Robert T. Young - "An Ever-Present Demand and an Ever-Present Presence" (February 18, 1979)

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-	Duke university chapel, service of worship	0:04
	February 18th, 1979.	0:06
	(sacred organ music)	0:09
	(crowd rustling)	0:14
	(sacred organ music)	0:20
	♪ Beautiful savior ♪	12:12
	♪ Lord of the nations ♪	12:17
	♪ Son of God and Son of man ♪	12:26
	♪ Glory and honor ♪	12:41
	♪ Great adoration ♪	12:48
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	12:55
	♪ Now and forevermore be thine ♪	13:07
	(sacred organ music)	13:31
	(congregational singing)	13:54
-	Please be seated.	16:30
	If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,	16:41
	and the truth is not in us.	16:45
	But if we confess our sins,	16:49
	God, who is faithful, will forgive our sins	16:51
	and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.	16:56
	Let us pray.	17:00
	(congregants join) Oh God,	17:03
	we admit that often we do not fully hear	17:04
	each other.	17:08
	We get preoccupied with our own worries	17:10
	and missed chances to share love and concern	17:13
	with others in need.	17:17
	Sometimes we fail to listen to another	17:19
	because we are frightened that we will	17:22
	hear a word of judgment from them.	17:26
	We read your word halfheartedly	17:29
	not daring to open ourselves to it's application	17:32
	for our own lives.	17:36
	Help us to discover that the first step of love	17:39
	is listening, and when we really open ourselves	17:43
	to you, we can discover your grace,	17:47
	which truly is amazing.	17:50
	In Christ's name we pray, amen.	17:54
	Let us allow ourselves time for personal confession.	17:58
	Jesus beckons to us,	18:29
	come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden,	18:32
	and I will give you rest.	18:36
	May you know the peace of God	18:39
	that comes from knowing your sins are forgiven.	18:41
	Let us give thanks for God is good	18:47
	and God's love is everlasting.	18:50
	(congregants join) Thanks be to God	18:53
	who creates us, thanks be to God who redeems us,	18:55
	thanks be to God who sustains us.	18:59
	Amen.	19:03
	Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.	19:07
	It is good to see that a number of you have	19:11
	braved the weather and are with us for worship	19:14
	this morning.	19:17
	We ask you to remember those who cannot be with us,	19:18
	because of the weather, in your prayers today.	19:21
	Other announcements,	19:25
	the historical service, the German mass of 1526	19:28
	which was scheduled by the Faith and Arts Committee	19:33
	for 6:30pm in Duke chapel this evening	19:35
	will be postponed until further notice,	19:39
	and an announcement will be made in the bulletin.	19:42
	I'd also like you to remember that as we prepare	19:45
	for the Lenten season beginning Ash Wednesday	19:50
	February 28th, that the chapel will once again	19:53
	prepare Lenten devotional booklets, and we're asking	19:56
	that if there is anyone who has a five to 10 hour	20:01
	commitment or allotment of time that might be	20:05
	able to help prepare these booklets by typing,	20:07
	that you come to the back, to the hostess desk	20:10
	after the service and leave your name	20:14
	for one of the typists to call you.	20:16
	Oh Lord, open our hearts and minds	20:25
	as you come to us through your word.	20:28
	In Christ's name we pray.	20:32
	Amen.	20:34
	The Old Testament lesson is written in the	20:39
	19th chapter of the book of Leviticus,	20:42
	beginning with the first verse.	20:45
	"And the Lord said to Moses,	20:49
	"say to all the congregation of the people	20:51
	"of Israel, you shall be holy, for I the Lord	20:54
	"your God, am holy.	20:59
	"you shall do no injustice in judgment.	21:01
	"you shall not be partial to the poor,	21:06
	"or defer to the great, but in righteousness,	21:09
	"shall you judge your neighbor.	21:13
	"you shall not go up and down as a slander	21:16
	"among your people, and you shall not stand forth	21:19
	"against the life of your neighbor.	21:23
	"I am the Lord.	21:26
	"You shall not hate your neighbor in your heart,	21:29
	"but you shall reason with your neighbor,	21:33
	"lest you bear sin because of him.	21:35
	"You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge	21:39
	"against the children of your own people.	21:43
	"But you shall love your neighbor as yourself.	21:47
	"I am the Lord.'"	21:51
	Here ends the reading of the Old Testament lesson.	21:53
	The epistle is written in the third chapter	21:58
	of the book of Revelation,	22:01
	beginning with the 14th verse.	22:03
