November 1, 2025 • 63 mins
Welcome to Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church! We hope that you will find this sermon to be a blessing to you, as you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Allen Morehouse (00:03):
Wow.
Thank you, Mark, for that beautiful song.
Both the music and the words.
Are beautiful for the love of God.
Thank you.
Anyway, this is a high Sabbath, and I'm going to read a little bit about who we're just about to meet.
And you may have already met him if you were here for the interview and the last time he preached.
(00:28):
But Pastor Dale Tunnell brings over three decades of dedicated ministry experience to his new role as Pastor.
of Mesa Palms.
A graduate of Southern Abenes University and Andrews University, Pastor Tunnell, has served in a wide range of pastoral and leadership roles across the globe.
(00:51):
From Georgia to Mongolia to Vietnam.
His ministry has included church planting, evangelism, mentoring young pastors, and leading international mission efforts.
Most recently, he served as a director of the Hanoi Center of Influence and pastor of the International Church.
(01:13):
In Hanoi, Vietnam, where he launched a language school in partner with local and international outreach team.
Pastor Tanell is passionate about preaching, teaching, and equipping others for service.
He has a heart for missions.
And has organized and led numerous evangelistic trips, including multi-year initiatives in Mongolian outreach and Zimbabwe
(01:42):
His leadership has helped grow congregation, train future church leader, and foster vibrant spiritual communities.
In addition to his pastoral work, Pastor Tanell has served on multiple boards and committees, including Adra in Mongolia, Vietnam, and the East Hampton.
(02:05):
Hamilton Ministerial Association, he brings a wealth of experience in counseling, life coaching, and spiritual development.
Pastor Tonnell has been married to his wife, Cheryl, for 40 years.
Congratulations.
They have two daughters and three grandchildren, ages 13, 10, and 9.
(02:29):
Dale and Cheryl are excited.
To join the Mesa Palms community and look forward to growing together in faith, fellowship, and service.
But there's more.
And I already warned Cheryl and Pastor Dale that I was going to call them forward.
(02:55):
So if you would join me.
And I know all the church would like to be up here, but I've invited our church staff.
To join me too as we welcome Pastor Tonnell and Cheryl.
(03:20):
So that's Alice, Sharon, and my wife Renee.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (03:32):
Alright, you guys wait for them to go.
Allen Morehouse (03:41):
So, along with our staff, Mesa Palms wants to welcome Pastor Dale and Cheryl to our church.
And thank you for being here today.
We started this journey to continued heaven-bound back in May when a trio of elders shared God's vision and goals for our church in the coming months.
(04:04):
In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd.
I am the Good Shepherd.
Jesus.
Is our good shepherd.
We need to hear his voice and follow him always.
Today we celebrate that God has led in bringing a new pastor and his wife.
(04:27):
to Mesa Palms, to shepherd, minister, and guide this church and its members to the Divine Shepherd, Jesus.
as we continued heaven bound.
Thank you for following God's calling and leading and accepting your role as pastor of the Mesa Palms SDA Church.
(04:48):
May God continue to bless and protect you as you guide his people to Jesus and ultimately home to heaven.
We have some gifts from Mason Palms, and you are with we have some gifts to share with you as a welcome to our family.
(05:08):
God bless you and your family, not only today, but in the future.
(05:32):
But we're not done yet.
As you see, it's a pastor installation.
um Sabbath here.
And the conference has been working to bring us a pastor and Elder Bledsoe and Elder Leach are here and they're going to take over and I invite them to come up and
We'll continue on.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Good morning and happy Sabbath.
It's my honor and privilege to be representing the officers
of the Arizona Conference, our President Ed Keyes and our Executive Secretary Ray Navarro in installing
Elder Dell Tunnell and his wife Cheryl as the pastoral team here at the Mesa Palms, Seventh day Adventist Church.
(06:37):
Today the Arizona Conference is installing you, Dale Tunnell, as the pastor for the Mesa Palm Seventh day Avenue Church.
You are here to lift up Jesus, the light of the world, to share God's word as the light of our path.
You are here to share the everlasting gospel.
(06:58):
Jesus has given you authority in his name to go make disciples, to baptize, to teach, teach them to know God's word.
Pastor Del Tanell, in the presence of this congregation, will you commit yourself to this new trust and responsibility?
(07:18):
in the confidence that God, through his Holy Spirit, has led the Arizona Conference to place you here in the Mesa Palms Church.
to share the gospel of God's grace with this congregation, with the city of Mesa, and with the surrounding community and neighborhood.
(07:38):
I will, with God's help.
Pastor Tanell, by God's grace, are you willing to commit yourself to guard this pulpit and only present sermons?
That are in harmony with God's Word.
Will you preach and teach in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
Pastor Dale Tunnell (07:59):
I will, and I ask God to help me.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Will you be diligent in your study of the Holy Scriptures and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding?
To share God's grace in preaching and in ministry.
Will you love, serve, and pray for God's people?
Nourish them with the word and lead them by your own example.
in faithful service and in living a Christ-like life.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (08:26):
Yes, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, I will.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Will you give faithful witness to the world?
Will you be a revelation of Jesus?
Will you reveal his light, his word, his love, so that God's love may be known and revealed in all that you do?
Yes, and I ask God for his help.
And now I ask you, God's people, members of the Mesa Palm, Seventh day Adventist Church.
(08:54):
Will you receive Pastor Tonnell and his wife Cheryl as members of this church family?
And will you accept Pastor Tunnell as a messenger of Jesus Christ?
Sent to share the everlasting gospel with all who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, to share the gospel of hope and salvation in Jesus.
(09:19):
Will you regard him as a servant of Christ and a steward of God's love and grace?
Will you pray for him, help and honor him for his work's sake?
And in all things, strive to live together in peace and unity of Christ.
If this is your commitment and desire, I invite you to please stand with us as we complete this ceremony.
(09:49):
Pastor Tanell, by God's grace, you are officially the pastor of this wonderful Mesa Palms congregation.
May God bless you as you serve the Mesa Palms Church, the city of Mesa, and the surrounding community here in Arizona.
Elder Bledsoe, please come forward.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
At this time, we would like to have a prayer of dedication, and I would invite the elders and their spouses, if you would come forward at this time, and we will surround
Pastor Dale and Cheryl and have a prayer of dedication for them.
(11:08):
Shall we bow our heads together?
Our loving, gracious Father
You have heard the charges and the commitment from Pastor Dale to serve you, to uplift Jesus.
But as we know, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
We ask for your spirit.
It is not by might nor by power but by your spirit.
(11:30):
And we ask that your spirit would be poured out.
on Pastor Dale, on Cheryl, on their ministry in this church, because whatever that is not done by your Spirit is of no significance.
But what is done by your spirit, by your grace, not only is significant now, but will have significance for eternity.
And ultimately, Father, what we are interested in is not so much what we do here and now.
(11:56):
But what we do that will make a difference, not only now, but for eternity.
I would ask that you would be with Pastor Dale, that you would be with Cheryl, that you would guide in their lives.
In their ministry and their relationship with each other, and in their relationship with this church and this community.
Father, I would also ask that you would be with this congregation.
(12:17):
That as Aaron and her were willing to lift up the arms of Moses, that through prayer, through intercession, that this congregation would lift up
The ministry of Pastor Dale and Cheryl in this community, in this church, in this congregation.
And most of all, Father, we simply pray one thing that in everything that is done
(12:40):
in this ministry in this church that Jesus would be lifted up, for he has promised if he is lifted up, he will draw all men unto him
Father, may be this be a church where people are drawn not to a message, not to a ministry, but ultimately they are drawn to Jesus and they give their hearts and their lives to Him.
(13:00):
May he truly be hidden behind your grace, behind your spirit, and people may see and know that he has been with Jesus is our prayer in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God bless.
Allen Morehouse (13:44):
I wanted to also make mention that the Kenyan Company joined us.
I asked them to join us.
And they're here today with Mesa Palms.
welcoming both Pastor Dale and Cheryl.
So thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Happy Sabbath, everyone.
Today's scripture comes from the book of Psalms.
Verses 5 and 6.
Many, O Lord, my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you have planned for us, no one can recount to you.
Were to I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
(14:34):
Sacrifice an offering you did not believe desire.
But my eyes, my ears, you have pierced.
Burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Amen.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (14:57):
It is indeed a joy to be here with you today.
