Welcome back young people! Welcome to Liberty University, the world’s most exciting University. And you 700 new students from all over the nation and the world we welcome you to this hallowed campus. This is our 35th year, we started with 154 students, four faculty members (Dr. Elmer Towns, our co-founder and Vice President, and three others, unqualified, I was one of them, Dr. Jim Moon, J. O. Grooms, the other two) but, there were four of us and 154 students meeting at Thomas Road Baptist Church and thus Liberty was born.
Well, that was 35 years ago and as I speak now we don’t have the final count here, but this fall we will approach 10,000 in campus enrollment for the first time and we externally this year will have 14,000 studying with us and they come from 50 states and 80 nations. The Lord has done great, great things!
NEW PATHS, NEW LESSONS, AND NEW COMMITMENTS
Most of us don’t like new things, we don’t like to start over; we don’t like the idea of changing the status quo, which is Latin for the mess that we are in. And yet God is forever stirring up our nest and redirecting our steps, and changing our circumstances so that we never ever become comfortable changing our circumstances, so that we never ever can become comfortable spiritually in one place doing one thing.
All believers have two birthdays, my physical birthday is August 11, and you know I am 72 years of age. My spiritual birthday, my 54 spiritual birthday is two days from today, this coming Friday, and I will be celebrating my spiritual birthday by doing the work of the Lord as God has allowed me to do all these years. If you don’t have a second birthday, and I am talking primarily to the 700 new students with us this semester; if you do not have a birthday when you received Christ as your own personal Savior, it’s our prayer that you won’t be here a week, two weeks before that miracle happens in your life. And so again, God wants to put us down a new path.
My text: Philippians 4:11, 12, 13, “Not that I speak in respect of want (Paul says) for I have learned (better translated, I am learning), in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content (meaning they were not Texans). I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You are never really fulfilled in life, until you recognize your vision and begin fulfilling it.
The first life-vision is to be born again. For me that was January 20, 1952 and then we set out on another quest and that is to find the will of God for my life, every moment of every new day. You are never really fulfilled until you recognize your vision. I want to challenge you to find that vision, find that goal, and find that purpose for which God brought you here to Liberty University. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
God has a vision for everyone and don’t settle for second best and don’t ever quit. God has a vision for you, you all have unique DNAs.
Over the holidays a man who was executed in the Virginia prison system, Roger Coleman, declared his innocence, even in the electric chair. Many people thought he had been executed wrongly and 13 or 14 years had passed, and the outgoing Governor Warner finally ordered a DNA examination of the evidence in hand and compared it with Roger Coleman’s DNA. Did he really commit the crime? He was convicted of rape and murder of his own sister-in-law. All the anti-capital punishment advocates around the nation were hoping to find that they executed the wrong man, the evidence proved that he was guilty and that he should have been executed, but the fact is that DNA is the spiritual and the physical thumbprint and fingerprint of every individual.
There is only one person in the world like you, physically, and only one like you spiritually. God has a work to do through you that He cannot do as well through anyone else. 1 Corinthians 15: 58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” I found out fifty plus years ago, God wanted me to be a pastor and I have spent the last half century doing that. Fifty years now, pastor of the same church. We are moving that new church to the campus and hopefully July 2 of this year we will move into that new sanctuary at the north end of the Liberty University campus and our academy, our preschool through grade twelve is already there, the law school is already there and the University is here, and that’s been my fifty year dream, that God would help us on this 4600 acre campus to put it all together in one place. It has taken a half century to make all that happen. But I knew a half century ago God wanted me to be a pastor.
Now what is God calling you to be? To do? Maybe a journalist, maybe a scientist, maybe God is calling you to politics. I heard Dr. Godwin talking about the Helms School of Government . . . who knows but there is a future President, Congressman here, Congresswomen . . . who knows who is seated in this audience right now? And so I challenge you to find out God’s vision for your life.
And remember that the difference between mediocrity and greatness is always vision. Academic credentials are very important. Talent is very important. Various skills are important. Financial resources are important, but nothing . . . nothing is as important as having a vision. God’s vision for your life.
Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” And what is that power that works within us? It is the Third Person of the Trinity. The Blessed Holy Spirit that lives in us and works through us and accomplishes God’s vision for us, if we will submit to Him.
By the way, it’s not the super talented, but the super dedicated that God uses. 1 Corinthians 1: Paul says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.”
God doesn’t use us because we don’t deserve to be used. God uses us because we are available and we’re clean, we’re anointed, we’re surrendered, we’re dedicated to His purpose.
By the way, God is not impressed with buildings, budgets or programs. Only people impress God. The first time the world have a population of 1 billion was 146 years ago . . . 1860. First time. There were about 250 million on the planet when our Lord was here. One billion . . . one thousand million in 1860 . . . 6.6 billion today. And if the Lord doesn’t return by the year 2050, there will be 10 billion souls, and Christ died for each one of them. And God loves each one of them equally . . . black . . . white . . . red . . . yellow.
