Participants: Pr. Dwight Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP151024A
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00:08 Dear Lord, I want to thank you so much
00:10 for all the blessings that You gave us, 00:12 for showing Yourself throughout the weeks, 00:14 months, and years. 00:15 You're always by our side 00:17 and You always come and encourage us 00:19 whenever we need You. 00:20 Hear us as we sing our love to You, 00:23 and thank You for Your blessings 00:24 in Your name, amen. 00:47 My hope is built on nothing less 00:54 Than Jesus blood and righteousness 01:00 I dare not trust the sweetest frame 01:07 But wholly trust in Jesus name 01:11 Christ alone, Cornerstone 01:17 Weak made strong in the Savior's love 01:23 Through the storm, He is Lord 01:30 Lord of all 01:38 When Darkness seems to hide His face 01:44 I rest on His unchanging grace 01:50 In every high and stormy gale 01:56 My anchor holds within the veil 02:01 Christ alone, Cornerstone 02:07 Weak made strong in the Savior's love 02:13 Through the storm, He is Lord 02:19 Lord of all 02:27 When He shall come with trumpet sound 02:34 Oh, may I then in Him be found 02:40 Dressed in His righteousness alone 02:47 Faultless stan before the throne 02:51 Christ alone, Cornerstone 02:57 Weak made strong in the Savior's love 03:04 Through the storm, He is Lord 03:10 Lord of all 03:16 Christ alone, Cornerstone 03:24 Weak made strong in the Savior's love 03:31 Through the storm 03:35 He is Lord 03:40 Lord of all 03:46 Amen. 03:49 This time we invite you to come up for prayer 03:53 and to just thank God for the blessings 03:55 He's given you throughout this week, 03:57 also for being with you 03:59 through the hardships or hard times. 04:02 And so you guys come up here, 04:05 pray to him with fellowship with your brothers and sisters. 04:18 You hear me when I call You are my morning song 04:25 Though darkness fills the night 04:28 It cannot hide the light 04:32 Whom shall I fear 04:37 You crush the enemy underneath my feet 04:44 You are my sword and shield 04:47 Though troubles linger still 04:51 Whom shall I fear 04:56 I know who goes before me 04:59 I know who stands behind 05:03 The God of angel armies is always by my side 05:09 The one who reigns forever, 05:12 He is a friend of mine 05:15 The God of angel armies 05:18 is always by my side 05:24 My strength is in your name 05:27 For You alone can save You will deliver me 05:33 Yours is the victory 05:38 Whom shall I fear 05:44 Whom shall I fear 05:49 I know who goes before me 05:52 I know who stands behind 05:55 The God of angel armies is always by my side 06:02 The one who reigns forever He is a friend of mine 06:08 The God of angel armies is always by my side 06:16 And nothing formed against me shall stand 06:23 You hold the whole world in Your hands 06:29 I'm holding on to Your promises 06:35 You are faithful You are faithful 06:41 And nothing formed against me shall stand 06:48 You hold the whole world in Your hands 06:55 I'm holding on to Your promises 07:00 You are faithful You are faithful 07:07 You are faithful 07:11 I know who goes before me 07:14 I know who stands behind 07:17 The God of angel armies is always by my side 07:24 The one who reigns forever He is a friend of mine 07:30 The God of angel armies is always by my side 07:37 The God of angel armies 07:41 is always by my side 07:51 Good morning, boys and girls. 07:52 It's nice to see you on this 07:53 next to the last Sabbath of October, still warm. 07:58 And the leaves are so pretty, oh, and the flowers, 08:01 this is the time for those little moms. 08:04 Nice to have you here. You happy to be here? 08:05 I can tell it on your face. Good. 08:07 All right, so these two girls, 08:09 they just love playing together. 08:12 Name of one is Phoebe, 08:14 the name of the other is Tillie. 08:15 So they live on Vashon Island, 08:18 south of Seattle in the Puget Sound. 08:20 Okay. 08:21 So that's a nice place to be from the Pacific Northwest. 08:25 So one day, we're going out into the woods today, 08:29 to the woods today, 08:30 so they were running out into the woods to play, 08:33 but they were not keeping track where they were going. 08:35 Oh, no, something you should not do. 08:37 They got lost, they didn't know where are we. 08:40 And as they're both running do we go this way, 08:43 do we go this way? 08:44 Shall we go this way? 08:46 Little Phoebe, 08:48 she was not watching where she was going 08:50 and she disappeared. 08:52 Tillie turned around, "Phoebe, where are you?" 08:55 Phoebe had just fallen into a cistern. 08:59 That's an old well, 09:01 water at the bottom, rocks on the bottom. 09:04 Tillie looked down and there was Phoebe 09:06 at the bottom of the cistern. 09:08 When you're little you can't crawl out of a cistern, 09:10 there is no way. 09:11 And when you're little, you can't help 09:13 your friend crawl out of a cistern either. 09:15 What am I gonna do? 09:16 And so they both just sat there, 09:17 Phoebe in the bottom, Tillie at the top. 09:20 Oh, what can we do? What can we do? 09:24 I don't know. I don't even know where we are. 09:25 I call for help but there's nobody around, 09:27 it's just a forest. 09:30 That's getting dark, it's getting dark. 09:34 I'm gonna stay with you. 09:36 Little Tillie decided, 09:38 "I'm gonna stay with you Phoebe. 09:41 I'll be right here, don't worry." 09:43 Got dark, got cold in the northwest. 09:45 Yes, it did. 09:47 Soon think, fell like forever. 09:50 But soon that sun 09:51 was beginning to peak above the eastern tops, 09:54 tip-tops of the trees, a new day. 09:56 Okay, okay. 09:58 I thought about it, I have a plan. 10:00 I'm gonna look for help, you stay right here. 10:02 Well, she's not gonna go anywhere, is she? 10:04 You stay right here. 10:06 I'm gonna look. 10:08 So Tillie shut off, "Where am I going? 