¤¤
00:00:00.60\00:00:06.47
¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:11.77\00:00:30.99
¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:30.99\00:00:50.15
¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:50.15\00:01:09.40
¤¤ ¤¤
00:01:09.40\00:01:28.62
¤¤ ¤¤
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¤¤
00:01:47.77\00:01:57.31
>> Please bow your heads with me
as we pray. Father God, I want
00:02:06.02\00:02:11.43
to invite you into this space.
00:02:11.43\00:02:13.33
I want to invite you into our
hearts as we begin our worship.
00:02:13.36\00:02:17.57
Father, help us to become closer
to you through this experience,
00:02:17.57\00:02:20.97
and help us to grow
closer to each other.
00:02:20.97\00:02:22.94
In your name I pray, amen.
00:02:22.94\00:02:24.67
¤¤ ¤¤
00:02:29.11\00:02:47.03
Please stand as we
sing our next song.
00:07:37.99\00:07:41.26
¤¤ >> Sing this with us.
00:07:41.26\00:07:51.80
Who am I?
00:07:51.80\00:07:53.23
I was lost.
00:08:00.98\00:08:02.24
Oh, his love.
00:08:09.22\00:08:10.55
I'm a child.
00:08:23.13\00:08:24.43
Free at last.
00:08:33.01\00:08:34.61
While I was a slave.
00:08:41.85\00:08:43.62
¤¤ ¤¤
00:11:09.23\00:11:28.68
¤¤
00:11:28.68\00:11:38.33
>> I don't know
about you, but right now,
00:13:40.35\00:13:42.92
I feel God in this place,
and I'm so happy that we can
00:13:42.92\00:13:45.62
all come together and
just praise and worship Him
00:13:45.62\00:13:48.26
authentically with so many
different groups of people,
00:13:48.26\00:13:52.16
young and old,
from different places,
00:13:52.16\00:13:55.86
different cultural
backgrounds, students, teachers,
00:13:55.86\00:13:59.63
faculties, families
that are here this morning,
00:13:59.63\00:14:02.87
so I want to ask that
if you have anything that
00:14:02.87\00:14:06.47
you want to bring to
the Lord for the new year.
00:14:06.47\00:14:09.94
We're just starting,
and we're starting afresh,
00:14:09.94\00:14:13.78
so I ask that you come
now to the front, bringing
00:14:13.78\00:14:16.12
your praises, your petitions,
your requests, anything
00:14:16.12\00:14:19.15
that you have on your
heart. This is the time
00:14:19.15\00:14:21.22
to come forward.
00:14:21.22\00:14:23.16
>> Well, happy Sabbath, boys and
girls, on this very wet Sabbath
00:16:02.09\00:16:08.66
of the new year. Can you believe
it? Where did all this water
00:16:08.66\00:16:12.97
come from? Oh, that's right.
It's usually snow, but now it's
00:16:12.97\00:16:16.50
rain. Well, we're kind of soggy,
but look at the sunshine in your
00:16:16.50\00:16:23.01
faces, look at the
sunshine in your hearts.
00:16:23.01\00:16:25.21
Okay, so today I'm
going to need some volunteers
00:16:25.25\00:16:27.85
because I have a gizmo in
my pocket, yep, right here.
00:16:27.85\00:16:31.82
You may never have seen
one of these in your life.
00:16:31.82\00:16:37.83
This is a gizmo that -- Lookit.
This is kind of very strange,
00:16:37.86\00:16:42.33
but if you go like this, this
little piece comes out. Do you
00:16:42.33\00:16:48.50
know what this is? >>
Nah. >> No, you don't. >> I do!
00:16:48.50\00:16:50.57
>> What is it? >> A tape
measurer! >> Measuring tape, oh,
00:16:50.57\00:16:53.31
okay, you know. Okay, so I want
to measure. I want to measure
00:16:53.31\00:16:57.48
somebody. Anybody want to
find out how tall you are? Okay,
00:16:57.48\00:17:00.68
Ezra, you're right here at the
front. Let's start with you.
Okay, let's find out --
00:17:00.68\00:17:03.62
So we're -- Shh! We're
going to see. We're going to see
00:17:03.62\00:17:06.79
how tall Ezra is. Mm-hmm, very
good, it has to touch the floor
00:17:06.79\00:17:12.26
just like Ezra is touching
the floor. Yeah. Wow, 55!
00:17:12.26\00:17:21.90
Wow, thank you, Ezra, 55! Did
you know that? Well, you do now,
00:17:21.90\00:17:33.15
55 inches. Oh, that's pretty
good. How about another
volunteer? Oh, come on,
00:17:33.15\00:17:37.42
I can't do all of you. I'll take
a young lady right over here.
00:17:37.42\00:17:41.06
>> Stack them all on top of each
other. >> Okay, let's just see.
00:17:41.06\00:17:44.33
Now what's your
name, sissy? What? >> Aya.
00:17:44.33\00:17:48.13
>> Aya, Aya, thank you for
raising your hand, Aya. Let's
00:17:48.13\00:17:51.27
just find out how tall you
are, mm-hmm. Whoa, 49, 49! Aya,
00:17:51.27\00:18:02.68
that's wonderful. Okay, anybody
shorter? [ Laughter ] Okay, come
00:18:02.68\00:18:08.65
here, sissy, come here, oh,
sorry. >> Okay, sissy, what's
00:18:08.65\00:18:12.95
your name? >> Micole. >> Micole,
okay, we're going to find out
00:18:12.95\00:18:15.96
now. We're going to find out
right now. We'll put this down
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.13
on the floor, on the
floor, wow, 45! >> What?
00:18:18.13\00:18:25.93
>> Forty-five, yep, no
more volunteers because listen,
00:18:25.93\00:18:33.21
listen, I'm thinking. I'm
thinking of somebody. Look, I
00:18:33.21\00:18:37.01
wonder where he would have come.
Come on, would he come about
00:18:37.01\00:18:40.28
right here? Would he be up here?
Oh, he couldn't be up here, no.
I'm thinking about that.
00:18:40.28\00:18:45.05
Hey, wait a minute, we know a
song about him. ¤ Zacchaeus was
00:18:45.05\00:18:51.19
a wee little man ¤ ¤ And a wee
little man was he ¤ He climbed
00:18:51.19\00:18:59.30
up in the sycamore tree ¤ ¤
For the Lord he wanted to see ¤
00:18:59.30\00:19:04.57
¤ And as the savior walked that
way ¤ ¤ He looked up in the tree
00:19:04.57\00:19:12.75
¤ And he said, "Zacchaeus, you
come down ¤ ¤ For I'm going to
00:19:12.75\00:19:19.25
your house today ¤ ¤ For
I'm going to your house today" ¤
00:19:19.25\00:19:25.73
>> Oh, every knows the
story of Zacchaeus. How tall was
00:19:25.73\00:19:30.07
Zacchaeus? The Bible doesn't
say. It doesn't tell -- Would he
00:19:30.07\00:19:32.90
be right here? Would he have
been 55? Would he be -- No, he's
00:19:32.90\00:19:37.11
probably 45. I don't know.
