Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP161112A
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00:26 Crown Him with many crowns
00:29 The Lamb upon His throne 00:34 Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns 00:38 All music but its own! 00:43 Awake, my soul, and sing 00:47 Of Him who died for thee 00:52 And hail Him as thy matchless King 00:56 Through all eternity 01:03 Crown Him the Lord of peace! 01:08 Whose hand a scepter sways 01:12 From pole to pole, that wars may cease 01:17 And all be prayer and praise 01:22 His reign shall know no end 01:27 And round His pierced feet 01:31 Fair flowers of Paradise extend 01:36 Their fragrance ever sweet 02:03 Crown Him the Lord of years 02:07 The Potentate of time 02:12 Creator of the rolling spheres 02:17 Ineffably sublime 02:22 All hail, Redeemer, hail! 02:27 For Thou hast died for me 02:32 Thy praise shall never, never fail 02:38 Throughout eternity 02:52 Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory 02:57 Great is the Lord, and worthy of praise 03:01 Great is the Lord, 03:03 I lift up my voice I lift up my voice 03:08 Great 03:11 Is the Lord 03:16 Great 03:20 Is the Lord 03:25 Great is the Lord, He is holy and just 03:29 By His power we trust in His love 03:33 Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true 03:37 By His mercy He proves He is love 03:42 Great is the Lord and worthy of glory 03:46 Great is the Lord and worthy of praise 03:50 Great is the Lord now lift up your voice 03:54 Now lift up your voice 03:57 Great 04:00 Is the Lord 04:05 Great 04:09 Is the Lord 04:14 Great are you Lord, You are holy and just 04:17 By Your power we trust In Your love 04:22 Great are You Lord, You are faithful and true 04:26 By Your mercy You prove You are love 04:30 Great are you Lord and worthy of glory 04:34 Great are you Lord and worthy of praise 04:39 Great are you Lord, I lift up my voice 04:42 I lift up my voice 04:45 Great 04:48 Are you Lord 04:53 Great 04:57 Are you Lord 04:59 Great is the Lord and worthy of glory 05:04 Great is the Lord and worthy of praise 05:08 Great is the Lord now lift up your voice 05:11 Now lift up your voice 05:14 Great 05:17 Is the Lord 05:22 Great 05:25 Is the Lord 05:31 Thank you for the cross, Lord 05:38 Thank you for the price You paid 05:44 Bearing all my sin and shame, in love You came 05:52 And gave Amazing Grace 05:57 Thank you for this love, Lord 06:04 Thank you for the nail pierced hands 06:10 Wash me in Your cleansing flow, now all I know 06:17 Your forgiveness and embrace 06:24 Worthy is the Lamb 06:31 Seated on the throne 06:37 We crown You now with many crowns 06:43 You reign victorious! 06:50 High and lifted up 06:56 Jesus, Son of God 07:02 The darling of Heaven, crucified 07:12 Worthy is the Lamb 07:18 Worthy is the Lamb 07:25 Worthy is the Lamb 07:31 Worthy is the Lamb 07:38 Worthy is the Lamb 07:44 Seated on the throne 07:51 We crown You now with many crowns 07:56 You reign victorious! 08:03 High and lifted up 08:09 Jesus, Son of God 08:15 The darling of Heaven, crucified 08:24 Worthy is the Lamb 08:31 Worthy is the Lamb 08:37 Worthy is the Lamb 08:44 Worthy is the Lamb 09:47 What can wash away my sin? 09:52 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 09:59 What can make me whole again? 10:05 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 10:12 Oh! Precious is the flow 10:18 That makes me white as snow 10:24 No other fount I know 10:30 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 10:39 This time, if you would like to come forward 10:43 to put your supplications and your requests, 10:46 make them known to God, now is that time. 10:49 You can come forward as we begin to sing this song 10:52 and continue to praise the Lord 10:54 and acknowledge that He is the only way, 10:57 He is our only way, our salvation. 11:01 And so please come forward now 11:05 and join us here at the front as we sing 11:07 the last verse of "Nothing but the Blood." 11:26 This is all my hope and peace 11:32 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 11:39 This is all my righteousness 11:45 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 11:51 Oh! Precious is the flow 11:57 That makes me white as snow 12:03 No other fount I know 12:09 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 12:16 Oh! Precious is the flow 12:22 That makes me white as snow 12:29 No other fount I know 12:35 Nothing but the blood of Jesus 12:45 Amen. 13:14 I vow to you, my country 13:20 All earthly things above 13:25 Entire and whole and perfect 13:31 The service of my love 13:37 The love that asks no questions 13:43 The love that stands the test 13:48 That lays upon the altar 13:54 The dearest and the best 14:00 The love that never falters 14:06 The love that pays the price 14:13 The love that makes undaunted 14:19 The final sacrifice 14:44 Though the road has 14:47 Bends and turns 14:52 And my spirit suffers 15:03 Humans fail 15:08 Systems fail 15:13 Shadows fall 15:23 But the ruts run deep 15:28 Cut by the blood of faces above 15:38 And voices now silent 15:48 But the message loud is heard 15:58 "Homeland! 