Korean.
00:00:28.42\00:00:30.79
Spanish.
00:00:35.86\00:00:37.01
Russian.
00:00:43.07\00:00:44.87
Kiswahili.
00:00:50.72\00:00:52.12
Australian.
00:00:58.90\00:01:00.33
"Come to me all ye who
are weary and heavy laden,
00:01:04.76\00:01:09.17
and I will give you rest.
00:01:09.20\00:01:11.71
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me,
00:01:11.74\00:01:14.62
for I am gentle
and humble in heart
00:01:14.65\00:01:17.53
and you will find
rest for your souls."
00:01:17.56\00:01:20.59
Shall we pray?
00:01:20.62\00:01:22.11
Lord Jesus, we
thank You for bringing
00:01:22.14\00:01:23.94
this global
family together today,
00:01:23.97\00:01:26.71
to find rest in you.
00:01:26.74\00:01:29.78
As a community of faith
and a community of learning,
00:01:29.81\00:01:32.23
we long to worship you
today, in spirit and in truth.
00:01:32.26\00:01:36.63
Guide our worship, may
it be acceptable to you,
00:01:36.66\00:01:40.18
in the name of
Jesus we pray, amen.
00:01:40.21\00:01:43.31
It's a joy for me to
introduce to you somebody
00:01:45.20\00:01:50.87
that I have great
admiration for and respect,
00:01:50.90\00:01:54.28
he is the president
of our world church.
00:01:54.31\00:01:56.36
How about a warm
welcome for Dr. Jan Paulsen.
00:01:56.39\00:01:59.88
Good to have you, Dr. Paulsen.
00:02:03.42\00:02:05.06
Welcome. Nice to
have you, have a seat.
00:02:05.09\00:02:09.70
We are delighted to
have you here on our campus.
00:02:09.73\00:02:13.66
You turned down the
invitation to preach,
00:02:13.69\00:02:15.43
you should be preaching today.
00:02:15.46\00:02:17.23
Next time, here's the deal,
00:02:17.26\00:02:18.46
I want you to say
this in front of everybody,
00:02:18.49\00:02:20.41
the next time I'm
here, Dwight, I'll preach.
00:02:20.44\00:02:23.25
I wish you well.
00:02:23.28\00:02:28.08
All right.
00:02:28.11\00:02:30.18
That tells you,
about our leadership.
00:02:30.21\00:02:33.88
Or my influence.
00:02:33.91\00:02:37.77
I did this first church,
00:02:37.80\00:02:38.87
when you were
sitting in the front row,
00:02:38.90\00:02:40.67
I want to do this while
you're sitting right here.
00:02:40.70\00:02:42.35
I want to share with you
and I want to share with you,
00:02:42.38\00:02:46.68
three qualities of
our world president
00:02:46.71\00:02:50.49
that I especially admire.
00:02:50.52\00:02:52.24
I've watched him from
afar, for a number of years now.
00:02:52.27\00:02:56.90
Number one,
00:02:56.93\00:02:57.98
I am very appreciative
of the skillful way,
00:02:58.01\00:03:03.74
the very clear way,
00:03:03.77\00:03:06.54
Dr. Paulsen articulates
both vision and theology.
00:03:06.57\00:03:10.77
He doesn't waste words.
00:03:10.80\00:03:13.01
When he speaks, you know
what his mind is thinking
00:03:13.04\00:03:17.33
and I admire that about
you, thank you very much.
00:03:17.36\00:03:20.16
What I like
secondly about this man,
00:03:20.19\00:03:22.97
is that he is a humble leader.
00:03:23.00\00:03:25.98
Let me just tell
you something about,
00:03:26.01\00:03:27.25
since we're in kind of
a leadership cycle here,
00:03:27.28\00:03:29.05
in the United States in
terms of an election coming up,
00:03:29.08\00:03:31.89
in case you haven't heard.
00:03:31.92\00:03:36.11
Jim Collins in his
book, "Good to Great"
00:03:36.14\00:03:38.68
has studied the most successful
00:03:38.71\00:03:40.24
corporations in
the United States,
00:03:40.27\00:03:42.78
and they have determined
that the most effective
00:03:42.81\00:03:46.64
and successful leaders
are known for their humility.
00:03:46.67\00:03:50.67
I'll tell you why I say that,
00:03:50.70\00:03:51.73
because when you
watch an election cycle,
00:03:51.76\00:03:53.85
as we're in now,
00:03:53.88\00:03:55.61
you conclude that in
order to be an effective leader,
00:03:55.64\00:03:58.30
you have to have a super ego.
00:03:58.33\00:04:00.56
You do not.
00:04:00.59\00:04:02.59
All you need to be
is as humble as Jesus.
00:04:02.62\00:04:05.05
Just be humble.
00:04:05.08\00:04:06.15
Some of you are going
to be leaders someday,
00:04:06.18\00:04:08.52
remember that.
00:04:08.55\00:04:09.58
It's humility that
leads an organization.
00:04:09.61\00:04:13.10
All right, number three,
00:04:13.13\00:04:14.56
I appreciate his pastoral heart,
00:04:14.59\00:04:16.31
Pastor Paulsen,
I appreciate that
00:04:16.34\00:04:18.59
you lead out of
a pastoral heart.
00:04:18.62\00:04:20.57
I mean, I've been in rooms
and hotel, banquets, halls,
00:04:20.60\00:04:27.14
where you've been addressing
a fairly diverse group,
00:04:27.17\00:04:30.28
intellectually and otherwise,
00:04:30.31\00:04:32.21
and you could have
just as easy just--
00:04:32.24\00:04:34.78
just divided that
room with one statement.
00:04:34.81\00:04:36.90
But he does-- his pastoral heart
00:04:36.93\00:04:38.84
leads by uniting, not dividing.
00:04:38.87\00:04:41.72
And I think that is a,
I'm so grateful for that gift.
00:04:41.75\00:04:45.29
You've become
known as the president
00:04:45.32\00:04:46.90
who moves around the
world, in a conversation,
00:04:46.93\00:04:51.13
in a circle of young adults.
00:04:51.16\00:04:52.69
In fact, you were here,
did you say two years ago for?
00:04:52.72\00:04:55.39
Something like that, yeah.
00:04:55.42\00:04:56.45
So you talk to young
adults, you listen to them.
00:04:56.48\00:04:58.14
What is it that enthuses you,
00:04:58.17\00:05:00.99
about the 30 and
under crowd in our church?
00:05:01.02\00:05:04.47
We've done these conversations.
Now, we've had 20 of them.
00:05:04.50\00:05:08.42
The last one,
just two months ago,
00:05:08.45\00:05:10.94
was in Hong Kong,
00:05:10.97\00:05:12.38
for our people,
young people from--
00:05:12.41\00:05:13.44
I bet that was interesting.
Absolutely fascinating.
00:05:13.47\00:05:16.90
Were they-- did they ask
different kinds of questions
00:05:16.93\00:05:19.89
than you would hear elsewhere?
00:05:19.92\00:05:21.39
In part, they did. Yeah?
00:05:21.42\00:05:23.61
The flavor of that conversation
was to a significant extent,
00:05:23.64\00:05:27.50
created by the
fact that we had 10
00:05:27.53\00:05:31.48
young adults
from Mainland China,
00:05:31.51\00:05:34.58
who came out
just for that weekend.
00:05:34.61\00:05:36.98
They were not people
who had taken up residence
00:05:37.01\00:05:38.64
in Hong Kong or in Taiwan,
00:05:38.67\00:05:41.70
they came out for the weekend
and returned to Mainland China.
00:05:41.73\00:05:45.63
And that put a very special
flavor on the conversation.
00:05:45.66\00:05:48.68
I think this was one
of the best conversations
00:05:48.71\00:05:50.11
we'd ever had.
00:05:50.14\00:05:51.18
I mean, you know, I get
asked all kinds of questions--
00:05:51.21\00:05:53.61
I'm sure you do. In
these conversations.
00:05:53.64\00:05:56.55
Some of them, you at times wish
00:05:56.58\00:05:59.43
nobody was viewing
or listening, you know.
00:05:59.46\00:06:01.84
These, these people from China,
they were very, very serious.
00:06:01.87\00:06:05.91
These were, they asked
very profound question,
00:06:05.94\00:06:09.57
having great importance
for the life of the church.
00:06:09.60\00:06:12.26
And, yeah, it was
a good conversation.
00:06:12.29\00:06:15.56
So what did-- what are you
picking up on this generation?
00:06:15.59\00:06:17.87
What excites you about them?
00:06:17.90\00:06:19.19
What excites me
about them is the sense
00:06:19.22\00:06:21.16
that there is a
enormous commitment
00:06:21.19\00:06:23.84
on the part of the
youth in this church,
00:06:23.87\00:06:26.84
to make sure that the church,
the church remains strong,
00:06:26.87\00:06:29.95
that remains united.
00:06:29.98\00:06:32.60
Let me tell you, just, um,
00:06:32.63\00:06:34.95
a visit I made a few months ago,
00:06:34.98\00:06:38.30
as happens
occasional on my travel,
00:06:38.33\00:06:40.27
I find myself placed in a
place that wasn't really--
00:06:40.30\00:06:42.95
it was a last minute,
it was a stop over visit.
00:06:42.98\00:06:45.51
But if it is on the Sabbath,
of course, I will go to church.
00:06:45.54\00:06:48.02
They may not
know I'm in town and,
00:06:48.05\00:06:50.17
which is why I
show up one minute
00:06:50.20\00:06:51.78
before the pulpit party goes in.
00:06:51.81\00:06:54.22
so that I don't disturb
the planning of the brethren.
00:06:54.25\00:06:57.49
And, and here I was in Europe,
00:06:57.52\00:07:00.65
you know,
Europe is very secular,
00:07:00.68\00:07:02.39
this, this was in a country
00:07:02.42\00:07:03.97
where the church has a
real struggle to project itself
00:07:04.00\00:07:07.81
and to conduct its mission.
00:07:07.84\00:07:09.54
This particular Sabbath,
00:07:09.57\00:07:11.50
there were young
adults, students,
00:07:11.53\00:07:13.40
who were taking
the Sabbath service,
00:07:13.43\00:07:15.11
the divine
service in the morning.
00:07:15.14\00:07:16.67
It's a wonderful service,
00:07:16.70\00:07:17.74
but of course they
became a little bit nervous
00:07:17.77\00:07:19.31
when they saw me there and
one of them came over to me
00:07:19.34\00:07:22.56
and wanted to
prepare me for the music
00:07:22.59\00:07:24.99
that was gonna-- he
need not have done that,
00:07:25.02\00:07:26.98
because this was
good worship music,
00:07:27.01\00:07:28.75
I'm used to many kinds of music.
00:07:28.78\00:07:31.71
So, but one of the speakers
00:07:31.74\00:07:35.76
was a student,
about 20- 21 years of age,
00:07:35.79\00:07:40.08
talked for
about 8 or 10 minutes,
00:07:40.11\00:07:41.99
very strong biblical
message and one of the things
00:07:42.02\00:07:45.12
which he said,
very powerfully was,
00:07:45.15\00:07:47.49
I know we have a
struggle here in this city,
00:07:47.52\00:07:49.92
to make the
voice of Christ heard.
00:07:49.95\00:07:51.64
I know we have a
struggle to make a witness.
00:07:51.67\00:07:54.40
But I am committed.
00:07:54.43\00:07:55.50
And he spoke for the group,
00:07:55.53\00:07:56.73
they were committed to make
sure the church in this city
00:07:56.76\00:07:59.97
is not going to
go down on our watch.
