1 00:00:30,099 --> 00:00:33,035 Paul said, we have this ministry or we have this New Testament 2 00:00:33,067 --> 00:00:37,819 ministry in earthen vessels, that again, that God may be glorified, 3 00:00:37,899 --> 00:00:39,243 that he may get all the credit. 4 00:00:39,291 --> 00:00:39,835 Right. 5 00:00:39,987 --> 00:00:42,203 It's good to have the Stences family with us tonight. 6 00:00:42,251 --> 00:00:45,163 And I was visiting with other Stinsis before service tonight just 7 00:00:45,171 --> 00:00:46,155 for being reminded. 8 00:00:46,267 --> 00:00:48,443 I believe we've supported them about 12 years. 9 00:00:48,531 --> 00:00:52,731 And we were in Uganda with the demerists, and we also support the 10 00:00:52,755 --> 00:00:54,315 Huckabees there as well. 11 00:00:54,467 --> 00:00:56,723 And then brother, Brother Stintsis has been there. 12 00:00:56,811 --> 00:00:58,227 He'd been there a long time. 13 00:00:58,363 --> 00:00:59,779 His family's been there a long time. 14 00:00:59,819 --> 00:01:01,843 And I think your card said family legacy. 15 00:01:01,891 --> 00:01:02,611 I love that. 16 00:01:02,715 --> 00:01:07,427 So Brother Stintis, you come on and he's going to has a video 17 00:01:07,563 --> 00:01:10,643 like any, you know, normal missionary does. 18 00:01:10,811 --> 00:01:11,683 All missionaries. 19 00:01:11,731 --> 00:01:13,715 When I was a little kid, I used to love when the missionaries 20 00:01:13,747 --> 00:01:17,395 came and they turned the lights off and we get under the pulpit 21 00:01:17,427 --> 00:01:21,363 or under the pew and the church we were in when I was a kid, 22 00:01:21,411 --> 00:01:27,119 the carpet fraying and I can remember pulling the carpet, nothing. 23 00:01:27,199 --> 00:01:29,299 Okay, you're welcome, dad. 24 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,139 It's time for confession. 25 00:01:37,079 --> 00:01:38,031 Amen. 26 00:01:38,175 --> 00:01:41,935 Well, it is great to be back here at Heritage Baptist Church and 27 00:01:42,007 --> 00:01:46,207 what a blessing to see all of the development and all that's going 28 00:01:46,263 --> 00:01:46,639 on here. 29 00:01:46,679 --> 00:01:48,669 Thank you so much for your faithfulness. 30 00:01:48,839 --> 00:01:52,433 And as pastor said, we do want to just stop by tonight. 31 00:01:52,481 --> 00:01:52,881 Just. 32 00:01:52,985 --> 00:01:53,473 And it's. 33 00:01:53,521 --> 00:01:53,889 It's hard. 34 00:01:53,929 --> 00:01:57,265 I was talking to a missionary the other day and talking about furlough 35 00:01:57,297 --> 00:02:00,801 and the pros and cons of furlough and coming into a church 36 00:02:00,865 --> 00:02:05,281 and, you know, being there for, you know, many times not even 37 00:02:05,305 --> 00:02:09,201 an hour, but at the most, maybe two or three hours, and then 38 00:02:09,225 --> 00:02:10,673 you're gone for another four years. 39 00:02:10,761 --> 00:02:12,337 And is it really worth it? 40 00:02:12,393 --> 00:02:17,073 But I believe it is important to be able to come back to the churches 41 00:02:17,121 --> 00:02:20,917 and be able to share with you what your investment is going to. 42 00:02:21,113 --> 00:02:24,989 And when you see what your investment is going to, I believe 43 00:02:25,029 --> 00:02:29,037 it encourages you in your giving, it encourages you in even 44 00:02:29,093 --> 00:02:31,853 praying about what you can do as far as missions is concerned. 45 00:02:31,901 --> 00:02:35,037 Maybe God will be speaking to your heart about the mission field 46 00:02:35,093 --> 00:02:35,421 as well. 47 00:02:35,445 --> 00:02:39,021 And so we're excited about being here, if nothing else, just 48 00:02:39,045 --> 00:02:42,061 to thank you for your investment in our ministry. 49 00:02:42,205 --> 00:02:45,021 Y'all have been faithfully supporting us over these past few 50 00:02:45,045 --> 00:02:48,761 years, and we're so grateful for that and so honored to be able 51 00:02:48,785 --> 00:02:53,129 to represent Heritage Baptist Church where you guys were when you 52 00:02:53,169 --> 00:02:56,361 came to Uganda. 53 00:02:56,505 --> 00:03:00,489 We're about three hour drive south of there in a place called 54 00:03:00,529 --> 00:03:01,369 Masaka. 55 00:03:01,449 --> 00:03:03,849 And that is where our main church is. 56 00:03:03,889 --> 00:03:06,857 That's where we started our ministry when we first went to Uganda. 57 00:03:06,953 --> 00:03:10,201 And then from where you had the medical clinic, if you were to 58 00:03:10,225 --> 00:03:14,691 drive five hours north, northeast, that is where our other 59 00:03:14,715 --> 00:03:16,147 ministry is, Kalido. 60 00:03:16,243 --> 00:03:19,491 And that is what you're going to see, mostly talked about on the 61 00:03:19,515 --> 00:03:24,019 video tonight is our ministry there, as we have established a ministry 62 00:03:24,099 --> 00:03:29,119 training pastors and encouraging these pastors to continue 63 00:03:29,579 --> 00:03:33,139 a legacy of ministry for the next generation. 64 00:03:33,299 --> 00:03:36,051 And so I hope that the video is an encouragement to you about 65 00:03:36,075 --> 00:03:37,555 what the Lord is doing there. 