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>> Lord, Your name is wonderful.
Your name is higher than any
00:00:11.81\00:00:16.41
other. Praise and
glory belong to You
00:00:16.41\00:00:19.61
and to You alone, because You
alone are worthy of our praise.
00:00:19.61\00:00:24.49
This morning, may we hear Your
voice clearly and trust You to
00:00:24.49\00:00:28.96
make the crooked places
straight, the broken places
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whole, and the
dark places light.
00:00:32.79\00:00:36.77
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
[ "Holy, Holy, Holy" begins ]
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>> Good morning, PMC.
Today, we are here to worship
00:03:44.25\00:03:49.36
the Lord of creation.
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Today, we're here to worship the
Lord of the Sabbath, and His
name is Jesus Christ.
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Amen? Please stand
with me. Please stand.
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And this is a new song, but I
know you can sing it. I know you
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can sing it. Join us
as we sing Psalm 150. ¤¤
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Amen, amen. You all sound good.
00:07:58.74\00:08:03.38
Let's sing another one, another
song of praise to the Lord of
00:08:03.38\00:08:06.65
creation.
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[ "God of Wonders" begins ]
00:08:14.12\00:08:17.06
>> Our Scripture reading today
comes from the Gospel of John
00:12:25.57\00:12:33.88
1:1-4. "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
00:12:33.92\00:12:38.89
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the
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beginning. Through
Him all things were
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made, and without Him nothing
was made that has been made.
00:12:45.93\00:12:50.23
In Him was life, and that life
was the light of man." >> And
00:12:50.27\00:13:00.18
that light is Jesus Christ. He's
the Son of God. He's the Lord of
00:13:00.18\00:13:05.08
the creation. He's the Lord of
the Sabbath. And in this series,
Pastor Dwight is focusing on the
00:13:05.08\00:13:11.09
Sabbath, why God wants to spend
time with us, and why we should
want to spend time with Him.
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This song we're gonna sing
now is called "He Will Hold Me
00:13:18.09\00:13:23.97
Fast." I have to tell you. The
first time I sang this, I sang
00:13:23.97\00:13:27.10
through my tears. I didn't know
what was going to hit. I mean, I
didn't know the song,
00:13:27.10\00:13:30.74
and I'm singing these words, I'm
singing these promises. I don't
know what it is that you
00:13:30.74\00:13:36.08
need God to hold you fast about
today, on this Sabbath, in these
hours, but pour it out to Him.
00:13:36.08\00:13:44.25
Sing these
promises. Give it to Him.
00:13:44.25\00:13:48.56
[ "He Will Hold
Me Fast" begins ]
00:13:48.59\00:13:53.03
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00:20:42.30\00:21:11.20
>> Oh, God, what can we say? To
know, to be reminded -- that's
what worship is for.
00:21:13.47\00:21:22.94
That's why we step into these
four walls, to hear good news
like this, that You will hold us
00:21:22.94\00:21:33.69
fast. You will never let
us go. Keep holding, Father.
00:21:33.69\00:21:40.40
Keep holding us. Don't let go
now. We got a word that You have
00:21:40.40\00:21:47.47
sent today. Let it be clear.
Hide this feeble human voice so
00:21:47.47\00:21:53.38
that the mighty spirit of Christ
Himself shall speak in this
place, in Jesus' name.
00:21:53.38\00:22:02.42
Amen.
00:22:02.42\00:22:04.09
In 2015, Anthony Doerr won
the Pulitzer Prize for his book
00:22:04.12\00:22:11.19
"All the Light We Cannot See."
That is one provocative title.
00:22:11.19\00:22:18.17
And the story is
even more provocative.
00:22:18.17\00:22:22.64
Set in France during
World War II, it's the tale of a
00:22:22.64\00:22:25.97
young French girl who is born
blind, and her father, a museum
00:22:25.97\00:22:31.35
locksmith in Paris,
her only surviving parent.
00:22:31.35\00:22:37.79
All the light that we cannot see
is not only a description of
that blind girl but a
00:22:37.82\00:22:44.23
description of all the
characters in that sprawling
00:22:44.23\00:22:50.63
story. And, as it turns out,
it's also the truth about the
life you and I are now living.
00:22:50.63\00:22:57.97
All the light we cannot see --
it makes you wonder. Are we
blinder than we think?
00:22:57.97\00:23:10.82
Take David Brooks, celebrated
columnist for The New York
00:23:10.82\00:23:17.23
Times. A friend of mine sent me
this op-ed piece that appeared
just a few days ago, and who
00:23:17.23\00:23:22.43
wouldn't? Who wouldn't raise an
eyebrow with the title to this
piece, "America Is Falling Apart
00:23:22.43\00:23:27.40
at the Seams"? Brooks opens
by discussing a curious factoid
00:23:27.40\00:23:34.31
coming out of this pandemic,
namely that our statistics of
reckless driving have gone up
00:23:34.31\00:23:40.45
while America during the
pandemic is driving less. So,
what's up with that?
