¤¤
00:00:01.63\00:00:08.54
¤¤
00:00:11.97\00:00:21.28
>> Oh, boys and girls, what
a beautiful sight for us to see
00:06:35.62\00:06:38.79
you, making your
way to the front.
00:06:38.79\00:06:42.70
This is your time in the worship
service where you get to be
00:06:42.73\00:06:48.40
front and center. And that's
because we love kids here at
00:06:48.40\00:06:51.81
intergenerational Pioneer. We're
an church. Not just one age
group, no. We got 'em all here.
00:06:51.81\00:06:57.21
Nice to have all of you. Oh,
you're having to wait in line
00:06:57.21\00:07:01.12
today. Well, that's good. That's
good. Now that we're sitting on
00:07:01.12\00:07:04.19
the stairs -- okay, everybody
knows that little rule. We're
sitting on the stairs,
00:07:04.19\00:07:07.26
looking this way.
That's good. That's good.
00:07:07.26\00:07:11.73
All right. Still nice
and soft stairs, aren't they?
00:07:11.73\00:07:16.56
Yep. Yeah, we got
some -- we got some
00:07:16.60\00:07:19.17
space right here, guys. You
want to come right this way?
00:07:19.17\00:07:21.74
Hey, fellas, come on over here.
Right here. Got some great space
00:07:21.77\00:07:25.57
right here for you right here.
There you go. Perfect. Perfect.
00:07:25.57\00:07:30.11
Oh, just another lady or two or
a gentleman or two. Nice to have
00:07:30.11\00:07:37.99
all of you. Ahh. Well, I've got
a question in my mind as I look
00:07:37.99\00:07:47.23
at your beautiful faces. I
wonder if anybody here has a pet
00:07:47.23\00:07:54.37
in your home. I mean, a
real-life pet. Anybody here have
a pet in your house?
00:07:54.37\00:07:59.37
Come on. There got to
be more pets than that.
00:07:59.37\00:08:02.88
You got pets in your house?
Anybody here have a dog? >> I
00:08:02.88\00:08:08.15
used to have one. >> Used to
have one? Well, you kind of miss
having one, don't you?
00:08:08.15\00:08:12.92
Well, maybe not.
Yes? [ Laughter ]
00:08:12.92\00:08:16.09
Do you have a -- What kind
of pet do you have? >> We have a
00:08:16.09\00:08:19.86
dog. >> You got a dog, too?
And, Ellie, what do you have? >>
00:08:19.86\00:08:23.50
Kitten. >> Kitten. Oh, I
love kittens! Anybody else got a
00:08:23.50\00:08:27.54
unique pet? Yes, sis? >> I
have a bird. >> You have a bird.
00:08:27.54\00:08:30.27
Well, that's a unique pet. What
kind of bird do you have? >> I
have a budgie bird.
00:08:30.27\00:08:33.81
>> A budgie bird? Hoo! Those are
the coolest birds in the world.
00:08:33.81\00:08:37.88
Good for you, girl. Yes, ma'am.
>> I have a kitten and a dog.
00:08:37.88\00:08:42.55
>> A kitten and a dog?
Well, you're kind of like my
00:08:42.55\00:08:46.49
granddaughters. They're the ones
who gave me the story for today.
I'm talking about Ella and Izzy
00:08:46.49\00:08:49.92
and Lily. And they have a dog,
two cats, they had two gerbils,
00:08:49.92\00:08:55.16
and they have two fish. It's
just like, "What is this?" But
pets are wonderful.
00:08:55.16\00:09:00.37
I got a story about a dog.
Is this okay? My granddaughters
00:09:00.37\00:09:04.27
said, "You can tell this one,
Papa." Okay. It's about a dog
00:09:04.27\00:09:08.38
named Bobbie. Anybody here have
a dog named Bobbie? Bobbie's
00:09:08.38\00:09:11.85
name. That's his name. And,
oh -- [ Imitates dog panting ]
00:09:11.85\00:09:15.42
Bobbie just loves living in
the Brazier family. That's their
00:09:15.42\00:09:19.39
last name. [ Imitates dog
panting ] Wherever little Leona
and Nova went, Bobbie was sure
00:09:19.39\00:09:24.19
to go. Hop, hop, bop, bounce,
bounce, bounce. Bobbie just
00:09:24.19\00:09:27.76
loved those little girls 'cause
he was their pet. And mom and
dad walked in, mother and father
00:09:27.76\00:09:34.14
Brazier, in Silverton, Oregon.
Just got the story yesterday.
They walked in and said, "Hey,
00:09:34.14\00:09:40.21
kids. How many want to go on a
long trip for summer vacation?"
00:09:40.21\00:09:46.35
This is in August. For summer
vacation. Oh! The two girls'
00:09:46.35\00:09:50.82
hands shot up, and they turned
to Bobbie, and they said,
"Bobbie, do you want to go on a
00:09:50.82\00:09:54.52
long trip?" [ Imitates dog
panting ] "See, Daddy? Bobbie
00:09:54.52\00:09:57.43
wants to go now. Can we take
Bobbie?" "Well, I wasn't sure
--" "Daddy, please, we got to
00:09:57.43\00:10:01.60
take Bobbie." [ Imitates
dog panting ] And Bobbie's just
00:10:01.60\00:10:03.73
sitting there, wagging his tail,
said, "I want to go." Would you
00:10:03.73\00:10:07.17
talk Bobbie? Of course. So, Papa
finally said, "Okay. We'll do
00:10:07.17\00:10:10.91
it." Bobbie jumped in the car,
Leona, Nova -- Pssh! That's a
00:10:10.91\00:10:15.44
long ways from Silverton,
Oregon. They went all the way to
a place called Indiana.
00:10:15.44\00:10:18.38
Have you ever heard of Indiana?
All the way to Indiana. Yep,
drove all that way, met
00:10:18.38\00:10:23.89
some friends there, and the
girls, Leona and Nova, are
having a wonderful time with
00:10:23.89\00:10:27.99
their friends. Oh, they're
outside playing in the Indiana
00:10:27.99\00:10:31.66
August weather. Indiana's
beautiful in August. Yes, it is.
And guess what -- Bobbie was
00:10:31.66\00:10:37.13
loving it. Oh! But
Bobbie had never been to
00:10:37.13\00:10:39.77
Indiana before. And I'm
imagining that Bobbie saw an
00:10:39.77\00:10:44.84
Indiana rabbit. Have you ever
seen an Indiana rabbit? They
look just like Michigan
00:10:44.84\00:10:48.18
rabbits. [ Laughter ] He
had never seen an Indiana
00:10:48.18\00:10:51.88
rabbit. He said, "I'm
going after him!" Pssh!
00:10:51.88\00:10:54.95
Gone. What? The little girls
were just playing with their
00:10:54.95\00:10:58.39
friends, and all of a sudden,
they turned around, they said,
"Yo, where's Bobbie?"
00:10:58.39\00:11:01.22
They yell, "Bobbie!"
[ Whistling ] "Bobbie!"
00:11:01.22\00:11:07.20
Nothing. No sound, no barking,
no -- [ Imitates dog panting ]
00:11:07.20\00:11:10.87
Nothing. Oh. Well, he
just went -- He'll be back.
00:11:10.87\00:11:16.00
That night, he still hadn't
come back. And now the girls are
00:11:16.00\00:11:21.58
crying. "Oh, we shouldn't have
brought Bobbie on this trip! I'm
so sorry that we did.
00:11:21.58\00:11:28.48
He'll never come home!" And
there was nothing mom and dad
could do to comfort Bobbie.
