You know, David Asscherick
is one of the favorites
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of our speakers on 3ABN.
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And the first time I
ever saw him was on 3ABN.
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And I'd heard that
he had held a meeting
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and people were telling me
about him. But then I saw him
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preach. Young... he was young.
Oh my goodness! He really was.
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And he was... I immediately
said: "This young man
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has been given the gift.
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God has poured out
His Spirit upon him. "
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And he has continued to grow
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and his messages are
even more edifying today
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than when we first
heard him. So we're so happy
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that David can be with us.
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He is the head of a
group called ARISE. Um-hmm.
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And they work together
with Light Bearers Ministry
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with Ty Gibson...
another of our good friends...
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and James Rafferty.
Three powerful young ministries
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that work together and
praising the name of the Lord
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Jesus Christ and
preaching the gospel.
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And it's exciting to
have David here with us.
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Absolutely. Then we're
going to have some special music
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right before David comes out.
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Right. It's none
other than our own pastor:
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Pastor John Lomacang.
John is such a blessing.
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Has been to me personally,
to our church family,
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to people around the
world. And I'm so thankful
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for he and Angie. That they
decided to uproot from where
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they were in big cities.
And then he went from California
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to St. Louis to down here
in a little farming community.
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That's right. And he told
me when he first moved here
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he said: "I
can't sleep at night. "
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And I'm like:
"He's from the city.
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What do you mean you
can't sleep? It's quiet. "
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He said: "It's too quiet. "
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Yeah. He said:
"I'm used to gunshots. "
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He said: "I'm used
to all kinds of stuff. "
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So one of his neighbors...
I happen to be one of them
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but I won't say for
sure... One of his neighbors
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one night went and shot a
gun off outside his window
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so... So he'd feel at
home. I didn't want him to...
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I mean whoever it was
didn't want him to leave.
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Yeah. So we thought: "Well
we want him to feel at home. "
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And so did I
just tell on myself?
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I think you did.
Maybe I was just kidding.
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OK. But he loves it now.
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Now he says: "I like it
when I come back here. "
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Yeah, so Pastor John.
And we love John and Angie
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I guarantee you. And they
are great ambassadors for this
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ministry around the world.
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Multi-multi talented this guy.
In fact I think Garwin McNeilus
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said he'd rather have John
with him than have one of us.
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Oh yeah. I was
supposed to go to Africa.
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I couldn't go so I asked John.
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So he took John then
the next trip he bypassed me
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and just called John.
Went directly to John.
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I said: "Well how come
you don't want me? " He said:
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"We do want you but we're
working with special people
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that we want you to work
with. " And I said: "Really? "
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He said: "Yes.
They'll appreciate you. "
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I said: "Really? " He said:
"Yeah, they're the pygmies. "
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Thank you,
Garwin. I love you too,
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all right, if
you're watching on here.
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It's good... We can have
fun in the Lord, can't we?
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He really said that. But John
does such a - you and Angie -
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you have so many gifts and
talents. And so we appreciate
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the fact that you have chosen...
You could be out in the world
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doing anything you want to do
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but you have chosen to
give your life and your ministry
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to the Lord. And thank you for
coming here to West Frankfort,
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T'ville, and
3ABN. Praise the Lord.
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You know, I didn't share this
very much and a lot of people
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don't know it, but when my
wife and I were at a crossroad
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in our ministry I
sat at the edge of my bed
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one evening and I said:
"Lord, what do You want us to do
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with the rest of our lives? "
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Didn't tell anybody but
the Lord, and two days later
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Danny Shelton called me. We
didn't really know each other
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that well. And he said:
"We're building a new church.
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We'd like to invite you to
come to be the pastor here. "
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So I know that we're
not here by coincidence
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nor by accident nor by
luck. What do you say tonight?
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Amen! That's why
I chose this song
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just before David comes
and speaks about covenants.
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In the book of
Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 9
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there's a text there that says
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that the Lord led the
children of Israel out of Egypt
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because of the covenant
that He made with their fathers.
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And the reason He said that
is because they were not always
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obedient. And even
when we are disobedient
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I praise the Lord that
when there's a covenant that God
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makes He doesn't stop leading us
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because it's always
for the glory of His name.
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He inspired me
to write this song.
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So tonight if you want the
Lord to revolutionize your life
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simply say: "Lord lead
me as I follow the covenant
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You've made with
me. " Lead Me Home.
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I welcome the sunrise
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as night turns to day.
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Should I try again
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or turn and walk away?
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The journey to this point
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seems so very hard.
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Yet I'm standing, praying,
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right here in my yard.
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The tears that I've shed
don't seem like it's worth it,
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yet I know You're on Your way.
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Lord, lead me home.
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There's no place
to run and hide...
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You know what I keep inside.
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Lord, lead me home.
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For I need to
find a place to rest
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where life in You is best.
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Lead me home.
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I know I can trust You,
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You've never let me down.
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I know that I need You...
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You keep me off the ground.
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Through disappointments You say
00:07:09.80\00:07:13.81
"It's OK. My
child, I really love you.
00:07:14.11\00:07:19.84
There will be a brighter day. "
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So I made up my mind
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to keep on walkin'
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I am pressing on
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the higher way! Oh, oh, oh,
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Lord, lead me home.
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Yes, there's no
place to run and hide...
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You know what I keep inside.
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So Lord, lead me home.
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For I need to
find a place of rest
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where life in You is best.
00:08:06.16\00:08:08.97
Lead me home.
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I'm going to trust You
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ever more each day.
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And I'm climbing higher
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as I pray.
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Lord, lead me home.
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For there's no
place to run and hide...
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You know what I keep inside.
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Lord, just lead me home.
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For I need to
find a place of rest
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where life in You is best.
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Lead me home.
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For I need to
find a place of rest
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where life in You is best.
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Just lead me home.
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Lord, lead me
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home.
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Amen.
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All right. Good
evening, everyone!
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Good evening.
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Beautiful song. Amen? Amen!
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Great to be here at
3ABN's Fall Homecoming.
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Yeah? Doesn't feel
very much like Fall, though.
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It's quite warm out still.
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But at least the flowers
give it sort of an autumn feel.
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Kinda? Maybe I should
have worn more autumn colors
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this evening. Great to be here.
00:10:01.57\00:10:03.35
I had somebody ask me...
It's so funny. You get to 3ABN
00:10:03.45\00:10:05.69
and if you look any different
than what people are accustomed
00:10:05.89\00:10:09.37
to the first thing they want to
ask you about is how you look.
00:10:09.48\00:10:11.47
So like: "Oh, what
happened to your hair? "
00:10:11.67\00:10:14.11
Same thing that's been happening
all my life: it's growing!
00:10:16.56\00:10:18.81
They're like:
"That's interesting. "
00:10:19.11\00:10:22.72
Ha ha.
00:10:23.03\00:10:24.19
Somebody said to me: "Why
are you growing your hair out? "
00:10:24.49\00:10:27.36
And the answer is very simple:
00:10:27.56\00:10:29.12
you don't have to be a
prophet to see my future.
00:10:29.32\00:10:32.09
I know where this is going
00:10:32.29\00:10:34.68
and while there's still time
00:10:34.88\00:10:36.96
I'm going to grow it out a bit.
00:10:37.36\00:10:39.26
I have seen my future...
00:10:40.35\00:10:42.45
and it looks
suspiciously like Jim.
00:10:42.75\00:10:46.30
Did I say that?
00:10:47.49\00:10:49.25
Oh, shame on me.
00:10:50.22\00:10:51.73
Anyway, 41 years old now.
Does that make me old or young?
00:10:52.68\00:10:55.75
All right... good. I
hope it makes me young.
00:10:57.56\00:10:59.51
I still feel young.
They say that you're only
00:10:59.61\00:11:01.31
as old as you feel, and I
still feel like a teenager.
00:11:01.41\00:11:04.59
Still act like one most of the
timem, too, my wife tells me.
00:11:05.09\00:11:07.61
But it's so awesome
to be back here in urban
00:11:08.33\00:11:12.04
West Frankfort. How funny
was that story with the gunshot
00:11:12.24\00:11:18.14
outside John's... You know
though, Danny Shelton is proof
00:11:18.24\00:11:23.08
that the Lord Jesus
has a sense of humor.
00:11:23.28\00:11:25.29
Because if you were going
to start - you know - a mega
00:11:28.31\00:11:31.32
global television ministry
00:11:31.52\00:11:33.91
you would say: "OK,
who would I least trust
00:11:34.12\00:11:37.37
with a live microphone? "
00:11:37.47\00:11:39.58
And Danny would be like
in the top 5 of those people.
00:11:40.84\00:11:43.41
I have heard him say things
that I'm just like, "Oh...
00:11:44.47\00:11:47.48
he's really saying that live.
00:11:47.58\00:11:49.58
He really just told
people that he shot a gun
00:11:49.88\00:11:51.76
outside of John
Lomacang's house. "
00:11:51.86\00:11:53.51
Anyway, God bless
him and I praise the Lord
00:11:55.86\00:11:58.20
for him and for Jim and
for their ministry. Amen?
00:11:58.23\00:12:00.84
Amen! The fact
that people like myself
00:12:01.14\00:12:02.90
and Danny and Jim and the
others that are used here,
00:12:03.10\00:12:05.23
the fact that God uses
people like us is proof
00:12:05.33\00:12:07.60
that Jesus must be coming
soon 'cause we're like down
00:12:07.80\00:12:10.74
at the... we're like scraping
the bottom of the barrel.
00:12:10.94\00:12:13.51
Say: "Oh, a punk rock
skateboarder? I'll take him. "
00:12:13.82\00:12:16.14
"OK, a builder? I'll
take him. " Whatever...
00:12:16.34\00:12:18.40
So great to be here.
I'm super looking forward
00:12:18.53\00:12:20.64
to our time together, and I
hope you brought your Bibles.
00:12:20.74\00:12:23.20
Yeah? Yeah. Great!
Because all summer -
00:12:23.40\00:12:26.84
actually... what month is
this? Is this September? -
00:12:26.94\00:12:28.96
So since May of this year...
So May, June, July, August,
00:12:28.99\00:12:32.93
September... For the
last 5 months almost 6 months
00:12:33.04\00:12:35.45
I have been traveling around.
That's typically what I do
00:12:35.76\00:12:39.10
in the Spring and in the
Summer because we run a school
00:12:39.30\00:12:41.82
called ARISE in the Fall.
