い
00:00:00.43\00:00:02.30
>> So, I wanted to share
a little something with you.
00:00:10.27\00:00:14.31
This week, I've been thinking
a lot about what it means
00:00:14.31\00:00:16.78
to have faith and to
have a child-like faith.
00:00:16.78\00:00:20.52
I'm thinking about children,
not for myself, not yet, but I
00:00:20.52\00:00:24.02
do work with a lot of children
and I'm grateful to, because
00:00:24.02\00:00:26.59
God points them
out as an example of
00:00:26.59\00:00:28.29
how our faith should be.
00:00:28.29\00:00:30.06
I was talking with a
friend this week. She's working
00:00:30.09\00:00:32.49
for ADRA in Mongolia. She's
always trying to, you know,
meet, make new friends
00:00:32.49\00:00:37.13
'cause she just got there, and
she said she met some other
Christians, some Europeans.
00:00:37.13\00:00:40.67
They invited her to go out
looking for wildlife. She said,
"I didn't really know
00:00:40.67\00:00:46.74
what that meant, but we ended
up just, like, crouching in the
00:00:46.74\00:00:50.05
forest. We were trying to see
this one kind of bird that this
guy really wanted to see."
00:00:50.05\00:00:53.88
And she said he wanted to see
it so much that I decided to ask
00:00:53.88\00:00:58.15
God. I said, "God knows this man
and He knows how much this guy
wants to see this bird.
00:00:58.15\00:01:03.02
And God loves to make us happy
with those little joys." And,
so, she said she prayed,
00:01:03.02\00:01:07.13
and there popped up the bird.
And this just reminds me of how
God does so much stuff for us
00:01:07.13\00:01:13.70
just to make us happy, just to
encourage us in this life, and
give us the little joys.
00:01:13.70\00:01:18.01
And so we can have that
childlike awe and joy in this
world that God gave us.
00:01:18.01\00:01:23.24
So, today, as we worship God,
let's just remember what he's
00:01:23.24\00:01:27.35
done for us, all those small
things and those big things,
like making us heirs to his
00:01:27.35\00:01:31.79
throne. But we have so much to
be thankful for. Let's just bow
00:01:31.79\00:01:35.49
our heads for a prayer before we
start. Heavenly Father, thank
you so much for being
00:01:35.49\00:01:41.66
such a good father to us, for
knowing the things that we like
00:01:41.66\00:01:47.30
and the things that will
encourage us. And, Lord, I know
that you reached out to me in a
00:01:47.30\00:01:51.91
special way this week, and I
thank you, God, for all the ways
that the people in this room
00:01:51.91\00:01:57.01
saw you working. And I pray,
Lord, that you would give us the
00:01:57.01\00:02:02.62
courage to ask things of you,
Lord, to exercise our faith, and
to ask, believing that
00:02:02.62\00:02:07.96
you will give an answer. Lord,
you've shown us so many times in
00:02:07.96\00:02:11.79
the past that you work like
this. and so we thank you and
00:02:11.79\00:02:15.06
we're claiming it. And today.
instead of asking, we just want
to give something back.
00:02:15.06\00:02:17.70
God, we want to praise you. We
just want to offer our genuine
00:02:17.70\00:02:21.87
worship. Thank you for being our
father. In your name, we pray.
00:02:21.90\00:02:24.97
Amen. い
00:02:24.97\00:02:28.28
>> Please stand with us as
we sing "No Longer Slaves."
00:08:11.62\00:08:16.46
>> During this next
song, we just want to invite
00:12:59.71\00:13:01.84
whoever would like
to come forward to pray,
00:13:01.84\00:13:04.71
just make your way
here towards the front.
00:13:04.71\00:13:07.42
い
00:13:07.42\00:13:09.35
>> Alright, so, here's a story
from one of my -- our story
scouts named Sharon Nugent.
00:18:05.75\00:18:12.32
She found this. It's happening
just two Wednesdays ago.
00:18:12.32\00:18:15.29
Oh, it's the middle of
the night. It might be early
00:18:15.29\00:18:17.73
morning. It's pitch-black. And
he's driving all alone in his
00:18:17.73\00:18:21.23
FedEx truck. Have you ever seen
a FedEx truck? Yes, you have.
00:18:21.23\00:18:24.27
You've seen them. Uh-huh.
00:18:24.27\00:18:26.13
He's driving that
FedEx truck and he's on I-85.
00:18:26.17\00:18:30.87
So, that's a big
interstate in North Carolina.
00:18:30.87\00:18:33.14
He's driving down the
road. He must have some pickup
00:18:33.14\00:18:35.61
or delivery to do, and,
boy, he's just driving to beat
00:18:35.61\00:18:37.88
the band, when, all of a sudden,
he notices, in the passing lane
00:18:37.88\00:18:40.58
ahead, there is
a car in trouble.
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.72
The car is in big trouble.
It's just stopped. You're not
00:18:42.75\00:18:45.89
supposed to stop in the passing
lane unless you're in real
trouble. So he says, "Well,
00:18:45.89\00:18:49.72
I know what I'm going to do. I'm
going to be a good neighbor and
I'm going to pull right
00:18:49.72\00:18:52.56
over." So he pulls over
on the slow lane, on the side
00:18:52.56\00:18:57.30
there. He pulls over and he
jumps out. He walks over there
00:18:57.30\00:19:00.90
and he sees a man's in trouble.
He can't get the car started. He
00:19:00.90\00:19:03.71
says, "Well, I think I can help
you." He's just getting ready to
pull out his cellphone
00:19:03.71\00:19:07.34
to call somebody to help
this driver when he sees a huge
00:19:07.34\00:19:13.78
semitruck just... [ Imitates
engine revving ] ...just
barreling down the road. He's
00:19:13.78\00:19:18.45
coming straight at him. "This
guy's going to hit me. This guy
is gonna hit me. Doesn't he see
00:19:18.45\00:19:23.22
me? I know it's dark, but I'm
gonna jump over this fence into
00:19:23.22\00:19:27.40
the median and I'm going to let
him go 'woom!' And when when
he's done, I'll get back over
00:19:27.40\00:19:30.50
the fence and I'm gonna help
this poor driver." So, that's
exactly what he did.
00:19:30.50\00:19:34.24
As the truck comes barreling
towards him, he jumps over the
00:19:34.24\00:19:37.17
fence and he said, "Okay, now
I'll be fine. The problem was --
He said, "This is really weird.
00:19:37.17\00:19:44.31
There's nothing under my feet.
Well, there will be something
under my feet in a split second.
00:19:44.31\00:19:50.12
There's nothing under my feet
now. Well, this is really weird.
00:19:50.12\00:19:53.29
I'm falling through the air. How
could I be falling through the
00:19:53.29\00:19:57.93
air on an interstate highway?
This is really weird." And he's
starting to go faster.
00:19:57.93\00:20:03.37
And he's starting to go faster.
And this is happening in a half
00:20:03.37\00:20:07.04
a second. He's going faster and
faster. And he says, "I don't
know where I'm going to stop."
00:20:07.04\00:20:12.97
You know what happened to him?