00:11:28.48\00:11:32.95
Because when your heart's broken
as a little girl, your heart's
00:11:32.95\00:11:36.66
broken. There's nothing you can
do. Bobbie's gone. The family,
00:11:36.66\00:11:41.63
sadly, got into their car, drove
all the way back to Silverton --
00:11:41.63\00:11:46.70
Silverton, Oregon. [ Sighs ]
That was in August. Takes a few
00:11:46.70\00:11:51.04
months to get used to losing a
pet, and some of you have lost
pets, I know. It takes a while,
00:11:51.04\00:11:55.58
but, boy, in the middle of the
winter, they're saying. "Oh, we
00:11:55.58\00:12:00.08
sure miss Bobbie." It was on a
February -- Winter in Oregon,
even, February! And that's --
00:12:00.08\00:12:06.69
shh, shh, shh! There was a
-- shh! Noah, shh! What's that
00:12:06.69\00:12:11.99
sound? Sounds like something
-- And Nova leaned over -- she
00:12:11.99\00:12:16.00
could hear it. [ Sniffing ] Wait
a minute, wait a minute. [
Imitating scratching ]
00:12:16.00\00:12:21.54
Somebody's scratching at
the front door! They ran to the
00:12:21.54\00:12:24.67
front door, threw the front door
open, and who do you suppose it
00:12:24.67\00:12:28.71
was? Bobbie! And the girls
started shrieking and dancing
and laughing, and, "We got
00:12:28.71\00:12:33.11
Bobbie back!" "Oh, Bobbie, you
look bad." [ Laughter ] "Oh,
mangy, dirty, skinny."
00:12:33.11\00:12:42.62
He -- He -- They looked at
his -- "Oh, Bobbie, look at your
00:12:42.62\00:12:47.76
paws! Right down to the bone.
The skin was gone. Bobbie had
00:12:47.76\00:12:55.14
come a long way -- from Indiana.
Oh, the family was so happy. The
neighborhood soon heard --
00:12:55.14\00:12:59.91
everybody heard about Bobbie. It
went in the newspaper there in
00:12:59.91\00:13:03.45
Silverton, Oregon. The newspaper
wrote up the story about Bobbie.
It went, it got syndicated into
00:13:03.45\00:13:06.72
national newspapers. That means
all across America, they're
telling the story of
00:13:06.72\00:13:10.02
Bobbie. It was back in the time
where there needed to be some
00:13:10.02\00:13:12.79
good news. Bobbie
-- They called him
00:13:12.79\00:13:15.26
Bobbie the Wonder Dog! And the
Oregon Humane Society said,
"Wait a minute, wait a
00:13:15.26\00:13:21.13
minute. We don't know that he
came all the way from Indiana.
00:13:21.13\00:13:25.33
But guess what -- they found
out. They did the checking.
00:13:25.33\00:13:28.50
People said, "Oh! Oh! I seen
that dog! Oh, oh! I seen that
00:13:28.50\00:13:33.94
dog!" People said, "Yeah, I know
that dog, that Scottish Collie
mix. Yeah, he was hanging around
00:13:33.94\00:13:38.15
my house." Oh, my.
The Oregon Humane Society
00:13:38.15\00:13:45.75
estimated that Bobbie had
traveled 2,800 miles in the
middle of winter, barefoot,
00:13:45.75\00:13:52.63
'cause that's how dogs travel.
Oh. Oh, boy, everybody wanted
00:13:52.63\00:13:59.07
Bobbie to come to their town.
They gave him the keys to the
city, every city he showed up,
00:13:59.07\00:14:02.27
they said, "Here's Bobbie the
Wonder Dog!" Portland Home Show
00:14:02.27\00:14:05.84
-- they brought him in, 40,000
people came to see Bobbie the
00:14:05.84\00:14:11.08
Wonder Dog. He got his own
diamond-studded or jewel-studded
collar and his own house and --
00:14:11.08\00:14:19.52
oh, Bobbie. You know what? Jesus
loves it when people come home.
00:14:19.52\00:14:24.19
He wanted Bobbie to come home.
So I'm sure Jesus sent an angel,
said, "Hey, listen, you got to
00:14:24.19\00:14:28.40
help this dog 'cause there
are two little girls that really
00:14:28.40\00:14:31.63
need this dog. Jesus loves it
when people come home. He's
hoping that people come
00:14:31.63\00:14:36.87
home today, not to Silverton,
Oregon, but to Berrien Springs,
00:14:36.87\00:14:42.04
Michigan. He says, "You got some
little friends in your
neighborhood, you got some
00:14:42.04\00:14:44.91
little friends that you used to
go to Sabbath School with, and
you haven't seen them in two
00:14:44.91\00:14:49.38
years and one month. He says, "I
want you to bring those little
friends. I want you to go find
00:14:49.38\00:14:52.45
your friends for me. I want you
to find your family and friends
00:14:52.45\00:14:55.39
for me. You bring them to me,"
because Jesus loves when people
00:14:55.39\00:15:00.90
come home. Doggies come home,
people come home. Don't you just
00:15:00.90\00:15:05.83
love Jesus for loving that? How
many love Jesus? One hand, put
00:15:05.83\00:15:09.27
it up. One hand, you really love
Jesus for loving you and loving
00:15:09.27\00:15:13.17
you home. And how many want to
say with the other hand, "I'll
00:15:13.17\00:15:16.54
help Jesus! I'll help him find
those who haven't come home yet,
and I'll invite them to come
00:15:16.54\00:15:21.85
home with me." Aww.
Jesus says, "You go, boy.
00:15:21.85\00:15:26.22
You go, girl." Thank you.
Now, I need one volunteer to
00:15:26.22\00:15:32.46
pray. I need a volunteer to
pray. I'll have a microphone
00:15:32.46\00:15:38.17
here. And I'm gonna invite you
to pray if you'll put your hand
up. Sissy, your hand was first,
00:15:38.17\00:15:42.84
right over there on that back
row, young lady. You want to
00:15:42.84\00:15:46.88
come and pray? You come, girl.
Watch your step as you come down
00:15:46.88\00:15:50.05
now. Come right through here.
There you go. What's your first
00:15:50.05\00:15:53.52
name? >> Olia. >> Olia?
Oh, I love that name, Olia.
00:15:53.52\00:15:56.65
Come on down here. Olia, let's
come right here in the middle.
00:15:56.65\00:15:59.89
Okay, boys and girls, Olia's
gonna pray for us. Close your
00:15:59.89\00:16:04.36
eyes, fold your hands, as Olia
thanks Jesus. >> Thank you,
Lord. Thank you for Jesus, God.
00:16:04.36\00:16:13.57
If everyone keep you safe, and
people to protect to be safe, in
00:16:13.57\00:16:23.61
Jesus' name, amen. >> Amen.
Thank you, Olia. That was a
00:16:23.61\00:16:27.48
beautiful prayer. As you go
quietly and reverently back to
your seats, you can say what
00:16:27.48\00:16:31.55
Olia said in her heart. Thank
you, Jesus! Bring us all home.
00:16:31.55\00:16:37.33
God bless you. A
happy Sabbath to you.
00:16:37.33\00:16:38.39
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00:22:35.35\00:22:50.20
>> I'm gonna share a word with
you that went viral last year.
00:22:54.44\00:22:58.74
The reason it went viral
last year is because the social
00:22:58.74\00:23:02.44
psychologist Adam Grant happened
to include the word in an op-ed
00:23:02.44\00:23:06.68
piece he wrote for
The New York Times.
00:23:06.68\00:23:09.22
Let me put the
word on the screen.
00:23:09.22\00:23:10.65
You've probably heard
it before. "Languishing."
