¤¤
00:00:01.16\00:00:04.07
[ Organ plays ]
00:00:08.70\00:00:11.94
>> ¤ Sing we joyfully
unto God ¤ ¤ We sing ¤
00:00:14.78\00:00:17.95
>> ¤ We sing ¤ >> ¤ We sing ¤
00:00:17.95\00:00:19.18
>> ¤ We sing ¤ >> ¤
So joyfully unto God ¤
00:00:19.18\00:00:22.18
¤ God, God ¤ ¤ To Go-o-d
¤ ¤ So joyfully unto God ¤
00:00:22.35\00:00:29.92
¤ So joyfully unto God ¤ ¤ So
joyfully unto Go-o-o-o-d ¤ [
Organ music fades ]
00:00:29.92\00:00:48.04
>> Amen. Good
morning, PMC. >> Good morning.
00:00:48.04\00:00:53.21
>> It is such a beautiful
morning, I do not believe there
00:00:53.38\00:00:56.58
are too many reasons not to
be joyful and to be smiling this
00:00:56.58\00:00:59.95
morning, because I do believe
-- and I've said this many times
00:00:59.95\00:01:02.96
before -- but the
Sabbath is a gift.
00:01:02.96\00:01:04.99
And I love the fact that, at the
end of every week, we have this
moment with both God and our
00:01:05.16\00:01:10.90
fellow man. So, if you would
take the time right now to just
00:01:10.90\00:01:15.04
greet one another, wish one
another "Happy Sabbath." You've
got time to just talk a
00:01:15.04\00:01:18.81
little bit about your week. I
invite you to do that now as we
sing our first song.
00:01:18.81\00:01:24.41
[ "Great is the Lord" plays ]
00:01:24.41\00:01:27.32
[ Congregation sings ]
00:01:41.33\00:01:44.30
Amen. Church, you sound amazing.
This morning, I woke up...
00:03:47.42\00:03:54.63
[ Piano plays softly ] ...and,
actually, I laid awake really
late in bed last night.
00:03:54.63\00:03:58.53
I don't know why. It wasn't that
I was stressed. It's just
sometimes, you know,
00:03:58.53\00:04:02.04
when you lay in bed thinking,
and there's just so many
thoughts running through your
00:04:02.04\00:04:05.94
head. Well, today of all days, I
was thinking about hope, because
00:04:05.94\00:04:10.08
that's what this theme is about
today. And so because of that
00:04:10.08\00:04:15.32
theme, I just somehow imagined
spring this morning. When I woke
00:04:15.32\00:04:19.62
up, I saw the flowers -- you
know, tulips, how, even though
it snows here at random times
00:04:19.62\00:04:24.06
and the weather is kind of all
over the place, there's always
life that's budding around us.
00:04:24.06\00:04:29.56
And I think it's beautiful how
God gives us these little hints,
these little pictures of hope.
00:04:29.56\00:04:34.27
But the most beautiful thing is
the fact that the closer we get
to Him and the more we
00:04:34.27\00:04:40.24
understand just the significance
of that sacrifice, the fact that
he died and he rose again --
00:04:40.24\00:04:46.25
meaning he had victory so that
we could have a personal
relationship with Him -- it's
00:04:46.25\00:04:50.62
such an amazing thought that, as
you go throughout your walk with
Him, and that becomes more and
00:04:50.62\00:04:58.23
more significant, I believe
these words, "because He lives,"
actually take on a deeper
00:04:58.23\00:05:03.80
meaning. So sing with
me now "Because He Lives."
00:05:03.80\00:05:08.07
[ Piano music fades ] [
Hand taps guitar ] [ "Because He
00:05:08.07\00:05:17.65
Lives" plays ] [
Congregation sings ]
00:05:26.25\00:05:29.22
Amen. [ Music fades ]
00:09:03.61\00:09:07.71
[ "Cornerstone" plays softly ]
00:09:15.65\00:09:18.79
[ Music intensifies ]
00:09:22.62\00:09:25.53
[ Music intensifies ]
00:09:41.21\00:09:44.18
[ Music intensifies ]
00:09:50.22\00:09:53.36
Sing with me now. [
Congregation sings ]
00:10:05.17\00:10:11.17
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:10:31.89\00:10:34.86
Sing that verse
again. [ Singing continues ]
00:10:43.41\00:10:49.08
"When darkness
seems." [ Singing continues ]
00:11:32.42\00:11:38.93
¤ In every high
and stormy gale ¤
00:11:46.94\00:11:52.54
¤ My anchor
holds within the veil ¤
00:11:52.54\00:11:58.31
¤ My anchor
holds within the veil ¤
00:11:58.31\00:12:04.65
[ Singing continues ]
00:12:04.65\00:12:07.56
"Dressed in His righteousness."
[ Singing continues ]
00:13:13.89\00:13:18.89
[ Music fades ] [ Guitar plays
00:13:29.54\00:13:36.18
"Be Thou My Vision" ]
[ Congregation sings ]
00:13:36.18\00:13:42.98
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:15:49.31\00:15:52.21
[ Singing resumes ]
00:15:57.39\00:16:00.36
"High King of
heaven." [ Singing continues ]
00:16:39.76\00:16:45.07
¤ Heart of my own
heart, whatever befall ¤
00:17:02.75\00:17:13.93
¤ Still be my
vision, O ruler of all ¤
00:17:13.93\00:17:24.84
¤ Heart of my own
heart, whatever befall ¤
00:17:24.84\00:17:36.38
¤ Still be my
vision, O ruler of all ¤
00:17:36.38\00:17:49.50
[ Music fades ]
00:17:49.50\00:17:51.57
>> All right, guys, this is from
one of my big children's
stories, scouts, Sharon Dudgeon,
00:17:54.84\00:17:59.84
manager of WAUS. This happ--
Oh, it was this last winter.
