is like wrapping a present and not giving it. And we have to think about that this time of year. This morning, I don't want to get emotional, but a highlight to me almost every year is to have John Falks come and speak for us. Him and Rebecca have just been a lighthouse in a foreign land for years and years and years and even their families before. I read an article that he wrote He's been stateside now for some time and is here for another few months and it's like they feel guilt and that they're not where they're called to be while they're here. I don't know what that says to you. But that talks about faithfulness and dedication to me. And there's just some people that you know in life that if you needed them, you could call them. I don't care where they are, and they'd be there for you. And that's the way I feel about John Falks. I don't worry about one word that he's gonna say when he stands in this pulpit. And I know before he gets out of it, he's going to have given a clear presentation of the gospel. Because that's just who he is. And I'm thankful he's here this morning. And that he is a part of our outreaching ministry. throughout our Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. Good morning. Well, good morning. Most of the time when I speak I'm worried about the words that are coming out of my mouth. This morning I'm worried if words are going to come out of my mouth. My voice is not so good and I've been coughing a lot. And I just pray that you'll be able to hear everything that the Lord has to say and that I won't be that much of a distraction. I will probably this morning, as throughout the morning, you'll probably find me coughing and it'll look like my lungs are gonna come out. I'll look that ugly as I do it. And I pray that that won't be that much of a distraction. And also, I drove 16 hours yesterday. I went from Memphis up here to Ohio via Morgantown, West Virginia. So if you see me all of a sudden just do this, I come on driving the pulpit like a car. It's just a new habit that I picked up yesterday. You can go ahead and put those pictures up. I always look better when my family's, you see my family, you see my beautiful wife and Rebecca couldn't be with us today. The boys are actually in a brick and mortar school in Memphis where we're staying for this year stateside. And so they actually have school Monday, Tuesday. And they'll be coming up on Wednesday, so we'll have Thanksgiving at my mom's. And man, isn't she good looking? Man, I'm a blessed man. Talk about being thankful. And she's beautiful inside as well. Johnny and Lydia are my daughter-in-law and son live in Jackson, Tennessee. And they're active in church and seminary student. And she's a nurse. And Jacob is at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, John Piper's school up there. His girlfriend, Bailey, will be able to have them for Christmas. Lindsey is 19, she's a freshman at Union University, and that's her boyfriend, and that's the reason I drove them to Morgantown yesterday. Aaron and Benjamin are 9th and 10th grade, and just doing really well in school. They're thankful they're going to a private Christian school. Can you pause that right there on that slide, please? I don't know if you can do that. But the Lord's blessed us by allowing us to stay in Memphis, Tennessee for a year while we are home. It's been 20 years on the mission field and we've never had a one-year home assignment. And so we were highly encouraged to do so because we need the break, we need the rest. And while it took a lot of persuasion for us to do that, because we do feel guilty about being here, while our ministry is that side. It is important for us to take a break and take a rest and to do that. And we were encouraged by multiple people, our mission board and the people we work with as well. It's just been a really tough last couple of years on us physically, emotionally. on the verge of burnout, and so the Lord just provided a mission home for us in Memphis, and we've been able to be there. And so I've been able to travel back and forth to Ohio a little bit, and I'm very privileged to be here. at Big Branch, and now I want you to think about this. You guys have been with us, as we say. You've been partnering with us for a long time, and I can't remember when we started partnering together. It was definitely years and years in the old church before you came over to this church, this building. But when you're on the field for 20 years, Excuse me, and then you find yourself looking back at people that God has touched. Wait, wait, wait, before I go. There's a table back there, one of the coffee tables back there that has prayer cards and sign up sheet for the folks flyer via email, or you can ask for a friend request on Facebook. And then there's also a way to give to the seminary in Uganda, a GTS, multiple things, however God touches your heart via scholarships or faculty salaries or farm projects or whatever it may be. Scholarships is a big deal right now, we need those. So look at that, go back there, excuse me for pointing, but it's through that door. Okay, so now the housekeeping's done. But after being on the field for that long, you see God using the people that you helped move along a little bit. And this is Moses O'Willie. And Moses was our night watchman in 1999. And he started as a watchman. He had recently been born again and was saved. And now Moses went through, after a couple of years with us, he would come to our home and sit down and after he had checked out the property and walked the perimeter with the dogs and different things like that and he would sit down and under a light and he would be reading whatever material I could give him. He was just a sponge and loving receiving the word of God. And then he would go give it out as well. And then he became a