GYC West 2016: Identity. Who Are We?

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GYC West

Morning Devotional

Jonathan Zita

When Prayers are Not Enough

It's a blessing to be here today and to be able to share with you once again from God's Word.

The title of this morning's presentation is, When Prayers and Tears Are Not Enough.

Loving kind Father, it is such a blessing to be able to be here, to be able to listen to your word being spoken, but Father, unless your word changes us, It is completely in vain.

I pray that you may speak, but you may open our hearts to be willing to listen to your word.

And may your word do its work in us to change us into your likeness.

And so I plead this, claiming the merits of Jesus Christ.

I want to start with a story that I read not too long ago.

I guess I had read it before but it never really stuck to me.

And this is the story about Brother Howland.

It's found in the ninth volume of Testimony, page 191.

It says, Years ago, when the company of believers in the soon coming of Christ was very small, those at Topsham, Maine met for worship in the large kitchen in the home of Brother Howland.

1 Sabbath morning, Brother Howland was absent.

We were surprised at this because he was always so punctual.

Soon he came in, his face aglow, shining with the glory of God.

I have found that which we can pursue a course of action regarding which the guarantee of God's word is, ye shall never fall.

He then told us that he had noticed that 1 brother, a poor fisherman, had been feeling that he was not as highly respected as he ought to be, and that brother Haaland and the others thought themselves above him.

This was not true, but it seemed true to him, and for several weeks he had not attended the meetings.

So Brother Haalan went to his house and knelt before him, saying, My brother, forgive me.

What is it that I have done?' The man took him by the arm and tried to raise him to his feet.

"'What have you against me?' "'I have nothing against you, ' said the fisherman.

"'But you must have, ' said Brother Howland, "'because once we could speak to 1 another, but now you do not speak to me at all, and I want to know what is the matter.

Then said the fisherman, I must get down.

And he fell on his knees and confessed how childish he had been and how many evil surmising he had cherished.

And now he said, I will put them all away.

As Brother Howland told his story, his face shone with the glory of the Lord.

Just as he had finished, the fisherman and his family came in, and we had an excellent meeting.

Suppose that some of us should follow the course pursued by Brother Haolan.

If, when our brethren surmise evil, we would go to them saying, Forgive me if I have done anything to harm you, we might break the spell of Satan and set our brethren free from their temptations.

Do not let anything interpose between you and your brethren.

If there is anything that you can do by sacrifice to clear away the rubbish of suspicion, do it!

God wants us to love 1 another as brethren.

He wants us to educate ourselves to believe that our brethren love us and to believe that Christ loves us.

Oh friends, this is an amazing story and it reminds me about an estrangement that is a little bit bigger than this story.

The estrangement between God and the humanity or human race.

When the human race was separated by God, there was a plan that was put in place to save us.

And I want to briefly look over this plan.

If you have your Bibles, you can turn with me to Romans.

We're looking at Romans chapter 5, and we're going to be looking at verse 6 to 8.

It says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man will 1 die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commended or demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Verse 9, Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him." And so, I want to just explore this plan a little bit closer.

We want to look first of all, what was the motivation or the motive that led Christ to follow with this friend?

It said, God commanded His love or demonstrated His love towards us.

And we see what motivated Christ, what was the motive, was love.

Love is what pushed God to action when there was an estrangement or a separation.

The second thing we want to look at is what was the mission or another word would be the goal.

It says, for much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him.

So, here we see that the purpose of God was to be able to redeem us, to save us.

So, here we see we have a mission and a motive.

The motive that prompted God, while we were yet sinners, was love.

And the mission was to be able to redeem and, as a result, to reconcile fully humanity back to God, or at least those that would be willing.

And then we want to look at the mindset, the mindset.

So we have the motive, the mission, and now the mindset.

And if you turn with me to Philippians chapter 2, it's a very, a text that we all know.

In Philippians chapter 2, talking about what kind of mindset did Jesus have when this plan was put in place to bring about reconciliation.

Philippians chapter 2 verse 5, the Bible says, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man.