It has been a long time coming, hasn't it?
I understood you've been praying about this since May.
Yes.
We've been praying about this since May last year.
(15:19):
Um knowing that uh the day was coming that we were going to return to the United States.
And here we are in November one.
Can you believe it's November one?
Did you enjoy the celebration yesterday of Reformation Day?
Boy, isn't it nice to celebrate Reformation Day and know that the Reformation continues on.
(15:45):
And November 1st, uh for Cheryl and I, this November, I should say every November, is known as Birthday Month.
Uh both of our birthdays are in the month of November, and our oldest daughter was born in the month of November, but our youngest daughter, she was born in April.
(16:10):
And one day she came to Cheryl and she said, Mom, can I go to court and have my birthday changed?
I want to be in November with the rest of the family.
Because she understood that the three of us had lots of fun in the month of November.
(16:43):
In the bulletin, you will see my phone number there in the back of the bulletin.
Cheryl and I uh would like to do some visitation in the next few weeks, and we would like to visit each one of you.
Preferably in your homes, but if not in your home at another place.
But uh w we can do just pop-in visits and surprise you.
(17:07):
But we have found that doesn't work so well these days.
It worked really well when I started ministry for many years ago, but these days most people uh shy away from that.
But if you have a particular time, day of the week, uh time slots, you know, those hours, you know, when uh
Delivery people say they're coming to you, or people that are going to install the cable, they'll say we'll be there between the hours of four and eight or something like that.
(17:36):
If you have those kind of hours on a particular day that uh you are open to a visit, uh if you could send me a text and let me know these things.
Now I I'm doing it this way in lieu of
handing out a piece of paper and having each of you fill out a piece of paper of when the best time to visit is.
So I'm going to rely upon you.
(17:57):
And should you not text me
You're laughing already, huh?
You may get a pop in visit.
Or I may text you or call you and see if we can arrange something.
Because the best way for me to get to know you, to get to know uh your names
(18:25):
Is not at church when I'm learning all of that, many of you at one time, but is for me to visit in your homes
And so also the best way for me to develop sermons
Is to visit in your homes and to to find out what the needs are, what the desires are, what the hopes are.
(18:51):
The best way for me as a pastor to lead the congregation is to know.
what your dreams are for this church, what your desire is, what you want to accomplish here.
The elders have asked me, and a few other people have asked me, Pastor, what do you want to do here?
(19:14):
And the answer is, I don't know.
Because every place, every church is different.
And it's not just a matter of me coming in and saying, oh, these are the programs I know how to run.
Let me do these things.
I want us to be a family.
(19:35):
I want us to be united.
I want us to be able to work together.
And so that will only happen as I get to know you.
And so
The pop-in visit is an option, but it is not the best option.
So with my phone number on the back of the bulletin, I encourage you to.
(19:59):
Send me a text, let me know what some options are for you, what day of the week is best for you, and we will try and uh put together a time schedule that we can Now I can't do all of you this week.
So I'm just letting you know and uh uh hopefully you know by the end of two, three months I can make it into at least most of your homes.
(20:23):
uh and have a sit-down face-to-face visit with you and get to know you a little better
Let's have an added word of prayer at this time.
Our gracious God, as we open up the Bible and as I share what you have have placed upon my heart, I pray, Lord, that
(20:45):
you would be here with me and that you would give me the words to say and that you would give the congregation the ears to hear.
so that we can grow in our walk and our relationship with you.
I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
(21:09):
I heard a story last month, and it was a story that I had heard two or three or four times previously, a story that I had told early in my ministry.
A story that is often used in evangelistic meetings.
And when I heard it last month, I said, ah, that's the story that I need to start at Mesa Palms.
(21:37):
You may have heard this story before.
The story is about a young black man.
He was standing up on a platform, his arms were crossed, and there was a white man standing beside him, and that was saying, This man is for sale
(21:58):
What do you give me for this man?
And he opened the mouth.
He said, Look, he has good teeth.
Look at his body.
He is well built.
Make me an offer for this man.
And the auction began.
And as a person bid for him, the man said, I will not work.
(22:26):
The auctioneer didn't seem to hear those words.
He continued accepting bids.
And as more bids came in, the man stood there and said, I will not work.
But the amount kept getting higher and higher.
Finally
(22:48):
It got so high that no one else bid anymore.
And the auctioneer said, sold.
And the man was led off to the side of the platform.
There he met the gentleman that paid a very high price for him.
(23:09):
And as the gentleman looked at him, he looked back and he said, I will not work.
And the man just smiled and led him away.
Sat him in the back of a wagon
And began to drive the wagon out of town.
(23:33):
And they went a good ways out of town.
And they kept going further and further.
And as they got further out of town, they came to a place that looked just beautiful
It was a nice place.
It had grass out front.
There were trees all around.
There was a house and even a pond in front of the house and a picket fence around.
(23:57):
And it was a beautiful place.
And the wagon stopped in front of this house.
And the driver, who is now the owner,
Got out.
He walked to the back of the wagon and he took the man out of the wagon.
And the man reiterated again.
I will not work.
(24:22):
And the owner said, I did not buy you to work.
I bought you to set you free.
And not just to set you free, this place is yours
(24:46):
The man looked around.
Is mine?
This man is you this place is yours and you are free to do what you want to do.
The man fell down.
He couldn't his legs couldn't even hold himself up.
(25:06):
He fell down and he he kind of grabbed hold of the person who had bought him.
He began to cry.
He stood back up and he he he looked around and then he looked in the face of the one that had purchased him and he said, I will do anything you want me to do.
(25:28):
Anything.
The man said, you are free to do whatever you wish.
This place is yours.
Do we understand that that's the kind of thing that Jesus has done for us?
(25:59):
We have been on the auction block of sin.
Jesus purchased us.
Even though we did not want a relationship with him, we were in rebellion against him.
He purchased us in order to set us free.
(26:20):
Yeah, we need more amens than that on that.
Somebody ought to be shouting, hallelujah!
I mean, that's what God, the Creator God, has done for us.
He has purchased us and set us free.
But not only set us free, he then says.
(26:42):
I have a place prepared for you.
For you
When will that sink into our heads?
We've heard that story.
We've heard that story.
When does it sink in?
When is our is our life transformed dramatically so that it sinks in and it makes radical change inside of us?
(27:15):
Open your Bible to Psalm chapter 40.
Psalm chapter 40 it tells us there that it is written by by David.
Scripture tells us that David is a man after God's own heart.
And I believe Psalm chapter 40 kind of kind of describes what has happened to David.
(27:36):
And this relationship with the Creator God, it has happened to David and it has touched his heart so that he he he he says to God, I am all yours.
Look at Psalm chapter 40.
We begin reading with verse 1.
(27:56):
It says, I waited patiently for the Lord.
And he inclined to me, he heard my cry, he also brought me up out of a horrible pit.
Out
Of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and establish my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth.
Praise to our God.
(28:18):
Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside.
To lies.
Many, O Lord, my God, are your wonderful works which you have done.
(28:38):
And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to you in order.
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Can you think about the things that God has done for us?
I mean, for Cheryl and I, he's brought us to Arizona.
(29:02):
I mean that's a beautiful thing, right?
Oh man, the sun rises here, the sun sets here, in the last week have been
Spectacular for us.
We have enjoyed just watching the sunrise and sunsets
Beautiful, the display that is in the clouds, the sky of what God does for us.
(29:31):
I mean you look at nature all around us.
The birds, the trees, the cactus.
You begin to behold God's beauty.
You look around and you see people.
And those individuals are made in the image of God.
(29:53):
You look in the mirror and see yourself, and you you think about your your hands that can touch, your eyes that can see, your ears that can hear.
your your your mouth your your tongue that can taste wonderful food oh man think about the things God has done you begin to ponder these things you begin to meditate on these things
(30:13):
And you cannot keep silent.
We serve an awesome God.
I mean, David here says, he says
Many, O Lord my God, are your wonderful works.
They are more than can be numbered.
David is at the place he cannot count the wonderful things that God has done for him.
(30:40):
And that should be our response also.
Praising God.
Giving him the adoration, the praise that he deserves because of the wonderful things that he has done for us.
Notice here in verse 6.
(31:03):
Continues on.
It says, sacrifice and offering you did not desire.
