Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP210821S
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00:11 As the faculties return
00:13 to the campus of Andrews University, 00:15 our theme has been, 00:17 "Everyone is Called." 00:19 And I'd like to, we'd like to share 00:22 this old hymn, 00:24 this well-known old hymn with you, 00:27 but with a slightly newer tune. 00:29 And it's not that hard. 00:31 So, see if you can learn and sing along as we go. 00:45 Jesus calls us o'er the tumult 00:49 Of our life's wild restless sea 00:54 Day by day 00:56 His sweet voice soundeth saying 01:02 "Christian follow me" 01:08 Jesus calls us from the worship 01:12 Of the vain world's golden store 01:17 From each idol 01:19 That would keep us saying, 01:24 "Christian love me more" 01:34 In our joys and in our sorrows 01:39 Days of toil and hours of ease 01:44 Still He calls in cares and pleasures 01:48 "Christian, 01:51 love me more than these" 02:30 Jesus calls us 02:32 By Thy mercies Savior, 02:37 May we hear Thy call 02:41 Give our hearts to Thine obedience 02:46 Serve and love Thee 02:51 Love Thee best of all 02:57 Love Thee best of all 03:04 Love Thee 03:07 Love Thee best 03:14 Best of all 03:27 Amen. 03:29 So, I was thinking about the theme 03:31 of calling, of being called 03:33 and I couldn't shake another familiar hymn. 03:37 Maybe you sing it 03:39 at an altar call, 03:41 maybe you responded to it. 03:42 Maybe you turned your life over to Jesus 03:45 while you were singing this song. 03:47 And I'd like us to sing it together. 03:49 Let's stand together. 03:52 And, you know Paul says, 03:54 we're to die to Christ daily. 03:57 Not once, not a long time ago, but daily. 04:01 So, wherever you are, 04:03 however Jesus is calling you, 04:06 respond with these words. 04:25 Softly and tenderly 04:28 Jesus is calling 04:32 Calling for you 04:35 And for me 04:40 At the heart's portal 04:43 He's watching and waiting 04:47 Watching for you 04:51 And for me 04:55 Come home 04:59 Come home 05:04 Ye who are wary 05:07 Come home 05:14 Earnestly, tenderly 05:18 Jesus is calling 05:22 Calling, O sinner 05:26 Come home! 05:31 Why should we tarry 05:34 When Jesus is pleading 05:39 Pleading for you 05:41 And for me? 05:46 Why should we linger 05:49 And heed not His mercies 05:53 Mercies for you 05:57 And for me? 06:01 Come home 06:05 Come home 06:10 Ye who are wary 06:13 Come home 06:20 Earnestly, 06:22 Tenderly Jesus is calling 06:28 Calling, O sinner 06:32 Come home 06:56 Think of the wonderful love 07:01 He has promised 07:04 Promised for you 07:06 And for me 07:11 Though we have sinned 07:14 He has mercy and pardon 07:19 Pardon for you 07:23 And for me 07:28 Come home, 07:32 Come home 07:37 Ye who are weary 07:41 Come home 07:50 Earnestly, tenderly 07:54 Jesus is calling 07:59 Calling, O sinner 08:04 Come home 08:10 Amen. 08:12 Be seated. 08:24 And it's such a beautiful, beautiful, 08:28 such a beautiful, beautiful hymn. 08:30 That has to be one of my favorite. 08:32 I didn't pick it today, 08:34 but when Jack said, 08:35 "You know what? 08:36 This is the kind of hymn that altar calls are made of." 08:40 So I'm standing with you 08:41 and I'm just sensing 08:44 this is a good moment for an altar call right now. 08:47 As some of you here, 08:52 they need to come home, 08:54 they need to come home to Jesus, 08:57 I don't know what's going on in your life. 08:58 I don't know who you are. 08:59 I don't know how old you are. 09:03 It doesn't matter right now. 09:06 But as you sang that song, 09:08 something happened inside of you. 09:11 Well, that's, something's the Holy Spirit. 09:16 And I can't think of a better time 09:17 than right now for you to say, "Yes" 09:20 to that call, 09:23 to come back to Jesus. 09:25 Some of you here have never been to Jesus at all. 09:28 You've made it this far in life 09:31 and you've done quite fine. 09:34 Thank you. 09:37 But maybe there's a knowing uncertainty in your soul that 09:42 man, if your life should end right now, 09:45 you wouldn't be ready for it to end. 09:49 If there's something happened in your heart. 09:51 You're a young lady. You're a young man. 09:53 Not so young maybe, 09:55 but the spirit is speaking to you. 09:58 This is a perfect moment. 10:00 I'm not gonna invite you to come forward, 10:04 but I am gonna invite you to make a decision. 10:08 You know, Jesus is at you knocking at that door. 10:13 You want me to come home? 10:17 If that's you, 10:20 I tell you right now by the grace of God, 10:25 I'll come back. 10:27 I'll come to you for the first time. 10:31 But I'm coming. 10:33 You hadn't planned on an altar call 10:35 at this moment and I had neither, 10:37 but that's just the way the Spirit of Jesus works. 10:41 And so, I'm praying for you. 10:43 I don't know who you are. 10:45 You're watching online right now. 10:47 Just happened to be online today 10:49 at this moment. 10:51 And the spirit is tugging at your soul, 10:56 say yes. 10:58 Everybody's called, say yes. 11:03 Let's pray. 11:04 Oh God, 11:06 what a beautiful, beautiful reminder 11:10 that we are Your children. 11:13 And we're not home yet. 11:16 Not to the big home that one day 11:19 you wanna take us to, 11:22 but some of us are not home with Jesus yet. 11:24 They're just, they just don't feel at home yet. 11:29 Oh God, you know who she is. 11:34 You know who he is. Love on him right now. 11:36 And over these next moments, just keep, 11:39 keep loving on them 11:43 and speak to all of us 11:47 before we cross 11:50 the threshold into an incredibly new adventure 11:55 on all three of our campuses in Jesus' name we pray. 11:59 Amen. 12:01 Amen and amen. 12:03 Okay, so, one more Olympic story. 12:05 Would that be all right, one more? 12:07 This is the one you didn't see. 12:08 I know you haven't seen this, but I just predicted. 12:11 I wouldn't have even known about it, 12:13 except for the kindness of my friend, 12:15 Dwayne Cofer who sends me a video clip. 12:17 I looked at that video clip and I said, 12:19 "My, oh, my." 12:21 I'd show the video clip right now, 12:23 but it costs too much to buy the rights 12:24 to show it for this broadcast. 