New Perceptions

Tales from a Vineyard: Cry Baby, Cry

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: NP

Program Code: NP180908A


00:00 ♪♪
00:10 [ "Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow"
00:13 begins ]
01:37 ♪♪
01:53 [ Congregation singing ]
04:58 ♪♪
05:08 [ "For the Beauty of the Earth" begins ]
06:22 ♪♪
06:31 [ Congregation singing ]
07:09 ♪♪
07:14 [ "None But Jesus" begins ]
07:18 ♪♪
09:13 >> There's no one else.
09:41 >> Truly in Jesus we see exactly what we need, and doesn't it
09:47 draw you to Him? And today there might be
09:51 something on your heart that you've been struggling with
09:53 that's been weighing you down. Maybe there's something that you
09:56 haven't been wanting to give to Jesus, but I want you
09:58 to respond today. I want to invite you to come
10:00 to the front if you have something on your heart today.
10:04 Maybe it's a difficulty in your family or maybe it's a struggle in your soul,
10:09 and you want to symbolically give that to Jesus. As we sing the bridge and
10:14 the chorus one more time, come to the front and give it to Him.
10:17 ♪♪
10:24 All my delight. [ Congregation singing ]
10:43 ♪♪
11:01 ♪♪
11:19 None but Jesus. ♪♪
11:51 >> Oh, good morning, boys and girls. Nice to see you on this
11:54 beautiful Sabbath. You're just as beautiful as you've ever been,
12:00 and it's a joy to have you. Did you have a good week? >> Yes.
12:04 >> Yeah? Good. Glad you brought some friends. Oh, good. That's nice.
12:11 Say, I got a story from my friend Melchizedek Ponniah. He found this story for me.
12:16 Over in the Philippines, there's an island called Palawan -- Palawan.
12:24 Beautiful island, long island, and a fisherman lived on the island, just a young
12:27 fisherman, and one day, he took his little fishing boat out -- Anybody here go fishing?
12:31 See the fishermen right here in our St. Joseph River? He went a different kind
12:35 of fishing. He put on his mask so he could hardly talk, and then he went
12:39 down into the water, and he did fishing. One day when he went down
12:42 under the water, he saw something strange at the bottom. What is this?
12:47 Does anybody know what this is? And he went back up to the top, grabbed air --
12:51 [ Gasps, gurgling ] Down, down, down. Ohh.
12:56 I wonder if I can lift -- I wonder if I can lift this up. [ Grunting ]
13:04 [ Breathing heavily ] He threw it in his boat. Oh, it was heavy.
13:07 How he did it by himself, I do not know. He got it in his boat,
13:11 took it back. He said, "You know, this is really strange.
13:13 I've never seen anything like this in my whole life. What are you supposed to do
13:16 with something like this? I don't know. I hope the neighbors don't see
13:18 me." He waited till the neighbors weren't looking.
13:20 He got to his boat, and he picked it up. Ooh, it's heavy.
13:23 He quickly -- Anybody looking? He hurried to his little house by by the seashore,
13:30 and he slipped it inside, and when you have something that you don't know where it's
13:34 supposed to go, where do you put it? Under the bed.
13:38 That's where he put it, under -- Isn't that were you put stuff?
13:41 He put it under the bed. Now it'll be fine. And he just left it there --
13:47 just left it there. Never took it out, didn't tell anybody about it.
13:51 Shh! Nobody knows he has it under the bed.
13:57 Ten years go by. Ten years go by. He's moving -- [ Gasps ]
14:02 Oops. Under the bed. "Hello, Auntie.
14:06 Could you come over here, please, Auntie? I need you to tell me
14:09 what is this?" So his auntie hurries over to his little fishing house,
14:14 and she looks under the bed. She said, "How long have you had this?"
14:18 "Oh. I've had it about 10 years. I found it on the bottom
14:22 of the ocean. I don't know what to do with it. I'm moving.
14:24 Would you like it?" She said, "Let's call somebody." They called somebody,
14:29 and the somebody came, and here's what the somebody saw.
14:33 You want to see it on the big screen? Let's take a look.
14:36 That's what the somebody saw. Ahhh.
14:40 Look at that. What is it?
14:42 Seventy-five pounds. Whoo!
14:45 That's as much as some of you -- more than some of you.
14:48 Seventy-five pounds. What's it weigh?
14:50 Thirty-four kilos.
