¤¤
00:00:01.96\00:00:11.24
¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:14.18\00:00:28.32
¤¤
00:00:28.32\00:00:35.30
¤¤ ¤¤
00:02:19.87\00:02:33.58
¤¤ ¤¤
00:04:22.36\00:04:38.71
¤¤
00:05:30.96\00:05:40.34
>> Good afternoon, Church. I
invite you to open your Bibles
00:07:08.49\00:07:13.90
to Psalms 78:1-6. "My
people, hear my teaching;
00:07:13.90\00:07:20.37
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a
00:07:20.37\00:07:23.41
parable; I will utter hidden
things, things from of old --
00:07:23.41\00:07:27.08
things we have heard and
known, things our ancestors have
00:07:27.08\00:07:30.28
told us.
00:07:30.28\00:07:31.41
We will not hide them from their
descendants; we will tell the
next generation the praiseworthy
00:07:31.45\00:07:36.05
deeds of the Lord, his power,
and the wonders he has done. He
decreed statutes for Jacob
00:07:36.05\00:07:42.06
and established the law in
Israel, which he commanded our
ancestors to teach their
00:07:42.06\00:07:47.13
children, so the next generation
would know them, even the
children yet to be born, and
00:07:47.13\00:07:52.03
they in turn would tell
their children." Psalms 78:1-6.
00:07:52.03\00:07:57.61
>> Amen.
00:07:57.61\00:07:59.71
>> In this new year
-- new school year --
00:08:02.88\00:08:05.91
dedication service, we
now play an instrumental
00:08:05.91\00:08:09.58
version of the hymn.
"Father, Lead Me Day by Day."
00:08:09.58\00:08:16.52
This music expresses varied
thoughts in the hymn text,
00:08:16.52\00:08:21.36
so I'd like to read the
hymn text to you before we play.
00:08:21.36\00:08:24.87
"Father, lead me day by day,
ever in Thine own sweet way;
teach me to be pure and true,
00:08:28.97\00:08:38.75
show me what I ought to do. When
in danger, make me brave; make
00:08:38.75\00:08:48.26
me know that Thou canst save;
keep me safe by Thy dear side;
let me in Thy love abide.
00:08:48.26\00:08:57.27
When I'm tempted to do wrong,
make me steadfast, wise, and
00:08:57.27\00:09:04.17
strong; and when all alone I
stand, shield me with Thy mighty
hand. May I do the good I know,
00:09:04.17\00:09:13.52
in Thy loving child below; then
at last go home to Thee,
evermore Thy child to be."
00:09:13.52\00:09:24.26
¤¤ ¤¤
00:09:27.83\00:09:46.51
¤¤ ¤¤
00:09:46.51\00:10:05.20
¤¤ ¤¤
00:10:05.20\00:10:23.95
¤¤ ¤¤
00:10:23.95\00:10:42.77
¤¤ ¤¤
00:10:42.77\00:11:01.72
¤¤ ¤¤
00:11:01.72\00:11:20.54
¤¤ ¤¤
00:11:20.54\00:11:34.96
¤¤ >> Amen.
00:11:34.96\00:11:44.10
>> And I want to -- I want to
thank again my young friend
Harald Osman, 11-year-old who
00:11:47.54\00:11:53.61
read the Scripture for us today.
When I found out it was going to
be an 11-year-old --
00:11:53.61\00:11:59.58
I didn't know it was going to be
Harald -- I said to Claudia -- I
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.92
said, "Listen, you better check
with the mother to make sure.
This is the longest passage
00:12:02.92\00:12:05.99
I've ever picked for a Scripture
reading." Harald, I say it
00:12:05.99\00:12:12.99
again, you're going to be a
preacher. [ Light laughter ] And
I'm saying it now because
00:12:12.99\00:12:16.73
the seminary dean is here,
Harald, and he's going to invite
you to the seminary.
00:12:16.73\00:12:24.34
Harald, well done. God bless our
kids. God bless our children.
00:12:24.34\00:12:28.84
I mean, look at all these kids.
These are ours. They belong to
00:12:28.84\00:12:33.28
this parish. They belong to the
university church. They are our
00:12:33.28\00:12:38.59
young. And we are grateful. So,
let's pray and then go, please.
00:12:38.59\00:12:43.89
Oh, God. that's a wonderful
prayer, "Father, Lead Me Day by
00:12:43.89\00:12:48.63
Day." What else could we ask on
this eve of a new year? And we
00:12:48.63\00:12:55.97
do thank you for the children --
Harald and all of them. They're
doing -- The children
00:12:55.97\00:13:01.78
that are coming next week, new
students at this university,
they're all children.
00:13:01.78\00:13:05.78
They're your children. We're all
your children. So speak to us
00:13:05.78\00:13:09.58
these few moments we have
together. We humbly pray in
00:13:09.58\00:13:16.42
Jesus' name. Amen. And "Moses
answered, 'We will go with our
00:13:16.42\00:13:22.46
young and our old, with our sons
and our daughters, and with our
flocks and herds, because we are
00:13:22.46\00:13:30.14
to celebrate a
festival to the Lord.'"
00:13:30.14\00:13:32.61
Philip Gulley, a
Quaker minister, has written
00:13:36.38\00:13:40.15
a whimsical book.
Title of the book --
00:13:40.15\00:13:42.45
"Front Porch Tales:
Stories of Family, Faith,
00:13:42.45\00:13:45.02
Laughter and Love." And
it's full of all of that.
00:13:45.02\00:13:49.46
One of his
childhood recollections
00:13:49.46\00:13:51.39
is of a time in which --
well, I'll let him put it here.
00:13:51.39\00:13:54.63
So I'm quoting Gulley
now. "My family drove off
00:13:54.63\00:13:59.43
and forgot me. We
were on vacation --
00:13:59.43\00:14:02.87
five kids, Mom, and Dad.
