New Perceptions

Breakthrough: The World Changers’ Secret

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: NP

Program Code: NP190817A


00:00 ♪♪
00:16 >> Happy Sabbath. Welcome to
00:17 Pioneer Memorial Church on this faculty dedication, returning to
00:22 the school year Sabbath, and I'd like to ask you all to stand and
00:27 join me in a word of prayer. Our Heavenly Father,
00:37 we thank You for the opportunity to take a break, to take a
00:41 Sabbath, to think on You, to worship You, to praise You, and
00:45 we thank You for hearing our praises, and we just ask that
00:48 You give us that gift today of opening our hearts and our minds
00:52 to You, that we may both be filled with Your messages and
00:56 that You may be pleased with what You hear from our hearts.
00:59 In Your name we pray, Amen. >> Amen.
01:04 >> Stay standing.
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02:34 ♪♪ Lift your praises to God.
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03:03 ♪♪ ♪♪
03:19 ♪♪ You may be seated, and, you
03:29 know, I was just thinking about, as we start this new year, that
03:33 we're all coming from different places, we're coming from a
03:37 break, for some of us, and some of us are coming from very
03:41 joyous experiences, and others are coming from periods of
03:45 sorrow, and there's only one truth that we can really take
03:49 from all of these situations, is that we need to have our focus
03:53 in the right place. It seems to be the easiest
03:56 thing, at least in my life -- It's the easiest thing and the
03:59 hardest thing, to keep your focus in the right place, and
04:03 that is on your creator. It's so easy to give over to the
04:06 world's way and say, "I'll solve it.
04:08 Let me be the one to solve it." But today, I ask you to open
04:12 your hearts in prayer to God with this hymn that He will be
04:17 your vision. Let it be your personal prayer.
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08:39 >> It is a beautiful thing, to hear you pour your hearts out to
08:44 God, and I ask you now to stand with us as we prepare our hearts
08:48 for prayer and sing about standing on the promises, on the
08:53 solid rock, on Christ, our savior.
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12:54 >> Oh, good morning, boys and girls.
12:57 It's so nice to see you on this beautiful Sabbath.
13:00 This is our last Sabbath in the Howard Performing Arts Center,
13:05 and you've been so faithful. You've been so careful.
13:08 We haven't had one accident on these stairs, and we were
13:10 worried before we began on May 11th.
13:12 And it's just nice to have you back.
13:14 Next Sabbath, guess where we're gonna be?
13:15 >> PMC! >> PMC! Yep!
13:18 Next Sabbath. And, in fact, do you know why I
13:21 know that? Because something very special
13:25 happened this week. Hey, sissy.
13:28 Something very special happened this week, and I need you to see
13:32 it. We don't often have videos for
13:33 our children's story, but, today, we have a little video.
13:36 We'll put it up on the screen. Now, lookit!
13:38 Uh-oh! Time out.
13:41 Those of you that are sitting right here, I need you to pull,
13:44 come out this way just a little because you can't see the
13:46 screen. We had to do that in the first
13:48 service, too. So, yeah, you just come way out
13:50 here. Then you can turn around because
13:52 all eyes are on the screen. Pastor José, thank you.
13:55 All eyes on the screen. And let's see what happened this
14:00 week. >> Yeah!
14:02 >> Let's see what happened this week that tells me we are going
14:07 home next Sabbath, all right? Can you see the screen now?
14:10 Say yes if you can see the screen.
14:12 >> Yes! >> Yes!
14:13 >> All right, here we go. You girls up there can see the
14:16 screen? Here we go! Oh, oh, oh!
14:17 Look at that! This is fast-motion.
14:21 Oh! Do you know what that is?
14:23 Some people call that a steeple. Some people call it a cupola.
14:28 There it goes! Oh, oh, oh! Cupola!
14:32 Oh, oh! >> What is it?
14:35 >> A crane! >> It's a crane, you're right.
14:37 There's -- [ Laughter ]
14:40 You got it right, girl. It is a crane.
14:41 But let's do it again. Come on, let's play that again!
14:43 We got to see that now. Oh! Look at that big, heavy cupola.
14:49 There it goes! Oh, oh, oh! Move it, move it!
14:51 Guys, over! Over, just a little bit!
14:52 Just a little bit! Okay, now down!
14:54 Down, down, down! Careful, careful, careful,
14:57 careful... Whoa! Turn it around.
14:59 Good, good, good. Oh! Quick, quick!
15:01 As soon as it gets down, bolt it up!
15:03 Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip! Got it in! It's in!
15:08 Hallelujah. That's why I know, boys and
15:11 girls, that we're gonna be going back this next Sabbath, because
15:16 they put the crown on the church!
15:18 Do you know that Jesus has a crown for you?
15:20 And I have a crown right here. Jesus has a crown for you,
15:24 and I have two crowns, and I'm wondering if there is a little
15:28 boy that would like to try one of these crowns on?