12:26 So, you're just gonna have to kinda 12:28 feel the moment. 12:29 But this is nighttime in Tokyo stadium. 12:31 Okay? 12:33 The Olympic stadium in Tokyo, the city of my birth, 12:35 it's nighttime, 12:36 they're having the high jumpers' gold. 12:38 Everybody's going for gold tonight in high jumping. 12:41 I don't know if you've watched high jumping, 12:43 but it is an incredible sport. 12:46 Two of the finest high jumpers on the planet 12:49 are here tonight in Tokyo. 12:51 We're talking about the Qatari high jumper 12:53 Mutaz Essa Barshim and the Italian high jumper 12:58 Gianmarco Tamberi. 13:01 There are a host of others with them, 13:02 but one by one, as they keep raising the bar, 13:06 there he goes, there he goes, 13:08 this is the men's high jump. 13:09 There they go. 13:11 And finally, we're down 13:15 to a height you cannot believe, it's 2.37 meters. 13:20 You don't know how tall that is, 13:21 but I'm gonna give it to you in feet. 13:23 That is seven feet and 9.3 inches into the air. 13:27 So, I'm six. 13:29 We'll add another foot. That's seven. 13:30 Then you gotta get 9.3 inches further up 13:33 and you're doing it from standing 13:35 on sea level ground. 13:37 You get one little run at it. 13:39 And you throw yourself backwards. 13:40 In fact, I gotta show you a picture 13:42 in case you don't know how high jumping works. 13:45 So, there she is going over. 13:47 This is the bar, it's very delicately balanced. 13:49 You can barely touch it and it'll stay. 13:51 But if you touch it much, boom, it's over 13:54 and you faulted and that's it. 13:58 They've been weeding through the contestants. 14:02 They are now, as I mentioned, 2.37 meters 14:05 and both Barshim and Tamberi. 14:11 Both of them clear that bar, 14:13 nobody else now, it's just the two of them. 14:16 So, this is big deal, 14:17 so the officials come and they now raise the bar to, 14:20 oh my 2.39 meters. 14:24 How tall is that, Dwight? 14:25 Well, it's seven feet, 10 inches 14:27 plus a hair. 14:29 Oh, boy, these two young men 14:31 and they're skinny as bean poles, 14:34 but they have been living for this moment. 14:37 They have been living. This is the goal. 14:39 This is the goal, ladies and gentlemen, 14:41 this is what you spend your life getting ready for. 14:44 And Barshim gets to go first again 14:46 and he faults. 14:49 They get three tries. 14:51 He does two tries. 14:53 He faults, Tamberi goes, two tries. 14:56 He faults, faults. 14:58 Now, there's one trial left and Barshim goes faults again. 15:03 Ah! 15:05 Tamberi knows, 15:07 he is a world champion high jumper, 15:11 if he can sail over the bar without touching it. 15:16 And he throws everything into 15:18 that young Italian heart of his, 15:19 and he goes running and he leaps, 15:22 faults. 15:24 The officials comes over. 15:26 Now, I'm watching this on the clip. 15:28 And the mobile, the video cam is right there 15:32 and the official comes over and he says, all right. 15:34 He says, you both have tied. 15:36 We're gonna have to have a runoff. 15:39 And it's Barshim who said, 15:42 "Excuse me, 15:45 can we both win the gold?" 15:49 And the official has a black mascot. 15:50 So, I'm trying hard to hear him 15:52 get close to my phone to hear him. 15:54 And the official says, 15:56 finally, he thinks about it. 15:58 If you both so decide. 16:04 Barshim looks at Tamberi, Tamberi looks at Barshim. 16:08 There is no word exchange between them, 16:12 but in the next split, split second, 16:14 Tamberi has leaped into the air 16:16 and he is now in the arms of Barshim 16:19 was holding him like a little child, 16:21 booed beanpole, little child 16:23 and they are both yelling and whooping. 16:26 Lets Tamberi down, Tamberi the camera's just 16:28 dragging him right now and he's running, he's running. 16:31 And then he falls on the ground and he starts crying. 16:34 He's crying while he's laughing 16:35 and he's rolling over, the camera's on him. 16:37 And there's Barshim, he races over to his coach. 16:40 He's the only one in the stadium. 16:41 He gets over to the coach and he burst into tears. 16:43 It's just one of those 16:45 absolutely unforgettable Olympic moments. 16:48 And it happened just a few weeks ago 16:50 in Tokyo, Japan. 16:52 Unforgettable. 16:54 When two champions decide to split the gold, 16:59 to share the gold, 17:02 rather than try to win it solely 17:05 for himself. 17:08 Wow. 17:09 Once upon a time, 17:10 Jesus told a story about splitting the gold. 17:13 And I wanna share that story with you right now. 17:15 So, open your Bible to Matthew Chapter 20, 17:17 come on, you got a Bible. 17:18 Open your Bible to Matthew Chapter 20. 17:20 I'll be in the New International Version. 17:23 What a story behind us? 17:26 What a story right in front of us. 17:27 Matthew Chapter 20, let's pick it up in verse 1. 17:32 Jesus speaking, red letter story in my Bible. 17:35 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner 17:38 who went out early in the morning 17:40 to hire workers for his vineyard." 17:45 It is harvest time. 17:46 And when the owner goes out early in the morning, 5:30, 17:50 oh, he can smell the grapes. 17:52 They are ready to be harvested. 17:54 Hey, we live in a grape vineyard valley ourselves. 17:58 And in just a few weeks, the Concorde, 18:00 you're gonna smell them all over this county. 18:03 Oh, there's no greater smell. 18:04 He said, all right, this is it, man. 18:06 This is gonna be the harvest. 18:07 So, he jumps into his pick them up truck 18:10 up and down the dusty windy roads 18:13 from the farm to the town at 6:00 AM. 18:16 Sure, sure enough, there they all are lining up 18:19 migrant workers who need to be, 18:21 who would love to be employed today. 18:23 So he rolls the window down and says, "Yo guys, 18:27 you wanna work? I'll pay you a denarius." 