14:51 Yep, that would be kilos. About 24 inches long, wide. They said, "We got to get
14:58 somebody else to look at this." Another somebody came, and he looked at this,
15:02 and he said, "Hmm. Hmm. Do you know what this is? This is a pearl."
15:07 "No." Do you know what a pearl is? Those little round, white balls
15:12 that you see -- those little pearls? This is a giant pearl,
15:16 the largest pearl that's ever been found. Somebody else came in.
15:21 They said, "How much do you think it's worth?" He says, "Ooh.
15:24 Hmm. About $100 million." [ Gasps ]
15:29 $100 million, and he kept it under his bed? You better look under your bed.
15:35 [ Laughter ] What's going on? $100 million, and he's treating
15:39 it like just a little something you put under the bed. Sometimes -- Guess what?
15:43 Shh. Sometimes we do that with Jesus. He's just --
15:46 Oh, He's just another name. We hear that name in Family Worship.
15:49 We hear that name in Church and Sabbath. It's just another little name."
15:52 I beg your pardon, sir. Just another little name? Huh?
15:58 He's the treasure of the whole universe. More than $100 million?
16:03 Way. Jesus -- The Bible, in fact, calls Him the Pearl
16:08 of Great Price. Oh, what a Jesus He is. He's the best Savior,
16:11 He's the best Creator, He's the best friend you'll ever have.
16:15 How many are thankful that He happens to be our friend, too?
16:19 So when you hear people talking about Him, that's a big deal. Go ahead and share Him
16:26 with others that you know. Who would like to thank Jesus for being our number-one
16:31 Pearl of Great Price -- our greatest and bestest Savior and friend?
16:38 Sissy, I saw your hand first. Come on up. All right.
16:42 What's your name? >> Zawadi. >> Zawadi.
16:44 We're gonna pray with Zawadi. Close your eyes, fold your hands, and, Zawadi, let's thank
16:48 Jesus. >> Dear Jesus. Thank you for this day.
16:53 Thank you for giving us life, and thank you that we have food and a house and clothes so we --
17:01 And thank you that we're here at church to learn more about You.
17:06 In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. >> Amen.
17:09 Thank you, Zawadi. What a beautiful prayer. And as you go quietly back
17:13 to your seats, you can say Zawadi's prayer. Thank you.
17:17 Thank you, Jesus.
17:24 [ "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light" begins ]
17:39 [ Congregation singing ]
18:04 ♪♪
18:28 ♪♪
18:52 ♪♪
19:08 ♪♪
19:20 ♪♪
19:29 ♪♪
19:50 ♪♪
20:10 ♪♪
20:36 ♪♪
20:51 ♪♪
21:06 ♪♪
21:22 ♪♪
21:39 ♪♪
22:00 ♪♪
22:21 ♪♪
22:36 ♪♪
22:47 [ Music stops ]
23:02 >> Let's pray. Oh, God, what they just sang is what we pray.
23:10 I want to walk in the light. I want to walk with Jesus. So shine.
23:20 Father, shine into this moment. Shine with all Your glory. May we get it.
23:28 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
23:33 What do you say we go back up the road three or four miles,
23:36 I think it is, to this beautiful, sprawling vineyard --
23:41 88 acres of grapes? We're calling it God's Vineyard.
23:48 You know why? Because all the produce,
23:51 all the grapes from these 88 acres go to Welch's,
23:54 which is grape juice.
23:57 They pay for it. The money goes to Andrews University
24:00 for student scholarships. So it's a mission vineyard. Let's go back to my friend
24:06 Robin, who's the vineyard master, and my friend José, who's the master gardener.
24:12 Put it on the screen for you right now. ♪♪
24:28 >> Hi. We're back here in what we're calling God's Vineyard.
24:33 I'm amazed at how many different places within the Old and the New Testament
24:37 God really gets big on vineyards, and my friends Robin and José are here, and,
24:42 gentlemen, I want to move in now to the vine itself.
24:46 So, here we have this massive outcropping from the ground.
24:50 José, that's the vine. >> That is.
24:52 Yeah, that's the vine.
24:54 >> The roots are down. >> They're, like, 3 feet deep. >> Three feet deep of roots?
24:58 >> In the ground. >> Mm-hmm. >> Now, I'm just looking at it
25:01 and trying to guess the age, but, boy, I tell you, when you told me the number,
25:04 I said, "Impossible." How old is that vine?
