In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of showing mercy to others, just as God is merciful with us. They also encourage having a genuine interest in other people's work and problems, in order to develop a balanced view and avoid generalizations and dogmatism. The speaker urges for involved intercession, highlighting the biblical truth that when one member suffers, we all suffer, and when one rejoices, we all rejoice. They also mention a book called "Lessons from a Sheepdog" that teaches about being under the wrong management and how Jesus comes into our lives with love and tenderness, seeing beyond our sins. The sermon concludes with a plea for unity and victory across all fields of work, and a call to prayerfully consider the message and take appropriate actions.

I've been just starting to read this book recently. It actually belongs to me. And I was just reading through a little bit more of it this morning and it really spoke to me again and just brought something out which I really wanted to, which I've really learnt and would really like to pass on. What is it called? It's called Lessons from a Sheepdog, believe it or not. The beginning of the story talks about how this sheepdog was really kept on a chain by a really unloving sort of master and the dog wasn't really doing what it was made for. Many of us human beings have been under the wrong management most of our lives. We have been in the wrong hands. We have been so mishandled that all of the original superb purposes for which we were created have been totally distorted and misspent. We are virtual slaves to sin, to ourselves and to Satan. Yet the stranger of Galilee comes into our lives. He looks upon us with love. He touches us with tenderness. He sees beyond our sins. He extends his knowing hands to take us into his understanding care. We are not always keen to go. We are afraid he may have sinister motives. We recoil from his control. Life under the old master has made us very suspicious. We are not at all sure things will be any better now. In our human ignorance and suspicion we are convinced that to come into Christ's care can be even worse bondage than before. As I put last, that's the dog, into my old car and started off down the road to Fairwinds she was sure something terrible was about to happen. She crouched on the floor behind my seat trembling and tense with apprehension. Even when I stretched out my hand to touch her head or spoke to her softly in reassuring tones she withdrew in terror, snarling with tension. Little did that sad, twisted dove realise that one day soon she would enjoy those same hands and respond to that voice with unabashed devotion. But it would take time. It would take weeks and months for her to fully discover that her new master had only her best interests at heart. That every move he made was for her well-being. It takes some of us a lifetime to learn that Christ, our Good Shepherd knows exactly what He is doing with us. He understands us perfectly. He manages us with incredible wisdom and loving skill, both for our benefit and His. I'll probably be leaving Saturday to go back to Cornwall. Ursula will go with me for, I'll be there for three weeks. Ursula's there for a week just to, we have to arrange a lot of things for the family. Then hopefully I'll be getting a job. It's sort of fixed for me to get a summer job here in London, driving a truck. And then we get married in September, probably towards the end of the month, in Germany. And after that is what we're just not sure about yet, where we should live and what we'll be doing. That's really open and in the Lord's control. It would be good if you could pray that we would do what God wants us to do. I'm really thankful for the two years I've been here and the things that the Lord's shown me, that He has been really faithful. Even when we're suspicious and we're scared of what God is leading us into, it's been really good to know that He does understand us. What God does for us is what's best for us. It's not just something that we have to put up with. If we follow the Lord, that's my experience, if I follow in His way, whatever happens, because that's what's best for me. I'm so thankful for that. Amen. Good challenge for jogging as well as living the Christian life. I think many of us have been praying for the son of Pastor Forrester. It's been a terrible accident. I think many of you are more informed than I am, since I'm in and out of Bromley. Yesterday was over in Wales on a pastor's missions day. Also had a very good time with Graham Scott, Ray and Diana Anderson, and their son, as you know, was also in an accident. The lady was killed, who their son hit. I saw David yesterday. Nothing much has happened in their pending court case and all that kind of thing. They would ask special prayer. They really feel it's God's time to move into Bromley. Ray and Diana joined OM in January, and he's already had really a very significant ministry, especially counseling ex-OMers, and also some of the people that write to me with very heavy situations that I cannot possibly jump in the car and drive out to West Country and speak to. He's very motivated in this work, both he and his wife, working together as a team. She's doing the secretarial work. But they really feel it is God's time to move to London. All the children are happy about it. A church in the States had called him to be a pastor there, sort of a Brethren Assembly type thing. He's gone there at their expense and explained that that's not the Lord's mind for them. So that's resolved. So if any of you