He jumped off -- he didn't know
00:20:12.97\00:20:16.48
this -- but the Yadkin River
Bridge. He just jumped off the
bridge. He thought this was a
00:20:16.48\00:20:20.48
little grass median right there.
"I'll just jump over here."
00:20:20.48\00:20:23.65
Whoop! He went "whoop!"
00:20:23.65\00:20:25.89
That's exactly what happened. Do
you know how high it was? Look
00:20:34.36\00:20:40.90
straight up. You see that middle
line? That's the peak of our
roof. That's 50 feet from right
00:20:40.90\00:20:45.31
here. 50 feet to there. Add 25
more feet, 7 1/2 stories. Like
jumping off the roof of a
00:20:45.31\00:20:54.15
7-1/2-story building.
00:20:54.15\00:20:57.22
He did not land in the river.
He landed on a sandbar. Which is
00:21:00.52\00:21:07.10
probably worse. The guy up top
is saying, "This is big trouble.
Don't worry about me."
00:21:07.10\00:21:11.17
He's calling 911. "Get the help
out here." And a huge fire truck
00:21:11.17\00:21:17.27
comes in. A burly firefighter
named Jacob gets off. He said,
"What's the problem?"
00:21:17.27\00:21:21.88
"There's somebody down there. He
jumped over thinking it was a
median, and he's gone."
00:21:21.88\00:21:26.01
Oh, no! They went into the
truck, pulled out the rappelling
00:21:26.01\00:21:32.49
ropes. There goes big
Jacob down, down, down. His feet
00:21:32.49\00:21:36.49
finally touch something hard.
It's the sandbar. And there, he
00:21:36.49\00:21:44.33
finds him. Jeremiah Cribb. And
Jeremiah looked up at him and he
00:21:44.33\00:21:52.61
said, "Whoa! That was a fall." [
Laughter ] Seriously. They put a
00:21:52.61\00:21:57.65
harness on him, took him to the
hospital. He broke three ribs,
00:21:57.65\00:21:59.51
punctured a lung. But he said,
"God --" This is what he told
00:21:59.51\00:22:03.49
the newspaper. "God saved my
life." Oh, I think God really
did. You can't fall that far.
00:22:03.49\00:22:08.66
You can't jump from that far.
But Jeremiah is alive today
because a big rescuer
00:22:08.66\00:22:13.70
named Jacob came down and pulled
him up and said, "We're going
00:22:13.70\00:22:16.97
up. You stay with me." Oh, Jesus
came down one day -- not 75
00:22:16.97\00:22:22.24
feet. Oh, Jesus came. How many
miles was that? I don't know.
00:22:22.24\00:22:25.01
He came all the way down. They
let him down from heaven. Come
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.84
on. "Are you there yet, Jesus?"
"I'm there now." "Alright,
00:22:27.84\00:22:31.75
you know what your mission is.
Save every boy and girl that you
can find and moms and dads,
00:22:31.75\00:22:34.88
too." And Jesus spends
his life rescuing people.
00:22:34.88\00:22:38.95
Guess what -- Jesus is gone,
but He has you. That's the good
00:22:38.95\00:22:44.16
news. He has you to help
Him rescue others. How many want
00:22:44.16\00:22:48.16
to be a helper for Jesus? You
know what, Jesus? I'll help you.
00:22:48.16\00:22:51.90
I'll help you. Come on. Put your
hands up if you want to be a
00:22:51.90\00:22:54.60
helper for Jesus. If you don't
want to be a helper for Jesus.
No. Put your hands up if you do.
00:22:54.60\00:22:57.84
There you go. Come on. Love
on the move. That's what it is.
00:22:57.84\00:23:02.54
Always looking for people
to help. That's what Jesus
00:23:02.54\00:23:05.01
was on the cross. He was in love
on the move. And that's what we
00:23:05.01\00:23:09.62
can be. Oh, we got to talk to
Jesus. Who wants to thank Jesus
for being love on the move?
00:23:09.62\00:23:14.92
Let's see. I had girls in first
service. How about do I have any
00:23:14.92\00:23:18.96
boys raising their hands right
now? Huh? Joshua? I see you.
00:23:18.96\00:23:26.77
Yep. I see you. Too late, guys.
Alright, Josh, come on. Josh
just got baptized here
00:23:26.77\00:23:31.84
back in December, so... Let's
close our eyes and fold our
hands, and Joshua's gonna
00:23:31.84\00:23:37.15
pray. >> Holy Father, on this
day, you're in heaven, but God
00:23:37.15\00:23:45.42
understands on the Sabbath
Day. So now pray. Amen. >> Amen.
00:23:45.42\00:23:54.46
Thank you, Joshua. As you go
quietly and reverently back to
your seats, you say what Joshua
00:23:54.46\00:23:58.47
just said. Thank you for sending
Jesus. And I want to help Jesus,
too. Alright? Happy Sabbath to
00:23:58.47\00:24:04.81
you. See you later.
00:24:04.81\00:24:06.34
[ Bells ringing ]
00:24:08.91\00:24:10.85
[ Applause ] Thank you,
Resound. You blessed us.
00:27:06.96\00:27:17.17
Thank you again, Marcelo
Martins. We needed that today.
00:27:17.17\00:27:23.30
Had a child at the children's
story this morning. And he was
00:27:23.30\00:27:29.11
here. At the end of the
children's story, he came up to
me and he said, "Pastor, would
00:27:29.11\00:27:31.48
you pray for the coronavirus?"
And I'm thinking to myself that
00:27:31.48\00:27:36.65
this story is just kind of
slipping in between the cracks,
and the children aren't getting
00:27:36.65\00:27:39.32
it. Let me tell you something.
The children are all getting it.
They hear you talking.
00:27:39.32\00:27:44.23
They hear their favorite
adults carry on conversations.
00:27:44.23\00:27:48.00
They know. And I want to
honor that little boy's request.
00:27:48.00\00:27:51.37
I think we ought to pray right
now, don't you? By the way, I
00:27:51.37\00:27:55.77
had someone who was a university
student in first service, came
and saw me in between services,
00:27:55.77\00:27:59.34
and he said, "You know
something, Pastor? It's amazing
00:27:59.34\00:28:06.41
how we do this, but we keep
putting people in the hot seat.
We identify who they are
00:28:06.41\00:28:09.72
and then we say, 'You know what?
Look out for them.'" He's an
00:28:09.72\00:28:16.16
Asian student. He said,
"Sometimes, you just feel it. I
said, "You're talking
00:28:16.16\00:28:21.53
about on campus?" He said,
"No, but it's just society."
00:28:21.53\00:28:25.60
And I thought to myself, "Man,
it can't happen that way in the
00:28:25.60\00:28:29.54
faith community, not this
community. We don't isolate
anybody. We embrace -- Love on
00:28:29.54\00:28:34.18
the move means you embrace
everybody." I grew up in an
Asian country, 14 years.
00:28:34.18\00:28:39.15
I love Asians. Come on. You'd
be... Anyway, you got the point.
00:28:39.15\00:28:46.59
We just can't do it. We
just cannot do it. I don't care
00:28:46.59\00:28:49.86
if they do it out there. I don't
care if they do it on TV or on
00:28:49.86\00:28:53.19
the radio. We don't do it. We're
all in this together. Let's
00:28:53.19\00:28:56.80
pray. Father, this coronavirus
thing -- we can't figure it out.
