Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP181027A
00:11 Happy Sabbath church.
00:14 So I have a few statements and all you need to reply with 00:16 is with an amen. 00:18 So I'm going to ask you, 00:19 if you believe we have a great God, say amen. 00:23 Amen. 00:24 If you believe we have a big God, say amen. 00:27 Amen. 00:28 If you believe we have a God who can do all things, 00:32 say hallelujah. 00:33 Hallelujah. All right. 00:35 So as we begin our worship and praise, 00:37 I invite you to stand with us as we sing 00:40 about how amazing and great our God is. 01:03 Water You turned into wine 01:07 Opened the eyes of the blind 01:10 There's no one like You 01:14 None like You 01:20 Into the darkness You shine 01:24 Out of the ashes we rise 01:27 There's no one like You 01:32 None like you 01:37 Our God is greater our God is stronger 01:41 God You are higher than any other 01:46 Our God is Healer Awesome in Power Our God! 01:51 Our God! 02:03 Into the darkness You shine 02:07 Out of the ashes we rise 02:10 There's no one like You 02:14 None like you 02:20 Our God is greater our God is stronger 02:24 God You are higher than any other 02:29 Our God is Healer Awesome in Power Our God! 02:34 Our God! 02:37 Our God is greater our God is stronger 02:41 God You are higher than any other 02:46 Our God is Healer Awesome in Power Our God! 02:52 Our God! 02:55 And if Our God is for us Then who could ever stop us? 02:59 And if our God is with us Then what can stand against? 03:03 And if Our God is for us Then who could ever stop us? 03:07 And if our God is with us Then what can stand against? 03:12 And if Our God is for us Then who could ever stop us? 03:16 And if our God is with us Then what can stand against? 03:22 What can stand against? 03:27 What can stand against? 03:31 What can stand against? 03:37 Our God is greater our God is stronger 03:41 God You are higher than any other 03:45 Our God is Healer Awesome in Power Our God! 03:51 Our God! 03:54 Our God is greater our God is stronger 03:58 God You are higher than any other 04:03 Our God is Healer Awesome in Power Our God! 04:10 Our God! 04:13 Our God! 04:16 You may be seated. 04:18 Our God is indeed great and He is faithful. 04:22 This song may be familiar to many of you 04:25 or it might be new to some of you, 04:28 but we just invite you to sing, 04:30 we're going to sing the chorus first, 04:32 and then go through the song. 04:33 But it reminds us that 04:34 we can continue to claim God's promises 04:37 and that He is faithful. 04:39 So join us as we sing. 04:50 Your promise still stands 04:53 Great is Your faithfulness 04:57 Faithfulness 05:02 I'm still in Your hands 05:05 This is my confidence 05:08 You never failed me yet 05:25 Walking around these walls 05:31 I thought by now they'd fall 05:36 But You have never failed me yet 05:47 Waiting for change to come 05:53 Knowing the battle's won 05:59 For You have never failed me yet 06:09 Your promise still stands 06:13 Great is Your faithfulness faithfulness 06:20 I'm still in Your hands 06:24 This is my confidence 06:27 You never failed me yet 06:43 I know the night won't last 06:48 Your Word will come to pass 06:53 My heart will sing Your praise again 07:04 Jesus, You're still enough 07:09 Keep me within Your love 07:15 My heart will sing Your praise again 07:25 Your promise still stands 07:28 Great is Your faithfulness faithfulness 07:35 I'm still in Your hands 07:38 This is my confidence You never failed 07:45 Your promise still stands 07:48 Great is Your faithfulness faithfulness 07:56 I'm still in Your hands 07:58 This is my confidence You never failed me yet 08:35 I've seen You move come move the mountains 08:40 And I believe 08:42 I'll see You do it again 08:44 You made a way where there was no way 08:49 And I believe I'll see You do it again 08:54 I've seen You move You move the mountains 08:59 And I believe I'll see You do it again 09:04 You made a way where there was no way 09:09 And I believe I'll see You do it again 09:13 I've seen You move You move the mountains 09:18 And I believe I'll see You do it again 09:23 You made a way where there was no way 09:28 And I believe I'll see You do it again 09:35 I'll see You do it again 09:40 I'll see You do it again 09:45 I'll see You do it again 09:53 Your promise still stands 09:55 Great is Your faithfulness faithfulness 10:03 I'm still in Your hands 10:06 This is my confidence 10:10 You never failed me yet 10:15 And I never will forget 10:20 You never failed me yet 10:25 And I never will forget 10:39 Great is Thy faithfulness 10:44 O God my Father 10:49 There is no shadow of turning 10:55 With Thee 10:58 Thou changest not 11:02 Thy compassions they fail not 11:08 As Thou has been 11:12 Thou forever will be 11:18 Great is Thy faithfulness! 11:23 Great is Thy faithfulness! 11:28 Morning by morning 11:33 New mercies I see 11:39 All I have needed 11:43 Thy hand hath provided 11:49 Great is Thy faithfulness! 11:54 Lord unto me 12:00 Summer and winter 12:04 And springtime and harvest 12:10 Sun, moon and stars 12:13 In their courses above 12:19 Join with all nature 12:23 In manifold witness 12:29 To Thy great faithfulness 12:34 Mercy and love 12:37 Great is Great is Thy faithfulness! 12:44 Great is Thy faithfulness! 12:48 Morning by morning 12:53 New mercies I see 12:58 All I have needed 13:02 Thy hand hath provided 13:08 Great is Thy faithfulness! 13:13 Lord unto me 13:18 Pardon for sin 13:21 And a peace that endureth 13:28 Thine own dear presence 13:32 To cheer and to guide 13:38 Strength for today 13:42 And bright hope for tomorrow 13:48 Blessings all mine 13:52 With ten thousand beside 13:58 Great is Thy faithfulness! 14:03 Great is Thy faithfulness! 14:07 Morning by morning 14:12 new mercies I see 14:17 All I have needed 14:21 Thy hand hath provided 14:27 Great is Thy faithfulness! 14:32 Lord unto me 14:35 Great is Great is Thy faithfulness! 14:42 Great is Thy faithfulness! 14:46 Morning by morning 14:50 New mercies I see 14:56 All I have needed 15:00 Thy hand hath provided 15:06 Great is Thy faithfulness! 15:11 Great is Thy faithfulness! 15:16 Great is Thy faithfulness! 