Participants: Dwight K Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP170513A
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00:10 [ Organ plays ]
00:23 [ Congregation sings ] 02:01 >> Amen, and that is what we have come to do this morning, is 02:05 to worship the King. But I want you to turn to your 02:08 neighbor right now and ask him, "Have you heard?" 02:10 Okay, turn to your neighbor. "Have you heard?" 02:13 >> Have your heard? >> What, you don't know? 02:17 What, you don't know? Well, let me tell you. 02:20 Apparently, you guys are looking at each other wondering what you 02:23 haven't heard. So, here, I'm gonna tell you 02:25 about it. Every night this week, 02:29 our young people are telling the world about our God, our 02:34 King, and our Creator. Isn't that amazing? 02:39 Maybe you've seen it. It's this thing called The Tent, right over by Alumni House. 02:43 I watched it last night on Facebook, so if you're watching us right now and you want to 02:47 know what this is, you can go on Facebook. Or if you live right here, go 02:51 tonight and hear them at 5:00 and 7:00 talking about our King. Is there anything more 02:57 beautiful and more precious than these young Evangelists, Pastor Dwight? 03:01 There isn't. They are here to praise Him, and this morning, we joined their 03:06 voices in giving Him praise. We want God to come to this place and to our homes and to 03:14 our hearts. We want Him to fill us up with His goodness. 03:18 So let's invite Him into our hearts this morning. 03:33 [ Congregation sings ] 08:12 >> When you come under the care of the King, there isn't 08:17 anything that's outside of His reach to grant you. 08:24 He takes care of His people. He takes care of all of His 08:29 children. So when you're with Him, 08:33 you can have confidence that God will grant you your heart's 08:37 desire, that God will grant you your petition and your request 08:40 according to His will, because He's not going to give you 08:44 something that's not good for you. 08:47 And sometimes when He says no, praise the Lord! 08:51 Because He knew that something better is in store for you. 08:56 So, when we ask Him, we ask Him in sincerity, with authenticity, 09:01 and we know that He can grant us our desire and our petition. 09:06 So, this morning, if you have something that you need to give 09:09 to Him, we invite you right now to bring it forward. 09:13 You have some financial need, you have some need in your 09:16 marriage, you have some need in your family, you have some 09:19 health need -- We want you to come forward and 09:21 give that to Him and know that He will fulfill it for you. 09:24 But here's the other kind of thing that we can ask Him. 09:27 Maybe you are getting in your own way of reaching out to the 09:31 King. Maybe it's your pride. 09:36 Maybe it's your stubbornness. Maybe it's -- 09:39 You're clinging to something. You're idolizing something. 09:42 Why don't you decide to give that up this morning? 09:46 Come forward and say, "Lord, I need you more than I need this 09:51 thing that's getting in the way. Let's draw closer to Him and 09:55 know that He will answer every one of our requests. 09:57 Come forward as we pray this morning. 10:02 [ "Lord I Need You" plays ] 10:19 [ Congregation sings ] 13:47 >> Nice to see all of you today. Here's a question to start off today's story. 13:51 Thank you, story scouts for the stories you find. Here's the question -- 13:55 Anybody here been to a zoo? If you've been to a zoo -- Boy, that's pretty much all of 14:01 us. Okay, so, here's a story from Omaha, Nebraska. 14:05 Because Kymica and Justin, her husband -- they're just a young couple -- they're going to the 14:11 zoo today. She said, "I just want to go to the zoo one more time," and so 14:16 which animals do you think we should go to see first? Which cage? 14:21 How about the aquarium? Because this is the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. 14:26 So you can see the fishies plus the animals. "Well, I'll tell you what," 14:30 that's what her husband said. "Let's do this -- Let's ride the zoo train." 14:35 A lot of zoos have trains that go around the zoo, you can kind of see the lay of the land. 14:40 "Where are we gonna go first? Will it be the giraffes over there? 14:43 How about the rhinoceros over here?" So you just ride the train and 14:46 look. But! Uh-oh! 14:49 While they're on the train... While they're on the train... "Ooh!" 14:57 But she wasn't pointing at anything. "Ooh!" she said again. 