GYC 2007: Be

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Steve Conway - Morning Devotionals

Steven Conway

As Precious As Christ

It's good to see so many of you out here this morning.

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm.

And I think this morning, if you were a bird, You would enjoy worms, but obviously you're not birds, so we've got more than worms for you this morning.

And I think you will be blessed and challenged by Pastor Conway's message.

I was thinking and reading some in Habakkuk this morning.

And Habakkuk is a fascinating book because Habakkuk the prophet goes before God with some questions.

He says, God, I see so much evil in this world.

And so Habakkuk and God wrestle back and forth with these questions, trying to understand, trying to make sense of the tragedy and confusion that Habakkuk sees in the world around him.

And finally, in the last chapter of Habakkuk, Habakkuk chapter 3 and verse 17, he concludes on this triumphant note.

Habakkuk chapter 3 and verse 17, 08.17 and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, there be no herd in the stalls.

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Even when things weren't going right, Habakkuk could still rejoice in the God of his salvation.

And so this morning I hope that no matter what's going on in your life, no matter what issues we're struggling with in GYC, especially with Alistair, we can rejoice in the God of our salvation, no matter what the outcome is.

This morning our speaker will be Pastor Stephen Conway.

He's the pastor at the Michigan Campus Hope Campus Ministry on the campus of the University of Michigan.

And I know he is looking forward to sharing with you this morning.

Alana Smith will be doing our opening prayer and after that the next voice you will hear will be that of Pastor Conway's If you would mind please bow on your heads as we pray Dear Father in heaven.

Thank you so much for giving us another day of life today.

And Father, I just pray that you will send your Holy Spirit to be here to guide our minds and to bring us closer to you.

And especially, Father, this morning I pray that you'll be with Pastor Conway as he brings us your message and I thank you father, and I pray this in your name Amen Good morning everyone Good to see you out.

You're the brave ones who sacrificed to come out this morning and I'm glad to see your faces.

Then we'll know you're happy to be here and your roommate didn't force you to get up.

Let's bow our heads for another word of prayer.

Loving Father, thank you for the privilege and opportunity we have to be here.

We ask that you would rain down your spirit upon us, open our hearts and our minds, and I pray that you would use these lips to be able to convey the message you would have for your people in Jesus name amen you know I really don't watch much television but there's a commercial that I only saw 1 time and it simply just captured my mind.

So I searched it up on you know the internet I wanted to watch this commercial again and I found it it was a Volkswagen commercial and in this Volkswagen commercial there's this couple and they're riding down the street in a Volkswagen Passat.

And as they're riding down, they encounter a man who has a huge megaphone and he's hanging out of the window of an extremely expensive automobile and he's saying over and over because my daddy didn't hug me because my daddy didn't hug me and the people in the car look at each other and they keep riding and then they come across a blonde young woman and she's hanging out of a red convertible automobile sports car and she also has a megaphone and she's screaming because the more guys look at me the more I love myself the more guys look at me the more I love myself And then they continue to drive and they come by another man who's hanging out of the window of another expensive automobile.

And then finally, they roll up on this gentleman who's seated in an extremely fancy sports car.

And he's hanging out with a megaphone, and he says, To make up for all of my insecurities.

To make up for all of my insecurities now I don't know who the creator of this commercial was but whoever the creator was I think that they captured something About the psychological process that goes on in our minds.

I read 1 time in a book, and I apologize, I can't tell you what the book's title is, but I read that almost 65 to 70% of the things that we do, we don't do those things consciously, but in fact, we do them subconsciously.

You got up this morning and you made a selection as to what you would wear, or you pack your suitcase, thinking about what things you will wear when you came to GYC.

And most of the decisions that you made were based on subconscious things that were going on in your mind.

We as people do so much in order to impress those around us.

So much to make up for the insecurities in our lives.

As I was thinking this thing over I asked myself the question I wonder did Jesus have this problem?

