¤¤
00:00:02.13\00:00:09.57
¤¤ >>...how in our Christian
00:00:12.47\00:00:15.84
walk we sometimes lean on these
everlasting arms, and then when
00:00:15.84\00:00:19.95
we finally see the connection
with God, and then the next day,
00:00:19.95\00:00:23.99
two steps forward, four steps
back, we're right back where we
00:00:23.99\00:00:27.96
started. But
aren't you so glad that we
00:00:27.96\00:00:31.46
serve a wonderful Savior who's
willing to pick us back up no
00:00:31.46\00:00:36.56
matter how far we've fallen and
just show us undeserving mercy?
00:00:36.56\00:00:44.37
[ "Lord Have Mercy" begins ]
00:00:44.37\00:00:46.94
[ "Goodness of God" begins ]
00:04:44.25\00:04:46.65
>> Please join us
and stand as we sing.
00:05:36.93\00:05:40.54
>> Amen. Amen. Go ahead.
00:08:51.59\00:08:58.03
¤¤ So this next song is very
00:08:58.03\00:09:01.17
personal to me. It's
a new tune to "'Tis So
00:09:01.17\00:09:04.31
Sweet to Trust in Jesus."
We all know that familiar song,
00:09:04.31\00:09:08.18
right? And I
think it's interesting
00:09:08.18\00:09:10.25
that it says "'tis." It
means "it is" so sweet to
00:09:10.25\00:09:14.15
trust in Jesus.
00:09:14.15\00:09:16.08
I know, for me, sometimes I
wonder, is it really that sweet?
Like, is God really going to not
00:09:16.12\00:09:22.72
let me down? But I've seen in my
own life, and I believe in this
00:09:22.72\00:09:29.40
song really captures this idea
that it is sweet to trust in
Jesus, and I pray that you'll
00:09:29.40\00:09:36.64
have that same experience going
into this next week. And as we
start, I'll sing the
00:09:36.64\00:09:40.84
first verse by myself so you
can listen to the new melody.
00:09:40.84\00:09:47.42
Pray with me. [
"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in
00:09:47.45\00:09:51.72
Jesus" begins ]
00:09:51.72\00:09:53.66
>> You may be seated.
>> Thank you for singing.
00:13:19.66\00:13:22.60
¤¤ >> ¤ The Lord
00:13:30.17\00:13:43.22
¤ The Lord is my shepherd ¤ The
Lord ¤ The Lord is my shepherd
00:13:43.25\00:14:11.21
¤ The Lord is my shepherd ¤ I
shall not want ¤ The Lord is my
00:14:22.39\00:14:39.07
shepherd ¤ I shall not want ¤
He leads me beside, beside still
00:14:39.07\00:14:56.79
waters ¤ ¤ He restores my soul
00:14:56.79\00:15:06.70
¤ He leads me in paths of
righteousness ¤ ¤ He leads me in
00:15:12.94\00:15:26.76
paths of righteousness ¤ ¤
For His name's sake ¤ His name's
00:15:26.76\00:15:39.67
sake ¤ Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow
00:15:50.25\00:16:00.62
of death ¤ ¤ I will fear
no evil ¤ For You are with me
00:16:06.16\00:16:21.74
¤ Your rod and
staff, they comfort me ¤
00:16:24.51\00:16:41.26
¤ You prepare a table for me
00:16:48.27\00:16:58.08
¤ In the presence of my
enemies ¤ ¤ You anoint my head,
00:17:00.88\00:17:15.90
my head with oil
¤ ¤ My cup overflows
00:17:15.90\00:17:34.68
¤ Surely love and goodness ¤
Will follow me ¤ All the days
00:17:38.92\00:18:00.14
¤ Of my life ¤ And I will
dwell in the house of the Lord ¤
00:18:01.88\00:18:23.47
¤ Forever ¤ Forever ¤ Forever
00:18:23.47\00:18:47.19
¤ Forever ¤ Amen ¤ Amen
00:18:47.19\00:19:15.85
>> Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen.
00:19:29.53\00:19:32.93
>> Amen.
00:19:32.93\00:19:36.91
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:19:40.81\00:20:06.53
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:20:06.53\00:20:32.26
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:20:32.26\00:20:57.99
¤¤ ¤¤
00:20:57.99\00:21:15.07
>> O God, we just sang it to
You. "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in
00:21:19.31\00:21:25.21
Jesus." What would we do
without Him, without You?
00:21:25.21\00:21:32.42
Is that what the Sabbath's
all about? It's got to be.
00:21:32.42\00:21:36.29
Oh, seal it in our hearts, this
day with Jesus. We pray together
00:21:36.29\00:21:44.10
in His name. >> Amen. >> Amen.
00:21:44.10\00:21:46.67
How about a sports headline
from the news three days ago?
00:21:46.70\00:21:51.87
You hip to that? This is CNN.
00:21:51.87\00:21:55.28
It's Wednesday.
"An Alabama high school
00:21:55.28\00:21:57.41
basketball team say they were
forced to choose faith over a
00:21:57.41\00:22:00.88
tournament game. The
governor is demanding
00:22:00.88\00:22:02.98
answers." Uh-oh. Sounds serious.
00:22:02.98\00:22:06.02
Opening words --
"Oakwood Adventist Academy" --
00:22:06.02\00:22:09.32
hey, I know that place -- "is a
Seventh-Day Adventist School in
00:22:09.32\00:22:12.13
Huntsville located a hundred
miles north of Birmingham.
00:22:12.13\00:22:14.56
Their men's basketball team had
advanced to the semifinals of
00:22:14.56\00:22:17.90
the state tournament last week,
the school's athletic director,
00:22:17.90\00:22:21.00
Calvin Morton, told CNN.
