Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:00:21.92\00:00:35.16
Nobody knows but Jesus.
00:00:35.20\00:00:47.68
Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:00:47.71\00:01:00.46
Glory, hallelujah!
00:01:00.49\00:01:11.23
Sometimes I'm up, sometimes
I'm down. Oh yes, Lord.
00:01:11.27\00:01:23.28
Sometimes I'm almost to
the ground. Oh yes, Lord.
00:01:23.31\00:01:39.19
Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:01:39.26\00:01:51.47
Nobody knows but Jesus.
00:01:51.51\00:02:02.48
Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:02:02.95\00:02:14.36
Glory, hallelujah!
00:02:14.80\00:02:26.24
Although you see me
going 'long so, Oh yes, Lord,
00:02:26.71\00:02:37.35
I have my trials
here below. Oh yes, Lord.
00:02:37.85\00:02:56.54
Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:02:56.91\00:03:07.78
Nobody knows but Jesus.
00:03:08.25\00:03:19.76
Nobody knows the troubles I see.
00:03:20.20\00:03:32.21
Glory halle, glory
halle, glory hallelujah!
00:03:32.64\00:03:58.00
We invite you to turn
to page 9 in your bulletins
00:04:02.14\00:04:05.31
as we share the
word this morning.
00:04:05.71\00:04:07.71
You could follow in your
bulletins or on the screen,
00:04:07.74\00:04:11.51
and we ask that you please
read responsively with us.
00:04:11.55\00:04:15.25
They are considered among
the most sublime of all words
00:05:07.27\00:05:13.78
in sacred literature; the
prologue of the fourth gospel,
00:05:14.51\00:05:20.78
only eighteen verses long.
00:05:20.82\00:05:25.22
And yet in these short verses
of this majestic introduction
00:05:25.25\00:05:33.43
the story of the universe, and
you and me, and God is captured.
00:05:33.46\00:05:39.90
And so as we did last
Sabbath, before we pray today,
00:05:39.93\00:05:46.57
I'd like to read the
words of the prologue with you.
00:05:46.61\00:05:51.21
Pull out your Bible,
whatever translation you've
00:05:51.25\00:05:53.68
brought this morning.
00:05:53.72\00:05:55.05
I have the New King James here.
00:05:55.08\00:05:57.49
We're going to read these
eighteen short verses together.
00:05:57.52\00:06:02.02
If you didn't bring a
Bible, grab the pew Bible
00:06:02.09\00:06:04.03
right in front of you.
00:06:04.06\00:06:05.56
Our brand new
series, the Last Word,
00:06:09.00\00:06:10.87
The Fourth Gospel
for a Final Generation.
00:06:10.90\00:06:13.70
I want to read the
prologue again with you.
00:06:14.24\00:06:15.80
John 1:1 In the
beginning was the Word,
00:06:17.07\00:06:22.74
and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.
00:06:22.81\00:06:28.52
He was in the
beginning with God.
00:06:28.55\00:06:31.45
All things were
made through him;
00:06:32.15\00:06:33.96
and without him
nothing was made that was made.
00:06:34.69\00:06:36.02
In him was life; and the
life was the light of men.
00:06:37.23\00:06:40.60
And the light
shines in the darkness;
00:06:40.63\00:06:44.13
and the darkness
did not comprehend it.
00:06:44.17\00:06:46.07
There was a man sent
from God, whose name was John.
00:06:47.27\00:06:49.84
This man came for a witness,
to bear witness of the Light,
00:06:49.90\00:06:54.04
that all through
him might believe.
00:06:54.08\00:06:56.14
He was not that
Light, but was sent to bear
00:06:57.45\00:06:59.25
witness of that Light.
00:06:59.51\00:07:00.85
That was the true Light,
which gives light to every man
00:07:00.88\00:07:03.82
coming into the world.
00:07:03.85\00:07:05.19
He was in the world, and
the world was made through him,
00:07:07.06\00:07:09.42
and the world did not know him.
00:07:09.46\00:07:11.69
He came to his own, and
his own did not receive him.
00:07:12.89\00:07:16.46
But as many as received him, to
them he gave the right to become
00:07:16.50\00:07:21.30
children of God, to
those who believe in his name:
00:07:21.34\00:07:25.21
who were born, not of blood,
not of the will of the flesh,
00:07:25.24\00:07:28.31
nor of the will
of man, but of God.
00:07:28.58\00:07:31.08
And the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us,
00:07:31.68\00:07:36.02
(and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten
00:07:36.05\00:07:40.22
of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
00:07:40.26\00:07:43.29
John bore witness of him, and
cried out, saying, This was he
00:07:43.46\00:07:47.50
of whom I said, He who comes;
after me is preferred before me,
00:07:47.53\00:07:50.47
for he was before me
00:07:50.67\00:07:52.00
And of his fullness we have
received, and grace for grace.
00:07:53.84\00:07:57.71
For the law was given through
Moses, but grace and truth
00:07:57.74\00:08:01.61
came through Jesus Christ.
00:08:01.68\00:08:03.28
No one has seen God at any
time; the only begotten Son,
00:08:03.31\00:08:07.45
who is in the bosom of the
Father, he has declared him.
00:08:07.48\00:08:11.82
Let's pray. Oh God, we sang
in a moment ago Word of God,
00:08:11.85\00:08:18.96
Word of God speak.
00:08:18.99\00:08:21.33
We're asking that again.
00:08:22.43\00:08:24.37
A few moments together,
but oh Word of God speak,
00:08:25.07\00:08:30.81
for Your children listen.
00:08:30.84\00:08:34.24
In the name of the
Word we pray, Amen.
00:08:34.28\00:08:39.48
Would you like to see what it
looked like? what it looked like
00:08:39.51\00:08:44.12
when the Word became flesh?
00:08:44.15\00:08:47.39
I found a stunning
piece of video on You Tube,
00:08:47.42\00:08:52.53
and I want to share it with you.
00:08:52.56\00:08:53.90
But before we put it
up, here's what I want you
00:08:53.93\00:08:55.63
to be doing please, please.
00:08:55.66\00:08:57.93
As you see this footage, I want
you to be imagining that what
00:08:57.97\00:09:04.24
you're actually seeing is the
Word of God being made flesh;
00:09:04.27\00:09:11.01
God Himself in
human fetal form. Watch.
00:09:11.05\00:09:19.52
Isn't that amazing?
00:09:59.49\00:10:00.83
That's the way it
was when you were born.
00:10:00.86\00:10:02.90
In fact I was thinking,
it kind of looked like you,
00:10:02.93\00:10:04.57
as I was looking at that image.
00:10:04.60\00:10:06.53
That's the way it
was when I was born.
00:10:06.57\00:10:08.90
That's the way it
was when Jesus was born.
00:10:08.97\00:10:11.27
And who's this Jesus?
00:10:11.31\00:10:13.31
He's the Word made flesh.
00:10:13.34\00:10:15.28
But here's the question, How
could it possibly be that our
00:10:15.51\00:10:19.71
human, finite minds could
comprehend this notion that the
00:10:19.78\00:10:24.52
infinite Creator God of
the Universe reduced Himself
00:10:24.55\00:10:28.49
into a zygote, a fertilized
egg in the womb of a teenager?
00:10:28.52\00:10:34.73
How can it be? And yet that is
the one line Christmas narrative
00:10:34.76\00:10:45.07
of here in the fourth gospel.
00:10:45.14\00:10:47.51
The Christmas story, just one
line long in the gospel of John,
00:10:48.38\00:10:52.75
but I'd like to brood over that
Christmas story with you on this
00:10:52.78\00:10:56.25
holiday weekend, not Christmas.
00:10:56.28\00:10:57.99
Pull out your Bible
again if you closed it.
00:10:58.02\00:11:00.29
If you didn't pull out the Bible
the first time, pull it out now.
00:11:01.36\00:11:03.29
With me ruminate
over these words.
00:11:04.06\00:11:06.19
Verse 14, John 1:14,
Page 714 in your pew Bible.
00:11:06.90\00:11:11.33
Grab that one. I want you
to just let the Word come in.
00:11:11.37\00:11:15.64
We just sang it a
moment ago, Word of God speak;
00:11:15.70\00:11:18.44
let the Word speak.
00:11:18.71\00:11:20.04
And, by the way, I love
this idea of these Andrew Study
00:11:20.08\00:11:22.04
Bibles circulating.
00:11:22.08\00:11:23.41
Thank you, Pastor Hosea
for that idea; beautiful idea.
00:11:23.45\00:11:26.72
I don't know if they've come
by your way, but we're going to,
00:11:26.75\00:11:28.88
when we get these Bibles all
marked up they'll become gifts
00:11:28.92\00:11:31.29
for somebody, knowing that
they were marked in the worship
00:11:31.32\00:11:35.59
of the community
of Andrews University
00:11:35.62\00:11:38.13
at the Pioneer Memorial Church.
00:11:38.16\00:11:39.76
So thank you for what you did.
