Allen Jackson - God's Indispensable Word (Part 2)

July 2, 2026 | 27:29

Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - God's Indispensable Word (Part 2) | July 2, 2026
  • ...
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  • Allen jackson: we have a new resource for you.
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  • I'm really excited about this.
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  • It's a book. it's a booklet.
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  • It's a small book called "your identity in christ."
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  • It was derived from years of teaching and leading in the
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  • Context of the church.
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  • We're walking through a season, folks, when there's so much
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  • Confusion about our identity.
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  • We put this together to help you understand who you are in
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  • Christ, not just about your salvation, but so that you can
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  • Lead a triumphant, victorious, overcoming life.
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  • We built it for an individual read.
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  • It's great for a small group.
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  • It's a great resource for your kitchen table time as a family
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  • With children or grandchildren.
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  • If you know who you are in christ, it changes everything
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  • About the landscape of your life.
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  • I'm righteous in the sight of god.
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  • I can stand before god without fear, guilt, or condemnation.
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  • Those are such important foundational principles to get
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  • Secure in your heart, around your table with the people you
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  • Care about, in your small groups, with your friends.
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  • Your identity in christ, it's a game changer.
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  • I believe it will add momentum to your spiritual growth in
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  • This season.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen jackson: i want to take the minutes we have left to see
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  • If we can work on the big picture.
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  • We struggle with the bible.
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  • It's 66 books.
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  • They're all put into one book.
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  • Different authors, written from different points in history,
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  • Different styles of literature.
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  • There's poetry.
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  • There's history.
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  • There's narrative.
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  • There's just a whole hodgepodge, and then it's dumped in there
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  • And it's not arranged chronologically.
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  • And it can be confusing and intimidating, and so often we
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  • Just want to pretend like we know.
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  • We read our bibles like we learned english.
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  • You know, when you begin school, in our systems at least, you
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  • Begin english at the earliest grades and i continued to learn
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  • English until i quit school years and years later.
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  • Postgraduate work, i was still learning english 'cause you
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  • Can't learn another language if you don't know english here.
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  • And i didn't know what a pluperfect verb was 'til i got
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  • To greek class.
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  • But we just bluff it, right?
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  • By the time you get past about the fourth grade, nobody wants
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  • To say, "i don't understand english."
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  • We're a little bit like that with our bibles.
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  • By the time you've been to church for a few weeks, you
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  • Don't want to say, "well, i don't know," but to a great
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  • Extent, we don't know.
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  • So i'm gonna give everybody permission this year.
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  • We're gonna be learners together.
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  • We're going to learn to lead.
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  • We're gonna begin to learn the word of god in some new ways.
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  • We're gonna be-- learn to trust god for his outcomes in our
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  • Lives so that our faith is connected to outcomes and not
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  • Just theories.
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  • And to do that, we're gonna need to understand our bibles a bit.
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  • So we're gonna go this morning, with the help of the young
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  • People in the house, we're gonna learn a timeline.
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  • There's only 12 points on it, so the kids can do this.
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  • They'll help the rest of you, just like they do with
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  • Your technology.
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  • You think you're monitoring their technology.
  • 00:02:59.094 --> 00:03:00.996
  • They're letting you monitor what they want you to see.
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  • It's the nature of the arrangement.
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  • There's just 12 points.
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  • The first one is creation and the last one is the return
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  • Of jesus.
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  • You should be able to remember those.
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  • In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth.
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  • And the last book is revelation.
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  • Jesus is comin' back.
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  • So you've only gotta learn ten more points, and if you'll learn
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  • These 12 things, you can take every event in the bible and
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  • Have a general idea of where it fits.
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  • Wow!
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  • And we can do it in 10 minutes.
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  • Come on, listen fast.
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  • Let me just give you the 12 points, because i need the young
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  • People that help me remember 'em.
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  • Then i'll hang a little bit more on them, but let's start.
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  • It's with creation.
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  • In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth.
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  • That's your first point.
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  • The second point is abraham.
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  • I'll tell you why in a few minutes, but for the moment it's
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  • Creation and then abraham.
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  • No explanation, just 12 points.
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  • Number three is the exodus.
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  • Not the movie, the escape from egypt.
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  • It's high drama.
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  • The exodus.
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  • We've got creation, abraham, the exodus, and then the judges.
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  • Not long black robes, not courtrooms, not gavels.
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  • Leaders, a whole book filled with superheroes.
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  • I'm telling ya, they're better than anybody marvel has
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  • Thought up.
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  • There's strong men in there.
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  • Freaky strong men.
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  • Make hulk look like he's a wimp.
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  • The judges.
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  • And then we get to the kings, the monarchy.
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  • Whole book filled with kings, lots of kings.
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  • And then we have a nation divided.
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  • There's a civil war and we no longer have a monarchy.
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  • We've got two nations and two capital cities.
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  • Are you with me?
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  • Creation, abraham, the exodus, the judges,
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  • The monarchy, the nations divided.
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  • We have a problem, right?
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  • And there's a lot of prophets in there talkin' about the problems
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  • In the nation, and it leads to an exile.
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  • Everybody's gotta leave home.
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  • Imagine if everybody in rutherford county had to leave
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  • And you're not coming back.
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  • No problem, you get two hours' notice.
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  • Take what you want.
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  • You're never coming back.
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  • Your bank accounts don't matter.
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  • You're not coming back.
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  • Your investments are irrelevant.
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  • You're not coming back.
