Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#Heart
#Change
#Signs&Wonders
#EndTimes
#LastDays
#Culture
#Lies
#Politics
#Evil
#Choices
#Obedience
#Disobedience
Closed captions
Show Timecode
Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - A Change of Heart | September 27, 2025
- ...
- 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:00.025
- Allen jackson: hey, i've got a new book.
- 00:00:06.065 --> 00:00:07.299
- I think it'll be a blessing.
- 00:00:07.433 --> 00:00:08.634
- It's "my friend jesus."
- 00:00:08.734 --> 00:00:09.134
- You know, i've had the privilege of a good education, a lot of
- 00:00:10.335 --> 00:00:12.237
- Formal training, years in church world.
- 00:00:12.237 --> 00:00:14.740
- I've learned big words and definitions and
- 00:00:14.740 --> 00:00:16.942
- Formal dialogues.
- 00:00:16.942 --> 00:00:18.577
- I wanna peel all that back.
- 00:00:18.577 --> 00:00:19.945
- At the end of the day, i wanna live my life as jesus's friend.
- 00:00:19.945 --> 00:00:23.348
- I want to trust him with who i am, with what i'm doing.
- 00:00:23.348 --> 00:00:25.651
- I wanna invite him into the circumstances.
- 00:00:25.651 --> 00:00:27.920
- I want his opinion.
- 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:29.288
- I want his perspective.
- 00:00:29.288 --> 00:00:30.622
- I need his help a lot of times.
- 00:00:30.622 --> 00:00:31.990
- I'm not trying to hide anything or compartmentalize anything.
- 00:00:31.990 --> 00:00:34.693
- I wanna live my life as jesus's friend.
- 00:00:34.693 --> 00:00:37.663
- I've talked about it, i've preached about it, and now i've
- 00:00:37.663 --> 00:00:39.832
- Written about it and the real goal is to help jesus become
- 00:00:39.832 --> 00:00:43.135
- Your friend in a new way.
- 00:00:43.135 --> 00:00:44.903
- I wanna talk about more than going to heaven or being saved
- 00:00:44.903 --> 00:00:47.573
- Or being good or keeping the rules.
- 00:00:47.573 --> 00:00:50.542
- I just wanna be jesus's friend.
- 00:00:50.542 --> 00:00:52.778
- I believe that's the best lane in life.
- 00:00:52.778 --> 00:00:55.147
- I think it's the best opportunities.
- 00:00:55.147 --> 00:00:56.615
- It's the most fulfilling, the most rewarding.
- 00:00:56.615 --> 00:00:59.284
- My hope is the book will change your faith and give a new
- 00:00:59.284 --> 00:01:02.454
- Momentum to your own spiritual life.
- 00:01:02.454 --> 00:01:04.723
- I believe it'll be a blessing.
- 00:01:04.723 --> 00:01:06.792
- Allen: if we want to be participants in this moving
- 00:01:06.859 --> 00:01:09.161
- Of the spirit of god that we say we're so anxious for, we're
- 00:01:09.161 --> 00:01:12.231
- Gonna have to be the ones willing to embrace change.
- 00:01:12.231 --> 00:01:15.634
- We're gonna have to have a change of heart.
- 00:01:15.634 --> 00:01:19.404
- We're gonna have to move out of that kind of petrified place
- 00:01:19.404 --> 00:01:22.474
- Where we're pretty certain we know all the important stuff.
- 00:01:22.474 --> 00:01:26.311
- I mean, after all, peter, james, and john just spent 3 years
- 00:01:26.311 --> 00:01:28.647
- With jesus.
- 00:01:28.647 --> 00:01:31.116
- They were in the boat when he walked on the lake, they fed the
- 00:01:31.116 --> 00:01:33.418
- Multitude with that little boy's happy meal.
- 00:01:33.418 --> 00:01:37.022
- They were at the wedding when he made wine.
- 00:01:37.022 --> 00:01:40.325
- Peter, james, and john were on the mountain when jesus was
- 00:01:40.325 --> 00:01:42.694
- Transfigured and he hung out and had a little chat with moe.
- 00:01:42.694 --> 00:01:48.066
- I mean, they had front row seats for the whole thing.
- 00:01:48.066 --> 00:01:54.740
- And they're the ones that have to change.
- 00:01:54.740 --> 00:01:58.610
- They're not going back to their fishing businesses.
- 00:01:58.610 --> 00:02:01.947
- They're not going back to their routines.
- 00:02:01.947 --> 00:02:04.883
- They're not going back often to the synagogue in capernaum.
- 00:02:04.883 --> 00:02:10.589
- They're gonna be reviled, mocked, and rejected.
- 00:02:10.589 --> 00:02:17.729
- And experience the presence of god and the power of god and
- 00:02:17.729 --> 00:02:21.200
- Learn new things and you'll watch them scramble to figure
- 00:02:21.200 --> 00:02:23.936
- It out.
- 00:02:23.936 --> 00:02:25.304
- They're gonna argue amongst themselves and go, "i don't
- 00:02:25.304 --> 00:02:26.939
- Know, can we do that?
- 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:28.307
- I don't know if we can do that.
- 00:02:28.307 --> 00:02:29.641
- We've never done that but the lord sent me there.
- 00:02:29.641 --> 00:02:31.243
- I had a vision.
- 00:02:31.243 --> 00:02:32.578
- I know, three times i had a vision.
- 00:02:32.578 --> 00:02:33.979
- Then they're knocking at the door and so i went, but i didn't
- 00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:37.015
- Know what to expect and then god poured out his spirit on them
- 00:02:37.015 --> 00:02:40.219
- Like he did on us and we don't even like them."
- 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:47.559
- You know, god's gonna move in the lives of the people that you
- 00:02:47.559 --> 00:02:50.395
- Don't like.
- 00:02:50.395 --> 00:02:52.564
- And there's people that you've been praying he would touch
- 00:02:52.564 --> 00:02:54.733
- Because they're such good people, and they're just not
- 00:02:54.733 --> 00:02:58.270
- Gonna respond.
- 00:02:58.270 --> 00:03:00.906
- And you'll be going, "you know, there's some really ungodly
- 00:03:00.906 --> 00:03:03.976
- People doing some godly things."
