Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230429S
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00:14 [ "The Wonderful Cross" begins ] 00:17 ♪♪ ♪♪ 00:36 ♪♪ >> You sing. 02:18 >> "Oh, the wonderful." 04:32 >> Sing, "Love so amazing." 06:34 >> How amazing is the cross? Amen? 06:37 This is our scripture reading this morning. 06:38 It's Luke 9:23-25. "Then he said to them all: 06:44 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up 06:48 their cross daily" -- daily -- and follow me. 06:53 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever 06:57 loses their life for me will save it. 07:00 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet 07:04 lose or forfeit their very self?" 07:10 And with that, I want everyone to sing this last one. 07:13 That we may commit our lives daily. 07:15 Let's see the church stand for this last song that we sing. 07:19 This song is powerful. It's a way of committing. 07:23 That daily commitment to take up your cross every day. 07:27 We sing... 07:48 >> "Knowing my help." 07:56 >> "Is coming." 08:05 >> "Your peace that you give me every day." 09:30 >> Lift your hands. 10:12 >> Amen! >> "You are." 11:24 >> Whoo! Amen. Amen and amen. 11:28 >> Amen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 11:34 ♪♪ ♪♪ 11:54 ♪♪ ♪♪ 12:14 ♪♪ ♪♪ 12:33 ♪♪ ♪♪ 12:53 ♪♪ ♪♪ 13:12 ♪♪ ♪♪ 13:32 ♪♪ ♪♪ 13:51 ♪♪ ♪♪ 14:11 ♪♪ ♪♪ 14:30 ♪♪ ♪♪ 14:50 [ Applause ] 14:59 >> I don't want to be like the preacher who got up and said, "Before I preach, 15:03 I want to say something"... but I want to say something before I preach. 15:09 [ Laughter ] 15:11 I want to take a moment to let you know that, for Karen 15:14 and me, last Sabbath morning and afternoon were -- 15:20 was an experience we will never, ever forget. 15:26 Man, you guys know how to love on people around here. And you sure made your pastor 15:32 and his wife feel the love. Thank you for that gift. 15:39 I said Sabbath morning, and for both services Sabbath morning, "I feel like I've died. 15:44 I've died and gone to Heaven." And then, I sat through that two hours and 15 minutes 15:48 of that incredible production, and I'm saying, "Who is this guy they're talking about?" 15:55 I'm humbly honored with that expression of love. I'm going to give a shout-out 16:02 to two particular teams who made last Sabbath possible. First of all, our intrepid and 16:07 creative Media Ministry Team, second to none on this planet. And I'm thinking about 16:14 Richard Parke and Gaddiel Martínez, and I'm thinking about 16:18 Brittany Doyle and Phil Roberts and a host of volunteers. The amount of editing 16:26 and production, the videoing, hundreds of hours had to go into that, 16:31 the archiving. Unbelievable. And it just blessed me 16:37 to the core. So I thank you. I want to thank another team. 16:41 They're called the Farewell Planning Team. Yeah. Becky von Dorpowski, 16:48 one half of our Head Elder team. She with her husband, Bryan. Becky shared this very creative 16:54 and very secretive team. I figured out, in the end, I was the only one 17:02 that was -- that -- What am I trying to say? I was the only one 17:09 that was surprised. Everybody else knew everything, everything. 17:12 There was no secret, man. It was just, "Don't tell Dwight. Just don't tell Dwight." 17:16 And it was a total surprise. I mean, starting from Friday night, all the way 17:19 through to Saturday night, oh, you can't relive that. You just can't. 17:23 You can't do it again. And precious memories. Precious memories. 17:29 And, so, I thank everybody on that planning team. And I'm going to mention them 17:33 in alphabetical order. I'm thankful for Jose Bourget. Thankful for Lisa Jardine. 17:41 I'm thankful for Esther Knott. And you know, with Esther, you get a twofer, you get her 17:45 husband, whose literary fingerprints were all over that afternoon production. 17:51 It was just -- It was amazing to me. I want to thank Rodlie Ortiz 17:57 and Debbie Weithers. Karen and I love all of you. And you did something that 18:03 you have no idea has impacted our lives and our ministry. And we thank you. 18:10 I want to say a word about the two Sabbaths coming up. Next Sabbath is graduation. 18:14 Man, I got to tell you something. This is the longest good-bye 18:17 I have ever experienced in my life. I mean, does it end? 18:20 Do we ever just shake hands and say "Adiós, good-bye, and don't come back"? 