¤¤
00:00:00.20\00:00:06.57
>> Would you bow your heads with
me as we pray? Father in Heaven,
00:00:10.54\00:00:15.94
Lord, we're so thankful that we
can be here in this space that
we've set aside this week to
00:00:15.94\00:00:21.65
dedicate to you. As we enter
into worship this morning, I
00:00:21.65\00:00:27.12
pray, Lord, that You will send
your Holy Spirit to be here with
us, that You will baptize us
00:00:27.12\00:00:31.69
with Your spirit that we can be
receptive and open to your
words. In Jesus' name I pray.
00:00:31.69\00:00:39.00
Amen. I invite you to
stand with us this morning
00:00:39.17\00:00:41.94
as we sing our first
song, "Days of Elijah."
00:00:41.94\00:00:44.81
And it's very apropos.
As we read in scripture
00:00:44.81\00:00:47.64
about what God has been doing in
the past, we can see what He's
00:00:47.64\00:00:51.31
doing right here,
right now in these days.
00:00:51.31\00:00:53.85
So, please, stand
with us as we sing.
00:00:53.85\00:00:56.42
[ "Days of Elijah" plays ] ¤¤
00:00:56.42\00:01:03.83
¤¤ "These are the days."
00:01:03.99\00:01:13.74
The days of Ezekiel.
00:02:13.53\00:02:15.30
"Behold He comes."
00:03:08.78\00:03:10.15
salvation comes ¤ [ Intro
to "Open the Eyes of My Heart"
00:03:42.82\00:03:50.86
plays ] ¤¤ Sing "Open
the Eyes of my Heart."
00:03:50.86\00:04:03.87
Sing, "Open the eyes."
00:05:02.30\00:05:05.63
Amen. Amen.
00:07:08.66\00:07:09.59
We want to see
God. We want to see Him
00:07:09.76\00:07:12.06
show up in our lives
right here and right now.
00:07:12.06\00:07:15.53
And it's amazing to think how
God looked down through
centuries -- past centuries,
00:07:15.70\00:07:22.04
present, and to come -- saw
those that came before us, those
that are here now, and
00:07:22.04\00:07:27.88
those that go after us. And He
said, "I love them so much that
00:07:27.88\00:07:33.55
I'm going to send my son, Jesus,
to that world to save them." To
00:07:33.55\00:07:38.95
save us. And it's the power of
God's love that compels us to
worship Him. So, this morning,
00:07:38.95\00:07:46.66
sing with us this song, "The
Power of Your Love." As we sing
praises to God, the
00:07:46.66\00:07:51.83
God who loves us, forsaking all
else and saying, "No, I want You
right here, right now."
00:07:51.83\00:07:57.47
Sing with us "The
Power of Your Love."
00:07:57.47\00:08:00.14
[ Intro to "The
Power of Your Love" plays ]
00:08:00.31\00:08:04.31
¤¤
00:08:04.31\00:08:14.16
¤¤
00:08:14.32\00:08:22.36
What a beautiful, beautiful
prayer. It's the power of God
00:11:28.65\00:11:31.19
that draws us. So this morning,
I invite you to step from
wherever you're at in
00:11:31.19\00:11:35.39
the pew and come forward and lay
your burdens down at the cross,
at the feet of Jesus.
00:11:35.39\00:11:39.83
I don't know what your week's
been like. Some of us here
00:11:39.83\00:11:44.53
today, you know, your week might
have been pretty bad. Some of us
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.44
might have been pretty good. But
today, no matter what, God calls
us, no matter where you
00:11:47.44\00:11:52.21
are. So today I invite you, come
forward as we sing that chorus
00:11:52.21\00:11:56.44
one more time, as we enter into
our time of prayer, to give it
00:11:56.44\00:12:01.12
to God. Ask Him to unveil your
eyes so that you can see His
glorious love for you.
00:12:01.12\00:12:05.95
So sing with us that chorus
again, "Hold me close," as you
step forward to pray.
00:12:05.95\00:12:13.70
Sing, "Hold me close."
00:12:13.70\00:12:16.36
>> Well, good morning, boys and
girls. Are you looking fresh and
00:13:23.83\00:13:27.20
alive and warm on this first
Sabbath of 2-0-1-8? What year
00:13:27.20\00:13:32.47
would that be? 2-0-1-8. 2018.
You got it. 2018. The first
00:13:32.47\00:13:39.68
Sabbath. Hey,
Sissy. Nice to have you.
00:13:39.68\00:13:41.52
But you're looking great.
Thanks for coming out today.
00:13:41.68\00:13:44.19
Ooh! Was it cold
this week or what?
00:13:44.19\00:13:47.02
I thought it was cold at
our house. When I looked at the
00:13:47.19\00:13:49.56
thermometer -- was it on Tuesday
morning or Wednesday morning? I
forget -- -9 degrees.
00:13:49.56\00:13:56.40
So, I'm talking to the kids in
first service about -9 degrees,
and the deacon who takes the
00:13:56.40\00:14:01.70
children's offering money out,
Rob Barner, says, "-9? It was
00:14:01.70\00:14:08.14
-12 at our house!" Whoa!
Was that cold or what? >> It was
00:14:08.14\00:14:11.61
cold. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It
feels like it's warming up.
00:14:11.61\00:14:13.78
Not too bad. Yeah, it was
so cold. But this is a story
00:14:13.78\00:14:17.29
about the cold. Because down
in Florida -- listen to this.
00:14:17.29\00:14:20.09
Oh, I got to show you one
of these. Oh, let's put it --
00:14:20.09\00:14:22.76
let's put a green
iguana on the screen. Ohhh.
00:14:22.76\00:14:25.16
That's a face only a mother
could love. Lookit. Isn't that
00:14:25.16\00:14:28.90
ugly? That's just -- ay-yi-yi.
Maybe some of you have iguana
00:14:28.90\00:14:33.23
pets. Look at that pet. They
came up from South America and
00:14:33.23\00:14:36.71
the Caribbean. They don't belong
in America, but they just got to
[Squeals] and they're really
00:14:36.71\00:14:41.41
growing fast. So, you know what
happened in Florida this week?
It got so cold in Florida --
00:14:41.41\00:14:45.81
I'm telling you the truth. So
cold in Florida that these
iguanas, who sleep in the
00:14:45.81\00:14:50.42
treetops at night -- they sleep
in the treetops. The next
morning, people came
00:14:50.42\00:14:55.52
out, and they were -- let me see
a picture. Let me see a picture.
00:14:55.52\00:14:58.63
They were everywhere.
Don't normally show that in a
00:14:58.63\00:15:02.10
children's story, but there it
is. Look at those iguanas. Just
00:15:02.10\00:15:08.77
-- oh! Frozen. Goodbye.
Hey, guys. Here, I'll take that.
00:15:08.77\00:15:13.04
Bless your hearts. Thank you. Is
this for me? Bless your heart.
00:15:13.04\00:15:18.88
Thank you. Now, you guys
can have a seat right here.
00:15:18.88\00:15:21.72
Right -- oh, no. Right, right,
right, right, right there.