18:30 That was the wage for a common labor 18:32 for one 12 hour day. 18:33 "I'll pay you a denarius. 18:35 Come on, get in. 18:36 We got grapes to pick." 18:38 And that pickup truck is stuffed 18:40 with workers. 18:41 As the farmer drives back 18:43 and they fan out over the vineyard 18:45 and here come those luscious grapes 18:47 down, down, down, down into the baskets, 18:49 into the baskets. 18:50 At 9 o'clock in the morning, the owner comes out. 18:53 He sees the progress on the ground 18:54 and he says, "Man, oh man, oh man, 18:56 we're not gonna make it. 18:58 I'm gonna need more workers." 18:59 He jumps into that same pickup truck. 19:03 And here he goes 19:05 about nine in the morning he went out, 19:07 this is verse 3 of Matthew 20. 19:09 "He went out, Jesus said, 19:10 and he saw others standing in the marketplace 19:12 doing nothing. 19:13 Hey, he told them, 19:15 'You also go and work in my vineyard 19:17 and I will pay you whatever is right." 19:23 Three hours later, the owner goes back. 19:25 It's noon. 19:26 There is no way Jose that this is going to get picked 19:30 unless I get more workers. 19:31 Bam, he goes back into town, there they are. 19:34 He says, "Come on guys, get in, get in. 19:36 I got work to do." 19:39 That same routine happens at 3 o'clock. 19:41 That same routine happens at 5 o'clock, 19:43 one hour until sunset. 19:45 We aren't gonna make it unless I get more help, 19:49 back into town he goes. 19:51 All right Jesus says about five in the afternoon 19:54 that earnest and desperate vineyard owner. 19:58 He went out and he found still others standing around 20:01 and he asked them, 20:03 "Hey boys, why have you been standing here all day 20:05 and all day long you've been doing nothing?" 20:07 "Well, because no one has hired us," 20:08 they answered. 20:09 And he said to them, 20:11 "You also go and you work in my vineyard." 20:13 And so, these workers come back 20:15 and hallelujah with that last truckload of laborers, 20:21 just as the sun goes down, it's a 12 hour day. 20:24 Just as the sun goes down, the harvest is done. 20:29 Hallelujah! 20:32 So, the workers are all 20:34 milling around the farmhouse now, 20:35 they're waiting for payroll. 20:37 Come on. We worked hard today, please. 20:38 And finally, the landowner, he grabs his accountant. 20:41 He says, "Listen, I want you to go out. 20:43 I want you to do this. 20:44 I want you to do this. Okay. 20:46 I want you to start with the guys that came, 20:47 the 5 o'clock guys 20:48 and take the payroll all the way back, please." 20:50 Okay. 20:52 So, the accountant gets out 20:54 and when evening came, 20:57 the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 21:00 this is just Jesus' corroboration 21:01 that proved that Dwight's not making it up. 21:04 "Call the workers and pay them their wages 21:06 beginning with the last ones hired 21:09 and go going on to the first." 21:12 So, the accountant put that little metal safe box, 21:16 flips it open. 21:17 He said, "All right, fellas, step on up, step on up, 21:19 payroll starts right now. 21:21 Hey guys, you guys that came at 5 o'clock, step on. 21:23 We're gonna start with you today 21:24 and we'll work our way backwards 21:27 if that's okay with you." 21:29 And, so those 5 o'clock 21:30 workers they've worked for one hour, 21:31 they step up and the accountant slides 21:33 a denarius across the little table. 21:36 A denarius! 21:37 Their eyes pop out. 21:38 Their smiles are from ear to ear. 21:41 You understand? 21:42 They just got paid for 12 hours of work. 21:44 And they only put in one hour, oh my, they are rejoicing. 21:49 And the full 12 hour guys are in the back of the line. 21:53 And they just saw that and they're going... 21:56 You're not gonna believe this. 21:58 If the first guy got a denarius, 21:59 we're gonna get 12 denarii. 22:03 Oh, they can hardly wait to get to the front. 22:04 It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. 22:06 And finally, they come to the front. 22:08 The accountant says, come on, guys, 22:09 thank you very much, by the way, 22:11 for your 12 hours. 22:12 Well done. 22:13 Here is the denarius that you agree 22:16 each step forward, please and take it. 22:19 They don't go quite postal, but they are furious. 22:25 You can't tell me, 22:27 well, we'll let Jesus tell us what happens. 22:29 "And when they received that denarius, 22:31 they began to grumble. 22:33 They began to grumble against the landowner. 22:35 These who were hired last worked only one hour, 22:37 they said, and you have made them equal to us 22:40 who have borne the burden of the work 22:42 and the heat of the day." 22:45 But he, the owner obviously stepped down, 22:47 he has this little bit of ruckus going on, 22:49 but he answered one of them. 22:50 So, it must be the spokesman of the 12 hour guys. 22:53 Hey, hey, hey, yo, yo, yo, 22:54 I'm not being unfair to you friend. 22:57 The owner is not mad at anybody. 22:59 He's not trying to be cruel. 23:01 I'm not mad. 23:02 I'm not being unfair to you my friend. 23:04 "Didn't you agree to work for denarius?" 23:08 "Well, yeah." 23:10 "Well, then take your pay and go. 23:13 I wanna give the one who was hired last 23:15 the same as I gave you. 23:17 Don't I have the right to do 23:18 what I want with my own money 23:20 or are you envious 23:23 because I am generous? 23:26 Churching. 23:29 Are you envious 23:32 because I am generous?" 23:36 I just love that line. 23:38 To me it's strikingly beautiful. 23:41 Do you ever think of God 23:42 as just this most generous being in the whole universe. 23:47 The maker of all things loves and wants me. 23:50 That God, 23:53 you couldn't get more generous than this, 23:56 whether you've known God and you've worked for Him 23:58 all your life, 24:00 or whether you just came to Him recently 24:02 and have worked for Him for only an hour, 24:03 it doesn't matter to Him. 24:04 Do you know why it doesn't matter to Him? 24:06 I'll tell you why it doesn't matter to Him 24:07 because everyone is called that's why. 24:10 Everyone is called, 24:12 this theme for a fall fellowship 24:14 here at Andrews University. 