Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - Dangerous Faith (Part 1)

July 17, 2026 | 27:30

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 - Dangerous Faith (Part 1) | July 17, 2026

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Allen jackson: you know, the question i'm asked so frequently
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Is, "what can we do?"
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Well, i came today with at least a part of that answer.
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You can become a monthly ministry partner.
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We need your help, your monthly commitment to support us.
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It's $25 a month that opens that door for you.
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We'll do our best to give you an opportunity and new content.
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I do monthly conference calls with our monthly
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Ministry partners.
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We'll do our best to give you the first window into new
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Projects, or new ideas, or whatever we're doing.
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The benefit that we get from that is the understanding that
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We're standing together.
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You know, ministry is a people initiative, folks.
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It's not about theology or initiatives or programming or
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Content or channels.
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It's people standing together, in the name of jesus, to see the
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Kingdom of god extended.
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I'm gonna ask you to prayerfully consider joining us as a monthly
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Ministry partner, $25.
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It gives us a platform from which we can plan, build, and
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Expand what god is doing.
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If you'll prayerfully consider that, we'll continue to be as
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Faithful as we can be with your trust; god bless.
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♪♪♪
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Allen: i wanna start a new study with you today under the general
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Theme of "dangerous faith."
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I'll explain. dangerous faith.
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But i want to start with an idea that i think is pretty
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Straightforward, and this really came out of a conversation i had
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This week.
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I was talking with somebody who's kind of a policy person,
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Works in the media, and they were--they were reminiscing
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About the difference in our bicentennial celebration and our
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Celebration now.
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Fifty years ago we celebrated america's 200th birthday.
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I was--i was not quite ready, but i was getting ready to
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Graduate from high school, so i was barely old enough
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To remember.
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But i remember that, and as we had the conversation, we
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Reminisced it was a very different time, a different
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Season than the one we're in now.
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And i'm sure it wasn't uniform or universal, but my memory of
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That as a young person was we all pretty much celebrated.
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It wasn't a point of division.
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I don't remember great expressions of hate or strife
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Or, you know, i remember some of the gatherings and
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The celebration.
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I remember the tall ships in boston harbor and the fireworks
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Out over the harbor and all the artists that would--i don't
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Remember artists saying, "i'm not celebrating.
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I'm not being a part of that."
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Well, scroll forward 50 years, we're in a very, very
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Different place.
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And in fact, i think if the trend of the last 50 years were
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To be projected for another 50, it's hard to imagine we'd
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Hold together.
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I don't know what that means, but i can tell you what i do
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Understand from that, at least in general terms, is that there
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Are times and seasons.
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And what i want to submit to you as christ followers, the same
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Is true.
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And that we have to be led by the spirit to know how to
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Respond to the times and the seasons in which we live.
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And i know that can cause people some anxiety.
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There are some core values of our faith that are timeless.
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They're not up for review.
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They're not going to become out of date.
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They can't be declared quaint, but no longer relevant.
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There are some things that are simply a part of the narrative
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Of the people of god.
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And i didn't bring you a complete list of that, we can do
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That another time if you'd prefer.
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But things like the sovereignty of god, the nature of sin,
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Eternal judgment, those things don't change generationally.
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Not at all.
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You can believe them or not believe them, but you still want
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To be on the right side of them.
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It's like gravity.
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You know, not too--not too long ago, we were earthbound folks.
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Fastest means of land transportation
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Available--fastest means of transportation available to a
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Human being for hundreds and hundreds, thousands of years was
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A fast horse.
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My grandfather and genghis khan shared that in common.
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That's about all they shared in common, but they shared that.
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Good fast horse was important to both of them.
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Now, you know, we orbit the earth and go to the moon and do
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All the things.
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Gravity is still in play.
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Gravity hasn't changed, we've just learned that you can
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Suspend its impact for just a bit.
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Well, there are some things about god that are eternal, and
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They will shape your future.
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You can ignore them for a minute, you may find some means,
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You think you've suspended them for a minute, but they will
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Shape your future.
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I'm not suggesting those things change at all.
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God created us male and female, there's not 18 options now.
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But having said that, messages and assignments change
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Dramatically as the lord directs.
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Bear with me for a minute.
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I brought you some scriptures.
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Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 3, paul's writing to a group
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Of believers.
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He said, "make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit
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Through the bond of peace."
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That's the assignment, make every effort, do everything you
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Can to keep the unity of the spirit.
