Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230701S
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00:02 [ Mid-tempo music plays ]
00:05 ♪ 00:13 >> Let us stand together 00:16 as we lift our voices in praise 00:19 to our Heavenly Creator. 00:22 [ "All Hail the Power of Jesus' 00:23 Name" begins ] 00:26 ♪ 00:34 ♪ 00:44 [ Congregation singing ] 02:17 [ "Crown Him King of Kings" 02:18 begins ] 02:21 ♪ 02:27 ♪ 02:34 [ Congregation singing ] 05:20 Amen. 05:22 It's wonderful to hear you 05:23 joining in so loudly on that old 05:26 but yet wonderful chorus. 05:28 Levi and -- oh, my goodness -- 05:31 and Nancy. 05:34 Oh, my goodness. 05:35 Levi and Nancy shared with 05:36 Julie and me a new song. 05:39 It's only a couple years old -- 05:39 a new hymn. 05:41 And we'd like -- we'd like 05:43 to share it with you today. 05:45 It's easy to sing, I promise. 05:47 So even though 05:48 you don't know it, 05:50 the words are profound 05:51 and the tune is so singable. 05:52 Join in as soon as you can. 05:55 [ "All Hail The King Of Heaven" 05:56 plays ] 05:59 ♪ 06:08 ♪ 06:17 [ Congregation singing ] 07:09 ♪ 07:12 [ Congregation singing ] 08:03 ♪ 08:09 ♪ 08:16 [ Congregation singing ] 09:25 ♪ 09:32 ♪ 09:39 Amen. 09:41 You all sound great. 09:43 So, today is a special Sabbath. 09:45 This July 1st, we're inviting 09:48 new people into our community. 09:50 And as is so often the reality 09:53 here at Andrews, we're saying 09:54 goodbye to some other people. 09:57 And this is Safari's last week 09:59 of worshiping with us here. 10:00 So, Safari, 10:02 would you invite us to prayer? 10:05 >> It is so good 10:07 to pray together. 10:10 And I just want to let you know 10:13 that as David says in the Bible, 10:15 the Lord is my shepherd, 10:18 I lack nothing. 10:21 Earlier this week, 10:22 a friend of mine took me 10:23 through the passage in prayer 10:24 and he told me this thing. 10:26 He said, "Where it says, 10:29 'He prepares a table before me 10:32 in the presence of my enemy,' 10:35 the word 'before' is not only 10:37 a preposition of place, 10:39 but it is a preposition of time, 10:41 as well." 10:42 So, while God prepares a table 10:44 in the presence of your enemies, 10:47 He also goes ahead, before you 10:48 even pray, to prepare a table. 10:51 And by the time you get there 10:52 with Him, you see it's ready. 10:55 So today I just want to invite 10:56 you to walk down the aisle. 10:59 It's not the easiest thing. 11:01 You have to be vulnerable 11:01 enough. 11:03 If it is hard, 11:04 hold somebody's hand 11:05 and walk together as we sing. 11:07 "Crown Him King of kings, 11:09 crown Him Lord of lords, 11:11 the one who came to die for us, 11:13 and He who is preparing a place 11:16 in Heaven for us. 11:18 Crown him King of kings." 11:20 Come down the aisle. 11:23 [ "Crown Him King of Kings" 11:24 begins ] 11:26 ♪ 11:36 [ Congregation singing ] 12:31 Crown Him the King. 12:34 Crown Him King of Kings. 12:37 [ Congregation singing ] 12:42 Crown Him the Lord of lords. 12:45 [ Congregation singing ] 12:50 Wonderful, Counselor. 12:52 [ Congregation singing ] 12:55 ♪ The Mighty God 12:58 [ Congregation singing ] 13:18 ♪ And He shall reign 13:20 [ Congregation singing ] 13:37 Hallelujah. 13:44 [ "Be Thou My Vision" begins ] 13:46 ♪ 13:49 >> ♪ Be Thou my vision, 13:53 O Lord of my heart ♪ 13:58 ♪ Naught be all else to me, 14:02 save that Thou art ♪ 14:06 ♪ Thou my best thought, 14:10 by day or by night ♪ 14:15 ♪ Waking or sleeping, 14:18 Thy presence my light ♪ 14:25 ♪ 14:32 ♪ Be Thou my wisdom, 14:35 and Thou my true word ♪ 14:39 ♪ I ever with Thee, 14:43 and Thou with me, Lord ♪ 14:47 ♪ Thou my great Father, 14:51 and I Thy true son ♪ 14:55 ♪ Thou in my dwelling 14:59 and I with Thee one ♪ 15:04 ♪ 15:12 ♪ Riches I heed not, 15:16 nor man's empty praise ♪ 15:22 ♪ Thou mine inheritance, 15:26 now and always ♪ 15:32 ♪ Thou, and Thou only, 15:37 first in my heart ♪ 15:43 ♪ High King of Heaven, 15:46 my treasure Thou art ♪ 15:53 ♪ 15:58 ♪ High King of Heaven, 16:02 my victory won ♪ 16:07 ♪ May I reach Heaven's joys, 16:10 O bright Heaven's sun ♪ 16:15 ♪ Heart of my own heart, 16:19 whatever befall ♪ 16:25 ♪ Still be my vision, 16:30 O ruler of all ♪ 16:39 ♪ 16:43 >> Amen. 17:02 >> Good morning PMC. 17:03 >> Good morning. 17:05 >> It is good to be here. 17:07 This has been -- 17:09 I have been looking forward 17:09 to this day for quite some time. 17:12 And I want to thank you for your 17:13 very, very warm welcome. 17:15 Thank you, Elder Micheff, 17:16 for being here 17:17 and for leading out in my... 17:19 You know, what they call 17:20 what just happened, right? 17:22 An installation. 17:26 We'll just move on from there. 17:27 [ Laughter ] 17:29 Thank you for that. 17:30 I appreciate it very much 17:31 for being here. 17:31 Thank you, Dr. Taylor, 17:32 for being here. 17:33 Looking forward to working 17:34 with you. 17:36 Thank you also to the pastoral 17:37 staff that have given me 17:39 a warm welcome here. 17:41 And thank you to so many of you. 17:42 It would take me too long 17:43 to list. 17:44 So many of you have been 17:45 very gracious in providing 17:47 food and transportation, 17:49 and a roof over my head 17:51 and my family's head. 17:53 It has just been very, very good 17:56 to begin to be part of this 17:58 Pioneer Memorial Church family. 18:01 Thank you. 18:03 And without further ado, 18:06 let us begin. 18:10 [ Gym bag unzipping ] 18:18 >> Whoo! 18:20 It was... 18:22 [ Laughter ] 18:23 Almost, hmm? 18:25 [ Cheers and applause ] 18:31 It was the shot of a lifetime. 