Obedience and Commitment — George Verwer

Well, the time seems to have gone by very quickly, at least for my wife and I. And I think with every ministry there are blessings and there are difficulties, and one of the difficult things of our ministry is that we have to keep moving on.

In fact, with all the problems we have right now, I should be back in London, England. And sometimes even my own leaders wonder what I'm doing, coming over here. But I believe it has been in the plan and purposes of the Lord.

I also find it very difficult not to have the time to get to know more people personally. All her work has been built on very much in-depth personal relationships. All of us as leaders in O .M. spend a large amount of our time just building relationships, far more than we ever spend preaching.

But we believe the Lord has brought us together here for a real purpose. We had an exciting time at the book table this morning, especially after the third meeting, and you probably thought that we closed it down by now.

But we do still have some books left, and we would just love you to go there and take a look again, and especially pick up some of the free material about different countries of the world, especially that booklet about India.

A few nights ago I mentioned the most special thing on the whole book table that no one would notice unless you mentioned it. I haven't mentioned it for a couple of days, and that's this little packet.

People look at it and they just put it down, and I should tell them what it is. But in this little packet there are five books. Powerful Prayer, the most powerful book I've ever read on prayer. The reason why, Humility by Andrew Murray, Prayer, the Christian's Vital Breath, and a book for young people.

And on top of it, a two-dollar book about a man who worked in China, The Guiding Hand, Alfred Boschhart, a dear friend of mine who now lives in England. And these, in their original edition, would be worth about five or six dollars.

But we put them in these magazine books. We produce them 100 ,000 at a time in many, many languages. These are all in English. And they go out all over the world. In fact, we have a warehouse in Georgia.

You might pray for that. We're looking for some personnel for there as well. Just to receive tons and tons of literature from different princesses around this country, and then ship them out to the ships, because the ships can't carry all the literature, even though the ships have a 400-ton carrying capacity.

And we want to offer that to you for the special price of two dollars. And with it, another two-dollar book. You won't believe this. A book by A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous. A powerful book by this man of God.

We're putting the two together for two dollars, so I hope you'll take advantage of that and read it. This is my greatest burden, that you will read these books. Somehow, take the time. This is some time for reading.

First, The Word of God, of course. And then some of these books. Again, the book I mentioned on Wednesday night, the 25th anniversary edition of Through Gates of Splendor, a book for young people. The men who gave their lives in Ecuador.

A new edition with an update on what's happened to all the widows of those men who were killed in Ecuador. A great little book. Another book I haven't mentioned yet. It's a bombshell, and it's called The Golden Cow, about materialism in the 20th century church.

I really believe this is a massive area of deception among God's people. None of us, I include myself, are excluded. And this book, the first two chapters are a bit heavy, but as you get past them, you will come into some very, very strong statements that need to be considered.

By John White, some people believe he's the best prose author in America today. Christian author. His other book, I wish I'd brought it up here, Eros Defiled, about impurity and sex, is also available on the book table.

So The Golden Cow, and then, of course, not to forget again, this great book, Operation World. I have a fear that if you don't get this now, you'll never get it. It's just not a book that's around. Easy.

I would love to see you, of course. Have your own little bookshop right here in the church. Maybe you do, and I just haven't seen it yet. This is a big place. I'm not around for everything. I did get into the television studio.

This about blew my mind. This is an exciting place. This is an exciting city. I think I'd like to come here and live. At least for a year or so. And especially between May and September. I hope that some of you do come over to England.

Even if you're passing through, you will look us up, because we'd love you to come out and visit with us there in London. We could even perhaps give you some free accommodation. Do you hear that word accommodation?

Big accommodation? A flop? Anyway, we're there. I would love to have some of you come. We would appreciate your prayers for the coming summer mobilization. We still need more young people. And it's still not too late for young people to sign up for a summer of service.

Mobilizing Christians for Summer Missions

Whether I am in Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, Southern Ireland, Great Britain, or somewhere else. And as I shared the other day, we believe this is a sensible and biblical way to help in the ongoing task of missions.

