Sing Talk—Paul Froese
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
So I brought some bowls with me with little papers in them that are this size, and I'm going to pass a bowl down each row. I want you to take one paper out of it.
They're a little bit on cardstock, so they're thicker than you might expect. And then if you could, please.
Pass the bull on and someone else will take the next one. They're all the same.
So don't bother fishing through.
The one other thing you're I want you to keep it. You're welcome to throw it away.
This is the kind of thing that I would keep in my hymn book for 10 years and then find it again. Just please don't throw it on the floor if you do, throw it away. So I'm going to start passing these out and then we can talk about it.
OK, let's pray. Father, we pray for your blessing on your word tonight. We give thanks for the opportunity to share it with these young Saints and we pray that it would be a blessing to each soul. Here we ask for your help in Jesus name, Amen.
So you'll notice on this scrap of paper 2 verses.
On one side is a verse from Matthew 1527 and the others from Acts 1014. So I want to begin speaking to you from Acts chapter 10.
And if you remember the story in Acts chapter 10, this is a man named Peter, and Peter is.
Hungry.
And he's waiting for the people he's staying with to cook him a meal. And while he's waiting, he has a.
Trance or a vision?
And in the vision he sees a sheet come down out of heaven, and inside the sheet are all manner of unclean animals. And the Lord tells him something. He says, Peter, arise, kill and eat.
And this is what Peter says he says.
No, Lord.
The other side is Matthew chapter 15 and verse 27.
Little different story.
In this story there's a woman who if you read in your Bible, it'll say that the heading maybe of the the section calls her the Syrophoenician woman.
That means that's where she's from.
So some of you may be Canadian women or American women or Mexican women.
Or Californian women. This was a Syrophoenician woman, and what was different about her is that she was not.
A Jew.
And she had a problem. Her daughter was demon possessed, so she went to the Lord with the request, she said.
I'm going to read it because I don't remember what she said.
She says.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil.
But he answered her not a word, And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I'm not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Then she came and worshiped him, saying, Lord help me.
But he answered and said it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs.
And she said, Yes, Lord, or truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
00:05:04
What I have to say to you tonight is.
Summed up on the little piece of paper you have in your hand.
And it is the responsibility that you have.
To a man named Jesus Christ.
And in the scriptures he takes a title, and the title is Lord.
And Lord means something.
Sometimes we pray to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord means master.
I have a question for you.
What as a as a human being, what are your rights?
Who would venture in answer?
Life. Liberty.
Those may be your rights as a citizen of America, but those are not your rights as a human being.
As a human being, you have one right, and that is to remain.
Silent.
You know, there's a verse in the Bible that says that every mouth may be stopped.
And everyone would become guilty before God.
The only one with any right is God.
And that's what his name Lord means.
Peter had a program that he was on.
And the Lord told him to do something that didn't fit with his program.
And So what did he tell the Lord?
No, Lord.
The Syrophoenician woman had no program.
She had a problem.
And she said, yes, Lord.
Now I want to suggest that you do something.
And it might be tonight.
And it might be later this weekend.
If you decide to hang on to this piece of paper, I suggest you take it by yourself and think about it.
Turn it to the side that says Acts 1014.
And take a pen.
I would suggest you cross out one or the other of those two words.
Because.
If you're going to say no.
You can't say Lord.
And if you say Lord.
He can't say no.
And I want to tell you that the Lord has a plan for you.
And if you say yes, Lord, to his plan for you.
That would be a good choice.
Because it is the only and the best plan.
I copied out a poem I would like to read, actually two poems and I wouldn't read you the first one if I didn't have the second one.
To read after and these two poems illustrate what I am trying to tell you.
This is a problem that begins when we're born. I have a niece that is 2 years old. He's she's learning to talk and when she says the letter C.
In her words, it comes out as AT.
00:10:03
So she talks about the.
***** in my wallet.
Which are actually cards.
And she tells her daddy, Daddy, I can't.
I can't. She says that when she doesn't want to do something and he says you can't or you won't. So it's not a it's not a problem that just.
Kids have it's a problem that is with us until we take this decision to.
Say yes instead of no.
So the first poem I'm going to read to you might be familiar to some. The title is Invictus is written by William Ernest Henley.
A man who probably today is burning in hell, and I want you to listen to what it says.
Out of the night that covers me, black is the pit from pole to pole.
I think whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade. And yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll. I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.
You know, that sounds pretty brave.
But it's stupid.
I want to read to you what St. of God named Dorothy Day wrote and she titled her poem Conquered because Invictus apparently is Latin for unconquered.
She says.
Out of the light that dazzles me, bright as the sun, from pole to pole, I thank the God I know to be for Christ, the Conqueror of my soul.
Since his the sway of circumstance, I would not wince nor cry aloud under the rule which men call chance my head with joy.
Is humbly bowed.
Beyond this place of sin and tears that.
That life with him and his, the aid, that spite the menace of the years, keeps and will keep me unafraid.
I have No Fear though. Straight the gate he cleared from punishment the scroll. Christ is the master of my fate.
Christ as the captain of my soul.
So what do you think about that?
You find that little paper?
In the leaves of your Bible.
Or your hymn book.
Which side will it be for you? Let's commend ourselves to the Lord.
Lord, we give thanks tonight that we can turn our lives over to the loving hand of God.
Thank you that you do have a plan and a purpose that is the best. We ask for your help. We know that as children this begins and is a life long exercise to bow.
And surrender.
We pray for each dear St. here in the path of faith that each would have the courage and the will.
To say not my will.
But thine be done, we give thanks as well for any refreshment that may be served here tonight. We give thanks for the opportunity to enjoy our company with each other.
We seek your blessing in Jesus name, Amen.