18:34 You see, before I was 18:37 an Andrews University cardinal, 18:38 I was a student, 18:39 among other places, at 18:41 Forest Lake Academy 18:42 in Apopka, Florida. 18:44 And we did not play 18:45 interscholastic sports 18:46 at that time. 18:47 We did play intramurals, though, 18:48 and that meant that there were 18:49 two games each year 18:52 that, to us, were the biggest 18:54 and the best. 18:56 One was Alumni Weekend, in which 18:57 the current student body 18:58 got to play against the last 19:00 30 years' best and brightest. 19:01 And often, 19:01 we would lose that match. 19:03 But then there was another one, 19:04 and it was called 19:06 the all-star game. 19:08 Now, the all-star game, 19:09 at the time this story 19:10 takes place, was just 19:12 a couple of months away. 19:14 And to us, this is where 19:16 the freshmen and the juniors, 19:17 the best basketball 19:18 players from those classes, 19:20 would play against the best 19:21 players from the sophomores 19:22 and the seniors. 19:23 I was a senior at this time, 19:25 and I was looking forward 19:27 to the game. 19:28 You see, my friend and I, 19:30 we worked in the gym. 19:32 And some of you may know 19:33 Rodney Fulbright, a good man. 19:34 We worked for him there 19:35 while I was a student. 19:37 And in the gymnasium, 19:38 Coach Fulbright knew 19:39 how to motivate us. 19:40 He said, 19:42 "If you get your work done, 19:45 you can play 19:46 basketball in the gym 19:47 for the remainder of the time 19:49 that you are clocked in." 19:50 [ Congregation murmurs ] 19:52 So, when people ask if I ever 19:53 played professional basketball, 19:54 the answer is yes. 19:56 [ Laughter ] 19:57 I did, I did. 19:59 And so we play-- 20:00 We went in, we cleaned the 20:02 restrooms and the locker rooms 20:03 and all of those things. 20:04 And then we would go down 20:06 to the far end of the gym 20:07 and we would play. 20:08 But with the all-star game 20:10 on the horizon, 20:11 we didn't just play anything. 20:13 We practiced one shot, 20:15 and one shot only, 20:17 and that was a dunk. 20:19 Because we knew -- 20:21 we knew in our high school minds 20:24 that if we could dunk 20:26 in the all-star game, 20:28 we would become legends forever. 20:31 [ Laughter ] 20:33 Our names would be spoken 20:34 in hushed tones in the hallways. 20:36 They would emblazon our picture 20:38 on T-shirts. 20:39 Other -- Underclassmen 20:40 would wear them. 20:42 to eternal bliss was found 20:44 in dunking in that game, 20:46 so we practiced. 20:48 We practiced everything we could 20:49 think of. 20:50 Just a regular dunk, straight 20:51 to the basket, reverse from 20:52 behind the backboard. 20:53 Anything that we could do, 20:54 we were going to be ready. 20:56 And we would joke with each 20:57 other. 20:57 I'd say, "You know what? 20:58 It's going to be me that's going 20:59 to dunk in that game." 21:00 And my friend would say, "No, 21:01 no, no, no, it's gonna be me." 21:03 "No, no, no, no, 21:03 it's gonna be me." 21:05 Finally, the day came. 21:08 I think it was a Saturday night 21:11 when this game took place. 21:12 The gym was full. 21:13 Students were there. 21:14 Again, this a big deal 21:15 on campus. 21:16 And we're warming up there, 21:17 and other people 21:19 And my friend and I know 21:20 we're dunking. 21:20 No layups for us. 21:21 We're just dunking. 21:22 We're getting ready. 21:23 I said, "It's gonna be me, man. 21:23 It's gonna be me." 21:24 "No, it's gonna be me." 21:27 I can't tell you who won 21:30 that game. 21:31 I don't remember. 21:32 [ Laughter ] 21:34 I can't tell you what 21:35 the score was. 21:36 I can remember 21:37 some of my teammates. 21:39 But one thing I remember 21:40 crystal clear 21:42 is The Play. 21:45 Capital "T," capital "P" -- 21:48 The Play. 21:49 Here's what happened. 21:50 I was a little lazy, coming down 21:52 on defense. 21:53 And so what that meant is, 21:54 is that all nine players 21:57 were down at the freshman 21:58 and junior end. 21:59 And one of the freshmen 22:00 or junior on their team 22:01 shot the ball, they missed, 22:03 and a senior got the rebound. 22:06 Now, picture this. 22:07 All nine players are down there. 22:09 I'm just coming over half-court, 22:11 and my hoop 22:13 is completely unguarded. 22:16 Showtime. 22:18 And I tell you, 22:19 the rest of the story, 22:20 from this point on, in my mind, 22:22 goes in slow motion. 22:23 Okay? 22:24 This is like an ESPN rewind, 22:26 kind of slow, 22:27 analyzing each step. 22:28 As quietly as I can, I jump up 22:31 and down and shout for the ball. 22:32 They throw it to me, I catch it, 22:33 I start to dribble, 22:35 and I am running quickly 22:36 down the center of the court. 22:37 I am going to shove this thing 22:39 right down the middle 22:40 on that hoop. 22:41 I'm going up, 22:42 the crowd is on their feet. 22:43 They are with me, "Aah!" 22:44 They know what's coming. 22:46 They know we've been practicing. 22:47 This is the moment. 22:49 I dribble the ball and I step 22:50 just over the free-throw line. 22:52 Now, Jordan could jump 22:53 from the free-throw line. 22:54 I wasn't quite that gifted, 22:55 altitudinally. 22:56 And so I stepped just beyond it, 22:58 and I jumped. 23:02 Nay, I leaped. 23:05 [ Laughter ] 23:07 This -- This -- This was 23:09 free flight with a basketball 23:11 in my hand, and I am going 23:13 upwards. 