Participants: Donnie Shelton
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000029A
|
00:24 And we welcome you once again to, Pillars of Faith.
00:28 A word for today in today's work-a-day world. 00:33 My name is C.A. Murray and it is my privilege, my pleasure, 00:35 to welcome you to session number four with pastor Donnie Shelton 00:40 of, Touching Hearts Ministries, who has been going through 00:43 a series, Faith Leading To A Closer Walk With Jesus. 00:48 And each sermon has been power packed, 00:50 information filled, and Spirit filled, 00:53 as the man of God has lifted up the name of Jesus. 00:55 And we are so happy that Donnie has taken time from 00:58 his busy schedule to be in this desk on this day 01:02 to talk to us about the things of God. 01:05 The first sermon in this series, 01:07 Faith Equals Knowledge Times Light. 01:11 And I liked that title when he told me. 01:13 Just a great title. 01:15 Number two, My Grace Is Sufficient For Thee. 01:17 Certainly a true statement if ever there was one; 01:20 that the grace of God is sufficient for each of us 01:24 who walk the road to glory. 01:25 Followed by, The Gift of Eternal Life. 01:29 A powerful, powerful thought on yesterday. 01:32 And then today's message, A Piece of the Puzzle. 01:37 And we are excited to hear what God has planned 01:40 for us through His servant this day as he preaches, 01:43 A Piece of the Puzzle. 01:46 I just wanted to mention again that Donnie is the president of, 01:50 Touching Hearts Ministries; 01:51 ably assisted by his wife, Brenda. 01:53 And together they make a powerful team, a powerful duo, 01:56 for the cause of Christ. 01:57 And Donnie preaches with passion and with power. 02:00 He loves the Lord and loves the Word of God. 02:03 And when he stands in the desk, we expect no less 02:05 than a blessing from the Lord. 02:07 So we're going to pray now. 02:08 And then the next voice you will hear will be that of 02:10 Pastor Donnie Shelton of Touching Hearts Ministries. 02:12 The message, A Piece of the Puzzle. 02:15 Shall we pray. 02:16 Father God, how we love You and praise You for this opportunity 02:20 to hear a word from You. 02:22 We ask that You would bless Your servant, 02:24 speak to him and through him so that we may hear 02:28 a word from the Lord. 02:30 We thank You, Father, that You're always ready to instruct, 02:33 to teach, and we know that there are those who have 02:36 given their heart to listening and to following. 02:39 Please, dear Lord, this day may we hear and may we do. 02:44 And we thank You, dear Father. 02:46 In Jesus' name, amen and amen. 02:50 And now Pastor Donnie Shelton. 02:56 Thank you so much Pastor C.A. 02:58 And again, what an honor, what a privilege it is 03:02 to be here today on this wonderful program, 03:05 Pillars of Faith. 03:07 I never want to skip an opportunity 03:10 to be able to preach the lovely Jesus to His people. 03:16 I was called 14 years ago out of the field of radiology, 03:21 which I'd been in for over 30 years. 03:24 And God called me in to this ministry, 03:27 Touching Hearts Ministries, to reintroduce Jesus 03:32 to His people. 03:33 And what an honor and a privilege it has been. 03:37 I want you today to get your Bibles out 03:41 and I want you to read with me in Ephesians 2:20-21. 03:48 Again as Pastor C.A. said, A Piece of the Puzzle, 03:53 is the message for you today. 03:56 Ephesians 2:20-21, I want you to read with me. 04:02 "...and are built upon the foundation of the apostles 04:06 and prophets, Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; 04:12 in whom all the building fitly framed together 04:17 groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." 04:21 We're talking today about God's church; Jesus Christ's bride. 04:28 What is the church? 04:30 Everyone that has accepted the invitation 04:36 to join the church through Jesus Christ. 04:41 And once we become a member of God's church, 04:45 we go to work for Jesus. 04:48 Jesus said, "There's a harvest out there. 04:51 And I need laborers and I need workers. 04:54 I need as many workers as possible to bring folks in 04:59 before I come to get My church." 05:02 So we want a big church. 05:04 What is the church? 05:05 Everyone that is born again, 05:09 that's been washed in the blood of Jesus. 05:12 And as I always say, wrapped in His righteousness 05:15 and then filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. 05:18 That is God's church. 05:20 Now listen to this. 05:22 Old Testament prophets, they laid the foundation 05:26 of the work of Jesus. 05:28 We today as Christians help make up the foundation 05:33 of the church. 05:35 We are all a part of the puzzle in laying the foundation 05:42 of the church, but Jesus is the cornerstone 05:47 of the foundation. 05:49 All of our messages, pastors out there, 05:51 all of our messages need to be centered, 05:55 and through, and in, and around Jesus, 06:00 because He's the cornerstone of the foundation. 06:03 It is through Jesus Christ that I will be in the kingdom. 06:07 My faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, 06:12 that's why I will be in the kingdom. 06:14 Not because of my own merits. 06:16 I can never work my way into heaven. 06:19 It is a free gift. 06:20 Let's go a little bit further here. 06:22 But I today want to be a part of God's church. 06:25 And being a puzzle and a part of God's church, 06:29 I know that I have a work to do, 06:31 just like the prophets and disciples did. 06:34 Now, let's go a bit further. 06:36 Christ Himself holds together the various parts 06:41 of this spiritual house. 06:43 And Jesus unifies the church. 06:47 The church is built upon Jesus. 06:51 No other name but Jesus. 06:54 Let's go a bit further. 06:56 He is the cornerstone. 06:58 What is a cornerstone? 07:00 A stone representing the starting place 07:04 in the construction of the building. 07:07 The foundation on which something is developed. 07:12 Christ was the beginning of the central point, 07:18 the cornerstone of the church. 07:21 And the church is developed through our High Priest, 07:25 Jesus Christ. 