Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP022407
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00:33 Philippians 2 tells us about Jesus,
00:37 "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 00:41 and gave him the name that is above every name, 00:45 that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, 00:50 and in heaven and on earth and under the earth 00:53 and every tongue confess 00:54 Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father." 00:59 Sing with us this morning. 01:05 Over all the earth You reign on high 01:10 Every mountain stream every sunset sky 01:15 But my one request, Lord, my only aim 01:21 Is that You'd reign in me again 01:24 Lord, reign in me, reign in Your pow'r 01:29 Over all my dreams in my darkest hour 01:34 You are the Lord of all I am 01:39 So won't You reign in me again 01:53 Over every thought, over every word 01:57 May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord 02:02 'Cause You mean more to me 02:04 Than any earthly thing 02:08 So won't You reign in me again 02:11 Lord, reign in me, reign in Your pow'r 02:16 Over all my dreams in my darkest hour 02:21 You are the Lord of all I am 02:26 So won't You reign in me again 02:30 Lord, reign in me, reign in Your pow'r 02:35 Over all my dreams in my darkest hour 02:40 You are the Lord of all I am 02:45 So won't You reign in me again 03:10 We fall down, we lay our crowns 03:15 At the feet of Jesus 03:21 The greatness of His mercy and love 03:26 At the feet of Jesus 03:31 And we cry holy, holy, holy 03:36 And we cry holy, holy, holy 03:42 And we cry holy, holy, holy 03:47 Is the Lamb 03:54 We fall down, we lay our crowns 03:59 At the feet of Jesus 04:05 The greatness of His mercy and love 04:10 At the feet of Jesus 04:15 And we cry holy, holy, holy 04:21 We cry holy, holy, holy 04:27 We cry holy, holy, holy 04:33 Is the Lamb 05:00 What a beautiful name, amen. 05:04 What a beautiful name is the name of Jesus. 05:07 This name that, when the angels hear it, 05:11 they cover their faces. 05:14 Do we love His name that much? Do you? 05:18 When was the last time that someone spoke that name, 05:21 that we felt like just covering our faces, 05:24 because of its beauty, its holiness, its power. 05:30 Jesus, what a beautiful name. 05:32 Jesus, what a beautiful name 05:40 Son of God, Son of Man 05:45 Lamb that was slain 05:49 Joy and peace, strength and hope 05:54 Grace that blows all fear away 05:59 Jesus, what a beautiful name 06:08 Jesus, what a beautiful name 06:16 Truth revealed, my future sealed 06:21 Healed my pain 06:25 Love and freedom, life and warmth 06:30 Grace that blows all fear away 06:35 Jesus, what a beautiful name 06:43 Jesus, what a beautiful name 06:51 Rescued my soul, my stronghold 06:56 Lifts me from shame 07:00 Forgiveness, security, power and love 07:05 Grace that blows all fear away 07:09 Jesus, what a beautiful name 07:17 Forgiveness, security, power and love 07:22 Grace that blows all fear away 07:27 Jesus, what a beautiful name 07:35 As many of you know, our worship theme 07:38 for this semester is "Mercy came a runnin'". 07:43 Now the Bible says that God's mercy endures forever, amen. 07:49 Well, I have with me today a Dr. Robert Moore, 07:53 the chair of the mathematics department here, 07:55 at our very own Andrews University. 07:58 Good morning. 07:59 And I just want to ask you a few questions, Dr. Moore. 08:04 The Bible says a lot about eternity, 08:07 about things that have no end. 08:10 We call it infinity, I suppose. 08:13 And as we've been studying mercy, 08:17 we notice that it lasts forever. 08:20 But we want to understand 08:21 more about forever, about infinity. 08:23 So how can you help us to understand this concept? 08:28 Well the mathematics of infinity 08:30 is rather complicated, 08:32 but let's try a few illustrations. 08:33 Okay. 08:34 All right, let's start with your salary. 08:36 Okay. 08:37 All right, I suppose you could use a little extra. 08:40 Yes, I could. 08:42 All right, how about if I had double your salary? 08:44 That sounds good. 08:45 Okay. 08:46 And even better yet, how about the next month, 08:49 I double it again? 08:50 Are we taking notes? This sounds good, keep going. 08:54 And the next month, we'll double again. 08:55 Okay. And again. 08:57 So every month it doubles. 08:59 Yes, before long you'll be a wealthy man. 09:01 It's true, it's true. 09:02 You'll have more than I have. 09:04 It's true. 09:06 When will you have an infinite amount of money, 09:09 an infinite salary, by this process? 09:14 I'm guessing never. 09:16 You're right. 09:18 In fact, even though you have a great deal, 09:22 it will always be a finite amount 09:24 and you'll never reach infinity. 09:26 In fact, you'll always be infinitely short 09:29 of having an infinite amount. 09:33 So the closer I get to infinity, 09:36 I'm still short infinity. 09:39 Yeah, you are not really getting close to infinity. 09:41 At all? 09:42 No. 09:43 Okay. 09:45 Let's try a different aspect of infinity. 09:48 Let's illustrate this with some apples. 09:49 Okay. We have a slide already. 09:54 Okay, now there's a basket of apples with-- 09:58 Okay. 09:59 13 apples, now that's a finite number. 10:01 Right. 10:02 You like apples, I suppose. 10:03 So I'll offer you one. 10:05 Okay, thank you. Would you like to have one? 10:06 Thank you. 10:07 Okay, how many apples would remain in the basket 10:10 after you took one? 10:12 Well, I'm, it says that we have 12 left. 10:16 Okay. 10:17 That's why we have the chair of the mathematics department. 10:19 You're doing well, Jerry. 10:21 Thank you, I'm trying. 10:22 Do you have any fewer than you had to, 10:26 than we had to start with? 10:27 Yes, of course. 10:28 That's right, and if we share the apples 10:30 with other people here. 10:31 They will be gone quickly. 10:32 That's right. All gone. 10:35 Let's imagine a bigger basket of apples. 10:37 Okay. 10:38 I mean, a really large basket of apples. 10:41 Infinitely large. 10:43 Okay. 10:44 Next slide, next slide. 10:47 That's a lot of apples. 10:48 Doesn't even fit on the screen. 10:49 That's good, that's more than 10:51 we can produce here in Michigan. 10:53 Yes, now I offer you an apple from that basket. 10:56 Okay, all right. 