¤¤
00:00:02.13\00:00:11.11
[ Piano playing
"Christ Our Hope" ]
00:00:11.71\00:00:13.78
¤¤
00:00:13.84\00:00:20.62
¤¤
00:01:31.82\00:01:37.33
¤¤
00:02:47.13\00:02:53.07
¤¤ >> Our scripture reading this
morning is found in Psalm 63.
00:04:39.24\00:04:48.25
We'll read Verses 3
and 4, and 6 through 8.
00:04:48.28\00:04:52.15
I'll be reading from
the New King James Version.
00:04:52.15\00:04:55.49
"Because Your loving kindness is
better than life, my lips shall
00:04:55.49\00:05:00.66
praise You.
00:05:00.66\00:05:02.23
Thus I will bless You while I
live; I will lift up my hands in
00:05:02.26\00:05:09.10
Your name. When I remember You
on my bed, I meditate on You in
00:05:09.10\00:05:14.64
the night watches. Because You
have been my help, Therefore in
the shadow of Your wings I will
00:05:14.64\00:05:21.08
rejoice. My soul follows close
behind You; Your right hand
00:05:21.08\00:05:26.92
upholds me." Let's sing
together. [ Piano playing "And
00:05:26.92\00:05:31.49
Can It Be" ] ¤¤
00:05:31.49\00:05:40.80
>> You may be seated.
00:09:12.91\00:09:15.35
>> ¤ All creatures
of our God and king ¤
00:09:21.99\00:09:26.09
¤ Lift up your
voice and with us sing ¤
00:09:26.09\00:09:29.36
¤ Alleluia, alleluia
00:09:29.36\00:09:34.90
¤ Alleluia
00:09:34.94\00:09:41.31
>> ¤ All creatures of our God
and king ¤ ¤ Lift up your voice
00:09:43.68\00:09:49.52
and with us sing ¤ ¤ Alleluia,
alleluia ¤ Thou burning sun
00:09:49.52\00:09:59.23
with golden beam ¤ ¤ Thou
silver moon with softer gleam ¤
00:09:59.23\00:10:05.67
¤ O, praise Him ¤ O,
praise Him ¤ Alleluia, alleluia
00:10:05.67\00:10:14.08
¤ Alleluia
00:10:14.08\00:10:18.68
¤¤ ¤ Thou rushing
wind that art so strong ¤
00:10:18.75\00:10:27.56
¤ Ye clouds that sail in
heav'n along ¤ ¤ O, praise Him
00:10:27.56\00:10:33.53
¤ Alleluia ¤ Thou
rising morn in praise rejoice ¤
00:10:33.53\00:10:39.57
¤ Ye lights of evening, find
a voice ¤ >> ¤ O, praise Him
00:10:39.57\00:10:45.87
>> ¤ O, praise Him >>
¤ Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:10:45.87\00:10:52.11
¤ Alleluia ¤ Ev'ryone with
tender heart ¤ Forgiving others,
00:10:52.11\00:11:01.92
take your part ¤ ¤
O, see me ¤ Alleluia
00:11:01.92\00:11:11.17
¤ Alleluia ¤ Ye who
long pain and sorrow bear ¤
00:11:11.17\00:11:18.37
>> ¤ Long pain and sorrow bear
>> ¤ And cast your care >> ¤
00:11:18.37\00:11:23.35
Praise >> ¤ O, praise Him ¤ O,
praise Him ¤ Alleluia, alleluia
00:11:23.35\00:11:31.32
¤ Alleluia >> ¤
Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:11:31.32\00:11:38.63
>> ¤ Alleluia >> ¤
Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:11:38.63\00:11:44.83
>> ¤ Alleluia >> ¤
Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:11:44.83\00:11:51.54
>> ¤ Alleluia >> ¤
Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:11:51.54\00:11:58.01
>> ¤ Alleluia ¤
Alleluia, alleluia ¤ Alleluia
00:11:58.01\00:12:06.86
>> ¤ Alleluia ¤ Praise, praise
the Father, praise the Son ¤
00:12:06.86\00:12:18.63
And praise the Spirit,
Three-in-One ¤ >> ¤ O, praise
00:12:18.63\00:12:26.04
Him >> ¤ O, praise Him
>> ¤ Alleluia >> ¤ Alleluia
00:12:26.04\00:12:31.91
>> ¤ Alleluia >> ¤ All
creatures of our God and King ¤
00:12:31.91\00:12:39.09
¤ Lift up your voice and with
us sing ¤ ¤ Alleluia, alleluia
00:12:39.09\00:12:47.96
¤ Alleluia
00:12:47.96\00:12:54.17
¤ Alleluia
00:12:55.44\00:13:03.04
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:13:08.38\00:13:36.95
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:13:36.95\00:14:05.61
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:14:05.61\00:14:34.17
¤¤
00:14:34.17\00:14:43.65
>> Let's pray. Amazing, amazing
love, Father. That's what brings
00:14:45.91\00:14:51.39
us here. That's what compelled
us to come We didn't come to
hear somebody. We came to be
00:14:51.39\00:14:57.69
with You. And we need to sense
now in the space that You show
up. You're already there, but
00:14:57.69\00:15:05.03
open our eyes so that we see
You. This will be about You that
way. All of our Eyes looking to
00:15:05.03\00:15:10.64
Jesus, and that's how it should
be. We thank you in Jesus' name.
00:15:10.64\00:15:16.11
Amen.
00:15:16.11\00:15:17.98
My friend Tara
VinCross has written a new book.
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.82
You're gonna love
it. I hope you read it.
00:15:20.82\00:15:23.15
"Deep Calling." And
in the book, she tells a
00:15:23.15\00:15:27.39
story that appeared in
the newspapers in Tacoma,
00:15:27.39\00:15:29.52
Washington, where
she once pastored.
00:15:29.52\00:15:33.40
it's a story
about a basset hound.
00:15:33.40\00:15:36.60
You know what a
basset hound looks like?
00:15:36.60\00:15:37.90
You know, the long
ears and short legs.
00:15:37.90\00:15:39.57
And was named Tattoo.
Ooh, I like that name.
00:15:39.57\00:15:44.31
One evening, a police
officer motorcycle patrolman,
00:15:44.31\00:15:50.01
Terry Filburt, is cruising
around North 21st Street
00:15:50.01\00:15:54.75
and Adams Street around 7:25
when he notices a vehicle that
00:15:54.75\00:15:59.89
appears to have
something dragging from it.
00:15:59.89\00:16:03.99
He turns the bike around and he
catches up with the vehicle, and
he starts pass it and realizes
00:16:04.03\00:16:11.90
it's a basset hound whose leash
is caught in the door. He
finally pursues them to pull
00:16:11.90\00:16:22.21
over. They pull over.