00:23:40.45\00:23:46.35
He spends the first seven
paragraphs of his op-ed piece
describing seven disturbing
00:23:46.35\00:23:52.29
trends that have become reality
in America right now. I'm not
gonna point those trends
00:23:52.29\00:23:58.40
out to you, but then he comes to
some conclusions, and I need you
to see these carefully, please.
00:23:58.40\00:24:06.54
David Brooks -- "But something
darker and deeper seems to be
happening, as well -- a
00:24:06.54\00:24:12.61
long-term loss of solidarity,
a long-term rise in estrangement
00:24:12.61\00:24:18.25
and hostility. This is what it
feels like to live in a society
that is dissolving from the
00:24:18.25\00:24:24.66
bottom up as much as from the
top down." America's favorite
parlor game today is to
00:24:24.66\00:24:31.43
criticize the top. Guess what?
From the bottom up it's coming?
00:24:31.43\00:24:36.30
Deliver us. And then he offers
this diagnosis. "But there must
00:24:36.30\00:24:42.81
also be some spiritual or moral
problem at the core of this.
Over the past several years, and
00:24:42.81\00:24:48.82
over a wide range of different
behaviors, Americans have been
acting in fewer prosocial and
00:24:48.82\00:24:54.96
relational ways and in more
antisocial and self-destructive
00:24:54.96\00:24:59.66
ways. But why?" Dave Brooks
asks. "As a columnist, I'm
supposed to have some answers.
00:24:59.66\00:25:05.67
But I just don't know right now.
I just know that the situation
00:25:05.67\00:25:16.95
is dire." Now, look. If this had
come from some evangelist, or
00:25:16.95\00:25:21.32
perhaps even a theologian or a
churchman, we'd all smile and
say, "Well, that's religious
00:25:21.32\00:25:27.02
fervor for you." But this comes
from one of the bright
luminaries in the American
00:25:27.02\00:25:32.33
publishing world -- a
deep-thinking mind. And when he
suggests what your heart has
00:25:32.33\00:25:41.57
been muttering about for months
now, when he puts words to our
unspoken thoughts, everybody
00:25:41.57\00:25:50.28
sits up and takes notice. Hmm.
Is America falling apart at the
00:25:50.28\00:25:55.82
seams? And could it have
something to do with all the
00:25:55.82\00:26:04.26
light we cannot see? The answer
is yes. I want to tell you a
00:26:04.26\00:26:10.50
story right now. It's not
a story about a blind girl.
00:26:10.50\00:26:15.44
It's a story about a blind boy,
both of them blind from birth.
00:26:15.44\00:26:22.94
The story is told Reader's
Digest fashion, just a few
sparse words and details. But
00:26:22.94\00:26:31.42
what a provocative thought. Open
your Bible with me to the blind
boy. His age is probably a
00:26:31.42\00:26:39.86
little over 13. We know that
because in the dialogue in the
00:26:39.86\00:26:44.20
story, which we will not note,
his parents say, "He is of age.
Let him speak for himself."
00:26:44.20\00:26:48.30
And when you say, "He is of
age," that means 13 and up. So,
his parents are still alive,
00:26:48.30\00:26:53.74
clearly. Who knows his
age, but he's young like you.
00:26:53.74\00:26:59.25
Alright? John 9.
Open your Bible to John 9.
00:26:59.25\00:27:03.65
Let's read the opening
salvo to this story. John 9:1.
00:27:03.65\00:27:09.89
Speaking of Jesus, "As He went
along, He saw a man blind from
00:27:09.89\00:27:16.80
birth. And His disciples asked
Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this
man or his parents, that he was
00:27:16.80\00:27:22.30
born blind?' Jesus replies,
'Neither this man nor his
parents sinned, but this
00:27:22.30\00:27:27.08
happened so that the works of
God might be displayed in him.
As long as it is day, we must do
00:27:27.08\00:27:33.05
the works of Him who sent me.
Night is coming, when no one can
00:27:33.05\00:27:37.65
work. While I am in the world,
I am the light of the world.'"
00:27:37.65\00:27:45.39
Huh. My. You know what?
From birth, this boy has lived
00:27:45.39\00:27:53.77
with all the light we cannot
see. Can you imagine what it
00:27:53.77\00:28:00.98
would be to not have a single
ray of light in your entire
life? How would you visualize
00:28:00.98\00:28:09.98
what someone is telling you? How
would you visualize what you're
00:28:09.98\00:28:15.06
even thinking? "Oh, did you see
that red-metallic Corvette that
just roared by with that T-top
00:28:15.06\00:28:19.86
on it and the driver with
that cowboy hat? What a sight!
00:28:19.86\00:28:22.93
Can I put my hands on that car!"
Listen. If you said that to me,
00:28:22.93\00:28:28.97
and I was born blind, you would
be speaking a foreign language
00:28:28.97\00:28:33.34
to me. Metallic red? Cowboy hat?