My ears you have opened, burnt offering and sin offering you did not require.
Then I said, Behold, I come in the scroll of the book.
It is written on me.
I delight to do your will, O my God.
Your law is within my heart.
(31:23):
David is getting to the place where he is he is expressing his his response to God.
Now you can read about this Psalm 40.
You can go to the commentaries and read about it, and it will tell you that it just has some messianic overtones in it, that it is uh a reference to Jesus.
(31:45):
That is to come, that it has sacrifice there and an offering as a reference or similar similar language to Daniel talking about Jesus.
But I want you to think about in in in David's context.
(32:05):
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire.
My ears you have opened.
When we read that phrase, my ears you have opened.
I tend to think you have opened my ears and given me the ability to listen.
Jesus says a couple of times, he that hath an ear, let him hear.
(32:25):
Revelation writes, he that has an ear, let him hear.
And I and when when I read this phrase
I think about listening and not just hearing, but listening and doing, carrying out what you listen to.
(32:46):
But as I studied, as I as I read this a little bit more, this opening of the ear could also have a reference to something beyond just listening and hearing.
Could have a reference to Exodus chapter twenty-one.
(33:08):
You know what is referred to in Exodus chapter 21?
You know, Exodus chapter 21 is just after Exodus chapter 20.
I'm glad you caught that.
That's about the extent of my knowledge on some things.
(33:32):
We know what Exodus chapter 20 is about.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we're well versed in Exodus chapter 20.
We like Exodus chapter 20 where it talks about.
the Ten Commandments.
But Exodus chapter twenty-one, we're not so knowledgeable about
Exodus chapter 21, it begins with these words.
(33:53):
Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them.
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years.
And in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.
If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself.
If he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her masters, and he shall go out by himself.
(34:23):
But if the servant plainly says, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free.
Then his master shall bring him to the judges, and he shall also bring him to the door, to the doorpost.
And his master shall pierce his ear with an awe, and he shall serve him forever.
(34:54):
Now, sometimes we might refer to that story about what forever means when we're talking about the definition of forever.
But normally that's not a story that we usually reference.
Because it's not part of our culture.
But I want you to understand the picture.
(35:16):
The picture is if a man gets so far in debt, he can't he can't take care of himself any longer.
And he he he needs to survive.
He sells himself into slavery.
So that he can work, so that he has food to eat.
And the text there in Exodus 21, it says, if he goes in single, when the seventh year comes, he goes out how?
(35:42):
single.
If he goes in married and he at the end of the seven years he goes out married.
If he goes in
Married and with children.
When the seven years is finished, he goes out how?
Married and with children.
But if he goes in single and his owner says, you're a good worker.
(36:07):
I like the way you do things.
Would you consider marrying my daughter?
Or he says, would you consider marrying this other slave that I have?
And the marriage takes place.
And they have children.
And the seven years is up, and it's time for the man to leave.
(36:30):
He has two choices.
He can leave free, but his wife and his children belong to the master.
Or he can choose to stay.
(36:51):
Now if he chooses to stay, that means he has found his place of belonging.
He has found his place of home.
He has found his people.
He has found the place where he is comfortable, the place where he wants to live, the place where he wants to spend forever.
(37:13):
And he tells the owner, he says, take me to the judges, take me to the doorpost and open my ear.
That could be a reference that David is making here.
God, you are so wonderful.
You are so awesome.
I want you to open my ear, but David is not
(37:36):
Just saying open my ear.
He is like Peter when Jesus told him, Oh, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me.
And Peter says, Well, not just my feet, my hands and my head, my whole body, wash everything.
David is saying, I want you to put an awe in a hole in both ears.
Because I want to be I want to be totally yours, Lord.
(37:58):
You have blessed me so much, God.
I want to belong in this place at this time because of your awesome love.
Lord, I am totally yours.
I believe Death's what that is what David is saying
(38:21):
That is what I want with my life.
I want my life to be God's totally because of what He has done for me
(38:44):
But the elders up front here, the charge that was given today wasn't just something that was written on the paper.
The answers, the responses were from the heart.
(39:04):
I want to be totally God's.
I want to go before the judges.
I want I I want my ears to be pierced.
For God's will, so that this is the place of belonging for me.
(39:26):
I want to be with God throughout eternity.
Last time I was here, I talked about belonging.
Belonging is important.
It's important for us to have that place of belonging, the family that we feel comfortable with.
(39:48):
These are my people.
For those of you that are watching online, I encourage you to have that place of belonging
The place where where where you feel comfortable, the place that the people miss you and the place that you miss when you're not there.
It's that encouragement, that place where we can grow together.
(40:14):
Doesn't mean we always do it right.
But we know we're loved and we are encouraged where we belong.
David had told God, I am all in
He keeps going there in verse 7.
He says, Then I said, Behold, I come in the scroll of the book.
(40:37):
It is written on me
Your law is within my heart.
This is the new covenant.
This doesn't happen naturally.
It happens intentionally.
The way that you know what the laws are is you have to to ask questions.
(41:02):
You have to study the law, you have to engage in the process.
If you want to to work well and pleasing to the boss, the person who has redeemed you, the one that has created you, the one that has set you free.
Then you you study and you learn and you grow what his will is.
(41:26):
It's not a natural thing that occurs
I mean, how many of you like to go shopping?
Yeah, this week Cheryl and I have done too much shopping trying to set up house.
It's it's it wears us out.
But I remember a time when when we were much younger and we had children with us and we had gone to the grocery store and we had gone shopping.
(41:54):
That we thing you do weekly, and by the time you get through the grocery store your cart is too full.
And you wonder why you bought some things.
But I remember a time we we had a full cart, and one of the things that we needed to purchase was some dog food.
And we got a big bag of dog food because it's cheaper when you get the big bag.
(42:15):
And we had a dog that needed to be cared for, needed to eat, and so we got the big bag of dog food, and we put the dog food on the bottom of the cart.
And we got up to the checkout line and we checked out.
We put all our things up on the line.
The the cashier told us how much we owed.
We we paid our money and we
We went out the door and we got out to the car and we were unloading the cart and we have dog food down here on the bottom.
(42:46):
I don't think she rang up our dog food.
She didn't even see our dog food.
Cheryl looked at the ticket and says, she didn't charge us for the dog food.
What do you do?
Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
We've got our dog food free.
This is wonderful.
(43:06):
Is that what you do?
Well we could have done that, but we didn't.
We turned around with the car, we went back in.
We go up to the service desk, we stand in line, we go to the service desk, we show them what has happened, tell them the story, and the look on the person's face is like.
(43:31):
You were already out the door.
Nobody stopped you.
Why are you coming back in here?
She didn't say those words, but that was the look we got.
That we came back in because it's not right for us to steal.
We need to pay for this.
And she says,
(43:52):
You guys are kind of unusual people, aren't you?
And we paid for it.
But I'm gonna tell you that doesn't happen naturally.
It's not the natural inclination.
But both my wife and I, we have been been raised reading this book.
(44:16):
We've been raised listening to the
the the stories about Joshua and the the son that stands still we've been listening to a God that that loves us and cares about us and and has a a character that is higher than what
Most of us are, and he wants something better for us.
(44:40):
And so it happens because we spend time reading the Bible.
It happens when we engage and listen to God's word.
It happens when we turn on the radio and we're listening to Christian music.
It happens if we're watching TV.
We watch the good stuff.
You know there's good stuff on there.
(45:01):
You have to go searching for it.
When you're scrolling on your phone, you have to find the good stuff.
You have to find the right things that you want to watch, the things that are going to feed you spiritually, so that you can grow spiritually and become more like Jesus.
I believe David was doing those kind of things.
(45:24):
Because he had said, Your law is written on my heart.
David had learned.
I mean face it, he had really learned.
He had the opportunity, not once, but twice, to take Saul's life
You remember Saul, right?
The king?
(45:46):
But the man that had tried to kill David with the javelin?
The one that had hunted David out in the desert around the mountains.
David had the opportunity twice, but he says, I will not touch God's anointed.
(46:11):
It doesn't happen naturally.
It happens because you spend time in God's Word.
It happens when you're reading the Bible.
Happens when you're spending time with the family of God.
David continues in the Psalm
Notice verse 9 and 10.
(46:31):
It says, I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly.
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord.
You yourself know I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart.
I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation.
I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.
