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 - Breakthroughs Rejected (Part 1) | January 18, 2025
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- Allen jackson: we've been doing a series on breakthroughs.
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- I've done several sessions prior to christmas around these ideas
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- Of breakthroughs and how to open our lives more fully to these
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- Interventions of god, because i don't understand them to
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- Be random.
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- I believe they require participation to find their
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- Full expression.
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- Mary had to say "yes," joseph had to participate, and on and
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- On the list goes.
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- Moses had to agree to the recruitment session at the
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- Burning bush.
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- Well, as i walked through those preparations, it became
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- Increasingly apparent to me that there are more instances in
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- Scripture where breakthroughs are rejected than there are
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- Instances where they've been accepted.
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- And i don't intend to do as many sessions, but i wanted to do a
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- Couple just to really try to raise awareness to the fact that
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- You can choose to say "no" to the lord as certainly as you can
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- Choose to say "yes."
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- Although god is sovereign, and he can do what he wants, when he
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- Wants, and the way he wants, and he needs no one's permission,
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- He's created us with a free will, and he will respect your
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- Will to the point that he'll allow you to step out into
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- Eternity without participating in his eternal kingdom.
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- That's not his desire.
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- It's not his intent.
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- In fact, he's made provision that no human being should have
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- To, to do that, and in reality, he said the majority will
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- Choose that.
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- That's a very unsettling thought.
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- And i wanna plant a seed.
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- I really wanna ask you to spend some time reflecting on it,
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- Allow the spirit of god to make it real to you.
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- You wanna think consciously about the places where you are
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- Purposefully, very intentionally saying "yes" to the lord, and i
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- Would submit to you, you want that list to grow.
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- You don't want to reflect upon it.
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- You don't wanna--it's not like a history lesson.
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- These are the places where i did say "yes" to the lord.
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- You wanna be able to tell that narrative in the way these are
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- The places where i am currently engaged with god, because those
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- Are the places where breakthroughs emerge.
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- Absent those, i believe you are forfeiting god's interventions.
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- I want to unpack that in a little bit more.
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- I wanna--i heard something on social media.
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- A friend of mine actually made a post, and they were talking
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- About people saying to them, "don't push your faith on me."
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- They live in another state where--but it's bugged me.
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- It stuck in my head for several days.
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- You know, i find that as in the com--the community of faith,
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- Sometimes we get captivated by perspectives that are very
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- Ungodly, and we will concede to them.
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- When people say, "don't push your faith on me," i'm--what,
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- What resonates, what rolls out of me is, "you gotta be
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- Kidding me!"
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- We live in a culture where they take worldview and bang you over
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- The head with it until you submit, and then if you have the
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- Temerity to raise your hand and say, "jesus," somebody says,
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- "well, you can't force that on me!"
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- And i'm like, "i'm not trying to force anything on anybody except
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- My right to give expression to what i believe."
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- Almost every form of ungodliness, or perversion, or
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- Wickedness has been endorsed and supported, promoted, and they'll
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- Bring it into your home.
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- And if you'll say, "you know, i--would you please be
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- Respectful of my home and not do that here?"
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- They say, "well, why are you pushing your faith on me?"
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- And the push isn't coming from your advocacy for jesus.
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- And just to help you get the equation dialed in from a
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- Biblical vantage point, jesus gave us an assignment.
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- He said, "go into all the world and preach the gospel to
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- Every creature."
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- Go into all the world, go find anybody who doesn't know and
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- Tell them the story.
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- Not everybody will accept it, not everybody will embrace it,
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- But i'm not apologizing bein--for being an advocate for
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- Jesus, and please don't feel that you should either.
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- Not everyone will accept the message, not everyone you love
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- Will accept the message.
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- You can love them in spite of their reluctance to accept
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- The message.
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- I will respect your right to say "no," but i need you to
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- Respect my right to say, "this is important to me," and that
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- Has nothing to do with forcing our faith on anyone, and
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- You--that needs to grow in your heart.
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- We've been timid for too long, we've been bullied,
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- We've cowered.
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- In the corner, we've hidden in the shadows, we've been filled
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- With cowardice.
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- As you read the gospels over these next few weeks, you will
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- Find jesus consistently pushing the truth in front of people.
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- He was not timid.
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- On multiple occasions, he made the disciples more than just a
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- Little anxious.
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- So, having said that, how do we understand the opportunities of
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- Our lives?
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- How do we understand the god opportunities?
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- How do we unpack them?
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- Well, i would submit to you that breakthroughs in our lives often
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- Begin as invitations.
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- God will present an invitation to us, and it doesn't usually
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- Come wrapped in a neon package or container that says, "this is
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- A supernatural breakthrough."