00:12:41.92\00:12:43.60
And so up through the last
sort of May, June, July, August,
00:12:43.81\00:12:47.00
September I've been preaching
a series on the covenants.
00:12:47.11\00:12:50.77
On the what,
everyone? On the covenants.
00:12:51.07\00:12:53.82
And that is exactly what I'm
going to be talking about here.
00:12:54.03\00:12:56.29
I just can't be
quiet about this.
00:12:56.49\00:12:58.39
I can't stop talking
about it; I'm so on fire for it.
00:12:58.59\00:13:01.43
And I can be a little long-
winded when the covenants come,
00:13:01.73\00:13:04.19
so when I found out they were
giving me 4 or 5 opportunities
00:13:04.39\00:13:07.20
to speak I
thought: "Ah, perfect.
00:13:07.40\00:13:08.43
I can say everything I need
to say in 5 hours, no problem. "
00:13:08.53\00:13:11.24
So we're going to be
talking about the covenants
00:13:11.57\00:13:13.44
over our time together.
And I've had the privilege
00:13:13.54\00:13:16.02
of sharing this as I've
said all over the world.
00:13:16.22\00:13:18.39
I just returned
oh not too long ago
00:13:18.49\00:13:20.51
from the quinquennial
youth event that took place
00:13:20.71\00:13:22.88
in So. Africa. There were
thousands of young people there.
00:13:23.08\00:13:27.33
I then went up to a youth
event - a division-wide youth
00:13:27.43\00:13:30.29
event in Serbia. And I
had a unique experience
00:13:30.39\00:13:32.94
in my life and ministry. I've
been preaching now for about
00:13:33.04\00:13:35.24
16 years. And that was a
very unique experience because
00:13:35.34\00:13:39.15
in two weeks - or just over
two weeks, about 2-1/2 weeks -
00:13:39.35\00:13:42.13
between those two events -
the quinquennial youth event
00:13:42.33\00:13:44.04
in So. Africa and the
division youth event in Serbia -
00:13:44.14\00:13:47.37
I preached to
people from 112 countries.
00:13:47.47\00:13:50.80
Live... live. Not
just over the television
00:13:51.75\00:13:54.29
which is awesome but
people in the congregation
00:13:54.39\00:13:57.76
listening from 112 countries
between just those two events.
00:13:57.96\00:14:01.72
That's more than half of the
countries that are in the world.
00:14:02.03\00:14:05.37
And I tell you: that is
a translational nightmare.
00:14:05.67\00:14:09.49
Right? Can you imagine?
Every night I would go back
00:14:09.79\00:14:12.15
and visit with my translators.
And there was just a battery
00:14:12.35\00:14:14.52
of translators. And I
thought: "God have mercy
00:14:16.23\00:14:18.66
on these people. " 'Cause I
was preaching night after night
00:14:18.76\00:14:21.18
and I was thinking:
"How do you translate David
00:14:21.28\00:14:23.14
Asscherick into Swahili? "
00:14:23.24\00:14:24.66
You know? So I would go
back there and say: "Lord Jesus,
00:14:27.14\00:14:29.95
please give these men and
women the gift of the Spirit.
00:14:30.05\00:14:32.11
Please pour out the
gift of tongues upon them,
00:14:32.31\00:14:33.97
the gift of interpretation
or any other gift they need
00:14:34.17\00:14:36.96
so that they can
communicate the message. "
00:14:37.16\00:14:38.41
But it was really awesome
because as I was looking out
00:14:38.51\00:14:40.24
there were probably... oh,
there were several thousand
00:14:40.34\00:14:41.57
people there... about
4,000. And when I asked how many
00:14:41.67\00:14:44.90
would understand English
probably 1,200 to 1,400 hands
00:14:45.00\00:14:48.29
would go up. So that meant
that you know the other 2,500ish
00:14:48.39\00:14:51.29
people are just getting it
through the little headphones.
00:14:51.39\00:14:53.69
And let me tell you:
that's a nerve-wracking thing
00:14:54.09\00:14:57.22
to just be speaking and
it's going in to the translators
00:14:57.43\00:15:00.14
and then out into those head-
phones. And you're just hoping
00:15:00.24\00:15:02.57
that somehow the
Spirit is making connection.
00:15:02.77\00:15:05.47
But I can testify
that God is still alive
00:15:05.67\00:15:09.14
and His Spirit
still gives gifts.
00:15:09.35\00:15:11.10
Because I was seeing people
- not only those who understand
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.58
English as a 1st or 2nd language
but those who didn't understand
00:15:13.68\00:15:16.17
a word of English -
were getting the message.
00:15:16.20\00:15:19.14
And it just thrilled my
soul as a representation
00:15:19.34\00:15:22.76
and as a symbol that this
message - the Biblical message -
00:15:22.96\00:15:26.42
is not a message for any
one country, any one group,
00:15:26.52\00:15:29.09
any one culture. This
is a world-wide message
00:15:29.29\00:15:32.48
because God loves all people.
00:15:32.68\00:15:33.85
Amen? And it was just a
beautiful opportunity for me.
00:15:34.05\00:15:37.37
And over the course of
these sort of 4, 5, 6 months now
00:15:37.47\00:15:40.10
that I've been preaching
this particular set of sermons
00:15:40.30\00:15:42.88
I've been pulling in
new ideas and new truths.
00:15:42.98\00:15:45.13
And I cannot tell you
just how "on fire" I am
00:15:45.43\00:15:49.70
for what I'm going to be
talking about over the course
00:15:49.90\00:15:51.71
of our Camp
Meeting. I hope it will be
00:15:51.82\00:15:54.25
as revelatory and as
revolutionary for you
00:15:54.45\00:15:58.64
in your understanding of the
gospel as it has been for me.
00:15:58.74\00:16:00.96
And I'm going to actually start
with a bit of a provocative
00:16:01.26\00:16:04.99
and risky illustration.
00:16:05.19\00:16:07.37
But before we get right into
that illustration I want to just
00:16:07.57\00:16:09.75
have a quick word of prayer.
I know we've already prayed
00:16:09.85\00:16:11.42
but I want to pray
again and just ask Jesus
00:16:11.52\00:16:14.34
to come and be with us
in the person of His Spirit.
00:16:14.54\00:16:16.17
So let's pray
together. Father in heaven,
00:16:16.27\00:16:20.33
we just want to thank you
for the honor that is ours:
00:16:20.43\00:16:23.47
the honor to be
Your sons and daughters.
00:16:23.67\00:16:26.20
We come to You tonight, and
we're praying in Jesus' name.
00:16:27.35\00:16:30.23
And we believe that as we come
in His name that You hear us.
00:16:30.63\00:16:34.01
We think of that text there
in the New Testament that says
00:16:34.21\00:16:36.76
"the effectual fervent prayer
00:16:36.86\00:16:38.43
of a righteous
man availeth much. "
00:16:38.53\00:16:40.29
And yet we lay no claim to
righteousness... no such claim.
00:16:40.59\00:16:44.15
But we come in the name of
Him who is altogether righteous.
00:16:45.13\00:16:48.10
And Father, we
believe that You will hear us
00:16:48.30\00:16:50.10
as if Jesus
Himself were praying.
00:16:50.30\00:16:52.36
And Father, tonight we're pray-
ing for a very specific thing.
00:16:52.86\00:16:55.12
I'm praying for a
very specific thing
00:16:55.22\00:16:56.61
and that is that You
will send the Spirit of Truth
00:16:57.96\00:16:59.69
as You promised to
do... as Jesus promised:
00:16:59.79\00:17:02.07
"The Spirit of Truth will come
and guide you into all truth. "
00:17:02.27\00:17:04.47
And over the course of our
time here - my time here, Lord -
00:17:05.46\00:17:07.97
we're going to be
talking about the covenants.
00:17:08.18\00:17:10.01
And my prayer is that the
Spirit would come and lead us
00:17:10.41\00:17:13.77
into truth. For some old
truth perhaps in a new way
00:17:13.97\00:17:17.02
and for other perhaps
new truth... a whole new way
00:17:17.42\00:17:20.58
of viewing the
grand Biblical theater...
00:17:20.78\00:17:24.70
the grand Biblical perspective.
00:17:24.81\00:17:26.77
And so be with me tonight.
May I communicate clearly.
00:17:27.07\00:17:30.16
May ears be in tuned.
00:17:30.29\00:17:31.98
May hearts be in tuned.
00:17:32.18\00:17:33.67
And may Your Spirit be
not only in these halls
00:17:33.87\00:17:36.84
and in this room
but may Your Spirit be
00:17:37.04\00:17:40.30
within the walls of our hearts.
00:17:40.50\00:17:42.14
Not just those that are here
but those that are listening,
00:17:42.34\00:17:44.50
those that are tuning in.
May Your Spirit come and do
00:17:44.71\00:17:47.90
something that a preacher,
a human, could never do.
00:17:48.01\00:17:51.09
Do something
supernatural is our prayer.
00:17:51.19\00:17:53.39
In Jesus' name let
everyone say: Amen.
00:17:53.59\00:17:57.09
All right. Let me start
with an illustration that I've
00:17:57.96\00:17:59.79
been using all summer. And
it's a little bit provocative
00:17:59.89\00:18:03.06
and I hope you'll appreciate it.
00:18:03.26\00:18:05.35
It's going to require you
to do a little bit of thinking.
00:18:05.55\00:18:07.99
In fact, actually
a lot of thinking.
00:18:08.19\00:18:09.49
Let me sort of set
the table this way:
00:18:10.61\00:18:12.35
what we're going to try
and do tonight if possible...
00:18:12.55\00:18:14.89
If we can only get the
table set, that'll be fine.
00:18:14.92\00:18:17.19
We'll still have plenty of
time in the rest of our meetings
00:18:17.29\00:18:18.79
to continue to
unpack the covenants.
00:18:18.89\00:18:20.58
But our goal tonight if
possible is to sort of walk
00:18:20.88\00:18:24.18
through this illustration
that I'm going to explain here
00:18:24.39\00:18:26.35
in just a bit and then
to begin on the covenants.
00:18:26.45\00:18:28.45
So if we can do those two
things: sort of move through
00:18:28.65\00:18:30.85
this illustration and
then begin on the covenants
00:18:30.96\00:18:33.39
we'll be set. If we only
get through the illustration
00:18:33.50\00:18:35.10
and I get off a little
bit - we spend time on that -
00:18:35.20\00:18:37.30
that'll be time
well spent as well.