25:06 >> Sixty years old. >> Sixty years.
25:08 >> Sixty. >> This vine has been here
25:10 for 60 years. >> Sixty years.
25:11 >> Unbelievable. And then -- where is it, over in France?
25:15 Tell me that other vine. >> Oh, over 400 years. >> There's a vine on Earth
25:19 over 400 years old. >> Yeah. >> Still producing fruit?
25:22 >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, it still produces. >> So God really --
25:25 He was into something. >> Oh, He was. >> When He takes His metaphor,
25:29 and He says, "Guys, I'm gonna teach you through this," He chose a plant that could
25:33 just go on living and living and living. That's a big deal.
25:36 I mean, when Jesus says, "I'm the vine, my Father is the gardener" --
25:41 that would be you -- "You are the branches," the vine really is the hero
25:46 of the story. >> It is. >> What's coming out of that
25:49 soil? What's the vine bringing up? >> Well, there's nutrients
25:52 and sugar, essentially, through photosynthesis, through the leaves.
25:56 >> Okay. >> The Sun hits the leaves, it captures sugar.
26:00 It gets down into the roots. The ribosomes kind of feed the nutrients into the vine,
26:06 and it brings it up, and then it actually brings all of that goodness into
26:11 the fruit. >> Robin, refresh our memories. What's the purpose of
26:15 a vineyard? >> Produce fruit. >> Fruit. That's it?
26:18 >> Mm-hmm. >> No fruit, it's a worthless vineyard.
26:20 >> It's a worthless vineyard. It is. >> You got to have the fruit.
26:24 >> Yeah, we do. >> And the only way we get the fruit is through
26:27 the connection. ♪♪
26:37 >> Once upon a time there was a man who inherited a very beautiful, sprawling
26:42 vineyard -- inherited it from his daddy, who inherited it from his
26:47 father, who inherited it from his father, and all the way back.
26:51 One hot, sunny afternoon, he's strolling those rolling aisles that you just saw...
27:00 tasting the fruit... admiring the foliage... and probably singing
27:09 the doxology in his heart that we sang just a few moments ago.
27:12 "Praise God from whom all blessings flow. This is my vineyard.
27:16 I inherited this. I can't believe it." When, all of a sudden,
27:20 I tell you the truth, standing right in front of him, in all his regal majesty,
27:27 is the capital "K" king -- the king of the country. The king breaks into a smile
27:36 as he sees the owner startled. "Listen, my friend. Don't be startled.
27:41 Don't be. Listen, I have a proposition. That's what I want to make
27:45 to you -- a proposition. My palace is just a stone's throw away.
27:49 I've been looking out the window and thinking, you know what?
27:52 I would love to plant a vegetable garden here. So here's the deal.
27:57 Don't -- D-d-d-d-d-d-don't -- Don't tell me that you're gonna offer it to me for nothing.
28:02 No, no, no. I will pay. I'll pay handsomely.
28:05 And I tell you what. If you'd rather have another vineyard anywhere in this
28:10 country, you get it. Just say the word. Now, question.
28:15 Will you sell me the vineyard?" "Well, long live the king, Your Majesty.
28:21 Uh -- [ Sighs ] That's quite a proposition. But, Your Majesty, you know --
28:27 you know the laws of our religion. And I'm not allowed to take
28:33 my ancestral heritage and transfer it to another tribe."
28:38 "So -- So, you're not gonna sell me this vineyard?" "Oh, yes, Your Majesty.
28:44 I will not." And the king began to cry... almost,
28:53 spoiled brat that he was. Open your Bible with me, please. 1 Kings 21.
29:00 Tale Number Two from the Vineyard. Last week, Noah the drunk.
29:05 This week, twisted tale I'm sorry to tell you. 1 Kings 21.
29:12 I'll be in the N.I.V. You can read any translation that you brought along --
29:15 didn't bring a Bible, grab the pew Bible in front of you.
30:05 Did somebody say "spoiled brat"?
30:07 [ Scoffs ] Grown-up king -- Can you believe this? --
30:13 pouting and sulking because someone had the temerity to say "no" to him.
30:18 Obviously, his parents never said "no" to him. [ Scoffs ]
30:23 Finally, when the king doesn't show up for supper... "Where is he?"
30:29 ...the queen, the wicked, wily Queen Jezebel goes in search of her missing husband.