15:01 Justin said, "Kymica, what are you doing? There's no animals to even go 15:05 "Ooh!" about." "Ooh!" she said. "Ooh!" she said. 15:11 She said, "Honey, we got to get off this train. We have to get to a -- Ooh! 15:18 [ Groaning ] We have to get to a hospital!" Because, you see, Kymica was 15:22 pregnant, getting ready for their very first baby. And it's not gonna be born till 15:27 the middle of May, and this was a couple week ago, so... Justin said, "Listen, girl, 15:31 you're gonna be fine. You'll be just fine. It's just a little bit of an 15:34 exaggeration here. Let's go see the cheetahs and you're gonna feel a lot better 15:38 when you see the cheetahs." But as soon as they got off the train, they only got about, oh, 15:43 a few steps away from the train station when she says, "I think it's coming!" 15:48 And -- [ Gasps ] -- Pop! [ Laughter ] Somebody's head looked out! 15:52 "Is this where I'm supposed to be? Nope, it's a zoo. 15:56 No, I'm going back in." Nope. She went down -- Kymica went down, her husband 16:03 grabbed her as they went down together, and pretty soon, people are stopping. 16:09 Pretty soon people are pulling out their cellphones. Pretty soon people are taking 16:13 videos. Because little Drea, 5 pounds, 5 ounces, was born 16:20 right there in a zoo! >> What? >> Yeah! 16:25 In Omaha, Nebraska! So wait till she grows up and people say, "Hey, where were you 16:29 born?" What can you say? You got to tell the truth! 16:38 Oh, but Justin didn't worry. He said, "Oh, this is beautiful! This is beautiful! 16:43 Now, what do I do next? Okay, okay, okay!" And little Drea -- D-R-E-A. 16:47 Little Drea Hubbard comes out. "Oh, this is our precious daughter." 16:52 He didn't care that the whole world was watching. You know what? 16:59 When they were talking with the reporters afterwards -- Let's see a picture first. 17:02 Let's see a picture. Let's see a picture of little Drea. 17:05 Oh, there she is in her mother's arms. Oh, now, there she is. 17:08 Oh, isn't she precious? When they were talking to the reporters afterwards, they said, 17:12 "Listen, how you gonna celebrate her birthday?" They said, "We're coming to the 17:16 zoo every single year to have her birthday party." And we're giving her a new 17:21 nickname. It's not just Drea. We're gonna call her Pooh Bear. 17:24 >> Aww! >> Aww! So, where were you born? 17:28 Go on, where were you born? Do you know? Do you know? Somebody very special was with 17:34 you. Somebody very special was with you when you were born. 17:36 Who's that someone special? >> Mommy! >> Oh! Your mother happened to 17:41 be there when you were born. Oh, my... Aren't you lucky to have a 17:47 mother like her? You know what, it's not easy being a mom. 17:50 Come on, I've watched the mothers around here. It's not easy being a mom. 17:54 Sometimes we act like we were born in a zoo. Sometimes we act like we're born 17:57 in a barn! That's what my dad used to say about me. 18:00 [ Laughter ] But you know what? Our mothers just keep loving us. 18:03 They never get tired. They never quit loving on us. Oh, and how Jesus loves mothers. 18:10 Do you know what? Jesus, when he's dying on the cross, he's thinking about his 18:14 mother. He's thinking about his mother. He loved her so much. 18:19 Do you love your mom? Oh, I know you do. We're gonna give you something 18:23 that you can take right back to your mom in just a moment, but first, I want a young boy to 18:28 pray, 'cause I had a little girl in the first service, so is there a boy here who would like 18:33 to thank Jesus for our mothers? A little boy. All right. We got a lot of girls. 18:40 Okay, Joshua, come here. All right. We're gonna pray with Joshua. 18:44 Thank you, Joshua. Bless you. And we're gonna thank Jesus for our wonderful, wonderful mothers 18:52 that we love so much. Will you close your eyes and will you fold your hands as 18:57 Joshua thanks Jesus? >> Yes, I am very thankful for my mommy, and I thank God. 19:06 I also am thankful for my dad. Very thankful. Amen! >> Amen, Joshua. 19:14 What a beautiful prayer. And you know what? This is what I want you to do 19:20 with your mother right now, okay? This is what I want you to do. 19:24 But before you do -- Joshua, this goes for you, too. Before you do, I want you to 19:29 pick up a beautiful flower for your mother. So there's gonna be -- 19:33 Let's see, we have Pastor Sharon, Pastor Sabine, we have Claudia right over 19:38 there. Don't go back to your chair without getting a flower for 19:42 your mommy! Get a flower for your mommy. Happy Mother's Day, dear beloved 19:48 mothers. 19:53 ♪♪ 22:20 Wow, that was beautiful. Thank you, Byron and students. And the concert that you're 22:25 having at the HPAC is Tuesday night. This group at 7:00. 22:28 We need to be out for that, as well. Let's pray together. 