¤¤
00:00:00.20\00:00:06.23
>> I wonder who else I can talk
to today. Oh, there's my boy
00:00:09.34\00:00:12.61
Andrew. >> Hey, man. How you
doing? >> How are you, man? Good
00:00:12.61\00:00:15.51
to see you. Can I give you a
ride? >> Sure, sure. >> Let's
00:00:15.51\00:00:18.75
chat for a bit. >> Hey,
how you doing? >> I'm good.
00:00:18.91\00:00:21.58
The summer is almost
over. Can you believe it?
00:00:21.58\00:00:24.25
>> Man, I can't
believe it. I can't believe it.
00:00:24.25\00:00:26.12
>> I can't either. It's...
00:00:26.12\00:00:27.42
>> It's too
short. >> It's too short.
00:00:27.42\00:00:29.49
We really need to think about
a way of making summers a bit
00:00:29.49\00:00:32.36
longer. >> [
Chuckling ] I agree.
00:00:32.36\00:00:34.00
I agree. >> So,
listen, I've been having
00:00:34.00\00:00:35.96
some conversations today with
some people, and I'm curious
00:00:35.96\00:00:38.67
about your take. >> Yeah.
00:00:38.67\00:00:40.70
>> If you were to sit down and
have a conversation with God,
what would you hope to hear from
00:00:40.87\00:00:45.54
Him? >> Hmm-hmm-hmm.
Well, I think first of all, if I
00:00:45.54\00:00:48.18
was to sit down and have a
conversation with God, I'd be in
00:00:48.18\00:00:51.61
awe, you know? "Shoes off, shoes
on?" >> [ Laughing ] Yeah, yeah,
that's right, right.
00:00:51.61\00:00:54.18
>> What's the protocol? >> Yeah.
>> But what I'd hope to hear
00:00:54.18\00:00:57.85
from Him is really how can I and
the rest of my colleagues on
this campus use God's heart, to
00:00:57.85\00:01:06.26
use His heart, to be able to
feel the way He does, to be able
to see the way He does, and just
00:01:06.26\00:01:11.47
really go below the surface in
our interactions with our
students this school year.
00:01:11.47\00:01:16.00
>> Wow, and what do you -- so,
what would that look like? What
would God's heart, through
00:01:16.00\00:01:21.11
us, look like? >> I think what
God's heart would look like -- I
00:01:21.11\00:01:26.85
think about 1 Peter 4:10, where
God says, you know, "If you've
got gifts, if you've got
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talents, use them." >>
Yeah. >> You know, whatever your
00:01:32.55\00:01:35.19
talent is, whatever your gift,
go ahead and use it. So if it's
00:01:35.19\00:01:38.79
to teach, teach. If it's to
serve, serve. If it's to mentor,
mentor. If it's to coach, coach.
00:01:38.79\00:01:43.13
But not just do that. Go beyond
the silos of our individual
00:01:43.13\00:01:48.17
departments, but actually go out
and do those things. Go out and
00:01:48.17\00:01:52.57
do those things beyond your
already -- >> Prescribed space.
>> Prescribed space or boundary.
00:01:52.57\00:01:57.88
>> Man, so God's heart doesn't
necessarily always fit within my
00:01:57.88\00:02:02.12
job description. >> Go extra, go
the distance, go the extra mile.
>> And what you said earlier,
00:02:02.12\00:02:06.22
too, is kind of striking to me,
that God's heart is calling us
to actually go deeper.
00:02:06.22\00:02:10.99
Do you think it's possible...
being in the midwest, right,
being here at this campus, is it
00:02:10.99\00:02:17.93
possible for us to go below the
surface and really have a
heart-to-heart kind of
00:02:17.93\00:02:22.50
connection, you know? Does that
exist? >> I think it's possible.
00:02:22.50\00:02:26.31
We're gonna have to work for it.
>> Yeah. >> I remember talking
00:02:26.31\00:02:28.91
to a student when I did
my master's here. >> Okay.
00:02:28.91\00:02:30.78
>> One of the things she loved
about coming to Andrews is she
said, "It reminded me of home.
00:02:30.78\00:02:34.45
It reminded me of New York."
>> New York? Okay. This -- This
00:02:34.45\00:02:38.62
reminded her of New York? >>
She'd walk on campus and nobody
would say anything to
00:02:38.62\00:02:42.86
her. Just like New York.
But I think going below the
00:02:42.86\00:02:47.03
surface is as simple as if I'm
on the sidewalk, saying, "Hello,
how are you today," and waiting
00:02:47.03\00:02:53.60
for an answer, waiting for a
genuine answer. And when I get
00:02:53.60\00:02:57.64
that answer, being willing to
journey with that student. >>
So, sincerely asking, "How
00:02:57.64\00:03:01.34
are you doing today?" >> Yes,
yes. >> And then waiting for a
00:03:01.34\00:03:04.45
genuine -- because that would
presume that we are a safe space
for people to actually have
00:03:04.45\00:03:10.49
genuine conversation. Andrew,
what you're telling me is
profound because I think of
00:03:10.49\00:03:15.12
that passage in Revelation 3
where it says Jesus knocks at
our door, wanting to come in.
00:03:15.12\00:03:21.76
That is below-the-surface
contact. That is
00:03:21.76\00:03:24.87
below-the-surface connection.
That is going deep, and that
he's calling us the same kind of
00:03:24.87\00:03:28.70
thing -- that we would knock on
each other's hearts just as
while we are walking to and fro
00:03:28.70\00:03:33.94
on this campus to go deeper.
Brother, thank you. >> Hey,
thank you for the ride.
00:03:33.94\00:03:37.61
>> Yeah. I'll see you around.
>> Good luck. I'll see ya.
00:03:37.61\00:03:40.28
>> Man, I was really inspired
by the conversations I had that
00:03:40.45\00:03:43.12
day, and I don't want
you to miss out on one with
00:03:43.12\00:03:45.35
Jeannie Leiterman, who's the
principal at an Andrews Academy,
00:03:45.35\00:03:48.06
and Duane Covrig, who's
one of our faculty here in the
00:03:48.06\00:03:50.46
Leadership Department.
Just the process alone of asking
00:03:50.46\00:03:53.26
ourselves, "What does God's
heart want to accomplish in this
00:03:53.26\00:03:56.53
year? How will we
see it move," is a
00:03:56.53\00:03:58.57
profound experience that I know
that if you take it up will also
00:03:58.57\00:04:01.90
move you. So
take a moment, go to
00:04:01.90\00:04:03.84
pmchurch.org. Listen
to what they have to say
00:04:03.84\00:04:06.34
and then carve out some time in
the next week to see, "Hey, God,
00:04:06.34\00:04:09.74
what do you want
to do through me?
00:04:09.74\00:04:11.31
How will you touch my heart so I
can touch the hearts of others?"
00:04:11.31\00:04:13.92
>> Well, good morning and
welcome to Pioneer Memorial
00:04:15.68\00:04:18.95
Church to all those in our local
audience as well to all those
watching online right now.
00:04:18.95\00:04:22.56
We're so glad you could be
a part of the Pioneer Memorial
00:04:22.56\00:04:26.43
Church family. I'm Rodlie Ortiz.
I'm on the pastoral team here,
00:04:26.59\00:04:28.93
and today we want to
start things off a little bit
00:04:28.93\00:04:31.40
differently.