I said we have 80 nations in our student bodies and I want to tell you, whoever you are and wherever you’re from, God loves you as much as He loves anyone else. And the love of God is infinite and God has a wonderful plan for your life. God is not impressed . . . you know if you leave Liberty for one, two semester and come back, as some of you have done, this Mountain has changed a lot.
The ice area we just opened up ten days ago . . . we just broke ground a few days ago for five new dormitories across the highway. Got the permit yesterday. We have a law school that’s less than two years ago. We’ll be in Phoenix, AZ, tomorrow; Bruce Green and our Executive Vice President Dave Young, our Provost, Dr. Boyd Rist, Dr. Godwin and I will be going out to talk with the American Bar Association on the subject of accreditation. Pray about that . . . it’s a crucial time. But that school wasn’t there two years ago. And if you drive a little further up the campus you see LCA (Liberty Christian Academy), it’s there now. Wasn’t there before September. And if you come here after July 2, you’ll see the 6,000 seat Thomas Road Baptist Church.
What I’m saying to you is this: Things change, facilities change. We just got our financial statements for the fiscal year just ended. When I think of our first offering of Thomas Road Baptist Church which gave birth to all of this, was borne out of the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Our first meeting was June 21, 1956, thirty-five adults were present and I was their twenty-two year old pastor having just graduated from college, and I knew everything. I had no doubt that this was going to be so much more than anyone else thought. The Lord had to do a lot of humbling for me, and in my life, but the result was that our first offering was $135.00.
We thought we had conquered the world. That was wonderful. So they put me on the salary for $65.00 a week. Imagine, making $65.00 a week in 1956; my wife made $85.00 a week, a little more than I did, as a bank teller, and we got started. This next year we will require over $200 million just to operate the total ministry.
It is all relative, young people, because God one morning before breakfast spoke the world into existence is not impressed with any bank statements, or any financial net worth, or any facilities, or buildings like this one, He’s impressed only with People. Little people, children, old people . . . the U. S. Supreme Court yesterday legalized euthanasia; we lost by 6-3 vote which means that even Justices Kennedy, and O’Connor voted wrongly. But, Judge Roberts, the new Chief Justice, voted correctly, along with Scalia, Thomas and Judge Alito will be going on in another week or so . . . how do we know that? I know because I was watching the hearings and I listened to Senator Leahy, Senator Durbin, and Senator Schumer and Senator Kennedy, all attacking Judge Sam Alito and the camera was such that right over his shoulder, seated right behind him, was his precious wife. And they were calling him everything but the Child of God. And finally, Senator Kennedy called him a “closet bigot.” I couldn’t help but think of Chappaquiddick and Mary Jo Kopechne and a thousand other things when he said that. But at the same time right behind the judge, his little wife’s chin began to quiver. Don’t ever make a woman cry . . . you’re going to lose! And her chin began to quiver and finally she broke out in tears and walked out of the hearing room. And that was the end of the hearing. The women didn’t give a “flip” about what they were talking about . . . when you make a woman cry, you shouldn’t have done it . . . you’ve lost and Senator Kennedy and all those others began hearing from the women of their states saying “What are you doing picking on that poor lady?”
That was the end of it . . . he’ll be confirmed by 60 or more votes next week. We still got to get one more. If we’re going to have a 5-4 court in favor of life and family values, we’ve got to have one more after Alito, so pray for retirement. Pray for a retirement on the Court so that we’ll get one more and that will be the legacy of George Bush.
By the way God calls Presidents, God sets up, and God puts down . . . and some of you ought to be thinking . . . one of these days God may put me on the Supreme Court. That’s what that law school is all about up there. Who knows what God has in mind for your life.
God is not impressed with buildings or budgets. Only people. John 14:12 has always been a challenging verse in my life: (Jesus talking) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” You mean I can do greater works than the Lord? You can do greater works . . . we cannot say that . . . but the Lord predicted that because I am going back to Heaven and sending the Holy Spirit to be within you . . . within everyone of you . . . and not just with you in a limited geographical setting, you can accomplish more that I’ve accomplished.
There are three reasons we can claim the greater works. One, there are more people on the earth than ever before. And since over half the total population ever to live on the earth since Adam and Eve are here right now . . . about 13 billion have lived here since Adam and Eve . . . over half of them are on the earth right now. Since there are more people here than ever before, and since God is not willing that any of these people should perish, then we can expect the greater works because we have the greater population.
Two, we have greater technology. I am talking to a microphone, I’m looking into a television camera, and some of you are too; but the camera is on you wherever you are right now and because of the proper connections, there are people watching this program in California, Oregon, Texas, everywhere: the miracle of satellite transmission. And because of Web casting, people, missionaries all over the world can plug in as can anyone else. What a wonderful day! There’s greater technology with which to reach the world so therefore the greater works.
