Schau Auf Jesus (3) (German)

Let's pray together. Father, we have heard many, many messages, many challenges. And we need wisdom from you.

To know how to respond, especially when we leave this place. When we may no longer be in a big group of people that are of like mind. But we may be very much on our own.

And we ask, Lord, that you would help us as we prepare to leave this place tomorrow. We look to you now as we look into your word together. In the name of Jesus.

Amen. Well, this morning I want to try to give you a very short message. We have many speakers.

And I know some people think for George Verwer that a short message is impossible. But I've had to many times give short messages. In fact, I once did a radio broadcast in South Africa of three minutes.

The Anglican Church, where I preach often in Great Britain, where I live, they specialize in short messages. Sometimes only 15 minutes. I always remember going to one of those churches.

And they gave me 19 minutes on the schedule. And I begged the leader of the church, could I have a little longer time? I was new, this was my first time, could I have a little longer to share this burden? And he said, of course, you can have 21 minutes. Many, many people made a very important commitment last night to pray that prayer, Lord, here am I, send me.

What do we do next? To make that decision is just the beginning. Many people make that kind of decision, but find it very difficult to follow up afterward. They quickly become confused or discouraged.

Without what I shared yesterday morning, I don't think we can understand what I was trying to say last night. In the morning we spoke from Acts chapter 13. And we shared this vision to see more workers thrust out across especially the unreached people of the world.

One of the advantages we have at this congress is we can pick up a videocassette of the ministry that's going on. This will also be helpful when people try to misquote what we're saying. They say, George Webber said this.

We can say, please refer to videocassette number six. When we are committed to world missions, then we will be mission mobilizers. In other words, we will be sharing this vision with others.

We will not be keeping it to ourselves. And if you get a copy of this Acts 13 message from yesterday morning, you can then share this vision with so many people who are not here. We only represent a tiny, tiny percentage of the believers here in Germany.

How can we get this message out to other people? We can share with them personally. They can see it in our lives. And we can share it through video or audio cassette.

Even people who are at the congress, some of them could not be here last night. And I would urge that those people get the videocassette or audio cassette from last night. This is a very special Sunday.

Across the world it is known as Pentecost Sunday. It especially should be special for Pentecostal people. All Pentecostals should stand on their head for at least ten minutes on Pentecostal Sunday.

All Pentecostals should stand on their head for at least ten minutes on Pentecostal Sunday. But of course we believe every Sunday is Pentecostal Sunday. We believe every day is Pentecostal Day.

And I don't think most of us do want to stand on our heads, so supposedly that is now good for your health. The Americans are very much into health and exercise. I live in London.

I was born in the United States. So I minister there. Actually I think it was in Canada.

I went into the basement, and the man had a machine that could turn you upside down so that you could be standing on your head for twenty or thirty minutes. Thousands of people have purchased those machines. Thousands spend up to one hour upside down each day hoping something will get into their heads.

People will go to any extreme. So try to be a little more healthy. We live in very unusual days.

And we need a lot of wisdom. When I think of Pentecost Sunday, I think of course of the second chapter of Acts. And we always read the first verses concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit.

And I will let other people do that today. But I wanted to look at the neglected last verses of this great chapter. Because here we have some of the secrets of what to do next after we have an experience with the Holy Spirit.

What to do next after we make a commitment as we did last night concerning world mission. Let us read verse forty-two until the end of the chapter. We'll just read in German to save time.

Forty-two through forty-seven. This is one of the most important pictures of the early believers immediately after Pentecost. And we can learn so much from this passage of God's word and every other passage.

First of all we see them continuing in the apostles' teaching. They did not have a new testament yet. The teaching was still verbal teaching.

People who had been with the Lord. The early apostles. Some people in this day are wanting to unite all the religions of the world.

That is a major force in Germany and in Europe today. Of course the Baha'i religion claims they have already done that and they want everybody to become a Baha'i. And they have created one of the most poisonous religious cocktails in the history of religion.

More and more we are going to see the persecution of true believers here in Europe. It is constantly coming on television. Christians are mocked.

They're all considered fanatical fundamentalists. Or completely crazy charismatics. Some Christians do not watch much television.

Probably good. I don't watch much television. But I try to stay informed and read reviews and watch some of these programs to see what they are saying against the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A key word in our society today is toleration. This is also true in the United States. Political correctness.

We must never say anything that offends any minority group. Some of these things are good. But the exception seems to be Bible-believing Christians.

These are considered the enemy by so-called liberal-minded people. This is one of the reasons we need greater love and unity among us. Probably the most important book I have seen in this decade is a book called Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll that two years ago was also put into German.

Grace Awakening. by Charles Swindoll. This amazing book has gone out by the hundreds of thousands of copies in many languages.

If you read English, I'll be happy to send you one as a gift. If you want it in German, go to your Christian bookshop. They need your encouragement.

Or maybe they have it here on this book table. There are tremendous books available in German. The average Christian only sees a tiny percentage of those books because they're not that interested in Christian books.

In this amazing book by this man of God, there's an important chapter. Learning to disagree and yet staying united together. I believe that is the way forward for the body of Christ.

