Address—Bernie Roossinck
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Good evening, everybody. Well, it's certainly a joy to see everybody here. So look around, there's a lot of young people in here and it wasn't very long ago that.
I was you and somebody else was up here, so it's with a lot of weakness that I'm going to talk to you tonight.
But I have a subject on my heart that has been with me for a number of years, so I I hope I can express it to you well. But.
Disregard me, I want you to listen to what the Lord Jesus has to say.
So let's begin this meeting by singing #283 together.
#283.
Well, we survey.
The one.
Cross always the Lord.
Boring.
We.
Let's ask for the Lords help.
The loving God and Father, we are so thankful to be here with so many of my known people tonight.
Father, we think of the needs of each one that's here, well known to the.
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We asked for.
Thy help that some of those needs might be met from thy word.
Lord, we consider the world that we're living in and all there is to distract.
And to turn aside, and to deny thee.
By proper place in our lives.
We asked for help this evening.
We looked at the for direction. We pray that the message given might be of thyself and we count on Thee for a blessing. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
As I mentioned before, hope it's alright if I move around a bit. As I mentioned before, it wasn't very long ago that I was 12 or 10.
And it was somebody else up here.
But I haven't forgotten what it's like to be a young person, and I hope it's OK if I speak mostly to the young people tonight. Is that all right? I think those of you that are older remember what it was like to be young, and those of you are their kids.
And just a blink of an eye, you're going to be a young person. Hope Shannon will forgive me for this, but.
Shannon got her driving permit this past week and it feels like we just brought her home 2 weeks ago. So it goes fast. So what I want, what I have in my heart, young people to talk about is usefulness to God.
The Lord has a purpose for your life.
And the Lord has a claim on your life. If you truly believe and have the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus has a claim upon your life.
And it's my exercise that we just do a little bit of thinking tonight about.
What are the claims of the Lord Jesus in my life? What does the Lord have me to do?
I want to talk a little bit about.
Some people that received a call.
And how they responded to the call.
So first.
What's more important what the Lord says than what I say? So let's open to Luke 14 first, please.
I.
It's going to read a few passages of the scripture without much comment, and then we'll talk. Luke 14.
26.
If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yeah, in his own life also.
He cannot be my disciple.
Then whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower sinneth not down 1St, and counteth the cost, whether we have sufficient to finish it?
Less happily after he had laid the foundation and is not able to finish it.
All that behold, it began to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.
Or what king going to war against another king sitteth not down 1St and consulteth whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000?
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassador and desire conditions of peace.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsake it, not all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Now let's turn over to the Gospel of Matthew.
Chapter 16.
In verse 24.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it.
And who's the where will shall lose his life for my sake shall find it?
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And now one more passage in the Gospel of John.
John 21.
In verse 15.
So when they had done, Jesus said to Simon Peter.
Simon, son of Jonas.
Lovest thou me more than these?
Then he suffered unto him. Yay, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
And he said unto him, Feed my lambs.
And he said to him again the second time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
And he said unto him, Yeah, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
He said unto him, Feed my sheep.
And he said unto him the third time.
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep.
Well, I've read these three passages to the start.
And these are.
Pretty sharp passages.
It says.
We've read whoever does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.
I find young people in my life and I know this is true in your lives.
There's a lot in this world to say.
Give me your attention, give me your focus, Give me your time. Give me your energy. Give me your money.
It doesn't say here if you're half in and half out, you can be a halfway disciple.
That says here cannot be my disciple. That's a sharp thing.
Sharp word.
The Lord has a calling for each one of us, and I don't know what you're calling is.
It may be.
That you're calling moms is to provide a home of safety and security to raise your children. Dads, it may be that you're calling is to provide for your family. I don't know what the Lord is calling you. It may be young people that the Lord is calling one of you to serve Him in the foreign land.
I don't know what that is.
But the Lord has a calling for you, and we cannot be.
Half in and half out, the Lord has a ownership, if you will, of our lives. So we've read here.
Whoso will lose his life will save it.
