Jim Cymbala - Liberty University Convocation

good morning guys um coach McKay Liberty basketball welcome I get the privilege of introducing pastor Jim Simula who I've been blessed to know for years pastor Simba has passed through the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church since 1971 it's a multicultural nondenominational church in Brooklyn has anyone ever been yeah phenomenal phenomenal place his wife Carol is a six-time Grammy winner he's got three children Jim Chrissy and Susan and he's also authored best-selling books fresh wind fresh fire fresh faith and fresh power fresh wind fresh fire were both named Christian books of the year in 2000 I know him a little more firmly used to hoop he was a really good basketball player at the Naval Academy and University of Rhode Island and I think he's gonna speak to our team today about free-throw shooting so I'm excited about that now he's honestly he's one of the men in my life that have mentored me in such a special way I feel like I am any any fruit that I bear I think he's had a major hand and part in it and I love him dearly would you please put your hands together and welcome pastor Jim something [Music] hello everybody everybody good I'm so happy to be here to talk to you I was thinking of these great organizations you just saw we prayed last Tuesday night and sent off 14 or 15 people doctors and nurses from our church to go for 10 day 11 days to Lebanon to some refugee camps because it's so important as you grow in the Lord as you develop the gifting God has given you to keep your eyes on the world I pastor in Brooklyn I was born and raised in Brooklyn that's one of the five boroughs of New York City and by itself the borough I live in is the third largest city in America after New York in LA but it's just part of New York City and that's a big world and you can just get overwhelmed by all the needs we're downtown there's every kind of crisis problem just people destroying themselves but you got to not ever look just where you are you always got to keep your eyes open to the world and was as was said earlier because Jesus loves this world let me say amen to that Jesus loves this world well I want to talk to you about missions and how God might want to use you and some things that you got to remember because these programs these structures are so phenomenal Samaritan's Purse I'm going later on this week God willing down Ashville to speak to a bunch of doctors and surgeons I understand that Franklin Graham wants to encourage and and motivate these are structures these are things that are happening but missions like everything else in the body of Christ missions comes down to people God doesn't use money God doesn't use methods God uses people thank God for methods thank God for money thank God for structures but in the end missions like everything else rises and falls with a person who says yes to the Lord and then obeys God and goes out God uses people the book of Acts and the New Testament tells us not about methodology that's not even mentioned we don't know how they met what they did how they sang what instruments they used if any we don't know any of that we just know Paul Peter James John Stephen Barnabas all these great men and women that God use so I want to talk to you about that today because when God places his hand on you and puts a purpose in your heart to be used in missions automatically Satan is going to attack you that's part of spiritual warfare in fact the people that are most called and most gifted they're the most attacked and that's just part of Ephesians chapter 6 we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers so Satan is not cheering any of us on they he's not cheering these great organizations on he's not cheering you on doesn't want you in Liberty doesn't want you in this meeting right now this chapel convocation he wants us to get away from Christ and his purpose for our lives but I'd like to talk to you just briefly here about this weird story about the first people that Jesus put in charge of World Missions and I want to just relate to you from mark 16 Jesus has died on the cross for our sins shed his blood took the punishment for the wrong things you and I and people in the world have done paid the price totally said it is finished and then was buried in a tomb then on the third day we know he rose again in mark 16 tells us that early in the morning on the day Sunday first day of the week some women salomi and Mary and another Mary the mother of James and John they go to the tomb but as they're going to the tomb that they're thinking themselves oh wow my bad we who's going to roll the two who hugging the rid that stone the stone is blocking the tomb because they didn't want the followers of Christ to steal the body and then start telling stories he's alive he's alive so the authorities put a big stone to block it they had bought some myrrh and and other things that they were going to anoint the body not to embalm it bodies weren't embalmed back then but just to keep the stench of of a dead body down but as they approached early in the morning they see there's no there is no stone stones been rolled away like what's that about the stone is gone and they walk into the tomb and there's no Jesus there's no body there's no corpse but there is a young man who turns out to be an angel and he says to them oh I know who you're looking for you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was who died but he's not dead he's alive they they tells the women that he's not alive and but look come and look at the place where they laid his body it was sacred to the angel and then he says something