16:03 Homeland! 16:08 Renew your youth 16:13 Restore your soul!" 16:40 Homeland, the country that I love 16:46 hold out your arms to me 16:53 I strive for you 16:57 And give you the best 17:01 I hope to be 17:06 May your wisdom be your shelter 17:12 May compassion be your sword 17:19 May your strength be forged with mercy 17:25 Your courage lives restore 17:32 Homeland, the country that I love 17:39 Forever reign supreme 17:46 And when time stands still, my homeland 17:53 may Heaven hold 17:56 Your dreams 18:07 My homeland 18:13 Be my dream 18:21 My hope 18:27 Homeland! 18:35 Homeland! 18:43 Ah! 18:56 Amen! 19:02 A land and country that I love. 19:07 My homeland. 19:14 God bless America. 19:20 While there is still time, 19:23 God bless America. 19:28 Oh, God we... that was so moving. 19:34 Every one of us here we're citizens of the world 19:37 but we live in this land. 19:41 This is our homeland. 19:47 We love this land and nation. 19:50 Oh, God, do whatever it takes to save America, 19:56 while there is time. 20:00 We pray in Christ name, amen. 20:05 I hold here in my hands an email 20:07 from a young American woman. 20:14 She is a graduate student not here. 20:19 She wrote this letter to her family 20:22 on Wednesday, November 9, 20:25 the day after the election in this nation. 20:29 Some one showed me, one of her family showed me 20:31 the letter and I said, I need permission to read that. 20:34 She gave permission. 20:37 And so I want to read it to you. 20:40 Subject: Dear family. 20:44 Email begins: Dear family, 20:47 I'm having an incredibly difficult day 20:51 but I'm not alone, 20:53 about half of America grieves with me. 20:57 Over the years I seem to get questions 20:59 as to why I'm still single. 21:02 Today, I have an answer. 21:05 My church and now my country 21:09 have openly declared that 21:11 as a person I'm less valuable due to my gender. 21:16 This becomes increasingly evident and oppressive to me 21:19 as I break gender norms and pursue advanced education, 21:22 to make a difference in this world 21:24 beyond just the lives of children and other women 21:27 as it's acceptable by society and the church. 21:31 I refuse to be viewed in this manner in my own home. 21:36 So if being single is what is the consequence, 21:42 I write to you 21:44 so that when or if you choose to discuss this topic 21:47 or ignore it when talking to me, 21:50 I want you to know that my heart is broken 21:53 as I'm forced to face my minority status today. 21:58 Love always. 22:01 Her name. 22:04 We live in a fractured country. 22:10 Last Tuesday 59.5 million American voters were jubilant. 22:17 And 59.7 million American voters despondent. 22:24 And if you stayed up late 22:26 to experience the emotions of that moment, 22:31 you know they were palpable. 22:36 The wild joy and the broken despondency. 22:42 The morning after the election I said, 22:44 "Okay, I'm going to go social media now, 22:46 see what's trending out there." 22:48 Oh, my. 22:51 A strong cauldron of absolute conflicting emotions, 22:57 brokenness and bitterness 22:59 versus triumph and joy and nonchalance, 23:03 get over it tweets and messages. 23:08 But you know what the dominant emotion was 23:09 and perhaps still is? 23:11 I tell what it is, it's anger. 23:15 Just plain anger. 23:20 That's why over the last few days in the cities 23:22 across this nation we have seen these ruckus protest, 23:27 predominantly young, you're right. 23:29 Young, some of them voting for the first time 23:31 in an election in this nation, 23:34 believing now that somehow democracy, the government, 23:39 the process has let them down. 23:43 Hashtag, not my president is ascending in its trend. 23:52 We live in a fractured country, 23:57 whose fissures are only spreading wider and wider. 24:02 Come on. 24:03 Am I telling you anything? 24:08 Which is why we gathered on Wednesday evening, 24:10 right in these place for a beautiful 24:12 and meaningful prayer season. 24:15 We were obeying God's injunction. 24:19 And so the words you see on the screen clear to us, 24:23 1 Timothy 2, "I urge, then, first of all, 24:26 that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving 24:29 be made for all people, 24:31 for kings and all those in authority, 24:34 that we may live peaceful and quiet lives 24:36 in all godliness and holiness." 24:40 We prayed for him by name then, 24:43 you heard him prayed for name by name today, 24:47 our president elect Trump. 24:52 Russell Moore, brilliant mind that he is 24:56 and I track him wherever he goes. 24:58 Russell Moore is president 25:00 of the Southern Baptist conventions, 25:02 commission on ethics and religious liberty. 25:05 In a blog he wrote Wednesday morning these words. 25:10 "No matter what our differences politically or religiously, 25:14 surely we can all agree that this campaign 25:16 has been demoralizing and even traumatizing 25:20 for most of the country. 