中 >> Father God, what a
blessing it is to be Your child.
00:00:00.20\00:00:12.81
What a blessing it is that you
shed your blood for us that, one
day, we can go home with You,
00:00:12.81\00:00:17.58
Lord. We want to praise you
today. We want to acknowledge
00:00:17.58\00:00:20.65
You today, Lord. And as a
family, we have gathered here,
00:00:20.65\00:00:25.29
Lord, to just acknowledge You.
So we thank You, Father. We love
You. We praise You.
00:00:25.29\00:00:29.12
We honor You. In Your son Jesus'
precious, holy, and powerful
00:00:29.12\00:00:32.83
name, we pray. Amen.
00:00:32.83\00:00:35.50
It is such a wonderful thing to
have the blood of Jesus to have
00:00:35.66\00:00:39.90
been shed for us on the
cross that we have hope.
00:00:39.90\00:00:42.37
[ "The Blood Will Never Lose Its
Power" begins ] And it is that
00:00:42.54\00:00:46.91
blood that we can lead on, that
we can say, "It doesn't matter
how I've messed up or what
00:00:46.91\00:00:54.12
happened yesterday. I know that
Jesus has already paid the
price... that I can go and see
00:00:54.12\00:00:59.29
Him again. He's already paid the
price to cover my sins. All I
have to do is lean on him.
00:00:59.29\00:01:05.69
So, sing this song
with me. [ Music continues ]
00:01:05.86\00:01:11.80
[ Congregation sings ]
00:01:22.14\00:01:25.05
Amen. Amen. And we know that
because it will never lose its
00:05:02.06\00:05:07.94
power, we can sing about what's
gone on before and how that
applies to us today in the "Days
00:05:07.94\00:05:12.41
of Elijah." Let's be proud.
Let's be excited about the time
that we're in and how the Lord
00:05:12.41\00:05:17.15
is moving us. Sing with me.
"These are the days of Elijah."
00:05:17.15\00:05:22.65
[ "Days of Elijah" begins ] Here
we go. [ Congregation sings ]
00:05:22.65\00:05:29.39
Sing it out! [
Singing continues ]
00:06:21.31\00:06:26.01
[ "He Is Exalted" begins ]
00:08:23.26\00:08:26.17
[ Congregation sings ]
00:08:30.41\00:08:33.31
One more time. Let's sing to
our God. [ Singing continues ]
00:09:27.00\00:09:32.70
Sing it again. [
Singing continues ]
00:10:22.15\00:10:26.69
He is exalted. [
Singing continues ]
00:10:44.07\00:10:49.31
One more time. [
Congregation singing ]
00:10:51.61\00:10:56.28
[ "Because He Lives" begins ]
Because He lives... that's why
00:11:04.86\00:11:14.70
we can. [ Congregation sings ]
00:11:14.70\00:11:17.61
Yes, I can. [
Singing continues ]
00:12:05.02\00:12:08.42
What? [ Singing continues ]
00:12:15.33\00:12:18.13
Hold a friend's hand. [
Singing continues ] Take a hand!
00:12:33.45\00:12:39.62
[ Singing continues ]
00:12:39.62\00:12:41.52
But greater still... [
Singing continues ] ...the calm
00:12:53.07\00:12:58.77
assurance. [ Singing continues ]
This child can face... [ Singing
00:12:58.77\00:13:05.91
continues ] Sing it -- "Because
He lives." [ Singing continues ]
00:13:11.12\00:13:17.16
Yes! [ Singing continues ]
00:13:17.16\00:13:19.06
There's no fear. [
Singing continues ]
00:13:25.40\00:13:28.64
"So then sings my soul." [ "How
Great Thou Art" begins ] [
Congregation singing ]
00:13:48.06\00:13:53.96
[ "Jesus Shall Reign" begins ]
00:14:46.01\00:14:48.92
>> Happy Sabbath, guys. How
are you guys doing? >> Good.
00:19:14.18\00:19:17.25
>> Good, good, good. You
guys are all looking sharp. All
00:19:17.25\00:19:20.92
right. So, today I'm gonna be
telling you guys a story about
one really cool event that
00:19:20.92\00:19:25.79
happened to me. But first, how
many of you guys get scared of
00:19:25.79\00:19:29.33
something? You guys get scared
at night? Are you guys scared of
the dark or scared of heights?
00:19:29.33\00:19:33.03
Yeah. [ Chuckles ]
[ Children murmuring ]
00:19:33.20\00:19:35.44
Well, one of the
things that I'm scared --
00:19:35.44\00:19:38.01
Actually, I'm scared of two big
things. I'm scared of fire, and
00:19:38.17\00:19:41.81
I'm scared of sharks. I don't
know why, but those are the
things that I'm scared of.
00:19:41.81\00:19:45.81
Anyways, so... [
Murmuring continues ] Ah. Shh.
00:19:45.81\00:19:49.05
I'm gonna be telling you guys
a story of one time I went to
00:19:49.05\00:19:52.19
Mexico. So, I went to Mexico
with my family, which is me, my
brother, my dad, and I mom.
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.79
We went down to Mexico to do
some really cool and adventurous
00:19:56.79\00:20:01.03
stuff. But one of the things
that we did -- we all got on
this really cool boat, and we
00:20:01.03\00:20:05.90
all got on this boat, and we
sailed out into the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean.
00:20:05.90\00:20:09.87
Brrrrrrrrr! Oh, for 20 miles
we went out into the middle of
00:20:09.87\00:20:14.54
nowhere, deep, deep, deep water.
It was kind of creepy. And then
what I forgot to tell
00:20:14.54\00:20:20.22
you guys is you know what we
were looking for? We were
looking for sharks.
00:20:20.22\00:20:25.15
I'm scared of sharks. That was
really intimidating for me, and
it was kind of scary.
00:20:25.15\00:20:30.29
But the shark that we were
looking for superficially was
the whale shark, the biggest
00:20:30.29\00:20:35.53
shark there is. Of course, the
whale shark doesn't eat people,
00:20:35.53\00:20:40.10
but it is still a shark, and
it's really big. So I brought my
00:20:40.10\00:20:43.57
rope here. I want to show you
guys how big it really is. So,
can I get two volunteers --
00:20:43.57\00:20:49.04
one on this side? How 'bout you
right here? You take this side
00:20:49.04\00:20:53.58
of the rope and walk that way.