We are never going to all agree on all the different things that are coming at us from different sources in the church today. We are never going to all agree on all the different things that are coming at us from different sources in the church today. At the same time, Bible teaching and doctrine are important.

I praised God for two years in a Bible college. I did not agree with everything they taught me. I was a little bit of a rebel.

But those two years of so much time in the word of God laid a foundation in my life. I have a cassette tape again I'd be happy to send you free called Why Go to Bible College. I have a cassette tape again I'd be happy to send you free called Why Go to Bible College.

We must never say that doctrine is not important. The teaching of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is doctrine. The teaching of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is doctrine.

Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me." That is a doctrinal statement that will revolutionize our lives if we believe it. Jesus sagte, Ich bin der Weg, die Wahrheit und das Leben.

Und das ist einfach Doktrin, Lehre. Und die wird Revolutionäres in unserem Leben machen. And the thing that upsets some people the most about world mission.

Das ist etwas, was viele Leute am meisten ärgert bei der Weltmission. When they hear, we're trying to win people of other religions, you know, good Muslims and good Hindus. We're trying to win them to Jesus.

They say, this is a terrible thing. Gerade wenn wir solche Leute, gute Moslems, gute Hindus oder andere gute Leute, versuchen zum Christentum herüberzuziehen. Das ist eine Schande.

How do we handle that? Wie gehen wir damit um? We have to go back to God's word. Wir müssen zurückgehen zum Wort Gottes. Jesus is the way.

Jesus ist der Weg. We don't want to put down other people's culture. Wir möchten nicht die Kultur anderer Leute zerstören.

In fact, missionaries must be very sensitive about culture. In Wirklichkeit müssen gerade die Missionare sehr einfühlsam sein, was die Kultur anderer Leute anbetrifft. And we need a very high quality of missionary in the day and age in which we live.

Und wir brauchen wirklich hochkarätige Missionare in der Welt, in der wir heute leben. In a summer or for a year program, you can be a helper. You can have a ministry.

Praise God. In einem Seminar oder in einem Jahresprogramm, da kannst du ein Helfer sein. Preis den Herrn.

But that must be a learning experience. Aber das soll nur eine Lehrphase sein. You don't go as some dynamic apostle.

You go as a humble disciple and Timothy learning from others. Du gehst nicht als Superapostel, sondern du gehst als ein einfacher, demütiger Helfer, so wie der Timotheus. Many are getting a vision for long-term missions through their short-term opportunity.

Viele bekommen gerade durch solche Kurzzeiteinsätze eine Vision für ihren Langzeitdienst. But long-term missionaries must be quality people who can learn a language, who can adjust to culture and do God's work. Aber diese Langzeitmissionare, das müssen hervorragende Leute sein, die eine Sprache lernen und die fähig sind, sich an einer Kultur anzupassen.

In diesem einen Vers, da gibt es gleich noch drei weitere Gesichtspunkte. Ein großer Kirchengründer, der etwa 500 Gemeinden in Indien gegründet hatte, der sagt, dieser Vers 42 stellt die vier Pfeiler dar für eine feste Gemeinde. Der spricht von der Lehre.

Und dann von der Gemeinschaft. Dann vom Gottesdienst, hier ausgedrückt durch das Brotbrechen. Und dann gleich vom Gebet, nur in diesem einzigen Vers.

We don't have time to expound this passage. Another major follow-up from last night and this whole congress is to remain in fellowship with like-minded people. Try to meet for prayer.

Hopefully you belong to a church where you can meet for prayer and where you can have fellowship. But some people go off to university, they go off to different parts of the world. And I would urge you, wherever you are, to be in fellowship with like-minded people, that you can share your heart with, you can share your vision with, and you can pray with.

Many people ask me this question because I'm known for speaking openly about sexuality. They ask me this question. Why have so many people, including leaders, fallen into immorality? That is a question everybody asks me all over the world.

Now we don't have time to give a big answer to that question. And that is not my subject this morning. But I can assure you, young people, one of the fiery darts that will try to stop you in your mission vision will be the fiery dart of immorality or impurity.

I have a 25-point strategy I have practiced since 17 years of age to stand against the fiery darts of immorality. And hallelujah, it has worked for 42 years. And all of it is found in the Word of God.

But one of the most important principles is being accountable, having some kind of accountability group so that you have people who are in fellowship with you who are not afraid to ask you the hard questions about how you are actually living your practical Christian life. Some of you have heard of the promise keepers movement in North America that has spread to many other countries. People easily criticize something that is new, especially when it is so big.

Nothing is perfect, and especially when it gets big. I was in Washington some months ago. When one million, almost one million men came for a whole day of worship and repentance there in the capital of the United States.

It was awesome. Over the past several years since that movement was launched by a former football coach hundreds of thousands of men have got right with God and right with their wives. I say praise be to God.

Many of them have repented of immorality. Many of them have repented of immorality. And the secret of that unusual movement is not these big amazing meetings.

It's the small accountability groups. Whereas it says in 1 John chapter 2 men are walking in the light with one another. What are the fruits of true revival? It's when men and women begin to walk in the light.

