Participants: Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP030312
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00:05 From the campus of Andrews University,
00:08 this is New Perceptions with Dr. Dwight K. Nelson. 00:34 Gloria in excelsis Deo 00:50 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:12 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:17 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:20 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:25 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:33 Gloria 01:35 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:48 Gloria in excelsis Deo 01:57 Gloria in excelsis Deo 02:09 Gloria 02:11 Gloria in ex-cel-sis Deo... 02:41 One of the most beautiful things, 02:43 one of the best pictures that I see in Revelation 02:46 is that picture of when we get to heaven, 02:50 and we've been given our crowns 02:52 and when we see Jesus, we take our crowns 02:54 and we throw them at His feet 02:56 because we recognize that we are unworthy. 02:59 Now what's really interesting about that picture is that 03:02 it doesn't really matter who you are. 03:06 It really doesn't matter what preferences you have 03:10 in terms of food, in terms of language, 03:12 in terms of music, 03:14 in terms of things that you might be 03:15 familiar with in your dress, 03:17 at that stage, none of that really matters. 03:22 What matters is that you've just seen 03:24 the son of Jesus Christ and there is only one 03:27 who is worthy to wear that crown. 03:31 And that is our Lord and our Savior and our friend. 03:35 At His feet, we are all His children 03:38 at His feet, He is our Master and our King. 03:41 Join with us as we sing hymn number 223 03:45 "Crown Him with many crowns." 04:23 Crown Him with many crowns 04:27 The Lamb upon His throne 04:31 Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns 04:36 All music but its own! 04:41 Awake, my soul, and sing 04:45 Of Him Who died for thee 04:50 And hail Him as thy matchless King 04:55 Through all eternity 05:01 Crown Him the Lord of love! 05:05 Behold His hands and side 05:10 Those wounds, yet visible above 05:14 In beauty glorified 05:19 No angel in the sky 05:24 Can fully bear that sight 05:28 But downward bends His wondering eye 05:33 At mysteries so great 05:40 Crown Him the Lord of peace! 05:45 Whose hand a scepter sways 05:50 From pole to pole that wars may cease 05:54 And all be prayer and praise 05:59 His reign shall know no end 06:04 And around His pierced feet 06:08 Fair flowers of Paradise extend 06:13 Their fragrance ever sweet 06:38 Crown Him the Lord of years 06:42 The Potentate of time 06:47 Creator of the rolling spheres, 06:52 Ineffably sublime! 06:57 All hail! Redeemer, hail! 07:02 For Thou hast died for me 07:07 Thy praise shall never, never fail 07:12 Throughout eternity! 07:22 One thing that I love about 07:24 the Lord that I serve is that I can see Him in everything. 07:29 Whether it's big or small, I can see Him. 07:32 I see Him in people walking around campus on a daily basis. 07:36 I see Him in the snow. I see Him in the sunshine. 07:41 And because of that wonderful fact 07:43 that our Lord is everywhere and omnipresent, 07:47 His name alone is sweet. 07:50 And when we call upon it, we can be saved. 07:54 This next song we're gonna sing 07:55 is a newer song, it's called "No sweeter name." 07:59 It's a really easy melody and it talks about 08:02 there being no sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:04 and that He alone is the life to our heart and our soul. 08:08 Join us as we sing this. 08:20 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:24 No sweeter name than I've ever known 08:28 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:34 No sweeter name 08:36 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:41 No sweeter name have I ever known 08:45 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:51 No sweeter name 08:53 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 08:57 No sweeter name have I ever known 09:01 No sweeter name than the name of Jesus 09:08 You are the life 09:10 You are the life to my heart and my soul 09:14 You are the light to the darkness around me 09:18 You are the hope to the hopeless and broken 09:22 You are the only truth and the way 09:26 You are the life to my heart and my soul 09:31 You are the light to the darkness around me 09:35 You are the hope to the hopeless and broken 09:39 You are the only truth and the way 09:46 The truth and the way 09:50 Truth and the way 09:55 Let's sing that chorus one more time. 09:57 You are the life... 10:00 You are the life to my heart and my soul 10:04 You are the light to the darkness around me 10:09 You are the hope to the hopeless and broken 10:13 You are the only truth and the way 10:21 Amen. 10:39 Though I might prophesy in tongues 10:44 Both earthly and divine 10:49 If love were not their very root 10:55 I could not call them Thine 11:08 Though I might prophesy in tongues 11:13 Both earthly and divine 11:18 If love were not their very root 11:23 I could not call them Thine 11:28 A sounding gong a cymbal's clash 11:33 Is all that they would be 11:39 Though mountains moved through power of faith 11:44 Yet would it not be Thee 11:56 Though I might give all I possessed 12:01 In succour to the poor 12:06 Yet without love no change is made 12:12 To what they lacked before 12:17 True love is patient selfless, kind 12:22 And does all things endure 12:28 Its trust in truth can never end 12:33 Nor ever be unsure 12:55 When we have come to adult faith 13:01 And love like this has grown 13:06 So shall we see God face to face 13:12 And know as we are known 13:17 Then shall the choirs of Faith and Hope 13:23 Give praise unceasingly 13:29 To what is greater than them both 13:35 The gift of Charity 13:50 The gift of 13:56 Charity 14:02 Charity 14:17 Let's plunge into our teaching, 14:18 want to begin with a story but first prayer. 14:21 Oh, God, that gift of charity, 14:23 that's, that's the gift 14:28 that is the greatest of the gifts. 14:31 That's the gift we want. 14:33 We want it somehow wrapped up in You 14:35 and so today's teaching don't let it be ambivalent, 14:39 don't let me be ambivalent. 14:42 Let it be clear what the Lord Jesus 14:44 will teach us from scripture. 