00:04:31.40\00:04:32.43
Now, you don't hear this too
often in church, but right here
right now, I want to invite
00:04:32.60\00:04:37.27
everyone to please pull out your
cellphones and prepare to send a
text message, because, you see,
00:04:37.27\00:04:42.51
we want your help in helping to
inform how we should be praying
00:04:42.51\00:04:47.05
as a church. So here's what
we're gonna do. You don't have
to have a smartphone.
00:04:47.05\00:04:51.42
Any kind of phone,
cellphone will work.
00:04:51.42\00:04:54.22
Open it up, and in the "To"
section, here's a phone number
00:04:54.39\00:04:58.09
that you are going to write.
And in the message part, you
00:04:58.09\00:05:01.70
just put those
four letters -- A-U-C-M.
00:05:01.70\00:05:05.67
A-U-C-M. And here's
the question that we
00:05:05.67\00:05:08.50
want you to start
responding to even now.
00:05:08.50\00:05:10.74
Here's the question. So,
in one word, what would you
00:05:10.74\00:05:13.48
want God to do for
Andrews University this year?
00:05:13.48\00:05:16.01
And by the way, you can
respond more than just one time.
00:05:16.01\00:05:18.91
Keep sending them in. And
we're gonna begin to worship
00:05:18.91\00:05:21.72
in just a moment, but just send
in those prayer requests that
00:05:21.72\00:05:24.85
you have, and they're already
starting to appear on the
00:05:24.85\00:05:27.69
screen. So, for
joy, authenticity,
00:05:27.69\00:05:29.62
spirit, revival,
peace. Keep sending those in.
00:05:29.62\00:05:32.09
We're gonna check in with them
a little bit later, but for now,
00:05:32.09\00:05:35.33
church, are you
ready to worship?
00:05:35.33\00:05:37.90
Let's do that as we continue
to send those in right now.
00:05:37.90\00:05:41.77
>> Good morning,
everyone. >> Good morning.
00:05:41.77\00:05:44.07
>> I want to welcome you,
as well, to this special church
00:05:44.07\00:05:47.04
service of dedication for the
coming school year and all of
00:05:47.04\00:05:50.05
you that are here. We'd
like to spend just a few
00:05:50.05\00:05:53.11
minutes in worshipping
together in voice and song.
00:05:53.11\00:05:56.65
And I'd like to invite all that
are willing and able to stand
00:05:56.65\00:06:00.66
for this segment of
our worship service today.
00:06:00.66\00:06:04.09
If you might.
00:06:04.09\00:06:06.83
As a symbol of our commonality,
our solidarity, in voice and in
00:06:07.00\00:06:13.90
posture. [
Instrumental music plays ]
00:06:13.90\00:06:17.47
¤¤
00:06:17.64\00:06:27.12
>> Here we go,
"Blessed Assurance."
00:06:27.28\00:06:29.45
O what a foretaste.
00:06:36.42\00:06:38.13
Come on, sing it.
00:06:44.77\00:06:46.57
¤ Sing, "This is" ¤
00:07:02.52\00:07:04.09
Come on, praise him.
00:07:10.63\00:07:12.29
¤ Sing, "Angels" ¤
00:07:54.14\00:07:56.00
¤ Sing, "This is" ¤
00:08:11.59\00:08:13.09
[ Instrumental break ]
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¤¤
00:08:51.89\00:08:59.27
Come on, "This is my story."
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¤ Sing, "This is" ¤
00:10:07.47\00:10:09.24
[ Instrumental break ]
00:10:44.81\00:10:48.18
¤¤
00:10:48.34\00:10:55.88
>> I want to remind you to text
in that hope, that dream, that
wish for what can happen here at
00:10:56.05\00:11:03.09
Andrews University under the
concerted prayers of each one of
us this coming year.
00:11:03.09\00:11:10.20
All us as faculty, as staff,
as students, what do we want to
00:11:10.20\00:11:15.97
happen? Please text that in, and
we can make that a matter of
constant prayer in our lives
00:11:15.97\00:11:21.98
today. This final song that we
want to sing is a mixture of a
well-known and much-loved hymn
00:11:21.98\00:11:28.68
tune, "Come Thou Fount of Every
Blessing," along with a new set
00:11:28.68\00:11:35.39
of words. The text was written
by a woman by the name of Jane
00:11:35.39\00:11:40.53
Parker Huber. She was the child
of missionary parents, a wife
and mother of six, the writer of
00:11:40.53\00:11:49.90
46 different hymn texts, and
overall, a very active woman in
Christian ministry throughout
00:11:49.90\00:11:57.75
her life. It is said of Huber
that she wrote texts for the
purpose of nurturing all
00:11:57.75\00:12:05.72
Christians to rethink their
place in ministry and promote
the concept of gender equality
00:12:05.72\00:12:14.63
and the broader concept of
inclusivity in Christian
ministry and God's calling to
00:12:14.63\00:12:22.17
all people. The text we will
sing together today is
self-evident and deeply
00:12:22.17\00:12:30.85
inspiring -- "Called as
Partners in Christ's Service."
00:12:30.85\00:12:33.68
[ Instrumental break ]
00:13:22.46\00:13:26.00
>> Well, church, now it's time
to pray, and let's put that word
00:15:08.84\00:15:13.21
cloud back up. We want to see
kind of what God has been doing
in our midst. So let's put it on
00:15:13.21\00:15:18.01
the screen, and it seems like --
By the way, I got word from Dr.
Luxton just a few minutes ago
00:15:18.01\00:15:22.38
that we actually received the
maximum number of entries. I
didn't know we could do that,
00:15:22.38\00:15:26.52
but praise God for that.
So, that's a lot. But what we're
00:15:26.52\00:15:30.26
gonna do as we begin to pray,
and by the way, I'm just gonna
invite you to just slip to your
00:15:30.26\00:15:34.10
knees wherever you are and we're
just gonna pray together, but
we're gonna leave this on the
00:15:34.10\00:15:38.33
screen, and in a certain part of
the prayer experience, I'm gonna
invite you to look up and to
00:15:38.33\00:15:43.47
grab onto one of those words
that kind of seem the most
popular. And can we as a people,
00:15:43.47\00:15:49.71
can we lift those words up
together? Can we do that,
church? All right, let's pray
00:15:49.71\00:15:55.42
together. So, I just invite you
right here right now, just slip
to your knees as we pray
00:15:55.42\00:16:02.02
together. [ Organ plays ]
00:16:02.02\00:16:06.09
¤¤
00:16:06.26\00:16:12.50
Father, You know that we've come
to the turning of a season.
Summer's essentially behind us.
00:16:16.47\00:16:25.95
In our local community, many of
our children are getting ready
to start school again.
00:16:25.95\00:16:32.12
We're all reorienting ourselves
to new schedules, but in the
midst of all of this, please
00:16:32.12\00:16:38.96
don't let us forget the
significance of this time of the
00:16:38.96\00:16:46.47
year -- harvest. Many have been
planting by faith into their
children their entire lives and
00:16:46.47\00:16:52.74
are now releasing them to
Andrews University. Father,
please grant a harvest. Many
00:16:52.74\00:17:00.55
have been planting and investing
in some relationship. Please
guide, grant a harvest. Many
00:17:00.55\00:17:08.49
have been planting faithfully,
returning tithes and offerings,
and You know that they've come
00:17:08.49\00:17:15.13
to the end. There's no more seed
left, and they need You to come
through. They need a harvest.
00:17:15.13\00:17:22.64
You know where every person is.