15:23 Lord unto me 15:35 Before we pray, would you open your Bible 15:37 to a book that's going to be very hard for you to find, 15:39 it's Haggai. 15:41 When we ever been to Haggai before? 15:43 Probably never. 15:44 But if you'll find the Old Testament, 15:47 you go to the last book 15:48 of the Old Testament is Malachi, 15:49 come back a book that's Zechariah, 15:51 and one more book behind that is Haggai. 15:54 You didn't bring a Bible, pull the pew Bible out, 15:57 it's page 636. 15:58 We're just going to read this. 15:59 Nothing on the screen, I want to read this passage. 16:02 We'll have a prayer and plunge into 16:05 our moments together. 16:07 All right, Haggai 2. 16:14 Haggai 2. 16:15 I want to pick it up please in verse 6. 16:19 This is what the Lord Almighty says, 16:23 "In a little while I will once more 16:24 shake the heavens and the earth, 16:26 the sea and the dry land. 16:29 I will shake all the nations. 16:32 'And what is desired by all nations will come. 16:36 And I will fill this house with glory' 16:38 says the Lord Almighty, 16:40 'the silver is mine and the gold is mine, 16:42 declares the Lord Almighty. 16:44 The glory of this present house will be greater 16:46 than the glory of the former house,' 16:47 says the Lord Almighty. 16:49 'And in this place I will grant peace 16:51 declares the Lord Almighty.' " 16:55 Let's pray. 16:57 Oh, God, there's a time coming is there 16:59 when you will shake the nations. 17:02 It was a bit shaking just to learn 17:04 before walking out on to this 17:07 sanctuary. 17:11 Now that tragedy in Pittsburgh this morning in a synagogue. 17:16 There's a bond between Sabbatharians, 17:18 no matter where they live on the planet. 17:23 There's a whole lot of shaking going on, Father, 17:26 in the nations of this earth, 17:28 what is this that we just read something, 17:31 someone is coming that all the nations will desire. 17:35 That has to be true. 17:38 And we know who that someone is, 17:41 as we worship in the midst of a shaken world, speak to us, 17:46 I'm humbly praying in Jesus' name, amen. 17:52 Did you notice it tucked into that, 17:53 rather shaking passage is a single line. 17:57 I put it on the screen for you. 17:59 If your Bible still open, you'll see it. 18:00 It's verse 8, this is God Almighty Himself, 18:03 the Lord of hosts speaking, 18:05 "'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,' 18:09 says the Lord." 18:11 One translation says, 18:12 that's the Lord of angel armies, 18:14 it's all mine, the silver and the gold. 18:16 Are you talking to us, God, because if you are, 18:18 we are a bunch of Americans, here most of us, 18:20 well, we have some Brazilians here, we have... 18:21 I guess we have 90 other nations, 18:23 but you know what? 18:24 In this country we do silver and gold, just fine. 18:29 What do you think about our jackpot, 18:30 the Mega Millions jackpot. 18:32 That's pretty good, won't it? 18:34 did you follow that story by the way, 18:35 the Mega Millions jackpot, unless you were sleeping. 18:39 Some dear so... 18:40 I'm not going to say lucky 18:42 because you know what they've done research, 18:44 they have found that those who win the giant jackpots 18:49 actually end up many of them with tragic, tragic endings. 18:53 I tell you why. 18:55 It's not worth having that kind of money. 18:56 What kind of money you're talking about, Dwight. 18:58 I guess I slipped through that headline, 18:59 "Oh, a little soul down in," what was it Simpsonville, 19:02 South Carolina had the right 19:04 line up in numbers and won 19:07 $1.537 billion, 19:12 a billion dollars. 19:14 Anybody here know that kind of money? 19:15 No, I don't know that kind of number at all. 19:18 But I'm saying, "Try me, try me, try me. 19:21 Just once try me." 19:23 Come on $1.537 billion. 19:31 Would that mean the silver and the gold that God also has? 19:35 Apparently. 19:37 It reminds me that moment when Peter and his bud John 19:40 because whenever Peter shows up in the gospels, 19:42 you will always see in the Gospel of John, 19:45 you will always see John boy there, 19:47 they just were buds, they were fisherman. 19:48 John's young, Peter's little older. 19:50 But they hung around together. 19:52 And this particular afternoon, after Jesus 19:54 rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven, 19:57 3 o'clock, 19:58 it's 3 o'clock in the afternoon and you know what? 20:00 That's the prayer hour, and Peter and John 20:02 are hustling up the stairway 20:04 into a gate called beautiful, and it's beautiful 20:06 because there is embedded into the facade a vine 20:12 with gold and silver grapes. 20:14 And we've been talking about a vine for a few weeks 20:17 this new season. 20:19 They're going under the gate beautiful 20:21 because they're going to prayer meeting. 20:22 I love it when friends go to prayer meeting together. 20:24 We got it by the way 7 o'clock in the morning, 20:26 if you'd like to come early 7 o'clock in the evening, 20:29 bring a friend with you. 20:30 That's what prayer meeting is for. 20:32 So Peter and John are hurrying 20:33 because they're running just a little bit behind 20:35 but a professional beggar 20:36 because he's been laying for 40 years from birth 20:38 is sitting there and is, 20:40 instinctively his wrist goes out, alms for the poor. 20:45 Peter's about to hurry by, when he hears that pitiful cry, 20:48 he stops. 20:50 And Peter locks his eyes on that lame man 20:53 and he uses words that raise huge expectation 20:57 in that lame heart. 20:58 Look at me, look at me, 21:04 silver and gold have I known, 21:05 but what I have I now give you 21:07 in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, 21:09 get up and walk and that fisherman's hand 21:11 comes down, and grabs the bony wrist, 21:13 and somewhere between, 21:14 half way between down and up, two brand new legs. 21:21 Now what did Peter say? 21:23 The exact opposite of God. 21:25 Peter comes along and says, "Silver and gold have I," what? 21:27 "None." 21:29 God comes along, you have your Bible still open 21:31 to Haggai 2:8, put it on the screen again. 