Participants: Pastor Dwight Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP040916A
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00:08 [ "He is Jealous for Me" plays ] 00:23 >> Sing "He is jealous." [ Congregation sings ] 01:38 ♪ Sing "He is jealous" ♪ [ Singing resumes ] 03:03 ♪ One more time ♪ 04:33 The last song that we are going to sing today is 04:37 "Here I Am to Worship." And what I particularly love 04:40 about this song, it's us declaring to God, "Here I am, 04:44 Lord. This is my decision to worship 04:46 and praise Your name." 04:48 So I invite you to come to the front and tell God, "Here I am, Lord. 04:52 Use me for whatever You need me to do, to be Your servant, Lord, whatever mission You have for 05:01 us." This is "Here I Am to Worship." [ Piano playing continues ] 05:13 [ Congregation sings ] 06:20 King of all days. 06:52 ♪ So here I am ♪ 09:03 >> ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 09:07 ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ 09:11 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ 09:20 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ 09:27 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ 09:36 ♪ Peace, goodwill ♪ ♪ Goodwill to all people on Earth ♪ 09:44 ♪ Peace and goodwill to all people on Earth ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 09:55 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 10:02 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ ♪ Oh, mighty God ♪ 10:14 ♪ Heavenly creator ♪ ♪ We worship You ♪ ♪ We give You thanks ♪ 10:26 ♪ We bless You ♪ ♪ We give You praise for Your glory ♪ 10:33 ♪ Glory to You in the highest ♪ ♪ In the highest ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 10:46 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 10:53 ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ ♪ Glory to God ♪ 11:03 [ Music stops ] 11:10 >> March 2016 was a historical month for Cuba and its people. It wasn't only a special time 11:15 for politics and international relations but also because in the same place where the Castro 11:21 brothers started their communist revolution, a new revolution of hope began. 11:27 Known as the land of the sunrise, Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in the 11:33 country, hosted a group of 31 students and professors from Andrews University for 10 days, 11:39 who came to work with the local people in an evangelistic campaign. 11:44 >> I expected similar to other Hispanic cultures I've been in, but the biggest thing is just 11:50 people's hearts are open to hear the Gospel. >> I've been totally blessed to 11:53 be here. It's really humbling to come to a place like this, where they 11:57 have so little, and just see how happy they are and content, and just how active they are working 12:03 for God. >> Dwight Nelson preached for more than 2,000 people in 12:08 Santiago's biggest auditorium. >> Hermanos y hermanas, I want you to notice, please, we are 12:14 now... Cuba's opening up, and we've had free access to the city. 12:18 We were walking all over the town. People are inviting us into 12:22 their homes. But it's humbling because they are so deeply passionate about 12:28 sharing the Gospel of Christ. [ Dog barks ] [ Indistinct conversations ] 12:35 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> The group of missionaries also had the opportunity to 12:40 preach and to live and learn with the local people during this project. 12:45 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 13:12 >> As a result of this effort, more than 277 people were baptized on the last Sabbath of 13:18 the trip. But the real impact of this mission will only be known in 13:22 heaven. 13:58 Preparations for the next series are already in progress. 14:02 The next city to receive a delegation from 14:05 Andrews University will be the city of Holguín. 14:32 >> So, I'm of hope the best days for the Church in Cuba are 14:37 ahead. 14:45 [ Applause ] >> It really was one of those, "Wow, God" experiences. 14:49 Fernando Ortiz, director of the Master of Divinity program at the seminary and organizer, 14:55 leader. Why did you pick a communist nation, this island in the 15:01 Caribbean, as kind of your pasión? >> Cuba has been in our hearts 15:05 for years because when we first started doing these, nobody was going to Cuba. 15:10 No groups, no study tours were going there. So we said, "Why not? 15:13 Let's go there." Secondly, because they have been afflicted by 50 years of 15:18 communism, 50 years of closed doors, 50 years of not being able to hear or teach the 15:24 Gospel, that we said, "Let's go and do this there." And thirdly, Dwight, we wanted 15:29 our seminarians, this and other hundred -- 100 seminaries that have gone -- to have the 15:35 experience and work shoulder to shoulder with pastors, evangelists, laypeople, and 15:41 learn how to do evangelism door to door, friendship evangelism and lifestyle evangelism. 15:46 And fourthly, we wanted to go to Cuba, this country that is one of the poorest in the hemisphere 15:52 and give these folk resources. Give bicycles, give laptop computers. 