10:10 Where am I going? Where am I going? 10:11 Do I go out, do I...? Where do I turn? 10:13 Where do I turn? Where? 10:14 Looks like we're in a ravine. 10:16 Now she's coming out, there's little valley. 10:18 She runs out into the valley. 10:19 Some people, because you can imagine, 10:23 the folks at home are going crazy. 10:28 Two little girls are gone, they're crazy. 10:31 Some people reported seeing 10:33 Tillie come out of the woods. 10:34 She looked around, couldn't see anybody to help. 10:36 She went back into the woods. 10:38 They had people out searching. 10:40 Day number two goes by. 10:42 "I'm right here, Phoebe. Don't you worry about it, girl. 10:44 I'm right here." 10:46 Day number three goes by and night number three. 10:48 Day number four goes by, night number four. 10:50 The people are going crazy. 10:52 They have search parties everywhere. 10:54 Day number five goes by, night number five. 10:56 Day number six. 10:59 Finally, Tillie said I'm staying right here. 11:02 "Now I've given up looking. 11:04 I'll be right here." 11:05 They're both very weak now. 11:07 No water, no food. 11:10 When all of a sudden they heard, 11:11 crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch 11:13 footsteps coming through the forest, 11:16 and then a voice yelled, "There they are." 11:21 The person with a voice had a camera. 11:23 And the person came running up to them 11:25 with a camera and took a picture, 11:27 and we're gonna put the picture right now on the screen, 11:31 because there is Phoebe. 11:33 She's at the top part where there's some rocks, 11:35 it goes down into the water, there is Phoebe. 11:37 And where is Tillie? Let's see the next picture. 11:40 Oh, there is Tillie. 11:43 For six days, Tillie looked after Phoebe. 11:47 For six days... 11:48 Oh, the owner. Let's see the owner. 11:50 Oh, the owner, look he looks little worried still. 11:53 The poor dogs, they put out the water for Phoebe. 11:58 Rejoice. 12:00 Tillie stayed with Phoebe. 12:04 You know, they say, dog is a man's best friend. 12:05 I think a dog is a dog's best friend. 12:08 Tillie saved Phoebe's life 12:11 because somebody saw her come out, 12:12 she would run out and then go back, run out come back. 12:14 They said they must be in that area. 12:16 Oh, she became so famous, these two dogs did, 12:19 but especially Tillie the rescuer, 12:20 the best friend forever who stuck by her friend, 12:23 that a very famous person in Washington, 12:25 next picture please. 12:26 Said, bring the dogs 12:28 and the governor of the state of Washington said, 12:30 you I now pronounce you Washingtonians for a day. 12:35 First time they've given to a non-human. 12:38 The whole state was rejoicing. 12:41 You know, when I saw that picture and I said, 12:42 "Oh, to have a friend who stays with you night and day." 12:46 Then suddenly I realize, "Wait a minute. 12:47 I don't have a pet, 12:49 but I have a friend who stays with me night and day," 12:51 and what is His name? 12:53 God. 12:55 Jesus. 12:56 BFF, best friend forever. 12:59 I will never leave you or forsake you. 13:02 What a guy! 13:04 What a savior! 13:05 And by the way he didn't stand there helpless, 13:07 I can't do anything. 13:08 He can get us out of any hole we're in. 13:10 What do you say to that? Yeah. 13:12 How many are thankful for Jesus our BFF Savior? 13:16 And who wants to thank Jesus in prayer? 13:18 Somebody like to thank Jesus in prayer. 13:21 Do I see some hands up? 13:23 Many hands on the back row, but okay, 13:25 I think you can make it through sissy. 13:27 Okay, you come on. 13:28 Let me get a microphone for you. 13:30 Here we go. 13:31 Okay, now let's fold our hands. 13:33 Let's close our eyes. 13:34 We're gonna pray with sissy. 13:37 What's your name, sissy? 13:39 What? Germianna. 13:41 Germianna, we're gonna pray with Germianna now. 13:43 Fold your hands, close your eyes. 13:45 Germianna, thank Jesus. 13:47 Dear, Jesus, thank You for this day. 13:49 Thank You for our daddies and moms 13:51 and I thank you for kids and Jonathan, 13:55 and I thank you for Nenah and everyone else. 13:58 And I thank you for the teachers 14:00 and her dads and everyone else. 14:03 And the first graders, and second graders, 14:07 and for Miss Sienna, amen. 14:08 Amen. 14:10 Thank you, Germianna. 14:12 And God bless you boys and girls as you go quietly, 14:14 reverently back to your seats. 14:16 Thank you Jesus for being my BFF savior. 14:20 Happy Sabbath to you. 14:21 Amen. 14:43 Crown Him 14:47 The King of Kings 14:51 The Lord of Lords 14:54 The Prince of Peace 14:57 Crown Him 15:02 The one who died 15:05 Who rose again 15:09 To live forevermore 15:12 Crown Him 15:16 The Bread of Life 15:19 High and holy Priest 15:22 Bright and Morning Star 15:26 He holds the keys of death 15:33 He holds the keys of hell 15:40 He is ruler of the kings 15:46 Of earth 15:49 Crown Him 15:51 Behold your King 15:55 Crown Him 15:58 Behold your King 16:16 Crown Him 16:19 The King of Kings 16:23 The Lord of Lords, 16:27 The Prince of Peace 16:30 Crown Him 16:34 The One who died 16:37 Who rose again 16:41 To live forevermore 16:44 Crown Him 16:48 The Bread of Life 16:51 High and holy Priest 16:55 Bright and Morning Star 16:58 He holds 17:02 The keys of death 17:05 He holds 17:10 The keys of hell 17:15 He is ruler of the kings 17:18 Of earth 17:21 Crown Him 17:23 Behold your King 17:26 Crown Him 17:30 Behold your King 17:47 See Him 17:50 Coming with the clouds 17:54 Ev'ry eye shall see 17:57 Him whom they have pierced 18:00 See Him 18:05 Who is the first 18:08 And is the last Alpha and Omega 18:14 He is the Living One 18:21 He who is and was 18:24 And who is to come 18:28 He has loved us unto death 18:35 He has 18:38 Freed us by His blood 18:41 He is 18:45 The mighty Son of God 18:55 Crown Him 18:59 Behold your King 19:08 Behold Him! 19:12 Behold Him! 19:16 Behold Him! 19:21 Behold 19:26 The Lord of Lords 19:32 And King of Kings 19:38 Crown Him! 19:49 Amen! 19:53 Oh, thank you Andrews Academy Silhouettes. 