Participants: Mike Ryan
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000960
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01:00 Good morning ASI family, good morning.
01:04 This is a special privilege for me to 01:08 introduce to you the speaker of our worship 01:11 service Elder Michael Ryan. 01:17 Elder Ryan currently serves as General Vice 01:22 President of the General Conference, Director of 01:26 Strategic Planning for the World Church 01:30 and he also Chairs the GC Missions Committee. 01:38 Elder Ryan is uniquely qualified to deliver 01:44 God's message to us today. 01:47 Having served 16 years in Overseas Mission 01:51 Service with his wife Genie and 15 years as 01:56 Director of Global Missions. 02:02 For ASI Dr. Ryan has been a true loyal supporter, 02:13 his passion and focus from the first time I met 02:17 him has always been on how better to share 02:22 Christ to the masses of the world. 02:28 He has been an invaluable resource and 02:30 friend to many others in ASI leadership when ask. 02:38 Mike and Genie are the parents of two grown 02:42 daughters, two son-in-laws and one granddaughter. 02:48 Elder Ryan, on behalf of our ASI family both 02:53 here, those watching on television and perhaps 02:56 online I welcome you this morning to the 03:00 pulpit for our service, thank you. 03:16 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:20 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:24 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:29 The time is drawing nigh. 03:33 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:37 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:40 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 03:45 The time is drawing nigh. 03:49 Children, don't get weary, 03:53 Children, don't get weary, 03:57 Children, don't get weary, 04:01 'Til your work is done. 04:06 Children, don't get weary, 04:10 Children, don't get weary, 04:14 Children, don't get weary, 04:18 'Til your work is done. 04:22 Christian journey soon be over 04:26 Christian journey soon be over 04:31 Christian journey soon be over 04:35 Christian journey soon be over 04:39 Christian journey soon be over 04:44 The time is drawing nigh. 04:47 Christian journey soon be over 04:51 Christian journey soon be over 04:55 Christian journey soon be over 05:00 The time is drawing nigh. 05:03 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 05:07 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 05:11 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, 05:18 The time is drawing nigh. 05:43 Thank you for that special number, 05:45 actually my favorite part of ASI is the part 05:50 of the program where the children 05:51 come up and perform. 05:52 Do you like that? Yes. 05:54 I was speaking at a camp meeting recently 05:58 and a little boy came flying down the Isle and 06:02 threw his angel wings at his mother and he says 06:04 I am not wearing those on the platform. 06:08 And then I thought well that's interesting, 06:10 so then I watched him disappear and about two 06:14 seconds later he came flying around the corner 06:17 and ran back and grabbed those wings 06:21 and he said I am wearing them. 06:23 He says all the rest of kids have them. 06:27 You need to understand that kids have the right 06:29 to change their mind. I heard about the teacher 06:34 who asked the class did you go on summer 06:38 vacation and little Johnny said yeah, 06:42 he said we went to Minneapolis, 06:43 Minnesota and she said that's wonderful. 06:46 Can you spell that, he thought about that for 06:49 second, he said, come to think of it, 06:50 he said I think we went to Iowa. 06:55 The church needs young people who have 07:01 the right to change their mind. 07:06 This morning I wanna take just a thoughtful 07:09 few minutes to consider the evidence of the 07:13 world versus the evidence of the word. Lets pray. 07:24 Our Father in heaven we have come to your 07:28 sanctuary today to receive a blessing 07:34 and we are confident that we will. 07:37 Because we've invited your Holy Spirit to be 07:40 here today, in our hearts, in our minds and 07:45 give us that which we need. 07:48 In Christ name we pray amen. 07:53 I was traveling in northern India, 07:57 visiting a number of new churches that had 07:58 been established and we came to this little 08:01 village and they actually hadn't built a church yet. 08:05 And so we were worshiping in the Head 08:06 Elders house and as we came in I noticed that 08:10 the place was packed. The entire living room, 08:13 the bedroom, kitchen, people outside the doors 08:17 looking in the windows and it was just stuffed. 08:21 So we kind of worshiped and saying 08:23 and prayed and spoke together and finally as 08:26 the worship came to an end I asked the Head 08:28 Elder, how did the church become 08:32 established in this village. 