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  • "but this is where i've lived--" you're not coming back.
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  • Your ungodliness has been so persistent, you have to leave.
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  • Do you know that's the same god you and i worship?
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  • I hear everybody saying, "we want to go back to normal."
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  • You're not goin' back.
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  • We're gonna make a new normal.
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  • The exile, you have to leave.
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  • The second temple period, they got to go home, but it's another
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  • Generation of people.
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  • It's the kids and the grandkids, but they got to rebuild
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  • The temple.
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  • And now we're to the new testament.
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  • There's only three more bullets.
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  • The gospels, it's the jesus story.
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  • And then there's the story of the church, jesus's friends and
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  • What they did.
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  • And now we're at the end, jesus is comin' back.
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  • That's the whole book and you've just learned the whole bible,
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  • Less than five minutes.
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  • Let's see if we can do it.
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  • Have you got it, kids?
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  • Hope you were taking some notes.
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  • Maybe your parents will let you cheat with their outline.
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  • What's the first point?
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  • Creation.
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  • In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth.
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  • I'm here to tell you there is an almighty god and he created the
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  • Earth and everything in it and everything you can see in
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  • The sky.
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  • How did he do it?
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  • Our information is not entirely complete.
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  • It's okay with me if there was a big bang, but i'm not
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  • Embarrassed to tell you that i believe god created the heavens
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  • And the earth.
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  • If you reject this point, you're stuck.
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  • If you don't believe god could create the heavens and the
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  • Earth, why would you trust him to go to heaven?
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  • He's a clown.
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  • You couldn't trust him.
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  • I understand the weight of the educational system.
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  • I spent my college years in the basic sciences.
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  • I've heard the discussions, but i'm telling you there's no
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  • Competition between god and science.
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  • Science is a process.
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  • Science is not the end all.
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  • If these last two years have taught you anything, it should
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  • Be that.
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  • A hundred years ago, the most brilliant physicians on the
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  • Planet didn't wash their hands between patients.
  • 00:08:12.874 --> 00:08:17.312
  • They weren't being malicious, they didn't understand
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  • Germ theory.
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  • Science is a process of discovery and learning.
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  • Don't worship science, be grateful for.
  • 00:08:26.254 --> 00:08:30.058
  • In the beginning.
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  • Creation is in every book of the bible.
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  • I brought you some samples.
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  • This is an important-- i'll go back to my timeline in a minute.
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  • Will you bear with me?
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  • You gotta learn 12 points.
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  • Stay focused, but this is so important.
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  • Exodus 31, the israelites-- these are the instructions to
  • 00:08:42.270 --> 00:08:48.009
  • The hebrew slaves.
  • 00:08:48.009 --> 00:08:49.377
  • "the israelites are to observe the sabbath, celebrating it for
  • 00:08:49.377 --> 00:08:52.714
  • Generations to come.
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  • It will be a sign between me and the israelites forever, for in
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  • Six days the lord made the heavens and the earth, and the
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  • Seventh day he abstained from work and he rested."
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  • God worked a six-day week.
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  • That's another discussion.
  • 00:09:04.459 --> 00:09:08.730
  • But it says that god teached the slaves that came out of
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  • Egypt that god made the heavens and the earth.
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  • In nehemiah-- he fits over here during the exile.
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  • He works for the persian king, but he goes back to jerusalem to
  • 00:09:17.405 --> 00:09:20.909
  • Rebuild the walls.
  • 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:22.344
  • In the book of nehemiah, it says this, "you alone are the lord.
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  • You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their
  • 00:09:25.413 --> 00:09:28.550
  • Starry host, the earth and all that's in it, and the sea and
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  • All of that is in them.
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  • You give life to everything."
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  • You see, if you believe god can create the heavens and the
  • 00:09:34.956 --> 00:09:37.025
  • Earth, why wouldn't we pray for one another?
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  • Nothing's too hard for god.
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  • He made the place.
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  • Well, pastor, i just don't know.
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  • Read the book, it'll help ya.
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  • Mark chapter 10, this is jesus.
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  • You might think of him as an authority.
  • 00:09:55.076 --> 00:09:57.646
  • "jesus replied, 'at the beginning of creation, god made
  • 00:09:57.646 --> 00:10:00.582
  • Them male and female.'"
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  • Jesus believed god created the place.
  • 00:10:02.217 --> 00:10:06.454
  • So if you're going to be jesus's people, you gotta grapple
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  • With this.
  • 00:10:08.690 --> 00:10:10.025
  • Well, pastor, with my education, it's just difficult.
  • 00:10:10.025 --> 00:10:11.860
  • I understand.
  • 00:10:11.860 --> 00:10:14.262
  • The weight of a towering intellect can be heavy.
  • 00:10:14.262 --> 00:10:19.834
  • I was delivered that burden.
  • 00:10:19.834 --> 00:10:24.239
  • God made me very normal.
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  • I'm grateful.
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  • In colossians 1, and verse 15, it says, "he's the image of the
  • 00:10:29.177 --> 00:10:31.913
  • Invisible god, the firstborn over all creation.
  • 00:10:31.913 --> 00:10:36.951
  • For by him all things were created: things in heaven and
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  • Earth, visible, invisible."
  • 00:10:39.421 --> 00:10:41.756
  • So whether we do it at the book of genesis, or we do it during
  • 00:10:41.756 --> 00:10:44.759
  • The exile, or we take it from jesus's mouth, or we take it
  • 00:10:44.759 --> 00:10:48.329
  • From the church in the new testament, in the beginning, god
  • 00:10:48.329 --> 00:10:51.800
  • Created the heavens and the earth.
