Participants: Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP111911
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00:05 From the campus of Andrews University
00:08 this is New Perceptions with Dr. Dwight K. Nelson 01:28 Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore Him! 01:35 Yea, I will laud Him until death, 01:41 With songs and anthems I'll come before Him 01:48 As long as He doth give me breath 01:54 From Him my life and all things came 02:00 Bless, O my soul, His holy name 02:07 Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 02:24 "Make a joyful shout to the Lord all you lands! 02:29 Serve the Lord with gladness, 02:31 Come before His presence with singing. 02:35 Know that the Lord, He is God, 02:38 It is he who has made us, and not we ourselves, 02:41 We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 02:45 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 02:48 And into his courts with praise. 02:50 Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 02:54 For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, 02:58 And His truth endures to all generations." 03:34 All things bright and beautiful 03:38 All creatures great and small 03:42 All things wise and wonderful 03:46 The Lord God made them all 03:51 Each little flower that opens 03:55 Each little bird that sings 04:00 He made their glowing colors 04:05 He made their tiny wings 04:09 All things bright and beautiful 04:13 All creatures great and small 04:18 All things wise and wonderful 04:22 The Lord God made them all 04:27 The purple-headed mountains 04:32 The river running by 04:37 The sunset, and the morning 04:41 That brightens up the sky 04:46 All things bright and beautiful 04:50 All creatures great and small 04:55 All things wise and wonderful 04:59 The Lord God made them all 05:05 The cold wind in the winter 05:09 The pleasant summer sun 05:14 The ripe fruits in the garden 05:18 He made them every one 05:23 All things bright and beautiful 05:28 All creatures great and small 05:32 All things wise and wonderful 05:37 The Lord God made them all 05:42 He gave us eyes to see them 05:47 And lips that we might tell 05:51 How great is God Almighty, 05:56 Who has made all things well 06:01 All things bright and beautiful 06:06 All creatures great and small 06:11 All things wise and wonderful 06:16 The Lord God made them all 06:40 Fairest Lord Jesus, 06:47 Ruler of all nature 06:52 O Thou of God 06:57 And man the Son! 07:03 Thee will I cherish, 07:09 Thee will I honor 07:14 Thou art my glory, 07:18 Joy and crown 07:24 Fair is the sunshine 07:30 Fairer still the moonlight 07:35 And all the twinkling, 07:41 Starry host 07:46 Jesus shines brighter, 07:52 Jesus shines purer 07:56 Than all the angels 08:00 Heaven can boast 08:06 Beautiful Savior, 08:13 Lord of all the nations 08:18 Son of God 08:22 And Son of Man! 08:29 Glory and honor, 08:35 Praise, adoration 08:40 Now and forevermore be Thine! 09:18 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty 09:22 The King of creation! 09:27 O my soul, praise Him 09:30 For He is thy health and salvation! 09:37 All ye who hear, 09:40 Now to His temple draw near 09:45 Join ye in glad adoration! 09:53 Praise to the Lord 09:56 Who o'er all things so wonderfully reigneth 10:03 Shieldeth thee under His wings, 10:07 Yea, so gently sustaineth! 10:13 Hast thou not seen, 10:16 How thy desires e'er have been 10:22 Granted in what He ordaineth? 10:45 Praise to the Lord 10:48 Who doth prosper they work and defend thee 10:56 Surely His goodness 10:59 And mercy here daily attend thee 11:06 Ponder anew 11:11 What the Almighty can do 11:16 If with His love He befriend thee 11:30 Today's words of joy are taken from Psalms 98. 11:35 "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, 11:37 for He has done marvelous things, 11:39 His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 11:44 The Lord has made His salvation known to all the nations. 11:47 His righteousness He has revealed 11:49 in the sight of the nations. 11:51 He has remembered His mercy 11:53 and His faithfulness to the house of Israel. 11:56 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 12:00 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth, 12:02 break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. 12:05 Sing to the Lord with the harp, 12:07 with the harp and the sound of a psalm, 12:09 with trumpets and the sound of a horn. 12:11 Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. 12:15 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, 12:17 the world and those who dwell in it. 12:20 Let the rivers clap their hands, 12:23 let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, 12:26 for He is coming to judge the earth. 12:29 With righteousness He shall judge the world, 12:32 and the peoples with equity." 12:35 This is God's word. 12:36 May we be touched by God's abundant joy today? 12:41 We come this Sabbath to the special time of praise. 12:46 We invite you to kneel 12:47 where you are for a prayer of rejoicing. 13:07 Dear precious heavenly Father, 13:10 we come before You with thankfulness in our hearts 13:13 for the many blessings You have given us. 13:17 We thank You for this beautiful Sabbath day 13:20 that You have created for us to lay aside 13:23 all of the burdens of our week 13:25 and to simply sit at Your feet to worship You. 13:30 Often when we come to Your feet 13:32 we have more petitions than praises. 