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¤¤ >> Amen and amen.
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I will follow You, Lord
Jesus. I will follow You.
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This has been a crazy week,
right? It's been a crazy week
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here in America. And...
our eyes have been on the news.
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Our eyes have been on the
Capitol. Our eyes have been on
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social media. But today,
in this hour, you're here.
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You're here to put your eyes
on God. And I think the songs of
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that word, right? That song
-- the words of that song -- "I
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will follow You." I'll follow
You, Jesus. I'll serve like You,
Jesus. I'll love like You,
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Jesus. Is there a better thing
that we need to say today than
"I will follow You"?
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Earlier this week, I was
preparing, looking for music,
and thinking about this theme,
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even before the chaos that
ensued. I was thinking about
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this theme, and I came across
the words of a well-known hymn.
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Maybe you know it. It goes like
this. ¤ Trust and obey ¤ For
there's no other way
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to be happy ¤ ¤ In
Jesus ¤ But to trust and obey
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And -- And that reminded me
something of -- of a sentimental
note in my life because, see, my
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dad, he also loved those words.
He loved that song, that hymn.
And he went so far as to write
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his own -- his own tune, his own
-- his own version. So I was
sharing it with the
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praise team in our rehearsal,
and they -- they encouraged me
to share it with you.
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So open your hearts. Open your
hearts. Like, pull these words,
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pull this pledge deep into your
heart today. Not just for this
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hour, not for the day, not for
the week, not for the month, not
the year -- it's for eternity.
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Pull these
words into your heart.
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[ "I Will
Follow" music begins ] ¤¤
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[ "Lead Me Lord" begins ] ¤¤
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Prepare your hearts for it.
Prayer, open your hearts for
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service. ¤¤
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[ Organ playing ] ¤¤
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[ Playing trombone ] ¤¤
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[ Applause ]
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>> Thank you, Tyler Ronto and
Kenneth Logan. That was -- That
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was powerful. The German title
translated into English is
"Exult in the Lord." We're gonna
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praise somebody today, and we're
losing -- we're losing reasons
to praise seems like every time
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we turn on the news. But
there is someone who is utterly
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trustworthy. He sits on the
throne of the universe. Exult in
the Lord, and we've
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come to do that. Man,
have you been blessed so far?
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This has been a great worship.
And put your hands up if you're
glad that the sunshine finally
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has come to southwestern
Michigan. Come on. Double hands
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today. Thank you, Lord.
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Alright, let's pray. Dear God,
we need that reminder. Exult in
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the Lord. Everybody said it,
I'll just echo it -- it's been a
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crazy week. But here we are in
worship. You've swept our hearts
Heaven-ward to Your throne room
00:16:11.50\00:16:16.57
again and again this morning. Do
it again one more time, please,
from Holy Scripture.
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We humbly pray,
in Jesus' name, amen.
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I don't suppose any of us will
ever forget those images this
00:16:27.18\00:16:33.69
week on live
television or live screen.
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Unbelievable. I'm
having a meeting, and I'm
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talking with one
of our church leaders.
00:16:44.83\00:16:48.97
And I put my phone -- it's
right here in my office, so the
00:16:48.97\00:16:52.01
phone's sitting on my desk. I
always push it away so I don't
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get distracted from it, but all
of a sudden, "bing, bing, bing."
00:16:55.04\00:16:58.21
I said, "Who in the world is
texting me at this time in the
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afternoon?" I'm trying to ignore
it, but I see they're text
messages. And I see of them --
00:17:02.05\00:17:07.06
you can't see it from this far
-- but they have little pictures
in them. "What is going on?"
00:17:07.06\00:17:12.06
And then I saw the words on
one of them -- "Are you watching
00:17:12.06\00:17:15.96
this?" I'm saying, "Watching
what?" Finally, our meeting
ended. Pulled that phone out,
00:17:15.96\00:17:22.04
click on one of those pictures.
I cannot believe my eyes. I sit
behind the laptop -- chhk,
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chhk, chhk -- and now I'm
watching it live as you were.
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A mob of Americans crashing the
barricades, scaling the walls,
smashing in the windows and
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doors of the US Capitol
Building. I mean, look, I'm a
00:17:46.83\00:17:54.94
kid. I was born in Tokyo. Grew
up in Japan. But every time we
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came home, as we would call it
"come home," on what my mom and
dad called "furlough," we would
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always go to Washington, DC,
because my grandparents lived
just outside of the District of
00:18:04.21\00:18:10.49
Columbia. I've been in that
marble edifice I don't know how
many times. And every time, even
00:18:10.49\00:18:17.59
to this day, when I step into
that what feels to me like a
cathedral, I almost start
00:18:17.59\00:18:23.33
automatically whispering like
I'm in church now. These are the
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hallowed hallways where the
heroes of history once trod.
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Mercy. Now overrun by a mob of
frenzied Americans incited into
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insurrection. And I don't know
how to describe that concoction
of emotions. You had them.
00:18:44.99\00:18:52.09
I know you did.
Shocked, stunned. Tears.
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Anger. Fear. What's coming next?
00:18:57.93\00:19:04.84
And the rest is history. A
tragic and troubling history now
for every American, no
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matter who you voted for or
where you live. And because I'm
00:19:12.28\00:19:19.85
not Black, I didn't see it at
first like my Black friends and
my Black parishioners saw it.
00:19:19.85\00:19:28.40
But that mob, had it not been a
dominantly white, middle-class
sort of mob, of people with
00:19:28.40\00:19:35.30
plane tickets flying in from all
over the country for the event,
had the tables been reversed, as
00:19:35.30\00:19:42.68
they were last summer, no doubt
how quickly and forcefully that
insurrection in the nation's
00:19:42.68\00:19:49.72
capital would have been subdued.
Instead, the trespassing mob,
for hours, just wanders around.
00:19:49.72\00:19:59.89
The next morning, I'm having
worship, and I'm reading the
00:19:59.89\00:20:06.74
book of Isaiah. Thanks to my
friend Roy Gaines' masterful
treatment of Isaiah, I decided
00:20:06.74\00:20:12.44
for the new year, I'm gonna just
read the book through, you know,
just slowly through on my own.