	"And to the angel in the church in Laodicea write,	22:06
	"The words of the Amen, the faithful and the true	22:12
	"witness, the beginning of God's creation.	22:15
	"I know your works, you are neither hot nor cold.	22:19
	"So because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot,	22:25
	"I will spew you out of my mouth.	22:30
	"For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered	22:33
	"and I need nothing.'	22:38
	"Not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable,	22:41
	"poor, blind, and naked.	22:45
	"Therefore I counsel you to buy from me	22:50
	"gold refined by fire, that you may be rich,	22:53
	"and white garments to clothe you and to keep	22:58
	"the shame of your nakedness from being seen.	23:01
	"And salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.	23:05
	"Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten.	23:10
	"So be zealous and repent.	23:16
	"Behold, I stand at the door and knock.	23:20
	"If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,	23:24
	"I will come into him and eat with him,	23:28
	"and he with me.	23:33
	"He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me	23:36
	"on my throne, as I myself have conquered	23:40
	"and sat down with my Father on his throne.	23:43
	"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit	23:48
	"says to the churches."	23:52
	Here ends the reading of the epistle lesson.	23:55
	(sacred organ music)	24:01
	(sacred choral music)	24:26
	The gospel lesson is written in the fifth chapter	27:25
	of the gospel according to Saint Matthew,	27:28
	beginning with the 38th verse.	27:31
	"You have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye,	27:43
	"'and a tooth for a tooth.'	27:47
	"But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil.	27:50
	"But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek,	27:57
	"turn to him the other also.	28:01
	"And if anyone would sue you and take your coat,	28:05
	"let him have your cloak as well.	28:09
	"And if anyone forces you to go one mile,	28:14
	"go with him two miles.	28:18
	"Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him	28:22
	"who would borrow from you.	28:27
	"You have heard that it was said,	28:31
	"'you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'	28:34
	"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray	28:38
	"for those who persecute you,	28:43
	"so that you may be children of your Father	28:46
	"who is in heaven.	28:48
	"For he makes his sun rise on evil and on good,	28:51
	"and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.	28:56
	"For if you love those who love you,	29:03
	"what reward have you?	29:06
	"Do not even the tax collectors do the same?	29:09
	"And if you salute only your brethren,	29:14
	"what more are you doing than others?	29:18
	"Do not even the gentiles do the same?	29:21
	"You, therefore, must be perfect,	29:26
	"as your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven."	29:30
	This is the gospel of the Lord.	29:35
	(sacred organ music)	29:40
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	29:53
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer and Lord ♪	30:01
	♪ Glory be to Christ our Savior ♪	30:08
	♪ Ever be and evermore ♪	30:15
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	30:22
	♪ World without end ♪	30:31
	♪ Amen ♪	30:35
-	Be seated please.	30:42
	Let us pray.	30:49
	Now may the words of my lips and the meditations	30:54
	of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord,	30:57
	our strength and our redeemer, amen.	31:03
	John, a leader in the early church,	31:09
	has a vision from God,	31:13
	and according to his word,	31:16
	this vision occurs to him on the Lord's day.	31:18
	This vision which John had has come to us	31:24
	as the book of Revelation.	31:28
	Much to do is being made by many people today	31:32
	about the book of Revelation.	31:35
	Essentially, I believe this writing of John	31:39
	is inspired by God as a word of hope	31:41
	to an oppressed and persecuted people.	31:45
	But many see Revelation as a book of warning,	31:49
	of judgment, of threat, of doom,	31:53
	and of dire and dreadful consequence.	31:56
	Having read and studied and reflected upon this book,	32:00
	and having taught it several times recently,	32:05
	and having spent much time with it for the past 10 months,	32:08
	I am convinced, that it is rather a book of hope,	32:12
	a book of promise, a book of assurance.	32:16
	Rather than being threat or condemnation or wrath,	32:21
	it is a word about the yearning and the love	32:25