The stock market -- plunging.
00:28:56.80\00:29:01.74
What's up with that? So the
little boy makes a good point.
00:29:01.74\00:29:07.91
Instead of talking about it, we
can pray about it. And so we are
00:29:07.91\00:29:11.81
right now. We're praying that
you will give wisdom to the
doctors in every nation on Earth
00:29:11.81\00:29:16.35
who are racing to find
some stopgap that can bring the
00:29:16.35\00:29:24.09
ravages to a halt. You've done
it before. You can do it again.
And here we are in worship.
00:29:24.09\00:29:30.23
We're all one family in worship.
Let our teaching be clear, very
00:29:30.23\00:29:35.70
clear. We pray in
Jesus' name. Amen.
00:29:35.70\00:29:38.31
One of the most-watched
videos of TED Talks in history,
00:29:38.34\00:29:44.38
viewed by 11.8 million people,
was a short talk delivered by
00:29:44.38\00:29:50.39
a gentleman named Simon
Sinek. And maybe you've seen it.
00:29:50.39\00:29:54.82
The title of the YouTube, "How
Great Leaders Inspire Action."
00:29:54.82\00:29:58.93
Here's Sinek's point. He
says, "You have to embrace
00:29:58.93\00:30:04.27
the power of why."
00:30:04.27\00:30:09.20
Why do I exist? Why am I
here? What's up with this?
00:30:09.24\00:30:14.28
What's the purpose of my life
right now? Sinek's point -- you
00:30:14.28\00:30:17.95
have to embrace the power of why
because if you don't understand
your why, you will never get
00:30:17.95\00:30:24.55
your how right. Turns out Simon
Sinek and our friend, the Angel
00:30:24.55\00:30:34.83
Gabriel -- both know the truth.
Until you know the why, you'll
never get your how.
00:30:34.83\00:30:40.84
So, let's go to Gabriel. Simon
Sinek, we got it. Let's go to
00:30:40.84\00:30:46.21
Gabriel. Luke chapter 1. We were
there last week, but there's a
00:30:46.21\00:30:51.28
line here. Oh, there's a line
that I've been brooding on for a
bunch of months now.
00:30:51.28\00:30:54.72
I don't know what this
coronavirus means on the planet.
I don't know how pieces fit.
00:30:54.72\00:31:00.92
It's not for me to know, but I'm
thinking more and more if I --
And I've taped this, by the way,
00:31:00.92\00:31:05.79
where I have "worship" right on
the wall. I'm thinking more and
00:31:05.79\00:31:08.56
more, "If we don't get this
right, we're gonna be here
forever." So, here's the one
00:31:08.56\00:31:12.70
line that I've been brooding
over. I want to share it with
you. Open your Bible to
00:31:12.70\00:31:14.80
Luke chapter 1. Now, Luke,
Chapter 2 is the big Christmas
00:31:14.80\00:31:17.71
story. Everybody loves
Christmas. But this is chapter
1, which is the pre-Christmas
00:31:17.71\00:31:22.71
story. So, something's gonna
happen now. A baby's gonna get
00:31:22.71\00:31:25.08
born. Two babies get born,
one in chapter 2 and one in 1.
00:31:25.08\00:31:27.78
This is the baby in 1. So,
let's drop down to verse 11.
00:31:27.82\00:31:31.12
"Then an angel of the
Lord appeared to him."
00:31:31.12\00:31:33.62
We'll find the
angel's name in just a moment.
00:31:33.62\00:31:35.59
"Angel of the Lord appeared
to him --" that would be elderly
00:31:35.59\00:31:38.23
Zechariah -- "standing at
the right hand of the altar of
00:31:38.23\00:31:41.23
incense. And
when Zechariah saw the
00:31:41.23\00:31:43.26
angel --" I would have certainly
reacted the same way, and I
00:31:43.26\00:31:46.40
suppose you would, as
well -- "he was startle and was
00:31:46.40\00:31:49.64
gripped," choked,
throttled, "with fear."
00:31:49.64\00:31:52.91
Well, I'd be throttled.
"And the angel said to him,
00:31:52.91\00:31:56.68
'Do not be afraid.'" I
love that because once you
00:31:56.68\00:32:01.85
understand the why, all this
nervousness about, "How do I
00:32:01.85\00:32:06.82
pull off the
how?" is drained away.
00:32:06.82\00:32:10.16
"You don't have to be
afraid," the angel says.
00:32:10.16\00:32:12.66
"Listen, your
prayer has been heard."
00:32:12.66\00:32:14.10
Keep reading. "'Your
wife Elizabeth will bear
00:32:14.10\00:32:15.63
you a son, and you
are to call him John.'"
00:32:15.63\00:32:18.00
"Now, listen, Zechariah. Are you
listening to me?" The man can
00:32:18.03\00:32:22.27
hardly breathe. "Are you
listening to me? Because I am
now gonna give you the why for
00:32:22.27\00:32:26.74
your baby's life, and it is up
to you, sir, to tell this baby
what his why is." And if you're
00:32:26.74\00:32:32.98
a young parent, as we just had
two young parents standing here,
it is your mission, Mommy and
00:32:32.98\00:32:37.52
Daddy, to tell your child what
her why is, what his why is.
You've got to tell them.
00:32:37.52\00:32:44.56
So, Zechariah -- Listen to me.
00:32:44.56\00:32:45.96
Verse 16. Here it comes.
"He --" your baby -- "will bring
00:32:45.99\00:32:49.16
back many of the people of
Israel to the Lord their God."
00:32:49.16\00:32:51.53
Verse 17 -- "And he --" John --
"will go on before the Lord, in
00:32:51.53\00:32:55.47
the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the
00:32:55.47\00:32:58.17
parents to their children and
the disobedient to the wisdom of
00:32:58.17\00:33:01.51
the righteous -- to make ready
a people prepared for the Lord."
00:33:01.51\00:33:07.55
Now, Zechariah has just been
given this stunning why for his
baby, but Zechariah, so human,
00:33:07.58\00:33:14.76
does what we humans do. We don't
celebrate the why. We start
00:33:14.76\00:33:21.86
asking the how. And I'm afraid
it's that way in the church, as
well. We've forgotten the why
00:33:21.86\00:33:26.60
perhaps, but we've got all kinds
of hows going on -- "How this,
how that, try this, how, how,
00:33:26.60\00:33:31.07
how, how, how." And God is
saying, "What are you talking
about, how, how, how?
00:33:31.07\00:33:33.78
I'm talking to you about why,
why, why." Until you know the
00:33:33.78\00:33:37.61
why -- the power of why, Simon
Sinek -- Until you know the
power of why, your hows won't
00:33:37.61\00:33:44.32
matter. You have to know why you
exist. That's true for an
institution, a congregation, and
00:33:44.32\00:33:50.29
you and me as people. Do you
know why you exist? I'm asking
00:33:50.29\00:33:55.23
you. Why were you born? Why are
you on this planet right now?
