Tim Lee - Liberty University Convocation

thank you so much thank you thank you so very much you may be seated I thrilled to be here a happy birthday to all the Marines here today Rock and such a joy to be here on the 235th birthday of the United States Marine Corps to be here at Liberty University the most exciting University in the whole world greatest student body my son our son our oldest child Brian is with us he attended Liberty and the early 1990s bands stand up right over here will make my son feel welcome this morning would you what a what a powerful story and testimony by captain is smiley this morning remarkable story not a story of defeat but a story of victory and I want to talk to you about that this more many times I've come to this particular service saying give up my story but I want to talk to you about something from the Book of Numbers this morning and it's kind of a military story instances of military illnesses week it will fit him perfectly the children who build for God's people have been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years nothing more than mere slaves to fail road to the Egyptian people not one day has gone by but what God has been very aware of the condition of his people God always knows the condition of his people this morning God knows the condition of my heart he knows the condition of your heart we may fool one another but we cannot fool God and God has seen the condition of his people are now in his Providence he wants them out of Egypt remember this God never moves a person from a place but what he doesn't have a better place prepared for them someday and someday soon our Lord is coming to take us out of this sin cursed earth but he's not just coming to take us away from here he's coming to take us to a far better place God puts his hand on a man by the name of Moses I'm not against boards and I'm not against committees but nowhere in the Bible older New Testament you ever find when God chose a committee to get the job done he always put his hand on a man he put his hand on a man by the name of Moses and told him to go tell Pharaoh to let my people go you know the story Pharaoh hardened his heart God sent plague after plague it was miracle after miracle for the four of God's people and finally Pharaoh relent and he says you can go and so they head out of Egypt historians say between two and a half and three million Jews were leaving Egypt following the leadership of Moses and they got to the Red Sea the Red Sea looks like it's going to be impossible to get across and there are mountains on either side and now Pharaoh has changed his mind and decided that he's going to go bring them back to Egypt and God does another miracle he parched the waters of the Red Sea one liberal theologian said it wasn't the Red Sea it was the reen sea and at that time the year that would not have been but a foot of water I said well that's even a great America God drowned Pharaoh in his armies in a foot of water but of course of course it was the Red Sea and God part of the waters they went across on dry land they get over the other side now freedom you would think if anybody would be grateful and thankful and appreciative of what God had done for them it would be these people and yet when they get on the other side they begin to complain them and grumble and and bellyache and it does seem like the same thing for us the more God does for us the less we appreciate it this is Thanksgiving season it's time for you and I AG not just this time dear but all the time to be grateful for the hand of the blessings of God and some God because of their grumbling lets them wander in the wilderness now finally God in his property and says go take the land go possess the land so Moses picks out 12 spies then you got to hear this these are 12 of the best one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel their job is to go look this land over and bring back a report they go down they look the land over they all twelve see the same identical thing they all twelve see these great big wall cities they see giants so big that it makes them look like grasshoppers in their side they all twelve see the same problems in the same obstacles they also see the stop they all 12c this land that flows with milk and honey this is the land of promise they see a land that grows grapes so big that it takes two guys to carry one cluster this is the land of opportunity this is the land that they've been hearing about and so now they go to file the report with Moses when they get back and they file the report something interesting happens there are two distinct opposite reports now how in the world can that happen how can you go down and look at the same piece of property and your reports be diametrically opposite of each other let me tell you what happened June of those guys went and they saw the Lamb that flowed with milk and honey they saw this land of opportunity the land that grew these grapes so big in the land of promise but they decided to major upon the obstacles two of those guys went they saw the obstacles they saw the problems they saw the Giants so big in the walled city but they decided to major upon the opportunities and ladies and gentlemen the difference between a winner and a loser in life and especially in the Christian life is those who major upon the obstacles and