00:08:00.00\00:08:02.89
I like that.
00:08:02.92\00:08:03.95
And that I, it
just, fills me with joy.
00:08:03.98\00:08:06.50
That is the
message, the commitment,
00:08:06.53\00:08:08.36
I sense from the
young people in this church.
00:08:08.39\00:08:11.21
You need to know, I really,
I really trust our youth,
00:08:11.24\00:08:14.92
our young profession.
00:08:14.95\00:08:16.43
I want them
engaged in the church,
00:08:16.46\00:08:18.69
I want them active.
00:08:18.72\00:08:19.76
So you, and particularly
me, getting a bit older,
00:08:19.79\00:08:24.89
we-- you're coming along nicely.
00:08:24.92\00:08:32.79
We need to make sure
that we have motivated
00:08:32.82\00:08:36.30
the youth and
young professionals
00:08:36.33\00:08:38.37
to become engaged in the church.
00:08:38.40\00:08:40.86
If we don't engage
them in the church,
00:08:40.89\00:08:43.53
they are not going
to be with us tomorrow.
00:08:43.56\00:08:46.08
Yeah, I believe
you're absolutely right.
00:08:46.11\00:08:47.39
In fact, we're-- our
senior leadership team here,
00:08:47.42\00:08:49.84
in this congregation,
is wrestling right now
00:08:49.87\00:08:51.66
with some kind of proactive way
00:08:51.69\00:08:53.95
to prepare, involve,
integrate young adults,
00:08:53.98\00:09:01.74
while they're
here, at the university,
00:09:01.77\00:09:03.79
but somehow shape
them for getting--
00:09:03.82\00:09:05.03
moving back
into the local church
00:09:05.06\00:09:06.90
because you go to an
institutional church like this,
00:09:06.93\00:09:08.99
this really is not
your average milieu
00:09:09.02\00:09:13.14
for service and for worship.
00:09:13.17\00:09:14.82
So how can we
prepare these kids?
00:09:14.85\00:09:16.59
Now pew-- what's the
name of this organization?
00:09:16.62\00:09:20.21
PEW Research, whatever,
a few weeks they came out
00:09:20.24\00:09:22.65
with some statistics
analyzing American religions.
00:09:22.68\00:09:26.49
The Protestant religions,
00:09:26.52\00:09:28.40
Evangelical,
Catholic and Orthodox.
00:09:28.43\00:09:32.09
There, they were
examining the retention,
00:09:32.12\00:09:34.36
how able are contemporary
churches to hang on to members.
00:09:34.39\00:09:41.22
The numbers for the
Adventist church, 60%,
00:09:41.25\00:09:43.26
we have a 60% retention rate.
00:09:43.29\00:09:45.29
That means, 40% are leaving.
00:09:45.32\00:09:47.93
Those aren't just young
adults, that's everybody.
00:09:47.96\00:09:50.58
But we were 73% a few years ago.
00:09:50.61\00:09:53.88
So we're hanging
on to less and less.
00:09:53.91\00:09:56.53
So here's the
question, the local church,
00:09:56.56\00:10:00.10
what can the church,
beyond the general conference,
00:10:00.13\00:10:02.67
be doing to hang on to the young
00:10:02.70\00:10:06.12
and involve them in the
life of our community of faith?
00:10:06.15\00:10:08.62
I think, really, you're
saying the local church--
00:10:08.65\00:10:10.55
this is where life is lived.
00:10:10.58\00:10:13.00
This is where nurture,
00:10:13.03\00:10:14.72
this is where
inclusion takes place.
00:10:14.75\00:10:16.75
This is where that
particular challenge,
00:10:16.78\00:10:19.90
primarily has to be resolved.
00:10:19.93\00:10:21.68
You know, a couple of days ago,
00:10:21.71\00:10:22.86
on my way from my
house to the airport,
00:10:22.89\00:10:25.57
the driver who came to pick me--
00:10:25.60\00:10:26.79
came from a company,
00:10:26.82\00:10:29.74
an agency that
provides this kind of service.
00:10:29.77\00:10:32.60
And I'd never met
him before, and he,
00:10:32.63\00:10:35.58
but he told me immediately,
he was an Adventist.
00:10:35.61\00:10:37.55
Seventh- day Adventist,
he told me which church
00:10:37.58\00:10:38.84
he worship and so forth.
00:10:38.87\00:10:40.19
And he said, when I
work at my workplace,
00:10:40.22\00:10:43.22
I have now, he said, identified
00:10:43.25\00:10:45.32
five former
Seventh- day Adventists.
00:10:45.35\00:10:49.62
And I was astounded.
00:10:49.65\00:10:52.24
And he said that,
I want you to know,
00:10:52.27\00:10:54.63
pastor, none of
them left the church
00:10:54.66\00:10:58.87
because of doctrinal doubts.
00:10:58.90\00:11:01.32
None of them left the church
because they were convinced
00:11:01.35\00:11:04.11
that what we believe
and confess is wrong.
00:11:04.14\00:11:06.68
I said why did they leave?
00:11:06.71\00:11:08.49
He said there were many reasons.
00:11:08.52\00:11:10.25
There was
disappointments, they were hurt,
00:11:10.28\00:11:14.19
something happened,
somebody said something
00:11:14.22\00:11:16.85
or did something to
them that disappointed them
00:11:16.88\00:11:19.51
or hurt them so deeply
00:11:19.54\00:11:21.24
and they couldn't
find healing in the church.
00:11:21.27\00:11:24.70
Or they said,
there was some who said
00:11:24.73\00:11:26.65
the church had no need for us.
00:11:26.68\00:11:28.86
We were not included.
00:11:28.89\00:11:31.09
We were
irrelevant to the church.
00:11:31.12\00:11:33.70
And so we sort of drifted away.
00:11:33.73\00:11:35.97
Now that to me is a tragedy
00:11:36.00\00:11:38.46
that every local
congregation must openly
00:11:38.49\00:11:42.02
and honestly face and resolve.
00:11:42.05\00:11:45.45
Be sure that if, if
you don't include them,
00:11:45.48\00:11:48.81
they will not stay.
00:11:48.84\00:11:50.85
They must be participants
in the life of the church.
00:11:50.88\00:11:54.18
Could I say this also, pastor,
00:11:54.21\00:11:55.53
I mean, this is a congregation
of a lot of young people.
00:11:55.56\00:11:59.97
Few of us, also
more advanced in years.
00:12:00.00\00:12:05.33
Love the young people.
00:12:05.36\00:12:07.13
If every congregation was
able to communicate the love
00:12:07.16\00:12:09.72
and care for young
people, they would feel,
00:12:09.75\00:12:12.15
you don't walk
away from a family
00:12:12.18\00:12:13.86
in which you are loved.
00:12:13.89\00:12:15.03
You don't, you, you,
care for that family.
00:12:15.06\00:12:19.61
Make them care for the
church because you love them.
00:12:19.64\00:12:22.91
And they will make
mistakes but so have all of us.
00:12:22.94\00:12:26.41
Let them grow and develop,
00:12:26.44\00:12:27.83
and before you tell
them about their mistakes,
00:12:27.86\00:12:29.85
make sure they
know that you love them.
00:12:29.88\00:12:32.72
And in this way I think,
00:12:32.75\00:12:34.05
we will bond and
build the church.
00:12:34.08\00:12:37.05
Two more questions,
what burns your heart
00:12:37.08\00:12:40.96
about the
Seventh-day Adventist church?
00:12:40.99\00:12:42.36
When you go to--
when you pray at night,
00:12:42.39\00:12:44.05
before drifting off to sleep,
00:12:44.08\00:12:45.74
what is it that you
are carrying heavily,
00:12:45.77\00:12:49.22
that is a burden for you
as you think of the church?
00:12:49.25\00:12:51.92
Well, I've said many
times in the conversations
00:12:51.95\00:12:56.56
I've had with youth,
00:12:56.59\00:13:00.23
take responsibility
for your own personal life.
00:13:00.26\00:13:03.83
I'm alarmed by the
fact that only a quarter,
00:13:03.86\00:13:08.16
statistics show us,
of Seventh-day Adventists
00:13:08.19\00:13:10.83
read the Bible at all.
00:13:10.86\00:13:14.26
One quarter?
00:13:14.29\00:13:15.95
Read the Bible on
the regular daily basis.
00:13:15.98\00:13:19.64
Yeah, only that.
00:13:19.67\00:13:22.10
Good as the minister
on Sabbath morning is,
00:13:22.13\00:13:24.55
in the church, I say
it to all young people,
00:13:24.58\00:13:26.88
do not make your spiritual
life dependant on the nurture
00:13:26.91\00:13:30.12
that the pastor
gives you on Sabbath.
00:13:30.15\00:13:32.56
Good and solid as that
is, spend time with Christ,
00:13:32.59\00:13:35.66
let Him talk to
you through Scripture,
00:13:35.69\00:13:38.08
everyday quality time and
talk back to Him in prayer.
00:13:38.11\00:13:41.29
If you don't do it, you
will not survive as a believer.
00:13:41.32\00:13:45.69
That is important to me.
00:13:45.72\00:13:48.20
And then I think secondly,
00:13:48.23\00:13:49.74
it is important that we
become engaged in the church,
00:13:49.77\00:13:53.25
and thirdly, it's important
that we project the church
00:13:53.28\00:13:56.76
as a loving, caring, community.
00:13:56.79\00:13:59.60
Yeah.
00:13:59.63\00:14:00.73
One last question,
you are such an optimist,
00:14:00.76\00:14:03.26
why can't you be so
optimistic about the church?
00:14:03.29\00:14:09.50
Because the
alternative is so unattractive.
00:14:09.53\00:14:15.22
I'm optimistic about the church
because this is God's people.
00:14:15.25\00:14:20.13
God leads this church.
00:14:20.16\00:14:22.45
If I didn't believe that,
the pressure that I would feel,
00:14:22.48\00:14:25.08
is, is, I
couldn't survive with it.
00:14:25.11\00:14:28.34
I go to sleep at night
and I'm, peace of mind,
00:14:28.37\00:14:32.44
and, and the Lord
takes charge of these thing.
00:14:32.47\00:14:35.38
He did it before I came along
00:14:35.41\00:14:36.82
and He's going to
do it when I'm gone.
00:14:36.85\00:14:38.31
This is His people.
00:14:38.34\00:14:39.98
He will keep it strong and safe
00:14:40.01\00:14:41.93
until He comes
back to claim his own.
00:14:41.96\00:14:44.02
So because this
is God's movement,
00:14:44.05\00:14:46.22
I count it a
privilege to be part of it,
00:14:46.25\00:14:48.20
but yeah, I'm
confident, He does a good job.
00:14:48.23\00:14:52.48
Thank you for loving the church,
00:14:52.51\00:14:53.74
thank you for leading us.
00:14:53.77\00:14:54.93
How about a warm expression
00:14:54.96\00:14:56.22
that we're going
to be praying for you,
00:14:56.25\00:14:58.14
Pastor Paulsen.