What's that? Oh, never take for
00:28:33.34\00:28:40.28
granted those two precious
organs right here on your face.
Your eyes are beautiful.
00:28:40.28\00:28:46.76
Now, it's true. When you were
growing up, your mother wished
00:28:46.76\00:28:51.16
sometimes that you were mute.
You know what that is, don't
00:28:51.16\00:28:53.26
you? Yeah, you can't talk. "This
girl has talked long enough.
00:28:53.26\00:28:56.30
Mute, please." But nobody ever
wishes someone else were blind,
00:28:56.30\00:29:01.84
unless, of course, you're having
a bad-hair day, and you're about
to meet the boy of your dreams.
00:29:01.84\00:29:06.64
"God, give him blindness now."
[ Laughter ] Don't you ever pray
00:29:06.64\00:29:12.31
that prayer. Never. All the
light we cannot see! From his
birth, this young man
00:29:12.31\00:29:19.82
has never been able to see, not
a single iota of a light. But
what's so amazing -- for me,
00:29:19.82\00:29:27.23
anyway -- is that this story in
the Gospel of John -- and oh,
boy, thank you, Chap, for
00:29:27.23\00:29:32.33
telling me that there was a
survey this last week, and the
number-one book chosen by
00:29:32.33\00:29:37.34
600-and-some students at Andrews
University is the Gospel of
00:29:37.34\00:29:41.41
John. Hallelujah! We're in John
today. But here's what stuns me.
00:29:41.41\00:29:47.55
There's not only this story, but
four chapters earlier, it feels
like he's telling the exact same
00:29:47.55\00:29:55.06
story. Only it's the story of a
lame boy, and this is a story of
00:29:55.06\00:29:59.63
a blind boy. Something's going
on here, and I didn't know until
00:29:59.63\00:30:05.57
this last week, when I pulled
out the eminent New Testament
scholar Craig Keener.
00:30:05.57\00:30:10.34
I have his two-volume commentary
on John, and as I read it, I
said, "I have never seen this
00:30:10.34\00:30:15.31
before in my life." And I'm
gonna share it with you now.
00:30:15.31\00:30:17.78
I'm gonna share it so fast, it
isn't even gonna show up on the
00:30:17.78\00:30:20.28
screen. I just need you to feel
what you are about to hear -- 11
similarities between the
00:30:20.28\00:30:25.02
healing of the lame man in John
5 and the healing of the blind
00:30:25.02\00:30:32.13
boy in John 9 -- 11 of them.
There must be a point John is
00:30:32.13\00:30:34.66
making. Let's find out. Here
come the similarities. Number
one -- John begins both
00:30:34.66\00:30:39.00
their stories by giving a brief
history of their ailment. Number
two -- in both stories,
00:30:39.00\00:30:44.61
Jesus takes the initiative.
Number three -- both stories
involve a pool of water that has
00:30:44.61\00:30:50.08
healing powers -- Bethesda back
in five and Siloam here in nine.
Number four -- in both stories,
00:30:50.08\00:30:57.72
Jesus intentionally heals
the young man on the seventh-day
00:30:57.72\00:31:02.36
Sabbath. In both stories --
number five -- the religious
leaders hit the ceiling.
00:31:02.36\00:31:07.23
They are so upset and accuse
Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.
Number six -- in both stories,
00:31:07.23\00:31:13.17
the man gets asked by the
religious leaders, "Who healed
00:31:13.17\00:31:17.57
you?" And don't you suppose the
religious leaders already knew
00:31:17.57\00:31:22.48
the answer? Hmm. In both stories
-- number seven -- neither
00:31:22.48\00:31:28.08
healed man knows where or who is
Jesus. Apparently, Jesus can
walk by you, and you don't know
00:31:28.08\00:31:33.29
Jesus. You never heard of Him
before, but He knows you need
Him, and He'll step into your
00:31:33.29\00:31:38.66
life just like that. I
love that thought. Don't you?
00:31:38.66\00:31:41.80
You don't have to know Jesus
to be healed by Jesus. Wow!
00:31:41.80\00:31:47.70
Number eight -- in both stories,
Jesus finds the healed man and
invites him to believe.
00:31:47.70\00:31:51.74
Now that you're healed, do you
believe? Number nine -- in the
00:31:51.74\00:31:56.88
lame man's story, Jesus implies
relation between his sin and
suffering, but with the blind
00:31:56.88\00:32:02.12
man, Jesus rejects sin as an
explanation for suffering. What
00:32:02.12\00:32:06.02
a contrast. Number ten -- in the
first story, the healed man goes
to the Jews, but in the second
00:32:06.02\00:32:11.36
story, the Jews cast out the
healed man. And, finally, number
00:32:11.36\00:32:17.17
eleven -- both stories end with
Jesus saying He is working as
His father is working.