10:57 How many apples remain in the basket? 11:01 I'm guessing the answer is not one less than infinity. 11:05 You're right. It's not. 11:07 Okay. 11:08 What do you think the answer might be? 11:11 Well if I take another peek, 11:14 I see that the answer is still infinity. 11:17 In fact, you'll have just as many apples left 11:21 as you started with. 11:24 What if I, now see I can, I can see this is easy, 11:26 if I just take one out because if you took one out, 11:29 I'd still say there was the same number 11:31 because I can't tell by looking at it. 11:33 But what if, what's the largest number 11:35 that we know, besides infinity? 11:39 Is it a million, billion, trillion. 11:41 A googolplex. 11:42 Googolplex. 11:43 Well, what if I subtract a googolplex 11:46 of apples from this basket? 11:48 There will still be just as many apples 11:50 in the basket as we started with. 11:53 All right. 11:54 Now I know that's hard to explain 11:56 but let me illustrate it with a number line. 11:59 Let's look at the next slide here. 12:01 And we have two rows of numbers 12:04 and the three dots mean the numbers, 12:07 you know, the lists go on forever and ever. 12:09 Forever, an endless line of numbers. 12:11 Okay, now would you say that there is the same number 12:14 of numbers in each of these lists? 12:15 I would. 12:16 Yeah, okay, so the one matches 12:18 with the one, the two with the two, 12:20 and so on all the way down the line. 12:21 Okay. 12:22 All right, now take away the one from the lower list. 12:26 Okay. 12:28 Now how many numbers are in the lower list? 12:32 More or less or the same as the first list? 12:36 Well, it looks like there is one less 12:38 but I'm guessing I'm wrong. 12:40 Now in mathematics when we want to count 12:43 an infinite number of things, 12:44 we don't actually count them, we try to pair them off. 12:49 So let's pair the one in the upper list 12:51 with the two in the lower list. 12:52 The two in the upper list 12:54 with the three in the lower list 12:55 and so on down the line. 12:57 Does every number in the upper list have a partner? 13:00 If we keep going, yes. 13:02 Does every number in the lower list have a partner? 13:05 Yes. 13:06 Now if we can pair them off one for one, wouldn't you say 13:10 there is the same number in each list? 13:13 Yes. 13:15 Very good. 13:17 I'm learning. 13:19 You are. 13:20 Yes, the mathematics of infinity is strange, okay. 13:27 This reminds me of when Jesus told the disciples 13:30 you should forgive your neighbor seventy times seven. 13:35 That's a lot. It is. 13:37 And I think He just meant don't try to keep count. 13:39 Okay. 13:41 But I think He was also trying to hint 13:43 at the infinite forgiveness and mercy of God. 13:47 Amen. 13:48 Let's illustrate this with some church pews. 13:51 Okay. 13:53 Okay, so here we have a pew filled with people. 13:57 No arms. 14:01 It's like a full of people. 14:02 They have heads and they're thinking. 14:04 That's enough. 14:08 Okay, now that church pew is full. 14:12 Yes, it's full. 14:13 And if another person comes along, 14:15 we might try to make room, 14:16 we say everybody scoot down one to make room 14:18 but the person on the end of the pew 14:20 is going to get bumped off the end and that's no good. 14:23 It's true, I see that happening here sometimes. 14:25 Okay, so let's try a longer pew. 14:28 Okay, how long? 14:30 You guess. 14:31 Infinitely long. 14:32 Very good. 14:33 Okay. 14:35 Okay, so now that pew is filled with people 14:39 and you might think there's no room. 14:41 Another person comes along, needs a place, no problem. 14:45 Now we have everybody move over one 14:48 and since the pew is infinitely long, 14:51 we can do that. 14:52 They can do that. 14:53 Everybody moves over one and now there is a room 14:56 at the beginning of the pew for this new person. 14:58 So what you are telling me 14:59 is that if this infinite pew is full of people, 15:05 it's not really, or is it full? 15:13 Well, it's kind of both. 15:15 But we can always make more room. 15:17 Okay, I guess that's the most important thing, isn't it? 15:19 Yes. 15:20 When we were talking, 15:21 I was reminded of a song that we like to sing. 15:26 The song, one of the most popular hymns, amazing grace. 15:30 Amazing grace, that's right, the last stanza. 15:33 Does everyone know that? Let's say it together. 15:37 When we've been there, ten thousand years, 15:41 Bright shining as the sun, 15:44 we've no less days to sing God's praise, 15:49 than when we'd first begun. 15:53 And the same is true with God's mercy. 15:56 So 10,000 years in heaven doesn't make a dent? 16:00 No, you still have just as much time left to praise God. 16:03 Amen. 16:05 Now what does all of this talk about infinity, 16:08 the mathematics of infinity? 16:10 What is it tell us about God's mercy. 16:13 You cannot ever use up God's mercy. 16:16 There's always room for God to forgive me one more time. 16:21 There is always God to forgive your neighbor, 16:23 my neighbor one more time. 16:25 We can't use it up. 16:27 So when I feel like I have used it up, what then? 16:31 You just walk up to that pew 16:32 and ask everybody to scoot over. 16:34 Amen. Amen. 16:37 Psalm 136, "Give praise to the Lord for He is good." 16:43 "His mercy endures forever." 16:46 "Give thanks to the God of Gods His mercy endures forever." 16:52 'Gives thanks to the Lord of Lords." 16:55 Say it with me. "His mercy endures forever." 17:03 Thank you Professor Bob, 17:05 for those reminders, 17:11 how mysterious is this infinite mercy, wow. 17:15 Always room for one more sinner, always room. 17:20 And if that one more sinner is here today, 17:23 I want to assure you that 17:24 by the time this service is over, 17:27 there will be room in that pew for you. 17:31 You'll be listening. 17:32 Mercy has a message for you today. 17:38 That's great. 17:43 Oh, God, the mystery, the infinity of mercy. 17:50 How could we ever possibly wrap 17:55 our finite minds around so great a truth? 17:59 We're trying Father, we're trying hard this season. 