66 00:03:37,707 --> 00:03:40,131 And if you haven't done so already, let me encourage you to 67 00:03:40,155 --> 00:03:44,019 go back by the display back there and pick up one of our new 68 00:03:44,059 --> 00:03:47,791 prayer cards and take one of those home, maybe replace the one 69 00:03:47,815 --> 00:03:50,079 you have, or if you don't have one, take one. 70 00:03:50,199 --> 00:03:52,779 And I would encourage you to pray for us as well. 71 00:03:53,319 --> 00:03:54,895 Maybe, you know, we. 72 00:03:54,967 --> 00:03:58,783 We do send out a bimonthly prayer letter and thank you for posting 73 00:03:58,831 --> 00:04:00,271 that for people to read. 74 00:04:00,455 --> 00:04:04,831 But something else that I started a few years ago is a weekly 75 00:04:04,895 --> 00:04:05,615 podcast. 76 00:04:05,727 --> 00:04:10,623 And so every Friday I upload a new podcast called the Always Abounding 77 00:04:10,671 --> 00:04:11,465 Podcast. 78 00:04:11,607 --> 00:04:14,805 And on that podcast, we'll give you an update, a weekly update 79 00:04:14,837 --> 00:04:18,421 on the ministry and what is going on there, as well as our family, 80 00:04:18,605 --> 00:04:22,389 as well as encouraging God's people to always abound in the work 81 00:04:22,429 --> 00:04:23,013 of the Lord. 82 00:04:23,061 --> 00:04:26,341 And so if you're interested in that, I know podcasts are not for 83 00:04:26,365 --> 00:04:29,861 everybody, but if podcasts are your thing, then just go on your 84 00:04:29,885 --> 00:04:31,445 favorite podcast platform. 85 00:04:31,557 --> 00:04:35,061 And if you want to get the prayer card, the QR code is there, 86 00:04:35,085 --> 00:04:38,693 and that way you can follow and keep updated with our ministry 87 00:04:38,741 --> 00:04:42,893 on a weekly basis instead of having to wait on a bimonthly basis. 88 00:04:42,941 --> 00:04:45,165 So anyway, let's go ahead and show that video. 89 00:04:45,317 --> 00:04:48,349 And then after the video, we'll come back and give you something 90 00:04:48,389 --> 00:04:49,889 from the Word of God tonight. 91 00:04:50,949 --> 00:04:55,197 The total glory for everything, the how he has worked 92 00:04:55,213 --> 00:04:59,133 through our lives, but also the way he has worked through churches 93 00:04:59,261 --> 00:05:01,869 all around the country, helping us to be able to do that 94 00:05:01,909 --> 00:05:02,445 work. 95 00:05:02,597 --> 00:05:03,533 So pray for us. 96 00:05:03,621 --> 00:05:05,085 We're nearing the end of our furlough. 97 00:05:05,117 --> 00:05:07,213 We'll be going back on March 19th. 98 00:05:07,261 --> 00:05:08,993 So that's just right around the corner. 99 00:05:09,121 --> 00:05:12,561 And so pray as we get things packed up and ready to go back home 100 00:05:12,665 --> 00:05:17,681 and start doing the work that God has called us to do there in 101 00:05:17,785 --> 00:05:18,609 Uganda. 102 00:05:18,689 --> 00:05:21,617 If you have any questions about our ministry, about our family, 103 00:05:21,753 --> 00:05:25,809 anything that we might be able to help you with to give you a better 104 00:05:25,849 --> 00:05:28,897 understanding of our Ministry, then please take the time. 105 00:05:28,953 --> 00:05:32,017 We'll be back there by the table after the service, and we'd 106 00:05:32,033 --> 00:05:35,357 be glad to talk with you about what the Lord is doing there and 107 00:05:35,493 --> 00:05:37,837 try to answer any questions that you might have. 108 00:05:37,973 --> 00:05:42,049 Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn to Psalm 78, Psalm 109 00:05:42,549 --> 00:05:53,049 78, Psalm 78,. 110 00:05:57,509 --> 00:06:00,733 I believe that the ministry. 111 00:06:00,781 --> 00:06:06,059 And when we talk in the video about a legacy of ministry, I do 112 00:06:06,099 --> 00:06:12,523 thank the Lord for the legacy that I have in my family. 113 00:06:12,611 --> 00:06:16,839 I'm grateful for a mom and dad that raised us on the mission field 114 00:06:17,539 --> 00:06:20,603 and then being able to continue that not only in my life, 115 00:06:20,691 --> 00:06:25,371 but in my brothers there went to the mission field, my sister as 116 00:06:25,395 --> 00:06:25,959 well. 117 00:06:26,259 --> 00:06:31,083 And God has just put in our family a great burden for missions, 118 00:06:31,131 --> 00:06:33,909 a great burden for the mission field. 119 00:06:34,289 --> 00:06:39,189 But it is not a legacy of a name that is important. 120 00:06:40,289 --> 00:06:47,429 What is important is the legacy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 121 00:06:48,769 --> 00:06:54,873 If I have spent 29 years in Uganda and I leave Uganda and everything 122 00:06:54,961 --> 00:06:58,909 falls apart, then all of that labor is in vain. 123 00:06:59,479 --> 00:07:02,751 That means all of the labor that we put ourselves into, all the 124 00:07:02,775 --> 00:07:07,039 money invested, all of it would have been depending upon me, 125 00:07:07,079 --> 00:07:07,823 the missionary. 126 00:07:07,871 --> 00:07:11,999 And we have not properly taught the Ugandans to depend on 127 00:07:12,039 --> 00:07:14,607 God and set their hope in God and, and. 128 00:07:14,663 --> 00:07:16,543 And to have a relationship with God. 129 00:07:16,591 --> 00:07:19,339 Their hope is basically just in a. 130 00:07:19,719 --> 00:07:23,151 In a missionary that comes over there and just provides for 131 00:07:23,175 --> 00:07:23,739 them. 132 00:07:24,519 --> 00:07:28,831 You hear about all of this, and I have firsthand, and I'm not 133 00:07:28,855 --> 00:07:32,395 trying to get political here tonight, you hear all the screaming 134 00:07:32,427 --> 00:07:36,267 that's going on today about cutting funding to different countries 135 00:07:36,323 --> 00:07:37,839 and things of this nature. 