GYC 2008: For This Purpose

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

GYC 2008 Plenary Sessions

Justin McNeilus

For What Purpose?

I didn't really even care for school that much.

It's an honor and a delight to be with you tonight.

A warning before we jump into our Bible study.

My name is Justin McNeilis, if we haven't met, And I am a banker.

I've never been trained as far as how to eloquently put together a sermon or how to get your theological points just right, but I'm a young person.

And I'm living proof that God can work through young people.

I thought as I was preparing for my sermon, I've got to get really deep, or they might think that I'm a imposter.

I thought maybe if I memorized a few pages from the dictionary, I might be able to sound like David Ashrick.

But I realized very quickly that we have a power-packed weekend of speakers.

You'll get plenty of theological sermons.

Tonight you'll get a simple message from a banker with an appeal anyone can understand.

Heavenly Father, Lord, many prayers have been prayed for tonight And I add 1 more.

I don't do it as a formality or something you do every time before you speak, but I do it because I believe there's a living God that gives us power.

I ask now that you take away all distractions in this room.

I ask that you speak through me tonight in a powerful way, in a way that you've never done before.

Not so that people can walk from here and say, Justin gave us a good sermon, but so they can walk from here and say, they heard Jesus.

It's my sincere and humble prayer, in Jesus' name, amen.

In my devotions, I've been studying the life of David a little bit.

David has always intrigued me as a Bible character.

He was chose as a young person, even though humanly it seemed like he was the wrong choice.

You'll remember that Samuel was getting ready to select the next king of Israel.

He sent word to Jesse, and he said, Jesse, get your sons ready.

Jesse looks at his sons, sizes them up from a human mind, and says, David, go herd the sheep because 1 of your sons, excuse me, 1 of your brothers is going to be picked as the next king of Israel.

Samuel comes down, looks at the would-be choices from Jesse and says, not here.

Jesse summons in David from the herd and he's anointed the next king of Israel.

David is the story of an underdog, humanly, from a human perspective, not adequate to be chose by God.

Few churches across the globe haven't heard an elegant children's story of David slaying Goliath.

It's 1 that most young men can recall, but my intentions were different.

The first, if David was alive today, what message would he have for me?

What message would he have for the president of the generation of youth for Christ?

If David was alive today, motive 2, what message would he preach to us tonight on opening night if we could ask him?

Turn with me in your Bibles to 2nd, I think it's 2nd, we might find out it's 1st.

If this is your first time to GYC, I would consider it very unwise to enter a meeting without your Bible.

It will be our primary textbook all weekend.

If you're joining us via the great ministry of 3ABN, I urge you get up and secure a Bible beside your seat.

Turn with me to 1 Chronicles 28 and verse 1.

All the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by courses.

And the captains over the thousands, the captains over a hundred, the stewards over all the substances and possessions of the king.

And as of sons with the officers and with the mighty men and with all the valiant men unto Jerusalem." So, David sends out word.

Clearly, David was going to give an important message.

We'll learn in just a little bit that David was setting up the success of his successors David was getting this next generation to be, this next generation that would have the talent and the capacity to do things that David himself could not do.

David was getting ready to bring in David's kingdom 2.0 First Chronicles 28 we'll read in the in the second verse Then David the king stood upon his feet and said Hear me my brethren and my people as for me I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of covenant of the Lord for the footstool of our God and had made ready for the building David said to all that were gathered I had it in my heart to build the house I planned for it I prepared for it I prayed for it I felt you would even say it was my purpose to build the house.

We read in verse 3, God said unto him, thou shalt not, thou what?

Thou shalt not build the house for my name because thou has been a man of war and has shed blood David said to all that were gathered It was my purpose to build this house, but God said no David.

It's not your purpose You'll wait the next generation will do it Read with me in verse 6 David goes on to say in the next couple verses that he was chosen by God.

He did incredible things through God, but it just was not his purpose to build the house.

First Chronicles 28 and verse 6, it said, He said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son and I will be his father." David says to all those who are gathered, I planned, I prepared, it was my intention and my purpose and my focus to build the house.

But God came to me and said no, and now he's telling Solomon, this is your purpose, to build the house.

Friends, I believe if David was able to speak tonight it would be much along these lines.

Many people are represented here tonight.

Many countries are represented here tonight.

Young people are represented, old people are represented, and from the pages of the Bible, an ancient king makes an appeal to us tonight.

He said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house, for I have chosen him.

Young people, generations before us, they were selected by God.

God said to David, you won't finish the work and God in his infinite wisdom has given us a purpose.

