Participants: Pr. Dwight K Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP092708
|
00:53 He is exalted, the King is exalted on high
00:59 I will praise him 01:01 He is exalted, forever exalted 01:05 And I will praise His name 01:14 He is the Lord 01:18 For ever His truth shall reign 01:22 Heaven and earth 01:26 Rejoice in His holy name 01:31 He is exalted, the King is exalted on high 01:36 For He is the Lord. 01:39 For he is the Lord 01:43 Forever His truth shall reign 01:47 Heaven and earth 01:51 Rejoice in His holy name 01:56 He is exalted, the King is exalted on high 02:03 He is exalted. 02:04 He is exalted, the King is exalted on high 02:13 Oh, How sweet to trust in the exalted one. 02:48 Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus 02:55 Just to take Him at His word 03:01 Just to rest upon His promise 03:08 Just to know, 'Thus saith the Lord' 03:15 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him 03:21 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 03:27 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 03:34 O for grace to trust Him more! 03:46 O how sweet to trust in Jesus 03:52 Just to trust His cleansing blood 03:59 And in simple faith to plunge me 04:05 'Neath the healing cleansing flood 04:12 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him 04:19 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 04:25 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 04:32 O for grace to trust Him more! 04:43 I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee 04:49 Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend 04:56 And I know that Thou art with me 05:02 Wilt be with me till the end 05:09 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him 05:15 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 05:21 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 05:28 O for grace to trust Him more! 05:34 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him 05:41 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 05:47 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 05:54 O for grace to trust Him more! 06:44 Rejoice, rejoice, believers 06:49 And let your lights appear 06:54 The evening is advancing 06:59 And darker night is near 07:03 The Bridegroom is arising 07:08 And soon is drawing nigh 07:13 Up, pray and watch and wrestle 07:18 At midnight comes the cry 07:37 The waters on the mountain 07:42 Proclaim the Bridegroom bear 07:46 Go forth as He approaches 07:51 With alleluias clear 07:56 The marriage feast is waiting 08:01 The gates wide open stand 08:06 Arise, O heirs of glory 08:11 The Bridegroom is at hand 08:26 The saints, who here in patience 08:31 Their cross and sufferings bore 08:36 Shall live and reign forever 08:41 When sorrow is no more 08:46 Around the throne of glory 08:51 The Lamb they shall behold 08:56 In triumph cast before Him 09:01 Their diadems of gold 09:17 Our hope and expectation 09:22 O Jesus, now appear 09:28 Arise, O Sun so longed for 09:34 Over this benighted sphere 09:38 With hearts and hands uplifted 09:44 We plead, O Lord to see 09:49 The day of earth's redemption 09:55 That sets Your people free! 10:03 Rejoice, rejoice 10:05 Rejoice, rejoice rejoice, rejoice 10:07 Rejoice, rejoice 10:12 Hallelujah 10:29 It's good to have you alumni home. 10:31 Thank you for coming. 10:33 We've look forward to having you. 10:35 Life goes on here of course, whether you're here or not 10:38 but it's always special to see you, 10:40 know that you think of us. 10:44 Good to have class of 88 back. 10:49 Greg parents, nice to have you. 10:53 Todd Copeland I can't believe it, 10:56 as it been 20 years, mercy. 11:01 When we came Todd was a senior in academy. 11:04 He's one of the great kids on this campus, 11:06 nice to have you back, well obviously. 11:10 Nick Scudamore, nice to have you back. 11:13 I think you're the only representative 11:15 of Battle Creek College this year. 11:22 You're not, we're the only ones that got that. 11:25 But Nick is ministry magazine editor 11:27 and his ministering to the world church. 11:31 In a few moments I would like to speak to the economic crisis 11:38 that our nation, world are facing. 11:46 But first I'm gonna pray with you 11:51 and plunge into our teaching today. 11:55 Holy Father, we rejoice, we rejoice for the choir, 11:58 we've rejoiced as a worshiping congregation. 12:03 We gather as family, we gather as community. 12:10 You've a word for us. 12:12 Students and faculty and alumni and community alike 12:18 that the word today please be clear. 12:20 Keep the preacher out of the way, 12:22 that the Spirit have his way. 12:24 We pray in Jesus name, amen. 12:29 Actually in the Book of Acts, 12:31 which is our theme book in this new series Primetime 12:33 there are only two young adults mentioned by name. 12:38 There are hundreds of young adults 12:39 I'm sure in the narrative of Acts, 12:42 but only two are called young 12:43 and then were given their names. 12:46 One of the two we remember 12:49 because he fell asleep in church. 12:52 Have you ever seen somebody fall asleep in church? 12:55 I know you don't, 12:56 but I mean if you seen somebody else 12:57 that kind of doze off. 13:00 Barbara Bush... 13:02 wife of the former president Bush, once remarked. 13:08 If you would take everybody 13:12 who sleeps in church 13:14 and line them up from end to end, 13:18 it would be a whole lot more comfortable. 13:24 This young man is remembered 13:27 because he slept in church. 13:30 But in the story his name means fortunate. 13:32 But in this story there is a paradigm 13:35 for the primetime generation of today. 13:37 And so, with out any further due 13:39 would you please go to the Book of Acts, 13:42 it's our theme book for this series Primetime, 13:46 this is part four. 13:47 "A Laptop, Cell Phone and Plane Ticket" 13:50 it's the title of today's teaching. 13:52 Go to Acts Chapter 20, if you didn't bring a Bible 13:54 we've got a pew Bible right in front of you. 13:55 Grab that pew Bible, this would be page 749. 14:01 Vital paradigm for the church of the primetime generation, 14:04 tucked away in this story in Acts Chapter 20. 