18:28 You're going to be so worn out by the time this is over. But I want to say a word 18:32 about May 13. That's the exact anniversary to May 14, 1983, 18:37 my first privileged preaching in this great church of Pioneer Memorial Church. 18:43 And the homily that day will be The Best is Yet to Come. I want to share some lessons 18:48 over 50 years of ministry, 40 years right here, that I've learned along the way. 18:52 And I hope that's beneficial for you. And then, May 20th will be 18:55 our last Sabbath. We got breakfast in church, first service, 18:57 and then we'll all be together for our second service, and the title of that homily, 19:02 Any Old Bush Will Do. And that's the gospel truth. God doesn't care. 19:08 Just give me a bush. Just give me a bush. I'm going to share stories 19:13 that I've never shared before. What was happening before we even showed up around here? 19:17 There's some stories that only I could share, I could share with only you. 19:24 No state secrets. Those kind of secrets stay secret in a pastor's heart. 19:29 But some stories we'll share over the next two Sabbaths. I'm going to pray with you now 19:35 because I'm eager to get to the teaching today, as we wrap up this five-part series, 19:39 Return to Calvary. The last series needed to be at the cross, 19:44 and I'm so glad that it is. Let's pray. Oh, God. Total praise. Total praise. 19:52 That's what we lift to You. You are the -- You are the giver of all good things. 19:59 You're also the maker of all things that loves and wants me. And because of who you are, 20:06 we give these few moments that are left to you, do with them whatever you wish. 20:12 Just know our minds and our hearts are listening for You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. 20:21 Read it again one last time. Galatians 6:14. 20:35 1 Corinthians 2:2. 20:45 Why? Ah, because of the universal summation of all truth. 20:59 Johann von Goethe, the German poet and playwright, 21:05 once made this expression. You can feel the energy 21:10 behind it. He said, "There are four things 21:12 I hate." All right four. 21:17 Number one, tobacco smoke. Number two, lice. 21:25 Hmm. 21:28 Number three, garlic. I happen to love garlic. I don't love it on me, 21:34 but I love it in me. And then, he says there's one other. 21:41 Tobacco smoke, lice, garlic, and the cross. "I hate it." 21:47 Why? Because the cross is the universal symbol 21:51 of suffering and sacrifice. And my question to you on this last Sabbath 21:57 of this semester is, where does the cross stand in your life? How does it rank in your life 22:03 of what you love and what you don't love? There's no question where 22:07 it stood ranked in the mind of Peter. And he will not leave us 22:13 guessing where he stands. Open your Bible to the little Gospel of Mark. 22:18 Mark chapter 8. We'll pick it up in verse 31. Jesus and his disciples are 22:25 gathered beneath the snow-capped twin peaks of Mount Hermon in north of Palestine. 22:34 No spies, no scouts. Nothing to fear. Just Jesus and His own. 22:42 He has something to tell them. Mark 8:31. "And He" -- Jesus -- "then began 22:47 to teach his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things 22:53 and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, 22:57 and that he must be killed and, after three days, rise again." The very next line reads, 23:02 "And he spoke plainly about this." Because the 12 hear it. 23:07 The 12 get it. But they didn't hear it, and they didn't get it. 23:11 And, so, three major times, from this moment on until Calvary, 23:16 Jesus will have to repeat the instructions as candidly and as bluntly as he knows how. 23:26 He is now walking under the shadow of the cross right now. Mark 8:31, the shadow of the 23:33 cross takes over the narrative. Darrell Bock, in dealing with this moment, 23:41 I like the way he puts it. 23:50 That was not only true then. I want to tell you something about your life. 23:54 The new reality in your life right now is the way of glory because there is nobody here 24:01 that doesn't want to be in that way of glory. So when we'll sing total praise 24:06 in His presence. But the way of glory for you -- and I'm sad to admit, for me -- 24:14 is down the road of suffering. 24:21 "Not for me," one of the boys jumps up. "Yo, yo, yo, yo. Excuse me." 24:27 Well, you know who it is, of course. 