Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP181117A
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00:08 [ "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" alternate version begins ] 00:16 ♪♪ >> ♪ Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee ♪ 00:28 ♪ God of glory, Lord of love ♪ ♪ Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee ♪ 00:35 ♪ Hail Thee as the Son above ♪ ♪ Melt the clouds of sin and sadness ♪ 00:43 ♪ Drive the dark of doubt away ♪ ♪ Giver of immortal gladness ♪ ♪ Fill us with the light of 00:53 day ♪ ♪ Fill us with the light of day ♪ 01:02 ♪♪ >> ♪ Now thank we all our God ♪ ♪ With hearts and hands and 01:10 voices ♪ >> ♪ Who wondrous things hath done ♪ 01:14 ♪ In whom His world rejoices ♪ >> ♪ Who from our mother's arms ♪ 01:21 >> ♪ Hath blessed us on our way ♪ ♪ With countless gifts of love ♪ 01:27 ♪ And still is ours today ♪ 01:35 ♪ Ahhhh, ah, ah ♪ ♪ Ah, ah, ah, ahhhhhhhh ♪ ♪ Rejoice ♪ 01:47 ♪ Rejoice ♪ ♪ Give thanks ♪ ♪ Give thanks ♪ 01:58 ♪ Jo-o-o-y ♪ ♪ Tha-a-a-nks ♪ [ Crescendo ] 02:18 [ Song ends ] 02:25 >> Amen. Hallelujah. What a wonderful Sabbath, and during this time of our worship, 02:32 we want to invite you to really invite joy into your heart through the gift of gratitude. 02:39 Right now, I invite you to, with your whole body, participate in a call to joy. 02:44 Please stand. Turn in your bulletins to page 4. 02:49 Also, take a moment to note that all of our hymns that we're singing are listed in the 02:55 bulletin, and please use your hymns today as we sing joyful melodies to the Lord. 03:07 [ Pages rustling ] "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands." 03:14 >> Together: "Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with 03:19 singing." >> "Know that the Lord, He is God. 03:23 It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves." >> Together: "We are His people 03:29 and the sheep of His pasture." >> "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts 03:36 with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." 03:41 >> Together: "For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and 03:46 His truth endures to all generations." >> May we rejoice in the Lord 03:53 today. I invite you to remain standing as we sing. 03:57 [ "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" traditional version begins ] 04:06 ♪♪ >> ♪ Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee ♪ 04:17 ♪ God of glory, Lord of love ♪ ♪ Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee ♪ 04:25 ♪ Hail Thee as the Son above ♪ ♪ Melt the clouds of sin and sadness ♪ 04:32 ♪ Drive the dark of doubt away ♪ ♪ Giver of immortal gladness ♪ ♪ Fill us with the light of 04:43 day ♪ ♪ All Thy works with joy surround Thee ♪ 04:49 ♪ Earth and heaven reflect Your rays ♪ ♪ Stars and angels sing around 04:56 Thee ♪ ♪ Center of unbroken praise ♪ ♪ Field and forest, vale and 05:03 mountain ♪ ♪ Blossoming meadow, flashing sea ♪ 05:08 ♪ Chanting bird and flowing fountain ♪ ♪ All has to rejoice for Thee ♪ 05:20 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Always giving and forgiving ♪ 05:37 ♪ Ever blessing, ever blest ♪ ♪ Wellspring of the joy of living ♪ 05:45 ♪ Ocean-depth of happy rest ♪ ♪ Loving Father, Christ our brother ♪ 05:54 ♪ All who live and love the light ♪ ♪ Teach us how to love each 06:01 other ♪ ♪ Lift us to the joy divine ♪ [ Song ends ] 06:12 >> You may be seated. I'll read from Job 38:1, 4-7. 06:22 "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 'Where were you when I laid the 06:29 foundations of the Earth? Tell me if you have understanding. 06:34 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon 06:41 it? To what were its foundations fastened, or who laid its 06:46 cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" 06:53 May we rejoice in God the creator today. 