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 2) | January 20, 2025
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- Allen jackson: so let's--we're gonna look at some people that
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- Don't get it right and maybe it'll help us gain some momentum
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- In saying yes.
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- Acts chapter 13, the church is just trying to
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- Get their legs underneath them.
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- The pressure in jerusalem has grown to the point that they're
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- Beginning to spread a bit.
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- Saul of tarsus has been recruited by the lord himself.
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- Jesus stepped back in time.
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- How would that make you feel if you're part of that original
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- Group that he recruited and spent three years training and
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- Before you've gone very far, the pressure's grown, you're
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- Fragmenting a little bit, and jesus comes back and recruits
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- A rabbi.
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- Jesus comes back and recruits a pharisee and says,
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- "here's the help you need."
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- "no, we're doing quite well, thank you."
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- They didn't want anything to do with saul of tarsus.
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- He's an angry, violent, murderous--he's the opposition.
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- Why did you have to recruit the opposition?
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- It took an intermediary to get the paul and james and john and
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- The crew in jerusalem to even let saul to the table.
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- And now paul, saul, and barnabas are gonna--their first trip,
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- Their first--they're turning the gospel outward, which is blowing
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- The minds of the jewish community.
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- When i was at hebrew university, one of my most engaging classes
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- Was in orthodox and he was--all the professors were jewish, but
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- When i say orthodox, he kept the rules.
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- There's as much diversity within the jewish community as there is
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- Diversity within the christian community, you understand?
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- Some christians have dress codes and jewelry codes and beverage
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- Codes and some christians don't even acknowledge the authority
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- Of scripture or people that wear the label christian.
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- Right, the diversity, same diversity in the
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- Jewish community.
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- This faculty member was orthodox.
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- He kept the rules.
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- He wore his prayer shawl.
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- He washed his hands so frequently as a part of the that
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- They were constantly chapped.
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- He was brilliant.
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- Just a brilliant, brilliant guy.
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- We could turn our papers in in eight different languages.
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- I chose english.
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- But he did two lectures on jesus, and i'll never forget it
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- 'cause he had the sharpest wit.
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- Nobody would say anything in class 'cause he would cut you to
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- Ribbons, he was good.
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- And when--the only time i ever saw him at a loss for words or
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- Awkward was when he talked about jesus and he said, "there's
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- No question."
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- He said, "it's just absolutely clear in scripture that that
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- Early group of believers in jerusalem believed that jesus
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- Had died on a cross and been raised to life again."
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- And i remember he kind of hung his head for a moment and he
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- Said, "if i believed that, i would be a christian too."
- 00:03:06.034 --> 00:03:11.473
- Well, that jesus recruited an orthodox keeper of the rules and
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- That professor one day said he read in acts 1 where jesus said,
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- "the holy spirit will empower you to be my witnesses in
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- Jerusalem, judea, and samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
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- Well, jerusalem's the city, judea is the region, samaria is
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- The next region, and he looked at the class and he said, "i
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- Promise you, to that audience, they thought samaria was the end
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- Of the earth."
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- They didn't think the story was going past the mediterranean,
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- The edge of the mediterranean.
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- And now here's saul in acts 13, and they've turned the--they're
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- Facing out.
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- Now that's where we're gonna step in, "in the church of
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- Antioch," there was a prophet, "there were prophets and
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- Teachers: barnabas, simeon, lucius, manaen, and while
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- They're worshiping the lord and fasting, the holy spirit said,
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- 'set apart for me barnabas and saul for the work
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- To which i've called them.'
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- So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands
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- On them and they sent them off."
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- They had to get sent off to do the work.
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- Can you imagine--have the imagination god's called you
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- To something?
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- Please don't use that as an excuse.
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- I cannot tell you how many conversations i've had with
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- People, "if i just knew what god wanted."
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- I can help you.
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- You've been empowered to be a witness for him.
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- In your home, on your block, in your community.
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- Until we do that, we've got no--that's the assignment.
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- "well, i'm an introvert." good, he'll use introverts.
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- "i'm not good with words," he recruited moses.
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- "well, i've been an angry anti-christian."
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- He chose saul.
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- All my excuses, he's got one of them in the hall of fame.
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- So they sent off barnabas and saul and then verse 4, "the two
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- Of them, sent on their way by the holy spirit, went down to
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- Seleucia and they sailed there to cyprus."
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- It's an island just off the coast of israel, still there.
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- "when they arrived at salamis, they proclaimed the word of god
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- In the jewish synagogues.