19:54 It's beautiful. 19:56 Tyler Ronto and the trombone, bless you Hector Flores. 20:01 Bless you as well Coronation, 20:03 "Crown him, Lord of Lords, crown him, King of Kings." 20:07 Powerfully rendered, we needed that. 20:11 Let's pray together. 20:13 Oh, God, You are 20:17 the one we crown in our hearts today. 20:21 Christ our Lord is King of Kings, 20:24 He is Lord of Lords, 20:26 He's a Lamb of God, He's our BFF, 20:29 He's all of that 20:31 and so are you Father and Holy Spirit. 20:35 So we come to a moment of teaching, 20:37 may scripture be clear, 20:38 if there's a response we need to make, 20:40 let that response be clear in our minds. 20:42 We pray in Jesus name, amen. 20:46 So I wonder if you would agree with this sentence. 20:50 I'm thinking you probably do. 20:52 I'm just kind of thinking 20:53 that everybody here will agree with this. 20:57 Let me check it out with you. 20:59 It takes guts. 21:02 It takes guts to stand. 21:06 You see, it takes guts to stand up 21:10 to the crowd. 21:14 Yes or no? 21:17 To say, "Hey, you. 21:20 I'm not going there with you. 21:24 Hey, I'm not doing it with you. 21:28 I'm just saying, no." 21:30 So which part of the no don't you understand 21:32 the N or the O. 21:35 It takes guts 21:37 to stand up to the crowd. 21:41 In the dorm room, 21:45 in the boardroom, 21:49 in the bedroom, 21:52 it takes guts to stand up to the crowd and be uncool. 21:58 I like the way N. D. Wilson puts it, 22:01 best selling author. 22:03 He describes it this way, 22:05 the power of the zeitgeist. 22:10 Ever heard that word? 22:11 Before I put it on the screen, zeitgeist. 22:15 What language do you suppose it is? 22:16 Quick. 22:17 German, you got it to the head of the class. 22:19 German, two words. Geist means ghost, spirit. 22:24 Zeit means time, 22:25 spirit of the time, spirit of the ages. 22:28 In other words 22:30 the prevailing spirit and mood of the culture, 22:33 it takes guts to stand up to the zeitgeist, 22:36 to the culture, to the crowd. 22:38 Yeah, it does. 22:40 To sit there when the crowd is on its feet, 22:44 hands in the air, 22:45 and worship space that could feel 22:48 whole lot like a rumbling dance floor. 22:51 It takes guts to stand, in this case sit. 22:56 It takes guts to stand up to the crowd. 23:00 When the waitress has taken everybody's order in the circle 23:03 and now she's asking you, orders for drinks. 23:07 And what will you have young man, young lady? 23:10 What will you have? 23:12 It takes guts to stand up to the crowd. 23:17 The power of the zeitgeist. 23:21 The power of culture, power of the crowd. 23:24 N. D. Wilson, already he's 30 something. 23:27 Tell you, incredible. 23:28 Already critically acclaimed as a writer, 23:30 best seller one of his books "Death by Living" 23:33 he wrote an op-ed piece 23:35 in of all places Christianity Today. 23:37 And I want to read to you a line or two from that essay. 23:43 "Cows like to turn their backs to the wind." 23:48 Did you know that? 23:49 And I neither. 23:50 "Cows like to turn their backs to the wind. 23:52 At least, all the cows I know do. 23:55 Slowly, awkwardly, eventually, 23:58 all that beef will run parallel to the breeze." 24:03 I love that line. 24:05 All that beef will run parallel to the breeze. 24:09 "People aren't too different. 24:11 We align ourselves safely into herds, 24:14 comforted by the hot breath of others 24:17 breaking on the backs of our necks and ears. 24:19 Then we huff and we puff 24:20 and we blow at the fools turned in the wrong direction." 24:23 You didn't come poop. 24:24 Do you understand, we're all looking this way, 24:25 why are you looking in the wind? 24:27 What's your problem? 24:29 And then he asked the question. 24:30 I'll put his words on the screen for you. 24:33 "Is there anything more compelling to us 24:36 than the heavy synchronized breathing of a mob, 24:40 especially when combined with cocked eyebrows 24:42 of disdain and curled lips of disgust? 24:46 This is the zeitgeist, 24:48 inside the church and out, 24:50 and it will judge you until you conform or commune. 24:55 This is cool-shaming, 24:57 and it will make you squirm and itch 24:59 to turn your back to the wind, 25:00 to stand with all the other cows." 25:03 Because, let's face it. 25:05 It takes guts to stand to the crowd, 25:07 stand up to that crowd and be uncool. 25:13 Open your Bible to the Gospel of Luke 1. 25:17 Put the title slide up right now. 25:19 Sort of mini series, 25:21 we'll have four Sabbaths together, 25:22 you and I, 25:24 "Mission Possible Called 2 B Uncool." 25:28 It's today's teaching, 25:30 you don't need to worry about getting the study guide 25:31 'cause it's in your worship bulletin, nothing to fill out, 25:33 but every quote I'm going to quote you have it now, 25:36 and I know that you're gonna want some of these. 25:38 So that's in the borne for you, 25:39 those who you are watching by the way 25:40 www.pmchurch.tv 25:43 that's where you're going. 25:44 You get the same collection of quotations. 25:46 All right, we're going to Luke 1. 25:50 Open your Bible to Luke 1. 25:52 You didn't bring your Bible, 25:54 grab the pew Bible in front of you, 25:55 it's page number 688. 25:56 Now you've got it on your phone, tablet, it's fine. 26:00 Luke 1. 26:03 Luke 1, I'm in the NIV, New International Version. 26:06 We'll pick it up in verse 11, 26:08 "Then an angel of the Lord appeared to..." 26:11 old man Zechariah, that's who the him is. 26:14 Old man Zacharias priest very near retirement. 26:18 "The angel is standing at the right side 26:20 of the altar of incense." 