25:24 Many of us have deep differences 25:25 with our new president, and would have no matter 25:28 which candidate had been elected, 25:31 but we must pray that he will succeed 25:33 in leading our country with wisdom and justice." 25:39 And so we pray and so we will pray. 25:43 We're inserting this stopping this series 25:45 you and I been on together, 25:47 and inserting this you see it on the screen. 25:49 Our teaching for today, 25:51 "Healing the Fracture - Life in Post-Election America. 25:56 Is there anything else besides prayer 25:59 that we can do to respond? 26:02 Oh, yes, there is. 26:03 I want to tell you just what, 26:04 but before we do let this be clear. 26:08 We need to recognize it in some ways 26:10 we live not only in a fractured and divided country, 26:15 we also live today 26:16 in a fractured and divided church. 26:22 And I don't mean the evangelical community 26:24 that spread across America either. 26:26 I'm thinking of my own faith community 26:28 that I love and that I serve. 26:33 That email I read a moment ago expresses her hurt 26:35 of a young woman in our midst. 26:39 Not only over this election but over church decisions 26:43 that are being perceived and being received 26:45 by the young within this faith community. 26:49 And especially by the young women 26:51 as they're specially targeting them as women. 26:56 How did she put it in her letter to her family, 26:58 let me read that line again. 26:59 My church and now my country have openly declared 27:02 that as a person I'm less valuable 27:04 due to my gender. 27:05 My heart is broken 27:07 as I'm forced to face my minority status today. 27:11 Well, I need to say this right here, 27:12 if she were here and she is not here, 27:15 but if she were here, I would be quick to say to her, 27:18 "Hey, come on, come on, man, hold on, you need to know 27:20 this is not what your church stands for. 27:23 You're not a person of less value 27:25 to this faith community, that's just wrong." 27:29 And if there were political scientists here, 27:30 I'm sure they would jump forward to her, 27:32 to us to assure us that 27:34 the elections results on Tuesday 27:35 were not a national referendum 27:37 or repudiation of the role of women in our society, 27:40 but it can feel that way if you're a woman. 27:44 It can feel that way when public statements 27:50 and public positions of leaders in the country or in the church 27:56 when those public statement 27:58 seem to belie, seem to challenge 28:00 what most Americans and Adventists believe 28:02 that women are just as valuable 28:04 and essential to the life of this country 28:06 and to the mission of this church. 28:10 And it is those perceptions 28:12 because perception is reality I remind you. 28:14 It is those perceptions that the country and the church 28:18 must deal with right away. 28:23 By the way the same is true, this fracture. 28:28 The same is true for the racial and ethnic fracture 28:31 that divides this land today. 28:35 I've read one tweet. 28:36 Scribble it down. 28:39 Young man, his words. 28:43 I didn't quite understand how much white people hated us, 28:46 or could at least live with that hate, now I do. 28:52 It must break the heart of God. 28:55 It breaks my heart, can you believe it? 28:58 Would to God, that's not true in the church, 29:01 you're all right, go figure. 29:05 We're just as fractured 29:07 as the culture and society we live in. 29:13 So what does Jesus have to say? 29:16 This morning I want to leave with you three word from Jesus, 29:19 three red letter words. 29:22 I read them just like that. 29:27 We'd not turn anywhere else in scripture 29:28 but to Jesus right now. 29:30 Mark 3, open your Bible to Mark 3, 29:34 Mark 3, we begin in verse 23. 29:37 And by the way please mark these words well, 29:39 the first, the first this is the number one, 29:41 this is the number one red letter word, mark it well, 29:43 because what has happened to the nation 29:45 must be heard loud and clear by the church. 29:50 Mark 3, so I'm in the NIV. 29:52 Get your phone, whatever. 29:54 I put it on the screen for you as well. 30:00 Good to have those of you who are live streaming 30:02 with us right now. 30:05 I hope this moment, 30:07 this moment where these red letter words 30:09 will address your own heart and life. 30:12 Okay, so this is Mark 3, let's pick it up in verse 23, 30:15 "So Jesus called them over to him 30:18 and he began to speak to them in parables." 30:20 Red letters now, "How can Satan drive out Satan? 30:24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, 30:27 that kingdom cannot stand." 30:29 Verse 25, "If a house is divided against itself, 30:33 that house cannot stand." 30:36 From whence comes the parable 30:37 our house divided against itself cannot stand, 30:39 they got it from Jesus. 30:42 A house divided against itself racially cannot stand 30:48 and neither can the church, and neither can the country. 30:52 A house divided against itself 30:54 in terms of gender cannot stand, 30:56 and neither can the church and neither can the country. 