00:23:10.65\00:23:15.96
Languishing -- what's that mean?
We don't know it so much by
00:23:15.96\00:23:18.29
definition. We
know it by experience.
00:23:18.29\00:23:19.86
We're coming out of a
pandemic, so they tell us.
00:23:19.86\00:23:23.26
Languishing. The
piece that Adam Grant wrote
00:23:23.26\00:23:29.14
bore the title, "There's a
Name for the blah that you're
00:23:29.14\00:23:32.74
feeling. It's
called languishing."
00:23:32.74\00:23:37.11
And guess what -- it
became the number-one piece in
00:23:37.11\00:23:40.82
The New York Times, read af--
read time after time after time,
00:23:40.82\00:23:44.65
more than any other article
last year in The New York Times.
00:23:44.65\00:23:47.62
Dwayne Kovrick
introduced me to that factoid.
00:23:47.62\00:23:51.16
Languishing. The whole nation
responds. Churches respond.
00:23:51.19\00:23:55.46
We all know the meaning of
the word. Here's Adam Grant's
00:23:55.46\00:23:58.23
definition -- "Languishing -- a
state of being that neither
falls into the category of
00:23:58.23\00:24:02.64
depression nor flourishing but
is more akin to a constant state
00:24:02.64\00:24:07.78
of 'meh.'" [ Laughter ] "A
feeling of being 'somewhat
joyless and aimless,' 'a sense
00:24:07.78\00:24:11.68
of stagnation and emptiness,'
'feels as if you're muddling
through your days, looking at
00:24:11.68\00:24:16.72
your life through a foggy
windshield, becoming indifferent
to your indifference.'"
00:24:16.72\00:24:21.82
Swallow that line --
indifferent. Have we become
00:24:21.82\00:24:25.46
indifferent to our indifference?
Languishing. Maybe some of you
00:24:25.46\00:24:30.13
are experiencing languishing
right now. How do we get out of
00:24:30.13\00:24:34.87
it? That's the question. Let's
see if we can find an answer.
00:24:34.87\00:24:38.11
Open your Bible to the Book of
Hebrews, a book that we don't go
to a lot, except our
00:24:38.11\00:24:42.41
faith community, globally, went
to this book in the last three
00:24:42.41\00:24:47.82
months. We're gonna go back,
because there was a little
passage that didn't get dealt
00:24:47.82\00:24:51.42
with, and we're gonna deal with
it right now. You and I have
00:24:51.42\00:24:54.09
never been there before. Hebrews
10. Come on -- you got your
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.73
Bible? I want to tell you
something. You're waiting for --
"Oh, come on, Dwight, put it on
00:24:56.73\00:24:59.73
the screen. No, come
on." You bring your Bible.
00:24:59.73\00:25:03.97
No, I'm serious. We're so
dependent on these little
electronic devices.
00:25:03.97\00:25:07.30
"Oh, okay, I'm looking it up
on my phone." Well, that's okay.
00:25:07.30\00:25:10.81
But you know what? Somebody
-- your mother gave you a Bible,
00:25:10.81\00:25:14.21
once upon a time. It's sitting
on that shelf in the dorm. Your
mother -- Your husband gave
00:25:14.21\00:25:17.75
you a Bible, once upon a
time. Use the Bible. Bring it to
00:25:17.75\00:25:21.98
church. You'll never be
embarrassed here, I promise you,
by bringing your Bible, ever.
00:25:21.98\00:25:26.12
So, Hebrews 10 -- I got
my Bible. This is the New
00:25:26.12\00:25:29.12
International Version. Let's
drop down, Hebrews 10, to verse
00:25:29.12\00:25:34.76
23. Okay, here we go. Hebrews
10:23 -- "Let us hold
unswervingly to the hope we
00:25:34.76\00:25:41.14
profess, for he who promised
is faithful. And let us consider
00:25:41.14\00:25:49.88
how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds, not
giving up meeting together, as
00:25:49.88\00:25:55.45
some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another --
and all the more as you see the
00:25:55.45\00:25:59.72
--" capital D -- "Day
approaching." What's the
capital-D day? What's D-day for
00:25:59.72\00:26:05.16
the human race? Come on. What's
D-day for the human race? It
00:26:05.16\00:26:09.33
is...? The return of Christ.
Capital-D day. The closer we
00:26:09.33\00:26:14.97
get, the more. That's what Paul
and many of us believe that
Paul, in fact, was the author of
00:26:14.97\00:26:21.41
this passage. Now let me tell
you a little bit about this
congregation to whom Paul wrote.
00:26:21.41\00:26:24.68
Scholars say, "Well, maybe
somebody else." I'm gonna hang
00:26:24.68\00:26:28.35
on to the Paul definition. He
writes to them, and by reading
the book, we discover a
00:26:28.35\00:26:32.99
spiritual profile of this
church. Number one, they're
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.09
established Christians. Mm-hmm.
There's nothing wrong with
00:26:36.09\00:26:38.66
established Christians. That
can be a boon. It can also be a
00:26:38.66\00:26:41.53
bane. That means a plus or a
minus. We just don't know yet.
They've been hanging around for
00:26:41.53\00:26:46.20
a while. Now you think they're
a new religion come about the
00:26:46.20\00:26:49.40
60s A.D., but, no. The religions
are beginning to feel old to
00:26:49.40\00:26:56.68
them. And all the while, I'm
thinking about Adam Grant's
word. I'm thinking about
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.81
languishing. I'm thinking,
"Maybe this church has what
those of us who have just come
00:26:59.81\00:27:04.32
out of the pandemic have. It
has languishing." I like the way
00:27:04.32\00:27:08.02
William Johnson, in his book,
"Absolute Confidence," he
describes what they're suffering
00:27:08.02\00:27:11.26
from is tired old blood. Tired
blood. You never heard that
00:27:11.26\00:27:18.07
phrase before. There used to be
a product sold in this country
00:27:18.07\00:27:24.11
called Geritol. [ Laughter ] And
only those who are old remember
00:27:24.11\00:27:28.98
that. Tired blood. Here, let's
read Bill Johnson on the screen
00:27:28.98\00:27:33.01
for ourselves. "In this epistle,
we find a "fairly clear
spiritual profile of the
00:27:33.01\00:27:37.52
recipients of Hebrews. Their
problem is not false teachers,
like they had in Galatia."
00:27:37.52\00:27:40.42
No, no. "Nor is it the
heady enthusiasm because of the
00:27:40.42\00:27:44.36
manifestations of the Spirit, as
in Corinth." No, no, no. "It's
not a question of the
00:27:44.36\00:27:47.76
failure of the Jews to receive
the gospel, as in the Book of
00:27:47.76\00:27:51.03
Romans. No, their problem," the
congregation in Hebrews, "is one
00:27:51.03\00:27:57.07
of tired blood." I'm thinking
languishing. "They have grown
weary with waiting for the
00:27:57.07\00:28:02.54
Lord's return, sluggish in their
Christian identity, questioning
the value of their religion,
00:28:02.54\00:28:08.05
more so as hard times for
Christians appear to loom on the
horizon." We have no idea what's
00:28:08.05\00:28:12.92
coming next. I mean, we had the
pandemic, then we got Ukraine.
00:28:12.92\00:28:15.96
Ukraine's just starting
up, perhaps. We have no idea.
00:28:15.96\00:28:19.86
My. Tired blood. Languishing.