00:22:21.00\00:22:23.04
But the regional semifinal game
was set for Saturday at 4:30
p.m. and would interfere
00:22:23.07\00:22:28.64
with Sabbath, which is observed
from sundown Friday to sundown
00:22:28.64\00:22:33.68
on Saturday. Morton said he
e-mailed the Alabama High School
Athletic Association to ask if
00:22:33.68\00:22:38.32
they could play at 7:30 instead,
after sunset, to meet their
00:22:38.32\00:22:41.99
religious beliefs. The request
was denied. 'We weren't asking
for a change of stadium or venue
00:22:41.99\00:22:47.96
or a change of a different
day. It was a simple two or
00:22:47.96\00:22:50.90
three-hour game.'" And by the
way, other teams participating
stepped forward and said, "Yeah,
00:22:50.90\00:22:53.97
we'll switch with them.
We'll switch with them." Request
00:22:53.97\00:22:58.11
denied again. "Morton said they
had a team meeting and everyone
was on the same page --
00:22:58.11\00:23:01.18
They would forfeit. Now Governor
Kay Ivey is stepping in."
00:23:01.18\00:23:08.75
And she took to Twitter, posted
letters she's written to the
athletic director of the state
00:23:08.75\00:23:15.19
and the principal of the school.
First to the athletic director,
these are her words -- "'I am
00:23:15.19\00:23:20.76
writing to express my profound
concern and to get some answers
about the alleged treatment of
00:23:20.76\00:23:26.40
Oakwood Adventist Academy. How
can we as a state ensure that
something like this never
00:23:26.40\00:23:31.77
occurs again?'" You go,
Governor. And then she wrote a
00:23:31.77\00:23:36.24
letter to the principal,
Principal Judy Chiles-Dent. She
00:23:36.24\00:23:40.72
offers solidarity. I quote, "The
idea that a team like Oakwood
could be denied a chance to
00:23:40.72\00:23:46.59
compete based on its faith
without even the most modest of
accommodations is deeply
00:23:46.59\00:23:52.23
concerning,'" the letter reads.
"So I'm going to make it up to
00:23:52.23\00:23:54.60
you." She said, "Bring that
whole team and the coaches, and
you come too, Madam Principal.
00:23:54.60\00:23:58.43
You come and spend the day with
me at the Capitol. Don't worry
00:23:58.43\00:24:02.37
about that tournament. We'll
have a good time together."
00:24:02.37\00:24:05.01
And then at the end the release
reads, "The team's senior
captain, Raynon Andrews, told a
00:24:05.01\00:24:10.58
reporter they have no regrets
about their decision. There is a
00:24:10.58\00:24:15.48
whole Facebook community, there
are people all around the world
texting parents saying how proud
00:24:15.48\00:24:21.49
they are of us. That means
a lot." So what do you say to
00:24:21.49\00:24:25.16
that? >> Yeah! >> Absolutely.
Put your hands together if you
really are proud of these kids.
00:24:25.16\00:24:29.06
I mean, please.
[ Applause ] Wow.
00:24:29.06\00:24:31.67
This is a friendly audience. If
you can get an applause for
standing up for the Sabbath, it
00:24:31.67\00:24:36.20
would be this audience. So, good
for you. Why did those young men
00:24:36.20\00:24:40.14
take the stand they did. Because
they have made a commitment to
00:24:40.14\00:24:44.75
their Creator and Savior, that's
why. And if it means losing the
tournament, they're going to
00:24:44.75\00:24:50.55
make sure they don't lose their
connect with the God of gods and
the Savior of the world.
00:24:50.55\00:24:57.43
>> Amen. >> I am so
proud of them. Aren't you?
00:24:57.43\00:25:00.50
My, oh, my, oh, my. What
lights those young men's fire?
00:25:00.50\00:25:04.60
I'll show it to you. It's right
from the Bible. This is same
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.40
Creator. A friend of his long
ago, as they're friends of the
00:25:08.40\00:25:11.64
Creator. Open your Bible to
Isaiah 58. Take a look at this.
00:25:11.64\00:25:16.95
My, my, my. What a... What a
promise. You finding it in your
00:25:16.95\00:25:22.12
Bible? Good for you. Isaiah 58.
I'm going to read just the last
00:25:22.12\00:25:25.82
two lines of the chapter. Put it
on the screen so you can follow
00:25:25.82\00:25:30.19
along as well. God speaking
through his friend Isaiah. "'If
you keep your feet from
00:25:30.19\00:25:34.13
breaking the Sabbath and from
doing as you please on my holy
day, if you call the Sabbath a
00:25:34.13\00:25:38.87
delight and the Lord's holy day
honorable, and if you honor it
by not going your own way and
00:25:38.87\00:25:43.71
not doing as you please or
speaking idle words'" -- guess
what -- "'then you will find
00:25:43.71\00:25:48.94
your joy in the Lord, and I will
cause you to ride in triumph on
the heights of the land and to
00:25:48.94\00:25:54.68
feast'" -- sounds like a party
to me -- "'and to feast on the
inheritance of your father
00:25:54.68\00:25:59.25
Jacob.'" For what?
"The mouth of the Lord has
00:25:59.25\00:26:03.16
spoken." There it
is, folks. The Sabbath.
00:26:03.16\00:26:07.23
Did you catch that -- "day of
delight"? That's why that entire
00:26:07.23\00:26:12.07
team said, "No, we're not
stepping out of the day of
delight." And by the way, I love
00:26:12.07\00:26:18.34
that word, "delight." Twice in
that passage. In fact, you
remember this verse
00:26:18.34\00:26:23.48
from this from the Psalms? I
know you do. Isaiah -- I mean,
00:26:23.48\00:26:27.18
not Isaiah, Psalm 37. Everybody
knows this line. This is verse
00:26:27.18\00:26:30.12
4. "Take delight" -- so it's the
same word. I just wanted you to
00:26:30.12\00:26:32.95
see that. "Take delight in the
Lord, and He will give you the"
what? "The desires of your
00:26:32.95\00:26:38.76
heart." When I was a boy
starting out in ministry as an
intern in Roseburg, Oregon, I
00:26:38.76\00:26:42.90
was rummaging around an old
cupboard in the church there, as
00:26:42.90\00:26:48.44
an intern. And there I found in
the back of the cupboard a
little wooden plaque, and on the
00:26:48.44\00:26:52.94
plaque were these words. And so
I took that little plaque home
to my very little apartment
00:26:52.94\00:26:57.78
so that little old me could
claim this little promise. "Take
delight in the Lord, and
00:26:57.78\00:27:04.12
he will give you the desires
of your heart." I claim that
00:27:04.12\00:27:08.19
promise every day, and you know
what? I'm here to tell you, it
00:27:08.19\00:27:12.69
brought me Karen. No, I'm
telling you the truth. It
brought me my wife. If you're
00:27:12.69\00:27:17.40
not married, take a picture
quick of this line and just take
it home. [ Laughter ]
00:27:17.40\00:27:20.57
Come on. It worked for me.