22:34 Oh, God, this is our father's world in the midst of all the craziness that life has become 22:43 on this planet. These colorful splashes are a reminder You still reign 22:50 supreme. There is nothing out of your purview, and you are King. 22:57 The music that just swept us heavenward, we bless Your name. We come to the word of God now. 23:03 We bless Your name. Let it be clear, we humbly pray in Jesus' name. 23:07 Amen. 23:09 You ever heard the expression, "Don't look a gift horse in the 23:14 mouth," you ever heard that? "Don't look a gift horse in the 23:18 mouth." Better yet, have you ever even 23:20 looked at a horse in the mouth? After today, you'll always be 23:24 able to say, "Yes, I have." I want you to take a look at a 23:27 horse's mouth. Man, what is wrong with that? 23:30 What a mouth! I love those teeth. Well, how about another one? 23:34 There's a guy that hasn't been to the dentist yet. But you know what? 23:38 Hey, come on, some of you English speakers, you know we talk about this is "long in the 23:42 tooth." "Long in the tooth" is actually from the horse. 23:45 That's how they measure a horse's age -- long teeth and how many teeth. 23:48 So they count them. But the point of the little proverb, "Never look a gift 23:52 horse in the mouth" is -- "Listen, don't be so particular about your gift. 23:55 You got a gift. Just be thankful you had a gift. If it's a horse, just take the 23:59 horse. Don't count the teeth. Don't look the horse in the 24:02 mouth." And that's great counsel. "Never look a gift horse in the 24:07 mouth." You ever heard this proverb? "Never look a gift fish in the 24:13 mouth." 24:14 Me, neither, but it's a great story, and I want to go to that 24:17 story with you right now. Open your Bible with me, please, 24:20 to the Gospel of Matthew 17. Let's go. 24:21 A short little story with a major, major point. 24:26 Matthew 17. You didn't bring a Bible, grab 24:29 the pew Bible in front of you. It's going to be page 662. 24:32 I think those of you watching live-stream right now are seeing 24:36 the title for this brand-new little miniseries called 24:39 "Nuclear Fishin'." Do you see it? 24:41 "Nuclear Fishin'." You have to be a chemist or a 24:44 physicist to get that. "Nuclear Fishin'." 24:46 We just did "Gone Fishin'." Four parts. 24:49 Now we're gonna do "Nuclear Fishin'." 24:51 Four parts. Some powerhouse stories that 24:53 still have fish in them. 24:55 So, we're going to go now -- No study guide, by the way. Those of you watching and those 24:59 of your here, as well, you're just gonna lock this away in your heart, I pray. 25:03 So, this is Matthew 17. You found Matthew 17? I'm in the NIV. 25:08 You got the pew Bible there. You got your own Bible. Whatever. 25:11 Let's go. Matthew 17:24. 25:17 Now, I need to tell you, Capernaum is the hometown of our big fisherman buddy named 25:23 Simon Peter. That's where he lived. That's home base. 25:26 In fact, I've been to the Capernaum, and the archaeologists will with great 25:30 credibility tell you, "We believe this foundation here is the foundation of Peter's 25:35 house." It's just been preserved. They have a special roof over it 25:39 to protect it, but that's where Peter was born, that's where he grew up, that's his hometown. 25:44 So, they're coming back to Peter's home base. 25:47 So, Verse 24. 25:51 Oh, and by the way, I need to tell you that that is now Jesus' 25:55 hometown. His hometown really is Nazareth, 25:58 but the people in Nazareth could never quite stomach the 26:01 immense popularity of their hometown boy, and for some 26:05 reason -- it's just absolutely ludicrous -- they would not 26:08 accept him. And so Jesus decides to change 26:12 his home address from Nazareth to Capernaum. 26:15 And it's his hometown. 26:24 Hit the pause button right there. 26:26 This is the old half-shekel. Half-shekel temple tax that 26:31 every Jew who's a male and who's over 20 years of age is required 26:38 to pay. Got to pay it. 26:40 You're a Jew, you're 20 or higher, you pay. 26:43 Now, it doesn't have the same kind of sacrosanct attachment 26:50 that tithing does. Oh, the Jews know about tithing, 26:54 as well. The whole world knows about 26:55 tithing now. That's a dynamite promise, by 26:58 the way, that's spread out for the people living in Jesus' day. 27:02 I'll put that -- Let's put Malachi 3:10 and just 27:05 remind us what that promise is. 27:14 That would be the Lord of Hosts. 27:24 The two-drachma temple tax is not tithe. 27:27 No, completely different. 27:29 Because in the tithe promise that God makes, note this -- In the tithe promise, God is not 27:34 promising this only to Jewish males 20 years or older. The tithe promise is to males 27:39 and females, Jews and gentiles. Black, white, yellow, red, brown -- it doesn't matter. 