We don't know. It just says he
00:19:37.11\00:19:39.74
couldn't see over the people in
front of him. All the big men,
all the big women in the town,
00:19:39.74\00:19:43.81
they're all there standing
in front of Zacchaeus, and he's
00:19:43.81\00:19:46.61
going, "Excuse me, excuse me,
I can't see." Who's he looking
00:19:46.61\00:19:49.68
for? >> Christ. >> Oh, he's
looking for Jesus. "Excuse me,
excuse me, I can't see. I can't
00:19:49.68\00:19:54.46
see!" Shh! Nobody
likes Zacchaeus. Scram, kid.
00:19:54.46\00:20:00.13
>> I do! >> Yeah, that's what
they said because they hated
00:20:00.13\00:20:04.10
him. He was a tax collector,
boo! So what does Zacchaeus do?
He's got to see Jesus.
00:20:04.10\00:20:08.97
What did he do? Oh, there was
a sycamore tree, a sycamore fig
00:20:08.97\00:20:12.31
tree, the Bible says. Up,
up, up, up, up, you ever climb a
00:20:12.31\00:20:15.21
tree? Oh, I used to love to
climb trees when I was a boy in
Japan. Oh, I would just love --
00:20:15.21\00:20:19.45
There was one tree that I could
climb to the top of, and I could
00:20:19.45\00:20:22.05
see the beautiful Japan alps.
Oh, that was so beautiful. Grown
men don't climb trees!
00:20:22.05\00:20:28.49
Grown men know better.
That's why, unless you're a
00:20:28.49\00:20:32.46
tree-cutter, but there is
Zacchaeus, a grown man, wee
little Zacchaeus, and he's
00:20:32.46\00:20:36.97
looking with his binoculars.
Oh, here comes Jesus! Here comes
00:20:36.97\00:20:39.73
Jesus! Here comes Jesus! He's
getting closer! He's getting
00:20:39.73\00:20:42.70
closer! And then when Jesus gets
here, what's he say? "Zacchaeus,
00:20:42.70\00:20:46.34
what are you doing in that tree?
Because I'm going to your house
00:20:46.34\00:20:50.38
today." Isn't that nice of
Jesus? I can't believe it.
Everybody hates Zacchaeus,
00:20:50.38\00:20:54.32
but Jesus wants to be Zacchaeus'
friend. "Woo-hoo" is right.
00:20:54.32\00:20:59.72
Hey, wait a minute, does it
matter to Jesus whether you're
00:20:59.72\00:21:02.66
tall or short? >> No. >> Call
the answer out, does it matter
00:21:02.66\00:21:05.79
to Jesus whether you're tall or
short? >> No. >> Does it matter
00:21:05.79\00:21:08.80
to Jesus whether you're a boy or
a girl? >> No! >> Does it matter
00:21:08.80\00:21:11.83
to Jesus whether you're rich or
poor? >> No! >> Does it matter
00:21:11.83\00:21:15.04
to Jesus if you're good or
bad? >> No! >> Does it matter to
00:21:15.04\00:21:18.21
Jesus if you're black or
white, yellow or brown? >> No!
00:21:18.21\00:21:21.81
>> No, Jesus is a friend of
sinners, and because he loved
00:21:21.81\00:21:27.95
on Zacchaeus, he turned that
man's life around, and he was
00:21:27.95\00:21:33.72
never the same. I'm so glad that
it isn't by inches that Jesus
decides whether he's going to
00:21:33.72\00:21:37.76
love us. Aren't you? Who would
like to thank Jesus for being
that kind of forever
00:21:37.76\00:21:41.96
friend, that forever savior?
Anybody want to pray today? >>
00:21:41.96\00:21:47.60
Me. >> Okay, sissy, come on up.
Come on up. What's your first
00:21:47.60\00:21:53.61
name? >> I'm Elaina. >> Elaina,
okay, we're going to close our
00:21:53.61\00:21:57.25
eyes and fold our hands with
Elaina as she thanks Jesus for
being our savior friend.
00:21:57.25\00:22:01.78
>> Dear Jesus, thank you for
this day and, dear Jesus, help
us to learn and, dear
00:22:01.78\00:22:09.16
Jesus, help us to go to heaven
and, dear Jesus, amen. >>
Elaina, beautiful prayer,
00:22:09.16\00:22:19.43
as you go quietly and reverently
back to your seats, say, "Thank
00:22:19.43\00:22:23.41
you, Jesus," just like Elaina
did. Thank you for being our
savior-friend, happy Sabbath.
00:22:23.41\00:22:29.14
>> Let's pray. Oh, God, that's
quite a prayer to begin this new
00:22:33.21\00:22:39.75
season, steal away, steal away
to Jesus. We're doing that right
now. This is your house.
00:22:39.75\00:22:51.13
He's here, and for the few
moments we have left, engage our
00:22:51.13\00:23:01.74
minds, but lean on our hearts.
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:23:01.74\00:23:07.92
Got to tell you why I'm really
pumped about this new year
00:23:07.95\00:23:11.95
and this new year
series that begins right now.
00:23:11.95\00:23:16.16
We have a tradition.
We've been doing it for years,
00:23:16.16\00:23:18.39
your pastors here at Pioneer,
and that is on the first Friday
00:23:18.39\00:23:21.73
night of the new year, we
get together in our place,
00:23:21.73\00:23:24.47
and we have some hot
drinks, sing some leftover
00:23:24.47\00:23:27.64
Christmas carols and
have some time to pray,
00:23:27.64\00:23:32.31
end the evening with
that new year prayer,
00:23:32.31\00:23:34.98
but a few years ago, we
started a new little ritual.
00:23:34.98\00:23:37.78
We're liking it, and here is
what we do -- We put a pile of
00:23:37.81\00:23:44.72
blank paper in this middle of
the living room, and we put a
box of colored markers,
00:23:44.72\00:23:49.19
and we're all going to take some
time in our own quiet space,
spouses, children, pastors,
00:23:49.19\00:23:57.23
to wonder what should be our
one-word new year resolution,
00:23:57.23\00:24:03.24
can't be more than one word. It
has to be one word, one word, so
00:24:03.24\00:24:09.38
we think. Some start drawing
pictures and colored pictures.
Others do calligraphy.
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.68
Some just write down that one
word when it comes to them, and
then we hand the pages out
00:24:13.68\00:24:20.82
so that I'm holding somebody
else's and, of course, we share
00:24:20.82\00:24:24.06
that one word with everybody,
and then we pray for the person
00:24:24.06\00:24:31.30
that wrote this. Two Friday
nights ago, here is the one word
00:24:31.30\00:24:35.30
I wrote down. I'll put it on the
screen for you -- prepared,
prepared. Everybody knows
00:24:35.30\00:24:41.08
the word prepared. It's based
on a line in the Gospel of Luke,
00:24:41.08\00:24:44.91
chapter 1 -- "To make ready a
people prepared for the Lord."
