1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:03,910 God has promised that if we draw near to Him, 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:05,670 He'll draw near to us. 3 00:00:05,710 --> 00:00:08,870 The Bible tells the story of a father longing to be reunited 4 00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:10,330 with his wayward son 5 00:00:10,370 --> 00:00:14,600 and of the father's joy when his son finally returns home. 6 00:00:14,610 --> 00:00:17,930 This touching illustration reveals God's desire to have us 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,670 come close to Him. 8 00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:21,350 Let's draw near to God 9 00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:24,770 and He will draw near to us. 10 00:00:34,470 --> 00:00:35,540 Good evening, friends. 11 00:00:35,550 --> 00:00:37,670 Thank you for joining us this evening, 12 00:00:37,820 --> 00:00:40,440 at this revival, Drawing Near. 13 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:42,160 I would like to welcome each of you. 14 00:00:42,190 --> 00:00:44,410 Those joining us here in Fort Worth. 15 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:46,590 Thank you for coming out this evening. 16 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:50,610 And those watching via satellite around the world and across the 17 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,240 country, a very warm welcome to you. 18 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,410 We have about 1000 sites that are joining us. 19 00:00:56,450 --> 00:00:59,560 And so wherever you might be, in your home or maybe you are at 20 00:00:59,590 --> 00:01:02,670 church maybe in an auditorium maybe even watching online 21 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:04,550 and whatever the case might be thank you. 22 00:01:04,590 --> 00:01:07,510 I know that God has a rich blessing in store for you 23 00:01:07,540 --> 00:01:09,550 as He does for us here. 24 00:01:09,590 --> 00:01:12,630 My name is Jean Ross, I'm the director of the Amazing Facts 25 00:01:12,660 --> 00:01:14,050 Center of Evangelism. 26 00:01:14,090 --> 00:01:17,540 And this whole week we' re gonna be looking at God's grace 27 00:01:17,570 --> 00:01:18,580 His mercy. 28 00:01:18,620 --> 00:01:21,130 We are gonna be asking for revival. 29 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,450 The focus is drawing near. 30 00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:26,250 And we get that from James 4:8 31 00:01:26,260 --> 00:01:30,430 Where we read the promise where God says if we draw near to Him 32 00:01:30,460 --> 00:01:32,690 He will draw near to us. 33 00:01:32,730 --> 00:01:36,240 Of the next 8 evenings, pastor Doug is going to open the Word 34 00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:39,010 and lead us into the presence of God 35 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,520 for revival and reformation. 36 00:01:41,550 --> 00:01:43,960 Again thank you for joining us. 37 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,850 We have a theme song that we'll be singing each evening 38 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:48,230 "Revive us, o Lord. " 39 00:01:48,270 --> 00:01:51,000 I'm gonna ask if pastor John Lomacang will come out and 40 00:01:51,030 --> 00:01:52,310 lead us in that song. 41 00:01:52,350 --> 00:01:55,480 Let's stand together as we sing this song that is actually 42 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:58,870 a prayer - "Revive us, o, Lord. " 43 00:02:00,970 --> 00:02:02,610 Are you ready? 44 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:20,430 together 45 00:04:35,610 --> 00:04:36,410 Amen. 46 00:04:36,450 --> 00:04:40,510 And tonight our prayer will be given to us by pastor Holly. 47 00:04:42,570 --> 00:04:44,950 Remain standing as I kneel. 48 00:04:48,810 --> 00:04:52,630 Our gracious God, what a marvelous God you are. 49 00:04:52,660 --> 00:04:55,410 We thank you for your love toward us. 50 00:04:55,450 --> 00:05:00,130 And the grace you offer us so freely in Jesus. 51 00:05:00,170 --> 00:05:04,310 We pray tonight for the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit 52 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,880 because in that way alone we can be revived. 53 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,180 And we pray also that you will bless pastor Doug Batchelor 54 00:05:11,210 --> 00:05:15,490 tonight, as he opens Your Word and shares it with us. 55 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,720 Open our hearts. 56 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,920 Fill us with a joy to serve You. 57 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,090 We thank you for hearing us. 58 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,550 In Jesus' name, Amen. 59 00:05:30,460 --> 00:05:32,940 You all may be seated. 60 00:05:32,980 --> 00:05:38,180 Thank you very much, pastor Holly, Jean and John and Kelly 61 00:05:38,210 --> 00:05:42,200 and thank you everybody for coming here in Texas, 62 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:43,430 Fort Worth. 63 00:05:43,470 --> 00:05:45,510 Wanna welcome our friends who are watching. 64 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:46,500 And our audience here. 65 00:05:46,540 --> 00:05:48,520 I hope you will indulge me for just a moment. 66 00:05:48,530 --> 00:05:52,090 I'd like to welcome my wife and boys who wish they could be here 67 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,290 The boys are in school right now 68 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,440 and my church in Sacramento. 69 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,530 We know they are participating. 70 00:05:58,570 --> 00:06:01,690 It is very exciting to be able to come together again 71 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:02,960 with a special focus 72 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,820 for Christians to seek after God 73 00:06:05,860 --> 00:06:09,420 And some thing we are going to continue that we did with our 74 00:06:09,450 --> 00:06:12,710 revival series in last year. 75 00:06:12,750 --> 00:06:16,370 We want to give you an opportunity to ask questions 76 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,980 that might be more specifically focused on 77 00:06:20,010 --> 00:06:21,840 How do we get closer to the Lord? 78 00:06:21,870 --> 00:06:23,900 How do we draw near to God? 79 00:06:23,940 --> 00:06:26,980 How can Christians find their first love again? 80 00:06:27,010 --> 00:06:27,830 Amen? 81 00:06:27,860 --> 00:06:28,650 Amen. 82 00:06:28,660 --> 00:06:31,000 Anyone here wants to be closer to God? 83 00:06:31,010 --> 00:06:33,520 Sort of a simple question. 84 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,700 Would you like to renew that first love 85 00:06:35,740 --> 00:06:38,710 and to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit? 86 00:06:38,740 --> 00:06:41,140 That's the theme of this series of meetings. 87 00:06:41,180 --> 00:06:44,870 And if you have some questions related to the Christian life 88 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:48,560 or revival or the Holy Spirit and the baptism and the Spirit 89 00:06:48,590 --> 00:06:50,900 then we'd invite you to send them in. 90 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:53,220 There's a website and it's very simply 91 00:06:53,250 --> 00:06:56,320 05revive. org 92 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,360 And there will be a place here at the website and a number of 93 00:06:58,370 --> 00:06:59,960 resources you can take advantage of. 94 00:06:59,970 --> 00:07:02,170 05Revive.org 95 00:07:02,580 --> 00:07:06,050 Now, brother Danny and I are going to begin with a few 96 00:07:06,050 --> 00:07:09,460 questions tonight that have come in the past from other 97 00:07:09,490 --> 00:07:10,900 broadcasts and programs. 98 00:07:10,990 --> 00:07:13,760 We get a lot of questions at Amazing Facts and 3ABN. 99 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,300 And so we took some we thought would be relevant. 100 00:07:16,340 --> 00:07:19,820 And you might say I guess we're priming the pump tonight. 101 00:07:19,860 --> 00:07:23,000 But we're counting on you both locally and you who are watching 102 00:07:23,030 --> 00:07:26,480 to e-mail us some questions for future programs. 103 00:07:26,510 --> 00:07:27,720 These are live broadcasts 104 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,890 and we want to do our best to maximize the potential 105 00:07:31,930 --> 00:07:36,030 to get a new fresh love, a new heart with the Lord. 106 00:07:36,060 --> 00:07:37,080 Amen? Amen. 107 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:38,300 Do you have some samples here? 108 00:07:38,330 --> 00:07:39,480 Well, I do. 109 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:40,600 Pastor Doug. 110 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,550 One of the things people write to 3ABN about 111 00:07:43,580 --> 00:07:45,570 and I'm sure they write you 112 00:07:45,580 --> 00:07:45,950 is they say 113 00:07:45,990 --> 00:07:49,740 Why do you do so many of these revivals? 114 00:07:49,780 --> 00:07:54,550 We started back 3ABN and Amazing Facts about 1997. 115 00:07:54,590 --> 00:07:58,300 Doug Batchelor, you remember back in the little auditorium 116 00:07:58,330 --> 00:08:00,600 we had back at 3ABN. 117 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,380 And we've done a number of them since and last year 118 00:08:03,410 --> 00:08:05,280 and now this year. 119 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,130 So the question is that people have been writing and saying 120 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:09,880 Don't you think our church is doing a lot? 121 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,290 Look around the world, look at the growth of the church. 122 00:08:12,300 --> 00:08:15,830 Why do you keep talking about revival and reformation? 123 00:08:15,860 --> 00:08:17,400 That's a good question. 124 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,700 Um, I'm gonna ask our director to turn the camera towards our 125 00:08:21,730 --> 00:08:23,290 Fort Worth audience. 126 00:08:23,330 --> 00:08:25,500 We're gathered here at the Will Rogers auditorium. 127 00:08:25,510 --> 00:08:27,770 And by show of hands 128 00:08:27,810 --> 00:08:30,570 How many of you sense in your hearts and lives 129 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:32,230 a need for revival? 130 00:08:32,260 --> 00:08:33,860 Let me see your hands. 131 00:08:33,890 --> 00:08:35,980 Well, that's why. 132 00:08:36,020 --> 00:08:38,720 And let me explain what that dynamic is. 133 00:08:38,750 --> 00:08:40,640 Something about the human heart. 134 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:42,500 I think Joe words it this way 135 00:08:42,540 --> 00:08:45,950 As the sparks fly upward, it's natural 136 00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:47,930 and as gravity pulls downward 137 00:08:47,970 --> 00:08:52,470 we have something in our natures that without constant renewal 138 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:54,590 we start to drift away from the Word. 139 00:08:54,620 --> 00:08:56,640 That's why they call it backsliding. 140 00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:59,000 You noticed it doesn't call it back hopping 141 00:08:59,030 --> 00:09:01,230 skipping or jumping? 142 00:09:01,260 --> 00:09:02,490 It's subtle. 143 00:09:02,530 --> 00:09:03,690 You slide. 144 00:09:03,730 --> 00:09:07,070 So unless there's an effort made to resist that... 145 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,790 When we were at the General Conference session 146 00:09:09,820 --> 00:09:12,010 I guess it was 2000 147 00:09:12,050 --> 00:09:14,150 after the meeting finished 148 00:09:14,190 --> 00:09:16,580 you remember there are big escalators there in Toronto 149 00:09:16,620 --> 00:09:21,620 and everybody gathered to go up the escalators for the meal. 150 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:23,480 Well, I was hungry, I hadn't had breakfast 151 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,280 and I noticed that nobody was coming down the escalator. 152 00:09:27,310 --> 00:09:29,420 So I kind of elbowed Karen and I said 153 00:09:29,430 --> 00:09:31,700 "Nobody is using the one going down. " 154 00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:33,990 And I get up there a lot faster than this long line 155 00:09:34,020 --> 00:09:35,990 that was going up. 156 00:09:36,020 --> 00:09:36,510 And so I said 157 00:09:36,550 --> 00:09:38,760 "Well, dear, I'm heading up with the down escalator. " 158 00:09:38,790 --> 00:09:40,300 I have here a quiz for you. 159 00:09:40,340 --> 00:09:42,250 I'm not the only one that does that. 160 00:09:42,260 --> 00:09:43,400 Okay? Good. 161 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,080 But if you stand still on the down escalator 162 00:09:47,110 --> 00:09:48,670 what direction do you go? 163 00:09:49,290 --> 00:09:49,940 Down. 164 00:09:49,980 --> 00:09:52,300 If you walk up the down escalator 165 00:09:52,330 --> 00:09:53,680 what direction do you go? 166 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,320 Probably nowhere. You'll be stationary, right? 167 00:09:57,350 --> 00:09:59,160 If you want to go up the down escalator 168 00:09:59,190 --> 00:10:00,410 what do you have to do? 169 00:10:00,510 --> 00:10:02,390 You gotta put extra effort in. 170 00:10:02,430 --> 00:10:05,800 And you could hear the giggles 'cuz Karen and I ran up 171 00:10:05,830 --> 00:10:08,180 the down escalator. 172 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,870 And I felt sorry for her, she had high heels on. 173 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:13,760 But we made it, without injury. 174 00:10:13,790 --> 00:10:16,150 Life is sort of like that. 175 00:10:16,190 --> 00:10:19,200 There is this power that pulls us down. 176 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,380 And unless we make these efforts to seek out on a daily basis 177 00:10:23,410 --> 00:10:26,090 and periodically have these times of renewal. 178 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,970 Even the children of Israel had feasts and the purpose of those 179 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,960 was to remind them, to renew them. 180 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,380 And that's the purpose for the revival. 181 00:10:34,410 --> 00:10:36,270 OK, another question is 182 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:40,210 then, if we need revival, why does the church plan revivals, 183 00:10:40,220 --> 00:10:42,790 why does 3ABN or pastor Doug Batchelor? 184 00:10:42,820 --> 00:10:44,600 Isn't it God's business? 185 00:10:44,950 --> 00:10:46,760 And in His timing to have a revival? 186 00:10:46,790 --> 00:10:48,570 When He wants to revive His people? 187 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,590 Another good question, Danny. 188 00:10:50,630 --> 00:10:54,380 Well, you know, I brought a quote that I'd like to share 189 00:10:54,410 --> 00:10:56,630 with you that I think is very relevant to that. 190 00:10:56,660 --> 00:10:58,315 Some might think 191 00:10:58,765 --> 00:11:02,100 "Doug, what makes you and Danny think that Amazing Facts 192 00:11:02,130 --> 00:11:05,000 and 3ABN can schedule a revival?" 193 00:11:05,030 --> 00:11:07,830 "Can you schedule the Holy Spirit?" 194 00:11:07,870 --> 00:11:10,550 Heaven forbid that we would be so arrogant just to think that 195 00:11:10,580 --> 00:11:13,630 we can tell the Lord when He's supposed to revive us. 196 00:11:13,660 --> 00:11:16,336 But do we have a part to play? 197 00:11:16,916 --> 00:11:17,850 Let me read a quote to you. 198 00:11:17,890 --> 00:11:21,890 And this is from First Selected Messages, page 121. 199 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:26,090 "A revival of true godliness among us 200 00:11:26,130 --> 00:11:30,370 is the greatest and most urgent of all of our needs. " 201 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:31,770 Would you agree with that? 202 00:11:31,810 --> 00:11:35,360 "To seek this should be our first work. 203 00:11:35,370 --> 00:11:38,750 There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord. 204 00:11:38,790 --> 00:11:42,140 Not because God is not willing to bestow His blessings upon us 205 00:11:42,170 --> 00:11:44,100 but because we're unprepared to receive it. " 206 00:11:44,530 --> 00:11:49,020 So the effort is to prepare our hearts to receive 207 00:11:49,050 --> 00:11:50,430 the Holy Spirit. 208 00:11:50,620 --> 00:11:54,460 "Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit 209 00:11:54,490 --> 00:11:57,350 to them that ask, than our earthly parents to give good 210 00:11:57,420 --> 00:11:58,630 gifts to their children. 211 00:11:58,670 --> 00:12:02,320 But it is our work, by confession, humiliation, 212 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,490 repentance, and earnest prayer to fulfill the conditions upon 213 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,350 which God has promised to grant His blessing. 214 00:12:08,390 --> 00:12:12,790 A revival need be expected only in the answer to prayer." 215 00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:16,070 So, we can't bring revival but we can seek it. 216 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:16,890 Amen? Amen. 217 00:12:16,900 --> 00:12:18,650 And that's what we're doing. 