You're going to have this interesting struggle.
Especially if you're in the work of God.
There's always so much to do.
So many people to speak to.
So many places to go to.
It is easy for the Christian to neglect
his family.
And his children.
And that is the reason some of these
children grow up to become little reprobates and
little atheists.
No, I'm not saying that's always the case.
And I don't point my finger, I don't
point my finger at a man of God
because one or two of his children have
gone temporarily astray.
That also is extremism.
See, the emphasis in Ephesians 5 on the
family.
And in 1 Corinthians 4, 7 and 16.
We can't read all these verses.
But I know you see these things in
God's Word.
This is what we believe.
God is first.
The family second.
The work is third.
Me, God, family, O.M. God,
family, ship.
Not God, ship, family.
And if we keep that priority, it will
make a big difference in our family and
in our children.
And during these days, I've had less time
with some of you.
Because I've been spending some time with my
own wife.
And sometimes she has been very much left
out of my practical life because of other
people always wanting, wanting, wanting.
And this Dutch weekend has turned out to
be a very special and wonderful time for
my wife and I before we go back
with the three kids.
I made
some real mistakes in this area.
And I don't think other women would have
even stayed with me and gone through what
my wife had to go through.
Many, many years.
I was six months a year on the
road away from home.
Now maybe God in His mercy because tens
of thousands of people are praying for me.
He kept us from disaster.
I don't believe that is the normal way
that a family should function.
And hardly any OM family functions that way.
Of course, just being with your family is
not enough.
I learned that.
It's not just the amount of time.
It's the quality of that time.
Is there communication?
Is there freedom?
Is it a healthy, balanced home?
Is it a healthy, balanced family?
That is a whole other message that I
could bring.
To be balanced in family life.
Not too hard-handed.
But on the other hand, don't be too
free with your children.
Let them do what they want.
I could tell you so much more.
In almost every basic area of life there
is a need for balance.
There is the need to find the opposing
truth that will bring this truth into balance.
In our work we have to find the
balance between church planting and basic evangelism.
We need both.
Some people, they say.
Giving out literature.
Just preaching.
We were doing in-depth work.
Church work.
But we have found that a lot of
this evangelism has brought the birth of churches.
Or it has brought revival to churches.
These young people who were trained in OM
went back to a church and later helped
bring a training and renewal program into that
church.
Compare Acts 8.25 Let's look at that
together.
Acts 8.25 Reaching
the gospel in many villages.
And notice Acts 8.4 When everywhere preaching
the word.
But in other verses we find Paul revisiting
the churches in much exhortation.
Staying in one place for quite a few
months.
And I'm sure you know that if you've
ever studied the book of Acts.
That's an area of balance.
And then the balance between prosperity and poverty.
Some in the United States are teaching now
that if you're walking with God He will
always prosper you financially.
This is the way to be as materialistic
as you want and have a nice free
conscience because you say God gave us all
this.
He's just blessing me.
I didn't really want this big new car
but the Lord gave it to me.
Others of course believe this is from the
devil.
And they feel that to be a dedicated
Christian you should be living on the barest
essentials and not be caught up with all
this.
In 2 Corinthians 6.10 It says we
are poor yet making many rich.
Today I believe it's the opposite.
We are rich making many poor.
At the same time I believe to find
the balance we have to acknowledge God does
prosper some people financially.
It's not a theology.
It's what God is doing in His purposes
in an individual life.
He prospers some.
He does some He blesses some richly.
But 2,000 years of church history shows
that God usually
may poor His believers but in spiritual terms
and this causes me to warn people not
to take a personal experience and turn it
into a theological doctrine.
God is working in different ways in different
people.
You probably heard the story of this lady
when she was in a very big meeting.
She felt the Lord and so she leaped
in the air and as she came down
she sensed the Lord and this was her
leap experience.
This was so precious to her in her
quiet time This was so wonderful.
I knew her husband was a little concerned.
So then she began to teach the leap
experience and she was preaching to some believers
and she found in her concordance the word
leap and she began to develop the theology
of the leap and at the end of
her message she would say if you want
the blessing you must leap and so the
people got up and the people got up
and they jumped up and down.
If we would do this on the doulos
our head would go through the deck.
It is a perfect example.
I don't know if the story is true.
But it can be.
But it's a perfect example of a personal
experience.
It may have been a valid experience God
works in special ways but then turning that
into a doctrine into a theology which would
lead people astray I often get a blessing
in the bathtub.