136 00:07:38,259 --> 00:07:46,011 And a lot of that comes because America has become a, what 137 00:07:46,035 --> 00:07:51,355 shall I say, an unending source of funds with no one teaching 138 00:07:51,387 --> 00:07:55,547 them how to handle those funds and no one teaching them how to take 139 00:07:55,603 --> 00:07:58,139 those funds and build themselves so that they can live 140 00:07:58,179 --> 00:07:59,079 without them. 141 00:07:59,789 --> 00:08:01,493 And that is why the problem. 142 00:08:01,581 --> 00:08:03,541 That is why there's such an outcry. 143 00:08:03,605 --> 00:08:07,573 Because finally we're making someone be accountable. 144 00:08:07,621 --> 00:08:10,581 And finally they're getting over there and they're starting to 145 00:08:10,605 --> 00:08:13,269 see, hey, we better start fending for ourselves and we better 146 00:08:13,309 --> 00:08:16,245 start learning how to invest in ourselves. 147 00:08:16,357 --> 00:08:19,609 Because this money is just not going to be unending. 148 00:08:20,429 --> 00:08:23,829 Now we see that so much so in our churches. 149 00:08:23,909 --> 00:08:25,989 We see it so much in our men over there. 150 00:08:26,029 --> 00:08:29,399 And a lot of times as missionaries come over to the field, 151 00:08:30,019 --> 00:08:34,011 Ugandans and a lot of countries that are third World are 152 00:08:34,115 --> 00:08:36,395 more than welcome to have you come in. 153 00:08:36,467 --> 00:08:40,651 Because when they see you as a white person from America they think 154 00:08:40,675 --> 00:08:42,539 that you have money that grows on trees. 155 00:08:42,619 --> 00:08:47,531 They think that you just have an unending source of funds. 156 00:08:47,675 --> 00:08:51,999 And so they naturally want you to come and develop their villages. 157 00:08:52,979 --> 00:08:54,763 And you have to be very careful. 158 00:08:54,891 --> 00:08:59,347 And I have to be very careful as a missionary not to be cynical, 159 00:08:59,443 --> 00:09:03,091 because there's constantly that battle of trying to have the 160 00:09:03,115 --> 00:09:09,011 wisdom to discern who is truly interested in churches and who is 161 00:09:09,035 --> 00:09:12,999 truly interested in just bringing development to their villages. 162 00:09:13,339 --> 00:09:14,915 You hear stories all the time. 163 00:09:14,987 --> 00:09:17,251 Missionaries coming and saying, man, this chief wants us 164 00:09:17,275 --> 00:09:20,627 to come to his village and start a church, and this chief wants 165 00:09:20,643 --> 00:09:20,771 us. 166 00:09:20,795 --> 00:09:22,371 Hey, we get that all the time. 167 00:09:22,475 --> 00:09:26,367 There is not any village in our country there that would not 168 00:09:26,423 --> 00:09:28,579 love to have us come in there and start a church. 169 00:09:29,479 --> 00:09:31,839 But it's not a church they're interested in. 170 00:09:31,959 --> 00:09:33,019 It's development. 171 00:09:33,799 --> 00:09:37,487 Because with a church building will come a school. 172 00:09:37,543 --> 00:09:38,895 That's their thinking. 173 00:09:39,087 --> 00:09:41,935 And with a school will come an orphanage, and with an orphanage 174 00:09:41,967 --> 00:09:42,863 will come a hospital. 175 00:09:42,951 --> 00:09:47,391 And so if they can entice you to come in and bring investment in 176 00:09:47,415 --> 00:09:51,071 their villages, that makes them to be very big in the eyes of 177 00:09:51,095 --> 00:09:53,713 the population and very big in the eyes of the government. 178 00:09:53,871 --> 00:09:55,849 And so who wouldn't want that? 179 00:09:56,149 --> 00:10:00,877 And so that is why we have to be very, very careful in our investment. 180 00:10:01,013 --> 00:10:04,109 And we have to make sure, just as you saw in the video, that we 181 00:10:04,149 --> 00:10:08,829 do things in a reciprocal way so that they are not expecting us 182 00:10:08,869 --> 00:10:10,189 to do everything for them. 183 00:10:10,229 --> 00:10:12,493 We expect them to have skin in the game. 184 00:10:12,661 --> 00:10:16,605 We expect them to do a great, vast majority of the labor. 185 00:10:16,637 --> 00:10:19,421 We don't go in there and pay for people to come in and do the 186 00:10:19,445 --> 00:10:20,275 work for them. 187 00:10:20,397 --> 00:10:21,943 They're responsible to the work. 188 00:10:22,031 --> 00:10:25,303 And if they're willing to invest and they're willing to sacrifice 189 00:10:25,351 --> 00:10:29,303 and they're willing to labor, then we can come alongside and help 190 00:10:29,391 --> 00:10:32,663 where we can and be a blessing to them when we can. 191 00:10:32,751 --> 00:10:35,751 I realize they're poor, and I realize they don't have a lot, but 192 00:10:35,775 --> 00:10:39,223 we have to be very careful that as missionaries, we do not become 193 00:10:39,391 --> 00:10:41,539 a welfare system to them. 194 00:10:41,919 --> 00:10:45,799 And so what we're trying to do is develop a relationship with our 195 00:10:45,839 --> 00:10:50,179 Ugandan brothers over there so that they learn to stand on their 196 00:10:50,219 --> 00:10:50,995 own two feet. 197 00:10:51,027 --> 00:10:52,723 They learn to get ahold of God. 198 00:10:52,771 --> 00:10:55,043 They learn to have a relationship with God. 199 00:10:55,171 --> 00:10:59,059 And so, therefore, when the day comes that my family is not able 200 00:10:59,099 --> 00:11:02,851 to be there or because of health or political situation or 201 00:11:02,875 --> 00:11:06,559 whatever it might be, the work of God is gonna continue. 