00:33:55.23\00:33:58.57
There is a reason. You have to
know it. Now, what Gabriel has
00:33:58.57\00:34:03.74
just done is the one-line
mission statement, the powerful,
00:34:03.74\00:34:09.58
stunning why for John the
Baptist. John the Baptist was to
get them ready for the Messiah's
00:34:09.58\00:34:13.82
first coming. Guess what.
You came along just in time to
00:34:13.82\00:34:17.69
get the world ready for the
Messiah's second coming. And I'm
telling you, fellow
00:34:17.69\00:34:22.49
groupies watching the horizon,
the evidence is mounting that
Jesus is coming soon.
00:34:22.49\00:34:30.30
I didn't think I get
an "Amen" anyway. >> Amen.
00:34:30.30\00:34:33.97
>> Huh? Yeah, He is coming soon,
whether you "amen" it or not.
00:34:33.97\00:34:38.54
>> Amen. >> "To make ready --"
Let's put that on the screen,
00:34:38.54\00:34:42.71
please. "To make ready a people
prepared for the Lord." That's
00:34:42.71\00:34:46.48
the great why. And Zechariah --
bless his heart -- he doesn't
say, "I want to celebrate the
00:34:46.48\00:34:50.79
why." His first word -- what's
the first word out of his mouth?
Look at the next verse.
00:34:50.79\00:34:54.52
It would be chapter 1, verse
18. Put it on the screen for us,
00:34:54.52\00:34:57.59
please. Zechariah asks the angel
what? "Yo, how? How? How? How
can I be sure of this?
00:34:57.59\00:35:05.53
I am an old man, and my wife is
well along in years." And by the
way, gentlemen, since
00:35:05.53\00:35:09.60
this is Family Life Day with a
little baby dedication going on,
that's how you talk about your
00:35:09.60\00:35:13.61
wife's age -- "I'm old, but
she's well along in years."
That's the best way to do it
00:35:13.61\00:35:17.71
'cause if you say, "I'm old and
she's old," you may not live to
00:35:17.71\00:35:20.65
be old. [ Laughter ] So just
take a lesson out of the
playbook of Zechariah.
00:35:20.65\00:35:24.09
"I'm old, and she's
well along in years. How?"
00:35:24.09\00:35:30.33
Gabriel says, "Excuse me?
Excuse me? Did you just ask how?
00:35:30.33\00:35:39.07
I just gave you the why,
and you're asking me how? Do you
00:35:39.07\00:35:44.27
know who I am?" Look at the next
verse. "Do you know who I am?
00:35:44.31\00:35:46.68
I am Gabriel. I am
the prime minister of this
00:35:46.68\00:35:51.25
universe." Do you
understand there is a
00:35:51.25\00:35:53.88
King and the next highest
being to the King is the prime
00:35:53.88\00:35:56.52
minister? Do
you understand that?
00:35:56.52\00:35:58.12
You'd have to be from the U.K.
to figure that out, but that's
00:35:58.12\00:36:00.82
how it works. "I
am the prime minister.
00:36:00.82\00:36:04.79
My name is Gabriel. I
stand in the very presence of
00:36:04.79\00:36:08.86
God, and I came here to
give you some good news.
00:36:08.86\00:36:11.03
And you're talking
to me, boy, about how?"
00:36:11.03\00:36:15.17
Until you get your why straight,
you will never know how. I'm
telling you, we are just
00:36:15.20\00:36:22.24
like -- Well, Simon Sinek knew
how to talk to us and Gabriel
knew how to talk to Zechariah
00:36:22.24\00:36:26.68
because we're all the same.
Human nature -- "How, how, how,
how, how, how, how, how?"
00:36:26.68\00:36:30.15
We have all these hows running
around, and nobody knows the
00:36:30.15\00:36:33.56
why. Isn't that sad? One line --
could you put it on the screen
for us again, please?
00:36:33.56\00:36:37.53
"To make ready a people prepared
for the Lord," which is why, by
the way, Matthew, Mark, Luke,
00:36:37.53\00:36:43.10
and John all quote one line from
the ancient prophet Isaiah.
Isn't that amazing?
00:36:43.10\00:36:49.37
They don't agree, often, all
four of them, with the same
material, but they do this one.
00:36:49.37\00:36:54.71
So, go over to Luke chapter 3.
Come on. Go to Luke chapter 3.
Because when you find this why,
00:36:54.71\00:36:59.05
as it's expressed in Luke 3,
there will be a how thrown in,
and it's that how that you and I
00:36:59.05\00:37:05.32
are gonna kind of say, "Whoa,
there's the how." Watch this.
00:37:05.32\00:37:11.39
Luke chapter 3. Luke is a
historian, plus being a
physician. And it can happen
00:37:11.39\00:37:16.43
this way. The historians
-- you know, they got a lot of
00:37:16.43\00:37:19.23
footnotes. And so Luke
has thrown in these footnotes.
00:37:19.27\00:37:21.30
We'll go ahead and read them
in verse one of Luke chapter 3.
00:37:21.30\00:37:24.14
"In the 15th year, the reign
of Tiberius Caesar --" we're
00:37:24.14\00:37:26.54
talking about the big emperor --
"when Pontius Pilot was governor
00:37:26.54\00:37:29.68
of Judea --" you've heard
of him -- "Herod, tetrarch of
00:37:29.68\00:37:32.68
Galilee --" we all know him --
"his brother Phillip, tetrarch
00:37:32.68\00:37:35.65
of Iturea and Traconitis, and
Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene --
00:37:35.65\00:37:40.12
during the high-priesthood of
Annas and Caiaphas --" here we
00:37:40.12\00:37:42.92
go now -- "the Word of God
came to John, son of Zechariah,
00:37:42.92\00:37:46.90
in the wilderness. He
went into all the country
00:37:46.90\00:37:50.13
around the Jordan, preaching
a baptism of repentance and
00:37:50.13\00:37:52.70
forgiveness of
sins." Now, here it comes.
00:37:52.70\00:37:54.90
All four
Gospels quote this line.
00:37:54.90\00:37:57.34
"As it is written in the book of
the words of Isaiah the prophet:
00:37:57.34\00:38:01.28
'A voice of one calling in the
wilderness, "Prepare the way for
00:38:01.28\00:38:06.78
the Lord and make
straight paths for Him."'"
00:38:06.78\00:38:09.65
Hey, let's iso that line and
put it on the screen right now.
00:38:09.65\00:38:12.52
"A voice of one calling in the
wilderness, 'Prepare the way for
00:38:12.52\00:38:16.73
Him.'"
00:38:16.73\00:38:17.79
You say, "Dwight, I see the why
there. The why is "To make ready
00:38:17.83\00:38:21.10
a people prepared for the Lord."
Where's the how? The how is
00:38:21.10\00:38:25.67
sitting right in front of us --
"A voice of one calling in the
wilderness." When you know that
00:38:25.67\00:38:33.38
you have the the why -- "To make
ready a people prepared for the
Lord" -- the modus operandi for
00:38:33.38\00:38:38.28
the why is voice. It's
voice. You have a voice.
00:38:38.28\00:38:42.35
I have a voice. We use the
voice. You say, "Ah, Dwight,
00:38:42.35\00:38:47.52
come on." No, no, seriously.
