Participants: Pr. Dwight K. Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP150829A
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00:35 All hail the power of Jesus' Name
00:39 Let angels prostrate fall 00:44 Bring forth the royal diadem 00:48 And crown Him Lord of all 00:55 Bring forth the royal diadem 00:59 And crown Him Lord of all 01:09 Ye seed of Israel's chosen race 01:13 Ye ransomed from the fall 01:17 Hail Him who saves you by His grace 01:22 And crown Him Lord of all 01:28 Hail Him who saves you by His grace, 01:33 And crown Him Lord of all 01:42 Let every kindred, every tribe, 01:46 On this terrestrial ball 01:51 To Him all majesty ascribe 01:55 And crown Him Lord of all 02:03 To Him all majesty ascribe 02:08 And crown Him Lord of all 02:30 Oh, that with yonder sacred throng 02:35 We at His feet may fall 02:39 Join in the everlasting song 02:44 And crown Him Lord of all 02:51 Join in the everlasting song 02:56 And crown Him Lord of all 03:09 Amen. 03:13 Oh, draw me, Lord 03:20 Oh, draw me, Lord 03:27 Oh, draw me, Lord 03:35 And I'll run after You 03:44 Oh, draw me, Lord 03:53 Oh, draw me, Lord 04:02 Oh, draw me, Lord 04:11 And I'll run after You 04:21 Oh, draw me, Lord 04:28 Oh, draw me, Lord 04:38 Oh, draw me, Lord 04:46 And I'll run after You 04:56 Oh, draw me, Lord 05:05 Oh, draw me, Lord 05:12 Oh, draw me, Lord 05:20 And I'll run after You 05:35 Draw me close to you 05:42 Never let me go 05:49 I lay it all down again 05:55 To hear you say that I'm your friend 06:03 You are my desire 06:10 No one else will do 06:16 'Cause no one else can take your place 06:23 To feel the warmth of your embrace 06:30 Help me find the way 06:34 Bring me back to you 06:42 You're all I want 06:49 You're all I've ever needed 06:56 You're all I want 07:02 Help me know you are near 07:13 You're all I want 07:19 You're all I've ever needed 07:27 You're all I want 07:34 Help me know you are near 07:41 Help me know you are near 08:03 How lovely is thy dwelling place, 08:11 O Lord of Hosts 08:30 O Lord of Hosts 08:43 How lovely is thy dwelling place, 08:52 O Lord of Hosts 09:01 O Lord of Hosts 09:05 Dwelling place 09:10 O Lord of Hosts 09:14 O Lord of Hosts 09:23 For My soul, it longeth, 09:29 yea fainteth, 09:31 it longeth, yea fainteth, 09:35 It longeth, 09:38 yea fainteth, 09:46 O Lord of Hosts 10:00 My soul and body crieth out 10:08 yea for the living God. 10:15 My soul and body crieth out 10:23 Yea for the living God. 10:45 How lovely is thy dwelling place, 10:52 O Lord of Hosts 10:58 O Lord of Hosts 11:17 O Lord of Hosts 11:25 Blest are they 11:34 Oh, blest are they 11:41 That dwell within thy house 11:51 They praise thy name evermore. 11:54 They praise thy name evermore. 11:59 They praise thy name evermore. 12:04 They praise thy name evermore. 12:09 They praise thy name evermore. 12:12 They praise thy name evermore. 12:24 They praise thee, they praise thee 12:33 They praise thy name evermore. 12:46 How lovely is thy dwelling place, 13:07 O Lord of Hosts 13:44 Amen. 13:54 Oh, thank you, university singers. 13:56 How lovely is your dwelling place, oh, God. 14:02 I'm thinking that all this morning long 14:03 as we've been worshipping, 14:05 as the Spirit has swept 14:09 our praise heavenward. 14:13 It's no wonder that psalmist 14:15 who composed those words also wrote, 14:18 "I was glad when they said to me, 14:21 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' 14:24 " And here we are in the house of the Lord 14:28 on this inaugural Sabbath, 14:31 can't believe summer's gone and the New year is here. 14:36 And it's just great to have our worship team back. 14:38 Where would you guys go all summer? 14:39 Why don't you stay around here? 14:41 Why do you leave? 14:43 But glad you're back. 14:45 And thank you, you swept us heavenward today. 14:49 Now another team has been working hard 14:50 to get ready for this series 14:51 and I'll have a prayer with you in just a moment. 14:55 It's our production team, new series 14:58 "The Pugwash Factor". 15:00 And so the team has been scrambling, 15:01 they've put together a little video trailer 15:05 and I want you to watch this. 15:07 We'll have prayer, it sets us up, 15:09 we'll have prayer 15:10 and then an unbelievable story, all right? 15:12 But first, your attention to the screens, please. 15:24 August 6th, 1945. 15:26 Dave's in the deadly glow of a single atomic bomb 15:28 over Hiroshima, Japan. 15:30 The world finds itself ushered into the atomic age. 15:33 Four years later, deep behind the iron curtain, 15:36 the Soviet Union conducts their first test 15:38 of an atomic weapon 15:39 sparking at arms raised 15:40 the like of which the world has never seen. 15:43 Apprehensive scientists send intellectuals debate 15:45 the ominous way to the planet. 15:47 Three days before his death on April 18, 1955, 15:50 American scientist, Albert Einstein, 15:52 joins British philosopher, Bertrand Russell, 15:54 in signing the Russell-Einstein Manifesto. 15:57 The prospect for the human race is sombre beyond all precedent. 16:01 Mankind are faced with a clear-cut alternative, 16:03 either we shall all perish 16:05 or we shall have to acquire 16:06 some slight degree of common sense. 16:08 Soon after, in the village of Pugwash, Nova Scotia, 16:11 22 scientists including 10 Nobel laureates, 16:14 gathered to ponder 16:16 how to avert the Cold War's threat of nuclear obliteration 16:19 and to forge a plan of global peace. 16:22 And half a century later, the quest still goes on. 16:24 Call it "The Pugwash Factor", 16:26 because if those who know do not act, 16:28 the planet is doomed. 16:35 Let's pray. 16:36 Dear God, the Pugwash Factor, 16:38 we live with it night and day 16:40 now more than ever, we live with it, 16:42 a new generation on this planet, 16:44 we live with it. 16:45 So what does it mean for us? 16:47 How then shall we live? 16:49 Speak through holy scripture this morning, 16:53 convict our minds, engage our hearts, call us. 16:57 We're praying in Christ name, amen. 17:01 My friend, Melchizedek, 17:03 shared this story with me this summer. 