Come, now is the time to worship
00:00:30.67\00:00:38.62
Come, now is the
time to give your heart
00:00:38.65\00:00:46.62
Come, just as you are to worship
00:00:46.65\00:00:54.62
Come, just as you
are before your God
00:00:54.65\00:01:02.62
Come!
00:01:02.65\00:01:06.82
Come, now is the time to worship
00:01:06.85\00:01:14.77
Come, now is the
time to give your heart
00:01:14.80\00:01:22.77
Come, just as you are
00:01:22.80\00:01:26.46
To worship
00:01:26.49\00:01:31.06
Come, just as you
are before your God
00:01:31.09\00:01:39.06
Come!
00:01:39.09\00:01:43.28
One day every tongue
will confess You are God
00:01:43.31\00:01:47.40
One day every knee will bow
00:01:47.43\00:01:51.33
Still the greatest
treasure remains for those
00:01:51.36\00:01:55.25
Who gladly choose You now
00:01:55.28\00:02:01.74
Come, now is the time to worship
00:02:01.77\00:02:09.74
Come, now is the time
00:02:09.77\00:02:13.35
To give your heart
00:02:13.38\00:02:17.96
Come, just as you are
00:02:17.99\00:02:21.51
To worship
00:02:21.54\00:02:26.19
Come just as you are
00:02:26.22\00:02:29.75
Before your God
00:02:29.78\00:02:34.27
Come!
00:02:34.30\00:02:38.46
One day every tongue
will confess You are God
00:02:38.49\00:02:42.68
One day every knee will bow
00:02:42.71\00:02:46.57
Still the greatest
treasure remains for those
00:02:46.60\00:02:50.51
Who gladly choose You now
00:02:50.54\00:02:54.95
One day every tongue
will confess You are God
00:02:54.98\00:02:59.11
One day every knee will bow
00:02:59.14\00:03:03.07
Still the greatest
treasure remains for those
00:03:03.10\00:03:07.06
Who gladly choose you now
00:03:07.09\00:03:11.19
I have a Maker
00:03:40.48\00:03:46.80
He formed my heart
00:03:46.83\00:03:53.17
Before even time began
00:03:53.20\00:03:58.23
My life was in His hand
00:03:58.26\00:04:06.03
He knows my name
00:04:06.06\00:04:12.37
He knows my every thought
00:04:12.40\00:04:18.78
He sees each tear that falls
00:04:18.81\00:04:24.15
And hears me when I call
00:04:24.18\00:04:32.04
I have a Maker
00:04:32.07\00:04:38.53
He formed my heart
00:04:38.56\00:04:45.02
Before even time began
00:04:45.05\00:04:50.22
My life was in His hand
00:04:50.25\00:04:57.90
He knows my name
00:04:57.93\00:05:04.38
He knows my every thought
00:05:04.41\00:05:10.82
He sees each tear that falls
00:05:10.85\00:05:16.25
And hears me when I call
00:05:16.28\00:05:24.03
And I have a Father
00:05:24.06\00:05:30.53
He calls me His own
00:05:30.56\00:05:37.25
He'll never leave me
00:05:37.28\00:05:42.58
No matter where I go
00:05:42.61\00:05:50.29
He knows my name
00:05:50.32\00:05:56.86
He knows my every thought
00:05:56.89\00:06:03.46
He sees each tear that falls
00:06:03.49\00:06:08.66
And hears me when I call
00:06:08.69\00:06:16.66
He knows my name
00:06:16.69\00:06:23.18
He knows my every thought
00:06:23.21\00:06:29.73
He sees each tear that falls
00:06:29.76\00:06:35.28
And hears me when I call
00:06:35.31\00:06:40.02
He sees each tear that falls,
00:06:44.97\00:06:48.27
He knows our names,
00:06:48.30\00:06:50.21
He knows everything about us.
00:06:50.24\00:06:52.43
What a good God.
00:06:52.46\00:06:54.28
Isn't it amazing, how
glorious, how strong He is
00:06:54.31\00:06:59.31
and yet how He cars for us.
00:06:59.34\00:07:03.19
As we sing "I love you, Lord"
00:07:03.22\00:07:06.09
I invite you to
come to the front
00:07:06.12\00:07:09.13
and join us for prayer.
00:07:09.16\00:07:11.58
Sing with us,
"I love you. Lord."
00:07:11.61\00:07:14.02
I love you Lord,
00:07:28.64\00:07:34.86
And I lift my voice
00:07:34.89\00:07:42.33
To worship you,
00:07:42.36\00:07:48.61
O my soul rejoice
00:07:48.64\00:07:56.48
Take joy my King,
00:07:56.51\00:08:03.39
In what You hear
00:08:03.42\00:08:09.75
May it be a sweet,
00:08:09.78\00:08:13.34
Sweet sound in Your ear
00:08:13.37\00:08:20.38
Sing it one more time.
00:08:22.90\00:08:26.08
I love you Lord,
00:08:26.11\00:08:32.17
And I lift my voice
00:08:32.20\00:08:39.68
To worship you,
00:08:39.71\00:08:46.11
O my soul rejoice
00:08:46.14\00:08:54.06
Take joy my King,
00:08:54.09\00:09:00.37
In what you hear
00:09:00.40\00:09:07.70
May it be a sweet,
00:09:07.73\00:09:11.32
Sweet sound in Your ear
00:09:11.35\00:09:18.78
Let's kneel together.
00:09:25.39\00:09:26.56
Lord, as we sing those words
00:09:44.82\00:09:47.69
professing our love for You,
00:09:47.72\00:09:49.00
I couldn't help
thinking about Your love for us
00:09:49.03\00:09:52.43
which I really feel like
00:09:52.46\00:09:54.31
it's a pittance,
it's an overstatement,
00:09:54.34\00:09:56.67
it's a pittance to say
we love You in comparison
00:09:56.70\00:09:58.59
to how much You
are consumed with love
00:09:58.62\00:10:03.29
for this planet
and for each one of us.
00:10:03.32\00:10:09.59
The words again aren't
enough to say God, thank you.
00:10:09.62\00:10:15.25
Thank You for Your
amazing plan of salvation
00:10:15.28\00:10:21.82
and the power which
we see all around us
00:10:21.85\00:10:23.90
each moment of every day.
00:10:23.93\00:10:28.19
It's a privilege
God, to kneel before You
00:10:28.22\00:10:34.28
knowing that Your
character is good,
00:10:34.31\00:10:38.17
knowing that
You are trustworthy.
00:10:38.20\00:10:40.03
There are so many things
that happen to us in life Lord,
00:10:40.06\00:10:43.07
that cause our trust to diminish
00:10:43.10\00:10:49.83
but we know we can trust in You.
00:10:49.86\00:10:56.74
Thank You for always hearing,
00:10:56.77\00:10:58.77
always seeing, always knowing.
00:10:58.80\00:11:04.25
Lord, we praise
You and we thank You.
00:11:04.28\00:11:08.12
Without You where would we be?
00:11:08.15\00:11:11.00
Lord, if haven't experience
that yet today that idea,
00:11:11.03\00:11:15.00
that concept, that notion
00:11:15.03\00:11:17.56
that without You
we can do nothing.
00:11:17.59\00:11:18.89
I pray that You would make it
00:11:18.92\00:11:20.19
crystal clear this morning to us
00:11:20.22\00:11:22.60
that truly without
You there is no life.
00:11:22.63\00:11:26.73
Life eternal, You
will take care of that
00:11:26.76\00:11:28.47
but even life right here today
00:11:28.50\00:11:31.11
even as we are breathing.
00:11:31.14\00:11:35.20
Lift up Pastor Dwight
too as well this morning
00:11:35.23\00:11:38.44
so to speak through him,
00:11:38.47\00:11:39.93
but You can speak
though him all You want
00:11:39.96\00:11:41.44
but if our hearts
and minds aren't open
00:11:41.47\00:11:42.91
through the power
of Your Holy Spirit,
00:11:42.94\00:11:46.61
why would he even want to speak?
00:11:46.64\00:11:48.35
So please, we need You.
00:11:48.38\00:11:51.65
We don't want to leave here
00:11:51.68\00:11:52.72
the same way we
walked in this morning.
00:11:52.75\00:11:55.02
We desire an
experience with You.
00:11:55.05\00:11:59.13
Thank You for
hearing our prayer,
00:11:59.16\00:12:00.68
than You for being our God,
00:12:00.71\00:12:02.57
thank You again for the cross.
00:12:02.60\00:12:04.68
In Your wonderful
name we pray, amen.
00:12:04.71\00:12:07.55
This morning we're going to sing
00:12:12.52\00:12:14.13
Tengoku no
kodomotachi, Children of Heaven.
00:12:14.16\00:12:17.23
This song is composed
and written by Jun Nemoto
00:12:17.26\00:12:20.64
as he is a
Japanese Adventist composer
00:12:20.67\00:12:24.15
who also teaches
music at Adventist Academy
00:12:24.18\00:12:26.40
and he taught some of us here.
00:12:26.43\00:12:28.36
Anyways, this song is
about the anticipation
00:12:28.39\00:12:31.47
for our future home in heaven
00:12:31.50\00:12:33.63
and what it will be
like to enter there.