00:14:02.87\00:14:05.17
And we stopped to eat at a
Stuckey's." You have to go to
00:14:05.21\00:14:09.14
first service to know what a
Stuckey's is. [ Light laughter ]
"I was in the bathroom when they
00:14:09.14\00:14:14.82
climbed back in the car and
headed out. They went 20 miles
00:14:14.82\00:14:19.85
before discovering they were
short a kid." [ Light laughter ]
00:14:19.85\00:14:24.13
"Took a quick vote and decided
to come back for me." [ Laughter
00:14:24.13\00:14:29.06
] "It was almost a tie, but at
the last minute, Mom changed her
00:14:29.06\00:14:33.80
mind." [ Laughter ] Oh, who
would ever leave a child behind?
00:14:33.80\00:14:40.64
Hmm.
00:14:40.64\00:14:42.91
And :Moses answered, 'We will
go with our young and our old,
00:14:46.82\00:14:53.22
with our sons and our daughters,
because we are to celebrate a
festival to the Lord.'"
00:14:53.22\00:15:00.90
The land of Egypt is wracked
and ruined by this devastating
00:15:00.90\00:15:07.07
assault of divine plagues like
precision missiles,
laser-guided, one after another
00:15:07.07\00:15:12.74
of the pantheon of the pagan
countries' gods eliminated. But
the pagan monarch is
00:15:12.74\00:15:22.58
desperate to cut one more deal.
"Okay, okay, okay. But you leave
00:15:22.58\00:15:32.93
your children." Moses --
unequivocal. "No deal with this
wily king. Our children shall go
00:15:32.93\00:15:44.61
with us." Hmm.
Period. We gather today
00:15:46.94\00:15:53.58
because this institution -- if
you're talking about the
university, if you're talking
00:15:53.58\00:15:57.19
about the congregation --
this institution long ago made a
00:15:57.19\00:16:01.62
solemn vow -- a perpetual
covenant, if you please -- "Our
children shall go with us."
00:16:01.62\00:16:09.56
We will not go alone. We will
not leave them behind. The
children coming next week,
00:16:09.56\00:16:18.11
the children the week after, we
will not go alone. They shall go
00:16:18.11\00:16:25.18
with us. No other reason
supersedes this one in our
raison d'être. No greater reason
00:16:25.18\00:16:31.85
can Andrews and Pioneer find to
validate our existence than this
one -- "Our children shall go
00:16:31.85\00:16:38.56
with us." That is precisely
Jesus' powerful point, and we
00:16:38.56\00:16:42.90
need to get it. Open your Bible
to Matthew chapter 18. Matthew
00:16:42.90\00:16:46.77
18. We're going to begin
in verse 1. And while you're
00:16:46.77\00:16:49.60
finding it, let me just remind
you, as if I have to, that Jesus
was huge on the young.
00:16:49.60\00:16:55.51
In a society where children were
to be seen but not heard --
quite unlike ours --
00:16:55.51\00:17:00.35
Jesus kept pulling children into
the center of attention. You
00:17:00.35\00:17:04.92
think about it. Two of his three
miracles are for kids. The first
one is a 12-year-old
00:17:04.92\00:17:11.69
only daughter. The second
one is a teenage only son.
00:17:11.69\00:17:17.60
I had worship with Andrews
Academy faculty this Monday, and
00:17:17.60\00:17:21.84
we spent some time thinking
about that boy in a little
mountain village called Nain.
00:17:21.84\00:17:27.28
His mother's a widow. That
boy was her only sustenance,
00:17:27.28\00:17:31.68
her sole provider. But when
Jesus -- and I told the faculty,
00:17:31.68\00:17:37.45
by the way, he's a teenager.
They said, "How can you find it?
00:17:37.45\00:17:39.95
It's not in the record." I said,
"Watch this." When Jesus raises
00:17:39.95\00:17:43.49
the boy back up, the first words
-- the very next words in the
Gospel are, 'He sat up and began
00:17:43.49\00:17:50.40
to talk.' And who loves
talking more than teenagers?"
00:17:50.40\00:17:53.84
And when he's up, said, "Where
were we when I fell asleep?"
Jesus was huge on the young.
00:17:53.84\00:18:00.64
When the children shouted
hosannas in the church, grumpy
old Pharisees walked over
00:18:00.64\00:18:04.85
and said, "Come on, can't you
hush up these kids?" And Jesus
00:18:04.85\00:18:09.15
said, "Do you know what? God has
ordained the praise that they're
speaking right now."
00:18:09.15\00:18:13.72
On another occasion, Jesus went
so far as to say Heaven is for
00:18:13.72\00:18:19.59
the young. I'm telling you, he
was huge on the young. And so,
00:18:19.59\00:18:23.03
when the disciples come elbowing
their way into Jesus' attention
that day in Matthew 18,
00:18:23.03\00:18:27.80
they have one question on
their minds. It's not kids, it's
00:18:27.80\00:18:31.81
themselves. "Yo, Master, which
one of us is the greatest? Me or
he, me or he, me or he,
00:18:31.81\00:18:35.54
me or he, me or he?" Jesus says,
"You missed it all." Let's go,
00:18:35.54\00:18:44.59
Matthew: 18, right there at the
top, New International Version.
00:18:44.59\00:18:47.59
Here we go. "And at that time,
the disciples came to Jesus and
asked, 'Who, then, is the
00:18:47.59\00:18:51.76
greatest in the Kingdom of
heaven?' And Jesus called a
little child to Him and
00:18:51.76\00:18:55.43
placed the child among
them." And I love the way Mark
00:18:55.43\00:18:58.53
described it. Jesus puts his
arms around the child, so He's
just holding that child.
00:18:58.53\00:19:01.80
Was it a girl? Was it a boy?
