Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230812S
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00:02 ♪
00:14 [ Organ plays ] 00:17 ♪ 00:27 ♪ 00:37 ♪ 00:46 ♪ 00:56 ♪ 01:06 ♪ 01:16 ♪ 01:25 ♪ 01:35 ♪ 01:45 ♪ 01:55 ♪ 02:05 ♪ 02:14 ♪ 02:24 ♪ 02:34 ♪ 02:44 ♪ 02:53 ♪ 03:03 ♪ 03:13 ♪ 03:23 ♪ 03:32 ♪ 03:42 ♪ 03:52 ♪ 04:09 >> Good morning, 04:11 brothers and sisters. 04:12 [ Audience murmurs ] 04:14 It's not such a good morning? 04:16 Good morning, 04:17 brothers and sisters. 04:19 >> Good morning! 04:20 >> Happy Sabbath. 04:21 >> Happy Sabbath. 04:22 >> Good to see you. 04:25 On behalf of the pastors 04:26 and the leaders 04:27 and all the members of 04:28 Pioneer Memorial Church, 04:30 I extend a very warm welcome 04:33 to you today to worship. 04:35 We are glad that you chose 04:37 to worship with us 04:38 in this house of prayer 04:40 for all of God's people. 04:42 Welcome. 04:44 Our call to worship today 04:46 reminds us of a few reasons 04:47 why we come to worship here 04:50 every week and today. 04:52 And I invite you to join me as 04:53 we read together responsively. 05:23 >> Please stand with me as we 05:25 pray and remain standing 05:27 afterwards for the hymn. 05:31 Loving God of the universe, 05:34 what a joy it is to call you 05:37 Father, friend, savior, 05:41 redeemer. 05:43 What a blessing to be able to be 05:46 in your house of worship 05:48 on this day, 05:50 to give you honor and glory 05:52 and praise. 05:56 As we come, Lord, I invite you 05:59 to arrest our thoughts, 06:04 imprison our minds, 06:08 captivate our entire being, 06:13 fill us with your spirit 06:16 so that we might be healed, 06:18 we might proclaim, 06:20 and we might live Your love 06:23 as You teach us how to worship 06:26 You in spirit and in truth. 06:29 Amen. 06:30 >> Amen. 06:32 [ "Praise, My Soul, 06:35 the King of Heaven" begins ] 06:38 ♪ 06:47 ♪ 06:57 ♪ 07:39 ♪ 07:47 ♪ 09:00 ♪ 09:06 ♪ 09:51 ♪ 09:59 ♪ 10:06 ♪ 10:14 ♪ 10:26 ♪ 10:36 ♪ 10:46 ♪ 10:56 ♪ 11:06 ♪ 11:15 ♪ 11:25 ♪ 11:35 ♪ 11:45 ♪ 11:54 ♪ 12:04 ♪ 12:14 ♪ 12:24 ♪ 12:34 ♪ 12:43 ♪ 12:53 ♪ 13:03 ♪ 13:13 [ Applause ] 13:24 >> Okay. Thank you so much 13:27 for all those offerings. 13:28 Thank you, Mr. Deacon, 13:31 for helping us to spend 13:32 that wisely. 13:34 Good morning, boys and girls. 13:36 >> Good morning. 13:38 >> How are you today? 13:39 >> I'm great. 13:41 >> Ooh, "I'm great." 13:42 That sounds good. 13:43 Who is excited to go back 13:44 to school? 13:46 >> Me. 13:46 >> Oh, boy. 13:47 >> Me. 13:48 >> Me. 13:48 >> Me, me, me. 13:49 Why are you excited? 13:52 >> [ Speaking indistinctly ] 13:55 >> Okay. You're excited 13:57 to go back to school? 13:57 Wonderful. 13:59 Why are you excited to go back? 14:01 >> Because I'm going 14:02 into first grade. 14:03 >> Oh, excellent. 14:04 Congratulations. 14:06 Somebody over here. 14:07 Why are you excited to go back? 14:10 >> Because it's very fun. 14:13 >> It's very fun. 14:15 Okay, one more. 14:18 >> The reason why I'm excited 14:19 to go back to school -- 14:20 Well, I'm kind of not. 14:21 I'm kind of in the middle 14:22 because I want the summer 14:23 vacation to last longer. 14:25 But then I also want to go back 14:26 to school 14:27 because it's all exciting 14:28 because you get to meet your new 14:29 teachers, your new classmates. 14:31 >> Okay. 14:32 >> So it's really exciting. 14:33 >> It's exciting. 14:34 Is it A little bit -- 14:35 [ Laughs ] 14:37 That's an essay. Okay. 14:38 Is it a little bit scary, too, 14:40 to go back to school? 14:42 Anybody a little bit scared 14:43 to go? 14:44 You are? Okay. 14:45 Anybody else a little bit 14:46 scared, a little bit not sure? 14:49 A little bit -- You are? Okay. 14:51 Well, I am sometimes, too. 14:55 But what would you do if, one 14:59 day, you came upon a giant? 15:03 A giant. 15:05 You're just going to school. 15:06 You're just doing your thing, 15:08 going to your class, talking 15:10 to your teacher, going home. 15:11 And then, one day, 15:13 you meet up on a giant. 15:14 You know what a giant is? 15:17 >> Nine feet tall. 15:18 Maybe about nine feet, yes. 15:21 Yeah. Someone who's about 15:22 9 feet or 10 feet, yeah. 15:24 What do you have to tell me? 15:27 >> I know what a giant is. 15:28 >> Oh, you know what a giant is. 15:29 I'm glad you do. 15:30 [ Laughing ] Okay. 15:32 Okay, so there's a little boy 15:35 who can teach us a lot 15:38 of lessons about what to do 15:39 when we meet upon giants. 15:42 And some of you already know 15:43 the story, but I want you 15:45 to hear my version of it, 15:46 and then you can 15:47 fill in as I ask you. 15:48 Okay? So there's this little 15:51 boy, and he used to wash the 15:53 sheep for his dad. 15:55 And one day -- You know, 15:57 he had seven brothers. 15:58 Anybody here have seven 15:59 brothers? 16:00 No. Well, he had seven brothers, 16:03 and he was the youngest brother. 16:05 And his father 16:07 had him watching the sheep. 16:08 One day, he went, his father 16:10 sent him to do an errand. 16:12 And when he went, 16:13 he found out that there were 16:14 some people in trouble 16:17 and he realized that they had 16:18 been in trouble for some days. 16:20 In fact, for 40 days. 16:23 You know? 40 days. 16:25 This giant had been trying 16:27 to fight them. 16:29 And when the giant came 16:30 and shouted, 16:32 what did the adults do? 16:33 They ran. They were so scared. 