15:32 Young man, come here. I saw your hand go up first.
15:35 And I wonder if there's a little girl that wants to try this on.
15:39 Oh! Oh, my little granddaughter put
15:42 her hand up, though. So you girls come and --
15:44 Come together. Come on. No, you can -- come on.
15:48 Come on, Junior. No, no, you can come on up.
15:50 Come on. Oh, my, well, okay, we'll just
15:53 do this. [ Laughs ] We'll just do this
15:55 one at at time. You have to hold it on your
15:57 head, okay? Jesus has a crown for you, and
16:00 He has a crown for you, sissy, and He has a crown for you,
16:03 little Ella, and He has a crown for you, big guy, and He has a
16:07 crown for you, little girl. Jesus has a crown.
16:10 He says, "I will give you a crown of life."
16:13 Do you know who gets a crown? Anybody who's won the war.
16:16 Anybody who wins the war gets to have a crown.
16:19 [ Laughs ] That means all the boys and
16:21 girls that go to Heaven will get a crown, that means all the
16:24 mommies and daddies that go to Heaven will get a crown, big
16:26 people, little people will get a crown.
16:28 But there's one person that's gonna get the biggest crown in
16:32 the universe, and the most beautiful crown, and who do you
16:36 suppose that is? >> Jesus!
16:38 >> That would be Jesus. The Bible says that when Jesus
16:42 comes, He comes with many crowns.
16:44 Do you know why He gets the biggest crown?
16:46 Because He won the biggest battle, that's why.
16:49 He's the biggest victor. He is our winning king.
16:54 And I have a feeling -- we'll take all of the crowns off.
16:57 We'll say, "Jesus, you can have this right at Your feet."
17:00 >> I can. We're so glad that You won the
17:03 big battle for us. Hey, Izzie, nice to have you, as
17:07 well. Would somebody like to thank
17:11 Jesus for being our biggest battle winner?
17:16 All right, sissy, I saw your hand go up.
17:17 Yep, you come right up here. And how do they get over here?
17:20 Oh, Uncle Dan, we got to get that microphone.
17:24 Okay, sissy, I was point at you, so you come, too.
17:27 Today's a day of multiples, okay?
17:29 All right. So we're gonna pray -- Whoops!
17:32 We're gonna pray, and I'm gonna hold this up, and you just thank
17:36 Jesus for being our big winner. You want to start?
17:40 Okay. Sissy? >> Dear Lord, thank You for this
17:43 day. Thank You for everything You
17:45 gave us. Bless us for coming to church
17:47 and worshipping Your Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray.
17:50 Amen. >> Amen. Amen!
17:57 ♪♪ ♪♪
18:13 >> ♪ Take my life, and let it be ♪
18:20 ♪ Consecrated, Lord, to Thee ♪ Take my hands, and let them
18:31 move ♪ ♪ At the impulse of Thy love
18:39 ♪ Take my hands, and let them move ♪
18:49 ♪ At the impulse of Thy love ♪♪
19:04 >> ♪ Take my feet, and let them be ♪
19:09 ♪ Swift and beautiful for Thee ♪ Take my voice, and let me
19:20 sing ♪ ♪ Always, only, for my King
19:28 ♪ Take my voice, and let me sing ♪
19:37 ♪ Always, only, for my King ♪♪
19:51 >> ♪ Take my silver and my gold ♪
19:57 ♪ Not a mite would I withhold ♪ Take my moments and my days
20:08 ♪ Let them flow in ceaseless praise ♪
20:14 ♪ Take my moments and my days >> ♪ Let them flow
20:27 in ceaseless praise ♪ >> ♪ Let them flow
20:30 in ceaseless praise ♪ ♪♪
20:39 >> ♪ Take my will and make it Thine ♪
20:45 ♪ It shall be no longer mine ♪ Take my heart, it is Thine
20:55 own ♪ ♪ It shall be Thy royal throne
21:03 ♪ Take my heart, it is Thine own ♪
21:12 >> ♪ It shall be Thy royal throne ♪
21:16 >> ♪ It shall be Thy royal throne ♪
21:23 ♪♪ ♪♪
21:46 >> Thank you, Charles and Julie. Byron, Ken.
21:52 "Take my will, take my heart, and it shall be Thine."
22:01 Royal throne. The right prayer to pray today.
22:06 Let's pray. Son of David,
22:10 we call upon You now. Take our lives.
22:16 Take this new year, even before it commences.
22:22 Take it all. Teach us.
22:28 Break through, please. We pray in Your name.
22:35 Amen. The fact of the matter is, we're
22:39 in a war, and I'm telling you something, this battle is
22:42 intensifying. I read two books this summer.
22:45 I am so intimidated by those two books, that I'm gonna share them
22:50 with you, hoping you'll feel intimidated, as well.
22:55 Book number one, put it on the screen, Sarah Weise.