27:45 This is my promise to the human race. So when the tax collectors come 27:50 and they grab Peter, they say, "Yo!" They're not thinking tithe. 27:54 They're talking about the temple tribute, the temple tax. 27:58 Now, let's read the whole verse here, Verse 24. 28:08 "Yo, Pete!" And, by the way, the "your" is 28:11 plural. So they're singling Pete out, 28:13 but they're talking to all the boys hanging around. 28:16 Those would be the disciples. "Yo, Pete, doesn't your teacher 28:21 pay the temple tax? Oh, my. 28:27 What Peter does not know -- Bless his heart -- is that this 28:30 is an elaborate ruse to catch Peter off guard and trick him 28:33 into compromising Jesus. Because, you see, the 28:36 two-drachma temple tax, while it's required of all Jewish 28:40 males 20 years and older, the exceptions happen to be if 28:43 you're a priest or a Levite -- Obviously you work in the 28:47 temple, so why should you have to pay tax for where you're 28:50 working? Or you're a prophet, you work 28:52 for the Lord of the Temple. You don't have to pay. 28:56 Oh, very clever. A trap embedded in this trick 29:01 question -- "Doesn't your master pay the temple tax?" 29:04 Because if Peter says, "Why, of course he does." 29:07 Oops! Then they will crow that Jesus 29:09 obviously is not the prophet he's been saying he is and that 29:13 the people think is because, "Hey, prophets don't pay the 29:16 temple tax, and this guy does." But if Peter says, "Oh, no, are 29:20 you kidding? He doesn't pay that temple tax," 29:21 oh, they'd go hollering to everybody. 29:23 "Whoa! This Jesus of Nazareth, he's trying to tear down the 29:27 temple service." They've got Pete nailed whether 29:30 he says yes or whether he says no. 29:34 And, of course, Peter's a fisherman. 29:37 He's not really suave. Is it "suave?" 29:42 How do you pronounce it? Is it suave? Okay. 29:44 He's not really suave. He's not really suave when it 29:48 comes to the nuances of logic embedded in hastily thrown 29:52 questions in his face, and so Peter just blurts it out. 29:56 Oops! Yeah. 29:59 Peter goes into the house. Jesus is there to meet him. 30:03 Next verse, Verse 24. 30:09 Hit the pause button right there. 30:11 Please note, there's not gonna be any recrimination, there's 30:14 not gonna be any "Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame!" 30:16 There's no scolding, there's no raised voice. 30:20 Jesus says, "Hey, I just have a question for you." 30:23 "What's the question, master?" "What do you think, Simon?" 30:27 Jesus asked. 30:38 "Well, of course -- That's a very dumb question. 30:41 Do you think there's a king alive who would tax his own 30:43 child? Are you kidding? 30:45 It's gonna be from the others." Oops! He gets it. 30:50 He knows exactly what Jesus has just asked. 30:53 But Jesus says, "It's okay." Verse 27. 31:12 The end. That's the story. That's it. 31:16 The end. Wow. 31:23 But what about this little, uh, trap that the Pharisees set for 31:29 him? Our friend George Knight in his 31:32 wonderful little commentary on the Book of Matthew, it's called 31:36 the Amplifier Commentary. As only George can do, he sees 31:39 another angle to this, and I want to share his angle with you 31:42 on the screen. So just read his words there. 31:45 This is Dr. Knight commenting on this particular story, 31:48 Matthew 17. 31:57 In other words, it turns out to be the perfect response. They say, "How did Jesus know 32:02 that?" "Well, I know how he knew it, because he has an inside track 32:06 to the Father. He has a back door where he gets into Heaven and he gets all his 32:10 instructions." Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. 32:12 You know the only way Jesus knew it? Jesus will say to his disciples 32:15 in Luke 12:11-12, he'll say, "Listen, when you get hauled off to court, don't worry about what 32:21 you're gonna say. Please. Don't worry. Don't panic because -- I love it 32:25 in the New Living Translation -- because it will be given to you. By the spirit of my father, it 32:31 will be given to you." This is NLT. "While you are standing there, 32:37 you'll get it. Just say what I give you." Jesus had no inside -- "Well, 32:42 I'll do this -- I'll pull this little fish trick." No. 32:45 Obviously the spirit just said... And Jesus said... 32:51 So George Knight here... 32:57 Good for you, Jesus! 33:11 How do you do that? Number two! Here it comes. 33:17 Only George could find this. 33:24 Hold on there. Just hit pause right here. 33:26 "Keep his mouth shut." I remind you, this is one time, 33:29 and somebody -- Where is this? 33:31 Somebody came after first service and slid this under the 33:33 door, having heard this teaching. 