00:24:44.91\00:24:50.25
Everybody knows the story behind
that one line, come on. That's
when Gabriel shows up
00:24:50.25\00:24:53.32
to the rather stunned Zechariah,
the priest, as he's leading out
in worship that day
00:24:53.32\00:24:57.96
in the Jerusalem temple, and he
says, "Yo, I know about you and
00:24:57.96\00:25:01.33
your wife. We know all about
you. You're not childbearing. We
00:25:01.33\00:25:04.40
understand that, but you're
going to have a baby, and you're
going to name him John,
00:25:04.40\00:25:07.74
and it will be his job to
prepare Israel for the coming of
00:25:07.74\00:25:13.11
the messiah, to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord,"
so I wrote it down.
00:25:13.11\00:25:16.11
I have it because I put it on
last year's resolution, on the
year before, you know,
00:25:16.11\00:25:19.48
so on, so I have it all on
the wall where I worship every
00:25:19.48\00:25:22.62
morning in my study, prepared.
It's beginning to feel a lot
00:25:22.62\00:25:28.72
like -- Not like Christmas,
that's his first coming.
00:25:28.72\00:25:30.96
Are you prepared? Am I
prepared? Are we prepared?
00:25:34.23\00:25:40.30
I'm talking about Andrews.
Is Andrews prepared? Is Pioneer
00:25:40.30\00:25:44.51
prepared? Prepared for what? The
messiah's second coming, that's
what it's beginning
00:25:44.51\00:25:50.61
to look a lot like these days,
isn't it? I mean, we had house
00:25:50.61\00:25:53.95
of prayer 7 o'clock in the
evening, 7 o'clock in the
morning. Some of our proactive
00:25:53.95\00:25:58.09
prayer warriors were sitting
there talking, and I hadn't seen
00:25:58.09\00:26:01.49
this lineup before, but I said,
"You know what? You're right."
They said, "You know, look at
00:26:01.49\00:26:03.99
what's happened in the first
hours of the new year." We've
got Australia blazing,
00:26:03.99\00:26:09.90
wildfires. Have you
seen those videos? Wow.
00:26:09.90\00:26:14.07
We've got Puerto Rico, a
once-in-a-century earthquake
00:26:14.07\00:26:18.37
that has crippled their power
grid and knocked the power out
00:26:18.37\00:26:24.81
to that island. Yo, and then on
a quiet night in Baghdad, out of
nowhere comes a drone missile,
00:26:24.81\00:26:30.39
and suddenly the Middle East is
thrown into chaos and confusion.
We've got 10 income missiles
00:26:30.39\00:26:36.39
from somewhere else in
the same Middle East, and, oh,
00:26:36.39\00:26:40.13
and then there's back at home --
political deadlock. What's going
00:26:40.13\00:26:47.20
on? It's beginning to look a lot
like the second coming of Jesus.
That's why I'm so pumped up
00:26:47.20\00:26:56.18
about this new year and this new
year series. No, this is not a
00:26:56.18\00:26:59.58
new series that's going to be on
the return of Christ, although
that series is going to
00:26:59.58\00:27:02.62
need to be preached pretty soon,
but as I think about what we're
about to plunge into together
00:27:02.62\00:27:07.82
today, I'm telling you what.
This has everything to do with
the return of the messiah
00:27:07.82\00:27:12.19
the second time. You see, this
last fall, the church board of
00:27:12.19\00:27:15.70
this campus church, the Pioneer
Memorial Church, the leadership
00:27:15.70\00:27:19.23
of this church, they're all
volunteer leaders. They met, and
they said, "It's time
00:27:19.23\00:27:23.51
to rebrand this church." Really?
Yep, it's time to rebrand
00:27:23.51\00:27:26.64
this church. It's time to
rethink our mission and our
00:27:26.64\00:27:31.05
vision, and so they voted a new
moniker, a new theme, four words
00:27:31.05\00:27:35.12
long. I'm going to put it on
the screen for you right now.
00:27:35.15\00:27:37.75
There it is.
That's the new logo.
00:27:37.75\00:27:39.89
Every time you see that
"P" with its little tail
00:27:39.89\00:27:43.26
sticking outside the circle
because that's what pioneers do.
00:27:43.26\00:27:46.59
They color outside the circle.
When you see that little P,
00:27:46.59\00:27:50.27
that's going to be
Pioneer for the duration
00:27:50.27\00:27:52.97
of the journey, but
the four words on the
00:27:52.97\00:27:55.14
bottom, that's the
moniker. That's the vision.
00:27:55.14\00:27:58.87
That's what Pioneer
has been called to do --
00:27:58.87\00:28:01.11
"Love on the move."
The big question is,
00:28:01.11\00:28:05.61
what does it mean?
"Love on the move,"
00:28:05.61\00:28:07.78
what's that mean?
00:28:07.78\00:28:11.29
Speaking of Zacchaeus, have you
ever noticed how un-politically
00:28:11.32\00:28:16.52
correct that song is? ¤
Zacchaeus was a wee little man ¤
00:28:16.52\00:28:23.40
¤ And a wee little man was
he I'm just wondering. Are we
00:28:23.40\00:28:29.74
allowed to call anybody wee
anymore? I mean, you might use
vertically challenged,
00:28:29.74\00:28:35.48
but you don't say "wee," please.
Not even Jesus calls him wee,
00:28:35.48\00:28:44.85
but you know what? Jesus calls
him something, and it's what
Jesus calls him in this story
00:28:44.85\00:28:48.76
that everybody knows backwards
and forwards. That is the root
-- It is the secret to love on
00:28:48.76\00:28:53.76
the move. Open your Bible to a
story you could recite
backwards, the Gospel of Luke,
00:28:53.76\00:28:58.57
Luke chapter 19. Come on, you
brought your Bible. You got your
00:28:58.57\00:29:01.57
phone. You've got your
pad. Listen, you didn't bring
00:29:01.57\00:29:04.07
anything? Grab the pew Bible in
front of you. It's page 707 in
00:29:04.07\00:29:07.14
your pew Bible. Let's go.
I'm in the New International
00:29:07.14\00:29:09.41
version.
00:29:09.41\00:29:10.95
Now, Zacchaeus -- you hear it
all. But Zacchaeus is what you
00:29:19.82\00:29:22.79
and I grew up with.
00:29:22.79\00:29:24.13
Whoa! Now I learned something
very interesting this week
00:29:30.17\00:29:33.57
that I never knew before about
these tax collectors. The Latin
00:29:33.57\00:29:37.71
name -- Because they were a
Roman Empire phenom. The Latin
name is "publicanus,"
00:29:37.71\00:29:42.88
"publicanus," from this
comes our word "public" and
00:29:42.88\00:29:46.85
"publican," so the King James
actually gets it right. He's a
00:29:46.85\00:29:49.72
publican. Now the publicans were
not just tax collectors. This is
what I didn't know.
00:29:49.72\00:29:53.42
They were agents of the Roman
Empire who were in charge of
00:29:53.42\00:29:59.39
providing supplies for the Roman
legionnaires and the military.