- 00:03:03.976 --> 00:03:12.551
- Verse 22: "but the fruit of the spirit," this is the contrast.
- 00:03:12.551 --> 00:03:16.521
- The fruit of the spirit, and there's nine things listed:
- 00:03:16.521 --> 00:03:18.790
- "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
- 00:03:18.790 --> 00:03:21.226
- Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
- 00:03:21.226 --> 00:03:24.229
- Against these things there is no law.
- 00:03:24.229 --> 00:03:26.098
- Those who belong to christ jesus have crucified the sinful nature
- 00:03:26.098 --> 00:03:29.334
- With its passions."
- 00:03:29.334 --> 00:03:31.103
- God will not crucify your old nature.
- 00:03:31.103 --> 00:03:34.306
- You're praying for god to take it away from you, you're
- 00:03:34.306 --> 00:03:36.241
- Ignoring the counsel of scripture.
- 00:03:36.241 --> 00:03:38.810
- He said you have to execute it.
- 00:03:38.810 --> 00:03:41.380
- You have to say no.
- 00:03:41.380 --> 00:03:44.683
- You have to stand against it.
- 00:03:44.683 --> 00:03:46.051
- I will not yield to you.
- 00:03:46.051 --> 00:03:47.386
- I will not give you first place.
- 00:03:47.386 --> 00:03:48.754
- "but i want to."
- 00:03:48.754 --> 00:03:50.088
- Okay, duly noted, shut up.
- 00:03:50.088 --> 00:03:54.092
- Well, i can't say shut up at church.
- 00:03:54.092 --> 00:03:55.427
- That'll bring my mom back.
- 00:03:55.427 --> 00:03:56.795
- It'll be bad.
- 00:03:56.795 --> 00:03:58.964
- There are rules.
- 00:03:58.964 --> 00:04:00.332
- Did you know that?
- 00:04:00.332 --> 00:04:01.667
- You can't say, "shut up."
- 00:04:01.667 --> 00:04:03.101
- Don't say that. that's true.
- 00:04:03.101 --> 00:04:13.111
- We have to crucify that old nature with its passions
- 00:04:13.111 --> 00:04:17.316
- And desires.
- 00:04:17.316 --> 00:04:19.618
- You say, "but that's what i want.
- 00:04:19.618 --> 00:04:21.286
- I think, i feel."
- 00:04:21.286 --> 00:04:22.688
- Okay, i agree you have feelings and you have thoughts and you
- 00:04:22.688 --> 00:04:27.192
- Have desires.
- 00:04:27.192 --> 00:04:28.560
- That does not mean they're all godly.
- 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:29.895
- It doesn't mean they're all generated by the holy spirit.
- 00:04:29.895 --> 00:04:32.097
- "you can't tell me my feelings aren't real."
- 00:04:32.097 --> 00:04:33.999
- You're right, i can't.
- 00:04:33.999 --> 00:04:35.367
- They're real, but they could be real ungodly.
- 00:04:35.367 --> 00:04:41.940
- There's probably a country song in there if you just got
- 00:04:41.940 --> 00:04:44.176
- Somebody to help you craft those words just right.
- 00:04:44.176 --> 00:04:48.447
- "since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with
- 00:04:48.447 --> 00:04:51.383
- The spirit."
- 00:04:51.383 --> 00:04:53.385
- To keep in step you'd have to pay attention to how the spirit
- 00:04:53.385 --> 00:04:55.754
- Is moving, where he's going.
- 00:04:55.754 --> 00:04:57.089
- That's what the book of acts is about.
- 00:04:57.089 --> 00:04:58.457
- I need you to go here, not there.
- 00:04:58.457 --> 00:05:01.326
- Or there's pressure in jerusalem, so we're gonna have
- 00:05:01.326 --> 00:05:03.161
- To leave for a while.
- 00:05:03.161 --> 00:05:07.332
- It's not an easy thing.
- 00:05:07.332 --> 00:05:09.434
- "let us not become conceited and provoking and envying
- 00:05:09.434 --> 00:05:12.204
- Each other."
- 00:05:12.204 --> 00:05:14.539
- Again, if it's warning us not to be conceited and not to provoke
- 00:05:14.539 --> 00:05:17.409
- One another, i assure you we have a tendency towards
- 00:05:17.409 --> 00:05:21.246
- Arrogance and provocation.
- 00:05:21.246 --> 00:05:25.117
- Because when you're arrogant you start telling everybody else how
- 00:05:25.117 --> 00:05:27.285
- They're not enough.
- 00:05:27.285 --> 00:05:29.788
- I mean, not you but somebody you know.
- 00:05:29.788 --> 00:05:33.592
- In that same book, galatians chapter 6 and verse 14,
- 00:05:33.592 --> 00:05:36.495
- I thought it was a--it's a bit of a summary statement of all
- 00:05:36.495 --> 00:05:39.264
- That paul's been saying.
- 00:05:39.264 --> 00:05:40.599
- He said, "may i never boast except in the cross of our lord
- 00:05:40.599 --> 00:05:42.634
- Jesus christ, through which the world has been crucified to me,
- 00:05:42.634 --> 00:05:46.271
- And i to the world."
- 00:05:46.271 --> 00:05:48.173
- In order for paul to accept the assignment that god had for him,
- 00:05:48.173 --> 00:05:52.544
- He had to walk away from a lifetime of training and
- 00:05:52.544 --> 00:05:57.215
- Professional momentum.
- 00:05:57.215 --> 00:05:59.451
- He had to completely realign his friends.
- 00:05:59.451 --> 00:06:02.654
- He had to establish new associates and the new friends
- 00:06:02.654 --> 00:06:05.957
- He needed didn't want to have anything to do with him because
- 00:06:05.957 --> 00:06:08.160
- He had such a bad reputation.
- 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.763
- I mean, there's nothing about that that's easy.
- 00:06:11.763 --> 00:06:13.532
- Most of us think, "oh, i'd love to have a fruitful life for the
- 00:06:13.532 --> 00:06:15.667
- Lord," but read about the people that have fruitful lives
- 00:06:15.667 --> 00:06:17.836
- For the lord.
