¤¤
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>> Welcome, everybody, to
PMC. How's everybody doing?
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If you're doing
well, wave your hand.
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Praise God,
praise God, praise God.
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We'll be singing songs of
praises together, and the first
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one that we're gonna sing is
"The Blood Will Never Lose Its
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Power." Shane.
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[ "The Blood Will Never
Lose Its Power" begins ]
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[ Speaks indistinctly ]
And because of God we'll never
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be the same again. I
don't know about you, but
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personally, from the time
I chose Christ as my personal
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savior, my life
has not been the same.
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I thought that
challenges would go away.
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No, they did not,
but I've been safe.
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So here's to never
being the same again.
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[ "I Will Never Be" begins ]
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Amen. Do you believe that?
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One thing I like about the
Watchmen, we like to sing from a
place of experience.
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And lately, personally, um...
experiencing a lot of anxiety,
stress, and then you have all
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these plans, and then it don't
seem to be working out. And then
all you see is fear.
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And you don't see joy, peace,
or happiness. But then remember
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what I stated on... When you
believe in God, He will protect
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you. That doesn't mean that he
will shield you from
experiencing anxiety,
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depression, stress. He will
protect you through all of that.
He will give you peace.
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He will give you joy. He will
give you love. And whatever
situation you might
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be going through, He's working
it out for your good. Keep on
believing on, keep on
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keeping on.
00:10:09.90\00:10:11.87
Philip. [ "Fear
is Not My Future"
00:10:11.91\00:10:15.81
begins ]
00:10:15.81\00:10:17.91
>> ¤ Steal away ¤ Steal
away ¤ Steal away to Jesus
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¤ Jesus ¤ Steal
away ¤ Steal away home
00:16:15.57\00:16:28.48
¤ I ain't got
long to stay here ¤
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¤ My Lord a-calls me ¤ Calls
me by the thunder ¤ The trumpet
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sounds within-a my soul ¤ ¤
I ain't got long to stay here ¤
00:17:05.89\00:17:23.54
¤ Green trees are bending ¤ Poor
sinner stands ¤ A-trembling,
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trembling, trembling, trembling
¤ ¤ Trembling ¤ The trumpet
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sounds within-a my soul ¤ ¤
I ain't got long to stay here ¤
00:17:51.73\00:18:08.78
¤ Steal away ¤ Steal away
00:18:20.23\00:18:31.57
¤ Steal away home
00:18:37.55\00:18:44.85
¤ Ahhhh ¤ Ahhhh ¤ Steal, steal
00:18:48.42\00:19:04.54
¤ Steal away home ¤ I see
the lightning ¤ The thunder
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and the lightning, O Lord ¤ ¤
The trumpet sounds within-a my
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soul ¤ ¤ I ain't got long ¤
I ain't got long ¤ I ain't got
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long to stay here ¤
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¤ My Lord calls me
00:20:18.08\00:20:27.86
¤ Calls me ¤ Home
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>> Amen.
00:20:51.21\00:20:52.21
>> I hear the trumpet calling.
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We ain't got long to stay here.
O God. We've stolen away from
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another eventful week. We've
stolen away into the quiet of
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this sanctuary. We have a few
minutes left. We need you to
speak really clear.
00:21:25.01\00:21:31.52
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:21:31.52\00:21:35.39
I hold in my hands a
pair of real live handcuffs
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from a deputy
sheriff in Berrien County.
00:21:45.90\00:21:49.10
These belong to him,
and he's here right now
00:21:49.10\00:21:52.81
to keep track of
them. Everywhere we're going
00:21:52.81\00:21:58.38
this morning in the story
we are about to share leads
00:21:58.38\00:22:01.08
to these handcuffs.
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If you don't get the handcuffs
at the end, it's just -- we've
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just blown these few minutes
together. We're going for the
handcuffs. But first, a story.
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Let's cut to the chase. Let's
put it on the screen. Luke 4.
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Last week we were with Jesus,
the three. massive temptations
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that He overcame for you and me.
Dr. Luke, the very next story.
After the three temptations.
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Here we go. Here it is on
the screen. "And Jesus went to
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Nazareth, where he had been
brought up." On the streets,
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they have a slang name for a boy
who comes home -- homeboy or a
homey. Jesus is a homeboy.
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He's got a lot of homeboys in
that town. Everybody knows him.
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He's been gone for two and a
half years -- no, one and a half
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years. Excuse me. One and a
half years. He has not come home
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since he went down and ended up
in that wilderness with those
three temptations. The homeboy
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is back. You can be sure church
is packed today. I mean, his
brothers are there.
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His sisters are there. And
his beloved mother, Mary, she's
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there. I'm telling you what,
Jesus -- No pressure, but you
got to perform, boy.
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This is a big deal. Oh, it's
true. People down south, you
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know, Jerusalem, Judea, they
got this stupid little proverb
00:23:27.20\00:23:31.14
about, "Can anything good come
out of Nazareth?" Well, you got
00:23:31.14\00:23:34.91
a good one right here, folks.
