Participants: Justin Torossian
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR001045
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01:01 The Savior is waiting to answer your hearts.
01:05 Oh, how He longs to come in. 01:10 The weekend is almost over. 01:14 Sad, right? 01:15 Well, praise the Lord that witness is not about 01:19 a conference, witness is about a lifestyle, amen. 01:24 Evangelism is not an event, evangelism is a way of life. 01:29 So although it may feel as though-- 01:31 or as though the conference is ending right now 01:34 know that being a witness starts now 01:37 and continues on through the rest of lives, amen. 01:41 In our message on Thursday night 01:44 called Giants in the Land." 01:46 We saw that we are on the border 01:48 of the heavenly promise lands, 01:50 that God wants to raise us up to be spiritual giants 01:53 and to finish the work so that we can go home. 01:57 On the Friday in the afternoon message 01:59 called "The Motive Motif" 02:01 we saw that in order to finish the work 02:02 and go home our hearts must be pure 02:06 and our motives must be form genuine selfless love. 02:11 In our message yesterday morning, 02:13 Sabbath morning called "It's All About You?" 02:17 we discover that God's motive in the great controversy 02:20 is not clear His name for any selfish reason, 02:23 not so when some ancient argument with the devil, 02:26 but rather His focus 02:28 in the great controversy was you. 02:30 We see this through the story of the Pearl of Great Price. 02:33 We realize that our focus in life, 02:37 our focus in this great controversy 02:39 should be upon God, amen. 02:42 We should live for His glory, to reflect to the world 02:45 a true picture of who He really is. 02:49 This can be summed up in Jesus words, 02:51 when He was asked what the first 02:52 and greatest commandment was. 02:54 When He said, "Thou salt love the Lord 02:56 thy God with all thy heart, 02:58 with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." 03:02 And in today's message, this afternoons message 03:05 called "Served to Save" we are going to see 03:09 how the second is like on to it. 03:12 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 03:15 Like to invite you to bow your heads with me 03:18 and join me in prayer through song. 03:24 Spirit of the living God 03:30 Fall afresh on me 03:37 Spirit of the living God 03:44 Fall afresh on me 03:50 Break me, melt me 03:56 Mold me, and fill me 04:03 Spirit of the living God 04:11 Fall afresh on me 04:19 Father, this is the prayer of our hearts, 04:21 we ask that You would fill our hearts 04:24 and minds with Your spirit 04:26 and that the love that You have bestrode upon us 04:29 by giving Your life to save us would fill our hearts with love 04:34 and a motivation to serve others, 04:38 that they might be saved. 04:40 We pray this in Jesus name, amen. 04:44 It was just this past Mother's Day, 04:47 that the video came out that shared the story 04:50 for the first time of the death of a mother's love. 04:57 Her two daughters were recounting the story 04:59 had taken place when they were just children. 05:02 They remembered as they were little girls 05:05 unable to do anything, that as their grandfather, 05:09 and mother and them had driven to a certain place, 05:13 parked the car and gone inside, 05:16 they didn't realize that the car was on a hill, 05:20 not only that but the emergency break 05:21 was not push down far enough. 05:24 Somehow the car broke free from the break 05:28 and started slowly inching its way down the hill. 05:32 Their mother without giving it a second thought 05:37 saw the car picking up speed and knew that the only chance 05:41 that her daughters would have of being saved 05:44 since the car was rolling toward a cliff 05:47 was to do something drastic. 05:50 The mother without thinking twice, 05:52 knowing that it was all that could be done 05:53 to try to slow the car down dove in front of that car. 05:59 She landed on the ground, became a human speed bump 06:03 and the car was slowed down enough for her father 06:06 to jump in the driver seat and slam on the breaks. 06:11 To this day the mother is crippled in a wheelchair, 06:16 but she is still alive and praise the Lord that 06:19 because of this selfless sacrifice, 06:23 because of this selfless service 06:26 her two daughters could be saved. 06:30 Friends, God's love for us is a self sacrificing love. 06:34 It's a love that gives of Himself to us. 06:39 And when we have Jesus dwelling in our hearts by faith, 06:43 when we behold the great love that God has for us, 06:46 it will motivate us to serve others 06:49 to have that same self-sacrificing love. 06:54 In our passage of Scripture this afternoon, 06:56 we find Jesus in a similar place to that mother. 07:00 You see Jesus at the point which we find Him today 07:05 was in a place where everything hung 07:07 upon His immediate action. 07:10 I would like to invite you turn in your Bibles with me 07:12 to John Chapter 13, 07:15 John Chapter 13. 07:20 Jesus needed to do something quickly, 07:24 He had told His disciples that He was going to die 07:27 and they still didn't get it. 07:29 They still couldn't understand what He meant. 07:32 It was as if He had never even said it to them. 07:36 John 13:1 07:39 as we continue our message "Served to Saved." 07:44 "Now before the feast of the Passover, 07:47 when Jesus knew that His hour had come 07:50 and He should depart from this world to the Father, 07:53 having loved His own who were in the world, 07:56 He loved them unto the end." 07:59 We see here that Jesus, the Bible tells us 08:02 is cognizant of the fact that soon 08:05 His mission will be accomplished. 08:07 He will no longer be with His disciples 08:09 and He will go back to heaven. 