I love to just sit in the hot
water.
And I often listen to tapes.
In fact I recently had brother Andrew in
the bathtub.
No, no, I mean I was listening to
his tape when I was in the bathtub.
And yet you know in my meetings I
wouldn't want to put bathtubs around the meeting
so when you came you could get the
blessing.
But what I will do now is that
when I have a meeting I will take
my bathtubs and put them everywhere so people
can sit in them and receive the blessing.
Well, it is good that you can laugh
about that.
Because if you want to survive the present
evangelical scene you have got to have a
sense of humor.
It is my experience that the over serious
types everything in life is so serious they
get caught into extremes.
And often really it's not doctrinal it's an
emotional problem that they have.
So in closing I bring together this morning's
message and this afternoon's message.
We need that total commitment.
And yet there must be the spiritual balance.
Let me mention just one other area.
The balance between fellowship and worship.
I said I was going to speak about
fellowship, I almost forgot.
But I feel that fellowship is such a
vital part of our Christian life.
Really learning to walk in the light.
Now there are different kinds of fellowship.
We're not going to have in-depth sharing
times and opening our hearts to everybody we
need.
But we need some people.
At least one.
That we can really share our deeper struggles
with.
Now I don't know much about the Dutch
how it is here in the Netherlands.
But in some countries this is very much
in opposition to the natural cultural.
For example in Finland.
I've had many Finnish people tell me this
idea of sharing your problems of being open
about your struggles is just almost unheard of
in a normal Finnish cultural setup.
In Germany in Germany when I had preached
about fellowship and sharing and shared some of
my own problems even in a public meeting
people dropped.
And yet many have come to me.
Actually Germany is the most responsive ON country
in Europe together with Britain.
And our work in that country has just
grown beyond expectations.
Many Germans appreciate this message about fellowship honesty
let's take off the mask let's be real
let's talk about the real problems and learn
the way of fellowship.
And many have come into a new free
liberated walk in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it's an area of course where you
have to find a balance.
There are times when it's better to keep
your mouth shut.
And we don't believe it's wise to get
up in a public meeting and tell all
the details about some sin that you have
just gotten into.
And there are times when we just can't
fellowship anymore we must just stop speaking to
one another and just worship the Lord.
And that has to be kept in balance.
And then there is the importance of friendship.
I've found many times I never get friendship
with a person until they're in trouble.
At least in a sort of in-depth
situation.
But there are many other general friendships in
which we may not know a person very
well.
And yet we know that if we did
get in trouble that person would be there
ready to help.
And this leads us to pray for one
another to write letters to one another and
to learn what it is to really share
as the body of Christ.
So O.M. is still preaching total commitment.
Worship of Christ.
Let's reach the world as we give ourselves
to the work and to the Lord.
But there must be the balance.
The whole of the world is the whole
counsel of God.
This truth being balanced by that truth.
Other factors are there.
Understanding history.
How God has worked in the past.
Some people criticize all the denominations.
So that they can build up their own
little group.
And soon, I've seen this in 24 years
theirs is already a denomination.
And now they're making the same mistakes and
the same sins of the denominations they condemned
20 years ago.
I feel it is better to see how
God has worked in different groups.
In different ways.
And many of the denominations today within the
denomination well there may be many dead churches
there are other live churches and we try
to judge each church individually.
And fellowship with God's people that way.
Not have a critical spirit.
Especially when we don't know all the facts.
I may be convinced about a particular way
of worship.
I may not agree with something in another
group.
But I need to respect them.
I need to maintain humility.
God may want to teach me through some
of them.
Tozer says it's good to have a little
reverent skepticism.
A little healthy unbelief about some of the
things people may say.
But then he warns us that we must
not become cynical.
That's one of my dangers.
I have seen so much.
So much nonsense.
The danger of becoming cynical.
The man with too many answers.
And not enough humility.
And not a spirit of thanksgiving.
He says thanksgiving is a great cure for
cynicism.
And wherever there may be even a mess
in the church.
As you look more.
You may discover God is working.
God is breaking in.
And I'm sure that's true of your life.
You may feel weak.
Maybe discouraged.
Maybe not much of a disciple.
But I'm sure you're here this weekend.
Because God is breaking in.
And God is working.
And He will continue that work.
I'm sure that He has begun.
And I believe that.
And if at any time I can be
of any help.
Write to me.
Send me your photo.
Say pray for me.
Another sinner.
I need balance.
Pray for my wife.
She needs a survival kit.