(46:53):
He says, God, I have been telling everybody about the wonderful things that you have done for me
Do you and I tell people about the wonderful things God has done for us?
I'm going to tell you right now in the United States
of America.
(47:14):
Right now is the time for us to be talking about Jesus.
Right now, there's a revival going on.
In the last year, 30,000 people have been baptized in the United States.
(47:35):
Now they haven't been baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but they've been baptized in the United States.
Most of those individuals were male.
From Generation Z.
For those of you that are my age, that means the young people.
(48:00):
The young men.
High school, college age.
There's a revival going on in the colleges right now
October 1, that was last month.
See if I get the the numbers right.
Sometimes numbers don't uh 8,000 students attended a revival in Knoxville, Tennessee.
(48:24):
At the end of that revival period, 500 of them went outside the arena and were baptized.
Now we have many people in the Adventist Church that are calling this a false revival.
And it could be
(48:46):
But you know what the difference between a true revival and a false revival is?
A false revival is only superficial.
The true revival goes deep.
Friends, you and I, as Seventh-day Adventists, our commission is to take the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
(49:08):
We need to be looking for these people that have been converted, who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
And we need to be discipling them.
We need to be talking about Jesus with them.
We need to open up the conversations with them.
(49:30):
Because we have a message to take them deep.
We have a message that will take them
Not just on the on the on the surface, but we have a message that can take them and to help them grow in the relationship with Jesus Christ.
We can teach them what it means to fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come.
(49:55):
We can teach them what it means to worship him who made the sea and all that is in them is.
We can teach them those things.
We've had that message.
We've grown up with it
But many of them have only heard, Jesus loves me.
(50:18):
And they have given their heart to Jesus.
But it shouldn't stay just there.
We need to teach them all those things that Jesus taught to the disciples.
Oh man, we have we have so much we can teach them
(50:45):
Exodus chapter 20, verse 8 tells us, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
Verse 11 says, gives us the reason.
What's the reason in verse 11?
The reason is because he is the creator.
(51:08):
Right?
He made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them.
Right?
That's the reason.
That's the reason that we know very well.
The Ten Commandments is given a second time in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
We don't often read Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments.
(51:32):
It's not the one that we have memorized.
It's not the one we teach in children's Sabbath school classes.
But Deuteronomy chapter 5 has the Ten Commandments a second time.
Moses here talking with the children as they're getting ready to go into the promised land.
(51:53):
recounting the Ten Commandments to them.
Deuteronomy chapter 5, he gets down to the fourth commandment and he says
Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
We know that one.
We are comfortable with that, but then we get down to verse
(52:15):
Yeah, fifteen.
He changes it.
He alters it a little bit.
And he says, and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand.
And by an outstretched arm.
(52:36):
Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
Friends, God has set us free.
Do you have chains of bondage that you have been bound to that God has set you free?
See, some of these individuals that are accepting Jesus, they've been set free from the the the the
(52:58):
Bonds that have held them.
They need to continue to overcome victory by victory these things that Satan is holding them down with.
They need to know who the creator God is.
They need to know, truly know, the one who has set them free.
We as Seventh-day Adventists, we are in a unique place to be able to teach that to them.
(53:26):
Do we take advantage of that?
Barna Research tells us right now, recent research that has been done
That's 63 to 80 percent.
I know that's a wide margin there of almost 20 percent, but 63 to 82 percent of unchurched people, you heard that right, unchurched.
(53:47):
Do we know what unchurched people means?
That means it's not Beth Baptist, not the Methodist, not the
Latter-day Saints, not the Catholics, unchurched people.
Now it could be some of those people that aren't attending church
(54:11):
They tend to become unchurched.
But research shows that between eighty-three and sixty-three and eighty-two percent of unchurched people in the United States
Would attend church with a friend or relative if invited.
(54:31):
The research that has been done is that an unchurched person would likely attend church if invited.
Oh, friends, I'm going to tell you, this is prime time for us as Seventh-day Adventists.
We've got a message to those who are not going to be able to do that.
(54:52):
people that have have accepted Jesus Christ, that have been baptized, that know Jesus, we have a message for those that are unchurched.
This is prime time for us.
And we need to be taking advantage of it.
You have friends, you have neighbors, you have co-workers, you have fellow classmates.
(55:15):
You have individuals in your sphere of influence.
I wonder when they're going to invite me to church.
No, they're probably not consciously thinking that.
But because of what is happening in our world today, they have a predisposition that they would likely say yes.
(55:40):
If invited.
We have a message that needs to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
I saw it on an envelope that came into uh friend's house.
(56:00):
I was visiting a couple months ago.
I was in their house and they had an envelope from the Voice of Prophecy.
And on the outside of the envelope it said, There are 300 language groups in North America.
That do not have the Bible in their heart language
(56:25):
And I know what your first thought is because it was probably the same as my first thought.
Well, those individuals are the in the United States of America if they would just learn English.
Do you know how difficult it is to learn a foreign language?
And you may get to the place where you learn the language and you can have conversations with individuals, but
(56:51):
To really have it be a heart language?
Voice of Prophecy was trying to tell me and I'm trying to tell you.
We still have a work to do here in North America.
300 languages that don't have the Bible in their heart language
(57:14):
How are they going to know God's law?
How is God's law going to be written in their hearts if they can't study it on a regular basis?
Friends, we've got work to do.
We keep reading.
(57:36):
Psalm 40 here it says, verse 11
This do not withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord.
Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me for
Innumerable evils have surrounded me, my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up.
(57:57):
They are more than the hairs of my head.
Therefore my heart
Fails me.
Do you understand what he's saying there?
This is what stops us.
This is what stops most of us.
(58:19):
We have sin in our life
I've just said just a minute ago that it'd be wonderful if you shared or invited or encouraged or talked to individuals about Jesus or invited them to come to church.
And you probably thought, but I've worked with these people and they know me.
(58:43):
And they know I have sinned.
I have done something wrong.
I've lied.
I don't manage my time wisely.
I don't often treat other people with respect.
(59:06):
Why, they even know I've broken the Sabbath day.
How can I talk to them about Sabbath?
And we begin to look down and we say, like David here, I'm not good enough.
I can't talk to my family.
My family has seen me grow up.
(59:27):
They know what kind of scoundrel I am.
They know the things that I have done.
I can't share with my family members
I mean, if I begin to share with my family members, Uncle Bob is just going to say all kinds of things about me, and he is going to make
Oh man, I don't want to bring that up again with my family.
(59:47):
I don't want anybody knowing about that.
And if I'm just gonna
And what we do is we allow Satan to cause us to keep our mouths shut.
Because the truth of the matter is.
I'm not good enough.
(01:00:11):
And I'm going to tell you something.
I don't even know you yet, but you're not good enough
The truth of the matter is we are not good enough.
We're not good enough to for God to invite us to come into his presence.
We're not good enough for the name of Jesus to come off our tongue and through our lips, but yet we use his name.
(01:00:39):
We're not good enough to even speak it.
I'm gonna tell you, you're right.
You're not good enough.
But God is good enough.
God deserves for you to speak it.
God deserves for me to speak it.
(01:01:02):
And God wants to partner with us.
In doing this kind of work.
And so you can listen to the fact that you're not good enough, and you're right, you're not.
Where you can listen to God saying, all power has been given to me, and I'm giving it to you.
(01:01:26):
Go and teach
Go and preach.
Go and make disciples.
Go and baptize
Oh, that's a whole nother sermon.
I won't go there.
(01:01:49):
I'm just going to tell you, God is good enough to use even you.
God is good enough to use even you.
That is what our Creator God is wanting.
He is wanting us to proclaim his goodness.
(01:02:11):
It's not by our might or our power that things happen.
It is because of God's strength.
It is not because we are awesome and creative.
It is because of God's strength.
(01:02:31):
Yes, I'm winding down here.
The musicians can come forward.
We have seen that God is a forgiving God.
That he loves us.
We have seen that God cares about us.
And his goodness, his mercy is new every day
And we have a choice to make.
(01:02:53):
Have we found our place of belonging with God and with his people?
Or do we want to go out?
God is waiting for us to say the words.
Master, I love you so much.
(01:03:13):
Your goodness is so awesome.
Please take me before the judges.
Tell the judges what has happened.
God take me to the door frame and pierce my ear
(01:03:34):
Because I have found my place of belonging
Wow.
