all of you are here 12:17 and we just pray that the Lord will lead us 12:20 as we continue this service, so we bow our 12:22 heads for an early morning prayer. 12:23 Father of heaven for your spirit we pray, 12:28 for your guidance in your word Lord, 12:33 we depend, we just pray that you will 12:36 speak to our hearts in Jesus name. Amen. 12:40 Amen. I can just see the scene 12:42 I wish I had been there. 12:44 In fact I have a theological belief, 12:49 I have a feeling that during the millennium 12:54 that we will be able to call up any scene 12:56 that we want to see that has happened 12:59 in the history of the world. 13:01 I really believe that, I believe that is 13:03 gonna happen to us. See the Lord is just so 13:05 far ahead of us with technology that 13:08 what he can do we have no idea, 13:12 we just see a little bit of grass today 13:14 right now for the first time, 13:15 we are up streaming our service 13:18 right out of this little church 13:21 of course on 3ABN, but in addition to that 13:24 on dallasfirstchurch.org 13:27 and we are gonna be doing it 13:28 everyday, there is gonna be messages 13:32 on all the time, you can go on and click 13:34 and watch a message from this church 13:36 anytime 24 hours a day anywhere 13:40 around the world. Now, if man can do 13:42 that, what can God do? Amen. 13:47 Now, I do believe that those of us that are 13:50 covered with the blood, there are lot of scenes 13:54 we don't want to pull it up, right. 13:56 A lot of things that we want to forget. 13:58 God says those have been just done away 14:01 with dropped out, nobody ever, 14:03 you go to that scene that will be blank 14:07 it's covered by the blood. 14:09 But the good scenes, these things like 14:11 Christ teaching and preaching, 14:13 I think we will be able to see every sermon 14:16 that he ever preached on this earth 14:18 I believe that, you know, I have also wondered 14:20 Lord to wish I have lived at that time. 14:23 Wish I could have seen you, 14:25 then sometimes I thought you know it's so 14:27 much better to live now probably if I had 14:29 to live at that time, I might not even accepted 14:32 Christ, at that particular time. 14:34 It was a great difficulty for those 14:36 people that accepted him when he was here 14:39 on this earth, it's actually easier to 14:42 accept him now, years later 14:44 when we have seen all of the history transpire, 14:47 it's easier to accept him then it was 14:51 to accept him if you were 14:52 right there at that time. 14:56 But here he was preaching 14:59 on the sea of the Galilee. 15:01 Early in the morning, the fisherman 15:03 have been out fishing all night, but nobody 15:05 had caught anything you remember the story 15:07 it's found in Luke the fifth Chapter and they 15:11 had been out there fishing all night long. 15:14 They had caught nothing. 15:16 Jesus Christ is preaching 15:18 and as he is preaching things are happening. 15:23 You know when Lord talked all of a 15:26 sudden hearts were touched. 15:28 I would imagine that they were people man 15:30 for instance who had not been down to the temple 15:33 in years, who had not been down for the pass 15:35 over services they had given up on all kinds of 15:38 religion, but when Jesus spoke, he spoke 15:41 right to their hearts and suddenly 15:44 they are moved and they know what they 15:46 have to do, that they have to make a decision 15:49 to follow him that he is their savior, 15:53 there are women there. 15:55 Women who have lived lives of shame, 15:58 they are ashamed to be anywhere, 16:00 ashamed to go to the synagogue, 16:03 ashamed to go to the temple, 16:06 right all of a sudden they realize as 16:08 Jesus is speaking to them and speaking to 16:10 their hearts, they realized 16:12 there is forgiveness, there is restoration. 16:16 the Christ takes away all the shame 16:20 from our lives and those women standing 16:23 there with tears streaming down their 16:25 chicks and even some of those with hard faced 16:28 fisherman find that there is a tear 16:30 dropping off into the sand here and there. 16:33 And than Jesus turns to his to some people 16:36 who are standing there fisherman. These are 16:37 men, he is coming contact with before, but he 16:40 says to them cast out I wanna preach in your 16:42 boat for a while and he incept his message 16:45 in the boat, and then he turns to those men. 16:51 And he says cast your nets into the water. 16:57 That's, wait a minute Lord. 16:59 You are a carpenter. You don't know nothing 17:02 in the world about fishing 17:03 this is what we do for our living. 17:05 This is not a hobby with us. 17:08 These is our livelihood. 