Good morning, Church.
00:05:06.13\00:05:08.57
How was that
for an opening song?
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Amen.
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Today we are very excited
here at Pioneer Memorial Church
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because we're kicking
off the Christmas season.
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So welcome, whether
you're attending virtually
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or here in person.
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Today is the
beginning of a series
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of very special programs
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as we celebrate
the Christmas season
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because it's a
reminder of Jesus our Savior.
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So again, thank
you for being here.
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And now let's move
to our call to worship.
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Our call to worship
will be on the screen
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so please read the
congregation portion
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as I read the pastor portion.
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"Look Christ comes to
us, our eyes will see Him,
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our ears will hear His voice.
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See Christ is
the faithful witness.
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He directs us to God, who
is the source of our lives
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and the provider of our hopes."
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Let's bow our heads.
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Heavenly Father,
thank You for this morning
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where we can worship together.
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Thank You for this
morning where we can praise You.
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No matter the cares and concerns
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that are there in
the world around us,
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thank You that
we can praise You.
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This is a season where
we get to remember You,
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and so God right now
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we're asking that
You'll be here with us
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as we worship You, Lord.
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Impress upon our minds
and fill us with Your Spirit,
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so that you can
worship and we can be changed,
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so that we can be
more focused on You,
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the provider of our hopes.
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So, Lord, right now
we rest those in You.
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Thank You.
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Silent night,
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Holy night
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All is calm,
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All is bright
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Round yon Virgin,
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Mother and Child
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Holy infant so tender and mild
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Sleep in heavenly peace
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Sleep in heavenly peace
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Silent night,
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Holy night
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Wondrous star,
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Lend thy light
00:09:01.80\00:09:05.84
With the angels let us sing
00:09:05.87\00:09:12.85
Alleluia to our King
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Christ the Savior
00:09:19.85\00:09:24.09
Is born
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Christ the Savior is born
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O come,
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O come Emmanuel,
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.70
and ransom
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captive Israel,
00:16:17.44\00:16:21.91
for surely
00:16:21.94\00:16:24.68
it is time.
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Amen.
00:16:28.42\00:16:31.12
There's a line
in the New Testament
00:16:31.15\00:16:32.49
that goes like this,
00:16:32.52\00:16:33.89
"But when the set
time had fully come,
00:16:33.92\00:16:39.09
God sent His Son,
00:16:39.13\00:16:43.03
born of a woman."
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It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
00:16:47.07\00:16:50.27
Have we come to that
fullness of time all over again?
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Young woman named Amber
Strong wrote an op-ed piece,
00:16:56.54\00:16:59.98
a blog if you
please back in October.
00:17:00.02\00:17:02.55
The title of the blog,
00:17:02.58\00:17:03.92
Finding Peace In The
Midst Of The Pandemic.
00:17:03.95\00:17:05.95
And her opening
lines capture the emotion,
00:17:05.99\00:17:09.22
the mental turmoil that
this pandemic has injected
00:17:09.26\00:17:13.43
into all of our lives up here.
00:17:13.46\00:17:16.63
I want you to take
a look at her words,
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.87
"From school board battles,
critical race theory..."
00:17:19.90\00:17:24.91
Have you read about it?
00:17:24.94\00:17:26.34
"to restaurant attacks
to airplane standoff..."
00:17:26.37\00:17:31.81
I don't know what's
happened to do as Americans.
00:17:31.85\00:17:33.21
As we get on a
plane we just lose it all.
00:17:33.25\00:17:35.75
Here's the stats by the way.
00:17:35.78\00:17:37.12
"Just of airplane standoffs
00:17:37.15\00:17:38.72
with more than 4000
unruly passenger reports
00:17:38.75\00:17:42.12
and 3000 plus mask-related
incidents to be exact."
00:17:42.16\00:17:46.29
I refused to put that mask on.
00:17:46.33\00:17:49.43
I refused.
00:17:49.46\00:17:50.87
"The country," she writes
00:17:54.20\00:17:55.87
"seems a bit like a
balloon ready to pop."
00:17:55.90\00:18:01.28
Perhaps more
descriptively accurate word
00:18:01.31\00:18:03.85
would be ready to boom, explode.
00:18:03.88\00:18:08.68
What's going on in this nation?
00:18:08.72\00:18:10.75
You and me, we are part of it.
00:18:10.79\00:18:14.69
She goes on,
00:18:14.72\00:18:16.06
"It's hard to know
if the world is angrier
00:18:16.09\00:18:19.49
or if it's a
matter of perception."
00:18:19.53\00:18:21.80
Well, just between you and me,
00:18:21.83\00:18:23.33
I have a feeling
it's got to be both.
00:18:23.37\00:18:24.90
We're ticked-off,
we're scared and by the way,
00:18:24.93\00:18:27.87
that's a bad combination.
00:18:27.90\00:18:30.31
And we have no
idea what's coming next,
00:18:30.34\00:18:34.08
especially since they've just
announced that this COVID-19...
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This is our second
Christmas with COVID-19,
00:18:37.41\00:18:40.82
but this COVID-19
expansion now includes
00:18:40.85\00:18:45.45
a new emendation.
00:18:45.49\00:18:49.16
You know that the scientists
have been using the letters
00:18:49.19\00:18:51.03
of the Greek alphabet
to track every new little,
00:18:51.06\00:18:54.16
what are called variants.
00:18:54.20\00:18:56.23
And there was alpha,
00:18:56.26\00:18:57.60
nobody heard a word about alpha.
00:18:57.63\00:18:58.97
There was beta and
nobody heard about beta.
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And by the way,
00:19:00.77\00:19:02.10
the English word for
alphabet is alpha-beta.
00:19:02.14\00:19:04.77
It's just the first
two letters of the Greek,
00:19:04.81\00:19:06.37
the Greek alphabet.
00:19:06.41\00:19:07.94
So there was
alpha, there was beta,
00:19:07.98\00:19:09.88
there was gamma and
nobody heard about it.
00:19:09.91\00:19:11.81
And then delta, oh my,
00:19:11.85\00:19:13.18
we're still
suffering under delta.
00:19:13.21\00:19:14.55
Isn't that right?
And then there's...
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.69
What is next there?
00:19:16.72\00:19:18.05
There is
epsilon and zeta and eta
00:19:18.09\00:19:20.32
and 15 letters
into the alphabet.
00:19:20.36\00:19:23.19
They just announced
Omicron has arrived.
00:19:23.22\00:19:25.89
In fact, two days ago,
it arrived in San Francisco,
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.10
the city by the bay.
00:19:28.13\00:19:29.46
And guess what?
00:19:29.50\00:19:30.83
It's making its way
eastward, you can count on it.
00:19:30.87\00:19:34.44
But the deal is
nobody knows. Is it worse?
00:19:34.47\00:19:36.57
Is it better? Who knows?
00:19:36.60\00:19:40.88
Amber Strong goes on,
"Here's what we do know:
00:19:40.91\00:19:44.25
Relationships have splintered.
00:19:44.28\00:19:46.61
A recent survey
from Onepoll research
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.25
says 16% of Americans
00:19:49.28\00:19:51.59
have let go of a friendship
since the pandemic started."
00:19:51.62\00:19:55.09
Keep reading,
"The top two reasons,
00:19:55.12\00:19:57.49
number one, political divides
00:19:57.53\00:19:59.56
and number two disagreements
over the COVID-19 vaccine."
00:19:59.59\00:20:03.70
Merry Christmas, everybody.
00:20:03.73\00:20:05.20
Welcome to Christmas, 2021.
00:20:05.23\00:20:07.80
You can't believe it.
00:20:07.84\00:20:11.71
It's killing us relationally.
00:20:11.74\00:20:15.94
Mercy.
00:20:15.98\00:20:18.15
A friend of mine has a
young friend on this campus,
00:20:18.18\00:20:21.65
he's a student
at the university.
00:20:21.68\00:20:24.45
And this young
friend said to him,
00:20:24.49\00:20:26.89
"I'm in dark times three,
00:20:26.92\00:20:31.59
dark, dark, dark."
00:20:31.63\00:20:35.03
We'll make it
into a little equation.
00:20:35.06\00:20:38.73
I'm in dark.
00:20:38.77\00:20:40.74
I'm in darkness like
I've never been before.
