How To Stay Engaged on the Sidewalk

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:03.839 We think about the rapture in the blast of the trumpet when Jesus Returns. 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:08.189 But what if it's a boring day on the sidewalk of an abortion center? 3 00:00:08.429 --> 00:00:11.669 Nothing's going on, you're thinking, Oh Gosh, why I'm even here, 4 00:00:11.830 --> 00:00:16.230 and all of a sudden you hear the trumpet blast and Jesus Returns. We're 5 00:00:16.390 --> 00:00:20.390 better to be found right and standing in front of an abortion clar yeah, 6 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:23.460 I mean can the with the son of man when he returns? Will he 7 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:29.420 found faith on the earth? Not? Will he find excitement and enthusiasm and 8 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:33.460 you know somebody that can argue a good point with a pro board, but 9 00:00:33.500 --> 00:00:38.890 will he find faith? I Am Yours, I am yours, I am 10 00:00:39.170 --> 00:00:44.369 yours. And Me, Lord, I am yours, I am yours. 11 00:00:44.850 --> 00:00:49.969 I'm welcome to the Gospel Center Pro Life Podcast, a podcast designed to equip, 12 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:55.000 encourage and challenge you in pro life ministry and always were the focus on 13 00:00:55.039 --> 00:01:03.679 the Gospel. Stay tuned. I felt show passish, touch your heart, 14 00:01:03.469 --> 00:01:14.909 use me love. Hey, they're welcome to the Gospel centered pro life podcast. 15 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:19.939 We are here with WHO? I'm here with Daniel Parks, who, 16 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:25.019 Yay, is back in Charlotte. Yes, happy to have him back and, 17 00:01:25.980 --> 00:01:32.140 as always, this subject which was one that kind of arose from practical 18 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:36.930 things we experienced while being out on the sidewalk. One of those is is 19 00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:42.769 that there are many times when you see nothing happening, no fruit, apparent, 20 00:01:44.209 --> 00:01:49.000 apparently no fruit you yourself or in a position where there's not many women 21 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.640 coming in and out, no one's talking to you. Frankly, it's boring. 22 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:59.400 Yeah, and so how do we stay engaged during those times? Because 23 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:02.430 those times are going to come where there's not a parent action and I think 24 00:02:02.469 --> 00:02:07.189 it is very we just we have lost people. I no doubt they've told 25 00:02:07.270 --> 00:02:13.310 me we've lost him because they're bored. Yeah, which kind of boggles my 26 00:02:13.469 --> 00:02:16.460 mind. But I think because I do have the perspective of being out there 27 00:02:16.500 --> 00:02:24.219 for many years and it's never boring for me, and I hope that we 28 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:30.889 will give you an idea of strategies in this podcast for how you can stay 29 00:02:31.009 --> 00:02:35.250 engage. So that really isn't the thought that comes in your mind. I'm 30 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:38.250 so bored, right. Yeah, yeah, I mean most people are thinking 31 00:02:38.289 --> 00:02:42.969 about especially if you haven't ever been out to an abortion center and you're thinking 32 00:02:42.969 --> 00:02:46.039 about going out there, your concerned probably is like I'm going to be overwhelmed 33 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:50.039 because they're going to be so much stuff coming. There's going to be you 34 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:53.240 hear US talking about these pro abortion people out there yelling at you. You 35 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:57.439 maybe got the women coming into the abortion centering droves and you thinking that's going 36 00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:00.509 to overwhelm you. And all this stuff is happening in certainly that can be 37 00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:05.030 the case. Yeah, but there are also times when there's not a whole 38 00:03:05.110 --> 00:03:09.229 lot going on. Yeah, there's no real interactions with anybody. Maybe the 39 00:03:09.270 --> 00:03:13.060 parking lot's kind of barely full, or maybe it's really I mean there are 40 00:03:13.060 --> 00:03:15.780 days where the parking lots really full, when there's just no engagement, no 41 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:20.340 one stopping and talking right, no one's even cussing you out. Yeah, 42 00:03:20.580 --> 00:03:24.979 and so there are times when it's just there's a temptation at least, or 43 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:29.770 you're just bored. You're just you feel like you're just standing on a sidewalk 44 00:03:30.449 --> 00:03:32.689 in in front of a building and there's not a whole lot of act that 45 00:03:32.770 --> 00:03:37.210 things happening. And you know, could be the position that your team has 46 00:03:37.289 --> 00:03:40.289 placed you. And we do have positions that I guess are technically more boring. 47 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:45.840 There just they're up the street cars may or may not stop for the 48 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:50.520 people, and so they will have long periods of time of just zero interaction 49 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:54.039 and they don't see a soul. So what what do we do? And 50 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:59.189 I do want to make the point that first of all, we admit it's 51 00:03:59.229 --> 00:04:02.870 not easy. It is not easy when you're not in getting any kind of 52 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:08.830 traction, you're not getting any engagement with anyone. And and all of us 53 00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:12.099 want to be heroes, I think bottom line, we do. We want 54 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:15.659 to be a hero before God, we want to be used by God and 55 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:18.980 and we want to be where the action is. And I just I want 56 00:04:19.019 --> 