	and the grace of Almighty God.	32:28
	Thus from Revelation 3:14 and following,	32:32
	The letter to the church at Laodicea,	32:36
	I want to share this message.	32:39
	Some things which I believe God's word reveals to us	32:42
	in these words.	32:45
	An ever-present demand from God,	32:46
	is really very simple and very clear.	32:49
	Choose, and be faithful.	32:52
	An ever-present presence of God	32:56
	is seen in the words,	32:59
	"I stand at the door and knock."	33:01
	There may well be much in the book of Revelation	33:06
	that we do not understand.	33:09
	There is much symbol and imagery that is strange	33:12
	and perplexing to us.	33:16
	But the letter to the church at Laodicea,	33:17
	it seems to me, is very plain.	33:20
	Perhaps too plain and clear for us.	33:22
	Jesus says to his followers at Laodicea,	33:26
	"I know your works,	33:30
	you are neither cold nor hot.	33:33
	"Would that you were cold or hot,	33:36
	"so because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot,	33:40
	"I will spew you,"	33:43
	or as the King James version has it,	33:45
	"I will spit you out of my mouth.	33:47
	"You are neither cold nor hot.	33:51
	"Would that you were cold or hot,"	33:53
	Jesus says,	33:56
	and that raises some very serious questions for me.	33:57
	For example, does God really want us,	34:00
	you and me,	34:03
	to be either cold or hot?	34:05
	Either totally and fully hot, and boiling for God,	34:08
	or totally and fully cold,	34:12
	and freezing against God.	34:15
	Is this what the word says?	34:18
	Is there no middle ground?	34:21
	Does Jesus mean that if I am not totally and fully	34:24
	and completely committed to God,	34:27
	then God would prefer that I be at the other extreme,	34:30
	at the other end of the pole,	34:32
	and be completely against God?	34:34
	Can I not belong partly or partially to God?	34:38
	Is it all or nothing?	34:41
	I have a hard time with this word, at least with that	34:46
	understanding of the word.	34:50
	I guess I have a hard time with it because it does seem	34:52
	so very very clear.	34:54
	The demand does seem to be total and clear	34:56
	and un-quivocating,	35:00
	and that's kind of hard for me anyhow.	35:04
	Because there are so very, very few times,	35:09
	and so very, very few ways in which I feel I am	35:12
	really hot for God.	35:17
	But there are also very few times and ways	35:20
	when I feel that I am really cold and against God.	35:23
	I really feel pretty good, pretty comfortable,	35:29
	pretty relaxed.	35:33
	Pretty much at ease with my relationship with God	35:35
	most of the time.	35:37
	And thus, most of the time	35:38
	I am neither hot nor cold.	35:42
	Charles Merrill Smith in his book	35:46
	"The Case for the Middle Class Christian"	35:49
	writes,	35:50
	"New Testament Christianity appears to call for	35:51
	"radical commitment of self.	35:54
	"Willingness to suffer for Christ's sake.	35:56
	"I can't think of anyone of my acquaintance,	35:59
	"myself included,	36:04
	"who comes anywhere near fitting this picture.	36:07
	"I confess,"	36:11
	he writes,	36:12
	"That I've always been haunted by the comparison	36:14
	"of my comfortable, sedate existence,	36:17
	"and the radical recommendations for discipleship	36:20
	"in the New Testament.	36:24
	"I admire extravagantly such Christians as	36:26
	"Albert Schweitzer or Dietrich Bonhoeffer,	36:30
	"who gave up everything for Christ's sake.	36:33
	"But I'm not about to imitate them.	36:36
	"I don't have it in me.	36:40
	"Judged by New Testament standards,"	36:44
	he says,	36:46
	"My commitment is flawed.	36:47
	"I am more middle class	36:49
	than I am Christian."	36:52
	I have a hard time myself, believing that God	36:56
	wants us either hot for him or cold against him.	36:59
	It seems to me, in my own simple way of thinking,	37:04
	that it would be better to be a little warm,	37:07
	to be somewhat for, to be leaning in that direction,	37:10
	to be close to home, on the way toward,	37:13
	than to be really, clearly, assuredly against.	37:16
	And that's the way I feel.	37:22
	But that's probably because, and I think I speak	37:26
	for many others,	37:28
	that's probably because some of us like it lukewarm,	37:30
	middle of the road, moderate and comfortable.	37:33
	But that's not the way the word calls us to live.	37:36
	Smith writes again,	37:41
	"Everything in our natures, our habits,	37:42
	"our values, votes against the extreme,	37:45
	"even the extreme commitment to Christ.	37:49
	"And no amount of tricky exegesis is going to put us	37:52
	"in conformity with New Testament standards	37:57