13:36 When we send a thank you card to someone 13:38 the whole purpose of the card 13:40 is to show appreciation not to ask for more. 13:45 So Lord, today, right now, 13:49 this is our thank you cards prayer. 13:52 We don't want to ask anything, 13:55 we only want to praise You for blessing us 13:58 with the privilege to know the truth 14:01 and for the opportunities You continue to give us 14:04 to share Your truth with those around us. 14:08 We thank You for this community of believers 14:11 for our loved ones and for the extended family 14:14 we have through the blood of Christ. 14:18 We rejoice in Your willingness to send Your only son 14:22 to give us the opportunity to one day 14:25 cast our crowns at Your feet. 14:28 Lord, we are all looking forward to that soon coming day 14:32 when we will stand blameless in Your perfect presence. 14:37 Father, Your plan of salvation will ever be our theme of study. 14:42 Thank You for speaking to us personally through Scripture, 14:45 for providing us with the weapons necessary 14:49 to fight against principalities of darkness. 14:52 Thank You for sending angels to invisibly battle for us. 14:57 Lord, You are so good to us, 14:59 Psalms 40:5 declares, Your thoughts towards us 15:03 cannot be recounted to You in order. 15:06 You think of us and bless us so often 15:10 that we can't even count these in order 15:12 because You worked simultaneously. 15:15 You are amazing, God. 15:18 There is no other artist 15:20 who paints two masterpieces every day, 15:23 one with sunrise and one at sunset. 15:27 And there is no other doctor 15:28 who can heal by simply speaking. 15:32 Lord, we are grateful for all the incredible healings 15:35 in this community and in our families 15:38 throughout this past year. 15:40 We thank You in advance 15:42 for the healing of Eland Robertson. 15:45 Lord, we mourn with the family of Betty Lou Hartline 15:48 and also with Joyce Jones 15:51 on the death of her daughter Joya. 15:53 But we praise You for the comfort, 15:56 peace and hope You give through these times of tragedy and loss. 16:01 Lord, You are worthy to be praised. 16:05 There is none like You. 16:07 You are the only true and living God. 16:11 As we come for You 16:13 with different pasts and experiences 16:16 we praise You for creating each of us to be unique. 16:20 Still no matter how different we are we can all agree 16:25 that You deserve praise and our deepest devotion. 16:30 Now Lord, I know that I said 16:32 we didn't want to ask for anything 16:36 but we do want to ask for one thing, 16:39 please God, help us appreciate and praise You more. 16:44 We come reverently before You 16:46 in the faithful name of our Savior 16:50 and Mediator, Jesus. 16:53 Amen. 17:19 Set me as a seal 17:23 Upon your heart 17:27 As a seal upon your arm 17:33 Set me as a seal 17:37 Upon your heart 17:41 As a seal 17:44 Upon your arm 17:50 For love is strong as death 17:58 For love is strong 18:01 As death 18:07 Set me as a seal 18:10 Upon your heart 18:11 As a seal upon your arm 18:15 For love is strong as death 18:22 For love is strong 18:32 As death 19:00 Many waters cannot quench love 19:03 Many waters cannot quench love 19:06 Many waters cannot quench love 19:09 Many waters cannot quench love 19:22 Many waters cannot quench love 19:26 Many waters cannot quench love 19:29 Many waters cannot quench love 20:10 Set me as a seal 20:15 Upon your heart 20:19 As a seal upon your arm As a seal upon your arm 20:26 Set me as a seal upon your heart 20:31 As a seal upon your arm 20:35 For love is as strong 20:39 As death 20:44 For love is as strong as deaths 21:25 Oh, God, on this distinctly American holiday 21:28 we have come to do just that 21:33 to ponder and knew what that Almighty has done 21:38 as You have befriended us. 21:41 In Jesus name we are praising you, amen. 21:50 So knowing the story that was coming up in our series 21:53 "The Last Word" the stunning, healing of the blind man. 21:59 I went to Google and I typed in 22:01 "Thanksgiving and blind, is there any connection?" 22:04 Google took me to the message board of the 22:08 American Foundation for the Blind. 22:11 This is a national non-profitable organization 22:13 that serves over 25 million Americans with vision loss. 22:20 Helen Keller by the way spent 40 years 22:22 associated with AFB. 22:24 So on the message board sure enough here the linkage, 22:28 Thanksgiving and seeing impairment. 22:32 As it turns out appropriate for today, 22:34 this post was written by a college student, 22:37 I don't know if it's a she or he but here we go. 22:40 "I'm so excited, 22:43 I have school this week 22:44 and Monday and Tuesday of next week 22:46 then I get to go home, 22:48 I'm in college for Thanksgiving break." 22:51 Sounds like us. 22:52 "I'm so ready for a break 22:54 but next Wednesday is the day after I get out, 22:57 I'm having surgery on my bad eye. 22:59 It's a cataract surgery 23:00 but they say it's gonna be complicated and messy 23:02 so they're put me to sleep, 23:04 usually they don't for cataracts stuff 23:06 and they're gonna dehydrate me for two, kind of nervous, 23:10 and it's the day before Thanksgiving. 23:13 I don't like that but it can't wait. 23:16 What are y'all doing for Thanksgiving break? 23:18 It must be from the south. 23:21 There's several posts here in reply 23:23 and I will read them all. 23:24 The first one is from zumer7, just a few minutes later, 23:29 "I hope your surgery goes smoothly 23:31 and as for what I'm doing on Thanksgiving 23:33 whatever I can to get away from my deranged family." 