Now let's just go back to the passage of Matthew for a minute. Or Luke, I'm sorry, 14.
It's a little bit hard to understand when it says that you have to hate your mother and father and brothers and sisters in order to be the Lords disciple. I think what it means says if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brother and sisters, yeah, in his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
We have to take scripture in its proper balance. The Lord doesn't want us to hate our mothers and fathers. The the message that the Lord Jesus was giving here is.
That.
All has to be put in the second place.
Does that make sense?
That our family relationships are.
Friends.
Our work it all has to take a second place to the Lord Jesus and His claims on your life.
So what I would like to do is speak about a couple of individuals that had.
The opportunity to follow and to serve the Lord. Boys and girls, young men, young women.
The Lord has worked for you to do it might be as simple as picking up the spoons and forks after fellowship meal right now.
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But when you're faithful in small things, the Lord will begin to give you.
More and more and more it might be as simple as just shoveling the sidewalk for your neighbor.
And doing it for the Lord.
So let's look at a couple of individuals.
And I think we can find some instruction in this for our souls. Turn to First Samuel chapter 18 please.
This is a story of David and Jonathan. I love these two individuals.
And they're very instructive, David and Jonathan. David has just won the battle against Goliath.
So let's read from chapter 18.
And verse three. Now let's read from verse one.
Came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.
And Jonathan loved him as his own soul and.
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more to his father's house.
Then David, Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.
Here in this passage, David is a picture, a type of the Lord Jesus.
Saul is a type of the unbeliever.
And Jonathan is a type of the believer. So what do we find here? There's this covenant between Jonathan and David. He loved him as his own soul.
Young people.
The Lord Jesus gave his life for you.
You know who he was thinking about on the cross when he was saying in there?
Rachel.
Who is he thinking about?
He was thinking about you.
Have you ever felt that love of the Lord Jesus?
Right there in your heart.
You feel.
A burning.
Drive, but a desire to be with the Lord, to be in His love, to be in His purposes.
Here we have Jonathan as a type of the believer that says he loved him as he loved his own soul.
What the Lord Jesus is looking for from us.
Has the Lord Jesus ever felt that from you? He loved him as his own soul. And there begins the stripping process, where Jonathan is giving to David the things that he had that were dear to him, Gives him his coat and his clothes, his sword, his bow.
We know from other places that Jonathan was a mighty warrior. He gives it to David.
But there's a sad thing here, and that is he didn't give him his shoes.
What does that mean?
What do we learn from that? He didn't give him his shoes. Jonathan was not willing to walk with David. Young people, are you willing to give your shoes to the Lord Jesus?
Where you say, well, I can be here at this camp and I can live a godly Christian.
Week. But when I go back to school two weeks from now, I'm just going to see how it is with my buddies, with my girlfriends or whatever.
My to go back to work, go back to the shop, go back to the office. Are you willing to give the Lord Jesus your shoes?
It's a serious question.
Jonathan didn't give David his shoes.
And it was a it was a sad thing. It cost Jonathan dearly. Let's follow this up a bit.
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Chapter 20.
I'm sure you all know this story well.
Saul has basically a death threat out. He wants David dead.
The enemy of your souls, that's how he feels about the Lord.
Enemies so Jonathan and David had this secret deal made and the lad was to go out and shoot the arrow right and that would be the signal to tell David if it was safe to come out so they they do that I'm not going to read that whole story but.
We'll pick this up in verse 41. As soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another.
Until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for as much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, between my seed, and thy seed forever. And he arose and departed.
What does it say? Jonathan went with him. Is that what it says?
No, Jonathan went into the city.
Why did he do that?
The city speaks of the attractions of the world.
Jonathan had a real love for David. Many of you young people I know belong to the Lord Jesus. I know that you love the Lord. But young people, I plead with you. Consider what Jonathan did here. David arose. Jonathan went back to the city.
Oh, young people, there's a cost to going back to the city. The attractions of men, the attractions of this world, the Vanity Fair, if you will.
It's so strong.
I really love what it says in verse 41.