00:20:12.44\00:20:17.28
I'm reading Robert Alter's
English translation of the
Hebrew, three volumes for that
00:20:17.28\00:20:22.55
Old Testament. And as I'm
reading, that morning, it's
00:20:22.55\00:20:28.89
Isaiah 3. And I come to these
words in verse 4 -- no need to
00:20:28.89\00:20:32.16
look it up. I come to these
words in verse 4, and I'm gonna
put them on the screen for you
00:20:32.16\00:20:36.97
right now. Robert Alter, Isaiah
3:4, renders it this way, "And I
shall make lads their commanders
00:20:36.97\00:20:43.61
and babes shall rule over them."
What's happening here in Isaiah
3 is that the government
00:20:43.61\00:20:50.88
of Jerusalem and Judah is
melting down. Chaos reigns.
00:20:50.88\00:20:57.79
My eyes dropped down to the
commentary, because I read the
commentary as well.
00:20:57.79\00:21:02.26
I saw this provocative line, and
I'll put it on the screen for
00:21:02.26\00:21:08.60
you here. Robert Alter writing,
"In the political chaos that God
will trigger, with all the
00:21:08.60\00:21:14.64
leaders taken away" --
ostensibly, every able-bodied
man has been taken to war,
00:21:14.64\00:21:20.91
they're surrounded by the enemy
-- "mere lads and babes will be
left to lead the people."
00:21:20.91\00:21:28.28
And when I saw that word "lads,"
immediately images from the day
before -- and you saw this image
00:21:28.28\00:21:34.89
as well -- the august
Congressional Chamber where men
and women -- I mean, they're
00:21:34.89\00:21:40.43
dressed to the nines with suits
and dresses, they're lying on
00:21:40.43\00:21:45.07
the floor. They're hiding from
the young rebels pounding on the
00:21:45.07\00:21:48.17
Chamber door. You can see the
shadows of the mob on the other
side of the frosted glass, and
00:21:48.17\00:21:53.94
between that mob and that
window, and the lying
politicians lying on the ground,
00:21:53.94\00:21:59.18
there's a handful of security
also dressed to the nines, but
they've all pulled out their
00:21:59.18\00:22:03.75
handguns and they're standing in
case the door is breached, last
defense. I reread, and I did
00:22:03.75\00:22:13.53
then, early that morning. I
reread this line from Robert
Alter, "In the political
00:22:13.53\00:22:20.24
chaos that God will trigger." [
Chuckles ] I'm saying to myself,
00:22:20.24\00:22:27.04
"God triggering political
chaos? Come on." How can it be?
00:22:27.04\00:22:33.25
And then they started my head,
"Wait a minute, wait a minute."
What do you think happened
00:22:33.25\00:22:39.09
there? When it came down to the
Tower of Babel, and here are the
00:22:39.09\00:22:43.09
rebels, communication back and
forth, "We're gonna build a
Confederacy that will wipe out
00:22:43.09\00:22:48.16
the faithful." God says,
"No, you won't." Steps into that
00:22:48.16\00:22:52.47
picture -- psssht -- scrambles
communication and the threat is
00:22:52.47\00:22:57.87
eliminated. Political chaos. And
the threat is gone. I think of
00:22:57.87\00:23:03.91
that little queen, young Queen
Esther with that deadly plot of
a politician named Haman, a plot
00:23:03.91\00:23:11.19
to destroy the chosen of God.
God says, "Oh, no, you're not
gonna touch my chosen people."
00:23:11.19\00:23:17.29
Political chaos in the Capitol,
and that's what happens. I even
think of the time that
00:23:17.29\00:23:23.30
Paul, the mighty Apostle, he's
in the chambers of the
courtroom, the Sanhedrin, and
00:23:23.30\00:23:28.37
suddenly the place erupts in
political chaos just long enough
for the Roman guard to extricate
00:23:28.37\00:23:34.04
the prisoner before he's lynched
like Stephen had been. I'm just
thinking to myself,
00:23:34.04\00:23:40.85
"Wait a minute. Apparently God
is well able to trigger
political chaos, as
00:23:40.85\00:23:45.39
Alter suggests, for the sake of
delivering His people and/or
advancing His mission."
00:23:45.39\00:23:51.39
"Yo, Dwight, what in the world
does that have to do with this
Sabbath the day after?"
00:23:51.39\00:23:57.90
Here's the deal -- you and I, in
the midst of headlines that will
continue, I am sure, must
00:23:57.90\00:24:03.67
trust God to be so thoroughly
immersed in the life of this
planet, the life of this nation,
00:24:03.67\00:24:09.34
that, no matter what the
outcome, He can turn it for the
sake of His mission.
00:24:09.34\00:24:16.22
In America, through political
chaos, in your life, through
personal chaos, He can take that
00:24:16.22\00:24:22.72
chaos you're experiencing
right now and turn it. May even
00:24:22.72\00:24:29.36
trigger it for the sake of your
mission, for the sake of my
mission. And it's that mission
00:24:29.36\00:24:34.50
that suddenly becomes even more
critical now that America, in
the midst of this pandemic, has
00:24:34.50\00:24:39.91
now plunged into chaos once
again. For the mission, let's go
00:24:39.91\00:24:44.45
to a story. Come on,
open your Bible to John 20.
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.72
I know it's not Easter. I
know, but John 20, let's do it.
00:24:46.72\00:24:50.29
This is one of my favorite
stories. Don't you just love
00:24:50.29\00:24:52.69
this story? John 20. Early in
the morning, at the beginning of
00:24:52.69\00:24:55.96
the chapter, Mary Magdalene --
she's a woman that's been
forgiven by Jesus over and over
00:24:55.96\00:25:03.57
and over again. She even took
some expensive perfume in an
alabaster box, broke it just a
00:25:03.57\00:25:09.47
few days ago, and with mixed --
mingled with her tears, has wept
over the feet of Jesus.
00:25:09.47\00:25:15.44
She's going early to the tomb.
It's Sunday morning, predawn.
00:25:15.44\00:25:19.95
It's dark. She's moving along.