17:06 Diana Kim, Korean-American born in Honolulu, Hawaii. 17:09 Wouldn't you like to be born there? 17:12 But born into a messed up family, 17:15 her parents fighting, 17:17 finally separate, her dad leaves. 17:20 She's five years old. 17:21 It's amazing this girl survived childhood, 17:24 that really is the bright side of this, 17:27 she survives childhood, she survives her teenage years. 17:30 Enrolls in law school, she becomes a lawyer, 17:33 she blends her passion for photography 17:36 with law and advocacy, 17:39 she wants to pull and push for the homeless. 17:42 One day in Honolulu, 17:44 she's down doing a photo shoot 17:45 working on a project that would become, 17:48 what would be called 'The Homeless Paradise.' 17:51 And she began shooting a series of pictures 17:53 on a stranger she met, a homeless individual. 17:57 And as you're gonna see, 17:58 she was able to capture in her pictures the plight 18:01 and the despair of the homeless with her artistic craft. 18:05 All right, so she finishes the photo shoot, 18:07 she goes home. 18:08 She's doing the Photoshop now with her pictures. 18:10 Put it on the screen, please. 18:12 And so here you have one of the homeless. 18:14 You look at that picture, 18:16 the utter futility of this nameless, 18:19 homeless, victim of mental illness, 18:22 the baggy eyes, 18:23 you see the baggy eyes closed. 18:25 You see the oily straggly hair, 18:27 the scarred dirty crusted skin and obviously, 18:30 what was once a nice, you know, 18:33 nice shirt is just ripped and torn, misbuttoned, 18:36 covering limply his bony chest. 18:41 And the more she worked this photograph 18:42 and stared at it, the more agitated 18:44 she became and finally she grabbed her camera, 18:46 she raced back down to Honolulu to find the man 18:49 whose picture she had been taking 18:50 and sure enough she finds him sitting on a concrete bench, 18:53 that's that next picture right there. 18:55 She walks up to the man 18:57 and she begins to quiz him with questions, 18:59 his answers are amazing. 19:04 She has just met her father she has not seen, 19:07 since the age of five. 19:11 Unbelievable, unforgivable, and, you know, 19:14 in an age where good new stories are so rare, 19:17 this one went viral. 19:19 Their story, her story 19:22 and then she posted this picture, 19:23 I love it. Take a look at this. 19:26 Father and daughter. 19:28 That's something, I mean, please, 19:30 sounds like the mission 19:31 you and I have been given, doesn't it? 19:33 Come on, didn't somebody come to us 19:34 and command us? 19:36 I want you to go and find the lost for me 19:38 because when you do, you will find your own family. 19:44 Am I pushing this one too far? 19:46 I don't think so. 19:48 Open your Bible with me to the mission, 19:51 articulated in red letter words, 19:53 five different passages, five separate books, 19:56 boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, 19:58 obviously, this was not an after thought 20:01 to Jesus who spoke these red letter words. 20:02 Let's start, let's just deal with them in order. 20:04 Matthew, open your Bible to Matthew, 20:06 you know the first book of the New Testament, 20:08 go to the last page 20:10 of the first book of the New Testament. 20:11 Matthew 28. 20:13 Matthew 28, I'll be in the NIV, 20:15 any Bible that you bring to worship is fine by me. 20:19 We got the pew Bible, of course, 20:20 you can find it there on page 672. 20:23 If you wanna track along but I wanna fly by these. 20:28 Five iterations from the same one. 20:31 so all the words are in red. 20:33 This is Matthew 5, let's pick it up. 20:35 Sorry, Matthew 28, let's pick it up in verse 18. 20:39 "Then Jesus came to His disciples and He said, 20:42 'All authority in heaven and on earth 20:43 has been given to me. 20:45 Therefore go,'" the mission. 20:47 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 20:50 baptizing them in the name of 20:52 the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20:54 and teaching them to obey 20:55 everything I have commanded you. 20:57 And surely I am with you always, 21:00 to the very end of the age.' 21:02 " The mission, just some little obscure 21:05 after thought before He whisks back to heaven, 21:07 apparently not. 21:09 Go to the last page of the gospel of Mark, 21:10 so that's the next book. 21:12 Go to the final page of the gospel of Mark, 21:13 that would be Mark 16, 21:17 let's read verse 15. 21:19 Same Jesus, same disciples, Mark 16:15, 21:23 and Jesus said to His disciples, 21:25 "Go into all the world and preach the gospel," 21:29 the good news "to all creation." 21:34 Well, let's go to the book of Luke 21:35 and again we have to go to the last page, Luke 24. 21:39 Five different books, 21:41 five separate passages, the mission. 21:46 So Luke 24, 21:48 it should be the last page of Luke in your Bible. 21:51 Luke 24, what verse is this? 21:53 This is verse 46, same Jesus, same disciples, 21:55 and "He told them," 21:57 verse 46, 21:58 "This is what is written: 22:00 The Messiah will suffer and rise 22:01 from the dead on the third day, 22:03 and repentance for the forgiveness 22:05 of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, 22:09 beginning at Jerusalem." 22:11 Three synaptics, we got them. 22:13 How about the fourth gospel, John? 22:14 Well, let's just go to the, end of John, John 20. 22:18 The resurrected Christ, the disciples are stunned. 22:23 They cannot believe what appears before them, 22:26 it's Jesus, He's risen and He speaks. 22:29 Isn't this something? 22:31 First words out of His mouth. 