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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - AWOL or on Duty (Part 2)

June 17, 2026 | 27:29

Allen Jackson - AWOL or on Duty (Part 2)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#Prophet/Prophets #Rejoice #Deception #Evil #Challenges #Blessing #Leadership #Worship #Faith #Jesus #AllenJackson

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - AWOL or on Duty (Part 2) | June 17, 2026
  • ...
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  • Allen jackson: you know, around the world people are searching
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  • For truth and together we're doing our very best to help them
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  • Find it.
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  • When you become a ministry partner with allen jackson
  • 00:00:07.991 --> 00:00:09.926
  • Ministries, you're joining a growing community of believers
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  • Who are committed to strengthening the church and
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  • Sharing god's word through every available channel--television,
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  • Radio, podcast, books, bible studies, digital
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  • Resources, conferences.
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  • Your monthly partnership helps us equip believers to reach new
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  • Audiences and to take the hope of jesus to people who may never
  • 00:00:28.678 --> 00:00:32.549
  • Have heard the gospel otherwise.
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  • Together we can stand firm in our faith and make god's truth
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  • Known right here at home and around the earth wherever god
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  • Opens the door.
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  • Let's keep gathering his people and building his church until
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  • The day our king returns.
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  • You can find more about becoming a ministry partner at
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  • Allenjackson.com/partner.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen: and so, satan's greatest way to strike back at god is to
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  • Destroy human beings.
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  • He's very effective at that.
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  • He does it with temptation, inviting us into ungodly things,
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  • Ungodly attitudes, ungodly behaviors.
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  • God hates sin because it destroys people.
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  • And you and i need to be aware that god is a warrior.
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  • That even though god recruited moses and gave him a god
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  • Assignment, a god-sized assignment, and that the power
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  • Of god was present in the most remarkable ways, unprecedented
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  • Ways in all of human history to deliver these former slaves of
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  • Egypt, there was a steady string of criticism directed at moses.
  • 00:01:56.032 --> 00:02:02.805
  • Look at exodus 15.
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  • "when they came to marah"--marah is just a transliteration of
  • 00:02:04.174 --> 00:02:06.743
  • A hebrew word.
  • 00:02:06.743 --> 00:02:08.077
  • It means they take the letters of a hebrew word and they
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  • Put them into english.
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  • The word "marah" means bitter.
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  • So, when you read marah, just say bitter.
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  • "they came to bitter."
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  • What do you think they're going to find it bitter?
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  • "they couldn't drink the water because it was bitter."
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  • You're scholars.
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  • And they put in parenthesis just in case you didn't have
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  • Any help.
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  • That's why the place is called bitter.
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  • "so the people grumbled against moses, and said, 'what are we
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  • To drink?'"
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  • What you should remember is that god led them to marah.
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  • God led them to a bitter place.
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  • They're following a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
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  • Fire by night.
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  • It's not just moses with his personal gps.
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  • God led them to a place where the water was undrinkable in
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  • The desert.
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  • And the whole nation complained, and moses cried out to god, and
  • 00:03:04.534 --> 00:03:08.471
  • God showed moses a solution, and the water was made sweet.
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  • Do you have an imagination that god could lead you or me through
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  • Bitter places?
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  • It's where we learn about his ability, his character.
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  • It's where we learn to overcome our selfishness.
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  • Folks, i don't ever want difficult.
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  • Remember when i was a kid, my parents had this goofy notion
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  • About maturing.
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  • They were always interested in my brothers and i maturing.
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  • I don't ever remember my brothers and i getting together
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  • Absent my parents going, "how can we mature today?
  • 00:03:36.766 --> 00:03:41.938
  • What could we engage in today that would cause all the adults
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  • Around us to think, "my, they're mature."
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  • Never happened.
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  • I don't think it would happen today if you got us
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  • All together.
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  • Had no interest in that.
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  • And i think we're much like that with the lord.
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  • I don't think we're really interested in maturing in the
  • 00:04:00.256 --> 00:04:02.458
  • Lord, growing up in the lord.
  • 00:04:02.458 --> 00:04:04.460
  • We want the blessings of god.
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  • We want god to nuke our enemies.
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  • We want god to cause everything we touch to prosper and just do
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  • Very well absent any challenges.
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  • I'm not interested--god led them to marah.
  • 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:21.544
  • And you and i have a choice at this point.
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  • We can complain or we can seek the lord.
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  • Some of us need a change of heart.
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  • We're awol because we don't like the course god put us on.
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  • So we just quit.
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  • We didn't deny it, we didn't burn our bible, we didn't
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  • Renounce our faith.
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  • We just step back.
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  • And i wanna invite you to step forward again.
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  • I wanna invite you to engage again.
  • 00:04:49.872 --> 00:04:52.809
  • Look at exodus 16, verse 2, "in the desert the whole community
  • 00:04:52.809 --> 00:04:56.312
  • Grumbled against moses and aaron.
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  • The israelites said to them, "if only we had died by the lord's
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  • Hand in egypt."
  • 00:05:01.484 --> 00:05:02.852
  • Now, in egypt, you'd have died by the egyptians' hands.
  • 00:05:02.852 --> 00:05:06.055
  • "there we sat around pots of meat and we ate all the food we
  • 00:05:06.055 --> 00:05:08.958
  • Wanted, but you brought us out into the desert to starve this
  • 00:05:08.958 --> 00:05:13.129
  • Entire assembly to death."
  • 00:05:13.129 --> 00:05:15.465
  • Again, what a happy group of people.
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  • I need to point out the obvious, and i hope by now it is obvious,
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  • And if you've been reading exodus, it's overwhelming 'cause
  • 00:05:22.672 --> 00:05:24.774
  • I've just given you a slight sample.
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  • When you serve the lord--moses is serving the lord, and not
  • 00:05:26.642 --> 00:05:29.312
  • Just moses, aaron--there's a whole tribe, a whole group of
  • 00:05:29.312 --> 00:05:31.714
  • People working diligently.
