Michael Youssef - Celebrating 20 Years of Ministry in the UK - Part 2

Hello friends, and welcome to "Leading The Way". Today's program is part two of our 20th anniversary celebration event in the United Kingdom. In addition to the proclamation of God's Word and a time of praise and worship, you will hear powerful testimony of how God is moving in the United Kingdom through our ministry together. Now, join us now as we celebrate the work of God in that part of the world.

Female: So I encountered Dr. Michael Youssef's teachings quite early on in my journey. I'd be driving in my car and I would, I would always sort of have the radio on in the background. And one day I'd heard this sermon and I recognize that he had an accent, so I was like, "Okay, that accent sounds quite familiar". And I can't remember exact exactly the message, but I just remember feeling really that this man is so passionate about God, that this man knows what he's talking about, and it was so relevant. Again, it was so relevant to what I was going through. I was brought up as a Muslim. We grew up knowing Allah as our God. As I grew a little bit older I went through quite a difficult relationship, emotional and psychological abuse and sexual abuse with that relationship, essentially my life crumbled. I then just sort of started exploring again. So the night that I accepted the Lord, I'd watched a message by Dr. Michael Youssef, I think I'd watched two that evening and my daughter was asleep. I'd watch the whole message and I'd watch right at the end where they say the salvation prayer.

Michael Youssef: King Jesus, I accept your Invitation.

Female: Very reluctantly, I just kind of said it. I said, "Okay". I did feel a strange peace that I'd never really felt before. Again, I didn't understand what that was or where it'd come from, and the weight that what I was carrying on my shoulders, I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders my whole life. I relied so much on myself, and all of a sudden I felt like I didn't have to rely on myself anymore. It wasn't me doing things in my own strength.

Michael Youssef: He's the only one who can give you peace and joy in this life and forever with him eternity. He's the only one who can give you hope in the midst of hopeless situation. He's the only one...

Female: I utterly appreciate Leading The Way Ministry and Dr. Michael Youssef's teachings because they've really helped me grow my faith, and they've shown me just how much they reach out to people across the world. God is at work everywhere through this ministry and through Dr. Michael Youssef's teachings. Though I think his teaching resonates with people of the Arab world and Muslims because he's so passionate. And the way he preaches just shows Christ's love and people of all different colors, creeds, races, religions are coming to know the love of Jesus because we are all one under Christ. And that's definitely been so amazing to see.

In the New Testament, it tells us about three people, and that's what I want to talk to you about tonight. Very briefly I'm now gonna take a lot of time. They tell us about three different people who have placed their hopes in different things, and they were solely disappointed, they were devastated because none of these could protect them. One of them came to Jesus, he wanted really, genuinely wanted to follow Jesus, but because he could not place his total trust in Jesus and not in his net worth, he was devastated. The Bible calls him "Rich, young ruler". Then there is a rich man whose strength was focused, was only on growing of his business. And then there's a third one who's so self-centered, he lived for self, he worshiped self, he cared for nothing about anybody else. In the midst of all this, the Word of God assures us that "The name of the Lord is the righteous run to it, and they're safe".

But those who place their trust in their own strength, they panic in times of trouble, and you know what? They should panic, they need to panic. Oh, they are fantasizing that their wall of security is unscalable, but it's not. Let's go back to those three men in the New Testament. I wanna talk about them, few minutes each. They placed their hope in other things other than the name of the Lord. The first man was called rich young ruler came to Jesus wanting to really, really, really follow Jesus. This man had all of his trust firmly established in his net worth. In Mark chapter 10 verse 17, I always give you the Bible reference, you'll see that this man was full of enthusiasm, this man was really sincere, this man was eager to give of himself to Christ.

This man was loved by Jesus, in fact, Jesus loved his enthusiasm, he loved his eagerness, he loved his optimistic positive attitude. Jesus loved his willingness to serve Jesus. But then all of that came to a deflating, disappointing and discouraging reality. He could not place his complete trust in the Lord and not in his couple of donkeys, 'cause that's what they call rich people back then. They may have more than two donkeys. Although his search indicated that he was empty in spite of his money. He was needy in spite of his wealth. He was restless in spite of his resources. He was lost in spite of his trust fund. He just could not make the transition from trusting in his own possession to trusting in Jesus. This young ruler had desperate need to be eternally saved. That's what he desperately need to be true.

So when he learned that Jesus is in the nearby vicinity, Mark chapter 10 verse 17, it says that "He ran up and he knelt before Jesus". He could not wait to have answers to his deepest questions. He was not embarrassed by the fact that although he was famous, he was well known, he was prominent, he bowed to Jesus. He did not mind losing face with his peers. Because he was crying for help, he needed help, he wanted to be saved eternally. He was highly motivated and he was anxious. And he came seeking the right thing, eternal life because that's what's all about. What must I do to inherit eternal life? That is the question that every human being must be asking. What must I do to inherit eternal life? How can I earn it? And so he came to the only one who could give him eternal life. He can't earn it in ten million lifetimes, he came to the only one who could give him eternal life.