You know the harvest that
they're seeking, and so please,
00:17:22.64\00:17:27.51
God, by faith, grant them the
harvest that they're needing in
00:17:27.51\00:17:33.15
their life. And though You are a
good father that grants harvests
in time of need to his children,
00:17:33.15\00:17:39.19
we do not forget that the
greatest harvest of all is that
You call us to present ourselves
00:17:39.19\00:17:47.56
to You. The words of Jesus, Luke
10:2. He said, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are
00:17:47.56\00:17:56.07
few. So ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out
00:17:56.07\00:18:02.51
workers into his harvest field."
And so Father, awaken us to that
00:18:02.51\00:18:11.35
greater reality. That You're
calling every person alive to
become a worker in Your
00:18:11.35\00:18:19.16
spiritual harvest field through
the power of Your spirit. And we
now pause for a moment of silent
00:18:19.16\00:18:26.53
prayer, and we invite every
person in the congregation to
just lift their eyes right now
00:18:26.53\00:18:32.51
and grab ahold of one of those
words that together as a people
we're lifting up. Just grab
00:18:32.51\00:18:37.51
ahold of one of those words and
we'll just have a few moments of
silent prayer and just lift it
00:18:37.51\00:18:42.22
up right now. Father, thank You
for receiving those words and
for ministering. These are the
00:18:46.49\00:18:52.46
words that us as a people are
struggling with, are yearning
for. We need help in this area,
00:18:52.46\00:18:57.90
Father, so please grant us that
we pray. And of course, thank
00:18:57.90\00:19:03.24
You for being with our senior
pastor, Pastor Dwight, as today,
once again, he teaches us from
00:19:03.24\00:19:08.08
Your word. Bless him, we ask, in
a special way, in Jesus' name.
00:19:08.08\00:19:12.11
Amen. [ Organ plays ]
00:19:12.11\00:19:20.92
>> Let's get into the word
together. Dear Father, be our
00:19:24.19\00:19:28.56
vision. Well, that's our prayer
-- be our vision this new year.
You feel what our hearts are
00:19:28.56\00:19:34.07
longing for. You saw all
those words spread out over that
00:19:34.07\00:19:38.41
screen in that prayer cloud.
You're the only one that can
answer those big needs,
00:19:38.41\00:19:44.85
big-ticket items. We humbly
call upon You to do just that.
00:19:44.85\00:19:47.92
You start in Your own priority.
We're here to let You know we're
going with You, and please,
00:19:47.92\00:19:53.92
would You go with us
in Jesus' name? Amen.
00:19:53.92\00:19:57.69
Anybody here speak
Latin? Probably not.
00:19:57.86\00:20:01.13
Latin. If you're
a baby boomer like I
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.16
am, then you know that you grew
up as a kid speaking pig Latin.
00:20:03.16\00:20:07.20
No resemblance, of
course, between the two.
00:20:07.20\00:20:09.87
[ Speaks pig Latin ]
Esyay, esyay, esyay, okay.
00:20:09.87\00:20:15.88
I found out yesterday that
the Spanish also have pig Latin.
00:20:15.88\00:20:21.65
But this is real Latin.
I'm gonna throw a Latin word on
00:20:21.65\00:20:23.92
the screen for you. Renovare.
00:20:23.92\00:20:27.29
It sounds like a
word from Italy. Renovare.
00:20:27.46\00:20:31.86
Well, it is. Renovare -- what
does it mean? "To make new" --
00:20:31.86\00:20:36.87
re -- "again," from whence comes
the English word reno--
renovate. Do we say it "vah-tay"
00:20:36.87\00:20:43.17
or just "renovate"? It's just
renovate, okay. So, the English
00:20:43.17\00:20:47.98
word "to make new again." That's
what it means. Perfect word for
00:20:47.98\00:20:51.58
the story we're about to share.
Provocative narrative, whoa. And
is it the right word.
00:20:51.58\00:20:54.82
Open your Bible with me, please,
to the book of Judges 6:1.
00:20:54.82\00:20:59.32
Judges 6:1. I hope you brought
your Bible. That's what we do
around here. If you didn't bring
00:20:59.32\00:21:03.89
a Bible, there's a pew in front
of you. Grab that pew Bible
'cause it's better to see the
00:21:03.89\00:21:08.40
word right under your nose than
to watch it on a screen. So,
this is Judges 6:1, NIV.
00:21:08.40\00:21:14.20
"The Israelites did evil in the
eyes of the Lord, and for seven
years he gave them into the
00:21:14.20\00:21:22.44
hands" -- Uh-oh -- "of the
Midianites." Uh-oh is right,
00:21:22.44\00:21:30.05
'cause we surely have heard this
before. Oh, yep, we have. In
fact, I want to show you in a
00:21:30.05\00:21:35.19
moment a graph of the book
of Judges. I read Judges through
00:21:35.19\00:21:37.79
this summer, so next Sabbath,
we're gonna be back in the book
of Judges for our new students.
00:21:37.79\00:21:41.40
But here's a graph of the book
of Judges, because this is the
00:21:41.40\00:21:44.93
way it goes. It starts out with
this real mountaintop experience
with God, and boy, backsliding,
00:21:44.93\00:21:49.20
takes you all the way down.
Slip-sliding away all the way
down to the bottom.
00:21:49.20\00:21:54.54
And then renovate, make new
again, and then the community of
faith climbs back up, has
00:21:54.54\00:22:00.25
another mountaintop experience.
Those little dots up and down
00:22:00.25\00:22:04.89
aren't just a day. They could be
10 years, they could be 50
years, but that is the graph for
00:22:04.89\00:22:09.89
the book of Judges. And, in
fact, Judges actually begins not
in Judges, but in the
00:22:09.89\00:22:16.77
last chapter of Joshua. So keep
your finger right here 'cause
we'll be right back, but
00:22:16.77\00:22:21.50
the last chapter of Joshua sets
the book of Judges up. Take a
00:22:21.50\00:22:25.74
look at this. Old man Joshua,
he's almost 110. He'll die at
110. The intrepid leader of the
00:22:25.74\00:22:31.25
armies of Israel, he calls
leaders from all across this
conquered now, our own promised
00:22:31.25\00:22:37.22
land, and he's pouring out his
heart. This is his last will and
00:22:37.22\00:22:41.49
testament to the leaders who'd
take over. And near the end --
00:22:41.49\00:22:46.16
very famous ending to his speech
-- you know this. Near the end,
00:22:46.16\00:22:51.50
Joshua 24:15 -- Joshua speaking.
"But if serving the Lord seems
undesirable to you, then choose
00:22:51.50\00:22:57.51
for yourselves this day whom you
will serve, whether the gods
your ancestors served beyond the
00:22:57.51\00:23:04.21
Euphrates, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are
00:23:04.21\00:23:08.78
living. But as for me" -- come
on, we can do this one out loud
-- "as for me and my house, we
00:23:08.78\00:23:14.19
will serve the Lord." The whole
Christian world knows of that
00:23:14.19\00:23:19.03
appeal to make a decision, go on
record. "As for me and my
house," or the NIV says, "as for
00:23:19.03\00:23:23.83
me and my household, we will
serve the Lord." And you know
00:23:23.83\00:23:27.60
what the children of Israel did?
They cried out with this mighty,
00:23:27.60\00:23:31.34
"Amen!" Joshua said, "Yeah, amen
right. I know about you guys,"
and they come back in verse 21.
00:23:31.34\00:23:36.78
"The people said, 'No, no, no,
no, no. We will serve the Lord.'
00:23:36.78\00:23:40.05
Then Joshua said, 'Well, you are
witnesses against yourselves
that you have chosen to serve
00:23:40.05\00:23:44.39
the Lord.' 'Oh, yes, we
are witnesses,' they replied.
