 To say chewy of god, me sacrifice my greetings to you through a friend of mine and a friend about your wish. To encourage people of Keirushika to greet you. G goodbye to my friend El Kana Keroci. He will not kill me. He saluted kwa kutuya kwa. Thank you so much for accepting my ambush. So when we meet on the other side outside this building, we will fight there but peacefully. Allow me to begin by saying that the voice of prophecy, I want to be a very brief background on that one. The voice of prophecy is a ministry that is concerned with broadcasting the gospel of salvation through media. It uses all media facilities and available. It uses radio, television, uses satellite print, and the internet websites. It's not only through media that it is ministering to the world, it is also accomplishing God's commission in bringing hope to broken people and guiding Christians in their living through evangelistic meetings. It's messages focus on God's love and the soon return of Christ. It is sponsored by the General Conference and supported mainly by direct contributions. A brief history is that the voice of prophecy was started in Glendale, Los Angeles, California by its founder Pastor Harold Marshall Sylvester Richards, who was born August 28, 1894. Pastor Richards tried his hand on radio 1926. By this time radio had been invented and he observed how it was used to pass information to the audience and therefore he thought also that if we can use it to program the message of God and therefore he could borrow some time from the local radio stations and these stations donated most of this time as free because he was talking to the public. So deeply convinced that the gospel should be preached to millions by radio and encouraged by friends Harold Young and Glendale Richards set out to establish a regular broadcast. The date was October 19, 1929. At this time the broadcast program was called the Tabanako of the Air. There was a choir, a vocal quartet known as the Lone Star Fall which consisted of three brothers and their friend Luis, Wold and Wesley Crane and their friend Ray Montana. In 1937 the Pacific Union Conference under the leadership of her president Pastor Glenn Collitions assumed the sponsorship of the broadcast over the Dondee Network and then the name of the broadcast was now changed from the Tabanako of the Air to the Voice of Prophecy and the Lone Star Fall Quartet. The name was changed from Lone Star Fall to the King's Harrods. So in 1941 the General Conference at the Autumn Council took action to make the Voice of Prophecy a national broadcast underwritten by the Union Conferences of North America. So from that small beginning the Voice of Prophecy grew into a globe cycling ministry that today includes gospel messages in dozens of languages on over 1,500 radio stations. The Voice of Prophecy Bible corresponded in school in 1942 after a month of the nationwide broadcasting the first Voice of Prophecy free Bible lessons were introduced to the radio audience by one associate speaker for this data one. In the first month more than 2,000 listeners were enrolled and for the next eight months 60,000 had enrolled. The ministry today is the largest of its kind. It offers free lessons in 80 languages and over 127 dialects. In here where we are now at home in the East African Union or the entire region Kenya involved the Voice of Prophecy corresponded in school in East Africa was started in 1954. It was founded by Pastor Robert Willand by then the president of Central Kenya Field which is now the Central Kenya Conference which was organized in 1953 and the late Pastor Andrew Gademia. The two put together the first kikuyu lessons which were called Ngambo Wauradi. This happened because of the Maumawa pricing which had brought about the state of emergency in the country and therefore it was not his then to hold public meetings especially in Central Kenya. Therefore this came up with this program of bringing the lessons into Kenya because South Africa was the headquarters of the Voice of Prophecy in Africa and the correspondences were done from South Africa people were getting lessons from that point of view. So the first convert was Brother Njaga Karanja who was the first convert of the VOP lessons. At that time there was a radio broadcast and the late Pastor Pamina Sinduke was serving as the radio speaker. The radio, the Voice of Prophecy took place from Karura 1954 to 1957 and then later in 1957 the Central Kenya handed over the Voice of Prophecy program to the union then the operations were conducted at Vanga Road from 1957 to 1962 and then in 1963 the Voice of Prophecy Bible School was moved from Vanga Road to Karura where its current headquarters are located. That is a brief on the Voice of Prophecy. The global mission of the Voice of Prophecy is to proclaim the everlasting gospel of Christ leading people to accept Jesus as their personal savior calling them to unite with his church and nurturing them in preparation for the very soon return. The Seventh Day Adventist Church was brought into existence to proclaim five fundamental beliefs. They are 28 but of the 28 there are five which are a major where the 23 are anchored then they make 28. The first one was the second coming of Christ the third one was the Sabbath which separates true worshipers from false worshipers the third one was the sanctuary message which is the interceding