seminary student and he went through the three-year diploma program and then went into the fourth year. And during that fourth year bachelor's level, he started teaching in the extension schools. that we have throughout Uganda. And he went back to his home place up near Karamoja in northeastern Uganda in a place called Abime where he grew up and was from and started an extension school there with Global Bible Institute that we have. And so he started that and then he became full-time faculty at the seminary, became financial officer and office manager and just was one of the best. He was one of my best preaching students and he became one of the preaching professors at the seminary and all that. And now I saw him in Kenya and took this photo I saw him in Kenya earlier this year as he came for a theological education consortium of Africans that came to study theological education because he's not been with the seminary in Uganda now for almost eight or nine years, and he's started his own seminary in northern Uganda, and they're reaching into the refugees from South Sudan and stuff. So you're going to see some photos that if you've been with us for a long time and you see these, some of the photos that you're going to see just, they look like the same photos year to year to year, but these are photos that I've taken this year in Uganda at the seminary, Global Theological Seminary, that the same thing's been happening for 20 years, which is a good thing. because you have dozens of new churches being started every year and hundreds of people coming to Christ every term and the students going out and they'll reach people for Christ and then start new assemblies and and that just it seems like The same thing every time that I come and you see these photos, they're gonna look the same. The campus looks a little better because they put more work into it and things like that and stuff. So as we go, you can go ahead and go. I just wanted you to see that these are the people that I've been working with for over 20 years now. And God's just been blessing in so many different ways for the faculty and such. I'm just going to let the photos go for now and talk about how God just continues to bless at the seminary. But I want you to think about what's the whole purpose of, you see facilities, you see buildings, Tables and chairs, and you see many other, all those things that are there. And what's the purpose of all that? You're going to see farm animals. Here's a new chapel that's been extended. Things like that. All that's just buildings and stuff. But think about what happens in those buildings. Okay? Think about what happens inside this building. all right this is just this is a place where we come and we worship the Lord and we we learn about the Word of God and then we go out and do what we've been taught right? wait wait wait wait you guys you guys do listen to what Randy preaches right? yeah and does he preach well? does he preach the Word of God? and then do you go do what the Bible says? Well, this is what we do at seminary. These guys, they learn the word of God. It's theological education, which is exactly the same thing you get here. You're being theologically educated here. Because what is the most important thing that anybody can learn about or we could grow in as we get older? Theological education is about whom? It's about the Lord. It's about God. What's the most important thing? I'm sorry, but the ball game you're gonna go watch or whatever it is on TV this afternoon that you're looking forward to is not as important as what you get here. Okay? So whatever happens at the seminary, and we raise pigs and we have a farm and things like that because it helps keep the seminary self-sustaining so that we can teach people about Jesus. Don't say they look cute and things because they're harder to eat when you think they look cute. But just think about what goes on in those buildings and in those places. We grow coffee and sugar cane and all that kind of stuff that happens so that Bible students can learn more about Jesus and the Bible and multiply it. That's what happens here. Okay? Now, I get to do it. If you do that and you spread the gospel wherever God puts you, it doesn't make you a missionary. It makes you a disciple of Jesus Christ. You're on mission for God. And that's what's normally expected from disciples, is that you make more disciples. And you can be a part of it in whatever way possible, however God's gifted you. Even if it means standing out in four hours in the cold, It's important to do so that the gospel will spread, even if it means packing a shoebox. Because those shoeboxes, I've seen them go to Uganda, and I've seen what happens as a result, and they get excited about what's inside and stuff, but that gospel message that is in every one of those is the most important thing that happens, and it continues to do that. Now, we've been in Uganda 15 years, and now five years we've been in Kenya, living at Rift Valley Academy. And the last four years I've been the high school principal at Rift Valley Academy. And we went there to be dorm parents and student chaplain and such, but God allowed us to be moved to administration, which I'm kind of angry God at, because I like to preach and teach, okay? Oh, wait, sorry, see those guys right there? They're from the Nuba Mountains in Sudan, proper, not South Sudan, but Sudan. The Nuba Mountains is one of the hardest places to get to. These guys are at Global, at GTS in Jinja, and then they're gonna go back. And I just got word this last week that they want to start an extension school there. Okay? So you're talking about guys that have the guts to declare Jesus as their Lord and Savior in a Muslim country. and then they're going to an area that's really hard back home and then they're going to teach others