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- In fact, it typically looks is like something rather
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- Inauspicious, maybe even something insignificant, maybe
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- Even looks a bit like an intrusion or a disruption.
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- In fact, breakthroughs frequently are disruptive.
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- They can be disruptive to your calendar, they can be disruptive
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- To relationships, they can be disruptive to the plans you
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- Have made.
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- All of those things are consistent with the
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- Biblical patterns.
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- We've looked at many of those.
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- So if there's something in your life right now that's a bit
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- Disruptive, it's worth taking some time, both thoughtfully
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- And prayerfully.
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- Remember our little paradigm-- watch, listen, think--to take a
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- Little time with those things that are disruptive and say, "is
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- It possible that this was an invitation from god for
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- A breakthrough?"
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- "it couldn't be that, it's encroaching on my calendar!"
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- "it's gonna cost money!"
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- "it wasn't on my schedule."
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- Has all the earmarks.
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- There's a third component.
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- Their breakthroughs are typically, at least as the way
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- They're presented in scripture, they're frequently experienced
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- Incrementally, bit by bit, step by step.
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- They aren't usually presented in total.
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- When you read them, you think, "oh, that was a total
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- Presentation," but i would submit to you that the
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- Invitation mary got from gabriel in nazareth with that first
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- Announcement scenario, you know, "you're gonna have a child," was
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- Not a complete--it was not the same understanding mary had
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- Post resurrection.
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- Would that be fair?
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- Do you think that was kind of an incremental breakthrough in
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- Mary's life?
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- And i can take you to example.
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- I promise, when moses got recruited on the backside of the
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- Desert, he had no clue.
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- He just thought he was going to lead a parade out of egypt.
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- So they're incremental.
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- What we have to be willing to do is say "yes" to that step that's
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- In front of us, and it's not always fun.
- 00:07:55.300 --> 00:07:59.804
- I think we're often unaware when we reject breakthroughs.
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- You know, they come, they're steps of faith, they're--it's
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- Obedience, it's cooperation.
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- And we don't recognize it as saying no, we just feel, it's
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- Like, it's kind of a bother, "i don't wanna do that.
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- I'm okay, i'm good to go with the lord.
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- I know him well enough.
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- I feel pretty comfortable with my relationship.
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- I don't wanna do that.
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- I don't want to engage that way.
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- I don't wanna make time for that.
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- I don't wanna make a financial sacrifice in that.
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- I don't wanna do that."
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- And we don't--we're not processing it in terms of that
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- Could be an invitation from the lord, so i wanna suggest to you
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- That you begin to more purposefully learn to say "yes"
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- To god's invitation.
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- If we--if you get invited to do ministry around here, you sign a
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- Commitment sheet for a period of time.
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- It has a beginning point and an ending point.
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- You're not signing up until jesus returns.
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- 'cause years ago, we realized one of the awkward points of
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- Volunteering is churches.
- 00:09:04.736 --> 00:09:06.304
- You can't quit.
- 00:09:06.304 --> 00:09:09.741
- You know, you have to have an angelic visit, "well, the lord
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- Spoke to me and said i should be released from my--" that's
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- Not good.
- 00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:17.248
- You should be able to say, "i'm gonna do this for a year."
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- And we should be able to say to you, "we don't want you to do
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- That anymore."
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- Both sides of that equation have to be in place!
- 00:09:28.426 --> 00:09:34.633
- "now he's getting weird."
- 00:09:34.633 --> 00:09:39.504
- Hebrews 13 and verse 2 says, "don't forget to entertain
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- Strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels
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- Without knowing it."
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- If we put up a qr code and said, "if you'll submit your name,
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- You could host an angel this week,"
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- I bet most of you would have time.
- 00:09:55.587 --> 00:10:00.125
- Some of you would wait and see how it worked, but the early
- 00:10:00.125 --> 00:10:03.128
- Adopters, you'd be all in!
- 00:10:03.128 --> 00:10:06.097
- But the admonition of scripture, the council of scripture is you
- 00:10:06.097 --> 00:10:10.001
- Need to entertain people you don't know, people that you're
- 00:10:10.001 --> 00:10:12.070
- Not really expecting a return on because, in so doing, you
- 00:10:12.070 --> 00:10:15.273
- Will inadvertently, from time to time, entertain an angel.
- 00:10:15.273 --> 00:10:21.379
- I think it'd be really unfortunate to make it all the
- 00:10:21.379 --> 00:10:23.314
- Way into eternity and meet all the angels that were on your
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- To-do list that you never made space for.
- 00:10:26.918 --> 00:10:32.657
- I heard you were a good cook, never got that opportunity.