that I want to leave you with today he said go tell the disciples and Peter that he's alive and that he's gone ahead of them up to Galilee so Galilee was up in the north where they had first met Jesus they were fishermen for the most part the disciples so go tell the disciples and Peter go up north to Galilee he's gonna meet you there he's gone ahead of you he's going to meet you there just as he promised well you know that was not the way we look at it kind of news that was not good news to the disciples that was bad news in a way and I'll tell you why they were happy he was alive but they were in another way not very happy he was alive because they had followed him for three and a half years and when he went to the Last Supper and and and washed their feet and and gave them the meaning of the bread and the cup he had he had said to them you know I've chosen you you've been with me I've worked for you to do but by the way all of you are gonna flee and leave me alone and they went no we're not gonna leave you alone no you're all gonna deny me run for to save your life even tonight that will happen and every one of them said no what would he you don't think we love you we've seen you walk on water we've seen you raise the dead we've seen you heal people you you've answered our questions you've been with us you've helped us we're gonna leave you no way Peter went further and said look I don't trust these other guys but I'll never leave you I'll never leave you and Jesus you know that what he said right he told no before the crows before the rooster crows to say that it's morning you're gonna deny me three times not just fully you're gonna deny you even know me and sure enough he went to the Garden of Gethsemane after that meal was over and while he was praying a crowd gathered and Judas came and kissed them on the cheek which was a sign of identification and the soldiers rushed in and from there on it was one beat down after another and they beat up our Lord they massacred him they spit at him they mocked him they put a crown of thorns eventually on his head and they led him up a hill outside of the Juicin called Golgotha the place of the skull and they hung him up on a cross which was a horrible way to die Oh painful and shameful because it went on for hours and they all fled and sure enough just like Jesus said Peter denied him followed Jesus from afar and then when Jesus was being interrogated by the authorities a woman and then some men came to him said I know who you are you're one of this no I don't even know the guy what are you talking about to save his neck he denied that even knew the Lord Jesus Christ so when the ladies came back and told the disciples you know he's alive he's not in the tomb the stone was rolled away don't you get it that's the last thing in a way they wanted to hear because when you fail someone so bad you don't want to face them oh no I don't believe it you mean we're gonna see him again how's it what's he gonna do what's he gonna say I could never look at him again after what I did I blew it I was so full of myself sure myself Peters thinking I'll never I'll never be able to face him what a shame this is the ultimate horrible thing that happened in my life and the other disciples to Judas was gone but there were eleven of them so when the ladies came back I don't think there was an initial cheering yeah gray Jesus is alive it was like wow he's alive he's not there that's what the angel said but that means we're gonna have to see him he wants us to go to Galilee and see him how am I gonna look at him how am I gonna look at him you know with people you know how that it would be with people aren't you glad Jesus isn't like people because with people it would be like oh hey Peter what's up Peter didn't you tell me you would never do what I told you you would do and you did it exactly but Jesus isn't like that no recrimination with him Jesus is tender and mercy full Jesus is full of compassion so this is the this is the clincher of this story these guys that I just told you about are in charge of World Missions the first representatives of Jesus to go out into the world is this crew now you would think Jesus would meet them and say hey guys hand in your resignations now I'm starting over with another 12 because I couldn't pick more losers than I picked III was with here with me for three and a half years I mean what else do I have to do to get you to be strong no he didn't say any of that because although we fail sometimes with Jesus he never gives up on us look at me all of you I don't care what you've done overtly secretly your ups your downs in your spiritual life secrets that only you and God know about the Lord will never give up on you never he loves you too much he loves me too much he's not only the god of the second chance he's the god of the two millionth chance he's always full of mercy and this is a beautiful tension that we see here as I close because in one way it's like these guys are in charge of World Missions he's the guys that these are the guys he said to go into all the world and preach the gospel and any executive would say no no no time out time out these are not the guys to put in charge of World Missions look at their track record look at their track record I'm so glad that Jesus runs his church different than corporations run their businesses I'm glad because in corporations there's not much mercy or love or or let's give people attempt chance but how many are happy today by uplifted him how many have God gives extra chances to us can you lift your hand in that true with all of us so the angel said no tell the disciples and Peter he mentions