26:22 So Zechariah standing in front of this 26:23 thick golden woven tapestry 26:29 between the holy place and the most holy place, 26:31 and he's burning incense, 26:33 because all the worshippers are outside praying, 26:36 and he's representing them. 26:37 Verse 12 and "When Zechariah saw the angel, 26:40 he was startled and was gripped with fear." 26:42 Who wouldn't be? 26:43 "But the angel said to him: 26:45 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. 26:49 Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, 26:51 and you are to call him John.'" 26:53 Verse 14, and "He will be a joy and delight to you, 26:56 and many will rejoice 26:57 because of his birth, for," 26:59 verse 14, "He will be great in the sight of the Lord. 27:01 He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, 27:06 and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit 27:08 even before he is born." 27:10 Verse 16, "And He will bring back 27:12 many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God." 27:14 And finally verse 17, 27:16 "He will go on before the Lord, 27:18 in the spirit and power of Elijah, 27:21 to turn the hearts of the parents 27:23 to their children and the disobedient 27:24 to the wisdom of the righteous 27:26 to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 27:29 You are gonna have a baby 27:31 and that baby will be granted 27:34 from all mighty God, 27:35 a mission to prepare the people 27:39 for the coming of the Messiah. 27:43 Can you imagine? Now seriously. 27:45 Can you imagine your folks, just before you were born, 27:48 your folks, get an angel. 27:51 Shows up in front of them, he said, 27:53 "Hey, you're gonna have a baby girl. 27:56 You're gonna have a baby boy." 27:57 And I want you to know something, 27:59 almighty God has already called that girl, 28:00 called that boy for his mission, 28:02 Mission Possible. 28:03 He's already called her 28:05 to make ready this world 28:07 for the return of the Messiah again. 28:09 Can you imagine 28:12 how your folks would have responded? 28:13 And let me ask you a question. 28:14 Do you suppose they would ever have told you about it? 28:17 Are you kidding? 28:19 They would have told you every single day you're alive, 28:21 every single day, boy, boy, the angel came and told us, 28:24 you have a mission. 28:25 girl, you have been called to prepare this world 28:28 for the soon coming of Jesus, you have a mission. 28:33 You grow up every stage of year, 28:39 pre-adolescent development, 28:40 every stage beyond hearing 28:43 you were born for a mission. 28:48 And sure enough the baby was born and it was a boy, 28:52 and he does have a mission. 28:54 In fact, I want you to catch the very last line 28:55 in chapter 1. 28:57 This is a long chapter, 28:58 that's why we're not spending any time here. 28:59 This is a long chapter. Look at verse 80. 29:01 Okay, way at the back of the chapter, 29:03 now verse 80. 29:05 "And the child..." that would be John, little John. 29:08 "And the child grew and became strong in spirit, 29:13 and he lived in the wilderness 29:15 until he appeared publicly in Israel." 29:18 Wow. 29:19 Hey, I need to say a word to young parents 29:20 and parents to be, okay. 29:22 You're gonna be a parent one day. 29:23 Yep. 29:24 I want to say a word to parents 29:26 or young parents or parents to be. 29:28 A century ago, 29:29 these words are written about the John baby. 29:32 Here we go, I'll put it on the screen for you, 29:34 you have all the quotes. 29:35 "John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, 29:37 received this early training from his parents..." 29:40 Does a mommy, does a daddy have a divine mission? 29:44 Oh, boy, do you... 29:48 "He received his early training from his parents. 29:50 The words of the angel to Zacharias 29:52 had often been repeated to John by his God fearing parents. 29:56 From his childhood his mission had been kept before him, 30:00 and he accepted the holy trust." 30:02 Girl, I'm telling you, girl, you were born for a mission. 30:05 Boy, listen to me. 30:07 Don't forget this. 30:08 You were born for a mission. You were made for a mission. 30:11 What's my mission, daddy? 30:12 It's to help God, 30:14 get this planet ready for the return of Messiah. 30:16 That's your mission. Do you understand that child? 30:21 Mama, that baby still in arms, 30:23 I've heard a few already this morning, still in arms, 30:26 you can be whispering, a little baby, little child, 30:30 you go ahead and cry on 30:32 because mama knows you have a mission for Jesus. 30:36 He's gonna use you 30:38 to get the world ready for His return. 30:40 Come on, little boy. 30:41 Come on, grow up but not too fast. 30:47 Yeah. 30:48 You say, "Uh, but pastor please, 30:50 not my baby." 30:51 I mean, look, we're talking about, 30:53 my baby is not a little miracle baby like John. 30:54 I mean, I just heard Gabriel tell to Zechariah, 30:57 your baby has Holy Spirit before he even comes out. 31:00 Can't be my baby. Oh, I beg to differ with you. 31:04 Desire of Ages, 31:06 put the words on the screen, please. 31:07 "Even the babe in its mother's arms 31:10 may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty 31:14 through the faith of the praying..." 31:16 Give me that next word? 31:18 Get, I didn't hear. 31:21 "Through the faith of the praying," who? 31:22 Mother. 31:24 How many of you are gonna be mother someday? 31:25 I'm looking in your faces and wondering, "Will it be you? 31:27 Will it be you? Will it be you?" 31:30 How many of you are mothers now? 31:32 How many of your grandmothers now? 31:35 Our little Ella just turned two on Thursday. 31:39 Wish we could be out there in Salem 31:40 to celebrate with her. 31:42 Now but this is a praying mother. 31:44 By the way grandmothers can pray, the grandpas do. 31:48 So where are we reading here, 31:49 "Even the babe in his mother's arms may dwell 31:51 under the shadow of the Almighty 31:52 through the faith of the praying mother. 