22:57 She is a marketer. Title of her book --
23:00 "InstaBrain: The New Rules for Marketing to Generation Z."
23:04 Book number two, on the screen. "Meet Generation Z:
23:09 Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World."
23:13 Written by James Emery White. No relation to the library
23:16 on the campus of Andrews University.
23:18 All right? Really, the word "intimidated"
23:25 is past-tense. I'm bucked up now, and you will
23:28 be, too. But what I want to do is I want
23:31 to go to these two writers who have described Generation Z, and
23:35 out of hundreds, really, of factoids, I want to gather a few
23:39 statistics. I'm gonna run them by you.
23:42 No study guide to fill them out. You're not gonna jot numbers
23:44 down. We're not even gonna put them on
23:46 the screen. You're gonna have to take what
23:48 the Spirit sticks on the wall of your mind.
23:50 Something's gonna stick. You're gonna have an impression,
23:52 I promise, by the time this is through, okay?
23:55 So let's start with Sarah Weise. She's the secular marketer.
23:58 She opens up by reminding us Generation Z is born between
24:04 1995 and 2006. In other words, their ages right
24:08 now are 13 to 24. So 13 -- that's Andrews Academy,
24:12 okay? Then we get to undergrads,
24:14 then we get to graduate and seminary.
24:17 13 to 24. Do you know this?
24:21 51% of this planet today is under the age of 25.
24:28 >> Hmm! >> Over half!
24:31 Gen Z. That's what they're calling
24:32 them. They grew up with high-speed
24:37 Internet in their homes, 98% of them have smartphones.
24:41 Go figure. You knew that, didn't you?
24:45 85% of Gen Zs find out about new products through social media.
24:49 Gen Zs practice what's called "Quick Flex."
24:51 They use to say of Gen X-ers, "multitasking."
24:54 These guys don't multitask, they "quick flex."
24:57 They can take five screens on their phone and simultaneously
25:02 monitor all five -- a reddit thread, Instagram, a YouTube
25:06 video... Five of them.
25:08 Their attention span is 8 seconds.
25:11 [ Laughter ] Goldfish have an attention span
25:15 of 9 seconds. [ Laughter continues ]
25:17 Millennials have an attention span of 12 seconds, but
25:20 millennials could only operate four screens at a time.
25:23 I'm telling you, the technology is driving the human race.
25:30 Most spend 3 hours a night on YouTube.
25:33 Their big deal is DIY. How many here know what "DIY"
25:38 stands for? You have to be a Gen Z to know.
25:41 [ Laughter ] Yeah, "Do It Yourself."
25:43 That's their choice of learning. DIY -- big deal.
25:48 The average 13- to 24-year-old today checks social media -- get
25:54 this -- 100 times a day. 100 times a day.
25:58 In the middle of your class. Lots of times in your class.
26:02 [ Laughter ] Right?
26:04 I'm gonna put Sarah Weise on the screen.
26:06 You need to let some of this sink in visually into your soul.
26:09 Sarah Weise's writing, "It is terrifying..."
26:58 "Just too much! I don't want it."
27:02 They are categorically sleep-deprived, especially among
27:04 females. Gen Z and brand loyalty.
27:09 Oh, please listen to this one very carefully.
27:11 "When they commit, it is for these reasons."
27:14 Okay, why would they commit to Andrews University?
27:16 It would be for these reasons. Number one,
27:19 superior customer experience. Number 2, brand aligns with the
27:25 consumer's personal values. "I like that school because I
27:28 have the same values." Number three, speed.
27:32 Faster checkout and delivery and registration.
27:36 I just added "and registration," but you got the point.
27:39 All right. Number 4, family or friend
27:42 recommendation. I had a dad with his Gen Z
27:44 sitting in my office this week. He said, "I wanted all four of
27:47 my kids to come here. Three of them went elsewhere,
27:49 I've finally taken the baby, and I'm bringing him here."
27:51 This boy is here because his dad is recommending, "You come to
27:56 Andrews University." And, by the way, they're very
27:59 open to their parents' recommendations when it comes to
28:01 finances. They're very open.
28:05 Physical health -- Uh-oh. The first generation to have a
28:08 shorter life expectancy than their parents due to
28:11 unprecedented childhood obesity. This generation is nearly twice
28:14 as likely -- speaking of mental health -- than millennials and
28:17 Gen X-ers to report mental health as either "Fair" or
28:20 "Poor." More likely to report having
28:22 received treatment or therapy from a mental health
28:24 professional. Today, Generation Z reports
28:27 higher levels of loneliness and social isolation that
28:30 72-year-olds in this nation. >> Oh, my...
28:33 >> More isolation and loneliness.
28:36 Wow. Gen Z learns at home, we just
28:39 discovered. Oh, no, no.
28:40 I need you -- I got to run this one by you.
28:43 The number of teens who get together with friends on a daily
28:47 basis dropped by more than 40% from 2000 to 2015.
