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On this April 16th, 1985. We believe that the lectureship is the most historic, perhaps in 23 years since the night, George Pepperdine spoke to an opening night audience on his last address before his death tonight with a new president taking office and an old president who

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has retired yesterday. Presiding tonight. The historicity of the night makes this one special. We're glad that you have come from so many places. We know of people who are here from 36 states and perhaps if we knew everyone that was here tonight, maybe we're up in

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the forties. It's no accident that everyone behind me tonight on the stage is affiliated with Pepperdine. That has never happened before and I don't suppose that'll ever happen again. But this is our night tonight. It's a proud night in the history of this school. Paul Pearsall

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has flown back, having left his a cappella chorus somewhere in Arizona or Texas to come back tonight and lead the singing in a moment. JP Sanders will lead us in prayer. J P's connections with this school. Go back to the very beginning, Thomas G. Bost who

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is the chairman of the Board of trustees of Pepperdine and an elder in the church at Culver Palms will bring us a special announcement and on through the program. Everyone tonight who appears before you is a part of this Pepperdine University family. We welcome you to

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this historic night. Let's begin together in prayer and JP Sanders will lead us as we pray. Let us pray. Great God, our father, we ask a special outpouring of thy grace upon this great historic occasion. We thank thee for Pepperdine University, a university that seeks to

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serve the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for those whose lives have contributed to its growth and its development, or Brother Pepperdine and his dream of an institution of this kind for all those who have served as presidents and particularly now we ask

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thy special grace to rest upon brother Howard White, the outgoing president, help him to feel in his heart, how deeply he is appreciated by thy people everywhere. Well, the great service that he has provided this school, we ask also for thy richest grace to rest upon

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Brother David Davenport as he assumes the responsibility of leadership for this great institution, wilt thou grant unto him discretion and understanding, help him always to walk with integrity and to provide the kind of leadership that will lead thy people into powers of usefulness and service for

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thy name's sake. Let thy richest blessings rest upon this lectureship and upon all who attended and we pray that their attendance here may send them back to their respective homes with renewed interest and with renewed determination to serve thee and to glorify God as their great

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objective in life. Our father, we pray that thou will look kindly upon us and our stumbling and blundering ways and that thou will give us the strength and courage to follow thy guidance until thou hast accomplished thy purpose with us here. All this we pray in

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the name of Jesus Christ, our savior and our blessed redeemer. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce a significant development which should have the effect of greatly strengthening the ability of Pepperdine University to fulfill its Christian mission and should also have the effect of

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honoring in a most unique and important way. The fifth president of the university, Doctor Howard A White, one of the greatest needs of the university is to increase scholarship funds so that Christian students, our sons and daughters can afford to attend this university and take advantage

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of its commitment to Christian values and its excellent educational opportunities. This has been a matter of particular concern to Doctor White whose distinguished career has been marked by his love and concern for students. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I announce the establishment of the

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Howard Ashley White scholarship Fund for Christian students. Now, several members of the Board of Regents and the administration have been discussing this idea for a while. And we decided to discuss the establishment of a scholarship fund with a relatively few board members and friends before it

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was publicly announced tonight. And I'm happy to inform you that as a result of these few informal conversations, seven members of the board of regents and one friend of the university have already given or pledged $489,000 to the Howard White scholarship fund. In response to

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these generous gifts, the university itself has committed another $250,000 in additional resources for this scholarship fund. So as a result of the generosity of these friends of Howard White and the university's own solid commitment, almost three quarters of a million dollars has been committed to this

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fund on this opening day of its commencement. We are delighted to do this in Doctor White's honor. We view this as one of the most significant steps taken by this university to fulfill its Christian mission in many years. We know that many of you will want

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to participate in establishing this fund and you would be surprised if I didn't tell you, you'll have an opportunity to do that. Uh Thursday night, we're gonna literally pass the hat and uh these little black hats will be going up and down the aisles and you'll

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have a chance to help augment this fund. So think, think and pray about this as we attempt to educate more and more Christian students. Would you join me in welcoming to the podium? Doctor Howard A white? Yeah, thank

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you very much, Mr Boss and thank all of you for your warmth and your graciousness in receiving me tonight. I don't think I need to tell you that for me, this is a deeply moving occasion. I am touched more than I can begin to express by

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the establishment of this scholarship fund and I am most grateful to all the regions and to the other individual. I don't even know all their names yet. That part has been kept as a surprise and I'll learn that later. I understand, but I want to thank

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everyone who has had a part in making this fund possible. I'm especially happy that this scholarship fund will be for the benefit of students and will help members of the church who otherwise might not be able to attend this institution. I regard it as one of

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the greatest honors of my life that my name will be connected with this fund. And I'm especially happy that it will benefit students. That's what this institution is about. They are the important ones. It does not exist to give me a job or anybody else, a

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job or to glorify anybody. This institution exists that we may serve people who want to come and learn and learn how to be useful citizens and best of all learn how to be servants of God in the years that I've been in office. Nearly a seven.

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One of our main goals has been to draw this university closer to its Christian roots and to its church ties. I have wanted to reaffirm these church ties and to deepen our commitment to serve the church in order that we might faithfully carry out the purposes

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of Mr George Pepperdine, the founder of this university. It has been my wish also to demonstrate to the whole world that a university can continue a Christian commitment while striving toward academic excellence, the the establishment of this fund therefore will be very important in the life

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of the university in helping to attain its goals. As I've just expressed, it gives me more joy than I can begin to contemplate. Let alone express to know that because of this fund, there will be Children, young people who have not even been born yet who

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will be able to attend this institution and receive an education in a Christian environment. And so this scholarship fund I think will mean a great deal to the coming students of this university. And so began from the very depths of my heart. I wish to thank

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every person who has had anything to do with establishing this fund and every person who wants to do something for the students of Pepperdine University. Let us all pray that this university may always be true to its heritage and that it may always follow the ideals

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and the purposes that were in the heart of George Pepperdine when he founded this institution. God bless you all. Let's join together in singing song number 427. Number 427. Praise the Lord. Praise the and adore him. Praise him. Angels in alright. So don't rejoice

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me poor the front end. Am I right? Oh, praise the Lord for he has spoken well, his mighty voice or laws which never shall be broke? Oh, ok. And she had it four. It is the Lord for he is glorious. Never shall his promise fail. Great.