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name." And so here we see the mindset is humility.

So we have a motive which is love that prompted him, we have a mission or a goal or the purpose is to redeem and then we have a mindset and the mindset is humility.

So what happens when a brother offends me and there's an estrangement between myself and a brother and myself and a sister?

Why is it important for us to understand the way that Christ went about bringing reconciliation?

Well, the Bible has told us, as the Father has sent me, Jesus said, so send I you.

The way that Christ dealt with estrangement, conflict, situation, I suggest is the same way that we ought to also bring about reconciliation with the people that we are estranged in our lives.

And so, you know, growing up as a child, I didn't really know or understand this biblical principle.

And so I'll just be very blunt with you and try to explain to you what I saw as what was the steps to take if ever there was a separation, a conflict, tension between people.

I always thought that if you were a very bad Christian, then what you would do is you would just explode.

Meaning, if somebody comes to you and calls you something or offends you, if you're a bad Christian, then you'll just blow up in their face and start swearing or whatever.

And then I always thought if you were like a so-so Christian, you wouldn't blow up, you wouldn't curse, but you would remain calm.

But what you would do is that you would avoid the person but talk about the person behind their back.

You know, and start talking about how, you know, this person is not that good, and you know what this person did to me, and da-da-da-da, and you don't even know what this person is, and so they are so, so Christian.

And I've always thought if you were a good Christian, of course you would never blow up.

You would avoid the person with the conflict that you had conflict with.

And you wouldn't even tell others about it.

And if you would, you would only tell it in a very concerned brethren or concerned sister type state.

Say, you know, we need to pray for these individuals.

But most of the time you would shut your mouth And not say anything.

And then my understanding is if you were like this amazing, good, amazing, powerful Christian, is you would definitely not explode.

You would avoid the individual in question.

And you would even fast, pray, and if you were on the next level, you would even weep before God for this person.

But friends, that is not what the Bible tells us, is the method that we ought to follow.

And that's why I tell you the title was, When Prayers and Tears Are Not Enough.

When you have conflict, when you have trouble with individuals, when you have pain or bitterness because of something somebody did, you know, This concept of you crying and you're asking God to be with the person, which is good.

These things need to be done, but it's not enough because there's also a method that is outlined in God's Word that I believe If this method was followed, I believe there is no limit to what the Holy Spirit could do because so much bitterness, so much things would be swept away from God's church.

I personally believe that bitterness and Estrangement is 1 of the top reasons, and the pen of inspiration supports that, top reasons that is keeping God's Spirit from being outpoured in this church.

From if you want to call it liberal to conservative to whatever other name you want to call it, This is something you find everywhere.

Because of My Need

This morning I want to focus a little bit on the Holy Spirit and the title of the talk is Because of My Need.

Father in heaven, We're so grateful for another beautiful sunny day where we can worship you, where we can live for you.

We ask for the outpouring of your Holy Spirit upon our lives and our hearts, Father, as we open your words, as we seek to be blessed.

And may we not only be inspired, but Lord, may we be filled with your spirit to accomplish the purpose you have for our lives, not only today, but from now till you come.

If you have your Bibles, if you can turn with me to Luke chapter 11, Luke chapter 11, we're gonna see something that Jesus is telling us to do.

Luke chapter 11 and we're going to look at verse 9.

Luke 11 verse 9 Jesus says, and I say unto you ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be open unto you.

And just in case you don't get it, he kind of repeats the same thing in verse 9, it says, and I say unto you, in verse 10, it says, for everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be open.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" And so here it's, Jesus is saying, I want you to ask, I want you to seek, I want you to knock.

But contextually speaking, what is he asking us to seek, ask, and knock about?

He says, I want you to ask, seek, and knock, particularly for the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5, verse 22, if you can turn there with me.

Galatians 5, verse 22, it's a verse we know, but let's listen to it in the context of what Jesus is asking.

Verse 22 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

So here we see that the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit comes into your life, the Holy Spirit leads you to have a character like Jesus Christ.