06:59 [ "This Is My Father's World" begins ] 07:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ >> ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ 07:26 ♪ And to my listening ears ♪ ♪ All nature sings, and 'round me rings ♪ 07:36 ♪ The music of the spheres ♪ ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ ♪ I rest me in the thought ♪ 07:52 ♪ Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas ♪ ♪ His hand the wonders wrought ♪ 08:04 ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ ♪ The birds their carols raise ♪ ♪ The morning light, the lily 08:19 white ♪ ♪ Declare their Maker's praise ♪ ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ 08:30 ♪ He shines in all that's fair ♪ ♪ In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass ♪ 08:41 ♪ He speaks to me everywhere ♪ ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ ♪ Oh, let me never forget ♪ 08:58 ♪ That though the wrong seems oft so strong ♪ ♪ God is the ruler yet ♪ 09:09 ♪ This is my Father's world ♪ ♪ Why should my heart be sad? ♪ ♪ The Lord is King, let the 09:23 heavens ring ♪ ♪ God reigns, let the earth be glad ♪ 09:34 [ Song ends ] >> Please stand with me as I read from Psalm 98. 09:48 "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; His right hand and His 09:55 holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His 10:00 salvation. His righteousness he has revealed in the sight of the 10:05 nations. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 10:10 Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, 10:17 with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn." 10:24 May we be joyful today for God's marvelous doings. Please remain standing. 10:30 [ "Sing Praise to God" begins ] 10:36 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 11:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 11:33 >> ♪ Sing to praise to God who reigns above ♪ ♪ The God of all creation ♪ 11:42 ♪ The God of power, the God of love ♪ ♪ The God of our salvation ♪ 11:51 ♪ With healing balm my soul be filled ♪ ♪ And every faithless murmur 11:59 stilled ♪ ♪ To God, all praise and glory ♪ 12:09 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ What God's almighty power hath 12:31 made ♪ ♪ His gracious works He keepeth ♪ 12:36 ♪ By morning glow or evening shade ♪ ♪ His watchful eye ne'er 12:43 sleepeth ♪ ♪ Within the kingdom of His might ♪ 12:49 ♪ Lo, all is just and all is right ♪ ♪ To God all praise and glory ♪ 13:01 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 13:23 ♪ The Lord is never far away ♪ ♪ Throughout all grief distressing ♪ 13:44 ♪ An ever-present help and stay ♪ ♪ Our peace and joy ♪ 14:02 ♪ And blessing ♪ ♪ As with a mother's tender hand ♪ 14:20 ♪ He leads his own, His chosen band ♪ 14:35 ♪ To God all praise ♪ ♪ To God all praise and glory ♪ ♪ Glory ♪ 14:49 ♪ Glory ♪ 14:57 ♪ Glory ♪ 15:06 ♪♪ ♪ And all my toilsome way along ♪ 15:21 ♪ I sing aloud Thy praises ♪ ♪ That they may hear the grateful song ♪ 15:31 ♪ My voice unwearied raises ♪ ♪ Be joyful in the Lord, my heart! ♪ 15:41 ♪ Both soul and body, bear your part ♪ ♪ To God all praise and glory ♪ 15:54 ♪ Sing praise to God ♪ ♪ Praise to God ♪ ♪ Amen ♪♪ 16:13 [ "One Faith, One Hope, One Lord" begins ] 16:19 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 16:44 ♪ One faith, one hope, one Lord ♪ ♪ One Church for which He died ♪ 16:53 ♪ One voice, one song ♪ ♪ We lift in praise ♪ ♪ To Him who was and is and 17:06 shall be evermore ♪ 17:19 ♪♪ ♪ There is one body, one Spirit ♪ 17:30 ♪ As you were called to one hope ♪ ♪ One Lord, baptism, and faith ♪ 17:47 ♪ One God and Father of all ♪ ♪ One God and Father of all ♪ ♪ One God and Father of all ♪ 18:03 ♪ Who is in you all ♪ 18:15 ♪♪ ♪ One faith, one hope, one Lord ♪ 18:23 ♪ One Church for which He died ♪ ♪ One voice, one song ♪ ♪ We lift in praise ♪ 18:36 ♪ To Him who was and is and shall be evermore ♪ ♪ Though we be many people ♪ 18:53 ♪ Diverse in various gifts ♪ ♪ We are given to each other ♪ ♪ For the unity of faith ♪ 19:11 ♪ That we grow in the knowledge of the Son of God ♪ ♪ In the fullness of Christ ♪ 19:32 ♪♪ ♪ One faith, one hope, one Lord ♪ 19:39 ♪ One Church for which He died ♪ ♪ One voice, one song ♪ ♪ We lift in praise ♪ 19:51 ♪ To Him who was and is and shall be evermore ♪ ♪ One faith, one hope, one 20:05 Lord ♪ ♪ One Lord ♪ ♪ One Lo-o-o-o-o-o-rd ♪ 20:19 ♪♪ [ Song ends ] 20:25 >> So, here's the question this weekend before Thanksgiving. 