How great, how awesome is He
00:00:27.49\00:00:32.39
And together we sing
00:00:32.43\00:00:34.40
Together we sing everyone sing
00:00:34.43\00:00:40.24
Everyone sing
00:00:40.27\00:00:42.60
So we Holy is the Lord
00:00:42.64\00:00:45.64
God Almighty
00:00:45.67\00:00:49.31
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:00:49.34\00:00:54.12
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
00:00:54.15\00:01:00.39
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:01:00.42\00:01:05.86
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:01:05.89\00:01:09.86
Let's sing it together again
00:01:09.90\00:01:12.23
We stand and lift up our hands
00:01:12.27\00:01:16.34
For the joy of the
Lord is our strength
00:01:16.37\00:01:23.21
We bow down and worship Him now
00:01:23.24\00:01:27.65
How great, how awesome is He
00:01:27.68\00:01:32.05
And together we
sing Together we sing
00:01:32.09\00:01:37.79
Everyone sing Everyone sing
00:01:37.83\00:01:43.10
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
00:01:43.13\00:01:49.20
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:01:49.24\00:01:53.91
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
00:01:53.94\00:01:59.95
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:01:59.98\00:02:05.25
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:02:05.29\00:02:08.92
It's rising up.
00:02:08.96\00:02:10.89
And it's rising up all around
00:02:10.93\00:02:15.70
It's the anthem
of the Lord's renown
00:02:15.73\00:02:21.50
It's rising up all around
00:02:21.54\00:02:26.51
It's the anthem
of the Lord's renown
00:02:26.54\00:02:32.01
And it's rising up all around
00:02:32.05\00:02:37.45
It's the anthem
of the Lord's renown
00:02:37.49\00:02:43.19
It's rising up all around
00:02:43.22\00:02:48.23
It's the anthem
of the Lord's renown
00:02:48.26\00:02:55.20
And together we
sing Together we sing
00:02:56.04\00:03:01.38
Everyone sing Everyone sing
00:03:01.41\00:03:06.78
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
00:03:06.82\00:03:12.75
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:03:12.79\00:03:17.56
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
00:03:17.59\00:03:23.57
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:03:23.60\00:03:28.90
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:03:28.94\00:03:34.41
The earth is
filled with His glory
00:03:34.44\00:03:41.42
In Revelation it says,
00:03:49.82\00:03:53.46
"Whenever the living
creatures give glory,
00:03:53.50\00:03:56.67
honor and thanks to him
00:03:56.70\00:03:58.03
who sits on the throne and
who lives forever and ever,
00:03:58.07\00:04:01.30
the twenty-four
elders fall down before him
00:04:01.34\00:04:04.64
who sits on the
throne and worship him
00:04:04.67\00:04:07.08
who lives forever and ever.
00:04:07.11\00:04:09.58
They lay their
crowns before the throne..."
00:04:09.61\00:04:12.11
Sing with us, "We fall down."
00:04:29.13\00:04:33.57
We fall down
00:04:33.60\00:04:36.54
We lay our crowns
00:04:36.57\00:04:39.51
At the feet of Jesus
00:04:39.54\00:04:46.51
The greatness of
His mercy and love
00:04:46.88\00:04:53.02
At the feet of Jesus
00:04:53.05\00:04:58.96
We cry holy, holy, holy
00:04:58.99\00:05:05.63
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:05:05.67\00:05:12.51
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:05:12.54\00:05:19.51
Is the Lamb
00:05:19.61\00:05:22.25
The rest of the verse says,
00:06:17.84\00:06:19.71
"You are worthy,
our Lord and God,
00:06:19.74\00:06:21.94
to receive glory
and honor and power,
00:06:21.98\00:06:24.75
for you created all things,
00:06:24.78\00:06:26.31
and by Your will
they were created
00:06:26.35\00:06:28.35
and have their being."
00:06:28.38\00:06:30.55
When I read this text,
00:06:30.59\00:06:34.42
you see this visual
picture of these amazing beings
00:06:34.46\00:06:39.09
and they are in
the presence of God
00:06:39.13\00:06:40.63
and all they can
do is just cry holy.
00:06:40.66\00:06:44.73
They're showing
of God's presence.
00:06:44.77\00:06:48.64
If you are in of God's presence,
00:06:48.67\00:06:50.47
if you fill the need
to come up for prayer,
00:06:50.51\00:06:54.58
we want to invite
you to come as we sing,
00:06:54.61\00:06:56.54
"We fall down, "the
last, the last part.
00:06:56.58\00:06:59.51
We fall down We lay our crowns
00:07:11.89\00:07:17.83
At the feet of Jesus
00:07:17.87\00:07:24.77
The greatness of
His mercy and love
00:07:24.81\00:07:30.75
At the feet of Jesus
00:07:30.78\00:07:36.05
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:07:36.08\00:07:42.59
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:07:42.62\00:07:49.23
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:07:49.26\00:07:55.94
Is the Lamb
00:07:55.97\00:07:58.51
We cry holy.
00:07:58.54\00:08:02.31
We cry holy, holy, holy
00:08:02.34\00:08:09.32
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:08:09.35\00:08:16.12
And we cry holy, holy, holy
00:08:16.16\00:08:23.13
Is the Lamb
00:08:23.53\00:08:30.34
Let's kneel together as we pray.
00:08:30.37\00:08:34.78
Dear God, you've heard our songs
00:08:49.29\00:08:52.59
and the desires of our heart
00:08:52.63\00:08:54.46
and we do cry to
you holy, holy, holy.
00:08:54.50\00:08:57.73
No matter what
language is our native tongue,
00:08:57.77\00:09:00.50
we, you are still a
holy God, not just to us,
00:09:00.54\00:09:03.87
but to a world that
you have called us to serve
00:09:03.91\00:09:06.27
and a world that You
came to seeking to save.
00:09:06.31\00:09:09.84
So God, because you are holy,
00:09:09.88\00:09:11.55
we have come into
Your presence on the day
00:09:11.58\00:09:13.38
that You have called holy.
00:09:13.42\00:09:16.22
We ask that You
will transform our lives
00:09:16.25\00:09:19.55
through these sacred
hours that we spend with You.
00:09:19.59\00:09:23.46
God, you alone are
worthy of our praise.
00:09:23.49\00:09:27.30
We prayed you this morning
because you are God of mercy.
00:09:27.33\00:09:29.96
You are God of love.
00:09:30.00\00:09:31.47
You died on the cross for us.
00:09:31.50\00:09:33.70
You gave us
families. You gave us friends.
00:09:33.74\00:09:35.80
You gave us the gift of music,
00:09:35.84\00:09:38.31
hands to play
and voices to sing.
00:09:38.34\00:09:41.08
And we long for the day
00:09:41.11\00:09:42.44
when we will be in
heaven to have a taste
00:09:42.48\00:09:44.35
of what that
music is really like.
00:09:44.38\00:09:47.58
How we can sing
with more than one voice
00:09:47.62\00:09:50.05
and hear strings that are beyond
00:09:50.09\00:09:51.49
what we can
imagine in this world.
00:09:51.52\00:09:53.59
But God, tune our
voices and tune our strings
00:09:53.62\00:09:56.32
to sing your praises.
00:09:56.36\00:09:58.26
Not to comprise
with what the world
00:09:58.29\00:09:59.73
would have us to sing
00:09:59.76\00:10:01.10
or what the world
would have us to play.
00:10:01.13\00:10:02.73
But only things that
will are bring worship to you.
00:10:02.76\00:10:05.93
And we have said
that we longed to give you
00:10:05.97\00:10:07.34
all of your worship
and all of our praise.
00:10:07.37\00:10:09.87
And God, this week we realized
00:10:09.90\00:10:11.24
that we have
worshipped other things.
00:10:11.27\00:10:13.68
We have put things
in the place of You,
00:10:13.71\00:10:16.18
when we should have been seeking
00:10:16.21\00:10:17.78
You first and Your kingdom.
00:10:17.81\00:10:20.42
And then You have
promised all the good things
00:10:20.45\00:10:22.12
will be added on to us.
00:10:22.15\00:10:23.99
Oh God, help us
to delight in You
00:10:24.02\00:10:25.79
so that You can truly grant
us the desires of our hearts.
00:10:25.82\00:10:28.52
Even when to us
00:10:28.56\00:10:29.89
some of those
things were so modeled.
00:10:29.92\00:10:32.29
Oh God, how'd you long to
come and to make all things new
00:10:32.33\00:10:36.40
when there will
be no more sorrow,
00:10:36.43\00:10:37.77
no more death
and no more crying.
00:10:37.80\00:10:40.04
So grateful for the
hope that we have that those
00:10:40.07\00:10:42.30
who have fallen asleep in Jesus,
00:10:42.34\00:10:44.47
wait for the resurrection
when Jesus will come.
00:10:44.51\00:10:48.64
In the
meantime, may we ourselves
00:10:48.68\00:10:50.68
into the work with the Master
00:10:50.71\00:10:52.35
knowing that
nothing we do for Him
00:10:52.38\00:10:53.82
is a waste of time or of effort.