08:12 Now His time was limited and you know, 08:14 it's not until we realize that our time is limited 08:17 that we start using it wisely. 08:19 Isn't that right? 08:20 I will never forget when I received the offer 08:24 and the call to receive my masters degree 08:27 and be sponsored to go that as I was praying 08:30 and the Lord made it clear that He wanted me to do that, 08:34 I will never forget that it was then that 08:37 when I realize I was leaving my church in six months 08:41 that every thought that I had was, 08:44 how can I prepare them 08:46 to continue strong after I'm gone? 08:49 And Jesus mission, His desire and His ministry 08:52 was to prepare his disciple for the time of His departure. 08:55 He knew that His time was limited, 08:57 His time was precious. 08:59 Soon He would be gone and they still didn't get it, 09:03 they still didn't understand the core of His teachings. 09:07 They still didn't understand the deepest purpose of His life 09:13 and actions and ministry, His words, everything. 09:17 They still didn't understand. 09:20 Continuing with on John 13:2 "And supper being ended, 09:24 the devil having already put it into the heart 09:26 of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him," 09:30 we're gonna comeback to that part. 09:32 Verse 3 "Jesus, knowing that 09:34 the Father had given all things into His hands, 09:39 and that He had come from God, and was going to God, 09:44 rose from supper and laid aside His garments." 09:48 Now I want to you to notice this with me, 09:50 make no mistake here. 09:52 John as he is writing this gospel 09:55 he gives us a glimpse into the galactic 09:58 cosmic conflict between good and evil. 10:01 And he tells us that everything at this point 10:04 was on the line. 10:06 Jesus realized at this point 10:08 that eternity hung in the balance, 10:12 the fate of the human race was at stake 10:15 and it was at this point that Jesus had to do something 10:20 to communicate to His disciples, 10:22 the crocks of His mission, 10:24 the substance of all His teachings. 10:27 What He had come to do? What He was living for? 10:32 He wanted to teach them 10:33 the most important thing of all. 10:40 "Jesus rose from supper and laid aside His garments, 10:45 took a towel and girded Himself." 10:49 Verse 5 "After that, He poured water into a basin 10:51 and began to wash the disciple's feet, 10:54 and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." 11:00 Friends, the lesson that Jesus was trying to teach them 11:04 had been reflected in His every action. 11:07 This was the message that came through in His every word. 11:13 Jesus in that moment did something profound. 11:15 Listen to this, I love how-- how this biblical reality 11:19 is occurred in Desire of Ages, 642, paragraph 2 11:23 "The whole life of Christ 11:25 had been a life of unselfish service. 11:30 'Not to be ministered unto, but to minister,' 11:32 Matthew 20:28, had been the lesson of His every act. 11:38 But not yet had the disciples learned the lesson. 11:42 At this last Passover supper, Jesus repeated His teaching 11:46 by an illustration that impressed it forever 11:50 upon their minds and hearts." 11:54 You see, Jesus and the crocks of His every action, 11:59 the crocks of His every word was about unselfish service. 12:06 While speaking of the rich young ruler 12:08 who rejected the sacrifice that 12:11 it would take in order to follow Jesus, 12:14 He thought that giving his things up was too much. 12:18 She has a very powerful comment 12:20 but just on that note I want to say, 12:22 Jesus never asks us to give something up 12:26 unless He's gonna give something far better. 12:30 You know, we may think our life, 12:31 I really become serious about my walk with God, 12:33 I got to change my music and I'm gonna need to change 12:36 that the friends I hang out with, some of my hobbies. 12:38 Friends, don't feel like you be loosing something 12:41 or sacrificing something wonderful 12:43 in order to follow God because God wants to give you 12:46 in its place something so much better. 12:50 Speaking of the rich young ruler, 12:54 she says to those who like the rich young ruler 12:56 are in high positions of trust and have great positions, 12:59 it may seem too great of sacrifice to give up 13:02 all in order to follow Christ. 13:04 Now listen to this, one of the most powerful sentences 13:08 in this entire biography on the life of Jesus. 13:12 "Nothing short of obedience can be accepted." 13:16 Desire of Ages, page 523 "Self-surrender 13:21 is the substance of the teachings of Christ." 13:26 Did you catch that? 13:28 Self-surrender is the substance of the teachings of Christ. 13:33 In other words, if you boiled it all down 13:36 to one statement, to one thing everything that Jesus did, 13:40 everything He said, everything that Christ was, 13:44 was about self-surrender. 13:46 It was about service. 13:49 This was the crocks of Jesus mission. 13:52 I love how the-- the Baptist preacher 13:55 called the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon put it, 13:58 by the way he is the Prince of Preachers 13:59 because Jesus is the King of Preachers, amen. 14:02 "He bequeaths us His manger, 14:04 from which to learn how God came down to man, 14:08 and His cross to teach us how man may go up to God." 14:13 You see, Jesus ultimate-- 14:16 ultimate act of self-sacrifice was upon the cross. 14:21 But up until this point in John 13, 14:24 up until this point, 14:25 where Jesus began to wash His disciple's feet, 14:28 this was His most service oriented act. 14:33 His disciples had not experienced 14:35 anything like it thus far. 14:39 Now we need to understand something, 14:45 we need to understand something about foot washing 14:49 and we need to know that you know, 14:52 it's not like we have today 14:54 the Seventh-day Adventists church practices foot washing 14:56 because, in this chapter Jesus says at least three times 15:00 for His followers to do like wise. 15:02 So we practice foot washing and do ordinance of humility 15:06 in connection with communion, but when we do it, 15:11 people will all wash their feet that morning. 