202 00:11:07,099 --> 00:11:08,947 Because it's not based on me. 203 00:11:09,003 --> 00:11:11,203 It's not based on my shoulders. 204 00:11:11,251 --> 00:11:13,011 It's not based on my finances. 205 00:11:13,075 --> 00:11:15,079 It's based upon the word of God. 206 00:11:15,589 --> 00:11:19,757 And so the Bible says here in Psalm 78, and he says there, give 207 00:11:19,813 --> 00:11:21,613 ear, oh my people, to my law. 208 00:11:21,701 --> 00:11:24,525 Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 209 00:11:24,717 --> 00:11:26,861 I will open my mouth in a parable. 210 00:11:26,925 --> 00:11:29,533 I will utter dark sayings of old. 211 00:11:29,701 --> 00:11:31,501 Now this is a psalm of Asaph. 212 00:11:31,565 --> 00:11:35,805 Asap was one of David's song leaders, one of his musicians. 213 00:11:35,997 --> 00:11:40,205 And he if you go through and you read the psalms of Asaph, they're 214 00:11:40,237 --> 00:11:42,281 pretty amazing psalms. 215 00:11:42,345 --> 00:11:42,873 But he. 216 00:11:42,961 --> 00:11:44,409 He says, people, give ear. 217 00:11:44,449 --> 00:11:46,569 I want you to listen to what I have to say. 218 00:11:46,609 --> 00:11:49,945 He says, I'm about ready to open my mouth in parables. 219 00:11:49,977 --> 00:11:53,689 I'm going to tell you some stories, and I'm going to remind 220 00:11:53,769 --> 00:11:58,265 you of things that have happened in years gone past. 221 00:11:58,417 --> 00:12:01,705 And if you go through the chapter, chapter 78, it's a lengthy 222 00:12:01,737 --> 00:12:01,993 chapter. 223 00:12:02,041 --> 00:12:04,649 It has 72 verses in it. 224 00:12:04,689 --> 00:12:10,493 But basically, this psalm is an overview of the history of Israel. 225 00:12:10,681 --> 00:12:13,765 The times that they served God, the times that they rebelled 226 00:12:13,797 --> 00:12:16,901 against God, the times that God blessed them, the times that 227 00:12:16,925 --> 00:12:19,429 God cursed them, the times that they had victories, the times 228 00:12:19,469 --> 00:12:20,709 that they had defeats. 229 00:12:20,869 --> 00:12:25,477 And so Asaph is reminding them of all of that. 230 00:12:25,613 --> 00:12:28,965 But then he says here, he says, I will open my mouth in a parable 231 00:12:28,997 --> 00:12:34,529 and I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known 232 00:12:34,909 --> 00:12:37,351 and our fathers have told us. 233 00:12:37,525 --> 00:12:42,051 Now, that is a very important scripture there, because these dark 234 00:12:42,115 --> 00:12:45,731 sayings of old, these parables that he's about ready to inform them 235 00:12:45,755 --> 00:12:50,035 and remind them of, they just can't go home to their house and 236 00:12:50,107 --> 00:12:53,159 open up the Bible and read these stories. 237 00:12:53,579 --> 00:12:56,131 They did not have Bibles in their tents at that time. 238 00:12:56,155 --> 00:12:59,043 As a matter of fact, they would have to go to the priest to 239 00:12:59,051 --> 00:13:01,539 be taught the word of God and the law of God. 240 00:13:01,699 --> 00:13:05,799 The king would have a copy of the laws next to his throne, and 241 00:13:05,839 --> 00:13:09,383 so he could consult that law as he would lead his kingdom. 242 00:13:09,431 --> 00:13:13,191 But as far as the common man having a copy of the Scriptures and 243 00:13:13,215 --> 00:13:16,007 having a copy of the law, it just wasn't there. 244 00:13:16,143 --> 00:13:20,823 And so what the habit was was that the fathers would sit the children 245 00:13:20,911 --> 00:13:24,295 down and they would present these stories to their children, 246 00:13:24,367 --> 00:13:27,463 and they would tell them about the stories of Adam, and they would 247 00:13:27,471 --> 00:13:29,991 tell them the stories about Noah, and they would tell them the 248 00:13:30,015 --> 00:13:34,001 stories about how God worked with Israel and how God did amazing 249 00:13:34,065 --> 00:13:34,385 things. 250 00:13:34,457 --> 00:13:38,257 And they would talk about the parting of the Red Sea and the plagues 251 00:13:38,433 --> 00:13:42,913 in Egypt and all of the different Miracles that they beheld 252 00:13:42,961 --> 00:13:45,841 when Joshua had the sun stand still. 253 00:13:45,945 --> 00:13:49,057 All of those stories, all those dark sayings, all of those 254 00:13:49,113 --> 00:13:54,209 parables that were in the past, he said, I am reminding you 255 00:13:54,249 --> 00:13:55,073 of these things. 256 00:13:55,161 --> 00:13:58,807 But the way that I can remind you of these things is, is because 257 00:13:58,863 --> 00:14:03,619 our fathers have passed on this information to us. 258 00:14:04,079 --> 00:14:07,143 Now the Bible says here in verse number four, and this is kind 259 00:14:07,151 --> 00:14:10,887 of the theme verse for our furlough, why we're on this furlough. 260 00:14:10,903 --> 00:14:15,459 He says we will not hide them from their children. 261 00:14:15,999 --> 00:14:20,391 Showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and 262 00:14:20,495 --> 00:14:25,255 his strength and his wonderful works that he has done. 263 00:14:25,407 --> 00:14:28,967 One of the things that is burning my heart and one of the things 264 00:14:29,023 --> 00:14:34,967 that is been a challenge to me is to see a drastic change in the 265 00:14:35,023 --> 00:14:39,175 years that I have been coming back to the United States. 