14:45 These few moments together we pray in His name. 14:49 Amen. 14:51 I heard a story once that just blew me out of the water. 14:55 And if I haven't heard it in the first person, 14:57 I wouldn't have believed it. 14:58 But she was standing right here when she told the story. 15:01 Edwina Humphrey Flynn, 15:05 young adult, Seventh-day Adventist, 15:06 classical vocalist, Juilliard trained, 15:11 we're talking top drawer in terms of music 15:16 started out just like this. 15:20 She told a story about her first day 15:22 at school in New York City, 15:26 before getting on the subway heading off 15:29 downtown to that campus, 15:32 she asked God "Come into my life, 15:35 shine out of my life, whoever I meet today, amen." 15:39 Got on the train raced into classes, 15:44 school has begun. 15:45 A few weeks later, it's a day off, 15:48 she says "I'm going back down to the conservatory, 15:51 I'm gonna go back down where the practice rooms 15:54 are obviously free now 15:55 and I'm gonna do my ho-ho-ho-ho-ho" 15:58 you know what you do. 16:00 Nobody be there and I can just do it." 16:02 So she did it, halfway through her practices, 16:05 she hears this loud ruckus noise down the hallway 16:10 and it's getting louder and it sounds angry 16:12 and it's getting closer and all of a sudden boom! 16:15 Her practice room door flies open. 16:17 Four students come trumping in, 16:20 they are also students of the conservatory. 16:25 I knew I'd find you here that young spokesman said. 16:30 Turns out they're group of warlocks and witches. 16:33 Warlocks being a male witch, witch being female. 16:37 They've been debating a cult issues like 16:39 "Which is better, 16:40 which do you think is more good, 16:43 black magic or white magic?" 16:45 They're having this big discussion 16:48 and Edwina finally gets composes herself, 16:51 she says, "Listen, I don't know 16:52 what that has to do with me anyway 16:54 because I don't know anything about 16:55 black magic or white magic." 16:56 Ah, but the young man said 16:59 "I saw you when you came to school the first day, 17:01 I saw you get off the subway, 17:03 there was a circle of light around you 17:06 and it went front of you 17:07 and you walked into that light." 17:10 She says, "Yeah, but why you're here now? 17:12 You didn't even know I was here." 17:13 "Because we were having this debate down the hallway 17:16 and I saw light coming under this door 17:19 and I recognized it as the same light 17:21 I saw that day you got off the subway. 17:24 And I knew you'd be here." 17:27 Can you believe it? 17:29 I mean she prays before she goes, 17:31 she connects with God and she says, 17:32 "Shine Your light through me," 17:34 having no clue that God would literally shine His light 17:38 through her to get the attention 17:40 of another young adult on her campus. 17:42 Wow. 17:45 So here's the no-brainer question. 17:47 Wouldn't you love to live so close to Jesus 17:50 that His light shines out of you too, 17:54 me too and people see it, they sense it? 17:58 I want to share the explosive secret 17:59 to how that can happen, 18:01 right here in our continuing journey 18:02 for the Gospel of John, the Fourth Gospel. 18:05 Open your Bible please to John Chapter 15. 18:07 You didn't bring a Bible, 18:08 oh, my grab the pew Bible in front of you, 18:11 it's page 727 in your pew Bible, let us go. 18:14 Explosive secret, the explosive secret 18:18 to how that light can shine out of you. 18:19 Now I need to tell you this 18:20 while you're looking for John 15, 18:22 a lot of people believe 18:24 that John 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 18:28 which if you have a red letter Bible 18:30 are almost totally red. 18:32 A lot of people think all those chapters 18:34 happen up here in the upper room, 18:36 but that's not the case. 18:37 When you put the three synoptics together 18:40 and you include the Fourth Gospel, 18:42 you realize that Chapters 13 and 14 18:45 happen in the upper room, 18:46 but Chapters 15, 16 and 17 18:49 happen out of doors, it's Passover. 18:52 Full silver moon, always a full moon on Passover. 18:56 Jesus is speaking in the night air, 18:58 15, 16, and 17. 19:01 The little clue in John is right here. 19:05 Look at the last line of Chapter 14. 19:09 That little clue plus the synoptics helps us 19:11 know that 15 and onward is outdoors. 19:14 The last line in Chapter 14 19:15 you see it, there Jesus speaking, 19:16 "Arise, let us go from here." 19:19 Come on, guys, it's time to go. 19:22 That's it. 19:24 And then 15 happens. 19:25 That means that eleven men 19:27 'cause one has already slipped away 19:28 to do his nefarious deed, 19:29 eleven men plus the Master pound down those clay steps, 19:32 I've been in the upper room in Jerusalem archeologists 19:34 are absolutely sure it's the identical upper room, 19:37 pound down the clay steps 19:38 into the winding wending alleyways, 19:41 silver shadows beneath the full Passover moon, 19:43 they come to the gate, out the gate 19:45 down the crooked pathway, I've walked down that 19:47 into the notch called the Kidron, 19:49 then up to a garden called Gethsemane, 19:52 somewhere along the way 19:53 Craig Keener in his Commentary says 19:55 somewhere along the way Jesus sees a vine. 19:59 Desire of Ages conquers a century earlier, 20:02 Desire of Ages says Jesus came upon a trellis 20:05 in the silver light and He stops. 20:07 The Master Teacher stops beside the trellis, 20:10 He takes that full fruit of the vine, 20:12 holds it in His hand and it becomes 20:15 an unforgettable teaching moment. 20:18 His last time with these eleven. 20:20 This is the secret He's been waiting 20:22 till now to share and He shares it. 20:26 15, here we go. 20:27 John 15:1, "I am the true vine, 20:33 and My Father is the vinedresser. 20:36 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit 20:38 He takes away, and every branch 20:40 that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 20:44 You are already clean." 20:46 The Greek word for prune and clean same word, 20:49 play on words there, You are clean already 20:53 because of the word which I have spoken to you 20:55 back in the upper room. 20:56 Here comes verse 5, "So abide in Me, and I in you." 21:00 And He's holding it up, 21:02 "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 21:05 unless it abides in the vine, 21:07 neither can you, unless you abide in Me." 21:09 Now here comes verse 5. 