see a house for a family of three children, somewhat grown up, and Diana and Ray could live, let us know right away. They'd like to move in this summer and be with us. He will be here teaching, I think, the end of May, when I'm up in the north at a conference near Penrith. They will be here. Let's be in prayer for Nigel's visit. Nigel has an unbelievable schedule. So the fact that he's giving a couple of days to us I think is quite significant. Let's really come prepared for that. Can anybody share about Pastor Forrester's son? I don't think we know of any chain of choice. Someone said that he'd been taken off his life support machine. As a matter of fact, he's had to be on one. So there have been rumors. He's taking out intensive care because they don't think they can do anything more for him. It's just that they don't know what they're waiting for. And is it true that two other people were killed in this accident? No, he was on his own. Just around the corner here, a three-year-old. And no one else was hurt? I think he was overtaking another car. Went into a wall and on his own. Well, it's good to just somehow get some of the facts. What's his name again? Mike Forrester. Mike. It happened to Nora about a week ago, at least now, isn't it? Two weeks. Let's just pray. We know many, many people are praying for this. There are so many cases. Those of us involved with a lot of people, almost every day we have something like this from someone we know. Not quite this bad, but, you know, between cars and cancer and heart attacks and other things. We find ourselves sometimes like a boxer in a ring, except that we're lightweight, and the boxer seems to be in the heavyweight class. Fortunately, we have a shield we can hold up instead of taking all the blows direct. But it must be a tremendous, tremendous test for the Forrester family and the Assembly of God Church at this time. Let's pray. Father, we pray for Michael. This is a mystery. It's already two weeks. So many have prayed, and he doesn't seem to be improving. We know that we, as human beings, are subject to accidents as Christians, similar to non-Christians. The rain comes on the just and the unjust. Father, maybe you're allowing this to shake some people out of spiritual naiveness. Maybe you're challenging our faith. Maybe it's both. Lord, we do pray that your healing hand would be upon this dear one, and we pray, Lord, that you'd give discernment and wisdom to all those that are involved. We have seen miraculous cases of people in comas come out and live normal lives. We've also seen some go to be with you. Lord, give those who are much closer involved in this the right faith, the right prayers, and guide us in our many, many relationships, and also our burden to prevent accidents within our own fellowship, as we have had our share across the world. We have so many vehicles, and we really look to you for our own mechanics department, which is short, and when that department is short, it will affect the state of the vehicles, and we just pray and commit that to you. In Jesus' name, amen. I'd like to just pass this out. Some of you may not be interested. This is the USA prayer letter. I'm going to refer to it. We'd like every other one to take one, and then whoever feels interested can keep it. Some of you are not interested in keeping such things, and I don't have enough, but I'd like us just to have a few minutes of prayer. A lot of work goes into producing this letter. A lot of money goes into getting it into the post. This is the USA letter, which takes weeks to get there. I've already finished the June letter. It's already telexed out. May 5th is the deadline date, David Hicks, and the new New Jersey Communications Department has given me. I missed them two months ago, and so you'll see that Nepal letter is actually a little late because it got there one day late, so they put it in the next month. For you, that will seem a bit out of date, but that's the problem with the system over there. Here in England, we don't have that so much, but I'd like us just to pray for several things. I, at that month, was pushing my Big Father. I offered it free in Britain, or maybe for a donation. I saw that came out in Canada. I notice in the States they're selling it. It doesn't matter, but let's pray that we get a response to that. Don't think many people write in as a result of that, even though it's more artistic than perhaps in the past, especially in the States. If we got 50 write-ins for that book, it would be an encouragement, and that's a mailing list of 15,000 plus. In fact, the mailing list is getting so big, New Jersey's asking for a new computer, which is giving some of us a mild migraine, because, as you know right now, OM is back in its traditional May financial blues. Then I'd like you to pray for the USA Conference mentioned there, June 3rd through 7th, in First Federated Church in Des Moines. I'd like you to pray about the hotline, the USA hotline. They have only five years behind us in Britain, putting this in. It's better than ours, in that after people hear the prayer request, they speak. This comes out on the computer eventually, and I get a copy, so I'm getting all this feedback from the people who call into the prayer phone, including sometimes personal greetings. Quite interesting. Then you can read the little statement I made about computerization, and pray for the ongoing challenge of computerization. In addition, let's really thank God, especially for people so gifted in this area that God has given us, including a couple right here in Bromley, Bob