00:14:58.17\00:14:59.96
The Lord is my shepherd
00:15:51.08\00:15:58.83
Therefore can I lack nothing
00:15:58.86\00:16:05.96
He shall feed me
00:16:05.99\00:16:08.99
In a green pasture
00:16:09.02\00:16:15.95
And lead me forth
00:16:15.98\00:16:18.21
Beside the waters of comfort
00:16:18.24\00:16:24.82
He shall convert my soul
00:16:30.56\00:16:36.53
And bring me forth in
the paths of righteousness
00:16:40.05\00:16:46.49
For his Name's sake
00:16:50.74\00:16:54.37
For his Name's sake
00:16:54.40\00:16:58.83
For his Name's sake
00:16:58.86\00:17:04.33
Yea, though I
walk through the valley
00:17:11.10\00:17:16.23
Of the shadow of death
00:17:16.26\00:17:21.08
I will fear no evil
00:17:21.11\00:17:25.55
For thou art with me
00:17:30.58\00:17:34.39
Thy rod and thy staff comfort me
00:17:34.42\00:17:41.89
Thou shalt
prepare a table for me
00:17:49.74\00:17:55.92
Against them that trouble me
00:17:55.95\00:18:00.01
Thou hast
anointed my head with oil
00:18:05.49\00:18:12.48
And my cup shall be full
00:18:12.51\00:18:15.88
But thy loving kindness
00:18:38.96\00:18:43.60
And mercy
00:18:43.63\00:18:49.78
Shall follow me
00:18:49.81\00:18:51.59
All the days of my life
00:18:51.62\00:18:58.99
And I will dwell
00:18:59.02\00:19:01.72
In the house
00:19:01.75\00:19:07.07
Of the Lord
00:19:07.10\00:19:12.47
In the house
00:19:12.50\00:19:17.81
In the house of the Lord
00:19:17.84\00:19:23.17
Forever
00:19:23.20\00:19:27.29
Forever
00:19:30.24\00:19:36.48
Let's pray.
00:19:50.63\00:19:54.83
Oh, Father, that,
that is our prayer.
00:19:54.86\00:19:59.74
That just-- that piece of music
00:19:59.77\00:20:02.06
just drew it out of
our souls, this confession.
00:20:02.09\00:20:07.48
That more than
anything else in the world,
00:20:07.51\00:20:11.75
we want to live in your
house for ever and ever.
00:20:11.78\00:20:16.34
So lead us by the still waters,
00:20:16.37\00:20:19.22
rest our souls in the journey.
00:20:19.25\00:20:26.00
We pray, in Christ's name. Amen.
00:20:26.03\00:20:29.84
There is one human
activity that over all others
00:20:34.82\00:20:42.72
turns out to be
the most contagious.
00:20:42.75\00:20:45.66
I suppose this
particular human activity
00:20:45.69\00:20:47.83
is endemic to this generation
in the third millennium.
00:20:47.86\00:20:54.03
This particular human behavior,
this particular human response,
00:20:54.06\00:20:58.44
is so contagious,
00:20:58.47\00:21:01.13
that research
shows that 55% of us,
00:21:01.16\00:21:04.89
if we see someone engage
in this behavior, 55% of us,
00:21:04.92\00:21:10.55
within the next 5 minutes,
will imitate that behavior.
00:21:10.58\00:21:16.76
It's that contagious.
00:21:16.79\00:21:18.76
Well, that explains
why we're all doing it.
00:21:18.79\00:21:22.81
This generation,
I'll put a picture
00:21:22.84\00:21:25.08
of this activity
on the screen for you
00:21:25.11\00:21:27.05
so that you can understand
what it is we're talking about.
00:21:27.08\00:21:32.85
Isn't that a precious picture?
00:21:32.88\00:21:34.99
I'm taking about the human yawn.
00:21:35.02\00:21:40.17
It isn't limited to
a certain age group,
00:21:40.20\00:21:44.63
it is the total
human journey experience.
00:21:44.66\00:21:48.24
In fact, they've done
studies and have found that
00:21:48.27\00:21:50.64
11 week old fetuses
yawn in momma's tummy.
00:21:50.67\00:21:57.21
It is not only
limited to the human race,
00:21:57.24\00:22:00.10
it is also an experience
enjoyed by the great outdoors.
00:22:00.13\00:22:06.94
What is there about a yawn?
00:22:09.30\00:22:11.43
I went on, I went online,
00:22:11.46\00:22:13.72
just thinking about
our theme for today,
00:22:13.75\00:22:14.99
I went online to find out,
what is it that causes a yawn.
00:22:15.02\00:22:18.82
Is there a
scientific answer to this?
00:22:18.85\00:22:21.74
And guess what,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:22:21.77\00:22:22.88
nobody knows,
scientists cannot tell us
00:22:22.91\00:22:25.51
what creates the human yawn.
00:22:25.54\00:22:28.09
We know that you suck in
all the air in the universe
00:22:28.12\00:22:30.19
when you yawn,
00:22:30.22\00:22:31.25
that your heart
rate goes up by 30%.
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.72
We know that one
hour before you sleep,
00:22:33.75\00:22:36.47
you yawn the most and
one hour after you awaken,
00:22:36.50\00:22:39.22
you also have your
most frequent yawns
00:22:39.25\00:22:41.61
but they still do
not know what it is.
00:22:41.64\00:22:44.59
Obviously it is multicultural,
one more picture from Google.
00:22:44.62\00:22:48.14
Multicultural, you
yawn all over the world.
00:22:48.17\00:22:52.40
So let's assume,
let's just assume,
00:22:52.43\00:22:54.13
for the sake of illustration,
00:22:54.16\00:22:55.39
that in fact a yawn represents
00:22:55.42\00:23:00.11
a deep hunger and need for rest.
00:23:00.14\00:23:04.62
If that's the case,
00:23:04.65\00:23:06.59
then we're one of the
most yawning generations ever.
00:23:06.62\00:23:09.27
If that's the case,
then there has to be
00:23:09.30\00:23:10.73
a whole lot of good news
in the passage of Scripture,
00:23:10.76\00:23:13.96
that the Spirit
directs us to today,
00:23:13.99\00:23:15.43
open your Bible please
to the Gospel of St. Luke,
00:23:15.46\00:23:18.50
Luke 11.
00:23:18.53\00:23:19.89
Here is this moving
invitation to Christ,
00:23:19.92\00:23:24.79
read to us, what was it?
00:23:24.82\00:23:25.98
It was read to
us first in Korean,
00:23:26.01\00:23:29.36
then it was read in Spanish,
then it was read in Russian,
00:23:29.39\00:23:31.92
then it was read in
Swahili and then in English.
00:23:31.95\00:23:36.51
Read to us just a moment ago.
00:23:36.54\00:23:38.35
Matthew 11, the
Gospel of St. Matthew 11,
00:23:38.38\00:23:41.26
New King James, by the way,
if you didn't bring a Bible,
00:23:41.29\00:23:43.63
grab the pew Bible
right in front of you.
00:23:43.66\00:23:45.69
Let me give you a
page number for this.
00:23:45.72\00:23:47.27
That would be
page 656, red letters,
00:23:47.30\00:23:51.65
the words of Christ,
maybe we are the generation.
00:23:51.68\00:23:56.32
Jesus spoke this foremost.
00:23:56.35\00:23:58.65
All right, Matthew 11:28.
00:23:58.68\00:24:00.10
"Come to me..."
Oh, we know this.
00:24:00.13\00:24:01.75
"Come to me, all you who
labor and are heavy laden,
00:24:01.78\00:24:04.61
and I will give you rest.
00:24:04.64\00:24:06.21
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from Me,
00:24:06.24\00:24:08.25
for I am gentle
and lowly in heart,
00:24:08.28\00:24:10.68
and you will find
rest for your souls.
00:24:10.71\00:24:12.76
For my yoke is easy
and My burden is light."
00:24:12.79\00:24:19.76
Come to me. Hey.
00:24:19.79\00:24:21.80
Hey, hey, he
says, hey, come to me.
00:24:21.83\00:24:24.82
Come to me, and I
will give you rest.
00:24:24.85\00:24:27.24
I'll tell you what, if
you forget everything else
00:24:27.27\00:24:28.66
that was
experienced this morning,
00:24:28.69\00:24:30.88
in this hour of worship,
00:24:30.91\00:24:33.18
but retain that single
line, you will not go wrong.
00:24:33.21\00:24:36.33
Come to me and I
will give you rest.
00:24:36.36\00:24:38.58
In fact, take your new
study guide out right now
00:24:38.61\00:24:40.16
and let's write it
down, before we forget it,
00:24:40.19\00:24:42.21
scribble it down
in your study guide.
00:24:42.24\00:24:43.93
If you didn't get a
bulletin when you came in,
00:24:43.96\00:24:45.39
hold your hands up.
00:24:45.42\00:24:46.92
We've got the most efficient
00:24:46.95\00:24:49.25
and friendly
ushers in North America.
00:24:49.28\00:24:52.93
They're here,
just hold your hand up
00:24:52.96\00:24:54.01
and move all the way to
the back up in the balcony.
00:24:54.04\00:24:55.92
I trust the choir,
you've got your study guides.
00:24:55.95\00:24:58.31
Those of you watching
on television right now,
00:24:58.34\00:24:59.86
we're delighted to have you.
00:24:59.89\00:25:00.94
This is a fascinating
study, go to our website.
00:25:00.97\00:25:03.79
Let me give it to
you, it's www.pmchurch.tv.
00:25:03.82\00:25:08.17
That's our website,
00:25:08.20\00:25:09.32
for the Pioneer Memorial church.
00:25:09.35\00:25:11.26
Go to our website and you're
looking for a brand new series.
00:25:11.29\00:25:14.53
We just began this
last week, it's God's Party,
00:25:14.56\00:25:17.76
a little five parter
to wrap up this season.
00:25:17.79\00:25:20.99
God's Party.
00:25:21.02\00:25:22.61
Let's see, last week it
was, what was last week?
00:25:22.64\00:25:24.71
Last week was Myspace.
00:25:24.74\00:25:26.89
Last week was Myspace,
00:25:26.92\00:25:28.15
next week, don't miss next week.
00:25:28.18\00:25:29.53
YouTube YouToo,
that'll be next week.
00:25:29.56\00:25:32.88
And then number four
will be Green Google,
00:25:32.91\00:25:34.87
and then number
five, good way to end it,
00:25:34.90\00:25:36.46
Yahoo! All right?
00:25:36.49\00:25:37.99
So I have all five of those.
Today, however, is Facebook.
00:25:38.02\00:25:41.95
You know, I'm going to say this
00:25:41.98\00:25:43.01
because we didn't take
this informal survey last week,
00:25:43.04\00:25:47.51
I asked, so I asked the students
00:25:47.54\00:25:49.44
who were here last week.
00:25:49.47\00:25:51.64
And by the way, those of you
00:25:51.67\00:25:52.75
who are Dr. Paulsen's
age, um, you may not know.
00:25:52.78\00:26:00.17
He does, but you may not
know about social networks.
00:26:00.20\00:26:02.17
It's the hottest
thing in the universe today.
00:26:02.20\00:26:05.09
It's where you
go to meet people,
00:26:05.12\00:26:06.34
it's where you establish
your contacts and so last week,
00:26:06.37\00:26:09.43
we were talking about
Myspace, it's the number one--
00:26:09.46\00:26:11.60
200,000 people 200
million people globally,
00:26:11.63\00:26:15.88
meet in Myspace.
00:26:15.91\00:26:17.07
Number two is Facebook,
number three is MyYearbook,
00:26:17.10\00:26:19.21
number four is
Bebo and Pastor Rick--
00:26:19.24\00:26:23.43
Bebo is the number one
social network site in the UK.
00:26:23.46\00:26:27.95
All right?
00:26:27.98\00:26:29.50
So we're taking each of those,
00:26:29.53\00:26:31.90
and now each of
those, two of those,
00:26:31.93\00:26:33.35
and focusing on
the social networks.