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- John was with him as a helper."
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- John mark, not--
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- And "they traveled through the whole island until they came to
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- Paphos, and there they met a jewish sorcerer and a false
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- Prophet named bar-jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul,
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- Sergius paulus and the proconsul, an intelligent man,
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- Sent for barnabas and saul because he wanted to hear the
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- Word of god.
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- But the sorcerer opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul
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- From the faith.
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- And saul, who's called paul, filled with the holy spirit,
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- Looked straight at him and said, 'you are a child of the devil
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- And an enemy of everything that is right!"'
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- For all of you that think kindness, thou shalt be kind is
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- The 11th commandment, please hear what paul said.
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- He looked at a very powerful man on the island of cyprus and he
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- Said, '"you are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything
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- That is right!"'
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- Jesus loves you.
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- "'you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery.
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- Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the lord?
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- Now the hand of the lord is against you and you're gonna be
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- Blind, and for a time you'll be unable to see the light of
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- The sun.'
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- And immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he
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- Groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
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- When the governor saw what had happened, he believed, for he
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- Was amazed at the teaching about the lord."
- 00:06:42.851 --> 00:06:46.354
- Now we've got a little narrative here, before you turn your page
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- Maybe you wanna circle some names, 'cause you've got some
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- Characters being introduced and you need to think about their
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- Roles, their assignments, how many,
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- Who's gonna cooperate with the lord.
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- There's a breakthrough happening, revivals
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- Breaking out.
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- The spirit of god is moving in the world in a way it had never
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- Moved before.
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- Barnabas and saul are on board.
- 00:07:07.976 --> 00:07:09.911
- The community of faith that they have been a part of had enough
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- Clarity from the lord that they said, we think you should go and
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- They were in enough unity that they said we will go and they
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- Get to cyprus.
- 00:07:22.557 --> 00:07:25.093
- Says they were sent on their way in verse 4 by the holy spirit.
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- You're not just recruiting somebody to read your bible in
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- The new year because it's an assignment from pastor.
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- God is moving in the earth.
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- See, you will never believe there's a supernatural component
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- To what you're doing until you're willing to believe
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- There's a supernatural component to what you're doing.
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- You don't have to roll out high-minded words, big center*,
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- You know.
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- Don't go find somebody, don't do this.
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- Somebody's probably done it to you, you know, you get that
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- Creepy look.
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- "oh, i feel like the lord directed me to you, and we
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- Should read the bible."
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- I wouldn't read the bible with you with an invitation
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- Like that.
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- You have to understand that reading the word of god is a way
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- Of honoring the lord, of submitting to the discipline of
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- The spirit of god.
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- Of subjecting yourself to an authority greater than yourself.
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- That you won't just own your calendar and your schedule and
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- Your to do list, that you would submit to the lord, and when you
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- Recognize the inherent value in that, and you will submit to it,
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- Then you become an advocate and you may have to invite three or
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- Four or five or ten people before you find one person,
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- They'll go, i'd kinda like to do that.
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- You don't need an announcement.
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- You can simply say, you know, look, i've decided to try this.
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- I'm gonna do this, and it'll help me if you do it with me.
- 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:03.725
- 'cause any commitment that you make and you give away to
- 00:09:03.725 --> 00:09:05.927
- Another person is inherently more likely to hold.
- 00:09:05.927 --> 00:09:12.534
- See, we've been pointing at our pedigree.
- 00:09:12.534 --> 00:09:14.135
- "i'm born again. i'm spirit filled.
- 00:09:14.135 --> 00:09:16.438
- I've led a small group for 63 years.
- 00:09:16.438 --> 00:09:20.308
- We did the book of isaiah.
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- It took us seven years and four months.
- 00:09:21.643 --> 00:09:26.247
- We didn't just do it verse by verse.
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- We took it letter by letter."
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- And i mean, i like to study my bible.
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- So, i understand i'm poking a bit of fun, but i'm inviting you
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- To engage with what the lord might put before us, rather than
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- To review where we've been.
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- Female announcer: if you look, you'll find good
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- News everywhere.
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- Female: our baby was born healthy and strong.
- 00:09:58.947 --> 00:10:02.917
- Female: we have the groceries we need.
- 00:10:02.917 --> 00:10:05.353
- Male: another year cancer free.
- 00:10:05.353 --> 00:10:08.723
- Female: we bought our first house this year.
- 00:10:08.723 --> 00:10:12.661
- Female: the raise came through when i needed it most.