31:55 John the Baptist," Oh, I love this. 31:57 "John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit 31:59 from his birth." 32:00 We already got that part. 32:02 Now read, "If we as parents 32:04 will live in communion with God, 32:06 we too may expect 32:08 the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, 32:11 even from their earliest moment alive." 32:17 Oh, mama. 32:19 The only caveat here, there's only one little caveat. 32:21 The only caveat is you must commune with God. 32:24 That's what we just read. 32:25 You must commune with God, you have to be talking to Him. 32:28 Papa, you have to be talking to Him, 32:30 you've got to be praying for that child. 32:32 I know I'm preaching to the choir, 32:34 because you already do, 32:35 but we've got some young parents 32:36 still not parents yet. 32:38 You, the moment that child is born 32:39 begin a life of prayer, 32:42 communing with the eternal. 32:45 Oh, so mama stay close to God. 32:46 Papa, please, that's my appeal to you, 32:48 stay close to God. 32:50 This is the most critical time in history 32:52 to be rearing a little tiny life, 32:56 for his, for her mission. 33:00 Verse 8 again. 33:05 "And the child grew and became strong in spirit, 33:09 and he lived in the wilderness 33:10 until he appeared publicly to Israel." 33:13 Have you ever wondered? Because I have this week. 33:15 Have you ever wondered? 33:16 At what age did John go into the wilderness? 33:19 How old was he when he finally moved out into the wilderness? 33:23 I want to share one little line with you. 33:25 Here's his line, put it on the screen. 33:26 "The greater portion of John's life 33:30 was spent in the wilderness." 33:32 Now we got to do a little bit arithmetic here. 33:34 So John and Jesus are cousins as you know 33:37 'cause Mary will end up, once she's pregnant, 33:39 she ends up and cousin Elizabeth 33:40 whose great with child, do you remember? 33:42 So the babies are gonna be born about four, five months apart. 33:45 Okay. 33:47 John's gonna be born first then Jesus will come along, 33:48 they're cousins. 33:50 We know that Jesus died at 35ish. 33:53 Okay, 35ish is His age. 33:56 John died a year and a half before Jesus, 33:59 so we're gonna say, John is 33ish. 34:02 All right, the ish is important but we'll say 33. 34:04 Now the greater portion of the 33, 34:07 you spent in the wilderness would be... 34:09 No, it got to be make 17 or 18 years. 34:12 Meaning John would be 34:13 when he moved out into the wilderness 34:14 15 or 16 years of age. 34:17 Could be mom and dad, they were aged, they died. 34:20 And when they die, John is gone. 34:25 Let's put it on the screen here the whole quote now. 34:27 "The greater portion of John's life 34:28 was spent in the wilderness... 34:29 It was John's choice," I want you to catch this. 34:32 "It was John's choice 34:34 to forego the enjoyments and luxuries of the city life 34:37 for the stern discipline of the wilderness. 34:40 Here his surroundings 34:42 were favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial. 34:46 Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world that zeitgeist, 34:51 he could here study the lessons of nature, of revelation..." 34:55 So he had a few scrolls of the Old Testament. 34:57 "And of providence." 34:58 God himself came down to train 35:00 that young man, 15, 16 years of age. 35:05 Here's the point. 35:07 When you realize that your life purpose is bound up 35:10 with the divine mission 35:12 to prepare the world for the coming of Christ, 35:14 you must take 35:17 proactive steps yourself 35:20 to align your life with that mission. 35:24 Now as long as you're one digit, 35:26 your age is one digit, 35:28 your parents are making that decision for you. 35:30 Isn't that right? One digit. 35:31 They're making the choices for you. 35:33 But the moment you become two digits, 35:36 Jesus turns 12, 35:37 He is in the temple and He says, 35:39 "This is for me, this is me." 35:41 The moment you become two digits, 35:42 and by the way everybody here is pretty much two digits. 35:46 The moment you hit the two digit, 35:48 whether you're 15 or 25, 35:49 35, 45, 55, 75, 85, 35:52 I don't care how old you are. 35:54 The moment you hit two digits, 35:56 you now have control over your life 36:00 and aligning it to the high purpose of Almighty God. 36:05 Isn't that something? You now take the initiative. 36:09 You're young adult on this campus, 36:11 you're going through university, 36:12 you've got a great major, 36:14 you have a career dream in mind. 36:15 And God comes along to you 36:17 and He says, girl, He says, boy, 36:18 I want to tell you something about that career. 36:19 That career was only to assist me in my mission 36:23 to prepare a world for my soon coming. 36:25 Do you understand that? 36:26 You'll earn a living but you're working for me. 36:29 You'll earn a living but you're working for me. 36:32 Do you understand that? Are you 85? 36:34 Saying, you retried. 36:35 I still have a mission for you. 36:37 Once you're in the two digits, you cooperate, you align. 36:42 So here is the question. 36:43 What are you doing right now to align your life 36:46 with the mission of a soon coming Christ? 36:49 I know what your profession is, I'm looking at your faces. 36:51 I know a whole lot of you. 36:52 I know what your professions are. 36:54 I'm not asking you, what your profession is, 36:56 I'm asking what are you doing now 36:57 to align your life 36:59 to the mission, the mission possible 37:02 of a soon coming Jesus? 37:06 All right, we needed that little Luke 1 moment, 37:09 because it's the red letters of Jesus in Matthew 11 37:12 that we want to end with, so go to Matthew 11. 37:14 The red letters of Jesus. 37:17 Go back to Matthew 11. 