Latest / Challenges of Faith Radio Program / Why are you tuning in? Ep 3446

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Why are you tuning in? Ep 3446 · Challenges of Faith Radio Program

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  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Gracious God, thank you for who you are
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  Speaker 1: and who you continue to be in our life. Forgive
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  Speaker 1: us for each and every known sin, be it words, thoughts,
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  Speaker 1: or deeds that we've committed against you or anyone else.
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  Speaker 1: As we enter into today's message, we ask you to
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  Speaker 1: allow your Holy Spirit to take it. Take it and
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  Speaker 1: make it real. Make it real unto the listeners as
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  Speaker 1: you continue to make it real for my individual life.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus Christ's name we ask you and thank you. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter,
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  Speaker 1: and upon this rock I will build my church, and
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  Speaker 1: the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Welcome
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  Speaker 1: back to Challenges of Faith radio program. I'm Gary McCance.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for joining. The question is, why are you here?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, really, why are you here today? There could
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  Speaker 1: be a lot of answers to that question. You already
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  Speaker 1: know that. Well, some of you might say, I'm tuning
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  Speaker 1: in because such and such made me do so. Others
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  Speaker 1: of you would say that you're here because your children
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  Speaker 1: encourage you to listen or to attend your place of worship.
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  Speaker 1: And then others would say that you're here because you
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  Speaker 1: have responsibilities. And some of you are here and listening
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  Speaker 1: abroad for fellowship purposes. Others for worshiping. We talk about
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  Speaker 1: here on Wednesdays and Sundays. The messages. Others for learning,
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  Speaker 1: for teaching. Where do you happen to be at? But
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  Speaker 1: also think about the questions centered around why are you
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  Speaker 1: attending your place of worship? Some of you are going
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  Speaker 1: because you want to hear a word from God, not
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  Speaker 1: from some man or some woman, some man, but of God.
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  Speaker 1: The question still remains, why are you here? And then
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  Speaker 1: I have another question. You don't mind, do you? You know,
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  Speaker 1: one that's maybe a challenging answer. Why are we here?
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  Speaker 1: Can you answer? You know, a body of Christ, you know,
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  Speaker 1: individuals who attend a place of worship, a building, if
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  Speaker 1: you can't answer that question, then, you know, you're really
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  Speaker 1: destined to walk along the path of least resistance. You know,
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  Speaker 1: like a ship that's being tossed by the waves, or
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  Speaker 1: like the leaf that's blowing you around like the wind,
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  Speaker 1: and you're finding that you really don't have any clear direction.
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  Speaker 1: And so without a clear answer to the question I
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  Speaker 1: just asked, you know, why are we here? Then you
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  Speaker 1: already know that when those challenges come in your life,
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  Speaker 1: that you're going to surrender to whatever force can speak
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  Speaker 1: the loudest. You know it's true. But as we look
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  Speaker 1: at today's message, just take a look at yourself and
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  Speaker 1: your rearview mirror. Don't take a look at this other
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  Speaker 1: person or me or me, you. And think about where
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  Speaker 1: you came from. You know, you've heard me tell the
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  Speaker 1: story about there was some ships set out from Harbor
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  Speaker 1: in New York on a quiet mission. The captains were
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  Speaker 1: told not to tell anybody where they were going. You know, secret.
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  Speaker 1: When they got out of the sea, S-E-A, there was
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  Speaker 1: a bad storm. And the ships were separated from each other.
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  Speaker 1: And through that separation, they were distrustful, mistrustful of no
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  Speaker 1: matter who it happened to be. Ship number one looking
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  Speaker 1: off at a distance is ship number two pose the question,
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  Speaker 1: where are we? Ship number two responds back, well, where'd
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  Speaker 1: you come from? What's your origin? Ship number one says,
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  Speaker 1: we don't know. Ship number two then asks ship number one,
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  Speaker 1: where are you going? Ship number one says, we don't know.
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  Speaker 1: Ship number two then says to ship number one, if
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  Speaker 1: you're You don't know where you come from, your origin.