16:36 And then, when this little boy 16:37 heard, he said, 16:39 "I'm not scared of the giant. 16:41 I will fight the giant." 16:43 And when he said that, his 16:45 brother said, "Oh, no, you can't 16:46 fight the giant, be quiet." 16:48 And the king said, 16:49 "Oh, are you sure?" 16:50 And he said, 16:51 "Yes, I can fight the giant. 16:53 Why can I fight the giant? 16:55 Because God helped me to fight, 16:57 delivered me from a lion and God 17:00 delivered me from a bear. 17:01 So God will deliver me 17:03 from the giant." 17:05 And guess what? 17:06 He went and he went with God's 17:09 help, and what did he do? 17:12 Anybody knows the story? 17:14 Yeah. What happened? 17:15 >> He got a sling and some 17:16 rocks. 17:17 >> He had a sling and some 17:18 rocks, and what happened? 17:20 He slayed the giant, didn't he? 17:23 A little boy slaying -- 17:25 Well, how tall did you say? 17:26 10 feet? Something like that. 17:28 Yeah, a little boy 17:29 slaying a 10-feet giant. 17:31 That's like me and you on top of 17:33 my head and some more. 17:34 And a little -- 17:36 How could a little boy slay 17:37 a big giant? 17:40 How could that happen? 17:42 Yeah? 17:43 >> Because he had 17:45 God's help with. 17:46 >> He had God's help with him. 17:49 So I think that little boy 17:51 teaches us a lot of lessons. 17:53 And, you know, after he slayed 17:55 the giant, then the adults were 17:57 more encouraged and they didn't 17:59 run away anymore. 18:00 They were not afraid. 18:01 So the little boy teaches us 18:03 what? 18:03 He teaches us that God 18:06 will help us to slay our giants. 18:10 Isn't that a wonderful thing? 18:12 And that God will help us 18:14 and give us confidence 18:16 so that we can face our giants. 18:19 So if you're a little scared 18:20 for any reason, if you're 18:22 a little anxious for any reason, 18:24 if you're a little nervous, 18:25 or if you're a lot scared, 18:28 if the giant is really, 18:29 really big, if that class 18:31 is really, really hard, 18:33 if that girl is really, 18:34 really unkind, if that boy 18:37 won't let you play with him 18:39 and you see him as a big giant, 18:41 remember, you can pray 18:43 and ask God to help you to deal 18:45 with this giant. 18:47 Who wants to thank God 18:48 that he will help you 18:50 and all of us 18:52 to deal with our giants? 18:54 I actually saw him first, 18:55 so I'll ask him. 18:56 Come and tell us your name, 18:58 and then you can pray for us. 19:02 What's your name? 19:03 >> Adam. 19:05 >> Adam, can you pray for us, 19:05 please? 19:06 And thank God that he helps us 19:07 with our giants. 19:08 >> Dear Jesus, 19:10 thank you for this day. 19:11 Help us with our giants. 19:13 And, Lord, please help it 19:15 to be another wonderful day. 19:16 And thank you. Amen. 19:18 >> Amen. 19:20 Okay. Remember, as you go back 19:22 and as you start school, 19:24 that God is big and stronger -- 19:26 bigger and stronger 19:27 than any giant you will face. 19:31 Okay? Thank you. 19:34 You may go back to your seats. 19:35 [ Organ plays ] 19:39 ♪ 19:47 ♪ 19:56 ♪ 20:05 ♪ 20:13 ♪ 20:22 ♪ 20:33 >> Today's Scripture reading 20:34 is found in Psalm 89:1. 20:39 "I will sing of the Lord's 20:40 great love forever. 20:43 With my mouth, 20:44 I will make your faithfulness 20:46 known through all generations." 20:50 [ "There Is a Name 20:53 I Love to Hear" begins ] 20:55 ♪ 21:04 ♪ 21:12 ♪ 23:20 ♪ 23:29 >> Number of years ago, 23:30 a friend of mine invited me 23:32 to join his county league coed 23:36 volleyball team. 23:38 Now, for those of you 23:39 that are not familiar 23:40 with county league sports, 23:42 it's just what it sounds like -- 23:43 a county in a given area 23:45 will form a sports league. 23:47 Anybody who's willing to pay 23:48 the entry fee can sign up 23:49 and you can play a season 23:51 in the league. 23:52 Well, I like volleyball. 23:54 And, also, for those of you 23:55 who don't know, county league 23:56 is a great way to meet people 23:58 that don't know the Lord. 23:59 If you're looking for ways 24:00 to branch out 24:01 of the Berrien bubble, 24:02 that may be a way to do it. 24:04 So I accepted readily. 24:06 We went to the gymnasium 24:07 for the very first game. 24:09 I had not met 24:11 yet the rest of our team. 24:12 I saw my friend across the gym. 24:14 I went over to meet him, 24:15 and he said, 24:15 "Well, let me introduce you 24:16 to the rest of the team." 24:18 So we went down the line, 24:20 and the athlete in me, 24:22 at first, was impressed. 24:24 There were some athletic-looking 24:25 guys there, tall guys there, 24:28 and then we came to Michelle. 24:32 Now, Michelle is not her real 24:34 name. 24:35 I'm just going to call her 24:36 Michelle for the sake of 24:37 the story. 24:38 Michelle was there and Michelle 24:40 was not terribly awe-inspiring 24:42 from an athletic perspective. 24:43 She was all of 5'9". 24:47 I was told after first service 24:48 that it was insulting 24:49 that I thought 5'9" was short. 24:51 [ Laughter ] 24:54 So let me just assure you 24:55 my sincere apologies. 24:57 I used to be exactly 24:58 your same height if you're 5'9". 25:02 In the third grade. 25:06 She was 5'9", if that. 25:08 She was not super husky. 25:11 No bench press competition 25:12 winners in danger there. 