18:02 We're coming back to mercy, over and over again 18:06 and mercy keeps running after us. 18:10 Today, with mercy's teaching, 18:14 today, remind us that there is always room 18:21 for one more sinner on Your pew, 18:27 in Christ Jesus' name, 18:31 we pray, amen. 18:38 I'm gonna show you a picture, in just a moment, 18:41 of somebody, I'm gonna ask you 18:44 if you can recognize who this somebody is. 18:48 It has been reputed all right, this is the little hint. 18:51 It has been reputed, reportedly, 18:56 this somebody once owned the estate 19:03 at the end of Kephart Lane here 19:06 in Berrien Springs, Michigan, all right. 19:09 Now you old timers are saying, oh, yeah, I know, all right. 19:13 So let's take a look at this somebody, 19:15 reputedly once in our town 19:18 and lets see if we recognize him. 19:20 Recognize him? Oh, come on. 19:26 The notorious 1920s and 1930s 19:30 mob gangster name Alphonse Capone. 19:36 "Chicago Tribune" just a few days ago 19:38 ran a piece on Al Capone. 19:41 Included in it were these un-enviable highlights 19:44 from his police rap sheet. 19:47 Can we run a few these by you? 19:49 Born Alphonse Capone January 17, 1899, Brooklyn, New York. 19:54 At the age of 14 he quits school 19:55 to join the notorious five points gang in Manhattan. 19:58 While working as a bouncer and a bartender 20:01 at the seedy Little Harvard Inn in Brooklyn, 20:03 he got into a fight with one of the patrons, 20:06 scared up his face 20:07 and hence his nickname, Scar face. 20:10 In 1919, the New York gang war heated up 20:13 and Capone moved to the windy city 20:15 and he became one of our own, Chicago. 20:18 Capone went to work for the crime boss John Torrio, 20:21 by 1922 Capone had risen to the number two position 20:25 in the mob in Chicago. 20:26 When Torrio left town in 1925, Capone took over, 20:31 controlling the speakeasies, the bookie joints, 20:33 the gambling houses, the brothels, 20:34 the race tracks, the distilleries, 20:36 remember that's during the prohibition 20:37 when they were bootlegging alcohol 20:39 and other businesses, he ran them all. 20:42 February 14, 1929, Capone reportedly ordered 20:47 the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, 20:50 you've heard of that. 20:52 Six members of the rival Bugs Moran's mob were gunned down. 20:55 Capone said, I didn't do it, his alibi, 20:56 he was in Florida, and he really was. 20:59 By 1930, at the peak of his power, 21:02 Al Capone was declared 21:03 Chicago's public enemy number one. 21:07 Ended up on Time magazine, 21:08 in 1931, Capone indicted for income tax evasion, 21:11 the jury found him not guilty on 18 of the 23 charges. 21:15 He was sentenced to 10 years 21:16 in Federal penitentiary first in Atlanta, 21:18 you've heard of this place Alcatraz? 21:20 There he went. 21:21 He was released in November 16, 1939, 21:24 returned home to Palm Island in Florida. 21:27 Capone's heath rapidly deteriorated. 21:30 He suffered from a syphilis related complication, 21:34 probably contracted syphilis while he was young. 21:37 He died a powerless recluse on January 25, 1947, 21:41 at home in bed and he is buried 21:42 in the Mount Carmel Catholic cemetery, 21:44 in west of Bremen, Illinois, Chicago. 21:49 You're saying, please pastor, 21:51 all this fuss about Al Capone, what's up? 21:54 I'll tell you what's up, that's his grave stone. 21:56 Thanks to my friend Bob Little, 21:58 I have a picture of his grave stone 21:59 and I want you to see it, 22:01 we'll put it on the screen for you right now. 22:03 There it is. 22:05 Alphonse Capone, 1899-1947, 22:10 and then this prayer, my Jesus, mercy. 22:17 Quite a prayer to pray, 22:18 I mean, you think about it, my Jesus, mercy. 22:20 When you're a public enemy number one, 22:22 bootlegging, gun toting, scar face, 22:23 syphilis infected, mobster, 22:25 wouldn't you say that's the prayer to pray. 22:27 My Jesus, mercy, I mean, come on. 22:29 You don't suppose God would dare to have mercy 22:32 on such a reprobate sinner, as Al Capone, do you? 22:37 Open your Bible please with me, 22:40 to Al Capone's two word prayer. 22:45 Four times in one gospel, 22:50 this two word prayer, that Al Capone prayed. 22:55 And every time that it's prayed, 22:57 every time it is prayed, 22:58 mercy comes a running, hallelujah. 23:01 Which, by the way, if I might move to the punch line 23:03 rather early in the teaching, 23:06 ought to be reason enough for you and me to earnestly 23:10 latch onto this prayer 23:11 and pray it for the rest of our lives. 23:13 Two word prayer. 23:14 Four stories, two words, one prayer, 23:17 we're gonna look for it. 23:18 In this particular teaching series, 23:19 we're only in one book so we'll go to that one book, 23:21 it's a book of Matthew, 23:22 that's our theme book for this series 23:24 "When mercy came a runnin'" 23:26 Open you Bible please, to the gospel of Matthew. 23:29 Four stories, we're looking for a two word prayer, 23:33 just one prayer. 23:34 First story, Matthew 9. 23:37 By the way if you dint bring a Bible, 23:38 grab the Bible right in front of you in the pew rack. 23:40 We're gonna read these in rapid fire succession. 23:42 Four stories, you got to read 23:43 the stories for yourself, grab the Bible. 23:45 Pew Bible page number would be 655. 23:49 And this is Matthew 9, so I'm finding it with you, 23:52 New King James version, which I'll be reading from. 23:56 Those of you watching on television 23:57 that's what you'll be reading on the screen 23:59 and that's our pew Bible as it turns out. 24:01 Matthew 9, lets drop down to verse 27. 24:04 "When Jesus departed from there, 24:05 two blind men followed Him, crying out." 24:08 By the way isn't that something, 24:09 you can be blind and follow Jesus. 24:12 Isn't that great? 24:13 You can be blind and follow Jesus. 24:17 You can follow Jesus and still be blind by the way. 24:22 Either way, you look at it, it's good news. 24:25 "When Jesus departed from there, 24:26 two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, 24:28 'Son of David, have mercy on us!' 24:32 And when He had come into the house 24:33 the blind men came to Him, Jesus, and Jesus said to them, 24:35 'hey, do you believe I am able to do this?' 24:39 they said to Him, yes sir, we believe." 24:43 Verse 29, "Then he touched their eyes, saying, 24:47 'According to your faith, let it be to you.' 24:51 And their eyes were opened." Whose face did they see first? 