Commitment.
And I know the Holy Spirit has touched
us tonight, but we need to realize that
a lot of us have been touched, most
of us have been touched really deeply in
our emotions.
Those emotions will paralyze us, because we cannot
sustain our emotions.
So I'm not going to give you any
opportunity even for commitment.
I'm not going to ask you to come
forward, I'm not going to ask you to
stand up, I'm not going to ask you
to do anything to demonstrate your commitment, because
you may not be able to sustain that.
But I suggest that you spend some time
with Jesus over the next several days, and
when the emotions wear down, you talk to
Jesus about what you and Him want to
do, and then pursue that.
Don't look for people to see you doing
it.
Certainly we'll want to help you.
If you don't know how to do it,
and you want some help, or you've got
some ideas, that's why we're here.
We're here to assist, not create.
But we're going to be busy doing it
too.
And I don't know what it is we're
going to do.
Let God know.
I'm glad you got to see Jackie and
Nicole, because I hope those faces stay in
your minds, because God has given us this
ministry to share in.
We are part of their ministry.
And I thank the Lord for that.
We're part of several ministries.
But this is one really dear to our
hearts.
You've heard me many times come back and
talk about our experiences in the walled city,
and talk about Jackie and Nicole and all
that, but now you've seen them, and you've
heard it.
Because they need the prayer.
They need the assistance.
They need the help from us.
So besides doing it here, we're going to
be doing it there.
And I hope in the future maybe we'll
be able to send people over there on
a short-term basis to help.
Spend time with them and minister.
Those that got calls to do it.
Heavy words about our possessions, isn't it?
It's so hard.
I can so identify with that rich man
who said, Lord, I want to follow you.
What must I do to have eternal life?
Jesus ultimately said to him, One thing is
what I ask of you to do.
Sell everything you have and come and follow
me.
And he went away sad because he had
much.
And you and I have much.
It's so hard that we can hear this
message and then go home in our comfortable
cars to our air-conditioned homes and sleep
in our soft beds and raid the refrigerator
before we go to bed.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
We shouldn't be condemned with those things.
God has blessed us with those things.
But they're also a snare.
They're a trap.
There are chains about us that hold us
with a grip that says, Lord, I can't.
I just can't.
I've got too much.
But I encourage you, don't make the big
jump.
Don't go put your house up in the
market and try to move to Hong Kong
to minister with Jackie.
But begin to do it in little ways.
And then God will direct your path.
God will give you wisdom.
God will tell you how far, how much,
and how...
Tonight, Steve, come on up.
We're just going to sing a couple of
songs, worship the Lord.
And we're going to put some buckets up
here that you might be able to give
of your resources to Jackie and that ministry.
But I want to be careful to say,
let's don't look at this to placate God,
to get him off our back.
But to be a first fruit of what
we're going to do.
Not to get us off the hook saying,
well, I feel better.
I gave her 20 bucks.
But to say, Lord, this is just a
first fruit of what I want to do
in ministry to the poor.
This is just a little down payment of
what I want to be involved with.
And then we'll see where it takes us
from there.
So Mark, can you bring up three or
four buckets and we'll just put them on
the front here.
And as we're worshiping during the next couple
of songs, just come up by ones and
twos as God speaks to you, tells you
how much you have and give it.
And it'll all go to Jackie.
If you want to write a check, make
it out to the vineyard and we'll make
out one check to their ministry.
Change my heart, oh God.
Make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God.
I am not clear.
I am adore
the air.
I love to
do it all.
Have a great night.