00:04:23.980 to say it is okay to desire that. But what do you do when, 57 00:04:24.569 --> 00:04:27.529 in the article that I put out, I said when, when the 58 00:04:27.810 --> 00:04:31.610 sidewalk ministry in your area is more of a slog than a jog, in 59 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:35.970 other words, it's just it? And there are some whole areas sometimes, 60 00:04:36.009 --> 00:04:42.480 I mean there are some of our sidewalk missionaries that really are in a very 61 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:47.040 quiet, small abortion center where it's hard to reach the women. Yeah, 62 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:53.629 and they really do have minimal interaction. Yeah, I'll tell you, sometimes 63 00:04:53.670 --> 00:04:58.310 it's well, for me at least, it's easier when it is loud and 64 00:04:58.750 --> 00:05:01.790 rock us out there and I'm getting yelled at by pro boards. Then when 65 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:05.709 there's nothing going on, yeah, and I'm up the street holding a sign 66 00:05:05.750 --> 00:05:11.060 or offering literature and there's no engagement, it's like yeah, for me that 67 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:15.420 that's a time of testing. It is, and by God's grace of pass 68 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:23.170 the test, I've learned to be faithful. I'm not sure how practical we're 69 00:05:23.170 --> 00:05:26.089 going to get in this, but I'll get real practical right now, okay, 70 00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:30.410 and just say sometimes I'll put my air pods in and I'll listen to 71 00:05:30.569 --> 00:05:34.839 some preaching, I'll listen to the word of God and I'll pray. Yeah, 72 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:38.319 now I'll keep my eyes open, of course, when I'm praying and 73 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.160 I'm ready. If there's somebody that's going to stop and take my information, 74 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.079 I've got it in hand. I'm ready to go. And I think the 75 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:49.389 main point of this, of this article and of this podcast episode is going 76 00:05:49.430 --> 00:05:56.829 to be to they focused and really you being there is obedience to the Lord 77 00:05:57.069 --> 00:06:00.310 and it's important that you're there. You're holding up a standard of truth, 78 00:06:00.709 --> 00:06:04.339 you're shining a light in a dark place, even if there's not a lot 79 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:11.139 of activity there, and the moment that someone approaches you or that someone who 80 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:16.540 needed to hear your word. When they're there and you're there and you engage 81 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:24.449 with them, it is all worth every moment of of no interaction. I 82 00:06:24.529 --> 00:06:31.810 will tell very briefly story that just happened where woman's was called me and was 83 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:39.480 very upset, in fact suicidal post aboard of and said that had there been 84 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.720 anyone on the sidewalk when she went to kill her baby in an abortion, 85 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.230 she would not have and and now she deeply, deeply regretted it. And 86 00:06:49.310 --> 00:06:55.389 that story went. It was so sad, but it really pointed out to 87 00:06:55.470 --> 00:07:00.189 me the necessity of us being there and if we're not there through the boring 88 00:07:00.269 --> 00:07:03.540 moments as well or the less exciting moments as well, we might not be 89 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:09.019 there when women like that show up. And then who is going to speak 90 00:07:09.339 --> 00:07:13.180 on behalf of of her, of her baby, and Pointer Back to God? 91 00:07:14.019 --> 00:07:16.449 So some of the practical things I do, because you're right, Daniel, 92 00:07:16.529 --> 00:07:24.769 this is more almost like the philosophical underpinnings of how you endure ministry when 93 00:07:24.889 --> 00:07:27.569 a whole lot is in going on. But one of the practical things I 94 00:07:27.730 --> 00:07:31.720 do I also pray. I I also will read scripture on my either on 95 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:35.839 my iphone or I'll I've got my Bible sometimes with me, not always. 96 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:40.839 But one of the other things I do is I pace, I walk back 97 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:45.870 and forth, and that keeps me moving, just the fact that I'm moving. 98 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:47.750 First of all, it saves my back. It hurts to stand still 99 00:07:47.790 --> 00:07:51.750 for three hours and I think that's true of not only old people but also 100 00:07:53.509 --> 00:07:58.980 but also very young and it's still hurt your back. So I'm always doing 101 00:07:59.220 --> 00:08:05.060 something and and I'm trying to focus on God at God while doing that. 102 00:08:05.660 --> 00:08:09.379 But that does help me. That helps me rather than just standing there, 103 00:08:09.379 --> 00:08:13.810 yeah, waiting for something to happen. But I do think, looking biblically, 104 00:08:16.050 --> 00:08:18.370 is there anyone in the Bible that we could look at who had a 105 00:08:18.490 --> 00:08:24.209 ministry that maybe could be described as not a whole lot of action happening and 106 00:08:24.329 --> 00:08:28.240 kind of boring and in some ways, the Ministry of Jeremiah? Yeah, 107 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:35.159 it fits the built. So Jeremiah ministered for forty years and saw almost no 108 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:39.919 fruit. Yeah, almost none. He spoke to people who ignored him or 109 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:45.669 they did do things exciting like throw him into assister and and, you know, 110 00:08:45.789 --> 00:08:50.669 and and wait for him to like drown in the mud or or starve 111 00:08:50.750 --> 00:08:52.710 to death. So there were moments that were, I guess, exciting for 112 00:08:52.789 --> 00:08:58.700 him, but a large part of his ministry was just speaking to people who 113 00:08:58.139 --> 00:09:03.100 ignored him. Yeah, who didn't listen to