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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - Essentials For The Church (Part 1)

October 11, 2025 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - Essentials For The Church (Part 1)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#WordofGod #Culture #Persecution #War #Family #Preparation #Politics #Strength #Legalism

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Essentials For The Church (Part 1) | October 11, 2025
  • ...
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  • Allen jackson: you know, we're witnessing something of a crisis
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  • In our nation, something i never thought i would see: expressions
  • 00:00:08.167 --> 00:00:11.303
  • Of antisemitism, hatred for the jewish people, coming from
  • 00:00:11.403 --> 00:00:14.973
  • America, coming from the christian community, the
  • 00:00:15.074 --> 00:00:18.077
  • Conservative side of the ideological spectrum, to a
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  • Degree and scope i've never seen before.
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  • Well, it was important enough that i stopped and put together
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  • A book.
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  • The title of it is "supporting israel: how far is too far?"
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  • It's an important concept that isn't political.
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  • It's grounded in a biblical worldview.
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  • I think we need to understand our responsibilities to the
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  • Jewish people, to the modern state of israel, not from an
  • 00:00:38.263 --> 00:00:41.333
  • Ideological perspective, not from the perspective of nation
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  • States, but as people of god.
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  • It's important.
  • 00:00:46.705 --> 00:00:48.073
  • It's an important season, a lot of voices.
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  • And i know there's some fatigue with the conflict in the middle
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  • East, but we can't afford to be fatigued with our assignments to
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  • Honor god and the responsibilities that come
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  • With that.
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  • I believe the book will be a help to you.
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  • I believe it'll help you navigate the conversation with
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  • Your family and your friends.
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  • Enjoy the read.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen: i really, i postponed most of my preparation 'cause i
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  • Had a feeling that my heart would be full by the end of
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  • The conference.
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  • And so i sat down this afternoon and i really--this session and
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  • The next are kind of the overflow, at least what i heard.
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  • We've been talking about culture and christianity, and the
  • 00:01:32.951 --> 00:01:35.020
  • Premise is very straightforward.
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  • The reason we do a conference like this is we believe the
  • 00:01:36.822 --> 00:01:38.924
  • Church should shape culture.
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  • That we shouldn't be shaped by the culture.
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  • And i think we have a very important role to play and i
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  • Don't mean politically.
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  • The values that shape our communities.
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  • The values that shape family, how we understand that to be in
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  • This, our schools and what has held us together and given
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  • Us strength.
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  • You know, we're not bound by a--in this nation by a singular
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  • Ethnicity or we are a melting pot.
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  • We've come from the nations of the world.
  • 00:02:08.253 --> 00:02:10.789
  • And there's not one way that americans look or one accent
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  • With which americans speak.
  • 00:02:14.793 --> 00:02:17.796
  • You know, the concerns around what's been happening with our
  • 00:02:17.796 --> 00:02:20.933
  • Borders in the last few years wasn't
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  • Any concern about immigration.
  • 00:02:22.467 --> 00:02:23.802
  • We're a nation of immigrants.
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  • But it has to be done in a legal and an orderly fashion or we
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  • Spin completely out of control.
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  • But what has been the unifier in our nation from the beginning of
  • 00:02:32.611 --> 00:02:35.881
  • Our nation back from before we were even recognized as a nation
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  • Was of the judeo-christian worldview.
  • 00:02:39.952 --> 00:02:43.222
  • And that's not something acknowledged by pulpits and it's
  • 00:02:43.222 --> 00:02:45.891
  • Been acknowledged by people who came to observe this nation in
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  • Its various stages of emergence.
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  • And i believe that's still true.
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  • And if we take that away, then we will be left
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  • To authoritarianism.
  • 00:02:57.402 --> 00:02:59.738
  • So the church has a role to play and, tragically in recent
  • 00:02:59.738 --> 00:03:03.408
  • Decades, we have been a bit confused about that.
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  • I intend to come back and take some time and unpack some of the
  • 00:03:06.845 --> 00:03:10.515
  • Dialogue around christian nationalism that, you know,
  • 00:03:10.515 --> 00:03:13.552
  • Language is important and words matter.
  • 00:03:13.552 --> 00:03:16.989
  • And i think we all understand language has been changed,
  • 00:03:16.989 --> 00:03:20.092
  • Manipulated, makes it sound nefarious.
  • 00:03:20.092 --> 00:03:22.261
  • I think much of it is nefarious, but language is being changed.
  • 00:03:22.261 --> 00:03:25.864
  • We have trouble in the public square defining things like what
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  • Is a man and what's a woman.
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  • That's pretty fundamental stuff.
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  • And when you recognize the language is being used to
  • 00:03:32.638 --> 00:03:34.873
  • Introduce tremendous changes by confusing things that were not
  • 00:03:34.873 --> 00:03:37.976
  • Confusing, then there are some terms, when we hear them, we
  • 00:03:37.976 --> 00:03:40.979
  • Need to have clarity so that we're talking about the same set
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  • Of things.