14:08 I'll be in the Today's New International Version. 14:12 Any translation you've is fine. 14:14 The New King James is what's in the pew rack. 14:18 Acts 20:7, 14:20 and "On the first day of the week 14:23 we came together to break bread. 14:26 Paul spoke to the people and, 14:28 because he intended to leave the next day, 14:30 he kept on talking until midnight." 14:33 I want to hit the pause button right there 14:34 because you can read that text and you can say, 14:36 oh man, look at that, it's obviously clear 14:38 there haven't Sunday worship in the New Testament. 14:41 It says first day and of course you're right. 14:44 And the overwhelming evidence for the church 14:47 in the New Testament of course is that 14:48 they worshipped on the Seventh day Sabbath. 14:50 So, why this say first day, it's clearly a worship service. 14:55 Scholars are not sure which reckoning, 14:58 time reckoning that Dr. Luke is using here in this narrative. 15:02 He could be using the Jewish way 15:04 of reckoning time or the Roman way. 15:05 Now the Jewish way, 15:06 you remember reckons time from Sun set to Sun set. 15:10 So if this was the first day of the week 15:12 that would mean from Saturday night 15:14 to Sunday evening at sun down. 15:17 In fact, the New English Bible came along, 15:19 used that wing of scholarship and said 15:21 obviously that is the meaning that Dr. Luke intended. 15:24 And so in the New English Bible you read Acts 20:7 in this way, 15:28 "On Saturday" 15:29 you see "On Saturday night in our assembly 15:32 for the breaking of bread, 15:33 Paul, who has to leave the next day addressed them, 15:35 and went on speaking until midnight." 15:38 However if you use the Roman reckoning of time 15:40 that would be like our time be from midnight to midnight. 15:42 So, if we use that reckoning 15:43 this would have to be late Sunday night 15:45 and into early Monday morning, 15:48 because it's an all night meeting. 15:49 Ladies and gentleman, either reckoning you use 15:52 clearly we're not dealing 15:54 with the Sunday morning worship service. 15:56 You say, hey wait a minute, Dwight, 15:57 but it says they broke bread. 15:58 So, that's obviously a reference 16:00 to the Lord's supper, its true. 16:02 Often times breaking bread 16:04 in the Book of ACTS means a Lord's supper 16:05 although sometimes it's just social pot lucking together. 16:09 But probably this was a Lord's supper. 16:11 However Acts 2:46 reads, 16:14 and they went from house to house and broke bread daily. 16:17 So, you can't take breaken bread 16:19 and make that the definition of holy day. 16:21 They did it every day of the week. 16:24 And besides, in here in Troas, 16:26 Paul has already been here seven days, 16:28 he's leaving tomorrow, this is his last chance, 16:30 perhaps they'll never see his face again, 16:33 it's a farewell meeting and so it goes all night long. 16:38 So, they're in that upper room, 16:41 verse 8, the narrative continues. 16:44 "There were many lamps in the upstairs room 16:48 where we were meeting." 16:49 Ah, wait there will be Dr. Luke, 16:50 the writer of Acts, so he's obviously present. 16:52 "There were many lamps in the upstairs room 16:53 where we were meeting." 16:54 Verse 9 "And seated in a window was a young man, 16:59 a young man named Eutychus." 17:04 His name means fortune and I'll tell what, 17:05 he is the fortunate one 17:07 who has chosen the best seat in the house. 17:09 You think about it. 17:10 Luke has just described many lamps 17:13 and these are oil lamps 17:14 that means black smoke and belching heat. 17:18 They're on the third floor, 17:19 they're jam packed, bodies galore. 17:23 That room is stifling. 17:25 It's the young adult to his credit, 17:27 who wisely surmises the seniors and said, 17:30 no way I want to sit in the middle of that 17:31 and he picks an open window 17:33 and props himself up in the seal. 17:36 Brilliant move. 17:40 Verse 9 again, 17:41 "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, 17:44 who was sinking." 17:45 If you ever watch somebody sleep in church, 17:47 you know that is the perfect, that is the perfect definition, 17:50 because you slowly start to sink. 17:53 You catch yourself and you go back and forth. 17:55 You don't think I see it, 17:56 but I always watch it from upfront here. 17:58 And it is a great, 18:01 I just love the way you try to cover it up by putting that 18:03 that bulletin in front of you. 18:05 We know what you're doing behind the bulletin, 18:07 because before you fall a sleep your hand falls down. 18:11 You don't know that, 18:12 but that's what happens, all right. 18:13 So, here's what's happening here see, 18:15 "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, 18:17 who was sinking into a deep sleep 18:20 as Paul talked on and on." 18:24 Hallelujah. 18:25 Those of us who're long winded preachers 18:27 take great comfort and refuge in the mighty of apostle Paul 18:31 who keeps preaching and preaching and preaching. 18:34 You go Paul. 18:37 So, "Eutychus, was sinking into a deep sleep 18:39 as Paul talked on and on." 18:41 Now here comes the tragedy. 18:44 "When he was sound asleep." 18:46 Once you're sound asleep wherever you're, 18:49 you're out of control, trust me. 18:51 Your head is bobbing every which way, 18:54 we all know by the way what's happened. 18:57 But, "when he was sound asleep" 18:59 obviously his head bobs out. 19:05 He has been sitting there, 19:07 the fresh cool night breeze just suck it in. 19:12 None of that oily lamp, none of those smelly bodies, 19:16 listening to the verbal's preacher, 19:19 but when he goes tragically, his head leads the way. 19:25 And "He fell to the ground from the third storey 19:31 and was picked up dead." 19:33 Now, like in Europe, ground floor has no number, 19:37 it's in the Middle East, 19:40 so, its ground, one, two, three. 19:42 So, when he says third floor, 19:44 he's talking about our fourth storey, 19:46 that between 30 to 40 feet. 19:48 He goes head first, no doubt, he went head first. 19:52 Massive head trauma and he's dead. 19:55 You say, no, he's not dead Dwight, 19:56 he's just unconscious. 