- 00:10:12.661 --> 00:10:16.297
- Male: i have a working car.
- 00:10:16.297 --> 00:10:19.868
- Female: my husband came home safe.
- 00:10:19.868 --> 00:10:23.805
- Announcer: philippians 4 tells us to think about whatever is
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- True, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent,
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- And praiseworthy.
- 00:10:31.746 --> 00:10:33.515
- All of these things honor god, and when we take time to notice
- 00:10:33.515 --> 00:10:36.785
- Them, we welcome god's presence and experience his peace.
- 00:10:36.785 --> 00:10:42.424
- Allen: you know, the two most critical junctures of any
- 00:10:42.424 --> 00:10:44.926
- Enterprise are how we begin and how we conclude.
- 00:10:44.926 --> 00:10:48.396
- So the beginning of a new year is a tremendous opportunity.
- 00:10:48.396 --> 00:10:52.333
- We've prepared a tool we wanna share with you.
- 00:10:52.333 --> 00:10:54.102
- It's a good news journal.
- 00:10:54.102 --> 00:10:56.004
- We wanna help you set a habit this year to do something with a
- 00:10:56.004 --> 00:11:00.008
- Bit more intention than perhaps has been our pattern in
- 00:11:00.008 --> 00:11:02.977
- The past.
- 00:11:02.977 --> 00:11:04.312
- We wanna start our year with an attitude of appreciation and
- 00:11:04.312 --> 00:11:07.382
- Gratitude for the blessings of god in our lives.
- 00:11:07.382 --> 00:11:10.618
- So we've designed this journal so that you can use it as a part
- 00:11:10.618 --> 00:11:13.621
- Of your devotional.
- 00:11:13.621 --> 00:11:14.989
- It's something you could include the children, the grandchildren.
- 00:11:14.989 --> 00:11:17.192
- You could take it to work and create a good news journal for
- 00:11:17.192 --> 00:11:19.627
- The people you work with.
- 00:11:19.627 --> 00:11:21.229
- Wherever that may be, let's start our year out purposefully,
- 00:11:21.229 --> 00:11:24.999
- Intentionally saying thank you to the lord for his goodness
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- To us.
- 00:11:28.436 --> 00:11:29.804
- I know there's challenges and we have places where we need god's
- 00:11:29.804 --> 00:11:32.207
- Help, but we're gonna begin with gratitude and walk into the
- 00:11:32.207 --> 00:11:36.111
- Blessings of god in this year.
- 00:11:36.111 --> 00:11:38.480
- I think you'll enjoy the journal.
- 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:40.215
- God bless.
- 00:11:40.215 --> 00:11:41.549
- Announcer: when you keep a good news list, you'll notice how god
- 00:11:41.549 --> 00:11:44.052
- Is constantly at work all around you.
- 00:11:44.052 --> 00:11:46.888
- Our new 52 week good news notebook gives you a place to
- 00:11:46.888 --> 00:11:50.859
- Record your good news, prayers you saw god answer, and your
- 00:11:50.859 --> 00:11:54.429
- Current prayer requests.
- 00:11:54.429 --> 00:11:56.231
- As you look back on your lists over the weeks and months to
- 00:11:56.231 --> 00:11:59.100
- Come, you'll find a personal record of
- 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:01.136
- God's faithfulness to you.
- 00:12:01.136 --> 00:12:02.537
- Allen: we are trusting god for a year like no other, for his
- 00:12:02.537 --> 00:12:05.774
- Breakthroughs this year.
- 00:12:05.774 --> 00:12:07.142
- I believe the good news journal can be a part of our journey in
- 00:12:07.142 --> 00:12:10.111
- Each of our lives.
- 00:12:10.111 --> 00:12:11.446
- Announcer: request your good news notebook when you donate
- 00:12:11.446 --> 00:12:13.381
- $20 or more today at allenjackson.com or by
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- Calling ...
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- Announcer: getting the latest messages from pastor
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- Allen has never been easier with the
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- Wherever you get your apps, just search allen jackson ministries,
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- Download the app and be encouraged
- 00:13:14.108 --> 00:13:15.643
- By the word today.
- 00:13:15.643 --> 00:13:21.549
- Allen: paul and barnabas, they get to cyprus.