That's it. The big why -- "Make
ready a people prepared for the
00:38:47.52\00:38:51.79
Lord." How do we do it? You be a
voice. I have good news for you.
00:38:51.79\00:38:54.20
It doesn't say "the voice"
because that really makes me
00:38:54.20\00:38:57.57
nervous. If it says "the voice,"
I'm thinking, "Man, all of
Heaven is looking on me for
00:38:57.57\00:39:01.20
this? Please deliver me from
that pressure." No, it doesn't
00:39:01.20\00:39:04.77
say "the voice." It says "a
voice." Just as there was a
voice before the Messiah came
00:39:04.77\00:39:09.24
the first time, there will be
thousands of voices -- so,
they'll be all little "a voices"
00:39:09.24\00:39:14.62
-- before the Messiah comes the
second time. You're that voice,
and I'm that voice.
00:39:14.62\00:39:18.42
And guess what? It doesn't
have to be a voice, voice.
00:39:18.42\00:39:21.72
It can be an electronic voice.
Listen to this. I just learned
00:39:21.72\00:39:26.66
this last week. I met a guy that
I'd never met before in my life.
00:39:26.66\00:39:30.63
His name is Bakar. I just met
him last week, last Thursday, as
a matter of fact. Bakar is from
00:39:30.63\00:39:37.11
the country of Georgia. Now,
we're not talking about Atlanta,
00:39:37.11\00:39:40.51
Georgia. We're talking about
Tbilisi, Georgia. It's a little
00:39:40.51\00:39:46.01
country south of Russia and
north of Iran, okay? There is
Georgia. The Georgian language
00:39:46.01\00:39:52.25
is one of the 10 oldest
languages on this planet. Guess
00:39:52.25\00:39:55.62
what. There aren't a lot of
people that speak one of the 10
oldest languages of Earth.
00:39:55.62\00:40:00.96
They've all died off. But there
are people who have been driven
00:40:00.96\00:40:06.90
out of Georgia because of
political changes over the
years, and they live in New York
00:40:06.90\00:40:12.51
and in L.A. and in Paris. There
are Georgian-speaking people all
00:40:12.51\00:40:16.04
over this planet, about four
million of them. Bakar came over
here to go to school.
00:40:16.04\00:40:20.55
He got his major in landscaping,
and then he got a job in
Chicago, so he lives in this
00:40:20.55\00:40:25.25
community and he works in
Chicago. But Bakar has been
00:40:25.25\00:40:30.46
thinking, "You know what?
There's a why for my life."
Bless his heart. He got it.
00:40:30.46\00:40:36.20
"The why for my life is to make
ready a people prepared for the
Lord," and he says, "I got to
00:40:36.20\00:40:40.60
do something. God, what can
I do?" Well, one of the great
00:40:40.60\00:40:44.67
rules of life, one of the great
tips for living is this -- find
a need and fill it.
00:40:44.67\00:40:51.85
That's how great things get
done. Somebody finds a need and
00:40:51.85\00:40:55.48
says, "Hey, well, I'll do it."
There's nobody communicating to
00:40:55.48\00:40:59.25
the Georgians. And you know what
he says? "I'm gonna communicate
to my fellow Georgians wherever
00:40:59.25\00:41:03.09
they live on this planet. I'm
gonna start a YouTube station,
00:41:03.09\00:41:06.59
and I'm gonna -- Oh, brother, I
can't. There's no literature for
my faith community in Georgian.
00:41:06.59\00:41:12.47
Oh, they have a little book
called "Steps to Christ," but
00:41:12.47\00:41:16.14
that's it. So you know what he
did? He found some English study
00:41:16.14\00:41:20.41
guides. He said, "I'll translate
these." He got his little
smartphone. He put up a table in
00:41:20.41\00:41:25.98
his apartment, one lamp --
that's all you need -- and a
laptop. He's good to go.
00:41:25.98\00:41:30.82
And he starts recording messages
in Georgian to anybody out there
that might speak Georgian.
00:41:30.82\00:41:39.26
Well, how are they
gonna find out about this?
00:41:39.29\00:41:41.23
Well, he has a little
social-media account, and he
00:41:41.23\00:41:43.43
starts posting, "Hey,
I've started a little Georgian
00:41:43.43\00:41:46.17
YouTube station. You
need to check it out.
00:41:46.17\00:41:48.47
Hey, I've
started this Instagram.
00:41:48.47\00:41:50.14
I started a new
-- Check it out."
00:41:50.14\00:41:53.07
And slowly people
started checking it out.
00:41:53.07\00:41:55.44
Now, hold onto your pew because
he says, "Well, then I'm gonna
00:41:55.44\00:41:57.95
record some more,"
so he records more.
00:41:57.95\00:42:00.58
And they're posted.
And the diaspora of the
00:42:00.58\00:42:04.15
Georgians has taken him to the
whole planet, but they're all
00:42:04.15\00:42:06.39
tuning in.
00:42:06.39\00:42:07.79
To the place today, he has
94,000 viewers who are following
and tracking his humble little
00:42:07.82\00:42:14.56
"To make ready a people
prepared for the Lord." >> Amen!
00:42:14.56\00:42:18.63
>> Huh? Listen, you can
be social-media missionary.
00:42:18.63\00:42:23.07
It says you're gonna use a
voice, a voice of one crying in
00:42:23.07\00:42:26.81
the wilderness. Well, you got
a social-media voice. Use that
00:42:26.81\00:42:30.51
voice. You don't have to stand
in front of 94,000 people. And
by the way, Bakar never knew
00:42:30.51\00:42:35.65
that this thing would explode
like that. But the God of the
00:42:35.65\00:42:39.59
universe who laid His laid on
Bakar's heart the great why
said, "Once you get the why,
00:42:39.59\00:42:44.89
I'll help you with the how."
00:42:44.89\00:42:46.63
In fact, would you put
that on the screen, please?
00:42:46.66\00:42:48.26
"When you know your why,
God will guide you to your how."
00:42:48.26\00:42:52.87
That's the way it works.
00:42:52.87\00:42:55.30
Wow, Bakar. 94,000? "Yeah, but,
Dwight, I got to tell you
something -- I can't
00:42:55.34\00:43:01.58
speak." Well, nobody said you
had to speak to 94,000 people,
00:43:01.58\00:43:06.58
but through social media, you
can surely speak. All you need
00:43:06.58\00:43:10.15
is a smartphone -- I repeat -- a
laptop, and a light bulb, and
you can become a voice in the
00:43:10.15\00:43:15.92
wilderness of social media
saying, "The Lord I believe in
is coming soon. You need to meet
00:43:15.92\00:43:21.20
Him before He comes." You can
do it. We're not talking about
00:43:21.20\00:43:25.43
rocket science here. Wow.
A voice of one crying out.
00:43:25.43\00:43:31.24
I got a love on -- Listen,
speaking of love on the move --
So, one of our members here
00:43:31.24\00:43:37.85
said, "Hey, Dwight, I got a
'love on the move' story for
00:43:37.85\00:43:39.91
you." Well, I think this will
fit right here perfectly. So, a
few years ago -- well,
00:43:39.91\00:43:43.89
this would be less than three --
about two and a half years ago,
00:43:43.89\00:43:47.69
in September. Adamere -- Adamere
is thinking. [ Speaking foreign
language ] He's thinking right
00:43:47.69\00:43:57.87
here in this little village
called Berrien Springs. And he
goes to his wife, Abby,
00:43:57.87\00:44:00.57
and he says, "Yo, Abby, what do
you think? Could I do something
00:44:00.57\00:44:04.21
like this?" She says, "Well, you
could try." So, what does he do?