And then somebody over here?
Okay, you right here.
00:20:53.58\00:20:58.45
And I want you to walk that way.
Grab the rope. Grab the end of
00:20:58.45\00:21:05.96
the rope and walk that way. Walk
as far as you can. Walk, walk,
00:21:05.96\00:21:11.03
walk. Keep going, keep going,
keep going, keep going. Raise it
00:21:11.03\00:21:14.20
up. Now raise it up as high as
you can. This is the size of an
00:21:14.20\00:21:18.67
average whale shark. >>
Whoa! That's big! >> This is me.
00:21:18.67\00:21:22.28
That's a whale shark. And
I'm already scared of sharks.
00:21:22.28\00:21:25.85
I was...terrified. [
Chuckles ] I was scared.
00:21:25.85\00:21:30.02
All right. Thank you, guys. You
guys can let go. It was really
00:21:30.02\00:21:33.15
scary, and I didn't know what I
was gonna do. I was scared. I
didn't know -- I was nervous.
00:21:33.15\00:21:37.43
I was freaking out and
everything. [ Chuckles ]
00:21:37.43\00:21:41.33
And so what I did -- what the
boat driver said he would do --
the boat driver said, "All
00:21:41.33\00:21:44.77
right, you guys are gonna sit on
the edge of the boat, and what
I'm gonna do" is he's gonna take
00:21:44.77\00:21:48.27
the boat -- Brrrrr! -- and he's
gonna stop right in front of the
00:21:48.27\00:21:53.04
whale shark. And he's gonna wait
there, and then we get to jump
off the edge so that way we can
00:21:53.04\00:21:57.58
see the whale shark pass by us
because they're really fast. So,
if we didn't do that, then
00:21:57.58\00:22:01.02
we wouldn't get a head start and
we wouldn't be able to keep up
00:22:01.02\00:22:04.25
with him. So, the -- [ Clears
throat ] Yeah, this is scary.
00:22:04.25\00:22:08.59
So, the boat -- the boat came
around, came around, came
around, and it stopped in front
00:22:08.59\00:22:12.33
of the shark and said, "Go, go!
Jump, jump, jump!" So my brother
00:22:12.33\00:22:16.10
and my dad jumped in, but I
didn't. [ Chuckles ] I was too
scared. I sat there like,
00:22:16.10\00:22:20.30
"No, no, no, no!" So I jumped
back into the boat, and I stood
00:22:20.30\00:22:23.74
there, and I was like, "Aah!"
And the boat driver's like,
"What's wrong? What's wrong?
00:22:23.74\00:22:26.17
What's wrong?" I
was scared. [ Chuckles ]
00:22:26.17\00:22:29.11
So, he came around again. He's
like, "I'll do it again." So he
came around, he came
00:22:29.11\00:22:31.81
around, stopped, and they jumped
in, and I stayed there again.
00:22:31.81\00:22:37.52
Too, too much. And so the third
time, I was like, "Okay, God.
Please, Lord, please help me
00:22:37.52\00:22:42.79
jump in, because this is scary."
So, third time around, he came
around, came around, came
00:22:42.79\00:22:48.96
around, and, finally -- whew! --
I jumped in. And you know how it
00:22:48.96\00:22:54.87
is when you're swimming in water
and you jump into the water and
you're wearing your cool
00:22:54.87\00:22:58.17
goggles -- These are my
cool goggles that I wore.
00:22:58.17\00:23:00.81
My goodness. They're a little
bit small now, but...I jumped
00:23:00.81\00:23:04.31
in, and -- Pbbbbbbbbh!
And all the bubbles are going,
00:23:04.31\00:23:08.98
"Pbbbbbbbbbh!" And then all of a
sudden -- the second picture --
00:23:08.98\00:23:12.92
and it showed -- And you know
what I saw? I saw
this...really...scary... thing.
00:23:12.92\00:23:18.79
[ Children shouting ]
I-I screamed. I-I screamed.
00:23:18.79\00:23:23.30
You see this tube? It helps you
breathe, but I still screamed,
00:23:23.30\00:23:28.60
like, "Aaaaah!" [ Laughter ]
I was scared! I didn't know what
00:23:28.60\00:23:32.47
to do! I was scared! Oh,
goodness gracious, it was scary.
00:23:32.47\00:23:35.41
And so I kept swimming. So, I
had to, like, swim out of its
way 'cause I didn't know
00:23:35.41\00:23:38.51
what to do. I was like,
"Aaaaah!" 'Cause I didn't want
00:23:38.51\00:23:40.92
to get eaten, and, of course,
these sharks -- they don't eat
people. They eat plankton, which
00:23:40.92\00:23:45.15
are little, tiny, almost
invisible creatures that swim
around that the human eye can't
00:23:45.15\00:23:51.23
see. But I was still scared. [
Chuckles ] A big mouth is coming
00:23:51.23\00:23:54.73
at you, and it's scary. But you
know what? After about 10 or 15
00:23:54.73\00:23:58.27
minutes, I got used to it, and
swimming around with that fish
00:23:58.27\00:24:01.77
was so cool. I got to touch it,
even though I was -- I mean, I
got to touch it a little bit.
00:24:01.77\00:24:05.74
And it was cool 'cause I got to
swim around with this huge fish.
And I look back now, and it's a
00:24:05.74\00:24:09.91
really cool thing that I got to
do. But, like, the point of the
00:24:09.91\00:24:13.05
story is sometimes we go through
really scary things, like
whether it's the dark or we get
00:24:13.05\00:24:18.15
scared by [Clears throat] by
little things. What we always
00:24:18.15\00:24:22.29
have to remember is when we have
God and when we pray to God and
when we ask God to be with us,
00:24:22.29\00:24:28.13
God's always gonna be there to
comfort us and be with us in all
we do. So, can I have a person,
00:24:28.13\00:24:32.53
a volunteer, to pray? Wow.