00:17:59.84\00:18:03.61
You remember how cold it
was last winter? Ooh! Just this
00:18:03.61\00:18:07.62
winter? >>
Minus-zero. >> Minus-zero.
00:18:07.78\00:18:09.62
That's exactly what
it was. [ Laughter ]
00:18:09.62\00:18:13.99
Minus-zero. The mathematicians
are scrambling to figure that
00:18:14.16\00:18:17.86
one out. [ Laughter ] All right.
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.96
So, Vicki Harrison looked out
her window in Cedarburg,
Wisconsin, and she says, "What
00:18:20.96\00:18:27.70
do I see? It is an
animal that goes like this.
00:18:27.70\00:18:31.11
Quack, quack, quack,
quack, quack, quack, quack.
00:18:31.11\00:18:33.71
>> A duck! >>
Duck. You're right. Duck.
00:18:33.88\00:18:37.81
She saw a duck, but there
was something very strange about
00:18:37.98\00:18:42.32
this duck. It looked closer to
the ground. And when she looked
closely into the snow, she
00:18:42.32\00:18:48.82
realized that the duck's feet
were gone. The duck had gotten
frostbite in the winter of
00:18:48.82\00:18:56.00
Wisconsin. Lost its feet. Just
two little stubs. And so she
00:18:56.00\00:19:00.54
raced out. "Oh, ducky, ducky,
come here. And the ducky just
let Vicki scoop her up and take
00:19:00.54\00:19:05.54
her back into the house. Oh!
So, immediately, of course, she
00:19:05.54\00:19:08.71
began to care for it, she began
to feed it. But as a few days
00:19:08.71\00:19:13.01
went by, she said, "What are we
going to do? What are we going
to do? The duck has no legs, no
00:19:13.01\00:19:18.05
feet. Just legs, but no feet."
[ Inhales deeply ] Then, she saw
00:19:18.05\00:19:22.39
something on video. "Ooh! Wow!"
She said, "Is there a school
00:19:22.39\00:19:26.36
nearby?" "Yes." The
South Haven Middle School
00:19:26.36\00:19:31.47
was nearby, and she got ahold of
teacher Jason. She said,
"Teacher Jason, I have
00:19:31.47\00:19:35.60
found a duck. The duck
has no feet. Can you help?
00:19:35.60\00:19:38.77
I saw this on the video. I hear
you might be able to." He said,
"Oh, boy, this is --
00:19:38.77\00:19:44.78
this is a big problem. Let
me think about it." Well, a few
00:19:44.78\00:19:50.09
days went by. She had not heard
from him, she had not heard from
him, she had not heard from him.
00:19:50.09\00:19:53.22
Finally, she said, "You know
what I'm going to have to do?
I'm going to have to put the
00:19:53.22\00:19:57.29
duck to sleep." Ohh.
And then the phone rang.
00:19:57.29\00:20:03.30
It was Teacher Jason. He
said, "We've thought about it.
00:20:03.30\00:20:06.17
I have my whole class working
on this project. I think we can
00:20:06.17\00:20:10.51
help Phillip the duck," because
that's what she named the duck
-- Phillip. Anybody here named
00:20:10.51\00:20:15.08
Phillip? >> [ Whistles ] >>
All right, well, you're okay. [
00:20:15.08\00:20:19.58
Light laughter ] Okay, just one
of you? Okay. That's okay.
Nothing wrong with that.
00:20:19.58\00:20:22.42
Phillip the duck. "I think we
can help him." And sure enough,
00:20:22.42\00:20:29.42
the class worked. The class
project -- worked. The
sixth-grade class, they
00:20:29.42\00:20:32.43
worked, they planned, they
worked, they planned, they
worked, they planned.
00:20:32.43\00:20:35.66
And one day, Teacher Jason said,
"Vicki, bring that Phillip the
00:20:35.66\00:20:41.54
duck in." So she brought Phillip
the duck in, and sure enough --
00:20:41.70\00:20:44.71
let's see him standing on the
counter. There he is, without
00:20:44.71\00:20:47.88
his feet. Those are just little
stubs. They've had to wrap the
00:20:47.88\00:20:51.71
stubs up so that he won't get
hurt. That's Phillip the duck.
00:20:51.71\00:20:55.18
"But," Jason said, "I think it's
going to work." Because do you
00:20:55.35\00:20:59.79
know what they -- Shh -- Do you
know what they have in their
classroom? They have a 3-D
00:20:59.79\00:21:04.26
printer. Oh! 3-D printer. I've
never even seen one, but they're
00:21:04.26\00:21:08.60
out there. They can -- You know,
when you get a regular printer,
it just prints flat.
00:21:08.60\00:21:12.23
Flat, flat, flat. 3-D printers
can print with all the shapes.
00:21:12.23\00:21:16.94
They can print on plastic. They
can make things. And he said, "I
00:21:16.94\00:21:20.94
think we've got
it. Let's try it."
00:21:20.94\00:21:22.58
They went over to Phillip the
duck, they said, "Hey, Phillip.
00:21:22.74\00:21:25.25
Whoa! Ah, that one fits."
00:21:25.25\00:21:28.98
Let's put it on the big
screen. "Ah. Oh. That one fits."
00:21:28.98\00:21:34.16
Plastic shoes. You
can't put plastic shoes on
00:21:34.16\00:21:39.26
a duck. Please.
00:21:39.26\00:21:41.23
Well, let's just see
how Phillip the duck went.
00:21:41.23\00:21:43.83
Whoa! >> Whoa!
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.33
>> Phillip the duck
with his plastic shoes.
00:21:46.33\00:21:48.37
I said, "That might be a
trick-photography picture."
00:21:48.37\00:21:50.84
Let's try one
more, just to make sure.
00:21:50.84\00:21:52.31
Oh! Phillip the duck
in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
00:21:52.31\00:21:56.85
He's the happiest duck in
the wildlife sanctuary north of
00:21:56.85\00:21:59.91
Milwaukee today.