00:10:53.85\00:10:58.15
God, we praise
the campus community
00:10:58.19\00:11:00.22
that You will bless
the faculty and staff here,
00:11:00.26\00:11:03.16
that You'll bless
the administrators.
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.09
Thank you for the young people
that are on our platform today.
00:11:05.13\00:11:08.10
They are devoted talents to you.
00:11:08.13\00:11:10.63
And for the faculty and
staff that they represent
00:11:10.67\00:11:13.13
who are training them
to know and to love Jesus.
00:11:13.17\00:11:16.17
God, we desire
Your power in our lives
00:11:16.20\00:11:19.11
so that we will be
able to overcome sin
00:11:19.14\00:11:21.44
and that we will heal the world
00:11:21.48\00:11:23.04
that so desperately
needs to know about Jesus
00:11:23.08\00:11:25.81
because you have
put Your love out on us.
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.82
May we hear Your call,
00:11:27.85\00:11:29.48
to go and make a
difference in the lives
00:11:29.52\00:11:31.02
of those around us.
00:11:31.05\00:11:32.72
Be with Pastor
Dwight this morning.
00:11:32.75\00:11:34.56
You'll be with
him as he is prepared
00:11:34.59\00:11:36.73
to bring us Your word.
00:11:36.76\00:11:38.23
May we be prepared to hear
00:11:38.26\00:11:40.43
and to make our lives
to be more like Jesus,
00:11:40.46\00:11:43.43
so that we will answer
the passion of your heart
00:11:43.47\00:11:46.43
in Jesus' name, we pray.
00:11:46.47\00:11:47.94
Amen.
00:11:47.97\00:11:52.64
Jesus, joy of man's desiring
00:15:46.24\00:15:53.21
Holy wisdom,
00:15:58.75\00:16:03.96
love most bright
00:16:03.99\00:16:07.60
Drawn by Thee,
00:16:24.75\00:16:28.55
our souls aspiring
00:16:28.58\00:16:34.12
Soar to uncreated light
00:16:36.59\00:16:43.57
Word of God,
00:17:04.32\00:17:08.16
our flesh that fashioned
00:17:08.19\00:17:13.70
With the fire
of life impassioned
00:17:18.93\00:17:25.94
Striving still to truth unknown
00:17:33.58\00:17:40.56
Soaring, dying round
00:17:45.66\00:17:52.30
Thy throne
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.97
Thank you, Festival
00:18:31.37\00:18:32.71
Players, let's pray together
00:18:32.74\00:18:34.08
and let's get into
God's word together.
00:18:34.11\00:18:35.78
Oh God, you know,
00:18:35.81\00:18:40.12
you know our
hearts and like that old,
00:18:40.15\00:18:44.25
like that old spirituous things
00:18:44.29\00:18:45.62
if we ever
needed our Lord before,
00:18:45.65\00:18:48.29
we sure do need Him now.
00:18:48.32\00:18:50.46
And so, we just, we just heard
the choir and the orchestra
00:18:50.49\00:18:54.33
sing about Jesus,
the joy of our desiring.
00:18:54.36\00:18:58.67
And I pray to your God,
00:18:58.70\00:19:00.04
that this day of
special fasting and prayer
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.14
will be filled with
Jesus from beginning to end.
00:19:03.17\00:19:06.68
That He is the
one we are hungry for.
00:19:06.71\00:19:08.74
He is the one
we are thirsty for.
00:19:08.78\00:19:10.38
Come down on this
campus and every other campus
00:19:10.41\00:19:13.98
that is joined
together this Wednesday.
00:19:14.02\00:19:16.35
Let this be a God
day for this continent
00:19:16.38\00:19:20.42
and for our community
of faith, we humbly pray.
00:19:20.46\00:19:24.39
Oh, and Father, we are going
to get into the word right now.
00:19:24.43\00:19:26.93
Please, we need the
spirit to open our minds
00:19:26.96\00:19:29.26
to what You need to
teach us in Jesus name.
00:19:29.30\00:19:31.43
Let all the people say, amen.
00:19:31.47\00:19:34.14
All right here's the question.
00:19:34.17\00:19:35.50
What are you supposed to do?
00:19:35.54\00:19:37.11
What are you supposed to
do when it seems that God
00:19:37.14\00:19:40.94
keeps slamming
the door in your face?
00:19:40.98\00:19:47.88
I tell you what?
00:19:47.92\00:19:49.25
We could take a
show of hands right now,
00:19:49.28\00:19:50.62
you would be surprised,
00:19:50.65\00:19:51.99
how many of us
right here right now
00:19:52.02\00:19:54.59
feel the cold of a shut door
smacked dab against our noses.
00:19:54.62\00:20:00.13
We are dealing
with closed doors.
00:20:00.16\00:20:02.86
This morning I want
you to ponder with me
00:20:02.90\00:20:04.23
just for few moments.
00:20:04.27\00:20:05.60
Ponder with me two classic
case studies of closed doors.
00:20:05.63\00:20:08.80
Perhaps by the time
00:20:08.84\00:20:10.17
we're through
the two case studies,
00:20:10.21\00:20:11.54
it will occur to us that in fact
00:20:11.57\00:20:13.98
the very best
way to an open door
00:20:14.01\00:20:16.95
is through a closed one.
00:20:16.98\00:20:19.11
Let's see if that's true.
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.48
Case study number one.
00:20:20.52\00:20:21.92
I love presidential libraries.
00:20:21.95\00:20:26.05
I love going through
and we were coming back
00:20:26.09\00:20:27.72
from St. Louise this summer,
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.09
went right through
Springfield, Illinois
00:20:29.12\00:20:31.23
and had the
chance to visit the...
00:20:31.26\00:20:32.86
You see it there on the screen,
00:20:32.89\00:20:34.23
the brand new Abraham
Lincoln presidential library.
00:20:34.26\00:20:37.93
I tell you what, of the
all libraries I've been to,
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.73
this is the most
engaging, the most intriguing,
00:20:39.77\00:20:41.64
the most hi-tech of
presidential libraries, period.
00:20:41.67\00:20:44.87
Abraham Lincoln,
you know him, of course,
00:20:44.91\00:20:46.64
arguably the greatest president
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.11
in the history of
the United States.
00:20:48.14\00:20:49.91
But I didn't know this.
00:20:49.94\00:20:52.35
I never realized,
how many closed doors
00:20:52.38\00:20:56.45
Lincoln had to go through
00:20:56.48\00:20:58.89
before he finally
got to an open door.
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.66
Let me just run this by.
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.02
My friend Don
Murray gave me this list
00:21:03.06\00:21:04.86
and it's something else.
00:21:04.89\00:21:06.49
Take a look at this.
We'll put it on the screen.
00:21:06.53\00:21:07.96
All right, 1832,
Lincoln lost his job.
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.50
1832, he was defeated in a race
for the Illinois legislature.
00:21:11.53\00:21:15.17
1833, he failed in business.
00:21:15.20\00:21:18.37
1834, he was elected to
the Illinois legislature.
00:21:18.41\00:21:22.24
1835, his sweetheart died.
00:21:22.28\00:21:25.15
1836, he had a
nervous breakdown.
00:21:25.18\00:21:28.05
1838, he was
defeated for speaker
00:21:28.08\00:21:30.79
of the Illinois legislature.
00:21:30.82\00:21:32.59
1842, he was defeated
for election to Congress.
00:21:32.62\00:21:36.06
1846, he was
elected to Congress.
00:21:36.09\00:21:39.03
1848, he lost his bid to
get reelected to Congress.
00:21:39.06\00:21:42.96
1849, he was
rejected for land officer.
00:21:43.00\00:21:46.27
1855, he was defeated
in a race for the Senate.
00:21:46.30\00:21:50.21
1856, he was defeated in a
race for the vice-presidency.
00:21:50.24\00:21:53.74
1858, he again was defeated
in a race for the Senate.
00:21:53.78\00:21:58.01
1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected
00:21:58.05\00:22:00.08
the President of
the United States.
00:22:00.12\00:22:02.15
Have mercy. Wow.
00:22:02.18\00:22:07.36
Closed door, closed
door, closed door, closed door,
00:22:07.39\00:22:10.03
closed door, closed door.
00:22:10.06\00:22:12.39
I tell you what? I'm so tempted.
00:22:12.43\00:22:13.76
I can't do it because I
got some notes on that pulpit.
00:22:13.80\00:22:16.60
I am so tempted to veer
off here and say to you,
00:22:16.63\00:22:20.30
never, never, never give up.
00:22:20.34\00:22:23.51
You must never, never give up.
00:22:23.54\00:22:27.18
That open door maybe
just around the corner.
00:22:27.21\00:22:29.98
Isn't that something?
00:22:30.01\00:22:31.35
Okay, that's
case study number one.
00:22:31.38\00:22:32.88
Let's go to case
study number two.
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.25
What do you do when it seems
00:22:35.28\00:22:36.62
God keeps slamming
the door on your face?
00:22:36.65\00:22:37.99
Case study number two.
00:22:38.02\00:22:39.35
Open your Bible
please to the Book of Acts,
00:22:39.39\00:22:40.96
Acts Chapter 16.
00:22:40.99\00:22:42.92
I need to do some
parallel thinking now.