Creighton and Ron Tenney. Looks like Brian Bounds, is his last name? Burnett. Brian Burnett. In God's providence, he's going to be staying with us another year, so he's gone over to Mosbach. It's amazing the way the Lord can crumble up some people's plans. We don't pray this way much, but we thank the Lord, I just wrote Brian, for his providence in these things. Well, there's other prayer requests there, but we're lacking time, so let's have several people pray just brief prayers, anything you gleam from that little around the world, out of New Jersey, on especially the items that I mentioned. Items of praise there as well, Easter results in Mexico. Praise the Lord. Several people, just quickly pray. Lord, we pray on the perennial problem, the problem of finance. OM needs money, needs more money, and still needs more money to take your word in the way in which we wish to do it, through your Holy Spirit, to the places where your word is needed. So we pray that our main consideration may not be a burden of finance, but that the finance will be there. In Jesus' name. Amen. Lord, we just pray for this GBA project of books. We thank you for the response in this country. We also want to just pray now for the whole question of where are we going to store these 50 tons, which the ship doesn't want until November. We do pray that you might guide us in our desire to find a solution to this present problem. Father, we pray for Alfie Franks and for his family. We do pray that during this time in Carolina they might be refreshed and renewed. There would not be a lot of pressure from family problems and difficulties. And we do pray that you would reveal your perfect timing for Alfie to go to America and to have this heart operation. We wait upon you. We pray that you would tell us all the details of the puzzle together. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord. I'd like to just say a word about prayer rooms this day because some people have asked me if prayer rooms this day is Thursday all over the world, why are we moving it to Tuesday here? I might say from the beginning, I don't think India moved their prayer rooms this day. They had one before the rest of Europe. And the main thing is not that we have it all on Thursday. That is a fact there. But each country has its freedom to decide other factors. It's good for me because I can sometimes get in in two different prayer rooms this day. I was with the Arab team yesterday morning before going off to Wales. But the leaders have discussed this here quite at length. We're dealing with so many issues. I don't know if you realize just how many things we are dealing with and we have convictions about, sometimes too many convictions. But after a lot of prayer and discussion, it seems that Tuesday is a better day. So let's run with that and make this day next Tuesday really count. I'd like to just share some burdens. I don't think I've in the last 10 years read, 25 years, read a sermon. But I'm going to read one this morning. I don't know if it's a call. I don't call it a sermon. But I'm working on this as a possible memo to go around the world and I want to just read it to you, try to put a little message, challenge into it. You know, I used to think there were just one or two of God's graduate schools. One certainly is marriage. And I think when we have people testifying like Kevin about launching out into marriage in the summer, we should get their pictures and get them to the top of our prayer list as quickly as possible. Because it is the biggest step you take in your life. Often much bigger than the decision to accept Christ. We always hear people say it's the biggest decision next to accepting Christ. Well, of course, accepting Christ in terms of eternity eclipses all decisions, right? But on a practical level, marriage, you see, is equally large. Now, with Jesus, a lot of people seem to accept him and then a couple of months later, a year later, they reject him. And don't think, don't get this lopsided idea that when someone's been on OM, they go off, they can't turn away from Christ. Not just OM people who sometimes turn away from Christ. We know those people, right? They're our friends. But many, many people turn. Many of these leaders of the Christian Union years later turn away from Christ. It's just part of the spiritual warfare. You know, one set of people may have a statistic this high, another that high. And I, of course, in indirect contact with thousands and thousands of people, of course, pick up more bad news, perhaps, than some of you because I gravitate toward bad news on the basis of the principle of the 99. If 99 people are going well, you know, no problem. That's why some of you, you and I have never had any fellowship because, you know, if you're going well and pressing on and you feel you haven't got anything to bother me with, great, you know, run the race. Because there's plenty of people to talk to, plus I like to talk to people who don't have problems as well, you know, like Neil. It is quite normal for people to come to Christ and then after a period of time somehow they drift away. Thousands of these people have made decisions for Christ and Billy Graham, Luis Palau are drifting away right now. Thousands. And this is very hard for some people to understand. It was hard for me. It came early. 