00:32:17.17\00:32:21.74
"I must do the works of Him who
sent me," as Jesus defends
Himself against their charges of
00:32:21.74\00:32:27.84
Sabbath breaking. Why is John
telling two stories the same way
00:32:27.84\00:32:36.22
both times? Because he intends
both stories to make the same
00:32:36.22\00:32:43.93
provocative point. And we can't
miss it. But there's one other
similarity that Craig Keener
00:32:43.93\00:32:50.10
does not mention. And our friend
Sigve Tonstad -- God bless him
00:32:50.10\00:32:57.04
-- in his book "The Lost Meaning
of the Seventh Day" draws our
attention to this particular
00:32:57.04\00:33:02.01
detail that Keener leaves out.
He didn't mention Keener at all.
But let me put Tonstad on the
00:33:02.01\00:33:07.35
screen. "Two details, one
in each of these chapters" --
00:33:07.35\00:33:11.99
chapter 5 with the lame man,
chapter 9 with the blind man --
"Two details are giveaways that
00:33:11.99\00:33:17.93
make the sensitive issue, which
is the true meaning of the
Sabbath, stand out clearly.
00:33:17.93\00:33:23.50
In the story of the paralytic,
the red flag" -- now, you know
that if you want to get a bull's
00:33:23.50\00:33:29.00
attention. This is probably
urban legend, but if you want to
00:33:29.00\00:33:32.21
get a bull's attention -- and
it probably is true -- you just
00:33:32.21\00:33:34.98
wave the red flag. Isn't that
what you do? Yeah. "In the story
00:33:34.98\00:33:40.18
of the paralytic, the red flag
in the account is the mat. In
the story of the blind man,
00:33:40.18\00:33:45.75
the red flag in the account is
the mud. Jesus throws down the
00:33:45.75\00:33:51.16
gauntlet by publicly ignoring
Jewish Sabbath regulations. Two
of the 39 prohibitions [for
00:33:51.16\00:33:56.77
Sabbath keeping] in existence"
-- at the time of Christ --
"specifically dealt
00:33:56.77\00:34:01.54
with carrying a pallet and
kneading dough." You know, like
00:34:01.54\00:34:05.91
a woman kneads dough. You can't
bake bread on the Sabbath
because that's working.
00:34:05.91\00:34:09.88
Man, oh, man, oh, man,
what's going on here? "In both
00:34:09.88\00:34:15.38
healings, Jesus intentionally
challenges the onerous
regulations that had become
00:34:15.38\00:34:20.36
attached to proper Sabbath
observance. He commands the lame
man." "Hey, by the way, before
00:34:20.36\00:34:23.99
you leave, pick up your mat. Now
you can go." "He stoops over,
00:34:23.99\00:34:28.33
and He spits in the dust of the
earth and kneads a gooey
saliva-mud dough and smears some
00:34:28.33\00:34:35.07
of it on the blind man's
eyes." Yuck! What's going on?
00:34:35.07\00:34:41.41
Tonstad again. "But the Sabbath
healings are deliberate actions
00:34:41.41\00:34:50.95
of Jesus." And, by the way, as I
mentioned a moment ago, there
are seven Sabbath healings --
00:34:50.95\00:34:56.83
five in the synoptics, two in
John. "Jesus does not stumble
into these conflicts by
00:34:56.83\00:35:02.33
accident. We are not likely to
hear Jesus say, 'Man, if I had
known they would get so upset, I
00:35:02.33\00:35:06.70
would not have done it.'"
No. "Time and again, John is
00:35:06.70\00:35:09.77
informing his readers that Jesus
understands the implications of
00:35:09.77\00:35:15.88
His actions." Hey, listen. Come
on. Let's just be honest here.
Both men could have been healed
00:35:15.88\00:35:18.78
on another day. You can
wait a day. What's the big rush?
00:35:18.78\00:35:20.92
Right? Both could have
been healed more discreetly.
00:35:20.92\00:35:24.19
Shh! [ Clicking tongue ]
He could have refrained from
00:35:24.19\00:35:27.69
using any mud at all. "Be
healed," and he would have been
00:35:27.69\00:35:30.73
healed. He could have told the
lame man, "Come back after
sundown and pick this mat up and
00:35:30.73\00:35:34.93
go home." He doesn't. The mat
and the mud were red flags to
the establishment that
00:35:34.93\00:35:40.70
Jesus is now intentionally
challenging the burdensome laws
that have crushed out the life
00:35:40.70\00:35:46.54
of the seventh-day Sabbath --
God's wonderful, God's beautiful
gift of Himself in the seventh
00:35:46.54\00:35:52.55
day of every week.
00:35:52.55\00:35:54.58
And He challenges that robbery.
"You have destroyed my day."
00:35:54.62\00:36:08.30
Wow. You see,
the Jewish hierarchy
00:36:08.30\00:36:12.00
is stuck in a prefall,
primordial seventh-day Sabbath,
00:36:12.00\00:36:17.34
where all is well, and
God quietly rests with His two
00:36:17.34\00:36:22.58
closest human-being friends.
