Participants: Dwight Nelson
Series Code: 13SCM
Program Code: 13SCM000002
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00:31 Well welcome back to Camp Meeting 2013!
00:35 Spring Camp Meeting... Showers of Blessings... 00:38 and already God has been blessing us 00:41 as we've come together. 00:43 And we're looking forward to this next service 00:47 because I believe with all my heart 00:49 that the Lord is going to really reach out and touch us. 00:52 Our speaker is Dwight Nelson. 00:55 He is a man that God has gifted. 00:59 He's been the pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church 01:02 right around 30 years. I'll find out exactly how long, 01:06 but it's about that length of time. 01:09 And that is an amazing thing in any church today 01:15 for a pastor to be the pastor for that length of time. 01:19 He's on 3ABN every single week 01:23 and I know that every chance I get 01:28 when I'm able to get to a television about 1 o'clock 01:31 on Sabbath afternoon Central Time 01:33 I really enjoy and am blessed 01:37 by the sermons that Pastor Dwight brings 01:41 from Pioneer Memorial Church. 01:42 I've known him for a number of years. 01:45 Found him to be a man who loves the Lord. 01:48 He is a humble man. 01:51 Boy, if I was as good looking as he is 01:54 I don't know if I could be humble or not. 01:57 It's not hard for me to be humble. 01:58 People will say: "How do you stay humble? " 02:02 I say: "I have a mirror at home 02:05 and I also have a wife at home that will. " 02:08 Those two will keep me humble... 02:10 although she actually builds my confidence quite a bit 02:14 and encourages me. 02:16 But tonight we are going to be blessed 02:20 as he speaks to us. 02:22 "Near the Cross: the 11th Commandment" 02:27 is his subject. 02:29 But before he comes 02:31 I'm going to invite Yvonne Lewis 02:35 to come and sing for us: "The Cross Said It All. " 02:39 Yvonne. 02:55 How I love 02:59 to tell the story 03:03 of God's redemption plan. 03:09 How Jesus died 03:14 to take our sins away. 03:20 Oh yes, 03:23 but my finest words 03:26 cannot express 03:30 what one old rugged tree 03:35 said best... 03:37 for nailed to it was all God had 03:43 to say. 03:50 The cross 03:52 said it all. 03:57 The cross 03:58 said it all. 04:04 Without a word God's heart was heard 04:10 and the cross said it all. 04:16 To prove love 04:19 like nothing else could 04:23 God used three nails 04:27 and two pieces of wood. 04:31 And the cross 04:34 said it 04:37 all. 04:41 Oo-oo-oo-oo... 04:45 He could write it in the heavens. 04:50 He could spell it in the stars. 04:56 He could write across the sky 05:00 for all to see. 05:07 Oh, oh, oh... 05:10 But with His own blood 05:13 Jesus Christ 05:16 wrote "I love you" 05:20 with His life. 05:23 And forgiveness still 05:26 resounds from Calvary. 05:33 Oh-oh-oh-oh... 05:37 The cross said it all. 05:43 The cross said it all. 05:50 Without a word 05:53 God's heart was heard 05:56 and the cross 05:58 said it all. 06:03 To prove His love 06:06 like nothing else could 06:10 God used three nails 06:13 and two pieces of wood. 06:17 And the cross 06:20 said 06:23 it all. 06:27 Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh... 06:30 It's more than a symbol of suffering 06:36 or a picture of pain 06:40 and agony. 06:43 For there at the cross 06:46 every soul that was lost 06:50 found its way from earth 06:53 to eternity. 06:59 For the cross 07:02 said it all. 07:07 The cross 07:09 said it all. 07:14 Without a word 07:17 God's heart was heard 07:20 and the cross 07:22 said it all. 07:27 To prove His love 07:33 like nothing else could 07:37 God used three nails 07:40 and two pieces of wood. 07:44 And the cross... 07:50 the cross... 07:56 and the cross 08:00 said 08:03 it 08:04 all. 08:18 Amen! 08:24 Shall we pray? Father in heaven, 08:28 tonight we pray that the cross will 08:33 be uplifted 08:35 not only in song and in this message 08:39 but in our hearts. 08:40 Speak to us, Father, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 08:47 We receive a lot of calls and letters here at 3ABN. 08:51 I'm amazed at how many. 08:54 Telephone call came through today and June Elliott 08:59 was calling and she told me an experience 09:03 about her mother. 09:04 I won't tell the whole experience 09:06 but her mother is Millie Ganetta. 09:10 And Millie was a devout Catholic 09:18 but she began to watch 3ABN. 09:21 She watched all the different messages, 09:23 but when Dwight Nelson was preaching 09:29 on a subject that was very dear to her heart 09:33 she stood up in the middle of the sermon 09:35 on the television - in front of the TV - and told her daughter 09:40 "I'm going to be baptized. " 09:42 Amen. She made a decision. 09:44 The subject? One you would not think 09:46 would touch the heart. It was purgatory, 09:51 but it was something for which she had struggled. 09:54 And God gave Dwight the wisdom - the message - 09:59 to open up from God's Word 10:02 that there was no purgatory. 10:05 And it calmed her heart and she made her decision. 10:09 Tonight at Dwight speaks 10:12 "Near the Cross: the 11th Commandment. " 10:26 Good evening 3ABN family in Thompsonville. 10:29 Good evening. 10:31 What an honor to be here in this beautiful part of God's country. 10:38 I drove down this afternoon; it's about a 6-hour drive. 10:44 I had forgotten how flat Illinois is. 10:50 But you know what? It was... It's just the first buddings 10:54 of Spring. I love your theme: Showers of Blessing. 10:57 Just the first buddings of Spring and you can see these... 11:00 just these manicured rows of fresh green 11:07 sprouts. 11:08 I'm thinking maybe corn. Would that be predominantly corn? 11:11 Yeah... Coming up, getting ready for the harvest. 