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Thanks victorious. I shall not be. Oh and praise the God, our salvation. This is pop broke earth and all creation. Me by now, man. Oh, amen. Let's turn now to song. Number 280. Joined together in singing this great song of joy. It

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is well with my soul song number 280. And let's be standing as we sing. Mm Yes. And the one he has one I just thought. Come on. Yes. Yeah. That

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today is the first day in the presidency of David Davenport, who is the sixth president of Pepperdine University. I think it may be true that he is the youngest president of a major university anywhere in the United States. But I have told a few who have

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said he's pretty young, isn't he? That it won't take very long to cure that David grew up in Kansas City, received a bachelor's degree. With distinction. That means with highest honors from Stanford University, a law degree also with high honors from the University of Kansas where

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he was editor of the law review and admitted to the Order of the Court. And thus he brings to his new office, the very highest academic credentials for us who are gathered here tonight is even more important that because of his own convictions and with the

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support of a strong Christian home, he has been active in the work of Christ from his youth for many years, he has been a preacher of the gospel. And while serving with one of the most prestigious law firms in San Diego, he requested a leave of

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absence from that law practice that he might go and work for a year with the El Cajon Boulevard church in that city. And it was during this time that some of us at this university got acquainted with him, a brother and a sister had attended school

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here and were in school, I believe, maybe at the time. And so we persuaded him to come here and combine his interests in the church and its work and in his profession of law and teach in our law school while teaching the law school. He served

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as a regular minister for the Inglewood church from time to time. He preached at other places as he continued his work with the university. He served as pulpit minister all of one year on Sunday mornings for the university church and during the past year, he has

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preached often for the university church despite a heavy schedule of administrative duties while he served as Executive vice president for the past two years, as we have made careful plans for the future. It has been my privilege to work very closely with Mr Thos G boss,

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the chairman of the board of regents and with certain of the other regions in compiling a less of prospective individuals to fill the presidency of this institution. We got a list of 16 highly qualified wonderful individuals, looked at them very carefully and prayed earnestly about them

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and David Davenport was our first choice and was unanimously elected by the Board of Regents. And that announcement was made last year. I've come to know David very well. He is the kind of person who makes an excellent first impression, but he gets better the longer

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you know him. I've sometimes said that he's the kind of fellow who can't hold a job very long because what you give him to do, he does so well, you think of something more important for him to do and you increase his responsibilities, having early noted

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his talents, I asked him to give up most of his law teaching, although he retained one class I believe and to serve as general counsel or doing legal work for the university and administrative capacity. And then more than two years ago, I asked him to serve

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as the Executive vice president. And that means the Chief Administrative Officer responsible for all of the day to day operations of the university with its $65 million budget. Tonight, having worked with him very closely during these years. We've been here together more than ever before. I

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am convinced that he has all the qualities that will lead this university to its greatest achievements. I sincerely believe that the progress made to date is only the vestibule of what we're going to see in the future and intellectual brilliance in strong Christian character and dedication

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and in total ability, David Davenport will be a great leader for this university. He's already articulated a vision for the university that will challenge all of us to support him in the work that he will do. I'm very proud of the fine positive article. And yesterday,

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it is Los Angeles Times, our dear friend Mrs Margaret Brock, who built the Brock House and who was here tonight told me on the phone that she liked it so well. She had made 20 xerox copies and was sending it to a number of her friends

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and I hope some of you will do the same. Well, in that article that many of you have read already, the reporter who interviewed Dr Davenport wrote the following concerning his interview. And I quote, sometimes Doctor Davenport said visitors considering Pepperdine as a school for their

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Children insist that it should be either a strong Christian university or an excellent private college. And my answer has always been and will continue to be no, we aren't going to go in either of these directions. Davenport said we will combine them and the Pepperdine end

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of quote. In these words, David has indicated his conviction that Pepperdine University can reach toward ever greater heights of academic excellence. At the same time, maintain a strong Christian commitment and a vital relationship to the church in carrying out this noble mission. He will be ably

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and greatly assisted by his lovely talented wife, Sally. They and their two Children, Katie, age 2.5 and Charlie age eight months will live in the Brock House, the traditional home of the present on the campus. At this time, I want to ask Sally Davenport to stand

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and turn around Sally and let everybody see you. And let's welcome Sally to this great poem as a parent. I think I can imagine something of the joy and the pride that must be in David's mother's heart. On this occasion, we are so very happy that

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she can be here from Kansas City and I want to ask her to stand. And then along with David's sister Debbie, who is on our legal staff here at the university. Mrs De, what were you and Debbie, please stand. It seems highly appropriate that the first

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day in office of this, one of the youngest university presidents in the nation should be on the same day that we begin our annual Bible lectureship. We planned some very big formal academic exercises later on. But tonight, in this program that is so near and dear

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to the hearts of us all we are having what we are calling the spiritual inauguration. Uh Pepperdine University's sixth president. I'm sure that all of us know, I certainly do that David will have a great many very heavy responsibilities. They will be great opportunities, wonderful challenges,

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but nevertheless, great and heavy responsibilities, including financial affairs, academic affairs. And certainly in this institution, very importantly, spiritual affairs. I sense in the hush of this hour of feeling that we are in the presence indeed of Almighty God. And that we are working not merely for

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things that we see now, but we are working for eternity and for the souls of human beings. And so at this time, I want to ask David to join me here at the podium. And I would like to give to him from the scriptures from the

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book of First Samuel first chronicles rather chapter 22 the charge that David the king gave to his son Solomon as he looked toward the time that Solomon would take on heavy responsibilities. My son, may the Lord be with you, may the Lord grant you discretion and

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understanding. May you keep the law of the Lord your God, then you will prosper. If you are careful to obey the commands of the Lord. Be strong and of good courage. Fear, not be not dismayed, arise and be doing the Lord be with you. Doctor White.