00:12:33.66\00:12:36.36
So we sing, just try to imagine
00:12:36.39\00:12:39.60
how beautiful it will be
00:12:39.63\00:12:41.03
and how joyous the
second coming experience will be
00:12:41.06\00:12:44.28
and how grateful
you would feel to Jesus.
00:12:44.31\00:12:47.18
So just listen, you may
not understand every words
00:12:47.21\00:12:50.59
but just feel and
imagine and be there.
00:12:50.62\00:12:55.05
(Singing in foreign language)
00:13:12.29\00:13:17.29
Holy Father, it's true
00:16:53.22\00:16:57.49
we have loved You more than this
00:16:57.52\00:16:59.92
because this is the moment
00:16:59.95\00:17:01.21
we're at in all of our journeys
00:17:01.24\00:17:05.50
and You've never
loved us less than today.
00:17:05.53\00:17:10.71
In the matrix of
that love we come,
00:17:10.74\00:17:16.76
made a teaching
of Holy Scripture,
00:17:16.79\00:17:20.19
the word You have for
us may we hear it clearly,
00:17:20.22\00:17:24.34
hide every voice including mine
00:17:24.37\00:17:27.07
so that Your voice
might be preeminent
00:17:27.10\00:17:29.67
when we read Your word.
00:17:29.70\00:17:31.54
We pray in Jesus name, amen.
00:17:31.57\00:17:37.98
Let me ask you
00:17:38.01\00:17:41.64
what your answer
to this would be,
00:17:41.67\00:17:44.20
if you had to pick one
of the Ten Commandments
00:17:44.23\00:17:45.99
to be the number one,
00:17:46.02\00:17:49.07
which one would you pick?
00:17:49.10\00:17:50.98
Which are the Ten Commandments
00:17:51.01\00:17:54.00
do you suppose
and arises to the top
00:17:54.03\00:18:00.13
as the premier commandment?
00:18:00.16\00:18:03.85
Oh, no, maybe it's not
fair to even ask that question.
00:18:03.88\00:18:05.73
Maybe that would be
like asking a father
00:18:05.76\00:18:08.37
who has 10 kids, which one
of these kids is your favorite?
00:18:08.40\00:18:10.44
Which one of these
kids is your greatest?
00:18:10.47\00:18:12.04
And how could a dad answer that,
although it did happen once.
00:18:12.07\00:18:15.28
Delightful story
in Brennan Manning's
00:18:15.31\00:18:19.75
wonderful little
book, Lion and Lamb.
00:18:19.78\00:18:22.09
I want to read the
story to you, it did happen.
00:18:22.12\00:18:25.50
He actually a heard the story
00:18:25.53\00:18:27.36
from an old
Dutch professor of his,
00:18:27.39\00:18:29.15
he was taking graduate studies
00:18:29.18\00:18:31.73
at Duquesne
University in Pittsburgh
00:18:31.76\00:18:34.36
and the professor got up
in front of class one day,
00:18:34.39\00:18:36.41
told the story.
00:18:36.44\00:18:37.47
So that first person here
is that old Dutchman professor.
00:18:37.50\00:18:42.29
And the professor speaking now,
00:18:42.32\00:18:43.91
"I'm one of 13 children."
00:18:43.94\00:18:46.60
Think of that,
mom. Thirteen children.
00:18:46.63\00:18:49.96
"One day when I was playing
00:18:49.99\00:18:51.03
in the street of
our hometown in Holland,
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.86
I got thirsty and came
into the pantry for house
00:18:53.89\00:18:55.96
for a glass of water.
00:18:55.99\00:18:57.02
It was around
noon and my father had
00:18:57.05\00:18:58.80
just come home
from work to have lunch.
00:18:58.83\00:19:00.50
He was sitting at the
kitchen table with a neighbor.
00:19:00.53\00:19:03.67
A door separated the
kitchen from the pantry
00:19:03.70\00:19:05.67
and my father didn't
know I was there, all right.
00:19:05.70\00:19:08.89
And the neighbor
said my father Joseph,
00:19:08.92\00:19:11.76
'There's something I wanted
to ask you for a long time
00:19:11.79\00:19:14.23
but if it's too
personal just forget about it.'
00:19:14.26\00:19:17.60
Well, what's the question?
00:19:17.63\00:19:20.01
'Well, look, you
have thirteen children,
00:19:20.04\00:19:22.93
out of all of them is
there one that is your favorite,
00:19:22.96\00:19:26.02
one you love more
than all the others?'"
00:19:26.05\00:19:30.93
The professor
continued the story,
00:19:30.96\00:19:32.66
"I have my ear
pressed against the door,
00:19:32.69\00:19:34.89
hoping against hope
that it would be me.
00:19:34.92\00:19:37.33
'That's easy,' my father said.
00:19:37.36\00:19:39.19
Sure, there's one I love
more than all the others,
00:19:39.22\00:19:41.67
that's Mary,
the twelve-year-old.
00:19:41.70\00:19:44.09
She just got braces on her teeth
00:19:44.12\00:19:45.53
and feels so
awkward and embarrassed
00:19:45.56\00:19:47.70
that she won't go
of the house anymore.
00:19:47.73\00:19:50.74
Oh, but did you
asked about my favorite.
00:19:50.77\00:19:53.19
That's my 23 year old Peter.
00:19:53.22\00:19:55.24
His fiancée just broke their
engagement and he is desolate.
00:19:55.27\00:19:59.62
But the-- no, the one I really
love the most is little Michael.
00:19:59.65\00:20:03.20
He's totally uncoordinated
00:20:03.23\00:20:04.75
and terrible in
any sport he plays.
00:20:04.78\00:20:06.22
The other kids on the
street make fun of him.
00:20:06.25\00:20:08.95
But you know the
apple of my eye is Susan,
00:20:08.98\00:20:12.37
only 24 living
in our own apartment
00:20:12.40\00:20:14.37
and developing a
drinking problem.
00:20:14.40\00:20:16.36
I cry for Susan.
00:20:16.39\00:20:18.12
But I guess, of all the kids,
00:20:18.15\00:20:20.80
and my father went on mentioning
00:20:20.83\00:20:22.37
each of his
thirteen children by name."
00:20:22.40\00:20:26.70
Isn't that precious?
00:20:26.73\00:20:28.12
I mean, how could
a father, 10 kinds,
00:20:28.15\00:20:29.78
how you gonna pick one and say,
00:20:29.81\00:20:30.84
this is my favorite,
this is the greatest?
00:20:30.87\00:20:32.43
And yet Jesus did
and because He did
00:20:32.46\00:20:35.63
we know now the answer to,
00:20:35.66\00:20:37.51
"Which of the
comment is the greatest?"
00:20:37.54\00:20:39.01
Open your Bible find out please,
to the Gospel of Saint Matthew,
00:20:39.04\00:20:42.39
kind of our home base
for this series, this season.
00:20:42.42\00:20:46.44
The Gospel of Matthew,
first book of the New Testament.
00:20:46.47\00:20:51.63
Go to these words,
this is fascinating,
00:20:51.66\00:20:54.48
fascinating, fascinating.
00:20:54.51\00:20:55.54
Matthew 22.
00:20:55.57\00:20:58.78
By the way if
you did bring a Bible
00:20:58.81\00:21:01.23
we've got it about
right there in front of you.
00:21:01.26\00:21:02.44
Grab the pew Bible, it
will be the same translation
00:21:02.47\00:21:04.64
as I have right here,
the New King James Version.
00:21:04.67\00:21:07.68
If you go to the pew
Bible this is the page
00:21:07.71\00:21:10.44
and I'll promise we'll
never go to this page again.
00:21:10.47\00:21:12.18
The page is 666, all right?
00:21:12.21\00:21:15.64
All right, you
can find that one.
00:21:15.67\00:21:18.92
Matthew 22,
please, pick up the story,
00:21:18.95\00:21:26.09
pick up the story
in verse 34. All right?
00:21:26.12\00:21:32.74
Mathew 22:34, here we go,
00:21:32.77\00:21:35.51
"But when the Pharisees heard
00:21:35.54\00:21:37.28
that Jesus had
silenced the Sadducees,
00:21:37.31\00:21:40.39
they gathered together."
00:21:40.42\00:21:42.22
And I hit the
pause button right there
00:21:42.25\00:21:43.60
because Pharisees and
Sadducees, what do we have here?
00:21:43.63\00:21:45.90
We have two opposing
intellectual factions
00:21:45.93\00:21:48.49
within the religious
hierarchy in Jerusalem.
00:21:48.52\00:21:50.60
They are forever
at each others throats
00:21:50.63\00:21:52.85
over some matter of
biblical interpretation.
00:21:52.88\00:21:56.57
Envy, you got to admit,
00:21:56.60\00:21:57.72
envy makes the
strangest bedfellows
00:21:57.75\00:21:59.89
and now the Pharisees have heard
00:21:59.92\00:22:01.35
that the liberal
Sadducees had just been silence
00:22:01.38\00:22:04.79
by this young
teacher, preacher, healer.
00:22:04.82\00:22:07.85
And so the
conservatives now say,
00:22:07.88\00:22:09.24
"It's our turn to have it.
00:22:09.27\00:22:10.59
While we will get him
where you guys missed it."
00:22:10.62\00:22:13.55
All right?
00:22:13.58\00:22:14.82
So that's what's happening here.
00:22:14.85\00:22:16.32
They gathered
together, verse 34.