00:28:19.86\00:28:24.47
Hey, let me be candid with you
right now. I'm concerned for the
00:28:24.47\00:28:27.74
church, post-pandemic. I'm
talking about this congregation
00:28:27.74\00:28:30.64
right here. I can't speak for
all the other congregations on
the planet. But I'm concerned,
00:28:30.64\00:28:34.94
as we come out of this long,
dark tunnel we've called the
pandemic, how can we not help
00:28:34.94\00:28:39.28
but be languishing? I mean, we
hardly get out of the pandemic,
00:28:39.28\00:28:43.18
we got this war in Europe, gas
prices have gone through the
roof, inflation is gobbling up
00:28:43.18\00:28:47.92
money that we might be saving.
And then, Will Smith goes and
slaps Chris Rock on live
00:28:47.92\00:28:52.56
television. I mean,
what's wrong with this world?
00:28:52.56\00:28:55.23
I'm telling you... Something's
crazy. Something's going on.
00:28:55.23\00:29:00.14
And nobody knows what to do. Do
you think that the church is
somehow exempted from this
00:29:00.14\00:29:06.04
languishing, though? Hey,
listen, this church -- let's
just talk about this one.
00:29:06.04\00:29:10.41
We got -- We got Children's
Sabbath School leaders -- great
00:29:10.41\00:29:13.82
leaders. They're working
downstairs, working their --
working their hearts out every
00:29:13.82\00:29:17.69
single week, getting ready for
the Sabbath. Working with a
smaller and smaller team of
00:29:17.69\00:29:22.69
volunteers. They can't find
help. This isn't pre-pandemic.
I'm just telling the truth about
00:29:22.69\00:29:27.86
post-pandemic, all right? I
don't care about pre-pandemic
00:29:27.86\00:29:34.07
anymore. We got a board of
deacons, a third of which has
disappeared. The head deacon
00:29:34.07\00:29:37.64
tells me, "I don't know where
they are." Gone. Whoa, I'm --
00:29:37.64\00:29:43.65
I'm not complaining. I'm just
telling you this post-pandemic
00:29:43.65\00:29:47.75
truth. We got a Volunteer
Engagement Committee -- we call
it VEC around here -- that has
00:29:47.75\00:29:53.22
the huge task of soliciting 600
volunteers. That was the number
00:29:53.22\00:29:56.29
pre-pandemic. We have no
idea what the number's gonna be
00:29:56.29\00:30:00.20
post-pandemic. They're meeting
right now, as we speak, in
00:30:00.20\00:30:06.07
April. [ Scoffs ] I'm not
complaining, but I'm telling you
the post-pandemic truth.
00:30:06.07\00:30:09.40
Adam Grant was onto something
when his word goes viral.
Languishing -- the word -- the
00:30:09.40\00:30:14.91
word's gone viral. Our
experience has gone viral.
Everybody has it -- languishing.
00:30:14.91\00:30:22.12
My. And by the way,
it's not just Pioneer.
00:30:22.12\00:30:25.25
Let's not diss ourselves. Let me
talk about general Christianity
00:30:25.25\00:30:29.82
in America. I'm gonna turn to
that -- the standard-bearer for
evangelical Christians in
00:30:29.82\00:30:33.96
America, Christianity Today, in
a piece they ran -- "Church
after the pandemic."
00:30:33.96\00:30:38.07
Look at what they're noticing.
"'The past year and a half,'
David Kinnaman, president of the
00:30:38.07\00:30:43.97
Barna Group, said, 'didn't just
change how Christians met, it
changed their hearts and minds
00:30:43.97\00:30:50.05
toward the church.'" You
reading this? Keep reading.
00:30:50.05\00:30:53.18
"Barna found that a third of
practicing Christians had
dropped out of church at some
00:30:53.18\00:30:58.12
point, and 29% of senior pastors
--" moi -- "said they seriously
considered quitting in
00:30:58.12\00:31:04.86
the past year." We're not
talking about a make-believe,
00:31:04.86\00:31:11.03
imaginary problem. It's a
problem for Christianity.
Adventist Christianity, any
00:31:11.03\00:31:17.94
Christianity. My, languishing.
The Hebrews congregation. I'm
00:31:17.94\00:31:22.41
talking about your congregation.
We got people watching from
congregations all over the
00:31:22.41\00:31:24.88
planet right now. I'm talking
about your congregation, my
00:31:24.88\00:31:28.95
congregation. Languishing. It's
no wonder the passage reads the
00:31:28.95\00:31:32.49
way it does. Read it again.
I want you to notice something
00:31:32.49\00:31:34.59
here. We'll go back to it.
Hebrews 10:23 -- "Let us hold
unswervingly to the hope we
00:31:34.59\00:31:38.29
profess, for he who promised
is faithful. And let us consider
00:31:38.29\00:31:42.66
how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds, not
giving up meeting together, as
00:31:42.66\00:31:49.14
some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another --
and all the more as you see the
00:31:49.14\00:31:53.71
--" capital -- "Day
approaching." Did you happen to
catch all of that high-touch --
00:31:53.71\00:32:00.18
high-touch communal language
embedded in what we just read?
00:32:00.18\00:32:04.69
High-touch. Three times it
appears -- "let us, let us, let
us." It doesn't say, "Let me,"
00:32:04.69\00:32:09.16
it doesn't say, "Let you,"
it's "Let us." We are in this
00:32:09.16\00:32:12.46
together. It is high-touch and
communal. You watch this. What
is -- "Let us consider how
00:32:12.46\00:32:18.17
we may spur one another on."
Ooh, I like that -- spur one
00:32:18.17\00:32:24.71
another on. Back when it snowed
this winter -- yesterday -- if
you and I had been cross-country
00:32:24.71\00:32:30.48
skiing over at Love Creek -- and
I did skiing at Love Creek. It's
a beautiful place to
00:32:30.48\00:32:34.48
cross-country ski. If you missed
it this year, get it next year.
00:32:34.48\00:32:37.92
If you and I were cross-country
skiing together, and we noticed
off in the trees, there's
00:32:37.92\00:32:41.56
somebody facedown in the snow,
we'd rip these skies off so
fast, it'd make your head spin.
00:32:41.56\00:32:45.29
We'd race over to that
person. He might, she might have
00:32:45.29\00:32:47.96
hypothermia. And what's the
first thing you do? You roll
them over, you get the
00:32:47.96\00:32:50.67
face, and then you start...
"Wake up, wake up! Wake up!"
Why? Because the person -- if a
00:32:50.67\00:32:55.37
person falls asleep, you're
dead. You can't fall asleep in
00:32:55.37\00:32:58.47
the cold. And then we start
working the limbs, and then we
00:32:58.47\00:33:01.14
start working the limbs. "Whoa!
Come on, come on, buddy. Come
on, you're gonna make it.
00:33:01.14\00:33:04.38
Come on, come on, come on." Paul
says, "Let us spur one another
00:33:04.38\00:33:11.39
on." And the languishing of a
church, where people are slowly
00:33:11.39\00:33:21.03
disappearing... falling asleep
and Hmm. Let us -- Let us spur.
Boy, that's a high-action word.
00:33:21.03\00:33:27.37
Let us spur one another on.
Remedy for languishing. You want
00:33:27.37\00:33:32.61
a remedy for languishing? That's
it right there. Tired blood?
00:33:32.61\00:33:35.84
That's it right there -- spur
one another on, with deeds of
love, good deeds of love and
00:33:35.84\00:33:41.18
truth. And by the way, Paul
goes on. "Don't give up meeting
00:33:41.18\00:33:45.05
together." We just read that.
Don't give up meeting together.
00:33:45.05\00:33:48.36
You're gonna love the Greek word
here, because the Greek word
goes like this -- episunagoge.