priestly ministry work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary the fourth was the incarnation of Jesus Christ Emmanuel God with us and the fifth is the creation of the world in six literal days and other teachings that are meant to prepare for translation from sinners into saints through the eternal ages. When Jesus was about to accomplish his ministry he spoke about his going to heaven and coming back again. John 14 1 2 3 let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house on many mansions if it were not so I could have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also Matthew 26 29 when instituting the Lord's Supper Christ said but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom after his resurrection Christ gathered his disciples eleven of them now because Judas had committed suicide and they had died he was no longer there and then he gave what has come to be called the great commission in Matthew 28 verse 18 to 20 and Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth God therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo am with you always even to the end of the age when Christ was speaking to the disciples that go and make all nations they were eleven there were no cars there were no planes how could they make it to the entire world in mind God was eternal the voice of prophecy was already in the mind of God that this could be one of the instruments that will ensure the messages go to the entire world so this message of the second coming was to form the call of evangelism in soul winning to the Lord the people of the world have been formed that Jesus is coming again not to die as a ransom but now as king of kings and the Lord of lords I saw 6 verse 8 the word says also I had the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for us then I said here am I send me the topic of our sermon today following shortly is entitled whom shall I send shall we pray gracious father in heaven before your hands we come as now we divulge into a holy word by the Holy Spirit our poor minds to receive the concepts you have given there for our salvation in Jesus name we pray amen beginning with the early church before the soul winning went out to evangelize carrying Christian message there were preparations that were needed to be made they were going to battle it out with the devil and his angels and his agents they can't go in a havasad manner thorough preparations were needed in order to counter the attack Jesus knew his enemy better even before the foundations of the world were laid as Revelation 12.7.10 tells us he knew the devil is a fighter and for one to go out and battle it out with him there must be thorough preparation Acts chapter 1 the Bible says in verses 3 and 4 this is when Jesus took time with his disciples giving them instructions on the heavenly kingdom stand warning not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father and being assembled together with them he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father the promise of the Father was the Holy Spirit is the same way anytime we intend to go out we must wait for the Holy Spirit I'm not saying we stay here like that time it simply means how much are we prepared one major strategy about the preparation towards witnessing was waiting what were they to wait for they were to wait for the promise of the Father what was the promise of the Father the outpouring of the comforter the advocate who was the Holy Spirit here was a clear indication as per the words of Christ the dear people of God that without the Holy Spirit they are going out to witness and win souls was but an exercise of utility so in the course of waiting the disciples went to Jerusalem from Mount Olivet so and as they entered there they went in the upper room where they were staying the disciples now were Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip and Thomas but Rumiya and Matthew, James and Simon the zealot and Judas the son of James they continued in one accord in prayer and supplication with the women who were there also and made the matter of Jesus with his brothers there was deep soul searching going on they petitioned they persevered they were unanimous they prayed with one accord here we see that prayer was a major strategy in preparation for witnessing prayer gave back to several positive spiritual fruits it removed any jealousy from among them it removed any dissensions from among them it removed any bitterness from among them it removed any rivalry for supremacy from among them it removed any selfish characteristics from among them meaning dear brothers and sisters if these things are among us then we are not witnessing yes we may come to church we may sit here we may do whatever but if these elements elements of jealousy elements of dissension, bitterness, rivalry selfish characteristics if they are among us then we are here for nothing wasting time we are going nowhere at the fullness of time when the promise was fulfilled they were all of one accord they were all of one accord dear people of God when the day of Pentecost had come they were all with one accord they were together ready to go out and witness because of their preparedness when they went out what were the results of such a kind of witnessing immediately the first Christians received the Holy Spirit they went out to evangelize Peter took the stage to preach