21:11 "I am the vine, you are the branches. 21:14 He who abides in Me, and I in him, 21:17 bears much fruit, for without Me 21:19 you can do nothing." 21:24 For the Jews in Palestine at the time of Christ, 21:28 the most common fruit trees they had were these, 21:31 fig, yuck, olives, 21:35 bring it on, and the vine, all right? 21:38 Those were the three most widely planted fruit trees 21:42 but of the three, hands down, 21:43 any loyal patriotic Jew knows that if you're asking me 21:47 which one I'm gonna identify with 21:48 hands down, it's the vine. 21:50 The Jews believed we Israel the true vine of God. 21:55 In fact, during the Maccabeans, 21:56 you flipped the coin over, 21:57 they have a vine on that coin 21:59 as a symbol of that, "We are the vine of God." 22:04 And Herod the Great was no dummy, 22:05 when he built that majestic 22:08 archeological wonder called the Jerusalem Temple, 22:11 he made sure that the craftsmen 22:12 shaped into the entrance of the temple a golden vine. 22:17 We are the vine. 22:19 And Jesus takes that notion 22:21 and just flips the coin over and said, "No, no, no, no. 22:25 I am the true vine. 22:29 You are the branches." 22:33 Wow. 22:35 Tomorrow the blood red fruit of the vine 22:39 will flow crimson on that Roman cross, tomorrow. 22:44 But tonight the silver light of the moon, 22:47 beneath it Jesus says, I am the vine. 22:51 Look at verse 5 again, verse 5 again. 22:54 "I am the vine, you are the branches. 22:58 She who abides in Me, and I in her, 23:00 bears much fruit, 23:01 for without Me you can do nothing." 23:05 It's the explosive secret of the vine. 23:06 Jesus takes the great truth of eternity 23:11 and pours it into a single metaphor 23:13 that is a solitary secret. 23:16 It's all wrapped up right there 23:19 and to do it, listen to this, to do it. 23:21 He reaches back to the upper room 23:22 where He's just been and He pulls the word 23:24 out of the upper room. 23:26 You see in the upper room, He used this word, 23:27 He said "In my Father's house are many mansions." 23:32 The Greek word for mansion is mone. 23:34 So what Jesus does He reaches back as they've forgotten that 23:36 and He grabs that word from the upper room 23:38 and here standing beside the vine, 23:40 He now turns the noun into a verb, meno. 23:44 Monay, meno, which means 23:47 that you could actually translate this line 23:51 mansion in Me and I in you. 23:55 In other words take up residence in Me 23:57 and I'll take up residence in you. 24:00 That's why Eugene Peterson 24:01 and I love the message rendition. 24:04 He puts it this way. 24:05 "Live in Me, make your home in Me just as I do in you." 24:11 So let's pause just long enough to get that critical point. 24:13 Grab your study guide right now, will you? 24:15 Take your study guide out 24:16 and let's get this down while it's fresh in our minds. 24:20 You've got study guides here in the choir, 24:22 you've got study guides out here 24:23 but if several of you came in with one bulletin, 24:25 hold your hand up, we've got our friendly ushers 24:26 coming your way, just hold your hand up, 24:28 we'll get a study guide to you, up in the balcony, 24:30 we'll get study guides to you. 24:33 And all of you who are watching right now on live streaming, 24:36 we're delighted to have you, wherever in the world you are, 24:39 it's eastern standard time here in the United States, 24:42 we're glad you're here. 24:43 I want you to get the same study guide, 24:44 and so I'm gonna put it on the screen right now. 24:47 You see a clip up, 24:48 there it is www.pmchurch.tv. 24:53 Now you're looking for the series 24:54 which is our second semester series, 24:56 The Last Days. 24:57 It's not the last days of earth, 24:58 it's the last days of Jesus. 25:00 We're down to His final 24 hours 25:02 and oh, my, don't miss next week, 25:05 Trinity under fire. 25:06 You can't believe it 25:07 but they are going after the Trinity 25:10 and I want you to use your bright mind 25:13 and grapple with some of the issues. 25:15 Trinity under fire, next week. 25:18 But today it's the explosive 25:20 secret of the vine 25:21 you see that there you click on to that 25:23 on that webpage it'll say study guide. 25:27 Click on there and you'll have the same study guide we do. 25:29 Let's fill out the study guide, 25:30 just so that we can lock this in before 25:32 we move into the teaching. 25:34 "In my father's house, Jesus is speaking, 25:36 'In my father's house are many mansions' 25:39 right in the word mansions. 25:40 That's the noun, that's John 14:2. 25:42 That's the noun mone. 25:44 But that noun becomes 'Abide' that's the verb, meno. 25:50 'Abide in Me, as I abide in you'. 25:53 So go ahead and fill that out. 25:54 Won't you ever fill that you know, 25:55 that's what's happening. 25:56 That's a Greek word that got switched around. 25:59 Thus John 15:4 could read 26:02 "Mansion in me, as I mansion in you." 26:05 I like that. 26:07 I want to be in your mansion, 26:09 let me be, let you be in my mansion. 26:12 Let's mansion in each other. 26:14 Take a precedence in me 26:16 while I take a precedence in you 26:17 but let's put it, 26:18 I want to get Peterson the message, 26:20 this is how he puts it "Live in me, 26:23 make your home in me just as I do in you." 26:28 Because let's face it, come on, ladies and gentlemen, 26:30 the people we really feel at home with 26:34 our closest friends and family, isn't that right? 26:37 I mean, you know what, 26:38 with anybody else we're little stiffer, 26:41 we're little more on the guard. 26:42 I mean we have to be careful, we're bit more formal. 26:45 But when you're with the people 26:46 that you are really friends with 26:48 when you're with close family 26:51 we use a phrase up close in personal 26:53 "I feel at home with you." 26:54 I love being around her 26:55 because I feel at home with her, 26:56 I love being around him 26:57 because I feel at home with him. 26:58 What's that mean? 27:00 That means you can just be yourself. 27:01 Even some of the etiquette that you do elsewhere, 27:05 you don't worry about it here. 27:07 I'm not going to give you examples of that but you know. 27:09 You're just got a-- you're just at home. 27:11 You feel comfortable. 