- 00:06:17.836 --> 00:06:19.504
- Again, i'm suggesting to you that we have to have a change
- 00:06:19.504 --> 00:06:22.741
- Of heart.
- 00:06:22.741 --> 00:06:24.342
- And what for too long, you know, we said a change of heart is i'm
- 00:06:24.342 --> 00:06:26.878
- Gonna stop saying profanity.
- 00:06:26.878 --> 00:06:36.922
- But we haven't had a very high bar for serving the lord.
- 00:06:36.988 --> 00:06:42.360
- We really haven't, folks.
- 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:44.830
- I mean if we really get up amongst it.
- 00:06:44.830 --> 00:06:50.135
- If we read the story in the book of acts and we pay attention to
- 00:06:50.135 --> 00:06:53.071
- Our friends, there's a total realignment of their lives and
- 00:06:53.071 --> 00:06:56.274
- They're already following jesus.
- 00:06:56.274 --> 00:07:00.011
- They've already walked away from businesses and friends
- 00:07:00.011 --> 00:07:02.314
- And family.
- 00:07:02.314 --> 00:07:03.682
- They've been willing to be identified.
- 00:07:03.682 --> 00:07:05.016
- Now, they've done it in a rather haphazard halting way: when they
- 00:07:05.016 --> 00:07:07.185
- Arrested him, they couldn't find much courage, but they found it
- 00:07:07.185 --> 00:07:11.323
- When they needed it not long after.
- 00:07:11.323 --> 00:07:17.062
- This false gospel, false church thing, it's not a new problem.
- 00:07:17.062 --> 00:07:21.566
- And on this, we need this in order to put a little bit more
- 00:07:21.566 --> 00:07:24.402
- Stiffness in our spines.
- 00:07:24.402 --> 00:07:27.172
- Because we wanna act like it's the end of the age and because
- 00:07:27.172 --> 00:07:29.474
- Of that, there's some new ferocity and some new intensity
- 00:07:29.474 --> 00:07:32.844
- And so our cowardice is kind of excusable.
- 00:07:32.844 --> 00:07:37.115
- I brought you a couple of passages.
- 00:07:37.115 --> 00:07:38.483
- 2 corinthians chapter 11.
- 00:07:38.483 --> 00:07:41.686
- Paul writing to again a church that he's been very instrumental
- 00:07:41.686 --> 00:07:44.222
- In its formation, he said, "i'm afraid that just as eve was
- 00:07:44.222 --> 00:07:46.525
- Deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow
- 00:07:46.525 --> 00:07:49.728
- Be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to christ."
- 00:07:49.728 --> 00:07:54.065
- If paul thought the churches he were coaching could be led away
- 00:07:54.065 --> 00:07:56.601
- From devotion to christ, i think it would be in our best interest
- 00:07:56.601 --> 00:07:59.638
- To imagine that we could be led away.
- 00:07:59.638 --> 00:08:03.174
- "for if someone comes to you and preaches a jesus other than the
- 00:08:03.174 --> 00:08:05.911
- Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from
- 00:08:05.911 --> 00:08:09.447
- The one you received, or a different gospel from the one
- 00:08:09.447 --> 00:08:11.783
- You accepted, you put up with it easily enough."
- 00:08:11.783 --> 00:08:15.554
- This is the same paul that wrote to timothy, and he said,
- 00:08:15.554 --> 00:08:17.956
- "they're gonna have a form of godlies, but deny the power
- 00:08:17.956 --> 00:08:20.292
- Thereof, have nothing to do with them."
- 00:08:20.292 --> 00:08:23.495
- And now he's saying to the church in corinth, he said,
- 00:08:23.495 --> 00:08:25.964
- "you're tolerant of some things you shouldn't be tolerant of.
- 00:08:25.964 --> 00:08:30.669
- You're inclusive of some things that you should not
- 00:08:30.669 --> 00:08:32.904
- Be including."
- 00:08:32.904 --> 00:08:35.974
- A different jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel.
- 00:08:35.974 --> 00:08:40.946
- It's not just the corinthians.
- 00:08:40.946 --> 00:08:42.280
- In galatians chapter 1, he said, "i'm astonished that you're so
- 00:08:42.280 --> 00:08:45.317
- Quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of
- 00:08:45.317 --> 00:08:48.587
- Christ and you're turning to a different gospel.
- 00:08:48.587 --> 00:08:51.523
- It's really no gospel at all.
- 00:08:51.523 --> 00:08:54.392
- Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and
- 00:08:54.392 --> 00:08:56.828
- Trying to pervert the gospel of christ."
- 00:08:56.828 --> 00:08:58.830
- This is not a 21st century occurrence that's unique to us.
- 00:08:58.830 --> 00:09:03.234
- It's as old as the church because the adversary of the
- 00:09:03.234 --> 00:09:06.137
- Church is the same.
- 00:09:06.137 --> 00:09:09.407
- The adversary has been trying to get the people of god to kill
- 00:09:09.407 --> 00:09:12.744
- Their children for as long as we've been recording the story.
- 00:09:12.744 --> 00:09:17.015
- We used to call it molech, and they'd offer their children as
- 00:09:17.015 --> 00:09:21.553
- Sacrifices to him so their crops would be better.
- 00:09:21.553 --> 00:09:24.923
- Imagine that, sacrificing children for an
- 00:09:24.923 --> 00:09:27.392
- Economic opportunity.
- 00:09:27.392 --> 00:09:28.727
- That couldn't happen in the 21st century.
- 00:09:28.727 --> 00:09:33.565
- We have a whole variety of new gospels that are flourishing in
- 00:09:33.565 --> 00:09:36.368
- Contemporary christendom.
- 00:09:36.368 --> 00:09:37.702
- We have a gospel without consequences.
- 00:09:37.702 --> 00:09:41.539
- This one is very prevalent in american evangelicalism,
- 00:09:41.539 --> 00:09:44.976
- A gospel that really doesn't have any consequences, sin has
- 00:09:44.976 --> 00:09:47.812
- Been rendered irrelevant.
- 00:09:47.812 --> 00:09:49.781
- Grace has become all-encompassing.