00:22:16.35\00:22:17.74
Now verse 35, then one of them,
00:22:17.77\00:22:19.52
one of the
Pharisees, "Then one of them,
00:22:19.55\00:22:21.86
a lawyer, asked him a
question, testing Him," a test.
00:22:21.89\00:22:27.27
Now by the way,
when it says lawyer here
00:22:27.30\00:22:28.79
this is not a
city slicker lawyer
00:22:28.82\00:22:30.47
who has a storefront you know,
00:22:30.50\00:22:33.00
downtown Jerusalem and
he's dealing with civic law.
00:22:33.03\00:22:35.22
No, no, no, no.
00:22:35.25\00:22:36.31
Mark is clear, this is a scribe,
00:22:36.34\00:22:38.00
that means this
is an ecclesiastical
00:22:38.03\00:22:40.58
policy wonk of
the highest degree
00:22:40.61\00:22:42.98
who knows the divine
codes and laws inside out.
00:22:43.01\00:22:47.60
The man is brilliant.
00:22:47.63\00:22:49.02
So they pick him, you
do it for us, all right.
00:22:49.05\00:22:52.31
So he's gonna test Jesus.
00:22:52.34\00:22:55.02
Verse 36, here it comes.
00:22:55.05\00:22:56.32
So he says, he comes
to Jesus and he says,
00:22:56.35\00:22:58.90
"Teacher," teacher, rabbi,
00:22:58.93\00:23:04.14
"which is the great
commandment of the law?"
00:23:04.17\00:23:10.47
Of all the
commandments in the law,
00:23:10.50\00:23:13.73
which one is the greatest?
You just tell us numero uno,
00:23:13.76\00:23:17.49
which is the numero
uno, we want to know.
00:23:17.52\00:23:21.09
Not a bad question
by the way for people
00:23:21.12\00:23:24.24
who champion
the Ten Commandments
00:23:24.27\00:23:26.81
and believe that
their divine mission in life
00:23:26.84\00:23:28.98
is to draw the
world's attention to the Ten
00:23:29.01\00:23:30.92
by focusing on
the fourth commandment
00:23:30.95\00:23:33.82
like the Pharisees did
00:23:33.85\00:23:36.74
because that's
what they believed.
00:23:36.77\00:23:38.20
These Pharisees who
are actually convinced,
00:23:38.23\00:23:40.45
they are the great
defenders of the law of God.
00:23:40.48\00:23:42.99
Hey, young rabbi, so which one,
00:23:43.02\00:23:45.10
which one of these, which
won the Ten is the greatest?
00:23:45.13\00:23:47.80
You see they did have a--
this is this is not a straw man,
00:23:47.83\00:23:50.08
this is not a paper tiger.
00:23:50.11\00:23:51.48
They really did have a
debate among the Conservatives,
00:23:51.51\00:23:54.33
these conservative leaders
00:23:54.36\00:23:56.02
because they're sure that
00:23:56.05\00:23:57.08
there's got to be some
sort of hierarchy at work here.
00:23:57.11\00:23:59.19
And the way they
have it figured is if we--
00:23:59.22\00:24:01.16
if two commandments
ever come in conflict
00:24:01.19\00:24:04.70
the higher commandment
demands our adherents
00:24:04.73\00:24:06.77
and we are there for release
00:24:06.80\00:24:08.56
from any obligation
for the Lord commanded.
00:24:08.59\00:24:11.23
Problem with
that is when you make
00:24:11.26\00:24:12.37
the commandments
of God the highest
00:24:12.40\00:24:14.04
you do very poor
with the commandments
00:24:14.07\00:24:15.97
that deal with
interpersonal relationships
00:24:16.00\00:24:17.74
and that was
where they struggled.
00:24:17.77\00:24:19.14
So they're having a debate
00:24:19.17\00:24:20.68
and this
aggressive lawyer is pushing,
00:24:20.71\00:24:22.88
"Listen, we want to
know we have our ideas,
00:24:22.91\00:24:25.20
where you stand, sir?"
00:24:25.23\00:24:28.62
Whatever Jesus says,
they're gonna nail it.
00:24:28.65\00:24:30.74
He knows it's a test.
00:24:30.77\00:24:31.92
Jesus speaks, he's ready.
00:24:31.95\00:24:34.78
Verse 37, Jesus
said to the lawyer,
00:24:34.81\00:24:38.11
verse 37, "You shall
love the Lord your God
00:24:38.14\00:24:42.04
with all your
heart, with all your soul,
00:24:42.07\00:24:45.86
and with all your mind.
00:24:45.89\00:24:48.65
This is the first
and great commandment."
00:24:48.68\00:24:53.23
Well-spoken, Master.
00:24:53.26\00:24:54.73
By memory, on the spot,
00:24:54.76\00:24:56.83
Jesus quotes the great
Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4, 5.
00:24:56.86\00:25:00.62
Those words are
repeated every morning
00:25:00.65\00:25:02.38
and every evening by
every devout Jew in the land.
00:25:02.41\00:25:05.44
Those are the words
to begin every morning
00:25:05.47\00:25:07.19
and every
evening's prayer services,
00:25:07.22\00:25:09.06
in the Great
Temple in Jerusalem.
00:25:09.09\00:25:10.74
Those are the words that
are woven into the phylactery,
00:25:10.77\00:25:13.67
these little--
these little tassels
00:25:13.70\00:25:15.35
worn by the
religious elite of Jerusalem.
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.89
These are the
words still spoken today
00:25:17.92\00:25:20.31
in every synagogue in our land.
00:25:20.34\00:25:23.04
Good choice, Jesus.
00:25:23.07\00:25:25.07
"Hear, O Israel.
00:25:25.10\00:25:26.91
The Lord is our
God, the Lord is one!
00:25:26.94\00:25:28.87
You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:25:28.90\00:25:30.73
with all your soul, and
with all your strength."
00:25:30.76\00:25:33.98
Well spoken, Master.
00:25:34.01\00:25:35.62
But then in a surprise and run,
00:25:35.65\00:25:39.20
Jesus nails His
inquisitor by doing something
00:25:39.23\00:25:42.09
no rabbi had here
to fore ever done.
00:25:42.12\00:25:45.19
And that he adds
a line to the Shema.
00:25:45.22\00:25:49.12
Watch this, verse 39,
00:25:49.15\00:25:51.79
And oh, hey, lawyer,
lawyer, stay right here.
00:25:51.82\00:25:53.54
Don't you leave,
I'm not through yet.
00:25:53.57\00:25:54.73
"And the second," listen to me,
00:25:54.76\00:25:56.95
"And the second is like it,
00:25:56.98\00:25:58.69
'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'"
00:25:58.72\00:26:03.47
This marks the first time
that a rabbi intentionally
00:26:03.50\00:26:06.37
join together Deuteronomy Shema
00:26:06.40\00:26:08.57
that well worn
line from Leviticus,
00:26:08.60\00:26:11.90
thundering on the truth.
00:26:11.93\00:26:13.31
And I love how
one writer puts it,
00:26:13.34\00:26:15.17
"Obedience without love is as
impossible as it is worthless."
00:26:15.20\00:26:22.27
That point is so significant.
00:26:22.30\00:26:23.76
I want us to get it
before we forget it.
00:26:23.79\00:26:25.42
Would you pull out
your study guide, please?
00:26:25.45\00:26:26.94
"Obedience without love is as
impossible as it is worthless."
00:26:26.97\00:26:30.19
Pull out your steady guide.
00:26:30.22\00:26:31.29
It should be in a
worship bulletin right now.
00:26:31.32\00:26:33.39
Brand new study guide for today.
00:26:33.42\00:26:34.67
Thank you, ushers.
00:26:34.70\00:26:35.73
Let's get this to our eager
worshipers as quickly as we can.
00:26:35.76\00:26:41.08
Hold your hand up if you
didn't get a study guide.
00:26:41.11\00:26:42.70
You're gonna want this
one, there's a clincher,
00:26:42.73\00:26:44.78
there's a clincher
that you want to gonna have
00:26:44.81\00:26:47.20
and it will only
be in the study guide.
00:26:47.23\00:26:48.83
And while they're doing that,
00:26:48.86\00:26:49.89
those of you
watching on television,
00:26:49.92\00:26:51.33
I'd like you to have
the same study guide.
00:26:51.36\00:26:52.78
You can go to our website.
00:26:52.81\00:26:53.84
Let me put it on
the screen for you.
00:26:53.87\00:26:56.65
There it is www.pmchurch.tv.
00:26:56.68\00:27:00.80
Go to that website,
this series is called
00:27:00.83\00:27:03.67
'Mercy Came A Runnin'."
00:27:03.70\00:27:05.86
And in this series the
teaching you're looking for,
00:27:05.89\00:27:08.16
for today, "Something
More Important Than Truth."
00:27:08.19\00:27:12.16
When you see that title,
00:27:12.19\00:27:13.54
right beside it is
the word study guide,
00:27:13.57\00:27:15.27
click on their and you
will have the same study guide
00:27:15.30\00:27:19.04
that we're gonna fill
in together, all right?
00:27:19.07\00:27:21.82
So you're getting it
on your computer at home,
00:27:21.85\00:27:24.08
you are getting it in here,
00:27:24.11\00:27:25.14
in the back of the
balcony as well, good.
00:27:25.17\00:27:27.53
Let's go, let's
fill it up please.