Says David and Jonathan kissed one another and wept with one another.
Until David exceeded.
Felt that.
Ever been in a spot in your life where you felt the exceeding love of Christ?
I know that some of you have.
When something hard happens in your life.
You don't understand why? Why, Lord, have you done this to me? How could you allow this? Or perhaps there's been some disappointment?
You ever felt the kiss of the Lord in your soul?
I know that some of you have. I have.
What should the response be? Jonathan made a retrograde step. David's love exceeded, he should have said.
The Lord be between thee, my seed, and thy seed. And then they should have been like that. What happened?
Jonathan went into the city. What a mistake. Young people, be careful. The Lord has a calling for your life, a purpose that He has placed you where you are, in the family you are, in, the state, you are in the city, wherever the university, the high school, whatever it is for a reason.
Oh, young people, be careful about man's attractions.
Jonathan didn't leave his shoes with David.
And now he goes into the city is the wrong step.
Let's go a little further in this story, Chapter 23.
Now we have David wandering through the wilderness, living in caves, living in the woods. When I was a kid, I thought, man, that would be the life. I'd way rather live in the woods than. But anyway, I don't think we have any concept of how tough it was to be a haunted man.
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His soul was hunting David like a Partridge.
Anyway, here David is in the woods, so let's read verse 18.
And they too made a covenant before the Lord.
David abode in the wood.
Jonathan stayed with him. Is that what it says?
No, Jonathan went to his house.
The house to me speaks of family attractions.
Young people.
Don't let.
Family.
Thoughts. Family attractions, perhaps the fear of what other people might say. Don't let.
The Lord has laid upon your heart to do something for him. Do it. Never mind what you think I might think. If the Lord has given you something, do it.
Here Jonathan goes back to his house. Now Jonathan probably had a wife and family and everything else, and so we understand naturally why he did that. But spiritually, young people, he gave it up, said David, I love you. I'll see you next week.
And he wouldn't give up all that he had. David Jonathan had a lot to lose.
He was the Crown Prince of Israel.
David was God's anointed, a man after God's own heart. He speaks to us of the Lord Jesus.
Jonathan goes back into his house.
I hope it's OK if I share the story when my parents were feeling when my dad was feeling the Lord's calling.
To go to Newfoundland, he shared that with a brother.
I'm not going to say who it is because he's a dear man.
And he was counseled to wait five or ten years, get your family established, get married first there. He's planning to be married at that time. It was it was bad advice. When the Lord calls you to do something, never mind what you think I'm going to think or Tim's going to think or Doug or Dave or.
Mark or whatever, if the Lord has given you something to do, put on your shoes. Give him your shoes.
And do it.
Let's go just a little further in this story, Second Samuel 1.
Jonathan was a dear man. I believe we're going to see Jonathan in the glory, but.
He had failure in this that he wouldn't walk with David in rejection. Our Savior is in rejection right now. Are you going to walk with him or are you going to turn your back on it? The Lord said you cannot be my disciple unless you give up all that you have.
What happens to Jonathan Second Samuel 1?
I'm just going to read this part of this lament that David has for his friend Jonathan. Let's begin with verse 25.
Are the mighty fallen?
How are the mighty falls in the midst of battle?
Oh, Jonathan.
Thou slain in thy high places.
I am distressed for the my brother Jonathan.
Very pleasant has thou been to me, but I love to me was wonderful.
Passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished? Oh my.
Jonathan wouldn't walk in rejection with David.
And yet here we have David saying my love to me was wonderful.
The Lord Jesus say that about you. He can, He does.
Perhaps you've made decisions in the past that have been not right. Perhaps you've denied the Lord Jesus proper place in your life. The Lord Jesus can still say this about you. I love to me. It was wonderful.
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But wouldn't it be better if Jonathan was standing there with David?
And they were lamenting together the loss of Saul. But here Jonathan is dead, dead on the battlefield. Young people were engaged in spiritual warfare.
And Jonathan, this debt on the battlefield, useless for Christ.