37:19 By the way, we will fast forward now from the little boy 37:23 who eventually goes out into the wilderness 37:24 till six months before he's beheaded, 37:28 he's going to be beheaded in six months 37:29 from the moment these words are spoken. 37:32 Red letter words, Christ will speak them. 37:34 Matthew 11:7, 37:36 "As John's disciples were leaving," 37:38 you see the disciples John is a master, he has followers. 37:42 They've come for a private audience 37:44 with this Jesus. 37:46 He's had time along with them, 37:47 he sent them back to his cousin 37:49 in Herod's fortress dungeon. 37:55 As John's disciples were leaving, 37:56 Jesus scrolls around, 37:58 pivots on his sandals and turns to the masses. 38:01 He began, He calls out to them. 38:03 "He began to speak to the crowd about John. 38:05 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? 38:09 A reed swayed by the wind?'" 38:13 Everybody in that audience knew what a reed looks like, 38:17 because Jesus chooses 38:18 the vegetation growing profusely 38:20 along the very patch of the Jordan River, 38:22 where John was baptizing. 38:24 There's a picture, take a look. 38:25 Everybody immediately saw what Jesus was asking, 38:29 did you go out into the wilderness 38:30 to see a reed? 38:33 As you can see from the picture reeds are flimsy enough 38:36 that they are unable to stand tall 38:38 before a prevailing wind or even a breeze. 38:40 Let the wind blow this way, the reed goes this way. 38:43 Let the wind blow that way, the reed bends that way. 38:48 A reed is always as fickle as the wind. 38:53 And God knows 38:55 the winds of the zeitgeist blow every, which way? 39:01 N.D. Wilson again, put them the screen, please. 39:04 Continue his essay, 39:06 "But for the rest of us," meaning, 39:07 those of us "Who want to stand 39:09 with all the other cows in the herd, 39:11 the single greatest factor in our decision-making 39:14 is simple compliance." 39:16 That's his underlying there, compliance. 39:19 "We turn with the crowd 39:21 because we want the awkwardness to stop. 39:23 We want them all to stop looking at us like that. 39:26 We want to feel the wind of opinion 39:27 at our backs. 39:29 How did otherwise intelligent people, he asked, 39:32 go along with a Third Reich, the invasion of Poland, 39:35 the extermination of the Jews? 39:37 We may assume they were evil, brainwashed, or a bit of both, 39:40 and in part were right." 39:41 But now two questions. 39:43 "But when was the last time you hedged an opinion 39:47 because of the hot breathing of those around you?" 39:53 Second question, "When did you last choose your words 39:57 more on the politics of a situation than on truth?" 40:01 He writes this line, 40:03 "The zeitgeist is a fickle master, 40:06 because the zeitgeist is us." 40:12 Why do you go out to the wilderness to see? 40:15 A reed fickling in the wind. 40:18 Anybody who knows anything about the life of John 40:21 the Baptist knows, 40:22 you could never call him a reed blowing in the wind. 40:26 Yo! King Herod. 40:28 You... 40:33 Do you understand, 40:34 that you are committing adultery 40:36 with your brother's wife, 40:38 and you will be lost 40:41 unless you turn 40:43 and repent and leave her. 40:46 The thundering young prophet in the wilderness 40:50 who speaks truth to power. 40:55 He ends up in the dungeon of Herod's fortress, 40:58 six months from now, dead. 41:03 It takes guts 41:05 to stand up to the crowd, 41:07 especially when you know the price of standing up 41:10 as everybody in this room knows. 41:18 Wow. 41:20 Speaking of sexual immorality and Herod, 41:24 do you understand 41:25 that sexual immorality is one of the strongest winds 41:29 blowing through this culture's zeitgeist today? 41:35 Heterosexual, 41:38 homosexual, 41:41 asexual, 41:43 pansexual, 41:46 transsexual, 41:49 bisexual, 41:51 it doesn't matter. 41:54 The winds of immorality are no respecters of persons. 41:59 And listen, listen, listen, 42:00 if we turn 42:02 to the prevailing zeitgeist of this culture 42:04 to self define, 42:08 or to define ourselves 42:11 on the basis of its fickle blowing and constant change, 42:15 we will remain as confused as we already are. 42:24 How do we survive the stiff winds of this sexual 42:29 morality or immorality zeitgeist? 42:34 Here's a page you can tear right out of John's playbook. 42:37 Put it on the screen for you. 42:39 "John distrusted his own power to withstand temptation." 42:43 It's a good posture to have by the way. 42:45 Don't you think you're some big hero, 42:46 you're not. 42:48 None of us is. 42:49 "He distrusted his own power to withstand temptation, 42:52 and therefore he shrank 42:54 from constant contact with sin..." 42:56 Would you circle those four words 42:58 in your study guide, 42:59 "constant contact with sin". 43:01 Because in today's zeitgeist, 43:04 so much of what appears 43:05 on our little screens, or our bigger screens, 43:10 or our big screens 43:13 or on the silver screen, 43:15 so much of what appears on our screens today 43:20 through Netflix, 43:24 through Cyberspace, 43:26 through Hollywood, 43:29 through video gaming at 3:00 in the morning, 43:33 through the music industry, 43:35 so much of what appears on our screens today 43:40 is the zeitgeist 43:42 of sexual immorality. 43:46 You know that, 43:48 I just remind you. 43:53 "John distrusted his own power to withstand temptation 43:55 and he shrank from constant contact with sin, 43:57 lest he should lose the sense of it exceeding sinfulness... 44:00 So far as possible, he closed every avenue..." 44:04 Circle those three words, "closed every avenue", 44:06 because he finally figured out 44:07 there's an off switch on this thing. 44:10 It's the only way you can close the avenue. 44:12 You can't help with what anybody else 44:14 blares into your face, 44:15 but you have an off switch, 44:18 you just turn it off, you close the avenue. 