21:33 God says, 21:34 "The silver is mine and the gold is mine." 21:37 Silver and gold have I none. 21:39 Peter confesses silver and gold have I all, 21:42 God declares, it's all His. 21:47 Look, if you need any money, and who here isn't. 21:51 If you're in trouble right now when you need some money, 21:53 you need to know that what God has just spoken. 21:55 That's our one liner today. 21:56 What God has just spoken is hugely great news for you. 22:00 No matter what it is you're going through, 22:02 if you're in trouble and you need this God. 22:08 This God to saying, 22:11 "Why all these anxiety? 22:13 I have the gold. 22:15 I have the silver. Don't worry, girl. 22:16 Boy, don't worry I have you covered. 22:19 Just put your hand in mine." 22:23 Put your hand in the hand of the man 22:25 who stilled the waters. 22:28 Put your hand in the hand of the man 22:29 who calmed the sea. 22:32 Take a look at yourself 22:33 and you will look at others differently. 22:35 If you put your hand in the hand of the man 22:37 from Galilee. 22:40 Remember that one? 22:42 That be baby boomers to remember. 22:46 And that is the Jesus. 22:49 Poorer as the church mass by the way, Lord Jesus. 22:52 Poorer than the widow who dropped in two mites, 22:54 Jesus didn't have a coin on him one day 22:56 when they wanted a little illustration, 22:58 He had nothing. 23:00 That's the Jesus who is God in disguise 23:03 and that's what God's talking about 23:05 when He's talking about His house 23:06 one day is going to have greater glory 23:07 than the house has ever had. 23:10 It's talking about Jesus. 23:12 In fact I want you to see that. 23:13 Let's read verse 7 again. 23:15 This is Haggai 2:7, "And I will shake all nations, 23:18 and what is desired by all nations." 23:20 Oh, we know the Desire of Ages, don't we? 23:22 The one who is desired by all nations will come 23:25 and I will fill this house for the glory 23:26 says the Lord Almighty, 23:28 "The silver is mine and the gold is mine 23:29 declares the Lord Almighty." 23:31 Verse 9, "And the glory of this present house 23:33 will be greater than the glory of the former house,' 23:34 says the Lord Almighty. 23:36 'And in this place I will grant peace, ' 23:37 declares the Lord Almighty.' " 23:39 I am the God of the angel armies. 23:42 I am telling you this is My house 23:47 and He's going to show up. 23:50 I mean you look at the house right now 23:51 when God is speaking these words, it's a mess. 23:54 They've been gone for 70 years. 23:55 When Nebuchadnezzar came right in with that raging 23:58 serious Babylonian horde, they took 24:01 every man, woman, and child they could see still alive, 24:04 captive chain gang, their chain 24:07 winding through the desert to Babylon. 24:09 Seventy years ago, 24:12 and then comes a new king called Cyrus the Mede, 24:15 he comes in, sets them, 24:17 tells the religions of his empire 24:19 I have respect for your religions. 24:21 The Holy Spirit has even mentioned 24:23 Cyrus by names. 24:24 So he's operating under divine instructions 24:26 and he tells the Jews, 24:27 "Yo, go home, 24:30 I want the band of you to go back, 24:31 get the place ready." 24:33 And so this intrepid band of exiles, 24:35 Jews, they have come back. 24:38 And there's good news, but I had to tell you 24:40 there's a little bit of bad news first and that is, 24:42 that God has been looking for them to come in back 24:44 as He could hardly wait to renovate His house. 24:46 He wants to get His house re-renovated again. 24:50 They get back and guess what they do? 24:53 Immediately start working on their own houses. 24:56 And they are putting up some fine material. 24:59 Yes, they are. 25:01 And God is saying wait a minute, wait a minute, 25:03 wait a minute, time out. 25:06 What's going on? 25:08 And one author by the way calls 25:09 what they were putting up mansions. 25:13 Go back to chapter one. Take a look at this. 25:15 So here's the bad news. 25:17 We will get right back to the good news 25:18 because God says in verse 2, this is what the Lord Almighty, 25:21 the Lord of hosts says, "These people say to me." 25:23 Haggai. 25:24 The exiles who came back with you. 25:26 "These people say to me, 'The time has not yet come 25:27 to rebuild the Lord's house. 25:29 Then the word of the Lord,'" verse 3, 25:31 "came through the prophet Haggai: 25:32 'Is it time for you yourselves 25:34 to be living in your paneled houses, 25:37 while this house remains 25:40 a ruin?' " 25:43 Talking about a rhetorical question. 25:45 Verse 5, "Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 25:48 "Give careful attention, careful thought to your ways. 25:50 You have planted much, but have you noticed 25:52 you've harvested little. 25:54 You eat, but never have enough." 25:56 I wonder if something's going on here. 25:58 "You drink, but never have your fill. 25:59 You put on clothes, but you're not warm." 26:01 Must have lived in Michigan. 26:03 "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse 26:06 with holes in it." 26:08 I had someone visit me in my office the other day. 26:10 And while I'm standing up in my office, 26:12 kind of moving around 26:13 while I'm talking to this person, 26:15 and I looked down, 26:16 and I noticed a tick-tack on the floor. 26:17 I said, "Oh, great." 26:19 And I kept moving and I noticed 26:21 just more and more tick-tacks on the floor 26:24 and I didn't dare look down, 26:25 I didn't dare to lean over and say, 26:26 let me pick these up, excuse me just a bit. 26:29 Obviously, I had a hole in my pocket 26:30 and tick-tacks were just dripping out like crazy. 26:32 How embarrassing. 26:36 The guy says, "You got purses, 26:37 what's the problem with your purses? 26:39 How come they're all leaking? 26:40 You have no money left, do you?" 26:44 Verse 7, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 26:46 'Give careful thought to your ways. 26:48 Go up to the mountains and bring down timber..." 26:50 Come on, guys, "We're going to build my house 26:53 so that I can take pleasure in it 26:54 and be honored again." 26:56 We're going to renovate My house. 