00:20:40.77\00:20:45.27
It could be there are
bunch of us sitting right here
00:20:45.31\00:20:46.98
with smiles and
masks on our faces
00:20:47.01\00:20:49.08
and we're in that dark times
00:20:49.11\00:20:50.91
three, dark, dark, dark.
00:20:50.95\00:20:55.72
What's that line again?
00:20:55.75\00:20:57.92
But when the set
time had fully come,
00:20:57.95\00:21:01.16
God sent His
Son, born of a woman.
00:21:01.19\00:21:03.89
Maybe we're already there.
00:21:03.93\00:21:06.16
Again, do you suppose?
00:21:06.19\00:21:10.33
Carl Cosaert,
00:21:10.37\00:21:11.97
bright New Testament scholar
at Walla Walla University,
00:21:12.00\00:21:14.70
wrote a commentary on
the Book of Galatians.
00:21:14.74\00:21:16.57
And I like the way he
framed this phrase the set time,
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.81
that's the NIV,
the Old King James.
00:21:19.84\00:21:22.08
When the
fullness of time had come,
00:21:22.11\00:21:24.51
I put Cosaert on the screen.
00:21:24.55\00:21:26.65
Jesus arrival in our
world was not random.
00:21:26.68\00:21:31.99
But I think I'll go now.
00:21:32.02\00:21:34.22
Now stay, come on, come on,
00:21:34.26\00:21:35.62
there's stuff we got
to do in the universe.
00:21:35.66\00:21:37.83
It was not random.
00:21:37.86\00:21:40.00
Paul says, "He came
in the fullness of time,
00:21:40.03\00:21:42.63
the precise time
that God had prepared.
00:21:42.66\00:21:45.20
What time was that?"
00:21:45.23\00:21:47.90
He answers his own question now.
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.11
He says there
are a couple factors
00:21:50.14\00:21:53.64
we need to keep in mind.
00:21:53.68\00:21:56.41
Let's talk about an
historical application
00:21:56.44\00:21:58.88
to that fullness of time.
00:21:58.91\00:22:01.48
Let's take this...
00:22:01.52\00:22:03.05
And we're going to need to do
this kind of mental translation
00:22:03.08\00:22:05.75
going on now as we see
what Cosaert has written.
00:22:05.79\00:22:08.32
And we're going to be
asking ourselves the question.
00:22:08.36\00:22:10.06
Do these factors that
happened 2000 years ago,
00:22:10.09\00:22:14.40
are they reoccurring now?
00:22:14.43\00:22:16.63
That's what we
have to ask ourselves.
00:22:16.67\00:22:19.13
All right, so
let's go to Cosaert,
00:22:19.17\00:22:22.74
"From an
historical perspective..."
00:22:22.77\00:22:24.31
All right. I underline that.
00:22:24.34\00:22:25.67
"From an
historical perspective,"
00:22:25.71\00:22:27.21
and he says, "There
are two perspectives
00:22:27.24\00:22:28.58
we need to think about,
00:22:28.61\00:22:29.94
but from an
historical perspective,
00:22:29.98\00:22:31.58
it was known as the Pax
Romana, the Roman peace.
00:22:31.61\00:22:36.75
A 200-year period
of relative stability
00:22:36.79\00:22:39.25
and peace across
the Roman Empire."
00:22:39.29\00:22:41.32
Question: Does
this shoe fit for us?
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.59
Yes, I think it does.
00:22:44.63\00:22:46.49
It's not called Pax Romana,
it's called Pax Americana,
00:22:46.53\00:22:52.03
a period of history
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.40
during which this
nation has taken upon itself
00:22:53.44\00:22:55.07
to enforce a quasi global peace
or at least global tolerance.
00:22:55.10\00:22:59.07
We can set up for that, maybe.
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.31
Two other want to be
powers, Russia and China,
00:23:01.34\00:23:03.65
not with standing the
United States is presently
00:23:03.68\00:23:05.88
the global peace
enforcer of sorts.
00:23:05.91\00:23:08.32
We can find
exceptions, of course.
00:23:08.35\00:23:12.05
Okay, what were
those factors back then?
00:23:12.09\00:23:14.56
"Rome's conquest of
the Mediterranean world
00:23:14.59\00:23:16.99
had brought one, peace."
00:23:17.03\00:23:18.86
As he just
mentioned, I put the numbers in.
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.40
Two, a common language,
00:23:21.43\00:23:22.76
that would be the
language of Greek.
00:23:22.80\00:23:24.13
That was Greek,
00:23:24.17\00:23:25.50
everybody spoke
Greek and wrote Greek.
00:23:25.53\00:23:28.50
Three, a
favorable means of travel,
00:23:28.54\00:23:31.07
the sea lanes, the
shipping lanes are open.
00:23:31.11\00:23:33.34
Rome is enforcing
clear highways, aqueducts,
00:23:33.38\00:23:36.51
yes, great.
00:23:36.54\00:23:37.88
And number
four, a common culture
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.18
that facilitated the
rapid spread of the gospel,
00:23:40.22\00:23:42.82
the Hellenistic culture.
00:23:42.85\00:23:44.92
Everybody read
the same philosophers,
00:23:44.95\00:23:46.45
they read the same...
00:23:46.49\00:23:47.82
They went to the same place.
00:23:47.86\00:23:49.19
It just permeated the empire.
00:23:49.22\00:23:53.23
Does the shoe fit?
00:23:53.26\00:23:55.93
Does this fullness of time
00:23:55.96\00:23:59.90
come once more
at the end of time?
00:23:59.93\00:24:04.44
Let me run
through that list again,
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.41
but I'm going to add some
to it if it's okay with you
00:24:06.44\00:24:09.38
because what we'll
put Cosaert's first four.
00:24:09.41\00:24:11.51
There was global
peace, got that checked,
00:24:11.55\00:24:13.62
got that today sort of.
00:24:13.65\00:24:15.48
There's global common language.
00:24:15.52\00:24:16.85
Yep, it's English, we know that.
00:24:16.89\00:24:19.22
You can go
anywhere on the planet
00:24:19.25\00:24:20.59
somebody there
would speak English.
00:24:20.62\00:24:22.06
Number three,
it's global travel.
00:24:22.09\00:24:23.96
If you got a
passport and a plane ticket,
00:24:23.99\00:24:25.33
you can go
anywhere on this planet,
00:24:25.36\00:24:26.70
you are there tomorrow.
00:24:26.73\00:24:29.20
It's never been easier.
00:24:29.23\00:24:30.73
Okay, number
three, global travel.
00:24:30.77\00:24:32.37
So far global culture.
00:24:32.40\00:24:33.74
You know the global
culture is McDonald's,
00:24:33.77\00:24:36.84
Walmart and Coca Cola.
00:24:36.87\00:24:39.34
That's it, everywhere.
00:24:39.37\00:24:41.44
It's really a youth culture.
00:24:41.48\00:24:43.55
We talk about the
culture of the world.
00:24:43.58\00:24:44.91
It's a youth culture.
00:24:44.95\00:24:46.28
I've been all over this planet.
00:24:46.31\00:24:47.92
The young dress
alike, they talk alike,
00:24:47.95\00:24:51.15
they act alike, they read alike,
00:24:51.19\00:24:53.99
they watch alike,
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.36
they listen
alike, they eat alike.
00:24:55.39\00:24:57.29
It's the young culture
00:24:57.33\00:24:58.96
and everybody who's
older than the young
00:24:58.99\00:25:00.66
is going down to join.
00:25:00.70\00:25:02.40
I want to be a
part of that culture.
00:25:02.43\00:25:03.77
We can't help it.
That is the culture.
00:25:03.80\00:25:05.37
We have a global
culture. Oh yes, we do.
00:25:05.40\00:25:07.97
But I'm going to
add now a few more,
00:25:08.00\00:25:10.51
global access to Scripture.
00:25:10.54\00:25:12.81
Two hundred years
before Jesus came,
00:25:12.84\00:25:14.31
the Old Testament was
translated into Greek.
00:25:14.34\00:25:16.34
It's called Septuagint,
so that it was everywhere.
00:25:16.38\00:25:20.78
People could
check the Bible out.
00:25:20.82\00:25:23.42
Today, are you kidding,
00:25:23.45\00:25:24.79
there isn't a place
where the Bible is not known,
00:25:24.82\00:25:26.76
it's the most known
00:25:26.79\00:25:28.42
and available book
on the planet bar none.