00:23:44.39\00:23:47.69
'Now then,' says Joshua, 'I
heard your yes. But throw away
00:23:47.69\00:23:53.19
the foreign gods that are among
you and yield your hearts to the
Lord, the God of Israel.'"
00:23:53.19\00:23:58.10
"'Cause I know you. I've been
inside your tents. I know you
00:23:58.10\00:24:02.04
have those gods hidden away.
Guys, you can't keep those gods.
We're going with the main God
00:24:02.04\00:24:07.04
here. Throw them away."
And the people come back in
00:24:07.04\00:24:10.41
verse 24 -- "Oh, no, Joshua. We
will serve the Lord, our God,
and we will obey Him."
00:24:10.41\00:24:16.08
Turns out Joshua knew them
better than they knew
themselves, because boom, the
00:24:16.08\00:24:20.39
book of Judges comes, and let's
see that graph again. Here's
what you're up to all the
00:24:20.39\00:24:25.86
way through the book of Judges.
But this time, they're down
00:24:25.86\00:24:30.17
again. As we just read in
chapter 6, they're down, and God
says, "I'm gonna make a move,"
00:24:30.17\00:24:34.77
and guess what. This time,
God Himself shows up. Go figure.
00:24:34.77\00:24:39.81
Yep. Back to
chapter 6 where you were.
00:24:39.81\00:24:42.54
Back to chapter 6. Drop down to
verse 11. God, the almighty one,
00:24:42.54\00:24:48.42
shows up in verse 11, and, "The
angel of the Lord came and sat
down under the oak."
00:24:48.42\00:24:54.02
Now, the angel of the Lord
is code language in the Old
00:24:54.02\00:24:57.03
Testament. Most often, it is
code language for the second
person of the godhead, the
00:24:57.03\00:25:04.97
pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus
before he's Jesus. That's who
00:25:04.97\00:25:09.07
this is. In fact, I don't have
to take you to the burning bush
where it says the angel of the
00:25:09.07\00:25:14.54
Lord cried out of the flames,
"Take your shoes off, you're in
00:25:14.54\00:25:18.68
divine presence." I don't have
to take you back there because
if you just drop down to verse
00:25:18.68\00:25:22.22
14, they drop the angel part and
they just say the Lord is
chatting with Gideon. But it
00:25:22.22\00:25:28.06
starts out the angel of the Lord
who will be implanted as a
little seed inside a teenage
00:25:28.06\00:25:33.29
womb of a little girl named
Mary, and she will give birth to
Jesus. This is the pre-incarnate
00:25:33.29\00:25:42.34
Jesus. So, verse 13 -- verse 11,
rather. Then "the angel of the
00:25:42.34\00:25:46.24
Lord came and sat down under the
oak in Ophrah that belonged to
Joash the Abiezrite, where his
00:25:46.24\00:25:51.21
son Gideon was threshing wheat
in a winepress" -- pause button
00:25:51.21\00:25:55.92
again. Give me a break.
You don't thresh wheat in a
00:25:55.92\00:25:58.89
winepress. What's up with that?
Well, because seven years iron
grip Midian, Gideon has learned
00:25:58.89\00:26:03.96
that if you do anything above
ground, the spies, the
terrorists will spot it, and as
00:26:03.96\00:26:11.00
soon as it's threshed, they'll
rob it, rob him blind, and he'll
have no harvest for the family.
00:26:11.00\00:26:19.21
So he's down in a hole, sifting,
threshing his wheat. And verse
12, "When the angel of
00:26:19.21\00:26:27.05
the Lord appeared to Gideon" --
I love this -- "he," the one
who's going to become Jesus, "he
00:26:27.05\00:26:34.06
said, 'The Lord is with you,
mighty man, mighty warrior.'"
And Gideon, once he's over the
00:26:34.06\00:26:43.40
shock of somebody being in his
private space -- you know, he's
looking up to the top of the
00:26:43.40\00:26:47.50
hole, where the angel's looking
down at him. "Mighty warrior."
00:26:47.50\00:26:51.71
Gideon, so human. I love the
first -- the very words out of
00:26:51.71\00:26:56.28
-- the next words out of
Gideon's mouth, verse 13.
"Pardon me, excuse me. What do
00:26:56.28\00:27:06.76
you mean, 'mighty warrior'?"
I love God, because God looks at
00:27:06.76\00:27:11.76
you. Not a whole lot of promise
in you and me. He will look at
00:27:11.76\00:27:15.63
us and He'll call us names that
in His mind are already reality.
He will look at us and he'll
00:27:15.63\00:27:22.17
say, "Hmm, great leader." [
Scoffs ] I am no great leader.
00:27:22.17\00:27:26.01
"Yes, you are." And Romans 4:17
says God calls into existence
00:27:26.01\00:27:31.61
that which does not exist
yet. So he says, "I see a great
00:27:31.61\00:27:37.02
leader in her." He says, "I see
a great warrior in him." He
says, "I see my beloved son
00:27:37.02\00:27:40.76
in him, my beloved daughter,"
and the moment He calls you
00:27:40.76\00:27:44.69
that, guess what. That's what
you are. You are what God calls
you, because He is omnipotent.
00:27:44.69\00:27:51.33
We're harder on ourselves than
God ever dreamed to be. "You're
00:27:51.33\00:27:57.54
a mighty warrior." "Pardon me."
Oh, boy, listen to Gideon now.
Gideon replies, "But if the
00:27:57.54\00:28:02.31
Lord" -- this is verse 13 -- "If
the Lord is with us, why has all
this happened to us?"
00:28:02.31\00:28:10.15
Come on, God. If you're the Lord
of the church, why is the church
00:28:10.15\00:28:14.79
in the mess it's in right now?
Come on, God, if this is your
school and we are your people,
00:28:14.79\00:28:23.53
why are we in the troubles we're
in? Come on, let's be honest.
00:28:23.53\00:28:27.27
To be human is to immediately --
if there's anything shaky, shaky
going on, "Ooh, God must've left
00:28:27.27\00:28:33.74
us." "How could the Lord
be with us," Gideon says.
00:28:33.74\00:28:38.68
He says, "I know the golden
years," and he starts talking
about the golden years there.
00:28:38.68\00:28:42.12
"Oh, the years when they walked
across the Red Sea and they had
all these mighty miracles.
00:28:42.12\00:28:46.15
There are no golden years left.
We've run out of them. We're
down to the last remnant.
00:28:46.15\00:28:52.69
And why aren't you
with us?" Huh. God listens.
00:28:52.69\00:28:58.90
"Go ahead, talk to me,
talk to me." And God responds.
00:28:58.90\00:29:05.21
Verse 14. "The Lord" --
now, see, there's no angel now.
00:29:05.21\00:29:08.91
It's, "The Lord turned to him
and he said" -- Oh, and I love
00:29:08.91\00:29:12.08
this. For everybody that's a
part of Andrews University, I
00:29:12.08\00:29:15.05
love this line. "Go in the
strength you have" -- I was
sitting on that front row just a
00:29:15.05\00:29:19.35
moment ago and my Bible opened
to that line, and Lord said,
"Dwight, I'm talking to you
00:29:19.35\00:29:22.92
right there." "Go in the
strength you have." You can't go
in the strength you don't have.