- 00:10:32.657 --> 00:10:37.629
- I've tried to think about my own journey in times and places
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- Where i think i was, for whatever reason, i was able to
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- Say "yes" to an invitation, not understanding the fullness of it
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- And the times when i've said "no," and i can think of
- 00:10:46.571 --> 00:10:49.607
- Components on both sides of the equation.
- 00:10:49.607 --> 00:10:51.476
- Years ago, my brother and i went to hebrew university.
- 00:10:51.476 --> 00:10:54.579
- It was before the internet.
- 00:10:54.579 --> 00:10:56.481
- It wasn't easy to get information.
- 00:10:56.481 --> 00:10:57.849
- I had to do it in the old-fashioned way in a library
- 00:10:57.849 --> 00:11:00.018
- With a card catalog and snail mail and, you know, you forget
- 00:11:00.018 --> 00:11:04.889
- How much more difficult it was to secure information once upon
- 00:11:04.889 --> 00:11:07.459
- A time.
- 00:11:07.459 --> 00:11:08.960
- And with really limited information, we raised our hands
- 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.896
- And said, "yeah, we'll go study."
- 00:11:11.896 --> 00:11:14.733
- And i knew very little about what i was going into, and it
- 00:11:14.733 --> 00:11:19.771
- Wasn't always fun.
- 00:11:19.771 --> 00:11:22.173
- We were required for more than two months to go to language
- 00:11:22.173 --> 00:11:25.643
- School before we could even start classes at the university,
- 00:11:25.643 --> 00:11:27.912
- Six days a week, eight hours a day, immersed in hebrew.
- 00:11:27.912 --> 00:11:32.884
- And i've been to a lot--by that time, i'd been in a lot of
- 00:11:32.884 --> 00:11:34.953
- University settings, and if they invite you to go to school, they
- 00:11:34.953 --> 00:11:37.222
- Usually had a way to feed you.
- 00:11:37.222 --> 00:11:39.591
- Well, they didn't open any of the food service at hebrew
- 00:11:39.591 --> 00:11:41.793
- University until we were through language school, so they sent
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- You to the grocery store to buy groceries, and i couldn't
- 00:11:45.864 --> 00:11:47.866
- Read them.
- 00:11:47.866 --> 00:11:50.335
- We bought dog food.
- 00:11:50.335 --> 00:11:53.805
- It looked like ground beef.
- 00:11:53.805 --> 00:11:56.875
- We had it in the skillet before an israeli friend walked in and
- 00:11:56.875 --> 00:12:04.682
- Started laughing at us.
- 00:12:04.682 --> 00:12:07.519
- Thank god the timing on it was good.
- 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:13.124
- But those--that season in israel has born fruit for all the years
- 00:12:13.124 --> 00:12:19.330
- Since then.
- 00:12:19.330 --> 00:12:21.299
- I really didn't understand it at the time that it was an
- 00:12:21.299 --> 00:12:24.135
- Invitation from the lord, didn't feel like a breakthrough to me,
- 00:12:24.135 --> 00:12:28.540
- Felt expensive, and disruptive, and against the flow of what my
- 00:12:28.540 --> 00:12:32.744
- Peer group was doing, and i mean, it just, it didn't have
- 00:12:32.744 --> 00:12:36.548
- Earmarks of--you know, after the fact, it sounds really fun, and
- 00:12:36.548 --> 00:12:39.584
- People say, "i'd like to do that," but there's not like a
- 00:12:39.584 --> 00:12:41.519
- Big line.
- 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:42.854
- It wasn't any safer to do it then than it is now.
- 00:12:42.854 --> 00:12:47.892
- And then i think of the places where i missed it.
- 00:12:47.892 --> 00:12:50.161
- Sometimes they seem more--in retrospect, i go, "how could you
- 00:12:50.161 --> 00:12:52.297
- Have missed that, knucklehead?"
- 00:12:52.297 --> 00:12:59.437
- Female announcer: if you look, you'll find good
- 00:13:03.441 --> 00:13:05.076
- News everywhere.
- 00:13:05.076 --> 00:13:06.945
- Female: our baby was born healthy and strong.
- 00:13:06.945 --> 00:13:10.815
- Female: we have the groceries we need.
- 00:13:10.815 --> 00:13:13.384
- Male: another year cancer-free.
- 00:13:13.384 --> 00:13:16.754
- Female: we bought our first house this year.
- 00:13:16.754 --> 00:13:20.692
- Female: the raise came through when i needed it most.
- 00:13:20.692 --> 00:13:24.329
- Male: i have a working car.
- 00:13:24.329 --> 00:13:27.932
- Female: my husband came home safe.