They were the port officials
00:29:59.39\00:30:05.00
that received duty from every
incoming ship in the empire,
duty that goes to Rome.
00:30:05.00\00:30:10.84
They were in charge of public
building projects. I never knew
00:30:10.84\00:30:15.61
all of that, plus they collected
taxes. Well, that part I knew,
but did you know this?
00:30:15.61\00:30:19.75
They actually had to bid for the
contract to collect those taxes,
00:30:19.75\00:30:24.62
and they had to bid to the Roman
senate. The senate would say,
00:30:24.62\00:30:30.33
"Okay, you got the highest bid.
You're going to have that job,
00:30:30.33\00:30:32.86
buddy. Don't forget what you owe
us." So you can understand
because they weren't just Jews.
00:30:32.86\00:30:39.17
If you were in Greece, you
had Greek tax collectors. If you
00:30:39.17\00:30:42.40
lived in Persia, you had Persian
tax collectors, but the money is
00:30:42.40\00:30:46.44
all going to Rome. You can
understand if you were a Jew,
that a fellow Jew of yours who
00:30:46.44\00:30:51.18
is working for the Roman Empire,
is in charge of public building
projects and port duty
00:30:51.18\00:30:57.05
and supplying the hated
Roman army. Just that in itself,
00:30:57.05\00:31:01.09
you would not be too drawn to
this individual, now would you?
And then to find out he bid on
00:31:01.09\00:31:08.30
a contract to get money for you,
and he's going to get
commissions for that money.
00:31:08.30\00:31:13.57
Man, you know how you feel about
this guy? He is hated and --
00:31:13.57\00:31:18.44
That's what I think about you.
You got a problem with that? So
Zacchaeus, the chief
00:31:18.44\00:31:26.28
tax collector, when he shows up
at a door, knocking, and they're
00:31:26.28\00:31:30.09
giving that little routine to
him.. He says, "Hey, hey, time
00:31:30.09\00:31:34.39
out, read my lips. You pay now,
or you're out. Do you
understand? You see those
00:31:34.39\00:31:38.26
soldiers behind me? We're going
to repossess your house just
like that. You pay up, or you
00:31:38.26\00:31:44.03
are out." He was hated, and by
the way, we just read. He's very
00:31:44.03\00:31:48.40
wealthy. That little commission
goes a long, long way, wow. All
00:31:48.40\00:31:56.61
right. Let's read verse 3,
okay? "And he" -- That would be
00:31:56.61\00:32:00.75
Zacchaeus -- "Wanted to see who
Jesus was, but he was short, and
00:32:00.75\00:32:10.23
he could not see over the
crowd." When I was in the eighth
grade, I was the next to the
00:32:10.23\00:32:14.20
shortest guy in the class. Man,
that was awful, and it was -- By
00:32:14.20\00:32:20.37
the way, it was a class of all
boys, all boys, and I'm next to
the shortest for boys.
00:32:20.37\00:32:26.57
[ Laughter ] It was a little
missionary school, come on.
00:32:26.57\00:32:29.84
You have a problem with that? Of
course not, anyway, I was next
00:32:29.84\00:32:33.25
to the shortest, and I knew
because I didn't know anything
about post-eighth grade growth
00:32:33.25\00:32:36.52
spurts that I was going to
be next to the shortest for the
00:32:36.52\00:32:40.92
rest of my life. The parents of
Zacchaeus are figuring, "You
know what, honey? I think he's
00:32:40.92\00:32:45.13
going to get bigger after eighth
grade." He never got bigger. No,
00:32:45.13\00:32:50.20
he didn't. He was short.
00:32:50.20\00:32:51.73
Verse 3, "He wanted to see who
Jesus was, but because he was
00:32:55.24\00:32:58.67
short, he could not see over the
crowd." So what's going on with
this wee, wealthy tax collector?
00:32:58.67\00:33:05.35
Here is what's going on. "Desire
of Ages" tells us that Zacchaeus
00:33:05.35\00:33:12.39
went to hear John the Baptizer
preach, and something about that
preaching got to him,
00:33:12.39\00:33:19.96
got into his conscience,
got into his mind. In fact, Luke
00:33:19.96\00:33:28.20
himself in his gospel actually
records -- In Luke 3, we won't
go there -- He actually records
00:33:28.20\00:33:32.44
a dialogue between a group of
tax collectors and John the
Baptist. Okay, here it is on the
00:33:32.44\00:33:38.38
screen. "Even tax collectors
came to be baptized by John the
Baptist, and they said to John,
00:33:38.38\00:33:43.05
'Teacher, what should we do?"
And John replies to them, "Yo,
you publicanus, yo,
00:33:43.05\00:33:52.39
don't collect any more than you
are required to." That's it, but
00:33:52.39\00:33:59.70
Zacchaeus knows that's not how
he's been living, and there's
something in the back of his
00:33:59.70\00:34:04.74
mind. Oh, man, what am I going
to do? "Desire of Ages"
describes his troubled
00:34:04.74\00:34:09.91
conscience, put it
on the screen for you.
00:34:09.91\00:34:11.45
"Zacchaeus knew the
Scriptures and was convicted
00:34:11.48\00:34:13.95
that his practice was
wrong. Now hearing the words
00:34:13.95\00:34:17.12
reported to have come
from the Great Teacher" --
00:34:17.12\00:34:19.09
That would be the young
teacher from Nazareth --
00:34:19.09\00:34:21.19
"He felt that he was a sinner
in the sight of God, yet what
00:34:21.19\00:34:25.06
he heard of Jesus kindled
hope." How could it kindle hope
00:34:25.06\00:34:28.40
when you're a crooked cheat?
Keep reading, "Yet what he had
00:34:28.40\00:34:31.83
heard of Jesus kindled
hope in his heart, repentance,
00:34:31.83\00:34:34.70
reformation of life
was possible, even to him,"
00:34:34.70\00:34:38.71
and then Zacchaeus
is thinking in his mind,
00:34:38.71\00:34:40.71
"Was not one of the
new teacher's most-trusted
00:34:40.71\00:34:43.51
disciples a publican?"
00:34:43.51\00:34:45.38
A tax collector? Sure, who
wasn't? Matthew, hey, he has a
00:34:45.41\00:34:50.69
tax collector in his inner
circle. Maybe there's hope for
00:34:50.69\00:34:55.42
me, last sentence. When your
heart is under conviction --
Listen carefully now.
00:35:06.67\00:35:09.90
When your heart is under
conviction, do not ignore that
00:35:09.90\00:35:18.61
conviction. You will do so to
the killing of your soul. When
your heart is under
00:35:18.61\00:35:24.65
conviction as Zacchaeus was,
don't turn a deaf ear on how
Jesus is coming to town.
00:35:24.65\00:35:33.63
This is the one who has a
publican in his inner circle and
00:35:33.63\00:35:38.27
so -- Too short, I'll never get
a chance to lay eyes on him, so
00:35:38.27\00:35:42.77
rather unusual, to be sure,
verse 4. "So Zacchaeus ran ahead
00:35:42.77\00:35:47.04
of the crowd, and he climbed a
sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus,
00:35:47.04\00:35:51.21
since Jesus was coming
that way." I've seen the actual
00:35:51.21\00:35:57.02
sycamore-fig tree outside of
Jericho, purported to be the
very one that Zacchaeus climbed.
