You Are a Part of Something Bigger!

This message was delivered by Dr. Robert H. Schuller from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral. It was aired during the Hour of Power program on Hong Kong's ATV World Channel on 20 March 2011.

Today, I have good news for you. You are far more impacting than you know. None of us realize that the goodness within us comes from God in the form of genes, our family, and our friends. We are God's people and He has plans for all of us.

I want to leave with you one sentence: You are part of something big! You are a part of the family of God and you are a part of bringing this faith into the world.

Do you realize how impacting you are through this ministry? There are literally hundreds of thousands of people alive on planet earth today who in the past 42 years, through the Hour of Power, have come to become believers in God. And then they become believers in themselves, and then they become aware of the fact that as believers, we belong to something big! Its faith and we're spreading it and I can't begin to thank you for making this faith what it is.

There are people today living in homes, hospitals and hotels that have no faith and they're tuning in to you and to me. You are part of something bigger than yourself. You say, 'but I don't do much.' I think of the old line: even a turtle doesn't get ahead unless he sticks his neck out. You and I take a risk when we commit our lives to God.

I remember the story of a professor who decided to take one of his students on a nature ride. They met at an appropriate place, got in this little canoe, went into a river that flowed slowly, quietly, and the professor said, "Now this is going to be your natural history course." Then he pointed to the first trees on the right side of the boat and asked the student, "What are those trees?" The little boy said, "I don't know. I haven't studied trees yet." The professor smiled and they moved on.

Slowly, then a bit faster with rocks on the other side of the river, the professor pointed to the rocks and said, "What are those rocks called?" And the little boy said, "I don't know. We haven't studied rocks yet."

So they moved along and from different objects they passed, the little boy appeared quite ignorant so the professor was dismayed and the little boy felt discouraged. Then off in the distance, you could hear a rumble. The little boy's eyes got big. He knew what it was. It was the waterfall. So he asked the professor, "Do you know how to swim?" And the professor said, "No, I haven't learned that yet." The boy jumped over to his safety on the shore and watched the lifeless professor go down with the boat.

What do you know? What don't you know? I think of human beings who are very well educated, intelligent and well degreed but have never studied any theology or any scripture, have never studied religion and they call themselves atheists or agnostics.

I want everybody listening to the sound of this voice this morning to know that God is here and I invite you to become a believer and believe in the almighty God.

So what is God's plan for your life? He has a plan. We believe in a God that is a big God. He's the Creator of all of life and history. But how well do you know Him? What's His plan for you? You aren't just a single individual. You cannot live just a solitary, private life. You think you are but you are not. In fact you cannot because your life does impact others. Some by what they see when they watch you. Some by what they hear when they listen to you. Some by what they know in their heart.

I was reading this week and came across Carthage. Carthage, you know, was truly one of the greatest cities in the history of human beings on planet earth. Fabulous structures. Fabulous city. It was built because they carried the stones over the mountains and when they brought them finally to Carthage, all the stones fitted together perfectly. Not a fraction of an inch separated the stone from the stone. It was almost like it was in Peru, with its magnificent ruins. The great cities of Peru were built without plans. Amazing.

What is God's plan for you? His plans for you are being carried out right now because you are here in this church, and this church is in a remarkable position. In the history of the human race on planet earth, there has never been a church so positioned as this church to send a message that can be heard around the world in all languages.

I was astounded to learn a few months ago when I went to China on a special trip by invitation of the government, to find that the people there know about you and watch this Hour of Power program. Who are you? Who am I? Who are we? Why are we here? Who brought us together? I never asked to be born and neither did you. I didn't ask for Christian parents or to be given the faith and that's where I was put. I didn't ask for it but here we are together. We are in a church, placed in history to shape history.

So how do you fit into it? To begin with, you fit in because God wants you to be one of His strong pillars of faith.

Yes, God brought Himself to this world in Jesus and He invites you to become a Christian. The secularist says if there's a God, let me see Him. Why doesn't He show Himself? Why doesn't He speak so we can hear His voice? And the answer to that question is we do see Him. He does show Himself. He does speak. He does it through people, millions of them, and He wants you to be one of these persons through whom He can talk and share. I don't know where you are today, but I ask you to consider becoming a Christian.

Once there was a Rabbi who asked the question, "When should a man repent?" And the older Rabbi, to whom the question was addressed, answered, "When should a man repent? On the last day of his life." The inquirer replied, "But none of us can be sure which day is the last day of our life." The Rabbi smiled and said, "Then repent."

Accept the faith today. Have you experienced salvation? Are you saved? You ask 'saved from what?' Are you saved through faith in Jesus Christ? Are you saved from boredom? Are you saved from the meaningless of life? Are you saved from a self-centered pride that just keeps you closed and selfish?

I invite you this morning to accept salvation. This is the day you will be saved and you will feel within yourself the Lord. I've really experienced Jesus Christ living in me.

Let's pray: Lord, we really weren't planning on this but something's happening in us. The spirit is coming in. We want to experience the presence of You. Lord, we're in Your house. We repent of our days that were lived without faith and we accept You as our Lord. We can feel a difference in our lives now. Thank You, amen.

© Copyright Hour of Power 2011. This message was delivered by Dr. Robert H. Schuller from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral and aired on the Hour of Power, February 13, 2011.