218 00:12:18,690 --> 00:12:22,370 Doug, one of the things that concerns so many of us 219 00:12:22,410 --> 00:12:27,040 why when our young children, we raise them in church, we send 220 00:12:27,070 --> 00:12:31,590 them to our academies, we send them to our colleges, but as 221 00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:36,110 they become young adults and after college we're losing 222 00:12:36,140 --> 00:12:38,860 a large number of our young people. 223 00:12:38,890 --> 00:12:40,640 And why is it? 224 00:12:42,100 --> 00:12:43,800 Well, that is a hard wrenching question. 225 00:12:43,810 --> 00:12:45,550 There's a lot of reasons. 226 00:12:45,590 --> 00:12:48,070 Um, I don't want to over generalize and say 227 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:50,730 this is the reason and press a button. 228 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:53,370 Um, a lot of dynamics play into that. 229 00:12:53,980 --> 00:12:59,820 Um, I think frankly the young people have the most potential 230 00:12:59,850 --> 00:13:02,360 for spreading the message around the world. 231 00:13:02,390 --> 00:13:04,870 And I think things are actually changing now. 232 00:13:05,610 --> 00:13:07,760 Um, we've seen some wonderful things happen 233 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,620 with large groups of young people connected with our 234 00:13:09,650 --> 00:13:10,420 colleges. 235 00:13:10,460 --> 00:13:12,110 We have a large group here from South Western. 236 00:13:12,140 --> 00:13:14,090 And we're thrilled with that. 237 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,040 South Western are you here? 238 00:13:17,410 --> 00:13:18,850 They're here, yes, alright. 239 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:19,890 Young people. 240 00:13:19,930 --> 00:13:22,350 And I think one of the keys is 241 00:13:22,390 --> 00:13:26,520 the more that they become involved, they have a tendency 242 00:13:26,550 --> 00:13:28,730 to stay, they become rooted in the church. 243 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,090 And the other thing is 244 00:13:30,130 --> 00:13:33,980 as they see consistency, you know, often people leave 245 00:13:34,010 --> 00:13:35,660 because they see hypocrisy. 246 00:13:35,670 --> 00:13:39,100 As the young people see consistency, in their parents, 247 00:13:39,130 --> 00:13:41,990 in the schools, in the leadership, in the church, 248 00:13:42,020 --> 00:13:44,850 it inspires them that this is the real thing. 249 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,640 They become discouraged by hypocrisy. 250 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,410 And so, I think in some respects we are all culpable. 251 00:13:50,420 --> 00:13:52,460 But that's why we're having these meetings. 252 00:13:52,470 --> 00:13:54,180 Amen? Amen. 253 00:13:54,220 --> 00:13:56,770 And that's why networks like 3ABN. 254 00:13:56,810 --> 00:14:03,200 Because the media has made great inroads into everybody's lives 255 00:14:03,230 --> 00:14:04,330 it has affected all of us. 256 00:14:04,370 --> 00:14:06,420 And so why not as Seventh Day Adventists Christians, why not 257 00:14:06,450 --> 00:14:08,380 be the heads instead of the tails? 258 00:14:08,410 --> 00:14:09,570 And why not get into media? 259 00:14:09,610 --> 00:14:12,490 And use that media for the good, for our young people also? 260 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:13,030 Amen. Amen. 261 00:14:13,070 --> 00:14:16,140 OK, what's the best way to reach the loved ones 262 00:14:16,180 --> 00:14:19,220 that we have that are out of the arc of safety, 263 00:14:19,250 --> 00:14:21,500 or if we can use the term "lost"? 264 00:14:21,540 --> 00:14:23,890 Well, that's one of our central themes for this series: 265 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:25,480 it's drawing near. 266 00:14:25,580 --> 00:14:28,610 Claiming the promise: if we draw near to God, 267 00:14:28,650 --> 00:14:34,210 James 4:7, "if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. " 268 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,540 And what can we do to reach our loved ones? 269 00:14:37,580 --> 00:14:39,550 Again, I'll ask you the question: 270 00:14:39,590 --> 00:14:44,590 How many of us have loved ones, family, siblings, children 271 00:14:44,620 --> 00:14:46,690 that are strained from the Lord? 272 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:48,830 And in your hearts you pray for them? 273 00:14:48,870 --> 00:14:50,950 There are really 3 things you could do. 274 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:53,670 And I'm going to save the best for last. 275 00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:56,750 Be a good example. 276 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,740 Share information if they're open. 277 00:15:00,780 --> 00:15:05,630 You cannot force feed somebody and often one of the last people 278 00:15:05,660 --> 00:15:08,570 one of the last groups you can talk to is your own family. 279 00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:11,090 It's very difficult sometimes to listen to them. 280 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:13,580 And, I've talked to people all over the world, 281 00:15:13,610 --> 00:15:16,060 but my immediate family, they didn't want to hear me 282 00:15:16,090 --> 00:15:18,440 'cuz they knew the life I came from. 283 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:23,050 But if they're open, give them books, tapes, information 284 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:24,850 that will encourage them. 285 00:15:24,860 --> 00:15:27,120 And then the third thing is the most powerful. 286 00:15:27,150 --> 00:15:28,640 Pray. 287 00:15:28,650 --> 00:15:29,980 Sometimes we say 288 00:15:30,020 --> 00:15:32,140 "Well, I guess all I can do is pray. " 289 00:15:32,180 --> 00:15:37,690 And it's like, it's this very water down final last resort. 290 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,900 Like that fire extinguisher. 291 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:43,460 In case of emergency "Break glass!" 292 00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:45,990 You know, the last thing to do is to pray. 293 00:15:46,020 --> 00:15:48,380 But prayer is powerful. 294 00:15:48,410 --> 00:15:49,160 Amen. 295 00:15:49,170 --> 00:15:50,820 And let me add something to that. 296 00:15:50,860 --> 00:15:55,330 I've got a dear friend and we often, actually we play 297 00:15:55,330 --> 00:15:58,150 racket ball and pray together at the end. 298 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,400 It's just something we always did. 299 00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:02,140 And pray for each others kids. 300 00:16:02,150 --> 00:16:03,260 And one time he says 301 00:16:03,300 --> 00:16:06,360 "You know, I've been praying for our son and 302 00:16:06,390 --> 00:16:07,890 I don't know what to do. 303 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:08,920 We're struggling. " 304 00:16:08,950 --> 00:16:10,060 And I said 305 00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:12,340 "Have you tried fasting and praying?" 306 00:16:13,010 --> 00:16:13,990 He said 307 00:16:14,030 --> 00:16:15,890 "Well, I can't say that I have." 308 00:16:15,930 --> 00:16:17,750 And I told him the story in the Bible where 309 00:16:17,780 --> 00:16:19,660 a father brought his son to Jesus 310 00:16:19,690 --> 00:16:21,500 and Jesus said to the apostles later 311 00:16:21,540 --> 00:16:25,970 "This kind does not come forth except by prayer and fasting. " 312 00:16:26,940 --> 00:16:28,720 And he came back a few days later and he says 313 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,880 "You know, we've been fasting and praying and our son has been 314 00:16:30,910 --> 00:16:32,370 coming to church. " 315 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:33,330 Amen. 316 00:16:33,370 --> 00:16:36,070 And so, pray and put your heart and soul into it. 317 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:37,900 OK, speaking of fasting 318 00:16:37,930 --> 00:16:39,900 How do we do it? 319 00:16:39,940 --> 00:16:44,740 I mean, fasting we know does it mean total, no food? 320 00:16:44,770 --> 00:16:46,950 Does it mean, I hear people say " Well I just do juices. " 321 00:16:46,980 --> 00:16:47,950 Or "I do it once a week. " 322 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:49,630 Or "I do it once a month. " 323 00:16:49,660 --> 00:16:51,570 How do we fast? 324 00:16:51,610 --> 00:16:52,980 Another good question. 325 00:16:53,020 --> 00:16:54,320 There are a lot of ways. 326 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,460 In the Bible you'll find examples of well, a severe fast. 327 00:16:58,490 --> 00:17:02,560 Would be where like Paul and Esther they did not eat or drink 328 00:17:02,590 --> 00:17:04,140 for three days. 329 00:17:04,180 --> 00:17:05,860 That's a life and death fast. 330 00:17:05,890 --> 00:17:07,540 And I don't recommend that. 331 00:17:10,130 --> 00:17:12,110 Well, if the Lord tells you to do that, you go ahead. 332 00:17:12,140 --> 00:17:13,700 But if you go three days without water... 333 00:17:14,630 --> 00:17:16,230 then you have... 334 00:17:16,270 --> 00:17:18,180 and you know Jesus, of course, He fasted 40 days. 335 00:17:18,220 --> 00:17:20,100 There's three in the Bible who fasted 40 days: 336 00:17:20,130 --> 00:17:21,640 Jesus, Moses, Elijah 337 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,170 They all appeared on the mountain. 338 00:17:23,210 --> 00:17:25,280 You remember, the mountain of transfiguration. 339 00:17:25,310 --> 00:17:29,110 And I think that's also pretty extreme. 340 00:17:29,150 --> 00:17:31,510 Most of the time when you're fasting and praying 341 00:17:31,540 --> 00:17:34,180 it might simply be abstaining from food. 342 00:17:34,220 --> 00:17:36,290 And you might want to, you know, depending on your health, 343 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:37,350 consult your doctor. 344 00:17:37,390 --> 00:17:39,790 As Daniel got older, he did a simple fast 345 00:17:39,830 --> 00:17:44,780 where it says there that he did not eat anything but simple food 346 00:17:45,690 --> 00:17:47,980 Before the meeting tonight, I guess you could say 347 00:17:48,010 --> 00:17:49,170 I'm fasting. 348 00:17:49,210 --> 00:17:52,020 I had breakfast this morning and then I just had some grapes. 349 00:17:52,050 --> 00:17:53,220 I needed something. 350 00:17:53,260 --> 00:17:54,400 And one cookie. 351 00:17:57,850 --> 00:17:59,600 It's OK, it was a little Debbie 352 00:17:59,630 --> 00:18:01,150 If it's a little Debbie, it's OK. 353 00:18:01,190 --> 00:18:02,640 The rest of the time is not OK. 354 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,380 I can't remember what it was. But just one cookie. 355 00:18:04,390 --> 00:18:06,110 I needed something to soak up all the grape juice 356 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:07,760 after I ate all the grapes. 357 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,220 So it keeps your mind a little clear. 358 00:18:11,260 --> 00:18:13,990 And so you might be on a fast, when you need, you know, 359 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,390 especially if you're doing some kind of work, you need to keep 360 00:18:16,420 --> 00:18:18,250 your energy level up a little bit, 361 00:18:18,290 --> 00:18:20,100 you might just eat fruit, or like I said juice 362 00:18:20,130 --> 00:18:21,150 something simple. 363 00:18:21,190 --> 00:18:23,840 But I'd like to invite you 364 00:18:23,870 --> 00:18:25,440 to spend some time. 365 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,450 Would you like to see God pour out His Spirit? 366 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,110 Here in Texas and around the world? 367 00:18:30,140 --> 00:18:32,700 Spend some time during these series. 368 00:18:32,740 --> 00:18:35,680 You have an opportunity to mean business with God. 369 00:18:35,710 --> 00:18:39,010 Pray and however God lays it upon your heart 370 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,310 you might join us in fasting and praying 371 00:18:42,340 --> 00:18:44,090 that God would pour out His Spirit. 372 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:45,720 The promise is 373 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:47,520 "If we draw near to God," 374 00:18:47,550 --> 00:18:49,630 What's the rest of that? 375 00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:51,710 "He will draw near to us. " 376 00:18:51,740 --> 00:18:53,080 Do you believe that? 377 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:54,450 Amen. Does God keep His word? 378 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,510 We're doing this now. 379 00:18:56,550 --> 00:18:58,140 We are drawing near to God 380 00:18:58,180 --> 00:18:59,700 by coming, by tuning in. 381 00:18:59,740 --> 00:19:01,590 He says He will draw near to us. 382 00:19:01,630 --> 00:19:03,430 Jesus says that if we gather in His name 383 00:19:03,460 --> 00:19:05,240 What's the rest? 384 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:06,830 "I will be among them. " 385 00:19:06,870 --> 00:19:08,390 Are we gathered in His name? 386 00:19:08,420 --> 00:19:09,530 Are we drawing near? 387 00:19:09,570 --> 00:19:11,130 Then, praise God. He's promised to be here. 388 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,090 Amen? Amen. 389 00:19:12,130 --> 00:19:14,220 He's promised to draw near to us 390 00:19:14,260 --> 00:19:17,160 Are they telling us we're about out of time for questions? 391 00:19:17,190 --> 00:19:18,330 Alright, praise the Lord. 392 00:19:18,370 --> 00:19:20,810 We're going to have an offering in just a minute. 393 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,210 Before we do, we have something we want to give you. 394 00:19:23,250 --> 00:19:26,750 And this is especially for those who are watching every night 395 00:19:26,780 --> 00:19:28,300 3ABN and Amazing Facts. 396 00:19:28,340 --> 00:19:31,370 We're going to be giving you a gift to help encourage you 397 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,150 and feed your soul beside 398 00:19:33,190 --> 00:19:36,230 these programs and the tapes you might watch or listen to. 399 00:19:36,270 --> 00:19:38,230 We want to give you something to read. 400 00:19:38,270 --> 00:19:41,590 And tonight's offer is a beautiful new edition 401 00:19:41,620 --> 00:19:42,800 of the book "Steps to Christ" 402 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,950 and it's called "Road to Redemption". 403 00:19:44,980 --> 00:19:46,090 It's free. 404 00:19:46,130 --> 00:19:48,040 All you got to do is call the number that you see 405 00:19:48,070 --> 00:19:49,000 on your screen. 406 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:54,800 And that number is 1866905 REVIVE. 407 00:19:54,810 --> 00:19:59,130 Or 18667384. 408 00:19:59,170 --> 00:20:01,050 We also have friends who are listening. 409 00:20:01,090 --> 00:20:03,350 I think this might be on 3ABN radio as well. 410 00:20:03,380 --> 00:20:03,950 Yes. 411 00:20:03,990 --> 00:20:05,970 So, they can't see the number that's why I have to say it. 412 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,760 And we'll send it to you. 413 00:20:07,790 --> 00:20:09,480 Does that sound fair? 414 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,280 Now, there are also some expenses connected with 415 00:20:12,310 --> 00:20:13,450 these meetings. 416 00:20:13,490 --> 00:20:15,600 And for our group here we're going to be receiving 417 00:20:15,630 --> 00:20:16,340 an offering. 418 00:20:16,380 --> 00:20:17,840 I think you might have an offering envelope. 419 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,730 And I want to tell you up front that these offerings 420 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:21,850 I thought I had an envelope 421 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:22,940 Oh, I do. 422 00:20:22,980 --> 00:20:26,710 These offerings are going to help with the production expense 423 00:20:26,740 --> 00:20:29,700 3ABN is donating the production for this series. 424 00:20:29,740 --> 00:20:32,360 Amazing Facts is paying for a whole lot of the advertising. 425 00:20:32,390 --> 00:20:35,900 We have a very wonderful reciprocal arrangement. 426 00:20:35,940 --> 00:20:39,810 The Lord's been blessing the cooperation of these ministries. 427 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:41,280 If you'd like to help with the expense. 428 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,930 Those who are watching, you can go to the 05 website. 429 00:20:43,970 --> 00:20:48,500 Your local group may be taking up an offering for your local 430 00:20:48,530 --> 00:20:49,480 expenses. 431 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:50,790 And we encourage that. 432 00:20:50,830 --> 00:20:53,270 But, we appreciate anything you can do. 433 00:20:53,310 --> 00:20:55,810 This has all been done by stepping out in faith. 434 00:20:55,850 --> 00:20:58,320 And we want to be able to continue doing revivals 435 00:20:58,350 --> 00:20:59,390 like this. 436 00:20:59,420 --> 00:21:00,390 Amen? Amen. 437 00:21:00,430 --> 00:21:04,760 And, so, again, if you want to fill out your envelopes. 438 00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:06,510 The ushers, are going to be coming forward. 439 00:21:06,550 --> 00:21:09,590 And, for special music tonight, we have a treat. 440 00:21:09,630 --> 00:21:13,030 Danny and Tommy Shelton are going to be ministering to us 441 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:14,840 as the offerings receive. 