17:10 If you go over that today you will find 17:12 fishermen's still fishing in boats 17:14 very similar to the boats 17:17 that those fishermen were using, using that 17:21 very similar to the nets that they used 17:25 and if you ever watch them, 17:26 they stretch out those nets to dry them, 17:29 it's not a simple process, it takes 17:31 a while to do it and they keep them 17:33 from getting all tangled up with each other 17:36 and it's not an easy job 17:39 and all of a sudden Jesus is saying throw 17:41 them out there. There is no fish out here. 17:43 This is shallow water, this is clear water 17:46 the sea of Galilee has very clear water 17:49 and when fishermen go out to fish they usually 17:51 fish at night because fish are not gonna 17:53 swim into a net if they can avoid it. 17:59 And yet Peter says, he says when Jesus said 18:04 launch out into the deep, let down your nets 18:06 for a catch. Peter answered him 18:09 said master we toiled all night, 18:12 and caught nothing. In other words, 18:14 we have been at the best spots 18:15 of all over this sea of Galilee. 18:18 It's not very big only about 30 miles wide 18:22 and about 8-10 miles, a 30 miles 18:25 long about 8-10 miles wide. 18:27 He said we have been all over this. 18:31 We have not found any fish 18:33 and you are telling us to cast out right here. 18:37 We will be fools in front of all 18:38 these people. These are other fishermen 18:42 they know this is ridiculous. 18:45 But he says nevertheless at your word, 18:50 I will let down the net and he does. 18:55 And that net is so full, 18:57 it's about to break it's like fishes 18:58 jumping into the boat and Peter is so moved 19:01 by this, he falls down in front of Jesus 19:05 and he says the depart me my 19:06 Lord, for I am a sinful man 19:11 and he was not kidding he was a sinful man. 19:15 And when he saw this, he realized he was 19:18 seeing the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. 19:21 He was seeing the power of the creator. 19:23 He was seeing the power of the one who made 19:26 the fish and all of a sudden he was 19:30 overwhelmed by it. And you remember 19:34 that when they got to shore 19:38 the Bible says that Jesus said to them 19:41 follow me and I will make you fishers of man. 19:45 And the Bible says they walked off 19:48 and left everything. Peter, Andrew, James 19:51 and John incorporated towards shutdown 19:55 and they walked off and followed Jesus 20:00 and became fishers of man. 20:03 That sometimes people say well these were, 20:06 these were poor fishermen, 20:07 yet they were uneducated fishermen, 20:09 Yes. And you know the God does not call 20:13 the educated, not always sometimes 20:17 he does, but usually he does not, 20:20 if you go back to first Corinthians 20:22 you read what Paul said, 20:23 Paul by the way was a well educated man. 20:26 He was an exception to the rule, 20:29 but if you go back here and you look at first 20:31 Corinthians, you look at the first 20:33 chapter verse 18 for the message 20:35 of the cross is foolishness 20:36 to those who are perishing, but to us 20:39 who are being saved it is the power of God, 20:42 for it is written. I will destroy 20:44 the wisdom of the wise and this comes 20:46 out of Isaiah. The 29th chapter verse 14 20:49 it says, I will destroy the wisdom 20:51 of the wise and bring to nothing, 20:53 the understanding of the prudent 20:56 And then Paul continues he says, 20:59 where is the wise, where is described, 21:03 where is the disputer of this age 21:05 Has not God made foolish 21:08 the wisdom of this world 21:12 and then going down to verse 26, 21:15 he says for you see you're calling brethren 21:19 that not many wise. 21:22 According to the flesh, not many mighty, 21:26 not many noble are called. 21:30 You see God says I don't reach very many 21:36 of the mighty you see the reason 21:38 that Redge story is unusual, is there are 21:42 very, very few professional football 21:45 players that have walked away from a career 21:48 at their prime for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 21:53 Very few and even fewer that have walked 21:56 away and become a part of his 21:57 remnant Church. There are not many 22:01 at all that have done that. 22:03 Not many mighty as we might call them. 22:07 Those who stand in a position of where the 22:10 world looks at them and where the world 22:12 rewards financially, I would refer 22:15 to that is the mighty not many. 22:18 Not many noble. At one time years ago 22:21 when I was living in Dallas. 22:22 I was part of a group called Dallas 40. 22:25 These were 40 young man supposed to be, 22:30 I wanted two of us slipped in there 22:31 that shouldn't been, but supposed 22:33 who have been men with a future 22:36 and leadership in Dallas 22:39 and I was in this group. 22:41 I want to tell you I cannot tell you 22:43 that there was a single one in that group 22:45 that was interested in the Lord Jesus Christ. 22:49 I spend a lot of time with those men 22:52 and if they were involved with church 22:54 it was strictly to involve as far as 22:57 their career was concerned. 22:59 When I came to Dallas the last time and 23:02 we negotiated to a buy a house, 23:04 I met a young man and he is very successful 23:10 and he told me, where he had 23:11 gone to church very humbled church. 23:14 Here in over Oak Cliff 23:18 and I said you're still a member of that church. 