00:21:59.91\00:22:01.62
You know, when I saw that story,
I said, "Wait a minute. There
are people in this world
00:22:01.78\00:22:06.22
who are all broken. Their hearts
are broken, their bodies are
00:22:06.22\00:22:10.29
broken, they need somebody to
fix them, and they have no idea
that there is somebody who can
00:22:10.29\00:22:14.66
fix you when you're broken.
00:22:14.66\00:22:15.76
And He -- He is
our dearest friend.
00:22:15.93\00:22:19.40
Who is that somebody? >> God.
00:22:19.40\00:22:21.10
>> Who is that somebody? >> God!
00:22:21.10\00:22:23.74
>> Jesus.
00:22:23.74\00:22:26.04
Now, boys and girls, last line.
Listen carefully, now... because
we know somebody who can
00:22:26.21\00:22:31.81
fix broken hearts and broken
lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful
00:22:31.81\00:22:36.08
if we told others where they
could go to get fixed, just like
Phillip the duck got fixed?
00:22:36.08\00:22:41.56
What if we're too busy? "Aw,
I'm not going to help them."
00:22:41.56\00:22:44.53
"No, I'm not going to help them.
They can find it on their own."
If Phillip had tried to find it
00:22:44.53\00:22:47.86
on his own, he never would have
gotten those feet. Took somebody
00:22:47.86\00:22:52.00
to say, "I can help." How many
are thankful that Jesus is the
big fixer-upper in the
00:22:52.00\00:22:56.87
whole universe? He can
fix what's broken. >> God.
00:22:56.87\00:23:00.04
>> It's God. You're right. He
can fix what's broken. You know
00:23:00.04\00:23:05.28
what? That's what you call hope.
You know how to spell "hope"?
Anybody here know how to spell
00:23:05.28\00:23:09.42
"hope"? Okay, call it out. What
is it? How do you spell "hope"?
00:23:09.42\00:23:11.99
>> [ Speaking indistinctly ]
>> H-O-P-E. You're almost right.
00:23:11.99\00:23:15.99
Here's how you spell "hope."
J-E-S-U-S. What's that spell?
00:23:15.99\00:23:22.43
>> "Jesus." >> Because Jesus is
hope. Who wants to thank Jesus
00:23:22.43\00:23:27.40
for being our hope? Cissy,
you come on up here. You were so
00:23:27.40\00:23:30.11
fast. Let's go. Let's fold
our hands and close our eyes
00:23:30.11\00:23:33.07
with Cissy as she thanks Jesus
for being the fixer-upper and
00:23:33.07\00:23:40.05
our hope. >> Dear Jesus, thank
you for this day. Help everyone
00:23:40.05\00:23:49.19
to tell each other
about hope. >> Amen. >> Amen.
00:23:49.19\00:23:52.89
>> Amen. Thank you, Cissy. That
was a beautiful prayer. As you
go quietly and reverently
00:23:52.89\00:23:57.33
back with Cissy to your seat,
you say it in your heart --
"Thank you, Jesus, for the hope
00:23:57.33\00:24:03.97
that you will fix
all who need you."
00:24:03.97\00:24:07.74
[ Organ plays ]
00:24:11.01\00:24:13.98
>> ¤ Come, Christians, join
to sing ¤ ¤ Alleluia, amen ¤
00:24:24.43\00:24:35.14
¤ Loud praise to Christ
our King ¤ ¤ Alleluia, amen ¤
00:24:35.14\00:24:46.88
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:24:46.88\00:24:49.92
¤ Let all, with heart and voice
¤ ¤ Before His throne rejoice ¤
00:24:58.03\00:25:08.77
¤ Praise is His gracious
choice ¤ ¤ Alleluia, amen ¤
00:25:08.77\00:25:19.81
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:25:19.81\00:25:22.98
¤ Sing "alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh, sing
"alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh, sing, sing,
00:25:32.56\00:25:41.64
sing ¤ ¤ Oh, sing "alleluia"
¤ ¤ Oh, sing "alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh,
00:25:41.64\00:25:49.91
sing, sing ¤ >> ¤ Oh, sing
"alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh, sing
"alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh, sing
00:25:49.91\00:25:57.42
"alleluia" ¤ ¤ Oh, sing
"alleluia" ¤ >> ¤ Alleluia ¤ >>
00:25:57.42\00:26:03.36
¤ Alleluia ¤ >> ¤ Alleluia ¤
>> ¤ Oh, sing "alleluia" ¤ >> ¤
00:26:03.36\00:26:10.53
Alleluia ¤ ¤ Alleluia ¤ >> ¤ Oh,
sing "alleluia" ¤ ¤ Come, lift
00:26:10.53\00:26:25.28
your hearts on high ¤ ¤
Alleluia, amen ¤ ¤ Let praises
00:26:25.28\00:26:37.26
fill the sky ¤ ¤ Alleluia, amen
¤ ¤ He is our guide and friend ¤
¤ To us He'll condescend ¤
00:26:37.26\00:26:52.91
¤ His love shall never end ¤
¤ Alleluia, amen ¤ ¤ Ame-e-e-n ¤
00:26:52.91\00:27:08.49
¤
A...me-e-e-e-e-n ¤ [ Applause ]
00:27:08.49\00:27:21.60
>> Thank you, Jeannie.
Beautiful. Beautiful. Let's
00:27:25.84\00:27:34.22
pray. Oh, God, what the choir
just sang, that is the
exclamation of our heart, that
00:27:34.22\00:27:42.89
we wish to send with Him to Your
throne room. Alleluia. You reign
00:27:42.89\00:27:50.63
the universe, this little world,
all under Your loving and
compassionate control.
00:27:50.63\00:27:57.71
On this last Sabbath before You
send us to all points on the
compass, one more word of hope
00:27:57.71\00:28:03.61
we humbly ask, in
Jesus' name. Amen. >> Amen.