23:38 Not a lot of warm fuzzes in that post. 23:42 Here's another one from Thrill Monster, 23:44 "Going on vacation to Florida." 23:46 Some of you may be doing the same. 23:48 And then I like this on, Joe S, he's a party of the AFB, 23:50 The American Foundation for the Blind staff, 23:53 "We will be sending positive thoughts 23:54 and vibes for you and your surgery. 23:56 Enjoy the break. 23:57 I know we all look forward to having time off. 24:00 Enjoy the vacation." 24:02 Well put for a college community 24:04 and the cusp of this holiday break. 24:09 Thanksgiving and blindness, you can get there from here. 24:12 The stunning saga of what we are about to read will link 24:17 Thanksgiving and blindness 24:19 on this Sabbath before Thanksgiving. 24:21 And so without further due 24:22 I want to plunge into Holy Scripture. 24:24 I put the title slide up, just to remind you 24:26 we are part of "The Last Word" series. 24:29 As you see there today's teaching Shabbat Shalom. 24:34 I am in the New Kings James version, 24:36 whatever translation you have, it's fine with me. 24:39 If you didn't bring a Bible, 24:40 this is one of the most dramatic healings in all of Scripture. 24:43 So grab he pew Bible in front of you 24:45 and it'll be also in the New King James Version. 24:47 Let's go, John Chapter 9, we're just going through John. 24:50 Only one more piece left before Christmas, 24:52 we'll get to that right after the Thanksgiving holiday. 24:55 This is John Chapter 9, let's pick it up in verse 1, 24:59 "Now as Jesus passed by 25:01 He saw a man who was blind from birth." 25:04 There we go. 25:06 "And His disciples asked Him saying, 25:08 'Rabbi who sinned, this manor his parents, 25:10 that he was born blind?' 25:12 " You see the faith community at the time of Christ 25:14 believed that somehow suffering was linked to sin, 25:18 a punishment from God. 25:20 If you were majorly suffering 25:23 you are obviously majorly sinning. 25:26 In fact, some Rabbis even suggested 25:29 that prenatal sin can occur 25:31 and the use of story of Esau approve that. 25:33 So the disciples aren't asking, 25:35 is there a connection between sin and suffering, 25:36 they already know there is 25:37 but we want to know was it this man or was it his parents 25:40 who were the cause of his blindness? 25:42 and Jesus answer in verse 3. 25:44 and I praise God for Jesus answer. 25:46 Jesus said, hey wait in the fellows, 25:48 "Neither, this man nor his parents sin 25:51 but that the works of God should be revealed in him." 25:54 Isn't that great news to know? 25:56 Your suffering is not at the hands of an angry God. 25:59 So I got intended, 26:00 inserted intentionally into the canon of sacred scripture 26:04 the Old Testament, 26:05 the story of Job to remind us 26:08 that most of our human suffering 26:09 is directly upon the personal orders 26:12 and through the personal hand of Satan himself. 26:18 Jesus goes on verse 4, "I must work the works Him 26:22 who sent me while it is day, the night is coming," 26:25 Oh, boys, this draws us in as a generation, doesn't it? 26:28 "The night is coming when no one can work." 26:30 We got to do what we got to do now 26:32 before night falls. 26:34 "I am the light in the world," 26:37 I am the water of life, I am the bread of life, 26:41 "I am the light of the world," 26:43 twice now He's declared Himself the light of the world. 26:47 And then to dramatically prove He is a light for our darkness, 26:51 here we go over verse 6, 26:52 "And when He had said these things, 26:54 He spat on the ground and make clay with the saliva, 26:58 and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay." 27:01 Try to imagine yourself being the blind man for a moment. 27:05 You can't see a thing but you hear the voice of Jesus 27:07 coming closer and closer until finally 13 pairs of sandals 27:11 are crunched all around you in a circle. 27:13 You have acute hearing, you know what's happening, 27:16 silence and then the next thing 27:17 you hear is somebody going... 27:22 You hear the... 27:24 You do not know what is happening next, 27:26 all you know is that the silence. 27:29 You cannot see that Jesus is down 27:31 with His own sputum in the mud making a concoction. 27:36 Now you know that sometimes, this often happens, 27:38 when somebody comes behind you from the side 27:41 and touches you when you're not expecting it, 27:43 isn't there's an immediate response, 27:45 especially if they are touching the face. 27:46 So imagine the blind person, 27:48 he doesn't know what's happening 27:49 and until suddenly some warm fingers 27:51 touch his eyelids and he jerks back. 27:55 And then He feels this, oozy, oozy, grainy stuff, 28:00 slime rub over both eyes and then Jesus speaks. 28:04 What is this? 28:05 Verse 7, "And Jesus said him, 28:07 'Now go, wash in the pool of Siloam, 28:11 which is translated, Sent. 28:13 So he went and washed," and I love this, 28:16 "And came back seeing." 28:20 Somebody gets him the 1200 meters, 28:24 1.2 kilometers from where he is to that pool, 28:27 somebody gets him there 28:29 and as he scoops down into that fresh cool water, 28:33 begins to splashing, rubbing the grit, 28:35 rubbing the mud, now dried and cake, 28:38 rubbing his eyes lids, scrubbing them 28:40 and then one eye goes open. 28:42 One eye looks around. 28:44 The other eye goes open, both eyes. 28:48 Can you imagine? 28:50 No, you and I cannot. 28:52 We cannot fathom what it would be to see light 28:56 for the first time in your adult life. 29:02 Full high definition, mega, mega, mega pixel colors. 