him. Yeah, proclaiming the 114 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:07.460 Truth and not really getting a response from the people. Yeah, now I'll 115 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:13.289 say all the Bible tells us, and Second Corinthians five or seven, we 116 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:16.009 walk by faith and not by sight. Yeah, great, first a lot 117 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:20.129 of times we want to see the results of what we're doing. We want 118 00:09:20.129 --> 00:09:24.679 to see that their interactions. Think was John Wesley, great revivalist preacher in 119 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:30.600 England who actually even came to America, who said he would much rather someone 120 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:33.200 be cursing him, spitting at him and throwing things at him, because at 121 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:37.720 least he knows that they hear what he's saying. Yeah, then someone to 122 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:39.269 ignore him. And I think that's the same for us as we're out there 123 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:43.470 on the sidewalk. But we have to remember, and I'm going to say 124 00:09:43.509 --> 00:09:46.789 this and I hope for you guys listening it, it actually will sting a 125 00:09:46.830 --> 00:09:50.629 little bit, okay, because it's intended to you're not out there for you 126 00:09:50.110 --> 00:09:54.460 right, you're not out there to feel needed. You're not out there to 127 00:09:54.539 --> 00:09:58.740 feel important, you're not out there just to engage people. You're out there 128 00:10:00.460 --> 00:10:01.860 because God called you to be out there. If indeed he did call you 129 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:05.659 to be out there, and I believe that that he did, if you're 130 00:10:05.659 --> 00:10:09.129 out there, yeah, and so think of it in those terms. Let 131 00:10:09.129 --> 00:10:13.169 that sting you a little bit. You're not there for you. You're important, 132 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:18.250 you're made in the image of God, you're Christian, you belong to 133 00:10:18.289 --> 00:10:22.240 him, you're important to the Lord Right, but at the end of the 134 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:24.279 day, you're not out there because you're important. You're out there because God 135 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.720 called you to be out there. Out there to shine a light, and 136 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:31.240 I just want to inject also just a little bit of faith. Maybe this, 137 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:33.320 hopefully this, will help you. I think it will. Again, 138 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:39.070 we walk by faith and not by sight, and if we believe, and 139 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:41.669 I do believe that, as believers, we are a city set on a 140 00:10:41.750 --> 00:10:46.190 hill, we are a light. Jesus said, you're the light of the 141 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:50.259 world. You have a light that you're shining whether whether people are looking at 142 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:52.779 that light or not, or appear to be looking at that light or not, 143 00:10:52.820 --> 00:10:56.779 you're still shining a light. You're standing there in faith believing that God 144 00:10:56.059 --> 00:11:01.059 is honoring what you're doing. Listen, faithfulness is tested not when it's fun 145 00:11:01.139 --> 00:11:05.330 and exciting. Faithfulness is is tested when it's not fun and it's not exciting, 146 00:11:05.370 --> 00:11:09.009 when things are kind of boring. Right. Faith is tested when we're 147 00:11:09.049 --> 00:11:13.450 in the desert, we're in the valley, our faithfulness to the Lord and 148 00:11:13.570 --> 00:11:16.570 what he's called us to. But again, I want to encourage in your 149 00:11:16.610 --> 00:11:20.480 faith that, even though you don't think anything's happening out there on the sidewalk. 150 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:26.679 A story that I share oftentimes is a story of a friend of mine 151 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:31.039 who, in this was I mean probably I think twelve years ago or something, 152 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:33.870 as I remember, but a friend of mine. We were it was 153 00:11:33.950 --> 00:11:37.990 one of those kind of boring days with not a whole lot was going on 154 00:11:37.149 --> 00:11:41.470 on the sidewalk and a friend of mine named Brett just to at it. 155 00:11:41.549 --> 00:11:45.669 He was going to pace the sidewalk and just pray. And this brother knows 156 00:11:45.710 --> 00:11:48.379 how to pray and say he's not just praying like quietly to himself, although 157 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:52.779 if you do that that's fine. I think it's past that that he's prying 158 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:56.100 out loud. He's pretty but there's no outward nothing happening right, nothing really 159 00:11:56.139 --> 00:12:00.580 going on. Right. Well, we find out, like I don't know 160 00:12:00.659 --> 00:12:05.090 how, how many weeks or so later, that actually a young lady inside 161 00:12:05.090 --> 00:12:07.409 of that abortion center was in the waiting room and she peeked out of the 162 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:09.809 blinds. I don't know if you sometimes, if you look at the abortion 163 00:12:09.850 --> 00:12:13.330 center on Latrobe and you look at the blind sometimes you'll see the blinds come 164 00:12:13.370 --> 00:12:18.279 open. You'll see just like a little gap in the blinds got I've recognized 165 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:20.639 that now. Back then I didn't, but you paying attention to that. 166 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.600 But apparently she did that look through those blinds. She saw him out there 167 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:28.320 on the sidewalk praying and that's what encouraged her to choose life. She said, 168 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.789 I knew that guy was praying for me and for my baby, and 169 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:33.429 