20:28 Will there be Thanksgiving in Paradise? 20:33 You know, of course, I'm talking about that little California 20:38 town perched along the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada 20:43 mountains -- 26,000 small -- Paradise, California. 20:50 And you and I and the nation have been riveted this week with the images streaming live out of 20:59 the ashes of what used to be Paradise, California. And what's so stunning -- it 21:06 just takes your breath away -- is the mind-numbing speed with which this wildfire they named 21:13 "Camp Fire" -- the mind-numbing speed with which it traveled. You read these numbers? 21:19 At one point, observers reported the inferno was torching the equivalent of one football field 21:27 of ground every second for 90 minutes -- 90 minutes, every second. 21:34 10,000 acres just [Exhales sharply] gone. Everybody in it 21:39 [Exhales sharply] gone. Unbelievable. And, by the way, if that fire 21:48 were traveling in a straight-line velocity, 300 feet a second, that's traveling at 21:52 204 miles an hour. You can't outrun a fire like that. 21:58 And they didn't. It's no wonder the flames were almost unassailable. 22:06 5,400-plus personnel fighting that fire. 620 fire engines, 24 22:13 helicopters, giant water aircraft dumping their payload over the flames. 22:20 And then they had to bring them in -- 300 search-and-rescue personnel, 50 National Guard 22:27 sifting now through the ash, looking for any sign of former human life. 22:34 As of today -- 63 dead. And now the number is going up. 631 missing. 22:43 8,650 houses [Exhales sharply] torched. You know what? 22:50 I went online and said, "Okay, how many houses are in Berrien Springs? 22:52 All right, how many houses are in Oronoko Township?" The Census Bureau, it's all X'ed 22:56 out for that number. They just didn't try to count it. 23:00 They're at least four times the size of us. Go figure. 23:06 The whole town, this valley, gone. You can't imagine it. 23:11 But rather than put pictures up, I saw a fascinating graphic from CAL FIRE forestry. 23:17 It's a map that represents the painstaking process by which rescue personnel went from house 23:23 to house to house and indicated the quality of the house that's left, if there's anything there 23:29 at all. I'm gonna put it on the screen for you. 23:31 I want you to look at this. The red represents "gone." Then you'll see up there -- 23:36 maybe you'll see a little bit of orange, and then you'll see some yellow and green. 23:41 Black means "escaped." You can understand that, with the people unable to return back 23:47 to Paradise, this map is hugely... either discouraging or 23:52 comforting. Because they're gonna find their address, and they will go to 23:56 that spot. "That's where our house is or was." 23:58 Let's zoom in on this so that you can see the differentiation. Look at all those houses. 24:03 The red is "gone." In fact, if you zoom out on this CAL FIRE map, the city limits -- 24:10 just one giant red glob. That's the wildfire. Wow. 24:17 But let's go ahead and do two -- come on -- two actual photographs, a "before" and 24:22 "after" for those of us who are here in worship today -- much closer to home, these 24:30 photographs. Let's put the first photograph up, please. 24:33 That's the Paradise Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Beautiful church. 24:37 A-frame church. I pastored a church that looked just like that in Salem, Oregon. 24:42 The pastor, Steven Hamilton, his first Sabbath -- listen to this -- his first Sabbath, 24:46 October 13, four weeks ago. Just moved to town. And four weeks later, they're 24:51 gone. 24:53 Here's the "after." Here's the "after." 24:55 [ Spectators murmur ] Doesn't it break your heart? 