24:57 Now that's a good a way to begin everyday, isn't it? 24:59 The first face you see everyday, 25:01 that would be the face of Jesus. 25:03 First face they see, and its Jesus. 25:05 "And their eyes were opened, and Jesus sternly warned them." 25:07 Jesus was not a masochist, he was not looking for trouble. 25:10 He said I am trying to stay out of trouble, 25:11 don't tell anybody what I've done to you, 25:13 I don't want a premature death. 25:15 So Jesus sternly warns them in, what verse is this? 25:19 He sternly warns them in verse 30, 25:21 "See that no one knows it." 25:22 Verse 31, "But when they had departed, 25:24 they spread the news about Him in all that country." 25:27 You know why? 25:28 Because when mercy is just come run into you, you can't help 25:30 but go running with the good news. 25:33 That's the mystery of mercy. 25:35 Once you have it, you got to share. 25:39 Okay, story number two. 25:41 Two word prayer, story number two, 25:42 just turn the page over to chapter 15. 25:45 Chapter 15, few pages over, 25:48 Matthew 15, drop down to verse 21. 25:51 What's the two word prayer? 25:52 We're trying to find this two word prayer, 25:53 see if you can spot it. 25:54 Matthew 15:21, "Then Jesus went out from there 25:58 and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 26:00 And Behold, a woman of Canaan." 26:02 Let me tell you something, 26:03 that woman is a pagan, she is raw. 26:06 She is not of the saved, 26:08 she is not of the community of faith, 26:09 she is a pagan and a godless pagan. 26:14 "And behold, a woman of Canaan verse 22. 26:16 Came from that region and cried out to Him saying, 26:21 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David! 26:24 My daughter is severely demon-possessed.'" 26:27 But Jesus does something totally uncharacteristic 26:30 of the compassionate nature 26:31 you and I have come to know Him as, 26:34 and He answered her, verse 23. 26:36 "But He answered her not a word." 26:39 To the place-- because in the Greek, 26:42 in the Greek, the tense of the Greek verb here 26:45 indicates it wasn't just one time 26:46 she said have mercy. 26:47 She's saying O Lord, have mercy, 26:49 son of David have mercy, 26:50 it's repetitious, over and over. 26:52 Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy. 26:53 And she is driving the guys crazy 26:55 and finally the disciples come to Jesus 26:57 and they said, well what's up with this? 26:58 Please do something. 27:00 And that's what they're saying here in the verse 23, 27:01 "His disciples came and urged Him, saying, 27:03 'Send her away, for she cries out after us.' 27:09 But He answered and said, 27:11 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep 27:14 of the house of Israel.'" 27:16 Is He talking about the disciples? 27:18 Or He is talking about her? 27:22 A mystery, we don't know. 27:26 "And then she came and worshiped." 27:29 Now the Greek is clear that 27:30 in order to do this verb "worship" 27:32 she has to go on her hands and knees. 27:35 "And she came on her hands and knees 27:37 and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' 27:42 But He answered and said, Hey, look. 27:44 'It is not good to take the children's bread 27:45 and throw it to the little dogs.' 27:51 And she said, 'Yes, Lord, 27:53 yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs 27:55 which fall from their masters' table, 27:57 have mercy on me, a dog, Lord, give me something.'" 28:02 And Jesus, I'm sure tears of joy 28:05 just welled up in His eye and He, 28:07 you know His vision goes blur, 28:09 He is looking into this pagan's face 28:11 and "He says 'O woman, great is your faith! 28:16 Let it be to you as you desire.' 28:18 And her daughter was healed from that very hour." 28:23 Story number three of that two word prayer, 28:26 turn to one more page again, to Matthew 17. 28:30 Four stories, in rapid fire succession. 28:32 Drop down to verse 14. 28:34 Matthew 17:14 28:36 "And when they had come to the multitude, 28:37 a man came to Him, kneeling down." 28:40 Have you noticed the posture? Have you noticed the posture? 28:44 She goes down on her hands and knees, 28:45 he goes down on his hands and knees, 28:47 a man comes to Him, you know why? 28:49 Because they're both parents, 28:50 and that is the posture of most parents 28:53 who go to Jesus about their children. 28:56 Hands and knees. 28:58 He's a dad now, we just saw a mom, 29:00 watch the dad. 29:02 "And when they had come to the multitude, 29:03 a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him 29:05 and saying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, 29:09 for he is an epileptic and suffers severely 29:11 for he often falls into the fire 29:13 and often into the water. 29:15 So I brought him to Your disciples, 29:17 but they could not cure him.'" 29:19 Now I want you to catch a little bit 29:20 of the desperation, much more dramatic 29:23 that desperation in the gospel of St. Mark 29:25 and so hold your finger right here 29:26 because we have one more story in Matthew, 29:27 but just go over to Mark 9. 29:29 We'll let Mark finish the story 29:30 because we want to sense the pathos, 29:34 the psyche of this desperate father. 29:36 So we go over to Mark 9 29:38 and in the pew Bible that would be page 680. 29:41 Take a look at this, 29:42 keep your finger right where it was in Matthew. 29:44 Verse 20, so Mark, we'll pick up Mark's story right 29:46 where we left it off in Matthew's story. 29:48 Verse 20, "And then they brought him, 29:49 the boy to Him, Jesus. 29:52 And when he, the boy saw Him, 29:54 Jesus, immediately the spirit convulsed him, 29:58 and he fell on the ground and wallowed, 30:00 foaming at the mouth. 30:02 So Jesus asked the father, 30:04 'how long has this been happening to your boy?'" 30:06 Sounds like a doctor, physical examination, isn't it? 30:09 How long has this been going on? 30:12 And immediately the father says from childhood, 30:14 verse 22, and father goes on, 30:16 "'And often he, the spirit has thrown him, 30:18 my boy both into the fire and into the water to destroy 30:21 but, look, look, if You can do anything, 30:24 if you can do anything, you, you can do anything 30:29 have compassion on us and help us.' 30:32 And Jesus said, 'what you are talking about, if me? If you,'" 30:38 and quotes him right back. 30:40 "'If you can believe, 30:43 all things are possible to him who believes.' 