15:58 There is the bicycles there. This year, we were able to give, because of your help and all of 16:03 these area churches' help, 100 bicycles. >> What was very interesting 16:09 about these bicycles in that convention center -- You have 100 bicycles. 16:12 300 people came forward to get them. >> [ Laughs ] 16:15 100 bicycles. 300 people thought they had earned those bicycles, so we had 16:19 a little problem there. And then 23 laptops, 10 tablets. So, we also want to bring 16:26 resources to them. >> And by the way, just looking at the bicycles, let's be clear. 16:31 We didn't go into this town cold turkey, five series around Santiago de Cuba, and suddenly 16:37 277 are baptized. The genius in your strategy was to hire Bible workers the 16:42 previous six months. It was their hard work we were reaping. 16:45 We did not do that hard work. >> Correct. We did the easy part, which was 16:49 just reaping. But six months prior, we went there. 16:52 We hired a number of Bible workers. Also pastors and laypeople were 16:55 engaged. So when we got there, there was an army of people ready for 16:59 baptism, and we had the privilege of seeing 277 individuals being buried in the 17:05 water for baptism. >> So, let's find out what God did in Santiago. 17:10 Let's go with the husband and wife team, Alejandro, Suranny. Come on up here. 17:16 You guys were -- We were living on the same street, actually, working on the same church. 17:21 Let's talk about the kids first, Suranny. You had 10 kids. 17:26 I mean, what was it? >> I had 130 kids... [ Clears throat ] 17:32 Excuse me. ...average every night. These kids are precious. 17:35 I mean, these kids haven't been as bombarded with the media as we have been here. 17:40 They haven't been exposed to cellphones. So their minds are so open and 17:45 so receptive to the Gospel. The most simple thing that you can imagine means so much to 17:54 them, like a coloring pencil, paper. They don't have these things. 17:59 And they were just taking it all in every night and loving Jesus Christ. 18:05 >> And it was full decibels. Sandro and I are preaching. I mentioned this first service. 18:10 It was so loud that the deacons had to go and say, "Could we just be a little more quiet?" 18:15 They're just exuberant. >> Yes, they were. And 10 of them out of the 130, 18:21 10 of them gave their lives to Jesus because they were receiving Bible studies. 18:25 >> Praise the Lord. >> And three of them -- Alejandro will tell you -- three 18:29 special girls that have a connection with us. >> Now, Suranny, these kids -- 18:34 You started with 60, 70. Of course, more kids came. How did that impact the meetings 18:40 where the adults were attending? >> Well, the kids come, and the parents come behind them, or 18:45 beside them. So, the more kids we have, the more adults we had, so praise 18:50 God for that. >> Praise God. >> Amen. 18:52 Now, Alejandro, you and Suranny were both working with this couple across the street. 18:57 Total desperation. How did you connect with them? And just a word or two about the 19:04 progress during those seven days. >> Well, I mean, before we even 19:08 met the couple, we had heard about them because they were infamously known throughout the 19:14 community because they're known for being drug -- sorry -- alcoholics. 19:20 >> Okay. >> And so, the next day we heard about them. 19:26 We had a huge burden to go and visit them. And when we got to their home, 19:30 the lady had just -- She was cutting her arms because she was crying because she wanted to 19:39 commit suicide. >> Wow. The moment I remember, Suranny, 19:43 you had brought some little toiletries down, nice, little Western materials. 19:48 You gave them to her to try to build this friendship. And what did she do? 19:53 She took them down the street, sold them, and bought more alcohol. 19:57 And I remember you in tears, and I'm just saying, "Oh!" The heartache of God when He 20:02 tries so hard, and people misunderstand. But -- Come on, the story's not 20:07 over. >> So, we developed a friendship with them. 20:10 We started studying the Bible, and they actually -- they started coming, both her husband 20:16 and her, and then the three little girls started coming every night, and they came as 20:21 Pastor Dwight and Sandro preached. They came up, and they wanted to 20:27 give their lives to Jesus. >> So, Alejandro, these people live just across from the -- 20:33 It's right in front, door to door. And they have never set foot on 20:38 this church, never. Dozens of years they have lived there. 20:42 What made the difference? Not only they came to church, to this evangelism, where Dwight 20:47 was preaching. They came at least four times. But on the last night, Dwight, 20:51 they came to your appeal last night to surrender their heart to Jesus. 20:55 Last night. >> Yeah. >> Previous night, they were 20:57 cutting themselves. What made the difference? >> I think what really made the 21:02 big difference is genuine relationship and desire to be their friend. 21:08 And we spent a lot of time with them. We spent a lot of time praying 21:11 with them and wanting to just be real with them and become friends. 21:17 >> Holy Spirit used your relationship just to draw them. Beautiful. 