  • 00:10:51.800 --> 00:10:53.301
  • The whole book will open up if you'll buy that.
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  • Abraham is so important because when we get to genesis chapter
  • 00:10:57.439 --> 00:11:00.075
  • 12 and we meet abraham, the story changes.
  • 00:11:00.075 --> 00:11:02.477
  • Those first 11 chapters are global, universal things.
  • 00:11:02.477 --> 00:11:06.347
  • If you wanna find things that happened to the whole world, go
  • 00:11:06.347 --> 00:11:08.483
  • Look in genesis 1 through 11.
  • 00:11:08.483 --> 00:11:09.951
  • The garden of eden, noah's flood, all that's packed in
  • 00:11:09.951 --> 00:11:14.055
  • Those first chapters.
  • 00:11:14.055 --> 00:11:15.390
  • It's universal.
  • 00:11:15.390 --> 00:11:16.758
  • When we get to genesis chapter 12, it's the story of god
  • 00:11:16.758 --> 00:11:19.394
  • Preparing a people for himself.
  • 00:11:19.394 --> 00:11:23.031
  • And when we get over here to the book of revelation and jesus's
  • 00:11:23.031 --> 00:11:25.867
  • Return, he's coming back for his people, but that narrative
  • 00:11:25.867 --> 00:11:32.240
  • Starts in genesis chapter 12 way back here with abraham.
  • 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:36.077
  • He's important.
  • 00:11:36.077 --> 00:11:37.445
  • God is willing to be identified as the god of abraham, isaac,
  • 00:11:37.445 --> 00:11:40.815
  • And jacob.
  • 00:11:40.815 --> 00:11:42.183
  • Imagine if he was identified throughout scripture, throughout
  • 00:11:42.183 --> 00:11:44.753
  • History as the god of allen, bob, and fred.
  • 00:11:44.753 --> 00:11:50.658
  • Allen: hey, i wanna ask you a question.
  • 00:11:54.562 --> 00:11:56.231
  • How do you identify: male, female, southerner,
  • 00:11:56.231 --> 00:11:59.033
  • Educated, housewife?
  • 00:11:59.033 --> 00:12:01.035
  • How do you identify?
  • 00:12:01.035 --> 00:12:02.637
  • Well, i wanna suggest knowing your identity in christ is the
  • 00:12:02.637 --> 00:12:05.673
  • Most significant component of your person for both
  • 00:12:05.673 --> 00:12:08.843
  • Time and eternity.
  • 00:12:08.843 --> 00:12:10.311
  • We put together a resource. it's a new booklet.
  • 00:12:10.311 --> 00:12:12.080
  • It'll help you understand who you are in christ, your identity
  • 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:15.683
  • In the kingdom of god, and what the implications of that are for
  • 00:12:15.683 --> 00:12:18.586
  • Your life today.
  • 00:12:18.586 --> 00:12:20.054
  • It's a game changer.
  • 00:12:20.054 --> 00:12:21.523
  • I believe it'll be a blessing to you and to your family.
  • 00:12:21.523 --> 00:12:25.093
  • Female announcer: every day the world tries to define who we
  • 00:12:25.093 --> 00:12:27.562
  • Are, what we should believe, and whether we're enough, but god's
  • 00:12:27.562 --> 00:12:31.166
  • Word tells a different story.
  • 00:12:31.166 --> 00:12:33.034
  • In pastor allen's new book, "your identity in christ: 12
  • 00:12:33.034 --> 00:12:36.671
  • Truths about who you are," he shares biblical truths that will
  • 00:12:36.671 --> 00:12:39.941
  • Help you recognize who you are in christ.
  • 00:12:39.941 --> 00:12:42.577
  • Request your book and free companion card today with your
  • 00:12:42.577 --> 00:12:45.446
  • Gift of any amount at allenjackson.com or call ...
  • 00:12:45.446 --> 00:12:52.120
  • Allen jackson: and when the book of genesis concludes, abraham's
  • 00:12:56.024 --> 00:12:59.761
  • Extended family has gone to egypt.
  • 00:12:59.761 --> 00:13:02.030
  • It's another story.
  • 00:13:02.030 --> 00:13:03.364
  • It's beyond our timeline, but god's story isn't gonna stay
  • 00:13:03.364 --> 00:13:06.234
  • Centered in egypt so they're gonna have to leave, and that's
  • 00:13:06.234 --> 00:13:08.536
  • What the book of exodus is about.
  • 00:13:08.536 --> 00:13:10.071
  • It's the greatest story of deliverance in all the bible
  • 00:13:10.071 --> 00:13:13.508
  • Until we get to jesus.
  • 00:13:13.508 --> 00:13:17.512
  • So we've got creation, abraham, and the exodus, but they left
  • 00:13:17.512 --> 00:13:22.784
  • Egypt to do what?
  • 00:13:22.784 --> 00:13:24.118
  • Go where?
  • 00:13:24.118 --> 00:13:26.955
  • Blub, blub, blub, blub.
  • 00:13:26.955 --> 00:13:28.323
  • To go to a land that flows with milk and honey, a promised land.
  • 00:13:28.323 --> 00:13:32.460
  • So when we get to the book of judges, god's people, the 12
  • 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:35.463
  • Tribes are living in the promised land.
  • 00:13:35.463 --> 00:13:39.033
  • It's a theocracy.