30:44 And immediately that father of the child cried out 30:48 and said with tears." 30:49 I want you to mark that word tears. 30:51 How many of you have parents? Should be most of us. 30:57 Do you know what tears are? 31:00 They are the pathology of parental desperation. 31:04 Tears are the very nature of parental desperation. 31:07 You got a momma at home, you got a papa at home? 31:10 Let me tell you something, 31:11 I don't even have to ask them, they know. 31:14 They know the meaning of tears. 31:18 The mother cries, the daddy cries. 31:22 I've seen dad's cry, that's not a pretty sight, 31:25 it's bad, it's bad when a man cries. 31:29 It's good for him to cry, just doesn't look good. 31:35 And papa burst in the tears. 31:36 This is so, this is so touching, 31:38 "Immediately the father of the child cried out 31:40 and said with tears, 31:42 'Lord, I believe, You got to help my unbelief! Please.' 31:47 And when Jesus saw 31:48 that the people came running together." 31:49 I am not gonna make a show out of this Jesus said, 31:51 let's quick, let's get to action. 31:53 Jesus, what is this? 31:54 Verse 25, "Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, 31:56 saying to it 'Deaf and dumb spirit, 31:58 I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!' 32:00 Then the spirit cried out, 32:02 convulsing the boy greatly, and came out of him. 32:04 And the boy became as one dead, 32:05 so that those standing by said, 'He is dead.'" 32:08 Too late. 32:12 "But Jesus, mercy took him by the hand 32:16 and lifted him up, and he arose." 32:20 Story number four of the two word prayer, 32:23 go back to Matthew, Matthew last story, 32:24 Matthew 20, Matthew 20. 32:28 Four stories in one gospel, two words, one prayer. 32:34 Matthew 20, drop down to verse 29. 32:37 "And now, as they went out of Jericho, 32:40 a great multitude followed Him," 32:42 that would be Jesus. 32:43 "And behold, two blind men sitting by the road." 32:45 Hey, wait a minute, are these the same two blind men 32:47 that were in that first story? 32:49 Impossible, of course it can't be the same blind men, 32:50 those guys see now. 32:52 These are two more blind men. You know what the deal is? 32:55 The blind beggars traveled in pairs, 32:59 so that when one goes down, 33:01 the other can stumble in that darkness 33:03 to raise the first one back onto his feet. 33:07 It's a classic case of the blind leading the blind. 33:11 And it's a paradigm a life around here, isn't it? 33:16 So they traveled in two's. 33:18 "And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, 33:20 when they heard Jesus was passing by, cried out" 33:23 There is that cry again. 33:24 "Cried out, saying, 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!'" 33:28 Now in the story of the mother, 33:31 the Greek tense indicates she's just saying it 33:32 over and over and over again, 33:34 but in this story the Greek tense is absolutely clear, 33:37 they get it out only once. 33:38 You know why? 33:39 Because as soon as they cry out that two word prayer, 33:43 the grumbling crowd has a two word response, shut up. 33:51 "Then the multitude," verse 31, "warned them 33:53 that they should be quiet." 33:54 Hush your mouth. 33:59 "But they cried out," I love this. 34:00 "But they cried out all the more, 34:03 over the noise of the crowd, 34:05 saying, 'Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!'" 34:07 So Jesus above the cacophony of that rabble, 34:10 Jesus hears the cry. 34:14 "And He stood still and He called them, 34:18 and He said, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 34:20 And they said to Him, 'Lord, that our eyes may be opened.' 34:24 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. 34:27 And immediately their eyes received sight, 34:30 and they followed Him." 34:34 There they are ladies and gentlemen, 34:35 four stories, two words, one prayer. 34:41 Have you figured out, what the two word, one prayer is? 34:46 The prayer that Al Capone prayed on his grave stone. 34:50 I wish you would write it down, 34:51 so that you'll never forget this prayer again. 34:53 I need to write it down, 34:54 so that we might earnestly embrace this prayer 34:56 for the rest of our lives. 34:57 Write it down, right now the two word prayer. 34:59 Take your study guide out. 35:01 You got a study guide in your worship bulletin 35:02 grab it right now, please. 35:03 Ushers, thank you, for making sure 35:05 that everybody here gets one, 35:06 hold your hand up if you don't have a study guide. 35:08 Way in the balcony, up here, front, 35:10 doesn't matter, just, they are coming in both directions, 35:12 so just hold your hand up. 35:13 And we will make sure you'll get it. 35:14 And while they are doing that, 35:15 I want to say to those of you watching right now, 35:17 if you go to our website, 35:18 let me put it on the screen for you. 35:19 There it is, www.pmchurch.tv, 35:23 that's our website Pioneer Memorial Church, 35:25 pmchurch.tv. 35:27 Go to our, our new series called "Mercy came a runnin'" 35:30 And when you go to that series 35:32 you want to click on to this teaching, 35:33 this is called "The two word prayer." 35:36 You'll see right there, the word study guide. 35:39 Click onto that word study guide 35:41 and you'll have the same study, 35:42 the same study guide we have right here. 35:46 I give you a second to do that, those of you watching. 35:49 If you're on a DVD right now just hit that pause get it 35:51 and pick right up with us, please. 35:54 All right, right there at the top of the study guide, 35:55 jot it down please. 35:56 Al Capone, the prayer of Al Capone, "My Jesus Mercy." 36:03 Write it down. Four stories, two words, one prayer. 36:07 What is that one prayer? 36:09 Say it out loud with me, "Have mercy." 36:11 Have mercy, would you please write that down. 36:14 My Jesus, have mercy. 36:16 You know what mercy is, don't you? 36:17 You know what you're saying, when you say have mercy, 36:19 you're saying, you're saying hey look, 36:20 don't give me what I deserve, 36:23 give me what I desperately need. 36:26 Don't give me what I deserve. 