Sit down. Listen up. Here we go.
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Let's hit the pause button right
there. This is not the first
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time Jesus has stood in front,
as a homeboy, in front of his
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home church. When he was growing
up. We need to be reminded. The
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chazan -- that's the deacon
in the synagogue -- he picked
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somebody. "Okay, you're gonna
read today. You're gonna read
00:24:30.37\00:24:33.20
today, and here's where we're
going to read." And the
expectation is that once you
00:24:33.20\00:24:38.07
read, you give an exposition of
what you just read. And of
course, everybody's dying
00:24:38.07\00:24:42.68
to hear this homeboy preach.
They've heard the rumors out of
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Jerusalem, but they want to hear
it for themselves. So the chazan
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hands him the scrolls. Jesus
reads these words. "Preach to
00:24:53.39\00:25:03.50
us, preacher. Come on." So
he does. "Desire of Ages" does
00:25:03.50\00:25:10.37
remind us this isn't his first
time. "Often in the synagogue
00:25:10.37\00:25:13.94
on the Sabbath day Jesus was
called upon" -- as a young man
00:25:13.94\00:25:18.18
-- "to read the lesson from the
prophets..." Jesus is
unschooled, okay? He hasn't been
00:25:18.18\00:25:32.76
to seminary. But he reads Hebrew
beautifully. The common people
do not read Hebrew, so somebody
00:25:32.76\00:25:37.90
who can read Hebrew has to be
invited to stand up and unroll
the scroll. Jesus does.
00:25:37.90\00:25:43.97
I want you to look at that line
right there, because Dr. Luke,
when he's composing
00:26:00.06\00:26:04.43
this account -- and he's the
only one to tell us -- the word
-- he uses the Greek
00:26:04.43\00:26:10.57
word for "anoint," which
is chrio, from whence comes
00:26:10.57\00:26:16.94
Christos. And everybody knows
that Christ means the "anointed
one." In other words, the
00:26:16.94\00:26:21.91
Messiah. So Jesus opens his
mouth, the homeboy opens his
mouth and effectively declares,
00:26:21.91\00:26:27.12
"The Spirit of the Lord has
made me the Christ, the Messiah.
00:26:27.12\00:26:31.65
I am the Anointed One." Whoa!
00:26:31.65\00:26:35.79
John Howard Yoder, in his book
"The Politics of Jesus,"
comments on this passage that
00:26:39.79\00:26:45.73
Jesus is now reading. "We must
conclude that in the ordinary
00:26:45.73\00:26:53.38
sense of his words" -- all
right, so they're listening to
him. "He's a homeboy.
00:26:53.38\00:26:56.44
He's just one of us." "In
the ordinary sense of his words
00:26:56.44\00:27:00.52
Jesus...was announcing the
imminent entrée en vigueur" --
the coming into force -- "of a
00:27:00.52\00:27:08.06
new regime whose marks would be
that rich would give to the
poor, the captives would be
00:27:08.06\00:27:13.53
freed, and men and women would
have a new mentality, if they
believed this news."
00:27:13.53\00:27:19.90
He stands in front of his home
crowd and he announces, "A new
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regime has come, and I am the
Messiah." Oh, wow. The
implications are huge.
00:27:27.31\00:27:38.62
We'll read the quotation one
more time. 'The Spirit of the
00:27:38.62\00:27:45.96
Lord is on me' -- this is a
direct quote. 'The Spirit of the
Lord is on me because he has
00:27:45.96\00:27:51.33
anointed me to proclaim
good news to the poor.' Now keep
00:27:51.33\00:27:54.67
reading. Now, wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait a minute. So
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we drill down into what he's
just read. Jesus has not emptied
the prison cells of Judea and
00:28:06.88\00:28:13.36
Galilee. They're still full. He
has not stormed the Bastille,
the fortress -- Herod's
00:28:13.36\00:28:19.13
fortress of Antonia. He has
not. What is this business about
00:28:19.13\00:28:24.07
the prisoners will be set free?
And slowly, slowly it penetrates
00:28:24.07\00:28:31.74
the listeners. Wait a minute.
Wait a minute. He's emptying out
00:28:31.74\00:28:35.54
the prison cells. The prison
cells of demonic darkness all
across the land. This is
00:28:35.54\00:28:39.61
cryptic, spiritual language.
Good news for the poor. Freedom
00:28:39.61\00:28:43.92
for the prisoners. Recovery of
sight for the blind. To set the
oppressed free. And then he
00:28:43.92\00:28:49.29
speaks the words "to proclaim
the Lord's favor." That is --
That is huge Jubilee language.
00:28:49.29\00:28:56.06
And everybody knows Jubilee
language. That's what happens
00:28:56.06\00:28:59.07
every 50 years when a Jubilee
comes and the debts are
eradicated, the slaves are set
00:28:59.07\00:29:08.31
free. The records are leveled.
Everybody is on the same level
playing field again.