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  • I don't wanna do that in this session.
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  • I'll come back to it.
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  • I'd rather be fresher than i am tonight.
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  • You might get the unvarnished version if i picked it
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  • Up tonight.
  • 00:03:52.424 --> 00:03:54.960
  • But we had multiple--we had segments to the conference.
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  • We talked about israel and is support appropriate and if so
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  • What does that look like?
  • 00:04:03.235 --> 00:04:04.569
  • We talked about the culture in church.
  • 00:04:04.569 --> 00:04:06.238
  • We talked about the culture and the church and media.
  • 00:04:06.238 --> 00:04:09.107
  • And then this morning we talked about the church and health.
  • 00:04:09.107 --> 00:04:12.778
  • You know, we've had the finest healthcare system in the world.
  • 00:04:12.778 --> 00:04:16.715
  • But that will not continue, it will not pull forward if we take
  • 00:04:16.715 --> 00:04:20.719
  • Our judeo-christian values out of that.
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  • The sanctity of human life is a fundamental component in how
  • 00:04:23.555 --> 00:04:26.458
  • That health care has emerged and how it's worked.
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  • And so all of those buckets of discussion are very much
  • 00:04:28.960 --> 00:04:32.364
  • Centered in who the church is and the way our faith is
  • 00:04:32.364 --> 00:04:35.100
  • Expressed in our culture.
  • 00:04:35.100 --> 00:04:36.468
  • We don't just do bible studies from antiquity.
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  • I mean, i like to do that.
  • 00:04:39.805 --> 00:04:41.173
  • I spent a great deal of time and energy and effort and resources,
  • 00:04:41.173 --> 00:04:44.076
  • Honestly, studying and learning and traveling to other places in
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  • The world and--but at the end of the day, the purpose of all of
  • 00:04:47.412 --> 00:04:51.316
  • That academic activity is to help us live it out in
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  • The present.
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  • And so in this segment, i'd like to focus with you on the church
  • 00:04:56.988 --> 00:05:01.093
  • Segment of the conference.
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  • One of the most encouraging to me, we had several pastors from
  • 00:05:02.861 --> 00:05:06.198
  • The east coast to the west coast.
  • 00:05:06.198 --> 00:05:08.767
  • Well, i learned some great things.
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  • We had a pastor here who pastors a church just outside of dc with
  • 00:05:10.102 --> 00:05:13.438
  • A lot of government employees and deep state folks and elected
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  • People and he gave us a definition that i thought
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  • Was--he said because of his location, his church has people
  • 00:05:19.044 --> 00:05:22.514
  • Involved in politics.
  • 00:05:22.514 --> 00:05:25.050
  • And he said, poli means many and tics are bloodsucking insects.
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  • That was not my definition.
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  • I can get in enough trouble with my own definitions, but--
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  • But i think it's important to start with the notion.
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  • We need to know who the church is.
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  • You know, we're not bible study societies, we're not civic
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  • Organizations who basically do acts of benevolence
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  • In communities.
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  • We may do those things, we may help those that are less
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  • Fortunate than us,
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  • That's certainly a part of the assignment,
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  • But our goal isn't to eradicate poverty.
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  • Jesus said that we would have the poor with us.
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  • That wasn't jesus's assignment.
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  • He was kind to those less fortunate than himself.
  • 00:06:05.023 --> 00:06:08.293
  • He was a healer, but he didn't heal everyone.
  • 00:06:08.293 --> 00:06:11.463
  • And understanding the role of the church and who the head of
  • 00:06:11.463 --> 00:06:13.632
  • The church is, there's so much confusion on this.
  • 00:06:13.632 --> 00:06:16.535
  • We're hiding from the issues that are shaping our culture.
  • 00:06:16.535 --> 00:06:20.405
  • So i'll start in philippians chapter 2, and verse 9.
  • 00:06:20.405 --> 00:06:22.941
  • Says, "god exalted him," speaking of jesus,
  • 00:06:22.941 --> 00:06:25.010
  • "to the highest place."
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  • To the highest place.
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  • There's no place--jesus is exalted to the preeminent place
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  • In all of creation.
  • 00:06:32.484 --> 00:06:33.919
  • And then paul uses some other poetic language.
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  • He said, "he gave him the name that's above every name, that at
  • 00:06:36.354 --> 00:06:39.324
  • The name of jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
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  • Earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that jesus
  • 00:06:42.294 --> 00:06:46.398
  • Is the messiah and our lord, to the glory of god the father."
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  • Who's the head of the church?
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  • It's jesus.