442 00:21:24,130 --> 00:21:32,200 I have found a deep peace that I never had known 443 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:40,310 And a joy this world could not afford 444 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:48,860 Since I've heeled it control of my body and soul 445 00:21:48,860 --> 00:21:56,270 To my wonderful, wonderful Lord 446 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:06,170 My wonderful Lord, My wonderful Lord 447 00:22:06,170 --> 00:22:16,460 By angels and seraphs in heaven adored 448 00:22:16,460 --> 00:22:24,360 I bow at Thy shrine O, Savior divine 449 00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:31,750 My wonderful, wonderful Lord 450 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:41,050 All the talents I have I have laid at Thy feet 451 00:22:41,050 --> 00:22:48,450 Thy approval shall be my reward 452 00:22:49,420 --> 00:22:57,490 Be my store great or small I surrender it all 453 00:22:57,500 --> 00:23:04,100 To my wonderful, wonderful Lord 454 00:23:04,110 --> 00:23:05,680 If you know it you can sing it with me 455 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:14,380 My wonderful Lord, wonderful Lord 456 00:23:14,380 --> 00:23:24,690 By angels and seraphs in heaven adored 457 00:23:24,690 --> 00:23:32,950 I bow at Thy shrine O, Savior divine 458 00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:41,300 My wonderful Lord, wonderful Lord 459 00:23:41,300 --> 00:23:51,580 My wonderful Lord, wonderful Lord 460 00:23:52,690 --> 00:23:55,360 Amen. 461 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,250 Thank you, Danny and Tommy. 462 00:23:59,300 --> 00:24:01,680 You know, I've just got some good news. 463 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,360 As I was backstage, the engineers were telling me that 464 00:24:05,390 --> 00:24:09,000 this series of meetings, they have the close-captioning 465 00:24:09,010 --> 00:24:10,040 is working. 466 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:11,920 I think most satellite companies have the capacities, 467 00:24:11,950 --> 00:24:12,990 some may not. 468 00:24:13,030 --> 00:24:14,520 But for you who are watching at home, 469 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,460 sometimes you've got to make a little adjustment on your TV 470 00:24:16,490 --> 00:24:18,830 to activate the close captioning 471 00:24:18,870 --> 00:24:21,070 But for those who have some hearing difficulty, 472 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:22,410 that's a real blessing. 473 00:24:22,450 --> 00:24:25,110 We've been working to get that activated. 474 00:24:25,140 --> 00:24:27,770 And not to mention that it's also in Spanish 475 00:24:27,780 --> 00:24:30,230 and I think beginning tomorrow night, 'cuz there's a one day 476 00:24:30,260 --> 00:24:32,820 delay for the Portuguese, it will be in Portuguese. 477 00:24:32,850 --> 00:24:35,410 This is going all over the world right now. 478 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:37,370 So we just want to thank the Lord. 479 00:24:37,410 --> 00:24:40,680 And we want to just give God the glory. 480 00:24:41,510 --> 00:24:44,990 As we open the Word of God together right now, 481 00:24:45,020 --> 00:24:48,910 I would like to lift one more prayer. 482 00:24:48,950 --> 00:24:51,370 And I hope that you'll pray both with me and for me. 483 00:24:51,410 --> 00:24:53,800 I just will confess to you that at a time like this, 484 00:24:53,830 --> 00:24:56,560 when so many people have been working together 485 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,840 and it's a wonder to be whole, all of the volunteers 486 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:03,200 and the crew and the efforts that go into a series like this. 487 00:25:03,230 --> 00:25:06,050 It terrifies me when this moment comes. 488 00:25:06,090 --> 00:25:08,820 And if it wasn't for the knowledge that God 489 00:25:08,850 --> 00:25:11,550 would both sustain me and the Holy Spirit 490 00:25:12,110 --> 00:25:14,510 prayerfully bring things to my mind, 491 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,090 I feel something like a hood ornament. 492 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:21,890 That is sort of out on the front visible and shiny, 493 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,780 but the motor is really under the hood. 494 00:25:23,820 --> 00:25:27,120 And so if you would just say a prayer for the hood ornament 495 00:25:27,150 --> 00:25:28,560 with me, as I... 496 00:25:28,590 --> 00:25:29,930 Let's do that now. 497 00:25:29,970 --> 00:25:35,280 Loving Lord, we are here not to see men, but to see Jesus. 498 00:25:35,310 --> 00:25:37,960 Lord, we don't want to hear the words of men, 499 00:25:37,990 --> 00:25:40,140 but we want to hear the Gospel. 500 00:25:40,180 --> 00:25:42,420 I pray that Christ and Him crucified 501 00:25:42,450 --> 00:25:44,620 will be lifted up before the people. 502 00:25:44,660 --> 00:25:48,910 And most important, we ask as a result of our time together 503 00:25:48,940 --> 00:25:52,280 lives will be changed, hearts will be touched. 504 00:25:52,290 --> 00:25:54,870 And a difference will be measured in eternity, 505 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:55,930 because of this series. 506 00:25:55,970 --> 00:25:58,000 Lord, we are drawing near to Thee, 507 00:25:58,030 --> 00:25:59,710 please draw near to us. 508 00:25:59,750 --> 00:26:03,440 We ask in Christ's name, amen. 509 00:26:03,470 --> 00:26:04,300 Amen. 510 00:26:05,310 --> 00:26:08,390 Now, sometimes at the end of a sermon, 511 00:26:08,430 --> 00:26:10,890 pastor, the evangelist will have an appeal. 512 00:26:10,930 --> 00:26:13,360 I'm gonna tell you right here at the beginning, 513 00:26:13,390 --> 00:26:15,310 this message is an appeal. 514 00:26:16,060 --> 00:26:18,600 And I'm gonna ask you to respond 515 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,140 The sermon is dealing with the story or the parable 516 00:26:22,170 --> 00:26:23,840 of the prodigal son. 517 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,940 And someone might wonder, 518 00:26:25,970 --> 00:26:27,530 Was it a true story? 519 00:26:27,570 --> 00:26:29,060 Well, I'm sure it is. 520 00:26:29,100 --> 00:26:31,600 It's probably been repeated a million times over. 521 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:35,590 The story of the prodigal son is found in the Gospel of Luke. 522 00:26:35,620 --> 00:26:38,790 If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me. 523 00:26:38,820 --> 00:26:41,580 The Gospel of Luke, chapter 15. 524 00:26:41,620 --> 00:26:47,450 And it comes at the conclusion of three different stories 525 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,990 Already is the third. 526 00:26:49,020 --> 00:26:50,460 You have a lost coin. 527 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:52,480 It's lost, it has not idea it's lost. 528 00:26:53,290 --> 00:26:55,350 You've got a lost sheep. 529 00:26:55,380 --> 00:26:56,360 Sheep's lost. 530 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,880 It knows it's lost, but it doesn't know how to get back. 531 00:26:58,910 --> 00:27:00,780 And then you have a lost son. 532 00:27:01,390 --> 00:27:04,890 And of course, the value of a sheep is worth more than a coin, 533 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:05,960 and the value of a man, 534 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,660 and Jesus said that we're worth more than sheep. 535 00:27:08,690 --> 00:27:09,620 Amen. 536 00:27:09,660 --> 00:27:11,500 We're made in God's image. 537 00:27:11,540 --> 00:27:17,532 And then He puts the most emphasis into this third story. 538 00:27:17,567 --> 00:27:20,650 And I'd like to take a fresh look at that with you again. 539 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,270 The story of the prodigal son. 540 00:27:22,310 --> 00:27:24,640 And I think all of us will find that we fit into this story 541 00:27:24,670 --> 00:27:26,090 somewhere. 542 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:32,420 Now, I'd like to begin with a verse, in Romans chapter 8:38. 543 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,090 That really encompasses this parable. 544 00:27:37,050 --> 00:27:42,930 "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels 545 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,760 nor principalities, nor powers, 546 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:49,700 nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth 547 00:27:49,710 --> 00:27:51,770 nor any other created thing 548 00:27:51,810 --> 00:27:54,520 is able to separate us from the love of God that is in 549 00:27:54,573 --> 00:27:56,050 Christ Jesus, our Lord. " 550 00:27:56,820 --> 00:27:59,670 Let me tell you right now whom I'm appealing to. 551 00:28:00,890 --> 00:28:04,040 I'm appealing to people who once knew the Lord, 552 00:28:04,070 --> 00:28:05,470 that have wandered away. 553 00:28:06,635 --> 00:28:08,680 I'm appealing to people who may be in the church, 554 00:28:08,710 --> 00:28:11,810 but in your heart you know you're very far from God. 555 00:28:13,708 --> 00:28:15,690 And I'm appealing to people who have maybe heard the Lord 556 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,370 knocking on their hearts' door, 557 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:19,990 but have never responded. 558 00:28:20,030 --> 00:28:21,910 They've held off, they've postponed, 559 00:28:21,940 --> 00:28:23,750 they've procrastinated. 560 00:28:24,460 --> 00:28:27,010 And I'd venture to surmise that that really covers 561 00:28:27,020 --> 00:28:28,130 about everybody. 562 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,286 So this message is for you. 563 00:28:34,582 --> 00:28:38,960 James, I'm sorry Luke, 15:11. 564 00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:43,180 A certain man had two sons. 565 00:28:43,220 --> 00:28:46,110 You know, at the very beginning 566 00:28:46,140 --> 00:28:47,070 of this parable, 567 00:28:47,110 --> 00:28:49,020 it takes me back to the beginning of the Bible. 568 00:28:49,050 --> 00:28:51,250 Adam and Eve had two sons. 569 00:28:51,290 --> 00:28:54,620 They both claimed to worship the same God. 570 00:28:55,500 --> 00:28:57,460 One really did, 571 00:28:57,470 --> 00:29:00,750 and one didn't though he made a pretense. 572 00:29:01,450 --> 00:29:04,880 Jesus tells another story about a father that had two sons. 573 00:29:04,890 --> 00:29:06,910 And he said, "Please go work on my field. " 574 00:29:06,950 --> 00:29:08,870 And the first one said, "I'm not going. " 575 00:29:08,910 --> 00:29:10,800 "You're a slave driver, I'm not going. " 576 00:29:10,830 --> 00:29:12,960 But he later repented and he went. 577 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:15,740 And the other one said, "I'm on my way, dad. " 578 00:29:15,770 --> 00:29:17,500 But he did not go. 579 00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:19,480 And then Jesus asks this question: 580 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,930 "Which of the two did the will of his father?" 581 00:29:22,970 --> 00:29:26,970 So the Lord wants sons who would not only give Him 582 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,970 lip service, but they really will work in His field. 583 00:29:30,980 --> 00:29:32,280 Two sons. 584 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,520 Book of Revelation talks about two roads, two women, 585 00:29:35,550 --> 00:29:39,410 two seals, one has the mark of the beast, 586 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:40,740 and the other the seal of God. 587 00:29:40,780 --> 00:29:43,520 There are only two ways you can choose. 588 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,270 Sometimes I like to think of it this way: 589 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,380 there is really one road and two directions. 590 00:29:48,410 --> 00:29:50,000 You're on the road. 591 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,480 It's not like there's a war and you're gonna say 592 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:54,810 "I'm going to Switzerland. " 593 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:56,480 I'm neutral. 594 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:58,590 There's no neutrality in life. 595 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,330 Jesus said you're either with Him or against Him. 596 00:30:02,060 --> 00:30:05,050 And so you're here somewhere in this story. 597 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:07,580 "A father had two sons 598 00:30:07,620 --> 00:30:09,870 and the younger of them says to his father 599 00:30:09,910 --> 00:30:14,990 Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. " 600 00:30:15,930 --> 00:30:19,410 Now, you might think that's shocking. 601 00:30:19,450 --> 00:30:23,610 And it probably was very inappropriate then 602 00:30:23,650 --> 00:30:27,130 as it would be today for a child to say to their parents. 603 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:28,910 "You, know, I've been waiting around for you to die, 604 00:30:28,940 --> 00:30:31,490 but you seem to be in good health. 605 00:30:32,390 --> 00:30:34,480 And I don't think I could wait much longer. 606 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,700 What do you plan on giving me as my inheritance? 607 00:30:36,730 --> 00:30:38,200 Can I start now? 608 00:30:39,180 --> 00:30:42,930 And I guess there are times when parents distribute 609 00:30:42,940 --> 00:30:46,600 some of their estate while they're still alive. 610 00:30:46,910 --> 00:30:49,170 You see the first born, according to the law 611 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,930 automatically gets a double portion 612 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,640 of the father's inheritance. 613 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,830 And that was because they had big families then, 614 00:30:55,860 --> 00:30:59,030 the first born was sort of to be something of surrogate father, 615 00:30:59,060 --> 00:31:00,910 when the father died. 616 00:31:00,950 --> 00:31:03,350 And usually they say older children are sometimes 617 00:31:03,380 --> 00:31:06,340 more responsible in the family. 618 00:31:06,380 --> 00:31:10,270 And the younger ones are a little more spoiled. 619 00:31:11,420 --> 00:31:12,740 Karen and I are both the younger ones, 620 00:31:12,770 --> 00:31:14,540 so you pray for us. 621 00:31:16,950 --> 00:31:20,240 And he doesn't want to wait for his father. 622 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,860 Maybe he thinks that living with a dad is too restrictive. 623 00:31:23,890 --> 00:31:26,820 As father, you know, sometimes 624 00:31:27,490 --> 00:31:31,240 especially as children grow through the teen years 625 00:31:31,270 --> 00:31:34,570 they begin to lose appreciation for the rules 626 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,470 that they might have in the family. 627 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,820 And God has wired us where as young people are growing up 628 00:31:39,850 --> 00:31:42,300 they are growing into independence and they start to 629 00:31:42,330 --> 00:31:45,360 chafe at the restrictions and the rules. 630 00:31:45,390 --> 00:31:47,120 And they want to be free. 631 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,650 And when that desire is not sanctified 632 00:31:50,690 --> 00:31:54,430 by honor, your father and mother it leads to rebellion. 633 00:31:54,460 --> 00:31:58,170 And this young man was chafing under what he felt were the 634 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,710 restrictions of being in the father's house. 635 00:32:01,750 --> 00:32:03,280 And he said look, "I can't wait to get out of here 636 00:32:03,290 --> 00:32:05,250 but I can't go empty handed. 637 00:32:05,290 --> 00:32:09,350 So father, why don't you just give me now whatever it is 638 00:32:09,380 --> 00:32:11,080 you're going to give me. " 639 00:32:11,830 --> 00:32:16,410 And strangely enough, the father does it. 640 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,030 Don't miss this point. 641 00:32:18,070 --> 00:32:21,270 The father represents our Heavenly Father. 642 00:32:21,690 --> 00:32:24,560 The son asks, the father gives. 643 00:32:26,140 --> 00:32:29,570 The Father gives us so much that we ask for. 644 00:32:29,610 --> 00:32:33,600 Please don't miss the point that sometimes the Father gives 645 00:32:33,630 --> 00:32:35,700 even if we're asking for the wrong thing. 646 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,260 Sometimes the Father gives and we're asking impatiently. 647 00:32:41,290 --> 00:32:42,960 Which was the case here. 648 00:32:43,380 --> 00:32:46,810 Sometimes He gives because He knows what He's giving us 649 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,620 is not gonna give us what we're thinking. 650 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,890 Have you ever had your children pester you? 651 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:54,930 I remember one time. 652 00:32:54,970 --> 00:32:56,690 This just came to me, it's not in my notes. 653 00:32:58,130 --> 00:33:01,130 My dad came to pick up my brother and I 654 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:02,280 to take us to the movies. 655 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,180 My parents divorced when I was three so we did that thing. 656 00:33:05,210 --> 00:33:09,250 And I remember driving by the drive-in theater. 