28:50 They're not connecting anymore. Gen Z learns at home through
28:54 videos, but, at school -- Listen, teacher.
28:56 At school, they long for something different.
28:59 In-person activities -- this is the marketer speaking -- with
29:03 classmates and teachers, real connection.
29:05 6 in 10 Gen Z-ers cite in-person team-based activities as their
29:09 preferred learning method. "I can go at home and study
29:12 alone, I can DIY at home, but when I come to your class, I
29:15 want to be with somebody because I don't have people."
29:18 Mm. Second, our market's writing
29:22 monthly church attendance has dropped over 20% since 1970,
29:25 ditto for less times with friends from work.
29:27 They've gone from 2 1/2 hours a week with their friends to under
29:30 1 hour a week now with their friends.
29:32 And she writes, Sarah Weise, "Imagine a student being unhappy
29:36 at school and having no other community to turn to.
29:39 For many, that is a reality." They go home, nothing.
29:45 Generation Z, they're coming in nanoseconds to us at
29:50 Andrews University. Our president, Andrea Luxton, in
29:54 her annual State of the University address
29:57 this last week reminded us that when we're clear on the "why"
30:02 for our existence, then we better understand the "who" we
30:06 need to become to deliver the "why."
30:09 And the "why" for Andrews University's existence
30:11 is absolutely clear. It's pasted everywhere on this
30:14 campus. Put it on the screen, please.
30:17 "World Changers Made Here." We believe that world-changers
30:20 are made. In other words, we connect this
30:22 generation to Christ, and then we send this generation out into
30:25 the world for Christ. "World Changes Made Here."
30:31 But do you know who we're supposed to be turning into
30:34 world-changers? The people we just described.
30:37 These Gen Z-ers, your mission, should you choose to accept it.
30:44 Wow. Let me take the same factoids
30:48 now and watch another writer, a Christian, slant the statistics.
30:53 Watch what he does with it. James Emery White.
30:58 Radically different slant. Put it on the screen, please.
31:00 His words...
31:13 "The most influential generation in the West."
31:18 They're coming to us. The first generation, by the
31:23 way, raised in a post-Christian context.
31:25 Most of them still believe in the existence of God -- 78% of
31:28 them. But listen to this --
31:29 Less than half of them attend weekly religious services of any
31:32 kind, and only 8% would cite a religious leader as a role
31:35 model. George Barna makes his point
31:38 well. The younger the generation, the
31:41 more post-Christian it is. What's the next generation?
31:44 These little kiddies that were up here.
31:45 If time should last, what are they gonna be, Double A?
31:48 We've run out of letters. [ Laughter ]
31:52 The younger the generation, the more post-Christian they become.
31:57 Wow. Oh, boy.
32:00 Currently, teenagers spend nearly 9 hours a day absorbing
32:05 media in all its forms. 9 hours a day.
32:08 Leading Fedler, put him on the screen, please.
32:12 The author of the mass-media textbook, "Standard."
32:15 Fedler writing...
32:22 And you thought it was you and me.
32:24 Nope! There is a technology out there
32:28 now that is taking over the education of an entire
32:31 generation. Oh, boy.
32:34 Keep reading, on the screen.
32:49 Here's a key point.
32:56 "If I accept it, then I affirm it.
32:58 "If I accept it, then I affirm it."
33:03 Hmm. The media. On the screen, Eric Schmidt,
33:07 Jared Cohen, in their book, "The New Digital Age."
33:11 Oh, this is unbelievable.
33:26 Just leave that on the screen for a moment.
33:29 Anarchy. There are no rules out there.
33:31 There's nobody controlling that space.
33:33 It's just there. The largest experiment in
33:36 anarchy in the history of the human race.
33:39 He's got to be right. No other generation has had
33:43 pornography so available in such extremes at such a young age.
33:47 Think about that now. 70% of all 18- to 34-year-olds
33:52 are regular viewers of pornography.
33:54 White calls it "the wallpaper of our lives."
33:58 There is a porn site that has over 15.35 billion visits,
34:02 twice the population of Earth! Generation Z, as he puts it,
34:11 lives in a pornified world. Yeah.
34:17 We're in a war, and the battle is intensifying.
34:23 The more teens are exposed to sexual content in movies, the
34:26 earlier they started having sex, and the likelier they were to
34:30 have casual, unprotected sex. One last quotation.
34:33 Denny Burk, on the screen.
34:43 I had a little girl, a co-ed see me on the last Sabbath of the
34:46 school year, just a few weeks ago, and she said to me,
34:48 "Pastor, you have to this new year.
34:50 You have to deal with pornography.
34:52 It is pervasive. Boys and girls.
34:55 You cannot leave that out." So we're gonna have a little
34:59 DIY -- Do It Yourself -- on pornography this fall.
35:03 We have a few of those little DIYs wrapped in.
35:08 Keep reading.