07:27 We are all a puzzle that makes up this church. 07:32 And let's talk about that. 07:33 Let's turn to Ephesians 4:16. 07:37 Get those Bibles out. 07:38 Ephesians 4:16 07:42 Here's what the Bible says. 07:44 "From whom the whole body," the church, 07:48 "fitly joined together and compacted 07:52 by that which every joint supplieth, according," 07:56 now listen, "to the effectual working in the 07:59 measure of every part..." 08:01 What's every part? 08:02 That's us. 08:03 "...that makes up and increases the body 08:06 unto the edifying of itself in love." 08:09 Once we expect... 08:12 Maybe I better put it this way. 08:14 Once we step out for Christ and accept Him as our 08:17 personal Savior, we become a part of the church. 08:21 We are a piece of the puzzle. 08:24 And all of these puzzles fit together with all the 08:28 different talents that are in the church today. 08:31 The singers, the preachers, the elders, the deaconesses. 08:34 All these fitted together make a strong and unified church, 08:39 again, which is centered around Jesus Christ. 08:43 Now once we step out for Christ, our life will change. 08:48 When Jesus comes into your life, there will be a change. 08:53 And once that change takes place, you will look at Christ 08:56 and say, "Lord, what would You have me do 09:00 as part of working in, and through, and in this church? 09:04 What do You want me to do?" 09:05 Now Christ may call you into a ministry. 09:10 Now when He does, you may even leave your job 09:14 in radiology like I did. 09:15 I just left my job and stepped out into this ministry. 09:18 Now I had... Radiology was my life. 09:23 I'm not like my cousin Kenny. I never was a carpenter. 09:25 I'm certainly not like Danny that can sing; a musician. 09:28 So when I left radiology, I left the only thing 09:31 that I knew how to do. 09:32 But God said, "I want you to preach the lovely Jesus Christ." 09:36 So I stepped out into this ministry. 09:37 In other words, I stepped out of my comfort zone. 09:42 I was comfortable in radiology because 09:44 I knew what I was doing. 09:46 So I stepped out in faith. 09:50 I didn't know where God was going to take me. 09:52 I really didn't know exactly the depths of what I would be doing. 09:56 But I trusted in God. I put my faith in Him, 10:00 That whatever I needed He would supply. 10:03 Well let me give you a "for instance" of that. 10:06 Growing up as child, there were eight of us in our family. 10:11 And when I was about 8 years old, I guess, maybe 9, 10:14 we moved from town out into the country. 10:17 And this little red house that we all moved into, 10:21 it had three acres of grass that needed to be cared for. 10:25 Now what my dad did is, he went out and he bought 10:30 a twenty inch push mower. 10:34 A twenty inch push mower to mow three acres. 10:39 He bought this push mower and a big can of gas. 10:43 And he would leave early in the morning, 10:45 and he would say, "Boys, when I get home I want this 10:49 three acres finished with this twenty inch power mower." 10:54 Now it looked impossible. 10:56 It looked overwhelming. 10:58 How are we possibly going to mow three acres of grass 11:02 in eight hours with a twenty inch push mower? 11:04 So what my brothers and I did, we formed a line 11:08 and we would take this push mower and we would run 11:11 around this three acres as fast as we could. 11:14 When we finished a lap, the next brother would 11:17 grab the push mower and then he would push it. 11:20 And that went on and on and on until all the 11:22 three acres were finished. 11:23 What I'm saying is this. 11:25 It was a job. 11:27 It was uncomfortable. 11:29 It looked impossible. But we did it. 11:32 My dad supplied this twenty inch power mower, 11:35 and he knew that's what we would need to finish the job. 11:39 If we had twenty acres, maybe he would have 11:41 gotten us a bush hog, I don't know. 11:43 But I'm saying this, that three acres to me was a 11:46 ministry that looked like it was overwhelming, it was impossible, 11:49 I couldn't possibly do it. 11:51 But my dad supplied exactly what I needed. 11:53 If God is calling you today, if you've joined the church, 11:57 and you're piece of the puzzle is calling you into a ministry, 12:00 He will supply exactly what you need. 12:04 Praise God. Let's go a bit further here. 12:06 Now, let's put this together again. 12:08 Each of us has a work to do. 12:12 As we continue to build on the foundation, 12:15 we all have a work to do. 12:18 We all have a piece of the puzzle which 12:21 fits into this foundation. 12:23 And I wrote this here, I didn't want to 12:24 forget this, folks, friends. 12:26 Through Jesus we are able to work together. 12:31 Every member is a working member so that the church, 12:35 the finished product of the puzzle, may continue to grow 12:39 in Christ who is the cornerstone. 12:41 We are apostles. 12:46 When we accepted Christ and we joined the church of God 12:52 and became a piece of the puzzle, 12:54 we became apostles. 12:57 Just like the apostles in the New Testament. 13:00 Listen, what is an apostle? 13:02 We became an apostle, which is an advocate, 13:08 a supporter, a promoter, a backer, a friend, 13:14 a booster, a person who initiates a great reform. 13:21 "Well, Donnie, what's a reform?" 13:23 Well, improvement or correction of what is 13:27 corrupt and defective. 13:30 That is why God raised 3ABN. 13:34 Three Angels Broadcasting. 13:36 He raised this television station to reach the world 13:40 with the undiluted message. 13:43 Not only that Jesus Christ is Lord, 13:45 but that His Ten Commandment law is still alive. 13:50 And that fourth commandment is still in effect. 13:53 He needed someone to push this message across the world 13:57 before His return. 13:59 And He decided to raise 3ABN. 14:04 Danny Shelton is an apostle that God chose. 14:08 And through Danny, through the power of the Holy Spirit 14:11 instilled in Danny, God is raising this ministry 14:15 to reach the world with truth. 