We don't know. But He wraps the
00:19:01.80\00:19:05.61
child. What a picture of Jesus.
What a tender thought. He just
00:19:05.61\00:19:11.51
hugs the child. "He places the
child among them." And then he
00:19:11.51\00:19:15.62
says to the boys, "Truly, I tell
you, unless you change and
become like little children,
00:19:15.62\00:19:20.26
you will never enter the Kingdom
of heaven. Therefore, whoever
00:19:20.26\00:19:24.23
takes the lowly position of this
child is the greatest in the
00:19:24.23\00:19:28.13
Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever
welcomes one such child in My
name welcomes Me.'"
00:19:28.13\00:19:33.44
Isn't that beautiful? "Whoever
welcomes one child welcomes Me."
00:19:33.44\00:19:39.84
In a few days, we're going to
welcome a whole lot of "childs"
who are coming to this
00:19:39.84\00:19:44.78
university for the first time.
Yes, we are. And this is -- this
00:19:44.78\00:19:48.52
is a big deal now, because for
two years, Pioneer has not been
able to host its annual
00:19:48.52\00:19:53.22
new student dinner, where we
put tables out under all those
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.79
trees. And we have them sit
down, and we're giving them
home-cooked meals and food.
00:19:56.79\00:20:01.20
And, ah, so now, after two years
missing it, we get to do it.
Speaking of "welcome,"
00:20:01.20\00:20:08.47
we get to do it. By the way, so
many of you -- true story -- so
00:20:08.47\00:20:14.64
many of you have promised to
bring food that we need more
families to host a table
00:20:14.64\00:20:21.22
and bring no food. [
Light laughter ] No, seriously.
00:20:21.22\00:20:25.32
"Good for Pioneer," I'm saying
to Pioneer. So, listen, if you
00:20:25.32\00:20:29.39
would be willing to host a meal,
somebody else has made the food.
But you're going to sit
00:20:29.39\00:20:32.93
at that table and just love on
those kids for the few minutes
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.86
that you're with them, on behalf
of this campus congregation. You
just do that number,
00:20:35.86\00:20:40.04
269-281-2345, and you just
text the word "picnic." I'll be
00:20:40.04\00:20:45.81
there, and we'll count on you.
We need you. Well, how does the
00:20:45.81\00:20:49.88
line go? "And whoever welcomes
one such child in My name
welcomes Me." And I know what
00:20:49.88\00:20:54.98
you're thinking. "Yeah, do I?
But that is talking about tiny
tots, and these are not
00:20:54.98\00:20:58.42
tiny tots coming to us." You are
wrong. And now I'm going to show
00:20:58.42\00:21:02.92
you. The very next verse, Jesus
pivots on His sandal and, oh,
00:21:02.92\00:21:08.80
boy, here He goes. Matthew 18:6
-- here it comes. "'And if
anyone --'" By the way, fellows,
00:21:08.80\00:21:13.67
"'If anyone causes one of these
little ones --" the Greek word
for "little" is "micro."
00:21:13.67\00:21:19.91
Micron. So, everybody
knows what "micro" is.
00:21:19.91\00:21:22.38
There's macro and there's micro.
Everybody knows micro is small,
00:21:22.38\00:21:27.15
little. "Well, see, I told you,
Dwight, they're tiny tots." Keep
00:21:27.15\00:21:30.95
reading. "'If anyone causes one
of these little ones -- those
who believe in Me --'"
00:21:30.95\00:21:35.92
Intellectual ascent is going
on. There's cognition. They're
00:21:35.92\00:21:41.43
making choices. You don't have
tiny tots doing that. So now
he's raised the bar,
00:21:41.43\00:21:46.20
and come to find out, many
scholars believe that, in fact,
00:21:46.20\00:21:49.80
he's talking about new
believers. You can be any age
and be in that category.
00:21:49.80\00:21:54.34
"'If anyone causes one of these
little ones -- those who believe
in Me -- to stumble --'"
00:21:54.34\00:21:59.38
Stop. Hold it. The Greek
word is scandalized right there.
00:21:59.38\00:22:02.88
Scandalize. So, whatever is
going to come, this is -- this
00:22:02.88\00:22:10.26
is scandalous. "'If anyone
causes one of these little ones
-- those who believe in Me -- to
00:22:10.26\00:22:14.03
stumble --'" keep reading --
"'it would be better for them to
have a large millstone hung
00:22:14.03\00:22:19.03
around their neck and to be
drowned in the depths of the
00:22:19.03\00:22:23.91
sea.'" End quote. This is
provocative stuff. Can you
believe it? Frederick Dale
00:22:23.91\00:22:32.65
Bruner, in his marvelous
two-volume commentary on the
Book of Matthew, he unpacks this
00:22:32.65\00:22:39.82
for us. So let's do -- Let's go
to his unpacking. "The millstone
00:22:39.82\00:22:44.86
of which Jesus speaks is not the
small, hand-operated --" You
know that little, round
00:22:44.86\00:22:47.36
thing? Shh-shh-shh-shhh.
No, it's not that.
00:22:47.36\00:22:49.70
"But the large, mule-driven
one --" it's huge -- "making the
00:22:49.70\00:22:56.37
picture particularly grotesque."
Because what did Jesus say? What
are you going to do
00:22:56.37\00:23:00.48
with that large stone? "When
Jesus says that it would be
better to be drowned
00:23:00.48\00:23:06.25
with this stone around the neck
than to trip up even one little
00:23:06.25\00:23:10.62
one --" and, remember, anybody
fits in the "little one" -- "He
means that it would be a
00:23:10.62\00:23:16.46
blessing if a person died this
awful death before misleading a
little one by false teaching or
00:23:16.46\00:23:22.66
false living and so
suffer eternal damnation." Whew!