00:15:21.72\00:15:23.59
We've been saving that. Bless
your heart. Okay. So, can you
00:15:23.59\00:15:27.72
imagine that? People came out,
there are iguanas, dead, on the
00:15:27.72\00:15:33.03
ground everywhere. Ay-yi-yi-yi.
[Clucking] Sad. Pastor Rodlie
00:15:33.03\00:15:38.63
last night was telling us -- he
heard this on NPR, so it has to
be true. He heard of a man --
00:15:38.63\00:15:46.51
Apparently they eat these. [
Children exclaim in disgust ]
Well, that's another thing
00:15:46.51\00:15:50.18
you're not supposed to tell in
a children's story. I'm sorry.
00:15:50.18\00:15:52.05
[ Laughter ] Apparently
they eat these. No kidding.
00:15:52.05\00:15:55.38
Yeah, so, he saw all these
on the ground, he said, "We are
00:15:55.38\00:15:59.05
gonna have a barbecue tonight,"
this man in Florida. [ Children
00:15:59.05\00:16:01.79
groan ] That's exactly what he
did. He started grabbing them,
picking them up, throwing them
00:16:01.79\00:16:04.36
in the back of his car. Turned
his heat on, started driving
00:16:04.36\00:16:07.10
down the road. And as the car
got warmer, he suddenly felt
something clawing up his leg.
00:16:07.10\00:16:10.73
[ Gasps ] They'd all come back
to life. [ Children exclaim ]
00:16:10.73\00:16:14.20
>> They weren't dead. They were
just catatonic. They were just
00:16:14.20\00:16:19.74
-- unh. [ Shudders ] [
Laughter ] What happened?
00:16:19.74\00:16:25.98
Hey, Zipporah. [ Chuckles ]
You go, girl. I totally missed
00:16:25.98\00:16:32.19
whatever happened, so I hope
you enjoyed it. Can you believe
00:16:32.19\00:16:36.86
that? They weren't dead! They're
just frozen. Flash freeze.
00:16:36.86\00:16:40.96
[Mimics ice crackling] You know,
it reminds me of some of us.
00:16:40.96\00:16:44.60
[ Chuckles ] Reminded me of some
of us. Our hearts get so frozen
00:16:44.60\00:16:47.57
-- uh-huh. Our hearts get so
frozen, we don't love anybody.
00:16:47.57\00:16:49.90
No, no, no, no. I can't love
people. I have so much going on
00:16:49.90\00:16:53.21
in my life. I have to only
love myself. Our hearts freeze,
00:16:53.21\00:16:56.64
and the only hope we have -- If
you have a frozen heart --
Listen to this. Tch, tch.
00:16:56.64\00:17:00.95
If you have a frozen heart, the
only hope we have is that the
sun of Jesus' love will rise
00:17:00.95\00:17:06.12
back up in the sky, shine down,
and just thaw our hearts out,
warmed by His love.
00:17:06.12\00:17:11.69
Then we can love each other
once again. Do you want to be a
00:17:11.69\00:17:16.77
frozen Christian? >> No.
>> No, I don't want to be a
00:17:16.77\00:17:19.23
frozen Christian, either. Jesus
said, "Some are cold, but a few
00:17:19.23\00:17:22.54
are frozen." I don't want to be
a frozen Christian like that. [
00:17:22.54\00:17:27.24
Laughter ] I don't want to be
a frozen Christian. I want Jesus
00:17:27.24\00:17:32.01
to shine with the sunlight. How
many want Jesus to shine with
the sunlight on your heart,
00:17:32.01\00:17:35.45
thaw it out if it's a little bit
frozen at the beginning of the
00:17:35.45\00:17:38.35
new year. "Jesus, just love
through me the world this year.
00:17:38.35\00:17:43.79
Amen." Oh, who would like to
thank Jesus for being like the
00:17:43.79\00:17:49.26
sunshine? I got to go to the
front row, Josh. 'Cause you're
00:17:49.26\00:17:53.47
stuck back there. Next week, sit
right up here near the front.
Okay. Young man, I saw your hand
00:17:53.47\00:17:58.71
go right up. Come on up.
You were first. That's you!
00:17:58.71\00:18:02.71
Nice to have you. Come on. Let's
close our eyes. What's your
00:18:02.71\00:18:06.41
name? >> Amaziah. >> Amaziah.
Let's close our eyes and fold
00:18:06.41\00:18:10.19
our hands as Amaziah thanks
Jesus for being the sun that
melts our frozen hearts.
00:18:10.19\00:18:15.82
Amaziah? >> Allah, thank you
for having a good day with us.
00:18:15.82\00:18:20.43
And Jesus can you [Mumbling]
that you be good to us. In
Jesus' name we pray.
00:18:20.43\00:18:28.64
>> Amen. That's beautiful,
Amaziah. As you go quietly and
00:18:28.64\00:18:32.64
reverently back to your seats,
you can say what Amaziah just
prayed. Just pray, "Thank you,
00:18:32.64\00:18:36.75
Jesus, for being so good to
us this new year." Happy Sabbath
00:18:36.75\00:18:40.05
and happy New Year. Thank you,
Amaziah. [ Indistinct chatter ]
00:18:40.05\00:18:49.06
[ Piano playing softly ] ¤¤ ¤¤
00:18:54.00\00:19:14.08
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:19:14.08\00:19:38.61
[ Chord changes,
music intensifies ] ¤¤
00:19:38.61\00:19:53.62
¤¤ ¤¤ [ Chord changes,
00:19:53.62\00:20:12.41
bright music plays ] ¤¤ ¤¤
00:20:12.41\00:20:35.40
¤¤ ¤¤ [ Tempo increases ]
00:20:35.40\00:20:50.18
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:20:50.18\00:21:20.24
¤¤ ¤¤ [ Tempo decreasing ]
00:21:20.24\00:21:44.73
¤¤ [ Piano playing softly ] ¤¤
00:21:44.73\00:22:07.32
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:22:07.32\00:22:37.32
¤¤ ¤¤ [ Music fades, song ends ]
00:22:37.32\00:22:55.20
>> Amen.
00:22:55.20\00:22:57.11
>> Thank you, Minister of Music
Kenneth Logan. "What wondrous
00:23:02.18\00:23:11.29
love is this? That's the right
question to be asking. Let's
00:23:11.29\00:23:22.03
pray. What kind of love is this,
Father, this wondrous love? We
00:23:22.03\00:23:28.24
talk about it. We hear about it.
We even pray about it. But what
00:23:28.24\00:23:33.07
difference does it make? These
quiet moments we have left in
00:23:33.07\00:23:41.58
this opening moment of a
new year, speak to us, we pray,
00:23:41.58\00:23:46.49
through scripture.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:23:46.49\00:23:50.39
So, I'm talking with somebody
the other day, and he just --
00:23:50.56\00:23:53.09
"Pshp, pbht!" -- asked
me, "Yo, so what's your dream
00:23:53.09\00:23:57.87
for this place?" I
said, "You talking about
00:23:57.87\00:24:00.17
Pioneer and Andrews?" "Uh-huh."
00:24:00.17\00:24:02.34
"Well, that's a great question."
And here's what I began
00:24:02.34\00:24:06.74
to say to him. You
know, we've just come
00:24:06.74\00:24:11.08
out of a semester.