00:16:22.21\00:16:24.85
And he says, "What were you
thinking?" He told the reporter
00:16:26.82\00:16:33.52
at the newspaper later that that
dog was picking them up and
putting them down as fast as he
00:16:33.52\00:16:40.53
could. At some places, the
dog exceeded 25 miles an hour. I
00:16:40.53\00:16:46.80
mean, please. Rolled over a few
times, as well. So, a man and a
00:16:46.80\00:16:51.67
woman get out. And when he tells
them about the dog, the driver
starts shouting, "Tattoo!
00:16:51.67\00:16:57.05
Tattoo!" Well, there's good
news to this story. The dog was
00:16:59.11\00:17:05.79
uninjured... and no citation was
issued. But I'm sure he gave him
a little lecture about it.
00:17:05.79\00:17:11.09
"If you ever walk your dog
again, don't do it with the car
00:17:11.09\00:17:13.46
door. Just walk him on the
sidewalk. That's what they're
for. [ Laughs ] When I think of
00:17:13.46\00:17:17.87
Tattoo the basset hound, two
lines of scripture come to me.
I'm gonna lay them on you right
00:17:17.87\00:17:22.80
now. Line number one is the
title of this moment that you
00:17:22.80\00:17:26.51
and I are sharing together. "My
soul followeth hard after Thee."
00:17:26.51\00:17:33.38
Beautifully read a moment ago.
Psalm 63. The psalmist is not
00:17:33.38\00:17:37.52
complaining about his leash
caught in the door. The psalmist
is chasing after --
00:17:37.52\00:17:41.96
Guess who? You got it. The
Almighty Himself. My soul
followeth hard after
00:17:41.96\00:17:47.76
Thee. Some of you are in this
space right now, and your hearts
00:17:47.76\00:17:51.13
are longing for God. I know it's
true. And you've come to the
00:17:51.13\00:17:55.77
right place at the right time.
You're gonna meet Him right
00:17:55.77\00:17:59.81
here. My soul followeth hard
after Thee. And the other line I
00:17:59.81\00:18:04.55
think about is that, when I
think about Tattoo, I'm
thinking, "Wait a minute, that's
00:18:04.55\00:18:08.18
all of us." We are all running
on the treadmill of life until
we're about going crazy, and you
00:18:08.18\00:18:12.39
know what? We're shouting,
"Get me off of this treadmill,
00:18:12.39\00:18:17.93
please!" And I tell you what, I
got some great news for the
likes of you and me.
00:18:17.93\00:18:21.56
We're gonna encounter in one
moment a splendid opportunity
that will come to you to get off
00:18:21.56\00:18:27.14
this treadmill every seventh day
of every single week you have
00:18:27.14\00:18:35.11
left of your life. I'm just
thinking to myself, "I wonder if
these two lines were meant to go
00:18:35.11\00:18:41.18
together?" "Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy." With
00:18:41.18\00:18:45.15
Jesus. "My soul followeth hard
after Thee." I think they go
00:18:45.15\00:18:50.96
together. Let's try them out for
size. There's a little secret
about the Sabbath most people
00:18:50.96\00:18:55.90
don't know, and those who do
know have usually forgotten. So
we're gonna go to Jesus for
00:18:55.90\00:19:00.40
this secret unveiling. Come on,
Jesus, Lord, teach us. So we're
gonna go to His life.
00:19:00.40\00:19:06.54
Yep, He's in Capernaum. Open
your Bible, by the way, to Mark
00:19:06.54\00:19:10.91
1. He's in Capernaum. Capernaum
is His home away from home -- He
grew up as a boy in
00:19:10.91\00:19:15.48
Nazareth. But now, He's got a
bunch of guys that are following
00:19:15.48\00:19:18.25
Him, and they're all fisherman,
and they're all from Capernaum.
So He makes Capernaum His home
00:19:18.25\00:19:22.96
away from home, and it's Sabbath
morning. And where do you think
00:19:22.96\00:19:26.90
the Creator of the universe
would be going on Sabbath
morning? He's going to church
00:19:26.90\00:19:31.07
with His buds. So
they're all piling into church.
00:19:31.07\00:19:33.07
I don't know if they sat in the
balcony or sat down on the main
floor, but they went to church.
00:19:33.07\00:19:37.94
And I want to take a
look at that. Mark 1.
00:19:37.94\00:19:42.64
Ah, this is a great story. Mark
1:21. "They went to Capernaum."
00:19:42.64\00:19:46.95
There it is, see? " They went to
Capernaum, and when the Sabbath
00:19:46.95\00:19:52.59
came, Jesus went" -- As Luke
4 tells us, He did every single
00:19:52.59\00:19:55.86
Sabbath. He went to church. So
you're in good company. "And
when the Sabbath came,
00:19:55.86\00:20:00.56
Jesus went into the synagogue
and began to teach. And the
people were amazed at
00:20:00.56\00:20:05.60
his teaching, because he taught
them as one who had authority,
not as the teachers of the law.
00:20:05.60\00:20:11.24
Oh, man, if He could stand up in
front of this little
congregation, I'd sit on a back
00:20:11.24\00:20:15.38
row to here. Wouldn't
you? No, you can't imagine it.
00:20:15.38\00:20:19.35
But in the middle of worship --
true story -- a man leaps to his
00:20:19.35\00:20:24.72
feet. The man's going berserk.
He's demon possessed. That's
00:20:24.72\00:20:28.39
what's going on. And he's
shrieking. "You understand that
everything comes to an end?"
00:20:28.39\00:20:32.99
Of course it does. But the
demon -- fallen angel -- that is
00:20:32.99\00:20:37.37
possessing the man forgot the
little lesson. Don't mess with
Jesus. And just like that, "Out
00:20:37.37\00:20:43.20
of him, I command you."
Poom -- the demon's gone.
00:20:43.20\00:20:46.61
By the time everybody gets their
pulse rate calmed down, Jesus
resumes His teaching.
00:20:48.68\00:20:55.02
What do you suppose everybody
talked about over Sabbath dinner
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.42
that day? Can you imagine
it happened in here? Please.
00:21:01.42\00:21:04.33
I'll keep going. So, church is
over now, okay? We're picking up
00:21:04.33\00:21:08.20
right there. Church is over. "As
soon as they left the synagogue"
00:21:08.20\00:21:11.63
-- Jesus and His disciples --
"they went with James and John"
-- the Zebedee brothers -- to
00:21:11.63\00:21:15.64
the home of Simon and Andrew.
All fisherman, and they're all
00:21:15.64\00:21:19.01
from Capernaum. Simon's
mother-in-law was in bed." I
want to hit the pause button
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.81
right there. I want to give
a shout-out to mothers-in-law.
