GYC 2021: Nothing

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Morning Devotionals

Callie Williams

Exposed

It is a joy to be here with you all, and I'm really excited to share this message this morning.

So before I ask you to open your Bibles with me, I want to give you a little bit of context.

I'm someone who I like to know what to expect.

Maybe you're not like that, and if you want a surprise, plug your ears.

But I like to know what to expect when I go different places or when I hear different kinds of messages.

So I wanted to let you know what we will be doing together for the next few mornings.

I came here to GYC 11 years ago, and that's when I became a Christian, Seventh-day Adventist or otherwise.

I grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist home.

I grew up with godly parents, and I went to church, but it was something I did because it's what you do.

Not because it was something I resonated with or I believed.

You know those long decisions where different people talk to you and different people answer your questions, but I was like, yeah, okay, good information, appreciate it.

But at the Sunday charge of that GYC in 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland, I can't even tell you what the appeal was on that Sunday morning.

And my decision was, Jesus, I don't know where you're gonna take me, but I surrender to you.

I surrender to your love that I can no longer explain away.

I surrender to your love that I can no longer ask questions to sideline.

And I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior and wherever you wanna go, let's do it.

Now I don't wanna bring up going home because I mean, we're all gonna go home.

And it's like, Callie, we just got here, relax.

We're gonna go home to our respective churches, our respective communities.

And that was really hard for me because I'd had this mountaintop experience with Jesus at GYC.

And it wasn't that mountaintop experience.

Now, there's nothing wrong with mountaintop experiences.

They're all throughout scripture, and they're good, but sometimes we might think That's the only thing that we should experience and sometimes our lows afterwards are so low, they're like, man, did I really see Jesus?

Did I really have that experience with him?

And so the purpose of these morning devotional times, these conversations we're gonna have together, is how to have meaningful devotions after GYC.

How to have that walk with God when you're not surrounded by other people who harmonize when you sing and who have different Bible verses to share with you.

Because if I'm being honest with you, out of the last 11 years, I would say a solid 8 of them, My personal time with God, my morning watch, my time of personal Bible study, whatever we want to call it, was a source of peace, but it was also a lot of times a source of anxiety.

I'd ask questions like, am I praying long enough?

Did I pray for that person I said I was going to pray for probably in the last 3 months?

Because I really should study Daniel and Revelation, but I should also study Psalms.

And I've heard Genesis is really good, but you should always read the Gospels, right?

But I should also read Paul's letters, and I should, I mean, I'm a Seventh-day Adventist, so I should read the Old Testament, you know?

And oftentimes, that got in the way of my personal walk with God, but in the last few years, God has taught me some things that I want to share the next few mornings that have really helped me have that peace and that devotional life that I believe God wants all of us to have.

And so, This morning's message is called Exposed.

So if you go with me in your Bibles to John chapter 4.

While you're making your way there, this is the story of the woman at the well, 1 of my favorite stories in all of scripture.

The chapter opens in verse 1, where it says, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself did not baptize but his disciples, he left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

So Jesus is somewhere, he's gone somewhere else.

But then in verse 4 it says, but he needed to go through Samaria.

So Jesus and his disciples are going from Judea to Galilee and he needs to go through Samaria.

But this meant a lot to me when I learned this.

And that is geographically, Jesus didn't have to go through Samaria.

They went on this side, see that dotted line there on the right side of the green arrows?

That's where most Jews, most self-respecting Jews would go.

So Jesus needed to go through Samaria for another reason than geography.

And it's from this conversation with the woman at the well.

In verse 5 it says, so he came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Jesus therefore being wearied from his journey sat thus by the well.

For 7, a woman of Samaria came to draw water.

For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Jesus is on his way and he stops in Samaria.

It's about the sixth hour, which in Jewish time reckoning is noon.

He wants water because it's hot, because it's noon.

And in this culture especially, it was your duty to give someone water in that situation, especially if someone's asking for it.

This is very communal, this is very giving, this is very thinking of others, taking care of the traveler that is within your sphere of influence, very, very common.