00:26:33.38\00:26:35.20
I need to just tell you this,
00:26:35.23\00:26:36.26
before we filled
in the study guide,
00:26:36.29\00:26:37.51
I had a Professor
of Andrews University,
00:26:37.54\00:26:40.35
come to me last week.
00:26:40.38\00:26:41.95
He says Dwight--
00:26:41.98\00:26:43.89
Oh, by the way, I
forgot to mention this.
00:26:43.92\00:26:45.82
I had students raise
their hand last week,
00:26:45.85\00:26:47.38
which one are you in,
00:26:47.41\00:26:48.44
and several of you
raised your hands all the way--
00:26:48.47\00:26:49.68
or two or three of them.
00:26:49.71\00:26:50.81
Karen was sitting behind a girl,
00:26:50.84\00:26:52.69
a girl and her boyfriend
00:26:52.72\00:26:54.44
and that young
woman raised her hand
00:26:54.47\00:26:56.33
for all four of the
top four social networks.
00:26:56.36\00:26:58.97
So you guys are, you guys
are everywhere, in cyberspace.
00:26:59.00\00:27:01.90
So here comes
this professor to me,
00:27:01.93\00:27:04.00
last week, and
he says hey, Dwight,
00:27:04.03\00:27:05.71
my son is on Facebook.
00:27:05.74\00:27:07.48
My son is now a med student
at Loma Linda University,
00:27:07.51\00:27:09.78
but the kid grew up
here, in this community.
00:27:09.81\00:27:11.66
He says, guess, Dwight,
00:27:11.69\00:27:12.82
guess how many friends my
son has in his Facebook account.
00:27:12.85\00:27:17.23
Now let me just
tell you about Facebook,
00:27:17.26\00:27:18.30
I'm learning
this, you have to have,
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.32
you have to list
your friends in Facebook
00:27:20.35\00:27:22.66
in order for them to get
into your-- is that true?
00:27:22.69\00:27:24.33
In order for
them to get into your,
00:27:24.36\00:27:26.30
kind of, your private spot.
00:27:26.33\00:27:29.68
So he said, guess how many.
00:27:29.71\00:27:30.78
So I said, well, I'm thinking
about maybe 10, no, 20, no.
00:27:30.81\00:27:33.64
I said okay, 40,
no. I said 70, no.
00:27:33.67\00:27:37.64
His son has 685 best friends.
00:27:37.67\00:27:44.37
Can you imagine that?
00:27:44.40\00:27:45.52
685 of his closest
friends get together every week.
00:27:45.55\00:27:50.27
I-- tell you what, guys,
00:27:50.30\00:27:51.69
if you're not in this
generation, 25 and younger,
00:27:51.72\00:27:53.68
it's a whole new world
of networking out there.
00:27:53.71\00:27:57.36
So we're talking
about Facebook today.
00:27:57.39\00:27:58.84
You say, what does
Facebook have to do
00:27:58.87\00:28:00.19
with what we just read.
00:28:00.22\00:28:01.28
You're gonna find out.
00:28:01.31\00:28:02.34
But let's take-- let's
jot that line down please.
00:28:02.37\00:28:04.99
Opening line in
your study guide,
00:28:05.02\00:28:06.51
Jesus' Words, Matthew 11:28.
00:28:06.54\00:28:08.38
"Come to Me and I
will give you rest."
00:28:08.41\00:28:12.58
Write it down,
please. I will give you rest.
00:28:12.61\00:28:15.17
Matthew's original
language of the Greek
00:28:15.20\00:28:17.13
gives us a fascinating insight
00:28:17.16\00:28:19.41
into what Jesus is
really offering here.
00:28:19.44\00:28:20.72
Keep your pen moving.
00:28:20.75\00:28:21.82
The Greek word
for "rest" is anapauo.
00:28:21.85\00:28:24.57
It's composed of two parts,
00:28:24.60\00:28:25.71
ana means again and
pauo means to stop or cease.
00:28:25.74\00:28:29.70
In other words, Jesus is saying,
00:28:29.73\00:28:30.93
hey, stop again
and again and again.
00:28:30.96\00:28:32.90
Just keep stopping.
You need that kind of rest.
00:28:32.93\00:28:35.42
It's the kind of
rest, ladies and gentlemen,
00:28:35.45\00:28:37.05
you get when you
climb a mountain.
00:28:37.08\00:28:38.63
Anybody here
ever climb a mountain?
00:28:38.66\00:28:40.13
Ever climb a mountain?
00:28:40.16\00:28:41.51
I climbed Mount Fuji,
00:28:41.54\00:28:42.69
when I was a kid
and growing up in Japan.
00:28:42.72\00:28:44.76
All right, you know,
you know that nobody chugs
00:28:44.79\00:28:49.68
to the top without stopping.
00:28:49.71\00:28:52.38
In fact, let me
just tell you this,
00:28:52.41\00:28:53.65
they released a documentary,
00:28:53.68\00:28:55.54
just this last week that--
00:28:55.57\00:28:56.94
the name of the
documentary is "Blindsight."
00:28:56.97\00:29:00.57
It's about the blind
climber, Erik Weihenmayer,
00:29:00.60\00:29:07.71
I said he was a
German in first church
00:29:07.74\00:29:09.01
and somebody came
up to me and said,
00:29:09.04\00:29:10.17
I read the book,
he's an American.
00:29:10.20\00:29:11.48
All right, but
he's got a strange name.
00:29:11.51\00:29:13.50
All right, Erik Weihenmayer,
00:29:13.53\00:29:15.39
the first blind climber to
scale the 29,000 ft. summit
00:29:15.42\00:29:19.39
of Mount Everest, back in 2001.
00:29:19.42\00:29:21.90
That's not what this
documentary is about.
00:29:21.93\00:29:23.72
Instead, it's about
him, with 6 Tibetan,
00:29:23.75\00:29:27.51
youth blind
climbers, 7 of them are blind.
00:29:27.54\00:29:31.82
And they're
climbing the 23,000 ft. peak
00:29:31.85\00:29:33.93
of Lhakpa-Ri,
just north of Everest,
00:29:33.96\00:29:36.89
and here's Erik with one
of the blind Tibetan climbers.
00:29:36.92\00:29:41.02
Anybody who's
climbed a mountain knows,
00:29:41.05\00:29:43.32
you got to stop, you
can't just hustle to the top.
00:29:43.35\00:29:46.22
You got to stop and rest.
00:29:46.25\00:29:47.45
You have to have rest stops,
00:29:47.48\00:29:48.53
you got to stop and
rest, stop and rest.
00:29:48.56\00:29:51.27
That, ladies and gentlemen,
00:29:51.30\00:29:52.39
is precisely what
Jesus is saying here.
00:29:52.42\00:29:53.89
He says you're
gonna need rest stops.
00:29:53.92\00:29:55.23
In fact, write
it down, will you?
00:29:55.26\00:29:56.84
In an essence, he's saying,
00:29:56.87\00:29:58.27
"In your ascent through
life you've got to stop and rest
00:29:58.30\00:30:00.87
or you'll never
make it to the top,
00:30:00.90\00:30:02.46
so come to Me,
00:30:02.49\00:30:03.61
and let Me be your
rest stop again and again.''
00:30:03.64\00:30:08.05
You just come to me.
00:30:08.08\00:30:09.41
Now it's true that the,
00:30:09.44\00:30:12.53
the rest of the gospel is
a permanent sort of, rest,
00:30:12.56\00:30:15.35
but Matthew is
intentionally using language
00:30:15.38\00:30:18.89
to shift from an
idea of permanence
00:30:18.92\00:30:20.65
to an idea of being periodic.
00:30:20.68\00:30:24.70
Which is why, by the way,
00:30:24.73\00:30:26.24
when Matthew lays down
00:30:26.27\00:30:27.62
this most beloved of
all of Jesus' invitations,
00:30:27.65\00:30:30.44
I'm sure, when he lays it down,
00:30:30.47\00:30:32.66
it is smack dab
beside a narrative
00:30:32.69\00:30:36.73
that he has intentionally
put right up against it.
00:30:36.76\00:30:39.56
Watch this.
00:30:39.59\00:30:41.34
Pick it up in verse 28 again,
"Come to me, Jesus speaking,
00:30:41.37\00:30:44.21
all you who labor
and are heavy laden,
00:30:44.24\00:30:45.61
and I will give you rest.
00:30:45.64\00:30:46.90
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from Me,
00:30:46.93\00:30:48.58
for I am gentle
and lowly in heart,
00:30:48.61\00:30:50.28
and you will find
rest for your souls.
00:30:50.31\00:30:51.79
For my yoke is easy
and My burden is light."
00:30:51.82\00:30:54.04
When Matthew is
writing his gospel,
00:30:54.07\00:30:55.80
ladies and gentlemen,
there are no chapter divisions,
00:30:55.83\00:30:57.73
there are no verses.
00:30:57.76\00:30:58.83
He just keeps, he keeps
chugging through to the end.
00:30:58.86\00:31:01.91
So he intends
you to go immediately
00:31:01.94\00:31:04.34
after that offer of
rest, to the next story.
00:31:04.37\00:31:06.23
Here it is, 12:1.
00:31:06.26\00:31:07.59
"At that time Jesus went
through the grainfields,"
00:31:07.62\00:31:10.45
on what day of the week?
00:31:10.48\00:31:12.01
"He went to the
grainfields on the Sabbath.
00:31:12.04\00:31:13.94
And His disciples were hungry,
00:31:13.97\00:31:15.55
and they began to pluck
heads of grain and to eat.
00:31:15.58\00:31:17.64
You know, that's what
I love about the Sabbath.
00:31:17.67\00:31:18.88
If you're hungry,
it's the right day.
00:31:18.91\00:31:20.85
Do we eat well on
the Sabbath, or what?
00:31:20.88\00:31:22.79
Huh? Yeah.
00:31:22.82\00:31:24.76
So they're hungry.
00:31:24.79\00:31:26.50
Now Levitical law gave
permission for the poor
00:31:26.53\00:31:29.71
and the followers of Jesus
along with the Master Himself,
00:31:29.74\00:31:32.23
certainly qualify
for that distinction.
00:31:32.26\00:31:34.70
The followers of
the poor were allowed,
00:31:34.73\00:31:36.16
if you're going
through-- to a vineyard,
00:31:36.19\00:31:37.91
you can pluck, going
through a grain field,
00:31:37.94\00:31:40.00
you can-- you can't bring your,
00:31:40.03\00:31:41.21
you know, your big gunny sack,
00:31:41.24\00:31:42.27
but you can
pull a few heads off.
00:31:42.30\00:31:43.83
And so that's
what they're doing.
00:31:43.86\00:31:45.09
They're shucking
them right there,
00:31:45.12\00:31:46.84
like peanuts, just
throwing them in their mouths.
00:31:46.87\00:31:50.46
But their behavior
was observed in verse 2.
00:31:50.49\00:31:52.85
"And when the Pharisees
saw it, they said to Jesus,
00:31:52.88\00:31:55.88
hey 'look, Your
disciples are doing
00:31:55.91\00:31:58.12
what is not lawful
to do on the Sabbath!'''
00:31:58.15\00:32:00.13
Now there's nowhere in
the sacred Scripture that,
00:32:00.16\00:32:03.24
that activity is forbidden.
00:32:03.27\00:32:05.91
But we remember
that over the centuries,
00:32:05.94\00:32:09.34
an oral tradition
rose up and eventually,
00:32:09.37\00:32:12.01
it became written.
