The Message

I have good news for you. You are far more impacting than you know. None of us realize that the goodness within us comes from God, but it comes from genes, it comes from family, comes from friends. We are God’s people. He has plans for all of us. And what I want to leave with you, if I could, in one sentence today, are these words: You are part of something big. Yes. You are a part of the family of God and you are a part of bringing this faith into the world.

Do you realize, I know you don’t how impacting you are through this ministry? There are literally, well conservatively, hundreds of thousands of people alive on planet earth today who in the past 42 years through Hour of Power, have come to become believers in God and then they become believers in themselves, and then they become aware of the fells and the fact that as believers, we belong to something big! Its faith and we’re spreading it and I can’t begin to thank you for making this faith what it is. You don’t understand, I don’t either. We don’t realize but there are people living today in homes and hospitals and hotels that have no faith and they’re tuning in to you and to me. Yes, even in China, where not long ago I met people who watch us, who watch you on television in the mainland. You are part of something bigger than yourself. That’s my message. And you say but I don’t do much. I think of the old line, even a turtle doesn’t get ahead unless he sticks his neck out. And you and I take a risk when we commit our lives to God.

I remember this morning the story of a professor who decided to take one of his students on a nutrition, he called it, ride and a nurture ride. And so they met at an appropriate place, got in this little canoe, went into a river that flows slowly, quietly, and the professor said, “Now this is going to be your natural history course.” And then he pointed to the first trees on the right side of the boat and said to the student, “What are those trees?” And the little boy said, “I don’t know haven’t studied trees yet.” The professor smiled and they moved on.

Slowly, then a bit faster, and rocks on the other side of the river and the professor pointed to the rocks and said, “What are those rocks called?” And the little boy said, “I don’t know. We haven’t studied rocks yet.”

And so they moved along and from the objects on the side of the sun, the little boy appeared quite ignorant. And so it went and the professor was dismayed. And the little boy felt discouraged. And then off in the distance, you could hear a solemn rumble. The little boy’s eyes got big. He knew what it was. It was the waterfall. So he said to the professor, “Do you know how to swim?” And the professor said, “No, I haven’t learned that yet.” And the boy jumped over to his safety on the shore and watched the lifeless professor go down with the boat. Wow.

What do you know? What don’t you know? I think of human beings very well educated, intelligent, well degreed but have never studied any theology or any scripture and have never studied religion. And they call themselves atheists or agnostics. Wow. I want everybody listening to the sound of this voice this morning to know that God is here and I invite you to become a believer, to believe in the almighty God.

Yes, what is God’s plan for your life? He has a plan. We believe in a God that is a big God. Creator of all of life and history. How well do you know Him? What’s His plan for you? You aren’t just a single individual. You just cannot live a solitary private life. You think you do but you are not. You cannot for your life does impact others. Some by what they see when they watch you. Some by what they hear when they listen to you in your living room. Some by what they know in their heart. Your talents could do for the Lord.

So I was reading this week again in my history and came across Carthage. Been a long time since I’ve studied Carthage. Carthage, you know, was truly one of the greatest cities in the history of human beings on planet earth. Fabulous structures. Fabulous city. And it was built because they carried the stones over the mountains. Awesome. And when they brought them finally to Carthage, all the stones fitted together perfectly, not a fraction of an inch separated the stone from the stone. It was almost like it was in Peru, if you’ve been to Peru with its magnificent ruins. And there the cities were built, the great cities of Peru without plans. Amazing.

What is God’s plan for you? His plans for you are being carried out right now because you are here in this church, and this church is in a remarkable position. In the history of the human race on planet earth, there has never been a church so positioned as this church to send a message that can be heard around the world in all of the languages.

I was astounded a few months ago when I went to China on a special trip by invitation of the government to find the people there know about you and watch you. Who are you? Who am I? Who are we? Why are we here? Who brought us together? I never asked to be born and neither did you. I didn’t ask for Christian parents and that’s where I was put, or to be given the faith. I didn’t ask for it but here we are together. A church, placed in history to shape history. Yes. So how do you fit into it? To begin with, you fit in because God wants you to be one of His strong pillars of faith. Where are you?

Yes, God brought Himself to this world in Jesus. And He invites you to become a Christian. For people want to see God, the secularist says if there’s a God, let me see Him. Why doesn’t He show Himself? Why doesn’t He speak so we can hear His voice? Why does He keep quiet, unseen. And the answer to that question is He does see Him, show Himself. He does speak, He does show Himself. He does it through people, millions of them, and He wants you to be one of these persons through whom He can talk and share. So I don’t know where you are today, but I ask you to consider becoming a Christian today.

Once there was a Rabbi, and he asked, “When should a man repent?” And the older Rabbi, to whom the question was addressed, answered, “When should a man repent? On the last day of his life.” But the inquirer said, “None of us could be sure which day is the last day of our life.” The Rabbi smiled and said, “Then repent.” Wow.

Accept the faith today. Have you experienced salvation? Are you saved? You say from what? Are you saved to faith in Jesus Christ? That means are you saved from boredom? Are you saved from the meaningless of life? Are you saved from a self centered pride that just keeps you closed and selfish? I invite you this morning to accept salvation. This is the day that you will be saved and you will feel within yourself the Lord. I really experienced Jesus Christ living in me, affecting my emotions, affecting my brain and I think of different things so I invite you to accept Jesus Christ.