I don't want that to be you and I don't want that to be me.
Searching, isn't it?
Searching you know there were the enemy is so subtle in inserting things into your life that take away your ability and your willingness to give the Lord Jesus your walk.
Becky and I were just talking the other night.
How easy it is for things that creep in and you and you get hardened to it and you get used to it and and.
We're in a spiritual warfare, young people.
Can't remember exactly where the verse is where it talks about.
I've lost my train of thought. It talks about no man that worth entangle with himself in the things of this world. Oh young people, you can lose what the Lord Jesus the the blessing that the God has for you, that the Lord the the work that the Lord Jesus has for you.
We're at work, young people.
You have a service, you have a gift that the Lord has given you. You've been placed where he wants you to be. What are you going to do with it? You're going to walk into the city and walk out, walk into your homes and say Sunday, you can have me.
Monday through Saturday, I'm fighting my own battles. Is that the way it can? It needs to be no people every day. Jonathan should have been with David in his rejection. You might say, Lord, I'll do this and this and this, but I can't do that.
Yes you can.
Yes, you can. Oh Lord, I can. I can do this and I'm willing to do that. But I cannot do this. Yes, you can.
Yes, you can. I want you to be encouraged, young people. Let's give our shoes to the Lord. Let's walk with the Lord. Jonathan was a dear young man, but he was a lost dynamic.
How are the mighty fallen?
Kill people. I'm not that old, but I look back on people that I loved dearly, young people that I was best friends with.
That have made.
The choice not to give the Lord their shoes.
It's a sad thing. How are the mighty fallen?
Oh, people that had gifts, people that could, that were a great encouragement to me, and they're gone.
Now that's between them and the Lord, now by young people.
It doesn't have to be you.
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant hast thou been unto me. That's how. That's what the Lords thought. Heart is for you.
By love to me was wonderful. Every one of us in this room has failed many times, and yet the Lord can still say.
Mark, my love to me was wonderful. Isn't that great? He can still say that it's not too late.
It's not too late.
That's what I had on my heart for a young person that made mistakes. But now let's look at another young person.
And those of you that know me well know I love this story.
Turn to 1St Kings Chapter 19.
Imagine with me, young people.
A brightly lit grand hall.
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Lights everywhere, beautiful setting, huge festivities and somebody comes along.
Extinguishing the lights and the darkness is beginning to close in on that room, and light after light after light is being extinguished.
And light up and it's getting darker and darker, OK.
In the land of Israel at the time of the story we're going to read.
Ahab the King and his wife Jezebel.
Were wicked, wicked people.
And their goal, particularly Jezebel's goal, was to extinguish every single light, every single light in Israel if there's some light for Jehovah.
Snuff it out.
Stop it out. And it's getting darker and darker. And yet there was one light that Jezebel did not get. There's actually 7000 lights that Jezebel didn't get, but there was one in particular that I was thinking of. And we know the story of Elijah, the prophet of God.
And just as an aside, imagine what most of you know that I grew up in Newfoundland.
Giant mountains, torrents of water, waterfalls, rushing Rapids hits the valley. Nice smooth brook into the ocean.
Elijah was like the.
Water coming off the mountain, fast, rough.
Abrupt.
Powerful.
Elisha was like the.
Calm river of grace and peace.
As that river makes makes its way to the sea now.
Elisha here or Elijah?
Has just won a tremendous victory over the prophets of bail, and the Lord has responded in a gigantic way.
As the fire came, comes down and burns up the sacrifice. You guys remember the story. Burns up the rocks, licks up the water. All the prophets of bail are killed. I think it was 400 if I remember right. This tremendous victory, The people that are crying out the Lord, he is God, the Lord he is God.
Jezebel sends a message to this man, says tomorrow you're dead meat.
This guy just won a huge victory. What happens?
Bolts, he's gone. 40 days journey into the wilderness. He's out.
And there he is on that mountainside, and the Lord says to him in a still small voice, See Elijah, what are you doing here?
What doest thou hear, Elijah?