11:14 And I thought to myself: "God, this is what You need to 11:19 see when You look down to this planet. " 11:21 The seed has been planted, 11:24 the sprouts are coming up, 11:26 and we're counting down to the harvest. 11:29 So it's an honor tonight to be a part of a ministry 11:33 that is focused on preparing this planet for the harvest. 11:38 Have you come in from all over? 11:39 Is that kind of the thinking that happens here? 11:42 All over really? All over all over? 11:44 Really? 11:46 Wow! Nice to have you; thank you for coming. 11:49 I want to thank Yvonne Lewis. That was absolutely powerful! 11:56 The cross... I scribbled it down. 11:57 The cross said it all. 12:00 We're going to get into the cross together - 12:03 you and I - 12:05 but not before I thank my friend Jim Gilley 12:08 for his kind invitation to come. 12:09 And Camille, I see you sitting over there. 12:12 Jim and I go way back. 12:15 He helped raise over $4 million at the Pioneer Memorial Church 12:21 to put on those... If you've been to the campus 12:23 church, to put on those wings. 12:24 So we got to know each other real well. 12:27 And then he was helping... he was actually overseeing 12:31 the Faith for Today ministry and I had a part... 12:33 had the privilege of having a part with that for a few years. 12:37 And then I saw Danny Shelton behind the scenes here 12:42 this evening just a few moments ago. 12:44 Danny and I go way back. 12:45 You know what? I've got to quit hanging around with guys 12:47 that go way back... that's the problem: 12:49 I'm hanging around with the wrong ones. 12:52 They're all going way back! 12:53 C.A. - that includes you. 12:57 So it's an honor to be here with the 3ABN team. 13:01 Been to this place a few times and how God has used 13:07 this dream planted years ago 13:11 raised up by the Holy Spirit for such a time as this. 13:17 We are living on the edge of eternity. You know that. 13:21 I believe... I'm not going to preach on the second coming 13:23 in this series, but I believe Jesus is coming soon. 13:27 Amen. I believe we are on the edge. 13:30 In fact, two weeks ago - 13:33 maybe three - my friend Throstur - Pastor Throstur - 13:37 he's Icelandic 13:39 and he pastors the South Bend First SDA Church. 13:45 He stopped by the office. 13:47 Plopped down in a chair in my office there at the 13:50 Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University 13:53 and he said: "Dwight... " We just fell into conversation. 13:57 We were talking about an emphasis we have been having 14:00 at Andrews and Pioneer 14:03 over these last four weeks. 14:08 Coincidentally, our theme song at the end of every one 14:11 of this little three-part mini-series, every installment, 14:14 our theme song has been Showers of Blessing. 14:16 We're sensing... And I told Throstur this story 14:20 and I'm going to tell you tonight, I really debated 14:22 about bringing that series. 14:23 But I think we need to get back to basics. 14:27 There'll be a time for the other. You can go to our 14:29 website and it's there. 14:31 But... So I was telling Throstur we're claiming Isaiah 43:19. 14:36 I thought this verse was all through the Bible. 14:38 I thought you could find these words everywhere. 14:40 You can't. It's only in Isaiah 43:19. 14:43 Are you bringing your Bibles to these little evening studies? 14:45 You will. Good. 14:47 Isaiah 43:19... and I'll open my Bible when I get into 14:51 my teaching in just a moment, but God's speaking to Israel. 14:55 He says: "Behold, I will do a new thing. " 15:00 "I'll do a new thing. " 15:02 We've been sensing in our hearts at Andrews University 15:05 and the Pioneer Memorial Church 15:06 that we desperately need God to do a new thing in our midst. 15:10 Now you're not sure what that new thing is 15:12 until you read the verses right after verse 19 15:15 and God keeps talking about water. 15:17 He talks about water in the desert and rivers in the 15:19 wilderness. Four times He mentions water. 15:22 As soon as He says "I'll do a new thing" 15:24 He talks about water. 15:25 And if you go just a few verses down - 15:29 there were no chapter divisions when Isaiah wrote that - 15:31 you come to Isaiah 44 verse 3 15:34 where God said... Now listen to this promise: 15:36 speaking of showers of blessing: 15:39 God says: "I will pour water on those who are thirsty 15:43 and floods upon the dry ground. 15:46 I will pour My Spirit upon your descendants 15:49 and My blessing upon your offspring. " 15:53 We've got 3,600 of the offspring of the church - 15:57 our community of faith - 3,600 children of the church 15:59 who go to Andrews University. 16:02 We are burdened that God do a new thing in our midst 16:07 for this generation just coming on board. 16:09 Do you have any children in your family? 16:11 Have any children in your heart tonight? 16:14 Don't you want God to do a new thing in their lives? 16:17 Aren't you praying for God to pour out His Spirit 16:21 and somehow catch that young mind, 16:23 turn that pretty heart, just coach that heart to 16:26 turn toward Him? 16:29 You put your finger tomorrow morning... 16:31 When you get up early you put your finger on Isaiah 44 16:33 verse 3 and say: "God, I need You to do a new thing. 16:37 You have promised to pour out Your Spirit upon our descendants 16:41 and Your blessing upon our offspring. 16:43 Do a new thing in my life. 16:45 Do a new thing in my family. 16:46 Do a new thing in my church. " 16:50 So I'm telling Throstur all of this. 16:52 He says: "Dwight, I want to tell you something. 16:53 This revival that you're... You're essentially talking about 16:56 revival. " Yeah, you're right. 16:57 "This revival that you're talking about... 