00:27:27.56\00:27:29.41
"Obedience without love."
00:27:29.44\00:27:31.37
Write that in please,
"Obedience without love
00:27:31.40\00:27:33.90
is as impossible
as it is worthless."
00:27:33.93\00:27:38.18
Oh, that's heavy,
"Obedience without love
00:27:38.21\00:27:41.65
is as impossible
as it is worthless."
00:27:41.68\00:27:46.14
Pick up again as
we read verse 36,
00:27:46.17\00:27:48.15
"'Teacher, which is a
great commandment in the law?'
00:27:48.18\00:27:51.92
Jesus said to him,
00:27:51.95\00:27:53.66
'You shall love
the Lord your God
00:27:53.69\00:27:55.43
with all your
heart, with all your soul,
00:27:55.46\00:27:57.83
and with all your mind.'
00:27:57.86\00:27:59.09
This is the first
and great command.
00:27:59.12\00:28:00.45
And the second is like it.
00:28:00.48\00:28:01.91
'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'"
00:28:01.94\00:28:04.24
Now notice verse 40,
00:28:04.27\00:28:05.45
"On these two commandments
00:28:05.48\00:28:07.42
hang all the Law
and the Prophets."
00:28:07.45\00:28:11.19
I. e., jot this down please,
00:28:11.22\00:28:13.14
"Every divinely
inspired word or command
00:28:13.17\00:28:15.84
ever written hangs on
this two-fold commandment
00:28:15.87\00:28:19.44
to love our God supremely
00:28:19.47\00:28:22.39
and to love our
neighbor impartially."
00:28:22.42\00:28:25.95
Get that down please.
00:28:25.98\00:28:27.37
All of it hangs on this.
00:28:27.40\00:28:29.33
Keep your pen moving,
"For, according to Jesus,"
00:28:29.36\00:28:32.03
hold on now, "according to Jesus
00:28:32.06\00:28:34.01
love is more
important then truth."
00:28:34.04\00:28:37.74
Write that in.
00:28:37.77\00:28:41.76
Love is more
important than truth.
00:28:41.79\00:28:43.04
Hey, I got to ask
you. Does that bother you?
00:28:43.07\00:28:45.79
Does that bother you
that the Pharisees were right,
00:28:45.82\00:28:48.62
that in fact there is an
hierarchy the divine truth
00:28:48.65\00:28:51.61
and that the
Pharisees were wrong
00:28:51.64\00:28:53.31
that in fact there is something
more important that truth,
00:28:53.34\00:28:56.30
does that bother you?
00:28:56.33\00:28:57.43
I mean, as a
community that precedes
00:28:57.46\00:28:59.94
its divine modus
operandi to be the champions
00:28:59.97\00:29:02.69
of the Ten
Commandments in the law of God.
00:29:02.72\00:29:04.43
Does it bother you that
Jesus just kind of waves
00:29:04.46\00:29:06.77
aside these Ten
Commandments and He says,
00:29:06.80\00:29:08.48
I want to tell you about
00:29:08.51\00:29:09.54
something more
important than truth?
00:29:09.57\00:29:11.73
Should it bother us as a people
00:29:11.76\00:29:13.65
who prize truth and
value it above all else
00:29:13.68\00:29:16.19
that Christ speaks a
word and defines a reality
00:29:16.22\00:29:19.74
that is even more
important than those truths?
00:29:19.77\00:29:24.09
Could it be, jot this down--
"Could it be that in fact James"
00:29:24.12\00:29:26.18
and by the way this is
James, the stepbrother of Jesus.
00:29:26.21\00:29:29.07
"Could it be that James
00:29:29.10\00:29:30.13
the stepbrother
of Jesus is right,
00:29:30.16\00:29:31.77
that 'mercy,'" write it in,
00:29:31.80\00:29:33.17
"That mercy
triumphs over judgment."
00:29:33.20\00:29:38.78
Could it be that in the heart
of even Almighty God Himself
00:29:38.81\00:29:41.84
there is a hierarchy of truth
00:29:41.87\00:29:43.87
and hierarchy of commandments
00:29:43.90\00:29:46.12
so that there is
something, jot this down,
00:29:46.15\00:29:47.84
so that there is
something more important,
00:29:47.87\00:29:51.98
more important than truth?
00:29:52.01\00:29:54.72
Does Jesus teach such
a hierarchy of truths?
00:29:54.75\00:29:58.56
The incontrovertible
answer is just one page away,
00:29:58.59\00:30:00.81
just one page away.
00:30:00.84\00:30:02.23
Turn--just go a little
further in Matthew, just turn.
00:30:02.26\00:30:04.32
It's only one page
in your Bible, trust me.
00:30:04.35\00:30:06.40
Matthew 23, turn the page.
00:30:06.43\00:30:09.86
Matthew 23, eight stinging woes
00:30:09.89\00:30:13.50
pronounced upon the conservative
religious leadership of His Day,
00:30:13.53\00:30:16.09
eight woes,
that just like Samson
00:30:16.12\00:30:17.92
brought the roof down on
Jesus head and destroyed Him.
00:30:17.95\00:30:21.12
He would be dead in three
chapters and three days later.
00:30:21.15\00:30:24.55
He's gonna be dead.
00:30:24.58\00:30:26.09
But this is it, he
knows its curtains now.
00:30:26.12\00:30:29.69
Eight woes, we
will not note the eight,
00:30:29.72\00:30:31.90
we will only
observer one of the woes.
00:30:31.93\00:30:34.27
Woe number five, jot this down,
00:30:34.30\00:30:35.84
"A single woe that
proves an hierarchy,"
00:30:35.87\00:30:38.78
write in the word, hierarchy
"an hierarchy of truth."
00:30:38.81\00:30:44.51
As soon as you get there
written in we'll read it.
00:30:44.54\00:30:48.55
Matthew 23:23, there we go.
00:30:48.58\00:30:52.20
This is woe
number five, "Woe to you,
00:30:52.23\00:30:58.25
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!"
00:30:58.28\00:31:01.76
Hey, you remember the
word hypocrites, don't you?
00:31:01.79\00:31:03.84
Remember it's a Greek
book word, hupokrites.
00:31:03.87\00:31:07.25
A technical term
describing an actor
00:31:07.28\00:31:08.95
on the Greek stages of theatre.
00:31:08.98\00:31:10.45
The hupokrites was one
who put a mask on his face
00:31:10.48\00:31:14.40
or her face and pretend
to be something she is not,
00:31:14.43\00:31:17.27
pretends to be
something he is not.
00:31:17.30\00:31:18.96
When I am hypocrite,
when you are a hypocrite
00:31:18.99\00:31:20.59
that's exactly what we're doing,
00:31:20.62\00:31:21.69
we're wearing a
mask and pretending
00:31:21.72\00:31:22.92
what we are not, see.
00:31:22.95\00:31:25.53
"Woe to you."
00:31:25.56\00:31:27.18
In other words it's not
a real complimentary word
00:31:27.21\00:31:30.57
when Jesus is using it here.
00:31:30.60\00:31:32.25
"Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites!
00:31:32.28\00:31:36.84
For you pay tithe."
Hold it right there.
00:31:36.87\00:31:40.40
You know what the
tithe is, don't you?
00:31:40.43\00:31:42.27
That's a 10%,
that's the 10% the God
00:31:42.30\00:31:44.32
to the ancient prophet Malachi,
00:31:44.35\00:31:45.67
Malachi 3:10, God says,
that tithe belongs to Me.
00:31:45.70\00:31:50.06
Now before you get all
upset let me remind you
00:31:50.09\00:31:52.02
what God is saying here.
00:31:52.05\00:31:53.16
He says, hey, look here,
00:31:53.19\00:31:54.22
by virtue of being your Creator
00:31:54.25\00:31:56.95
because I am your Creator,
by virtue of being your Creator
00:31:56.98\00:31:59.32
I'm asking you now for
permission to become your CFO,
00:31:59.35\00:32:02.86
you know what that stands for?
00:32:02.89\00:32:04.03
Chief Financial Officer.
00:32:04.06\00:32:06.14
I want to be
the CFO of your life
00:32:06.17\00:32:07.98
but I need your
permission and the only way
00:32:08.01\00:32:09.85
I know I have your permission
00:32:09.88\00:32:11.23
is if you will
returned to me, you know what,
00:32:11.26\00:32:13.26
I could ask for
all ten tenths of it.
00:32:13.29\00:32:15.35
But I'm only
gonna ask for one-tenth.
00:32:15.38\00:32:17.60
I want one-tenth
of your increase.
00:32:17.63\00:32:19.41
You return that to me
00:32:19.44\00:32:20.57
because it
belongs to me and not you.
00:32:20.60\00:32:22.40
And when you do that it
will say to me, Oh, Lord,
00:32:22.43\00:32:25.55
I cannot manage
my life on my own
00:32:25.58\00:32:27.65
would you please be my CFO?
00:32:27.68\00:32:30.20
And I tell you what my friend,
00:32:30.23\00:32:31.43
I will stay with you
every step of the way
00:32:31.46\00:32:33.40
and I will never let you down.
00:32:33.43\00:32:34.67
You can count on me
to the last dying breath
00:32:34.70\00:32:36.48
and I'm gonna open as it
were the very windows of heaven
00:32:36.51\00:32:39.23
and I gonna empty a
universe of blessings upon you
00:32:39.26\00:32:42.16
if you will
simply asks me to be CFO.