00:29:22.92\00:29:27.30
We have mega universities in
this land with billion-dollar
00:29:27.30\00:29:32.37
endowments. No luck here. I
don't need those endowments. God
says, "Go with what you
00:29:32.37\00:29:37.51
have. Go with the strength
you have, Andrews University,
00:29:37.51\00:29:42.24
because I'm sending you. Go into
all the world for me. Go in the
strength you have."
00:29:42.24\00:29:48.75
Oh, I love that.
Verse 15. Oh, "Pardon me."
00:29:48.75\00:29:51.85
Boy, this guy is a little bit
-- he's not very polite. Keeps
00:29:51.85\00:29:56.93
interrupting. This is "pardon
me" number -- "Excuse me." Verse
13, "Gideon replied, 'but
00:29:56.93\00:30:01.20
how can I save Israel? My clan
is the weakest in Manasseh, and
00:30:01.20\00:30:05.83
I am the least in my family.'"
And the Lord answered and said,
"Yo, Gideon, I will be with you.
00:30:05.83\00:30:11.94
What else do you want? I
will be with you." "Okay, okay.
00:30:11.94\00:30:20.78
You know, I'm not sure what's
going on here, but listen.
Instructions -- stay right
00:30:20.78\00:30:24.62
there. Don't you go anywhere.
I'm gonna go get you some food
00:30:24.62\00:30:27.86
and I'll be right back." And
that's what happens. Some hours
00:30:27.86\00:30:31.89
have to obviously take place.
But I love what God says to
Gideon when he says, "Obey me.
00:30:31.89\00:30:37.50
Stay right there." Look at the
end of verse 18. I'm not putting
00:30:37.50\00:30:40.84
it on the screen. "And the Lord
said, 'I will wait for you to
00:30:40.84\00:30:46.07
return.'" The remarkable,
unflappable leisure of almighty
God when we're at the bottom of
00:30:46.07\00:30:56.02
the graph. And He
says, "Don't worry about it.
00:30:56.02\00:31:02.62
I'll wait for you. I'll wait
for you." For some of you here
00:31:02.62\00:31:08.20
today, He's been waiting a
long, long time. He keeps hoping
00:31:08.20\00:31:15.77
you'll come back. It's been
years. "I will wait for you."
Don't think He'll wait forever.
00:31:15.77\00:31:21.48
He can't. Don't play
the waiting game with God.
00:31:21.48\00:31:24.45
Big mistake. How's that little
song go? ¤ The savior is waiting
00:31:24.45\00:31:31.09
to enter your heart ¤ ¤ Why
don't you let him come in? ¤
00:31:31.09\00:31:38.06
You don't want to play
that waiting game forever. It's
00:31:38.06\00:31:42.76
dangerous. If he's been waiting
for you, today would be a great
00:31:42.76\00:31:48.94
day to return. So you wait right
there, and boy, Gideon
disappears, takes a couple hours
00:31:48.94\00:31:52.77
to get that kid goat. Dr. Holly,
that kid goat has to be prepared
for edible food, and
00:31:52.77\00:31:58.35
then some unleavened bread.
Gideon has it all together. He
comes back, and sure enough,
00:31:58.35\00:32:04.42
the leisurely God is still
there, and he spreads it out on
the rock in front of him,
00:32:04.42\00:32:09.29
and then very wisely steps back.
And God, keeping his eyes on
Gideon the whole time, because
00:32:09.29\00:32:15.76
God wants to see Gideon's face
when this one happens. God,
keeping his eyes on Gideon,
00:32:15.76\00:32:19.87
just takes the little tip of his
staff that he's holding in his
hand and he just reaches out and
00:32:19.87\00:32:24.51
he touchest he offering that has
just been placed on that rock,
and when he touches -- Boom!
00:32:24.51\00:32:31.18
There's an explosion of fire
within the rock. Everything is
00:32:31.18\00:32:37.39
gone, and...so is the angel.
Gideon knows in whose presence
he has been jabbering, and he
00:32:37.39\00:32:44.29
hits the ground and he is
crying, "But I'm dead, I'm dead,
00:32:44.29\00:32:48.56
I'm dead! I've seen the living
God face to face and I'm gonna
die." And God, who remember, he
00:32:48.56\00:32:53.07
said, "I'm with you," he's still
there -- Oh, you got to see
00:32:53.07\00:32:56.14
this. Where is that? "But
the Lord said to him" -- this is
00:32:56.14\00:32:58.84
verse 23. "But the Lord" -- So,
Gideon just panicking away, and
the Lord said to him, "Gideon,
00:32:58.84\00:33:03.85
get a grip.
Peace! Do not be afraid.
00:33:03.85\00:33:07.98
You're not gonna die." It's the
very words the Jesus who became
Jesus would say when
00:33:07.98\00:33:13.29
he steps on resurrection Sunday
night into the panicky upper
00:33:13.29\00:33:17.23
room. He says, "Yo, yo,
shalom. Peace. Don't be afraid.
00:33:17.23\00:33:22.66
I'm here." Wow.
00:33:22.66\00:33:27.97
And now comes the part of the
story that everybody forgets.
00:33:30.44\00:33:35.51
Come on, I tell you the truth.
Everybody either doesn't know it
00:33:35.51\00:33:38.31
or has forgotten it, because
everybody knows that Gideon is
00:33:38.31\00:33:40.98
that Bible guy that had 300 men.
Started out with 10,000 and God
00:33:40.98\00:33:44.95
says, "Too many, too many,
too many, too many, too many."
00:33:44.95\00:33:47.76
"God, you got
problems? What's the problem?"
00:33:47.76\00:33:50.23
He said, "I don't want your
fingerprints on any of this.
00:33:50.23\00:33:53.23
This has to look
like I did it, Gideon."
00:33:53.23\00:33:55.70
Down to 300. "God,
what am I gonna do with
00:33:55.70\00:33:57.47
300?" "Well, you need to find
00:33:57.47\00:33:58.80
300 trumpets, 300 clay jars,
300 lit torches, and then I'll
00:33:58.80\00:34:03.00
tell you -- pssssst! --
what to do," and he did.
00:34:03.00\00:34:07.44
Everybody knows this story,
because the element in this
divine strategy is the element
00:34:07.61\00:34:11.98
of surprise. Have you noticed
that? It's the element of
00:34:11.98\00:34:15.45
surprise. So we have this friend
who turned 40. Such an old
00:34:15.45\00:34:18.75
person. She turned 40, and her
husband, a little bit conniving
behind the scenes with her
00:34:18.75\00:34:25.16
friends, arranged, for the night
of her birthday, for the friends
to show up after she has fallen
00:34:25.16\00:34:30.30
to sleep. [ Congregation "Ohs" ]
Yep. With friends like that, who
00:34:30.30\00:34:33.44
needs enemies,
right? Yeah. [ Laughter ]
00:34:33.44\00:34:35.77
So we all show up. We got
trumpets, we got cymbals, we got
noise makers galore, and
00:34:35.77\00:34:40.41
we're now all in the bedroom.
And we're going, "Okay, shh!
00:34:40.41\00:34:48.72
Three, two, one." And there is
this explosion, this cacophony
of weird sounds, and I'm telling
00:34:48.72\00:34:58.23
you what. [ Laughter ]
Levitation... [ Laughter ]
00:34:58.23\00:35:02.40
No, no, I'm serious. Levitation
with the limbs flailing.
00:35:02.40\00:35:07.94
Oh, my. So what's the big deal?
You see, the element of surprise
00:35:07.94\00:35:11.97
can make you do things no
rational person would logically
00:35:11.97\00:35:15.28
do. If, in your sleep, you are
suddenly awakened to loud noise,
your heart [imitates heart
00:35:15.28\00:35:19.61
beating] and that's exactly what
happened to the Midian soldiers.