00:36:22.58\00:36:24.75
They're stuck there. They have
made no provision for a world in
00:36:24.78\00:36:30.75
which we now live, where
suffering is rife, and humanity
00:36:30.75\00:36:37.63
hurts. Hmm. "No, no, no. You're
not supposed to do this on this
00:36:37.63\00:36:41.53
day. You rest like God." Do we
know that they think that way?
00:36:41.53\00:36:44.17
Oh, we do. We go back
to the chapter-5 story.
00:36:44.17\00:36:46.60
Here's the saga. Here's what
they say to Jesus. This is John
00:36:46.60\00:36:51.01
5:16-forward. "So, because Jesus
was doing these things on the
Sabbath" -- you should be
00:36:51.01\00:36:56.01
resting like God -- "the Jewish
leaders began to persecute Him.
In His defense, Jesus says to
00:36:56.01\00:37:02.52
them, 'My Father is always at
His work to this very day, and
I, too, am working.'"
00:37:02.52\00:37:09.49
Oh, now look out! "For this
reason, they tried all the more
to kill Jesus; not only
00:37:09.49\00:37:14.40
was He breaking the Sabbath, but
He was even calling God His own
Father, making Himself equal
00:37:14.40\00:37:19.83
with God." Jesus does not claim
God's rest for the Sabbath in
00:37:19.83\00:37:25.27
His own defense. He instead
declares God's ever-present
00:37:25.27\00:37:30.81
work. I got to tell you. I've
read John many times, and every
time -- true confession --
00:37:30.81\00:37:36.72
every time I come to that verse
17, I say to myself -- I have.
00:37:36.72\00:37:41.39
I won't do it again. I say
to myself, "How could this be?
00:37:41.39\00:37:44.83
I mean, You're being charged
with breaking the Sabbath, and
You're using working on the
00:37:44.83\00:37:49.03
Sabbath as Your answer. There's
something that doesn't add up
00:37:49.03\00:37:53.70
here." Tonstad himself, I find
out, wrestles with that, and he
00:37:53.70\00:37:58.24
explains. "Being present" -- the
emphases here are his -- "Being
present, and responding to
00:37:58.24\00:38:04.68
present reality, constitutes the
essence of Jesus' idea of the
Sabbath." Why, you and I, when
00:38:04.68\00:38:10.55
we began this series,
that was the big point. Wow!
00:38:10.55\00:38:13.39
God is immersed in this day. He
is present in the day. And when
I ignore the day, I
00:38:13.39\00:38:18.49
ignore Him. Tonstad says
yeah, that's the essence of the
00:38:18.49\00:38:23.40
Sabbath that Jesus is trying to
teach. "At creation, God's
commitment to humanity is
00:38:23.40\00:38:29.07
described by God's rest, but the
reality of disease and death
calls for a different Sabbath
00:38:29.07\00:38:35.41
message. Resting in the face of
crying needs implies remoteness
00:38:35.41\00:38:40.85
and indifference. God is not
like that. God is not remote.
00:38:40.85\00:38:45.82
God is present." Can I get an
amen for that? God is present!
"This message, written on the
00:38:45.82\00:38:50.66
Sabbath from the beginning, is
still the message of the
Sabbath, and Jesus delights to
00:38:50.66\00:38:55.60
point it out." "No matter how
shocking the thought" -- and it
00:38:55.60\00:39:01.07
was shocking, when I finally got
what he was saying -- "Jesus
defends His actions by the
00:39:01.07\00:39:05.87
ultimate criterion: 'My Father
is working' -- underlined -- 'My
father is working until now, and
00:39:05.87\00:39:12.65
I am also working.'" Translation
is Sigve's translation.
00:39:12.65\00:39:17.02
"Prioritizing the notion of
presence, working takes
precedence over resting.
00:39:17.02\00:39:23.36
God is, as it were, hard at work
to make right what is wrong."
My. Oh, my. Oh, my.
00:39:23.36\00:39:35.40
You see, we love the text,
especially at Christmastime,
which we've just come out of.
00:39:35.40\00:39:42.28
John 1:14 -- "And the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us."
Remember that text?
00:39:42.28\00:39:46.51
"And we beheld His glory, the
glories of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and
00:39:46.51\00:39:48.98
truth." Oh, we love that text.
We forget that the reason for
00:39:48.98\00:39:52.92
verse 14 is given in verse
18, and nobody reads verse 18
00:39:52.92\00:39:57.89
anymore. So, let's read verse 18
in tandem with verse 14 in the
mighty prologue of the fourth
00:39:57.89\00:40:01.96
Gospel. "The Word became flesh
and made His dwelling among us.
00:40:01.96\00:40:06.94
We have seen His glory, the
glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full
00:40:06.94\00:40:13.17
of grace and truth." Oh, I love
that verse. Everybody loves the
00:40:13.17\00:40:16.61
verse. But here comes
verse 18. Why did He come? Ah!