  • 00:13:39.033 --> 00:13:40.368
  • No central government, no capital city, no taxation,
  • 00:13:40.368 --> 00:13:43.671
  • Whoo hoo!
  • 00:13:43.671 --> 00:13:47.675
  • And when there's a need for a unified response amongst the 12
  • 00:13:47.675 --> 00:13:51.079
  • Tribes, god raises up a leader, a judge: samson,
  • 00:13:51.079 --> 00:13:54.716
  • Gideon, deborah.
  • 00:13:54.716 --> 00:13:57.252
  • Four hundred years, almost twice as long as we've been a nation,
  • 00:13:57.252 --> 00:14:01.990
  • God's people flourished under that system.
  • 00:14:01.990 --> 00:14:04.726
  • Now, there were some rough patches.
  • 00:14:04.726 --> 00:14:07.095
  • They would drift into ungodliness and wickedness.
  • 00:14:07.095 --> 00:14:09.430
  • We're not the first generation to wander off course.
  • 00:14:09.430 --> 00:14:13.001
  • We're not the first generation to be disciplined by god.
  • 00:14:13.001 --> 00:14:15.737
  • We should get over ourselves.
  • 00:14:15.737 --> 00:14:18.273
  • Our default position, "it's the end of the world."
  • 00:14:18.273 --> 00:14:20.208
  • It could be, but it could be just the end of our world.
  • 00:14:20.208 --> 00:14:22.543
  • We have to change.
  • 00:14:22.543 --> 00:14:25.613
  • The book of judges.
  • 00:14:25.613 --> 00:14:27.515
  • The last of the judges is samuel.
  • 00:14:27.515 --> 00:14:29.484
  • There's two books that have his name in your bible.
  • 00:14:29.484 --> 00:14:32.553
  • He's a very important character.
  • 00:14:32.553 --> 00:14:34.055
  • The tribal leaders come to samuel and they say, "we don't
  • 00:14:34.055 --> 00:14:37.025
  • Like this system.
  • 00:14:37.025 --> 00:14:38.359
  • We want a king."
  • 00:14:38.359 --> 00:14:43.031
  • And god in his mercy, it's inexplicable, he said, "i will
  • 00:14:43.031 --> 00:14:46.668
  • Recruit a king for you.
  • 00:14:46.668 --> 00:14:48.503
  • If you don't want me, i will recruit a king."
  • 00:14:48.503 --> 00:14:52.006
  • The first king is saul, and saul get so overwhelmed with himself.
  • 00:14:52.006 --> 00:14:57.312
  • The great enemy of the-- of humanity is pride.
  • 00:14:57.312 --> 00:15:00.081
  • It got-- it caused the problems in the garden.
  • 00:15:00.081 --> 00:15:03.217
  • It caused the problem that caused satan to be cast out
  • 00:15:03.217 --> 00:15:05.820
  • Of heaven.
  • 00:15:05.820 --> 00:15:07.155
  • It's his great weapon against you.
  • 00:15:07.155 --> 00:15:09.891
  • We'll be proud of our religion.
  • 00:15:09.891 --> 00:15:11.592
  • We'll be proud of how we look.
  • 00:15:11.592 --> 00:15:12.994
  • We'll be proud of how we speak.
  • 00:15:12.994 --> 00:15:15.663
  • We'll be proud of things you can't take with you out of time.
  • 00:15:15.663 --> 00:15:18.733
  • It is insanity.
  • 00:15:18.733 --> 00:15:20.902
  • It's destructive.
  • 00:15:20.902 --> 00:15:23.538
  • We want a king.
  • 00:15:23.538 --> 00:15:25.606
  • And saul forfeited his position because of his pride.
  • 00:15:25.606 --> 00:15:28.977
  • The second king is david, the greatest of all the
  • 00:15:28.977 --> 00:15:32.313
  • Israelite kings.
  • 00:15:32.313 --> 00:15:34.649
  • God promised david that from him would come a messiah.
  • 00:15:34.649 --> 00:15:37.752
  • He's over there on the end of our timeline.
  • 00:15:37.752 --> 00:15:41.289
  • And david's son succeeded him, solomon.
  • 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:44.959
  • Solomon's born to the palace.
  • 00:15:44.959 --> 00:15:46.861
  • David was born to the sheep.
  • 00:15:46.861 --> 00:15:49.998
  • David faced the lion and the bear, and solomon faced
  • 00:15:49.998 --> 00:15:53.634
  • The courtiers.
  • 00:15:53.634 --> 00:15:55.970
  • He was born to the purple.
  • 00:15:55.970 --> 00:15:59.007
  • He wasn't a warrior and his heart turned away from god.
  • 00:15:59.007 --> 00:16:04.979
  • It's awful.
  • 00:16:04.979 --> 00:16:07.148
  • I think there's a higher probability you'll see
  • 00:16:07.148 --> 00:16:08.983
  • Nebuchadnezzar the babylonian king in heaven than solomon.
  • 00:16:08.983 --> 00:16:15.289
  • And after solomon, there's a civil war and the nation of
  • 00:16:15.289 --> 00:16:18.726
  • Israel is torn in two, and it's a little confusing.
  • 00:16:18.726 --> 00:16:21.062
  • You gotta pay attention in the bible when you're reading it
  • 00:16:21.062 --> 00:16:23.931
  • Because now there's two nations.
  • 00:16:23.931 --> 00:16:26.300
  • The southern nation is judah and the capital of judah
  • 00:16:26.300 --> 00:16:29.303
  • Is jerusalem.