00:29:08.31\00:29:14.85
He's using Jubilee language. He
says, "I am the Messiah, and I
have brought Jubilee to
00:29:14.85\00:29:20.96
you." Hometown boy
to his hometown crowd.
00:29:20.96\00:29:25.66
What he's telling them, and
they're slowly starting to get
00:29:25.66\00:29:29.56
it -- "I am your spiritual
deliverer from what is holding
you captive right now."
00:29:29.56\00:29:40.08
"Whoa. Wait a minute, wait
a minute. Wait, wait, wait.
00:29:40.08\00:29:44.68
Come on, come on. The bondage
we want to be set free from
00:29:44.68\00:29:48.88
is from the hated Roman tyranny.
We're not here to talk about the
00:29:48.88\00:29:56.32
bondage of sin." Ah, Jesus
knows. As he's unrolling the
scroll and picking the lines to
00:29:56.32\00:30:01.06
read. He knows that latent
thought in every breast. And so
00:30:01.06\00:30:08.57
he sees a line -- "Unh-unh. I
will not read that line." And he
00:30:08.57\00:30:11.77
purposely omits from Isaiah
61:1-2 the line, "And to
proclaim the day of vengeance of
00:30:11.77\00:30:18.58
our God." "No, no, no,
no, no, no," Jesus is saying.
00:30:18.58\00:30:21.12
"No day of vengeance. Now,
this is a day of repentance.
00:30:21.12\00:30:24.75
You are the sinners
and I am the Savior."
00:30:24.75\00:30:27.99
The message they needed, they
refused to hear. And I'm afraid
00:30:30.96\00:30:41.97
we do the same. Because all we
can talk about around here is
that, "Jesus is coming soon.
00:30:41.97\00:30:46.11
He's going to crush the dark
rule of the tyrant who has held
00:30:46.11\00:30:51.31
us captive. He's going to crush
the devil." And all the while
our sinful hearts still do
00:30:51.31\00:30:59.85
not know the victory over sin
Jesus longs to bring to us. We
can hardly cluck our tongues
00:30:59.85\00:31:07.46
at the Nazarenes, now, can
we? There will be no day of
00:31:07.46\00:31:12.13
vengeance, it is clear, until
the day of repentance comes,
period. A friend of mine told me
00:31:12.13\00:31:19.97
about a book that just came out,
brand-new. So I went on Amazon
00:31:19.97\00:31:23.58
and ordered it. Written
by Kate Ott. Brand-new book.
00:31:23.58\00:31:27.95
Title of her book -- "Sex, Tech,
and Faith: Ethics for a Digital
00:31:27.95\00:31:34.22
Age." And she rightfully
acknowledges -- I disagree with
00:31:34.22\00:31:38.29
a whole bunch of her premises,
but she rightfully acknowledges
00:31:38.29\00:31:41.03
this. And I'll put it on
the screen for you. Kate Ott.
00:31:41.03\00:31:44.30
True story. Keep reading.
00:31:55.48\00:31:57.55
She's right. But while
our privacy may be protected,
00:32:10.59\00:32:16.43
our innocence is gone.
00:32:16.43\00:32:18.60
Like Adam and Eve, we see
each other naked now. And we are
00:32:22.37\00:32:33.01
filled with shame. "Who, then,"
Paul cries out, "Who will
deliver me from this body of
00:32:33.01\00:32:37.29
death, for that which I do not
want to do, I do? And that which
00:32:37.29\00:32:43.96
I want to do, I do not." But
thanks be to God for our Lord
00:32:43.96\00:32:53.74
Jesus Christ. And that, my
friends, in a nutshell, is
Jesus' point in Nazareth.
00:32:53.74\00:32:59.14
"The Spirit of the Lord has
anointed me to proclaim good
00:32:59.14\00:33:05.51
news to you who are poor, and
how impoverished our addictions
00:33:05.51\00:33:10.59
leave us feeling." Be honest.
"He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners,
00:33:10.59\00:33:16.46
and who is more imprisoned than
the addict?" And by the way,
00:33:16.46\00:33:20.20
in this little series, the
moment we hear "addict," we
think sexual addiction.
00:33:20.20\00:33:25.07
That is only one of a
plethora of addictions. Come on.
00:33:25.07\00:33:31.97
Some of us are addicted to
food. Some of us are addicted to
00:33:31.97\00:33:40.18
drink. Some of us are addicted
to caffeine. Some of us are
00:33:40.18\00:33:44.85
addicted to nicotine. Some of us
are addicted to -- and in an
institution like this,
00:33:44.85\00:33:50.86
this is a huge addiction
-- we're addicted to work.
00:33:50.86\00:33:57.00
Absolutely. Why? "Because if I
work hard enough, if I slave
long enough, I'm going to rise
00:33:57.00\00:34:02.74
on this ladder and I'm going to
be higher than the peers in my
academic field. I'll get higher
00:34:02.74\00:34:07.78
and higher, and everybody's
going to be reading what I write
and the research I publish.
