It’s easy when we attend conferences or mission trips to get on fire. But often when it is over, this flame dies. If you have met Christ, you know the value of one soul! Because He died for you. Will you embrace the world wide movement – God’s movement?

IMPACT Copenhagen 2015

<p>It’s easy when we attend conferences or mission trips to get on fire. But often when it is over, this flame dies. If you have met Christ, you know the value of one soul! Because He died for you. Will you embrace the world wide movement – God’s movement?</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Empower Missions

Christian Hjortland

Embrace the Movement


I have a short and fairly simple message, but yet not always so easy to implement into our lives. So let's just have a word of prayer before we start. Father in heaven, I thank you for this new day and I thank you for This last meeting we can have together, Father I pray for your Holy Spirit to be with us, to be send into our hearts and speak to us and I pray also that you may give me the right words and that you may move our hearts powerfully in Jesus name, amen. When the feast come to an end, then what? The music has stopped playing, The food is eaten, the voices cease, people leave and you're alone.

Now what? You think back to the feast. As the feast was going on, people were so fired up, people were so excited. You and your friends, you had been talking about the many plans and all you want to have for the future and also the many good moments that you had. Your friend said, I look forward to the dessert and I want to eat it with you.

But suddenly it got late And your friend said, I'm too tired. Maybe another time. Another friend told you, I know I committed earlier to our plans, but I need to study for my exam. Suddenly all came with excuses for the plans you have made and why they couldn't take part in them any longer for that evening and for the time to come. And someone said, I'm sorry, I need to go to work.

Or I need to find a job, maybe later. Or someone might have also said, I need to find a wife or a husband, Maybe later. So as you are alone during this evening, you notice that dessert is still there on the table. Are you going to eat it? Are you still going to follow the plans, even though you might be alone?

Friends, the feast is soon over. Impact is soon over. How many of you have enjoyed this week? Me too. It has been a blessing.

And as I think back to the Impact Week, and maybe some of you know where I'm going with this illustration. As I think back to the Impact Week, people have been fired up, people have been excited about the work. So I encourage you and your friends, we have been sharing good moments together, you have been talking about some good moments during this event, And you may have even laid some plans for later on after the event. And your friend may have told you, I look forward to study more of God's word. And you may have said, I look forward to share the word with others as impact is over.

So as impact is over, are you still going to eat a dessert? Will you share it? Will you stick to the plans that you made or the commitments that you made? Will you embrace the movement? Will you be a part of God's movement?

Will you remember that devotion empowers? Will you remember the messages given and the commitments that you made to God? Or are you just gonna go on with your life as nothing happened? Did the messages really spoke to your heart? And if they did, don't forget them.

And why she says in the Sire of Ages page 83, many attend religious services and are refreshed and comforted by the word of God. But through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they lose the blessing and find themselves more destitute than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus, they have shut away the light of his presence." Interesting quote.

And this is how it is many times. I can relate to it. You go and listen to powerful meetings and you sit there and you say amen and you make commitments and you think wow But she said through neglect of meditation watchfulness and prayer they lose the blessing Don't lose the blessing So will you eat the dessert? The dessert is important. Of course, there's still space in the belly.

And this dessert is a healthy 1 and it's actually a vital 1 with healthy nutrients. It's a necessity. Embrace the movement. So what are you going to do with what you have heard? Are you going to, like we read in the quotes, are you going to meditate?

And when I say meditate, I mean real Christian meditation to think about what you have heard and pondering about the messages that have been giving in the ways God has spoken to you. Are you gonna be watchful as well? Are you gonna see how God wants to change you through the things you have heard, how he has spoken to you? Are you gonna watch for the dangers out there as you go back? Are you gonna Be aware that satan will try to discourage you when you go home and Have you surrender all to him this event today Or maybe you felt it too painful to answer to the many appeals.

Will you pray, like Walter Redouy, of vital importance? Will you pray about the things you heard, about the things you experienced, and I'm sure many of you already have? Or Will you pray for wisdom, for guidance for the future, for God to be with you and to lead you to become more efficient in his service? Will you continue to spread the message also after impact? Let the living water that Christ has given to you overflow to share it.