19:57 Oh, you forget, who's right in the storey, 20:00 a physician, who obviously carefully chooses his words 20:04 and the words are dead. 20:07 Dead. 20:10 And alive. 20:13 There's still good news coming. 20:14 So, he's dead, 20:16 you can hear the shriek in that jam packed upper floor 20:20 as the entire congregation, 20:22 and by the way the stairs 20:23 are all on the outside in the Middle East. 20:24 So, they're all pounded down those stairs 20:28 and when they take him up, Luke says he was dead. 20:31 They're holding the corpse, still warm. 20:35 Paul, Paul the short stocky apostle, 20:39 half blind, in the dark 20:42 trying to make his way down that same stairs 20:45 and I'm sure he's praying out loud to the God of Israel 20:47 and the Lord Jesus Christ, save this boy. 20:50 And when Paul comes down, what verse is this? 20:54 Verse 10, "Paul went down," see four flights. 20:58 Paul went down and he does what he Elijah did 21:02 when he walked into the room of the dead boy, 21:03 he does what Elijah did 21:05 when he walked into the room of the dead boy, 21:06 Paul does the same thing, he throws himself 21:09 and he "threw himself on the young man 21:11 and he put his arms around him." 21:14 And he just hugged the body. 21:17 He hugged the body. 21:19 Until finally, Paul could look up 21:22 and says here in the TNIV, 21:24 "Don't be alarmed" in the Greek it says, 21:25 stop your agitation. 21:27 Obviously there's a commotion going on. 21:30 Time out. 21:31 He's alive. 21:34 Eutychus eyes flutter, 21:37 that young adult said something like, what happened? 21:41 And you can be sure ladies and gentlemen, 21:43 that beneath, that starry, starry night 21:46 there was an instantaneous 21:49 prayer service on the ground floor. 21:53 There's been a resurrection, he lived. 21:56 And Paul, bless his soul, 21:58 not want to be distracted by the dramatic, 22:00 turns to the crowd and says, hey, listen folks, 22:02 I was just in the middle of a sense, 22:03 I've more I need to say just get up, get up, get up, 22:05 lets go up there I want to still talk to you. 22:07 And that's exactly what happened here in verse 11. 22:09 "Then he, Paul went upstairs again 22:11 and broke bread and ate. 22:12 And after talking until daylight, he left." 22:14 Now, notice verse 12, 22:15 "And the people took the young man home alive 22:17 and were greatly comforted." 22:22 Why would we share a story like this on a alumni Sabbath? 22:27 Could it be, that in the story of Eutychus, 22:29 there's the paradigm tucked away 22:31 about the church of the primetime generation. 22:34 There's a word I intentionally skipped over, 22:38 when we read it without comment. 22:39 I want to go back to that word. 22:41 Acts-- verse 7 here in Acts 20. 22:44 And "On the first day of the week 22:45 we came together to break bread. 22:46 And Paul spoke to the people 22:48 and because he intended to leave the next day, 22:50 he kept on talking until midnight." 22:53 Now, the Greek words for kept on talking, 22:55 is not kept on preaching. 22:56 He's not preaching now. 22:58 Something else is happening 22:59 on the fourth floor of that little Troas building. 23:05 Something else is going on. 23:06 In fact the Greek word here is dialegomai 23:09 from whence comes our word dialogue. 23:11 So, they're having a back to front, 23:15 front to back, Q and A question, conversation. 23:19 I got a question Paul, he's open at, 23:21 surely opening up his heart. 23:23 One last time I'll tell you about Jesus, 23:24 let me tell you the story of Calvary again. 23:26 Some where in the night, some body says, 23:28 but Paul how are we gonna reach Troas, 23:29 back in forth the conversation goes. 23:33 Now, here's the point ladies and gentleman, 23:35 they're talking to themselves. 23:37 And while the church was talking to themselves 23:42 the young adult fell away. 23:47 That point is so significant, 23:48 I wish you would right it down right now. 23:49 Would you take your study guide, 23:50 it's in your alumni bulletin today. 23:52 Reach inside to pull up that study guide 23:54 if you didn't get one we've got-- 23:55 they are friendliest ushers in the world, 23:57 you just hold your hand up. 23:58 You didn't know it's an alumnus that you need to, 24:00 everybody in your family to have one or so, 24:01 if you've only got one bulletin per family, 24:04 hold your hand up. 24:05 All the way up to the balcony, 24:06 the choir has these study guides. 24:10 That point is so significant, we need to jot it down. 24:13 And by the way well we're handing those out here, 24:15 those who're watching on television, 24:17 we're delighted to have you. 24:18 You can get the same study guide, 24:19 let me put that website on the screen for you, 24:21 www.pmchurch.tv, that's our website. 24:26 You're looking for the series called Primetime, 24:28 this is part four. 24:30 Title of this teaching "Pentecost II, 24:32 a Laptop, Cell Phone and Plane Ticket." 24:34 When you see that title, 24:36 you'll see study guide right under it, 24:37 you click that, you'll have the very same study guide 24:41 there on your computer screen. 24:43 All right, lets get the point while still fresh in our minds. 24:45 Jot it down, will you please? 24:46 Right there at the top of the study guide, 24:47 the Greek word for talking is dialegomai 24:50 from whence comes our word dialogue, 24:52 they're having a tete-a-tete, 24:54 they're going back and forth, they're talking to themselves, 24:57 they're having a dialogue 24:58 and it that word refers to a collective conversation 25:00 between the speaker and the audience. 25:01 What's the point, Dwight? 25:03 The point is this, 25:04 while the church was talking to themselves, 25:06 the young adult dropped out. 25:08 It happened while the church was talking to themselves. 25:12 I love this community faith that I was born into. 25:16 Fifth generation Adventist, forth generation preacher. 25:19 I've hang around this church for a long time. 25:21 I can tell you something about 25:22 the Seventh-day Adventist church, 25:23 most of you're gonna agree. 