00:24:11.08\00:24:13.35
And in this semester, by and
large, we've been focusing on
the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
00:24:13.52\00:24:19.89
right? A daily
baptism of the Holy Spirit.
00:24:19.89\00:24:23.79
But the question can fairly be
asked, "Yo, I got it. The
mechanics, we got it.
00:24:23.79\00:24:27.60
You've covered it. Got that
little book,
steps-to-personal-revival.info.
00:24:27.60\00:24:31.87
I have downloaded the book. I've
already read it multiple times.
00:24:31.87\00:24:36.14
But the question can logically,
fairly be asked, "But so what?
What difference does it make?
00:24:36.14\00:24:42.48
I mean, please." That's a
good question. Then two things
00:24:42.48\00:24:52.19
happened to me this last
semester. Number one, I came
00:24:52.19\00:24:59.03
across a verse, and I have been
brooding on it ever since. I got
to share it with you.
00:24:59.03\00:25:03.37
Phenomenal verse. You'll see
it in a minute. But at the same
00:25:03.37\00:25:07.77
time, I heard a presentation by
Dr. Loren Hamel, who happens to
00:25:07.77\00:25:14.54
be the C.E.O. of Lakeland Health
-- Lakeland Health System here
in southwestern Michigan.
00:25:14.54\00:25:19.01
Loren and Ann are members of
this congregation. It was about
00:25:19.01\00:25:23.72
a 15-minute, maybe 20-minute on
the outside presentation. And as
soon as I heard that,
00:25:23.72\00:25:28.89
I said, [Snaps] "That's it.
That's the 'So what?' That's the
'What difference does
00:25:28.89\00:25:35.86
it make?' answer." So I got to
share it with you. I want to
take you first to the
00:25:35.86\00:25:41.40
line, then I'll tell you about
what Dr. Loren shared. Open your
Bible with me, please,
00:25:41.40\00:25:46.17
to the grand Epistle of Romans.
Romans chapter 5. You didn't
00:25:46.17\00:25:53.68
bring a Bible, grab the pew
Bible in front of you. Those of
you watching online,
00:25:53.68\00:25:56.02
grab a Bible near you. Got your
device, Bible's on the device,
00:25:56.02\00:26:00.56
that's fine by me. I'm gonna
be in the New International
00:26:00.56\00:26:03.19
Version, Romans 5. There's a pew
Bible in front of you, by the
way, those of you sitting in
00:26:03.19\00:26:08.33
this snowbound sanctuary.
There's a pew Bible in front of
00:26:08.33\00:26:10.90
you. Pull it out. I want to drop
down to verse 5. Great stuff
00:26:10.90\00:26:18.64
preceding verse 5. Marvelous
material following verse 5. But
00:26:18.64\00:26:22.81
it's verse 5... Verse 5 that we
need to focus on today. Romans
00:26:22.81\00:26:28.55
5:5. In my Bible,
it begins this way --
00:26:28.55\00:26:30.69
"And hope does
not put us to shame...
00:26:30.85\00:26:34.29
"God's love has been poured
into our hearts through the
00:26:34.29\00:26:37.39
Holy Spirit, who
has been given to us."
00:26:37.39\00:26:42.16
Now, here's what's so
fascinating. I got to share this
00:26:42.33\00:26:44.70
with you. Do you know what God's
love is? Well, verse 5, we just
read it, so we don't have to
00:26:44.70\00:26:50.94
make anything up. God's love is
what the Holy Spirit pours out.
00:26:50.94\00:26:53.74
Isn't that right? Didn't we just
read that? The Holy Spirit pours
00:26:53.74\00:26:56.88
out God's love. Now, you go
to -- just take a look for one
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.61
split second at verse 6, "For,
you see, at just the right time,
when we were still powerless,
00:26:59.61\00:27:03.28
Christ died for the ungodly."
So, God's love is poured out
through the Holy Spirit.
00:27:03.28\00:27:07.09
God's love is poured out,
obviously, through Christ, who
died for the ungodly.
00:27:07.09\00:27:10.73
One more person of the Trinity.
Drop down to verse 8. "But God
demonstrates his own
00:27:10.73\00:27:14.93
love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died
00:27:14.93\00:27:19.83
for us. So there's a God called
the Father. You have God the
00:27:19.83\00:27:22.84
Father, God the Son, and God the
Spirit. All three of them pour
out their love where?
00:27:22.84\00:27:30.21
Into our hearts. And
we're talking about pouring out.
00:27:30.21\00:27:33.28
And, by the way, this is a
torrential-downpour kind of word
00:27:33.28\00:27:39.85
in the Greek. And we get
torrential downpours here in
Michigan, do we not? Yes, we do.
00:27:39.85\00:27:43.73
But do you know what? For the
last 14 days -- 'cause it's
snowed every day since
00:27:43.73\00:27:47.50
Christmas Eve, and we're now two
weeks. We are now experiencing a
00:27:47.50\00:27:52.50
torrential downpour. You
understand that, don't you? This
is a torrential downpour.
00:27:52.50\00:27:55.74
It's a lake-effect torrential
downpour. The water's being
00:27:55.74\00:27:58.54
sucked up, frozen, and then,
frigid, dropped on top of us,
and we've got to shovel it.
00:27:58.54\00:28:03.81
Washington Post -- They're
so surprised on the East Coast.
00:28:03.81\00:28:06.55
Washington Post headline this
week, "Historic Bomb Cyclone
Unleashes Blizzard Conditions
00:28:06.55\00:28:11.92
from Coastal Virginia to New
England. Frigid air to follow."
00:28:11.92\00:28:15.49
Guess what? It's here. Frigid
air. What's going on? Torrential
00:28:15.49\00:28:22.16
downpour. Paul, writing in
Romans 5:5, he says, "That's
what happens when God's love is
00:28:22.16\00:28:28.40
poured out. It's a gully washer.
It's poured out upon us by the
00:28:28.40\00:28:32.11
Holy Spirit who is given to us.
The love of the Trinity poured
00:28:32.11\00:28:38.78
into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit who is given to us. And,
by the way, please be very
00:28:38.78\00:28:43.42
clear that Romans 5:5 is
extremely clear. It's the
00:28:43.42\00:28:48.32
presence of the Holy Spirit in
the mind, heart, and life of a
believer. It's the presence of
00:28:48.32\00:28:56.70
the Holy Spirit that brings that
gully-washer outpouring. No
Spirit, no love of God.
00:28:56.70\00:29:04.14
So, if you're taking just the
mechanics of last semester, and
you and I are every day
00:29:04.14\00:29:08.21
asking -- I've been telling God
we need 100 pleaders. And I
believe we have more than
00:29:08.21\00:29:11.51
100 pleaders who are pleading
every day, "Jesus, just fill me
00:29:11.51\00:29:14.98
with your Spirit. Jesus, please,
just fill me with your Spirit."