00:25:28.46\00:25:31.83
So number five is
global access to Scripture,
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.13
Number six, global
messianic diaspora,
00:25:34.16\00:25:36.73
because the Jews were everywhere
00:25:36.77\00:25:38.23
and because they were,
this hope of the Messiah
00:25:38.27\00:25:40.14
is everywhere.
00:25:40.17\00:25:41.50
Everywhere a Jew went,
00:25:41.54\00:25:42.87
there was hope for
the coming Messiah.
00:25:42.90\00:25:44.87
Oh, that was perfect.
00:25:44.91\00:25:46.24
That was a perfect time to come.
00:25:46.27\00:25:47.61
Is there a global
messianic diaspora now?
00:25:47.64\00:25:49.74
There is.
00:25:49.78\00:25:51.11
Everywhere where Christian goes,
00:25:51.15\00:25:52.65
there goes the hope,
00:25:52.68\00:25:54.02
there lies the hope of the soon
coming of Jesus by and large.
00:25:54.05\00:25:58.72
Yeah.
00:25:58.75\00:26:00.09
And then number seven, a
global Sabbatarian diaspora.
00:26:00.12\00:26:04.36
And that's why when Paul,
00:26:04.39\00:26:05.96
who's stick and
closed to the Sabbath,
00:26:05.99\00:26:07.70
because it wasn't a
Jewish, it wasn't a Jewish gift.
00:26:07.73\00:26:10.47
It was for the human race
and Paul was a Sabbatarian.
00:26:10.50\00:26:13.34
And when he became a Christian,
00:26:13.37\00:26:14.70
he didn't leave
Sabbatarian isn't behind.
00:26:14.74\00:26:16.07
He was still a Sabbatarian
but wherever he went,
00:26:16.10\00:26:18.41
the Sabbath
immediately took root,
00:26:18.44\00:26:20.94
the entire first
century, that's all they knew.
00:26:20.98\00:26:24.85
Oh, are we having that again?
00:26:24.88\00:26:26.61
Oh, we have people
all over this planet,
00:26:26.65\00:26:28.45
who are taking the
truth that the Creator
00:26:28.48\00:26:29.95
of this universe
is alive and well.
00:26:29.98\00:26:31.85
And no matter what naturalism
or scientific atheism teaches,
00:26:31.89\00:26:36.32
there is a
Creator and we believe
00:26:36.36\00:26:39.49
that He reminds
us every Sabbath day
00:26:39.53\00:26:41.93
that He is still
Lord of this planet.
00:26:41.96\00:26:45.13
Yeah, global
Sabbatarian diaspora.
00:26:45.17\00:26:48.40
"But there's not just a
historical perspective,"
00:26:51.74\00:26:53.91
Cosaert says.
00:26:53.94\00:26:55.28
Let me tell you
about another perspective
00:26:55.31\00:26:56.88
and it's right here too.
00:26:56.91\00:26:58.25
"From a biblical perspective,
00:26:58.28\00:27:00.52
it also marked
the fullness of time.
00:27:00.55\00:27:02.48
It also marked the
time God had appointed
00:27:02.52\00:27:04.52
for the coming of
the Promised Messiah
00:27:04.55\00:27:06.76
according to the
prophecies of Daniel."
00:27:06.79\00:27:09.76
Hit the pause button right here.
00:27:09.79\00:27:11.13
Do you know that the
first words out of Jesus'
00:27:11.16\00:27:13.43
mouth in the Book of Mark, okay?
00:27:13.46\00:27:15.43
He starts preaching
00:27:15.46\00:27:16.80
and His first words
are these literally,
00:27:16.83\00:27:19.37
"The time is fulfilled.
00:27:19.40\00:27:23.61
The kingdom is at hand,
repent and believe the gospel."
00:27:23.64\00:27:26.78
That is one sentence summation
of everything He preached,
00:27:26.81\00:27:30.45
the time is fulfilled.
00:27:30.48\00:27:32.78
Where did you get that idea?
00:27:32.81\00:27:34.55
He got it from Daniel.
00:27:34.58\00:27:36.95
Daniel gives the
exact date of His anointing,
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.62
the baptism and the
exact date of His crucifixion.
00:27:39.65\00:27:44.86
It's all in Daniel.
00:27:44.89\00:27:46.26
So when He
says, "It's here now,"
00:27:46.29\00:27:48.70
the fullness of time, prophecy,
00:27:48.73\00:27:50.87
God's prophetic clock strikes
00:27:50.90\00:27:52.90
and then the Messiah
comes the first time.
00:27:52.93\00:27:55.40
Keep reading, "Thus
the entrance of Jesus
00:27:55.44\00:27:57.41
into human
history was no accident."
00:27:57.44\00:28:00.78
He came right on time.
00:28:00.81\00:28:02.14
Question: Will He do it again?
00:28:02.18\00:28:04.01
Help me out here.
Will He do it again?
00:28:04.05\00:28:07.38
If He came the first
time according to prophecy,
00:28:07.42\00:28:09.12
will He come the second
time according to prophecy?
00:28:09.15\00:28:11.69
But, of course, we
are living once again
00:28:11.72\00:28:13.96
in the fullness of time.
00:28:13.99\00:28:15.66
You can get there from here,
be reminded fellow human being.
00:28:15.69\00:28:21.20
We live as JB Phillips
put it on a visited planet,
00:28:21.23\00:28:26.50
and the visitor
is coming back again.
00:28:26.53\00:28:29.60
And that's what keeps me going
and it keeps you going too.
00:28:29.64\00:28:33.17
I know you, good for you.
00:28:33.21\00:28:37.05
As Cosaert put it,
"The entrance of Jesus
00:28:37.08\00:28:40.02
into human
history was no accident."
00:28:40.05\00:28:42.55
And I'm going to add,
"And neither will be His,
00:28:42.58\00:28:46.12
the Messiah's second
coming would be the accident."
00:28:46.15\00:28:51.93
Wow.
00:28:51.96\00:28:55.26
What's that line again,
00:28:55.30\00:28:56.63
that when the set
time had fully come,
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.50
God sent His
Son, born of a woman.
00:28:59.53\00:29:03.64
Now, I need to tell you
there's one more factor.
00:29:03.67\00:29:06.68
I'm going to add it,
it's going to be number eight
00:29:06.71\00:29:10.68
because what we're
going through right now.
00:29:10.71\00:29:14.28
Watch this, here's that
list, drop down to number eight,
00:29:14.32\00:29:17.89
global existential crisis.
00:29:17.92\00:29:21.52
That's what we
have going on right now.
00:29:21.56\00:29:24.89
Did they have it back then?
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.36
Oh, mercy, the Gospel Prophet
00:29:26.39\00:29:28.43
600 years before the
Christ Child was born,
00:29:28.46\00:29:31.07
the Gospel Prophet says,
00:29:31.10\00:29:32.43
"Let me tell you about
what the planet will be like
00:29:32.47\00:29:33.94
and the culture would be like
00:29:33.97\00:29:35.67
when He comes in
the fullness of time."
00:29:35.70\00:29:37.71
Let me show you,
the Gospel Prophet says.
00:29:37.74\00:29:39.84
So let's go to Isaiah Chapter 9,
00:29:39.87\00:29:41.48
very familiar
words, the verse 2,
00:29:41.51\00:29:43.35
"The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light,
00:29:43.38\00:29:47.15
and on those living in
the land of deep darkness,"
00:29:47.18\00:29:50.19
there it is,
00:29:50.22\00:29:51.55
dark times three
equals deep darkness.
00:29:51.59\00:29:56.93
"So people living in
the land of deep darkness
00:29:56.96\00:29:59.69
and then a light has dawned."
00:29:59.73\00:30:04.83
Nothing's
changed or shall I say,
00:30:04.87\00:30:07.94
we've come back to what it was.
00:30:07.97\00:30:11.21
I was talking with a
young co-head on this campus.
00:30:14.88\00:30:17.91
And somehow our conversation
got into a depression.
00:30:17.95\00:30:22.18
And I was hardly
prepared for her answer.
00:30:22.22\00:30:24.09
When she stopped,
she says, "You know what,
00:30:24.12\00:30:25.45
I'm depressed right now."
00:30:25.49\00:30:28.02
I said, "You are?"
00:30:28.06\00:30:30.13
"Yeah, I'm
experiencing depression."
00:30:30.16\00:30:34.90
Deep darkness.