25:14 And I thought to myself, 25:16 if we're going to have to cover 25:17 for somebody, if there's 25:18 a weak link on our team, 25:20 it's going to be Michelle. 25:23 We finished warming up and 25:24 we began to play our first game. 25:27 And within moments, 25:29 it became clear 25:31 that Michelle was not only good, 25:34 she was by far the best player 25:37 on the court. 25:40 And actually, for the rest of 25:41 the season, every team that we 25:43 played, Michelle clearly showed 25:45 that she was the best player 25:47 on the court. 25:48 She could spike from anywhere. 25:50 Sometimes maybe back. 25:51 But it was incredible to watch. 25:52 She would dive and get 25:53 other people's spikes 25:54 and recover them. 25:55 She would serve, 25:56 and there's probably still singe 25:57 marks on the top of nets 25:59 just where she barely crested it 26:01 on a way to another ace 26:02 on the other team. 26:03 She was amazing. 26:05 And, actually, it turns out 26:07 that there's a reason for that. 26:10 You see, some years prior 26:11 to joining our little 26:12 county league volleyball team, 26:14 Michelle had been part 26:16 of a little sports organization 26:18 that perhaps you've heard 26:18 of before. 26:20 It was the US Olympic Women's 26:23 Volleyball Team. 26:27 No joke. And she was 26:29 no joke on the court. 26:30 She was devastating. 26:32 I learned more in just 26:33 a few games watching Michelle 26:35 than I ever did in school 26:36 in volleyball class. 26:37 It was amazing to watch. 26:39 Needless to say, 26:40 we did very well that season. 26:49 Sometimes there is far more 26:54 potential 26:56 in someone than first meets 26:59 the eye. 27:02 If you have a Bible, 27:04 take a look, please, 27:05 at Luke 5:27. 27:07 Luke 5:27. 27:11 Luke, of course, 27:13 is one of the Gospels. 27:14 It's one of the good 27:15 news segments here 27:17 of the New Testament that tells 27:18 the story of the birth, 27:19 the ministry, the death, 27:20 the resurrection of Jesus. 27:22 In Luke 5, we're early. 27:24 This is early in the ministry of 27:25 Jesus. 27:25 He's not yet gathered 27:26 all of his disciples, Peter, 27:27 James, John, et cetera there. 27:28 But the rest of the crew 27:29 is being gathered. 27:32 Where we are going to read now, 27:33 Jesus has just finished 27:35 performing an incredible 27:35 miracle. 27:36 He's healed a man that had been 27:38 paralyzed for quite some time. 27:40 Coming off of that spiritual 27:42 mountain, Jesus meets someone. 27:46 Let's read about it. 27:47 Luke 5:27. 27:49 Says, "After this, Jesus went 27:52 out and saw a tax collector 27:54 by the name of Levi" -- 27:56 This is Levi/Matthew -- 27:58 "sitting at his tax booth. 28:01 'Follow me,' Jesus said. 28:04 And Levi got up, left 28:06 everything, and followed Him." 28:11 Pause there for a moment. 28:13 You know, spirit of prophecy 28:14 encourages us to 28:15 inject our imagination 28:16 into the stories of the Bible, 28:18 to imagine what it would be like 28:20 if we were actually present 28:22 in these stories. 28:24 You know, in my mind's eye, 28:25 when I see Jesus walking here 28:27 and he comes to this tax booth 28:28 where Levi/Matthew is, 28:30 this is something that probably 28:31 caused a little bit of stress 28:33 on the part of the disciples. 28:35 I can see 28:35 Peter thinking to himself, 28:37 "Oh, Lord, what are you doing? 28:38 We don't need to go to the tax 28:39 collecting booth. 28:40 It's not tax time for you. 28:42 Why are you going there?" 28:44 And then, maybe 28:46 Peter saw the same look on 28:48 Jesus' face that 28:50 Jesus had when he called Peter 28:52 to be one of his disciples. 28:55 And now the alarm bells are just 28:58 ringing in Peter's brain. 28:59 "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, 29:00 no, no. 29:01 No potential here, Lord. 29:03 In fact, quite the opposite. 29:04 Don't do it, Jesus. 29:05 Don't do it." 29:10 Because as probably 29:12 many of you know, if you've 29:13 spent time in the Bible 29:15 and been around church 29:16 for a while, you know why it was 29:17 that probably the other 29:19 disciples saw no potential in 29:21 Levi/Matthew. 29:22 Levi/Matthew was a tax 29:25 collector -- that's strike one. 29:27 And a tax collector 29:28 meant that he worked 29:29 for the Roman government. 29:30 The Romans were the dominant 29:32 power in the world at that time. 29:33 The Jews were subject to 29:34 Roman law. 29:36 It stuck in their craw. 29:37 It would have mine, as well. 29:39 And the taxes 29:40 that were collected 29:41 were often onerous ones. 29:43 Too much then what should have 29:45 been collected. 29:46 But Matthew had 29:48 another thing wrong with him. 29:49 He was a Jew 29:51 working for the Romans. 29:53 In other words, 29:54 he was essentially taking Jewish 29:56 blood money, extracting taxes. 29:59 And of course, the way that 30:00 tax collectors made their money 30:01 was not just by getting 30:02 some sort of stipend 30:03 from the Roman government. 30:04 It's what you could take extra. 30:06 So if you had 10 shekels worth 30:08 of tax, you would be charged 30:09 20 shekels and the tax collector 30:11 could pocket the remainder 30:12 for himself. 30:15 Three strikes and you're out. 30:17 Matthew represented everything 30:19 that was wrong in Judaism. 