Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW200026S
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, friends. Welcome to Friday Night Family Worship. 01:12 Good to have you with me, Honey. 01:13 I am so happy to be here and happy Sabbath everyone. 01:16 That's right. 01:18 Glad you could join us tonight. 01:19 Thank you for joining us for a very exciting program, 01:22 actually, we were thinking about Family Worship, 01:24 and my wife comes up with some great ideas. 01:28 And she suggested the topic on self, 01:31 not talking about self 01:32 but the greatest battle any one of us will face 01:35 is the battle with self. 01:38 And so, looking at the scriptures. 01:40 Well, I'll tell you, 01:41 do you really need to have a lot of information on that, 01:43 that's true about all of us. 01:45 So we're going to talk about 01:46 what the Bible says about self. 01:48 How to approach this battle with self 01:51 because you know, Honey, 01:53 the greatest battle we do have is 01:54 when we wake up in the morning, 01:55 we are there waiting for each other. 01:57 And it's that generation is the iGeneration, 02:00 the iPhone, iPad, FaceTime, it's all about me. 02:04 What about me? 02:05 So this program is going to be very good to talk about, 02:09 like you have said, self, 02:10 what can we do about me when we are in the way? 02:13 And self is a small package, isn't it? 02:15 That's true, 02:16 the smallest package is a person 02:17 wrapped up in him or herself. 02:20 But we have our family with us today. 02:22 Pastor John Dinzey, head of 3ABN Latino. 02:25 Good to have you here, my Brother. 02:26 It's a wonderful blessing to be here. 02:28 And we're looking forward to seeing 02:30 how God is going to bring this together to be a blessing. 02:33 That's right. 02:34 And Donald Owen, 02:36 Donald is often 02:37 on the other side of the camera, 02:39 giving us direction. 02:41 But good to have you here, Donald. 02:42 Thank you. I appreciate. 02:44 Yes, this is a tough subject self, 02:46 very difficult to talk about, 02:48 and how to, you know, 02:49 get rid of self and get it out of the way, 02:51 so looking forward to it. 02:52 Yeah, just tongue in cheek, 02:54 I was asking someone else to be on the program. 02:55 And they say, 02:56 I don't want to spend time talking about myself. 02:59 I thought that was kind of cute. 03:01 But it's going to be a very interesting program. 03:02 So get your Bibles, that's really all you need. 03:05 And if your family is together, 03:07 or even if you're by yourself, unfortunately, 03:09 in this COVID-19 environment, many of us are by ourselves. 03:14 But I know the Lord has a blessing in store for you. 03:17 And on that note, 03:18 we always like to take the time 03:20 rather than singing, most of our programs, 03:22 we don't sing. 03:24 But we'd like to take the time in the Word. 03:26 So we'd like to apologize 03:27 if you're looking forward to us singing, 03:29 we're not going to sing tonight. 03:30 But we're going to spend the time in God's Word. 03:32 But, Honey, would you begin with prayer for us? 03:33 Yes. Let's bow our heads. 03:35 Our gracious Heavenly Father, 03:36 it's always a privilege and honor 03:38 to come before Your presence. 03:40 And, Lord, we thank You for the blessed Sabbath evening 03:43 that is upon us. 03:44 We thank You for those 03:46 that are watching and listening to this program. 03:49 I pray that they'll receive a blessing, 03:51 even be a blessing to someone else 03:53 that they'll learn something 03:55 that will help not just themselves, 03:57 but will help others. 03:59 And we give You our hearts tonight, 04:02 everything about this program we give to You. 04:05 And we are always careful to give You the praise, 04:08 the honor and the glory, for You are worthy, 04:11 in Jesus' name, amen. 04:13 Amen. Amen. 04:17 Recently, my wife used an illustration, 04:20 we saw this illustration actually together, 04:22 and you use it about 04:24 all the people gathered around with it. 04:25 Why don't you talk about that kind of, 04:27 yeah, it's very interesting. 04:28 Okay. 04:29 There's an old Chinese proverb. 04:32 And they had this old man says what? 04:36 I want to go to, 04:37 he said, "He was getting ready to die." 04:39 That's right. 04:40 And he says, 04:42 "I want to see what hell is like." 04:44 And so he went to somebody said, 04:47 "Come, I'll show you, " 04:48 and he went to this big home. 04:50 And everybody had, 04:52 there's a big layout of food just everywhere, 04:55 table was long, but the people were so thin. 04:59 They were skinny. 05:00 And the food was there, 05:02 they were just looking at the food saying, 05:05 "We just can't eat." 05:06 And they had like a long, 05:08 like a six-foot chopstick, long chopstick, 05:14 long little fork things chopsticks 05:16 and they couldn't eat. 05:18 Everybody is like, 05:19 the tried to bring get the food, 05:21 pick up the food and it was too far 05:23 and they couldn't get it to their mouth 05:25 and so they looking at the food and couldn't eat. 05:29 So he says, "Okay, come." 05:30 He said, "This is discouraging." 05:31 He says, "Come, let me show you. 05:33 Let me take you what heaven would be like." 05:36 He went to this other place and saw this huge room. 05:39 Remember, this is just a Chinese thing. 05:41 And the room was filled with food, 05:44 delicious, smell so good. 05:46 The people there one nice and plump. 05:49 And they were just healthy looking, feeling good. 05:52 And everybody's smiling and laughing and talking. 05:55 Not like the old other place where everybody so emaciated. 05:58 So the food was good. 06:00 And you know what? 06:02 They all had that long, what is it, chopsticks? 06:05 Chopstick. 06:06 Long six-foot chopsticks. 06:09 And he looked, 06:11 everybody would take their food, 06:14 and they fed the next person. 06:16 They took the food 06:18 and they fed, they all fed each other. 06:21 And what do we get out of that, Honey? 06:23 They didn't focus on themselves. 06:27 They focused on the other person. 06:29 And we're going to talk about that tonight. 06:31 But I'm going to give our guests 06:33 a chance to just talk about some of the things 06:35 when you think of that word self. 06:37 It's a little word, it's one of the smallest words, 06:41 but with the greatest impact. 06:43 I'm going to start with Pastor Dinzey 06:44 because, you know, all of our lives, 06:46 if there's anything we're conscious of is self. 06:51 It is true, you know, 06:52 you consider that you were in a group of people, 06:56 and they took a picture of everybody. 06:59 And when the picture is brought out, 07:01 most people, the first thing they do 07:02 is look for themselves, you know, 07:05 they want to see 07:06 how did I turn out on that picture. 07:08 And, so then you start looking around, 07:10 "Oh, look at so and so." 07:11 But first you said 07:13 you look to see if you were okay. 07:15 So there's a degree of this self-centeredness 07:19 in just about everyone. 07:20 And so, so you say, before you are born again, 07:25 there, you're really not concerned about others. 07:28 For the most part, you are self-centered. 07:33 Is when you become a Christian 07:34 is that you begin to consider others, 07:37 you know, because the Bible brings out 07:40 that you are to love your neighbor as yourself. 07:44 And so that begins a journey for the individual 07:47 to put self aside 07:49 and consider others instead of yourself. 07:52 Good point. Interesting. 07:53 That's very good. 07:55 I can't, we cannot get away from that picture, 07:57 so to speak because that's true. 08:00 When you look, when you take a group picture, 08:01 who do you look for first? 08:03 Want to make sure you look good, 08:04 your hair's fine, your smile's all right. 08:06 I have a family member they have... 08:08 Long as they look good in the picture. 