31:00 So what does this mean? What are we supposed to do? 31:03 Maybe we need to pursue the exact antithesis 31:08 of what one candidate was advocating for the nation 31:10 during the campaign. 31:15 To do that consider two other red letter words from Jesus. 31:19 These two are unique and that they're both 31:23 spoken on the same night, spoken by the same Jesus 31:27 and recorded in the same gospel, 31:29 Gospel of John. 31:31 Red letter word number two 31:33 and red letter word number three, 31:34 so turn over to the Gospel of John. 31:37 In less than 24 hours Jesus will be dead. 31:40 This is Thursday night, late Thursday night. 31:44 Jesus speaking, bright red in my Bible. 31:47 John 13... 31:54 we'll pick it up in verse 34. 31:55 "A new commandment I give you: 31:59 Love one another. 32:02 As I have loved you, so you must love one another." 32:05 Verse 35, "By this everyone will know 32:07 that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 32:13 He spoke those words in the upper room. 32:15 He went outside, prayed to His Father 32:17 and we have that the last prayer to His Father 32:19 before all hell breaks loose. 32:23 Early Friday morning, this is now chapter 17. 32:25 This is in the prayer to His Father. 32:28 Drop down to verse 22, just few pages over, 32:32 Jesus praying to the Father, 32:33 "I have given them the glory that you gave me, 32:35 O Father, that they may be one as we are one." 32:41 Verse 23, "I in them and you in me, 32:44 so that they may be brought to complete unity. 32:47 Then the world will know that you sent me 32:50 and have loved them even as you have loved me." 32:53 Did you catch an embedded phrase, 32:55 an embedded word that is identical in both passages? 32:58 Did you hear any similarity? 33:03 You will. Let's put a split screen up. 33:05 I want you to catch what He's saying, 33:07 because what He's saying in both passages 33:10 is critical to third millennials like you and me. 33:13 So you see the split screen there, there is John 13:35, 33:16 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, 33:19 if you love one another." 33:21 Okay, now a few hours later John 17, 33:23 "Then the world will know that you sent me 33:27 and have loved them even as you have loved me." 33:30 Isn't that amazing? 33:32 How would the world, how will everybody know 33:34 that God has a people on earth? 33:38 How will everybody know 33:40 that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? 33:42 Number one, they'll know by our love for each other, 33:44 our radically self sacrificing love. 33:47 And number two, they will know it 33:49 by our unity with each other, 33:51 our radical self sacrificing unity. 33:55 Now isn't that crazy? 33:57 I want you to be together, I want you to be together, 33:59 I want you to be bound so tight 34:01 that the world will know that truth about me and you. 34:05 I say, it's crazy because as I recall the rallying Christ 34:07 during this election campaign were dissever, 34:09 were to separate people from each other. 34:11 I heard something about a wall. 34:17 Unless we cluck our tongues too loudly 34:20 as we were just about to do. 34:24 Even a church can debate about severing, 34:27 about separating people from the church 34:28 or from the organization or from each other. 34:32 And here is Jesus 34:33 on the night before He's executed on Calvary 34:35 declaring that there are two powerful indicators 34:37 to everyone, to the whole world 34:39 that you're mine and that I'm yours 34:41 and these two indicators are, what are they again? 34:44 One, our love for one another 34:46 and two, our unity with each other. 34:54 The only evidence that you and I love it, one another. 34:57 The only evidence that we love one another 34:59 is if we're united to one another. 35:01 And the only evidence that we're united to one another 35:03 is if we love one another. 35:05 Those two are inseparable. 35:06 They were born twins. 35:12 They have to go together. 35:15 You can't sever, you can't separate and say, 35:17 okay, that's where you go because we don't agree. 35:21 You can't do that. 35:23 The world doesn't figure anything out, 35:25 that's the way politics is in America. 35:27 That's where you go because we don't agree. 35:29 Yeah. 35:33 No, no, no Jesus said, 35:35 the whole world will know you are my people. 35:36 And will know that I came to this planet 35:38 because you will have love for each other, 35:41 and you will be united with each other. 35:45 It is this, it is as we're together, 35:47 together we are the community of God. 35:54 The unity that shines from radical love, 35:57 self sacrificing love, self sacrificing unity. 36:01 And so we as Americans, 36:04 and so we as Adventists we need to pull together, 36:07 not cut apart, not cut asunder, we need to unite, not sever, 36:11 we must not be known, please. 36:14 We must not be known 36:15 as the people who cut off minorities. 36:19 Be they Mexicans, or Muslims 36:24 or LGBT, or immigrants, 36:28 or Latinos, or Asians or blacks or women... 