30:38 He's in bed, pouting. And she speaks. What is this -- Verse 5?
31:06 "Grow up!" [ Scoffs ]
31:11 "Cheer up. Get up and eat.
31:14 Because I'm gonna get you that vineyard of Naboth
31:17 the Jezreelite." And so the wily, wicked Queen Jezebel gets ahold
31:22 of Ahab's personal stamp, grabs some parchments, scribbles out a message
31:27 to all the civic leaders in the town where Naboth lives...
31:32 stamps them. "Servant!" Oh, what does she say
31:39 in the letter? Oh, drop down to Verse 9.
32:02 [ Whooshes ] The letter's gone. And guess what?
32:06 It happens exactly as that woman in power dictates... because people are afraid
32:13 to stand up to a bellicose leader who threatens to ruin them if they do not give him
32:21 what he asks -- or her.
32:30 So, the town elders buckle. The scoundrels perjure themselves, and Naboth...
32:40 stoned and dead. Then the elders send a message back.
32:43 What is this? Verse 14.
32:49 And, by the way, if you read 2 Kings 9, you find out that they not only stone Naboth
32:54 to death, they stoned all his sons, as well. Nobody is gonna now come up
32:59 and say, "By the way, I'm next of kin." Nope.
33:01 There's nobody to lay claim. Wow.
33:11 Verse 15.
33:22 "Guess what?"
33:31 I want to tell you something about Jezebel. She's an apocalyptic symbol
33:36 in the New Testament. She's so bad that she makes it into the Bible...
33:42 at the end in the Book of Revelation when there will be another
33:46 Jezebel who will rise up. She, like the wicked Queen Jezebel the First,
33:50 brings her rank and immoral paganism, and through her alliance and marriage
33:57 with a believing king of Israel, she infects, she poisons the entire nation until
34:06 the pure religion of the nation is subsumed, contaminated, corrupted by a dangerous
34:16 syncretism, where immorality... can become an offense against innocent young.
34:31 Syncretism. Bring it all together and make it look hunky-dory
34:37 when it's sick to the core. That's Jezebel. And Elijah -- Oh, yeah.
34:45 There's an Elijah in this story. Verse 17.
34:51 We're talking about the man from Mount Carmel. You remember that?
34:54 All 400 -- What was it -- 400 plus 450? 850 priests of Baal arrayed
35:00 against him. Kneels down. Fire descends from Heaven.
35:05 Nukes the summit of Mount Carmel, proving the God of Israel is still
35:09 the Living God and Creator. That's the same Elijah -- bushy-bearded, camel-haired
35:16 prophet, who, himself, becomes a symbol of a generation at the end of time who will be
35:22 called the Elijah Generation. You know why they're called the Elijah Generation?
35:26 Because this generation will have the guts to stand up to a Jezebel also at the end
35:32 of time, and this generation will say, "Here we stand, so help us God."
35:39 Oh, there'll be -- There'll be the showdown. One day even in America,
35:45 there will be a showdown. Ahab. Corrupted religion.
35:51 Jezebel. Corruption. And a nation at the crossroads.
35:59 So God shows up to Elijah. He says, "Elijah, you're not gonna believe this."
36:02 Yep. Here comes the message now. Verse 18.
36:04 "I want you to go down to meet Ahab, the king of Israel, who rules in Samaria.
36:08 He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.
36:11 And I want you to say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and
36:15 seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place
36:18 where the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood -- yes, yours!'"
36:22 And, oh, by the way, did I tell you? This tale is not a bedtime story
36:26 for your children. [ Light laughter ] Why?
36:30 Because what's happening in this tale. Now, listen carefully.
36:32 What's happening in this tale is divine judgment is about to be meted out.
36:36 Every story doesn't end, "And they lived happily ever after."
36:42 Why would God send this message? I mean, this is -- this is -- this is tough stuff.
36:51 You know why? Because God is risking a message that tough to illicit
37:00 a response this desperate. You watch. So there's Ahab strolling
37:05 the same rolling vineyard aisles.
37:09 And Verse 20 on the screen. And...
37:17 Oops. Guilty conscience. "You're my enemy."
37:22 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Ahab. He's not your enemy.
37:25 Elijah is your friend. The woman, your consort, is your enemy.