	"of Christian discipleship."	37:59
	This ever-present demand of Christ	38:03
	is a warning against mediocrity, against insensitivity,	38:06
	against unawareness, against loss of feeling,	38:12
	against indifference.	38:16
	The ones Christ is most concerned about are not	38:19
	we who are hot, nor even we who are cold.	38:23
	The real unknowns for our Lord are those of us	38:27
	who are half-hearted, half-committed,	38:31
	half-interested, half-concerned, half-determined,	38:33
	and half-willing.	38:36
	But the ever-present demand of God's word is clear	38:39
	and unflinching.	38:43
	"Choose you this day whom you will serve."	38:44
	The Old Testament tells us.	38:47
	"You cannot serve God and mammon." Jesus tells us.	38:49
	"He who does not love me more than father or mother,"	38:52
	Jesus says,	38:55
	"is not fit for the kingdom of heaven."	38:56
	"He that is not for me,"	38:58
	Jesus says,	39:00
	"is against me."	39:01
	"Would that you were either cold or hot."	39:02
	It is almost as if Jesus is saying, either love me	39:06
	or hate me.	39:08
	Either follow me or leave me.	39:12
	Either come or go.	39:16
	Either say yes or no,	39:19
	not maybe.	39:22
	Perhaps what our Lord is saying is that to be neutral	39:25
	is to be an obstacle.	39:29
	The one who will not serve Christ is in the way	39:31
	of Christ.	39:35
	Jesus may even be saying,	39:37
	I'd rather be hated	39:39
	or reviled or condemned or criticized,	39:42
	I'd even rather be crucified	39:46
	than ignored or treated indifferently.	39:49
	I do not like this ever-present demand	39:56
	because it strikes me right where I live most	39:59
	of my personal and spiritual life.	40:01
	Lukewarm, tepid, half-hearted.	40:04
	And I hear and feel Jesus pleading,	40:06
	Give me everything.	40:09
	Give me anything but your cool, calm, sophisticated	40:13
	detached, uninvolved good intentions.	40:17
	Please don't give me your indifference.	40:21
	And that called to mind to me a poem which	40:26
	Dr. Bernard Boyd shared with us in a religion class	40:28
	at Carolina some years ago.	40:32
	A poem by G.A. Studdert Kennedy, Woodbine Willie,	40:34
	the chaplain of WWI who wrote a poem entitled,	40:37
	"Indifference"	40:40
	"When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged him on a tree.	40:42
	"They drove great nails through hand and feet	40:46
	"and made a Calvary.	40:49
	"They crowned him with a crown of thorns,	40:52
	"Red were his wounds and deep.	40:54
	"For those were crude and cruel days	40:56
	"And human flesh was cheap.	40:58
	"When Jesus came to Birmingham,	41:01
	"or to our town,	41:03
	"they simply passed him by,	41:05
	"they never hurt a hair of him,	41:07
	"they only let him die.	41:09
	"For man had grown more tender,	41:11
	"and they would not give him pain.	41:13
	"They only just passed by	41:16
	"and left him in the rain.	41:18
	"Still, Jesus cried, 'Forgive them, for they know not	41:20
	"'what they do,'	41:24
	"and still it rained the wintry rain	41:25
	"that drenched him through and through.	41:27
	"The crowds went home and left the streets	41:29
	"without a soul to see,	41:32
	"and Jesus crouched against a wall,	41:33
	"and cried for Calvary."	41:36
	Give me even Calvary	41:39
	rather than your indifference.	41:42
	Would that you were hot or cold.	41:45
	The overriding and crucial question I believe is,	41:52
	has Christ died upon the cross and suffered	41:56
	his great passion in order to produce only	41:59
	a lukewarm response from those of us	42:02
	who claim to be disciples of his?	42:04
	Surely not.	42:07
	Surely the response is intended to be,	42:09
	God's desire is that we say and sing the words of	42:11
	that moving and memorable hymn,	42:15
	"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul,	42:17
	"my life, my all."	42:23
	The demand to be hot or cold.	42:26
	The beauty of the gospel and the beauty of John's faith,	42:32
	The beauty of John's vision,	42:34
	the beauty of Jesus' word here is that not only	42:36
	does God have an ever-present demand for us,	42:39
	but God also has an ever-present presence for us.	42:42
	Jesus says to the church at Laodicea,	42:46
	"I rebuke and I discipline those whom I love,"	42:49
	The most pitiable condition I can imagine for you,	42:55
	for me, or for any human being,	42:58
	is that of being left entirely alone.	43:00
	As a matter of fact it seems to me that Hell	43:05
	could easily be an awareness that God no longer	43:07
	really cares about me or about you.	43:10
	If I felt or if you felt that God really was not concerned,	43:14