Now you have more you can add to
00:29:14.98\00:29:18.19
the prayer. "Fill me with your
Spirit and bring the love of God
00:29:18.19\00:29:20.09
into my heart." For
that prayer, the answer is,
00:29:20.09\00:29:27.66
thank you for asking,
Pssssssssh! But you must have
00:29:27.66\00:29:34.24
the Spirit. No Holy Spirit, no
daily asking to be filled with
the Spirit of Jesus,
00:29:34.24\00:29:38.21
no love of God poured out in
your life. You can't pour it out
00:29:38.21\00:29:42.91
yourself. It has to be poured
out by the Holy Spirit. Do you
00:29:42.91\00:29:46.15
get that? "For God's love has
been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has
00:29:46.15\00:29:50.45
been given to us." Am I making
something up? No. That's why
00:29:50.45\00:29:54.56
this line is so dynamite. You
have to have the Holy Spirit in
order to experience the
00:29:54.56\00:29:58.53
love of God. You cannot
experience the love of God
without the Holy Spirit.
00:29:58.53\00:30:02.06
You can get a little shadow of
it, a faint glow of it, but you
00:30:02.06\00:30:05.80
don't get the real thing. It
only comes when the Holy Spirit
steps into your life
00:30:05.80\00:30:10.04
and says, "I'm here, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Love time."
00:30:10.04\00:30:16.18
That's what's going on here.
Dwight L. Moody. You ever heard
00:30:16.18\00:30:21.18
of him? Evangelist. 19th-century
America. And England.
00:30:21.18\00:30:25.69
Dwight L. Moody. Chicago, okay?
That's where he started out.
00:30:25.69\00:30:30.43
In fact, you have Moody Bible
Institute in Chicago right now.
00:30:30.43\00:30:32.99
It's a great organization. Moody
started. He preached in an old
00:30:32.99\00:30:39.20
tabernacle there in Chicago.
Sunday nights, when he was
through preaching, Mr. Moody --
00:30:39.20\00:30:42.70
he was never ordained. Mr.
Moody, when he was through
preaching, he would stand at the
00:30:42.70\00:30:46.64
back and greet the people who
had come off the streets of
Chicago, whomever, he would
00:30:46.64\00:30:50.51
greet them at the door. Two
ladies started showing up. Every
Sunday night, they started
00:30:50.51\00:30:54.42
showing up and coming through
that door where he's standing.
And they would take his hand as
00:30:54.42\00:30:58.32
he said, "Well, ladies, so nice
to have you tonight." They
grabbed his hand and they
00:30:58.32\00:31:01.39
said, "Mr. Moody, we are praying
for you." The first time they
00:31:01.39\00:31:05.69
said it to him, he said,
[Snickering] "You don't have to
pray for me. Why don't you pray
00:31:05.69\00:31:10.50
for somebody who really needs
it?" Didn't phase them at all.
Next Sunday night, they came
00:31:10.50\00:31:15.24
through. Same thing. He
said, "Ladies, nice to have
00:31:15.24\00:31:17.01
you again." "Mr. Moody,
we are praying for you."
00:31:17.01\00:31:19.77
"Would you -- Agh!" That
happened night after night,
Sunday after Sunday, until
00:31:19.77\00:31:25.58
finally he says, "All right.
Step over. Step here. When
00:31:25.58\00:31:28.75
everybody's gone, I need to talk
to you." He took them back to a
little corner, which was his
00:31:28.75\00:31:33.79
office, in that old wooden
tabernacle. He says, "All right,
ladies. What's up with this?"
00:31:33.79\00:31:38.16
They said, "You know what, Mr.
Moody? We are praying for God to
00:31:38.16\00:31:42.20
fill you with the Holy Spirit."
"Ugh. What do you think?" But
the more they talked,
00:31:42.20\00:31:49.27
the more Moody realized they had
touched a sore, throbbing ache
00:31:49.27\00:31:57.81
in his own life, and he didn't
even know it. And that is what
birthed the hunger in Dwight L.
00:31:57.81\00:32:04.35
Moody for the baptism of the
Holy Spirit. And then the tragic
00:32:04.35\00:32:08.82
Chicago fire. That city was
burnt. Vast swathes of the city
00:32:08.82\00:32:13.86
burned to the ground by
that fire. Moody now is so
00:32:13.86\00:32:21.60
despairing. He's got to now
raise money. He's in New York
City. Some friends said, "Come
00:32:21.60\00:32:24.97
over here and raise money over
here." He has no heart for
raising any money at all.
00:32:24.97\00:32:29.04
In fact, I want to read Moody
right here. "My heart was not in
00:32:29.04\00:32:33.58
the work of begging, 'Give me
money for Chicago.' I was crying
00:32:33.58\00:32:37.55
all the time that God would fill
me with His Spirit. For four
months, this wrestling
00:32:37.55\00:32:41.92
went on in me. I was a miserable
man." "We've been praying for
00:32:41.92\00:32:48.66
you. You'll be filled with
the spirit." "I was a miserable
00:32:48.66\00:32:53.60
man." Finally, one day -- and he
very rarely talked about this.
00:32:53.60\00:32:57.31
Very rarely. Finally, one day,
he's walking down the sidewalks
of big New York City,
00:32:57.31\00:33:01.54
even back in the 1800's. And
suddenly something begins to
just move in on him.
00:33:01.54\00:33:07.52
He doesn't know what's going on.
He knows he just needs to get
alone with God, and he knows a
00:33:07.52\00:33:10.99
friend of his is living three or
four blocks away. He hurries to
00:33:10.99\00:33:13.92
his friend's house. The friend
meets him at the door, "Hey,
00:33:13.92\00:33:16.49
Moody. Come on in. Let's have
lunch together." "No, I don't
want to talk. Just give me -- do
00:33:16.49\00:33:19.66
you have a room? Do you have an
empty room? I need a room where
00:33:19.66\00:33:22.03
I can be alone with God right
now." "Sure I'll give you a
00:33:22.03\00:33:25.57
room." Boom! And then Moody
writes later, "Ah, what a day! I
cannot describe it.
00:33:25.57\00:33:33.04
I can only say God revealed
himself to me," and now here it
comes, "and I had such an
00:33:33.04\00:33:37.78
experience of His love that I
had to ask Him to stay His hand.
00:33:37.78\00:33:44.52
That's the point. "Stop, stop,
stop! I can't -- I can't have --
00:33:44.52\00:33:48.29
I can't handle any more." What's
the point, Dwight? Only the Holy
00:33:48.29\00:33:55.13
Spirit can bring to you an
experience of God's love. Now, I
have some good news
00:33:55.13\00:33:59.10
for you. 'Cause I've tried to
replicate this, say, "Oh, God,
00:33:59.10\00:34:01.30
maybe I have to have an
experience like this." No, no,
00:34:01.30\00:34:03.41
no. You don't have to have this
experience. It'll come the way
00:34:03.41\00:34:07.61
your heart is best to receive
it. And, in fact, it's to come
00:34:07.61\00:34:10.91
every day, anyway. It's not this
one-time thing. It's every
single day. Then there's no
00:34:10.91\00:34:15.18
big emotion in it. Now it's
just, "God, I have to have it
00:34:15.18\00:34:20.89
again today." "God's love has
been poured out into our hearts"
-- How does it read? --
00:34:20.89\00:34:24.56
"through the Holy Spirit, who
has been given to us. That's the
00:34:24.56\00:34:29.96
deal. Pour it in. But here's
the other half of the deal --
00:34:29.96\00:34:34.70
what gets poured in must now be
poured out. And that's the big
00:34:34.70\00:34:40.58
deal. And that's the answer
to the "So what?" "Okay, so you
00:34:40.58\00:34:43.91
spent a semester with this.