14:17 Praise God. 14:18 Now in this reform, it means to make things better, 14:24 to improve by removing the false. 14:29 Through this ministry, God's message of truth is correct. 14:35 It has rectified, it has reclaimed the truth, 14:39 it has redeemed the truth. 14:40 And through God, the truth is cleansed and restored 14:44 in the church. 14:46 And then the church takes the message of truth 14:48 that Jesus Christ is Lord, 14:50 that the Ten Commandment law is still in effect. 14:53 And the church will grow. 14:56 It will grow, but it needs workers. 14:58 It needs laborers like you and I today. 15:01 Don't you want to become a part of God's church, 15:05 a piece of the puzzle? 15:07 Let's go a bit further here. 15:08 Now today let's read this. 15:11 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Rise early in the morning 15:15 and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 15:19 "Let My people go, that they may serve Me."'" 15:25 So Moses was an apostle. 15:27 He was part of the puzzle. 15:30 Through Moses, God's people were delivered 15:34 out of Egypt. 15:35 They were delivered out from underneath the thumb of Pharaoh. 15:39 So he was a part of the puzzle. 15:40 Daniel was a part of the puzzle. 15:43 Every apostle and disciple that we read through the whole 15:48 Old Testament and New Testament were disciples of Jesus Christ. 15:53 Let's go a little bit further here. 15:54 Here's what I wrote down. 15:56 I wanted to share this with you today. 15:57 Fourteen years ago the Lord called Brenda and I 16:01 into this ministry, Touching Hearts. 16:03 God Himself gives us the message. 16:07 He gives us His grace. 16:09 He gives us His mercy. 16:11 And then He fills us with the Spirit to deliver the messages 16:14 that He wants His people to hear. 16:17 Now you're saying today, "Well, how much money 16:20 do I need to become a disciple? 16:23 How much fame do I need? 16:25 Do I need a high IQ to become a disciple?" 16:28 "Listen, what mountain are we to climb," 16:31 we might say in our hearts, minds, and souls. 16:33 "How much wealth must I possess? 16:36 What level of intelligence must I have 16:39 to become qualified to become an ambassador of Christ?" 16:44 "What level of spirituality must I obtain before I can hear 16:49 the voice of God?" 16:51 Let's put it this way. 16:53 Here's what I wrote down today, listen. 16:55 Now let's think about that one. 16:57 How spiritual was Saul, later known as Paul, 17:01 as he was on the road to Damascus with the mission of 17:05 dragging Christians in chains to the so-called 17:08 spiritual leaders of the day? 17:09 Was he spiritual? No. 17:12 But did God call Him? Yes. 17:15 God had a job, He had a ministry for Paul. 17:19 And He called Paul. 17:21 And God's mercy and God's grace shined upon Paul. 17:25 And then as I always say, then He filled Paul 17:28 with the power of the Holy Spirit. 17:31 And here's what Acts 9:1-2 says. 17:35 Read this with me now. 17:37 Acts 9:1-2 17:39 Here's what the Bible says. 17:41 "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter 17:46 against the disciples of the Lord, 17:48 went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters 17:52 to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any 17:56 on his way, whether they were men or women, 17:59 that he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." 18:02 But here's what happened on Saul's journey. 18:06 And as Saul journeyed, a light shined about him 18:09 and he heard a voice say, 18:11 "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?" 18:17 Christ was saying, "When you injure My people, 18:19 you're assaulting Me as well." 18:22 Did Jesus speak to Saul? Yes. 18:25 And the first thing he said was, "Who are You?" 18:28 And He said, "I'm Jesus." 18:29 And then Saul said, "Lord, what would You have me to do?" 18:33 Praise God. And you know what? 18:34 Maybe that's the first question 18:37 we need to ask Jesus when we join the church. 18:40 "What would You have me do?" 18:42 Alright, let's go a little bit further here now. 18:44 So we find that it is not just the children of the King 18:47 that can hear God's voice. 18:49 God's voice penetrates into the inner soul 18:53 of the lost and the redeemed. 18:56 What are the redeemed? 18:58 The freed, the rescued, the recovered property 19:02 by someone paying the price, the debt that we owed. 19:06 And that was Jesus Christ. 19:07 And here's what I wrote down here as well. 19:09 Saul, Saul, listened to the Word of God. 19:14 He obeyed God. 19:16 He became an apostle. 19:18 And therefore, He was blessed by God's grace. 19:21 He began a ministry. 19:23 Listen, Satan stole the lost. 19:26 Jesus recovered His property and paid with His own blood 19:31 and with His own life to save the lost. 19:34 Let's go a little bit further here now. 19:36 "How many years, Donnie, of college, how many degrees 19:42 do I need to get the attention of God, 19:45 that I might become an apostle? 19:48 Must I be an elder to become an apostle? 19:50 A deacon? A deaconess? 19:52 Or should I give more than ten percent of what I make 19:56 to become an apostle?" 19:58 Now before we go any further, 20:00 let me make this perfectly clear. 20:02 One cannot earn or work or buy the privilege of being called. 20:08 For we are called by God's loving grace 20:11 to preach, to teach, and most of all to live 20:16 the life of Jesus Christ. 20:18 Here's what it says in Romans 1:1-6. 20:23 Open the Bible. 20:24 Write these Scriptures down. 20:26 Listen very carefully. 20:28 Romans 1:1-6 20:31 "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, 20:37 separated unto the gospel of God... 20:41 ...among whom ye are also called of Jesus Christ." 20:46 Who's ye? You. 20:48 Me. I'm called to be an apostle. 20:52 A worker in the church. 20:53 I'm a piece of the puzzle. 20:55 Listen, "...among whom are ye also called of Jesus Christ. 21:00 To all that be in Rome..." 21:02 Or all that be in the world. 21:04 "...beloved of God, you are called to be saints." 21:10 Called to be saints; workers in the church. 