08:34 He looked at me and said oh! I was hoping 08:36 that you would ask me that. 08:38 And then he told me, he said you know one day 08:40 he said I got up and he said my son was sick 08:45 and the next day my son grew just a little bit 08:49 worse and the next day he was worse, 08:51 and the next day he was worse and after a 08:52 couple of weeks he couldn't even get out of bed. 08:55 He said one day my uncle came to me 08:59 and he said what all have you done, 09:01 he said well he said we have taken him to the 09:03 doctor, to the hospital, to the specialist. 09:05 As a matter of fact its gotten to the point 09:07 where we called in the, the healer and he came 09:11 but there absolutely is nothing 09:13 that's been affective. We have tried if all the 09:15 evidence says that its impossible, 09:19 then the uncle kind of smiled at him and he 09:21 said well you know he said there is a young 09:24 man who has come to our village and he said, 09:29 he claims to be a worshiper and to know 09:35 the creator of the world. And he said there have 09:38 been people in our village who had not 09:41 only been blessed spiritually but they 09:43 have been blessed physically. 09:45 He said I think you have to bring your son, 09:46 he said oh no I can't bring my son, he is too sick. 09:54 The uncle said I think you should come, 09:56 he will pray for your son. And so they agreed 10:00 upon a time and on that time that young man 10:02 said I got my bicycle he said, I rode through the 10:05 village I went out that dirt road I went on the 10:07 asphalt road several kilometers and I came 10:09 to the village of my uncle. He says I came into that 10:11 village, he says and there I met this young man. 10:14 He invited me and he says well he said I only 10:16 know one thing to do, he says and that's to 10:18 pray to the creator of the world. 10:20 He said we got down on our knees, so I thought 10:21 well you know he might pray for five or 10 minutes. 10:24 He said but he prayed for 10 minutes, 15, 20, 10:26 25 minutes, he said after about 30 minutes 10:29 of praying specifically for my son. 10:33 He said, okay we can stand up now, 10:35 he said I believe you should go home. 10:38 He said I am just impressed that the Lord 10:40 has answered our prayer and your little boy is 10:42 going to be standing on the front porch to meet you. 10:45 He said you can't imagine, he said the 10:48 hope that began to fill my heart, he said my 10:51 uncle and I we ran off that porch, 10:53 we jumped on our bicycles and we began 10:55 to ride down that asphalt road. 10:57 He said I was quite a bit younger than my uncle, 10:59 he said I out rode him, he said I got to the dirt 11:02 road I made the turn. He said we were, 11:04 we were going as fast as we could. 11:06 He said I came through the village, came 11:08 around the spirit tree and he said when 11:11 I came around that tree passed the corner of the 11:13 barn, he said I stopped the bicycle. 11:16 He says because on the front porch was my son. 11:22 He said after that he says 11:23 the spirit tree was cut down, 11:27 he said and we began to study about 11:29 the God and the creator of the world. 11:33 And then he looked at me and he smiled 11:34 and he said I want you to remember this. 11:37 He said never the less always trust him, 11:42 never the less, always trust him. 11:44 There's an interesting story if you will open 11:45 your Bibles found in Luke the 5 chapter 11:48 and I want to just run through this just a little 11:50 bit not read every detail of it. 11:52 It's a story that's familiar to us. 11:54 It starts in verse 1 and basically the first few 11:58 verses they all say that Jesus was preaching 12:02 and he stepped out on the boat of Simon Peter 12:06 and he said Peter would you mind pushing 12:07 the boat out a little bit. And those first few 12:13 verses they indicate that really there is no record 12:17 of what Jesus was preaching about. 12:20 All it says in those first few verses is that Jesus 12:23 came to an end of his preaching. 12:25 He was preaching about the gospel. 12:29 He was preaching about hope, 12:32 and he came to an end of his preaching 12:35 and then it records that Jesus said to Peter, 12:38 Peter, push your boats out into the deep 12:44 and let your nets down for a catch. 12:49 Now it doesn't really record everything 12:53 probably that Peter was thinking. 12:57 Because I am sure that as Christ said that, 12:59 that suggestion fell on the ears of many people. 13:03 And I can just imagine being a companion of 13:05 Peter and working on the nets, cleaning them 13:08 and then all of a sudden I hear this hey take the 13:10 nets back in, dump them in the 13:12 water again and for a catch. 13:17 And I'm sure there is quite a few people that 13:18 probably were thinking you got to be kidding. 13:22 It doesn't really record what Peter exactly was 13:28 thinking but there is an indication of what he 13:31 was thinking in verse 5. Because we look at 13:34 verse 5 Peter said he looked at Jesus and 13:37 Peter said, Lord we have been fishing all 13:42 night and we have caught how much zero. 13:49 We haven't caught anything, 13:52 I'm sure he was thinking look, 13:53 why don't I stick with the fishing, 13:55 you stick with the preaching. 