24:17 This theme for the faculty, staff and administration 24:19 of Andrews University and Andrews Academy 24:21 and Ruth Murdoch Elementary School. 24:23 What a theme, whoever picked it, you go. 24:26 Everyone is called. 24:30 It doesn't matter. 24:32 It doesn't matter 24:33 if you've been working here forever 24:35 or you're joining, come lately, 24:39 everyone is called. 24:41 And by the way, listen, everyone splits the gold. 24:46 You split the gold. 24:48 You get the same amount. 24:50 Have mercy and that's exactly what's happening in the story. 24:54 This generous, generous God. 24:57 Yeah, Dwight, come on, come on, unpack this. 24:59 I mean, please, what does this mean, 25:00 everyone is called? 25:03 Well, let me read you another parable. 25:06 I know you've never heard this one. 25:08 All right. 25:09 So, this is a parable written by Michael Zigarelli 25:13 and it appeared in the journal of research 25:15 in Christian Education. 25:17 And it goes like this. 25:18 May I read it in your hearing? 25:21 Once upon a time, God created a nation, 25:24 that would be the United States of America. 25:28 Once upon a time, God created a nation 25:30 and seeded it with 4,146 institutions. 25:34 Last night, I found out that the number now 25:36 is 6,502 25:38 institutions of higher learning, 25:41 universities, colleges, seminaries, 25:44 and other post-secondary schools. 25:46 Why did he see the nation? 25:47 Ah, God did it to teach His children truth 25:50 and how to apply it rightly, 25:52 but some of these institutional seeds 25:56 fell on a path and were stolen by birds 25:58 before they could ever take root. 26:00 And some of the seeds fell on rocks and sprang up. 26:04 But then withered for lack of moisture 26:06 and other seeds grew amongst thorns 26:09 and were choked to death before they could flourish. 26:12 And some of God's seeds though fell on good soil 26:15 and took root and grew strong, yielding a harvest 100 times 26:18 what was planted. 26:20 What is he talking about? 26:22 He goes on, let me follow Jesus' lead 26:24 and explain the parable. 26:26 Okay. Here comes the explanation now. 26:28 The schools on the path 26:31 that the ravens picked up 26:32 are those that were founded as secular institutions, 26:36 schools stolen away from God at their nascence. 26:40 And that have never attempted 26:41 to educate people from God's point of view. 26:43 The schools on the rocks are those church related 26:46 or historically Christian schools 26:48 that were founded to honor God. 26:50 And that pursued this mission for a while, 26:53 but whose weak roots 26:55 caused the original mission to die. 26:57 Now they are indistinguishable from secular schools. 27:02 And the schools amongst the thorns 27:04 are those Christian schools 27:06 that still have an overtly Christian mission statement. 27:09 But whose mission has been choked out 27:11 by many factors, 27:12 fear that they will lose prospective students 27:14 if they are too overtly Christian. 27:17 Faculty trained in secular schools 27:19 who cannot or will not teach from a Christian perspective, 27:23 open admissions policies that 27:25 culminate in a highly secular student 27:28 culture and so on. 27:29 The thorns are as diverse as they are deadly. 27:33 Then there are the schools planted in good soil, 27:37 Christian institutions fully committed 27:39 to honoring God in all they do, 27:41 where there is a primacy of spiritual formation 27:43 and education from a Christian perspective 27:46 and where a faculty members 27:47 endeavor to teaching right from the same posture. 27:50 As a result, 27:51 these institutions develop students' 27:53 heart and minds toward the goal 27:56 of graduating students who are more like Jesus 27:59 than when they first enrolled. 28:01 The legions of alumni from these good soils schools 28:03 are in their various vocations, 28:06 serving people and leading change 28:08 in ways that please God, 28:09 as are the faculty through their scholarly, 28:12 popular press, artistic 28:14 volunteer and practitioner work. 28:16 Indeed, these schools are yielding 28:18 a harvest 100 times 28:21 what God sowed, the end. 28:25 Hmm. Hmm. 28:28 Two parables. 28:30 Jesus' parable that reminds us everyone is called 28:35 and Zigarelli's parable that reminds us 28:39 that everyone is called to mission. 28:43 In fact, as we went back to Jesus' parable, 28:45 we find out that's precisely the point His, 28:48 two parables teaching us 28:50 that when you're called by the Master of the vineyard, 28:53 you are called to work with Him in His vineyard. 28:57 That's what it means to be called, 29:00 to share His mission. 29:03 Yes, you are, Jesus says to you, 29:05 yes I'm talking to you, boy, I'm talking to you, girl. 29:07 Yes, you are called, but it is to help Me 29:10 finish My harvest in My vineyard. 29:13 Now here's the question. 29:14 What is this, this Michael Zigarelli really 29:17 trying to tell us? 29:18 Well, let's let him speak for himself. 29:21 God entrust students to His universities, 29:24 His universities. 29:25 And I like that word entrust by the way. 29:27 In a few hours, this place is going to be 29:29 crawling with students. 29:30 They've already been coming in. 29:32 But I liked that that notion God entrust. 29:35 Any student who comes here 29:36 has been entrusted by God to this institution. 29:39 God entrust students to His universities and calls. 29:42 I like that word calls 29:44 because everyone is called we're reminding ourselves. 29:46 "And calls the trustees, administrators, 29:49 faculty, and staff to be faithful stewards, 29:52 to equip students to serve with excellence 29:54 in the vocation to which God calls them." 29:58 Wow. He goes on by the way. 30:01 "It is the role of the Christian university 30:03 to graduate people who love what God loves 30:06 and as such are increasingly becoming 30:08 like Jesus Christ." 