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.23
Let's see how
good you are at this.
00:22:45.26\00:22:46.59
While you are
finding Act 16 in your Bible,
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.86
I also need you please
to reach into the bulletin
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.00
and pull out today's
brand new study guide.
00:22:51.03\00:22:53.10
You are gonna need that
study guide, pull it out now.
00:22:53.13\00:22:55.60
If you didn't get a study guide,
00:22:55.64\00:22:56.97
hold your hand up,
00:22:57.01\00:22:58.34
our ushers are ready
to put one in your hands.
00:22:58.37\00:22:59.71
Hold your hand up,
don't be embarrassed.
00:22:59.74\00:23:01.08
You gonna want this one.
00:23:01.11\00:23:02.44
In the balcony,
hold your hand up.
00:23:02.48\00:23:03.81
And those of you
00:23:03.85\00:23:05.18
who are watching
right now on television,
00:23:05.21\00:23:06.55
let me put the
website on the screen for you.
00:23:06.58\00:23:07.92
There it is www.pmchurch.tv,
go to that website,
00:23:07.95\00:23:12.72
that's our Pioneer
Memorial Church website.
00:23:12.75\00:23:15.36
Click on to our
series, Eternity's Edge,
00:23:15.39\00:23:18.19
that's the series.
00:23:18.23\00:23:19.56
And the teaching
you want to click on
00:23:19.59\00:23:20.93
to is the Macedonian Matrix.
00:23:20.96\00:23:23.90
All right, you click on
there, it'll say study guide.
00:23:23.93\00:23:25.97
You click on study guide.
00:23:26.00\00:23:27.34
You'll have the
identical study guide
00:23:27.37\00:23:28.84
we got right here.
00:23:28.87\00:23:30.21
Because, we need to get
this opening proposition
00:23:30.24\00:23:32.97
that we just
teased at a moment ago.
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.24
We need to put that in writing.
00:23:35.28\00:23:36.61
So let's, let's, let's keep
it in the form of a question
00:23:36.64\00:23:39.41
but let's jot it down.
00:23:39.45\00:23:40.78
You got your study
guide, fill it out please.
00:23:40.82\00:23:42.32
Could it be...?
They're right there at the top.
00:23:42.35\00:23:44.12
Could it be that
the very best way
00:23:44.15\00:23:46.49
to the open door...?
00:23:46.52\00:23:48.32
There it is.
00:23:48.36\00:23:49.69
The very best
way to the open door
00:23:49.72\00:23:52.43
is through the closed ones.
00:23:52.46\00:23:56.20
Hmm, think about that.
00:23:56.23\00:23:57.97
Now case study
number two, Acts Chapter 16.
00:23:58.00\00:24:01.40
I should have been turning
there while I was talking,
00:24:01.44\00:24:02.77
Acts Chapter 16,
00:24:02.80\00:24:04.14
I'm gonna be in the
New International Version.
00:24:04.17\00:24:06.44
If you didn't bring your Bible,
00:24:06.47\00:24:07.88
we've got a pew Bible
right in front of you.
00:24:07.91\00:24:09.51
And the page number
you want to find is 746.
00:24:09.54\00:24:12.91
Let's go.
00:24:12.95\00:24:14.28
Acts Chapter 16, everybody
ready to go up here, Act 16,
00:24:14.32\00:24:17.19
let's begin in verse 6,
fascinating, fascinating story.
00:24:17.22\00:24:21.59
Acts 16: 6,
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.63
"Paul and his companions
traveled throughout the region
00:24:23.66\00:24:26.39
of Phrygia and Galatia,
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.73
having been kept
by the Holy Spirit
00:24:28.76\00:24:32.30
from preaching the word
in the province of Asia."
00:24:32.33\00:24:36.57
Whoa! What's going on here?
00:24:36.60\00:24:37.94
Let's put a map on the screen.
00:24:37.97\00:24:39.31
Take a look at this map.
00:24:39.34\00:24:40.68
Here is a map of what we
would call Asia Minor today.
00:24:40.71\00:24:43.18
Let's circle Phrygia, so
you can see where they were.
00:24:43.21\00:24:45.18
Okay, there they are and
they are also in Galatia.
00:24:45.21\00:24:47.12
Let's put a
circle around Galatia.
00:24:47.15\00:24:48.52
Now look it,
they are finished up
00:24:48.55\00:24:50.19
in those two regions
and they want to go west.
00:24:50.22\00:24:52.95
Do you see Asia over there?
00:24:52.99\00:24:54.32
I put a circle around Asia.
00:24:54.36\00:24:55.69
They want to go to
Asia but the record reads,
00:24:55.72\00:24:59.39
how does it read here?
00:24:59.43\00:25:00.76
They were kept
by the Holy Spirit
00:25:00.80\00:25:02.50
from preaching there.
00:25:02.53\00:25:04.87
Hey, folks, sounds
like a closed door to me,
00:25:04.90\00:25:07.84
doesn't it?
00:25:07.87\00:25:09.20
Absolutely.
00:25:09.24\00:25:10.57
So instead of heading west,
they have, say well, look it,
00:25:10.61\00:25:13.17
we been south, we
gone east, can't go west.
00:25:13.21\00:25:15.81
What direction is left?
00:25:15.84\00:25:17.51
We're gonna go north.
00:25:17.55\00:25:18.88
So here they go,
that would be now verse 7,
00:25:18.91\00:25:21.88
and when they came,
they are going northward,
00:25:21.92\00:25:23.89
"When they came to
the border of Mysia,
00:25:23.92\00:25:26.76
they tried to enter Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus
00:25:26.79\00:25:32.29
would not allow them."
00:25:32.33\00:25:34.26
Let's put that map
back up on the screen.
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.23
So now they're going up north.
00:25:36.26\00:25:37.60
Where is Mysia? There it is.
00:25:37.63\00:25:39.23
And they want to go to
Bithynia but when they try,
00:25:39.27\00:25:44.27
they can't get in.
00:25:44.31\00:25:47.41
The Holy Spirit
once again prevents them
00:25:47.44\00:25:50.18
from entering a new region.
00:25:50.21\00:25:51.55
Now, just a little
aside here, scholars,
00:25:51.58\00:25:53.11
scholars wonder if in
fact, Peter, you remember Peter,
00:25:53.15\00:25:56.79
big fisherman Peter.
00:25:56.82\00:25:58.15
If in fact Peter was
not up in Bithynia right now
00:25:58.19\00:26:02.82
in his own ministry
since he refers to Bithynia
00:26:02.86\00:26:05.13
in one of his letters.
00:26:05.16\00:26:06.56
So the
supposition is the Holy Spirit
00:26:06.59\00:26:08.36
decides to
spare any antagonizing
00:26:08.40\00:26:11.33
between these two vogue apostles
00:26:11.37\00:26:14.84
because I remind you
just a little bit earlier
00:26:14.87\00:26:16.94
in the city of
Antioch in public,
00:26:16.97\00:26:20.38
Paul dressed down Peter by name
00:26:20.41\00:26:24.81
because of Peter's
waffling going back and forth
00:26:24.85\00:26:28.18
over this issue of
our gentiles really secure
00:26:28.22\00:26:31.12
in our community of faith.
00:26:31.15\00:26:32.75
So Paul calls his
number in front of everybody.
00:26:32.79\00:26:36.66
So the thinking
is, the spirit decides,
00:26:36.69\00:26:40.66
"Hey, let's keep these two
strong personalities apart.
00:26:40.70\00:26:43.93
Let's keep them focused
on their unique quality."
00:26:43.97\00:26:46.77
And let me just say this.
00:26:46.80\00:26:48.84
There is nothing wrong
with having strong convictions
00:26:48.87\00:26:55.01
and we don't have to
always agree on everything.
00:26:55.04\00:27:00.88
But there are
times when like Paul,
00:27:00.92\00:27:03.59
we have to
speak up and speak out
00:27:03.62\00:27:05.32
in front of everybody
00:27:05.35\00:27:06.69
when you discern a
dangerous compromise
00:27:06.72\00:27:08.89
that is slowly growing
quietly amongst the community,
00:27:08.92\00:27:11.56
a compromise that
others have become blind to.
00:27:11.59\00:27:15.90
And by the way, hey,
no Matthew 18 for Paul,
00:27:15.96\00:27:19.93
he doesn't say, "Hey, Peter,
00:27:19.97\00:27:21.30
I got to have a
little private conversation
00:27:21.34\00:27:22.67
with you here."
00:27:22.70\00:27:24.04
No, in front of
everybody, by name he calls it,
00:27:24.07\00:27:28.21
what he sees it as he sees it.
00:27:28.24\00:27:30.98
Which I guess is
a lesson for us all.
00:27:31.01\00:27:34.38
But whatever the
reason, the spirit prevents Paul
00:27:34.42\00:27:39.62
entering Bithynia.
00:27:39.65\00:27:41.36
I don't know about you
00:27:41.39\00:27:42.72
but it sure feels
like a closed door to me,
00:27:42.76\00:27:45.23
wouldn't you say?
00:27:45.26\00:27:46.59
So, now, what's a, what's
a, what's an apostle to do?