21:14 A piece of the puzzle. 21:16 Those that are grace given and faith driven, 21:21 grace given and faith driven, 21:25 you are asked by the Lord, not only to become 21:27 a part of the church, but saying, "You know what? 21:29 I've got a work for you to do. 21:31 Will you to that? Will you do that for Me?" 21:33 Let's go a little bit further here. 21:34 Now, we're going to talk about something. 21:36 We're going to talk about the gold rush of 1849. 21:39 And you're going to say, "What in the world 21:41 does the gold rush of 1849 got to do with Scriptures?" 21:45 Well let's talk about it just a little bit. 21:47 Let me read you a little bit of history here. 21:49 And the gold rush of 1849 changed the history of America. 21:54 Two men living in California, they were building a sawmill 21:59 and they discovered flakes of gold in the water 22:03 that they used to run their sawmill. 22:06 Every day after that, the men sifted through the water 22:10 and took the gold, and put the precious golden flakes in bags. 22:15 And you know what they did with them? 22:16 You know what they did with them? 22:18 They hid them. 22:20 They hid this gold. 22:22 They did the best they could to keep their wealth a secret, 22:27 but somehow some way the secret got out. 22:33 And at that time in California, 22:35 the population was, oh, a thousand or so. 22:38 But in one year, at the discovery of this precious 22:42 treasure, there were over 100,000 people in California 22:49 digging for gold. 22:51 The secret got out. 22:54 "So what are you talking about, the secret got out? 22:56 Where are you going with this, brother Donnie?" 22:58 Well let me read you this. 22:59 The Adventist message, which I love, 23:05 the Adventist message up until 1984, I feel, 23:11 was the best kept secret to mankind. 23:16 "How do you know?" 23:17 Well we only had four million members there in 1984. 23:21 Right around that four million mark. 23:23 But praise God, in 2014 it has increased, this message, 23:29 we now have eighteen million. 23:33 The secret got out. 23:35 Praise the Lord, the truth got out. 23:37 And I believe this with all my heart, 23:39 I believe that 3ABN, their ministry, 23:44 their grace given and their faith driven ministry, 23:47 has been an enormous part of getting the undiluted truth 23:52 out to the world. 23:54 That God has blessed this ministry. 23:58 And it is taking the truth of the gospel of God to the world. 24:04 We now have over eighteen million members 24:09 in this Adventist movement. 24:12 Praise God. 24:13 Let's go back to this 1849 gold rush. 24:15 Now listen. 24:17 These men that rushed out to California 24:21 to get all this gold, they were called rushers. 24:26 They were men from all over America and other countries. 24:29 And they sold all that they had. 24:32 They mortgaged their homes, they left their families, 24:35 to seek fame and wealth. 24:39 Now after arriving in California, 24:42 each man staked out his own claim of land, 24:46 and he filed a certificate claim which stamped ownership. 24:51 And that land became his. 24:53 And if there was gold on that land, it was his. 24:58 And you know what this reminds me of? 25:01 Go to your Bibles again to Matthew 13:44. 25:05 This gold rush... Wow! 25:07 Matthew 13:44 25:10 "The kingdom of God," the kingdom of heaven, 25:13 the kingdom of my Lord, "is like unto a treasure 25:17 hid in a field; the which when a man hath found this treasure 25:22 he hideth it, and for the joy thereof he goeth and selleth 25:28 all that he hath, that he might buy that field." 25:32 Listen to this. 25:33 Heaven is offered unto every man and woman. 25:37 Everyone, the Bible says, has the opportunity 25:42 to either accept our Lord's offer or refuse it. 25:47 Our inheritance; heaven, eternal life, 25:52 was bought with a price. 25:55 A price much more expensive than the billions of dollars 25:59 exhumed in ounces of gold in California in the late 1800s. 26:03 Our piece of real estate that is stamped and sealed is heaven. 26:10 I didn't buy it. 26:12 The life of Jesus bought it for me. 26:15 Now that being said, we too, as the rushers, 26:21 must sell all that we have; our time, our interests, 26:27 our worldly desires, and give them to Jesus. 26:31 At that moment, our offering, we become apostles, 26:36 as was spoken in Romans the first chapter. 26:41 Are you with me so far? 26:42 Let's go a bit further here. 26:44 Oh my, most of us want heaven. 26:47 But we're not willing to give up the worldly desires 26:51 and wants and pleasures. 26:53 We have to sell it, get rid of it, 26:55 give it away, throw it away. 26:58 Let's go a bit further. 26:59 Oh, most of us want heaven. 27:01 We want to be apostles. 27:03 But we do not want to submit and commit to the Lord. 27:08 Because to be an apostle, it takes effort on our part. 27:15 And it maybe, it might just cost us a little more 27:18 than what we want to pay. 27:20 Are you with me? 27:21 Again, remember, the land of the rushers was theirs 27:25 because they claimed the land with a certificate of ownership. 27:29 It was stamped and it was sealed, 27:32 and it was shown that they were the land owners. 27:36 They were sealed. 27:37 They had a certificate. 27:38 "Donnie, where are you going with this?" 27:40 Listen very carefully. 27:42 Get your Bibles back out. 27:43 If you've closed them, open them back up. 27:46 In Ephesians, that parcel of land, 27:49 that is part of my inheritance in heaven 27:54 which was purchased with and by the blood of Jesus. 27:59 It has been sealed, it has been stamped. 28:03 I have ownership of this piece of property 28:06 in heaven through Jesus Christ's blood. 28:09 I've been adopted through Jesus Christ. 28:12 I'm a part of the family. 28:14 I'm a child of the King. 28:16 Now, let's go on with it. 28:18 Listen very carefully. 28:20 Ephesians 1:13-14 28:25 I'm going to wait. 28:26 I want you to read this with me. 28:28 Get ready. 28:30 "...ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise..." 28:35 Did you hear what I just said? 28:36 "...ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 28:40 which is," listen, the Holy Spirit, "which is the earnest 28:46 of our inheritance until the redemption 28:49 of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." 28:53 Ephesians 1:13-14 28:57 Read it one more time just in case it flew by. 29:01 "...ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 29:03 which is the earnest," the down payment, 29:06 "of our inheritance until the redemption 29:09 of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." 29:14 Now, let's break that Scripture down together. 29:20 Once we accept apostleship, we are sealed, praise God, 29:29 with the Holy Spirit, which is the earnest, 29:34 the down payment, of our inheritance. 29:38 Let's read, "earnest," here. 29:40 It's the down payment laid down that will hold the property, 29:45 the inheritance. 29:47 God's assurance to us of this promised future 29:52 of eternal life and the things of heaven 29:55 by sealing us, stamping us, with the transforming power 30:01 of the Holy Spirit. 30:03 I can tell you because of experiences in my life. 30:07 Once the power of the Spirit comes into your life, 30:12 transformation begins to take place. 30:17 That old character, that old Donnie Shelton, 30:20 with all of his faults and his shortcomings, 30:22 they start to die out. 30:24 They go down into the grave and a brand new Donnie is raised up, 30:28 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 30:33 Once the Holy Spirit takes control of our life, 30:38 things begin to happen. 30:40 The places we use to go to, we don't go there anymore. 30:43 That bad language we had, it's gone. 30:46 Those evil thoughts begin to dissipate and leave. 30:50 We think good thoughts. 30:51 And for maybe once in our lives, finally we put somebody 30:55 in front of us and before us. 31:00 We love people. 31:01 Why? Because the power of the Holy Spirit 31:04 and the power of trans... 31:08 I going to lose it here yet. 31:10 I tell you... 31:12 Our church has gotten use to this. 31:14 I'll be right in the middle of a sermon and start to cry. 31:17 I feel so unworthy to be a part of God's church, 31:21 a piece of the puzzle, to be able to bring the gospel to you. 31:27 But I'm like you, I had to let that old life pass, 31:30 and all those guilts and all that low self-esteem. 31:33 I have to let it go. 31:35 And as I said a few sermons ago, you can't unscramble eggs. 31:38 And when God takes your sins and casts them 31:42 into the depths of the sea, don't become Christian 31:45 sea divers and swim down and dig them back up. 31:49 God has cast them away from you. 31:52 So sometimes it's just an overwhelming thing 31:55 that God has allowed me to preach His love and His grace 31:59 and mercy to you. 32:01 And sometimes I just lose it. 32:03 And I can't apologize. 32:04 Like I said a couple of sermons ago... 32:07 I love Mollie Steenson, Pastor Hal's wife. 32:10 What an incredible person that loves Jesus Christ. 32:13 And I apologized once in the middle of a sermon. 32:15 I said, "I'm sorry." 32:17 And after the sermon she said, "Don't you ever, ever, ever 32:21 apologize for loving Jesus Christ. 32:24 If you want to cry, you go ahead and cry." 32:27 So praise God. Let's go a bit further here. 32:30 Wow, listen to this. 32:32 There is a picture puzzle that must be completed 32:37 before God comes to claim His own. 32:39 We have to finish this picture. 32:41 As these puzzles fits together, there's a picture. 32:44 What is it? God's church. 32:47 God's bride. 32:49 So there is a picture that must be completed 32:51 before God comes to claim His own. 32:54 Each one of us... 32:55 We're going to go over this over and over and over 32:59 and over again. 33:00 Each one of us, as apostles, we have a work to do. 33:08 Either by preaching, teaching. 33:11 But the most significant is living the life of Christ. 33:17 Each one of us, let's say it one more time, 33:20 represents a piece of the puzzle. 33:22 And when all join hands in unity... 33:26 Hear what I said? 33:28 ...and in our efforts to take the undiluted message 33:31 of our Lord and Savior to the world, 33:33 that's, listen, when the picture puzzle will be complete. 33:38 And the picture that is shown is God's bride. 33:43 The bride of Jesus Christ. 33:45 His church in whom He loves. 33:48 So let me say this to you today. 33:51 Once you've joined God's church, or you're born again, 33:55 washed in the blood, you become a part of the church, 33:58 you're a piece of the puzzle. 33:59 Now you may say, "Donnie, the only thing that bothers me, 34:03 I'm really worried, would I be able to continue my walk 34:08 through Christ and in Christ when times get tough? 34:12 Will I be able to do that?" 34:14 Let me calm your nerves. 34:18 Once you accept Christ, He will deliver you 34:21 through His power, that no matter the storm, 34:25 you will be victorious through Jesus Christ. 34:28 Here's what Martin Luther King, Jr. said. 34:30 Now Martin Luther King, Jr., I loved him. 34:33 Now he was assassinated, you know, in 1968. 34:37 But what a man of God. 34:39 He had quotes here and there, and I loved every one of them. 34:42 Let me read one of His quotes to you today. 34:45 Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of God, 34:50 "If you cannot fly, then run. 34:57 If you cannot run, then walk. 35:01 If you cannot walk, then crawl. 35:06 But whatever you do, keep moving forward." 35:13 Even if it's a slow pace, keep moving forward 35:17 for Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. 35:22 I did a sermon, oh, a few months ago. 35:24 It was called, Paddling Upstream. 35:28 Once we get in the boat... 35:31 ...and we start paddling for Jesus Christ, 35:34 the boat is the church, we start paddling for Christ, 35:40 we're usually going upstream. 35:43 We're going against the current of what the world teaches, 35:48 and we're paddling upstream. 35:51 We have to continue to fly, to run, to walk, to crawl, 35:59 to keep that paddle going right on upstream, 36:03 fighting these evil currents. 