- 00:09:49.781 --> 00:09:53.418
- God's grace is the triumphant message so that whatever sin you
- 00:09:53.418 --> 00:09:56.955
- Can imagine, dabble with it, engage in it, pursue it.
- 00:09:56.955 --> 00:10:01.359
- Because when you decide it's not the right path to walk any
- 00:10:01.359 --> 00:10:03.728
- Longer, you can kind of glibly say, "oh, i'm sorry," and the
- 00:10:03.728 --> 00:10:06.197
- Grace of god will cover everything and there's
- 00:10:06.197 --> 00:10:08.233
- No consequences.
- 00:10:08.233 --> 00:10:09.567
- It's a false gospel.
- 00:10:09.567 --> 00:10:13.438
- I believe in the redemptive power of god and the redemptive
- 00:10:13.438 --> 00:10:15.974
- Work of the cross, and i believe in the god of forgiveness, but
- 00:10:15.974 --> 00:10:18.677
- If you imagine there's no consequence to sin, you haven't
- 00:10:18.677 --> 00:10:21.079
- Paid attention.
- 00:10:21.079 --> 00:10:24.082
- We forget a generation who dined on manna every day and drank
- 00:10:24.082 --> 00:10:27.352
- Water from a rock and then died in the wilderness because they
- 00:10:27.352 --> 00:10:32.157
- Didn't want to continue to walk with the spirit of god.
- 00:10:32.157 --> 00:10:36.661
- We often forget about moses, recruited at a burning bush and
- 00:10:36.661 --> 00:10:40.665
- Spent the remainder of his life serving the people of god, but
- 00:10:40.665 --> 00:10:43.601
- God said, "because of your disobedience, you will not enter
- 00:10:43.601 --> 00:10:46.237
- The promised land.
- 00:10:46.237 --> 00:10:48.273
- You will not."
- 00:10:48.273 --> 00:10:50.442
- But i parted the red sea.
- 00:10:50.442 --> 00:10:51.876
- "you're not going into the promised land."
- 00:10:51.876 --> 00:10:53.244
- But i went up on the mountain and got those ten things for me.
- 00:10:53.244 --> 00:10:57.315
- My face glowed.
- 00:10:57.315 --> 00:10:58.683
- "you're not going into the promised land."
- 00:10:58.683 --> 00:11:01.820
- We forget about david, a man after god's own heart.
- 00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:06.624
- So many things to celebrate about his life and god said,
- 00:11:06.624 --> 00:11:09.260
- "you cannot build a temple for me.
- 00:11:09.260 --> 00:11:11.362
- You disqualified yourself."
- 00:11:11.362 --> 00:11:16.868
- We forget about people like ananias and sapphira who
- 00:11:16.868 --> 00:11:20.271
- Forfeited their lives because they chose selfish ambition.
- 00:11:20.271 --> 00:11:25.243
- Folks, the bible resonates with the consequences of sin.
- 00:11:25.243 --> 00:11:30.081
- Now there is forgiveness provided.
- 00:11:30.081 --> 00:11:31.716
- I believe in that, i'm a poster child for that.
- 00:11:31.716 --> 00:11:35.687
- But we have to tell the truth.
- 00:11:35.687 --> 00:11:37.021
- There's a consequence for sin.
- 00:11:37.021 --> 00:11:39.157
- We have to have a change of heart.
- 00:11:39.157 --> 00:11:42.093
- See, we don't grieve.
- 00:11:42.093 --> 00:11:43.461
- We watch our children walk into ungodliness and we kind of wink
- 00:11:43.461 --> 00:11:45.497
- At it and nod at it and go, "well, they're gonna sow a few
- 00:11:45.497 --> 00:11:47.699
- Wild oats."
- 00:11:47.699 --> 00:11:49.033
- No, they're gonna forfeit things.
- 00:11:49.033 --> 00:11:55.440
- We have a social gospel.
- 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:57.308
- This one's very prevalent.
- 00:11:57.308 --> 00:11:59.711
- We gather in our churches.
- 00:11:59.711 --> 00:12:01.045
- They're like civic clubs except we have a little music.
- 00:12:01.045 --> 00:12:06.317
- We may throw in a few more prayers, but we're really
- 00:12:06.317 --> 00:12:08.286
- Gathered to do good things.
- 00:12:08.286 --> 00:12:10.388
- We wanna show benevolence and kindness and help those less
- 00:12:10.388 --> 00:12:13.458
- Fortunate and all of those things are worthy things to do.
- 00:12:13.458 --> 00:12:15.693
- I'm grateful that civic clubs do them.
- 00:12:15.693 --> 00:12:17.529
- The church holds a message: a message of a gospel of
- 00:12:17.529 --> 00:12:22.500
- Transformation that we are sinners and we need a savior.
- 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:28.873
- That there is objective truth, there's right and wrong.
- 00:12:28.873 --> 00:12:32.777
- Civic clubs don't often have to grapple with that.
- 00:12:32.777 --> 00:12:35.280
- They just see needs and try to resolve them.
- 00:12:35.280 --> 00:12:38.550
- The church has a higher calling.
- 00:12:38.550 --> 00:12:41.553
- And we can be embraced more broadly by the culture if we'll
- 00:12:41.553 --> 00:12:44.722
- Leave the calling out and the uniqueness of jesus out and
- 00:12:44.722 --> 00:12:48.426
- We'll just serve needs.
- 00:12:48.426 --> 00:12:49.828
- We can be celebrated and we kind of like the applause so
- 00:12:49.828 --> 00:12:53.298
- Sometimes we just want to turn down the volume on jesus
- 00:12:53.298 --> 00:12:55.533
- A little bit.
- 00:12:55.533 --> 00:12:56.901
- It's a false gospel.
- 00:12:56.901 --> 00:12:59.404
- We have a happy gospel.
- 00:12:59.404 --> 00:13:02.841
- God wants you to be happy above all else.
- 00:13:02.841 --> 00:13:06.611
- He will be happy.
- 00:13:06.611 --> 00:13:09.013
- I'm not opposed to happiness.
- 00:13:09.013 --> 00:13:12.517
- But i prefer to be pleasing to the lord.
- 00:13:12.517 --> 00:13:15.620
- We have others, this one's flourished and it's taken
- 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:18.423
- Several decades.