And finally, Joel 2:28 (the promise in the Last Days): “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh.” I believe there is a greater outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His Church and upon this world as we approach the imminent return of Christ. So we can do the greater works.
And remember that all our failures are prayer failures. I believe that. James 4:2: “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” Got a problem? Have you prayed about it? You have a financial need, have you prayed about it?
This morning, as every morning, I talk to the Lord about every need on my heart and needs around the world, and I prayed for the President and his wife and two children, and his father and his mother, and all his siblings, and their families that God would build a hedge of safety, health and protection around them. And that God would bless the President and anoint him and work in him “to will and do of the Father’s good pleasure.”
And I prayed for my wife and our children, and our grandchildren, and our extended families. I prayed for our staff and people who lead our ministries. And I pray for many of our missionaries and pastors who are going through challenges right now. And I prayed for Judge Alito and the U. S. Senate and I prayed on the list for needs that are upon me and others.
Because you have not because you ask not. Jeremiah 33:3 is one of my favorite verses: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” You can believe that and trust that, young people. Whatever you need, God is big enough to do it.
And remember that God’s servant is indestructible until he or she finishes the work God has called him to do. Did you get that? God’s servant is indestructible until he or she finishes the work God has called him to do.
I want you to write that down in the flyleaf of your Bible. And look at Romans 8:37, 38, 39: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Isn’t it wonderful to know the angels of God are encamped around him who fears Him? God’s guardian angels, God’s hand of protection is upon you and everyday most of the things that we don’t even know about bad that could have happened, God prevents them from happening because we are kept in the palm of His hand. That is true security.
In the life of a believer, nothing happens by chance, fate or fortune. Nothing! There is nothing such as coincidence. There’s no such thing as luck. Don’t wish anybody “good luck,” “bad luck,” waste of breath. According to the Scripture, Romans 8:28, 29: “We know (we don’t guess or speculate) that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Nothing happens by chance.
You are God’s servant and God has ordained, foreordained, predestined to make you look like His Son, Jesus. Preferably down here on earth somewhat and later in Heaven, but certainly on the other side, and you do not determine a man’s greatness by his talent, or his wealth as the world does, but rather by what it takes to discourage him.
Young man, young lady, you’re not great because you have a great mind, or because you sing beautifully, or because you have resources, you’re great only to the degree that you refuse to throw in the towel when everybody else is quitting. No room for quitting; no retreat, no stopping what you are doing; when you answer God’s call you never turn back. Acts 2:4: Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
None of these things moved him. Never allow circumstances or your environment or people, or problems, or challenges, to make you quit. Faith is standing on God’s integrity and acting on His promises, even if you have to stand and act alone.
Esther 4 has a great verse in it: “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth (and here it is) whether thou art come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?”
I won’t read the next two verses except to tell you that God put you here for a specific plan and I believe that plan is that God wants you to be one of His giants.
In the next four and a half months of this semester, Spring semester 2006, determine by the grace of God, “I will learn, I will grown, I will become what God wants me to be.”
May I give you ten fresh commitments that I gave to my church last Sunday, the week before? I’ll move quickly . . .
1. I will read the Bible daily. Starting right now read the Word of God daily. Get yourself a One-Year Bible.
2. I will begin making lasting footprints; I’ll make a difference.
3. I will set some life goals.
4. I’ll begin witnessing for Christ. Sharing the Lord with others.
5. I will become a thankful person.
6. I will become a forgiving person.
7. I will become a consistent person.
8. I will take Jacob’s pledge, that is, I’ll begin giving the Lord a tithe of everything He gives to me.
9. I will be a stronger family member, i.e., a greater son, daughter, mom, a better dad a better grandparent. I’ll be a strong family member.
10. I’ll begin writing my epitaph.
What epitaph do you want on your tombstone? Well, you got to earn it. I’ll tell you what I want and I’m praying God will allow me to live up to it: “Godly husband, father, grandfather, pastor, patriot and Christian educator.” That’s what I’ve tried to be all my life.
With our heads bowed for prayer, heads bowed, eyes closed, opening day; classes have reconvened, first Convocation. Why don’t you just make a commitment? I’m not going to fill up space, I’m not going to be a spectator any longer but I am going to become a participant, I am going to learn, I am going to become, I am going to be, and I want to ask you to make the necessary commitments right now that that will be the case.
God has a wonderful plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV) says it beautifully; read it, study it, memorize it. God wants to do good things . . . He wants to prosper you . . . He wants this to be the greatest semester of your school life. But it can only be that if you make the necessary commitments and determine by the grace of God, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”
Father, I do ask that this will be the first day of many new lives lived for You. With the 700 new students for the thousands of returning students, the faculty, and the staff . . . for all of us in administration . . . we ask a fresh anointing of your precious Holy Spirit and let this be as we heard from Dr. Towns’ prayer, “Let this be the best semester yet.” We pray in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Please contact me at http://home.trbc.org/ and tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