36:06 Now, as we're going upstream, 36:09 we find that there's no stopping point. 36:13 You don't stop to rest as you paddle upstream. 36:17 "Well Donnie, why not?" 36:18 If you ever stop paddling, you start going back downstream. 36:24 And you may end up at the starting point. 36:26 I don't want to go back there. 36:28 I don't want to go back to that old life. Do you? 36:30 So once I grab that paddle, God's Word, His truth, 36:35 and I paddle forward and I move forward, 36:38 and no matter how tough the current becomes, 36:42 I will continue to paddle forward because there is 36:46 no stopping point for Jesus, there's no resting point. 36:51 You'll have plenty of time to rest when you get to heaven. 36:56 Praise God. 36:57 I tell you, it's all I can do to control myself. 37:00 I'm liable to shout. If I do, I guess I just will. 37:04 You know, we get so excited over basketball games, 37:07 and baseball games, and basketball games, 37:09 and sometimes we find ourselves shouting. 37:11 But it seems like if we get excited for Jesus Christ, 37:14 well we might be a little weird or something. 37:16 But it's okay. 37:17 You can be excited for Jesus. 37:19 You can raise your hand and say, "Oh thank You, Jesus." 37:21 You can say, "Amen." You can say, "Praise God." 37:23 I want you to be happy in serving Jesus Christ. 37:28 Now, Acts 7:54, 58-60. 37:36 Here's what the Bible says. 37:39 "And when they heard these things," 37:41 oh my, "they were cut to the heart, 37:45 and they gnashed on him with their teeth." 37:48 Verse 58 says, "And they cast him out of the city, 37:52 and they stoned him." 37:55 We're talking about Stephen here. 37:57 "And they stoned Stephen, who was calling upon God, 38:01 and saying, 'Lord, receive my spirit.' 38:05 And he knelt down, and he cried with a loud voice, 38:08 'Lord, oh forgiving Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' 38:15 And when he had said this," 38:17 the Bible says that, "he fell asleep." 38:21 As we see this incredible showing of faith in God, 38:27 it encourages me as I read the Scriptures. 38:31 Listen, what encourages me about this illustration 38:35 in God's Word is the dedication to the cause of Christ 38:40 even unto death. 38:42 Stephen, even in the face of evil, going upstream, 38:47 against the world, as it were, he stood his ground 38:50 and he did not waver. 38:52 Praise God. Faith unwavering. 38:55 He stood his ground. 38:57 He never wavered. 38:58 Even under extreme pressure from the whole Jewish nation, 39:02 Stephen, while on his knees, being stoned to death, 39:05 He drew a line in the sand using his own blood. 39:12 "What do you mean by that, he drew a line in the sand?" 39:16 He was saying this, "World, I'm going to draw a line right here. 39:22 Now world, you stay on that side of the line. 39:26 Don't come over into my world that I share with Jesus. 39:30 World, you stay over there. 39:33 I will stay over here on this side of the line 39:36 living and walking with Jesus Christ." 39:40 Faith unwavering. 39:42 We need to do that in the world today. 39:45 Let's draw a line and say, "I'm not going to cross 39:48 this line and go out into the world ever again. 39:51 I'm staying on this side of the line where the redeemed live 39:54 over here, through the power and the blood of Jesus Christ. 39:58 I will not cross that line and go back into the world. 40:02 You have to make that determination in your mind 40:05 and say, "Under no circumstances will I buckle, because Christ 40:10 will hold me up." 40:12 Praise the Lord. Let's go a bit further here. 40:13 Now, let us not forget who was watching this event. 40:20 His name at that time was Saul. 40:23 Later known as Paul. 40:24 He witnessed this outrageous vicious murder of Stephen. 40:30 And I went through my mind, this is what went through my mind; 40:33 surely and without question this picture of the execution 40:38 of Stephen must have crossed Paul's mind, 40:42 I mean, it may have, as he was cast out of cities, 40:45 as he was thrown into prisons, as he was cursed and spat upon. 40:49 Thrown out of city after city after city. 40:52 All because he was preaching the resurrected Christ. 40:58 Will we ever be executed like that? 41:01 Well let's talk about that a little bit. 41:03 Remember, you drew this line. 41:06 That no matter what, under extreme pressure, 41:09 I will not buckle. 41:10 I will stay on this side of the line 41:11 in my world where Jesus lives. 41:13 I will not go back into the world. 41:16 Now, Matthew 10:17. 41:18 "But beware of men, for they will and they shall, 41:24 deliver you to the councils, and they will scourge you," 41:28 they will whip you, they will beat you, "in their synagogues." 41:32 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 41:36 But he that endureth to the end shall be saved." 41:43 That is a promise from our Lord and Savior Jesus. 41:49 If you'll remain faithful under extreme duress and pressure, 41:57 and stay faithful on living on this side of the line 42:01 and not going back into the world, God promises, 42:05 Jesus Christ promises, the Holy Spirit promises, 42:08 "If you will remain faithful, that you will be saved 42:13 when I come to receive My church unto Myself." 42:19 Now, let's go a bit further here. 42:22 I'm going to bring my cousin, Danny Shelton, 42:25 into this a little bit. 42:26 You know, we grew up together, played hide-n-seek together, 42:31 we played baseball together, we played and had a great time. 42:37 Now that we've gotten older, we may not play together anymore, 42:40 but we certainly pray with one another. 42:42 Praise God for that. 42:44 Let's go a bit further here. 42:45 An allegory to the experience of Stephen 42:48 is when I was in grade school and I was involved 42:52 in an altercation with another boy, 42:54 one of us would take our finger and bend down in that sand 42:59 and draw a line, therefore separating us 43:03 in our thoughts, in our ideas. 43:07 The line was a distinguishing symbol 43:10 of our stance on the issue. 