00:18:37.40\00:18:39.20
I have been a
believer now for about 17 years
00:18:39.91\00:18:43.67
and it has been a
journey and a joy to become
00:18:43.87\00:18:48.05
and to learn to grow into being
00:18:48.25\00:18:50.18
a follower of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:18:50.39\00:18:52.47
Can you say
"Amen" to that? Amen!
00:18:52.77\00:18:54.22
I tell you, it's a
really awesome privilege.
00:18:54.42\00:18:57.38
Not long after my conversion
I had a gentleman come up to me.
00:18:57.58\00:19:01.03
He was a godly man -
he was a minister - and he
00:19:01.13\00:19:02.78
said to me: "David, I can tell
you have a lot of enthusiasm,
00:19:02.88\00:19:05.74
you have a lot of energy. "
He said: "But never forget this"
00:19:05.84\00:19:08.75
He said: "The Christian walk is
not a sprint it's a marathon. "
00:19:08.89\00:19:12.86
Now at the time I
had never run a marathon.
00:19:13.16\00:19:15.20
I have
subsequently run a marathon.
00:19:15.40\00:19:16.72
Has anyone here run a marathon?
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.14
I can assure you
they're very long...
00:19:18.35\00:19:20.99
26.2 miles long.
00:19:21.29\00:19:22.98
And he said: "Don't ever
forget that the Christian walk
00:19:23.18\00:19:26.40
is not a sprint.
It's not over in a moment.
00:19:26.60\00:19:28.49
It's a marathon.
" In other words,
00:19:28.69\00:19:30.72
you set yourself,
you pace yourself.
00:19:30.92\00:19:33.06
You don't have to have a
diminishment of enthusiasm
00:19:33.26\00:19:35.44
or of passion, but you need
to be thinking in terms of the
00:19:35.54\00:19:37.93
big picture and in
terms of long term.
00:19:38.03\00:19:40.93
Not just over the next
month of year or even five years
00:19:41.03\00:19:43.86
but this is how I want
to live the rest of my life.
00:19:44.06\00:19:47.24
Can you say
"Amen" to that? Amen.
00:19:47.54\00:19:49.38
And I can tell you that
as a believer now of about
00:19:49.52\00:19:52.48
16, 17 years I have
grown in my understanding.
00:19:52.58\00:19:56.55
I have grown in my
appreciation for God
00:19:56.76\00:19:59.86
and my
understanding of His Word.
00:20:00.07\00:20:01.44
And yet I have noticed
that in Christendom at large -
00:20:01.74\00:20:05.34
also within Seventh-day
Adventism which happens to be
00:20:05.54\00:20:07.85
my own personal
church - there is a danger...
00:20:07.95\00:20:11.95
There is a what?
00:20:12.35\00:20:14.24
There is a danger. And let me
try and communicate this danger
00:20:14.54\00:20:17.22
here with an illustration.
And this is the illustration.
00:20:17.32\00:20:19.28
The illustration is what I
call "The Table of Truth. "
00:20:20.27\00:20:23.54
OK, the table of truth.
00:20:24.33\00:20:26.44
Now typically I would have
a table here, which I don't.
00:20:26.54\00:20:28.73
Which is fine...
you can just imagine.
00:20:28.83\00:20:29.99
It's not a difficult thing
to imagine. We're going to have
00:20:30.09\00:20:31.40
a table here. And on
that table... It's not
00:20:31.50\00:20:34.46
just an ordinary table.
It's not a coffee table;
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.28
it's not a dinner table.
00:20:36.38\00:20:38.21
It's a table of... truth. OK.
00:20:38.41\00:20:40.97
And in that sense what it has
on it are all of the things that
00:20:41.27\00:20:45.08
you personally think are true.
00:20:45.11\00:20:47.42
Now of course there are a
great many things that you think
00:20:47.62\00:20:49.48
are true about everything.
00:20:49.59\00:20:50.73
There are things you
think are true about gardening
00:20:51.03\00:20:52.97
and about driving and
about the United States
00:20:53.07\00:20:55.27
and about politics.
Those are not the things
00:20:55.47\00:20:56.84
we are talking about. With
regards to our table of truth
00:20:56.95\00:20:59.86
here we're going to be
talking about truths that are
00:20:59.96\00:21:02.49
related to scripture.
00:21:02.59\00:21:03.93
Related to God, related to
Christ, related to the church.
00:21:04.13\00:21:06.97
So far so good?
00:21:07.28\00:21:08.32
So on this table of truth
00:21:08.52\00:21:10.59
over the 17 years
that I've been a believer
00:21:10.69\00:21:12.66
and those of you that have
been believers for 1, 2, 3, 4,
00:21:12.76\00:21:14.83
5, 10, 20, 30, 40...
whatever-it-is years...
00:21:14.93\00:21:17.25
on top of that table of truth
when we come across something
00:21:17.45\00:21:20.93
whether in scripture
or someone has preached
00:21:21.03\00:21:23.10
or we've read a book
we will grab onto that.
00:21:23.20\00:21:25.88
We think: "Man, that's right!
00:21:25.98\00:21:27.28
That's true. I believe that. "
00:21:27.58\00:21:29.61
And then we'll take
that and we'll set it
00:21:29.81\00:21:31.43
figuratively,
metaphorically, symbolically
00:21:31.53\00:21:33.59
on the table of truth. And
that's an appropriate thing.
00:21:33.79\00:21:37.11
By the way, everyone -
by way of my analogy here
00:21:37.31\00:21:40.68
at least as far
as my analogy goes -
00:21:40.88\00:21:42.23
everyone has a table of
truth. Not just Christians
00:21:42.43\00:21:45.09
but everyone:
Muslims and non-believers
00:21:45.39\00:21:47.42
and Hindus. In other
words, a basic set of beliefs
00:21:47.52\00:21:50.34
that they have about the
world, about God if they believe
00:21:50.44\00:21:53.38
in a God, about whatever their
religious book happens to be.
00:21:53.48\00:21:56.72
And as Christians and
as Seventh-day Adventists
00:21:57.02\00:21:58.88
we have... Not all of us,
of course, are Seventh-day
00:21:58.98\00:22:01.05
Adventists... But those of
us that are, I'm one of them.
00:22:01.15\00:22:02.88
But just even Christians
in general, we have a table.
00:22:03.18\00:22:05.72
And on that table
over time cumulatively
00:22:05.92\00:22:09.52
we begin to put
things onto that table
00:22:09.72\00:22:12.13
and those are the
things that we regard as true.
00:22:12.43\00:22:15.53
So far so good?
00:22:15.94\00:22:17.21
And for some of us particularly,
let's say we came in
00:22:17.41\00:22:19.89
from outside... like I
came in from the outside.
00:22:19.99\00:22:22.92
I wasn't raised a believer.
Others have maybe come in
00:22:23.02\00:22:24.93
through another denomination
or even another religion.
00:22:25.03\00:22:27.66
At times, things have to
come off the table of truth
00:22:27.80\00:22:30.36
to make room for other
things that are going on.
00:22:30.56\00:22:32.14
So far so good? So
you can just imagine
00:22:32.44\00:22:34.49
that in your own personal
experience you have a table
00:22:34.69\00:22:38.31
of truth. And these are things
that you believe about God,
00:22:38.41\00:22:41.66
about the world, about
Christ, about the church, etc.
00:22:41.77\00:22:44.22
And what I would
like to suggest here
00:22:44.52\00:22:46.75
is that there is a danger.
And I know there is a danger
00:22:47.05\00:22:50.28
because I have experienced
it in my own life and I have
00:22:50.48\00:22:53.08
seen it with the privilege that
I have of traveling all over
00:22:53.18\00:22:56.09
the world. And this
is part of the danger:
00:22:56.19\00:22:58.02
the danger is that
things just get cobbled
00:22:58.32\00:23:01.51
just kind of serendipitously
00:23:01.72\00:23:05.12
and sometimes recklessly
00:23:05.32\00:23:07.83
and just sort of piled
onto the table of truth
00:23:07.86\00:23:12.03
without a clear distinction
of where they sort of fit
00:23:12.23\00:23:15.02
with regards to the
most important truths
00:23:15.32\00:23:18.00
or the most important truth.
00:23:18.20\00:23:20.41
And so we put things on there
and that table of truth can have
00:23:20.51\00:23:23.04
things as important
as Jesus died for me.
00:23:23.14\00:23:26.66
Is that a truth?
00:23:26.96\00:23:28.21
Is that an important truth? Yes.
00:23:28.51\00:23:30.68
And yet that can also
be right up there with
00:23:30.79\00:23:33.54
I need to be to church at
11 o'clock on Saturday morning
00:23:33.74\00:23:37.18
or Sunday morning
as the case may be
00:23:37.48\00:23:39.16
and I need to
wear a suit and tie.
00:23:39.46\00:23:40.90
Now some of you
will regard that as true.
00:23:41.20\00:23:42.65
I don't really regard
that as true particularly.
00:23:42.75\00:23:44.95
This is the first time I've
preached in a suit in 2 years
00:23:45.36\00:23:48.27
and I'm doing it just
because I wanted to try it...
00:23:48.37\00:23:50.34
see what it felt like again.
00:23:50.54\00:23:52.02
And it feels just about exactly
like preaching without a suit.
00:23:52.42\00:23:55.43
But people have my... I
use that as an illustration
00:23:56.84\00:23:59.58
here to say that when we
start piling sort of religious
00:23:59.78\00:24:02.37
things onto our table of truth
whether we're reading a book
00:24:02.47\00:24:04.98
or hearing a
sermon or whatever it is
00:24:05.08\00:24:06.49
we're not always perfectly
systematic in our evaluation
00:24:06.69\00:24:11.95
of where those truths
should be in orientation
00:24:12.16\00:24:15.34
and in relationship to others.
00:24:15.44\00:24:16.71
And so as Christians and
as Seventh-day Adventists
00:24:16.91\00:24:19.62
we have a variety of things
- a vast panoply of things -
00:24:19.72\00:24:23.13
that we believe are true
00:24:23.23\00:24:24.76
but they're just
piled kind of onto the table
00:24:24.96\00:24:26.79
with lots of other
things that are true.
00:24:26.99\00:24:28.66
And there should be a hierarchy
of the most important thing,
00:24:28.76\00:24:32.94
things that are
important but not the most,
00:24:33.04\00:24:34.89
and then things that are
frankly just your own personal
00:24:35.00\00:24:37.25
preference. Now let me
try and unpack this here.
00:24:37.35\00:24:40.60
The danger is that
we would take and regard
00:24:41.64\00:24:44.83
that whole table of
truth as the message...