People are eager. Can you come
00:24:32.53\00:24:38.31
forward? Yeah. All
right. Ugh. What's your name?
00:24:38.31\00:24:44.51
>> Leigh. >> Leigh? All right.
You have a little, quick prayer?
00:24:44.51\00:24:48.08
>> Dear Heavenly Father, thank
You for this day and thank You
for taking us to church safely.
00:24:48.08\00:24:54.72
Please help us to not be scared
when we are scared and please
also help us to get back home
00:24:54.72\00:25:01.73
safely. In Jesus'
name I pray. Amen. >> Amen.
00:25:01.73\00:25:05.77
All right, guys. You all go your
separate ways. Remember, God is
00:25:05.77\00:25:09.84
always with you in whatever
you do. >> I'm really afraid of
00:25:09.84\00:25:11.57
sharks. >> I'm gonna pray with
you first. Father, it is the
00:25:13.84\00:25:19.58
truth. It's the truth about you.
It's the truth about your son.
It's the truth about
00:25:19.58\00:25:24.32
the Holy Spirit. You love
us. You just...plain...love us.
00:25:24.32\00:25:29.29
And the Bible tells us so,
so we believe it. We know it.
00:25:29.29\00:25:33.50
But what does that mean? How,
then, shall we live? Take these
00:25:33.50\00:25:41.27
few moments left. In the Word,
speak to us, we pray. In Jesus'
00:25:41.27\00:25:46.57
name, amen. So, the
question is, is God melancholy?
00:25:46.74\00:25:53.65
If He took the Four Temperaments
test -- what is it, choleric,
00:25:53.65\00:25:57.15
sanguine, phlegmatic, and
melancholy -- would He score
00:25:57.15\00:26:00.72
high in melancholy? I'm
just kind of thinking, you
00:26:00.72\00:26:05.53
know, He loves
music, and He cries a lot.
00:26:05.53\00:26:08.53
That's got to be
melancholy, right?
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.93
Come on. If you love music a
lot and you cry a lot, you're
00:26:10.93\00:26:13.77
melancholy. You're
also a good musician, I'm
00:26:13.77\00:26:16.07
sure. So, is God melancholy?
00:26:16.07\00:26:19.04
There's a picture of God that I
want you to take a careful look
00:26:19.21\00:26:22.74
at right now. You're
gonna look at his heart.
00:26:22.74\00:26:26.18
Check it out.
See what you think.
00:26:26.18\00:26:27.85
Open your Bible with me in
this as we put a wrap to it.
00:26:27.85\00:26:30.72
Put it on the screen.
This is the last teaching --
00:26:30.72\00:26:32.42
"Teach Your
Heart to Sing Again."
00:26:32.42\00:26:35.09
Ephesians chapter 4.
00:26:35.09\00:26:36.46
Go to Ephesians chapter 4. Take
a good look at this. Ephesians
00:26:36.62\00:26:42.83
chapter 4. Drop down to verse
30. I'm in the New International
00:26:42.83\00:26:45.40
Version. You got your device
with you, you can look it up
there. Don't have anything?
00:26:45.40\00:26:49.70
Grab the pew Bible in
front of you. It's page 788.
00:26:49.70\00:26:52.54
Ephesians 4:30.
00:26:52.54\00:26:54.34
That is some awesome and rather
dramatic word, wouldn't you say
-- the word "grieve"?
00:27:08.99\00:27:13.40
I mean, please. Paul is
scribbling this down in an
ancient language, and the
00:27:13.40\00:27:18.33
word that he's using, that he
chose to use, it can be
translated "to be sad," "to be
00:27:18.33\00:27:22.94
sorrowful," "to weep," "to cry."
In fact, it's the word that the
Gospel writers grabbed -- the
00:27:22.94\00:27:29.31
same Greek word -- when they
wanted to describe that moment
dark, shadowy, mysterious Jesus,
00:27:29.31\00:27:37.35
stepping in to the moonbathed,
night-moist patch of the Garden
00:27:37.35\00:27:44.56
of Gethsemane. He goes down on
his face, and the word they
choose is the same word right
00:27:44.56\00:27:51.17
here to describe his grieving,
and, in fact, in English,
describing the Garden of
00:27:51.17\00:27:55.20
Gethsemane moment in English,
one translation will call it
"Jesus is now grieving." Another
00:27:55.20\00:27:59.24
one says he's full of sorrow.
Another one says he's feeling
00:27:59.24\00:28:01.54
sadness. Another one suggests he
is filled with anguish. In fact,
you need to see how the
00:28:01.54\00:28:07.55
writer of Hebrews captures the
profound emotions of Jesus. Put
it on the screen for you.
00:28:07.55\00:28:13.89
This is a familiar
line, perhaps, to you.
00:28:13.89\00:28:16.69
What's up? Who's he talking to?
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.87
Loud, fervent cries and tears.
I'm telling you... melancholy.
00:28:29.30\00:28:37.55
That's what he is. You have the
Holy Spirit of God. You have the
Eternal Son of God.
00:28:37.55\00:28:42.28
They both demonstrate this
same pretty obvious melancholy.
00:28:42.28\00:28:49.72
Apparent-- Lookit. Apparently...
it's not hard for us to make God
00:28:49.72\00:28:59.23
cry -- apparently. I mean, look
at him crying right after, right
after, he creates this beautiful
00:28:59.23\00:29:06.04
planet. Go back to the book
of beginnings. Go to Genesis
00:29:06.04\00:29:08.74
chapter 6 -- yeah, chapter 6 --
for a moment. Genesis 6. Look at
00:29:08.74\00:29:14.32
this. You want to talk about
heartache? We'll start with
00:29:14.32\00:29:19.89
verse 5. Genesis 6:5.
00:29:19.89\00:29:22.12
You know, when we went past that
tragedy a few weeks ago, I
decided to say nothing about it.