16:59 guess what? It'll never happen until the two prayers of Jesus 17:03 come true. " I said: "What two prayers are you 17:06 talking about? " He said: "I'm talking about the 2 prayers 17:08 in the upper room. " 17:11 The second prayer is in John 17 where Jesus says: 17:14 "Father, that they may be one as We are one. " 17:19 Unity. Unity in your congregation back home. 17:22 Unity in Thompsonville. 17:24 Unity in the Pioneer Memorial Church. 17:25 Unity in our community of faith. 17:27 "That they may be one. " 17:31 The first prayer that He prays in the upper room 17:35 is our theme tonight. 17:37 This little mini-series at the 3ABN Camp Meeting - 17:41 tonight, tomorrow night, Friday night, Sabbath morning, 17:44 and then Sabbath evening - 17:46 this little mini-series is entitled Near the Cross. 17:49 I'm going to take the last 72... the last 24 hours 17:53 and the first 24 hours of Jesus' life... 17:56 the last 24 before He died; 17:58 the first 24 when He's resurrected. 18:01 We'll go to Thursday night then we'll go to Friday. 18:04 We'll spend several sessions on Friday. 18:07 Then we'll go to Sunday morning and Sunday evening. 18:12 Something in that Passion weekend that is essential. 18:17 And that first prayer that Throstur was talking about? 18:20 We're going to turn to it right now. 18:22 You have your Bible? You ready to go? 18:24 I want to pray with you and then let's plunge into... 18:26 into the teaching. Holy Father, 18:28 we're here from all points on the compass. 18:30 We've come to this little corn field in So. Illinois 18:33 that You raised up. Signals going from this place 18:38 to the entire inhabited globe. 18:42 We've come tonight as a little worshiping community. 18:48 We want to hear the voice of Jesus speak 18:51 through holy scripture. 18:52 If there's a prayer that needs to be answered yet in my heart 18:56 and in our lives, dear God make that prayer clear. 19:02 And as we track with Jesus 19:04 as Yvonne just sang... The Cross Said It All. 19:06 As we track with Jesus through Calvary 19:10 may the cross say exactly what we must hear 19:14 at this critical moment in 2013. 19:18 We humbly pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 19:23 When a man is dying, 19:25 when he sits on death row, he's not into fluff. 19:29 He's not into just spinning a yarn or passing the time. 19:34 When a man knows that he is about to die 19:39 he chooses his words extremely carefully. 19:43 What you're about to read here in John 13 19:46 is a sentence Jesus strategically placed 19:51 in His upper room dialogue 19:54 with as it turns out now only eleven disciples. 19:58 The twelfth disciple has slipped out into the dark 20:02 shadows of that Thursday night to do his nefarious deed. 20:05 Judas is gone... just eleven are left with Jesus. 20:08 And this is John chapter 13. 20:10 I'm glad you've got your Bible. 20:12 I'm going to go back to the... 20:14 We will go back to Thursday, Friday, Sunday 20:17 right here, again and again. 20:19 John chapter 13. I'm in the New King James version. 20:22 Any Bible you have is fine by me 20:25 as long as you have that Bible. 20:26 You know, where I preach you have to say this: 20:28 "Pull out your phone. " 20:30 "Pull out your iPad. " 20:32 That's what this generation... 20:34 They're just... They have their Bible. 20:36 Don't you be criticizing them for not having a Bible. 20:38 They have the Bible, they just look it up 20:40 in a very different way. 20:41 Little faster than you and I 20:43 because they just punch that in and they have it. 20:45 This is John chapter 13. 20:47 Jesus is speaking... you know these words. 20:51 Hardly new to you. 20:54 But I wonder if my friend Throstur is not right 20:57 when he says: "Dwight, unless this comes true 21:00 there will be no new thing. " 21:02 This revival that we have passionately been praying for... 21:05 it will not come until these words come true. 21:08 John chapter 13 verse 34... Jesus speaking. 21:11 You have a red letter edition? 21:13 Bright red... should be. 21:14 John chapter 13 verse 34 Jesus speaking: 21:17 "A new commandment I give... " to whom? 21:21 "I give to you that you love one another. 21:25 As I have loved you that you also love one another. " 21:28 Verse 35: "By this all will know 21:31 that you are My disciples: 21:33 if you have love for one another. " 21:37 Can't have unity without love. 21:39 This is the foundation. 21:43 "I give you a new commandment. " 21:47 "I give you a new commandment that you love one another. 21:50 As I have loved you that you also love one another. 21:53 By this all will know that you are My disciples 21:56 if you have love for one another. " 22:03 "I give you a new commandment. " 22:10 We already have ten. 22:13 Didn't we already have ten? 22:14 Didn't the disciples already have ten? 22:16 Yes, of course they did. Said: "I'm going to give you 22:17 a new commandment. " Does it replace the ten? 22:18 Are you kidding? This command- ment is summation of all ten 22:21 is it not? 22:23 "I give you a new commandment that you love one another. " 22:29 "By this the whole world will know that you are My disciples 22:32 if you have love for one another. " 22:35 What's on the heart of this Man who's about to die? 22:38 What's on His heart? 22:40 I used to think that this was just a little line 22:41 along the way. Just kind of a gentle nod 22:45 towards love and then He gets down to the Holy Spirit. 22:46 He gets on to the fruit of the vine and on and on. 22:49 Until one time I sat down and read all of the upper room 22:52 discourse, and that would be chapter 13, chapter 14, 22:54 chapter 15, chapter 16. 22:56 Then they go into the garden and He prays the high priestly 22:58 prayer in chapter 17. 