00:33:48.36\00:33:53.60
Now, if I take the "epi" off,
which is a preposition, if I
take the "epi" off and you just
00:33:53.60\00:33:57.27
have "sunagoge," what is
"sunagoge"? If I say it fast,
00:33:57.27\00:34:01.14
what does it sound like? You got
it -- synagogue. That's how we
00:34:01.14\00:34:05.21
say it in American English --
synagogue. What Paul is writing
to the church is, "Listen, don't
00:34:05.21\00:34:11.11
give up synagoguing together."
If you'd be writing to the
church in the third millennium,
00:34:11.11\00:34:15.88
which is what you and I are, he
would say, "Don't give up
churching together.
00:34:15.88\00:34:19.92
Please, keep churching! We
got to keep churching! We got to
00:34:19.92\00:34:25.79
stay together! Don't absent
yourself." Forsake not the
assembling of yourselves
00:34:25.79\00:34:30.20
together -- one of your
translations puts it that way.
00:34:30.20\00:34:34.87
Don't! Talking about high-touch
communal language and
experience, remedy for the
00:34:34.87\00:34:38.81
languishing church, remedy for
tired blood. No Lone Rangers in
00:34:38.81\00:34:44.11
this church. Lone Rangers belong
in black-and-white cowboy movies
00:34:44.11\00:34:47.85
long ago. There are no Lone
Rangers in Christianity. You
can't be a Lone Ranger and
00:34:47.85\00:34:50.79
survive -- that's the deal.
That's what Paul's trying to
00:34:50.79\00:34:54.46
tell us. But there's more. He
says, "Not only not give up
meeting together," I go on
00:34:54.46\00:34:59.79
reading, "but encourage one
another." Encourage one another.
00:34:59.79\00:35:04.23
That's high-touching communal.
Because that's -- that's doing
00:35:04.23\00:35:07.80
this. That's grabbing me by the
shoulders -- you grabbing me and
saying, "Come on, boy, wake up!
00:35:07.80\00:35:11.57
Get -- Get with it! Knock
yourself out of this! You're
00:35:11.57\00:35:15.18
gonna die." That's me grabbing
you and saying, "Hey, wake up,
will you? You don't realize how
00:35:15.18\00:35:19.15
close you are to being
gone!" Encourage one another.
00:35:19.15\00:35:26.79
High-touch. Communal.
Especially, Paul writes, the
closer you get to D-day, the
00:35:26.79\00:35:31.23
closer we get to the return of
Christ, this is really critical
00:35:31.23\00:35:34.73
now. You can't -- You
can't drift away now. Powerful.
00:35:34.73\00:35:40.77
High-touch communal language all
through this passage, directed
to the members of a languishing
00:35:40.77\00:35:46.71
body of Christ, a
tired blood body. "Oh, man.
00:35:46.71\00:35:52.55
I don't think I'm gonna keep
this up. This is killing me."
00:35:52.55\00:35:56.28
That kind of person. That kind
of church. Let's read it one
00:35:56.28\00:36:02.62
more time. "Let us hold
unswervingly to the hope we
profess, for he who promised is
00:36:02.62\00:36:07.60
faithful. And let us consider
how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds,
00:36:07.60\00:36:12.77
please, not giving up meeting
together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but encouraging
00:36:12.77\00:36:17.87
one another -- and all the more
as you see the --" capital D --
00:36:17.87\00:36:22.11
"Day approaching." Now the plot
really thickens. I'm telling
you. Because I'm gonna introduce
00:36:22.11\00:36:28.68
some research from Harvard
University's Human Flourishing
00:36:28.68\00:36:33.22
Program. In my humble opinion,
you're about to read a stunning
conclusion from their research.
00:36:33.22\00:36:39.76
You ready for this? I'll give it
to you right here. I want to
thank Don LaTour, by
00:36:39.76\00:36:44.20
the way, my friend, for putting
me in touch with this research.
Last month, the directors of
00:36:44.20\00:36:49.17
this Harvard program, Brendan
Case and Tyler VanderWeele,
00:36:49.17\00:36:52.57
wrote a report of their
research. Here's the title of
the report -- "Why some
00:36:52.57\00:36:57.75
Americans are flourishing in a
languishing nation," okay? So,
now I'm gonna run some stats
00:36:57.75\00:37:04.15
by you. Gallup's findings
-- because Gallup took a poll
00:37:04.15\00:37:09.32
recently. So they've looked at
the Gallup poll results.
"Gallup's findings offer some
00:37:09.32\00:37:12.93
intriguing evidence --"
oh, really? Tell us, okay?
00:37:12.93\00:37:16.03
"According to the poll, a better
predictor of life satisfaction
00:37:16.03\00:37:21.84
--" all right? So I'm gonna
stand in front of this right
now. A better predictor of life
00:37:21.84\00:37:24.27
satisfaction. Hey, are
you satisfied with your life?
00:37:24.27\00:37:26.44
Hey, are you -- girl, are you
satisfied with your life?
There's some factors that mean
00:37:26.44\00:37:30.98
you get a higher satisfaction
rate. "A better predictor of
00:37:30.98\00:37:34.72
life satisfaction than
educational attainment --" ooh!
This is a university.
00:37:34.72\00:37:39.49
Hey, how many degrees
do you have? Oh, brother.
00:37:39.49\00:37:42.89
I got more. You know, this is --
We ought to be about educational
00:37:42.89\00:37:48.30
attainment, of course. But those
degrees do not raise your life
00:37:48.30\00:37:53.94
satisfaction. Keep reading. "A
better -- A better predictor of
life satisfaction than
00:37:53.94\00:37:57.41
educational attainment or even
income --" How much money you
00:37:57.41\00:38:00.41
making? Whoa! No.
"...was -- was religious service
00:38:00.41\00:38:06.15
attendance." I'm putting in the
brackets -- "Going to church."
00:38:06.15\00:38:12.69
Not having church at
home, going to church.
00:38:12.72\00:38:18.89
My.
00:38:18.89\00:38:20.40
You got my attention now. Can
you give me some numbers? They
00:38:20.43\00:38:24.50
said, "We can." Here we go. 60%
of weekly service attenders,
church-goers, reported being
00:38:24.50\00:38:32.57
very satisfied with their lives.
67% -- that's 2/3, okay?
"Whereas that was true for only
00:38:32.57\00:38:40.95
51% of the nation as a whole." A
half of Americans say, "I'm very
satisfied with my life,"
00:38:40.95\00:38:45.92
but 2/3 of people who go to
church say, "I'm very satisfied
00:38:45.92\00:38:49.36
with my life." Oh, is there
anything else? Oh, yes, "And for
only 61% of those making at
00:38:49.36\00:38:55.63
least $100,000 a year or more."
So the more money you make does
not increase your life
00:38:55.63\00:38:59.20
satisfaction factor. The highest
variable is going to church.
00:38:59.20\00:39:05.51
Can you believe
this? My, oh, my, oh, my.
00:39:05.54\00:39:10.31
Wow. Hoo!
00:39:10.31\00:39:12.18
Based on Harvard's own
research, this report from the
00:39:12.18\00:39:14.25
Human Flourishing Program
concludes -- I'm gonna give you
00:39:14.25\00:39:16.48
five bullets
right now. Five bullets.
00:39:16.48\00:39:18.42
Here they come. Bullet
number one -- "Religious
00:39:18.42\00:39:20.76
participation -- church-going
-- seems to promote individual
00:39:20.76\00:39:23.56
flourishing through the
friendships it fosters."
00:39:23.56\00:39:26.66
That's why it's so cool that we
finally open the church up, and
you can feel safe sitting next
00:39:26.70\00:39:30.80
to somebody, you're meeting
somebody when you come to
worship, that's a good thing.