It'll work for you. >> Amen.
00:27:20.57\00:27:24.41
>> "Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you the desires
00:27:24.41\00:27:28.48
of your heart." Oh,
my, that word, "delight."
00:27:28.48\00:27:30.38
The day of delight. That's what
it's supposed to be. Why have we
made it so hard and
00:27:34.88\00:27:41.06
bad and kind of ugly? No, this
is a party day. The Sabbath is a
00:27:41.06\00:27:46.86
party day. You saw the -- we're
gonna have good food. We're
gonna feast together.
00:27:46.86\00:27:49.90
But you know why it's a party
day? Because the life of the
00:27:49.90\00:27:53.07
party is there, and the life of
the party is the Almighty God
himself. "I am your forever
00:27:53.07\00:27:58.81
friend." There's no other god
that will do this to you, by the
way. "I will meet with you the
00:27:58.81\00:28:02.84
seventh day of every week. You
and me together, just like that.
00:28:02.84\00:28:06.68
We'll party together." Day
of delight. Oh, I love that.
00:28:06.68\00:28:11.32
And by the way, you can thank
Jesus for teaching what I'm
going to put on the screen right
00:28:11.32\00:28:17.29
now. It doesn't feel like a
Jesus teaching but I'm going to
00:28:17.29\00:28:20.06
show you because it has
everything to do with the
Sabbath. See if you can figure
00:28:20.06\00:28:23.70
it out. This little secret about
throwing a party. We all love to
00:28:23.70\00:28:26.50
throw parties together, but look
at this secret. Don't forget
00:28:26.50\00:28:29.87
this one. I mean, if you're a
party planner, it's not what
you're doing on the day of the
00:28:35.71\00:28:39.11
party. It's what you did the day
before we're only going to be
talking about you if you did the
00:28:39.11\00:28:42.75
day before first, right? And
Jesus says, "Guess what. That's
why I'm big on the day
00:28:42.75\00:28:50.99
before." Here's a story
about Jesus. You remember this?
00:28:50.99\00:28:53.76
This is Gospel of Luke. This is
like on Wednesday, he'll be
crucified on Friday, and it's
00:28:53.76\00:28:57.37
over. Alright? So,
this is Passion Week.
00:28:57.37\00:28:59.27
Luke 22:8. "Jesus sent Peter
and John, saying, saying, 'Hey,
00:28:59.27\00:29:04.17
fellas, I need you to go and
make preparations for us to eat
00:29:04.17\00:29:08.14
the Passover.' And so, 'Where do
you want us to prepare for it?'
they asked. Jesus answers, 'As
00:29:08.14\00:29:13.78
you enter the city, a man
carrying a jar of water will
meet you. Follow him to the
00:29:13.78\00:29:19.25
house that he enters, and you
say to the owner that house,
"The Teacher asks: Where is the
00:29:19.25\00:29:24.99
guest room, where I may eat the
Passover with my disciples?" He
will show you a large room
00:29:24.99\00:29:29.73
upstairs, all furnished. Make
preparations there.' So guess
00:29:29.73\00:29:35.14
what. They left and found things
just as Jesus had told them. So
they prepared for the
00:29:35.14\00:29:41.04
Passover." What's the word
that you see appearing again and
00:29:41.04\00:29:44.85
again in that little passage?
What's the word? Come on, you
00:29:44.85\00:29:47.92
saw it. It's the word "prepare,"
"preparation." Jesus has always
00:29:47.92\00:29:53.66
been big on preparation. In
fact, he's the one that invented
the preparation for the
00:29:53.66\00:29:59.36
Sabbath. No, you watch.
Go make preparation for us,
00:29:59.36\00:30:06.50
when it comes to the Sabbath. I
mean, who doesn't love the story
of of the incarnated
00:30:06.50\00:30:10.07
Christ coming down? "I'm not
going to creation now. I'm going
00:30:10.07\00:30:13.78
to the children of Israel." He
comes down and he offers them
room service just outside
00:30:13.78\00:30:18.08
their doors every single day
of the week almost. I mean, come
00:30:18.08\00:30:21.95
on. You remember the story about
the manna? Everybody knows the
00:30:21.95\00:30:24.55
story about the manna.
What was it called? Angel food?
00:30:24.55\00:30:27.16
I love this, by the way,
description of the taste. This
00:30:27.16\00:30:31.96
is Exodus 16:31. I bet you
didn't have a breakfast that
good today. No, come on.
00:30:39.30\00:30:42.80
Like wafers made with
honey? My, oh, my. Sign me up.
00:30:42.80\00:30:51.75
He said, "I am." He says to
them, "Look it. Here's what's
00:30:51.75\00:30:56.65
going to happen. Six days of the
week, these lovely, sweet
waferlike flakes are going to
00:30:56.65\00:31:00.82
blanket the ground. But I want
you to listen to these
instructions, please. First
00:31:00.82\00:31:05.89
thing every morning, everybody
gets out of the tent. Come on,
00:31:05.89\00:31:10.13
up early. Up, up." And everybody
goes out to collect manna. That
would be your food for the
00:31:10.13\00:31:13.20
day. Don't collect extra mannas
thinking that you're going to
00:31:13.20\00:31:15.57
sleep in the next day. No, you
can't do that because it will
rot, it will spoil,
00:31:15.57\00:31:20.04
if you keep it. This is designed
so that you have to get it every
00:31:20.04\00:31:26.88
single day. "But then on the
sixth day, I need you to do this
00:31:26.88\00:31:30.55
-- collect double. Collect
double the amount because on the
seventh day there will be no
00:31:30.55\00:31:35.39
manna. Trust me. There will be
no manna." Double the food that
00:31:35.39\00:31:41.26
spoils if you take a flake more?