43:12 The ground I stood on was mine. 43:16 The line, again, was a distinguishing line 43:19 between my thoughts and the other boys thoughts, 43:22 his motives, goals, and determination. 43:25 "Now Donnie, where did you get this story from?" 43:27 I got it from my cousin Danny. 43:29 Oh, it must have been eight, nine, ten years ago 43:31 when he was speaking right here in the worship center, 43:34 he bought up this illustration of drawing that line. 43:36 And I've never, ever forgotten that. 43:39 Thank you, Danny. 43:40 Now, note here, by drawing the line in the dirt, 43:44 not only did I let the other boy see where I stood... 43:48 Now remember, this is Danny talking. 43:52 Listen. 43:53 ...but all those around me, they knew where I stood. 43:58 When confrontation appears, confrontation draws crowds. 44:02 The world today needs to know where you stand 44:08 in your relationship with Jesus. 44:12 If you profess to be a Christian, 44:15 they will be watching you. 44:18 Believe me, they watch you. 44:19 They want to know if there's a change. 44:22 They want to know if you waver in your faith with Jesus Christ. 44:26 So once we say, "I've accepted Christ," 44:28 we need to live the life of Christ, 44:30 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 44:34 Now here's what Joshua did. 44:36 Joshua 24:14-15 44:39 "Now therefore serve the LORD..." 44:44 Stay on this side of the line. 44:47 That's what Joshua is saying. 44:48 And he says, "...serve Him in sincerity and in truth. 44:54 And put away the gods which your fathers served 44:57 on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; 44:59 serve God." 45:01 And here's where what Joshua did, just like Danny, 45:05 here's where he drew the line. 45:07 And let's read together what the Bible says. 45:10 Listen carefully. 45:11 Joshua said, "...but as for me and my house, 45:16 we're going to serve God. 45:18 Whatever the world is doing out there, 45:21 I guess that's their business. 45:23 But in my home, in my family, in my life, 45:28 on this side of the line, we're going to serve God." 45:32 Now Joshua stood not only before the people, 45:36 but was in the midst of them as well. 45:40 Joshua drew a line. 45:44 He drew a public line and he let everybody know; 45:48 the elders, the priests, and all the families that were 45:51 represented, that he would not tolerate worldliness 45:56 on his side of the line. 46:01 Are you with me so far? 46:03 If he was on the north side of the line, 46:06 he wasn't going south. 46:07 He was staying on the north side of the line. 46:11 Now even as we stand in the midst of the church today, 46:15 even in the church if we're not careful, 46:17 the old devil tries to bring in confrontations. 46:20 And sometimes things become a little bit uncomfortable. 46:24 The church needs to band together in unity 46:28 and all to come together as one, and bow down and say, 46:33 "Oh God, if there's any type of spirit that doesn't belong 46:38 in this church, as we continue to build the church, 46:41 then, God, cast it out." 46:43 We all need to be of one spirit. 46:46 What's that? The Spirit of God. 46:48 The spirit of righteousness in our churches today. 46:51 We need to band and stay strong, 46:54 and move forward through Jesus Christ. 46:57 Now, we don't want to be liberal, not conservative; 47:01 you're too tolerant, you're too comfortable, 47:04 you're narrow in your opinion, 47:06 very generous in the scope of things. 47:09 Listen, folks, we need to be a conservative group of folks 47:13 that trust in God, and that every decision that we make, 47:18 every move that we make, we fall on our knees 47:23 to the heavenly Father, and say, "Oh God, 47:26 we need Your help in this matter." 47:28 Even in the smallest of matters. 47:31 We need God's help in every decision that we make today. 47:35 Praise God for that. 47:37 Now, right is right, and wrong is wrong. 47:44 Let's not try to make wrong right and right wrong. 47:47 Right is right, and wrong is wrong. 47:51 Listen, we must not be swayed with just any wind of doctrine. 47:58 Whether a person is wealthy, or they're prominent, 48:01 they're a businessman, their dad was a pastor, 48:05 we need to be stable and solidified in God's Word. 48:12 What does God's Word say about this matter or that matter? 48:18 And once we read what the Bible says, and the Bible is 48:21 always right, we need to adhere to that. 48:25 Don't try to rationalize. 48:27 Take something that's wrong and make it right, 48:29 or take something right to make it wrong. 48:32 You do and adhere to what the Bible says. 48:38 My faith rests in the one who wrote the Bible, 48:42 through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 48:44 Now, there are many people that may be hearing this 48:50 message today, you don't know Jesus. 48:54 And you're this close in making that decision. 48:59 Well, my friend, again let's go back to the Bible. 49:02 The Bible says right now, the thought has crossed your mind, 49:09 "I want to fall before Jesus Christ and I want to 49:12 become a member of His church, a piece of the puzzle," 49:15 today is the day of salvation. 49:18 If the Holy Spirit is calling you, even now as we speak 49:22 you fall to your knees and say, "Oh God, cleanse me from 49:24 all unrighteousness. 49:26 Wrap me in Your righteousness. 49:27 Lord, wash me in Your own blood, 49:29 the blood that spilled from Calvary. 49:31 And God, fill me with Your Holy Spirit." 49:33 And God, again as we've said over and over, 49:35 is no respecter of persons. 49:37 He loves everyone and He wants you in the kingdom, folks. 49:40 Let's go a bit further here. 49:41 Now listen very, very carefully. 49:43 Matthew 9:37-38, read this with me in your Bibles. 49:47 Matthew 9:37-38 49:49 "Then saith he unto his disciples..." 49:51 His apostles, the chosen, the called. 49:54 Here's what Jesus said. 49:56 "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." 50:03 Oh Jesus said, "Oh My friends, pray ye for the 50:06 Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers 50:10 into the harvest." 