00:24:45.03\00:24:47.73
the message that God
has called us to preach.
00:24:48.13\00:24:50.16
But I would like to suggest
that the real message that God
00:24:50.26\00:24:53.39
has called us to preach
centers and orbits around
00:24:53.49\00:24:56.66
some central truths
and one central Truth.
00:24:56.86\00:25:01.82
There are other things that
are also around the periphery
00:25:02.13\00:25:04.70
that are very important,
but many of these are personal
00:25:04.80\00:25:07.47
convictions or
cultural persuasions.
00:25:07.57\00:25:10.80
Things that we think are right.
00:25:10.91\00:25:12.44
But what ends up happening
is we travel to another town,
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.59
to another country,
to another situation,
00:25:15.79\00:25:17.58
to another family and
we can - doesn't have to
00:25:17.78\00:25:21.39
happen - but we can
lose track and think
00:25:21.49\00:25:24.10
that our calling now
is to get them to accept
00:25:24.30\00:25:27.57
this whole cobbled
pile amassed table of truth
00:25:27.77\00:25:32.74
when in reality it
might have taken us
00:25:33.24\00:25:34.82
10, 15, 20, 30, 40
years to have accumulated
00:25:34.93\00:25:38.20
those various things
that we regard as true.
00:25:38.23\00:25:41.56
Are you with me? And
so I'm going to suggest...
00:25:41.87\00:25:44.03
I'm going to suggest
that there is a danger -
00:25:44.23\00:25:45.96
even for those of us that are
Bible-believing, Spirit-filled
00:25:46.16\00:25:48.47
Christians - that we
could actually be supplanting
00:25:48.57\00:25:53.68
the most important truths
and the most important Truth
00:25:53.88\00:25:57.03
which we are going to
get to with other things
00:25:57.23\00:25:59.12
that are important but are
not the most important thing.
00:25:59.32\00:26:03.10
And so here's my kind of
wild and provocative suggestion:
00:26:03.34\00:26:07.17
I'm going to suggest -
and I know that this is
00:26:07.57\00:26:10.16
not entirely possible,
I freely recognize that,
00:26:10.26\00:26:13.23
it's a thought experiment -
but inasmuch as it's possible
00:26:13.34\00:26:16.26
I'm going to
suggest, radical though it be,
00:26:16.46\00:26:20.07
that we... Can you
guess what it might be?
00:26:20.27\00:26:23.66
Oh it's crazy... it's
just completely crazy -
00:26:23.96\00:26:26.47
especially for those of
us that have accumulating...
00:26:26.67\00:26:28.62
You know, we've read
books and we've read theological
00:26:28.72\00:26:30.74
journals and we've
listened to hours of 3ABN
00:26:30.84\00:26:32.85
and we know lots of
things that are true.
00:26:33.05\00:26:37.52
So what I'm going to suggest
here is going to sound wild,
00:26:37.62\00:26:39.34
it's going to sound wacky,
it's going to sound crazy,
00:26:39.44\00:26:41.23
but I would like to suggest
that there is a great good
00:26:41.43\00:26:44.96
to be gained and a
great evil to be avoided
00:26:45.16\00:26:47.42
in doing this truth.
It's a personal exercise.
00:26:47.52\00:26:49.93
And the illustration -
the thought experiment - looks
00:26:50.13\00:26:53.77
something like this...
00:26:53.87\00:26:57.10
What did we just do?
00:26:58.93\00:27:00.58
We cleared the table.
00:27:00.61\00:27:01.96
Now some of you are saying:
"Wow, this guy's lost his mind.
00:27:02.16\00:27:04.28
He just told us to take all
these truths off of the table. "
00:27:04.38\00:27:06.82
Yeah. Now we're not
taking them off permanently.
00:27:07.12\00:27:09.21
Whew! We're taking them off
temporarily and intentionally
00:27:09.41\00:27:13.77
so that for the purpose
of... Not for taking them off
00:27:13.97\00:27:16.79
forever but sort of
clearing the slate so to speak.
00:27:16.89\00:27:20.52
The ancients would
speak of what they called
00:27:20.66\00:27:22.64
a "tabula rasa. "
You know what that means?
00:27:22.84\00:27:26.01
A clean slate. It
means a razed tablet.
00:27:26.21\00:27:28.66
Where they would have a slate
tablet or some you know igneous
00:27:28.86\00:27:31.70
stone that they had written on.
And then they would have another
00:27:31.80\00:27:33.61
stone - a harder
stone - and they would...
00:27:33.71\00:27:35.52
they would raze the tablet.
A bit like an Etch-a-Sketch.
00:27:35.72\00:27:38.44
You kind of shake that thing
and you have a... And my kid's
00:27:38.64\00:27:40.59
really into Etch-a-Sketches
right now - my youngest.
00:27:40.69\00:27:42.37
He just loves them.
And it really bums him out
00:27:42.47\00:27:44.60
that he can't - you
know - keep the design.
00:27:44.70\00:27:46.42
And so what he does is he
makes these really intricate
00:27:46.62\00:27:48.91
and beautiful Etch-a-Sketch
things and then he takes
00:27:49.01\00:27:50.81
pictures of it. Then he shakes
it up... makes another one.
00:27:50.91\00:27:53.25
Brilliant idea, really.
00:27:53.35\00:27:54.56
And so the ancients
would speak of a tabula rasa...
00:27:54.87\00:27:57.70
a clean slate.
00:27:57.73\00:27:58.76
And I'm suggesting
here that a clean slate
00:27:58.98\00:28:02.22
will actually be in
many of our best interests.
00:28:02.42\00:28:06.07
Because what it will
enable us to do is actually
00:28:06.27\00:28:08.97
for those of us who have grown,
and don't be insulted by this,
00:28:09.07\00:28:13.15
some of us have such a
familiarity... such a...
00:28:13.25\00:28:17.70
What's the word
I'm looking for here?
00:28:18.00\00:28:19.47
We are so associated,
we are so familiar with
00:28:19.67\00:28:22.65
the truths that we have
heard since we were a little kid
00:28:22.85\00:28:25.08
that we regard
them almost as blasé.
00:28:25.18\00:28:28.09
Beloved, the things that
we are advocating and saying
00:28:29.18\00:28:32.89
and teaching and
preaching are earth-shattering
00:28:33.09\00:28:35.77
tectonically huge - you know -
monumentally large, significant
00:28:35.97\00:28:40.92
truths, yeah? We should never
regard them with any sort of
00:28:41.02\00:28:44.38
ambivalence or
indifference or apathy.
00:28:44.48\00:28:46.02
"Oh yeah, that's
nice. " No, no, no, no.
00:28:46.12\00:28:48.13
We need to reorient
ourselves to just how beautiful
00:28:48.33\00:28:51.83
and awesome the
message of scripture is.
00:28:51.93\00:28:54.80
And I think this exercise might
help some of us to do that.
00:28:54.90\00:28:57.55
Well anyway...
back to the point.
00:28:57.75\00:28:58.84
As we clear the
table of truth...
00:28:59.14\00:29:01.29
Again, we're not clearing
everything off of it for the
00:29:01.49\00:29:04.43
purpose of leaving it
off. But let me say this word:
00:29:04.54\00:29:06.78
truth stands nothing to fear
from investigation or scrutiny.
00:29:06.98\00:29:12.39
Amen! We good on that?
00:29:12.59\00:29:14.52
If there is anything that
I believe that's not true,
00:29:14.72\00:29:17.93
I would want to know.
00:29:18.13\00:29:19.45
As someone once famously said:
"If Christianity is not true,
00:29:19.75\00:29:22.90
I would want to know.
00:29:23.10\00:29:24.13
But if it is true, I would
want everybody else to know. "
00:29:24.43\00:29:27.32
You hear the difference?
00:29:28.32\00:29:29.39
So evaluating anything
that I believe - whether it's
00:29:29.49\00:29:32.47
the divinity of
Christ or the death of Christ
00:29:32.57\00:29:34.45
or the sanctity of the Sabbath
or the high-priestly ministry
00:29:34.65\00:29:36.89
of Jesus... every single thing
that I believe and I hold as
00:29:36.99\00:29:39.68
dear and central
and even fundamental
00:29:39.78\00:29:42.34
I am fully willing to
put that up for evaluation,
00:29:42.54\00:29:45.28
for discussion, and
for complete scrutiny.
00:29:45.48\00:29:48.52
And if it's true,
it will find its way
00:29:48.83\00:29:51.69
back on to the table of truth.
00:29:51.79\00:29:54.63
But maybe I allow some of
my own personal preferences
00:29:54.84\00:29:58.12
and ideas, maybe my own cultural
leanings or idiosyncrasies,
00:29:58.22\00:30:01.90
to make their way
onto the table of truth
00:30:02.10\00:30:04.33
and I regarded them as sacred
when in reality they were just
00:30:04.43\00:30:07.67
my own personal preferences.
00:30:07.77\00:30:09.15
Does that happen?
00:30:09.55\00:30:10.90
It happens in
churches all over the world.
00:30:11.20\00:30:12.73
It happens in
families all over the world.
00:30:12.83\00:30:13.95
So here's what I'm suggesting:
00:30:14.05\00:30:15.22
we are not going to be
able... Obviously, the time...
00:30:15.96\00:30:18.76
The time allotment makes
it very clear. We only have
00:30:18.96\00:30:21.49
4 or 5 sessions together.
There's going to be no way that
00:30:21.59\00:30:24.28
we'll be able to completely
sweep that table clean
00:30:24.38\00:30:29.04
and then cumulatively
over the next 4 or 5 hours
00:30:29.07\00:30:31.51
put everything...
That's not going to happen.
00:30:31.71\00:30:32.99
But what I would like to
do is suggest a methodology.
00:30:33.09\00:30:38.43
That's a big long word
but what's the root word
00:30:38.63\00:30:41.18
of methodology?
00:30:41.28\00:30:42.34
A method. I would
like to suggest a method.
00:30:42.54\00:30:44.77
And not just any old method.
In fact, not even the Asscherick
00:30:44.88\00:30:48.14
method. I would like to
suggest a Biblical or a textual
00:30:48.24\00:30:52.96
methodology as to how
to begin to build our own
00:30:53.06\00:30:57.36
truth table - our
own faith - back up.
00:30:57.46\00:30:59.32
Because some of us... we
just came into the truth.