30:22 And I would imagine 30:23 the disciples thought 30:24 this was the last person that 30:27 Jesus should make a disciple. 30:31 And yet Jesus comes to Matthew 30:32 and he says, "Follow me." 30:38 Stunning to the disciples 30:39 and not just the disciples. 30:41 Verse 29. 30:44 "Then Levi held a great banquet 30:45 for Jesus at his house, 30:46 and a large crowd 30:47 of tax collectors and others 30:48 were eating with them. 30:49 But the Pharisees 30:50 and the teachers of the law 30:52 who belonged to their sect 30:53 complained to his disciples, 30:55 'Why do you eat and drink with 30:57 tax collectors and sinners?'" 30:59 Now pause again. 31:01 Who invited these guys? 31:04 I have no idea. 31:05 Have you ever wondered? 31:05 They seem to kind of show up. 31:06 They're like flies on the wall 31:08 that every now and then speak, 31:09 right? 31:09 And somehow they are here at 31:11 this feast. 31:12 And again, if I use my 31:13 imagination, and I think about 31:14 this, what was it that caused 31:16 such irritation for for the 31:17 Pharisees that were here? 31:18 Here's my guess -- everywhere 31:21 they looked in that house, 31:25 They saw betrayal. 31:28 "Who paid for this grand table 31:29 that's been set out here?" 31:30 "Oh, I think I did 31:32 with my tax dollars." 31:33 "Who paid for this great feast 31:35 that's been spread out here?" 31:36 There's all of this fruit 31:38 and the new wine that was there. 31:40 "Who paid for all of this?" 31:41 "Well, I think actually, 31:42 I did with my tax dollars." 31:43 "Who paid 31:44 for the silver chandelier and 31:45 these goblets that are here?" 31:46 In all of these people, 31:49 surely there is no potential 31:52 for the kingdom in this room. 31:54 And in a fit of rage and 31:56 frustration, the Pharisees say, 31:58 "What are you doing? 31:59 How can you hang 32:01 with this crowd?" 32:06 Jesus has an answer. Verse 31. 32:10 "Jesus answered them, quote, 32:12 'It is not the healthy 32:14 who need a doctor but the sick. 32:18 I have not come to call 32:19 the righteous 32:21 but sinners to repentance.'" 32:29 I think there's at least two 32:30 lessons that we can gain here. 32:33 Number one... 32:38 >> Amen. 32:41 >> Those of you that said amen 32:42 here in the front row, 32:43 we're going to have a meeting 32:43 afterwards 32:44 for the rest of the congregation 32:46 that may not have understood 32:47 the gravity of what I said 32:48 previously, okay? 32:49 So hang around, we'll talk. 32:50 We'll see if we can make 32:51 some converts here, right? 32:53 Lesson number one... 32:56 >> Amen. 32:58 >> You know, I don't know what 32:59 your week was like, I don't know 33:00 what your year has been like, 33:01 but maybe it's been 33:03 the kind of week or year 33:04 where you look in the mirror 33:05 and you just don't see much 33:06 potential yourself. 33:09 Maybe you look there 33:10 and you think, "Maybe I'm past 33:12 the reaches of God's grace 33:13 and his mercy and his love." 33:14 If you are tempted to think 33:15 that, think again. 33:18 Because the story of 33:19 Levi/Matthew and the subsequent 33:21 feast shouts at us. 33:22 God cares. God loves. 33:24 He looks. He sees all that 33:25 we are, our faults, 33:26 our sins, all of the mistakes 33:27 that we've made, and he says, 33:29 "You are someone that, if you 33:31 just take my hand, you can still 33:33 come into my kingdom." 33:34 >> Amen. 33:35 >> Jesus sees great potential 33:37 in each one of us. 33:37 And secondly, 33:38 all of this means... 33:46 Now, let that sink in. 33:48 There are some people 33:49 that we put into that category, 33:51 huh, that, well, not so sure 33:52 about that one. 33:54 The person that cuts you off 33:55 on 94 the last time you were 33:56 headed to Chicago, right? 33:58 Yeah. The person that steps in 33:59 front of you at the grocery line 34:01 when you're trying to check out 34:01 and you're already 10 34:02 or 15 minutes late. Okay. 34:04 Or the person that is engaged 34:06 in what, in your mind, 34:07 is the worst of sins? 34:10 Surely they're beyond. 34:11 Maybe Jesus doesn't want them. 34:14 No, actually, he does. 34:16 You have never laid eyes 34:18 on someone that Jesus 34:19 didn't want to save. 34:22 And as we've been talking about, 34:23 Jesus invites us 34:26 who know Him to participate 34:28 in this saving process. 34:30 Now, with that in mind, let's do 34:33 a thought experiment here. Okay? 34:34 Just in our mind's eye here, 34:38 humor me. 34:38 As I go through this, some of 34:40 you are going to say, 34:41 "That's impossible." 34:42 Just hang with me. 34:43 Imagine with me. 34:44 So let's go on this 34:45 little thought experiment. 34:47 I want you to imagine 34:49 that, let's say, me 34:52 and the elders here at Pioneer, 34:54 that we read 34:55 the story of Levi/Matthew 34:57 and we are super inspired. 34:58 The spirit is moving, 34:59 and we all make a covenant 35:01 that we will not rest 35:03 until there are 35:05 500 guests on a Sabbath 35:08 morning here at Pioneer. 35:10 500 guests that either have 35:13 never made a decision for Jesus 35:14 or for some reason are not ready 35:16 for Jesus to come. 35:18 500 people. That's our goal. 35:20 And, so, we powwow, we pray, 35:22 and we break, and off we go. 35:24 And we're knocking on doors and 35:25 we're going to gas stations 35:26 interrupting people while 35:27 they're filling their cars 35:28 with gas. 35:29 We're going to grocery stores. 