We are told in Review and Herald, 1888, March 20th, it says, it is not enough to argue in defense of the truth.

The most telling evidence of its worth is seen in a godly life.

Our strength lies in being connected with God by His Holy Spirit.

So my question to you this morning is, how is your walk with God?

Or are you no better off than, say, last year?

Maybe you know we're worst off because now we actually know more truth, we've heard more sermons, and we do less, right?

Are you living up to the light that you know?

You go to worship, classes, work, sleep, and it's just it starts over again and again.

You know, we are not to despair because in Galatian it shows that the Holy Spirit is the 1 that gives us the power to live a godly life and you know even in Philippians we are told it is God that wills it is God let's turn there Philippians chapter 2 says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians chapter 2, for it is, is it chapter 2?

For it is God which worketh in you both to will, that is desire, and to do, that is power, of His good pleasure.

So if your spiritual life is stagnant, if you don't, if you realize maybe I'm not living up to the light that I should be living up to, if you look at yourself 1 year ago or 2 years ago and you say, you know, I don't think I'm even better, maybe I'm even worse because now I know more.

What we need to do is we need to pray more for the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says, I want you to ask, I want you to seek, I want you to knock, Specifically because for the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit will give you not only the desire, but will give you the power to live a godly life.

Review and Herald 1908, November 19 says, when the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life.

Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced, love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife.

Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the joy of heaven.

That was Revealed in the Herald, 1908, November 19.

How sometimes we're trying to do it on our own, and we're saying, wait a second.

I want you to ask specifically for the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit will give you the desire and the power to be able to live a godly life.

And so instead of focusing on you trying to live the godly life, maybe we need to start focusing on asking and knocking and seeking for the Holy Spirit.

In Acts chapter 2, if you can turn there with me, Acts chapter 2 and looking at verse 4, Acts chapter 2 verse 4, the Bible says, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And so this is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the day of Pentecost.

Verse 37 of the same chapter tells us, now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

So the Holy Spirit falls in mattering power upon Jesus' disciples.

Then they'll go out and preach with great power.

And in verse 41, the Bible tells us, then they that gladly received His word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3000 souls.

Jesus says, I want you to ask, I want you to seek, I want you to knock.

You can ask and seek and knock for different things, but specifically I want you to ask, seek, and knocks for the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit will give you power to live a godly life, and even a desire to do so.

I want you to ask, I want you to seek, I want you to knock specifically for the Holy Spirit.

Because the Holy Spirit will not only give you power to live a godly life and a desire to do so, but the Holy Spirit will give you power to do a greater work for God.

In Review and the Herald 1890, February 18, it says, what we need is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Without this, we are no more fitted to go forth to the world than were the disciples after the crucifixion of their Lord.

You know, It was even what Brother Jeffrey was talking about, how you remember what happened to the disciple after the crucifixion?

They were all locked up behind a door, and they're just cowardly.

And we wonder why we have no power with the world.

We can have all kinds of implementations, but if there is no Holy Spirit, we are no more fitted than the disciples were behind that locked door.

5T, page 158, it says, without the Spirit and power of God, it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth.

In Acts of the Apostles 51, it says, the presence of the Spirit with God's worker will give the proclamation of truth a power that not all the honor or glory of the world could give.

So my question this morning, do you feel weak?

Do you seem to lack courage to do ministry for Jesus?

How effective is your spiritual influence?

In the last year, has somebody come to Christ through your ministry?

You say, well, I'm not a preacher, I'm not a pastor.

No, but has God done something in your life?

I don't know if you know, but with sheep, it is not the, you know, the shepherd could be the pastor.

It is not the shepherd that reproduce sheep.

So the shepherd is also a sheep, you know, kind of, but, so the pastor is also a sheep, but it's the sheep that reproduce the sheep.

So if we look to the pastor and say, you know, I wasn't able to do anything because I'm not a pastor.

We're the ones that are supposed to reproduce the sheep.

So God is asking us, how is our influence, how is our impact in our community?

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When Prayers are Not Enough

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When Prayers are Not Enough

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Because of My Need

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