So what now? What's your dream?
00:34:43.91\00:34:46.08
What's your dream for Pioneer
and Andrews University?" Ahh!
It's the "So what?"
00:34:46.08\00:34:50.92
that follows the baptizing
daily. What's the "So what?"
00:34:50.92\00:34:55.49
look like? Let me run some
examples by you. Christian
Wiman, in his wonderful book,
00:34:55.49\00:35:01.96
marvelous, his thought-provoking
book "My Bright Abyss:
Meditation of a Modern Believer"
00:35:01.96\00:35:07.84
-- Wiman, I remind you in case
you don't know, is a poet who
suffers from a terminal disease.
00:35:07.84\00:35:12.17
He came to know God in his 30s,
and he seeks to introduce his
fellow thinkers and artists --
00:35:12.17\00:35:16.04
'cause he's very much an
artist. When you read the book,
00:35:16.04\00:35:18.31
you can feel the poetry. He
wants them to meet the same God.
00:35:18.31\00:35:23.08
So, Wiman is now on the screen.
00:35:23.08\00:35:24.75
Christian Wiman. "In
any true love," he observes,
00:35:24.92\00:35:28.02
you're talking about "a mother's
for her child, a husband's for
00:35:28.02\00:35:30.33
his wife, a friend's for a
friend -- there is an excess
00:35:30.33\00:35:33.19
energy" -- beyond the love
of those two humans, "there is
00:35:33.19\00:35:36.56
an excess energy that
always wants to be in motion.
00:35:36.56\00:35:39.20
This excess energy, "it
wants to be more than it is;
00:35:56.79\00:36:00.92
It cries out inside of us
to make it more than it is.
00:36:00.92\00:36:03.99
And what it is crying out
for, finally, is its essence and
00:36:03.99\00:36:07.93
origin" -- it's
crying out for God.
00:36:07.93\00:36:11.00
Where he came from?
He's writing to seculars and
00:36:11.00\00:36:14.17
atheists. You
ever experience that?
00:36:14.17\00:36:16.74
That's what it is.
It's crying out for God.
00:36:16.74\00:36:19.34
Now, keep reading.
"Love, which awakens our souls
00:36:19.34\00:36:21.68
and to which we cling like
splendid mortal creatures that
00:36:21.68\00:36:24.41
we are, asks us to let it
go, to let it be more than it is
00:36:24.41\00:36:27.92
if it is only us." If
it's just you and me, no,
00:36:27.92\00:36:30.92
it's not enough, not
enough. You can't quench it.
00:36:30.92\00:36:32.85
You can't hold me
this tight. Let me be more.
00:36:32.85\00:36:37.93
Keep reading. To
manage this highest for of
00:36:37.93\00:36:40.26
loving does not mean that we
will be showered with earthly
00:36:40.26\00:36:44.60
delights or somehow be
spared awful human suffering."
00:36:44.60\00:36:48.57
And he should know, as
some of you should, as well.
00:36:48.57\00:36:52.91
But for as long as we can
live in this sacred space of
00:36:52.91\00:36:55.54
receiving and releasing,"
receiving and releasing,
00:36:55.54\00:36:58.05
"and we can learn to speak
and be love's fluency, then the
00:36:58.05\00:37:02.45
greater love that is God brings
a continuous and enlarging air
00:37:02.45\00:37:07.19
into our
existence." Oh, that's good.
00:37:07.19\00:37:10.96
The continuing brings
an existing, enlarging air.
00:37:10.96\00:37:15.20
More space.
00:37:15.20\00:37:16.46
Why more space? More
space to take more people
00:37:16.63\00:37:18.43
in, that's why. That's
why He gave you this love
00:37:18.43\00:37:20.30
in the first place.
It's not to hoard and clutch.
00:37:20.30\00:37:24.37
It's for me to take
more into me through you.
00:37:24.37\00:37:29.81
[ Groans ] In the
words of Spence Reece,
00:37:29.81\00:37:32.01
whom Wiman quotes
-- put Spence Reece,
00:37:32.01\00:37:34.15
another poet, on the screen.
00:37:34.15\00:37:35.88
Oh, isn't that good?
"The more he loved me
00:37:42.19\00:37:45.46
the more I loved the world."
Why? Because what's being
00:37:45.46\00:37:47.66
poured in must be poured out.
It's the only reason it came
00:37:47.66\00:37:50.40
in the first place. Mm.
00:37:50.40\00:37:56.07
"God's love" -- Oh,
let's read it again.
00:37:56.07\00:37:59.77
Wow. Not to keep, not to clutch,
00:38:08.45\00:38:12.69
but to give away. Philip
Yancey, the award-winning
00:38:12.69\00:38:16.06
Christian
journalist -- great writer.
00:38:16.06\00:38:18.76
I think I may have
read his last book.
00:38:18.76\00:38:22.43
He's so discouraged about the
publishing industry and where
00:38:22.43\00:38:26.10
books are headed now.
00:38:26.10\00:38:27.57
Talking about analogue books.
Anyway, in his latest book,
00:38:27.74\00:38:33.68
called "Vanishing
Grace: What Ever Happened
00:38:33.68\00:38:37.78
to the Good News?," he
tells about his wife, Janet,
00:38:37.78\00:38:41.12
who is a hospice chaplain.
A friend of hers named Susan
00:38:41.12\00:38:44.75
becomes a hospice Chaplain.
And Philip suggest, he says,
00:38:44.75\00:38:49.12
"You need to watch Susan --
how she relates to her patients.
00:38:49.12\00:38:54.40
Because I believe she presents
faith that put Christians,
00:38:54.40\00:38:58.63
especially at a time of
crisis, in a model, exemplary
00:38:58.63\00:39:01.50
sort of way. So I'm
gonna put Susan's --
00:39:01.50\00:39:03.47
It's Susan's story on
the screen right now, okay?
00:39:03.47\00:39:05.37
Yancey is writing.
00:39:05.37\00:39:06.68
...in that room. In the hospice.
00:39:15.18\00:39:17.72
"'We love because He first loved
us,' she says, quoting John,
00:39:17.72\00:39:20.92
'and I picture God
pouring his pitcher into me" --
00:39:20.92\00:39:24.03
Pitcher. Pitcher. This
is the metaphor we've just
00:39:24.03\00:39:26.70
been at. "I
picture God pouring his
00:39:26.70\00:39:29.06
pitcher into me so that I can
pour out to others, and then be
00:39:29.06\00:39:32.30
replenished with God's love.'"
"God's love is poured out into
00:39:32.30\00:39:36.60
our lives by the Holy
Spirit, who's been given to us."
00:39:36.60\00:39:39.24
That's what
she's describing here.
00:39:39.24\00:39:41.04
Now keep going.
00:39:41.04\00:39:42.94
Great counsel for those
who deal with human beings,
00:40:02.76\00:40:05.67
period. "I take
myself too seriously."
00:40:05.67\00:40:09.17
God pours out His love into you
so that you might pour out His
00:40:15.44\00:40:19.61
love into others.