657 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:10,590 Any of you remember the drive-in theater? 658 00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:11,960 Do they exist anymore? 659 00:33:13,210 --> 00:33:17,570 My grandparents had taken me to the drive-in theater and it was 660 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,140 I don't know, some Disney cartoon. 661 00:33:19,180 --> 00:33:21,960 And so my dad picked us up to take us to a movie 662 00:33:21,990 --> 00:33:24,700 and my brother and I said "Take us over there!" 663 00:33:24,740 --> 00:33:27,730 Well, my dad read the sign and it said "Perry Mason". 664 00:33:27,740 --> 00:33:30,620 Something really boring like that. 665 00:33:31,180 --> 00:33:32,470 And he said, "You don't want to go there. " 666 00:33:32,500 --> 00:33:33,760 And we said, "Yeah, yeah, we want to go there 667 00:33:33,790 --> 00:33:34,930 we want to go there. " 668 00:33:34,970 --> 00:33:36,490 - "You don't want to go there. " - "Oh, we want to go there. " 669 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:42,040 So my dad with his mean sense of humor 670 00:33:42,050 --> 00:33:44,730 said, "OK, you said you wanted to go there. " 671 00:33:45,380 --> 00:33:49,250 He took us and we fell asleep we didn't even finish it. 672 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,220 But it was some really boring adult movie. 673 00:33:52,230 --> 00:33:55,440 He gave us what we were begging for. 674 00:33:55,450 --> 00:33:58,180 And you know, the reason that sometimes parents do that 675 00:33:58,210 --> 00:34:00,900 is that they are trying to teach the kids to ask 676 00:34:00,940 --> 00:34:03,600 for the right thing and then trust the answer. 677 00:34:03,630 --> 00:34:04,880 Trust your parents. 678 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,780 They know what is going to make you really happy. 679 00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:11,300 They know what is going to give you lasting satisfaction. 680 00:34:12,110 --> 00:34:14,390 And so often we think we know what is going to make us happy 681 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:15,570 and we don't. 682 00:34:17,370 --> 00:34:20,240 You know, I began here pastoring in Texas. 683 00:34:20,270 --> 00:34:22,130 And I think I see Cyril Miller. 684 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:23,350 My eyes are failing. 685 00:34:23,390 --> 00:34:24,510 Cyril is that you? 686 00:34:24,550 --> 00:34:26,540 I wanna thank elder Miller. 687 00:34:26,550 --> 00:34:28,100 Of course, you know elder Miller was instrumental in 688 00:34:28,130 --> 00:34:29,950 the formation of Amazing Facts. 689 00:34:29,980 --> 00:34:31,420 Forty years ago. 690 00:34:31,460 --> 00:34:33,910 And he gave me my first call from being a lay evangelist, 691 00:34:33,940 --> 00:34:36,540 to being a conference worker. 692 00:34:36,570 --> 00:34:39,100 And I thank him for his trust. 693 00:34:39,140 --> 00:34:43,180 I remember when I was working in Texas, as a pastor, 694 00:34:43,220 --> 00:34:47,690 one of my members told about hearing a gunshot in her house 695 00:34:47,720 --> 00:34:49,790 She went running to the closet 696 00:34:49,830 --> 00:34:53,350 through her closet, open to find out that her two pre-schoolers 697 00:34:53,380 --> 00:34:55,010 had found dad's gun. 698 00:34:55,540 --> 00:34:57,920 Which of course, every home in Texas has, right? 699 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,830 And she reached down to take it away from them 700 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:04,010 and they began to cry. 701 00:35:04,050 --> 00:35:05,880 Not from the report of the gun that it scared them, 702 00:35:05,910 --> 00:35:07,860 but they were having fun. 703 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:12,900 Now, a loving parent wants to take from the children that 704 00:35:12,930 --> 00:35:14,630 which is going to hurt them. 705 00:35:14,670 --> 00:35:17,980 And sometimes we cry when God takes away what is bad for us. 706 00:35:18,010 --> 00:35:22,800 Well, this young man said, "Father, give. " 707 00:35:22,830 --> 00:35:25,520 And the father gave it to him. 708 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,590 And not many days after, the younger son gathered 709 00:35:29,620 --> 00:35:30,790 all together. 710 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:36,030 He either auctioned off or collected all of his stuff. 711 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,550 And he went into a far country. 712 00:35:41,590 --> 00:35:43,380 Faaar country. 713 00:35:43,420 --> 00:35:45,690 The far country begins in the heart. 714 00:35:45,870 --> 00:35:49,330 You noticed that the boy wanted his father's inheritance, 715 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,250 but he didn't want his father? 716 00:35:51,290 --> 00:35:54,940 And I'd venture to say that you want the blessings of God 717 00:35:54,970 --> 00:35:56,960 but do you want God? 718 00:35:57,770 --> 00:36:00,370 A lot of people want every good and perfect gift 719 00:36:00,380 --> 00:36:03,030 that God bestows but they don't want God because He's going to 720 00:36:03,060 --> 00:36:04,390 tell them how to use it. 721 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:08,410 And this young man wanted his father's wealth 722 00:36:08,450 --> 00:36:11,590 but he didn't want his father to tell him how to use the wealth. 723 00:36:13,030 --> 00:36:15,560 So, without his father looking over his shoulder, 724 00:36:15,590 --> 00:36:18,570 he'd have to get into an environment where 725 00:36:18,610 --> 00:36:21,420 he didn't even need to worry about the caravan traffic 726 00:36:21,450 --> 00:36:23,620 carrying news of how he was living. 727 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,570 Wanted to get away as far as he could. 728 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:30,280 You know, the last time I ran away from home, 729 00:36:30,310 --> 00:36:32,130 I was 15 years old. 730 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:35,380 No, I'm sorry last time I was 16 731 00:36:35,410 --> 00:36:36,740 Let's be precise. 732 00:36:36,770 --> 00:36:38,230 I was 16 years old. 733 00:36:38,270 --> 00:36:39,700 First time I was 13. 734 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:45,400 And my father had brought me home from a school in Europe 735 00:36:45,430 --> 00:36:46,590 where I was living on a boat. 736 00:36:46,620 --> 00:36:48,130 A special school. 737 00:36:48,170 --> 00:36:50,720 And it had rules and it was a little strict. 738 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,280 And I thought I knew how to live my life. 739 00:36:54,210 --> 00:36:56,730 And he took us all snow skiing in Canada. 740 00:36:56,740 --> 00:36:58,820 And I thought I'll wait for this vacation to end, 741 00:36:58,850 --> 00:37:01,100 but I knew I was not going back to school 742 00:37:01,140 --> 00:37:03,210 and I knew I wasn't staying in my father's house 743 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:04,670 because he would insist I go to school 744 00:37:04,700 --> 00:37:06,290 and I didn't need to go to school 745 00:37:06,300 --> 00:37:07,830 because I already knew everything. 746 00:37:09,590 --> 00:37:10,990 I was 16. 747 00:37:11,030 --> 00:37:13,960 That's when you reach the pinnacle of your knowledge. 748 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,060 Then, as you get older, the longer you live 749 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:20,090 the more you know you don't know, right? 750 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,200 And I remember. 751 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:27,050 I took everything I had, which wasn't much. 752 00:37:27,090 --> 00:37:29,870 And whatever I couldn't sell to my brother 753 00:37:29,900 --> 00:37:31,890 to try to convert into money 754 00:37:31,930 --> 00:37:35,160 and he was always anxious to capitalize on my desperation 755 00:37:35,190 --> 00:37:36,440 and make a good deal. 756 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,950 Um, I got my stuff together. 757 00:37:39,370 --> 00:37:41,560 I took a bus part way from Florida 758 00:37:41,590 --> 00:37:42,920 but I ended up in California. 759 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,350 I wanted to get as far away as I could. 760 00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:49,890 From the restrictions and I wanted to be free. 761 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,440 And you know you learn a lot of hard lessons when you go 762 00:37:53,470 --> 00:37:55,500 into the world thinking you know everything. 763 00:37:56,730 --> 00:37:59,570 And it's safe to say that I was living very much like 764 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:01,180 the prodigal son. 765 00:38:01,410 --> 00:38:03,050 Riotous living. 766 00:38:03,090 --> 00:38:05,850 As a matter of fact, some of you know I lived in a cave 767 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:06,890 for a year and a half. 768 00:38:06,930 --> 00:38:08,990 The reason I found the cave is because we were hitchhiking 769 00:38:09,020 --> 00:38:10,030 around a buddy and I. 770 00:38:10,070 --> 00:38:13,020 And we were asking for a good place to party. 771 00:38:13,060 --> 00:38:15,610 They said a lot of hippies go up into Tahquitz Canyon 772 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:16,710 and party there. 773 00:38:17,710 --> 00:38:22,470 So, I believe a lot when I read the story. 774 00:38:25,930 --> 00:38:29,610 "And there he wasted his possessions 775 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:32,040 with prodigal, riotous," 776 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,730 some translations say "living". 777 00:38:34,770 --> 00:38:38,180 And as long as he had some resources, 778 00:38:38,190 --> 00:38:39,950 he had friends. 779 00:38:39,990 --> 00:38:41,330 Fair weather friends. 780 00:38:41,370 --> 00:38:43,760 As long as he was buying the drinks 781 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:48,230 as long as he was sharing his credit card with his buddies 782 00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:52,260 as long as he had the fancy, red Lamborghini chariot 783 00:38:52,300 --> 00:38:56,270 he had girls that were willing to ride around with him. 784 00:38:56,300 --> 00:38:59,500 And it seemed like he was having a good time. 785 00:38:59,530 --> 00:39:02,700 This is where a lot of people get into trouble. 786 00:39:03,340 --> 00:39:07,400 Sometimes pastors will say, "Sin will never bring you 787 00:39:07,430 --> 00:39:08,720 any satisfaction. " 788 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:10,570 That's not all together true. 789 00:39:11,780 --> 00:39:15,320 You might experience some temporary satisfaction. 790 00:39:15,330 --> 00:39:17,440 Even the Bible tells, in Hebrews chapter 11 791 00:39:17,790 --> 00:39:20,000 "Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people 792 00:39:20,070 --> 00:39:23,710 of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin 793 00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:24,780 for a season. " 794 00:39:24,820 --> 00:39:28,020 You might enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while. 795 00:39:28,050 --> 00:39:30,950 But don't miss that: for a season. 796 00:39:31,610 --> 00:39:33,490 It doesn't last. 797 00:39:33,530 --> 00:39:36,860 You might enjoy the party while you still got 798 00:39:36,890 --> 00:39:38,700 the alcohol in your veins. 799 00:39:38,740 --> 00:39:41,320 But when you got nausea the next morning, 800 00:39:41,350 --> 00:39:43,910 you're not having fun anymore. 801 00:39:43,950 --> 00:39:47,830 And that's the way it typically is with sin. 802 00:39:47,860 --> 00:39:49,650 You know, I quickly learnt 803 00:39:50,110 --> 00:39:53,010 that the things that God offers 804 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,910 require self-control and patience 805 00:39:55,940 --> 00:39:57,770 but the pleasure lasts. 806 00:39:58,590 --> 00:40:00,210 The pleasure that the Devil offers 807 00:40:00,250 --> 00:40:02,540 you might get a immediate gratification 808 00:40:02,580 --> 00:40:04,840 but the hangover lasts a lot longer. 809 00:40:05,820 --> 00:40:10,760 And that's just the way the two kingdoms operate. 810 00:40:10,790 --> 00:40:15,700 You noticed, this boy wanted instant gratification. 811 00:40:16,290 --> 00:40:19,010 And if I could put my finger on one of the sins of our age 812 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:20,370 that would be it. 813 00:40:20,700 --> 00:40:23,160 You know, one reason that we are a nation in debt 814 00:40:24,570 --> 00:40:28,130 it used to be that if you wanted to buy something 815 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,520 you had to save until you had enough money 816 00:40:30,550 --> 00:40:31,570 and then you paid for it. 817 00:40:32,410 --> 00:40:34,900 Or, any one remember the word "layaway"? 818 00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:38,410 That way you said, "Please set it aside, 819 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:40,190 I'll make a deposit 820 00:40:40,230 --> 00:40:42,290 and when I get all the money 821 00:40:42,330 --> 00:40:44,170 I'll come and I'll pay you for it. 822 00:40:45,670 --> 00:40:47,930 But people don't know about that now, 823 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:50,190 they just run their credit cards up. 824 00:40:51,670 --> 00:40:52,900 They say, "I must still have money 825 00:40:52,930 --> 00:40:54,130 there's still checks in the book. " 826 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:55,400 Right? 827 00:40:56,860 --> 00:40:58,850 Why? 828 00:40:59,710 --> 00:41:02,660 Because we want it now. 829 00:41:03,270 --> 00:41:06,290 I saw a young lady walking around with a T-shirt 830 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:07,510 that had a slogan on it that said, 831 00:41:07,550 --> 00:41:08,850 "I'm not spoiled. I just know what I want. 832 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:09,960 And I want it now. " 833 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,150 And that's really the attitude of a whole culture. 834 00:41:15,990 --> 00:41:17,620 The idea of waiting. 835 00:41:17,660 --> 00:41:20,100 You know why there are so many lost in the world? 836 00:41:21,580 --> 00:41:24,400 Because they want it now. 837 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,140 And so they're willing to sell eternal life and pleasures 838 00:41:28,150 --> 00:41:29,720 at his right hand forevermore, 839 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:34,270 rather than they'd rather have the world now. 840 00:41:34,300 --> 00:41:36,180 And transitory pleasures. 841 00:41:36,210 --> 00:41:37,210 And you know what? 842 00:41:37,250 --> 00:41:41,640 I'll submit to you that I still think the Kingdom of God brings 843 00:41:41,670 --> 00:41:45,000 more lasting pleasure now, in this life 844 00:41:45,010 --> 00:41:45,970 Amen. 845 00:41:46,010 --> 00:41:49,380 than following the Devil. 846 00:41:49,420 --> 00:41:51,390 His pleasures are always just for a season. 847 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:53,620 And that's of course what happened to this young man. 848 00:41:54,730 --> 00:41:55,810 He goes on to tell us, 849 00:41:55,850 --> 00:41:59,440 "He wasted his possessions with prodigal living. " 850 00:42:00,220 --> 00:42:02,730 You know, God has given every one of us talents. 851 00:42:02,760 --> 00:42:04,060 He's given us gifts. 852 00:42:04,090 --> 00:42:05,640 He's given us wisdom. 853 00:42:05,670 --> 00:42:07,150 And vitality and life. 854 00:42:07,190 --> 00:42:10,550 And I would appeal in a special way to the young people 855 00:42:10,580 --> 00:42:11,520 right now. 856 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:15,330 I wish I could go back in time 857 00:42:15,370 --> 00:42:19,070 and do some things differently 858 00:42:19,110 --> 00:42:23,000 Even though I came to the Lord when I was about 17 years old 859 00:42:23,010 --> 00:42:27,990 I still look back and I regret all the time 860 00:42:28,020 --> 00:42:30,160 and the opportunities that I wasted. 861 00:42:31,020 --> 00:42:32,440 That I could've been serving God. 862 00:42:33,930 --> 00:42:35,070 And you know it grieves me. 863 00:42:35,110 --> 00:42:36,420 Sometimes I meet young people and they say, 864 00:42:36,460 --> 00:42:38,400 "Well you know, I've been raised in the church and I plan on 865 00:42:38,430 --> 00:42:40,370 giving my heart to the Lord, but hey, I'm young now, 866 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:42,270 I mean, everybody needs to have a little fun. 867 00:42:43,220 --> 00:42:44,940 And I'll come back later. " 868 00:42:44,980 --> 00:42:46,630 It's not always that easy. 869 00:42:46,670 --> 00:42:49,850 A lot of people go out, planning on coming back. 870 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:52,750 And finally, if they do come back 871 00:42:53,950 --> 00:42:55,830 let me stop right there and just 872 00:42:55,870 --> 00:42:57,680 park on that thought for a minute. 873 00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:01,260 Every day that you delay to give your heart to the Lord 874 00:43:01,290 --> 00:43:04,340 is one less day to repent in 875 00:43:04,380 --> 00:43:07,240 and it's one more day to repent of. 876 00:43:08,170 --> 00:43:09,720 Isn't that right? 