When she comes to that garden,
the stone is rolled away.
00:25:19.95\00:25:27.59
Aghast, she steps up. Where
are the guards? There's nobody
00:25:27.59\00:25:30.89
there. Even in the gathering dim
light, as she peers into the
sepulcher, there's no body on
00:25:30.89\00:25:38.47
that rock slab. They have stolen
His body. Blind with tears, she
00:25:38.47\00:25:47.24
races through the empty
alleyways of Jerusalem, up those
stairs. She pounds with two
00:25:47.24\00:25:51.88
fists on the wooden door, "Let
me in. It's Mary. Let me in."
00:25:51.88\00:25:55.28
Peter and John comes. She says,
"They have stolen our Lord's
00:25:55.28\00:26:00.26
body." "Move aside, girl," chhk.
They start running, Peter and
00:26:00.26\00:26:04.99
John. It's John who will tell
the story in the end. And one
thing I don't like about
00:26:04.99\00:26:09.20
John, he really pushes his youth
right up to the end because he
tells that -- "Listen, we
00:26:09.20\00:26:14.30
started running, but I beat
Peter to the tomb." Three times
00:26:14.30\00:26:20.08
in that simple story, he has to
remind us, "I beat him." That's
the way the young are.
00:26:20.08\00:26:25.08
They're just always rubbing it
in, "I'm faster than you, I'm
better than you, I'm smarter
00:26:25.08\00:26:28.78
than you." Peter never forgot
it. John wouldn't let him.
00:26:28.78\00:26:32.85
Those boys grew up together.
Peter's a little older, of
00:26:32.85\00:26:34.92
course. They were fishermen
together. John gets there first.
He's a little more timid than
00:26:34.92\00:26:39.06
Peter. He's about
20, 21, 22. That's all.
00:26:39.06\00:26:41.66
He won't go in that. He looks
in, he can tell it's empty.
00:26:41.66\00:26:44.23
"I'm not going in there." Peter,
"[Panting] Hey, move aside, let
00:26:44.23\00:26:49.87
me go look." Pssh!
Peter's in the dark.
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.84
There's nothing there. But the
grave robes are folded, as if
someone had the time to
00:26:52.84\00:27:00.65
put his pajamas away. Can't be
grave robbers. Nobody would fold
00:27:00.65\00:27:10.89
their PJs. John says, "I
believed. I believed." Peter's
00:27:10.89\00:27:15.93
still not sure. Mary's
somewhere, crosses the boys. She
doesn't see them, she's back
00:27:15.93\00:27:20.64
to the tomb. She's sobbing
now. Her heart is broken.
00:27:20.64\00:27:23.81
It's not because of that
alabaster that she spilled all
00:27:23.81\00:27:27.31
over His feet. She is so glad
now she did, but He's gone. The
00:27:27.31\00:27:33.35
body. Now it's growing lighter.
She steps up to the mouth of
that empty sepulcher, and she
00:27:33.35\00:27:38.59
looks in, and there are two
young men in white. One at the
head, one at the foot
00:27:38.59\00:27:43.96
of the slab. And they speak
together, "Lady, why are you
00:27:43.96\00:27:49.83
weeping?" She said, "If you've
-- If you've taken His body,
tell me." She turns around just
00:27:49.83\00:27:58.54
in time to see there's a shadow.
It's still dawn. There's a
00:27:58.54\00:28:02.68
shadow of someone standing. She
doesn't bother to look at him.
00:28:02.68\00:28:05.11
He asks the same question.
He says, "Lady, why are you
00:28:05.11\00:28:10.72
crying?" "Oh, sir." She thinks
it's the gardener. "Oh, sir.
00:28:10.72\00:28:14.32
If you have taken His body,
let me take Him off your hands,
00:28:14.32\00:28:20.53
please." And then he speaks.
"Mary, I tell you what, the day
is coming when I will hear my
00:28:20.53\00:28:33.01
mother call my name again. The
day is coming when I'll hear my
dad, after all these years,
00:28:33.01\00:28:39.45
call my name again. I won't have
to look around. I'll know in
00:28:39.45\00:28:45.19
that instant to whom that voice
belongs." She...whirs! Of course
00:28:45.19\00:28:52.13
it's Jesus. She's on the ground.
She's grabbing His feet. "You're
not getting away from me
00:28:52.13\00:28:55.70
this time. No, no,
no." And Jesus speaks.
00:28:55.70\00:28:59.77
Here's where I want to
pick it up. Come on, John 20.
00:28:59.77\00:29:02.44
You got your Bible here. Open
your Bible to John 20, please.
00:29:02.44\00:29:06.84
John 20, drop down to verse 17.
Jesus is gonna talk now. Jesus
00:29:06.84\00:29:12.38
is speaking to me. The dawn
light is growing as a new day
begins. Jesus said to Mary, "Do
00:29:12.38\00:29:18.29
not hold on to me, for I have
not yet ascended to the Father."
Now, look, I'm putting this
00:29:18.29\00:29:24.69
clicker down. That is an amazing
revelation of who this Lord
00:29:24.69\00:29:28.90
Jesus is. He is the King of the
Universe. He has proved it
beyond the shadow of universal
00:29:28.90\00:29:34.87
doubt. Those scars belong to the
Messiah and I must -- because
God is big on ritual.
00:29:34.87\00:29:40.14
"Come on up here, Son, when
you're done, and we'll do the
00:29:40.14\00:29:45.75
big celebration." He does not
go. You know why? 'Cause he has
00:29:45.75\00:29:53.82
a heartbroken friend who's been
sobbing in the early dawn and He
can't go until He has a moment
00:29:53.82\00:30:03.53
with her. Isn't that beautiful?
"I could be in Heaven right now
to get the seal of approval on
00:30:03.53\00:30:08.77
what just took place at Calvary
on that Good Friday. No, no, no,
00:30:08.77\00:30:12.77
Mary, I knew you were coming. I
knew you wouldn't forget. Mary,
00:30:12.77\00:30:19.08
Mary, Mary. Don't hold on to me.