- 00:13:25.553 --> 00:13:29.090
- There's this remarkable statement that the governor--we
- 00:13:29.090 --> 00:13:33.795
- Got barnabas and saul who said yes, then this provincial
- 00:13:33.795 --> 00:13:36.764
- Governor, the proconsul, he's the--he would be a regional
- 00:13:36.764 --> 00:13:40.435
- Governor, a regional representative of rome, in this
- 00:13:40.435 --> 00:13:43.671
- Case over the island of cyprus, and he has an interest in
- 00:13:43.671 --> 00:13:47.942
- The gospel.
- 00:13:47.942 --> 00:13:50.879
- And paul--or luke, the author of acts, adds that in verse 7, he's
- 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:55.516
- An intelligent man.
- 00:13:55.516 --> 00:13:57.285
- He wanted to hear more about the word of god.
- 00:13:57.285 --> 00:14:00.255
- Now, get this, they're jews.
- 00:14:00.255 --> 00:14:02.123
- There's a jewish rabbi, pharisee, advocating for the god
- 00:14:02.123 --> 00:14:06.995
- Of the jewish world, as far as they would have understood it.
- 00:14:06.995 --> 00:14:10.365
- Rome has a pantheon, many gods, and the governor on the island
- 00:14:10.365 --> 00:14:15.336
- Says i want to know more about this god, wow!
- 00:14:15.336 --> 00:14:21.843
- And attached to him is a jewish person, this jewish sorcerer.
- 00:14:21.843 --> 00:14:26.781
- He's a spiritual person.
- 00:14:26.781 --> 00:14:33.354
- He's a false prophet, luke tells us.
- 00:14:33.354 --> 00:14:37.325
- Which means he wants the place, he wants to be respected and
- 00:14:37.325 --> 00:14:40.862
- Understood as someone who's offering, presenting,
- 00:14:40.862 --> 00:14:43.231
- God's perspective.
- 00:14:43.231 --> 00:14:44.565
- That's what a prophet does.
- 00:14:44.565 --> 00:14:48.369
- But in reality, he has wrong motives, and therefore he's
- 00:14:48.369 --> 00:14:51.472
- Delivering a wrong message.
- 00:14:51.472 --> 00:14:55.076
- Are you--i know it gets a little complicated.
- 00:14:55.076 --> 00:14:58.012
- Barnabas and paul are on god's mission directed by the holy
- 00:14:58.012 --> 00:15:00.715
- Spirit, they get to cyprus, the governor wants to hear, and
- 00:15:00.715 --> 00:15:03.551
- Right in the middle of this is a jewish man.
- 00:15:03.551 --> 00:15:06.287
- You'd expect him to be on board with this.
- 00:15:06.287 --> 00:15:10.124
- He was a false prophet with the wrong message and a wrong
- 00:15:10.124 --> 00:15:12.393
- Motive, trying to oppose it.
- 00:15:12.393 --> 00:15:16.998
- It'd be easy to go, you know, we thought the lord sent us.
- 00:15:16.998 --> 00:15:19.167
- We got all the way to cyprus and we almost thought, but no, so
- 00:15:19.167 --> 00:15:21.970
- We're just going home.
- 00:15:21.970 --> 00:15:29.644
- And this jewish sorcerer tries to turn the governor away from
- 00:15:29.644 --> 00:15:32.947
- The faith.
- 00:15:32.947 --> 00:15:35.583
- "he opposed them," look at verse 8, "he opposed them and tried to
- 00:15:35.583 --> 00:15:38.619
- Turn the proconsul from the faith."
- 00:15:38.619 --> 00:15:41.055
- So there's a two-fold resistance.
- 00:15:41.055 --> 00:15:42.757
- Again, it's worth noting we're trying to learn, he not only
- 00:15:42.757 --> 00:15:45.960
- Opposed the message and the messengers, but he was an
- 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.764
- Aggressive adversary.
- 00:15:49.764 --> 00:15:51.299
- He sought to turn others in a different direction.
- 00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:53.935
- He wasn't sufficient to say, "don't listen to them."
- 00:15:53.935 --> 00:15:57.972
- He wasn't content to say, "nah, i don't--i'm jewish.
- 00:15:57.972 --> 00:16:02.310
- I can tell you, i wouldn't pay any attention to that."
- 00:16:02.310 --> 00:16:05.013
- He wasn't content with that.
- 00:16:05.013 --> 00:16:06.681
- He tried to turn the governor in a complete, "come do this, don't
- 00:16:06.681 --> 00:16:10.084
- Do that."
- 00:16:10.084 --> 00:16:13.454
- So it's a pretty high level of intervention, and he is
- 00:16:13.454 --> 00:16:20.028
- Rejecting the opportunity for a breakthrough in his own life.