00:34:07.78\00:34:11.08
And at last, I will be where
they cannot be." We're addicted
00:34:11.08\00:34:16.22
to that. Dopamine addiction. Oh,
don't go clucking your tongues
00:34:16.22\00:34:24.43
at the ones who are sexually
addicted. They are here right
now, sitting beside you.
00:34:24.43\00:34:31.77
We are all addicted.
00:34:31.77\00:34:34.00
"I've come anointed to proclaim
recovery of sight to the blind,
and what can be blinder
00:34:36.64\00:34:42.04
than the one who cannot see the
face of her deliverer and thus
00:34:42.04\00:34:45.08
stumbles on in
darkness?" That's blindness.
00:34:45.08\00:34:48.28
"I have been anointed
to set the oppressed free.
00:34:48.32\00:34:51.12
And what greater joyful
existential discovery is there
00:34:51.12\00:34:55.02
than to discover the freedom
of that which has bound you
00:34:55.02\00:34:58.36
and chained you all these months
no longer chained anymore?"
00:34:58.36\00:35:04.70
Well, it doesn't get
any better than that.
00:35:04.70\00:35:08.50
"I have come
because I've been anointed
00:35:08.50\00:35:10.61
by the Spirit to proclaim
the year of the Lord's favor."
00:35:10.61\00:35:13.34
Actually, the word "favor"
is the word "acceptance."
00:35:13.34\00:35:16.85
And who here doesn't long
to hear from the Lord, who
00:35:16.85\00:35:20.22
spoke --
"Neither do I condemn you.
00:35:20.22\00:35:23.42
I'm not condemning you
for your addiction, girl.
00:35:23.42\00:35:25.92
Neither do I condemn you. Now go
00:35:25.92\00:35:27.89
and leave your past
behind. Leave it behind.
00:35:27.89\00:35:32.73
I don't condemn you." Oh, to
hear that we've been accepted by
00:35:32.76\00:35:37.93
the Lord who spoke those words.
Who doesn't long, after failure
and falling and failure and
00:35:37.93\00:35:43.00
falling and failure and falling,
this incessant cycle of defeat
00:35:43.00\00:35:48.31
-- who doesn't long to hear
those words, the year of the
00:35:48.31\00:35:56.92
Lord's acceptance? "For that
which I do not want, I do. And
that which I want, I do
00:35:56.92\00:36:04.13
not." But thanks be to
God, who gives the victory
00:36:04.13\00:36:09.90
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
I sat down this week at my
laptop, and oh, my,
00:36:09.90\00:36:17.21
was I amazed how many times
you can link the name and the
00:36:17.21\00:36:22.08
presence of Jesus to the word
"free" or "freedom." I made a
list and I'm going to run it by
00:36:22.08\00:36:26.35
you right now. This is only from
the New Testament, by the way.
Okay, the first one is where we
00:36:26.35\00:36:30.49
have just -- where we have just
been in Luke 4. One commentator
00:36:30.49\00:36:37.43
who listened to Jesus' speech,
his homily there in Nazareth,
summed up the homily this way.
00:36:37.43\00:36:43.53
I like it. It's the gospel.
00:36:43.53\00:36:45.50
Can Jesus really pull it off?
Apparently, the New Testament
believes the answer is yes.
00:36:56.24\00:37:00.75
Watch this. Jesus announces...
00:37:00.75\00:37:04.75
We go to John 8:32 in
our Scripture a moment ago.
00:37:08.42\00:37:11.36
Drop down four verses.
00:37:13.40\00:37:15.33
Hallelujah.
00:37:23.67\00:37:25.41
There you go.
00:37:29.18\00:37:31.08
Praise God. Keep reading. "Now
the Lord is the Spirit, and
where the Spirit of the Lord
00:37:38.39\00:37:44.89
is, there is" -- what's that
word, there is what? -- "there
00:37:44.89\00:37:49.23
is freedom." And the Bible's
last book ends with the last
assurance of freedom connected
00:38:03.71\00:38:08.28
to the name of Jesus.
00:38:08.28\00:38:10.39
And all the people
said... >> Amen. >> Amen.
00:38:22.06\00:38:25.73
Anybody here want that freedom
that comes only from Christ?
Come on, you want that freedom
00:38:25.73\00:38:30.11
that comes only from Christ? Why
wouldn't I want it? Bottom line,
we can be set free.
00:38:30.11\00:38:42.38
by Jesus. That was
his message to Nazareth.
00:38:42.38\00:38:48.56
Too bad -- To this
offer, Nazareth says no.
00:38:48.56\00:38:58.43
How sad. How tragic the ending
of this story we've begun.