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"there's one body, one spirit--just as you were called
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Into one hope when you were called--one lord, one faith, one
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Baptism, one god, one father of all who is over all and through
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All and in all."
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So he's establishing the point i'm trying to make, that there
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Are some things that are not generational, they're
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Not cultural.
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There are some things that bind us together as christ followers.
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But then in verse 7 he said, "but to each one of us grace has
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Been given as christ apportioned it."
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He goes on to say, "and we're very different.
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We have different talents, we have different gifts, we have
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Different abilities.
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There's some things that bind us together and there's some things
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That make us very different."
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Look at daniel 2, chapter 20.
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I mentioned daniel a moment ago.
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Daniel's a slave his whole life in babylon.
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Never knows freedom.
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He never knows the self-autonomy.
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He's a servant of the sultan.
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"praise be to the name of god forever and ever; wisdom and
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Power are his."
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Can you believe you could write that as a slave?
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Praising god and saying, "wisdom and power belong to the god that
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I serve.
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I will submit to god in spite of circumstances that
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Are uncomfortable."
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"he, god, changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and he
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Deposes them.
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He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."
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Daniel was to be executed later that day.
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The king had a dream and he couldn't remember it, and he was
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Demanding an interpretation of a dream he couldn't remember.
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That's a tough assignment.
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And daniel asked for just a bit of time to seek his god.
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And god showed daniel the dream and its interpretation.
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And this is what daniel said, "praise god, praise god.
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He changes times and seasons.
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He raises up leaders and he puts leaders down."
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In ecclesiastes chapter 3, a similar idea, says, "there's a
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Time for everything, and a season for every activity under
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Heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant, a
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Time to uproot, time to kill, a time to heal, a time to tear
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Down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a
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Time to mourn, a time to dance," it goes on.
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Many of you know the passage.
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It's often quoted--it's quoted apart from christianity, it's
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Just kind of poetic.
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But it's not poetry, it's true.
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If i was in charge, i'd white out half the times.
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Oh, you would too.
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It's more fun to celebrate births than it is deaths.
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Planting is more exciting when things--than when things
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Are uprooted.
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It's more fun to celebrate healing than killing.
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Building seems more fun than tearing down, right?
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But all of those things are in the present.
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They're all under the authority, the auspices, the unfolding
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Plans and purposes of god.
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Now, i make that observation because my life experience in
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The middle of people of faith is this, that we prefer a
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Consistent, unchanging path, which enables us to imagine our
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Plans are under our authority and that our choices
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Are supreme.
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We like stability so that if some--if something is colored
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Outside the lines, we initiated the coloring.
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And i don't think that's anywhere more true than amongst
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People of faith.
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We know how it's supposed to be done.
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Well, come on now, we've got our own set of--we've got our own
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Vocabulary, our own idiom set.
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"that's not how we do it," "that's not how my people
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Believe," "well, that's not a part of scripture that ministers
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To me."
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And on and on it goes.
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You can give us the version of those phrases that come from the
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Tradition that you're more familiar with.
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"that's not my style of worship."
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News alert, after you get out of sixth grade, we're not providing
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Age-graded music anymore.
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Now he's meddling, it's ungodly.
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But i've found that god often asks us to follow him on
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A journey for his purposes.
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Not my familiarity, not my comfort, not my convenience, and
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It's this divergence of my plan and how i think things should
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Unfold and what god is inviting me to that describes much of
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The challenge in being a christ follower.
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Because if i'm really honest with you, i want god to bless my
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Plan with all the power of heaven.
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And i'll engage his purposes when it's convenient and i'm
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In the mood.
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But i expect him jolly well to stay focused on my plan.
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I want angels dispatched.
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I want the holy spirit anointing.
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Pray for me, i know i'm weird.
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You don't feel that way ever.
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But i began to make a list, think with me if this sounds
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About right.
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I believe god called noah to build a boat and have
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A temporary zoo.
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God do that?
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Should we all do that?
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Is everybody going home today and build a boat and start
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Collecting animals?
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I hope not.
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Moses delivered a revelation of the law and the character of god
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To an entire people.
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I believe god led him to do that, should we?
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No, joshua led a military campaign to help the people
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Of god obtain their inheritance.
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Joshua at the end of his life functioned more as a general
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Than anything else.
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I don't believe we're all called to that.
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Samuel led the 12 tribes of israel as a judge,
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An itinerant overseer.