Yep, double on the sixth day.
00:31:41.26\00:31:47.54
My, oh, my. So, what happens?
Watch this. "Nevertheless, some
00:31:47.54\00:31:51.07
of the people" -- didn't take --
didn't prepare didn't prepare.
They went out on the seventh
00:31:51.07\00:31:55.58
day. How much did
they get? Nada. Nothing.
00:31:55.58\00:31:59.68
"Then the Lord said to Moses,
'Yo, Moses, how long will you
refuse to keep my commandments
00:31:59.68\00:32:05.59
and my instructions? Bear in
mind,' the Lord goes on, 'that
the Lord has given you the
00:32:05.59\00:32:10.43
Sabbath. That's why on the sixth
day he gives you bread for two
00:32:10.43\00:32:14.73
days. Everyone is to stay where
they are on the seventh day. No
one's to go out,' to have to
00:32:14.73\00:32:19.10
work. So the people
rested on the seventh day."
00:32:19.10\00:32:24.51
Jesus has always been big, the
Creator incarnate, He has always
been big on the day before the
00:32:24.51\00:32:30.91
Sabbath. You have preparation
day, then you have Sabbath day.
00:32:30.91\00:32:33.58
You have preparation day, then
you have Sabbath day. He
invented both of them.
00:32:33.58\00:32:38.59
My! And he performs two miracles
to prove -- that has God's
00:32:38.59\00:32:43.53
fingerprints all over the
seventh-day Sabbath. Look at
these two miracles,
00:32:43.53\00:32:46.63
in case you just
missed it. Two miracles.
00:32:46.63\00:32:49.50
We're not dealing now with some
kind of cyclical pattern of
nature, every day this manna
00:32:52.93\00:32:57.04
shows up. No, it suddenly,
mysteriously stops, and there's
00:32:57.04\00:33:01.41
nothing on the Sabbath. You
can't pull that off in nature.
00:33:01.41\00:33:04.61
Somebody has His fingerprints
on this. And here's the second
00:33:04.61\00:33:08.75
miracle. Now, come on. Who we
dealing with here? The Creator
00:33:15.69\00:33:21.00
of the universe. If He wants to
provide food this way, be our
guest. And He was our guest
00:33:21.00\00:33:27.24
long, long ago. Oh, what's that
line? "If you call the Sabbath a
00:33:27.24\00:33:32.24
delight... then you shall
delight yourself in the Lord."
00:33:32.24\00:33:39.25
I love that. It's the day of
delight. From the Garden of Eden
00:33:39.25\00:33:45.22
onward, the Creator has always
intended the seventh day to be a
00:33:45.22\00:33:47.82
day of delight. And what makes
it a day of delight is because
of the sixth day, which is the
00:33:47.82\00:33:52.06
day of preparation. In fact,
you know what? When the Creator
00:33:52.06\00:33:55.56
comes to flesh and to earth,
guess what. There are only two
days of the week that are
00:33:55.56\00:33:59.80
actually named in the faith
community. You guessed it. Watch
00:33:59.80\00:34:02.67
this. This is Passion Week now.
This is Good Friday. Okay, so,
this is Jesus' dying
00:34:02.67\00:34:06.81
day. Hoo! Look at this.
This is from Passion Week.
00:34:06.81\00:34:10.15
Good Friday. "It was Preparation
Day" -- and I put in "Good
00:34:10.15\00:34:12.85
Friday." They didn't call it
Friday back then. It was called
00:34:12.85\00:34:15.52
Preparation Day. Sixth day of
the week. "It was Preparation
Day [Good Friday], and the
00:34:15.52\00:34:19.35
Sabbath was about to begin."
Those are the only two names in
a week when Jesus was here.
00:34:19.35\00:34:27.50
Preparation day, Sabbath day.
All four gospels identify these
00:34:27.50\00:34:34.04
two days by name. Preparation
day, Sabbath day. Oh, there's
first day. That's what you call
00:34:34.04\00:34:38.04
it. There's second day, third
day, fourth day, fifth day. But
when you get to the sixth
00:34:38.04\00:34:42.21
day, it's preparation day, and
when you get to the seventh day.
00:34:42.21\00:34:46.95
it's Sabbath day. It was
designed by the Creator. Why
does He design that? Watch this.
00:34:46.95\00:34:52.99
"The secret" -- you remember
this -- "The secret to a great
party is not the day of the
00:34:52.99\00:34:58.49
party -- but the" -- do it
out loud with me -- "but the day
00:34:58.49\00:35:03.57
before the party." That's the
deal. And he's big on it. God's
party, day of delight,
00:35:03.57\00:35:09.80
His Sabbath. In the beginning,
Preparation day, Sabbath day.
00:35:09.80\00:35:14.41
But, oh, boy -- Houston, we have
a problem. What's the problem?
00:35:14.41\00:35:22.65
If I might be utterly candid
with you, the forgotten day
among Sabbath keepers,
00:35:22.65\00:35:32.19
the forgotten day, is the
preparation day. Oh, we got the
00:35:32.19\00:35:39.37
seventh day, but we have
entirely forgotten the sixth
day, called preparation day.
00:35:39.37\00:35:45.74
Hmm. And because
of that, we think --
00:35:45.77\00:35:51.35
now, here's the problem. We
think that in order to avoid
00:35:51.35\00:35:54.28
work on the Sabbath, we must go
out and eat on the Sabbath and
00:35:54.28\00:35:58.32
have dinner on the
town. That's our conclusion.