00:21:21.81\00:21:25.85
If you have a mother-in-law who
is still alive, count your many
00:21:25.85\00:21:30.19
blessings. They got these crazy
jokes about mother-in-law jokes.
Don't even pass one along.
00:21:30.19\00:21:34.79
I had the privilege of sitting
beside my mother-in-law as she
breathed her last, holding her
00:21:34.79\00:21:38.89
hand, and her daughter on the
other side of that bed. I loved
00:21:38.89\00:21:44.47
that woman. She gave me a
beautiful wife. Never make fun
of a mother-in-law.
00:21:44.47\00:21:49.70
And if you still got one alive,
be in touch with her. Love on
00:21:49.70\00:21:54.71
her. "Simon's mother-in-law was
in bed with a fever, and they
immediately told Jesus about
00:21:54.71\00:21:58.55
her. So he went to her, took
her hand, and helped her up.
00:21:58.55\00:22:02.75
The fever left her and she began
to wait on them." My, oh, my.
00:22:02.75\00:22:08.39
But keep reading. "That evening
after sunset the people brought
00:22:08.39\00:22:13.80
to Jesus all the sick and
demon-possessed. Why, when we
were in church today, we saw
00:22:13.80\00:22:19.40
what happened. The story ends,
"The whole town gathered at the
door." Now, what's up with this
00:22:19.40\00:22:26.27
waiting until sunset business,
huh? Help me out with that. Oh,
you know what's up, don't
00:22:26.27\00:22:30.65
you? What's up is
the clergy of the town.
00:22:30.65\00:22:33.15
The clergy of the country
have made a law. "You can't heal
00:22:33.15\00:22:36.52
anybody. You can't help anybody.
You cannot help somebody who
needs healing or comfort."
00:22:36.52\00:22:47.66
Mnh-mnh. Well...somebody
forgot to tell Jesus.
00:22:47.66\00:22:53.84
Because He healed somebody
before He sat down for Sabbath
00:22:53.84\00:22:57.51
dinner. Oops. Now, you know
the truth. Seven of His great
00:22:57.51\00:23:03.48
miracles were reserved for the
seventh-day Sabbath to remind us
that the Creator of this day
00:23:03.48\00:23:09.65
enters into our suffering with
us. Some of you listening to me
right now are suffering.
00:23:09.65\00:23:13.62
You have a mask on in this
church. Of course, we all have
00:23:13.62\00:23:17.59
masks on, but you have a facade
that says everything is cool.
"I'm fine, thank you."
00:23:17.59\00:23:22.50
Nobody else knows that you are
not fine right now. Your heart
00:23:22.50\00:23:26.17
is aching. Your heart is
breaking. You have gone through
a mess this last week.
00:23:26.17\00:23:30.64
You survived this far. But you
need somebody to enter that
broken space and breathe
00:23:30.64\00:23:39.61
His comfort into you. You came
to the right place when you went
00:23:39.61\00:23:44.75
to Jesus. Yeah. So, we can
quickly infer that the clergy
are not always right,
00:23:44.75\00:23:50.19
and I'll be the first to
admit that. They're wrong.
00:23:50.19\00:23:52.73
You can heal on the Sabbath. In
fact, what Jesus says over in
Matthew -- I love this line.
00:23:52.73\00:23:56.20
Never forget this line, it's a
good one to have locked away in
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.23
your heart. Jesus says, "It is
lawful to do good on the
Sabbath." All the clergy are
00:23:59.23\00:24:03.67
saying, "It is unlawful to,
unlawful to, unlawful to." Jesus
said, "Wait, wait, wait."
00:24:03.67\00:24:06.88
Let me just tell you one thing.
It's lawful to do good. That's
all you need to know --
00:24:06.88\00:24:10.41
it's lawful to do good on
the Sabbath." Thank you, Lord.
00:24:10.41\00:24:15.15
Next time I come to your seventh
day, Almighty Creator, I'm gonna
remember that line.
00:24:15.15\00:24:20.19
"It is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath." After all, He's the
00:24:20.19\00:24:24.83
one who created the seventh day
Sabbath in the beginning, did He
not? But what's so intriguing
00:24:24.83\00:24:29.03
about the Creator and His use of
time or His structure of time is
that He is not synchronized --
00:24:29.03\00:24:35.64
the Creator of the universe --
to our mechanical clock time. He
00:24:35.64\00:24:41.11
has His own time. Creation time.
That's why, for the Creator, you
don't need a Rolex.
00:24:41.11\00:24:46.15
Couldn't afford one, anyway. You
need a Timex. I do have one of
00:24:46.15\00:24:50.42
those. If you have a Timex...
you still don't have to look at
00:24:50.42\00:24:56.26
it. Because instead of making
Seikos, he made sunsets. And
that's all you need.
00:24:56.26\00:25:02.26
In fact, you remember the
creation story. Everybody knows
00:25:02.26\00:25:04.90
the creation story. The Creator
starts with what? Is it light or
00:25:04.90\00:25:09.64
dark when He starts creation?
Help me out quick. Light or
00:25:09.64\00:25:12.11
dark? Of course, it's dark.
And then He says, "Let there be"
00:25:12.11\00:25:14.88
what? Light. So, the first day
sets the pattern for every
single day afterwards.
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.98
He starts with the dark, and the
day ends with the light. And
that's why the first day
00:25:18.98\00:25:23.49
record in Genesis 1:5 reads in
there, "It was evening and there
was morning -- the first day."
00:25:23.49\00:25:29.22
You read the second day, it's
the same. "And there was evening
00:25:29.22\00:25:33.36
and morning -- the second day."
The third day, the fourth day,
00:25:33.36\00:25:38.37
the fifth day. What's the
Creator doing? He's counting one
rotation from light to darkness
00:25:38.37\00:25:44.11
and darkness to light. And
He says, "That is a day." Right
00:25:44.11\00:25:49.78
there. Oh, and, of course, we
know that when He comes to the
sixth day -- yep, we know this
00:25:49.78\00:25:53.92
verse. "And God saw all that He
had made, and it was very good.
And there was evening, and there
00:25:53.92\00:25:59.05
was morning -- the sixth day."
So, in the next verse, when God
creates the seventh day Sabbath,
00:25:59.05\00:26:05.53
how do you suppose the Sabbath
will be marked and delineated?
00:26:05.53\00:26:11.50
You got it right. "And there was
evening, and there was morning
-- the seventh day."