22:33 John 20:21, 22:34 "And again Jesus said," to the disciples, 22:36 shalom, "Peace be with you. 22:39 As the Father has sent me," 22:43 how does it go? 22:44 "I am sending you." 22:46 There's only one left. 22:47 How about Acts? Turn one page. 22:49 Acts 1:8, also red letters. 22:51 Here it comes. 22:53 "But you," Jesus, 22:54 this is just before 22:57 He is snatched into that cloud and leaves. 23:02 Just before the ascension. 23:03 "But you," disciples, followers of mine. 23:06 "But you will receive power 23:07 when the Holy Spirit comes on you, 23:10 and you will be my witnesses," I promise you, 23:14 the mission, it'll be yours. 23:16 "You'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 23:17 and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 23:21 There it is, ladies and gentlemen, the mission. 23:23 Five commanding iterations 23:26 from the lips of Christ Jesus Himself, 23:28 the Lord of this rebel planet. 23:31 He says, "You follow me, I have a mission for you." 23:33 What's the mission? 23:35 Take the gospel. 23:36 What does the gospel mean? 23:38 Let me show you the Greek word for the gospel. 23:39 What does the gospel mean? Take this to all the world. 23:41 Let's put it on the screen. 23:42 Euangellion. 23:43 That's the Greek word. Euangellion. 23:46 Let's put into English letters there. 23:48 Eu - good, 23:50 Angellion - message, 23:51 so it means good message or good news. 23:54 Now I want you to look 23:55 at the first six letters of that Greek word. 23:57 The first six letters, 23:58 can you see an English word in the first six letters? 24:03 Yeah, turn the 'u' to a 'v' and what do you have? 24:06 Yeah, let's put on the screen. Evangel. 24:07 What's Evangel? 24:09 The Evangel is good news. 24:10 So when you are evangelizing, what's that? 24:13 You are sharing the good news. 24:16 So when you have evangelism, what's that? 24:20 Put on the screen. 24:22 Bad news. 24:24 I mean, come on, 24:26 in a university community like this, 24:27 evangelism, bad news. 24:29 We don't do evangelism, let me tell you. 24:32 What happened to those words? 24:34 We had good news there going for, 24:35 you know what happens? 24:37 Sinclair Lewis. 24:38 Your English major, Sinclair Lewis, 24:40 that little book he has 'Elmer Gantry.' 24:42 Who is he? 24:43 He is this huckster itinerant evangelist 24:46 who's bigger on wine, 24:47 women and wealth 24:48 and turns the good news into a travesty 24:51 and so we, sophisticates, 24:53 have grown up believing that 24:54 that is just something you don't do when you're educated. 24:57 Are you crazy? 24:59 Evangelism is simply the act of communicating the good news, 25:02 it's evangelizing, it's the evangel. 25:05 And what's so good about the good news? 25:08 I like the way Mark Rutland put it. 25:11 He wrote about a survey of Americans 25:12 in which they were asked, what words, 25:15 I shared this a few months ago with some of you. 25:17 "What words do they most love to hear?" 25:20 And you guessed it, the number one words 25:23 that Americans love to hear, 'I love you.' 25:28 Why not? 25:29 Number two, 'I forgive you.' 25:34 Why not? 25:35 Number three, the third of Americans, 25:38 the third most loved words, 'Supper is ready.' 25:45 Yeah, we love coming home, don't we? 25:49 When you're homeless, you wanna go home. 25:51 Mark Rutland says, you know, we got the gospel right there. 25:53 God loves us, God forgives us and then He says, 25:57 "Come to a supper I'm having or you'll be homeless no more." 26:02 It's the gospel. 26:03 Philip Yancey commenting on the good news of the gospel. 26:06 Let me put Yancey's words on the screen for you. 26:08 "In the midst of a planet marked by brokenness-violence", 26:12 oh, mercy. 26:13 Did you follow the news this week? 26:16 Don't even bring it up. 26:18 This is the world we live in now. 26:20 It's just, "Pass the potatoes please, 26:21 after the headlines gone. 26:23 I've got to keep eating." 26:24 We just live with this now. 26:26 Yancey writing, 26:27 "In the midst of a planet marked 26:28 by brokenness-violence, natural disasters, 26:30 ruptured relationships-the gospel is truly good news." 26:33 And I love this similarity. 26:35 Like an iPod listener dancing in a subway station 26:38 full of glum commuters, 26:40 a Christian hears a different sound, 26:43 of joy and laughter 26:45 on the other side of pain and death." 26:48 The good news of the gospel. 26:51 We hear other music 26:53 and we can even move to that music. 26:56 Okay, let me put the verse on the screen 26:57 but let's say it out loud 26:59 without looking at the screen, John 3:16, 27:00 this is the gospel. 27:02 Let's say it out loud together. 27:03 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, 27:08 that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish 27:13 but have everlasting life." 27:16 Ladies and gentlemen, that's the good news. 27:19 But the question is do we really understand 27:22 the magnitude of what we just recited? 27:24 We've learned it since we were kids. 27:26 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, 27:29 " but we have to remember, you know the only Son is? 27:32 He's the one they called Jesus and Jesus said, 27:36 when we met Jesus He said, "Listen, if you've seen me, 27:40 you have seen, you've seen the Father. 27:42 For the Father and I, the Father and I are one, 27:45 we're not the same, we're one." 27:48 This is the same Jesus, 27:49 He stretches out His nail scarred hands 27:51 and He cries out, 27:53 "Come to me, you who are worn out, 27:55 just burned out. 27:57 Come to me and I'll give you rest." 27:58 And by the way, 27:59 this is the same Jesus who said, 28:01 "Whoever comes to me, I will never cast out." 28:04 That's what Jesus says. 28:06 "Whoever comes to me, I don't care what you've done. 28:08 I don't care who you are or who you are not, 28:11 I don't care how evil or messed up your life may be. 28:15 I don't care if your name is James Eagan Holmes." 28:19 You know what that name is? 28:20 The Colorado, movie theatre shooter. 