00:30:34.93\00:30:37.93
Dark, dark, dark, this
young man on this campus
00:30:37.97\00:30:43.34
describes it.
00:30:43.37\00:30:45.61
So I go to...
00:30:45.64\00:30:46.98
I said, "Listen, I
got to check this out."
00:30:47.01\00:30:49.14
You're not going to
believe what I found
00:30:49.18\00:30:50.65
from Boston University.
00:30:50.68\00:30:52.25
I want you to
never forget the words
00:30:52.28\00:30:53.62
you're about to
see research done.
00:30:53.65\00:30:56.18
You'll see it, watch.
00:30:56.22\00:30:59.35
"Depression among
adults in the United States
00:30:59.39\00:31:01.62
tripled in the early 2020 months
00:31:01.66\00:31:04.59
of the global
Coronavirus pandemic."
00:31:04.63\00:31:07.80
Tripled. What are those numbers?
00:31:07.83\00:31:09.86
Let's put them up.
00:31:09.90\00:31:11.23
"Jumping from 8.5%
00:31:11.27\00:31:12.60
before the pandemic
to a staggering 27.8%."
00:31:12.63\00:31:18.17
Keep reading, "New research
00:31:18.21\00:31:20.58
from the Boston University
School of Public Health reveals
00:31:20.61\00:31:23.95
that the elevated
rate of depression
00:31:23.98\00:31:26.01
has persisted into
2021, and even worsened,"
00:31:26.05\00:31:29.42
keep reading, "climbing to 32.8%
00:31:29.45\00:31:33.49
and affecting one in
every three American adults."
00:31:33.52\00:31:37.86
Let's just figure this out.
00:31:37.89\00:31:39.36
One, two, depression three,
one, two, depression three,
00:31:39.39\00:31:43.33
one, two, depression three,
one, two, depression three,
00:31:43.37\00:31:46.84
one out of three.
00:31:46.87\00:31:48.97
Mercy, he's right.
That's the America.
00:31:49.00\00:31:52.17
You want to talk
about an existential crisis.
00:31:52.21\00:31:54.01
We're in it now.
00:31:54.04\00:31:56.14
It was that way 2000 years ago.
00:31:56.18\00:31:59.81
Are we surprised at
last in the fullness of time,
00:31:59.85\00:32:04.72
we return to a deep darkness,
00:32:04.75\00:32:08.46
dark, dark, dark.
00:32:08.49\00:32:13.26
So you're not alone,
young adult, old adult,
00:32:13.29\00:32:15.56
it doesn't matter.
00:32:15.60\00:32:17.00
One out of three of us.
00:32:17.03\00:32:18.67
One out of three,
00:32:18.70\00:32:22.04
which leads me
to pause right here.
00:32:22.07\00:32:26.11
I'm going to
express a word of gratitude
00:32:26.14\00:32:27.48
to the faculty
staff of this university.
00:32:27.51\00:32:31.25
I'm thinking
about the other campus,
00:32:31.28\00:32:32.61
Andrews Academy, I'm
thinking about the other campus,
00:32:32.65\00:32:34.28
Ruth Murdoch Elementary School.
00:32:34.32\00:32:35.65
I'm thinking about
educators right now.
00:32:35.68\00:32:38.35
I want to express a word
of collective gratitude to you
00:32:38.39\00:32:42.19
who teach and I see
you sitting out there.
00:32:42.22\00:32:45.99
You know why?
00:32:46.03\00:32:47.83
Because the truth of the matter
00:32:47.86\00:32:49.56
is that you also
have gone through a time
00:32:49.60\00:32:52.90
of the immense stress
00:32:52.93\00:32:54.97
that the pandemic
has inflicted upon us.
00:32:55.00\00:32:56.87
Something
called hybrid teaching,
00:32:56.91\00:32:59.61
where you teach to
real people in front of you
00:32:59.64\00:33:02.51
and fake people on a screen.
00:33:02.54\00:33:04.01
No, no, they're real
people on the screen as well,
00:33:04.05\00:33:06.28
but you teach to them
00:33:06.31\00:33:07.65
and you teach to
them simultaneously.
00:33:07.68\00:33:11.52
And then you make sure
that everything is recorded
00:33:11.55\00:33:13.46
and uploaded so that the ones
who didn't decide not to come
00:33:13.49\00:33:16.83
to class today can still
get the entire lecture tonight.
00:33:16.86\00:33:21.66
Nobody has an idea
00:33:21.70\00:33:23.16
of what you've been
going through in this pandemic.
00:33:23.20\00:33:27.34
Isn't that amazing
that in an institution
00:33:27.37\00:33:30.01
and a congregation that
belongs to this university?
00:33:30.04\00:33:33.11
Isn't that amazing
00:33:33.14\00:33:34.48
that when we
concentrate on students
00:33:34.51\00:33:36.01
as we all are doing,
00:33:36.04\00:33:37.71
we forget that
there're caregivers
00:33:37.75\00:33:39.85
in our schools on
all three campuses
00:33:39.88\00:33:42.15
are experiencing
the same darkness,
00:33:42.18\00:33:44.12
the same weary
stress related hopelessness?
00:33:44.15\00:33:48.82
What do you think they are?
00:33:48.86\00:33:50.29
Super people,
unaffected, it's killing them.
00:33:50.33\00:33:54.30
Some of them are
having a hard time
00:33:54.33\00:33:57.63
just showing up to work.
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.30
I know.
00:33:59.33\00:34:01.60
And we take
them all for granted.
00:34:01.64\00:34:02.97
Well, yeah,
they're supposed to be.
00:34:03.00\00:34:04.34
That's all we pay him to do.
00:34:04.37\00:34:06.71
No, we're all going
through this pandemic together.
00:34:06.74\00:34:09.54
And by the way,
let me say a shout out
00:34:09.58\00:34:11.71
to our administrators
00:34:11.75\00:34:15.22
because then everybody
can say yeah, but them.
00:34:15.25\00:34:19.69
This is the hardest time
ever in history to be a leader,
00:34:19.72\00:34:23.36
trust me.
00:34:23.39\00:34:25.19
You're never
pleasing anybody sometimes,
00:34:25.23\00:34:27.96
and you can never
please everybody ever.
00:34:28.00\00:34:31.67
To be an
administrator, it's your fault.
00:34:31.70\00:34:34.10
You're not doing
a good enough job.
00:34:34.14\00:34:36.54
Well, if I'm in your
place, here's what I do.
00:34:36.57\00:34:38.64
Well, let's trade
places for a week or a month.
00:34:38.67\00:34:42.44
You'd be back so
fast to where you were.
00:34:42.48\00:34:46.21
Listen, Pioneer
Church, community members,
00:34:46.25\00:34:49.38
we owe a huge students,
00:34:49.42\00:34:52.02
we owe a huge debt to
this selfless service.
00:34:52.05\00:34:57.23
Men and women to God
00:34:57.26\00:34:58.59
who show up everyday
00:34:58.63\00:35:00.06
whether they feel
like showing up or not.
00:35:00.10\00:35:03.43
And I for once
say, "God bless them."
00:35:03.47\00:35:04.83
What do you say?
00:35:04.87\00:35:06.33
Yeah, absolutely.
00:35:06.37\00:35:10.77
Dark times three
equals the darkness.
00:35:10.81\00:35:14.44
Two thousand years
ago, that's the way it was
00:35:14.48\00:35:16.01
and guess what?
00:35:16.04\00:35:17.91
Global existential
crisis, we're there again.
00:35:17.95\00:35:22.68
That's why we can't
end with Isaiah 9:2.
00:35:22.72\00:35:26.79
There's the good news
immediately on its heels.
00:35:26.82\00:35:28.89
Come on, let's get to
the good news, Dwight.
00:35:28.92\00:35:30.26
Come on, do it fast.
00:35:30.29\00:35:31.63
Okay, Isaiah 9:6,
everybody knows these words,
00:35:31.66\00:35:33.90
"For unto us a child is born."
00:35:33.93\00:35:37.60
Is that Handel's Messiah?
00:35:37.63\00:35:38.97
Of course, it is.
00:35:39.00\00:35:40.34
And here's where we got it from.
00:35:40.37\00:35:41.70
He didn't write that.
00:35:41.74\00:35:43.07
"For unto us a child is
born, to us a son is given
00:35:43.10\00:35:45.87
and the government
will be on His shoulders.