00:32:12.04\00:32:13.74
And in that oral tradition,
00:32:13.77\00:32:15.34
there were some
strict guidelines
00:32:15.37\00:32:17.38
for Sabbath behavior.
00:32:17.41\00:32:18.76
This apparently violates
one of those guidelines.
00:32:18.79\00:32:22.81
And so Jesus
responds, he says hey, verse 3.
00:32:22.84\00:32:26.25
"Have you not read what
David did when he was hungry,
00:32:26.28\00:32:29.11
he and those who were with him,
00:32:29.14\00:32:30.39
how he entered the house of God,
00:32:30.42\00:32:31.80
how he ate the showbread
00:32:31.83\00:32:33.60
which was not
lawful for him to eat,
00:32:33.63\00:32:36.12
nor for those who were with him,
00:32:36.15\00:32:37.39
but only for the priests?"
00:32:37.42\00:32:38.63
He said, hey, guys, chill
out. Don't you understand?
00:32:38.66\00:32:42.20
That there are times
when need supersedes creed.
00:32:42.23\00:32:46.95
We got the creed,
but there are times
00:32:46.98\00:32:48.94
when need supersedes a creed.
00:32:48.97\00:32:52.32
He says, oh, by the way,
let me tell you something else.
00:32:52.35\00:32:54.00
This should be verse 5.
00:32:54.03\00:32:56.10
"Or have you not read
in the law of the Torah
00:32:56.13\00:32:58.80
that on the Sabbath the priests
00:32:58.83\00:32:59.94
in the temple profane the
Sabbath, and are blameless.
00:32:59.97\00:33:02.08
They break the Sabbath.
00:33:02.11\00:33:03.17
But need supersedes
creed, Jesus is saying.
00:33:03.20\00:33:06.85
And oh, by the way,
did I say to you verse 6.
00:33:06.88\00:33:10.27
"That in this place there is
One greater than the temple."
00:33:10.30\00:33:14.88
But if you had
known what this means,
00:33:14.91\00:33:17.13
and now Matthew
quotes his favorite text
00:33:17.16\00:33:18.84
from the Old Testament,
to keep quoting Hosea 6:6.
00:33:18.87\00:33:21.41
"He said if you
know what this means,
00:33:21.44\00:33:22.75
'I desire mercy
and not sacrifice,'
00:33:22.78\00:33:25.85
you would not have
condemned the guiltless."
00:33:25.88\00:33:28.23
My disciples are not guilty.
You know why I can say that?
00:33:28.26\00:33:31.83
Jesus says, verse 8.
00:33:31.86\00:33:33.15
"For the Son of Man is
Lord even of the Sabbath."
00:33:33.18\00:33:39.14
Ladies and gentleman,
00:33:39.17\00:33:40.24
write that
down, will you please?
00:33:40.27\00:33:41.39
You have it right there,
a short Sabbath narrative,
00:33:41.42\00:33:43.63
bookended on one side by Jesus'
invitation to find rest in him,
00:33:43.66\00:33:47.81
and bookended on the
other side by His declaration
00:33:47.84\00:33:50.13
that He is the
Lord of the Sabbath.
00:33:50.16\00:33:53.83
There's no question,
Matthew is intentionally
00:33:53.86\00:33:55.79
laying down his most
beautiful invitation to Christ.
00:33:55.82\00:33:58.14
Hey, hey, hey, come to me,
00:33:58.17\00:33:59.76
come to me and
I'll give you rest.
00:33:59.79\00:34:01.46
He is intentionally
putting it side by side,
00:34:01.49\00:34:03.68
juxtaposed, with a story
that ends with a punch line.
00:34:03.71\00:34:06.46
And by the way, I am
the Lord of the Sabbath.
00:34:06.49\00:34:12.69
Evidence enough at
least for this heart.
00:34:12.72\00:34:16.77
That this most profound
00:34:16.80\00:34:17.85
and heart stirring
of gospel invitations
00:34:17.88\00:34:20.05
is most fully experienced
00:34:20.08\00:34:22.57
in the gift of
God's seventh-day Sabbath.
00:34:22.60\00:34:26.33
When we rest on the Sabbath,
00:34:26.36\00:34:27.79
that's the highest expression
and experience of this rest.
00:34:27.82\00:34:33.76
So you can write it
down now, yup, you're right.
00:34:33.79\00:34:35.87
While the case can
be made for the gospel's
00:34:35.90\00:34:37.55
permanent rest in Christ,
00:34:37.58\00:34:39.29
the actual language Matthew
00:34:39.32\00:34:40.58
uses also
describes the Sabbath's
00:34:40.61\00:34:42.89
periodic resting in Jesus.
00:34:42.92\00:34:46.90
So, how does
Jesus' Sabbath promise
00:34:46.93\00:34:48.81
address our deepest fatigue?
00:34:48.84\00:34:50.00
All right,
before you leave here,
00:34:50.03\00:34:51.08
let me run these
by you real quick.
00:34:51.11\00:34:52.81
Four areas of deep
fatigue in our lives,
00:34:52.84\00:34:56.43
on this campus and
on this planet today.
00:34:56.46\00:34:59.36
Four of our greatest
fatigues, here they are.
00:34:59.39\00:35:01.24
Number one, write it down,
00:35:01.27\00:35:02.44
Jesus' Sabbath
promise relates to this.
00:35:02.47\00:35:04.27
"For our physical
fatigue, it restores our pace."
00:35:04.30\00:35:08.77
Our pace.
00:35:08.80\00:35:12.27
Did you catch
this just a month ago?
00:35:12.30\00:35:15.61
Our nation released two
sleep studies of Americans.
00:35:15.64\00:35:19.94
Two of 'em, and it
came out just days apart.
00:35:19.97\00:35:21.98
Now this is amazing.
00:35:22.01\00:35:23.05
The first study, The
National Sleep Foundation,
00:35:23.08\00:35:25.65
they made this statement.
00:35:25.68\00:35:26.72
In fact you can jot this down.
00:35:26.75\00:35:28.33
Nearly 50 million Americans--
speaking about yawning,
00:35:28.36\00:35:32.14
we're a generation of yawning,
00:35:32.17\00:35:33.23
50 million
Americans chronically suffer
00:35:33.26\00:35:35.46
from sleep
problems and disorders
00:35:35.49\00:35:36.97
that affect their careers,
00:35:37.00\00:35:38.17
their personal relationships
and safety on the roads.
00:35:38.20\00:35:41.38
So they're figuring that
00:35:41.41\00:35:42.44
we're getting an average
of 6 hours and 40 minutes.
00:35:42.47\00:35:45.44
6 hours and 40 minutes a
night. Wouldn't that be nice?
00:35:45.47\00:35:49.09
And then a second study came out
00:35:49.12\00:35:50.28
from the University of Maryland,
00:35:50.31\00:35:52.09
and they're saying
hey, wait a minute,
00:35:52.12\00:35:53.15
no, no, let's take the
U.S Census Bureau data,
00:35:53.18\00:35:55.65
where it's kind of like a diary,
00:35:55.68\00:35:56.71
here's what I did today
00:35:56.74\00:35:57.77
and these are the
very minutes I did it.
00:35:57.80\00:35:59.24
They examine that and it
shows that we're getting 8.5,
00:35:59.27\00:36:02.56
they're saying we
are a well rested nation,
00:36:02.59\00:36:05.07
we're getting 8.5
hours of sleep a night.
00:36:05.10\00:36:08.20
And I'm thinking to myself,
00:36:08.23\00:36:09.89
which nation are they living in?
00:36:09.92\00:36:13.78
I mean, I know
where my body fits,
00:36:13.81\00:36:15.44
don't you know
where your body fits
00:36:15.47\00:36:16.51
which one of those studies?
00:36:16.54\00:36:17.92
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are not getting sleep.
00:36:17.95\00:36:20.30
And by the way, this
is not an elderly problem.
00:36:20.33\00:36:24.20
This is for the
kids now. Listen to this.
00:36:24.23\00:36:26.76
The March issue of the journal
of Adolescent Health reported,
00:36:26.79\00:36:30.35
"Insomnia in adolescence is
as prevalent as substance abuse,
00:36:30.38\00:36:34.42
depression and ADHD."
00:36:34.45\00:36:36.01
Now jot this down.
00:36:36.04\00:36:37.10
One quarter--
okay, so adolescence,
00:36:37.13\00:36:39.49
by the way is 19 and
younger, 19 and younger.
00:36:39.52\00:36:43.24
"One quarter of the
participants reported
00:36:43.27\00:36:45.71
having one or more
symptoms of insomnia,
00:36:45.74\00:36:47.99
such as trouble falling asleep,
staying asleep, every night."
00:36:48.02\00:36:51.09
Now the journal goes on.
00:36:51.12\00:36:52.62
"Those with chronic
insomnia were five times
00:36:52.65\00:36:55.10
more likely to think
their mental health was poor,
00:36:55.13\00:36:57.26
three times as likely
to have health problems
00:36:57.29\00:37:00.68
and trouble at school,
00:37:00.71\00:37:01.78
and twice as likely
to use alcohol and drugs
00:37:01.81\00:37:04.36
like marijuana and cocaine."
00:37:04.39\00:37:06.35
And so Newsweek Magazine,
00:37:06.38\00:37:07.70
which is reporting this
study, reports another study.
00:37:07.73\00:37:09.88
Jot this down.
00:37:09.91\00:37:11.16
"The use of
prescription sleep medication
00:37:11.19\00:37:13.79
for children under the age of 19
00:37:13.82\00:37:15.70
has spiked 45%
from 2001 to 2006."
00:37:15.73\00:37:21.95
I'm telling you
what, ladies and gentlemen,
00:37:21.98\00:37:24.79
we got a sleep problem.
00:37:24.82\00:37:25.91
You say oh, come on, Dwight.
00:37:25.94\00:37:27.91
That's children,
that's not us college kids,
00:37:27.94\00:37:29.97
that's not us adults, we
don't have quite the same...
00:37:30.00\00:37:33.64
Do you know what, do you
know, let me ask you this,
00:37:33.67\00:37:36.22
do you know how many university
students at Andrews University
00:37:36.25\00:37:40.02
are regularly up at
1 or 2 in the morning,
00:37:40.05\00:37:43.19
every single night?
00:37:43.22\00:37:44.32
Do you know?
00:37:44.35\00:37:45.54
I don't know either,
but I'm telling you what,
00:37:45.57\00:37:47.07
I, once in a while,
over there in the cafeteria,
00:37:47.10\00:37:49.65
I eat every week.
00:37:49.68\00:37:51.55
If a can operate on
anecdotal evidence--
00:37:51.58\00:37:56.13
I was having the guys
help me with this PowerPoint,
00:37:56.16\00:37:57.88
so I said, guys,
you tell me the truth,
00:37:57.91\00:38:00.03
are the dorms up at night?
00:38:00.06\00:38:02.20
Guy says you can
hear the television
00:38:02.23\00:38:03.82
going down the halls,
00:38:03.85\00:38:04.92
you can hear the
stereo and my suitemate and...
00:38:04.95\00:38:08.19
No wonder, when we come to
the seventh day of the week,
00:38:12.48\00:38:16.85
we just crash and burn.
00:38:16.88\00:38:20.13
Please!
00:38:20.16\00:38:22.66
We did it the hard way,
00:38:22.69\00:38:23.82
we earned it,
the right to sleep.
00:38:23.85\00:38:27.01
You know what, some are
going to take exception to this
00:38:31.71\00:38:35.29
but I'm going to risk
their umbrage by telling you
00:38:35.32\00:38:38.13
that I believe sleep--
put it on the screen please.