30:11 Now look at, I go out before the service 30:12 begins both services and I kind of circulate around and I know 30:16 we have parents who are here with their freshmen children 30:19 sitting beside them right now. 30:21 And I can't think I ever met some of you. 30:23 I can't think a parent 30:25 think of a parent here who would say, "No, no, 30:27 I don't care if a university has that kind of an ambition. 30:31 Are you kidding?" 30:32 There's no parent alive that doesn't say, 30:33 "No, that's it, that's it right there. 30:35 That's why we're sending our children 30:36 to Andrews University. 30:38 'Cause of that, you're gonna graduate students 30:40 who love what God loves 30:41 and as such are increasingly becoming 30:43 like Jesus Christ." 30:46 And that's a no-brainer, isn't it? 30:48 And we're kind of scratching our mind. 30:50 Well, maybe that's not what we know, 30:52 of course. 30:53 But Zigarelli pushes a bit harder 30:56 when he describes the challenge 30:58 of a faith based university like ours, 31:00 the challenge we face. 31:01 Here we go. These are his words. 31:03 "There are those Christian schools 31:06 that still have an overtly Christian." 31:08 I'm gonna say Adventists. All right? 31:09 And overtly Adventist mission statement. 31:12 But whose mission has been choked out 31:14 by many factors, 31:15 fear that they will lose perspective students 31:17 if they're too overtly Christian." 31:20 Two Adventists back off just a little. 31:24 Hmm. 31:25 "Faculty trained in secular schools 31:27 who cannot, or who choose not 31:29 to teach from a Christian Adventist perspective. 31:34 Open admissions policies that culminate 31:36 in a highly secular student culture 31:39 and so on." 31:41 Whoa, hey listen. 31:44 I've lived around here long enough, 31:46 just long enough to know 31:48 that we cannot help on this campus. 31:50 We cannot help, but feel the pressures 31:52 that the pressures rather from an essentially godless 31:56 and secular culture out there that America's become, 31:59 a culture that rules a day in much of academia today. 32:02 It rules a day in much of career building today, 32:05 much of socialization, much of entertainment 32:08 in an essentially godless and secular culture. 32:12 I understand that. 32:14 There's a sea around us. 32:17 I also understand that it is tough. 32:20 It is tough 32:22 when you deal with a generation that doesn't seem 32:24 to enjoy reading anything lengthy or reasoned. 32:28 That prefers sound bites, the size of social media posts 32:31 towards education and struggles to find a way 32:34 to even read scripture, 32:35 let alone apply it to life and lifestyle. 32:39 Trust me, you're not the only one 32:41 dealing with them in your classes, 32:45 every Sabbath. 32:47 So, what do we do now? 32:51 Ah. 32:52 But everyone is called means, here's the good news. 32:57 Everyone is called means that we all share. 33:01 It's not on your shoulders alone, 33:02 it's not on my shoulders alone, 33:03 it's not on anybody's shoulders alone. 33:05 We all share the mission of Christ 33:07 to help God connect with this generation. 33:11 God is so... 33:12 He is so excited about Gen Zers. 33:16 He just loves them to death. 33:19 Gen Zers, this is, He says, guys 33:21 I'm entrusting you the best on the planet. 33:25 Wow. 33:26 Everyone is called. 33:28 And by the way, by the way, everyone means every one. 33:34 Everyone means every one. 33:35 We're talking about that smiling cafeteria worker, 33:38 God bless her. 33:39 We're talking about that friendly 33:41 custodial employee. 33:43 God bless him. 33:44 We're talking about that wonderfully helpful 33:46 library assistant. 33:48 God bless them all. 33:49 Everyone means every one. 33:51 You know why? 33:53 It means we are all called. 33:58 I don't care where you are. 34:02 I just attended professors, 34:06 not just the department chairs, 34:09 not just the C suite leaders on the third floor 34:13 of the Ad building. 34:14 We are all called. 34:20 Right? 34:26 You're thinking, oh, this is a trick. 34:27 I'm not gonna say yes. 34:29 There's no trick here. 34:31 We are all called by the Lord Himself. 34:33 The Master of the vineyard who Himself declares, 34:36 you know, He says this in Matthew, 34:37 I think is Matthew 10. 34:39 He says, listen, even if you have 34:40 a student on this campus and the student comes your way 34:41 and you're in a staff position out on the periphery somewhere, 34:44 and that student says, man, I'm just dying of thirst 34:47 and you give him a drink of water. 34:48 Jesus says you are gonna be rewarded one day 34:52 for that act of courtesy and compassion. 34:55 Everybody shares the gold. 34:58 They're not different metals 35:00 for where you serve on this campus. 35:02 Everybody shares the gold. 35:05 Splits the gold because why? 35:09 We are all called. 35:10 Speaking of worldview, Zigarelli 35:13 writes a Christian worldview 35:15 emphasizes that 35:17 God has a particular point of view 35:18 about sociology. 35:21 Yep. 35:22 God has a particular point of view 35:23 about law, 35:25 a particular point of view about accounting and so forth. 35:27 And God invites us to embrace that view. 35:30 He has revealed it through both 35:31 the special revelation of His word. 35:34 So I had a Bible is where it is and this university 35:36 and the general revelation of our study of creation, 35:39 for example, our science discoveries. 35:42 This is all a part of a strategy 35:44 to lead a transformed life to Jesus. 35:48 So in any given class or chapel or student affairs, 35:51 or we'd say student life program 35:52 or athletic contest, 35:54 the leader's integrate, inter... 35:58 Let me try that again. 36:00 I haven't graduated yet. 36:02 The leader's integration, the leader's integration task 36:05 is to bring together these two types of revelation 36:09 in pursuit of one unified truth. 36:10 Come on, to teach a theology of nursing. 36:13 Did you understand there's a, is there a theology of nursing? 