23:14 True story -- could just see 23:15 over the front of the rim. 23:17 Eyesight. 23:18 Just see over the front 23:20 of the rim. 23:21 And in those days, 23:23 my hands hadn't quite expanded. 23:24 I couldn't palm a ball, and 23:26 so I would bring it up 23:27 with my left hand. 23:28 And as I'm going through 23:29 the air, I bring it up here 23:30 and I bring it to my right. 23:31 The crowd is yelling. 23:32 The gym is throbbing with 23:34 the cheers, "Go, go, go!" 23:36 And up comes the ball, 23:38 and down comes my hand, 23:40 and back goes the basketball... 23:42 [ Laughter ] 23:46 ...about 40 feet 23:49 off the back of the rim 23:51 that I had just slammed the ball 23:53 into with such great force. 23:55 And I'm kind of watching this. 23:57 I cannot believe 23:58 what just happened. 24:00 And I trip and I fall into this 24:02 ball underneath the end there. 24:03 The guy who actually 24:04 passed me the ball 24:06 got the rebound 24:08 and made a layup. 24:08 And as he goes past, he says, 24:10 "Hey, nice shot, dude." 24:11 [ Laughter ] 24:14 [ Sighs ] 24:17 I had missed 24:21 the shot of a lifetime. 24:26 [ Sighs ] 24:28 You know, it took 24:30 a few milliseconds to begin 24:33 to ask myself a question. 24:36 Any guesses 24:36 what the question was? 24:39 "How in the world 24:40 did that happen? 24:43 How did I miss the shot 24:44 of a lifetime?" 24:46 You know, it wasn't because 24:47 of a lack of skill. 24:49 I mean, I had practiced this. 24:50 I knew that court 24:51 inside and out. 24:52 I was ready for that day. 24:54 It wasn't because 24:55 of equipment failure, 24:57 although I would have loved 24:58 to have blamed my shoe. 25:00 "My shoe had a flat." 25:02 I don't know what I would blame, 25:03 but all the equipment 25:04 was in fine order. 25:06 I couldn't even say it was 25:07 because I didn't 25:08 have moral support. 25:10 The entire gym was on their 25:12 feet, cheering me on, 25:14 save for a few freshmen and 25:15 juniors. 25:18 No, it wasn't those things. 25:21 Upon further reflection, 25:23 I think that the reason I missed 25:25 the shot of a lifetime 25:28 boiled down to just one word -- 25:33 "focus." 25:37 Focus. 25:41 You see, believe it or not, when 25:44 I was going up for that dunk, 25:46 I was not thinking 25:47 about my teammates. 25:51 I was not thinking about helping 25:53 my class win the all-star game. 25:57 There was no altruism flowing 25:58 through my veins. 26:00 I was not thinking of how 26:01 I could better the reputation 26:02 of Forest Lake Academy. 26:03 No, there was only one thing 26:05 I was focused on, 26:07 and that was me. 26:10 "What will this do 26:11 for my reputation, my image? 26:14 What will people be saying 26:15 about me when I slam this ball 26:17 through that hoop?" 26:19 Focus. 26:22 You know, as it turns out, 26:24 selfishness is distracting. 26:28 Think about that for a moment. 26:31 So often, when we talk about 26:32 selfishness, 26:33 we talk about the right things. 26:35 It causes pain and suffering and 26:36 war and broken relationships and 26:37 tension, et cetera, et cetera. 26:38 All of that is true. 26:39 But the reason 26:40 those things are true 26:41 is because of the distraction. 26:43 Instead of focusing 26:44 on what we ought to focus on, 26:46 we are focused on ourselves. 26:49 And distraction can lead 26:52 to missed opportunities 26:53 and failures. 26:54 And in the sports world, 26:56 that's annoying. 26:59 But in the Church world. 27:01 It can be devastating. 27:05 Which is probably why the Bible 27:07 has things like this to say. 27:10 If you have a Bible, turn please 27:11 to Philippians 1:27. 27:15 Philippians 1:27. 27:21 And we're going to read also 27:22 verse 28. 27:24 You know, 27:25 Philippians is a joyful book. 27:27 Ask any Bible scholar, 27:29 anybody who's read through this, 27:30 you know it is a joyful book. 27:31 This is not like the letters 27:33 to the Corinthians, where there 27:34 was all manner of difficulties 27:36 and Paul had to say some rather 27:38 strong things to them. 27:39 Not so with the Philippian 27:40 church. 27:41 This is a happy place. 27:42 Apparently, God 27:44 and the Philippian believers 27:45 are in very, very good terms. 27:47 And so chapter after chapter -- 27:49 1, 2, 3, and 4 -- Paul is 27:50 relaying his joy, even though 27:51 he himself is in chains, 27:52 difficult things are happening 27:53 in his life. 27:54 He says, "I rejoice 27:55 because of You. 27:57 I give thanks because of You." 27:58 And in the midst of this joy 28:00 and thankfulness, Paul has 28:03 something to say about focus. 28:05 Notice carefully, verse 27. 28:08 Paul says, whatever happens, 28:10 conduct yourselves in a manner 28:13 worthy of the Gospel of Christ." 28:16 Pause right there, please. 28:18 "A manner worthy of the Gospel 28:19 of Christ." 28:20 Now we could fill in the gap 28:22 pretty easily after 28:23 that sentence, couldn't we? 28:24 What does it mean to live life 28:26 in a manner 28:27 worthy of the Gospel of Christ? 28:28 Well, being loving, being kind, 28:31 helping other people, 28:32 all of this. 28:33 And elsewhere in the 28:35 New Testament, these things are, 28:36 indeed, talked about. 28:37 But it's very interesting 28:38 because Paul doesn't choose 28:40 any of those things. 28:42 Instead, he says, if you're 28:43 going to conduct yourselves 28:44 in a manner worthy of the Gospel 28:46 of Jesus Christ, here's what 28:47 that would look like. 28:49 He says, "Then, whether I come 28:53 and see you or only hear about 28:54 you in my absence, I will know 28:56 that you stand firm in one 28:59 Spirit, contending as one person 29:03 for the faith of the Gospel." 