24:36 And in the Greek, Peter literally physically grabs Jesus and pulls him away. 24:41 "Wait, wait, I'm going to say something privately to you. Come over here, Master. 24:44 I need to let you in on a little something." Now, Mark, 24:50 the author of this narrative, you remember his gospel could very well be called 24:55 the Gospel According to Peter. So Mark mercifully leaves out what Peter actually said 25:01 to Jesus. But Matthew was there and heard it all. 25:06 And Matthew says, "I'm going to give you what Peter said." And, so, if we go to Matthew, 25:11 Darrell Bock's rendition of that verse, Matthew 16:22. "God have mercy on you, Lord! 25:19 This will never" -- and that's a double negative. This will no, not ever. 25:22 Do you hear me? Read my lips. "This will never happen to you." Let's get off of this 25:29 high horse. Jesus instantly hears the voice of his nemesis 25:40 when those wilderness temptations made that very same offer. 25:45 Never, double negative. You don't have to. And according to the Greek, 25:53 Jesus yanks himself out of Peter's grasp, whirls around so that he has the 25:58 disciples and Peter in his gaze, and speaks to three audiences. Audience one, Peter. 26:04 Audience two, the disciples. Audience three, the unseen beings slithering in their 26:08 midst. Yeah, he knows. 26:24 "Desire of Ages" grabs this "Get behind me, Satan." And notice the reflection. 26:41 Peter. 26:53 The italics are mine. 27:03 Out! 27:15 The Maker of All Things loves and wants you, and we have to do this. 27:21 Wow. Why? The Maker of All Things loves 27:32 and wants me, that's why. Johann von Goethe. "There are four things I hate. 27:43 Tobacco smoke, lice, garlic, the cross." Hate it. 27:54 Peter had no room for the cross. Not for himself. Certainly not for Jesus. 27:59 Makes you wonder how much room I have for the cross. How much room do you have 28:07 for the cross in your life? Mark 8, now go to verse 34, and this is from 28:16 David Bentley Hart's one-man translation, critically acclaimed translation 28:20 of the New Testament. "And summoning the crowd along with His disciples, 28:25 Jesus said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come along behind me" -- oh, I like that -- "if 28:31 anyone wishes to come along behind me, let him deny himself, let her deny herself utterly 28:40 and take up their cross and follow me." Follow me. 28:48 Meade MacGuire, in that precious short book of his, "His Cross and Mine," writes... 29:04 Five times Jesus speaks the word "cross" in the four gospels. Not once is it my cross. 29:09 It's always your cross, his cross, her cross, their cross. It's never my cross. 29:13 You know why? Because you cannot bear His cross. 29:18 It is unrepeatable. It is an eternal sacrifice that would kill you forever and ever, 29:24 amen, if you bore it. It's not your cross. You have your own cross. 29:32 And that's the point he's making. I have my own cross. 29:38 What are these red-letter words? You want to follow me? Deny yourself. 29:44 Take up your cross. Get behind me. Let's go. 29:50 That cross. What's that mean? MacGuire again. 29:54 "In every instance, Jesus is talking about the great crisis in a man or a woman's life, 29:59 when we are deciding the solemn question of our eternal destiny." 30:03 And what's that question? Here it comes. "There the man's own cross, the 30:08 woman's own cross stands at the parting of the ways." There's a cross right there. 30:13 You're going to choose one path or the other. You can't go down the middle. 30:17 One way or the other at the parting of the ways and that cross. 30:20 What's the question? "Shall I live for self or for God?" 30:25 That's the choice. Shall I advance my own interests? 30:35 Spending my life looking out for me, me, me, me, me? Shall I adjust my social 30:42 media platform postings? Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. Shall I adjust my purchasing 30:53 and hoarding of everything I can get my hands on for me, me, me, me, me, me, me. 31:01 Or shall I put self down? Kick it down. Shove it down. Push it down. 31:14 To me, the clearest exposition I have found to define the cross that we are to bear are these 31:21 words from the Apostle Paul. He nailed it. This is what it means to take 31:26 your cross. Take it up and follow Him. Galatians 2:20. "I am cruci--" 31:31 Let's read this out loud together. "I am crucified with Christ; 31:36 nevertheless, I live; yet not I" -- Now, the first person singular 31:41 in the Greek is ego, from whence comes our word ego. You can see that easily enough. 