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No central government, no central place, no palace
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For certain.
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Twelve independent tribes, with a judge providing some wisdom
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From god.
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David led the tribes of israel in a very different way.
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He was a king with a capital city and a palace and a standing
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Army and a bodyguard and the whole nine yards.
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Both led by god, both fully in the purposes of god.
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Isaiah told the king of judah, god would defeat the enemies of
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Israel, and he sent the assyrians back home minus 60,000
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Of them.
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Jeremiah told the king of judah that the babylonians were coming
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And there was nothing he could do.
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And both isaiah and jeremiah spoke under the anointing
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Of god.
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Radically different messages, dramatically different messages.
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Jesus came, he said, "to fulfill the law of moses, not to
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Destroy it."
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We get to the new testament, we wanna go, "whoopee, we're free!"
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It's not really what jesus said.
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Peter was a jewish fisherman recruited by jesus.
00:11:09.751 --> 00:11:13.955
But in jesus's absence, went to caesarea--which, if you don't
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Know, was the heart of roman authority in israel--to the home
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Of a roman centurion to deliver the message of
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Jesus's redemption.
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They weren't allowed to sit at a dinner table with a gentile, and
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Peter went into the belly of the beast into the home of a roman
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Centurion and initiated an outpouring of the spirit of god.
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Paul was a jewish scholar, a pharisee, if you want the
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Technical definition, and he was sent by god to the non-jewish
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World and welcomed them into the kingdom of god.
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If you're paying any attention at all, a dramatically different
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Set of responses to our world.
00:11:55.797 --> 00:11:59.167
It's not a consistent pattern of what it means to be a good
00:11:59.167 --> 00:12:02.704
Godly person.
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Godly people build boats and collect animals.
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Godly people write laws on stone tablets.
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Godly people lead military campaigns.
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Godly people says, "your enemies will never overtake you."
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Godly people said, "your enemies are gonna overtake you and
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There's nothing you can do."
00:12:32.767 --> 00:12:37.605
Godly people say, "we have a message to give to people who
00:12:37.605 --> 00:12:40.175
Want to know god."
00:12:40.175 --> 00:12:42.944
Godly people say, "we have a message to give to people who
00:12:42.944 --> 00:12:46.080
Say they will never be interested in god."
00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.084
And everybody on the list is one of our heroes.
00:12:50.084 --> 00:12:54.422
Times and seasons.
00:12:54.422 --> 00:12:58.760
The character of god doesn't change, but the season and the
00:12:58.760 --> 00:13:02.263
Truth that has to be told, and the changes that need to be
00:13:02.263 --> 00:13:04.666
Initiated change frequently.
00:13:04.666 --> 00:13:08.937
So it's somewhat incumbent upon us--you see, we have been
00:13:08.937 --> 00:13:11.172
Co-opted by a kind of a personal faith where we've focused on
00:13:11.172 --> 00:13:17.278
Ourself, "i'm gonna get to know god and the rest of you can
00:13:17.278 --> 00:13:19.614
Just burn."
00:13:19.614 --> 00:13:22.050
We don't say it quite that harshly, but kinda.
00:13:22.050 --> 00:13:25.687
In fact, the current version of american evangelicalism has
00:13:25.687 --> 00:13:28.189
Arrived at the point that we're not even sure evangelism is like
00:13:28.189 --> 00:13:30.091
A good thing.
00:13:30.091 --> 00:13:31.492
Certainly, missionary behavior is not like a good thing.
00:13:31.492 --> 00:13:34.362
We wouldn't go someplace and say, "your approach to the world
00:13:34.362 --> 00:13:38.132
Is incorrect.
00:13:38.132 --> 00:13:39.467
Let me tell you about jesus."
00:13:39.467 --> 00:13:43.638
And if you spent much time in academia in recent decades,
00:13:43.638 --> 00:13:46.908
You've got a lot of letters after your name, then you know
00:13:46.908 --> 00:13:49.377
That's inappropriate.
00:13:49.377 --> 00:13:55.183
Allen: hey, i've learned, as a pastor, there's a tremendous
00:13:59.387 --> 00:14:01.055
Difference in a crowd and a community of faith.
00:14:01.055 --> 00:14:03.892
When people decide to step out of the crowd and invest their
00:14:03.892 --> 00:14:06.427
Time and their resources, they become a part of a community,
00:14:06.427 --> 00:14:09.430
And it changes their lives.