those who major upon the opportunities you see the loser says look at the obstacles but the winner says look at the opportunity the loser says look at all the problems but the winner says look at all the potential the loser says we'll die the winner says we'll try the loser says there's no way but the winner says God can make a way did you know did you know that all 12 of these guys names are listed in the Bible beginning in numbers 13 and verse number 4 of the tribe of Reuben Shamu I thought that was a whale down in Sea World but that was one of these finds another one called shake that what it means and mania Sun shake that another one called Eagle sounds like a character on a video game from outer space somewhere ego some of the weirdest names you've ever heard in your life wait just a moment there are two of those guys that we oftentimes name our sons after Joshua and Caleb hey why don't we name our son Shamu I'll tell you why because we like to be identified with winners we don't want to be identified with losers all 12 of these guys had the same opportunity all 12 of these guys could have made a mark for God in their life how only however only two of them succeeded very quickly this morning I'm going to tell you how to keep from being a cut-up in if you want to be a Joshua or a Caleb you want to make a mark for God in your life number one you're gonna learn how to put God first in your life you know what Joshua and Caleb knew that the other 10 had not figured out God had already told them this was their land God had already made a promise and they knew that you too can take God at His Word but in order to do that he has to be number one in your life God does not want second place in your life God does not want to be behind your boyfriend or your girlfriend or your hobby or your athletic ability or your business or your money God does not want to be behind anything God wants number one in your place in your life seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all all these things shall be added in you there's nothing wrong you haven't things the the Bible says you can have things seek you first the kingdom of God but oftentimes we are so possessed with things we buy things that we don't need with money that we don't have to impress people we don't even like we're so busy trying to catch up with the Joneses and about the time we catch up they refinance and we have to start all over again seek ye first the kingdom of God years ago I was speaking in Lithia Springs Georgia outside of Atlanta and on Sunday morning the pastor brought a fella over to introduce to me his name was Danny Danny coat Danny was in a wheelchair like myself his wife was with of a beautiful lady and the reason Danny was in a wheelchair was because he didn't have any legs either but Danny was born without legs I lost my legs at the age of 22 landmine explosion in South Vietnam Danny was born without any legs two weeks before I had arrived for that crusade Danny felt as though God was calling him to preach but Danny was problem was he was somewhat of an introvert he was all the time worried and concerned what people were saying about him and thinking about him now that's never been my problem I would like for you to like me but I don't have to have you like me and I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight if you don't like me but top but Danny was all the time worried well God did our hearts together that week my family was traveling me at the time we had a 40-foot fifth wheel trailer on a four-door pickup truck we went coast to coast and border the border week after week in evangelism and every day Danny would come up in the church where I was staying to talk and he'd come to him three times a day and that was okay because we really hit it off but about the third day I said Danny I said how come your wife is always driving how come you don't drive he said well you know I can't drive I said Danny you see that fifth wheel rig up there that one tonne Chile to the truck up I said my wife has never driven that rig I Drive it with hand controls readers not just those events that all our cars will be driven by hand they're putting more more things up around the steering wheel it takes more time for your brain to tell your feet what to do than it does to tell your hands what to do you think I'm handicapped you're the ones handicapped well we overnighted a set of extra controls that I had in Oklahoma City we put them in Danny's car and he drove for the first time then you should have seen his eyes and his face light up he was so excited realizing that he could be more independent on Friday night he came back to the for you he handed me a gift-wrapped box it was a New Testament Scofield with uh Psalms and proverbs a Bible and I opened it up you've written some nice words inside and then he signed his name of these two verses Tom's a hundred and forty seven verses 10 and 11 he delighteth not in the strength of the horse he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy hey Danny Coe would never run a hundred guard - Danny Coale would never score a touchdown Danny Coe would never dunk a basketball you know what Danny had learned in his life he learned how to put God first in his life and every person in this room no matter what your circumstances are should and can put God first in your life number two