33:35 They said, "Hey, listen, Dwight, you're gonna need this," and 33:38 they didn't put a name on it. Listen, this is one time -- 33:40 True story. This is one time where Peter 33:43 could go fishing and be absolutely certain he's gonna 33:46 catch something today. [ Laughter ] 33:48 'Cause Jesus said, "You're gonna catch something. 33:50 The first you catch, open its mouth -- Boom! 33:52 Go pay our taxes." Wow. 33:55 So, reading George again. 34:03 ♪ Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! ♪ Where do you think I got this, 34:05 guys? Where do you think? 34:06 I'll give you five guesses and the first six don't count! 34:10 You think Peter's gonna be silent about this? 34:13 No, he's gonna say, "He doesn't have to pay the taxes." 34:16 Oops! "You know where he got his 34:18 money? You're not gonna believe this." 34:22 Of course he told everybody he met. 34:24 George says, "Even he told the tax collectors." 34:26 I think he probably did. Keep reading. 34:35 Jesus really is a prophet and he doesn't have to pay the tax. 34:38 Made them both disappear. Now, third... 34:47 Well, whose money was it? It's the fish's money, 34:49 of course! The money belonged to the fish. 34:53 Got it. Oh, good for you, Jesus. 34:57 Good for you. And, by the way, it was good for 35:00 Jesus. Because Jesus is modeling 35:03 something for you and me to get. To get, to get, to get. 35:07 This about this -- Avoid confrontation if you can 35:12 do so without compromising truth. 35:16 Don't pick a fight. Turn the other cheek. 35:20 Walk the extra mile. Don't do it! 35:23 I'm the exact opposite. In this day and age, when 35:26 everyone has the inalienable right to display their ignorance 35:29 through what they post online... In this day and age, I must 35:34 admit, I struggle with not being like Jesus in this instance 35:38 because every now and then, I get an e-mail from Peter. 35:40 You ever get one of those e-mails where the writer has 35:44 obviously written before even thinking? 35:46 I get those e-mails... [ Exhales sharply ] 35:50 My first response is to fire a two megaton e-mail back and nuke 35:54 that vacuous criticism and criticizer. 35:56 One stone, two birds. Yeah, I'm embarrassed to tell 36:01 you that. So, when I watch Jesus here 36:04 totally disregard his critics... He could have jumped up and 36:07 said, "No, no, no, no." Totally disregard his critics, 36:10 and keep calm with his own disciples who have muffed a 36:14 beautiful moment that they could have testified to, but no. 36:18 All Jesus does is he just complies. 36:23 I want to learn something. I want to tear a page out of his 36:25 playbook, don't you? Yeah. 36:29 Avoid confrontation if you can do so without compromising 36:32 truth. Hey, this is from 36:33 Desire of Ages, and it nails it on the head, this very point. 36:36 The words on the screen -- 36:44 "I don't have to do this." 36:52 Someday we're gonna remember this line because it's very 36:55 important. Don't get the established order 36:58 all agitated by the way you fight back. 37:00 Just keep your mouth shut. 37:18 Let it go! Come on. That e-mail writer, the person 37:21 who calls, the individual who drops by your place and offers 37:24 you a piece of her mind or his mind, just let it go. 37:27 Take the high road. You know you're right anyway. 37:32 "But, Dwight, what if they're right and I'm wrong?" 37:34 Well, then, take it and then let it go. 37:36 Get on! Get over it! 37:41 One short little story. It paints a beautiful and 37:47 powerful picture of our Lord Jesus. 37:50 I want to share three musings with you from this story, and 37:52 then I'll sit down. Three musings. 37:54 You don't have a study guide? I'll put them on the screen for 37:55 you. 38:02 Have you noticed that? "Yo, Pete, throw your line into the lake. 38:06 The first fish you catch, open its mouth, pull the coin out, and go and pay my tax." 38:11 By the way, this is the only place in the New Testament -- Did I already mention this? 38:15 This is the only place in the New Testament where fishing by line is shown. 38:20 Everywhere else, how do they fish? Everywhere else! 38:22 Come on, we just finished "Gone Fishin'." Everywhere else, they pull the 38:25 net in! I'm making you fish for people 'cause I want lots of people, 38:28 not just one. I want lots. 38:31 This is the only time a line, and I'm assuming a hook, is 38:35 mentioned. "So, go throw that line in, 38:38 Peter! First fish you get, open the 38:40 mouth, pull that four drachmas coin out, go pay my tax and 38:44 yours. 