25:24 In fact, some of you, any denomination that you might 25:26 represent those of you watching 25:29 I've a feeling you're gonna say the same. 25:31 Because about our church this church I love, 25:33 we love talking to each other. 25:36 I mean, we just love talking to each other 25:40 and then we throw in our in house 25:44 collective conversations into publication 25:47 just to keep the conversations going. 25:49 So, you've Spectrum magazine and the Journal 25:51 of the Adventist Theological Association, 25:54 two very contrary journals 25:56 that carry on sometimes heated conversations with each other 25:59 over issues dear at least to the editors and the readers. 26:02 You've the Adventist Review and you've Adventist Today 26:04 who love to carryon sometimes very defensive conversations 26:09 over issues dear to the editors and at least to the readers. 26:11 We love to talk to each other 26:15 and by the way nothing will stir up our juices 26:18 more quickly than a good theological 26:20 or a ecclesiastical controversy. 26:22 Let's get into it, pull up here, 26:23 put your dukes up, lets talk. 26:27 We love to talk to each other. 26:29 But in the process, 26:31 we've a generation of young adults 26:32 today young Eutychus, 26:34 who are watching and listening from the periphery. 26:36 They're sitting in the window seals, 26:38 they're standing in the backdoor 26:40 and they are wondering, 26:42 shall I come in or shall I leave? 26:44 While we're talking to each other, 26:47 creating this collective heat and noise there they are. 26:52 Until today we've a generation in the church 26:55 that is not in the church today. 26:59 Allen Martin, teachers over here 27:01 at the theological seminar. 27:02 My friend Allen wrote an article, 27:04 Nick, for your great journal Ministry Magazine 27:07 this summer, July. 27:09 And in this, Allen, is a professor 27:12 for discipleship of family ministry here. 27:14 In this piece he noted and jot these, 27:16 you can't believe these numbers, 27:17 look at them ladies and gentlemen, jot them down. 27:19 The median age for the North, 27:21 for North American Seventh-day Adventist is 58, 27:25 compared to the median ages 27:26 of the United States and Canada, 27:28 36 and 37 respectively. 27:31 Can you believe that number? Keep writing. 27:35 More than 1,000 local Adventist churches 27:37 out of a total of 5,500 in North America 27:40 have no children or teens at all. 27:42 I'll tell you where those churches are going. 27:43 They're going adios. 27:49 They'll die off. 27:51 Come on we're not dealing with rocket science here. 27:54 Our own, Roger Dudley, 27:57 seminal landmark research on the Adventist young, 28:01 Allen's quoting Roger here, 28:03 can you see the quotation from Roger study, 28:05 "it seems reasonable to believe 28:07 that at least 40 to 50 percent 28:09 of Seventh-day Adventist teenagers," 28:11 40 to 50 percent of teenagers 28:14 "are essentially leaving the church 28:16 by their middle twenties." 28:18 By the time they become young adults 28:20 it really is audios. 28:23 They're just leaving, 40 to 50 percent. 28:26 Wow. 28:27 You say, ah come on, pastor, 28:29 that's not just a problem of the church, 28:31 that's the problem of all the society, 28:32 they're all checking out these young. 28:34 Oh my friend I bet to differ with you 28:37 in this presidential psycho. 28:40 There is a candidate named, Barack Obama, 28:42 who by the hundreds of thousands 28:45 has attracted the young to his candidacy. 28:47 Don't you tell me that young adults 28:49 are checking out of the process, 28:51 they are has never before 28:53 in the political process engaged this year. 29:02 Oh, well, of course doesn't mean 29:06 that we've lost all the young in the church, you're right. 29:12 Not only our young adults 29:13 engaged in the political process, 29:14 they're also engaged in the spiritual process. 29:17 Which means that by no means are they all checking out. 29:20 Thousands, listen to this thousands, 29:22 I don't know what the number would be, 29:23 thousands of Seventh-day Adventist young adults, 29:26 just before Christmas will gather in San Jose, California 29:30 this year in the seventh annual GYC, 29:34 Generation of Youth for Christ Convocation. 29:37 They'll pay their own way, 29:39 they'll come from all over the continent. 29:41 Do you know why they'll gather? 29:42 Because they're tried of the Church 29:44 talking to itself that's why. 29:45 They're ready to take things in their own hands. 29:48 If nobody else wants to enlist us 29:54 we'll engage ourselves in a new conversation. 29:59 This Christmas by the thousands. 30:03 I got an email from a young adult here 30:05 at Andrews University, this week. 30:09 Mayor hall, Pastor Nelson, 30:11 you've talked a lot about revival in the past few weeks, 30:14 revival on the Andrews University campus, 30:16 revival in the world as a whole. 30:18 We're tangentially facing that 30:20 because as the primetime series gets us back 30:21 to when the Church was revived, 30:23 nothing wrong with thinking about it all over again. 30:25 So, you've talked a lot about this. 30:27 I'm a student at Andrews 30:28 and I share that dream what can I do? 30:31 I've prayed about it 30:32 and the spirit told me that you might have ideas 30:34 of how I can make help make that dream reality. 30:36 Thank you for your time and he signs his name. 30:39 I wrote him back, I said, we got to talk. 30:42 The point is ladies and gentlemen, 30:45 they're here young adults 30:48 who are saying I want to get involved. 30:51 I want the church to be revived, 30:53 I want to have, is there any thing I can do? 30:57 Tell me they're all checked out. 31:00 Next time you see Barack Obama remind yourself, 31:04 you can still appeal to the young 31:06 for a cause bigger than themselves. 31:09 The plain truth is ladies and gentlemen, 31:11 that we're a Church desperately in need of another Pentecost 31:14 and a new primetime generation. 31:19 Back on, I want to be really candid with you now. 31:22 I kind of think out loud with you. 31:24 I wonder if the economic crisis 31:26 that our nation and world are facing today, 31:29 by the way while we're worshiping here right now, 31:34 they're trying to figure it out. 31:36 I wonder to myself could this become a catalyst 31:40 for the Pentecost two generation. 