Thank you, Mark, for that beautiful song.
Both the music and the words.
Are beautiful for the love of God.
Thank you.
Anyway, this is a high Sabbath, and I'm going to read a little bit about who we're just about to meet.
And you may have already met him if you were here for the interview and the last time he preached.
(00:28):
But Pastor Dale Tunnell brings over three decades of dedicated ministry experience to his new role as Pastor.
of Mesa Palms.
A graduate of Southern Abenes University and Andrews University, Pastor Tunnell, has served in a wide range of pastoral and leadership roles across the globe.
(00:51):
From Georgia to Mongolia to Vietnam.
His ministry has included church planting, evangelism, mentoring young pastors, and leading international mission efforts.
Most recently, he served as a director of the Hanoi Center of Influence and pastor of the International Church.
(01:13):
In Hanoi, Vietnam, where he launched a language school in partner with local and international outreach team.
Pastor Tanell is passionate about preaching, teaching, and equipping others for service.
He has a heart for missions.
And has organized and led numerous evangelistic trips, including multi-year initiatives in Mongolian outreach and Zimbabwe
(01:42):
His leadership has helped grow congregation, train future church leader, and foster vibrant spiritual communities.
In addition to his pastoral work, Pastor Tanell has served on multiple boards and committees, including Adra in Mongolia, Vietnam, and the East Hampton.
(02:05):
Hamilton Ministerial Association, he brings a wealth of experience in counseling, life coaching, and spiritual development.
Pastor Tonnell has been married to his wife, Cheryl, for 40 years.
Congratulations.
They have two daughters and three grandchildren, ages 13, 10, and 9.
(02:29):
Dale and Cheryl are excited.
To join the Mesa Palms community and look forward to growing together in faith, fellowship, and service.
But there's more.
And I already warned Cheryl and Pastor Dale that I was going to call them forward.
(02:55):
So if you would join me.
And I know all the church would like to be up here, but I've invited our church staff.
To join me too as we welcome Pastor Tonnell and Cheryl.
(03:20):
So that's Alice, Sharon, and my wife Renee.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (03:32):
Alright, you guys wait for them to go.
Allen Morehouse (03:41):
So, along with our staff, Mesa Palms wants to welcome Pastor Dale and Cheryl to our church.
And thank you for being here today.
We started this journey to continued heaven-bound back in May when a trio of elders shared God's vision and goals for our church in the coming months.
(04:04):
In the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd.
I am the Good Shepherd.
Jesus.
Is our good shepherd.
We need to hear his voice and follow him always.
Today we celebrate that God has led in bringing a new pastor and his wife.
(04:27):
to Mesa Palms, to shepherd, minister, and guide this church and its members to the Divine Shepherd, Jesus.
as we continued heaven bound.
Thank you for following God's calling and leading and accepting your role as pastor of the Mesa Palms SDA Church.
(04:48):
May God continue to bless and protect you as you guide his people to Jesus and ultimately home to heaven.
We have some gifts from Mason Palms, and you are with we have some gifts to share with you as a welcome to our family.
(05:08):
God bless you and your family, not only today, but in the future.
(05:32):
But we're not done yet.
As you see, it's a pastor installation.
um Sabbath here.
And the conference has been working to bring us a pastor and Elder Bledsoe and Elder Leach are here and they're going to take over and I invite them to come up and
We'll continue on.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Good morning and happy Sabbath.
It's my honor and privilege to be representing the officers
of the Arizona Conference, our President Ed Keyes and our Executive Secretary Ray Navarro in installing
Elder Dell Tunnell and his wife Cheryl as the pastoral team here at the Mesa Palms, Seventh day Adventist Church.
(06:37):
Today the Arizona Conference is installing you, Dale Tunnell, as the pastor for the Mesa Palm Seventh day Avenue Church.
You are here to lift up Jesus, the light of the world, to share God's word as the light of our path.
You are here to share the everlasting gospel.
(06:58):
Jesus has given you authority in his name to go make disciples, to baptize, to teach, teach them to know God's word.
Pastor Del Tanell, in the presence of this congregation, will you commit yourself to this new trust and responsibility?
(07:18):
in the confidence that God, through his Holy Spirit, has led the Arizona Conference to place you here in the Mesa Palms Church.
to share the gospel of God's grace with this congregation, with the city of Mesa, and with the surrounding community and neighborhood.
(07:38):
I will, with God's help.
Pastor Tanell, by God's grace, are you willing to commit yourself to guard this pulpit and only present sermons?
That are in harmony with God's Word.
Will you preach and teach in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
Pastor Dale Tunnell (07:59):
I will, and I ask God to help me.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Will you be diligent in your study of the Holy Scriptures and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding?
To share God's grace in preaching and in ministry.
Will you love, serve, and pray for God's people?
Nourish them with the word and lead them by your own example.
in faithful service and in living a Christ-like life.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (08:26):
Yes, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, I will.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Will you give faithful witness to the world?
Will you be a revelation of Jesus?
Will you reveal his light, his word, his love, so that God's love may be known and revealed in all that you do?
Yes, and I ask God for his help.
And now I ask you, God's people, members of the Mesa Palm, Seventh day Adventist Church.
(08:54):
Will you receive Pastor Tonnell and his wife Cheryl as members of this church family?
And will you accept Pastor Tunnell as a messenger of Jesus Christ?
Sent to share the everlasting gospel with all who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, to share the gospel of hope and salvation in Jesus.
(09:19):
Will you regard him as a servant of Christ and a steward of God's love and grace?
Will you pray for him, help and honor him for his work's sake?
And in all things, strive to live together in peace and unity of Christ.
If this is your commitment and desire, I invite you to please stand with us as we complete this ceremony.
(09:49):
Pastor Tanell, by God's grace, you are officially the pastor of this wonderful Mesa Palms congregation.
May God bless you as you serve the Mesa Palms Church, the city of Mesa, and the surrounding community here in Arizona.
Elder Bledsoe, please come forward.
Speaker 4 (10:12):
At this time, we would like to have a prayer of dedication, and I would invite the elders and their spouses, if you would come forward at this time, and we will surround
Pastor Dale and Cheryl and have a prayer of dedication for them.
(11:08):
Shall we bow our heads together?
Our loving, gracious Father
You have heard the charges and the commitment from Pastor Dale to serve you, to uplift Jesus.
But as we know, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
We ask for your spirit.
It is not by might nor by power but by your spirit.
(11:30):
And we ask that your spirit would be poured out.
on Pastor Dale, on Cheryl, on their ministry in this church, because whatever that is not done by your Spirit is of no significance.
But what is done by your spirit, by your grace, not only is significant now, but will have significance for eternity.
And ultimately, Father, what we are interested in is not so much what we do here and now.
(11:56):
But what we do that will make a difference, not only now, but for eternity.
I would ask that you would be with Pastor Dale, that you would be with Cheryl, that you would guide in their lives.
In their ministry and their relationship with each other, and in their relationship with this church and this community.
Father, I would also ask that you would be with this congregation.
(12:17):
That as Aaron and her were willing to lift up the arms of Moses, that through prayer, through intercession, that this congregation would lift up
The ministry of Pastor Dale and Cheryl in this community, in this church, in this congregation.
And most of all, Father, we simply pray one thing that in everything that is done
(12:40):
in this ministry in this church that Jesus would be lifted up, for he has promised if he is lifted up, he will draw all men unto him
Father, may be this be a church where people are drawn not to a message, not to a ministry, but ultimately they are drawn to Jesus and they give their hearts and their lives to Him.
(13:00):
May he truly be hidden behind your grace, behind your spirit, and people may see and know that he has been with Jesus is our prayer in Jesus' name.
Amen.
God bless.
Allen Morehouse (13:44):
I wanted to also make mention that the Kenyan Company joined us.
I asked them to join us.
And they're here today with Mesa Palms.
welcoming both Pastor Dale and Cheryl.
So thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
Happy Sabbath, everyone.
Today's scripture comes from the book of Psalms.
Verses 5 and 6.
Many, O Lord, my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you have planned for us, no one can recount to you.
Were to I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
(14:34):
Sacrifice an offering you did not believe desire.
But my eyes, my ears, you have pierced.
Burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Amen.
Pastor Dale Tunnell (14:57):
It is indeed a joy to be here with you today.
It has been a long time coming, hasn't it?