266 00:14:39,247 --> 00:14:44,343 The, the drastic change in the idea of ministry. 267 00:14:44,471 --> 00:14:48,967 I remember when we first went to the mission field back in 1996. 268 00:14:49,023 --> 00:14:52,115 We went on deputation and, and raised our support. 269 00:14:52,187 --> 00:14:55,507 And I remember in those early years in the mid-90s and the late 270 00:14:55,563 --> 00:14:58,883 90s, when you'd have a missions conference or when a missionary 271 00:14:58,931 --> 00:15:02,739 would come through and preach, you were constantly hearing of, of 272 00:15:02,779 --> 00:15:06,067 couples and you would hear of teenagers and you would hear of people 273 00:15:06,123 --> 00:15:09,411 in the church that would surrender their life to go to the 274 00:15:09,435 --> 00:15:12,451 mission field and surrender their life in a full time Christian 275 00:15:12,515 --> 00:15:13,027 service. 276 00:15:13,163 --> 00:15:16,691 But nowadays I would be hard pressed to tell you the last missions 277 00:15:16,755 --> 00:15:17,479 conference. 278 00:15:17,809 --> 00:15:21,641 Where I heard that take place and. 279 00:15:21,665 --> 00:15:25,609 My question is this, why aren't we seeing people going into 280 00:15:25,649 --> 00:15:26,669 the ministry? 281 00:15:27,329 --> 00:15:29,945 Why aren't we seeing our young people having a burden? 282 00:15:29,977 --> 00:15:33,561 Why aren't we seeing the youth coming out of our schools and out 283 00:15:33,585 --> 00:15:37,545 of our youth groups with a, with a desire to serve God and desire 284 00:15:37,577 --> 00:15:40,329 to give their lives for the cause of Jesus Christ. 285 00:15:40,449 --> 00:15:45,547 I'm telling you, since we have been In Uganda from 1996 until today, 286 00:15:45,673 --> 00:15:49,815 we have seen 35 missionary families come to Uganda and leave 287 00:15:49,847 --> 00:15:50,859 Uganda. 288 00:15:52,319 --> 00:15:55,975 Some for good reasons, some for not so good reasons. 289 00:15:56,167 --> 00:16:01,319 But the reality is, is that the, the missionaries that we have 290 00:16:01,359 --> 00:16:05,751 today, this furlough, just this furlough alone, I've had at 291 00:16:05,775 --> 00:16:10,743 least 35 to 40 churches contact me looking for missionaries 292 00:16:10,791 --> 00:16:13,571 to come and be in their missions conferences, looking for 293 00:16:13,595 --> 00:16:17,639 missionaries to support because they can't find any missionaries. 294 00:16:19,179 --> 00:16:21,719 I remember the day when it was a competition. 295 00:16:22,859 --> 00:16:24,563 I mean, if you heard about a. 296 00:16:24,571 --> 00:16:27,235 Good missions conference, you heard about a good church, you kept 297 00:16:27,267 --> 00:16:30,483 it to yourself until you found out you got the meeting. 298 00:16:30,571 --> 00:16:33,119 And then you would tell other missionaries about it. 299 00:16:35,499 --> 00:16:35,955 Why? 300 00:16:36,027 --> 00:16:37,919 Why, why is that happening now? 301 00:16:39,189 --> 00:16:41,569 Where is the burden for ministry? 302 00:16:42,709 --> 00:16:46,301 We have a burden for everything else, but where's the 303 00:16:46,325 --> 00:16:47,597 burden for ministry? 304 00:16:47,773 --> 00:16:52,061 And I truly believe, and this is why God has put this on my heart 305 00:16:52,245 --> 00:16:57,309 as we've traveled across the United States, is to try to remind 306 00:16:57,389 --> 00:17:02,141 us of the responsibility that we have to pass on a legacy to the 307 00:17:02,165 --> 00:17:03,341 next generation. 308 00:17:03,485 --> 00:17:05,493 Not of our family name, not of. 309 00:17:05,541 --> 00:17:09,289 Not of our businesses, but a legacy of ministry. 310 00:17:10,189 --> 00:17:14,581 A legacy so that when we leave and when we're no longer a part of 311 00:17:14,605 --> 00:17:18,677 Heritage Baptist Church, the ministry that I was involved in will 312 00:17:18,733 --> 00:17:19,141 continue. 313 00:17:19,245 --> 00:17:23,061 That place that was in my seat in the church service is going to 314 00:17:23,085 --> 00:17:27,249 be filled because I have invested in other people's lives. 315 00:17:28,429 --> 00:17:30,741 Let me ask you this question tonight, and I don't want you to 316 00:17:30,765 --> 00:17:33,749 raise your hand, but if I could ask you to look around this 317 00:17:33,789 --> 00:17:36,975 building tonight and point out the people that are here because 318 00:17:37,047 --> 00:17:42,139 you invested in their lives, how many people could you point out? 319 00:17:43,719 --> 00:17:48,271 Do we come to church to get for us, or do we come to church so 320 00:17:48,295 --> 00:17:51,599 that we can look for opportunities to invest in the next 321 00:17:51,639 --> 00:17:52,419 generation? 322 00:17:53,319 --> 00:17:57,023 It's the next generation is going to carry on the word of God. 323 00:17:57,071 --> 00:17:59,583 It's the next generation is going to carry on the gospel. 324 00:17:59,631 --> 00:18:02,653 It's the next generation that is going to provide the preachers 325 00:18:02,701 --> 00:18:06,221 and the missionaries that we need to continue the work that we 326 00:18:06,245 --> 00:18:07,741 have done in these days. 327 00:18:07,845 --> 00:18:11,613 And if we are not concerned for the next generation, we're going 328 00:18:11,621 --> 00:18:12,569 to lose it. 329 00:18:13,989 --> 00:18:15,369 We're going to lose it. 330 00:18:16,949 --> 00:18:17,837 Here's the problem. 