and lead people to Christ and more churches are going to get started that way in really hard areas. Sorry, thank you. Thank you for doing that. They go, and then these last few pictures are pictures of Victoria Baptist Church, the people that we grew up, my kids grew up with, my best friends that live there. Paget Kintu is the vice president at the seminary and one of my best buddies. Francis Nguedo and my family, that family lived with us in Uganda on the same compound, 15 years, best friends. and just love what God's doing there. So, okay, now let me get to Riff Valley Academy. We're serving families so that they can, so those families can be serving around Africa. And I want you to play that video that's there on that last, but there is a very distinct pause after about seven minutes or so that goes black. And then I want you to stop it to there because I wanna preach. I am a student at Rift Valley Academy. My parents are missionaries in Africa. I am a student at Rift Valley Academy. My parents are missionaries in Africa. Rift Valley Academy is a boarding school located in the Great Rift Valley of Africa. I'm a church planter among the Kuria people. I'm sure there's less than 1% evangelical Christians among the Kuria. They've been overlooked. We have two kids at RVA, soon to have three. As a family, we work amongst the Maasai people. Timothy has a strong missionary attitude. And since he came to RVA, we feel that he has actually grown in his faith. And we can see that when he comes home, because he wants to be out there working with the Maasai and sharing his faith. I feel that RVA staff are doing an exceptional job at developing our kids spiritually. They not just are caring for our kids, but they love our kids. And they go the extra mile to see them mature and grow even spiritually. I think the most important part of my job is making sure that I love these kids. RVA is a community designed for growth. Everything leads to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. I am loved. I am independent. I am fun. I have strong relationships. I have a dynamic world view. I have seen the world. I am responsible. I am loved. And I really feel that God is using RVA. To whom much is given, much is required. And I feel like God has given me so much here at RVA. In these next couple of years and the rest of my life, God is going to have so much of me. So I feel like, I mean, this is where it's at. This is probably one of the best places a teenager can live. A fully accredited American school, RVA has set a high standard of academic excellence. I'll never forget opening the envelope that the first kid in 100 years had been accepted to Harvard. From that point, we've had 25 or 30 kids be accepted at those schools. But what it's done more than anything is break out the ceiling and have kids know they can go any place God's called them to be. Rift Valley Academy seeks to disciple, nurture, and educate students towards Christian maturity for the glory of God. And all of this is done within an African context that we find ourselves in. We are truly humbled by the caliber of staff who give up otherwise very lucrative, comfortable jobs to come out here and teach our kids and love our kids and help raise our kids. We couldn't do our job unless they were here. We decided to send Laura to RVA. We knew that for her to be able to succeed well as she continued on after high school and to college and further in life, we wanted her to be able to be involved in things like sports and music and academics where she was being challenged not only by a teacher, a trained teacher, but also by her fellow students. RVA is teaching them a lot about what it means to be a leader and how to do that amongst your peers. Because our kids are here at RVA, they have great opportunity for things that they couldn't do at home. Internet and computer, the opportunities they have here. Science labs, my kids love science and biology. We're so grateful for RVA because we can offer them more. So that shows you a little bit. You can stop right there. They're good up there, by the way. You know that, yeah. Why do we do all that? Why do we, you know, you think about, think about, I've thought about the last five years working at RVA and being high school principal for four years, and it's like, why didn't, I questioned God. Why didn't we, Why am I not preaching and teaching more? And I've been advised, and maybe in the future I'll be able to get back into theological education, had opportunities to do that, and it's a good possibility that I'll be doing more theological education rather than high school administration in the near future. But think about it, it allows people to hear the gospel. It allowed the missionaries to stay on the field and not have to worry about their kids' education. And so they were able to continue to share the gospel with people and to have people to consider Jesus in whatever context they may be in, all over Africa. Almost 500 students now at RVA. and multiple from places all over Africa, 27 different countries in Africa where those kids come from. And so we believe, we know that our time at RVA is very strategic for the kingdom so that the world and places that you and I may not be able to go, they would be able to hear the message of Jesus Christ. I want you to turn if you would to, so turn to Hebrews chapter three. And as you're turning there, I want you to think about or scroll or whatever you do, because that's what I do, I scroll. But I want you to think about what do you and I do from day to day to help people to consider Jesus? When I got back stateside, I was asked to preach at revival meetings. actually here in Lawrence County. And I thought, God, what do you want me to do? And I'd been thinking about studying Hebrews for a period of time. It's the only book in the