00:35:57.02\00:36:00.79
I have no way to tell you if
that's true or not because it
looks very old to me,
00:36:00.79\00:36:05.53
and its huge boughs overstretch
the road, and it's thick with
00:36:05.53\00:36:11.37
foliage branches, wow, and
so here is wee wealthy Zacch in
00:36:11.37\00:36:17.34
that tree, peeking out of the
bushes, saying, "He's coming!
He's coming! Hey, look, look,
00:36:17.34\00:36:21.08
he's coming! He's coming! He's
get closer! He's get closer! Ah,
bet he won't even notice
00:36:21.08\00:36:23.85
me up here! But how -- But at
least I can see him from here."
00:36:23.85\00:36:28.18
Come on, come on, come on,
keep reading. Verse 5, and "When
00:36:28.18\00:36:31.95
Jesus reached the spot" -- This
is amazing to me. I spent some
00:36:31.95\00:36:36.79
time this week just saying, "How
could this possibly be?" "When
Jesus reached the spot, he
00:36:36.79\00:36:40.90
looked up." He looked up.
Now look at, how would you know
00:36:40.90\00:36:44.33
to look up? You know, sometimes
you get a feel that somebody is
00:36:44.33\00:36:48.27
in space that you're not used to
having somebody in that space,
00:36:48.27\00:36:50.87
you know? You can do that,
but if your question to me is --
00:36:50.91\00:36:53.78
because I kind of
have this worked out, now.
00:36:53.78\00:36:55.48
If your question to me
is, "Dwight, how did he know
00:36:55.48\00:36:57.35
to look up?" My answer is,
00:36:57.35\00:37:00.65
somebody told him to. And
you're saying, "Oh, that's a
00:37:00.65\00:37:05.65
bunch of
hokey-pokey." Oh, really?
00:37:05.65\00:37:08.12
Let's talk about the NFL.
We have a few football fans
00:37:08.12\00:37:10.23
who are sitting here right
now. Let's talk about the NFL.
00:37:10.23\00:37:12.86
Do you know that the
quarterback in the NFL
00:37:12.86\00:37:15.23
has an earpiece in his helmet?
00:37:15.23\00:37:17.77
There's only one person on Earth
that is allowed to speak into
that earpiece, and that's
00:37:17.80\00:37:20.94
the offensive coordinator, not
the coach, no, nobody, just the
offensive coordinator,
00:37:20.94\00:37:25.97
and while the quarterback is
in the middle of plays, there's
00:37:25.97\00:37:30.58
somebody that can interject a
voice. You got a problem with
that? Take it up with the NFL.
00:37:30.58\00:37:38.59
So if the Holy Spirit wants to
do the same, shall we be upset?
00:37:38.59\00:37:42.66
Say, "Well, that's not fair. You
can't do that." Forget it, look,
00:37:42.66\00:37:51.83
the other day, I went to a
store. I saw a girl, and I said,
"Hi." I knew the girl.
00:37:51.83\00:37:55.54
I said, "Hi." I finished my
duties, and I leave the store,
00:37:55.54\00:37:59.11
and as soon as I leave
that store, I hear a voice in my
00:37:59.11\00:38:02.38
earpiece, and the voice says,
"Go back and talk to that girl.
What were you thinking?"
00:38:02.38\00:38:06.75
So I said, "Okay, I will," and
I did. I don't have a problem
00:38:06.75\00:38:11.89
with that. I recognized
the voice. Jesus hears only one
00:38:11.89\00:38:21.76
voice that he loves to hear.
He hears two voices because they
00:38:21.76\00:38:28.00
both have access to his
earpiece, but he knows the voice
that says, "Look up right now,
00:38:28.00\00:38:34.04
you'll see a man, Zacchaeus. You
heard about him the other day.
00:38:34.04\00:38:41.12
This is he. Invite yourself
to his house, okay?" Oh, Jesus
00:38:41.12\00:38:49.26
looks up. Well, let's finish
that verse 5. "When Jesus
reached the spot, he looked up."
00:38:49.26\00:38:54.73
Of course, he obviously
sees Zacchaeus. He says to him,
00:38:54.73\00:38:59.63
"Zacchaeus, come down
immediately. I must stay in your
00:38:59.63\00:39:04.01
house today," because the voice
also said, "He's lost, but we
can win him. You go."
00:39:04.01\00:39:13.95
Isn't that something? Jesus
hears this voice, and he obeys,
00:39:13.95\00:39:18.79
and what does Zacchaeus do?
Oh, my, Zacchaeus is up there
00:39:18.79\00:39:21.69
pinching himself. Is this a
dream? Is this really -- The
00:39:21.69\00:39:24.56
famous teacher is coming to my
house? He -- Oh, what am I going
00:39:24.56\00:39:27.86
to do? And he's scrambling down,
and where is this, verse 6 --
"So he came down at once,
00:39:27.86\00:39:35.60
and he welcomed him gladly."
They're in the house, now watch
00:39:35.60\00:39:39.71
this. The people see what's
happening here. I want you to
00:39:39.71\00:39:42.64
catch this, verse 7. "And all
the people saw this and began to
00:39:42.64\00:39:48.22
mutter" -- speaking to Jesus --
"'He has gone to be the guest of
00:39:48.22\00:39:56.99
a" -- "of a" -- >> Sinner. >>
"Of a sinner," ladies and
gentlemen, if that verse
00:39:56.99\00:40:00.86
is not marked in your Bible,
then you mark your Bibles, then
circle it, star it,
00:40:00.86\00:40:03.93
put the fluorescent yellow
all over it because that little
00:40:03.93\00:40:08.10
verse is the quintessence of the
everlasting gospel, and that is
00:40:08.10\00:40:14.21
Jesus is a friend of sinners.
I don't care what you've done in
00:40:14.21\00:40:19.11
your life. I don't care what
your rap record is. I don't care
00:40:19.11\00:40:22.65
what your private reputation is
because only you know your
private rap record.
00:40:22.65\00:40:27.89
I don't care what you've done
in your life. If you're a sinner
00:40:27.89\00:40:34.03
like me, then this is very good
news because he goes to be with
00:40:34.03\00:40:42.34
sinners. He majors in sinners.
How about that? Wow, yep, it's
00:40:42.34\00:40:55.55
the gospel and, of course, when
this happens, the Pharisees and
the gossipers in that little
00:40:55.55\00:41:05.43
city go -- They go nuclear. They
throw a massive hissy fit. I
00:41:05.43\00:41:11.30
can't believe it! Look, look,
look, but before Jesus can say a
word in defense of Zacchaeus,
00:41:11.30\00:41:17.34
watch this. Zacchaeus jumps up,
so it's obviously in house.
Zacchaeus jumps up in verse 8.