Oh Lord, I'm the I'm the only faithful person in this assembly, if you will, ever felt like that.
Everybody else is gone.
I'm the only guy I just it's enough now. Just take me now and here poor Elijah was in that state of discouragement and fear and the Lord says to him, I got 7000 people that haven't bowed the knee to bail. So let's pick up the story where I all that was on the side by the way, but these are it's a great story.
I really want to talk about the call of Elisha.
So let's pick this up in verse 16.
The Lord is giving instruction to His Prophet here.
Middle of the verse and Elisha the son of Shepat.
Of Abel Nihola Shilpa, anointed to be prophet in thy room.
Alvers 19. So he departed fence and found Elisha, the son of Shepherd.
Who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the 12Th.
And Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow thee.
And he said unto him, Go back again, What have I done today?
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And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, And they did eat. And he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him now.
Let's consider who this young man was.
Here is by the way Abel and see if I pronounce this right.
Abel Mahula.
Means the Valley of the Dance. Here's the Jordan River Valley. Here's Jezreel.
Sitting in that ivory palace is Jezebel, probably.
15 to 20 miles away. And here in this valley of the dance is a family, one of those 7000 that had never bowed to need a bail.
And here is Elisha, the son of SEPTA.
The Valley of the Dance. What does that tell us?
There was joy and peace there, tranquility. Here is this young man plowing in a field with 12 yoke of oxen. Now, most of you that know me know that I I'm involved in agriculture and I love horsepower and tractors and plows and big white planters and my wife is laughing at this. So is Doug.
OK, imagine Dad.
Combining with 12 Combines side by side. You think about that? Now I know these were just 12 yoke of oxen, but think about it. This guy came from a wealthy position. Here he is. There's 11 servants and they're they're all lined up plowing this field one after the other. Perhaps I'll stagger down and he's on the last set.
And he looks up.
Here comes a figure of a man strolling across the field. Who could it be?
And he recognizes him. He's that prophet, Elisha, Elijah.
Here he's plowing along.
The license just goes.
Puts his mantle on the guys shoulder, just keeps going.
What did it mean?
God had said go anoint Elisha to be prophet in your place.
He knew exactly what it meant.
Says come with me, follow me, serve with me. What does he do?
He kills the oxen first. There's a test though. He goes after the prophet and he says let me, let me just go settle things up at home and I'll be back. The old prophecies.
What have I done? It's a test. Yeah. The Lord might give you a call, young people. And you might wonder, is that real?
And there's a test of conviction here. This young man knew exactly what the call was.
And he did it. He goes back, he kills the auction, he burns up the yoke and he's gone.
We're not told what he gave up, but I imagine it was a lot.
You're plowing with 12 yoke of oxen. You're probably from a fairly wealthy position.
OK, he gave it up.
Whosoever shall lose his life shall save it. That's why I read that in Matthew. OK, what was this young man doing for the next seven years? This is a young man that came from probably a position of tremendous.
Wealth and privilege, What was he doing?
Just to find out, let's go to 2nd Kings Chapter 3 for just a minute.
In verse 11 here now Elijah is the prophet of God in Israel, but here's what it says about him.
Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel Servants answered and said, a picture of this.
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Oh, here's Elijah, the son of Cephad, who poured water around the hands of Elijah.
What was he doing for seven years?
Here he probably had servants to do as every whim.
And the call of God comes upon his life.
You know what he did for seven years? He walked a dusty hot.
Israelite life pathway through the dirt and the heat, and they lived in caves, perhaps in ravines, and drank from the stream. We read how the Lord fed his prophets with the the Ravens bringing food and whatnot. He gave all that up because God called him to do something for seven years.
This man of privilege, you know what he did? He was the servant.
That poured water on the hands of his master. That's it.
I think there's a lot more than that, but that's what he was recognized as. Seven years young people went by and here the king of Israel, servants like, oh, yeah, that's the guy that followed the other guy around washing his hands when he got dirty. Does that sound like privilege and grandeur to you?
It was the right thing to do. That's what God had for him to do. For seven years He did that.