00:29:33.64\00:29:39.11
You know why? You say, "Well,
Dwight, what tragedy are you
00:29:39.11\00:29:42.28
talking about?" I'm talking
about the Marjory Douglas High
School in Parkland, Florida --
00:29:42.28\00:29:47.85
the wanton killing of 17 on that
campus. I decided, "Let's not
say anything," because they're
00:29:47.85\00:29:54.32
warning us, people who know,
that there's a danger we can
suffer from what they're calling
00:29:54.32\00:29:58.89
"frozen emotions." You can get
this stuff so f-- like a fire
00:29:58.89\00:30:06.40
hose, so full in your face,
that, eventually, the ability to
experience empathy is just --
00:30:06.40\00:30:13.07
Ptt! -- frozen. But if you watch
the news -- I'm sure you did --
and you saw those parents, the
00:30:13.07\00:30:18.45
grief on those parents' faces,
and the friends' and the
classmates', and -- and did you
00:30:18.45\00:30:23.45
see little Emma Gonzalez? Did
you see that moment? Standing in
front of the cameras
00:30:23.45\00:30:29.49
of the world, this
little clip goes viral. Senior.
00:30:29.49\00:30:33.80
She is sobbing... in rage...
over that slaughter of innocent
00:30:33.80\00:30:41.84
lives. How could your heart --
When somebody cries and you see
00:30:41.84\00:30:45.44
them cry, it just cuts you
to the core. God with a broken
00:30:45.44\00:30:53.21
heart. Well, is he heartbroken
here? Let's read the next line
00:30:53.21\00:30:57.15
-- verse 5 again. I want you to
see this in the New Revised
Standard Version. We'll put it
00:31:12.00\00:31:14.70
on the screen for
you. Look at that.
00:31:14.70\00:31:16.97
Look at the New Living
translation, also on the screen.
00:31:21.58\00:31:24.48
Grieved to the heart, broke
His heart. However you choose to
00:31:29.88\00:31:33.96
craft the words, ladies and
gentlemen, the truth is there
probably is no word in the human
00:31:33.96\00:31:39.26
language that can plumb the
depths of God's own emotions.
Some people respond, "Well,
00:31:39.26\00:31:45.70
Dwight, I mean, think, boy. Of
course -- Of course they're
going to put this in
00:31:45.70\00:31:50.54
anthropomorphic terms." That
means they're gonna describe him
00:31:50.54\00:31:53.98
as a human. "I mean, what do you
expect? That's just a human
attribution to Him.
00:31:53.98\00:31:58.35
He's not like that." [ Chuckles
] To which my friend John
00:31:58.35\00:32:01.58
Peckham -- Wish he were here.
I'd get him up here to say it.
John Peckham, who wrote the
00:32:01.58\00:32:05.29
book, by the way, "The Love of
God: A Canonical Model" -- this
is how he'd respond.
00:32:05.29\00:32:08.66
"Of course it's in the human
language. Did you have another
00:32:08.66\00:32:11.89
language you prefer?" [ Laughter
] Peckham goes on to describe
00:32:11.89\00:32:18.43
the emotions, the raw emotions,
of God right here, and he uses
these adjectives -- "profound."
00:32:18.43\00:32:26.68
And I'm quoting him. "Profound,
visceral, divine emotions."
00:32:26.68\00:32:32.11
And he goes on to
write, on the screen for you...
00:32:32.11\00:32:37.19
That means it
accommodates. Of course.
00:32:41.79\00:32:45.49
Of course our language is human,
and so are our emotions, but
where do you think we got our
00:32:53.47\00:32:58.51
language and emotions from? Who
gave them to us? Oh, yes, there
00:32:58.51\00:33:05.65
was a time -- true, true --
these wise old theologians of
the Middle Ages, and there are
00:33:05.65\00:33:11.62
still some hanging around --
they try to advocate the
impassability of God. Now,
00:33:11.62\00:33:17.13
that's "impossibility," take the
"o" out, and put an "a" in.
Impassability. What is that?
00:33:17.13\00:33:20.03
That's an ancient Greek
philosophy that suggests that
God is so far removed from human
00:33:20.03\00:33:25.47
beings, any beings, that however
they react, they cannot cause
00:33:25.47\00:33:31.07
response in Him. He's above.
"This is not dignified for a
00:33:31.07\00:33:34.54
deity. I don't feel that like
you." Wrong! Elie Wiesel, the
00:33:34.54\00:33:44.45
well-known Jewish writer, Nobel
Laureate -- have you ever read
00:33:44.45\00:33:48.36
his book "Night"? Have they
assigned "Night" to you yet? You
got to read "Night."
00:33:48.36\00:33:51.49
Elie Wiesel, survivor of the
Holocaust. In the book, he tells
00:33:51.49\00:33:55.13
-- and you might remember this.
He tells the story of that
execution in the concentration
00:33:55.13\00:33:59.93
camp Buna. I'll read this to
you. If you've heard the story
00:33:59.93\00:34:05.31
before, listen again. Elie
Wiesel. "One day when we came
00:34:05.31\00:34:10.11
back from work, we saw three
gallows rearing up in the
assembly place, three black
00:34:10.11\00:34:17.89
crows. Roll call. SS all around
us, machine guns trained -- the
00:34:17.89\00:34:22.19
traditional ceremony. Three
victims in chains -- and one of
them, the little servant,
00:34:22.19\00:34:27.23
a sad-eyed angel." A child is
gonna be hanged. "The SS seemed
00:34:27.23\00:34:33.97
more preoccupied, more disturbed
than usual. To hang a young boy
in front of thousands of
00:34:33.97\00:34:38.44
spectators was no light matter.
The head of the camp read the
00:34:38.44\00:34:40.68
verdict. All eyes were on the
child. He was lividly pale,
almost calm, biting his lip.
00:34:40.68\00:34:45.25
The gallows threw its shadow
over him. The three victims
00:34:45.25\00:34:50.65
mounted together onto the
chairs. The three necks were
placed at the same moment within
00:34:50.65\00:34:54.99
the nooses. "Long live
liberty!" cried the two adults.
00:34:54.99\00:34:58.69
But the child was silent. 'Where
is God? Where is He?' someone
00:34:58.69\00:35:05.27
behind me asked. At the sign
from the head of the camp, the
three chairs tipped over.