36:38 of all people in America 36:40 the church must be the community, 36:43 the place where all people, where everybody, 36:45 where the whole world will be shown compassion and love, 36:50 compassion and love. 36:55 By this everybody will know you are my people, 36:58 if you have love for one another. 37:01 I happen to agree with Russell Moore 37:02 again on the screen, 37:04 "No matter what the racial and ethnic divisions 37:06 in America, 37:07 we can be churches that demonstrate and embody 37:09 the reconciliation of the kingdom of God. 37:12 After all, we are not just part of a coalition 37:14 but part of a Body, capital B Body, 37:17 a Body that is white and black and Latino and Asian, 37:20 and male and female, and rich and poor. 37:23 We are part of a Body, get this, 37:24 joined to a Head 37:26 who is an Aramaic-speaking Middle-easterner." 37:28 Go figure. 37:37 "What affects black and Hispanic 37:38 and Asian Christians ought to affect white Christians. 37:41 And the sorts of poverty and social unraveling 37:43 among the white working class ought to affect black 37:45 and Hispanic and Asian Christians. 37:47 We belong to each other because we belong to Christ." 37:56 So you dissolution with your country right now? 38:00 Are you? 38:01 So you dissolution with your church right now? 38:04 Are you? 38:09 But there is something you can do. 38:12 There is something you can do right now 38:14 based on Jesus' radical call to love and unity. 38:18 Here is what you can do. 38:19 There are two responses you can make. 38:20 No study guide today. Just lock this in your mind. 38:23 There are two responses 38:24 to Jesus' radical call you can make. 38:26 Response number one, jot it down in your mind. 38:28 Become engaged with your church. 38:32 The justice causes that you have rightfully embraced. 38:35 After all didn't God say to do, but to do justly, 38:38 and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 38:40 Didn't God say that? 38:41 I mean didn't that come from Him? 38:43 The justice causes you have embraced. 38:48 Have not been repudiated by the election of this country 38:50 or by the debate in the wider church. 38:53 Neither the country nor the church 38:56 are under the dominion of one person, 38:58 one leader or one voice. 39:00 Not my voice, not your voice, not nobody's voice. 39:08 The democratic process in both the nation 39:10 and the church means, you can exercise your calling, 39:14 to affect change within your church 39:16 and within your country 39:18 but you will never change your country 39:22 if you move to Canada. 39:28 Come on, just read social media, 39:30 it's all out there, "I'm going to Canada." 39:31 Turn the lights off, the last one out. 39:36 You will never change your country 39:37 if you move to Canada, 39:39 and you will never influence your church if you leave it. 39:42 Well, I'm leaving the church now. 39:44 I'm sick and tired of this church. 39:45 I'm out of here. You're crazy. 39:48 Don't you dare leave this church? 39:51 You're what we're depending on. 39:54 You leave the church now, you're only punishing yourself. 39:57 The church will go on. 39:58 They won't even know you're gone. 40:02 One little Facebook post 40:03 and that's all the glory you'll get. 40:07 Don't abandon your church, especially now. 40:12 Stay engaged. 40:14 Hey, look, look, look this does not mean 40:16 that you have to agree with everything your church does, 40:19 because even the community of faith can make mistakes 40:22 and get it wrong. 40:23 I mean, look at the church in Acts. 40:25 You want to see a church in conflict? 40:27 I mean, there are hardly days beyond Calvary 40:29 when the widows, the Hellenistic, 40:31 the Greek descendant widows are complaining, 40:35 you're giving more food to them than to us, 40:37 and the church had to invent the deacons. 40:41 They're in conflict. 40:42 You want to read red hot conflict, read Acts 15, 40:45 there is not a meeting of the minds 40:47 when that meeting begins. 40:51 Let's look at the church in Acts, 40:53 great debates, disagreements. 40:56 You know what? You need to do. 40:57 What I need to do is embrace the great American poet 41:00 Robert Frost suggestion. 41:05 I'm going to put the poem, 41:06 this is a tail end of a very long poem. 41:08 Put it on the screen for you Robert Frost. 41:10 And were an epitaph to be my story 41:14 I'd have a short one... You know what an epitaph is. 41:16 That's what goes on your grave, okay. 41:17 And were an epitaph to be my story. 41:19 I'd have a short one ready for my own 41:21 I would have written of me on my stone: 41:25 I had a lover's quarrel with the world. 41:29 Do you know what a lover's quarrel with the world is? 41:31 A lover's quarrel with the world goes like this. 41:33 Listen, I love you, 41:35 though I cannot agree with all you say, 41:36 I cannot agree with all you do, I'm still committed to you. 41:41 We need to have a lover's quarrel with the church, 41:42 that's what you need to do. 41:44 I love you church, 41:45 though I cannot agree with all that you decide 41:48 and with all that you say, I'm still committed to you. 41:52 You got to stay engaged, 41:53 become engaged with your church. 