08:11 And the other person in my family looked terrible, 08:15 but they didn't care as long as they look good. 08:18 So they have, 08:19 like they post a family picture on their dressing table 08:22 is they look good, 08:23 but everybody else is like, just ancillary. 08:26 They're just there. Donald? 08:29 I was thinking when you said that about self 08:30 and what came my mind 08:31 is a lot of people often say this phrase, 08:33 you know, I'm a good person, I do good things. 08:35 But when you get down to the core of it, 08:37 like you're mentioning about before your, you know, 08:39 putting that watery grave in a baptism, 08:41 you know, emerging, 08:42 you give your heart to the Lord. 08:43 Everything you do is really it's self-centered. 08:45 It's all about you, 08:46 you don't, you think you're doing good things 08:48 but really, it's always there's a selfish motive behind it. 08:51 So I think that when we come to Christ, 08:53 and we see what Christ did in His methods, 08:56 and how He reached people, 08:58 we see His selflessness 09:00 and how He was able to get down even to the lowest of low 09:03 and to reach those people where we're kind of, 09:06 I don't know, like Jonah, 09:07 I don't think I want to go to Nineveh, 09:09 I'm not going there. 09:10 So it's like, 09:12 do we really get out and help those around us. 09:14 Do we get in? 09:15 Just there's some scriptures 09:17 that kind of my mind is Isaiah 58:6-8 talks about 09:20 how we're "To lose the bands of wickedness, 09:22 undo the heavy burdens, 09:23 let the oppressed go free, break every enslaving," 09:25 well, amplify, "puts every enslaving yoke." 09:28 And verse 7 says, 09:29 "To deal your food to the hungry," 09:31 you know, help those 09:32 who are naked give them clothes, 09:34 people in your family if they're, you know, out, 09:36 to help them, bring them into the house. 09:37 And that to me speaks a lot about being selfless. 09:40 Yes. That's right. 09:42 Yeah. 09:43 Jesus was selfless, wasn't He? That's right. 09:45 It's all about others, 09:46 what I can do 09:48 to relieve their pain or their suffering. 09:50 It's always about others. It's never about Him. 09:53 Where did He come from? Heaven. 09:55 He had everything. 09:57 He gave Himself... That's another statement, yes. 09:58 Everything. 09:59 He walking on streets of gold and look, 10:01 angels are worshipping You and you gave Yourself 10:05 as a sacrifice? 10:07 That is just beautiful. 10:09 I just praise my Lord every day. 10:12 I mean, think about the roadblock, 10:13 the thing that's in, 10:14 the thing that really makes it hard 10:16 to put a self aside is the condition of the heart. 10:18 Let's look at Jeremiah 17:9. 10:20 It's not in our outline, 10:23 but this is what makes it difficult 10:25 to put self aside. 10:28 Why do we often focus on what's important to us? 10:32 Jeremiah17:9. 10:35 Honey, read that for us. Interesting. 10:37 That famous passage is highlighted in my Bible. 10:40 "The heart is deceitful above all things 10:44 and desperately wicked: who can know it?" 10:48 I got to read, these have the blue box. 10:50 I think all of us have today. 10:52 We all got blue boxes. Go ahead. 10:54 No, you read it. Yeah, Donald. 10:56 It says, "The heart is desperately wicked: 10:58 who can know it? 10:59 No man can of Himself understand his errors." 11:02 Whoa, man. 11:03 "The heart is deceitful 11:05 above all things and desperately wicked: 11:06 who can know it? 11:08 The lips may express a poverty of soul 11:10 that the heart does not acknowledge. 11:13 While speaking to God of poverty of spirit, 11:16 the heart may be swelling 11:17 with the conceit of its own superior humility 11:20 and exalted righteousness." 11:21 That's a strong sentence there. 11:23 Now is that under your verse 9? 11:24 17:9? 11:25 Mm-hmm, yes. 11:29 Will we continue reading here? 11:30 Okay. Yes. 11:31 Says, "In one way, 11:35 only can a true knowledge of self be obtained, 11:37 we must behold Christ. 11:39 It is ignorance of Him 11:41 that makes men so uplifted in their own righteousness. 11:44 When we contemplate His purity and excellence, 11:46 we shall see our own weakness and poverty 11:48 and defects as they really are. 11:50 We shall see ourselves 11:51 lost and hopeless cladding garments 11:54 of self-righteousness, like every other sinner. 11:57 We shall see that if we were ever saved, 11:59 it will not be enough, yeah, 12:01 it will not be through our own goodness, 12:03 but through God's infinite grace." 12:04 There's more. 12:05 But I think you're talking about the paragraph 12:07 above in Chris Object Lessons. 12:09 I just expounded on it little more little bit. 12:11 Yeah, I think that what it said there, 12:13 we shall see ourselves lost and hopeless 12:14 cladding garments of self-righteousness 12:17 like every other sinner. 12:19 Sure, it actually was two quotes 12:21 from Jeremiah 17:9. 12:22 Pastor Dinzey, you read the next one there, 12:24 the blue box, 12:25 right under the verse itself there. 12:28 It says, 12:30 "No man can of himself understand his errors. 12:33 In one way 12:35 only can a true knowledge of self be obtained. 12:37 We must behold Christ. 12:40 When we contemplate his purity and excellence, 12:43 we shall see 12:45 our own weaknesses and poverty 12:47 and defects as they really are. 12:49 We shall see ourselves lost and hopeless. 12:52 We shall see that if we are ever saved, 12:55 it will not be through our own goodness, 12:58 but through God's infinite grace." 13:01 So in essence, 13:03 the Bible is analyzing us 13:05 saying that none of us is good. 13:07 And as you pointed that out, a lot of times you meet people, 13:10 they even say, "Well, I have some great neighbors, " 13:12 and we know what they mean. 13:14 But in the analogy of heaven, 13:17 we're all bankrupt in some respects or another. 13:21 So what I'd like to do, 13:22 we're going to walk through tonight, 13:23 some passages in Scripture. 13:25 Let's start with Galatians 5:20, 13:27 Galatians 5:20. 13:29 And we're going to look 13:30 at what the Apostle Paul described 13:33 as one of the challenges we face. 13:35 Now he outlined, 13:36 this is where you find the works of the flesh. 13:40 Then on the other side, 13:41 you find the fruit of the Spirit. 13:43 Galatians 5:20. 13:46 Okay, let me have Pastor Dinzey do that one. 13:49 Galatians 5:20, 13:51 "Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, 13:55 jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, 13:59 dissensions, heresies." 14:01 Okay, in that, 14:02 the reason I chose verse 20, 14:04 because it really goes from 19 all the way to 21. 14:06 Right. 14:08 But because it talks about the works of the flesh, 14:10 and that one there, notice selfish ambition. 14:13 What does that mean? 14:15 What does selfish ambition mean? 14:16 Let's talk about that for a moment. 14:18 Selfish ambition. 14:19 There's ambition 14:21 and then there's selfish ambition. 14:22 Yes. Okay. 14:23 Because, you know, 14:25 you may have a family 14:26 that they, 14:28 well, we really need a car 14:29 and we really need a home 14:30 and they work towards that goal. 14:32 But then, 14:33 you know, you have some somebody in the home 14:37 says, well, I want to get myself this, 14:40 you know, 14:41 and when there are other needs in the home, 14:44 and unfortunately, 14:45 I'm going to give you an example 14:47 that becomes a problem for families. 14:51 Because sometimes the habit comes into a person's life 14:54 and they forget others, 14:56 because they want to nurse that habit. 14:58 They want to partake of that habit, 14:59 for example person that becomes an alcoholic 15:03 or a drug addict, 15:05 they will take of money that is needed for food, 15:10 clothing, to pay for school, to pay for rent, 15:14 and they need to, 15:15 they feel like they need to get that liquor, that drug, 15:19 and you know, 15:20 we've have received calls 15:22 that they said, I feel ashamed, 15:23 "I even took money from my mother. 