37:32 Elijah is here through the desperation as a final judgment message in hope
37:37 and prayer that somehow your heart might be arrested. He is your friend to lead you
37:42 back to God. And Elijah issues the call. You read it there for
37:57 yourselves -- Verse 21, Verse 22, Verse 23, Verse 24. "Dogs -- Dogs will consume your
38:05 blood, will consume Jezebel's blood, will consume the blood of your corrupted family,
38:11 and if you miss the city, and you're out in the country, the birds will eat you."
38:17 Now, this is so stiff -- I want you to notice this in Verse 25 -- that
38:21 the chronicler, whoever he is, says, "Hey, reader. I know you're really upset
38:25 right now with God. I need you to know something." Verse 25.
38:28 In parentheses, "(There was never --)" By the way, remember, reader.
38:32 "(There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord,
38:37 urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols,
38:42 like the Amorites --)," which were the height of vice immorality in its worse form.
38:50 He went after them and said, "I'll embrace that into my religion."
38:59 God sends a message. And, oh, my. Look at Verse 27.
39:05 You can't believe it. Verse 27. Come on.
39:15 That's why God uses judgment messages. That's why He warns people.
39:19 That's why He says, "If you keep this up, you're gonna end in a rotten story."
39:25 He did it to Nineveh, and it worked. He did it to Ahab,
39:30 and it worked. Some people are always trying to defend God's reputation
39:34 by saying, "Oh, skip the judgment part. Skip the judgment part."
39:37 Never skip the judgment part. That's the part that works. And it worked.
39:43 And Ahab now is dust, sackcloth, and ashes, and he's bowing, weeping before --
39:49 "God have mercy on me." God comes back to Elijah, and He says, "Time-out.
39:55 Change of plan." Verse 28.
40:12 God's soft heart -- Can you believe that? --
40:15 is actually touched by the tears of a repentant, evil monarch.
40:22 And God calls off the dogs, literally, and delays
40:25 the judgment... Wow.
40:28 ...because of Ahab's genuine tears of repentance.
40:32 Amazing story of amazing, amazing grace.
40:37 What do you say? Amazing grace. No man, no woman --
40:41 We now know the truth. No one can sink so low that she, that he is beyond the reach
40:48 of God's saving grace and redeeming love to which I say, Amen.
40:54 Amen. The truth. Because it's the truth
40:58 of the vineyard.
41:00 Interestingly enough, the vineyard Ahab stole
41:05 offers the very hope Ahab needs. Jesus talked about the vineyard
41:12 just before they executed Him.
41:14 Turn to the New Testament now. We got the tale, but is there any point to this?
41:18 Turn to the New Testament. John Chapter 15. Less than 24 hours before Jesus
41:23 will be dead and buried at this time tomorrow night. This is Passover night.
41:28 This is Thursday. This is full Moon, silver shadows.
41:32 Jesus is making His way to Gethsemane. He stops by a trellis,
41:34 and He says, "Hey, guys. Come here, come here, come here, come here.
41:37 I want to show you something. I want to to teach you something."
41:41 And He points to the trellis, and He speaks. John Chapter 15.
41:47 Bright-red letters in mine. John 15:1.
42:16 "Nothing."
42:21 Wow. One of the great devotional writers of the 19th Century,
42:28 his name Andrew Murray, wrote a book. If I could give the book
42:32 to everybody, I'd give the book to you. It's called
42:35 "Abide in Christ." He makes such a profound point that I still can't --
42:40 I still can't comprehend its depth, but I want to share the profound point with you,
42:45 and then I'll sit down. Andrew Murray. You got a Study Guide?
42:49 Yes, you do. There's a Study Guide in your Worship Bulletin.
42:52 Pull it out right now. Study Guide in your Worship Bulletin.
42:54 We're gonna go -- Those of you watching on live-stream, watching
42:58 on television somewhere, we're glad to have you.
43:02 I'll put the website on the screen for you.
43:04 You see it there right now -- www.newperceptions.tv.
43:08 You're looking for a new series called "Tales From A Vineyard."
43:11 The title of this particular segment -- "Cry Baby, Cry."
43:18 When you go there, click onto that, [Snaps fingers]
43:20 you'll have the Study Guide, the identical one we have.
43:23 Now, here's a sentence to kind of set up Murray's four arguments that he will use
43:30 to bolster this provocative point that comes only at the end.
43:32 All right, jot this down.
43:34 In your Study Guide -- Andrew Murray.