she chose life. She got connected in some way. I don't know all 170 00:12:33.429 --> 00:12:37.309 the INS and outs of the story. That was one of those kind of 171 00:12:37.350 --> 00:12:39.909 boring days and he just decide, you know what, I'm out here, 172 00:12:41.470 --> 00:12:43.549 there's death going on in there, this is a dark place. I'm going 173 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:45.899 to shine the light. I'm just going to pray. Right. So what 174 00:12:46.059 --> 00:12:48.779 was he doing? He was walking by faith and not by sight. We 175 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:52.940 could have packed it up and said, you know what, there's nobody's listening 176 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:56.059 to us. Let's just knock the dust off off of our feet and let's 177 00:12:56.059 --> 00:13:00.610 just go on. Yeah, we didn't do that that day, praise God. 178 00:13:00.730 --> 00:13:03.649 Yeah, we decided to. He decided to pray and to press and 179 00:13:03.850 --> 00:13:09.409 walk by faith. And I'll say it's helpful again, practically speaking. This 180 00:13:09.570 --> 00:13:13.840 is why we say if you're going to volunteer, it's good to have kind 181 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:16.120 of a set time. If you're organizing teams on the sidewalks, good to 182 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:20.279 have a set time. For us it's three hours, nine to twelve. 183 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.879 I think it's really helpful because when you get into those boring times, at 184 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.840 least you have a time. Okay, I'm going to be here until twelve 185 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:31.230 o'clock, whether I see out results or not. And if you're maybe the 186 00:13:31.309 --> 00:13:33.549 team lead is given you a particular position to stand in and it's a boring 187 00:13:33.629 --> 00:13:37.629 position. Press into that, be faithful, to stay that three hours, 188 00:13:37.990 --> 00:13:41.940 and I might even just intentionally put my flesh in check by saying, okay, 189 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:46.139 I'm supposed to be here till twelve, I'm going to stay till o 190 00:13:46.379 --> 00:13:48.340 one, right, just to tell my flesh, yeah, you're in subjection 191 00:13:48.419 --> 00:13:52.220 to me. I'm going to stay by faith. So again this want encourage 192 00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:56.370 you guys. Like God's doing some stuff. You never know what God's doing 193 00:13:56.409 --> 00:13:58.690 behind the scenes. Like that story I shared. There are women that come 194 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:03.289 to the abortion center. They're driving up to you know, wherever you're at 195 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:05.769 on that that road, you don't see it, you don't know about it, 196 00:14:07.009 --> 00:14:09.210 but they see you out there praying. They see you out there just 197 00:14:09.289 --> 00:14:11.519 bored out of your mind, maybe listening to some scripture, but you're out 198 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:15.000 there praying. They see you and they know why you're out there, and 199 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.720 so they keep driving and you won't find out about that life that was saved 200 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.120 and that mother, possibly who came to the Lord. Maybe she went to 201 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:24.669 church that next Sunday and got saved. Who knows? Yeah, again, 202 00:14:24.750 --> 00:14:28.710 we walk by faith and not by sight. Yeah, you won't find out 203 00:14:28.710 --> 00:14:31.029 about that story until you stand before the Lord. So encourage you guys. 204 00:14:31.110 --> 00:14:35.389 Be Faithful. God's called you there. It's not about you, it's about 205 00:14:35.429 --> 00:14:39.019 him, and it walk by faith in that here. Yeah. Yeah, 206 00:14:39.100 --> 00:14:43.259 so and and Jeremiah, when he was clearly called by God. He's spoke 207 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:46.179 with God and God said he was calling him to this ministry and told them 208 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:50.860 exactly what he was going to do. And Jeremiah even tried. He kind 209 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:52.690 of fought it. He said, I tried to be silent, but then 210 00:14:52.889 --> 00:14:56.649 in that verse where he talks about being silent, he said it would in 211 00:14:56.809 --> 00:15:00.809 my heart. It becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones. 212 00:15:00.850 --> 00:15:05.009 I'm weary of holding it in. So he did press through that and and 213 00:15:05.490 --> 00:15:11.440 speak anyway. And to your point again, just a couple of days ago 214 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.600 a very similar thing happened. Where we've been out there, of course, 215 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:22.509 sometimes totally ignored apparently, and and we just continue to do our thing and 216 00:15:22.629 --> 00:15:26.990 a woman drove by and stopped who told me that she has just over the 217 00:15:26.149 --> 00:15:31.110 many, many weeks that she had been going to a chiropractor up the street. 218 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:35.269 She had heard and seen these people, but she didn't know, she 219 00:15:35.350 --> 00:15:37.860 didn't even know what was an abortion center. She didn't know what it was 220 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:41.019 all about. And said I'm just wondering what's going on here, because I've 221 00:15:41.019 --> 00:15:43.580 been wondering for weeks. I've seen you guys out here for weeks and and 222 00:15:45.500 --> 00:15:48.740 so I told her and then I told her, you know, one and 223 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:52.289 four women have have had an abortion and here's here's some information that that you 224 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:58.049 could share. If you ever know someone in a and I'm playing pregnancy and 225 00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:02.289 she started crying and for thirty years she had carried the secret of her own 226 00:16:02.330 --> 00:16:06.679 abortion. This was the first time she had