877 00:43:10,420 --> 00:43:12,640 And some people when they plan on giving their hearts 878 00:43:12,670 --> 00:43:14,310 to the Lord in the eleventh hour, 879 00:43:14,350 --> 00:43:16,100 and my experience has been that those who plan on that 880 00:43:16,130 --> 00:43:18,260 it never works out that way. 881 00:43:18,300 --> 00:43:21,440 If they do come back to the Lord later 882 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:24,590 why would you want to give someone a rose 883 00:43:24,620 --> 00:43:26,680 after all the petals drop off? 884 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,420 And you know what, if you come to the Lord and your rose 885 00:43:29,450 --> 00:43:30,750 is shriveled, He'll take you still. 886 00:43:30,780 --> 00:43:32,560 Amen? Amen. 887 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:34,250 But give Him your vitality. 888 00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:35,530 Give Him your youth. 889 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:36,780 Give Him your best. 890 00:43:37,770 --> 00:43:39,260 It says this young man wasted. 891 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:42,440 He wasn't just wasting his father's inheritance, 892 00:43:42,470 --> 00:43:45,000 he was wasting his life and wasting his time. 893 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:51,120 And I'll tell you that it is a sad thing to hear. 894 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:54,900 People talk about the regrets of all that they wasted 895 00:43:54,930 --> 00:43:57,600 "I've wasted many precious years Lord, I'm coming home. " 896 00:43:57,630 --> 00:43:59,700 You know the line in the song. 897 00:44:01,570 --> 00:44:04,370 "And he wasted his possessions with prodigal living. " 898 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,830 "But when he had spent all" 899 00:44:07,860 --> 00:44:10,470 Bankrupt. 900 00:44:10,510 --> 00:44:11,820 It's all gone. 901 00:44:11,850 --> 00:44:13,130 It won't last. 902 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:17,070 You know, I'm reading a good book right now. 903 00:44:17,100 --> 00:44:22,260 By Randy Allcorne. 904 00:44:22,300 --> 00:44:24,070 It's called "The Treasure Principle". 905 00:44:24,940 --> 00:44:27,660 And Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, 906 00:44:27,690 --> 00:44:29,560 that's where your heart will be" 907 00:44:30,170 --> 00:44:32,220 If your treasure is in this world, 908 00:44:32,260 --> 00:44:37,430 and the pleasures of the passing temporary pleasures of this life 909 00:44:37,460 --> 00:44:39,850 this is your treasure 910 00:44:39,890 --> 00:44:42,380 then every day that goes by you're losing your treasure 911 00:44:42,410 --> 00:44:44,260 It's depleting. 912 00:44:44,910 --> 00:44:50,010 But if you treasure is in heaven every day it's increasing. 913 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:53,150 If your treasure is on earth and you think that 914 00:44:53,190 --> 00:44:55,720 the pleasures of this world is what is gonna ultimately 915 00:44:55,750 --> 00:44:56,720 bring you happiness, 916 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:00,950 every day you are getting further from your treasure. 917 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:02,890 But if your treasure is in heaven, 918 00:45:02,930 --> 00:45:05,070 as your life goes on, every day you're getting closer 919 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:06,140 to your treasure. 920 00:45:06,170 --> 00:45:07,200 Isn't that right? 921 00:45:07,230 --> 00:45:08,160 Amen. 922 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:09,650 If your treasure is in this world 923 00:45:09,690 --> 00:45:11,820 you're going to be sadder and sadder every day 924 00:45:11,850 --> 00:45:13,950 because it's slipping through your fingers. 925 00:45:14,490 --> 00:45:16,150 Specially when you reach middle age 926 00:45:16,190 --> 00:45:17,670 you really notice it accelerates 927 00:45:17,700 --> 00:45:19,150 as you start going down that hill. 928 00:45:19,180 --> 00:45:20,720 It gets steeper. 929 00:45:20,720 --> 00:45:23,160 and if your treasure's in this world 930 00:45:23,190 --> 00:45:25,680 you're constantly surrounded with reminders that 931 00:45:25,710 --> 00:45:26,910 it's slipping through your fingers, 932 00:45:26,940 --> 00:45:28,040 you're losing it. 933 00:45:29,070 --> 00:45:30,690 But if your treasure is in heaven 934 00:45:30,730 --> 00:45:33,710 you're happier because you're getting closer 935 00:45:34,140 --> 00:45:35,610 to your treasure all the time. 936 00:45:36,740 --> 00:45:38,220 It's all a question of 937 00:45:38,260 --> 00:45:39,580 Where is your home? 938 00:45:39,620 --> 00:45:40,870 Where is your treasure? 939 00:45:40,910 --> 00:45:42,160 Is it this world or is it heaven? 940 00:45:44,820 --> 00:45:47,880 And that's the goal 941 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:49,020 of this series. 942 00:45:49,060 --> 00:45:52,560 To encourage you to have your priorities right. 943 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:56,070 To seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness. 944 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:58,970 That's where real lasting happiness comes from. 945 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,120 "But when he had spent all 946 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:05,330 there arose a severe famine. " 947 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:08,600 You know, there's irony in this story. 948 00:46:08,630 --> 00:46:11,000 At the same time that he runs out 949 00:46:11,810 --> 00:46:14,530 the resources of the far country run out. 950 00:46:15,340 --> 00:46:18,570 That far country represents the lost condition. 951 00:46:19,210 --> 00:46:22,600 You know, the Bible tells us that Adam and Eve ran from God. 952 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:25,260 He didn't run from us. 953 00:46:25,300 --> 00:46:27,170 I'm reminding you, if we draw near to God, 954 00:46:27,180 --> 00:46:28,280 He'll draw near to us. 955 00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:32,670 In the Garden of Eden, God first comes looking for men. 956 00:46:32,700 --> 00:46:35,040 You probably heard me say before. 957 00:46:35,050 --> 00:46:37,980 I think it is a simple yet profound truth. 958 00:46:38,010 --> 00:46:40,100 That the first question in the Bible 959 00:46:40,670 --> 00:46:42,750 is God's saying "Where are you?" 960 00:46:43,450 --> 00:46:44,600 That's the Old Testament. 961 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:46,000 First question in the New Testament is 962 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:48,190 the wise men come looking for Jesus, they say 963 00:46:48,220 --> 00:46:49,300 "Where is He?" 964 00:46:49,310 --> 00:46:52,130 Our sins have separated us from God. 965 00:46:52,170 --> 00:46:55,410 It's our sins that have put us in this far country. 966 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:57,340 Now, keep in mind 967 00:46:58,550 --> 00:47:02,120 what's going on back at home while that young man 968 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:05,700 is living a riotous life with prodigal living. 969 00:47:06,460 --> 00:47:08,690 He's wasting everything in a far country. 970 00:47:09,610 --> 00:47:11,580 What's the father going through? 971 00:47:11,610 --> 00:47:13,060 How does he feel? 972 00:47:14,610 --> 00:47:17,050 Did they have telephones back then? 973 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:18,830 When Jesus told this story? 974 00:47:18,870 --> 00:47:22,330 The very fact He says a far country means 975 00:47:22,370 --> 00:47:25,680 that father doesn't know what's happening to his boy. 976 00:47:26,980 --> 00:47:29,740 And the roads back then were littered with bandits. 977 00:47:29,780 --> 00:47:32,510 It wasn't safe especially if you were traveling 978 00:47:32,540 --> 00:47:35,110 showing off your Lamborghini chariot. 979 00:47:35,140 --> 00:47:38,020 And your Calvin Klein robes 980 00:47:38,050 --> 00:47:40,270 He was a real target. 981 00:47:41,010 --> 00:47:42,490 As a matter of fact, that's why he 982 00:47:43,940 --> 00:47:45,930 had a lot of friends for a little while. 983 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:49,380 It was an illusion. 984 00:47:50,330 --> 00:47:52,090 What was that father thinking? 985 00:47:53,070 --> 00:47:55,340 I remember getting a phone call from 986 00:47:55,370 --> 00:47:57,570 a member of a church I pastored 987 00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:00,350 "Pastor, please pray." 988 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:02,860 "My granddaughter is missing." 989 00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:06,640 And this child had disappeared. 990 00:48:06,670 --> 00:48:07,640 Desperation. 991 00:48:08,540 --> 00:48:13,100 So often, you know, the police are overwhelmed 992 00:48:13,130 --> 00:48:16,310 with calls for missing children. 993 00:48:16,350 --> 00:48:19,090 Most of them are often teenagers who run away 994 00:48:19,130 --> 00:48:21,840 and you know, they don't even look for them all 995 00:48:21,870 --> 00:48:23,270 because so often they're running away. 996 00:48:23,300 --> 00:48:24,670 And that was the case in this story. 997 00:48:24,700 --> 00:48:25,850 Praise God she came home. 998 00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:28,850 A couple of weeks ago, in our neighborhood, 999 00:48:29,610 --> 00:48:31,240 our son Nathan who's the youngest 1000 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:33,340 I hope he is sitting up and paying attention right now 1001 00:48:34,020 --> 00:48:36,200 he was playing with another friend of his 1002 00:48:36,230 --> 00:48:37,440 in our neighborhood 1003 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:39,850 and they were in the back room doing something that 1004 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:40,810 created noise, 1005 00:48:40,850 --> 00:48:43,390 which is normal and healthy for 9 year olds 1006 00:48:44,390 --> 00:48:46,890 Mom and Steven were in the backyard 1007 00:48:47,350 --> 00:48:49,680 The doorbell battery, I've got one of those wireless doorbells, 1008 00:48:49,710 --> 00:48:50,680 was dead. 1009 00:48:51,310 --> 00:48:54,200 This little boy had not told his mother where he was 1010 00:48:54,230 --> 00:48:56,470 she didn't even know he'd left 1011 00:48:57,470 --> 00:49:01,090 So she began to look him in all the regular haunts of her son 1012 00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:02,760 in the neighborhood and he wasn't there. 1013 00:49:02,790 --> 00:49:05,390 She came to our door and knocked 1014 00:49:05,430 --> 00:49:06,550 rang the doorbell, didn't hear anything 1015 00:49:06,580 --> 00:49:07,510 knocked 1016 00:49:07,550 --> 00:49:08,700 the boys didn't hear, Karen didn't hear. 1017 00:49:08,740 --> 00:49:11,840 She checked all of the probable places and pretty soon 1018 00:49:11,850 --> 00:49:13,740 she became frantic. 1019 00:49:13,780 --> 00:49:16,660 I think it's safe to say she was hysterical. 1020 00:49:17,650 --> 00:49:19,480 You know why. 1021 00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:21,520 Any of you ever lost a child? 1022 00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:25,450 In a supermarket? Or a mall? 1023 00:49:26,300 --> 00:49:28,230 You turn around and they're gone? 1024 00:49:28,270 --> 00:49:30,860 Especially when they're young and vulnerable? 1025 00:49:30,890 --> 00:49:31,860 Anyone? 1026 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:34,850 You don't want to admit it. Come on. Face up. 1027 00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:40,780 And if you have those energetic children that don't ask 1028 00:49:40,820 --> 00:49:43,420 if they can run down the aisles and pick a left turn. 1029 00:49:45,310 --> 00:49:48,350 I think I've lost all of mine at some point in public places. 1030 00:49:49,980 --> 00:49:51,500 And I know that feeling. 1031 00:49:54,450 --> 00:49:56,340 And the longer it takes to locate them, 1032 00:49:56,370 --> 00:49:58,110 the more frantic you become. 1033 00:49:58,150 --> 00:50:01,060 And the Devil is a master at just putting the very worst 1034 00:50:01,090 --> 00:50:02,120 scenarios in your mind 1035 00:50:02,150 --> 00:50:03,110 of what could've happened. 1036 00:50:03,150 --> 00:50:05,260 Pretty soon you see their pictures on milk cartons 1037 00:50:05,290 --> 00:50:07,050 in your head. 1038 00:50:07,570 --> 00:50:09,210 And it's scary. 1039 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:12,520 But what if that goes on day after day? 1040 00:50:13,490 --> 00:50:15,370 Doesn't your heart break sometime for these parents 1041 00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:16,450 their children disappeared? 1042 00:50:16,490 --> 00:50:19,256 Young children and they never find out what happened? 1043 00:50:20,470 --> 00:50:23,290 That father had no word. 1044 00:50:24,630 --> 00:50:27,490 No internet, no phone call, no mail. 1045 00:50:29,090 --> 00:50:32,010 Young son who he loves desperately is just gone. 1046 00:50:33,230 --> 00:50:37,460 I never realized how much I hurt my father 1047 00:50:37,490 --> 00:50:39,050 when I ran away from home 1048 00:50:39,090 --> 00:50:40,620 until I became a parent. 1049 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:43,980 But I ran away, there was no phone in the cave. 1050 00:50:44,010 --> 00:50:45,860 I certainly had no e-mail. 1051 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:50,550 And I would go months and never even check in. 1052 00:50:50,590 --> 00:50:53,060 Every now and then he would get word from my grandparents 1053 00:50:53,090 --> 00:50:55,070 that lived few towns away. 1054 00:50:55,110 --> 00:50:57,130 "Yeah, we've heard from Doug. He's in jail. 1055 00:50:58,470 --> 00:51:00,150 But he's OK." 1056 00:51:01,950 --> 00:51:06,790 And I remember years later, my father was still hurt and angry 1057 00:51:06,820 --> 00:51:10,160 about how much it had pained him that he didn't know what 1058 00:51:10,190 --> 00:51:11,580 it happened. 1059 00:51:13,170 --> 00:51:18,090 So, all the time that this son is living his prodigal life 1060 00:51:18,120 --> 00:51:21,620 and whooping it up with his friends and having a good time 1061 00:51:21,660 --> 00:51:26,090 he seems to be insensitive and oblivious to how his father's 1062 00:51:26,100 --> 00:51:28,300 heart is being torn out day after day, 1063 00:51:28,330 --> 00:51:30,530 yearning over his son. 1064 00:51:31,300 --> 00:51:33,040 Who does that father represent? 1065 00:51:36,360 --> 00:51:40,050 How does God feel about us when we're not home? 1066 00:51:41,930 --> 00:51:43,440 His heart is breaking. 1067 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:46,370 He knows about the danger out there better than you. 1068 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:48,680 He can see the Devil and what he's up to. 1069 00:51:49,530 --> 00:51:53,710 He knows that eternity is at stake. 1070 00:51:53,750 --> 00:51:58,590 He knows whether or not you're with Him forever in His house 1071 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:00,740 or separated forever, 1072 00:52:00,780 --> 00:52:04,300 depends on whether you make a decision to turn your steps 1073 00:52:04,330 --> 00:52:05,300 homeward. 1074 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:09,470 And can God pray? 1075 00:52:09,510 --> 00:52:11,470 Who does He pray to? 1076 00:52:11,510 --> 00:52:13,440 Jesus prayed, didn't He? 1077 00:52:14,210 --> 00:52:16,220 You know, Jesus prayed not only for the apostles, 1078 00:52:16,250 --> 00:52:18,570 He prayed, He says, "Lord", John 17 1079 00:52:18,610 --> 00:52:21,610 "not only do I pray for them, but I'm praying for those 1080 00:52:21,640 --> 00:52:23,970 who hear through their word." 1081 00:52:23,980 --> 00:52:25,120 That would be me. 1082 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:27,870 Jesus prayed for you. 1083 00:52:27,900 --> 00:52:28,830 Amen. 1084 00:52:28,870 --> 00:52:30,110 That's good news. 1085 00:52:30,390 --> 00:52:30,860 Amen. 1086 00:52:30,950 --> 00:52:33,000 That's probably safe to say that the Lord is praying. 1087 00:52:34,550 --> 00:52:35,950 You ever talked to yourself? 1088 00:52:35,980 --> 00:52:37,350 I suppose that's how God prays. 1089 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:41,760 He's praying that you'll come home. 1090 00:52:41,790 --> 00:52:44,020 His heart is breaking. 1091 00:52:44,060 --> 00:52:46,120 And, you know, if you don't get anything else 1092 00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:50,220 out of this message, please do not lose the important truth 1093 00:52:50,250 --> 00:52:51,600 how much God loves you 1094 00:52:51,640 --> 00:52:53,140 and even though you may not be thinking about Him, 1095 00:52:53,170 --> 00:52:54,790 He's thinking about you. 1096 00:52:54,820 --> 00:52:55,090 Amen. 1097 00:52:55,190 --> 00:53:00,040 And He is constantly yearning and pining for you to come home 1098 00:53:00,630 --> 00:53:02,380 until you turn your steps homeward. 1099 00:53:02,380 --> 00:53:03,330 Amen 1100 00:53:04,980 --> 00:53:10,240 Don't miss the fact that some of us can be in church 1101 00:53:10,270 --> 00:53:11,810 and still not home. 1102 00:53:14,610 --> 00:53:16,240 Some of us draw near with our lips, 1103 00:53:16,290 --> 00:53:17,360 but our hearts are far away, 1104 00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:19,130 our hearts are in that far country. 1105 00:53:19,970 --> 00:53:20,940 Amen? Amen. 1106 00:53:23,910 --> 00:53:27,200 God in his mercy sent a famine 1107 00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:29,340 to get this young man's attention. 