00:35:45.91\00:35:48.04
And He will be
called Wonderful Counselor,
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.45
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,"
00:35:50.48\00:35:52.78
and guess what?
00:35:52.81\00:35:54.15
"Prince of Peace."
00:35:54.18\00:35:57.69
My, my, my, my, are you
talking about the same baby
00:35:57.72\00:36:01.36
that got born in Bethlehem
00:36:01.39\00:36:03.32
and on that starry
night that angelic choir...
00:36:03.36\00:36:06.29
Oh, I wish I had
a YouTube of that,
00:36:06.33\00:36:07.66
that angelic choir
singing their hearts out.
00:36:07.70\00:36:10.40
What was the line of that song?
00:36:10.43\00:36:13.97
Glory to God in the
highest and on earth, what?
00:36:14.00\00:36:18.67
We just blow right through it.
00:36:18.71\00:36:20.54
Oh, and to all men
within His good will,
00:36:20.58\00:36:23.68
we just blow right
through it, and on earth, peace.
00:36:23.71\00:36:27.25
Do you know why?
00:36:27.28\00:36:28.62
Because 2000 years ago
00:36:28.65\00:36:29.98
they were in
desperate need of peace.
00:36:30.02\00:36:31.35
And you know why?
00:36:31.39\00:36:32.72
Because 2000 years
later in the fullness of time,
00:36:32.75\00:36:34.72
again we are in desperate
need of that same peace.
00:36:34.76\00:36:38.23
He's called the Prince of Peace.
00:36:38.26\00:36:39.63
Hallelujah.
00:36:39.66\00:36:41.00
Got to get a hallelujah
for the Prince of Peace?
00:36:41.03\00:36:43.43
Come on.
00:36:43.47\00:36:44.80
Wow!
00:36:47.90\00:36:49.34
So no matter how
deep the darkness
00:36:49.37\00:36:52.64
that you are
experiencing right now,
00:36:52.67\00:36:55.01
I got some great news for you.
00:36:55.04\00:36:58.08
The Prince of
Peace has something
00:36:58.11\00:37:01.28
to touch your heart and to
heal the pain in your mind.
00:37:01.32\00:37:07.06
And I want to talk
about that before I sit down.
00:37:07.09\00:37:09.02
I'm going to give you
now three simple steps
00:37:09.06\00:37:12.03
to turn to the Prince of Peace,
00:37:12.06\00:37:15.16
to seek and to experience
00:37:15.20\00:37:17.10
His Peace in darkness times
three, deep darkness, right?
00:37:17.13\00:37:22.90
Here they are.
00:37:22.94\00:37:24.44
Three steps, step number one,
jot these down in your mind.
00:37:24.47\00:37:26.84
We don't use
study guides anymore.
00:37:26.88\00:37:28.34
You might have COVID on them.
00:37:28.38\00:37:29.84
So just jot it
down in your mind.
00:37:29.88\00:37:31.68
Step number one,
go to the source.
00:37:31.71\00:37:33.75
On the eve of His own
death, can you believe this?
00:37:36.79\00:37:38.95
Jesus is about...
00:37:38.99\00:37:40.32
Get this, Jesus
is about to enter
00:37:40.36\00:37:41.79
into His own
darkness times three,
00:37:41.82\00:37:43.63
times three, times three.
00:37:43.66\00:37:44.99
It's going to be hell that dark
in Gethsemane in just hours,
00:37:45.03\00:37:49.50
maybe minutes away.
00:37:49.53\00:37:52.53
He should be
thinking about Himself,
00:37:52.57\00:37:53.90
but He's
thinking about you and me.
00:37:53.94\00:37:57.17
And He leaves a promise with us.
00:37:57.21\00:37:58.94
I don't want you to
ever forget this promise.
00:37:58.97\00:38:00.84
John 14:27, still
in the upper room,
00:38:00.88\00:38:03.85
"Peace I leave with
you, My Peace I give to you.
00:38:03.88\00:38:09.58
I do not give to
you as the world gives.
00:38:09.62\00:38:11.32
No, no, no.
00:38:11.35\00:38:12.69
Do not let your
hearts be troubled
00:38:12.72\00:38:14.16
and do not be afraid."
00:38:14.19\00:38:17.33
I was reading these very
words to a man near his death,
00:38:17.36\00:38:21.93
I tell you the truth.
00:38:21.96\00:38:23.30
In fact, I was holding his hand
00:38:23.33\00:38:25.80
while I'm reading the words
and then offering the prayer
00:38:25.83\00:38:30.37
and he died while I
was holding his hand.
00:38:30.41\00:38:33.78
When the nurse came
in, she saw the monitor,
00:38:36.95\00:38:39.11
"What's happening?"
00:38:39.15\00:38:41.38
He died
00:38:41.42\00:38:43.79
while those words were read.
00:38:43.82\00:38:47.39
I don't know about you but if,
00:38:47.42\00:38:49.12
when I die,
00:38:49.16\00:38:51.66
I wouldn't mind dying that way.
00:38:51.69\00:38:55.46
Better yet I'd
rather leave that way.
00:38:55.50\00:38:58.60
My, my.
00:38:58.63\00:38:59.97
So go to the
source, go to Jesus.
00:39:02.90\00:39:07.24
You are not
going to find the peace
00:39:07.28\00:39:09.38
you desperately
need anywhere else.
00:39:09.41\00:39:11.81
And I'm talking to a
very self-confident generation
00:39:11.85\00:39:15.08
that's on this campus
right now in both the faculty
00:39:15.12\00:39:17.42
and the student body.
00:39:17.45\00:39:18.79
We're very self-confident.
00:39:18.82\00:39:20.16
"Hey, listen, I
get myself on anything.
00:39:20.19\00:39:21.52
Don't you worry about it.
00:39:21.56\00:39:22.89
This dark, dark,
dark, deep darkness,
00:39:22.92\00:39:25.93
I'll get myself out."
00:39:25.96\00:39:28.16
No, you won't, you
won't find it anywhere else,
00:39:28.20\00:39:30.73
I promise you.
00:39:30.77\00:39:32.10
Amber Strong, young
lady that we were consulting
00:39:36.47\00:39:39.24
at the beginning with her blog.
00:39:39.27\00:39:41.98
She sat down with a rabbi.
00:39:42.01\00:39:43.85
The rabbi said
something rather significant
00:39:43.88\00:39:46.48
and I want you to overhear
what the rabbi said to her.
00:39:46.51\00:39:49.42
She was putting to, how to
find peace in the pandemic,
00:39:49.45\00:39:52.42
peace together.
00:39:52.45\00:39:53.79
So here she's
quoting the rabbi now, okay?
00:39:53.82\00:39:55.49
In Hebrew, peace
and the word is shalom.
00:39:55.52\00:39:58.43
In Hebrew peace comes
from the root for wholeness.
00:39:58.46\00:40:02.86
Everything is like
whole and complete,
00:40:02.90\00:40:05.13
Rabbi Laurie Green said,
00:40:05.17\00:40:07.47
"So it's not just
the absence of conflict."
00:40:07.50\00:40:09.30
Oh, let's have
peace on earth, no war.
00:40:09.34\00:40:11.01
That's not what
shalom deeply is.
00:40:11.04\00:40:13.81
But there's a kind of
internal wholeness with shalom,
00:40:13.84\00:40:16.41
with peace and completion,
and that's what brings peace.
00:40:16.44\00:40:20.85
She says, by the way,
00:40:20.88\00:40:22.22
"That the current
absence of personal peace
00:40:22.25\00:40:23.95
comes from the
need to be in control."
00:40:23.99\00:40:29.16
She knows us too
well. Here we go.
00:40:29.19\00:40:32.09
"We delude ourselves
into thinking," quoting her,
00:40:32.13\00:40:34.86
"that we have a lot more control
00:40:34.90\00:40:36.63
over the world
than we really do,"
00:40:36.67\00:40:38.27
Green said.
00:40:38.30\00:40:39.63
"And I think
something like this,"
00:40:39.67\00:40:41.47
she's talking
about the pandemic,
00:40:41.50\00:40:42.84
"shows us all, especially us,
00:40:42.87\00:40:44.81
you know, smart, wealthy,
00:40:44.84\00:40:47.18
we know how to
control everything,
00:40:47.21\00:40:48.81
and we run the world Westerners
that actually not so true."