31:45 I mean you look at how similar the times were, 31:47 2,000 years apart. 31:49 But did little bit of research. 31:50 Here's Philip Harland from York University in Toronto. 31:55 He has written a piece called 31:57 "The Economy of First Century Palestine: 31:59 The State of Scholarly Discussion" 32:01 and I'm reading his analysis. 32:03 I'm amazed at the striking similarities 32:05 between our 2,000 years apart economies. 32:08 This is in your study guide, 32:09 I'll put it on the screen this is Harland. 32:11 "In that first century AD 32:12 more and more of the land in Palestine 32:14 became concentrated 32:16 'into the hands of fewer large landowners 32:19 at the expense of the peasants,'" 32:20 what's going on? 32:21 "The forfeiture of land due to indebtedness 32:24 was a main cause of peasants losing their land" 32:28 Sounds like am economic melt down to me. 32:31 Sounds like what we're having today. 32:32 Tenth, now, 10,000 houses, 32:36 homes a day are being foreclosed 32:38 in United States alone, 32:39 not a word about Canada, 10,000 a day. 32:43 Because the peasantry is in debt, 32:45 we can't keep this up any longer. 32:47 And what's happening with the wealthy landowners? 32:49 Read Wall Street investment banks 32:53 who have gobbled up such massive amounts of toxic death 32:56 that they're threatening to collapse 32:57 an entire economy as a consequence. 33:00 You want to talk about the economy? 33:01 The whole nation is talking about it. 33:03 We can worship and think about it as well. 33:06 Bloomberg.com, 33:07 I read a fascinating piece last week. 33:09 Analyzing the last ten days, what's happened. 33:13 I didn't know, you didn't know this, 33:14 but apparently, all right apparently 33:17 last Thursday a week ago 33:21 we came to the preceptors edge 33:23 of an economic melt down in this nation. 33:28 Hank Paulson, the secretary treasurer here 33:30 in the United States and Ben Bernanke, 33:32 the chairman of the Federal Reserve, 33:34 we're in Nancy Pelosi's office a week ago Thursday, 33:37 sitting about on a oak table, 33:39 twelve congressional leaders have gathered. 33:44 And Paulson and Bernanke took turns describing 33:47 where we are as we ever we could go Thursday night. 33:50 Apparently I didn't know this either 33:52 but the credit lines had frozen, completely frozen. 33:55 So that banks were refusing to lend to even banks 33:58 and if banks will not pass money, it's over. 34:01 You shut the whole system down 34:02 and apparently Wednesday night quietly 34:05 money is being withdrawn outside our country 34:09 and placed away from United States. 34:13 So, Bernanke gets up, 34:15 according to this boomberg.com piece, 34:17 he gets up and he announces to the them, 34:22 of course, this is after the Lehman Brothers 34:23 and Merrill Lynch and AIG and, 34:25 by the way yesterday largest bank 34:27 in history went bankrupt, largest bankruptcy in history. 34:30 He announces to the leaders, 34:32 you could have massive failures within days, 34:33 he told the group, 34:35 and it would go beyond the banking system 34:36 and he started naming brand name companies. 34:39 Now here's the line that caught my eye, 34:40 politicians leaving the meeting a week ago Thursday 34:43 said they were shocked at these portions of Armageddon 34:46 from the usually understated Bernanke. 34:48 They left the 90 minute meeting looking shaken 34:50 and resolve the act before the election. 34:51 Now hold on, Christopher Dodd, 34:53 Connecticut democrat 34:54 and chairman of the senate banking committee has quoted, 34:57 it was as sobering a meeting 34:59 as any of us have ever attended in our career's here. 35:03 Ladies and gentlemen, the point is simply this. 35:09 We now live in an hour of profound change, 35:14 you understand this don't you. 35:15 Literally overnight the headlines 35:18 can rewrite life is renowned. 35:23 In that context could it be that like Pentecost one, 35:29 Pentecost two will come in an hour of economic crisis. 35:35 I want you to think for one moment, 35:37 the amazing similarities between the 120 men women 35:40 and young adults crowded 35:41 into the upper room in Jerusalem 35:42 on the day of Pentecost and the young adult generation, 35:45 the primetime generation today, 35:48 in which 3,400 35:49 have been in entrusted to Andrews University. 35:51 I want you to notice the similarities for a moment, 35:54 in fact its in your study guide, 35:55 jot these down, will you. 35:56 These are the parallels. 35:58 Number one and I'm speaking to the young adults 36:00 who are here right now. 36:02 Number one just like them, Pentecost one, 36:05 you are also devoted followers of Jesus Christ hands down. 36:11 You've a passion for Christ. 36:13 You've a passion for His mission, 36:15 just like them. 36:17 You've number one. 36:18 Number two, just like them you are also relatively poor 36:22 and dominantly landless. 36:24 Perfect description of an Andrews University student. 36:28 Dominantly poor, relatively poor 36:31 and dominantly landless, you owe nothing, nothing. 36:35 And number three, just like them you are also sabbatarian. 36:38 You worship the Creator on the seventh day Sabbath 36:40 and you are little a Adventist. 36:42 You are fervent in your belief that Jesus is coming soon. 36:46 By the way that makes number four, 36:47 just like them you are also without roots, 36:51 and thus perfectly positioned 36:52 to be instantly mobilized by the Holy Spirit. 36:57 Because unlike them all you need is a laptop, 37:04 a cell phone and a plane ticket. 37:09 There's never been a generation so rapidly deployed 37:11 or so constantly in touch as is primetime generation. 37:14 Guess what guys, you like that animation? 37:18 They worked on that between services, 37:19 that the relax they gave me with no charge. 