15:14 In this case the disciples have been walking in sandals, 15:17 their feet were dirty, 15:19 you know, it wasn't just socked length 15:21 that was leftover in the bucket afterward, it was dirt. 15:25 And it was customary that when they walked into a home 15:28 that a servant in the house would wash everyone's feet 15:32 as an act of love and hospitality, and service. 15:37 Now Jesus disciples up until this point 15:41 they still did get it, 15:42 they didn't realize that the crocks of His life, 15:46 every word, every action, 15:48 everything was to communicate that self-surrender 15:52 was the most important thing in God's kingdom. 15:56 So Jesus had to do something. 16:00 He had show them, He had told them, 16:04 but they still didn't get it. 16:06 I love how a wise man once put it, 16:07 he said, tell me and I will forget, 16:11 show me, and I will remember, 16:13 but involve me and I will understand. 16:18 Jesus chose to involve His disciples 16:21 in this act of humility to help them understand 16:25 this all pervading lesson of His life. 16:28 Jesus sought to involve them. 16:31 They needed the experience in order to really get it. 16:35 And, you know, friends, this is how God works. 16:36 Sometimes we have situations in our lives 16:39 and we wonder Lord, why is this happening to me? 16:42 May be you and your friend have come to the Lord 16:45 and you struggle with a smoking cigarettes 16:49 and your friend has been 16:51 miraculously delivered from smoking, 16:54 but you are, are struggling and battling 16:56 and going through a five day planet 16:58 implementing the things you've learned 16:59 and you're wondering why Lord, was this person, 17:02 my friend delivered immediately, 17:03 miraculously but not I? 17:06 Friends, Jesus wants to teach you 17:08 something through the experience 17:11 in granting you victory step by step. 17:13 He wants to teach you something in that experience. 17:18 It may be something else, 17:20 may be a loved one has leukemia and you wondering 17:23 why the treatments are not working to cure them? 17:26 Friends, I want to be clear here. 17:28 We still live in what the devil believes is his territory, 17:33 and the devil is alive and well and trying to harass us 17:36 to the point that we will drift from God 17:39 or blame God for the bad things that are happening. 17:42 Well, it is never God's will that negative things, 17:45 that bad things happen to us, 17:47 that sin and its corrupt influence is tarnish our lives. 17:52 God does allow certain things, 17:55 sometimes because He wants to 17:57 and really always ultimately because it's for our own good, 18:01 but because He wants to teach us 18:02 something in the journey. 18:05 Jesus knew that for His disciples 18:06 through really get it they needed to be involved. 18:11 So He took up the basin and the towel. 18:17 Now just set the tone and help you realize 18:20 what is just been happening, 18:23 the disciples had just been squabbling about 18:25 who was gonna be the greatest, 18:27 up until this point they still entertained the erroneous view 18:31 that the Jewish nation had espoused 18:33 that the coming Messiah 18:34 would be a conquering king to deliver them 18:37 form the cruel yoke of the Romans. 18:40 And the disciples were sure 18:42 that Jesus would soon ascend the throne 18:45 and that they would be His inner circle of right hand men. 18:50 So we know that just before this James and John 18:53 had actually gone to the point 18:55 of getting their mother involved, 18:58 and their mom went to Jesus and said, 18:59 Lord can you please allow my sons to have 19:02 the position of Your right hands 19:05 and Your left hand in your kingdom? 19:08 The disciples didn't like this, and before this at this point 19:14 as the Passover it have been 19:16 Jesus whose is trying to communicate to them 19:17 that He was going to leave them, 19:19 that He was going to die, that He raise again 19:23 and they were fighting and squabbling about 19:26 who was better than the other. 19:29 Who deserves to be Jesus right hand men-- man? 19:33 They were arguing and bickering 19:35 and none of them wanted to serve. 19:40 They were there and they saw the basin, 19:42 and they saw the towel, and they knew-- 19:45 they knew that there was no servant 19:46 that was going to come wash their feet. 19:49 But they resisted the Holy Spirit's 19:52 wowing their hearts 19:54 and they said oh, no, not me, some one else can do it. 19:56 And friends, when we see 19:59 things that need to be done in God's service, 20:02 it's all too easy to say, ah, someone else will do it. 20:07 When water spills on the floor 20:08 and we know we should just go get a mop from the kitchen 20:11 and mop it up and start helping, 20:14 it's all too easy to say, ah, someone else will do it. 20:17 Someone else can do it, 20:19 let somebody else take care of it. 20:22 This is the natural human tendency 20:23 when it comes to service. 20:26 Something in the human heart rises up against service 20:29 and naturally does not want to serve. 20:37 We know and you can read this story later, 20:39 if you're not familiar with it. 20:41 We know that Jesus started washing the disciples feet, 20:44 He came to Peter and Peter said, oh, no Lord, 20:47 you, you can't wash my feet. 20:49 Jesus said, if you-- if I do not wash your feet 20:51 you have no part with Me. 20:52 And Peter said, oh, wash my hands 20:54 and my head as well. 20:56 And then Jesus explains in that is wasn't necessary 20:58 and He also explain there that foot washing 21:01 is a miniature form of baptism, it's like a mini re-baptism. 