00:40:19.61\00:40:20.55
You see how that works? That's
the whole point of it. "This
00:40:20.72\00:40:28.59
enlarging air of God's love," as
Wiman puts it. You want to know
00:40:28.59\00:40:35.70
God's dream? You want to know
what God's dream for Pioneer and
Andrews? You just read it.
00:40:35.70\00:40:39.77
This is God's dream. Romans 5:5.
That's His dream. That's His
00:40:39.77\00:40:45.74
dream. That this little campus,
this little congregation would
be known far and wide,
00:40:45.74\00:40:52.21
and even near, as the most
loving campus you'll ever walk
00:40:52.21\00:40:59.72
onto. They're the most loving
people I've ever met. The staff
00:40:59.72\00:41:02.26
-- ha! You can't believe them.
The faculty, you can't believe
00:41:02.26\00:41:05.16
them. The students -- wow! This
congregation, the friendliest
00:41:05.16\00:41:10.13
congregation in town.
Wow! Nothing special about it.
00:41:10.13\00:41:12.90
Can't be the pipes. There's
something about the way these
00:41:12.90\00:41:19.71
people love. That's God's dream.
That's not my dream. That's
00:41:19.71\00:41:22.14
God's dream. "I pour it in,
you pour it out." Right? Please.
00:41:22.14\00:41:30.32
Like the old King James reads
-- Can you put the King James
00:41:30.49\00:41:32.52
on the screen for us?
00:41:32.52\00:41:34.42
So, God, the Holy Spirit steps
into your heart and your life
right now, and He sheds it
00:41:38.79\00:41:42.66
abroad -- Whoooo! -- all through
the nooks and crannies of your
00:41:42.66\00:41:48.37
soul. But the whole point is,
it's shed abroad here so that it
might be shed abroad out there.
00:41:48.37\00:41:52.57
That's the point. What fills you
here is to pour out to there.
00:41:52.57\00:41:59.35
Wow. Saints and
sinners like you and me.
00:41:59.35\00:42:04.29
Saints and sinners like
you and me. Are you a saint?
00:42:04.29\00:42:11.79
Come on. Are you a saint?
Don't look at me. Look at you.
00:42:11.79\00:42:18.53
The American writer Reynolds
Price defines saint this way --
00:42:22.67\00:42:28.08
and, by the way, Yancey, he
loves Reynolds Price. You're
00:42:28.08\00:42:33.62
gonna like this definition of a
saint. By the way, there's a
little handout in your
00:42:33.62\00:42:35.88
worship bulletin. You can take
all these quotes home today.
00:42:35.88\00:42:38.59
But let's put it on the screen.
00:42:38.59\00:42:39.79
So, Yancey asks the
question, "What is a saint?"
00:42:39.95\00:42:42.16
And Yancey goes on,
"I like Reynolds Price's
00:42:42.16\00:42:45.03
definition" -- now here comes
Prices's definition -- "someone
00:42:45.03\00:42:47.73
who, however
flawed," isn't that good?
00:42:47.73\00:42:51.93
However flawed.
Someone who "leads us by
00:42:51.93\00:42:55.50
example, almost never by words,
to imagine the hardest thing of
00:42:55.50\00:43:00.31
all: the seamless love of
God for all creation, including
00:43:00.31\00:43:03.81
ourselves."
00:43:03.81\00:43:05.98
Wow. What is a saint? She
doesn't use a lot of words. She
00:43:06.15\00:43:09.95
just does it. She just lives it.
Flawed as she is, flawed as he
00:43:09.95\00:43:13.62
is, he just lives it. He just
quietly goes about living the
seamless love of God
00:43:13.62\00:43:18.83
for all creation, including
ourselves. There's a quiet
00:43:18.83\00:43:23.87
security in that saint. I don't
need the world to tell me how
00:43:23.87\00:43:29.34
I'm doing. I don't need my
friends' evaluation or
acceptance. I need only the love
00:43:29.34\00:43:36.28
of God poured out in my heart
through the Holy Spirit, who has
00:43:36.28\00:43:39.61
been given to me. That's all I
need. Flawed though I am --
Flawed though I am,
00:43:39.61\00:43:45.99
not with words,
but with example. Wow.
00:43:45.99\00:43:51.19
I got a book from a friend for
Christmas. Masterfully written
00:43:51.19\00:43:56.30
biography of Eric Liddell. He's
the "Chariots of Fire" hero.
00:43:56.30\00:44:00.40
You remember those? You remember
"Chariots of Fire"? [ Humming ]
00:44:00.40\00:44:05.37
Yeah. Eric Liddell, the
Scotsman, fly like the wind,
"God smiles on me when I run
00:44:05.37\00:44:13.68
fast," that's the Eric Liddell.
And you remember the Paris
00:44:13.68\00:44:20.52
Olympics, 1924. What he had
spent his life training for, so
to speak, is now gonna be on
00:44:20.52\00:44:24.36
Sunday. You remember that? And
he says, "I can't run on Sunday.
00:44:24.36\00:44:26.83
I just can't. I'm sorry. I
forfeit. I forfeit. I withdraw.
00:44:26.83\00:44:31.13
So somebody else won that race.
But he said, "There's another
00:44:31.13\00:44:34.67
race. It's not what you trained
for. It's not what you prepared
for. ...meter and won a gold
00:44:34.67\00:44:41.24
at the Paris Olympics. He could
have quit then and turned to
00:44:41.24\00:44:46.88
professional racing, because
there's money in professional
racing. But he doesn't.
00:44:46.88\00:44:51.95
He chooses to become a
missionary to China. He goes to
00:44:51.95\00:44:57.76
China, meets an English girl
there. They get married, have
three little girls.
00:44:57.76\00:45:02.06
World War II breaks out. My
homeland has kind of taken over
00:45:02.06\00:45:06.74
China. And so there's a prison,
an internment camp to which Eric
Liddell is banished.
00:45:06.74\00:45:12.94
In that camp, he eventually dies
of brain tumor. Duncan Hamilton,
00:45:12.94\00:45:23.08
sports writer, skillfully --
boy, you'll never read a -- I
don't care what kind of
00:45:23.08\00:45:28.69
biography, you'll never read one
more poignant than this. He
starts his book at the interment
00:45:28.69\00:45:33.86
camp, so that's why I know
what's gonna happen here, 'cause
that's where I'm at, the
00:45:33.86\00:45:37.63
beginning of the book. I want to
put Hamilton's words on the
screen. He's describing --
00:45:37.63\00:45:40.54
You want to see a real live
saint, okay, check this out.
00:45:40.54\00:45:43.10
You said, "Aw, come on.
You can't be a real saint
00:45:43.27\00:45:44.81
today." Watch this.
00:45:44.81\00:45:46.17
On the screen for you.
"Amid the myriad moral dilemmas
00:45:46.17\00:45:48.88
in Weihsien" -- this
is a little town where the
00:45:48.88\00:45:53.15
internment camp was --
"Liddell's forbearance was
00:45:53.15\00:45:55.55
remarkable." Keep reading.
00:45:55.55\00:45:57.12
"No one could ever recall a
single act of envy, pettiness,
00:45:57.12\00:46:00.39
hubris" -- or pride -- "or
self-aggrandizement from him."