31:46 Let's pick it up again here... 32:04 That's the clearest definition I can find in Scripture. What is this cross? 32:09 Get crucified with Him. Just get crucified with Him. Let them drive the stake 32:13 through your head if you wish. You have to die. Just hang there with Him 32:19 for a while. I am crucified with Christ. The cross before you, 32:28 the cross before me today on this last Sabbath of this semester 32:33 is our answer to the question, shall I live for self or shall I live for God? 32:39 Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No. There's a cross for 32:45 everyone. And there's a cross for me. So what is this cross thing? 32:54 I'm going to tell you what it's not. Some people think the cross 32:59 is a bad marriage. "Oh, that was just one marriage. What a cross I had to bear." 33:06 Nope. It's getting diabetes. Nope. 33:13 It's missing my flight at the airport. No. Getting stuck in an 33:18 interminable red light. No. You're describing human annoyances and even sufferings. 33:24 But the cross does not equal human suffering. 33:32 John R.W. Stott, in his magnificent book, "The Cross of Christ," 33:38 makes this point. And I hope you get it. "If we are following Jesus 33:41 with a cross on our shoulder," all right? So let's just say you and I have 33:45 hoisted up our individual crosses. I have mine and you have yours. 33:48 "If we are following Jesus with a cross on our shoulder, there is only one place 33:52 to which we are going: a place of crucifixion." Do you understand that? 33:56 If you're carrying a cross, guess what? You're headed to crucifixion. 34:01 You're not headed to a party. You're not headed to retirement. You're not headed to a vacation. 34:06 You're going straight to crucifixion. If you have a cross, 34:10 you end up crucified. Do you understand his point? 34:31 >> Amen. >> Amen. >> In fact, Luke's rendering 34:37 that William read for us just a moment ago... Luke's rendering, Luke 9:23. 34:43 I'll just put it back up on the screen here. "Then Jesus said to them all: 34:46 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross." 34:51 And William rightfully emphasized daily. Only Luke inserts that word. 35:00 "Take up their cross daily and follow Him." It's a daily decision. 35:06 In fact, Frederick Dale Bruner makes a point I never thought of before, 35:09 and I'll putting him right up juxtaposed to this. "Jesus asked disciples not only 35:14 to join Him" -- but get this -- "but also to spend the rest of their lives with Him, in His 35:20 company, and under His teaching." Keep reading. 35:25 The Synoptic. Okay, so this is Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 35:29 The Synoptic Gospels quote Jesus saying, "Follow me." Yeah, we just read it. 35:36 Therefore, "the Synoptic 'follow me' is very much like" -- the fourth gospel, 35:42 John -- "the Johannine 'abide in me.'" What Bruner is saying is 35:47 it's a call to with the radical stakes of intimate fellowship. It's intimacy. 35:56 In John, He says, "Abide in me." In the Synoptics, He says, "Follow me." 36:01 It's the same. I want that sharp and radical intimacy with you. 36:10 This isn't Jesus saying, "I'll be about a mile down the road, but just keep me in sight." 36:15 No, no, no, no, no. In fact, let me let me put Bruner back up here. 36:20 "Jesus' invitation is surrounded fore and aft." Now, that's old nautical terms. 36:24 Fore, that's the front. Aft, that's the back of the boat. 36:27 And I put in here in brackets, "up front and behind." 36:44 The italics are his. 36:53 We have looked at this cross as something that is negative. It's something that, oh, 36:56 just like eating broccoli. You got to do it. That's not what this is at all. 37:01 This is intimacy at its highest level. I'm asking you to get 37:06 right up here. Get right behind me. I'll be in front. 37:10 I'm millimeters ahead of you. I'm not miles ahead of you. I'm right in front of you. 37:16 I will open the doors for you. I will lead you. But you be right here. 37:22 We're going together. I have my arms around you. You're going to be okay. 37:27 When it says to take up your cross, that's the invitation. Draw into an intimate relating 37:37 to the Lord Jesus himself. 