35:25 End quote. When I put those two books down
35:28 at the end of the summer, I said to myself, "My Lord...
35:32 My Lord, we are in a war." And by the nanosecond,
35:35 this battle is intensifying. We can't just sit here and say,
35:41 "Wow, this is a little rural campus, and we have problems.
35:45 We have filters on our Internet anyway."
35:47 Psht! You got to listen to the kids
35:50 laugh about those filters. >> Yeah.
35:54 >> We're in a war. It's not just about pornography.
35:56 It's about the entire culture of life.
36:00 Gen Z, God bless them. We desperately need --
36:05 Ladies and gentlemen, we desperately need a generational
36:08 breakthrough. I want you to go to one of the
36:11 short wars recorded in Scripture.
36:12 It's the shortest battle, I should say.
36:14 Open your Bible, please, to First Chronicles, Chapter 14.
36:16 The shortest battle in the Bible.
36:18 Look at this Scripture. See if there's anything for us
36:21 on this day of new beginnings, on the eve.
36:23 1 Chronicles, Chapter 14. 1 Chronicles.
36:27 I'll be in the NIV. You follow along.
36:30 Whatever you have. 1 Chronicles,
36:32 Chapter 14, Verse 8.
36:46 Two leadership lessons tucked away in the opening story line
36:50 of this very short battle. Leadership lesson number one --
36:59 Yep. The Philistines here --
37:01 "He's the new king. "He's the new king of Israel!
37:03 We're gunning." We're going for him because
37:06 every enemy knows that if you can take the leader down, you
37:11 have the whole army. Just take the leader down.
37:15 You say, "Oh, Dwight, whew, I'm very glad because I am not a
37:18 leader." I beg to differ with you, sir.
37:21 I happen to subscribe to John Maxwell's definition of
37:23 leadership. Put it on the screen, please.
37:30 If you have influence on this planet, you are a leader.
37:33 If you have influence on this campus, you are a leader.
37:36 I don't care where you work. I don't care what you do.
37:38 If you touch a human life in your play circle, in your work
37:41 circle, in your classroom circle, in your dormitory
37:44 circle, in your family circle, in your neighborhood circle.
37:47 If you have only you and you have influence on you, you are a
37:50 leader. There's no ducking out.
37:54 We're all in this together. And the enemy strategy is...
37:59 Gun for the leader first. [ Exhales sharply ]
38:09 Leadership lesson number one -- if you're the leader, the enemy
38:11 is going for you. Leadership lesson number two --
38:16 Because that's what leaders do. They don't run.
38:19 They don't wimp out. They're not gonna quit.
38:21 No. You go for the enemy.
38:23 Isn't that what David did? "Hey, they're coming for me?
38:25 I'm going for them." We have to.
38:28 We can't sit here and wring our hands over these statistics and
38:31 say, "Oh, my Lord, isn't this awful?"
38:38 Jared Thurman, in an astounding piece.
38:40 I'm a little surprised that they published it.
38:42 I'm very grateful that they did. My friends at the
38:45 Adventist Review. Jared Thurman, this month, just
38:48 a few days ago, wrote a piece entitled "The Church I Want to
38:52 Belong to is...Terrible." Here are a snatch of words from
38:57 that, on the screen.
39:20 David could have run from the enemy, but he ran to the enemy
39:24 because that's what leaders do. We have to take it on together,
39:30 which means that whatever happens this new year, we will
39:33 take the initiative. We'll take the offensive.
39:36 We'll do it together. We need a generational
39:39 breakthrough. That's the truth.
39:42 "How we gonna get it, Dwight?" Well, just keep reading.
39:44 It's right here. Pick it up in Verse 9.
40:19 Now, what's the mean, "Baal?" We say "bael," but it's Baal.
40:22 It's the Canaanite phrase for -- a Canaanite word, rather -- for
40:26 "Lord" or "master." "Perazim," as in the plural.
40:28 The "iam" is always plural in the Hebrew, and so that means
40:31 breakthroughs. He's the master of
40:32 breakthroughs. He's the Lord of breakthroughs.
40:37 He's the God of breakthroughs. In fact, let's drop the "Baal"
40:41 out because we don't like that word anyway.
40:43 Let's call him Elohim Perazim.
40:50 Let me hear you say "Elohim Perazim."
40:52 Elohim Perazim. It just fits. Let's do it again.
40:56 Elohim Perazim. He's the God of generational
41:01 breakthroughs. James Emery White writes...
41:07 If you're gonna reach out to Gen Z-ers, which we're gonna do
41:10 together, then there are two realities you must immediately
41:13 understand, and here they are. Lookit, he's talking about a
41:16 cross-section now. Understand, there are huge
41:18 exceptions to this, but he says these are two realities you got
41:21 to lock onto. Reality number one, Gen Z-ers
41:24 are lost. Put his words on the screen,
41:28 please.
41:37 End quote. All right?