43:35 "So close is the union between the vine and the branch --"
43:38 Speaking of Jesus' teaching -- "that each is nothing --"
43:41 write in "nothing," please -- "that each is nothing
43:44 without the other, that each is wholly
43:46 and only for the other." Okay, [Claps hands] good.
43:50 Four bolstering arguments now. Here they come.
43:52 Jot them down. One, two, three, four.
43:54 Number one.
43:59 That's a no-brainer. That's -- Come on.
44:02 We just saw it. If there's no vine there,
44:05 what are the branches? Zero, nada, nothing.
44:07 You can't exist. That's the first point.
44:12 "Without the vine, the branch can do nothing."
44:13 "Apart from Me," Jesus says -- Come on. Come on, guys.
44:16 "Apart from Me, zero. You can't do it apart from Me,
44:20 without Me."
44:22 I mean, you think about Jesus -- this Pearl of Great Price. What's up with that?
44:27 There would be no conviction of sin if it weren't for Jesus. You and I would just keep
44:31 drinking the poison until we died. [ Slurping ]
44:33 We wouldn't know the difference. And if there were no conviction of sin, then there could be
44:37 no repentance, and if there could be no repentance, then there's no forgiveness.
44:40 We'll just go on self-medicating ourselves with our favorite drug and just goodbye.
44:46 And if there's no forgiveness, there's no cleansing. We live with this feeling
44:50 of filthiness night and day. But Jesus said, "I could wash all that away."
44:54 There'll be no peace. There'll be no fruit. There'll be no hope, no love,
44:59 no grace, no nothing. "Apart from Me, you can do nothing."
45:03 There are four of these. That's the first one.
45:08 Here comes Number 2. Jot it down.
45:14 "Nothing." Now, this is gonna catch you
45:17 by surprise. This keeps going deeper.
45:18 This will catch you by surprise 'cause you're always thinking
45:21 about the vine, but do you know what?
45:22 The vine can do nothing without the branch, and you're
45:24 the branch. Go figure.
45:25 Put it on the screen, please. Andrew Murray.
45:37 Come on. "Such is the wonderful
45:38 condescension of the grace of Jesus that, just as His
45:41 people --" you and I -- "are dependent on Him,
45:43 He has made Himself --" jot it down --
45:45 "dependent on us." Figure that one.
45:49 He depended on us? Please.
45:52 "Without His disciples, He cannot dispense --"
45:54 Oh, "He cannot dispense His blessing to the world;
45:56 He cannot offer sinners the grapes of the heavenly
45:58 Canaan."
46:00 Every good gift that God longs to give to every man, woman, and child on this planet --
46:04 Guess what? If He has nobody there to grow the fruit, they'll never get it.
46:09 You want to reach a secular? You want to reach an atheist? You just live your relationship
46:15 with Jesus, because that's how atheists are reached. They're not reached by somebody
46:18 proving something from the Bible. They're reached because they
46:20 say, "That man has something that I want. That woman, there's something --
46:24 There's a calm inside of her soul, and I want that." That's what leads them to --
46:29 The fruit is what draws them to the vine. You're not the big deal,
46:32 the vine's the big deal. Wow. Okay, Number 3.
46:35 There are only four of these. Number 3.
46:37 "All the vine possesses --" Oh, this is something.
46:41 "All the vine possesses belongs to the branches."
46:45 Everything the vine possesses, it's yours.
46:48 Come on. On the screen -- Andrew Murray.
46:50 "All the vine has is at the disposal of the branches.
46:54 As the vine is the parent, so the vine is the servant
46:57 of the branches.
47:10 Isn't that amazing? Are you getting that?
47:14 Amazing. Everything the vine has, I give it to you.
47:18 Come on. We looked at the pearl under the bed.
47:20 $100 million -- I give it to you. Everything I am, I give to you.
47:25 Come on. What is it that you want from Jesus?
47:28 "I wish Jesus would give me His courage." [ Chuckles ]
47:30 You got it. Just ask Him. He has all the courage you need.
47:33 "I wish He would give me His faith and trust." The faith of Jesus,
47:36 you can have it. It's yours for the asking. "I wish He would give me peace
47:40 and calm in the midst of this, this raging storm I'm going through right now."
47:45 Just ask for it. He'll get up and He'll say, "Peace. Be still.
47:48 Please, please, storm, stop." All that He has, you may have it.
47:53 Look at this as I read it on the screen.