  • 00:05:31.714 --> 00:05:33.282
  • When you serve the lord, the voices in response will not
  • 00:05:33.282 --> 00:05:36.085
  • Always be encouraging and appreciative.
  • 00:05:36.085 --> 00:05:43.659
  • I went into my office, and i said i believed in jesus, and
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  • People got torqued up.
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  • No, duh.
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  • The voices are not always going to be receptive.
  • 00:05:52.435 --> 00:05:55.071
  • Serve the lord anyway.
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  • Don't allow ingratitude, or a lack of recognition, or
  • 00:05:58.274 --> 00:06:01.477
  • Expressions of suspicion--those who will impugn your motives,
  • 00:06:01.477 --> 00:06:07.083
  • Give expression to dissatisfaction, whatever deter
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  • You from god's purposes.
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  • If reading it in the bible isn't enough, your personal experience
  • 00:06:19.061 --> 00:06:21.597
  • Will inform this.
  • 00:06:21.597 --> 00:06:22.965
  • I remember my--this church came from a bible study in my
  • 00:06:22.965 --> 00:06:25.067
  • Parents's home.
  • 00:06:25.067 --> 00:06:26.436
  • Such a wonderful story, they put it in a book.
  • 00:06:26.436 --> 00:06:27.770
  • You just read it and go, "oh, that's sweet."
  • 00:06:27.770 --> 00:06:33.709
  • May i tell you the rest of the story?
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  • Just a little bit.
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  • My brothers and i, we're not big fans of said bible study.
  • 00:06:38.281 --> 00:06:43.686
  • We don't want strangers coming in our house once a week.
  • 00:06:43.686 --> 00:06:47.990
  • 'cause the house wasn't that big, and they occupied the room
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  • Where the television, was and we didn't have
  • 00:06:50.126 --> 00:06:51.694
  • Multiple televisions.
  • 00:06:51.694 --> 00:06:54.063
  • And we don't wanna be locked away like something to be hidden
  • 00:06:54.063 --> 00:06:56.933
  • In the closet while they had bible study.
  • 00:06:56.933 --> 00:07:00.002
  • And they didn't have good small group leader training.
  • 00:07:00.002 --> 00:07:02.438
  • They didn't have a 60 minute bible study with a formal
  • 00:07:02.438 --> 00:07:05.208
  • Beginning and a formal conclusion.
  • 00:07:05.208 --> 00:07:08.277
  • They thought they should just stay until.
  • 00:07:08.277 --> 00:07:13.382
  • It was awful.
  • 00:07:13.382 --> 00:07:17.553
  • And they wanted the church to provide childcare, so when
  • 00:07:17.553 --> 00:07:20.056
  • Somebody in the group had kids, guess what?
  • 00:07:20.056 --> 00:07:23.493
  • They wanted us to engage with those kids that we didn't like.
  • 00:07:23.493 --> 00:07:30.166
  • And we told them we didn't like it.
  • 00:07:30.166 --> 00:07:31.868
  • It wasn't like we said, "oh, we think it is so amazing that
  • 00:07:31.868 --> 00:07:34.470
  • You're opening our home to invite people into the kingdom
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  • Of god and help them be grounded.
  • 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:39.308
  • We're so grateful god gave us parents like you.
  • 00:07:39.308 --> 00:07:41.777
  • May you be blessed and prosper."
  • 00:07:41.777 --> 00:07:45.815
  • It didn't go that way.
  • 00:07:45.815 --> 00:07:48.050
  • We complained, and chirped, and barked.
  • 00:07:48.050 --> 00:07:50.019
  • Nobody cared, but we tried.
  • 00:07:50.019 --> 00:07:56.292
  • And when you and i sign up to serve the lord--and i'm not
  • 00:07:56.292 --> 00:07:58.794
  • Talking just in the context of church.
  • 00:07:58.794 --> 00:08:01.797
  • I mean, it may be a small group.
  • 00:08:01.797 --> 00:08:03.132
  • You know, we get offended--i got my group together and somebody
  • 00:08:03.132 --> 00:08:05.301
  • In the group was not happy.
  • 00:08:05.301 --> 00:08:09.071
  • Did you hear jesus?
  • 00:08:09.071 --> 00:08:13.142
  • He said if you get out beyond a group of carefully recruited
  • 00:08:13.142 --> 00:08:15.645
  • People, they may just flat out hate you.
  • 00:08:15.645 --> 00:08:21.050
  • I think we understand that.
  • 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:23.252
  • Shall we go awol?
  • 00:08:23.252 --> 00:08:25.655
  • Or if you say we're gonna have one meal a week at our kitchen
  • 00:08:25.655 --> 00:08:27.790
  • Table, it's gonna intrude on somebody's schedule, 'cause you
  • 00:08:27.790 --> 00:08:32.461
  • May ask him to do something like really outlandish, like help me
  • 00:08:32.461 --> 00:08:34.864
  • Clean the table.
  • 00:08:34.864 --> 00:08:39.402
  • I don't wanna sit with you and have a meal.
  • 00:08:39.402 --> 00:08:42.405
  • Or to practice hospitality.
  • 00:08:42.405 --> 00:08:45.274
  • "well, i'd have to clean the house."
  • 00:08:45.274 --> 00:08:47.977
  • Yeah, i know.
  • 00:08:47.977 --> 00:08:49.345
  • It's just awful serving the lord.
  • 00:08:49.345 --> 00:08:53.616
  • Serving often feels inconvenient.
  • 00:08:53.616 --> 00:08:56.519
  • Many times your friends will not be voices of affirmation.
  • 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:00.990
  • A lot of reasons for that.
  • 00:09:00.990 --> 00:09:04.126
  • The lord is our audience.
  • 00:09:04.126 --> 00:09:05.461
  • We serve at his pleasure.
  • 00:09:05.461 --> 00:09:06.829
  • Our ambition is to be pleasing him.