37:23 The fact is ladies and gentlemen, 37:24 God can mobilize this prime time generation, 37:26 God can mobilize these young adults, 37:28 you young adults any where on the planet He wishes 37:31 and because you have so little halleluiah, 37:35 you don't have a lot to pack up, 37:38 throw in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt 37:40 and you are ready to go and God's ready to go. 37:46 You've been setup by the way, 37:48 sorry to be the one to announce this to you. 37:50 You've been setup by the Holy Spirit 37:52 all you need now, 37:54 is for that mighty third person of the God 37:55 had to pour himself out upon you 37:57 and you are it, Pentecost two. 38:05 Margaret Mead, 38:06 a popular American cultural anthropologist 38:09 of the last century. 38:10 She wrote a line, I take great comfort in this line, 38:12 it's in your study guide, isn't this something. 38:14 Mead writes, "Never underestimate the ability 38:18 of a small group of committed individuals 38:21 to change the world. 38:23 Indeed, they are the only ones that have." 38:28 You think about the great changes of history. 38:32 This little nation, this little nation was formed 38:34 by just the handful of young by the way. 38:37 Communism formed by just a handful. 38:40 The church in Acts formed by just a handful. 38:43 Mead is absolutely right. 38:44 You got to be committed, 38:46 but it can be a small group of committed 38:48 they are the only ones 38:49 that have brought change on this planet. 38:51 Listen, you may say, 38:53 hey that we are in no comparison 38:55 with Obama's army of the young. 38:57 Ah, you may not be 38:58 but you've aligned yourself to the Christ of Calvary 39:01 and under His blood stain banner 39:03 you have all the forces of heaven ready to be unleash, 39:07 not for a political cause, 39:09 for the greatest agenda in the history of this universe 39:13 and that is the salvation of the human race. 39:16 Man, you got setup. 39:19 You got born at the right time. 39:24 God says I got to have you. 39:26 Tell you what, baby boomers were born at the wrong time. 39:30 We got so many toys now, our roots are so deep. 39:33 God says, give me another generation. 39:37 How many houses do those people have? 39:39 How many cars in those garages? 39:45 I need another generation. 39:48 I need another generation. 39:51 You know what, speaking to Margaret Mead, 39:53 a woman a century earlier than Margaret Mead 39:55 wrote these words in your study guide. 39:57 The last words in your study guide. 39:59 I like this, I carry these words 40:00 in the back of my Bible. 40:02 "With such an army of workers," Ellen White. 40:05 "With such an army of workers as our youth, 40:08 rightly trained, might furnish, 40:10 how soon the message of a crucified, risen 40:12 and soon coming Savior 40:14 might be carried to the whole world!" 40:16 Just like that. 40:17 Primetime generation, that's all He needs. 40:19 "How soon might the end come, 40:21 the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!" 40:24 Isn't that something, just like that God can do it, 40:28 with His strategic primetime army. 40:33 I'm telling you that's what keeps me going. 40:36 That is what keeps me going 40:38 because you finally arrived. 40:43 Don't sell yourself short. 40:44 Some of you can do in those speeches 40:46 in your mind right now, it's not me, it's not me, 40:47 get off that trip, it's you. 40:52 Your mission should you choose to accept it, 40:55 it's your mission. 40:58 With such an army is this, 41:00 primetime generation of the young-- 41:01 Oh, I tell you what, I find that word army very unique. 41:05 The Blogosfere has gone wild over this economic meltdown 41:10 and I was lead through the Blogosfere to armynews.com, 41:14 they are not saying much about this in public, 41:16 I don't know why. 41:18 But I found out, I went to armynews.com, 41:20 it's an army report, listen to this. 41:22 They reported that a brigade is being brought back from Iraq 41:25 and assigned to this nation. 41:29 Here to afford the national guarder 41:30 has been assigned to this nation 41:31 and the army's purpose is go out there. 41:33 But now they've assigned the brigade 41:36 to the United States. 41:37 What for? 41:38 Marking the, and I'm quoting now. 41:40 "The first time an active unit 41:42 has been given a dedicated assignment to North Com." 41:45 You are saying what's North Com? 41:46 "It's a joint command established in 2002 41:48 to provide command and control 41:50 for federal homeland defense efforts." 41:54 We're going to use the army now amongst our people. 41:58 Now watch this, what kind of efforts, another quote. 42:00 "They may be called upon to help 42:03 with civil unrest and crowd control." 42:07 Crowd control, somebody expecting some trouble. 42:16 This much is certain. 42:18 If ever there were a critical hour 42:20 for Gods young army to be mobilized, 42:25 society is ready. 42:27 This is primetime, primetime has come. 42:32 I believe that Jesus has raised up your generation 42:36 for mission that no other, 42:38 nobody else can fulfill but you. 42:43 We been praying for you. 42:46 We been waiting for you. 42:47 You came at the right time, at time of utter instability. 42:50 You come with the right qualifications, 42:51 a wiliness for immediate mobility. 42:55 But here's the question. 42:57 Now that you've come are you ready to go? 43:04 Now that you've come are you ready to go? 43:10 I want to end with that question. 43:12 I'm not going to end with the heart tucking story. 43:15 I want to end with an honest appeal. 43:17 If you're young listen please. 43:21 I was driving out at the beautiful new entrance 43:23 to Andrews University yesterday 43:26 and saw this young adult on a tiny little motor scooter, 43:29 I've never seen a motor-- 43:30 I've never seen such a small thing 43:32 and he is going down, 43:33 you know the, there's a white stripe to left, 43:35 bikers going there and so he is going down there. 43:37 We both get to the highway at the same time 43:39 and he cuts behind me, so I roll my window down 43:41 because he is coming up beside. 43:43 I made some wise crack about his transportation. 43:47 And he sees who it is. 43:50 Say hey pastor, I been wanting to talk to you. 43:52 I said what's up. 43:54 He said you know what, 43:55 I believe God is coming soon 43:58 and there is some stuff I need to talk about. 