Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP160813A
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00:08 Good morning, PMC.
00:10 We're happy to see you this morning 00:12 on the Sabbath morning. 00:14 Let's stand together for prayer. 00:25 Dear Lord, we come to you with humble hearts. 00:30 Thank you for this opportunity that we can come together 00:33 and worship you and praise your name. 00:35 Thank you for loving us so much. 00:37 Thank you for the blessings in our lives, 00:40 and thank you for this opportunity 00:43 of a new school year. 00:45 We love you and please bless us. 00:47 Amen Amen. 00:51 Remain, remain standing, thank you so much. 00:54 Or up and down, if you want to exercise. 00:58 So the first song is a celebration 01:00 that we together will start this year singing 01:05 and we will conclude this song in the New Jerusalem 01:10 when it returns down here on earth. 01:12 Keep that in mind as we sing to a very beautiful hymn tune 01:16 that you all know, 01:18 "The words for the music of creation. " 01:33 For the music of creation 01:39 For the song your Spirit sings 01:44 For Your sound's divine expression 01:50 Burst of joy in living things 01:56 God, our God, the world's composer 02:01 Hear us, echoes of Your voice 02:07 Music is Your art, Your glory 02:13 Let the human heart rejoice 02:25 Psalms and symphonies exalt 02:29 You Drum and trumpet, string and reed 02:36 Simple melodies acclaim 02:41 You Tunes that rise from deepest need 02:47 Hymns of longing and belonging 02:53 Carols from a cheerful throat 02:59 Lilt of lullaby and love song 03:05 Catching heaven in a note 03:17 Saints on earth and angel voices 03:23 In transcendent chorus meet 03:29 Worship lifting up the senses 03:35 Hands that praise and dancing feet 03:41 Over discord and division 03:47 Music speaks Your joy and peace 03:53 Harmony of earth and heaven 03:59 Song of God 04:01 That cannot cease! 04:08 Amen. You may be seated. 04:11 So this Thursday we came back to Andrews, 04:14 all the faculty and we met for the faculty institute 04:18 and we're greeted by Stephen and Susan Zork 04:21 with a wonderful worship. 04:22 And as is customary for Stephen, 04:25 he pulled out many new hymns for us to sing 04:29 to some common tunes. 04:31 And one really struck me in the heart. 04:33 And we're gonna sing it now. 04:34 I asked him if we can sing it again today. 04:36 Make this your testimony. 04:38 Really think on these words. 04:40 And if it resonates with your soul, sing it to God. 04:46 As a fire is meant for burning 04:52 With a bright and warming flame 04:58 So the church is meant for mission 05:05 Giving glory to God's name 05:12 Not to preach our creeds or customs 05:18 But to build a bridge of care 05:24 We join hands across the nations 05:31 Finding neighbors everywhere 05:38 We are learners, we are teachers 05:45 We are pilgrims on the way 05:51 We are seekers, we are givers 05:57 We are vessels made of clay 06:04 By our gentle, loving actions 06:11 We would show that Christ is light 06:18 In a humble, listening spirit 06:24 We would live to God's delight 06:40 As a green bud in the springtime 06:47 Is a sign of life renewed 06:54 So may we be signs of oneness 07:00 'Mid earth's peoples, many hued 07:07 As a rainbow lights the heavens 07:14 When a storm is past and gone 07:20 May our lives reflect a radiance 07:27 Of God's new and glorious dawn 07:56 God, you spin the whirling planets 08:00 Fill the seas and spread the plain 08:04 Mold the mountains, fashion blossoms 08:09 Call forth sunshine, wind, and rain 08:13 We, created in Your image 08:18 Would a true reflection be 08:22 Of Your justice, grace, and mercy 08:27 And the truth that makes us free 08:33 You have called us to be faithful 08:38 In our life and ministry 08:42 We respond in grateful worship 08:47 Joined in one community 08:51 When we blur Your gracious image 08:56 Focus us and make us whole 09:00 Healed and strengthened as Your people 09:05 We move onward toward Your goal 09:12 God, Your word is still creating 09:16 Calling us to life made new 09:21 Now reveal to us fresh vistas 09:25 Where there's work to dare and do 09:30 Keep us clear of all distortion 09:35 Fashion us with loving care 09:39 Thus, new creatures in Your image 09:44 We'll proclaim Christ everywhere 10:22 Open my eyes, that I may see 10:29 Glimpses of truth You have for me 10:35 Place in my hands the wonderful key 10:42 That shall unlock and set me free 10:50 Silently now, I wait for Thee 10:57 Ready my God your will to see 11:04 Open my eyes, illumine me 11:12 Spirit divine 11:23 Open my ears, that I may hear 11:30 Voices of truth you send so clear 11:37 And while the message sounds in my ear 11:44 Everything false 11:47 Will disappear 11:52 Silently now, 11:56 I wait for thee 12:00 Ready my God your will to see 12:07 Open my ears, 12:11 Illumine me 12:15 Spirit divine 12:23 Open my mouth, and let me bear 12:31 Gladly the warm truth everywhere 12:38 Open my heart, and let me prepare 12:46 Love with your children 12:50 Thus to share 12:54 Silently now, on bended knee 13:02 Ready I wait your will to see 13:10 Open my heart, 13:14 Illumine me 13:20 Spirit divine 13:34 Hello, boys and girls, welcome. 13:39 You guys know what I am? 13:40 No. 13:42 A scientist. 13:43 I'm a scientist. 13:44 I'm a special one called a 'Chemist'. 