00:38:38.16\00:38:40.18
"Sleep is a part of
God's Sabbath gift."
00:38:40.21\00:38:44.57
Don't you let the old timers
00:38:44.60\00:38:46.05
talk you out of that, all right?
00:38:46.08\00:38:48.81
Sleep is a part of the Sabbath--
00:38:48.84\00:38:50.00
look at this, what is this?
00:38:50.03\00:38:51.12
Psalm 127:2. "He
gives His beloved.
00:38:51.15\00:38:53.44
God gives His
beloved sleep." Hallelujah.
00:38:53.47\00:38:56.75
It is not a sin to
sleep on the Sabbath.
00:38:56.78\00:39:00.68
I believe the
Sabbath was given for sleep.
00:39:00.71\00:39:03.87
Not primarily, but
for sleep, as well.
00:39:03.90\00:39:08.81
No seriously, I'm
making a point here.
00:39:08.84\00:39:12.20
In our crazy, third
millennial survival,
00:39:12.23\00:39:16.84
let us sleep on this day.
00:39:16.87\00:39:20.15
Don't stay up
all Friday night too.
00:39:20.18\00:39:24.67
Sleep on this day, it
was given to us for sleep.
00:39:24.70\00:39:29.78
Now I'm not suggesting
that we so burn the candle
00:39:29.81\00:39:31.63
at both ends for
six days and nights
00:39:31.66\00:39:33.40
that when we come to
the Sabbath we collapse.
00:39:33.43\00:39:35.29
That won't work.
00:39:35.32\00:39:36.39
I'm going to give you something
proactive next Sabbath,
00:39:36.42\00:39:37.94
YouTube YouToo.
00:39:37.97\00:39:39.88
But right now, let's
say it's not a sin to sleep.
00:39:39.91\00:39:42.79
I don't care
what you've been told.
00:39:42.82\00:39:44.18
It's not a sin to
sleep, on the Sabbath.
00:39:44.21\00:39:48.03
Come to me, Jesus
says, and I'll give you rest.
00:39:48.06\00:39:51.22
That's a promise for
our physical fatigue,
00:39:51.25\00:39:53.06
that is also a
promise, write it down,
00:39:53.09\00:39:54.65
for our emotional fatigue.
00:39:54.68\00:39:57.11
Jesus' Sabbath promise
for our emotional fatigue,
00:39:57.14\00:39:59.43
refreshes our hearts.
00:39:59.46\00:40:02.73
Rebecca Brillhart
wrote a beautiful piece
00:40:02.76\00:40:04.88
in the Adventist
Review in January
00:40:04.91\00:40:06.07
and I've seen my
friend Bill Knott,
00:40:06.10\00:40:07.67
who is editor of the
Adventist Review here,
00:40:07.70\00:40:10.37
and it was a great
issue, back in January.
00:40:10.40\00:40:14.27
She wrote a piece,
beautiful piece entitled,
00:40:14.30\00:40:16.57
"The Jade Belt Bridge."
00:40:16.60\00:40:18.96
In this piece, she
quotes the comment of a woman
00:40:18.99\00:40:20.91
to a friend of hers.
00:40:20.94\00:40:22.12
Now here's what the woman said.
00:40:22.15\00:40:23.18
Not going to put it on the
screen, just listen to this.
00:40:23.21\00:40:24.31
So this woman says
to Rebecca's friend,
00:40:24.34\00:40:27.53
"Now I understand that
00:40:27.56\00:40:29.01
if I don't allow for this
rhythm of rest in my busy life,
00:40:29.04\00:40:33.30
illness becomes my Sabbath."
00:40:33.33\00:40:36.08
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:40:36.11\00:40:37.31
young adults and
not so young adults,
00:40:37.34\00:40:39.16
we're gonna get rest.
00:40:39.19\00:40:40.40
Our bodies will get rest.
00:40:40.43\00:40:42.56
You either give your body rest,
00:40:42.59\00:40:44.67
or it will take rest.
00:40:44.70\00:40:45.82
It will put you down
to get the rest it needs.
00:40:45.85\00:40:49.53
It will put you down.
00:40:49.56\00:40:53.19
In fact, Rebecca points out
00:40:53.22\00:40:55.54
that the Chinese
character for too busy,
00:40:55.57\00:40:57.97
watch this, this is incredible,
00:40:58.00\00:40:59.43
the Chinese
character for too busy,
00:40:59.46\00:41:01.06
is composed of two parts.
00:41:01.09\00:41:03.27
"Heart" and "kill."
00:41:03.30\00:41:05.31
Boy, isn't that something?
00:41:05.34\00:41:06.44
When you are too busy,
00:41:06.47\00:41:07.61
and are we too busy
on this campus, come on.
00:41:07.64\00:41:10.04
When you are too busy
you are killing your heart.
00:41:10.07\00:41:12.60
That's not just
your physical heart,
00:41:12.63\00:41:13.85
you're killing
your emotional heart.
00:41:13.88\00:41:16.00
You're killing yourself.
00:41:16.03\00:41:17.57
I've been a
pastor for a few years
00:41:17.60\00:41:19.09
and so I've had the privilege
of observing human behavior.
00:41:19.12\00:41:21.99
I'm telling you
what, ladies and gentlemen,
00:41:22.02\00:41:23.81
in this generation,
we have so ratcheted up,
00:41:23.84\00:41:27.72
the speed with
which we experience life,
00:41:27.75\00:41:30.83
that I am convinced that
00:41:30.86\00:41:32.66
because we are denying ourselves
00:41:32.69\00:41:33.99
the 24 hour mandatory
resting of God's Sabbath,
00:41:34.02\00:41:39.76
we are paying a
price far too high.
00:41:39.79\00:41:42.17
We are over medicating ourselves
00:41:42.20\00:41:44.48
just to save ourselves
from totally burning out.
00:41:44.51\00:41:49.75
Come on, take a
break. Jesus says come to me.
00:41:49.78\00:41:54.19
Come to me and I
will give you rest.
00:41:54.22\00:41:58.85
Isn't that great?
00:41:58.88\00:42:00.49
You say, oh, come on,
Dwight, any hope for us?
00:42:00.52\00:42:02.78
Yep.
00:42:02.81\00:42:03.86
Look at this, two
and a half weeks ago,
00:42:03.89\00:42:04.96
this is South Bend
Tribune, can you see,
00:42:04.99\00:42:06.65
can you see this headline,
00:42:06.68\00:42:08.90
get the camera
there, can you read that?
00:42:08.93\00:42:13.59
Yeah now you can.
00:42:13.62\00:42:14.92
"Poll finds college
campuses seas of stress.
00:42:14.95\00:42:20.76
Did you have to do a
poll to figure that one out?
00:42:20.79\00:42:25.41
Please.
00:42:25.44\00:42:27.15
One in five
this, one in four this,
00:42:27.18\00:42:29.14
one in six this,
one in three this,
00:42:29.17\00:42:31.16
one in however many,
00:42:31.19\00:42:32.51
thinking may be
suicide is my best way
00:42:32.54\00:42:34.28
out of all this stress.
00:42:34.31\00:42:35.93
I mean, the numbers, guys,
00:42:35.96\00:42:37.54
these are American campuses
all right, seas of stress.
00:42:37.57\00:42:44.05
Here's a university raised up
by the Creator Himself to honor
00:42:44.08\00:42:48.74
and to love Him and honor
that seventh day of the week
00:42:48.77\00:42:52.03
where rest is woven
into the very fabric
00:42:52.06\00:42:57.56
of our university life.
00:42:57.59\00:42:58.96
Isn't that something?
00:42:58.99\00:43:00.09
Rest, take a
break, enjoy, live it,
00:43:00.12\00:43:05.14
come to me, Jesus
says, and I'll give you rest.
00:43:05.17\00:43:06.94
All right, there are four areas,
00:43:06.97\00:43:08.16
let me go to number three.
00:43:08.19\00:43:09.51
It's also that
Jesus' Sabbath promise
00:43:09.54\00:43:11.67
is rest for our
financial fatigue.
00:43:11.70\00:43:15.47
And this is a
huge one right now,
00:43:15.50\00:43:16.96
financial fatigue.
00:43:16.99\00:43:18.18
What does it do?
00:43:18.21\00:43:20.13
The Sabbath promise
actually refines our wants.
00:43:20.16\00:43:22.57
Write both of those down please.
00:43:22.60\00:43:24.47
A friend of mine
who is an executive
00:43:24.50\00:43:25.91
with a multinational
insurance company informs me
00:43:25.94\00:43:27.95
that financial
institutions today are holding,
00:43:27.98\00:43:32.55
in unsecured debt, all
right, this is unsecured debt,
00:43:32.58\00:43:35.58
they are holding $45 trillion.
00:43:35.61\00:43:40.16
And when he sent me the email,
00:43:40.19\00:43:42.11
couple of weeks ago after
the Bear Stearns meltdown,
00:43:42.14\00:43:44.00
he said Dwight,
that's trillion with a "t".
00:43:44.03\00:43:46.90
Unsecured debt
means I got a credit card
00:43:46.93\00:43:48.61
but if you come after me
there's nothing behind it.
00:43:48.64\00:43:51.55
If you take my
house I got nothing,
00:43:51.58\00:43:52.90
it's unsecured, 45 trillion.
00:43:52.93\00:43:59.53
Since this Bear
Stearns meltdown,
00:43:59.56\00:44:00.94
I'm telling you
what, I've started to find,
00:44:00.97\00:44:03.12
and it's growing like this,
00:44:03.15\00:44:04.22
I'm amazed and I
don't want to be a,
00:44:04.25\00:44:06.71
an alarmist here,
00:44:06.74\00:44:08.84
but I'm amazed at
the, so called experts
00:44:08.87\00:44:13.23
from the economic
and financial world,
00:44:13.26\00:44:15.31
some of you in finances?
00:44:15.34\00:44:17.69
I'm amazed at the voices
00:44:17.72\00:44:19.85
that are being
raised now in warning,
00:44:19.88\00:44:22.63
in warning to what is impending.
00:44:22.66\00:44:24.67
So I, so I go online.
00:44:24.70\00:44:26.44
Dallas Morning News,
00:44:26.47\00:44:27.80
you heard of
that famous newspaper
00:44:27.83\00:44:29.11
out of that great city of Texas.
00:44:29.14\00:44:30.69
Dallas Morning
News, the Sunday paper,
00:44:30.72\00:44:32.49
this week carries an editorial,
I'm going to read it to you.
00:44:32.52\00:44:37.24
No, I'm not going to read
the whole thing, just a line.
00:44:37.27\00:44:39.31
So this appeared online,
00:44:39.34\00:44:41.74
"The economic
crises now breaking upon us
00:44:41.77\00:44:45.08
will be both a
political and a cultural event."
00:44:45.11\00:44:47.26
I'm grateful we
have world church leaders
00:44:47.29\00:44:49.72
and church leaders, period,
00:44:49.75\00:44:51.21
who keep their
eyes on the horizon.
00:44:51.24\00:44:53.09
Nothing is gonna
catch them by surprise.
00:44:53.12\00:44:57.14
"The economic
crises now breaking upon us
00:44:57.17\00:44:59.12
will be both a
political and a cultural event
00:44:59.15\00:45:00.97
that may well be a turning point
00:45:01.00\00:45:02.96
in our nation's history,
00:45:02.99\00:45:04.32
as consequential as
the Great Depression,
00:45:04.35\00:45:06.31
which by the way, is
a historical standard
00:45:06.34\00:45:08.30
to which some smart people
00:45:08.33\00:45:09.52
like former
Federal Reserve chairman,
00:45:09.55\00:45:11.05
Alan Greenspan are
comparing this event."