I'm telling you, that was the
00:35:19.61\00:35:23.65
strategy. 300 fireflies in
the dark -- 100, 100, 100 -- the
00:35:23.65\00:35:28.49
clay jars break, make a sound,
and an awful sound. The shofars
00:35:28.49\00:35:33.19
go up to the lips. It sounds
like a herd of elephants coming
from three directions, and the
00:35:33.19\00:35:38.93
Midianites destroy themselves.
300 men and 10,000 angels. And
00:35:38.93\00:35:50.38
God did it. God won big time,
which makes you wonder why it is
we have such a hard time
00:35:50.38\00:35:56.55
trusting Him to win today. How
come He can't win today? Why
can't the same God win
00:35:56.55\00:36:01.16
today? Can't He do
anything He wants? Of course.
00:36:01.16\00:36:08.16
Yeah, but there's a part of the
story essential to this massive
divine victory that most people
00:36:08.16\00:36:12.83
forget or do not know at all, so
I want you to see it. So, you're
00:36:12.83\00:36:17.47
in chapter 6, verse 25. The day
the angel of the Lord showed up.
00:36:17.47\00:36:21.58
This is now the night
of that same day. Verse 25.
00:36:21.58\00:36:24.31
"That same night, the Lord said
to Gideon, 'Take the second bull
from your father's herd, the one
00:36:24.31\00:36:29.02
seven years old. Tear down your
father's altar to Baal" -- the
00:36:29.02\00:36:34.02
pagan god -- "and cut down
Asherah pole." That is an occult
phallic symbol of evil.
00:36:34.02\00:36:39.89
"Cut that baby down beside it."
Then next instructions -- "Build
00:36:39.89\00:36:47.87
up an altar to me. I'm asking
you to do that." The
instructions are simple. "I want
00:36:47.87\00:36:55.04
you to get rid of all your
household Gods. Do you
understand that, Gideon? Before
00:36:55.04\00:37:02.75
we deal with the Midianites, we
need to deal with the
Israelites. You want a big
00:37:02.75\00:37:10.66
victory? This is the deal."
Because leadership is not only
about saying yes to God.
00:37:10.66\00:37:19.53
It is also about saying
no to the gods. To the gods.
00:37:19.53\00:37:25.44
How does that read? "And the
spirit of the Lord came on
Gideon after he removed" --
00:37:25.44\00:37:30.61
Oh, you said, "Dwight, that
spirit doesn't come after." Oh,
I beg to differ with you.
00:37:30.61\00:37:35.15
Drop down to verse 34. Gideon,
in between verses, he has
eliminated all the gods.
00:37:35.15\00:37:39.62
They're gone, destroyed, and
then we read verse 35. "And the
Spirit of the Lord came
00:37:39.62\00:37:44.93
on Gideon, and he blew a
trumpet, and he summoned the
00:37:44.93\00:37:50.13
Abiezrites. He summoned them to
follow him." Isn't that
something? The Spirit of the
00:37:50.13\00:37:57.01
Lord came upon Gideon after he
removed the other gods, because
that's what it means to be a
00:37:57.01\00:38:01.74
moral leader. Now, come on,
that's what it means. Moral
leaders know stuff has to
00:38:01.74\00:38:06.18
go out before the spirit
can come in. "Yeah, Dwight, then
00:38:06.18\00:38:12.32
what's this kind of stuff
that has to go out?" [ Scoffs ]
00:38:12.32\00:38:15.42
A moral leader already
knows. She knows. He knows.
00:38:15.42\00:38:22.30
Nobody has to tell him. Once
Gideon removed the gods in his
house in obedience to God,
00:38:22.30\00:38:27.17
it opens the door to his heart,
and the spirit of the living God
comes in when the other gods go
00:38:27.17\00:38:32.51
out. This is nothing new.
Our beloved Lord Jesus himself,
00:38:32.51\00:38:38.41
the angel the Lord made flesh,
in his beautiful Sermon on the
Mount, in the middle of the
00:38:38.41\00:38:42.95
Sermon on the Mount, he makes
this statement. "No one can
00:38:42.95\00:38:46.45
serve two masters" -- Nope you
can't -- "for you will love the
One and hate the other, or you
00:38:46.45\00:38:50.83
will love the other and hate the
One." You can't serve Christ and
00:38:50.83\00:38:55.36
Satan. Can't be done.
Impossible. You're either one or
00:38:55.36\00:39:00.14
the other. And Paul comes along
and says, "You nailed it, Lord
Jesus. You nailed it.
00:39:00.14\00:39:05.24
2 Corinthians.
00:39:05.24\00:39:06.14
Oh, I love this in the
Eugene Peterson's "The Message"
00:39:06.31\00:39:08.28
rendition. You're
gonna love it, too.
00:39:08.28\00:39:09.74
Put it on the screen for you.
This is 2 Corinthians 6:14-18,
00:39:09.74\00:39:15.92
all right? This is
from "The Message,"
00:39:15.92\00:39:17.95
Eugene Peterson.
"Don't become partners with
00:39:17.95\00:39:21.16
those who reject God."
He's giving a little counsel to
00:39:21.16\00:39:24.63
the church. "How can
you make a partnership
00:39:24.63\00:39:27.40
out of right and wrong?"
Now, there's gonna be a series
00:39:27.40\00:39:30.30
of rhetorical questions.
There's the first one.
00:39:30.30\00:39:32.43
"That's not a
partnership; that's war.
00:39:32.43\00:39:34.44
Is light best friends with dark?
Does Christ go strolling with
00:39:34.44\00:39:39.47
the Devil?" Can
you see Jesus and Satan
00:39:39.47\00:39:41.64
whistling together,
walking down the same path?
00:39:41.64\00:39:44.11
I mean, please. Next
line -- "Do trust and
00:39:44.11\00:39:48.18
mistrust hold hands?"
Here's another question.
00:39:48.18\00:39:51.25
"Who would think of setting
up pagan idols in God's holy
00:39:51.25\00:39:53.82
Temple? But that's
exactly what we are,
00:39:53.82\00:39:55.96
each of us is a
temple in whom God lives.
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.29
And God himself put it this
way," and Paul grabs five lines
00:39:58.29\00:40:01.60
out of the Old Testament,
and now here they come.
00:40:01.60\00:40:04.60
God speaking -- "I will live in
them, move into them; I will be
00:40:04.60\00:40:09.00
their God and they will be my
people" at Andrews University.
00:40:09.00\00:40:14.64
"They will be my
people. I'm moving in."
00:40:14.64\00:40:19.48
"'So leave the corruption
and the compromise; leave it for
00:40:19.48\00:40:24.12
good,' says God.
'Don't link up with those who
00:40:24.12\00:40:27.56
will pollute you. I
want you all for myself.
00:40:27.56\00:40:30.19
I'll be a Father to you; you'll
be sons and daughters to me.'
00:40:30.19\00:40:33.33
The Word of the Master, God."
00:40:33.33\00:40:37.70
Ladies and gentlemen of Andrews
University, and worshippers,
00:40:37.87\00:40:43.47
that is what it means to be a
moral leader, because moral
leaders know stuff has to go out
00:40:43.47\00:40:52.35
before the spirit can come in.
It's exactly what had to happen
00:40:52.35\00:40:58.25
to Israel. You want to see where
the big turnaround on the graph
comes? It's a few pages after
00:40:58.25\00:41:03.83
Gideon. I'm gonna show
you. Chapter 10, our last verse
00:41:03.83\00:41:07.56
together. Chapter 10. Judges.