Don't hold on to me. I haven't
yet ascended to the
00:30:19.08\00:30:23.02
Father." "Go" -- the first
commission, mission commission
00:30:23.02\00:30:27.09
in the history of Christianity
has now been spoken by the
00:30:27.09\00:30:31.66
resurrected King. "Go," He'll
say it again. "Go," He'll say it
again. "Go," before He leaves,
00:30:31.66\00:30:36.26
He'll say it again. "Go instead
to my brothers and you tell
them, 'I am ascending
00:30:36.26\00:30:42.30
to my Father and your Father, to
my God and your God.' And Mary
00:30:42.30\00:30:49.64
Magdalene went." This is the
first post-resurrection
evangelist moving into action.
00:30:49.64\00:30:55.28
She has heard the word "Go," and
she is obeying. And by the way,
00:30:55.28\00:31:03.76
she is a she. The first
evangelist of Christianity was a
she. I thought I'd get an "Amen"
00:31:03.76\00:31:10.37
from maybe half the audience,
but... [ Laughter ] "Mary
00:31:10.37\00:31:17.64
Magdalene went --" You know
what? She only has one message.
She "went to the disciples with
00:31:17.64\00:31:21.31
the news, 'I have seen the
Lord!'" That's all you do when
00:31:21.31\00:31:24.51
you go for Jesus. You just tell
them, "I saw Him. He's alive."
00:31:24.51\00:31:27.62
That's the word.
"He's alive." It's okay.
00:31:27.62\00:31:31.35
The world is in chaos today.
This nation doesn't know what is
00:31:31.35\00:31:36.46
happening next. That's okay.
I got good news for you -- Jesus
00:31:36.46\00:31:41.00
is alive. He's alive. Wow.
"And she told them that He had
00:31:41.00\00:31:46.97
said these things to her." But
keep reading, 'cause the whole
point of going to this
00:31:46.97\00:31:50.74
story is just about to happen.
"On the evening of that first
day of the week, when the
00:31:50.74\00:31:54.98
disciples were together, with
the doors locked for fear of the
Jewish leaders" -- hit the pause
00:31:54.98\00:32:00.08
button right there. I just want
you to know that's not a praise
00:32:00.08\00:32:03.85
service. Thank you, Chuck and
Dan and Debbie for the praise
service we had here.
00:32:03.85\00:32:07.99
This is -- That is -- This is
not a praise service going on.
This is not a prayer meeting
00:32:07.99\00:32:12.06
going on. They're not sitting
in a circle singing "Kumbaya."
00:32:12.06\00:32:15.36
They're there for one reason.
They're scared spitless that the
authorities that have murdered
00:32:15.36\00:32:21.07
their leader are soon to murder
them all. "For fear of the
00:32:21.07\00:32:25.97
Jewish leaders, they have locked
that door." This is no worship
00:32:25.97\00:32:29.58
service. It was Sunday
night. Suddenly, shoop!
00:32:29.61\00:32:35.82
There He is. "Jesus
came and stood among them
00:32:35.82\00:32:39.65
and said, 'Shalom. Shalom.
00:32:39.65\00:32:42.59
Peace be to you.' And
after He said this," because
00:32:42.59\00:32:46.53
they go berserk, Luke
tells us that they think He's an
00:32:46.53\00:32:49.60
apparition, a spirit. So
Jesus says, "Hey, yo, yo, yo,
00:32:49.60\00:32:54.50
yo, stop, stop. Look, look.
00:32:54.50\00:32:56.44
He shows them, "Look, it's me.
This is me." "The disciples were
00:32:56.47\00:33:04.88
overjoyed" -- now -- "when they
saw" -- finally -- they see who
00:33:04.88\00:33:10.75
this is. It's the Lord Himself.
"Again Jesus says, 'Shalom be
00:33:10.75\00:33:15.42
with you!'" And here it comes,
the line that we will return to
often in the few weeks of
00:33:15.42\00:33:20.43
winter. "As the Father has sent
me, I am sending you." That's
one of the most profound
00:33:20.43\00:33:30.44
summaries of mission in all of
Holy Scripture. "As the Father
00:33:30.44\00:33:37.05
has sent me, I am sending you."
That's what it means to be on a
00:33:37.05\00:33:40.45
mission. You know, they have
these -- NASA has these missions
to space, where eventually we're
00:33:40.45\00:33:44.02
gonna put together, God willing,
time should last, we're gonna
put a mission together to Mars.
00:33:44.02\00:33:48.39
I don't know how many years, and
I don't want to be on that trip.
But somebody wants to be on it.
00:33:48.39\00:33:54.56
A mission to Mars. We call that
a mission. We have what we call
00:33:54.56\00:33:58.53
diplomatic missions. That's when
the government of one country
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.97
sends representatives -- they're
sent front the government -- to
00:34:01.97\00:34:06.41
another country. Jesus has a
mission. That means he gets
ahold of you and He says,
00:34:06.41\00:34:11.28
"Girl," He says, "Boy, I'm
sending you. You're on my
mission now. As the Father has
00:34:11.28\00:34:19.45
sent me, I'm gonna send you." Is
this good news or bad news? Are
00:34:19.45\00:34:24.79
you kidding? It's good news. The
big question is, "What -- Why
did the Father send the
00:34:24.79\00:34:29.56
Son?" Because if we can find
out why the Father sent the Son,
00:34:29.56\00:34:33.97
could it be it's the same reason
why the Son sends you and me?
And then, of course, we have to
00:34:33.97\00:34:40.74
go to the greatest text in all
of Scripture. The whole world
00:34:40.74\00:34:44.45
knows that this is the numéro
uno favorite of Christians, John
3:16. We could do it right now
00:34:44.45\00:34:49.62
from memory, but let's not. John
3:16. Listen, you just say it
00:34:49.62\00:34:55.49
through your mask. God and the
person sitting next to you will
00:34:55.49\00:34:59.89
hear you. "For God so loved the
world" -- come on, let's read it
together. "For God so loved the
00:34:59.89\00:35:05.17
world that he gave His one and
only Son, that whoever believes
in Him shall not perish but have
00:35:05.17\00:35:12.37
eternal life." The whole world
knows John 3:16, and all of
00:35:12.37\00:35:17.65
Christiandom knows John 3:16,
but nobody knows John 3:17. We
memorize 16 and forget there
00:35:17.65\00:35:24.35
was ever a 17. I want to show
you 17 because 17 now...opens
up, reveals the good
00:35:24.35\00:35:34.10
news. Of course this is
wonderful news in 3:16, but look
00:35:34.10\00:35:38.63
at 17. Why did He come? "For God
did not send His Son into the
world to condemn the
00:35:38.63\00:35:42.77
world" -- no, no, no, no --
but to what? "To save the world
00:35:42.77\00:35:51.25
through Him." Jesus did not the
first time to condemn the world.