41:55 Response number one, 41:57 have a lover's quarrel with the church, but stay on. 42:02 Response number two, 42:03 become immersed in your country. 42:07 Become engaged with your church. 42:09 Become immersed, response number two, in your country. 42:11 So the election didn't go the way 42:12 you were hoping it'd bring. 42:14 Okay, well as a proverb goes. 42:16 Don't get mad, just get even. 42:21 What's that mean? 42:22 Get even with America and immerse yourself rather 42:25 in the life of this nation. 42:27 I want to tell you something. 42:29 Your life can change America way more than your one vote. 42:34 Your life can make an eternal difference in this country. 42:40 Wow. 42:44 Jesus declares of you, of the church of all of us. 42:48 You are the light of the world. 42:50 No, no, no, you are the salt of the earth. 42:53 No, no, no, you're the yeast, 42:55 you're the leaven of the kingdom. 42:57 What's he's saying? 42:59 He's saying, you got to get out. 43:00 Get out there, be light 43:02 in a darkness of a world without love. 43:04 Be salt, permeate society. 43:08 Be leaven, just a little yeast in the lump and boo, 43:11 it infiltrates everything. 43:14 Yeah, but what can I do Dwight? 43:16 How do I do that? 43:17 Two practical suggestions. 43:19 Don't laugh me off of this platform. 43:21 Do not laugh me off of this platform. 43:22 I'm going to give you two suggestions, 43:24 they're both practical. 43:25 Don't dismiss them too quickly, all right. 43:27 Keeping an eye on you. 43:29 Okay, suggestion number one. 43:31 Move to the southern border 43:33 of the United States and Mexico. 43:37 Come on. 43:40 Move to the southern border and minister to the aliens, 43:43 and the immigrants, legal and illegal 43:45 that will surround you. 43:47 Learn to speak Spanish, espanol, 43:49 so that you can speak the language of their hearts, 43:52 embrace the incarnational mission of Jesus. 43:56 Go down to the border. 43:58 Turns out that's not such a whacky idea. 44:00 I found out. 44:02 Look classic Ministry of Healing 44:03 on the screen for you. 44:05 "Missionary families are needed to settle in the waste places." 44:09 Those of you who are watching from Texas right now, 44:11 we're not thinking of you as waste, 44:13 but you know, what I mean. 44:18 "Missionary families are needed to settle in the waste places, 44:20 along that border. 44:22 Let farmers, let financiers, let builders, 44:24 and those who are skilled in various arts and crafts, 44:26 go to neglected fields, go to improve the land, 44:29 go to establish industries, 44:31 go to prepare humble homes for yourselves, 44:33 and to help your neighbors." 44:35 Here is the point guys. 44:36 Once you get all the education you need here 44:38 at Andrews University, get it all, 44:40 get it all while you're here, just don't come back. 44:44 Once you get all the education you need, 44:46 then you move while the nation is debating, 44:48 cutting off the minorities, cutting off aliens, 44:51 you're ministering to them. 44:54 Wow. 44:56 Move to the border. 44:58 You don't like that one? 45:00 Okay, I got one more. 45:01 Number two. Move to the inner city. 45:05 Become a public schools teacher in the inner city. 45:08 Enough of teaching church schools. 45:11 You can teach in a public school, it's a high honor. 45:14 In the inner city go. 45:16 Become practice medicine in the heart of that city. 45:18 Practice pro bono law with a firmness 45:21 dedicated to ministering to minorities 45:24 and residence of the inner city. 45:29 Become the light, become the salt, 45:30 become the yeast to Jesus, permeate the dark hopelessness 45:33 that grips the hearts of those living in the inner city. 45:37 Immerse yourself in the life of your country, 45:40 don't get mad, get even, just go out. 45:43 Go out. Christ's Object Lessons. 45:46 Oh, this is good. 45:47 It really ends with the best line, okay. 45:50 "Thus in the night of spiritual darkness God's glory..." 45:53 And by the way the context for these words 45:55 clearly, clearly the context is the end of time, 45:58 right before the end, all right. 45:59 "Thus in the night of spiritual darkness 46:01 God's glory is to shine forth through His church 46:04 in lifting up the bowed down 46:07 and comforting those that mourn. 46:08 All around us are heard the wails of a world's sorrow. 46:12 On every hand are the needy and distressed. 46:15 It is ours to aid in relieving 46:17 and softening life's hardships and misery. 46:19 We are to give food to the hungry, 46:21 clothing to the naked, and shelter to the homeless. 46:23 If Christ is abiding in us, here comes now. 46:26 If Christ is abiding in us, 46:27 our hearts will be full of divine sympathy." 46:29 Now watch this. 46:31 "The sealed fountains 46:32 of earnest, Christlike love will be unsealed." 