00:32:42.19\00:32:47.24
Who could turn
down an offer like that?
00:32:47.27\00:32:49.40
You and I shouldn't.
00:32:49.43\00:32:51.56
And the Pharisees didn't.
00:32:51.59\00:32:53.68
Boy, in fact the Pharisees
went to the school that taught,
00:32:53.71\00:32:57.18
if sum is good,
more must be better.
00:32:57.21\00:33:02.85
And so they tithe,
everything they could get,
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.54
their sanctimonious fingers
on tithe, tithe, tithe, tithe.
00:33:04.57\00:33:07.61
And that's what Jesus
is talking about here,
00:33:07.64\00:33:09.36
"Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites!
00:33:09.39\00:33:12.36
For you pay tithe of
mint and anise and cummin."
00:33:12.39\00:33:19.07
Now I need to tell
you that in our home
00:33:19.10\00:33:21.88
Karen is the green
firm of our family.
00:33:21.91\00:33:24.91
I mean, she just
has this natchie,
00:33:24.94\00:33:26.91
she's a hallelujah,
its springtime and she's--
00:33:26.94\00:33:29.44
she surrounds our house
00:33:29.47\00:33:32.02
with the glorious
colors of God's blossoms.
00:33:32.05\00:33:35.65
One year she planted
a little sprig of mint.
00:33:35.68\00:33:38.22
Do you ever, have you
ever planted a sprig of mint?
00:33:38.25\00:33:39.60
You know what
its like when you--
00:33:39.63\00:33:40.66
have you ever
picked the mint leaf off
00:33:40.69\00:33:42.28
and just crushed it
in your finger and then,
00:33:42.31\00:33:45.17
can you smell it from there?
00:33:45.20\00:33:47.23
Can't you smell it?
00:33:47.26\00:33:48.30
It's just a mint,
mint, it's in our minds.
00:33:48.33\00:33:51.35
The Pharisees loved
mint too, by the way.
00:33:51.38\00:33:53.32
In fact according to Jesus here
00:33:53.35\00:33:55.79
they tithe three culinary herbs,
00:33:55.82\00:33:59.60
two of which are also medicinal.
00:33:59.63\00:34:01.29
So I mean, this is a big time,
00:34:01.32\00:34:02.39
we're gonna tithe all of these.
00:34:02.42\00:34:06.41
Hey, let me ask you
this, was it a sin--
00:34:06.44\00:34:08.76
was it a sin to
tithe their herbs?
00:34:08.79\00:34:12.12
But of course
not, it's not a sin.
00:34:12.15\00:34:14.84
Nothing wrong with that.
00:34:14.87\00:34:15.92
But you see the problem,
God blessed them, the scribes.
00:34:15.95\00:34:19.13
They have
concocted such an elaborate
00:34:19.16\00:34:22.06
an artificial
arrangement of Judaism's laws
00:34:22.09\00:34:25.32
and their premises, we
have a hierarchy of laws
00:34:25.35\00:34:28.08
that are focusing on external,
00:34:28.11\00:34:29.71
observable, and
measurable behavior.
00:34:29.74\00:34:31.92
Those are what count the most.
00:34:31.95\00:34:34.09
What people can see me doing,
00:34:34.12\00:34:35.76
what God can measure,
00:34:35.79\00:34:37.59
in terms of my
response, that's number one.
00:34:37.62\00:34:39.78
And Jesus says, "What is
wrong with this picture?"
00:34:39.81\00:34:43.66
Plenty, according to Christ.
00:34:43.69\00:34:47.26
Look at this, "Woe to you,
00:34:47.29\00:34:48.69
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
00:34:48.72\00:34:51.43
For you pay tithe of
mint and anise and cummin,
00:34:51.46\00:34:54.93
and have neglected the
weightier matters of the law,
00:34:54.96\00:34:57.40
justice and mercy and faith.
00:34:57.43\00:34:59.29
These you ought to have done
00:34:59.32\00:35:00.71
without leaving
the others undone."
00:35:00.74\00:35:03.82
You catch that?
00:35:03.85\00:35:05.30
Write it down,
would you, please.
00:35:05.33\00:35:06.52
"You have
omitted the weightier,"
00:35:06.55\00:35:09.10
the weightier
"matters of the law,
00:35:09.13\00:35:11.92
justice and mercy"
write it in, please.
00:35:11.95\00:35:17.29
"And faith."
Mercy being our series.
00:35:17.32\00:35:19.86
Now isn't that something?
00:35:19.89\00:35:21.28
Hey, come on guys,
just stake with me.
00:35:21.31\00:35:23.33
Apparently in
the mind of Christ,
00:35:23.36\00:35:24.60
in the mind Almighty God himself
00:35:24.63\00:35:27.03
there are weightier
matters in life and in law,
00:35:27.06\00:35:30.30
weightier than tithing.
00:35:30.33\00:35:34.58
The very word weightier,
in fact, jot this down.
00:35:34.61\00:35:36.61
"The very word
'weightier' clearly suggests
00:35:36.64\00:35:39.73
an hierarchy"
there's that word again,
00:35:39.76\00:35:41.85
"an hierarchy of
values and truths
00:35:41.88\00:35:43.98
and laws and
duties does it not?"
00:35:44.01\00:35:45.83
There are some realities more
important than truth itself,
00:35:45.86\00:35:49.61
certainly more important
even tithing, that's His point.
00:35:49.64\00:35:53.14
Although Jesus is
very clear by the way.
00:35:53.17\00:35:54.57
Hey, hey, time out.
00:35:54.60\00:35:56.01
I'm not asking
anybody to stop tithing,
00:35:56.04\00:35:57.95
please keep doing that
but I'm also making an appeal
00:35:57.98\00:36:01.07
to you, that's Christ's point.
00:36:01.10\00:36:02.40
Amazing.
00:36:05.63\00:36:07.02
And by the way, what is
it that Jesus determined
00:36:07.05\00:36:09.57
are the weightier,
matters of the law?
00:36:09.60\00:36:11.79
Did you see that,
justice? Wait, what's next one?
00:36:11.82\00:36:14.85
And mercy and faith. Yep.
00:36:14.88\00:36:19.48
"When Luke," Dr. Luke
"records these words,"
00:36:19.51\00:36:21.78
jot this down, in Luke 11:42,
00:36:21.81\00:36:24.24
"he renders it,
'justice and the love of God.'"
00:36:24.27\00:36:29.01
You know what, this
is all straight out of--
00:36:29.04\00:36:31.81
this is straight out
of the Old Testament.
00:36:31.84\00:36:34.20
Do you remember
that, do you remember
00:36:34.23\00:36:35.28
that verse in Malachi 6:8,
00:36:35.31\00:36:37.48
"He has shown you,
O man, what is good
00:36:37.51\00:36:40.84
and what does the Lord require
of you but to" How's it go?
00:36:40.87\00:36:45.40
"Do justly and to love mercy."
00:36:45.43\00:36:48.50
Write it down.
00:36:48.53\00:36:49.59
"And to love mercy and to
walk humbly with your God."
00:36:49.62\00:36:53.91
We used to sing those
words. Did you sing those words?
00:36:53.94\00:36:56.38
Oh, come on, sing it with me.
00:36:56.41\00:36:58.14
He has shown you,
O man, what is good
00:36:58.17\00:37:02.35
And what does the
Lord require of thee
00:37:02.38\00:37:06.83
But to do justly
and to love mercy
00:37:06.86\00:37:12.45
And to walk humbly with thy God
00:37:12.48\00:37:17.76
Jesus whispering to us
now, He said, hey guys,
00:37:17.79\00:37:21.05
that's what I've
been trying to teach you
00:37:21.08\00:37:23.12
that even more
important than truth is love.
00:37:23.15\00:37:27.74
Love with all
your heart for God,
00:37:27.77\00:37:29.56
love for all your
life, for your neighbor.
00:37:29.59\00:37:32.35
You know what, I'd rather
have your love then your tithes.
00:37:32.38\00:37:36.30
Now don't misunderstand me,
00:37:36.33\00:37:37.50
I would be happy to
have your tithe but--
00:37:37.53\00:37:38.91
and be happy to have both
00:37:38.94\00:37:40.11
but if it's a choice
I'd rather have you love.
00:37:40.14\00:37:42.73
I rather have your
love than your Sabbath.
00:37:42.76\00:37:44.51
Though I want your Sabbaths
but I prefer to have them both.
00:37:44.54\00:37:47.92
I'd rather have your love
than the 28 fundamental beliefs
00:37:47.95\00:37:50.57
that I have told you.
00:37:50.60\00:37:51.63
Though don't misunderstand me,
00:37:51.66\00:37:53.07
I want those 28 fundamental
beliefs but I need them both.
00:37:53.10\00:37:57.09
If you have to choose
between love and truth,
00:37:57.12\00:37:59.64
I chose love, I
want love from you.
00:37:59.67\00:38:03.38
Whoa.
00:38:03.41\00:38:06.66
If you can't give me both,
00:38:06.69\00:38:09.45
I'd rather have your
love, I really would.
00:38:09.48\00:38:14.06
For upon supreme love to God
00:38:14.09\00:38:16.78
and impartial
love for our neighbor.