00:28:03.61\00:28:09.95
>> "'For I know the plans I have
for you,' declares the Lord,
00:28:12.99\00:28:18.56
'plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope
00:28:18.56\00:28:26.00
and a future.'" Let me
read to you what happened
00:28:26.00\00:28:33.11
one Sunday afternoon in one of
Africa's most sprawling slums,
00:28:33.11\00:28:39.11
the Kibera slum
of Nairobi, Kenya.
00:28:39.11\00:28:41.85
It happened to an American
visitor named Brian Fickert. He
00:28:42.02\00:28:46.92
tells the story. "One Sunday, I
was walking with a staff member
through one of Africa's largest
00:28:52.16\00:28:57.37
slums, the massive Kibera slum
of Nairobi. The conditions were
00:28:57.37\00:29:03.74
simply inhumane. People lived
in shacks constructed out of
00:29:03.74\00:29:07.48
cardboard boxes. Foul smells
gushed out of open ditches
carrying human and animal
00:29:07.48\00:29:12.68
excrement. I had a hard time
keeping my balance as I
continually slipped on oozy,
00:29:12.68\00:29:17.75
brown substances that I hoped
were mud but feared were
something else. Children picked
00:29:17.75\00:29:22.76
through garbage dumps, looking
for anything of value. As we
walked deeper and deeper
00:29:22.76\00:29:25.99
into the slum, my sense of
despair increased. 'This place
00:29:25.99\00:29:30.23
is completely godforsaken!' I
thought to myself. Then, to my
00:29:30.23\00:29:37.04
amazement, right there among the
dung, I heard the sound of a
familiar hymn. 'There must be
00:29:37.04\00:29:43.51
Western missionaries conducting
an open-air service in here,' I
00:29:43.51\00:29:47.62
thought to myself. As we turned
the corner, my eyes landed on
the shack from which the music
00:29:47.62\00:29:54.02
bellowed. Every Sunday, 30
slum-dwellers crammed into this
00:29:54.19\00:29:59.23
10'x20' sanctuary to worship
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
00:29:59.23\00:30:03.83
Jacob. The church was made out
of cardboard boxes that had been
00:30:03.83\00:30:06.03
opened up and stapled to studs.
00:30:06.03\00:30:09.10
It wasn't pretty, but it was a
church -- a church made up of
some of the poorest people on
00:30:09.27\00:30:14.04
earth. When we arrived at
the church, I was immediately to
00:30:14.04\00:30:18.55
preach the sermon. As a good
Presbyterian, I quickly jotted
00:30:18.55\00:30:21.78
down some notes about the
sovereignty of God and was
looking forward to teaching this
00:30:21.78\00:30:26.32
congregation the historic
doctrines of the Reformation.
But before the sermon began, the
00:30:26.32\00:30:32.93
service included a time of
sharing and prayer. I listened
as some of the poorest people on
00:30:32.93\00:30:38.73
the planet cried out to God.
'Jehovah-jireh, please heal my
son, as he is going blind.'
00:30:38.73\00:30:47.54
'Merciful Lord, please protect
me, when I go home today, for my
husband always beats me.'
00:30:47.54\00:30:54.75
'Sovereign King, please provide
my children with enough food
today, as they are hungry.'
00:30:54.75\00:31:00.46
As I listened to these people
praying to be able to live
another day, I thought about my
00:31:00.46\00:31:05.23
ample salary, my life-insurance
policy, my health insurance, my
two cars, my house, et cetera.
00:31:05.23\00:31:12.10
I realized I did not really
trust in God's sovereignty on a
daily basis, as I have
00:31:12.10\00:31:17.17
sufficient buffers in place
to shield me from most economic
00:31:17.17\00:31:23.41
shocks. I realized that when
these folks pray the fourth
petition of the Lord's Prayer,
00:31:23.41\00:31:29.72
'Give us this day our daily
bread,' their minds do not
wander as mine so often does.
00:31:29.72\00:31:34.89
I realized that while I have
sufficient education and
training to deliver a sermon on
00:31:34.89\00:31:39.73
God's sovereignty with no
forewarning, these slum-dwellers
were trusting in God's
00:31:39.73\00:31:44.20
sovereignty just to get them
through the day. And I realized
00:31:44.20\00:31:50.01
that these people had a far
deeper intimacy with God than I
probably will ever have in my
00:31:50.01\00:32:01.02
entire life." Jeremiah 29:11.
This time, read it with me. Open
your bible to Jeremiah 29.
00:32:01.02\00:32:08.06
These unforgettable words.
"Chasing Hope," the miniseries
00:32:08.06\00:32:14.56
that ends today. Here is hope
embedded in words I hope you'll
never forget for the rest of
00:32:14.56\00:32:19.63
your life. Jeremiah
29:11. I'm in the NIV.
00:32:19.63\00:32:22.17
Whatever you're
in is fine with me.
00:32:22.34\00:32:24.27
Words are on the screen.
"'For I know the plans I have
00:32:24.27\00:32:27.41
for you,' declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to
00:32:27.41\00:32:31.55
harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.'"
00:32:31.55\00:32:38.55
A year ago, I read
Walter Brueggemann's disturbing
00:32:38.55\00:32:41.29
book entitled "The
Prophetic Imagination."
00:32:41.29\00:32:45.29
In it, he speaks about hope --
what we just considered in this
00:32:45.29\00:32:48.60
line of Scripture.
These are his words on the
00:32:48.60\00:32:52.23
screen. "The task of prophetic
00:32:52.23\00:32:54.37
imagination and ministry is to
bring to public expression those
00:32:54.37\00:32:59.04
very hopes and yearnings that
have been denied so long and
00:32:59.04\00:33:03.18
suppressed so deeply that we
no longer know they are there."