44:01 I said come in the office next week. 44:04 He is a social worker, major. 44:09 I sense something is going on this planet 44:11 and I need to talk to you, is there, 44:12 something we can be doing? 44:14 Oh yes there's something you can be doing. 44:16 Gods put on an army together. 44:21 Rapid mobilization. 44:25 No roots, just a laptop a cell phone 44:29 and a plane ticket that's all you need. 44:31 Primetime, hear it Jesus has called you. 44:38 The Lord of Calvary greater than any presidential candidate 44:42 is saying I need you boy, I need you girl, 44:44 you work for Me, you work for Me. 44:48 We have a biggest mission in the history of the universe 44:52 and we need to rapid up now. 44:55 And so I need to make an appeal right now 44:57 to those sitting behind me and those sitting in front. 45:00 If you are a young adult 45:02 and I let you decide what that is. 45:07 If you are a young adult 45:11 and you would be willing to say to the Lord Jesus Christ, 45:15 I would join that army. 45:17 I will join Your primetime army, 45:19 I'll go anywhere You want me to go. 45:21 I'll go to any nation on earth that You send me to. 45:23 I'll go to any state in the union You send me to. 45:25 You give me a plane ticket and I'll go. 45:27 I'll go. 45:31 If you're willing to make that kind of commitment 45:36 as a young adult I'm gonna ask you 45:37 to stand your feet come, 45:38 come to the front right now, right now. 45:44 You're the primetime generation. 45:47 In the back of the balcony come forward, 45:49 in the crowd behind me come forward. 45:53 Say, I'm ready Jesus. 45:57 You say the word and I go. 46:00 Now look at, guys, 46:01 I've no idea where Christ is going to send you. 46:04 God bless you. God bless you. 46:06 I've no idea where Jesus is gonna send you. 46:10 I just know, He's been waiting a long time for you to come. 46:14 Hallelujah. 46:16 And you're here, praise God. 46:19 You're not making a commitment to me, 46:21 you're not even making a commitment 46:22 to the Seventh-day Adventist church. 46:25 You're making a commitment to the Lord of the church. 46:28 Say now go, I'll camp me into the primetime. 46:30 I'm prime time. 46:32 I've no idea where the economy is going, 46:33 you know what I don't either, I don't care. 46:36 I just know God is ready to move. 46:38 I know that every thing is setup. 46:40 I know that if God wants to pull the plug 46:41 He can pull the plug tomorrow, that's His business. 46:44 But you're the generation, the army. 46:48 How soon the end could come, with an army like this. 46:53 Some of you can take a year off next year. 46:56 Just a year off, I'll go for a year. 46:58 Somebody saying there's no way, Dwight, 47:00 I got to get out of here. 47:01 I'm staying right in, that's fine. 47:04 We need you right here. We need you in Benton Harbor. 47:06 We need you right here in this community. 47:11 The point is we just need you. 47:13 The church is been waiting for you and you are it. 47:17 And I'm so proud of you. 47:18 You're what keeps this university going. 47:22 You're what keeps this little preacher going to. 47:27 How about it Andrews University 47:29 here they are the student first church by the way too. 47:35 Here they are. 47:37 This is the young, this is the primetime generation. 47:40 I want to make an appeal to you 47:42 a alumni who were here and rest of you adults. 47:45 I was in the potluck last Sabbath 47:47 for the Sabbath school class and one of the retirees say, 47:50 hey Dwight, this economy is a mess. 47:53 I said, yeah I know. 47:56 He said hey, you know we have some money set aside, 47:59 at what point Dwight, 48:00 are we supposed to invest that money 48:03 in the work of the church. 48:04 And I looked back at him and said, are you kidding me? 48:07 I have no idea. 48:09 He said, do you suppose, 48:10 if you would say something from upfront 48:12 if that time came? 48:13 Well, I suppose. 48:16 But I said to this, I said to my friend I said listen to me. 48:19 You know Karen and I are thinking a little bit, 48:20 hey what about the extras. 48:25 I'll tell you what, 48:27 one thing is clear in my thinking 48:30 that I want, whatever discretionary income 48:34 that God has entrusted to me 48:35 I would like to invest it with Him 48:38 before the money is worthless. 48:41 Because there will be one day 48:42 that bank account is paper zero, nada. 48:46 Just ask the people who live to the great depression 48:49 they are now starting to cast an eye backward Ben Bernanke 48:52 a specialist in the great depression. 48:54 They're looking backward now 48:56 and saying could it be, who knows. 48:58 The point is now I'm appealing to you alumni and adults now, 49:03 you've some money you can invest. 49:05 We need thousands of dollars. 49:07 We need, look at this we need plane tickets. 49:11 We got to get this generation, 49:12 they're ready to go. 49:14 They just don't, they're poor like Pentecost one. 49:19 They need some help. 49:20 So we're receiving an offering today, yes we are. 49:24 There's a little envelope in your bulletin 49:26 that looks like this. 49:28 I wish the alumni, everybody else will see it right now. 49:30 I wish you pull this little envelope out, 49:32 because this is your way to say hey Dwight, 49:33 I'll help out, you bet. 49:35 I don't care if they go overseas, 49:36 I don't care if they stay in Benton, Harbor, 49:38 I don't care if they go-- 49:40 We had a couple of student missionaries up here 49:41 went to Indianapolis last year during chapel, 49:43 they were given their testimony. 49:44 I don't care if they go to India. 49:45 I don't care where they go, I just want to help them go. 49:48 Here's my money. 49:49 You say Dwight, I didn't bring any thing 49:51 to really fill this up, well it does take credit card. 49:56 But if you're not prepared to give 49:57 I wish you would write your name down. 49:58 I wish you would write your name down 49:59 and email address and say hey listen 50:01 I'll put the amount that you would like to give. 50:03 See these kids, they're ready to go. 50:05 You can help to send them. 50:07 God is so exited, 50:08 He has got His generation Pentecost 50:10 two could be the legacy of this generation. 