Let's look at a few Bible texts in Luke chapter 9. And here we see a situation where Jesus and his disciples, towards the end of the chapter in verse 59, we see how Jesus and the disciples, they have been walking, they were walking on the road. And someone told Jesus, I will follow you. And then we'll go down to verse 59. And it says here, then he said to another, Jesus said to another, follow me.

But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid a farewell who are at my house. Okay, so the first 1 here.

When we say, I want to follow you, Lord, first of all, we need to count the cost, because it costs something to follow Christ. It costs sacrifice. It requires sacrifice. So the second 1, I'm going to read it again, verse 61. And another 1 also said, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.

But Jesus said to him, no 1 having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Quite strong words, all of this from Jesus. But what this is about is God's work and his plan for you must have the first place of your life. Even though we are called to do different things for God, we have 1 thing in common and that is we're all called to serve. We're all called to serve and reach out to others.

We're called to consecrate our lives with all its interests, to put this at number 1, God and his plan for you. We need to count the cost and then go to work. Maybe some of you came to Impact, you didn't count the cost for God's work. What did it actually cost to say, yes, I want to do it. I want to serve you.

So will we embrace the movement, God's movement, here on earth? Even if your friends and family and church members may say, no, sorry, I don't have time any longer. I know I told you earlier that I would join you going on an outreach, or that I would join you in Bible study, but right now I don't have time. Maybe later. We will still embrace the moment.

They may say, I need to find a job maybe later, I need to focus on school maybe later, I need to find a wife maybe later. All of these things are not bad, don't misunderstand me. But it's easy to come with excuses and it's easy that excuses become the number 1 priority and then God comes second place. It's so easy to do that. But you may still be determined to do it.

You may still be determined to embrace God's movement because you know the value of 1 soul you have seen. Christ has spoken to you. He has touched your heart. He has changed your heart. You know the value of 1 soul because He has reached out His hand to you.

You know the value you have in His eyes. And you may have reached out to someone that accepted the Lord, and you know the value of 1 soul and how much joy it is to see a changed heart. And once he says in Review and Herald, March 13, 1888, 1 soul is of infinite value, for Calvary speaks its worth. 1 soul, 1 to the truth, will be instrumental in winning others, and there will be an ever-increasing result of blessing and salvation." This is fantastic. What a value we have in 1 soul.

When you look at the cross we can see that. And what a plan this is for 1 soul that accepts Christ and his sacrifice. What a plan for this soul that will become an instrument in reaching so many others. And the quote continues, it says, your work may accomplish more real good than the more extensive meetings if they lack in personal effort, When both are combined with the blessing of God, a more perfect and thorough work may be wrought. But if we have but 1 part done, let it be the individual labor of opening the Scriptures in households, making personal appeals, and talking familiarly with the members of the family.

Not about things of little importance, but of the great themes of redemption. Let them see that your heart is burdened for the salvation of souls. So like we have done here, we have, at impact, been combining the work of meetings, personal labor. She says this will be a thorough work, a perfect work when combined. But if we have 1 part, the more important, she says, is this, it's the individual labor of opening the Scriptures in households, making personal appeals and talking with the members of the family, but not just talking about anything, but the most important things, the redemption, the great themes of redemption.

And like she ends this quote, you know, let them see your heart is burdened for the salvation of souls. The feast is over, but impact is not over. Impact just started. The real effect of impact will be seen when you go home. When this is over.

So will you remember the training and experience that you got through this time here, through this event? What will you do when you go home? Will you reach your friends and family? Will you impact your church, your community? Will you study the Bible with others and share what you know?

Because you know more than a regular Danish about the Bible, I'm certain. A person that doesn't really believe or is not really sure. Will you love and care for people as you meet their needs? In the same chapter in Luke, this is the last text we'll read, verse 23. It says, then he said to them all, Jesus speaking, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

What does this mean? What if Jesus would have said the following, If any man will come after me, let him please himself and enjoy the world, and he shall be my disciple. He would have gotten a big crowd, right? A big crowd, wow! Finally I can justify my actions.