the word of God which touched the hearts of the listeners forcing them to take action now when they had this they were cut to the heart and the same to Peter and the rest of the disciples men and the brethren what shall we do then Peter said to them repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit then those who gradually received this word that is Acts chapter 2 I'm reading verse 37, 38 and 41 then those who gradually received this word were baptized and that day alone about 3000 souls were added to them may say something here dear people of God the Bible is saying Peter and all others were gathered out and they preached and 3000 came now you never see where people was where Peter for example was bragging and saying I preached the word of God and the spirit of God was with me and 3000 people came out of my preaching the arrogance we witness in many of us today we say I went to Mukuru Kwanjenga I preached there and the people were shocked and the people came to the Lord and I baptized 100 people arrogance of the highest order the Bible is saying people were touched and it is the people who have sick what do we do now repent and be baptized the early church succeeded in her mission of going into the world why because it continued the study firstly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship it continued in prayer all who believe were together all who believed had all things in common the members sold the oppositions and the goods and divided among them all as anyone had the need the members were with one accord in the temple and the members had regular visitations today technology which God has given us for the purpose of enhancing the word of God we have turned it around we have made it a God we worship today you hear that all we are going to meet this evening and we are going to meet on what is up and here is my mother who doesn't know how to read who doesn't know how is she going to be involved in this prayer are we serious dear saints gadgets are wonderful but now they have become a God instead of worshiping the God of gadgets we are worshiping the gadgets of God in that way dear saints we go nowhere but let us make sure everybody is on board in matter salvation everybody has to be on board the members received what they were given during visitation periods with gladness and simplicity the members participated in praising God and having favor with all people and that the Lord added to the church daily those who are being saved during the time of Pentecost there was experienced a spiritual revolution a spiritual revival coming down to our time now whom shall I send we are now standing at the borders of eternity Pentecost was an experience of the former reign the prophet Joel wrote in Joel chapter 2 verse 23 be glad you children of Zion be glad you children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God for He has given you the former reign faithfully and they will cause the reign to come down for you the former reign the latter reign in the first month it is time that we should awaken everybody to follow on to know the Lord the latter reign must come to prepare the harvest the servant of the Lord says the following Ellen White it is true that in the time of the end when God's work in the artist's closing the honest efforts put forth by consecrated believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be accomplished by special tokens of divine labor under the figure of the early and the latter reign that falls in the eastern lands at city time and harvest in the prophets foretold the bestewal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God's church the outpouring of the spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early or former reign and the glorious was the result to the end of time the presence of the spirit is to abide with the true church Zakara chapter 10 the Bible says verse 1 but near the close of the earth's harvest the servant of the Lord continue to say sorry but near the close of earth's history a special bestewal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of Man and we are standing at the borders of eternity we are now standing at the close of earth's harvest that's where we are standing outpouring of the spirit is likened to the falling of the latter reign and it is for these added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest Zakara chapter verse 1 in the time of the latter reign the Lord shall make bright clouds and give them showers of rain He will cause to come down the reign the former reign and the latter reign as we have read in June 223 those words are from the Acts of the Apostles page 5400 page 55 the question people of God is where are we standing now where are we standing as Nairobi central church where are we standing she continues to say but unless the members of God's church today have a living connection with the source of all spiritual growth they will not be ready for the time of raping unless they keep their lamps trimmed and burning they will feel of receiving added grace in times of special need it is a serious call their saints unless as members of God's church today unless we have a living connection with our God we are not going anywhere men are location dear people let me say it later if leaders don't enjoy keeping members busy certain does she further says when the churches are left to inactivity certain sees