48:02 Keep reading.
48:09 Here it comes.
48:13 Last line. "The whole treasury --"
48:15 write that in. "The whole treasury of heaven
48:20 is open to those He seeks to save." And, by the way, do you know
48:24 what His greatest gift is? No kidding. Do you know what His greatest
48:27 gift is? If you wanted one gift that would give you every other
48:29 gift that He has, here's the one gift. It's the gift of
48:32 the Holy Spirit. If you get the Holy Spirit, you got everything.
48:36 Put it up, please, the next quotation on the screen.
48:38 "Desire of Ages," page 672. "This promised blessing --"
48:41 speaking of the Holy Spirit -- "brings all other blessings
48:43 in its train," in its wake, "according to the riches
48:46 of the grace of Christ." One gift gives you everything. "Man, if I knew that were true,
48:52 I'd be asking for that gift every morning." Me too.
48:57 Why wouldn't you ask? Okay, there are only four of these.
49:00 Here comes Number 4.
49:02 Just as all the vine possesses belongs to the branches --
49:06 turnaround's fair play. Finally, Number 4.
49:08 "And all the branch possesses belongs to the vine."
49:12 Now, keep reading. Andrew Murray again...
49:21 That vine in France -- Isn't that something? That's a very special vine,
49:24 and they've kept it going 400 years it's so excellent. Huh.
49:30 "It has not reason --" the branch -- "has not reason
49:34 for existence except to be of service to the vine.
49:37 As Jesus gives Himself so wholly over to the believer,
49:39 the believer feels himself urged to be wholly his Lord's."
49:51 "Eh, Dwight. I don't like that. I just don't like that.
49:53 You know why? Because it makes me dependent all the way through.
49:56 Listen, I worked hard this summer to earn that car that I brought back
49:59 to university. I worked hard all summer long to buy that old heap of junk.
50:06 Tell me that I don't possess anything." Oh, excuse me.
50:10 Just one moment. [ Imitates heart beating ] "What's that?"
50:14 Oh, that's my heart. "You keeping it going?" No. Don't know how.
50:17 "Oh." Everything you possess. $1.5-million retirement
50:25 portfolio. Good for you. You've really been working hard.
50:27 You have that money saved up -- $1.5 million. "That's mine, by the way,
50:31 Dwight. I have worked hard for that." Excuse me again, please.
50:35 [ Imitates heart beating ] "What's that?" Oh, that's just my heart.
50:39 "You keeping it going?" No. All your material possessions --
50:44 Come on. Who gave you the power to earn them?
50:47 Oh, forget it. Listen. This is a poor university. We can't talk about
50:50 material possessions. Let's talk about intellectual possessions.
50:53 Boy, we got some bright minds on this campus. Oh, my, do we ever.
50:57 All your intellectual abilities, all your intellectual skills, all the intellect,
51:01 all the knowledge that you've accumulated, all your giftedness, your talent...
51:10 you got it from Him. You got it from Him. That means any talent
51:14 that you have, He says, "I'm gonna give it to that boy. I'm gonna give it to that girl.
51:17 You know why? Because I know where she's going, and in her life,
51:21 she will need this to be what I need her to be." Every intellectual gift you have
51:26 came from Him. He's dreamed about you for centuries.
51:30 You believe that? He has dreamed about you for centuries.
51:35 He has set generations in motion so that one day it would create the DNA
51:39 that is you. Your mommy and daddy -- He's been working on that line
51:43 for generations. He had to get your mommy and daddy --
51:45 I don't care how accidental it was. He had to get your mommy
51:48 and daddy together to get you because you're a combination, through eternity, He has
51:54 dreamed of possessing. I'm gonna show you that in one second.
51:59 So you belong to Him. He has invested everything for you to live and to use
52:08 the gifts that you have, and is there a more gifted campus in the world than
52:14 the Andrews University campus? All those gifts for Him. Okay, there they are --
52:21 four bolstering arguments. Now comes the profound point. I'll share this with you,
52:27 then I'll sit down. Here's the profound point. I'm gonna let Andrew Murray
52:31 make the point himself. Final fill-in-the-blank. There it is at the bottom.
52:35 There they are. And these are now his words, these four.
52:40 He summarizes them. "Now let your answer be --"
52:43 in the light of this -- "let your answer be,
52:45 'Amen, Lord! So be it.'" Now here comes the line
52:49 that I still can't -- I can't fathom this.