36:28 I know what I deserve, I don't need another voice telling me, 36:31 everybody is telling me. 36:33 I'm asking for what I don't deserve, 36:36 that's mercy, that's what I need. 36:40 Question is, when in life should we pray this prayer? 36:43 When in life? Okay, let's go back to the fourth story. 36:46 Boom, boom, boom. 36:47 We're not gonna look 'em up now, 36:48 because you already know the story, 36:49 story number one tells us the answer. 36:50 When in life should I pray this prayer? 36:52 When you cannot behold. That's one word, fill it in please. 36:55 When you cannot see, when you cannot behold, 36:58 that's when you pray the prayer, have mercy. 37:01 You know, it's like driving, don't you just love winter? 37:04 I mean, you're driving on a highway, 37:05 it's two lane highway, and an 18 wheeler is in front of you. 37:08 Doesn't that just bug you 37:09 because one half of those 18 wheels, 37:11 9, 9 of those tires are hitting every mucky, brown puddle 37:16 between here and your destination. 37:17 And when they hit that muck where does it end up? 37:22 Splattered all over you. 37:24 All over the windshield or as our friends in England 37:26 would say all over the windscreen. 37:30 Pray the prayer. 37:33 When personal guilt and sin have morally blinded you, 37:37 you cannot even behold, the Lamb of God 37:39 who takes away the sin of the world, 37:41 that's the time to cry out, 37:42 Lord, you got to have mercy on me. 37:44 Have mercy on me. I can't see. 37:48 I love this line, it describes the face 37:51 that the two blind men saw, 37:52 the very first vision they saw when their eyes were opened. 37:55 And this line is in your study guide. 37:56 Isn't this great? Never, you see that word? 37:59 I wish you would circle the word 'never'. 38:01 Never, circle that word never. 38:04 "Never does that kindly face and that arm of strength..." 38:08 he's speaking of Jesus, 38:09 "turn from the supplicating hands 38:11 that are stretched out for mercy.' 38:15 Isn't that great? Never. 38:16 You want one prayer that God will always answer. 38:18 Do you want a prayer that God will always answer? 38:20 It's the prayer for mercy. Always. 38:24 You want mercy. I have mercy on you, boy. 38:28 I have mercy on you, girl. Never, never will He turn away. 38:35 My Jesus, have mercy. 38:37 And by the way, in Matthew, in between these stories 38:40 there's a story about Peter walking on the water, 38:41 remember Peter in a stormy night, 38:43 he's walking on water, he says, Jesus, called me, 38:44 and so Jesus says come on, boy, 38:46 and Peter gets out, middle of the night, remember that? 38:48 And then he takes his eyes off of Jesus 38:50 and what happens to him? 38:51 Refresh my memory, what happens to him? 38:53 He thinks he is going down to Davy Jones locker, all right. 38:56 And he cries out a two word prayer, 38:57 you know what that two-word prayer was? 38:59 Lord, save me. 39:01 I want to tell you something guys, 39:02 if you ever forget the words, have mercy, 39:04 you can know that their synonym prayer is save me. 39:07 Same prayer, have mercy, save me, save me. 39:14 So that's the two word prayer to pray. 39:16 When should I pray this two word prayer? 39:17 When you cannot behold story number two, 39:20 when you cannot be helped. 39:23 Write that in as well. 39:24 Pray the prayer, when you cannot be helped. 39:28 You've turned your help from, to everyone you can think of, 39:30 your physiatrist, your counselors, 39:31 your doctors, the bank, the church, 39:33 but that which is dear to you is slipping away 39:35 and there is no one left to whom you can turn. 39:39 That's the time to pray this prayer. 39:40 Have mercy on me, Son of David, have mercy. 39:44 Because truth be known, hey look, 39:46 truth is, we know this, don't we? 39:49 Like that Syrophoenician mother 39:51 it may sometimes appear that your pleading and sobbing 39:55 are falling on even deaf ears up there. 39:58 Come on, I know, you know that. 40:00 They are times when it seems nobody will hear, 40:03 not even God Himself. 40:04 But you know what, guys, lets take a, lets take a page 40:07 out of this desperate mother's play book. 40:10 And like the Greek tense indicates 40:12 lets just keep repeating the prayer and 40:33 To be walking by. 40:35 Surely, He will be accosted by your desperation. 40:39 My sobbing, surely He will stop and stoop, 40:41 where we've thrown ourselves to block His path. 40:44 Surely He will stop and have mercy. 40:47 So you pray that prayer and you can't be helped. 40:54 Philip Yancey, oh, boy this, 40:56 I wish I could get this book for you. 40:58 It says, provocative brand new book, Philip Yancey's new book, 41:02 "Prayer, Does it Make Any Difference." 41:05 We're brooding over this book 41:06 and how's the prayer, by the way, on Wednesday night? 41:08 Love to have you come and join us. 41:10 It is just very provocative, 41:11 the answer is totally transparent 41:13 as he struggles with the reality of prayer 41:14 and which of us hasn't struggled with prayer? 41:17 But the answer is, he's dealing with prayer 41:19 and he's recalling that story 41:21 where Abraham, with the mental stranger. 41:23 You remember the, remember the stranger that showed up 41:26 outside of his tent one day and he gave him, 41:28 you know, he gave that meal. 41:29 And then the other two leave 41:30 and so it's just Abraham alone with that mental stranger 41:33 and the mental stranger says, I'm going down to Sodom, 41:35 to figure out what I'm gonna do with this city. 41:37 And Abraham realizes his nephew, his one boy, is there 41:41 and so Abraham begins to barter with God, 41:43 you remember that story? 41:44 He said okay God, look, look, look. 41:46 I know this is very important what's happened down at Sodom, 41:48 if there are 50 people there, 41:50 would you save the city if there are 50? 41:51 And God looks, 41:52 the mental stranger looks out of those shadows 41:54 into the face of this man who's bartering with him. 41:56 He says, I'll give you Sodom for 50. 41:59 There Abraham realizes, man, that was easy, 42:02 let me go down five. 42:03 He says, how about if there are 45? 42:05 Will you save him for 45? 42:07 And the mental stranger looks back, 42:08 he says, I will give it to you for 45. 