if you're going to keep from being a good event you have to avoid the wrong crap now you know what Joshua and Caleb did when they got back to camp they distance themselves from the other ten now ladies and gentlemen young people I'm not talking about being a Pharisee I'm not talking about sticking your nose up there and thinking you're better than everybody else the world has seen enough of that junk but I want to tell you that if you are constantly hanging around after a while you'll be just like them I don't like to be around negative people did you ever ask somebody how they were doing and they told you folks it's a figure of speech we don't want your medical history but there are some people who love to whine and complain and griping Billy that's what these other ten were they were whiners and they were they were so upset about these big old giants and these big old wall cities and they were complainers and grunt you know what Joshua should have said to those other Tim he should have said well why don't we just chug on gather mamby-pamby land and did you some self-confidence you bought two Jack legs quit feeling sorry for yourself you know why captain smiley is the winner in his life today he woke up one day me said I don't want people feeling sorry for me I don't want to sit around the rest of my life and not make something of myself I remember that day of my life Philadelphia Naval Hospital Ward 1a 30 to 40 Marines all of us were amputees from the Vietnam War I never seen so much anger and it was seeing so much bitterness I never seen so much frustration in all my life and all the negative stuff that I was told by professional people that I would never be able to do well listen if I would have listened to what they were trying to tell me I wouldn't be here today I'd either be dead or I'd be somewhere feeling sorry for myself but I decided that I want didn't want that young man comes to me and says I'm gonna go to a Christian University can you give me some advice I say get with the right crowd you mean in a Christian University yes there's a right crowd there's a wrong crowd in a public school there's a right crowd because the wrong crowd young man says I'm going to join the United States Marine Corps can you give me some advice I say stay with the right crowd young men says I'm gonna join the Navy can you give me some advice I said I'll pray for you just ease and sailors don't get offended this morning I'm picking on you this is our birthday you can accommodate us for one day all right hey man we do a lot of things on our birthday number three you're going to keep from being it could have been you cannot be intimidated with this world hey it was Tim against to Joshua and Caleb were in the minority but they were right let me tell you something ladies and gentlemen this world is not a friend of God this world does not love our God this world does not love our Jesus in a matter of fact if we do not have real revival in America or Jesus doesn't come soon we may see wholesale persecution for the Christian community in America like we've never seen before but this is not the time to be backing up this is not the time to be apologizing this is not the time to be weak and to crawl in a hole somewhere in hi this is the time to be strong this is the time to let your light shine this is the time that he saw and being light that God intended for you and I to be years ago I made up my mind that no matter who came to hear me preach I would preach the same truth to them that I preach to everyone else I've had the privilege over the past 32 years to preach to United States senators and congressmen and judges and mayors of all sides sitting just two weeks ago in Raleigh North Carolina some thirty-five elected officials there on Sunday morning and when the invitation was given the sheriff of that County walked down the aisle and gave his heart to Jesus Christ three judges listen to this three judges walked out of their seats and down the aisle to give their hearts to Jesus Christ hey those people need the same truth that you need everyone needs the same truth I was preaching in near Washington DC several years ago at a Christmas banquet I'm not a great banquet speaker most of those things are very formal and I'm not a very formal guy now I will preach at him because I will preach at the drop of the Hat and I'll help you throw the hat down all right but it was a big crowd and it was real starchy and so I told a couple of jokes to try to light the crowd I told about the truck driver driving his 18-wheeler up and down the super slab all day long he got hungry he pulled his 18-wheeler in the parking lot of a steak house parked his 18-wheeler went in ordering him a great big steak and a baked potato was about ready to eat when all of a sudden three motorcycle hippies pulled up outside they hadn't had a haircut in five years hadn't had a bath in a year and they they parked their motorcycles I came in making a lot of racket and noise they went over the truck drivers table and they stole his steak dinner right out from underneath him went over the next table and sit down start evening that great big truck driver gotta push this chair of the table walked over the cash register and paying the lady for the meal and turned around and walked out those motorcycle hippies were laughing and carrying on one of them