13:47 And my name is Dr. Ryan Harris PHD, 13:51 Department of Chemistry, associate professor 13:53 or you can just call me Doctor Bubbles. 13:59 Bubbles? 14:01 Yeah, I'm not gonna make bubbles today, 14:03 but we're gonna some important lessons 14:05 and some important chemistry. 14:06 You guys like running experiments? 14:08 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 14:09 We're gonna run in one here today. 14:10 We're gonna learn something about how God works right here. 14:15 I gotta ask this question, I think I know the answer 14:17 but I'm gonna ask in anyway. 14:18 Have you done anything bad before? 14:20 Yes. Yes. 14:22 Oh, and some are brave, yes. Yeah. 14:25 So how do we know that we're doing something bad? 14:27 When it tries to explode. 14:29 When it explodes... 14:30 When you get caught. 14:32 When you get caught, yeah, that's how we know. 14:34 No, is there, your parents catch you? 14:38 But how do your parents know when you've done something bad? 14:42 How do they know? 14:44 They have their parents' senses. 14:46 Okay, they have parental senses, super powers. 14:49 I agree. 14:51 This is true. 14:52 True words that never have been spoken, 14:53 but you know I gotta let you on a secret 14:55 the way that we know 14:57 as parents what's right and what's wrong, 14:59 what's bad and what's good is we look to God's word. 15:03 And more specifically we look at the Ten Commandments. 15:06 So I'm always trying to teach my kids the Ten Commandments 15:08 because if you break one of God's laws, 15:11 we call that does any body know? 15:14 Sin! 15:16 And I actually got some in the bottle right here. 15:21 Yeah, we won't run with that one at all. 15:25 But when you do something bad, 15:27 it's like putting a stain into your record, 15:31 into who you are and you're feeling so good. 15:34 But you know every one of you are different. 15:35 Some of you are tall, some of you are short. 15:37 And I'm gonna represent you, 15:39 the kids here with these different glasses that have... 15:42 Well, looks like water in there. 15:44 Some of you are nice and round. 15:48 Some of you have taller necks, they're round at the bottom. 15:50 Okay? 15:52 Some of you have this nice shape here. 15:55 We have another round one. 15:56 Maybe some of you are nice and tall. 15:59 You're all different, right? 16:00 You look different. 16:02 Tall, short, but you know what? 16:04 You are all the same because you are going to start 16:08 maybe doing things that, we hope not, 16:11 but we all do this, we breaks God's law. 16:14 And sin gets into our lives here 16:18 and starts to darken our lives here, 16:21 well, hopefully, eventually. 16:23 Yeah, dark in here. 16:25 Don't worry it will. 16:27 Oh, there it goes. 16:28 And sin gets into your life and starts to stain your life. 16:33 Don't worry there's lot to sin unfortunately. 16:36 And we start to darken, 16:38 and you know may be it was you 16:41 didn't listen to your mom and dad. 16:42 That's a commandment you know. 16:44 Honor your father and your mother. 16:46 And maybe what are some of other, 16:49 does anyone know some of the other commandments? 16:54 Thou shall not kill, 16:57 yeah, and Jesus said something about 16:59 even if you get mad at your brother 17:01 that's like the same thing. 17:02 Yes. 17:04 Do not lie. That ones a hard one. 17:07 Teasing and lying with each other 17:09 and we get stains in our lives. 17:13 You know what, it doesn't matter 17:14 if you are tall and skinny, 17:16 you too can start to get stains in your life here. 17:20 And I should add more stains in there. 17:23 But we'll let that go down there. 17:24 Okay? 17:26 And it doesn't matter who you are, 17:28 what your shape is, what you've done, 17:30 or what sin it is. 17:31 We often say, well, I didn't lie like you did. 17:36 I maybe said a bad word that's not as bad. 17:39 But you know what? To God, it's all the same. 17:41 It's still a stain on who you are. 17:44 And you become color. 17:46 Now wait, some of you would say, 17:47 oh, that looks so pretty, that's so pretty blue. 17:50 That sin is so neat. 17:52 All my friends, you know, are doing. 17:54 They're disobeying their parents. 17:56 And nobody, they don't get in trouble. 17:59 They've lied and they don't really get in trouble. 18:01 And, you know, nothing bothers them. 18:04 So maybe that sin is something we should just, 18:06 it's okay to play with. 18:08 And I'm wondering if it... 18:10 Yeah, we may need to put a bunch in there. 18:13 And I have backup sin if we need it too. 18:18 Yeah, it's going. It's going there. 18:20 We might need a little bit more 18:21 and I'll just keep telling little bit more 18:23 as we put some in here. 18:25 But sin can get in your life. 18:27 Does anybody know though 18:29 how you are to get rid of this sin in your life? 18:32 Yeah! 18:34 Oop! Who want's to answer that? 18:36 I think we got, how do you get rid of sin in your life? 18:40 I heard Jesus. Yeah, what? 18:41 What do you say? I'd dump the water out. 18:43 You dump the water out? 18:47 What's that? By being good. 18:49 By being good. 18:51 Those are really interesting ways to try 18:54 to get sin out of your life. 18:55 What do you think of it, young lady? 18:57 If you dump the water out into somebody else's cup. 19:01 Wow! I don't know if you heard that. 19:03 If you dump the water out into someone else's cup. 19:06 That is profound. 19:10 This is amazing. 