00:30:59.62\00:31:00.99
I was that way. I came
into the truth and I was not -
00:31:01.09\00:31:04.07
you know - methodically or
systematically going through
00:31:04.37\00:31:07.41
and orienting things and
putting them into their right
00:31:07.61\00:31:09.77
orientation. No, stuff was
just... "Oh really? We don't eat
00:31:09.88\00:31:12.37
cheese? " OK, put
that on the table.
00:31:12.47\00:31:14.15
And "Oh, Jesus... He's the
high priest in the heavenly... "
00:31:14.35\00:31:16.25
Put that on there.
00:31:16.35\00:31:17.60
And "Oh, I've got to be
to church at 11:00 AM. "
00:31:17.80\00:31:18.88
Put that on there. And I just...
00:31:19.08\00:31:22.09
And before you know it I'm
walking around with this big
00:31:22.23\00:31:24.48
as it were table of truth.
And when I go to talk to my
00:31:24.58\00:31:27.00
punk rock friends I'm like
"Here, this is the truth. "
00:31:27.11\00:31:31.36
And they're
like: "You are crazy! "
00:31:31.73\00:31:34.58
"You have lost your mind...
you're completely insane. "
00:31:34.88\00:31:37.73
'Cause I was trying to
dump a bunch of stuff that I had
00:31:38.03\00:31:40.81
cobbled together - all
of which was important.
00:31:40.91\00:31:44.29
What did I say?
00:31:44.59\00:31:46.35
All of which was important
but it lacked the symmetry
00:31:46.55\00:31:50.39
and it lacked the textual
centrality of who God is.
00:31:50.59\00:31:56.48
I should have
handed them one truth.
00:31:56.68\00:31:58.32
"Now this, this is the thing.
This is what it's all about. "
00:31:58.62\00:32:01.87
Are we together everyone? OK.
00:32:02.08\00:32:03.86
So... do you understand
the basic illustration?
00:32:05.14\00:32:07.92
It's a little scary because
any time you take something
00:32:08.72\00:32:10.85
off the table you
think: "Ooh... did he just take
00:32:10.95\00:32:14.49
the Sabbath off the table? "
Of course we're going to take
00:32:14.59\00:32:15.98
the Sabbath off the table
because if it's really what
00:32:16.08\00:32:18.18
the scripture teaches
it'll make its way back on.
00:32:18.29\00:32:20.38
Yeah? So we're
going to start as it were
00:32:21.24\00:32:24.67
over the course of our time
here from basically ground zero.
00:32:24.87\00:32:28.08
We're going to try and
rebuild the table of truth
00:32:28.32\00:32:30.43
in a textual, Biblical,
systematic and methodical way.
00:32:30.63\00:32:34.45
And for our purposes
here I'm going to suggest that
00:32:34.65\00:32:38.24
at the center... at the
very center of the first block,
00:32:38.34\00:32:44.09
the first truth that
we set on that table...
00:32:44.29\00:32:46.09
is this idea of the covenants
and the covenant in singular.
00:32:46.29\00:32:51.37
OK, now that we've got the
illustration kind of nailed down
00:32:52.48\00:32:54.59
let me just sort of share
with you why this might be
00:32:54.69\00:32:56.85
important. A
little bit more on this.
00:32:57.05\00:32:59.29
In Jesus' own day
00:32:59.69\00:33:02.09
the religious leaders
and instructors of His day
00:33:02.49\00:33:04.96
had been so accustomed to
the text... now watch this...
00:33:05.16\00:33:09.20
they had become so familiar
with the text you couldn't
00:33:09.40\00:33:12.55
teach them
anything new. They knew it.
00:33:12.65\00:33:14.69
In fact, they knew it
so well - watch this -
00:33:14.99\00:33:16.78
they knew it so well they knew
that Jesus wasn't the Messiah.
00:33:16.98\00:33:19.51
You see how that works?
00:33:22.05\00:33:23.42
When you get to
know something so well
00:33:23.72\00:33:26.06
that you actually end up
not knowing the way that it was
00:33:26.26\00:33:29.18
originally written and
originally intentioned,
00:33:29.28\00:33:30.86
something has gone
wrong. And frankly -
00:33:30.96\00:33:32.47
I'll just put the cards on
the table here, so to speak...
00:33:32.67\00:33:34.52
This is a different
table, by the way... this isn't
00:33:34.72\00:33:35.97
the table of truth.
00:33:36.07\00:33:37.10
Let me put the
cards on my kitchen table:
00:33:37.26\00:33:39.47
many of us have
missed the point.
00:33:39.87\00:33:42.80
We have missed the point.
00:33:44.20\00:33:46.76
Jesus did not call us to
make people like ourselves.
00:33:47.07\00:33:51.06
He didn't say: "Go make
Westerners of the world. "
00:33:51.56\00:33:54.15
He didn't even say:
"Go make people members
00:33:54.65\00:33:56.72
of your denomination. "
00:33:56.82\00:33:58.02
He said: "Go preach Me;
Go preach My commandments;
00:33:58.22\00:34:01.46
Go preach My person and My
life, My death, My resurrection.
00:34:01.66\00:34:06.31
You go preach that. "
Yeah? And some of us have got
00:34:06.41\00:34:08.79
the cart well in
front of the horse.
00:34:08.89\00:34:10.81
So, with that sort of in
mind in the days of Jesus
00:34:12.15\00:34:15.53
the religious leaders of Jesus'
day had become so accustomed
00:34:15.73\00:34:19.48
to scripture, so
familiar with scripture,
00:34:19.58\00:34:21.27
so aware of scripture
that they had actually gotten
00:34:21.47\00:34:24.21
to the point... now watch
this subtle deception here...
00:34:24.31\00:34:26.67
they had gotten to the point
where they thought that the text
00:34:26.87\00:34:29.16
was the point. They thought
the scripture was the point.
00:34:29.26\00:34:34.84
And so Jesus shows up
and He has to start saying
00:34:35.25\00:34:37.59
really audacious
things... things like this:
00:34:37.80\00:34:40.31
"Hey fellows... " John 5:39...
00:34:40.71\00:34:42.20
"you search the scriptures
00:34:42.60\00:34:44.62
because in them you
think you have eternal life. "
00:34:45.02\00:34:47.77
You think the value
is in the text itself.
00:34:48.17\00:34:52.01
He said: "But you missed the
point because... " Finish this
00:34:52.51\00:34:55.18
with me... "because these
are they that testify of Me. "
00:34:55.28\00:34:59.93
Let me translate that for
you. "You're reading the text,
00:35:00.03\00:35:02.81
you're reading the
words of the story,
00:35:03.01\00:35:04.86
and you missed the story.
00:35:04.96\00:35:06.41
You missed the
point: I'M THE POINT! "
00:35:07.26\00:35:08.73
The story is about something
or more precisely it's about
00:35:10.21\00:35:13.46
someone. And we as Christians
00:35:13.56\00:35:16.52
and particularly my brothers
and sisters as Seventh-day
00:35:16.72\00:35:18.55
Adventist Christians and others
00:35:18.65\00:35:20.15
but I feel really comfortable
speaking to my Seventh-day
00:35:20.36\00:35:23.43
Adventist brothers and
sisters 'cause I'm one of you
00:35:23.53\00:35:25.29
the danger is that we could
become so familiar with and so
00:35:25.49\00:35:30.05
happy with and so safely
ensconced in our doctrinal
00:35:30.25\00:35:34.01
package - yeah - we
might miss the point.
00:35:34.11\00:35:39.47
There's a point.
00:35:41.66\00:35:43.11
And the point... just like the
religious leaders in Jesus day
00:35:43.31\00:35:46.08
the point was not the text.
00:35:46.28\00:35:47.82
The point was what
the text was pointing to
00:35:48.02\00:35:50.57
and the text was
pointing to Jesus.
00:35:50.67\00:35:53.06
And all of these beautiful
doctrinal truths that we have
00:35:53.16\00:35:55.56
whether you want to put the
Sabbath or the state of the dead
00:35:55.76\00:35:57.80
or the sanctuary or
the soon second coming...
00:35:57.90\00:35:59.70
you put all of those
things on there. Those things?
00:36:00.67\00:36:03.90
Are they important? Yes or no?
00:36:04.10\00:36:06.36
But here's the
point: in and of themselves
00:36:06.67\00:36:09.11
they're not the point.
00:36:09.31\00:36:10.99
They're about something.
00:36:11.39\00:36:12.80
In fact, they're about someone
and that someone is Jesus.
00:36:13.10\00:36:17.20
Now I have a confession
to make here: I told you
00:36:17.34\00:36:18.63
I've been preaching
for like 15, 16 years now.
00:36:18.73\00:36:20.60
I can tell you with
complete honesty and complete
00:36:20.80\00:36:26.20
transparency and a
little bit of shame,
00:36:26.41\00:36:28.64
but I think the Lord
winks in times of our ignorance
00:36:28.94\00:36:31.77
and immaturity, that many of
my earliest evangelistic sermons
00:36:31.87\00:36:36.04
were basically geared
around getting people to see
00:36:36.24\00:36:40.09
that what I was saying was
right and to convince them that
00:36:40.19\00:36:43.49
they should believe
the right thing too.
00:36:43.52\00:36:45.70
Are you with me so far?
00:36:47.04\00:36:48.26
Now you might be sitting there
thinking: "Well what do you
00:36:48.38\00:36:49.65
want? People to believe the
wrong thing? " No of course not.
00:36:49.75\00:36:52.28
But when I go back and I
listen to some of my early
00:36:52.51\00:36:56.39
presentations, to be honest
with you I find myself cringing
00:36:56.49\00:36:59.49
not because of what I am saying
00:36:59.52\00:37:01.94
but because of
what I'm NOT saying.
00:37:02.04\00:37:03.68
There's a whole lot of truth
in there and there's a whole lot
00:37:04.18\00:37:06.34
of persuasion in there
and there's a whole lot of
00:37:06.44\00:37:07.91
doctrine in there and
there's a whole lot of
00:37:08.01\00:37:09.55
apologetics in there, but
there's not enough of the point!
00:37:09.65\00:37:13.16
Are you with me?
00:37:14.31\00:37:15.69
As if God is
saving smart people.
00:37:15.99\00:37:18.90
Right? As if that's the point.
00:37:21.64\00:37:23.27
It's as if God said:
"David, all of these people
00:37:23.57\00:37:25.93
believe wrong things.
But you go to their town,
00:37:26.03\00:37:28.63
you teach them to
believe right things,
00:37:28.93\00:37:30.63
and when they believe right
things... when they're smart
00:37:30.83\00:37:33.00
enough, educated
enough, and informed enough...