00:14:09.430 --> 00:14:11.366
Well, i wanna give you that invitation.
00:14:11.366 --> 00:14:12.800
I'm grateful you're a part of the crowd who watch
00:14:12.800 --> 00:14:14.736
The ministry.
00:14:14.736 --> 00:14:16.104
I wanna ask you to consider becoming a monthly
00:14:16.104 --> 00:14:17.805
Ministry partner.
00:14:17.805 --> 00:14:19.374
I believe, if you'll make that regular commitment to what god
00:14:19.374 --> 00:14:22.110
Is doing through this ministry, it'll bring momentum to your
00:14:22.110 --> 00:14:24.913
Spiritual life, and it will help us reach more people than we've
00:14:24.913 --> 00:14:27.849
Ever reached with the gospel before; thank you.
00:14:27.849 --> 00:14:31.185
Female announcer: ministry partners are at the heart of
00:14:31.185 --> 00:14:33.521
Everything we do.
00:14:33.521 --> 00:14:35.189
Through their faithful monthly support, we're able to share
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Biblical truth, encourage believers, and provide resources
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That help people become more fully devoted followers of
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Jesus christ through radio, television, the internet, books,
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Events, and other resources.
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Become a ministry partner today
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At allenjackson.com or call ....
00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:57.278
Allen: well, i want to suggest to you that oftentimes
00:14:59.847 --> 00:15:02.483
Throughout the narrative of scripture across all the
00:15:02.483 --> 00:15:04.986
Generations, god has led those who followed him to deliver
00:15:04.986 --> 00:15:08.923
Disruptive messages, "amen, pastor."
00:15:08.923 --> 00:15:15.330
Which brings me to this title and to the next segment of our
00:15:15.330 --> 00:15:18.366
Discussion, what is our appetite for leading a dangerous life,
00:15:18.366 --> 00:15:25.907
Having a dangerous faith?
00:15:25.907 --> 00:15:29.544
I'm gonna bring you some definitions.
00:15:29.544 --> 00:15:30.878
I'm not encouraging violence or belligerence.
00:15:30.878 --> 00:15:34.248
2 corinthians chapter 11, paul is writing, he's writing to
00:15:34.248 --> 00:15:36.884
A church, people to whom he has ministered.
00:15:36.884 --> 00:15:39.587
In fact, it's a community of faith that he has helped birth
00:15:39.587 --> 00:15:42.724
And shepherd.
00:15:42.724 --> 00:15:44.692
And he said, "i've been constantly on the move."
00:15:44.692 --> 00:15:46.627
Paul was a scholar, brilliant, brilliant man, brilliant command
00:15:46.627 --> 00:15:50.064
Of the greek language.
00:15:50.064 --> 00:15:51.532
But sometimes i smile, when you read paul, you can tell that he
00:15:51.532 --> 00:15:54.268
Still thinks in hebrew.
00:15:54.268 --> 00:15:58.840
And in this passage, that seems true to me.
00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:00.742
He said, "i've been constantly on the move.
00:16:00.742 --> 00:16:02.410
I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits,
00:16:02.410 --> 00:16:05.813
In danger from my own countrymen, in danger from
00:16:05.813 --> 00:16:08.016
Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in
00:16:08.016 --> 00:16:10.385
Danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers."
00:16:10.385 --> 00:16:19.527
Paul said there's seven different things that he
00:16:19.527 --> 00:16:21.596
Understands are a part of his everyday life that
00:16:21.596 --> 00:16:23.364
Are dangerous.
00:16:23.364 --> 00:16:25.566
Hebrew--greek is a sophisticated language, highly nuanced in so
00:16:25.566 --> 00:16:29.003
Many ways, far more technical.
00:16:29.003 --> 00:16:30.738
Hebrew is an ancient language and it--it's far more coarse.
00:16:30.738 --> 00:16:34.776
There's a simplicity to it.
00:16:34.776 --> 00:16:36.110
Not easy because--but in hebrew, if you wanna add emphasis, you
00:16:36.110 --> 00:16:39.614
Repeat something.
00:16:39.614 --> 00:16:40.982
Sometimes you'll read in the--in the old testament guide, it'll
00:16:40.982 --> 00:16:42.450
Say listen, listening.
00:16:42.450 --> 00:16:44.252
Means listen carefully.
00:16:44.252 --> 00:16:46.888
This is one of those places where it seems like, to me,
00:16:46.888 --> 00:16:48.489
Paul's hebrew roots are kind of shouting at us.