Here's how God turns it around.
00:41:07.56\00:41:12.23
"But the Israelites said to the
Lord" -- they're down at the
bottom -- "'We have sinned.'"
00:41:12.23\00:41:16.94
"We've blown it. We recognize
it now. We have sinned.
00:41:16.94\00:41:21.04
We should've called on you a
long time ago. We've sinned."
00:41:21.04\00:41:27.52
"'Do with us whatever you
think best, but please rescue us
00:41:27.52\00:41:35.79
now.'" We can't save ourselves.
We've tried every trick in the
00:41:35.79\00:41:40.13
book. We can't save ourselves.
George Knight has occupied this
campus for a few days making the
00:41:40.13\00:41:46.53
same point. We can't save
ourselves. You'll have to step
00:41:46.53\00:41:54.68
in and rescue us. Wow. And
then in an act of collective
00:41:54.68\00:42:02.25
moral leadership -- this
is stunning. This is really
00:42:02.25\00:42:05.52
stunning because this is the
whole community now. "Then,"
verse 16, "they got rid of the
00:42:05.52\00:42:12.66
foreign gods among them and they
served the Lord." No one has to
tell them, "Hey, listen, these
00:42:12.66\00:42:17.90
are the gods and this is their
big God." Nope, they already
know. Nobody has to come to us
00:42:17.90\00:42:21.70
and tell us, "Now, these are the
gods and this is the big God."
00:42:21.70\00:42:25.97
We already know. We know in our
heart of hearts. Nobody has to
tell us. Collective moral
00:42:25.97\00:42:34.88
leadership takes out the gods so
that the spirit of almighty God,
singular, can come in and rescue
00:42:34.88\00:42:43.69
us. That's what moral
leadership is all about.
00:42:43.69\00:42:50.47
And by the way, if you're
wondering, "How can I have power
to be a moral leader on this
00:42:50.47\00:42:54.70
campus," there is a mysterious
clue embedded in the last line
00:42:54.70\00:43:00.78
of verse 16. Look at that last
line. "And he," God, "could bear
Israel's misery no longer."
00:43:00.78\00:43:07.52
Oh, I love that. "I see
what you're going through.
00:43:07.52\00:43:11.49
I know it hurts. Enough is
enough. You've told me, you've
00:43:11.49\00:43:17.46
shown me you're serious. We'll
get out of this place together,
00:43:17.46\00:43:21.80
you and me." But there's a word
embedded there that you don't
see in the English, and I'm
00:43:21.80\00:43:25.97
gonna put it up beside another
line in scripture. We'll put it
00:43:25.97\00:43:29.04
on the screen for you. So, at
the top of the screen, you see,
"And the Lord could
00:43:29.04\00:43:32.17
bear Israel's misery no longer."
That word for "misery" is the
Hebrew word "amah."
00:43:32.17\00:43:36.95
Interestingly enough, that word
appears in the great Calvary
chapter, Isaiah 53 of the
00:43:36.95\00:43:41.28
Old Testament. This is the
Messiah. This is the second
00:43:41.28\00:43:44.82
person of the godhead who would
become savior of the world. In
that chapter, these words are
00:43:44.82\00:43:49.36
now in verse 11. Look at that.
"After the suffering" -- there's
00:43:49.36\00:43:53.23
the word. Suffering, misery,
it's the same word, "amah."
00:43:53.23\00:43:56.10
"After the Messiah's suffering
of his soul, he," the savior,
"will bear our iniquities."
00:43:56.10\00:44:05.41
"I'll take your misery.
It's moving me to tears.
00:44:05.57\00:44:09.68
I'll come down there, I'll take
your misery, and I'll put your
00:44:09.68\00:44:13.08
misery on me," and that is what
Calvary has done in advance of
00:44:13.08\00:44:16.48
our existence. The God
of the universe has gone
00:44:16.48\00:44:20.36
to Calvary, climbed up onto
that crimson throne, and died a
00:44:20.36\00:44:24.36
sacrifice. The
supreme moral leader of the
00:44:24.36\00:44:32.10
universe dies to not only save
his people, but to call them,
00:44:32.10\00:44:39.27
you and me, to moral leadership.
00:44:39.27\00:44:43.28
When you go to the cross, all
the power you need to be the
moral leader that God is calling
00:44:43.45\00:44:49.12
you to be on your campus, all
the power you need is in
Calvary, where God has born our
00:44:49.12\00:44:56.49
misery, our sins, to set
us free. It's the Gospel.
00:44:56.49\00:45:03.97
At the bottom of the graph, it's
the Gospel that turns that graph
into renovate, renovate.
00:45:03.97\00:45:13.21
To make new again. And so
today...it's appropriate that
you and I respond to the
00:45:13.21\00:45:21.52
biblical call for moral
leadership. Choose you this day
00:45:21.52\00:45:25.69
whom you will serve. As for me
and my house, we will serve the
00:45:25.69\00:45:30.13
Lord. Today, we're doing
something we've never done
before, and I'm so glad you're
00:45:30.13\00:45:34.30
here for it. We've been doing
this with the freshmen now for
five years. This will be the
00:45:34.30\00:45:39.20
sixth year. Next Friday night, a
week from last night, we're
gonna do this with the freshmen.
00:45:39.20\00:45:43.04
You see these plaques on the
walls? They represent not all of
00:45:43.04\00:45:47.04
them, because we've gone past
the four-year cycle. But hanging
high overhead is the
00:45:47.04\00:45:53.38
next plaque to go up. It'll take
the place of the cross because
00:45:53.38\00:45:58.79
that's the sequential cycle. And
this banner declares to make new
00:45:58.79\00:46:08.76
again. That's what God is
offering us today, and moral
leadership says, "I'll put
00:46:08.76\00:46:15.94
myself on the line. I will
be that leader on this campus,"
00:46:15.94\00:46:18.87
whether you're a faculty member,
a staff member, it doesn't
matter. You're a student, it
00:46:18.87\00:46:22.78
doesn't matter. Moral
leadership is a call for all.
00:46:22.78\00:46:25.41
Community member, it doesn't
matter. It's all our calling.
00:46:25.41\00:46:30.49
But we invited the faculty,
staff, and private school
teachers and public school
00:46:30.49\00:46:34.46
teachers -- that's Ruth Murdoch
and Andrews Academy, plus public
school teachers, home school
00:46:34.46\00:46:38.26
teachers. We invited them along
with everybody that's employed
00:46:38.26\00:46:41.03
by Andrews University in first
service to come forward, and
their names are already on that
00:46:41.03\00:46:46.40
plaque. It's now your turn, and
I'm gonna make an invitation.
00:46:46.40\00:46:51.07
If God is calling you -- and by
the way, you will write with a
red pen that will be withdrawn.
00:46:51.07\00:46:56.28
The freshmen will not be able to
use red next Friday night. The
only people that are using
00:46:56.28\00:47:01.85
red are the leaders of this
university -- administration,
staff and faculty, teachers all
00:47:01.85\00:47:09.16
over Berrien County, civic
leaders. You'll be handed a red
00:47:09.16\00:47:18.10
pen. Let's bring it down. You'll
be handed a red pen and you'll
have the opportunity now
00:47:18.10\00:47:22.50
to join these who have signed
their names. Isn't that some big
00:47:22.50\00:47:27.94
thing so that you can just be so
proud of having your name up
there? Of course it's wonderful
00:47:27.94\00:47:32.68
that your name is there. This is
about saying to Jesus, "Red, by
00:47:32.68\00:47:39.15
the grace of your Calvary
sacrifice, I will be the moral
leader you have called me to be.