New Testament that I've not preached through or talked through, even though I've had sermons from different places. So I've been looking at the book of Hebrews and studying it and preach messages from Hebrews chapters one and two. And then I get to verse one of chapter three, and what's the first word that you see there? Therefore, or wherefore, or whatever, something like that. And anytime you see the therefore, you have to figure out why is it therefore. What's a therefore? Because it means there's something preceding it that makes a difference. Well, if you go back to chapter, Two, verse, let's go back a couple verses, verse 17. What's the first word in verse 17? Therefore. Well, let's go back a little farther. All right, and you go back to chapter two, verse one. What's the first word that you see there? Or something very similar to it, okay. And then chapter one, you go and it says, at the very beginning of chapter one, Long ago, and many times, and many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. The thing that stuck out to me most about chapter one, verse one, is that God spoke. Think about that. How many people in the world, 7 point whatever billion people in the world. Christianity is not the major religion in the world. And we're the only one who has a God that speaks. God speaks and he's done it and he continues to do it. And the thing is, we have scripture, we have the word of God. where God continues, it's alive, we find later in Hebrews, that it is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword and can pierce our hearts. That's how alive it is, okay? I think about, I watch, I watch, is it okay if I mention the movies that I watch? I watched the movie Braveheart the other, last week. And Braveheart, I love that movie. But he's got this great big long sword that he carries a lot of the time, okay? And carries that sword, and that's what I think of when I think about the Word of God. How it can slice, can pierce, and it is alive. How many books do you read that are alive? The Word of God is alive. and it feeds us and it gives us nourishment and it gives us what we need. It is a written word that is not going to die. You know, it doesn't matter what we read through the times and all the books that I read and the books that are on my shelf that I give away because they're outdated now. I gave over a thousand books to the seminary and the library. because they weren't the ones that I was going to continue reading. Many of the things that we spend our time on and look at and read and listen to, they're outdated, or they will be. And they're not like those thin ties that come back in this fashion, or whatever they used to be. I've got some ties from my grandfather that are nice and thin. I'm holding on to them because they've come back around twice already. but the Word of God feeds us. But we don't spend time reading it. Okay? And the Word of God was manifested and became alive. And you look at John chapter 1, the Gospel of John chapter 1, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word, the Gospel, the message, the good news is summed up in Jesus. Okay? So then that's chapter one, God speaks and he continues to speak. Chapter two, look at verse one again in chapter two. Therefore, we pay much close attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message, wait, let me stop there. Therefore, we pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord and it was attested to us by those who heard while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. If we don't pay close attention to this message, and we're going to drift, and that word drift, literally, other Bible versions have different things there, but the Greek word literally is the word that talks about a ship that will just go wherever the tide takes it or the wind takes it if it's not anchored, if it's not anchored down. Okay, so we have to pay closer attention to the word that we have heard. Now, there's a problem here. Not everybody's heard the right word. There is a quality control problem in Christianity today. There is a heavy quality control problem. And like many times the students ask, well, is this guy right in what he said? And I hadn't heard what the guy said. What does the Bible say about it? That's what you have to go back to, okay? Who's the most popular preacher in the world today? Is what he is saying accurate? How do you test it? you go back to the Word. And you take the whole counsel of the entire Word of God to see if what he is saying is correct. And is what I'm saying today, this morning, going to be accurate? How do you know? You test it with the Word. Okay? And you should come every morning, every Sunday morning, to hear Randy. He's going to preach you the Word. He may make a mistake one year. One time, one year, down the road, maybe. And you can say, wait, Brother Randy, the Bible says this. You need to check and see what he says. You have to accurately, we have to do that. Because what happens if we don't? We drift. And it may not have much effect on you, but what about that baby over here? What about your grandchildren? What about my grandchildren? If we drift and the world around us is gonna be missing what we have, okay? And it is a great salvation. It is the only salvation. Are you getting that? Do you want your children, your next generations to be right with God? Yes? Yes? Then let's stay pure and accurate to what the Word says. Okay? And let's consider Jesus. Consider Him. The focus is on Him. I've got the terminal degree of PhD. Do you know what that means? Nothing. Very little. The message that I continue to preach and teach needs to be about Jesus. Now I can tell you a lot about theological education influencing indigenous church planting with emphasis in southeastern Uganda. I'm supposed to be the post hole digger about that one. That's my specialty, okay? I may be the only one in the world that can really share the boring details about all that with you. But all of that has to, we have to go back to consider Jesus. Now think about this, in chapter 3 verse 1, it talks about, it says, therefore Consider Jesus, but look in chapter 2. Let me do a couple verses verse 9 It says but we see him who for a little while Was made lower than the angels namely Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he's of the suffering of death So that by the grace of God he might taste death for who? for everyone Jesus did that. Verse 17, chapter two, verse 17. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect. Coming upon Christmas, he became a babe. Why? So that he could die. So that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God. Now what does a high priest do? A high priest makes the sacrifice, is the go-between between the sinner and God. Okay, do we have any sinners in the room this morning? Yeah, this room is full of sinners and nobody else. I'm struggling, you pray for me, I'm struggling with lust more than normal. I'm struggling with that. Maybe it's because I'm in America or what, I don't know. But I'm struggling with that more than I have in last year and the year before and stuff. Why? It's with me all the time. My sin is with me all the time. And I'm struggling. Why? But Jesus died for that sin. so that if I believe in him and I trust him. Notice he said, the high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. That word propitiation just means an atoning sacrifice, a sacrifice that will satisfy a holy God. See, if we see God as something less than who he is, then we really don't see ourselves for who we are. If we see God as something less than a holy, righteous God, then we're gonna see ourselves much better than we really are. I am just a dirty sinner compared to God. Compared to you, if we compare each other, me to you, you to me, you're gonna look pretty good when you compare yourself to me. Or I may compare myself, well, that guy down the street, I'm much better than him. That's not where the comparison lies. The comparison lies with God. There is no way that I in myself can become right with God apart from Jesus. Let me say that again, because you didn't get it. There is no way that I can be made right with God apart from Jesus. Anybody, anybody. He was the propitiation for the sins of the people for because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. when we're being tempted in sin, or in suffering, or even in death in this situation. We're struggling with cancer, or whatever it is. Jesus has been through that. Not cancer, but he's been through the, he knew he's gonna die, the temptation and the suffering, okay? All that's background. Now, here's the sermon. Yeah? Chapter three, verse one. Therefore, holy brothers, he's talking to believers. We often say to unbelievers, have you considered Jesus? But this writer of Hebrews is talking to believers. And he tells us, you who share in the heavenly calling, praise God. If you share in that heavenly calling, that calling that is from heaven, and you know that one day you're gonna go there, that's who he's talking to. He tells you and I, who are believers, to consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. He was sent out, the apostle. He was sent out, and he's the high priest. He sits at the right hand of God. of our confession. We must confess. That word means to be agreed. You agree with God. If we, 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sin, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess, it means we have to see our sin the same way God sees it. Our confession. I have to admit that I'm a sinner and then receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. My day to day, to day, to day, to day, to day, monotonous living, I have to consider Jesus. What happens when you and I consider Jesus moment by moment, day by day? When I get out of the bed in the morning, there should be a big sign that says, consider Jesus. I put a sign in my office at RVA, in the principal's office. It said, preach the gospel to yourself every day. I'm already born again. Why do I need the gospel? Because it changes everything in my life. It changes the way I think, the way that I live, the way that I deal with people, my attitude. Consider Jesus. And if I consider Jesus and all that he's done, he came as a babe, he lived a sinless life, he died on the cross, sinless, undeserving death, he died. He was buried. And three days later, he rose from the dead. You guys didn't hear me, did you? You're not considering Jesus. You're not considering Jesus. You're considering what time it is. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. And he's making intercession for us. And when we do that, when we consider him, our outlook is much different. And if he's on my mind, he's gonna be on my lips. And more people are gonna receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If I'm thinking of him, I'm gonna tell people about him. And I double-dog dare you to try it. Think about Jesus. Put him on your mind all the time. Bow your heads, close your eyes. Randy's gonna come in just a second. You may be here, and you may have never considered Jesus, never even thought about Him being your Lord and Savior. You may be here, and you may have thought about it for years, and you've played the church game, and you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You've come to church, and you've played the game, but you've never really made Him boss, master, Lord, Savior. You may be here today and you've accepted him as long time ago. You may be an old believer, but you stopped considering who he is. Lord Jesus, have your way in our hearts and minds. With heads still bowed and eyes