But you know what? I just picture those two men, the old man and the young man.
Seven years they walk along together.
And I think that Elijah was sharing and teaching and instructing him in the ways of Jehovah. By the way, Elijah means Jehovah saves a great name to have.
Seven years go by, these two walking together, serving the Lord together.
Now let's look at Second Kings Chapter 2.
Verse 9.
This is the last day that these men are together.
The old.
Abrupt prophet and the young gracious servant.
That came to pass when they were gone over it, that Elijah said unto Elijah, Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee. They he knew. Today is the last day. I think they both knew that.
And what did he like to say? A chariot and about 10 horses? Unlimited food. Is that what he says? No, Elijah said, I pray thee but a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said thou was asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee.
But if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on and taught.
That they hold their appearance, chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and part of the asunder. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
They lights aside and cried, my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more.
And he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces.
And he took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the Bank of the Jordan.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he had also spit in the waters, they parted, hit her, and thither, and unless she went over.
Young people.
I know that you all know this.
The older generation is passing on.
The torch is being handed to you. What are you going to do about it here?
The old prophet says to the young man.
I'm about going to be gone. What do you what do you want?
What a great answer, he goes. I want to be have a double portion of your spirit. Young people, the Lord has work for you to do.
In your life, in your assemblies, in your homes.
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You know what?
I think this began to sink home with me when Mr. Belicelli passed away.
That man was a spiritual father for me. We lived about 10 minutes apart. I spent the many summers at their cottage.
He and Uncle Donnie he was to us and Aunt Betty.
Were spiritual parents to us, to my family, my generation, and when he passed away, it began to sink into my heart.
This mantle is being passed to somebody else.
I remember when my Grandpa Pilkington passed away.
This passage was brought to me and some of my cousins.
He's been taken away. What are you going to do with the heritage that you've been given? What are you going to do with the call that the Lord has for your life?
You say, forget about that. I want to live my own life. I want to do what I want to do. Or are you going to say, I'll take that mantle and give your shoes to the Lord and do what He wants you to do? I don't know what that is. It might be working with your employees at your work. It might be homeschooling your kids right now. It might be doing the best job as a nurse that you possibly can. It might be going to.
Some foreign land to serve the Lord in the gospel work. I don't know what that is. What are you going to do? Walk by the mantle and say, huh, Finally got rid of those guys, Now we can do what we want to do with no conscience? No, the Lord is calling you. I know that the Lord is speaking to some of your hearts. What are you going to do with it?
What are you going to do with it? Reminds some of you that are Canadian will know this poem.
I've memorized this many years ago in Flanders fields. It says take up our quarrel with the foe to you. From failing hands we throw the torch.
To you from failing hands we throw the torch.
Be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep, Although we lie in Flanders fields. That's a song written about wartime, but the message is right.
To you from failing hands. We throw the torch and now we're just about out of time. So turn over to Timothy.
Burst Timothy 4.
First Timothy 4 verse 12 Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in Word and conversation and charity, in spirit and faith and purity.
Then I was thinking of verse 14 in particular. Neglect, not the gift that is in thee.
You know.
A man said to me a while ago.
Some of you young men and women are older today. I certainly am. That John the Baptist was when his ministry was over.
Think about that, OK? I still feel like I'm pretty young. John the Baptist was already dead. Ministry complete.
Young people, you may have come from an assembly where there are older brethren and you don't feel like you can participate and share and you know even at right thought, young men and women is fruit for the Lord.
Despise not thy youth what no man. Despise thy youth. Don't sit there on the sidelines till you're 40 or 50.
Down. The Baptist ministry was over.
At the age, some of you men are young men and I want to encourage you, it says in Song of Solomon.
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Let me see thy face, let me hear thy voice. I think it says countenance, for sweet as thy voice, and my countenance is comely. That's what the Lord Jesus says to you and I. It doesn't say, Sit there on the back row till all the old people are dead.
No, despise not thy youth. The Lord wants to hear your voice.