24:57 Because I'm thinking Pioneer. I'm thinking, "What would happen 25:00 here?" God bless them. 25:04 Steve Hamilton wrote a message to his scattered flock and 25:07 ravaged congregation on their website, beneath the new hashtag 25:10 that's circulating through Paradise -- #ParadiseStrong. 25:15 Put it on the screen. That's what everybody's rallying 25:17 around. Now, beneath that, he wrote 25:19 these words. The words are on the screen... 25:28 They're gone. And then, wanting to be gracious 25:31 as a pastor... 25:40 There is no church office. 25:44 The Chico church 17 miles away, by the way, has opened their doors and said, "Listen, you can 25:48 set up mission headquarters right here, and you can worship here until you figure out what's 25:53 gonna happen." Can you believe it? [ Clicks tongue ] 25:57 Oh, but he goes on like a pastor, keeps writing... 26:16 Has no home, but they write those words. Wow. 26:23 Will there be Thanksgiving in Paradise? I don't know. 26:28 I really don't know. But I do know that you and I can respond out of the largesse of 26:33 our own hearts. If you read my blog today, there will be three ways that you can 26:39 donate. 26:40 I'll save you reading the blog. Let me put it on the screen for 26:42 you right now -- three ways that you can donate to the tragedy in 26:45 Paradise, California. Number one, you can donate 26:49 online as I did last night. This is the church website -- 26:52 paradiseadventist.org. You go there, and you click 26:56 "giving" on the giving page, and -- bingo -- you're on 26:58 Adventist giving online, and you got it. 27:02 Listen, I don't want to just talk about their calamity and not do anything about it. 27:06 I'm no hero for making a donation, nor will you be, but why can't we help, we who are 27:12 sitting in this comfort? And we complain about our pews getting beat up and a roof 27:17 that's leaking, but at least we got a roof. Mm. 27:23 So, you can go straight to the Northern California Conference 27:28 SDA, so that's nccsda.com. That's their website. 27:32 You'll find these methods of giving available there. 27:34 And then you can do it right here, right now. 27:37 Text N-double C-S-D-A -- N-C-C-S-D-A. 27:41 You text that to 77977. You can give whatever you want 27:46 to give, and it will go immediately to the recovery 27:49 efforts of this burned-out, bombed-out town. 27:54 It's worse than World War II. Will there be Thanksgiving in Paradise? 28:01 In all candor, the new normal that we are experiencing in this nation now means that 28:06 opportunities to express our compassion and care -- guess what -- are only gonna go now in 28:10 one direction. This is the new normal, folks. And you know what the direction 28:13 is? It's up. It's called "escalation." 28:19 Escalation. Intensification. The twin realities of the new 28:24 normal on this planet. And, trust me, we'll have our turn someday. 28:29 We'll have our turn. You can't have an intuitive heart within you and read the 28:39 Apocalypse and not realize that, in fact, escalation and intensification are the twin 28:44 realities of the endgame that the Apocalypse predicts and prophesies. 28:47 What's the big deal? You think God planned all this? Are you kidding? 28:51 Don't put this on God. Let's give credit to where credit is due. 28:55 We know the wannabe god who longs to control this nation, rule the world, and destroy 28:59 every last one of us. 29:01 The Apocalypse 12:12 -- read it on your screen. 29:12 There's only one way to go on this, and escalation and 29:15 intensification, it's the name of the game, folks. 29:18 Get used to it. We'll be calling on each other to give more and more, and maybe 29:24 that's what God wants, to just break us loose of our own innate selfishness. 29:32 Jesus is absolutely right -- "An enemy has done this." Hey, listen, I heard a 29:35 firefighter -- true. Listening on the radio, I heard a firefighter being interviewed, 29:39 and he was describing the flames, and he said, "You know what? 29:42 I cannot understand it. It was like there was some sort of master intelligence behind 29:47 the flames, the fury. Every move we made, the flames kept checking us. 29:50 We couldn't put it out." Oh, there is a mastermind. [ Chuckles ] 29:56 "An enemy has done this." Jesus was right. So let's get used to it. 30:01 Compassion and care is the way forward. But, by the way, compassion and 30:06 care born out of crisis -- that's a perfect description of the churches in Macedonia. 