00:26:11.50\00:26:17.41
Sunset to sunset. That's what's
going on with the people in
00:26:17.41\00:26:23.11
Capernaum. They were told, "You
can't come till the Sabbath is
00:26:23.11\00:26:27.08
over -- sunset." Ah, the Creator
Himself observes that Creation
time. Boy, don't you love Him
00:26:27.08\00:26:35.32
for it? In fact, when the
Creator comes down here in this
glorious event -- this happening
00:26:35.32\00:26:40.36
in the universe that we call the
Incarnation -- when He comes
down here, there is no confusion
00:26:40.36\00:26:45.27
about when the Sabbath begins
and when the Sabbath ends. In
fact, when the Creator was on
00:26:45.27\00:26:50.87
top of Mount Sinai with one of
His closest friends in history
-- a man named Moses --
00:26:50.87\00:26:56.54
He says, "Hey, listen, you
remind everybody, this is how
00:26:56.54\00:27:00.35
you do it." Leviticus 23:32,
how's it read? "From evening to
evening, you shall celebrate
00:27:00.35\00:27:08.09
your Sabbath." Creation time.
You don't need one of these. You
just have to know, you can
00:27:08.09\00:27:16.13
see the diminishing of light,
then the Sabbath has come.
Beautiful, beautiful.
00:27:16.13\00:27:24.44
Why did the Creator put so much
insistence on this while He was
00:27:24.44\00:27:29.61
here? Ah, because with His
finger, He carved it into
granite Himself. "Remember the
00:27:29.61\00:27:35.65
Sabbath day to keep it holy."
And He does. Sigve Tonstad found
00:27:35.65\00:27:42.46
this writer. I don't know where
he found the writer, but this is
beautiful, and I have to share
00:27:42.46\00:27:47.93
it with you. I'll put it on
the screen right here. And the
00:27:47.93\00:27:51.20
writer is Pinchas Pilate. I love
the name, Pinchas Pilate. "The
Sabbath, declared once by
00:27:51.20\00:27:55.90
God, comes and goes at regular
intervals without any human
00:27:55.90\00:28:01.51
invention." You don't need
anything. Nothing on your wrist.
Don't need any Wi-Fi.
00:28:01.51\00:28:05.71
Don't need internet to know when
the Sabbath begins. You don't
00:28:05.71\00:28:09.88
need any of that. Mnh-mnh. "It
comes and goes at regular
intervals without any human
00:28:09.88\00:28:14.02
invention." Oh, I love this
-- calling the Sabbath a "she."
00:28:14.02\00:28:20.06
"She cannot be stopped
or postponed." Mnh-mnh.
00:28:20.06\00:28:24.13
It remains up to us, however,
to let her in; to receive her
00:28:24.13\00:28:32.04
properly. Oh, they used to do
this 2,000 years ago when Jesus
was here. What's it mean to
00:28:32.04\00:28:37.18
receive the Sabbath properly?
Oh, it's not rocket science. Let
00:28:37.18\00:28:39.75
me tell you. Karen and I, we
just did it last night. We do it
00:28:39.75\00:28:42.95
every Friday at sundown. And we
sing a few songs. Pull out the
00:28:42.95\00:28:48.42
old battered-up trombone. Allen,
and Karen's at the keyboard.
00:28:48.42\00:28:51.16
And we just play some fun music
together, and we sit down. We're
trying to memorize some
00:28:51.16\00:28:55.23
scripture passages together.
So we sit down. We got a great
00:28:55.23\00:28:58.53
storybook by a friend of mine
named Dick Dirksen. So we're
reading those stories,
00:28:58.53\00:29:02.07
and then we have prayer. And you
know what we say in our prayer?
00:29:02.07\00:29:05.71
If we spoke Spanish, here's what
we would say. In that prayer,
00:29:05.71\00:29:09.58
these would be the words we
would use. Mi casa es su casa.
And what's that mean?
00:29:09.58\00:29:14.35
"My house is your house." Come
on in. We welcome Jesus into our
00:29:14.35\00:29:19.52
house. Of course, He's been with
us the whole week, 24/7, but in
a special way, He comes in on
00:29:19.52\00:29:23.66
the Sabbath, and guess what? We
say goodbye to the Sabbath the
same way -- a few songs, a
00:29:23.66\00:29:27.03
little bit of reading, and
we pray. "Don't leave us, Jesus.
00:29:27.03\00:29:30.23
But thank you for the day we
just had with You." There's no
rocket science, "get
00:29:30.23\00:29:35.97
a degree" in this. No, tonight,
you can do it. Say goodbye to
00:29:35.97\00:29:41.71
the Sabbath tonight with Jesus.
It remains up to us, however, to
let her in; to receive her
00:29:41.71\00:29:45.71
properly; to acknowledge that,
indeed, we do have an extra
dimension to our being.
00:29:45.71\00:29:50.22
Oh, this is good. Now, here it
comes. "For, if we are not more
00:29:50.22\00:29:54.72
than what we are -- we are, most
likely, less than what we are."
Ooh, you gotta look at that.
00:29:54.72\00:30:05.00
Just read it off the screen.
I mean, what does that say? What
00:30:05.00\00:30:11.94
are we? We are children of the
Creator. Yes, we are -- brought
into existence, each one of us,
00:30:11.94\00:30:16.98
by His personal choice. I
repeat, you are not here by
00:30:16.98\00:30:20.85
accident. You were called into
being by your Creator. That's
00:30:20.85\00:30:26.32
who we are. And we were born
with a God-shaped vacuum in our
hearts. You don't have to belong
00:30:26.32\00:30:31.73
to any religion. You can be
"Mr. No," "Mrs. No," "Ms. No
00:30:31.73\00:30:36.10
Religion." "I have no religion."
Guess what? Can't help it. You
already have a God-shaped
00:30:36.10\00:30:40.44
vacuum in your heart. And
it will only be filled by the
00:30:40.44\00:30:47.18
Almighty Himself. Nothing else
can fill it. That's why people
keep chasing and chasing and
00:30:47.18\00:30:51.35
chasing. "I gotta find
something." Try your God-shaped
vacuum. Fill it with Him.
00:30:51.35\00:30:57.99
Anyway, Sigve Tonstad, who does
some excellent study examining
the origin of the seventh day
00:30:57.99\00:31:06.03
Sabbath, powerfully contrasts
the stark difference between
what He calls Creation time and
00:31:06.03\00:31:10.40
clock time. I gotta share this
with you. This is beautiful.
00:31:10.40\00:31:13.74
"The Sabbath has the power," He
writes, "to overturn distorted
00:31:13.74\00:31:17.87
priorities." Keep reading. "In
the biblical perspective, the
Sabbath interrupts the
00:31:17.87\00:31:22.18
routine of clock time and the
obligation of work by calling
all creation to a day of rest
00:31:22.18\00:31:28.25
according to the great clock
of nature. That's beautiful.