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I've chosen these words from Psalm 25 with which to respond to your charge to you. O Lord, I lift up my soul in you. I trust oh my God, show me your paths. O Lord teach me your ways, guide me in your truth and teach me

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for you are my God, my savior and my hope is in you all day long. May integrity and uprightness protect me because my hope is in you, David. I sincerely believe that the beautiful words of that ancient psalm represent the true sentiments of your heart as

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I believe they do mine. And I think all of us here are moved and are happy that you have expressed these noble sentiments. At this time. I would like to call on the chairman of the Board of Regions, Mr Thomas G Bost, as you have already

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heard who is an elder of the Culver Palms Church to come to the podium and speak on behalf of the Board of Regents for the past several years. Mr Boss has provided outstanding leadership as the chairman of this board. I have worked with him day to

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day. I simply could not say enough that is good about his wisdom, his commitment, his noble character, and his effectiveness, Mr Boss. Thank you, Doctor White David. This is a proud moment in the life of this university. We believe that God has been with us in

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the selection of our new president. We believe that God has brought together the man and the moment at just the right time, it is our conviction that for 33 or four years, God has been shaping and molding you and preparing you for the great responsibilities which

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we are now placing on your shoulders, on behalf of the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University, your brothers and sisters who are with you tonight and the entire university community, I charge you to be a faithful steward of all that has been entrusted to you. I

00:31:07.089 - 00:31:27.109

charge you to maintain the high standards of academic excellence that have characterized the life of this university. I charge you to maintain the 48 year spiritual heritage of this university and to keep the university close to the church. I pledge to you my personal help as

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you guide the university in the fulfillment of his mission. And I fervently pray that God will be with you and the performance of your duties, Tom as your brother in Christ, as your friend and not least of all as your employee. Aye. I accept the charge

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that you give to me. Not because I believe that I have within my own ability, the possibility to complete this charge, but taking great comfort from one of my favorite, maybe even my favorite passages of scripture. Second Corinthians chapter four and verse seven, which reminds me

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constantly that I am a jar, an earthen vessel uh which God may choose to pour his love and his guidance through me. And so based upon that promise and that hope I accept your charge, I accept your vision of the university for it is my own

00:32:29.189 - 00:32:46.300

vision. As you know, I would not have come to Pepperdine University if it were not first and foremost, a Christian university, and I would not remain at Pepperdine University if it were not committed to excellence. And so on these two great legs on which I think

00:32:46.310 - 00:33:02.819

the university has always stood the leg of spiritual commitment, the leg of academic excellence. I accept this vision and I accept your offer gladly of help for I will need it and the help and the good wishes and goodwill of the board and of the people

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who are with us tonight. Thank you. Thank you David. And I want to ask to the podium to lead us in a prayer of dedication, Doctor Charles B. Runnels, the newly appointed chancellor of the university for over 25 years, an elder in the Lord's Church. Doctor

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Reynolds, oh dear God in heaven. We come to you in prayer at a very special and precious moment in the history of this university and heavenly Father, we recognize the majestic power that you have on this earth and we ask your blessings. We ask that you

00:33:57.709 - 00:34:20.418

bless your servant leader, David Davenport, as He dedicates his life to this university. I pray that you bless him as a Christian, as a leader, our president to God. We pray that you will give Him wisdom, insight and understanding. May you always walk close to you

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and never forget the ancient landmarks that can be as God post. And may you never forget dear God that the educational process cannot really be separated from the divine process. But help Him dear God to reach to combine Christian commitment and academic excellence, give them dear

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God compassion for young people and may his examples radiate so that all of us may be role models. And so the young people who come here to study. May you find a genuine need for Christ in their life? And dear God, we ask a special blessing

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on Sally that she too may have understanding and patience and long suffering as David dedicates his life to you, dear God. May you always stand tall and walk um in that sight for thy and heavenly Father is the power, the kingdom and the glory for ever

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and ever Christ. And we pray. Amen. Amen. Let us now stand as we sing song number seven. I'll hail the power of Jesus name. Mhm. All hail Jesus me angel cross street being for no for us. I'm the proud. Yeah and see. Wow, what?

00:36:33.229 - 00:38:09.780

Yeah, it is great. Sorry that, that I just stay. We are, I just see your as a, it's gone. We to, we join she, hey man, big city place. Uh

00:38:09.959 - 00:38:29.129

uh oh catch him. I'm gonna finish this. Pardon? I can't do it. So you gotta be, you probably can have no idea how relieved I am to begin this sermon tonight. I have never been inaugurated before. I have at least preached before and I feel I'm

00:38:29.139 - 00:38:45.870

on much more comfortable ground as we come to this part of our gathering tonight. I'm so grateful for the presence of so many of you who are friends. I pick out friends from childhood days. I pick out friends from San Diego, from Los Angeles from other

00:38:45.879 - 00:39:04.100

places. It's so encouraging that you would choose to be with us on this special night. I see many who are alumni of the university, many who are friends, many who are parents of our students. And I've been traveling across the country these last many weeks of

00:39:04.110 - 00:39:21.889

meeting many of you dealing with alumni, dealing with friends, dealing with parents. I've shared with some of you the story uh of the college president who himself was dealing uh with parents, which is a new experience for me in my work. He said that uh during

00:39:21.899 - 00:39:37.330

the summer before the new term began, he received a letter from a doting mother who was about to send her boy to his college that fall. And in the letter, the mother was asking for the president's personal assistance in finding a roommate for her son. She

00:39:37.340 - 00:39:53.620

wrote the President and she said, please help me find a roommate where there will be no beards and no beer. She continued by saying he will need to be academically strong because I'm not sure how bright my boy really is. I think he'll need help. She

00:39:53.629 - 00:40:10.760

continued by saying that the President ought to find a roommate who is not interested in smoking or in girls because she said both of those lead to trouble. And then she closed this true letter to the college president by saying the reason this is all important

00:40:10.770 - 00:40:36.989

to me is that this is the first time my son will ever have been away from home except for three years in the marines, taking a, taking a note from that experience. I feel that college presidents need to be ready for everything on my first day,

00:40:37.000 - 00:40:51.649

on the job, I needed almost everything I had. And so I'm glad to come to the close of this day with you tonight. I was very excited about becoming President of Pepperdine University until a few months ago, I attended a conference for college presidents about the