I want to go out on a limb and tell us that purpose is to be the generation that actually finishes the work.

Generations before us, they have tried, they have planned for it, they have prayed for it, they have sincerely and humbly thought it would be their generation, but God in his infinite mercy and love said, you're not the generation.

God tonight through David I believe is saying that we are the generation that's going to finish the work.

We are the generation that's going to actually do it.

God has given us the capacity and talent to do things that they have not been able to do in the past.

He, you will believe that that was not just for pastors or church leaders, correct?

So that includes everyone that reads that message, God calls them to go.

Then if you believe that, you will believe also that when Paul says that he was chose for the purpose to be a Servant to be a witness of things that he had things that God had done in his life.

Justin Kim

Wrongly Trained

Bless your hearts for coming out this morning.

Some of you more red eyed and bushy haired.

This morning we will be going through scripture, amen?

What group of young people actually comes out 07:00 in the morning wearing some nice clothes and brushing your teeth and having your hair combed?

I don't know any other group of people who pays just hundreds of dollars to risk their life to come to San Jose, California.

Weird in a good way, not weird in a bad way.

Before we start, I have a short word of prayer.

Father in heaven, Lord, we thank you for this venue.

But Lord, we ask for the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts this morning.

So Father, as we navigate through your Holy Scriptures, Lord, bless the ears of every person who hears.

We ask for the pouring forth of your Holy Spirit without reservation.

Luke is the third book of the New Testament.

In the morning sessions, we're gonna look at some of the, maybe not all the sessions, but some of the sessions.

We're gonna look at some of the, maybe not all the sessions, but some of the sessions.

We're gonna look at some of the movements that have existed in history.

This morning we're gonna look at the 12 disciples.

How many are familiar with the 12 disciples?

In my imagination and with all due respect, these are the ones who changed the world in my imagination before the cross, before the conversion, that remind me of the 7 Disney's, Disney's 7 dwarves.

Now you don't have to go see the movie to know what I'm talking about.

They just seem like a bungling group of 12 men.

They're not very smart or they're not very quick or some of them are but they have pride issues and they're just you know fighting with each other and Jesus is trying to teach them for 3 and a half years and profound messages and these guys are just kind of arguing about you know hey did you buy the food today and they're just not really getting it.

If this sermon was retitled I'd call it getting it.

We're going to look at Luke chapter 9 this morning.

Luke chapter 9 is a, a galleria, a compilation if you will, of all the mistakes and the faults of the 12 disciples.

For putting his foot in his mouth, His ostentatiousness, his talk, talk, talk, talk, and not think, think, think.

Philip was known for not really getting it, you know.

He's been with Jesus for 3 and a half, he's not really quick.

The Greeks come and they want to, hey, can we see Jesus?

And he's like, oh, okay, I'll take you to Andrew.

They're called James and John you know Thunder Son you know.

They just you know can we Jesus can we kill them for you you know and Jesus is yeah.

Just all of them are just weird interesting incompetent characters.

So this morning we're going to look at Luke chapter 9.

And for those of you who are more of the type A personality, I take notes during sermon, you know, there's 10 points I would like to bring out.

For those of you who are more artistic, you can just enjoy the experience.

But those of you who are analytical, write down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 on the side.

There's more in Scripture, but for the time constraints this morning, we're going to look at Luke chapter 9, 10 points.

Then he called the 12 disciples together he give them?

And then from verse 3 onward to verse 5, he gives them instructions on what to do.

And for today, we're not going to look at what exactly he says.

And the apostles when they were returned told him all that they had done.

He took them and went aside privately into a desert place, belonging to a city called Bethsaida." So here Jesus gives them instructions and they go out.

And after a whole day of work, they come back and they tell Jesus all the things that they did.

Now, contrast this, the 12 disciples, to a second group on chapter 10 of Luke.

70 disciples or 70 the 70, okay These 2 groups in in a sort of way were given the same instructions.

They go out, they do a GYC outreach, and then they come back.

The 12 disciples come back and they tell everything that they did to Jesus.

The 70 come back and go to chapter 10 verse 17.

The 70 returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

What is the difference between the response between group 1, the 12 disciples, and group 2, the 70?

What is the key word that's missing in the first response?

Jesus responds, I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven.

Verse 19, Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Notwithstanding in this, rejoice not, but that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

He talks about joy and joy twice 2 more times and again verse 21 in that hour Jesus what rejoiced in the Spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent and has revealed them unto the babes even so father for it seems good in thy sight all things are delivered to me of my father and no man knoweth who the son is but the father and who the father is but the son and he to whom the son will reveal him in verse 23 he right he says Jesus turns he turned him unto his disciples and said privately, blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see.