28:24 Just sentenced this week 28:25 to 12 consecutive life sentences 28:28 plus 3,318 years tacked on just in case, 28:33 you'll outlive the 12. 28:38 I don't care if you're James Eagan Holmes, 28:40 anybody who comes to me, you come to me. 28:43 We're talking to the freshmen the other night, 28:45 Friday night we were together, a week ago. 28:47 And we looked at God as a divine auctioneer. 28:49 God says, "Listen, you come to me, 28:51 you just raise your little pinky, 28:53 I'm looking for an excuse to save you not lose you." 28:57 That's what the good news is. 28:58 Sold to the guy in that last bench in this sanctuary, 29:04 I saw your pinky. 29:06 That's the good news. Good news. 29:09 I want you to look at this verse, 29:10 one more verse to look up. 29:12 John 6:37 29:13 we've just been talking about, 29:15 but I want you to see it for yourself. 29:16 Circle it in your Bible. 29:17 This is the gospel, red letters, 29:19 everything today is red letters. 29:22 This is John 6:37, Jesus speaking, 29:25 "All those the Father gives me will come to me, 29:29 and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." 29:36 I don't care who you are, what you've done, 29:38 you raise up finger in my direction, 29:42 I'll never cast you out. 29:44 I gave you some words in my Bible, 29:46 you get it in the study guide, it's already there. 29:49 Of all these words, 29:51 whoever wrote these words, 29:52 boy, was she right about the gospel or what? 29:57 I'll put her words on the screen. 29:59 Her name happens to be Ellen White. 30:00 Take a look at these words. 30:02 "The message from God to me for you." 30:04 She's writing a letter to somebody. 30:06 I got some good news for you, boy. 30:07 Hey, girl, I got some good news for you. 30:09 "The message from God to me for you, 30:12 is 'Him that cometh unto me, 30:14 I will in no wise cast out' 30:16 If you have nothing else," now hold on, hold on. 30:18 "If you have nothing else to plead before God 30:20 but this one promise from your Lord and Savior, 30:22 you have the" if there was only one verse in the Bible, 30:25 that was John 6:37. 30:27 "You have the assurance that you will never, never..." 30:31 By the way, Jesus in His, John 6:37, 30:35 it's a double negative in the Greek. 30:37 "You, anyone who comes to me, I will no not ever cast out." 30:43 Double negative. 30:45 In case you missed it the first time, 30:46 I'm giving it to you the second time. 30:47 Interestingly, this author also uses a double negative. 30:51 "You will never, never be turned away." 30:53 I'll keep reading it, 30:55 "It may seem to you 30:56 that you are hanging upon a single promise, 30:57 but don't worry. 30:59 Appropriate that one promise, 31:00 and it will open to you 31:02 the whole treasure house of the riches 31:03 of the grace of Christ. 31:05 Cling to that promise and you are safe. 31:07 She who comes to me I will in no wise cast out." 31:09 One more line, 31:11 "Present this one promise to Jesus." 31:13 You're coming to the pearly gates, 31:14 "you just present this one promise to Jesus 31:17 and you are as safe as though inside, 31:20 already inside the city." 31:23 Ladies and gentlemen, 31:24 it does not get any better than that. 31:26 One promise, 31:27 you want that promise, you're there. 31:30 One promise, that's the good news. 31:34 You just ask, I'll give it to you. 31:37 I'm not trying to play hard to give, 31:38 I'm not trying to lose you. 31:40 I'm trying to save you. 31:42 Ask me. 31:43 You have it. 31:46 Wow, and if it's good news to us 31:49 'cause we asked Him one day, 31:51 once upon a time, maybe, you've never asked Him. 31:55 Maybe, you're here today 31:56 and you have never invited Jesus into your life. 31:59 I've got good news for you. 32:00 I'm gonna give you an opportunity 32:02 in just a few moments to invite Him into your life. 32:05 Why not? 32:06 What are you waiting for? 32:08 The news can't get any better that this, 32:09 it's yours. 32:12 But Jesus says, look it, 32:13 "You got it, now share it." 32:15 It was good to you, it'll be good to others. 32:17 Talking about blessed reciprocity 32:18 when we're together as faculty, 32:19 we're talking of blessed reciprocity, 32:21 freely you receive, freely give, give it. 32:24 Take this good news to anyone 32:27 who is yet to hear it. 32:30 So I wanna share with you now and then I'll sit down. 32:32 Just seven of these and I'm sitting down. 32:34 Seven reasons, seven reasons, 32:37 take your study guide out please, 32:38 'cause you'll need the study guide. 32:39 Seven reasons, 32:41 why the mission of your life 32:42 is to fulfill your life mission? 32:43 That's your life. 32:45 The mission of your life is to fulfill your life mission. 32:46 That's it. 32:48 You got a study guide in your worship bulletin, pull it out. 32:50 Let's just fly through these. 32:52 Just seven of them. 32:53 We got some friendly ushers here, 32:54 you didn't get one, 32:56 hold your hand up and the ushers, 32:57 we got ushers in the back already moving. 32:58 We've got ushers up here, if you didn't get it, 33:00 you'll want these seven, so just hold your hand up, 33:02 they'll come right by you. 33:03 And let's go, 33:05 let's put the website on the screen, please. 33:08 Those of you that are watching on the screen right now, 33:10 the live streaming with us, we're glad to have you. 33:13 If you go to this new series, The Pugwash Factor, 33:17 click on to the first message, 33:18 how to turn mission into possible, 33:20 you'll get the same study guide, 33:22 you'll have the same seven reasons. 33:24 All right, up in the balcony, 33:25 good, you've got it up there too. 33:27 All right, let's go. 33:30 Seven reasons, 33:32 why the mission of your life 33:33 is to fulfill your life mission. 33:36 Reason number one, 33:37 because you were made for mission. 33:41 You're made for a mission. 