00:45:11.08\00:45:14.03
We're in it.
00:45:14.28\00:45:15.44
Will it be as severe?
00:45:17.30\00:45:19.07
Who knows?
00:45:19.87\00:45:21.06
But here's the
sentence that's just jumped out
00:45:21.09\00:45:22.41
of this editorial for me.
00:45:22.44\00:45:24.12
"The cultural
roots of this crisis
00:45:24.15\00:45:26.27
have to do with
American's refusal
00:45:26.30\00:45:28.68
to recognize natural limits."
00:45:28.71\00:45:31.11
Isn't that it?
00:45:31.14\00:45:32.17
Our refusal to
recognize natural limits.
00:45:32.20\00:45:34.80
Do you know what?
00:45:34.83\00:45:35.86
Last year, Wall Street Journal
three weeks ago, told us,
00:45:35.89\00:45:37.85
last year, Americans, all right,
00:45:37.88\00:45:39.95
that would be you and me,
only Americans, just last year,
00:45:39.98\00:45:43.08
we spent $10 billion
00:45:43.11\00:45:46.60
changing the ring
tones on our cell phones,
00:45:46.63\00:45:50.84
$10 billion.
00:45:50.87\00:45:55.22
Most of that was by the young,
00:45:55.25\00:45:57.01
because the old
timers don't even know
00:45:57.04\00:45:58.07
how to get the thing ring.
00:45:58.10\00:45:59.40
$10 billion.
00:46:04.01\00:46:05.20
I just came back
from the Horn of Africa,
00:46:05.23\00:46:06.75
few weeks ago.
00:46:06.78\00:46:07.81
Do you know what
$10 billion would do
00:46:07.84\00:46:10.06
over there right now?
00:46:10.09\00:46:12.75
10 billion.
00:46:12.78\00:46:13.81
What's this line,
00:46:13.84\00:46:14.87
"Americans refusal to
recognize natural limits.
00:46:14.90\00:46:18.15
The cost of our
grand natural experiment
00:46:18.18\00:46:19.93
and living beyond our
means is now coming due."
00:46:19.96\00:46:22.63
Yeah, I guess it is.
00:46:22.66\00:46:25.24
'Cause it's home fore--
00:46:25.27\00:46:26.99
It's a home foreclosures
00:46:27.02\00:46:28.72
and then it's
mortgage institutions
00:46:28.75\00:46:30.36
and then it's banks
and then it's Wall Street,
00:46:30.39\00:46:32.61
and then it's the United
States and then it's the world.
00:46:32.64\00:46:37.65
You say, oh,
Dwight, what's this--
00:46:37.68\00:46:39.18
what's the big deal,
I'm not into economics,
00:46:39.21\00:46:40.82
I don't have
anything to do with this,
00:46:40.85\00:46:41.89
the Sabbath isn't
going to heal that.
00:46:41.92\00:46:43.34
No, the Sabbath will not
heal our national woes today,
00:46:43.37\00:46:46.20
but I'll tell you what,
00:46:46.23\00:46:47.26
the Sabbath can heal those of us
00:46:47.29\00:46:48.84
who are living a
credit card driven existence,
00:46:48.87\00:46:52.22
getting a hold of
every new trinket and gadget
00:46:52.25\00:46:55.85
that technology
brings to America.
00:46:55.88\00:46:57.39
We've bought the
iPhone two times over.
00:46:57.42\00:47:01.27
Paid for it the American way,
00:47:01.30\00:47:03.50
charged it on our student visa.
00:47:03.53\00:47:07.50
Come on, guys,
there's something about us
00:47:07.53\00:47:10.70
that has gone to the well
of materialism in this nation.
00:47:10.73\00:47:13.93
We as Seventh-day Adventists
are just as guilty as the rest.
00:47:13.96\00:47:16.97
We're sucking it
up out of this well,
00:47:17.00\00:47:19.91
thinking we got to
have more and more and more,
00:47:19.94\00:47:22.80
when the appeal of scripture
is less and less and less.
00:47:22.83\00:47:28.13
We're doing it backwards.
00:47:28.16\00:47:29.97
I love this prayer.
00:47:30.00\00:47:31.18
I mean, this would be
a great Sabbath prayer.
00:47:31.21\00:47:32.57
Look at this, Psalm,
what is this, Psalm--
00:47:32.60\00:47:34.22
You have it in your study guide,
00:47:34.25\00:47:35.28
Psalm 73:25.
00:47:35.31\00:47:37.73
This friend of God
cries out, and I love this.
00:47:37.76\00:47:40.61
"Whom have I in
heaven but you," dear God,
00:47:40.64\00:47:44.40
I have nothing else but you.
00:47:44.43\00:47:47.62
And there is
none, write that down,
00:47:47.65\00:47:49.63
and there is none--
00:47:49.66\00:47:51.63
Can we put it up
please, on the screen.
00:47:51.66\00:47:53.28
And there is none.
00:47:53.31\00:47:55.47
And now he
says, there is nothing
00:47:55.50\00:47:57.43
on earth that I
desire besides you.
00:47:57.46\00:48:00.87
Now that's what the Sabbath rest
00:48:00.90\00:48:02.43
comes along to do.
00:48:02.46\00:48:03.51
Jesus says, hey
listen, come to me,
00:48:03.54\00:48:05.25
hey, boy, come to me
00:48:05.28\00:48:06.50
and I'm going to give you a rest
00:48:06.53\00:48:07.56
from that
insatiable thirst to have more.
00:48:07.59\00:48:12.37
You don't have to have more.
00:48:12.40\00:48:13.98
You can get by with less.
00:48:14.01\00:48:15.73
American, you
can get by with less.
00:48:15.76\00:48:18.87
Western
Adventists, get by with less.
00:48:18.90\00:48:24.71
Who have I in heaven
but You, in the earth,
00:48:24.74\00:48:27.41
on earth there is
nothing I desire besides you.
00:48:27.44\00:48:31.23
Less and less of my wants,
00:48:31.26\00:48:32.42
more and more of my God,
00:48:32.45\00:48:33.48
and finally, write it down,
00:48:33.51\00:48:34.70
four great and deep fatigues,
00:48:34.73\00:48:37.03
the fourth one, it's
the spiritual fatigue.
00:48:37.06\00:48:39.98
But the Sabbath
promise comes along
00:48:40.01\00:48:41.87
and it renews our friendship.
00:48:41.90\00:48:45.59
Because you see, it
takes the wants and so it says,
00:48:45.62\00:48:47.12
hey, I am going to give
you a new thing to want.
00:48:47.15\00:48:48.37
Why don't you
want my friendship?
00:48:48.40\00:48:49.58
Why don't you just
want my friendship?
00:48:49.61\00:48:51.91
I'll slick your thirst,
00:48:51.94\00:48:53.63
I'll satisfied your
hunger, you want me.
00:48:53.66\00:48:55.90
Oh, and I love this,
00:48:55.93\00:48:56.97
look at Eugene
Peterson in The Message,
00:48:57.00\00:48:58.37
isn't this good?
00:48:58.40\00:48:59.82
It's there in your study guide.
00:48:59.85\00:49:01.05
How does the message render,
00:49:01.08\00:49:02.62
Matthew 11:28 and following?
00:49:02.65\00:49:04.31
"Are you tired?" Jesus asked.
00:49:04.34\00:49:06.74
"Are you worn out?
00:49:06.77\00:49:08.36
Burned out on
religion? Come to me.
00:49:08.39\00:49:11.67
Get away with me."
Notice the friendship language.
00:49:11.70\00:49:14.32
"Get away with me and
you'll recover your life.
00:49:14.35\00:49:17.77
I'll show you how
to take a real rest.
00:49:17.80\00:49:19.51
Walk with me,"
friendship language.
00:49:19.54\00:49:21.07
"And work with me,"
friendship language.
00:49:21.10\00:49:22.83
"Watch how I do it.
00:49:22.86\00:49:24.33
Learn--" And I love this.
00:49:24.36\00:49:25.39
"Learn the
unforced rhythms of grace.
00:49:25.42\00:49:28.61
I won't lay anything
heavy or ill-fitting on you."
00:49:28.64\00:49:30.76
Final line, write it down,
00:49:30.79\00:49:32.01
"Keep company,"
it's friendship language.
00:49:32.04\00:49:34.31
"Keep company with me
00:49:34.34\00:49:35.83
and you'll learn to
live freely and lightly."
00:49:35.86\00:49:39.52
So as for preparing a
race out of this building
00:49:39.55\00:49:41.36
to keep up with life
00:49:41.39\00:49:42.55
I need to ask you this question,
00:49:42.58\00:49:44.39
so what would
happen if we began to think
00:49:44.42\00:49:46.49
of every new Sabbath as
keeping company with Christ?
00:49:46.52\00:49:50.59
Just keeping company with Him.
00:49:50.62\00:49:52.20
Let's shift the paradigm,
00:49:52.23\00:49:53.42
instead of being
like the Pharisees
00:49:53.45\00:49:54.86
who are thinking of
obligatory observances,
00:49:54.89\00:49:56.78
why don't we
just move that aside
00:49:56.81\00:49:58.56
and let's focus on a
refreshing relationship,
00:49:58.59\00:50:01.78
keeping company.
00:50:01.81\00:50:03.24
Keeping company with
the savior, come to me.
00:50:03.27\00:50:06.85
Hey, hey, walk with me,
00:50:06.88\00:50:09.63
work with me, rest with me.
00:50:09.66\00:50:12.01
Come on, you and me.
00:50:12.04\00:50:15.37
I'll tell you what,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:15.40\00:50:16.47
if we would shift
the paradigm up here
00:50:16.50\00:50:19.11
you know what we will
find about the Sabbath?
00:50:19.14\00:50:20.31
Write it down.
00:50:20.34\00:50:21.37
We will find out that the
Sabbath is Jesus' Facebook.
00:50:21.40\00:50:24.22
That's' the truth
about the Sabbath,
00:50:24.25\00:50:25.32
it's Jesus' Facebook.
00:50:25.35\00:50:27.56
Saying, these were my faces.
00:50:27.59\00:50:29.13
You want to find me as
one of your top friends?
00:50:29.16\00:50:31.33
Oh, I wish I would
be just one of your top,
00:50:31.36\00:50:33.08
I wish you make me number
one in your Facebook account.
00:50:33.11\00:50:36.29
You don't know what Facebook
is because you're too old to--
00:50:36.32\00:50:38.30
I still wish I could
be number one in your life
00:50:38.33\00:50:41.15
and every Sabbath it's
about you coming to see my face.
00:50:41.18\00:50:45.31
Wouldn't that be something?
00:50:45.34\00:50:48.55
A century ago, Ellen
White was writing to an--
00:50:48.58\00:50:53.55
an older woman who
was on the brink of death
00:50:53.58\00:50:57.84
and in that letter there
is a beautiful little line.
00:50:57.87\00:50:59.99
I put it in the
study guide for you.
00:51:00.02\00:51:01.41
I love this, she writes,
00:51:01.44\00:51:03.24
"Rest in Christ's arms,
00:51:03.27\00:51:05.53
and know that He is your Savior,
00:51:05.56\00:51:07.87
and your very best Friend.
00:51:07.90\00:51:12.58
Know that He will never
leave you or forsake you.
00:51:12.61\00:51:14.33
He has been your
dependence for many years,
00:51:14.36\00:51:16.41
and your soul may rest in hope."