  • 00:16:29.303 --> 00:16:30.638
  • And the northern nation is israel and the capital of israel
  • 00:16:30.638 --> 00:16:32.740
  • Is samaria.
  • 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:36.444
  • And the story is told in parallel.
  • 00:16:36.444 --> 00:16:39.680
  • They'll tell you who's king in jerusalem while they tell you
  • 00:16:39.680 --> 00:16:41.716
  • What's happening in israel, or they'll tell you who's king in
  • 00:16:41.716 --> 00:16:43.818
  • Samaria while they're telling you what's happening in judah.
  • 00:16:43.818 --> 00:16:47.388
  • And all those prophets, all those books that occupy the
  • 00:16:47.388 --> 00:16:49.757
  • Second half of your old testament is god talking to his
  • 00:16:49.757 --> 00:16:52.360
  • People, saying, "stop it.
  • 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:54.228
  • Stop it!
  • 00:16:54.228 --> 00:16:58.266
  • Don't be immoral.
  • 00:16:58.266 --> 00:16:59.634
  • Don't be wicked.
  • 00:16:59.634 --> 00:17:00.968
  • Don't be greedy.
  • 00:17:00.968 --> 00:17:02.870
  • Don't practice injustice.
  • 00:17:02.870 --> 00:17:04.405
  • Don't do that.
  • 00:17:04.405 --> 00:17:05.740
  • I am watching.
  • 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:07.108
  • It's not that i'm removed from you.
  • 00:17:07.108 --> 00:17:08.643
  • Please don't do that."
  • 00:17:08.643 --> 00:17:13.014
  • And they will not listen.
  • 00:17:13.014 --> 00:17:15.249
  • He says, "you have an assignment.
  • 00:17:15.249 --> 00:17:16.717
  • You're to be a message to the world.
  • 00:17:16.717 --> 00:17:18.653
  • You're the billboard for the display of my glory and you
  • 00:17:18.653 --> 00:17:22.757
  • Can't do that."
  • 00:17:22.757 --> 00:17:27.695
  • And they ignore him.
  • 00:17:27.695 --> 00:17:30.364
  • And so the exile comes.
  • 00:17:30.364 --> 00:17:31.699
  • It comes with the assyrians in 721 and the babylonians in 587,
  • 00:17:31.699 --> 00:17:35.770
  • And both nations are gone.
  • 00:17:35.770 --> 00:17:38.072
  • Jerusalem is destroyed.
  • 00:17:38.072 --> 00:17:39.440
  • Samaria is destroyed.
  • 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.943
  • They're gone.
  • 00:17:41.943 --> 00:17:43.277
  • Church, we've lived too presumptively.
  • 00:17:43.277 --> 00:17:46.380
  • We've lived arrogantly.
  • 00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:47.715
  • We've lived with pride and gods of comfort, and convenience,
  • 00:17:47.715 --> 00:17:50.785
  • And ease.
  • 00:17:50.785 --> 00:17:52.120
  • And we've treated god as an afterthought and he's asking for
  • 00:17:52.120 --> 00:17:54.755
  • Our attention.
  • 00:17:54.755 --> 00:17:59.627
  • But god said, "my anger won't last forever.
  • 00:17:59.627 --> 00:18:04.031
  • After 70 years, you can go home."
  • 00:18:04.031 --> 00:18:06.968
  • Seventy years.
  • 00:18:06.968 --> 00:18:10.304
  • And the exile, it's one of the most fruitful times in
  • 00:18:10.304 --> 00:18:12.907
  • Israelite history.
  • 00:18:12.907 --> 00:18:14.275
  • We meet nehemiah.
  • 00:18:14.275 --> 00:18:15.610
  • We meet daniel.
  • 00:18:15.610 --> 00:18:16.944
  • We meet esther.
  • 00:18:16.944 --> 00:18:18.312
  • It's when they wrote down much of their story.
  • 00:18:18.312 --> 00:18:19.647
  • When they lived in jerusalem and they were occupying the temple,
  • 00:18:19.647 --> 00:18:21.582
  • They didn't need to write it down.
  • 00:18:21.582 --> 00:18:22.950
  • It was a part of their everyday life.
  • 00:18:22.950 --> 00:18:25.553
  • But when they think they may never go home again, they don't
  • 00:18:25.553 --> 00:18:27.588
  • Want their children to lose their heritage and their history
  • 00:18:27.588 --> 00:18:29.957
  • So they wrote it down.
  • 00:18:29.957 --> 00:18:31.292
  • It's a fruitful time.
  • 00:18:31.292 --> 00:18:33.161
  • Zerubbabel goes back and rebuilds the second temple.
  • 00:18:33.161 --> 00:18:36.264
  • Ezra the priest comes back and reads the word of god to
  • 00:18:36.264 --> 00:18:39.367
  • The people.
  • 00:18:39.367 --> 00:18:40.735
  • Nehemiah builds the wall around the city.
  • 00:18:40.735 --> 00:18:42.637
  • They're back in their homeland.
  • 00:18:42.637 --> 00:18:48.843
  • And that's when jesus shows up.
  • 00:18:48.843 --> 00:18:53.514
  • "i have a new covenant for you.
  • 00:18:53.514 --> 00:18:56.884
  • You have another opportunity to listen."
  • 00:18:56.884 --> 00:19:00.288
  • He weeps over jerusalem.