19:11 You guys should do this at home. 19:16 Well, I gotta let you on a little secret. 19:18 There is only one way to get rid of the stain, 19:20 the sin, the bad things in your life. 19:23 And we gotta know what that is because some day, 19:24 oh, you think you know? 19:26 I'll give them... We pray. 19:27 We pray, that's okay, 19:28 but you gotta pray something specific. 19:30 You put a chemical in there. 19:31 You put a chemical in there. 19:33 You're getting closer, but what do you think? 19:34 Ask God to forgive. 19:36 You ask God to forgive you. 19:37 That's right. 19:39 And I actually have that forgiveness in the bottle 19:42 right here. 19:43 Look at that little bottle. 19:45 I have in here the power of Jesus. 19:47 In fact it's vitamin C. 19:50 Vitamin Christ. 19:52 And I'm just gonna take a little bit of that 19:55 and let's see if it's powerful enough to get rid of the stain 19:58 in one of these person's life. 20:01 And we mix it around. 20:04 And it's all clear. 20:07 Wow! 20:09 Did it matter what the sin was? 20:10 No. No. 20:12 Magic. 20:13 No, it's not magic. 20:15 It's chemistry. 20:19 Thank you for saying it. 20:22 What about this person, 20:23 they were a little bit bigger did the sin matter? 20:26 No, it's gone there too. 20:28 And this person, 20:30 well, they had a different type of sin, 20:31 did it matter? 20:32 No. See Jesus that's why he came and died. 20:36 Because Jesus is the special magic, 20:39 the chemistry, 20:40 however you want to explain it 20:42 that will come and take away the sin in the world. 20:45 It doesn't matter who you are. 20:47 Sin is sin. 20:48 But that one doesn't have too much color. 20:49 Yeah, that one doesn't have, wow! 20:51 It doesn't have too much blue in it, 20:52 but you know it's still sin. 20:55 And God wants to get rid of that in there too. 20:57 And it's all gone. 21:00 There's little blue on top. 21:01 It will go away. 21:02 Trust me. It will go away. 21:04 Now, hey, here's the big sin problem right here. 21:07 Couldn't I just put that back in 21:09 and the sin can go back 21:10 and these people right here will be sinful again. 21:14 This is why we're all coming to church 21:16 and why we're so excited and why as Adventist here, 21:19 we know that some day Jesus is just gonna 21:21 get rid of the all whole sin problem, okay? 21:24 And the all sin problem is just gonna go away 21:29 and that's why I got a lid on this. 21:31 So we can just rid of the sin problem, 21:34 the source of it. 21:44 Okay. 21:45 Now I heard this is PMC. 21:47 It's a big church, lots of people. 21:49 And I heard that you gotta go bigger and go home 21:52 and so actually I got something bigger here. 21:56 Oh! Oh! 21:59 Oh! 22:04 Wow! 22:05 Do you think this little bottle can take care of all of that? 22:08 Yes. 22:10 You guys are learning to have faith there. 22:13 You bet. 22:14 Oh, I hope so. 22:16 I'm gonna just dump it out. 22:17 Jesus poured out his whole life for you, and for me, 22:20 and for the whole world. 22:22 And let's see, 22:24 it lift with your legs, not with your back. 22:27 This is pretty heavy. 22:28 Let's see if we can get rid of it. 22:31 Is it going away? 22:33 Yeah. Yeah? 22:35 There it goes. 22:37 Don't worry I have some backup Jesus if it's not enough. 22:44 It's gone. That's gone away. 22:46 There will be a little bit in there, 22:48 don't look too closely. 22:50 There will be some scars that might remain. 22:55 Hey, this is really cool. 22:56 We learned something amazing, doesn't matter what the sin is, 22:58 Jesus can get rid of it. 23:00 Yes. You guys can see it. 23:01 It doesn't matter who you are, Jesus can get rid of your sin. 23:03 You have to ask, you have to repent, 23:06 and trust that Jesus can take care of it. 23:08 You guys have been great listeners. 23:09 Let's have a prayer to end our story time. 23:12 Dear God in heaven, 23:13 thank you for making this amazing world. 23:15 The only world that we know of that has water 23:18 everywhere on top of it. 23:20 And we're so much inside of us, 23:21 Lord reminds us 23:22 that you want to do something big in our life 23:25 and in this world, 23:26 you want to get rid of the sin in this world 23:28 so that we can go home with you some day. 23:31 To go big so we can go home with you. 23:34 Lord, bless these children 23:35 so they'll learn about your power, your law, 23:37 and how you can get rid of the sin in their life. 23:39 Bless them now in Jesus name. Amen. 23:44 In your bulletin, on page 6, 23:48 we have our scripture reading. 23:51 Let's read responsibly. 23:54 I'll read the light print and join me in the board print. 23:58 On page 6 of your bulletin. 24:01 John 10, 24:03 John 4:10-15. 24:08 Jesus answered here, 24:11 "If you knew the gift of God 24:14 and who it is that asks you for a drink, 24:18 you would have asked him 24:21 and he would have given you living water." 24:25 "Sir", she answered, 24:28 "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. 24:33 Where can you get this living water? 24:36 Are you greater than our father Jacob, 24:39 who gave us this well and drank from it, 24:43 as did also his sons and his livestock?" 24:48 Jesus answered, 24:50 "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 24:55 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. 