00:27:46.63\00:27:49.20
What's Paul supposed to do?
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.73
He's not sure
because have you noticed
00:27:51.77\00:27:53.87
when God closes a
door in your life,
00:27:53.90\00:27:57.51
you are never quite
sure what to do next.
00:27:57.54\00:28:01.98
Karen and I had the privilege
of being out in California
00:28:02.01\00:28:03.88
last weekend
with 2 or 300 Japanese
00:28:03.91\00:28:06.15
for their biannual camp meeting.
00:28:06.18\00:28:09.35
And while we were there,
00:28:09.38\00:28:10.72
we took the story
of Joseph together.
00:28:10.75\00:28:12.85
I find that an
absolutely fascinating story
00:28:12.89\00:28:16.36
because here's
the story of a guy.
00:28:16.39\00:28:17.73
Closed door, closed
door, closed door, closed door,
00:28:17.76\00:28:19.46
closed door, closed door.
00:28:19.49\00:28:20.83
He's had this dream that
he's gonna be the great leader
00:28:20.86\00:28:22.96
from, since he was
knee height of a grasshopper
00:28:23.00\00:28:25.03
but no open doors,
closed, closed, closed,
00:28:25.07\00:28:29.64
just like Abraham Lincoln
by the way, just like Moses.
00:28:29.67\00:28:33.41
Moses who spends 40
years with the closed door,
00:28:33.44\00:28:36.08
can't figure out
what God's up to.
00:28:36.11\00:28:37.91
I guess the
door is forever shut.
00:28:37.95\00:28:42.15
Just like Paul, when God
closes a door in your life,
00:28:42.18\00:28:45.42
you are never quite
sure where to turn next.
00:28:45.45\00:28:47.79
So here's the good news.
00:28:47.82\00:28:49.16
You don't have to feel bad.
00:28:49.19\00:28:50.53
You are not alone.
00:28:50.56\00:28:51.89
It happens all the time.
00:28:51.93\00:28:54.80
All right, so
where is Paul to go?
00:28:54.83\00:28:57.20
There's only one direction left.
00:28:57.23\00:28:58.97
He's tried
south, he's tried east,
00:28:59.00\00:29:00.34
he's tried west,
he's tried north well,
00:29:00.37\00:29:02.84
let's, let's, let's see if
we can go a little further.
00:29:02.87\00:29:06.07
Verse 8 and so,
Paul and his team,
00:29:06.11\00:29:08.61
"They passed by Mysia
and went down to Troas."
00:29:08.64\00:29:11.88
That's a sea port
city, little coastal town.
00:29:11.91\00:29:14.38
And verse 9,
00:29:14.42\00:29:15.75
"During the night
Paul had a vision of a man
00:29:15.78\00:29:18.92
of Macedonia
standing and begging him,
00:29:18.95\00:29:21.12
'Come over to
Macedonia and help us."
00:29:21.16\00:29:23.76
Verse 10, "And after
Paul had seen the vision,
00:29:23.79\00:29:26.33
we got ready at once
to leave for Macedonia,
00:29:26.36\00:29:28.60
concluding that
God had called us
00:29:28.63\00:29:30.80
to preach the gospel to them."
00:29:30.83\00:29:33.03
Let me put that map back up.
00:29:33.07\00:29:34.40
Take a look at this, folks.
00:29:34.44\00:29:35.77
Here's that map.
00:29:35.80\00:29:37.14
They tried to go
west, closed door.
00:29:37.17\00:29:38.61
They tried to go
north, closed door.
00:29:38.64\00:29:40.91
Finally, they just wander
over to Troas and lo and behold,
00:29:40.94\00:29:44.18
there is the open door
00:29:44.21\00:29:46.61
that God has been
waiting for them to find.
00:29:46.65\00:29:50.05
I tell you what, that
open door is so significant.
00:29:50.09\00:29:51.65
I need you to read it now
00:29:51.69\00:29:53.02
form Eugene Peterson's
the message translation.
00:29:53.05\00:29:56.02
Got it right there in
the study guide for you.
00:29:56.06\00:29:57.89
and I will put it on the screen.
00:29:57.93\00:29:59.26
Take a look at this.
00:29:59.29\00:30:00.63
Now here comes the message,
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.40
"Proceeding on through Mysia,
00:30:02.43\00:30:04.73
they went down to
the seaport Troas.
00:30:04.77\00:30:07.44
That night Paul had a dream.
00:30:07.47\00:30:09.70
A Macedonian
stood on the far shore
00:30:09.74\00:30:11.34
and called across the sea,
00:30:11.37\00:30:12.94
"Come over to
Macedonia and help us!"
00:30:12.97\00:30:18.21
I love this, the
emphasis is mine."
00:30:18.25\00:30:20.12
The dream gave Paul his map.
00:30:20.15\00:30:23.25
We went to work at
once getting things
00:30:23.28\00:30:24.62
ready to cross
over to Macedonia.
00:30:24.65\00:30:26.32
All the pieces came together.
00:30:26.35\00:30:27.86
We knew now for sure
that God had called us
00:30:27.89\00:30:31.39
to preach the good
news to the Europeans."
00:30:31.43\00:30:35.36
I like that.
00:30:35.40\00:30:36.73
"We knew now for sure."
00:30:36.77\00:30:38.87
Would you write it down please?
00:30:38.90\00:30:40.67
For you see the
best way to an open door
00:30:40.70\00:30:44.74
is through a closed one.
00:30:44.77\00:30:47.11
Write it down.
00:30:47.14\00:30:48.48
If I keep your pen
moving, that's the anomaly.
00:30:48.51\00:30:50.05
That's the mystery
of divine guidance.
00:30:50.08\00:30:53.42
Write in the word guidance.
00:30:53.45\00:30:55.98
The best way to an open
door is through a closed one.
00:30:56.02\00:31:00.12
You know, sometimes we
think because the door is closed
00:31:00.16\00:31:02.82
that means there's
no way to get through.
00:31:02.86\00:31:04.56
God says. "Hey, hey, time out.
00:31:04.59\00:31:06.23
No, no, no, no, that's
not what I mean it all."
00:31:06.26\00:31:08.30
It's precisely
because the door is closed
00:31:08.33\00:31:11.40
that you're gonna get through,
write this down, another door.
00:31:11.43\00:31:16.00
I am thinking of another door,
00:31:16.04\00:31:18.31
which is why I
keep allowing them.
00:31:18.34\00:31:19.91
Keep writing.
00:31:19.94\00:31:21.28
Your closed doors,
so that finally one day,
00:31:21.31\00:31:24.61
you will come to my open door.
00:31:24.65\00:31:28.38
That's just the
way I lead my friends.
00:31:28.42\00:31:31.09
I use closed doors to
get you to an open door,
00:31:31.12\00:31:35.92
Whoa...
00:31:35.96\00:31:39.73
So, have you been knocking
on some close doors lately?
00:31:39.76\00:31:46.74
Needing money
00:31:47.64\00:31:50.87
when it seems there is none.
00:31:50.91\00:31:53.68
Needing friends
00:31:53.71\00:31:55.38
when it seems
there is no one around.
00:31:55.41\00:31:57.25
Needing guidance,
00:31:57.28\00:32:00.12
when it appears,
there is no divine answer.
00:32:00.15\00:32:04.35
Needing health and healing,
and it doesn't seem to come.
00:32:04.39\00:32:08.72
Needing professional success?
00:32:08.76\00:32:10.66
What's up with that?
00:32:10.69\00:32:12.03
But you keep hitting the
door of professional failure.
00:32:12.06\00:32:15.36
Where is my open door?
00:32:15.40\00:32:17.33
I want to tell you
something my friend,
00:32:17.37\00:32:18.70
I have got very
good news for you today.
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.40
The best way to an open
door is through a closed one.
00:32:20.44\00:32:23.87
Which means that if
you had been running
00:32:23.91\00:32:26.34
through a lot of
close doors lately,
00:32:26.37\00:32:28.71
there is an open door
possibly just around the corner
00:32:28.74\00:32:33.38
from where you are
right now, hallelujah.
00:32:33.42\00:32:36.99
Don't you ever give up,
00:32:37.02\00:32:38.35
don't you ever,
ever, ever give up.
00:32:38.39\00:32:42.26
And would it be
something by the way.
00:32:42.29\00:32:44.03
Would it this be something?
00:32:44.06\00:32:45.39
If it turns out,
00:32:45.43\00:32:46.76
that the open
door waiting for you,
00:32:46.80\00:32:48.13
and the open door waiting for me
00:32:48.16\00:32:49.50
and the open door
waiting for Andrews University
00:32:49.53\00:32:51.57
is the very same door,
the open door that Paul found.
00:32:51.60\00:32:57.34
Look at verse 9
again. Let me read that.
00:32:57.37\00:32:59.87
"During the
night Paul had a vision
00:32:59.91\00:33:02.98
of a man of Macedonia
standing and begging him,
00:33:03.01\00:33:06.41
''Come over to
Macedonia and help us."
00:33:06.45\00:33:09.82
That's the Macedonian Matrix.
00:33:09.85\00:33:11.72
The Macedonian cry.