33:45 God had a purpose in my hand 33:46 when the divine architect 33:47 shapes you to fit perfectly into your mother's womb, 33:49 how did you do that? 33:50 He did it. You fit perfectly into her. 33:53 And when He puts you in her, 33:55 He said, "When that boy is born, 33:57 when that girl is born, 33:58 I got, I have a mission for you." 34:01 Should you choose to accept it? 34:03 This is your mission. 34:05 Look at this, jot it down. 34:07 II Corinthians 5:18, 34:09 the Today's English version. 34:11 I love, there's Paul writing, 34:13 "Christ changed us from enemies into His friends 34:15 and gave us the task of making others 34:18 His friends also." 34:19 You had a mission when you're born. 34:21 "Hey, find friends for me. 34:22 You're my friend, would you find others for me?" 34:25 That classic Steps to Christ, I love this. 34:28 "No sooner does one come to Christ 34:30 and there is born in his heart 34:33 a desire to make known to others 34:36 what a precious friend he has found in Jesus, 34:39 the saving and sanctifying, 34:40 truth cannot be shut up... 34:42 We shall seek to present to them..." 34:44 These people who don't have the good news, 34:45 "the attractions of Christ 34:46 and the unseen realities of the world to come." 34:48 Look it, if you've got a gift, 34:50 aren't you gonna tell somebody about it? 34:52 Let's just say that 34:53 registrations over a few days ago, 34:55 well, let's say you went to registration. 34:57 Oh, if this only had happened. 34:59 And you found out then an anonymous donor 35:01 had put $200,000 into your account, 35:06 here in Andrews University. 35:07 Wow, that'll cover one year, that'll be great. 35:10 You get covered that first year, 35:12 you wouldn't have to pay for it. 35:14 No, that would cover four years plus living expenses 35:18 and a few trips to Taco Bell, 35:19 we got it all right here for you. 35:22 But it's an anonymous donor. 35:24 Would you be telling everybody you knew, 35:26 you would be telling everybody on this campus. 35:27 It would be in the student moment next week, guess what? 35:29 Anonymous donor, $200,000, 35:32 but if the donor reveals his identity to you 35:37 and now you know his name, 35:39 what are you telling everybody? 35:40 You're talking about the donor by name and saying, 35:44 "He did this for me. 35:47 What might he do for you?" 35:50 That's it. 35:53 I'll give you a task, what I've done for you, 35:56 you do for others, please. 35:58 It's good news, right? 35:59 Of course, it's good news. 36:01 All right. 36:02 Reason number two, 36:03 why the mission of your life is to fulfill 36:05 your life mission? 36:07 Number two, 36:08 because your mission is a continuation of Jesus' 36:10 mission on earth. 36:12 Now we just read in Matthew. 36:13 But I love the message rendition of Matthew, 36:15 let's put that on the screen. 36:17 Jesus said, "Hey, go out." 36:18 "Go out and train everyone you meet, 36:19 far and near, in this way of life, 36:22 and I'll be with you." 36:24 Those are the two key words in the last line of Matthew. 36:28 I will be with you. 36:31 By the way I've left, I'm up there, 36:34 getting a place ready for you when you come. 36:36 But I will be with you through mine mighty spirit. 36:40 I will be with you. 36:41 That's why by the way, it's called a co-mission. 36:44 We don't do it ourselves, it's co, we do it with Him. 36:47 I'm with you. 36:50 And I love the way Peterson finishes this, 36:52 "I'll be with you as you do this, 36:53 day after day after day, 36:57 right up to the end of the age." 37:00 Desire of Ages, jot this down. 37:01 "It is in working to spread the good news of salvation 37:04 that we are brought near to the Savior." 37:06 You want to go closer to Jesus this new year? 37:08 Thank you, worship team, for that. 37:10 That appeal draw me near, draw near... 37:13 That, who didn't resonate with that? 37:16 I want to be near to Jesus this year, don't you? 37:19 When you exercise the mission, 37:23 nothing will bring you closer to Him 37:25 than your life mission. 37:27 All right, reason number three, 37:30 why is this mission a big deal? 37:32 Because your mission is a wonderful privilege, 37:34 that's why. 37:35 II Corinthians 6:1, I love this. 37:37 "We are workers," Paul writing, 37:38 "We are workers together with..." 37:40 Whom? 37:41 With whom? "With God." 37:42 Can you believe it? 37:44 Almighty God, 37:45 while He was shaping you to fit into your mother's tummy. 37:47 Almighty God is saying, 37:48 "I can hardly wait for this girl to be born. 37:49 I can hardly wait for this boy to be born and grow up 37:51 because I am gonna get to work with him." 37:54 We have a mission together. 37:59 Privilege, are you kidding. 38:01 Wow, a wonderful privilege. 38:05 Ellen White, and put her words on the screen 38:06 as I have thought of that cup, 38:07 she's thinking about Gethsemane 38:09 in this particular writing near the end of her life. 38:12 "As I have thought of that cup 38:13 trembling in the hands of Christ." 38:15 So she's in Gethsemane now. 38:17 "As I have realized that 38:18 He might have refused to drink." 38:20 Okay, I'm not gonna drink this, Father. 38:22 I'm not drinking this, I can't. 38:25 "He might have refused to drink 38:27 and left the world to perish in its sin, 38:30 I have pledged that 38:31 every energy of my life should be devoted 38:34 to the work of winning souls for Him." 38:37 When you know that 38:39 an anonymous donor has set you free forever and ever, 38:44 I'll do whatever the donor needs. 38:46 My life has been setup by him for success, wow. 38:51 Reason number four, 38:53 why the mission of your life 38:54 is to fulfill your life mission? 38:56 Because telling others how they can have eternal life 38:59 is the greatest thing you can do for them. 39:02 Burn on. The greatest thing. 39:04 Now, handing out a million dollars 39:06 of registration to everybody who comes, 39:07 that's not the greatest thing you can do for people. 