38:48 You know what Peter does? He said, "Amen! I got it, Lord. I'll go do it." 38:54 And that's exactly what he does. He throws his line in, pulls the fish out, pulls out the tax, and 38:59 pays Jesus' tax and his own. Never forget. Never forget that Christ of 39:05 Creation is the Jesus of the Gospels. He's the creator of the 39:11 universe. So, when Jesus cries out, "Let there be light," in half a 39:16 nanosecond, before the words even left his lips... In half a nanosecond, that word 39:21 instantly creates the reality it describes. Ever heard that before? 39:26 Boom! Because when he says, "Let there be light," what's the next split 39:29 second? What happens? There is light. 39:32 His word, he just speaks it. Look at Psalm 33. 39:35 Jot these three verses down. If you've never gotten these 39:38 before, never forget them for the rest of your life. 39:40 Psalm 33:6 and 33:9. 39:53 That's how powerful it is. Don't forget to jot down 39:55 Isaiah 55:11. Keep your pen moving. 39:58 Isaiah 55:11. 40:08 When I speak it, it will happen. That's why Jesus in John 6:63, Jesus says... 40:18 "It's all in the word. I speak it to you." Say Amen to the word of Christ 40:24 as Peter did. "Amen! I'll go do it." And it will be. 40:30 He spoke it into reality. Wow. I shared my testimony last fall 40:36 when we were doing a series called "#RXF4NOW." Righteousness by Faith For Now. 40:42 And you remember in the opening message, I told you about my struggle with fear, my personal 40:47 struggle with fear. Multiple fears. Garden variety of fears that 40:51 I've lived with all my life. And I was thinking about it one Sunday, you remember that, in 40:55 August, when God speaks to me, as I'm thinking about my fears and I'm thinking about this 40:59 great principle, and God says, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." 41:03 And in that split second, I knew that God had taken those fears away. 41:06 I just knew it. Now, a lot of you heard that story, and you said, "Yeah, 41:10 well, that's just Dwight. He's kind of a weird guy anyway, so something like that could 41:13 happen to him." I got an e-mail this week, and I want to read it to you. 41:19 This is one of the e-mails that you don't nuke. This is the one that brings 41:22 tears to your eyes and you hold it to your chest and you say, "Dear, Jesus, this was all you. 41:26 How do you do things like this?" So, I got an e-mail from one of our worshippers this week. 41:34 Young husband, young father, attending the university. He said, "Dear Pastor Nelson, 41:41 yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-yada- yada-yada-yada-yada-yada-yada... Oh, by the way, I don't know if 41:44 you intended it this way..." I thought this was -- Praise God. 41:47 "I don't know if you intended it this way, but those three series, "#RXF4NOW" followed by 41:51 "Storm," and then followed by "Gone Fishin'," those three series have been like a 41:56 carefully laid pathway to spiritual revival and renewal." And you know what? 42:00 It never occurred to me at all. So, the Holy Spirit said, "Dwight, I don't have to tell 42:07 you what I'm doing." So I say "Praise God." Now, here it comes. 42:10 One personal anecdote -- I confess -- Okay, confession is good for the soul -- "I confess 42:14 that I didn't get the whole "omnipotent word of God" thing the first time you shared it, 42:18 but you continued to preach it, and then after re-watching your sermon entitled "Believe"..." 42:23 That would be the first one in last fall's series. "...something clicked." 42:26 One day -- here it comes -- One day as I was walking home from class, I was thinking about 42:31 that sermon and telling God how frustrated I was in my struggle against selfishness and the 42:36 negative impact it was having on my family, just a few steps from home, the words of 42:42 Galatians 2:20 popped into my head. Galatians 2:20. 42:46 "I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives..." -- where? 42:51 "...in me, and the life I live, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave 42:56 Himself for me." That verse, just -- Boom! And listen to this now -- 43:01 Not me talking. This person. "In that moment, something changed." 43:10 In that moment... ...something changed. 43:13 Hey, buddy. I know exactly how you feel. 43:16 That's exactly what happened to me. 43:18 "In that moment, something changed. 43:20 I believed it, and God has given me the upper hand in the battle 43:23 with selfishness. There are still days..." 43:26 Important caveat. "...when I struggle, but I now 43:28 know that I am no longer a slave to selfishness, and I can't tell 43:31 you how much that means to me and my family. 