125 people came to Christ in just one of my meetings. You all heard that as part of my testimony. I don't always tell it. Probably at least 50% of them, you know, within a year were gone. They weren't following Christ. Parental pressure, cultural pressure, every kind of insinuation you can imagine. I do usually make a statement about that in my testimony, that many of these people, not all these people went on. Many do go on. But you know, when we're married, even after several months or several years, there's no provision for rejecting your wife or your husband and then going off and doing your own thing. Unfortunately, some people also do that. And it's probably the great, probably one of the greatest struggles the church is faced with today. There's not a church that is not wrestling with the divorce issue among believers. I've never known hardly a church, maybe a real small one somewhere just being born. And it's often done behind closed doors and people don't know what's happening. And praise the Lord. A lot of times these marriages are rescued and wonderful things take place. We know also that God is able to work and forgive and there's reconstruction and wonderful things happen after there has been marital breakdown. Another thing I was thinking of and I'm sure Nigel Lee will touch on this in God's graduate school is that no matter how much we give you in terms of truth, exhortation, messages, memos, so much truth is coming out here in the course of one year. Count the books and the tapes. No matter how much we give you, you can only get part of your spiritual growth while you're here in one year. Because everybody has a limited absorption rate. The problem here isn't mainly not enough being given out. Of course we'd like more to give out. We want to stay up late nights. The problem is how much can you absorb where you are now mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Some of you are already oversaturated. For your spiritual age you've been overexposed and oversaturated. I've seen it happen in O.M. And when you leave there's bound to be adjustments. Don't be frightened by those adjustments. That's absolutely normal. We have had top Christian leaders not just in O.M. but from other mission groups when they have left their group and gone into a whole new job or a new area, of course there have been bumps and bounces. That is absolutely normal. But I was thinking this morning as I was thinking about this message which I put together some time ago, that another one of the spiritual graduate schools is the graduate school of attitudes. As our behavior gets more controlled by the Holy Spirit and we learn more of holiness, righteousness, and godliness, God starts zeroing in on our attitudes. Long after the outward things may be improving, we wrestle with attitudes. And I think this is a thing that really has shocked me at times even about Christian leaders, even leaders within O.M., is the attitudes, the wrong attitudes that sometimes come in. And it's on that basis that I wrote this little message out. Again and again in the scriptures we see the importance of unity. We even see greater importance put on love and all that it should mean in terms of practical reality as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13. If we have time, I'd like to read that because certainly that's the passage that so deals with attitude. The title of this little message is Keeping a Positive Attitude Toward the Other O.M. Field or the Other O.M. Work. 1 Corinthians 13 and of course many other passages. Certainly it is not honoring to God when we have a wrong attitude or when we make a harsh or negative statement about another brother's work. Whether it be in O.M. or it be out of O.M. I've shared in the past about the need for maintaining a right attitude toward other Christian organizations even when there are things that we don't particularly understand or agree with. Now I wish to deal with maintaining the right attitude toward other parts of O.M. You know, this is especially important for us because it is possible when you're in the I.C.T. side of this little conglomeration to get a wrong attitude toward S.T.L. And it's possible when you're in the S.T.L. side to get a wrong attitude toward I.C.T. And it's even possible to get a wrong attitude toward other departments. When you're in one department in S.T.L. the culprit can be the other department in S.T.L. And then what about Manchester? What about the Arab team? And what about friends from abroad? Of course our contact is limited. The more limited the contact sometimes the easier it goes because you just don't know anything so how can you comment? But in I.C.T. we are very closely linked with Manchester. And we need a right attitude toward that part of the work. And then of course many different fields around the world. We've had O.M. leaders come here to Bromley and actually from other fields and actually go a bit offended. I haven't heard anything lately. Praise the Lord. But this is such a fast-moving conglomerate of people. It is easy to come here and somehow just not quite feel a warm loving reception. It just it can change literally from one day to the next depending on people's moods depending on the workload. And I think that's far more positive about this in Bromley than it would be negative. But it's an ongoing enormous ongoing challenge. And I can't stress enough just the importance of the first encounter we have with people. Whoever they are maybe you think they're loony. Maybe you think they don't belong here. Maybe you think they're sponging off the O.M. whatever fat cow that's getting skinny. That doesn't excuse us for a wrong attitude. Here are some of the dangers and mistakes we make in this area where we need to ask God for greater wisdom grace and discipline. First of all listening then basing