Christian Films for World Evangelism

I consider Des Moines a great Christian film center. And somehow, I failed to get down and visit my friends from Mark IV. We've been using your films all over the world. Especially around England, we've been showing Season 9 to all of our Millennial friends.

They get quite shaken by that. But people have come to Christ through those great films. And I think maybe I ought to go down there tomorrow and buy a few. The prices have gone up lately. I guess that's inflation in Des Moines.

But they're great films. I hope all of you are praying for that ministry because though it's here in Des Moines, it touches many, many people all over the world. We're showing those films on our ships often.

And people come to Christ through them. I am convinced very, very greatly about the ministry of films. One of our main ministries is to put films into other languages. We've put a number of films into 10 Indian and subcontinent languages.

And some of those films were just the first films ever to be put in those languages. As usual, most things are just for the English people. Then maybe the Spanish, little French, little German sometimes get involved because they've got money.

But often the poor countries, when it comes to films, they get nothing. There's almost nothing in Hindi. 200 million souls speak Hindi. Almost nothing in Arabic. I spend a good part of the afternoon previewing Arabic teaching films.

I also make little films, teaching films for the believers in the Arab world because I can't visit all these countries. But my wife and I, the Lord provided us an old diesel bus, a 10-year-old bus, and we converted it.

And we just did an overland trip of about 5 ,000 miles in this old bus, all through Europe and then through North Africa and across through Saudi Arabia. We almost didn't get through Syria. They're not too keen on Americans there.

And we made some films in the midst of this trip, and I was previewing them because they have to be duplicated before they can be sent back. Praying for the ministry of films that God has very much put on our hearts, our entire audiovisual studio and dozens and dozens of films were all burned in our fire in Bombay.

Some of you may know we had a devastating fire that destroyed our entire central operations, literature warehouse, probably the largest in Asia, and all of our offices in Bombay just a couple of months ago.

And this, because of a number of complicated reasons, was not ensured and it set us back a long way in that work. Fortunately, most of the films were out on the fields where they should be, out on the fields.

And God has just used those films to bring many Indians to Christ. And I hope you will, some of you at least, pray about becoming and become a prayer warrior with us in this ministry. Now I want you to turn with me in your Bible to two particular passages of Scripture.

Total Commitment and Romans 12

First of all, Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. We have 11 great chapters of theological truth. And then we come to chapter 12, and I believe it's a chapter worth memorizing. We're just going to look at verse 1 and 2.

Because I believe that God wants us to end this missing convention on this note of total commitment. We're going to be giving an invitation, I'm going to give you a warning at the end, for people to make a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ especially in regard to world missions.

Now I know when some people hear about an invitation being given, they think, oh no, not again. And there's some people that fear responding to any kind of an invitation because they've already done that and maybe they feel not much has happened or maybe they feel enough has happened and there's no need to go through that again.

But I really believe that God is trying to target in on some people here. I sense that in my heart and I think that in some cases there is resistance. Maybe fear, maybe fear of failure, maybe confusion.

The devil is a specialist in sowing the fog, breeding the fog of confusion. And because we're not sure of what it's all about, it seems to be an unknown area, we hold back. And I think one of the verses that has helped me to recommit my life again and again is Romans chapter 12, verse 1.

Personal Recommitment to Christ

I remember when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute. I'd already gone to Mexico, I was already winning people to Christ, I was already involved in prayer meetings every single day of the week. I was walking with Jesus and yet when I called James Smith, priest at Moody Church, and he gave an invitation, I knew that I had to go forward and recommit my life again to Jesus Christ.

It was hard because I was sitting next to the woman that I was in love with who later became my wife and I thought, well what will she think if I go running forward? She'll probably think I'm emotionally unstable.

Probably was. By the time I got to the front of Moody Church, and I found out later, no one else out of 2 ,000 people went forward that night. That's hard to understand with a speaker like Oswald J. Smith, the father of Paul Smith.

He's been here, I believe, a couple of times. And I went back into the choir room and since hardly anyone came forward, no one paid any attention so the choir just came rumbling in, almost stepped on me.