15:25 And she desperately needed this for medicine 15:28 or for something else." 15:29 So these habits that are detrimental 15:34 and hurtful really makes a person, 15:38 they're self-centered even. 15:40 I mean, self becomes 15:41 the dominating part of their lives. 15:45 One of the stories 15:46 you just shared kind of reminded me. 15:47 I just met a gentleman few weeks ago, 15:49 we were camping out 15:50 and now this gentleman told us a story about his life 15:53 and how he worked really hard and diligent. 15:54 That's another thing we can do, become workaholics. 15:57 And what happens is we, 15:59 our family misses us 16:00 because we're so busy working in. 16:01 That's another thing with self-centeredness. 16:03 I've got to make, I've got to do, 16:05 I've got to provide. 16:06 And you're so wrapped up and taking, 16:08 he said, I work seven days a week, 16:09 20 hours a day. 16:11 I built this company up 16:12 and now he's got quite a bit of money. 16:14 He wants his kid to take over. 16:15 But the fact that the kids now don't have a dad 16:17 because he's always busy working. 16:19 So, I think that's, you know, that says a lot. 16:22 It's kind of a self-centeredness, 16:23 even though it looks good on the surface. 16:25 Where's dad? 16:26 He's not here, you know, can't play ball, 16:28 whatever you do, I don't know, 16:29 go out and ride bikes together, go hiking, but he's not here. 16:32 And he'll say, "I'm providing for the family." 16:34 Right, yes. Yeah. 16:36 You know, Angie and I talked about this. 16:39 She said, that's some of the dangers 16:40 that could even happen in the ministry. 16:43 Remember that illustration you're talking about? 16:44 Which one? 16:46 How pastors sometimes could be off saving the world 16:48 and their families don't even know who they are. 16:50 Yes. We're talking about that. 16:52 They just and Sister White talks about that too, 16:55 how they could do for others, 16:57 yet their own house is falling apart. 17:00 Children don't know their parents, 17:03 or the fathers who are ministers 17:05 because they're so busy saving souls 17:09 and forget about the most important is Noah 17:13 and his family, right? 17:14 The Ark, you want your family in the kingdom. 17:17 Charles Fitch to that back. 17:18 And I think he did in 1800s. 17:20 He had a wife and two kids. 17:22 He kept baptizing these people over and over 17:23 and over and over. 17:24 So he thought Christ is coming. 17:26 And he ended up getting pneumonia and he died. 17:28 So now they have no father. 17:30 And I thought, well, you know, it seems good on the surface. 17:33 But now where's dad? He's no longer here. 17:36 He went into rest. So that's dangerous. 17:39 So even in the ministry, 17:40 for those of you that are may be involved 17:42 in pastoral ministry or any kind of ministry, 17:44 it's also important imperative to remember family, 17:48 the Lord first, family next. 17:50 Okay, Honey. 17:52 Talk about that, you said 17:53 the conference asked you that question once, so share. 17:56 When I was in California, beginning ministry, wow. 17:59 And in the 1980s, 18:01 the ministerial director called me in his office 18:03 and he said, 18:04 he said, I've asked a lot of pastors this question, 18:06 I'm going to ask you the same question. 18:08 One to five, outline your ministry, 18:11 priority all the way to the least important. 18:12 And I said, 18:14 "Well, the Lord's first, my wife is next, 18:17 the church is after that," 18:18 then I listed two other things. 18:20 He said, "Wait, pause, pause. 18:22 The church comes after your wife?" 18:25 I said, "Yes." He said, he tested me. 18:27 He says, "I'm glad to hear that. 18:30 Because in the interviews I've done, 18:32 the wife is third, fourth, some fifth, 18:35 and the only one 18:36 that should be before your wife is the Lord." 18:39 He said, 18:40 and we've had families that are in crucial situations, 18:42 because, you know, they say, 18:44 "Well, my church needs me. 18:45 " Well, I've told the church wherever I pastored, 18:47 I said, "When my wife is ill, 18:49 I'm going to be by her side." 18:50 And Pastor Dinzey, this is a perfect illustration, 18:52 because I've had you preach for me that Sabbath, 18:55 when I called on you, my wife was ill. 18:58 And I said, you know, 18:59 I made this declaration to my wife 19:02 in the presence of the Lord. 19:03 And I said, "The two shall be one, 19:05 I needed to be there for her." 19:07 And I called on you and not that you took my place, 19:09 but you did an excellent job, 19:11 because God hasn't called you to take my place. 19:13 But, boy, that was a powerful message that day. 19:15 And we sat home, 19:16 in the bed together while I was nursing her 19:19 and we had the iPad there watching you preach, 19:21 and praise the Lord for that. 19:23 So we have to keep those priorities 19:24 because you could be out ministering to the world. 19:27 And I know, 19:28 we talked about this 19:30 because we were going through familiar people 19:31 that we knew and thought, 19:33 well, are they, where's the family, 19:34 where's the wife, 19:36 where's the mother and the child is, 19:37 but the family is all over the place 19:40 and it's all ministry. 19:41 But we've heard pastors, 19:43 the children grew up and some of them say, 19:44 "I hate the church. 19:46 I don't like the church, 19:48 because my dad gave all of his time to the church." 19:50 So this is not the focal point of the program, but it came up. 19:54 And I think while ministry is important, 19:56 don't allow ministry to eclipse the relationship 20:00 that the Lord is calling you as a leader, 20:02 to exemplify the family first, Christ to always top, 20:06 but your family next. 20:08 That's very important, you know, 20:09 you're highlighting something very, very important 20:12 because that has happened. 20:15 Often we, again, 20:16 pastoral ministries, we get calls, 20:18 so we have received calls from wives. 20:21 And we, you know, even children that... 20:24 Pastors' wives would call. 20:25 Oh, yes. 20:27 And so, there, there needs to be a balance. 20:29 The only way we can have this balance 20:32 is by every day, 20:34 Jesus said, you know, Jesus has the answers. 20:38 So when He says, "If any man will come after Me, 20:41 let him take up his cross daily and follow Me." 20:43 It's in following Jesus, keeping our eyes on Him, 20:46 that things balance out. 20:48 And there's a balance, 20:51 and because He is going to remind you 20:55 to take care of your family. 20:58 And so this, this is what's going to help us 21:00 to maintain that close walk with the Lord 21:03 and the Lord will remind you. 21:05 And if you're not listening to that little voice, 21:08 the Lord will send you messages in some other way, 21:10 and they start getting louder and louder. 21:13 And when you start hearing 21:14 the wife and the children complain, 21:15 that's when they're getting louder and louder. 21:17 But the Lord sends you messages in different ways. 21:19 You know, because I mean, 21:21 you even have the scriptures tell us 21:22 that Jesus said to the Jews, 21:25 you know, I sent you prophets, they rose up early. 21:28 And I mean, it's there, it's in the Bible, 21:32 the examples of how God works is in the Bible. 21:35 I've seen that with you work, work, work, work, 21:38 work with people. 21:39 And I say, Honey, you got to slow down. 21:41 Haven't I said that? We do. 21:42 So we would say, 21:43 that's why we take time for our anniversary, 21:47 we got our birthdays, 21:48 we, you know, would skirt in a time say 21:51 we've been working really hard. 21:52 Let's take a vacation together. 21:54 And these are the things 21:55 that nurture what God has given to us. 21:57 And then when we are recharged, 21:59 we come back and we work hard on the other side, 22:02 work hard, play hard, 22:03 but don't forget, 22:05 keep the main thing, the main thing. 