00:41:17.34\00:41:22.64
And by the way, in the homes
of the wealthy in the time of
00:41:22.64\00:41:27.98
Christ, your home was not your
home. If you had a big dinner
there, the town would show up
00:41:27.98\00:41:32.25
hoping for a little something
to be handed out, so there are
00:41:32.25\00:41:35.22
people sticking in through the
windows. They're all listening
to it, so he's making a speech
00:41:35.22\00:41:40.20
to them by saying,
"Hey, Jesus, Master."
00:41:40.20\00:41:42.63
Now the Levitical code is
very clear. If you have swindled
00:41:54.81\00:41:59.88
somebody, if you have cheated
somebody out of their own money,
you are to pay them double
00:41:59.88\00:42:04.42
back, double. Zacchaeus takes
that principle, and he says,
00:42:04.42\00:42:08.82
"I'll double the double. First
I'll give half of my goods to
00:42:08.82\00:42:13.06
the poor." The rich young ruler
came along and said, "I can't
give a penny to the poor.
00:42:13.06\00:42:15.70
I wish you hadn't made it
so hard." Zacchaeus says, "I'll
00:42:15.70\00:42:18.10
give half of everything I own to
the poor, no, four times, four
00:42:18.10\00:42:25.67
times the law." My, my, my, and
Jesus is sitting there, and he's
saying, "That's what that voice
00:42:25.67\00:42:32.31
in the earpiece was about. Look
what's just happened here. The
man has not only confessed
00:42:32.31\00:42:37.65
publicly, but he has now
made effort toward restitution."
00:42:37.65\00:42:44.96
It's not just enough to say,
"sorry," to somebody after
you've messed them up.
00:42:44.96\00:42:48.83
You've taken what's theirs. Of
course you give it back, unless
00:42:48.83\00:42:55.40
you can't. That's what Zacchaeus
did, and Jesus said, "Excuse me,
00:42:55.40\00:42:58.34
thank you for that speech,
Zacchaeus. Can I make another
speech now?" And Jesus,
00:42:58.34\00:43:01.18
Zacchaeus says, "Please, my
Lord, stand," so Jesus stands,
and here comes Jesus' speech,
00:43:01.18\00:43:04.68
and this is something else,
verse 9 -- "And Jesus said to
00:43:04.68\00:43:07.18
him with everybody leaning in
through the windows. Jesus said
00:43:07.18\00:43:10.29
to him, 'Today salvation has
come to this household.'" He
says house, but he's talking
00:43:10.29\00:43:15.49
about everybody in the house.
"'Salvation has come to this
household because this man, too,
00:43:15.49\00:43:21.63
is a son of Abraham.'" The
Pharisees kicked him out with
their leather boots.
00:43:21.63\00:43:31.84
Good riddance to bad rubbish,
and don't you ever turn around!
And Jesus took the hated
00:43:31.84\00:43:37.58
Zacchaeus, and in one move,
he draws him into the chosen
00:43:37.58\00:43:44.22
people. This man has a table,
has a seat at the table of
Abraham in the kingdom to come,
00:43:44.22\00:43:48.89
and so does his wife and
children, and so do all the
00:43:48.89\00:43:51.59
servants, so does everybody
in his house. Wow, I mean, how
00:43:51.59\00:43:57.77
could you do that? You've got to
be Jesus to do it, and he did
it. Isn't that amazing?
00:43:57.77\00:44:04.97
Man, Jesus is a friend of
sinners who restores them to the
00:44:04.97\00:44:12.81
chosen. Oh, I tell you, the
worship team today, Vivian was
00:44:12.81\00:44:18.15
absolutely right. That was
inspired singing on your part
and their leading, so I grabbed
00:44:18.15\00:44:23.46
this sheet that we -- the run
sheet here, and I look at those
words. We just sang them
00:44:23.46\00:44:29.53
because you see, what Jesus has
said to Zacchaeus, we sang about
00:44:29.53\00:44:33.60
where we sang, ¤ I am chosen,
not fors-- You remember that? ¤
I am chosen, not forsaken
00:44:33.60\00:44:38.11
¤ I am who you say I am Who'd
you say I am? Jesus, would you
00:44:38.11\00:44:41.98
repeat that one more time? I
need the people outside to hear
00:44:41.98\00:44:44.55
that, too. What did you say?
I am a child, a son of Abraham
00:44:44.55\00:44:48.85
now? Yes, you are. ¤ Oh,
I am chosen, not forsaken ¤
00:44:48.85\00:44:52.92
¤ I am who you say I am ¤
You are for me, not against me ¤
00:44:52.92\00:44:56.96
¤ I am who you say I am That's
the truth about Jesus because he
00:44:56.96\00:45:00.83
is a friend of sinners.
What do you say? >> Amen.
00:45:00.83\00:45:03.80
>> He's a friend of sinners. I
am what you say I am, Jesus, and
I say you're forgiven,
00:45:03.80\00:45:12.87
and I say you're chosen, and I
say you are my friend for the
rest of your life, wow.
00:45:12.87\00:45:19.88
The greatest line of all, I've
left it out. I think it's one of
00:45:23.49\00:45:26.42
the greatest lines in all the
Scripture. Come on, there's
verse 10, Dwight, don't forget
00:45:26.42\00:45:29.46
verse 10. That's one of
the greatest lines in all the
00:45:36.77\00:45:39.20
Scripture. Ladies and gentlemen,
that's what those four words
mean -- "love on the move."
00:45:45.84\00:45:51.75
It's all about moving out and
being friends to sinners. That's
00:45:51.75\00:45:58.92
what it means, "love on the
move." It means it seek and
save. I mean, you think of the
00:45:58.92\00:46:03.73
moving picture of Jesus right
here. Do you understand that
Jesus is the incarnation?
00:46:03.73\00:46:07.86
At this moment in the story,
he's the incarnation of divine
00:46:07.86\00:46:11.10
love. All the divine love in the
universe is put into human flesh
in Jesus, and who are you?
00:46:11.10\00:46:15.97
You are disciple of Jesus, which
means that wherever you go,
00:46:15.97\00:46:19.24
he's taking all of his stuff,
and he's incarnating his love
00:46:19.24\00:46:22.54
into you so that wherever you
go, that love goes, too. "Love
on the move" is not
00:46:22.54\00:46:26.35
just about Jesus. "Love on
the move" is about you had me.
00:46:26.35\00:46:29.75
When we follow the master, his
love comes in, incarnates itself
00:46:29.75\00:46:35.99
in us. Oh, my, Jesus, I mean,
you think about it. Zacchaeus
00:46:35.99\00:46:44.40
politically -- Okay, politically
is just a -- Some of you are
into politics. Zacchaeus, who is
00:46:44.40\00:46:48.77
politically the dark opposite
not only of the Jews, but the
00:46:48.77\00:46:53.61
polar opposite of the savior
himself, ally to Zacchaeus is
00:46:53.61\00:46:57.95
with Romans' pagan and political
values that Jesus has already
publicly rejected, that
00:46:57.95\00:47:02.52
Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus who is the
polar opposite of the attitudes
and the Sermon on the Mount,
00:47:02.52\00:47:07.16
everything Zacchaeus stands for
is diametrically opposite to
what Jesus stands for,
00:47:07.16\00:47:12.66
but Jesus gets out of his own
comfort zone and steps into that
other world and says,
00:47:12.66\00:47:18.73
"Hey, I want to be a friend with
you. Are you okay with that?"