But the woman at the well reacts differently to what Jesus says.

In verse 9, the woman of Samaria said to him, how is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman, for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans?

In fact, at the end, she leaves her water pot and goes back to Samaria.

But that's what started this whole conversation.

I want to talk for a second about tone of voice.

In the Bible, we're given things that maybe indicate a tone of voice, like this kind of makes sense or this is the way it's spoken.

Comforted

It's a joy to see you all again this morning.

How many of you have been blessed so far by your time at GYC?

Whether this is your first or your second morning with us here today, I want to give a little reminder of what we're doing in the mornings together.

Our focus here is how can we have meaningful devotions for the rest of our life?

How can we have this communion with God for the rest of our life?

Because personally, I believe having that meaningful time with God, that communion with him, is a cornerstone of having that abundant life that Jesus was talking about in John 10, verse 10.

He said, I came to give them life and life more abundantly.

And I believe having that time with God enables us to have that.

Yesterday we talked about being exposed in Jesus's presence.

That Jesus can handle whatever you say, however you say it.

That faith is seeing him even when you can't see how he can.

And that we should lean into the painful and difficult with him.

This experience is healing in a supernatural way that I can't really explain to you the ins and outs of why, it just is.

1 of my longest friends, Emily, she messaged me yesterday after I spoke and she tuned in online and she said she was blessed and I was like praise God.

She had been having struggles with a decision she needed to make.

And she said, I could see kind of where I needed to go, but I couldn't see it all the way.

But what you shared yesterday, I decided, you know, I'm gonna make the first step.

I'm gonna do the part that I know even though I can't see the logistics, and I'm gonna share with Jesus what's really on my heart.

That conversation was supernaturally healing even though I'm not really sure where to go from here.

And I pray that each of us have been able to have that experience yesterday, today, maybe tomorrow.

But I pray that we would have that exposure in Jesus' presence and find it healing.

In a lot of ways, yesterday was about prayer, about opening our hearts to God as to a friend.

If yesterday was about prayer, today is about Bible study.

Specifically, it's 3 paradigms we can have in approaching the word of God.

3 paradigms we can have in our personal time with communing with God through his word.

The title of today's message is Comforted.

Father in heaven, thank you for another day of life.

Thank you for bringing us here from various places.

Thank you for the absolute joy it is to commune with you together this morning.

Lord, I don't know what's on the hearts of my brothers and sisters here, but I pray that you would take away any distractions, things that we're worried about, things that we're preoccupied with.

For now, Lord, help us just to leave them in your hands and just to hear the Holy Spirit as he tailors this message to each and every 1 of us.

We pray this with confidence because we pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Thank you Bailey for reading the scripture reading.

We're actually gonna read the whole story, so stay with me, I'm gonna try to read it in a dynamic way, but stay with me.

The context is Jesus has risen from the dead and nobody believes it.

Some angels came and they're like, yeah, he rose.

Remember when he told you he was gonna die and then rise again?

And they're kind of saying like, oh yeah, he rose from the dead, We're not really sure, we haven't seen it.

And that's where we find 2 of Jesus' disciples on their way to Emmaus.

So let's start reading in verse 13 together.

Now behold, 2 of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem.

And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

Verse 16, but their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him.

And he said to them, what kind of conversation is this that you have with 1 another as you walk and are sad?

Then the 1 whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem?

And have you not known the things which happen there these days?

So they said to him, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel.

Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

Yes, and certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us.

When they did not find his body, they came saying that he had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said, but him they did not see.

Verse 25, then he said to them, oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.

Verse 28, as he sat at the table with them that he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight.

And they said to 1 another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us?

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 and those who were with them gathered together saying, the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.

And they told about the things that had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Jesus does something Similar to what he did in yesterday's story, the woman at the well.

What are you guys talking about and why are you sad?

Oh, we're talking about the things that happened in Jerusalem.

Well, there was this guy, his name was Jesus of Nazareth, I know he's from Nazareth, but stay with me, and you know, he, we thought he was going to redeem Israel, but then the chief priest, they killed him, and some people found an empty tomb, and we just really thought he was, he was it, you know?