00:16:48.489 --> 00:16:51.459
Seven times he says danger.
00:16:51.459 --> 00:16:54.462
Danger, danger, danger, danger, danger, danger!
00:16:54.462 --> 00:16:59.233
Sometimes i kneel down in the lobby to speak to a child and
00:16:59.233 --> 00:17:01.169
They run and hide behind their parents.
00:17:01.169 --> 00:17:04.572
I said, "you have taught that stranger danger thing really,
00:17:04.572 --> 00:17:07.642
Really well at your house, good stuff."
00:17:07.642 --> 00:17:11.179
But the reality when you read that, simple stuff, it's
00:17:11.179 --> 00:17:13.514
Not hard.
00:17:13.514 --> 00:17:14.882
Paul had chosen a very dangerous path and a very
00:17:14.882 --> 00:17:16.250
Dangerous message.
00:17:16.250 --> 00:17:18.319
If you follow him through your new testament, you know that.
00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:21.289
Paul endured so much physical violence in his life in ministry
00:17:21.289 --> 00:17:24.525
That he traveled with a personal physician, true story.
00:17:24.525 --> 00:17:29.730
The message which god assigned paul angered the jewish
00:17:29.730 --> 00:17:32.700
Religious leadership and the secular authorities of the roman
00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:35.403
World as well.
00:17:35.403 --> 00:17:37.105
There was no quarter of the world in which he lived that he
00:17:37.105 --> 00:17:39.140
Didn't agitate.
00:17:39.140 --> 00:17:42.043
Anointed by god.
00:17:42.043 --> 00:17:45.513
Look in john 19, this is jesus.
00:17:45.513 --> 00:17:49.417
The jews have delivered him over to pilate, the roman governor,
00:17:49.417 --> 00:17:52.286
And pilate's really not interested.
00:17:52.286 --> 00:17:53.754
It's a jewish problem and he wants them to dispose of
00:17:53.754 --> 00:17:55.923
The problem.
00:17:55.923 --> 00:17:57.258
"but the jews insisted, 'we have a law, and according to that law
00:17:57.258 --> 00:17:59.560
He has to die, he's claimed to be the son of god.'
00:17:59.560 --> 00:18:03.698
When pilate heard this, he was afraid."
00:18:03.698 --> 00:18:05.733
He doesn't want a political problem, he wants peace.
00:18:05.733 --> 00:18:09.637
He wants to maintain his professional momentum, so he
00:18:09.637 --> 00:18:12.006
Doesn't want any disruptions.
00:18:12.006 --> 00:18:13.374
We all understand that.
00:18:13.374 --> 00:18:17.945
We understand it about our own selves.
00:18:17.945 --> 00:18:20.548
So pilate hears this, he's even more afraid.
00:18:20.548 --> 00:18:22.416
He went back inside the palace, and he begins to speak to jesus.
00:18:22.416 --> 00:18:25.553
"where do you come from?"
00:18:25.553 --> 00:18:28.156
But jesus doesn't answer him.
00:18:28.156 --> 00:18:30.625
So pilate's exasperated and he said, "do you refuse to speak
00:18:30.625 --> 00:18:34.162
To me?
00:18:34.162 --> 00:18:36.497
Don't you realize that i have the power either to set you free
00:18:36.497 --> 00:18:40.835
Or crucify you?"
00:18:40.835 --> 00:18:43.738
Now, pilate's speaking the truth.
00:18:43.738 --> 00:18:47.041
The truth as he knows it.
00:18:47.041 --> 00:18:50.077
"i've got more political authority in this city, in this
00:18:50.077 --> 00:18:52.713
Region than anybody else, and you won't talk to me?
00:18:52.713 --> 00:18:59.921
I don't care about your silly arguments.
00:18:59.921 --> 00:19:03.157
I'm not interested in theology, but you better talk to me!"
00:19:03.157 --> 00:19:08.829
Some of you know what jesus had to say to him, "my dad gave you
00:19:08.829 --> 00:19:12.400
That job, chill."
00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:16.837
It's the living bible.
00:19:16.837 --> 00:19:18.206
You won't find that in the king james, but it's kind of close.
00:19:18.206 --> 00:19:22.376
But what i want to ask you to notice with me is that jesus, in
00:19:22.376 --> 00:19:25.947
Full obedience to god, is standing in a very, very
00:19:25.947 --> 00:19:29.817
Dangerous place.