- 00:13:27.932 --> 00:13:31.803
- Female announcer: philippians 4 tells us to, "think about
- 00:13:31.803 --> 00:13:33.638
- Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable,
- 00:13:33.638 --> 00:13:39.244
- Excellent and praiseworthy."
- 00:13:39.244 --> 00:13:41.512
- All of these things honor god and when we take time to notice
- 00:13:41.512 --> 00:13:44.816
- Them, we welcome god's presence and experience his peace.
- 00:13:44.816 --> 00:13:48.686
- Allen: you know, the two most critical junctures of any
- 00:13:50.455 --> 00:13:52.991
- Enterprise are how we begin and how we conclude.
- 00:13:52.991 --> 00:13:56.427
- So, the beginning of a new year is a tremendous opportunity.
- 00:13:56.427 --> 00:14:00.365
- We've prepared a tool we want to share with you.
- 00:14:00.365 --> 00:14:02.166
- It's a good news journal.
- 00:14:02.166 --> 00:14:04.035
- We wanna help you set a habit this year to do something with a
- 00:14:04.035 --> 00:14:08.072
- Bit more intention than perhaps has been our pattern in
- 00:14:08.072 --> 00:14:11.042
- The past.
- 00:14:11.042 --> 00:14:12.377
- We wanna start our year with an attitude of appreciation and
- 00:14:12.377 --> 00:14:15.413
- Gratitude for the blessings of god in our lives.
- 00:14:15.413 --> 00:14:18.650
- So, we've designed this journal so that you can use it as a part
- 00:14:18.650 --> 00:14:21.653
- Of your devotional.
- 00:14:21.653 --> 00:14:22.987
- It's something you could include the children, the grandchildren.
- 00:14:22.987 --> 00:14:25.223
- You could take it to work and create a good news journal for
- 00:14:25.223 --> 00:14:27.659
- The people you work with.
- 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:29.260
- Wherever that may be, let's start our year out purposefully,
- 00:14:29.260 --> 00:14:33.031
- Intentionally saying, "thank you," to the lord for his
- 00:14:33.031 --> 00:14:36.034
- Goodness to us.
- 00:14:36.034 --> 00:14:37.502
- I know there's challenges and we have places where we need god's
- 00:14:37.502 --> 00:14:40.238
- Help, but we're gonna begin with gratitude and walk into the
- 00:14:40.238 --> 00:14:44.142
- Blessings of god in this year.
- 00:14:44.142 --> 00:14:46.511
- I think you'll enjoy the journal.
- 00:14:46.511 --> 00:14:48.246
- God bless.
- 00:14:48.246 --> 00:14:49.580
- Female announcer: when you keep a good news list, you'll notice
- 00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:51.683
- How god is constantly at work all around you.
- 00:14:51.683 --> 00:14:54.953
- Our new 52-week, good news notebook gives you a place to
- 00:14:54.953 --> 00:14:58.890
- Record your good news, prayers you saw god answer, and your
- 00:14:58.890 --> 00:15:02.493
- Current prayer requests.
- 00:15:02.493 --> 00:15:04.262
- As you look back on your lists over the weeks and months to
- 00:15:04.262 --> 00:15:07.131
- Come, you'll find a personal record of god's faithfulness
- 00:15:07.131 --> 00:15:10.068
- To you.
- 00:15:10.068 --> 00:15:11.402
- Allen: we are trusting god for a year like no other for his
- 00:15:11.402 --> 00:15:13.805
- Breakthroughs this year.
- 00:15:13.805 --> 00:15:15.173
- I believe the good news journal can be a part of our journey in
- 00:15:15.173 --> 00:15:18.142
- Each of our lives.
- 00:15:18.142 --> 00:15:19.477
- Female announcer: request your good news notebook when you
- 00:15:19.477 --> 00:15:21.079
- Donate $20 or more today at allenjackson.com or by
- 00:15:21.079 --> 00:15:25.216
- Calling...
- 00:15:25.216 --> 00:15:29.087
- Female announcer: we are committed to helping you grow in
- 00:15:32.123 --> 00:15:33.992
- Your faith and have tools for your journey
- 00:15:33.992 --> 00:15:35.393
- No matter your schedule.
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- 00:15:54.245 --> 00:15:57.281
- Here with allen jackson ministries.
- 00:15:57.281 --> 00:16:01.319
- Allen: a few years ago, it was before covid, but a few years
- 00:16:03.021 --> 00:16:05.089
- Ago, a friend of mine, angus buchan, decided to have a prayer
- 00:16:05.089 --> 00:16:11.162
- Event in south africa, and he only had like eight weeks
- 00:16:11.162 --> 00:16:13.731
- Lead time.