30:10 Turn to our Thanksgiving homily passage, short little passage here in 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 30:15 Open your Bible. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. Pick it up in verse 1. 30:19 I'll be in the New International Version. Oh, boy. 30:22 And given their economic status, I'm not surprised they have hearts like this. 30:27 Watch this. Verse 1... 30:36 Verse 2... 30:46 Wow. You know what's going on, don't 30:48 you? 30:49 The Jewish Christian church in Judaea, in Jerusalem, they're in the grips of a debilitating 30:55 famine. The Macedonians, who are brand-new gentile Christians, 30:59 have heard about their brothers and sisters, and, out of their extreme poverty, they're raising 31:04 money to help the church in Jerusalem. I like the way Eugene Peterson 31:10 in his "Message" renders this line. 31:12 Put it on the screen for you. "Fierce troubles came down on 31:15 the people of those churches, pushing them --" that's the 31:18 Macedonian churches -- "to the very limit. 31:21 The trial exposed their true colors: they were incredibly 31:24 happy, though desperately poor." Apparently, you can be poor and 31:30 still be happy. 31:31 They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. Wow. 31:37 To the place... Them ministering out of their extreme poverty and generosity, 31:42 to the place Paul is bragging on the Macedonian Christians. He said, "Yo, you guys in 31:46 Corinth, you need to be like the Macedonians." That's exactly what he's saying. 31:50 Drop down to verse 7. 31:52 Says, "Hey, Corinthians." Verse 7. 31:54 "Since you excel in everything --" yep -- "in faith, 31:57 in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the 32:01 love we have kindled in you -- see that you also excel 32:04 in this grace of giving." 32:08 "Come on, Andrews University. Since you excel in everything -- don't you? -- then why don't you 32:16 also determine to excel in this grace of giving? Just like the church in Corinth, 32:22 the appeal of the Scripture to our hearts. Wow. 32:27 "Excel in the grace -- see that you also excel --" just like the Macedonians -- "in the grace of 32:34 giving." Came across a blogger. His name is Benjamin P. Hardy. 32:39 He wrote a piece titled "The Secret to Happiness Is 10 Specific Behaviors." 32:44 So you would enjoy reading this piece. Hardy -- H-A-R-D-Y. 32:50 You'll find it through Google. The blog opens up with an interview with Conan O'Brien and 32:58 Louis C.K. He was talking to O'Brien about flying on a plane with all this 33:03 new-fangled equipment, and, of course, a few years ago, they came out with Wi-Fi on the 33:06 plane, and so he said, "Man, this is really something. We're flying with all this 33:09 technology. You can get Wi-Fi in the air! You can do all your surfing you 33:12 want!" So, he's talking to his partner. "Man, isn't this great." 33:16 Halfway through the flight -- I've seen it happen. Halfway through the flight, the 33:19 Wi-Fi goes down -- [Exhales sharply] nothing. And, immediately, the man 33:24 sitting next door to Louis C.K. becomes extremely upset. He's just mouthing off. 33:30 And Louis C.K. commented, "As if the world owes this man something he only knew existed 33:37 10 seconds ago." [ Laughter ] Just like you and me. 33:42 Focusing on the negative, complaining about life, "how life is treating me." 33:50 As Hardy writes, "Bad stuff happens to everyone, but life isn't about what happens to 33:54 you -- it's about how you proactively respond." Written like a psychologist. 34:01 Hmm. So, Benjamin Hardy proceeds to lay out 10 behaviors that are 34:07 the secret, he says, to happiness. I'm only gonna give you number 34:10 4. Put it on the screen please... 