00:46:00.39\00:46:03.32
The seamless love of God for all
creation, including ourselves,
Eric Liddell just lived it.
00:46:33.25\00:46:40.06
He just lived it. Not
with words. But with a life.
00:46:40.06\00:46:47.40
And everybody saw it. They
saw it. That's God's dream.
00:46:47.40\00:46:55.34
"God's love is poured into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit, who's
00:46:55.34\00:47:00.12
been given to us." That's His
dream. Because what's poured in
must get poured out.
00:47:00.12\00:47:03.75
That's the dream. What gets
poured in must get poured out.
00:47:03.75\00:47:06.65
That's how you change the
world. What was that? "Everyone
00:47:06.65\00:47:13.80
regarded him as a friend."
Friendliest campus in Michigan.
00:47:13.80\00:47:20.07
Friendliest campus. Man,
you can't believe these people.
00:47:20.07\00:47:22.60
Friendliest congregation
I've ever been in. Look at them.
00:47:22.60\00:47:25.07
It's just love. You just see it
and sense it. That's the dream.
00:47:25.07\00:47:31.01
That's the dream. For the love
of God has been shed abroad in
00:47:31.01\00:47:35.25
our hearts through the Holy
Spirit, who has been given to
us. Shed abroad inside
00:47:35.25\00:47:38.35
so that it might be shed
abroad outside. That's it.
00:47:38.35\00:47:41.89
So, let's draw this to a close.
So what? So what do I do?
Simple, simple, simple.
00:47:41.89\00:47:50.77
Remember -- just memorize these
two steps, you got it. Simple,
00:47:50.77\00:47:55.64
simple, simple.
Step number one --
00:47:55.64\00:47:56.84
That's number
one. Ask to be filled.
00:47:58.67\00:48:00.44
In the morning, preferably.
Every morning, ask to be filled.
00:48:00.44\00:48:02.94
"How do I do that?"
Each day, "God, just fill me'
00:48:02.94\00:48:06.11
with the Spirit of Jesus."
And when the Spirit comes in,
00:48:06.11\00:48:08.38
love will be poured
out. Oh, I love this.
00:48:08.38\00:48:10.95
"Steps to Christ."
Put it on the screen.
00:48:10.95\00:48:12.09
"Steps to Christ." Page 94.
00:48:12.09\00:48:13.76
Every day. [Inhales sharply]
00:48:22.76\00:48:24.90
"Fill me." You say, "Dwight,
I mean, how do I get the love of
00:48:25.07\00:48:27.40
God? How can I get God's love
in my mind?" Well, don't worry
00:48:27.40\00:48:29.90
about getting it in your mind.
But you can experience God's
00:48:29.90\00:48:33.21
love. What does Paul say? "Just
go to the cross." That's where
00:48:33.21\00:48:36.71
God demonstrates His love for us
at Calvary. So, here's what I'm
suggesting. Just picture the
00:48:36.71\00:48:41.58
cross in your mind. I have a
place -- Ah! I got to tell you,
00:48:41.58\00:48:44.02
this is a little embarrassing,
but I have bookshelves in my
study at home, where I do all my
00:48:44.02\00:48:47.82
writing and studying, and --
turn the lights out -- and a
particular bookshelf
00:48:47.82\00:48:54.76
makes a cross. Kind of
elementary, I know. But it makes
00:48:54.76\00:48:59.60
a cross. And I look at that
cross, and to me, I focus on
00:48:59.60\00:49:03.07
that cross. I'm kneeling at the
cross. I'm kneeling at the foot
of the cross, and I'm saying,
00:49:03.07\00:49:07.84
"God, you got to fill me. Fill
me, fill me with the love that
was unleashed, that was
00:49:07.84\00:49:12.21
poured out at Calvary, that the
Holy Spirit now brings. I don't
need to feel anything
00:49:12.21\00:49:17.05
because life is not about
feeling. Life is about fact.
00:49:17.05\00:49:19.69
Life is about acting on what
you know. The feelings will come
00:49:19.69\00:49:23.83
later. I don't have to feel
anything. I just say, "Fill me
up today." It's simple. Two
00:49:23.83\00:49:28.76
steps. Step number one, ask
to be filled. Step number two...
00:49:28.76\00:49:33.74
That's it. Ask to be filled,
00:49:36.71\00:49:38.51
step number
one. Step number two,
00:49:38.51\00:49:39.84
ask to be un-filled.
What you put into me,
00:49:39.84\00:49:42.11
what you poured into
me, please pour out of me.
00:49:42.11\00:49:45.51
You say, "Dwight, how am I gonna
do this?" Don't worry about it.
00:49:45.68\00:49:48.05
You'll do it. In fact, you could
do this. You could say, "God,
00:49:48.05\00:49:52.62
there's somebody I'm gonna meet
today -- in fact, I'm telling
you, God, I am open for you to
00:49:52.62\00:49:57.03
do this. There's somebody that
you're gonna bring into my life
00:49:57.03\00:50:00.46
today. It might be in the
cafeteria, it might be across
campus, it might be filling up
00:50:00.46\00:50:04.70
with gas, I'm gonna meet
somebody. Maybe at Walmart, I'm
gonna meet somebody today who
00:50:04.70\00:50:10.04
needs Your love. I want you
to alert me when that person's
00:50:10.04\00:50:13.04
there. That's all I'm asking.
Show me." I don't have to worry
00:50:13.04\00:50:17.21
about what to say. I'll
figure that out. Just show me.
00:50:17.21\00:50:20.78
You said, "All right. I can't
think of anybody." Think of your
00:50:20.78\00:50:23.69
last 72 hours. No kidding. Right
now, you last 72 hours, think of
all the people that
00:50:23.69\00:50:26.45
you have met somewhere along
the way. Think of those people.
00:50:26.45\00:50:30.09
Just think of those people.
In the last 72 hours, unless you
00:50:30.09\00:50:35.86
are a monk, you have met people
in 72 hours. One of those surely
00:50:35.86\00:50:42.04
was a candidate for your
cheerful, friendly, gracious,
unselfish way. Yeah, come on.
00:50:42.04\00:50:53.18
They're there. I said this to
myself. I said, "Oh, boy." And I
thought of somebody,
00:50:53.18\00:50:56.82
I said, "Oh, man. I
messed up there." I really did.
00:50:56.82\00:51:00.76
Lookit, you'll think of stuff,
you'll think of people you've
00:51:00.76\00:51:03.19
messed up with. Don't worry
about it. That's just the devil
saying, "See? You don't even
00:51:03.19\00:51:06.39
want to try this because you're
such a failure." Forget it.
00:51:06.39\00:51:09.96
Lead me to somebody today, dear
God. I ask first that you fill
00:51:09.96\00:51:13.10
me, and then I ask that you
un-fill me. Un-fill me today.
00:51:13.10\00:51:15.80
Un-fill me wherever I go.
Just un-fill me." That's it.
00:51:15.80\00:51:20.91
And if you'll do that,
you will bring your heart
00:51:21.08\00:51:23.85
to life. The
title of today's homily.
00:51:23.85\00:51:26.31
You will bring
your heart to life.