He came the first time to save
00:35:51.25\00:35:55.65
the world, and I have great news
for you. When He comes a second
00:35:55.65\00:35:59.65
time soon, when He comes a
second time soon, He is not
coming to condemn this planet,
00:35:59.65\00:36:04.89
He is coming to save the world.
Do you understand that? It is
00:36:04.89\00:36:12.47
very good news. He's coming to
save the human race. Now, if you
00:36:12.47\00:36:17.67
don't want to be saved, that's
your call. But He'll save every
man, woman, and child that says,
00:36:17.67\00:36:22.08
"You know what? I'd love to
be saved. Would You please save
00:36:22.08\00:36:26.58
me?" That's it. The problem with
many of us, if we're honest, is
00:36:26.58\00:36:35.06
that when we think of mission,
alright, the word "mission," we
00:36:35.06\00:36:41.13
think of bad news. Because, you
see, mission is the message.
"The world is coming to an end."
00:36:41.13\00:36:45.73
No. Yes, it is. In
fact, if you don't turn your
00:36:45.73\00:36:51.34
life around, you're dead
meat. No. Yes, that's true.
00:36:51.34\00:36:55.94
In fact, may I tell you, there's
a judgment going on right now,
and you ought to see that judge.
00:36:55.94\00:36:59.68
Ohh. That's what we
think mission is. And that's
00:36:59.68\00:37:07.06
craziness. We are our own worst
enemies. The good news, we just
read it. The good news is the
00:37:07.06\00:37:18.30
truth about God. And we just
read it. Let's read it again.
00:37:18.30\00:37:22.14
"For God so loved the world that
He gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him
00:37:22.14\00:37:26.34
shall not perish but have
eternal life. For God did not
00:37:26.34\00:37:30.15
send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save
the world through Him."
00:37:30.15\00:37:36.35
Ont the authority of what we
have just read and the authority
of this good news, guess what --
00:37:36.35\00:37:41.99
your mission is a winning
mission, which means right after
church, you can sit down at
00:37:41.99\00:37:47.23
your -- at your social
media keyboard and you can start
00:37:47.23\00:37:51.20
typing. [ Imitates typing ] "You
got to hear what the good news
00:37:51.20\00:37:55.20
really is. I'm tell you what.
John 3:16. Oh, and by the way,
00:37:55.20\00:37:59.27
don't just read 16, please read
verse 17 because the good news
is God is not somebody to be
00:37:59.27\00:38:04.75
afraid of, He's somebody to be a
friend of. The good news is
Jesus didn't come to condemn, He
00:38:04.75\00:38:10.22
came to save the world, and
guess what -- Jesus is coming
soon. And when He comes, it's
00:38:10.22\00:38:13.86
not to condemn the world. He's
coming to save the world."
That's the good news, and that's
00:38:13.86\00:38:18.39
how fast you can fulfill this
call. "As the Father has sent
00:38:18.39\00:38:22.56
me, I've sent you." "You take
the same message that I brought
to this planet, you
00:38:22.56\00:38:26.70
take it to the planet again
for me. Be on mission for me."
00:38:26.70\00:38:30.94
Isn't that great? We got
all this -- "Oh, man, mission is
00:38:30.94\00:38:35.74
such bad news. I hate mission."
What? It's the greatest news
00:38:35.74\00:38:41.08
there is. Jesus is coming again,
not to condemn the world. He's
coming to save the world.
00:38:41.08\00:38:46.89
I'm telling you, I don't think I
need to say this, but I'm gonna
reinforce it anyway.
00:38:46.89\00:38:51.46
If ever there were a moment for
this very good news to be
understood in America, it's
00:38:51.46\00:38:57.73
right now. This good news, on
the planet, it has to be right
00:38:57.73\00:39:05.07
now. In fact, I'll tell you
this, thanks to this pandemic,
in the most recent insurrection
00:39:05.07\00:39:11.25
chaos election crisis, we need
no more evidence to be reminded,
listen, that the good old days
00:39:11.25\00:39:17.75
are gone forever. I know there
are people even around here
thinking, "Well, one
00:39:17.75\00:39:22.36
of these days, the good old days
of education will return."
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
00:39:22.36\00:39:26.36
No, the pandemic has rewritten
everything. And you are naive
00:39:26.36\00:39:30.27
and so am I if I think the
golden years will come back.
They will not come back.
00:39:30.27\00:39:35.30
The golden years of education
are past. The golden years of
00:39:35.30\00:39:42.34
church and worship are past.
They're not coming back. I don't
care when this pandemic
00:39:42.34\00:39:47.48
lifts, and if they say, "Take
your masks off," they'll not all
00:39:47.48\00:39:52.65
come back. To a pastor across
this land, and I've talked to
many during this pandemic.
00:39:52.65\00:39:57.59
[ Stammers ] The one concern
is the question, "Will they come
00:39:57.59\00:40:11.04
back at all?" The golden years
are behind us. This church used
to be packed to the gills.
00:40:11.04\00:40:16.38
We'll never see that again,
ever. The golden years are
00:40:16.38\00:40:25.35
behind us. Well, let's just call
them what they are -- the good
old days. The good old days of
00:40:25.35\00:40:34.63
politics, guess what -- gone.
The good old days of the
economy, guess what -- gone.
00:40:34.63\00:40:43.24
Ah, don't foo-- Don't be
fooled by the stock market.