I understood you've been praying about this since May.
Yes.
We've been praying about this since May last year.
(15:19):
Um knowing that uh the day was coming that we were going to return to the United States.
And here we are in November one.
Can you believe it's November one?
Did you enjoy the celebration yesterday of Reformation Day?
Boy, isn't it nice to celebrate Reformation Day and know that the Reformation continues on.
(15:45):
And November 1st, uh for Cheryl and I, this November, I should say every November, is known as Birthday Month.
Uh both of our birthdays are in the month of November, and our oldest daughter was born in the month of November, but our youngest daughter, she was born in April.
(16:10):
And one day she came to Cheryl and she said, Mom, can I go to court and have my birthday changed?
I want to be in November with the rest of the family.
Because she understood that the three of us had lots of fun in the month of November.
(16:43):
In the bulletin, you will see my phone number there in the back of the bulletin.
Cheryl and I uh would like to do some visitation in the next few weeks, and we would like to visit each one of you.
Preferably in your homes, but if not in your home at another place.
But uh w we can do just pop-in visits and surprise you.
(17:07):
But we have found that doesn't work so well these days.
It worked really well when I started ministry for many years ago, but these days most people uh shy away from that.
But if you have a particular time, day of the week, uh time slots, you know, those hours, you know, when uh
Delivery people say they're coming to you, or people that are going to install the cable, they'll say we'll be there between the hours of four and eight or something like that.
(17:36):
If you have those kind of hours on a particular day that uh you are open to a visit, uh if you could send me a text and let me know these things.
Now I I'm doing it this way in lieu of
handing out a piece of paper and having each of you fill out a piece of paper of when the best time to visit is.
So I'm going to rely upon you.
(17:57):
And should you not text me
You're laughing already, huh?
You may get a pop in visit.
Or I may text you or call you and see if we can arrange something.
Because the best way for me to get to know you, to get to know uh your names
(18:25):
Is not at church when I'm learning all of that, many of you at one time, but is for me to visit in your homes
And so also the best way for me to develop sermons
Is to visit in your homes and to to find out what the needs are, what the desires are, what the hopes are.
(18:51):
The best way for me as a pastor to lead the congregation is to know.
what your dreams are for this church, what your desire is, what you want to accomplish here.
The elders have asked me, and a few other people have asked me, Pastor, what do you want to do here?
(19:14):
And the answer is, I don't know.
Because every place, every church is different.
And it's not just a matter of me coming in and saying, oh, these are the programs I know how to run.
Let me do these things.
I want us to be a family.
(19:35):
I want us to be united.
I want us to be able to work together.
And so that will only happen as I get to know you.
And so
The pop-in visit is an option, but it is not the best option.
So with my phone number on the back of the bulletin, I encourage you to.
(19:59):
Send me a text, let me know what some options are for you, what day of the week is best for you, and we will try and uh put together a time schedule that we can Now I can't do all of you this week.
So I'm just letting you know and uh uh hopefully you know by the end of two, three months I can make it into at least most of your homes.
(20:23):
uh and have a sit-down face-to-face visit with you and get to know you a little better
Let's have an added word of prayer at this time.
Our gracious God, as we open up the Bible and as I share what you have have placed upon my heart, I pray, Lord, that
(20:45):
you would be here with me and that you would give me the words to say and that you would give the congregation the ears to hear.
so that we can grow in our walk and our relationship with you.
I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
(21:09):
I heard a story last month, and it was a story that I had heard two or three or four times previously, a story that I had told early in my ministry.
A story that is often used in evangelistic meetings.
And when I heard it last month, I said, ah, that's the story that I need to start at Mesa Palms.
(21:37):
You may have heard this story before.
The story is about a young black man.
He was standing up on a platform, his arms were crossed, and there was a white man standing beside him, and that was saying, This man is for sale
(21:58):
What do you give me for this man?
And he opened the mouth.
He said, Look, he has good teeth.
Look at his body.
He is well built.
Make me an offer for this man.
And the auction began.
And as a person bid for him, the man said, I will not work.
(22:26):
The auctioneer didn't seem to hear those words.
He continued accepting bids.
And as more bids came in, the man stood there and said, I will not work.
But the amount kept getting higher and higher.
Finally
(22:48):
It got so high that no one else bid anymore.
And the auctioneer said, sold.
And the man was led off to the side of the platform.
There he met the gentleman that paid a very high price for him.
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And as the gentleman looked at him, he looked back and he said, I will not work.
And the man just smiled and led him away.
Sat him in the back of a wagon
And began to drive the wagon out of town.
(23:33):
And they went a good ways out of town.
And they kept going further and further.
And as they got further out of town, they came to a place that looked just beautiful
It was a nice place.
It had grass out front.
There were trees all around.
There was a house and even a pond in front of the house and a picket fence around.
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And it was a beautiful place.
And the wagon stopped in front of this house.
And the driver, who is now the owner,
Got out.
He walked to the back of the wagon and he took the man out of the wagon.
And the man reiterated again.
I will not work.
(24:22):
And the owner said, I did not buy you to work.
I bought you to set you free.
And not just to set you free, this place is yours
(24:46):
The man looked around.
Is mine?
This man is you this place is yours and you are free to do what you want to do.
The man fell down.
He couldn't his legs couldn't even hold himself up.
(25:06):
He fell down and he he kind of grabbed hold of the person who had bought him.
He began to cry.
He stood back up and he he he looked around and then he looked in the face of the one that had purchased him and he said, I will do anything you want me to do.
(25:28):
Anything.
The man said, you are free to do whatever you wish.
This place is yours.
Do we understand that that's the kind of thing that Jesus has done for us?
(25:59):
We have been on the auction block of sin.
Jesus purchased us.
Even though we did not want a relationship with him, we were in rebellion against him.
He purchased us in order to set us free.
(26:20):
Yeah, we need more amens than that on that.
Somebody ought to be shouting, hallelujah!
I mean, that's what God, the Creator God, has done for us.
He has purchased us and set us free.
But not only set us free, he then says.
(26:42):
I have a place prepared for you.
For you
When will that sink into our heads?
We've heard that story.
We've heard that story.
When does it sink in?
When is our is our life transformed dramatically so that it sinks in and it makes radical change inside of us?
(27:15):
Open your Bible to Psalm chapter 40.
Psalm chapter 40 it tells us there that it is written by by David.
Scripture tells us that David is a man after God's own heart.
And I believe Psalm chapter 40 kind of kind of describes what has happened to David.
(27:36):
And this relationship with the Creator God, it has happened to David and it has touched his heart so that he he he he says to God, I am all yours.
Look at Psalm chapter 40.
We begin reading with verse 1.
(27:56):
It says, I waited patiently for the Lord.
And he inclined to me, he heard my cry, he also brought me up out of a horrible pit.
Out
Of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and establish my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth.
Praise to our God.
(28:18):
Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside.
To lies.
Many, O Lord, my God, are your wonderful works which you have done.
(28:38):
And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to you in order.
If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Can you think about the things that God has done for us?
I mean, for Cheryl and I, he's brought us to Arizona.
(29:02):
I mean that's a beautiful thing, right?
Oh man, the sun rises here, the sun sets here, in the last week have been
Spectacular for us.
We have enjoyed just watching the sunrise and sunsets
Beautiful, the display that is in the clouds, the sky of what God does for us.
(29:31):
I mean you look at nature all around us.
The birds, the trees, the cactus.
You begin to behold God's beauty.
You look around and you see people.
And those individuals are made in the image of God.
(29:53):
You look in the mirror and see yourself, and you you think about your your hands that can touch, your eyes that can see, your ears that can hear.
your your your mouth your your tongue that can taste wonderful food oh man think about the things God has done you begin to ponder these things you begin to meditate on these things
(30:13):
And you cannot keep silent.
We serve an awesome God.
I mean, David here says, he says
Many, O Lord my God, are your wonderful works.
They are more than can be numbered.
David is at the place he cannot count the wonderful things that God has done for him.
(30:40):
And that should be our response also.
Praising God.
Giving him the adoration, the praise that he deserves because of the wonderful things that he has done for us.
Notice here in verse 6.
(31:03):
Continues on.
It says, sacrifice and offering you did not desire.
My ears you have opened, burnt offering and sin offering you did not require.
Then I said, Behold, I come in the scroll of the book.