29:08 He's heard the sounds all his life 29:09 but now sounds are matched to sites. 29:12 Unbelievable. 29:15 "Therefore" verse 8, "the neighbors" 29:18 because now he's raising back, 29:20 "Therefore the neighbors and those who previously 29:22 had seen that he was blind said, 29:24 'Isn't this he who sat and begged?' 29:27 " Verse 9, "And some said, 'Yep this is he'. 29:30 Others said, 'He just looks like him, 29:31 he just like him." 29:33 I had a neighbor, when we're in Coquille, 29:35 Oregon pastoring, 29:36 we had a neighbor ended up baptizing both, 29:38 the neighboring and his wife. 29:39 But he never wore dentures, ever, ever. 29:41 He was a fairly young man but he just didn't wear them, 29:43 he ate everything with just the gums. 29:46 You know that your face eventually 29:47 adapts to whatever you do. 29:49 If Carl had ever put dentures 29:52 I knew I wouldn't have recognized him. 29:54 Imagine a man who's grown up will sockets, 29:57 the eyeballs just were never there. 29:59 Suddenly you put white, 30:02 white eyeballs with bright brown irises, 30:06 they are not playing a game, they're not sure. 30:08 Are you sure this is he? He looks like him. 30:12 And he pipes up in Verse 9, he said, "I am he." 30:18 In fact in the Greek, he kept piping. 30:20 Hey, wait, wait, it is me. 30:22 No, no. It is. I am, I am, I am, I am. 30:26 And "Therefore they said to him," in verse 10, 30:28 "How were your eyes opened? And he answered and said, 30:31 'A Man called Jesus made clay an anointed my eyes 30:33 and said to me, "Go to the pool of Siloam and wash." 30:35 So I went and washed and I receive site.' 30:37 Then they said to him, 'Where is he?' 30:39 He said, 'I don't know.' 30:41 He was blind when he left. 30:44 I don't know where he went. 30:46 "They" verse 13, "brought him 30:48 who formerly was blind to the Pharisees." 30:55 The next line, now it was a Sabbath. 31:02 Oh, oh. 31:05 "It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay 31:08 and opened his eyes. 31:09 Then the Pharisees also asked him again 31:11 how he had received his sight. 31:12 He said to them, 'He put clay on my eyes, 31:14 and I washed, and I see.' 31:16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, 31:17 'This man is not from God.'" 31:18 By the way they know exactly who did this, know exactly. 31:21 "This man is not from God, 31:23 because he does not keep the Sabbath." 31:24 Other said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" 31:27 And there was a division among the spiritual elite," 31:30 among the leaders they are divided. 31:32 Is he for real? Could he be? 31:37 "They said" verse 17, "to the blind man again, 31:38 'What do you say about him because He opened your eyes?'" 31:40 We want to hear from you. 31:42 He said, 'He is a prophet." 31:45 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, 31:46 you're not a blind man, you just faking it, 31:48 "until they called his parents of him 31:50 who had received the site." 31:51 Verse 19, "And they asked them." 31:52 Now this gets comical, it almost ludicrous as this story goes. 31:55 They get to the parent and they said, He, listen, 31:58 "Is this your boy, who you say was born blind? 32:02 How can he see?" 32:04 His parents answer them and their knees are knocking, 32:06 "We know that this is our son, 32:08 and that he was born blind, 32:09 but by what means he now sees we do not know, 32:11 or who open his eyes we do not know. 32:12 Look, he is of age ask him." 32:13 He is old enough, just ask him. 32:16 "He will speak for himself. 32:18 His parents said these things" 32:19 verse 22, "because they feared the Jews," 32:21 for the word was out. 32:22 And by the way, remember Jews, 32:23 code word for the leadership. 32:25 There are all Jews in the story. 32:27 Code word for the leadership, 32:28 "The leadership had agreed already that if anyone confessed 32:31 that He" Jesus "was Christ," the Messiah 32:33 "he would be put out of the synagogue." 32:35 Excommunicado, you are out. 32:39 "Therefore his parents said, 'He is of age, ask him.'" 32:41 Verse 24, "So they called the man 32:43 who was born blind and they said to him, 32:46 'Give God the glory!'" 32:47 Now this is a technical phrase, 32:48 they did that ache him, Give God the glory, 32:50 did you steal this-- did you steal gold? 32:52 Give God the glory, that means you better-- 32:54 you better do what we're asking you to do. 32:55 "Give God the glory!" 32:57 What they want him to do is say, you're right, 32:58 the man didn't heal me, God healed me, 33:01 I give God the glory. 33:03 But he doesn't take the cue. 33:04 "Give God the glory! 33:06 We know that this Man is a sinner." 33:08 And he, the healed blind man answered, 33:10 verse 25, I love this, 33:12 "Whether he is a sinner not, I do not know. 33:14 One thing I know that though I was blind, now I see." 33:20 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 33:24 that saved a wretch like me. 33:28 I once was, but now I am, was, but now I. 33:35 They got, John Newton got it right out of the story. 33:38 Now I see, I once was blind but now I see. 33:46 I want to-- no, they come right after him. 33:51 Verse 26, "Then they said him again, 33:54 'What did He do to you?" 33:56 I want to run through his one more time. 33:57 How did he open up your eyes? 33:58 They are now attempting to confuse him. 34:00 And I need to insert right here little lie from Desire of Ages, 34:02 I want you to see this. 34:04 You will no read this in any other commentary 34:06 on this story, trust me. 34:07 Put it on the screen, please, Desire of Ages. 34:09 "With many words they tried to confuse him, 34:12 so that he might think himself deluded. 