23:19 Oh! No he said and then 23:21 he mentioned a very significant church 23:25 in Highland park, I said why did you go there. 23:31 He said because of the people, who go there 23:34 to rub shoulders with those people 23:38 to get to know those people had nothing 23:41 to do with what they taught, what they 23:44 believe. I said to him but coming from 23:46 the church where you came from, 23:49 you must be running into theological 23:51 conflict with the church where you are going, 23:54 you cannot say that you believe in what 23:56 that church teaches. 23:59 Oh! No, he said, I'm not worried about 24:01 what they teach. 24:03 I go there to for who I can reach. 24:07 You see we have to make sure that we 24:10 are reaching out with a gospel 24:13 of Jesus Christ not many who are wise. 24:19 Now there are some who are wise, the apostle 24:21 Paul was wise. We have some professors 24:24 in our universities who are extremely wise 24:27 Individual, but God says he doesn't 24:30 call many that are wise. 24:33 I believe the General Conference 24:34 president is an wise individual as 24:37 I have ever known, I believe his 24:39 predecessor is one of the most intelligent 24:42 human beings, I have ever known. 24:44 And the one before that, God has 24:47 called a new some wise people, 24:51 but not many, not many, not many noble, 24:56 you just don't run into very many 24:59 with that have a big pedigree after 25:01 their name, they are noble, nobility. 25:04 Somebody asked me one time they said what about 25:09 this Galilee name, where do you all come from. 25:11 Well, I said they were three brothers they came 25:13 over and they came into Boston once stayed in 25:19 New England and out of that group there are a lot 25:23 of educators and physicians, even one 25:29 president of Harvard University whose mother 25:31 was a Galilee and so that's the educated group. 25:36 The other group went to out in around St. Louis, 25:40 Missouri, out of that group there are lot of 25:42 attorneys and CPA's and a lot of legal individuals. 25:49 The third brother went down to Virginia on to 25:52 Tennessee just ahead of the law and then others 25:59 came on Texas and that's the group that has a lot of 26:03 country singers and preachers and outlaws 26:09 and that's the group I came from, I would like 26:17 to tell people I am came from that New England 26:19 Group. When I was in the New England, Oh! You are 26:21 a Galilee you know that was pretty nice, you 26:23 know down here they say you are not a Galilee, yeh 26:26 not related to that yeah, I know, how do you 26:30 know? But you see my friend not many noble are 26:38 Called. There was a lady over in England. Her name 26:42 was Lady Huntington and she was a very noble 26:45 person and there was an evangelist by name of 26:49 Rowland Hill, who held a meeting and she came 26:51 and she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and she gave 26:56 him her heart. She was not interested in which 26:59 church she belong to or whether it was a 27:01 fashionable church or whatever. She was a person 27:04 who was born of the spirit who loved the Lord Jesus 27:08 Christ and you know what she said she was 27:12 saved by one letter and somebody said what was 27:16 that, she said I was saved by the letter M. It said not 27:21 many she said if they had left M it would have been not any. 27:26 And she said I would not have been saved not any, you 27:31 see God has called a lot of common people Billy 27:34 Sunday very common. A baseball 27:38 player, and a major league baseball player. At one 27:42 time he was a clerk at YMCA, but he had drifted 27:45 away from the Lord, he came back to the Lord 27:47 and when he came back he gave everything he had 27:52 to Jesus. You know we can't make a fun of Billy 27:55 Sunday because he was such a funny character he 27:58 would do all kind of wild Shenanigans and 28:01 some of the things that you see that he would do 28:07 we are pretty well warn how to spirit the prophecy 28:11 not to do those kind of things. And we can see 28:14 why that they talked about some of these because 28:17 it was just overdone. 28:19 He would run and fire across the stage and slide across 28:23 the stage do you remember they didn't 28:24 have microphones in those days and he would 28:26 be speaking to thousands of people, Billy Sunday. 28:30 One time was given a call and there was a man that 28:35 came down to the front and Billy Sunday was 28:38 enamored with this man's beard. It look 28:40 like father tie. It was really long. And he went 28:44 down and went down on one knee. First, he patted 28:48 the man on the head and said I'm so glad you came. 28:51 He knelt down on one knee and took hold of that beard 28:55 and pulled it twice and said 28:56 Hock Hock, when he knelt down. 28:58 Now that's Billy Sunday, a character, but you 29:03 know something Billy Sunday led over one 29:07 million people to Christ without radio without 29:12 television without even a microphone, he led all of 29:17 those people to Christ. God uses simple things. 