00:39:30.80\00:39:35.90
Because relationships grow out
of it. Friendship is a factor
00:39:35.90\00:39:39.74
that really boosts life
satisfaction. Here's bullet
number 2. "Harvard studies
00:39:39.74\00:39:44.75
estimate that about half of the
effect on satisfaction people
experience comes from deep and
00:39:44.75\00:39:50.62
supportive relationships."
"Somebody cares about me. They
don't know that I've turned
00:39:50.62\00:39:56.19
the laptop on. They don't care.
But when I show up, they care.
00:39:56.19\00:40:02.43
When I don't show up,
they care." That's what they're
00:40:02.43\00:40:06.97
finding. Comes from deep and
supportive relationships. Bullet
00:40:06.97\00:40:10.97
number three -- "Religious
participation -- church-going --
effects are also particularly
00:40:10.97\00:40:16.51
strong with respect to
marriage." All of you that are
young and haven't gotten married
00:40:16.51\00:40:20.12
yet, listen up. "Are
particularly strong with respect
to marriage with weekly
00:40:20.12\00:40:24.99
service attenders being about
50% less likely to divorce than
00:40:24.99\00:40:32.09
never-attenders." You want some
marriage insurance policy when
you're getting married?
00:40:32.09\00:40:35.30
Go to church together. Go to
church together. Not one of you
00:40:35.30\00:40:40.97
go and the other stay at home.
No, go to church together. Wow.
00:40:40.97\00:40:46.04
One more. Two more.
"Religious participation --
00:40:46.04\00:40:51.01
again, going to church --
strongly predicts against
self-destructive behaviors."
00:40:51.01\00:40:55.28
Hmm, this is interesting.
"Compared with never-attenders,
regular attenders were
00:40:55.28\00:40:59.55
substantially less likely -- 68%
less likely for women, 33% less
likely for men -- they were less
00:40:59.55\00:41:04.53
likely to die from alcohol
poisoning, drug overdose, or
00:41:04.53\00:41:09.66
suicide. Final bullet, number
five -- "But service attendance
doesn't merely protect us
00:41:09.66\00:41:14.47
against dysfunction."
Keep reading. "It also seems to
00:41:14.47\00:41:17.57
promote positive actions and
attitudes, including greater
generosity with one's time,
00:41:17.57\00:41:22.08
greater generosity with one's
money, and a greater sense of
00:41:22.08\00:41:26.21
purpose in life." Can you
believe what we just looked at?
00:41:26.21\00:41:30.05
Wow! Goodbye, languishing.
Goodbye! Question -- who
00:41:30.05\00:41:36.06
would've thought that going to
church would make this kind of a
difference? Answer -- God.
00:41:36.06\00:41:41.60
Which is why he
gave us Hebrews 10. Wow.
00:41:41.60\00:41:48.37
Mercy. And, by the way,
Peter T. O'Brien -- one more
00:41:48.37\00:41:53.98
point. This is heavy.
Peter T. O'Brien, in his
00:41:53.98\00:41:57.35
commentary letters to Hebrews,
reacts to the strong communal
language in this passage.
00:41:57.35\00:42:03.82
And he's focusing in on this
"not giving up meeting together"
00:42:03.82\00:42:08.79
this way, okay? So, here we go
-- Peter T. O'Brien. "The
admonition to not give up
00:42:08.79\00:42:12.06
meeting together -- forsaking
the assembling of ourselves
together -- is put strongly,
00:42:12.06\00:42:16.20
intentionally by Paul." Keep
reading. "The failure of some to
00:42:16.20\00:42:20.87
continue attending the
gatherings of the community is
cast not simply as neglect but
00:42:20.87\00:42:28.31
as wrongful abandonment."
You know what? You can get a
00:42:28.31\00:42:33.95
divorce, and you can get it for
a wrongful abandonment. And
they'll give it to you.
00:42:33.95\00:42:39.65
That's a serious charge --
wrongful abandonment. You quit.
00:42:39.65\00:42:45.09
You left the marriage. "You left
me." That's what Paul is saying
00:42:45.09\00:42:50.17
about the church. This word for
"forsaking not" or "don't give
00:42:50.17\00:42:57.41
up" is used in the Greek Old
Testament, called The
Septuagint, it's used 170-plus
00:42:57.41\00:43:02.48
times. I'm gonna show you. It's
a covenantal term. It's about
God talking about his
00:43:02.48\00:43:05.85
people and saying, "Man,
you are dissing me. You are --
00:43:05.85\00:43:08.75
Wrongful abandonment has
taken place." Watch this.
00:43:08.75\00:43:10.75
This is Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy
31:16 -- "And the Lord said to
00:43:10.75\00:43:14.96
Moses, "You are going to rest
with your ancestors --" he dies
at the end of the book -- "and
00:43:14.96\00:43:19.33
these people will soon --" he's
talking about the church, Israel
-- "these people will
00:43:19.33\00:43:23.47
soon prostitute themselves
to the foreign gods of the land
00:43:23.47\00:43:27.90
they are entering. They will
forsake me --" there it is,
forsake, not the assembling of
00:43:27.90\00:43:31.84
yourselves together -- "They
will forsake me and break the
covenant I made with them.
00:43:31.84\00:43:36.78
One more. We'll go to
the next chapter, 32:15.
00:43:36.78\00:43:39.61
"They abandoned --" God is
speaking about Israel in the
future -- "The abandoned the God
00:43:39.61\00:43:44.99
who made them and rejected the
Rock of their Savior." Now, this
is really heavy stuff.
00:43:44.99\00:43:53.13
You think about it. Abandoned.
Yeah, it might not seem too much
00:43:53.13\00:44:00.20
to you. "I mean,
Dwight, what's the big deal?"
00:44:00.20\00:44:02.60
But that one word is huge in
realizing how earnestly Paul,
the author is warning his
00:44:02.60\00:44:07.41
readers -- "Do not forsake --
please, don't forsake getting
together and worship.
00:44:07.41\00:44:12.28
Don't forsake assembling of
yourselves together. Don't quit
00:44:12.28\00:44:16.28
going to church." That's what
causes tired blood. That's what
causes languishing. Now, O'Brien
00:44:16.28\00:44:25.73
moves in for the -- pbt! -- with
this line. The last word from
O'Brien. "The following warning
00:44:25.73\00:44:30.93
about apostasy." Okay,
stop right there. So, what he's
00:44:30.93\00:44:33.94
saying is, if you keep reading
past verse 25, 26 to 31, it's
one of the most dire warnings
00:44:33.94\00:44:39.87
against apostasy in all of
scripture. So he's talking about
that. He's not talking about
00:44:39.87\00:44:42.78
what we just read. "The
following warning about apostasy
00:44:42.78\00:44:44.98
--" The fact that it is -- it
follows on the heels of "Don't
forsake getting together" --
00:44:44.98\00:44:50.49
"implies that people who
deliberately and persistently
abandon the fellowship of
00:44:50.49\00:44:55.99
Christian believers are in
danger of repeating the sin of
Israel and of abandoning the
00:44:55.99\00:45:01.86
Lord himself." End quote. Whoa.
00:45:01.86\00:45:12.04
It's not just about abandoning
the church or abandoning
00:45:12.04\00:45:16.61
worship. You're abandoning God.
Paul exclaims. And I know what
00:45:16.61\00:45:26.32
you're thinking. You say, "Hey,
do I -- Pfft. It's not just --
00:45:26.32\00:45:30.16
It's not that big of a deal. I
appreciate you trying to
enlighten me, but it's not that
00:45:30.16\00:45:34.36
big a deal. The pandemic came
along and gave us some time off
00:45:34.36\00:45:38.30
from church, and, by the way, I
really like it now. Yeah, I do.