00:35:58.32\00:36:00.72
That's what we got to
do. "I'm saving work."
00:36:00.72\00:36:02.96
We have forgotten a line
that we never noticed before.
00:36:02.96\00:36:05.53
How can you forget it
if you've never noticed it?
00:36:05.53\00:36:07.23
Well, you'll notice it now.
00:36:07.23\00:36:09.23
It's in the Fourth Commandment,
written with the finger of our
00:36:09.26\00:36:13.00
beloved Creator. "Remember the
Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
00:36:13.00\00:36:16.34
We know that line. "Six days you
shall labor and do all your
work..." We know that line too.
00:36:16.34\00:36:20.14
"...but the seventh day is a
sabbath to the Lord your God. On
it you shall not do any
00:36:20.14\00:36:24.15
work..." We know that
line as well. But keep reading.
00:36:24.15\00:36:27.68
"...neither you, nor your son or
daughter, nor" --I put the
italics in here -- "nor your
00:36:27.68\00:36:33.46
male or female servant, nor your
animals, nor any foreigner
residing in your towns."
00:36:33.46\00:36:38.96
What's going on here? I left the
last verse of the commandment
00:36:38.96\00:36:41.66
out. What's going on here?
What's going on is that we think
it's okay for us to not
00:36:41.66\00:36:49.10
work on the Sabbath by having
our manservant and our
maidservant work for us instead.
00:36:49.10\00:36:54.28
On the Sabbath.
That's what we've concluded.
00:36:54.31\00:36:59.08
We've missed the
italicized words.
00:36:59.08\00:37:02.05
"Nor your male
or female servant."
00:37:02.05\00:37:03.72
Where you going
with this, Dwight?
00:37:03.72\00:37:05.39
I'll tell you where
we're going with this.
00:37:05.39\00:37:07.19
So, we go out and we pay
these servants of commerce.
00:37:07.19\00:37:11.36
Servants of commerce. We're
talking about the cooks, the
waiters, the busboys, the
00:37:11.39\00:37:16.03
concierge. We pay them
handsomely. Whether any cash
00:37:16.03\00:37:20.64
passes directly from our hands
to theirs or not is not the
issue. We just pay them well.
00:37:20.64\00:37:24.24
"Well, listen, Dwight, I'm
actually using a credit card."
00:37:24.24\00:37:27.18
"Oh, really?" "Yeah, I'm putting
it on the bill." "Oh, really?"
00:37:27.18\00:37:29.24
Picky, picky, picky. Be
honest. Be honest right now with
00:37:29.24\00:37:36.79
yourself if with no one else. We
are paying for others to do the
work we don't want to do on
00:37:36.79\00:37:45.23
the Sabbath because it's too
much of a bother. That's why.
00:37:45.23\00:37:50.47
Now, give me the logic of that.
James Richard Wibberding, in his
00:37:50.47\00:38:01.51
book "Sabbath Reflections: A
Weekly Devotional" makes a
profound point I had never
00:38:01.51\00:38:07.12
thought of before. Maybe you
haven't either. Let's check it
00:38:07.12\00:38:12.02
out. Here we go. "What do you
think?" So it's a rhetorical
question. "What do you think?"
00:38:12.02\00:38:15.82
he asks the reader. "Can
making commercial transactions
00:38:15.82\00:38:18.23
[on the Sabbath]" -- because
it's talking about in the day of
00:38:18.23\00:38:21.10
Nehemiah. He's just been dealing
with it. Nehemiah, they were
actually buying and selling on
00:38:21.10\00:38:24.53
the Sabbath. They just
totally lost it all. "Can making
00:38:24.53\00:38:29.40
commercial transactions [on the
Sabbath] harmonize with the idea
of undistracted time with God?"
00:38:29.40\00:38:34.81
Can it? "I didn't think
so." Of course, we agree.
00:38:34.81\00:38:39.41
"It's tempting to look at such
restrictions as restrictions on
00:38:39.41\00:38:43.75
your freedom." Keep reading.
"But, it is more accurate to
view them as restrictions on
00:38:43.75\00:38:47.79
what keeps you from God,
granting you freedom to know
00:38:47.79\00:38:51.26
Him." Keep reading now. And
these italics are mine 'cause
here's the sentence that
00:38:51.26\00:38:55.03
I had never thought of. "The
purpose of commerce" -- and what
00:38:55.03\00:38:59.30
is commerce? It's buying
and selling. When I buy, I'm
00:38:59.30\00:39:03.17
bringing it to me. When I sell,
I sell my time, and then I get
paid for the time I sell.
00:39:03.17\00:39:05.87
"The purpose of commerce [buying
or selling] is
self-preservation."
00:39:05.87\00:39:10.65
Isn't that why we buy? Yeah. I
want to live. We buy, buy, buy,
00:39:10.65\00:39:14.62
buy. "Sabbath reminds you
that God preserves you. Sabbath
00:39:14.62\00:39:23.29
teaches trust." Now, I want you
to brood on that for a moment.
Just look at that italicized
00:39:23.29\00:39:27.86
line. Oh, that's
something. What is that again?
00:39:27.86\00:39:34.04
"The purpose of
commerce [buying or selling] is
00:39:34.04\00:39:37.91
self-preservation. Sabbath
reminds you and me that God
preserves us. Sabbath teaches
00:39:37.91\00:39:45.08
trust." That is the most
succinct but comprehensive case
against buying and selling,
00:39:45.08\00:39:50.09
against purchasing and working
on the Sabbath, I have ever
read. In that one sentence.
00:39:50.09\00:39:58.19
You say, "Yeah, but,
Dwight, I got to eat. Don't you
00:39:58.19\00:40:00.80
understand? I got to eat." Of
course, you have to eat. But you
don't have to go out to
00:40:00.80\00:40:04.60
eat on the Sabbath. That's
what the preparation day is for.
00:40:04.60\00:40:10.61
"Yeah, but I forgot to prepare."