00:47:18.73\00:47:25.51
Zacchaeus says, "Me? You're
talking about me?" Yeah, Jesus
00:47:25.51\00:47:34.12
had his own rap sheet among the
Pharisees. Oh, I tell you, God
bless him. Do you know what the
00:47:34.12\00:47:41.96
Pharisees were saying about
Jesus? Jesus one day, earlier in
Luke, actually tells us
00:47:41.96\00:47:45.43
what the Pharisees were saying.
He's talking to the Pharisees.
I'll put it on the screen,
00:47:45.43\00:47:48.40
don't turn and look it up,
but it's Luke 7:34. Jesus said,
00:47:48.40\00:47:53.47
"Okay, I know what you're saying
about me, guys. I've heard it.
You're saying that the Son of
00:47:53.47\00:47:56.77
Man came eating and drinking,
okay? So you're talking about me
00:47:56.77\00:48:00.11
socializing, and then you say
of me, 'Here is a glutton and a
00:48:00.11\00:48:04.95
drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners.' I know
what you're saying about me and
00:48:04.95\00:48:10.42
guess what? I am guilty as
charged. I am a friend of tax
collectors and sinners."
00:48:10.42\00:48:17.89
Wow. What a savior, a friend
of tax collectors and sinners?
00:48:21.00\00:48:32.47
I guess you and I could be
friends of tax collectors and
00:48:32.47\00:48:35.28
sinners too, then, couldn't we?
Because that's what "love on the
00:48:35.28\00:48:39.55
move" means. It means we must
move into Zacchaeus' space.
We've got to quit sitting right
00:48:39.55\00:48:43.89
here and expecting Zacchaeus to
move into our space. Too much of
00:48:43.89\00:48:46.92
that has been going on around
here. Well, Zacchaeus, when he
00:48:46.92\00:48:49.89
shows up here, give me a few
weeks with him, and then I'll
decide if that's what I want to
00:48:49.89\00:48:53.36
do, be a friend of his. No,
Zacchaeus doesn't move into this
00:48:53.36\00:48:57.70
space. You move into Zacchaeus'
space. We can't just sit here.
We've got to mingle with
00:48:57.70\00:49:04.61
the crowd out there to
find him. We may find her in the
00:49:04.61\00:49:08.04
cafeteria, by the way, oh, yeah.
We may find them in the health
club, the gym, oh, yeah.
00:49:08.04\00:49:16.79
We may find him in the corporate
board room, yep, yep, yep. We
may find them on the street,
00:49:16.79\00:49:23.93
just on the street, but that's
where we find them. "Love on the
00:49:23.93\00:49:28.76
move" means we go to them." Now
he may be in a rather unusual
00:49:28.76\00:49:35.14
position. She may be in a most
unusual predicament. It doesn't
00:49:35.14\00:49:40.14
matter. "Love on the move" is
looking for them, never mind his
political persuasion,
00:49:40.14\00:49:46.51
never mind her sexual
orientation, never mind their
00:49:46.51\00:49:50.65
reputation on or off campus or
in this community or out of this
00:49:50.65\00:49:53.79
community. "Love on the move"
means the people of Pioneer
every morning wake up
00:49:53.79\00:49:57.46
and pray a prayer halfway
similar to this -- Please, dear
00:49:57.46\00:50:06.74
God, live out Jesus' love on the
move in me today, please, just
00:50:06.74\00:50:11.47
live it out through me today. Is
that too bad a prayer to pray?
00:50:11.47\00:50:17.48
No, just live it out through me
today, please. To the parents of
00:50:17.48\00:50:22.78
the child who's been dropped off
for Sabbath school, the parents
who never stay for church --
00:50:22.78\00:50:26.22
If you're one of the workers in
the Sabbath school, "love on the
00:50:26.22\00:50:28.99
move" means you move after those
parents. Don't you wait for
those parents to come back and
00:50:28.99\00:50:32.09
say, "I'm finally ready to
come to church." You go to them.
00:50:32.09\00:50:35.03
They're entrusting their
child to you. You go to them.
00:50:35.03\00:50:38.27
You know where they live. "Love
on the move," "love on the move"
00:50:38.27\00:50:43.00
means for the stranger who
enters our gates to worship,
maybe sitting by you right now.
00:50:43.00\00:50:47.34
Don't -- No, don't look
down there. No, you don't want
00:50:47.34\00:50:50.85
to be awkward.
00:50:50.85\00:50:52.85
The stranger who is
sitting beside you right now
00:50:52.88\00:50:55.32
within our gates,
"love on the move"
00:50:55.32\00:50:58.75
means you move to that stranger.
You introduce yourself.
00:50:58.75\00:51:04.76
You say, "Hey, come on over,
let's have a humble little lunch
00:51:04.76\00:51:08.23
together." "Love on
the move" means love
00:51:08.23\00:51:14.07
to the estranged
runaway child. She has run away
00:51:14.07\00:51:17.41
from her parents, and
somehow she has run into you,
00:51:17.41\00:51:20.18
and you hear her dilemma,
and without taking sides,
00:51:20.18\00:51:23.51
you embrace this little girl,
and you say, "Listen, listen,
00:51:23.51\00:51:27.08
listen, honey, we'll
be with you right now."
00:51:27.08\00:51:30.65
That's "love on the move,
"wherever, whomever, just like
00:51:30.69\00:51:37.63
Jesus. You know, that
never-never, he's never going to
be a jock guy? I mean, when they
00:51:37.63\00:51:41.20
choose up teams, whether it's
for the big Cardinals or some
other team, when they choose up
00:51:41.20\00:51:45.27
teams, he never ends up on the
team. He's the never jock, and
you're the big jock.
00:51:45.27\00:51:50.81
"Love on the move" means you
realize there's somebody that
would like to be a part of
00:51:50.81\00:51:55.11
a little circle where you are,
and you break out of your circle
into his life, and you say,
00:51:55.11\00:51:59.31
"Hey, listen, I want to get
to know you. Can we be friends?"
00:51:59.31\00:52:06.22
It's just outside of your
circle. That's why it's on the
move. Love on the stay is come
00:52:06.22\00:52:10.89
to me, and then I'll decide
whether I love you or not. "Love
on the move" means, no,
00:52:10.89\00:52:14.00
I'm headed your way
just like Jesus. Wow.
00:52:14.00\00:52:22.64
Plain and simple, "love on
the move." Can a whole church be
00:52:22.64\00:52:27.41
like this? Absolutely, I believe
with all my heart. I will name
00:52:27.41\00:52:31.85
of the story, oh, this story.
This is really a great story.