1108 00:53:32,830 --> 00:53:34,380 A famine came in that land. 1109 00:53:34,420 --> 00:53:36,860 You notice, there is no famine in the father's house, 1110 00:53:36,890 --> 00:53:37,870 in the father's land. 1111 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:39,430 It's where he was, in the far country. 1112 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:42,850 And there's going to be a famine in this world. 1113 00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:45,290 You know, the Bible talks about a famine 1114 00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:46,900 just before Jesus comes back. 1115 00:53:46,930 --> 00:53:48,250 What is it for? 1116 00:53:49,030 --> 00:53:50,320 For the Word of God. 1117 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:53,510 Amos tells us, "The days are coming," 1118 00:53:53,540 --> 00:53:55,730 I believe it is Amos chapter 8. 1119 00:53:55,770 --> 00:53:59,410 The days are coming in which there is going to be a famine. 1120 00:53:59,440 --> 00:54:01,600 Not a famine for bread or thirst for water, 1121 00:54:01,630 --> 00:54:02,640 but for hearing the Word of the Lord. 1122 00:54:02,680 --> 00:54:06,120 And people will wander from East to West, to North to South 1123 00:54:06,150 --> 00:54:08,710 looking for the Word of God and they will not find it. 1124 00:54:10,270 --> 00:54:12,390 Could there be a famine today? 1125 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:13,960 I always like to remind people. 1126 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:16,430 It is possible to have famine for the Word of God 1127 00:54:16,470 --> 00:54:19,260 in a country where we have more Bibles than anywhere else. 1128 00:54:19,870 --> 00:54:22,850 Because familiarity has bred contempt. 1129 00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:26,500 And we are so distracted with other things. 1130 00:54:28,310 --> 00:54:31,620 "And there was a famine in that land and he began to be in want" 1131 00:54:31,650 --> 00:54:32,960 And I can just picture it. 1132 00:54:34,870 --> 00:54:37,400 Gradually he started reaching into his bag of gold 1133 00:54:37,430 --> 00:54:39,930 and pretty soon it wasn't gold it was only silver 1134 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:42,330 and then it went from silver to copper coins 1135 00:54:42,340 --> 00:54:44,460 and he realized he was getting down there 1136 00:54:44,500 --> 00:54:46,870 and he started to elbow some of his friends from his days 1137 00:54:46,900 --> 00:54:48,400 of prosperity and say, 1138 00:54:48,440 --> 00:54:50,430 "Hey, can I make a little loan?" 1139 00:54:50,460 --> 00:54:52,420 And he said, "You're kidding?" 1140 00:54:53,510 --> 00:54:55,370 "You're the bank, not me. " 1141 00:54:55,410 --> 00:54:57,240 "I don't have anything today. " 1142 00:54:57,530 --> 00:55:01,280 And you notice it goes on to say "He began to be in want 1143 00:55:01,310 --> 00:55:04,450 and no man gave him anything. " 1144 00:55:04,490 --> 00:55:08,110 What you need the far country can't give you. 1145 00:55:08,150 --> 00:55:11,740 And what you need, the world can't give you. 1146 00:55:11,750 --> 00:55:14,300 No man can give you what you need. 1147 00:55:15,160 --> 00:55:17,750 What's going to really satisfy your soul, 1148 00:55:17,780 --> 00:55:20,300 no man can give you. 1149 00:55:20,340 --> 00:55:22,930 Only God can satisfy you. 1150 00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:24,180 Amen. 1151 00:55:24,220 --> 00:55:26,250 It's only going to be found in the father's house. 1152 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:30,450 And he became so desperate 1153 00:55:31,130 --> 00:55:35,230 that he - if you're a Jew and you're listening to this 1154 00:55:35,260 --> 00:55:37,640 and you know I come from a Jewish background 1155 00:55:37,670 --> 00:55:39,100 so I understand this - 1156 00:55:40,290 --> 00:55:44,000 It says, "He became so hungry 1157 00:55:44,010 --> 00:55:45,120 he joined himself" 1158 00:55:45,160 --> 00:55:50,240 Meaning he hired himself out to a citizen of that country 1159 00:55:50,270 --> 00:55:54,410 who sent him into his field to feed swine. 1160 00:55:54,450 --> 00:55:57,820 You know, the story began, he didn't want to work 1161 00:55:57,850 --> 00:56:01,190 in his father's field anymore, harvesting good grain. 1162 00:56:01,220 --> 00:56:04,460 So instead he ends up in a far country, 1163 00:56:04,490 --> 00:56:06,550 and he's feeding pigs. 1164 00:56:06,580 --> 00:56:08,610 That citizen is the Devil 1165 00:56:08,950 --> 00:56:10,990 who had him feeding his pigs. 1166 00:56:11,000 --> 00:56:13,250 And for a Jew listening to this story, 1167 00:56:13,350 --> 00:56:18,230 the very violest, most unclean thing 1168 00:56:18,240 --> 00:56:22,270 that you could resort to is to be a swineherd. 1169 00:56:24,210 --> 00:56:26,750 Shepherds take care of sheep, piggers take care of pigs. 1170 00:56:26,780 --> 00:56:29,740 "Swiner" I guess it's what they call them. 1171 00:56:30,740 --> 00:56:32,240 Feeding pigs. 1172 00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:35,360 Now, I'm not proud to tell you that I've fed pigs. 1173 00:56:35,390 --> 00:56:37,780 Never owned any, but I had some neighbors. 1174 00:56:37,780 --> 00:56:38,970 And I tried to be a good neighbor 1175 00:56:39,010 --> 00:56:39,960 and they said, "We've got to go. 1176 00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:42,530 Can you milk the cows and feed the pigs?" 1177 00:56:43,930 --> 00:56:46,340 I didn't mind milking the cows so much, 1178 00:56:47,090 --> 00:56:48,780 but slopping their pigs... 1179 00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:52,060 And I had to do that for a while 1180 00:56:52,100 --> 00:56:55,910 and I always try to search for new ways to tell you 1181 00:56:55,940 --> 00:56:58,680 that pigs are pigs. 1182 00:56:58,720 --> 00:57:01,660 But there's really no word that you can find to describe pigs 1183 00:57:01,690 --> 00:57:03,810 better than to say, "You know, they're pigs. " 1184 00:57:04,790 --> 00:57:09,740 Their name became the exhibit A of that which is 1185 00:57:09,770 --> 00:57:11,760 filthy and gros. 1186 00:57:11,800 --> 00:57:13,410 And you know they'll eat anything. 1187 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:15,270 Including each other. 1188 00:57:16,750 --> 00:57:19,050 And to be out there with the pigs. 1189 00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:20,690 And you know pigs stink... 1190 00:57:22,240 --> 00:57:24,330 And it's understandable if you see what they eat. 1191 00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:27,920 And it's just filthy. 1192 00:57:27,930 --> 00:57:31,990 And there he is walking around throughing these husks 1193 00:57:32,020 --> 00:57:35,960 seed pots to the pigs 1194 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:38,910 And every time he picks up his foot 1195 00:57:38,950 --> 00:57:42,150 you know pigs have to wallow in mud to keep their 1196 00:57:42,180 --> 00:57:43,920 skins moisten. 1197 00:57:43,930 --> 00:57:45,430 So there's mire. 1198 00:57:45,470 --> 00:57:47,630 Talking about the pigs to wallow in the mire. 1199 00:57:47,660 --> 00:57:49,070 So you're walking around. 1200 00:57:49,110 --> 00:57:51,760 And he feels his feet suck up every time he takes a step 1201 00:57:51,790 --> 00:57:53,060 to throw the pigs their food. 1202 00:57:53,100 --> 00:57:55,690 And after a few days, hasn't got paid yet. 1203 00:57:56,310 --> 00:57:58,020 He's joined himself to the citizen 1204 00:57:58,060 --> 00:58:00,110 'cuz he promised to pay him, but he hasn't got paid 1205 00:58:00,140 --> 00:58:01,740 and he's so hungry. 1206 00:58:02,990 --> 00:58:05,860 He's beginning to yearn after the pig food. 1207 00:58:05,900 --> 00:58:08,740 The pig food is starting to look good to him. 1208 00:58:11,900 --> 00:58:13,450 You know I think that's a fitting description 1209 00:58:13,480 --> 00:58:15,110 for what's happened to the church. 1210 00:58:15,150 --> 00:58:18,700 A lot of people who have the name of Jesus 1211 00:58:18,740 --> 00:58:21,330 are yearning after the husks that the pigs eat. 1212 00:58:22,520 --> 00:58:23,910 What am I talking about? 1213 00:58:24,260 --> 00:58:26,630 If I could put my finger and I think I touched on this 1214 00:58:26,660 --> 00:58:28,890 last revival and things have not changed... 1215 00:58:28,920 --> 00:58:31,250 If I could put my finger on 1216 00:58:31,290 --> 00:58:33,990 probably the single most dangerous thing 1217 00:58:34,850 --> 00:58:38,040 that is eroding the vitality in the church 1218 00:58:38,070 --> 00:58:39,730 it would be the media. 1219 00:58:39,770 --> 00:58:41,160 Now, that might seem like a paradox 1220 00:58:41,200 --> 00:58:43,400 because here we're capitalizing on the power of the media 1221 00:58:43,430 --> 00:58:44,560 to preach the truth. 1222 00:58:44,600 --> 00:58:46,970 But I'm not talking about the good things that can be done 1223 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:48,590 with the television and radio. 1224 00:58:50,020 --> 00:58:53,110 I mean, the media in itself is sort of a neutral medium. 1225 00:58:53,140 --> 00:58:54,220 It's like a book. 1226 00:58:54,260 --> 00:58:55,560 You can have a good book and a bad book. 1227 00:58:55,590 --> 00:58:57,230 Paper is not good or bad. 1228 00:58:57,270 --> 00:58:59,870 Audio tapes are not good or bad. 1229 00:58:59,910 --> 00:59:02,390 You can have good tapes and bad tapes, isn't that right? 1230 00:59:02,430 --> 00:59:04,880 A television, it can be a boat anchor, a paper weight, 1231 00:59:04,910 --> 00:59:06,100 TV is inanimate. 1232 00:59:07,370 --> 00:59:09,520 But it's what you watch. 1233 00:59:09,560 --> 00:59:11,490 And little by little, 1234 00:59:11,530 --> 00:59:13,390 the devil I think 1235 00:59:13,430 --> 00:59:17,100 has corrupted this spiritual appetite of the church. 1236 00:59:17,110 --> 00:59:20,340 So we've gotten to the place where pig food looks good. 1237 00:59:22,110 --> 00:59:24,600 And we've become accustomed to garbage. 1238 00:59:25,640 --> 00:59:30,360 Please permit me to return to my prodigal experience. 1239 00:59:31,630 --> 00:59:34,330 I grew up living in a normal house. 1240 00:59:34,340 --> 00:59:35,570 I mean, I did go between parents 1241 00:59:35,610 --> 00:59:38,510 But my grandparents, we ate at the table. 1242 00:59:38,550 --> 00:59:40,550 And they made me eat things I didn't want to eat. 1243 00:59:40,580 --> 00:59:41,920 But they said, "It's good for you. " 1244 00:59:42,860 --> 00:59:45,130 Any of you ever tried to hide your peas? 1245 00:59:46,420 --> 00:59:47,440 In your pocket? 1246 00:59:47,480 --> 00:59:50,310 But eventually they do laundry and your sins find you out. 1247 00:59:51,570 --> 00:59:54,940 And I ate at a table with real silver ware 1248 00:59:54,970 --> 00:59:56,870 and you know, the setting. 1249 00:59:56,910 --> 00:59:59,220 Whether I was with my mom in New York City, 1250 00:59:59,250 --> 01:00:00,750 or my dad in Miami, 1251 01:00:00,790 --> 01:00:02,220 it was semi-civilized. 1252 01:00:02,260 --> 01:00:04,970 But when I was living up in the mountains in a cave 1253 01:00:05,000 --> 01:00:07,260 and I went down the streets of Palm Springs 1254 01:00:07,290 --> 01:00:09,520 I used to hang out with the street people 1255 01:00:10,940 --> 01:00:14,370 And I was out of resources. 1256 01:00:14,400 --> 01:00:16,000 I used to panhandle 1257 01:00:16,470 --> 01:00:19,860 I went to the store today to do a little last minute shopping. 1258 01:00:19,870 --> 01:00:22,630 And a lady came up to me and began to give me this story 1259 01:00:22,630 --> 01:00:24,170 about how she needed money. 1260 01:00:25,440 --> 01:00:27,660 And I looked at her and I had doubts about 1261 01:00:27,740 --> 01:00:30,870 the story she was telling me. 1262 01:00:30,900 --> 01:00:32,550 But I didn't know. 1263 01:00:32,590 --> 01:00:34,170 And I told her that. 1264 01:00:34,210 --> 01:00:36,430 I said, "You know, I don't know you 1265 01:00:36,470 --> 01:00:39,280 and I hope you're gonna use it this way. 1266 01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:42,100 But I remember when I was in your shoes 1267 01:00:42,130 --> 01:00:43,730 and I had to panhandle," 1268 01:00:43,760 --> 01:00:45,290 So I gave her a few dollars. 1269 01:00:45,330 --> 01:00:48,210 And I said, "Lord, I hope that it's gonna be used, right? 1270 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:49,940 She won't do anything self-destructive. 1271 01:00:50,970 --> 01:00:54,210 But then, beyond that panhandling, 1272 01:00:54,780 --> 01:00:56,830 I started noticing my friends got some of their food 1273 01:00:56,860 --> 01:00:58,290 out of the garbage can. 1274 01:00:58,970 --> 01:01:00,620 When I first saw that 1275 01:01:01,780 --> 01:01:04,080 I thought it was absolutely revolting. 1276 01:01:05,620 --> 01:01:09,060 They were climbing over the... oh, well. 1277 01:01:09,100 --> 01:01:11,720 We had names that we lived on the street back then. 1278 01:01:11,750 --> 01:01:14,340 We had names like: the little Richie and crazy Dan, 1279 01:01:14,370 --> 01:01:16,390 and Pack Red, all these street people names. 1280 01:01:16,400 --> 01:01:18,020 I don't even know what their real names were. 1281 01:01:18,780 --> 01:01:25,590 And probably in the witness protection program or something. 1282 01:01:26,670 --> 01:01:30,380 But I remember I had this one friend name little Richie 1283 01:01:30,410 --> 01:01:34,570 and he would climb into the goodwill box 1284 01:01:34,580 --> 01:01:36,770 and sleep at night because he didn't have a house 1285 01:01:36,810 --> 01:01:40,672 and there are a lot of clothes, people donate clothes. 1286 01:01:41,356 --> 01:01:42,610 And he was small, he could fit through the opening 1287 01:01:42,640 --> 01:01:43,980 and get back out in the morning. 1288 01:01:44,020 --> 01:01:47,090 And one morning someone made a donation before he woke up 1289 01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:48,810 and it was pots and pans. 1290 01:01:50,890 --> 01:01:52,800 But that doesn't really have anything to do with my story. 1291 01:01:52,830 --> 01:01:54,380 Another couple... 1292 01:01:56,510 --> 01:02:00,280 I remember the first time, they said, you know, 1293 01:02:00,310 --> 01:02:01,910 "Let's go do some dumpster- diving. " 1294 01:02:01,950 --> 01:02:04,910 And I sort of was able to figure out what they meant by that 1295 01:02:04,940 --> 01:02:06,710 but we went behind the market 1296 01:02:06,750 --> 01:02:12,780 and they climbed over this absolutely filthy slimy dumpster 1297 01:02:14,280 --> 01:02:18,620 and they were digging around in the refuse of the supermarket 1298 01:02:18,650 --> 01:02:21,710 and it stunk, I could smell it from 20 feet away. 1299 01:02:22,630 --> 01:02:24,060 And they were looking for food. 1300 01:02:24,610 --> 01:02:27,310 And I thought, "That is the most disgusting 1301 01:02:27,340 --> 01:02:29,150 thing I think I've ever seen. " 1302 01:02:29,770 --> 01:02:33,070 I saw a picture in National Geographic of a little girl 1303 01:02:33,100 --> 01:02:36,560 down in Central America somewhere that was 1304 01:02:36,600 --> 01:02:40,390 this great, big, acres and acres of refuse being pushed up 1305 01:02:40,420 --> 01:02:41,520 by this heavy equipment. 1306 01:02:41,560 --> 01:02:43,470 All the kids were out there looking for food. 1307 01:02:44,260 --> 01:02:45,410 Breaks your heart. 1308 01:02:46,120 --> 01:02:48,550 But I know how that happens. 1309 01:02:49,070 --> 01:02:51,180 And the first time I saw my friends 1310 01:02:51,210 --> 01:02:52,760 digging in the dumpster 1311 01:02:52,800 --> 01:02:56,310 I thought, "That is revolting. " 1312 01:02:57,030 --> 01:02:58,790 But they were my friends so I hung around them 1313 01:02:58,820 --> 01:03:00,950 and I became accustomed to watching them. 1314 01:03:00,980 --> 01:03:03,080 And then, you know, I became impatient 1315 01:03:03,110 --> 01:03:05,130 and curiosity got the best of me. 1316 01:03:05,730 --> 01:03:07,390 So when they were dumpster- diving, 1317 01:03:07,420 --> 01:03:08,930 sometimes they'd come up with something 1318 01:03:08,960 --> 01:03:10,440 and think, "Hey, that's not so bad. " 1319 01:03:11,310 --> 01:03:13,070 They'd pull out a can that was dented 1320 01:03:13,110 --> 01:03:15,250 but it's obviously still had the vacuum seal 1321 01:03:15,280 --> 01:03:16,390 and you could rinse it off. 1322 01:03:16,420 --> 01:03:17,500 And it was technically sterile. 1323 01:03:17,530 --> 01:03:18,820 Nothing wrong with that. 1324 01:03:19,630 --> 01:03:21,260 So, they say, "Hey, look man, if we're gonna 1325 01:03:21,300 --> 01:03:22,900 get this stuff, you're gonna need to help us. " 1326 01:03:23,350 --> 01:03:25,120 And so I started to get a little closer 1327 01:03:25,130 --> 01:03:26,790 and I operated as a manager. 1328 01:03:27,910 --> 01:03:30,320 And I'd say, "That looks like those bananas 1329 01:03:30,360 --> 01:03:32,690 still have the peel on them, right there, a little further. " 1330 01:03:34,100 --> 01:03:36,750 And then I went from pointing 1331 01:03:36,790 --> 01:03:40,720 to reaching over, trying not to touch it, you know. 1332 01:03:42,430 --> 01:03:44,720 But sometimes, if you get there 1333 01:03:44,760 --> 01:03:47,720 and it's a fresh patch on the bottom, you can't reach it. 1334 01:03:48,260 --> 01:03:49,510 And you gotta get in. 1335 01:03:50,040 --> 01:03:51,880 And I won't go into all the things that we found in there 1336 01:03:51,910 --> 01:03:53,960 but you find occasionally something good. 1337 01:03:57,940 --> 01:03:59,220 Like television. 1338 01:04:00,720 --> 01:04:02,560 Occasionally there's something good. 1339 01:04:04,890 --> 01:04:06,620 And so we get in the dumpster. 1340 01:04:07,410 --> 01:04:08,720 Isn't that right? 