13:56 He said because you don't catch fish in the 13:58 day time you catch fish at night. 14:04 But there is that little word, 14:08 that little word that comes in there that 14:10 I love in the King James version because it says 14:14 Peter said never the less. 14:19 Because you have asked me we will go out and 14:23 cast our nets into the deep, never the less and 14:27 of course we know the rest of the story they pushed 14:29 the boats out they cast their nets into deep. 14:31 They caught so many fish that when they 14:32 began to pull them in the nets the nets tore, 14:35 they put them in two boats. He called his partners 14:37 the boats began to sink, but you know it doesn't 14:41 indicate that Peter was part of that action 14:42 because it said that Peter was found at the 14:44 feet of Jesus and he was there he said Lord, 14:47 I am a sinful man and you know that was the 14:50 time that Jesus said look come with me 14:55 I will make you fishes of men, 14:59 never the less I believe with all of my heart 15:03 that now as never before in the history of 15:06 our church we need a never the less generation. 15:13 This morning I would like to speak with you 15:14 about three aspects of the Christian journey. 15:18 God calling his people to a never 15:21 the less experience. The first aspect that 15:24 I wanna talk to you about is that never the 15:28 less to believe that the gospel, the hope of the 15:32 gospel includes you and it includes me. 15:36 Number two, I would like to talk to you about 15:38 the fact that we need to live and believe God's 15:42 word the Bible. And number three, 15:46 I would like to talk with you about never the less 15:50 regardless of the evidence of mission. 15:53 He's calling us to be his witness. 15:57 Lets take a look at the first item, you know 16:00 not too long ago I was looking at some 16:02 information that was generated from a 16:05 research project conducted at Andrews University, 16:08 it was a world survey and there was pieces of 16:11 that information that caused me a little 16:13 concern, one area that caused me a little 16:16 concerned as I looked at that it said I discovered 16:19 that there was a large percentage 16:21 of Seventh-day Adventist around the world. 16:24 That I was comfortable with, that indicated that 16:28 they were not confident of their salvation. 16:32 He said I am not, I am not, I don't have the 16:34 assurance of my salvation, that I have no 16:38 idea who is in the audience today. 16:41 There maybe some here today who said well, 16:43 I am not real confident. Pastor, you don't know 16:46 my background, I want to review just a little bit 16:49 if I can the character and personality of God. 16:52 I wanna call those of you that have the 16:54 question today to a never the less 16:56 experience to say because he said I trust him. 17:00 First look at some text, open your Bibles to 17:02 Isaiah, the first chapter and verse 18. 17:04 What is they say, it says come on lets be 17:07 reasonable, lets talk together. 17:09 I don't care if your sins are like scarlet, 17:12 I will cleanse them and I will give you 17:14 righteousness and I will clean them up. 17:18 When you look at Romans the 8th chapter 17:21 and you start reading in verse 35 and to the end 17:24 of the chapter there, Paul begins a 17:27 description of my relationship with Jesus. 17:31 He indicates that there's not anything that can 17:33 separate us from Jesus love, nothing. 17:36 Find it in there, he goes through a description, 17:39 height, depth, principalities of 17:41 darkness, this and that, tragedies; 17:43 nothing can separate you from God's love 17:46 that's what it says. I also like the text in 17:52 Ezekiel the 18th chapter starting in verse 20, 17:57 it indicates that every man woman 18:00 will die for their sins. You won't die for your 18:02 son's sins or he for yours, but you're gonna 18:04 die for your own. But when you look 18:06 at verse 21 it says that if you will accept my plan 18:11 that you will live according to what 18:13 I have asked you to do, I will forgive those sins 18:18 and I will give you life and not death. 18:22 And then the news gets even better in verse 22 18:24 because it indicates there that if you will 18:27 take that life that Jesus will not 18:30 recall those sins anymore. 18:33 Is that good news, now these aren't my words 18:36 they happen to be what the Bible says. 18:39 Most popular text in the world John 3:16, 18:41 For God so loved the world that he gave his 18:43 only begotten Son that what, 18:45 whoever believes in him they are not going 18:47 to perish but they are going to have eternal life. 18:50 I also like the description that John 18:53 the Revelator gives, you look at chapter 6 of the 18:56 book of Revelation and there is a description 18:59 there of the opening of the 6th seal. 19:02 Now I don't plan to get into the opening of the 19:04 seals today but it really is a descrition of the 19:07 world at the end of time. Great tragedies are 19:11 happening all over the place 19:12 things are in turmoil, the leaders of the 19:15 world are living in