00:19:29.817 --> 00:19:32.720
Not hypothetically dangerous.
00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:39.560
How he chooses to answer that question is going to determine
00:19:39.560 --> 00:19:42.096
Whether he lives or dies.
00:19:42.096 --> 00:19:45.166
And he's brilliant, nobody's been able to trap him
00:19:45.166 --> 00:19:47.168
With language.
00:19:47.168 --> 00:19:49.203
The most brilliant people of his generation have tried to trap
00:19:49.203 --> 00:19:52.907
Him and he's very nimbly--in fact, he's been so good at it,
00:19:52.907 --> 00:19:55.843
They stopped asking him questions.
00:19:55.843 --> 00:19:58.846
So i have no doubt that jesus has the intellectual ability to
00:19:58.846 --> 00:20:02.817
Outsmart pilate, but it's not the path he's gonna choose.
00:20:02.817 --> 00:20:06.420
And i will admit to you readily, because some of you are sitting
00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:08.823
There going, "well, pastor, you know, he's there by choice.
00:20:08.823 --> 00:20:12.727
He chose this."
00:20:12.727 --> 00:20:14.095
As if that makes it easier.
00:20:14.095 --> 00:20:16.197
Do you ever choose to do the right thing when it's hard?
00:20:16.197 --> 00:20:18.499
I hope you have.
00:20:18.499 --> 00:20:20.568
Does that mean it's easy to do difficult things because you
00:20:20.568 --> 00:20:23.104
Think it's right?
00:20:23.104 --> 00:20:25.239
Please don't eliminate the terrible tension in this setting
00:20:25.239 --> 00:20:29.944
Because, well, jesus knew why he was here.
00:20:29.944 --> 00:20:32.480
No, no, no, doing the right thing is often
00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.049
Incredibly difficult.
00:20:35.049 --> 00:20:38.152
In fact, in most cases, it's easier not to do the
00:20:38.152 --> 00:20:40.221
Right thing.
00:20:40.221 --> 00:20:43.424
Jesus's answer is gonna determine whether he lives or
00:20:43.424 --> 00:20:45.626
Suffers horribly.
00:20:45.626 --> 00:20:47.228
I know he's there by choice, but i would remind you, he went to
00:20:47.228 --> 00:20:49.997
Gethsemane where he frequently went to pray.
00:20:49.997 --> 00:20:52.867
He not only made himself available, it's like he hung
00:20:52.867 --> 00:20:56.103
A sign, said, "here i am, come arrest me."
00:20:56.103 --> 00:20:59.707
On multiple occasions, multiple occasions in jesus's ministry,
00:20:59.707 --> 00:21:04.979
He slipped through a crowd, or he distances himself from
00:21:04.979 --> 00:21:08.249
His antagonist.
00:21:08.249 --> 00:21:10.851
But in this particular instance, he didn't exercise any spiritual
00:21:10.851 --> 00:21:13.587
Authority to defend himself, to protect himself.
00:21:13.587 --> 00:21:17.358
He submitted himself to the danger.
00:21:17.358 --> 00:21:22.396
Jesus did pray for his friends, he prayed that their faith
00:21:22.396 --> 00:21:24.498
Wouldn't fail.
00:21:24.498 --> 00:21:26.500
You see, tremendous stress was on them all.
00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:33.974
Nevertheless, these verses present jesus in a very, very
00:21:33.974 --> 00:21:36.711
Precarious moment.
00:21:36.711 --> 00:21:38.045
His life's in the balance.
00:21:38.045 --> 00:21:39.413
He's been delivered to the roman authorities because his words
00:21:39.413 --> 00:21:41.115
And his actions threatened the power and the position of the
00:21:41.115 --> 00:21:43.718
Jewish leadership.
00:21:43.718 --> 00:21:45.653
He's not there for faulty theology.
00:21:45.653 --> 00:21:48.022
He's not there for immorality.
00:21:48.022 --> 00:21:49.390
He hasn't been committing gross fraud.
00:21:49.390 --> 00:21:50.725
He didn't open a leering center in bethlehem.
00:21:50.725 --> 00:21:58.032
Acts chapter 5, it's a different window, different picture,
00:21:58.032 --> 00:22:00.634
Different scene.
00:22:00.634 --> 00:22:02.870
A bit later, these are jesus's friends.