29:07 Pause again, please. 29:10 To the best of my knowledge, 29:13 this is the strongest statement 29:15 on teamwork in the Church 29:17 in all of the New Testament. 29:19 You say, "How do you know?" 29:20 Well, follow me carefully here. 29:22 Paul here is saying -- 29:24 He's using the word here. 29:25 It actually doesn't say 29:26 male or female here. 29:27 It actually uses the word 29:28 "psykhe" -- Greek word for 29:30 "mind," for an individual. 29:32 In other words, the Church 29:34 is to so closely work 29:36 together with one another -- 29:37 the members of the Church -- 29:39 they're to work so closely 29:40 together that when they act 29:42 on God's behalf, 29:44 it is as though there is 29:45 one person acting. 29:52 You know, to continue that 29:53 sports analogy, you can have 29:54 a superstar on a sports team. 29:56 But if they don't also have 29:59 good teamwork, 30:00 a team that has no superstar 30:02 but has good teamwork will, 30:04 9 times out of 10, beat them. 30:06 Good teamwork with good players 30:07 and no all-stars 30:08 wins championships. 30:10 Think of the spiritual 30:11 implications. 30:12 Paul here is saying, 30:14 "If you are going to conduct 30:15 yourself in a manner worthy 30:16 of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 30:18 here's what that will look like. 30:19 You will act together." 30:20 How many people in the 30:20 Philippian church? 30:22 We don't know. It doesn't say. 30:23 Undoubtedly, more than one. 30:24 There were probably many people 30:25 in the Philippian church, 30:26 given its location, et cetera, 30:27 et cetera. 30:28 Paul says, "How will I know 30:29 that you are acting in a manner 30:31 worthy of the Gospel of Christ? 30:32 It's because when you work 30:34 together, it will be not as 50, 30:36 not as 20, not as 100. 30:39 It will be as one person." 30:42 Wow! [ Laughs ] 30:44 That's an astonishing level of 30:46 oneness. 30:49 But it gets even better. 30:50 Verse 28, "Without 30:53 being frightened in any way 30:56 by those who oppose you." 30:57 Let me read the previous 30:58 sentence to that here again. 30:59 It's the middle of verse 27. 31:00 "Then, whether I come and see 31:01 you or only hear about you in my 31:02 absence, I will know that you 31:04 stand firm in one Spirit, 31:05 contending as one person 31:07 for the faith of the Gospel, 31:08 without being frightened in any 31:10 way by those who oppose you." 31:12 Isn't it interesting how 31:14 teamwork cuts fear right down? 31:17 You know, we Adventists, 31:19 we believe -- and rightly so -- 31:20 certain things about 31:21 what happens after you die. 31:23 When you die, you're dead. 31:24 [ Laughter ] 31:27 But 9 out of 10 Adventists 31:29 don't want to walk by themselves 31:30 through a dark cemetery 31:31 at night. 31:33 [ Laughter ] 31:35 "Uh, not so sure about that. 31:37 We may go through it, 31:38 but we're going to be quoting 31:39 Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 31:41 the whole way through," right? 31:42 The dead know nothing, 31:44 the dead know nothing, 31:44 dead know nothing? 31:46 [ Laughter ] 31:48 But if we take 10 other people 31:49 with us, it's a party. 31:52 "Oh, there's old So-and-so's 31:53 grave. 31:54 You remember? 31:55 He was a great guy." 31:56 We're just having a good time 31:58 because we're doing it together. 31:59 >> Yes, yes. 32:01 >> Teamwork has a way -- and 32:02 Paul, here, through the 32:03 inspiration of the Holy Spirit 32:04 of God, is recognizing 32:05 this fact. 32:06 Teamwork has a way of 32:08 cutting fear right down to size. 32:13 And it gets even better. 32:17 Verse 28, "Without being 32:19 frightened in any way by those 32:21 who oppose you. 32:22 This is a sign to them 32:25 that they will be destroyed, 32:27 but that you will be --" 32:30 What's that last word there? -- 32:32 "saved -- and that by God." 32:34 >> Amen. Amen. 32:37 >> Wow. 32:38 [ Chuckles ] 32:41 Teamwork... 32:44 unity... 32:46 cohesiveness. 32:48 Synergistic ministry for God 32:50 is a sign to the world 32:53 that we are Christians. 32:55 That's what he's saying here, 32:58 isn't it? 33:00 Paul says, "Conduct yourselves 33:01 in a manner worthy 33:02 of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." 33:03 What does that look like? 33:04 Well, it means that when we 33:05 work, we work together 33:07 as a team, and it's as though 33:09 there's only one person. 33:10 We're so cohesive 33:11 and in harmony in our movement, 33:13 it's as though there's one 33:14 person doing it. 33:15 This is a sign 33:18 that you will be saved, 33:21 that you are a Christian, 33:22 that you know Jesus Christ, 33:24 because that is salvation. 33:25 Jesus said, "And this is eternal 33:26 life, that you may -- they may 33:27 know You, the one true God, 33:28 and Jesus Christ," He says, 33:29 pointing to Himself, 33:30 "whom You have sent." 33:33 Teamwork, harmony, unity is a 33:35 sign of our salvation. 33:37 It's not the means 33:39 of our salvation, 33:40 but it is most certainly a sign 33:42 of it, the evidence of it. 33:46 In a world that is fractured 33:48 and fighting and going to war, 33:49 both on the battlefield 33:51 and in their living rooms, 33:52 Christians have the opportunity 33:53 to show the world what Jesus, 33:55 the Great Uniter, can do 33:57 when He is first in our lives. 