Turn with me in your Bible to the book of John chapter 1.

In John chapter 1 verse 35 John chapter 1 verse 35 the Bible says, again the next day after John stood and 2 of his disciples and looking upon Jesus as he walked He saith behold the Lamb of God and the 2 disciples heard him speak and they followed Jesus Then Jesus turned and saw them following and saith unto them what seek ye They said unto him rabbi which is to say being interpreted master Where dwellest thou?

Here these 2 gentlemen are and they have been disciples of John and all of a sudden Jesus comes on the scene and John points to Christ and says here is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world and As their eyes focus on Christ, they see him walking and they want to follow Jesus so they begin to walk behind Christ and Jesus turns around you know when you can sense someone is following you Jesus turns around and says what do you want what an Amazing introduction to the Savior of the world.

They say a master Tell us where you live.

That's probably all they could muster And so the Bible says that Jesus responds and says come and see Come and see they came and saw where he dwelt and a bowl with him that day for it was about the tenth hour and if you read the rest of the account you will find that they were so impressed as a Result of spending time with Jesus Christ in his home.

They were so impressed that they went out and began to share the message of the arriving or the arrival rather of the savior of mankind.

Can someone spend time in your presence with you and your home and be so impressed just by looking at the place where you live that their lives are transformed?

Jesus didn't break down the prophecies Jesus didn't give them a Bible study on how he was the Messiah.

He simply gave an invitation to intimacy.

And these disciples lives were transformed.

Jesus had a habit of doing things that kind of threw people for a twist.

There Jesus gives the invitation to intimacy but I want you to take a look with me in John chapter 8 at another example of something that Jesus does.

If Jesus wasn't secure in terms of who he was would he have been able to offer this invitation?

Would he have been able to ask someone to come close to him?

In John chapter 8 beginning with verse 1, the Bible says, Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him, and He sat down and taught them.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.

And when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.

Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou?

This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him but Jesus stooped down and with his finger rode on the ground as though he heard them not so when they continued asking him he lifted up himself and said unto them he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her and again Jesus stoops down and begins to write in the sand and rocks begin to drop and from the eldest to the youngest all of those who have accosted this young woman begin to leave.

Now remember at the very beginning in John chapter 8 in the first verses we are told that Jesus was in the synagogue and what was he doing?

So after this incident takes place with the woman, and Jesus speaks to her and says, where are those, your accusers?

And she rises up and she says, no man, Lord.

And Jesus says, neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.

Now everyone who's there at the church service is scratching their heads by now.

They've never experienced the church service like this possibly and they've never heard someone say the things that Jesus has said.

They've never seen someone treat people the way that Jesus has treated them and so they're wondering what type of person is this?

Listen to how Jesus answers in John chapter 8 verse 12, then spake Jesus again unto them saying, Now he's continuing with his message, I am.

Nothing Between

I'm thrilled to be here with you this morning You know I as I woke up this morning and I was inspired by the message last night And I woke up to have some extra time for my devotions And I was reading through in Romans chapter 12 and contemplating what we've covered so far And as I was praying I picked up this booklet we were given how many of you have have looked at this It's incredible pick it up.

If you don't have it read through it I was reading through on identity and just going through how God has this special plan for us.

And I was just inspired again by Romans chapter 12 and I wanted to just be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

I'm excited to be able to hear Pastor Conway again this morning as I've talked with many of you.

You've received such a blessing already, amen?

So welcome to the Friday morning devotional.

Pastor Conway, Steve Conway is going to share with us again.

He is the director of pastoral care for campus.

And as I met him backstage for the first time I said, Pastor Conway, tell me something about yourself.

And he said, really, I'm not such an exciting person.

He said but I love working with young people.

Amen He has a wife of almost 7 years and 2 children Israel and Abigail and they both have been working with young people Just wanting to to share their love for Christ with them.

And I can see the passion that he has for young people.

So I'm excited he's going to share with us again this morning.