with that lady at the cash register said that fella sure wasn't very much of a man was he and she said no and said he's not very much of a truck driver either he just drove over three motorcycles parked out front whatever body in the banquet hall that night love that joke except for two guys there were two sellers there that night who were members of the local Hells Angel motorcycle club the only reason they were there a layman in that church for the name of Marvin Harris had let them use his garage to put an edge in the truck yes they would come to hear me speak well they kept their end of the deal they came to hear me but they didn't hear another word I said that night they were angry they were mad several tables around could hear and they kept saying we'll get him after the service I was out in the 4-year shaking hands with people and talking them one of these guys came over and I'm not exactly he was huge he had arms as big around as most men's legs and he looked like the typical Hells Angel motorcycle club and be out of hair down the shoulder great big Oh scruffy beard he had tattoos all over his knuckles in his chest and he had fire in his eyes he was mad he pointed his finger in my face and he began to curse some will smile Christian you've ever heard in your life he went on like that for two or three minutes everyone out there just froze finally he stopped I looked up at him and I said sir what's your name that always throws them off and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card had a picture of a motorcycle and underneath the motorcycle was one word said Spider Man he said where everybody can hear my name is spider-man I didn't tell him this but I thought I've been upset if mom and dad had named me spider-man and um I said spider-man with all the courage I could muster you know what you need you need to get your heart in your life right with God I found out later on spider-man had a godly mama I've been praying for that boy for years spider-man was 35 from the time he was 14 to that cringe you've been arrested 72 times he has spent that whole day putting drugs into his body pastor came and got me we left I was back out there a year and a half later for a revival Crusade trio and I just got into Washington National Airport in time to get a car and go straight to the church and I was telling about spider-man we pulled up to the church and a guy came running out of the building he had a smiling face it when my daughter said Jimmy said do you remember before he could get it out I said spider-man he said yes I said hey nobody could forget spider-man he said you hear what happened I said what happened he said four months ago spider-man came to church on Sunday morning pastor Fitzpatrick preached the gospel the first guy down the aisle was spider-man melted at all to repent of his sins received Jesus as his Savior and got born in the family of God he said he hasn't missed a service in four months he said he's passed out more flyers for your crusade than everyone else in the church put together how simple is he here we went inside here comes the guy I never recognized him he had a suit on and a haircut almost assured his mind had a Bible in his hand and a smile on his face he said preacher I owe you an apology I said spider-man as God's forgiving you you're forgiven we hugged each other's neck we had a great time that week I got a letter from him seven or eight weeks later he said I'm helping with the team Department he said ever once why we just go down to the shopping center and pass out tracts he said you know they make everybody else stop but they haven't ever said anything to me hey you don't have to be intimidated with this world look up here I read the last chapter of the book we win we win so what quit going around like a loser you're on the winning side number four you're gonna keep from being it could have been it's going to sound a little contradictory after what I just told you but it's not you've got to keep a spirit of humility you know what Joshua and Caleb did they went on and sit out in sackcloth and ashes who's a demonstration of humility Joshua and Caleb were right but they humble themselves folks listen to me we have to be careful sometimes we could be so right that we're wrong you can have your eyes down your t's crossed right you can have everything down theologically and doctorly but if you don't care about others what good is all that stuff someone has said the world does not care how much we know until they know how much we care you keep a spirit of humility number five and I'm through if you're going to keep from being it could've been if you want to be a Josh win a Caleb you got to learn to move when God says move you don't understand that these people could have already been down to the promised land if they've just obeyed God you said well Jim got worked miracles in the wilderness he did but I'm not gonna be sacrilege but I'm not sure they're just great Americans we make you said what God fed him for forty years he did what do you feed a man and I'm pretty sure that's good stuff honey what are we having for breakfast scramble manna what are we having for dinner we haven't fried manna what we haven't will suffer we will have a roast manner do we have anything from midnight snack yeah more manna I love banana pudding but I don't want banana pudding