fear, they're asking that the 19:17 mountains fall on them. Matter of fact in verse 19:20 17 it says who then shall be able to stand, 19:25 well I'm happy that John doesn't leave us 19:26 hanging in the air because as you come 19:30 down in chapter 7 you find that John is in 19:34 vision and he's standing around the throne of God. 19:41 And there's an Elder that comes up to John 19:43 and the Elder says who are these people that are 19:46 dressed in white robes and John said well, 19:49 I don't really know you know the answer to that 19:51 better than I do, why don't you tell me. 19:54 And then the Elder says to John, 19:56 John these are the people who came 20:00 through that great tribulation, we just read 20:02 about in chapter 6, the end of the world. 20:05 And he said they're standing here today for 20:07 one reason, they are standing here because 20:11 they took their dirty, filthy rags and they 20:14 washed them in the blood of the lamb 20:16 and Jesus gave them life and not death, 20:20 that's why they're here. 20:24 You know regardless of the evidence we need to 20:29 say never the less I'll trust him. 20:32 I've had people come to me and they will say 20:34 but Pastor you don't know my background, 20:36 while if you just know the things that I've 20:38 done, if you have any idea what I've been into 20:42 you wouldn't be up preaching like this. 20:44 Friends, this is not my words, we need 20:47 generation in the church that accepts the fact 20:49 that Jesus has paid the sacrifice. 20:53 He has paid the sacrifice and if you 20:55 happen to be one of those here seated 20:58 that have that little doubt I challenge you to 21:01 have a never the less experience. 21:03 I want to come to item number two. 21:09 I want to talk about living by the Bible. 21:16 How then shall I live, how am I going to live, 21:23 you can be assured that for every truth there is 21:25 in the Bible that the devil has a deception. 21:28 There is another way, he will make sure that 21:30 there is evidence that leads you another way 21:32 or there is no evidence for what 21:34 God want you to do. You know I can't help it 21:36 turn to the Book of Hebrews in chapter 11 21:39 and just review some names very quickly 21:42 with you, you can flip over in your 21:44 Bible to Hebrews 11, Noah 21:51 thought it had never rained, never the less. 21:56 He spent a 120 years preaching 21:59 and building an ark. Abraham promised 22:04 to be the father of a great nation, never the 22:08 less he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. 22:11 Joseph though he was the second citizen of 22:15 Egypt and surrounded by the power and the 22:18 glory and the wealth never the less he gave 22:23 instructions to his family, he said when 22:25 I die take my bones with you, 22:29 I am going with God's plan. 22:31 I think of Moses who the heir to the throne of 22:35 Egypt, again everything that the earth could 22:39 offer was his. Never the less he refused 22:43 to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 22:48 I think also of the Israelites they had never 22:51 seen a sea open up but never the less when it 22:56 opened up they walked through 22:57 those columns of water. The Israelites had never 23:01 seen a wall tumble down when people 23:04 shouted but never the less they circled that 23:08 city seven times, they blew the trumpets and 23:11 they shouted and the wall came down. 23:14 I think of Elijah in the midst of no evidence 23:20 that there was going to be a drought never the 23:23 less he told the King it's not going to rain. 23:26 And then a few years later in the evidence 23:30 that there was no rain coming he stood before 23:33 the King and said, never the less it's gonna rain. 23:37 People who prayed were to be fed to the 23:41 lions, never the less Daniel he prayed three 23:46 time a day, turn in you Bibles with me if you 23:50 will to the 2 book of Timothy, I want us to 23:55 look at chapter 3 and verses 1 to 5. 23:58 Just to kind of scan through that. 24:01 Its interesting as this passage begins that Paul 24:04 says this passage refers to the end of time, 24:08 that's what it says, look at it, read it, 24:10 at the end of time. I like to believe that we 24:13 are living at that time right now. 24:15 At the end of time and then Paul begins to 24:19 describe what will be considered to be 24:23 ordinary living and I think we've all read 24:26 this passage. He begins to say that at the 24:29 end of time is gonna be perilous times, 24:31 people are gonna love themselves, 24:33 they gonna be covetous, boasters, proud, 24:34 blasphemers, disobedient, without natural affection, 24:37 you can go on down through the list there. 24:39 Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God 24:44 and you can read the list of the description that 24:47 Paul says this is going to be ordinary living. 24:50 Its how people are going to say that you 24:52 have to behave. Its going to be the 24:54 thing that you have to do. You know its interesting, 25:00 we live in a world that wants it both ways. 25:05 They want to enjoy the wisdom of the world 25:09 and yet they want to be found as people who 25:11 have a reputation of being people of the word. 25:14 They want to have it on both sides. 