00:40:51.659 - 00:41:08.479

college presidency. The opening speaker was Clark Kerr who for many years was president of the University of California. He was president and that is until California elected a new governor by the name of Ronald Reagan. And very shortly after that election, there was a parting of

00:41:08.489 - 00:41:22.530

ways. And Doctor Kerr was no longer the president of the University of California. He began the conference by reminding us of that story. And then he said that he was perhaps one of few college presidents who was able to leave the college presidency. The same way

00:41:22.540 - 00:41:43.120

he had entered it, fired with enthusiasm. So I'm cautious to say tonight that I am not fired with enthusiasm, but I am filled with enthusiasm as we undertake this task. I think in many ways, the task that I have today that is the most difficult is

00:41:43.129 - 00:42:02.169

the formidable assignment that Jerry Rushford has given me tonight. And that is in just a few moments of time to explore with you. One of the loftiest passages in all of scripture, the first paragraph in the Greek language, even just the first sentence of the book

00:42:02.179 - 00:42:25.620

of Hebrews. And I think before we approach this great passage, it might be helpful to hear what some others have said about the passage. One man has described this as a magnificent introductory paragraph. Still another has compared it to a majestic overture. Doctor Neil Lightfoot, who

00:42:25.629 - 00:42:45.699

many of you will know has described this as the most beautifully constructed and expressive sentence in the New Testimony. Roman's commentary goes perhaps a step further and says flatly that this is the single most beautiful passage in The New Testament. And so there is a sense

00:42:45.709 - 00:43:03.560

in which we approach this passage of scripture, recognizing that we can't preach about this passage in quite the same way we could preach about others. We feel that there is a sense in which this is a special passage as the writer brings his readers face to

00:43:03.570 - 00:43:23.770

face with God and with the Majesty of Jesus Christ, that there is a sense in which we approach almost a kind of holy ground with special awe and with special attention. And perhaps that's all we can do tonight. Perhaps all we can do is approach this

00:43:23.780 - 00:43:42.340

great passage of scripture, hoping to touch it, hoping to let it sift through our minds and through our hearts, hoping to allow it to prepare us as it does so magnificently for the study of this book of Hebrews. This week, I'd like for you to read

00:43:42.350 - 00:44:04.510

with me this great passage, Hebrews one verses one through four. If you don't have a Bible that's printed inside your program in the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days, he has spoken

00:44:04.520 - 00:44:30.570

to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the universe. The sun is the radiance of God's glory. And the exact representation of his being saying all things by is power. After he had provided interation for sins, he

00:44:30.580 - 00:44:52.439

sat down with the right hand and Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior as the name he has in her is through. There's a lesson that we must all learn. I think someplace sometime for me as best as I recall that it was at

00:44:52.449 - 00:45:14.129

a boy scout campground in Eastern Kansas. We the zoo boy house 10 ft. They so a call and we were given the assignment of the building and maintaining throughout the night, a fire with a single mesh. Well, this was no challenge for us. We had read

00:45:14.139 - 00:45:34.199

the manuals, we were expert. We quickly delegated the work some to gather the wood, others to gather the dry starter material, still others to clear the ground. Within moments, it seemed we had created the greatest, most magnificent fire in all the campground so interested. Were we

00:45:34.209 - 00:45:53.100

in celebrating this great accomplishment and so large? Were the flames that we felt confident we could leave and enjoy the thrill of victory? It seemed like only moments later, we returned of course, to the agony of defeat. This great fire which we felt could never die

00:45:53.760 - 00:46:13.129

had in just a few moments of time faded and died. And this of course, is the very nature of fire. Is it not to begin with a flame? To begin with a pop, a crackle, even a roar. But if left unattended, if not rekindled and revived,

00:46:14.110 - 00:46:29.459

if left to pursue its own natural course, it will fade, it will die. And that I think is not just the nature of a fire, but it's also human nature, isn't it? Do we have, for example, anyone in our audience tonight who in the last 12

00:46:29.469 - 00:46:46.879

months has begun a program of diet or exercise and has not completed the program. Would you raise your hands if you've done that? No. Don't we have videotape tonight? You don't want to do that? Do we have anyone who in their closet already has a television

00:46:46.889 - 00:47:06.709

video game that has fallen to disuse or a Hula hoop in any garages here tonight, our garages and our attics are littered with evidence that we are good starters, but we aren't such good endur. And that I think in a very practical way is the message

00:47:06.719 - 00:47:25.110

of this great book of Hebrews that as God looks out upon his people, he looks not just for those who will start the life of faith, but who will also be faithful that God looks not just for the strong starters, but he searches for the strong

00:47:25.120 - 00:47:43.639

finishers and viewed in that light. This book of Hebrews, at least to my way of understanding is not an abstract academic treatise as some have regarded it. But it is exactly what the writer said. It was supposed to be in chapter 13 and verse 22. When

00:47:43.649 - 00:48:06.969

he says, I write to you a word, a short letter of exhortation. He wrote a tough letter for tough times. These people, as we know from chapter 10 were suffering, great persecution, some were suffering and others were forced to stand and watch their fellow Christians suffer.

00:48:07.050 - 00:48:24.860

Chapter 10, we know that some had already fallen away from the church and begun to lose their faith. Chapter 10, in verse 25 we know that those who remain, were faced with the danger of apostasy in chapter three and they were subject to strange and diverse

00:48:24.870 - 00:48:46.149

teachings. Chapter 13, maybe the best description of these folks is provided in chapter 12 and verse three where the writer uses the sentence or the phrase drooping hands and weak knees. This was a tough letter for tough times as my favorite bible teacher, John Willis used

00:48:46.159 - 00:49:04.689

to say, I'm sure glad we don't have that problem today. I'm sure glad we don't have any Christian husbands and wives who entered into the relationship of marriage, but the relationship faded and died. I'm sure glad that in 1985 we don't have any ministers who entered

00:49:04.699 - 00:49:23.100

the pulpit with great enthusiasm only to fade. I'm glad we don't have Christians who have entered into the Christian walk, their relationship with Christ, with great fervor, with great heat, with great flame. Only to see that flame fade and die. And yet, of course, we know

00:49:23.110 - 00:49:42.979

that that's exactly what we see today. A tough letter for tough times drooping hands and weak knees. And so as we think about that theme of this letter, the great theme of endurance, the lesson of endurance, we ask ourselves, what do these first four verses have