22:07 I was gonna mention a story 22:08 that happened me just a couple weeks ago, 22:10 my parents were here and they dig out little puppy. 22:13 And it gets up at all hours and I have to go out, 22:15 would be wafting on all stuff. 22:16 And I hear this thing whimpering and I'm like, 22:18 "Please don't tell me you have to go to the bathroom. 22:19 It's two in the morning. 22:21 I don't feel like getting up." 22:22 I hear this voice say, 22:23 "Just take the dog out 22:25 because my mom and dad were just driving 22:26 all these different places. 22:27 And they're tired out, my mom, you know, up in age, 22:29 and we won't go real in her age, 22:31 but just the fact that they're tired 22:32 and he's like, why don't you take care 22:33 of the pet for them. 22:35 So I went out there two in the morning 22:36 and she finds a little pig here. 22:38 And I'm like, please don't play, 22:39 let's just get this done. 22:40 Finish your business. So I can go back to bed. 22:42 But just that, that's whole self is, 22:43 it's like, I don't want to get up 22:45 and do this two in the morning... 22:46 Deny yourself. 22:47 Yeah, that's tough. 22:49 You know, it's a cup. 22:50 Let's go to Luke 22:42. 22:52 And look at the example that Jesus left us, 22:54 because self is a cup. 22:56 And the reason I refer to it that way 22:58 is because when self is in your cup, 23:00 and you keep drinking it, what happens? 23:02 You have more self, right? 23:05 If you pour your cup full of self every day, 23:08 and you keep on drinking it, right? 23:12 But the Lord is saying, 23:13 "No, I'm going to give you a different cup." 23:15 But if you say no, I want my cup instead. 23:18 Then you'll never get the victory over self. 23:20 Look at how Jesus illustrated this point. 23:22 Who just read last? 23:25 Okay, Pastor Dinzey, so Honey, read that one. 23:27 Luke 22:42. 23:29 It says here, 23:31 "Saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, 23:34 take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not My will, 23:40 but Yours be done. 23:43 " So what does that say about self? 23:45 You put self away. 23:46 I think it's submission. 23:48 Being submissive, 23:50 being willing to be obedient and submissive as well, 23:51 I'm kind of hearing you, 23:52 even though Christ didn't know 23:54 what was going to happen at that point. 23:56 I don't know how much He could see 23:57 or what He's given. 23:59 But just the fact He knew 24:00 the stake of what was going to happen ahead 24:01 that He knew how difficult the journey would be and like, 24:04 do I really want to lay this down, 24:06 but I have to have My Father strength 24:08 to get me through this right now. 24:09 So I've got to lay this down, because all of me says no, 24:11 I don't want to do this. 24:13 But I know I have to. 24:14 So I think that's a powerful thought. 24:16 That's right. 24:17 Laying self aside, Pastor Dinzey? 24:18 I would like to read from Philippians Chapter 2, 24:20 because I see here 24:22 a great example of selflessness. 24:26 And in Philippians Chapter 2, I begin reading in verse 5. 24:30 And it says, Jesus, it says, 24:32 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 24:37 who being in the form of God, 24:39 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 24:43 but made himself of no reputation, 24:46 taking the form of a bondservant 24:50 and coming in the likeness of men. 24:52 And being found in fashion or in appearance as a man, 24:56 He humbled Himself and became obedient 24:59 to the point of death, 25:00 even the death of the cross." 25:04 So this is a great example for us as far as being humble. 25:07 I mean, you think of Jesus, 25:10 the object of worship and praise in heaven 25:13 to come here as a helpless babe 25:16 and, you know, I remember reading it, 25:18 I think it was the book Desire of Ages 25:20 that where should we look 25:23 for the king of the universe to be born? 25:25 Is he in a castle? 25:27 Is he had, is He by a royal, you know, 25:31 with gold and surrounded? 25:33 No, in a humble, little manger. 25:36 He's like wow, you know. 25:38 I know the King of kings in a manger. 25:42 His accommodations. 25:43 Think about that. 25:44 How many times and we've had, this fits right now, 25:48 we've had those situations 25:49 where we have not had the best of accommodations. 25:53 And people have been upset for us. 25:54 But we said, "It's okay. It's okay. 25:56 We're fine. We're comfortable." 25:58 Right, remember that? Yeah. 26:00 Many times, right? 26:02 And then, when you don't and you know, 26:03 when you don't argue about that, 26:04 and I've learned this lesson, we've learned together, 26:07 when you don't argue about the circumstances 26:09 that the Lord allows to come to you, 26:11 He'll reward you later on. 26:14 Because on the flip side of that, 26:15 sometimes he said, 26:16 you know, we've gone places, 26:18 we've turned the key to our room, 26:19 and we open the room and we've looked to see 26:21 where the room began and where it ended. 26:24 And this massive room and we say, what did... 26:27 How do we get this room? Yeah. 26:30 Because prior to that, we had like this, 26:33 okay, you come in first. 26:35 I'll bring a suitcase next and you come in next. 26:38 And people say, 26:39 I am so upset 26:40 with the kind of room they gave you. 26:42 But it's okay, we could sleep, it's fine. 26:43 Because we're saying, 26:45 what did Jesus have to deal with? 26:46 So sometimes you have to put self aside and say, 26:49 if this is the Lord's will, but, Angie, read verse 3, 26:52 because when you said Philippians 2, 26:53 look at verse 3 26:55 that led right up to it, verse 3. 26:56 "Let nothing be done 26:58 through selfish ambition or conceit, 27:02 but in lowliness of mind, 27:04 let each esteem others better than himself." 27:07 Amen. 27:09 Okay, and when you say Philippians 2, 27:10 I thought I know exactly where he's going. 27:13 But that's the roll up to verse 5. 27:16 How difficult is that? 27:17 Let's get realistic in this iGeneration. 27:20 How difficult is that? 27:22 Those of you watching the program 27:24 have you, have you been challenged with? 27:26 Okay, right now, 27:28 I just want everyone to go home, 27:29 I want to go to bed, just I'm just gonna leave. 27:33 And they're in a very critical conversation. 27:36 You go like, would you guys just go home? 27:40 But we're dealing with a very serious life issue. 27:43 But it says here, what should we do? 27:45 Let's break this down. 27:46 First of all, put selfish ambition aside. 27:48 What kind of attitude should we have? 27:51 What kind of mind? 27:52 What do you think it means lowliness of mind? 27:54 Humble. Humble. Yeah, humble. 27:56 Humble is a great word. 27:58 Yeah, I think putting others before yourself. 27:59 I mean, within reason, obviously, 28:01 you don't want to put yourself in jeopardy. 28:02 But I think putting others, 28:04 their needs before, we like that. 28:05 We talked about the Good Samaritan in here. 28:07 I think that's kind of where it goes. 28:09 You know, like the Levite and the high priest, 28:10 they walk alongside and leave the man alone. 28:12 But this, you know, this man sees, 28:14 this Samaritan sees this man lying there and he goes, 28:16 goes to and actually goes to him 28:18 and takes care of him. 28:20 I think that, that to me kind of says lowliness. 28:21 When we put other people above ourselves it's... 28:24 Yeah. Yes. 28:25 Okay, and what else can we get out of that? 28:31 Lowliness of mind. That means humility. 28:36 I have experienced 28:37 this as a person in public life. 28:41 In pastoral ministry, 28:43 singing, teaching, preaching. 28:48 I remember growing up in the ministry, thinking, 28:54 how did that person get to be the speaker? 