	that God did not care, that God did not love,	43:19
	or was going to have absolutely nothing to do with us,	43:21
	that would be hell.	43:26
	Thus this word from Jesus,	43:32
	"I rebuke and discipline those whom I love,"	43:33
	is a word of caring, a word of compassion,	43:36
	a word of deep concern, a word of unbounded grace,	43:38
	and unmerited hope.	43:42
	God is saying, I am not going to leave you.	43:45
	You are mine, I do love you,	43:50
	my word will rebuke you, my Spirit will	43:53
	discipline you, and that is because I love you.	43:55
	The Greek word for rebuke here is not just	44:00
	simple rebuke, but is the kind of rebuke that compels	44:03
	one to see the error of one's ways,	44:06
	and to admit that one is wrong.	44:08
	Rebuke then here, is not punishment,	44:11
	but is illumination.	44:13
	To be rebuked by God is to become enlightened	44:15
	and to be made aware by God's Spirit.	44:19
	Those whom God loves are also those who are	44:22
	disciplined by God.	44:27
	For you and I know that discipline is an essential	44:29
	quality, is an essential experience to attain	44:32
	quality of life of any dimension, spiritual,	44:35
	intellectual, physical, athletic or whatever.	44:38
	The disciplined prayer and personal life leads	44:41
	to spiritual integrity and wholeness.	44:44
	The best athlete and the finest scholar	44:47
	are those who place themselves under the most	44:50
	rigorous and most demanding discipline.	44:53
	Discipline and rebuke then, from God,	44:56
	are continuing evidence of God's ever-present presence.	44:58
	And then, the contrast between	45:06
	the demand and the promise	45:11
	reaches its climax in the closing words of this passage.	45:14
	"Behold I stand at the door and knock.	45:19
	"If anyone will open the door, I will come in	45:23
	"and sup with him or her, and will allow	45:27
	"him or her to sup with me."	45:31
	Here we surely come to one of the most beautiful and	45:37
	most memorable pictures of the presence of Christ	45:40
	that one can possibly dream of or imagine.	45:43
	This is the climactic thrust of the ever-present presence	45:47
	of Christ.	45:50
	Here is that hound of heaven who will not leave us	45:51
	nor turn away.	45:55
	The Presence is always present.	45:56
	And may I say to you this morning that I believe that,	46:03
	and I know that,	46:08
	with more assurance deep in the depths of my soul	46:11
	this morning, than at any other point	46:14
	in my life.	46:18
	The Presence is	46:23
	always present.	46:26
	Dr. Roland Murphy, who teaches Old Testament	46:32
	in the Divinity School,	46:34
	was asked the other night, which of the psalms	46:35
	was his favorite?	46:39
	He said, "Well, maybe Psalms 73,	46:40
	but surely Psalms 139."	46:44
	And who of us who heard Dr. Howard Thurman,	46:48
	who began his messages quoting Psalms 139?	46:52
	"Oh Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.	46:57
	"Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up.	47:03
	"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?	47:07
	"Whither shall I flee from thy presence?	47:11
	"If I ascend to heaven, thou art there,	47:16
	"If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there."	47:18
	Behold,	47:23
	I stand at the door and knock.	47:25
	There was a time in my life when I thought,	47:29
	how dreadful.	47:31
	There's absolutely no way you can get away from	47:34
	the presence of God.	47:36
	How awful it is to realize that Christ is always	47:38
	and everywhere present.	47:42
	I used to think, I can't do anything without God's	47:44
	presence and God's Spirit being present and aware	47:47
	of what I'm doing.	47:49
	How terrible an existence that is to live.	47:51
	But now my feeling is,	47:54
	my God, how awful it would be	47:55
	to live even one minute	47:59
	without the presence of God and the presence	48:01
	and the love of the Spirit of God	48:04
	in Christ with me.	48:07
	How awful to be left alone,	48:10
	to be all alone.	48:14
	To have Christ not knocking,	48:17
	waiting, yearning.	48:22
	Today I believe that this spirit of Christ knocks	48:25
	on the door of the church.	48:28
	Christ really is just outside the door of the church	48:30
	as a whole, waiting and longing to get in.	48:34
	For what does it mean, today, to be the church?	48:38
	To be a particular church?	48:40
	What does it mean to be a Bible study or prayer group?	48:43
	To be the two or three who are gathered together	48:45
	in Christ's name?	48:49
	What does it mean to be a United Methodist	48:50
	or a Presbyterian retirement home?	48:52