00:49:42.989 - 00:50:01.739

with that theme perhaps later in the letter we will find and I assure you we will find this week many practical exhortations, many practical teachings that will address this problem of endurance. But we read this beautiful sweeping prologue, these majestic phrases about Christ. And we say,

00:50:01.879 - 00:50:14.820

what does that have to do with the problem of endurance and to be honest with you, that's the very problem that I had in preparing this lesson for tonight. I read as I have read it so many times these first four verses and I say that's

00:50:14.830 - 00:50:34.780

so beautiful. Now, let's go on to the how to part, where is the practical? Where is the 123 steps that I must follow in order to endure, to revive, to rekindle the fire. We're so used to our televisions where any human problem can be created and

00:50:34.790 - 00:50:47.850

solved in the space of 60 minutes. Unless of course, you're Richard Chamberlain and you will take a miniseries then to solve your, your problems. But we're so used to creating and solving any problem in no more than 60 minutes that we quickly want to jump to

00:50:47.860 - 00:51:07.250

the practical, the solution. What's, what's the answer to the problem? And I think it's very significant that the writer of this great book, although he later becomes practical, although he will later exhort begins instead with the basics. And I think what he is saying in returning

00:51:07.260 - 00:51:24.800

to this passage about Jesus Christ is that when you need to endure that, when you and I need to revive and rekindle the fire as inevitably, we must, that what we need is not a new program. We don't need a new committee. We don't need a

00:51:24.810 - 00:51:41.580

new workshop. We don't need a new gimmick. But he says, what we need is Jesus and he takes us back to that most basic of themes as he begins to address this problem of endurance. It's as though a basketball coach was watching his team play on

00:51:41.590 - 00:51:56.969

the court. The team having gone out with great energy and enthusiasm and they're scoring baskets and they're winning the game. But then as the game proceeds, they grow weary, they grow tired, the coach watches them and sees them begin to commit turnovers and lose the ball.

00:51:57.270 - 00:52:11.570

He calls a time out, he brings the team close to them and I don't know if you've ever had a chance to hear what the coach says in those huddles. I've listened to now a few times and with apologies to our own coach. I found that

00:52:11.580 - 00:52:24.610

what they have to say really isn't all that profound. They don't have a whole lot of new gimmicks. They don't suggest a whole lot of new plays, but they say we need to go back to the basics. We need to remember the game plan that we

00:52:24.620 - 00:52:38.399

devised. We need to remember to rebound. We need to need to remember to play the good defense and now let's go out there and win this game. And I can't tell you how much we pay coaches to do that kind of thing. And in much the

00:52:38.409 - 00:52:53.250

same way, I think that's what the Hebrew writer is saying at the very beginning of this book, before I send you out to play the game, before I give you practical advice. Before I give you exhortation, I must first remind you of the basics. There are

00:52:53.260 - 00:53:11.030

some things that you need to remember and remembering becomes a great theme. I think in the book of Hebrews as the writer again and again, tells us people remember what God has done for. You do not forget what God has brought into your life. And frankly,

00:53:11.040 - 00:53:25.370

I think that's one of the great strengths that God's people have had over the years, perhaps a strength that you and I do not have in such great measure today as you read the Old Testament. You know that again and again, God's people are remembering the

00:53:25.379 - 00:53:39.100

book of Psalms to me is nothing but a great book of remembrances as they rehearse and remember and remind themselves over and over again. Remember how we got in trouble when we were in Egypt and God helped us and remember how we were out in the

00:53:39.110 - 00:53:54.709

wilderness and we had no food and how God gave us to drink. And remember how we got thirsty and God gave us to drink over and over again the theme of remembering. And so I think the writer so aptly begins the lesson of endurance by saying

00:53:54.719 - 00:54:12.689

we need to remember some things. And I want to suggest to you tonight that he tells us three things that we need to remember about Jesus Christ. He says, first of all that, we need to remember the revelation of God through Christ. We need to remember

00:54:12.699 - 00:54:31.080

Christ's Revelation of God. One of my favorite books in all of the Bible is the book of Nehemiah. It's the book as you know about God's people, rebuilding the great wall that had been torn down. And they begin this project with, with energy and with enthusiasm.

00:54:31.729 - 00:54:48.260

And by the time they get to chapter four, they have the wall half finished. They got the great start. They got the fast beginning. In fact, they got the wall to half its height. Nehemiah chapter four and verse six. But then the people's vision began to

00:54:48.270 - 00:55:05.399

fall and there's this great verse in Nehemiah chapter four and verse 10 when the wall was half built, the people in Judah said, but the strength of our laborers is giving out and there is so much rubbish that we cannot rebuild the wall. What had happened

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to those people I think is just exactly what had happened here to the people to whom Hebrews was addressed. They had allowed their vision to fall when they began the project. They were looking at the wall, they were looking at the great potential and the great

00:55:19.120 - 00:55:35.320

possibilities. But when they got about halfway through and you and I have experienced that, haven't we? I'm about halfway through my car payments and it's not as exciting as it was a couple of years ago when they got about halfway through, their vision began to fall.

00:55:35.699 - 00:55:51.520

They weren't seeing the wall anymore. They weren't seeing the vision, they weren't seeing the progress, they said, but our strength is falling and there is so much rubbish and we cannot continue. That happens to you and me in our, in our daily lives that happens to

00:55:51.530 - 00:56:05.129

Sally and me in the raising of our Children. We have two Children as Doctor White mentioned uh who until a week ago were both in diapers. Now one is in diapers and one is in my bathroom all the time. I'm not sure, I'm not sure that's

00:56:05.139 - 00:56:24.360

really a good improvement. And we were so excited to be parents. We were thrilled when those Children were born. We had great visions of trying to raise Christian young people in this world. And yet we have days when that vision begins to drop when I come

00:56:24.370 - 00:56:41.169

home and I see Sally who's changed her 20th diaper for the day and she tells me about the problems and the difficulties. Then I began to see that our vision is falling. It happened to Peter in Matthew the 14th chapter verse 28 Peter was walking on

00:56:41.179 - 00:56:53.649

the water to Jesus. And as we know, as long as Peter's eyes were on Jesus, he was literally walking on the water. But when his vision began to drop and fall, when he began to see the winds and the waves and the impossibilities and not the

00:56:53.659 - 00:57:12.429

vision of Christ, then he began to sink. And so as we come to Hebrews chapter one, I think the Hebrew writer is saying, you've got to check your vision. You need to remember the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. And this is a theme that he

00:57:12.439 - 00:57:30.909

will continue to mention. He says, for example, in chapter two and verse nine, but we see Jesus, he says in chapter 12 and verse two that we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. And I think that's exactly what he's doing in these first three verses.