- 00:13:18.423 --> 00:13:19.757
- This one's entrenched in our theological schools.
- 00:13:19.757 --> 00:13:22.527
- It's a socialist gospel.
- 00:13:22.527 --> 00:13:26.130
- Got a lot of momentum from south american liberation theology.
- 00:13:26.130 --> 00:13:30.635
- Then feminist theology kind of got interwoven along with it.
- 00:13:30.635 --> 00:13:34.539
- And we focused more on injustices and how we're gonna
- 00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:38.076
- Level the playing field and then we find words like equity.
- 00:13:38.076 --> 00:13:42.380
- Not equality, not that the ground at the cross is level so
- 00:13:42.380 --> 00:13:46.251
- That everybody can approach and acknowledge there's inequity,
- 00:13:46.251 --> 00:13:49.354
- That somehow we should all get equal outcomes, even god--
- 00:13:49.354 --> 00:13:52.190
- That's not biblical.
- 00:13:52.190 --> 00:13:56.895
- When he handed out talents, he didn't give the same number
- 00:13:56.895 --> 00:13:58.897
- Of talents to everybody.
- 00:13:58.897 --> 00:14:01.733
- Every one of us is different, we're created uniquely
- 00:14:01.733 --> 00:14:04.535
- In god's sight.
- 00:14:04.535 --> 00:14:06.170
- We have different gifts and abilities, the scripture says.
- 00:14:06.170 --> 00:14:10.808
- God, because he's just, will hold us accountable for the
- 00:14:10.808 --> 00:14:13.544
- Gifts and the abilities we've been given.
- 00:14:13.544 --> 00:14:17.682
- Equity is a godless construct used to manipulate human beings.
- 00:14:17.682 --> 00:14:24.389
- Don't teach it to your children and don't tolerate anyone else
- 00:14:24.389 --> 00:14:27.025
- Teaching it to your children.
- 00:14:27.025 --> 00:14:30.261
- Allen: hey, i've written a new book.
- 00:14:34.032 --> 00:14:35.400
- It's called "my friend jesus."
- 00:14:35.400 --> 00:14:37.235
- You know, i'm a pastor, a lot of ritual, tradition, a lot of
- 00:14:37.235 --> 00:14:40.605
- Formality in the way we know god.
- 00:14:40.605 --> 00:14:42.840
- It's not bad.
- 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:44.175
- There's some good things in that, but when i'm in real
- 00:14:44.175 --> 00:14:46.010
- Trouble or i have something i wanna celebrate, i call
- 00:14:46.010 --> 00:14:48.313
- A friend.
- 00:14:48.313 --> 00:14:49.681
- Well, i wanna live my life with jesus of nazareth as my friend.
- 00:14:49.681 --> 00:14:52.951
- It changes everything in both celebration and when there's
- 00:14:52.951 --> 00:14:56.054
- A problem.
- 00:14:56.054 --> 00:14:57.388
- I wrote the book to help.
- 00:14:57.388 --> 00:14:58.723
- I think it'll open your life to god in a more personal
- 00:14:58.723 --> 00:15:01.092
- Transformational way than ever before.
- 00:15:01.092 --> 00:15:03.561
- Enjoy the book.
- 00:15:03.561 --> 00:15:04.929
- Female announcer: in his book "my friend jesus," pastor allen
- 00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:07.398
- Shares how friendship with jesus brings clarity, strength, and
- 00:15:07.398 --> 00:15:10.868
- Peace in every part of life.
- 00:15:10.868 --> 00:15:12.804
- This isn't about following a religion or religious rules.
- 00:15:12.804 --> 00:15:16.107
- It's about cultivating a cherished relationship that will
- 00:15:16.107 --> 00:15:18.810
- Help your faith become more personal, more joyful, and more
- 00:15:18.810 --> 00:15:22.380
- Powerful each day.
- 00:15:22.380 --> 00:15:23.982
- Request "my friend jesus" with your donation of $25 or more
- 00:15:23.982 --> 00:15:27.885
- Today at allenjackson.com, or by calling...
- 00:15:27.885 --> 00:15:33.157
- Allen: we have a universalist gospel.
- 00:15:35.493 --> 00:15:40.164
- It says jesus is not essential.
- 00:15:40.164 --> 00:15:43.201
- God's revealed in nature and in the majesty of creation and all
- 00:15:43.201 --> 00:15:46.371
- The things that are around us.
- 00:15:46.371 --> 00:15:48.806
- Again, these are not new things.
- 00:15:48.806 --> 00:15:51.709
- Look at revelation chapter 3.
- 00:15:51.709 --> 00:15:53.945
- The book of revelation is
- 00:15:53.945 --> 00:15:55.380
- Written to seven churches today in modern day turkey, but seven
- 00:15:55.380 --> 00:15:59.917
- Churches and to every one of the churches, the pattern
- 00:15:59.917 --> 00:16:02.153
- Is similar.
- 00:16:02.153 --> 00:16:03.521
- God said, "i know what's going on with you.
- 00:16:03.521 --> 00:16:06.391
- There's some good things to be celebrated, but there's some
- 00:16:06.391 --> 00:16:08.793
- Corrections you need to make."
- 00:16:08.793 --> 00:16:10.528
- Again, a change of heart.
- 00:16:10.528 --> 00:16:14.499
- We've lost this notion.
- 00:16:14.499 --> 00:16:15.900
- We think the pagans need to change.
- 00:16:15.900 --> 00:16:18.803
- We think the immoral or the ungodly.
- 00:16:18.803 --> 00:16:20.471
- We need--think somebody else does.
- 00:16:20.471 --> 00:16:22.340
- For the book of acts to unfold, peter, james, and john and the
- 00:16:22.340 --> 00:16:25.777
- Crew they rolled with, they had to change.
- 00:16:25.777 --> 00:16:30.615
- "to the angel of the church of laodicea write: these are the
- 00:16:30.615 --> 00:16:33.251
- Words of the faithful and true witness, the ruler of
- 00:16:33.251 --> 00:16:35.753
- God's creation.
- 00:16:35.753 --> 00:16:37.989
- I know your deeds."