26:58 Do you understand? We got it, God. 27:00 And that's exactly what the people do. 27:01 That's the good news, now the bad news is over. 27:04 Verse 13 "Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, 27:08 gave this message to the Lord, from the Lord 27:10 rather to the people: 27:11 'I am with you," guys, I love this. 27:13 I love this. 27:14 You're moving to renovation, let me remind you 27:16 I am with you declares the Lord. 27:18 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, 27:20 that would be the governor of Judah, and Joshua, 27:23 that would be the high priest, 27:24 and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. 27:27 They came and began to work on the house 27:29 of the Lord Almighty, their God.' " 27:30 Now get this, verse 15, very interesting, 27:33 "On the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month..." 27:37 May I tell you something, guess what? 27:39 Scholars and archaeologists have calculated that date, 27:41 and I want to give it to you right now. 27:43 No study guide today, so lock it in your mind. 27:46 That date is September 21, 27:49 530 BC. 27:52 They begin to renovate the house of God and you say, 27:57 "Dwight, how many years ago was that?" 27:58 Well, you take 2018 AD minus 530 BC and you get 2,548. 28:03 But then you crossed over from BC to AD, 28:05 so there's no zero. 28:07 You take one off, that's 2,547 years ago, 28:11 last month they began to renovate the house of God. 28:15 And here we are 2,547 years later, 28:18 about to do the same thing. 28:21 Amazing. 28:22 And by the way God says, "Yo, yo, yo, yo, don't worry. 28:25 Don't worry. 28:26 The silver is mine and the gold is mine. 28:30 I got you covered." 28:31 Listen, that line, 28:33 the silver is mine and the gold is mine. 28:34 That's not a divine scolding, that's a divine promise 28:37 that I'll take care of you. 28:39 Wow. 28:41 I'd say that's great news for this little campus church. 28:45 It's like the band of exiles 2,547 years ago right now, 28:49 sets out to renovate the house of God. 28:52 You know when I think of the Pioneer Memorial Church. 28:56 I love this church. 28:58 And every time I come to Psalm 26. 29:01 Psalm 26:8 29:04 because I read these psalms every day, cycle of... 29:08 I'll come across it at least two times a year. 29:12 Every time I come to Psalm 26:8. 29:17 In fact I've scribbled on my margin, Pioneer. 29:18 Let me put Psalm 26:8. Is this great? 29:20 Hey, let's do this one out loud together. 29:22 The Psalmist is in just in love 29:24 and you're going to see with what? 29:26 Okay, let's read this out loud together. 29:27 "Lord, I love the House where You live, 29:31 the place where Your glory dwells." 29:35 Oh God, I love Your house. 29:39 I'm going to tell you for these little pastor's heart, 29:42 those bricks. 29:44 Those bricks are not only sacred to me. 29:47 And this timber, this place is precious. 29:51 Sometimes I come in here all alone, middle of the night, 29:55 this place is dark. 29:57 I'll sit where you're sitting right now. 30:00 And if you sit quietly enough in the middle of the night, 30:04 I'm telling you, God is here, 30:08 you can almost hear His voice in the darkness. 30:11 He say, "Hey, I'm here. 30:16 I'm so glad you came." 30:19 And He'll talk to you. 30:22 This is His house. 30:24 This is not my house. 30:26 He's always in this place. 30:30 Wow. 30:32 I love this place. 30:33 I know you love it too. 30:34 Oh, I know you love it. 30:36 Pioneer Memorial Church 30:38 on the campus of Andrews University. 30:43 And when we overhear God talking to the exiles come back 30:47 and He says, "Hey guys, what's the problem? 30:49 I got a house, don't you care about My house? 30:51 Anybody here care about My house?" 30:53 When we overhear Him say that, 30:55 we know immediately 30:56 God also loves this house. 31:01 You love it. I love it. 31:04 And through the miracle 31:05 of what happens behind these lenses, 31:08 do you know what? 31:09 Hundreds of thousands of people 31:13 keep coming to this house of God, 31:16 every single week, all over the world. 31:21 Brazil, glad you're here. 31:25 Why? 31:26 Because this house has become dear to them. 31:28 I'm talking about our alums, 31:30 when they graduate and go away, 31:32 they still come back through that. 31:35 It's not just me and you that love this place, 31:37 there are people... 31:39 When I travel across the nation, 31:40 I have people come up to me, they say, "Yo! 31:43 Pioneer Memorial Church, that's my church." 31:45 I say, "Really?" 31:49 All over the world, that's my church. 31:54 Oh, how I love. 31:55 Put it on the screen again. 31:57 "Oh, Lord, how I love the house where You live, 32:01 the place where Your glory dwells." 32:04 I'm telling you what? 32:05 So it's truly good news when God says to us, 32:07 let me remind you, 32:08 "The silver is mine and the gold is mine." 32:12 Don't you worry. 32:13 I have all the resources you need to fix this place up. 32:17 I have all the resources you need to fix 32:19 the leaking roof in your church. 32:24 There used to be a cooper lawn on top, 32:25 that's called the steeple. 32:27 You know where it is right now? 32:28 It's parked right there, right outside that wall, 32:30 in the corner there because we had to go up there, 32:33 rip the roof apart to patch just one hole. 32:37 There are holes all over this place, 32:39 it's still leaking 32:40 'cause I have enough resources to help you there. 32:42 I have enough resources to help you 32:44 with this shag carpet. 32:46 You see it's a shag carpet though nobody intended it 32:48 to be a shag carpet. 32:49 What's up with that? 32:52 Because I can help you with the shag carpet 32:54 because says, 32:55 I have the resources to help you 32:57 with these hard wooden pews. 32:59 For 60 years, 33:00 people have been sitting hard on these hard wooden pews. 33:02 How would you feel if you were a pew? 33:07 God says, "I'll help you with that, 33:08 I'd buy that sound system." 33:10 That sound system. 33:11 Let me tell you something, I have something, 33:13 it does need work so that every year and every pew 33:15 can hear both voice and music with clarity, 33:17 no matter where you sit in this church. 33:20 I'd talk about that in a moment. 33:21 "The silver is mine and the gold is mine." 33:25 So I'm asking you returning exiles 33:27 to help me repair and renovate my house of prayer 33:30 for all people. 