21:06 But after this in verse 12 Jesus continues. 21:10 He says, "So when He had washed their feet," 21:12 the Bible says "Taken His garments, 21:15 and sat down again, He said to them, 21:19 'Do you know what I have done to you? 21:21 You call Me Teacher and Lord, 21:23 and you say well, for so I am. 21:26 If then, your Lord and Teacher, 21:29 I have washed your feet, 21:31 you also ought to wash one another's feet. 21:34 For I have given you an example, 21:36 that you should do as I have done to you." 21:42 Imagine how the disciples felt, 21:45 the followers of Jesus as their master, as their Lord, 21:50 was the one to say, you know, I will do it. 21:53 And He was communicating to them 21:55 that self surrender was the substance of His teachings. 22:00 That is what it boiled down to. 22:03 Humility is necessary 22:05 if we are going to be God's followers, amen. 22:09 Humility essential. 22:11 In fact, without humility 22:13 we have no way of even really having 22:16 God's blessing and God's presence. 22:20 There's a powerful book that's-- 22:22 I'd like to encourage to read 22:23 it's called "Messages to Young People" 22:26 and on page 217 of that book 22:29 you can find the following quote, 22:31 "Church members, young and old, 22:32 should be educated to go forth to proclaim 22:35 this last message to the world." 22:37 Now it's conditional, listen 22:38 "If they go in humility," if they go in what? 22:42 Humility. 22:44 "Angels of God will go with them, 22:46 teaching them how to lift up the voice in prayer, 22:49 how to raise the voice in song, 22:51 and how to proclaim the gospel message for this time." 22:55 Praise the Lord that, 22:56 that's what we've been doing here at witness, amen. 22:59 But you know, we know that pride is a dangerous thing 23:03 and it's easy to think that-- 23:07 some of the thing the Lord does through you 23:08 is because of you or because of you. 23:13 You know, I'm always encouraged and blessed 23:17 when after a message or Bible study or anything 23:21 someone will come and say, 23:22 you know, I just really appreciated that. 23:24 But I want you to listen to the following quote, 23:29 when I read this it, it really blew me away. 23:32 You know, if someone comes up to you as a speaker or a-- 23:36 give me after, giving a Bible study 23:38 and they say you know, I really enjoyed that. 23:40 I specially liked what you shared about 23:43 you know, of verse 16 of the chapter 23:45 and they tell you something it means all the more 23:48 than if someone says, wow, you're a great speaker. 23:51 You know all, that's was an awesome Bible study, 23:54 you are so cool, right. 23:56 And you know it actually is an indication 23:59 of what's going on in the preacher 24:01 or the Bible study director's hearts. 24:04 Listen to this, after talking about 24:06 how self should be lost sight of 24:09 and Jesus should be lifted up in sermons. 24:12 In fourth volume of the Testimonies, page 399, 24:16 paragraph 2 Ellen White says, 24:18 "The people will be so impressed 24:20 with these all-absorbing subjects that 24:23 they will talk of them and praise them, 24:26 instead of praising the minister, 24:27 the mere instrument." 24:29 Now here that get strong listen to this, 24:31 "But if the people, while they praise the minister, 24:35 have little interest in the word preached, 24:38 he may know that the truth 24:39 is not sanctifying his own soul." 24:44 If we go away form a sermon and all we can think about 24:47 and talk about is the way that the words were said. 24:50 If all that we can think about 24:51 and talk about was how clever the stories were. 24:54 Friends, then-- 24:55 then we have a lot missed the point 24:58 and it's not completely the fault of the hearers. 25:01 Here it says, it's a revelation of the fact that 25:04 people are looking at you and not able to see 25:06 through you to see and hear Jesus. 25:10 Friends, we only, only can carry forward the work of God, 25:15 if we have complete humility and God will give us humility 25:19 when are constantly dependent upon Him, amen. 25:24 Orion mentioned when speaking this morning, 25:28 he mentioned something that's, 25:31 that it's not always convenient to help others. 25:35 It's not always convenient to sacrifice 25:38 and to do what's-- to put yourself second 25:43 in order to elevate others. 25:45 And you know, when the called to service comes 25:48 there's something in the human heart that resists it. 25:51 There's something in the human heart 25:53 that kicks and pushes back. 25:55 And did you know that in Jesus heart, in Jesus mind, 26:00 He was tempted to not even serve His disciples. 26:04 I told you we would go back to verse 2. 26:06 It says there, "And supper being ended, 26:08 the devil having already put it into the heart 26:10 of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 26:13 Jesus, knowing 26:15 that the Father had given all things into His hands." 26:18 After this He rose up, and He served them. 26:21 You see, Jesus was-- was at a point 26:25 where He knew what was going to happen, 26:27 He knew Judas was going to betray Him. 26:30 Jesus knew at this point that Peter would deny Him. 26:35 He knew that all of His disciples 26:36 would forsake Him and flee. 26:39 He knew that He was going to die on the cross 26:42 for people who would not even accept His sacrifice. 26:47 Jesus had tried telling them look, 26:50 My life is going to end, and they didn't even get it. 26:54 Jesus could have said, you know, what? 26:56 This is my time to think about Myself, 27:00 but self-surrender was the substance of His teachings. 27:04 Jesus didn't take this opportunity 27:06 to think about Himself, He knew that He would be denied, 27:10 He knew that His disciples 27:11 would fall asleep in the one time that 27:14 He asked them please pray for Me. 27:16 But Jesus moved forward and served them anyways. 