00:35:05.27\00:35:09.07
Total silence throughout the
camp. On the horizon, the sun
00:35:09.07\00:35:12.77
was setting. 'Bear your heads!'
yelled the head of the camp.
00:35:12.77\00:35:15.94
His voice was raucous. We were
weeping. 'Now cover your heads!'
00:35:15.94\00:35:20.65
And then the march past began.
The two adults were no longer
00:35:20.65\00:35:25.45
alive. Their tongues hung
swollen and blue-tinged. But the
third rope was still
00:35:25.45\00:35:29.86
moving -- being so light, the
child was still alive. For more
than a half-hour, he
00:35:29.86\00:35:36.00
stayed there, struggling between
life and death, dying in slow
agony under our eyes.
00:35:36.00\00:35:40.74
And we had to look him full
in the face. He was still alive
00:35:40.74\00:35:44.37
when I passed in front of him.
His tongue was still red. His
eyes were not yet glazed.
00:35:44.37\00:35:47.68
Behind me I heard the same man
asking, 'Where is God now?!' And
I heard a voice within me
00:35:47.68\00:35:55.32
answer him, 'Where is he? He is
here. He is hanging here on this
00:35:55.32\00:36:00.76
gallows." The God of the broken
heart -- where would he be but
00:36:00.76\00:36:09.60
there? The God of the broken
heart. Put that line up again,
00:36:09.60\00:36:13.20
please. Wiesel is right. The God
of the broken heart, whom we
came to know, by the
00:36:19.17\00:36:23.14
way, as Jesus of Nazareth. Of
Jesus, it's written in John
11:35, the shortest verse
00:36:23.14\00:36:28.78
in all the Bible. How
does it read? "Jesus wept."
00:36:28.78\00:36:33.62
There's another line from the
Gospel of Luke -- I'll put it up
there -- Luke 19:41.
00:36:33.62\00:36:36.89
Same Jesus. "As He approached
Jerusalem" -- this would be the
00:36:36.89\00:36:40.50
triumphal entry -- "and saw the
city, He wept over it." This
captures the pathos,
00:36:40.50\00:36:47.00
the deep emotion of this moment
right there. Put this on the
00:36:47.00\00:36:52.27
screen for you. "His eye fill
with tears, and His body rocks
to and fro like a tree before
00:36:52.27\00:36:57.28
the tempest, while a wail of
anguish bursts from his
quivering lips as if from the
00:36:57.28\00:37:02.05
depths of a broken
heart." There it is again.
00:37:02.05\00:37:02.95
The God of the broken heart.
So, this is the God of whom we
00:37:44.39\00:37:49.53
speak. What's this line?
00:37:49.53\00:37:51.43
Turns out there's much more to
that word "grieve" than we first
thought, isn't there?
00:37:54.47\00:37:59.44
Hmm.
00:37:59.44\00:38:00.74
Apparently, you and I really
do have the capacity to somehow
00:38:00.91\00:38:04.51
make God cry.
Can you believe that?
00:38:04.51\00:38:07.85
Make him cry. Apparently...
00:38:07.85\00:38:14.06
I and maybe you, too,
have grieved all of them.
00:38:14.06\00:38:18.06
I'm talking about the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
00:38:18.06\00:38:22.46
Break his heart. And
just as apparently, and I
00:38:22.46\00:38:26.30
need to add this little caveat
to this theological sidebar that
00:38:26.30\00:38:30.24
we just ventured into
for this brief moment --
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.17
Apparently, just as
apparently... we can grieve our
00:38:33.34\00:38:40.35
divine friend away. You say,
"But why would I, how would I,
ever do such a thing?"
00:38:40.35\00:38:48.69
Very good question. "Why would I
do such a thing?" Apparently, I
00:38:48.69\00:38:59.10
can do just that by repeatedly
rejecting the Spirit's
whispering voice to me. "Dwight,
00:38:59.10\00:39:08.21
I'm talking to you, boy. I'm
asking you, don't. Give me that.
00:39:08.21\00:39:17.72
Surrender to me." Apparently,
I can keep saying, "Nah. No. No,
00:39:17.72\00:39:25.79
no, no, no, no. Not now. Ma鎙na.
We'll get to it someday."
Apparently, there comes a moment
00:39:25.79\00:39:32.70
when the Spirit says, "Okay.
Okay, okay, okay. I get it. I
00:39:32.70\00:39:38.71
get it. I get it. I hear what
you're saying to me. "Holy
Spirit, which part of the 'No'
00:39:38.71\00:39:42.81
don't you understand the 'n'
or the 'o'? I hear your 'no.' I
00:39:42.81\00:39:51.39
honor your choice. I wish you'd
change your mind. Still no?" And
He slowly backs up to the
00:39:51.39\00:39:59.36
door of my mind and my heart,
and He reaches behind and He
00:39:59.36\00:40:05.67
opens the door... backing out
of my life... and walks away. "I
00:40:05.67\00:40:13.44
got it. Your wish is 'no.'"
00:40:13.44\00:40:16.34
I mean, isn't that what happened
to Judas? Come on -- Judas.
00:40:20.65\00:40:23.75
We're talking about Judas,
Judas, who hung around with the
friends of Jesus all those
00:40:23.75\00:40:27.96
years, Judas, who, by the way --
listen to this -- went to church
every Sabbath with Jesus.
00:40:27.96\00:40:33.36
Every Sabbath, he's in church.
Judas, who -- who hears, who
feels, who knows the strong love
00:40:33.36\00:40:44.74
of God in Christ that is drawing
him, that's tugging him, that's
pleading to him, that's pleading
00:40:44.74\00:40:50.11
for him, Judas, who keeps
saying, "No, no, no" to the
dearest friend -- the dearest
00:40:50.11\00:40:56.58
friend -- he would ever have...
until it was too late. And the
voice and the knocking
00:40:56.58\00:41:05.66
came back no more. Man.
You're not thinking you're gonna
00:41:05.66\00:41:12.30
do that, are you? I mean,
I'm not gonna do that, am I?