37:42 How high are the stakes? Phew. Oh, mercy. Let's just finish out the passage here. 37:56 Okay. Keep going. 38:11 How cheap is your soul? Are you willing to keep on the path you're on 38:16 for the sake of your soul? Are you telling me your soul is only worth that? 38:21 You've got to be kidding me. You're doing all this knowing you're giving up your soul? 38:25 You've got to be crazy, boy. Why are you doing this? How cheap 38:31 do you consider yourself? 38:37 You want to exchange eternity for this craziness? You got to be kidding me. 38:47 Yeah, the stakes are high. Jesus could hardly be clearer about the stakes for a 38:53 "no cross for me decision." 38:55 No, no, no, no, no, I'm not going down that pathway. 38:58 Adiós. Thanks. And let me tell you something. 39:00 No cross, no Christ. No cross, no crown. 39:06 No suffering, no saving. Mnh-mnh. 39:11 No cross, no way. No loss, no win. 39:19 No cross is a terrible way to go. 39:23 You don't want it. Trust Jesus. You don't want it. 39:28 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, let her 39:31 deny herself. Take up the cross. 39:32 Come on, get tight here. Get tight. Stay with me. 39:39 Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Pastor. Theologian. 39:45 Writer. Executed at the age of 39, one month before the Allied 39:49 liberation of Germany. One month. By direct order of Adolf Hitler 39:54 himself. "I want him dead." Hung. A martyr. 40:01 In his celebrated book, "Cost of Discipleship," and that immortal line, 40:05 and you know that line, and I'll get to it in a minute. But we need to read the context 40:09 around that line. And here we go. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 40:11 "Cost of Discipleship." 40:23 ...he, she, you, and me "have only to pick it up; there is no need for him" -- 40:30 you and me -- "to go out and look for a cross for ourselves, no need for us deliberately 40:36 to run after suffering." I'm not asking you. Jesus is not asking you 40:40 to do that. But note, again, this intimate, tightly bound, Christ-centered 40:47 relationship. I don't have to go and find a cross. 40:50 It'll find me. I don't have to look for suffering. 40:53 It'll come. But I'll be right up against His back. 40:59 And He'll be in it with me. I will never go through anything alone. 41:07 Now comes the memorable line of Bonhoeffer. 41:18 And here is that immortal line. 41:24 When Christ calls a woman, He bids her come and die. He goes on... 41:44 We are bound to him. This is intimate. Radically intimate. 41:53 It isn't bad news. It's the best news there is. 42:02 If anyone would come after me, let her, let him deny themselves, take up the cross. 42:10 And follow tight. Come behind me. Come on, tight. Tight. 42:14 We will go together, you and I. Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? 42:23 No. There is a cross for everyone. And there's a cross for me. 42:32 So, on this last Sabbath of this semester, what's all this mean for you and me? 42:38 Some of you are graduated next weekend. Congratulations, by the way. 42:42 We're proud of you. What does this mean for you and me? 42:46 Others of you are going home. Man, I'm chasing a dream. I'm on the up and the up. 42:50 Oh, I'm proud of you. Good for you. Some of us are facing a career 42:56 that will draw to an end. Some of us are facing a life that is drawing to an end. 43:02 What does this mean for all of us? This cross business. 43:09 May I point out that it is only in the Gospel of Mark that we find a phrase inserted 43:18 into these familiar words. Not in Luke, not in Matthew. Not in John, just Mark. 43:24 Here it is, Mark 8:35. "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, 43:29 but whoever loses their life for me and -- oh, Mark says, "I'm going to insert this 43:36 here" -- "and for the gospel will save it." My, oh, my, oh, my. 43:42 Isn't that amazing? "And for the gospel." What's the gospel? 43:47 The Maker of All Things loves and wants me. That's the irreducible 43:52 central truth of this universe. The Maker of All Things who came here, switched places 43:59 with us, died our eternal death, that we might have his eternal life. 44:06 That's the gospel. So Mark says, "Wait a minute." You know, he also meant 44:12 not just for Him, but also for His gospel, the gospel, the good news. 44:20 And by inserting that into those red letters, what Mark is saying is that 44:23 Jesus is saying, "When you take up the cross, you must go for me. 44:33 You must go for me." G-O for me. It's not just about following 44:39 me. No. You must go for me. With the people you have sports 44:46 with, you go for me there. With the people you work with, you go for me there. 