42:09 And Abraham says well, I am really dumb, 42:12 let me ask you one more time. How about for 40? 42:15 And just like that the mental stranger says, 42:16 you can have it for 40 and suddenly Abraham realizes, 42:19 he is winning in this bartering 42:20 and so instead of an increment of five, 42:22 he now jumps to increments of 10. 42:24 I'm dropping it down to 30, would you save Sodom for 30? 42:26 I will save it for 30. 42:28 I will save it for 30. Would save it 20? 42:29 I'll save it for 20? 42:30 Oh, God don't strike me dead, please, I'm just ashes, 42:33 but would you save it for 10? 42:37 And the mental stranger looks straight into his face 42:38 and he says I will save it for 10. 42:41 And there's this pause and Yancey wonders, 42:45 could it be the mental stranger saying, 42:48 you want to go any lower? 42:51 You want to go any lower? 42:54 What if Abraham had gone down to one? 42:57 I got a boy. 43:00 So now Yancey's writing, 43:02 it's in your study guide, this is great. 43:03 Watch, look. 43:04 "Was God, so quick to concede each point, 43:06 actually looking for an advocate, 43:08 a human being bold enough to express 43:10 God's own deepest instinct of mercy?" 43:13 I wish you'd just circle that, 43:14 God's deepest instinct of mercy. 43:17 Yancey goes on. 43:18 "God invites argument and struggle 43:19 from you and me, and often yields, 43:22 especially when the point of contention is God's mercy." 43:26 Hold on, he is quoting this, 43:28 somebody named Archbishop Trench, 43:30 "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance." I like this. 43:34 "Prayer is laying hold of God's highest willingness." 43:38 And they agree. 43:39 Yes, you have to talk me into it. 43:41 I already am mercy. 43:44 I want to do what you're asking. 43:47 Ask me, have mercy. Have mercy, wow. 43:52 So a desperate mother, kept on pleading, 43:55 have mercy on me, Son of David, you got to have mercy. 43:57 And finally tears in His eyes, 43:59 He says, woman great is your faith, 44:00 I have mercy on you, go, it's okay, you win. 44:05 Mercy comes a runnin', you win. 44:10 So when do you pray this prayer? 44:13 You pray this prayer, when you can't be behold. 44:17 You pray this prayer, when you can't be helped. 44:20 And story number three, 44:21 you pray this prayer when you can't believe. 44:24 Write it down, you can't believe. 44:28 Living in this academic environment as we do, 44:30 we must be honest and confess 44:32 that at times it is hard to believe, 44:34 hard to know what to believe, at times. 44:36 Hard to know how to believe, at times. 44:38 I received a card from one of our viewers 44:41 out on the west coast just this last week. 44:45 It read and asked for a book, 44:48 little book, "Built to Last" so we send him the book, 44:50 I got the card back. 44:52 Skip the first couple of paragraphs, 44:53 "Pastor Nelson, although I believe in a higher power, 44:59 I am still an angry agnostic 45:01 due to the horrible life of my..." 45:04 and then he describes a loved one of his 45:06 and what that loved one has had to endure. 45:09 "Consequently, I am continually looking for answers." 45:16 He signs his name. 45:19 The third story is about a father who says, 45:21 you know what, I don't believe. 45:25 I believe, but you got to help my un-belief. 45:27 Don't you suppose ladies and gentlemen, 45:28 that God actually responds to such transparency, 45:34 don't you think it just moves the heart of God 45:36 when you're honest with me. 45:38 The problem is when you and I pray, 45:39 we're never honest with God, that's the problem. 45:41 We always think we got to come to God 45:43 as the way we think God wants us to be when we come to Him 45:46 and so we put on the charade 45:47 and God says, who are you fooling? 45:50 C.S. Lewis, you have this in your study guide. 45:52 This is so great. 45:53 C.S. Lewis, he says "The prayer preceding all prayers is this, 45:57 'May it be the real I who speaks." 46:01 No games God, no games. 46:03 "May it be the real I who speaks 46:05 and may it be the real Thou that I speak to." 46:10 I talk to the real God, not this caricature. 46:13 I make a caricature of me, I make a caricature of Him 46:17 and we had these little caricatures 46:19 going through this play acting. 46:21 No, Yancey commenting on that prayer, 46:23 look at this, you got it in your study guide. 46:24 "Prayer invites me to lower defenses 46:27 and present the self that no other person fully knows 46:30 to a God who already knows." 46:34 You don't have to play with Him. 46:36 To play game with Him, He knows who you are. 46:39 He knows what you're like. 46:41 Be honest, come to mercy. 46:44 Like that father, O, I believe, I believe, 46:47 but help my un-belief. 46:50 God says, bring it to me, come as you are. 46:55 And I couldn't go to mercy, mercy came in runnin' to me. 47:04 Two word prayer, 47:06 showed you the mercy of God is for universities like us. 47:10 Two word prayer. You pray this prayer when you cannot behold. 47:14 You pray this prayer when you cannot be helped. 47:17 You pray this prayer when you cannot believe. 47:20 And you pray this prayer when you cannot be heard. 47:23 Write it down. That's our fourth story. 47:28 When you cannot be heard. 47:32 I didn't know her. 47:34 I don't imagine you did either. 47:39 But I, I want to tell you something, just be honest here. 47:41 I have felt such a sense of sadness, 47:45 over the tragic death and even more tragic life 47:49 of Anna Nicole Smith. 47:55 Newsweek magazine carried a story on her 47:57 and they showed a picture of her when she is in Texas 47:59 as a young mother and wife and I tell you what 48:01 she is just a garden variety woman next door. 48:04 She is just... That's all she was. 48:08 An average, commoner woman. 48:10 But who becomes driven by a fiend, 48:15 hungry for acceptance, hungry for live, 48:18 hungry for popularity, fame and fortune, give me that. 48:25 Vanity, vanity, all is vanity. 48:32 Anna Nicole Smith became a third millennial embodiment 48:35 of ecclesiastic's forlorn obituary. 48:41 There she is, 48:42 that's what the book of Ecclesiastics is all about. 48:47 Makes you wonder, doesn't it? 48:49 Did any of the men, who now claim paternity rights 48:53 to her surviving baby, that surviving baby daughter. 