331 00:18:17,893 --> 00:18:21,329 I believe the main problem we have is our definition of ministry. 332 00:18:22,309 --> 00:18:26,509 We have taken ministry, and I've done this as well, and I'm just 333 00:18:26,549 --> 00:18:27,885 as guilty as anybody else. 334 00:18:27,917 --> 00:18:28,713 But we have. 335 00:18:28,821 --> 00:18:32,721 We have allotted the term ministry and to a certain group of 336 00:18:32,745 --> 00:18:33,025 people. 337 00:18:33,097 --> 00:18:37,909 And we say, these men, they're the pastor, they're the missionary, 338 00:18:38,329 --> 00:18:39,761 they're the evangelists. 339 00:18:39,825 --> 00:18:42,389 Those are the ones that are in the ministry. 340 00:18:43,449 --> 00:18:47,921 And by process of elimination, that indicates that if they are the 341 00:18:47,945 --> 00:18:51,109 ones that are in the ministry, then we are not in the ministry. 342 00:18:51,929 --> 00:18:56,577 And that mentality has permeated our churches to the point 343 00:18:56,633 --> 00:19:03,007 where we have delegated our responsibility of ministry to our 344 00:19:03,063 --> 00:19:05,823 church leaders, to our pastors, to our. 345 00:19:05,911 --> 00:19:07,503 The staff members of the church. 346 00:19:07,551 --> 00:19:09,983 And we've said that is their responsibility. 347 00:19:10,111 --> 00:19:14,639 And I'm telling you today, if you're waiting for Brother Crawford, 348 00:19:14,719 --> 00:19:17,471 if you're waiting for the staff of this church to be able to 349 00:19:17,495 --> 00:19:20,779 take that responsibility, they can't do that. 350 00:19:22,039 --> 00:19:25,535 And so what God has done is God has given you a pastor and God 351 00:19:25,567 --> 00:19:29,793 has given you men of God in this church with a purpose. 352 00:19:29,841 --> 00:19:35,749 And that purpose is to perfect you for the work of the ministry. 353 00:19:36,489 --> 00:19:38,913 It is to get you involved in the ministry. 354 00:19:38,961 --> 00:19:42,289 It is to get you to say, hey, where can I serve now? 355 00:19:42,329 --> 00:19:43,921 What is the ministry all about? 356 00:19:44,025 --> 00:19:46,065 The ministry is about people. 357 00:19:46,137 --> 00:19:48,721 The ministry is about investing in people. 358 00:19:48,825 --> 00:19:52,897 It is about saying, hey, I want to take my life and I don't 359 00:19:52,913 --> 00:19:56,379 want it to be concerned about myself and building up my own self, 360 00:19:56,489 --> 00:19:59,319 but I want to take what has been put into me. 361 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,359 I want to take what has been put into my heart and I want to turn 362 00:20:02,399 --> 00:20:05,219 around and I want to pour it into other people's lives. 363 00:20:07,279 --> 00:20:11,415 We go to the mission field and you expect us to invest in people's 364 00:20:11,447 --> 00:20:11,639 lives. 365 00:20:11,679 --> 00:20:14,679 You expect us to have Bible institutes and praise the Lord, you 366 00:20:14,719 --> 00:20:15,939 have one of those here. 367 00:20:16,719 --> 00:20:20,375 You expect us to teach and you expect us to soul winning. 368 00:20:20,407 --> 00:20:23,357 You expect us to train, you expect us to disciple. 369 00:20:23,503 --> 00:20:26,509 But I'm asking you, why aren't you doing that? 370 00:20:27,769 --> 00:20:29,869 Why aren't you involved in that? 371 00:20:30,729 --> 00:20:34,737 And so ASAP says here, he said, listen, we have got to pass 372 00:20:34,793 --> 00:20:36,481 this on to the next generation. 373 00:20:36,545 --> 00:20:38,749 Now notice he gives two reasons here. 374 00:20:39,449 --> 00:20:42,481 Why we must pass on this to the next generation. 375 00:20:42,625 --> 00:20:43,949 Verse number six. 376 00:20:44,489 --> 00:20:48,749 That the generation to come might know them. 377 00:20:49,459 --> 00:20:52,475 Even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare 378 00:20:52,507 --> 00:20:53,467 them to their children. 379 00:20:53,523 --> 00:20:56,539 He says, hey, it is important that we pass on to this to the next 380 00:20:56,579 --> 00:20:59,483 generation so that our children might know them. 381 00:20:59,571 --> 00:21:00,347 Might know what? 382 00:21:00,403 --> 00:21:02,315 Notice what he says in verse number four. 383 00:21:02,467 --> 00:21:06,251 The praises of the Lord, the strength of the Lord, the wonderful 384 00:21:06,315 --> 00:21:07,771 works that God has done. 385 00:21:07,875 --> 00:21:12,443 I'm telling you today we have totally forgotten all about the testimonies 386 00:21:12,491 --> 00:21:16,313 of grace and how God has provided and how God has done wonderful 387 00:21:16,361 --> 00:21:20,041 works and mighty deeds and, and, and, and we're not passing that 388 00:21:20,065 --> 00:21:20,665 to our children. 389 00:21:20,737 --> 00:21:24,745 And so the children of our day and the youth of our day, they don't 390 00:21:24,857 --> 00:21:26,537 even understand who God is. 391 00:21:26,593 --> 00:21:30,149 They don't understand what a walk with God is like. 392 00:21:31,489 --> 00:21:35,337 And so our churches are filled with young people who know all about 393 00:21:35,393 --> 00:21:39,545 the latest sports and they know all about the latest video games 394 00:21:39,617 --> 00:21:43,161 and they know all the latest news about Hollywood and they know 395 00:21:43,185 --> 00:21:46,119 all about the politics and they know all of these things. 