It is written on me.
I delight to do your will, O my God.
Your law is within my heart.
(31:23):
David is getting to the place where he is he is expressing his his response to God.
Now you can read about this Psalm 40.
You can go to the commentaries and read about it, and it will tell you that it just has some messianic overtones in it, that it is uh a reference to Jesus.
(31:45):
That is to come, that it has sacrifice there and an offering as a reference or similar similar language to Daniel talking about Jesus.
But I want you to think about in in in David's context.
(32:05):
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire.
My ears you have opened.
When we read that phrase, my ears you have opened.
I tend to think you have opened my ears and given me the ability to listen.
Jesus says a couple of times, he that hath an ear, let him hear.
(32:25):
Revelation writes, he that has an ear, let him hear.
And I and when when I read this phrase
I think about listening and not just hearing, but listening and doing, carrying out what you listen to.
(32:46):
But as I studied, as I as I read this a little bit more, this opening of the ear could also have a reference to something beyond just listening and hearing.
Could have a reference to Exodus chapter twenty-one.
(33:08):
You know what is referred to in Exodus chapter 21?
You know, Exodus chapter 21 is just after Exodus chapter 20.
I'm glad you caught that.
That's about the extent of my knowledge on some things.
(33:32):
We know what Exodus chapter 20 is about.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we're well versed in Exodus chapter 20.
We like Exodus chapter 20 where it talks about.
the Ten Commandments.
But Exodus chapter twenty-one, we're not so knowledgeable about
Exodus chapter 21, it begins with these words.
(33:53):
Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them.
If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years.
And in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.
If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself.
If he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her masters, and he shall go out by himself.
(34:23):
But if the servant plainly says, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free.
Then his master shall bring him to the judges, and he shall also bring him to the door, to the doorpost.
And his master shall pierce his ear with an awe, and he shall serve him forever.
(34:54):
Now, sometimes we might refer to that story about what forever means when we're talking about the definition of forever.
But normally that's not a story that we usually reference.
Because it's not part of our culture.
But I want you to understand the picture.
(35:16):
The picture is if a man gets so far in debt, he can't he can't take care of himself any longer.
And he he he needs to survive.
He sells himself into slavery.
So that he can work, so that he has food to eat.
And the text there in Exodus 21, it says, if he goes in single, when the seventh year comes, he goes out how?
(35:42):
single.
If he goes in married and he at the end of the seven years he goes out married.
If he goes in
Married and with children.
When the seven years is finished, he goes out how?
Married and with children.
But if he goes in single and his owner says, you're a good worker.
(36:07):
I like the way you do things.
Would you consider marrying my daughter?
Or he says, would you consider marrying this other slave that I have?
And the marriage takes place.
And they have children.
And the seven years is up, and it's time for the man to leave.
(36:30):
He has two choices.
He can leave free, but his wife and his children belong to the master.
Or he can choose to stay.
(36:51):
Now if he chooses to stay, that means he has found his place of belonging.
He has found his place of home.
He has found his people.
He has found the place where he is comfortable, the place where he wants to live, the place where he wants to spend forever.
(37:13):
And he tells the owner, he says, take me to the judges, take me to the doorpost and open my ear.
That could be a reference that David is making here.
God, you are so wonderful.
You are so awesome.
I want you to open my ear, but David is not
(37:36):
Just saying open my ear.
He is like Peter when Jesus told him, Oh, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me.
And Peter says, Well, not just my feet, my hands and my head, my whole body, wash everything.
David is saying, I want you to put an awe in a hole in both ears.
Because I want to be I want to be totally yours, Lord.
(37:58):
You have blessed me so much, God.
I want to belong in this place at this time because of your awesome love.
Lord, I am totally yours.
I believe Death's what that is what David is saying
(38:21):
That is what I want with my life.
I want my life to be God's totally because of what He has done for me
(38:44):
But the elders up front here, the charge that was given today wasn't just something that was written on the paper.
The answers, the responses were from the heart.
(39:04):
I want to be totally God's.
I want to go before the judges.
I want I I want my ears to be pierced.
For God's will, so that this is the place of belonging for me.
(39:26):
I want to be with God throughout eternity.
Last time I was here, I talked about belonging.
Belonging is important.
It's important for us to have that place of belonging, the family that we feel comfortable with.
(39:48):
These are my people.
For those of you that are watching online, I encourage you to have that place of belonging
The place where where where you feel comfortable, the place that the people miss you and the place that you miss when you're not there.
It's that encouragement, that place where we can grow together.
(40:14):
Doesn't mean we always do it right.
But we know we're loved and we are encouraged where we belong.
David had told God, I am all in
He keeps going there in verse 7.
He says, Then I said, Behold, I come in the scroll of the book.
(40:37):
It is written on me
Your law is within my heart.
This is the new covenant.
This doesn't happen naturally.
It happens intentionally.
The way that you know what the laws are is you have to to ask questions.
(41:02):
You have to study the law, you have to engage in the process.
If you want to to work well and pleasing to the boss, the person who has redeemed you, the one that has created you, the one that has set you free.
Then you you study and you learn and you grow what his will is.
(41:26):
It's not a natural thing that occurs
I mean, how many of you like to go shopping?
Yeah, this week Cheryl and I have done too much shopping trying to set up house.
It's it's it wears us out.
But I remember a time when when we were much younger and we had children with us and we had gone to the grocery store and we had gone shopping.
(41:54):
That we thing you do weekly, and by the time you get through the grocery store your cart is too full.
And you wonder why you bought some things.
But I remember a time we we had a full cart, and one of the things that we needed to purchase was some dog food.
And we got a big bag of dog food because it's cheaper when you get the big bag.
(42:15):
And we had a dog that needed to be cared for, needed to eat, and so we got the big bag of dog food, and we put the dog food on the bottom of the cart.
And we got up to the checkout line and we checked out.
We put all our things up on the line.
The the cashier told us how much we owed.
We we paid our money and we
We went out the door and we got out to the car and we were unloading the cart and we have dog food down here on the bottom.
(42:46):
I don't think she rang up our dog food.
She didn't even see our dog food.
Cheryl looked at the ticket and says, she didn't charge us for the dog food.
What do you do?
Hallelujah, praise the Lord.
We've got our dog food free.
This is wonderful.
(43:06):
Is that what you do?
Well we could have done that, but we didn't.
We turned around with the car, we went back in.
We go up to the service desk, we stand in line, we go to the service desk, we show them what has happened, tell them the story, and the look on the person's face is like.
(43:31):
You were already out the door.
Nobody stopped you.
Why are you coming back in here?
She didn't say those words, but that was the look we got.
That we came back in because it's not right for us to steal.
We need to pay for this.
And she says,
(43:52):
You guys are kind of unusual people, aren't you?
And we paid for it.
But I'm gonna tell you that doesn't happen naturally.
It's not the natural inclination.
But both my wife and I, we have been been raised reading this book.
(44:16):
We've been raised listening to the
the the stories about Joshua and the the son that stands still we've been listening to a God that that loves us and cares about us and and has a a character that is higher than what
Most of us are, and he wants something better for us.
(44:40):
And so it happens because we spend time reading the Bible.
It happens when we engage and listen to God's word.
It happens when we turn on the radio and we're listening to Christian music.
It happens if we're watching TV.
We watch the good stuff.
You know there's good stuff on there.
(45:01):
You have to go searching for it.
When you're scrolling on your phone, you have to find the good stuff.
You have to find the right things that you want to watch, the things that are going to feed you spiritually, so that you can grow spiritually and become more like Jesus.
I believe David was doing those kind of things.
(45:24):
Because he had said, Your law is written on my heart.
David had learned.
I mean face it, he had really learned.
He had the opportunity, not once, but twice, to take Saul's life
You remember Saul, right?
The king?
(45:46):
But the man that had tried to kill David with the javelin?
The one that had hunted David out in the desert around the mountains.
David had the opportunity twice, but he says, I will not touch God's anointed.
(46:11):
It doesn't happen naturally.
It happens because you spend time in God's Word.
It happens when you're reading the Bible.
Happens when you're spending time with the family of God.
David continues in the Psalm
Notice verse 9 and 10.
(46:31):
It says, I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly.
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord.
You yourself know I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart.
I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation.
I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.