Because she's married to me.
Let's pray.
Let's just have a few moments of silent
prayer.
May God just search our hearts in these
moments.
I wonder if there are some.
That sense a need.
For a new step of faith in your
Christian life.
To simply believe that God is going to
do a new thing in your life.
Over the coming months and years.
Maybe not instantly.
But you know there needs to be a
new beginning.
In your life.
If you're in that category.
Just pray this prayer.
Or your own prayer.
Say Lord I present my body.
As a living sacrifice.
Wholly acceptable to you.
Lord take my life.
Use me.
Here or overseas.
Whatever the cost I will be your disciple.
Fill me with your love and your holy
spirit.
Keep me from extremes and off balance living.
That I may be a man or a
woman.
Up to your own heart.
You pray that prayer.
Perhaps there is some.
It would be helpful for you.
To make an outward commitment this afternoon.
Often Jesus when he was dealing with someone.
He asked them to do something that seemingly
was foolish.
One man was asked to put mud on
his eyes.
But I'm going to ask you.
If you want to take a new step
forward in faith in your Christian life.
You're really serious.
You don't care what people say.
You want God.
You want to know him in love and
power.
Even though this can only be the beginning
or the new beginning.
You want that.
I'd like to pray for you.
Specifically.
As you just stand up.
And acknowledge your need.
Say Lord take my life.
Between you and the Lord.
But I found that when I've done this.
And I don't always do this.
Many people have been greatly helped.
As we take one step.
God takes ten.
To meet us.
To fill us.
To change our life.
You pray that prayer.
And you sense this is what God wants.
Just stand up.
And I can pray for you.
God bless you.
And you.
God bless you.
And you.
God bless.
God bless each one.
I don't have the words to express what
I'd like to say.
I don't have the words to express what
I'd like to say.
But I believe God is ministering personally.
In his providence he's brought us together here.
Me from Bombay.
And you from many parts of Holland.
And this may be the most important moment.
We've heard so much teaching.
Will you say yes.
To the Lord.
God bless you.
For some it will take courage and strength
to remain seated.
We're all different.
Let's all be thanking Jesus.
Anyone else.
Praise the Lord.
This will mean different things in different people.
It's not a stereotype.
One special thing that I'm talking about.
God is working.
And it's a step of faith.
You'll believe that God is going to make
some big changes in the days to come.
You want that rest of faith.
That power.
And yet from this teaching you know that
a big part will be yours tomorrow.
Tonight can just be the beginning.
Anyone else.
Praise God.
Praise the Lord.
God bless you.
There's special problems.
They're not too great for God.
Praise the Lord.
Let's pray.
Lord you see each person standing before you.
You know our hearts.
You know our needs.
We're all different.
But you love each one of us.
And you hear our hearts crying out to
you.
We want to be more mature.
We want to be disciples.
We want to do your will.
Whether it's here or overseas.
We present our lives to you.
Take us God.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit.
And use us for your glory.
We're just so weak.
We feel so inadequate.
But your grace is sufficient.
And we stand upon your word.
In Jesus name we ask.
Let us all stand.
Let us just sing His name is wonderful.
As we just worship the Lord and thank
the Lord.
His name is wonderful.
And at the same time we pray to
the Lord.
Jesus my Lord.
He is the mighty King.
Master of everything.
His name is wonderful.
Jesus my Lord.
He's the angel of angels.
Almighty God is near.
His name is wonderful.
Jesus my Lord.
We just be seated for a moment.
I just have one other request.
Those of you who have stood up to
make this step of faith, I would like
you to give me a nice sized piece
of paper, your name, address, and just one
or two prayer requests or thoughts about what
you believe God is doing in your own
heart.
So that I can pray at least once
for you.
And to read that.
And then perhaps if I can do it
to send you a piece of helpful literature.
If you read English, please put on there,
I read English.
Because I have mountains of English literature, but
not much Dutch literature.
But I do have things in Dutch as
well.
I believe it's an important commitment in your
name.
I had to make a number of such
commitments in my life.
They're not necessarily big emotional events.
But it's an act of the will.
Our life is His.
And I'd like to hear especially from those
of you.
If you don't give it in today, you
can send it to the Dutch office.
Or write in Dutch, he'll be happy to
put it in there.
If you can write it in Dutch, give
it to me, and I'll do it in
English.
Thank you so much for coming through the
ice and difficult roads.
And I certainly hope I see some of
you again.
Do you SVP want to pass this ribbon
to the end of this track?