21:21 Hey, thanks, guys. Bless you. Jon, where are you? 21:24 Jon Tillay. Jon was a guy we were a little bit worried about. 21:28 We said, "Will we have to ship him home in an ambulance plane?" But, Jon, you survived. 21:34 >> I did. I did. I got sick, but I got better. >> Yeah, it was just the last 21:38 three or four days. >> Yeah. >> But it really knocked the 21:41 stuffing out of you. So, Jon, English, of course, is your language. 21:45 You speak español? >> Sí. >> Sí? 21:48 >> A little bit. >> So what did you do? You didn't preach in español? 21:52 >> I spoke mostly in English, but I would try and use my Spanish that I remembered from 21:56 high school, and the people seemed to appreciate it. And I even tricked them one 22:00 night. I started speaking in Spanish, and I said, "I have a confession 22:03 to make. I'm pregnant." [ Light laughter ] 22:07 They were very excited by that. But then I said, "Let me explain what I mean," and I told them 22:12 I'm full of joy, I'm full of peace, I'm full of hope because of what Jesus is doing here and 22:17 what he's going to do. >> Yeah. Oh, man. >> Now, Jon, as a seminary 22:20 student, what was it like to go there and -- Most of the time you had a translator. 22:25 What was it like to preach and be translated to, and what's it like to preach in a communist 22:31 country? >> It was a really humbling experience for me. 22:35 The first Sabbath that I was gonna speak, the pastor, before I even preached, said, "By the 22:40 way, those of you who are gonna be baptized, just stand up," and half the congregation literally 22:44 stood to their feet. So I'm thinking, "Well, what am I here for?" 22:47 [ Light laughter ] But I was there to be blessed by their faith and be reminded of 22:52 the simplicity and the beauty of the Gospel. >> Yeah. 22:55 Thank you, Jon. Let's talk about housing arrangements. 22:59 That would be Ray and Sheldon. Come on up, guys. So, they put you up in a local 23:05 motel? >> Well, actually what happened with us was we stayed in one of 23:10 the pastors' houses there. He hosted us. So, five of us were living in a 23:16 part of their house. >> You think about it, Ray. They opened their house up to 23:21 five strangers. Very little space. They kind of stacked the rooms 23:25 on top of each other. That really was a gift from Him. Yeah. 23:28 So how'd you do with the meals? >> Well, it wasn't just five of us who was eating in this little 23:35 table. Pastor Nelson and Pastor Ron and another Cuban man was joining us 23:40 every day, so there's eight of us eating at that little table you see right there. 23:45 Little table. And I can tell you, the food was not enough. 23:49 And so, I mean, eight grown men eating at this -- I mean, it wasn't enough, I can say. 23:55 So, there's some time. Pastor Nelson comes maybe a little bit later? 24:01 And I felt sorry for him because there's no more food left for him. 24:04 [ Laughter ] >> What's up with that? >> So, he catch on very quick. 24:08 So, he comes early. [ Laughter ] >> And he eats all of the food. 24:12 >> Eats all the meal. >> I'm telling you, these guys are like vacuum cleaners, 24:15 man. Just kchhh! If you're not there, you're 24:19 dead. >> But he catch on. He comes early to every meal 24:23 now. >> Yeah, I do. I'm doing that at home now, too. 24:27 Ray, this one-legged man, or no-legged man. Come on. What's up? 24:32 >> Well, I got to share with you this story. This guy's name is Miguel. 24:35 A few years ago, his house was basically ruined by Hurricane Sandy. 24:40 How many of you guys remember that? And he was a veteran, so he lost 24:45 his leg. And look at his house. It was just ruined. 24:50 But this man was so dedicated. He comes to our meeting. I mean, with his crutches, 24:56 coming in with one leg. And he comes there night after night. 25:00 And whenever we would go and visit him, the note that he was taking in the seminar, he would 25:05 read and study this thing over and over again. He was so faithful in taking 25:10 notes. And so, when he would go back, he would study them, and we 25:13 learned that he didn't have a Bible. And the day he got the Bible, we 25:17 would be able to go and see and visit him. This guy would study his Bible. 25:21 He would mark his Bible. He would put paper outside and just mark all of his Bible. 25:26 And so, we were just so blessed, this man. And he had one thing to say. 25:31 He said, "There's one thing I regret in life." He said, "I got to know God a 25:36 little bit later in my life." He said, "I wish I had known God earlier in my life." 25:41 >> Yeah. Bless you, Ray and Sheldon. Hey, guys, would you be -- If 25:44 they contacted us next week and said we're gonna go back for two more weeks to Santiago, would 25:49 you be willing to go? >> Yes. >> Absolutely. 25:52 Yeah. Incredible. Lindsay and Annie. Lindsay and Annie, come on up. 26:00 >> So, tell us a little bit about visitation. Dwight, what we do there is that 26:04 we go boots in the ground. We don't go there just for a weekend series, two, three days. 26:08 We preach on that. We do what we call immersion evangelism. 