- 00:16:20.028 --> 00:16:27.301
- If anybody in the narrative on the island of cyprus should have
- 00:16:27.301 --> 00:16:30.104
- Been ready to receive it, it would have been him.
- 00:16:30.104 --> 00:16:34.509
- He knows the scripture.
- 00:16:34.509 --> 00:16:35.877
- He knows something of it.
- 00:16:35.877 --> 00:16:38.212
- He has a heritage with that people.
- 00:16:38.212 --> 00:16:42.917
- He and paul shared more commonalities than they did
- 00:16:42.917 --> 00:16:46.020
- Different points of differentiation.
- 00:16:46.020 --> 00:16:49.223
- The roman governor is willing to listen, and the jewish spiritual
- 00:16:49.223 --> 00:16:55.029
- Person is a very aggressive adversary.
- 00:16:55.029 --> 00:17:04.939
- It's worth noting.
- 00:17:04.939 --> 00:17:07.341
- It's worth processing.
- 00:17:07.341 --> 00:17:10.611
- You see, when god presents that--i can explain it in any
- 00:17:10.611 --> 00:17:14.382
- Number of ways, you know, he thought maybe it would diminish
- 00:17:14.382 --> 00:17:16.584
- His authority if the governor believed.
- 00:17:16.584 --> 00:17:19.020
- He might lose some of his status.
- 00:17:19.020 --> 00:17:21.722
- I mean, i can make a lengthy list of reasons, but at the end
- 00:17:21.722 --> 00:17:24.292
- Of the day, he doesn't want god disrupting.
- 00:17:24.292 --> 00:17:29.797
- Which is i really think at the root of those places where you
- 00:17:29.797 --> 00:17:32.633
- And i reject the invitations to breakthroughs.
- 00:17:32.633 --> 00:17:37.338
- No, i'm pretty good, thank you.
- 00:17:37.338 --> 00:17:43.111
- We're confident enough, either in our spiritual position or our
- 00:17:43.111 --> 00:17:47.081
- Spiritual pedigree, our ability to resolve problems.
- 00:17:47.081 --> 00:17:52.620
- It's pretty unsettling.
- 00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:53.955
- How could that be? it's just bizarre.
- 00:17:53.955 --> 00:17:55.289
- I know you read it and luke gives it to us like it all makes
- 00:17:55.289 --> 00:17:57.291
- Sense, but of everybody in the narrative, you'd think, no, that
- 00:17:57.291 --> 00:18:00.761
- Guy should have been on board, and he's the one that ends up
- 00:18:00.761 --> 00:18:04.999
- Blind for a season, and paul didn't hesitate in dealing
- 00:18:04.999 --> 00:18:11.205
- With him.
- 00:18:11.205 --> 00:18:15.309
- Jesus gave us an admonition in matthew 23.
- 00:18:15.309 --> 00:18:21.816
- In matthew, he's talking to the pharisees.
- 00:18:21.816 --> 00:18:24.085
- It's the group paul was--belonged to.
- 00:18:24.085 --> 00:18:27.221
- They're power brokers, not only in jerusalem, but they have
- 00:18:27.221 --> 00:18:29.690
- Authority in all the synagogues distributed all over the empire.
- 00:18:29.690 --> 00:18:32.894
- One of the reasons paul would so consistently go into the
- 00:18:32.894 --> 00:18:34.862
- Synagogue when he goes to a new community
- 00:18:34.862 --> 00:18:36.564
- Is he was very much at home there.
- 00:18:36.564 --> 00:18:37.899
- He had something of credentials with them.
- 00:18:37.899 --> 00:18:40.468
- He knew how they were trained, he knew their order of service,
- 00:18:40.468 --> 00:18:42.637
- He knew exactly what was gonna happen.
- 00:18:42.637 --> 00:18:45.439
- So jesus is talking to that group in matthew 23, and he
- 00:18:45.439 --> 00:18:48.376
- Said, "'woe to you, teachers of the law and pharisees,
- 00:18:48.376 --> 00:18:50.244
- You're hypocrites!
- 00:18:50.244 --> 00:18:52.213
- You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.
- 00:18:52.213 --> 00:18:54.215
- You yourselves don't enter, nor will you let those enter who are
- 00:18:54.215 --> 00:18:57.018
- Trying to.
- 00:18:57.018 --> 00:18:59.620
- Woe to you, teachers of the law and
- 00:18:59.620 --> 00:19:00.955
- Pharisees, you're hypocrites!