- 00:16:13.731 --> 00:16:15.833
- And the week he announced it, he called, and he said, "allen, i
- 00:16:15.833 --> 00:16:18.236
- Want you to be there, i need you to be there, it's important."
- 00:16:18.236 --> 00:16:25.810
- "it's not a good time, angus, a lot going on at the church,
- 00:16:25.810 --> 00:16:29.547
- And i'm busy, and south africa's, that's a ways.
- 00:16:29.547 --> 00:16:36.187
- Not sure i can do that. let me work on that."
- 00:16:36.187 --> 00:16:38.823
- He said, "well, there's gonna be a crowd, allen."
- 00:16:38.823 --> 00:16:41.526
- "yeah, i know."
- 00:16:41.526 --> 00:16:43.361
- And i didn't think we could--i just decided i couldn't make
- 00:16:43.361 --> 00:16:46.297
- It work.
- 00:16:46.297 --> 00:16:47.665
- The calendar was too crowded and i couldn't.
- 00:16:47.665 --> 00:16:49.000
- And i don't even remember why, but charlie
- 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:53.004
- Daniels was here one weekend.
- 00:16:53.004 --> 00:16:54.772
- Before he went to heaven, he was in church.
- 00:16:54.772 --> 00:16:57.041
- But it wasn't typical for me to visit with charlie, and i just
- 00:16:57.041 --> 00:17:00.044
- Remember, we were backstage, and he said, "allen, are you going
- 00:17:00.044 --> 00:17:02.447
- To see angus?"
- 00:17:02.447 --> 00:17:03.815
- I don't know how he knew about it.
- 00:17:03.815 --> 00:17:06.350
- I said, "no, sir, i don't think so."
- 00:17:06.350 --> 00:17:07.819
- And he said, "allen, you're wrong, you should go."
- 00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:12.023
- And charlie didn't give me direction.
- 00:17:12.023 --> 00:17:14.692
- I mean, he wanted me to sing with him a lot on albums, but.
- 00:17:14.692 --> 00:17:20.198
- That's a lie.
- 00:17:20.198 --> 00:17:23.701
- But i remember it really clearly.
- 00:17:23.701 --> 00:17:26.204
- He stopped, and he looked at me, and he said, "allen, you won't
- 00:17:26.204 --> 00:17:28.306
- Have an opportunity like that.
- 00:17:28.306 --> 00:17:30.708
- You need to go."
- 00:17:30.708 --> 00:17:34.412
- He said, "you won't see a gathering of people like that
- 00:17:34.412 --> 00:17:36.914
- Anywhere in the world.
- 00:17:36.914 --> 00:17:38.783
- You need to be there."
- 00:17:38.783 --> 00:17:43.454
- And i didn't go.
- 00:17:43.454 --> 00:17:46.290
- Oh, yeah, i know. it seems obvious now.
- 00:17:46.290 --> 00:17:50.795
- I mean, after the fact, yeah, there were four million people
- 00:17:50.795 --> 00:17:53.331
- There, and they--i mean, i understand god did something
- 00:17:53.331 --> 00:17:56.000
- Remarkable and, but what i could see is i was busy, and it was
- 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:00.438
- Expensive, and i missed it.
- 00:18:00.438 --> 00:18:09.514
- It's more fun to tell the stories when you get it.
- 00:18:09.514 --> 00:18:13.518
- So i'm living with this these days, 'cause god's moving in the
- 00:18:13.518 --> 00:18:15.987
- Earth, and i don't wanna miss it.
- 00:18:15.987 --> 00:18:19.290
- I don't wanna say "i'm born again," or "spirit-filled," or
- 00:18:19.290 --> 00:18:23.161
- "i read my bible," or "i've been here," or "done that," or
- 00:18:23.161 --> 00:18:28.533
- "experienced this," or all the junk we do to give ourselves a
- 00:18:28.533 --> 00:18:32.904
- Pass for these invitations to breakthroughs.
- 00:18:32.904 --> 00:18:37.108
- 'cause in my life, they typically feel like kind of
- 00:18:37.108 --> 00:18:40.511
- A nuisance.
- 00:18:40.511 --> 00:18:43.948
- I mean, i'm alre--life's already had--anybody here, like, just
- 00:18:43.948 --> 00:18:46.284
- Bored to tears, can't think of anything to do?
- 00:18:46.284 --> 00:18:49.921
- Yeah, i didn't think so.
- 00:18:49.921 --> 00:18:52.456
- So let's--we're gonna look at some people that don't get it
- 00:18:52.456 --> 00:18:54.825
- Right and maybe it'll help us gain some momentum in
- 00:18:54.825 --> 00:18:57.395
- Saying "yes."