44:53 With the people you live with, you go for me there. You must go for me. 45:01 I'm right there. Right in front of you. But you have to say something. 45:07 You can't just walk around in a daze. I need you. 45:12 Go for me. By that insertion -- oh, my, oh, my -- Jesus is saying, "Take 45:20 my good news everywhere with you, always with you, for I'm always with you. 45:26 And it should always be good news for you." Wow. When I think of 45:30 that insertion -- I'm just going to confess now and be a little personal. 45:34 When I think of that insertion and I wrestle over with what its implications are for me, 45:42 trust me, that's not such a little "doesn't matter." No, it's a big deal. 45:47 Because I wonder about my own life. What cross does Jesus have 45:52 for me now that I end at Pioneer? There has to still be a cross 45:57 if every line of this means my life and your life. There still has to be a cross. 46:02 I must still follow him. So what does that mean? People tell me, 46:07 "Hey, listen, Dwight, let me tell you something. You've worked hard. 46:11 50 years in ministry, 40 years in one church. You deserve a break. 46:15 And just don't think that -- Don't think that God needs you to finish His work on Earth. 46:20 He doesn't. He'll be fine." And I get what they're trying to 46:24 say, but the pushback inside of me says, "Yeah, but... I have no cross now. 46:35 I have no mission now. I don't go about my father's business now. 46:40 I go on vacation now. How awful." [ Laughter ] 46:49 Man. I have to assume He means me. Every ounce of my life 46:57 and every line of that imperative. Deny yourself. 47:01 Take up your cross. Get close behind me. And I have to then believe 47:07 that he means I must obey the command that He has just given. 47:13 And by the way, it's not only me. I have to believe 47:16 that He means you. Every line of that command is for you, and you have to obey it 47:22 just as much as I do. Nobody's going through life now, "Well, I guess that's done." 47:28 It's not done. I think of this nation. How are we going to reach 47:33 America in this generation? I'm not going to just sit here and let other people 47:38 figure that out. I have to do something about it. I can't just twiddle my thumbs. 47:47 There's a cross to bear. It may not be pleasant. It may not be what I ordered 47:53 for myself, but it's what he assigned to me. You will bear that cross. 48:00 Up tight, get close. Get close. You're falling back. Come here. 48:07 Hang on to me. I have to find that cross. Or it'll find me. 48:14 We still have to take the truth about the Maker of All Things loves and wants me to the nation 48:18 and to the Earth. The Maker of All Things, who is soon to return. 48:22 Do I not have a responsibility to Him? Excuse me. Do you not have 48:27 a responsibility to Him? Oh, yes, you do. Oh, yes, you do. 48:35 We're all in this together, guys. Because the one who tries 48:41 to save his life will lose it. But the one who loses his life for me and for the gospel 48:50 will save it. I want to end with an altar call by telling you a story. 48:57 The 19-year-old college student from a well-heeled family, for part of his education, 49:02 was to visit all the capital cities of Europe. So the boy, the 19-year-old, 49:08 is standing today in a Dusseldorf, Germany, art gallery. 49:15 He's been gripped by Doménikos Ecce Homo oil painting. Ecce Homo, Latin. 49:23 "Behold the man." He's gazing into those tortured eyes. 49:29 Crown of thorns. Just a bust. Rendition. 49:34 Mesmerized by it. Eventually, he drops his eyes to the bottom of the painting, 49:40 and he sees an inscription there with these words. "All this I have done for thee. 49:50 What doest thou for me?" 49:58 And his heart is broken. His life has changed. 19 years old, guys. 50:06 His life has changed. He goes back to his home. He gathers other young teens 50:11 around him and young adults. He shares the vision. They band together. 