36:15 Yep. 36:17 To teach a theology of political science, 36:19 to teach a theology of resolving 36:20 roommate conflict, a theology of sportsmanship. 36:24 This practice is primary to the role of renewing minds, 36:28 and it is a role that significantly differentiates 36:31 the most effective Christian. 36:32 And I'm saying Adventist schools 36:34 from all the others. 36:38 Does this guy making any sense? 36:41 Yeah. 36:44 And then he makes this stunning point 36:45 and it's so stunning. 36:46 I find it controversial. 36:48 When I read it, I said, nah, that's not true. 36:50 That's not true. It's taken me while. 36:52 I've kind of brewed it over, reflected on it. 36:55 He's probably right. 36:58 Here it is, "Mounting relativism 37:01 and a socially reinforce readiness to ignore God." 37:05 So, anything goes, that's the culture. 37:07 And just listen, just forget that you know God, 37:09 don't worry about it. 37:10 "Mounting relativism and a socially reinforced 37:12 readiness to ignore God make it more urgent than ever 37:16 to develop influential ambassadors of the faith. 37:19 I love that. 37:20 That's what our students become once they come here. 37:22 Now, he describes them 37:24 influential and ambassadors of the faith, 37:26 people of excellency and integrity 37:28 students who will be thought leaders, 37:30 culture shapers," 37:32 we call them world changes, don't we? 37:33 "Compassionate servants and living witnesses 37:36 who inspire others to return to God." 37:39 Now so far so good. 37:40 Do you have any problem with this? 37:42 Nobody has any problem at all. 37:43 Here comes the controversial line. 37:48 Just a sentence. 37:53 None of God's other institutions, all right? 37:56 So none of God's other institutions 37:59 he's gonna say can do it like we do it. 38:04 None of God's other institutions, 38:06 not the family, 38:08 not the local church, whoa, whoa, 38:10 timeout, timeout, timeout. 38:12 What do you mean not the local church? 38:13 Don't you understand? 38:15 I heard this from Bill Hybels don't you understand 38:16 that the local church is the largest organization, 38:18 the most influential organization 38:19 on this planet composed totally of volunteers. 38:23 Don't you tell me that the local church 38:26 is not influential. 38:28 He said, calm down, calm down, calm down. 38:33 Notice what I said before. 38:40 To develop influential ambassadors of the faith, 38:44 people of excellency 38:45 and integrity, who will be thought leaders, 38:47 culture shapers, world changers, 38:49 compassionate servants, and living witnesses 38:50 who inspire others to return to God. 38:52 He says, I stand by my point. 38:54 None of God's other institutions, 38:56 not the family, not the local church, 38:58 not the media and not the state 39:01 are better positioned than this university 39:03 to fulfill this role 39:06 right now. 39:08 This university, 39:10 all of you picking up on this, but this university 39:14 has a high, high calling. 39:18 And there's no other institution 39:20 on this planet that can do 39:21 what God has called this university to do. 39:23 What this academy to do, 39:25 Ruth Murdoch to do, it doesn't matter. 39:29 And then the little lady, 39:33 the American writer that raised up 39:36 our predecessor of Battle Creek College. 39:39 And then in 1900 or 1901, He said, listen, 39:42 move down to Berrien Springs, build something down there. 39:45 We'll just give up where we were here. 39:48 Ellen White, 39:50 she agrees with Zigarelli. 39:55 Watch this. 39:57 "A sacred influence should go forth 39:59 from our college." 40:00 Okay? She's talking about Battle Creek. 40:02 "Should go forth from our college 40:04 to meet the moral darkness existing everywhere 40:07 in this sea of godlessness in the secular culture. 40:12 I saw that it, our college 40:14 would be one of the greatest means 40:17 ordained of God for the salvation of souls." 40:21 That's it. Nobody can do it like you. 40:25 Don't you let anybody, 40:27 don't you let a parent, don't you let a trustee member, 40:29 don't you let nobody tell you 40:33 that you are in a position to do what no one else can do. 40:38 Everyone in this institution is called to do 40:41 what nobody can do quite like this. 40:45 Wow. 40:52 In other words, here's where we're going. 40:56 God has positioned our three campuses 40:59 to have maximal kingdom influence 41:02 on the students that are descending upon us 41:04 in just a few hours, maximal kingdom influence. 41:08 Nobody and I mean nobody is better positioned 41:11 to fulfill God's role than this university. 41:14 And everybody that makes this university what it is, 41:16 the administration, the faculty, the staff, 41:19 nobody, nobody can make the difference 41:24 that God is calling us to make. 41:29 Come work for Me, Jesus says. 41:31 You come work with Me, for Me in My vineyard. 41:39 You do understand 41:41 this is the highest mission 41:42 anybody can have on this planet. 41:44 Do you understand that? 41:45 It's the highest mission and you got it 41:49 'cause everybody is called. 41:52 Some of the manuscripts for Matthew Chapter 20 41:58 ends Jesus' parable with a sentence 42:00 newer translations have omitted. 42:03 That's okay. 42:04 Because as it turns out, 42:06 Jesus uses that same sentence in Matthew Chapter 22 42:10 and all translations carry this sentence 42:11 and you know the sentence well. 42:13 So I'll put it on the screen for you. 42:14 Everybody knows this, "Many are called, 42:16 but few are chosen." 42:19 Wow. 42:20 I heard a preacher once get up and preach on this very text. 42:22 And he said many are called, but a few are frozen. 42:27 He said, some churches are so cold 42:28 that you can ice skate down the center aisle. 42:34 That's not this church. That's not this campus. 42:37 Oh, maybe sometimes we get frozen. 42:38 We get frozen out of our mission, 42:40 but hey, 42:41 now Jesus said many are called, 42:44 but few are chosen. 