  • 00:19:00.288 --> 00:19:01.722
  • He said, "you didn't recognize the time of god's coming."
  • 00:19:01.722 --> 00:19:05.493
  • Jesus didn't come quietly.
  • 00:19:05.493 --> 00:19:06.994
  • He walked on the water, and raised the dead, and opened
  • 00:19:06.994 --> 00:19:09.330
  • Blind eyes, and made wine at parties.
  • 00:19:09.330 --> 00:19:12.600
  • That will get you invited.
  • 00:19:12.600 --> 00:19:16.270
  • He didn't do something quiet.
  • 00:19:16.270 --> 00:19:17.705
  • Tens of thousands of people came to hear him.
  • 00:19:17.705 --> 00:19:20.274
  • There was a consciousness of something unique about his life,
  • 00:19:20.274 --> 00:19:23.778
  • But they didn't want to yield to his authority.
  • 00:19:23.778 --> 00:19:25.746
  • Does that sound familiar?
  • 00:19:25.746 --> 00:19:29.684
  • He's weeping over the city, "if you'd only known what would've
  • 00:19:29.684 --> 00:19:32.153
  • Brought you peace, but now there's destruction coming.
  • 00:19:32.153 --> 00:19:34.755
  • You've been down this road before."
  • 00:19:34.755 --> 00:19:38.626
  • The romans this time.
  • 00:19:38.626 --> 00:19:40.962
  • There won't be a stone left on another in this city.
  • 00:19:40.962 --> 00:19:43.431
  • If you visit jerusalem today, you can still see the earthen
  • 00:19:43.431 --> 00:19:47.235
  • Embankment of the roman siege ramps.
  • 00:19:47.235 --> 00:19:49.971
  • It's still there.
  • 00:19:49.971 --> 00:19:52.340
  • And within 40 years of jesus's crucifixion, the romans encircle
  • 00:19:52.340 --> 00:19:55.977
  • Jerusalem and destroyed the city.
  • 00:19:55.977 --> 00:19:57.745
  • And for 2000 years this time, there was not jewish authority
  • 00:19:57.745 --> 00:20:04.785
  • Over the city of jerusalem.
  • 00:20:04.785 --> 00:20:06.153
  • Not until 1967, the six-day war.
  • 00:20:06.153 --> 00:20:12.093
  • After jesus, we have the story of jesus's friends, the church.
  • 00:20:12.093 --> 00:20:16.631
  • It's the book of acts and it's all those letters that populate
  • 00:20:16.631 --> 00:20:19.800
  • The second part of your new testament.
  • 00:20:19.800 --> 00:20:22.737
  • And the story ends with jesus's return.
  • 00:20:22.737 --> 00:20:24.572
  • He's coming back.
  • 00:20:24.572 --> 00:20:26.574
  • He's coming back for his people, and they started with abraham
  • 00:20:26.574 --> 00:20:29.477
  • Way over there.
  • 00:20:29.477 --> 00:20:32.413
  • Twelve points. can we do them?
  • 00:20:32.413 --> 00:20:34.115
  • I gotta go. we're done.
  • 00:20:34.115 --> 00:20:35.449
  • Kids, you'll have to help me.
  • 00:20:35.449 --> 00:20:36.784
  • The parents are old. their brains are a little foggy.
  • 00:20:36.784 --> 00:20:40.054
  • Alright, the first one, i gave you this one.
  • 00:20:40.054 --> 00:20:41.922
  • This is creation.
  • 00:20:41.922 --> 00:20:43.257
  • In the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth.
  • 00:20:43.257 --> 00:20:45.893
  • What's number two? abraham.
  • 00:20:45.893 --> 00:20:49.530
  • This is the smart group.
  • 00:20:49.530 --> 00:20:53.100
  • Slow people stay home because of snow maybe.
  • 00:20:53.100 --> 00:20:55.269
  • I don't know. abraham.
  • 00:20:55.269 --> 00:20:58.973
  • And then the third point, if abraham,
  • 00:20:58.973 --> 00:21:00.841
  • If genesis gets us into egypt, we gotta leave egypt.
  • 00:21:00.841 --> 00:21:04.278
  • So what's next? the exodus.
  • 00:21:04.278 --> 00:21:07.148
  • But we leave egypt and we've gotta go someplace and we land
  • 00:21:07.148 --> 00:21:10.318
  • In the promised land, so we need some help and it's the judges.
  • 00:21:10.318 --> 00:21:16.190
  • The leaders of israel.
  • 00:21:16.190 --> 00:21:18.559
  • And after 400 years of that,
  • 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:20.728
  • The people say, we wanna be like everybody else.
  • 00:21:20.728 --> 00:21:22.730
  • Warning: you don't.
  • 00:21:22.730 --> 00:21:26.467
  • It's not so great being ungodly, that's a lie.
  • 00:21:26.467 --> 00:21:32.640
  • And so they say, we wanna be like everybody else and we want
  • 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:34.909
  • A monarchy, we want a king.
  • 00:21:34.909 --> 00:21:39.246
  • First king is saul, and then david,
  • 00:21:39.246 --> 00:21:40.715
  • And then solomon.
  • 00:21:40.715 --> 00:21:42.516
  • But that only lasts for three kings,
  • 00:21:42.516 --> 00:21:44.185
  • About a hundred years.
  • 00:21:44.185 --> 00:21:46.821
  • There's a civil war, and we have a nation divided.
  • 00:21:46.821 --> 00:21:51.258
  • Two nations, two capital cities, two power structures.