34:02 And I wonder. 34:06 I wonder. 34:08 Is it possible 34:12 that the opposite is also true? 34:16 Now, what do I mean by that? 34:19 You know, sometimes when I'm 34:21 studying a passage of Scripture, 34:22 I like to read it backwards. 34:24 I like to kind of read 34:25 the meaning in reverse, 34:26 just to kind of illustrate 34:27 nuances and subtleties 34:29 in the text. 34:30 What comes next here? 34:31 This is just the Gospel 34:32 according to Shane. 34:33 You can take it or leave it. 34:34 Here's what I wonder. 34:36 Is it possible that the opposite 34:38 of what we've been talking about 34:39 here is also true? 34:40 What if, just as teamwork 34:42 and cooperation 34:43 in the Body of Christ 34:45 is a sign of our salvation 34:47 and a source of strength 34:48 and a sign of victory 34:48 over our enemies, 34:50 could it be also that 34:52 if we are not working together 34:53 as a team, if we are not 34:56 cooperating with each other, 34:58 that it is a sign that we are 35:03 lost? 35:06 That it is a sign of weakness. 35:10 And that those who oppose us, 35:12 instead of being overcome, 35:14 will actually overcome us. 35:18 I wonder. 35:23 Now, again, I don't want to 35:24 force something out of this text 35:25 that isn't there. 35:26 But whatever our interpretations 35:28 of this passage may be, 35:29 surely we can at least agree 35:31 on this. 35:33 Disunity in God's Church 35:36 is not God's desire. 35:39 Can you say amen to that? 35:40 >> Amen. 35:40 >> Amen and amen. 35:42 It's not His ideal. Hardly. 35:43 It's far removed from it. 35:45 And if we are continually 35:46 fractured in the Church, 35:48 if we allow ourselves to become 35:50 bitter with one another, 35:51 or if we're quietly 35:52 undermining a brother 35:53 or a sister in the Church 35:54 through gossip or innuendo, 35:56 we can be assured that this is 35:58 not what God has called us to, 36:01 And all such behavior 36:03 will adversely affect 36:05 our strength and our courage 36:06 and our ability to do what God 36:08 has asked us to do. 36:11 Now, small wonder, then, 36:14 that Jesus said what He said 36:17 in John 17:22-23. 36:20 Let me read it here. Jesus here. 36:22 This is the longest prayer 36:23 we have on record 36:24 of Jesus in the Bible. 36:25 These are literally his last 36:26 few hours before the Cross. 36:28 The Cross is just shortly 36:29 before Him. 36:30 He's there praying 36:31 for His disciples, 36:33 and then He transitions 36:34 to praying for us. 36:36 Jesus says, "I am not asking 36:37 on behalf of them alone --" 36:39 on his disciples, 36:40 the 12 disciples alone -- 36:41 "but also on behalf of those 36:43 who will believe in Me 36:44 through their message." 36:45 Who's that? 36:48 That's us, isn't it? That's us. 36:49 The reason I'm a Christian 36:50 and you're a Christian is 36:51 because the disciples told 36:52 somebody, who told somebody, who 36:53 told somebody, who told somebody 36:55 else, and then they told us. 36:56 Okay? 36:57 So, Jesus here is praying 36:58 for us, okay? 36:59 "That all of them may be --" 37:01 how many? 37:02 >> One. 37:03 >> "One, as You, Father, are 37:05 in Me, and I am in You. 37:06 May they also be in Us, 37:08 so that the world may believe 37:09 that You sent Me. 37:10 I have given them the glory 37:12 You gave Me, so that they 37:14 may be..." 37:15 >> "One." 37:16 >> "...as We are..." 37:17 >> "One." 37:18 >> "I in them and You in Me -- 37:21 that they may be --" and what 37:22 are those last two words? 37:23 >> "Perfectly united." 37:24 >> Whew. Wow. 37:26 Talk about sky-high. 37:29 Higher than the highest 37:30 Human thought is God's ideal 37:31 for His children. 37:32 This is astonishing 37:33 what God is calling us to. 37:35 [ Chuckles ] 37:38 And right here, I want to ask 37:39 a very important question -- 37:41 Why? 37:45 Why the sky-high calling, Jesus? 37:47 Why -- Why -- Why so much focus 37:49 on oneness and harmony and unity 37:51 in Your Church? 37:51 Why, Jesus? 37:54 You know, I think 37:56 there's at least two answers. 37:57 Number one, it's fun. 38:01 It's awesome. 38:04 Now I'm sure that 38:06 I'm going to find this here. 38:07 I just got here a few moments 38:08 ago, and I just became your 38:09 pastor a few minutes ago, 38:10 so I don't have years 38:11 of experience to pull on here, 38:12 but I'm sure it's true here. 38:13 In other places where I have 38:14 been, there have been times 38:16 when we have worked with such 38:19 cohesiveness, it has just been 38:20 awesome. 38:22 We have taken on tasks 38:23 as a church, and we have worked 38:25 together as a team in unity and 38:28 in love, and it was as though we 38:30 were contending as one person 38:31 for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 38:33 It's just an awesome thing. 38:34 You get up in the morning 38:35 and say, "How quickly can 38:37 I get down to the next activity 38:38 of God's people? 38:40 How much more time 38:41 can I spend with 38:43 what God is doing in this body?" 38:44 It's fun. It's awesome. 38:47 It's a great thing. 38:48 And that's one reason 38:50 why I think Jesus wants us 38:51 to experience that, because it's 38:52 just good for our souls, and 38:54 it's good for other people, too. 38:56 Speaking of, the second reason. 39:01 And an even more important one 39:03 than our own pleasure, 39:05 is a reason that Jesus Himself 39:08 gives in the last part of 39:10 verse 23. 