34:17 Ha! He opens up with a quotation from the well-known writer 34:20 Sarah Ban Breathnach. 34:22 Her words on the screen now, and I love this. 34:25 "Both abundance and lack of abundance exist simultaneously 34:29 in our lives as parallel realities." 34:31 We all have abundance, we all have the lack. 34:34 "It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we 34:38 will tend..." We decide where to spend our 34:41 time, with which garden. Isn't that right? 34:44 Yeah. "When we choose not to focus on 34:46 what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the 34:48 abundance that's present..." What kind of abundance are you 34:51 talking about? Here she goes. 34:52 "...love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of 34:55 nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness --" and 34:58 now, oh, this is great -- "the wasteland of illusion falls away 35:04 and we experience heaven on earth." 35:07 That's why Hardy's saying happiness is as simple as 35:10 gratitude. Are you grateful? 35:12 Are you a grateful person? Do your friends think of you as a grateful person? 35:16 [ Thud ] Apparently not. No, they do. 35:21 I'm just talking to the choir behind me. [ Laughter ] 35:23 Somebody dropped something. Are you okay? [ Laughter ] 35:26 Are you still with us, girl? I'm thankful you are. [ Chuckles ] 35:30 Yeah, come on. Happiness is as simple as gratitude. 35:34 You ever read those lists that describe the benefits, physical and psychological, of gratitude? 35:38 Come on. They're all over the Web. What are the physical benefits 35:41 of gratitude? Let me run a few by you. Come on. 35:43 "Stronger immune system, less bothered by aches and pains, lower blood pressure." 35:47 You exercise more, and you take better care of your health. You sleep longer and feel more 35:52 refreshed, more awoken and wakened. Come on. It's called gratitude. 35:59 Be happy. Be thankful. Oh, by the way, the psychological benefits? 36:04 Let me read this list. "Higher levels of positive emotions, more alert and alive 36:08 and awake, more joy and pleasure, more optimism and happiness, more helpful and 36:12 generous and compassionate, more forgiving, more outgoing, feel less lonely and isolated." 36:17 Man, I say let's celebrate gratitude. What do you say? 36:21 Come on! Not just one day a year -- the whole year! 36:25 Gratitude. That's the way it was in the church of Macedonia. 36:28 In fact, how'd that line go? Put them up on the screen again for us, please. 36:32 I love this line... 36:36 You can tell which secret garden they were tending -- what they had, not what they didn't have. 36:41 And put that other line that the NIV renders it... 36:48 Ooh! I like that. You know what? 36:50 It's like the silver circle of thanksgiving, because the more 36:54 grateful you are, the more you give, and the more you give, the 36:57 more you're glad, and the more you're glad, the more grateful 37:00 you are, and the more grateful you are, the more you give. 37:02 It's the silver circle of thanksgiving. 37:04 In fact, let's put it on the screen right now. 37:07 This is how is works -- gratitude, giving, and gladness, 37:10 and it's all the way down. You can't go beneath that 37:13 screen, but it's going all the way down because that's the 37:16 cycle. It's the silver circle of 37:18 thanksgiving. 37:21 The more we give, the gladder we become, and the gladder we become, the more grateful we 37:27 are, and the more grateful we are, the more we give. [ Exhaling sharply ] 37:34 Isn't it Jesus? Isn't it just like Jesus? Jesus is the one, by the way, 37:37 who speaks this line that appears nowhere in the Gospels. Can't find it in the Gospels, 37:41 but it's tucked away in the New Testament. I'll put it on the screen for 37:44 you. Let's say it out loud together. "It is more blessed..." 37:49 Come on, help me out now. >> Together: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." 37:55 >> That's the point. Because when you give, you're glad, and when you're glad, 38:04 you're grateful, and when you're grateful, you give, and it just keeps going. 