39:09 That'll only give them for this life, 39:11 that's nothing. 39:12 When you share the gospel, 39:13 the good news, you are giving them, 39:15 you're introducing them 39:16 the one who will give them eternal life, the Savior. 39:19 You know what that means? 39:21 That means, and tell your roommate, you know, 39:24 the roommate that you have, yeah. 39:26 And tell your roommate, 39:28 and tell your neighbor and tell your friends, 39:31 "Find Jesus." 39:32 Now listen, 39:33 this is hard to say but it's true. 39:35 Until they find Jesus, they are lost, 39:40 lost. 39:42 Nobody goes but through Christ Himself. 39:47 That's pretty somber. 39:48 You're going to a public university, are you? 39:51 You're watching right now, 39:52 you don't even have the money to come 39:54 to a private school like this, 39:55 you're going to a public university, 39:57 that godless professor of yours, 40:00 if he doesn't meet your Savior, he's lost forever. 40:07 I mean, this is big stuff. 40:10 This is the greatest thing you can do for a human being. 40:13 It's to say, 40:14 "I want you to meet my anonymous donor. 40:19 He's ready for you." 40:21 Wow, you start, "Dwight, 40:23 you don't know my roommate. 40:24 You talk about the kid across the street, across the hallway. 40:27 You have not seen a life as messed up as that." 40:30 Please. 40:33 I got some to share with you. 40:35 Desire of Ages, put it on the screen. 40:36 Look at this, maybe this is talking about you. 40:38 "Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. 40:40 You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. 40:44 You may be, but the worse you are," I love this. 40:47 "The worse you are, the more you need Jesus. 40:50 He turns no weeping, contrite one away. 40:53 He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, 40:54 but He bids every trembling soul take courage." 40:58 Jot this down. 40:59 "Freely will He pardon all." 41:02 A-l-l. 41:03 Doesn't matter what he's like. 41:06 Doesn't matter what she's like. 41:07 "Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness 41:09 and restoration." 41:11 Reason number five, there are only seven of these. 41:13 Here comes number five, 41:15 why is my life mission supposed to be the mission of my life? 41:17 Because your mission has eternal significance. 41:21 The clock is ticking, folks, please. 41:24 You know, have you ever watched CBS 60 minutes? 41:30 That's the clock, on all of us. 41:35 Jesus is speaking red letter words, John 9. 41:37 Fill this in, please. New living translation. 41:39 "All of us..." 41:40 Jesus says, "must quickly carry out the tasks. 41:42 The mission assigned us by the one who sent me, 41:44 because there is little time left 41:46 before the night falls and all work comes to an end." 41:51 Do you suppose God knows we're running out of time? 41:54 Do you suppose God knows that America is running out of time? 41:56 Where is the moral clock on America? 42:00 What about the economic clock? 42:02 Do you know how close 42:03 we came to an economic meltdown this week? 42:05 You're having a grand old time 42:06 at Andrews University this week. 42:08 And the world comes to the precipice. 42:12 Let's pull back. 42:19 So do I, come on. I'm 21. 42:21 I got time, 42:23 I don't have to get serious about this mission. 42:24 You only have this life 42:26 and I'm not gonna tell you how many 21-year-olds, 42:29 I have buried. 42:31 No way, there is no way that any age gets a pass. 42:35 Oh, you're young enough. 42:37 You got time, girl. 42:38 Boy, you got time. 42:39 You don't have time. 42:41 This life is all you have. 42:44 If you're gonna exercise this mission, it's now. 42:46 It's your life now, you can't put it off. 42:50 Reason number six. 42:52 No, I left out a quotation, sorry. 42:53 Christ's Object Lessons, this is good. 42:55 All the heaven by the way, 42:56 it's ready to go when you're ready. 42:58 Christ's Object Lessons, put it on the screen, please. 43:00 "In this work all the angels of heaven 43:03 are ready to co-operate. 43:05 All the resources of heaven are at the command of those 43:08 who are on the mission, 43:09 who care seeking to save the lost. 43:11 Angels will help you to reach the most careless 43:12 and the most hardened." 43:14 You're not in this alone. 43:15 Everybody up there is saying, 43:17 "Go, boy. Go, girl. 43:19 We're in it with you but you have to do this. 43:23 We can't do it, you do it." 43:26 They'll believe you faster than they'll believe us. 43:30 Wow. 43:32 Reason number six, 43:34 why should my life mission be the mission of my life? 43:36 Because your mission gives your life meaning. 43:38 That's why the American writer, psychologist, William James. 43:43 Put his words on the screen. 43:44 "The best use of life is to spend it 43:46 for something that outlasts it." 43:50 If you're spending your life on only what's now, 43:53 it's just for now, I got to have a great now. 43:55 You're crazy, James is right. 43:58 Something that outlasts your life, 44:00 that's what you invested in. 44:04 That's what Paul is saying here, 44:06 Acts 20:24, 44:07 put it on the screen, fill it in. 44:08 New Living Translation. 44:10 Paul says, "My life is worth nothing 44:12 unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me 44:14 by the Lord Jesus 44:15 - the work of telling others 44:17 the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." 44:19 And then Rick Warren in his book, 44:21 "The Purpose Driven Life." 44:23 I got these seven from my friend, 44:25 my Baptist friend, Rick. 44:27 I put a little Adventist adaptation to them. 44:30 But these are his words now. 44:32 Put it on the screen, 44:33 "If you fail to fulfill your God-given mission on earth, 44:36 you will have wasted the life God gave you. 44:39 There are people on this planet," 44:41 Now listen up. 44:42 "There are people on this planet 44:44 whom only you will be able to reach, 44:47 because of where you live 44:48 or because of what god has made you to be. 44:52 If just one person will be in heaven because of you, 44:56 your life will have made a difference for eternity." 