44:21 I can't afford to, 44:23 I can't be desensitized to the sexual immorality, 44:26 that is the zeitgeist of this age, 44:29 I can't. 44:31 "He closed every avenue by which Satan could enter, 44:33 yet he was still assailed by the tempter." 44:35 Doesn't matter how many off switches you hit. 44:36 Nobody's forgotten you, not the devil. 44:39 He remembers you, he remembers your address. 44:41 "But his spiritual, 44:42 John spiritual perceptions were clear. 44:44 He had developed strength and decision of character..." 44:47 When you love God, 44:48 and loyalty to God 44:50 begins to grow in your heart, radical loyalty, 44:52 God will give the attendant strength you need 44:55 to be able to turn it off. 44:57 He will give you the ability to stand up 45:00 because it takes guts to stand up to the crowd. 45:03 God will give it to you. 45:06 "He develops strength and decision of character, 45:08 and through the aid of the Holy Spirit 45:09 he was able to detect Satan's approaches, 45:12 and to resist his power." 45:17 Red letters again, Jesus speaking in verse 7, 45:19 "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? 45:22 A reed swayed by the wind? If not," verse 8. 45:24 "What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? 45:27 No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces." 45:30 Verse 9, "Then what did you go out to see?" 45:32 I'm asking you, you tell me. "A prophet? 45:35 Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet." 45:37 Verse 10, "This is the one about whom it is written: 45:40 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, 45:43 who will prepare your way before you.'" 45:48 A prophet. Oh, yes. 45:50 And I tell you and more than a prophet. 45:53 N.D. Wilson again, on the screen. 45:55 "Prophets must be fearless, 45:58 immune to the pressures of kings and crowds, 46:01 aligned only with the breath of God. 46:05 We are in need of prophets now..." 46:09 That would be you 46:11 that we so desperately need in this place. 46:14 "We are in need of prophets now. 46:16 Christians are scattered 46:18 but the world's wind is heavy and unified. 46:21 Truth and ultimate glory may be in the hands of our Maker, 46:24 but the keys of earthly shame are in the hands of the mob. 46:28 Prophets must be immune 46:29 to floggings on Facebook and Twitter. 46:33 They must be fearless before friends 46:35 and tenure committees 46:37 and stadiums filled with the priests of Baal. 46:40 The world is busy applying pressure 46:42 on, what the world calls, 46:44 oh, these are just 'social issues,' 46:45 and Christians are busy caving left and right, 46:49 trying to accept fresh cultural dogma simply 46:52 so that they might be accepted." 46:55 I don't know if you got that last sentence, 46:56 I'm gonna repeat it. 46:57 Trying to accept fresh cultural dogma simply 47:01 so that we might be accepted. 47:03 And guess what? 47:04 Universities are among the most susceptible 47:06 of all human institutions to seek, to conform 47:10 with the prevailing winds of the dominant zeitgeist. 47:14 The pressure is huge on faculty, 47:17 it is huge on students. 47:20 Universities more than hospitals. 47:23 It's huge. 47:26 The prevailing zeitgeist, 47:28 nobody wants to look different, nobody wants to stand up, 47:31 nobody wants to be at campus that's gonna laughed at, 47:34 uh, just a little old Bible College that's all it is. 47:37 Nobody wants to live with that. 47:40 So whatever they're doing, 47:43 we're there. 47:46 The pressure is enormous. 47:48 N. D. Wilson, 30 something, 47:51 brilliant young mind, he's right. 47:55 People ask, "Are there no more John the Baptist left, 47:57 no prophets who would challenge 47:59 the herd mentality of the prevailing zeitgeist? 48:01 Oh, there are, I need to tell you, 48:04 there are more young John the Baptists on this campus 48:06 than you may realize at all, 48:08 I've met four of them just the other night. 48:13 I was leaving, walking out of this church. 48:16 Pastor, they follow me out. Pastor, we need to talk to you. 48:20 About what? 48:22 About what we're hearing? And what are you hearing? 48:26 For the next 15 minutes, 48:28 three young men and one young woman 48:30 unburden their hearts. 48:33 I then told them, what you're sharing with me, 48:37 you need to share with those who can do something about it. 48:41 And we had prayer on the steps of this church. 48:45 What did you go out to see, uh? 48:47 A reed flickling in the wind, is that what you thought? 48:51 No, I tell you. 48:55 A prophet and I say, more than a prophet, 48:59 for you and your friends, 49:00 you and your friends 49:02 have been raised up for a moment like this. 49:07 I'm talking to you Jesus says, 49:10 "More than a prophet." 49:16 I'm calling you to be a movement of young, 49:21 for me at this time in history. 49:26 You say, there's nothing here about a movement, 49:28 are you kidding. 49:29 Look at what it says, verse 14, red letters. 49:33 Jesus says, "And if you are willing to accept it, 49:36 John is the Elijah who was to come." 49:39 The Elijah? 49:41 Is there something about an Elijah coming one day? 49:42 Oh, yes, there is, Malachi, 49:44 the last two lines 49:45 of the Old Testament Malachi 4:5-6, 49:48 "See, God says, 49:49 I will send the prophet in Elijah to you..." 49:51 John is that Elijah. 49:53 But let me tell you why John can't be 49:55 the fulfillment of this. 49:56 "I will send to you the prophet Elijah 49:58 before that great and dreadful day 50:01 of the Lord comes." 50:03 The great and dreadful day is the cataclysmic end 50:06 to this human race. 50:07 That's when I will send Elijah. 50:09 Elijah can't be one human being, 50:11 it's a movement. 50:12 And what will this movement do? 50:14 Look at verse 6, "He will, the movement will turn 50:15 the hearts of the parents to their children, 50:17 and the hearts of the children to their parents, 50:18 or else God says, 50:20 I will come and strike the land with total destruction." 