He carves out a new website.
00:44:04.21\00:44:10.08
He gives it a name. He
says, "Okay, I have a goal, God.
00:44:10.08\00:44:13.72
I need --" What was the goal? "I
need 100,000 people by the end
00:44:13.72\00:44:21.19
of the year. By December 26th,
just after Christmas, I went to
check the results and, to my
00:44:21.19\00:44:26.90
surprise, thanks be to God,
I had reached more than 300,000
00:44:26.90\00:44:32.97
people." Hoo! And, by the way,
I've been to his website. It's
not a picture of him
00:44:32.97\00:44:35.10
talking. He's not
doing any talking at all.
00:44:35.10\00:44:36.81
He's pulling quotations in. He's
just putting stuff out. He has
other people talking.
00:44:36.81\00:44:41.71
You don't even see their faces.
Wow. And he says, "Oh, by the
00:44:41.71\00:44:46.31
way --" because he's from
Brazil. He said, "I have a
family reunion in Brazil that
00:44:46.31\00:44:50.09
occurs every second Sunday of
January, so I went to Brazil and
left the campaign running.
00:44:50.09\00:44:53.42
I promoted it on Facebook and,
you know, all the links and so
on and so on, two websites that
00:44:53.42\00:44:57.33
I host. To my amazement
and complete surprise, when I
00:44:57.33\00:45:00.30
returned to the U.S. of 'A' and
went to check the campaign, the
results were astonishing.
00:45:00.30\00:45:03.47
I had reached an unbelievable
number of more than 1.8 million
00:45:03.47\00:45:08.50
people." Started in September.
He's got 1.8 million by January.
00:45:08.50\00:45:15.04
Come on, guys. The guy is not a
Web producer. He's sitting right
here. Looks a lot like you.
00:45:15.04\00:45:21.92
You can do this. Electronic
voice -- you can have electronic
00:45:21.92\00:45:26.05
voice. And then he gets a phone
call. in March. So, you got
00:45:26.05\00:45:29.66
September, Christmas, January.
Now, in March, he gets a phone
call from somebody in
00:45:29.66\00:45:33.56
Mozambique. And in Mozambique,
they speak Portuguese.
00:45:33.56\00:45:36.67
So, this guy is speaking broken
Portuguese, and he says, "Hey,
you the guy that's running this
00:45:36.67\00:45:41.20
thing?" WhatsApp -- he
got the call on WhatsApp.
00:45:41.20\00:45:43.71
He says, "You the guy that's
running this thing?" He said, "I
00:45:43.71\00:45:45.87
am." He said, "Hey, yo, what
church are you?" He says, "That
00:45:45.87\00:45:48.91
ought to be obvious to you."
It wasn't. He said, "Seventh-Day
00:45:48.91\00:45:52.08
Adventist." "Oh,
really?" He starts carrying on a
00:45:52.08\00:45:56.28
conversation a few weeks later.
Somebody else contacts him.
"They say we're having a big
00:45:56.28\00:46:01.46
series in --" What's the name
of the city? "Maputu." Maputo.
00:46:01.46\00:46:05.89
"And would you mind plugging it
in the U.S.? You just plug it on
00:46:05.89\00:46:08.83
your social-media sites. Plug
this new series." They had this
00:46:08.83\00:46:13.34
series. Guess what. Now they
were reaching more than 4.8
million people on that
00:46:13.34\00:46:21.11
website. And he writes
here, "Dwight, it's not a typo.
00:46:21.11\00:46:24.05
4.8, capital 'M,' with more
than 458 baptisms. To God be the
00:46:24.05\00:46:30.72
glory." Isn't that something?
You don't have to do nothing but
put up that little smartphone,
00:46:30.72\00:46:36.86
get that laptop moving, hang
a lamp. And if you don't want to
00:46:36.86\00:46:41.26
talk, get somebody else to talk.
You want to just put text on it.
4.8 million people.
00:46:41.26\00:46:50.44
Once you know the why -- Let's
put that on the screen again.
00:46:50.47\00:46:53.07
"When you know your why, God
will guide you into your how."
00:46:53.07\00:46:57.18
You say, "Dwight, I don't
know what to do. I can't speak."
00:46:57.21\00:46:59.58
You already mentioned that. But
I remind you -- there was
somebody else that couldn't
00:46:59.58\00:47:05.32
speak. God said, "Hey, I have
a big how for you now that you
00:47:05.32\00:47:08.29
know -- "My why --" God said to
him, "Moses, my why is to make
ready a people prepared for the
00:47:08.29\00:47:12.46
Lord." And Moses said,
"Yo, forget it. I can't speak.
00:47:12.46\00:47:17.47
Put it on the screen.
Let's see this little breakout
00:47:17.50\00:47:20.00
dialogue. "Moses
said to the Lord, 'Pardon
00:47:20.00\00:47:22.24
your servant, Lord. I
have never been eloquent,
00:47:22.24\00:47:24.67
neither in the past nor since
you have spoken to your servant.
00:47:24.67\00:47:27.34
I am slow of
speech and tongue.'"
00:47:27.34\00:47:28.94
"And I stutter.
00:47:28.94\00:47:30.01
I don't even know the language
of Egypt, and you're asking me
00:47:30.05\00:47:33.18
to go to Pharaoh? You got to
forget it." God responds, not
real happily, but He responds.
00:47:33.18\00:47:40.56
And the Lord said to Moses, "Who
gave human beings their mouths
00:47:40.56\00:47:45.56
-- you or me?" Moses said, "You
did." Then God says, "Now go
then. I will help you speak, and
00:47:45.56\00:47:50.77
I will teach you what to say."
So, this business about, "Well,
I just can't talk to people, I'm
00:47:50.77\00:47:55.40
just this little wallflower that
doesn't say a word" -- Come on.
God says, "I've given you a
00:47:55.40\00:48:00.48
voice, girl. Use the voice for
me. You just open your mouth and
00:48:00.48\00:48:03.81
you'll start speaking and I
will speak through you. Don't --
00:48:03.81\00:48:09.28
Don't worry." "Yeah, but you
know what? I'm too young." Oh,
00:48:09.28\00:48:12.29
come on. "You know, I'm a
Gen-Z'er, but I'm way too young
to --" Well, talk to Bakar about
00:48:12.29\00:48:16.36
that, number one. Number
two, are you really too young?
00:48:16.36\00:48:19.29
You're the guys that own
cyberspace right now. You're not
00:48:19.29\00:48:24.57
too young. I mean,
Jeremiah tried that one.
00:48:24.57\00:48:26.47
God says, "Good luck, Jeremy."
Watch this -- Jeremiah 1:6.
00:48:26.50\00:48:32.04
"'Alas, Sovereign Lord,' I said,
'I do not know how to speak;
00:48:32.04\00:48:34.64
I am too young.' And
the Lord says to me, 'Do not
00:48:34.64\00:48:37.58
say, "I am too young."