The 12 disciples are God's chosen leaders.

And they come back and they tell, and the Bible says they tell everything that they did to Jesus.

Chelsy Schauer

God, It Makes No Sense

I'm in awe of the mercy of God and that I have the privilege to stand before such an army of young people who are here because they want to hear the Word of God.

And I ask, Lord, that you hear the longing of my heart and that you give me words to speak, to, Lord, share the testimony of what you've done in my life.

I just pray that you will be uplifted, all glory may go to you, and that we will not leave here changed.

That we will walk out those doors Sensing that you have touched us.

Acts chapter 26 And this is our theme for this GYC.

I want to read the scripture verse that we have chosen.

Acts chapter 26, And we're gonna look at verse 16 to 18.

Here we see that Saul, now Paul, he had been on the road to Damascus, he had been persecuting the Christians, killing them, putting them in prison, and now he's on the road to Damascus to do more of his work and a light appears.

The Lord appears to him and says, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

And in verse 16 he gives Paul his mission.

He says, but rise and stand on your feet.

For I've appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me." Today I have a message from you that, for you, that is not the norm.

You see, I was asked to share my testimony with you.

In fact, I was raised in a wonderful Christian Seventh-day Adventist home.

I loved the Lord at an early age and was baptized.

I was going on mission trips, and I was raised in Seventh-day Adventist schools from first grade through my first year in college.

So what do I have to share with you today?

I often thought I had no testimony, but many of you sitting here today, I believe have gone through many of the things that I have.

I'm going to give them to you right at the beginning, and I'm going to let you know I will make an appeal on those 3 things at the end.

Because I believe that there are many sitting here today that are struggling with these things.

Point number 1, we are living in very dangerous times.

We are living in a time where It is dangerous to be idle in the study of the word of God.

We are living in a time where it's not okay for it to be your parents' religion, your pastor's relationship with Jesus, or GYC, a big social event.

We are living in a time where we need to have an answer for the faith that we hold.

And I'm going to share with you in my testimony where this comes in.

Point number 2, there is someone here today that God is calling to full-time gospel work.

You're miserable at school or at your desk at your job because you know God is calling you.

But the things of this world are holding you back.

Point number 3, as young people we need to live true, genuine Christian lives.

It is time that we stop hiding the things that are going on in our lives, back in the closet, putting on a face and smiling, and saying, oh look, I'm holy.

But when we go home, we are not the person that we are in front of people.

These are the 3 main points that God has laid on my heart.

And I have a longing that through the experiences I've been through, that God will impart this message to you today.

As I said, I was raised in a Seventh-day Adventist home.

I was very active at a young age, but something was missing.

I would get up in the morning to do my devotions and I'd get out my Max Lucado book and I'd read 2 chapters.

I had read some good stories, but I found that my relationship with Christ was like this.

I was on this emotional roller coaster because I was not getting deep into the Word of God.

I was a spiritual leader at this school and the sermons I preached were what I call fluff.

I preached on things that were emotional, feel good, because that's what was going on in my morning devotions with God.

And when I had questions, I would go to my teachers or some other people and I would get their opinions.

Or maybe, you know, I'd go to church and I trusted my pastor, he was a wonderful man of God, and he would be preaching, and I would take his word for it.

But I did not know what I believed for myself.

I went to a Youth for Jesus, ASI Youth for Jesus.

Many of you know about ASI Youth for Jesus.

I went to Youth for Jesus and I was like a fish out of water.

I was older than everyone else that was there.

It was strange food and strange dress that I wasn't used to.

And on top of that, we were thrown into this work called evangelism.

Now I had heard of evangelism, but this was like young people knocking on doors.

We were just going to random people's homes and knocking on their door, talking to them about God.

And what happened there, 2 things happened.

1 through the outreach and 1 through a staff member.

I remember distinctly, I was in my room, and it was early, early morning.

I woke up and I looked across the room, and I saw the girl's dean that was there, 1 of the staff.

And I saw her studying her Bible that morning.

And she was searching in the words she was reading, and I saw her, she was weeping.

She just sat on her knees and she was just weeping.

And so after she got done with her devotions, I came up to her and I said, is everything okay?

I thought maybe there was something wrong.

And she said, Chelsea, I was reading the story of where Jesus was in so much pain and the disciples, they were sleeping.

My Jesus was hurting and they weren't there for him.

She was weeping because she was reading about the Savior she knew that she had a close intimate relationship with.

She was reading about this Savior and she saw Him hurting and she was weeping.

Randy Skeete