00:40:48.84\00:40:53.58
If the pandemic has
revealed anything to this nation
00:40:53.62\00:40:56.25
and to you and me,
00:40:56.28\00:40:57.62
it is that we
are not in control.
00:40:57.65\00:41:01.02
We have tried everything
to be in control politically,
00:41:01.06\00:41:03.99
economically, medically,
we are not in control.
00:41:04.03\00:41:09.03
Mental health-wise,
we are not in control.
00:41:09.06\00:41:13.23
Depression is up, up,
we are not in control.
00:41:13.27\00:41:16.97
We can't stop it.
00:41:17.01\00:41:21.24
She's right. The rabbi's right.
00:41:21.28\00:41:24.41
We thought we could just kind
00:41:24.45\00:41:25.78
of bandaid our way through this.
00:41:25.81\00:41:27.18
You're not going to.
00:41:27.22\00:41:28.65
If you are in dark times,
three deep darkness right now,
00:41:28.68\00:41:32.05
there's only one
person that is your hope,
00:41:32.09\00:41:36.36
I promise you.
00:41:36.39\00:41:38.06
Go to the source.
00:41:38.09\00:41:39.76
Let's read these
words out loud together.
00:41:39.79\00:41:41.13
Come on, let me
hear you, "Peace.
00:41:41.16\00:41:43.63
I leave with you,
My peace I give you.
00:41:43.67\00:41:48.07
I do not give to
you as the world gives.
00:41:48.10\00:41:51.41
Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid."
00:41:51.44\00:41:56.95
Three simple rules.
00:41:56.98\00:41:58.31
Rule number one,
go to the source.
00:41:58.35\00:42:00.55
Step number two,
ask for the gift.
00:42:00.58\00:42:05.55
Come on.
00:42:05.59\00:42:07.56
Look, if He's
the Prince of Peace,
00:42:07.59\00:42:10.56
and He says, "My
Peace I leave with you."
00:42:10.59\00:42:12.63
I can't think of a better
place for Him to leave His Peace
00:42:12.66\00:42:14.46
than with you and me, can you?
00:42:14.50\00:42:16.00
He said, "I leave
My Peace with you,"
00:42:16.03\00:42:17.93
please, then let's go to Him.
00:42:17.97\00:42:21.14
My Lord Jesus, I
must have Your peace
00:42:21.17\00:42:25.91
and I must have it now, please.
00:42:25.94\00:42:31.25
We all struggle for that peace.
00:42:31.28\00:42:33.82
I know I do.
00:42:33.85\00:42:35.32
I sometimes wake up
in the middle of night
00:42:35.35\00:42:36.69
makes me so mad
00:42:36.72\00:42:40.02
and stuff pops into my mind.
00:42:40.06\00:42:42.99
Issues about my career,
00:42:43.02\00:42:45.69
about some relationships I'm in,
00:42:45.73\00:42:47.36
my health, my family. It just...
00:42:51.50\00:42:56.20
My mind gets all agitated.
00:42:56.24\00:42:57.57
I won't look at my watch.
00:42:57.61\00:42:59.17
I don't want to
know what time it is,
00:42:59.21\00:43:02.31
but just keeps festering.
00:43:02.34\00:43:05.98
So I'm going to tell
you something that I found.
00:43:06.01\00:43:07.98
It's just quite by accident
I'm sure it was the Holy Spirit
00:43:08.02\00:43:10.09
but that has made
a difference for me,
00:43:10.12\00:43:14.76
because somehow in
the middle of the night,
00:43:14.79\00:43:16.89
I feel so much more vulnerable.
00:43:16.93\00:43:20.43
I don't know what it is.
00:43:20.46\00:43:21.80
It's just like the devil's
just sitting there waiting,
00:43:21.83\00:43:24.93
"I was hoping you'd wake up."
00:43:24.97\00:43:27.14
That devil's mean who kicked you
00:43:27.17\00:43:30.37
and I'm suddenly vulnerable.
00:43:30.41\00:43:33.27
And I realize how weak I am
00:43:33.31\00:43:36.31
and the struggles I
have and I say, "My God."
00:43:36.34\00:43:40.68
But I found something,
I'm gonna share it with you.
00:43:40.72\00:43:44.82
Psalm 127:2, I'm not
putting it on the screen.
00:43:44.85\00:43:48.79
There's a single
line that reads like this,
00:43:48.82\00:43:51.16
"He gives His beloved sleep."
00:43:51.19\00:43:55.80
Sleep is code word for peace.
00:43:55.83\00:43:58.90
"He gives His beloved sleep."
00:43:58.93\00:44:01.40
And I just start
repeating that...
00:44:01.44\00:44:02.84
I don't, I'm not
listening to you.
00:44:02.87\00:44:05.77
And I just keep repeating it,
"He gives His beloved sleep."
00:44:05.81\00:44:09.21
God, that's You.
00:44:09.24\00:44:11.51
You give Your beloved sleep.
00:44:11.55\00:44:14.45
I'm asking for that
peace, I need it right now."
00:44:14.48\00:44:18.42
I don't move my lips.
I just pray in my heart.
00:44:18.45\00:44:22.82
Sometimes I'll fall
asleep and sometimes I won't.
00:44:22.86\00:44:27.13
I just keep thinking,
00:44:27.16\00:44:29.36
but the way I think
has a paradigm shift
00:44:29.40\00:44:32.30
inserted into it and
it's not such bad news now.
00:44:32.33\00:44:37.51
I'm telling you, we
all struggle for peace,
00:44:37.54\00:44:42.08
but you can ask for the gift.
00:44:42.11\00:44:43.75
Ask for the gift,
He'll give it to you.
00:44:43.78\00:44:47.62
Henri Nouwen, the great...
00:44:47.65\00:44:49.78
No, the celebrated
writer in a letter to a friend
00:44:49.82\00:44:52.55
made a thoughtful
point we need to know,
00:44:52.59\00:44:54.36
and so I'm going to put
it now on the screen here.
00:44:54.39\00:44:55.89
I really wish, he's
writing to a friend,
00:44:55.92\00:44:57.96
"I really wish you
an ever deeper peace."
00:44:57.99\00:45:00.83
What a wish to give to a friend.
00:45:00.86\00:45:03.16
Keep reading, "I know
that peace quite often lives"
00:45:03.20\00:45:06.77
he was a
psychologist and a priest,
00:45:06.80\00:45:08.54
"that peace often
lives underneath the turmoils
00:45:08.57\00:45:12.07
and anxieties of our heart
00:45:12.11\00:45:14.08
and doesn't
always mean inner harmony
00:45:14.11\00:45:16.75
or emotional tranquility."
00:45:16.78\00:45:18.75
"Don't worry
about that," He says.
00:45:18.78\00:45:20.12
I know that you're
going to still stay agitated.
00:45:20.15\00:45:21.55
But keep reading,
"That peace that God gives us
00:45:21.58\00:45:25.22
quite often is beyond
our thoughts and feelings,
00:45:25.25\00:45:29.12
and we have to really
trust that peace is there for us
00:45:29.16\00:45:33.76
to claim even in the midst
of our moments of despair."
00:45:33.80\00:45:39.07
Isn't that good?
00:45:39.10\00:45:40.44
He said, "You're not
going to feel it necessarily.
00:45:40.47\00:45:43.57
Nothing may change but
you have to believe it.
00:45:43.61\00:45:47.48
You have to believe
00:45:47.51\00:45:48.84
that that peace is down
underneath that darkness.
00:45:48.88\00:45:51.18
It's already there with you."
00:45:51.21\00:45:53.52
It has to be true folks,
00:45:53.55\00:45:54.88
because when Jesus makes
the promise about John 14:27,
00:45:54.92\00:45:57.45
"My Peace I leave with
you, not as a world give it,"
00:45:57.49\00:45:59.22
that promise.
00:45:59.25\00:46:00.72
He's minutes away from
deep darkness times three,
00:46:00.76\00:46:05.69
times 30 times...
00:46:05.73\00:46:09.83
and He knows it.
00:46:09.86\00:46:12.27
He's promising peace knowing
00:46:12.30\00:46:15.07
that He's going
into that darkness.
00:46:15.10\00:46:16.71
But you know in the
darkness when He sobbing,
00:46:16.74\00:46:18.97
"Abba, Father, I beg of
You take this darkness away,
00:46:19.01\00:46:21.54
take the cup away from me."