42:46 What are you saying, Lord Jesus? 42:47 And He says, here's what I mean, 42:49 not everybody I call says yes 42:53 to My call. 42:55 That's the deal. 42:59 Oh. 43:04 Jesus did. 43:06 He said yes to God's call, you know where it ended Him up? 43:08 On a cross. 43:10 Can you believe that? 43:11 The master of the vineyard 43:13 is nailed to a tree 43:17 outside the camp. 43:20 And when He is begging for water, 43:25 all they give Him 43:27 is stale grape vinegar 43:31 to slake His thirst. 43:33 The master of the vineyard gets 43:36 five day old grape vinegar. 43:40 Yep. 43:46 But that same master of the vineyard 43:48 who now with nail scars forever and ever said, 43:51 I've called you. 43:53 I've called you. I've called you. 43:56 I've called you. 43:57 Everyone is called 44:00 and I'm begging you please 44:02 say yes to My call. 44:06 Many are called, 44:09 but few are chosen. 44:12 Phew! 44:14 Why did He do it? 44:16 To save the likes of you and me. 44:17 Of course, He came to seek and save the lost. 44:18 He wants to save the entire planet. 44:20 If He can find a way He will save the entire planet 44:23 if the entire planet says yes to Him. 44:26 So He invites us to do the same, 44:28 go to the cross for My mission. 44:31 Join My mission. 44:33 Work beside Me. 44:35 Pray the prayer, Jesus help me this new year. 44:37 Some kids are gonna walk into my space, 44:40 some kids are gonna walk into my space. 44:42 Help me to know 44:43 if that's the one you need me to lead, 44:46 point to You. 44:48 Just give me just enough presence of mind 44:52 to be myself and just love on them. 44:55 And then let them know I'm loving you 44:57 because Jesus loves you. 44:59 And if you don't know Jesus, 45:01 I'm here this year to help you get to know Him. 45:05 To help you do that with your 45:08 students who are soon to step into your space 45:10 this year, 45:12 we're bringing in a young preacher. 45:14 I'm pretty excited about this. 45:16 His name is Richie Halverson. 45:17 He's a great preacher. 45:20 He's coming in here. 45:22 And the theme of his week with us 45:24 from October 1 through October 10, 45:27 two Sabbaths, he'll be in this pulpit. 45:29 Here's this theme. The darkness will not overcome. 45:35 Guy has a story to tell, 45:38 but it is out of his experience 45:41 that he has a testimony to share 45:45 that will help other young lives 45:48 come to Jesus. 45:49 Some of you say, well, you know, 45:51 I'm just not really real good 45:52 about talking about Jesus with my students. 45:53 That's fine. 45:56 Send your students to Richie Halvorson Friday, 45:59 October 1 in this space, 46:04 and let somebody help you. 46:06 That's why we exist. 46:08 Everyone is called. 46:10 Everyone doesn't have to preach. 46:11 Everyone doesn't have to teach, but everybody's called, 46:15 all of us. 46:19 So, I repeat. 46:22 It doesn't get any better than that. 46:25 It just doesn't get any better than that. 46:29 We all, ooh, come on. 46:32 We all share the gold. 46:35 We're gonna split it. 46:36 We're gonna split the gold, everybody here. 46:40 Would you like to re-enlist for your mission 46:44 in this place, 46:46 maybe live outside this place, 46:48 but you re-enlist for where you live, 46:49 where you work. 46:52 Let's say yes to Jesus. 46:54 Now we've always come to this moment 46:55 here at Andrews University. 46:57 We've been doing this since 2013, 46:58 I do believe, so this is our ninth time. 47:02 At the end of this moment, we say, okay, 47:05 let's sign up. 47:06 And so you see all these, this is just four of them. 47:10 One got removed 47:11 because we turned it into the one 47:13 that's overhead now. 47:14 But when COVID hit last year, you remember 47:16 that's the one right there. 47:17 We had a texting. We just texted in our names. 47:19 Oh man, well, it's okay. It's better than nothing. 47:22 Here's what we're going to do. Watch this. 47:24 So here's your worship bulletin, right? 47:26 This is what you got. 47:27 And by the way, if you did not get one of these, 47:29 there's a tear-off on the bottom 47:30 and you're gonna want to have that tear-off. 47:32 Trust me, because we're gonna paste them 47:34 all over. 47:35 And then this will go to the new students 47:36 Friday night and they'll get a chance 47:38 with another color paper 47:39 to also make a decision like you. 47:40 But if you didn't get one of these, 47:43 five of you came with just one person, 47:44 hold your hand up. 47:45 Ushers are coming right now. 47:47 Hold your hand up, in the balcony 47:48 hold your hand up. 47:50 In the back of this church hold your hand up. 47:51 You want one of these. Deacons, thank you. 47:52 Look in the back. 47:54 We need some deacons in the back. 47:55 Thank you. 47:56 Just hold your hand up and then just tear this off. 47:58 I would write your name first. 48:00 It's easy to write and then tear your name off. 48:02 Just tear. It just tears right off. 48:05 And here's what we're gonna do. 48:07 No fanfare. 48:09 I'm gonna invite you once you write your name down, 48:14 I'm gonna invite you to come forward. 48:16 Here's what we're gonna do today. 48:17 We're gonna come up the side aisles 48:19 and go down the center, 48:20 just come up the side aisle and go down. 48:23 This way, it's not just me texting 48:24 and just me and Jesus. 48:26 No, this is now me and you and Jesus together 48:29 making this commitment. 48:30 I hope you will. 48:33 And so, without any further ado, 48:36 I'm gonna ask somebody who's 48:37 already scribbled down your name. 48:39 Have you already got it down? Come on up. 48:40 Come on up. 48:41 God bless you. Yeah, just come here. 48:43 Drop there, there's first service. 48:45 They're ahead of you, but you're joining them. 48:48 Just drop it down. That's it. 48:51 This is not an emotional moment. 48:53 This is a moment where I'm saying, 48:55 hey, sign me back up master of the vineyard. 