25:16 I am reminded of a little boy whose behavior had 25:18 become such that the teacher had to ask him 25:21 Johnny, what's the definition of a lie. 25:24 Johnny said well, he said a lie is an 25:27 abomination on to the Lord and a 25:28 very present help in time of trouble. 25:33 We want to have it both ways, 25:36 we want to have it both ways. 25:38 Recently I got a new Webster's dictionary 25:42 and as I was kind of looking up some words 25:44 I suddenly came across the word in run, in run. 25:50 Now when I said that word I saw a number of 25:52 you go yeah you shook your head and I was 25:54 expecting to read a definition and said a 25:56 company that went bankrupt. 25:57 But you know that's not the definition they gave, 25:59 they used it as a synonym for dishonesty. 26:03 A lack of integrity, in the dictionary 26:06 that has become ordinary behavior. 26:10 You know what interesting as you come 26:11 down to the end of that passage 26:12 2 Timothy verses 1 to 5, Paul in one translation 26:17 says but never the less, from such stay away. 26:23 That's not what God is calling us to, that's not 26:26 the lifestyle that he is calling us to. 26:29 You know the Bible it warns us of those who 26:33 would so embrace the idol of their own thinking. 26:39 Their own supposed knowledge that they 26:42 cast aside the treasures of God's word and they 26:47 take on the wisdom of the world. 26:51 In the world today there is a great debate on 26:53 origins and creation. You know Richard 26:57 Dawkins can write his book entitle The God 27:01 Delusion, Christopher Hitchens can write his 27:04 book God Is Not Great, Jerry Coyne, 27:11 Why Evolution Is True, Sean Carroll, 27:16 The Making of the Fittest, and they can fill 27:20 their books with the theories 27:23 of radio metric dating. Stacked sequence, 27:29 heat dissipation, plate tectonics and they 27:33 can describe those theories in the statistical 27:37 language of being significant at the 0.05 27:40 level, T scores and canonical correlation 27:43 and two way analysis of variants, 27:45 but never the less the world was created in six 27:50 literal contiguous days, amen. 27:54 God's word he's calling us to a never the less 27:57 experience, take it, read it, 28:01 place it in your hearts. 28:05 I want to talk to you about the third area, 28:12 God has called us regardless of the 28:16 evidence of mission to be his witnesses. 28:24 I've had opportunity to be part of a lot of 28:28 discussions regarding church growth. 28:30 And I've had people come up to me and say 28:31 well I really don't have any talents, I don't have 28:34 any wisdom, I don't have any gifts in this 28:38 area, God hasn't blessed me what can I possibly do. 28:40 Do yo know our neighbors, do you know the kind 28:44 of environment I live in, its impossible. 28:48 All the evidence that's collected says 28:50 you can't do this. You know this morning 28:52 I am happy to be a member of a church 28:55 that have had pioneers to this movement they 28:57 have had a never the less experience. 29:01 They have set that example for us, 29:03 can you imagine those early pioneers just a 29:05 few of them studying the Bible. 29:07 You know William Miller going through 29:09 the truce and Ellen and James White and those 29:11 those early pioneers and as they study this 29:14 and wow we have got to proclaim 29:16 this to other people. Can you imagine as 29:18 they looked out into the nearest town, 29:21 the nearest city, the state, the united, 29:24 what were they thinking? I recall some of those 29:27 stories Joseph Bates, this is at an early time 29:32 he was developing a little pamphlet on the Sabbath. 29:36 It was at a time when really he had some 29:39 questions about Ellen White being a prophet 29:42 and Ellen White had some questions about 29:44 his theory on the Sabbath. That's how early I am 29:47 talking about, and as he was working on his 29:49 little tract his wife came into him and she says 29:52 dear we don't have any flower. 29:54 Could you buy some, oh! Sure I will be glad to. 29:56 He went down to the store reached in his 29:58 pocket pulled out a little coin and it was the only 30:01 one he had and the guy said well that will buy 30:03 five pounds of flower. He got that took it home 30:06 and when he handed it to his wife, she looked 30:07 at it and she burst into tears and she said, 30:11 is this what we have come to. 30:15 You were a sea captain that sailed the world, 30:17 when you brought home flowers it was by the 30:19 barrel full and she left the room. 30:23 As she continued working on that little 30:24 track he was impressed to go 30:26 down to the post office. Got up went down 30:29 there, postmaster said sure enough you have a 30:31 letter but you own me five cents postage. 30:35 Well I don't have five cents, well I know you 30:39 I'll trust you, no, no, he said you open it up as 30:43 I am impressed that there is money there. 