00:38:58.43\00:39:05.27
Right now, in his homily,
Jesus is at a critical, dramatic
00:39:05.27\00:39:11.98
crossroads moment. The air is
thick with drama. Somebody is
going to have to respond to what
00:39:11.98\00:39:17.49
the preacher is talking
about. Nobody moves. Here's what
00:39:17.49\00:39:27.13
happens next. "Then he rolls up
the scroll. Gives it back to the
attendant" -- he's quoted the
00:39:27.13\00:39:31.40
Scripture for his little homily
now. He gives it back to the
00:39:31.40\00:39:37.87
chazan, and he sits down. They
always preach sitting down. The
seat of Moses, they call it.
00:39:37.87\00:39:42.91
Now notice this. "The eyes of
everyone in that synagogue were
00:39:42.91\00:39:47.92
fastened on him." You could have
heard a pin drop. "What's he
00:39:47.92\00:39:52.99
going to say now?" We hear the
Word, but how will he apply it?
00:39:52.99\00:39:58.06
They're not sure about this.
They kind of buzz. They're
speaking well of him.
00:40:09.87\00:40:15.31
They're amazed at the gracious
words that come from his lips.
"Isn't this Joseph's boy?
00:40:15.31\00:40:19.21
Come on. Isn't this the homeboy
Jesus that we grew up with?"
00:40:19.21\00:40:23.45
"Yep." But Jesus realizes...
00:40:23.45\00:40:26.89
...they still think he's just
the homeboy, and he's going to
00:40:31.09\00:40:36.23
push this envelope hard now.
He has to. "Jesus said to them,
00:40:36.23\00:40:40.77
'Surely you will quote
this proverb to me" -- this is a
00:40:40.77\00:40:44.21
well-known proverb in existence
at the time -- "Physician, heal
yourself!" And you will tell me,
00:40:44.21\00:40:55.75
Do here in your hometown what
we have heard that you did in
00:40:55.75\00:41:01.26
Capernaum."'" "Come on,
physician. You the big healer
that we've heard about down in
00:41:01.26\00:41:07.50
Judea? Strut your stuff. We have
to see it to believe it anyway.
00:41:07.50\00:41:12.13
You might as
well start right now."
00:41:12.13\00:41:15.44
And Christ, broken heart,
realizes... he's lost this
00:41:19.67\00:41:27.48
crowd. But he will not --
he will not go down without
00:41:27.48\00:41:32.69
fighting. And he switches to his
homily. And what a homily.
Nobody's quite sure.
00:41:32.69\00:41:37.86
"Why is he telling these
stories? We already know the
00:41:37.86\00:41:41.53
stories." It will only dawn
on them at the very end. Here we
00:41:41.53\00:41:47.37
go. "'Truly, I tell you'" --
ameen in the Greek, "I tell you"
00:41:47.37\00:41:53.54
-- "'no prophet is accepted in
his hometown.'" The old King
James used to put it this way --
00:41:53.54\00:41:57.08
"A prophet is not without honor,
except in his hometown." "I know
what's going on here."
00:41:57.08\00:42:04.72
She is a pagan, godless,
idol-worshiping woman. Nobody,
not a widow in Israel
00:42:21.14\00:42:30.11
can be found to send
Elijah to. He's sent to her.
00:42:30.11\00:42:36.45
Please. Well, I got
another story for you.
00:42:36.45\00:42:41.49
A godless, pagan,
idol-worshiping general. Syrian!
00:42:52.27\00:43:02.08
The only leper, God, you
could find to heal was that?
00:43:02.08\00:43:11.82
Suddenly the wheels are
beginning to click, click,
click, click, click.
00:43:11.82\00:43:16.16
"No, no, no, no, no. Wait a
minute. Wait a minute. Wait,
00:43:16.16\00:43:20.30
wait, wait, wait. Are you saying
that there was nobody in all of
Israel who had faith in God,
00:43:20.30\00:43:25.27
so God has to assign his two
prophets to two pagan heathens
who turn out to have more faith
00:43:25.27\00:43:30.74
than the Israelites? Is that
what you're saying, hometown
00:43:30.74\00:43:36.41
boy? Are you saying that that's
why the Israelites" -- and we
are living in Israelite former
00:43:36.41\00:43:40.58
countryside -- "are you saying
that's why the Israelites were
00:43:40.58\00:43:43.79
dragged into captivity and
extermination by the godless
Assyrians? Are you suggesting
00:43:43.79\00:43:48.82
that we Nazarenes have no more
faith in God than those widows
and lepers in Israel
00:43:48.82\00:43:52.63
who never were delivered by God?
Are you saying we are no better
than the heathen we have looked
00:43:52.63\00:43:58.63
down upon as gods? Is that
what you're saying, homeboy?
00:43:58.63\00:44:02.57
Are you saying that?"
00:44:02.57\00:44:04.81
The end. What a sad
ending. Sad, isn't it?
00:44:36.57\00:44:44.35
That you can be a Seventh-day
Adventist worshiping on the
Bible's Seventh-Day
00:44:44.35\00:44:51.19
Sabbath and praying for God
to bring vengeance upon this
00:44:51.19\00:44:55.59
wicked world and culture through
the second coming of Christ --
00:44:55.59\00:44:58.59
You can be a Seventh-day
Adventist and end up rejecting
00:44:58.59\00:45:04.87
Jesus in the end. They did. What
makes you any different? No,
00:45:04.87\00:45:10.67
come on. What's
so special about you?