Peter by name why because Peter was the biggest failure so Jesus tells them go tell the Vista angel says go tell the disciples and Peter go north to galilee go back to where we began go back to where he first called them go back to those early days of first love and oh jesus I'm gonna follow you I'll leave everything but you see sometimes life has bumps in it and we stub our toe and we stumble and we fall and the enemy rushes in maybe to some of you and says disqualify sorry you can't make it you messed up too much you're not what you ought to be he's constantly telling us that he's called the accuser of everyone who's a believer he has said that to me ten thousand times you're too big a mess-up you do you fail the Lord you're not what you ought to be and if you look inward you're gonna be defeated because there's nothing in there to look at any track record to be proud of but boy when you keep your eyes on Jesus and you say Jesus I can't believe that you still love me that you still have hope from me that you're gonna pick me up and use me for your glory they all were ready to quit and run and give up a Jesus and no no no no no tell them I'm gonna meet them in Galilee I'm not done aren't you happy that when we fall Jesus doesn't throw us away but he picks us up with his right hand and says come on I know you messed up I knew you were gonna mess up before you messed up but I still love you I'm still gonna use you it doesn't matter how wrong and weak you might be if you trust me I'll give you my strength that's what he promised I'll meet you in Galilee and we'll have a new beginning so you might need this someone here today because the enemy has come and attacked you in your mind and if you know a little bit about the Bible and the commands of God you can look at yourself and say I ain't all that I'm messed up I'm not what I should be but if you know more about the Bible and more about Jesus you'll realize that works sin abounds and failure abounds grace even more about God reaches down and says no don't you believe that lie that I'm done with you I am not done with you I'm just starting with you and on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 when the church was born the first evangelistic sermon was preached by guess who Peter nobody would pick him to preach first of all he was a fisherman what kind of preacher can you get out of a fisherman he knows how to bait a hook or he knows how to use a net to bring in fish what's he up there preaching because God is saying to them I am your sufficiency I'm gonna help you do the thing don't say oh I failed too much or and I'm inadequate and that's what I want to leave with you because he's of my own battles that I fought over the years and my wife my wife has won six Grammy Award is true she can't read or write music she never was trained she still can't read write or music the joke in our church is she doesn't know what she's doing she just keeps doing it every Sunday and we're all happy that she's doing it with a 250 voice choir and over this past weekend we had 1,200 people from around the country and around the world visiting for a music conference with masters in music and all of this and here conducting them is someone who can't read or write music because when God calls you to do something he equips you to do it and he doesn't use the formula come on let's put our hands together say and here they were and she's conducting them as a marvel to me I'd rejoiced and and for myself listen you have a privilege you're going to Liberty I didn't have a privilege to be trained anywhere for the ministry because God has no formula for how he puts people in the ministry God has his own way for each of us but as the coach said as all City basketball player in New York City and then went played in college and played in the NCAA tournament and that was my life just get down try to break someone's ankles and shake and bake and just destroy them that was the only thing I knew and cared about and every playground in New York City just like come on let's play I never when God put his hand on me to call me to ministry I was like come on that's a joke I'm inadequate I I don't have a good speaking voice I'm not a great public speaker I'm not trained I wasn't even a strong Christian in college but I'm so happy that when God sovereignly chooses you you you to do something he says don't you look at your inadequacies you look at me because I'll make you able to do what I called you to do everything God calls us to do he will equip us to do so those are the two lessons we learn here from the disciples first of all I know you messed up but I'm still gonna go ahead of you and I want to proclaim to you today in the name of Christ that wherever God calls you he's going ahead of you before you even get there before you even get there he's there preparing the way for you that's his promise for us and he's going to keep his word he's going to equip you he's going to help you to do whatever he's called you to do and I don't know who I'm speaking to today and some folks are here at this university getting a degree in whatever and they're going to go out and be light and be solved for Christ but some of you right here in this room possibly you're chosen by God to do something special to be in full-time ministry or to have some unique role in the building up of his kingdom and just remember just because you've failed remember it not just today but in the future remember my words just because you fall remember the righteous person Falls six times but they get up seven never believe the lie of the enemy that God has done with you God has never done with you because his love