00:31:28.25\00:31:31.82
The man is a poetic writer. He's
an MD and a PhD, New Testament
00:31:31.82\00:31:37.13
scholar. All of it in one. Keep
reading. That's beautiful. "As
daylight fades every Friday
00:31:37.13\00:31:43.50
night, 'from evening to
evening'" -- we just read the
verse -- "the Sabbath breaks the
00:31:43.50\00:31:47.84
cycle of business and the
struggle for subsistence. At the
setting of the sun, clock
00:31:47.84\00:31:53.78
time yields to Creation time in
order to respond to a higher
summons, mediated by the clock
00:31:53.78\00:32:00.22
of Creation." The seventh
rotation of the Earth at the end
00:32:00.22\00:32:08.46
of every week from sunset to
sunset marks the beginning,
duration, and end of His
00:32:08.46\00:32:17.30
Sabbath. Beautiful. One
more line. "For this reason, the
00:32:17.30\00:32:22.00
hours of the Sabbath behind at
the gentle tolling of nature's
ruling light, not an arbitrary
00:32:22.00\00:32:27.54
hour defined by a mechanical
clock." No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:32:27.54\00:32:32.55
So, here's the
question. We're all asking it.
00:32:32.58\00:32:34.78
How does all this work? I
gotta share something really,
00:32:34.78\00:32:39.49
really special with you. My
friend Marine Raj found this.
00:32:39.49\00:32:42.86
She found it on Instagram,
and it is an Instagram post.
00:32:42.86\00:32:47.66
An Instagram
post by Eli Albrecht.
00:32:47.66\00:32:53.87
Now, let me tell you who he
is. He is a young Jewish private
00:32:53.87\00:32:57.94
equity merger and acquisitions
lawyer -- that's a mouthful, but
00:32:57.94\00:33:01.68
that's what he
does for a living.
00:33:01.68\00:33:03.88
He's kind of a dude. He's a
young Jew. He's a Sabbatarian
00:33:03.91\00:33:09.35
just like you. Watch how
he deals with the Sabbath.
00:33:09.35\00:33:12.82
Now, this is for the whole world
to read. That's how Marine found
00:33:12.82\00:33:15.32
it. Here we go. "I," says
this young, successful lawyer.
00:33:15.32\00:33:20.36
"I observe Shabbat" -- Sabbath.
I have tried to hide it at
different times, but never
00:33:20.36\00:33:27.87
compromised it, and it makes me
a better lawyer, father,
husband, and human.
00:33:27.87\00:33:33.24
For 26 hours, beginning sundown
on Friday" -- 26. Yeah, he adds
00:33:33.24\00:33:40.75
an hour on either end just to
make sure we come into this time
together. For 26 hours, at the
00:33:40.75\00:33:48.36
beginning of sundown on Friday,
I turn off my phone and
computer. I don't use
00:33:48.36\00:33:56.03
electronics. And what I
affirmatively focus on is
self-growth. I lean in and
00:33:56.03\00:33:59.93
nurture my relationship with my
kids and my beautiful wife. Most
important, I evaluate
00:33:59.93\00:34:03.97
whether I was the kind of
lawyer, coworker, father, and
husband that I wanted to be this
00:34:03.97\00:34:09.48
past week and how I can do
better this coming week." Writes
00:34:09.48\00:34:15.72
this Sabbatarian. [ Chuckles ]
Oh, this is good. "Throughout my
00:34:15.72\00:34:20.66
career, I was told that to do
M&A" -- And it's "mergers and
acquisitions," okay?
00:34:20.66\00:34:25.86
"To do M&A, especially PE" --
I didn't write this down. It's
00:34:25.86\00:34:31.27
"private equity." "I was told I
would have to compromise my
Shabbat observance."
00:34:31.27\00:34:36.47
Mm-hmm, "A successful M&A lawyer
and mentor told me, 'Yo, Eli.
You may be the best attorney in
00:34:36.47\00:34:43.14
the world, but unfortunately, if
we get an LOI -- letter of
intent -- on Friday night, I
00:34:43.14\00:34:49.78
need you to turn it back to the
client by Saturday night. If you
can't do that, clients
00:34:49.78\00:34:54.42
just can't work with you. Have
you ever considered going into
00:34:54.42\00:34:59.66
tax law?'" [ Scoffs ] Don't have
to deal with people at all. That
was the counsel he got.
00:34:59.66\00:35:08.20
And then, he tells about his
acquaintance with Joe Lieberman.
Joseph Lieberman, a very
00:35:08.20\00:35:15.01
well-known senator -- retired
senator now -- in the United
00:35:15.01\00:35:19.05
States Senate. Wasn't observant.
I heard Eli in a podcast. "I'm
00:35:19.05\00:35:26.65
an observant Jew. I observe
the Sabbath." Lieberman was the
00:35:26.65\00:35:31.03
same. All right. Oh, this is
good. "Shabbat is designed to
00:35:34.66\00:35:38.67
reinforce" -- So this is to
the public, he's speaking now.
00:35:38.67\00:35:41.84
"Shabbat is designed to
reinforce that our value is not
the sum of our productivity or
00:35:41.84\00:35:46.71
what we produce. Our value goes
beyond our work and beyond the
00:35:46.71\00:35:52.58
economic value we create." Isn't
that good? When all the ringing
00:35:52.58\00:35:57.32
and pinging is gone for 26
hours" -- You know what that is,
00:35:57.32\00:36:00.42
don't you? Yep, that crazy
vibrator. When all the ringing
and pinging is gone for 26
00:36:00.42\00:36:07.60
hours, you realize that your
worth is independent of your
work." And at the bottom,
00:36:07.60\00:36:12.23
"Shabbat Shalom to all." Wow.
[ Chuckles ] Pretty impressive,
00:36:12.23\00:36:18.64
wouldn't you say? Let me ask you
a question. Could you give that
00:36:18.64\00:36:24.05
testimony? Could you give that
testimony to the world? Who
knows you're Sabbatarian?
00:36:24.05\00:36:29.82
Your stereo blaring Friday night
late, live-streaming flickering
00:36:31.15\00:36:36.09
on your little Sabbath laptop
long into the night. Do you
compromise the holy
00:36:36.09\00:36:41.53
Sabbath? Working a little extra
on the job when you should be at
00:36:41.53\00:36:46.47
home with Jesus before sunset?
Playing a little longer on the
00:36:46.47\00:36:51.37
basketball court? I know the
game ought to be over now, but
come on -- just a few more
00:36:51.37\00:36:55.91
points, please. On the golf
links. Sun dropping. "I should
00:36:55.91\00:37:01.35
be with my family right now." Do
you do that? What is the Sabbath
00:37:01.35\00:37:07.06
to you? Willing to compromise
your Sabbath convictions for the
sake of advancement or a bigger
00:37:07.06\00:37:11.39
paycheck?
00:37:11.39\00:37:13.40
How did Eli Albrecht put it? I'm
gonna let you read it, because I
just read it to you.