00:33:11.75\00:33:18.13
Jim Collins, those
who of you that read
00:33:18.16\00:33:19.83
business leadership literature
recognize the name Jim Collins.
00:33:19.86\00:33:24.37
He wrote a rather
celebrated book...
00:33:24.40\00:33:29.10
entitled, I'll put on
the screen for you here,
00:33:29.14\00:33:30.84
Good to Great.
00:33:30.87\00:33:32.81
Here's the subtitle.
00:33:32.84\00:33:34.18
Good to Great, why
some companies make the leap
00:33:34.21\00:33:36.34
and others don't.
00:33:36.38\00:33:38.11
I'm working my
way through this book.
00:33:38.15\00:33:39.51
In the book he describes,
how successful organizations
00:33:39.55\00:33:42.82
the most by the way,
good is easy, great is hard.
00:33:42.85\00:33:46.22
Good is easy, great is hard.
00:33:46.25\00:33:47.92
So they've taken the greatest.
00:33:47.96\00:33:49.72
He describes how the
most successful organizations
00:33:49.76\00:33:52.76
and companies
and leadership teams
00:33:52.79\00:33:55.16
are driven by
what he calls a BHAG.
00:33:55.20\00:33:58.67
And that's how you
pronounce it a BHAG.
00:33:58.70\00:34:01.10
What does Jim Collins
mean when he describes a BHAG,
00:34:01.14\00:34:04.54
let's put it on the screen.
00:34:04.57\00:34:05.91
I want you to get the BHAG down.
00:34:05.94\00:34:07.28
What is a BHAG?
00:34:07.31\00:34:08.64
It is a big,
hairy, audacious goal.
00:34:08.68\00:34:12.01
Big, hairy, audacious goal.
00:34:12.05\00:34:15.72
What does that mean, audacious?
00:34:15.75\00:34:17.09
By the way, I was just
reading the paper this week
00:34:17.12\00:34:19.52
and I saw that word
audacious used in the newspaper.
00:34:19.55\00:34:21.89
Those of you that
are following the news
00:34:21.92\00:34:23.26
from our sister
country of the UK
00:34:23.29\00:34:25.79
know that there
was a huge bank crisis.
00:34:25.83\00:34:28.50
One of the largest in
history, $87 million stolen
00:34:28.53\00:34:31.73
this last week
from a bank in England.
00:34:31.77\00:34:34.10
And they called it
an audacious caper.
00:34:34.14\00:34:36.77
Audacious means
wild and crazy and huge.
00:34:36.81\00:34:42.58
Now what is Collins point?
00:34:42.61\00:34:47.48
A BHAG, in fact you
need to jot this down.
00:34:47.52\00:34:49.58
A BHAG, a huge
daunting goal is a vision.
00:34:49.62\00:34:52.22
Would you write this in please?
00:34:52.25\00:34:54.42
It is a vision, so compelling
00:34:54.46\00:34:57.49
that it drives the
entire organization
00:34:57.53\00:35:00.06
in its unique
mission and destiny.
00:35:00.10\00:35:03.80
Do you get those two
words, vision and mission,
00:35:03.83\00:35:05.17
critical words?
00:35:05.20\00:35:06.53
The most successful
companies and organizations
00:35:06.57\00:35:08.64
and leadership teams
are driven by their BHAG.
00:35:08.67\00:35:12.44
Everybody's cute as
to what the BHAG is.
00:35:12.47\00:35:15.14
Nobody has to
be told what it is,
00:35:15.18\00:35:16.81
the whole organization,
00:35:16.85\00:35:18.18
the institution knows
and everybody is driven
00:35:18.21\00:35:20.82
by that solitary big,
hairy, audacious goal.
00:35:20.85\00:35:26.49
In the Macedonian cry,
00:35:26.52\00:35:29.09
God gave Paul a compelling BHAG.
00:35:29.12\00:35:34.20
A big, hairy, audacious
goal that Paul had not seen.
00:35:34.23\00:35:37.07
You think about it.
00:35:37.10\00:35:38.43
Paul here therefore
has been content to simply
00:35:38.47\00:35:40.34
wander around Asia Minor.
00:35:40.37\00:35:42.24
Nothing wrong with
that goal by the way.
00:35:42.27\00:35:44.11
But wondering around
00:35:44.14\00:35:45.47
and God comes
to him and he says,
00:35:45.51\00:35:46.84
"You know what
boy you are dreaming
00:35:46.88\00:35:48.21
way too small for me,
00:35:48.24\00:35:50.05
you want a province.
00:35:50.08\00:35:51.65
I want to give you a continent
00:35:51.68\00:35:53.45
that will turn to
be the entire west.
00:35:53.48\00:35:56.18
I give it all to you.
00:35:56.22\00:35:57.72
You need a BHAG,
00:35:57.75\00:35:59.45
you need a huge
mission and vision from me.
00:35:59.49\00:36:04.33
So how did the
message, put it, jot this down.
00:36:04.36\00:36:06.90
I love Peterson's
rendition of this line.
00:36:06.93\00:36:09.46
"The dream gave Paul his map."
00:36:09.50\00:36:13.94
That's his BHAG map.
00:36:13.97\00:36:15.90
And then Luke goes on.
00:36:15.94\00:36:17.27
"We went to work at once
getting things ready to cross
00:36:17.31\00:36:19.31
over to Macedonia.
00:36:19.34\00:36:20.68
All the pieces came together."
00:36:20.71\00:36:22.04
And by the way,
when an organization,
00:36:22.08\00:36:23.55
when an institution,
00:36:23.58\00:36:24.91
when a
leadership team has a BHAG,
00:36:24.95\00:36:26.45
that's what happens.
00:36:26.48\00:36:27.82
Suddenly all the
pieces begin to start to fit.
00:36:27.85\00:36:30.19
We knew now Luke writes,
00:36:30.22\00:36:32.19
"We knew now for sure that God
00:36:32.22\00:36:33.86
had called us to
preach the good news
00:36:33.89\00:36:35.59
to the Europeans."
00:36:35.62\00:36:36.96
They went from Asia to
Europe to the entire west
00:36:36.99\00:36:40.53
with the new vision, a BHAG.
00:36:40.56\00:36:43.53
A BHAG from God.
00:36:43.57\00:36:44.93
A BHAG for God.
00:36:44.97\00:36:47.54
Hallelujah.
00:36:47.57\00:36:49.27
And guess what?
00:36:49.30\00:36:50.74
It took closed doors
to find the open one.
00:36:50.77\00:36:57.41
Always does.
00:36:57.45\00:36:59.91
So here's the
question that begs to be asked.
00:36:59.95\00:37:01.78
What is God's BHAG
vision for your life?
00:37:01.82\00:37:05.52
What is God's BHAG
vision for my life?
00:37:05.55\00:37:07.42
What is God's BHAG
vision for this University?
00:37:07.46\00:37:10.19
Ever wonder?
00:37:10.23\00:37:11.96
The Macedonian Matrix.
00:37:11.99\00:37:13.33
Write it down, "Come over
to Macedonia and help us."
00:37:13.36\00:37:19.07
You know what the Greek,
00:37:19.10\00:37:20.44
it's very
interesting in the Greek here.
00:37:20.47\00:37:21.80
The Greek that describes
the man in the dream begging,
00:37:21.84\00:37:24.11
Paul will use that
same words for begging
00:37:24.14\00:37:26.04
later when he
writes 2 Corinthians 12.
00:37:26.07\00:37:28.51
And in fact let me
put it on the screen here,
00:37:28.54\00:37:30.15
when he's
begging God to healing,
00:37:30.18\00:37:31.58
this is 2 Corinthians 12:8.
00:37:31.61\00:37:33.31
"Three times I pleaded
with the Lord to take away"
00:37:33.35\00:37:37.59
this physical malady.
00:37:37.62\00:37:39.15
Now keep your pen moving.
00:37:39.19\00:37:40.52
In other words,
00:37:40.56\00:37:41.89
the intensity
with which Paul pleaded
00:37:41.92\00:37:43.46
with God for a
physical deliverance
00:37:43.49\00:37:46.90
is the same intensity
00:37:46.93\00:37:48.26
with which this
Macedonian stranger pleaded
00:37:48.30\00:37:50.33
with Paul for
spiritual deliverance.
00:37:50.37\00:37:54.17
You got to, you got to,
you got to help us, come over.
00:37:54.20\00:37:59.84
You know why?
00:37:59.87\00:38:01.21
Because lost people are faced
00:38:01.24\00:38:03.91
with the most
awful closed door of all.
00:38:03.95\00:38:08.52
The door of eternity, shut.
00:38:08.55\00:38:09.88
The door of salvation, shut.
00:38:09.92\00:38:13.79
And by the way,
not shut on God's part.
00:38:13.82\00:38:16.49
The fact of the
matter is lost people
00:38:16.52\00:38:17.86
don't even know
that there is a door
00:38:17.89\00:38:19.26
and they don't know
that the door is wide open.
00:38:19.29\00:38:22.86
They don't even
know there's a door.
00:38:22.90\00:38:25.70
And he is begging.
00:38:25.73\00:38:27.07
I beg of you, come over here,
come west, and help us please.