1341 01:04:08,750 --> 01:04:09,680 True. 1342 01:04:09,720 --> 01:04:14,010 I don't go to the movies unless there's something good. 1343 01:04:15,790 --> 01:04:17,500 And I would never go to the movies 1344 01:04:17,530 --> 01:04:19,660 but it will be out on a video soon. 1345 01:04:19,690 --> 01:04:21,790 I know it's outrated in the theater, 1346 01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:23,090 but somehow it gets baptized 1347 01:04:23,130 --> 01:04:25,310 when you get it from the video store. 1348 01:04:28,710 --> 01:04:32,570 And then you're allowed to watch the adultery and the murder 1349 01:04:32,600 --> 01:04:34,550 and the profanity and all that 1350 01:04:34,590 --> 01:04:36,380 because I would never go to the theater. 1351 01:04:37,870 --> 01:04:40,430 Now, I'm hoping that... I don't go to the theater. 1352 01:04:41,730 --> 01:04:42,980 I do have the television. 1353 01:04:43,620 --> 01:04:44,990 So I can watch 3ABN. 1354 01:04:50,540 --> 01:04:51,460 But let's face it. 1355 01:04:51,500 --> 01:04:55,700 Not all of us have self-control. 1356 01:04:57,750 --> 01:05:01,130 And sometimes we find that we're spending a lot more time 1357 01:05:02,700 --> 01:05:07,150 becoming defiled by the dumpster than getting anything good. 1358 01:05:08,310 --> 01:05:11,950 And little by little, you can get used to 1359 01:05:11,980 --> 01:05:13,820 that which is disgusting. 1360 01:05:14,750 --> 01:05:17,770 So pretty soon, you're finding what the pigs eat 1361 01:05:17,800 --> 01:05:19,930 actually looks appetizing. 1362 01:05:21,820 --> 01:05:24,160 He began to crave the pig food. 1363 01:05:26,530 --> 01:05:30,960 Makes me think of a passage in Isaiah, chapter 55. 1364 01:05:38,610 --> 01:05:40,810 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Coming to the waters; 1365 01:05:41,500 --> 01:05:42,630 And then verse 2. 1366 01:05:42,670 --> 01:05:45,810 "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread 1367 01:05:45,840 --> 01:05:49,510 and your wages for that which does not satisfy? 1368 01:05:49,520 --> 01:05:52,390 Listen to me and eat what is good 1369 01:05:52,400 --> 01:05:56,560 and let your soul delight itself in abundance. " 1370 01:05:57,490 --> 01:06:00,400 God has good bread for you, friends. 1371 01:06:00,430 --> 01:06:02,660 While he was out there 1372 01:06:03,490 --> 01:06:04,840 walking around in the muck 1373 01:06:04,870 --> 01:06:05,800 of the pigpen. 1374 01:06:05,840 --> 01:06:09,110 finally the Holy Spirit got through to him. 1375 01:06:09,150 --> 01:06:12,010 The memories from his youth, the father's table. 1376 01:06:12,050 --> 01:06:14,880 The Bible says that his father had servants. 1377 01:06:14,910 --> 01:06:16,590 He was obviously a wealthy man. 1378 01:06:16,620 --> 01:06:17,700 Had a big table. 1379 01:06:17,740 --> 01:06:19,230 When he comes home... 1380 01:06:23,240 --> 01:06:24,520 has a banquet for the son. 1381 01:06:24,560 --> 01:06:27,500 I'm not there yet but I'm just trying to bear the point. 1382 01:06:27,530 --> 01:06:28,730 This is an influent father. 1383 01:06:29,880 --> 01:06:31,110 And all of a sudden he realizes 1384 01:06:31,150 --> 01:06:35,360 "I have gone from a virtual mansion to a pigpen. " 1385 01:06:38,340 --> 01:06:39,880 Believe me, I can relate. 1386 01:06:40,430 --> 01:06:42,830 Dad lived in a mansion, butler and a maid, 1387 01:06:42,860 --> 01:06:44,430 our silverware was real silver. 1388 01:06:45,510 --> 01:06:47,480 And all of a sudden you come to your senses one day 1389 01:06:47,520 --> 01:06:49,460 and you see yourself in the dumpster and you think 1390 01:06:50,120 --> 01:06:52,090 "I wasn't raised this way. " 1391 01:06:52,590 --> 01:06:53,960 "How did I get here?" 1392 01:06:54,000 --> 01:06:56,360 Isn't it interesting that you've gotta come to your senses 1393 01:06:56,390 --> 01:06:58,540 to say, "How did I get from there to here?" 1394 01:06:58,570 --> 01:07:00,200 "What madness possessed me?" 1395 01:07:00,230 --> 01:07:01,790 He came to himself as though 1396 01:07:01,830 --> 01:07:04,190 Maybe because he woke up from his insanity. 1397 01:07:04,240 --> 01:07:09,020 And it's like the Holy Spirit has to illuminate our minds. 1398 01:07:09,050 --> 01:07:11,260 To help us see where we are. 1399 01:07:11,300 --> 01:07:14,150 Sometimes you just have to pray that the Holy Spirit 1400 01:07:14,190 --> 01:07:17,300 will help you to see through God's perspective where you are. 1401 00:07:17,310 --> 01:07:21,390 The devil knows how to boil a fog little by little. 1402 01:07:21,420 --> 01:07:23,560 And as you leave the Father's house 1403 01:07:23,590 --> 01:07:24,820 everything looks fine 1404 01:07:24,860 --> 01:07:27,440 and you'll enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season 1405 01:07:27,470 --> 01:07:30,020 and gradually, little by little, what do we call it? 1406 01:07:30,050 --> 01:07:31,020 Backsliding. 1407 01:07:31,960 --> 01:07:34,530 You'll find yourself further and further away from God 1408 01:07:34,570 --> 01:07:37,110 and then one day you open the Bible and you look at Jesus 1409 01:07:37,140 --> 01:07:39,170 and you say, "I'm not a Christian. 1410 01:07:39,200 --> 01:07:41,130 I'm nothing like Christ. 1411 01:07:41,170 --> 01:07:43,890 How did I get so far from my Father's house? 1412 01:07:46,730 --> 01:07:50,180 It's like a wakening from insanity. 1413 01:07:51,400 --> 01:07:54,290 Or sobering up from some drug or alcohol. 1414 01:07:54,320 --> 01:07:56,380 And you come to your senses and say, 1415 01:07:56,410 --> 01:07:57,650 "How did I get here?" 1416 01:08:00,550 --> 01:08:03,180 When you think about it, sin really is insane. 1417 01:08:04,380 --> 01:08:06,210 It reminds me of before Moses died 1418 01:08:06,240 --> 01:08:08,000 he preached the children of Israel. 1419 01:08:08,040 --> 01:08:11,440 He said, "I set before you this day two choices. " 1420 01:08:11,470 --> 01:08:14,840 On one hand, you've got life and good and blessing. 1421 01:08:15,690 --> 01:08:18,150 On the other hand, you have death and evil and cursing. 1422 01:08:18,180 --> 01:08:19,450 What do you want? 1423 01:08:20,690 --> 01:08:24,460 Who would choose death and evil and cursing instead of 1424 01:08:24,470 --> 01:08:26,040 life and good and blessing? 1425 01:08:26,080 --> 01:08:28,900 But admit it, what has most of the world chosen? 1426 01:08:29,870 --> 01:08:31,610 Is it sane? 1427 01:08:32,740 --> 01:08:34,510 You know what I think the problem is? 1428 01:08:38,020 --> 01:08:40,880 The word "sin" can be substituted with the word 1429 01:08:40,910 --> 01:08:43,590 "selfishness" in almost every case. 1430 01:08:44,180 --> 01:08:47,620 Selfishness is a form of insanity. 1431 01:08:47,660 --> 01:08:50,550 And until we have the new heart 1432 01:08:50,590 --> 01:08:53,410 that God gives us, Jesus is love 1433 01:08:53,450 --> 01:08:55,710 and the antithesis of that is the devil. 1434 01:08:55,740 --> 01:08:57,120 He is selfishness. 1435 01:08:57,160 --> 01:08:59,730 And as we're leaving the Father's house 1436 01:08:59,760 --> 01:09:02,050 we're becoming more and more selfish. 1437 01:09:02,090 --> 01:09:04,350 And that's why the son doesn't care 1438 01:09:04,360 --> 01:09:06,330 about the agony of his father. 1439 01:09:06,370 --> 01:09:09,260 He doesn't care what he's doing to the name of his father. 1440 01:09:10,670 --> 01:09:12,020 Let me talk about that for a minute. 1441 01:09:12,030 --> 01:09:13,600 When you say you're a Christian 1442 01:09:13,630 --> 01:09:15,130 you're taking the name of Christ 1443 01:09:15,170 --> 01:09:17,870 If you take the name of Christ and you live and act like 1444 01:09:17,900 --> 01:09:21,600 the world, you're taking His name in vain. 1445 01:09:22,440 --> 01:09:26,460 If a woman gets married and she takes her spouse's name 1446 01:09:26,480 --> 01:09:28,117 It always makes me chuckle, my wife got married and became 1447 01:09:28,490 --> 01:09:29,930 a Batchelor / bachelor. 1448 01:09:30,550 --> 01:09:37,460 But if a woman gets married and she takes her spouse's name 1449 01:09:37,490 --> 01:09:40,790 but she's hanging around with someone with a different name 1450 01:09:40,820 --> 01:09:43,740 she's taken the husband's name in vain. 1451 01:09:46,170 --> 01:09:48,700 If we're gonna take the name Christian 1452 01:09:48,730 --> 01:09:50,530 then God help us live like Christ. 1453 01:09:50,760 --> 01:09:51,990 Amen. 1454 01:09:52,030 --> 01:09:55,370 And He's Holy and He's just and He's good. 1455 01:09:55,400 --> 01:09:56,330 Amen. 1456 01:09:56,370 --> 01:09:59,250 And the only way we can do that is if we have new hearts. 1457 01:09:59,280 --> 01:10:02,130 Two choices: you can have a selfish heart or a loving heart. 1458 01:10:03,290 --> 01:10:05,380 You can have the sinful heart or the heart of Christ. 1459 01:10:06,470 --> 01:10:07,540 That's why we need to pray 1460 01:10:07,580 --> 01:10:09,770 "Create within us a new heart, oh God. " 1461 01:10:09,800 --> 01:10:11,290 We can't do it. 1462 01:10:12,010 --> 01:10:14,180 We've got to ask Him to create that heart. 1463 01:10:14,210 --> 01:10:17,360 But is there something we can do? 1464 01:10:18,280 --> 01:10:18,690 Yes. 1465 01:10:19,340 --> 01:10:23,250 When that son came to his senses he did something. 1466 01:10:23,280 --> 01:10:26,760 You can do something to co-operate with God's agencies 1467 01:10:26,790 --> 01:10:27,970 to have a new heart. 1468 01:10:28,000 --> 01:10:28,510 Amen. 1469 01:10:28,510 --> 01:10:30,100 You can have a new life. 1470 01:10:30,140 --> 01:10:32,300 God is yearning for you to come home 1471 01:10:32,330 --> 01:10:33,930 but He won't force you. 1472 01:10:34,500 --> 01:10:35,910 You've got a choice. 1473 01:10:37,720 --> 01:10:39,680 I guess you can tell I'm not a Calvinist. 1474 01:10:40,930 --> 01:10:42,180 Back to Luke. 1475 01:10:42,590 --> 01:10:43,180 Our story. 1476 01:10:45,850 --> 01:10:47,220 "But when he came to himself, he said, 1477 01:10:47,260 --> 01:10:50,290 How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough 1478 01:10:50,320 --> 01:10:51,290 and to spare?" 1479 01:10:51,990 --> 01:10:54,010 There's a surplus. 1480 01:10:54,040 --> 01:10:56,980 I like it that every time in the Bible Jesus multiplied the bread 1481 01:10:57,300 --> 01:10:59,470 and everybody was fed, there were leftovers. 1482 01:10:59,500 --> 01:11:00,630 Amen? Amen. 1483 01:11:00,670 --> 01:11:01,900 God has a surplus. 1484 01:11:01,940 --> 01:11:04,180 You'll never go hungry in the Father's house. 1485 01:11:04,210 --> 01:11:07,470 My father's servants eat better. 1486 01:11:07,510 --> 01:11:10,490 I'd rather be a gatekeeper in the house of God 1487 01:11:11,520 --> 01:11:13,920 then to have a prominent position in the courts 1488 01:11:14,040 --> 01:11:15,490 of iniquity with the devil. 1489 01:11:17,620 --> 01:11:19,490 "My father's hired servants" 1490 01:11:19,520 --> 01:11:21,320 I'm a son made in his image 1491 01:11:21,360 --> 01:11:24,190 "His hired servants have plenty of bread to spare 1492 01:11:24,220 --> 01:11:25,810 and here I am perishing. 1493 01:11:26,880 --> 01:11:29,040 God so loved the world He gave His Son 1494 01:11:29,050 --> 01:11:31,650 Jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven 1495 01:11:31,680 --> 01:11:33,820 that we might not perish. 1496 01:11:33,860 --> 01:11:36,360 And the world is perishing with hunger for what? 1497 01:11:36,390 --> 01:11:38,070 For the bread of life. Amen? 1498 01:11:38,100 --> 01:11:39,070 Amen. 1499 01:11:39,110 --> 01:11:41,410 "And I perish with hunger. " 1500 01:11:41,420 --> 01:11:45,020 I will arise. 1501 01:11:45,060 --> 01:11:49,950 I am going to do something and I'm going to do it now. 1502 01:11:49,980 --> 01:11:51,850 He made a decision to get up. 1503 01:11:51,880 --> 01:11:53,720 And to start heading home. 1504 01:11:55,110 --> 01:11:57,300 You draw near to God 1505 01:11:57,340 --> 01:11:58,780 and He will draw near to you. 1506 01:11:58,810 --> 01:11:59,820 Amen. 1507 01:11:59,860 --> 01:12:01,140 There's something you can do. 1508 01:12:01,180 --> 01:12:05,600 And by the way, was he in the next zip code? 1509 01:12:06,940 --> 01:12:08,840 Was he living in the next area code 1510 01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:11,250 or he had made up his mind to go to a far country? 1511 01:12:12,260 --> 01:12:14,500 So when he made up his mind to come home 1512 01:12:15,720 --> 01:12:17,080 did it take a little while? 1513 01:12:18,340 --> 01:12:20,740 Don't be discouraged. 1514 01:12:20,780 --> 01:12:22,370 That's why when we do these revivals 1515 01:12:22,380 --> 01:12:24,210 we do it in about a week, ten meetings. 1516 01:12:24,220 --> 01:12:26,610 Because He can't really preach one meeting 1517 01:12:26,650 --> 01:12:29,900 sometimes it's a process to reach people's hearts. 1518 01:12:29,940 --> 01:12:33,120 We've spent so much time learning how to do wrong 1519 01:12:33,160 --> 01:12:36,520 Isaiah say in chapter 1, "You need to learn to do good. " 1520 01:12:37,590 --> 01:12:40,120 And it takes some time to learn how to come home. 1521 01:12:40,150 --> 01:12:42,610 Even when Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus 1522 01:12:42,650 --> 01:12:45,800 they spent three days sorrowing searching for Him again. 1523 01:12:46,570 --> 01:12:48,050 Some of us have lost sight of Jesus. 1524 01:12:48,080 --> 01:12:50,150 Don't become discouraged 1525 01:12:50,960 --> 01:12:52,500 if it doesn't happen just like that. 1526 01:12:53,080 --> 01:12:55,320 But the promise is, "You'll search for Me 1527 01:12:55,350 --> 01:12:57,150 and you'll find Me 1528 01:12:57,190 --> 01:12:59,360 when you search Me... " How? 1529 01:12:59,390 --> 01:13:00,950 With all of your heart. 1530 01:13:00,990 --> 01:13:04,780 Doesn't that seem to imply that it might involve a little time? 1531 01:13:05,660 --> 01:13:08,600 You might need to begin a journey back to God. 1532 01:13:08,630 --> 01:13:10,030 Don't misunderstand. 1533 01:13:10,070 --> 01:13:12,960 You can say a prayer right this moment at the end of our meeting 1534 01:13:12,990 --> 01:13:15,270 and you can begin that journey back to God 1535 01:13:15,310 --> 01:13:17,410 but don't get discouraged if everything doesn't change 1536 01:13:17,420 --> 01:13:18,600 over night. 1537 01:13:20,110 --> 01:13:23,750 People who've run from the Lord they've become 1538 01:13:23,780 --> 01:13:25,880 mired in the pigpen. 1539 01:13:27,010 --> 01:13:30,020 And they're struggling with habits and drinking 1540 01:13:30,050 --> 01:13:32,290 and they've got the wrong friends and the wrong job 1541 01:13:32,330 --> 01:13:34,780 and the wrong lifestyle and everything about their lives 1542 01:13:34,810 --> 01:13:37,410 is wrong, but they can make a decision to go home. 1543 01:13:38,030 --> 01:13:40,860 But it might take some practical changes and a little time 1544 01:13:40,890 --> 01:13:42,160 to get back. 1545 01:13:43,410 --> 01:13:45,600 Where you've got that new love. Amen? 1546 01:13:45,630 --> 01:13:46,320 Amen. 1547 01:13:46,420 --> 01:13:47,560 So don't become discouraged. 1548 01:13:47,640 --> 01:13:49,550 And I'm taking time not to discourage you 1549 01:13:49,590 --> 01:13:52,500 but I think that a lot of people have been misinformed 1550 01:13:52,530 --> 01:13:55,230 thinking that all you've got to do is 1551 01:13:55,270 --> 01:13:58,490 out of this 30 second prayer and everything is going to go away. 1552 01:14:00,930 --> 01:14:03,230 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. 1553 01:14:03,240 --> 01:14:05,070 What a man sows, he's gonna reap. 1554 01:14:05,930 --> 01:14:07,250 And repentance means 1555 01:14:07,290 --> 01:14:09,850 you're heading in the wrong way 1556 01:14:09,890 --> 01:14:11,760 you come to your senses, you turn around 1557 01:14:11,790 --> 01:14:12,780 and you come back. 1558 01:14:12,820 --> 01:14:14,330 The difference is you've got joy now 'cuz you're 1559 01:14:14,360 --> 01:14:15,560 heading home. 1560 01:14:15,600 --> 01:14:18,100 It's something like when the children of Israel 1561 01:14:18,130 --> 01:14:19,150 came out of Egypt. 1562 01:14:19,190 --> 01:14:22,610 They did not go instantly from Egypt to the Promised Land. 1563 01:14:22,640 --> 01:14:26,030 I wish we could all say a prayer and be in Heaven. Amen? 1564 01:14:26,060 --> 01:14:27,250 Amen. 1565 01:14:27,290 --> 01:14:28,920 But we're in the wilderness. 1566 01:14:29,730 --> 01:14:30,820 And there's a little wandering 1567 01:14:30,860 --> 01:14:33,140 that takes place in the wilderness. 1568 01:14:33,170 --> 01:14:34,680 There's a journey. 1569 01:14:34,720 --> 01:14:36,230 And if we keep God before us 1570 01:14:36,270 --> 01:14:37,780 we'll make it to the Promised Land. Amen? 1571 01:14:37,790 --> 01:14:39,000 Amen. 1572 01:14:39,840 --> 01:14:42,130 "I will arise and go to my father. " 1573 01:14:44,000 --> 01:14:46,260 I hope that's your decision tonight wherever you are. 1574 01:14:47,410 --> 01:14:50,610 "And I'll say to him: Father, I've sinned. " 1575 01:14:51,930 --> 01:14:54,770 You notice, he not only repents, he confesses. 1576 01:14:54,800 --> 01:14:57,150 Don't hear much about that these days, 1577 01:14:57,180 --> 01:14:59,460 but John the Baptist began preaching 1578 01:14:59,500 --> 01:15:04,660 repent and it says they were baptized confessing their sins. 1579 01:15:04,860 --> 01:15:07,120 There's both components, friends 1580 01:15:07,860 --> 01:15:09,510 Were to call upon the Lord 1581 01:15:09,550 --> 01:15:11,500 there might be some confession involved. 1582 01:15:11,910 --> 01:15:13,820 Of course, we should confess our sins to God. 1583 01:15:14,210 --> 01:15:15,890 You don't remember every sin you've committed 1584 01:15:15,920 --> 01:15:17,490 but at least the categories: 1585 01:15:17,500 --> 01:15:21,560 the lying and maybe stealing or impurity. 1586 01:15:21,600 --> 01:15:25,360 And there might be some people you need to confess to. 1587 01:15:25,390 --> 01:15:27,350 Rights and wrongs. 