00:11:39.79\00:11:41.26
Alright, this is John 1:14.
00:11:41.30\00:11:45.13
And the Word... By the
way, did you know that this
00:11:59.31\00:12:02.25
is the only other place
in the prologue where the
00:12:02.28\00:12:04.92
name Word appears?
00:12:04.95\00:12:06.72
In the first teaching last week,
as we embarked on this journey,
00:12:06.76\00:12:10.56
we read it in
the opening syllable.
00:12:10.59\00:12:12.76
Let's read it again. Verse 1.
00:12:12.79\00:12:14.53
We noted from our study last
week that the Word shares the
00:12:24.44\00:12:27.18
eternity and the deity of
all of Almighty God Himself,
00:12:27.48\00:12:30.35
but He is a separate
being from Almighty God.
00:12:30.38\00:12:33.28
So who is this Word?
00:12:37.32\00:12:39.35
Ha, verse 14 declares
He's the One who became flesh.
00:12:39.39\00:12:42.96
Thus John's opening
salvo is quick and clear.
00:12:47.93\00:12:53.60
What he's telling us: the Christ
child asleep in Bethlehem's
00:12:53.94\00:12:58.07
manger was none other than
the eternal God made flesh.
00:12:58.11\00:13:02.14
That's all the
Christmas story John has;
00:13:02.18\00:13:04.31
no angels, no
shepherds, no wise men,
00:13:04.35\00:13:06.38
only the enfleshment of God.
00:13:06.41\00:13:09.48
And the Word became, became.
00:13:09.75\00:13:14.59
Do you know what? the
Greek word for became is already
00:13:14.62\00:13:18.03
used in the prologue.
00:13:18.06\00:13:19.39
It was used twice in
verse 3. Notice verse 3.
00:13:19.43\00:13:21.90
The last two was made
are the identical Greek word.
00:13:28.44\00:13:31.54
So He, the
Word, made everything.
00:13:31.57\00:13:36.48
Now get the
profound implications.
00:13:36.51\00:13:39.01
Get this: He, the Word,
created the entire universe.
00:13:39.68\00:13:42.98
He made
everything. That's verse 3.
00:13:43.02\00:13:44.52
And in verse 14 the Word, same
Word, was made, see was made,
00:13:44.55\00:13:48.99
which means that the
Creator of the entire cosmos,
00:13:49.02\00:13:52.49
and the universe, the
Creator Himself made Himself.
00:13:52.53\00:13:57.10
He made Himself into a zygote.
00:13:57.13\00:14:00.37
You remember that
from biology, don't you?
00:14:00.57\00:14:02.30
He made Himself into a zygote,
implanted in a teenage womb.
00:14:03.71\00:14:08.74
Wow! How did He do
it? We're not told.
00:14:08.78\00:14:13.35
In fact the only word...
00:14:13.38\00:14:15.95
Here's the word the
Bible uses for what John is
00:14:16.48\00:14:19.39
trying to describe here.
00:14:19.42\00:14:20.76
That's all we know.
00:14:30.07\00:14:31.40
The enfleshment
of God; a mystery.
00:14:32.23\00:14:34.47
But I tell you what, if there's
ever a generation who might
00:14:34.50\00:14:37.97
be able to probe and
brood over this mystery,
00:14:38.01\00:14:41.38
it ought to be this one,
given our genetic engineering,
00:14:41.41\00:14:44.28
and stem cell research today,
such a possibility is no longer
00:14:44.31\00:14:48.38
beyond imagining,
thanks to science today.
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.85
And the Word became...
00:14:51.89\00:14:56.02
The Creator transforming Himself
into the creature inside that
00:14:56.06\00:14:59.96
little girl's womb.
00:15:00.00\00:15:03.57
Here's what He looked like.
00:15:04.63\00:15:05.97
This is... Take a look here,
this is what He looked like.
00:15:06.00\00:15:08.74
That is a human fetus.
00:15:09.24\00:15:11.34
Just hold that on the screen.
00:15:12.17\00:15:14.58
That is the Word, became.
00:15:14.61\00:15:17.41
That's what He
became. Just like that.
00:15:17.45\00:15:22.68
The Eternal God tucked
inside that fertile warm house,
00:15:22.72\00:15:30.46
the uterus of this girl.
00:15:30.49\00:15:33.50
And the Word, and
the Word, became flesh.
00:15:33.53\00:15:41.34
By the way, that's a very
interesting word the word flesh.
00:15:41.37\00:15:43.87
In the Greek it's sarx.
00:15:43.91\00:15:45.24
It's used in the New Testament
to describe the human race,
00:15:45.27\00:15:47.71
to describe our
humanity, to also describe our
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.48
fallen human nature.
00:15:50.51\00:15:51.85
So which way is
John using it here?
00:15:51.88\00:15:53.25
What does he mean by that word?
00:15:53.28\00:15:55.08
It's clear the way
John is using it here.
00:15:55.12\00:15:56.92
He's simply saying...
00:15:56.95\00:15:58.29
That's what he's saying.
00:15:59.22\00:16:00.56
The divine being who
was One with the Father,
00:16:03.06\00:16:06.33
but separate from the Father,
became a human being as well.
00:16:06.36\00:16:09.86
Now look, I know this is
a holiday weekend, alright?
00:16:09.90\00:16:12.17
And I know that you put your
mind on kind of a slow simmer,
00:16:12.20\00:16:16.20
but I need you to
think deep right now.
00:16:16.24\00:16:18.04
I need you to
think deep, please.
00:16:18.07\00:16:19.41
I'm going to show you
some words in just a second.
00:16:20.54\00:16:22.68
Some words from a Dutch
commentator. They're heavy.
00:16:22.94\00:16:27.88
You're going to have to
probe, you're going to hang on,
00:16:27.92\00:16:29.65
and you're going to
have to concentrate.
00:16:29.68\00:16:31.75
The name of the
commentator: Herman Ridderbos.
00:16:31.79\00:16:35.12
When I put the words
on the screen try to...
00:16:35.16\00:16:40.30
Just grasp with me what
he is trying to tell us.
00:16:40.33\00:16:43.87
Put him on the screen. Let's go.
00:16:43.90\00:16:45.23
Alright, that's what we
just read here in John 1:14.
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.70
So it wasn't, Hey,
hey Guys, I'm here.
00:16:56.61\00:16:58.51
I'm Jesus of
Nazareth. I'm now flesh.
00:16:58.55\00:17:00.48
No, no, no, no,
no, no, it's more.
00:17:00.52\00:17:02.42
It is to become flesh.
00:17:02.45\00:17:03.82
that we have just
read in the prologue,
00:17:13.90\00:17:15.56
talking about the Word is...
00:17:15.60\00:17:16.93
All the redemptive categories
00:17:18.77\00:17:23.71
Now hold on!
00:17:23.74\00:17:25.07
So whoever this
Jesus of Nazareth is,
00:17:31.65\00:17:33.55
everything that's
been said about the Word
00:17:33.58\00:17:35.48
is now true about Him.
00:17:35.62\00:17:36.95
Absoluteness, exclusiveness,
it all applies to this
00:17:37.75\00:17:41.62
Jesus of Nazareth.
00:17:41.66\00:17:42.99
And, keep reading.
00:17:43.02\00:17:48.90
This Jesus of Nazareth possesses
what only God possesses.
00:17:48.93\00:17:53.54
Completely, all of this...
00:17:54.00\00:17:55.34
He cannot be a mere
man, John is declaring.
00:18:00.58\00:18:06.05
In other words, hey, let's
unpackage this for a second.
00:18:06.08\00:18:08.68
In other words, when
the Word was born baby Jesus
00:18:09.48\00:18:13.19
lying in the manger,
alright? when the Word was born
00:18:13.25\00:18:16.42
baby Jesus, He didn't just, He
didn't just put on human nature
00:18:16.46\00:18:20.90
like a suit of clothes.
00:18:20.93\00:18:22.26
Hey guys, I got
My human nature on.
00:18:22.30\00:18:23.63
How does it look?
Do I look human enough?
00:18:23.67\00:18:25.23
No, and He didn't
take off His divine...
00:18:25.27\00:18:27.77
Hey listen, let Me take off the
divine so I can become human.
00:18:27.80\00:18:29.84
No, no, no, no, no, what John
is trying to make sure we get
00:18:29.87\00:18:33.51
through his careful language
is that the squalling baby
00:18:33.54\00:18:36.81
that emerges from Mary's young
womb, was the Word, fully God,
00:18:36.95\00:18:40.82
made flesh, fully man. Wow!
00:18:40.85\00:18:45.12
And that point is so critical,
that point is so profound,
00:18:45.15\00:18:48.69
we've got to jot
it down right now.
00:18:48.72\00:18:50.63
Grab your new study guide.
00:18:50.66\00:18:51.99
It's in your worship bulletin.
00:18:52.03\00:18:53.36
Pull your new study guide out.