00:38:16.81\00:38:20.11
Hey, hang, all the
law, all the prophesy,
00:38:20.14\00:38:25.47
all the
doctrines, all the truths,
00:38:25.50\00:38:29.36
all the
commandments, all the time,
00:38:29.39\00:38:33.20
love the supreme commandment.
00:38:33.23\00:38:38.37
Nothing wrong with--
00:38:38.40\00:38:39.76
nothing wrong with good
behavior you understand.
00:38:39.79\00:38:45.15
But how did Jesus put it?
00:38:45.18\00:38:46.25
"For you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart,
00:38:46.28\00:38:48.74
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
00:38:48.77\00:38:50.96
And you shall love
your neighbor as yourself."
00:38:50.99\00:38:53.93
Hey, listen folks, what
does love's hierarchy teach us?
00:38:53.96\00:38:56.81
Let me share with you what
love's hierarchy teaches us.
00:38:56.84\00:38:58.93
First of all, oh,
this is embarrassing.
00:38:58.96\00:39:00.74
It spares us
actually the embarrassment
00:39:00.77\00:39:02.26
of becoming a community
00:39:02.29\00:39:03.32
that is known for
straining at the gnats
00:39:03.35\00:39:05.24
but keeps swallowing the camel.
00:39:05.27\00:39:07.62
Take a look at verse
24, right under verse 23,
00:39:07.65\00:39:10.07
there's verse
24, "Blind guides."
00:39:10.10\00:39:12.62
He's talking to the leaders.
00:39:12.65\00:39:13.68
"Blind guides, who strain
out a gnat and swallow a camel."
00:39:13.71\00:39:19.75
Now this is a bit of stinging
metaphor from the Lord Jesus.
00:39:19.78\00:39:23.48
He knows it's over.
00:39:23.51\00:39:25.37
So what He does, is He
goes to the dietary code.
00:39:25.40\00:39:27.95
You remember, that
have a dietary code,
00:39:27.98\00:39:29.67
clean and unclean
foods, Leviticus Chapter 11.
00:39:29.70\00:39:31.80
And in the dietary
code Jesus isolates
00:39:31.83\00:39:34.58
what is the smallest creature
listed as forbidden to eat
00:39:34.61\00:39:38.12
and the smallest
creature would be the gnat.
00:39:38.15\00:39:39.88
You ever seen the gnat?
00:39:39.91\00:39:41.30
There's an
enlargement of a gnat.
00:39:41.33\00:39:42.93
And then he says,
"Let me find the largest,
00:39:42.96\00:39:44.92
the largest mammal that
is forbidden is unclean,"
00:39:44.95\00:39:48.57
and what's He come up with,
00:39:48.60\00:39:49.63
the dromedary
better known as the camel.
00:39:49.66\00:39:53.00
Now here comes
the biting metaphor
00:39:53.03\00:39:55.30
because you see it's
based on the Pharisees' practice
00:39:55.33\00:39:57.77
to filter their drinks to avoid
00:39:57.80\00:40:00.40
the ingestion up any
little, tiny unclean insect.
00:40:00.43\00:40:06.10
Strict Jews would take
a piece of gauze or linen
00:40:06.13\00:40:09.23
and place it over their
cups and will strain their wine,
00:40:09.26\00:40:12.38
their vinegar,
other potable liquids.
00:40:12.41\00:40:15.08
And so here they are, you
just to try to picture this,
00:40:15.11\00:40:16.70
here they are now, the Pharisees
00:40:16.73\00:40:19.77
sipping sanctimoniously
from their cups net filtered
00:40:19.80\00:40:26.63
to the max all the
while inside that cup,
00:40:26.66\00:40:31.04
they're just
getting ready to swallow it,
00:40:31.07\00:40:32.77
here comes the smelly,
splish-splashing of a hairy
00:40:32.80\00:40:35.59
big lip humpback dromedary
better known as a camel.
00:40:35.62\00:40:39.90
Ain't that a great picture?
00:40:39.93\00:40:43.58
They got the gnat
out but they're just--
00:40:43.61\00:40:45.64
they did tilt it back
and the camel goes inside.
00:40:45.67\00:40:49.40
They choke on the camel,
00:40:49.43\00:40:51.31
they strain that
little tiny gnat.
00:40:51.34\00:40:54.69
Did cheers and then
they swallow a camel.
00:40:54.72\00:41:00.04
Do you get the biting irony
of what Jesus has just said?
00:41:00.07\00:41:02.93
Oh, mercy. You blind hypocrites.
00:41:02.96\00:41:06.80
You major in the minors
00:41:06.83\00:41:07.86
and your minor in the
majors, that's your problem.
00:41:07.89\00:41:12.80
You strain out a gnat
but you swallow a camel,
00:41:12.83\00:41:16.37
you tithe your pennies
but you ignore your neighbors.
00:41:16.40\00:41:20.26
You say you love the truth
but you never live the truth.
00:41:20.29\00:41:24.80
What is the truth?
00:41:24.83\00:41:26.86
Oh, what did He say,
"For you shall love the Lord
00:41:26.89\00:41:29.59
your God with all your heart,
00:41:29.62\00:41:30.72
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
00:41:30.75\00:41:32.26
And you shall love
your neighbor as yourself."
00:41:32.29\00:41:34.02
And then 1 John 4
comes along it says,
00:41:34.05\00:41:35.73
oh by the way, by
the way "If anyone says.
00:41:35.76\00:41:38.14
'I love God' yet hates his
brother, he is a liar." Why?
00:41:38.17\00:41:41.08
Because, "For anyone who
does not love his brother,
00:41:41.11\00:41:43.69
whom he has
seen, cannot love God,
00:41:43.72\00:41:45.80
whom he has not seen."
00:41:45.83\00:41:48.34
Ladies and gentlemen,
we can preach on satellite,
00:41:48.37\00:41:50.89
we can preach in
satellite seminars
00:41:50.92\00:41:52.40
till we are blue in the face
00:41:52.43\00:41:53.76
but if we omit the
weightier matters of the law,
00:41:53.79\00:41:57.41
Jesus is
absolutely clear, "Woe do you,
00:41:57.44\00:41:59.64
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
00:41:59.67\00:42:01.33
For you cross sea and
land to make a single convert
00:42:01.36\00:42:03.88
and you make a new convert twice
00:42:03.91\00:42:05.36
as much a child a
hell as yourselves."
00:42:05.39\00:42:08.21
Have mercy.
00:42:08.24\00:42:09.43
We can boast to the nation
00:42:09.46\00:42:11.52
of our nationally
ranked university.
00:42:11.55\00:42:13.56
We have appeared, wow,
we have appeared in US News
00:42:13.59\00:42:17.47
and World Report and
we're so harsh telling everybody
00:42:17.50\00:42:20.91
but if in the process
of our becoming a harsh,
00:42:20.94\00:42:23.76
extolling
ourselves we have omitted
00:42:23.79\00:42:26.00
the weightier
matters of the law.
00:42:26.03\00:42:27.61
I'm telling you
what, woe, Jesus is right,
00:42:27.64\00:42:30.75
"Woe to you,
scribes and hypocrites!
00:42:30.78\00:42:32.06
For you like white-washed tombs,
00:42:32.09\00:42:33.91
which on the
outside look beautiful,
00:42:33.94\00:42:35.40
but insider for
the bones of the dead
00:42:35.43\00:42:37.46
and all kinds of filth."
00:42:37.49\00:42:39.05
Yuck.
00:42:39.08\00:42:40.20
Jesus somber warning
is clear, my friends.
00:42:44.04\00:42:47.15
If this community of faith
does not yet learn and practice
00:42:47.18\00:42:50.10
loves hierarchy the
demise of our community
00:42:50.13\00:42:53.47
and the disintegration
of our faith are assured
00:42:53.50\00:42:56.33
because we will choke
to death unaccountable,
00:42:56.36\00:42:58.22
we will choke to
death unaccountable.
00:42:58.25\00:43:02.25
What does loves
hierarchy teach us?
00:43:02.28\00:43:05.82
Jot it down.
00:43:05.85\00:43:06.91
First, it teaches us,
write this down, please.
00:43:06.94\00:43:09.59
"It spares us of
the embarrassment
00:43:09.62\00:43:11.65
of becoming a community
that majors in the minors
00:43:11.68\00:43:16.73
and minors in the majors."
00:43:16.76\00:43:20.68
And then number two,
00:43:20.71\00:43:21.74
that the other
lesson, number two.
00:43:21.77\00:43:23.87
"Secondly, it teaches
us that the value of people
00:43:23.90\00:43:27.38
transcends the virtue of duty."
00:43:27.41\00:43:33.69
There's nothing wrong
with our duty to tithe
00:43:33.72\00:43:35.68
or any other
duty for that matter
00:43:35.71\00:43:37.38
but more important
than the virtual duty
00:43:37.41\00:43:39.78
is the value of people.
00:43:39.81\00:43:42.13
I just found
this, this last week,
00:43:42.16\00:43:44.18
I want to share with
you, a hundred years ago
00:43:44.21\00:43:46.94
these words were
written very perceptive.
00:43:46.97\00:43:50.68
Put it on the screen,
you have to fill it in.
00:43:50.71\00:43:52.61
"Cleanliness and
order are Christian duties."
00:43:52.64\00:43:55.34
Write that down.
00:43:55.37\00:43:56.50
I agree that's a duty,
you agree that's a duty, okay?