00:33:03.18\00:33:08.62
Take, for example, the story we
just read -- these slum-dwellers
00:33:08.62\00:33:12.25
in that massive Kibera slum, who
24/7 are faced with the daunting
00:33:12.25\00:33:18.06
task of embracing a hope that
seems utterly illogical, if not
00:33:18.06\00:33:23.26
certainly impossible.
00:33:23.26\00:33:26.03
I mean, please, how can you hope
for a land that is fairer than
day, and by faith we can see it
00:33:26.20\00:33:32.87
afar"? How can you hope for
everything in heaven, when you
00:33:32.87\00:33:36.78
can't possibly hope for anything
on earth? How can you hope for
00:33:36.78\00:33:42.62
material contentment when your
road is paved with the brown
ooze of excrement and your
00:33:42.62\00:33:47.69
shanty is little more than
flimsy cardboard taped together?
Surely, these poor slum-dwelling
00:33:47.69\00:33:52.06
Christians can be forgiven
for abandoning such implausible
00:33:52.06\00:33:57.77
hope. And yet they keep showing
up in that 10'x20' sanctuary,
singing their songs and praying
00:33:57.77\00:34:05.51
their prayers. But, of course,
Brueggemann is not thinking
00:34:05.51\00:34:10.71
about them at all. He's thinking
about you and me, sophisticated
as we are. His words again on
00:34:10.71\00:34:16.42
the screen. "Hope, on the
one hand, is an absurdity too
00:34:16.58\00:34:21.32
embarrassing to speak about, for
it flies in the face of all
those claims we have
00:34:21.32\00:34:26.13
been told are facts."
Ha! "You can't hope that God
00:34:26.13\00:34:30.53
will heal you. Don't
you know that he doesn't
00:34:30.53\00:34:32.97
heal people anymore?"
00:34:32.97\00:34:35.17
"Yo! You can't hope that God
will rescue you. Don't you know
00:34:35.34\00:34:39.34
that, morally, you are too far
gone, buddy?" "Yo! You can't
hope that God will grant you the
00:34:39.34\00:34:46.82
desires of your heart, that baby
you've been praying for, that
spouse you've been praying for,
00:34:46.82\00:34:51.99
that promotion you've been
longing for, that money, that
dream that you have.
00:34:51.99\00:34:56.49
Forget it." How did Brueggemann
put it? "Hope flies in the face
00:34:56.49\00:35:04.17
of all those claims we have been
told are facts," which is why
Brueggemann goes on.
00:35:04.17\00:35:09.30
"Hope is refusal to accept the
reading of reality which is the
00:35:09.47\00:35:14.71
majority's opinion; and one does
that only at great political and
00:35:14.71\00:35:20.12
existential risk."
Because to hope -- let's be
00:35:20.12\00:35:23.55
honest -- come on, come on, just
us friends together -- let's be
00:35:23.55\00:35:26.52
honest, to really hope, in
the brutal face of the evidence,
00:35:26.52\00:35:32.13
in the skeptical face
of cynicism, is to risk the
00:35:32.13\00:35:35.86
displeasure of the
majority opinion, especially in
00:35:35.86\00:35:39.37
communities like this one
-- they're called academic
00:35:39.37\00:35:41.84
communities -- where we have
been nurtured and tutored on
00:35:41.84\00:35:44.34
what is politically
correct in our circles.
00:35:44.34\00:35:49.84
Especially when it comes to the
viability of this notion that
Christ Jesus is soon to return
00:35:50.01\00:35:55.48
to the earth. "Pah."
"Grownups don't believe such
00:35:55.48\00:35:59.25
childish wish fulfillments, do
they?" Why don't they believe?
00:35:59.25\00:36:03.46
Why? Because we grownups have
been made cynical from one too
many hopes dashed, one too many
00:36:03.46\00:36:09.43
wishes unfulfilled, one too many
prayers unanswered. And so, to
shield ourselves from
00:36:09.43\00:36:16.47
the hurt of disappointment,
that's what we do. We close our
hearts off to hope.
00:36:16.47\00:36:21.68
We reject it. "Can't be true."
00:36:21.68\00:36:24.85
"'For I know the plans I have
for you,' declares the Lord,
00:36:29.15\00:36:33.59
'plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope
00:36:33.59\00:36:39.53
and a future.'" Paul
Miller, in his inspiring
00:36:39.53\00:36:44.47
book, "A Praying Life:
Connecting With God In A
00:36:44.47\00:36:47.47
Distracting World,"
describes our culture this way.
00:36:47.47\00:36:50.57
Miller on the screen.
"The movement from naive
00:36:50.57\00:36:54.34
optimism to cynicism is
the new American journey.
00:36:54.34\00:36:59.28
In naive optimism, we don't need
to pray because everything is
00:36:59.28\00:37:02.55
under control,
everything is possible.
00:37:02.55\00:37:04.85
In cynicism we can't pray
because everything is out of
00:37:04.85\00:37:08.49
control, little is possible."
Talking about a lose-lose
00:37:08.49\00:37:12.53
proposition,
this American journey.
00:37:12.53\00:37:14.63
Either way you cut it, we lose.
00:37:14.63\00:37:19.33
We who let the culture inform
our belief. No wonder hope is so
00:37:19.50\00:37:29.24
rarely heard from these days.
And then Miller tells a story
about the writer Dana Tierney
00:37:29.24\00:37:35.58
and her four-year-old son, Luke.
Let me read that story to you.
00:37:35.58\00:37:41.86
"In an article in 'The New York
Times Magazine,' Dana Tierney
described how both she and her
00:37:41.86\00:37:48.23
husband, John, a writer for 'The
New York Times'" -- so there are
two writers in that
00:37:48.23\00:37:51.80
marriage -- "how they rejected
their childhood faith. They had
00:37:51.80\00:37:57.04
their son, Luke, baptized to
placate their families, but that
was it. When her husband went to
00:37:57.04\00:38:02.34
Iraq as an embedded reporter,
Dana was understandably fearful.