23:00 And I was stunned to realize that love was not a passing 23:04 fancy when He gives the 11th commandment... 23:06 a new commandment. 23:08 It's not a passing fancy. In fact, 23:09 I went through and circled every word that is love 23:13 or a derivative of love... loving and so on. 23:15 I went through and circled every word, and in the 23:18 New King James, all right... the New King James 23:22 the word love appears 33 times between John 13 and John 16. 23:27 Thirty-three times. 23:29 Thirty-one of those times because chapter 13 opens with 23:32 "And He loved His disciples to the end. " 23:34 You remember that line. So 31 of those times 23:37 the word love is on the lips of the One who will be dead 23:42 in less than 24 hours. 23:44 This is not a passing fancy. 23:47 This is not: "Oh, before I forget... 23:49 By the way, love each other. " 23:51 This is rooted in the heart of His last appeal 23:57 before His execution. 24:00 "I give you a new commandment that you love one another. " 24:05 Kind of interesting that He would call it new. 24:08 Hardly feels like a new commandment. 24:10 I mean, the disciples have grown up since they were knee-high 24:12 to a grasshopper they've grown up with that. 24:14 Haven't they? I mean Leviticus chapter 19... 24:16 didn't God thunder from Mt. Sinai 24:19 "You shall blank your neighbor as yourself. " 24:22 What did He say from Mt. Sinai? 24:24 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. " 24:27 Hardly a new commandment. 24:29 It's the basics of Jewish upbringing. 24:33 And yet Jesus looks in the flickering orange 24:37 of that dancing torch... 24:39 He looks into the eyes of these eleven who are left 24:43 and says: "I give you a new commandment 24:45 that you love one another. " 24:50 You know what's going to be new about this commandment? 24:55 In less than 24 hours they will see love defined 24:59 in crimson colors 25:02 as never before in human history. 25:06 I flew Sunday night to the North American Division 25:09 for a committee that I'm on. 25:13 So I'm on the ground... We're in this little plane - Delta 25:15 Airlines in Detroit. I'm waiting to go to BWI... 25:18 that's Baltimore/Washington International Airport. 25:21 And the pilot comes over. You know how when they pull 25:25 the plane... Oh, your heart just sinks when they pull the plane 25:27 over to the side and you're just getting ready to take off. 25:29 So something's gone wrong, and the word is that there's 25:30 this massive thunderstorm over the nation's capital. 25:34 So they've shut down Dulles, they've shut down BWI, 25:36 they've shut down Reagan National. 25:42 Ronald Reagan National Airport. 25:44 You've heard of that airport, haven't you? 25:46 Do you know that Ronald Reagan, 25:49 former president of the United States, 25:52 once upon a time dipped into this upper room discourse 25:56 and chose a verse with love in it 26:00 and read it on national television? 26:02 Some of you remember this. This was back in... 26:04 oh, I'm thinking maybe the winter of 1982. 26:10 Were any of you alive back then? 1982? 26:12 Were you? OK. I just need to to get to know this audience. 26:16 OK, so you were. 26:17 1982. You remember the Air Florida? 26:21 Remember the Air Florida tragedy? 26:23 You remember that plane all prepped and ready to take off 26:28 to the southern climes of Florida 26:30 on... It was National Airport back then, wasn't it? 26:33 National Airport. All ready to go. 26:36 Got held up - frigid, January afternoon - 26:40 got held up on the tarmac. 26:43 You remember the story? Got held up on the tarmac. 26:45 Unbeknownst to the pilot, ice began to develop on the wings. 26:50 It had been de-iced, but apparently too long stationary. 26:54 Finally he's put in the line and with the roar of those engines 26:59 thunders down that runway and just as he lifts up - 27:04 you remember the tragedy, don't you? - 27:06 that ice meant there was not sufficient lift 27:09 and the plane right into the Potomac River. 27:12 Right into the... You remember the story, don't you? 27:15 Fell into that Potomac. The fuselage burst open 27:19 disgorging all the passengers. 27:21 They're bobbing now... No time to put anything on. 27:25 They're bobbing in the icy, frigid Potomac. 27:29 That was back in what? 1982, and so there aren't a whole lot 27:32 of CNN helicopters around. But I remember the news footage, 27:36 don't you? Your remember the... 27:39 of all those helicopters hovering over that piece of 27:43 broken fuselage. There are human survivors. 27:45 The helicopter - the rescue helicopter - 27:48 comes out. You remember the story? 27:49 He drops that O-ring. He drops it down to a man, 27:54 a bald-headed man. "All right, sir. You know 27:56 what to do with it. Just hold onto it. " 27:58 They have paramedics now along the shore. 27:59 Everybody's raced for this emergency. 28:02 "Hold onto the ring and we'll just drag you across. " 28:04 I mean, everybody knows that's what you do: you hold on 28:06 to the ring and they'll pick you up and drag you across. 28:08 The man gets the ring. 28:10 Instinctively begins to hold on and realizes there's... 28:13 there's a flight attendant just a few yards from him. 28:16 And he swims the ring over to her. Do you remember that? 28:20 So they get her to safety; 28:24 they come back for the man. 28:26 They drop the ring back to him. 28:28 You remember the story. He finds another survivor. 28:31 He hands the ring. I don't remember how many times 28:34 that little ritual took place. 28:37 But one time when they came back again 28:40 for the bald-headed man 28:43 he had slipped into that frigid depth. 28:46 President Reagan went on national television 28:50 that night to intone the sacrifice of this stranger. 