00:18:53.40\00:18:54.73
Now I'm going to get to your
cell phones in just a moment.
00:18:54.76\00:18:57.73
Because you're going to use your
smart phone or your cell phone
00:18:58.13\00:18:59.87
right here, because I
need to hear from you.
00:18:59.93\00:19:01.30
I'm getting to that; not now.
00:19:01.34\00:19:03.14
Pull out your study guide.
00:19:03.17\00:19:04.91
If you didn't
get a study guide...
00:19:04.94\00:19:06.27
Thank you ushers.
Let's make sure everybody
00:19:06.31\00:19:07.64
gets a study guide.
00:19:07.68\00:19:09.01
Hold your hand up if you
came in and there were several
00:19:09.04\00:19:10.38
of you, and only one of
you grabbed the study guide.
00:19:10.41\00:19:11.75
You're going to
want this study guide.
00:19:11.78\00:19:13.11
Alright, hold your hand up.
00:19:13.15\00:19:14.48
Good, there are hands
all the way to the back.
00:19:14.52\00:19:15.85
There are hands
up in the balcony.
00:19:15.88\00:19:17.22
Those of you who are watching
in over flow, put your hand up.
00:19:17.25\00:19:20.46
We'll get study guides to
you as well; our youth chapel.
00:19:20.49\00:19:23.12
We'll get study guides to you.
00:19:23.76\00:19:25.09
Let's fill this in while
it's still fresh in our minds.
00:19:26.29\00:19:29.70
Okay, and while the ushers are
doing that, let me welcome those
00:19:30.60\00:19:33.20
of you who are watching
on television right now.
00:19:33.23\00:19:34.64
We're delighted to have you.
00:19:34.67\00:19:36.00
I want you to have
the same study guide.
00:19:36.04\00:19:37.37
I'm going to put it
on the screen for you.
00:19:37.41\00:19:38.74
Our website; when you
go to that website you can
00:19:38.77\00:19:40.54
get the study guide.
00:19:40.58\00:19:41.91
Alright, let's us
put it on the screen.
00:19:41.94\00:19:43.28
There it is. You see it.
00:19:43.31\00:19:44.65
See it at the
bottom: www. pmchurch. tv,
00:19:44.68\00:19:48.52
www. pmchurch. tv
00:19:48.55\00:19:51.95
You're looking for a brand
new series called The Last Word:
00:19:51.99\00:19:55.02
The Fourth Gospel
for a Final Generation.
00:19:55.32\00:19:57.23
See the big banner at the top.
00:19:57.26\00:19:58.59
You know where that series is.
00:19:58.63\00:19:59.96
This is teaching number two.
00:20:00.00\00:20:01.33
The title of this teaching:
The In-flesh-ment of God.
00:20:01.36\00:20:05.37
And then when you see
that you'll say, study guide,
00:20:05.40\00:20:08.00
and if you click on it you'll
have our identical study guide.
00:20:08.04\00:20:10.87
And, by the way, those of
you watching live streaming,
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.51
right now, wherever you are on
earth, we're glad to have you.
00:20:12.54\00:20:15.68
You get your study
guide while you're watching.
00:20:15.88\00:20:17.65
It's sitting
there already for you.
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.25
Alright, let's go!
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.62
Everybody got a study guide?
00:20:20.65\00:20:22.42
Keep your hands up there
00:20:22.45\00:20:23.79
They're working their way
to you, but we need to go.
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.15
Okay, so we fill
out the first line.
00:20:26.19\00:20:28.02
This is a simple one.
00:20:28.06\00:20:29.39
You won't have a...
00:20:29.42\00:20:30.76
If you get your study guide late
you'll know what goes in there.
00:20:30.79\00:20:32.13
Because that's what we're
grappling with this morning.
00:20:33.76\00:20:36.30
The Christmas
story according to John.
00:20:40.87\00:20:42.94
The Word became flesh.
00:20:43.24\00:20:44.57
Now to help us understand
Herman Rodderbos' vital point,
00:20:44.61\00:20:49.61
we're going to go
back to that quotation.
00:20:49.64\00:20:51.01
We'll fill in some key
words this time, and hopefully,
00:20:51.05\00:20:53.92
it will illumine the quotation.
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.42
Let's go back to
Ridderbos the Dutchman.
00:20:55.45\00:20:57.65
He's writing now
his commentary on John.
00:20:59.72\00:21:01.82
Key point. Jot that down.
00:21:27.22\00:21:28.98
Everything the prologue
uses to describe the Word now...
00:21:30.75\00:21:32.82
It's going to get... It's
going to show up somewhere else.
00:21:32.85\00:21:34.82
All those redemptive
categories of the Word...
00:21:34.86\00:21:38.16
This cannot be for anybody
else in the entire universe.
00:21:42.46\00:21:46.84
...now apply to the
man, Jesus of Nazareth.
00:21:46.87\00:21:49.30
Jot that down. Jesus
of Naz; just write Naz.
00:21:49.34\00:21:52.64
You know, it's a little shorter,
short line there. Swinch it in.
00:21:53.07\00:21:56.18
All of that, every prerogative
of the Word now applies
00:21:56.21\00:22:00.42
to Jesus of Nazareth, and
in His person. Look at this.
00:22:00.45\00:22:03.42
So Jesus of Nazareth possesses
what only God can possess.
00:22:08.22\00:22:11.36
That ought to tell
you about His divinity.
00:22:11.39\00:22:13.86
He possesses that
which belongs to God alone.
00:22:14.66\00:22:18.13
That means all of this...
00:22:18.17\00:22:19.80
He's not a mere man.
00:22:24.64\00:22:27.38
He's not a good teacher.
00:22:27.98\00:22:29.48
You remember our
teacher from last week.
00:22:29.51\00:22:31.35
No, no, no, no, no, no, hence...
00:22:31.38\00:22:33.15
Keep your pen moving.
00:22:33.18\00:22:34.52
That is the prologue's point.
00:22:37.92\00:22:40.36
Drama is about...
I'll tell you what,
00:22:41.02\00:22:43.26
we're going to love this gospel,
story, after story, after story.
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.66
But this key point will
be locked in our minds now.
00:22:45.69\00:22:48.03
He's fully God and fully man.
00:22:48.96\00:22:50.30
Keep your pen moving.
00:22:50.33\00:22:51.67
That's why you read
both of those titles
00:22:57.81\00:22:59.94
in the New Testament.
00:22:59.97\00:23:01.31
That's why, because He's both.
00:23:01.34\00:23:04.88
Keep your pen moving.
00:23:04.91\00:23:06.25
Incarnation is a
Latin word, carnal.
00:23:06.28\00:23:08.15
Carnal means flesh, so
incarnation means in-flesh-ment.
00:23:08.18\00:23:13.59
Fill that in; in-flesh-ment.
00:23:13.62\00:23:16.06
When you say God was incarnated
that means God became flesh.
00:23:16.09\00:23:19.19
The infleshment of God.
00:23:19.23\00:23:21.90
Yeah, but come on
Dwight, why would the Word
00:23:27.34\00:23:29.34
want to become flesh?
00:23:29.40\00:23:30.74
What's the big deal?
00:23:30.77\00:23:32.11
Huh, let's look
at the verse again?
00:23:32.14\00:23:33.48
And the Word became, or
was made flesh, and dwelt..
00:23:33.51\00:23:37.61
Uh, and dwelt among us.
00:23:37.65\00:23:41.45
Hey, do you remember the story
that the late Paul Harvey...
00:23:41.72\00:23:44.92
You remember Paul Harvey.
00:23:44.95\00:23:46.39
You knew who Paul Harvey was.
00:23:46.42\00:23:47.82
You're not that...
00:23:47.86\00:23:49.19
Yeah, you know
who Paul Harvey is.
00:23:49.22\00:23:50.56
Alright, so... Paul Harvey
used to love to tell this story
00:23:50.59\00:23:54.66
every Christmastime.
00:23:54.70\00:23:56.03
He'd tell it on his radio; huge
syndication all over the nation.
00:23:56.06\00:23:59.93
Do you remember the Christmas
story that he would tell?
00:23:59.97\00:24:01.90
It was about this
Christmas Eve blizzard.
00:24:01.94\00:24:03.61
Do you remember this
Christmas Eve blizzard,
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.14
and the father who
didn't believe this nonsense
00:24:05.17\00:24:08.64
about God becoming man,
which is the story of Christmas.
00:24:08.68\00:24:11.35
Ah, I don't believe that stuff!
00:24:11.38\00:24:13.11
And how in the howling
snow of that dark night...
00:24:13.15\00:24:16.02
You remember that?
00:24:16.05\00:24:17.39
...a flock of black
birds sees this fireplace.
00:24:17.42\00:24:19.92
They're looking for safety.
00:24:20.12\00:24:21.66
They're looking for refuge,
and they see this orange glow.
00:24:21.69\00:24:24.03
Ah, there is safety!
That flock just comes shooting
00:24:24.06\00:24:27.80
out of the stormy night.