Well, don't tell me about that.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:40:10.61\00:40:18.65
You're traveling or whatever. Or
you're here at home. Would it be
00:40:18.65\00:40:24.92
so bad to miss a meal on the
Sabbath? I mean, I'm looking at
you. I'm thinking we could
00:40:24.92\00:40:30.96
probably get by without a meal
even if we forgot to prepare,
right? "Yeah, but, Dwight, it's
00:40:30.96\00:40:37.60
not just about preparing. I
mean, I have to work. I have to
earn a living, and it
00:40:37.60\00:40:42.60
includes working
on the Sabbath." Okay.
00:40:42.60\00:40:45.14
At least you're honest. I want
to ask you a question. Can He
not -- speaking of God --
00:40:45.14\00:40:49.54
can He not find a job where you
don't have to work on the
Sabbath in order to honor Him?
00:40:49.54\00:40:53.68
Or are his arms so short He
doesn't know what to do? This is
too big a problem for
00:40:53.68\00:40:58.19
Him? Come on. Do you trust Him?
00:40:58.19\00:41:01.29
"Dwight, do you trust
me?" Good question, Lord. Wow.
00:41:01.29\00:41:10.00
"Yo, Dwight, do you eat
out on the Sabbath?" I don't.
00:41:10.00\00:41:17.51
But in the past, there were
times I did. And now that I've
00:41:17.51\00:41:25.65
been exposed to this italicized
line on the screen in front of
you, I realize now that if I
00:41:25.65\00:41:35.86
must explain myself when someone
says, "Hey, come join us. We're
going to go out and eat,"
00:41:35.86\00:41:39.59
on the Sabbath, I have a simple
reason to express my conviction.
And it will not be a judgment on
00:41:39.59\00:41:48.20
them. Who am I to judge?
It's a decision on my part.
00:41:48.20\00:41:54.54
Like the basketball team, okay?
A bunch of teenagers. It's a
decision like that.
00:41:54.54\00:42:00.98
I make the decision. As
those young men did. And I say I
00:42:00.98\00:42:07.99
can't. Doesn't make me a hero.
Don't pin a little badge on me
that I wear to church the next
00:42:07.99\00:42:12.23
day. It has nothing to do with
that. It's my friendship with
00:42:12.23\00:42:17.20
God. That takes priority on His
day. >> Amen. >> He gave me six
00:42:17.20\00:42:22.34
others, and He also gave me the
day before. "Yo, Dwight, what
00:42:22.34\00:42:25.67
were you thinking? You
wasted all of Friday." Huh. Wow.
00:42:25.67\00:42:32.25
Walter Brueggemann, in his book
"Sabbath as Resistance: Saying
No to the Culture of
00:42:32.25\00:42:39.59
Now," oh, boy, is he right.
00:42:39.59\00:42:41.52
Gimme, gimme, buy,
buy! Click, click! Amazon!
00:42:46.83\00:42:50.00
Click, click, click, click!
More, please! Amazon Prime!
00:42:50.00\00:42:53.74
Click, click, click,
click, click! He's right.
00:42:53.74\00:42:59.11
That's what our society has to
offer us in the end. The truth
00:43:20.86\00:43:29.50
be told -- It is conformity to
culture and the crowd that leads
us not to remember the Sabbath
00:43:29.50\00:43:39.55
day, to keep it holy. That's it.
Not some evil, sinister force.
00:43:39.55\00:43:44.72
No. It's the force of culture.
It's the force of the crowd.
00:43:44.72\00:43:48.89
"Come on, go with me. We're
gonna do this now." I think of
those teenage jocks.
00:43:48.89\00:43:58.83
Wow. Don't you suppose that team
felt the pressure of and the
00:43:58.83\00:44:04.77
pull of culture and the crowd as
they took their stand? I mean,
00:44:04.77\00:44:08.88
semifinals. You going to go for
the finals. You're that good.
No, never mind sports.
00:44:08.88\00:44:16.69
The very purpose of the
preparation day, Friday, is to
make nonessential commerce --
00:44:16.69\00:44:22.52
that's buying and selling
-- on the Sabbath day, make it
00:44:22.52\00:44:27.83
nonessential. You don't have to
have it. There's a day before.
Do all the buying and selling
00:44:27.83\00:44:33.10
you want the day before. That's
why God instructs us to take
00:44:33.10\00:44:37.91
advantage of the preparation
day, so we don't have to go out
on the Sabbath to fill up our
00:44:37.91\00:44:43.08
stomachs or to fill up our cars
or to fill up our shopping bags
or to fill up our hunger for
00:44:43.08\00:44:51.15
entertainment, our thirst for
sports -- to just fill it up
like we do the other six days of
00:44:51.15\00:44:57.76
the week. He said, "No, no, no
no, no, no no. Big T --
basketball time -- big
00:44:57.76\00:45:03.06
T. Time-out. You and me."
00:45:03.06\00:45:09.00
That's all. Can't He
ask for a time-out? You do.
00:45:09.00\00:45:15.44
They do. Oh, day
of delight. Read it.
00:45:15.44\00:45:20.48
"'If you keep your feet from
breaking the Sabbath and from
doing as you please on my holy
00:45:20.48\00:45:24.25
day, if you call the Sabbath a
delight and the Lord's holy day
honorable'" -- and by the way,
00:45:24.25\00:45:28.19
somebody had been listening to
those two words, they say,
"Well, you're right about the
00:45:28.19\00:45:31.89
preparation day. That's
the sixth day. And you're right
00:45:31.89\00:45:34.73
about the seventh day. But,
Dwight, you forgot the Lord's
00:45:34.73\00:45:37.67
day," mentioned in Revelation,
only once in the Bible.
00:45:37.67\00:45:40.07
Revelation 1:10. You say,
"That's Sunday." No, it's not
Sunday. He just tells us right
00:45:40.07\00:45:43.81
here. He just says the Sabbath
is the Lord's holy day. There is
only one Lord's Day.