28:55 Do you know which verse he quoted? 28:57 Chapter 15. You have your Bible open here. 28:59 Chapter 15. It's one of the love words 29:02 in the upper room discourse. This is chapter 15 verse 13. 29:06 You can say it out loud with me. Let's just read it 29:08 out loud together: "Greater love has no one 29:12 than this: than to lay down one's life 29:15 for his friends. " 29:18 The President of the United States after whom now 29:20 the airport is named reads on national television 29:24 John 15:13... the words of Christ. 29:28 Nobody has greater love than to lay down his life 29:30 for his friends. In less than 24 hours 29:32 the eleven will see the truth of that one definition. 29:37 There is no greater love than Calvary. 29:42 Isn't that right? 29:44 No greater love. Greater love has no one than this: 29:47 than to lay down her life - lay down her life - 29:50 for her friends. 29:52 That's what's new. 29:55 They've heard this from kindergarten days: 29:59 love your neighbor. 30:00 "But now I give you a new commandment 30:03 that you love one another. 30:04 As I have loved you you love one another. 30:06 By this the whole world will know you are My people 30:09 if you have love for one another. " 30:15 As I have brooded over that 11th commandment if we can call it 30:18 that... As I have brooded over these words here in John 13 30:22 verses 34 and 35 I have wondered to myself. 30:29 Do you know what's new about this? 30:31 I mean, the more you brood on it the more it hits you. 30:34 You know what's new about this commandment? 30:37 What's new about this command- ment is what Jesus did not say. 30:43 If you think about it, Jesus could have looked into those 30:46 upturned faces in that orange glow of flickering shadows. 30:50 He could have looked in their faces and said: "By this 30:52 the whole world will know you are My people 30:56 if you remember to keep the Sabbath Day holy. " 31:01 Couldn't He have said that? 31:03 Listen, I remind you ladies and gentlemen, 31:06 everybody in that room was a Sabbatarian. 31:08 Everyone in that room is keeping the Sabbath 31:10 that the pre-incarnate Christ gave to the human race. 31:14 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 31:17 Everyone in the room was a Sabbatarian. 31:23 Please don't misunderstand me. 31:26 I believe with all of my heart in the fourth commandment. 31:28 I believe that that fourth commandment will shine 31:32 brighter and brighter as we move to the end of time. 31:36 You know why? Because it calls people back to the Creator. 31:39 We live in a nation now that has gone absolutely bonkers 31:43 in the opposite direction. 31:46 Throwing out the Creator; denying there is a God. 31:49 Oh no, the seventh-day Sabbath is a gift whose time has come. 31:53 But I find it fascinating... We're just talking here - 31:56 watching on 3ABN and you and me - 31:59 I find it fascinating that Jesus didn't say: "By this the whole 32:01 world will know you are Mine: if you keep the Sabbath. " 32:04 I also find it interesting that He didn't say: "By this 32:07 the whole world will know you are My people: 32:09 if you cling to the Blessed Hope that I am coming soon. " 32:12 Now don't misunderstand me. 32:14 Just a few breaths later after giving the 11th commandment 32:18 Jesus will speak these words. Say them with me: 32:20 "Let not your heart be troubled. 32:22 You believe in God... believe also in Me. 32:26 In My Father's house are many mansions. 32:29 If it were not so, I would have told you. 32:33 I go to prepare a place for you 32:35 and if I go and prepare a place for you - here it comes now - 32:38 I will come again. " 32:45 Of course that is the Blessed Hope. 32:47 It burns bright in all of our hearts, but it's rather 32:51 amazing to me that He didn't take either half of the name 32:55 that I bear - Seventh-day Adventist - 32:56 and say: "By this the whole world will know you're Mine: 32:58 the Sabbath or the second coming. " 33:01 Ladies and gentlemen, the point is 33:04 you can go through all the great teachings of scripture. 33:07 He didn't take a one of them. 33:12 He said: "By this the whole world will know you are My 33:14 people. " When you gather together and you drive 33:18 into a town and you suddenly burst the population of that 33:21 little... that little farm community 33:23 and you do business in town. "By this everybody will know 33:26 you are Mine: the way you love each other. " 33:31 Isn't that something? 33:34 My friend Throstur sitting in my office three weeks ago 33:37 and he says: "You know what Dwight? 33:38 We're not going to get any revival. There's not... 33:40 God's not going to do a new thing until we learn 33:42 how to ask God to answer the prayer of Christ 33:46 that night before His execution. " 33:51 Verse 34: "A new commandment I give you 33:54 that you love one another. As I have loved you 33:56 that you also love one another. By this all will know 33:59 that you are My disciples: if you have love 34:01 for one another. " 34:04 Unmistakable. 34:07 Unequivocal. 34:08 Unconditional. 34:10 By this all - red and yellow, black and white - 34:12 by this all - literate and illiterate - 34:19 socially marginalized, economically disenfranchised, 34:23 by this all will know you are My people: 34:27 by the way you love each other and you love them. " 34:32 Then they'll know. 34:34 That's what'll tell them. 34:37 Because you can get it straight up here... 34:39 Now listen carefully: you can get it straight up here 34:42 and have it all wrong in here. 34:45 Amen. 34:47 There were people alive at the time of Christ 34:49 who had it all right up here 34:52 but they had it all wrong down here... 34:56 and they dogged Jesus to His death. 