29:21 Dwight L. Moody, he had no education at all he is one 29:26 of the greatest evangelist in the history of this country 29:30 came out of a little town Northampton, 29:32 Massachusetts went over to Clinton, Massachusetts. 29:35 I lived in that area for a While, he sold shoes there 29:38 at an uncle shoe store. Then he went to Boston 29:41 and worked in another shoe store and then he 29:43 ended up outing Chicago and he started taking 29:46 children to church. He is getting in some 29:53 kind of a conveyance and taking them to church and 29:54 then before long he began to preach and he 29:56 absolutely slaughtered the King's English. 30:00 There was no church of any repute anywhere 30:04 around that would let him in the poppet, they wouldn't 30:07 do it. But soon God kept use of him, he kept 30:11 bringing people to Christ, he kept bringing them one 30:15 by one and one time there was a man in the 30:19 audience, a very well educated man that 30:21 became so upset with the Dwight L. Moody that he 30:25 took a piece of paper and wrote one big word on it, 30:30 folded it and sent it up front. He wrote the word 30:33 fool and sent it up to Dwight L. Moody and 30:38 Dwight L. Moody took it and he said this is 30:41 interesting he said, you know I have had many 30:44 many people write me letters and forget to sign 30:46 it, but this is the first time I've had a person 30:50 sign the letter and forget to write me a letter. 30:53 You see my friend, God uses those who come to 31:04 him, he says but God has chosen to use the foolish 31:07 things. He names five things that God has chosen. God 31:08 has chosen to use the foolish things of the 31:14 world to put to shame the wise and the God has 31:18 chosen the weak things of the world to put the 31:21 shame the things which are mighty and God has 31:24 chosen the base things of the world and the things 31:27 which are despised and which are not to bring to 31:33 nothing to things that are, now I am not putting 31:36 down education please. I got all the education that I 31:39 could, I went through college went through seminary, 31:42 I've studied beyond that, I believe in education and 31:46 believe we should get all the education that we 31:48 possibly can, but do not depend upon that. You 31:53 see that Lord Jesus Christ when he is talking, when 31:57 he talked it says back here in Luke the 4th chapter 32:01 verse 36, Then they were all amazed and spoke 32:04 among themselves, saying, "What a word this 32:07 is! For with authority and power He commands the 32:12 unclean spirits, and they come out with 32:14 authority and power", now listen I've got, I've got 32:18 a credential here. This gives me the authority to 32:22 speak in an Adventist Church, but it didn't give 32:25 me the power, the power comes only from the Lord 32:30 Jesus Christ now. I honestly believe in our organization, 32:33 I believe the authority is our right too, but it 32:36 comes from him too, but the authority alone will 32:40 not do it. I can walk in here with the authority 32:44 but if the spirit of God is not in the message it's a 32:47 waste of time that I spend my nights before 32:53 preaching crying out to God to fill a message 32:56 with power because with out the power it is 33:01 absolutely worthless. You see God had three 33:07 periods of 40 years with Mosses. First of all, he 33:10 took 40 years and taught him to be 33:12 Somebody. Mosses was well Educated. He knew all the 33:17 system. He knew all about it, he seemed to be 33:21 pretty fool of himself if you have noticed and then 33:25 God let him go down and he took 40 years to 33:32 teach him to be nobody, absolutely nobody then 33:36 when he got into the place, where he knew he 33:40 was nobody then he said now I'm gonna teach 33:43 you how to be somebody with God. Amen. You see 33:48 somebody with God can be used in a powerful 33:52 way. When we stand alone without him, we are 33:58 nothing, we are nobody, but when we stand with 34:03 him and with his complete assurance then 34:08 God uses us, he uses the foolish, he uses the 34:12 weak, he uses the base, he uses the despised 34:16 and he uses the Bible says those who are not. 34:19 They are not in the group, they are not group. And when 34:26 he call those disciples he wasn't calling people 34:30 that came out of the Levitical system down in 34:33 Jerusalem, those men who were so qualified, 34:37 those men who had studied so much, he didn't 34:40 call them. He called these fisherman. Now poor no 34:46 I don't believe they were poor and let me tell you 34:50 why I don't believe they are poor. Uneducated yes, 34:53 without any question, but I believe they were hard 34:57 working dynamic promotional type 35:01 individuals, entrepreneurs. Now, I'm gonna tell 35:05 you why I believe this, they say I went to sight 35:08 the componium that has been excavated when I first 35:13 started going over to Israel they had not 35:15 excavated that sight yet and then it was excavated 35:19 by Dr. Harold Wise, Dr. Harold Wise 35:21 is the head of archeology at Notre 35:24 Dame, University and he excavated this site. Now 35:30 the amazing thing about Dr. Wise is that I had him 35:33 as a professor at Andrew's University. At 35:36 that time, they had a very strong archeological staff 35:40 at Andrew's and they really didn't have a place 35:43 for Dr. Wise. Dr. Seekford Horn was their and others, so 35:48 Wise would teach some classes at Andrew. 