to it that they are employed he occupies the field and engages the members in lines of work that absorb their energies destroy spirituality and cause them to fall as dead weights upon the church this is why people of God because we are not connected when we come here to worship the Lord when we meet out there and we pack our cars out there we pull out our mobile phones or our smartphones and then we begin chatting we begin saying how it was yesterday how they did it in a certain political meetings how they put a piece of land somewhere else that is all we talk out there you never hear anything talking about how was it yesterday I made it you see you see Buwana didn't you see sabat morning the one of God is saying unless we sit together unless the members are involved certain takes over now when certain takes over it means we are not going anywhere whom shall I send who will go on my behalf Christ is asking in our SDA church we have four groups of SDA members group number one is called special diet association members these are those of us who make sure we eat the right diet and by extension make food a taste of faith sikuli nyama sikuni machanichahi sikuni kahawa sikuni kokakola lakini vitina masengenyo washirati chuki choyo and much more group number one special diet association members it's a group we have in the church very particular even drinking water they position themselves they can't simply drink no they look at it they turn the glass round and then they bring systematically to the mouth we take it up on here so that water may not fall on issues self driven activity members these are those of us church is nothing to us they don't come for prayer meetings they don't attend any seminars church is not in our hearts they give nothing to the work of God they don't read their supper school lessons they make supper school like a social club Mount Kenya Safari Club Nairobi Sports Club we are just spectators these are self driven activity members they do what they want to do they do what they want to do group number three social democrat kalians members we look very pious but very political in church affairs and secular affairs nisi po chaguli wa kiyongons if I am not elected this year as a church elder you will see they say we had the people in the church today is tomorrow another day another day is a kamba another day is kikui any politics they are number one nani ame chaguli wa mca nani ame chaguli wa hi so they are ever in this way this time muliwekanan treyshira muliwekanan treyshira these are social democrat kalians members ever in the church outside there is what you hear sometimes the question we need to ask ourselves if we gave this one in jalu we gave this one in nandi we gave this one in kisi we gave this one in nandi we gave this one in whatever it is to God if kikui has taken head elder in jalu has taken treyshira another one has taken this what has God taken social democrat kalians members then we have group number four no social democrat kalians say if it were not for me this church could not be here first let me show you see all these things that you see here if it were not for me these things could not be here people cannot do without me these fellows here this church if I were not here then we have the seven day adventist members these ones are working they know their pilgrims they read the bible they read the spiritual prophecy they always pray they have devoted their resources to God's work the much they are able they are always awake the Lord is coming the question is of these four groups where do you fall whom shall I send is the question so of these four groups where do you fall there is nothing like sitting on the fence Matthew chapter 7 verse 21 to 23 the bible says note everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father heaven verse 22 Lord Lord have we not prophesied in your name have we not cast out demons in your name have we not done many wonders in your name verse 23 and I will declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness you workers of iniquity depart from me whom shall I send God is looking for a witness in the church he is asking the question whom shall I send when I say I was ready and the question came whom shall I send I said he am I Lord send me if God were asked to ask the same question this morning here who would be ready to say Lord he am I send me if reading the word of God has become a problem you know people of God by the way let me say today we don't easily say open your bibles if we are going to say that one we also make sure we include the following open your bibles for those who are in the church today we have two groups we have analogians and the digiterians for the analogians open your bibles for digiterians swipe your gadgets we have to know which way do you want to send the question is whom am I whom shall I send that's the question dear people of God the servant of the Lord says and the Bible says not everyone who says Lord Lord will go unless those who do my will those only who are constantly receiving the fresh supplies of grace will have power proportionate to their daily need and the ability to use that power daily they are improving the opportunities for service that lie within their reach daily they are witnessing for the master wherever they may be you don't have to be past that to stand here you don't have to be elder but wherever you are