My beloved friends, listen to me, listen to me, that is the crux of the gospel preaching. All the other things are wonderful, but this is the crux of the church's message. We have no other message than offering eternal life through Jesus Christ and death on the cross and the resurrection on the third day. This is the crux of your personal witness, anything else is gonna be just things. It's whomsoever comes to Jesus, confessing their sin, repenting of their sin will receive forgiveness of that sin here and now and eternity with Jesus in heaven. Can I get an amen. When you come to Jesus, there's a whole lot of blessings that come from salvation. You get real peace in the midst of turmoil, you get personal identity in the midst of confusion, you get joy in the midst of trouble, but these things are just the icing on the cake. It's the cake that we need to be after, amen. And the cake is the forgiveness of all of our sins and eternal life with Jesus.

Solomon was saying, "The name of the Lord is," what? No doubt, many people, they run to the name of the Lord when they get into trouble. There are many people run to the name of the Lord when they're fearful, and desperate, and need help, but only the righteous, when they run to the name of the Lord they'll become strong, fortified, and protected. Only those who acknowledge their sin, and repent of their sin, will find a safe harbor. Only those who are clothed by the righteousness of Jesus, not our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus, will be strengthened. Only those who have been adopted by God through Jesus, will be strengthened. Only those to whom the Lord Jesus is the only rock upon which they firmly trust, will be strengthened. Only those to whom Jesus is the only strong tower will find protection and strength in the times of fear and anxiety.

So the question is, what is Jesus doing with this young ruler? Actually what he's trying to get him to do, he's helping him to have his soul open bare. Would he choose mammon or would choose the master? Would he choose his wealth or the giver of wealth? Would he choose to put his faith in his net worth or in the cross? In his case, sadly, money won. You see, God is looking for conduits, God is looking for channels. But this man came to Jesus, had a flimsy tower in his wealth, and not in the name of the Lord. The second one is in Luke chapter 12 verse 16. This man's business model was a true success. I mean, this man would've had books written about him and his business acumen. This man plunged into his business venture and blotted out any thought about the name of the Lord. He said, "I'm gonna build a new and bigger barns". Nothing wrong with that, right? he said, "I'm gonna expand my business". Absolutely nothing wrong with that. He said, "I will plan to be richer than ever". That's fine too. He said, "I'm gonna build places in Jericho and in the north for the summer, in the Negev for the winter". What then? What then?

Here's the key, here's the key. Verse 19 of Luke 12. This man said to himself, he said to himself. Now let me tell you something, be careful what you say to yourself. We all self-talk don't deny that. Be careful what you say to yourself, especially when nobody's watching, especially when you are all alone, especially when nobody knows. What do you say to yourself? Let me give generously to the work of the Lord, that's what the righteous does. Let me help others. No, that's what the righteous does. He said, "I will say to myself, you have plenty of good things laid up for you for many years to come, take it easy". But God said, see, he said to himself, but God said, he said, but God said. You're with me? He said to himself, but God said to him, "You fool, this very night, your life will be demanded from you then who will get what you have prepared for yourself"?

The third man was totally focused on self. The object of worship was self. His time and talent and treasure was all on self. He had physically, needy, incapable person right at his doorstep named Lazarus, but he closed his eyes. And Jesus said, "He ended up in Hades". He ended up in the place of torment. You know the one thing about this man who was all into self-worship? I don't want you to miss that, please don't miss it, you may have read the passage, you might know it, you might have heard about, but just I don't want you to miss it. Sixty seconds in hell, and he became a great evangelist. He did. "Father Abraham send Lazarus to rise from the dead to witness to my five unsaved brothers, so they don't come to this place". William Booth, the founder of Salvation Army used to say, "All the training my officers need, is five minutes in hell and they will be on fire evangelists," amen.

I weep when I preach on hell because real people are going there and it grieves my soul. I don't want anybody to go there, that's why God gave us a vision back in 2018. By 2025, I want to be able to see a million souls in heaven who came to the Lord because of you in the UK, and in Australia, and in Canada, and the United States, and those in the Middle East, whom our partners are working, so together, we could reach 1 million souls for Christ. "The name of the Lord is... the righteous run into it and they are..." What about you? What about you? You see, God doesn't see you as a big crowd sitting here in this wonderful, beautiful auditorium, he sees you as a person individually. He knows you by name, he loves you by name, he cares for you by name, he died on a cross for you by name. So what about you? If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ as your only Savior and Lord, today is the day. Ask him to forgive all of your sins, and to set you free from guilt and sin and the dominance of sin. And when you do that, you're gonna find open arms. Always visualize Jesus with open arms, he's waiting for you. He will welcome you.