00:23:22.66\00:23:28.54
That's pretty heavy. What's
going on here? You know what's
00:23:28.54\00:23:34.81
going on? Jesus is quietly, but
seriously, upping the ante. He's
00:23:34.81\00:23:41.42
raising the bar on the high
price, even the the higher
expectations that attend
00:23:41.42\00:23:46.05
spiritual leadership. And
anybody that works at a
Christian university wants to
00:23:46.05\00:23:51.86
be known as a spiritual leader.
It doesn't matter what
discipline you represent.
00:23:51.86\00:23:56.60
We're all spiritual leaders. And
he's just raised the bar on us.
00:23:56.60\00:24:01.77
Whoa. Apparently, spiritual
leaders for Christ must be on
00:24:01.77\00:24:10.01
the alert, on the lookout for
that which would scandalize --
to borrow Jesus' language --
00:24:10.01\00:24:15.02
that which would scandalize a
young or a new believer into a
path of certain doom.
00:24:15.02\00:24:22.72
"What in the world, Dwight, are
you talking about?" I spent part
00:24:22.72\00:24:30.17
of my study break this summer
drilling down on this insidious
00:24:30.17\00:24:36.81
killer arrow in Satan's demonic
quiver -- the arrow that he has
00:24:36.81\00:24:42.91
saved till last.
Poison arrow. Wshooh! Phhh!
00:24:42.91\00:24:47.95
That arrow. "But what
are you talking about?"
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.95
I'm talking about pornography
and sexual addiction. That
00:24:50.95\00:24:56.62
arrow. You know what the truth
is? I realized this summer,
pornography, sexual addiction --
00:24:56.62\00:25:01.93
one leads to the other. One
leads to the other. It doesn't
00:25:01.93\00:25:07.84
matter. You're dead meat either
way. Whoa. How insidious, how
00:25:07.84\00:25:15.24
deadly is this last arrow in his
quiver? Let me run a few numbers
by -- there are books of
00:25:15.24\00:25:21.85
numbers, but I've picked seven.
So, I'm going to run seven stats
00:25:21.85\00:25:26.76
by you right now. Stat number
one -- "Porn is a global,
estimated $97 billion industry,
00:25:26.76\00:25:32.66
with about $12 billion of that
coming from the U.S." China is
the highest in the world
00:25:32.66\00:25:35.93
in consumption of pornography,
but the U.S. is right behind.
00:25:35.93\00:25:41.57
Stat number two -- "In 2019
alone, the equivalent of nearly
6,650 centuries --" When I wrote
00:25:41.57\00:25:49.28
this down, I thought it meant
years. And suddenly, I realized
when I was going over it
00:25:49.28\00:25:52.91
with a PowerPoint producer
Friday, I realized, "Good night,
that word is 'centuries.'"
00:25:52.91\00:25:58.65
6,650 centuries. That would
be 665,000 years of porn was
00:25:58.65\00:26:07.83
consumed on one of the world's
largest porn sites. And they're
00:26:07.83\00:26:10.97
proud of it. Not going to tell
you what that porn site is, but
00:26:10.97\00:26:14.07
they're boasting. "6,650
centuries have been spent with
human beings looking at that
00:26:14.07\00:26:18.97
screen and consuming our
product." You can't believe it.
Stat number three -- "One out of
00:26:18.97\00:26:26.98
three Americans seeks out porn
at least once a month -- 32%.
49% of Americans never seek out
00:26:26.98\00:26:33.46
porn." Well, at last, some good
news, that less than half of the
00:26:33.46\00:26:36.89
nation doesn't even look. Stat
number four -- "49% of young
00:26:36.89\00:26:41.36
adults -- college students --
32% for teens -- say all or most
00:26:41.36\00:26:45.50
of their friends use porn
regularly." I had a kid from the
academy in my office this last
00:26:45.50\00:26:49.94
winter, and that's exactly what
he told me. He said, "Everybody
00:26:49.94\00:26:52.84
does it. Everybody." Really?
What is this, number five?
00:26:52.84\00:26:58.31
"51% of all Americans seek
out porn at least occasionally."
00:26:58.31\00:27:03.15
Half the nation. "57% of young
adults -- 18 to 25 -- seek porn
at least once a month."
00:27:03.15\00:27:07.92
That's our college age now. Six
-- "Practicing Christians --"
00:27:07.92\00:27:12.56
this is a quote from Barna's
research -- "Practicing
Christians do, indeed, seek out
00:27:12.56\00:27:17.03
porn much less frequently than
other teens and adults." And
00:27:17.03\00:27:22.14
that's good news. "Just 2% of
practicing Christians search for
porn daily, compared to 8% of
00:27:22.14\00:27:26.14
the other Americans. Seven in 10
practicing Christians -- 72% --
00:27:26.14\00:27:30.38
report never searching for porn
--" God bless you -- "compared
to 39% of those who
00:27:30.38\00:27:35.35
do not practice Christianity."
So Christianity does have an
effect -- holding back.
00:27:35.35\00:27:42.09
But there's -- there's one
more quote. This is significant.
00:27:42.09\00:27:47.30
This is number seven. "A
low-priority faith is strongly
00:27:47.30\00:27:52.37
correlated with more frequent
porn seeking. In fact,
self-identifying Christians --"
00:27:52.37\00:27:56.37
"Are you a Christian?
"Yeah." "Are you an Adventist?"
00:27:56.37\00:27:58.67
"Yeah." "Self-identifying
Christians who do not consider
00:27:58.67\00:28:01.74
their faith important --" "I'm
just following along because Mom
00:28:01.74\00:28:05.68
and Dad are there. It's not a
big deal for me. I'm not in it."
"Self-identifying Christians
00:28:05.68\00:28:10.19
who do not consider their faith
important are more likely than
the national average
00:28:10.19\00:28:15.66
to seek out porn daily,
weekly, once or twice a month."