(46:53):
He says, God, I have been telling everybody about the wonderful things that you have done for me
Do you and I tell people about the wonderful things God has done for us?
I'm going to tell you right now in the United States
of America.
(47:14):
Right now is the time for us to be talking about Jesus.
Right now, there's a revival going on.
In the last year, 30,000 people have been baptized in the United States.
(47:35):
Now they haven't been baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but they've been baptized in the United States.
Most of those individuals were male.
From Generation Z.
For those of you that are my age, that means the young people.
(48:00):
The young men.
High school, college age.
There's a revival going on in the colleges right now
October 1, that was last month.
See if I get the the numbers right.
Sometimes numbers don't uh 8,000 students attended a revival in Knoxville, Tennessee.
(48:24):
At the end of that revival period, 500 of them went outside the arena and were baptized.
Now we have many people in the Adventist Church that are calling this a false revival.
And it could be
(48:46):
But you know what the difference between a true revival and a false revival is?
A false revival is only superficial.
The true revival goes deep.
Friends, you and I, as Seventh-day Adventists, our commission is to take the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
(49:08):
We need to be looking for these people that have been converted, who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
And we need to be discipling them.
We need to be talking about Jesus with them.
We need to open up the conversations with them.
(49:30):
Because we have a message to take them deep.
We have a message that will take them
Not just on the on the on the surface, but we have a message that can take them and to help them grow in the relationship with Jesus Christ.
We can teach them what it means to fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come.
(49:55):
We can teach them what it means to worship him who made the sea and all that is in them is.
We can teach them those things.
We've had that message.
We've grown up with it
But many of them have only heard, Jesus loves me.
(50:18):
And they have given their heart to Jesus.
But it shouldn't stay just there.
We need to teach them all those things that Jesus taught to the disciples.
Oh man, we have we have so much we can teach them
(50:45):
Exodus chapter 20, verse 8 tells us, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
Verse 11 says, gives us the reason.
What's the reason in verse 11?
The reason is because he is the creator.
(51:08):
Right?
He made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them.
Right?
That's the reason.
That's the reason that we know very well.
The Ten Commandments is given a second time in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
We don't often read Deuteronomy 5, the Ten Commandments.
(51:32):
It's not the one that we have memorized.
It's not the one we teach in children's Sabbath school classes.
But Deuteronomy chapter 5 has the Ten Commandments a second time.
Moses here talking with the children as they're getting ready to go into the promised land.
(51:53):
recounting the Ten Commandments to them.
Deuteronomy chapter 5, he gets down to the fourth commandment and he says
Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
We know that one.
We are comfortable with that, but then we get down to verse
(52:15):
Yeah, fifteen.
He changes it.
He alters it a little bit.
And he says, and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand.
And by an outstretched arm.
(52:36):
Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
Friends, God has set us free.
Do you have chains of bondage that you have been bound to that God has set you free?
See, some of these individuals that are accepting Jesus, they've been set free from the the the the
(52:58):
Bonds that have held them.
They need to continue to overcome victory by victory these things that Satan is holding them down with.
They need to know who the creator God is.
They need to know, truly know, the one who has set them free.
We as Seventh-day Adventists, we are in a unique place to be able to teach that to them.
(53:26):
Do we take advantage of that?
Barna Research tells us right now, recent research that has been done
That's 63 to 80 percent.
I know that's a wide margin there of almost 20 percent, but 63 to 82 percent of unchurched people, you heard that right, unchurched.
(53:47):
Do we know what unchurched people means?
That means it's not Beth Baptist, not the Methodist, not the
Latter-day Saints, not the Catholics, unchurched people.
Now it could be some of those people that aren't attending church
(54:11):
They tend to become unchurched.
But research shows that between eighty-three and sixty-three and eighty-two percent of unchurched people in the United States
Would attend church with a friend or relative if invited.
(54:31):
The research that has been done is that an unchurched person would likely attend church if invited.
Oh, friends, I'm going to tell you, this is prime time for us as Seventh-day Adventists.
We've got a message to those who are not going to be able to do that.
(54:52):
people that have have accepted Jesus Christ, that have been baptized, that know Jesus, we have a message for those that are unchurched.
This is prime time for us.
And we need to be taking advantage of it.
You have friends, you have neighbors, you have co-workers, you have fellow classmates.
(55:15):
You have individuals in your sphere of influence.
I wonder when they're going to invite me to church.
No, they're probably not consciously thinking that.
But because of what is happening in our world today, they have a predisposition that they would likely say yes.
(55:40):
If invited.
We have a message that needs to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
I saw it on an envelope that came into uh friend's house.
(56:00):
I was visiting a couple months ago.
I was in their house and they had an envelope from the Voice of Prophecy.
And on the outside of the envelope it said, There are 300 language groups in North America.
That do not have the Bible in their heart language
(56:25):
And I know what your first thought is because it was probably the same as my first thought.
Well, those individuals are the in the United States of America if they would just learn English.
Do you know how difficult it is to learn a foreign language?
And you may get to the place where you learn the language and you can have conversations with individuals, but
(56:51):
To really have it be a heart language?
Voice of Prophecy was trying to tell me and I'm trying to tell you.
We still have a work to do here in North America.
300 languages that don't have the Bible in their heart language
(57:14):
How are they going to know God's law?
How is God's law going to be written in their hearts if they can't study it on a regular basis?
Friends, we've got work to do.
We keep reading.
(57:36):
Psalm 40 here it says, verse 11
This do not withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord.
Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me for
Innumerable evils have surrounded me, my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up.
(57:57):
They are more than the hairs of my head.
Therefore my heart
Fails me.
Do you understand what he's saying there?
This is what stops us.
This is what stops most of us.
(58:19):
We have sin in our life
I've just said just a minute ago that it'd be wonderful if you shared or invited or encouraged or talked to individuals about Jesus or invited them to come to church.
And you probably thought, but I've worked with these people and they know me.
(58:43):
And they know I have sinned.
I have done something wrong.
I've lied.
I don't manage my time wisely.
I don't often treat other people with respect.
(59:06):
Why, they even know I've broken the Sabbath day.
How can I talk to them about Sabbath?
And we begin to look down and we say, like David here, I'm not good enough.
I can't talk to my family.
My family has seen me grow up.
(59:27):
They know what kind of scoundrel I am.
They know the things that I have done.
I can't share with my family members
I mean, if I begin to share with my family members, Uncle Bob is just going to say all kinds of things about me, and he is going to make
Oh man, I don't want to bring that up again with my family.
(59:47):
I don't want anybody knowing about that.
And if I'm just gonna
And what we do is we allow Satan to cause us to keep our mouths shut.
Because the truth of the matter is.
I'm not good enough.
(01:00:11):
And I'm going to tell you something.
I don't even know you yet, but you're not good enough
The truth of the matter is we are not good enough.
We're not good enough to for God to invite us to come into his presence.
We're not good enough for the name of Jesus to come off our tongue and through our lips, but yet we use his name.
(01:00:39):
We're not good enough to even speak it.
I'm gonna tell you, you're right.
You're not good enough.
But God is good enough.
God deserves for you to speak it.
God deserves for me to speak it.
(01:01:02):
And God wants to partner with us.
In doing this kind of work.
And so you can listen to the fact that you're not good enough, and you're right, you're not.
Where you can listen to God saying, all power has been given to me, and I'm giving it to you.
(01:01:26):
Go and teach
Go and preach.
Go and make disciples.
Go and baptize
Oh, that's a whole nother sermon.
I won't go there.
(01:01:49):
I'm just going to tell you, God is good enough to use even you.
God is good enough to use even you.
That is what our Creator God is wanting.
He is wanting us to proclaim his goodness.
(01:02:11):
It's not by our might or our power that things happen.
It is because of God's strength.
It is not because we are awesome and creative.
It is because of God's strength.
(01:02:31):
Yes, I'm winding down here.
The musicians can come forward.
We have seen that God is a forgiving God.
That he loves us.
We have seen that God cares about us.
And his goodness, his mercy is new every day
And we have a choice to make.
(01:02:53):
Have we found our place of belonging with God and with his people?
Or do we want to go out?
God is waiting for us to say the words.
Master, I love you so much.
(01:03:13):
Your goodness is so awesome.
Please take me before the judges.
Tell the judges what has happened.
God take me to the door frame and pierce my ear
(01:03:34):
Because I have found my place of belonging
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.