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.74
"Desire of Ages" speaks to you
and me right now. "Our standing
00:45:17.35\00:45:21.42
before God depends not upon the
amount of light we have
received" -- and some of you are
00:45:21.42\00:45:24.92
so proud of yourselves for all
the light you have -- "but upon
00:45:24.92\00:45:28.39
the use we make
of what we have."
00:45:28.39\00:45:31.26
End quote.
00:45:48.24\00:45:50.28
Does your daily life
contradict your profession?
00:45:53.55\00:45:58.05
Do you practice great light but
harbor great darkness to that
addiction of yours?
00:46:01.19\00:46:10.20
Are we any better than
the Nazarenes, who claim Jesus
00:46:13.54\00:46:17.01
belongs to them, but who
choose not to belong to Him?
00:46:17.01\00:46:20.48
Some of you have been struggling
for a long time with great
00:46:24.35\00:46:28.32
darkness. I know. You've told
me your stories. You're not that
00:46:28.32\00:46:34.92
old. Though some of you are.
00:46:34.92\00:46:36.96
The addiction seems impossible
to give up. The allure
00:46:40.10\00:46:44.47
is too strong to resist. And you
know exactly what it feels like
00:46:44.47\00:46:51.91
to be wearing handcuffs. The
reason -- my friend Bud Chapman,
00:46:51.91\00:47:00.52
deputy sheriff here in Berrien
County -- the reason he slaps
00:47:00.52\00:47:07.29
these handcuffs on
a pair of wrists...
00:47:07.29\00:47:10.59
...is he wants to reduce
movement, to incapacitate
00:47:14.13\00:47:20.34
the one who is now in handcuffs.
And sometimes he'll have the
handcuff on his wrist
00:47:20.34\00:47:30.08
and the handcuff on the wrist
of the arrestee. "You can't get
00:47:30.08\00:47:36.75
away from me now." The devil's
handcuffs work the same way.
00:47:36.75\00:47:43.46
You don't want this to
come down. I tried it on.
00:47:46.73\00:47:49.93
Ooh, you don't want this to
come down. Because the moment
00:47:49.93\00:47:54.80
it comes down... you're stuck.
The only way this handcuff
00:47:54.80\00:48:02.98
can be released is if you have
a key. Which you don't have.
00:48:02.98\00:48:12.22
The whole point of Jesus'
homily, that homeboy back in his
00:48:12.22\00:48:21.56
hometown, was to announce, "I
have the key to your handcuffs.
00:48:21.56\00:48:33.17
The Spirit of the Lord
has anointed me to unlock your
00:48:33.17\00:48:41.35
handcuffs." In fact, the Bible
ends with the words of Jesus,
red letter -- red letters in
00:48:41.35\00:48:45.25
Revelation 1. "I have the
keys," he says. He's got them.
00:48:45.25\00:48:53.19
"I have the key to what has
handcuffed you to the enemy of
00:48:53.19\00:49:00.37
all enemies, who says, 'Boy, I'm
not letting you go.' Oh, I've
heard your profession.
00:49:00.37\00:49:05.14
I've heard, oh, you're going to
change. Oh, girl, I've heard you
00:49:05.14\00:49:07.94
say, "I'll change. I'll never
do this again." Guess what.
00:49:07.94\00:49:10.31
You're still handcuffed to me,
girl. And I'm not letting you
00:49:10.31\00:49:14.85
go.'" The only way the handcuffs
can be sprung is if the one who
00:49:14.85\00:49:23.69
holds the master key,
the master Himself... Chkk!
00:49:23.69\00:49:32.07
And you're free. That's the
Gospel. That's how free it is.
00:49:32.07\00:49:38.04
We've made it so
difficult. No, no. Ask Jesus.
00:49:38.04\00:49:45.65
Ask Jesus. In fact, I'm
going to give you four responses
00:49:45.65\00:49:49.58
to this handcuff analogy.
Response number one, please.
00:49:49.58\00:49:57.13
Once the handcuffs are
off, don't ever put them
00:49:57.16\00:50:02.56
back on again. Do
you understand me?
00:50:02.56\00:50:06.00
What a fool.
Only a fool would say,
00:50:06.00\00:50:09.74
"Give me that back!
Strap me to your side!
00:50:09.74\00:50:14.24
I want to be your plaything!
I love being your victim!
00:50:14.24\00:50:19.21
Handcuff me again,
Satan!" Only a fool
00:50:19.21\00:50:25.32
would go and pick the handcuffs
up that have just been unlocked
00:50:25.32\00:50:28.29
by Jesus. If there
are handcuffs sitting
00:50:28.29\00:50:31.53
in your dorm room,
there are handcuffs sitting
00:50:31.53\00:50:34.83
in a cupboard in your home,
handcuffs in the refrigerator --
00:50:34.83\00:50:38.13
I don't care where
where the handcuffs are.