41:40 Not your children, you understand.
41:43 But a cross-section of this generation.
41:46 Number one, they are lost, and, number two, they are
41:49 leaderless. This about broke my heart when I
41:51 read this. Watch this.
41:53 James Emery White again.
41:59 Now notice... That's where my heart broke.
42:08 I said, "I can't believe it." They have no mentors.
42:11 They have no one who cares. They are so isolated by their
42:16 technology. They are so isolated by the
42:19 medium itself, they have nobody to turn to.
42:22 And they're coming to us in nanoseconds.
42:27 No mentors. Are you serious? Nobody that you can talk to?
42:32 Nobody that will pray with you? Nobody that cares?
42:35 Nobody that will ask, "Hey, how's your mom doing this week?"
42:39 Nobody knows! Oh, they have hundreds,
42:45 thousands of friends in the electronic world, but not a one
42:48 of them cares. [ Sighs ] God bless them.
42:57 "So what can I do, Dwight? Come on, come on, come on.
42:59 Cut to the chase. Is there anything we can do?"
43:02 Let me tell you what I know, okay?
43:03 I'm gonna end with this. This is personal testimony.
43:07 This last school year, I met with a group of Gen Z-er
43:10 university students. Every other week, almost all the
43:13 way through the school year -- almost every other week --
43:16 and I called them "The Collegiate Council."
43:18 Now, I had to really suck it up to find out if these kids would
43:21 even sit down with this old dude.
43:23 And so I asked them. I was absolutely amazed,
43:27 delightfully, that they said yes.
43:30 Now, a bunch of them said no, but that's the risk you got to
43:32 take if you want to get a yes. You got to be willing to take a
43:34 no. [ Laughter ]
43:36 So I got a bunch of them. Multi-discipline,
43:40 multi-gender, multi range of ages from a freshman to two
43:44 seniors, and I sat with them every other week.
43:48 And I said, "What am I gonna talk to these kids about?"
43:52 So, the first time they came in, we just kind of all introduced
43:54 each other. So they're all strangers,
43:55 and I'm a stranger. And we're talking, and guess
43:58 what came up, on their own? Mental health.
44:02 Mental health. They started talking about their
44:04 own mental health, and I'm thinking, "Man, I come from a
44:07 generation you don't bring that stuff up in public at all."
44:09 [ Laughter ] Right?
44:13 They started talking. So we get --
44:15 We go, two weeks later, Claudia brought a little food, and that
44:19 always helps. So there'd be snacks there,
44:21 they'd come, 5:00 in the afternoon.
44:23 We'd sit down together. They'd eat, we'd talk.
44:27 Eventually, we got around to, "Hey, how things going with you
44:30 and God? How do you connect with God?"
44:34 It was no big rocket-science question.
44:36 They got into it. One of the kids said --
44:39 You know, I'll tell you a little something about prayer.
44:41 I gave him a clip to a video -- we got it online.
44:44 It's me talking about my own prayer life, such as it is.
44:47 But I talk about it. And, remember -- DIY, YouTube?
44:51 They like it. So he took it and he showed it
44:54 to his girlfriend. She liked it.
44:55 They got together with a large circle of friends on a Friday
44:58 night on this campus and they played it for the whole circle.
45:00 He came back the next time, to the meeting, and he brought his
45:02 girlfriend with him. She joined our group.
45:04 They're all just kind of like, "Wow."
45:06 It's nothing about me. It's just something simple --
45:09 DIY! They were responding.
45:13 Now, look, if you got a better way to do this, I'm sure you're
45:17 gonna find one, but... This little group, this
45:21 collegiate council, they decide they're gonna --
45:23 "Let's survey the campus. Let's survey all the students!
45:25 So we got permission from Student Life -- God bless you,
45:27 Student Life -- and they said, "Yeah, you can do a survey."
45:29 They checked the survey out, they said, "We'll send it out."
45:31 We got 319 responses from that survey.
45:34 Duane McBride said, "Dwight, that is a great sample."
45:37 Do you know what the number-one need of Andrews University
45:40 students, as expressed in this survey is?
45:41 The number-one need -- "I want to find a relationship
45:44 with God." The number-one need of the
45:48 Gen Z-ers on our campus now -- "Show me a relationship, help me
45:53 find a relationship with God." Wow.
46:00 Making World Changers. I guess we kind of start with
46:05 God, don't we? My...
46:08 By the way, these kids are coming back.
46:10 I can hardly wait for them to get back because they're helping
46:13 me present the first three sermons of the new year in our
46:15 newly renovated church, and the title of the series is,
46:18 "Roommates, Bad Dates, and Soulmates."
46:20 We're gonna talk about relationships.
46:22 The number-one need of Gen Z, the number-one need of the human
46:25 race. Listen, we are all isolated by
46:27 technology today. Let's not just say it's the
46:29 teens. All of us are isolated.
46:31 We're all pulling this thing out.