28:58 I learned as a young man, this is not now. 29:00 No. 29:01 But now, 29:03 when the devil tries 29:04 to put that thought back in my mind, 29:06 I'd verbalize and say, who are you talking to? 29:10 I was talking to myself. 29:12 And we have now come to the realization 29:15 in our own walk of life 29:16 is we are campaign managers for Jesus. 29:22 He's not our campaign manager. 29:24 He's not campaigning for us. We don't ask. 29:26 But say it again? 29:28 Well, we say we don't ask, 29:29 I want to be this position, that position. 29:30 I want to go here or there. We never do that. 29:33 We get the phone call, we're like, "Ah, what? 29:36 Well, he want us to go where, Africa? 29:37 What?" 29:39 And, but we don't call up and say, 29:40 "Oh, I want to go to Africa. 29:42 I want to go to Kenya." We don't say that, do we? 29:44 And we don't ask it, 29:46 could I be the speaker for that? 29:47 Could I be the person for that? 29:48 Never. Oh, boy. 29:50 And I've seen that in young novices, 29:52 sometimes people that are not yet emptied of self. 29:55 And then I can see that sometimes they get jealous 29:57 because somebody else is doing it. 29:58 And I said, "Brother, 30:00 if the Lord want you to do that, 30:01 He'll have you do that." 30:03 Because if you're where the God doesn't want you 30:05 to be is a dangerous place. 30:07 And I know as pastor, 30:09 you know, you've been in this ministry, 30:10 what, 30 years? 30:11 Thirty years. Wow. 30:14 Do you have any examples, 30:15 and I don't want to put people's names out there, 30:16 but you, 30:18 we talked about this whole thing 30:19 of putting self aside. 30:20 You know, I remember Dan Gerard, 30:23 in one of the programs we had here, 30:26 I'm sure some of our viewers remember him. 30:28 And he told this story one day 30:31 that he was asked to preach. 30:34 And so he was up there, 30:38 and he was like, he got prepared. 30:39 And he, he said, he walked up there with great confidence 30:43 and when, you know, he tried to preach, 30:45 things were not coming out as he, you know, envisioned. 30:50 And when it was all over, 30:52 you know, he was asked them by the door 30:54 and greet the people out. 30:55 And he was like, 30:56 I don't really want to stand by the door. 30:58 And so people were passing by shaking his hand. 31:01 And this elderly lady came by, and she said, "Young man, 31:07 if you would have walked up to the pulpit 31:10 the way you came down, 31:12 you would have been able to walk down 31:13 the way you went up to the pulpit." 31:17 That's powerful. Yeah. 31:18 Okay. 31:19 So, there's a lesson for us, you know, 31:21 we should not think ourselves more highly than, 31:24 you know, you're talking about lowliness of mind. 31:27 I mean, the speaker has to realize 31:29 that God is the one that deserves all glory. 31:34 And when we come to the realization 31:37 that we are vessels and instruments in His hands, 31:40 and or, you know, 31:43 there may be some sentinels, I'm sorry, 31:48 but you know, the devil uses people, it's true, 31:50 some sentinels of the devil come by 31:52 that they don't know that God, 31:54 the devil is using them. 31:56 And God did all this wonderful work through you. 32:00 And somebody will come and say something to you, 32:03 and you begin to feel like, oh, wait a minute. 32:06 I guess I did. 32:09 You know, it's God, God working through us, 32:12 is what really is able to change lives. 32:15 If I be lifted up, 32:16 the Bible says, 32:18 I'll draw all men to Me. 32:19 When you're speaking 32:20 you made me think of John the Baptist. 32:22 You know, what a powerful thing to think that. 32:24 First of all, you know, God, 32:25 Jesus asked him to baptize Him and he was like... 32:27 Oh, yeah. 32:28 Why are you asking me to baptize you? 32:30 You're supposed to be, should be baptizing me? 32:31 That's a good example. 32:33 And then he's honored, 32:34 you know, basically he's, 32:35 you know, His disciples like, 32:37 "Well, look, 32:38 this Jesus is baptizing more guys than you, 32:40 what's going on here?" 32:41 And he's like, "Well, I'm supposed to decrease, 32:43 he's supposed to increase something again. 32:45 Wow, it's like, 32:46 that's kind of humility that takes, you know. 32:49 John the Baptist is a great example 32:51 of God working through a person 32:52 and realizing to God be the glory, 32:55 Not worthy to unloose his sandals. 32:56 Right, he said, 32:58 not even worthy to unloose your sandals. 33:01 So I'm glad you brought that up, 33:02 because it was John the Baptist who said, 33:04 I must decrease, He must increase. 33:07 And when we read that story, a lot of times people think 33:10 how insensitive on the part of Christ, 33:13 not to go visit him while he was in prison. 33:17 But John the Baptist understood the role 33:18 that he was supposed to play. 33:20 So the Lord wasn't being insensitive. 33:22 John the Baptist knew, 33:23 hey, we met 33:25 when I was three months older than him. 33:28 Remember that? 33:30 He was in Elizabeth stomach 33:31 and Jesus is in the stomach of Mary. 33:34 And we said hello then, 33:36 and I kind of knew from that moment on, 33:39 second place, first place. 33:41 And he was willing to decrease 33:43 and pretty much died a life in exile. 33:47 But he will one day sit on the throne 33:48 with his cousin. 33:50 Right. Yeah. 33:53 Look at Mary Magdalene. 33:54 Was it Mary that took her hair to wash Jesus' feet? 33:58 Another example of humility. 34:00 Yeah, with the most expensive perfume. 34:03 Jonathan with David. 34:04 I mean, he's supposed to be the king. 34:06 No, David, you're the king. 34:08 So that will be tough if you're, you know, 34:09 the son who is supposed to be the king to step back. 34:11 All right. 34:13 But there's a principle that comes with it. 34:14 There's a principle that I want to point out. 34:16 Let's go to the Book of Luke. 34:20 You alluded to this, Donald, 34:23 we're going to look at a brief story, 34:24 Luke 10:30-36, 34:28 because it leads into and as you're going there, 34:32 I want to have Angie read John 13:34, 34:36 but we're going to, 34:38 don't lose that part of Luke's 34:39 because we're going to come back there. 34:40 But I'll have her read John 13:34 34:42 because there's a principle 34:44 that goes along with self being put aside, 34:48 and the principle is going to be highlighted 34:51 in what Angie is going to read. 34:53 And then since Donald suggested it or alluded to it, 34:57 I'm going to have him read that story 34:58 in a summarization of illustrating 35:01 what Angie is going to read. 35:02 John 13:34. 35:03 This is how self gets put aside. 35:06 "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, 35:11 as I have loved you, 35:14 that you also love one another." 35:17 Love, that's the key. 35:19 When I hear people say, 35:20 are you going to preach another sermon on love? 35:22 You know what I say to them? 35:24 That blows me away. 35:25 Could you preach on anything else? 35:27 Now I do prophecy and other things. 35:29 But when we minimize the love that is required of us to, 35:34 is there anything else to talk about? 35:36 This is not the love that we've all attain to yet 35:39 because this kind of love requires the death of self. 35:43 And so in the story that you're going to share with us, 35:45 read those six verses, 35:46 because this is loving your neighbor as yourself. 35:50 This comes out looks like the New King James Version. 35:52 Let's see, then Jesus, verse 30, 35:53 "Then Jesus answered and said: 35:55 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, 35:58 and fell among thieves, 36:00 who stripped him of his clothing, 36:01 wounded him, 36:03 " he must have wounded, "and departed, 36:05 leaving him half dead." 36:06 Wow, half dead. 36:08 31, "Now by chance 36:10 a certain priest came down that road. 36:11 And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side, " 36:14 disgusted, I'm not sure. 36:16 32, "Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, 36:19 came and looked, and passed by on the other side." 36:22 33, "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, I like this, 36:25 came where he was. 36:26 And when he saw him, he had compassion." 