30:45 That postmaster opened up the letter and it was 30:47 the $10 bill with a note it said I am impressed 30:49 that you have sacrificed all for the gospel 30:52 and you need this money. Well Joseph Bates went 30:57 down to the grocery store and he brought a 31:01 wagon load of grocers. Don't try that with $10 now, 31:07 and he said deliver to this address and 31:09 when you get there he said there will be a lady 31:11 who says you have the wrong address. 31:13 He snuck in the back door and continued to 31:15 work on his track and sure enough after a 31:18 short time his wife came blowing into the 31:20 room and she said there is someone 31:22 delivering groceries, I told them they have 31:24 that wrong address. I don't exactly what 31:28 happened, but I can only imagine that there 31:31 he stood up, he embraced his wife and 31:34 they had a never the less experience. 31:42 I have also been in the archives of General 31:44 Conference, had the privilege of reading 31:46 letters from those early converts that were up in 31:50 the North Eastern part of the United States 31:52 and they spread out across America. 31:54 They wrote letters to Ellen and James White, 31:56 come to Iowa, come to Montana to Oregon to 31:59 California to Oklahoma, Kansas. 32:02 We have started a group of believers here, 32:05 help us organize the church. 32:08 I think of the comment that Ellen White made, 32:12 she says this work will go forward but its 32:14 gonna go forward in the spirit of sacrifice. 32:18 In the spirit of sacrifice, the Three Angels 32:21 message Revelation 14, that message spread 32:24 across America. About the 1880s 32:29 it came to the attention of our church leaders 32:32 that Matthew 28 didn't say go to the United 32:36 States, but it said go to the whole world. 32:40 Take this message to everybody, 32:42 every kindred, nation, tongue, any culture, 32:44 you can take it every where. 32:47 When you look at that generation there was a 32:49 generation that provided us with an 32:50 example of an never the less experience. 32:52 It echoes down through time and it calls us today. 32:57 I think of people like Abraham Luria, 33:00 he was a shepherd and a woodcutter that lived 33:03 in Sacramento or San Francisco. 33:06 He came so do some evangelism meanings 33:09 and there he night by night gave his heart to 33:11 the Lord Jesus Christ and he became 33:13 convinced that Jesus was coming again. 33:16 He was coming soon and so then after he was 33:18 baptized, he wrote a letter to the General 33:20 Conference which I have held that a letter 33:21 a copy of it in my hand. And he said, send me as 33:26 a missionary to Asia, he said its come to my 33:29 attention that there is not anyone in Asia that 33:31 knows this message, send me. 33:33 I also read a letter that came back from the 33:35 General Conference and basically 33:37 it said two things. One, you are too old 33:41 and number two, we don't have any money 33:44 and that's a common message from the 33:45 General Conference. We don't have any 33:49 money, did that stop Abraham Luria, 33:52 it didn't stop Abraham Luria, 33:53 he sold all the things he had, he went down by 33:55 his own tickets. He got on a boat he 33:57 sailed to Manila, Singapore, Bangkok 33:58 settled in Hong Kong there he printed his own 34:01 literature, he developed Bible study guides, 34:02 he worked year after year and pretty soon he 34:05 wrote a letter to the General Conference he 34:06 said send a missionary, because even though 34:09 the evidence said I couldn't go and the 34:12 evidence said it was impossible never the 34:14 less God's provided a harvest, amen. 34:19 Today if we were worshiping in Hong Kong 34:22 instead of here, I can take you out to a lonely 34:24 hill side and show you the grave of Abraham Luria, 34:28 he never came home. He lies there in that port 34:31 city on the edge of that great nation of China 34:36 where just about 15 years ago we had 18000 34:38 active members. Today nearly 400,000 34:42 and in Asia more than two million 34:45 Seventh-day Adventist. Would Abraham Luria 34:47 say the sacrifice was worth it never the less, 34:51 would you say that. I also think of that 34:54 farmer in the state of Kansas, his name was 34:56 George Ripple. The pastor came by 34:59 to visit him and they prayed together, 35:03 then George said you know the Lord placed 35:05 a burden on my heart. He said there is no, 35:08 no members no one that knows the Three Angels 35:11 message on the continent of South America. 35:14 I think the Lord wants me to do this, 35:16 they separated the Pastor went to pastor 35:18 his other 16 churches and they never met again. 35:23 Because George Ripple sold everything, 35:24 took his family to New Orleans, they bought 35:26 tickets on a boat and they went to Buenos 35:28 Aires, Argentina. And in 1894 when he 35:30 put his foot on the continent he was one 35:32 Seventh-day Adventist for 35 million people. 35:36 All the evidence said is not possible how can 35:38 you do this, you're just one person. 