46:33 We're all compartmentalized and desperate for some human
46:37 connection. I think the Lord's gonna bless a
46:41 very practical how-to, DIY series.
46:44 I hope you'll be a part of it. We're bringing friends to church
46:47 August 31. So please bring your friends on
46:49 campus and off-campus with you when you come.
46:52 But here's what I found out. They're excited.
46:57 They're actually eager to meet with you.
47:00 Do you remember a few years ago, we shared
47:03 Christian Smith -- he's a sociologist at
47:05 Notre Dame University -- his discovery that the kids this age
47:09 appreciate what's on the screen right now.
47:12 Non-parental adult spiritual mentors.
47:16 In other words, these are parents.
47:18 They don't want you to be their parent.
47:20 They want you to be an adult. Don't apologize for being an
47:23 adult. Don't be intimidated by being an
47:25 adult. They like you being an adult!
47:27 They want you to do something spiritually for them.
47:29 Mentor them. Lookit, you can do the same
47:32 thing in your workplace where you work.
47:34 You got a bunch of student employees in Planned Services.
47:36 Get those student employees together.
47:38 "Hey, guys, I want to meet with you."
47:39 Can you do it Wednesday afternoon, Thursday afternoon?
47:42 When's the best time? Let's just sit down."
47:44 You meet with kids in your class.
47:45 Say, "I want to meet with a bunch of you."
47:47 You call them out by name, or you get to go to them
47:50 personally, whatever. Sit down with them.
47:52 Don't be intimidated by that circle.
47:54 They are wanting you to begin to care for them.
47:59 Of course you have to earn it. Of course you have to take time.
48:01 You're not gonna rush into this, but you're gonna do fine.
48:05 You're gonna do splendidly. You know what, God has been
48:08 waiting for this generation all His life.
48:12 They finally got here. Don't you suppose God has
48:16 already prepared a winning breakthrough strategy to reach
48:20 these young? Do you think he got caught by --
48:22 Oh, good night. Where'd this Internet thing come
48:24 from? Gabriel, why didn't you tell
48:26 me?" [ Laughter ]
48:29 Of course not. God's been waiting for them all
48:32 His life, and now that they're here...
48:34 And His strategy -- I'll tell you what His strategy
48:37 is. Y-O-U.
48:40 Y-O-U and M-E. That's the strategy.
48:44 Come on! Pull those kids in.
48:46 Pull them into your house. Pull them into your office.
48:51 You know what, here at Pioneer, we need to reactive -- I'm
48:54 absolutely convinced. We need to reactive our
48:56 "Adopt A Student" Ministry. When there was change in campus
48:58 ministry, it kind of fell by the way.
48:59 We need to reactivate that. You community people have an
49:03 immense gift to offer -- nonparental spiritual mentoring.
49:06 Just get five of them to come over.
49:08 Let them bring their own friends.
49:11 They'll be comfortable that way. And you say, "Come over."
49:13 Of course you're gonna feel a little stiff at first.
49:14 Don't worry about it. You'll get over that stiffness
49:17 just like that. You got to step out.
49:20 You got to take a risk. That's what leaders do,
49:22 and you're a leader. You got to take a risk.
49:27 And, guess what, God wins. And, you know what, a friendship
49:31 with God, that'll be the biggest breakthrough of all, the
49:34 number-one need expressed in this university.
49:37 Oh, put that graphic one more time, please.
49:38 Put that graphic. I just love it.
49:40 Brittany Doyle, our Graphic Designer Specialist,
49:42 she put this together. Isn't that cool?
49:45 Look at that. Pow! Pow!
49:50 And it's red. You know why it's red?
49:53 Because calvary is the greatest breakthrough in the history of
49:55 the universe. That's why it's red.
49:57 Pow! At the cross, Jesus broke
50:00 through. He broke through the enemy
50:02 lines. He shattered the hold of the
50:04 enemy on this generation and on this planet.
50:06 >> Amen. >> I, if I be lifted up, I'll
50:08 draw all people to me, including Gen Z-ers."
50:11 Just before that line, he says, "And now the prince of the
50:13 world..." Pow!
50:16 Pow! It's gone.
50:19 I've denuded him. Breakthrough.
50:24 We have nothing to fear this new year, my friends.
50:28 This is God's year. He set us up for success.
50:30 He has set us up for this generation.
50:32 All he needs now is you and me. Calvary. Pow!
50:40 And so, today, we do what we just started to do last year.
50:45 We've been doing this with the new students all the time.
50:47 Seems like all the time. But last year, we did it for the
50:51 first time with the faculty staff that are gathered in this
50:54 service. And, today, I want to humbly
50:56 invite you, if you're a faculty member of a staff member or an
51:00 administrative member of Andrews University,
51:03 Andrews Academy, Ruth Murdoch Elementary School...