00:45:38.30\00:45:42.24
There's nothing like going to
church in my pajamas. I have a
hot drink right here at
00:45:42.24\00:45:46.74
this hand. I have a bowl of
breakfast cereal in my lap, and
00:45:46.74\00:45:50.11
I have my trusty old laptop in
front of me, and I can go to
church. And I don't have to go
00:45:50.11\00:45:53.68
to church where you go to
church. I can go to church
anywhere in the world.
00:45:53.68\00:45:56.15
I can go to church anytime, I
can go to church anywhere. I may
never go to church at all!
00:45:56.15\00:46:00.29
I have it all here. Oh, I know
that the pandemic has left, but,
00:46:00.29\00:46:05.66
you know, pandemics comes,
pandemics go. What do you mean
I'm not going to church?
00:46:05.66\00:46:08.66
I'm doing it right here, by
myself. No, I got my wife here,
00:46:08.66\00:46:12.63
so we're doing church together.
Do you understand that, Dwight?
We're doing church."
00:46:12.63\00:46:18.67
Yo. A new and
easier way to do church.
00:46:18.67\00:46:22.58
No wonder you like it. I get
what you're saying. I bet you do
00:46:22.58\00:46:28.45
like it. No commitment, no
bother, no fuss, no mess, no
getting the kids dressed and
00:46:28.45\00:46:37.26
ready for church. What a hassle
that used to be. Now it's just
00:46:37.26\00:46:41.50
you and your laptop. God knows
what the kids are doing with
00:46:41.50\00:46:44.37
their laptops in their bedrooms
right now, but that's another
matter. And besides, none of
00:46:44.37\00:46:51.57
this messy, ecclesiastical stuff
of having to bump into people
00:46:51.57\00:46:55.74
and say, "Hi. How are you
doing?" and really mean it, you
don't have to do that anymore.
00:46:55.74\00:46:59.81
That's cool. Nope.
And you don't have their
00:46:59.81\00:47:02.88
problems to worry about, because
their problems are not your
problems, are they?
00:47:02.88\00:47:06.02
Well, you got your own problems.
Their needs are not your needs,
00:47:06.02\00:47:09.09
are they? No, you got your own
needs. Yep, it's just you, you,
you, you, you, and your little
00:47:09.09\00:47:13.03
laptop. But that's the problem
-- the laptop has become all
00:47:13.03\00:47:17.83
about you. That's the problem.
00:47:17.83\00:47:19.77
Paul's intentional use of the
word "abandoned" -- I want you
00:47:25.21\00:47:30.55
to see this. Or "forsake" -- is
meant to point out that when you
forsake worship with the church,
00:47:30.55\00:47:36.72
you forsake the Lord of the
church. That's what he's saying.
Your argument is not with me.
00:47:36.72\00:47:48.93
Let me tell you something about
electronic media. All that
gadgetry and all that
00:47:48.93\00:47:54.60
technology in livestreaming are
for communicating a teaching and
not creating a fellowship.
00:47:54.60\00:48:01.54
Oh, we try hard. We got a
little -- We got a little chat
00:48:01.54\00:48:04.95
moderator as it's going, and
people are checking in and
checking out and checking in and
00:48:04.95\00:48:09.08
checking out. We try. In fact,
we have people now contacting
this church from far
00:48:09.08\00:48:15.06
away, and they're saying, "Hey,
we want to be members of your
00:48:15.06\00:48:18.16
church. Can we transfer our
membership to your church?"
"Well, yeah, you move into
00:48:18.16\00:48:20.66
town." "No, we're not moving to
town. We'll stay right where we
00:48:20.66\00:48:23.00
are, but we'll be members of
your church." "What do you mean
00:48:23.00\00:48:26.40
'our church'?" "Well, the
laptop, screen, we'll be there."
00:48:26.40\00:48:32.01
That's not church. That's not
church at all. That's teaching.
Pioneer livestreaming cannot
00:48:32.01\00:48:41.65
replace and is not intended to
replace person-to-person,
believer-to-believer contact.
00:48:41.65\00:48:52.73
Warmth, high-communal,
high-touch. You can't -- You
00:48:52.73\00:48:59.77
can't build that electronically.
You can say you've built it, but
who are you kidding but
00:48:59.77\00:49:05.01
yourself? You
haven't built it. Period.
00:49:05.01\00:49:14.42
Now, look, I realize -- and I
want to be very quick to insert
00:49:14.42\00:49:18.45
this. We have some very dear and
very fragile senior citizens
who, right now, are watching,
00:49:18.45\00:49:22.89
and I don't want you, for a
moment, to feel guilty for
watching. You know why?
00:49:22.89\00:49:26.23
Because this livestream was
created specifically for you,
for people who just for the sake
00:49:26.23\00:49:31.47
of safety and security have
chosen not to come out of their
houses during the pandemic and
00:49:31.47\00:49:35.97
are choosing now to say, "You
know, I just don't know that I
00:49:35.97\00:49:40.24
can do it now." God understands,
and so do we. We love you.
Livestream is for you.
00:49:40.24\00:49:46.08
But what I'm saying to you, if
that's not you, and you're using
livestream to shortcut any
00:49:46.08\00:49:53.49
contact with the church and any
messy people stuff, you're not
only cutting yourself off from
00:49:53.49\00:50:00.63
the church, you're cutting
yourself off from Jesus. Am I
00:50:00.63\00:50:08.44
make this up? I'm not. You see,
we wrongly conclude that what
worship is about is
00:50:08.44\00:50:13.51
what I can get out of worship
when I come. That's not what
00:50:13.51\00:50:17.58
worship is about. Worship is
about what you can give to
worship when you come.
00:50:17.58\00:50:21.08
When you don't show up,
something's missing from us.
00:50:21.08\00:50:27.16
We'll get by. But what you
could've brought to the table is
not brought to the table.
00:50:27.16\00:50:31.13
Worship is not about what you
can get. Worship is about what
00:50:31.13\00:50:34.23
you can give with yourself.
High-touch, communal. You can't
00:50:34.23\00:50:39.53
get that anywhere else. You
can't get it in the Rotary Club.
00:50:39.53\00:50:43.10
You can't get it with a bunch of
buddies watching football. You
can't get it around a
00:50:43.10\00:50:48.54
television, period! "Forsake
not the assembling of yourselves
00:50:48.54\00:51:01.46
together." Whoa. Are you tired
of languishing by yourself?
00:51:01.46\00:51:07.60
Are you? Hey, I got
an invitation for you.
00:51:07.60\00:51:11.43
It's time to come back. Just
a decision, that's all it is.
00:51:11.43\00:51:16.24
People are making it all around
you now. Look at this place.
00:51:16.24\00:51:19.81
It's time to come back. The
church needs you. And guess what
00:51:19.81\00:51:27.85
-- you need the church. The 19th
century American evangelist,
Dwight L. Moody, one
00:51:27.85\00:51:33.82
night, made a call on a
businessman who had been
attending church there in
00:51:33.82\00:51:40.50
Chicago but had drifted away for
some reason. The two of them sat
00:51:40.50\00:51:47.64
in front of that crackling fire
and that fireplace hearth as
they visited, and then Moody
00:51:47.64\00:51:52.81
inquired about why they had been
missing him. And the businessman
00:51:52.81\00:51:58.11
said, "Oh, yes, you're right, of
course. My life has gotten so
busy. I just didn't have the
00:51:58.11\00:52:03.75
time I used to have. But anyway,
let me tell you something -- I
00:52:03.75\00:52:09.12
pray, I get the Bible out, and
that's pretty good, isn't it?"