26:12 We live with them. We eat with them. We go door to door with them. 26:15 Tell us a little bit about going out with Bible workers, pastors, and laypeople about the 26:21 neighborhood and visiting them. >> What I like the most is the relationship that we build very 26:27 quickly with leaders and the people that we're working with. I also enjoyed the fact that 26:34 they had little, but they give everything that they had. And most other people that we 26:40 went to visit, they were waiting for something to be said to them, which means they were 26:45 waiting for that hope and receiving it with a happy heart. >> Yeah. 26:50 >> Lindsay, you went door to door. What did you find when you went 26:54 to those doors? What did you find and what did you take away? 26:58 >> We went door to door. They are very poor. Their houses, very simple. 27:04 Maybe a picture on the wall. They pull everything they have to sit on for you to come in and 27:10 sit, and they invite you into their house openly. They are -- You guys were 27:15 physically hungry at your house. They are so spiritually hungry that they just soak in 27:21 everything. >> Now, Lindsay, the last day, when everything was said and 27:25 done, you approached me and you said, "I'm so sad that we couldn't do something more." 27:30 And I thought you were going to say, "Well, let's spend one more day at the beach or go to the 27:35 shopping center" or something. But you said, "I wish I would have been able to visit more, go 27:40 door to door more." Why? >> I think because door to door 27:45 is so foundational. So, they were there six months ahead of time, the Bible 27:49 workers, going door to door. When we went through the communities, these Bible workers 27:53 knew every single person they came in contact with, and they were inviting them to the 27:57 meetings, and that's why people came to the meetings, because they got to go in the houses, we 28:02 got to go in the houses and to share the love of Jesus with them. 28:05 And they were excited to come learn more when they came out. >> Amen. 28:08 >> Lindsay, Annie, bless you. They really are a people with a big heart. 28:12 Just a big, big heart. Fernando, you and Ron Whitehead go over in October, kind of case 28:19 the city out, got to find that convention center and made the arrangements for it. 28:23 You met a woman playing the piano at a little place, a hotel where you were eating. 28:29 You heard a Christian song and started into that Spanish love song medley, and you knew 28:36 something's up. >> Something was up. So, we were there, and then she 28:40 played the contemporary songs and Cuban songs, popular music. She played one Christian song, 28:46 so immediately I went to the piano, and I said, "Are you a Christian?" 28:50 And she says, "Yes, I am. Are you a Christian?" I said, "Sure, I am." 28:54 And we started a conversation. And I said, "In six months, we're going to come here. 28:57 We're going to have an evangelism. Would you like to come?" 29:00 And then when we went there -- >> When we got there six months later. 29:03 >> When we got there six months later, I call her. And I said, "Would you come to 29:08 the meetings?" She said, "Well, I play the piano every night, but I may go 29:12 a few times. I will go a few times. But this first Sunday, would you 29:18 come to my Pentecostal church to preach?" And then I ask, "Dania, have you 29:25 asked your pastor?" [ Light laughter ] And she says, "No." 29:29 [ Laughter ] And I said, "You better ask your pastor." 29:32 She called the pastor, who was away, out of town, and the pastor says, "Who?" 29:36 She says, "Three Seventh-Day Adventist preachers -- I'm inviting three Seventh-Day 29:40 Adventist preachers to come and preach in our Pentecostal church!" 29:44 And the pastor said, "Well, let me think about it." [ Laughter ] 29:48 Next day, he called her, and he said, "Dania, I don't know what's going on, but something 29:53 tells me we should let them preach." >> Isn't that something? 29:57 >> "And if I'm feeling that in my heart, it must come from God, so please call them and tell 30:02 them come and preach in our Pentecostal church." >> Wow. Yeah. 30:05 And we had the privilege, Sandro and I and you and Ron in that packed, little -- What is it? 30:12 60, 70 people into a living room essentially, yeah. >> And the way we introduced 30:17 ourselves was...? >> And then they come, but they come to our meeting. 30:21 She shows up. She brings her mother, she brings her next-door neighbor 30:24 friend who has two sons, who brings those boys. And they were there for those 30:29 appeals. >> They were there. They came to a few of the 30:32 meetings. They came for the last meeting. By the way, on the last weekend, 30:35 we had all of the five churches gather in one convention center, and they came to that, too. 30:40 >> Yeah. One more story from you. This was one of the most moving 30:44 moments for me, was when you had the three mountain missionaries up front. 30:48 I don't think I need to unpack that story too much before we roll the video, except to say 30:53 you were gonna buy them a special gift for their -- up into the hills. 