We really thought he was the guy, but he died.

And we're just really torn up about that.

Jesus even says, like, what are you talking about?

At this point, Jesus has a lot of options.

I mean, if you want it to be more elaborate, he could bring back the angel display from Bethlehem, like glory to God in the highest.

Grounded

I know I keep saying this, but it's just a joy to be with you all this morning.

Whether this is your first morning, or your second morning, your third morning, let's go over what we've been talking about because repetition deepens the impression, right?

The purpose of our time together in these mornings has been, how can we have meaningful devotions for the rest of our lives?

How can we have that communion with Jesus for the rest of our lives?

It's not something we have to be like, oh yeah, I should, it's just something we just do.

Just like we go about and get our food, we just study the word of God.

That Jesus can handle whatever you share, however you share it.

Faith is seeing Him even when you can't see how He can.

That we should lean into the painful and the difficult with him.

That Jesus wants to comfort you with his word because the truth is comforting.

With the Bible and the Holy Spirit, God can teach you anything.

So if Thursday and Friday were about prayer and Bible study, I mean there's other things that I highly recommend your devotional time to.

My personal favorites are something with music, singing, listening to music, also a huge fan of journaling.

So we've already talked about those things, what are we talking about today?

What other devotional activities are there?

Well today we're actually going to talk about what prayer and Bible study accomplish.

So we talked about how we should approach prayer, how we should approach Bible study.

I stand by all those statements, But now that we have a better understanding of what we do in prayer, what we do in Bible study, now I'm going to tell you what they accomplish.

The title of our message this morning is Grounded.

In the previous messages, I've kind of explained things, and then I'm like, and then here's the main point.

But this morning, I'm going to tell you right now the main point of this entire message, and then we're going to unpack it together.

I'm going to give you a spoiler, so I hope that's all right.

I believe, biblically speaking, the main purpose of a devotional life is this.

Regular intentional time with God keeps you grounded in reality.

Regular Intentional time with God keeps you grounded in reality.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for a new Sabbath of a new year.

Thank you for waking us up no matter how much or how little sleep we had.

Thank you for the privilege and just the joy it is to be in your presence this morning.

I pray that you would take distractions from us.

I pray that you would take hesitancies or anything else that may cloud the mind and may we just see Jesus.

May we be aware of your Holy Spirit teaching us.

May we hear what he has to say and believe him.

I pray that we would go from this place not with more information or impressed by how certain words were said, but may we leave more convinced of Jesus' love and just naturally responding with more love to him.

We trust that you will help this to be our experience because we ask confidently, because we ask in Jesus' name.

Matthew 18, when you're there, please say amen.

Matthew 18, it's hard to hear up here, you know, so I'm just guessing.

Matthew 18, we're gonna start in verse 21.

Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?

Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to 7 times, but up to 70 times 7.

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

Verse 24, and when he had begun to settle accounts, 1 was brought to him who owed him, how many talents?

But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children and all that he had and that payment be made.

The servant therefore fell before him saying, Master, have patience with me and I will pay you all.

Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

But that servant went out and found 1 of his fellow servants who owed him, what, A hundred denarii.

And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, pay me what you owe.

So his fellow servant fell down to his feet and begged him, saying, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.

And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellow servants saw what he had done, they were very grieved and came and told their master all that had been done.

Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?

And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

So my heavenly father also will do to you of 1 of the things I love about a lot of Jesus' parables is in case you didn't get it, he restates it clearly.

And that's what happens at the end of this parable.

In case you get distracted by the details, maybe it's about this, maybe it's about that.

Jesus lets you know this is the point of this parable.

He doesn't say, why didn't you act this way?

He says, why didn't you act this way after your experience with me?

The problem wasn't you did the wrong thing, though that's true.

The problem was you did the wrong thing after I showed you the right thing.

After you experienced the compassion, you withheld that from someone else.

Knowing what Jesus has done for you changes you.

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Exposed

57m

Comforted

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Grounded

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