Michigan Camp Meeting 2016: The Harvest is Great

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Emmanuel Training Sessions

Mark Howard

1. Orientation

2. Introduction

Jim Howard

3. Introduction & Overview

Kameron DeVasher

4. Cycle of Evangelism Overview- Part 1

5. Cycle of Evangelism Overview- Part 2

6. Cycle of Evangelism Overview- Part 3

Wes Peppers

7. How to Get Bible Studies- Part 1

8. How to Get Bible Studies- Part 2

9. Bible Docs 101 Overview- Part 1

10. Bible Docs 101 Overview- Part 2

11. How to Give Bible Studies- Part 1

12. How to Give Bible Studies- Part 2

13. How to Give Bible Studies- Part 3

14. How to Give Bible Studies- Part 4

15. Bible Docs 101- Part 1

16. Bible Docs 101- Part 2

17-18. Bible Docs 101- Part 3

19. Bible Docs 101- Part 4

20. Understanding Decisions- Part 1

21. Understanding Decisions- Part 2

22. Planning an Outreach Ministry

23. Bible Study Reformation

24. Keys to Success

25. Baptismal Preparation

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this beautiful day.

Thank you that we now have a continued opportunity to study these important themes and prepare our lives to be of useful service for you and your cause.

Please help us to know how to do your work your way.

Help us to be Christ-like, not only our message, but our method as well, so we can be like Jesus and share Jesus with the world.

I'm going to start with, let's go down to Christ Object Lessons.

Now this 1 is not on the screen, so you're going to have to use your minds and your pens and papers if you want to take notes here.

But Christ's Object Lessons, page 143, you might be aware this is a very famous quote.

Which implies that there is such a thing as false success.

The Savior, and this is what she means by that, the Savior mingled with men as 1 who desired their good.

He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence.

Again, this is exactly what we've been talking about.

The personal testimony, the leading to the spiritual things, right?

Now, most of the time when we hear that quote, We stop right there.

She goes on to say, if you were to continue reading, which by the way, most Bible, apparent Bible contradictions or difficulties with the Word of God or the Spirit of Prophecy can be resolved with that simple little premise, just keep reading.

A lot of our issues, we'll take something out of context and make that the thing instead of looking at the broader context.

But as we look at the context of this statement, she goes on to explain that there is need of coming close to the people by personal effort.

If less time were given to sermonizing and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen." Then she goes on to say, what is that personal work supposed to look like?

The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled.

We are to weep with those that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice.

Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot be without fail, without fruit, right?

Have a friendship, actual bond with people, demonstrate.

I like to, well, we'll say that for a minute, but this is that work of preparing the soil of the heart.

They need to know you, that you're a trustworthy, responsible, spiritual person, that in time of need, that's where they can turn.

Well, we do it through practical ministry.

It demonstrates our connection to Christ and it softens the heart to receive the truth.

In Acts chapter 10 in verse 38, the Apostle Peter summed up the ministry of Jesus in 1 sentence.

Take a look in your Bibles, check this out.

In Acts chapter 10, You know the Apostle Peter was sent kicking and screaming to go share the word with the Gentile, Cornelius, but he at least obeyed when the Lord told him to, 3 or 4 times.

But in Acts chapter 10, he meets with Cornelius and he explains to Cornelius who Jesus was.

Now, Peter has been with Jesus for 3 and a half years.

He's witnessed the crucifixion, the resurrection, the ascension, everything.

So he's gonna try to boil all of that down, the whole ministry of Jesus Christ, into 1 sentence.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing what good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him.

He said Jesus was the guy who went around doing good, healing people, because God was with him.

That's how Peter summed up the life of Jesus.

And I believe that, well, this is, how do I put this?

White gives us a little insight into his childhood and young adult phase of life before his public ministry began.

There's not much said in the Bible about that time of his life, and Mrs.

But I found this particularly fascinating.

You can find this in the Desire of Ages, page 92.

So this is not some obscure source, it's something probably everyone has on their shelves, but listen to this.

And this is describing the time of his life before his public ministry began.

She said this, Jesus was the healer of the body as well as of the soul.

Now I'm not saying that Jesus was out there raising the dead and curing the lame and this kind of stuff, but she says he was the healer of the body as well as of the soul.

He was interested in every phase of suffering that came under his notice, and to every sufferer he brought relief, his kind words having a soothing balm.

None could say that he had worked a miracle, right, so he's not out there just like giving the blind sight, that kind of thing.

But virtue, the healing power of love, went out from him to the sick and distressed.

Thus, now listen very carefully to these last 2 sentences, thus in an unobtrusive way he worked for the people from his very childhood.

Have you ever imagined what was Jesus doing up until the age 30?

Sure, he was working his father's carpenter shop and being an obedient, dutiful son to his mother when his father passed away and all those things.

But he was also practicing and laying the groundwork, he was preparing the soil for when he would be the Word of God preached out loud, right?

By practical, loving, caring, personal ministry.

Watch this, now, I didn't make this up, it's right there.

Thus, in an unobtrusive way, he worked for the people from his very childhood.

And this was why, after his public ministry began, so many heard him gladly.

You're like, I just thought he came out of the blue like John the Baptist and started preaching and had such...

He had laid the groundwork for years through personal contact, making a network of friends.

And then when he comes, they know him, they can trust him, and they're ready to receive the Word.

And of course, we'll get into, I'll skip that for now, But over and over, and I'm going to repeat this in some of the meetings we have coming up, in fact, the next morning, I think tomorrow morning, I'll just tell you, don't worry about tonight, let's come to tomorrow morning.

But Jesus' good works are repeatedly given as the evidence that He is who He says He is.

When the enemies of Jesus, the Jews, came up and wanted to accuse Him of blasphemy, He says, hey, for what good work do you stone me?

They say for no good work, but for blasphemy.

And he says, you can find that in John chapter 10.

He says, if I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.

But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.

He said, the good works that I do are the evidence of my connection with the divine.

This happened when his own disciples asked, Lord, show us the Father.

He said, well, Have I been with you this time?

Then he adds this, believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sakes of the works themselves.

And when John the Baptist, this 1 had to hurt the most of all.

John the Baptist, when he was in prison, sent a couple of people to ask, are you the 1 or do we look for another?

From that hour, he healed many of their diseases and he basically showed them these good, beneficent works.

Series

Emmanuel Training Sessions

5. Cycle of Evangelism Overview- Part 2

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

A Relevant Health Message for a Global Church

Farmstew & You - Part 1

43m

Have You Experienced His Strength

32m

So…What Would it Take?

4. To Put Prophets Before Profits?

1h 6m

Dave Fiedler: Core of the Controversy

Omega - Nothing New Here

1h 27m

Practical Truth for Perilous Times

2. The Adventist Atheist

55m

Young Professionals

Starting a YouTube Ministry

40m

Jesus Without Cringe: How to Actually Make an Impact and Not Be Awkward

47m

Plenary

Closing Charge

54m

Spark Training: Public Evangelism

Spark Training: Public Evangelism- Part 5

1h 5m

No Safety In Politics

1h 1m

Young Adults

It Will Happen

51m

Crying Stones

38m

Sound Doctrine