00:37:33.10\00:37:34.69
then I'll save them. "
00:37:34.90\00:37:35.93
Now I would have never never
never said this, and I didn't
00:37:36.40\00:37:39.39
even believe it, but
looking back through my...
00:37:39.49\00:37:42.09
What did Paul say? "When I was a
00:37:42.29\00:37:43.94
child I spoke as a child
and I thought as a child. "
00:37:44.14\00:37:47.47
Looking back through my
childish ways, my immature ways,
00:37:47.67\00:37:50.21
was I sincere?
Yes. Was I earnest? Yes.
00:37:50.31\00:37:52.40
Was I passionate
about Jesus? Yes.
00:37:52.70\00:37:54.30
But my modality of communicating
it was basically this:
00:37:54.50\00:37:57.95
this is what...
Saturday is the Sabbath.
00:37:58.15\00:38:00.00
And people would
say: "Yeah, you're right.
00:38:01.13\00:38:02.21
I see the
textual argumentation. "
00:38:02.41\00:38:04.13
And then I would say:
"When you die you sleep
00:38:04.33\00:38:06.36
the sleep of death and you
will awake in the resurrection.
00:38:06.46\00:38:07.94
You see that right there?
'The dead know not anything. ' "
00:38:08.14\00:38:09.63
"Well you're right!
That is what the text says. "
00:38:10.03\00:38:12.89
And after they became
persuaded about enough things...
00:38:13.09\00:38:15.61
By the way, one of
those things was: "By the way,
00:38:15.82\00:38:18.32
Jesus died for your sins. "
00:38:18.42\00:38:19.80
It was sort of in
there with the other stuff.
00:38:20.30\00:38:22.73
And when people had come through
a sufficient... I wouldn't say
00:38:23.03\00:38:26.19
indoctrinization... but
when people had come through
00:38:26.39\00:38:28.57
a sufficient amount of
education about what was true
00:38:28.67\00:38:32.77
we would baptize them and we'd
say: "Now you're a member. "
00:38:32.97\00:38:35.28
And it wasn't ever
communicated this way
00:38:35.38\00:38:36.59
but it was often...
the idea was: "Now you know
00:38:36.69\00:38:40.42
what's right and your
job is to go find others
00:38:40.52\00:38:43.81
who are believing wrong things
and to help them believe... "
00:38:44.01\00:38:46.12
What? "right things. "
00:38:46.22\00:38:47.85
Now, is there
anything wrong in this?
00:38:48.15\00:38:49.92
Well, there's something
kind of "wrongish" in it.
00:38:51.06\00:38:54.13
Not in what it is
but in what it isn't.
00:38:54.27\00:38:57.42
Beloved I just want to sort
of open my heart here to you.
00:38:58.94\00:39:01.57
I have no regrets about
any of my past preaching
00:39:01.78\00:39:03.56
except not in what I did
say but in what I didn't say.
00:39:03.76\00:39:07.42
There should have
been more of the point.
00:39:08.42\00:39:11.44
More of... OK, so what?
00:39:11.84\00:39:16.32
That's what Jesus said to the
religious leaders of His day.
00:39:16.56\00:39:18.66
"You guys, you love the
text. You love the Torah.
00:39:18.76\00:39:21.46
You love all of the
various minutia of the...
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.46
You know this so well
that you've made phylacteries.
00:39:24.67\00:39:27.11
You've bound them to your hands
and you've put them on your
00:39:27.31\00:39:29.58
foreheads. You know
the text of scripture...
00:39:29.68\00:39:31.94
but they're about Me. "
00:39:33.51\00:39:35.10
Open your Bibles to
II Corinthians chapter 3.
00:39:36.80\00:39:38.97
You think I'm strong
on this...the apostle Paul
00:39:39.17\00:39:41.70
was so grieved by this basic
idea that I'm communicating
00:39:41.90\00:39:46.27
to you here, that on one
occasion in the book of Romans
00:39:46.37\00:39:48.31
he said: "I could wish
that I was accursed from Christ
00:39:48.51\00:39:52.72
for my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh. "
00:39:52.92\00:39:54.76
In other words, "I could wish
I was cut off so that Israel
00:39:54.96\00:39:57.63
could be saved. "
Because he saw that there was
00:39:57.73\00:39:59.93
a fundamental
blindness... A fundamental what?
00:40:00.04\00:40:04.44
a fundamental blindness
in the way that Israel was
00:40:04.74\00:40:08.27
reading... not watch
this... their own text.
00:40:08.38\00:40:12.36
II Corinthians chapter
3. Are we there everyone?
00:40:13.32\00:40:14.87
II Corinthians chapter 3.
00:40:15.07\00:40:16.18
Pick it up in verse 14.
Paul has just finished telling
00:40:16.38\00:40:18.15
the story about how Moses
went to the top of the mountain
00:40:18.25\00:40:20.49
and he was there for 40 days
and he was in the very presence
00:40:20.70\00:40:23.87
of God - the immediate presence
of God - and he was up there
00:40:23.97\00:40:25.55
for so long that
his face began to glow.
00:40:25.66\00:40:28.49
So when he comes down from
the mountain the Israelites
00:40:28.69\00:40:30.55
who see his face
aglow they say what?
00:40:30.65\00:40:32.78
Remember the story?
00:40:33.18\00:40:34.28
They said what? "Put
a veil over your face
00:40:34.48\00:40:37.23
because we can't bear to
look at you. You've been in the
00:40:37.53\00:40:39.18
immediate, undiluted, presence
of God. We can't look at that. "
00:40:39.38\00:40:45.33
Now, Paul then takes this
historical event and he makes
00:40:45.53\00:40:49.52
a profound theological point.
00:40:49.62\00:40:51.73
We'll pick it up in verse 14.
00:40:52.03\00:40:53.22
He says: "But their minds
were blinded for until this day
00:40:54.34\00:40:57.75
the same veil... "
There using the illustration
00:40:57.85\00:41:00.17
metaphorically,
symbolically but profoundly...
00:41:00.37\00:41:02.43
"the same veil remains
unlifted in the reading of the
00:41:02.83\00:41:06.74
Old Testament.. " he says...
"because that veil is taken away
00:41:06.85\00:41:10.18
in Christ. " Now
what he's done is a stroke
00:41:10.28\00:41:13.26
of absolute poetic and
theological and pastoral
00:41:13.36\00:41:16.06
brilliance. He's taken this
story from Israel's own history
00:41:16.16\00:41:18.99
of Moses going up the
mountain and coming down
00:41:19.09\00:41:20.65
with the incandescent
face and the veil over it
00:41:20.85\00:41:23.74
and he said: "That is
just exactly what's happening
00:41:23.94\00:41:26.26
in the synagogues today! "
00:41:26.36\00:41:28.01
He said: "When Moses
is read... " And of course
00:41:28.22\00:41:31.03
Moses is the one who
came down from the mountain
00:41:31.13\00:41:32.43
and Moses wrote the Torah
- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
00:41:32.53\00:41:35.10
Numbers, Deuteronomy - he
says: "When the Israelites
00:41:35.30\00:41:38.22
come to Moses there's a veil. "
00:41:38.42\00:41:41.51
And he said: "That veil is
preventing them from seeing
00:41:41.71\00:41:44.81
the point of their own book. "
00:41:44.91\00:41:46.93
And he says: "That veil will
remain there until it's taken
00:41:48.00\00:41:51.22
away. " You've got to
get that veil out of the way
00:41:51.32\00:41:53.90
and then what does he say
there at the end of verse 14?
00:41:54.10\00:41:56.05
How is the veil taken away?
00:41:56.25\00:41:57.41
He says: "That veil is
taken away in Christ. "
00:41:58.49\00:42:01.89
Look at verse 15: "But
even to this day... " he says...
00:42:01.93\00:42:05.04
"when Moses is read a
veil lies over their heart.
00:42:05.24\00:42:10.42
Nevertheless, when
one turns to the Lord... "
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.32
What happens to the veil?
00:42:13.52\00:42:14.56
It's taken away. I
love this... verse 17:
00:42:14.76\00:42:17.95
"Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the
00:42:18.15\00:42:21.13
Lord is there is liberty. "
00:42:21.23\00:42:23.75
And there's all kinds of
liberty there and I'm not going
00:42:23.95\00:42:25.45
to get into the various
liberties that Paul is speaking
00:42:25.55\00:42:27.27
about here. But
don't miss this point.
00:42:27.38\00:42:28.70
His point is that of course
he would know this, he would
00:42:29.00\00:42:32.22
know this, any reader of
scripture would know this:
00:42:32.32\00:42:33.89
that most of scripture is built
around the story of Abraham
00:42:34.09\00:42:38.10
and the descendants of
Abraham - the nation of Israel.
00:42:38.30\00:42:40.67
Yes or no? So far so good?
00:42:41.74\00:42:43.59
We're going to spend a
lot of time talking about that
00:42:43.69\00:42:44.84
over the rest of
our presentation.
00:42:44.94\00:42:46.10
And so Paul basically takes
this story, this cornerstone,
00:42:46.30\00:42:50.31
essential, foundational
and fundamental story
00:42:50.51\00:42:53.40
to Israel, and he
basically takes that story
00:42:53.60\00:42:56.04
and he uses it as an
illustration that they are
00:42:56.24\00:42:58.70
reading their own book -
their own Hebrew scriptures,
00:42:58.81\00:43:01.65
their own text -
and he says when they
00:43:01.95\00:43:04.23
read their own book a
veil is over their face.
00:43:04.33\00:43:05.88
'Cause you have to read the
right book in the right way.
00:43:06.18\00:43:09.18
Now let me just bring
the text back to your mind...
00:43:11.49\00:43:13.80
the one that we have already
mentioned. Jesus said to the...
00:43:13.90\00:43:15.20
to the religious leaders of
His day: 'You're searching the
00:43:15.30\00:43:17.15
scriptures because in
them you think you have... "
00:43:17.25\00:43:19.91
"You think that the
text itself is the point
00:43:20.21\00:43:23.35
but these are they that testify
of Me. " That's Paul's point.
00:43:23.55\00:43:27.87
You read the Old Testament
without a radical of what the
00:43:28.17\00:43:30.62
theologians would
call "Christocentricity. "
00:43:30.72\00:43:33.37
Wow, that's a multisyllabic
word. What does that mean?
00:43:34.11\00:43:36.22
Christocentricity.
What does it sound like?
00:43:36.52\00:43:38.18
A radical Christcenteredness.