00:40:16.61\00:40:20.05
"No one has ever seen God, but
the one and only Son, who is
Himself God and is in closest
00:40:20.05\00:40:28.56
relationship with the Father,
has made Him known." My, my, my.
00:40:28.56\00:40:35.73
Why did Jesus come? To tell
the truth about God. He made Him
00:40:35.73\00:40:43.30
known. In other words, Jesus
came to reveal -- plain, simple,
and profound -- He came to
00:40:43.30\00:40:48.24
reveal the Father to the human
race. Over and over, on the
night before His execution, so,
00:40:48.24\00:40:54.45
tomorrow -- Good Friday -- He
will be exterminated. Tonight,
He talks of what is
00:40:54.45\00:41:00.69
most important to Him. And
three times we hear Him make the
00:41:00.69\00:41:04.73
point. You know it. In fact,
you'll finish these sentences.
00:41:04.73\00:41:07.40
"If you have seen me," Jesus
said in the upper room, you have
00:41:07.40\00:41:11.10
what? "You've seen the Father."
Here's another one. "If you know
00:41:11.10\00:41:15.74
me," you what? "You know my
Father, as well." Here's the
third one. "I'm in the Father,
00:41:15.74\00:41:20.34
and the... Father is in me."
Tonstad again. Jesus is God.
00:41:20.34\00:41:25.28
Let there be no mistake. "Jesus
is God in this Gospel, but if
one message is more
00:41:25.28\00:41:32.05
important, it is this, to show
that God is like Jesus." That's
00:41:32.05\00:41:40.40
the truth! My. So, when
Jesus performs His seven Sabbath
00:41:40.40\00:41:51.04
healings and miracles, which
were performed on the
seventh-day Sabbath, which the
00:41:51.04\00:41:57.45
Lord of the Sabbath, as Chuck
and company have reminded us,
gave at the beginning of
00:41:57.45\00:42:08.39
creation. When Jesus says, "I am
in the Father, and the Father is
in me," He means, "The way I
00:42:08.39\00:42:17.63
have healed you and loved you
and treated you on the Sabbath
is the way the Father has healed
00:42:17.63\00:42:23.67
you and loved you and treats
you on the Sabbath. I am. I am."
00:42:23.67\00:42:34.12
Sigve Tonstad one last time.
"Maintenance of the created
order will not suffice when the
00:42:34.12\00:42:42.66
created order is threatened by
dissolution, and when human
beings are in the thrall of
00:42:42.66\00:42:48.46
disease and death. Rather than
waiting for human beings to
break the deadlock by
00:42:48.46\00:42:52.80
impeccable Sabbath observance"
-- the Jews themselves have
00:42:52.80\00:42:56.84
still rumored, "Listen. If we
can just keep the day perfectly
once, just once, the
00:42:56.84\00:43:00.48
Messiah will come." No, no, no,
no, no. "Rather than waiting for
00:43:00.48\00:43:05.25
human beings to break the
deadlock by impeccable Sabbath
observance, Jesus brings the
00:43:05.25\00:43:09.78
Father's compassion to view
on the Sabbath. In the words of
00:43:09.78\00:43:13.72
G. Campbell Morgan, 'There can
be no rest for God while
humanity is suffering.'
00:43:13.72\00:43:19.89
Jesus cannot wait
until the next day." "Listen.
00:43:19.89\00:43:22.23
Why don't you just come back the
next day and do this. Mañana."
00:43:22.23\00:43:25.23
"No, I cannot wait." "Jesus
cannot wait till the next day
00:43:25.23\00:43:29.24
because He is magnifying the
original message of the Sabbath
in the context of human
00:43:29.24\00:43:34.31
suffering now. Ministering to
the person in need, reaching out
to heal and to restore, lies at
00:43:34.31\00:43:41.22
the heart of the divine
character and mission." Which
00:43:41.22\00:43:52.73
means that in this pandemic,
from which it feels we will
never be released, there is no
00:43:52.73\00:44:03.71
rest for God while humanity is
suffering. Let us be reminded.
God is not up there resting
00:44:03.71\00:44:10.61
under some celestial palm tree,
sipping piña coladas. No, He's
00:44:10.61\00:44:18.92
down here! He cannot rest while
we suffer. God is down here
alongside us in the grit and the
00:44:18.92\00:44:26.59
grime and the infectious dying
of COVID-19 suffering. I watched
00:44:26.59\00:44:33.23
this week a heartbroken widow
lean over the casket and love on
the very still form of her life
00:44:33.23\00:44:47.38
companion. And as I watched --
look. If we are created in God's
00:44:47.38\00:44:55.62
image, and I was feeling what I
was feeling in that sacred
moment, I cannot imagine the
00:44:55.62\00:45:06.10
heart of God in the midst and
the mess of our suffering. It is
no wonder God cannot sleep
00:45:06.10\00:45:22.02
at night. He holds me! He
holds me fast, night and day.