30:58 >> The special gift is -- They said, "No car will go where we go. 31:02 We need some donkeys or some horses." So we collected money around the 31:07 Berrien Springs area, including PMC. And we got some money, so we 31:11 also -- They also said, "Whenever we go to the mountain, we need a place to stay, number 31:16 one, and a place for us to plant a few churches. Could you collect some money for 31:20 two houses?" And we did. The community rallied around 31:23 this project. We collected money for two houses, so that day, Dwight, we 31:28 presented money for the two houses and the money for the donkeys and horses, and 31:35 something unexpected happened. Let's watch to see what happened. 32:43 [ Applause ] 33:27 [ Applause ] 34:01 [ Applause ] 34:12 >> His tears. That was no playacting. I mean, that was a spontaneous 34:16 moment. He had no idea. You had no idea there'd be a 34:19 computer left because you planned to give them all away, but one mysteriously ended up, 34:24 and on the spot, the Holy Spirit says, "You give it to this young man." 34:27 You did, and then he starts crying. >> One computer was left over, 34:31 and we said, "Well, this is a computer that probably belongs to somebody else but didn't come 34:35 today. Let's give it to them." And they were blessed by it. 34:38 >> Yeah, that was beautiful. One more of our team. Natiéli, come on up. 34:45 Natiéli, you served in a very interesting church that goes by the name Pork Chops. 34:49 >> Pork Chops, yes. Chicharrones in Spanish. >> Chicharrones Seventh-Day 34:52 Adventist Church. >> Yes. And the very first night we were 34:55 there, they taught us their motto. They said, "No, we have here a 35:00 motto, and the motto is 'Chicharrones para Cristo.'" That literally means "pork chops 35:07 for God," yeah. For Christ. So, yeah. 35:10 >> That's vegetarian pork chops. >> Yeah. >> What happened to this 35:14 building that left it in just incredible shape? >> Yes. 35:18 A few years ago, their church was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. 35:23 >> Sí. >> And what they have now as the "church" is literally -- They 35:29 don't have walls, and it's just some things that they grabbed that was left over from the 35:34 church, and they just pretend there's a roof. >> The roof blew off, and they 35:38 took the sides to make it back into a roof, and then they just propped some stuff up. 35:42 >> Exactly. >> Unbelievable. >> And the passion that this 35:46 congregation has for God. You know, I have to really hold myself or I'm going to start 35:52 crying here because it's impressive. It's really touching. 35:55 The passion that they have for God, even that they have so little, so little, but the 36:00 little that they have, they give it to God. >> Yeah. 36:04 >> Natiéli, is there a possibility that in 100 years, with their own funds, they could 36:09 rebuild that church? >> Maybe in 100 years, yes. But they've been praying for a 36:16 church, for a building, a proper building to worship God. And I feel that is not just a 36:23 project. It's a dream that they have, to have this nice place to worship 36:28 God. And not just because of that, but Chicharrones, the 36:32 neighborhood, it's up in a hill, and the place that the church is, is kind of open. 36:40 So, from far away, you can see the church. >> Perfect situation. 36:47 >> Exactly. If they have a nice place, a nice sign, they can be -- 36:51 >> Church on a hill. >> Yes. They can be like a light for all 36:55 the neighborhood. >> Pastor, what can we do? >> We want to build a new church 37:00 for Pork Chops. Imagine. "PMC" starts with a "P." 37:03 "Pork Chops" starts with a "P." So probably we can adopt this as our church. 37:08 So, we thought, "How about if the Berrien Springs church areas that have so much helped us with 37:15 mission outposts, with 100 bicycles, 23 computers, 10 tablets, how about if we, 37:20 these next six months, says, 'Listen, I'm going to rally and I'm going to help.'" 37:25 We need only $20,000. Usually we need $1 million to build a church here, Dwight. 37:29 We need only $20,000. So, would you today say, "Listen, I'm going to give $20, 37:35 $50, $100 for this project." >> What's that website? >> Careforcuba.org. 37:41 Careforcuba.org. You can go there and donate, or today you can mark your envelope 37:45 "Care for Cuba" and we'll use it for that. >> Yeah. Praise God. 37:48 Thank you for leading us. Thank you for the incredible experience. 37:52 Put your hands together for this team. [ Applause ] 37:55 They represented Andrews. They represented Christ so well. Praise God. 37:59 Thank you, guys. Bless you, bless you, bless you. >> What a wonderful Sabbath day. 38:08 It kind of feels like Christmas. Oh, the other way around. Sorry. 38:12 Buenos días. >> Good morning. >> Hermanos y hermanas... 38:16 >> Brothers and sisters... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "Those of you that don't 38:23 speak Spanish do not know what I'm saying." [ Laughter ] 38:27 >> Es la verdad. That is true. [ Both chuckle ] 38:30 [ Speaking Spanish ] >> So, the Latinos -- mother tongue, Spanish -- have a 38:37 proverb. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] Amen? 38:43 [ Audience cheers ] >> "In heaven, in heaven, the language is Spanish." 38:48 >> Amen. >> Pero. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 38:54 [ Laughter ] >> "But the entrance exam is in English." 38:57 Put your hands together. >> [ Laughs ] [ Speaking Spanish ] 39:06 >> "We've actually traded roles in our preaching this morning." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 39:12 >> "Because we want you to have to experience having to wait..." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 39:20 >> "...to figure out what the guy up front is actually saying." 39:23 [ Laughter ] >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "And the only way the two of 39:28 us can do this..." >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Laughter ] 39:35 >> "...is for Dwight to write the whole thing out." [ Laughter ] 39:39 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> "So he can know what in the world Sandro is preaching." 39:45 >> You know what? Why don't you take it from here? >> Okay. 39:48 >> Yeah. >> We wanted to do this little, this little moment to drive home 39:53 two realities. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Reality number one. 39:59 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> How vital is the role of a translator in communicating the 40:03 Gospel. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> And reality number two. 40:10 >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> Número dos. >> Number two, in case you 40:14 didn't know. [ Laughter ] >> How grateful I am for the 40:18 ministry of Sandro. >> Oh. [ Speaking Spanish ] 40:22 >> A fluent bilingual preacher and seminarian. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 40:27 >> And this little -- this little moment up front gives me the chance to publicly thank him 40:32 for the incredible job he did. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] [ Applause ] 40:36 Thank you very much. Thank you, Dwight. >> Because every -- Because 40:40 every preacher knows... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> ...that when the Holy Spirit 40:46 hits spiritual pay dirt... >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> ...it's through the 40:52 translator, not the preacher. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> People were responding to his 40:57 altar calls, not mine. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] >> So it's humbling to partner 41:03 together for the glory -- gloria a Dios. >> [ Speaking Spanish ] 41:10 >> Gracias, amigo Sandro. >> Thank you, my friend Sandro. >> Thank you. 41:15 Bless you. [ Applause ] 41:18 I tweeted Sandro the other day. I said, "Listen, any time 41:21 something comes up that's in español anywhere on this planet, 41:24 let's the two of us go, and I hope something does come up." 41:28 He's the best translator I've had working with that particular 41:30 language, and it was a blessing for me. 41:32 Okay, speaking of proverbs, there's one more. 41:35 We're gonna do this in just seconds, but I don't want to leave without you seeing this 41:39 proverb. The Book of Proverbs 13:12. Book of Proverbs 13:12. 41:46 I want this to stick in your minds. See, we have this little 41:49 miniseries going on for springtime, "Chasing Hope." That's the series, 41:53 "Chasing Hope." Last time "From an Empty Tomb," this time "To an Empty World." 41:57 "Chasing Hope." Proverbs 13:12. Solomon, the king, writing... 42:10 Hey, listen, amigos y amigas. 42:13 The fact of the matter is, we are living in a world that is heartsick. 42:18 There is no hope. There is no hope in the civilization in which we live 42:22 today. You want to take that alcoholic that Suranny and Alejandro just 42:26 talked about? Sandro and I didn't know this, but one night when we were 42:31 preaching, he came into the back of the church with a knife, looking for his wife. 42:36 We just kept preaching. That man desperately hopeless. But I will assure you that the 42:44 alcoholic Wall Street executive has not a shred of more hope than that alcoholic Cuban 42:51 husband. Self-medicating desperately, both of them, because there's no 42:57 hope. 42:59 It reminds me of what Craig Barnes wrote in his little 43:02 book, "Sacred Thirst: Meeting God in the Desert of Our 43:05 Longings." Put it on the screen for you. 43:07 "Despair is invariably a spiritual issue. 43:10 It is a hopelessness --" there's that word -- "that emerges when 43:13 we believe that there is no mystery left in our lives." 43:17 That, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of the human race. 43:19 No mystery left. We have been told there is no 43:22 future. Grab for all the gusto you can. 43:24 You only go through this life once. 43:26 And we have imbibed on that life world view. 43:31 In fact, the bright among us, like astrophysicist 43:35 Stephen Hawking, paint a rather brutal description of their 43:38 opinion about this planet and their world view. 43:42 Put Hawking's words on the screen for you... 43:58 How many people on this planet value the intellectual acuity of 44:01 that man and say, "Well, if he has no hope, why would I have 44:04 any hope?" We live in a world that is 44:08 heartsick because hope deferred makes the heart sick. 44:11 It's like the postmodern writer Richard Ford describes this 44:15 world -- put his words on the screen as well. 44:18 This is a world "exactly like --" oh, boy, this is 44:21 good -- "exactly like when you were young and dreaming of your 44:25 family's vacation. Only when the trip was over, you 44:28 were left with the empty husks of your dreams and the fear that 44:31 that's mostly what life will be -- the husks of your dreams 44:34 lying around you. I suppose," Richard Ford writes, 44:38 "I will always fear that whatever this is, is it. 44:42 And in the words of that old Peggy Lee song, "Is that all 44:46 there is?" Is that all there is? 44:51 [ Scoffs ] Proverbs 13:12. 