396 00:21:46,159 --> 00:21:50,023 And we're raising a generation of very knowledgeable kids that know 397 00:21:50,111 --> 00:21:51,655 a lot of things about everything. 398 00:21:51,727 --> 00:21:54,183 They know how to make money, they know how to build a career, 399 00:21:54,231 --> 00:21:57,511 they know how to go to Bible college, they know how to do all 400 00:21:57,535 --> 00:21:58,263 of these things. 401 00:21:58,351 --> 00:21:59,735 But I ask you this question. 402 00:21:59,807 --> 00:22:01,899 Do they know how to walk with God? 403 00:22:03,279 --> 00:22:05,127 Do they know how to know him? 404 00:22:05,183 --> 00:22:05,735 Do they. 405 00:22:05,807 --> 00:22:07,783 Do they have a relationship with God? 406 00:22:07,831 --> 00:22:12,375 Do they have a desire to walk with God and a desire to serve God 407 00:22:12,407 --> 00:22:17,483 and a desire to put themselves in the ministry for the next generation? 408 00:22:17,611 --> 00:22:19,275 Because listen to me very carefully. 409 00:22:19,307 --> 00:22:23,755 If we do not do that, then Heritage Baptist Church, all it's 410 00:22:23,787 --> 00:22:28,319 going to take is one generation for it to die. 411 00:22:30,259 --> 00:22:33,319 He says we've got to teach them so that they might know them. 412 00:22:33,939 --> 00:22:35,319 Verse number seven. 413 00:22:35,779 --> 00:22:40,479 He gives a second reason that they might set their hope in God. 414 00:22:41,989 --> 00:22:43,165 Oh, listen to me. 415 00:22:43,237 --> 00:22:44,541 He says that they might set their. 416 00:22:44,565 --> 00:22:47,005 Hope in God and not forget the works of God. 417 00:22:47,117 --> 00:22:49,997 I want our men in Uganda to not hope in me. 418 00:22:50,053 --> 00:22:52,077 I don't want them to hope in America. 419 00:22:52,173 --> 00:22:54,849 I want them to set their hope in God. 420 00:22:56,069 --> 00:22:59,581 I want to teach my children to be able to get on their knees and 421 00:22:59,605 --> 00:23:02,701 cry out to God and say, God, we need you to supply this. 422 00:23:02,725 --> 00:23:04,461 We need you to bring this in for us. 423 00:23:04,485 --> 00:23:06,055 But listen, the days of. 424 00:23:06,157 --> 00:23:08,739 Of getting on our knees, in the days of praying and the days 425 00:23:08,779 --> 00:23:11,319 of crying out to God are gone. 426 00:23:11,979 --> 00:23:14,439 And we've replaced it with credit cards. 427 00:23:17,179 --> 00:23:20,599 We've replaced it with bank loans. 428 00:23:22,299 --> 00:23:25,799 We've set our hope in everything but God. 429 00:23:27,259 --> 00:23:30,819 And it's no wonder that our country is in the shape that it is 430 00:23:30,859 --> 00:23:33,395 in, because we are hoping in everything. 431 00:23:33,467 --> 00:23:35,571 We're hoping that the government is going to solve our 432 00:23:35,595 --> 00:23:36,141 problems. 433 00:23:36,235 --> 00:23:38,649 We're hoping that the bank will solve our problems. 434 00:23:38,729 --> 00:23:41,705 And instead of trusting God and instead of getting on our knees 435 00:23:41,737 --> 00:23:47,097 and saying, God, please meet our needs, God, please supply our 436 00:23:47,153 --> 00:23:51,629 needs, we'll turn around and we'll just put it on the card. 437 00:23:53,569 --> 00:23:55,849 I don't want my kids, when they. 438 00:23:55,889 --> 00:23:58,489 Have a need, I don't want them. 439 00:23:58,529 --> 00:24:01,369 To start hoping and saying, well, if I just keep going more into 440 00:24:01,409 --> 00:24:04,169 debt, more into debt, and more into debt and more into debt, then 441 00:24:04,209 --> 00:24:05,273 that's the answer. 442 00:24:05,401 --> 00:24:06,441 I want them to get our needs. 443 00:24:06,465 --> 00:24:08,069 And I want them to see God provide. 444 00:24:09,329 --> 00:24:11,497 I want them to see God meet those needs. 445 00:24:11,633 --> 00:24:14,537 I could stand up here and tell you story after story after story 446 00:24:14,593 --> 00:24:20,761 that we have seen in Uganda of God doing things that were impossible 447 00:24:20,825 --> 00:24:24,953 to us, providing things that were impossible to us, working situations 448 00:24:25,001 --> 00:24:26,329 out that were impossible to us. 449 00:24:26,369 --> 00:24:28,425 And we can share those with our children. 450 00:24:28,497 --> 00:24:30,185 We can share those with our Africans. 451 00:24:30,217 --> 00:24:34,099 And we can say, hey, look at the wonderful works of God. 452 00:24:35,239 --> 00:24:38,099 They've got to set their hope in God. 453 00:24:40,039 --> 00:24:44,191 Let me close with this illustration in the Bible There is 454 00:24:44,215 --> 00:24:45,939 a man by the name of Hezekiah. 455 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:47,903 Hezekiah was a great king. 456 00:24:47,951 --> 00:24:52,591 He came in during a time when Israel was at its lowest time. 457 00:24:52,695 --> 00:24:54,111 The temple had been boarded up. 458 00:24:54,135 --> 00:24:55,327 There was no worship of God. 459 00:24:55,343 --> 00:24:55,903 There was nothing. 460 00:24:55,951 --> 00:24:59,885 So Hezekiah comes in and he opens up the temple. 461 00:25:00,007 --> 00:25:02,737 I mean, immediately he restores the worship of God. 462 00:25:02,833 --> 00:25:05,217 He brings revival back to Israel. 463 00:25:05,313 --> 00:25:07,989 And great were the days of Hezekiah. 464 00:25:09,209 --> 00:25:11,905 But Hezekiah reached a time in his life when he was about ready 465 00:25:11,937 --> 00:25:12,709 to die. 466 00:25:13,129 --> 00:25:15,985 Isaiah comes to him, says, hezekiah, set your house in order. 