	A Christian retirement home or a Christian children's home?	48:56
	Indeed, what does it mean today, to be a church	49:00
	related, or United Methodist, or Christian college	49:05
	or university?	49:09
	I'm not sure what it means to be any or all of these,	49:12
	but I am convinced this morning that there is	49:17
	much that the Spirit and the presence of Christ	49:19
	longs for us to be that we are not now being.	49:22
	Christ is knocking on the door,	49:31
	and on the doors of the church,	49:32
	and on the different members of the body of Christ,	49:34
	he really does want to come in to his church.	49:37
	But then the way that this verse has most often	49:42
	been interpreted has been to see these words with Christ	49:44
	standing outside the door of an individual life.	49:48
	I believe that that was and still is very, very true.	49:52
	Here is the Christ, the one who loves and yearns	49:57
	for the very soul and spirit of each of us	50:01
	to be receptive and to allow his presence to occupy	50:04
	our lives.	50:08
	It is quite likely, so scholars tell us,	50:11
	that this passage has its origin in one of the tenderest,	50:14
	one of the most beautiful passages in the	50:18
	Song of Solomon.	50:21
	Where the lover, the lover stands at the door	50:23
	of his beloved, and pleads with her to open the door,	50:26
	to let him come in,	50:31
	quoting from the Song of Solomon,	50:33
	"It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh,	50:34
	"saying, 'Open to me, my sister,	50:37
	my love, my dove,	50:42
	"'my undefiled.'"	50:46
	Here is Christ who loves each of us, saying	50:50
	"I stand at the door and knock.	50:55
	"If anyone opens the door,	50:58
	I will come in	51:01
	"and sup with that person, man or woman or child,	51:02
	"and that person can sup with me."	51:08
	To sup, in Jesus' day, was to share	51:11
	in one of the most personal,	51:16
	one of the most intimate experiences	51:18
	of fellowship that one could have	51:19
	with another human being.	51:21
	It was not just to eat and run.	51:23
	But it was to linger, and sit, and talk,	51:27
	and share time and life together.	51:30
	It was a time of unhurried, unlimited intimacy	51:33
	and sharing.	51:38
	So it seems to me that Jesus is saying here,	51:41
	if you will only open your life	51:48
	and let me come in.	51:53
	I will share myself with you.	51:57
	I want you to share yourself with me.	52:02
	We will become one in the breaking of bread.	52:08
	One in our love and concern.	52:14
	We will become one truly in the Spirit.	52:18
	I want to be with you.	52:23
	I want you to be with me.	52:26
	I promise to you the gift of my friendship,	52:29
	my fellowship,	52:34
	I even promise you the gift of myself.	52:36
	I will be yours, and you will be mine.	52:40
	This is the Presence.	52:47
	This is the Lamb of God.	52:50
	Not just who takes away the sins of the world,	52:53
	this is the Lamb of God	53:00
	who takes away your sin and mine.	53:03
	In another place, John in this absolutely magnificent	53:08
	and beautiful vision, writes,	53:13
	"I heard the voice of many angels,	53:18
	"ten thousands of ten thousands and	53:24
	"thousands and thousands saying	53:27
	with a loud voice,	53:32
	"worthy is the Lamb who was slain.	53:34
	"To receive power and wealth and wisdom	53:39
	"and might and honor and glory and blessing.	53:43
	"And then one day, every creature in heaven,	53:47
	"and on earth, and under the earth and under the sea,	53:52
	"shall cry out, to him who sits upon the throne,	53:57
	"and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor	54:01
	"and glory and might forever and ever."	54:06
	The ever-present demand,	54:14
	choose and be faithful.	54:17
	The ever-present presence,	54:21
	Behold I stand at the door	54:24
	and knock.	54:28
	If any of you will open the door,	54:30
	I will come in, and I will sup with you,	54:33
	and you with me.	54:38
	In the name of God who does create us,	54:42
	who redeems us	54:48
	and sustains us,	54:51
	this day, and forever,	54:54
	Amen.	55:00
	(sacred organ music)	55:07
	♪ I sing the mighty power of God ♪	55:45
	♪ That made the mountains rise ♪	55:50
	♪ That spread the flowing seas abroad ♪	55:56
	♪ And built the lofty skies ♪	56:01
	♪ I sing the wisdom that ordained ♪	56:06
	♪ The sun to rule the day ♪	56:11
	♪ The moon shines full at his command ♪	56:16
	♪ And all the stars obey ♪	56:22
	♪ I sing the goodness of the Lord ♪	56:29
	♪ That filled the earth with food ♪	56:34
	♪ Who formed the creatures with his word ♪	56:40
	♪ And then pronounced them good ♪	56:45
	♪ Lord, how thy wonders are displayed ♪	56:50