34:14 Satan and his evil angels were on the side of the Pharisees, 34:18 and united their energies 34:19 and subtlety with a man's reasoning 34:21 in order to counteract the influence of Christ. 34:24 They blunted the convictions 34:26 that were deepening in many minds." 34:29 Now watch this, 34:30 "Angels of God were also on the ground 34:33 to strengthen the man who had had his site restored." 34:38 I want to tell you something, 34:40 if you are ever put on the spot for the Lord Jesus Christ 34:43 you will never be alone. 34:47 God wants to win every time you open your mouth for Him. 34:53 You are not gonna be there alone. 34:55 In that instance the forces of having will surrounds you 34:59 and they will give to you-- 35:00 I tell you Jesus said it in Luke 12:12 and I love it 35:02 from the New Living translation, He said, 35:04 "While you are standing there 35:06 the spirit of My Father will give you the words to speak." 35:09 While you're standing, 35:10 you don't have to have 35:12 your little crypt notes to pull out. 35:13 Nothing written on your hand, nothing, 35:16 He'll give you the words. 35:18 And I want to know note now, 35:19 you'll be raised to a level you could never get on your own. 35:25 Watch what the angels of God do 35:28 through this healed blind man 35:29 who takes charge of this moment. 35:33 Okay, where are we? 35:34 So they asked the questions in verse 36, 35:35 Oh, come on we want to here again, 35:36 tell us, tell us, tell us, trying to confuse him. 35:38 And he answered, here we go, verse 27, 35:40 "I told you already and you did not listen. 35:44 Why do you want to hear it again? 35:47 Do you want to become His disciples? 35:53 Then the reviled him" naturally "and said," 35:55 You, isn't emphatic in the Greek, 35:57 "You are His disciple, we are Moses' disciples." 36:00 Now verse 29, "We know that God spoke to Moses, 36:03 as for this fellow, 36:05 we do not know where He is from." 36:06 Probably illegitimate birth, 36:08 a little hint going on here 36:10 and then now the bar gets raised 36:12 and this man steps into the divine spotlight. 36:14 "The man answered" verse 30, "and he said to them, 36:17 'Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you,'" 36:21 who are the leaders of Israel, 36:22 "you do not know where he's from, 36:24 yet He has opened my eyes!" 36:25 Now verse 31, "We know that God dos not hear sinners 36:27 but if anyone is a worshipper of God 36:29 and does His will he hears him." 36:31 Look, verse 32, "Since the world began it has been unheard 36:35 of that anyone could open the eyes of one 36:38 who was born blind. 36:40 If this man were not from God, 36:42 he could not do anything." 36:48 Wow. 36:51 Desire of Ages, you need to see this line, 36:52 put it on the screen, 36:54 "The man had met his inquisitors on their own ground. 36:56 His reasoning was unanswerable. 36:59 The Pharisees were astonished and they held their peace." 37:02 Now, hold on, Spellbound 37:05 "Spellbound before his pointed, determine words. 37:10 For a few moments there was silence." 37:14 In the court chamber. 37:16 Silence with unassailable logic, 37:21 a man who has never seen 37:23 the face of Jesus Christ steps forward 37:27 and defends the incarnate word made flesh. 37:32 Wow. 37:37 Somebody finds His voice, verse 34 and finally, 37:40 "They answer and they said to him, 37:42 'You were completely born in sins,'" 37:47 I thought you would be blind, 37:48 "'and you are teaching us?' 37:51 And they cast him out." Excommunicated. 37:55 And then I love the next two words, 37:57 verse 35, "Jesus heard." 38:01 I tell you what someone you're going 38:03 through a miserable time right now. 38:06 Your life feels like it's unraveling 38:08 in front of your very seeing eyes. 38:12 I need you note those two words, Jesus hears. 38:16 Whatever it is you're going through right now, 38:18 He has heard about it and when He hears, 38:22 guess what, He goes looking for you. 38:27 Jesus heard, you never going to be alone, 38:30 you will never suffer alone. 38:32 He's already heard about you. 38:35 "Jesus heard that they had cast him out, 38:37 and when He had found him" isn't that amazing? 38:39 What had happed, we bump into each other? 38:40 Are you kidding. 38:41 Jesus went out to find the blind man healed. 38:45 "And He had found him, He said to him, 38:48 'Do you believe in the Son of God?'" 38:50 The man has never seen Him in his life 38:51 but the acute hearing gift of the seeing impaired means 38:56 he recognizes the voice instantly, this is my healer. 39:01 "Jesus says to him, 39:03 'Do you believe in the Son of God?' 39:05 And he answered and said, 'Who is he, Lord, 39:08 that I may believe in him?' 39:09 And Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him 39:12 and it is He who is talking with you.' 39:14 Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' 39:17 And he worshiped Him." 39:18 He fell down and worshiped Him. 39:24 But when it comes time to give thanks 39:26 what else can you do 39:28 but bow down and worship the God 39:31 who has already given you so much. 39:35 And so we are here. 39:37 But Dwight, what that has to do with Shabbat Shalom? 39:40 That's the Hebrew greeting. 39:41 Sabbath, peace be upon you. 39:43 What's that have to do? 39:45 Craig Keener, to the New Testament commentator 39:49 points out that John has intentionally 39:52 taken two miracles in his gospel. 