00:50:38.13\00:50:40.64
Don't get near
the handcuffs again.
00:50:40.64\00:50:45.87
Keep as far away as you can.
Response number two -- Keep as
close as you can to the one
00:50:45.91\00:50:52.88
who holds the master key. Just
stay close to Jesus. I don't
00:50:52.88\00:50:58.85
care what you do. You want to
slow read to the Gospels? Be my
00:50:58.85\00:51:01.56
guest. You want to go on
amazon.com and get a little
paperback book called "Desire of
00:51:01.56\00:51:05.63
Ages" and just a slow read
through "Desire of Ages"? Why
00:51:05.63\00:51:08.46
not? But every day -- every day
-- stay away from your handcuffs
00:51:08.46\00:51:13.54
and stay close to the one who
holds the key. You'll be fine.
00:51:13.54\00:51:19.74
Now, there's this third response
because sexual addiction,
00:51:19.74\00:51:24.41
as some have pointed out, is as
strong as heroin addiction,
perhaps even stronger
00:51:24.41\00:51:31.29
than heroin, one physician told
me. Because sexual addiction
00:51:31.29\00:51:38.49
has that nature, there's
something come to town that I'm
going to tell you about
00:51:38.49\00:51:42.20
right now. I'm not going to put
a website on the screen for you.
00:51:42.20\00:51:46.20
I'm going to tell you about it.
And then if you text me right
00:51:46.20\00:51:51.34
now, you text me right now, I'll
send you the website. You check
00:51:51.34\00:51:57.05
it out. We're bringing in a
group, CFE is, Center for Faith
Engagement and Pioneer,
00:51:57.05\00:52:01.82
we're bringing in a group in
October. I'm not going to give
00:52:01.82\00:52:04.45
you the dates. We're
bringing them in for a weekend.
00:52:04.45\00:52:09.42
There'll be professionals in
that group. They have dealt with
00:52:09.42\00:52:13.19
sexual addiction all across
America. They know what we
struggle with, you and me.
00:52:13.19\00:52:19.43
And by the way, we're asking
-- we're asking moms and dads to
00:52:19.43\00:52:22.27
go. We're asking our elders to
go. We're asking the teachers to
go. We're asking everybody to
00:52:22.27\00:52:28.28
go. So there'll be no stigma on
the fact that you show up in a
room full of people.
00:52:28.28\00:52:33.92
They don't need to know, and
neither do you. But we're going
00:52:33.92\00:52:37.95
to give you an opportunity. In
fact, let me put the number on
the screen for you so that
00:52:37.95\00:52:41.52
you can send me that text.
Because if this is true, there's
somebody who can pick
00:52:41.52\00:52:48.06
this lock with His master key,
then we need help, and we need
00:52:48.06\00:52:54.10
it right away. All right? My
next step today -- Let's find
00:52:54.10\00:52:57.64
out. That's the number we use.
And you've memorized it by now.
Would you please text the word
00:53:05.75\00:53:08.95
Chasing2 to it? You'll get
a form that looks like this.
00:53:08.95\00:53:11.99
"My next step today is I want to
keep praying. Luther's prayer"
00:53:11.99\00:53:14.96
-- that was last Sabbath, but we
didn't have a Connect Card, so I
00:53:14.96\00:53:18.09
wanted to make sure you have
it so you can print it off. 'O
00:53:18.09\00:53:20.90
Christ, who has overcome the
devil, help me!'" It's a prayer
00:53:20.90\00:53:26.07
for you and me. You put a check
mark there, I'll send that to
you and you can print it off
00:53:26.07\00:53:29.24
and then keep it with you
wherever you go. Put it in your
00:53:29.24\00:53:33.07
wallet. Box number two -- "I
want to keep claiming Jesus'
promise: 'If the Son set you
00:53:33.07\00:53:37.11
free, you'll be free
indeed.'" Of course. Me too.
00:53:37.11\00:53:39.95
Put a check mark there. Here's
the one I want you to put a
00:53:39.95\00:53:44.05
check mark to if you would like.
"I want to be part of the Pure
Desire conference --
00:53:44.05\00:53:48.52
please send me information on
how to sign up." And if you put
00:53:48.52\00:53:52.16
a check mark there, when you
hit "send" on that text, within
00:53:52.16\00:53:56.93
split seconds I will send you a
website. Don't look it up now.
You need to be able
00:53:56.93\00:54:00.44
to look it up in the quiet of
your own space. And in that it
00:54:00.44\00:54:05.27
would send you directly to the
page. And there saying Berrien
00:54:05.27\00:54:08.11
Springs, Michigan, we'll be
there in October and you'll see
it all, and it'll tell you how
00:54:08.11\00:54:11.41
to register and it'll tell you
about the cost and how we've got
a special scholarship
00:54:11.41\00:54:15.82
fund that's set up so that you
don't have to pay the full cost.
It'll tell you about that.