00:24:27.83\00:24:29.30
But thump, thump, thump, thump,
thump, thump, thump, thump.
00:24:29.33\00:24:31.77
They didn't realize
there was a window pane there.
00:24:31.80\00:24:33.60
and how the little
boy was with his Daddy,
00:24:33.64\00:24:36.64
and the little boy goes running,
and he puts his hands on the
00:24:36.67\00:24:39.47
glass and he says, Oh
Daddy, Daddy, look at them!
00:24:39.51\00:24:41.11
They're,
they're thrashing about.
00:24:41.14\00:24:42.51
Daddy we got to do something.
00:24:42.54\00:24:43.88
They'll freeze
to death out here.
00:24:43.91\00:24:45.25
You remember
that story, don't you?
00:24:45.28\00:24:46.61
how the father and the
little boy bundle up in all
00:24:46.65\00:24:49.25
their Michigan finest, and they
go trouncing out into the snow.
00:24:49.28\00:24:52.82
And this is a piece of cake.
00:24:52.85\00:24:54.89
We're going to pick these birds
up, because we have a little
00:24:54.92\00:24:57.63
shed right over
there we'll put them in.
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.19
And you remember?
they came, these giants.
00:24:59.23\00:25:00.70
But when they stooped
over to pick up the birds,
00:25:00.73\00:25:04.07
how do you suppose the birds
reacted? thrashing frantically
00:25:04.10\00:25:07.27
backwards, To get
away from me! Get away!
00:25:07.30\00:25:09.27
The father realized, I can't.
00:25:09.30\00:25:11.67
I'm not going to be
able to get these birds.
00:25:11.71\00:25:13.04
And so you
remember how in the story
00:25:13.07\00:25:14.41
the little boy got the idea.
00:25:14.44\00:25:15.78
He said, Daddy, look, what
we'll do is we'll open the door.
00:25:15.81\00:25:17.75
I'll get some bread crumbs, and
we'll just from where the birds
00:25:17.78\00:25:21.85
are we'll drop the crumbs.
00:25:21.88\00:25:23.22
They'll eat the crumbs.
00:25:23.25\00:25:24.59
We'll lead them
right into safety.
00:25:24.62\00:25:25.95
And so they do
their bread crumb thing.
00:25:25.99\00:25:27.36
Does it work? Are you kidding?
00:25:27.42\00:25:28.76
The birds have no idea
what these bread crumbs are for.
00:25:28.79\00:25:31.73
Not that... no clue that they
lead to salvation. Forget it!
00:25:31.76\00:25:34.86
So the father says, Okay,
we'll do it the tough way.
00:25:34.90\00:25:37.30
We're going to shoo them in.
00:25:37.33\00:25:38.67
Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho they try,
and the birds go berserk.
00:25:38.70\00:25:43.20
And more to himself than to
his boy, in the howling winter
00:25:43.24\00:25:48.28
blizzard the father says out
loud, Ah, if only I could become
00:25:48.31\00:25:53.31
one of these black birds,
I could speak their language.
00:25:53.35\00:25:56.52
They would trust me, and I
could tell them, Guys you've got
00:25:56.55\00:26:00.09
to go there to be saved.
00:26:00.12\00:26:01.46
And as Paul Harvey,
in his inimitable style,
00:26:01.52\00:26:05.16
as he tells it, Just then
through the howl of the wind,
00:26:05.19\00:26:07.73
the Christmas Eve bells began
to ring, and the father knew
00:26:07.76\00:26:13.57
the truth of God becoming man.
00:26:13.60\00:26:17.21
Just a simple little parable,
but it explains to a degree,
00:26:17.24\00:26:22.81
does it not? It explains
effectively why it was the Word
00:26:22.84\00:26:26.15
became flesh and dwelt among us.
00:26:26.18\00:26:28.75
So that He could be one of us.
00:26:28.78\00:26:30.45
So that He could share our life.
00:26:30.49\00:26:31.82
So that He could
share our language.
00:26:31.85\00:26:33.19
So He could lead us to safety.
00:26:33.22\00:26:34.56
But, but, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:26:34.59\00:26:35.92
The prologue of
John is much deeper than
00:26:35.96\00:26:37.79
Paul Harvey's parable.
00:26:37.83\00:26:39.39
The prologue of John says,
Whoa, there's much more to this.
00:26:39.43\00:26:42.16
Watch this. The Greek word,
the Greek word for dwelt is the
00:26:42.20\00:26:52.94
verb form, is the verb
form of a noun that the Greek
00:26:52.97\00:27:00.08
Old Testament
called the Septuagint,
00:27:00.12\00:27:02.02
a noun used to describe the
sanctuary or the tabernacle.
00:27:02.05\00:27:06.42
Do you remember that little
portable church they carried all
00:27:06.45\00:27:09.09
through the wilderness?
00:27:09.12\00:27:10.46
Do you remember that?
00:27:10.49\00:27:11.83
Same word, I mean, you know
what that portable church was?
00:27:11.86\00:27:14.66
It was a bunch of badger skins
on the outside. Badger skins!
00:27:14.70\00:27:17.40
But inside of it the
very glory of Almighty God!
00:27:17.43\00:27:21.74
John takes that same
word, turns it into a verb,
00:27:21.84\00:27:26.21
and he says,
That's what's happening.
00:27:26.24\00:27:28.64
In fact some scholars
believe, listen to this,
00:27:28.68\00:27:31.11
that the reason the Septuagint
translators chose the word
00:27:31.15\00:27:34.88
skana, skana for tabernacle...
00:27:34.92\00:27:38.22
The reason they chose that
word was because it had the same
00:27:38.25\00:27:42.29
consonants as the Hebrew word
for Shekinah in the English:
00:27:42.32\00:27:46.33
s k n, same consonants.
00:27:46.36\00:27:50.33
Ah, just badger skins on
the outside, but Shekinah,
00:27:50.37\00:27:54.40
eternal glory on the inside.
00:27:54.44\00:27:57.74
And the Word, and
the Word became flesh.
00:27:57.77\00:28:03.48
In fact we'll
put it on the screen.
00:28:03.51\00:28:04.85
This is the way
that you could read it.
00:28:04.88\00:28:06.21
You see guys,
that's the whole point.
00:28:15.06\00:28:17.16
It's not just enough for God to
get up close to us so that we're
00:28:17.19\00:28:21.46
not afraid of this
big creature coming at us,
00:28:21.50\00:28:23.13
so that He can speak
our language and lead us
00:28:23.16\00:28:24.77
to safety or salvation.
00:28:24.80\00:28:26.13
No, no, no, no, no,
the prologue says no.
00:28:26.17\00:28:27.77
There's also another critical
reason why the Word would
00:28:27.80\00:28:31.17
become flesh, and
that is so that we might
00:28:31.21\00:28:33.78
behold the glory of God.
00:28:33.81\00:28:37.08
Now here's the question: Has the
glory of God already been seen
00:28:37.15\00:28:41.02
on earth by the time they
write this? Yeah, of course.
00:28:41.05\00:28:44.22
Remember the
burning bush? Glory of God.
00:28:44.25\00:28:47.29
You remember that tall pillar
of cloud or fire? Glory of God.
00:28:47.32\00:28:49.36
You remember Mount Sinai going
crazy with that pyrotechnics
00:28:49.39\00:28:52.59
explosion at the
top? Glory of God.
00:28:52.63\00:28:54.70
The most holy place in
that tabernacle? Glory of God.
00:28:54.73\00:28:57.97
They've already seen
the physical glory of God.
00:28:58.00\00:29:01.30
But when John uses the word
glory, he's not talking about
00:29:01.34\00:29:04.61
the physical glory of God.
00:29:04.64\00:29:05.97
He's talking about the glory of
this life that will culminate in
00:29:06.01\00:29:10.58
this mighty climax at Calvary.
00:29:10.61\00:29:13.85
It's the glory
of God's character.
00:29:13.88\00:29:16.72
In fact, you
remember this story?
00:29:16.75\00:29:18.09
Remember the meltdown of the
the children of Israel dancing
00:29:18.12\00:29:20.56
in front of the golden
calf at the foot of Mount Sinai?
00:29:20.59\00:29:22.29
Do you remember that?
00:29:22.32\00:29:23.66
After that meltdown
has been taken care of,
00:29:23.69\00:29:25.43
and Moses has pleaded
for the lives of the people,
00:29:25.46\00:29:27.80
Moses says, and he prays
this prayer in Exodus 33:18.
00:29:27.83\00:29:31.23
And I have this
prayer right where I have
00:29:31.27\00:29:33.03
worship every morning.
00:29:33.07\00:29:34.40
I love this prayer
in the Old King James.
00:29:34.44\00:29:35.77
I beseech thee, O
God, show me thy glory.
00:29:35.80\00:29:40.18
Do you remember that prayer?
00:29:40.24\00:29:41.61
He wanted to see God's glory?