35:40 Not long ago I was at River Platt College 35:43 and I asked him take me up to that little church, 35:45 I wanna see it. We drove up there 35:48 I got out, went into the church, is not big 35:52 stepped out of the church went over to the 35:53 cemetery and walked down the road and there 35:56 I stood at the foot of the grave of George Ripple. 36:01 I realized that George Ripple and his wife 36:03 they never went home. They gave their life that 36:05 this message might be known on the continent. 36:09 South America as I stood through that day 36:11 I couldn't help but wonder what it would 36:13 be like George Ripple could be alive today, 36:16 what would be it like. I like to take him to the 36:19 city of St. Paul and stand on the hill and 36:21 there to realize that there are more than 36:23 1000 Seventh-day Adventist churches in that city. 36:26 To realize that there is 1.3 million members in 36:28 Brazil, to realize that there is 36:29 800,000 members in Peru. 36:34 To make that realization would you say that the 36:36 sacrifices worth it, somewhere he had a 36:38 never the less experience. He and his wife they lie 36:42 in a grave in South America in Argentina 36:44 they are waiting for Jesus to come and its 36:46 not gonna be long and we're gonna meet Him. 36:48 Was it worth it never the less, I also stood at 36:52 that cemetery the north east portion of it at 36:55 Solusi college and I have stood there at the 36:58 graves of the early pioneers and I recalled 37:01 how they sold everything they had in 37:03 the North Eastern part of the United States. 37:05 They took boats to South Africa, now they 37:07 brought covered wagons and oxen. 37:10 And they traveled many miles across 37:12 South Africa into Zimbabwe, 37:14 City of Bulawayo went 20 miles east of the city 37:16 and there they established Solusi 37:17 Training Institute. And as I stood there that 37:20 day I couldn't help over to be like how exciting 37:23 if they were alive. What would they say 37:25 if they realize that there are 5 million members 37:28 on the continent, about nearly 6 million on the 37:30 continent of Africa. Graduate schools and 37:33 churches, hospitals, would they say the 37:38 sacrifice was worth it, never the less, 37:44 never the less. I believe that God's calling 37:48 a generation to never the less experience. 37:52 I know that you know there are people her 37:54 from all over, probably the world and I had 37:58 people come to me and say I don't know. 38:00 You know its really difficult 38:03 in our neighborhood, its really difficult in this 38:05 particular area. In the last six months 38:09 I have been on a little itinerary in planning 38:12 sessions for certain countries in which we 38:15 do not have Seventh-day Adventist. 38:18 I am not going to name those countries on 38:20 television, it doesn't do our members any good 38:23 over there, but I think most of you know 38:26 where they're at. And its very easy to 38:29 come out there and to meet people who go, 38:31 oh that's impossible all the evidence says, 38:33 you can't do this. Don't you know we 38:34 been trying to do something here for 100 38:36 years, never the less, lets put a plan together. 38:41 You know we have talked about 15 years 38:42 ago going to the 10/40 Window and we were 38:48 going to place an emphasis there is a 38:49 church I want to give you just a little report 38:51 on that, just very, very brief. 38:55 We had nine percent of our 38:56 membership in that window. 39:00 In 1990, in the past 15 years the membership 39:04 inside that window has grown 240 percent 39:08 while the membership in the rest of the world 39:10 has grown 87 percent. And so I am just telling 39:14 you that God is performing miracles 39:18 when we place ourselves into spirit of sacrifice. 39:22 Incidentally I want to thank you, 39:26 I want to thank ASI for playing a role in 39:30 making a lot of that happen. 39:32 Thank you, I want to thank you as Seventh- 39:34 day Adventist church members for your 39:36 faithfulness and ties and mission offerings. 39:39 Some of you say well is that really make a 39:40 difference, I wanna tell you it makes a huge 39:42 difference because in that spirit of sacrifice 39:46 God performs miracles. And today I can tell you 39:50 of thousands of thousands of new 39:52 congregations that are worshiping 39:53 in the 10/40 Window. Among them the 39:55 Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhist, 39:56 the animist, the communist and there 39:59 they are for the first time somebody a little 40:01 worker or a layman has gone there and they 40:04 have written history in heaven because they 40:06 had a never the less experience. 40:09 You want to be part of that, you want to be part 40:11 of that, I wanna call you to that this morning. 40:16 A new generation to have a never 40:18 the less experience. Let me conclude 40:22 by just tell you little story, 40:24 I was in Northern Mexico and we had 40:28 gone there because we wanted to visit 12 new 40:32 churches that had been established. 