	♪ Where'er I turn my eye ♪	56:56
	♪ If I survey the ground I tread ♪	57:02
	♪ Or gaze upon the sky ♪	57:07
	♪ There's not a plant or flower below ♪	57:15
	♪ But makes thy glories known ♪	57:20
	♪ And clouds arise and tempests blow ♪	57:26
	♪ By order from thy throne ♪	57:31
	♪ While all that borrows life from thee ♪	57:37
	♪ Is ever in thy care ♪	57:42
	♪ And everywhere that I can be ♪	57:48
	♪ Thou God art present there ♪	57:53
	♪ Amen ♪	58:01
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	58:12
	(congregants join) We believe in God who has created	58:16
	and is creating.	58:19
	Who has come in the truly human Jesus	58:21
	to reconcile and make new.	58:24
	Who works in us and others by the Spirit.	58:28
	We trust God who calls us to be the church,	58:32
	to celebrate life and his fullness,	58:37
	to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil.	58:40
	To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	58:46
	our judge and our hope,	58:51
	in life, in death, in life beyond death,	58:53
	God is with us, we are not alone.	58:58
	Thanks be to God.	59:02
	Will the congregation please be seated.	59:04
	The Lord be with you	59:14
Congregation	And with your spirit.	59:16
-	Let us pray.	59:19
	Almighty God, we lift up our hearts in gratitude to you	59:23
	and for all your loving kindness, we bless your holy name.	59:29
	For life and health, for love and friendship,	59:34
	and for the goodness and mercy that have followed us	59:38
	all the days of our life,	59:40
	we praise you oh God.	59:42
	For the wonder and beauty of the world, and for	59:45
	all things true and honorable, just and pure,	59:49
	lovely and gracious, for the gift of Jesus Christ	59:53
	your only begotten Son,	59:58
	for the grace and truth which came by him	1:00:01
	and by his obedience unto death,	1:00:04
	even death on a cross.	1:00:07
	For his glorious resurrection and ascension	1:00:10
	to your right hand,	1:00:13
	and for his kingdom and glory and everlasting dominion.	1:00:15
	For the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the Lord and	1:00:21
	giver of life,	1:00:25
	for your holy church throughout the world.	1:00:26
	For all the means of grace and for the fellowship	1:00:30
	of the redeemed in heaven on earth,	1:00:34
	we praise you, oh God.	1:00:36
	Because you have committed to your people	1:00:39
	the ministry of intercession, let us hear as	1:00:42
	we pray for others, and grant that our hearts	1:00:45
	may be filled with peace and love.	1:00:47
	For your holy church throughout all the world,	1:00:51
	confirm your people in the faith of the gospel,	1:00:56
	that Christ may be exalted over all.	1:00:59
	For your people here and everywhere,	1:01:05
	that you would inspire them with love	1:01:08
	for you and for their neighbor.	1:01:10
	With zeal in your service,	1:01:13
	and with joy in the hope of your coming again.	1:01:15
	For the nations, especially Iran and Southeast Asia,	1:01:20
	as they are threatened by war,	1:01:25
	that you would breathe on them the	1:01:28
	spirit of peace and understanding,	1:01:29
	and for those in authority, that you would inspire in them	1:01:33
	a true desire for peace and love of concord.	1:01:37
	For all schools and institutions of higher learning,	1:01:43
	especially Duke university,	1:01:47
	and for all who teach in them and all who learn,	1:01:48
	that in humility of heart they may ever look to you,	1:01:52
	the fountain of all wisdom.	1:01:56
	For all in sickness and distress,	1:01:59
	that you would give strength to the weary,	1:02:03
	relief to the suffering,	1:02:06
	and comfort to the dying.	1:02:08
	For all your servants who have departed this life	1:02:12
	in your faith and fear,	1:02:15
	we give you hearty thanks, and we pray you	1:02:17
	to give us grace to follow them,	1:02:20
	as they follow Christ.	1:02:23
	Bring us with them, to those things which eye has not seen,	1:02:26
	nor ear heard, through Jesus Christ your Son,	1:02:30
	who has taught us to pray,	1:02:35
	(congregants join) Our Father, who art in heaven,	1:02:38
	hallowed be thy name.	1:02:41
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	1:02:44
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:02:48
	Give us this day our daily bread,	1:02:50
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:02:53
	as we forgive those who trespassed against us.	1:02:56
	And lead us not into temptation	1:03:00
	but deliver us from evil,	1:03:02
	for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.	1:03:05
	Amen.	1:03:11
	(sacred organ music)	1:03:17