50:13 Now let's break that down a little bit. 50:14 Jesus traveled in His life here from one city to the next 50:20 preaching and teaching, healing the sick, 50:22 He cast out demons, and saved hundreds and thousands 50:25 of lost souls. 50:28 One day, Jesus was either standing on a hill... 50:33 This just came to my mind. 50:35 He was maybe on a dusty road, He may have been sitting 50:39 by a slow moving stream, in any case, 50:42 He looked at His disciples and He scanned the hundreds 50:46 of tired and weary souls who seemingly were constantly 50:50 around Him in hopes of maybe getting some food, 50:53 maybe some healing. 50:55 "There is so much to be done," He said. 50:59 "So many need to hear the gospel. 51:01 So many need touched by the Holy Spirit. 51:04 Yet," He said, "there are so few who are willing 51:08 to go out into this vast harvest of people 51:12 and reap the souls for My Father." 51:16 You hear what He's saying? 51:17 "If you are apostles, if you've been redeemed, 51:23 if you're living on this side of the line, 51:25 get out there and win souls for My Father." 51:30 We will be equipped by the Spirit. 51:34 He will guide us, He will direct us. 51:37 But first, we must spend time in God's Word. 51:42 As we read these words, these Bible truths, 51:46 our faith is encouraged, it's fortified, it's solidified. 51:51 And then God says, "Get up off those pews and go out there. 51:57 The harvest is plenty. 51:58 I want you to reap as many souls as you can. 52:02 Bring them into the kingdom 52:03 before I come and get this church." 52:07 Praise God. Let's go a bit further. 52:09 Now, once we have accepted our work... 52:14 Let me say that a little more slower. 52:17 Once we have accepted apostleship, our work 52:22 has just begun. 52:24 We that have been saved by God's amazing grace 52:27 can be lost if we don't that this grace to the world. 52:31 You can't hide it under a bushel basket. 52:35 Once you've received the light, don't try to cover it up. 52:38 I can tell you this. 52:39 When I found Jesus, I wanted to share it with everybody 52:43 that I ran unto. 52:46 I wanted to share it with enthusiasm and power. 52:50 Because I felt so unworthy. 52:53 I lived in the world of sin. 52:55 And God forgave much. 52:59 A whole bunch of sins. 53:02 I'll say much, it was a whole bunch. 53:04 And He washed me clean. 53:06 I feel so joyful that Jesus chose me. 53:10 He went out into the world and found me. 53:14 I am a piece of the puzzle now, through His grace. 53:18 Nothing that I did. I didn't work for it. 53:20 It's a gift. 53:22 I'm a piece of the puzzle. 53:23 I'm an apostle. 53:24 And now I'm a laborer. 53:26 I want to tell everybody about Jesus Christ. 53:31 And the Bible says this, once you accept Christ... 53:34 Now listen, "For if they..." 53:38 This is in 2 Peter 2:20-22. 53:42 "For if they have escaped the pollutions of this world 53:45 through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, 53:48 if they are again entangled," if they backslide, 53:52 if they've overcome, "the latter end is worse 53:55 than the beginning." 53:56 Once you accept Christ, we talked about it a while ago, 54:00 continue moving forward. 54:03 Fight those difficulties with the paddle of God's Word. 54:07 Don't stop as you go upstream. 54:09 You'll start sliding backwards and going backwards. 54:12 And you'll end up in a worse state than you were 54:16 before you accepted Jesus Christ. 54:18 That's what the Bible is saying. 54:20 Listen, is there a cost? 54:25 Is there a cost in accepting God's invitation? 54:30 Just lay your burdens upon His shoulders and give Him a chance. 54:35 What do you say? 54:37 Take all of your burdens, all of your doubts, 54:41 all of your fears, and put them on God's shoulders. 54:45 He's got some broad shoulders. 54:47 He's holding the whole universe up on those shoulders. 54:51 You can trust Him. 54:53 He loves you. 54:54 He loves you with an everlasting love. 54:56 And I always use Jeremiah 31:3. 54:59 That no matter who you are, where you came from, 55:02 or where you're going, Jesus Christ loves you 55:05 with an intense love. 55:07 Now let's go a bit further. 55:10 I always like to end with an alter call. 55:16 You've just heard the Word of God. 55:20 You have maybe for the first time in your life have found out 55:24 that there is a God, the only God, that created this universe. 55:30 The moon, the stars, the trees, the flowers, the birds, 55:34 the bees, the grass, the fields. 55:37 God created all things. 55:39 And this magnificent God, who is much higher than we are, 55:45 that this God looks down upon you today, 55:49 and He loves you. 55:51 "How do you know that He loves me?" 55:53 Because you are listening to this message. 55:56 And it is the day of salvation. 55:59 God is giving you a chance right now, my brother and sister, 56:03 to accept Him, to join the church, 56:07 to be redeemed, to be washed in His blood, 56:09 to become a part of the family, to be part of the bride 56:14 who Jesus Christ is coming after. 56:16 And very, very soon, by the way. 56:19 So God took the opportunity to give this message to you. 56:26 It's not just His opportunity, it's your opportunity today 56:31 that Jesus Christ, through His... 56:34 Listen. 56:36 Because the Father said, "I have a world down there, Jesus, 56:40 and they need You. 56:41 I'm taking My heart out," God said, 56:44 "and giving it to the world." 56:46 What was His heart? 56:47 Jesus Christ. 56:48 He gave Jesus to the world, that you might be saved 56:52 through Him, through His blood, through His sacrifice. 56:57 God is intensely in love with you. 56:59 He wants you to have eternal life. 57:01 And Jesus wants to walk with you on the 57:03 streets of gold in heaven. 57:04 So my friend, right now fall on your knees. 57:10 Be yourself. 57:11 God can see through you anyway. 57:13 Take off that mask. 57:14 And say, "Oh God, I'm giving my life to You. 57:18 And through faith I'm praying, through Your blood, 57:21 that You are accepting me today. 57:23 And that when You come, I will be in the kingdom." |
Revised 2017-01-04