00:46:21.58\00:46:25.41
Through it all,
00:46:25.45\00:46:27.68
He still has peace.
00:46:27.72\00:46:30.29
His peace is believing
00:46:30.32\00:46:32.82
that God will work
it all out in the end
00:46:32.85\00:46:35.69
and you have to
believe that, my friend.
00:46:35.72\00:46:37.63
You just have to
believe God will work it out.
00:46:37.66\00:46:40.50
You can't, but Jesus can.
00:46:40.53\00:46:45.03
Peace I leave with you,
00:46:45.07\00:46:46.40
My peace I give to you.
00:46:49.40\00:46:50.74
I do not give to
you as the world gives.
00:46:50.77\00:46:53.58
Now, you can't find it.
00:46:53.61\00:46:55.01
The world doesn't have
it for you, give it up.
00:46:55.04\00:46:57.48
Do not let your
hearts be troubled
00:46:57.51\00:47:00.15
and do not be afraid.
00:47:00.18\00:47:04.19
Three simple steps,
00:47:04.22\00:47:05.92
go to the source, ask
for the gift and finally,
00:47:05.95\00:47:10.03
trust in the Master.
00:47:10.06\00:47:12.86
When He says, "Let not
your heart be troubled,"
00:47:12.89\00:47:14.50
He means that.
00:47:14.53\00:47:15.86
When He says, "Let
not your heart be afraid,"
00:47:15.90\00:47:17.33
as it is in the Old
King James, He means it.
00:47:17.37\00:47:19.90
Don't be afraid.
00:47:19.93\00:47:21.54
How do we know He means that?
00:47:21.57\00:47:23.97
Because once upon a time
in the middle of the night
00:47:24.01\00:47:26.47
when every star in the
heavens has been blotted out
00:47:26.51\00:47:30.11
and this raging
gale has descended upon
00:47:30.15\00:47:32.95
the Sea of Galilee,
00:47:32.98\00:47:34.52
He is asleep in
that fishing skiff.
00:47:34.55\00:47:37.89
The drenched to the
bone disciples are certain
00:47:37.92\00:47:42.36
they're going down now,
00:47:42.39\00:47:44.59
"Master save us, we perish."
00:47:44.63\00:47:49.66
And Jesus who could
sleep through His storm
00:47:49.70\00:47:53.94
that tells you the kind
of piece He can give you,
00:47:53.97\00:47:56.47
stands up,
00:47:56.50\00:47:58.17
grabs the mast,
00:47:58.21\00:48:03.85
raises a hand that
will be nail marked
00:48:03.88\00:48:07.28
before days have gone by.
00:48:07.32\00:48:10.55
And He speaks two words.
00:48:10.59\00:48:12.45
"Peace be still."
00:48:12.49\00:48:16.62
And it was like you
were in a Hollywood studio
00:48:16.66\00:48:18.63
and somebody hit the switch.
00:48:18.66\00:48:20.00
No wind stars in Jesus.
00:48:23.50\00:48:27.17
He turns to his panicked,
00:48:27.20\00:48:29.74
drenched young friends
00:48:29.77\00:48:35.11
and He asked them,
"Why were you afraid?
00:48:35.14\00:48:40.28
Don't you trust Me?"
00:48:40.32\00:48:43.75
That's it.
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.62
Trust Me.
00:48:45.65\00:48:47.22
"I'm in the storm with you.
00:48:47.26\00:48:50.29
Darkness times
three is added for you.
00:48:50.33\00:48:52.96
I'm in that darkness with you.
00:48:52.99\00:48:55.63
I am your friend.
00:48:55.66\00:48:58.07
I am your God.
00:48:58.10\00:48:59.90
I am the Prince of Peace.
00:48:59.93\00:49:01.80
Trust me, please,
00:49:01.84\00:49:06.11
and we'll go
through this together."
00:49:06.14\00:49:09.04
Oh wow, what a savior.
00:49:09.08\00:49:13.98
Desire of Ages tells the
truth, my soul needs to learn,
00:49:14.02\00:49:16.99
I'll end with this."
00:49:17.02\00:49:19.42
Sin has destroyed our peace."
00:49:19.45\00:49:21.42
Oh how true that is.
00:49:21.46\00:49:24.99
I want to thank
00:49:25.03\00:49:26.36
Professor Puha in that
lab here at Andrews University
00:49:30.13\00:49:35.14
for that beautiful
children's story on sin.
00:49:35.17\00:49:38.01
She was spot on.
00:49:38.04\00:49:39.44
Sin is what destroys our
peace, come on while self,
00:49:39.47\00:49:42.68
this is my problem right here.
00:49:42.71\00:49:44.05
While self is unsubdued,
00:49:44.08\00:49:45.58
we can find no rest, no peace.
00:49:45.61\00:49:49.98
"We are as helpless as
here as were the disciples
00:49:50.02\00:49:52.99
to quiet the raging storm.
00:49:53.02\00:49:54.89
But he who spoke peace
00:49:54.92\00:49:56.42
to the billows of
Galilee has spoken,"
00:49:56.46\00:49:59.09
notice this,
00:49:59.13\00:50:00.46
"has already spoken
00:50:00.50\00:50:01.96
the word of peace for
every soul on this planet."
00:50:02.00\00:50:04.80
Jesus has already
spoken your peace.
00:50:04.83\00:50:07.74
It's yours now to claim
in your trust of the Master.
00:50:07.77\00:50:11.91
He's already spoken
it, "You have peace."
00:50:11.94\00:50:14.91
Sir, you want peace?
00:50:14.94\00:50:17.05
You have it?
00:50:17.08\00:50:18.81
I died for it.
00:50:18.85\00:50:21.32
You have it.
00:50:21.35\00:50:22.68
"However fierce the tempest,
however deep the darkness,
00:50:26.65\00:50:31.53
those who turn to
Jesus with the cry,
00:50:31.56\00:50:33.36
'Lord save me'
will find deliverance."
00:50:33.40\00:50:36.40
Oh, this the last
slide, but I love this.
00:50:36.43\00:50:38.20
"His grace that
reconciles the soul to God,
00:50:38.23\00:50:41.04
quiets the
strife of human passion,
00:50:41.07\00:50:42.80
and in His love,
the heart is at rest."
00:50:42.84\00:50:46.41
In His love, the
heart is at peace.
00:50:46.44\00:50:49.44
That's where it comes from.
00:50:49.48\00:50:51.61
The unrelenting love
of Christ Jesus for you
00:50:51.65\00:50:56.85
and me right now.
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.72
That's where the peace is.
00:50:59.75\00:51:01.79
Nail scarred love,
that's where His peace is.
00:51:01.82\00:51:07.50
So, go to the source,
00:51:07.53\00:51:10.07
ask for the
gift, trust the Master.
00:51:10.10\00:51:13.40
And what will be the outcome
when you trust the Master?
00:51:13.44\00:51:15.64
I quote the Bible now,
00:51:15.67\00:51:17.01
"And the peace of God
00:51:17.04\00:51:18.37
which passes all understanding
00:51:18.41\00:51:20.41
will guard your
heart and your mind
00:51:20.44\00:51:24.55
in Christ Jesus this Christmas."
00:51:24.58\00:51:28.65
Can I get an amen
from this congregation?
00:51:28.68\00:51:31.49
Amen. This Christmas, oh God.
00:51:31.52\00:51:35.86
Please, Prince of Peace
00:51:35.89\00:51:39.86
enter into our darkness.
00:51:39.89\00:51:42.90
Breath Your promise,
00:51:42.93\00:51:46.50
grant us Your peace
00:51:46.53\00:51:49.47
and walk with us
till this darkness
00:51:49.50\00:51:52.67
one day shall pass
00:51:52.71\00:51:55.24
and we shall stand in Your house
00:51:55.28\00:52:00.15
forever and ever.
00:52:00.18\00:52:02.25
Amen.
00:52:02.28\00:52:04.79
I'm going to send you
that Desire of Ages quote.
00:52:04.82\00:52:07.82
I'm going to give
you a way to get it.
00:52:07.86\00:52:09.19
If you'll text to
this number 269-281-2345,
00:52:09.22\00:52:13.36
I wanna send you that quote.
00:52:13.40\00:52:14.73
I want you to print it
off and put it in your Bible,
00:52:14.76\00:52:17.00
put it by where
your study desk is,
00:52:17.03\00:52:19.03
just keep that quote.