00:41:12.30\00:41:19.14
Can I hit the pause button right
here? Some of you have been
00:41:26.18\00:41:32.12
saying no to God. I don't
know what about. It's not my
00:41:32.12\00:41:38.13
business. But the moment I say
this, something pops into your
mind, and whatever that
00:41:38.13\00:41:42.33
something is, you know that's
what you've been saying no to
Him about. "I'm not gonna
00:41:42.33\00:41:47.97
surrender. I'm not giving this
to You. No, I'm not gonna do
that. I'm not gonna do it.
00:41:47.97\00:41:53.94
I don't have to. I'm the leader
here." If you've been saying no
00:41:53.94\00:42:01.15
to God -- seriously, if you have
been saying no to God
repeatedly, I appeal to you in
00:42:01.15\00:42:07.39
the name of Jesus Christ
that you not... with cavalier
00:42:07.39\00:42:19.73
disregard, blow this moment
away. If He's talking to you
right now, would you listen to
00:42:19.73\00:42:26.07
that voice? And you
don't have to move your lips.
00:42:26.07\00:42:28.54
You don't have to say a thing to
me. But would you listen to that
00:42:28.54\00:42:31.58
voice...and say to Him... "All
right. I got it. You may have
00:42:31.58\00:42:42.82
it"? Is it worth it? You
know what? Do not grieve.
00:42:42.82\00:42:47.86
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God. You know what I say?
00:42:47.86\00:42:50.33
I say, every morning, let's not
break his heart. Let's make his
00:42:50.33\00:42:54.24
day every single day. That's
what you do -- make His day.
00:42:54.24\00:42:56.44
You say, "Dwight, how can I make
His day?" You just keep saying
00:42:56.44\00:42:59.41
yes to Him. Every morning, you
say, "Yep, today I need you.
Today come into my life.
00:42:59.41\00:43:02.68
Bring the love of God with you
when you come, please. Live my
life today through me."
00:43:02.68\00:43:07.12
When you do that, you're being
baptized by the Holy Spirit
every single day --
00:43:07.12\00:43:11.09
every single day. That's
what this has all been about.
00:43:11.09\00:43:13.36
You just, every day, say, "I'm
not saying no today. I'm saying
00:43:13.36\00:43:18.89
yes to You."
Bienvenido! Come on in! Welcome.
00:43:18.89\00:43:25.50
Hmm. Which is precisely
what Paul is trying to say right
00:43:25.50\00:43:29.30
here, but, folks, what's really
something is if you put 4:30,
that we've just read, with a
00:43:29.30\00:43:35.18
line -- go back to Ephesians --
with a line in chapter 5, verses
18 and 19, you put those two
00:43:35.18\00:43:40.92
lines together -- ooh, my!
That's what Paul is saying! You
got to read these together.
00:43:40.92\00:43:44.55
There are just a few verses
in between, and Paul's on a roll
00:43:44.55\00:43:47.32
now. So let's read Ephesians
4:30 again -- "And do not grieve
00:43:47.49\00:43:52.46
the Holy Spirit." Now
we're gonna stop it right
00:43:52.46\00:43:54.46
there. Cut across to chapter 5,
00:43:54.46\00:43:56.06
verse 18. We've got
this on the screen for
00:43:56.06\00:43:57.83
you. "Instead,"
Paul says, "be filled
00:43:57.83\00:44:00.07
with the Spirit," and, by the
way, the tense in the Greek is
00:44:00.07\00:44:03.10
"be filled day
after day after day."
00:44:03.10\00:44:04.84
Be filled continually.
Keep saying yes every day.
00:44:04.84\00:44:07.01
Be filled with the Spirit,
speak--" Ooh, watch this --
00:44:07.01\00:44:09.74
"speaking to one another with
psalms, hymns, and songs from
00:44:09.74\00:44:14.78
the Spirit."
Don't you love that?
00:44:14.78\00:44:16.82
That's great.
Songs from the Spirit.
00:44:16.82\00:44:21.22
[ Singing ]
00:44:21.22\00:44:23.12
Sing it. [
Congregation singing ]
00:44:44.21\00:44:46.72
Oh, I love the way the NIV
renders, very uniquely renders,
00:44:58.06\00:45:01.53
that line. Put it
on the screen again,
00:45:01.53\00:45:02.96
please. Look how
the NIV renders this.
00:45:02.96\00:45:05.67
"Instead, be filled with the
Spirit day by day" -- now watch
00:45:05.67\00:45:09.94
this -- "speaking to one another
with psalms, hymns, and songs of
00:45:09.94\00:45:13.68
the Spirit."
00:45:13.68\00:45:14.58
Your translation might say,
"Spiritual songs." The NIV says,
00:45:14.74\00:45:18.45
"No, we know where the songs
come from. They come from your
best friend, the Holy Spirit.
00:45:18.45\00:45:21.72
Let your life be filled.
Sing songs of the Spirit to each
00:45:21.72\00:45:26.39
other." I told you, I'm telling
you, God is melancholy. He cries
00:45:26.39\00:45:32.99
a lot -- we just noticed that a
moment ago -- and now we find
out he sings a lot. Tch, tch,
00:45:32.99\00:45:36.46
tch. Melancholy. Put these
two lines together, though.
00:45:36.46\00:45:42.30
It's really more beautiful
than that. Put the line on the
00:45:42.30\00:45:44.64
screen, please. Put these two
lines together, and here's what
00:45:44.64\00:45:46.84
you get. Don't make the Spirit
cry for you by saying no to Him.
Don't make the Spirit cry for
00:45:46.84\00:45:52.05
you by saying, "Not today.
Ma鎙na, por favor." Don't make
00:45:52.05\00:45:56.99
the Spirit cry for you. Let the
Spirit sing through you. That's
00:45:56.99\00:46:02.02
what He wants. "Let me sing
through you. I have songs. I'll
00:46:02.02\00:46:06.53
give you songs." Mmm. Because
that's the way of love. Have you
00:46:06.53\00:46:09.13
noticed love? There's always
singing. You don't have to -- If
you can't carry a tune in a
00:46:09.13\00:46:13.60
bucket, you still love music.