00:40:43.24\00:40:47.04
That market that goes like a
Roman candle into the air comes
00:40:47.04\00:40:52.71
down like a bomb. And it'll go
drop lower. Yeah. No, the golden
00:40:52.71\00:40:59.89
days, the good old days of
government... back there. So we
need to join this young
00:40:59.89\00:41:06.73
damsel and raise our hands and
say, "Good-bye, good ole days."
Because we're not going back.
00:41:06.73\00:41:16.44
Sorry for a little bit of doom
and gloom in the midst of all
00:41:16.44\00:41:22.51
this good news. [ Chuckles ] I
heard what that sounded like.
The truth of the matter is there
00:41:22.51\00:41:30.55
is one stunning exception, and I
got to slip this in. There's one
stunning exception.
00:41:30.55\00:41:34.66
There's something where the good
old days for this one stunning
exception are yet ahead, and do
00:41:34.66\00:41:39.23
you know what that stunning
exception is? It's called
00:41:39.23\00:41:43.63
mission. Because the darker it
gets, the stronger mission
becomes. You got to believe, you
00:41:43.63\00:41:50.14
got to know that's the case.
Why does the church grow in
00:41:50.14\00:41:53.38
Communist China? Because it went
dark. And when it went dark,
boom, that church exploded.
00:41:53.38\00:41:59.31
Why did it do that in the first
century in the Roman Empire?
Because when it went dark, that
00:41:59.31\00:42:05.72
light burst into existence. The
good old days for mission are
00:42:05.72\00:42:11.86
still ahead. In fact, let me
illustrate it this way. So let's
00:42:11.86\00:42:15.70
say we have -- A lot of your
houses have basements in them.
So we're going to the door of
00:42:15.70\00:42:19.27
your basement, and the top --
the top landing right here,
we'll call this the good old
00:42:19.27\00:42:22.87
days right here, okay? There's a
stairway going down to the dark,
00:42:22.87\00:42:26.31
right? So we'll call this --
we'll call this the good old
days. Okay, that's the good old
00:42:26.31\00:42:30.38
days. Not now. Because about 10
months ago right now -- shoop --
00:42:30.38\00:42:34.52
the country and the world
dropped, and now we're on a
level called pandemic, COVID-19.
00:42:34.52\00:42:39.75
God bless our frontline workers,
keeping us alive, but that's
where we are right now.
00:42:39.75\00:42:45.26
And then we run in to a little
thing called "election crisis."
00:42:45.26\00:42:49.60
Boom. Took another step down.
Every step down is darker.
That's where we were until this
00:42:49.60\00:42:55.90
week when we ran into
insurrection crisis. Chhk, down.
00:42:55.90\00:43:00.11
And now we're down here. I don't
know what the next step will
00:43:00.11\00:43:07.02
bring. I just know this. That a
writer I place a lot of faith in
00:43:07.02\00:43:13.32
put it this way a century ago.
"These calamities will increase
more and more, one disaster will
00:43:13.32\00:43:22.40
follow close on the
heels of another." Boom.
00:43:22.40\00:43:28.10
Boom. Boom. Boom.
00:43:28.10\00:43:31.74
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
All the way down to darkness.
But the good news -- and here's
00:43:31.74\00:43:42.55
what you got to get -- the good
news is that the farther down
the stairs go, the brighter
00:43:42.55\00:43:48.92
grows the mission, and it's good
news. Come on, you're gonna have
00:43:48.92\00:43:54.46
to trust me on this one. The
farther we go -- in fact, let's
just put it on the screen.
00:43:54.46\00:44:02.50
"The darker the night, the
brighter the light." We have
social scientists now --
00:44:02.50\00:44:08.98
listen to this -- social
scientists -- you say, "Dwight,
what's so good news about the
00:44:08.98\00:44:12.18
bad news?" Listen to this social
scientist, Michael Barkin, he's
00:44:12.18\00:44:16.28
done some research, and he's
discovered people's reactions to
disasters and crises, which we
00:44:16.28\00:44:21.59
just went through this week and
we have more coming -- disasters
and crises -- I'm quoting now --
00:44:21.59\00:44:26.59
"create conditions peculiarly
fitted to the rapid alteration
of belief systems."
00:44:26.59\00:44:33.03
Do you know what that means?
That means this. When we go into
00:44:33.03\00:44:37.41
crisis, as we do -- and we were
feeling like it was a big crisis
Wednesday afternoon, we kind of
00:44:37.41\00:44:43.31
tempered down -- but when crisis
happens, what happens is my
security that I was counting on
00:44:43.31\00:44:51.22
like a rug is -- whoosh --
pulled out. And when the
foundation that we're on is
00:44:51.22\00:44:58.79
pulled out, we're now grasping
for anything to make me secure
again. What was that?
00:44:58.79\00:45:04.57
"Disasters create -- are
particularly fitted to the rapid
alteration of belief systems."
00:45:04.57\00:45:09.94
Listen, here's the good news --
because of crises, people open
up wider and wider to what they
00:45:09.94\00:45:16.11
kept saying no to before.
We're in a land dominantly of
00:45:16.11\00:45:25.39
non-believers. Crises, they say
there are no atheists in a
foxhole. What's that mean?
00:45:25.39\00:45:29.99
That mean a crisis -- that means
a crisis immediately creates a
paradigm shift, and you're
00:45:29.99\00:45:35.63
suddenly confronted with a new
reality you had not counted on.
Now what do I believe?
00:45:35.63\00:45:42.14
That's great news for the good
news. God doesn't even have to
00:45:42.14\00:45:47.58
create the crisis. He may
trigger political crises to get
His mission going, but He
00:45:47.58\00:45:51.55
doesn't have to. And that's why
-- that's why -- now, listen --
00:45:51.55\00:45:59.52
that's why the message of
mission needs to be very simple.