45:00 And that Baptist pastor is right. 45:07 Christ's Object Lessons, 45:09 "It is the privilege of every soul 45:11 to be a living channel through 45:13 which God can communicate to the world 45:14 the treasures of His grace, 45:15 the unsearchable riches of Christ." 45:18 It's our calling. The mission. 45:20 We were born for this, it's your legacy. 45:22 All right, number seven, this is it. 45:26 Reason number seven, 45:27 why the mission of your life 45:28 is to fulfill your life mission? 45:30 Because God's timetable for history's ending is connected 45:35 to the completion of our commission. 45:38 We gotta do it. 45:40 That's what Jesus is saying. 45:41 Red letter words, on the screen, please. 45:43 Matthew 24:14, jot it down. 45:45 "And this gospel of the kingdom 45:47 will be preached in all the world 45:48 as a witness to all the nations, 45:50 and then the end will come." 45:56 Somehow when you realize 45:58 that this planet cannot go on forever 46:01 and most thinking people on this planet 46:03 now recognize that. 46:06 When you realize that 46:08 we're living with a dwindling commodity called time 46:11 for the human race. 46:13 Life just is not the same. 46:15 This book, Desire of Ages 46:17 captures that very thinking today. 46:19 Put it, your last quotation on the screen. 46:21 "Those who watch 46:22 for the Lord's coming are not waiting 46:24 in idle expectancy. 46:26 With vigilant watching they combine earnest working." 46:29 Now here it goes. 46:30 "Because they know that the Lord is at..." 46:34 Would you write that down? 46:36 "Because they know that the Lord is at the door, 46:39 "that Jesus is coming soon, followers of Christ, 46:42 "Their zeal is quickened 46:43 to co-operate with the divine intelligences 46:45 in working for the salvation of souls." 46:49 When you sense that the world is running out of time, 46:52 something takes hold of you 46:54 and that's the reason for the title, 46:56 "The Pugwash Factor." 46:58 You just saw it a moment ago. 46:59 I wrote about it in today's blog, 47:01 you have it there. 47:02 Don't read it now. 47:04 The Pugwash Factor, 47:06 the compelling narrative of Albert Einstein 47:07 and Bertrand Russell 47:09 and some of the brightest thinkers in the world. 47:10 1955, after the two atomic bombs 47:13 over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 1955. 47:20 Something must be done, so we're calling it, 47:24 it's not their words, it's our words, 47:25 The Pugwash Factor. 47:27 Pugwash, Nova Scotia. 47:28 Karen and I, we're there this summer. 47:29 That's a obscure little village on the eastern edge of Canada 47:33 but what a history. 47:34 1957, scientists, philosophers, 47:37 thinkers from all over the world, 47:38 10 Nobel Laureates included, 47:41 gathered in Pugwash, Nova Scotia 47:43 and they are driven by a single mantra. 47:46 I'm gonna put that mantra on the screen. 47:48 This is why they met. 47:50 Take a look at this. Here is their mantra. 47:52 "Given the urgency of the times," 47:54 shouldn't we, scientists, shouldn't we, thinkers, 47:57 "shouldn't we be doing something to warn the world?" 48:01 The nuclear age has pushed us 48:04 to the precipice of eternity. 48:08 Shouldn't we be doing something, 48:10 call it the Pugwash Factor. 48:12 Keep the words up and just change, 48:14 tweak the ending, 48:15 will you? 48:17 Given the urgency of the times, 48:18 shouldn't we be doing something to tell the world 48:21 about this Jesus who is coming soon? 48:24 That's why you have the mission 48:26 with the brightest minds on earth saying, 48:28 "We got to do something over dead." 48:31 We have the same mission. 48:33 Only earth, 48:34 it does not end in a mushroom cloud, 48:36 our mission ends in eternity, 48:38 and there are people dying 48:40 for the good news that you have. 48:42 This new year at Andrews University, 48:44 let the mission be our mission. 48:47 What do you say? Come on. 48:50 You got a roommate, 48:51 you got a friend, you got a colleague, 48:54 you got a student in your class 48:56 that you know is godless and is an atheist. 48:58 You got somebody near by, that needs the good news, 49:01 you got a neighbor, this year, 49:04 this is the year for the mission. 49:07 Oh, and by the way, 49:09 the next time you're in Honolulu, 49:11 please make sure that you look up Diana Kim, 49:14 either at her photo studio or her law offices. 49:16 And you ask her this question, 49:17 would you mind doing this when you're there? 49:19 Just ask her this question. 49:20 Are you glad you went back to find 49:22 that homeless stranger that day? 49:26 And then you wait for her answer, 49:28 because I don't know what it'll be, 49:29 but I predict all she will do is 49:32 pull out a picture for you to look at, 49:35 a picture that looks like that. 49:38 Because when you discover that the lost are your family, 49:41 why wouldn't you hurry back to find them 49:44 with the good news, they can come home now. 49:52 Now. 49:56 Pull out your connect card, will you, please, 49:58 before we pray? 50:01 What do we do with this, the mission? 50:04 I see we have guests here, 50:06 we're always delighted that you're here, 50:07 whoever you are. 50:08 Fill out the front of the card 50:10 with what you're comfortable with, 50:11 we do this every week and so, 50:14 are you regular students who've been here? 50:15 Notes. 50:17 Hit to the back and we call the backside of the card. 50:19 My next step today is the... 50:20 Ushers, see them moving 50:22 because they're gonna receive the card right now. 50:24 My next step today is, 50:25 I thank God for the good news and I want to share it. 50:30 I want to put a check mark there, don't you? 50:31 Why not? 50:33 Why not? 50:34 I want to share it, don't you? 50:36 Box number two, I want to follow Jesus 50:38 as my Savior and be baptized. 