- 00:19:00.955 --> 00:19:02.290
- You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when
- 00:19:02.290 --> 00:19:05.459
- He becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as
- 00:19:05.459 --> 00:19:08.095
- You are.'"
- 00:19:08.095 --> 00:19:09.964
- Wow.
- 00:19:09.964 --> 00:19:13.768
- It's that same two-fold opposition that we saw
- 00:19:13.768 --> 00:19:16.404
- On cyprus.
- 00:19:16.404 --> 00:19:18.072
- They opposed the message and the messengers, but then they are
- 00:19:18.072 --> 00:19:21.943
- Aggressive adversaries in trying to turn people into
- 00:19:21.943 --> 00:19:25.279
- Other directions.
- 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.048
- Don't we see that today?
- 00:19:27.048 --> 00:19:29.984
- It seems to me that that persists.
- 00:19:29.984 --> 00:19:31.886
- Not just between people of faith and the secular culture, we see
- 00:19:31.886 --> 00:19:35.923
- That within the christian community.
- 00:19:35.923 --> 00:19:37.525
- "you don't really believe the bible, do you?
- 00:19:37.525 --> 00:19:40.861
- You're not really gonna give it a place of authority in your
- 00:19:40.861 --> 00:19:43.130
- Life?"
- 00:19:43.130 --> 00:19:45.900
- And then they begin to parse out the pieces that they
- 00:19:45.900 --> 00:19:48.035
- Won't take.
- 00:19:48.035 --> 00:19:50.304
- So if i were gonna distill it a little bit, and i'm going to, i
- 00:19:50.304 --> 00:19:53.608
- Think we should live with this understanding that opposition is
- 00:19:53.608 --> 00:19:56.310
- Kind of a part of the assignment and the people that you will
- 00:19:56.310 --> 00:20:00.681
- Imagine that would help will not.
- 00:20:00.681 --> 00:20:05.386
- "well, i don't like that." okay.
- 00:20:05.386 --> 00:20:09.857
- I think, you know, football would be easier if the defense
- 00:20:09.857 --> 00:20:15.029
- Would help the offense.
- 00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:18.933
- The--we'd score more points, but it's not the nature of
- 00:20:18.933 --> 00:20:23.871
- The contest.
- 00:20:23.871 --> 00:20:25.973
- And there is opposition to the purposes of god in the earth.
- 00:20:25.973 --> 00:20:29.210
- We meet them in the opening chapters of genesis and we see
- 00:20:29.210 --> 00:20:32.546
- It persist until the concluding chapters of the book
- 00:20:32.546 --> 00:20:34.782
- Of revelation.
- 00:20:34.782 --> 00:20:36.150
- You better make room in your understanding for it.
- 00:20:36.150 --> 00:20:40.888
- I'm not amused, i'm amazed at people who imagine themselves to
- 00:20:40.888 --> 00:20:44.125
- Be christ followers, and they will say things, "well, you
- 00:20:44.125 --> 00:20:45.826
- Know, i just don't--i'm not sure the devil and spiritual, i
- 00:20:45.826 --> 00:20:50.765
- Don't, you know, i don't believe it."
- 00:20:50.765 --> 00:20:52.400
- Really?
- 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.036
- How do you feel about calories and fat?
- 00:20:55.036 --> 00:20:58.506
- Can you unbelieve those too?
- 00:20:58.506 --> 00:21:04.345
- They fill the story.
- 00:21:04.345 --> 00:21:08.182
- Look at acts 19, "paul entered the synagogue."
- 00:21:08.182 --> 00:21:12.987
- It's ephesus this time, but it's the same pattern.
- 00:21:12.987 --> 00:21:15.723
- "he enters the synagogue.
- 00:21:15.723 --> 00:21:17.091
- He spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively
- 00:21:17.091 --> 00:21:19.994
- About the kingdom of god," for three months, "but some of them
- 00:21:19.994 --> 00:21:23.030
- Became obstinate and they refused to believe and they
- 00:21:23.030 --> 00:21:27.568
- Publicly maligned the way."
- 00:21:27.568 --> 00:21:30.171
- It wasn't enough for them to go, "i'm not doing that.
- 00:21:30.171 --> 00:21:32.973
- I don't like you.
- 00:21:32.973 --> 00:21:34.342
- I'm not listening."
- 00:21:34.342 --> 00:21:36.043
- They decided to be aggressive and saying to everybody else,
- 00:21:36.043 --> 00:21:39.480
- "nobody should listen.
- 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:41.716
- We have a better way.