34:59 They arranged with Judas to betray Him. 35:05 They had it all right up here 35:07 but they had it all wrong down here. 35:12 "By this the whole world knows that you are My people... " 35:17 You're My disciples; you're My church. 35:22 "if you have love for one another. " 35:27 Less than 24 hours and He'd be dead. 35:30 Less than 24 hours before His death. 35:34 You know, when a man is on death row 35:36 he tends to cut to the chase 35:38 and speak only of what matters. 35:43 So the question that begs to be asked is: 35:45 are we a loving people? 35:46 Are we a loving people? 35:48 Or are we, as Mark Twain cynically put it: "Are we good 35:52 in the worst sense of the word? " 35:55 Ever met people like that? 35:58 Good in the worst sense of the word. 36:00 So right and proper in their behavior. 36:07 So right and proper, but please, Lord, don't let me live 36:10 next door to them. 36:12 Please... I'll live down the street. 36:15 Good in the worst sense of the word. 36:17 Like the little English girl prayed: "Oh God, 36:20 make the bad people good and the good people nice. " 36:25 Nice. 36:27 "By this the whole world will know you are My people: 36:31 if you have love for one another. " 36:35 Are we a loving people? 36:37 Are we nice? 36:39 Or are we good in the worst sense of the word? 36:43 I want to share a story with you. 36:47 Phillip Yancey told this story 36:52 in his stirring book What's So Amazing About Grace. 36:56 It's a true story he heard from a friend of his 36:58 who is a social work that works with the down-and-out 37:00 in Chicago. Had to drive by Chicago to come down here today. 37:03 All right. So this is his social worker friend speaking now. 37:08 "A prostitute came to me" 37:11 the social worker friend says. 37:12 "This prostitute came to me in wretched straits, homeless, 37:15 sick, unable to buy food for her 2-year-old daughter. 37:17 Through sobs and tears she told me she had been renting 37:19 her daughter, 2 years old, to men interested in kinky sex. " 37:24 You just can't believe it. 37:28 "She made more renting out her daughter for an hour than she 37:30 could earn on her own in a night. She had to do it, 37:32 she said, to support her own drug habit. " 37:34 Phillip's friend said: "I could hardly bear hearing her sordid 37:37 story. For one thing it made me legally liable. 37:40 I am required to report cases of child abuse. 37:42 I had no idea what to say to the woman. 37:45 At last I asked her if she had ever thought of going to church, 37:48 to a church for help. I will never forget the look 37:51 of pure naive shock that crossed her face. 37:53 'Church? ' she cried. 'Why would I ever go there? 37:56 I was already feeling terrible about myself. They would just 37:59 make me feel worse. ' " 38:05 Yancey then reflects on this story. 38:07 "What struck me about my friend's story is that women 38:10 much like this prostitute flew toward Jesus not away from Him. 38:14 The worst a person felt about herself the more likely she 38:17 saw Jesus as a refuge. 38:18 Has the church lost that gift? 38:22 Evidently the down-and-out who flocked to Jesus 38:25 when He lived on earth no longer feel welcome 38:27 among His followers. " Yancey asks: "What has happened? " 38:31 Brothers and sisters, 38:33 what has happened? 38:35 Do we have it right up here 38:38 but do we have it wrong in here? 38:43 "Yeah, Dwight, fortunately that's not our denomination. " 38:52 I got a letter... I got a letter from 38:57 someone in a church somewhere in this country 39:01 outside of my community. 39:03 Dear Pastor Nelson: About five years ago 39:06 another close friend of mine died of AIDS. 39:08 His name was Jack; he died at the age of 34. 39:11 Jack was baptized as an Adventist about 15 months 39:13 before he died and I knew him mainly from the weekly 39:16 prayer meetings. Jack was infected with HIV 39:18 several years prior to his joining the church. 39:20 He never knew he had HIV until he got pneumonia. 39:22 He survived the pneumonia, met some neighbors of his 39:24 who were Adventists, and came into the truth through them. 39:26 Hallelujah! 39:28 Unfortunately, she goes on, 39:32 a few members of the church couldn't accept Jack 39:34 because he had AIDS. 39:37 Some stopped going to church and prayer meetings 39:39 because he was there 39:40 and they feared catching AIDS from the air 39:41 or sitting in the same room as him. 39:44 My former pastor tried very hard to educate these people 39:48 but they didn't want to hear it. When Pastor - 39:51 she gives his name - spent time in the hospital with 39:53 Jack every day before he passed away they would say 39:55 something like: "I hope our pastor won't get AIDS in the 39:57 hospital then come back and give it to all of us. " 40:01 How angels must weep, she writes, in heaven for the 40:04 hardness of hearts even of professed Christians. 40:06 Now, her last line: Thank the Lord Jack remained 40:08 faithful until the end and even had a spirit of love and 40:10 forgiveness for those members who shunned him. 40:13 Jack knew how much Jesus loved him and that was enough. 40:17 I'm not sure that woman is right. 40:19 I'm not sure that's enough. 40:22 I'm not sure it's just enough to know 40:25 Yes, Jesus loves me... the Bible tells me so. 40:28 Apparently Jesus doesn't feel it's enough either. 40:31 Jesus said: "This is how the whole world will know you are 40:33 the people: because you have love for one another. " 40:38 "As I have loved you, you love each other. " 40:41 Didn't He say that? 40:44 On the eve of His execution didn't He say that? 40:47 He must mean it. 40:50 He must be serious. 40:53 "By this the whole world will know you are My people: 40:57 if you have love for one another. " 41:00 You know what? I would laugh off these little 41:03 stories, you know, these little aberrations... 