in the office where you are working kwajuakal where you are working are you demonstrating for sure that you are working for God here my Lord send me in my mekaniki area here my Lord send me in my kusaumena area in my kusa tomatoes area can we be able to say here my Lord send me wherever I am in my salon can I be able to say here my Lord send me it is not only here but wherever you are in school today by the way people of God sometimes when ethics were necessary for I hear in rumas the medics and when I get it wrong medics forgive me the medics have what they call STDs sexually transmitted diseases today in colleges and universities we have STDs sexually transmitted grades so the question is where you are in that university in that college will you be able to say here my Lord send me whom shall I send is the question dear people of God are we ready the purpose of the voice of professor was here my send me Richard started to date it is going and going and going gee are we going matu chapter 24 of us 14 a challenge to us members and this gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come and this gospel will be preached in all the world as witness to all nations and then the end will come that is the commission that is the underlying of everything and this gospel shall be preached And this tribe shall lead, not under this person shall do what, and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached, whom shall I send. It is the preaching of the gospel that will finally usher in the second coming of Christ. This work cannot be accomplished by pastors alone. The work of preaching the gospel cannot be accomplished by pastors alone. The servant of the Lord says, the work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and the women comprising our church membership rally to the work. Unless men and the women comprising the church membership rally to the work, it cannot be accomplished. And they united their efforts with those of ministers and the church officers. Many years back in national bank of Kenya here in Nairobi, some two ladies went to one of the officers in the bank and they asked him, which church do you go? So he did not understand the meaning of the question. He thought they had gone for some consultation and they asked them, what do you really mean? They said, wherever we are taken out for a retreat or those meetings, you know, those who are taken out where you work in various places for refreshments, for retreats and such like. When we always go out, when food is given there, we go to serve, you are very selective. You move from one pot to another, from one pan to another, selecting foods. Number two, when we go kushere kia, when we go to rejoice, problems and such like, we never see you there. Number three, when you have locked your room, where you sleep, you never open until morning, meaning they had learned something. The elder told them, come after three days and I will answer your question. The elder went to look for the voice of professor lessons. After three days, he called the ladies and they told them, when they read this, after you finish you come, I will tell you which church I attend. After they read and finished, they came to cut the long story short. Those ladies became Baptist members of the 7th Advent's church that they left working long time ago, but they are very active members in their old church. Whom shall I send? That elder answered the call, here my Lord send me in the bank. Not only here, we have to combine forces for us to reach what God wants us to do. Every church should be a training school for Christian workers. Its members should be taught how to give Bible studies, how to best to help the poor and care for the sick, how to work for the unconverted. Here now comes in handy the voice of professor department and the local church Bible school. The church is God's appointed agents of salvation of man. It was organized for service and its mission is to carry the gospel to the entire world. A working church is a living church. A non-working church is a dead church. Which is your church? Which one are you, Nairobi Central Church? Are you a living church or a dead church? We are billed upon as living stones and every stone is to emit light. Why must the church, why is the church not involved in witnessing at certain times? There is lack of self-confidence. Members have never been trained. There is unrecognized potential. There people are very potential. They have never been given an opportunity. And some have even never been asked to do anything. That is why the church is not active in witnessing. There is no training which is very important. There is no motivation which is very important and the church is never active. And therefore we are here as stones or as logs that are so heavy we are not able to do anything. We are fallen, we can't be moved. There is no motivation. The servant of the Lord says, No sooner is one converted than there is one within him, he may desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. Dear people of God, The Lord is calling upon each one of his followers to be witnesses. He is calling upon each of his followers to be as his ambassadors. He is calling each one of his followers to be light and salt. He is calling upon each one of his followers to be ministers of reconciliation. I think lacking in many of our churches. Pulling, tearing one another apart for no reason. You don't understand but people are tearing each other, tearing each other. Nothing like a minister of reconciliation. The Lord is calling upon each one of his followers to be collaborators with God. We associate together with God. Remember witnessing is the response, is the heart's response to love. Because the Bible says, the love of Christ constrains us. Remember witnessing people of God brings joy to the heart of God. Look chapter 15 verse 7. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. Witnessing dear saints contributes to spiritual life. God could have reached his object in saving sinners without our aid. But in order for us to develop a character like Christ we must share in his work. Remember God is able to accomplish his work. But then his nature is that he want to involve us. He want us to participate. He want us to rejoice in this work. And therefore he is saying, I want to enjoy new. That is why he has not sent holy angels to come and do the work. He could have done it and they could have finished. But he says, no, I want you to participate my people. Whom shall I send? Whom shall I send? The Lord is calling upon us. A witnessing church has to demonstrate that it is above Christ. There is no one in the church who is not important. There is no one in the church. Everyone in the church of God has a special work to do. However low or insignificant that person may be. Allow me to use this illustration people of God. Let me ask a question. A foolish question. How many of you woke up this morning? Nobody woke up? Or you are living because everybody is here meaning. So you are asking, first don't you see that we woke up? That's why we are here. It's a good one. You woke up. Number two. Who has ever seen his heart? He na pambu blad. A meweka kwa sa anyam ne yangaliya mei pika picha. Who has ever done that? But remove it. Who has ever seen his kidneys? Remove them and throw them on the table. Who has ever seen his lungs? Remove them and throw them to the table. Remember these things. They are very weak. They are noticing. But without them you will not survive. It is the same with the church of God. Those ones who are on the floor. Remember a number of you in Nairobi and Centralans. You are on the wall. But remember a wall cannot stand without a floor. So those fellows on the floor are making this church to survive. Like the lungs. Like the kidneys. Like the liver. Rarely are they choosing anything in the church. Even if they are in a problem. You hear people asking, who is that? You say, ah, there is that mama who is somewhere there. Who is that? Tell us people we know. Who is your mama ninani? Those are the people running this church. Because for them every Friday. After selling their tomatoes. After selling their omena. They calculate their profit. Ten shillings. One shilling every morning, seven morning. Faithfully to the treasure. They take one shilling. For those of us who matter. We bring 200,000 shillings in the month of March. And for the whole here. Brothers so and so. You know he helped us a lot. If it were not for him. We could not have this here. Brothers stand and say hi to us. Is your wife here by the way? Brother can you say. We do all that for the whole year. And they bring something somewhere in the month of September. He brings another 200,000. And when we are in nominations. We went to elect a position. Brothers so and so. Bila Kupingwa. Who is running the church for ten months? Those ones on the floor. Get that right. Whom shall I send? Remember. When Jesus was wanting to get people to send. He went to the local church. He found none. He went to the field. Conference he found none. He went to the union. He found none. He went to the division. He found none. He went to the general conference. Which was the Sanhedrin. He found none. He went to the floor. Down to the river. And they found some boys. Who were there. Pete and others fishing. And said boys. I have some work for you here. Can you come? They said we open in the water for long. Let's find out. These are the fellows. Because of the fellows who are on the floor. We are seated on the chairs this morning here. In this Nairobi central church. No one is unimportant if there is such a word. In the church of God. No one. They are saying the question is. How much are we to do? The church is an army. As an army should never be off guard. Even for a moment. Imagine how one of our army are asleep. When the war is the hottest. The army has gone to war. It is asleep more than half. And the war is the hottest. What is going to come? The servant of the Lord. If the church of Christ is careless and unfaithful. Far more important consequences are involved. Asleeping army of Christian soldiers. They are saints. The very life of the church depends on her faithfulness. In fulfilling the Lord's commission. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preaching all the world. As a witness to all nations. And then the end will come. The question is. Whom shall I send? May the Lord touch our hearts. May the Lord awaken our minds. May the Lord bring us to our senses. Dear Nairobi Central Church. That we answer the call. Whom shall I send? So that as the harvest is heavy. We say as Nairobi Central Church Lord. We are here ready to be used as rippers. To gather in the saints. In that eternal home. It's my prayer to all of us in Jesus name.