00:28:15.66\00:28:21.60
Unbelievable. What's this
telling me? What's this telling
00:28:21.60\00:28:24.70
you? Just because students
are on our three campuses
00:28:24.73\00:28:27.60
and say they are Adventists
or Christians does not mean
00:28:27.60\00:28:30.14
they are not regular users
and consumers of pornography.
00:28:30.14\00:28:34.01
And by the way, that
would apply to adults.
00:28:34.01\00:28:35.51
Just because you teach or
work in a Christian university
00:28:35.51\00:28:38.31
does not mean you
are not a sexual addict.
00:28:38.31\00:28:41.85
That's what it's saying.
The lines between the world
00:28:41.85\00:28:46.35
and church have
become hopelessly blurred.
00:28:46.35\00:28:49.49
But this much, we can
know -- going back to Jesus
00:28:49.49\00:28:51.29
in Matthew 18.
00:28:51.29\00:28:52.59
He is unequivocal in his warning
against spiritual leaders.
You're talking about parents
00:28:52.63\00:28:56.60
and teachers and pastors and
chaplains and professors and
spiritual volunteers
00:28:56.60\00:29:00.37
of all stripes, Sabbath-school
teachers and elders.
00:29:00.37\00:29:06.37
Jesus is warning us against
doing anything to cause the
00:29:06.37\00:29:12.95
youth -- to cause the young
believers to endanger and even
00:29:12.95\00:29:19.15
lose their souls. He could
hardly be more stern in the
warning. Come on. Matthew 18:6
00:29:19.15\00:29:25.79
again. "'If anyone causes one of
these little ones -- those who
believe in Me -- to stumble,
00:29:25.79\00:29:31.13
it would be better for them
to have a large millstone hung
00:29:31.13\00:29:34.67
around their neck and to be
drowned in the depths of the
sea.'" Talking about a bright
00:29:34.67\00:29:40.94
red-letter warning. Wow. Jesus
seems like he's really ticked
00:29:40.94\00:29:44.88
off. No, he's not really ticked
off. But he really loves
children of all ages.
00:29:44.88\00:29:52.79
He loves children. And if
you make that child lost...
00:29:52.79\00:29:59.59
There are some who, in the
name of compassion and tolerance
00:30:04.40\00:30:11.07
and broad-mindedness, like they
like to say, are unwittingly,
00:30:11.07\00:30:16.21
unintentionally pushing a
sexual-addiction advocacy that
00:30:16.21\00:30:23.79
can go like this. "Hey, listen,
girl. Hey, boy, I'm not against
that. I mean, look, look,
00:30:23.79\00:30:27.79
everybody's different, and
everybody has a right to enjoy
sexual expression the
00:30:27.79\00:30:31.59
way they feel is right to them.
So don't worry about it." But,
00:30:31.59\00:30:40.77
frankly. that no-stand kind
of stance can push boys in their
00:30:40.77\00:30:49.18
early 20s, can push girls in
that same age bracket, can push
00:30:49.18\00:30:55.85
them into a way of sexual living
that will end up in the
scandalizing loss of their
00:30:55.85\00:31:02.52
souls. That's the point.
00:31:02.52\00:31:04.19
It is not compassion. I
don't care how you describe it.
00:31:08.90\00:31:12.33
It is not compassion to turn
a blind eye to what you know is
00:31:12.33\00:31:17.64
wrong. It is not compassion to
say, "Hey, it's different
strokes for different folks."
00:31:17.64\00:31:22.11
That isn't compassion at all.
That's culpability. And you're
00:31:22.11\00:31:30.12
pushing him. "Go, girl. Come
on." Why would you do that? Why
would you want to do that?
00:31:30.12\00:31:38.63
Jesus is right. There is a high
price for those who are called
00:31:41.80\00:31:45.17
to spiritual leadership. Is it
too high a price? I think not.
00:31:45.17\00:31:49.37
Hey, listen, there's no higher
privilege in life than to be
00:31:49.37\00:31:53.68
called by Jesus, as you have
been called and as I I've been
called, to shepherd children of
00:31:53.68\00:31:59.45
the faith, to say to them, "No,
no, no, no, no, hey, hey, hey,
don't go -- don't, don't, don't,
00:31:59.45\00:32:03.08
don't, don't. Don't go down
there. Yeah, yeah, come back,
00:32:03.08\00:32:05.82
come back, come back, come
back." No, no, no, no, no. To
shepherd, to guard,
00:32:05.82\00:32:10.99
to protect, to love on the
young, who can be every age in
the heart of Jesus.
00:32:10.99\00:32:19.83
And by the way, you don't do
that as a policeman. You do that
00:32:19.83\00:32:24.14
as a spiritual guardian, a
mentor. Think seriously about
what you say to kids.
00:32:24.14\00:32:32.95
Think seriously about what you
publicly advocate. And don't --
00:32:32.95\00:32:38.05
don't mistake your tolerance for
compassion. That's all. It's not
00:32:38.05\00:32:46.26
compassion. And by the way, to
help you be that mentor, that
spiritual friend, this fall --
00:32:51.60\00:32:57.27
We got our lead chaplain sitting
on the front row, José Bourget.
00:32:57.27\00:33:03.21
This fall, the Center for Faith
Engagement has invited Pioneer
to join them in sponsoring a
00:33:03.21\00:33:08.72
sexual-purity conference called
"Pure Desire" in October. And
I'm going to give you
00:33:08.72\00:33:12.32
the dates in October. This
outside organization will come
00:33:12.32\00:33:17.19
onto our campus for a Friday
night and a Sabbath conference,
the likes of which we have never
00:33:17.19\00:33:20.60
seen on this campus. And it'll
be dealing, this conference,
00:33:20.60\00:33:25.97
with sexual addiction, sexual
freedom, and sexual purity, from
a Christian point of view.