- 00:18:57.395 --> 00:18:58.763
- Acts chapter 13, that the church is just trying to get their legs
- 00:18:58.763 --> 00:19:03.534
- Underneath them, the pressure in jerusalem has grown to the point
- 00:19:03.534 --> 00:19:06.070
- That they're beginning to spread a bit, saul of tarsus has been
- 00:19:06.070 --> 00:19:09.540
- Recruited by the lord himself, jesus stepped back in time.
- 00:19:09.540 --> 00:19:13.477
- How would that make you feel if you're part of that original
- 00:19:13.477 --> 00:19:15.813
- Group that he recruited and spent three years training and
- 00:19:15.813 --> 00:19:19.050
- Before you've gone very far, the pressure's grown, you're
- 00:19:19.050 --> 00:19:22.787
- Fragmenting a little bit, and jesus comes back and recruits
- 00:19:22.787 --> 00:19:27.325
- A rabbi?
- 00:19:27.325 --> 00:19:29.727
- Jesus comes back and recruits a pharisee and says, "here's the
- 00:19:29.727 --> 00:19:34.165
- Help you need."
- 00:19:34.165 --> 00:19:35.499
- "no, we're doing quite well, thank you."
- 00:19:35.499 --> 00:19:38.035
- They didn't want anything to do with saul of tarsus.
- 00:19:38.035 --> 00:19:39.971
- He's an angry, violent, murderous--
- 00:19:39.971 --> 00:19:41.806
- He's the opposition.
- 00:19:41.806 --> 00:19:43.174
- Why did you have to recruit the opposition?
- 00:19:43.174 --> 00:19:48.479
- It took an intermediary to get the--paul, and james, and john,
- 00:19:48.479 --> 00:19:52.683
- And the crew in jerusalem to even let saul to the table.
- 00:19:52.683 --> 00:20:00.858
- And now paul, saul, and barnabas are gonna, their first trip,
- 00:20:00.858 --> 00:20:04.428
- Their first--they're turning the gospel outward, which is blowing
- 00:20:04.428 --> 00:20:08.566
- The minds of the jewish community.
- 00:20:08.566 --> 00:20:11.402
- When i was at hebrew university, one of my most engaging classes
- 00:20:11.402 --> 00:20:14.672
- Was an orthodox, and he was--all the professors were jewish, but
- 00:20:14.672 --> 00:20:22.413
- When i say orthodox, he kept the rules.
- 00:20:22.413 --> 00:20:25.249
- There's as much diversity within the jewish community as there is
- 00:20:25.249 --> 00:20:27.785
- Diversity within the christian community.
- 00:20:27.785 --> 00:20:30.588
- You understand?
- 00:20:30.588 --> 00:20:32.456
- Some christians have dress codes, and jewelry codes, and
- 00:20:32.456 --> 00:20:35.493
- Beverage codes, and some christians don't even
- 00:20:35.493 --> 00:20:38.696
- Acknowledge the authority of scripture or people that wear
- 00:20:38.696 --> 00:20:40.931
- The label "christian," right?
- 00:20:40.931 --> 00:20:42.900
- The diversity--same diversity in the jewish community.
- 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:45.836
- This faculty member was orthodox.
- 00:20:45.836 --> 00:20:47.972
- He kept the rules, he wore his prayer shawl, he washed his
- 00:20:47.972 --> 00:20:51.542
- Hands so frequently as a part of--that they were
- 00:20:51.542 --> 00:20:53.744
- Constantly chapped.
- 00:20:53.744 --> 00:20:55.646
- He was brilliant, just a brilliant guy.
- 00:20:55.646 --> 00:21:04.155
- We could turn our papers in in eight different languages.
- 00:21:04.155 --> 00:21:08.326
- I chose english.
- 00:21:08.326 --> 00:21:15.232
- But he did two lectures on jesus, and i'll never
- 00:21:15.232 --> 00:21:21.539
- Forget it, 'cause he had the sharpest wit.
- 00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:24.542
- Nobody would say anything in class 'cause he would cut you to
- 00:21:24.542 --> 00:21:26.544
- Ribbons, he was good.
- 00:21:26.544 --> 00:21:29.013
- And when--the only time i ever saw him at a loss for words or
- 00:21:29.013 --> 00:21:31.882
- Awkward was when he talked about jesus.
- 00:21:31.882 --> 00:21:35.453
- And he said, "there's no question."
- 00:21:35.453 --> 00:21:36.854
- He said, "it's just absolutely clear in scripture that that
- 00:21:36.854 --> 00:21:40.925
- Early group of believers in jerusalem believed that jesus
- 00:21:40.925 --> 00:21:44.161
- Had died on a cross and been raised to life again."
