Video Transcript: Ministers are Saved to Share

Ministers are saved to share

Henry Reyenga here, welcome back. Malcom Gladwell wrote several books one of the books was called Outliers, in which he talks about ten thousand hours, that to be really good at something you need ten thousand hours of experience. Now he applied this to people like Bill Gates and his experience, how he got a leg up on everybody else at a time when the computer software industry was taking off and so you have Microsoft but you can also thing about ten thousand hours of experience and what ten thousand hours of experience does for your calling to ministry. God uses our whole experiences, our lives, he sees us and he uses us where we’ve been for a purpose higher than we can even imagine. So, we are going to talk today about how our calling is also connected in the ten thousand hours of experiences that we have gone through.

Now myself, I knew the Lord growing up. I had beautiful parents, grandparents, my calling to the ministry came when I was 12 years old at my grandma’s house, I struggled with sin like everybody else. …but from infancy, I understand what Paul is saying to Timothy-

2 Timothy 3:14-15

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

I had experiences growing up, the depth, the discussions at the dinner table, the reading the bible, the connections where we ate every day at home, we read the bible, I learned a lot of knowledge of scripture. Yes, there were times growing up when I didn’t apply that knowledge. I struggled like any sinner. As a sinner saved by grace, I needed to come to that full embrace of God is Lord and Savior, but that ten thousand hours of being raised in a home that loved the Lord was extremely valuable to me but I can tell you that just because I had that ten thousand hours does not mean that I am any more suited to make an impact for the Lord. An impact is through the Holy Spirit and he uses us broken vessels. Even broken vessels, who have known the Lord through most of their lives but you see in scriptures many come to know the Lord at different places and sometimes the Lord comes into someone's life and disrupts their plans. We read in Acts 9 about noon that this is the apostle, Paul. He said I came to Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” Who are you Lord? I asked “I am Jesus of Nazareth, who you are persecuting. He replied”

What is interesting to me about that is here you have the apostle Paul who is educated and he is sorta like Timothy in some sense. He knows scriptures from childhood but then he had a time of Legalism so he had hours and hours of growing up with the scriptures but his heart was not set on love and the kingdom in the way that he was going to be used in a powerful way he was off somewhat. In his mind he was experienced at persecuting Christians. He was experienced at leadership. He knew the Sadducees.

He himself was a Pharisee. He was a teacher. All of these things filled the ten thousand hours of his experience before he was called into the ministry.

Then we read that he is called into the ministry on the way to persecuting Christians. Maybe that is you somehow. Maybe you have had a childhood where you knew the Lord and then you did other things and you got ten thousand hours and other things. Then the Lord disrupts your life and now you're sensing the calling into ministry. Now others, you may say well that wasn’t my calling I did my ten thousand hours other places, well maybe you were caught? What do you mean by that? Well, you’ve lived far from the Lord.

From the Life of Jesus Youtube Channel:

Video:

This woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. In our law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now what do you say?

Narrator: They said this to trick Jesus so that they could accuse him, but he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up.

Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.

Narrator: Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left one by one. The older ones first. Jesus was left alone with the woman still standing there. He straightened up.

Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?

No one, sir.

Back to lecture:

There was one woman who was caught in adultery. We read about that in John 8.

John 8: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

So here is a woman caught in adultery, thrown before Jesus to trick Jesus, so that they could have more charges against Jesus, and they put this trick before him. What Jesus does, read about that in John 8, incredible, is that he basically says to the woman is;

“Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I believe this is one of the most interesting passages and it does not end how you would expect a religious leader to end a passage in those early days. I believe that its relevant today as ever. Many of you have done your ten thousand hours living a sinful life. You have been so far from God. Whether your raised as a child with the Lord. Whether you heard about it from your grandparents. And then all of a sudden you are thrown into the path of Jesus somehow and you are at your wits end. This woman caught in adultery, we don’t know her life story, but we know that the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the religious leaders had the goods on her and depending on what Jesus said they were going to stone

her to death. Many of you understand that. Many of you have had a run in with death, maybe some of you have been incarcerated, some of you have been so far from God and so close to your own destruction and you were caught. Jesus caught you.

Now you may say hey um I have left that life. Yes, you have but you have been given ten thousand hours of experience so you may be able to reach other people. You may never have understood why you went through all this, but God still has a perfect so you leave your life of sin and God has a purpose for you.

Maybe for you, you have just lived your life and you haven’t really thought to much about God and maybe even went to worship services and you been in churches off and on. And for no particular reason that you can think of, maybe at a worship service, the Holy Spirit has called you into Ministry. I love the Acts narrative in chapter two when the Pentecost comes and its like this worship service descends upon Jerusalem and you can read even more about this by going to Acts two, but we read:

Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?” Some people need to be called who just are average citizens in their country who are wonderful people in many ways and they've done their 10,000 hours of being regular people and at some point that the Holy Spirit comes and calls you into ministry and utterly amazed at God at the gift of Jesus Christ you are called some of you are called into ministry training later on in life and you're here but you have 10,000 hours of experience and God is using those 10,000 hours of experience for his glory. Others of you have had a dark past maybe you were abused or tormented. We read in Luke chapter two and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases Mary called Magdalen from whom seven demons had come out. There's a difference between living the life of sin and pleasure and in many of you who might have actually been tormented cruelly maybe even through demonic efforts maybe these demonic efforts have made you cynical, you contemplated suicide even and yet now God has entered your life.