So I, as a church, I'm really small, I went down into the basement and I got under a table and I went my way back to the cross and confessed things that the Lord had convicted me about. One of the biggest was an unfriendly spirit.

God convicted me of being so caught up in my burden for world evangelism and winning Chicago to Christ that I was unfriendly. And I had a wrong attitude toward people. Have you ever let the Holy Spirit deal with your attitude?

He's very concerned about your attitude. You know, we evangelical Bible believing people, we sometimes can have a smile, a wonderful little gospel smile and inside you can have a disposition of a rattlesnake just been stepped on by an elephant.

God's concerned about dispositional sins. So they talked about that. God's had to deal with my disposition. I'm one of these moody characters. Nothing to do, I can assure you, with D .L. Moody. And God has had to deal some heavy blows to me.

So again and again, I've had to recommit my life. Again and again, I've had to go back to Romans chapter 12, verse 1. Let's read it. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, that includes your sisters. You don't have to re-write the Bible to get the sisters involved.

By the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed in this world, but be ye transformed. David Phillips, I think, says, don't be squeezed by this world into the mold of this world.

Jesus Calls Ordinary People to Follow Him

Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. I want you to turn to Mark, especially young people, to Mark chapter 1. And I want us to look at Jesus.

Mark 1, 16. Now as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. They were fishermen. Ordinary men, not very well educated. I don't know how old they were.

I don't think they were too old. And Jesus said unto them, Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Isn't that tremendous? And immediately they forsook their net and followed him. And when he had gone, a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother were also in a boat mending their net and straightway, or immediately, he called them and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants and they went after him.

We often sing Jesus, the same yesterday, today, forevermore. Do we really believe? Do we believe that the Lord Jesus is still working in this way? Still moving amongst us? Still speaking to ordinary men and women and saying, Follow me, I want to make you fishers of men.

Look over in chapter 2. Here's Matthew, very different type of person, business man, corrupt to the toes. Verse 14, chapter 2. And as he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office and said unto him, Follow me.

The Authority and Obedience of Jesus Christ

And he arose and followed him. We've had James in evangelism in Israel for many years. Another strategic country I'd love to talk about. Wide open for the gospel. And I was there ministering to our teens and preaching in the churches and I was preaching in the church in Nazareth and the next day I went down and I did a little Super 8 film there along the Sea of Galilee and all my mind just went back to this great experience.

Jesus Christ in authority. Jesus Christ in absolute obedience to the Father. He said, My will is to do the need of the Father or my need is to do the will of the Father. And I saw these ordinary men and said, Follow me.

And I believe that in these days the Lord Jesus Christ has been in our midst and He's saying to some of you, some of you young people, Follow me. I'm going to make you officiants of me. Now we know there's a biblical teaching that we're all His witnesses.

We agree with that. Every Christian to some degree or other we're all His witnesses. But we also see from the New Testament that God and the Holy Spirit and it's been happening for 2 ,000 years lead, call, send somehow to be full time in evangelism.

This church is partly what it is today with such a great ministry worldwide because certain men sense the Word of the Lord, the call of God, the sending of God, whatever you want to call it and they're here full time.

But they are going to be able to give their whole day to fishing men. God, surely we see this in the New Testament, will lead others into normal secular occupation. They will stand behind those who go out in missionary work and they will be a witness where they work and wherever they can whenever possible.

Full-Time Missions and Faithful Secular Work

We need both. Let's never allow division between the two. I have a very high esteem of people who commit themselves totally to God and stay in the hard, difficult, challenging secular jobs. If it wasn't for so many people in this country, in England, in Germany, in Sweden standing behind our work praying for us we just wouldn't be out there.

We need each other. But I believe since it hasn't been emphasized so much that at this final moment of this convention we need to understand Jesus is looking for some even in this great congregation who will leave their nets.

Leave their nets. For some in the light of contemporary society and the problems it may mean overseas service for only a couple of years and then maybe service at home. We live in a very complex society in comparison to these days.