50:39 I told you, I give an invitation, 50:41 this was it. 50:42 If you've never been baptized, 50:44 you have never come to Jesus publicly. 50:47 I want to give you an invitation right now, 50:49 put a check mark there. 50:50 If you put your email address on the front, 50:52 we'll be in touch with you by email. 50:54 Nobody's gonna come and say, "You got to join this church. 50:56 You got to..." 50:58 No, we just wanna assist you. 51:01 We want you to be able to have the good news, 51:03 we want the anonymous donor 51:04 to be your friend too 51:06 'cause then he's not anonymous. 51:07 And He'll change your life, 51:09 you'll never be the same for the good. 51:11 It's good news, remember, it's good news. 51:15 Put a check mark there. We'll be in touch with you. 51:16 Number three, 51:17 I want to invite my friends to here, Ty Gibson. 51:19 Please send me more information. 51:21 Ty Gibson, two weeks from right now, Ty, 51:24 one of the great writers in our community of faith. 51:27 I'm telling you that the boy has been gifted to the max. 51:31 He's gonna be standing right here, 51:34 public speaker all over the world. 51:36 We lined him up 51:37 and for seven nights and seven days, 51:40 he's going to, with this campus, 51:43 he's going to reveal, 51:46 remind us, 51:48 how great the good news really is. 51:50 You're gonna be blessed to the max. 51:52 Listen, it's not just for you, if you know somebody, 51:54 be thinking, I've got two weeks, 51:55 this is the easiest way to do your mission, 51:56 just bring somebody. 51:58 We'll put something in the bulletin next week, 51:59 you just hand it to them. 52:02 I want to invite my friends to here, Ty Gibson. 52:05 Send me more info, put an email address 52:07 and we'll give you the particulars. 52:08 And finally, I wanna learn how to share my faith. 52:11 Please send me information regarding 52:12 a new grow group on witnessing. 52:15 We got 76 grow groups, 52:17 we never had this, this is wonderful. 52:18 Seventy-six grow groups ready to go, 52:20 you'll get the menu and in the next Sabbath, 52:22 probably the Sabbath after, this catalog. 52:25 But there's one devoted to just sharing the good news. 52:28 If you want just a little coaching, 52:30 just meet people like you who all want to get, 52:32 how do we share this good news? 52:33 Put a check mark there, we'll send you the information. 52:35 We're not signing you up 52:36 but we'll send you the information, 52:37 then you can make the choice. 52:39 We're on the cusp of the new year, 52:41 the mission this year is the mission. 52:46 I wanna pray with you before we end our services, 52:50 one of these glorious, our tradition here, 52:52 we end the service with standing together 52:54 and singing the Lord's prayer. 52:56 But I wanna pray with you before that 52:58 and then we need to receive these cards from you. 53:00 Let's pray. 53:01 Oh, God, the good news, 53:04 it doesn't get any better than this. 53:07 The man who went to Calvary is the eternal God Himself 53:10 and He says, 53:11 "I've been an anonymous donor in your life. 53:13 I've been providing everything for you. 53:15 I'd love to get to know you." 53:17 Father, with good news like that, 53:19 don't let us sit on it, please. 53:21 What are we living for? Just this life, it's over. 53:24 The brightest minds on earth know 53:27 but take us 53:29 and may the mission become a life for us 53:31 and over these next few Sabbaths, 53:32 shape the mission in us, give us some technique, 53:34 give us the skill that we'll be comfortable with, 53:38 but may the good news first be good news here 53:41 and for every man and woman 53:42 and young adult who's put a check mark, 53:44 a teenager, 53:45 I wanna follow Jesus 53:46 and get baptized and seal that decision. 53:48 Thank you for that quiet decision, 53:50 honor it, seal it, 53:52 move them however long they wish 53:54 but move them to that day. 53:57 We return our morning tithes and offerings, 53:59 we've received much, 54:00 we give to you out of gratitude, 54:02 in Jesus' name, amen. 54:15 Our Father 54:24 which art in heaven 54:35 Hallowed be thy name 54:53 Thy kingdom come 55:00 Thy will be done 55:06 On Earth 55:11 As it is in Heaven 55:36 Give us this day 55:41 Our daily bread 55:46 And forgive us our debts 55:52 As we forgive our debtors 56:04 And lead us not into temptation, 56:11 But deliver us from evil 56:18 For Thine is the kingdom 56:25 And the power, and the glory, 56:34 Forever 56:44 Amen 57:12 May I take an extra moment with you 57:14 and let you know how grateful I am 57:15 that you joined us in worship today? 57:17 I hear from the viewers like you 57:19 across the nation and literally, 57:20 around the world and I'm thankful. 57:22 If you'd like to explore it 57:24 further what we have just shared, 57:25 I hope you'll visit us at our website. 57:26 It's an easy one to remember, 57:28 www.pmchurch.tv. 57:32 We're the Pioneer Memorial Church, 57:34 here on the campus of Andrews University. 57:35 So that's www.pmchurch.tv. 57:39 Click onto that website 57:40 and you'll be able to listen to a podcast of this material. 57:43 You can download the presentation. 57:44 You can print off the study guide. 57:46 You may have a special prayer need that you wish to share 57:48 with our prayer partners 57:50 or you may wish to partner with us 57:51 through a personal donation 57:52 to help reach this generation 57:54 with the everlasting good news of Christ. 57:57 If you'd rather talk with someone, 57:58 call one of our friendly operators. 58:00 Here's the toll free number 877 58:02 and then the two words 58:04 HIS-WILL, 877-HIS-WILL. 58:06 In the meantime, 58:08 may the grace and peace of Jesus be yours 58:10 every step of this adventurous way. |
Revised 2024-04-19