00:22:02.870 --> 00:22:05.039
Jesus is gone now.
00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.407
He's been crucified, resurrected, he ascended back
00:22:06.407 --> 00:22:08.242
To heaven.
00:22:08.242 --> 00:22:09.610
They've been given the assignment of telling the jesus
00:22:09.610 --> 00:22:11.545
Story, and they're standing before the same group that took
00:22:11.545 --> 00:22:14.515
Jesus to pilate, so they understand their nature.
00:22:14.515 --> 00:22:18.319
They understand their heart, they understand the hatred that
00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:20.855
Lives there.
00:22:20.855 --> 00:22:22.223
They said, "we gave you strict orders not to teach
00:22:22.223 --> 00:22:23.991
In this name.
00:22:23.991 --> 00:22:25.726
Yet you have filled jerusalem with your teaching and you're
00:22:25.726 --> 00:22:27.995
Determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."
00:22:27.995 --> 00:22:31.665
You are guilty of this man's blood!
00:22:31.665 --> 00:22:35.169
They're trying to dance away from it like they didn't cau--
00:22:35.169 --> 00:22:37.438
No cause and effect here.
00:22:37.438 --> 00:22:38.773
"i mean, we took him to pilate, pilate killed him.
00:22:38.773 --> 00:22:40.441
And we organized a group to shout in the streets, 'crucify
00:22:40.441 --> 00:22:42.777
Him,' but now you're trying to make us guilty."
00:22:42.777 --> 00:22:47.615
No, you're pretty much guilty.
00:22:47.615 --> 00:22:51.118
And then peter responds, "oh, we are so sorry.
00:22:51.118 --> 00:22:55.923
How can we help make this right?"
00:22:55.923 --> 00:22:59.927
"peter and the other apostles replied: 'we must obey god
00:22:59.927 --> 00:23:03.097
Rather than men!
00:23:03.097 --> 00:23:04.465
The god of our fathers raised jesus from the dead--whom you
00:23:04.465 --> 00:23:06.534
Had killed by hanging him on a tree.'"
00:23:06.534 --> 00:23:09.804
Gee, how could the people in jerusalem be getting the idea
00:23:09.804 --> 00:23:11.906
That they think these people were guilty of killing jesus?
00:23:11.906 --> 00:23:16.076
Well, maybe because peter and john and the crew have been
00:23:16.076 --> 00:23:18.078
Saying, "you killed him, you're the ones that hung him on
00:23:18.078 --> 00:23:20.314
The tree.
00:23:20.314 --> 00:23:24.084
God exalted him to his own right hand as prince and savior
00:23:24.084 --> 00:23:27.154
That he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins
00:23:27.154 --> 00:23:29.123
To israel.
00:23:29.123 --> 00:23:30.458
We're witnesses of these things, and so is the holy spirit whom
00:23:30.458 --> 00:23:32.626
God has given to those who obey."
00:23:32.626 --> 00:23:35.229
"we're not relating to you something that is distant from
00:23:35.229 --> 00:23:37.998
Us, we participated, we watched.
00:23:37.998 --> 00:23:40.701
We were there when you arrested him.
00:23:40.701 --> 00:23:42.069
We were there when you tried him.
00:23:42.069 --> 00:23:44.505
We saw him beaten as he dragged his cross through the streets,
00:23:44.505 --> 00:23:48.242
And we saw him after he was raised to life again."
00:23:48.242 --> 00:23:53.347
And when they heard this, they said, "well, we would like to
00:23:53.347 --> 00:23:58.052
Join your initiative."
00:23:58.052 --> 00:24:01.455
"they were furious, and they wanted to put them to death."
00:24:01.455 --> 00:24:05.226
Let me ask you a question.
00:24:05.226 --> 00:24:06.560
Did you think peter and john knew what the response
00:24:06.560 --> 00:24:07.928
Was gonna be?
00:24:07.928 --> 00:24:10.264
Without any question.
00:24:11.532 --> 00:24:13.801
Just as certainly as jesus knew what pilate would do when he
00:24:13.801 --> 00:24:17.738
Said, "you're right, i'm a king."
00:24:17.738 --> 00:24:22.443
They understood, in fact, they're gonna be beaten after
00:24:22.443 --> 00:24:29.316
This meeting.
00:24:29.316 --> 00:24:30.985
And they're going to leave that gathering when they've been
00:24:30.985 --> 00:24:33.521
Released rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer disgrace
00:24:33.521 --> 00:24:39.727
For the name of jesus.