00:47:39.15\00:47:44.49
By your grace, so help me God."
That's what it is. We'll do it
00:47:44.49\00:47:52.17
together. The freshmen will say,
"Wait a minute, have you already
00:47:52.17\00:47:55.27
used this?" Yes, we have. Those
are your leaders on this campus
who went ahead of you, as
00:47:55.27\00:48:00.44
leaders do. I'm gonna invite
you now to start coming out.
00:48:00.44\00:48:04.05
Come on. At the very end, the
president of this university,
00:48:04.05\00:48:07.48
Andrea Luxton, she will lead us
in a prayer of dedication, but
if you're employed by this
00:48:07.48\00:48:12.35
university, trust me, this is
gonna take time, and I'd start
coming from the back of the
00:48:12.35\00:48:16.86
balcony right now if you want to
go on record as a moral leader
for this university.
00:48:16.86\00:48:21.33
Come on up. Pastors are
gonna be handing out these pens.
00:48:21.33\00:48:25.30
Get a pen. Walk right up to that
banner. Affix your name anywhere
00:48:25.30\00:48:29.94
on it you wish, but when you
affix it, you're saying, "By the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:48:29.94\00:48:35.68
I will be a moral leader on this
campus this new year," and the
God of heaven who registers it
00:48:35.68\00:48:42.32
will equip you to be the moral
leader you need to be. We're
00:48:42.32\00:48:47.62
gonna be singing. Adriana, the
Chairman of our Music Department
and her team are gonna lead us
00:48:47.62\00:48:53.53
now in some singing. When the
last person is signed, Dr.
Luxton will come and she
00:48:53.53\00:48:57.40
will lead us in a prayer
dedication, but keep singing
00:48:57.40\00:49:00.77
now. The words will go on the
screen. Lift up your heart in
dedication to our Lord Jesus
00:49:00.77\00:49:07.08
Christ. [ Piano plays ]
00:49:07.08\00:49:09.58
¤¤
00:49:09.74\00:49:17.65
[ Instrumental break ]
00:50:08.27\00:50:10.51
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00:50:10.67\00:50:29.16
¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:29.16\00:50:47.64
¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:47.64\00:51:06.19
¤¤
00:51:06.19\00:51:15.30
[ Instrumental break ]
00:53:02.11\00:53:04.68
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00:53:04.85\00:53:20.36
¤¤
00:53:20.36\00:53:28.00
>> Amen. An amen.
Isn't that a beautiful sight?
00:53:28.17\00:53:31.67
It's a beautiful sight. I don't
know where the freshmen are
supposed to sign, but it's a
00:53:31.67\00:53:36.48
beautiful sight. [
Laughter ] We'll find a way.
00:53:36.48\00:53:40.58
But you know what? We didn't all
come forward. We didn't fit into
00:53:40.58\00:53:45.65
this tight little category of
Andrews University or Ruth
Murdoch or Andrews Academy
00:53:45.65\00:53:49.99
as a teacher. But there's not a
human being here right now that
00:53:49.99\00:53:55.86
is not being called by the Lord
Jesus Christ to become a bold,
moral leader in the workplace,
00:53:55.86\00:54:01.94
in the marketplace, in the
gymnasium. Be a leader for me in
00:54:01.94\00:54:10.78
your neighborhood. And I need to
join you in going on record, all
of us. We know who the big "G"
00:54:10.78\00:54:21.32
God is. We know what the little
"g" gods are. Nobody has to tell
00:54:21.32\00:54:26.76
us. I want to go on record
before God saying, "All right.
You are my God, and those are
00:54:26.76\00:54:32.60
not. I let them go." And so...
00:54:32.60\00:54:42.54
I'd like to invite you to stand
to your feet, and by standing to
your feet -- you've already
00:54:42.54\00:54:46.31
signed this, you haven't signed,
it doesn't matter, but just
standing to our feet, all of us
00:54:46.31\00:54:50.65
collectively, saying, "Have at
it, Jesus. Just have at it in my
00:54:50.65\00:54:58.06
life these next 12 months." And
President Luxton, come and
please, lead us in a prayer of
00:54:58.06\00:55:04.53
collective dedication.
00:55:04.53\00:55:09.34
>> Let us pray. Our
Lord and our God, many of us
00:55:09.50\00:55:17.25
have just signed our names,
and we have not done it lightly.
00:55:17.25\00:55:23.05
We've done it because we truly
do want You to be part of our
00:55:23.22\00:55:30.56
year ahead. Lord, this morning,
we pray for Your forgiveness. We
pray for forgiveness for
00:55:30.56\00:55:36.90
those times when we have not
fully grasped the depth and
breadth of Your care for us and
00:55:36.90\00:55:42.57
our community and your desire to
lead us. We pray for forgiveness
00:55:42.57\00:55:50.58
for the times where our
priorities have gone
wrong-sided, and we put other
00:55:50.58\00:55:58.52
things ahead of You and Your
leadership. And Lord, we pray
for forgiveness when we have
00:55:58.52\00:56:04.89
done what we thought was right,
but we have not listened to You
00:56:04.89\00:56:11.33
carefully enough. And now as we
move into this year, we do so
asking that we may learn more
00:56:11.33\00:56:20.58
about Your love, Your grace,
Your peace, that that may be
what is seen on this campus.
00:56:20.58\00:56:29.28
May everyone who comes through
this place truly know that for
this university and for this
00:56:29.28\00:56:37.99
church, we will choose to serve
the Lord. Bless us now, Lord.
00:56:37.99\00:56:46.10
Lead us. Help us listen to
You. We pray in Jesus' name.
00:56:46.10\00:56:52.01
Amen. [
Instrumental music plays ]
00:56:52.01\00:56:59.71
>> Thank you for taking the time
to join us in worship today.
00:57:07.52\00:57:09.79
I'd like to spend another moment
with you here at the end of our
00:57:09.79\00:57:12.33
program to share a word of hope.
In fact, that's what this little
00:57:12.33\00:57:15.00
book is all about. In
these uncertain times, and
00:57:15.00\00:57:17.27
let's face it, they're uncertain
all over this planet, this book
00:57:17.27\00:57:20.40
entitled "The Great Hope" will
help you understand not just
00:57:20.40\00:57:23.30
what God has planned for your
future, but for the future of
00:57:23.30\00:57:26.54
the entire human race.
Light keeps shining on this dark
00:57:26.54\00:57:29.64
old world, and new truths long
forgotten are being constantly
00:57:29.64\00:57:32.78
rediscovered. If you
need a fresh dose of hope
00:57:32.78\00:57:35.48
for your life these days, or
you know somebody else who could
00:57:35.48\00:57:38.35
sure use that gift of hope, then
I'd like to invite you to grab
00:57:38.35\00:57:41.29
your phone, dial our toll-free
number, 877 -- the two words --
00:57:41.29\00:57:44.69
HIS-WILL.
877-HIS-WILL, and at no charge
00:57:44.69\00:57:48.66
to you, we'll get a copy
in the mail to you right away.
00:57:48.66\00:57:52.00
Till the next time we meet,
may the peace and hope of the
00:57:52.00\00:57:55.37
Lord Jesus be with you 24/7.
00:57:55.37\00:57:58.07
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:00.84\00:58:18.99
¤¤
00:58:18.99\00:58:27.90