00:33:25.97\00:33:31.44
Okay? Because they
will charge all attendees,
00:33:31.44\00:33:36.01
Pioneer is going to raise the
money to greatly reduce the
per-attendee charge.
00:33:36.01\00:33:41.82
And by the way -- of course,
you're right -- students are our
00:33:41.82\00:33:44.72
first priority. Is that not
right? Students are our first
priority, but also high
00:33:44.72\00:33:48.52
on the priority list are
teachers, our volunteer leaders,
00:33:48.52\00:33:51.56
spiritual mentors, chaplains,
pastors, parents, elders. Why?
00:33:51.56\00:33:56.06
Because -- The
Sabbath-school teachers. Why?
00:33:56.06\00:33:58.53
Because it takes a village to
raise a child. Can't just say,
00:33:58.53\00:34:01.57
"You got to raise a child." No,
it takes a village, or at least
00:34:01.57\00:34:04.84
a campus, to raise a child. And
so they're reminding everybody
00:34:04.84\00:34:10.85
to sign up. More on that later.
But the point is, we can't just
sit here and cluck our tongues.
00:34:10.85\00:34:15.48
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, oh, what a
mess this world is in," wringing
00:34:15.48\00:34:19.19
our hands, "What shall we
do? What shall we do?" Nonsense.
00:34:19.19\00:34:22.26
We act. We act.
00:34:22.26\00:34:24.83
Because sexual-purity leadership
means we lead the way. Which
00:34:29.73\00:34:39.11
leads to one more statistic. I
wish I didn't have to share this
00:34:39.11\00:34:42.08
one. This will be number eight.
From Barna. "Barna research in
00:34:42.08\00:34:47.88
its national survey discovered
one in five youth pastors -- 21%
-- and one in seven
00:34:47.88\00:34:53.36
senior pastors -- 14% --
'admitted they were currently
00:34:53.36\00:34:57.69
using porn.'" It's
an anonymous survey.
00:34:57.69\00:34:59.23
"About half do so at least a few
times per month, and the vast
00:35:02.23\00:35:07.80
majority feels guilt or shame
when they do so. More than half
the youth pastors who use porn
00:35:07.80\00:35:13.34
-- 56% -- and one-third of the
senior pastors who use porn --
33% -- believe they are
00:35:13.34\00:35:20.55
addicted." It's sad. It's the
truth. Now, before you put on
00:35:20.55\00:35:26.52
your pharisaical garbs and look
down that long nose of yours, if
00:35:26.52\00:35:33.40
those numbers are true for
pastors, what's to say they
aren't true for professors?
00:35:33.40\00:35:39.70
What's to say those numbers
aren't true for teachers? What's
to say those numbers
00:35:39.70\00:35:44.17
aren't true for
spiritual leaders? Apparently.
00:35:44.17\00:35:50.48
Frederick Dale Bruner, again,
draws from Jesus' words this
00:35:50.48\00:35:59.05
somber caveat. "One's eroticism
--" we'll just call that sexual
addiction, okay? -- One sexual
00:35:59.05\00:36:05.49
addiction "may be breaking out
in one's conversation," and one
00:36:05.49\00:36:09.93
has no idea what's happened.
"Nobody knows about me. Nobody
knows what I'm doing,"
00:36:09.93\00:36:15.40
you may think, but Bruner has
a point. "One's sexual addiction
00:36:15.40\00:36:24.58
may be breaking out in one's
conversation --" unwittingly --
"in one's lifestyle,
00:36:24.58\00:36:29.28
and in one's teaching more often
than one realizes, with
deleterious effects
00:36:29.28\00:36:35.76
on the community." We all
suffer. You don't know it.
00:36:35.76\00:36:44.70
But we've been affected. It
doesn't matter what you teach.
00:36:44.70\00:36:48.44
It doesn't matter what you do.
My. So, apparently, you're not
00:36:48.44\00:36:55.38
just hurting yourself.
00:36:55.38\00:36:57.38
In other words, if you yourself,
as a spiritual leader in any
form, are struggling
00:36:59.71\00:37:05.15
with porn and sex addiction, you
are a wounded practitioner whose
addiction is subtly
00:37:05.15\00:37:11.73
but negatively impacting all the
children you teach, no matter
00:37:11.73\00:37:17.77
their age, no matter your
subject, which means the
emphasis this fall has to be on
00:37:17.77\00:37:22.30
us -- me, you, all of us. Jesus
has all the power. We all need
00:37:22.30\00:37:32.71
to be set free from all our
addictions. And we all have
addictions. So that's good news
00:37:32.71\00:37:41.42
for all of us. How did he put
it? Ah. The Sermon on the Mount
00:37:41.42\00:37:46.29
-- "Blessed are the pure in
heart," He said, "for they shall
00:37:46.29\00:37:52.47
see God." That's a beautiful
text. "Call upon Me," quoting
00:37:52.47\00:37:58.17
the same God -- "Call upon Me
in the day of trouble, and I'll
00:37:58.17\00:38:00.71
deliver you." "Yes, I will."
"And you will glorify Me." Oh,
00:38:00.71\00:38:04.05
yes, you will. "What a testimony
I'm going to give you when I
deliver you." Here's another
00:38:04.05\00:38:08.42
one, "For I will contend with
him," that dark warrior with his
00:38:08.42\00:38:14.89
deadly arrow. "I will contend
with him, who contends with you,
and I will save your children."
00:38:14.89\00:38:20.06
Can I get an amen to that
promise? "I will save those
00:38:20.06\00:38:23.70
children. I want to use you, but
I don't have to use you. I need
00:38:23.70\00:38:27.97
to use you. I will contend with
the one who contends with you,
and I'll save your children.
00:38:27.97\00:38:31.31
Your children. Your
children -- I'll save them."