- 00:21:41.716 --> 00:21:43.084
- We're not gonna pay attention."
- 00:21:43.084 --> 00:21:46.954
- Again, god sent someone into the city,
- 00:21:46.954 --> 00:21:49.857
- Multiplied numbers of people.
- 00:21:49.857 --> 00:21:51.392
- Paul in ephesus, in the next very verse beyond your passage
- 00:21:51.392 --> 00:21:54.929
- Says he did extraordinary miracles through paul there.
- 00:21:54.929 --> 00:21:59.300
- A lot of evidence.
- 00:21:59.300 --> 00:22:00.968
- Seven sons of sceva and the demonized man and the riots and
- 00:22:00.968 --> 00:22:06.040
- The people burning millions of dollars worth of paraphernalia
- 00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:10.211
- That they used in ungodly things.
- 00:22:10.211 --> 00:22:12.913
- I mean, there's a revival breaking out, and yet in the
- 00:22:12.913 --> 00:22:15.049
- Middle of the synagogue, there are people who, luke says, they
- 00:22:15.049 --> 00:22:18.252
- Refused to believe in obstinance.
- 00:22:18.252 --> 00:22:23.357
- That's just not how we believe, that's not how we do it, and
- 00:22:23.357 --> 00:22:27.695
- Then they amp it up, they're going to be more aggressive.
- 00:22:27.695 --> 00:22:30.331
- They're going to publicly malign people who choose to believe.
- 00:22:30.331 --> 00:22:38.706
- Again, there are more examples.
- 00:22:38.706 --> 00:22:42.543
- There are more instances of breakthroughs being rejected
- 00:22:42.543 --> 00:22:47.214
- Than there are breakthroughs being accepted.
- 00:22:47.214 --> 00:22:50.484
- It should give us pause.
- 00:22:50.484 --> 00:22:53.587
- I can tell you from my own personal journey, there have
- 00:22:53.587 --> 00:22:57.124
- Been places where i can look back and say, "ah, i cooperated
- 00:22:57.124 --> 00:23:01.562
- To some extent there," and there are places i can look, and i
- 00:23:01.562 --> 00:23:05.366
- Say, "you know, i missed that.
- 00:23:05.366 --> 00:23:09.036
- I want to get better at saying yes to the lord."
- 00:23:09.036 --> 00:23:14.074
- I brought you a prayer.
- 00:23:14.074 --> 00:23:17.912
- The concept isn't complex.
- 00:23:17.912 --> 00:23:20.915
- The willingness to allow god to bring change to your life is
- 00:23:20.915 --> 00:23:25.319
- Not simple.
- 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:26.654
- It's not difficult to understand.
- 00:23:26.654 --> 00:23:30.391
- It requires of us a bit of faith to say that if i reoriented my
- 00:23:30.391 --> 00:23:35.062
- Life towards the lord in some way, some incremental way, and i
- 00:23:35.062 --> 00:23:40.034
- Were to continue to do that, that it wouldn't put me in a
- 00:23:40.034 --> 00:23:43.904
- Better place than if i didn't.
- 00:23:43.904 --> 00:23:47.475
- The alternative to that is what has flourished in contemporary
- 00:23:47.475 --> 00:23:51.011
- American christendom for too long, is we've done all the
- 00:23:51.011 --> 00:23:54.315
- Significant things with god we need to do.
- 00:23:54.315 --> 00:23:57.318
- Now we're just trying to maintain a healthy spiritual
- 00:23:57.318 --> 00:24:00.354
- Immune system so that we don't get infected with something we
- 00:24:00.354 --> 00:24:03.123
- Don't want.
- 00:24:03.123 --> 00:24:05.526
- So we're afraid, we don't wanna read anything we don't
- 00:24:05.526 --> 00:24:07.561
- Know about.
- 00:24:07.561 --> 00:24:09.096
- If it's not an author that we know has been blessed by the
- 00:24:09.096 --> 00:24:11.232
- Publishing house that we endorse, we're not sure we
- 00:24:11.232 --> 00:24:13.167
- Should read it 'cause we might get a bad idea.
- 00:24:13.167 --> 00:24:15.636
- If it's an expression of worship that we haven't seen, we're not
- 00:24:15.636 --> 00:24:17.705
- Sure we want to do that 'cause that's not the way we do it.
- 00:24:17.705 --> 00:24:21.308
- Or and on and on and and so we have this rather defensive
- 00:24:21.308 --> 00:24:24.345
- Approach to our faith, and i believe god has begun a shaking
- 00:24:24.345 --> 00:24:29.984
- In the earth and he's calling forth a people.