00:38:27.10\00:38:33.94
And where is Macedonia for us?
00:38:35.64\00:38:39.51
It's BHAG vision for
third millennial Adventism.
00:38:39.55\00:38:42.38
There's BHAG vision
for Andrews and you and me.
00:38:42.42\00:38:44.15
Where is Macedonia for us?
00:38:44.19\00:38:45.79
I'll tell you where it is,
00:38:45.82\00:38:47.16
it's the entire
planet of lost men,
00:38:47.19\00:38:48.52
women and children.
00:38:48.56\00:38:49.89
It's a secular west,
it is the pagan east,
00:38:49.92\00:38:51.93
and the cites that
both including Benton Harbor
00:38:51.96\00:38:54.06
and South Bend.
00:38:54.10\00:38:57.77
By the way, please,
please, don't miss next Sabbath,
00:38:57.80\00:39:03.41
next weekend.
00:39:03.44\00:39:04.77
I tell you why?
00:39:04.81\00:39:06.14
We're gonna go to the
last place in the universe.
00:39:06.17\00:39:07.58
There's one unconquered,
unexplored region left.
00:39:07.61\00:39:11.38
One left and next
Sabbath we'll go to it.
00:39:11.41\00:39:13.58
We'll go to the
only book in the Bible,
00:39:13.62\00:39:15.58
only on that ends
with the question.
00:39:15.62\00:39:17.85
The only book and
we'll find out what that is.
00:39:17.89\00:39:20.36
Don't you miss next weekend?
00:39:20.39\00:39:22.16
By the way, where's Macedonia?
00:39:22.19\00:39:25.83
It's all around us, I got
an email just a few days ago
00:39:25.86\00:39:28.16
from one of our
viewers here in Michiana.
00:39:28.20\00:39:30.33
Let me read the email to you.
00:39:30.37\00:39:31.70
"Please pray for my
complete conversion,
00:39:31.73\00:39:34.24
I've never really given in
totally to God's promptings
00:39:34.27\00:39:37.47
and I had been
watching pastor Nelson's sermons
00:39:37.51\00:39:39.04
on channel 46
00:39:39.07\00:39:40.41
and I'm convinced
that I'm gonna submit now.
00:39:40.44\00:39:42.01
We are looking at eternity."
00:39:42.04\00:39:44.95
Come over, come over in
the Macedonia and help us.
00:39:44.98\00:39:50.59
Could it be, now here's
00:39:50.62\00:39:52.72
where I really
need you to be thinking.
00:39:52.75\00:39:55.92
Could it be that our
vitality as a community of face
00:39:55.96\00:40:01.36
and as a religious
academic institution
00:40:01.40\00:40:03.70
is directly
proportional to our immersion
00:40:03.73\00:40:07.80
into this BHAG mission for God.
00:40:07.84\00:40:13.14
I had brooded on
this for months now.
00:40:13.17\00:40:15.68
And I'm gonna
tell you the truth.
00:40:15.71\00:40:17.11
I believe that absolutely
there is a correlation.
00:40:17.15\00:40:20.85
So that leads me
to ask could it be
00:40:20.88\00:40:23.82
that the closed doors
that we're experiencing
00:40:23.85\00:40:26.89
are being closed
by God one by one
00:40:26.92\00:40:30.26
so that we might
finally find the open door
00:40:30.29\00:40:33.33
of his BHAG vision for us all.
00:40:33.36\00:40:36.67
Come over, come on,
00:40:36.70\00:40:39.00
come over into
Macedonia and help us.
00:40:39.03\00:40:41.40
Help me reach every man,
woman, and child on earth.
00:40:41.44\00:40:43.14
Make that your
compelling spiritual mission
00:40:43.17\00:40:44.57
at that place.
00:40:44.61\00:40:45.94
Make it the
mission of your life,
00:40:45.97\00:40:47.31
the mission of that campus.
00:40:47.34\00:40:48.68
Teach it, talk it,
pray it, seek it, model it,
00:40:48.71\00:40:50.65
finance it like
Nike says just do it.
00:40:50.68\00:40:53.82
Could it be our
doors are being closed
00:41:02.66\00:41:07.66
one after another until finally
00:41:07.70\00:41:11.13
we get to the open
door that's been waiting
00:41:11.17\00:41:13.74
there all along.
00:41:13.77\00:41:19.11
A mission, God's BHAG mission.
00:41:19.14\00:41:21.38
By the way, a mission,
00:41:21.41\00:41:23.88
not just for the
religion department,
00:41:23.91\00:41:27.12
or the theological seminary,
00:41:27.15\00:41:29.02
but a mission every department,
00:41:29.05\00:41:30.59
every floor that had building,
00:41:30.62\00:41:32.45
every staff team
driven by God's BHAG
00:41:32.49\00:41:35.66
to move out in the Macedonia,
00:41:35.69\00:41:37.26
with every creative
method that the bright minds
00:41:37.29\00:41:40.06
of this campus can come up with.
00:41:40.10\00:41:41.66
It can be done.
00:41:41.70\00:41:43.23
Scott Moncrieff,
professor of English.
00:41:43.26\00:41:47.34
He wrote a blog,
I read it yesterday,
00:41:47.37\00:41:49.47
in the Adventist Review.
00:41:49.50\00:41:50.84
"Why I believe in God?"
00:41:50.87\00:41:53.68
Dealt with the
reality of struggling
00:41:53.71\00:41:55.64
with that question.
00:41:55.68\00:41:57.01
I'm so proud of him?
00:41:57.05\00:41:58.38
One of our Andrew's faculty.
00:41:58.41\00:41:59.75
Why?
00:41:59.78\00:42:01.12
Because he's taking his
belief in God and sharing it
00:42:01.15\00:42:03.32
with the wider world.
00:42:03.35\00:42:05.72
BHAG, a BHAG vision of
taking it off this campus
00:42:05.75\00:42:12.19
and into the world.
00:42:12.23\00:42:13.56
I tell you what?
00:42:13.60\00:42:16.16
This is my sense
and I may be wrong here,
00:42:16.20\00:42:17.97
but when we unabashedly
make God's BHAG our BHAG,
00:42:18.00\00:42:21.80
all the financial
and numerical indicators
00:42:21.84\00:42:24.14
that we've been
so concerned about,
00:42:24.17\00:42:25.51
I really believe
the numbers will grow,
00:42:25.54\00:42:27.24
they will simply grow.
00:42:27.28\00:42:28.81
Because when the word goes out,
00:42:28.84\00:42:30.18
that we've
embraced a compelling BHAG
00:42:30.21\00:42:31.68
for the mission of God.
00:42:31.71\00:42:33.05
There isn't a dedicated
family alive in this nation,
00:42:33.08\00:42:36.35
that wouldn't want
his young to be nurtured
00:42:36.38\00:42:38.35
and train in that
same BHAG mission.
00:42:38.39\00:42:41.36
Bring it on. Take
my children please.
00:42:41.39\00:42:45.03
150 of our students
every Sabbath afternoon
00:42:45.06\00:42:47.80
go to Benton
Harbor, thank you Jesus.
00:42:47.83\00:42:49.30
And thank you
for those students.
00:42:49.33\00:42:50.67
But you know what?
00:42:50.70\00:42:52.03
There are 2,750 other
students who need a mission.
00:42:52.07\00:42:56.20
Doesn't have to
be Benton Harbor,
00:42:56.24\00:42:58.04
doesn't have to be it all.
00:42:58.07\00:42:59.41
Student missions, task force,
00:42:59.44\00:43:02.68
create some new
mission ministries.
00:43:02.71\00:43:05.78
Having a dialogue
with the leaders in Chicago
00:43:05.81\00:43:07.72
for the last two months.
00:43:07.75\00:43:12.02
We're looking at
9.3 million human beings
00:43:12.05\00:43:15.16
in the greater
Chicago land area.
00:43:15.19\00:43:19.09
And on the conversation
just this last Wednesday night,
00:43:19.13\00:43:22.26
the president there said.
00:43:22.30\00:43:23.63
"Dwight, what do you
suppose we could do?"
00:43:23.67\00:43:25.50
Andrews University
and Chicago teamed up
00:43:25.53\00:43:30.31
to reach the windy city.
00:43:30.34\00:43:32.17
I sat down last
nigh after meditating
00:43:32.21\00:43:33.94
on some other scripture passages
00:43:33.98\00:43:35.31
and pulled out a
legal pad, a yellow pad,
00:43:35.34\00:43:37.41
and I began to scribble
ideas, what could be done.
00:43:37.45\00:43:40.82
We got the brightest
00:43:40.85\00:43:42.18
and the best of the young adults
00:43:42.22\00:43:43.55
in the denomination,
right here on this campus.
00:43:43.59\00:43:45.12
We got faculty second to none.
00:43:45.15\00:43:47.12
If you could
harness that resource,
00:43:47.16\00:43:49.66
it's just the drive,
00:43:49.69\00:43:51.09
it's a hop-skipping and jump
around the corner of this lake.
00:43:51.13\00:43:53.43
We could be in
Chicago on weekends.
00:43:53.46\00:43:56.06
We could be planting churches,
00:43:56.10\00:43:57.50
we could be
growing the work of Christ.