00:37:15.83\00:37:20.60
"While I recognize that Shabbat
observance could result in a
detriment to my career or
00:37:20.60\00:37:25.87
winning certain clients, the
gains to my mental health, peace
of mind, creativity, innovation,
00:37:25.87\00:37:33.82
closeness to family, and overall
well being" -- and I put in, not
to mention being obedient to my
00:37:33.82\00:37:39.32
Creator -- "are absolutely
priceless. "I will never give up
00:37:39.32\00:37:44.06
the Shabbat." That's from
a lawyer Jew. What do you do?
00:37:44.06\00:37:52.83
Who are you? You believe
in Jesus. You celebrate the
00:37:52.83\00:37:59.51
Sabbath. Would you post words
like that? Wow. Apparently, you
00:37:59.51\00:38:07.65
can. Apparently, you can live
this way. Oh, what are those two
00:38:07.65\00:38:11.69
lines we're tracking? "My
soul followeth hard after Thee."
00:38:11.69\00:38:14.62
Whatever I do, it's for Him. "My
soul followeth hard after Thee."
00:38:14.62\00:38:18.59
"Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy with Jesus." With
00:38:18.59\00:38:23.60
Jesus. Ah, let's go to a
Lutheran, okay? We're picking
00:38:23.60\00:38:27.80
people not in my faith
community, is that okay? So,
we're going to a Lutheran. His
00:38:27.80\00:38:31.17
name is Walter Brueggemann. He's
an Old Testament scholar. He's
written a book. It's a good
00:38:31.17\00:38:35.48
book, I read it. "Sabbath as
Resistance: Saying No to the
Culture of Now." And in the
00:38:35.48\00:38:41.02
book, he takes a swipe at
something you treasure. Up there
or down here. Listen to him.
00:38:41.02\00:38:46.52
Here we go. Walter Brueggemann.
"In my horizon, the most
00:38:46.52\00:38:49.79
unwelcome form of multitasking
is with the cell phone." "Oh,
stop, stop, Dwight.
00:38:49.79\00:38:54.56
Don't continue. Please."
No, come on. "In my horizon, the
00:38:54.56\00:38:58.17
most unwelcome form of
multitasking is with the cell
phone -- on the phone while at
00:38:58.17\00:39:02.97
dinner with a guest"... You and
I don't do that. ..."or while
00:39:02.97\00:39:06.31
driving." You and I don't do
that 'cause it's against the law
00:39:06.31\00:39:09.88
of Michigan. Yeah, right.
00:39:09.88\00:39:11.41
I want to tell you something. If
you want to take notes during a
church service, just
00:39:17.15\00:39:20.56
write them down. You have
full dispensations from here.
00:39:20.56\00:39:22.92
You may write notes down from
the sermon. But he's not talking
00:39:22.92\00:39:27.03
about the sermon. Taking
notes during a church service.
00:39:27.03\00:39:31.23
What are on the notes?
00:39:31.23\00:39:32.87
I just have to post
right now, please. Excuse me.
00:39:42.91\00:39:47.78
I'll be back, God.
00:39:47.78\00:39:50.02
When you multitask, and some of
you consider yourselves, at your
ripe young age, experts at
00:40:05.00\00:40:10.51
multitasking, you have given
yourself to...nothing fully.
Everything is just half or a
00:40:10.51\00:40:18.25
quarter or a third, however many
tasks you are multitasking.
Well, that's pretty heavy
00:40:18.25\00:40:26.25
stuff. He says, "Let's go
to the Sermon on the Mount.
00:40:26.25\00:40:30.26
Let's talk about Jesus." Good
idea. "Jesus offers an ominous
00:40:30.26\00:40:33.29
characterization of
multitasking" -- remember this
from the Sermon on the Mount? --
00:40:33.29\00:40:37.37
"No one can serve
two masters." Mnh-mnh!
00:40:37.37\00:40:40.34
You can't multitask with God.
You can't. And then, to make
00:40:47.78\00:40:54.65
sure we get it -- and you're
going to blush a little bit with
this, but that's okay.
00:40:54.65\00:40:58.62
It makes the point very well.
00:40:58.62\00:41:01.22
[ Metallic clatter ] Well,
I drop it, too, hearing that.
00:41:07.76\00:41:14.17
[ Chuckles ] Some guy said no.
Pssh! "Oh, was that my phone?"
00:41:14.17\00:41:20.54
No. [ Laughs ] I'll repeat
it 'cause you missed it now.
00:41:20.54\00:41:26.45
Can you imagine that? How long
do you think Karen would allow
00:41:30.15\00:41:35.26
me to do that? Huh? Say,
pastors don't make love. Are you
00:41:35.26\00:41:40.03
serious? Is that in the Bible?
It's not in the Bible. You're
trying to pull my leg.
00:41:40.03\00:41:45.67
You got the man's point. You got
Brueggemann's point. Listen,
nobody's condemning
00:41:45.67\00:41:50.64
the technology. Hold on,
hold on. Nobody's condemning
00:41:50.64\00:41:53.11
the technology. Eli Albrecht is
not. Walter Brueggemann is not.
00:41:53.11\00:41:56.38
The Lord Jesus Christ is not
condemning technology. He's
asking us something,
00:41:56.38\00:42:00.32
however. Are we multitasking
with God on his Holy Sabbath?
00:42:00.32\00:42:07.96
Or any other day, I suppose.
Making love to your cell phone
on the Sabbath, tick-tocking
00:42:07.96\00:42:14.46
away on God's holy nickel
on God's holy day. I don't --
00:42:14.46\00:42:18.20
Listen, it doesn't matter to me.
I know you're a very popular
student and people are demanding
00:42:18.20\00:42:22.70
to hear from you right away. I
understand that part. And I know
00:42:22.70\00:42:26.68
you're a great professor. I
don't know what all it is you
teach, but I understand why
00:42:26.68\00:42:30.51
multitasking is so important for
you. But what Walter Brueggemann
00:42:30.51\00:42:35.48
is reminding us is that nobody
gets full attention when I
multitask. Not God, not nobody.
00:42:35.48\00:42:42.82
And when I multitask on
the Sabbath... I've made a
00:42:42.82\00:42:51.70
statement. The one who bought
me. How can it be? Amazing love.
00:42:51.70\00:42:56.00
For thou, my God has died
for me. I'm telling him, "Ah.
00:42:56.00\00:43:02.68
Not a big deal." "Ah, man,
Dwight, that's pretty heavy."