39:53 One we've already been to, John 5, 39:55 the healing up the invalid, the Pool of Bethesda, 39:57 you remember that? 39:59 He has taken these two miracles 40:00 and he has nearly made them identical for a point. 40:05 Watch how similar these two miracles are. 40:07 I couldn't believe this when I saw his list. 40:09 In both accounts, okay, so John 5, John 9, 40:12 invalid blind man. 40:14 In both accounts the history, 40:16 the case history is stated first. 40:18 This man had been, had been lame for 38 years, 40:21 had been blind all his life. 40:23 In both accounts Jesus takes the initiative, 40:25 neither one comes to Him, Jesus goes to the sick one. 40:28 In both accounts there is a pool 40:30 that is linked to healing, 40:33 Bethesda and Shalom. 40:34 In both accounts Jesus heals on the Sabbath. 40:37 In both accounts 40:38 Jesus is accused of violating the Sabbath. 40:41 In both accounts the authorities ask the one healed 40:43 who healed them, and in both accounts 40:45 the man doesn't know where or who Jesus is 40:47 and in both accounts Jesus findings the man 40:50 and invites him to believe. 40:51 Now the accounts change because in one account 40:56 Jesus implies the relationship between sin and suffering, 41:00 "You got to quit doing that sin or it will kill you, 41:03 something worse will come on you." 41:05 And in the other one 41:06 He says, "There is no relationship at all 41:07 between sin and suffering." 41:09 In one account the man goes to the Jews, 41:12 in the other account the Jews throw the man out 41:15 but both accounts end with Jesus declaring, 41:18 "He must do the works of the Father." 41:22 What's happening here? 41:23 John is intentionally merging these two miracles 41:26 to put the Seventh-day Sabbath front and center. 41:31 These two miracles are not about 41:32 Jesus being the Lord of our bodies 41:34 though that truth is truly true, 41:37 this instead is to teach us that Jesus, 41:41 the Creator is Lord up the Sabbath 41:44 and that the Jews who consider themselves 41:46 very orthodox sabbatarians like 41:49 you and I consider ourselves 41:51 have gotten the Sabbath all wrong. 41:54 Question, have we gotten the Sabbath all wrong too? 42:01 Sigve Tonstad, a Norwegian, 42:05 is a Seventh-day Adventist minister 42:07 and a Seventh-day Adventist position 42:09 and a New Testament scholar. 42:10 And by the way, he presently is enjoying 42:12 a joint appointment at Loma Linda University 42:15 in the School of Religion, 42:17 he is associate professor, 42:19 in the School of Medicine he's an assistant professor. 42:23 So he is an MD, a minister and a Bible scholar. 42:28 He's written, what for me is the most profound book 42:32 I have read on the Sabbath. 42:35 Title of his book, "The Lost Meaning of the Seventh-day." 42:38 And wouldn't you know it, 42:39 Andrews University Press has published that book. 42:42 You've got to get that book you must read that book. 42:45 He writes as a poet, he writes is a scholar, 42:47 he writes is an ecstasy. 42:49 So I am gonna go to the turn step 42:50 before I sat down, 42:51 I want to go to him several times. 42:53 He spends a chapter drawing 42:54 on these two Sabbath healings in John. 42:56 Notice where he goes with this probing exploration. 42:59 You have a study guide today, 43:00 these quotes are all in it so that you can keep the quotes. 43:02 I'm going to put them on the screen right now, 43:04 let's go. 43:06 "A wonderful thing has happened," 43:08 he's writing, "A wonderful things happen 43:09 in both Sabbath healings," John 5 and John 9, 43:12 "but the body language of Jesus critics loudly states 43:16 that people in the audience 43:18 had better restrain their wonderment." 43:19 Hey, guys, you are getting too excited. 43:22 "Under normal circumstances 43:24 they should be crowding around the restore cripple excitedly, 43:26 showering him with questions. 43:28 Hey, how does it feel to walk again after thirty-eight years? 43:30 They should descend on the blind man 43:32 like reporters at a press conference. 43:34 What it's like to see for the first time? 43:36 But this is not what happens. 43:38 The spirit of awe and gratitude 43:39 that might be expected is drowned out 43:42 by the narrator's explanatory remark 43:45 that it happened on the Sabbath. 43:48 All of a sudden the air is chilled by a logic 43:51 that takes no joy in what has taken place. 43:54 The passage 'is no longer soaring aloft 43:56 on the wings of hope' 43:57 but has 'plummeted to the ground with a decided thud,' 44:00 says Karen Pidcock-Lester." 44:05 Have we done the same to the Sabbath? 44:07 In our hands, in our homes this day 44:11 that was meant for soaring aloft on the wings of hope 44:14 have we turned it into a day 44:16 that has plummeted to the ground 44:18 with a decided thud? 44:24 We who are so right about the Sabbath day, 44:28 are we right about the Sabbath way? 44:32 You see, the Jews had that day down path 44:37 but they blew the way. 44:40 How about us? 44:43 Just turn two pages, three, four to John 5 44:46 because we are going-- the miracles are linked 44:47 so we go back to the other miracle 44:49 to catch this line from Jesus. 44:51 This is John 5:16 after He has healed the invalid 44:55 at the Pool of Bethesda on that Sabbath, 44:57 "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, 44:59 and sought to kill Him." 45:02 Can you believe that? 45:03 They are gonna kill him 45:05 "because He had done these things on the Sabbath." 