And I encourage you, as Pastor Conway shares, to be in prayer for him, that God will guide his words, that the Holy Spirit will be here and that God will give each of us a special special message.

There's many here this morning and God has a special message for each 1 of us.

He's wants to transform us this morning so that we may be a true Christian.

Before Pastor Conway comes up, Taylor Paris is going to give us our opening prayer.

Please bow your heads with me as we pray.

Dear Jesus, we come before you this morning excited about what you're going to share with us through Pastor Conaway.

And I pray that you would anoint his lips so that the message that he shares will be just what we need this morning.

Lord, we pray that as we come before you, that you would just help us to behold your beauty and to inquire in your temple so that we can have a greater understanding of you and your love for us.

It's good to see you out again this morning.

I hope that you all aren't staying up too late.

It's a good thing that the doors of probation have not swung shut.

You know I was reading, I was reading a while ago about an experience in Western Germany or in West Germany, the old West Germany.

And the President of the United States, his name was John F.

Kennedy, he was there in West Germany and he was giving a speech.

And as he was giving a speech trying to show the support of the United States for those who are living on the other side of the wall in Berlin.

He was giving this speech and he reached the end of his speech and the entire crowd was kind of just caught up in a frenzy.

And JFK wanted to say, I am a Berliner, but instead he said, I am a jelly donut.

Now, no 1 really paid attention to what he said that particular day.

Excuse me, because everyone was so caught up in the excitement of this whole speech that was taking place.

But I thought to myself, what a tremendous amount of pressure it would be on 1 person, a worldwide figure on a public stage with his enemies littered throughout the audience, all of them salivating at the opportunity for his own words to produce the press clippings that they would use to destroy him.

Now if JFK and other world figures could experience these types of pressures.

Not only men but demons were present every time Jesus opened his lips and they were waiting for the chance, the opportunity to pervert the teachings of Christ and use them against him.

And yet it would seem when 1 reads the Gospels that Jesus said some things that quite simply didn't seem to make sense.

Some of the things that Jesus said they leave me scratching my head and I'm asking myself did Jesus really mean to say that?

Is it possible that Jesus made a mistake?

Is it possible that he stumbled somehow in his speech?

Or did he really intend to say things just the way that he did?

I want us to take a look at a passage of scripture this morning and we're going to see whether or not Jesus really meant to say what he did here.

In Luke chapter 5 and I'm just going to read this particular verse here in Luke chapter 5 verse 20 the Bible says and when he saw their faith he said unto him man thy sins are forgiven thee verse 22 but when Jesus perceived their thoughts he answering said unto them what reason ye in your hearts whether is easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or to say rise up and walk but that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins he said under the sick of the palsy I say unto thee arise and take up thy couch and go into thine house.

Jesus's followers were yet to reach the lofty number of 12 but the miracle of the fish and the leper who no longer had leprosy quickly heightened a sense of excitement concerning this new teacher.

Please do not take this point lightly in Luke chapter 5 the Bible says that they came out of every town of Galilee Judea and Jerusalem.

This would mean that some had traveled over 100 miles to hear Jesus.

You didn't travel that far in those times unless you expected something great to take place.

This crowd is comprised of people who are there for different reasons.

There are excitement seekers and those who are there out of sheer desperation all pressing, stretching, squinting, leaning in order to be able to not only hear, but see Jesus simultaneously.

Suddenly, a steady rustling on the rooftop arrests everyone, including Jesus's attention.

All eyes are fastened on the couch that is slowly and methodically being let down to where Jesus is.

Those who are seated nearest the Savior are indignant that Someone would dare stoop to such means while at the same time They are all hesitant to relinquish their places of comfort for this this intruder stairs of amazement and stairs of indignation are turned to stairs of pity as Bad sores and sagging flesh are revealed This guy was obviously not going to be deterred from what he felt was maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And Jesus looks on this poor pulsing soul and speaks those words man arise take up your couch go home kiss the wife and kiss the kids and tell him Jesus sent you no that's not what he said Although it would have flowed perfectly with the rest of Luke chapter 5.