27:13 People accept me for what I am. 27:14 I'm not worried about somebody say, 27:16 what does he mean by that? 27:17 What does she mean by that? 27:18 No, I can act like a boy, 27:19 you can act like a girl and nobody cares. 27:22 Jesus says that's what I want to be. 27:23 I want you to feel at home with me 27:25 and I want to feel at home with you. 27:27 It's a language of friendship. 27:30 Let's be friends, 27:32 let's be at home with each other 27:33 and by the way 27:34 in case we didn't get the language of friendship 27:37 he now overtly switches to the language of friendship. 27:40 Watch this, fascinating. 27:44 Verse 9, as he goes on here. 27:45 He's still standing by the vine 27:47 and you'll see all the way through here 27:48 he's standing by the vine. 27:50 Verse 9, "As the Father loved Me, 27:51 I also have loved you, abide" 27:53 there it is, 11 times in this little passage 27:55 he used that word meno. 27:57 "Abide in My love. 27:59 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, 28:02 just as I have kept My Father's commandments 28:04 and abide in His love." 28:06 Now watch this verse 13, speaking of love, 28:08 "Greater love has no one than this, 28:11 than to lay down one's life for his, what?" 28:14 "For his friends." 28:15 Now notice verse 14, "You are My, what? 28:18 "You are my friends, if you do what I command you." 28:22 Verse 15, "No longer do I call you servants, 28:24 for a servant doesn't know what his master is doing, 28:26 but I have called you friends, for all the things 28:29 that I heard form My Father I have made known to you." 28:31 Verse 16, last verse, "You didn't choose Me, 28:33 but I chose you and appointed you 28:35 so that you should go and bear fruit, 28:38 and that your fruit should remain," 28:39 by the way remain same word, meno, 28:41 11th time in that passage meno, that your fruit will abide. 28:45 "That whatever you ask the Father in My name 28:48 He may give you." 28:50 There it is, ladies and gentlemen, 28:51 standing by the vine 11 times 28:53 Jesus is making the point "abide". 28:57 You and me, abide in each other. 28:59 It's the rich language of friendship. 29:03 So hey, I'm the closest friend you'll ever have. 29:06 Ever, ever, ever. 29:08 In fact, tomorrow 29:10 I'm gonna lay down my life for you 29:11 and there is no greater love than that. 29:13 We are friends, do you understand? 29:15 We are friends, forever friends. 29:19 Jot that down, so that we don't miss it, please. 29:22 "Greater love has no one than this, 29:23 than to lay down one's life for his friends. 29:27 You are My friends, 29:28 No longer do I call you servants 29:29 but I have called you friends." 29:31 Again and again and again abide in me and I in you 29:36 that's the invitation of a friend. 29:38 But by the way not any old friend, 29:43 Facebook in the University of Milan 29:45 did you read about the study 29:46 that they did just a few weeks ago 29:47 Facebook in the University of Milan? 29:49 They did a study to find out 29:50 how far the 721 million users of Facebook in the planet. 29:56 How far apart are we? 29:57 How many degrees of separation, 29:59 did you read about that? 30:02 We used to think it was six degrees 30:04 and that was based on a 1929 short story called 'Chains' 30:07 by Frigyes Karinthy in which he suggested 30:10 no one is more than a string of six friends 30:13 away from another person. 30:16 So he called Six Degrees of Separation. 30:18 But Facebook did the numbers, 30:20 they crunched all the math and they found out, 30:23 get this, that we are 4.74 degrees of separation. 30:30 4.74 degrees of separation but in the United States 30:34 where one half of everybody 30:36 over the age of 13 is on Facebook. 30:40 Our separation is 4.37 we're even a little closer. 30:44 So what does that mean? 30:46 Well, that means Facebook says, 30:48 that means that if there is a man in Papua New Guinea 30:50 and he has to be on Facebook by the way. 30:52 But if there is a man in the jungles 30:53 of Papua New Guinea, 30:55 let me show you how close you are. 30:56 Let's put up a beautiful graphic here, 30:58 this is from Joanna Divine my PowerPoint 31:00 operator right now, she is a junior math major. 31:02 She told me how they get those numbers 4.74 31:05 I have-- I could not repeat it you 31:07 but she made this graphics so that we would get it. 31:11 Okay, so on one side is a woman on the other side is a man. 31:14 So you be either side you wish 31:16 I'm gonna be on the man side which is on the left side. 31:18 So the New Guinean in this case will be a woman. 31:21 The New Guineans over here, watch this, this means 4.74. 31:26 That a friend of my friend, 31:28 'cause my friend is right beside me 31:30 and a friend of my friend is a next person. 31:32 A friend of my friend is a friend 31:37 of the friend of the New Guinean. 31:41 Do we feel closer, what? 31:44 With Papua New Guinea you and me, 31:46 just there that's the proof. 31:50 Wow. 31:51 Facebook is so cool. 31:59 Are we really so close? 32:02 I tell you why we're not so close 32:04 because Facebook has changed the definition of a friend. 32:08 Now you can have a million friends 32:10 and not be close to a single one of them. 32:14 Am I telling tales out at school? 32:16 No. 32:18 That's not the kind of friendship 32:19 Jesus is talking about. 32:21 Jesus says, hey, listen abide in Me and I in you, 32:25 that means no degrees of separations. 32:28 Put that on the screen. 32:29 No degrees of separation 32:33 between the branch and the vine. 32:35 No degrees, not 4.74, not 3.74, not 1.74, zero. 32:40 Not a, no degrees of separation. 32:44 Because nature has told us 32:46 that if there is even one degree of separation 32:48 between a branch and a vine the branch dies. 32:51 Isn't that right? 32:52 You can't separate a branch from the vine. 32:54 It's dead meat, it's over. 32:57 Jesus says, I'm closer than Facebook, 33:00 I'm closer than Facebook. 33:02 I'm a real friend. 33:04 And there are no degrees of separation 33:06 between you and Me. 33:07 We're just like this. 33:09 I'm the vine you are the branches, 33:11 no degrees of separation, 33:12 I'm the vine you are the branches 33:14 there is nothing between us. 33:17 We're like this, abide in Me and I in you. 33:22 Wow. 33:26 So if a branch is not connected what happens to Jesus, 33:29 well, look at verse 6, Jesus speaking here, 33:31 "If anyone does not abide in Me" 33:33 oh-oh, "he is cast out as a branch and is withered," 33:36 well, it's not like you are being punished 33:38 you got away from the vine, you cut yourself off. 33:41 "He is cast away and is withered 33:42 and they gather them and throw them into the fire, 33:45 and they all burned." 