36:29 Next verse, 36:30 "So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, 36:33 pouring on oil and wine, 36:35 and he set him on his own animal, 36:36 brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 36:40 On the next day, when he departed, 36:42 he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, 36:45 and said to him, 'Take care of him, 36:47 and whatever more you spend, when I come again, 36:49 I will repay you. 36:51 ' So which of these three 36:53 do you think was neighbor to him 36:55 who fell among the thieves?' 36:58 " And we call that story, the what? 37:00 Good Samaritan. 37:01 The Good Samaritan. Wow. 37:02 So which one of these, 37:04 Pastor Dinzey, was the, 37:05 is this a redundancy but what do you see here? 37:10 I see here a person that, 37:13 you know, put self aside 37:15 for whatever his agenda was, for that day, 37:17 you know, Jesus doesn't say, well, 37:18 he was on his way to do such and such, 37:20 he stopped what he was doing, 37:22 took care of this wounded person 37:24 and bandaged him, 37:26 took him to a place 37:28 and not only just dropped him off there, 37:30 but he said, whatever you spend on him, 37:33 let me know, and I'll pay for it. 37:35 So there, he went beyond, 37:37 you know, it says, beyond the call of duty. 37:40 It's a wonderful illustration 37:44 of what we are to be through God's grace. 37:47 And he put self aside, he really did. 37:50 Now, it's interesting, because it mentions Samaritan. 37:55 And so the others that have passed by 37:59 did not help this man that we're supposed to, 38:03 but this person 38:05 that was considered even despised 38:08 by the person that helped him, 38:10 he was the one that stopped to help. 38:11 That's right. 38:13 There's a very amazing quote that goes along with this, 38:14 I'm gonna have Angie read that. 38:16 And this parable of Good Samaritan 38:17 starts off with the lawyer that says, 38:19 Teacher, 38:20 what should I do to inherit eternal life? 38:24 That's how this whole Good Samaritan starts with, 38:27 you know. 38:28 Yeah, try the stump him with. 38:30 And what did he, the God said? 38:31 He loved the Lord your God with all your heart, 38:35 all your soul, all your strength, 38:37 all your mind and then what else you love? 38:39 Love your neighbor as yourself, as yourself. 38:44 I did a sermon recently, I may have you do this. 38:45 No, no, go ahead. 38:47 I did a sermon recently that it was the shortest title 38:49 on our bulletin board at church 38:51 because people were embarrassed with my sermon title. 38:54 My sermon title was "Strangle Yourself." 38:58 And they said, 39:00 "Pastor, are you sure 39:01 you want to put that on the bulletin board 39:02 because it looks like strangle yourself, 39:05 because it knows strangle yourself. 39:08 And I found a picture. 39:09 I should have had it on this program. 39:11 I found a picture of a lady 39:15 who was battling self and she was strangling 39:18 the reflection of herself in the lake. 39:21 She was strangling herself, strangle yourself. 39:25 That's the battle we wake up with every day, 39:27 we have to strangle self 39:28 because if we don't begin 39:30 to dedicate ourselves to Christ in the morning, 39:32 self gets in the way. 39:34 You ever done something stupid, something dumb, 39:36 and you say, I just want to strangle myself. 39:39 What was I thinking? 39:41 You know, what was I thinking? 39:43 That was stupid, that was dumb. 39:45 And that reminded me of the lady strangling herself 39:48 in the reflection. 39:49 I showed that in beginning of the sermon in the church 39:51 and that was a shortest title 39:53 because as soon as the sermon was over, 39:55 Kevin took the title off the bulletin board 39:58 because he said, 39:59 "Pastor, do you think people can understand what you meant?" 40:02 That's before it was digital. 40:03 Before it was digital, that's right, 40:05 but this was really interesting 40:06 but this quotation fits beautifully 40:08 because this illustration is what God is calling, 40:11 what Jesus is calling us to do. 40:12 In Christ's Object Lessons, page 384 says, 40:15 "Gospel religion is Christ in the life, 40:19 a living, active principle. 40:22 It is the grace of Christ revealed in character, 40:26 and wrought out in good works. 40:28 The principles of the gospel cannot be disconnected 40:32 from any department of practical life. " 40:36 Maybe reading the right one? 40:38 The right one. Okay. 40:40 "Every line of Christian experience 40:43 and labor 40:44 is to be a representation of the life of Christ 40:47 and this is where it ends, love is the basis of godliness. 40:52 Whatever the profession, 40:55 no man has pure love to God 40:58 unless He has unselfish love to his brother, 41:02 for his brother. 41:04 For his brother. 41:05 Makes me think of 1 John 4:7, 41:08 I'll try to make it to almost 7-12, 41:10 I just love this. 41:12 1 John 4:7-12? Yep. 41:13 All right. 41:15 It says in there, 41:16 "Beloved, let us love one another, 41:19 for love is of God, 41:21 and everyone that loveth is born of God 41:23 and knoweth God. 41:24 He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 41:30 In this was manifested the love of God toward us 41:32 because the God sent His only begotten Son 41:35 into the world, 41:37 that we might live through Him. 41:38 Herein his love, not that we loved God, 41:40 but that He loved us and sent His Son 41:43 to be the propitiation for our sins. 41:45 Beloved, if God so loved us, 41:47 we ought also to love one another. 41:50 No man has seen God at any time. 41:51 If we love one another, God dwells in us, 41:54 and His love is perfected in us." 41:56 That's right. 41:58 So if we love, 41:59 if we say we love God, who we can't see, 42:04 we should be able to love those that we see. 42:07 So that's the measurement of it. 42:09 If we don't love those that we can see, 42:11 how can we love the one that we don't see? 42:13 Pastor John? 42:15 You know, 42:16 God is trying to help us understand that how, 42:19 what heaven is like, what heaven is like, 42:22 and I'm going to share 42:23 something that I believe is good news. 42:25 Do you mind if I do that? 42:26 Of course, sure, we need some good news. 42:28 And so, I want to start by saying, 42:30 you know, you out there that are listening. 42:35 You're going to want to be in heaven 42:37 after you read this verse. 42:38 After we read it, 42:40 you're going to want to be in heaven 42:41 because I know that people are listening. 42:44 You know, you've been mistreated. 42:46 People have talked bad about you, 42:47 looked at you bad the wrong way. 42:49 Taking your things 42:51 and this verse is going to help you 42:53 understand that you will want to be in heaven, so. 42:57 Okay. 42:58 This is in Matthew. 42:59 Looking forward to it. 43:01 In Matthew Chapter 22 43:03 and we'll begin reading at verse 36. 43:07 "Teacher, 43:08 which is the great commandment in the law?" 43:13 Jesus said to him, 43:15 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 43:18 and with all your soul, 43:19 and with all your mind.'" 43:21 This is the first and great commandment. 43:24 This is the basis for the happiness in heaven, 43:27 you're going to be happy. Now listen to the second one. 43:29 And the second is like it, Jesus said, 43:32 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 43:35 And these two commandments 43:36 hang all the law and the prophets." 43:39 So this is what heaven is like. 43:41 So if you want to be treated well, 43:44 get ready and go to heaven, 43:46 follow Jesus with all your heart 43:47 because people there are going to love you, 43:52 like they love themselves. 