  • 00:21:51.258 --> 00:21:55.062
  • The northern kingdom, they don't want their people coming to
  • 00:21:55.062 --> 00:21:57.198
  • Jerusalem to worship in the temple for obvious political
  • 00:21:57.198 --> 00:22:00.401
  • Reasons, but it means they have to turn the whole nation to
  • 00:22:00.401 --> 00:22:03.504
  • Idolatry and ungodliness.
  • 00:22:03.504 --> 00:22:08.008
  • They're gonna go into exile a long time before the southern
  • 00:22:08.008 --> 00:22:11.912
  • Kingdom because of the wickedness of their leaders.
  • 00:22:11.912 --> 00:22:14.548
  • Leadership matters.
  • 00:22:14.548 --> 00:22:19.086
  • And after the divided monarchy, we have the prophets.
  • 00:22:19.086 --> 00:22:23.057
  • We've got all these messages, overwhelming messages,
  • 00:22:23.057 --> 00:22:26.160
  • Pointing them back to the word of god saying,
  • 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:28.162
  • You know what to do.
  • 00:22:28.162 --> 00:22:29.497
  • You know the right thing.
  • 00:22:29.497 --> 00:22:32.333
  • You're not confused, you're not deceived,
  • 00:22:32.333 --> 00:22:34.568
  • You're not deluded, you're choosing against god.
  • 00:22:34.568 --> 00:22:37.204
  • Please don't do this.
  • 00:22:37.204 --> 00:22:39.373
  • Come, let's reason together, the prophet said,
  • 00:22:39.373 --> 00:22:41.542
  • "though your sins be like scarlet,
  • 00:22:41.542 --> 00:22:43.744
  • They can be as white as wool," and the people won't listen.
  • 00:22:43.744 --> 00:22:47.381
  • Folks, we gotta be better listeners.
  • 00:22:47.381 --> 00:22:50.384
  • So they go into exile. you gotta leave.
  • 00:22:50.384 --> 00:22:54.121
  • You gotta leave home. load your car.
  • 00:22:54.121 --> 00:22:56.090
  • You're going. you're not coming back.
  • 00:22:56.090 --> 00:22:59.059
  • You're not coming back next week or next month or next year,
  • 00:22:59.059 --> 00:23:01.595
  • You're not gonna see it again.
  • 00:23:01.595 --> 00:23:04.098
  • You gotta go now.
  • 00:23:04.098 --> 00:23:09.036
  • We've treated god too casually.
  • 00:23:09.036 --> 00:23:15.276
  • And then god says, you can go home.
  • 00:23:15.276 --> 00:23:17.845
  • And what happens? the second temple.
  • 00:23:17.845 --> 00:23:20.114
  • The jewish people tell their history in terms of the first
  • 00:23:20.114 --> 00:23:22.917
  • Temple and the second temple.
  • 00:23:22.917 --> 00:23:24.819
  • Because when the temple's there, they're in the land and god's in
  • 00:23:24.819 --> 00:23:27.087
  • The midst of their people, and there's hope.
  • 00:23:27.087 --> 00:23:30.057
  • There is hope.
  • 00:23:30.057 --> 00:23:32.259
  • And the second temple is built, and the people begin to
  • 00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:33.828
  • Come back.
  • 00:23:33.828 --> 00:23:36.297
  • Not with the same splendor, not with the same glory of solomon's
  • 00:23:36.297 --> 00:23:38.899
  • Temple, but they're coming back.
  • 00:23:38.899 --> 00:23:42.069
  • And then we step into the gospels.
  • 00:23:42.069 --> 00:23:44.872
  • They tell us about jesus.
  • 00:23:44.872 --> 00:23:48.108
  • And the gospel story ends with jesus's crucifixion and
  • 00:23:48.108 --> 00:23:50.811
  • His resurrection.
  • 00:23:50.811 --> 00:23:53.614
  • And then we meet his friends, and what's next?
  • 00:23:53.614 --> 00:23:56.150
  • The church.
  • 00:23:56.150 --> 00:23:57.518
  • Did you know you're the twenty-first century edition?
  • 00:23:57.518 --> 00:23:59.420
  • Did you know you're in the book?
  • 00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:02.590
  • That's just the preface to you.
  • 00:24:02.590 --> 00:24:06.494
  • You're as much a part of the story as abraham and isaac and
  • 00:24:06.494 --> 00:24:08.696
  • Jacob and david and the whole rest of the crew.
  • 00:24:08.696 --> 00:24:12.032
  • You're the twenty-first century edition.
  • 00:24:12.032 --> 00:24:17.104
  • Now what's the concluding chapter?
  • 00:24:17.104 --> 00:24:20.040
  • The king is coming back.
  • 00:24:20.040 --> 00:24:23.277
  • Now, come on. [congregation applauding]
  • 00:24:23.277 --> 00:24:25.913
  • You can take every character you know and fit them
  • 00:24:25.913 --> 00:24:28.182
  • Into those 12 points.
  • 00:24:28.182 --> 00:24:29.517
  • If you had to go find noah, where would you look for noah?
  • 00:24:29.517 --> 00:24:32.520
  • It's a global event.
  • 00:24:32.520 --> 00:24:35.189
  • He'd be over here in genesis somewhere between creation
  • 00:24:35.189 --> 00:24:37.625
  • And abe.
  • 00:24:37.625 --> 00:24:39.994
  • If you had to find isaiah, the prophet,
  • 00:24:39.994 --> 00:24:42.129
  • That great big book after the book of palms,
  • 00:24:42.129 --> 00:24:46.333
  • Where would you find isaiah?