27:22 Jesus was actuated by pure and selfless love. 27:27 You know, in Hebrew 12:1 27:32 the Bible tells us something very powerful. 27:34 It says, in the second part of verse 1 there, 27:38 it says, let us run the race with endurance, 27:40 "Let us run with endurance the race 27:42 that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, 27:45 he author and finisher of our faith, 27:48 who for the joy that was set before Him 27:51 endured the cross, despising the shame." 27:56 What is it mean that the joy that was set before Him? 27:59 Well, if you go back and you look at Luke 22:43 28:03 you see that the angel Gabriel 28:05 was sent to minister unto Jesus, 28:07 as He was there in the Garden of Gethsemane, 28:10 as the-- the cup of the sins 28:13 and wow s of the world 28:14 were trembling in His hands so speak. 28:18 Jesus was encouraged to move forward 28:21 by an angel sent from heaven. 28:23 You know what I believe took place? 28:26 I believe that Jesus was pointed 28:28 and directed up to look at the stars. 28:32 Let me well, why? 28:35 What's the big deal? The stars? 28:38 Yes, because every young Jewish boy, 28:41 every Jewish girl knew that 28:44 when they looked up at the stars 28:46 they could remember God's promise to father Abraham. 28:50 And that those who would-- those who would accept God, 28:54 those who would be saved in His kingdom, 28:56 would number the-- the number of the stars. 29:00 They would be as many as the stars in number. 29:03 Tons of people would be saved in other words. 29:05 Jesus knew that by going forward 29:09 as He looked up at those stars, 29:11 He was reminded of what Daniel 12:3 says, 29:13 when it says that "Those who turn many to righteousness 29:16 will be like the stars forever and ever." 29:20 And looking up at the stars He though of you and I 29:23 and this is why He went forward. 29:26 Jesus had the right, 29:29 He had the right to think of Himself. 29:32 He could have asked one of His disciples to, 29:35 to wash everyone's feet 29:36 and He wouldn't have been out of place. 29:39 But Jesus worked upon the principle 29:42 of self-sacrifice and self-surrender. 29:47 So it's Sabbath that witness, 29:51 its not today, its Sunday I know that. 29:53 But imagine with me that it's Sabbath, 29:55 and as you go toward the lunch hall, 29:58 you hear a child's little voice saying, 30:00 mommy, I'm hungry. 30:02 And as you hear, you listen, 30:06 hence you walk her little slower 30:08 so you can hear the response. 30:10 And the mother says, yes, sweetheart, I know 30:11 but we didn't pack a lunch today 30:14 and we are not going to God's eat since its Sabbath 30:16 and our family doesn't live anywhere near hear, 30:18 I know you are hungry, 30:19 but just wait until after Sabbath. 30:22 How long is that? 30:23 Six hours. 30:26 You have your meal ticket, you paid for it, 30:29 you had a long night, you've been working hard, 30:32 you have the right to eat your meal, 30:36 but are you willing to surrender your right, 30:38 so that someone else can eat? 30:42 God's kingdom works up on the principle of service. 30:46 It works up on the principle of self-surrender. 30:50 This is what He wanted 30:51 to communicate to His disciples. 30:54 You know, marriage is to be built 30:56 upon the principle of self-sacrifice 30:59 because all true love is really self-sacrifice. 31:02 Not this mushy sentimental love that 31:05 the world tries to tell us love is. 31:08 We use love the word love for too many things. 31:10 I love ice-cream, I love spaghetti, et cetera. 31:15 But really true principled love 31:18 is not just a flight of feeling it is-- 31:21 it is a principle that we live by 31:24 and it's self-sacrificing 31:26 and this is God's desire in marriage. 31:28 We see this beautifully listed out in, 31:30 Ephesians Chapter 5 one of many Bible passages, 31:34 but if you are wanting to be married 31:37 so you can have someone guys, 31:40 so you can have someone's do your laundry 31:42 and make good food, you have the wrong perspective. 31:48 And girls don't be to quick to laugh. 31:50 If you just want to get married, 31:51 so you can have someone fix things around the house 31:54 and cheer on when they, you know, 31:56 playing a game or something, hence fix your car 32:00 and take care of the flat tire on the middle of the-- 32:03 in the middle of the road, then it's for the wrong reason, 32:07 and your marriage can never be truly happy 32:09 because the biblical bases for true love 32:14 that is to exist between a husband and wife 32:16 and really anyone is self-sacrifice. 32:20 What are we willing to give? 32:22 Are we willing to surrender 32:23 our desires, our wants, our needs 32:26 even at times to serve our spouse? 32:30 Question comes, do you want a servant 32:32 or do you want a spouse? 32:36 And in order to be the spouse 32:37 that God has called us to be, we need to serve. 32:41 This is God's desire, and we even see it 32:44 in the close relations of the family. 32:47 We see that Jesus lived this out, 32:49 turn with me to Philippians Chapter 2, 32:51 Philippians Chapter 2, 32:56 Philippians Chapter 2 a famous verse. 32:59 My grandfather was a Seventh-day Adventist minister 33:02 and this was his favorite verse. 33:04 "Let this mind be in you 33:10 which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, 33:15 though it not robbery to be equal with God, 33:19 but made Himself of no reputation, 33:22 taking the form of a bondservant, 33:25 and coming in the likeness of men. 33:28 And being found in appearance as a man, 33:30 He humbled Himself and became obedient 33:32 to the point of death, even the death of the cross." 33:37 Friends, God became a human being. 33:40 Jesus surrendered everything, His divinity even life itself, 33:46 to become the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. 