00:38:31.31\00:38:37.61
I remind you, this same Jesus
contends with that mutual enemy
00:38:37.61\00:38:44.35
at the Cross, in that mortal
battle, down to the last dying
breath. It is hand-to-hand
00:38:44.35\00:38:51.36
combat at Calvary. And when he
wins a victory -- oh, I love the
00:38:51.36\00:38:56.23
way Paul comes along and says,
"Let me tell you about that
victory at Calvary."
00:38:56.23\00:38:58.30
This is Colossians 2:15 --
one of my now-favorite verses.
00:38:58.30\00:39:03.07
Colossians 2:15 -- "And having
disarmed the powers and
authorities, Jesus made a public
00:39:03.07\00:39:07.81
spectacle of them, triumphing
over them by the Cross." Isn't
that good news? Wow.
00:39:07.81\00:39:13.48
Triumphing over them. Lucifer
has been shamed ever since
00:39:13.48\00:39:20.72
Calvary. Shamed in the eyes of
the universe. "Look what you did
00:39:20.72\00:39:26.19
to the King." But by the King's
victory, look what He can do --
Jesus -- for you and me.
00:39:26.19\00:39:33.17
Ah. Everything we need for a
life of purity is already ours
00:39:33.17\00:39:39.27
in our Lord Jesus Christ. He's
the one that makes it come true.
00:39:39.27\00:39:45.25
"Blessed are the pure in heart."
He'll make that true for you and
00:39:45.25\00:39:50.55
me. "Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they should see God."
Hey, listen, I want to be pure
00:39:50.55\00:39:55.46
in heart, don't you? I want
to have the purity of Jesus.
00:39:55.46\00:40:02.16
I don't want anything impure
in my life. Jesus, I want to be
00:40:02.16\00:40:08.40
like you. That's what spiritual
leaders are. They want to be
00:40:08.40\00:40:12.44
like Jesus. And I want to
protect every child You send to
me, Jesus. Every -- Every
00:40:12.44\00:40:17.48
student that you entrust to me,
I want to protect that child. I
don't want to send her,
00:40:17.48\00:40:22.95
I don't want to send him down a
scandalized pathway that ends in
00:40:22.95\00:40:30.26
doom and death. So help me,
please. So help me, God. That's
00:40:30.26\00:40:36.10
what I want. Don't you
want that? Come on. Spiritual
00:40:36.10\00:40:39.80
leaders, I know. I know. "Our
children shall go with us." And
00:40:39.80\00:40:49.14
by His grace, they shall go with
us. We're going, and they'll go
00:40:49.14\00:40:54.62
with us. So we come to that
moment when we have a chance, as
a campus -- three campuses
00:40:54.62\00:40:59.52
and one congregation -- to go
online -- to go on -- put it on
00:40:59.52\00:41:05.89
the line, put it on the banner,
"I want to be that kind of a
leader, by the grace
00:41:05.89\00:41:10.27
of the Lord Jesus Christ." I'm
not raising my hand because I'm
00:41:10.27\00:41:13.57
perfect. No, but I want to be
that kind of a leader that
points people to purity
00:41:13.57\00:41:20.14
in Jesus. So, this
will be time number 10th.
00:41:20.14\00:41:24.95
Time number 10th. [ Chuckles ]
Oh, my, the years have flown by
00:41:24.95\00:41:29.65
since 2013.
00:41:29.65\00:41:31.05
Turns out, this
will be our president's
00:41:31.09\00:41:33.09
and my last time to officiate
at this unforgettable moment.
00:41:33.09\00:41:38.56
But what an honor, for
the 10th time, to invite you.
00:41:38.56\00:41:43.06
You say, "Who are
you talking to, Dwight?"
00:41:43.06\00:41:44.60
I'm talking, as a symbol
of our new year's dedication
00:41:44.60\00:41:46.50
to spiritual leaders,
I'm talking about every
00:41:46.50\00:41:48.54
teacher -- private,
public school, homeschool,
00:41:48.54\00:41:50.84
doesn't matter. I'm
talking about all faculty,
00:41:50.84\00:41:52.67
staff, and administration
on all three campuses.
00:41:52.67\00:41:55.04
I'm talking this year about
adding the spiritual leaders
00:41:55.04\00:41:57.55
of children at Pioneer.
So if you're working with
00:41:57.55\00:42:00.05
children downstairs, I'm
inviting you to come forward,
00:42:00.05\00:42:02.85
as well. You're an
elder, I'm inviting
00:42:02.85\00:42:04.35
you to come
forward. Put your name up.
00:42:04.35\00:42:06.69
Chaplains, come on.
We'll all do it together.
00:42:06.72\00:42:11.43
We're not doing this for anybody
but for our Lord Jesus. But I
00:42:14.63\00:42:19.37
got to admit, it's a joy to be
able to put your name there and
know that by the grace of God,
00:42:19.37\00:42:23.61
I've made a decision this New
Year to be the leader you need
00:42:23.61\00:42:27.74
me to be. And I'm saying that,
too. Is it coming down? I'm just
trusting that it is.
00:42:27.74\00:42:35.12
I haven't looked yet. Okay, now,
here's the deal this time,
because I know you're
00:42:35.12\00:42:40.86
really concerned about this.
Just two squirts will do it, and
just be wiping your hands
00:42:40.86\00:42:45.39
all the way back to your
pew. Alright? So, our organ
00:42:45.39\00:42:48.63
is going to begin playing.
There's no fancy fanfare. At the
00:42:48.63\00:42:52.20
end, our president will get up,
Andrea Luxton, and she will lead
00:42:52.20\00:42:55.80
us in the litany of dedication.
You say, "Where is that?" It's
00:42:55.80\00:42:58.47
in your bulletin. It's right
there in your bulletin. And we
00:42:58.47\00:43:00.74
will read that responsively with
our president in just a few
moments. But, first, come on.