39:13 Says, "I have given them --" 39:14 Jesus said in verse 22 -- "the 39:16 glory You gave Me, so that they 39:17 may be one as We are one -- I in 39:20 them and You in Me -- that they 39:21 may be perfectly united --" and 39:23 here's the last part now -- "so 39:25 that the world may know that You 39:29 sent Me and have loved them 39:32 just as You have loved Me." 39:35 >> Amen. 39:37 >> Hear it, and hear it well. 39:38 For all of the joy and 39:40 fulfillment and goodness that 39:42 comes to us in the Church from 39:44 working together in the 39:45 Body of Christ, it is ultimately 39:47 not for those reasons 39:49 that Christ has called us here 39:50 to be unified. 39:52 It is, instead, we are to be 39:54 unified for the sake of mission, 39:57 for the sake of making disciples 39:59 for Him. 40:01 Do you see it here? 40:02 If they know 40:05 that Jesus was sent from Heaven, 40:06 that the Father Himself sent 40:08 Jesus Christ, that He is God, 40:10 that He is the Creator, 40:11 that He is Lord of all, 40:12 and this same Jesus came here to 40:14 show His love, as it's talking 40:16 about here, this is the Gospel. 40:18 This is the making of disciples. 40:20 Jesus Himself is saying, 40:22 "Lord, Father in Heaven, 40:23 may they be one as We are One, 40:26 so that other people 40:27 may know us, as well." 40:29 This business of making 40:31 disciples, this is serious 40:32 stuff. 40:33 It's joyous stuff, 40:34 and it is our calling. 40:37 One of the things that means 40:39 is that all that is done here, 40:40 in and through this place, PMC, 40:42 right here in this building, is 40:43 to be geared toward 40:44 discipleship. 40:46 There are many things that we 40:47 can do here, all kinds of good 40:48 things that we can do. 40:49 But, at core, at root, Jesus has 40:51 said here, "Be one that you 40:53 might make disciples for Me." 40:54 All that is done here 40:55 must be geared towards that. 40:57 We are not yet in Heaven. 41:00 We cannot sit back 41:02 and simply enjoy the benefits 41:04 of Christian community without 41:05 expanding it to other people. 41:08 We are instead called to take 41:10 the harmony and the unity 41:12 and the oneness of action, 41:14 and use it to ceaselessly, 41:15 intentionally, and joyously 41:17 make more disciples for Jesus. 41:22 And let's put an even finer 41:23 point on this. 41:26 We -- and as of 20 minutes ago, 41:29 I can say this now -- we, 41:31 the Pioneer Memorial Church, 41:33 have the great privilege 41:35 of being on the campus 41:37 of Andrews University. 41:40 And just down the street, 41:41 we have two other institutions 41:43 that we are blessed to partner 41:44 with -- Andrews Academy 41:45 and Ruth Murdoch Elementary. 41:47 This means that in this church, 41:49 probably more than most 41:51 other churches on planet Earth, 41:53 because there are so many of you 41:54 here that that work at, 41:55 or have worked at, 41:57 or who are somehow connected 41:58 with these institutions, 41:59 we, as a church, as PMC, 42:01 we know how to do 42:03 a number of things really well. 42:05 I mean, I just got here, but 42:06 I've been around long enough, 42:07 I'm pretty sure about 42:08 what I'm going to say next here. 42:10 There are some things that 42:11 this place does really well. 42:12 We know how to teach. 42:13 I mean, this is where you go -- 42:15 right? -- to learn how to do 42:16 that. 42:17 We know how to do that 42:18 because you're also part 42:19 of our congregation here. 42:20 We know how to inspire people 42:21 to learn more in a given field 42:23 or within a given subject. 42:24 We know how to establish 42:26 and run new programs to meet 42:27 the changing needs of society, 42:29 to facilitate learning 42:30 in dozens of ways. 42:32 PMC, we know how to be part 42:34 of a campus that knows 42:36 how to recognize achievement, 42:38 conferring diplomas and degrees 42:39 and other accolades. 42:40 We know how to assist 42:42 in making world changes. 42:48 And on and on the list could go. 42:50 And I think that's awesome. 42:53 I think that's a great, 42:54 great thing. 42:55 It is incredible, it is 42:56 inspiring, it is essential. 42:58 And we must continue to strive 42:59 to be the absolute best 43:01 at these things that we can be. 43:03 And -- And -- 43:06 A-N-D -- And... 43:10 all of these good and necessary 43:13 and important things that I 43:14 just mentioned must be put into 43:16 the service of making disciples 43:17 of and for Jesus Christ. 43:19 >> Amen. 43:21 >> George Knight -- 43:22 he was one of my professors 43:23 when I was here at the seminary. 43:25 After my book came out, in '09, 43:26 I had the privilege of -- we 43:28 didn't travel together, 43:29 but in essence, we did, 43:31 because we spoke at a lot of 43:32 the same conventions and places, 43:34 and I learned a lot. 43:35 And one of the things 43:35 that I learned from George 43:37 came from his book 43:38 "Myths in Adventism." 43:40 This is an older book. 43:41 I believe, in the '90s is when 43:42 it came out. 43:43 And he had a quotation, 43:45 pages 50 and 51, 43:46 that I want to put up here. 43:48 Now, in this quote, 43:49 George is overlapping 43:52 some of his commentary 43:54 with Ellen White quotations. 43:55 And you'll see it here. 43:56 Let's read this. 43:57 It says, "'In the highest 43:59 sense,' penned Ellen White, 'the 44:01 work of education and the work 44:03 of redemption are --" how many? 44:04 >> One. 44:05 >> There's that word again -- 44:06 "one" -- "because both build 44:08 directly upon Jesus Christ. 