43:53 I mean, you're going to be so happy. 43:57 Excuse me, you need help with that? 43:59 Can you imagine? 44:00 I'll help you with that. 44:02 I mean, people are going to be, you know, trying to say, 44:05 "No, no, let me do it for you." 44:07 Or you need your grass cut, no, let me do it for you. 44:11 And so, it's a beautiful picture. 44:13 Oh, but really 44:15 a place where everyone loves one another, 44:19 this verse needs consideration and thought and study 44:22 because it's going to tell you because here on this earth, 44:26 we haven't fully found this, 44:28 you know, loving your neighbor as yourself. 44:30 Now, when you go to church, you'll see some, some, 44:36 some of this, you know, 44:37 I mean, people come to the Thompsonville Church, 44:39 they say, "This is a loving church. 44:41 You got wonderful people here." And yes, we do. 44:45 And like I said, 44:47 God is trying to prepare us 44:49 for what heaven is going to be like 44:51 and church should be like this, 44:54 a foretaste of heaven. 44:57 Thank you. That's right. 44:58 That's very true. 45:00 We shouldn't wait to get to heaven 45:01 to illustrate these things. 45:03 It's almost like waiting till the baseball season 45:05 to pick up the bat for the first time, 45:08 you'll be cold, you'll be out of practice, 45:10 you won't even be ready for that. 45:11 So that's why... 45:13 I like what you said. That was beautiful. 45:14 Yeah, because so many people, 45:15 they've gone through abuse in this world, 45:18 spiritual, physical, mental, 45:20 all this abuse they've gone through. 45:23 And it's so good to know that 45:24 there's someplace prepared for us 45:26 forever for eternity, love, joy, peace, all of that, 45:31 like you said, hey, you need help,? 45:32 What? 45:33 You know, 45:35 help building my mansion in the new earth, 45:36 whatever. 45:38 And this is a place that we have to consider. 45:40 I mean, we didn't mean to go into this topic, 45:42 but it's all, it's beautiful, you know, to, go ahead. 45:46 Has that happened to you? I'm sorry. 45:47 You go ahead first. Yes. No, I'm done. Go ahead. 45:49 Has it ever happened to you, 45:51 you go somewhere and you find out somebody 45:53 did something for you and you're like, 45:56 you did this for me and you're like overwhelmed. 45:59 And this is what heaven is going to be like 46:01 over and over and over... 46:02 Continuously. Continuously. 46:04 So it's just going to be, 46:06 you know, the Bible says that in the presence of the Lord, 46:09 there's fullness of joy. 46:13 And at His right hand... 46:14 What do you mean fullness of joy? 46:16 Yeah, fullness of joy, 46:18 fullness of joy means there's no time to be sad, 46:22 because you have all the joy 46:23 that you could possibly contain. 46:26 So, this is what heaven is going to be like. 46:29 And so I want to encourage people, you know, 46:32 you know, over and over the Bible tells us, 46:37 Jesus is trying to tell us, 46:38 let this, well, how does it go? 46:43 Let your light... 46:44 Shine. 46:46 So shine before men 46:47 that they may see your good works 46:49 and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 46:51 So we need to stop resisting this light from shining. 46:54 Amen. 46:56 We need to be like our dad. 46:57 Somebody needs to say you're just like your dad. 47:01 See the light of mine Spitting image. 47:03 Spitting image. 47:04 And by the way, how does this happen? 47:06 Look at Romans 5:8. 47:08 There's a couple of elements I want to bring in, 47:10 how this is possible, 47:12 how this could happen in your life. 47:14 And this is an illustration of that. 47:17 Who didn't read yet? 47:18 Okay, Donald, Romans 5:8. Sure. 47:21 "But God commendeth His own love toward us, 47:25 in that while we were still sinners, 47:27 Christ died for us. 47:29 " What's another word for commendeth? 47:32 Demonstrating. Demonstrating. 47:33 Yeah, yeah, it's good word, demonstrating. 47:34 Now when did he do that? 47:36 When did he demonstrate that love? 47:39 While we were yet sinners. 47:40 Okay, say it again. 47:42 While we were yet sinners. 47:43 So did he wait till you got your act together? 47:46 Nope. 47:47 No, a lot of times 47:48 we look at people and we say, 47:50 why would I do anything for him? 47:51 Look at this, look at that person. 47:53 Why would I even want to help him. 47:55 And we have found that the greatest joys, 47:57 we've been experiencing this in our own life. 48:00 We have this family practice. 48:02 And this is by no means glorifying us. 48:04 But it's something that our parents instilled in us 48:07 growing up in a West Indian home. 48:09 When we go to visit people, our mom, 48:14 I learned this growing up in that culture. 48:17 They said, "When you go to visit family, 48:18 never go empty handed." 48:19 Bring something. 48:21 You know this to be true, right? 48:22 Even a card, you mail a card 48:24 or mail a card to my mom or something. 48:27 You never mail an empty card. 48:29 You always put something in it. 48:31 That's how we were raised. That's how we were raised. 48:32 And the older people always give. 48:35 And it tickles us 48:36 when we recently took some time off 48:38 and went together on vacation 48:40 to go visit family in the Virgin Islands. 48:42 We had a whole suitcase 48:44 of thank the Lord that the Lord worked out 48:47 that we could go first class. 48:48 And we had... 48:50 Without paying Without paying anything extra. 48:52 And we right away we said, 48:55 the Lord knew we needed this 48:56 because we would have to pay extra for that suitcase. 48:58 And so then we, when we, 48:59 when they showed us the day before that, 49:01 you were clear for first class, you know, we upgraded, 49:04 we fill that thing 49:05 we said we're going to need most of it. 49:07 Seventy pounds. 49:08 We'll need most of these over there anyway. 49:09 So took things for my family and food 49:12 and so many other things and it just tickles. 49:15 You know, if you try this, 49:17 if you try to be nice to someone, 49:19 you'll understand what joy means. 49:21 It tickles you. Say it again. 49:23 It's more blessed to give than to receive. 49:25 It tickles. 49:27 Yeah, I feel so good to give. 49:29 That's right, happy peaceful. 49:30 Yeah, even though we're in a different topic, 49:32 but all it is, it's about selfless. 49:34 And even though we celebrated my birthday there, 49:36 it was so good to hear my older brother say, 49:38 "I've the best youngest, younger brother." 49:39 He did. 49:41 Because it just tickles me 49:42 knowing that he lives in the Virgin Islands. 49:43 And right now COVID-19 environment 49:46 and this is the environment 49:47 that this really is practical to start getting out of self. 49:50 You might be next to a neighbor that's older or lonely. 49:54 They don't have to even be advanced in age. 49:55 You might say, I'm going to the store. 49:57 Is there something you want, because my aunt and uncle, 50:00 they don't go to the store. 50:01 They haven't been out in the community since March. 50:04 But they're saying, 50:05 we, you know, we are advanced in years. 50:07 We don't want to get sick. 50:09 So you might say, you know what? 50:11 I don't really want to spend 50:13 20 more minutes in the grocery store 50:15 but let me see what my neighbor wants. 50:18 This is the opportunity 50:19 for this to be allowed in your life. 50:21 That's grace. 50:22 So many disasters going on, too. 50:24 I know Joe, he was just telling us 50:25 recently his daughter and husband, 50:28 they went to Iowa 50:29 where they had that massive Derecho, 50:31 I guess it's called... 50:33 The heavy winds. 50:34 One hundred twenty mile an hour winds. 50:36 So now they're going out there with chainsaws 50:37 and cutting trees down 50:38 and this guy was busy preparing the chainsaw. 