00:43:56.53\00:43:59.06
"Cleanliness and order
are Christian duties, yet,"
00:43:59.09\00:44:02.10
keep reading, "yet even
these may be carried too far,
00:44:02.13\00:44:06.48
and made the one essential,
00:44:06.51\00:44:08.75
while matters and greater
importance are neglected."
00:44:08.78\00:44:12.89
Whoa, hold on, keep reading.
00:44:12.92\00:44:15.13
"Those who neglect the
interests of the children,"
00:44:15.16\00:44:18.44
you see those words,
those two words, the children?
00:44:18.47\00:44:20.94
Those can be the children by age
00:44:20.97\00:44:23.95
or they can be
children when it comes to faith,
00:44:23.98\00:44:26.71
the young in the faith.
00:44:26.74\00:44:28.77
"Those who neglect the
interest of the children
00:44:28.80\00:44:31.64
for these considerations
are tithing the mint and cummin
00:44:31.67\00:44:36.21
while they neglect the
weightier matters of the law,
00:44:36.24\00:44:38.84
justice, mercy
and the love of God."
00:44:38.87\00:44:42.65
Did you catch
that? Did you get it?
00:44:42.68\00:44:45.95
It might take a little
bit a brooding to sink in.
00:44:45.98\00:44:49.37
Even Christian
duty, come on guys,
00:44:49.40\00:44:51.47
even Christian duty
can be carried too far
00:44:51.50\00:44:54.56
and made the one
essential that everybody
00:44:54.59\00:45:00.92
has to conform to
prove that we are Orthodox.
00:45:00.95\00:45:05.75
Please, I'm aware of
some Christian communities
00:45:05.78\00:45:11.99
that proudly identify themselves
00:45:12.02\00:45:15.23
by emphasizing certain
external behaviors and duties
00:45:15.26\00:45:18.08
as essentials and prove
that they are loyal to God,
00:45:18.11\00:45:21.85
can't say that for the
rest if you but we are.
00:45:21.88\00:45:24.23
Look at this, it's
measurable, that's observable,
00:45:24.26\00:45:27.87
it's noticeable
and that's proof.
00:45:27.90\00:45:32.48
How sad.
00:45:32.51\00:45:34.64
It's where the
Pharisees lived, how about us?
00:45:34.67\00:45:39.62
I want you to think about this
community of faith right here.
00:45:39.65\00:45:42.12
Are there some duties here
that we are carrying too far,
00:45:42.15\00:45:48.80
pushing some behaviors too hard
00:45:48.83\00:45:53.30
all to prove our
Orthodoxy and holiness
00:45:53.33\00:45:55.36
like the Pharisees
and yet all the while
00:45:55.39\00:45:58.12
we are not loving to each other,
00:45:58.15\00:46:00.72
we are not loving to each other.
00:46:00.75\00:46:01.78
We are not
loving to our neighbors
00:46:01.81\00:46:02.84
and therefore we
are not loving to God.
00:46:02.87\00:46:04.23
For if in the name of heaven,
if you can't love somebody
00:46:04.26\00:46:08.18
standing in front your nose
00:46:08.21\00:46:10.22
how can you
possibly love a guide
00:46:10.25\00:46:12.50
you have never
seen in your life?
00:46:12.53\00:46:14.29
Don't give me
this, oh, I love God,
00:46:14.32\00:46:16.10
it's just Him
I'm not sure about,
00:46:16.13\00:46:17.60
just her I'm
not convinced about.
00:46:17.63\00:46:19.84
Impossible, you can't do it.
00:46:19.87\00:46:22.68
You say, oh, Lord, when did--
00:46:22.71\00:46:25.77
wait, when did we see you naked?
00:46:25.80\00:46:29.63
When do we see you hungry?
00:46:29.66\00:46:31.96
We never saw you sick,
00:46:31.99\00:46:34.28
we never knew you were in jail,
00:46:34.31\00:46:35.69
we never saw you.
00:46:35.72\00:46:36.75
And Jesus says, you know
what, listen to me carefully,
00:46:36.78\00:46:39.19
because you refused to
do it the least these--
00:46:39.22\00:46:42.23
my children, 12
miles up this road,
00:46:42.26\00:46:44.38
you didn't do it to me.
00:46:44.41\00:46:45.62
Whoa.
00:46:45.65\00:46:48.43
Oh, Lord, but you
know what my problem
00:46:48.46\00:46:50.04
is I'm not even sure
who is my neighbor anymore.
00:46:50.07\00:46:52.25
Who is my neighbor?
00:46:52.28\00:46:54.72
There was a man
once who went down
00:46:54.75\00:46:56.48
from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and he fell among thieves
00:46:56.51\00:47:02.01
and the religiously
correct left in there
00:47:02.04\00:47:06.85
until rejected an
outcast Samaritan came by.
00:47:06.88\00:47:12.49
Want to know who the
neighbor is in that story?
00:47:12.52\00:47:15.15
"Go thou and do
likewise." Oh, the Pharisees.
00:47:15.18\00:47:20.48
And Jesus
painfully clear is He not?
00:47:20.51\00:47:23.17
That there are weightier
matters in the divine economy
00:47:23.20\00:47:25.92
in which the value of people
transcends the virtue of duty.
00:47:25.95\00:47:29.87
He's teaching is
clear, jot this down please.
00:47:29.90\00:47:31.79
He's teaching is clear.
00:47:31.82\00:47:32.88
"The great Commandment
transcends the Ten Commandments
00:47:32.91\00:47:37.68
for they must hang up on
it and not it upon them."
00:47:37.71\00:47:43.61
The Cross of Christ
declares that truth.
00:47:43.64\00:47:48.19
Surely my
friends, it is a Calvary
00:47:48.22\00:47:51.30
that we see the truth at
mercy triumphs over judgment.
00:47:51.33\00:47:55.76
Surely at the cross you see
there on the screen, surely,
00:47:55.79\00:47:59.70
the transcendence
of self-sacrificing
00:47:59.73\00:48:02.20
love exalted over
self-centered duty.
00:48:02.23\00:48:07.00
You know maybe
that's our problem.
00:48:07.03\00:48:08.06
Maybe we don't go
to the cross enough.
00:48:08.09\00:48:09.52
Maybe we don't look
full into His wonderful face
00:48:09.55\00:48:13.66
while He's hanging there
00:48:13.69\00:48:16.51
because hanging
there is everything.
00:48:16.54\00:48:19.96
All the law and the prophets
hang on the Great Commandment
00:48:19.99\00:48:24.48
who was crucified that
day when mercy came a running.
00:48:24.51\00:48:29.83
We need to go to the cross
00:48:29.86\00:48:31.33
a lot more than we do, don't we?
00:48:31.36\00:48:33.84
We're not going to the cross,
you know, that's our problem.
00:48:33.87\00:48:36.35
Sharpening our swords
and quitting our blades.
00:48:36.38\00:48:42.46
We need to go to the cross.
00:48:42.49\00:48:44.69
I want to end with a
story, incredible story.
00:48:44.72\00:48:49.42
C.S. Lewis,
brilliant, apologist,
00:48:49.45\00:48:54.66
Christian apologist
of the last century.
00:48:54.69\00:48:56.38
Did you know
this, C.S. Lewis learned
00:48:56.41\00:48:59.45
about Seventh-day
Adventists, true story.
00:48:59.48\00:49:03.98
I read in a book
given to me entitled,
00:49:04.01\00:49:08.37
"Letters to an American Lady."
00:49:08.40\00:49:11.43
Sometime after Lewis
died in November of 1963,
00:49:11.46\00:49:15.07
he died on the same day
00:49:15.10\00:49:16.13
that President
Kennedy was assassinated.
00:49:16.16\00:49:19.34
Sometime after Lewis died,
00:49:19.37\00:49:21.20
an American woman came forward
and she went to a publisher.
00:49:21.23\00:49:24.77
She says, "I got some letters."
00:49:24.80\00:49:26.60
Who they are from?
"They are from C.S. Lewis."
00:49:26.63\00:49:28.03
Oh really? He wrote
you? "Yeah, he wrote me.
00:49:28.06\00:49:29.76
For 13 years we've
carried on correspondences."
00:49:29.79\00:49:33.88
Thirteen years
prior to his death
00:49:33.91\00:49:35.19
he gets this letter
from across the pond
00:49:35.22\00:49:37.09
as the British refer to it
and a strong American lady.
00:49:37.12\00:49:40.37
And she says you know, I
really, I enjoyed your book,
00:49:40.40\00:49:43.31
this last book I read.
00:49:43.34\00:49:45.16
And after she extols
the book then I said,
00:49:45.19\00:49:47.23
I am having a little
challenge, can you help me?
00:49:47.26\00:49:49.70
And so like the
gracious Christian gentleman
00:49:49.73\00:49:52.61
that he was he wrote her back.
00:49:52.64\00:49:55.43
When she got his
letter she wrote him back
00:49:55.46\00:49:57.66
and he got her letter he
eventually wrote her back
00:49:57.69\00:49:59.62
and back and back and back.
00:49:59.65\00:50:00.95
As far as we know they
never met face to face,
00:50:00.98\00:50:03.46
there is not a shred
romance in these letters.