You must go to everyone I send
00:48:37.58\00:48:40.78
you to and say
whatever I command you.
00:48:40.78\00:48:42.98
So don't be afraid for them --
don't be afraid of them, for I
00:48:42.98\00:48:46.12
am with you and I will
rescue you,' declares the Lord."
00:48:46.12\00:48:49.39
Folks, it doesn't get any better
than that. Once you know your
00:48:49.42\00:48:52.53
why, God will give you your how,
and the how often starts with a
mouth, the use of the mouth.
00:48:52.53\00:48:56.77
You'll be okay. You can do it.
I've been brooding on this line
00:48:56.77\00:49:02.24
for a long time -- "To make
ready a people prepared for the
00:49:02.24\00:49:04.77
Lord." And I'm just wondering --
are we ready? Are we even doing
00:49:04.77\00:49:10.25
anything about it? How can we
just sit here, get entertainment
00:49:10.25\00:49:15.88
on Sabbaths, go home and live
life the way we always lived it,
and we're making no appreciable
00:49:15.88\00:49:20.62
difference on this planet? You
have a voice. Now, it's true --
00:49:20.62\00:49:27.23
you may have a printed voice.
You may be a writer. You may
00:49:27.23\00:49:30.90
have an electronic voice, of
course. You may have -- You may
have a social-media voice, of
00:49:30.90\00:49:36.07
course. You may have just
a simple voice, but the voice
00:49:36.07\00:49:40.48
needs to be used. That's how
communication takes place. To
make read a people prepared
00:49:40.48\00:49:44.88
for the Lord. Wow. We
had a kid that was standing
00:49:44.88\00:49:47.78
right here on Thursday at
chapel. His name is Justin Ku.
00:49:47.78\00:49:52.72
And he's using his social-media
platform to beat the band. Now,
the kid is smart, and he --
00:49:52.72\00:49:56.99
I talked to him afterwards. I
said, "Listen, would you be
willing to come back here
00:49:56.99\00:49:59.59
sometime? We'll just have
a little training session for
00:49:59.59\00:50:03.06
people who want to use social
media for proclaiming the Gospel
of the Lord Jesus."
00:50:03.06\00:50:07.30
He said, "Sure, I'd be happy to
come anytime." He started using
00:50:07.30\00:50:14.28
social media on his barber,
okay? He has an atheist barber.
He's using social media on him,
00:50:14.28\00:50:20.58
and the barber gets baptized. [
Chuckles ] "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I spoke to him in a
00:50:20.58\00:50:28.82
language he could understand
-- social media." He told a
00:50:28.82\00:50:34.20
fascinating story, a fascinating
story. Listen, it doesn't matter
how old you are or how young you
00:50:34.20\00:50:38.00
are. It doesn't matter to God
at all. You got a voice, use it.
00:50:38.00\00:50:40.14
You don't have a voice, you have
no vocal cords, that's fine.
00:50:40.14\00:50:44.11
You've got this voice. Use
this voice. This is your voice.
00:50:44.11\00:50:46.98
Use it. Use it. Use it. Use it.
"Speak for me. In the wilderness
00:50:46.98\00:50:52.41
of this culture, cry out for me.
Tell them I'm coming." "Come to
00:50:52.41\00:50:59.22
Jesus. Come to Jesus now." Wow.
How many stories do you need?
00:50:59.22\00:51:04.26
The point is -- Put on the
screen again -- when you know
00:51:04.29\00:51:08.03
your why, God will
guide you to your how.
00:51:08.03\00:51:14.50
Don't worry about solving this
whole thing. Sit down with the
00:51:14.54\00:51:17.57
Holy Spirit. Take your little
smartphone. You got a note app
on there. And just write down,
00:51:17.57\00:51:21.34
"I could do this," or, "I might
try this," or, "I think I might
--" "What do you think, Holy
00:51:21.34\00:51:24.98
Spirit? I got eight suggestions
of ways I could raise a voice."
And let the Holy Spirit just
00:51:24.98\00:51:29.92
kind of say, "You know
what, boy? You know what, girl?
00:51:29.92\00:51:32.55
I think -- Why don't you try
that one first?" That's what He
00:51:32.55\00:51:36.29
does for a living. He needs your
voice. That's how the planet
00:51:36.29\00:51:44.00
hears -- human voices. Oh, Jesus
did say, "Listen, if you guys
don't speak, I'm gonna
00:51:44.00\00:51:49.50
have the rocks crying out. The
rocks will proclaim my coming if
00:51:49.50\00:51:54.94
you keep silent, Adventists."
You keep calling yourself
00:51:54.94\00:51:59.75
Adventists. You don't even
believe Jesus is coming soon.
"Have mercy" is right.
00:51:59.75\00:52:04.32
Just quit calling yourself an
Adventist then. Just say, "Well,
00:52:04.32\00:52:07.22
I don't know what I am, but, you
know, obviously, I don't
believe..." Nah, don't do that.
00:52:07.22\00:52:13.13
You got a voice. Use the voice
for the King. So, you don't want
00:52:13.13\00:52:18.40
to be a social missionary.
I get it. You know what?
00:52:18.40\00:52:21.27
Be a student missionary. Bunch
of college students, university
00:52:21.27\00:52:24.77
students sitting right here. You
can be a university student. You
00:52:24.77\00:52:27.34
don't want to be a social-media
missionary? Fine. Be a
university student.
00:52:27.34\00:52:29.68
Listen, I'll tell you whether
you're made for a student
00:52:29.71\00:52:33.25
missionary or not. I'm
gonna give you a little
00:52:33.25\00:52:34.88
checklist, and you go check,
check, check in your mind.
00:52:34.88\00:52:36.89
Okay, here comes number one.
If you have a little adventure
00:52:36.89\00:52:39.19
in your soul -- Do you
have adventure in your soul?
00:52:39.19\00:52:41.29
I can tell just
by looking at you.
00:52:41.29\00:52:42.56
You have it, okay? Check.
Okay, here comes number two.
00:52:42.56\00:52:45.13
Number two -- you have a
heart for faraway places.
00:52:45.13\00:52:49.26
Oh, come on. There's
no Gen-Z'er who doesn't
00:52:49.26\00:52:50.80
have a heart for faraway places.
Here's number three -- you have
00:52:50.80\00:52:53.44
a stomach for foreign food.
And that's not Taco Bell, by the
00:52:53.44\00:52:56.34
way. That's foreign food.
00:52:56.34\00:52:58.51
You got a heart for
that. You got a stomach for it.
00:52:58.51\00:53:00.88
Oh, here's one more -- and you
have a spirit for becoming a
missionary even for just a year.
00:53:00.91\00:53:06.58
Check! "To make ready a people
prepared for the Lord" is the
00:53:06.58\00:53:12.35
perfect why for student
missionaries at Andrews
University. Now, the leaders of
00:53:12.35\00:53:16.69
this campus know we have far
too few student missionaries. I
00:53:16.69\00:53:22.30
agree with them. It's not their
fault. You got to sign up to be
a student missionary.