- 00:24:29.984 --> 00:24:33.621
- The same way we read about it in the book of acts and other
- 00:24:33.621 --> 00:24:36.056
- Places in the scripture, and i wanna--i intend to be a part, if
- 00:24:36.056 --> 00:24:39.493
- God will allow me and the holy spirit will help me, and i'm
- 00:24:39.493 --> 00:24:44.565
- Putting before you an invitation, and it's--you will
- 00:24:44.565 --> 00:24:47.568
- Have said no, you'll have made some mistakes, we've all made
- 00:24:47.568 --> 00:24:50.237
- Some mistakes and maybe you need to talk to the lord about it and
- 00:24:50.237 --> 00:24:52.439
- Say, "lord, i'm sorry.
- 00:24:52.439 --> 00:24:55.643
- I don't want to excuse it or justify it or baptize
- 00:24:55.643 --> 00:24:58.045
- It and all the reasons why.
- 00:24:58.045 --> 00:24:59.380
- I'm sorry, lord, but i'll find my voice this time
- 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.783
- Or i'll stand this time or i'll say yes this time."
- 00:25:02.783 --> 00:25:07.021
- Watch and listen and think and act.
- 00:25:07.021 --> 00:25:12.927
- I promise, it's a--it's not some subtle thread of scripture, it
- 00:25:12.927 --> 00:25:16.797
- Is the story of the book.
- 00:25:16.797 --> 00:25:22.069
- So i brought you a prayer, but it's really just an
- 00:25:22.069 --> 00:25:26.840
- Interpolation of a passage of scripture,
- 00:25:26.840 --> 00:25:28.842
- So let me read you the passage.
- 00:25:28.842 --> 00:25:30.177
- It's philippians 3, verses 12 to 14.
- 00:25:30.177 --> 00:25:33.647
- Paul's writing to a church, to a group of believers, and
- 00:25:33.647 --> 00:25:37.685
- It's reflective.
- 00:25:37.685 --> 00:25:39.019
- This is self-reflection.
- 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:40.387
- Paul says, "not that i have already obtained all of this, or
- 00:25:40.387 --> 00:25:43.557
- Have already been made perfect," but then he gives them his
- 00:25:43.557 --> 00:25:47.094
- Action plan, "but i press on to take hold of that for which
- 00:25:47.094 --> 00:25:50.264
- Christ jesus took hold of me.
- 00:25:50.264 --> 00:25:52.533
- Brothers, i don't consider myself yet to have taken hold
- 00:25:52.533 --> 00:25:55.069
- Of it.
- 00:25:55.069 --> 00:25:56.537
- But one thing i do; forgetting what is behind and straining
- 00:25:56.537 --> 00:25:59.840
- Toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize
- 00:25:59.840 --> 00:26:03.677
- For which god has called me heavenward in christ jesus."
- 00:26:03.677 --> 00:26:07.348
- Now, if the apostle paul would say that, i'm thinking that
- 00:26:07.348 --> 00:26:10.217
- Brother allen perhaps should raise his hand, and maybe you
- 00:26:10.217 --> 00:26:16.857
- Would like to, so i brought you a prayer.
- 00:26:16.857 --> 00:26:19.693
- Why don't we stand together.
- 00:26:19.693 --> 00:26:28.802
- Can we read this together?
- 00:26:28.802 --> 00:26:31.505
- Heavenly father, i acknowledge that i'm a learner, growing in
- 00:26:31.505 --> 00:26:36.143
- The grace of my lord jesus christ.
- 00:26:36.143 --> 00:26:39.246
- My intent is to take hold of that for which christ jesus took
- 00:26:39.246 --> 00:26:43.283
- Hold of me.
- 00:26:43.283 --> 00:26:44.885
- With the help of the holy spirit i will forget what is behind and
- 00:26:44.885 --> 00:26:49.523
- Strain toward what is ahead.
- 00:26:49.523 --> 00:26:52.092
- I choose to press on toward the goal of my heavenly calling, in
- 00:26:52.092 --> 00:26:56.730
- Jesus name, amen.
- 00:26:56.730 --> 00:26:59.600
- Hallelujah.
- 00:26:59.600 --> 00:27:01.335
- Now, that's a good way to begin a new year.
- 00:27:01.335 --> 00:27:04.638
- Amen, god bless you.
- 00:27:04.638 --> 00:27:08.776
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:08.776 --> 00:27:08.776