She was surprised at how calm
00:38:02.34\00:38:07.12
four-year-old Luke was. She
assumed it was just youthful
naivete until, one day, they
00:38:07.12\00:38:11.99
were watching television
together, and they happened to
see the wedding of a soldier who
00:38:11.99\00:38:16.32
had returned from Iraq. Thinking
it wouldn't cause any undue
fears in Luke, she figured
00:38:16.32\00:38:21.66
it was okay for them to watch it
together. But then the soldier
00:38:21.66\00:38:26.17
described his fear of returning
to Iraq. For just an instant,
Dana saw Luke form his hands to
00:38:26.17\00:38:34.44
pray. When she asked him about
it, Luke at first denied it. But
after he did it a second
00:38:34.44\00:38:39.21
time, he confessed that he had
been praying. Dana was stunned,
00:38:39.21\00:38:45.02
partly by Luke's faith and
partly by how his faith allowed
him to be calm, and her lack of
00:38:45.02\00:38:49.39
faith caused her to be fearful.
She was also embarrassed that
her four-year-old son
00:38:49.39\00:38:53.43
instinctively knew that
praying for his dad was socially
00:38:53.43\00:39:00.24
inappropriate... then asked Luke
when he first began to believe
in God. 'I don't know," the
00:39:00.24\00:39:06.07
little boy said. 'I've always
known he exists.' Unlike many of
00:39:06.07\00:39:11.51
our intellectual gatekeepers,
Dana does not patronize
believers. In the article, she
00:39:11.51\00:39:16.18
described how many of her
nonreligious friends feel free
from religion, as if they'd been
00:39:16.18\00:39:21.06
liberated from superstition.
Not Dana. She feels like she's
00:39:21.06\00:39:26.39
missing out. When she watches
her religious friends, she
00:39:26.39\00:39:29.53
notices that they --" now he's
quoting her article -- "'that
they have an expansiveness of
00:39:29.53\00:39:33.57
spirit. When they walk along a
stream, they don't just see
water falling over rocks.
00:39:33.57\00:39:37.27
The sight fills them with
ecstasy. They see a realm of
00:39:37.27\00:39:41.98
hope beyond this world. I just
see a babbling brook. I don't
00:39:41.98\00:39:49.18
get the message.'" How many
Danas are there in this world?
"I don't get the message."
00:39:52.79\00:40:00.60
Let's put Dana's words. I
need this to sink in to your
00:40:00.76\00:40:03.77
consciousness here.
I'll read them again.
00:40:03.77\00:40:06.43
She's writing these words.
"When they --" her religious
00:40:06.43\00:40:08.87
friends -- "walk along a stream,
they don't just see water
00:40:08.87\00:40:11.41
falling over rocks; the
sight fills them with ecstasy.
00:40:11.41\00:40:14.04
They see a realm of
hope beyond this world."
00:40:14.04\00:40:16.58
Hope, hope, hope. "I
just see a babbling brook.
00:40:16.58\00:40:19.58
I don't get the
message." "I don't get it."
00:40:19.58\00:40:24.72
So, what's the message?
"'For I know the plans I have
00:40:24.72\00:40:33.09
for you,' declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to
00:40:33.09\00:40:37.50
harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.'"
00:40:37.50\00:40:43.47
Sounds like something Jesus
would say, doesn't it? Have you
ever noticed that about
00:40:43.64\00:40:48.41
Jesus? How, oftentimes, before
performing a miracle, he -- he
00:40:48.41\00:40:53.82
speaks a word of hope into the
mind, the psyche, the heart of
the suffering one, so that when
00:40:53.82\00:41:03.63
they lowered, from that
now-broken-open roof, a swaying
pallet that bears the shriveled
00:41:03.63\00:41:12.53
form of a young man, and they
drop it down to waist level with
Jesus, when he looks into the
00:41:12.53\00:41:18.67
face of that young man, Jesus
does not say, "Be healed."
Instead, Jesus says, "Be
00:41:18.67\00:41:27.95
forgiven." You have
reason to hope. Amazing.
00:41:27.95\00:41:33.86
First of all, Jesus
infuses divine hope into human
00:41:34.02\00:41:36.66
hopelessness, so that when
he meets the widow of Nain, her
00:41:36.66\00:41:41.26
heart broken, as she follows
behind the funeral cortege, out
00:41:41.26\00:41:45.30
of that mountain village, into
that hillside cemetery, Jesus'
00:41:45.30\00:41:49.40
first words to her
are... "Don't cry."
00:41:49.40\00:41:56.14
Hope. He
infuses divine hope into
00:41:56.14\00:42:01.58
human hopelessness...
so that when Jesus stops in
00:42:01.58\00:42:05.32
front of the man born blind and
he speaks loud enough for the
00:42:05.32\00:42:08.59
man to hear, as Jesus turns to
his disciples, he says, "I want
00:42:08.59\00:42:11.29
to tell you about this man.
This has happened so that the
00:42:11.29\00:42:13.83
works of God might
be displayed in him."
00:42:13.83\00:42:16.23
Jesus infuses hope into human
hopelessness... so that when
00:42:16.40\00:42:26.21
Jairus stops the Master and
says, "Listen, listen, you don't
00:42:26.21\00:42:28.81
have to go now. I just got word,
our little girl is dead. You
don't have to come to our
00:42:28.81\00:42:31.88
house," Jesus' immediate
response, to infuse hope into
that hopeless heart, is...
00:42:31.88\00:42:39.92
"Don't be afraid.
Only believe." Hope!
00:42:39.92\00:42:45.46
What a God! What a Savior!
Infusing hope into the despair
00:42:45.46\00:42:53.30
of our cynical human journey.
Wow. Paul Miller again on the
00:42:53.30\00:43:00.34
screen. "Cynicism kills hope.