33:33 And how do Haggai's people respond? 33:35 One more line, verse 12, "Then Zerubbabel, and Joshua, 33:40 and the whole remnant of the people 33:42 obeyed the voice of the Lord their God 33:44 and the message of the prophet Haggai, 33:45 because the Lord their God had sent Him, 33:47 and the people feared, they revered God." 33:50 And they said, "God, you got it. 33:54 Not our houses, it's Your house." 33:57 That has front and center attention now. 34:00 And that's why I'm excited this Sabbath by the way 34:02 because our building committee 34:04 has been working for a year and a half 34:05 to make this beautiful brochure possible. 34:08 Take it out please. 34:10 You were handed this. 34:11 If you didn't get one, then put your hand up. 34:13 We will get some ushers, we'll get you this. 34:14 This is a beautiful brochure. 34:16 By the way I want to thank Brittany Doyle, 34:18 our graphics designer. 34:20 She worked with Troy Homenchuck, 34:22 who did the architectural artwork, 34:24 just beautiful, beautiful. 34:26 I'm so excited about this. 34:28 Would you take it out right now? 34:29 And I want you to notice by the way, 34:30 I put on the cover for you. There you go. 34:32 I want you to notice that 34:34 this is called Renovate Heart and House. 34:37 You see, we've been spending time 34:39 all this new season with the heart. 34:41 You remember, 34:42 before the students even got here, 34:44 we pulled this big sign down, it says, "Renovate." 34:45 You know, how many faculty and staff were on that? 34:47 They were covering that, those signatures, 34:49 plus the freshman, 34:51 that's what we were focusing on, 34:53 we want our hearts ready to become moral leaders 34:55 on this campus. 34:57 For weeks now, we've been talking about Jesus. 34:58 I am the vine, you are the branches. 35:01 If you abide in me and I in you, 35:02 the heart will be fine, you'll bear much fruit. 35:05 But there comes a time as God has just reminded us 35:08 when it's not just heart, there has to be house, 35:12 renovate heart and house. 35:14 And now we move to house. 35:16 You didn't get a brochure, just put your hand up, 35:18 they're coming up and down the aisle for you. 35:20 House. 35:23 Wow. 35:27 So I feel very comfortable talking about this by the way 35:32 on the Sabbath because God did it first. 35:34 He said, "Go, get some wood for me. 35:36 Let's talk about the plans for this house of mine." 35:38 And He did it. 35:40 He was in church. 35:41 Is He in church right now? 35:43 We're reading His words. 35:45 I want to talk for a moment. 35:46 Just think out loud with me for a moment. 35:50 I remember the night when Carey Carscallen, 35:51 the chairman of our building committee, 35:55 calculated the bottom line. 35:56 So we're all sitting there. Okay. 35:57 What's it going to be? What's it going to be? 35:59 You see the building committee hired a roofing engineer, 36:01 a consultant. 36:02 This guy does it for a living. 36:04 He crawled all over this roof. 36:05 Do you know that there are 36,700 square feet up there, 36:08 it's 8 tenth of an acre. 36:10 Just the roof, 8 tenths of an acre. 36:13 And this is a very dangerous pitch, 36:16 and he's taken pictures, 51 pictures he took. 36:19 He put it into an eight page report, 36:22 I've read the report. 36:24 And when Carey came to that bottom line, 36:26 I must admit I did what the Japanese do 36:28 because I've grown up in Japan, I just sucked in there. 36:36 A little over a million dollars. 36:42 On that shack carpet, 36:44 guys, we have to change the shag carpet. 36:46 Okay. 36:48 They added it. 36:49 Put that picture. There you go. 36:51 So this is the artist now saying, 36:53 look what it's going to be without a shag carpet, 36:55 look at those pews by the way, they're padded. 36:57 Are you serious, 36:59 these pews are going to be padded now? 37:00 Yeah, only the bottoms. Yeah. 37:03 But the bottoms will be 37:04 and by the way the ergonomic shape 37:06 of this new pew, you're going to love it. 37:08 It's cheaper by the way to replace the pews 37:10 than to renovate the pews. 37:11 And we're going to make wider aisle. 37:12 Show me the next picture. 37:14 We're going to make wider aisle 37:15 so that a wheelchair can go rolling down the side, 37:18 two people can pass in the aisle. 37:20 Now it's just one person and... 37:23 No more we're going to... 37:25 We're going to shorten the pews to make sure 37:28 that there'll be plenty of space. 37:30 And I want to keep looking at that 37:31 because do you see in the bottom picture, 37:34 do you see something gray hanging down 37:36 over the bricks in these blank brick spots? 37:39 Guess what that is? 37:41 The building committee hired audio engineers, 37:43 they came in and did a massive study 37:45 on this large sanctuary, 37:48 that is the cause of sound waves 37:50 bouncing around us and making voice and music 37:52 sometimes difficult to understand. 37:54 Our forefathers and foremothers, 37:57 when they brought forth this church 60 years ago, 37:59 this coming Valentine's Day. 38:01 When they brought forth this church, 38:02 they just were not prepared for the echo chamber. 38:05 People say don't call it an echo chamber. 38:06 Well, that's what's happening. 38:08 There's reverb happening. 38:10 The engineers said, 38:11 "You got to slow that reverb way down, 38:13 guys, it's too long. 38:14 You've got to reduce the length of reverb." 38:17 So those little padded curtains, 38:20 electronic just like X-Pac, 38:24 go back up again. 38:25 We can control the sound in this space 38:27 so that voice and music together 38:29 become intelligible anywhere you sit. 38:34 So okay, and by the way the outer engineers say, 38:37 "Nice sound system, 38:38 but you need a new one, big time." 38:40 So we've shown that in as well. 38:42 The lights, 38:44 you can't even get the light bulbs 38:45 to replace these lights. 38:46 These are 60-year-old lights. 38:48 Everything's gone LED. We're not LED. 38:50 We want lights that will have restart, 38:51 so you can control the lightness to a perfection. 38:56 Buy the time you got to the bottom-line, Carey says, 38:59 "All right, hit the total button." 