00:29:41.64\00:29:42.98
Remember that? Yeah.
00:29:43.01\00:29:44.35
So God says, Okay,
come on up to the mountain.
00:29:44.38\00:29:46.85
What did Moses see?
pyrotechnics? Are you kidding?
00:29:46.88\00:29:49.48
God says, I'm going
to put My hand over you.
00:29:49.52\00:29:50.99
You're just
going to see My back.
00:29:51.02\00:29:52.35
But what did God
do when He walked by?
00:29:52.39\00:29:54.56
He described His
what? His character.
00:29:54.59\00:29:57.03
That's the glory. The earth has
not seen a full self revelation
00:29:57.06\00:30:02.66
of God; seeing the
life of the Word made flesh.
00:30:02.70\00:30:06.20
Which means that in this series,
as we track the Word made flesh,
00:30:06.23\00:30:09.97
we are seeing God
every single time.
00:30:10.01\00:30:13.24
How He behaves? That's God.
00:30:13.27\00:30:16.58
How He cares? That's God.
00:30:16.61\00:30:17.95
How He loves? That's God.
00:30:17.98\00:30:20.15
The glory that
pinnacles at Calvary. Wow!
00:30:20.18\00:30:24.82
Listen to this: Desire of Ages.
00:30:24.85\00:30:27.19
You have to fill this in.
00:30:27.22\00:30:28.56
It's a classic on
the life of Christ.
00:30:28.59\00:30:30.16
Put the words on the screen.
00:30:30.19\00:30:33.13
Here it goes now.
00:30:44.51\00:30:45.84
Write it in.
00:30:49.34\00:30:50.68
Would you fill that in, please?
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.12
Self-sacrificing
love; that's the glory.
00:30:55.35\00:30:59.19
The glory shining in the
face of the Word made flesh.
00:30:59.22\00:31:02.79
The glory of self-sacrificing
love. Keep reading.
00:31:02.82\00:31:05.49
You know what
self-renouncing love is?
00:31:11.13\00:31:12.57
When you want
something and somebody you love
00:31:12.63\00:31:15.34
also wants it, you give it.
00:31:15.37\00:31:16.71
When somebody who's asking
something from you that will
00:31:16.74\00:31:19.61
be sacrificial
for you, you give it.
00:31:19.64\00:31:21.91
I'm going to tell you a
story that's just coming to
00:31:21.94\00:31:23.71
my mind right now.
00:31:23.75\00:31:25.08
I hadn't planned
to tell this story,
00:31:25.11\00:31:26.45
but it's coming
to my mind right now.
00:31:26.48\00:31:27.82
A young coed met me after the
service last week, last week,
00:31:27.85\00:31:31.89
right here in this church.
00:31:31.92\00:31:33.59
Because I was hanging
right around that front pew.
00:31:33.62\00:31:35.49
If you ever want to
chat that's where I'll be;
00:31:35.52\00:31:37.36
Not at the door,
but right here. Okay?
00:31:37.39\00:31:39.93
So she comes. She has a
little catch in her voice.
00:31:40.00\00:31:43.97
I said, What's up?
00:31:44.03\00:31:46.00
She hands me an envelope.
00:31:46.03\00:31:48.24
She says, I've had a dream, and
she described her dream to me.
00:31:48.27\00:31:52.34
But she said, God came to me.
00:31:52.37\00:31:53.71
I've never met
this girl in my life.
00:31:55.61\00:31:57.71
God came to her.
She's a new student.
00:31:57.75\00:31:59.81
God came to me, and God
said, Girl, that dream of yours,
00:31:59.85\00:32:05.49
would you be
willing to sacrifice for
00:32:05.52\00:32:07.99
somebody else's dream?
00:32:08.02\00:32:09.36
She said, I've been
wrestling with this,
00:32:11.19\00:32:12.53
and Pastor, I need to do this,
and she handed me an envelope.
00:32:12.56\00:32:14.46
And I said,
What's in this envelope?
00:32:14.50\00:32:15.83
And she says, $800.00.
00:32:15.86\00:32:17.20
She is chasing a dream
herself, but she gave $800.00
00:32:17.23\00:32:26.61
as an act of worship to God.
00:32:26.64\00:32:28.01
Now listen to me carefully.
00:32:28.04\00:32:29.38
That's what self-renouncing,
self-sacrificing life is.
00:32:29.41\00:32:33.95
You give it up
for somebody else.
00:32:33.98\00:32:36.85
Once in a while we
see it in the human race.
00:32:36.89\00:32:42.32
The Word became flesh
so that the glory of God,
00:32:42.49\00:32:46.70
we could see it
day in and day out.
00:32:46.73\00:32:49.70
Isn't that amazing?
00:32:49.73\00:32:51.07
God bless that young coed
at Andrews University. Wow!
00:32:51.10\00:32:56.50
That's where...
Where did she get it from?
00:33:05.71\00:33:07.05
She got it
straight from God's heart.
00:33:07.08\00:33:08.42
I mean it was just
mainlined into her.
00:33:08.45\00:33:09.78
She was simply doing as
God would do. Keep reading.
00:33:09.82\00:33:16.42
And I wanted you
to see that word.
00:33:16.46\00:33:17.79
The character.
What is God's glory?
00:33:20.60\00:33:23.03
It's His character.
00:33:23.06\00:33:24.40
The Word becomes
flesh so that we can see,
00:33:24.43\00:33:26.84
see the character of God
lived out in our midst. Wow!
00:33:27.27\00:33:33.91
So what? Yo! So what?
00:33:43.45\00:33:49.76
I mean, yeah, big deal!
00:33:49.79\00:33:53.70
What difference does the
Word becoming flesh in our lives
00:33:53.73\00:33:58.10
today make for us?
00:33:58.13\00:33:59.63
What difference does the divine
Christ becoming human made
00:34:01.54\00:34:03.77
in the way you
lived this last week?
00:34:03.81\00:34:05.61
Has it made any difference?
00:34:05.64\00:34:07.28
Did you even think about it?
00:34:07.31\00:34:08.64
Look, why is it good
news that the Son of God
00:34:08.68\00:34:13.52
is also the Son of man?
00:34:13.55\00:34:16.35
Here's the question: What
does the humanity of Christ
00:34:16.38\00:34:19.49
mean to you right now?
00:34:19.52\00:34:22.12
I want to hear
from you right now.
00:34:22.19\00:34:25.09
Take out that
phone of yours, will you?
00:34:25.13\00:34:26.80
Come on, you've
been dying to use it.
00:34:26.83\00:34:28.46
Pull it out, pull it out.
00:34:28.50\00:34:30.30
You know, I called it smart.
00:34:30.33\00:34:32.07
I said, This is
first service, I not...
00:34:32.10\00:34:33.77
We've never done this before,
so I'm kind of learning as I go.
00:34:33.80\00:34:36.50
They said, Dwight...
00:34:36.54\00:34:37.87
They come up to me afterwards.
00:34:37.91\00:34:39.24
Dwight, don't call
these Smart phones.
00:34:39.27\00:34:40.98
It's just phone.
Any phone can do this.
00:34:41.01\00:34:43.55
And I'm thinking to
myself, You know why I call
00:34:43.58\00:34:45.58
them Smart phones?
00:34:45.61\00:34:46.95
Because any phone that can
send a text is very smart to me.
00:34:46.98\00:34:48.85
But no, no, that's a
special category of phones.
00:34:49.05\00:34:52.45
Let's just say,
Take out your cell phone.
00:34:52.52\00:34:53.96
Okay, Would you just take
out your cell phone, please?
00:34:53.99\00:34:56.62
I'm going to put a question,
and a number on the screen,
00:34:56.66\00:34:59.29
and I have Karen's ipad.
00:34:59.33\00:35:01.90
Yeah, I'm hoping if I use
this enough times it becomes
00:35:01.96\00:35:05.90
Dwight's ipad, see, so
I'm trying to work it in here.
00:35:05.93\00:35:08.20
I have Karen's
ipad in the pulpit.
00:35:08.24\00:35:10.77
Alright, so I got to turn it on
now, because I am going to read
00:35:10.81\00:35:14.14
what you sent me
in a split second.
00:35:14.18\00:35:16.48
Now don't put the,
don't put the question up yet,
00:35:16.51\00:35:18.31
because I found it in
the first church before
00:35:18.35\00:35:20.12
I was even through. Pssst!
00:35:20.18\00:35:21.88
And I'm with people
that I thought didn't
00:35:21.92\00:35:23.89
know how to do this.
00:35:23.92\00:35:25.99
Boy did they embarrass me!
00:35:27.06\00:35:28.49
They said, You
dummy, don't you know
00:35:28.52\00:35:31.39
we're as good as those kids?
00:35:31.46\00:35:33.23
All right. So I've
got to turn this on, see.
00:35:33.26\00:35:37.40
Yeah, I know how to do this.
00:35:37.43\00:35:40.37
See, Wow! How'd
you do that, Dwight?