50:23 John the Baptist was raised up for the Messiah's first coming, 50:26 I will have a movement, John the Baptist, 50:29 Elijah movement 50:30 just before the Messiah's second coming. 50:32 It will take guts to stand up to the crowd 50:34 but I will have young men, and middle-aged men, 50:37 and elderly men, young women, 50:40 middle-aged women, and elderly women, 50:41 I will have a people who will stand up to the crowd, 50:48 and tell the truth about who I am as creator 50:51 and redeemer of the human race and the time is almost out. 50:55 Come now to him, 50:57 I will have a movement and you are that movement. 51:03 It takes guts to stand up to a crowd, 51:06 because have you noticed this, when you stand up, look, look, 51:09 when you stand up, there you are standing up, 51:11 the moment you stand up, you stand out. 51:18 You know what it feels like to stand out? 51:20 Just ask Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 51:22 "Hey, boys, how did it feel 51:23 standing up just the three of you 51:24 everybody else on their faces before that image, 51:27 and you three boys are standing up. 51:29 What did that feel like? 51:32 Talk about the hot breath of the mob. 51:35 Yeah. 51:38 And by the way, I just tell you about the word zeitgeist, 51:41 these people that run the zeitgeist. 51:44 They have one compelling mission, 51:48 level anyone who stands up. 51:50 You know, why the world doesn't want you standing up? 51:53 Because when you stand up, 51:54 it makes it clear they're not standing. 51:57 The mission of the world is at level, 51:59 cut them off at the feet, just cut them off, 52:02 eliminate, so that we're all flat, 52:05 all of us flat. 52:06 Nobody stands up on this planet. 52:08 Lucifer says, nobody, it's my planet. 52:12 Wow. 52:15 Which is why that zeitgeist of the world. 52:19 The zeitgeist of the world beheaded John the Baptist. 52:23 The zeitgeist of the world crucified the Lord Jesus, 52:28 because they had the courage to stand up, 52:30 and so they were cut off at the knees 52:33 and taken down. 52:35 No, it takes guts to stand up to the crowd. 52:41 But that's what Jesus is calling you to do today. 52:44 I end with these words of His, I put it on the screen for you, 52:47 "If anyone desires to come after Me, 52:49 let him, let her deny herself, 52:51 let him deny himself and take up his cross, 52:54 let her take up her cross and come follow Me." 52:59 Stand up, stand out for Christ. 53:03 That's your mission, should you choose to accept it. 53:06 You were born for this, you were born for this moment. 53:11 Don't blow your rondevu with eternal destiny. 53:17 Stand up 53:19 and be counted for Christ. 53:23 Don't worry about standing out, you will. 53:27 The issue is standing up. 53:30 Let us pray. 53:31 Oh, God... 53:37 We feel the hot breath 53:40 on our necks and ears, 53:42 we know which way the herd is pointed, 53:47 but Holy Father, 53:50 grant us a generation 53:54 that will turn around, 53:58 face the wind, 54:00 and stand up to the crowd. 54:05 The zeitgeist 54:08 will cut us off at our legs, 54:11 if you so wish. 54:15 But like John, 54:17 they may leave us standing just long enough, 54:21 for the truth to be heard and known. 54:26 Oh, give us the courage of John and the holy boldness 54:29 of Christ our Lord, I pray. 54:34 And while every head is bowed in prayer, 54:36 I can't move to the connect card. 54:39 Didn't do this in first service but I must ask, 54:44 is there a young man, 54:46 is there a young woman in this space right now, 54:53 who would be willing to stand 54:55 to your feet 54:56 and by standing say only this, 54:59 by the grace of Jesus my Lord, 55:05 by His grace 55:07 I choose to stand up 55:12 for Him here, there, 55:16 anywhere, He and I go. 55:20 If there's a young man here who would be willing to say, 55:22 I'm going on the line right now. 55:25 I'd like to invite you to stand to your feet. 55:28 If there's a young woman here who is willing to say, 55:31 I'm willing right now I don't have to weigh this, 55:35 I know the choice and I make it right now. 55:39 I like to invite you to quietly stand to your feet. 56:06 And I need to ask if there is a not so young man here, 56:11 and a not so young woman here, 56:15 that would also like to step up to the line 56:20 and stand up by the grace of the Lord Jesus 56:23 through His power, 56:25 and enabling spirit, I choose to stand for Him. 56:31 I'd like to ask you 56:34 to stand to your feet, 56:36 and say to all those who are sitting around you 56:40 and to the witnessing universe 56:43 by your grace, by your grace, 56:47 I too would stand. 56:52 Oh, Father, 56:54 we are all here. 56:58 Such as we are we give to you, 57:02 raise up a movement Father, 57:07 please. 57:08 And give us the courage 57:11 to be in that movement 57:15 for Christ 57:16 in whose name we pray, 57:19 amen. 57:22 I wanted to take an extra moment 57:23 to let you know how grateful I am you joined us today. 57:26 I hear from viewers and listeners like you 57:28 all across this nation and literally around the world, 57:31 and I'm thankful, 57:32 because it's through the generosity of the members 57:34 of this congregation and people like you, 57:36 that we're able to bring you this program. 57:38 So if what we shared today has touched your heart, 57:40 I like to invite you to become a financial partner with us. 57:43 Just give us a call. 57:44 Toll free number 877, the two words HIS-WILL, 877-HIS-WILL, 57:49 or if you'd rather go to our website 57:51 www.pmchurch.tv. 57:54 Either way, your generosity will bless a new generation 57:57 in cyberspace all over this planet, 58:00 so thank you. 58:02 Thank you very much for your partnership. |
Revised 2024-04-22