The world of the cynic is fixed
00:43:00.51\00:43:04.88
and immovable; the cynic
believes we are swept along by
00:43:04.88\00:43:08.22
forces greater than we
are. Dreaming feels like so much
00:43:08.22\00:43:11.52
foolishness. Risk
becomes intolerable.
00:43:11.52\00:43:14.76
Prayer feels pointless, as
if we are talking to the wind.
00:43:14.76\00:43:17.99
Why set ourselves
and God up for failure?
00:43:17.99\00:43:20.70
But --" and, oh, I love this --
"But Jesus is all about hope."
00:43:20.70\00:43:25.30
>> Amen. >> I
know it's late in the
00:43:25.30\00:43:28.34
morning. I expected
to get a little more
00:43:28.34\00:43:30.71
than that. Let
me repeat that line.
00:43:30.71\00:43:33.07
"But Jesus is all about
hope"! >> Amen. >> Amen.
00:43:33.24\00:43:37.55
>> There you go. Woke
them up. [ Light laughter ]
00:43:37.55\00:43:42.25
What is it you're hoping against
hope for? What is it you've been
00:43:42.25\00:43:48.19
dreaming for, for so long, and
are about to let go of that
hope? Are you graduating in a
00:43:48.19\00:43:54.10
few hours? Hmm?
What is it you long for?
00:43:54.10\00:44:00.24
What is it you hope most for?
00:44:00.24\00:44:02.47
"Jesus is all
about hope." >> Amen.
00:44:02.64\00:44:08.64
>> Amen. "'For I
know the plans I have
00:44:08.64\00:44:14.78
for you,' declares the Lord,
'plans to prosper you and not to
00:44:14.78\00:44:19.09
harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.'"
00:44:19.09\00:44:27.13
A little girl was kneeling down
beside her bed with her daddy
00:44:27.13\00:44:31.57
for nighttime prayers.
00:44:31.57\00:44:33.97
And she prayed, "Dear Jesus,
please come back soon... because
we have lots of owies.
00:44:34.14\00:44:45.31
And they hurt."
00:44:45.31\00:44:47.62
I called my mother last Saturday
night, and I could tell
immediately, when her husband,
00:44:52.12\00:44:58.76
Burt, answered the phone and we
visited for a bit, and then he
gave the phone to Mom, I could
00:44:58.76\00:45:06.13
tell that her strength was
ebbing. And I knew I needed to
00:45:06.13\00:45:11.34
be there at her side. And so I
found a ticket, late that night,
00:45:11.34\00:45:17.28
jumped on a plane early Sunday
morning, flew to Ontario,
California. I had texted my
00:45:17.28\00:45:25.89
brother Greg and Kari, before
leaving, that I needed to be
with Mom. "I'll keep you
00:45:25.89\00:45:31.83
posted." And they surprised me
and both flew in from their
cities to be there with Mom.
00:45:31.83\00:45:37.13
The two days this week with her
were just -- they were wonderful
days -- a whirlwind.
00:45:37.13\00:45:43.37
We had to make medical
decisions, we had to make
financial arrangements to move
00:45:43.37\00:45:47.34
my mother to Sacramento, where
Kari and her husband are
pastoring -- the Carmichael
00:45:47.34\00:45:51.81
church. Wednesday morning...
I went to their bedroom to see
00:45:51.81\00:45:57.92
her. She was in
bed. We talked for a bit.
00:45:57.92\00:46:02.82
And then she spoke words I was
totally, totally unprepared for.
She said, "I don't think
00:46:02.82\00:46:14.30
I will see you again." And not
wanting to accept that thought,
00:46:14.30\00:46:24.81
I reflexively shot back, "Mom, I
can fly to Sacramento. I -- I'll
00:46:24.81\00:46:29.25
-- I will see you there." But as
the days have gone by, since
Wednesday morning, I've
00:46:29.25\00:46:36.79
had time to brood over what
she said. And I realize that
00:46:36.79\00:46:43.30
perhaps, maybe... she was
saying more than just goodbye.
00:46:43.30\00:46:53.34
"Dear Jesus...
please come soon...
00:46:53.34\00:46:59.81
...because we have lots
of owies, and they hurt."
00:47:10.79\00:47:14.73
You think we have owies in here?
What do you think the world is
00:47:17.43\00:47:25.84
living with today? Nonstop,
self-medicated, masked-over
owies. We're like Dana Tierney
00:47:25.84\00:47:36.95
that, in hopelessness,
confessed, "I don't get the
message. Why do you have hope?
00:47:36.95\00:47:41.42
I can't see a thing."
00:47:41.42\00:47:44.19
How can we go on leaving
them in that state of cynical
00:47:44.36\00:47:50.87
darkness when we've
found that Jesus is the hope?
00:47:50.87\00:47:57.31
And we've embraced it.
00:47:57.31\00:48:01.48
Then why wouldn't we share it
with those who don't have it?
Have we been burned too many
00:48:01.64\00:48:07.78
times by disappointment, and we
can't dare? We might -- We just
00:48:07.78\00:48:12.92
might -- It might not be. "I
don't get the message." It's
precisely because you and I
00:48:12.92\00:48:23.00
have friends and neighbors and
colleagues and roommates who
don't get the message, that
00:48:23.00\00:48:27.30
"Hope Trending" is coming, 25
weeks from today. 255 weeks,
it'll be here on this
00:48:27.30\00:48:32.91
campus. All 24 time zones
simultaneously, "Hope Trending."
00:48:32.91\00:48:37.65
Nine TED Talk-length pieces
of reason why Jesus is all about
00:48:37.65\00:48:50.19
hope. What you need most, He is
about. "Hope Trending"... where
your living room or your
00:48:50.19\00:48:58.47
family room or your dormitory
room can be turned into a watch
party with your closest friends
00:48:58.47\00:49:03.30
and people that you've been
hoping to bridge to, and you're
sitting in front of your
00:49:03.30\00:49:08.28
big screen and the WiFi is
bringing it live to you. "Hope
00:49:08.28\00:49:13.75
Trending." Why? Because hope
is what the world is desperately
00:49:13.75\00:49:22.96
blind to but longing for. "'For
I know the plans I have for
you,' says the Lord,
00:49:22.96\00:49:30.43
'plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope
00:49:30.43\00:49:37.61
and a future.'" Come on, guys.