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  Speaker 1: You don't know where you're going, your destination. It makes
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  Speaker 1: no difference where you are. With Peter's profession of faith,
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  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ established his church. He said that
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  Speaker 1: thou art Peter, And upon this rock I will build
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  Speaker 1: my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
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  Speaker 1: against it. Our Savior said, I will build my church.
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  Speaker 1: Think about it. Whatever place of worship you attend, your
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  Speaker 1: church was established by its founders for a reason. Really,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, think about it. The reason the founders established
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  Speaker 1: your church It's not as important as the reason the
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  Speaker 1: founder established his church. Do you notice that Jesus didn't
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  Speaker 1: say that he would establish Peter's church? Do you notice that?
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  Speaker 1: He said, I will build my church. And as you
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  Speaker 1: look back at your rear view mirror, don't look back
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  Speaker 1: too long now. We can all agree on this one thing,
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  Speaker 1: that your church is Christ's church. It doesn't belong to
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  Speaker 1: the pastor. or you. It doesn't belong to the deacons.
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  Speaker 1: It doesn't belong to those who few members have been
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  Speaker 1: there for a long time. It doesn't belong to the officers.
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  Speaker 1: It belongs to Christ. It's his church. There are a
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  Speaker 1: lot of people starting to feel like they have a
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  Speaker 1: certain amount of ownership of the church. And maybe it's
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  Speaker 1: because you've attended for a long time or made important
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  Speaker 1: contributions over the years, and maybe it's the feeling of
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  Speaker 1: having some type of sweat equity build up. Well, you
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  Speaker 1: might be able to convince this person, that person, but
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  Speaker 1: I doubt that you'd convince the Lord Jesus Christ of
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  Speaker 1: that fact because he brought the church with his precious blood,
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  Speaker 1: and I don't think he's willing to share ownership with you, you, you,
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  Speaker 1: or me, too. I want you to see one more
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  Speaker 1: thing before we talk about the purpose of the church.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus said, I will build my church. Let me ask
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  Speaker 1: you a question. Do you ever feel pressure to make
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  Speaker 1: your church grow? The emphasis of change in recent years,
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  Speaker 1: have you noticed that from church growth to church health?
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  Speaker 1: And it's almost as if you had the programs that
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  Speaker 1: you didn't need God. Well, the author's guarantee results that
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  Speaker 1: if the church would follow the specific directions, growing a
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  Speaker 1: church isn't like baking a cake. It isn't a matter
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  Speaker 1: of just, you know, adding little greetings here and there.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus made it clear in this text that he would
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  Speaker 1: build his church. And no doubt he's going to use
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  Speaker 1: our efforts and our programs, but he's going to do
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  Speaker 1: the building, not you, you, you, you of me. Now
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  Speaker 1: the phrase that we've been waiting for, you know, the
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  Speaker 1: one that comes after Jesus' bold declaration that the church
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  Speaker 1: belongs to him, and he will build it up, he
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  Speaker 1: says this, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
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  Speaker 1: A lot of times, you know, you gain comfort from
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  Speaker 1: the scripture, believing that it teaches that the forces of
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  Speaker 1: hell cannot invade the church. You know, it's almost as
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  Speaker 1: if God was promising believers a safe haven from the
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  Speaker 1: storms of life and the evils of the devil. So
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  Speaker 1: you get a picture of church being a fortress that
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  Speaker 1: offers sanctuary, you know, to you, you, you, and the
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  Speaker 1: protection of you, you, and you as members. But that's
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  Speaker 1: a misreading of the text. Go ahead and look at
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  Speaker 1: it again. I know you will as I take a
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  Speaker 1: sip of my water. Jesus doesn't promise that the church
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  Speaker 1: will withstand hell's charge. It's the opposite. He promises that
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  Speaker 1: hell cannot withstand our charge. You notice how this text
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  Speaker 1: is a call to arms. That it's a clear trumpet
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  Speaker 1: sound to charge hell. You notice how Jesus promises that
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  Speaker 1: he will build the church and hell will not be
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  Speaker 1: able to withstand the church's forces. when it beats up
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  Speaker 1: against the gates of hell. You notice how the church
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  Speaker 1: is drifting from our purpose. We've stopped charging hell with
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  Speaker 1: the gospel. Instead, we're spending our efforts trying to alleviate
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  Speaker 1: hell on earth. We're charging the wrong hell, suffering on earth,
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  Speaker 1: hell on earth, if you will. It isn't even a
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  Speaker 1: drop in the ocean of the suffering that awaits those
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  Speaker 1: who will spend eternity in hell. Think about it. If
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  Speaker 1: you don't feed the poor, somebody else will. If you
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  Speaker 1: don't clothe the naked, somebody else will. But if you
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  Speaker 1: don't spread the gospel, the question is who will? And
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  Speaker 1: when you look at our Savior's last words to his disciples,
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  Speaker 1: he said, but you shall receive power after that. The
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be
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  Speaker 1: witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
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  Speaker 1: and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
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  Speaker 1: You can find it in Acts chapter 1, verse 8.