39:04 Two million dollars. Two million dollars. 39:09 Wow. But I tell you what? 39:10 The news gets even better. 39:12 Hold on now because we already have. 39:13 Listen to this. 39:15 We already have $3,352,111 39:19 cash on hand for this project to begin. 39:22 We already have 3,352,000. 39:25 And by the way, 39:26 I've visited with the president of Michigan Conference, 39:28 the new president, he said, 39:30 "Dwight, we're going to be helping you, you bet." 39:32 I visited with the president of this university. 39:34 I've visited the CFO, 39:35 both of them were in the first service. 39:36 They both said, 39:38 "Don't worry, we're going to be taking care of you," 39:39 because you know 39:41 the university has something very beautiful over here 39:42 called the Health and Wellness Center. 39:44 And it's embarrassing, I'm sure to have a church 39:46 with a leaky roof right next to so beautiful building. 39:49 I mean, please folks, 39:50 don't go in that church, you'll get wet. 39:52 Stay over in the Health and Wellness, 39:54 that the university doesn't want to do that. 39:56 It's a no, come on. 39:57 This is our church, this is our campus. 39:59 We'll help you. God bless them. 40:01 We talked to the treasurer of the Lake Union Conference, 40:04 who is a member of this church and he assures us that 40:06 they will have a part in this project. 40:08 So we are well on our way 40:11 to renovate heart and house. 40:15 In fact, may I tell you this, we already have, 40:18 this is the best news of all. 40:20 We already have the 2 million. 40:26 Praise the Lord is right. 40:28 He said, "Where is it, Dwight?" 40:31 It's in your pocket. 40:33 It's in your... 40:36 Right, that face would... 40:39 Yeah, it's in your pocket, not in all my pocket, no, 40:42 but put all our pockets together. 40:43 Yeah, I told you, the news just keeps getting better. 40:46 That's why the building committee 40:47 and the church board voted last Monday night. 40:49 Listen to this, they said, you know what? 40:51 "We're doing the whole thing this spring summer. 40:54 We're doing the whole thing this spring summer." 40:57 And by the new school year, there will be 40:59 a new refurbished church 41:04 to welcome the students back to Andrews University. 41:07 What do you say to that? 41:08 I say, "Amen." I say, "Amen." 41:13 Sixty years old. 41:15 Sixty years old, Valentine's Day. 41:17 1959, 60 years later will be Valentine's Day, 2019. 41:22 I say, "Let's give to God 41:25 a one million dollar cash, 41:28 birthday present 41:30 for the Pioneer Memorial Church. 41:32 It's His house, why not? 41:35 That's why I'm excited about this Sabbath. 41:40 And everything that 41:41 this beautiful little brochure represents. 41:43 So okay. Oh, Lord, I love Your house. 41:45 Okay, Lord, let's just get this clear, 41:47 I love the house where You live 41:48 and the place where Your glory dwells. 41:52 Which means the question deserves to be asked. 41:54 Yo, Dwight, how much you're going to do? 41:58 Dwight, I'm talking to you, how much are you going to do? 42:02 And the question that reverberates in your own mind, 42:04 I wonder how much I should do 42:06 to renovate God's house at Pioneer. 42:08 Karen and I came back from Hong Kong this summer 42:11 in July, preaching mission. 42:13 We got back at our house, I'm telling you, 42:15 we opened the door, oven, humid, hot, 42:20 what's wrong with our air condition. 42:22 Called a reputable firm up in St. Joseph, 42:23 they sent a rep out here, and he says, 42:25 "I had to tell you, 42:27 but this outdoor AC thing is dead. 42:29 It's gone." 42:31 And by the way, he said, 42:32 "I was just looking at your electric furnace, 42:34 that thing 40 years old, it's on its last legs, 42:38 you need to replace that, and might I suggest gas." 42:42 And I said to him, 42:43 "Okay, so what would the bottom-line be?" 42:45 And he showed it to me. 42:49 Are you serious? 42:51 I said, "We need some time to talk." 42:53 So Karen and I got alone together, 42:54 we huddled up, then we huddled up and we said, 42:57 "What can we do?" 43:00 But you know what? 43:02 If you do some half baked concoction, 43:04 you're not going to be happy with that, 43:05 it's going to break all over again, 43:07 you're going to have to do this right 43:08 or don't do it at all. 43:09 And that's what we decided. 43:11 And so you know what we had to do 43:13 into our hard earned carefully protected life savings 43:19 we withdrew the amount 43:21 to make our house livable again. 43:27 God comes to the friends of Haggai and He says, 43:30 "Hey guys, I'm just saying. 43:34 I need you to do the same thing for My house." 43:36 And so logically thinking, I mean why couldn't I? 43:39 Why couldn't I decide to be just as quick to draw out money 43:42 in order to... 43:43 If I pay for my own home, why couldn't I be 43:45 just as resolute to draw money 43:46 from hard earned savings to repair God's house? 43:51 I mean, if it were my house that were leaking, 43:53 you think I'm going to say, "Hey, Karen, go to Walmart, 43:55 get some more buckets, we can do this, 43:57 just stray them out here, who cares. 43:59 Just use buckets." 44:02 The chairman of the board of Andrews University, 44:04 Artur Stele was preaching last November, 44:08 for reformation Sabbath, he preaches his heart out. 44:11 I'm sitting right there in second service, 44:13 and we have this humongous thunderstorm come over. 44:16 And while he's preaching, there are deacons tiptoeing out 44:20 putting buckets all along. 44:22 And I'm thinking, "Artur, don't look back, 44:24 just don't look back, don't worry about it, 44:25 we've got it." 44:27 And I'm sliding lower and lower, 44:28 it's embarrassing. 44:30 You don't leave a leak, 44:32 you fix it if you value the house. 44:37 Oh, okay. 44:40 Oh, by the way God says, 44:42 "Did I tell you, I'm going to take care of you 44:43 because all the silver is mine and all the gold is mine." 44:47 And by the way just relax, 44:49 God is not talking about equal gifts, 44:52 He's talking about equal sacrifice. 44:54 We can't all give the same, you kidding. 