You don't roll out 28 different
00:45:59.52\00:46:06.49
subjects. As important as those
subjects are, you're gonna have
00:46:06.49\00:46:10.67
to get this down to one little
-- one little word. I'm here on
00:46:10.67\00:46:14.64
social media, come on, don't
give me a lot, just give me
something to tell. Once you get
00:46:14.64\00:46:18.74
down to that one word, you can
be set ablaze with the one word,
and I'm gonna give you one
00:46:18.74\00:46:24.18
sentence now that I hope you
will memorize by the end of this
short winter series. And here it
00:46:24.18\00:46:28.22
is. It's that wonderful book
on the parables of Jesus Christ,
00:46:28.22\00:46:31.82
"Object Lessons." I'm gonna read
the one sentence to you. Don't
you ever forget this
00:46:31.82\00:46:34.66
sentence. "The last rays
of merciful light" -- on this
00:46:34.66\00:46:39.16
planet, before the return of
Jesus. "The last rays of
merciful light, the last
00:46:39.16\00:46:43.80
message" -- here it is. Okay, I
want to know, what's the one
message I need to have on
00:46:43.80\00:46:48.34
the tip of my tongue. Here it
is. "The last message of mercy
00:46:48.34\00:46:53.64
to be given to the world, is a
revelation of His -- God's --
character of love."
00:46:53.64\00:46:59.85
End quote. One sentence, that's
it. For God sent not His Son
00:46:59.85\00:47:06.76
into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.
00:47:06.76\00:47:12.83
One sentence. The love of God.
"For God so loved the world."
00:47:12.83\00:47:16.56
"For God so loved the world."
This was all done because the
human race is loved by God.
00:47:16.56\00:47:21.34
This was all done because the
human race is still loved by
God, and He's coming back.
00:47:21.34\00:47:26.81
He's coming back. One sentence.
The darker the hour, the further
00:47:26.81\00:47:34.32
down the staircase we descend,
the more critical our mission
and message need to be
00:47:34.32\00:47:39.85
laser-focused on a revelation
of God's love. Uncomplicated.
00:47:39.85\00:47:44.03
We have complicated it. We have
to uncomplicate it, get down to
00:47:44.03\00:47:50.80
one truth and ride that truth as
the greatest news the universe
00:47:50.80\00:47:57.87
has ever heard. Wednesday, in
all the images coming out of
that riot and insurrection and
00:47:57.87\00:48:06.92
tragedy, one sticks quite
obliquely in my mind. It was a
00:48:06.92\00:48:10.09
yellow banner. I don't know if
you saw this. It's a yellow
banner waving in the breeze near
00:48:10.09\00:48:16.06
the Capitol building Wednesday
afternoon, 2021. A yellow
banner, and emblazoned
00:48:16.06\00:48:22.63
on it, two words, "Jesus saves."
I'm looking at that and I'm
watching -- I'm watching this
00:48:22.63\00:48:35.94
mob moving to take down the
building, and I'm saying, "You
00:48:35.94\00:48:43.99
know what, Dwight? There's
something incongruent about
'Jesus saves' from a mob that is
00:48:43.99\00:48:54.56
doing what it's doing."
Somebody's very confused about
Jesus' role in all of this.
00:48:54.56\00:49:01.20
Somebody's terribly
confused. "Jesus saves"?
00:49:01.20\00:49:06.68
Is that what you
think this is about?
00:49:06.68\00:49:09.91
Right above the sentence that we
are memorizing are these words,
00:49:09.91\00:49:13.55
and I'm gonna put
them on the screen.
00:49:13.55\00:49:15.82
"It is the darkness of
misapprehension of God that is
00:49:15.82\00:49:18.69
enshrouding the world."
People don't know diddly-squat
00:49:18.69\00:49:22.39
about Jesus and God.
You can carry all the yellow
00:49:22.39\00:49:26.39
banners you want. "Men
and women are losing their
00:49:26.39\00:49:29.66
knowledge of His character.
00:49:29.66\00:49:31.37
It has been misunderstood and
misinterpreted. At this time a
00:49:31.40\00:49:38.94
message from god is to be
proclaimed, a message
illuminating in its influence
00:49:38.94\00:49:44.58
and saving in its power. His
character is to be made known."
"As the Father has sent me, I'm
00:49:44.58\00:49:50.92
sending you." What's the message
you're sending me with, Lord
00:49:50.92\00:49:54.42
Jesus? Here it is -- "The last
rays of merciful light, the last
message of mercy to be given to
00:49:54.42\00:50:01.06
the world, is to be a revelation
of [God's] character of love."
Period, end of sentence.
00:50:01.06\00:50:09.54
That's it. We're not talking
about a complicated message.
00:50:09.54\00:50:16.54
Just look at it. We're
not talking about a difficult
00:50:16.54\00:50:21.35
mission. Just tell the people
that you've discovered the love
of God. Tell the people what
00:50:21.35\00:50:25.59
Mary said. "Hey, I found
out Jesus is alive, thought you
00:50:25.59\00:50:29.32
ought to know. He's alive."
Just let them see it in you.
00:50:29.32\00:50:33.03
"As the Father has sent me, so I
am sending you." "Yeah, but come
00:50:36.83\00:50:44.71
on, come on, come on, boy.
Have you forgotten we're in a
00:50:44.71\00:50:47.18
pandemic? We can't do anything
in a pandemic." No, I haven't
00:50:47.18\00:50:50.98
forgotten actually. That's
the precise reason for this new
00:50:50.98\00:50:55.35
series that begins right now.
We're gonna share with you
strategies in the midst of the
00:50:55.35\00:51:00.19
pandemic that you can exercise
without going door-to-door.
Strategies that will enable you
00:51:00.19\00:51:06.70
to be the sent one that Jesus
has said you are. "As the Father
00:51:06.70\00:51:11.60
sent me, I'm sending
you." What can I do? Watch.
00:51:11.60\00:51:17.24
We've made this a mountain to
climb when it's a glorious
opportunity to embrace.
00:51:17.24\00:51:25.91
Don't miss next week. The truth
of God's character -- you know,
we just touched on it
00:51:25.91\00:51:30.89
here, but we're gonna just zero
in on the truth of that
character, and it's gonna shine.
00:51:30.89\00:51:34.19
Title of next week -- "Love
Story for a Dark Winter." And by
the way, I want to invite
00:51:34.19\00:51:38.69
you to bring your friends. Say,
"Why? We got to physical
distance here, there's not a lot
00:51:38.69\00:51:44.57
of space." No, we still have
some. We've got a youth chapel.