Have you noticed that? It's just
00:46:13.60\00:46:17.21
in us. We must have gotten this
from somebody. Do you know that
00:46:17.21\00:46:20.41
God, when He looks at you and He
loves you, He sings over you
like your mother used to sing
00:46:20.41\00:46:23.88
over you? But God sings over you
in your adulthood right now.
Look at Zephaniah 3:17.
00:46:23.88\00:46:27.75
Isn't this a beautiful line?
"The Lord your God is with you.
He will take great delight in
00:46:27.75\00:46:32.19
you, and will rejoice over
you" with what? What's the word,
00:46:32.19\00:46:35.36
folks? With singing. God sings!
I'm telling you! Melancholy!
00:46:35.36\00:46:41.00
Singing. Wow. Hallelujah.
00:46:41.00\00:46:46.10
Yep. Love is a song. You're such
a dear friend of His that every
morning when you wake
00:46:46.10\00:46:52.44
up and you say, "Oh, by the way,
the answer today is yes. You
were wondering, was it yes
00:46:52.44\00:46:56.44
today? It's still yes." The
moment you say yes, songs of
00:46:56.44\00:47:00.12
the Spirit. He starts
singing. He sings over you.
00:47:00.12\00:47:06.89
But then that's what love does.
You notice that? Hey, have you
00:47:06.89\00:47:10.89
noticed that some people -- Come
on. Have you noticed that the
00:47:10.89\00:47:13.46
people who are asking daily for
the baptism of the Holy Spirit
are really wonderful to be
00:47:13.46\00:47:17.63
around? I mean, have you noticed
that? I'm being serious. There's
00:47:17.63\00:47:24.11
a difference. The people who are
filled with the Holy Spirit --
You know why there's a
00:47:24.11\00:47:26.31
difference? Because when you
invite the Holy Spirit into your
00:47:26.31\00:47:28.58
life every day, He always brings
a big gift called the love of
God. He just -- pshhhhh! --
00:47:28.58\00:47:32.71
pours that into you. And then
you move out, and that's just
00:47:32.71\00:47:35.85
splashing all over everybody,
and that's why, when you're
around people who've been
00:47:35.85\00:47:39.62
baptized by the Holy Spirit,
it's kind of a fun day. I mean,
life can be tough. You can be
00:47:39.62\00:47:44.23
going through some real
heartache. But these people just
have a way of just lifting your
00:47:44.23\00:47:47.40
spirit. And, by the way, have
you noticed this? You can always
00:47:47.40\00:47:50.10
tell the people that are not
baptized by the Spirit. You know
00:47:50.10\00:47:58.01
of what I speak. But the people
who've been baptized by the
Spirit -- I mean, you get to go
00:47:58.01\00:48:00.98
to school with them. You get to
share the same sink in the dorm
00:48:00.98\00:48:03.68
room with them. What a joy.
People that are baptized by the
Holy Spirit -- you know what you
00:48:03.68\00:48:08.72
get to do? You get to be married
to them. You get to sit across
00:48:08.72\00:48:11.09
the kitchen table from them, no
matter how they look. You just
00:48:11.09\00:48:18.03
love 'em, 'cause they've been
baptized by the Holy Spirit that
day. I mean, to share the same
00:48:18.03\00:48:22.43
workroom, the same drinking
fountain, with people who've
been baptized by the Spirit --
00:48:22.43\00:48:26.37
it just doesn't get any better
than that. You don't even have
00:48:26.37\00:48:28.94
to know their names to listen to
the song. You hear the song, and
00:48:28.94\00:48:31.44
you don't even know the guy's
name. But, man, I can tell he's
got something pretty special,
00:48:31.44\00:48:36.31
'cause every time I feel the
Spirit, the song, as that old
spiritual sings, the love of God
00:48:36.31\00:48:44.45
just flows out of you. They're a
delight to be around, these kind
00:48:44.45\00:48:49.02
of people. Wow. So, what do we
do? Listen, listen. What do we
00:48:49.02\00:48:52.43
do when we fail to love? When
the song dies in us and we can't
seem to have the --
00:48:52.43\00:49:01.47
that divine gift when we need
it. You ever had those times?
00:49:01.47\00:49:04.91
When I get home or when I get
alone, I say, "What was I
thinking when I said that?
00:49:04.91\00:49:11.08
Why did I say that? What was I
thinking when I did that to him,
00:49:11.08\00:49:19.89
to her?" Times when the song
gets choked in our throat before
00:49:19.89\00:49:26.23
it even gets out. I want to
close with a story that perhaps
has the answer embedded in it.
00:49:26.23\00:49:30.57
See what you think. It's a story
from the great South African
00:49:30.57\00:49:34.67
writer Laurens van der Post. I'm
gonna read it to you. I've got
00:49:34.67\00:49:39.84
it right here. Just a short
story. But listen. It's the
story of two brothers.
00:49:39.84\00:49:44.38
"The elder brother was strong
and tall, intelligent, an
excellent athlete."
00:49:44.38\00:49:50.69
Got the picture? "Sent away to a
private school in South Africa,
00:49:50.69\00:49:56.42
where the family lived. He
became an admired leader of the
00:49:56.42\00:50:01.00
student body. His brother
was six years younger. Neither
00:50:01.00\00:50:06.30
good-looking nor capable, he was
also a hunchback. But he had one
00:50:06.30\00:50:13.34
great gift. He had a magnificent
singing voice." [ Chuckles ]
00:50:13.34\00:50:18.41
Eventually, the younger brother
joined the older at the same
00:50:18.41\00:50:21.98
boarding school. One day, in a
cruel outbreak of mob
psychology, a group of students
00:50:21.98\00:50:27.49
ganged up on the younger
brother, jeered at him, tore off
his shirt to reveal his
00:50:27.49\00:50:33.19
humpback. The older brother was
aware of what was going on. He
could have gone out.
00:50:35.96\00:50:45.04
He could have faced the crowd of
sadistic students. He could have
00:50:45.04\00:50:48.91
acknowledged the strange
humpback as his brother and put
a stop to this whole sorry mess.