- 00:16:37.989 --> 00:16:40.058
- That's a very--do you know god knows our deeds?
- 00:16:40.058 --> 00:16:44.195
- He knows our deeds.
- 00:16:44.195 --> 00:16:51.002
- Spiritual forces shape history.
- 00:16:51.002 --> 00:16:52.637
- I'm about out of time.
- 00:16:52.637 --> 00:16:57.175
- Look at isaiah.
- 00:16:57.175 --> 00:16:58.543
- I pulled more than one because the perspectives change.
- 00:16:58.543 --> 00:17:02.747
- I think we have undervalued the significance of
- 00:17:02.747 --> 00:17:05.049
- Spiritual forces.
- 00:17:05.049 --> 00:17:07.118
- It's one of the reasons we don't pray like we might, we tend to
- 00:17:07.118 --> 00:17:10.288
- Trivialize them.
- 00:17:10.288 --> 00:17:11.622
- We'll talk about maybe they can change our eternity.
- 00:17:11.622 --> 00:17:13.391
- We could be born again and our eternity would be completely
- 00:17:13.391 --> 00:17:16.394
- Different, but beyond that we don't think much about spiritual
- 00:17:16.394 --> 00:17:18.930
- Forces impacting us, and i assure you they do.
- 00:17:18.930 --> 00:17:22.567
- What we're watching unfold in the earth is more about
- 00:17:22.567 --> 00:17:25.803
- A spiritual conflict than it is about nation states or
- 00:17:25.803 --> 00:17:29.907
- Geopolitical realignment or economic forces.
- 00:17:29.907 --> 00:17:35.913
- There's more to do with a group of people in davos who think
- 00:17:35.913 --> 00:17:39.117
- They're gonna run the world.
- 00:17:39.117 --> 00:17:41.185
- There's a spiritual conflict.
- 00:17:41.185 --> 00:17:42.653
- In isaiah 4, the lord said, "we'll wash away the filth of
- 00:17:42.653 --> 00:17:45.523
- The women of zion.
- 00:17:45.523 --> 00:17:46.858
- He will cleanse the bloodstains from jerusalem by a spirit of
- 00:17:46.858 --> 00:17:50.228
- Judgment and fire."
- 00:17:50.228 --> 00:17:53.464
- I've been saying that little prayer for a bit.
- 00:17:53.464 --> 00:17:57.168
- "god pour out your spirit in a way of judgment and fire.
- 00:17:57.168 --> 00:18:02.673
- Cleanse us.
- 00:18:02.673 --> 00:18:04.775
- Purify us."
- 00:18:04.775 --> 00:18:07.111
- Judgment doesn't have to mean it's something that's
- 00:18:07.111 --> 00:18:08.980
- Against you.
- 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:10.348
- Judgment can be for you.
- 00:18:10.348 --> 00:18:11.682
- Did you watch "the people's court?"
- 00:18:11.682 --> 00:18:14.152
- Long before judge judy was a thing, judge wapner was a deal.
- 00:18:14.152 --> 00:18:19.690
- They never rule against anyone; they always pronounce judgment
- 00:18:19.690 --> 00:18:23.194
- For someone.
- 00:18:23.194 --> 00:18:25.496
- You want god's judgment for you.
- 00:18:25.496 --> 00:18:28.966
- It may bring realignment.
- 00:18:28.966 --> 00:18:32.403
- A spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire, it's a prayer
- 00:18:32.403 --> 00:18:36.174
- Worth praying.
- 00:18:36.174 --> 00:18:38.543
- It feels to me, it's language is very reminiscent of that
- 00:18:38.543 --> 00:18:41.412
- Wilderness generation, led by a pillar of cloud and a pillar
- 00:18:41.412 --> 00:18:44.215
- Of fire.
- 00:18:44.215 --> 00:18:46.584
- Reminder of both protection, but the power of god.
- 00:18:46.584 --> 00:18:52.390
- In isaiah 19, there's a different spirit that
- 00:18:52.390 --> 00:18:54.659
- Is prevalent.
- 00:18:54.659 --> 00:18:56.694
- Says: "where are your wise men now?
- 00:18:56.694 --> 00:18:58.262
- Let them show you and make known what the lord almighty's planned
- 00:18:58.262 --> 00:19:01.199
- Against egypt.
- 00:19:01.199 --> 00:19:02.800
- The officials have become fools.
- 00:19:02.800 --> 00:19:05.503
- The leaders of memphis are deceived.
- 00:19:05.503 --> 00:19:08.372
- The cornerstones of her people have led egypt astray."
- 00:19:08.372 --> 00:19:11.542
- Gee, that sort of thing sounds kind of familiar to me.
- 00:19:11.542 --> 00:19:16.113
- And what's happening?
- 00:19:16.113 --> 00:19:17.448
- What's the motivation for it?
- 00:19:17.448 --> 00:19:19.183
- What's the power or the authority behind it?
- 00:19:19.183 --> 00:19:21.752
- Says: "the lord has poured into them a spirit of dizziness; they
- 00:19:21.752 --> 00:19:26.290
- Make egypt stagger in all that she does, as a drunkard staggers
- 00:19:26.290 --> 00:19:30.962
- Around in his vomit.
- 00:19:30.962 --> 00:19:33.564
- And there's nothing they can do."
- 00:19:33.564 --> 00:19:37.501
- You see, we're seeing symptoms of a spiritual problem.
- 00:19:37.501 --> 00:19:42.340
- And we have hope for resolutions that aren't spiritual, and we're
- 00:19:42.340 --> 00:19:46.911
- The church.
- 00:19:46.911 --> 00:19:50.181
- I believe god would bring to us a change of heart.
- 00:19:50.181 --> 00:19:54.318
- And then isaiah 61, i'm out of time.
- 00:19:54.318 --> 00:19:56.254
- We'll look at that in a later session, but that's the--that's
- 00:19:56.254 --> 00:19:59.457
- The passage, the prophetic passage, jesus quoted when he
- 00:19:59.457 --> 00:20:02.994
- Went to the synagogue in his hometown of nazareth.
- 00:20:02.994 --> 00:20:07.498
- He stood up and said, "the spirit of the lord is on me.