00:43:00.74\00:43:05.08
Let's say you'll be the brave
one that will step out and say,
"Dwight, I'm a part of that
00:43:05.08\00:43:09.48
category. I'm a spiritual leader
on this campus, and you can
00:43:09.48\00:43:12.45
count me in." And you just grab
one of these red pens, and I'll
00:43:12.45\00:43:15.69
be out of your way, and you just
walk up there. And we need the
00:43:15.69\00:43:19.19
taller ones. Come on, if you are
tall, you got to go up here.
Don't right in the box.
00:43:19.19\00:43:24.57
But go up here and fill up the
white space there. [ Indistinct
00:43:24.57\00:43:32.27
conversations ] ¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:43:32.27\00:44:00.60
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:44:00.60\00:44:28.83
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:44:28.83\00:44:55.76
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:44:55.76\00:45:22.68
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:45:22.68\00:45:48.84
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:45:48.84\00:46:15.04
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:46:15.04\00:46:38.33
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:46:38.33\00:47:01.65
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:47:01.65\00:47:27.21
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:47:27.21\00:47:53.90
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:47:53.90\00:48:20.06
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:48:20.06\00:48:45.79
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:48:45.79\00:49:12.01
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:49:12.01\00:49:38.37
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:49:38.37\00:50:02.06
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:02.06\00:50:24.45
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:24.45\00:50:46.81
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:50:46.81\00:51:09.20
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:51:09.20\00:51:31.59
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:51:31.59\00:51:54.31
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:51:54.31\00:52:17.13
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:17.13\00:52:39.49
¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:52:39.49\00:53:01.71
¤¤ ¤¤ [
Indistinct conversations ]
00:53:01.71\00:53:18.49
>> If you would like to turn
with me now to your bulletins --
00:53:18.53\00:53:22.73
maybe it'll be up on the screen,
too -- we have a litany we're
00:53:22.73\00:53:26.43
going to read
together. And I will read
00:53:26.43\00:53:28.90
the leader's portion, and
I'll invite you to join me
00:53:28.90\00:53:32.81
in the people's
portion. Deuteronomy 6 and 7.
00:53:32.81\00:53:38.91
Our Lord and our God, as we
begin another academic year here
00:55:13.91\00:55:20.22
at Andrews University and in
the family of Pioneer Memorial
00:55:20.22\00:55:24.79
Church, we ask for
Your blessing with us.
00:55:24.79\00:55:30.16
We need You. You
have asked us to reach out
00:55:30.16\00:55:34.00
to You in our prayers
and ask for Your guidance.
00:55:34.00\00:55:37.90
And we do that today. We
know that we have a good year
00:55:37.90\00:55:42.50
ahead. We know that's because
00:55:42.50\00:55:45.94
we are asking You to be
with us during this year.
00:55:45.94\00:55:50.75
We pray for all those
who work on the campus
00:55:50.75\00:55:54.78
of Andrews
University, Andrews Academy,
00:55:54.78\00:55:58.02
Ruth Murdoch Elementary School.
00:55:58.02\00:56:01.06
Each of us needs You, Lord, and
we ask for that today. And we
00:56:01.09\00:56:08.56
pray, Lord, for every student
that is here and will be coming,
in the next day and the next
00:56:08.56\00:56:13.90
week and the next two weeks.
We ask that each of them, too,
00:56:13.90\00:56:18.81
receive a portion of Your
blessing as they come to this
campus, because it is all
00:56:18.81\00:56:25.61
together that we become a
community of faith -- a
community of faith that You have
00:56:25.61\00:56:31.09
called us to be. So today we
dedicate ourselves to You, with
the knowledge that You will
00:56:31.09\00:56:37.09
answer our prayers. I
pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:56:37.09\00:56:42.13
¤¤ ¤¤
00:56:42.13\00:56:52.44
>> Before you go, let
me take an extra moment
00:56:58.75\00:57:00.32
to share with you an opportunity
to get into the Bible
00:57:00.32\00:57:02.52
in a fresh, new way.
All across the world,
00:57:02.52\00:57:05.45
more and more people are hearing
the call to examine Scriptures
00:57:05.45\00:57:07.79
for themselves.
If you've felt drawn
00:57:07.79\00:57:10.43
to learn more about God's
Word, but you don't know where
00:57:10.43\00:57:12.63
to start, or you're just looking
for a more in-depth examination
00:57:12.63\00:57:15.56
of Bible truths, then I
have something right here
00:57:15.56\00:57:18.10
that I believe
you're going to enjoy.
00:57:18.10\00:57:20.14
I want to send a series
of guides to get you started.
00:57:20.14\00:57:22.64
This one is entitled "Why
Does God Allow Suffering?"
00:57:22.64\00:57:25.51
Each guide begins with a
story and an introduction of the
00:57:25.51\00:57:28.04
subject, then through a
series of focus questions.
00:57:28.04\00:57:30.81
You'll be learning
portions of the Bible
00:57:30.81\00:57:32.45
you may never have known
before, and when you're through,
00:57:32.45\00:57:34.42
you'll be able to share
with others some of these
00:57:34.42\00:57:36.38
inspiring Bible truths.
So just call our toll-free
00:57:36.38\00:57:39.12
number. It's on the screen.
00:57:39.12\00:57:40.39
877 -- the two words "His
will." Our friendly operators
00:57:40.39\00:57:44.23
are standing by to send
these study guides to you.
00:57:44.23\00:57:46.49
Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL.
Call that number, and then
00:57:46.49\00:57:51.43
again, join me next week
right here at the same time.
00:57:51.43\00:57:55.97
"New Perceptions." ¤¤
00:57:55.97\00:58:08.48
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:08.48\00:58:26.87