52:52 "'From eternity Christ and I were meant --
52:55 we were ordained -- were were meant
52:57 for each other; inseparably we belong
53:01 to each other. It is God's will;
53:04 I shall abide in Christ.'" Can you believe that? No, seriously.
53:12 Maybe it's not centuries ago God began planning you. Maybe it is from eternity,
53:16 and He knew the configurations that would finally produce you. Everything you have belongs
53:25 to Him because He's equipping you to be the most successful you -- beyond your
53:29 wildest dreams to be that kind of success on this planet. It's all for Me.
53:34 All I have is yours, and all you have is Mine. We'll get along famously.
53:39 We will be inseparable, and that's the word that made me stop.
53:43 Man, oh, man, oh, man. "We will be inseparable. We belong to each other, Dwight.
53:50 Do you understand that? You and me, we belong to each other.
53:55 I knew you were coming. I've been working on this for generations.
53:58 You're here. We belong. You put your name in it.
54:03 We belong to each other." I can't figure it out. I have no way to explain this.
54:12 I just know that on the way to His execution, Jesus stopped at a midnight vineyard,
54:17 and He said, "Hey, guys. Look at this. You and Me...
54:23 forever.
54:25 Do you understand that? Forever.
54:28 You connected to Me, Me connected to you."
54:31 I don't understand that. And I don't know that you
54:35 realize how profound this teaching is, and I must tell
54:38 you, I absolutely realize I am unable to communicate
54:41 how utterly essential this discovery today is for you.
54:45 I just can't do it. I just can't.
54:48 Somebody will have to do it to you. Somebody will have to do it
54:50 in your mind. It's His business. But here's what I know.
54:54 I know that the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit is the only way Jesus can abide in me
55:03 and I can abide in Him -- only through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit.
55:08 There's no other way. No other way. And if that's the case,
55:14 and He's planned for you for eternity, and now you're here, girl, boy, now you're
55:20 here. If that's the case, and this is the only way,
55:23 then ask for it. Pray this little prayer every day, and you'll be asking
55:28 for the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit. We had it on the screen
55:31 last week. May I return it before I sit down?
55:32 Put it on the screen, please. Here's the prayer.
55:34 "Lord, please abide in me, and please let me abide in You."
55:38 That's it. Just ask. Simple? Of course.
55:43 You know my problem? I'll tell you. When somebody comes and tells
55:47 me, "Hey, Dwight. I got this plan," if the plan is simple --
55:50 if the plan is simple -- I'm just telling you about me -- I immediately dismiss it.
55:56 You can't make life -- You cannot simplify life that way because our complicated
56:02 world has taught us to believe that it's only in complication that progress is made.
56:08 It's not true. It's simple. Let me abide in You,
56:13 and you abide in me... and we will be inseparable for eternity, I promise you.
56:23 Can you put that prayer back on the screen one more time, please?
56:26 "Lord, please abide in me, and please let me abide in You." Pray that prayer morning, noon,
56:37 night -- whatever. Pray that prayer every day, and you will never be the same
56:43 again. I promise you. That's the little I have found
56:50 out -- you'll never be the same.
56:58 >> Before you go, let me take an extra moment to share
57:00 with you an opportunity to get into the Bible in a fresh,
57:02 new way. All across the world, more and
57:05 more people are hearing the call to examine Scriptures
57:07 for themselves. If you felt drawn to learn more
57:10 about God's Word, but you don't know where to start or you're
57:12 just looking for a more in-depth examination of Bible truths,
57:16 then I have something right here that I believe you're going to
57:18 enjoy. I want to send a series of
57:20 guides to get you started. This one's entitled,
57:23 "Why Does God Allow Suffering?" Each guide begins with a story,
57:26 an introduction of the subject. Then through a series
57:28 of focus questions, you'll be learning portions
57:30 of the Bible you may never have known before, and when
57:32 you're through, you'll be able to share with others some of
57:35 these inspiring Bible truths. So just call our toll-free
57:38 number. It's on the screen --
57:39 877 -- the two words -- HIS-WILL.
57:42 Our friendly operators are standing by to send these
57:44 study guides to you. Once again,
57:46 that's 877-HIS-WILL. Call that number, and then,
57:50 again, join me next week right here at the same time.
57:55 "New Perceptions."
57:59 ♪♪ ♪♪
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Revised 2018-09-26