I mean men need fish and so Jesus provides fish.

A man needs clean and healthy skin and so Jesus heals the leper.

Did Jesus really mean to say what he did here?

I mean obviously a person who's laying on a bed doesn't need to be forgiven of their sins.

The most obvious and pressing need is to be healed.

I remember I was at a soup kitchen in Chattanooga, Tennessee and there were 2 homeless gentlemen who were there while Myself and a group of young people were doing some ministry there and I remember hearing the conversation of these 2 men Who were seated there?

They were speaking about the different shelters that they had been staying in over the past few weeks And 1 of them mentioned a specific shelter and he said, you know the food there is great and The beds that they provide us to sleep in I mean the most comfortable beds that you can find around But they ask us to have Bible studies.

All I need is a bite to eat and a place to stay.

And when they press Bible study on you, it makes that place become uncomfortable.

And I thought to myself, Here are 2 gentlemen who perhaps do not really understand their soul's deep need.

As Jesus speaks the words, man, your sins are forgiven you.

I can imagine that those who were seated there in the crowd, the enemies of Christ, who even at this particular point in his ministry were already looking for an excuse to ignore him.

I can imagine when those words were uttered, thy sins be forgiven thee, the Bible says, the Bible says that the people began to reason or think in their minds and I can imagine that eyes shot back and forth across the room and they thought to themselves we've got it, we've got him.

Maybe they were already imagining the headlines in the Jerusalem Times or the Galilean Gazette New teacher proved to be false teacher Because he claims to have power that only God Possesses This surely would quiet this this this tumultuous uproar that was taking place as a result of the ministry and healing and powerful teaching of Jesus.

And the Bible says Jesus read their minds.

You know sometimes I'm glad that God doesn't let me read folks minds?

I know I couldn't be trusted with the ability to read someone's minds.

I mean if it was me and I was there and people started to think these things and I was Jesus I would have just let me just suspend gravity for a minute.

They're asking who is this guy who does he think he is let me just suspend gravity and then all of a sudden those who are thinking these thoughts, they fly up to the roof and hopefully none of them is sitting close to the area where the roof had been opened up and the paralytic man had been let down because, you know, they would go up a long way I would just suspend it for a few seconds and then I would, oh, 0, I'm sorry, gravity because Colossians 1, 17 tells us that through Jesus Christ, all things are held together.

And so I would just allow gravity to be restored to those individuals.

And then as they would hit the floor, And they would try to explain themselves.

I would just take away the breath just for about 2 seconds and as they're there gasping for air, oh let me turn the air back on.

You were thinking, you were getting ready to say, I'm glad I don't have those abilities.

Be Ye

I haven't missed a single 1 except for the first 1.

And I know every time I come it just keeps getting better and better.

I know that today you can expect a blessing because we have a wonderful lineup of speakers today.

You know, I have the privilege of introducing our speaker this morning, Pastor Stephen Conway, who happens to be a good friend of mine.

And I was just backstage with him a few minutes ago and I asked him, what can I say to introduce you?

And I don't want to embarrass him too bad, but I asked him some of his hobbies, and you know what he said?

So be careful around him because He might be observing you.

And I know he likes to eat too, but he likes to read.

He's an avid reader, and if you get a chance to pick his brain, he has some wonderful thoughts.

His favorite quote is from Desire of Ages, page 52.

And when, by the simple act of believing in God, the Holy Ghost creates the man anew.

I know I didn't say that right, but page 52, you can look it up.

Pastor Stephen Conway is a resident of Michigan.

He is happily married to his wife Tammy and they have 2 kids, Israel and Abby.

And it's too bad they're not here because if you could see them, they're the cutest kids ever.

And They would be friends with each 1 of you.