- 00:20:07.498 --> 00:20:11.035
- He's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
- 00:20:11.035 --> 00:20:14.472
- He sent me to heal the brokenhearted."
- 00:20:14.472 --> 00:20:17.575
- It says he closed the scroll and he looked around and he said,
- 00:20:17.575 --> 00:20:21.145
- "today the scripture is fulfilled in your ears."
- 00:20:21.145 --> 00:20:25.549
- And they tried to kill him.
- 00:20:25.549 --> 00:20:30.087
- Can you imagine?
- 00:20:30.087 --> 00:20:33.324
- I don't know which words you prefer: how hurtful that
- 00:20:33.324 --> 00:20:35.993
- Would be.
- 00:20:35.993 --> 00:20:38.029
- How disconcerting that would be.
- 00:20:38.029 --> 00:20:40.865
- How painful that would be.
- 00:20:40.865 --> 00:20:42.233
- He knew those people by name, not because of some
- 00:20:42.233 --> 00:20:45.036
- Supernatural revelation.
- 00:20:45.036 --> 00:20:47.605
- As a kid he played with the young people, his peer group, he
- 00:20:47.605 --> 00:20:51.175
- Knew their parents.
- 00:20:51.175 --> 00:20:52.543
- He knew the story of the community.
- 00:20:52.543 --> 00:20:54.145
- He read them from the book of isaiah.
- 00:20:54.145 --> 00:20:57.381
- And he extended to them an opportunity.
- 00:20:57.381 --> 00:21:01.986
- And they were so angry at him they wanted to kill him.
- 00:21:01.986 --> 00:21:09.927
- I promise not everybody you share the good news of the
- 00:21:09.927 --> 00:21:13.431
- Gospel with will embrace it.
- 00:21:13.431 --> 00:21:17.034
- There'll even be times it will be awkward and uncomfortable
- 00:21:17.034 --> 00:21:20.204
- That people you would imagine would accept it may choose
- 00:21:20.204 --> 00:21:22.540
- Not to.
- 00:21:22.540 --> 00:21:26.010
- But jesus said we've got to go to all the towns and villages.
- 00:21:26.010 --> 00:21:30.281
- We've got to go wherever there's an open door.
- 00:21:30.281 --> 00:21:34.919
- Folks, we need a change of heart.
- 00:21:34.919 --> 00:21:38.689
- The good news is god is helping us.
- 00:21:38.689 --> 00:21:41.726
- He called us to this most remarkable season.
- 00:21:41.726 --> 00:21:45.696
- Don't be angry at the darkness, don't rage against the darkness.
- 00:21:45.696 --> 00:21:48.032
- We're just gonna turn up the light a little bit.
- 00:21:48.032 --> 00:21:56.073
- I've said it to you many times before and i'm gonna continue to
- 00:21:56.073 --> 00:21:58.609
- Say it.
- 00:21:58.609 --> 00:22:00.010
- We're the 21st century edition of the book of acts.
- 00:22:00.010 --> 00:22:02.646
- There's no conclusion to that book because it's not
- 00:22:02.646 --> 00:22:04.582
- Finished yet.
- 00:22:04.582 --> 00:22:06.817
- We're still living it out.
- 00:22:06.817 --> 00:22:08.552
- We're the current generation of disciples of jesus and we're
- 00:22:08.552 --> 00:22:11.555
- Learning and growing and if we will cooperate with his spirit,
- 00:22:11.555 --> 00:22:14.859
- If we'll try to keep in step with the spirit, if we'll say no
- 00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:18.262
- To our old carnal earthly adamic nature and its passions, if
- 00:22:18.262 --> 00:22:25.302
- We'll stop excusing our sin, god will move in the most
- 00:22:25.302 --> 00:22:29.974
- Remarkable ways.
- 00:22:29.974 --> 00:22:34.512
- One day we will gather with those people that we've read
- 00:22:34.512 --> 00:22:37.348
- About in this book.
- 00:22:37.348 --> 00:22:39.717
- We've spent much time reading their stories and thinking about
- 00:22:39.717 --> 00:22:42.853
- What they've done and wondering how they could have been so
- 00:22:42.853 --> 00:22:46.257
- Stupid in some occasions.
- 00:22:46.257 --> 00:22:49.493
- But it's gonna be a little awkward when they get to ask us,
- 00:22:49.493 --> 00:22:52.930
- "what were you thinking?
- 00:22:52.930 --> 00:22:56.233
- We were in that great cloud of witnesses and we saw you making
- 00:22:56.233 --> 00:22:59.170
- That choice and we were all looking at one another, going...
- 00:22:59.170 --> 00:23:03.808
- 'what are they thinking?'"
- 00:23:03.808 --> 00:23:10.214
- I brought you a prayer.
- 00:23:10.214 --> 00:23:12.683
- I borrowed actually a prayer from david.
- 00:23:12.683 --> 00:23:15.719
- Psalm 51 is david's prayer of repentance, when the prophet
- 00:23:15.719 --> 00:23:20.591
- Came to him and said, "your sin of adultery and murder has not
- 00:23:20.591 --> 00:23:23.961
- Really been hidden.
- 00:23:23.961 --> 00:23:25.963
- God knows."
- 00:23:25.963 --> 00:23:29.867
- For people that think that the gospel shouldn't engage culture,
- 00:23:29.867 --> 00:23:32.603
- What do you say to the prophet that has to go tell the king,
- 00:23:32.603 --> 00:23:34.839
- "you're a murderous adulterous wretch"?
- 00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:39.743
- There's just not very many people that would like
- 00:23:39.743 --> 00:23:41.345
- That assignment.
- 00:23:41.345 --> 00:23:44.849
- But david chose to repent and i brought you a portion of
- 00:23:44.849 --> 00:23:47.518
- That prayer.
- 00:23:47.518 --> 00:23:48.853
- I think it's appropriate for us.
- 00:23:48.853 --> 00:23:50.221
- I think one of the keys to--and we're gonna look at some things
- 00:23:50.221 --> 00:23:52.256
- That enable that change of heart in us to gain momentum.