25:00 Indeed, the water I give them 25:03 will become in them a spring of water 25:06 welling up to eternal life." 25:09 The woman said to him, 25:12 "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty 25:17 and have to keep coming here to draw water." 25:20 Amen. 29:03 Let's pray together. 29:05 Oh, God, here we are in worship. 29:10 Our hearts lifted up to you. 29:13 Those hymns with new words swept us heavenward. 29:20 We've come to experience your presence. 29:24 With the prayer, you drew us near. 29:30 Through reins, 29:33 spot on lesson to all of us, 29:35 thank you. 29:38 And now with Carolynn, Katrina, and Ken 29:41 we pray the prayer they played. 29:46 Be thou our vision, 29:49 O Lord, of our hearts 29:52 naught nothing be all else to us save that thou art. 29:59 Thou our best thought by day or by night 30:05 waking or sleeping, 30:08 thy presence our light. 30:11 Cast the vision for us now, dear God, 30:13 in your word we pray in Christ's name, amen, amen. 30:20 Before I plunge into this story, 30:22 I need to give a shout out to a young friend of mine 30:24 named Joshua Hoslins sophomore, Andrews Academy 30:28 who did that art work. 30:31 Isn't that beautiful? 30:34 If you are new here 30:36 and we have bunch of freshmen parents 30:39 with their students, new students and faculty 30:42 who worship all over this community, 30:44 glad you are here as well. 30:45 But if you are new here you know you don't know 30:49 that 1, 2, 3, there's one spot left. 30:55 This would be the fourth year 30:57 we have come up with a theme device 31:01 for fall fellowship 31:03 and then the first Friday night with their freshmen, 31:06 which should be next Friday night, 31:08 that's what happens to the goal device. 31:10 And they will come here, 31:12 Sabbath after Sabbath or chapel after chapel 31:15 and they will remember when they see their name. 31:18 So thank you, Joshua, for moving us into this theme. 31:24 I wanna tell you a story. 31:25 Get us going. 31:27 Carmine Gallo in his book, the Storyteller's Secret frames 31:30 that late afternoon March 1983, 31:34 two men standing on the terrace of a luxury apartment 31:39 overlooking New York Central Park, 31:43 toe to toe. 31:45 The sun is dipping in the west over the Hudson River. 31:50 And there is energy between these two. 31:52 The older man's 45 years old. 31:54 He's a corporate, 31:56 very successful corporate executive, PepsiCo. 32:00 The young man, 26, 32:02 dressed in blue jeans in a mark turtleneck 32:06 has been pushing the older guy 32:10 to jump ship with his corporation. 32:15 Be born in a new venture. 32:17 But he's lost the young man, absolutely no budging, 32:21 no budging from the executive. 32:25 And so now the young man 32:26 is staring at his running shoes, 32:28 staring at the toes of his running shoes, 32:30 thinking, thinking, thinking, I've lost, 32:32 when suddenly his head jerks up and he blurs out. 32:37 Do you wanna sell sugar water for the rest of your life? 32:41 Or do you wanna come with me and change the world? 32:46 Now, of course, everybody knows the fable story 32:49 that moment when Steve Jobs, 26, John Sculley, 32:52 PepsiCo executive, 45, 32:56 when the ignition of that question, 33:00 as Sculley later described it, it got punch. 33:06 An ignition of that question 33:08 blended these two into a fiery partnership 33:12 that literally has changed the world. 33:15 Hasn't it? 33:19 Do you wanna sell sugar water or do you wanna come with me 33:24 and change the world for the better. 33:28 Two years later, Steve Jobs, March 1982, 33:33 two years later Steve Jobs is fired. 33:36 Twelve years after he's fired Apple takes him back 33:41 in his first staff meeting, now get this, 33:42 in his first staff meeting with the Apple team 33:46 Steve Jobs speaks these words, 33:49 put them on the screen for you. 33:52 "Marketing is about values. 33:54 This is a very complicated world. 33:56 It's a very noisy world 33:57 and we're not going to get a chance 33:58 to get people to remember much about us. 34:00 No company is. 34:01 And so we need to be really clear 34:03 on what we want them to know about us. 34:05 Our customers want to know who Apple is 34:08 and what is that we stand for. 34:10 What we're about isn't making boxes for people 34:13 to get jobs done, although we do that well. 34:15 But Apple is about something more that that. 34:18 Here it comes. 34:19 Apple's core value is that we believe 34:23 that people with passion 34:24 can change the world for the better." 34:28 We believe that people with passion 34:31 can change the world for the better. 34:34 You have to believe God believes that as well. 34:37 I mean, take a look at the theme text 34:38 that was assigned to me and us 34:39 for this fall fellowship weekend. 34:41 Open your Bible to Isaiah 58. 34:46 Isaiah 58. 34:47 Theme for this fall fellowship, live holy. 34:52 I tell you what. 34:54 I found out who actually joined this text to the theme, 34:59 my friend June Price our chaplain here. 35:02 I said, hey, June, did you pick that theme? 35:03 That text? 35:05 It's a perfect fit. 35:06 Watch this. 35:07 Because in Isaiah 58, you know what's happening here. 35:10 We have a soliloquy of God, he's doing all the talking, 35:13 although he very adroitly quotes the people 35:17 and buttressing his point. 35:18 But the fact is you don't get the point 35:21 with just this dynamite text. 35:24 Let's read the text and see 35:26 what this sign high overhead has to do 35:31 with these words of God. 35:32 This is Isaiah 58. 