50:40 So the next morning early, 50:41 like midnight, or one in the morning, 50:43 getting the chain sharpen and oil. 50:44 They ran out of oil 50:45 and this guy provided light for them. 50:47 We found he's doing this. 50:48 He said, "What are you guys doing this for? 50:49 What is this?" 50:51 So we're trying to help the neighborhood down. 50:52 He said, well, let me help you. 50:53 So he brought his chainsaws on, 50:55 he got all his bar oil and start, 50:56 you know, helping the guy out. 50:58 So it's like contagious, I think we begin to, 51:00 you know, put self aside, 51:01 I think there's something that happens 51:03 that creates a spark in people, they want that, 51:05 it's like something just gives them that joy 51:07 and they want to be a part of that. 51:09 It's kind of interesting, 51:10 You know, you remind me of a story 51:11 that is very, very powerful. 51:13 And there was this, 51:16 this house that was being built from the ground up. 51:20 And one of the neighbors noticed, boy, there's a lot, 51:23 there are a lot of people working there. 51:25 And it was hot, you know, 51:26 and it was people were sweating. 51:28 But they were out there working. 51:29 And they were singing and they were happy. 51:31 And so the neighbor comes over and he says, 51:34 "Who's in charge here?" 51:36 "That guy over there." 51:37 "Okay, hey, how much you paying these people?" 51:41 "We're not paying them anything.""What?" 51:43 He says, 51:44 "But they're all working so happy. 51:47 How can it? 51:48 How can it be that you're not paying them?" 51:50 "Oh, no, we're not paying them anything. 51:51 As a matter of fact, they paid to be here." 51:53 Because these were people that you know, 51:55 they live somewhere else 51:56 and they come to help build a home. 51:58 He says they pay to be here 52:02 and you're not paying them anything. 52:03 That's right. 52:05 And he goes, wow, that's amazing. 52:07 And you know, 52:08 when you come to find out people are doing this 52:10 because they want to show the love of God 52:12 to someone else. 52:14 You know, 52:16 you have the Seventh-day Adventist Church 52:17 has many ministries 52:19 and some of the ministries do this. 52:20 I mean, you... 52:21 Maranatha. Maranatha does this. 52:23 People pay to go... 52:24 People pay to go to these places. 52:25 And help people for free. 52:27 Yes, I remember one time being with a ministry, boy, 52:31 I'm trying to remember the ministry, 52:33 may come to mind in a moment. 52:34 But we were in Guatemala, helping people for some reason, 52:40 I'm confusing the name of the ministry. 52:42 But anyway, we were in Guatemala, 52:43 it was Thanksgiving Day. 52:45 There were nurses, doctors, dentists, and all this. 52:47 And Idalia and I were there with Simon Keller, 52:50 we were all had the opportunity to do this. 52:51 And I started looking at this and I go, 52:55 you know, these people could be home, 52:57 doctors and nurses and dentists. 53:00 They could be home with a big spread of food, 53:04 you know, because this is what they do in America. 53:06 And they have paid to be that 53:09 they had taken vacation to be there. 53:11 And they were serving other people. 53:13 And they were happy to do it. 53:15 How do I know? 53:16 Because they had done it the year before, 53:18 the year before and the year before. 53:19 You see so, this is what God does in us. 53:23 He changes us 53:24 from being self-centered to being considered of others. 53:27 Okay. 53:28 Now, I want you to read Galatians 2:20, Honey, 53:30 it's right here to save the time. 53:31 Amen, that was beautiful. 53:33 That is the illustration 53:34 of what we're going to read right now. 53:35 Oh, marvelous. How does this happen? 53:37 Read Galatians 2:20. This is how it happens. 53:39 It doesn't happen based on 53:41 just your gumption to do something. 53:43 This is how it happens naturally. 53:46 Okay, Galatians 2:20. 53:47 "I have been crucified with Christ." 53:49 Who has been crucified? Me, self. 53:52 Another way to spell self is I, one letter, okay. 53:57 "It is no longer I who live, 54:01 but Christ lives in me. 54:05 And the life which I now live in the flesh, 54:09 I live by faith in the Son of God, 54:12 who loved me 54:13 and gave himself for me." 54:15 That's selfless, isn't it? 54:17 Who's working out His will in us? 54:20 Christ. Jesus. 54:22 That's right. 54:23 For it is God who works in you both 54:25 to will and to do of His good pleasure. 54:27 The remedy for selfish for selflessness, 54:31 if you want to replace selfishness to selflessness, 54:35 you got to let Christ come in. 54:36 Because we could attend 54:38 somebody talked about his behavioral modification. 54:41 For some time, people can be nice. 54:43 Everybody has the capacity 54:45 to be nice under special circumstances, 54:48 you know, tree fell down. 54:50 Everybody's going to come out with their chainsaws, 54:52 but when there are not emergencies, 54:56 when the crowd is not around, 54:57 to give you accolades that you just did this, 55:00 when you're not going to get a community ribbon, 55:03 that's when the Lord is saying, hey, that's gonna count. 55:05 Pastor Dinzey, let me have a quote before we end. 55:07 Yeah, my wife, I asked my wife, 55:08 "What's the name of the ministry?" 55:09 Broken Chains for Humanity, we went with them to Guatemala. 55:12 They did a wonderful work. 55:13 And there are many ministries like this. 55:16 And so get involved, do something for other people, 55:19 you want to be happy, do something for other people 55:21 and you'll see that your joy will increase. 55:24 Yes. 55:25 There's a quotation from the Southern Watchman, 55:27 and then I'm going to have you read Matthew 7:12. 55:30 Because that's the ultimate, 55:32 ultimate measure 55:33 of how the power of selflessness is born. 55:38 The Southern Watchman, August 1, 1905, 55:42 "There is no limit to the usefulness 55:47 of one who putting self aside 55:52 makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit 55:55 upon his heart, 55:56 and lives a life, 55:58 holy consecrated to God. 56:01 " You want to live a limitless life, 56:03 that's the way to do it. 56:04 Put self aside, 56:06 and the Spirit of God will work in you 56:07 in a powerful, powerful way. 56:09 And then this principle will begin 56:12 to be activated in your life. 56:14 Matthew 7:12, Honey? 56:16 Okay, 7:12, says, 56:21 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, 56:24 do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets." 56:28 That's right. 56:29 The only way you could do that, 56:31 if Christ is activated in your life. 56:33 Twenty seconds each as we're winding up. 56:35 Pastor Dinzey, I'll start with you. 56:37 You mentioned that the greatest battle was self. 56:41 That's the greatest battle. 56:42 So surrender your will to the Lord, 56:46 give yourself, Lord, take me and mold me, 56:48 according to Your likeness and good things will happen. 56:50 That's right. I like that. 56:52 Donald? I think Jesus said it best. 56:53 He said, "I'm always about My Father's business." 56:55 He didn't come to be served, but He came to serve. 56:59 So I think that's the beauty of this, 57:00 He comes as a servant. 57:02 That's right. 57:03 And Desire of Ages, pages 440, I end with this, 57:05 "Angels are ever present, where they are most needed. 57:09 But those who have the hardest battle 57:12 with self to fight, 57:14 and whose surroundings are the most discouraging, 57:17 and in this ministry, 57:18 Christ's true followers will cooperate." 57:22 Our prayer for you 57:23 is that the Lord will live in your life 57:25 as you open the door. 57:26 We say Happy Sabbath. Can we all say that? 57:28 Happy Sabbath. Happy Sabbath. 57:30 May the Lord bless you 57:31 until we see you again 57:33 and you can in Christ live a selfless life. 57:36 Amen. Amen. |
Revised 2020-10-06