  • 00:09:06.829 --> 00:09:10.232
  • I don't know what's happened to us, church.
  • 00:09:10.232 --> 00:09:12.835
  • And you're the best group of servers i know.
  • 00:09:12.835 --> 00:09:14.570
  • When we have opportunities and we present those things to you
  • 00:09:14.570 --> 00:09:16.706
  • We--our routine is to have an abundance of people.
  • 00:09:16.706 --> 00:09:20.142
  • More people raise their hands and say, "we'll help."
  • 00:09:20.142 --> 00:09:22.111
  • So, i didn't come to scold you.
  • 00:09:22.111 --> 00:09:24.046
  • I came to point you towards a behavior that will open your
  • 00:09:24.046 --> 00:09:27.350
  • Life to god in a way that i don't know anything else
  • 00:09:27.350 --> 00:09:29.485
  • That will.
  • 00:09:29.485 --> 00:09:30.987
  • Serving is an expression of humility.
  • 00:09:30.987 --> 00:09:32.588
  • And i'm not talking about principally through the context
  • 00:09:32.588 --> 00:09:34.890
  • Of organized church activities, but the context of your life.
  • 00:09:34.890 --> 00:09:37.960
  • Go to work to serve the lord.
  • 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:39.595
  • Go to school to serve the lord.
  • 00:09:39.595 --> 00:09:41.097
  • Go into the groups of your friends in social settings to
  • 00:09:41.097 --> 00:09:44.266
  • Serve the lord.
  • 00:09:44.266 --> 00:09:48.871
  • Allen: hey, we're celebrating this year the 250th anniversary
  • 00:09:53.075 --> 00:09:56.445
  • Of the signing of the declaration of independence.
  • 00:09:56.445 --> 00:09:59.148
  • What a wonderful privilege we have.
  • 00:09:59.148 --> 00:10:01.617
  • You know, god has blessed our nation--so many good things.
  • 00:10:01.617 --> 00:10:04.553
  • People say to me, "well, our whole history is not good."
  • 00:10:04.553 --> 00:10:07.023
  • Well, folks, you know, my history is not great, your
  • 00:10:07.023 --> 00:10:09.458
  • Family history is not perfect, but you love your family, you
  • 00:10:09.458 --> 00:10:12.395
  • Love your children in spite of our weaknesses.
  • 00:10:12.395 --> 00:10:15.598
  • Well, our nation hadn't been perfect, but through that whole
  • 00:10:15.598 --> 00:10:18.200
  • Story, the goodness of god is evident.
  • 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:20.903
  • It still is.
  • 00:10:20.903 --> 00:10:22.271
  • Let's ask god to bless america again.
  • 00:10:22.271 --> 00:10:25.074
  • I believe he will.
  • 00:10:25.074 --> 00:10:26.409
  • Female announcer: as we celebrate 250 years of god's
  • 00:10:26.409 --> 00:10:29.245
  • Faithfulness to our nation, we want to help you carry that
  • 00:10:29.245 --> 00:10:32.348
  • Message along with you.
  • 00:10:32.348 --> 00:10:33.816
  • This commemorative tote bag and blanket are simple reminders of
  • 00:10:33.816 --> 00:10:37.319
  • His goodness and a way to spark meaningful conversations
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  • Wherever you go.
  • 00:10:40.589 --> 00:10:41.924
  • Request your limited edition tote bag and blanket today while
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  • With your gift of a hundred dollars or more at
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  • Allenjackson.com or call...
  • 00:10:48.964 --> 00:10:53.969
  • Allen: look at numbers 12, "miriam and aaron began to talk
  • 00:10:57.273 --> 00:10:59.642
  • Against moses because of his wife, for he had married to
  • 00:10:59.642 --> 00:11:03.679
  • Somebody--somebody different.
  • 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:08.084
  • 'has the lord spoken only through moses?'
  • 00:11:08.084 --> 00:11:09.885
  • They asked.
  • 00:11:09.885 --> 00:11:11.220
  • 'hasn't he also spoken through us?'
  • 00:11:11.220 --> 00:11:12.588
  • And the lord heard this."
  • 00:11:12.588 --> 00:11:14.090
  • And there's this little insertion.
  • 00:11:14.090 --> 00:11:16.292
  • "(moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on
  • 00:11:16.292 --> 00:11:19.528
  • The face of the earth.)"
  • 00:11:19.528 --> 00:11:21.764
  • God's gonna take up moses's case.
  • 00:11:21.764 --> 00:11:24.633
  • Folks, i belabored the point a bit.
  • 00:11:24.633 --> 00:11:26.736
  • I want us all to understand, if we choose to serve the lord, if
  • 00:11:26.736 --> 00:11:29.338
  • We take the name of jesus on our lips, and we wanna live out a
  • 00:11:29.338 --> 00:11:32.742
  • Biblical worldview, if we wanna be salt and light in our world,
  • 00:11:32.742 --> 00:11:36.512
  • And you do it beyond the context of your private prayer closet,
  • 00:11:36.512 --> 00:11:41.450
  • Not everybody will applaud.
  • 00:11:41.450 --> 00:11:45.221
  • Some will call you names.
  • 00:11:45.221 --> 00:11:47.523
  • Some will be agitated.
  • 00:11:47.523 --> 00:11:49.725
  • Some would much prefer you to be quiet.
  • 00:11:49.725 --> 00:11:52.862
  • I'm ashamed that for decades in the public square, in the
  • 00:11:52.862 --> 00:11:56.665
  • Corporate boardrooms, when we mentioned the name of jesus, if
  • 00:11:56.665 --> 00:12:00.102
  • Someone raised their hands and said we were offended, we were
  • 00:12:00.102 --> 00:12:02.304
  • Told that we should retire, we should be quiet, that we
  • 00:12:02.304 --> 00:12:05.374
  • Shouldn't bring our faith into those public places, and we
  • 00:12:05.374 --> 00:12:07.810
  • Quietly and demurely said, "okay," and we withdrew
  • 00:12:07.810 --> 00:12:10.846
  • Our faith.