35:50 Andrew's when he started teaching up at St. Mary's 35:53 in at Notre Dame and soon they saw the ability 35:58 of this devote Seventh Day Adventist 36:00 Archeologist and he has become the leading, one 36:05 of the leading archeologist in the 36:06 country. He is a Seventh Day Adventist, a lot of 36:09 good Seventh Day Adventist archeologist in 36:12 the world today and this is one of the best. He was 36:16 the one that wrote the article in the Barr 36:19 Magazine Biblical Archaeological Review, I 36:22 know all of you read that on a regular basis and 36:25 believe it or not, I do occasionally read it. 36:28 But this article was so interesting about Peter's 36:33 House. I've been there, it's big this is not a little 36:40 House. Now I don't believe that this house was built 36:43 after Peter start preaching the gospel, I believe it 36:46 was built with proceeds before he started 36:50 preaching the gospel. Oh! You said, I thought 36:53 he was a fishermen. Listen, Peter went out there 36:56 with the hookin and a warm. He was out there with a net, 37:00 they were in business and the amazing thing about 37:06 this business is that according to Malcolm Kardia 37:09 who is one of the foremost experts in this 37:13 particular area in Jerusalem, I've to spend lot of time with 37:17 him and we go over on Holy land trips he goes 37:20 along as our guide, but according to him he 37:25 believes that these men had developed a market 37:29 for the fish. There is one particular species is 37:33 found only in the sea of Galilee. For this 37:36 market and these fish were being taken to Rome, now 37:41 you know how it is when servicemen came to 37:44 your country, you go I remember when I was 37:46 living in Shreveport, you go down to 37:48 Barksdale Air Force Base and 37:50 you will see all kinds of Vietnamese restaurants 37:52 right down there why? Because when these men, where 37:55 stationed overseas in Vietnam. They develop a 37:58 taste for Vietnamese food and so that's a very good 38:02 market. These men who had serve time in Vietnam 38:05 they may not be as many there 38:06 in the house that are used to 38:07 be, some of those guys are not in the service 38:09 anymore, but they were really like that food. And 38:15 the Romans liked that delicacy that they got that 38:19 fish and so they had developed some type of 38:23 process, it could have been smoked, it could have been 38:25 salted, it could have been combination whatever, 38:28 but they would put them in the barrels and they 38:31 would sell them to Rome. You see they were just 38:34 out fishing for fun, they were fishing for money 38:40 and doing well with it, and somebody says what 38:43 makes you think that they are doing so well with it. 38:46 Well, I want you to go with me back to John. 38:48 The 21st Chapter and you remember that this is after 38:54 the resurrection of Jesus the disciples Peter gets really 38:58 impatient and he says I am going fishing what he 39:02 is saying is I thought we were going to take over the 39:04 country because that's what they had thought 39:07 was gonna happen. I thought there was going to 39:09 be a rebellion. But now Christ has been crucified 39:12 yes we have seem him a couple of times, we don't 39:14 know what's going on. I am going back to my 39:15 Business, back to what I know, back to what I can 39:20 do, and I've got to put bread on the table and so 39:25 he went back to fishing. Now the Bible says that 39:31 night they caught nothing sounds like 39:33 another night doesn't, they caught absolutely nothing and 39:39 then as they come in they see somebody over their on the 39:44 shore cooking fish, have you ever, ever got that 39:52 scene in your mind. Jesus fixing breakfast wouldn't 39:58 you love, well that's a another scene I want to see, 40:00 I want to see that one. Jesus fixing that breakfast 40:05 and he calls out to the disciples, have you got 40:08 any fish and they said no. And he said cast your net 40:12 on the other side. And immediately the Bible 40:15 says they knew it was the Lord. And that net was filled 40:19 even they brought it in, they even tell you how many 40:22 it says in verse 11 chapter 21 Simon, Peter went up 40:26 and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, a 40:31 hundred and fifty-three; and altogether there were 40:37 so many, but the net was not broken. Hundred and 40:41 fifty-three that's quit a catch, I don't know how many 40:45 would go on the barrel, but that several barrels of fish 40:48 prepared they can go right to Rome and make some 40:52 money. And yet Jesus had breakfast with them 40:56 and then Jesus said something. He said Peter 41:00 do you love me