33:46 Now, look, go back to verse 4, 33:47 so Jesus says, "Abide in Me and I in you. 33:51 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 33:53 unless it abides in the vine, 33:55 neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 33:58 'I am the vine, you are the branches. 34:01 She, he who abides in Me, and I in him, 34:06 I in her, bears much fruit, 34:08 for without Me you can do nothing." 34:13 And that, ladies and gentlemen, 34:14 is the explosive secret of the vine. 34:17 Put that on the screen again. 34:18 "Without Me you can do nothing." 34:21 Not a, no thing, in fact, John is so intense here 34:27 that he turns this into a double negative. 34:29 Now Jesus is already you-- 34:30 John has already used a double negative up 34:32 here in the upper room, 34:33 remember when Jesus came to wash Peter's feet 34:36 and Peter says to Jesus in the Greek, 34:38 Peter says to Jesus, 'You shall no not wash my feet' 34:42 same Jesus, same Peter out here under the moon 34:44 and Jesus grabs that double negative 34:46 if he were speaking Greek and He says, 34:48 'Without Me, you can do no, not anything.' 34:53 Double negative in case you missed it the first time. 34:56 Not a, nothing, you can do nothing without Me. 35:03 I mean, like the man said, 35:04 which part of the 'no' do you not understand? 35:07 The 'N' or the 'O'. 35:10 No thing, you can do no thing without Me, 35:15 double negative no, not anything without Me. 35:20 So what F.F. Bruce-- 35:21 In fact, let's put that up first before we-- yeah. 35:23 "Without Me, you can do 'no not anything'". 35:26 That's a Greek. 35:27 So when you have that in your study guide 35:28 and you're sharing this teaching with somebody else 35:29 you can just say, oh yeah, 35:30 that's a double negative, right there. 35:32 F.F. Bruce, the great New Testament scholar 35:36 describes the total adequacy of Christ. 35:41 Now put that on the screen, 35:43 "The total adequacy of Christ." 35:47 I've been bruting on that. Was bruting on it last night. 35:50 He's saying you know, total adequacy of Christ. 35:54 Keep it, don't turn your study guide over yet 35:56 because I want you to write this other line down, 35:58 I think this other line there 35:59 that actually is a word essentiality. 36:02 'The total essentiality' would you scribble that down 36:05 or keep it up it's only one L, 36:06 'the total essentiality of Christ', 36:10 what's that mean? 36:11 He is utterly essential. 36:14 You can not, you can not, 36:16 you cannot not have him and work and live, 36:21 'the total essentiality' scribble that down 36:23 while still on the screen, 36:24 'the total essentiality of Christ' 36:27 that's the truth. 36:28 Without Me you can do nothing, 36:30 no not anything, 36:31 'the total essentiality of Christ'. 36:34 He is utterly essential to everything 36:37 that we stand for, 36:38 to salvation, to everything in life, 36:41 He is utterly essential. Our only hope is in Jesus. 36:46 At had a seminary come up to me after my class this week, 36:48 I just started teaching at the seminary 36:49 as I was due at this time of year 36:51 to round out the semester teach a class in preaching. 36:54 The seminarian came to me 36:56 concerned about some of the guest preachers 36:58 that are being invited to this campus. 37:03 Not by the university, not by the Chaplains, 37:08 not by the Pioneer Memorial Church, 37:10 not by the Pastors, guest preachers 37:14 that are being invited by independent student groups. 37:20 He described for me 37:22 some of the teachings of these guests 37:24 what they are propagating in the name of God. 37:27 Extreme focus on personal behavior, 37:29 a repeated calling for perfection, 37:32 he's gone to some of those meetings 37:34 and he said "I'm deeply-- he said pastor, 37:35 I'm deeply concerned for these undergrad students 37:37 who are innocently sitting there, wide eyed, 37:41 listening to the human behavior centered teaching 37:44 despairing of ever attaining salvation 37:47 by such stringent standards. 37:51 Oh, when I learned that I'm concerned too. 37:55 The only way that kind of teaching survives 37:58 the only way you can preach that way 38:00 is if you abandoned the gospel of Jesus 38:03 you subvert the gospel so that you end up 38:06 as the Galatians did with Judaizers 38:08 who came into their myths 38:09 focusing on what Paul calls the works of the law. 38:14 Those works of the law 38:15 that will save you if you do them. 38:21 Jesus is utterly essential and absolutely clear here 38:27 "Without Me you can do nothing." 38:29 Your salvation has not a thread of human devising in it. 38:34 And if anybody shows up 38:36 Paul says if even an angel from heaven comes down 38:39 and teaches that your salvation 38:40 has a thread of human devising in it, 38:42 let him be accursed. 38:46 The University ought to be concerned, 38:49 the pastor ought to be concerned, 38:51 that's not the gospel, 38:52 that's not the everlasting gospel. 38:54 The everlasting gospel is without Me, 38:57 I am what it is, I am the vine, 39:02 you are the branches. 39:03 The life is all in Me 39:05 you can't go through a little routine 39:07 to get the life in you 39:09 apart from Me you are nothing. 39:11 I am the vine, you are the branches, 39:16 without Me you can do nothing, no not anything. 39:21 There can be no degree of separation 39:23 between the branch and the vine, 39:24 the branch doesn't go off and do a little something 39:25 and then come back, 39:26 no, the branch is hooked to the vine, 39:28 that's the only way the branch lives. 39:32 The total adequacy of Christ, 39:33 the total essentiality of Christ 39:36 is the antidote not only for legalism 39:38 but hold on now, hold on, not only for legalism 39:40 which would use the works of the laws 39:42 and method of gaining God's attention in salvation. 