spoken to someone about an abortion 227 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:08.559 she had thirty years ago, and I was able to point her on a 228 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:14.399 path of healing. It's because we were there and seeing. So sometimes it's 229 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.230 just you showing up. Is that is what God has called you to do, 230 00:16:18.389 --> 00:16:22.830 and then you know, give the results to him. Yeah, another 231 00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:29.269 thing that that Jeremiah realized as as he was ministering, when the fruit was 232 00:16:29.350 --> 00:16:34.820 seemingly absent, was that the what you what you said earlier. The absence 233 00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:41.019 of visible fruit is not surprising to God and very may well may have a 234 00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:47.490 divine purpose. So so God himself tells Jeremiah and Jeremiah D and twenty seven. 235 00:16:47.490 --> 00:16:49.809 You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen 236 00:16:49.850 --> 00:16:52.690 to you, and you shall call to them, but they will not answer 237 00:16:52.730 --> 00:16:56.610 you. He's warning Jeremiah. Yeah, but God, all his purposes, 238 00:16:56.730 --> 00:17:02.679 always prevail. He wasn't just doing that, putting Jeremiah in front of people 239 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:07.240 who would not listen just to frustrate Jeremiah. There was a purpose in that. 240 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:11.400 JEREMIA didn't discover what that was necessarily until the end. But but there 241 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:15.789 is a purpose, sometimes even in silence. Yeah, and even in the 242 00:17:15.869 --> 00:17:19.349 lack of the visible fruit. Yeah, absolutely. And again it kind of 243 00:17:19.390 --> 00:17:26.430 gets back to that principle of Jeremiah's call in his ministry was not about him, 244 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:29.829 right, it was about the Lord. I think of I think of 245 00:17:29.950 --> 00:17:33.380 Noah mmm, who God called to build the arc. And and of course 246 00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:37.539 we know that part of the story, but we don't realize that from the 247 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:41.819 point that God called him to build that arc and again, a boat in 248 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:45.609 the middle of a desert, he never seen rain, as we've seen rain, 249 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:48.890 right. It never seen water in abundant yeah, and the time frame 250 00:17:49.329 --> 00:17:52.490 from when God called him to do that to win it actually reigned was like 251 00:17:52.569 --> 00:17:56.450 a hundred and twenty years. Wow. And this man was called not just 252 00:17:56.529 --> 00:18:02.480 to be a builder of ships but actually a prophet, like he was prophesying 253 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.119 and warning the people that God's judgment was coming. And in the middle of 254 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:10.599 the desert, watching a man build a boat. Yeah, and you can 255 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.869 imagine the mockery that this guy's under and all this stuff, but for the 256 00:18:14.950 --> 00:18:18.589 most part people were just ignoring the guy. Yeah, but he did what 257 00:18:18.710 --> 00:18:22.309 he did because God called him to do it. He was faithful in it 258 00:18:22.829 --> 00:18:26.619 and God honored him and saved him, not just him but his family, 259 00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:32.140 from the judgment that was to come. Right, Bible says, I'm paraphrasing 260 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:33.779 a little bit because I can't uote the scripture exactly, but Jesus said, 261 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:38.779 when the son of man returns, will he find faith on the earth? 262 00:18:40.900 --> 00:18:44.410 I want you to personalize that. When the son of man returned. Me 263 00:18:44.490 --> 00:18:45.730 Think about that. Okay, this is this is cool to think about. 264 00:18:47.890 --> 00:18:51.769 We think about the the rapture and the trumpet and the blast of the trumpet 265 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:55.839 when when Jesus Returns. Okay, the exciting stuff. We can we can 266 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:59.240 in the air with him, we can debate about when all that takes place. 267 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:04.039 But what if it's a boring day on the sidewalk of an abortion center? 268 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:07.799 Right, nothing's going on, you're thinking, Oh Gosh, why I'm 269 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:11.069 even here, and all of a sudden you hear the trumpet blast, right, 270 00:19:12.710 --> 00:19:18.509 and Jesus returns. We're better to be found right and standing in front 271 00:19:18.549 --> 00:19:21.670 of an abortion clear. Yeah, I mean can this with a son of 272 00:19:21.750 --> 00:19:23.900 man. When he returns, will he find faith on the earth? Not. 273 00:19:25.059 --> 00:19:30.700 Will he find excitement and enthusiasm and you know somebody that can argue a 274 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:33.500 good point with a pro board, but will he find faith? and faith 275 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:38.250 is tested out when we don't feel like it, when we don't we're not 276 00:19:38.450 --> 00:19:42.170 excited. It's really when faith is tested. And certainly our faith can be 277 00:19:42.289 --> 00:19:48.210 tested in the fire of opposition and all that stuff, but some of the 278 00:19:48.250 --> 00:19:52.880 most difficult times of testing for me is when I'm bored, when I'm in 279 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.920 the desert. Yeah, you know, Paul talks about US redeeming the time, 280 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:00.039 and that's why I would give you guys this encouragement. If you're in 281 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:04.839 that scenario, get some podcasts. They can help you grow in the Lord. 282 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.549 Some messages, some preaching, some things that you can put on your 283 00:20:08.589 --> 00:20:12.190 air pods. Maybe this one. Yeah, yeah, maybe play our podcast. 