46:37 Because as long as you're living 46:38 in a ghetto like this, they're sealed up, 46:40 you're not doing much with it. 46:42 That's all sealed up, 46:43 but the moment you move out to the marginalized, 46:46 the alienated, the disenfranchised, 46:48 when you move out to them, 46:50 the love in you will be unsealed 46:52 and Christ love flows through you. 46:54 Isn't that great? 46:57 And by the way you don't have to move far 46:58 to find an inner city, just 12 miles off the road. 47:01 Benton Harbor. 47:04 Change your membership, move up to Benton Harbor 47:06 with my blessing. 47:09 Give all your offerings to Benton Harbor 47:11 with my blessing. 47:13 Sabbath afternoons get on, jump in a car, 47:15 go up there for incarnation of ministry with our blessing. 47:20 Pioneer has a campus in that inner city 47:22 and it's called Harbor of Hope. 47:24 And it is a Harbor of Hope. 47:26 It's beautiful campus. 47:29 Go be a part of it. Why are you sitting here? 47:32 Get out. Make a difference. 47:35 Become immersed in a life of this country. 47:37 Become engaged with your church. 47:39 Become immersed in your country, why? 47:41 Because we need you. 47:43 Your country needs you, your church needs you, 47:44 but most of all God needs you. 47:48 By this all the world will know you are my people, 47:50 if you have love for one another, 47:52 radical united love. 47:53 America in the world can have no more compelling witness 47:58 than a generation moving out and saying 48:01 we lived with the comfort 48:05 and all the accoutrements of well being. 48:09 We will go out into the dark 48:13 on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ. 48:15 And by the way and then I'm sitting down, 48:18 the times could... 48:19 Listen carefully now 'cause this is where 48:21 you gonna hear stuff you never heard. 48:23 The times are critical. 48:26 They could hardly be more critical. 48:33 Life as we know it is rather rapidly 48:37 moving towards some sort of showdown, 48:43 sooner by the way rather than later. 48:45 And I'm going to give you three exhibits, okay. 48:47 Exhibit number one, Tuesday night, 48:50 during the election 48:51 the ambassador from France to the United States 48:54 is sitting there watching, 48:55 and he's just saying, "What is happening?" 48:57 And he sends out this tweet. 48:59 I'll put it on the screen for you. 49:01 Sixty-three old, Gerard Araud tweeted 49:05 and I'm quoting him now. 49:06 After Brexit and you know what that is. 49:09 "After Brexit and this election, 49:11 everything is now possible. 49:14 A world is collapsing before our eyes. 49:17 Dizziness." 49:20 He shut that tweet out according to the UK Mirror. 49:25 Before the night was over, he wisely deleted the tweet, 49:30 because he will need to do business 49:32 with the next administration. 49:35 How did he put it? 49:37 A world is collapsing before our eyes 49:39 faster than we may realize. 49:41 By the way August 15, 49:42 there is a little meeting going on in Florida 49:44 between one candidate 49:47 in a roomful of evangelical leaders, 49:49 pastors we call them. 49:51 Time Magazine happen to catch that, 49:55 reported on it time.com, you can Google it. 49:59 Get the right key words and you'll find it. 50:02 "In a startling off-the-cuff speech, just a few lines, 50:05 to a gathering of pastors in Florida last week, 50:08 Trump threw away his prepared remarks 50:10 and promised, over and over, to give evangelical churches 50:13 the power to essentially spend 50:15 unlimited sums of tax-exempt money on politics. 50:20 Nearly 80 percent of evangelicals 50:22 already support Trump. 50:23 It is one of his largest supportive demographics 50:26 and one of the GOP's most reliable voting blocks." 50:30 Now listen to this. 50:33 In the middle of a speech, Trump told the pastors 50:37 that evangelical voters would make the difference 50:39 in key battleground states like Florida, Virginia, 50:42 Ohio and Pennsylvania." 50:44 Who knew? 50:46 Those were the battleground states? 50:51 You have a chance, I'm quoting Trump now. 50:52 "You have a chance to do something 50:54 that will be earth shaking," he said. 50:56 "I literally mean it, earth shaking. 50:59 You got to get your people out to vote." 51:03 And I continue to read now this quote, 51:05 "If white evangelical Christians 51:07 put him in the White House, 51:09 he promised to return the favor." 51:14 Well, they did. 51:17 What was the favor by the way? 51:20 To no longer make it illegal for church. 51:22 Churches has spend tax dollars 51:25 in publishing their points of view. 51:29 Trump told the gathering, 51:30 I know what your attendance has been like 51:32 in evangelical churches. 51:34 Am I right he said. Oh, they said right. 51:36 When I get in office, 51:38 I'm going to turn that graph right around 51:42 and your attendance will go up. 51:45 Vote for me. 51:49 Since when is it the concern 51:50 of the president of the United States 51:52 worship attendance in synagogues, 51:56 mosques or churches, 51:59 legislate to raise the attendance. 52:02 Are you serious? 52:06 Time Magazine, November 14, that's two days away yet. 52:11 Cover picture, I want you to see it. 52:13 We'll pull a camera in on it for you. 52:15 The two candidates, 52:17 you recognize the candidates of course. 