45:08 Now verse 17, "But Jesus answered them, 45:10 'My Father has been working until now, 45:13 and I have been working." 45:16 Now Tonstad writes an essay, 45:17 this summer in the Adventist Review 45:19 where he goes deeper with these two miracles, 45:23 it's a great piece. 45:24 I am gonna put a few lines from the essay 45:26 on the screen for you now, 45:27 driving his point home. 45:28 "It seems," this is the same Tonstad, 45:31 "It seems as if Jesus threw down the gauntlet 45:33 by publicly ignoring Jewish Sabbath regulations. 45:37 Two of the 39 prohibitions in existence" at Christ time 45:40 "specifically dealt with carrying a pallet," 45:42 he said, hey, take up your man and walk, 45:43 "and kneading dough." 45:44 A woman was not allowed to mix dough and make it, 45:47 you know, you are not allowed to do that. 45:48 And so He did that with the spit and dirt, 45:51 He's kneading dough. 45:52 "But we missed the depth of the struggle," 45:54 Tonstad writes, 45:56 "if we assume that Jesus was merely picking a fight 45:58 with Jewish leaders over proper Sabbath observance." 46:01 It is, now hold on, 46:02 "It is not what they see that creates controversy, 46:06 it is rather what they don't see." 46:09 This is spot on. 46:10 "Clearly they see the mat and the mud, 46:15 but they do not see the man. 46:19 Much worse, they do not see God." 46:25 Jesus says, "Hey, hey, hey, 46:27 my Father has been working continually till now and yes, 46:30 we both work on the Seventh-day Sabbath 46:32 its okay because He works, I work. 46:35 It's okay." 46:37 In fact Jesus, remember in chapter 9, 46:39 Jesus says, "I need to do the works My Father now 46:42 because night is coming and then we can't work at all." 46:46 But how true for you and me, night is coming we can't work? 46:49 It's okay to do it's on the Seventh-day. 46:54 Tonstad goes on, 46:56 "On one level, Jesus active imitation of the Father 46:59 stands in contrast" 47:01 This is poetic. 47:02 "To their tight-lipped obedience to a commandment, 47:05 frozen in time." 47:07 Tight-lipped, you can see them. 47:09 Want to keep this day even if it kills us. 47:12 "Tight-lip commitment to obedience 47:14 to a commanding, frozen in time. 47:15 But on a deeper level, 47:17 Jesus emphasis on the Father working stands in contrast 47:20 to their view of God resting. 47:22 In the minds of His critics, 47:24 the memory of Creation is the basis for Sabbath holiness." 47:27 God rested, so to be holy, we must rest. 47:29 "Jesus, however, has the audacity to connect 47:32 the Sabbath and working, 47:34 making this connection again and again." 47:37 And there are the references. 47:38 In other words, ladies and gentlemen, 47:40 the Jews had reduced the Sabbath 47:42 to a day of inactivity 47:44 but the Word who created the universe, 47:46 when He has made flesh 47:47 He comes down to transform the Sabbath 47:49 from inactivity to proactively. 47:53 It's not to rests, it's to work because night is coming. 48:00 We have to get it done now. 48:04 Which explains why Tonstad back in his book now 48:07 he writes this, 48:08 this is the final quotation from Tonstad. 48:11 "The Jewish religious system 48:13 that is reflected in the Sabbath conflicts 48:16 reduces God to a distant player in human affairs. 48:20 Beyond keeping the universe on course," 48:22 that's all He does, 48:23 "no initiative seems imminent on God's part. 48:25 The Sabbath has come to epitomize the stalemate, 48:28 anticipating the view that" 48:30 and this is from their writings at the time, 48:32 "if Israel kept the Sabbath properly 48:35 even for one day the Son of David would come." 48:39 If we would just do it right, Jesus will come back. 48:45 Now the provocative conclusion, 48:47 here he goes, 48:48 "Maintenance of the created order will not suffice 48:51 when the created order is threatened by dissolution, 48:55 and when human beings 48:56 are in the thrall of disease and death. 48:58 Rather than waiting for human beings to break 49:00 the deadlock by impeccable Sabbath observance, 49:04 Jesus brings the Father's compassion 49:07 to view on the Sabbath. 49:08 In the words of" the great English preacher, 49:10 "G. Campbell Morgan, 49:11 'There can be no rest for God while humanity is suffering.'" 49:17 This week there was a fire on the edge of our campus 49:20 and a little apartment went up in smoke, 49:22 11 people are homeless 49:23 and one little three-year-old girl is dead. 49:27 Do you think God is resting now? 49:31 How did Morgan put it, there can be no rest for God 49:35 while humanity is suffering? 49:37 "Jesus can't wait until tomorrow," 49:39 that would be Sunday or Monday or Tuesday 49:41 "because He's magnifying 49:42 the original message of the Sabbath 49:44 in the context of human suffering." 49:46 That's what's happening. 49:47 "Ministering to the person in need, 49:49 reaching out to heal and to restore, 49:51 lies at the heart 49:53 of the divine character and mission." 49:59 Ladies and gentlemen, 50:01 of all people on earth sabbatarians 50:08 who like the Father and His Son 50:14 hold sacred the Seventh-day of the week 50:16 of all people in the world 50:18 we must be working. 50:22 In a world going up in flames we must be working, 50:27 doing the works of our Lord even on the day He is Lord of. 50:31 We must work for the night is quickly coming 50:36 and we won't be able to work again. 50:39 If you were to tweet, 50:41 Jesus teaching in these two critical miracles, 50:43 He is teaching about the truth of the Sabbath. 50:46 If you were to tweet it, two words 50:48 would enable your tweet to tell the truth, two words. 