48:58 A baby crying. For somebody to say, I am your daddy. 49:15 Did any of the men, you think about this guys, 49:17 I mean this, you just can't believe, 49:19 this soap opera is just a circus. 49:22 Did any of the men who now claim paternity rights 49:24 to her surviving baby daughter, 49:27 ever get close enough to Anna Nicole Smith 49:29 to satisfy her pleading for love? 49:31 Did they know what she was hungry for? 49:33 It was not sex, it was love. Somebody love me. 49:42 And so she screaming, 49:45 but the paparazzi and the noisy crowd that ever dogged her, 49:50 spiked heels, drowned out her sobs for mercy. 49:56 Could that be it? 49:58 But then doesn't that fourth story tell us there is someone 50:01 who can hear above the cacophony of the crowd. 50:05 The whispered prayer, for mercy. 50:14 My Jesus mercy, 50:15 prays the grave stone of Al Capone, 50:17 could it be the contested body still in the morgue 50:20 of Anna Nicole Smith prays the same today. 50:27 Could it be that in the words of Frederick Faber? 50:31 "There is wideness in God's mercy, 50:34 like the wideness of the sea. 50:38 There is a kindness in God's justice, 50:43 which is more than liberty." 50:45 Could it be true 50:48 in that second stanza of his that the love of God 50:50 is broader than the measure of man's mind 50:53 and the heart of the eternal? 50:55 The infinite, the heart of the eternal. 51:00 He's most wonderfully kind. 51:03 Could it be? 51:04 There is room in the pew for one more, Anna Nicole. 51:14 There is welcome for the sinner and more graces for the good, 51:17 there is mercy with the savior, there is healing in His blood. 51:22 And could it be, finally I ask you, could it be? 51:25 That we are just as much in need of mercy today 51:29 as Al Capone and Anna Nicole Smith, 51:33 you and me. 51:35 My Jesus mercy. 51:38 I mean, didn't Jesus tell us story once upon a time 51:40 about two men who went to church on Sabbath, 51:43 did He tell the story about them? 51:45 Didn't He tell us the story about that one? 51:48 The self righteous one who stood up in church 51:51 and he cried out, O, God I thank you 51:53 that I am not like Al Capone and Anna Nicole Smith, 51:57 I tie, stewardship is my thing, 51:59 I eat carefully, diet is my thing. 52:04 And I thank you that I am not like other men and women 52:07 and like that sinner, sitting in the back row of this church. 52:12 Did Jesus story, come on, come on, 52:14 didn't Jesus story also tell about the sinner 52:17 in the back row of the church that Sabbath, 52:20 who beat his heart and during the closing hymn 52:23 could not even raise his eyes heavenward, 52:25 but sob quietly into the sleeve of his jacket. 52:29 O, God, be merciful, be merciful to me a sinner. 52:35 My Jesus, mercy, have mercy on me. 52:41 And did it? 52:42 Come on and didn't the story of Jesus end 52:45 with the punch line that the likes of Anna Nicole Smith 52:49 and Al Capone got saved 52:51 while the likes of that self righteous prig got lost. 53:00 What made the difference? 53:03 You want to know what made the difference? 53:05 You want to know what made the difference? 53:07 That two word prayer. 53:11 Because only sinners plead for mercy 53:16 and only for sinners can mercy plead. 53:33 Have mercy upon me O, God, 53:37 according to Your loving kindness, 53:41 according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, 53:45 blot out my transgressions. 53:48 Wash me thoroughly from my inequity 53:51 and cleanse me from my sin. 53:54 For I acknowledge my transgressions 53:56 and my sin is always before me, against You, 53:59 You only, have I sinned, I've done this evil in Your sight, 54:03 that you may be found just when You speaking 54:05 and blameless when you judge. 54:09 Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. 54:14 Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. 54:19 Hide your face from my sins and blot out my inequities. 54:22 Create in me a clean heart O, God 54:24 and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 54:27 Do not cast me away from your presence. 54:29 And do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 54:34 My Jesus mercy, please. I beg of you, have mercy on me. 54:45 O, God, Holy Father, 54:53 have mercy on us. 54:58 Jesus' story is right. 55:01 We all ended up in church today 55:05 and the truth about both worshipers, 55:09 they were each desperately in need of mercy. 55:16 Holy God, please have mercy on us. 55:36 If there is a sinner here, today, 55:42 like Al Capone 55:47 or like Anna Nicole Smith 55:51 and you're in need of mercy, 55:58 I would like to invite you to stand 56:00 and sing this two word prayer to heaven right now. 56:22 Holy Father, 56:26 we have got to home today saved from worship. 56:31 Which ever one we are, in Jesus' story, 56:37 which ever one we are Capone, Smith, it doesn't matter. 56:45 We stand with a prayer, have mercy, 56:52 O, God, upon us. 56:59 Amen. 57:02 Let me take one more moment of you time 57:03 to let you know that one of the blessings I've received 57:05 from this telecast is being in touch with viewers like you, 57:08 all across Michigan and our nation and literally the world. 57:12 I'm humbled and honored 57:13 with your sharing of journey with us. 57:15 Sometimes it's a Bible question, 57:16 other times it's an observation or suggestion 57:19 and sometimes just a note 57:20 to share a prayer or a prayer request. 57:22 I'd love to hear from you and it's so easy to be in touch. 57:25 Just go to our Pioneer Memorial Church website 57:27 www.pmchurch.tv, and click on contact, 57:32 and then the word pastor 57:34 and then jot down the message you wish to send. 57:36 If you have a prayer request, click on those words 57:39 or call our toll free number 1-877-HIS-WILL 57:43 and I promise you 57:44 that our prayer partners will lift your personal need to God, 57:47 because, nobody should have to journey alone. 57:49 Not only do we have Jesus but we also have each other. 57:52 So write me, won't you at www.pmchurch.tv. 57:57 In the meantime, may the God whose mercy 57:59 continually runs after us, be with you 24/7 58:03 every step of the way. 58:05 I will see you again right here next time. |
Revised 2015-05-06