00:57:30.919 - 00:57:49.310

He's saying, your vision has fallen, you've lost sight of what you first sought after and you need to revive and lift again your vision by remembering Christ's revelation of God. And so he begins here in verse two to tell us about this revelation of God. And

00:57:49.320 - 00:58:07.510

he makes seven great statements, of course, seven, a number of great significance of perfection to the Hebrew reader. He makes seven great statements as he begins to remind his readers of the great revelation of God in Christ. He says, first of all, in verse two, that

00:58:07.520 - 00:58:23.770

Jesus is the heir of all things the first Adam who was born in the garden or who who was brought into the garden was to be the heir of all things. But of course, he sinned. And now the second Adam as he is later to be

00:58:23.780 - 00:58:43.300

described, will become again the heir of all things we can as one great 7/17 century commentator said we can marry ourselves to Jesus Christ and inherit it all because God has placed in Christ control of all things. He goes on to say in verse three, that

00:58:43.310 - 00:59:02.500

the Son I'm sorry. In verse two, that through Him, he made the universe that Christ is not just the heir, the recipient of all things, but that Christ was present from the beginning. And in fact, Christ was the agent of creation through whom God made the

00:59:02.510 - 00:59:16.969

universe, through whom God made the ages as he says here. And then in verse three, he goes on to say that the sun is the radiance of God's glory. And you and I have a little bit of a problem with this because in some of the

00:59:16.979 - 00:59:34.260

translations, you may have the word effulgence, which is not a word that we use often. But this translation as we read it is that the sun is literally the radiance of God's glory that God is as it were the sun. And that Christ is the glory,

00:59:34.270 - 00:59:56.879

the radiation of the sun in the world. And then he continues by saying that Christ is the exact representation of the being of God. That that Christ literally is the stamp, the image impressed by the coin press to be an exact repre representation to show the

00:59:56.889 - 01:00:18.500

Greek word character, the very character of God sustaining. He continues to say all things by his powerful word. The picture here is not of Atlas holding up the globe on his shoulders, but it really means he's the sustaining force, he's the unifying force. He's the one

01:00:18.510 - 01:00:34.669

that makes sense in the universe. And so if the universe doesn't make sense as it must not to these troubled people, he says, remember again, Christ's revelation of God, he's the one who makes sense out of all of this world in which you're living. But you

01:00:34.679 - 01:00:50.979

know what I especially like about this passage is that God has built and developed to this point of revelation. He has not just come on the scene at the beginning of the world and said, behold my son and let me list for you five wonderful things

01:00:50.989 - 01:01:08.340

that we will tell you about Him. But verse one tells us that God has been slowly carefully intentionally building to this very moment of revelation. In verse one, we read in the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various

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ways. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by a son. This is a revelation that God had built through, built toward through the centuries. It's like a skillful eye surgeon who performs an operation to restore sight to the eyes. And when the operation

01:01:28.739 - 01:01:43.310

is over, a loved one of the patient asks the doctor can my loved ones see? And the doctor says, yes, I have restored sight to his eyes. But then the loved one goes on to ask, well, why is it that you have placed all of this

01:01:43.320 - 01:01:57.340

gauze and all of these bandages and all of this dark masking over his face. And why are you putting him in a dark room? And he says, even though the operation is successful, and he can see if I were to allow him to open his eyes

01:01:57.350 - 01:02:13.659

and see now he would be blinded by the brightness and would never see again. And so he said, as we bring back his vision, we must do it carefully step by step. And so the first day, a layer of the bandage is removed and the next

01:02:13.669 - 01:02:29.129

day another layer, the next day, yet another, the next day, the shades in the room are open. The next day, the light is turned on. And finally the great day comes to which the doctor has been building and the site which had been restored is made

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available to him. And that's really the sense if you can, if you can capture that, that's really the sense of what the Hebrew writer is saying here that God's revelation through Jesus Christ is something that God has been building toward throughout the centuries, that God's people

01:02:46.489 - 01:03:05.209

were not ready to have this revelation in the book of Genesis. But beginning with the darkness moving across the face of the waters. In Genesis, one, God has prepared for this very moment in time, the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. And so Jesus does not

01:03:05.219 - 01:03:23.189

talk to us as the prophets did. The Hebrew writer says that God used to speak through the prophets. Jesus does not talk to us about God so much as he shows us about God. The great prophet Ezekiel wrote to us about the Majesty of God. But

01:03:23.199 - 01:03:40.959

in Hebrews one and verse three, we know that Christ shows us the Majesty of God. Isaiah wrote to us in very powerful and moving ways about the holiness of God. But Jesus reflects the holiness of God. The prophet Jeremiah tells us about the great power of

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God, but we learned that Jesus displays the power of God. Remember the writer says the revelation of God in Christ. But secondly, as we continue to look at this passage, I think he wants them to remember the reconciliation to God through Christ. He wants them to

01:04:04.129 - 01:04:23.320

remember the revelation of God through Christ. He wants them to lift their vision, but he also wants them to remember the reconciliation to God that comes through Christ. He wants to lift their souls as well. He's turning away from the role of Jesus as one who

01:04:23.330 - 01:04:42.979

shows God who manifests God, who tells us and shows us some things about God to a very personal relationship with God, to a relationship where Jesus literally laid down his life like a bridge over troubled waters to people who are in tough times to offer a

01:04:42.989 - 01:05:01.419

relationship to them. And really, I think that's one of the great dangers that faces us as a church as a fellowship today. So many of us read about Jesus Christ. So many of us learn facts and figures about Jesus Christ. We like to learn and to