00:45:22.02\00:45:29.56
He will never let you go until
He comes for you. "Never will I
00:45:29.56\00:45:36.80
leave you. Never will I forsake
you." Doesn't take our suffering
away. It's bad down here, God.
00:45:36.80\00:45:43.74
It's terrible down here. And
He knows because Jesus came once
00:45:43.74\00:45:53.88
upon a time. He knows. It is
no wonder. It is also no wonder
00:45:53.88\00:46:02.02
God's love chooses still to be
incarnated into our dreadful and
00:46:02.02\00:46:10.50
deadly suffering. The
seventh-day Sabbath still
declares there can be no rest
00:46:10.50\00:46:16.74
for God while humanity is
suffering. And, thus, the
seventh-day Sabbath that repeats
00:46:16.74\00:46:21.68
itself every single week of
human time declares that in the
midst of our suffering, God now
00:46:21.68\00:46:26.78
is presents to heal... as best
He can, given the high stakes of
this end-game battle.
00:46:26.78\00:46:41.20
Every seventh day comes with a
God who suffers with us immersed
in the Sabbath beside us.
00:46:41.20\00:46:51.84
What a profound difference. Hey,
come on, come on, come on. What
a profound difference this
00:46:51.84\00:46:56.61
existential truth can make in
our celebration of the seventh
day, the Sabbath of the Lord,
00:46:56.61\00:47:02.52
our God, every single week
with the Jesus who gave us the
00:47:02.52\00:47:09.02
Sabbath. So, so, come on,
Dwight. What's all this have to
do with David Brooks' warning --
00:47:09.02\00:47:14.83
America is falling apart at the
seams? You want me to be honest?
Do you want me to be honest?
00:47:14.83\00:47:19.70
I will. I believe all the light
we cannot see for America is the
00:47:19.70\00:47:27.38
light that shines from the Lord
of the Sabbath through His
seventh-day Sabbath -- keep
00:47:27.38\00:47:34.05
listening -- and until and
unless America returns to her
Creator and His Sabbath, all the
00:47:34.05\00:47:40.06
king's horses and all the king's
men will never be able to put
America back together again.
00:47:40.06\00:47:47.86
America long ago cast off the
restraints of any notion of a
00:47:47.86\00:47:53.84
creator God. Thus, in the words
of the ancient prophet, "We have
sown the wind, and now we are
00:47:53.84\00:48:01.08
reaping the whirlwind."
00:48:01.08\00:48:05.51
And to my evangelical friends in
evangelical Christianity -- and
I'm blessed with a lot of
00:48:12.29\00:48:17.96
friends, evangelicals. I got
preacher friends that I love.
00:48:17.96\00:48:23.70
I got everyday-people friends
that I love living next door to.
But to my friends in evangelical
00:48:23.70\00:48:32.94
Christianity in America, the key
to your passion, to revive
America and restore America is
00:48:32.94\00:48:43.05
found in Jesus' gift of the
seventh day. He is not just Lord
00:48:43.05\00:48:51.06
of salvation. He is Lord of the
Sabbath. And you can't bifurcate
00:48:51.06\00:48:56.33
Him. You cannot separate
Him. The two go together, one
00:48:56.33\00:49:03.00
Creator. And any effort to
revive America without Jesus as
Lord of the Sabbath is both
00:49:03.00\00:49:13.28
neutered and doomed. It will not
happen. And to my Seventh-day
00:49:13.28\00:49:19.82
Adventist friends, and I have a
few of them, as well... To my
Seventh-day Adventist
00:49:19.82\00:49:26.83
friends, I remind you that
without Jesus, we will remain
right about the day and
00:49:26.83\00:49:33.30
dreadfully wrong about the
way, and we will be as blind as
00:49:33.30\00:49:41.31
everybody else! Everybody else!
The Jews could not solve the
demise of their nation.
00:49:41.31\00:49:51.79
There's no way the Sabbath has
any meaning apart from a passion
for the Lord Jesus Christ as
00:49:51.79\00:50:01.03
Creator. All the light we cannot
see because until we see Jesus,
00:50:01.03\00:50:07.20
immersed in the seventh-day
Sabbath and enshrined in our
hearts and our homes on the
00:50:07.20\00:50:13.44
Sabbath, we are blind. We
are blind! Don't you be clucking
00:50:13.44\00:50:19.11
your tongue for America or
for your evangelical neighbors.
00:50:19.11\00:50:23.42
We -- you and me -- are blind.
And we will walk in darkness and
00:50:23.45\00:50:34.63
never see the light. So,
let me repeat to my friends
00:50:34.63\00:50:42.27
in America, my friends in
evangelical Christianity, and to
00:50:42.27\00:50:47.08
my friends, the
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:50:47.08\00:50:53.88
If you could see the light you
cannot see now, if you could
know the Jesus you do not know
00:50:53.92\00:51:04.63
now, you would discover in His
seventh-day Sabbath what you do
00:51:04.63\00:51:13.13
not have now. You
don't have it. I can tell it.