00:24:39.727 --> 00:24:43.330
A dangerous faith. a dangerous faith.
00:24:43.330 --> 00:24:48.335
The activity and the message of peter and john and the other
00:24:48.335 --> 00:24:50.704
Believers in jerusalem elicited an angry response from religious
00:24:50.704 --> 00:24:55.309
Leaders in the city.
00:24:55.309 --> 00:24:59.013
We're gonna spend a few sessions talking about a dangerous faith.
00:24:59.013 --> 00:25:01.515
I looked up some definitions just so we could be sure we're
00:25:01.515 --> 00:25:03.450
On the same page.
00:25:03.450 --> 00:25:04.785
Dangerous is an adjective, i'm sure some of you know.
00:25:04.785 --> 00:25:07.688
When i first started in ministry, i was bad.
00:25:07.688 --> 00:25:11.659
I hated public speaking, it was awful.
00:25:11.659 --> 00:25:14.628
It was awful for me, it was awful for the poor people that
00:25:14.628 --> 00:25:16.964
Had to listen, it was awful.
00:25:16.964 --> 00:25:19.900
But there were three teachers that attended church.
00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:23.737
And after every message, they would bring me a list of all my
00:25:23.737 --> 00:25:26.006
Grammatical errors, god bless them.
00:25:26.006 --> 00:25:32.746
In the moment, i don't know if i was as appreciative as i might
00:25:32.746 --> 00:25:34.982
Have been, but they came to help me a lot.
00:25:34.982 --> 00:25:37.184
So i'm sure some of you know that dangerous is an adjective.
00:25:37.184 --> 00:25:39.920
I looked it up.
00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.290
And the simplest definition given is it's involving possible
00:25:43.290 --> 00:25:46.794
Injury or pain or harm or loss.
00:25:46.794 --> 00:25:50.564
I thought, hm.
00:25:50.564 --> 00:25:52.499
The antonym, the opposite of that is safe and harmless,
00:25:52.499 --> 00:25:56.303
Innocuous, non-threatening.
00:25:56.303 --> 00:26:01.442
Now without pushing too far, which sets of definitions would
00:26:01.442 --> 00:26:05.279
Define your imagination of the christian faith?
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:11.118
Allen: hey, god is moving in the earth, i wanna move with him.
00:26:15.322 --> 00:26:18.325
I'm asked frequently, "what can we do?"
00:26:18.325 --> 00:26:20.594
Well, i wanna give you one way to respond to what god is doing.
00:26:20.594 --> 00:26:24.231
Join us as a monthly ministry partner.
00:26:24.231 --> 00:26:26.734
It's a $25 monthly investment in the ministry in all the forms
00:26:26.734 --> 00:26:30.471
That it takes from broadcast, to podcast, to print and publishing
00:26:30.471 --> 00:26:34.208
And what we do with the church internationally.
00:26:34.208 --> 00:26:36.510
We're working with churches all over the world these days.
00:26:36.510 --> 00:26:38.812
In armenia, iran, ukraine, israel, the middle east.
00:26:38.812 --> 00:26:43.117
We'll include you in the routine conference calls that we do with
00:26:43.117 --> 00:26:46.687
Our monthly ministry partners.
00:26:46.687 --> 00:26:48.522
You can be a part of that.
00:26:48.522 --> 00:26:49.890
For a $25 monthly ministry partner commitment, we'll stand
00:26:49.890 --> 00:26:53.761
Together in this season in lifting up the name of jesus.
00:26:53.761 --> 00:26:57.164
Will you pray with me?
00:26:57.164 --> 00:26:58.499
Father, you said when we lack wisdom we could ask.
00:26:58.499 --> 00:27:00.167
I pray for every person listening, if this is the time
00:27:00.167 --> 00:27:02.436
And place for us to stand together, that you'll make that
00:27:02.436 --> 00:27:05.005
Abundantly clear.
00:27:05.005 --> 00:27:06.373
I thank you for provision for your people in every season.
00:27:06.373 --> 00:27:09.777
In jesus's name, amen.
00:27:09.777 --> 00:27:12.046
God bless you and thank you.
00:27:12.046 --> 00:27:14.448
♪♪♪
00:27:16.450 --> 00:27:26.827

Allen Jackson - Dangerous Faith (Part 1)

July 17, 2026 | 27:30

Closed captions

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