00:53:22.30\00:53:25.80
They can't use conscription. You
got to say, "You know what? I've
been thinking about it,
00:53:25.80\00:53:31.74
Dwight. I could take a year off.
I'm getting ready to graduate
00:53:31.74\00:53:35.61
this spring. I need a year
just to kind of cool my heels.
00:53:35.61\00:53:38.65
I want to be out where people
are in need. I'll take a year
00:53:38.65\00:53:42.68
off, and then I'll come back and
work on that next step in my
career." You could do that.
00:53:42.68\00:53:46.32
"You know, it's my sophomore
year. It's a perfect time for me
00:53:46.32\00:53:48.69
to take a year off. I could
do that, Dwight. It's a piece of
00:53:48.69\00:53:51.09
cake." Of course you could. I've
watched student missionaries go
00:53:51.09\00:53:56.36
and I've watched them come back
and I tell you what -- almost to
a man and a woman, they come
00:53:56.36\00:54:00.44
back radicalized. Do you know
what that means? I'll show you
00:54:00.44\00:54:03.74
what it means. Let me put the
words of David Brooks on the
screen for you, one of the
00:54:03.74\00:54:07.81
brilliant commentators and
writers in this generation. He's
just written a book called
00:54:07.81\00:54:12.45
"The Second Mountain." I quoted
extensively from it last week,
but here's just one
00:54:12.45\00:54:15.48
line from him. Put it
on the screen for you.
00:54:15.48\00:54:17.49
Watch this -- David
Brooks writing, "I no longer
00:54:17.52\00:54:21.46
believe --" David Brooks.
"I no longer believe that the
00:54:21.46\00:54:25.43
cultural and moral structures of
our society are fine, and all we
00:54:25.43\00:54:29.36
have to do is fix
ourselves individually."
00:54:29.36\00:54:32.07
Nope, nope, nope. His
book is deeply concerned
00:54:32.07\00:54:34.87
over the moral -- the
moral collapse in this culture.
00:54:34.87\00:54:40.08
"Over the past few years as
a result of personal, national,
00:54:40.08\00:54:43.78
and global events, I
have become radicalized."
00:54:43.78\00:54:49.22
It's time for Seventh-Day
Adventist young to become
radicalized with the great why
00:54:49.25\00:54:53.49
that you've been entrusted -- to
make ready a people prepared for
00:54:53.49\00:54:57.43
the Lord. We need some radical
young missionaries. You can be a
00:54:57.43\00:55:01.53
social missionary. You can be a
student missionary. You can be a
simple missionary. We need you.
00:55:01.53\00:55:09.20
God needs you. I'm gonna put
this on the screen for you --
two ways that you can become a
00:55:09.20\00:55:13.31
missionary. Number one, if
you're a student, go to Campus
Ministries or text 269-281-4383.
00:55:13.31\00:55:18.48
Just text them. Say, "Hey, I
need to talk to you next week."
00:55:18.48\00:55:20.98
You still have one more
week before they they close off
00:55:20.98\00:55:23.99
sign-up. You can do it. I know
you can. So text them. Drop into
00:55:23.99\00:55:28.59
Campus Ministries next week.
You say, "Dwight, I'm not a
00:55:28.59\00:55:30.39
student." Okay, there's another
website for you --
adventistvolunteers.org.
00:55:30.39\00:55:33.43
I went to that website. Listen
to this. I counted them. 253
openings right now for you
00:55:33.43\00:55:41.34
to serve on this planet in the
U.S. and the entire planet. You
want to to take a year off?
00:55:41.34\00:55:47.04
Your career's kind of going
through a transition right now?
This would be the great year to
00:55:47.04\00:55:50.11
do it. Go onto that website.
Don't -- I'm not making you
00:55:50.11\00:55:54.55
commit to anything. Just go
to the website. Check it out.
00:55:54.55\00:55:56.48
You can sign up right there.
Fact of the matter is, we've all
been called to be missionaries.
00:55:56.48\00:56:04.99
I read this in "Desire of Ages"
just yesterday, had already
written the sermon, then came
00:56:04.99\00:56:08.46
across this line.
00:56:08.46\00:56:09.53
Isn't this something?
"Desire of Ages" -- "In the very
00:56:09.56\00:56:11.97
family, the neighborhood, the
town, where we live, there is
00:56:11.97\00:56:16.81
work for us to do as
missionaries for Christ."
00:56:16.81\00:56:19.91
Hallelujah.
00:56:19.91\00:56:22.81
Our divine why is God's
divine "go." That's what it is.
00:56:22.84\00:56:28.35
Jesus said, "Go into all
the world. Make disciples of
00:56:28.35\00:56:30.52
everybody. Come on. Go for me.
Go, go, go, go." Jesus is
coming, so we need to
00:56:30.52\00:56:33.89
be going. That's the deal.
It's as simple as that -- "To
00:56:33.89\00:56:36.59
make ready --" one more time,
please, on the screen. "To make
ready a people prepared
00:56:36.59\00:56:41.70
for the Lord." That's your
how. That's your why, rather.
00:56:41.70\00:56:44.77
That's your why. The how is --
use your voice, a voice, in any
00:56:44.77\00:56:51.17
form you wish. Please use it to
share the good news. What do you
00:56:51.17\00:56:55.91
say to that? >> Amen!
00:56:55.91\00:56:56.81
>> Before you go, let me take an
extra moment to share with you
00:57:00.42\00:57:02.35
an opportunity to get into
the Bible in a fresh, new way.
00:57:02.35\00:57:04.62
All across the world, more
and more people are hearing
00:57:04.62\00:57:07.26
the call to examine
Scriptures for themselves.
00:57:07.26\00:57:10.53
If you've felt drawn to
learn more about God's Word
00:57:10.53\00:57:12.63
but you don't know where to
start or you're just looking
00:57:12.63\00:57:15.00
for a more in-depth
examination of Bible truths,
00:57:15.00\00:57:17.90
then I have something
right here that I believe
00:57:17.90\00:57:19.87
you're going to enjoy.
I want to send a series
00:57:19.87\00:57:22.07
of guides to get you
started. This one is entitled
00:57:22.07\00:57:24.41
"Why Does God Allow Suffering?"
Each guide begins with a story
00:57:24.41\00:57:27.68
and an
introduction of the subject.
00:57:27.68\00:57:29.34
Then, through a series of
focus questions, you'll be
00:57:29.34\00:57:31.85
learning portions of the Bible
you may never have known before.
00:57:31.85\00:57:34.22
And when you're
through, you'll be able to share
00:57:34.22\00:57:36.18
with others some of
these inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:36.18\00:57:38.99
So, just call our toll-free
number -- it's on the screen --
00:57:38.99\00:57:41.16
877, the two words
HIS-WILL. Our friendly operators
00:57:41.16\00:57:45.03
are standing by to send
these study guides to you.
00:57:45.03\00:57:47.30
Once again, that's
877-HIS-WILL. Call that number.
00:57:47.30\00:57:52.00
And then, again, join me next
week right here at this same
00:57:52.00\00:57:56.27
time -- "New Perceptions."
00:57:56.27\00:57:57.64
い い
00:58:01.38\00:58:19.43
い
00:58:19.43\00:58:28.30