00:51:26.31\00:51:29.08
"Where'd you get
that title, Dwight?"
00:51:29.08\00:51:30.49
I'll tell you how I got
it. Loren Hamel, C.E.O. of
00:51:30.49\00:51:34.26
Lakeland Health.
Told you about him
00:51:34.26\00:51:36.49
just a few moments ago.
00:51:36.49\00:51:38.29
Board of elders invited him
in. 15 minutes, "Tell us about
00:51:38.46\00:51:44.97
Lakeland Health. Tell us about
what you're doing there." I was
00:51:44.97\00:51:53.91
so amazed. He says, "You know
what? We felt that we needed to
00:51:53.91\00:52:02.85
change the culture of this
institution. Apparently,
institutional cultures can be
00:52:02.85\00:52:11.96
changed. 'Cause I'll tell you my
experience in a minute. He said,
00:52:11.96\00:52:17.33
"We need something to remind us
that it's not just same old,
same old, same old. Get them
00:52:17.33\00:52:22.50
well, send them home. Get them
well, send them home. Get them
well, send them home. There's
00:52:22.50\00:52:25.77
something else." And his senior
leadership team, they came up
with a brilliant marketing logo.
00:52:25.77\00:52:33.21
A slogan. A line. And they have
obviously drilled it into every
00:52:33.21\00:52:41.29
employee and staff member
in that large health system.
00:52:41.29\00:52:43.99
Because when I go into
Lakeland -- and I've gone into
00:52:44.16\00:52:46.90
Lakeland for many, many
years. When I go into Lakeland,
00:52:46.90\00:52:50.73
I'm telling you what,
I'll tell you, I don't think
00:52:50.73\00:52:54.17
there is a friendlier,
more gracious hospital anywhere.
00:52:54.17\00:52:59.54
The courtesy, the
warmth -- like you really care.
00:52:59.54\00:53:08.22
They chose one little marketing
slogan, and they've been
00:53:08.22\00:53:13.52
reminding themselves of
it day after day after day.
00:53:13.52\00:53:18.76
And here's the slogan -- "Bring
your heart to work." Brilliant.
00:53:18.93\00:53:29.44
Bring your heart to work. What's
that mean? You got a heart.
00:53:29.44\00:53:35.38
You got love in that heart?
Bring your heart to work. People
have to feel the love
00:53:35.38\00:53:43.65
to believe the love. They got to
feel it. It's not a slogan on a
00:53:43.65\00:53:50.49
wall. It's a life in a human
being. Bring your heart to work.
Bring your heart to work.
00:53:50.49\00:53:58.17
Bring your heart to class if
you're a professor. Bring your
00:53:58.17\00:54:06.54
heart to class. You're a
student, bring your heart to
your dormitory room.
00:54:06.54\00:54:11.05
Just bring it there. You're a
staff member, Bring your heart
00:54:11.05\00:54:16.79
to that computer screen every
day when you sit down. Somebody
today will need your
00:54:16.79\00:54:22.92
heart to know that God loves
them. The hospital's not saying,
00:54:22.92\00:54:26.76
"We got to get the love of
God out." That's our mission.
00:54:26.76\00:54:31.07
But if you can turn a large
hospital around, my dream is you
00:54:31.07\00:54:38.21
can turn a large congregation
around. This becomes a loving
place. Where sinners of all
00:54:38.21\00:54:45.85
stripes and all colors gather
and sense they are loved,
accepted, and forgiven here.
00:54:45.85\00:54:53.59
This is just -- I don't know.
These people, they're crazy.
Tertullian, the ancient church
00:54:53.59\00:55:00.20
father, described how the pagans
would look at the Christians,
and he wished that the pagans
00:55:00.20\00:55:05.47
would say, "See how they
love one another." That's God's
00:55:05.47\00:55:11.87
dream. "See how these people
love each other. Look at the way
00:55:11.87\00:55:16.11
the guy teaches. Look at the
attention he gives at the end of
his class. Look at that. Look at
00:55:16.11\00:55:20.48
that. You didn't have to do
that. You could have just
hurried on. You're important.
00:55:20.48\00:55:25.72
Look at that. Look at the way
the guy pastors. It's just like
00:55:25.72\00:55:31.99
he lives for people. What's up
with that? Look at the way the
00:55:31.99\00:55:35.46
elders elder. Look at the
way the Sabbath-school teachers
00:55:35.46\00:55:38.40
Sabbath school. Bring your
heart to life. Not to church.
00:55:38.40\00:55:45.41
Not to work. To life. Wherever
you go to live every day, just
take your heart with
00:55:45.41\00:55:49.64
you. May it be filled with
the Holy Spirit every beginning.
00:55:49.64\00:55:53.25
Every new day filled, poured out
with the love of God. And then
00:55:53.25\00:55:57.55
you just let God pour it out
through you. That's it. You want
00:55:57.55\00:56:03.12
to know my dream? Glad you
asked. That's it. That's it. To
00:56:03.12\00:56:09.20
become a people, a Jesus people,
who are known for the love of
00:56:09.20\00:56:13.74
God that is poured out
wherever they go. Amen.
00:56:13.74\00:56:18.54
Oh, God, that is our prayer. And
with that gift, with the love
00:56:18.54\00:56:27.12
you pour in, pour out of
us wherever, whenever with
00:56:27.12\00:56:34.86
whomever, we humbly pray. And
now may the grace of the Lord
00:56:34.86\00:56:41.66
Jesus and the love of God and
the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you.
00:56:41.66\00:56:48.27
Amen. [ Organ plays ] ¤¤
00:56:48.27\00:57:01.88
>> Thank you for taking the time
to join us in worship today.
00:57:05.99\00:57:08.42
I'd like to spend another moment
with you here at the end of our
00:57:08.42\00:57:10.93
program to share
with you a gift of hope.
00:57:10.93\00:57:13.40
In these uncertain times, this
little book, "The Great Hope,"
00:57:13.40\00:57:15.90
will help you understand what
God has planned for your future.
00:57:15.90\00:57:18.50
And not just your
future, but for the future of
00:57:18.50\00:57:20.54
the human race. In
this 500th anniversary of
00:57:20.54\00:57:23.27
the Great Reformation, we
recognize that Luther had a
00:57:23.27\00:57:26.07
mighty work to do,
but the truth is he didn't
00:57:26.07\00:57:28.68
recognize all the
light of holy scripture.
00:57:28.68\00:57:30.41
How could he have?
He's just one life.
00:57:30.41\00:57:32.85
New light has been continually
shining since his time,
00:57:32.85\00:57:35.35
and new truths have
been constantly unfolding.
00:57:35.35\00:57:37.95
This book, "The Great Hope,"
is a story of that continuing
00:57:37.95\00:57:41.26
Reformation. So grab your phone,
00:57:41.26\00:57:43.76
dial our toll-free number...
Remember the two words --
00:57:43.76\00:57:47.73
877-HIS-WILL -- and
we'll get a copy to you
00:57:47.73\00:57:50.93
right away. Until
the next time we meet,
00:57:50.93\00:57:53.44
may the peace of our
Lord Jesus be with you.
00:57:53.44\00:57:56.54
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:59.87\00:58:19.76
¤¤
00:58:19.76\00:58:27.70