No more darkness. No more double life. Saturday night one life, Sunday morning a different life.

We become whole. We become healthy. Holy Spirit healthy.

And we learn how to walk in the light. If I had not learned that as a baby Christian I would not be here today. I would have been knocked out of the battle.

And then we see that emphasis on worship and breaking of bread which is part of worship. In a congress with so much emphasis on worship from others I don't feel I should speak more about that. Only to say that I learned this when I was 17.

And I began at a young age to distribute books urging people to make worship the number one priority of their life. Not just when we're together and we have wonderful worship bands but when we're all alone and we're feeling lonely to worship God with the inner harp that he has put in our hearts. Then we see that fourth principle there in that verse.

The principle of prayer. And we have had that emphasized in a wonderful way these days. We see the results.

Look at verse 43. They were filled with all many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. That has been your emphasis.

Praise God for what he has done. But of course when we get to verse 44 we decide it's time to go home. Many people want signs and wonders.

People will travel thousands of miles for signs and wonders. Some are gifted in creating signs and wonders even when there are no signs and wonders. But I seldom find people interested in verse 44.

And when we get to verse 45 we decide that we're going to go into cafeteria Bible study methods. What is cafeteria Bible study methods? It means we pick and we choose. It's like a smorgasbord, like a smorgasbord.

We have those restaurants in Germany. All the food is spread out in front of you. It's like the little breakfast we have in our little hotel here.

Five, ten different kinds of German bread and biscuits and things. You just pick and you choose. So people have developed this method of studying the Bible.

Oh, verse 43, that's my favorite. Signs and wonders. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Let's eat, let's eat. Oh, yeah, verse 43. That is exactly what I was told.

Oh, verse 44, let's look at that. All the believers were together and had everything in common. No, not today, not today.

I'm not very hungry for that today. Well, let's take a look at the next verse. Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone who had need.

Not today, thank you. Maybe tomorrow. Oh, that verse is for my rich uncle.

I certainly hope he gives me something soon. So many of the Lord's people play little games with the word of God instead of taking all of it and facing the reality of that. Now, when we get to verse 46, well, that's a little easier.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes, ate together with glad and sincere hearts. And verse 47.

Praising God. Enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Glory to God. So many important decisions have been made here during this congress. Oh, some have been healed.

Some have had a fresh experience with the Holy Spirit. All of this happens not in the absence of our humanness. It happens in the midst of all of our humanness.

But the big question. What do we do on Tuesday morning? What do we do on Tuesday morning? As we go back to our jobs. As we go back to families, some families that do not even know Christ.

As we get back into the real world situation. Jesus never promised an easy road. And that's why once again I want to emphasize together with Pentecost we always must have the message of the cross.

Never put these in competition. We need the word. We need the spirit.

We need the spirit filled life. But we need the crucified life. It's wonderful to have a crisis experience.

But the crisis must be followed by a process or it will become an abscess. So people who once were so filled with God's grace are knocked out of the battle. I close with these words from the Apostle Paul.

From the book of Corinthians. He said I buffet my body. I bring my body into discipline.

This is the Apostle Paul. The man who had some of the most incredible spiritual experiences ever recorded in the word of God. He says I buffet my body.

I bring it into subjection. I discipline myself. So that after preaching to other people I do not end up a cast away.

I'm not going to end up disqualified. That's from the word of God. That's not my idea.

And if the Apostle Paul needed that kind of discipline that kind of crucified reality how much more all of us who are sitting here need to take that step of faith. Paul said in Galatians 2.20 I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ who liveth within me.

That is the message that comes together with the great message of Pentecost. When we get that Holy Ghost combination the crisis and the process nothing will stop us from running this marathon race until we are with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

Let every hand be bowed before the Lord in a moment of silent prayer. I believe God has spoken to many of you about biblical balance about what to do when you leave here about the need to have the reality of the Holy Spirit together with the reality of the crucified life the need to take these basic principles from Acts chapter 2 that Pentecost chapter and put them in practice in our daily life. Are you willing to do this when you leave here starting Monday night starting Tuesday morning disciplining the word of God disciplining fellowship and accountability disciplining worship and prayer disciplined in every area of your life so that when your body is trying to pull you into something sinful you will be able to deal that blow and bring it back to the cross so that five years from now you'll not be one more congress casualty are you willing for that kind of life that kind of discipline I'm not going to ask you to come forward but if you're serious about the disciplined life if you're serious about what I have just spoken to you about and you'll make a specific commitment to walk this road I'd like you just to put your hand up I just want to see you because I know it is a majority of people God bless you Lord I pray for each person that has just put their hand up that they will become disciplined marathon runners in your great race that the crisis they've experienced these days will be followed by the process of daily denying self taking up the cross and following you and Lord I want to commit re-commit myself to continue to walk this road and Lord I thank you that when I have failed and there's been a lack of discipline that you have forgiven and Lord I pray for those that you have forgiven that feel a struggle in their hearts because maybe they tried to walk this road and they have failed and we thank you for grace Lord and forgiveness that when we fail you love us just as much because we are your children and we have been cleansed by your precious blood by your grace we will stay in this race through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen