2018-07-19 - Soquel - Pr. Henry Wright - Inkeeper

- right is a minister professor and family counselor elder Henry Monroe Wright began his ministerial career in 1964 after earning a Bachelor of Arts in religion from Oakwood College he further qualified himself for the ministry by obtaining a master of systematic theology degree from Andrews University in 1965 sensing the need for additional training Wright received a Master of Divinity degree from Methodist Theological Seminary in 1978 he attended Vanderbilt University from 1979 to 1981 for postgraduate studies in church administration he has received more than 50 awards and recognition for pastoral leadership preaching and evangelism while being blessed throughout their ministry Wright has been married to his wife Carol since 1966 they were gifted with three sons and now have four grandchildren please welcome Henry right [Applause] how y'all doing it is so good to be back at SoCal thank you for inviting me back with my dear wife and just so grateful to the Lord I was reflecting back there as my temperament is inclined to do the first time I preached at this camp meeting was 1980 I was 38 years old I'm now 76 why don't you give God a hand for his mercy and grace My dear wife is with me Carol please stand we praise God I retired in December of 2017 so I'm almost seven full months into trying to figure out what to do next but I just thank God for being God I thank you administrative team for this theme his word shaping our story his word shaping our story make it personal his word shaping you come on somebody his word shaping you we're going to spend some time with that over the next several sermons and pray that God will speak to your heart let's pray I'm in your hands Lord amen let's read those words on the screen together come on everybody then Jesus I was a pitiful start let's go then jesus answered and said a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing wounded him and departed leaving him half dead now by chance a certain priest came down that road and when he saw him he passed by on the other side likewise a Levite when he arrived at the place came and looked and passed by on the other side but a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was and when he saw him he had compassion now pause don't stir just pause let's digest what we've gotten so far read on so he went into him what's wrong with you read so he went into him and that is just moon pouring oil and wine and set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him brought him where read on on the next day when he departed he took out two denarii gave them to the two to the end fever and said to him take care of him number one whatever more you spend no no no don't worry about the rest of the evil rest of the brethren let's go back here take care of him number one and whatever more you spend number two and when I come again I will repay you number three my subject the innkeeper oh well my pastor thought this was a sermon on the Good Samaritan ah you've heard that one already all of you old Adventists and Christians have heard somebody preach on the Good Samaritan you know about the Levite and the shame of the priests who walk by the poor fella beaten up and bruised laying on the highway you've heard that we I don't need to take you back through that tonight you know the story better than me but have you ever given any press to the innkeeper I like that response the end the innkeeper let's let's just talk about the innkeeper for a minute this this this this independent businessman found himself a corner placed his Holiday Inn junior right there worn down the competition people are coming and going he has staff he has employees yes people who clean people who cook people at the at the registration desk he's got he's invested quality in his rooms fine furniture draperies and so forth he has a nice free breakfast in the morning served from 6:00 to 9:00 this guy this guy this in and I'm upset tonight because nobody talks about we talk about the Levite and we spend a lot of time as preachers at poorly how could that Levite the preacher says walk by how could that priests we and and we know those of us who've read desire of Ages that the priest and the Levite were in the audience when Jesus told the parable yeah there you go again mmm and and and and we know from the sermons we've heard preached that that this this poor broken up fellow represents represents those in the world who who's gone through rough times and and and and and been left aside and and how the Good Samaritan by the way Christ object lessons you read that to pace really one the Good Samaritan is Jesus now that's death that's worth reaching for about two minutes I mean the Samaritan represents Jesus not a Jew not one of the elite but Jesus paints himself as the unexpected hero the Samaritan we must pause and talk about that Christ is sending a message almost immediately to his church that he represents all of us that was pitiful so I'll help you out amen amen all of us there's there's no one Christ can't represent whoever whatever what background we can be represented by Jesus Christ so he paints himself as a Samaritan and and that's why the story by the way is in Luke because he's the only Gentile who writes a gospel look a Matthew doesn't cover it in his book and and Mark the memories of Peter doesn't cover it in his book and John the beloved John nice guy but he says nothing about the Good Samaritan only a Gentile can appreciate the story where Jesus is represented by a non Jew and so Luke caught that Jesus now is represented by this unacceptable person but that's not the meat of the story there's this in keeper now some pastors when they when they when they preach the story they they they paint the the Levite as as the church leaders who've lost their touch and and the priest as the as the pastors and elders who've lost their touch and and of course all of us like to picture ourselves as the man beaten up because we've been beaten up and Jesus helps us we want to be that person but have you ever considered that Jesus only gives instructions to the innkeeper there you go again only to the innkeeper does he give instruction now why are you all so calm and I'm the only one excited the innkeeper read over passed over ignored not talked about not preached about but hey tonight I want to lift this guy up because this is the one person to whom in the parable in the parable Jesus gives the innkeeper responsibility oh I read Christ's object lessons just like you did and we know now that the innkeeper represents the church he represents the church now I'm back with his innkeeper I like him his business runs like a clock everything is smooth everything is on time everything is organized bills are being paid income is coming he's having a great life and the last thing he needs is somebody bringing him a problem yeah somebody wears listening the last thing he needs is somebody bringing him a problem the last thing this church member needs is Jesus bringing him a problem so your theme is his word shaping our story that means that theme said to me that this cat meeting is celebrating the fact that God has the right to invade your life with his mission without your permission and until you are ready to let God's Word and God's mission interfere with your flow that you might accomplish what God had in mind when he gave you life and breath until you are there you are pretending to be a disciple now I don't have time in this sermon to deal with how the Good Samaritan or the Samaritan and this innkeeper knew each other I don't even know if they knew each other what I know is that in the midst of a busy day he drives up in his SUV with this dude he's found on the side of the road broken up and says he wants a room there's no reservation there's no call ahead of time he just says we need a room and he's got this guy all bloodied up to put on these clean sheets are you listening to me are you really listening to me do you understand that God has the right any day in your life to bring you whatever a problem he chooses to accomplish his task well I've been following you I've been keeping up with you I know you guys every year raised about a million dollars in in in evangelism offering and I know for some of you say here we go again gotta raise all this money give all these funds for all these various projects God does not need your permission to get your money it's his money that was weak so I will help you out again when you became a member of God's church you gave up ownership your life is now God's territory your path is now his path my brother and God can present you in the midst of your flow whatever problem he has and say to you take care of it take care of it so here he is this guy shows up and and and and and I could imagine see all right I can imagine I have a preacher's imagination because of whatever kind of relationship this innkeeper and this Good Samaritan added Good Samaritan obviously was a guy of of wealth you know he comes up in his his his his his SUV I didn't say what kind it was you know maybe a Lexus maybe a BMW big fine you know he he knows him he's good for his he's good for his money and he's a man of means he is taking care of the man himself now here's a big here's a beautiful part of the store that's not preached about the Bible is clear in the story you read it the Good Samaritan took care of the man himself first didn't he didn't they which means any problem God brings you he's already handled himself and decided it's your size oh shoot that was a good point you should have said a man you should have said a man that was a good point he brings you problems he's already taken care of he doesn't just dump the stuff in your lap he makes sure it's a problem you could handle he's already put the oil on he's already bandaged him up he's already seen to his needs he just wants to finish the job god bless you my brother and so and so and so here he comes brings this guy in all this mess and stuff and bandages and so forth and and and and and they work out some kind of arrangement find the room and he's probably got nothing left but one of his Suites did they go last much they're more expensive yeah yeah somebody somebody somebody's paying attention to this sermon see listen listen unless you're ready to give Jesus the best you have you're not ready to get in anything at all Christ did not die on the cross to receive peanuts he wants all that you are in fact Paul and shock in 1st Corinthians says what what verse 20 in 6 verse 19 and 20 what know you not yeah that you are bought with a price and you were not your own I mean Paul writes in his shop don't you know yet that when Jesus died on the cross he bought the whole planet it's all his he can do with what he wants and he was about to find this out so so so who is this innkeeper he's us what was he like he was a hard-working steady guy returning his tie that's offering going to church on the weekend got his kids in the Academy he's doing justly does not need problems he's paying a staff he's keeping up with the taxes he doesn't need problems have you ever noticed have you ever noticed I have that is when your life is just flowing along like honey somebody's listening to Marisa might say come on I'm gonna come on - yeah yeah yeah long August that's that's when Jesus allow something to happen I mean it was it was it was it was doing some of the best days of my of my life when when when when the Lord allowed my 26 year old son to die two miles from my house and a mobile accident head but we were we had just moved to a new church things are going well life was progressing right in the midst of that God drops a life test and you see folk the issue in life is not whether we can trust God the issue in life is for the God can trust you innkeeper here I come with a life problem a life situation take care of it and then and then he has the nerve to say to the innkeeper for the pastor I can only say it and when you spend more what what you have left me to deny right here now and you and I can imagine that when the when the when the bruised and beat-up smelly God he's got to be shower in fact in fact the innkeeper's got to bring in help custard that the maids who clean the room they they they don't they don't know they don't date people they don't ban his people and he's running the business and his wife is taking care of the kids who's gonna take care of this sick man you see the problem he's got a heart somebody have you ever had a problem in life will you find yourself saying to the Lord is there a problem somewhere with me I mean really I mean you know if you noticed nothing's going well does anybody know what I'm talking about where one problem two pumps piles upon another problem and you and you say what the what's the worth of going to church what's the worth of returning time why am i eating chocolates and vigilant's instead of steak and chicken why aren't doing all this stuff why am I making all these sacrifices because nothing's working for me so I imagine in my preacher's imagination he had to hire some help to take care of the gut so now so now his assignment and and it's a daily assignment he's got to check on the guy himself it's it's it's it's a Care assignment you know you know giving care giving have you ever been a caregiver that can drain you he's got to give care but something else hits me and Jesus wanted me to tell you this tonight something else hits me see this is the church this is us he's paying bills he's taking care of taxes he's seen to his staff he's singing about his kids but in this situation this he has to pause and focus on a person undisturbed tonight because something I think the church may be in danger of forgetting is that the prime purpose of the church is people now come on come on come on people people and at the Adventist Church we've gotten so caught up in programs and I'm not against programs I'm very programmed myself but ladies and gentlemen programs in the church that use God's resources and that really don't help and win and improve and restore and help people are a waste of the church's time and and he doesn't know this person he may know that he be he may know there was Samaritan I mean this is Christ you may know him he doesn't know this purse and so and so that there's a lesson here folk as we move into the last days as this great conference I've had the joy preaching at every major camp meeting in Adventism at some point in my career and I've never seen a conference like this one so geared to making sacrifices for the sake of the extension of the gospel god bless you but remember the bottom line is people people people who show up in your church not dressed right people who show up in your church with the ring in their nose people who show up in your church with the hair fixed in strange ways and in idiotic colors I mr. Justin have said that in strange colors see I'm still going to strange colors people who don't know when to stand up you know we know when the when the you know when the doxology is sung and the who you stand they don't know the stand they don't notice that God's gonna drop these people all over our churches and we must receive them and forget our agenda and traditions and recognize that the purpose of the church is people [Applause] they don't noticed and when you pray they don't know to fold their hands they don't know the kneel they're doing good to be there and they're broken and bruised and beat up by life and they they have no hope and there's no one to care for them and so Jesus brings them in and then brings them to us this thing is costing us in Cheaper money iiiiii picture him again this does you have to watch us preachers we have we have vivid imaginations I'll pitch him at first keeping records $5 for bandages mm-hmm he says don't repay so if he bag would repay bandages and $12 for fresh washcloths and $20 for $20 for seven and thirty dollars a day for the personal care but the problem is you read the text you read the text with me the guy says when I come again when it's been is the church listening did you hear him say I will come again when when it's fallen apart my life's falling apart my marriage is falling apart my kids have no sense they're just like me they have no sense when are you coming back see that's the that's the key to this story we must take care till he releases us there is no buying out of the mission there is no way away from the responsibility it's when he decides and one day turned into one week and one week turned into one month and by now he has stopped keeping records see that's what God wants you to do stop keeping records you remember those you remember those little yellow cards or something I'm 76 something y'all are pretty young but some of you old folk remember the old yellow cards personal ministries yeah hours of Christian welfare raised in three hours money cast donated the welfare three dollars in 21 cents if you really help him somebody I'll come you know how many cents you're Smith but anyhow we got that list and and it became it became really a moment Jackie for a lot of lot of Christian boasting I was so glad and we got rid of them yellow cars if you remember they did it at the end of Sabbath school remember so you said there was the class members you don't want the person the teacher that goes through the whole car and you never raise your hand and claim it if they see a lie you lie you lie God wants us to stop keeping score why he doesn't keep score he doesn't count your sins somebody say Amen he doesn't count your lies somebody say man he doesn't count your mistake somebody say man he doesn't keep score so we ought to stop keeping score just do it because it's right to do it so it's costly it's indefinite you know I like to think I'm a guy that's you know you know if you bring a problem to me you know look I need to do so-and-so and so-and-so yes but you know some people know you know do you want me to I got things that do how long do you want me to take care of out Mary take care till I get back keep passing out tracks did I get back come on somebody keep going down to the soup kitchen till I get back keep visiting the sick and the afflicted till I get back I would somebody would say hey man keep knocking on doors and giving Bible studies did I get back just keep it up till I get back that is exactly what he said to this guy and the thing about it is the assignment is daily it is care oriented it is people focused it is costly its indefinite and it is incalculable and the reason why in case I didn't put this in the sermon I just check my notes see what I left out the reason why the Lord wants you to reach the point where you can't fathom what it has cost you to serve Him the reason why he wanted to reach that point is because you can't fathom when it cost him to save you what is the value of the cross have mercy Lord what value can you put on God hung on a tree how dare you ever imply by your statements that God asks too much of you that's why we give money to evangelism it's an investment it's absolutely investment because it brings people and Jesus has put unmeasured value my dear lady on me you can talk about me as much as you please but Jesus died for me so just keep on talking and I'll keep on thinking because Jesus died for me I am somebody Hey because Jesus died for me it doesn't make any difference what my background is don't make any difference where I come from what I look like I am special because Jesus died for me I would somebody would say man out there there is no value you could put on him me right you can't weigh my cost because I'm worth the Son of God so here he is here is and I think I just imagine that the Good Samaritan Jesus took his time getting back there's an old song the black folk used to sing he may not come when you want him but he's right on time there those sisters we get to Pat in the feet and shakin in the Pew may not come when you want it but he sure enough gonna come on time thereby start clapping their hands there was truth in that song God acts in the same degree as you grow he won't solve the problem till you accept the problem let me take a deeper he won't solve the problem until you accept his right to sinned the problem God does not bargain with you he does not bargain with his church here's the broken take it here's the situation care for it here's the problem till I get back and then he says I will repay now I would imagine me and this foolish the imagination of mine I would imagine that at the at the beginning this was a spur to this businessman you know he's spending he's keeping records his accountant is holding things up he's okay cuz this guy's gonna repay now when it first starts he doesn't know the guy's gonna stay till Jesus comes and then would not in the plan he just know and so he's okay because he's gonna repay and and the Samaritan clearly is a guy with money drove up to the place and a BMW SUV he can take care of it God has to wait until you stop calculating what he's gonna do for you I want that to sink in I heard an old Baptist preacher once say even the Baptist has some truth you know I heard an old Baptist preacher say once you should love Jesus so much that if he went to hell you would join him there boy did you hear that did you hear that elder Europe whoa oh yeah here's the Baptist don't blame me it was a Baptist and said but just truth in that sea folk if you're going to heaven for golden streets for a role that needs no dry cleaning but you follow me monoi to heaven for the stuff my brother but God wants to bring it to the point for all you want to do is see Jesus see your Savior you don't care what other accouterments and benefits he has you just what I finally and I don't know about you though I want to hook him I want to lay my hand off in my head on his chest and just say thank you Jesus for making me soul diable and so and so the Lord had to wait until this businessman was no longer calculating what he was going to receive I will repay but oh what a repayment for the time you spent innkeeper I'll give you an exchange eternity for the money you've spent innkeeper I'll give you a life with no bills at all for the care you spit innkeeper I will care for you for eternity for the stress you've been through and keeper I will give you eternal peace for the inconvenience and folk let me pause and say here being a Christian can sometimes be inconvenient they don't sit there be pious Amen it's no better roses but God says I'll repay you with a life that has no inconvenience and for the uncertainty innkeeper you've experienced I will give you eternal assurance and for the mission I gave you for the mission that I gave you I will replace it with eternal celebration how long have you been in this church how long you know when I retired I had been a minister for a retired in December I've been a pastor for fifty three and a half years full-time ministry I'm serious I appreciate that but no fifty three and a half years and you can kind of begin to get the feeling that maybe somebody owes you something I'm gonna be very vulnerable with you now very transparent you start expecting certain things because you've been in the tomb and you've passed a fifteen and a half years so the brothers ought to give you some deference you know really I'm serious folk really really I mean you've been elder at your church since Abraham Lincoln died [Music] treszura since Methuselah missed the boat are you hearing me you can be listened to me I'm serious I know you're smiling you can begin to think that maybe somebody owes you something and one of the things that retirement is done for me it's been good for me I no longer I don't pastor anything on pastor I don't pass in an outhouse nothing I'm not over him I don't sit on a committee I don't share anything I don't know nobody wastes me to show up like they don't care what I show up or not it's been good for you listen to me good for me just and the go to church and just sit you know when I was in the ministry my foot would have a terrible time with me I'd visit churches and and and and things weren't going right so I like order I like order yummy watering system see no finagling around and got ya and so I we go places and I would get kinda and she put her head on my thigh honey honey you're not in charge of anything today we're just visiting this visitor I'm learning out of the go to church and just sit like one of the members yeah no no no deference no no would you come past will you come forward and say a word no no no no no no Henry Wright goes now to church and keeps his mouth shut and they make a few marks and SAP I love this absolutely this absolutely my point is God has shown me in these seven months how to be happy truly happy in the church being nothing but an innkeeper and as I wrote to my new pastor he's one of my students I taught him he was my youth pastor then one of my churches I'm now he's now my pastor and I wrote Toyman told him the first things I'd be willing to do and so forth and then I added or anything else you need me to do and I looked I said you actually wrote that listen to me listen to me to the innkeeper speaks to us some of us have possessed and owned we think the church is our property brothers and sisters if you have a office in the church opposition the church that's by the grace of God you're nothing but just an innkeeper he can dump a problem in your life any time he feels like it he can wait as long as he can to reimburse you you have to become if we're going to be saved we have to become willing nobodies in God's house to be used as God sees fit somebody say man out there are you ready for Jesus to come are you ready to stand in his place that he chooses for you that innkeeper that's the hero of the story that Good Samaritan the person who accepted God's assignment and through that assignment listen to me the theme the theme the theme shaped by God's Word through that assignment take care spend more you will spend more folk you will spend more I will return and I'll repay you those three phrases changed his whole life those three phrases changed his whole life I had no plans to take care of a broken person I certainly had no plans to spend more money than you gave me Samaritan and I had no plans to wait ad infinitum till you decide to come back have you listened to the sermon you see what it's saying to you God's Word shapes you yeah I'm gonna make an appeal from make an appeal sorry you you'll be fine [Music] Lord I've not always been willing to let you invade my space the sermons help me see that I have tended to want to run my life my way I have resisted when you have imposed problems issues people people some of you had to unexpectedly take care of a relative some of you that down expectedly take care of a teenager some of you have had to unexpectedly take care of a neighbor God has put stuff in your life and it was rough on you or some other situation and you admitting tonight I've not always done well with that and I know removing to the last days and God is not going to be choosy about what he sends