our judgment on half-truths. This happens probably everyday here and around the world. We're all limited in time and so it is not always easy to get all the facts before we make some statement about a particular field or work or I could add person. Sometimes these half-truths especially if there's a negative factor affect people's decisions as to whether they should even go to that field. Keep in mind bad news travels quicker than good news. And I know of cases where people have decided just like that not to go to a particular O.M. field maybe the Arab world maybe India on the basis of one conversation. Talk about real objective decision making. Number two the problem of the pinched recruit. So cold. Quite a few of the O.M. leaders meetings get rather warm as Peter Maiden shared with me the other day when we were having lunch together. As a leader maybe we had someone we thought was coming to fill a strategic position on our team or field. Then later we find out he's going somewhere else. We may feel that someone has pinched our man our disciple. There are many problems connected with this and sometimes they are linked with the recruit who may give a number of leaders the idea that he's definitely moving in their direction. After all he would like to have several doors open. There are games leaders play and there are games the recruits play. And we don't mean to play games but sometimes it happens that way. Sometimes this happens without us knowing all that's going on simultaneously. Don't we all sometimes read things into people's words? Communication problems. Sometimes it is just a basic misunderstanding and other times of course people change their minds. People have the right to change their minds and dear brothers that are planning to get married wives have a great extra privilege to change their minds. Number three a need to take a real interest in other fields. This is a positive thing. So easily we get caught up with our own work and our own vision. And let's face it this often can be connected with our own ego and our own emotional needs. It's not all just objective Christ-centered spirit-controlled service. As God is merciful with us you're all hoping for that so we should be merciful with others at the same time how good it would be for all of us to have a real interest in the other person's work and the other person's problem and try to develop a real balanced view of actually what is happening. This will mean that we can avoid both generalizations as well as dogmatism in terms of what we think and say about another aspect of the work. Number four this is a plea for involved intercession where we realize the truth of that statement of God's word when it says where one member suffers we all suffer and as one rejoices we all rejoice. Let us learn how to really sense in our inner being that the victory of a work in another field or out of OM is our victory. It is our victory. It is sometimes we can be involved in. It's something we can be involved in. We should not detach ourselves just because maybe we feel that person doesn't have an interest in what we are doing. We can't say well when you get interested in STL those of you trying to plant churches in Turkey then we are going to become interested in Turkey. That's not how the Christian life works. Now we would like all these people around the world to be interested in STL and I'm trying to promote that. Others are trying to promote that. We once sent a letter about STL to every worker in India challenging them getting them to pray and consider coming here as a recruit. It's something we can get involved in. Surely we must never detach ourselves because of some small disagreement or some hurt that may have been inflicted on us we think by the leader of that field or by the corporate efforts or mistakes of whatever in that particular field. We go without knowing it as Christians sometimes on emotional strikes. We don't go on outward real pickets. Maybe someday it would be good if a group here marched in front of STL with little picket signs. We are picketing. Devotions are getting too long. We are picketing against pressure to go to prayer meetings. You know one of the great miracles here every area needs improvement is that management gets on with the workers. We're all one. I think the fact that we get the same salary is a help. The danger in Christian work of course is that we can go on an emotional picket. We can turn people off. We can turn sections of OM off. We can avoid people that we maybe find we're not relaxed in their presence. The failures, mistakes and the sins of other fields are an opportunity for us to really put into practice what we are constantly preaching about in terms of revolutionary love and Calvary Road. Number five, openness and honesty but with esteem and love. Every once in a while you see people get on the honesty binge. It happens in OM because there is a strong emphasis on honesty but you know honesty without esteem and love can become very ugly. We've been discussing that in our family lately and come up on some interesting conclusions that I wish I had understood 20 years ago. If we sense something is going on in another field then in love and esteem we should go to the person or persons involved sharing prayerfully with them. If we are going to write someone about something especially if it's fairly negative or at least for the first letter it should be confidential and without necessarily carbon copies. A lot of agony goes on in OM because of carbon copies of heavy negative letters that implicate other people or insinuate