01:05:01.429 - 01:05:21.429

stack up these nice neat phrases as the writer has done here about Christ. But we never really turned that corner to appreciate in a personal way, the reconciliation we have with God through Jesus Christ. I heard a story some time ago which is really a shocking

01:05:21.439 - 01:05:40.020

one in a way, most interesting one about a missionary to Soviet Russia. Years ago. This missionary was trying to win converts to Christianity with limited success. But he realized that if he could only reach the kids, then he could better reach the country. And so he

01:05:40.030 - 01:05:53.479

tried to get the kids to come into Sunday school and to church and to be a part of things. And he found out that if he would use a little bribery now and now and again, he could interest the Children and one particular little peasant boy

01:05:53.959 - 01:06:07.070

he found was especially susceptible to candy. He said, he found out that if he would just offer, keep offering a little more candy to this fat little peasant boy, then he would get more and more attendance that he would get more and more memory versus that

01:06:07.080 - 01:06:28.500

he would learn more and more facts. Finally, he said the day came when on a Sunday morning, this little peasant boy stood before the congregation and from memory recited the entire gospels of Matthew, Mark Luke and John. The amazing thing about this story is that some

01:06:28.570 - 01:06:50.729

60 years later, this boy died. And the name that was on his gravestone is the name Nikita Khrushchev. A sobering story to think that this man knew some things about Jesus Christ, that he knew some of the information. He knew some of the facts, but he

01:06:50.739 - 01:07:11.399

never really developed a relationship with Christ. He never really came to appreciation of what the writer says here, we must remember, we must focus on the reconciliation to God through Christ. And then finally, in this great passage, he's told us about the reconciliation after he provided

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purification for our sins. That's the reconciliation. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Remember Christ's position of royalty with God Christ's position of royalty with God. Sally and I have just returned a few weeks ago from a trip to England. It

01:07:33.919 - 01:07:50.110

was one of the first times for me just to visit there. It was Sally's first time and I was so amazed by the great attention that's given to the queen that's given to the royal family. There are little signs on the stores which certain stores are

01:07:50.120 - 01:08:03.340

permitted to display saying that the Queen or Lady Die shops here all throughout the country. There's just evidence of the importance of the queen. I read an interview many years ago from a prince and he was describing what it was like to be a prince. And

01:08:03.350 - 01:08:16.450

he said, if I'm ever tempted to act up, my father just reminds me who I am. I'm the son of the king. And so I have to behave. And so the whole concept of royalty, which is very foreign, I think to our country is very much

01:08:16.459 - 01:08:28.000

a part of the way of life in England. I was impressed by that. And I think what impressed me most of all is how it seemed to lift the hearts and the spirits of the people. When they saw the queen, when they had a chance to

01:08:28.009 - 01:08:45.219

see the queen, when they thought about the royal family, it just seemed to provide a lift to the whole spirit. And so I think we're being reminded here that we need to remember Christ's position of royalty with God to lift our hearts. To think about Jesus

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Christ sitting literally on the right hand of God, the position of greatest dignity, the position of greatest respect. And to think as we learn later in this letter of the opportunity we have to sit with Jesus Christ, the great hope we have in the future that

01:09:00.680 - 01:09:21.270

lifts our hearts. As we remember Christ's position of royalty with God Victor Frankl. In his great book about Man's Search For Meaning was a doctor who spent time in a Nazi concentration camp. He tells of his experience there of trying to endure as these Hebrew people

01:09:21.279 - 01:09:34.140

were trying to do just trying to make it through from day to day. And as he writes in this book about a search for meaning, he said, there was really only one thing that permitted him to endure. And that is that his heart had a hope

01:09:34.709 - 01:09:45.430

that he had a hope that he would not remain in that camp, that he had a hope that he would leave, that he had a hope that he would continue his career. And he said it was only because of this future hope that he was able

01:09:45.439 - 01:10:00.399

to endure. And I think in much the same way the writer says here, remember you folks who are about to give up the greatest thing that you've ever had. You folks whose fire is fading, whose flame is dying? Remember Christ's position of royalty at the right

01:10:00.410 - 01:10:18.520

hand of God. You know what we really have here, we really have here a three dimensional picture of Jesus Christ. Just the other evening, I attended a program here on campus uh which told the history of our basketball team this season, a glorious season. We wanted

01:10:18.529 - 01:10:33.029

to recapture and enjoy every minute of it again and again. And as we came to the end of that presentation, we were told on the slide that we were going to enter a new dimension and we were given the opportunity through some special uh optic devices

01:10:33.270 - 01:10:47.259

to watch a part of our season in three dimensions. And as I thought about that, I thought, you know, this is a very interesting process because if you, if you closed one of your eyes, you couldn't really see the picture fully. If you took the glasses

01:10:47.270 - 01:11:04.189

off, you simply saw a fuzzy picture, but it was only through putting the two pictures together. And that's really what three dimensions really is. We put the two pictures together. It is only then that we get a complete and exciting picture. And I really think that

01:11:04.200 - 01:11:26.160

that's what we have here in these first four verses. We don't just have three individual pictures of Jesus Christ, but we have a three dimensional view. We see Jesus Christ. Number one, remembering that He is our the the very one who brings us into a picture

01:11:26.169 - 01:11:46.419

into a vision with God. He is the revelation of God. He is the prophet who lifts our eyes. We see number two in this second picture, Jesus as our reconciliation to God. He is our priest. He lifts our souls and we see Jesus in the third

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dimension in his position of royalty with God. He is the king. He lifts our hearts. He gives us hope years ago. And I I close with this years ago, a bishop from India was invited to speak on a college campus in this country. He spoke about

01:12:03.700 - 01:12:19.569

Jesus Christ. And afterwards opened for questions and one of the college students raised his hand and in a very provocative way, said I was so disappointed in your presentation. He said, all you did was talk about Jesus Christ. You didn't talk about Buddha, you didn't talk

01:12:19.580 - 01:12:36.140

about Muhammad. You didn't talk about Confucius. All you did was talk about Jesus Christ. I'm very disappointed the speaker responded. He said, uh why do you ask that question? He said, are you a Buddhist? And he said, no, they said, are you Islamic? And he said,