00:52:19.07\00:52:20.40
I'm going to send it to you,
00:52:20.44\00:52:21.77
but you're going to need to dial
00:52:21.80\00:52:23.14
or text Peace 1 to 269-281-2345.
00:52:23.17\00:52:27.44
You already have it speed dial
00:52:27.48\00:52:28.81
so just hit Pioneer
text and there you are.
00:52:28.84\00:52:31.55
You're going to
read a line that says,
00:52:31.58\00:52:32.91
"My next step today is..."
00:52:32.95\00:52:34.45
You click on that line.
00:52:34.48\00:52:36.69
And the first box,
00:52:36.72\00:52:38.15
"I will memorize Jesus promise
of daily peace in John 14:27."
00:52:38.19\00:52:42.02
You may be
holding somebody's hand
00:52:42.06\00:52:43.69
who is dying one day,
00:52:43.73\00:52:45.39
maybe not dying
physically but dying emotionally
00:52:45.43\00:52:47.50
or spiritually.
00:52:47.53\00:52:49.10
Have this text
ready to go, memorize it,
00:52:49.13\00:52:51.63
you will never regret that text,
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.84
being locked,
locked in your heart.
00:52:53.87\00:52:55.90
Box number two,
00:52:55.94\00:52:57.27
I will take the three simple
steps to receive Jesus' peace,
00:52:57.31\00:52:59.64
the Prince of Peace in
the midst of this pandemic.
00:52:59.67\00:53:02.31
I will go to the
source, I will ask for the gift
00:53:02.34\00:53:04.45
and I will trust in the Master.
00:53:04.48\00:53:06.11
Amen.
00:53:06.15\00:53:07.48
Here's box number
three, if you check this box,
00:53:07.52\00:53:10.19
"Please send me that Desire
of Ages page 336 quotation.
00:53:10.22\00:53:13.99
I'd like to keep it near."
00:53:14.02\00:53:15.42
So I will text it to you.
00:53:15.46\00:53:16.93
You'll have it.
00:53:16.96\00:53:18.59
Cut and paste and
print, do whatever you want,
00:53:18.63\00:53:21.46
but you'll have it.
00:53:21.50\00:53:23.00
Box number four, I want
to follow Jesus in baptism.
00:53:23.03\00:53:25.33
Some of you are wondering
00:53:25.37\00:53:26.70
why there's just
been darkness, darkness.
00:53:26.74\00:53:30.07
You thought about
it, "Someday, someday."
00:53:30.11\00:53:33.07
No, don't put
it off another day.
00:53:33.11\00:53:35.81
The peace comes
from the Prince of Peace.
00:53:35.84\00:53:38.78
And when you're baptized
into the Prince of Peace,
00:53:38.81\00:53:40.55
that's how you get His peace.
00:53:40.58\00:53:42.95
So put a checkmark there.
00:53:42.98\00:53:44.32
We'll be in touch with anywhere
on the planet right now.
00:53:44.35\00:53:46.35
We'll be in touch
with you electronically
00:53:46.39\00:53:47.99
and we'll work out a way
for your wish to be baptized
00:53:48.02\00:53:52.03
to come true.
00:53:52.06\00:53:54.46
Right now I want to
sing a beautiful song.
00:53:54.50\00:53:56.53
We're not going to
bring any singers up here,
00:53:56.56\00:53:57.90
but I want you to catch it
because you're going to sing
00:53:57.93\00:53:59.47
this beautiful carol,
00:53:59.50\00:54:00.84
"It came upon
the midnight clear."
00:54:00.87\00:54:02.77
And here's the last stanza,
00:54:02.80\00:54:04.51
this is all about the
deep darkness of the pandemic.
00:54:04.54\00:54:06.74
Listen to this,
here's the last stanza,
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.14
"And ye beneath
life's crushing load."
00:54:08.18\00:54:10.41
You're going to see
the words on the screen.
00:54:10.45\00:54:12.25
"Whose forms are bending low,
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.25
who toil along the climbing
way with painful steps and slow.
00:54:14.28\00:54:18.29
Look now for glad and golden
hours come swiftly on the wing.
00:54:18.32\00:54:22.82
Oh, rest beside..."
00:54:22.86\00:54:24.79
There's your promise of peace.
00:54:24.83\00:54:26.16
"Oh rest beside the weary road
00:54:26.19\00:54:28.83
and hear the angels sing."
00:54:28.86\00:54:32.37
Come on, we got to
sing that one together.
00:54:32.40\00:54:34.27
It came upon the midnight clear
00:54:54.42\00:54:59.56
That glorious song of old
00:54:59.59\00:55:04.40
From angels
bending near the earth
00:55:04.43\00:55:09.47
To touch their harps of gold
00:55:09.50\00:55:14.58
Peace on earth, goodwill to men
00:55:14.61\00:55:19.78
From heaven's all gracious King
00:55:19.81\00:55:25.05
The world in
solemn stillness lay
00:55:25.09\00:55:30.46
To hear the angels sing
00:55:30.49\00:55:37.40
Is it about the holiday
season that has given you
00:55:45.04\00:55:47.08
the greatest joy?
00:55:47.11\00:55:49.04
Is it the time spent cutting
down the family Christmas tree
00:55:49.08\00:55:51.55
at the local farm
00:55:51.58\00:55:53.05
or maybe a special ornament
placed on that lighted bow?
00:55:53.08\00:55:56.69
Or do you find
joy in contemplating
00:55:56.72\00:55:58.15
the profound meaning
of the carols we sing?
00:55:58.19\00:56:01.22
Maybe Christmas joy
is found in the memories
00:56:01.26\00:56:03.26
you make together
with friends and family,
00:56:03.29\00:56:05.69
and the spirit of giving
that surrounds this season.
00:56:05.73\00:56:09.16
As we reflect on these joys,
00:56:09.20\00:56:11.13
let's always remember the
great light that guides us.
00:56:11.17\00:56:14.37
The one who brings
joy and meaning to life,
00:56:14.40\00:56:16.47
a loving Father
who was at the heart
00:56:16.50\00:56:17.94
of all treasured relationships
and the wonderful God
00:56:17.97\00:56:21.44
who gave the ultimate
gift in a newborn Child.
00:56:21.48\00:56:25.28
Some of my joy this
season comes in part
00:56:25.31\00:56:27.62
from your letters, your prayers
00:56:27.65\00:56:29.18
and your faithful giving
of support to this ministry,
00:56:29.22\00:56:31.92
which reaches
literally around the world.
00:56:31.95\00:56:34.49
If you've been
blessed this year,
00:56:34.52\00:56:36.29
I'd like to ask you
to join the many people
00:56:36.32\00:56:38.03
who financially support
00:56:38.06\00:56:39.39
this global New
Perceptions ministry.
00:56:39.43\00:56:42.16
It's simple to do.
00:56:42.20\00:56:43.67
Just call our
toll free number 877
00:56:43.70\00:56:46.60
two words HIS WILL.
00:56:46.63\00:56:48.60
Our friendly operators
will be happy to help you.
00:56:48.64\00:56:51.27
You can also
click the donate link
00:56:51.31\00:56:52.64
at the top of our website.
00:56:52.67\00:56:54.18
Trust me, no gift is
too small for God to use
00:56:54.21\00:56:57.45
to spread the
good news of His love,
00:56:57.48\00:56:59.71
His sacrifice and His
future plans for our happiness.
00:56:59.75\00:57:03.45
Every gift, by the way,
00:57:03.49\00:57:05.79
is entirely
invested in our mission
00:57:05.82\00:57:07.46
to communicate God's
good news to a generation
00:57:07.49\00:57:10.16
who needs the
hope found in Jesus,
00:57:10.19\00:57:12.26
which will bring
them to joy in life.
00:57:12.29\00:57:14.93
So once again,
00:57:14.96\00:57:16.30
the number to
call is 8777-HIS WILL.
00:57:16.33\00:57:19.33
This season, my wish for
you is that the mighty God,
00:57:19.37\00:57:22.70
the Everlasting Father,
00:57:22.74\00:57:24.37
the Prince of Peace
will be at the heart
00:57:24.41\00:57:26.17
of the very best
memories made together
00:57:26.21\00:57:29.51
with your family and friends.
00:57:29.54\00:57:31.18