00:43:57.53\00:44:00.57
Of course we've
got Benton Harbor,
00:44:00.60\00:44:01.94
we are not gonna
abandon Benton Harbor.
00:44:01.97\00:44:04.37
But there is more to the
world than Benton Harbor.
00:44:04.41\00:44:11.41
"During the
night Paul had a vision
00:44:13.48\00:44:15.15
of a man of Macedonia
standing and begging him,
00:44:15.18\00:44:18.12
'Come over to
Macedonia and help us."
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.19
Come to the west,
cross over those waters.
00:44:21.22\00:44:23.53
Come into our darkness,
bring the light of your Christ.
00:44:23.56\00:44:26.70
Hey, jot this down,
00:44:26.73\00:44:28.06
just a little over
a hundred years ago
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.90
these words are written.
00:44:29.93\00:44:31.27
And you need to fill it in.
00:44:31.30\00:44:32.63
there's one key word missing.
00:44:32.67\00:44:34.20
I'm gonna read the
quote, it's in your study guide,
00:44:34.24\00:44:35.67
"To show a
liberal, self-denying spirit
00:44:35.70\00:44:39.87
for the success of
foreign missions..."
00:44:39.91\00:44:41.61
That would be God's
BHAG, his global BHAG.
00:44:41.64\00:44:43.78
To show concern for that
"Is a sure way to advance
00:44:43.81\00:44:47.58
home missionary work."
00:44:47.62\00:44:49.28
In other words,
Andrews University and Pioneer.
00:44:49.32\00:44:51.22
You want to grow here?
00:44:51.25\00:44:52.59
Get out there for the...
00:44:52.62\00:44:53.96
Here it goes,
00:44:53.99\00:44:55.32
"For the prosperity
of the home work..."
00:44:55.36\00:44:57.09
Andrews and Pioneer,
"Depends largely under God,
00:44:57.13\00:45:00.20
upon the..."
00:45:00.23\00:45:01.56
Write it in reflex influence.
00:45:01.60\00:45:04.23
"Reflex influence of
the evangelistic work
00:45:04.27\00:45:07.17
done in countries afar off."
00:45:07.20\00:45:08.64
That would be God's BHAG again.
00:45:08.67\00:45:10.47
"It is in working to
supply the necessity of others,
00:45:10.51\00:45:13.31
others, others that we
bring our souls into touch
00:45:13.34\00:45:16.88
with the source
of all divine power."
00:45:16.91\00:45:19.81
Did you catch that
phrase, the reflex influence?
00:45:19.85\00:45:23.82
I don't know if
doctors still do this,
00:45:23.85\00:45:25.42
but you remember when as a kid,
00:45:25.45\00:45:26.79
you went to a doctor
00:45:26.82\00:45:28.16
and he sat you down on that
little table there and he said,
00:45:28.19\00:45:30.69
"All right, cross your
leg and you crossed your leg
00:45:30.73\00:45:34.13
and you remember he
took a little black hammer,
00:45:34.16\00:45:36.33
and he just
hits you right there,
00:45:36.36\00:45:37.70
and when he hits
you, you're booing.
00:45:37.73\00:45:39.50
He made you feel
like a fool, isn't it?
00:45:39.53\00:45:41.10
He hits you in the knee
and your foot would shoot up.
00:45:41.14\00:45:43.71
What' he doing?
00:45:43.74\00:45:45.07
He's testing your
reflexive response.
00:45:45.11\00:45:49.78
When you work
with something here,
00:45:49.81\00:45:52.05
there's an
automatic reflexive response.
00:45:52.08\00:45:56.28
The point that
we're seeing here is that,
00:45:56.32\00:45:58.52
when you get involve out there,
00:45:58.55\00:46:01.56
there is a reflexive influence
00:46:01.59\00:46:03.43
and it creates vitality in here.
00:46:03.46\00:46:07.10
Our senior leadership team
of pastoral staff right now
00:46:07.13\00:46:09.63
is reading a book called
The Externally Focused Church.
00:46:09.66\00:46:13.74
The book is absolutely right on.
00:46:13.77\00:46:15.10
Externally focused churches,
externally focused campuses
00:46:15.14\00:46:19.34
living in a world
out there experience here
00:46:19.37\00:46:22.81
to for unknown
vitality and growth.
00:46:22.84\00:46:26.95
Why? Because it's reflexive.
00:46:26.98\00:46:28.32
You go out there,
you'll do better in here.
00:46:28.35\00:46:31.62
I know that this
is not street wise.
00:46:31.65\00:46:35.82
I know what the
people on the street say,
00:46:35.86\00:46:37.49
the people on the
street say, "Hey, boy.
00:46:37.53\00:46:38.93
You're having
trouble with your resources,
00:46:38.96\00:46:41.06
hang on to everything you got."
00:46:41.10\00:46:42.50
Pull it in, pull it in, pull
it in, you might lose it all.
00:46:42.53\00:46:44.90
That's craziness.
00:46:44.93\00:46:46.27
Because you know why?
00:46:46.30\00:46:47.64
The kingdom of God
is the very opposite
00:46:47.67\00:46:49.00
of the kingdom of this earth.
00:46:49.04\00:46:50.37
In the kingdom of God,
00:46:50.41\00:46:51.74
He who wants to
save his life must what?
00:46:51.77\00:46:54.14
You gotta lose your
life, in order to save it.
00:46:54.18\00:46:56.34
You can't save it.
00:46:56.38\00:46:58.21
If you save it, you die.
00:46:58.25\00:47:00.65
If you lose it, you grow.
00:47:00.68\00:47:05.12
BHAG, God's BHAG vision.
00:47:05.15\00:47:09.59
I tell you what,
to more from good,
00:47:09.62\00:47:11.39
it's not hard Jim Collins says,
00:47:11.43\00:47:13.60
it's not hard to be good.
00:47:13.63\00:47:15.23
There are whole
lot of goods out there,
00:47:15.26\00:47:17.67
churches and colleges.
00:47:17.70\00:47:19.60
But it's tough to be great,
to move from good to great.
00:47:19.63\00:47:26.51
You need a big, hairy,
audacious goal that everybody,
00:47:26.54\00:47:33.21
everybody supports.
00:47:33.25\00:47:35.95
What is our BHAG?
00:47:35.98\00:47:38.99
It's the same one Paul
had, it's the Macedonian Matrix.
00:47:39.02\00:47:42.69
Come over
come-on, come over here.
00:47:42.72\00:47:45.33
"Come over to
Macedonia and help us.
00:47:45.36\00:47:49.00
Oh, what happened,
I'm gonna sit down,
00:47:49.03\00:47:50.80
but let me just ask you
this, what would happen,
00:47:50.83\00:47:53.94
if at every board meeting,
00:47:53.97\00:47:56.04
there're boards
all over this campus,
00:47:56.07\00:47:57.41
we have one here,
we have one over there.
00:47:57.44\00:47:59.07
what will happen if
in every board meeting,
00:47:59.11\00:48:01.34
we began the board
meeting by asking the question,
00:48:01.38\00:48:04.31
how we doing with our BHAG?
00:48:04.35\00:48:07.82
How is it going,
what's new with the BHAG?
00:48:07.85\00:48:11.05
what will happen, if
every time that committee met,
00:48:11.09\00:48:13.76
it began with the BHAG question?
00:48:13.79\00:48:15.92
Every time the RAs
gathered in the dorm, they say,
00:48:15.96\00:48:17.89
"Hey, listen what's happen,
how we're reaching the lost,
00:48:17.93\00:48:20.50
right here in our circle?
00:48:20.53\00:48:21.86
What would happen if
every time the faculty convened,
00:48:21.90\00:48:24.77
the faculty meeting
began with the question,
00:48:24.80\00:48:27.67
how we doing with our BHAG.
00:48:27.70\00:48:31.77
What would happen?
00:48:31.81\00:48:34.18
If every time the
student association got together
00:48:34.21\00:48:35.98
with its top leadership.
00:48:36.01\00:48:38.45
Now first question
after the prayer is
00:48:38.48\00:48:40.62
how we doing with our BHAG?
00:48:40.65\00:48:43.25
What's happening?
00:48:43.28\00:48:46.19
You see to go
from good to great,
00:48:46.22\00:48:49.02
you have to have a BHAG.
00:48:49.06\00:48:52.16
And everybody needs to
know, I'm a part of it.
00:48:52.19\00:48:56.60
Every
department, every staff team,
00:48:56.63\00:48:59.63
everybody shares the same BHAG.
00:48:59.67\00:49:04.97
Come over, in the Macedonia.
00:49:05.01\00:49:07.68
Come over, in the
Macedonia and help us.
00:49:07.71\00:49:11.15
I love that "The
dream gave Paul his map."
00:49:11.18\00:49:16.15
Ladies and
gentlemen, it must give us
00:49:16.18\00:49:17.65
our map to our
BHAG map for Christ.
00:49:17.69\00:49:21.09
Because I want to remind you,
00:49:21.12\00:49:22.46
Jesus knew all
about closed doors.