284 00:20:12.269 --> 00:20:15.950 Why? You have there on the subtle maybe now's the auld. That's 285 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:18.630 right. You can get caught up on some some episodes of the podcast. 286 00:20:18.910 --> 00:20:22.619 Listening to the scriptures. Redeem the time. But you think about that, 287 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:26.859 if the Lord returns and you're there on the sidewalk, you're not going to 288 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:30.460 be sad that you are fade fill in that and I believe God's going to 289 00:20:30.539 --> 00:20:34.299 honor that in either way. The eye of the Lord is in every place, 290 00:20:34.380 --> 00:20:37.890 like he sees you there on the sidewalk. He's with you there and 291 00:20:38.210 --> 00:20:44.210 in you're holding up the light of who he is. The truth of just 292 00:20:44.329 --> 00:20:47.970 your presence is holding of the truth that abortion is wrong. Yeah, to 293 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:49.599 those who are going inside of that place. And I love that idea of 294 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:53.440 redeeming the time because that goes right into one of the next things that I 295 00:20:53.559 --> 00:21:00.559 think is a key point that Jeremiah discovered is during that time of waiting, 296 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:08.230 of apparent inaction, Jeremiah was told to tell the people that they were to 297 00:21:08.430 --> 00:21:11.630 seek the welfare of their city when they were in exile, while they're waiting 298 00:21:11.789 --> 00:21:15.269 to return. Desperately. They all want to return to to Jerusalem, and 299 00:21:15.349 --> 00:21:18.339 he's saying, but you're not, you're not going. You're not supposed to 300 00:21:18.420 --> 00:21:25.420 just sit back and wait doing nothing. Your to build your houses, bare 301 00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:30.980 children, Plant Gardens and seek the welfare of the city. So He's saying 302 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:36.650 just what your are saying during that time, during the periods of waiting for 303 00:21:36.769 --> 00:21:42.450 the action to begin, redeem that time, use that time wisely and seek 304 00:21:42.529 --> 00:21:47.839 the welfare of the place where you are planted. Yeah, so, whatever 305 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:53.119 position you're in on that sidewalk, use that time as best as you can 306 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:59.759 to fulfill what God has put you there to do. There is a purpose 307 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:04.029 for you and and use that time wisely. Yeah. Yeah, and you 308 00:22:04.109 --> 00:22:10.869 can use that time if you're maybe you're on a busier street just you're not 309 00:22:10.950 --> 00:22:12.670 getting a whole lot of interactions with the abortion center, but there's a lot 310 00:22:12.670 --> 00:22:15.980 of people, foot traffic or whatever that's coming by. Maybe get you stuck 311 00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:19.099 a tracks and just hand out some Gospel tracks. I mean, certainly you're 312 00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:22.619 there because they're murdering babies inside of that building, so you don't want to 313 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:26.380 lose your focus on what's going on inside of there, but if you've got 314 00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:30.250 some Gospel tracks you can hand out, hand out some Gospel tracks, take 315 00:22:30.329 --> 00:22:33.130 time to pray. Pray for the course, the people going into the abortion 316 00:22:33.250 --> 00:22:37.730 center, the people that work there. But even as cars are passing by, 317 00:22:37.930 --> 00:22:41.529 maybe you see one person you recognize that car. Maybe they're they're the 318 00:22:41.569 --> 00:22:45.880 person that flips you off of every day going to work or whatever. Maybe 319 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:48.119 they're just somebody that God's put on your heart to pray for. Pray for 320 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.200 that person. Just take that time to spend in prayer. Redeem that time 321 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.039 as a lot of ways you can reading that time. Yeah, I will 322 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:59.710 say this is something I wanted to mention earlier and just kind of get a 323 00:22:59.710 --> 00:23:03.710 little side track. Didn't mention it, but if you've been maybe your team 324 00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:04.910 lead is told you, Hey, I want you to hold this position. 325 00:23:07.069 --> 00:23:11.509 You know, I know in at one of the abortion clinics in southern California 326 00:23:11.150 --> 00:23:15.019 there's folks that minister on the Front side of the parenthood building and then there's 327 00:23:15.019 --> 00:23:18.900 folks that minister around the backside, because people go in and out both both 328 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:22.460 areas. Mostly they come out in the back and in the front side and 329 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:26.250 you know, maybe on the front side there's not a whole lot of interactions 330 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:30.650 at the end of the day. You know in most the interactions happen around 331 00:23:30.650 --> 00:23:33.369 the back. The temptation can be, even though you've been asked to be 332 00:23:33.450 --> 00:23:36.130 out in front, is like I'm bored here, so let me go around 333 00:23:36.170 --> 00:23:38.009 back. And for me, because that is a temptation for me, if 334 00:23:38.009 --> 00:23:41.200 I'm maybe up the street a little bit on the trobe and there's action taking 335 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:45.200 place down there, I want to I want to abandon that post, yeah, 336 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:48.720 and go down where the action is. Often Times, though, as 337 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:51.640 soon as I band in that post, as soon as I go around behind 338 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:52.839 the build instead of in the front of the building where I was asked to 339 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:57.750 be, inevitably a car pulls up. I'm miss an interaction. Exactly what? 340 00:23:59.269 --> 00:24:02.869 Don't let that be you take take me as an example not to follow. 