00:45:43.81\00:45:48.91
You can call it whatever you
want, the next day. It doesn't
00:45:48.91\00:45:52.55
make it the Lord's day. He has
one day, and it's the seventh
00:45:52.55\00:45:54.42
day. And there's a day before
it. It's the preparation day.
00:45:54.42\00:46:00.86
Day of delight. Keep reading.
"'...and if you honor that day
and God by not going your own
00:46:00.86\00:46:04.79
way and not doing as you please
or speaking idle words then" --
quid pro quo -- "then you will
00:46:04.79\00:46:09.73
find your joy in the Lord, and I
will cause you to ride in
triumph on the heights of the
00:46:09.73\00:46:14.40
land and to feast on the
inheritance of your father
00:46:14.40\00:46:17.74
Jacob.' For the mouth of
the Lord has spoken." Day of
00:46:17.74\00:46:21.91
delight. Does it really work?
Listen, let me let our friend
Jane Thayer kind of slip into
00:46:21.91\00:46:28.65
our conversation right now. She
sent me this a bunch of weeks
ago, but I want you to
00:46:28.65\00:46:34.12
hear it. So, this is one
-- grown up in our midst.
00:46:34.12\00:46:37.13
She's been a part of this
university community, she and
00:46:37.13\00:46:40.66
Jerry. Anyway, she says in this
letter to me -- and I asked her
permission to share it.
00:46:40.66\00:46:45.17
She says in this letter -- you
know, I went to this thing that
the women's ministry put on.
00:46:45.17\00:46:49.57
Yolande Robertson and Jo Ann
Davidson, they had this
beautiful weekend on how to
00:46:49.57\00:46:54.28
celebrate the Sabbath. We're
having worship over here, and
they packed out that
00:46:54.28\00:46:57.71
Seminary Chapel. Good for them.
So, she's there, and she said,
00:46:57.71\00:47:00.82
"I was really fascinated with
this idea, inspired about doing
something special to begin
00:47:00.82\00:47:04.95
the Sabbath. So, I knew that my
son Scott was coming and he was
00:47:04.95\00:47:10.13
bringing -- and his wife and his
two kids and they're coming to
spend the weekend with us, and I
00:47:10.13\00:47:14.86
decided, 'I'm going to do
something.'" So, on Friday, she
ordered -- well, she a little
00:47:14.86\00:47:19.93
earlier in the week she ordered
a simple but beautiful soup
tureen, glass votive candle
00:47:19.93\00:47:25.27
holders, and LED tea lights.
Then, Friday morning, she takes
her two 11-year-old
00:47:25.27\00:47:28.54
grandchildren with her to Bit of
Swiss. You ever been to Bit of
00:47:28.54\00:47:31.98
Swiss, Stevensville? Oh, boy.
Very good. But anyway she goes
00:47:31.98\00:47:35.98
there and buys -- she says, "We
bought a few goodies, and then
we bought the challah bread."
00:47:35.98\00:47:40.02
You know the twisted bread, the
twisted bread? They bought that.
00:47:40.02\00:47:44.23
Then she told her son what she
she was going to do. She said,
00:47:44.23\00:47:48.03
"I'm gonna have a prayer
blessing when we have this
little candlelight welcome to
00:47:48.03\00:47:52.17
the Sabbath. Would you mind? You
pray over your children. I'm
going to pray over you and
00:47:52.17\00:47:58.14
Erica." Okay. Scott
told her, he said, "I've
00:47:58.14\00:48:04.15
been wondering if there's
something special I could do" --
this is a young adult, now --
00:48:04.15\00:48:07.52
"if I could do on the Sabbath
to make it special as it begins.
00:48:07.52\00:48:10.02
Let's do it." "When the kids
came up with their hands wash
00:48:10.02\00:48:12.99
for supper, they walked into the
dining room and were surprised.
At this point, we all lit our
00:48:12.99\00:48:16.32
candles which were placed at
each setting. I explained to the
00:48:16.32\00:48:19.26
children about the prayers of
blessings. Scott prayed over his
kids. I blessed Erica and Scott.
00:48:19.26\00:48:22.86
I had made notes of what to
say because I knew I would get a
00:48:22.86\00:48:26.07
little emotional." I'm sure,
Mom. "I cannot tell you" -- now,
these are her words -- "I cannot
00:48:26.07\00:48:32.24
tell you how special, holy --
yes, holy" -- H-O-L-Y -- "I
cannot tell you how holy that
00:48:32.24\00:48:38.81
time around the table was. The
kids loved pulling that challah
00:48:38.81\00:48:45.39
bread apart. And the interesting
thing was the specialness of
Sabbath continued through the
00:48:45.39\00:48:51.43
evening." That's it! When you
prepare for it, the whole day is
00:48:51.43\00:48:56.23
different. Why? Because this is
party time. It's the day before
00:48:56.23\00:49:00.34
the party that counts. That's
what's going on. "Yeah, Dwight,
00:49:00.34\00:49:04.14
what's your point to me?" My
point to you is simple. You can
00:49:04.14\00:49:06.98
do it too. Don't give me this
business about, "Well, I don't
00:49:06.98\00:49:09.74
have the book." You don't need
instructions. You don't even
need candles and the challah
00:49:09.74\00:49:13.72
bread. But you need to prepare
in advance. And it's going to be
00:49:13.72\00:49:17.52
a day with you and your forever
friend. So, what are you going
to do? Well, I would suggest you
00:49:17.52\00:49:21.46
get music that you and Jesus
enjoy. So, you play that music
as the Sabbath's beginning.
00:49:21.46\00:49:25.06
You might want to read a few
Bible passages. You may buy some
00:49:25.06\00:49:28.23
kind of inspirational book where
you'll read a chapter a week and
just kind of work your way
00:49:28.23\00:49:32.90
through the book. Do whatever
your heart tells you will honor
you and the Creator
00:49:32.90\00:49:39.84
together. And you love it.