44:10 To lead the student into a 44:13 saving relationship with 44:14 Jesus Christ 'should be the 44:16 teacher's first effort and his 44:17 constant aim.'" 44:18 Wow. 44:20 "Education, page 30." 44:21 "Here is education's 44:23 highest and primary goal." 44:26 The number-one goal of Adventist 44:28 education, the number-one goal 44:29 of every Adventist educator 44:31 in every classroom, whether it's 44:32 in the school or in the 44:33 Sabbath-school class, or just in 44:34 personal conversations -- the 44:36 number-one goal of Adventist 44:38 education is to establish the 44:39 student in a saving relationship 44:41 with Jesus Christ. 44:42 That is its primary purpose. 44:44 We say, "Well, how important 44:45 is that?" 44:46 Well, it's interesting what 44:46 Dr. Knight here says. 44:48 "Mrs. White wrote that the 44:50 'all-important thing' in 44:51 education 'should be the 44:52 conversion' of the students." 44:54 It's "Fundamentals of 44:55 Education," page 436. 44:56 "It is upon the foundation --" 44:58 and by the way, this is 44:59 Dr. Knight's emphasis, not mine. 45:01 "It is upon the foundation of 45:03 the new birth experience that 45:05 Christian education can proceed 45:07 with its other aims and 45:08 purposes. 45:09 If it fails at this foundational 45:12 and primary point, it has failed 45:14 entirely." 45:17 Wow. 45:20 The conversion of students 45:22 is not the only thing 45:23 on a teacher's list. 45:25 It's just number one. 45:27 It's primary. It's first. 45:31 And I praise the Lord for this. 45:33 And I praise the Lord 45:36 specifically because I and you, 45:39 we, have the privilege of 45:41 sitting where we are sitting. 45:42 You say, "What do you mean?" 45:43 The wonderful truth about this 45:45 campus, the flagship campus of 45:47 the Seventh-Day Adventist 45:48 Church, is that every year, 45:50 there are students, from the 45:52 youngest kindergartner to the 45:53 oldest grad student, hundreds of 45:55 which have not yet made a 45:58 decision for Jesus Christ. 46:00 And they are right here. 46:02 They are right here. 46:04 They come to us, to this campus. 46:06 They're right on our doorstep. 46:08 And we have the privilege 46:09 of seeking and praying, 46:10 acting in the love of Christ, 46:12 to help them to know 46:13 Jesus Christ as their personal 46:14 friend and Savior. 46:16 That's an awesome thing. 46:19 And to our point this morning, 46:21 how much better -- how much 46:23 better -- can we carry out 46:24 that blessed task 46:26 than when we work together 46:27 as a team to do it? 46:29 >> Amen. Amen. 46:32 >> So we've talked about the 46:34 what -- Christian unity. 46:36 We've talked about the why -- 46:39 blessings to ourselves, yes, 46:41 but ultimately to make disciples 46:42 of other people. 46:44 And for our purposes 46:45 this morning, just one 46:46 more question to ask and answer. 46:49 How? How? 46:53 How is this level of unity, 46:56 that Christ calls us to, 46:57 to be achieved? 47:02 Some of you are wondering 47:04 how I'm going to answer this 47:05 in the next three minutes. 47:06 [ Laughter ] 47:08 Because you've been an Adventist 47:09 for a while, right? 47:12 And especially, you know -- and 47:14 let's take us out of this 47:15 current context for just a 47:16 moment. 47:17 Anytime there is a group of 47:18 people in an educational context 47:21 asking questions, differences 47:22 of opinion is part and parcel. 47:24 It's part of the fuel 47:25 that runs the place. 47:26 Am I right? Okay? 47:28 So, how do you find unity 47:30 in that? 47:32 There's no doubt that Jesus 47:35 is calling us to us -- to it. 47:36 I mean, this is not optional. 47:38 It's not like Jesus is giving 47:39 you multiple choice. 47:40 You could choose harmony, you 47:41 could choose, eh, tolerance. 47:43 You can kind of make do with. 47:44 No, he doesn't say that. 47:45 He's called us to be as close 47:47 to one another in our ministry 47:48 for Him as He is to the Father. 47:51 This is not an option. 47:53 How is it to be achieved? 47:57 You know, we could talk about 47:58 the importance of good 47:59 communication, 48:01 of withholding judgment, 48:03 listening to one another. 48:05 We could talk about 48:07 the importance of forgiveness, 48:09 forbearance, love, charity. 48:13 And all of those are important 48:15 paths to achieving 48:16 Christian unity. 48:17 And on other Sabbaths, perhaps 48:19 we will talk about those things. 48:22 But, ultimately, for our 48:24 purposes today, there is only 48:25 one best answer 48:29 as to how this unity 48:31 is to be achieved. 48:33 The ultimate key to achieving 48:35 genuine Christian unity, 48:38 the indispensable path 48:40 to becoming unified 48:42 and solidified and harmonious 48:43 and acting as one person 48:45 in our ministry for God, 48:47 the answer 48:51 is Jesus Christ. 48:55 Jesus Christ. 48:58 And it's not because I say so. 49:01 It's because He does. 49:03 Final quote for you here today, 49:04 John 12:32. Jesus is speaking. 49:07 He says, "And I, if I am lifted 49:09 up from the earth, will draw all 49:11 peoples to Myself." 49:14 Was Jesus lifted up 49:16 from the earth? 49:17 Yes, he was. 49:19 He was crucified. 49:21 Crucified for my sins and for 49:22 yours, and He lay in the grave, 49:23 and He rose on the third day 49:25 that we might have eternal life, 49:27 that we might be saved 49:27 from our life of sin. 49:29 And as it turns out, because 49:31 of this, unity is a location. 49:35 Did you hear me? 49:36 Unity is a location. 