41:06 I would laugh them off were it not for the fact 41:09 I know my own heart. 41:12 I know my own heart 41:15 and I know how easy it is for me 41:19 to dismiss somebody who doesn't believe like I believe. 41:22 Somebody who takes a little different theological nuance. 41:25 "Well he doesn't... Poor guy. " 41:28 I know how easy it is for me 41:32 to have it all right up here 41:34 but to walk by people down here 41:38 and have it all wrong in here. 41:42 The 11th commandment's for me and you. 41:47 "By this the whole world will know you're My people: 41:50 because you have love for each other. " 41:53 The word gets out! 41:55 You can't hide it. Whoa! Look at them! 42:00 "By this the whole world will know you are My people: 42:07 if you have love for one another. " 42:16 Now may I ask you a bit of an embarrassing question? 42:21 I have to ask myself this, too. 42:22 Could it be that in our exuberance to get it right 42:26 over the 4th commandment 42:30 we have neglected the 11th commandment? 42:34 Could it be that in a generation... 42:38 Now listen: I have these kids. 42:39 This generation... I have them. 42:42 They're young; they're bright. 42:47 Struggling to carve out meaning in this life. 42:53 But if you want to talk about the millennials - that's the 42:56 generation now that's on the scene 18-30- 43:00 you want to talk about the millennials. 43:02 You know what attracts the attention of a millennial? 43:05 Pretty soon the boomers are going to be... if Jesus doesn't 43:08 come soon, boomers are going to be a thing of the past. 43:10 And I'm a part of it, so... 43:14 So I want Jesus to come... Please, just come. 43:18 But God said: "Dwight, you've got something to do. 43:20 You have something to do. 43:22 That world of Mine... that 7 billion earth children... 43:26 I want those children. Go to them. 43:30 Go to them in My name 43:33 teaching them to observe all things and don't forget 43:35 to include the 11th commandment when you teach all things. " 43:42 But this generation... you know what? 43:50 What they're looking for... let me tell you the truth... 43:54 You know this... in fact you already know this... 43:55 You've got grandkids? You know this. 43:58 They're looking for authenticity. 44:00 They're looking for transparency. 44:03 They say: "Listen, don't give me this head stuff. 44:05 Do you practice what you preach? 44:09 Do you live it out? " 44:10 That's what they're looking for. 44:12 There are 3,600 of them there at Andrews University. 44:16 They're struggling as well 44:18 just like your kids and grandkids. 44:21 But there are by the millions 44:25 secular kids who have no connection. 44:29 This generation now is the most godless generation 44:32 in America that we've ever had. 44:35 I know it says "In God we trust" on our coinage. 44:38 Every day that goes by there are less people that trust in Him 44:41 in America. You know this, don't you? 44:44 Of course. What's going to reach those hearts? 44:52 "By this all the world will know you are My people: 44:59 if you have love for one another. " 45:02 You say: "Oh Dwight, that's not how we're going to grow 45:07 the church. We're going to grow the church 45:09 doing what we do best here, doing what we do best 45:13 there at Andrews. 45:18 We're going to send more and more people out. 45:20 They're going to win souls. " 45:22 Amen; amen; amen! 45:25 I have a quotation in my pocket I want to share with you 45:29 written by a little woman 5'3" about 100 years ago. 45:37 She wrote these words... 45:42 I want to read them to you. 45:45 A book called Welfare Ministry. 45:47 Having welfare, caring for the good of our neighbors. 45:50 Listen to this line: 45:51 "If we would humble ourselves before God 45:58 and be kind, and courteous, and tenderhearted and pitiful, 46:05 there would be 100 conversions to the truth 46:11 where now there is only one. " 46:18 Don't tell me that Jesus got it wrong just before He died. 46:25 "By this the whole world will know you are My people: 46:30 if you have love for one another. " 46:36 Kind, tenderhearted, pitiful. Means full of pity. 46:41 Full of pity. 46:45 Desire of Ages... Oh, I love this. 46:47 Listen to this: "Love to man... " This is 46:49 Desire of Ages page 641: 46:51 "Love to man is the earthward manifestation 46:53 of the love of God. It was to impart this love 46:56 to make us children of one family 46:59 that the King of Glory became one with us. 47:02 And when His parting words are fulfilled 47:04 'Love one another as I have loved you' 47:06 when we love the world as He loved it, then for us 47:10 His mission is accomplished and we are fitted for heaven 47:14 for we have heaven in our hearts. " 47:19 Isn't that beautiful? 47:20 We're fitted for heaven. How many want to go to heaven? 47:22 Come on; come on: How many want to go to heaven? 47:23 But of course! You want to be fitted for heaven? 47:27 Love one another. 47:29 Desire of Ages says: "When we love one another 47:33 we are fitted for heaven for we have heaven 47:37 in our hearts. " 47:41 Apparently Jesus really did mean 47:45 to speak 31 times about love before He died. 47:51 Apparently the 11th commandment 47:54 is essential for the Ten Commandments to take root. 47:59 Wow! Wow. 48:05 "A new commandment I give you that you love one another. " 48:07 "As I have loved you that you also love one another. " 48:11 "By this all will know that you are My disciples: 48:17 if you have love for one another. " 48:20 Friday He dies. Thursday night 48:27 He invites us. 48:30 Telephone rang in the Pioneer Memorial Church 48:34 there on campus. 48:36 My secretary said: "Dwight, there is a woman 48:41 on the phone. I don't recognize her voice. 