38:09 Come to think of it, that's the way Jesus Himself lived, isn't it? 38:12 Wasn't He the biggest giver that ever lived? 38:16 Put it on the screen, our last text. 38:17 It's verse 9. Just drop right down there, 38:19 verse 9. "For you know the grace of our 38:22 Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your 38:25 sake --" and my sake -- "he became poor so that you and I 38:29 through his poverty might become --" what? 38:32 We might become rich in what lasts forever and ever. 38:38 The whole gaping universe is staring at that center cross as 38:43 they watch the King of Kings, the darling of heaven, expire in 38:49 agony. And they realize He is emptying 38:55 Himself to the last degree in order to save the likes of you 39:02 and me -- willing to die forever so that we might live forever. 39:07 "He became poor so that we might become rich." 39:11 Folks, it doesn't get any better than that. 39:14 "Desire of Ages." This is the very famous 39:16 quotation, by the way, from "Desire of Ages" on the screen. 39:19 You'll see it there. "To the death of Christ we owe 39:21 even this earthly life." Everything I have, I owe to the 39:25 death of Jesus. "The bread we eat is the 39:27 purchase of His broken body. The water we drink --" You gonna 39:30 have bread today and gonna drink something? 39:32 You will. "And the water we drink is 39:34 bought by His spilled blood." Now, here it goes. 39:37 "Never one, saint or sinner, eats her daily food, but she is 39:42 nourished by the body and the blood of Christ." 39:45 Now the clincher. "The cross of Calvary is stamped 39:49 on every loaf. It is reflected in every water 39:53 spring." Calvary stamped on everything we 39:59 own. 40:00 He bought it for us. Go figure that price tag. Will there be Thanksgiving in 40:11 Paradise? Oh, I've got great news for you. Yes, there will be one day in 40:16 the paradise above, when you and I and the children of Earth bow at the nail-scarred feet of 40:21 Jesus and we pour out our hearts in thanksgiving, which will be a thanksgiving for ever and ever. 40:28 Amen. >> Together: Amen. >> Amen. 40:33 >> There is a psalm that says, "Make a joyful noise." And I love this time at 40:39 Pioneer. I love Feast of Hymns because that's exactly what we're gonna 40:43 do right now, is we're gonna make a joyful noise. Many of you have brought some 40:47 donations of food. Many of you have brought some offering so that we can take 40:52 care of the people in our community who need this, who would be blessed by the meals 40:56 and by the donations that come in. Now will be your opportunity to 41:00 do that. If you also wanted to make sure that you gave like you do every 41:04 Sabbath for children's education, go ahead and mark that on your tithe and offering 41:09 envelope. And, just so you know, the loose offering this morning goes to 41:13 support our staff, our staff that work in the office, that ensure that we take care of 41:19 others when they come to our church for need. Every year, we're able to 41:24 support the needs of people in this community because of your gifts, and our staff's helped to 41:29 curate that process during the week every week. So please give generously in 41:33 taking care of them. Here are the instructions, if you would. 41:37 Our deacons are going to dismiss you row by row. You'll come down through the 41:42 outside aisles. Our pathfinders will be lined up right here in the front. 41:46 The baskets will notate what it is that they're receiving. You can hand your food donation 41:51 to one of them. They'll make sure it's situated. And then we invite you to return 41:55 down the center and go back to your seat that way. If you happen to bump into 41:58 somebody, do so gently. [ Laughter ] Okay? 42:04 Do so gently, and encourage one another while you're doing that. While that's happening, we're 42:12 gonna have lyrics on the screen, and you can sing with your heart that entire time. 42:20 That is going to happen after this song, "What Gift." I was so excited to give this 42:27 morning that I jumped the gun on this announcement, so we're gonna sing the song that's on 42:34 the back of the bulletin. 