35:33 Open your Bible to Isaiah 58:11, 35:35 I'm in the NIV. 35:36 Any Bible you have is fine. 35:38 If you didn't bring a Bible, track this one please. 35:40 Pull the pew Bible out, it will be page 500. 35:42 Okay, God speaking. 35:44 "The Lord will guide you always, 35:46 he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 35:50 and will strengthen your frame. 35:53 You will be like a well-watered garden, 35:55 like a spring whose waters never fail." 36:00 And what God has launched into 36:03 and we don't get this with just that text, 36:05 is an intense quiproquo conversation. 36:08 You know quiproquo Latin, this for that, God says, 36:11 if you do this, I'll do that. 36:12 If you do this, I'll do that. 36:14 We need to get a feel for that before this promise 36:18 and so I'm gonna ask you do something, 36:19 we don't read usually this much in a passage 36:22 but let's go back to verse 1 Isaiah 58, 36:24 go up to the top of the chapter. 36:25 Let's read this to get sense of the drama, 36:27 the tension mounting as God moves to our theme text 36:31 for fall fellowship 2016. 36:34 All right, verse 1 one God speaking. 36:36 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. 36:37 Raise your voice like a trumpet and show for. 36:40 Declare to my people their rebellion 36:42 and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. 36:45 For day after day the seek me out, 36:47 they seem eager to know my ways, 36:48 as if they were a nation that does what is right 36:50 and has not forsaken the commandments of its God. 36:53 They ask me for just decisions 36:55 and seem eager for God to come near them. 36:58 'Why have we fasted', they say, 'and you have not seen it? 37:00 Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' 37:04 'Yet on the day of your fasting, 37:05 you do as you please', 37:07 God says, 'and you exploit all your workers. 37:10 Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, 37:12 and in striking each other with wicked fists. 37:14 You cannot fast as you do today 37:16 and expect your voice to be heard on high. 37:18 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, 37:21 only a day for people to humble themselves? 37:24 Is it only for bowing one's head 37:26 like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? 37:29 Is that what you call a fast, 37:31 a day acceptable to the Lord? 37:36 'Is not this the kind of fasting 37:38 I have chosen: 37:40 to loose the chains of injustice 37:42 and unite the cords of the yoke, 37:45 to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 37:48 Is it not to share your food with the hungry 37:50 and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, 37:52 when you see the naked, to clothe them, 37:54 and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 37:56 Then, so he said, if, if, if, if you do this, this, this 37:59 then here comes the quiproquo. 38:01 Then you do that, 38:02 then your light will break forth like the dawn, 38:06 and your healing will quickly appear, 38:08 then your righteousness will go before you 38:11 and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 38:13 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer, 38:15 you will cry for help and he will say, here am I. 38:19 Another quiproquo, here it comes. 38:20 "If you do away with yoke of oppression, 38:23 with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 38:26 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry 38:29 and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 38:31 then your light will rise in the darkness, 38:34 and your night will become like the noonday. 38:36 Then it's understood here, 38:37 "Then the Lord will guide you always," 38:40 our theme text," 38:42 he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 38:44 and will strengthen your frame. 38:46 You will be like a well-watered garden, 38:49 like a spring whose waters never fail." 38:52 Wow! 38:54 God cuts to the chase. 38:56 And did you notice? 38:58 He makes the very same point that Steve Jobs made. 39:03 Put the Jobs' words on the screen for you. 39:06 "We believe that people with passion 39:09 can change the world for the better." 39:13 You know what? 39:15 That sentence has Andrews University 39:16 written all over. 39:18 People with passion 39:19 would change the world for the better. 39:20 That sentence has 39:22 the Seventh-day Adventist Church 39:23 written all over it. 39:24 People with the passion 39:26 who change the world for the better. 39:27 That even has little old Pioneer Memorial 39:29 written all over it. 39:30 People with the passion 39:31 who change the world for the better, 39:35 that's what I believe about you, God declares. 39:37 I believe my people with my passion 39:40 can change the world for the better. 39:43 And guess what? 39:45 That's what it means, 39:46 that's what it means to live holy. 39:48 That's it. 39:49 To live with passion, to make a difference, 39:53 I mean, come on, do you wanna sell sugar water 39:55 for the rest of your life 39:57 or come with me and change the world. 40:00 That's what God's crying out here in Isaiah 58. 40:02 Do you want to sit around 40:04 and quibble over the sugar water 40:05 of theological niceties and religious debates 40:08 or do you want to come with me and change the world, 40:10 that's clearly 40:13 what live holy means. 