341 00:24:03.430 --> 00:24:06.990 Stay firm. Now, God has taught me. Stay where you've been 342 00:24:07.029 --> 00:24:08.750 asked to be. Yeah, be there, unless, of course, you 343 00:24:08.990 --> 00:24:11.539 got to go to the bathroom or something like that. Right, but be 344 00:24:11.660 --> 00:24:15.299 there. Be Faithful in that. You can. God will honor that. 345 00:24:15.619 --> 00:24:18.859 Yeah, especially if you're you know you've been asked to be there. It's 346 00:24:18.420 --> 00:24:22.700 they didn't ask you to stay in that position just to be mean to you. 347 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:26.970 It's because it's a necessary position. So stand firm and what your leadership 348 00:24:26.049 --> 00:24:29.650 is told you and asked you to do and with the Lord has called you 349 00:24:29.690 --> 00:24:32.529 to do, got to honor it. Yeah, that's great and and of 350 00:24:32.650 --> 00:24:34.769 course, one of the most famous verses and in Jeremiah, think it's in 351 00:24:34.769 --> 00:24:37.839 Jeremiah twenty nine, for I know the plans that I have for you to 352 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.200 clears the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you 353 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:45.160 a future and a hope, and I think we apply that often times to 354 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:48.519 the people that were ministering to, but I think we also need to apply 355 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.759 it to ourselves. God has a plan for us. In the position that 356 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:57.589 we're at, we he has planned that are again to to work out his 357 00:24:57.750 --> 00:25:06.670 good purposes and the we should be faithful to trusting him that wherever he is 358 00:25:06.750 --> 00:25:11.700 placed us is where we're supposed to be and something wonderful will happen if we 359 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:15.059 remain true to that. I know what I tell the people that go up 360 00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:18.299 the street. We often give that example here at the trope. That's maybe 361 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:21.609 the boringest, yeah, and maybe not, but I actually like it. 362 00:25:21.690 --> 00:25:23.569 It's one of my favorites. But I what I will tell them. As 363 00:25:23.609 --> 00:25:26.930 you may have not a single person stop. You may have zero interactions, 364 00:25:27.089 --> 00:25:30.809 but the one that does is going to be critical because if someone stops up 365 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:36.920 there, it often is a safe so maybe you're going to wait three months 366 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:41.200 before it happens, but when it happens it's a really important place for you 367 00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:45.920 to be. Yeah, absolutely. Does you know don't lose sight of that. 368 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:52.150 Yeah, he's always there. Here is another key point. That God 369 00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:56.150 is there, he's always working and his plan will not fail. and One 370 00:25:56.230 --> 00:26:00.710 day the fruit of faithfulness will be revealed. You know, you said, 371 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:03.190 well, we walk by faith, not by sight. That is very true, 372 00:26:03.579 --> 00:26:07.940 but one day there will be sight. Yeah, one day it will 373 00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:11.500 be revealed and one day we're going to find out that all those people that 374 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:17.539 never spoke to us, that still saw us, that there was something planted 375 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:22.329 in their life that later turned them towards the Lord, so that there is 376 00:26:22.369 --> 00:26:27.849 a hope in a future also, and we will get to see, yeah, 377 00:26:29.009 --> 00:26:33.920 the the results of our faithfulness one day. Yeah, absolutely, and 378 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:38.759 I think kind of as we wrap this up, another practical tip for you 379 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:44.319 guys in the practical thing that you can do is encourage each other. Yeah, 380 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:48.910 because it can be so easy to get discouraged, and a way that 381 00:26:48.990 --> 00:26:52.069 we've encouraged the teams that are under us to do this is to create a 382 00:26:52.150 --> 00:26:57.869 social media group or some way of communicating with each other where you can share 383 00:26:57.869 --> 00:27:04.099 scriptures, you can share encouragements and, you know, maybe you're you're at 384 00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:07.220 one of these kind of boring scenarios you have some of these boring days you 385 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:11.900 can see what God is doing and some of the other days during the week 386 00:27:11.900 --> 00:27:15.220 or some of the other abortion centers in your city. It's a way for 387 00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:18.410 us to all stay connected in it and it's not easy always to remember because 388 00:27:18.410 --> 00:27:21.930 we deal with our own discouragement. It's not always easy to remember that we 389 00:27:21.970 --> 00:27:26.289 need to be encouraging each other because we want people to be encouraging to us 390 00:27:26.329 --> 00:27:30.359 right. But you know, sometimes we're encouraged in our spirit is lifted. 