33:49 You know, the Bible talks about two mysteries, 33:52 it talks about the mystery of iniquity, 33:55 and it talks about the mystery of godliness 33:58 and these are two opposite. 34:00 We see in Isaiah Chapter 14 that Lucifer 34:04 when he fell from heaven God reveals 34:06 what was going on in his heart and mind. 34:08 He tells us what Lucifer was thinking 34:10 and He says that his mind was filled with himself. 34:13 He said I will ascend above the stars of God. 34:17 I will be like the most high. He wanted to lift himself up. 34:21 And friends, this is the principle of the world. 34:25 We look around us and even naturally 34:26 we think that to rise higher or to become better 34:30 we need to rise higher through the ranks at work 34:33 and don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong 34:35 with organization and administration. 34:38 God needs people in every position, 34:40 but it's the natural human tendency to think, 34:43 when we are little kids that 34:44 if we can insult the-- the kid in the class, 34:48 that we think is on the same level 34:50 as a we can step on them and rise higher ourselves. 34:54 It's the natural human tendency to think that, 34:57 by lifting ourselves up we become better. 35:01 But God says, no. 35:03 God says, in My kingdom it's the opposite. 35:07 You see, Jesus, that is the mystery of iniquity, 35:11 how a creature has tried to make himself out to be God. 35:15 But the mystery of godliness that we find in 1 Timothy 2:15, 35:21 excuse me for 1 Timothy 3:16 the mystery of godliness 35:24 is how the Creator has become a creature? 35:29 Not how a creature wants to make himself God, 35:31 but how God became a creature in order to save His creatures. 35:37 Friends, in God's kingdom, 35:39 the greatest of all is the serving of all. 35:43 The greatest of all is the serving of all. 35:46 Mark 10:43 here Jesus says the following. 35:51 Says, "Yet it shall not be so among you," 35:53 He's talking about the principles of the world, 35:55 He said the gentiles, they loaded over there, 35:57 they're workers and the people under them. 36:00 But He said, not so with you, 36:02 "but whoever desires to become great among you 36:05 shall be your servant. 36:07 And whoever of you desires to be first 36:11 shall be slave of all. 36:13 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, 36:17 but to serve, and to give His life 36:20 a ransom for many." 36:23 Friends, God's kingdom is counter intuitive. 36:28 Counter intuitive means it's-- 36:29 its opposite of what you would naturally think to do. 36:33 Naturally as human beings we want to lift ourselves up, 36:36 God says, no, serve, 36:38 and the servant of all is the greatest of all. 36:41 Here in Australia, 36:43 you guys drive on the left side of the road, 36:45 in America we drive on the right side of the road, 36:48 the right side of the road. 36:50 And I was here for just a week 36:54 and we were driving of course on the left side of the road, 36:57 and as we are coming around the corner, 36:59 I saw a car coming toward us, and soon as I saw the car, 37:03 I started to panic because I knew, 37:05 we were on the left side of the road. 37:07 And I though man that car 37:08 is on the left side of the road. 37:10 It was countered intuitive. 37:12 You see if I have been driving 37:13 and I'm glad I wasn't at the time, 37:16 but if I had been driving it could have been bad 37:18 because what was natural to me was contrary 37:21 to what I should do for my safety 37:23 and for the good of others. 37:25 And in this case service is counter intuitive. 37:28 You see, God's way is opposite to ours, 37:31 and when we have Him living in our hearts, 37:33 His ways become our ways. 37:36 In God's kingdom you go down to rise up. 37:40 In God's kingdom you descend in order to ascend, 37:44 you go lower in order to rise higher. 37:47 This is the principle upon which God works. 37:50 And this is the principle 37:52 upon which His followers will work as well. 37:57 You see, friends, Jesus surrendered His rights. 38:02 He had the right in that moment, 38:03 when He washed His disciple's feet. 38:06 He had the right to tell one of them you know, what? 38:09 Why don't you take care of this? 38:11 He could have just nudged one of them 38:12 with His elbow and looked at it him, 38:14 and that would have been enough. 38:16 Jesus had the right to do it, 38:18 He had the right to think of Himself, right? 38:22 Jesus knew that they would be ungrateful 38:24 for the sacrifice He was going to make. 38:27 Jesus had the right, when He was on the cross 38:30 and they were mocking Him to come down from the cross 38:33 and say forget it, let man die in his own sins 38:38 and to return to heaven with a wrath knew of angels. 38:41 He had the right as the solders were, 38:44 were beating Him and ripping out His beard, 38:47 Jesus had the right with a snap of His fingers behind His back 38:50 to stop their hearts from beating. 38:53 He had the right. 38:55 He did not deserve what they were doing to Him 38:57 but friends, Jesus surrendered His rights 39:01 and because Jesus surrendered His right, 39:04 you and I could be saved. 39:07 You see, when Jesus surrendered His right 39:09 constantly His self-surrender resulted in the salvation 39:14 of all who would accept Him as their Savior. 39:19 And friends, Jesus stooped to serve, 39:25 He surrendered His right 39:26 and He wants us to surrender our rights as well. 39:31 The theme that witness this year what is it? 39:34 Rise up, save for service, or saved to serve. 39:38 Friends, we can rise up knowing that 39:41 we have been saved for service 39:43 because Jesus came down and He served in order to save. 39:49 Jesus came down and He served humanity, 39:53 ultimately giving His own life 39:55 in order that we might be saved. 