  • 00:24:46.333 --> 00:24:48.602
  • Over here in the judges? not so much.
  • 00:24:48.602 --> 00:24:51.972
  • Maybe we would look in the prophets.
  • 00:24:51.972 --> 00:24:54.708
  • And now you know where he fits historically.
  • 00:24:54.708 --> 00:24:56.877
  • Is isaiah before or after king david?
  • 00:24:56.877 --> 00:25:00.247
  • After.
  • 00:25:00.247 --> 00:25:02.316
  • Is isaiah before or after peter?
  • 00:25:02.316 --> 00:25:05.920
  • Before you're so smart. twelve points.
  • 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:09.423
  • Kids, help your parents.
  • 00:25:09.423 --> 00:25:12.259
  • If you'll stay with them through lunch,
  • 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:13.661
  • By the end of the day, they'll know them,
  • 00:25:13.661 --> 00:25:15.563
  • But they'll need your help.
  • 00:25:15.563 --> 00:25:17.965
  • They don't remember as well as they once did,
  • 00:25:17.965 --> 00:25:20.167
  • But they're determined.
  • 00:25:20.167 --> 00:25:21.969
  • Be patient with them. you will need them.
  • 00:25:21.969 --> 00:25:29.543
  • Folks, it's such an exciting time to serve the lord.
  • 00:25:29.543 --> 00:25:33.047
  • He's moving in the earth.
  • 00:25:33.047 --> 00:25:34.415
  • He's preparing a people.
  • 00:25:34.415 --> 00:25:36.016
  • I don't know why he chose us for this most unique time.
  • 00:25:36.016 --> 00:25:39.887
  • I'm quite certain peter, and james, and john, and andrew, and
  • 00:25:39.887 --> 00:25:42.790
  • That crew didn't understand why they got selected for the
  • 00:25:42.790 --> 00:25:45.225
  • Assignments they were given.
  • 00:25:45.225 --> 00:25:47.528
  • But god in his wisdom chose us for this season.
  • 00:25:47.528 --> 00:25:51.265
  • He's not surprised by something that emerged from a lab
  • 00:25:51.265 --> 00:25:53.667
  • In wuhan.
  • 00:25:53.667 --> 00:25:55.269
  • He's not surprised by a system of propaganda and censorship
  • 00:25:55.269 --> 00:26:01.542
  • That is exploding around us.
  • 00:26:01.542 --> 00:26:04.845
  • His truth will triumph.
  • 00:26:04.845 --> 00:26:08.415
  • I want to pray for the church.
  • 00:26:08.415 --> 00:26:09.783
  • How many think 40 days of some spiritual disciplines is a
  • 00:26:09.783 --> 00:26:13.454
  • Worthwhile investment of your time?
  • 00:26:13.454 --> 00:26:17.725
  • Allen: hey, i'm really excited about our newest publication.
  • 00:26:21.962 --> 00:26:24.331
  • "your identity in christ."
  • 00:26:24.331 --> 00:26:25.666
  • Far too often in christian, and we major on the minors,
  • 00:26:25.666 --> 00:26:28.469
  • We get way heated up about which church we attend,
  • 00:26:28.469 --> 00:26:31.505
  • Which denomination we belong to, which translation of the
  • 00:26:31.505 --> 00:26:33.374
  • Bible we read.
  • 00:26:33.374 --> 00:26:34.708
  • Most of those things are all okay.
  • 00:26:34.708 --> 00:26:36.043
  • But knowing who you are in christ,
  • 00:26:36.043 --> 00:26:38.112
  • It will mean freedom, or it will put you in a place of bondage.
  • 00:26:38.112 --> 00:26:41.915
  • When i help people through the steps of spiritual freedom,
  • 00:26:41.915 --> 00:26:44.318
  • The foundation of that is understanding who we are
  • 00:26:44.318 --> 00:26:47.321
  • In christ.
  • 00:26:47.321 --> 00:26:48.756
  • We put together this little booklet as a tool.
  • 00:26:48.756 --> 00:26:50.758
  • It'll help you individually.
  • 00:26:50.758 --> 00:26:52.092
  • You can do it as a small group.
  • 00:26:52.092 --> 00:26:53.427
  • It's a great resource to share with your children or your
  • 00:26:53.427 --> 00:26:55.729
  • Grandchildren at your kitchen table time.
  • 00:26:55.729 --> 00:26:58.065
  • It'll make a difference in your life knowing who you are in
  • 00:26:58.065 --> 00:27:00.801
  • Christ first and foremost as a part of your
  • 00:27:00.801 --> 00:27:03.637
  • Spiritual formation.
  • 00:27:03.637 --> 00:27:05.239
  • In fact, i wanna pray with you before we go that god will bring
  • 00:27:05.239 --> 00:27:07.408
  • New freedom to you in this season.
  • 00:27:07.408 --> 00:27:10.077
  • Father, thank you for you have established.
  • 00:27:10.077 --> 00:27:12.613
  • You have paid the price that we can participate in your kingdom.
  • 00:27:12.613 --> 00:27:15.382
  • By your spirit, awaken us to who we are in christ
  • 00:27:15.382 --> 00:27:19.286
  • First and foremost.
  • 00:27:19.286 --> 00:27:20.688
  • In jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:20.688 --> 00:27:22.656
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:23.290 --> 00:27:23.290