35:30 We're going to schools 35:31 and our places of work, 35:32 and we are inviting -- 35:33 And I want you to imagine 35:34 that, in this situation, 35:37 we could know 35:39 that they were going to come. 35:42 And then, let's imagine 35:45 that we did it. 35:47 500 people guaranteed to be here 35:51 on the first Sabbath of 2024, 35:54 January 2024. 35:56 Now, question. 36:00 Knowing that those people were 36:02 coming, what would we do? 36:07 Hmm. 36:09 In fact, what about 36:10 that particular Sabbath? 36:11 First Sabbath in January, 36:12 500 guests 36:14 not ready for Jesus to come. 36:15 They're all going to be here. 36:16 What would we do 36:17 on that Sabbath? 36:20 Would we do anything different? 36:24 You know, I might vary my sermon 36:25 topic. 36:26 You know, I might particularly 36:28 do something, preach about that 36:29 with them in mind, 36:31 knowing that they would be here. 36:32 We would all be on our best 36:34 behavior, wouldn't we? 36:36 Okay. We're already 36:37 all on our best behavior, 36:38 but this would be the bestest 36:39 of the best, okay? 36:41 Of our behavior. We'd be good. 36:42 We'd be kind that day. 36:43 we would all bring extra food 36:45 because we knew 36:45 the potluck was going to be 36:46 overflowing that day. 36:47 Okay. No shortage of food. 36:49 There's going to be tables 36:50 overflowing with this cornucopia 36:51 of nourishment, et cetera. 36:53 Some of you might volunteer 36:55 for greeter duty. 36:56 You know, 36:57 we have good greeters here. 36:58 They do a great job 36:58 at what they're doing. 36:59 But with 500 guests coming, 37:00 they've never been here, maybe 37:01 somebody is going to try to 37:02 sneak in the back door or 37:03 whatnot. 37:03 We want them to be greeted and 37:04 their hands shook. 37:05 Welcome hug. 37:06 We're so glad that you're here. 37:09 Some of you might be 37:10 extra careful to look for people 37:12 needing to sit down 37:14 because it can be challenging 37:14 to find a seat in a place 37:16 that you've never been before. 37:17 And you know what? 37:19 We would need to greet everyone, 37:20 wouldn't we? 37:21 Because Pioneer is so big, 37:23 we already don't know 37:24 who is a member 37:25 and who is a guest, right? 37:26 So you'd have to be nice to 37:28 everyone on a Sabbath morning. 37:29 You'd have to say, "Welcome. 37:31 I'm so glad that you're here. 37:32 Welcome to Pioneer." 37:33 And they'll say back to you. 37:34 "Well, I've been a member for 50 37:35 years here," and you can say, 37:36 "Well, so have I, and then 37:37 go find somebody else to greet. 37:38 Okay? So we would all do that. 37:40 We'd reach out to everybody 37:41 that comes. 37:43 And if your seat was taken by 37:48 a guest. 37:50 Your geography 37:52 in the Pioneer Sanctuary. 37:53 You know what I'm talking about, 37:54 right? Okay. 37:56 If your area had been 37:58 infiltrated by these guests, 38:00 you would rejoice that 38:01 they had found a place to sit 38:02 and would graciously 38:03 find another spot. 38:04 Or maybe you'd even be proactive 38:06 and you would scan the horizon 38:07 looking for a guest 38:08 and invite them to come 38:09 and sit in your spot. 38:10 And all of us, 38:12 all of us would be praying, 38:14 praying mightily 38:15 for the outpouring 38:16 of the Holy Spirit of God 38:17 on us and, yes, 38:18 on all of our guests, 38:19 that they, too, might come 38:21 to know Jesus as we do. 38:23 Oh, the things we would do 38:26 if we knew that, on the first 38:27 Sabbath of January 2024, 38:29 we'd have so many, 38:31 many important people here 38:32 in our sanctuary. 38:41 Come back to Earth now. Okay? 38:45 That was our thought experiment. 38:48 And back here on Earth, 38:49 I have good news. 38:52 Because we have done it. 38:56 We have invited them and they 38:59 have accepted our invitation 39:02 and they are going to be here 39:05 not in the first Sabbath 39:06 of January 2024. 39:09 They are instead going to be 39:11 here in two Sabbaths from now. 39:18 You see, many students 39:21 who will be at Ruth Murdoch, 39:24 many students 39:25 who will be at Andrews Academy, 39:27 many students who will be at 39:28 Andrews University 39:29 will be in one of two camps. 39:30 Either they will have not yet 39:31 made a decision for Christ, 39:33 or perhaps 39:33 they made a decision for Christ 39:35 at some time in the past, 39:36 but if Jesus came back this 39:37 afternoon, for whatever reason, 39:38 they would not be ready. 39:40 This school year, in these three 39:42 institutions we have the 39:43 privilege of serving with, 39:45 there will be literally 39:46 hundreds of students 39:48 that fit this description, 39:49 and they are coming here 39:51 in two weeks. 39:53 You know, 39:54 I said this a few weeks ago 39:55 and I want to reiterate it now. 39:57 There are very few churches 39:58 in the world, SDA or otherwise, 40:00 that have this privilege. 40:02 I mean, nearly every Sabbath 40:03 of the school year, 40:04 we have hundreds of people 40:05 that either aren't yet baptized 40:06 or are not yet currently ready 40:07 for Jesus to return, 40:09 and they attend this church, 40:10 they come on this campus, 40:11 and they're here throughout 40:12 the entire school year. 40:14 Do you know what some churches 40:15 would do 40:15 to get that kind of crowd? 