00:35:40.44\00:35:43.20
I practiced.
Okay, alright, whoa!
00:35:43.24\00:35:49.04
Okay, now here's the deal.
00:35:49.08\00:35:50.48
I'm going to put the
question on the screen.
00:35:50.51\00:35:55.22
I want you to answer it.
00:35:55.25\00:35:56.58
No, don't put
the question up yet.
00:35:56.62\00:35:57.95
I want you to answer it.
00:35:57.99\00:35:59.32
Just do this... You
guys are incredible!
00:35:59.35\00:36:00.69
I saw one guy
just... all in one hand.
00:36:00.72\00:36:02.06
Could never read the
text, but it was all one hand.
00:36:02.09\00:36:05.09
Okay, okay, here
comes the question.
00:36:05.13\00:36:07.56
And by the way, those
of you who are watching,
00:36:07.60\00:36:10.23
live streaming right
now, this is for you, too.
00:36:10.27\00:36:11.97
Anywhere in the world you
can text this number. Alright?
00:36:12.00\00:36:15.37
So, here's the question.
00:36:15.40\00:36:17.87
What does the humanity of
Christ mean to you right now?
00:36:17.91\00:36:20.24
I don't need a
paragraph for an answer.
00:36:20.28\00:36:21.94
I just need a few words.
00:36:21.98\00:36:23.31
Okay? Come on, get
those thumbs moving.
00:36:23.35\00:36:24.78
What does the humanity of
Christ mean for you right now?
00:36:24.81\00:36:28.95
Oh my, it is working.
00:36:32.62\00:36:34.59
Mission Control-Ho!
00:36:34.62\00:36:38.49
This is where it all...
00:36:38.53\00:36:39.86
Okay, so what I'm going to do...
00:36:39.89\00:36:41.23
I'm up here at the top.
00:36:41.26\00:36:42.60
The problem is that
the top keeps changing.
00:36:42.63\00:36:43.97
Alright, I'll give you
just a little more time.
00:36:44.00\00:36:46.53
Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, sent.
00:36:46.57\00:36:49.67
Okay, text the
number on the screen.
00:36:49.70\00:36:53.24
Answer the question:
What does the humanity
00:36:53.27\00:36:54.98
of Christ mean to you?
00:36:55.01\00:36:56.34
It means... Here we go...
It means He's approachable.
00:36:56.38\00:37:01.72
Ooh, I like that. It
means He's approachable.
00:37:01.75\00:37:04.62
It means hope for me.
00:37:04.65\00:37:05.99
Here's another one.
00:37:06.02\00:37:07.36
It means companionship.
00:37:07.39\00:37:08.72
It means life more abundantly.
00:37:08.76\00:37:11.39
Here's one. It
means He can relate to me.
00:37:11.43\00:37:16.40
Spot on! He can relate to me.
00:37:16.43\00:37:19.97
He can relate to me.
00:37:20.00\00:37:21.67
I'd better step up my game.
00:37:21.70\00:37:24.87
Very good! Love
beyond understanding.
00:37:24.91\00:37:29.91
You've got that right.
00:37:29.94\00:37:31.28
It means life; one word.
00:37:34.38\00:37:37.65
That He became
flesh was life for me.
00:37:37.69\00:37:40.46
Oh, I liked that one!
00:37:44.03\00:37:45.36
Where, where did it go?
00:37:45.39\00:37:46.73
Man is it going!
I'm up to 302 already!
00:37:48.30\00:37:51.37
Come on guys, I
can't get all of you in.
00:37:51.40\00:37:55.74
Slow down! Okay,
I'll just go to the top.
00:37:55.77\00:37:59.81
Everything! Oh,
I liked that one!
00:37:59.84\00:38:02.64
What does it mean
to you? Everything.
00:38:02.68\00:38:04.01
Open door to divinity.
00:38:04.05\00:38:06.88
Ooh! It means now I
have an open door to God.
00:38:06.92\00:38:10.32
Wow! That's all
one person put: Wow!
00:38:10.35\00:38:14.99
Yeah, that's a Wow!
00:38:15.02\00:38:16.36
Awesome! Here's
another one: Awesome!
00:38:16.39\00:38:17.73
Oh, don't go back! Go back!
00:38:17.76\00:38:23.47
You know, this is technology.
00:38:23.50\00:38:26.33
That's the
problem with these things.
00:38:26.37\00:38:27.70
I'm trying to get back.
00:38:28.57\00:38:29.90
Maybe that's God saying,
You've had enough of these.
00:38:29.94\00:38:33.27
It's Apple saying,
You've had enough of these.
00:38:35.71\00:38:37.98
Okay, Come on.
View yew, okay, view.
00:38:42.72\00:38:46.15
Spew, okay. It means
He understands my plight.
00:38:46.19\00:38:50.59
It means I always have a friend.
00:38:50.63\00:38:53.06
It means that we mean enough
to God that He would do anything
00:38:53.09\00:38:58.17
to see us in Heaven.
00:38:58.20\00:38:59.53
Isn't that good? Wow!
00:38:59.57\00:39:02.24
It means God becoming
one with us to save us.
00:39:07.18\00:39:10.28
That's it,
that's the bottom line.
00:39:10.31\00:39:12.28
It means having a
friend who is always there,
00:39:12.31\00:39:15.78
even if I can't see Him.
00:39:15.82\00:39:17.72
Wow! We're up to 478 now.
00:39:19.32\00:39:22.19
It means that we mean enough
to God that He would do anything
00:39:22.22\00:39:30.27
to see us in Heaven.
00:39:30.30\00:39:31.77
Yeh! Can you believe that
you mean that much to God,
00:39:31.80\00:39:36.34
by the way? You mean so
much to God that He became you,
00:39:36.37\00:39:42.34
to get you to live with Him.
00:39:42.38\00:39:44.95
What's up with that?
00:39:44.98\00:39:46.58
Uh, it means the opportunity
to dwell with Him forever.
00:39:52.32\00:39:56.62
Ah, hey guys, you're alright.
00:39:56.66\00:39:59.89
Everybody's
right! Everybody's right!
00:39:59.93\00:40:02.73
Now I had to sum all of
this up, you're responses,
00:40:02.76\00:40:05.93
before I even saw them.
00:40:05.97\00:40:07.30
So here's how I summed it up.
00:40:07.34\00:40:08.67
See if this
works, will you, please?
00:40:08.70\00:40:10.87
I wrote this out.
Here's what the humanity of
00:40:10.91\00:40:14.64
Christ means to us.
00:40:14.68\00:40:16.01
Take your study guide again.
00:40:16.04\00:40:17.38
See, when you send
a text message to me
00:40:28.79\00:40:30.89
that's not personal.
00:40:30.93\00:40:32.26
I have no idea who this
text message is coming from.
00:40:32.29\00:40:33.63
It's just a bunch
of numbers at the top.
00:40:33.66\00:40:35.13
But when the Word became
flesh; we now know this truth
00:40:35.16\00:40:39.73
about God; He is the God
who is up close and personal.
00:40:39.77\00:40:43.64
That's a familiar third
millennial expression, isn't it?
00:40:43.67\00:40:46.17
Up close and personal.
00:40:46.21\00:40:47.54
What's that mean?
Because of the incarnation,
00:40:47.58\00:40:50.48
because of the infleshment of
God, He's up close and personal.
00:40:50.51\00:40:53.65
Would you jot this
down please? It means He's
00:40:53.68\00:40:55.88
I mean the drama's about to
begin in the gospel of John,
00:40:57.85\00:41:00.99
and I'm telling you, Jesus is
going after, I mean He is in the
00:41:01.02\00:41:04.03
face with a heart of love, but
He's in the face of people who
00:41:04.06\00:41:07.00
think they have it all
together when they are bankrupt.
00:41:07.03\00:41:10.30
He really gets in my
face when Dwight thinks
00:41:10.33\00:41:12.73
he has it all together.
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.10
And man, you are
empty right now, boy.
00:41:14.14\00:41:16.40
I'm in your face; you need Me.
00:41:16.44\00:41:18.37
You'll watch Him do that again
and again in these stories.
00:41:18.41\00:41:21.21
In our face some of the time.
00:41:21.24\00:41:24.15
But I love this next one.
00:41:24.18\00:41:25.51
All of the time, all
of the time by our side.
00:41:28.12\00:41:33.32
He's the God who's
up close and personal.
00:41:33.36\00:41:36.52
Just keep your
pen moving. Who to be
00:41:36.56\00:41:38.76
That's the truth. He
wanted to be one with us,
00:41:43.26\00:41:48.70
so He became one of us.
00:41:48.74\00:41:50.44
And you can't get any
closer than that, can you?
00:41:50.47\00:41:54.98
No you cannot.
That's as close as it comes.
00:41:55.01\00:41:58.65
I don't think you
can express it much more
00:41:58.68\00:42:01.98
pointedly than this.
00:42:02.02\00:42:03.35
I'm going to hold this up.