42:43 [ "What Gift Can We Bring?" begins ] 42:50 ♪♪ >> ♪ What gift can we bring? ♪ ♪ What present, what token? ♪ 43:02 ♪ What words can convey it ♪ ♪ The joy of this day? ♪ ♪ When grateful we come ♪ 43:14 ♪ Remembering, rejoicing ♪ ♪ What song can we offer ♪ ♪ In honor and praise? ♪ 43:29 ♪♪ >> ♪ Give thanks for the past ♪ ♪ For those who had vision ♪ 43:41 ♪ Who planted and watered ♪ ♪ So dreams could come true ♪ ♪ Give thanks for the now ♪ 43:52 ♪ For study, for worship ♪ ♪ For mission that bids us ♪ ♪ Turn prayer into deed ♪ 44:07 ♪♪ ♪ Give thanks for our friends ♪ ♪ For families and strangers ♪ 44:19 ♪ For all those who touch us ♪ ♪ In hope, let us wait ♪ ♪ With tokens of love ♪ 44:30 ♪ Affection and caring ♪ ♪ Be thanking their neighbor ♪ ♪ In deeds large and small ♪ 44:46 ♪♪ ♪ Give thanks for tomorrow ♪ ♪ Full of surprises ♪ 44:58 ♪ For knowing whatever ♪ ♪ Tomorrow may bring ♪ ♪ God gives us His Word ♪ 45:09 ♪ And always forever ♪ ♪ We rest in God's keeping ♪ ♪ And live in God's love ♪ 45:26 ♪♪ ♪ This gift we now bring ♪ ♪ This present, this token ♪ 45:37 ♪ These words can convey it ♪ ♪ The joy of this day ♪ ♪ When grateful we come ♪ 45:48 ♪ Remembering, rejoicing ♪ ♪ This song we now offer ♪ ♪ In honor and praise ♪ 46:06 ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Song ends ] 46:31 >> We're thankful for all the early adopters of the procession of hope, and we now give you 46:37 opportunity to the rest of you to participate in our procession of hope as we sing aloud and 46:43 make a joyful noise to the lord. 46:49 [ "Rejoice, Ye Poor in Heart" begins ] 46:56 ♪♪ ♪♪ 47:16 ♪♪ [ Congregation sings ] 47:20 ♪♪ ♪♪ 47:40 ♪♪ ♪♪ 48:00 ♪♪ ♪♪ 48:19 [ "The Lord Is My Light" begins ] 48:25 ♪♪ ♪♪ 48:45 ♪♪ ♪♪ 49:05 ♪♪ ♪♪ 49:25 ♪♪ ♪♪ 49:45 ♪♪ [ "For the Beauty of the Earth" 49:54 begins ] 49:58 ♪♪ ♪♪ 50:18 ♪♪ ♪♪ 50:38 ♪♪ ♪♪ 50:58 ♪♪ ♪♪ 51:11 [ "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" plays ] 51:16 ♪♪ ♪♪ 51:36 ♪♪ ♪♪ 51:56 ♪♪ ♪♪ 52:17 ♪♪ ♪♪ 52:37 ♪♪ ♪♪ 52:57 ♪♪ [ "To God Be the Glory" plays ] 53:09 ♪♪ ♪♪ 53:29 ♪♪ ♪♪ 53:49 ♪♪ ♪♪ 54:09 ♪♪ ♪♪ 54:29 ♪♪ ♪♪ 54:49 ♪♪ ♪♪ 55:09 ♪♪ [ "Praise God, From Whom All 55:15 Blessings Flow" plays ] 55:20 ♪♪ ♪♪ 55:40 ♪♪ ♪♪ 56:00 [ Song ends ] >> And now, for all who brought 56:04 bright joy this day, for all who gave deep thanks today, and all, 56:10 as well, whose joy was dole, who struggled over the word 56:13 "grateful," take joy in all things. See God's grace. 56:18 Live thanks. In all things, hear God's voice. And in the coming days of 56:23 living, let us touch the world with joy and thanksgiving. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 56:29 we pray. Amen. >> Together: Amen. 56:33 [ "Take Joy! Live Thanks!" plays ] >> ♪ Take joy ♪ 56:41 ♪ Take joy ♪ ♪ Live thanks ♪ ♪ Live thanks ♪ 56:50 ♪ Joy ♪ ♪ Thanks ♪ 57:05 [ Song ends ] 57:09 >> Think of the last time someone said, "I'm praying 57:12 for you." Didn't it give you a sense of 57:14 peace and reassurance that somebody cares for me? 57:16 I know how I feel when I get an e-mail from one of our viewers 57:19 saying, "Yo, Dwight. I've been praying for you 57:21 lately." There's nothing like knowing 57:23 someone is praying for you. So I want to offer you an 57:25 opportunity to partner -- let me, let us partner with you in 57:28 prayer. If you have a special prayer 57:30 request or a praise of thanksgiving you'd like to share 57:33 with us, I'm inviting you to contact one of our friendly 57:35 chaplains. It's simple to do. 57:37 You can call our toll-free number -- 877 -- the two words, 57:40 HIS WILL. 877-HIS-WILL. 57:43 That friendly voice that answers, you tell him, you tell 57:46 her what your prayer need is, we'll join with you in that 57:49 petition. May the God who answers prayer 57:52 journey with you these next few days until we're right back 57:54 here together again next time. 57:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ 58:19 ♪♪ |
Revised 2018-11-27