39:59 Jesus surrendered His rights, 40:02 and He wants us to surrender our right too. 40:05 I don't know what situation you find yourself in 40:07 when it comes to you felling that you have a right, 40:10 may be you're older, you're up there in years, 40:13 you've saved money for retirement 40:14 and you thinking to yourself, 40:16 now I have the right to enjoy the rest of my life 40:19 and take it easy, 40:21 and spend a lots of money on different things 40:23 and Jesus is telling you today surrender your rights. 40:27 Yes, make sure that you can-- you can live 40:29 but give to my cause also. 40:32 Jesus says, surrender your right 40:34 and by doing so others will be saved. 40:38 May be you've-- you had a family member 40:41 who is hurt you. 40:43 May be you are abused as a child 40:44 and now that family member needs help 40:47 and you are the only one who can help them. 40:51 And you're thinking to yourself, 40:52 you know, I have a right to receive an apology. 40:55 I have a right to withhold help from them. 41:00 Friends, surrender your rights because it may result in that 41:04 family member's eternal salvation. 41:07 May be you've been facing a decision 41:10 as a husband and wife, as a couple 41:14 and you haven't seen eye to eye 41:15 and you finally said, okay, as the biblical model will, 41:19 we will go with the husband's decision 41:21 and later you come to find out that it was the wrong decision. 41:25 The wife may think you know, 41:26 I have a right to tell my husband, 41:27 I told you so, surrender your rights and serve. 41:33 Jesus came down and served to save, 41:38 so that we could rise up, 41:40 knowing that we have been saved to serve. 41:43 This is Jesus desire for us. 41:47 He wants us to serve Him and by serving Him 41:53 it means that we are serving others. 41:56 Christ wants us to surrender our rights. 41:58 Whatever we feel is our right to do, 42:01 He is inviting us to surrender it, to give it up. 42:06 And if-- if you are here today 42:09 and you are thinking there may not be, 42:11 that I can't think of anything in my mind 42:13 that the Lord would-- would have me give up what? 42:15 What is it? 42:16 There will come an opportunity and there will come a time, 42:19 where you have a decision to make. 42:21 Whether it's walking by a mother and their child, 42:23 who need food more than you do 42:26 or whether it's helping a family member 42:28 when you have a right to expect an apology. 42:31 Holy Spirit's gonna whisper to you in that moment 42:33 and say surrender your rights. 42:37 Jesus surrendered His rights so that we could be saved. 42:43 Friends, the work began in great self-sacrifice 42:47 and it will only be finished with great self sacrifice. 42:53 This afternoon if you want to say Lord 42:55 I recognize that I have been saved for service, 43:00 I see today that You came down 43:03 and you served in order to save, 43:05 I want to serve others, 43:06 so that others can be saved too. 43:08 Then I invite you to stand, you want to say Lord, 43:11 I want to be a servant, 43:14 make me a servant today, amen. 43:19 Just before coming here to Australia, 43:23 I was with my parents in Northern California. 43:27 I had not spent this much time with them, 43:29 since I left home in 2008. 43:34 As I was there I was helping my parents 43:36 remodel their house and my mom was, 43:40 was sitting there in the living room, 43:42 and she had her pad there, and she said you know, 43:46 I've decided that I'm gonna put a couple hours 43:49 every evening into preparing things 43:53 for the house, as it's been remodeled. 43:55 I want to do my part, I want to help. 43:58 And I asked her something, I said, mom, that's great. 44:02 I have her permission to tell this story by the way. 44:07 I said are you willing to give up the games 44:10 that you are playing in order to have that time? 44:15 You see my mom had started playing games 44:17 not things that are necessarily bad in of themselves. 44:20 Words with friends, then something's 44:23 that are flashy colors like Candy Crush or Diamond Dash, 44:28 but she recognized these things are-- 44:31 are sucking up my precious time. 44:34 And friends, time is really life. 44:37 Time is all we have. 44:39 However you spending your time your are spending your life. 44:42 And with a kind countenance I asked momma, 44:45 are you willing to give them up? 44:47 And she looked at me and she looked back 44:50 and she said I will think about it. 44:55 Oh, friends, you know the Holy Spirit 44:57 can do things that, that we cannot, amen. 45:00 But He wants to use us. 45:03 My mom the next morning came to me, 45:07 and when I came to the house she said you know what? 45:10 I read something in my devotions this morning. 45:13 I came across this quote that said that, 45:15 in order to draw closer to Christ 45:17 every darling sin must be cut off, 45:20 must be done away with. 45:23 And she said, I remember what you asked me last night. 45:25 I said praised the Lord, mom. Praise the Lord. 45:29 Then I said, you know, 45:30 the Lord had me memorized this quote not too long ago 45:35 and I want to share with you. 45:38 Christ's Object Lessons, page 280, paragraph 4 45:43 "When the appeals of the Holy Spirit 45:44 come to the heart, our only safety 45:49 lies in responding to them without delay." 45:55 As she was there and I was there 45:56 I said you know I have the book right here, 45:58 I want to see what else it says in that paragraph. 46:00 And I went, and I read, and I read out loud 46:03 and the words say, 46:05 "It is unsafe to delay obedience. 46:08 You may never hear the invitation again." 46:13 She just said wow, and then we started talking 46:17 and she said, I think I need to give 46:19 these little time wasting games up 46:24 and she started talking 46:25 and change the subject to little bit 46:27 and I brought a bag and I said mom, 46:30 what you gonna do? 46:32 And she started talking about that thing, 46:33 she was talking about, I said, no, no, no, 46:36 about what the Lord is been speaking to your heart. 