40:16 My people with my passion can change the world 40:19 for the better. 40:21 Oh, by the way who in the world gets changed? 40:23 Jesus said, 40:25 the least of these 40:28 my brothers and sisters. 40:29 You do it to them, you do it to me. 40:31 You don't do it to them, you don't do it to me, 40:33 that's we've just talked about in Isaiah 50, 40:36 isn't that right? 40:37 Who gets changed? 40:39 The poor lives matter people that Pastor Torres last Sabbath 40:44 with passion preached about. 40:46 Those are the people that God is talking about here. 40:49 Who gets changed? 40:50 The marginalized, the alienated, 40:52 the disenfranchised up the road from you God says 40:54 and they're also in your midst. 40:57 Concentrate on them. 41:00 To follow God into that world, 41:02 to live with passion and make a difference, 41:04 that's what it means to live holy, 41:09 our theme... 41:12 Because live that way, 41:15 and oh, boy, 41:16 does God come through with the promise. 41:18 Now this is writ large our theme text of verse 11. 41:23 Four divine quid pro quo promises 41:26 that in themselves are stirring portrait to God, 41:28 I want to run these by you, see what do you think. 41:31 Verse 11 read it again, 41:32 "The Lord will guide you always, 41:34 he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 41:36 and will strengthen your frame. 41:38 You will be like a well-watered garden, 41:39 like a spring whose waters never fail." 41:43 Promise number one, four of these. 41:44 Here comes promise number one, God says, I will guide you. 41:48 I will guide you personally. 41:49 I will guide you institutionally, 41:51 and don't you just love that word? 41:53 I will guide you always. 41:56 I want to stay with you always. 41:57 It doesn't matter what you've been through. 41:59 It doesn't matter what you're going through now. 42:00 No matter what I will be there to guide you always. 42:04 You know why? 42:05 Because if 42:07 it's like that old spiritual sayings, 42:11 if we ever needed the Lord before, 42:17 we sure do need him now. 42:20 Oh, we sure do need him now. 42:23 Sing it out. 42:24 Oh, we sure do need him now 42:28 if we ever needed the Lord before. 42:33 We sure do need him now. 42:37 We need him every day 42:40 and all the way, all the way. 42:44 We need... 42:45 Oh, for another time. 42:48 I tried I saw Steve Wohlberg over there, 42:50 I figured he jump up. 42:52 He just said. 42:56 Hey, guys, that's where we are right now. 42:59 We really need the Lord. 43:01 Yes. We need the Lord. 43:04 God says, I got good news for you. 43:06 I will guide you always. 43:10 Live holy form me, live holy with me, 43:12 I'll guide you always. 43:14 But there are four of these, that was number one. 43:15 Here come number two, I will satisfy you. 43:18 In fact I will satisfy your needs. 43:21 In fact I will satisfy your needs 43:24 in a sun-scorched land 43:28 because let's be honest, 43:30 we all everybody, no exception. 43:33 We all experience droughts in our life. 43:37 Some of them are short lived, 43:39 others can be long dry and debilitating. 43:43 Some of you right now perhaps are going 43:47 through the sun-scorched land professionally. 43:53 Everything keeps coming up dry, stale, 43:55 your career is no longer satisfying, 43:57 your job is no longer challenging. 44:01 I'm going to satisfy your needs in that sun-scorched place 44:05 you find yourself today. 44:06 Some of you are going through the sun-scorched land 44:10 in your marriage right now. 44:14 It just what happened? 44:15 This was here and now it's gone, 44:17 it's dry, it's brittle, it's lifeless. 44:21 Some of you are going through the sun-scorched land 44:24 spiritually, morally. 44:26 The values that you once stood for, 44:29 you've shoved to the side, 44:31 and now there is nothing but burning sun and no water. 44:35 God says, I will satisfy your needs. 44:37 You turn to me boy or girl, you turn to me 44:39 and I'll take care of you. 44:43 I will satisfy your needs. 44:45 And oh, boy, I have to slip this in 44:48 because there is... I'll tell you. 44:50 I go through the sun-scorched periods 44:54 in my life and there. 44:56 When I do 44:58 there is a go to text that God has shown me, 45:01 this is boy, you just keep coming back here 45:02 and I go back. 45:04 I beat up beeline to Jeremiah 17, 45:08 because it's very interesting and I want you to look this up 45:10 please Jeremiah 17 45:11 and this promise tag to Isaiah 58:11 45:16 they're just like twins. 45:17 I want you to see this Jeremiah, 45:18 I need you to see it in your own Bible. 45:20 Jeremiah 17 will be right back. 45:22 Jeremiah 17 wow, look what God is saying. 45:26 Sun-scorched land, I'll satisfy your needs. 45:28 Watch this chapter 17 Jeremiah, here it is. 45:33 Yeah, I got the place marked up all over 45:35 because I've been so many times back to this. 45:37 Jeremiah 17:7, "But blessed is the one 45:40 who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 45:44 They will be like a tree planted by the water 45:47 that sends out its roots by the stream. 45:50 It does not fear when heat comes, 45:53 its leaves are always green." 45:58 God do you know how long... 46:04 I've hit the sun-scorched land, 46:08 no big deal to me. 46:11 You be like a tree, planted by the water, 46:13 roots out to the stream. 