1588 01:15:28,630 --> 01:15:31,350 But that's when the Holy Spirit gets poured out. 1589 01:15:31,380 --> 01:15:32,700 When we humble ourselves. 1590 01:15:32,740 --> 01:15:35,100 You noticed, I kept this quote up here because I want to 1591 01:15:35,130 --> 01:15:36,810 re-emphasize something. 1592 01:15:39,980 --> 01:15:40,870 It goes on to tell us, 1593 01:15:40,900 --> 01:15:43,450 and this is again First Selected Messages 121: 1594 01:15:43,530 --> 01:15:47,270 "But it is our work by confession, humiliation, 1595 01:15:47,310 --> 01:15:51,460 repentance, earnest prayer to fulfill the conditions. " 1596 01:15:51,500 --> 01:15:54,510 The old revival preachers and the great reformations 1597 01:15:54,540 --> 01:15:56,720 they always told people, "We need to humble ourselves 1598 01:15:56,730 --> 01:15:58,940 before the Lord and He'll lift you up. " 1599 01:15:58,980 --> 01:16:01,160 But we must humble ourselves, repent 1600 01:16:01,190 --> 01:16:03,380 be sorry for our sins. 1601 01:16:03,410 --> 01:16:04,770 Amen? Amen. 1602 01:16:04,780 --> 01:16:07,140 And God promises to lift us up 1603 01:16:07,170 --> 01:16:09,500 as you repent and you come home. 1604 01:16:09,510 --> 01:16:10,610 He runs out to meet us. 1605 01:16:11,900 --> 01:16:15,140 "I'll go to my father and say, Father, I am no longer worthy" 1606 01:16:15,170 --> 01:16:16,990 And that's true, none of us are worthy, are we? 1607 01:16:17,050 --> 01:16:20,990 I don't want what I deserve, do you? 1608 01:16:22,830 --> 01:16:25,630 "I am no longer worthy to be called your son. " 1609 01:16:25,640 --> 01:16:28,150 "Make me as one of your hired servants. " 1610 01:16:28,180 --> 01:16:30,620 "And he arose and he came to his father. " 1611 01:16:30,660 --> 01:16:34,980 And he probably had that prayer going over and over in his mind. 1612 01:16:34,980 --> 01:16:39,520 And the son said to him. He came to his father, I'm sorry, 1613 01:16:39,520 --> 01:16:40,170 verse 20 1614 01:16:40,690 --> 01:16:44,810 "But when he was still a great way off 1615 01:16:44,820 --> 01:16:46,700 his father saw him. " 1616 01:16:46,740 --> 01:16:48,550 How is it that his father could see him when he was still 1617 01:16:48,580 --> 01:16:49,770 a great way off? 1618 01:16:50,770 --> 01:16:51,870 He was looking for him. 1619 01:16:51,910 --> 01:16:53,960 He sat staring down the road yearning, 1620 01:16:53,990 --> 01:16:55,790 praying for his son to come home. 1621 01:16:55,830 --> 01:16:58,200 And as soon as he saw the silhouette of his son 1622 01:16:58,910 --> 01:17:00,460 and he recognized him 1623 01:17:01,320 --> 01:17:02,570 he ran to meet him. 1624 01:17:02,610 --> 01:17:05,010 You draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 1625 01:17:05,100 --> 01:17:10,120 And as that boy began to sob out his repentance 1626 01:17:10,150 --> 01:17:12,540 "Father, I've sinned against Heaven. " 1627 01:17:12,550 --> 01:17:16,770 And ultimately all sin is against Heaven. 1628 01:17:19,500 --> 01:17:22,050 I've sinned against Heaven and your sight, am no longer worthy 1629 01:17:22,080 --> 01:17:23,240 to be called your son. 1630 01:17:23,280 --> 01:17:24,940 The father would hear none of it 1631 01:17:24,970 --> 01:17:26,500 He was so thankful 1632 01:17:26,510 --> 01:17:28,260 He loved the son so much. 1633 01:17:28,300 --> 01:17:30,240 He could see his heart had changed. 1634 01:17:30,250 --> 01:17:32,530 He could probably smell where he'd been. 1635 01:17:33,580 --> 01:17:36,380 And in spite of his condition, he accepted him and 1636 01:17:36,410 --> 01:17:38,340 embraced him just like he was. 1637 01:17:38,370 --> 01:17:39,920 He ran to meet him. 1638 01:17:39,960 --> 01:17:42,200 You draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 1639 01:17:45,990 --> 01:17:48,150 Is He calling you to come home? 1640 01:17:48,910 --> 01:17:50,040 Amen. 1641 01:17:50,080 --> 01:17:53,890 I know the story goes on to talk about that other brother 1642 01:17:53,920 --> 01:17:55,580 that wasn't very happy. 1643 01:17:55,620 --> 01:17:59,120 Someone asked a young boy one time 1644 01:17:59,160 --> 01:18:02,030 "In the story of the prodigal son someone wasn't very happy. 1645 01:18:02,040 --> 01:18:03,440 Now, who was it?" 1646 01:18:03,450 --> 01:18:05,060 And the boy said, "The fatten calf. " 1647 01:18:07,100 --> 01:18:09,560 It's almost discouraging to get to that part of the story 1648 01:18:09,590 --> 01:18:11,390 and I don't know if I'm gonna have time tonight. 1649 01:18:11,430 --> 01:18:14,390 The main thing I want you to know is not about the resentful 1650 01:18:14,420 --> 01:18:16,950 brother, it's about the father. 1651 01:18:16,990 --> 01:18:21,730 As soon as he came, he covered him with his own best robe. 1652 01:18:21,760 --> 01:18:23,630 That's justification. 1653 01:18:23,670 --> 01:18:26,150 He came to him just like he was. 1654 01:18:26,190 --> 01:18:28,640 And you can come just like you are. 1655 01:18:28,670 --> 01:18:29,910 Amen. 1656 01:18:29,920 --> 01:18:31,490 Do you hear the Lord calling you? 1657 01:18:31,530 --> 01:18:35,900 Some of us may be in church, but we're still in a far country. 1658 01:18:35,930 --> 01:18:38,890 Some of us maybe have wandered from the Lord. 1659 01:18:38,920 --> 01:18:40,230 Maybe we were raised Christians. 1660 01:18:40,270 --> 01:18:43,210 Some of us maybe have never said that we want to give Jesus 1661 01:18:43,220 --> 01:18:44,390 our hearts. 1662 01:18:45,100 --> 01:18:47,060 Now is the time that you can come to your Father. 1663 01:18:47,090 --> 01:18:48,650 He wants you to come. 1664 01:18:50,290 --> 01:18:51,320 We need to come to our senses 1665 01:18:51,330 --> 01:18:52,380 and leave the pigpen, friends. 1666 01:18:52,410 --> 01:18:53,600 Amen? Amen. 1667 01:18:53,640 --> 01:18:55,050 I'd like you to listen to this. 1668 01:18:55,080 --> 01:18:56,420 John sings and Kelly plays. 1669 01:18:56,460 --> 01:19:00,340 a familiar song that really encapsulates this message. 1670 01:19:00,380 --> 01:19:03,360 And I want to pray in your heart about what you might do 1671 01:19:03,390 --> 01:19:05,120 to begin that journey back to the Father. 1672 01:19:05,150 --> 01:19:06,190 The promise is: 1673 01:19:06,230 --> 01:19:08,490 "If you draw near to Him, He'll draw near to you. " 1674 01:19:08,520 --> 01:19:18,990 I've wandered far away from God 1675 01:19:19,000 --> 01:19:31,990 But now I'm coming home The path of sin 1676 01:19:32,050 --> 01:19:46,260 Too long I’ve trod Lord, I'm coming home 1677 01:19:46,320 --> 01:20:04,530 Coming home, coming home Nevermore to roam 1678 01:20:04,540 --> 01:20:22,390 Open wide Thine arms of love For Lord I'm coming home 1679 01:20:22,420 --> 01:20:24,420 In collecting amazing facts, I read 1680 01:20:24,450 --> 01:20:26,200 an almost unbelievable story. 1681 01:20:26,240 --> 01:20:31,080 Back in 1927, a young Russian girl who had immigrated from 1682 01:20:31,110 --> 01:20:34,230 Russia in New York City, 1683 01:20:34,270 --> 01:20:36,260 found that she just couldn't live in that big city. 1684 01:20:36,290 --> 01:20:37,440 She was a country girl. 1685 01:20:37,480 --> 01:20:40,910 And she began to pine for home so desperately. 1686 01:20:40,910 --> 01:20:43,400 She didn't have enough money for the passage 1687 01:20:43,400 --> 01:20:45,100 and knew she'd never earn it. 1688 01:20:45,670 --> 01:20:49,640 And she made up her mind to walk to Russia. 1689 01:20:50,550 --> 01:20:54,790 Can't go across the Atlantic, she figured she'd go across 1690 01:20:54,790 --> 01:20:56,950 the Bering Strait. 1691 01:20:57,260 --> 01:21:00,640 She walked, very timid, wouldn't accept a ride from anybody. 1692 01:21:00,650 --> 01:21:02,810 Little nap sack, pipe for protection. 1693 01:21:02,810 --> 01:21:09,680 She walked from New York City, Chicago, across Canada. 1694 01:21:09,690 --> 01:21:11,900 Lillian Alling was her name. 1695 01:21:13,110 --> 01:21:14,550 25 years old. 1696 01:21:14,560 --> 01:21:15,760 Took her 2 years. 1697 01:21:15,770 --> 01:21:17,490 Got to Vancouver. 1698 01:21:17,490 --> 01:21:19,350 People worried about her. 1699 01:21:19,350 --> 01:21:20,470 They'd heard the story. 1700 01:21:20,470 --> 01:21:21,540 It was almost unbelievable. 1701 01:21:21,540 --> 01:21:23,990 Had this hand sketched maps about how far she had gone. 1702 01:21:24,050 --> 01:21:26,700 And they actually arrested her in Vancouver 1703 01:21:26,700 --> 01:21:28,560 'cuz she was so gXXX, they thought she'd die if she kept 1704 01:21:28,560 --> 01:21:29,960 going and winter was approaching. 1705 01:21:29,960 --> 01:21:31,620 Kept her in jail to fatten her up for 3 months. 1706 01:21:31,620 --> 01:21:35,380 Wouldn't let anybody discourage her from her journey. 1707 01:21:35,380 --> 01:21:38,910 She just wanted to get home and she knew it was the only way. 1708 01:21:38,910 --> 01:21:41,300 She walked. 1709 01:21:41,720 --> 01:21:44,820 Let her out in the spring she walked to Nome. 1710 01:21:45,660 --> 01:21:48,390 Last they saw her, she had somehow secured a rowboat 1711 01:21:48,390 --> 01:21:51,150 and was rowing across the Bering Strait. 1712 01:21:52,280 --> 01:21:55,800 There is one positive report that a policeman on the coast 1713 01:21:55,800 --> 01:21:59,010 there in Siberia had said he had heard an unbelievable story 1714 01:21:59,010 --> 01:22:02,440 and met a young girl who said she had walked from N.Y. City. 1715 01:22:03,470 --> 01:22:04,560 We don't know if she made it home. 1716 01:22:04,560 --> 01:22:07,030 That's the last history has of Lillian Alling. 1717 01:22:08,120 --> 01:22:09,830 How badly do you want to get home? 1718 01:22:11,170 --> 01:22:13,270 There's bread in your Father's house. 1719 01:22:13,270 --> 01:22:16,840 You'll never be satisfied in that far country, friends. 1720 01:22:16,840 --> 01:22:18,860 You're here tonight, you're watching 1721 01:22:18,860 --> 01:22:20,650 because Jesus is calling you. 1722 01:22:20,650 --> 01:22:22,080 Do you want to come home? 1723 01:22:24,170 --> 01:22:25,510 I want to have a prayer for you. 1724 01:22:25,600 --> 01:22:26,060 in just a moment. 1725 01:22:26,080 --> 01:22:28,130 John, sing another verse for us. 1726 01:22:31,880 --> 01:22:41,000 I'm tired of sin and straying Lord 1727 01:22:41,500 --> 01:22:54,600 So now I'm coming home I trust Your love 1728 01:22:54,600 --> 01:23:08,820 And I believe Your Word So now I'm coming home 1729 01:23:08,830 --> 01:23:27,360 Coming home, I'm coming home Nevermore to roam 1730 01:23:27,360 --> 01:23:46,090 Open wide Thy arms of love Lord, I'm coming home. 1731 01:23:46,090 --> 01:23:48,610 Friends, tonight perhaps the Holy Spirit has spoken to you 1732 01:23:48,610 --> 01:23:51,700 I pray it has, there's power in the Word. 1733 01:23:52,120 --> 01:23:55,830 And you sensed that the Lord is calling you to come home. 1734 01:23:56,500 --> 01:23:58,600 He wants you in His house through eternity. 1735 01:23:59,040 --> 01:24:01,790 So many of us, we need to come to our senses. 1736 01:24:01,790 --> 01:24:03,060 We're in a far country. 1737 01:24:03,060 --> 01:24:06,670 We find ourselves yearning after the husks the pigs eat. 1738 01:24:06,670 --> 01:24:10,660 And there's bread, the servants eat better in you Father's house 1739 01:24:10,660 --> 01:24:13,010 He's yearning for you to come home. 1740 01:24:13,010 --> 01:24:14,590 Do you wanna come to Him? 1741 01:24:14,600 --> 01:24:17,770 You can make a decision to draw near to God 1742 01:24:17,770 --> 01:24:19,650 and He will draw near to you. 1743 01:24:19,650 --> 01:24:22,250 When that father saw that young man coming 1744 01:24:22,250 --> 01:24:24,380 he ran to meet him. 1745 01:24:24,380 --> 01:24:26,750 You can begin to come to Him right now 1746 01:24:26,750 --> 01:24:29,260 and have a new love for the Lord. 1747 01:24:29,260 --> 01:24:32,520 That first love, a revival a fresh experience. 1748 01:24:32,520 --> 01:24:34,870 To have a spiritual life. 1749 01:24:34,870 --> 01:24:36,560 Is that your desire, friends? 1750 01:24:36,560 --> 01:24:37,610 Would you like to pray for that? 1751 01:24:37,610 --> 01:24:39,950 Those who are watching, is that your prayer? 1752 01:24:40,950 --> 01:24:42,340 I'd like to pray for you. 1753 01:24:43,140 --> 01:24:44,870 Loving Father in Heaven, 1754 01:24:45,340 --> 01:24:47,520 we're so thankful for this story in the Gospel 1755 01:24:47,520 --> 01:24:50,710 that tell us about Your love for Your children 1756 01:24:50,710 --> 01:24:52,010 made in Your image. 1757 01:24:52,010 --> 01:24:56,490 Your patient love in spite of the abuse sometimes 1758 01:24:56,500 --> 01:25:00,340 the way we abuse the gifts and the life you've given us. 1759 01:25:01,220 --> 01:25:06,180 We squander all of the benefits with a riotous living. 1760 01:25:07,060 --> 01:25:11,260 And Lord we pray that You will now draw near to us 1761 01:25:11,270 --> 01:25:13,900 as we make that decision to draw near to you. 1762 01:25:13,900 --> 01:25:16,870 I know there are people here who have felt that 1763 01:25:18,220 --> 01:25:21,790 that far country, that distance, that separation that sin causes. 1764 01:25:21,790 --> 01:25:25,500 But that's why Jesus came to build a bridge back to Him. 1765 01:25:25,500 --> 01:25:28,540 I pray that your Spirit will meet in our hearts and lives. 1766 01:25:28,540 --> 01:25:30,380 Lord, pour out your Spirit on this series 1767 01:25:30,380 --> 01:25:32,220 and everybody who is watching. 1768 01:25:32,220 --> 01:25:35,620 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 1769 01:25:37,120 --> 01:25:39,540 Listening friends, before you leave and for our friends who 1770 01:25:39,540 --> 01:25:41,930 are watching at home, this is the beginning. 1771 01:25:41,930 --> 01:25:44,690 We've taken a step to God tonight. Amen? 1772 01:25:44,690 --> 01:25:45,770 Amen. 1773 01:25:45,770 --> 01:25:47,250 You draw near to Me, I'll draw near to you. 1774 01:25:47,250 --> 01:25:48,890 I believe His promise 1775 01:25:48,890 --> 01:25:50,610 and I believe He's gonna answer this prayer. 1776 01:25:50,610 --> 01:25:53,050 How many of you who are watching and those who are here 1777 01:25:53,050 --> 01:25:55,960 will you covenent to spend time in prayer about this series? 1778 01:25:55,960 --> 01:25:58,520 We still have room here in our hall in Fort Worth. 1779 01:25:58,520 --> 01:25:59,690 I pray our friends locally. 1780 01:25:59,690 --> 01:26:01,450 Bring your friends tomorrow night. 1781 01:26:01,450 --> 01:26:03,330 Bring your enemies. Amen? 1782 01:26:03,330 --> 01:26:04,400 Amen. 1783 01:26:04,470 --> 01:26:07,100 And we are gonna come together and hear the Word of God. 1784 01:26:07,100 --> 01:26:09,530 Tomorrow we're gonna talk about the touch of faith. 1785 01:26:09,530 --> 01:26:11,860 I also want to remind our friends that are watching 1786 01:26:11,860 --> 01:26:14,950 that we have a special music program tomorrow night 1787 01:26:14,950 --> 01:26:16,450 that starts at 6 p. m. 1788 01:26:16,450 --> 01:26:18,780 For those who are here in the hall, there's gonna be a concert 1789 01:26:18,780 --> 01:26:20,100 and we invite you to come early. 1790 01:26:20,100 --> 01:26:22,370 And I believe that we'll also be broadcast 1791 01:26:22,370 --> 01:26:23,600 for our friends who are watching. 1792 01:26:23,600 --> 01:26:26,480 So an hour before our regular broadcast time. 1793 01:26:26,480 --> 01:26:29,280 I got a note that tells us we're having a technical problem with 1794 01:26:29,280 --> 01:26:31,190 the resource number, don't give up. 1795 01:26:31,190 --> 01:26:35,470 You can still go to the 05revive. com website 1796 01:26:35,470 --> 01:26:37,060 to send in your questions 1797 01:26:37,060 --> 01:26:38,940 and there may be a place there at the website 1798 01:26:38,940 --> 01:26:42,000 to request the free offer we want to put this in your hands. 1799 01:26:42,000 --> 01:26:43,660 I encourage you during this series 1800 01:26:43,660 --> 01:26:45,610 read that book "Steps to Christ" 1801 01:26:45,610 --> 01:26:47,710 How many of you have read this before, "Steps to Christ"? 1802 01:26:47,710 --> 01:26:49,700 "Road to redemption" is a new edition. 1803 01:26:49,700 --> 01:26:52,660 I've read it frequently, it will change your heart. 1804 01:26:52,660 --> 01:26:54,360 And you can request that. 1805 01:26:54,360 --> 01:26:56,110 If we are praying together. 1806 01:26:56,400 --> 01:26:59,400 If we are reading and studying and seeking after God 1807 01:26:59,400 --> 01:27:01,020 you will experience revival. 1808 01:27:01,020 --> 01:27:02,420 Amen? Amen. 1809 01:27:02,430 --> 01:27:04,950 I believe that God is going to pour out His Spirit on us. 1810 01:27:04,960 --> 01:27:06,630 And for our groups who are watching 1811 01:27:06,630 --> 01:27:10,550 we also want to pray and encourage you to come again 1812 01:27:10,550 --> 01:27:12,420 tomorrow evening, be praying now 1813 01:27:12,420 --> 01:27:14,540 and ask for the outpouring of God's Spirit. 1814 01:27:14,550 --> 01:27:16,940 You can have a new life. 1815 01:27:16,940 --> 01:27:18,630 You can be closer to your friends. 1816 01:27:18,630 --> 01:27:21,740 Please send in any questions you have about revival 1817 01:27:21,740 --> 01:27:22,980 and how to get a new beginning. 1818 01:27:22,980 --> 01:27:26,200 05revive. com 1819 01:27:26,600 --> 01:27:27,910 God bless you, friends. 1820 01:27:27,910 --> 01:27:29,500 And we'll see you tomorrow evening. 1821 01:27:29,500 --> 01:27:30,500 Amen. 1822 01:27:47,700 --> 01:27:50,690 If you'd like today's free offer "Road to Redemption" 1823 01:27:50,690 --> 01:27:56,540 simply call 1-866-905-REVIVE and ask for offer #199. 1824 01:27:56,550 --> 01:28:00,290 once again, that's 1-866-905-REVIVE 1825 01:28:00,290 --> 01:28:02,890 and ask for offer #199 1826 01:28:03,420 --> 01:28:06,030 Offer good for US and Canadian residents only.