00:50:48.91\00:50:52.15
Instead he remained in the
chemistry lab, completing an
00:50:52.15\00:50:58.15
assignment. He betrayed his
brother by what he failed to do.
The younger brother was never
00:50:58.15\00:51:07.60
the same again. He returned home
to his parents' farm, where he
00:51:07.60\00:51:11.40
kept to himself
and sang no more.
00:51:11.40\00:51:14.70
Meanwhile, the older
brother had become a soldier in
00:51:14.87\00:51:17.67
World War II,
stationed in Palestine.
00:51:17.67\00:51:20.01
One night, lying outdoors and
gazing into the starlit sky, he
00:51:20.01\00:51:23.88
realized what he had done to his
younger brother in their school
00:51:23.88\00:51:26.98
days. His heart
told him that he would
00:51:26.98\00:51:30.25
never have peace until he went
home and asked his brother for
00:51:30.25\00:51:33.82
forgiveness. And so
he made the incredibly
00:51:33.82\00:51:36.86
difficult wartime journey
from Palestine to South Africa.
00:51:36.86\00:51:40.83
The brothers talked long
into the night, the elder one
00:51:40.83\00:51:43.30
confessing his
guilt and remorse.
00:51:43.30\00:51:45.37
They cried together, embraced,
and the breach between them was
00:51:45.53\00:51:51.34
healed. Something else happened
that night. The older brother
00:51:51.34\00:51:55.18
had fallen asleep when he was
startled awake by the sound of a
full, rich, mellifluous voice
00:51:55.18\00:52:01.42
soaring into the night. It was
the beautiful voice of his
younger brother, who was
00:52:01.42\00:52:07.19
singing once again. My.
Somebody in your life...
00:52:07.19\00:52:18.37
whose song you needlessly
crushed? Somebody in your
00:52:18.37\00:52:27.14
circle... whose music was
throttled because of what you
did, because of what you said?
00:52:27.14\00:52:34.98
Somebody...needs... the song to
be released again. Brennan
Manning, who tells this
00:52:34.98\00:52:44.83
story, then comments --
on the screen, please...
00:52:44.83\00:52:46.93
Wow. Makes you wonder.
Is the song of the Spirit --
00:53:09.45\00:53:17.99
Is the song of the Spirit
and the love of God... getting
00:53:17.99\00:53:25.97
through me... to all the people
God is desperate to love right
00:53:25.97\00:53:34.84
now? Hmm. [ "Holy
Spirit, Gracious Guest" begins ]
00:53:34.84\00:53:38.75
[ Congregation singing ]
00:53:52.69\00:53:55.56
That is so beautiful a prayer,
and we've prayed it collectively
00:55:20.08\00:55:23.89
together. If you'd like somebody
to pray with you, as soon as
this prayer is over, we have two
00:55:23.89\00:55:28.59
of our prayer leaders here, a
father-and-son team, today.
You'll see the identification.
00:55:28.59\00:55:32.76
Step up to them. They'd
be honored to pray with you.
00:55:32.76\00:55:35.43
You don't have to go on this
journey alone. We want to lift
00:55:35.43\00:55:40.04
you up. Let's pray right now.
Father... what a prayer that
00:55:40.04\00:55:45.17
we've just prayed. Please, give
us Jesus. The Father loves us.
00:55:45.17\00:55:49.68
Jesus loves us. The Spirit loves
us. It's not like we have to
00:55:49.68\00:55:53.52
convince you. It's not like
we have to perform to get Your
00:55:53.52\00:56:00.66
love. We just need the fullness
of that gift. And, oh, God,
00:56:00.66\00:56:05.36
please, for all the times we've
said no... forgive me. Forgive
00:56:05.36\00:56:11.87
us. Don't let us say no. Teach
us to be "yes" people in Your
00:56:11.87\00:56:17.54
presence. "Yes, I want Your
love. Yes, I need You to use me
today. Yes, I will follow
00:56:17.54\00:56:25.65
wherever You lead. Yes, I am
Yours. And then send us out now.
00:56:25.65\00:56:30.79
The world's waiting. Send us
out. Disciples and friends of
00:56:30.79\00:56:37.16
Christ, children of the Father,
and our dearest friend, the Holy
Spirit, I'll never leave You.
00:56:37.16\00:56:42.96
I will never leave You or
forsake You. Now may the grace
00:56:42.96\00:56:48.64
of the Father and love of Christ
Jesus and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
00:56:48.64\00:56:55.91
Amen. >> Amen. 中
00:56:55.91\00:57:09.92
>> Thank you for taking the time
to join us in worship today.
00:57:12.36\00:57:14.76
I'd like to spend another moment
with you here at the end of our
00:57:14.76\00:57:17.27
program to share
with you a gift of hope.
00:57:17.27\00:57:19.73
In these uncertain times, this
little book, "The Great Hope,"
00:57:19.73\00:57:22.27
will help you understand what
God has planned for your future.
00:57:22.27\00:57:24.87
And not just your
future, but for the future of
00:57:24.87\00:57:26.91
the human race. In
this 500th anniversary of
00:57:26.91\00:57:29.68
the Great Reformation, we
recognize that Luther had a
00:57:29.68\00:57:32.45
mighty work to do,
but the truth is he didn't
00:57:32.45\00:57:35.05
recognize all the
light of holy scripture.
00:57:35.05\00:57:36.79
How could he have?
He's just one life.
00:57:36.79\00:57:39.22
New light has been continually
shining since his time,
00:57:39.22\00:57:41.72
and new truths have
been constantly unfolding.
00:57:41.72\00:57:44.33
This book, "The Great Hope,"
is a story of that continuing
00:57:44.33\00:57:47.60
Reformation. So grab your phone,
00:57:47.60\00:57:50.10
dial our toll-free number...
Remember the two words --
00:57:50.10\00:57:54.07
877-HIS-WILL -- and
we'll get a copy to you
00:57:54.07\00:57:57.31
right away. Until
the next time we meet,
00:57:57.31\00:57:59.81
may the peace of our
Lord Jesus be with you.
00:57:59.81\00:58:03.08
中 中
00:58:05.35\00:58:25.33
中
00:58:25.33\00:58:29.24