46:39 She says what else can I do? 46:42 What else can I do but give them up. 46:45 She said, take my pad, 46:47 my phone delete any games on that. 46:50 I gonna go for a walk. 46:52 Oh, brothers and sisters, you have no idea 46:54 how happy I was, praise God. 46:56 I've never taken so much pleasure 46:58 and deleting something form an iPad or an iPhone, 47:01 and my mom this was the sweetest thing of all. 47:05 She came back and she said you know what? 47:08 On my walk I just felt like these 47:10 chains had been lifted off me. 47:12 I feel great, I feel fantastic, praise God. 47:17 By the way this is just happened 47:18 after a one week media fast. 47:22 And I encourage you to go on a media fast, 47:25 even form Facebook for a week 47:27 and see if the Lord does not speak to you more clearly. 47:32 But she came back and I said, you know, mom, 47:35 you should share that on Facebook, 47:37 you should share this testimony. 47:39 She said you know, what? I think I will. 47:41 Friends, there are many people 47:42 that struggle with little things 47:43 seeming little, you know-- 47:45 not harmful things that just waste time. 47:51 And today whether it's big or small, 47:54 if you recognize that there is something 47:56 that is keeping you from service, 47:59 something that is keeping you 48:00 from spending more time in God's service 48:05 and you want to say to Lord, I want to get rid of that, 48:08 I wanted it to be gone so that I can have more time for You, 48:11 than I invite to You to come forward. 48:13 Want to have a special prayer with you. 48:16 Come forward if you want to say Lord, 48:17 there are something's in my life, 48:19 may be not even bad things necessarily, 48:22 that I recognize are wasting my time. 48:26 And Lord, whether it's time waste 48:28 or something that's taking my money 48:29 or my energy, my thoughts, I want to give that up to You 48:32 because I want that time to be given to You. 48:36 If that's your desire today, I invite you to come forward. 48:42 Coming forward not for any other reason 48:44 but to say Lord, I recognize, 48:45 I can use my time better, praise the Lord. 48:47 Praise the Lord. 48:49 You know every time we make a physical action 48:52 it impresses upon our mind the decision that we have made. 48:57 It is not the same to remain in our seats 48:59 and say yeah, I gonna do that. 49:02 There's something about coming forward 49:04 because we remember that God-- we made a commitment to Him 49:08 and He is promised to fill His will in us, amen. 49:12 Amen. 49:14 Praise the Lord. 49:21 Whether you are already at the front 49:24 or whether you cannot think of anything that 49:28 you would like to surrender to God, 49:29 and have more time for service 49:32 and I want to make a specific appeal today. 49:36 Jesus left the comforts of heaven, 49:40 He left the streets of gold, 49:43 He left the civilized clean place 49:48 to come to this dark, dirty, sinful earth 49:55 and the work will not be finished 49:57 unless that's same type of self-sacrifice is made. 50:05 And if the Lord has been calling you for sometime 50:08 or may be for the first in this moment. 50:13 Can you believe that God wants you to go somewhere 50:16 to be a missionary for year of your life, 50:20 whether you take a year off of uni, 50:22 whether you taking off a year before uni 50:24 in order to go as a student missionary 50:28 or whether you are old, whether it's to go be trained 50:31 at a Bible collage specifically doing mission work 50:35 for at least a year and you willing to say Lord, 50:37 I want to explore that option, 50:40 I want to pray about being a missionary for you. 50:44 Friend, that will change your life. 50:49 If that's your desire today 50:50 I'd like to invite you to raise your hands 50:52 as a commitment to say Lord, I'm willing to pray about it. 50:55 Praise God, brother. 50:56 Praise the Lord. Amen. Amen. 51:01 Willing to pray and to look into it, 51:04 to look it ASAP 51:05 to look at Adventist Frontier Missions, AFM. org 51:10 and pray about where God might 51:12 want me to go for a year, amen. 51:15 If it weren't for missionaries 51:17 I wouldn't be standing here today, 51:20 my father would not be 51:21 a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 51:23 And by raising your hand and following through 51:25 with your commitment in this moment 51:28 God very well may save not just one 51:30 but entire families through your service. 51:33 Be faithful to the commitment you've made. 51:37 Shall we sing together? 51:39 A prayer of response "Lord, Make Me A Servant." 51:48 Make me a servant 51:52 Humble and meek 51:56 Lord, let me lift up 52:01 Those who are weak 52:05 And may the prayer 52:08 Of my heart always be 52:14 Make me a servant 52:19 Make me a servant 52:24 Make me a servant today 52:32 Father God, this is our prayer, 52:35 make us servants for You, 52:38 whether that is overseas of the missionary, 52:41 now or later Lord, 52:43 please may be, be faith to our commitments. 52:46 Many of us have in our minds the things in our lives 52:48 that we could spend less time 52:50 during so we could spend more time 52:51 with You and in Your service, and in service to others. 52:55 Keep us faithful to our commitments we pray 52:58 and as we go form this place today, 53:02 may be we remember that You have raised us up 53:04 to be spiritual giants and to be witnesses for You. 53:08 Because Jesus came down and served to save us 53:12 Lord, may we rise up through Christ in our hearts, 53:15 by stooping law to serve others that they might be saved. 53:20 This is our prayer in Jesus precious name, amen. |
Revised 2015-04-02