It's in your Sabbath Scholastic
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.98
Quarterly, this great study what
we're doing now on the Book of
00:52:34.98\00:52:38.82
Daniel. I couldn't believe it
when I saw it. After the first
00:52:38.82\00:52:41.52
week, you know, they put these
little stories in at the end of
every lesson? And when I saw the
00:52:41.52\00:52:47.03
headline -- "Make friends, not
Adventists," I said, "Is this
from World Headquarters or
00:52:47.03\00:52:54.00
what?" It can't be. It can't be.
"Make friends, not Adventists."
00:52:54.00\00:52:59.71
Now I'm really curious, so
I read on. "Igor Gospodarets
00:52:59.71\00:53:05.91
ordered 800 colorful
evangelistic posters reading
'Bible Opens the Path
00:53:05.91\00:53:10.22
to a Healthy and Happy Life.'"
He ordered them from Moscow. "He
plastered the advertisements
00:53:10.22\00:53:14.82
around his city in a former
Soviet republic where a majority
00:53:14.82\00:53:18.73
of the population is not
Christian. Then an elderly
visiting evangelist
00:53:18.73\00:53:21.60
told him to start over." "Yo,
'Order 800 new posters
advertising the Seventh-day
00:53:21.60\00:53:27.47
Adventist Church's five-day stop
smoking program,' said Arturo
00:53:27.47\00:53:32.01
Schmidt, the evangelist from
Argentina. Igor couldn't believe
his ears. The posters had taken
00:53:32.01\00:53:36.24
considerable money and time," to
put up, " and he didn't want to
start from scratch again.
00:53:36.24\00:53:40.78
'Why?' he asked, and the
evangelist replied, 'Our goal is
00:53:40.78\00:53:44.92
not to make Adventists out of
non-Christians. Our goal is to
00:53:44.92\00:53:50.49
make friends.' It was 1992, only
a year after the collapse of the
00:53:50.49\00:53:54.93
Soviet Union. Igor, a young
Adventist pastor, was eager to
take advantage of newfound
00:53:54.93\00:53:58.87
religious freedom to share his
love for Jesus. He didn't like
Schmidt's advice. It didn't make
00:53:58.87\00:54:02.74
sense to him to not preach
Jesus. He didn't see the logic
of offering stop-smoking
00:54:02.74\00:54:06.61
classes. He didn't want to lose
the money invested in the
evangelistic posters,"
00:54:06.61\00:54:09.74
so he prayed about it. "Finally,
Igor decided to take a chance.
00:54:09.74\00:54:13.62
Perhaps the elderly evangelist
knew something that he didn't,"
so he orders 800 stop-smoking
00:54:13.62\00:54:18.35
posters from Moscow and places
them all over the old posters
00:54:18.35\00:54:22.59
that were already hanging. A
surprise greeted Igor's eyes
when he showed up for the first
00:54:22.59\00:54:27.66
stop-smoking seminar. The rented
hall was packed with 1,000
00:54:27.66\00:54:36.10
people," whoa. "Most of the
visitors were not Christians."
He realized that the original
00:54:36.10\00:54:39.27
posters never would have
attracted so large a turnout.
Five years later, now listen,
00:54:39.27\00:54:44.01
"After a Sabbath sermon, a
stranger reached out to shake
00:54:44.01\00:54:47.58
Igor's hand," Pastor Igor, "in
the church, 'Do you remember
me?' the man asked. Igor
00:54:47.58\00:54:52.89
didn't." Well, "I was in that
crowd of a thousand people that
took the stop-smoking class
00:54:52.89\00:54:55.99
5 years ago,' the man said. 'I
heard you and Pastor Schmidt
speak.' The man explained
00:54:55.99\00:55:00.73
that he had been raised in a
non-Christian home," and
struggling to quit smoking,
00:55:00.73\00:55:04.93
and "The seminars had helped him
stop and, realizing that the
Adventists were his friends,
00:55:04.93\00:55:09.10
he had started attending church
every Sabbath." Igor could not
00:55:09.10\00:55:15.58
believe his ears. "'It was at
that moment that I understood
the importance of friendship
00:55:15.58\00:55:25.35
evangelism,'" and Igor, now a
church leader in southern
Russia, goes on -- "'Our goal is
00:55:25.35\00:55:30.83
not to make Adventists out of
non-Christians. Our goal is to
00:55:30.83\00:55:36.03
make friends for Jesus.'" Amen,
"love on the move," that's what
00:55:36.03\00:55:42.47
it's all about -- to make
friends for Jesus. You ever try?
Come on, we got to get people
00:55:42.47\00:55:47.44
to join the church and become
Adventists. Might that with a
00:55:47.44\00:55:54.15
funny person like you, I'm just
thinking that they probably will
00:55:54.15\00:55:59.22
be drawn because of the warmth
of your heart, and even if
they're not, "love on the move"
00:55:59.22\00:56:04.63
is not only for people that
might become. "Love on the move"
is for people who are loved
00:56:04.63\00:56:08.83
by God and need to know Jesus as
the friend of sinners. It's
still "love on the move,"
00:56:08.83\00:56:16.91
and it's still the right time to
win friends for Jesus. What do
00:56:16.91\00:56:21.41
you think? What do you say?
Well, that was really weak. No,
00:56:21.41\00:56:27.85
I'm serious. That was very weak.
I'm asking you one more time,
four words, new moniker.
00:56:27.85\00:56:36.46
Don't you think it's the
right time? And that we ought to
00:56:36.46\00:56:40.10
expend our best energies winning
friends for Jesus? What do you
00:56:40.10\00:56:46.77
think? >> Amen! >> Ah, me, too.
00:56:46.77\00:56:48.30
>> I want to take an extra
moment to thank you for joining
00:56:52.74\00:56:55.04
us in worship today.
It's by the continued support
00:56:55.04\00:56:57.08
from viewers like you that we're
able to bring you this program.
00:56:57.08\00:57:00.05
Today I want to invite you,
though, to share with us how
00:57:00.05\00:57:02.38
this ministry has blessed you.
I get inspiring notes, e-mails
00:57:02.38\00:57:06.19
from viewers literally all over
the world telling me, "Look,
00:57:06.19\00:57:08.66
Dwight, God has been
blessing me this way.
00:57:08.66\00:57:10.43
He's been doing this." I
would love to hear from you,
00:57:10.43\00:57:12.56
as well. Just
visit our website -- you
00:57:12.56\00:57:14.73
know it -- newperceptions.tv.
And click on the "contact" link
00:57:14.73\00:57:18.77
at the top of the page.
Send me a note, let me know what
00:57:18.77\00:57:21.64
God has been doing
right now in your life.
00:57:21.64\00:57:24.24
Once again, thank you
for being with us today.
00:57:24.24\00:57:26.61
I hope you'll join
us right here next time.
00:57:26.61\00:57:29.21
And until then, may the God
of grace journey with you every
00:57:29.21\00:57:32.55
step of the way.
00:57:32.55\00:57:33.98
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:38.39\00:57:58.31
¤¤ ¤¤
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¤¤
00:58:18.33\00:58:27.97