50:19 First, they call themselves the Order of the Mustard Seed. But, eventually, that band 50:24 of young radical disciples became, in time, the greatest missionary movement 50:31 in the history of Christianity. The Moravians. Young Count 50:38 Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, their founder. As Nicholas' biographer, 50:46 A.J. Lewis, put it this way, speaking of that art gallery moment... 51:09 He made a decision. This is the cross. I'll bear it. 51:17 Let me fellowship with you in your sufferings. And the human race was changed. 51:25 Because of a 19-year-old who said, "I'll follow close behind you." 51:32 Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, I want to follow close behind 51:37 Jesus, don't you? Come on. What else are we living for? 51:43 So I invite you today to go on record before Heaven and the unseen witnesses 51:49 who are in this space. You're not doing it for me. You're not doing it because it's 51:54 the end of the semester. You're doing it because you're under conviction. 51:58 You, too, need to deny yourself. Take up your cross and tightly follow behind Jesus. 52:09 I need to go on record before the same witnesses myself. There's a sea change 52:15 coming in my own life. But it's not going to change this truth. 52:21 The Lord of Calvary that calls me to follow tightly behind Him 52:24 with my own cross means business. 52:30 And I mean to stay as close to Him, until He comes, as 52:33 is humanly possible. Whatever that means, I mean it. 52:39 You want to stand with me today? This is not 52:42 just a moment to exercise. This is a moment 52:44 to say -- 'cause the witnesses are jotting it down -- 52:47 "She stood. Look at that. He stood. Look at that. 52:50 Put it down, Gabriel. Put it down. 52:53 The boy's standing." 52:56 Holy Spirit says, "Okay, move in. I'm moving in now. 52:59 Because I'm not letting him think this was just standing before he can get out of 53:03 the building. This is standing because I asked him to stand 53:06 and I'm not going to let him forget that he stood." And you and I will stand 53:11 together. We will stand together. And one day, 53:20 we will sing total praise. And, remember, that, on that day, we stood together with 53:30 Jesus. It's a beautiful, beautiful hymn. 53:34 Just three short stanzas. Let's sing it right now. Let's just cut right 53:37 to that hymn, please. 53:40 ♪♪ 55:35 >> O Jesus with joy, we'll cast our golden crown. at Your nail-scarred feet. 55:46 And Your dear name, we will repeat over and over and over again. 55:56 Total praise. You got us through. We made it. 56:03 Your grace was sufficient. The Maker of All Things loved and wanted me 56:09 to the very last breath. And now here we are with you and each other forever and ever. 56:18 Oh, Jesus, please take note of the decisions we made. Some are watching right 56:22 now somewhere on this planet. Take note of the decisions they have made. 56:29 And by the grace of the Maker of All Things, who loves and wants us, let us go forth, 56:37 confident that, indeed, the best is yet to come. With a cross on our shoulder -- 56:47 crucifixion. We get it. But then, eternity with you. 56:55 May not one of us standing before you now be missing on that glad day. 57:00 I humbly pray. Amen. 57:06 >> Thank you for taking the time to join us in worship today. 57:08 I'd like to spend another moment with you here at the end of our 57:11 program to share a word of hope. In fact, that's what this little 57:13 book is all about. In these uncertain times, and 57:16 let's face it, they're uncertain all over this planet. 57:18 This book entitled, "The Great Hope," will help you 57:21 understand not just what God has planned for your future, but for 57:24 the future of the entire human race. 57:27 Light keeps shining on this dark old world and new truths long 57:30 forgotten are being constantly rediscovered. 57:33 If you need a fresh dose of hope for your life these days or you 57:35 know somebody else who could sure use that gift of hope, then 57:38 I'd like to invite you to grab your phone, dial our toll-free 57:41 number, 877, the two words HIS WILL -- 877-HIS-WILL -- 57:46 and at no charge to you, we'll get a copy in the mail to you 57:49 right way. Till the next time we meet, may 57:52 the peace and hope of the Lord Jesus be with you 24/7. 57:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ 58:17 ♪♪ |
Revised 2023-05-08