  • 00:12:10.846 --> 00:12:12.681
  • Until we find ourselves now where our corporate boardrooms
  • 00:12:12.681 --> 00:12:15.117
  • Are filled with very ungodly worldviews.
  • 00:12:15.117 --> 00:12:18.087
  • And the public square is filled with a group of ideas that are
  • 00:12:18.087 --> 00:12:20.823
  • Competing that are none of them godly.
  • 00:12:20.823 --> 00:12:22.391
  • They mutilate our children.
  • 00:12:22.391 --> 00:12:25.828
  • I'm ashamed that we withdrew and we're gonna have to have the
  • 00:12:25.828 --> 00:12:28.430
  • Courage to walk back into all those places and say, "our faith
  • 00:12:28.430 --> 00:12:31.267
  • And our worldview has a right in the public square, and in the
  • 00:12:31.267 --> 00:12:34.270
  • Corporate boardroom, and in the halls of the universities, and
  • 00:12:34.270 --> 00:12:36.739
  • The hospitals, and the courtrooms."
  • 00:12:36.739 --> 00:12:39.775
  • We don't have to be angry, we don't have to be belligerent,
  • 00:12:39.775 --> 00:12:42.711
  • We certainly don't have to be violent, but we have retreated
  • 00:12:42.711 --> 00:12:46.148
  • Long enough.
  • 00:12:46.148 --> 00:12:48.984
  • We have to serve the lord.
  • 00:12:48.984 --> 00:12:54.156
  • The patterns we have in scripture are not patterns of
  • 00:12:54.156 --> 00:12:56.692
  • Thunderous applause from all the people.
  • 00:12:56.692 --> 00:12:59.261
  • Even those who are benefiting from the expressed power of god
  • 00:12:59.261 --> 00:13:03.299
  • Were grumbling their way through the process.
  • 00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:05.301
  • Ultimately, they forfeited their opportunity.
  • 00:13:05.301 --> 00:13:09.138
  • You see, when you're choosing whether you're gonna serve the
  • 00:13:09.138 --> 00:13:11.707
  • Lord or you're gonna grumble, i would caution you.
  • 00:13:11.707 --> 00:13:15.978
  • You can grumble your point right out of the blessing of god.
  • 00:13:15.978 --> 00:13:22.718
  • But if you're in a place, and everybody's not cheering for
  • 00:13:22.718 --> 00:13:25.187
  • You, and you understand that it's not universal support for
  • 00:13:25.187 --> 00:13:28.390
  • Your quiet, persistent expressions of your faith, i
  • 00:13:28.390 --> 00:13:32.027
  • Want you to know it doesn't mean god has abandoned you or you're
  • 00:13:32.027 --> 00:13:34.897
  • Outside of his assignment.
  • 00:13:34.897 --> 00:13:38.868
  • I brought you just a sampling from jesus and his friends in
  • 00:13:38.868 --> 00:13:41.270
  • Matthew 26.
  • 00:13:41.270 --> 00:13:43.505
  • It's a discussion about jesus.
  • 00:13:43.505 --> 00:13:44.940
  • It said, "the chief priest and the elders of the people
  • 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:47.943
  • Assembled in the palace of the high priest."
  • 00:13:47.943 --> 00:13:49.712
  • You would expect that to be a pretty godly place.
  • 00:13:49.712 --> 00:13:52.014
  • You've got the chief priest and the high priest, and they're
  • 00:13:52.014 --> 00:13:54.783
  • Gathered in the home of the high priest.
  • 00:13:54.783 --> 00:13:56.385
  • You're thinking this is like a pretty kosher bible study.
  • 00:13:56.385 --> 00:14:00.990
  • "and they plotted to arrest jesus in some sly way and to
  • 00:14:00.990 --> 00:14:04.760
  • Kill him.
  • 00:14:04.760 --> 00:14:06.929
  • 'but not during the feast,' they said, 'or there may be a riot
  • 00:14:06.929 --> 00:14:09.298
  • Amongst the people.'"
  • 00:14:09.298 --> 00:14:10.666
  • A lot of people liked what jesus was doing.
  • 00:14:10.666 --> 00:14:12.868
  • In fact, the majority of the people, more people were for him
  • 00:14:12.868 --> 00:14:16.138
  • Than against him, but the people who were against him were
  • 00:14:16.138 --> 00:14:18.908
  • Powerful and persistent.
  • 00:14:18.908 --> 00:14:23.512
  • You know, it's fashionable these days to say that jews killed
  • 00:14:23.512 --> 00:14:26.048
  • Jesus, not the majority of them.
  • 00:14:26.048 --> 00:14:29.852
  • A handful of very determined, powerful, politically connected
  • 00:14:29.852 --> 00:14:33.188
  • People organized jesus's execution.
  • 00:14:33.188 --> 00:14:36.292
  • The romans killed him with the blessings of the jewish
  • 00:14:36.292 --> 00:14:38.761
  • Leadership in jerusalem.
  • 00:14:38.761 --> 00:14:42.998
  • It's not just jesus in matthew 14.
  • 00:14:42.998 --> 00:14:45.301
  • Herod, one of the governors of a region of israel--son of herod
  • 00:14:45.301 --> 00:14:52.107
  • The great--herod had john--this is john the baptist--"had him
  • 00:14:52.107 --> 00:14:55.678
  • Arrested and he bound him and he put him in prison because of
  • 00:14:55.678 --> 00:14:58.180
  • Herodias, his brother philip's wife, for john had been saying
  • 00:14:58.180 --> 00:15:01.283
  • To herod: 'it's not lawful for you to have her.'"
  • 00:15:01.283 --> 00:15:06.956
  • Herod had married his brother's wife and john had the temerity
  • 00:15:06.956 --> 00:15:12.461
  • To say in public, "you shouldn't be doing that."