00:43:39.31\00:43:41.71
He says: "You go back and you
read your... you read your own
00:43:42.22\00:43:45.30
text without a radical
riveting to the Messiah
00:43:45.50\00:43:49.51
and you're going to read
your own scriptures wrong. "
00:43:49.71\00:43:51.46
We cannot look
down our own long noses
00:43:52.52\00:43:55.44
at first-century Judaism
and think: 'Man, what a bunch of
00:43:55.64\00:43:58.80
fools. How could they miss it? "
00:43:58.90\00:44:00.49
When many of us
00:44:00.79\00:44:01.98
right in the own living
room the mental landscape of our
00:44:02.19\00:44:06.58
lives we have tables of truth
00:44:06.68\00:44:08.68
cobbled with all kinds of things
00:44:09.43\00:44:11.61
and we ourselves have
thought "That's the point! "
00:44:11.81\00:44:14.58
That's... Oh no, no, no, no, no.
00:44:15.75\00:44:17.47
Those things are
important. Yes or no?
00:44:17.67\00:44:19.62
But there are some things
as we dig through and come
00:44:19.92\00:44:23.30
through all of these various
things that we have accumulated
00:44:23.40\00:44:25.45
over our time, there are
some things that are centrally
00:44:25.55\00:44:29.18
important, and those are the
things that God has called us
00:44:29.38\00:44:33.02
to preach. The
other things will come
00:44:33.12\00:44:34.71
cumulatively over time.
And frankly, some of them
00:44:34.91\00:44:37.20
are just personal preferences.
We might talk a little bit
00:44:37.30\00:44:38.78
about that if we get time.
00:44:38.88\00:44:40.01
But there is a central
truth... and here it is:
00:44:40.21\00:44:44.30
the central truth
in my humble evaluation
00:44:44.74\00:44:48.05
is that God is
00:44:48.26\00:44:52.47
totally awesome.
00:44:52.67\00:44:54.81
That's my own
little translation there.
00:44:57.39\00:44:59.40
Basically the message of
scripture, the message of Jesus,
00:44:59.70\00:45:03.51
and the message of
the church always has been
00:45:03.71\00:45:07.38
or always should have
been in the case of the church
00:45:07.58\00:45:10.29
"Look at God. He is so awesome!
00:45:10.59\00:45:13.08
He is so lovely.
He is SO AMAZING!
00:45:13.29\00:45:16.34
And look at how all of
these doctrinal packages
00:45:16.55\00:45:19.21
paint a picture and point to Him
00:45:19.41\00:45:22.66
who is altogether lovely! "
00:45:22.86\00:45:25.75
Look at how awesome He is.
Look at how beautiful He is.
00:45:26.05\00:45:28.34
Look at how amazing He is.
00:45:28.54\00:45:29.81
John would summarize
it in three simple words -
00:45:30.01\00:45:31.72
three unisyllabic words.
00:45:31.92\00:45:34.29
He would say: "God is love. "
00:45:34.49\00:45:37.75
And so everything else...
You want to take the Sabbath?
00:45:38.99\00:45:42.16
Fine, put it on the table.
00:45:42.36\00:45:43.39
Put the Sabbath
on the table. Amen.
00:45:43.77\00:45:45.97
You want to put the
sanctuary? Put it on the table.
00:45:46.10\00:45:47.77
You want to put the state of
the dead? Put it on the table.
00:45:47.97\00:45:49.45
Anything that is textually
true put it on the table.
00:45:49.65\00:45:52.54
But be sure that as
that thing goes on the table
00:45:52.74\00:45:56.57
it's not going on the table
simply for information's sake
00:45:56.67\00:45:58.90
but it becomes a
lens. A what everyone?
00:45:59.04\00:46:02.89
It becomes a lens
just like scripture itself.
00:46:03.82\00:46:06.87
By the way, we call scripture
the "revelation of God. "
00:46:08.25\00:46:11.44
What's the root word there?
00:46:11.64\00:46:12.67
The revealing; the
removal of the veil.
00:46:13.57\00:46:16.81
Be sure that those doctrines,
those things that you believe,
00:46:17.01\00:46:19.53
those truths that you have
cobbled onto the table of truth
00:46:19.73\00:46:22.18
cumulatively over the experience
of your walk with Jesus,
00:46:22.21\00:46:26.08
be sure that those
things - EACH OF THEM -
00:46:26.28\00:46:28.29
that it is
crystal clear in your mind
00:46:29.75\00:46:32.31
that the great truth of
the universe is not merely that
00:46:32.71\00:46:35.60
Saturday is the Sabbath.
00:46:35.71\00:46:36.95
God is not just saving
people who can read a calendar.
00:46:38.04\00:46:41.10
That the great central
truth is not that Uncle Ed and
00:46:42.64\00:46:46.50
Aunt Edna are not in heaven.
00:46:46.60\00:46:48.19
That's true! But
these doctrinal packages -
00:46:49.42\00:46:53.42
this doctrinal lens -
00:46:53.62\00:46:56.99
is something through
which we view the goodness
00:46:57.19\00:47:03.12
and beauty and loveliness
and awesomeness of God.
00:47:03.32\00:47:08.79
"Wow! Look at how good God looks
00:47:09.79\00:47:13.75
through the Sabbath truth! "
00:47:14.05\00:47:16.24
"Look at how good God looks
through the truth of the life,
00:47:18.26\00:47:21.64
death, and
resurrection of Jesus. "
00:47:21.84\00:47:23.16
"Look at how good God
looks through the sanctuary! "
00:47:24.24\00:47:27.19
Whoa... and now
what's happened is
00:47:27.69\00:47:29.61
now not only are we
preaching "the truth"
00:47:29.81\00:47:33.50
we're preaching
Him who is the Truth.
00:47:34.71\00:47:37.79
Too many, too many, too many,
too many even of my own sermons
00:47:38.63\00:47:41.60
but too many sermons
that you hear are build around
00:47:41.80\00:47:44.93
getting people to believe
the right thing in the right way
00:47:45.13\00:47:47.56
to have all of their
textual ducks lined up
00:47:47.76\00:47:50.05
so that at the end of
the day you know what's true,
00:47:50.25\00:47:52.48
you can argue what's true,
you can believe what's true.
00:47:52.68\00:47:54.30
And by the way, this
is the part of our own as
00:47:54.40\00:47:56.57
Seventh-day Adventist for those
of you that are Seventh-day
00:47:56.68\00:47:57.92
Adventists... this
is a part of our DNA.
00:47:58.02\00:48:00.22
Because we had historically
felt - I'm not going to spend
00:48:00.62\00:48:03.55
any time developing this except
for just about 30 seconds -
00:48:03.65\00:48:05.61
we had historically
felt on the defensive because
00:48:05.81\00:48:09.02
we were preaching
things that much of Christendom
00:48:09.12\00:48:10.79
did not believe. And so
we felt under compulsion,
00:48:10.89\00:48:14.29
a necessary compulsion to ride
into town - the early Advent
00:48:14.49\00:48:17.86
preachers - and to challenge
the ministers of the local
00:48:17.96\00:48:21.32
congregations to a debate
about what day is the Sabbath.
00:48:21.42\00:48:23.89
To a debate about
what happens when you die.
00:48:24.09\00:48:25.71
To a debate about whether or not
you can eat pigs or shellfish.
00:48:25.91\00:48:28.15
To a debate about what
Jesus is doing right now.
00:48:28.35\00:48:30.61
And you had better believe
that we were going to set those
00:48:30.81\00:48:34.56
pork-eating
Sunday keepers right.
00:48:34.66\00:48:37.50
And largely we did!
00:48:37.90\00:48:41.17
You know what?
Jesus didn't come.
00:48:41.67\00:48:45.30
Because it's not
just about right doctrine.
00:48:46.65\00:48:49.07
In fact, let me say it this way:
00:48:49.37\00:48:50.66
it's far more important to
be righteous than to be right.
00:48:50.86\00:48:54.48
Oh ho... I tell you
that's a lesson hard learned
00:48:55.83\00:48:58.68
for those of us that
are stubborn know-it-alls.
00:48:58.71\00:49:01.12
Yes or no? In
fact, check this out.
00:49:01.32\00:49:03.52
When you ride into a town
and you show up and you preach
00:49:03.82\00:49:06.27
an argumentative discourse -
00:49:06.38\00:49:07.97
right? - the kinds of people
that you win with that preaching
00:49:08.17\00:49:11.45
tend to be
stubborn know-it-alls.
00:49:11.65\00:49:13.75
"Well that's right...
Saturday is the Sabbath. "
00:49:14.36\00:49:17.49
And then those people - you
know - stubborn know-it-alls
00:49:17.62\00:49:20.22
and generally obnoxious
- that might be describing
00:49:20.42\00:49:22.33
some of you...
maybe many of you -
00:49:22.43\00:49:23.86
now you're going to let
your whole town, your whole
00:49:24.26\00:49:27.11
neighborhood, your
whole family know the truth.
00:49:27.21\00:49:29.84
But you've only let
them know about the glasses.
00:49:30.71\00:49:33.29
You've only let
them know about the lens.
00:49:34.57\00:49:36.79
But the glasses and the lens:
these things are not decorative.
00:49:37.09\00:49:39.86
They serve a purpose,
00:49:40.06\00:49:41.15
and the purpose is
to put them on - oooh -
00:49:41.35\00:49:45.31
have a look at
God through new eyes.
00:49:49.68\00:49:54.45
See how beautiful Jesus is when
you put the Sabbath glasses on.
00:49:56.52\00:50:01.04
Man... He wants to
spend time with me?
00:50:01.14\00:50:04.35
He created me for intimacy.
00:50:04.65\00:50:06.54
He created me for relationship.
00:50:06.74\00:50:08.27
He Himself is
fundamentally relational?
00:50:08.37\00:50:11.92
He created a sanctuary in
time not just for me but for all
00:50:12.22\00:50:16.05
humanity. The
Sabbath was made for man.
00:50:16.16\00:50:17.95
God is... Wow!
What a beautiful picture
00:50:18.16\00:50:20.07
that begins to emerge.
And is Saturday the right day?
00:50:20.17\00:50:23.61
Yes or no? Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:50:23.82\00:50:25.72
But that's... and you'll under-
stand what I mean by this...
00:50:25.82\00:50:27.80
that's almost beside the point.
00:50:28.00\00:50:29.61
Is that important? Of
course it's important,
00:50:30.29\00:50:32.14
but that's not the point.