00:49:22.49\00:49:26.46
That night in the
garden of Gethsemane,
00:49:26.49\00:49:29.43
as he is begging
for a door to open,
00:49:29.46\00:49:31.80
all He can find in that sweaty
00:49:31.83\00:49:33.47
and black night
is a closed door.
00:49:33.50\00:49:35.30
Do you know why?
00:49:35.34\00:49:36.67
Because the best
way to an open door
00:49:36.71\00:49:38.31
is a closed one.
00:49:38.34\00:49:40.14
And so the door
slams shut in Gethsemane
00:49:40.18\00:49:42.68
so that we get Calvary,
00:49:42.71\00:49:45.58
where that door is wide
open to the whole human race.
00:49:45.61\00:49:48.95
It takes a closed door
to get us to an open door.
00:49:48.98\00:49:53.25
If we've been going
through closed doors lately,
00:49:53.29\00:49:56.22
that means there is still
00:49:56.26\00:49:58.73
an open door we're being let to.
00:49:58.76\00:50:04.87
A big, hairy, audacious
goal for the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:50:04.90\00:50:09.70
you know why?
00:50:09.74\00:50:11.07
Because we're
at eternity's edge.
00:50:11.11\00:50:12.57
That email from a
viewer is absolutely right,
00:50:12.61\00:50:15.61
but it's not too late.
00:50:15.64\00:50:18.11
Our closed doors can
lead us to God's open door
00:50:18.15\00:50:19.91
and by the way, this
open door is so wide,
00:50:19.95\00:50:22.22
an entire campus
can stream through it.
00:50:22.25\00:50:25.95
Come, I beg of you.
00:50:25.99\00:50:28.12
Come, come over,
come over to Macedonia.
00:50:28.16\00:50:32.83
Please, and help us.
00:50:32.86\00:50:35.93
Wow that is a BHAG,
00:50:35.96\00:50:39.50
I want from my
life, how about you?
00:50:39.53\00:50:43.04
Wow.
00:50:43.07\00:50:50.05
This Wednesday,
when we gather to pray,
00:50:50.28\00:50:54.55
you know what?
00:50:54.58\00:50:55.92
That'd be a great focus
00:50:55.95\00:50:57.29
for our corporate
praying around here.
00:50:57.32\00:50:59.29
Dear God, what is,
what do you want us to do
00:50:59.32\00:51:05.63
to get to that open door.
00:51:05.66\00:51:07.60
Closed doors we know,
we want the open door, God.
00:51:07.63\00:51:11.17
Can you imagine the
whole campus on its knees?
00:51:11.20\00:51:13.84
Can't spend a
whole days on your knees,
00:51:13.87\00:51:15.37
but you can spend part
of that day on your knees,
00:51:15.40\00:51:17.24
you can, you really can.
00:51:17.27\00:51:19.14
And entire campus, faculty,
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.18
and
administration and instructors
00:51:21.21\00:51:25.68
and staff and pastors
and community members,
00:51:25.71\00:51:29.28
all of us praying, "God,
take us to that open door,
00:51:29.32\00:51:34.52
we're ready to go, please."
00:51:34.56\00:51:38.39
Let's end by singing
the words of Jesus to us.
00:51:38.43\00:51:42.40
Hymn 578, I love this hymn.
00:51:42.43\00:51:44.73
Let's sing it.
00:51:44.77\00:51:46.10
Let's had Jesus
sing these words to us,
00:51:46.13\00:51:47.70
"So Send I You."
00:51:47.74\00:51:50.87
Like the father sent me,
so I now send you hymn 578.
00:51:50.91\00:51:57.88
So send I you-by grace
00:52:34.82\00:52:39.25
made strong to triumph
00:52:39.29\00:52:44.39
O'er hosts of hell,
o'er darkness, death
00:52:44.43\00:52:50.40
and sin My name to bear
00:52:51.63\00:52:55.04
and in that name to conquer -
00:52:55.07\00:53:00.84
So send I you, my victory to win
00:53:00.88\00:53:07.82
So send I you-to
take to souls in bondage
00:53:11.65\00:53:18.66
The word or truth
00:53:21.16\00:53:24.27
that sets the captive free
00:53:24.30\00:53:29.80
To break the bonds of sin
00:53:29.84\00:53:34.24
to lost death's fetters -
00:53:34.28\00:53:39.01
So send I you,
00:53:39.05\00:53:42.68
to bring the lost to me.
00:53:42.72\00:53:47.36
So send I you-my strength
00:53:50.46\00:53:55.46
to know in weakness
00:53:55.50\00:54:00.47
My joy in grief,
00:54:00.50\00:54:04.01
my perfect peace in pain
00:54:04.04\00:54:08.08
To prove My power,
00:54:09.54\00:54:13.72
My grace, My promised presence-
00:54:13.75\00:54:19.39
So send I you,
00:54:19.42\00:54:23.19
eternal fruit to gain
00:54:23.22\00:54:27.56
So send I you-
00:54:30.80\00:54:34.40
to bear My cross with patience
00:54:34.44\00:54:38.97
And then one day
00:54:40.98\00:54:44.81
with joy to lay it down
00:54:44.85\00:54:50.69
To hear My voice,
00:54:50.72\00:54:54.96
"well done, My faithful servant-
00:54:54.99\00:54:59.33
Come, share My throne,
00:55:02.03\00:55:05.73
My kingdom, and My crown!"
00:55:05.77\00:55:11.74
"As the Father hath sent Me,
00:55:15.08\00:55:22.08
so send I you."
00:55:23.69\00:55:29.69
Oh, Father God, we're here.
00:55:34.20\00:55:36.77
We cannot help but
hear that voice pleading,
00:55:36.80\00:55:40.80
pleading in the distance.
00:55:40.84\00:55:42.27
You've got to come
out, you can't stay there,
00:55:42.30\00:55:46.21
you can't live by yourselves
in that place, come out.
00:55:46.24\00:55:52.35
Come to us, and help us.
00:55:52.38\00:55:56.15
Holy Father,
00:55:56.18\00:55:57.82
please as we prepare to
go to our knees in a day
00:55:57.85\00:56:01.42
of fasting and prayer.
00:56:01.46\00:56:03.89
Use that moment to show us
00:56:03.93\00:56:08.40
what personally you have for us.
00:56:08.43\00:56:10.77
What corporately
you dream for us,
00:56:10.80\00:56:14.00
and then give us courage.
00:56:14.04\00:56:16.44
And a boldness born
00:56:16.47\00:56:19.81
of the greatest mission of all.
00:56:19.84\00:56:24.71
Do whatever it takes in
this place we humbly pray.
00:56:24.75\00:56:31.72
And Jesus came and
stood among them and said,
00:56:32.05\00:56:35.92
"Peace be with you."
00:56:35.99\00:56:39.13
And after he said
this he showed them
00:56:39.16\00:56:40.50
his hands and his
side and the disciples
00:56:40.53\00:56:42.83
were overjoyed
when they saw the Lord.
00:56:42.86\00:56:46.63
Again Jesus said,
"Peace be with you.
00:56:46.67\00:56:51.54
As the father has sent me,
00:56:51.57\00:56:56.01
so send I you."
00:56:56.04\00:57:01.52
Amen.
00:57:01.55\00:57:03.99
I want to take an extra
moment and let you know,
00:57:04.02\00:57:05.72
how grateful I'm, you
joined us in worship today.
00:57:05.75\00:57:08.32
I hear from viewers like
you all across this nation
00:57:08.36\00:57:10.23
and literally around
the world and I'm thankful.
00:57:10.26\00:57:13.50
If you'd like to explore further
00:57:13.53\00:57:14.96
what we just shared,
hope you visit our website.
00:57:15.00\00:57:17.40
It's easy to
remember, www.pmchurch,
00:57:17.43\00:57:20.70
we're the
Pioneer Memorial Church
00:57:20.74\00:57:22.47
here on the campus
of Andrews University,
00:57:22.50\00:57:24.44
www.pmchurch.tv.
00:57:24.47\00:57:27.48
Click on to that website,
00:57:27.51\00:57:28.84
you'll be able to listen to
our podcast of this material,
00:57:28.88\00:57:31.11
or download my
presentation for your MP3 player
00:57:31.15\00:57:33.88
or print out the study
guide for further study.
00:57:33.92\00:57:36.45
You may have a special prayer
need that you wish to share
00:57:36.48\00:57:38.25
with our prayer partners.
00:57:38.29\00:57:39.72
You may have an observation
you wish to write to me.
00:57:39.75\00:57:41.72
Or you may want
to partner with us
00:57:41.76\00:57:43.09
to a personal
donation to help us
00:57:43.12\00:57:44.46
reach this generation
with the everlasting gospel.
00:57:44.49\00:57:47.33
Let me hear from you.
00:57:47.36\00:57:48.70
You can write to
me at www.pmchurch.tv
00:57:48.73\00:57:52.07
or if you rather
talk with someone
00:57:52.10\00:57:54.14
call one of our friendly
operators at 877-His-Will.
00:57:54.47\00:57:58.27
In the mean time,
00:57:58.31\00:57:59.64
may the grace and peace of Jesus
00:57:59.67\00:58:01.44
be yours every step of the way.
00:58:01.48\00:58:04.45