40:18 And yet here we are. 40:19 We are in this place. 40:20 This is our reality. 40:22 They will be here in two weeks. 40:28 So... 40:31 knowing that these very 40:34 important people are coming here 40:36 in two weeks, 40:39 knowing that this highly unusual 40:40 and very blessed situation 40:41 is almost upon us, 40:43 what should we do? 40:47 Hmm. 40:50 What should we do to help them 40:52 all, to the best of our ability, 40:54 to be ready for Christ's 40:55 soon return? 41:00 Well, I'm going to tell you, 41:02 to the best of my knowledge, 41:03 what it is 41:03 I think we ought to do. 41:05 In fact, there are a number of 41:06 things, very specific, 41:07 very practical things. 41:08 And there are 41:09 many of these things. 41:10 In fact, there are sufficient 41:11 numbers of these 41:12 that every one of you 41:13 that can hear my voice 41:13 right now, no exceptions, 41:15 can and need to do these things 41:17 to best reach our students that 41:19 are coming two weeks from now. 41:21 Listen carefully, please. 41:22 What we need to do... 41:31 ...is what I'm going to tell you 41:32 about in part two of this series 41:33 next Sabbath. 41:35 [ Laughter ] 41:40 That's awful, isn't it? 41:41 That's a terrible thing to do. 41:44 So you need to be here, right? 41:46 If somebody is not here today, 41:47 if they're on vacation, 41:48 call and say, 41:49 "Pastor Shane said your vacation 41:50 is over, please come back. 41:51 We need you to be here 41:51 on Sabbath." 41:52 It's going to be some very 41:53 important and practical things. 41:54 You'll have the chance 41:55 to be able to begin 41:56 to participate in these things. 41:58 I hope that you can make it. 42:02 But I will tell you one thing. 42:04 I won't leave you completely 42:05 stranded until next week. 42:06 There is one thing that 42:09 I will point out that I 42:10 believe -- and I think the Bible 42:13 supports it -- that we must do 42:17 if we are to succeed in reaching 42:19 as many of our students 42:20 as possible for Christ. 42:25 A story. 42:28 Many years ago, when I was 42:29 a young adult, 42:31 I was out and about 42:33 and I was visiting a church 42:35 within 10,000 miles of here. 42:38 And it was not my home church. 42:40 I had two friends that I was 42:41 meeting there at the church. 42:43 I arrived there. 42:45 Sabbath school had finished. 42:46 In fact, the worship service 42:47 had just begun. 42:48 There was music that was playing 42:49 and people were beginning 42:50 to sing as they started 42:51 the worship service. 42:52 The church was large. 42:54 We were in the foyer there, 42:55 the lobby, and I saw my two 42:57 friends. 42:58 I went across from the front 42:59 doors and greeted them. 43:00 "Hey, how are you doing? 43:01 Good to see you," et cetera. 43:03 We're talking with one another. 43:04 We're probably 10, 15 feet from 43:06 the back double doors in the 43:07 sanctuary. 43:09 And as we're chatting, 43:10 I look over my friend's shoulder 43:14 and I see motion. 43:15 I see someone, I look up, 43:17 and there is a dear saint 43:20 that is making a beeline for us. 43:25 And she has a smile on her face. 43:29 But there was something that was 43:30 not quite right with the smile. 43:32 The smile was not one that said, 43:35 "Oh, welcome to our church. 43:36 We're so glad you're here." 43:38 The smile was instead 43:39 what I imagine the smile 43:42 on a hawk's face looks like 43:44 as it's about to grab a bunny. 43:46 Okay? And she came over 43:50 and she put one hand 43:53 on one shoulder and another hand 43:54 on another shoulder. 43:55 So my shoulder and 43:56 my friend's shoulder. 43:58 And she says, "We have a rule 44:01 at this church that there is no 44:03 talking in the lobby once the 44:05 worship service has started. 44:08 And you need" -- 44:09 Now, keep in mind, 44:10 the whole time she's talking, 44:11 she is pushing us towards 44:13 the back sanctuary doors. 44:15 And my third friend 44:16 is kind of caught in the wave. 44:17 Okay? So he's 44:17 getting pushed forward, too. 44:18 Right? And we get 44:20 to the doors of the sanctuary, 44:21 and I kid you not, 44:22 as she says the words, 44:24 "And you need to find a seat," 44:27 she shoves us 44:28 into the sanctuary. 44:39 You know, I can still see 44:40 that incident in my mind 44:42 as though it happened yesterday. 44:44 I can see the open doors 44:45 in the back of the church. 44:46 I can hear the music playing, 44:47 I can see the pews inside. 44:49 I can feel the push in my back 44:51 as this woman shoved us 44:52 into the sanctuary. 44:56 Some things you don't forget 44:57 very easily. 45:01 Now, take that example... 45:07 and contrast it... 45:10 with this. 45:12 I invite you to keep your Bibles 45:14 closed and to open your mind as 45:16 I read. 45:20 "And now I will show you 45:23 the most excellent way. 45:26 If I speak in the tongues of men 45:28 and of angels, 45:29 but have not love, 45:33 I am only a resounding gong 45:34 or a clanging symbol. 45:36 If I have the gift of prophecy 45:38 and can fathom all mysteries 45:39 and all knowledge, 45:40 and if I have a faith that can 45:41 move mountains 45:42 but have not love, I am nothing. 