00:42:03.39\00:42:04.72
See if we can
get a camera on this.
00:42:04.75\00:42:06.09
I want you to have this book.
00:42:06.12\00:42:07.82
This book is the
paperback edition... Thank you.
00:42:09.42\00:42:13.76
This is a paperback
edition... Thank you very much.
00:42:13.80\00:42:19.40
Come on, stop!
Okay, adios. Goodbye.
00:42:19.43\00:42:25.04
Alright... Ha! Are
you doing that to me?
00:42:25.07\00:42:30.28
Is somebody doing this?
00:42:30.31\00:42:31.65
Can you do that
from your cell phone?
00:42:31.68\00:42:33.01
You can? What should I do now?
00:42:33.05\00:42:34.38
Should I just turn... Yeh.
00:42:34.42\00:42:36.89
You watch this. This
thing has never been shut off
00:42:37.75\00:42:40.42
so fast in it's life.
00:42:40.46\00:42:41.79
Goodbye. Okay. Ha!
00:42:41.82\00:42:46.80
It's out of power now.
00:42:48.90\00:42:50.27
I can't do anything.
00:42:50.30\00:42:51.63
I want you to have
this book right here.
00:42:51.67\00:42:53.50
This is the inspirational best
seller, the classic on the life
00:42:53.54\00:42:56.60
of Jesus called
The Desire of Ages.
00:42:56.64\00:42:58.04
The reason I'm so excited
about this particular one,
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.11
which is why I want
you to see the cover...
00:43:00.14\00:43:01.48
Because when you go to the
bookstore, we've already told
00:43:01.51\00:43:02.98
the University bookstore, and
the Christian bookstore across
00:43:03.01\00:43:05.55
the street here; alert them
that you're going to be coming.
00:43:05.58\00:43:07.62
This book is in the
New King James Version.
00:43:07.65\00:43:11.55
And that's why I want you
to read the life of Christ
00:43:11.59\00:43:13.39
with a fresher translation
than the old King James.
00:43:13.42\00:43:15.82
The Old King James is
just tough sledding sometimes.
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.26
You're going to love this.
00:43:18.29\00:43:20.73
The Desire of Ages.
00:43:21.66\00:43:23.26
You know what? Why
don't you join the journey?
00:43:23.30\00:43:26.43
Just grab one of
these; you've got the gospels.
00:43:26.47\00:43:28.40
We're going to
be on this journey,
00:43:28.44\00:43:30.14
you and I, for a few weeks.
00:43:30.17\00:43:31.54
You can read ahead, read ahead.
00:43:31.57\00:43:34.11
In the bulletin the reflection
questions are all there
00:43:34.14\00:43:36.64
so that you can know
what next week's teaching is
00:43:36.68\00:43:38.38
going to start focusing on.
00:43:38.41\00:43:39.75
You can spend a week
working over that chapter,
00:43:39.78\00:43:41.68
because we're going
to go a chapter at a time
00:43:41.72\00:43:43.08
when we get out
of this prologue.
00:43:43.12\00:43:44.45
Only one more
time in the prologue.
00:43:44.49\00:43:45.82
Reflections on September
11. that will be next week,
00:43:45.85\00:43:48.42
That will be next
week from the prologue:
00:43:48.46\00:43:50.76
The Children of Abraham
in the Bosom of the Father.
00:43:50.79\00:43:54.06
Don't miss next week.
00:43:54.10\00:43:56.56
Once we get into the drama it's
just story, bang, bang, bang,
00:43:56.60\00:43:59.37
with teaching,
teaching, teaching.
00:43:59.40\00:44:00.80
Get a hold of this book.
00:44:00.84\00:44:02.40
Let this book become a
part of your worship journey.
00:44:02.44\00:44:04.77
I want to read from this
book a couple of quotations,
00:44:04.81\00:44:08.08
and then I want to tell you a
story and sit down, all right?
00:44:08.11\00:44:09.74
A couple of quotations,
tell you a story, and sit down.
00:44:09.78\00:44:12.78
Okay so, and, by the way,
this is in your study guides,
00:44:12.81\00:44:17.05
so pull your study
guide out because you're
00:44:17.09\00:44:18.42
going to fill this in.
00:44:18.45\00:44:19.79
This is just dynamite!
00:44:19.82\00:44:21.16
Talking about
poignant, what does this mean?
00:44:21.19\00:44:23.46
What does the
humanity of Christ mean to us?
00:44:23.49\00:44:25.39
Watch this! Put it
on the screen for you.
00:44:25.43\00:44:27.96
This is the Desire
of Ages, that classic.
00:44:28.00\00:44:30.00
Write it in.
00:44:43.48\00:44:44.81
You've said
that again and again.
00:44:46.72\00:44:48.05
I read it right
here in my i- pad.
00:44:48.08\00:44:49.78
You were saying it,
saying it, saying it,
00:44:49.82\00:44:51.25
but isn't that something?
00:44:51.29\00:44:52.62
Our Creator is
the friend of sinners.
00:44:52.65\00:44:54.36
And then I just love this line:
00:44:54.39\00:44:55.82
That one line, by the way,
one of you, having worship in
00:45:08.84\00:45:12.64
organic chemistry, just started
these worships last week.
00:45:12.67\00:45:15.74
You told me after First Church,
That was the line we focused on.
00:45:15.78\00:45:19.61
So if you are in
Organic Chemistry this week,
00:45:19.65\00:45:21.65
you heard that
line read. Wow! Wow!
00:45:21.68\00:45:27.06
One more! Here's the other one.
00:45:27.09\00:45:29.52
I love this!
00:45:42.84\00:45:44.17
Can you believe this?
00:45:44.47\00:45:45.81
You're going to be
closer to God now than ever
00:45:51.88\00:45:54.42
in the history of the universe.
00:45:54.45\00:45:56.32
Because out of your fall
something happened between
00:45:56.35\00:46:00.32
you and God, which is why
you'll be in eternity. Wow!
00:46:00.36\00:46:04.86
Keep reading now.
00:46:06.63\00:46:07.96
It's not that suit of
clothes that He takes off
00:46:17.97\00:46:19.94
and says, Hey, this
was a great experiment.
00:46:19.97\00:46:22.41
Sure glad it ended well.
00:46:22.44\00:46:23.78
Are you kidding? He now
has you forever and ever, Amen.
00:46:23.81\00:46:28.15
He is human
forever and ever, Amen.
00:46:28.18\00:46:31.62
Fully God, fully man,
forever and ever, Amen.
00:46:31.65\00:46:34.79
You don't understand what He had
to give up to have five fingers,
00:46:34.82\00:46:39.53
and five toes, and to be
limited to one place in time.
00:46:39.56\00:46:43.03
He gave it up. He loved you so
much, He loved me so much. Wow!
00:46:43.06\00:46:50.87
Keep going!
00:46:57.45\00:46:58.78
We have a brother in the
universe who is one with us.
00:47:04.09\00:47:09.32
glorified Christ is our brother.
00:47:14.23\00:47:16.97
And then this last line.
00:47:17.00\00:47:18.33
It doesn't get
more profound than this.
00:47:18.37\00:47:19.70
Up close and personal
forever and ever, Amen.
00:47:29.14\00:47:36.28
That's what the
humanity of Christ means to us:
00:47:38.15\00:47:40.52
Up close and personal.
00:47:40.56\00:47:44.23
Now I end with the story
that happened just this week.
00:47:44.26\00:47:48.86
On the other end of the line the
voice of a woman from a state
00:47:48.90\00:47:53.70
far from here, a lovely
Southern accent to her voice.
00:47:53.74\00:47:58.54
I heard the voice say, I've
been watching on television,
00:47:58.57\00:48:01.88
and so I wanted to call you.
00:48:01.91\00:48:04.35
And with that she began the
story of a life that has been
00:48:04.38\00:48:08.48
crushed with difficulties.
00:48:08.52\00:48:10.55
Her daughter's life has
been messed up by drugs,
00:48:10.59\00:48:13.42
two children out of
wedlock with different fathers.
00:48:13.46\00:48:16.16
By the time she was through
telling me about her daughter,
00:48:16.19\00:48:20.46
and those two grandchildren
that the woman has brought
00:48:20.50\00:48:22.80
into her heart and
home, the woman is in tears.
00:48:22.83\00:48:25.53
And then she
told me about herself.
00:48:25.57\00:48:27.54
She's fighting breast cancer.
00:48:27.57\00:48:28.90
I mean it just kept compounding.
00:48:28.94\00:48:32.61
But I knew that if I called
you, you would pray for me.
00:48:32.64\00:48:36.01
I said, You bet
I'll pray for you!
00:48:36.04\00:48:38.05
But I want to read a
Scripture first before we pray.
00:48:38.08\00:48:41.12
And so she's on the phone,
and I'm reaching over to get my
00:48:41.15\00:48:44.52
Bible here at the
office, and I pull it over.
00:48:44.55\00:48:46.49
I said, I want you to
listen to these words.