Finally I can please myself and enjoy the world and I can still be a disciple of Christ. You know, this is unfortunately almost a message of some Christian churches today. It doesn't matter so much what you do, just believe. This is almost the same message. But Christ didn't say this.

We have to give up something, we have to deny something, we have to deny self. The foundation of the plan of redemption was the lady in sacrifice. And Jesus left the royal courts, became poor, and through his power we may become rich. So if Jesus has touched you and come into your life, you will follow his example, the true pattern. Jesus says, follow me.

What is your answer to him? Do you want to take up his cross daily? Take up your cross daily and deny yourself. Surrender is a daily matter. In Christ's Obed lessons, page 326, it says, each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven.

Each 1 of you have your place in the plan of heaven. And it says each is to work in cooperation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Like I said, we have, we're all called to serve God. We're all called to share the gospel, but not necessarily in the same area. And listen to what she says, not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designed on earth where we are to work for God.

God has a place for you here on earth. Here perhaps in Denmark, or right now at least it is. That's amazing. A God that knew us before we were born. He planned individually for you how you could fit into his great work.

This is a work of honor for us. This is a work for a whole universe, this great controversy. And we can be part of it. He chose you personally to be part of that. God has a place for you in His work.

He needs you for the salvation of souls. And like you heard earlier in the week, there are people in this world that you are best fit to reach. Isn't that amazing? That means that if you say no to Christ, you know, no, I don't have time right now. I need to find a job.

I need to do this. I need to do that and come with a long list. And then he comes way down. That means that maybe there are some people around you that you are best to reach. But because you say, I don't have time.

They won't be reached at the perfect timing or maybe they will never be reached because you declined. Embrace the moment. Will you? Will you embrace the moment? Will you embrace God's moment and his plan for you?

His special plan. Yes. Amen. Is there anyone else? I will too.

Praise the Lord. Because of Christ's grace and power, you can. Because like I said yesterday. Christ said in the Great Commission, all power is given me. On heaven and on earth.

Go ye therefore, this is why we can go, this is why we can. Share the gospel to the whole earth in 1 generation. Because of Christ's power. So, you have all heard the answer to the appeal. All of you.

So my final words to you will be, go and impact your world, wherever that is. When you go home, impact just started. And the results on this event, what it has done in you and in your heart will be seen when you come home. And God has great plans for you, I'm sure. And it's not a coincidence that you're here.

So let us think about, let us ponder about the messages we have heard, experience we have done here, and pray for strength, pray for Denmark, pray for your church, for your community. And also if you feel alone, because I said it may be the case that you're totally alone after, But do like Christ said, pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth more laborers. But even if you're alone, you are not alone because Christ is with you and this is why you can reach the world with the gospel. Let us stand up and pray together. Heavenly Father, It's an honor to be your child.

It's an honor, Lord, to be part of this, of your moment here on earth. You have called us, each 1 of us individually, to reach the world. This is not something we should take lightly. But Lord, it is challenging. It is challenging, especially if we feel like we're alone.

When we go back and get back to normal life, it's challenging, it's tempting to just remain unchanged. But Father, you see that we all have been blessed by this event. You see that we all have the need of you. Because you, only because of the grace of Christ, we can do something here on this earth. Because of the grace of Christ, we are, We have the opportunity to live with you for eternity.

And I pray that just as the foundation of the redemption plan is sacrifice, I pray that this may be the foundation of our lives and in our service for you. And we will not even come close to give back to what you have given to us. But the only thing we can do, or the greatest thing we can do, is to give our lives. And I pray, Lord, that may be the case for each 1 of us. Help us to daily take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow you.

So I pray for Denmark, Father. I pray for this church and other local churches that we represent. May you revive us. May you lead each 1 of us in your work. May you help us to reach a community, to see and discover the needs and to follow Christ's method alone as we are reaching out and help us to support 1 another and encourage 1 another.

I pray that the work in Denmark may go forward. In Jesus' name, Amen. And much more. If you would like to know more about Audioverse or if you

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Embrace the Movement

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