And Moody just smiled at him.
00:52:09.12\00:52:17.10
He reached over and grabbed the
tongs by the fireplace, and with
those tongs, he reached into
00:52:17.10\00:52:22.77
that roaring fire, and he
grabbed a red-hot coal, and he
pinched it, and he pulled it
00:52:22.77\00:52:27.94
out, and he dropped it on the
hearth. He didn't say a word.
00:52:27.94\00:52:31.75
He kept staring. The businessman
kept staring at that coal,
00:52:31.75\00:52:39.79
red-hot... then red...
00:52:39.79\00:52:44.16
then orange... then gray...
00:52:44.19\00:52:52.00
until, finally, it was nothing
but a dark cold lump of ash.
00:52:52.00\00:53:01.78
From red-hot in community with
the other embers to gray and
00:53:01.78\00:53:07.05
cold and all alone.
The businessman got it.
00:53:07.05\00:53:14.89
And God gave us Hebrews 10
so that we could get it, too.
00:53:14.89\00:53:20.40
Forsake not the gathering of
your hearts together,
high-communal, high-touch.
00:53:20.43\00:53:29.17
Come on. Urging, spurring
you on. Don't -- Don't drop out.
00:53:29.17\00:53:35.14
Don't disappear. Nobody can make
the decision for you...but you.
00:53:35.14\00:53:42.45
Nobody can drag you here but
you. Jesus said, "Where two or
00:53:42.45\00:53:48.26
three are gathered together
in my name, there I am, in the
00:53:48.26\00:53:56.43
midst of them." Oh,
Christ. I decide. I must decide.
00:53:56.43\00:54:05.04
I want to come back. Don't you?
Want to give you an opportunity
00:54:05.04\00:54:15.48
to respond. Want to
send you to our Connect Card.
00:54:15.48\00:54:19.12
Put it on the screen right here.
00:54:19.12\00:54:21.19
You know the familiar number.
We've used this all pandemic
00:54:21.22\00:54:23.76
long -- 269-281-2345 -- and text
the word "Signup2," all right?
00:54:23.76\00:54:31.60
One word, "Signup2." It's
gonna give you four choices
00:54:31.60\00:54:35.67
today. Choice
number 1, my next step
00:54:35.67\00:54:38.81
today is "Sign me up! I
want to flourish and begin
00:54:38.81\00:54:42.54
attending church
again." Yeah, I wish you'd put a
00:54:42.54\00:54:46.21
checkmark there. You
say, "Dwight, I don't have
00:54:46.21\00:54:47.62
to put a checkmark
there." Of course you don't.
00:54:47.62\00:54:49.52
But I wish you'd tell yourself
that you want to go back to
00:54:49.52\00:54:52.05
church. Just tell yourself.
00:54:52.05\00:54:54.46
Self is listening very
carefully to you right now.
00:54:54.46\00:54:57.69
Here's box
number 2 -- "Sign me up!
00:54:57.69\00:55:00.63
I want to volunteer and
serve at Pioneer -- yes, I do --
00:55:00.63\00:55:03.03
please give my name to the
Volunteer Engagement Committee.
00:55:03.03\00:55:07.84
I'll do whatever they need.
Just -- Just have them give me a
00:55:07.84\00:55:10.44
call. I want to
get involved, and I'm
00:55:10.44\00:55:12.07
tired of this
low-touch languishing.
00:55:12.07\00:55:13.68
I'm tired of being by myself.
I'm tired of coming here and
00:55:13.68\00:55:16.61
sitting all alone. I
want to be involved in this
00:55:16.61\00:55:18.75
church. Just turn my name in.
00:55:18.75\00:55:20.92
If you put a checkmark there,
please make sure we have your
00:55:20.92\00:55:23.25
e-mail address.
Somebody will be in touch with
00:55:23.25\00:55:25.32
you. Box number thr--
00:55:25.32\00:55:27.92
Box number three -- "Sign me up!
I want to flourish and join the
00:55:27.92\00:55:31.29
spring clean-up in the village
of Berrien Springs tomorrow."
00:55:31.29\00:55:34.30
If you text the number "spruce,"
'cause it's about sprucing up --
00:55:34.30\00:55:37.63
the village came to us and said,
"Hey, would you people come?
00:55:37.63\00:55:40.54
You came last winter,
and, boy, we needed you.
00:55:40.54\00:55:42.87
I don't know about the rest,
but we can count on Pioneer."
00:55:42.87\00:55:45.51
If you put a checkmark there, or
save yourself the checkmark and
00:55:45.51\00:55:49.41
just type -- text the
word "spruce," you'll get the
00:55:49.41\00:55:52.38
directions and the time.
Finally, number four -- "Sign me
00:55:52.38\00:55:56.25
up. I want to follow Jesus in
00:55:56.25\00:55:57.72
baptism. Yes, I do.
00:55:57.72\00:56:00.76
I've been languishing long
enough, and I need a red-hot
00:56:00.76\00:56:05.16
friendship with the Lord of
this universe and the Lord of my
00:56:05.16\00:56:09.33
church. I'm signing up."
00:56:09.33\00:56:13.30
And I hope you do. Let's pray.
O, God, it's time to sign up.
00:56:13.34\00:56:19.37
The pandemic is theoretically
behind us. We got life that has
00:56:19.37\00:56:24.98
to go on. But we can't go on
languishing. We just cannot at
00:56:24.98\00:56:28.95
this tepid pace. Tired blood --
we just can't do it. So, please,
00:56:28.95\00:56:33.92
take our hearts signing up right
now, register it, please. We're
00:56:33.92\00:56:40.90
coming back. Back to activity,
back to volunteering, back to
serving like Jesus.
00:56:40.90\00:56:47.20
Not such a big deal, really,
Father. We simply want to follow
00:56:47.20\00:56:51.77
in the steps of our Lord.
In his name, we pray. Amen.
00:56:51.77\00:56:57.71
>> One of the hot debates
on this planet today is this
00:57:00.32\00:57:03.25
collective conversation
about creation versus evolution.
00:57:03.25\00:57:07.16
While there are there a
thousand voices offering their
00:57:07.16\00:57:09.92
perspectives, the truth is that
in God's Word there are some
00:57:09.92\00:57:12.79
pretty definitive statements.
In fact, I examine those
00:57:12.79\00:57:15.43
statements and the evidence
for creation in a little book I
00:57:15.43\00:57:18.50
wrote, "Creation and Evolution,"
subtitle, " A Thoughtful Look at
00:57:18.50\00:57:21.84
the Evidence That a Master
Designer Created Our Planet."
00:57:21.84\00:57:24.71
I'd love for you to join the
conversation and check out the
00:57:24.71\00:57:27.78
evidence for yourself.
If fact, if you'll call our
00:57:27.78\00:57:30.81
toll-free number, 877-HIS-WILL,
the two words "HIS WILL,"
00:57:30.81\00:57:34.48
I'll make sure one of these
books, at no charge to you, is
00:57:34.48\00:57:37.15
in the mail. The number again --
00:57:37.15\00:57:39.02
877-HIS-WILL.
Let the operator know
00:57:39.02\00:57:41.99
you want the book
"Creation and Evolution," and
00:57:41.99\00:57:45.26
we'll get it in the mail
to you as soon as possible.
00:57:45.26\00:57:47.30
Until we're together again right
here on "New Perceptions" next
00:57:47.30\00:57:51.10
week, may the grace, the peace,
and the hope of the Creator
00:57:51.10\00:57:56.50
abide with you.
00:57:56.50\00:57:58.11
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:01.11\00:58:21.10
¤¤
00:58:21.10\00:58:27.87