We know how to spell "hope" --
00:49:37.61\00:49:46.92
J-E-S-U-S. And because we know,
we have to tell -- we must tell.
This summer -- Where are you
00:49:46.92\00:49:52.75
going this summer? Doesn't
matter to me, but take Jesus and
00:49:52.75\00:49:56.69
his hope with you. On a plane,
at a bus stop, on a golf course
-- doesn't matter -- at the
00:49:56.69\00:50:02.46
workplace, be ready. There's
a heart that says, "I don't get
00:50:02.46\00:50:12.14
the message." We have this
hope... and it must be shared.
To wait another year may be too
00:50:12.14\00:50:18.81
late... for our
mothers... for our children...
00:50:18.81\00:50:24.95
for our roommates... for our
colleagues... for our neighbors.
00:50:24.95\00:50:30.19
Why wait? When hope is what they
are longing for most of all...
00:50:30.19\00:50:37.37
why wait? Jesus is the hope
of the world, and we must share
00:50:37.37\00:50:44.57
Him... now. Amen. >> Amen.
00:50:44.57\00:50:49.34
>> Oh, God... we have known this
hope. Many of us have sat in
00:50:49.34\00:50:55.62
these pews for centuries... with
the hope... locked up inside.
00:50:55.62\00:51:03.69
Dear Father... unlock our
tongues, our minds, our spirits,
00:51:03.69\00:51:13.50
and our hearts and, with
abandon, enjoy. May we take the
truth of Jesus, with our hope,
00:51:13.50\00:51:24.95
to this dark and desperate
world. We humbly pray in His
00:51:24.95\00:51:31.65
name. Amen. >> Amen.
00:51:31.65\00:51:33.56
[ Organ plays
"How Great Thou Art" ]
00:51:33.72\00:51:38.03
[ Congregation sings ]
00:51:44.63\00:51:47.94
>> ¤ Then sings my
soul, my Savior God to Thee ¤
00:52:18.70\00:52:27.28
¤ How great Thou
art, how great Thou art ¤
00:52:27.28\00:52:35.65
¤ Then sings my soul,
my Savior God to Thee ¤
00:52:35.65\00:52:44.29
¤ How great Thou
art, how great Thou art ¤
00:52:44.29\00:52:56.47
[ Singing continues ]
00:52:56.47\00:52:59.57
¤ Then sings my soul,
my Savior God to Thee ¤
00:53:32.11\00:53:41.32
¤ How great Thou
art, how great Thou art ¤
00:53:41.32\00:53:50.36
¤ Then sings my soul,
my Savior God to Thee ¤
00:53:50.36\00:53:59.83
¤ How great Thou
art, how great Thou art ¤
00:53:59.83\00:54:13.18
[ Organ plays
"We Have This Hope" ]
00:54:13.18\00:54:17.52
[ Congregation sings ]
00:54:31.73\00:54:34.70
[ Organ music fades ]
00:55:56.95\00:56:00.16
>> Amen. Amen. And here's God
-- God's benediction for you.
00:56:00.32\00:56:08.50
And now may the God of hope...
who brought back from the dead
our Lord Jesus Christ...
00:56:08.50\00:56:15.34
fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him, so that you
may overflow with hope...
00:56:15.34\00:56:22.74
by the power of the
Holy Spirit. Amen. >> Amen.
00:56:22.74\00:56:30.02
[ Organ plays "Under His Wings I
Am Safely Abiding" ] >> ¤ Under
00:56:30.02\00:56:37.19
His wings ¤ ¤ Under His wings ¤
¤ Who from His love can sever? ¤
¤ Under His wings my soul shall
00:56:37.19\00:56:56.61
abide ¤ ¤ Safely abide forever ¤
00:56:56.61\00:57:12.09
>> May I take an extra moment
with you and let you know how
grateful I am that you joined us
00:57:14.83\00:57:18.33
in worship today. I hear from
viewers like you across the
nation and literally
00:57:18.33\00:57:22.17
around the
world, and I'm thankful.
00:57:22.17\00:57:24.51
If you'd like to explore further
what we've just shared, I hope
00:57:24.67\00:57:27.34
you'll visit us at our website.
It's an easy one to remember --
00:57:27.34\00:57:29.88
www.pmchurch.tv. We're the
00:57:29.88\00:57:34.48
Pioneer Memorial
Church here on the campus of
00:57:34.48\00:57:36.82
Andrews University.
So, that's www.pmchurch.tv.
00:57:36.82\00:57:41.36
Click on to that website, and
you'll be able to listen to a
00:57:41.36\00:57:44.19
podcast of this material, you
can download the presentation,
00:57:44.19\00:57:46.26
you can print out the study
guide, you may have a special
00:57:46.26\00:57:49.43
prayer need that you wish to
share with our prayer partners,
00:57:49.43\00:57:51.73
or you may wish to partner with
us through a personal donation
00:57:51.73\00:57:54.64
to help reach this generation
with the everlasting good news
00:57:54.64\00:57:57.81
of Christ. If
you'd rather talk with
00:57:57.81\00:58:00.18
someone, call one of
our friendly operators.
00:58:00.18\00:58:02.24
Here's the toll-free number
-- 877 and then the two words
00:58:02.24\00:58:05.58
"his will." 877-HIS-WILL.
00:58:05.58\00:58:08.72
In the meantime, may the grace
and peace of Jesus be yours
00:58:08.72\00:58:12.39
every step of
this adventurous way.
00:58:12.39\00:58:16.19
¤¤
00:58:16.19\00:58:19.49