  • 00:15:12.461 --> 00:15:18.734
  • "so, herod wanted to kill john."
  • 00:15:18.734 --> 00:15:22.972
  • John could have lived to be a much older man if he would have
  • 00:15:22.972 --> 00:15:25.274
  • Just done polite bible studies about moses.
  • 00:15:25.274 --> 00:15:33.349
  • And you and i have had the imagination, if we just don't
  • 00:15:33.349 --> 00:15:37.252
  • Say anything about jesus, if we leave our bibles at home, if we
  • 00:15:37.252 --> 00:15:42.925
  • Segment our lives.
  • 00:15:42.925 --> 00:15:46.295
  • I mean, we can worship him with enthusiasm--we all get together
  • 00:15:46.295 --> 00:15:48.731
  • And then we can just quibble about whether we worship the
  • 00:15:48.731 --> 00:15:50.699
  • Right way.
  • 00:15:50.699 --> 00:15:53.802
  • That we can honor the lord.
  • 00:15:53.802 --> 00:15:55.170
  • After all, we're born again.
  • 00:15:55.170 --> 00:15:56.505
  • We've said that prayer, and we took a dip in the pool,
  • 00:15:56.505 --> 00:15:58.207
  • And again, i'm an advocate for conversion, and an advocate for
  • 00:15:58.207 --> 00:16:00.409
  • Baptism, and an advocate for being filled with the spirit,
  • 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:03.245
  • And an advocate for all of those things.
  • 00:16:03.245 --> 00:16:05.180
  • But the point of all of those things is to enable us to serve
  • 00:16:05.180 --> 00:16:08.217
  • The lord with our lives.
  • 00:16:08.217 --> 00:16:10.152
  • God sent moses back to egypt to go see the most powerful person
  • 00:16:10.152 --> 00:16:13.589
  • In the nation and say, "let my people go."
  • 00:16:13.589 --> 00:16:17.893
  • Surely we can have the courage to say don't mutilate
  • 00:16:17.893 --> 00:16:19.895
  • Our children.
  • 00:16:19.895 --> 00:16:21.964
  • Marriage is between a man and a woman.
  • 00:16:21.964 --> 00:16:26.035
  • What's sexually moral and immoral is not a cultural
  • 00:16:26.035 --> 00:16:28.704
  • Distinction, it comes to us from the pages of scripture.
  • 00:16:28.704 --> 00:16:32.775
  • And the hardest place to talk about that is in the context of
  • 00:16:32.775 --> 00:16:35.277
  • Our homes.
  • 00:16:35.277 --> 00:16:37.613
  • Because we all understand there's consequences.
  • 00:16:37.613 --> 00:16:43.118
  • And because of the proliferation of ungodliness, those
  • 00:16:43.118 --> 00:16:45.954
  • Consequences are closer to us than they've ever been, but it's
  • 00:16:45.954 --> 00:16:48.457
  • Because we've been silent for so long, we've been awol for so
  • 00:16:48.457 --> 00:16:50.959
  • Long, we haven't been at the kitchen table with our kids when
  • 00:16:50.959 --> 00:16:53.762
  • They were young, helping them to understand biblical values in
  • 00:16:53.762 --> 00:16:57.266
  • A way that they could withstand the assault that they're gonna
  • 00:16:57.266 --> 00:16:59.468
  • Get when they get to the university.
  • 00:16:59.468 --> 00:17:02.104
  • And now we gotta go do some heavy lifting.
  • 00:17:02.104 --> 00:17:05.474
  • Let's serve the lord, church.
  • 00:17:05.474 --> 00:17:08.177
  • Herod wanted to kill john, but he was afraid of the people.
  • 00:17:08.177 --> 00:17:10.345
  • They considered him a prophet.
  • 00:17:10.345 --> 00:17:12.514
  • More people were for john than were against him.
  • 00:17:12.514 --> 00:17:15.918
  • But john brought the ire of some powerful people.
  • 00:17:15.918 --> 00:17:19.688
  • In acts chapter 5, "they called the apostles in and they had
  • 00:17:19.688 --> 00:17:23.158
  • Them flogged."
  • 00:17:23.158 --> 00:17:24.526
  • Flogged is an old english word.
  • 00:17:24.526 --> 00:17:25.861
  • They had them beaten with whips.
  • 00:17:25.861 --> 00:17:29.064
  • Their backs laid open.
  • 00:17:29.064 --> 00:17:30.466
  • "they ordered them not to speak in the name of jesus."
  • 00:17:30.466 --> 00:17:33.735
  • Cancel culture is not new.
  • 00:17:33.735 --> 00:17:35.070
  • They got de-platformed.
  • 00:17:35.070 --> 00:17:38.140
  • "and the apostles left the sanhedrin"--and that's the
  • 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:40.342
  • August body who condemned jesus--"rejoicing that they had
  • 00:17:40.342 --> 00:17:43.879
  • Been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of jesus."
  • 00:17:43.879 --> 00:17:49.518
  • Disgrace is an interesting word to me.
  • 00:17:49.518 --> 00:17:51.453
  • The little prefix "dis" means without.
  • 00:17:51.453 --> 00:17:54.389
  • They rejoice that they were willing to be without grace in
  • 00:17:54.389 --> 00:17:57.960
  • The public setting.
  • 00:17:57.960 --> 00:17:59.294
  • The power brokers in the city of jerusalem, the most important
  • 00:17:59.294 --> 00:18:01.997
  • City in the nation of israel at that time, they had fallen
  • 00:18:01.997 --> 00:18:06.101
  • From grace.
  • 00:18:06.101 --> 00:18:07.436
  • They weren't welcome anymore.
  • 00:18:07.436 --> 00:18:09.104
  • They've been marked, they've been identified.
  • 00:18:09.104 --> 00:18:11.807
  • They're gonna be shunned.
  • 00:18:11.807 --> 00:18:13.175
  • They've been physically tortured.