48:46 She didn't give her name; 48:48 she didn't want to give her name. 48:50 You want to take the call? " 48:51 Said: "Of course, send the call through. " 48:53 Said: "Hello. " She said: "Hello! " 48:56 "Pastor Nelson? " I said: "Yes. " 49:03 "I've been listening on the radio. " 49:05 We have a radio telecast every Sabbath. 49:09 She said: "I've been listening on the radio. 49:12 You've been talking about this God who's not somebody to be 49:14 afraid of but somebody to be a friend of. 49:16 I knew... I knew I could call you for help. " 49:22 And the moment she said "help" 49:25 a voice inside of me said 49:28 "Get ready... she's going to ask for money. " 49:36 I'm embarrassed to tell you this. 49:39 Just like that I said: "She's going to ask. 49:41 You watch, Dwight, you watch. 49:43 She will ask you for money. 49:44 You'd better have an answer and you'd better have it fast. " 49:47 I said: "We've got the Salvation Army in Benton Harbor, 49:49 We've got United Way. Got the police. 49:52 Dorcas is closed so that's no good. 49:56 I'll find something. " 49:58 She said: "I knew I could call you for help. " 50:01 I said: "Yes... and what would that be? " 50:03 She said: "Well, I need some... " And then she said 50:09 "money. " I said: "I told you; I told you. " 50:13 I'm just getting ready... I'm just getting ready to respond 50:16 very politely and the Holy Spirit comes up 50:19 and He said... said: "Listen, listen to this woman. " 50:31 She said: "I actually have a thousand dollars 50:36 waiting for me in Chicago. 50:39 But after listening to these teachings about the God that 50:43 you've been describing, I know I can't go back 50:47 for that thousand dollars. " 50:49 And then the story tumbled out. 50:51 Two little kids. Resorting to what they call the world's 50:56 oldest profession to keep food on the table. 51:01 Plying her art in the sullied 51:05 sooted doorways of the Windy City. 51:09 I could go back... but I don't think I should. " 51:13 I said: "You are right. " 51:16 Made arrangements for this woman to get the money 51:19 to her anonymously. I said: "You come into the church. 51:21 There'll be an envelope here. It will have money in it 51:25 and may God be with you. " 51:28 Never met her. 51:33 A month later I'm at the back of the church, 51:35 front of the church, greeting the worshipers 51:38 as they're leaving after second service 51:40 and a tall woman comes through line. 51:44 Attractive. 51:46 She says: "Hi, Pastor Nelson. 51:49 Do you remember me? " 51:52 I said: "No I don't actually. " 51:56 She gave me a name. "Sorry. " 52:00 Then she just said a few words. 52:03 I said: "Oh, I remember you. " 52:06 She said: "I hope you don't mind, but the children and I 52:08 have been coming to worship here 52:10 these last few Saturdays. " 52:13 I said: "Bless your heart. You are welcome to worship here 52:17 any time you wish. This is your family. " 52:22 The congregation never knew it 52:29 but when her face came up out of that baptistry with water 52:33 glistening on her countenance 52:37 and a smile of a thousand watts 52:42 I knew the truth. 52:44 If any woman is in Christ, 52:48 behold, she is a new creation. 52:50 Old things are passed away! 52:52 Behold, all things become new. " 52:58 I almost turned that woman away. 53:02 Too much of a bother for me. 53:04 I haven't got time for this. 53:06 You have a Bible question? You want to argue theology? 53:09 We can talk. 53:11 I'm not giving them money. 53:13 I almost, I'm embarrassed to tell you, 53:17 almost turned that woman away. 53:20 Jesus said: "Hey wait a minute, Dwight. 53:23 This is the only way they're going to know. 53:26 It's not the radio that saves. 53:27 It's not satellite that saves. 53:31 I save through people... 53:34 through warm and loving people. " 53:37 "If you will love one another 53:41 the whole world will know... 53:46 the whole world will know you are My people. " 53:53 Boy, I want to love like Jesus, don't you? 53:56 Oh, I want to love like Jesus. 54:01 I bet Throstur's right. 54:04 Until that prayer gets answered 54:06 how could God ever do a new thing anyway? 54:12 You want to stay near that cross? 54:16 You want to stay near that cross? 54:20 Every night we're going to sing this together you and me. 54:24 Jesus, keep me near the cross. 54:27 There a precious fountain. 54:29 312 if you have your hymnal on your phone. 54:35 Jesus keep me near the cross. There a precious fountain. 54:38 Free to all a healing stream flows from... 54:42 Calvary's mountain. In the cross, 54:44 in the cross, be my glory ever. 54:47 Stand with me; stand with me. Let's sing; let's sing. 54:49 Those of you watching on television right now: 54:51 you join us. You sing it out. You know the first stanza. 54:55 We'll just keep singing the first stanza. 54:57 Jesus, keep me near the cross. 55:03 There a precious fountain. 55:09 Free to all a healing stream 55:15 flows from Calvary's mountain. 55:21 In the cross, 55:24 in the cross, 55:27 be my glory ever. 55:34 Till my raptured soul 55:38 shall find 55:41 rest beyond the river. 55:47 Let's sing it like a prayer now. 55:49 Jesus, keep me 55:53 near the cross. 55:56 There a precious 56:00 fountain. 56:53 Oh God, we hear the words of our Lord Jesus tonight 56:58 just hours before He was cut off from You 57:04 pleading with us. "Please, this is a new commandment. 57:09 I want you to love one another. 57:11 This is how the whole world will know you're the right 57:13 people, you're My people, 57:16 if you have love for one another. " 57:18 So Father, all of our hearts, transform us into 57:22 the friends and the lovers of Christ Jesus 57:26 and may we love the world in His name we pray. |
Revised 2014-12-17