43:34 Praise God!" Amen. 43:40 Musing #1. How did it go? Put it on the screen for us 43:43 again, please. Musing #1. 43:49 Here comes Musing #2. There are only three of these, and then I'm sitting down. 43:51 Here comes #2. 44:00 "Yo, Pete! Go to the lake! Drop in that line! Get the first fish you catch. 44:04 Open its mouth, and I want you pull the coin out. It'll be four drachma. 44:09 And I want you to pay my tax and yours." Wow. 44:16 Peter hasn't even asked! God is meeting a need that Peter has, but he's never even asked 44:21 God about that need. Can you believe this? Even if you never ask God, He 44:28 still knows your need. You don't have to ask Him. That's why Jesus and the mighty 44:35 Sermon on the Mount -- Just a few pages earlier. I do wish that you would see 44:38 this in your own Bible. Go back to Matthew 6. All red letters in Matthew 6 44:41 because it's in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Drop down Matthew 6 to Verse 31, 44:47 Jesus speaking -- See, this is the point Jesus is making, Verse 31. 44:52 Don't worry, be happy. 45:04 They don't know how they're gonna get them yet, so they just 45:06 are panicked by it. But your Heavenly Father knows 45:08 what? What does your Heavenly Father 45:10 already know? He knows even if you never ask 45:13 Him, He already knows -- Your Heavenly Father already 45:17 knows that you need them. 45:26 Jesus says, "Your Heavenly Father knows." 45:31 That's why you can see in Verse 33, just wrap it up here 45:34 in Verse 33... 45:37 Given what I've just told you... 45:50 Make God and his Kingdom numero uno priority in your life. 45:54 Make it the numero uno priority in your life, and I'm telling you, all that you want -- 45:59 Oh, no, He didn't say all that you want, did He? What did He say? 46:03 All that you... What'd He say? Need! All that you need, you can count 46:09 on Him to come through for you. Just say "Amen!" Right now, some of you are going 46:14 through an immense time of need. Personal, private -- Nobody else but God knows. 46:18 I need you to know that you can put your finger right on these words that we just read, and you 46:23 say to God, I am seeking first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. 46:27 I am pleading with You, God. Meet the needs I have! Meet the needs of my little 46:32 family! Meet the needs of my career! Meet the needs of my banking 46:39 account. I'm just asking you. I'm not asking for my wants. 46:44 I'm just asking for my needs." You point your finger, you say "Amen!" to that, you got it! 46:51 It may not come at this split-second. You let God bring it to you. 46:54 You'll get it. You say, "Dwight, you can't prove that." 46:57 I sure can. David, Psalm 37. 47:00 Put it on the screen. Verse 25. 47:14 I've never seen them go hungry. Oh, their cupboards can get awfully scarce, but I've never 47:21 seen them go hungry. Ever. And I'm an old man now. 47:26 But I have seen God take care. Oh, my. "So, seek first, my Kingdom and 47:44 my Righteousness, and all these things that you need will be added to you." 47:52 I love the seven-word credo. Do you still remember the 47:55 seven-word credo? Let's not ever forget it. 47:57 Together, you and I, we'll remember it as long as we live. 47:59 Hebrews 2:13. It's only seven words long. 48:01 It goes like this. 48:09 That's how Jesus lived. "I'll put my trust in Him." I'll count on Him. 48:15 I will trust Him. "So, seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all that 48:20 you need, all that you need will be given, will be added to you." And guess what? 48:23 When you tithe -- No kidding -- When you tithe, that's exactly what you're saying. 48:27 When you fill out that little tithe envelope and you drop it in an offering plate, you are 48:31 saying, "God, I will put my trust in You." Because let's be honest. 48:35 Can we just be honest about this? There are times -- Come on, I 48:38 know -- There are times when having that little 10%... If we could just have it... 48:43 "Because of my debts, because of my expenses... Okay, okay, because of my wants 48:48 once in a while, would it be all right if I just keep this, your 10% for me?" 48:55 He said, "No, no, no, no, no. Seven-word credo." I will put my trust in Him. 49:00 That's how Jesus lived, Hebrews 2:13. I'm asking you to live the same. 49:04 I'll take care of you! I promise you! I promise you, I will take care 49:09 of you. And can you believe the promise? 49:13 Put it up one more time. We saw it a little bit earlier, 49:15 Malachi 3:10. 