51:06 If you're a teacher in private school, if you're a teacher in
51:09 public school, if you're a homeschool teacher, I want to
51:12 invite you today to make the long journey from the end of the
51:15 balcony because you're gonna have an opportunity to put your
51:18 name on the line. Some of you did it last year,
51:21 and it's hanging proudly on the wall of our church, and this
51:24 will soon join it. Breakthrough.
51:27 And by signing your name, you're just saying, like I'm gonna do,
51:31 "Jesus, I'm just asking for a breakthrough.
51:33 Use me any way you wish." "Help to reach Generation Z.
51:36 Jesus, please, just help me. Help me.
51:39 You do the breakthrough. Just help me."
51:43 All right? So I'm gonna ask you, without
51:45 any further fanfare, just get to your feet, please, and come
51:47 forward. Our pastors will have red pens
51:49 because the freshmen are gonna do this Friday night.
51:52 I'm gonna talk to them, and they'll use other colors so the
51:56 red will always be leaders, and you're the leaders.
51:59 And so, lookit, it's a long way from the balcony, but don't
52:02 worry about it. Jesus is asking you, "Please,
52:06 ask Me to be Your breakthrough." Come on down.
52:10 Stay up here while you will. After you're through, our
52:13 president -- By the way, when the last person
52:15 to sign, Andrea Luxton is gonna step to the microphone and offer
52:19 a prayer of dedication for all of us.
52:21 And I'm gonna call you parents in a moment.
52:23 Don't you leave, parents. I'm gonna call you to take a
52:26 stand. I'm gonna call the leaders of
52:28 the church to take a stand. But now, I'm gonna invite our
52:32 faculty, our administrators, our staff, our teachers, public and
52:37 private, our homeschool... Grab a red pen.
52:43 Take that pen, and scribble your name.
52:46 And, you know, Chuck and Julie sang such a beautiful song for
52:49 us a moment ago. We need to sing those same
52:51 words, and so we're gonna put the words to
52:53 "Take My Life and Let it Be, Holy consecrated Lord to thee."
52:56 We're gonna put it on the screen, and we're gonna just
52:59 sing. Give time for your colleagues.
53:02 Come on down. We're got plenty of time.
53:04 Plenty of time. Let's sing together.
53:09 Don't stand. We'll stand in dedication at the
53:11 end. ♪♪
53:22 ♪♪ ♪♪
53:41 ♪♪ ♪♪
54:00 ♪♪ ♪♪
54:19 ♪♪
54:31 >> We want God to do a breakthrough for us.
54:34 Our church back at home, my life right now, it doesn't matter.
54:38 I want to invite you, if you're a worshipper here today and you
54:41 want to join us in this prayer for breakthrough, just to stand
54:43 to your feet, as well. So we're all standing at the
54:46 end. Would you stand, please?
54:51 God bless you. Our president is going to lead
54:56 us now in a prayer dedication for this breakthrough.
55:03 >> Our Lord and our God, we have not signed our names today
55:10 likely or easily. And, Lord, neither do we stand
55:16 other than with humility and a recognition that if it were not
55:21 for your leadership, we would not know what to do.
55:25 Those of us who are here on this platform have chosen to bid this
55:33 university, work in education and schools because we believe
55:40 in Christian education. We believe that it can change
55:46 lives. But, Lord, we do that in
55:50 partnership with You because we know that it is only as we keep
55:56 fixing our eyes on You and listen to Your leadership that
56:02 we will know what to do. We think of the challenges
56:07 ahead. We're thankful for all the
56:10 students that are going to be arriving on this campus and some
56:14 who are already here, and we recognize that we are Your
56:20 agents to represent You to them. Help us, Lord, to listen well,
56:28 to pray well, to act in a way that represents Your character,
56:35 Your love, Your goodness. May our commitment and
56:41 relationship to you be an example which will lead them to
56:44 commitment and relationship with You, also.
56:49 Bless us now, we pray, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
56:53 >> Amen. ♪♪
57:05 >> We've been really blessed by the financial support that comes
57:07 from our viewers, and we've made a conscious decision not to
57:11 continually appeal to you for that support.
57:14 The fact is, as everyone in the industry will tell you, we're
57:17 needing to make constant upgrades to our technology.
57:20 So if God has blessed you and you'd like to further the work
57:22 of this ministry, we invite you to partner with us.
57:25 Not a single penny of your donation will go to me.
57:28 Every bit of your gift goes to the mission of blessing your
57:31 community and our world. You can donate on our website,
57:34 newperceptions.tv. Or call the number.
57:37 You know the number -- 877-HIS-WILL.
57:40 Again, that number is 877 -- the two words "HIS-WILL."
57:44 And may the God who has blessed you continue to pour into your
57:47 life the gifts of His joy and His hope.
57:50 Thank you. And I'm looking forward to
57:52 seeing you, right here, again, next time.
57:58 ♪♪ ♪♪
58:18 ♪♪


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Revised 2019-08-27