I want to be ready when he comes accepting of his impositions I've not always been there and you know it I want there to be an honest response if you v disappear you know you need to be more submissive to God's invasive tactics in your life you know that stand I'm already standing Stan you're not a bad person if you don't stand the appeal may not fit you see the appeal may not fit you so how many of you think you will always remember now the innkeeper huh yeah some of you know you're gonna own the night you're gonna read that story again yeah that innkeeper they didn't Kieffer's me as I will deal with them are all night I'm a person who's always wanted to be in charge I'm confessing I like being in charge come on that I'm will step all over my toes am own sermon I will step on yours too but tonight we're confessing we don't like our flow to be messed up well that's to be honest but most of us we have a flow to our life don't bring me problems we don't say it that way but that's how we are but tonight we're asking for the spirit elder of submission humility is an excellent word that says Lord you have the right the sea the sea these are the last days ladies and gentlemen God doesn't have time to negotiate with you and ask permission he's just gonna bring to you what he needs you to do he expects you to do it with a smile on your face so I'm gonna pray for us not for you for us can I do that could you join hands together as I pray would you do that for me even across the aisle [Music] you've had such wonderful sermons and presentations all during this week I'm honored that they've trusted me to come to the end of this I'm honored I don't deserve this I'll do the best I can I'll do the best I can vote and you're praying for me I know you are some of you walked up to me today and said pastor we're praying for you and you're welcome to be back I really appreciate that now let's pray father and innkeeper yeah you stuck that wringer in that story and now we got a deal with that innkeeper he's too much like me I don't like that [Music] he's the one to whom you gave the assignment not the priest not the Levite but the innkeeper had the problem dropped in his lap you have dropped into the lap of the church the mission sometimes we squirm we're confessing tonight our attitude has not always been positive thank you for lovingly tolerating that and even helping us when we were not willing you've done that and in the process like the innkeeper you softened us we became less calculating less self concerned and we finally gave ourselves fully to the problem thank you for your patience Jesus and nervously we know you're gonna test us again so we're standing but we're also praying help me Jesus goes here you gonna come again I have to can't meetin with some broken situation I want to do better next time I want to be your servant next time I want to be humble and submissive next time lord help me it's not natural for me help me help me to stop owning the end it's your in you can bring anybody you want red yellow black and white short tall you can bring them it's your in so we're standing on this final Thursday night of this wonderful camp meeting praying for your mercy now forgive me Lord for being the inadequate preacher that I am but I think your Holy Spirit got the message across to this end we give praise and thanks and all the people said together amen amen oh you're so precious you can be seated now [Music] the variable is she [Music] amen amen [Music] Shh he's come okay I [Music] for Jesus [Music] No you do [Music] have you seen [Music] versus in Jesus in you [Music] Jesus don't come too [Music] today are you ready for cheese [Music] Jesus [Music] are you for Jesus are you ready for Jesus are you ready for Jesus [Music] [Music] thank you ladies turn to the person next to you and say I want to be ready let's stand with a benediction were you blessed tonight by coming [Music] father [Music] we leave courageous we know you've got to find out if we meant what we stood for tonight that's all right you'll weigh the stuff before you send it our way that much was sure off [Music] and praise God if I just hang in there you will repay now may the grace of God the keeping of his spirit the assurance of his coming sustain and keep and encourage you in the name of Jesus amen have a good night well we've certainly heard a riveting message from dr. Henry right and Jesus will come again tonight's message has been about the Good Samaritan but from the perspective of the innkeeper tomorrow we'll hear Lael Caesar at 9:00 Steve will Burke at 11:00 and 2:00 and then Henry right again at 7:00 back hair same place Nathan your thoughts yeah I just really appreciated the message I really liked the idea that that our job as Christians is just to do whatever God puts in our lap and if he puts a a broken bloodied person in our lap and it costs us money and time and energy to bring healing and life back to that person if that's what God has called us to that's what God has called us to and that just ties in with our theme his word shaping our story and the story that's yet to come and so this is the message God has given us California conference of the seventh-day Adventist Church for making this program possible and from viewers just like you thank you [Music]

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Length: 57min 7sec (3427 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 21 2018