44:57 But we can all sacrifice the same 45:00 because you know what 45:01 my sacrifice is not determined by the amount I give, 45:04 rather it's determined by the amount 45:06 I have left over after my gift has been given. 45:09 That's how you tell whether it's sacrifice or not. 45:11 Which is why Jesus could look down at that 45:14 those coffers of offerings and say, 45:16 "That little woman who gave all her two little mites, 45:21 she's given more than everybody today 45:24 because she had nothing left. 45:27 And the God of the universe in human flesh said, 45:30 "I see that, that woman with her two mites 45:32 has raise money in the trillions ever since. 45:37 He took her sacrificial act and by His stage 45:40 whisper proclaimed it to the universe. 45:43 And we all know the story. 45:45 And if she can do it, what can I do for You, Jesus? 45:50 Well, 45:54 so anyway, your pastors two Mondays ago, 45:58 we huddled around our little table, 45:59 we're short two pastors, okay? 46:01 So we're short, we're hiring them. 46:03 We're short right now, we sat around this round table 46:06 where we meet, and we ask ourselves 46:08 how much are we willing to give to the Renovate Heart 46:12 and House project. 46:14 After all, leaders lead the way, 46:15 leaders don't follow, leaders are ahead, 46:17 saying, "Come on, I believe in this." 46:20 So everybody went home with this little envelope 46:24 like you have right now, 46:25 everybody, all the pastors go home with it, okay, 46:27 everybody in our staff. 46:29 We spend the week talking to our family, 46:30 we spend the week talking to God, 46:33 and we came back with this envelope sealed, 46:35 we wrote an amount on this envelope. 46:37 I didn't know, I don't know. 46:40 But we put all the envelopes in the middle of the table, 46:43 we put our hands on top of them, 46:44 and we said, "God, this is awfully humble, 46:46 I know, but please would You use this 46:48 as a seed for Your kingdom." 46:51 We took the envelopes, I gave to JoAnn, 46:52 our church accountant/treasurer. 46:55 I said, "JoAnn, give me the total 46:57 by the end of the afternoon, please." 46:58 She handed me a little yellow posted slip. 47:00 And on that posted slip 47:02 were these numbers $45,510. 47:08 A bunch of pastors, are you serious, 47:11 tears just came into my eyes. 47:15 That night, I shared that number 47:17 to our church board, 47:19 these are the leaders of the Pioneer Memorial Church. 47:22 I share that number, we sent the envelope home 47:25 with all the leaders, 47:26 and if you're going to be around this week, 47:28 you're not traveling, 47:29 drop by the church office with envelope, 47:30 if you wish by Friday. 47:33 Twelve families drop by noon yesterday 47:36 when the door is closed. 47:37 JoAnn gave me another little yellow posted note. 47:40 And it read $64,600. 47:45 When you add up those humble little pledges, 47:47 $1,10,110. 47:51 Wow. 47:53 Why am I bragging about this? Are you kidding? 47:56 I'm just telling you, that nobody is asking you to do 48:00 what your leaders are not already doing. 48:04 They're going on a limb with God 48:06 because God says, 48:08 "The silver is mine, don't you worry, 48:09 the gold is mine, don't be anxious. 48:12 I'll take care of you. 48:14 This is My house, I'll honor, I'll honor that." 48:18 Do you know what? 48:20 If you take a $1,10,110 and you put it with the 352, 48:24 we're short of half a million dollars already. 48:30 Already as a bottom-line. 48:37 So we're appealing to you today, 48:39 to consider that bottom-line as well, 48:41 it's God's house which you worship in. 48:44 We are privileged to worship together 48:46 and take this little envelope. 48:48 Come on, do you mind just pulling it out. 48:50 It's just two sentences, just two sentences. 48:52 This isn't signing your life away, 48:54 this isn't taking fingerprints, this is just a pledge. 48:57 Notice how it begins, 48:59 pull it out by the grace of God, all right 49:00 so if my life just keeps continuing as it is. 49:03 And by the way these are all over three years, 49:04 it's over three years. 49:06 By the grace of God I/we want to participate 49:10 in making a sacrificial offering 49:12 to Pioneer's Renovate Heart and House campaign. 49:15 Here is my/our prayerful pledge of support 49:19 total over three years 49:20 for Pioneer's renovation project. 49:23 That's it. 49:25 You put a little number 49:26 and bring this back next Sabbath. 49:28 Let just have it, we won't know what's on it, nobody will know. 49:31 But we will have a joyous celebration before God 49:36 that He has called us to join with Him 49:40 in renovating His favorite house 49:43 on this campus. 49:45 Why not? 49:47 Hey, Ellen White, 100 years ago, on the screen, 49:50 "Everything God could do has, 49:51 was done to save a perishing world." 49:53 "God so loved the world 49:55 that He gave His only begotten Son, 49:56 John 3:16, that whosoever believeth in Him 49:58 should not perish, but have everlasting life." 50:00 Keep reading. 50:02 God has made it impossible for it to be said 50:04 that He could have done more than He has done 50:08 for you and me and the fallen race, 50:11 when He gave us His Son... 50:13 Oh, I love this. 50:14 "He gave Himself. 50:15 In one great gift He poured out the whole treasure of heaven." 50:19 Last line is the joyous one. 50:22 "He has revealed a love that defies all computation, 50:27 a love that should fill our hearts and lives 50:30 with gratitude." 50:31 He says, "You can't crunch the numbers, 50:33 get the adding machine going. 50:34 Let's find out how much God has really done for us." 50:36 You can't do it, it defies all computation. 50:40 The silver is mine. 50:43 The gold is mine. 50:45 Yo, I'll take care of you, that's my point. 50:48 I'll take care of you. 50:50 I need you to help me 50:52 fix My house, please. 50:56 Just look at Calvary, 50:58 crunch the numbers at the foot of the cross. 51:02 Just for me, He was willing to go through 51:04 empty His treasury. 51:08 Wow. 51:09 So, "Oh, come on, Dwight, how much it cost you, 51:12 don't even talk to me about giving." 51:13 Oh, you're right, don't give, 51:16 unless you'd be willing to do this. 51:18 Here's the deal, you're college student. 51:20 "Oh, Dwight, I'm a graduate student here, 51:22 we're just a beautiful little family, 51:23 the Gomez family. 