391 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:33.880 I can say that way when we lift the spirits of others, when we 392 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.519 encourage others, sometimes we're encouraged and you know, we kind of create this 393 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:44.869 culture within our sidewalk teams of encouraging each other, of Hey, I see 394 00:27:44.950 --> 00:27:47.269 what you're doing, I see your faithfulness. God sees it, but I 395 00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:49.869 see it too and I'm blessed by it. Yeah, and you know, 396 00:27:49.910 --> 00:27:56.589 I'll say practically speaking and kind of give a shout out actually Elijah, who's 397 00:27:56.630 --> 00:27:59.460 over the window over abortion clinic, which is one of these abortion centers that's 398 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:03.059 really boring here in Charlotte. It's really hard. It's high traffic area, 399 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:07.099 the building is far away from the sidewalk right and it's it's really hard to 400 00:28:07.140 --> 00:28:10.819 engage. They do have some engagements from time to time, but it's really 401 00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:15.529 hard to sign. Ministry there is one of the most important. But I 402 00:28:15.650 --> 00:28:21.329 will say just that brother's faithfulness and being there for a long time really in 403 00:28:21.450 --> 00:28:26.049 Charlotte, that kind of has been the hidden the hidden place of darkness in 404 00:28:26.130 --> 00:28:27.799 our city. We all know about pretty see. Yeah, and we didn't 405 00:28:27.880 --> 00:28:32.359 really know that until we had a liesh out there. Yeah, I know 406 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:36.319 you'd person centers kind of like you know, it's the monstrosity, is the 407 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:40.519 giant, it's the Goliath, it's mocking the children of Israel, right, 408 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:44.150 like that story goes. The window is kind of hidden over to the side. 409 00:28:44.309 --> 00:28:47.630 Yeah, and this brother has really been faithful over the past couple of 410 00:28:47.670 --> 00:28:52.670 years being out there, being that standard, that that that light shining. 411 00:28:52.710 --> 00:28:57.500 And I'm telling you, I know practically, but also in faith, that 412 00:28:57.660 --> 00:29:02.059 there are babies, I don't know how many babies that are saved. Yeah, 413 00:29:02.180 --> 00:29:04.460 because of course the signs that are out there, but just his presence 414 00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:07.980 out there and the presence of the team God's build a team, slowly but 415 00:29:08.099 --> 00:29:12.410 surely, out there on that sidewalk. Gosh, we're going to hear when 416 00:29:12.450 --> 00:29:17.130 we stand before the Lord. We're going to hear if babies that were saying. 417 00:29:17.130 --> 00:29:19.009 We're going to hear if people maybe they weren't even coming to the abortion 418 00:29:19.089 --> 00:29:22.730 clinic. Yeah, but we're just driving by and never, never even knew 419 00:29:22.730 --> 00:29:26.039 it was an abortion clinic. Right. But women that are considering abortion, 420 00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:30.880 maybe they're on their way to their job or whatever, and they see elies 421 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:33.039 out there, they see his team out there, they see the signs that 422 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:37.319 are out there and they turn away from abortion before they even for they even 423 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:41.869 really know that they were even planning on making an appointment exactly. And again, 424 00:29:41.910 --> 00:29:45.349 that's that's walking by faith and not by sight, and that brother doesn't 425 00:29:45.390 --> 00:29:48.230 he does it well, and so just wanted to give a shout out to 426 00:29:48.309 --> 00:29:52.579 him because of that as a blessing. It's an encouragement for all of you 427 00:29:52.619 --> 00:29:57.019 guys across the country. You're there, maybe you're one of these abortion centers 428 00:29:57.099 --> 00:30:02.259 like latrobe, where it's crazy and you're intimidated by that and that's getting a 429 00:30:02.259 --> 00:30:04.380 little discouraging, or maybe kind of the opposite end of the spectrum, mirror, 430 00:30:04.420 --> 00:30:07.410 one of these abortion centers where, you know, maybe patients are just 431 00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:11.650 trickling in. There's not a whole lot of places or times where you can 432 00:30:11.730 --> 00:30:18.250 engage with the people going in what God has called you to. Be Faithful 433 00:30:18.329 --> 00:30:22.599 in it. God will honor it. Do it by faith and put it 434 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:26.359 in God's hands and don't give up. I think the final lesson that all 435 00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:33.319 of us have to remember is don't give up. Don't don't quit because it's 436 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:37.509 not the exciting, you know mission that that you thought it would be, 437 00:30:37.910 --> 00:30:42.029 or for any reason. Don't give up. Don't quit. Jeremiah did not, 438 00:30:42.829 --> 00:30:47.950 and in the end he he was faithful through all those years, and 439 00:30:48.190 --> 00:30:51.140 that that should be us as well. Don't, don't give up. Finish 440 00:30:51.259 --> 00:30:55.059 the race that God has called you to, no matter what. Yeah, 441 00:30:55.339 --> 00:30:59.099 Amen. Yeah. Well, guys, we appreciate you listening to this podcast 442 00:30:59.140 --> 00:31:02.220 episode. We'd appreciate if you would share this episode. Maybe it will be 443 00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:06.450 an encouragement a challenge for someone. Maybe it's an encouragement and challenge for you 444 00:31:06.569 --> 00:31:07.730 and you know that someone else will be blessed by it. Share it with 445 00:31:07.849 --> 00:31:11.970 your team, if you have a sidewalk team where you serve and reach out 446 00:31:12.009 --> 00:31:15.130 to us if you have questions. Maybe have other subjects you'd like for us 447 00:31:15.130 --> 00:31:18.599 to cover. We'd love to try to cover those subjects. You can reach 448 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:21.640 me, Daniel at Love Life Dot Org. You can reach her, Vicky 449 00:31:21.720 --> 00:31:25.119 at Love Life Dot Org. And until next time, God bless God, 450 00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:41.589 bless Y'all our love for love. Give me our love for gratitude. I 451 00:31:41.910 --> 00:31:51.299 know it will cost me my life. Nothing's too precious in some you