endures forever and ever and don't look inside of you and say I'm not equipped I don't have what it takes it's not what you have or might have you think Almighty God is depending on my IQ or how much talent I have how in the world could that be possible he created the universe out of nothing and now he's gonna say oh I hope jimsim below has what it takes to make it through no he doesn't he just says be available to me and I'll fill you with everything you need I'll bring you places that you've never even dreamed you could be I'll help you you know you write a book or you'll do whatever a preacher sermon help somebody who's down and out and and that's what God can do through us so I want to declare to you that the people that Jesus put in charge of World Missions were Peter James and John and Matthew and all the others who fled and failed him when when he needed them most but he didn't hold it against them he's not that kind of God he's not that kind of Savior he loved them and he restored them I'd like to pray with you today and I just feel impressed I have I have like eight minutes six minutes whatever they gave me here to the end I don't want to talk to the end I want to pray with you could you bow your heads with me close your eyes anybody here who while I was speaking maybe the Holy Spirit was speaking to you and saying yes you're one of those ones that I've called to use to spread the gospel near or far in Papua New Guinea or in Peru or Spain or wherever it might be or in the inner city of someplace right here in America and you want to say yes to the Lord today put aside your failures put aside your inadequacy put aside all of that stuff trust in Jesus if he could use Peter James and John after what they did he can certainly use you and I and just before I close anyone here that I could just pray a prayer of blessing over who feels that calling maybe it's indistinct you don't know exactly where God is going to lead you and how it's going to happen but you want to say to him today yes could you just stand right where you're sitting no one's going to look at you I just want to see you identify yourself to God just stands up thank you oh thank you thank you just stand right up Lord Jesus I thank you for the folks who have stood thank you for everyone but these that have stood Lord they're not some of them are not sure exactly what the plan is but you will reveal it to them in due time so we thank you for that but now Lord we want to praise you and thank you for the fact that our failures and mistakes don't disqualify us from being used by the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God the savior of the world and even as you restored Peter and James and John the other disciples if anyone needs restoring today Lord grab them by the hand and just lift them up spiritually speaking and give them faith and give them hope and give them an excitement about the future because it's about you not about us it's about how great you are not what we have in our own selves and we thank you that our adequacy does not come from training and schools and classes we thank you for all of it but ultimately our adequacy our efficiency comes from you your word and your spirit so help us to keep close to you Lord and help us to keep trusting you if anyone's been wounded here Lord by something someone else has said or done to them the enemy is going to try to use that to discourage them and have them give up God don't let them give up you make them strong today Lord that they're gonna keep their eyes on you not themselves or what other people are saying or doing they're gonna keep their eyes on you today and you're gonna work out perfectly the plan that you have begun in their life we are so happy that you love us we are so happy we belong to you we wouldn't trade our place in life for it with with anyone else on the face of the earth we belong to Jesus and he has a plan for our life and he's going to make it happen we say amen to that in Jesus name and everyone said amen god bless you you may be seated thank you guys for gym that's just sir man praise the Lord what a what a timely message for us and just rejoice that so many of you felt that calling and I pray that today you sense the commissioning that's gonna mark your life I think in 10 20 years from now you look back on this day and go God began a work that had a different place in the world in mind and I always think about people in different places that feel like no one ever thinks about them no one ever cares about them and they have no idea that today in learn Sperber jigna God puts a particular group of people on your heart and in 5 10 years from now it will literally pay dividends into their life and how amazing that is we love you it's gonna be a great week I want all our MKS if you would as soon as we dismiss as we're dismissing a few minutes early all of our MKS to come immediately we're gonna have a quick two-minute meeting after combo alright so if our MKS we'll just come right here as soon as we dismiss I want to just meet with you for just two minutes all right and we won't we won't make you late I promise you to to lunch pastor Jim's books are available in the lobby as well all right today and so make sure if you want to grab a piece of a copy of those that you go by the resource table out in the lobby we love you thank you god bless you you're dismissed

Channel: Liberty University

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Keywords: Liberty University, LibertyU, Liberty, Jerry Falwell

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Length: 27min 33sec (1653 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 08 2018