51:24 I'm a graduate student, you know, 51:26 how tight it is for a graduate student." 51:27 I understand, I was a grad student here. 51:30 Here is a deal for you, one pizza a week, medium size. 51:36 You go without $10 a week. 51:40 If you go without one pizza, 51:41 we can give that $10 to God Himself, 51:43 that's 10, that's four times, it's $40 a month, 51:46 that's $480 a year, 51:48 and it's only three years that would be $1,440, $1,440. 51:54 You will have quietly been investing in this house of God 51:57 as a student on the campus of Andrews University. 52:00 Yeah, Dwight, but I don't use checks 52:01 and I don't use tied envelopes. 52:03 Oh, good, well, we're ready for that. 52:05 Would you put on the screen please the brand new, 52:08 this just came out, the Adventist giving app. 52:10 I just downloaded it yesterday. 52:12 Go to your store, go to your app store, 52:14 you get it. 52:15 It's so simple and renovate, 52:17 when you type in Pioneer Memorial... 52:18 They'll ask you to pick the church 52:20 'cause it reads where your location, 52:22 and it will give you one of the choices in town, 52:24 and it'll be Pioneer. 52:25 Just tap on that, you've got the rest. 52:27 Line number three is renovate, 52:30 $10 a week from your debit card. 52:32 Your debit card will not even feel it. 52:36 Given the way you spend it best buy. 52:44 You say, "Dwight, I'm not into apps. 52:45 I really don't like apps." 52:47 Okay, you're watching it now and we have live streamers 52:49 who are online with us right now. 52:52 You know what? 52:54 I'm gonna put on the screen, you can see it pop 52:55 in front of your laptop right now. 52:57 You see that website that just went up yesterday, 53:00 pmchurch.org/renovate. 53:03 Anywhere in the world, just go to that, 53:05 you have this whole booklet, summarize, you get the booklet, 53:08 and when it drops down you'll see donate, 53:10 click donate, you can donate whatever you wish. 53:13 And if you're an alum from Andrews University, 53:15 we'd love to have you be a part of helping your old church 53:19 when you are here, why not, it's God's house, 53:23 and He needs you. 53:24 You say, "Dwight, I'm not into this electronic stuff." 53:27 Okay, tide envelope, you come next Sabbath, 53:29 there'll be a line on the tide envelope, 53:31 renovate." 53:33 Do it the old fashioned way, 53:36 that's the way I do it. 53:38 Turned the tide envelope in. 53:40 And by the way hold on, nobody's given gifts, 53:43 we're not asking for anything next Sabbath. 53:45 Next Sabbath is just this. 53:47 There's no cash in this. 53:49 We won't be looking inside, is there any... 53:50 No, this is it. 53:52 Bring this back next Sabbath and with joy before God, 53:55 let's stand 53:57 and let's sing the doxology of what God has done 53:59 and I believe because I know God 54:02 and I know you that this church will rise up 54:05 125th of our operating income a year, 54:07 personally we can do it, 54:09 piece of cake through the power of the Holy Spirit. 54:13 Not equal giving, but equal sacrifice. 54:19 Yeah, next Sabbath. 54:20 Oh, by the way come Tuesday night, 54:22 Tuesday night over there in the youth chapel, 54:23 Carey Carscallen, the chair of our building committee, 54:25 Pastor Jose, who chairs our Renovate campaign at com team, 54:30 they'll be here, there'll be some materials 54:32 you can get up close and check it out. 54:35 Ask any question you wish, 7 o'clock, next Tuesday. 54:39 The next Sabbath we come, we should come rejoicing, 54:43 bringing in the sheaves as the scripture sings. 54:49 He's able. 54:51 God will bless you, I know. 54:53 Let me end by telling you that a few years ago, 54:54 Madeline Johnston, 54:56 one of our faculty here retired now, 55:00 but it is years ago, she told me about 55:02 when their little daughter, 55:03 when their daughter Elizabeth was a little tike, 55:05 and she went to Sabbath school, 55:06 and she learned her Sabbath school lesson, 55:09 "God loves a cheerful giver, " that be 2 Corinthians 9. 55:12 All right. "God loves a cheerful giver." 55:14 Do you get that, Elizabeth? I get it. 55:16 "God loves a cheerful giver." 55:18 So all week long, she's repeating, 55:20 she's reciting the memory verse, 55:22 "God loves a cheerful giver." 55:24 But one morning 55:25 when Madeline went by little Elizabeth's bedroom, 55:27 she heard her, 55:28 and instead of saying God loves a cheerful giver, 55:32 she got a little confused and she was saying, 55:35 "God is a lovely, cheerful giver." 55:41 "God is a lovely, cheerful giver." 55:42 You know what? The girl got it right. 55:45 He's right, Paul, God loves a cheerful giver. 55:49 But I say next Sabbath, 55:50 let's bring these little envelopes to the God 55:54 who is a lovely cheerful giver. 55:58 "The gold is mine, the silver is mine, 56:01 don't you fret. 56:03 I've got you covered." 56:04 Amen. 56:15 [indistinct song] 56:53 And now to Him who is able to do immeasurably 56:55 more than all we ask or imagine. 56:59 According to His power that is at work within us, 57:02 "To Him be glory in the church, 57:05 and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations 57:09 forever and ever." 57:11 Amen. 57:15 I want to take an extra moment to thank you for joining us 57:17 in worship today. 57:19 It's by the continued support from viewers like you 57:21 that we're able to bring you this program. 57:22 Today, I want to invite you though 57:24 to share with us 57:25 how this ministry has blessed you. 57:27 I get inspiring notes, emails from the viewers, 57:29 literally all over the world telling me, 57:31 "But Dwight, God has been blessing me this way. 57:33 He's been doing this." 57:34 I would love to hear from you as well. 57:36 Just visit our website, you know, at newperceptions.tv, 57:40 and click on the contact link at the top of the page. 57:42 Send me the note, let me know what God has been doing 57:45 right now in your life. 57:47 Once again, thank you for being with us today. 57:49 I hope you join us right here next time. 57:52 And until then, 57:53 may the God of grace journey with you 57:55 every step of the way. |
Revised 2018-11-19