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:04:29
	♪ Neither can the floods drown it ♪	1:04:37
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:04:44
	♪ Neither can the floods drown it ♪	1:04:53
	(sacred organ music)	1:05:01
	♪ Love is strong as death ♪	1:05:07
	♪ Love is strong as death ♪	1:05:15
	♪ Many waters cannot quench love ♪	1:05:23
	♪ Greater love hath no man ♪	1:05:34
	♪ Than this ♪	1:05:43
	♪ That a man lay down his life ♪	1:05:48
	♪ For his friends ♪	1:06:09
	(sacred organ music)	1:06:15
	♪ Who his own self bear our sins ♪	1:06:21
	♪ In his own body on the tree ♪	1:06:27
	♪ That we being dead to sins ♪	1:06:38
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:06:47
	♪ That we being dead to sins ♪	1:06:58
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:07:06
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:07:13
	♪ That we being dead to sins ♪	1:07:20
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:07:27
	♪ Should live unto righteousness ♪	1:07:32
	♪ Ye are washed ♪	1:07:38
	♪ Ye are sanctified ♪	1:07:41
	♪ Ye are justified ♪	1:07:45
	♪ In the name of the Lord Jesus ♪	1:07:49
	♪ Ye are a chosen generation ♪	1:07:57
	♪ A royal priesthood ♪	1:08:02
	♪ A holy nation ♪	1:08:05
	♪ That ye should show forth the praises ♪	1:08:15
	♪ Of him who hath called you out of darkness ♪	1:08:20
	♪ And into his marvelous light ♪	1:08:32
	♪ I beseech you brethren ♪	1:08:58
	♪ By the mercies of God ♪	1:09:06
	♪ That ye present your bodies a living sacrifice ♪	1:09:13
	♪ Holy ♪	1:09:35
	♪ Holy ♪	1:09:43
	♪ Acceptable unto God ♪	1:09:52
	♪ Which is your reasonable service ♪	1:10:12
	(sacred organ music)	1:11:08
	♪ Praise from whom all blessings flow ♪	1:11:27
	♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪	1:11:34
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪	1:11:40
	♪ Praise him above ye heavenly hosts ♪	1:11:47
	♪ Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost ♪	1:11:54
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪	1:12:00
	♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪	1:12:06
	♪ Amen ♪	1:12:21
	Merciful God we offer with joy and thanksgiving	1:12:35
	what you have first given us,	1:12:40
	ourselves, our time, and our possessions,	1:12:43
	signs of your gracious love.	1:12:47
	Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself	1:12:50
	for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.	1:12:54
	Amen.	1:12:58
	(sacred organ music)	1:13:02
	(congregation singing)	1:13:35
	A word of caution, it is still snowing heavy,	1:16:03
	it is coming down very hard and we ask that the students	1:16:08
	as you return to your dorms,	1:16:11
	walk carefully, and those of you driving,	1:16:13
	please drive carefully and watch out for the other people.	1:16:16
	And now, may the peace that passes understanding	1:16:19
	fill your hearts,	1:16:23
	may be peace that the world cannot give fill your minds,	1:16:26
	go out in the name of God our	1:16:30
	creator, redeemer, and sustainer.	1:16:33
	Amen.	1:16:38
	♪ Amen amen amen amen amen amen amen ♪	1:16:40
	(sacred organ music)	1:17:42

Item Info

Title:

Robert T. Young - "An Ever-Present Demand and an Ever-Present Presence" (February 18, 1979)

Description:

Sermon start time: 31:09. Sermon end time: 55:00.
God is ever-present, and Jesus always has open invitation at the door to "sup" with him. Thus, Christians must consider what lukewarmness is in the passage John wrote, which is meant to rebuke them in a way that illuminates new meaning. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: The ever-present demand, choose and be faithful. The ever-present presence, Behold I stand at the door and knock

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https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4nc5st0x

Date:

February 18, 1979

Speaker:

Young, Robert T., 1935-2009

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Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1005
ref7219_gxc
uachapelsermaud
duke:321057
dcrau001885
ark:/87924/r4nc5st0x
3c605b9f-e261-4532-b796-1c0459715bb2

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Duke Chapel Recordings

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North Carolina
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The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

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Robert T. Young - "An Ever-Present Demand and an Ever-Present Presence" (February 18, 1979)

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