00:43:02.68\00:43:08.85
Well, think about it. Can people
tell that we're observing the
00:43:08.85\00:43:16.69
Sabbath? Let me rephrase that
question. Can people who know
who we are? Because sabbatarians
00:43:16.69\00:43:20.96
are known all over this
community. Sometimes I say
"unfortunately." Can they tell
00:43:20.96\00:43:28.47
whether we're being faithful to
our sabbatarian convictions? Do
00:43:28.47\00:43:33.34
they know. Do they see it? Do
they sense it? Well, I don't do
00:43:33.34\00:43:39.51
anything to be seen. Well, you
are doing something to be seen
00:43:39.51\00:43:43.59
because it's being seen. People
know. On a more pleasant note,
00:43:43.59\00:43:50.33
here's an e-mail from one of
you. Thanks for sharing with me.
I got your permission
00:43:50.33\00:43:53.73
to share it. The e-mail begins
this way. "I often think back to
00:43:53.73\00:43:57.13
a little incident that took
place several decades ago when
we still lived in northern
00:43:57.13\00:44:01.34
Minnesota. There was a Christian
family who had several sons. The
older sons were in sports in
00:44:01.34\00:44:05.31
the public school system." Why
not? "And they were good, quite
00:44:05.31\00:44:08.61
good in sports. So mom and
dad went to pretty much all the
00:44:08.61\00:44:12.31
games, but their youngest son,
who was about our son's age,
which was under five at the
00:44:12.31\00:44:17.02
time, was a good friend of our
son, and their son got bored
with the game, so his parents
00:44:17.02\00:44:21.46
would come over to our place
many times on Friday evenings,
when most of the games take
00:44:21.46\00:44:26.06
place, and we were happy to have
him with us. I recall -- I
recall one Friday evening,
00:44:26.06\00:44:29.70
when my friend hurriedly dropped
off the youngest son, and she
looked around, she looked around
00:44:29.70\00:44:35.64
at the peaceful surroundings.
Fire in the fireplace, reading
Bible stories to the kids.
00:44:35.64\00:44:42.18
And she said, 'You know,
sometimes I really envy you
having your Sabbath day.'"
00:44:42.18\00:44:49.72
Wow. "It was then that I
truly realized what a blessing
00:44:52.69\00:44:58.36
the Sabbath is. I've often
thought since then what a relief
00:44:58.36\00:45:02.90
it is, all at once, that once a
week, I have permission from the
greatest authority in the
00:45:02.90\00:45:08.17
universe to drop all the
busyness of life on this Earth
and just rest in His love.
00:45:08.17\00:45:12.67
I can't imagine life without
the Sabbath." Good for you.
00:45:12.67\00:45:17.21
We didn't have to go to a
successful Jewish lawyer to find
out that people are blessed by
00:45:17.21\00:45:23.28
the Sabbath. We just heard
from one of you. God bless you.
00:45:23.28\00:45:32.33
Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy. Sundown Friday to
00:45:32.33\00:45:36.97
sundown Saturday. I got to
say this. This is not rocket
00:45:36.97\00:45:40.37
science. This is not rocket
science. God says, "I love you.
00:45:40.37\00:45:43.97
You love me. I've given you a
bright mind. You got a loving
and compassionate heart."
00:45:43.97\00:45:47.98
Listen, I have not published a
book -- "50 Lawful Ways to
Celebrate the Sabbath."
00:45:47.98\00:45:53.78
There is no book. You can't find
it here. I love you and you love
00:45:53.78\00:46:00.69
me. My soul follows hard
after you, God. Good. Come on.
00:46:00.69\00:46:04.86
On the seventh day Sabbath, from
sundown to sundown, God has
inserted a day in which our
00:46:04.86\00:46:11.83
lives are spiritually
recalibrated, turning away from
all the gifts and turning our
00:46:11.83\00:46:22.04
hearts, in a high, concentrated
way, to the giver. 'Cause that's
00:46:22.04\00:46:30.02
my problem. I talk more about
the gifts. Even when I talk to
Him, I talk more about the gifts
00:46:30.02\00:46:34.99
than the giver. Sabbath comes to
recalibrate. I want to end with
00:46:34.99\00:46:42.56
a line from AW Tozer with you.
His book, "Pursuit of God." We
00:46:42.56\00:46:47.74
have worship. I'm talking about
the pastors and chaplains of
this campus. We have worship
00:46:47.74\00:46:51.61
every Monday. If you're
wondering where we are on Monday
at 1:30, we're downstairs, our
00:46:51.61\00:46:55.34
chairs in a circle, all massed,
and we're having worship
together. We're reading through
00:46:55.34\00:46:59.01
Tozer's little book, "Pursuit of
God." And then, we have time to
pray and apply it in prayer.
00:46:59.01\00:47:03.59
So just this last Monday, we're
going around the circle, not by
one by one, but people are
00:47:03.59\00:47:07.62
taking turns praying. And one of
the occupants of the circle says
something, speaks a
00:47:07.62\00:47:12.29
line in that prayer that goes
straight to my heart. Just boom.
00:47:12.29\00:47:15.80
You know how the spirit does it.
Just choom. "Are you listening
00:47:15.80\00:47:18.53
to this, Dwight?" Because I've
been struggling with this notion
00:47:18.53\00:47:24.94
or this need to give more of my
devotion to the giver and less
of my attention to the gifts.
00:47:24.94\00:47:29.94
It seems like every time I show
up with God, I say, "Hey, God,
so nice to be with you.
00:47:29.94\00:47:33.75
Now, listen, here's my list for
today." Boom, boom, boom, boom,
00:47:33.75\00:47:36.89
boom. And I can spend minute
after minute after minute. I can
fill an hour with that.
00:47:36.89\00:47:42.92
And God says, "There's something
wrong with this picture. What
00:47:42.92\00:47:48.70
are you doing?" Let me read you
a line that we've already read
in our little circle from AW
00:47:48.70\00:47:53.94
Tozer. Oh, yeah. "My soul
followed hard after thee."
00:47:53.94\00:47:56.07
Oh, I remember that one.
"Remember the Sabbath day to
00:47:56.07\00:47:59.04
keep it holy." And I love adding
the words "with Jesus," because
that's how you do it.
00:47:59.04\00:48:02.21
And then, that line from last
week -- "I am wholly yours,"
Jesus says, "so I want you to be
00:48:02.21\00:48:06.72
wholly mine." You don't need to
multitask when you're around me.
00:48:06.72\00:48:10.75
I want all of you. I want
all of you. Okay, here's Tozer.
00:48:10.75\00:48:14.82
"When religion has said the last
word, there is little that we
need other than God Himself.