  • 00:18:13.175 --> 00:18:16.311
  • We are without grace in this city.
  • 00:18:16.311 --> 00:18:18.747
  • It seems to me for far too long we would do almost anything we
  • 00:18:18.747 --> 00:18:22.251
  • Could to maintain the position of grace--hide our faith, hide
  • 00:18:22.251 --> 00:18:25.654
  • Our affiliation.
  • 00:18:25.654 --> 00:18:29.458
  • We've been awol a bit.
  • 00:18:29.458 --> 00:18:32.928
  • But it didn't start in the public square, it started in our
  • 00:18:32.928 --> 00:18:35.330
  • Homes and in our lives.
  • 00:18:35.330 --> 00:18:37.366
  • We thought, "well, if we can just--you know, if we can have a
  • 00:18:37.366 --> 00:18:40.235
  • Job, and earn what we wanna do, and put our kids where we want
  • 00:18:40.235 --> 00:18:42.538
  • Them to go, and they can get on the teams we want them to
  • 00:18:42.538 --> 00:18:44.439
  • Get on, we'll go to church from time to time.
  • 00:18:44.439 --> 00:18:46.542
  • We'll do our church stuff, but we're gonna live like
  • 00:18:46.542 --> 00:18:49.044
  • Everybody else.
  • 00:18:49.044 --> 00:18:50.412
  • God's called us to be different.
  • 00:18:50.412 --> 00:18:51.747
  • "moses, i need you to go back to egypt and help those people out
  • 00:18:51.747 --> 00:18:53.982
  • Of darkness."
  • 00:18:53.982 --> 00:18:55.317
  • God called us to the 21st century to say to the people
  • 00:18:55.317 --> 00:18:57.486
  • Living in the dark, there's a better way.
  • 00:18:57.486 --> 00:19:00.622
  • There's a better way. there's a better way.
  • 00:19:00.622 --> 00:19:05.928
  • I know i'm preaching to the choir a bit, but the choir once
  • 00:19:05.928 --> 00:19:08.030
  • In a while needs a good sermon.
  • 00:19:08.030 --> 00:19:10.566
  • I'll close with one last passage.
  • 00:19:10.566 --> 00:19:12.034
  • It's god's verse of preparation for us.
  • 00:19:12.034 --> 00:19:13.902
  • It's 2 timothy 3. paul is coaching a young man.
  • 00:19:13.902 --> 00:19:17.906
  • He's mentoring him.
  • 00:19:17.906 --> 00:19:19.274
  • 2 timothy paul writes from a roman prison cell.
  • 00:19:19.274 --> 00:19:21.643
  • He's awaiting trial and most likely execution.
  • 00:19:21.643 --> 00:19:26.315
  • And he says to timothy, "everyone who wants to live
  • 00:19:26.315 --> 00:19:29.418
  • A godly life in christ jesus," will get chocolate cake.
  • 00:19:29.418 --> 00:19:37.593
  • "everyone who wants to live a godly life in christ jesus will
  • 00:19:37.593 --> 00:19:40.362
  • Be," what?
  • 00:19:40.362 --> 00:19:43.265
  • "persecuted."
  • 00:19:43.265 --> 00:19:46.335
  • Everyone.
  • 00:19:46.335 --> 00:19:48.437
  • There's gonna be some pushback.
  • 00:19:48.437 --> 00:19:49.771
  • Why?
  • 00:19:49.771 --> 00:19:51.106
  • It's not about governments, it's not about politics.
  • 00:19:51.106 --> 00:19:52.908
  • There's a spiritual conflict in the air.
  • 00:19:52.908 --> 00:19:55.911
  • And if you identify with jesus and when you claim him as lord
  • 00:19:55.911 --> 00:19:59.014
  • Of your life, you have identified with him.
  • 00:19:59.014 --> 00:20:04.219
  • You inherit an adversary.
  • 00:20:04.219 --> 00:20:05.821
  • "i don't like that."
  • 00:20:05.821 --> 00:20:07.155
  • It has nothing to do with what you like.
  • 00:20:07.155 --> 00:20:09.791
  • And because of that affiliation, there will be resistance to you.
  • 00:20:09.791 --> 00:20:15.397
  • Don't be frightened, don't be discouraged.
  • 00:20:15.397 --> 00:20:18.066
  • Greater is the spirit within you than the spirit that
  • 00:20:18.066 --> 00:20:20.135
  • Opposes you.
  • 00:20:20.135 --> 00:20:22.271
  • God is more than able.
  • 00:20:22.271 --> 00:20:24.740
  • As you read the book of exodus, god fed and watered more than
  • 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:28.477
  • A million people without costco or sam's.
  • 00:20:28.477 --> 00:20:32.414
  • There were no emergency rooms and they were healthy.
  • 00:20:32.414 --> 00:20:35.384
  • There were no pharmacies, there was no universal health care.
  • 00:20:35.384 --> 00:20:38.420
  • God took care of them.
  • 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:41.390
  • The greatest challenges were internal, inside the camp.
  • 00:20:41.390 --> 00:20:45.927
  • Occasionally, there's some external group of people, the
  • 00:20:45.927 --> 00:20:50.098
  • Amorites are gonna swell up and not cooperate, and god
  • 00:20:50.098 --> 00:20:52.801
  • Dispatches them rather expediently.
  • 00:20:52.801 --> 00:20:55.037
  • The outside source of the threats are pretty easily
  • 00:20:55.037 --> 00:20:57.939
  • Addressed because our god is a warrior.
  • 00:20:57.939 --> 00:21:00.175
  • The greater challenges are internal, and that's still true
  • 00:21:00.175 --> 00:21:02.577
  • With us today.
  • 00:21:02.577 --> 00:21:03.945
  • The greatest battles are inside of us.
  • 00:21:03.945 --> 00:21:08.417
  • Lord, i forgive because i need to be forgiven.