things. It seems to me that is the method of Matthew chapter 18. This needs wisdom as other times when it is purely a practical item it doesn't necessarily have any sinful or negative factors involved. There's nothing wrong with carbon copies going out to various people involved as soon as possible. Number six, beware of the scapegoat mechanism. Sometimes because of our closeness in working together it is easy to blame the other field or the other office for some of our problems. This happens in ICT STL the scapegoat mechanism. This couldn't possibly be our fault. It can happen in relationship with our vehicles. The mechanics are the great scapegoat. It's never our driving it's that this vehicle was not in perfect condition. The windshield wiper was hiccuping or the seat was loose and caused you to drive into the tree Of course, if anybody needs prayer in operation mobilization it must be the mechanics without which all of us would be hindered in our work. Apart from perhaps people like Phillip and Rosemary Morris neither of whom have licenses and go by public transport. They are the exception and I'm sure they travel in OM vehicles at times as well. Now, this is the problem in reading the message as you can be aware I have seldom done this and I'm not doing too well and I've lost my place. Beware of the scapegoat mechanism. Point six. Sometimes because of our closeness and working together it is easy to blame the other field. This may seem to release some pressure. Emotionally it does. It's just like swearing. I wish as a Christian at times I could engage in swearing. It's a terrific release but it's not God's way. Now, the world has certain releases that we don't have and don't think the people in the world don't get some help. They don't get saved through this. They get deeper actually but they get temporary release from some of the crazy things that they do that we don't feel are right. And of course we repress things and sometimes it becomes worse than swearing. I mean, I don't know whether you want to swear or have an ulcer. Personally I don't want either one. But this means we have to at times talk these things out. It may release some pressure, this kind of scapegoat mechanism but ultimately it doesn't glorify God. Number seven, subtle jealousy. Yes, even among God's workers subtle jealousy can come in without us even realizing it. Emotionally we can be competing with another field. Our approach to this based on the Word of God is something that is not known very well or much in the world very much in the world in which we live. We know clearly from Scripture that God hates jealousy and that we must not be motivated by any jealousy or envy in the work of God. Contrary, we're told to outdo one another in good works. And then number eight, the need to recognize unity and experience unity even in the midst of diversity. Another field may not be wrong in a particular issue just different from us. In OM we must be ready for a wide range of differences in terms of strategy, organization, outlook, philosophy and even to some degree our goals. And if we could understand that I think we could go not only a long way in greater unity with other entities within OM but those of other fellowships and other organizations and churches and all the rest, all the different parts of the body of Christ. And then lastly to legitimately be involved in recruiting for the other field and mobilizing prayer for the other field. It can be such a healthy balance, such a great tonic in this ongoing struggle. As we practice generosity in all that we can be and all that we can do being sure God will almost always continue to be very generous with us in more ways than we can ever imagine. In closing I would like to ask that you put this memo or outline in a place where you won't lose it rather that you would take it and prayerfully look it over, perhaps putting different scripture references to some of these points, asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you as to what your actions should be both now and in the months to come. Very much standing with you for ongoing unity and victory throughout every field across the world. Let's pray. Father, you know our own hearts. You know the struggles we've had in O.M. and this area as we are a movement consisting of some 30 or 40 different nations, each one an individual entity, each one a degree of difference in philosophy, strategy, vision. All of them looking for recruits, people to carry their vision and their burden forward. All of them battling to get the finance needed to get more literature and vehicles and films and everything else that's needed to get the job done. So we don't feel, our father, that this will be an easy road as we go forward together, as we increase our sensitivity toward the other field, the other group, the other person. As we learn to grow into maturity, we know, Lord, some of these same principles apply on a personal basis toward the other person who's living with us or that person that we may even get married to. And we pray that in the midst of all of our strong convictions that we may be large of heart and large of mind so that we will develop a Christ-centered and a proper attitude toward other people and other groups. And, Lord, you know, we'll fail. These goals are so high, we're destined to fail and even sin against you. But, Lord, we will repent and we will bounce back and take up the cross and follow you again. Help us, Father, in our attitude also toward ourselves as well as others, for we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.