00:50:32.44\00:50:34.06
It's a little bit like this.
People say: "What the truth
00:50:34.26\00:50:36.05
about marriage? " And I ask you
what's the truth about marriage.
00:50:36.15\00:50:40.39
If I said: "Well the truth about
marriage is that Violeta is
00:50:40.59\00:50:43.01
my wife. " That is true
actually... she is my wife.
00:50:43.11\00:50:48.24
But that's hardly
the truth about marriage.
00:50:48.54\00:50:51.36
That just means I
got the right girl.
00:50:51.56\00:50:53.09
OK... now what?
00:50:53.39\00:50:55.23
To what end?
00:50:55.63\00:50:57.19
To what end marriage?
To what end a relationship?
00:50:57.49\00:51:00.55
To what end
Violeta? What's the point?
00:51:00.86\00:51:02.86
Well the point is love.
The point is commitment.
00:51:03.06\00:51:05.38
The point is forgiveness.
The point is relationality.
00:51:05.58\00:51:08.18
The point is growing together.
00:51:08.38\00:51:10.13
There's a whole bunch of truths
that fall under the rubric
00:51:10.23\00:51:13.66
of the beauty of
marriage. Yes or no?
00:51:13.86\00:51:15.55
And it is important for me
to be with the right woman...
00:51:15.85\00:51:18.70
the one that I actually married.
00:51:19.00\00:51:20.31
Amen to that, brothers.
00:51:20.62\00:51:21.66
Right? And sisters. OK.
00:51:21.96\00:51:23.94
But to say that the
truth about the Sabbath is that
00:51:24.04\00:51:26.69
Saturday is the
Sabbath... that is a part of it.
00:51:26.79\00:51:29.12
And it's an
important part, yes or no?
00:51:29.32\00:51:31.36
I wouldn't want to diminish
that, but that's not the whole
00:51:31.56\00:51:33.36
truth. The truth
of all of these things
00:51:33.46\00:51:36.81
and of the text itself
as we have put each of them
00:51:36.91\00:51:40.32
on the table we
ask ourself a question.
00:51:40.42\00:51:42.34
And here it is.. we've done a
good job. We've gotten through
00:51:42.54\00:51:43.97
the illustration. When
we put this first block
00:51:44.07\00:51:49.21
on the table of truth,
00:51:49.42\00:51:50.79
this first fundamental
truth on the table of truth,
00:51:51.19\00:51:54.52
I'm suggesting my methodology
here, and I think it's a textual
00:51:54.72\00:51:58.88
methodology, I
think it's defensible,
00:51:58.98\00:52:00.62
is that God is love.
00:52:00.92\00:52:04.63
Let me try and paint
that picture for you briefly.
00:52:05.13\00:52:07.31
When Ellen White sat down
to write her comprehensive
00:52:07.61\00:52:12.63
exposition of scripture, her
pastoral exposition of scripture
00:52:13.97\00:52:17.64
otherwise known as the
Conflict of the Ages series,
00:52:17.74\00:52:19.69
five volumes.
You might know them.
00:52:19.89\00:52:21.78
Patriarchs and
Prophets, Prophets and Kings,
00:52:21.88\00:52:23.43
Desire of Ages, Acts of
the Apostles, followed by the
00:52:23.63\00:52:26.28
Great Controversy... the book
that I read 17, 18 years ago
00:52:26.38\00:52:29.25
that brought me to Jesus. OK.
So the purpose of those books
00:52:29.35\00:52:32.19
is to set out a pastoral
exposition of the whole panorama
00:52:32.33\00:52:37.18
of scripture. It begins
in creation and it ends in
00:52:37.28\00:52:39.65
re-creation.
Can you say "Amen? "
00:52:39.75\00:52:42.29
It begins here and it ends here.
00:52:42.59\00:52:43.92
So when she sits down
with her dexterous hand,
00:52:44.22\00:52:47.24
her ready mind, her able
pen, she sits down to write:
00:52:47.44\00:52:51.48
how do you begin a
comprehensive full-scope
00:52:51.68\00:52:57.44
treatment of the whole passage,
the whole message of scripture?
00:52:57.64\00:53:01.38
I'll tell you
exactly how you begin:
00:53:01.58\00:53:02.63
it's exactly how she began.
00:53:02.84\00:53:03.98
She sat down and she said:
"Oh, I know how this is going to
00:53:04.18\00:53:05.87
start. This starts
with three words. "
00:53:05.97\00:53:08.16
And does anyone know what
the first sentence of Patriarchs
00:53:08.36\00:53:10.72
and Prophets is? She
wrote: "God is love. "
00:53:10.82\00:53:15.24
Right? And then you go...
00:53:16.62\00:53:19.15
through 3500+ pages... I
mean you just fast forward.
00:53:19.35\00:53:22.05
You come down to the end
and it's the Great Controversy
00:53:24.69\00:53:27.09
and sin and sinners are no
more. And the whole thing is
00:53:27.29\00:53:29.23
winding up and the
victory has been won
00:53:29.43\00:53:31.95
and Jesus has accomplished
it. And we've been through the
00:53:32.15\00:53:34.35
experience of Israel and through
the experience of the church
00:53:34.45\00:53:36.63
and through the
experience of the Dark Ages
00:53:36.73\00:53:37.95
and we're right down into
the time in which we are living
00:53:38.15\00:53:40.24
but we're even past that.
We're past the millennium;
00:53:40.34\00:53:42.36
we're down to the very end...
which is really the beginning
00:53:42.56\00:53:44.79
by the way... we're
down to the very end.
00:53:44.89\00:53:47.86
How do you close this book?
00:53:48.06\00:53:49.68
How do you close five volumes?
00:53:49.78\00:53:51.92
An exhaustive,
comprehensive exposition -
00:53:52.12\00:53:55.54
pastoral exposition -
of scripture. How do you?
00:53:55.74\00:53:58.93
Well there's only
one way to close it.
00:54:00.20\00:54:02.18
How do you close it?
I heard somebody say it.
00:54:03.37\00:54:04.82
How do you close it? You
sit down and you write these
00:54:04.92\00:54:06.25
words... say it
with me: "God is love. "
00:54:06.35\00:54:09.77
And between those two ends -
00:54:09.97\00:54:12.54
those two bookends,
those two parameters -
00:54:12.74\00:54:15.20
exists the whole
story of scripture.
00:54:15.40\00:54:18.45
So I'm suggesting
that the first thing,
00:54:18.66\00:54:20.29
the first thing that we put
on the table, is this central
00:54:20.49\00:54:24.11
truth about who God is.
John said: "He that does not
00:54:24.32\00:54:27.59
love does not know God for" -
say it with me - "God is love. "
00:54:27.70\00:54:32.25
I John chapter 4 verse 8.
00:54:32.45\00:54:33.79
Let me paraphrase that for you.
00:54:34.09\00:54:35.15
He goes so far as to say:
"If you're not a loving person,
00:54:35.25\00:54:37.37
you couldn't possibly
know what God is about
00:54:37.57\00:54:39.97
because God is love. "
00:54:40.07\00:54:41.32
For John, for Paul, for Jesus
00:54:43.40\00:54:46.68
and for Ellen White the
whole message of scripture
00:54:46.88\00:54:50.22
is not a series
of didactic truths.
00:54:50.42\00:54:52.61
OK, check... you
believe the right thing.
00:54:52.81\00:54:53.89
Check, check, check, check,
check, check, check, check...
00:54:53.99\00:54:56.06
We're not taking SAT tests here.
00:54:56.26\00:54:57.86
It's not a fill-in-the-blank
and be sure to fill in the whole
00:54:59.67\00:55:02.49
dot. No! The whole point
00:55:02.59\00:55:05.79
is about God and who He
is and how awesome He is
00:55:05.99\00:55:10.08
and how beautiful He
is. And that grandiosity,
00:55:10.28\00:55:12.89
that glory, that
grandeur and beauty
00:55:13.09\00:55:15.74
can be summarized in
three simple syllables...
00:55:15.94\00:55:17.81
the three grandest syllables
that have ever been written.
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.47
And if they are true they
are - and I believe they are,
00:55:20.68\00:55:22.72
every reason to
believe they are -
00:55:22.92\00:55:23.99
they are the greatest good news.
00:55:24.09\00:55:25.93
Now listen to this. Not
just the greatest good news
00:55:26.07\00:55:27.54
in the universe but
the greatest good news
00:55:27.75\00:55:29.21
conceivable. You cannot
think of better news than that.
00:55:29.41\00:55:33.45
Try it some time.
00:55:33.75\00:55:34.78
Just go sit under an oak
tree some warm sunny afternoon
00:55:35.17\00:55:38.73
and try to think of
something that could be better
00:55:38.93\00:55:41.59
than that God is love.
You can't come up with it.
00:55:41.79\00:55:45.39
If that is true, and I have
every reason to believe it is,
00:55:46.47\00:55:49.02
if it is true, it is the
grandest and most glorious
00:55:49.22\00:55:52.32
and most
announceable and urgent truth
00:55:52.52\00:55:57.06
that could ever be
imagined or proclaimed!
00:55:57.37\00:56:00.20
The universe is friendly?
00:56:00.50\00:56:02.40
The universe is congenial?
00:56:02.60\00:56:04.03
God is love?
00:56:04.33\00:56:08.06
And Jesus said: "Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:56:08.36\00:56:10.17
That's what
this book is about. "
00:56:10.37\00:56:11.40
And Paul said: "That's
what this book is about. "
00:56:11.68\00:56:13.27
And Ellen White sat down
to write this whole thing.
00:56:13.47\00:56:14.97
She said: "Let me tell
you what this book is about.
00:56:15.17\00:56:16.53
From beginning to end
the whole thing is about
00:56:16.83\00:56:19.61
the central truth of
who and what God is. "
00:56:19.71\00:56:23.40
And what we're going to
discover over the next 4 times
00:56:23.60\00:56:25.88
sessions that we have together
is that central to this first
00:56:26.08\00:56:29.97
normative, non-negotiable
building block is this great
00:56:30.17\00:56:33.88
truth of the
covenant. That "God is love"
00:56:34.08\00:56:38.88
is a statement about His
nature, about His character.
00:56:39.08\00:56:41.60
And it is a grand
covenantal statement
00:56:41.70\00:56:45.62
that God in His very nature
is relational and covenantal.
00:56:45.92\00:56:51.27
And we're going to unpack that
00:56:51.47\00:56:54.15
over the rest of
our time together.
00:56:54.45\00:56:56.23