There will be a fellowship dinner, following the second worship service in the commons on the lower level.
SOLD OUT!
SOLD OUT! - Part 1
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonSince 1983, Dwight Nelson has served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. He preaches on the “New Perceptions” telecast, teaches at the theological seminary and has written some books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
“SOLD OUT!”—1
-
James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds
- An experiment with college students
- Not surprisingly “70 percent of the subjects changed their real opinion at least once, and a third of the subjects went along with the group at least half the time.” (38)
- But when one of the control group joined the subject in selecting the correct answer, “that was enough to make a huge difference. Having even one other person in the group who felt as they did made the subjects happy to announce their thoughts, and the rate of conformity plummeted.” (39)
-
Let’s call it “the power of .”
- All it takes is one other person to agree with you—and you will find courage to take the stand you believed was right all along.
- Or, all it takes is for one student, one person, to step out of the crowd and take a stand for what he or she believes is the right answer—and someone else, who would otherwise have probably gone along with the group, finds courage to also take the very same stand.
-
Matthew 18:15-20
- v 15—“Just between the of you.” Like the old proverb says, “The best way to dispose of your enemies it to make with them.”
-
v 16—“Take one or others along.”
- Deuteronomy 19:15
- Desire of Ages: “While we seek to correct the errors of a brother [or sister], the Spirit of Christ will lead us to shield [them], as far as possible, from the criticism of even [their own spiritual family], and how much more from the censure of the unbelieving world. We are erring, and need Christ’s pity and forgiveness, and just as we wish Him to deal with us, He bids us deal with one another.” (441)
-
v 17—Who are the “pagans” and “tax collectors”? They are those who are the very of the church.
vv 12-14—the parable of the lost sheep
What are we doing to reconnect with the “lost sheep” of our own ? -
v 18—Jesus is describing an astounding between the church down here and Heaven up there.
Whichever one acts first, the other . -
Thus the point is inescapable: The church is a very big deal to .
- God is on the church!
- David Watson: “The existence of the Christian community of the church in its ideal form is the revelation of God that the world can at present see.” (I Believe in the Church 84)
- Ellen White: “Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His regard” (Acts of the Apostles 12).
-
No wonder the New Testament—building on Christ’s foundational teaching of the church here in Matthew—offers these stirring metaphors of the church:
- The B of Christ—with Christ as the Husband. (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-27; Rev 21:2)
- The B of Christ—with Christ as the Head. (1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22-23)
- The B of Christ)—with Christ as the Cornerstone. (1 Cor 3:11, 16; Eph 2:19-22)
- The B of Christ—with Christ as the Captain. (Eph 6:13-17; Heb 2:10 NKJV)
- You can’t be close to the Head without being close to the .
- Zechariah 2:8—“This is what the LORD Almighty says: Whoever touches you [Zion] touches the of His eye.”
- You cannot be to Christ and from His church.
-
vv 19-20—The Greek reads: “For where two or three are ‘’ in My name, there am I with them.”
- By his intentional use of the verb form of “synagogue,” Matthew is describing the formal, organized, institutional church of the New Testament that meets every with appointed and recognized to God, study His and carry out His on earth all week long.
- “The power of two”—the power of Christ and His church.
-
That’s why like Jesus I too am . . .
“SOLD OUT on the Church”
Pioneer Operating Budget
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:42-45, ESV).
In one of my first years as a professor, I had a student who clearly did not like me. Every day she came to class with a negative attitude. One day, as I was leaving, I felt the Holy Spirit impress me to give her money. It seemed like an odd thought, so I brushed it away. Later that week, I felt God saying once again to give her money, but now He had doubled the amount.
As we left the classroom, I asked her to stay, and I mumbled through an explanation about why I was giving her money. I watched as she burst into tearsand explained that she had had no idea how she was going to get diapers for her baby.
That experience is a reminder of our call as Christians, to give. We never know the far-reaching impact of our financial gifts. Today’s offering is for our local church budget. Let’s partner with our church to expand our ability to help those around us in need.
By Heather Thompson Day
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
The activity bags have been a big hit with Pioneer kids. Please help us replenish missing items and make more bags by buying items of our Amazon Wish list or by labeling an offering for "Kids Church Bags". Thank you for your support in bringing kids to church!
We would like our community to know that effective Sunday, September 1, 2024, Neighbor To Neighbor will only take donations Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Being found on the premises after hours will not be allowed and will be considered trespassing. Thank you for your understanding.
Something In Common SS presents Don’t Give Up by Kyle Idleman
When you are hanging by a thread, losing faith and short on strength, what you need is real encouragement—a battle cry, a call to action, marching orders to push back the darkness. Stand up straight. Face your fears and enemies. And remember that you are not alone.
Join us weekly from August 24-September 21, Sabbath Mornings at 10:30-11:30, in PMC room 141.
Pioneer Memorial Church is delighted to announce the selection of Jacob Gibbs as a new Associate Pastor. Pastor Jacob was introduced to Pioneer on July 27, 2024, although his official start date was July 18, 2024. Pastor Jacob will serve as Associate Pastor at Pioneer Memorial Church and an Associate Chaplain with the Center for Faith Engagement at Andrews University.
Pastor Jacob Gibbs felt a call to ministry when he accepted Jesus as his Savior in 2002. Over the next nine years, he pursued his purpose and training at Mission College of Evangelism and Andrews University—gaining experience as a Bible Worker and Literature Evangelist. Pastor Jacob graduated from Andrews University in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Art and Theology. He later returned for his Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry.
During his undergraduate years, he met his wife, Emily Knott, and they were married in 2012. Pastor Jacob has served in the Michigan Conference for 13 years, starting with a three-church district in the central part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and most recently as the Senior Pastor of the Cedar Lake Seventh-day Adventist Church at Great Lakes Adventist Academy. Pastor Jacob's passions in ministry include hobby-based outreach, small groups, applied arts, and personal Bible studies. Pastor Jacob and Emily have two daughters, Eva and Avianne. They look forward to starting this new chapter of their lives by serving the communities of Andrews University and the Pioneer Memorial Church.