00:54:15.82\00:54:19.52
Don't worry about the details.
I'm not gonna give you the
00:54:19.52\00:54:23.09
website here. You'll
only get it this way.
00:54:23.09\00:54:25.13
"I want to be baptized and
follow Jesus." Hey, listen, once
00:54:30.63\00:54:34.07
Jesus takes these off,
the most -- if you've not
00:54:34.07\00:54:38.11
been baptized, the most natural
response would be to say, "Hey,
00:54:38.11\00:54:40.88
listen, Jesus, I want to follow
up my decision with baptism."
Just put a check mark there.
00:54:40.88\00:54:45.25
We'll be in touch with you.
Electronically. And you'll pick
00:54:45.25\00:54:51.19
a time. And we'll do the next
steps together. There's one more
00:54:51.19\00:54:55.16
that's not on there, and that
is, "I want to be here next week
00:54:55.16\00:55:01.50
when you celebrate the Cross of
Christ." This will be the only
00:55:01.50\00:55:04.93
place on campus next week where
you can actually come to the
foot of the Cross and be
00:55:04.93\00:55:09.17
cleansed. We're going to
celebrate Communion. It's going
00:55:09.17\00:55:11.51
to be a Communion like you've
never experienced before because
00:55:11.51\00:55:14.78
your heart hasn't been ready for
it before. You come next week
and bring all your friends with
00:55:14.78\00:55:19.08
you. Bring every friend you
have. You bring them. And let's
00:55:19.08\00:55:22.38
go. The title of the homily --
"Bathing in the Red River." It's
all about cleansing.
00:55:22.38\00:55:31.93
You'll go home as pure as a
wind-driven snow. You don't have
00:55:31.93\00:55:39.63
to wait till next week. But that
will be a graphic support to
00:55:39.63\00:55:46.84
your mind for the decision
you've made. That's it. I'll see
00:55:46.84\00:55:52.55
you next Sabbath. But we're
going to sing a hymn right now.
And I'm going to pray
00:55:52.55\00:55:55.25
before we sing to him. For
you and for me. O God, Jesus of
00:55:55.25\00:56:02.12
Nazareth, whom the spirit
anointed to be the Messiah, the
only Messiah we have,
00:56:02.12\00:56:07.03
the only savior of the world
we know, dear God, take these
00:56:07.03\00:56:15.97
handcuffs, Lord Jesus. And with
the master key in the hand of
00:56:15.97\00:56:21.48
the Master, click the handcuff
to open and set us free. Oh, we
00:56:21.48\00:56:30.79
have stuff to do. We get it, we
get it. The handcuffs are gone.
We're not hanging around them.
00:56:30.79\00:56:35.59
We get it. We may have
a place we need to go to
00:56:35.59\00:56:39.43
for the full deliverance, but
that's okay, Jesus. Let it start
00:56:39.43\00:56:45.43
right now. For if the Son sets
you free, you are free indeed.
00:56:45.43\00:56:51.07
And we thank You. In the name
that is above all names, let the
people say... >> Amen.
00:56:51.07\00:56:55.21
>> Amen.
00:56:55.21\00:56:56.71
>> Before you go, let me take an
extra moment to share with you
00:56:58.65\00:57:01.65
an opportunity to get into
the Bible in a fresh, new way.
00:57:01.65\00:57:04.35
All across the world, more and
more people are hearing the call
00:57:04.35\00:57:07.36
to examine
Scriptures for themselves.
00:57:07.36\00:57:09.29
If you've felt drawn to learn
more about God's Word, but you
00:57:09.29\00:57:12.09
don't know where to start or
you're just looking for a more
00:57:12.09\00:57:14.86
in-depth examination of Bible
truths, then I have something
00:57:14.86\00:57:17.63
right here that I
believe you're going to enjoy.
00:57:17.63\00:57:19.83
I want to send a series
of guides to get you started.
00:57:19.83\00:57:22.44
This one's entitled "Why
Does God Allow Suffering?"
00:57:22.44\00:57:25.21
Each guide begins with a story,
an introduction of the subject.
00:57:25.21\00:57:28.24
Then, through a series of focus
questions, you'll be learning
00:57:28.24\00:57:31.01
portions of the Bible you
may never have known before.
00:57:31.01\00:57:33.48
And when you're through, you'll
be able to share with others
00:57:33.48\00:57:36.18
some of these
inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:36.18\00:57:37.99
Just call our toll-free
number. It's on the screen.
00:57:37.99\00:57:40.12
877, the two words "His will."
Friendly operators are standing
00:57:40.12\00:57:44.56
by to send these
study guides to you.
00:57:44.56\00:57:46.29
Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL.
Call that number, and then
00:57:46.29\00:57:51.60
again join me next week
right here at this same time.
00:57:51.60\00:57:55.70
"New Perceptions."
00:57:55.70\00:57:56.87
¤¤ ¤¤
00:57:59.61\00:58:18.39
¤¤
00:58:18.39\00:58:27.70