00:48:46.52\00:48:48.36
Now I didn't know that
this sermon was going to...
00:48:48.39\00:48:49.76
I didn't know that was
going to be in the sermon.
00:48:49.79\00:48:51.13
I didn't know where this sermon
was going up close and personal,
00:48:51.16\00:48:53.06
but I ended up reading one
of those majestic promises,
00:48:53.09\00:48:56.10
Isaiah 43, where God says,
Do not be afraid; I am with you.
00:48:56.13\00:49:01.67
When you pass
through the waters,
00:49:01.70\00:49:03.10
they will not overflow you.
00:49:03.14\00:49:05.17
When you pass through the
fire, it will not burn you.
00:49:05.21\00:49:08.11
You are precious in My
sight, so do not be afraid.
00:49:08.14\00:49:14.58
I am with you. Up
close and personal.
00:49:14.62\00:49:17.25
That's what that promise is.
00:49:17.29\00:49:18.62
So we read that promise together
on the long distance phone.
00:49:18.65\00:49:22.29
And then I said, I
want to pray with you.
00:49:22.32\00:49:23.66
But she said, I want to
tell you one more story.
00:49:23.69\00:49:25.36
I said, Alright.
She said, I want to tell
00:49:25.39\00:49:29.26
you about my husband.
00:49:29.30\00:49:30.63
She hadn't mentioned him.
00:49:30.67\00:49:32.00
I said, Okay. My
husband recently died of cancer.
00:49:32.03\00:49:36.00
And it's a dreadful cancer.
00:49:36.04\00:49:38.64
He was a truck driver.
00:49:38.67\00:49:41.01
Called home every single night.
00:49:41.04\00:49:45.18
He was her lifeline.
00:49:45.21\00:49:47.15
And after he died her little
world just imploded upon itself.
00:49:50.92\00:49:56.46
Some time after his death, the
grandchildren are staying with
00:49:58.39\00:50:03.80
some friends, so she's
in the house all alone.
00:50:03.83\00:50:06.94
You got the picture?
00:50:06.97\00:50:08.30
She's in the house all alone.
00:50:08.34\00:50:09.67
She's lying in bed.
00:50:09.70\00:50:11.57
It's pitch black. And all of
that brokenness just wells up
00:50:11.61\00:50:17.58
within her, and she
begins to sob into the darkness.
00:50:17.61\00:50:21.88
God, don't you know
what I'm going through?
00:50:21.92\00:50:26.15
How could You do this to me?
00:50:26.19\00:50:28.89
He was everything
to me. My life is gone!
00:50:28.92\00:50:32.16
And she's just sobbing,
and sobbing, and sobbing.
00:50:32.19\00:50:35.46
And then she told me,
all of a sudden, in the dark,
00:50:35.50\00:50:42.87
she feels a
presence right beside her.
00:50:42.90\00:50:48.94
And then she says, Pastor,
I'm telling you the truth.
00:50:50.95\00:50:54.02
I heard the voice speak to me.
00:50:54.05\00:50:59.95
And the voice said to her,
I know how your heart aches,
00:50:59.99\00:51:08.50
and I am so sorry.
00:51:08.53\00:51:13.64
It was never supposed to
have turned out this way.
00:51:13.67\00:51:17.87
But I will be with you.
00:51:17.91\00:51:22.34
I will be with
you the whole way.
00:51:22.38\00:51:26.85
And by this time, because
I'm listening to a real live
00:51:26.88\00:51:30.99
testimony, I got my
eyes out of... I can't see.
00:51:31.02\00:51:36.66
I'm trying to dry my cheeks.
00:51:36.69\00:51:38.46
I don't want her to hear
I'm trying to get a hold of my
00:51:38.49\00:51:41.33
voice. Do you know why
those tears sprang to my eyes?
00:51:41.36\00:51:45.20
I'll tell you why.
00:51:45.23\00:51:46.57
Because I've
heard that story before.
00:51:46.60\00:51:48.80
I've heard that story
before, again and again,
00:51:48.84\00:51:52.51
and it rings
true, just like God.
00:51:52.54\00:51:56.44
He's done it.
Wouldn't it be just like Him?
00:51:56.48\00:52:02.48
up close and personal?
00:52:02.52\00:52:05.35
Guys, I'm telling you, I'm
telling you, it doesn't get any
00:52:05.39\00:52:11.43
better than Christ.
00:52:11.46\00:52:14.63
That has to be, this Christ who
is God up close and personable,
00:52:14.66\00:52:21.00
that has to be about the best
news you and I will ever hear
00:52:21.04\00:52:27.64
in this life, Amen, Amen.
00:52:27.68\00:52:32.18
Up close and personal.
00:52:38.92\00:52:40.52
So I've got to tell you;
I've got to be honest with you.
00:52:44.06\00:52:47.20
I am praying. I have
some friends praying.
00:52:47.23\00:52:50.47
I am praying that this
opportunity God is giving us
00:52:50.50\00:52:56.14
to immerse ourselves
in the life of Jesus,
00:52:56.17\00:53:00.74
whether you do it here, or
dorm worships, or co-curricular,
00:53:00.78\00:53:03.58
or wherever, this year I am
praying that this opportunity
00:53:03.61\00:53:10.12
Jesus is giving you to get
up close and personal with Him
00:53:10.15\00:53:14.26
you'll not let it go.
00:53:14.29\00:53:16.26
You'll not say, Ah come
on, it's just another journey.
00:53:16.29\00:53:20.13
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
00:53:20.16\00:53:24.17
I believe Jesus is coming soon.
00:53:24.20\00:53:26.23
I mean the stuff
that's just been happening...
00:53:26.27\00:53:28.54
I'm writing this
fourth watch blog, you know.
00:53:28.57\00:53:30.51
But the stuff that's
been happening; I'm saying,
00:53:30.54\00:53:31.87
Can I take a little pause, God?
00:53:31.91\00:53:33.24
Can I take a little
pause in the sermon series?
00:53:33.27\00:53:34.61
I want to get into the
Second Coming again. No.
00:53:34.64\00:53:36.08
I believe Jesus is coning soon.
00:53:36.11\00:53:38.41
Now listen carefully.
00:53:38.45\00:53:39.78
He's coming. He's going to come
when He has a people that He is
00:53:39.81\00:53:45.39
enfleshed in, up
close and personal,
00:53:45.42\00:53:48.82
so that when the world meets
these people they will see Him
00:53:48.86\00:53:55.33
incarnated, up
close and personal.
00:53:55.36\00:53:59.83
And so I'm inviting
you, please, with all
00:53:59.87\00:54:03.04
the earnestness of my
heart, I'm inviting you.
00:54:03.07\00:54:05.24
Please, don't
miss this opportunity.
00:54:05.27\00:54:08.14
Please take... Get a hold of the
New King James Desire of Ages.
00:54:08.18\00:54:12.51
Take your gospels and every week
between our Sabbath's together,
00:54:12.55\00:54:16.38
every week get up close
and personal with Jesus.
00:54:16.42\00:54:20.72
For the life of me, I can't
think of what would be better
00:54:25.59\00:54:34.14
news than that truth.
00:54:34.17\00:54:36.50
I want to pray with you.
00:54:45.28\00:54:46.61
I want to pray with you,
but before we do would you stand
00:54:46.65\00:54:49.75
with me and sing
this little chorus?
00:54:49.78\00:54:51.79
You know it: Turn
your eyes upon Jesus.
00:54:51.82\00:54:55.22
Look full in His wonderful face.
00:54:55.26\00:54:58.16
And the things of earth will
grow strangely dim in the light
00:54:58.19\00:55:03.63
of His glory and grace.
00:55:03.67\00:55:05.87
Let's sing that
together, shall we?
00:55:05.90\00:55:07.47
I'm singing
acapella with you now.
00:55:55.38\00:55:57.22
Let's sing it again, please,
quietly as if it were a prayer.
00:55:57.25\00:56:00.22
Holy Father, that's the truth.
00:56:46.67\00:56:48.90
You'll have a
generation at the end of time,
00:56:48.94\00:56:52.47
just before the return of
Jesus, up close and personal.
00:56:52.51\00:56:58.51
You have become that to us.
00:56:58.55\00:57:02.25
And You are pleading, Please
won't you become that to Me?
00:57:02.28\00:57:08.52
Up close, come, come,
come nearer, up close.
00:57:08.56\00:57:12.76
Let's be personal, you and I.
00:57:12.79\00:57:15.16
Oh Father, don't let
us miss this opportunity
00:57:15.20\00:57:20.24
to get up close and
personal with the Word,
00:57:20.27\00:57:25.24
so that incarnated,
enfleshed in us, this old world,
00:57:28.84\00:57:34.12
one last time might
see the truth about You.
00:57:34.15\00:57:40.86
And now, may the love of
God, and the grace of His Son,
00:57:45.49\00:57:53.97
and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with you and me, Amen.
00:57:54.00\00:58:02.44