for breakfast dinner and supper for 40 straight years I will be sick of banana pudding you say they're close didn't want they wore the same shoes I never met a woman in my life they wonder wear the same pair of shoes for 40 years matter of fact my wife has this policy she thinks because I don't buy shoes that every time she gets one test shot automatically get too bad oh yeah we don't save any money and you know if I want to have fun if I'm bored I go to a shopping mall go to men's shoe store they don't ever know what to say I don't know about you ladies and gentlemen young people but I don't want to be a Shamu I don't want to be an eagle I don't want to be a chafing I want to make something of my life would you bow your heads this morning right where you at you better absolutely awesome to speak to today you've heard a powerful testimony of a man who was dealt well the hardest hit that a human could ever have his eyesight taken from him and today he's said it on this platform as a winner in life some of you've been dealt hardship some of you've had things come at you and some of you have gotten bitter and angry and mad at God you don't understand why but my friend you don't have to be bitter and you don't have to be angry you don't have to be mad at God you're gonna have victory right here today in a split second in Philadelphia Naval Hospital I set up in my bed and I said I don't want to be like this I've made a deliberate choice that day in a matter of a few seconds and from that day forward I've never been bitten better Janet Parshall on a radio broadcast said tell our listeners about the bitterness she went through a shocker I said Janet I've never been better not one time I'm lucky to be alive I stepped on a mind that could tear a jeep to pieces could have brought me to a thousand different pieces but God spared my life why don't you just pray that simple prayer right where you're at and say Lord I don't want to be bitter I don't want to be angry I don't want to be mad I want victory in my life I want to be a Josh well I want to be a Caleb I want to stand for God too and then for those of you that maybe have never trusted Christ you've come to this great University maybe you're a visitor today but the most important decision in your life you've never made it you've never said yes to Jesus friend listen to me I'm telling you the truth there's not a whole lot of ways to go to heaven there's not a Buddha way in a Hindu way in a Muslim way and a Baptist way there but one way Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life all of us are sinners and were separated from God by our sins and there's only one way to be reconciled to a holy God and that's through His Son Jesus who died on that cross has shed his blood and died was buried and rose from the grave wouldn't you like to know that your sins were forgiven wouldn't you like to know that when you died you go to heaven well if you would today November the 10th 2010 at about 2 minutes to 11 I want you to say yes to Jesus in your heart I'm gonna lead you and what we call a sinner's prayer and if you want to be saved and you're not playing Church you're not playing games with God pray this prayer right now dear God I know I'm a sinner and I know my sins could separate me from you forever but today I want to be saved please forgive me of all my sins wash me as white as snow make me your child right now this very moment I am trusting Jesus Christ and him alone as my Lord and my Savior no one looking but me and God if you just now prayed that prayer as a student here maybe as a worker here at the University of the minister part of the administration or staff or or a visitor you're visiting today you you say Tim when you pray that prayer out loud I prayed it in my heart as best I knew how I'm in it with my whole heart nobody else looking Tim I prayed that prayer let me see your hands did they hold him up high hold them up high hold them up high I see several hands scattered throughout this auditorium you can take them down friend when we're through here in a moment I want you to write your name your address and a phone number on a piece of paper and I want you to write one word save SAV Edie I'm gonna be right here on this platform shaking hands with people down front here and talking to people I want you to bring that paper to me that's the only way I'll know who you are and how to encourage you and to help you get started in your Christian life father thank you for Liberty University thank you for a school that cares about our military and about our country lord thank you for these this morning that are here in our uniform who are active least serving in our country and for those that have sir I pray God that you would have America to return to you force in Jesus name I pray thank you for letting me be here today I have a twitter account I'd like to get about a thousand of you follow me today thank you so much god bless you

Channel: Liberty University

Views: 17,816

Rating: 4.8301888 out of 5

Keywords: Liberty University, Convocation, Liberty, LU, college, university, Student, School, Campus, Education, Community, Christian, convo, Tim Lee, ministries, evangelist, veteran, Vietnam War, disability, marine, corps, Military, Army

Id: kFsvz774Foc

Length: 30min 38sec (1838 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 11 2012