49:28 You declare "Amen!" every time you put that little tithe envelope -- You pull the tithe 49:32 aside, you say, "I'm giving this back to God." Every time you do and you put 49:35 that down, you say, "God, this is yours," you say, "Amen!" Those floodgates -- Amen! 49:40 Open the floodgates for me. Take care of me, please. I'm asking you. 49:45 Please take care of me. "Seek first my Kingdom." You got it. 49:51 I'll put my trust in Him. Hey, you just watch. You'll see. 49:54 Okay, there are three of these. What's #1 again? On the screen. 50:00 Musing #1. Here comes Musing #2. 50:07 And finally, here comes #3. Musing #3. 50:23 Because I remind you, the hand that plops the coin in the open fish's mouth, the hand that 50:30 plops the coin is a nail-scarred hand. Nail-scarred. 50:35 And if he can drop a coin in a fishy's mouth and have you catch it in order to provide for your 50:40 needs, is there anything in the future worth fretting about? Come on. 50:44 Is there anything He can't do? There is nothing He cannot do. Except force you to believe in 50:53 Him. Just can't do that one. "I will put my trust in Him" 50:56 has to come from you, not Him. And if He loves you that much -- So, here's the deal. 51:03 If He loves you that much, what in the future is worth fretting over now? 51:10 Robert Farrar Capon is his book, "The Third Peacock: The Problem 51:13 of God and Evil," describes -- I'll put his words on the 51:16 screen. This little phrase, I 51:18 think is dynamite. He describes... 51:26 Let me repeat that. 51:33 The cross is immutable proof that the hand that was nailed 51:39 for you and me not only manages the past, not only manages the 51:43 present, but also manages the future. 51:46 Before you and I ever get there, the nail-scarred hand has been 51:51 there, and He will take care of you. 51:54 Whatever is in your future, He will take care of you. 51:58 You have nothing to fear. Don't worry. 52:04 Don't be afraid. Wow. 52:08 God will surely take care of you and me, no matter what comes 52:12 next. Hey, hey, hey, hey. 52:14 No matter what doesn't come next. 52:17 Some of you are wanting something to come so bad, you 52:20 can taste it. No matter what doesn't come 52:23 next... You can trust Him. 52:26 You can trust Him. On this Mother's Day, I think of 52:31 my beloved mother that we buried back in January, and I remember 52:36 a song she and my dad used to love to hum and sing to. 52:41 They put on that old record, that recording. 52:45 It's a group of male voices. And it's an old hymn, but I 52:49 remember that hymn in that tiny little Japanese house on that 52:54 ancient old stereo that my dad was so proud of. 52:57 I remember that hymn just wafting through the air of our 53:01 little home, and my mother singing to it in the kitchen. 53:08 You might have heard this hymn. I don't know. 53:11 I'd love to be able to sing it to you. 53:15 ♪ Be not dismayed whate'er betide ♪ 53:23 ♪ God will take care of you! ♪ ♪ Beneath His wings of love 53:36 abide ♪ ♪ God will take care of you! ♪ 53:46 ♪ God will take care of you ♪ ♪ Through every day 53:58 o'er all the way ♪ ♪ He will take care of you ♪ 54:12 ♪ God will take care of you! ♪ 54:24 A short little story about Jesus and Peter and you and me 54:30 and the incredible promise. God will take care of you and 54:40 me. And to that, I say, "Amen!" 54:42 How about you? >> Amen. 54:44 >> Yeah. Amen! 54:46 [ Organ plays ] 56:43 So, Jesus says, "Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, 56:49 and all these things will be given to you, as well." 56:55 So, may the grace of the Father and the love of the 57:00 Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be 57:03 with you all. Amen. 57:08 >> I'd like to take one more moment with you here at the end 57:10 of our program to offer you something I think is really 57:12 special. I want to send to you this 57:14 little book called "Story of Hope." 57:16 In this sweeping look at the story of the Bible, you're gonna 57:19 journey from the dawn of the human race in the Garden of Eden 57:22 through the stunning narratives of the ancient patriarchs and 57:25 prophets and kings straight to the breathtaking story of our 57:28 Lord Jesus, and then beyond the New Testament, the story of how 57:32 life on this planet ends and then begins again. 57:35 With my team of leaders, we are reading through this book every 57:38 Monday afternoon, and I promise you, you're gonna get blessed. 57:41 I want to make sure you get this book, no charge to you. 57:44 So grab your phone and dial our toll-free number. 57:47 877-HIS-WILL. That's 877-H-I-S-W-I-L-L. 57:54 Just give one of our friendly operators your name and mailing 57:57 address, and the book will be in the mail. 57:59 So be blessed. Until the next time we meet, may 58:02 the peace of our Lord Jesus go with you. 58:07 ♪♪ |
Revised 2017-05-18