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Saturday, November 14, 2020 - 00:29
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2017 Holiday Season

In the Presence of a King, Don't Ask for Small Gifts

Resources

DVDs

To purchase a DVD of this sermon please visit our online shopping cart. Proceeds go to support the New Perceptions media ministry.
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Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Since 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

Saturday, December 09, 2017
Program: 
As We Begin
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing • Gordon Young
Praise
The First Noel • O Come, O Come Emmanuel • Joy to the World/Our God Saves
Prayer
Brandon Von Dorpowski
Baptism
Andrea Lauren Saunders with Nathaniel Gibbs
Children’s Story
What Child Is This? • Raymond Haan
Worship in Music
I Hear the Prophet Callin' • Pepper Choplin
Sermon
"In the Presence of a King, Don't Ask for Small Gifts" • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card, Tithes & Offerings
There's a Song in the Air • 120

More In This Series

12/30/2017
The Gift of a Good Forgetter: Your #1 New Year's Promise
12/23/2017
Who Makes the Wind His Messengers: The Christmas Compact
12/02/2017
Have Yourself a Windy Merry Christmas
All Sermons
Print Download

"In the Presence of a King, Don’t Ask for Small Gifts"
www.newperceptions.tv

  • Gift #1
    • Galatians 4:4-5
    • Steps to Christ: "He who was one with God has linked Himself with the children of men by ties that are never to be broken. . . . When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity [us commoners] to Himself [the Royal] by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself." (14, 72)
    • Carl Cosaert: "Adoption was a legally binding agreement that guaranteed a number of privileges: (1) the adopted son became the true son of his adoptive father; (2) the father agreed to provide all the necessities of food and clothing; (3) the adopted son could not be repudiated; (4) the adopted son could not be reduced to slavery; (5) the natural parents were never allowed to reclaim the adopted son; (6) and adoption mandated the right of inheritance." (Galatians: A Fiery Response to a Struggling Church 88)
  • Gift #2
    • Galatians 4:6-7
    • John Witvliet: "Here are two missions, two gifts, two experiences of grace: God sent his Son, and then God sent the Spirit of his Son. The first gift arrived in Bethlehem. The second arrives deep within the souls of believers. The first Christmas gift came then and there. The second comes again and again in the here and now. Indeed, every single time anyone anywhere professes 'Jesus is Lord,' we can be grateful for the work of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3)." (Christianity Today December 2017 p58)
    • Gregory Boyd: "My life is Christ—nothing else really matters" is essentially "My life is the Holy Spirit—nothing else really matters."
    • Ellen White: "When the Spirit was poured out from on high, the church was flooded with light, but Christ was that Light; the church was filled with joy, but Christ was the subject of that joy. When the Spirit is poured upon His people in this day, Christ's name will be upon every tongue, His love will fill every soul; and when the heart embraces Jesus, it will embrace God; for all the fullness of God dwells in Christ." (Ye Shall Receive Power 332)
    • Desire of Ages: "The whole treasury of heaven is open to those [the Father] seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me." (57)
    • Brennan Manning: "Everything has been given to us by the Father in Jesus. All we need now is to experience what we already possess." (Lion and Lamb 154)
    • Every new morning—ask for Him:  "Baptize me today, Lord Jesus, that I might be filled with Your Spirit. AMEN."
    • www.steps-to-personal-revival.info

When you get the One, you get them Both.

 

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Lead or Join a Grow Group

It's a fresh new year, and it's time for a fresh new Grow Groups season! Grow Groups are Pioneer's small groups that incorporate 5 S's: Shared interest, Spiritual touchpoint, Service project, Social event, Semester-based. That's it, in a nutshell! Grow Groups are for EVERYONE—all welcome to join.

Leaders, if you are passionate about something and want to use that to foster community and lead others to Jesus, we can probably help you turn that passion into a Grow Group! Let us know as soon as possible because the deadline to sign up to lead a group is January 21. For more information please email growgroups@pmchurch.org or visit pmchurch.org/grow to sign up.

Dates to Keep in Mind:

  • Digital Group Leader Registration Deadline: January 21
  • Leader Orientation (via Zoom): February 1, 7:00 PM
  • Spring Grow Groups Meet: February 7 – May 1

Lead a Grow Group

 

Year-end Contribution Statements

It is almost time for you to receive your Year-end Contribution Statement. Pioneer knows that you have had an unusual year and wants to make it easy for you to receive your Year-end Contribution Statement. This time around, you will receive your Contribution Statement easily and conveniently via email. If you have not recently updated your contact details, please email clerk@pmchurch.org with your current email address to ensure that you receive your statement. Thank you!

Pioneer Veterans

Adventist active-duty military personnel are eligible to receive a free devotional book, courtesy of the National Service Organization and Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries. Single service members, as well as other employee categories, may choose one free devotional. Married service members may choose two devotional books. You may order these online in your personal profile here at AdventistsonUniform.org. There will be more information about the profile next week.
Our National Service Organization, a subsidiary of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries offers a free devotional book annually.

To be eligible for NSO-sponsored complimentary devotional books, you must be a Seventh-day Adventist Church member in an Adventist church in the North American Division and in one of the following military-related categories:

  • All North American Division members who are active-duty military stationed overseas for a year or longer
  • DoD civilian employee of the military services stationed overseas
  • DoDEA teacher or principal stationed overseas
  • Military exchanges (AAFES, NEX, etc.) worker overseas
  • Government contractor overseas
  • A spouse living overseas with their non-Adventist military spouse

Keep our service people in prayer. They face some difficult decisions and endure hardships daily and need God's wisdom and protection. Have you any military family members or friends that we can include in our prayers? Send their names to jjnorthjr@gmail.com.

—James North, Jr., Pioneer Veterans Coordinator
jamesn@andrews.edu | 269-471-1590