00:50:03.49\00:50:06.17
We have all of Lewis' letters,
00:50:06.20\00:50:08.52
we don't have
hers you understand
00:50:08.55\00:50:09.64
because she wrote to
him and they're gone.
00:50:09.67\00:50:12.11
But we have C.S. Lewis's,
his brilliant mind, his letters
00:50:12.14\00:50:16.27
and it's from
one of those letters,
00:50:16.30\00:50:18.31
two of them
actually that I discovered
00:50:18.34\00:50:20.37
he found out about
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:50:20.40\00:50:23.29
I want to share this with you.
00:50:23.32\00:50:25.35
Apparently
here's what's happened
00:50:25.38\00:50:26.67
as far as I can put it together.
00:50:26.70\00:50:30.25
She writes and asks him,
00:50:30.28\00:50:32.72
what do you know
about Seventh-day Adventist?
00:50:32.75\00:50:36.64
His brilliant
mind response you know,
00:50:36.67\00:50:38.31
I really don't know that much.
00:50:38.34\00:50:40.65
Then she writes him back
00:50:40.68\00:50:42.17
and describes an
event that happened to her
00:50:42.20\00:50:44.58
with a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian
00:50:44.61\00:50:46.66
and I am so grateful to God
00:50:46.69\00:50:48.55
that it was a
very positive moment.
00:50:48.58\00:50:53.58
She describes what happened
with that Advantest in America
00:50:53.61\00:50:59.71
and then he writes back to her.
00:50:59.74\00:51:02.16
Listen, to what this mine that
cutting edge of Christianity
00:51:02.19\00:51:05.98
in the 20th century.
00:51:06.01\00:51:07.22
Listen to what he observed.
00:51:07.25\00:51:09.53
What you say about the
Seventh-Day Adventists?
00:51:09.56\00:51:14.20
Interests me extremely now,
00:51:14.23\00:51:18.85
if they have so much charity
00:51:18.88\00:51:21.97
there must be
something very right about them.
00:51:22.00\00:51:27.24
Let me put that on
the screen for you.
00:51:27.27\00:51:29.52
"What you say
about" and I love the way
00:51:29.55\00:51:31.72
he gets our name wrong.
00:51:31.75\00:51:34.68
"What do you say about
the VII Day Adventists"
00:51:34.71\00:51:36.85
You know what
that's gonna happen
00:51:36.88\00:51:38.03
who really ought to be
this being an Adventist
00:51:38.06\00:51:39.66
is only on the
seventh day is crazy.
00:51:39.69\00:51:41.65
We got to be Seventh-day
Adventist, don't you think?
00:51:41.68\00:51:44.89
Seven days a week.
00:51:44.92\00:51:46.60
"What you say about
the VII Day Adventist
00:51:46.63\00:51:48.28
interest me extremely.
00:51:48.31\00:51:49.58
If they have so much
charity" Write right that down.
00:51:49.61\00:51:51.81
If they have so much
love "there must be something
00:51:51.84\00:51:56.09
very right about this people."
00:51:56.12\00:51:59.54
Isn't that amazing?
00:51:59.57\00:52:03.28
If they have so much
love there must be something
00:52:03.31\00:52:06.70
very right about them.
00:52:06.73\00:52:08.40
Hey, listen
friend, hey, hey, you.
00:52:08.43\00:52:10.85
You want to get the attention
of your world where you live?
00:52:10.88\00:52:14.44
Want to get the
attention of your world
00:52:14.47\00:52:15.73
then live out the hierarchy of
Jesus for it is more than clear,
00:52:15.76\00:52:20.28
is it not that
there is something
00:52:20.31\00:52:21.92
more important than truth
for if you have that much love
00:52:21.95\00:52:27.88
there must be
something very right about you.
00:52:27.91\00:52:35.67
Amen and amen. Let us pray.
00:52:35.70\00:52:40.73
Oh, God, there must
be something very right
00:52:40.76\00:52:44.60
about Jesus, that's the truth.
00:52:44.63\00:52:46.94
He's the one who
teaches us this truth.
00:52:46.97\00:52:50.31
He says everything,
every shred revelation
00:52:50.34\00:52:53.50
and inspiration hangs
on a hierarchy of loves
00:52:53.53\00:52:57.61
transcendence over
even duty, over even truth.
00:52:57.64\00:53:02.88
Love God with all your heart
00:53:02.91\00:53:05.79
and love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:53:05.82\00:53:08.09
Oh, God, please, that
we might become people
00:53:08.12\00:53:14.33
that this 20th century
mine suggested must be something
00:53:14.36\00:53:20.14
very right about those people,
00:53:20.17\00:53:22.38
if they have that much love
00:53:22.41\00:53:24.08
there must be
something very right.
00:53:24.11\00:53:27.24
Oh, God, let it be
right about this perish
00:53:27.27\00:53:32.17
and this campus and this church
00:53:32.20\00:53:35.37
for the glory
the Lord Jesus Christ
00:53:35.40\00:53:38.44
that all the
people say, amen and amen.
00:53:38.47\00:53:41.92
I want to sing Jesus command
to us, this is beautiful.
00:53:41.95\00:53:44.65
We're gonna sing it to a tune.
00:53:44.68\00:53:45.74
Don't sing that-- don't sing
00:53:45.77\00:53:47.08
the melody written on the page.
00:53:47.11\00:53:48.91
You'll immediately
recognize the tune,
00:53:48.94\00:53:50.73
this is Jesus command to us
00:53:50.76\00:53:52.89
to now do what He has taught us.
00:53:52.92\00:53:55.86
The tune you know,
sing with all your heart.
00:53:55.89\00:53:57.80
I want you to stand
please. Let's stand as we sing.
00:53:57.83\00:54:00.21
This is my will, my one command
00:54:12.50\00:54:19.93
That love should
dwell among you all
00:54:19.96\00:54:27.61
This is my will
that you should love
00:54:27.64\00:54:35.55
As I have shown
00:54:35.58\00:54:39.79
That I love you
00:54:39.82\00:54:45.20
No greater love a man can have
00:54:48.23\00:54:56.11
Than that he die
00:54:56.14\00:54:59.91
To save his friends
00:54:59.94\00:55:04.32
You are my friends if you obey
00:55:04.35\00:55:12.26
What I command
00:55:12.29\00:55:16.62
That you should do
00:55:16.65\00:55:24.62
You chose not Me
00:55:24.65\00:55:29.22
But I chose you
00:55:29.25\00:55:33.20
That you should go
and bear much fruit
00:55:33.23\00:55:41.13
I chose you out that you in
00:55:41.16\00:55:49.02
Me Should bear much fruit
00:55:49.05\00:55:53.86
That will abide
00:55:53.89\00:56:00.76
All that I ask
00:56:03.85\00:56:08.35
My Father, dear
00:56:08.38\00:56:12.75
For My name's sake
00:56:12.78\00:56:17.10
You shall receive
00:56:17.13\00:56:21.98
This is My will
00:56:22.01\00:56:26.49
My one command
00:56:26.52\00:56:31.40
That love should dwell
00:56:31.43\00:56:36.12
In each, in all
00:56:36.15\00:56:43.51
And now may the
communion of the Father
00:56:47.78\00:56:51.05
and the love of the
Son and the fellowship
00:56:51.08\00:56:54.45
of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, amen.
00:56:54.48\00:56:59.13
Let me take one
more moment of your time
00:57:01.03\00:57:02.69
to let you know
that one of the blessings
00:57:02.72\00:57:04.09
I receive from this telecast
00:57:04.12\00:57:05.98
is being in touch
with viewer like you
00:57:06.01\00:57:07.61
all across
Michiana and our nations
00:57:07.64\00:57:09.76
and literally the world.
00:57:09.79\00:57:11.58
I am humbled and honored
00:57:11.61\00:57:12.64
with your sharing
of journey with us.
00:57:12.67\00:57:13.98
Sometimes it's a Bible question,
00:57:14.01\00:57:15.61
other times it's an
observation or suggestion
00:57:15.64\00:57:17.99
and sometimes just a note
00:57:18.02\00:57:19.10
to share our prayer
or a prayer request.
00:57:19.13\00:57:21.35
I'd love to hear from you
and it's so easy to be in touch.
00:57:21.38\00:57:24.16
Just go to our Pioneer
Memorial Church website,
00:57:24.19\00:57:26.58
www.pmchurch.tv
and click on contact
00:57:26.61\00:57:31.17
and then word
pastor and then jot down
00:57:31.20\00:57:33.40
the message you wish to send.
00:57:33.43\00:57:35.41
If you have a prayer
request, click on those words
00:57:35.44\00:57:38.14
or call our toll
free number 1-877-HIS-WILL
00:57:38.17\00:57:42.53
and I promise you
that our prayer partners
00:57:42.56\00:57:44.40
will lift your
personal need to God
00:57:44.43\00:57:46.33
because nobody should
have the journey alone.
00:57:46.36\00:57:48.68
Not only do we have Jesus
but we also have each other.
00:57:48.71\00:57:51.78
So write me, won't you?
00:57:51.81\00:57:52.87
At www.pmchurch.tv
00:57:52.90\00:57:56.27
In the meantime may the God
00:57:56.30\00:57:57.43
whose mercy
continually runs after us,
00:57:57.46\00:58:00.28
be with you 24/7,
every step of the way.
00:58:00.31\00:58:04.34
I'll see you again
right here next time.
00:58:04.37\00:58:07.29