45:47 If I give all I possess 45:48 to the poor and surrender 45:49 my body to the flames 45:50 but have not love, 45:52 I gain nothing. 45:55 Love is patient. 45:58 Love is kind. It does not envy. 46:01 It does not boast. 46:02 It is not proud. It is not rude. 46:04 It is not self-seeking. 46:06 It is not easily angered. 46:08 It keeps no record of wrongs. 46:10 Love does not delight in evil, 46:11 but rejoices in the truth. 46:14 It always protects, 46:16 always trusts, 46:17 always hopes, always perseveres. 46:20 Love never fails. 46:24 But where there are prophecies, 46:26 they will cease. 46:28 Where there are tongues, 46:29 they will be stilled. 46:31 Where there is knowledge, 46:32 it will pass away. 46:34 For we know in part 46:35 and we prophesy in part. 46:37 But when perfection comes, 46:38 the imperfect disappears. 46:40 When I was a child, 46:41 I talked like a child, 46:43 I thought like a child, 46:44 I reasoned like a child. 46:46 But when I became a man, 46:48 I put childish ways behind me. 46:50 Now we see but a poor 46:51 reflection, as in a mirror. 46:53 Then we shall see face to face. 46:56 Now I know in part. 46:59 Then I shall know fully, 47:01 even as I am fully known. 47:04 And now these three remain -- 47:08 faith, hope, and love. 47:12 But the greatest of these 47:15 is love." 47:16 >> Amen. 47:20 >> What a contrast. Hmm? 47:23 Between Madam Hawk 47:26 and 1 Corinthians 13. 47:30 And it's from this contrast 47:31 that I think we can draw 47:33 at least two things. 47:35 Number one... 47:44 >> Amen. 47:46 >> It's not just what we do 47:47 that matters, but how we do it. 47:49 You know, we could debate about 47:50 whether or not that rule 47:52 in the lobby -- no speaking in 47:53 the lobby after the worship 47:54 service has begun -- 47:55 we could debate whether that 47:56 was a good rule or not. 47:58 But let's just assume that 47:59 it was in place in this church. 48:01 How different it would have been 48:04 if Madam Hawk 48:05 had instead approached us 48:06 something like this. 48:08 "Good morning, gentlemen. 48:09 How are you? 48:11 I'm Mrs. So-and-so. 48:12 Tell me your names. 48:13 We're so glad 48:14 that you're here today. 48:15 You know, we've been trying here 48:16 at our church to bless 48:17 as many people as possible 48:18 through our worship services. 48:19 Our song leaders and our 48:20 pastors, they work so hard to 48:22 prepare good things for us each 48:23 week, so we've made a rule 48:25 that, once the service starts, 48:26 we'd like the lobby here 48:27 to be quiet so as not to disturb 48:29 the people worshiping inside. 48:30 You're welcome to continue your 48:32 conversations down the hall. 48:33 Or perhaps you'd like to come 48:34 and sit with me and my husband? 48:36 He would love to meet you, 48:37 and I'm headed there right now." 48:42 Oh, what a difference that would 48:44 have made if Madam Hawk 48:47 had spoken that way. 48:51 I just want 48:52 to be clear about something. 48:54 I have not been inundated 48:56 with stories of how people 48:57 have been mistreating 48:58 our students here at Pioneer. 48:59 In fact, 49:00 I haven't heard a single one. 49:01 This is part of the glory, 49:02 again, of being new. 49:04 There's a lot of things 49:04 I don't know, okay? 49:05 I have not heard 49:06 any stories about that. 49:07 So I do not tell you this story 49:09 of Madam Hawk as a rebuke, 49:11 but rather to encourage you 49:12 to keep doing what you're doing, 49:14 to keep extending 49:15 that hand of fellowship, 49:17 to keep seeing our students 49:18 as God sees them, 49:20 whatever their faults might be. 49:22 May Madam Hawk never invade 49:24 our lobby, 49:26 but may instead the love of 49:27 Christ invade it regularly. 49:29 >> Amen. 49:31 >> That's the first thing 49:32 we can learn. 49:33 There is a second. 49:41 You know, when we think 49:43 of the word teacher or teachers, 49:44 we automatically think 49:45 of those maybe on this campus 49:46 or over at the Academy 49:48 or Ruth Murdoch that receive 49:49 a paycheck for their work. 49:50 They're professional educators, 49:51 highly trained, they're 49:52 doing great at their jobs. 49:54 That's what we usually think of. 49:55 And that's that's fine, that 49:56 is indeed what teachers are. 49:58 And the truth also is that 50:01 every member of this church, 50:03 every body that calls this 50:04 space their spiritual home, 50:06 is also a teacher. 50:10 We are teaching whether we wish 50:11 to or not. 50:13 And teachers -- all of us now -- 50:15 teachers, what you teach here in 50:17 and through this place 50:18 is one of the most important 50:20 "classes" that any of our 50:21 students will ever take. 50:23 You say, "How come?" 50:24 Well, the teachers, 50:25 for instance, on this campus, 50:26 Andrews University, 50:27 they can indeed, 50:29 and they do, teach our students 50:30 what the church ought to be 50:32 or what the church should be. 50:34 But only we collectively, 50:36 professional educators, 50:38 those of us that are not 50:39 professional educators, 50:40 that call this place home, 50:41 only we can teach our students 50:44 what the church is now. 50:47 This is us. 50:49 We are living examples. 50:50 We are the campus church. 