49:38 Jesus said that He is the foci, 49:43 the locus of Christian unity. 49:46 If unity is to be found, there's 49:47 only one place to find it, 49:48 and that's gathered around 49:49 Jesus Christ 49:51 with wounded hands and wounded 49:52 feet and wounded side. 49:53 That is the place 49:54 that Christian unity is found. 49:55 It cannot 49:57 All of the good communication 49:59 and forbearance and tolerance, 50:00 et cetera, that has its place. 50:01 It's even indispensable. 50:03 But more important than all 50:04 of that -- are we with Jesus? 50:08 That is the source of our unity. 50:10 It's the only place 50:12 that it can be found. 50:15 And it is through the unity 50:16 that we find there that the 50:18 Church will, by their sweat and 50:20 God's grace, strive to help 50:21 others to become Christ's 50:22 disciples, as well. 50:25 Hmm. 50:26 You know, [Sighs] 50:29 as it turns out, 50:33 the shot of a lifetime 50:36 is not dunking 50:38 in the all-star game. 50:40 The shot of a lifetime 50:42 is not hitting a home run 50:43 in the World Series. 50:46 The shot of a lifetime is not 50:48 scoring that winning goal 50:49 in an NHL championship. 50:51 It's not marrying 50:53 the person of your dreams, 50:54 as important as that is. 50:56 The shot of a lifetime 50:57 is not becoming a millionaire 50:58 or a billionaire 51:00 or becoming famous. 51:01 It's none of those things. 51:04 It turns out that the one true 51:07 shot of a lifetime is coming to 51:09 know Jesus Christ as your 51:10 personal friend and Savior. 51:12 That is the shot of a lifetime. 51:15 And you and I, we have a choice. 51:17 We have a decision to make. 51:19 We can commit ourselves 51:22 to Jesus Christ 51:23 as our friend and Savior, 51:25 walking with Him daily, 51:27 getting to know Him better 51:28 and better, taking our eyes off 51:30 of ourselves and, instead, 51:32 fix our eyes on the greatest 51:34 prize of all -- Jesus Christ. 51:37 And the inevitable result 51:39 will be unity -- a unity that is 51:41 best expressed, Jesus says, 51:43 in making disciples for Him. 51:46 May God richly bless us 51:48 as we seek to be 51:50 that kind of church. 51:52 >> Amen. 51:54 [ Applause ] 52:00 [ Soldiers of Christ, Arise" 52:01 begins ] 52:04 ♪ 52:13 ♪ 52:23 ♪ 52:33 [ Congregation singing ] 53:49 ♪ 53:55 ♪ 54:00 [ Congregation singing ] 54:47 >> And all God's people say... 54:48 >> Amen and amen. 54:50 >> Let us pray. 54:52 Father in Heaven, you have been 54:53 so good to us in sending your 54:54 Son, Jesus. 54:55 Thank you for coming. 54:56 Thank you for being our 54:58 salvation, our constant grace, 55:00 and our strength. 55:01 And Lord, today we want to thank 55:03 you especially for being 55:04 the source of our unity. 55:07 Indeed, Lord, may this be a 55:08 place, may this be a campus and 55:10 extended campuses, Lord, 55:11 not just here, but around the 55:12 world, where Your unity is 55:15 exemplified in our midst. 55:17 May the harvest be rich, Lord, 55:19 because of it. 55:20 And we ask this in Your name. 55:21 >> Amen. 55:24 [ Organ plays ] 55:26 ♪ 55:37 >> What is it about 55:38 the holiday season 55:39 that gives you the greatest joy? 55:42 Is it the time spent cutting 55:43 down the family Christmas tree 55:45 at the local farm? 55:46 Or if you're south 55:47 of the equator, 55:48 maybe it's the time spent 55:49 with friends under palm trees 55:51 at the beach. 55:52 Perhaps you find joy 55:54 in contemplating the profound 55:55 meaning of the carols 55:56 that we sing. 55:58 Or maybe Christmas joy for you 56:00 is found in the spirit of giving 56:02 that surrounds this season. 56:04 As we reflect on these joys, 56:06 let's always remember 56:07 the great light who guides us -- 56:09 the source of joy 56:10 and meaning in life, 56:11 the loving Father 56:12 Who is at the heart 56:14 of all treasured relationships, 56:16 and the wonderful God 56:17 who gave the ultimate gift 56:19 in a newborn child. 56:21 Some of my joy this season 56:23 comes in part from your letters 56:24 and e-mails, your prayers, 56:26 and your faithful giving of 56:27 support for this ministry, 56:29 which literally reaches 56:30 around the world. 56:32 If you've been blessed 56:32 this year, 56:33 I'd like to ask you to join 56:35 the many people who financially 56:36 support Pioneer's media 56:38 ministry, which brings you this 56:39 program. 56:41 It's simple to do. 56:42 Just call our toll-free number, 56:44 877-HIS-WILL. 56:47 One of our friendly operators 56:48 will be happy to help you. 56:50 You can also click the Donate 56:52 link at the top of our website, 56:54 pmchurch.org, and look for the 56:56 Media Ministry option. 56:58 Truly, no gift is too small 57:00 for God to use to spread 57:01 the good news of His love, 57:03 His sacrifice, and His future 57:05 plans for our happiness. 57:07 Every gift is entirely invested 57:09 in our mission to communicate 57:11 God's good news to a generation 57:13 who needs the hope found in 57:15 Jesus, Who alone can bring them 57:17 true joy in life. 57:19 Once again, our website 57:21 is pmchurch.org. 57:23 This season, know that our 57:25 Pioneer family is praying for 57:27 you and that our greatest wish 57:29 is that Emmanuel, Jesus Christ 57:32 in the flesh and in your heart, 57:34 will be at the center 57:34 of the best memories made 57:36 with your family and friends. 57:38 [ "Silent Night" plays ] 57:41 ♪ 57:48 ♪ 58:00 [ Mid-tempo music plays ] 58:03 ♪ 58:11 ♪ 58:20 ♪ |
Revised 2023-12-14