46:15 Now here comes three negatives. Here they come. 46:16 It does not fear when heat comes, 46:19 because heat comes, sun-scorched land 46:21 comes into every life at some point 46:22 professionally, morally, spiritually, 46:24 merrily, financially 46:25 it will come to you, 46:28 but it does not fear when he comes. 46:30 Its leaves are always green. 46:32 It has no worries, I love that. 46:34 It has no worries in a year of drought 46:37 and never fails to bear fruit. 46:41 I will take care of you. 46:43 I will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land, 46:47 whatever it is you're going through right now, 46:48 I will take care of you. 46:54 Come on. 46:56 And by the way this promise 46:57 for living in a sun-scorched land 46:59 is a promise for America too. 47:03 I don't know if you slept through this summer. 47:08 America is in trouble. 47:10 I'll tell you what America is facing. 47:12 A sun-scorched land that is rapidly approaching 47:15 spiritual drought and moral famine. 47:20 The ancient prophet Amos predicted a day like this 47:22 would come, 47:23 'cause I want you to get this down 47:25 so that when it comes you'll know I saw it coming. 47:27 Amos 8:11, "'The days are coming,' 47:31 declares the Sovereign Lord, 47:32 when I will send a famine through the land 47:34 not a famine of food or a thirst for water, 47:36 but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. 47:39 People will stagger from sea to shining sea 47:44 and wander from north to east, 47:46 searching for the word of the Lord, 47:47 but they will not find it." 47:49 Ladies and gentlemen, this is the perfect hour 47:52 in this civilization's history 47:54 to claim our legacy as a flagship daughter 47:56 of Battle Creek College founded in 1874, 48:00 let's claim it. 48:01 And 3,000 students my Lord, 48:04 3,000 students moving out into a sun-scorched community 48:07 a sun-scorched nation, a sun-scorched planet, 48:10 this is the hour. 48:14 Live holy for me God says. 48:18 You were the holy for me, 48:21 I'll take care of you. 48:23 I will guide you. 48:24 I will satisfy you. 48:27 Here comes number three. 48:29 I will strengthen you. 48:31 The King James reads, I will make fat your bones. 48:37 Anybody here wants that bones? 48:40 God, you could have got our attention 48:42 with something more than that. 48:44 I'll make fat your bones. 48:47 Of course we miss the point. 48:49 God's dealing his promise with the infrastructure, 48:53 our personal infrastructure, 48:54 our institutional infrastructure. 48:56 God is saying I will strengthen you 48:58 from the inside out. 48:59 Good news for those of you and that you are here, 49:02 for those of you who are burning the midnight oil 49:04 to balance your department's budgets. 49:09 I will take care of you. 49:10 I will strengthen that infrastructure. 49:13 Good news for you 49:15 who are trying to balance this congregation's budget. 49:18 I will take care of you, I will strengthen that infrastructure. 49:22 Good news for you who have entasked 49:24 to balance the budget of this university. 49:30 I will take care of you 49:32 and I will strengthen your infrastructure. 49:35 Live holy for me, 49:37 for a profound promise is from God on the eve, 49:41 on the cusp of a new year. 49:42 And here comes final promise. 49:44 Number four, God says, I will flourish you. 49:48 You say, Dwight, I just read it, there is nothing about 49:49 flourishing that, are you kidding? 49:51 The last two lines of verse 11 49:53 if they don't have flourish written all over them, 49:55 then you tell me what they're all about. 49:57 What are the last two lines? Put them on the screen. 49:59 "You shall be like a well-watered garden, 50:04 like a spring whose waters never fail." 50:10 In the eve of this New Year 50:12 God says that's the future I have for you 50:14 Andrews University. 50:16 You live holy for me and I will flourish you. 50:21 I will flourish you like my favorite garden on earth. 50:25 You will be fresh and thick and prudent. 50:28 You will be a vegetable garden of red and yellow and orange 50:30 and green and purple and brown and white in row after row 50:33 of nature's tastiest delicacies, 50:36 you will flourish with moral fruit. 50:39 You will flourish with intellectual fruit. 50:42 You will flourish with spiritual fruit, 50:44 you will flourish 50:45 because you're my garden 50:47 and I have a built in sprinkler system 50:49 that will keep you fresh. 50:53 That's what that's line is all about, 50:55 a built in sprinkler system for this institution. 51:00 Like a well watered garden, 51:02 like an artesian well, 51:05 like a spring that never runs dry. 51:09 And so where do I find a spring like that? 51:14 The pretty woman asks the stranger 51:15 with the dark eyes and a gentle smile. 51:19 He and you sitting on a massive lip 51:21 of this well near Sychar, Samaria. 51:26 Ken Gire in this wonderful book 51:28 "Intimate Moments with the Savior" 51:30 picks up the story with this beautiful word picture, 51:33 cannot be improved upon, so I'm going to read it to you, 51:36 but so that you don't get bored with me reading it, 51:40 I'm going to put a picture you're never seen in your life 51:43 of Jesus and the woman at the well 51:44 on the screen right now. 51:46 So you look at that picture 51:48 and let me read this to you. 51:49 The Palestinian son glares its impartial eye 51:53 upon both this name the Samaritan woman 51:56 and upon the savior of the world 51:58 through shear curtains of undulating heat she comes. 