Allen Jackson - Breakthroughs Rejected (Part 2)

January 20, 2025 | S25:E20

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."
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  • 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."
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  • 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.
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  • 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
  • 00:07:14.716 --> 00:07:19.087
  • They were in enough unity that they said we will go and they
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  • Get to cyprus.
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  • 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,
  • 00:08:37.866 --> 00:08:41.670
  • 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.
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  • '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.
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  • 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.
  • 00:09:26.247 --> 00:09:28.617
  • 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.
  • 00:09:57.045 --> 00:09:58.947
  • 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,
  • 00:10:26.307 --> 00:10:31.746
  • And praiseworthy.
  • 00:10:31.746 --> 00:10:33.515
  • All of these things honor god, and when we take time to notice
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  • 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
  • 00:11:24.999 --> 00:11:28.436
  • 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
  • 00:12:13.381 --> 00:12:17.185
  • 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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  • By the word today.
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  • 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