01:12:36.149 - 01:12:51.899

no, are you a Confucian? And he said no. And the speaker said, well, well, how would you describe yourself? What, what are you spiritually? And the young man thought for a moment. And he said, well, I guess I'm a kind of a Christian and the speaker

01:12:51.910 - 01:13:07.229

reflected for a moment and he said, you know, I've known many Buddhists in my day, but I've never heard one say, I'm a kind of a Buddhist. I've known many Confucians, but I've never heard one say, I'm a kind of a Confucian. He said, young man,

01:13:07.240 - 01:13:24.220

it's obvious to me that before you start straightening out others, faith, you better straighten out your own. He says it is apparent to me that your problem is not with Muhammad, it's not with Confucius, it's not with Buddha. Your problem is Jesus Christ. And I think

01:13:24.229 - 01:13:36.140

in a very powerful way, in a very moving way, if we could just touch it tonight, if we could just let it sift through our minds and through our hearts. I think the writer of this great letter begins the letter of endurance by saying to these,

01:13:36.149 - 01:13:54.229

these people, your problem. And more than that, the answer to your problems is Jesus Christ. And so just as we move close to a loved one, a friend that we know is near death and we press close to hear their last words and we cherish and

01:13:54.240 - 01:14:10.399

remember their last words and just as the family and the relatives gather around to listen to the last will and testament of one who is gone. I think that you and I tonight, just as the Hebrew church needed to do, need to press very closely to

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hear these last words. Do we have any lives here tonight that need renewing and reviving? Do we have any churches tonight where the flame may be fading? Do we have any universities tonight that may need strengthening if we do? I think the Hebrew writer says, press

01:14:31.169 - 01:15:05.839

closely and listen to what are the last words? The last revelation of God. The words are simple but they're eloquent. They are Jesus Christ. Thank you David for lifting up Jesus Christ tonight. It is our prayer that God

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has been glorified, that the church has been encouraged and revived and that Pepperdine University has been strengthened in its Christian commitment. In just a few moments, Frank Pack, distinguished professor of religion will lead us in our closing prayer. But first, we want this great throng to

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sing one more time together. A hymn that has come to be a favorite among Pepperdine audiences. Number 728 B and in a moment, Paul will lead us as we sang our God. He is alive. First, I need to make these announcements. The evening is not over

01:15:38.060 - 01:15:54.399

tonight for all of you who love gospel singing. A great concert at nine o'clock in Smothers Theater with the inspirational youth chorus from the south side Church of Christ in Los Angeles. They may already be in smothers practicing. I'm not sure if they're here tonight. Will

01:15:54.410 - 01:16:09.330

you stand? I'm not sure if some of them are here in this audience. Are any of the chorus members here? Where are they stand? If you're here here, are some of them back here. Welcome to Pepperdine tonight. Only 515 seats at that choral performance. 600 top

01:16:09.339 - 01:16:24.750

standing room, the 1st 600 to get to Smothers Theater will be able to hear the inspirational youth chorus. Landon Saunders is here tonight from New York to show the first for the first time, the film, The Trouble Quest For Fire. Four new films that are being

01:16:24.759 - 01:16:39.805

premiered this week in Elkins Auditorium each night from 9 to 10, we hope many of you will stay here at nine o'clock for the panel discussion that is described in your program. If you haven't received a program, they look like this and they're on the tables

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in the back. One personal announcement, Dean Berry, you need to make uh to return an urgent phone call to your brother who um called shortly before we began. It is a, it is important that I say to all of you who are supposed to check in

01:16:57.200 - 01:17:10.950

today from noon to six and did not get here by six and have not yet picked up your keys. Let me see the hands of those who are staying the night in the dorms and don't have their keys. Are there many good? There's not many. All

01:17:10.959 - 01:17:26.779

of you as soon as we're dismissed, need to go next door to heritage Hall, go in the ground level and you'll receive your keys so you can get in your room tonight and sleep heritage Hall, ground level meal tickets go on sale in about five minutes

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in the back. You'll especially I want to buy your ticket for the Joe Barnett dinner tomorrow night. That will be the first one to sell out. Then the men's and women's dinner Thursday night and the Howard White dinner Friday night, all of those tickets. We're sorry

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that we only have 650 of each. That's all we can fit into our cafeteria. Those will go on sale in the foyer. Uh This evening following our close, one traditional thing that we do every year on opening night is to introduce again, the wife of the

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founder of Pepperdine University. Will you join me in saying hello to Helen Pepperdine? Mhm. OK. Seeing Helen makes me want to say, remain standing. We're going to sing in a moment. Seeing Helen makes me want to say that tonight.

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As we begin the 42nd annual Bible lectureship, there is one who is not here tonight who has been here for 41 straight years. God bless you, Jimmy Lovell. We miss you. You were a great friend of this school and it's a little different lectureship to have

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the first one without Jimmy Lovell. We're going to sing now number 728 B and then Frank Pack will lead us as we close in prayer. The is beyond the Azure blue. Mhm Concealed from human side. He took it with and man, we serve

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a long, long time. It was voiced a broad God. No. Whose Facebook is it for our OK. One guys see po is life from fine that within his time. Thank OK. I

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was on sky and come down. Oh God, you so. But first, yeah, but hey, invites that man. Hey, so let us pray together, almighty God, our father in heaven. Our hearts are

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filled to overflowing with praise and adoration and thanksgiving with gratitude and love toward thee. For all of the rich experiences of this time together at the opening service of this lectureship. Oh Lord, help us to enshrine in our memories. This occasion help us to recognize the

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tremendous challenge that is placed before us by the lesson tonight and by the prospect that has been held out before us in the coming of a new president to this university community, wilt thou bless and guide us all as we use our talents our time and

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all that we possess to honor and glorify thee by what we do in service to others, help us to shed abroad, the light of him, who is the light of the world and help us to grow in our love and commitment to thy cause and to

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thy kingdom. Bless this lectureship. Let Dr Davenport as he leads this university. Thus, all who are in any way connected with the advancement of thy kingdom in this world that we may faithfully do thy will and claim us all to thyself. At last for we ask

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it through Christ, our Lord. Amen Paul. Thank you so much. All right. That was an ex one. Yeah. Where are they? That one? Andy there?