50:51 I am gonna put the two words on the screen. 50:53 This is the truth 50:55 of these two miracles, Rest works. 51:01 Rest works. 51:04 When it comes to the Sabbath, rest works. 51:09 When the Lord of the Sabbath is resting in the tomb, 51:13 the Lord of salvation is still at work. 51:16 Rest works. 51:18 You don't stop your mission for the day of rest. 51:25 Rest works. 51:28 When it comes to the Sabbath, rest works. 51:33 You want to rest, then work because if rest rests 51:39 how many others will go up inflame 51:43 because we didn't get there in time? 51:45 I sat down yesterday but Bruce Stover, 51:49 who's the fire chief for Oronoko Township 51:51 in the villages of Bearings Springs, 51:53 I sat down in his office. 51:55 I said, "Chief, how you guys doing?" 52:00 He said, "Pastor, some of my men, 52:05 it was tough when they had to go in 52:07 to get that little body." 52:10 He says, "Thank you for your prayers, 52:11 the prayers of the community." 52:14 I was out running Tuesday morning early, 52:16 heard those sirens racing by, 52:18 something bad in Berrien Springs. 52:23 We had prayer together. 52:26 But you know what, ladies and gentlemen, 52:27 prayer is not enough, prayer is not enough. 52:30 By the way, do you know living next door two elders of ours, 52:33 Janet and Yearling Sorensen, 52:36 their house by a backdraft, 52:39 fire sucked into the system when the transformer blew. 52:42 There were out of their house for two months now. 52:44 There in the dormitory right now. 52:46 Our own elders. 52:49 Praying is fine but it's not enough, 52:51 we have to do more than praying because rest works, 52:54 that's a true of the Sabbath, rest works. 52:58 Even on the Sabbath it works. 53:03 In fact rest will go on working until the family is comforted, 53:06 the housing is restored, clothing is replaced 53:09 and food is provided 53:10 because when Christ is your Lord, rest works. 53:13 I have been proud of this campus 53:14 that has already mobilized to respond. 53:17 I want to move from the theoretical 53:19 now to the practical and then I am sitting down. 53:20 I may put this on the screen for you. 53:22 Three ways you can respond, 53:24 take a tithe envelope, right now and write on it, "Fire." 53:27 The Red Cross is managing all funding for these families. 53:31 Do you know that little body 53:32 needs to be transported to North Carolina 53:35 and the family doesn't have money for 53:38 to get the body to North Carolina? 53:41 Your gift will help the family in their grieving. 53:45 Just on your tithe envelop write in the word, "Fire." 53:48 The next line is Campus Ministry. 53:50 You are student at Andrews University, 53:51 Pastor Chaplin Jose sitting right over there in that 53:55 the campus ministries office, 53:56 they are ground control for all student responses. 54:00 Drop by, you want to drop by something physically, 54:02 you want to drop by something financial, you may. 54:06 Neighbor to Neighbor, that's N2N. 54:07 Neighbor to Neighbor, that's a big community service center 54:09 right out here on the highway. 54:11 They are also Union Station for our response. 54:16 You can drop by, you got some furniture 54:17 that you would like a family to have 54:19 as they find new Zquarters to live, 54:21 see Neighbor to Neighbor. 54:23 But, ladies and gentleman, rest works. 54:26 It's not enough to pray. 54:28 There are people who need healing 54:30 and you and I know that the Healer 54:33 and in His name we can respond, 54:36 we must respond 54:38 because rest really does work. 54:44 Now some instructions as we prepare for the noisiest 54:48 and perhaps most delightful offering of the year. 54:52 For a perceptual offering 54:53 you are invited to bring your gifts of food, 54:55 your tithes and your offerings 54:58 as well as your Thanksgiving letters to the platform. 55:00 But the loose offering today's designated for church offering. 55:05 If you wish for your gift of money 55:06 to go towards the Thanksgiving baskets 55:08 you must put it in envelope and mark it Thanksgiving. 55:12 Our deacons will dismiss you row by row 55:15 and please come forward using the side aisles 55:17 and return to your pew by the center or wall aisles. 55:21 So in the process we invite full hearted 55:23 and full throated participation in the singing of hymns. 55:27 The words will be on the screens and hymn number 55:29 and stances are listed in the worship bulletin. 55:32 And now a time of rejoicing and singing and giving. 56:06 Rejoice, ye pure in heart! 56:10 Rejoice, give thanks and sing 56:14 Your festal banner wave on high 56:19 The cross of Christ your King 56:23 Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice, 56:29 Give thanks and sing! 56:33 With voice as full and strong 56:38 As ocean's surging praise 56:42 Send forth the sturdy hymns of old 56:47 The psalms of ancient days 56:51 Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice, 56:57 Give thanks and sing! 57:13 Praise Him who reigns on high 57:18 The Lord whom we adore 57:23 The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 57:28 One God forevermore 57:33 Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice, 57:40 Give thanks and sing! 57:51 Let's pray together. 57:53 And the Spirit the bride say come 57:56 and let him that here it say come 57:59 and let him that is the thirst come 58:02 and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely 58:06 even so come Lord Jesus, amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17