50:15 That's God's call not mine. 50:17 I just know that I want to go down fight to the end. 50:21 And I want to go with these young, 50:22 by the way someday, 50:24 somebody came up to me afterwards 50:25 hey, Dwight, don't forget us who are 80. 50:26 No, I'm not forgetting you. 50:28 You and I baby boomers, we don't move now, 50:31 we're stuck that's okay. 50:33 We got stuff that we can give to the cause. 50:37 And we can be a work in the very little communities 50:39 where God has already placed us. 50:40 This is for all of us. Primetime is every demographic. 50:44 But these are the mobilized ones. 50:46 These are the front guard that Jesus has raised up. 50:49 So, we're gonna sing a song. 50:51 Put the words on the screen, I need the audience, 50:53 please just stay seated so the ushers can come by. 50:57 I'll follow these words are written back in 1886 50:59 by James Lawson Elginburg. 51:01 I will follow Thee, my Savior 51:03 Wheresoe'er my lot may be 51:05 Where Thou goest I will follow 51:07 Yes, my Lord, I'll follow Thee 51:10 We put three stanzas on the screen 51:11 that's all we're gonna sing 51:13 and we're gonna have a chance for all of us 51:15 to stand and have prayer 51:16 then Japhet, Chaplain Japhet, 51:18 is right there please those of you've come forward 51:21 just go right up those double doors 51:23 through the next double doors that's the youth chapel. 51:25 I want just one more moment with you before you leave. 51:28 Put something in your hands, 51:29 something for you to remember this by, all right. 51:33 All right ushers, you're ready to go? 51:35 You gonna have to get through these isles 51:37 but you can do that. 51:38 Let's put the words on the screen, 51:39 lets start singing. 51:51 I will follow Thee, my Savior 51:56 Wheresoe'er my lot may be 52:02 Where Thou goest I will follow 52:08 Yes, my Lord, I'll follow Thee 52:14 I will follow Thee, my Savior 52:20 Thou didst shed Thy blood for me 52:26 And though all men should forsake Thee 52:32 By Thy grace I'll follow Thee 52:41 Though the road be rough and stormy 52:47 Trackless as the foaming sea 52:53 Thou hast trod this way before me 52:59 And I'll gladly follow Thee 53:06 I will follow Thee, my Savior 53:12 Though didst shed Thy blood for me 53:19 And though all men should forsake Thee 53:25 By Thy grace I'll follow Thee 53:34 Though to Jordan's rolling billows 53:40 Cold and deep, Thou leadest me 53:47 Thou hast crossed the waves before me 53:53 And I still will follow Thee 54:00 I will follow Thee, my Savior 54:07 Thou didst shed Thy blood for me 54:14 And though all men should forsake Thee 54:21 By Thy grace I'll follow Thee 54:31 Holy Father, you know our hearts. 54:33 You know, that's what we want. 54:36 We want to been here today. 54:37 Did that word our longing? 54:39 We want to follow You, 54:40 we want to follow the Lord Jesus 54:42 wherever He leads. 54:44 Cold stormy waters, we'll go there. 54:48 High plateau deserts, we'll go there. 54:51 Crowded urban jungles, we'll go there. 54:54 We'll go wherever Jesus goes. 54:57 And oh Father, I want to thank You for these, 54:59 who are the young in our midst 55:01 primetime generation. 55:04 You've spoken to them today, the spirit has enlisted them. 55:08 I pray that every young adult here, 55:10 man and women would never forget this Sabbath 55:14 and the commitment he, the commitment she may 55:16 bring this memory back again and again. 55:19 The going isn't gonna be easy 55:22 but in those hours of midnight 55:27 You whisper, I've called You, 55:31 You said yes, You're in my army. 55:36 I need You till you die. 55:39 Oh, Jesus, seal us all please. 55:44 How soon the end the suffering and sorrow 55:49 and sin might come Pentecost, we plead. 55:59 Now to Him who loves us 56:03 and has freed us from our sins by His blood 56:06 and has made us to be a kingdom 56:07 and priest to serve his God and Father 56:10 to Him be glory and power forever and ever. 56:13 Look He's coming with a clouds and every eye will see Him. 56:18 And so shall it be. 56:21 Amen. 56:25 I'd like to take a moment here 56:26 at the end of the service to tell you about 56:28 one of the most important groups of people 56:30 that make this ministry possible. 56:33 They are team of people, 56:34 they are not afraid to get down into the thick of life itself 56:38 which is why you're gonna find them 56:39 you will find them moving forward on their knees. 56:42 They're our prayer partners, 56:44 a group of men and women and young adults 56:47 who believe that this humble television ministry 56:50 has been raised up by God for such a time as this. 56:52 And so they pray earnestly that God will use the preacher, 56:56 that God will use me, 56:57 that God will use the countless other volunteers 56:59 to spread the everlasting gospel and the Word of God 57:02 and ways we could never have imagined before. 57:05 There are the ones who are praying 57:06 that God is gonna open up the hearts of the people. 57:10 Open up the hearts of viewers 57:11 around the world for the message, 57:13 the critical message for this end time generation. 57:17 And what I'd like to do is ask you, 57:19 would you be willing to be a prayer partner with us, 57:22 a prayer partner with New Perceptions? 57:24 You don't have to call our toll free number. 57:26 You don't have to go online to register. 57:28 All I need to know is that you would be willing 57:30 to lift this little ministry up day after day after day. 57:36 Pray that somehow through radio and television 57:39 and the web God will open up new doors, 57:42 new regions on earth 57:45 where the everlasting gospel can be proclaimed. 57:47 There is no question the power of prayer 57:50 has potential to take this ministry to places 57:52 we could never have imagined before. 57:55 So that's it, would you please be willing 57:58 to partner with me in prayer? 57:59 The times are urgent, 58:01 the need is critical and I hope you'll say, yes. 58:05 Till we're together next time may the prayer answering God 58:09 accompany you every step of the way. |
Revised 2015-03-12