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Red Bluff SDA Church

Martin Kim

The Most Inspiring Story

All right, I am so glad that I'm finally here because I've been waiting all week long because I'm looking forward to sharing with you what I believe is the most inspiring story.

Father in heaven, we thank you for being such a wonderful God, a God who wants to encourage us, a God who wants to inspire and lift us up.

Father, I pray once again that you would send the Holy Spirit, please bring us under deep conviction as we hear this message, and I just pray, oh God, that you would make your strength perfect in my weakness.

I'm gonna share with you today what I believe personally is hands down the most beautiful, most amazing, most inspiring story of our time.

It's a story that only God could have written, and it's a story that's still being written today.

And this beautiful story reminds me so much of the story of Joseph in Genesis, 1 of the longest narratives in the Old Testament, which covers over 13 chapters.

You know, I love the way the story of Joseph ends.

In Genesis chapter 50, Jacob passes away, and now the brothers think that Joseph is gonna now come and take revenge on them.

They come before him, they fall down, and they say, behold, we are your servants.

Joseph said, do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?

But as for you, you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good to save many people alive.

And of course, Joseph is a premier type of Christ, and we see how the devil used the cross and meant it for evil against Christ, but God meant it for good.

And through the cross, millions have found salvation.

So this inspiring story reminds me a lot about the story of Joseph.

We're told in Desire of Ages, there is no limit to the usefulness of 1 who by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his life and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.

How many of you want to be no-limit Christians?

This story is 1 of the most incredible rags to riches story.

And the reason it's so beautiful is because you see the spirit of Christ's self-sacrificing love in this story.

And it's a story that inspires me to be more faithful.

When those days come by when I'm tempted to be a little bit lazy.

It inspires me to be more faithful, and I hope this story will inspire you to be more faithful.

Now, before we go into the story, we wanna look at a parable that highlights the importance of faithfulness.

Of the more than 40 parables that Jesus Christ taught, can you think of a parable that highlights the importance of faithfulness?

Turn with me in your Bible to the parable of the talents.

We want to go to the parable of the talents.

I want you to understand that the parable of the talents is placed in a specific chapter for a very important reason because it's a very important chapter.

Now I hope that after this message today, you will always remember the location of this important parable.

Now, Matthew chapter 24 and 25 make up what is called the Olivet Discourse.

Now we're all familiar as Adventists with Matthew 24.

The disciples ask Jesus a question, what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

And Jesus gives a number of specific signs that tell when his coming is near.

The basic point of the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24 and 25 can be summed up in 1 word.

Let's go to Matthew 24 and let's read verse 45.

The adverb therefore is used to introduce a conclusion.

If I say point number 1, point number 2, point number 3, therefore, you know that I'm about to bring things to a conclusion.

Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming, but know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

So Jesus says you need to watch and be ready.

This is the point of the entire discourse.

We don't know exactly when Jesus will return, that angels don't even know.

The signs tell us that his coming is near but in another sense he will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night.

Therefore we need to watch and we need to be prepared.

Now through 4 parables that follow Jesus tells us exactly how we are to be watching.

You have the parable of the wise servant and the evil servant.

The second parable is the parable of the 10 virgins.

Then you have the parable of the talents, and then You have the parable of the wise servant and the evil servant.

Then you have the parable of the talents and then you have the parable of the sheep and ghosts.

So through these 4 parables, Jesus tells us how we are to be watching and be prepared.

Now we're not going to look at all these parables.

We're going to focus in on the parable of the talents, but let's look at verse 45 of chapter 24 before we get to the parable of talents.

It says, who then is a faithful and wise servant?

Do we all want to be faithful and wise servants?

Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season.

Present truth is truth that is appropriate and relevant for this time.

Friends, the Olivet Discourse contains present truth, and these 4 parables contain present truth for us.

I have it on the screen if you'd like to follow along.

It says, For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

This man who is traveling to a far country, who does he represent?

This represents Christ who, when speaking this parable, was soon to depart from earth to heaven.

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The Most Inspiring Story

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