50:52 This is the living laboratory 50:53 of the body of Christ, 50:54 and therefore, we cannot help 50:56 but teach what the church 50:57 currently is to all 50:59 who enter here. 51:01 Sometimes we teach 51:02 by what we say. 51:04 Sometimes we teach by what 51:05 we don't say. 51:07 Sometimes we teach by what we do 51:08 or don't do. 51:09 But all of the time, rest 51:11 assured, ladies and gentlemen, 51:12 teachers, we are teaching. 51:15 Every moment that we are 51:17 in this place. 51:19 What a privilege. 51:21 What a joy. 51:23 What a responsibility. 51:27 Recently I was talking to a 51:29 colleague on another campus, 51:30 one of our universities here in 51:32 the NAD, and he shared with me 51:34 recent research that said -- 51:35 research that had been done on 51:37 Seventh-Day Adventists, 51:38 in particular, young adults. 51:40 There are similar stats 51:40 for other churches, 51:41 but this specifically 51:42 for Seventh-Day Adventist 51:43 young adults. 51:44 It said that, in some places, 51:46 up to 70% -- 7-0 -- 51:48 up to 70% leave the church. 51:51 Yeah. 51:53 70%. 51:56 I find that to be unacceptable. 52:00 And I think we need 52:01 to change that. 52:04 And I say we start right now. 52:05 >> Amen. 52:07 >> So, ladies and gentlemen, 52:08 in light of that mandate that 52:10 the Lord has given to us, 52:12 in light of the joy 52:13 and the importance of what 52:14 we are on the cusp of doing 52:15 two weeks from now, I plead 52:17 with you to consider carefully, 52:19 in just two Sabbaths, 52:22 hundreds of students 52:23 who have not yet made a decision 52:24 for Christ or who are, for some 52:25 reason, not ready for him to 52:26 return, they will be here. 52:27 My question to you -- 52:29 what kind of teacher 52:30 for them will you be? 52:33 What kind of teacher 52:34 will you be? 52:36 My prayer for each of us is that 52:38 we will not make the mistake 52:39 that I did with Michelle, 52:40 the volleyball player, 52:42 and see them all as 5'9" 52:43 insignificant people that 52:45 couldn't make a contribution 52:46 and underestimate 52:48 the great potential that each of 52:49 our students has for Christ. 52:52 You see, instead, 52:53 may each of us be so filled 52:55 with the Holy Spirit 52:56 that, in two weeks, 52:56 when our students arrive 52:58 in full force, as they make 52:59 their way from across campus, 53:01 coming from the dormitories 53:02 or campus housing or driving 53:04 in here to our parking lot, 53:05 as they make their way here 53:07 and they come in those doors 53:09 and they finally walk into this 53:10 building and your eyes 53:11 meet with theirs, 53:13 may it truly be a case of love 53:16 at first sight. 53:19 Not the cheap, flimsy kind 53:21 of love that the world offers, 53:22 but the love of Jesus. 53:23 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love 53:26 shining through us into their 53:27 hearts that they might know Him. 53:30 I'm going to share with you 53:31 a number of very practical 53:32 things in part two. 53:34 But, ladies and gentlemen, 53:35 no matter how good we get 53:36 at those practical things, 53:37 if we do not have the love 53:39 of Jesus in our hearts, 53:40 those things will fail. 53:42 But with the love of Jesus, 53:45 we and Jesus cannot help 53:48 but succeed. 53:49 >> Amen. 53:50 >> Let us love our students. 53:52 Great teachers 53:54 and the Great Teacher 53:56 wouldn't have it any other way. 53:58 >> Amen. 54:01 [ Applause ] 54:10 [ "Christ for the World We Sing" 54:12 begins ] 54:14 ♪ 54:21 ♪ 54:28 ♪ 56:18 >> Lord Jesus, 56:19 you have been so gracious to us. 56:21 You have showered your love on 56:23 us in a thousand different ways. 56:26 Lord, in just two weeks, 56:27 this campus 56:28 will be a different place. 56:30 There will be very blessed 56:31 people that are here. 56:33 I pray that we would be ready, 56:35 that indeed this would be a 56:37 clear path to the Kingdom, Lord, 56:39 that all that we do and say 56:41 and be in this place 56:43 would bring glory to you 56:45 by bringing people to you. 56:47 This is our prayer 56:48 and we pray it in your name. 56:49 Amen. 56:53 >> I'm Shane Anderson, 56:54 the lead pastor here 56:56 at Pioneer Memorial Church. 56:58 At Pioneer Media, we have been 57:00 blessed by the financial support 57:01 that comes from our viewers 57:03 like you that enable us 57:04 to continue this ministry. 57:07 We've made a conscious decision 57:08 not to continually appeal to you 57:10 for that support. 57:11 However, keeping this ministry 57:13 going takes money to support 57:14 our staff and technology needs. 57:17 If God has blessed you 57:19 and you would like to further 57:20 the work of this ministry, 57:21 we invite you to partner 57:22 with us. 57:24 You can donate on our website -- 57:25 pmchurch.org. 57:28 Then click "giving" at the top, 57:30 then select "media ministry." 57:33 Or call the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:37 Again, that number is 877 -- 57:39 the two words, "HIS WILL." 57:42 My prayer is that the God 57:44 who has blessed you will 57:45 continue to pour into your life 57:47 the gifts of his joy 57:48 and his hope. 57:49 Thank you. 57:51 And I'm looking forward 57:51 to seeing you right here 57:53 again next time. 58:00 ♪ 58:09 ♪ 58:18 ♪ |
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