- 00:21:44.161 --> 00:21:48.632
- And i remember, he kinda hung his head for a moment, and he
- 00:21:48.632 --> 00:21:50.534
- Said, "if i believed that, i would be a christian too."
- 00:21:50.534 --> 00:21:56.040
- Well, that--jesus recruited an orthodox keeper of the rules.
- 00:21:56.040 --> 00:22:03.514
- And that professor one day said, he read in acts 1, where jesus
- 00:22:03.514 --> 00:22:07.885
- Said, "the holy spirit will empower you to be my witnesses
- 00:22:07.885 --> 00:22:10.187
- In jerusalem, judea, and samaria,
- 00:22:10.187 --> 00:22:12.256
- And to the ends of the earth."
- 00:22:12.256 --> 00:22:13.891
- Well, jerusalem's the city, judea is the region,
- 00:22:13.891 --> 00:22:15.860
- Samaria is the next region.
- 00:22:15.860 --> 00:22:17.561
- And he looked at the class, and he said, "i promise you, to that
- 00:22:17.561 --> 00:22:21.532
- Audience, they thought samaria was the end of the earth."
- 00:22:21.532 --> 00:22:26.170
- They didn't think the story was going past the mediterranean--
- 00:22:26.170 --> 00:22:29.573
- The edge of the mediterranean.
- 00:22:29.573 --> 00:22:34.211
- And now here's saul in acts 13, and they've turned the--they're
- 00:22:34.211 --> 00:22:38.983
- Facing out.
- 00:22:38.983 --> 00:22:41.619
- Now, that's where we're gonna step in.
- 00:22:41.619 --> 00:22:42.953
- "in the church of antioch there was a prophet.
- 00:22:42.953 --> 00:22:44.889
- There were prophets and teachers: barnabas, simeon,
- 00:22:44.889 --> 00:22:48.092
- Lucius, manaen.
- 00:22:48.092 --> 00:22:50.528
- And while they were worshiping the lord and fasting, the holy
- 00:22:50.528 --> 00:22:52.963
- Spirit said, "set apart from me barnabas and saul for the work
- 00:22:52.963 --> 00:22:55.866
- To which i've called them.
- 00:22:55.866 --> 00:22:57.701
- So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands
- 00:22:57.701 --> 00:23:00.104
- On them and they sent them off."
- 00:23:00.104 --> 00:23:01.906
- They had to get sent off to do the work.
- 00:23:01.906 --> 00:23:03.507
- Can you imagine having the imagination god's called you
- 00:23:03.507 --> 00:23:05.476
- To something?
- 00:23:05.476 --> 00:23:08.512
- Please don't use that as an excuse.
- 00:23:08.512 --> 00:23:10.047
- I cannot tell you how many conversations with peo--i've had
- 00:23:10.047 --> 00:23:12.016
- With people, "if i just knew what god wanted me--" i can help
- 00:23:12.016 --> 00:23:13.918
- You, you've been empowered to be a witness for him in your home,
- 00:23:13.918 --> 00:23:20.224
- On your block, in your community.
- 00:23:20.224 --> 00:23:23.761
- "until we do that, we've got--" no, that's the assignment.
- 00:23:23.761 --> 00:23:27.598
- "well, i'm an introvert."
- 00:23:27.598 --> 00:23:28.933
- Good, he'll use introverts.
- 00:23:28.933 --> 00:23:30.801
- "i'm not good with words."
- 00:23:30.801 --> 00:23:32.136
- He recruited moses.
- 00:23:32.136 --> 00:23:36.574
- "well, i've been an angry anti-christian."
- 00:23:36.574 --> 00:23:38.409
- He chose saul.
- 00:23:38.409 --> 00:23:40.377
- All my excuses, he's got one of 'em in the hall of fame.
- 00:23:40.377 --> 00:23:45.316
- So they've sent off barnabas and saul, and in verse 4, "the two
- 00:23:45.316 --> 00:23:47.952
- Of them, sent on their way by the holy spirit, went down to
- 00:23:47.952 --> 00:23:50.521
- Seleucia and they sailed there to cyprus," it's an island just
- 00:23:50.521 --> 00:23:54.825
- Off the coast of israel, still there, "when they arrived at
- 00:23:54.825 --> 00:23:59.830
- Salamis, they proclaimed the word of god in the
- 00:23:59.830 --> 00:24:02.666
- Jewish synagogues.
- 00:24:02.666 --> 00:24:04.602
- John was with them as a helper," john mark, not...
- 00:24:04.602 --> 00:24:08.472
- "and they traveled through the whole island until they came
- 00:24:08.472 --> 00:24:10.608
- To paphos.