(Song)

And the demons have been cast out, and you're clear, and clean, and so amazed now, but I'll tell you you have a role you've experienced 10,000 hours of torment or abuse. You know some of you have been sexually abused. God has a plan for you. You will understand someone's journey and how the role Christ Jesus changes everything. Some of you have been abused through anger, some of you have been so cynical on everything now, but God has entered your life and you are healed, and being healed, but that 10,000 hours God will use for Gods glory. You know I'm amazed at the stories of Christian Leaders Institute students and their callings. Maybe you were sick. Again, you were living your life and then all of a sudden you were struck by cancer and it was a journey and in that time you received a lot of experience about what it’s like to be sick and what it’s like to need a savior. That story of Lazareth is one of the most interesting stories and Lazarus died and Jesus raised him to life again maybe that's how many of you have felt that you were just so close to death but you were raised up. And I love where it says when he heard this is about Lazareth being sick this sickness will not death no end it is for God's glory so that gods son may be glorious unfied through it. Maybe that's where you received a 10,000 hours of experience and then you're calling comes and now you have insights and then the Holy Spirit reminds you of these insights to me I see that the plan of God get in the plan of God goes on in a mighty way healing and renewal and now you have part of that.

Maybe you were one who was extremely legalistic you maybe were raised in the Lord or you knew God as a child but you become very legalistic and there are many who are like that and were like that. There are a lot of leaders who have been involved in churches. I remember early in my ministry there was a leader who was sunday school leader who will someone who was heavily involved in the organization of the church as an elder and one day he came in he said I have encountered Jesus for the first time and I've gone through all the motions but it's just been religion it's not been a relationship. In John 3:1-3 we hear about Nicodemus a member of the ruling council. He came to Jesus at night Rabbi how do you know you are a teacher who has come from God no one can perform the miraculousness signs you are doing if God were not with him in replied Jesus declared I'd tell you no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.

John 3:16 and comes outta this passage “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shoud not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Many of you were called the ministry but you've been around the church along time and now the unbelievable the incredible grace of God has changed every part of you and now you know you're saved and you know you know you're right it reached the world but it's a different way you're reaching the world now it's a way of reaching the world where not only are you saved but you are a graceful personnel in all that 10,000 hours of church involvement will only help you, but now that there is in you.

You know I'm fascinated by the journeys to faith now Thomas it was even one of the disciples, one of the 12 and he shoots off his mouth after the disciples told him they had seen the Lord. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20) Some of you have done 10,000 hours of doubting the whole thing and here you are and you have the vision of faith. CS Lewis was somebody like this. He was a major doubter and he had his PhD. In fact, you can read's early works and they had nothing to do with serving the Lord. So he did his ten thousand hours of doubting and that has launched him it launched him into a Christian leader in which we get some of the most amazing books like Mere Christianity and the Chronicles of Narnia. Maybe that's you on your 10000 hours of doubting and now ready to serve the Lord. You know maybe for you if you’ve always just been on a search an honest search you’ve been going to church, you’ve been reading the bible, you have been searching and even somebody like you just so sincere pious person those 10,000 hours make a major difference.

The spirit told Philip “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you're reading? Philip asked “How can I?” he said, unless some one explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8)

Again where have you walked before this calling to Ministry? To me that this Ethiopian seems like a great guy. Today he maybe he would have been somebody that went to church maybe for many years maybe he had combinations of things he knew about God from a childhood or he learned about God at a Christian Camp and he’s been going to church, she’s been doing very well, and searching maybe someone who opens the Bible up and takes note in your Bible him have underlines his words. you are someone who is just, you know, living for God and then in your search for more, more comes to you. Jesus Christ calls you.

Now, what’s so neat about that your ten thousand hours is it's all over the map. Maybe for you the application of the scripture where it says some have this you know's gift, some of that gift, some of this

gift and you have never found that gift, but that gift has been all about you your whole life as your searching scripture. You know what I find so fascinating is that God takes us where we're at for his glory and it will be amazing. You can come from brokeness or just being empty. Now filled possessed. Now we have purpose. You can come out of poverty for your ten thousand hours and now you're reaching thousands of people not only who are going through poverty but those who are not in poverty because you understand it. Maybe you were very alone and God called you felt unloved and you did ten thousand hours of being unloved and now the love of Christ is in you. Maybe you hated others or were hated. I don't know your experience but just like with Lazerous all of these things happen for a reason for a purpose. So you’re here at Christian Leaders Institute and why are you here? I am not sure why you are here, but I know God has a plan. This will be plenty of study, plenty of material to go through but you are being trained. You're given another in a sense 10,000 hours and then again you may not be here a full ten thousand hours, but the the learning that you are going to receive here will now start filling that next 10,000 hours of Ministry calling, Christian Leadership calling, life impacting calling, enterprise calling, bringing revival calling. I don't know what your past has come from but I know your future is bright because you are on a path until your last breath you are called by God to make a difference in the world.