more than these. Now when I used 41:07 to read that I thought he was telling about other 41:09 disciples, you love me more than, but he didn't 41:11 care that much about James and John those 41:14 guys. You just look at the stories and you can 41:17 see that there shouldn't be any question about that 41:20 also is it that a little bit, Oh! That's not, that's kind 41:25 a sick. If Jesus is saying do you love me as much 41:30 as love these guys, doesn't sound like much 41:33 doesn't? Doesn't sound right, what Jesus is saying 41:37 is do you love me as much as you do making 41:41 money. Do you love me as much as you do the 41:45 fishing business? Do you love me and are you 41:49 ready to give all this up? You said you are gonna 41:51 give it up once, you are going back to it now. 41:54 Do you love me as much as you do the things of 42:00 this world. Then he says feed my sheep, I have a 42:07 job for you to do and I want you to do it. And 42:12 you see all of a sudden that starts to make sins 42:14 and Peter and Andrew and James and John were 42:21 back into the business of the gospel spreading the 42:25 gospel these men that knew how to get the fishing 42:28 business and getting fish all the way to Rome. 42:30 These entrepreneurs, these ASI guys you know 42:35 for 25 years I didn't have one of these, I had to 42:40 preach just by the power of the Lord and by 42:44 permission one at a time to preach because I was 42:50 working for a company that I owned preaching 42:54 the gospel, yes, but doing at over the auspicious of 42:59 ASI. Now you see this is the way these men were 43:05 the real power of our gospel began with self 43:08 supporting people, promoters, business 43:12 people that's what these men were you see that's 43:17 what Danny was, Danny was a carpenter, he was a 43:21 Contractor, don't let him make you thank you, he 43:23 was just a simple carpenter, he was doing all kind of 43:26 contracts and everything else, but he was a 43:29 carpenter. God called, his ministry started with 43:34 about a hundred dollars you see how god blesses. 43:39 He start off with a few fish and what happens it 43:44 just keeps multiply. God keeps doing something 43:48 about it, you see this is why I get so excited 43:51 about 3ABN, 3ABN was not something that came 43:55 down from above and was put what I'm talking 43:58 about as far organization when it concern was not 44:02 just something that we are promoted, it was 44:06 something God rose and took up and it rose up 44:10 from the bottom and it is continued to grow that's 44:15 why we need to support it and stand with it and help 44:19 this ministry to continue reaching people, if you go 44:22 back and you look at the growth that has happened 44:26 in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church you will see that 44:28 the great mushroom of growth has happened 44:32 after we went on satellite television after 3ABN 44:36 began, after we began to preach on Sabbaths 44:39 because they showed us how to do it. All the 44:42 other ministries that take place today are 44:45 taking place because 3ABN showed the way. 44:49 We have to got to remember that my friend, 44:52 they have shown us how to do it. It is a fantastic 44:58 story. Danny I tell you we need to keep telling it 45:01 over and over again because sometimes we 45:03 forget it, you about to become an institution. You are been 45:06 around so long, people start thinking of you an 45:08 Institution, it is a faith ministry, a faith ministry 45:11 that is one that our people have gone along with the 45:21 Lord to make happen on this earth and I 45:25 am so thankful for it. We look at these, these 45:28 Fishermen, we look at Peter. Now sometimes, 45:30 we get worried about Peter because we want to 45:32 make sure that we don't let people think we think 45:35 he was the Pope, you know that, we can't put Peter 45:39 down. Now listen, Peter was the leader of the church. Paul 45:42 was the writer and see because Paul wrote so 45:45 much we read it we think Paul was the leader of the 45:48 church. Paul was not the leader of the church. He 45:50 was never really in with the leadership, I mean 45:53 this fascist, he was gather held the court when they 45:57 stoned their best friend Steven, and even though 46:00 they kind a get over they never could 46:02 told me forget it. And you will see it rising 46:05 up every once in a while Paul was the rider. 46:08 Peter didn't write much, but peter was the leader. 46:12 You think he is not let me tell you something you 46:16 go home tonight this afternoon sometime you 46:20 want to eventually go home because we can't 46:23 feed you forever you know that, but when you 46:27 do go home you get your Bible out and you will 46:29 find it all the disciples are mentioned a total of a 129 46:33 times, out of a 129 times 86 times it mentions 46:41 Peter, all the other 11 are mentioned 43 times, if you 46:48 doubt me go count it. Peter has mentioned 46:52 twice for every one time all the other 11 are 46:56 mentioned. Now this does not mean that he was the 47:02 first Pope, he was not there in that popes. They didn't 47:03 have Popes away down on the line and the 47:04 church had really got narrow back, before they 47:07 had popes, but he was the leader of the early church. 47:13 Now they all did things together, he wasn't 47:15 detecting things, he was leading with the power 47:18 that God had given him the personality that God 47:21 has given him. And that's the kind of leader 47:25 God choosing, Jesus chose him, he knew all 47:30 about Peter when he chose him, he knew all 47:34 about David when he chose him by the way, he 47:36 even knew the mistakes that David was 47:38 gonna make and he chose him in the way, do 47:42 you remember that. Sometimes you want to 47:44 slap somebody down, you want to talk about 47:46 somebody who has been used by God. You 47:50 remember that God chose them knowing that 47:55 they might trip up, a wood trip up, but he is the one 48:00 who restores he did it for David and he does it. God 48:05 is the great restore. And he is Peter, Peter 48:10 somebody, I've people come to me and say I'm 48:13 just like Peter are you, I think this is a quite a guy 48:16 seems why he denied the Lord, yes, but remember before he 48:20 denied the Lord he had a sword and tried to take on 48:23 the whole Roman army. So we don't give him 48:26 credit for that always got him denying Lord, we 48:28 forget about Pentecost when he preached in 48:31 front of everybody, he could have been killed 48:32 right there three thousand accepted the gospel, we 48:36 forget about Peter doing that, we forget about his 48:39 challenging that Roman legion, he was confused 48:41 when he denied the Lord because he started to kill 48:45 that guy and the Lord, in fact you know he got his 48:48 ear, but the only reason that you read about the ears 48:52 that man moved his head. If he had moved his head 48:54 you've not heard about the miracle the Lord put 48:56 that head together. That may not have 48:59 been a miracle, but that's a one you would have heard 49:01 about, but he moved and Peter was trying his best 49:06 and then the Lord repute him for that he 49:09 thought what I am last suppose to fight, what I 49:11 am suppose to do? And he became confused and 49:16 then he denied the Lord and his confusion, but Peter 49:20 what a man he was, you look at James and 49:23 John, sons of thunder. You see the Lord by the 49:26 way he gave Peter that name. Peters name was 49:27 Simon, he gave him the name Peter Cephus 49:30 means a little stone, and he said you're just a little 49:35 rock you think you are tough but you not all at tough. I 49:38 think the Lord like to give people names. He gave 49:41 James and John the names of sons of 49:43 thunders, their father name was Zabdi, his 49:46 name wasn't thunder? Where did Jesus get it, 49:51 you remember that time when they wanted to go into 49:53 that village they had this custom, they were going 49:56 to a village at night, get permission they would buy 49:58 food, they would cook and they would eat, they 50:01 would eat their serve at night, they would have a 50:03 little bit leftover for breakfast in the morning, 50:05 then they will take what little bit was left, put it in 50:08 a knapsack walk during the day and eat that for lunch 50:11 and they repeat the process that night, but you 50:14 couldn't take 70 or 80 people into one of these little 50:17 villages without getting permission they will think 50:19 it was invasion. And so they sent somebody in, so we 50:24 would like to come in spend the night and the 50:28 word came back go out we don't want you. Now 50:33 the Lord was very turned and head on what did James 50:36 and John said bring fire down from heaven 50:38 destroy them Lord. What kind of fellows were those, I 50:44 mean you want to go a place and hold a 50:46 evangelistic rally or something Danny and 50:49 they say well you know we're really, we're really 50:51 don't have bring fire down from heaven 50:53 destroy them. I don't think we would do that 50:57 would we? But James and John did they were also 51:04 ambitious, they wanted to be on the right hand, the 51:08 left hand and they got their mom because they 51:10 thought that Jesus really had a kind of soft spot for 51:13 the mother and they said mom you ask him 51:15 because Mom did, she said you don't hear them 51:17 saying no mom don't say that we don't hear that. 51:20 She said when you come into your kingdom can 51:22 one of my boys be on the right hand, one on the 51:24 left. Jesus said you don't know what you are 51:29 asking, you see when you came into his kingdom 51:32 there was a man on the right, man on the left with 51:35 their own crosses. Jesus, Jesus said no, sometimes 51:41 we get turn down for what we ask for and we 51:45 need to be thankful, but James and John, we look 51:49 at Andrew, Andrew a quite man. Remember 51:51 it was Andrew that found Jesus first and he 51:54 had brought his brother Peter, Andrew worked 51:56 one of the time it was Andrew that found that 51:59 boy defeating the five thousand and he 52:01 brought that boy with a bread and the fish and 52:05 they feed that 5000 you see Andrew working one 52:09 at the time, Peter is up there working with the 52:10 whole crowd talking in three thousand are 52:13 accepting and so forth, Andrew talking to the 52:16 individuals. Now we look at these and we see 52:21 that Peter was the first of these, no actually James 52:28 was the first to die he was the first murder of the 52:32 12th, first murder of the 12. His brother John he 52:38 lived to die natural death, but he suffered. He was 52:42 treated in such a way that I'm sure that he wished 52:46 many times that he had gone ahead and gone to 52:50 sleep like those before. We look at Peter, when it 52:54 came time for Peter to be crucified what happened? 52:59 He said I'm not worthy to be crucified the way 53:03 that my Lord was crucified. He said I am 53:09 not worthy to die like he did and so he requested to 53:16 be crucified outside there. They put him on a cross 53:20 up side down, and then there is Andrew you 53:28 know Andrew, Andrew was a shy person 53:32 sometimes I run in the individuals and they say I 53:35 can't preach by the way next year I'm hoping 53:39 that our church we are going to have a year of 53:42 mission and we are going to organize and we are 53:47 going to take a group overseas and we are 53:51 going to preach and some of you gonna preach that have 53:54 never preached before then you gonna preach precise. 53:57 Some of you are Andrew's and you don't see yourself 54:02 as preaching, but God knows he can use you and 54:09 then we look at what Andrew did. Lot of 54:15 people wonder whatever happened to Andrew? 54:17 Whatever happened to him. There is not a whole 54:21 lot in scripture about him and so we have to 54:25 go to secular history to find out what we can 54:29 about Andrew that will tell you that I have 54:35 found some information, there are some conflicting 54:39 stories you will hear different stories about 54:42 what happened to Andrew and where he 54:44 went, but the one that I have chosen to believe 54:49 and it really comes down to that is that when I went 54:54 to Kiev to hold a crusade in Kiev, 54:59 Ukraine I saw there right near the 55:04 Napo river a statue of Andrew and I asked them 55:11 why do you have a statue of Andrew here? And they 55:18 said well you know the story is that Andrew came up 55:23 to Napo river stopping along the way to preach 55:26 the gospel, when he got to keep, he was witnessing the 55:31 people one on one with people and he became 55:35 acquainted with the wife of the governor of the 55:38 region and he talked to her about Jesus Christ. 55:44 Told her what Christ could do in her life and 55:49 she accepted Jesus as her personal savior. And when she 55:56 did that her husband became very, very angry. 56:00 And he had Andrew arrested, he brought 56:05 Andrew in and he gave him an opportunity to 56:10 declare that he didn't believe in Jesus Christ. 56:13 He gave him an opportunity to retract all 56:17 that he had said, but Andrew stood fast and he 56:23 would not do it. Amen. And then finally, the 56:29 Governor said alright then you will be 56:32 crucified, you will be crucified just like this 56:38 Jesus that you are talking about this Jesus who you 56:42 claim was crucified on a cross went into a grave 56:45 and was resurrected, you will be crucified in the 56:49 same way. And Andrew said I'm not worthy to be 56:57 crucified as he was crucified. He said I'm 57:01 not worthy to be crucified like my brother was 57:03 crucified upside down, I'm going to ask you to 57:09 crucify me on an X. Now the X in those 57:14 days was the true sign of Christianity it 57:19 stood for Christies, there were also the fish as the 57:24 sign, but the axe was even more the cross did not 57:28 become a sign really until that much later. But the 57:32 Christies just the first letter 57:35 X, which was the letter for 57:37 Christies and so they put Andrew on that X. Now 57:44 the death of the cross sometimes took a long 57:47 time. You remember Jesus when he died on 57:50 cross he lived only a few hours, but my friend it 57:53 was not those nails that cause his death, it was my 57:59 sins, my sins alone were enough to kill him 58:05 because of the separation that he felt from the 58:10 father and then you add your sins to it and that's 58:15 quit a load right for all of us and then you add 58:20 the sins of the world everybody picked up and 58:25 placed upon Jesus and that's what killed him. And so, 58:31 Andrew, Andrew said I'm going to have to preach because 58:40 people came and they would yelled him. And they 58:42 would jeered at him and they would say things and 58:46 finally Andrew had mounted a poppet and 58:49 he began to preach. And tradition tells us that the 58:53 church in that area was born from the preaching 58:58 of Andrew right there on that clots in Kiev. 59:05 My friend Jesus is calling you to be his team, to be 59:17 his servant and for him to be your king. |
Revised 2014-12-17