And by the way, if you try it,
00:49:39.84\00:49:46.72
send me a note, will you? Tell
me what you did. Just send me a
00:49:46.72\00:49:51.52
note, and I'll celebrate with
you. I'm proud of you. The
Sabbath is a day of a
00:49:51.52\00:49:55.69
delight. That's God's point.
How we prepare for it makes all
00:49:55.69\00:49:58.83
the difference in the world. One
more time. Remember, what's the
00:49:58.83\00:50:03.00
great law? That's what
makes the party so great. Yeah.
00:50:08.07\00:50:12.31
In closing, from my favorite
book, "Desire of Ages," this
00:50:12.31\00:50:18.51
sentence. Isn't that beautiful?
What was it we've been reading?
00:50:28.46\00:50:32.03
They have said that of Israel
this sentence was spoken. I'm
going to put the sentence in
00:50:38.73\00:50:43.27
of you in just a second. They
have said of Israel this
sentence has been spoken.
00:50:43.27\00:50:48.21
But as I look at that sentence,
I think that sentence might be
00:50:48.24\00:50:52.25
true about you and me and
our faith community called the
00:50:52.25\00:50:56.42
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church. Here's the sentence.
00:50:56.42\00:51:00.62
Wow. That's pretty good.
00:51:11.83\00:51:18.51
Ladies and gentlemen, brothers
and sisters, there is a major
00:51:18.51\00:51:25.38
crisis coming, and it will
have everything to do about the
00:51:25.38\00:51:32.85
Sabbath.
00:51:32.85\00:51:36.12
If we fudge, if we fail to keep
it holy now when we have it so
easy, we will never keep it in
00:51:36.16\00:51:50.17
the heart of that crisis.
The quizzes are now. The test is
00:51:50.17\00:51:59.41
coming. Don't miss next week. We
end the series. Don't miss next
00:51:59.41\00:52:06.62
week. Let's pray. O God, for the
day of delight Your Sabbath, we
00:52:06.62\00:52:17.57
thank You. And for the day
before the day of delight, we
humbly ask You to help us
00:52:17.57\00:52:27.14
remember it too so that we too
can remember to keep the Sabbath
holy with joy with Jesus.
00:52:27.14\00:52:36.48
Amen. >> Amen. >>
When I was growing up as a
00:52:36.48\00:52:40.69
kid, we sang a song. My mother
did. She'd lead out in it.
00:52:40.69\00:52:44.09
Oh, you're gonna hear it now.
It's gonna bring tears to my
00:52:44.09\00:52:50.33
eyes. It's an old song about the
Sabbath. I want you to sing the
00:52:50.33\00:52:56.71
song, read the words on the
screen. Singers, come on out.
00:52:56.71\00:53:00.28
I'm gonna put
this number up there.
00:53:00.31\00:53:02.64
"Banner6" -- If you'll text it
to that phone number that's now
00:53:02.64\00:53:06.45
our go-to
number -- 269-281-2345.
00:53:06.45\00:53:12.55
I got something in that next
step that I'd like to send you,
00:53:12.55\00:53:15.89
but you need to click it.
You need to say, "I want you to
00:53:15.89\00:53:18.49
send that, Dwight." If
you click it, I'll send it
00:53:18.49\00:53:20.93
to you. Now, come on.
00:53:20.93\00:53:22.60
Pretend like you're having
Friday evening worship in our
00:53:22.60\00:53:25.23
little house in Japan.
I'm glad you're here for
00:53:25.23\00:53:28.70
worship right now. [
"Holy Sabbath Day of Rest"
00:53:28.70\00:53:31.71
begins ]
00:53:31.71\00:53:33.64
Holy Sabbath, rest by our God
divinely blessed. I pray that
00:56:09.90\00:56:17.24
you have been divinely blessed
today by our worship and that it
00:56:17.24\00:56:22.54
will buoy your spirits up as you
go throughout the rest of the
week. Now for the benediction.
00:56:22.54\00:56:29.85
Arise, shine for your light
is come the glory of the Lord,
00:56:29.85\00:56:37.53
shines upon you, your
Lord is your everlasting light,
00:56:37.53\00:56:43.97
your God is your glory.
Amen. Have a good week and have
00:56:43.97\00:56:51.74
a blessed rest of the Sabbath.
00:56:51.74\00:56:54.14
>> One of the hot debates
on this planet today is this
00:57:00.05\00:57:02.95
collective conversation
about creation versus evolution.
00:57:02.95\00:57:05.95
While there are there a
thousand voices offering their
00:57:05.95\00:57:08.72
perspectives, the truth is that
in God's Word there are some
00:57:08.72\00:57:11.59
pretty definitive statements.
In fact, I examine those
00:57:11.59\00:57:14.23
statements and the evidence
for creation in a little book I
00:57:14.23\00:57:17.30
wrote, "Creation and Evolution,"
subtitle, " A Thoughtful Look at
00:57:17.30\00:57:20.64
the Evidence That a Master
Designer Created Our Planet."
00:57:20.64\00:57:23.51
I'd love for you to join the
conversation and check out the
00:57:23.51\00:57:26.57
evidence for yourself.
If fact, if you'll call our
00:57:26.57\00:57:29.61
toll-free number, 877-HIS-WILL,
the two words "HIS WILL,"
00:57:29.61\00:57:33.28
I'll make sure one of these
books, at no charge to you, is
00:57:33.28\00:57:35.95
in the mail. The number again --
00:57:35.95\00:57:37.82
877-HIS-WILL.
Let the operator know
00:57:37.82\00:57:40.79
you want the book
"Creation and Evolution," and
00:57:40.79\00:57:44.06
we'll get it in the mail
to you as soon as possible.
00:57:44.06\00:57:46.09
Until we're together again right
here on "New Perceptions" next
00:57:46.09\00:57:49.90
week, may the grace, the peace,
and the hope of the Creator
00:57:49.90\00:57:55.30
abide with you.
00:57:55.30\00:57:56.91
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:58.41\00:58:18.16
¤¤
00:58:18.16\00:58:27.87