- 00:23:52.256 --> 00:23:56.527
- But spoiler alert, one of them will be a willingness of us to
- 00:23:56.527 --> 00:23:59.163
- Acknowledge our need to change.
- 00:23:59.163 --> 00:24:01.699
- And so i think david's prayer of repentance is appropriate for us
- 00:24:01.699 --> 00:24:04.602
- As we begin this little journey.
- 00:24:04.602 --> 00:24:05.936
- Let's stand together.
- 00:24:05.936 --> 00:24:10.441
- We can read it together.
- 00:24:10.441 --> 00:24:13.043
- When you have a prayer, please don't just leave it at church.
- 00:24:13.043 --> 00:24:15.212
- Take it with you.
- 00:24:15.212 --> 00:24:16.614
- Make it a part of your daily devotional for a while.
- 00:24:16.614 --> 00:24:18.516
- You'll know when you're done with it.
- 00:24:18.516 --> 00:24:20.784
- You'll feel a release.
- 00:24:20.784 --> 00:24:23.721
- Pray it morning and evening.
- 00:24:23.721 --> 00:24:26.924
- There'll be prayers the lord quickens to you and you think
- 00:24:26.924 --> 00:24:28.993
- That prayer just feels valuable to me.
- 00:24:28.993 --> 00:24:30.794
- While it feels valuable, you keep praying it.
- 00:24:30.794 --> 00:24:35.366
- See, we've got to learn to follow the lord in a new way.
- 00:24:35.366 --> 00:24:40.004
- We're gonna have to have a desire to hear and listen and
- 00:24:40.004 --> 00:24:42.873
- Understand beyond what we've had in the past.
- 00:24:42.873 --> 00:24:45.776
- We have to recognize that the season demands it of us.
- 00:24:45.776 --> 00:24:49.213
- There's storms.
- 00:24:49.213 --> 00:24:51.448
- It isn't clear skies and easy sailing, it's tumultuous.
- 00:24:51.448 --> 00:24:56.353
- Crazy expressions of ungodliness.
- 00:24:56.353 --> 00:24:57.855
- They mock our lord on a global scale.
- 00:24:57.855 --> 00:25:01.258
- We haven't seen that in that way before.
- 00:25:01.258 --> 00:25:04.828
- They're trying to confuse us about things that aren't
- 00:25:04.828 --> 00:25:06.797
- Even confusing.
- 00:25:06.797 --> 00:25:09.400
- Telling us we should be confused.
- 00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:10.935
- I'm like, "nope, that's just not confusing."
- 00:25:10.935 --> 00:25:18.075
- We've got to learn to follow the lord in some new ways.
- 00:25:18.075 --> 00:25:20.844
- It starts with a desire.
- 00:25:20.844 --> 00:25:23.547
- So you think, "well, lord, i've never been much of a prayer,
- 00:25:23.547 --> 00:25:26.350
- But i'm gonna take that one and pray it."
- 00:25:26.350 --> 00:25:28.986
- Let's read it.
- 00:25:28.986 --> 00:25:30.354
- Psalm 51: "cleanse me with hyssop, and i will be clean;
- 00:25:30.354 --> 00:25:34.592
- Wash me, and i will be whiter than snow.
- 00:25:34.592 --> 00:25:37.461
- Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have
- 00:25:37.461 --> 00:25:40.698
- Crushed rejoice.
- 00:25:40.698 --> 00:25:42.633
- Hide your face from my sins and blot out all of my iniquity.
- 00:25:42.633 --> 00:25:47.171
- Create in me a pure heart, o god, and renew a steadfast
- 00:25:47.171 --> 00:25:50.808
- Spirit within me.
- 00:25:50.808 --> 00:25:52.409
- Do not cast me from your presence or take your
- 00:25:52.409 --> 00:25:55.546
- Holy spirit from me.
- 00:25:55.546 --> 00:25:57.047
- Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing
- 00:25:57.047 --> 00:26:01.251
- Spirit, to sustain me.
- 00:26:01.251 --> 00:26:03.387
- Then i will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn
- 00:26:03.387 --> 00:26:07.224
- Back to you, amen," hallelujah.
- 00:26:07.224 --> 00:26:12.896
- Allen: thank you for spending a few minutes with us today.
- 00:26:17.101 --> 00:26:19.169
- You know, our goal in doing this is to add momentum to your
- 00:26:19.169 --> 00:26:22.539
- Spiritual life to help open the kingdom of god to you in a more
- 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:26.110
- Practical way that you could engage in a relationship with
- 00:26:26.110 --> 00:26:28.679
- The lord, not be a more faithful church sitter or a bible reader,
- 00:26:28.679 --> 00:26:32.449
- But a person who actually knows a living god.
- 00:26:32.449 --> 00:26:35.219
- Well, i've written a new book.
- 00:26:35.219 --> 00:26:36.553
- It's called "my friend jesus."
- 00:26:36.553 --> 00:26:37.921
- To be candid, it's the culmination of years of my own
- 00:26:37.921 --> 00:26:41.558
- Spiritual journey.
- 00:26:41.558 --> 00:26:42.893
- I wanted to peel away all the formality of language and
- 00:26:42.893 --> 00:26:46.397
- Routine and ritual, and i really wanted to focus on what it means
- 00:26:46.397 --> 00:26:49.867
- To be a friend of the lord.
- 00:26:49.867 --> 00:26:51.869
- And that book is intended to give you a pathway to imagine
- 00:26:51.869 --> 00:26:55.039
- Your faith in a way that enables it to be more personal,
- 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:57.875
- More transformational.
- 00:26:57.875 --> 00:26:59.243
- When i need help, i call my friends, but when i need real
- 00:26:59.243 --> 00:27:02.046
- Help, i call my friend jesus.
- 00:27:02.046 --> 00:27:04.181
- He changes everything.
- 00:27:04.181 --> 00:27:05.516
- He's done it many times in my life.
- 00:27:05.516 --> 00:27:07.418
- He'll do it in your life.
- 00:27:07.418 --> 00:27:09.153
- Read the book, open your heart, there'll be a whole new power
- 00:27:09.153 --> 00:27:12.423
- Available to help shape your future.
- 00:27:12.423 --> 00:27:15.159
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:15.159 --> 00:27:15.159