- 00:24:10.608 --> 00:24:11.942
- And there they met a jewish sorcerer and a false prophet
- 00:24:11.942 --> 00:24:14.778
- Named bar-jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul,
- 00:24:14.778 --> 00:24:18.849
- Sergius paulus.
- 00:24:18.849 --> 00:24:20.184
- And the proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for
- 00:24:20.184 --> 00:24:21.652
- Barnabas and saul because he wanted to hear the word of god.
- 00:24:21.652 --> 00:24:26.023
- But the sorcerer opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul
- 00:24:26.023 --> 00:24:30.628
- From the faith.
- 00:24:30.628 --> 00:24:33.163
- Then saul, who was called paul, filled with the holy spirit,
- 00:24:33.163 --> 00:24:36.000
- Looked straight at him and said, 'you're a child of the devil and
- 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:39.603
- An enemy of everything that is right!'"
- 00:24:39.603 --> 00:24:42.339
- For all of you that think kindness,
- 00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:44.141
- "thou shalt be kind," is the 11th commandment,
- 00:24:44.141 --> 00:24:46.377
- Please hear what paul said.
- 00:24:46.377 --> 00:24:50.314
- He looked at a very powerful man on the island of cyprus, and he
- 00:24:50.314 --> 00:24:53.350
- Said, "you are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything
- 00:24:53.350 --> 00:24:56.320
- That is right!"
- 00:24:56.320 --> 00:24:58.622
- Jesus loves you, "'you are full of all kinds of deceit
- 00:24:58.622 --> 00:25:04.161
- And trickery.
- 00:25:04.161 --> 00:25:05.496
- Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the lord?
- 00:25:05.496 --> 00:25:09.533
- Now the hand of the lord is against you.
- 00:25:09.533 --> 00:25:11.468
- And you're gonna be blind, and for a time you'll be unable to
- 00:25:11.468 --> 00:25:14.305
- See the light of the sun.'
- 00:25:14.305 --> 00:25:15.873
- And immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he
- 00:25:15.873 --> 00:25:18.342
- Groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
- 00:25:18.342 --> 00:25:22.079
- When the governor saw what had happened, he believed, for he
- 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:27.418
- Was amazed at the teaching about the lord."
- 00:25:27.418 --> 00:25:30.821
- Now we've got a little narrative here before you turn your page.
- 00:25:30.821 --> 00:25:33.724
- Maybe you wanna circle some names, 'cause you've got some
- 00:25:33.724 --> 00:25:36.994
- Characters being introduced and you need to think about their
- 00:25:36.994 --> 00:25:39.496
- Roles, their assignments, how many--who's gonna cooperate
- 00:25:39.496 --> 00:25:43.033
- With the lord?
- 00:25:43.033 --> 00:25:44.401
- There's a breakthrough happening, revival's breaking
- 00:25:44.401 --> 00:25:45.736
- Out, the spirit of god is moving in the world in a way it had
- 00:25:45.736 --> 00:25:49.173
- Never moved before, barnabas and saul are on board, the community
- 00:25:49.173 --> 00:25:55.045
- Of faith that they have been a part of had enough clarity from
- 00:25:55.045 --> 00:25:59.984
- The lord that they said, "we think you should go."
- 00:25:59.984 --> 00:26:03.454
- And they were in enough unity that they said, "we will go."
- 00:26:03.454 --> 00:26:06.857
- And they get to cyprus.
- 00:26:06.857 --> 00:26:09.660
- It says, "they were sent on their way," in verse 4,
- 00:26:09.660 --> 00:26:12.262
- "by the holy spirit."
- 00:26:12.262 --> 00:26:14.398
- You're not just recruiting somebody to read your bible
- 00:26:14.398 --> 00:26:16.767
- In the new year because it's an assignment from pastor.
- 00:26:16.767 --> 00:26:20.437
- God is moving in the earth.
- 00:26:20.437 --> 00:26:23.073
- So you will never believe there's a supernatural component
- 00:26:23.073 --> 00:26:25.943
- To what you're doing until you're willing to believe
- 00:26:25.943 --> 00:26:28.512
- There's a supernatural component to what you're doing.
- 00:26:28.512 --> 00:26:32.182
- Allen: i wanna pray with you before we go, but i just wanna
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- Remind you, we don't have to outthink evil or outwork evil.
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- We don't have to be louder than evil.
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- We need to understand the authority that is ours in
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- Jesus's name and the power of his shed blood.
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- It changes everything. i wanna pray with you.
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- Father, i thank you that, through the name of jesus, we
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- Have been delivered out of the hand of the devil, that he has
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- No power over us, no authority over us, in jesus's name.
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- And i pray that that truth would take root in our hearts and
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- Enable us to live with great boldness, in jesus's name, amen.
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