39:45 Not only for legalism, it is also the antidote 39:48 for cheap grace, 39:50 because cheap grace is the flipside 39:52 of that errand coin, 39:54 the notion is since my behavior 39:55 is not the basis for my salvation, 39:57 I can do whatever I please 39:58 no matter what the prophets of the prophet say. 40:02 Both areas are wrong, 40:05 ditches on both sides of the road. 40:08 Without Me you can do nothing 40:11 but fall, Paul will flip it around, 40:13 Philippians 4:13, 40:14 but I can do all things through Christ 40:19 who strengthens me. 40:21 You see there is a ditch on either side of the road 40:24 but the total adequacy of Christ 40:27 whenever it's compromised in public teaching 40:30 it's because the gospel is not understood by the teacher. 40:37 Now they'll kill you 40:38 for taking a position like that. 40:41 It drove Paul out everywhere. 40:43 Judaizers said no, no, no, no we need the works of the law. 40:46 No, Jesus said on the eve of His crucifixion. 40:49 Without Me nothing, no not anything. 40:54 In fact, Paul put it this way I like this in Colossians 3:11 40:57 "Christ is all, and in all." 40:59 Talking about the total essentiality of Christ, 41:02 there it is. 41:03 Christ is all and in all. 41:06 Ladies and gentlemen, that's the gospel, 41:10 that's the everlasting gospel, don't be discouraged, 41:14 don't be driven away. 41:17 You can do to Jesus straight and He will be sufficient. 41:23 Do I stay the way I am when I get to Him? 41:24 No, you won't stay the way you are He'll take care of that 41:27 but He will take care of it, 41:29 you connect to the vine, He'll take care of it. 41:32 His emphasis are on come on, 41:33 concentrate on how you are behaving 41:35 concentrate, concentrate, concentrate 41:36 takes your eyes off Jesus 41:38 and then you're no longer connected 41:39 to the vine that's the danger. 41:42 That's what about killed the church in Galatia. 41:44 Andrews University ought to be concerned, 41:47 the pastor of this church ought to be concerned. 41:53 Without Me, Jesus says, you can do nothing. 42:00 Let's read "Desire of Ages" 42:01 I love this, beautiful, "Desire of Ages, 42:03 "The life of the vine becomes the life of the branch. 42:07 So the soul dead in trespasses and sins 42:11 receives life through the connection with Christ. 42:13 By faith in Him as a personal Savior the union is formed. 42:17 The sinner unites his weakness to Christ's strength, 42:19 her emptiness to Christ's fullness, 42:21 his frailty to Christ's enduring might." 42:24 You know what, 42:26 whenever there is a moral meltdown in a man, 42:31 in a woman, in a teenager, 42:33 whenever there is a moral meltdown 42:36 always, not partly, 42:38 always it's because the branch has become separated, 42:44 degrees of separation 42:45 have removed the branch from the vine. 42:48 And in that weakened withering 42:49 beginning to wither stage 42:51 that's always when the enemy strikes. 42:53 When the branch has been disconnected, 42:55 boom, He moves in. 42:58 And moral meltdowns occur. 43:01 But I want you to know that 43:02 if you're gone through a moral meltdown 43:03 this promise of Jesus is very good news for you. 43:08 The broken and withered branch 43:11 can be re-grafted on to the vine. 43:14 New life can flow through that branch 43:16 sooner will bear fruit again 43:18 just as it did once upon a time. 43:20 Don't despair 43:21 because your branch was severed. 43:26 By one's thoughtless choice, 43:28 don't despair the branch can be re-grafted 43:32 don't wait the branch will wither and die. 43:36 Don't wait, if you wait, it's too late. 43:40 Come back to the vine. 43:42 He will re-graft you to Himself, 43:44 without Me you can do nothing. 43:47 Well, hope is there for us sinners, 43:48 ah, keep reading put it back on the screen, please. 43:50 "The life of the vine becomes the life of the branch. 43:54 So the soul dead in trespasses and sins 43:57 receives life through connection with Christ. 43:58 Look at it's your own study guide, 43:59 would you circle Christ in the pronoun 44:02 related to Him and savior 44:03 and all just circle them, will you? 44:05 So circle Christ there, the connection is with Christ 44:08 "By faith in Him, circle that, 44:10 as a personal Savior, circle that, 44:11 the union is formed. 44:13 The sinner unites his weakness to Christ's, 44:15 circle that, Christ's strength, 44:17 her emptiness to Christ's, circle that, 44:20 Christ's fullness, their frailty to Christ's, 44:23 circle that, enduring might." 44:25 Then they have the mind of Christ. 44:28 The humanity of Christ has touched our humanity 44:31 and our humanity has touched divinity. 44:32 That would be Jesus, 44:33 "Thus through the agency of the Holy Spirit, 44:35 circle that again, 44:36 we become partakers of the divine nature. 44:39 We are accepted in the beloved, circle beloved. 44:41 Ladies and gentlemen, the everlasting gospel 44:43 that's the truth 44:44 you are accepted in the beloved. 44:46 "Without Me you can do nothing." 44:48 It's all Jesus. 44:54 Without Me you can do nothing. 45:04 One more line from "Desire of Ages" 45:05 put it on the screen for you, you need to fill this in. 45:07 "No more, said Jesus, can you live apart from Me. 45:10 Oh, I've circled that. 45:11 The life you've received from Me 45:13 can be preserved only by, look at this word, 45:16 continual communion." 45:18 Continual communion, 45:19 you know we used to read that sentence. 45:20 We used to read that line I mean, 45:22 we just read the words continual communications 45:24 how we put it today. 45:25 Continual communication, we used to say, 45:27 it is humanly impossible 45:29 to have continual communication, right? 45:32 You can't just have continual communication 45:34 until they invented the cell phone. 45:38 Now, hey, I went over Thursday 45:41 to hear my friend Dick Duerksen over 45:42 at the Harvard Performing Arts Center, 45:44 They'd already turned the lights off, 45:45 Dick hadn't gotten up here but they turn the lights off 45:47 so I'm in the dark trying to find my place 45:49 to a seat it's still open. 45:51 But you know what, 45:52 it suddenly got very bright in there 45:53 'cause I saw on every lap a white glow. 45:57 A white glow just all over, 45:59 just like fireflies all over this dark auditorium, 46:02 what's up? 46:03 It's all the smart phones catching up on my emails, 46:05 my text messages and voice mails. 46:09 Don't talk to me about well, 46:11 I just can't do this concert communication thing. 46:13 Yes, you can, you do it all the time. 46:16 You can do concert and communication. 