40:34 The work is not easy in North Mexico 40:38 and we had come to a camp meeting where 40:40 the 12 churches were coming together 40:44 and it was a retired worker that had gone 40:47 there and established these 12 churches. 40:52 And I suppose that day they were about 1200 40:54 people there and they were going to have 40:58 quite a day of it, singing, praying, 41:00 preaching but one of the special events that they 41:03 were going to baptize 47 people. 41:06 And it just happens to be the culture in that 41:08 particular area that when you have a 41:10 baptism that each person is going to be 41:12 baptized stands before the microphone and 41:14 they give a little testimony. 41:16 And so I was there seated on the front row 41:18 and this long line and they began to give their 41:20 little short testimonies. Well just after one or 41:23 two people this great big guy stood in front 41:26 of the microphone. He was bigger then 41:28 I was and kind of gruff and he said, 41:32 well there are a lot of you that are 41:33 surprised to see me here today. 41:35 He says let me tell you how this happened, 41:38 he said I was in my house one day he said 41:41 I was drinking a beer and he said I heard this 41:44 little knock on the door. I opened up the door 41:48 and here stood a little boy about this tall and 41:50 under his arm he had a great big Bible and he 41:53 said to me not hello, how are you? 41:57 Good afternoon, his first words were mister, 42:01 do you wanna study the Bible with me. 42:06 And he thought well what harm can there be 42:08 in studying the Bible, but this little guy 42:10 he said I opened up the door ushered him in 42:14 and he said you know day after, day after, 42:15 day the little boy came back and studied with 42:17 me I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ 42:19 and never the less I am gonna be ready when 42:22 Jesus comes, amen. You know the amazing 42:26 part of that was of those 47 people there were 42:28 7 people who gave the same testimony about 42:30 the same little boy, amen. At the end of that 42:33 baptism Elder Miranda stood up and he said it's 42:35 a custom here to invite anyone else who would 42:37 like to prepare for baptism. 42:39 Who is it that would like to prepare. 42:43 I turned around to see if there might be someone 42:45 that would come forward and to my great 42:48 shock there was a little boy this tall on the 42:50 second row who had stood up seven times in 42:53 recognition then came up to the front and said, 42:55 yes, I wanna be baptized. 42:57 And then I found out you can't baptize people 43:00 in Mexico unless you're 12 he was a 11 years old. 43:04 Never the less, a generation called to that. 43:09 Friends, I don't know, I don't know you're 43:14 situation here this morning, 43:18 but if you need the confidence that Jesus 43:20 has forgiven you I beg you to claim that never 43:23 the less experience. If some of the theories 43:27 of the world and practices as if made a 43:29 little in roads into your life, 43:30 I pray that you will say no I will have a never 43:33 the less experience. I am going to live 43:34 by God's word, I am gonna believe what he 43:36 teaches and if you been called to mission which 43:41 every person here as because that's what this 43:43 church is about. I would ask you to have 43:46 a never the less experience, 43:47 I don't care what the evidence is. 43:48 You can all be stacked up at never 43:50 the less trust Him. This gospel of the 43:52 kingdom shall be preached in all the 43:54 world for a witness Jesus is coming, 43:57 never the less, never the less, 43:59 never the less, amen. 44:11 Let us stand as we sing trust and obey 44:14 for there is no other way, let us stand. 44:20 When we walk with the 44:22 Lord in the light of His Word, 44:27 What a glory He sheds on our way! 44:32 While we do His good will, 44:36 He abides with us still, 47:54 What an inspiration, lets bow our heads. 47:58 Abba Father, it has been good to be in your 48:01 house this morning. Our hearts have been 48:04 stirred and they have been thrilled, they have 48:07 been challenged. We want to respond 48:10 to your call, we are thankful that as we look 48:13 around the world and we see so many 48:15 negative things, things that would discourage 48:17 us and causes to doubt. You have challenged us 48:21 this morning to say never the less at that 48:25 word I will act. I will do what you 48:28 ask me to do even if its looks impossible, 48:31 even if others don't understand. 48:34 Lord we ask that you would fill us with your 48:36 spirit, we thank you for the 48:38 challenge that we received. 48:41 We confess our humbleness, 48:43 our weakness our sinfulness, 48:46 we are thankful for your mercy, 48:48 for your grace and for your cleansing power. 48:52 Fill us with your spirit Lord, we long to see 48:55 this work finished. We long to reflect 48:58 your character and your glory 49:00 so that we may go home. We long to see you 49:03 coming in the clouds of glory. 49:06 For this we pray in the 49:07 wonderful name of Jesus, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17