00:51:44.57\00:51:50.97
Bring your friends. You want to
be sent? Your first act as the
00:51:50.97\00:51:56.28
sent one, just say, "Hey,
there's something you need to
00:51:56.28\00:52:01.65
figure out." I was kind of
intrigued with it, and why don't
you come and join me?
00:52:01.65\00:52:05.15
We got room. Tell
your friends. Why not?
00:52:05.15\00:52:11.59
Winter's short. Fill some of
these gray days with what we can
00:52:11.59\00:52:21.47
be doing now. "The last rays of
merciful light, the last message
of mercy to be given to the
00:52:21.47\00:52:28.88
world, is a revelation of
[God's] character of love." Wow.
00:52:28.88\00:52:38.65
I want you to respond to this.
Do you mind? Just -- Just you're
00:52:38.65\00:52:44.89
sitting here, just type this in,
you know, on your little --
your, uh...Internet --
00:52:44.89\00:52:53.07
pmchurch.org/connect. You're
watching right now, you're
already at that site.
00:52:53.07\00:52:57.87
But when you put the /connect,
here's the deal. It takes us to
00:52:57.87\00:53:02.74
a page that looks like this --
"My next step today is..." Box
one -- "I want to be on
00:53:02.74\00:53:07.02
mission, just like Jesus was. I
want to share the truth about
God's character of love."
00:53:07.02\00:53:11.39
Guess what, me too. Box number
two, it's a little prayer --
"God -- open my eyes
00:53:11.39\00:53:15.19
to someone this week who needs
to see the love of God in me." I
don't know what's gonna happen
00:53:15.19\00:53:20.26
this week. We're all
locked down on campus now.
00:53:20.26\00:53:22.36
We're locked down in the
community still. Well, we're
00:53:22.36\00:53:25.63
kind of moving around, kind of
halfway. Open my eyes if there's
somebody who needs to see the
00:53:25.63\00:53:29.64
love of God. And then box number
three -- "I want to be baptized
00:53:29.64\00:53:33.61
and become a follower of Jesus
with a mission and purpose for
my life this New Year."
00:53:33.61\00:53:38.11
Because when you're not
following Jesus, you may have a
purpose, but it's not the most
00:53:38.11\00:53:42.55
fulfilling purpose yet. Dream
and envision for you. If you
haven't been baptized,
00:53:42.55\00:53:51.49
just put a checkmark there.
We're gonna have some beautiful
baptisms coming up this new
00:53:51.49\00:53:56.83
year. But yeah, you're not
gonna be baptized when you put a
00:53:56.83\00:53:59.20
checkmark there. Gives us just
a chance -- electronically, come
00:53:59.20\00:54:02.04
on, electronically -- we'll
be in touch with you. Why not?
00:54:02.04\00:54:06.71
Why go through life without
a life mission? Jesus is the
00:54:06.71\00:54:10.58
greatest life mission you'll
ever find in your life. Bring
your friend next week.
00:54:10.58\00:54:14.85
Give your friend a chance
to begin to respond. Oh, God.
00:54:14.85\00:54:24.59
It really is that simple, isn't
it? Sorry we've complicated it
00:54:24.59\00:54:32.27
so. Jesus, we hear You -- "As
the Father sent me, I'm sending
00:54:32.27\00:54:35.40
you. He sent me to bring the
good tidings of great love. I
haven't come to condemn, I've
00:54:35.40\00:54:42.48
come to save. I need you to
take those same great tidings to
00:54:42.48\00:54:49.12
whomever." Dear Father, turn
this moment into a quiet
commitment to become the sent
00:54:49.12\00:54:59.83
ones for Jesus, wherever You
lead us this new year. In Jesus'
00:54:59.83\00:55:07.27
name, we pray. Amen.
00:55:07.27\00:55:09.24
>> Keeping it simple. [
Singing "This Little Light of
00:55:28.62\00:55:37.67
Mine" ] ¤¤
00:55:37.67\00:55:50.01
¤¤ ¤¤
00:55:50.01\00:56:09.03
¤¤ ¤¤
00:56:09.03\00:56:27.98
¤¤ ¤¤
00:56:27.98\00:56:46.94
¤¤
00:56:46.94\00:56:56.31
>> Before you go, let me take an
extra moment to share with you
00:56:58.88\00:57:01.92
an opportunity to get into
the Bible in a fresh, new way.
00:57:01.92\00:57:04.62
All across the world, more and
more people are hearing the call
00:57:04.62\00:57:07.62
to examine
Scriptures for themselves.
00:57:07.62\00:57:09.56
If you've felt drawn to learn
more about God's Word, but you
00:57:09.56\00:57:12.36
don't know where to start or
you're just looking for a more
00:57:12.36\00:57:15.13
in-depth examination of Bible
truths, then I have something
00:57:15.13\00:57:17.90
right here that I
believe you're gonna enjoy.
00:57:17.90\00:57:20.10
I want to send a series
of guides to get you started.
00:57:20.10\00:57:22.70
This one's entitled "Why
Does God Allow Suffering?"
00:57:22.70\00:57:25.47
Each guide begins with a story,
an introduction of the subject.
00:57:25.47\00:57:28.51
Then, through a series of focus
questions, you'll be learning
00:57:28.51\00:57:31.28
portions of the Bible you
may never have known before.
00:57:31.28\00:57:33.75
And when you're through, you'll
be able to share with others
00:57:33.75\00:57:36.45
some of these
inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:36.45\00:57:38.25
Just call our toll-free
number. It's on the screen.
00:57:38.25\00:57:40.39
877 the two words, His will.
Friendly operators are standing
00:57:40.39\00:57:44.83
by to send these
study guides to you.
00:57:44.83\00:57:46.56
Once again, that's 877-His-Will.
Call that number, and then
00:57:46.56\00:57:51.83
again, join me next week
right here at this same time.
00:57:51.83\00:57:55.97
New Perceptions.
00:57:55.97\00:57:57.14
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:00.71\00:58:19.43
¤¤
00:58:19.43\00:58:28.64