46:19 That's the secret, continual communication. 46:22 That's the promise of the Holy Spirit. 46:23 I will keep you continually abiding 46:26 in communication with Jesus, the vine. 46:28 I'm gonna put a verse in that we didn't have, 46:30 when we put the study guide together Friday morning, 46:32 but it came to me and I want to share this one 46:34 I want you to write it in please, 46:35 1st John 3:24, 46:37 how do I abide in Jesus 46:39 because this is a little many series tucked 46:41 into the series on the Holy Spirit. 46:43 How do I abide in Jesus? 46:44 John who was there under the silver moon 46:47 heard Jesus and this is now end of his life 46:50 and by this we know the He, 46:51 Christ abides in us by the spirit 46:54 whom He has given us. 46:56 That's how we abide in Jesus. It's through the Holy Spirit. 47:00 The Holy Spirit comes in to your mind, 47:01 it comes into your life and that's how-- 47:03 Jesus can't come to you personally. 47:05 Because if He came to you personally 47:06 then I won't get Him. 47:07 Jesus stays, He has a body now 47:09 He can be everywhere He wants, 47:10 He has a body now but He has a friend 47:12 who comes and when the friend comes the friend never says, 47:15 hey, psst, Dwight, Holy Spirit's here. 47:17 Friend always comes and says, psst, Dwight Jesus is here. 47:21 He exudes the presence of Christ. 47:23 That's why when you're praying sometimes 47:25 it will feel like Jesus is right there beside you. 47:29 The Holy Spirit always draws attention 47:31 to Christ never to Himself, 47:33 you want to abide in Him, Holy Spirit. 47:36 That's His mission, Holy Spirit. 47:40 Ah, last line on the screen, 47:43 "Abiding in Christ means 47:45 a constant receiving of His Spirit" see that's it. 47:49 You got to have the Spirit, 47:50 just ask for the Spirit everyday, 47:51 when you pray Holy Spirit feel me, 47:53 you know what you get filled with, 47:54 you get filled with Jesus. 47:56 And if you say, Jesus, fill me with you, 47:57 He'll fill you with the Holy Spirit 47:59 because they are-- they are talking about branch and vine 48:02 they are just like this. 48:03 We'll talk about the trinity next week, 48:04 they're just like this. 48:06 When you get the Holy Spirit you always get Jesus. 48:09 "Abiding in Christ means 48:11 a constant receiving of His Spirit, 48:12 a life of unreserved surrender to His Service. 48:15 That channel of communication must be open continually, 48:19 cell phone style, continually on open 48:23 between us and our God, 48:25 so long, and I love this, I love this, 48:28 so long as the soul is united to Christ, 48:30 there is no danger it will wither or decay." 48:35 If you're broken off, 48:36 if something broke off your life 48:39 from the vine the good news is get grafted back on 48:42 and as long as you will stay connected 48:45 this day in and day out communication, 48:48 as long as you stay connected you will never wither, 48:50 you will never die. 48:52 Wow, that is an explosive secret 48:56 because without Me you can do nothing, 48:58 you can do nothing. 49:00 No, not anything, no, no, no, no 49:02 so abide in Me and let Me abide in you. 49:06 So here's the question I want to end with. 49:07 What are you doing to keep daily connected 49:12 with your very best friend? 49:15 What are you doing? 49:17 Let me share a study that Cornell University 49:20 came out with, this is fascinating. 49:23 Just few weeks ago, 49:24 'for all there so called friends on Facebook 49:27 most American's have fewer closer confidence now 49:30 then they did a generation ago. 49:32 Cornell University sociologists surveyed 2,000 adults 49:35 and found that on average they had only two friends 49:40 with whom they could discuss important matters. 49:43 Just two, that's down by the way from three in 1985, 49:48 nearly half of the volunteers listed only one friend 49:52 and four percent said they had none.' 49:55 Isn't that sad? None. 49:58 A reduce social networking 49:59 now they are calling Matthew Brashears, 50:01 study author, 50:02 a reduced social network makes us 50:04 potentially more vulnerable, he said, 50:07 because talking our troubles 50:09 over with a trusted pal provides both emotional support 50:13 and ideas for how to solve problems. 50:15 Brashears says that, 50:17 while we appear to be just as social as ever 50:20 our friendship seemed to be shallower 50:22 leaving us with fewer people 50:24 we can call on to lend us money. 50:31 But you think about it? Where would you go? 50:34 Where would you go? 50:36 'Leaving us fewer people 50:37 we can call on to lend us money give us a place to stay, 50:43 how do guys show up, one night late, 50:46 he said, I've just been kicked out of my house. 50:48 Can I stay here? 50:52 Where would you go? 50:54 Leaving us a fewer people 50:55 we can call on to lend us money, 50:57 give us a place to stay or simply keep us company 50:59 during a tough time. 51:01 Would you like to have a friend like that? 51:04 Who's with you in the toughest of times, 51:06 who will never leave you or forsake you 51:08 then connect to Jesus. 51:10 Do what Edwina Humphrey Flynn did. 51:13 Every morning early connect with Jesus 51:16 and as light will shine out of you 51:18 wherever you go. 51:21 The secret is every morning getting connected with Jesus. 51:28 Do that. 51:31 And you'll never have to worry about your branch withering, 51:36 decaying and dying away. 51:38 You'll be alive in Christ forever and ever. 51:42 Amen. 51:44 I want you to take the connect card 51:45 there's in your bulletin, right now 51:47 I've got mine right here. 51:49 Let's talk about connecting to Christ 51:50 for these last few moments before our service ends. 51:59 You see this card, turn the card over, 52:00 Pastor Jose, just a moment ago 52:02 talked about the front of the card 52:03 I want to talk about back of the card. 52:05 There's a little box here it says, 52:06 my next step today is. 52:08 Hey, how about this one because you know what, 52:11 you can't hear teaching like this 52:12 and not take a next step. 52:13 That's the danger we hear the teaching and we go on. 52:15 No, no, take a step. 52:17 How about this one, 52:18 I want to stay connected to the vine 52:20 please send me that online book. 52:22 I've got a prayer book 52:23 that I'd love for you to read every morning 52:24 before we head out of the day, 52:25 I'll send you a link to that prayer book 52:26 you can read it everyday. 