  • 00:21:08.417 --> 00:21:13.488
  • Lord, i repent because i've chosen some wrong paths.
  • 00:21:13.488 --> 00:21:17.359
  • God, i've been silent because i didn't wanna face the pushback.
  • 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:21.663
  • "god, i haven't served because i was clever enough to know that
  • 00:21:21.663 --> 00:21:25.100
  • Everybody probably wouldn't applaud and i'd just rather
  • 00:21:25.100 --> 00:21:27.135
  • Be quiet.
  • 00:21:27.135 --> 00:21:29.604
  • I didn't wanna be a voice in the community.
  • 00:21:29.604 --> 00:21:31.373
  • I didn't wanna be a voice in a place.
  • 00:21:31.373 --> 00:21:33.041
  • I didn't wanna identify with my faith.
  • 00:21:33.041 --> 00:21:35.444
  • I wanted to have a private conversion."
  • 00:21:35.444 --> 00:21:38.847
  • And i want to invite you today, memorial day, while we remember
  • 00:21:38.847 --> 00:21:41.717
  • Those people who have given their lives in service of
  • 00:21:41.717 --> 00:21:43.885
  • Our nation.
  • 00:21:43.885 --> 00:21:46.421
  • Raised their hands.
  • 00:21:46.421 --> 00:21:50.058
  • I was in a museum recently and i saw a photograph of one of those
  • 00:21:50.058 --> 00:21:54.996
  • Higgins boats.
  • 00:21:54.996 --> 00:21:56.331
  • It was headed towards the beaches of france.
  • 00:21:56.331 --> 00:21:59.468
  • And it looked to me like they were children in that boat.
  • 00:21:59.468 --> 00:22:05.307
  • And i couldn't help but put names to them 'cause i have
  • 00:22:05.307 --> 00:22:08.610
  • People that i care a great deal about that are in those age
  • 00:22:08.610 --> 00:22:10.912
  • Ranges today.
  • 00:22:10.912 --> 00:22:13.548
  • And i thought those young people climbed in those
  • 00:22:13.548 --> 00:22:16.318
  • Boats willingly.
  • 00:22:16.318 --> 00:22:20.188
  • Surely we can take the name of jesus with us.
  • 00:22:20.188 --> 00:22:25.994
  • I want you to stand with me.
  • 00:22:25.994 --> 00:22:27.362
  • I brought you a prayer, but i'd rather do something else.
  • 00:22:27.362 --> 00:22:29.064
  • I'll leave you with a prayer. you can take it with you.
  • 00:22:29.064 --> 00:22:36.238
  • One of you--we call it a quaker prayer, but it's really just
  • 00:22:36.238 --> 00:22:38.640
  • A good way of acting out an intent.
  • 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.510
  • I don't know if the quakers had anything to do with it or not,
  • 00:22:41.510 --> 00:22:43.378
  • Then it's okay.
  • 00:22:43.378 --> 00:22:46.581
  • But we're gonna start with our hands down to relinquish to the
  • 00:22:46.581 --> 00:22:50.285
  • Lord, to acknowledge to the lord those times we've been silent.
  • 00:22:50.285 --> 00:22:53.722
  • But we chose to go awol.
  • 00:22:53.722 --> 00:22:57.025
  • We may have called it prudent.
  • 00:22:57.025 --> 00:22:58.960
  • We may have called it a strategic move.
  • 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.763
  • We may not have wanted to face the pressure in our home or our
  • 00:23:01.763 --> 00:23:04.299
  • Family system.
  • 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:06.935
  • Well, you know, they're good people after all.
  • 00:23:06.935 --> 00:23:08.303
  • Folks, if they're behaving in an ungodly way, you understand the
  • 00:23:08.303 --> 00:23:11.072
  • Devil will destroy them.
  • 00:23:11.072 --> 00:23:16.044
  • You don't have to be angry, but we have to be willing to tell
  • 00:23:16.044 --> 00:23:17.979
  • The truth.
  • 00:23:17.979 --> 00:23:22.117
  • We're waiting for the ungodly to change, and if the people of god
  • 00:23:22.117 --> 00:23:24.820
  • Will change, there's no pressure beyond us that can thwart the
  • 00:23:24.820 --> 00:23:28.123
  • Purposes of god breaking forth in the earth.
  • 00:23:28.123 --> 00:23:31.426
  • It's been our compromise.
  • 00:23:31.426 --> 00:23:34.296
  • It's been our inconsistency.
  • 00:23:34.296 --> 00:23:35.630
  • We're gonna start and say, "lord, forgive me."
  • 00:23:35.630 --> 00:23:38.533
  • And then at a point we're gonna turn our hearts and our hands to
  • 00:23:38.533 --> 00:23:40.735
  • The lord and say, "now lord, here we are, send us.
  • 00:23:40.735 --> 00:23:48.343
  • Into the neighborhoods and schools and universities and
  • 00:23:48.343 --> 00:23:51.680
  • Hospitals and courtrooms and factory floors and job sites.
  • 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:55.750
  • Into small groups and classrooms filled with children."
  • 00:23:55.750 --> 00:24:00.222
  • You ready?
  • 00:24:00.222 --> 00:24:01.590
  • If you don't want to, you can just stand there and fold your
  • 00:24:01.590 --> 00:24:03.325
  • Hands and pray you can hide amongst us.
  • 00:24:03.325 --> 00:24:06.394
  • You may have walked in here and never been in church before.
  • 00:24:06.394 --> 00:24:08.530
  • I'm not drafting you, okay?
  • 00:24:08.530 --> 00:24:11.266
  • But if you've been around a bit, you understand.
  • 00:24:11.266 --> 00:24:13.134
  • And i wanna invite you to do some business with the
  • 00:24:13.134 --> 00:24:15.170
  • Lord, okay?
  • 00:24:15.170 --> 00:24:16.705
  • We start with our hands down.