Now, I'm not saying that you should dominate the whole meeting. The Lord gives you a hymn to give out. Do it.
The Lord gives you a verse on your heart. Stand up and read it. I can't tell you how thrilling it is for me to hear a young person.
Stand up and justice, pray for 30 seconds or to give out a song and read a verse of it and you know that it has meaning to them.
Let no man despise thy youth.
I'm not giving you permission to dominate the assembly. That's a whole nother meeting. But young people, now is the time. God is calling you, he says. I want to hear your voice, want to see your face. That's just on Sunday for an hour.
Every day at your office, that's your work, at your school, at home.
OK, Second Timothy, chapter one, because we are out of time now.
Second Timothy One.
The first time, the apostle Paul told Timothy, don't neglect the gift that you have.
And now he says, I'm putting you in remembrance. This is verse 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee. Stir it up young people, God has the work for you to do.
A calling, a mantle is being placed on your shoulders. What are you going to do with it? Shrug it off? Pretend it didn't happen? It's not convenient for me right now.
Who also lose his life for my sake shall save it.
Think about that. Isn't the Lord Jesus worth that? I think when you're going to get to heaven, you're going to wish that you would have spent a little more time on the spreadsheets at the office and less time sharing the Lord with one of your coworkers or whatever it is. I don't know what your circumstances are.
Young people, stir up the gift. God is calling you for something. He didn't put you here just to sit here. He put you here to be an encouragement.
To be a help to respond.
That everybody is called to do what Hudson Taylor did or Jim Elliott did.
Some, some of you may be, I don't know if the Lord is calling you. Never mind what you think. I might think that the Lord is calling you. Respond to it, do it. Give him your shoes.
Last verse Joshua chapter one.
The key phrase of the book of Joshua is Moses, my servant is dead.
Young people, Joshua was being handed the torch right here. The mantle was placed on him.
The Lord said Moses, my servant is dead.
You're my man, if I can say that reverently. And here's what he says in verse seven. Actually, interestingly, he says this message about three or four times in this chapter. Only be thou strong and very courageous.
Says that a number of times. Be thou strong and very courageous. The Lord delights to bless you. He will help you in your path. He will provide.
I could talk till 10:00 about the ways that God provided for our family.
When we were growing up in Newfoundland.
It's very encouraging things. See me afterwards and we'll have coffee together. But young people be strong, be courageous. It says in Deuteronomy and the Rules of warfare there were four things they had to do. One was they, if you built the house, yeah, they have lived in it. Young people build a house, a spirits will foundation that's yours and live in it.
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They had to if they had a vineyard.
They had to have harvested it and eaten the fruit. OK, how do you do that?
Dig it out. This is your vineyard right here. Dig it out.
Can't remember what the third one was. The last one was be strong and courageous. If a man was fearfully had to go home, OK, it is a little bit scary to step out in faith.
But God will provide. If the Lord is sending you to do something, He will provide.
So young people, I'm sorry that I'm past time because I know it's.
Saturday night and but I just have this on my heart for you.
If the Lord is calling you, and I know that He is.
Do it. Don't be like Jonathan who was a fallen in the midst of the battle. Be like Elijah that got the double portion. Okay, so I think I would like to close. This is not a song in our books, but we probably know it well enough.
Let's sing together. I have decided to follow Jesus.
I have decided.
To all of our team.
Oh, doesn't go away.
Let's close with prayer.
Our loving God and Father.
We commit this time into your hands.
Father.
It's our desire that we be found faithful.
It's our desire, Father to.
Please thee and to walk in thy ways to respond to the calling.
That thou art making to our lives.
Lord, we're so thankful for what was done for us by the Lord Jesus at the cross.
Lord, we pray that, Lord Jesus, we ask that thy exceeding love would override and compel us to respond.
And service for thee.
Lord, I just pray for each one of these young people.
I don't know their hearts, Lord, but you do.
I ask you to boss them, Father.
I asked them to be.
Willing to accept.
And to be willing to go down the path that you are marked out for them.
And Father, we ask this humbly, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.