00:48:14.82\00:48:20.30
The evil habit of seeking
God-and"... And actually, so
00:48:20.30\00:48:25.73
many times, that's how I go
to God. "God, it's so nice to be
00:48:25.73\00:48:28.90
with you. I love you back. And
by the way, can I, while we're
00:48:28.90\00:48:32.54
here together"... And it's the
"and" that just keeps adding all
the gifts that I need from you
00:48:32.54\00:48:36.98
right now, Giver. Tozer says,
"The evil habit of seeking
God-and effectively
00:48:36.98\00:48:43.92
prevents us from finding
God in full revelation." Keep
00:48:43.92\00:48:48.52
reading... I am what you're
longing for. I am what you've
00:49:03.20\00:49:12.65
been seeking. Come to me.
Every Sabbath, recalibrate.
00:49:12.65\00:49:15.28
[ Clicking tongue ]
Recalibrate, realign so that
00:49:15.28\00:49:19.89
you and God are
connected again. Wow.
00:49:19.89\00:49:28.00
So, anyway, we're having
this prayer, and that's what the
00:49:28.00\00:49:30.50
Spirit is saying to me.
Spirit is saying, "Hey, boy, did
00:49:30.50\00:49:32.97
you hear what was
just said in that prayer?"
00:49:32.97\00:49:35.77
You know, Dwight, I get a lot of
the gift stuff from you. And
we're happy to give you
00:49:35.80\00:49:40.38
gifts, so don't take me wrong.
But I wish you would concentrate
on the giver more than the
00:49:40.38\00:49:45.51
gifts, huh? I'm what you're
looking for. I'm what you're
00:49:45.51\00:49:52.15
seeking. Talk to me,
open your heart up to me." Ah.
00:49:52.15\00:49:58.33
In that split second, I knew
he was right. And that's why the
00:49:58.33\00:50:03.87
Sabbath recalibrate,
recalibrate. Here's a prayer you
can pray every Sabbath.
00:50:03.87\00:50:08.07
Come on, it's a simple
prayer. Goes like this...
00:50:08.07\00:50:12.47
I love the gifts, but I didn't
come today for gifts. I just
00:50:24.65\00:50:30.46
want you. I want you more than
your gifts. "Desire of Ages"
beautifully captures this quiet,
00:50:30.46\00:50:39.10
quiet depth of the Sabbath day
with these words. "When every
00:50:39.10\00:50:45.11
other voice is hushed" -- shh!
For me, late Friday night is a
good time for that.
00:50:45.11\00:50:49.64
Wow, that's it. Oh, my
soul followeth hard after thee.
00:51:09.90\00:51:16.24
Remember the Sabbath day, to
keep it wholly with Jesus. "I am
wholly yours, and that's
00:51:16.24\00:51:22.21
why I want you to be
wholly mine." What a giver, huh?
00:51:22.21\00:51:28.15
What a giver. What a
prayer. What a prayer.
00:51:28.15\00:51:35.89
Come on. Oh, God. I want you.
00:51:35.89\00:51:43.63
I want you more than your
gifts. Let's pray. Dear Jesus...
00:51:43.63\00:51:56.11
That's what the Sabbath reminds
us -- we get it. And, so, we
have but one prayer
00:51:56.11\00:52:02.65
to pray to you. Oh, God, I
want you more than your gifts.
00:52:02.65\00:52:14.03
Please and
thank you. Amen. Amen.
00:52:14.03\00:52:23.81
Two little responses to what we
just shared together. You know
00:52:23.81\00:52:28.01
the drill. If you go to our
number, 269-281-2345, the code
today is "Banner5."
00:52:28.01\00:52:34.65
"Banner5." And here
are the two steps...
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.85
Yeah, me, too. I got it.
But this one, I want you to
00:52:46.29\00:52:49.70
think of this one.
This is box number two.
00:52:49.70\00:52:52.63
Now, look at, here's the deal.
I put up a response last week,
00:53:04.35\00:53:07.98
and a bunch of you sent it
in, and when you clicked that, I
00:53:07.98\00:53:10.99
told you, I promised you I
would pray for you by name.
00:53:10.99\00:53:13.76
And I have. I got a
little list of names
00:53:13.76\00:53:16.76
that I'm keeping where I
have worship in the morning.
00:53:16.76\00:53:19.93
Prayed for you this morning.
But this is different now.
00:53:19.93\00:53:22.56
This is the first time.
"Please pray for me as I
00:53:22.56\00:53:24.93
experience God's Sabbath for
the first time," this sunset to
00:53:24.93\00:53:27.80
sunset. Just pray
for me that it will go
00:53:27.80\00:53:30.81
well with my soul. My
friend, it will go well
00:53:30.81\00:53:34.08
with your soul. I promise.
00:53:34.08\00:53:37.18
All right let's bring the
singers out. There's a great
00:53:37.21\00:53:43.05
gospel song, set to another tune
so that you'll think about the
words. You'll recognize the
00:53:43.05\00:53:47.52
tune. Come on, singers. Robbie,
lead us. Let's sing that song
00:53:47.52\00:53:51.76
together. [ "O Day of Rest
and Gladness" begins ] >> Please
00:53:57.43\00:54:03.07
stand as we sing. ¤¤
00:54:03.07\00:54:09.88
¤¤ >> Let's pray together.
00:56:52.27\00:56:58.28
Now may the Lord
bless you and keep you.
00:56:58.31\00:57:01.08
The Lord make His face shine
upon you and be gracious unto
00:57:01.08\00:57:04.79
you. The Lord
lift up his countenance
00:57:04.79\00:57:07.46
upon you and give you
peace now and forever more.
00:57:07.46\00:57:10.89
But all the church say, "Amen."
00:57:10.89\00:57:13.23
>> I want to take an extra
moment to thank you for joining
00:57:16.13\00:57:18.27
us in worship today.
It's by the continued support
00:57:18.27\00:57:20.30
from viewers like you that we're
able to bring this program.
00:57:20.30\00:57:22.94
Today I want to invite you,
though, to share with us how
00:57:22.94\00:57:25.41
this ministry has blessed you.
I get inspiring notes, e-mails
00:57:25.41\00:57:28.51
from viewers literally
all over the world telling me,
00:57:28.51\00:57:31.28
"Look, Dwight, God has
been blessing me this way.
00:57:31.28\00:57:33.18
He's been doing this." I
would love to hear from you,
00:57:33.18\00:57:35.22
as well. Just
visit our web site -- you
00:57:35.22\00:57:38.05
know it -- newperceptions.tv,
and click on the "contact" link
00:57:38.05\00:57:41.59
at the top of the page.
Send me a note, let me know what
00:57:41.59\00:57:44.53
God has been doing
right now in your life.
00:57:44.53\00:57:47.30
Once again, thank you
for being with us today.
00:57:47.30\00:57:49.86
I hope you'll join us right
here next time, and until then,
00:57:49.86\00:57:53.07
may the God of grace journey
with you every step of the way.
00:57:53.07\00:57:58.64
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:58.64\00:58:17.56
¤¤
00:58:17.56\00:58:26.87