00:51:16.44\00:51:18.76
Isn't that beautiful?
He is our very best friend.
00:51:18.79\00:51:25.51
So what if we made Sabbath
the day of our Facebook friend,
00:51:25.54\00:51:31.75
and the number one
friend is the face of Jesus.
00:51:31.78\00:51:36.50
You say, oh, come
on, Dwight, there's no--
00:51:36.53\00:51:38.66
I might be able to get started
in that 24 hour period but--
00:51:38.69\00:51:42.17
Listen, in my
mind, I multi-tasked,
00:51:42.20\00:51:43.90
I'd be out of there, I
never keep my mind on it
00:51:43.93\00:51:45.85
for the whole 24 hours.
00:51:45.88\00:51:47.80
Yeah, you're probably right.
I have a problem with that.
00:51:47.83\00:51:49.82
Don't feel bad, I
have the same problem.
00:51:49.85\00:51:51.79
Trying to keep my mind
and this is my friendship day.
00:51:51.82\00:51:56.98
So here's what I want to
share in closing with you.
00:51:57.01\00:51:59.03
I wish you
could write this down.
00:51:59.06\00:52:00.09
Here's what I
would like to suggest.
00:52:00.12\00:52:01.78
Then I'm gonna ask you to
take that little study guide
00:52:01.81\00:52:03.07
and put it in your
wallet and keep it.
00:52:03.10\00:52:05.28
Here's what you'll do,
00:52:05.31\00:52:06.34
in your Bible
circle verses 28, 29 and 30
00:52:06.37\00:52:09.44
of Matthew 11, all right?
00:52:09.47\00:52:11.58
You circle those
verses, circle the numbers.
00:52:11.61\00:52:14.13
Then here's what you do,
00:52:14.16\00:52:15.23
at the beginning
of every Sabbath,
00:52:15.26\00:52:17.24
from hence
forth, wherever you are.
00:52:17.27\00:52:18.93
If you are in your dorm
room, if you're in your home,
00:52:18.96\00:52:20.90
if you're in your apartment,
00:52:20.93\00:52:22.11
you're in a
trailer, you're in a hotel,
00:52:22.14\00:52:23.69
somewhere on earth,
00:52:23.72\00:52:25.50
every Friday night
when the Sabbath begins,
00:52:25.53\00:52:31.60
you read just
the first two verses,
00:52:31.63\00:52:34.39
just the first two verses
00:52:34.42\00:52:35.45
of these three
that you've circled.
00:52:35.48\00:52:36.53
So that you will
read, "Come to Me,
00:52:36.56\00:52:38.78
all you who labor
and are heavy laden,
00:52:38.81\00:52:40.27
and I will give you rest.
00:52:40.30\00:52:41.93
Hey, hey, take My yoke
upon you and learn from Me,
00:52:41.96\00:52:44.38
for I am gentle
and lowly in heart,
00:52:44.41\00:52:46.13
and you will find
rest for your souls."
00:52:46.16\00:52:48.67
You just read that,
you just quietly read that
00:52:48.70\00:52:51.03
and then you pray this prayer.
00:52:51.06\00:52:52.92
You can do a lot better
than this prayer I wrote
00:52:52.95\00:52:54.47
but here's a suggestion
00:52:54.50\00:52:55.53
in case you can't
think of a prayer to pray.
00:52:55.56\00:52:57.29
Here's your prayer
to begin the Sabbath.
00:52:57.32\00:52:59.49
"Dear Jesus, I receive
Your Sabbath offer of rest,"
00:52:59.52\00:53:04.03
I receive it right now.
00:53:04.06\00:53:05.43
"I wish to keep special company
with You for these 24 hours.
00:53:05.46\00:53:10.07
Let me see your face today.
00:53:10.10\00:53:13.10
Amen."
00:53:13.13\00:53:14.87
Then you live the Sabbath,
00:53:14.90\00:53:16.40
you just go ahead
and live the Sabbath.
00:53:16.43\00:53:18.32
But now you're
looking for His face,
00:53:18.35\00:53:19.67
you're looking for His face.
00:53:19.70\00:53:22.62
You'll be amazed at
the places where suddenly
00:53:22.65\00:53:25.62
you walk straight
into the face of Christ.
00:53:25.65\00:53:28.46
You may see it in
the poor inter-city kid
00:53:28.49\00:53:30.46
that you're working with,
00:53:30.49\00:53:31.87
up at Benton harbor.
00:53:31.90\00:53:33.46
You'll see that face
00:53:33.49\00:53:34.85
maybe in your beloved mother.
00:53:34.88\00:53:37.70
You'll see His face,
you're looking for His face.
00:53:37.73\00:53:41.00
And then you say, well, Dwight,
00:53:41.03\00:53:42.06
would I just go all the way
through the day looking for--
00:53:42.09\00:53:44.77
That's seventh-day,
looking for the face of Jesus?
00:53:44.80\00:53:47.23
And when you come
to the end of the day,
00:53:47.26\00:53:48.69
here's what you do,
you then read verse 30.
00:53:48.72\00:53:51.02
You can go ahead and read 28, 29
00:53:51.05\00:53:52.40
but you want to
concentrate on verse 30.
00:53:52.43\00:53:53.94
And how's that go?
00:53:53.97\00:53:55.00
"For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light."
00:53:55.03\00:53:58.26
And so then you
pray this prayer.
00:53:58.29\00:53:59.77
You say, all right,
Jesus Lord, I want to be yoked,
00:53:59.80\00:54:02.66
I want to be partner with
you all through the new week.
00:54:02.69\00:54:05.38
Please keep company with me
00:54:05.41\00:54:07.69
until we return together
to Your Facebok Sabbath.
00:54:07.72\00:54:12.04
Amen.
00:54:12.07\00:54:13.91
That's it, ladies and gentlemen,
00:54:13.94\00:54:14.97
take that little piece of paper,
00:54:15.00\00:54:16.59
take that little
piece of paper, you fold it.
00:54:16.62\00:54:18.97
Listen, you just fold
it a couple three times,
00:54:19.00\00:54:22.31
you stick it in your wallet.
00:54:22.34\00:54:24.31
This will be worth more to you
00:54:24.34\00:54:25.37
than a $10 bill
in that same wallet.
00:54:25.40\00:54:26.98
You just take this
piece, put it in your purse.
00:54:27.01\00:54:28.95
You don't have a
wallet? Put it in your purse.
00:54:28.98\00:54:30.87
But when the Sabbath begins
next time you pull it out,
00:54:30.90\00:54:34.24
you just say, okay, the Sabbath.
00:54:34.27\00:54:35.65
What am I going--
Just read the verses.
00:54:35.68\00:54:38.02
Keep it with you.
00:54:38.05\00:54:39.08
Hey, listen, isn't that
the point of having a Facebook
00:54:39.11\00:54:41.63
in the first place?
00:54:41.66\00:54:43.04
And what is Facebook for?
00:54:43.07\00:54:45.25
Facebook is a place
to meet your friends
00:54:45.28\00:54:51.02
and to focus on their faces.
00:54:51.05\00:54:55.17
That's the Sabbath,
00:54:55.20\00:54:56.62
to meet your "F" Friend
00:54:56.65\00:55:00.62
and to focus on His face.
00:55:00.65\00:55:06.96
Sing it with
me, sing it with me.
00:55:06.99\00:55:09.19
Turn your eyes upon
00:55:09.22\00:55:13.86
Jesus
00:55:13.89\00:55:17.78
Look full in His
00:55:17.81\00:55:21.28
Wonderful face
00:55:21.31\00:55:27.72
And the things of earth
00:55:27.75\00:55:32.29
Will grow strangely dim
00:55:32.32\00:55:39.51
In the light of His
00:55:39.54\00:55:44.04
Glory and grace
00:55:44.07\00:55:49.79
Stand up please as we pray.
00:55:52.36\00:55:54.51
Because oh, God,
that is it. Isn't it?
00:55:57.25\00:55:58.79
In the end it's
just turning our eyes,
00:55:58.82\00:56:02.34
shifting the paradigm
00:56:02.37\00:56:04.38
and turning our eyes on the face
00:56:04.41\00:56:08.46
that is your Facebook Sabbath,
00:56:08.49\00:56:11.37
that one face who
whispers even now,
00:56:11.40\00:56:17.08
I am the very best
friend you will ever have.
00:56:17.11\00:56:23.08
Let me walk with you,
00:56:23.11\00:56:24.99
you walk with me,
keep company with me,
00:56:25.02\00:56:29.78
you and I on My Sabbath
00:56:29.81\00:56:33.96
and I will give
you a rest so deep,
00:56:33.99\00:56:36.80
it will heal every
realm of your life.
00:56:36.83\00:56:43.21
Look to Me, come to Me
and I'll give you rest.
00:56:43.24\00:56:48.47
Thank you, Father, thank you.
00:56:48.50\00:56:51.37
In the name of Jesus let
all the people say, amen.
00:56:51.40\00:56:55.95
I wanted to take one more moment
00:56:57.95\00:56:59.34
here at the end of the telecast
00:56:59.37\00:57:00.70
to let you know
how grateful I am
00:57:00.73\00:57:01.98
for your journey with us,
00:57:02.01\00:57:04.36
with our New
Perceptions Ministry.
00:57:04.39\00:57:06.02
You may think
that New Perceptions
00:57:06.05\00:57:07.22
is only about television
00:57:07.25\00:57:09.06
but I need to tell
you, we do have a website
00:57:09.09\00:57:11.52
which is more than
just the study guide.
00:57:11.55\00:57:13.62
I know we go to the
study guide every week
00:57:13.65\00:57:15.13
but if you go to our website,
00:57:15.16\00:57:16.19
let me put the
address on the screen again,
00:57:16.22\00:57:17.86
www.pmchurch.tv.
00:57:17.89\00:57:22.26
You'll find at
that website a blog.
00:57:22.29\00:57:24.00
I write every Wednesday.
00:57:24.03\00:57:25.06
I sit down with my
laptop and write up a blog,
00:57:25.09\00:57:26.80
something as
commenting on world events,
00:57:26.83\00:57:29.07
something local,
something national.
00:57:29.10\00:57:30.75
You get the blog.
00:57:30.78\00:57:32.05
You want archive,
previous teachings
00:57:32.08\00:57:34.40
from here in the Pioneer Pulpit,
00:57:34.43\00:57:35.61
you go to that
annotated archive.
00:57:35.64\00:57:38.20
You can pick out a
message, it will be sent to you.
00:57:38.23\00:57:40.86
You want to get into
the podcast business,
00:57:40.89\00:57:44.12
I am not real
high-techie on this
00:57:44.15\00:57:46.11
but if you click podcast,
00:57:46.14\00:57:47.65
you'll be able
to connect instantly
00:57:47.68\00:57:48.97
with every new teaching
00:57:49.00\00:57:50.04
that comes from
the Pioneer Pulpit.
00:57:50.07\00:57:51.52
The point is
we're trying to connect
00:57:51.55\00:57:53.19
with a generation
on the move, on the go.
00:57:53.22\00:57:56.09
Thanks for being a part of it.
00:57:56.12\00:57:57.29
Thanks for your
prayer partnership.
00:57:57.32\00:57:58.48
We have got to
connect with this generation
00:57:58.51\00:58:01.06
at this time in earth's history.
00:58:01.09\00:58:03.04
And I'm grateful you and
I are sharing the mission.
00:58:03.07\00:58:05.64
God bless you until next time.
00:58:05.67\00:58:07.34