48:57 You bet I'm working for you this year. 48:59 That's what we're saying. Yeah. 49:00 I get into the back of that pickup truck 49:01 and I'm going to your vineyard and guess what? 49:03 This is the vineyard and I will do this for you. 49:06 If you're a public school teacher, 49:08 I'm gonna invite you to come forward right now. 49:10 If you're a homeschool teacher, 49:12 I'm gonna invite you to come forward. 49:13 Private school, not here, you come forward. 49:16 You're a friend of Jesus 49:18 and Jesus has you where He needs you. 49:20 And so, come on forward. Okay. 49:22 So we're going down the center aisle, folks. 49:24 Go down the center aisle, 49:25 in that way you won't bump into the people 49:26 that are coming back up your direction. 49:30 God bless you. 49:31 And we'll paste all of these. 49:33 And in a few weeks, it'll hang on that space, 49:36 that empty space of the wall. 49:38 When we're out, when we're through, 49:39 we're gonna stand together. 49:41 Read a short litany led by our president, 49:44 Andrea Luxton, 49:46 and she'll lead us in a prayer of dedication. 49:49 Well, come on. Let's sing a stanza to that. 50:05 Jesus, keep me near the cross 50:11 There a precious fountain 50:17 Free to all, a healing stream 50:22 Flows from Calvary's mountain 50:28 In the cross, in the cross 50:34 Be my glory ever 50:40 Till my raptured soul shall find 50:46 Rest beyond 50:49 The river 50:54 I'm gonna get this invitation on a microphone, please. 50:56 If you're in the balcony, come on down from the balcony. 50:58 Some of you are in the youth chapel right now. 51:00 Come from the youth chapel. 51:02 Just bring that little stub with you. 51:03 Drop it in the basket as everyone's doing 51:06 and say yes to the master of the vineyard, 51:08 partnering this new year. 51:11 Gentlemen, please. 51:15 Near the cross, a trembling soul 51:20 Love and mercy found me 51:26 There the bright and Morning Star 51:31 Sheds its beams around me 51:37 In the cross, in the cross 51:43 Be my glory ever 51:49 Till my raptured soul shall find 51:54 Rest beyond 51:57 The river 52:01 All right. Sing along. 52:03 They're still coming. Let's do another stanza. 52:05 Near the cross! O Lamb of God 52:11 Bring its scenes before me 52:17 Help me walk from day to day 52:23 With its shadow 52:26 o'er me 52:30 In the cross, in the cross 52:35 Be my glory 52:39 Ever 52:42 Till my raptured 52:45 soul shall find 52:48 Rest beyond 52:51 The river 52:55 Chorus, one more time 52:56 In the cross, 53:00 In the cross 53:03 Be my glory 53:06 Ever 53:10 Till my raptured 53:13 soul shall find 53:17 Rest beyond 53:19 the river 53:28 Oh, what a beautiful testimony to the Lord Jesus 53:31 who looks at this basket 53:34 and He smiles at the Father and Gabriel. 53:37 He says, 53:38 "This is the year. 53:40 This year." 53:44 I'm gonna invite President Luxton to come 53:47 and lead us in our litany. 53:48 If you have this little bulletin 53:50 that you tore off from, 53:51 you see on the backside new year dedication 53:54 based on the theme text 53:55 for this weekend, Isaiah 43. 54:00 Thank you very much. 54:02 And if you'll join me and read 54:05 what is in the bold print. 54:09 Here now God's promise for a second pandemic New Year. 54:15 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you... 54:18 I have summoned you by name, 54:21 you are Mine. 54:23 Who is this with so bold a promise for this campus? 54:28 I am the Lord your God, 54:30 the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. 54:35 But why would He so graciously promise this to us? 54:39 Because you are precious and honored in My sight, 54:43 and I love you. 54:45 And then how broad is His assurance? 54:49 I will bring your children from the east 54:52 and gather them from the west. 54:54 My sons from afar 54:57 and my daughters from the ends of the earth. 55:00 And what will he do 55:02 for this university and her children 55:06 I have called you by My name. 55:09 See I will do a new thing. 55:13 Then it is well, 55:14 that we dedicate ourselves to Him this day. 55:18 Let us pray. 55:28 Our Lord and our God, 55:31 we approach this new year with 55:34 optimism and yet apprehension. 55:39 There are around 700 of us. 55:42 We work at Ruth Murdoch, we work at Andrews Academy, 55:48 we work at the Crayon Box, 55:50 Griggs International Academy. 55:54 One of our partners on this campus, 55:56 Bon Appetit, dynamic campus, 55:59 Barnes and Noble, 56:01 and we are at Andrews University. 56:04 But, Lord, 56:06 all of us are called by You. 56:10 And as we approach this new year, 56:13 the optimism and the apprehension 56:16 joined together, 56:18 as we partner with You. 56:22 And today we commit every one of us 56:27 to work with You, 56:30 to represent You, 56:31 to accept our individual callings, 56:34 to make this a place 56:36 where every student that comes here 56:39 will be transformed, 56:42 will find something new, 56:45 a newness of deeper experience with You 56:49 because of what we do through You. 56:54 Lord, bless us, be with us. 56:59 We pray in Jesus' name. 57:00 Amen. 57:05 We've been really blessed by the financial support 57:07 that comes from our viewers, 57:08 and we've made a conscious decision 57:10 not to continually appeal to you 57:12 for that support. 57:14 The fact is, as everyone in the industry will tell you, 57:16 we're needing to make constant upgrades 57:18 to our technology. 57:20 So if God has blessed you 57:21 and you'd like to further the work of this ministry, 57:23 we invite you to partner with us. 57:25 Not a single penny of your donation will go to me. 57:28 Every bit of your gift goes to the mission 57:30 of blessing your community and our world. 57:33 You can donate on our website, newperceptions.tv 57:36 Or call the number. 57:37 You know the number 877-HIS-WILL. 57:40 Again, that number is 877, the two words HIS-WILL. 57:44 And may the God who has blessed you 57:46 continue to pour into your life 57:47 the gifts of His joy and His hope. 57:50 Thank you. 57:51 And I'm looking forward to seeing you, 57:53 right here, again, next time. |
Revised 2021-09-20