  • 00:24:16.705 --> 00:24:18.073
  • Lord, we come this morning to thank you that you've called us
  • 00:24:18.073 --> 00:24:21.643
  • Out of darkness.
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  • That you've made provision that we can be clean, righteous.
  • 00:24:23.612 --> 00:24:28.183
  • And we thank you for it.
  • 00:24:28.183 --> 00:24:30.585
  • But lord, we pause today to acknowledge those times where,
  • 00:24:30.585 --> 00:24:34.289
  • For whatever reason--fear, timidity, selfishness,
  • 00:24:34.289 --> 00:24:38.193
  • Indifference, ambivalence, whatever reason, father, we have
  • 00:24:38.193 --> 00:24:40.929
  • Been silent and passive when we could have used a voice, or we
  • 00:24:40.929 --> 00:24:44.666
  • Could have engaged, or we could have taken a place, or we could
  • 00:24:44.666 --> 00:24:47.936
  • Have--but we didn't.
  • 00:24:47.936 --> 00:24:50.672
  • And we come today to acknowledge it, lord, before you, to lay it
  • 00:24:50.672 --> 00:24:53.341
  • At the foot of the cross.
  • 00:24:53.341 --> 00:24:56.177
  • To not simply say we're sorry, but that we were wrong and to
  • 00:24:56.177 --> 00:24:58.647
  • Ask for your forgiveness.
  • 00:24:58.647 --> 00:25:01.917
  • And lord, as we receive that forgiveness, we turn our hearts
  • 00:25:01.917 --> 00:25:04.986
  • And our hands to you today to receive your assignments, to say
  • 00:25:04.986 --> 00:25:09.057
  • Yes to you.
  • 00:25:09.057 --> 00:25:11.593
  • Lord, not for great things of significance and not for
  • 00:25:11.593 --> 00:25:13.929
  • Something that's high profile, but for obedience in our lives,
  • 00:25:13.929 --> 00:25:16.998
  • For humility in our lives, for a yielding to you, for letting
  • 00:25:16.998 --> 00:25:20.402
  • Jesus be lord of our lives.
  • 00:25:20.402 --> 00:25:23.104
  • For welcoming you back into our homes and back to our tables,
  • 00:25:23.104 --> 00:25:26.975
  • Back into our conversations and back into our relationships.
  • 00:25:26.975 --> 00:25:30.378
  • Lord, forgive us for segmented lives and
  • 00:25:30.378 --> 00:25:32.581
  • Compartmentalized lives.
  • 00:25:32.581 --> 00:25:34.249
  • Lord, we say today, "jesus be lord of all that we are, and all
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  • That we have, and all that we're becoming.
  • 00:25:37.152 --> 00:25:39.054
  • Let your name be exalted in the earth.
  • 00:25:39.054 --> 00:25:40.889
  • Let your kingdom be established.
  • 00:25:40.889 --> 00:25:42.791
  • Let the darkness be pushed back, and the light break forth, and
  • 00:25:42.791 --> 00:25:45.627
  • The truth be declared.
  • 00:25:45.627 --> 00:25:47.329
  • We praise you for it, lord.
  • 00:25:47.329 --> 00:25:49.731
  • We thank you for what you're doing and the great honor we
  • 00:25:49.731 --> 00:25:52.400
  • Have of bearing the name of jesus."
  • 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:56.771
  • Lord, we will join isaiah in saying, "here we are, send us."
  • 00:25:56.771 --> 00:26:02.577
  • In jesus's name, amen, hallelujah.
  • 00:26:02.577 --> 00:26:06.748
  • God bless you. [congregation applauding]
  • 00:26:06.748 --> 00:26:13.855
  • Allen: hey, i've encouraged you for a long time to lead with
  • 00:26:18.026 --> 00:26:20.428
  • Your faith, take your faith outside the church building into
  • 00:26:20.428 --> 00:26:23.565
  • All the places that your life takes you, where you have
  • 00:26:23.565 --> 00:26:26.167
  • Influence, where you have a voice.
  • 00:26:26.167 --> 00:26:27.936
  • We've created some pieces to help you do that--a tote bag,
  • 00:26:27.936 --> 00:26:30.705
  • A blanket.
  • 00:26:30.705 --> 00:26:32.040
  • Maybe you're going to a ball game, or the park, or the beach,
  • 00:26:32.040 --> 00:26:34.175
  • Wherever that may be.
  • 00:26:34.175 --> 00:26:35.543
  • You take these along, they are a celebration of our nation's
  • 00:26:35.543 --> 00:26:38.546
  • 250th anniversary.
  • 00:26:38.546 --> 00:26:41.082
  • Somebody will wanna know where you got it, what it's about.
  • 00:26:41.082 --> 00:26:43.485
  • It gives you an opportunity to share your faith.
  • 00:26:43.485 --> 00:26:46.287
  • You know, i've had the privilege of living in some places outside
  • 00:26:46.287 --> 00:26:49.057
  • The united states.
  • 00:26:49.057 --> 00:26:50.492
  • Things like a grocery store, or fast food, or food delivery.
  • 00:26:50.492 --> 00:26:55.430
  • Those things weren't possible in the places i lived.
  • 00:26:55.430 --> 00:26:57.832
  • When i come home just walking through a grocery store reminds
  • 00:26:57.832 --> 00:27:00.335
  • Me of the goodness and the faithfulness of god, his
  • 00:27:00.335 --> 00:27:02.704
  • Blessings on our nation.
  • 00:27:02.704 --> 00:27:04.673
  • Use your voice to say, "god has blessed america."
  • 00:27:04.673 --> 00:27:08.510
  • Something as simple as a tote bag can open a door for your
  • 00:27:08.510 --> 00:27:11.346
  • God story.
  • 00:27:11.346 --> 00:27:12.681
  • Together we're gonna lift up the name of jesus in this generation
  • 00:27:12.681 --> 00:27:15.784
  • And see god bless america again.
  • 00:27:15.784 --> 00:27:18.186
  • ♪♪♪
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