44:53 "Hope deferred." That's what's happening on this 44:56 planet. "Hope deferred makes the heart 44:58 sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." 45:03 But the truth is -- and we need the wise king at the jaded 45:07 portion of his life, by the way, when he scribbled down the line, 45:11 Ecclesiastes 3:11. Let's put that on the screen. 45:15 This is a critical reminder. "God has put eternity in their 45:18 hearts." Whose heart? 45:19 The hearts of the human race. Guess what. 45:22 We are all born rebels from the kingdom. 45:25 But, but, but, but, pero. Every human heart is birthed with the flicker of divine hope 45:32 that there is something more. If God did not implant that, we are dead meat, and that's all we 45:38 are, is meat. But God implants in every human heart the realization that what 45:43 I'm touching, what I'm feeling, what I'm sensing, there is more than this. 45:47 He has planted eternity in the human heart so that we dare to believe this can't be all. 45:56 Supernatural infusion, or we'd all be lost. And it is to awaken that 46:02 implanted hope that God now sends forth those who are hope-full. 46:07 And who are the hope-full? They're the people who believe this word. 46:10 They're the people who believe. 46:13 Titus 2:11. What kind of hope is that? 46:15 Let's read it out loud together... 46:27 I want to direct your attention to the rose window high over my head right now. 46:30 You see that picture of Jesus on the cloud? That's the blessed hope. 46:35 That's what ignites a group of people on this planet who call themselves Adventists. 46:41 They believe Christ is coming soon. We have this hope, this blessed, 46:46 blessed hope. Christ for the world we sing, the world of Christ we bring. 46:52 We sing it. Why? Because hope is a person. And that person is our savior 46:57 and our friend. And he says, "Please, for me, take this. 47:03 Take me to the world. I am what they are desperately self-medicating for. 47:10 I am the hope of this civilization." 47:15 Because you see, the mission of the hope-full -- Put that on the 47:18 screen for you. This is your take-home line. 47:20 The mission of the hope-full is always to the hope-less. 47:25 I'm gonna repeat that. The mission of the hope-full -- 47:28 present company -- is always to the hope-less. 47:32 Like that little man. I want to linger on him just a 47:35 little more, this man with one leg. 47:37 Put him on the screen -- Miguel. That's in front of his house. 47:40 Hurricane Sandy, years ago -- What has it been? 47:42 Three years, four years ago? Hurricane Sandy removed the 47:44 roof. He's never been able to replace 47:46 it. That's his home. 47:47 One leg. But he hobbles around Santiago 47:49 because he has found the truth as it is in Jesus, as you and I 47:53 know it. And there's a picture of him in 47:55 one of our meetings, studying his Bible. 47:57 You see how well-marked and tabbed it is. 47:59 The man has hope, and he's trying to tell the world. 48:02 Why? Because the mission of the hope-full is always to the 48:06 hope-less. 48:07 Which is why we went to Cuba. And I'll tell you what. There's no way to describe the 48:11 joy of this picture that you see on the screen. How do you describe the joy of 48:15 witnessing 277 individuals follow Jesus in baptism on a crowded beach where all the 48:20 spectators now are just gawking? "What is going on here?" When you have hope, you go to 48:29 the hopeless. It's why I got an e-mail just a few days ago from 48:32 Robert Folkenberg Jr. He says, "Dwight, I know this is a very short notice, but we've 48:36 just had a city open up in communist China." I'm not gonna tell you the name 48:40 of the city. "The city has opened up, and the government officials say you may 48:44 bring in a foreign preacher for the first time. Would you be willing to go?" 48:47 And in four weeks, I'll be over there. I cleared the deck. 48:50 We're gonna go to that city because it's a city without hope. 48:54 And you and I have the hope, and we must share it. That's why Hope Trending -- 48:59 That's why Hope Trending is coming. A crash course in how to live 49:03 without fear. 27 weeks from this day. Look at the cover of your 49:06 bulletin. Hope Trending. Have you already forgotten about 49:09 Hope Trending? Let's just run that brief little video, please. 49:16 Ever since its birth, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has 49:19 embraced its apocalyptic mission to spread the Everlasting Gospel 49:22 of Christ to the world. We've held sprawling 49:25 evangelistic camp meetings and operated massive literature 49:28 evangelism ministries. 