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  Speaker 1: You notice how our Savior talks about a power that's
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  Speaker 1: going to descend upon his disciples, a Holy Ghost power
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  Speaker 1: that will compel them to spread the gospel both near
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  Speaker 1: and far. Do you notice that? Do you notice that
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  Speaker 1: our Savior does not give them a command? He states
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  Speaker 1: a prophecy that he clearly says what's going to happen
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  Speaker 1: when the believers are empowered for service, that they're going
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  Speaker 1: to spread the gospel. But when you look early in
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  Speaker 1: his ministry, he does give his disciples a command. He says,
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  Speaker 1: all power is given me in heaven and in earth.
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  Speaker 1: Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in
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  Speaker 1: the name of the Father and of the Son and
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  Speaker 1: of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things
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  Speaker 1: whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with
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  Speaker 1: you always, even until the end of the world. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And you can find that in Matthew chapter 28, verses
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  Speaker 1: 18 through 20. But he knows how he also talks
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  Speaker 1: about the power again in verse 18. And then he
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  Speaker 1: commands his followers to make disciples of all nations. That
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  Speaker 1: we're to go, we're to baptize, we're to teach. Do
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  Speaker 1: you notice that? Do you notice he doesn't ask you
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  Speaker 1: or me our opinion about the mission? He doesn't want
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  Speaker 1: our input. He wants our obedience. And the question you've
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  Speaker 1: got to ask and answer for your own individual spiritual sojourn,
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  Speaker 1: are you battle ready? Again, the question is still here.
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  Speaker 1: Before you, why are we here? Well, you know, it's
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  Speaker 1: really a simple answer. We're here to proclaim the gospel,
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  Speaker 1: the good news of Jesus Christ. And so today, I
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  Speaker 1: challenge churches leaders, and those of you sitting in the pews,
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  Speaker 1: ask yourself again, how can I lead your organization, your
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  Speaker 1: place of worship, to fulfill the church's purpose, not the building?
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  Speaker 1: Are you taking a message of hope to those who
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  Speaker 1: can or won't come to you? Matter of fact, how
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  Speaker 1: long has it been since someone came to faith in
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  Speaker 1: Christ because of your ministry? How long has it been
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  Speaker 1: since you've asked them to? Think about it. Are you
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  Speaker 1: reaching the unchurched or are you simply providing a place
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  Speaker 1: for Christians to gather? Is your focus on reaching a
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  Speaker 1: loss or are you satisfied with ministering to the saved?
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  Speaker 1: We're not a warehouse to store the saved. We're a lighthouse.
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  Speaker 1: Remember our Savior said, let your light shine before men,
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  Speaker 1: women too. That's applicable. Generic. In such a way that
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  Speaker 1: they may see your good work to glorify your Father
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  Speaker 1: who is in heaven. You can see that in Matthew
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  Speaker 1: chapter 5, verse 16.