But I believe the Lord is speaking to some about leaving your nets and following Jesus. It may mean training sometimes maybe in a Bible college. It may mean getting involved in something like Operation Mobilization short term for a couple of years to find out God's next step.

It's not for me to give you the specific details. You need to counsel with the leaders of your church. It's the local church that should be sending out the workers. At least that's the way I read it in here.

I like to be very broad minded. Don't want to condemn anything except sin. I want to ask a young person have you ever really in utter honesty presented your body as a living sacrifice and said Lord I'm willing to go.

I'm not a missionary type. I'm dead serious. You know my hang ups? Whatever else and I'm willing to go. And I'll put my hand in yours and I'll go where you want me to go and do what you want me to do.

I believe the Lord has spoken to some of you about this and I pray that you may act in faith and in obedience. I believe the Lord has spoken to many others about taking steps of faith in the coming days in regards to our lifestyle in regards to how we spend our time where we live how we live what our priorities are and I pray that you would turn to the pages of the book of Acts and read something about Christianity.

I pray that you may counsel with the leaders of your church and go to them and say look pastor or elder how can I get involved? I want to be committed. I want to be a doer of the word. Sometimes when someone begins to do something someone warns them about the danger of extremism.

Or being too enthusiastic. Or getting to be a workaholic. We've got all kinds of things to put people down when they want to do something. Listen to these words of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones that brilliant author of 27 books considered even by Karl Barth of opposite theology.

Lloyd-Jones straight as an arrow inerrancy of scripture sound doctrine Karl Barth neo-orthodox even he said Lloyd-Jones is the greatest living preacher in the world. Went to be with the Lord last year.

The Christian Life as a Life of Activity

I copy this little quotation from Lloyd-Jones in my Bible. Nothing is more obvious about the teaching of the New Testament than this. That the Christian life is a life of activity. A life of vigor. A life of existence.

The faith is given to us by the Lord. But we have to ask. We have to ask. Oh there are the people coming to me. Oh well. How come you're here on free services in the morning? Are you alright? People expect you.

I don't know what your pastor's been doing for who knows how long. He looks as healthy as a flying giraffe doesn't he? I don't know what. We're called to work. This has been a very easy day for me compared to many other days I've had.

We're called to work. We're called to faith. We're called to something that makes the Olympics look like a game. We're called to something that makes these initial steps on the Falkland Islands a real war.

Look small. We are in an all-out warfare. I'm glad for a few relaxing days in Des Moines. Because I know when I get back to London and what I'm involved with there and the ship and the people and the problems and all the other shenanigans of the devil it's going to be hard.

It's going to be rough. And sometimes it's not going to be three meetings. It's going to be seven meetings. But it's a joy. I bought with a price. I laid my life on the altar. I know I've failed. I've sinned.

Perseverance, Failure, and Deeper Work in Christ

And I'm not worthy. And I'm inadequate. And I'm scared. And who knows what other problem I may have. These 27 years 27 years we have kept in. I will tell you 25 years ago when I started preaching this message especially the older folk were scared to me.

And they used to say things behind my back to make your hair jump. And then one thing they always said it will never last. One for real. Extremism. Fanaticism. Fly by night. Never last. Watch out for this thing Operation Mobilization.

Of course bad people never do that. Some would say oh yeah you know when I was 20 and I was single ha ha oh what's with marriage oh you know these single people what do they know about life. When I got married my wife Bob turned her life upside down.

It's an incredible story in itself. Five psychosomatic illnesses. The steroids leaping. Even when we went to Mexico many many problems. She was at the end of herself and in the quiet of her own room one night she just discovered that great truth.

Truth of the all-consistency of Christ and fell into the arms of Jesus and woke up the next morning completely healed of those five illnesses. I know God doesn't always work that way but he did that night.

And he made it her because we were going to break off the marriage. To be the woman that she had been for 22 years. Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus Christ is changing lives. And the Lord Jesus wants to do a deeper a deeper work in our lives in these coming days that we may be soldiers of Jesus Christ whether it's here or overseas.

Let's pray. Let's bow our heads and pray.