52:19 They put a sign in their hands and the sign says, 52:23 "The End is Near." 52:26 Now of course the editors of Time Magazine are saying, 52:28 "Hey, guys good news, this campaign is about over." 52:31 But you know what? 52:33 Whatever the art director was thinking 52:34 when he posted these words "The End is Near", 52:38 from someone who is assigned by the faith community 52:41 to stand on the walls on tippy toe 52:44 and to keep an eye 52:46 on what is developing in the nation 52:48 for someone like that. 52:51 This is more than a coincidental piece of art. 52:57 I remind you that the voting coalition 53:00 had put the president elect in office 53:02 was a coalition to whom he promised the moon 53:04 if they would get out and vote. 53:06 How did he put it to those pastors? 53:07 "You have a chance to do something 53:09 that will be earth shaking." 53:10 I literally mean it. 53:11 Earth shaking, you got to get your people to vote. 53:14 When I read the Apocalypse 13 53:16 as I read again in between services just pondering. 53:21 Revelation 13, it isn't rocket science 53:24 to read the description of a time 53:26 when this nation will be faced with her own survival, 53:29 and for the sake of the nation security, 53:31 it is clear that the majority will choose 53:34 to sacrifice a minority 53:38 in order to stay, to stay. 53:44 Revelation 13, 53:48 all you need is a charismatic leader 53:52 who knows how to touch the buttons of fear 53:59 and the longing for security, it's all you need. 54:05 And you can convince a nation. 54:08 I'm just saying, I'm just saying, 54:12 you can get there from here. 54:16 I want to put a quotation on the screen. 54:20 From an apocalyptic classic called Great Controversy. 54:23 May I read it right here. 54:25 "When the leading churches of the United States, 54:28 uniting upon such points of doctrine 54:30 as are held by them in common, 54:31 shall influence the state..." 54:33 Put me in office. 54:36 I'll look out for you. 54:38 "When they shall influence the state 54:41 to enforce their decrees 54:42 and to sustain their institutions..." 54:44 I'll get the attendance backup. 54:47 "Then Protestant America will have formed 54:49 an image of the Roman hierarchy, 54:51 and the infliction of civil penalties 54:54 upon dissenters will inevitably result." 55:00 You can get there from here, 55:03 which is why and this is my biggest burden. 55:07 Which is why we have got to get out into America now. 55:12 We have no clue. 55:14 We had no clue seven days ago, we have no clue now. 55:17 What's going to happen in two weeks? 55:18 We don't know. 55:20 But if we don't go to America... 55:25 then one day 55:27 someone will slam the door of opportunity 55:32 shut forever. 55:38 We've got to go, get your education, go. 55:43 You're here, move out. 55:46 Don't sell the house, just get involved, 55:48 immersed in a life of nation 55:53 nearing, nearing, nearing the edge of eternity. 56:03 I want to pray with you. 56:04 Oh, God, 56:06 we can't just let this be some moment of inspiration 56:09 and oh, good well, I feel better now. 56:11 No, no, no, God please, 56:14 impress our hearts that we have to do something. 56:17 We have to become engaged in the church again. 56:19 We have to become immersed in this country again. 56:22 We can no longer stand, sit, lie on the sidelines. 56:28 It's critical, the time. 56:32 Heaven is ready to move. 56:35 Those who are bowed before you right now God, 56:37 what an army, 56:41 what ambassadors You have 56:44 that could fan across this great nation. 56:47 One last time do whatever it takes, 56:50 don't let us be the same again 56:52 because of this hour 56:54 of national and global history. 56:59 For Jesus, we will do it for Jesus. 57:06 In his name we pray, amen. 57:11 I want to take a next moment to thank you for joining us 57:13 in worship today. 57:15 It's by the continued support from viewers like you 57:17 that we're able to bring this telecast. 57:20 Today I want to invite you though, 57:21 to share with us how this ministry has blessed you. 57:24 Truth is I get inspiring notes, emails, 57:27 letters from viewers, literally all over the world. 57:30 Sharing with us how God has blessed them 57:32 through this program, 57:33 and I'd love to hear from you as well. 57:35 It's not that hard, simple really. 57:36 Just visit our website newperceptions.tv. 57:39 It's one word. 57:40 newperceptions.tv 57:43 and click on the contact link at the top of the page. 57:45 Shoot me that email. 57:47 Once again, thank you for being with us. 57:49 Thank you by the way for your own support, 57:51 that supporters will keep this telecast week after week 57:55 reaching America, reaching North America 57:58 and reaching the planet. 58:00 That kind of generosity that you share 58:02 is a huge boost and blessing to us. 58:05 And I hope you'll join us right here next time 58:07 'cause we'll be here. 58:08 In the mean time, 58:10 God be with you and bless you real good. |
Revised 2017-01-12