52:02 She too is weary not so much when the water jar 52:05 she carries on her head, 52:07 that's from the emptiness she carries in her heart. 52:09 The torrents of passion once swift in her life 52:12 have now run their course. 52:14 She is weathered and worn, 52:15 her face eroded by the gullies of a spent life. 52:19 That she comes at noon, the hottest hour of the day, 52:22 whispers a rumor of her reputation. 52:25 She's gone from man to man like 52:27 one lost in the desert sun struck and delirious. 52:31 She comes to Jacob's well, 52:34 her empty water jar are telling symbol of her life, 52:39 as her eyes meet the savior's. 52:43 He sees within her a covertness aching. 52:46 A sister in her soul 52:48 that will forever remain empty unless he fills it. 52:54 Get to her an anonymous woman with a feared life, 52:57 he gives the most profound discourse 52:58 in scripture on the subject of worship. 53:00 But equally remarkable it's what Jesus doesn't say, 53:04 His states are past and present marital status 53:06 but makes no reference to her sin. 53:09 He gives no call to repent. 53:11 He presents no structured plan of salvation. 53:14 He offers no prayer 53:17 but with the words 53:19 I who speak to you and he, 53:21 Jesus brings her back to face the giver 53:25 and his remarkable gift living water. 53:30 Not a wage to be earned, not a price to be won, 53:34 but a gift to be received to her. 53:37 This stranger was first simply a Jew, 53:41 then sir, 53:45 then a prophet 53:49 and then she sees him 53:51 for who he really is Messiah. 53:57 And with her heart overflowing with living water, 54:00 she starts to run slowly at first 54:02 then it's faster as her new legs will take her. 54:09 So let's end 54:11 with Jesus' incredible offer to the woman at the well, 54:17 turns out is offer 54:20 his a line drawn right out of Isaiah 58:11. 54:24 Take a look at this. 54:26 Christon Arthur, a new provost just read it a moment ago, 54:28 I want you to end in John 4 please, John 4. 54:32 John 4, 54:34 I'll pick the narrative. 54:36 In John 4:11, "'Sir,' 54:41 the woman said, 54:43 'you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. 54:46 Where can you get this living water?' 54:49 " And Jesus answered verse 13, 54:51 "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 54:55 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. 55:00 Indeed, the water I give them will become in them 55:02 a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 55:06 The artesian well, ladies and gentlemen, 55:09 you have just met him, he is the Lord Jesus Christ, 55:12 a spring that never runs dry. 55:15 In fact he is so much the artesian 55:17 well that even when he dies on the cross, 55:20 the water is still flowing. 55:24 He's made every provision 55:26 for you and me to live holy for him. 55:32 The water still flows. 55:35 Desire of Ages on this moment, 55:38 "Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draft, 55:40 one drink of the water of life would suffice the receiver. 55:44 He who tastes of the love of Christ 55:46 will continually long for more, but he seeks for nothing else. 55:49 The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world 55:51 do not attract her. 55:53 The constant cry of her heart is, More of Thee... 55:56 Every human resource and dependence will fail. 56:00 The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry, 56:04 but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain 56:07 and artesian well. 56:09 We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. 56:14 He in whom Christ dwells has within himself 56:16 the fountain of blessing - 56:18 'a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' 56:21 From this source we may draw strength 56:24 and grace sufficient for all our needs." 56:28 Amen. 56:31 And so that Andrews University, 56:35 this is a gospel truth for us. 56:39 This is the gospel truth for you and me 56:43 and that is 56:45 we will only live holy 56:50 when we drink deeply 56:55 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 56:59 Amen. 57:02 I wanted to take an extra moment to thank you 57:04 for joining us in worship today. 57:06 It's by the continued support from viewers like you 57:08 that we're able to bring this telecast. 57:11 Today I want to invite you, though, 57:12 to share with us how this ministry has blessed you. 57:15 Truth is, I get inspiring notes, e-mails, letters 57:18 from viewers literally all over the world, 57:21 sharing with us how God has blessed them 57:23 through this program, 57:24 and I'd love to hear from you as well. 57:26 It's not that hard, simple, really. 57:27 Just visit our website, newperceptions.tv. 57:31 It's one word, newperceptions.tv. 57:34 And click on the contact link at the top of the page. 57:36 Shoot me that e-mail. 57:38 Once again, thank you for being with us. 57:40 Thank you by the way, for your own support. 57:42 That support is what keeps this telecast, 57:45 week after week, reaching America, 57:47 reaching North America, and reaching the planet. 57:51 That kind of generosity that you share is a huge boost 57:55 and blessing to us. 57:56 And I hope you'll join us right here next time 57:58 'cause we'll be here. 57:59 In the meantime, 58:01 God be with you and bless you real good. |
Revised 2017-01-05