But today I don't want to take up his time.

I want to introduce him, Pastor Stephen Conway, to you, get to know him.

But before he comes out before his message, I will have prayer.

Loving Father in heaven, we're so grateful to you that you've brought us here.

And Lord, this morning we come confessing our need of you.

We want to humble our hearts before you so that we can hear you speaking to our hearts this morning.

And Lord, you also promise that those that seek you early will find you.

And we're here seeking you and seeking a blessing.

So we claim that promise that you will be found of us this morning.

Please speak the message that we need to hear to change our hearts, to change our lives, to reflect you.

And I pray a special blessing on Pastor Conway as he shares your word with us.

May you communicate clearly through him and help us to have understanding hearts.

We thank you for hearing and answering this prayer for we pray in Jesus name.

Amen Good morning everyone Happy Sabbath It's good to see you all out this morning.

Let me read something to you, very short, simple.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees and in the flowers and clouds and stars.

That was penned by Martin Luther, great Protestant reformer who helped the Christian world to come out of a dungeon of darkness and experience, living by faith according to the promises of God's Word.

But Luther says here that the gospel is written in the stars.

What on earth can the stars tell us of the gospel?

Remember Paul says in Romans chapter 1 that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

The number of stars in the known universe is 70 sextillion.

That means as far as the most powerful telescopes that have been created here on planet Earth are able to see.

76 trillion stars, that's 7 times more than all the grains of sand on every beach and desert on the face of planet Earth.

The brightest star within 2, 000 light years, just for your information, a light year is almost 6 trillion miles so multiply that times 2, 000 the brightest star within 2, 000 light-years is Rikal The most luminous star in the galaxy is Cygnus OB2 number 12.

Listen when you compare our planet Earth with the sun, which is a medium-sized star, compare with the other stars, our sun is 330, 000 times larger than this planet Earth.

Just to help you to get a bit of an idea how big that is I was looking up some things I love these little numbers and stuff and I found out that the earth The earth weighs 13 octillion 200 septillion I Guess you say thousand maybe not pounds The weight of the Sun is 330000 times that the largest star that human telescopes have been able to to find is VV Cephe or Cephei That's 32, 000 times larger than our Sun Now our vote Albert Einstein told us that energy equals mass times the speed of light squared So every 1 of those 13 octillion, 200 septillion pounds of this planet Earth are laced or loaded with potential power.

And our sun, which is 330, 000 times the size of this planet Earth is loaded with power and the largest star in the known universe Which is 32, 000 times the size of our Sun is loaded with even more power Now if all of these things Contain this much power by the way the Sun lets out about 300 and some thousand gigawatts of Power I think that's by the hour It takes about a few thousand gigawatts to run everything here on the face of this planet Earth.

So I say to you again, these stars are simply loaded with power now if these stars contain such power what about the word that spoke them into existence there's power in the word there is power in the word Psalm 33 verse beginning with verse 6, By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

I say to you again, there is power in God's Word.

There is not only a an expansive universe for us to to understand and come up with all these wonderful calculations about But there is also a sort of universe within us.

Did you know that the bulk of the DNA in the human body is packed into chromosomes which are found in the nucleus of the cell?

This DNA is grouped into 23 pairs of chromosomes, so there are 46 strands of DNA in nearly every cell of our body.

There are about 10 to the 13th power, or 10 trillion cells in the human body.

Which means that there are about 460 trillion strands of chromosomal DNA in the whole human body.

Let me read to you what a scientist said.

Dennis Alexander and he's the chairman of the molecular immunology program at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, England.

He writes in a paper called the genetic engineering in God's world each of the 10 trillion somatic or non germline cells in our body contains 6 feet of DNA packaged with proteins to form 23 pairs of chromosomes If all the DNA in all the cells in a single human being were stretched out, it would reach to the moon and back 8, 000 times.

Series

Steve Conway - Morning Devotionals

As Precious As Christ

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

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