00:51:13.13\00:51:18.57
The gift of Himself, immersed
and embedded in the gift of His
Sabbath -- that is the gift that
00:51:26.08\00:51:34.89
will yet bring the peace and
rest we desperately long for in
America, in Asia, in Africa,
00:51:34.89\00:51:48.94
in every hemisphere, north and
south. For the entire world, the
00:51:48.94\00:51:56.18
answer is the Creator and
Savior, Jesus. I end with Jesus'
00:51:56.18\00:52:04.99
appeal, and it comes beautifully
packaged in this line from
00:52:04.99\00:52:09.99
"Desire of Ages." "To all who
receive the Sabbath as a sign of
Christ's creative and redeeming
00:52:09.99\00:52:16.10
power, it will be a delight.
Seeing Christ in it, they
delight themselves in Christ.
00:52:16.10\00:52:21.60
The Sabbath points them to the
works of creation as an evidence
of His mighty power in
00:52:21.60\00:52:27.78
redemption. While it calls to
mind the lost peace of Eden, it
00:52:27.78\00:52:33.25
tells of the peace restored
through the Savior. And every
00:52:33.25\00:52:38.02
object in nature repeats His
invitation," and here it comes.
Let's say it out loud together.
00:52:38.02\00:52:43.83
"Come unto Me, all you who labor
and are heavy-laden, and I will
00:52:43.83\00:52:51.70
give you" what? "I will give you
rest." The gift of rest, the
gift of peace, the gift for the
00:52:51.70\00:52:59.54
rest of our lives is Jesus, is
Jesus. Let's pray. Oh, God, oh,
00:52:59.54\00:53:12.49
Christ Jesus, our Lord, for the
rest of our life, we do not
have, for the rest of the light
00:53:12.49\00:53:24.67
we cannot see, we ask of You, we
ask for You right now, please,
Lord Jesus, give us the grace
00:53:24.67\00:53:36.11
and the courage to take the gift
and to keep the Sabbath for the
rest of our lives with you.
00:53:36.11\00:53:46.49
Amen. Amen. I'm not gonna go
to the Connect Card right now.
00:53:46.49\00:53:55.43
I'll put the information
on the screen for you.
00:53:55.43\00:53:59.10
If you never heard of this
electronic Connect Card, today
00:53:59.13\00:54:03.07
it's Banner3. If
you'll text that code word to
00:54:03.07\00:54:06.34
269-281-2345, there will
be an offer there for you.
00:54:06.34\00:54:11.81
You'll see it.
00:54:11.81\00:54:13.95
But we need to listen to this
song. It's a beautiful song.
00:54:13.98\00:54:19.12
You don't recognize the words,
but you might recognize the
00:54:19.12\00:54:24.96
tune. It's the song of Jesus.
Singers, take us back to Jesus
00:54:24.96\00:54:34.54
again, please. >> Stand.
00:54:34.54\00:54:36.44
[ "At the Name
of Jesus" begins ]
00:54:36.47\00:54:39.37
>> Before you go, let me take an
extra moment to share with you
00:56:58.65\00:57:00.98
an opportunity to get into
the Bible in a fresh, new way.
00:57:00.98\00:57:04.49
All across the world, more and
more people are hearing the call
00:57:04.49\00:57:06.76
to examine
Scriptures for themselves.
00:57:06.76\00:57:08.92
If you've felt drawn to learn
more about God's Word, but you
00:57:08.92\00:57:11.96
don't know where to start or
you're just looking for a more
00:57:11.96\00:57:14.50
in-depth examination of Bible
truths, then I have something
00:57:14.50\00:57:17.43
right here that I
believe you're going to enjoy.
00:57:17.43\00:57:20.24
I want to send a series
of guides to get you started.
00:57:20.24\00:57:22.84
This one's entitled "Why
Does God Allow Suffering?"
00:57:22.84\00:57:25.47
Each guide begins with a story,
an introduction of the subject.
00:57:25.47\00:57:28.61
Then, through a series of focus
questions, you'll be learning
00:57:28.61\00:57:31.15
portions of the Bible you
may never have known before.
00:57:31.15\00:57:33.58
And when you're through, you'll
be able to share with others
00:57:33.58\00:57:35.48
some of these
inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:35.48\00:57:38.09
Just call our toll-free
number. It's on the screen.
00:57:38.09\00:57:40.19
877, the two words "His will."
Our friendly operators are
00:57:40.19\00:57:44.06
standing by to send
these study guides to you.
00:57:44.06\00:57:46.36
Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL.
Call that number, and then
00:57:46.36\00:57:50.57
again join me next week
right here at this same time.
00:57:50.57\00:57:55.94
"New Perceptions."
00:57:55.94\00:57:57.21
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:59.47\00:58:12.49
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:12.49\00:58:27.54