52:28 If you put a checkmark right there, 52:29 please send me that online book. 52:31 Here's the next box, 52:32 I would like a how to guide for a fresh new way to pray. 52:38 I'm gonna do that. 52:40 I need to freshen up but, tell you what my prayer life 52:43 I'd like something fresh, 52:44 you put a checkmark there our connect team will send you, 52:48 he'll send you a link. 52:49 You'll get away and trust me I know it works for me. 52:56 You say, but Dwight look 52:57 I've never really connected to Jesus at all, 52:59 I just kind of been want into life 53:00 I'm hanging around a lot of Jesus friends 53:02 but I have not myself chosen Him. 53:05 See that little box right beside it, 53:06 I'm interested in beginning a relationship with Jesus. 53:10 We just launched this card last week. 53:13 22 people last week said, 53:15 I want to start a relationship with Jesus. 53:17 22, isn't that something? 53:20 So you put a checkmark, 53:21 you don't have a relationship with Jesus 53:22 we'll send you something 53:23 that will get you going in that relationship. 53:26 Here's the next one, 53:28 I'd like information on Baptism. 53:30 Last week 19 people said, I want to be baptized. 53:33 Isn't that something, 53:34 they are sitting all around you. 53:35 You are one of them, you said, 53:36 I've never been baptized, let me tell you something, 53:38 my friend, if you are a student here 53:40 I can't think of a better way to end the school year 53:42 than to be baptized into Christ. 53:44 Back to that other box, 53:45 I'd like more information about being baptized 53:47 on Saturday, April 21 or Saturday, April 28. 53:50 Why not? What a gift. 53:52 God to you and you back to Him. 53:54 Put a checkmark that one information on baptism. 53:56 I want information in church membership. 53:58 15 people last week said 53:59 I want some information on that and look at this one. 54:03 Serving on a team, 54:05 we'll send you a link to a website 54:06 72 people last week said, 54:08 I want to serve on a team in this church. 54:10 College students can serve, 54:12 we'll send you a link to a website 54:13 there'll be 12 ministries you pick the one you want 54:15 and you can start the next day. 54:16 None of this, we got to get you trained 54:18 for six months you can start the next day, 54:20 you can serve Christ immediately. 54:22 I want to learn about the Bible. 54:24 27 people said I want to have Bible studies, 54:26 teach me about the Bible. 54:28 Isn't that something? 54:29 Fill out that card, nobody's looking at your card, 54:32 nobody's asking you to stand. 54:34 You do this quietly and in just a moment 54:36 our ushers are gonna come by and receive not only the cards 54:39 but our morning tithes and offerings. 54:42 Now some of you jumped up last week, 54:43 oh, Dwight's through the sermons 54:44 it's time to go. 54:45 No, no, we got a-- 54:47 we have a very important response to make 54:50 to our Lord who is our vine. 54:54 So I want to pray with you then the ushers will come. 54:58 Stay seated we're gonna sing a stanza of a hymn 55:03 that is a perfect hymn for this teaching on the vine 55:06 "Draw Me Nearer" we won't jump up. 55:10 We'll stay seated so that the place keep moving 55:13 and the service will end with a benediction. 55:17 But let me pray with you before 55:18 you turn the card in, oh, God, 55:20 this is the moment when we chose ways 55:25 that we wish to connect with the vine. 55:27 If there's anybody here who needs you 55:29 for the first time Lord Jesus, 55:31 give him courage put a checkmark. 55:36 Somebody wants to follow you in Baptism bless her decision. 55:40 Somebody says I need to freshen up 55:42 my prayer life, please help me. 55:44 Send me an online prayer book 55:45 whatever the decision dear God bless every decision 55:49 make it a bold next step for our forever friend. 55:56 As we turn our tithes and offerings 55:59 today giving for this little church on this campus 56:01 so that it can serve the campus and the world 56:05 take our tithes and offerings. 56:07 It's-- it's just a gift, we give it back, 56:10 we're connected to the vine 56:11 that's how we got it in the first place 56:13 so we're happy. 56:15 We're happy to return to you, well, it's yours. 56:20 And through the Sprit of Jesus 56:22 walk with us the whole way until He comes. 56:27 Let all the people say, amen and amen. 56:34 It's been a pleasure to be able to worship with you today. 56:36 I hope that the Spirit of Jesus has blessed your time 56:39 with us right here in the Pioneer Memorial Church 56:41 in the campus of Andrews University. 56:43 Do you know that around the world people 56:44 join us every week for this hour of worship? 56:46 We're looking as a consequence for new ways to bridge 56:50 somehow to connect with these people 56:52 who come here to worship via the telecast. 56:55 One of the areas that is quickly growing for us 56:57 is our website. 56:58 We had more than a 140,000 visitors last year. 57:02 It's an incredible opportunity 57:04 that God has given us to expand His kingdom. 57:07 If you'd like to help partner with us 57:09 as we seek to spread the everlasting gospel, 57:12 I'd love to have you call our toll free number 57:14 we got very friendly operators standing by, 57:17 here's the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:20 877 and then the two words HIS WILL, 57:22 one of the operators will be happy to give you the details 57:25 of how you can partner with this global ministry. 57:28 If you prefer listen, you can do it all online 57:30 go to our website please www.pmchurch.tv. 57:35 I'd be honored to have the privilege 57:36 of partnering with you 57:37 as we seek to spread the truth about God 57:39 for this generation we are living in urgent times, 57:44 not more than ever we've got to go to the world 57:47 with the good news entrusted to us. 57:49 So once again here's that toll free number 57:51 877-HIS-WILL. 57:53 Thank you in advance for you generosity 57:56 it blesses me and you grow this ministry 57:59 and pray that the Spirit of Christ 58:01 will abide with you every step of the way 58:03 and I'll hope you come back again next time right here 58:06 as we continue our worship journey together. |
Revised 2014-12-17