49:30 In the 20th century, we quickly adopted the new technologies of radio and then television, 49:34 culminating in the worldwide satellite events known as the net series. 49:39 Today, in a world captivated by fear, the changing face of society, and the relentless 49:43 march of the Information Age present a new set of challenges to the way we approach global 49:49 evangelism. What sort of challenges? First, in the past, unless you 49:52 had a specially calibrated satellite dish, the only way that people could join the event 49:57 was to visit their local Adventist church. But for many, the prospect of 50:00 visiting a strange, new church or any church at all can be intimidating. 50:04 Second, and perhaps more importantly, many people today do not see a need in their life 50:09 to even attend church. Period. Hi. I'm Dwight Nelson coming to 50:15 you from the beautiful Howard Performing Arts Center here on the campus of 50:18 Andrews University. The truth is, we need new strategies to connect with this 50:22 new generation. Not to replace public evangelism as we've come to know it, but to 50:26 complement it, which is why I'd like to invite you to partner with the Pioneer Memorial Church 50:31 in a first-of-its-kind, live, worldwide event to all 24 time zones simultaneously. 50:36 We're calling it Hope Trending, a crash course on how to live without fear. 50:41 Here's what's new. Instead of only meeting in large halls and churches, 50:45 Hope Trending will also be happening in small groups, as friends. 50:49 We're calling them watch parties. You can turn your living room 50:52 into a small, intimate space. There in the home, the participant can engage with the 50:56 global event while at the same time build strong bonds and enjoy a sense of community. 51:01 And since the host of each small group will be a member of a local church, there's a built-in 51:06 bridge to that church. And as we all know, it's a short walk from the home to the local 51:11 church. Look, the world is changing at an unprecedented pace. 51:15 The Adventist message of hope has never been more relevant or more desperately needed. 51:21 "Behold. I will do a new thing," God once promised. 51:24 Hope Trending, a crash course in how to live without fear, can be a collective global moment in 51:30 which we join forces in our shared mission to proclaim Christ to this generation. 51:35 I really do hope you'll join us in this mission. 51:38 God bless you. October 14th to 22 coming up. 51:42 27 weeks away. How's that verse go again? 51:45 Proverbs 13:12. "Hope deferred makes the heart 51:48 sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." 51:51 So, here's the question. Are you willing to go for God? 51:55 You willing to go to China? Willing to go to Cuba? 51:58 Willing to go somewhere on this planet? 52:00 With all the hope that you have, you're gonna just sit here? 52:03 Willing to cross the dormitory hallway next fall when 52:06 Hope Trending comes to campus. Willing to cross the neighbor's 52:11 fence. Willing to make the invitation 52:14 to come meet my friend of hope. 52:20 I will always remember that young man bursting into tears, and I'm telling you. 52:26 The tears were just trickling down my own cheeks as I listened to the passion of this young 52:31 missionary who said, "If only I had a computer. If I could just have this, I 52:37 could reach these mountains for Christ." And I thought to myself, "I who 52:43 have everything, where is my passion to be just as obedient to the same Jesus and go for 52:51 him?" Will you go? That's the question. 52:54 Will you be willing to go? Dear God, a world hope-less, a people and university hope-full. 53:06 Put the two together, I humbly pray. Dear God, put the two together 53:11 and may the hope implanted here be taken out there for the salvation of men, women, and 53:19 children for eternity. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 53:24 [ Organ plays ] 53:37 [ Congregation sings ] 55:31 [ Singing resumes ] 56:57 Amen. And now may the God of hope, who brought back from the dead our 57:04 Lord Jesus Christ, fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow 57:11 with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 57:19 >> I wanted to take an extra moment to let you know how grateful I am you joined us 57:23 today. I hear from viewers and listeners like you all across 57:26 this nation and literally around the world, and I'm thankful, because it's through the 57:30 generosity of the members of this congregation and people like you that we're able to 57:34 bring you this program. So, if what we shared today has touched your heart, I'd like to 57:38 invite you to become a financial partner with us. Just give us a call. 57:41 Toll-free number 877, the two words "his will." 57:45 877-HIS-WILL. Or, if you'd rather, go to our 57:48 website, www.pmchurch.tv. Either way, your generosity will 57:53 bless a new generation in cyberspace all over this planet. 57:57 So thank you. Thank you very much for your 58:01 partnership. 58:03 ♪♪ |
Revised 2016-05-31