467 00:25:16,057 --> 00:25:17,249 You're going to die. 468 00:25:17,409 --> 00:25:18,577 Isaiah walks out. 469 00:25:18,633 --> 00:25:20,529 Hezekiah lays in his bed there. 470 00:25:20,569 --> 00:25:23,457 He prays to God and said, God, please don't let me die. 471 00:25:23,553 --> 00:25:26,593 God comes to Isaiah, isaiah, go tell Hezekiah I'm going to give 472 00:25:26,601 --> 00:25:28,189 him 15 more years. 473 00:25:29,449 --> 00:25:32,145 And so he goes in there and Hezekiah, you've got 15 years. 474 00:25:32,217 --> 00:25:34,989 I wonder what we would do if we knew we had 15 years. 475 00:25:36,409 --> 00:25:38,113 I wonder what we would accomplish. 476 00:25:38,161 --> 00:25:40,865 I wonder what we would think about if we had 15 years. 477 00:25:40,937 --> 00:25:44,017 Well, there was two things that happened during those 15 years. 478 00:25:44,073 --> 00:25:48,349 One of those was an ambassador from Babylon came in. 479 00:25:48,729 --> 00:25:53,321 And Hezekiah, in a moment of pride, began to show them all of 480 00:25:53,465 --> 00:25:56,761 of Israel and all of Jerusalem and all of his home, all of his riches, 481 00:25:56,825 --> 00:25:58,469 everything showed him it all. 482 00:25:59,569 --> 00:26:02,825 And Isaiah, the prophet came to him, said, because you have showed 483 00:26:02,937 --> 00:26:06,201 them all of these things in the pride of your heart, your children 484 00:26:06,385 --> 00:26:09,709 will be taken into captivity by that very kingdom. 485 00:26:10,689 --> 00:26:14,249 Another thing that happened in those 15 years was three years into 486 00:26:14,289 --> 00:26:14,905 those 15. 487 00:26:14,977 --> 00:26:17,309 Years, he had a son by the name of Manasseh. 488 00:26:18,289 --> 00:26:23,433 And so three years in, if you use your math properly, Hezekiah 489 00:26:23,481 --> 00:26:25,349 had Manasseh for 12 years. 490 00:26:26,209 --> 00:26:30,025 12 years in which Hezekiah could have invested in his son. 491 00:26:30,057 --> 00:26:33,001 12 years where he could have said, manasseh, look at the revival 492 00:26:33,065 --> 00:26:36,585 that God brought in this land, and look at how the worship is accomplished 493 00:26:36,617 --> 00:26:39,929 in this land, and look at how God has provided and how God has 494 00:26:39,969 --> 00:26:43,289 done amazing things and how God has provided for our country. 495 00:26:43,409 --> 00:26:47,065 He could have taken those 12 years and invested in Manasseh's 496 00:26:47,097 --> 00:26:47,919 land life. 497 00:26:49,019 --> 00:26:50,319 But he did not. 498 00:26:51,339 --> 00:26:52,867 You say, why didn't he do that? 499 00:26:52,923 --> 00:26:54,163 Because here was his attitude. 500 00:26:54,211 --> 00:26:58,531 When the prophet came to Hezekiah and said, your sons are 501 00:26:58,555 --> 00:27:00,515 going to be taken to captivity, here's what he said. 502 00:27:00,587 --> 00:27:04,419 He said, good is the word of the Lord, for at least I will have 503 00:27:04,459 --> 00:27:05,919 peace in my days. 504 00:27:08,539 --> 00:27:10,479 At least I have peace in my days. 505 00:27:11,259 --> 00:27:13,519 At least things are going well for me. 506 00:27:13,879 --> 00:27:15,695 I don't need to think about my children. 507 00:27:15,767 --> 00:27:17,135 I don't need to think about the future. 508 00:27:17,207 --> 00:27:19,179 At least I have peace in my days. 509 00:27:20,759 --> 00:27:23,979 And I'm afraid with sadness in my heart. 510 00:27:25,479 --> 00:27:29,179 That is the testimony of many of God's people in churches today. 511 00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:31,999 I have peace in my days. 512 00:27:32,039 --> 00:27:33,071 I've got a nice church. 513 00:27:33,135 --> 00:27:34,415 I've got a nice income. 514 00:27:34,527 --> 00:27:38,047 I read my Bible, I pray, I give in the offering plate. 515 00:27:38,143 --> 00:27:41,669 Yes, but what about the next generation, man? 516 00:27:42,369 --> 00:27:46,585 It took one generation to go from Hezekiah's revival to his son 517 00:27:46,617 --> 00:27:51,509 Manasseh becoming the worst, most evil king that Judah ever had. 518 00:27:52,289 --> 00:27:53,789 Just one generation. 519 00:27:55,009 --> 00:27:58,281 And all it would have taken for him to invest in his son for 520 00:27:58,305 --> 00:27:59,429 those 12 years. 521 00:28:00,369 --> 00:28:04,281 And so my question today as I wind up is just asking you this. 522 00:28:04,305 --> 00:28:05,829 Who are you investing in? 523 00:28:06,619 --> 00:28:10,115 Who are you preparing for the next generation? 524 00:28:10,307 --> 00:28:13,395 Father, I pray that you'd take this message tonight. 525 00:28:13,587 --> 00:28:15,651 Use it, Lord, for your honor and your glory. 526 00:28:15,715 --> 00:28:18,083 Challenge hearts in a way that only you can. 527 00:28:18,251 --> 00:28:21,027 I thank you so much for this church, the investment that they've 528 00:28:21,043 --> 00:28:22,275 made in our ministry. 529 00:28:22,387 --> 00:28:26,355 I pray that we'll continue, Lord, to represent them properly 530 00:28:26,467 --> 00:28:29,235 in reaching the Ugandans with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 531 00:28:29,307 --> 00:28:29,955 Thank you, Father. 532 00:28:29,987 --> 00:28:31,411 I pray in Jesus name. 533 00:28:31,515 --> 00:28:32,355 Amen, Pastor. 534 00:28:32,387 --> 00:28:32,699 Thank you.