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  • It's not about world outreach or the presbyterians or the
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  • Episcopalians or the methodists or the southern baptists or the
  • 00:06:56.675 --> 00:06:59.144
  • Church of christ or all the different--whether we're
  • 00:06:59.144 --> 00:07:01.980
  • Protestant or roman catholic, we get way heated up about all
  • 00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:04.449
  • The--folks, jesus is the head of the church.
  • 00:07:04.449 --> 00:07:07.853
  • And we are an expression of his lordship in the earth.
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  • We live in different nations.
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  • We come from every nation, race, language, and tribe, but we
  • 00:07:13.925 --> 00:07:17.896
  • Answer to a higher authority than any of the civil
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  • Authorities where we find ourselves.
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  • But we are called with the assignment of being salt and
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  • Light in the midst of all of those varying civil authorities.
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  • My prayer for the nations of the world that are tonight under the
  • 00:07:31.776 --> 00:07:34.613
  • Authoritarian brutality where the church isn't welcomed, is
  • 00:07:34.613 --> 00:07:44.489
  • That the church would flourish, it would bring freedom and
  • 00:07:44.489 --> 00:07:47.058
  • Liberty to those peoples.
  • 00:07:47.058 --> 00:07:50.595
  • And we have been, we've been told over and over and over and
  • 00:07:50.595 --> 00:08:00.272
  • Over and over again, and our young people have been educated
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  • By people pretending to be intellectuals, that it was
  • 00:08:03.241 --> 00:08:06.545
  • Inappropriate for our faith to be in the public square.
  • 00:08:06.545 --> 00:08:10.215
  • And if our faith is absent from the public square, the
  • 00:08:10.215 --> 00:08:13.919
  • Authoritarianism amongst us will continue to grow.
  • 00:08:13.919 --> 00:08:18.657
  • Again, it's not to establish a theocracy,
  • 00:08:18.657 --> 00:08:22.794
  • But it's to bring our faith to bear.
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  • Jesus is the head of--he has the name above all names,
  • 00:08:24.129 --> 00:08:27.899
  • More significant than the un.
  • 00:08:27.899 --> 00:08:31.169
  • You know, we did some work in rwanda just after the genocide
  • 00:08:31.169 --> 00:08:34.439
  • In the '90s, and our friends in rwanda, their reference to the
  • 00:08:34.439 --> 00:08:38.276
  • United nations was, it was the united nothing.
  • 00:08:38.276 --> 00:08:42.113
  • They said when the slaughter was taking place, they would
  • 00:08:42.113 --> 00:08:45.116
  • Step back.
  • 00:08:45.116 --> 00:08:47.819
  • And i think we've just had some misguided--
  • 00:08:47.819 --> 00:08:49.521
  • Look at ephesians chapter 1, says, "that power is like the
  • 00:08:49.521 --> 00:08:52.223
  • Working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in christ when
  • 00:08:52.223 --> 00:08:54.826
  • He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in
  • 00:08:54.826 --> 00:08:57.262
  • The heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power
  • 00:08:57.262 --> 00:09:01.333
  • And dominion, every title that can be given," he's talking
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  • About the kingdom of darkness.
  • 00:09:04.069 --> 00:09:06.304
  • He's been given a place ascended to every expression of evil.
  • 00:09:06.304 --> 00:09:10.175
  • Evil hasn't been banished from our existence, but the one we
  • 00:09:10.175 --> 00:09:12.811
  • Worship has an authority over all things.
  • 00:09:12.811 --> 00:09:17.115
  • "and god placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be
  • 00:09:17.115 --> 00:09:20.785
  • Head over everything for the church, which is his body, the
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  • Fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
  • 00:09:25.023 --> 00:09:28.893
  • God gave him a name that's above every name, that every knee
  • 00:09:28.893 --> 00:09:31.262
  • Would bow, every tongue confess, and he appointed him to be the
  • 00:09:31.262 --> 00:09:33.965
  • Head over the church.
  • 00:09:33.965 --> 00:09:36.167
  • Our allegiance is first and foremost to jesus of nazareth.
  • 00:09:36.167 --> 00:09:40.572
  • It's so important.
  • 00:09:40.572 --> 00:09:43.508
  • We seek him, we follow him imperfectly in our fractured
  • 00:09:43.508 --> 00:09:46.811
  • Ways, but that we follow him.
  • 00:09:46.811 --> 00:09:49.981
  • One of my big takeaways is i listen 'cause most of the
  • 00:09:49.981 --> 00:09:52.651
  • Weekend--the week, i've spent listening.
  • 00:09:52.651 --> 00:09:55.086
  • I know that's hard to believe, but i did.
  • 00:09:55.086 --> 00:09:58.823
  • It was so clear to me that we're gonna have to learn to see in
  • 00:09:58.823 --> 00:10:02.560
  • Some new ways.
  • 00:10:02.560 --> 00:10:04.496
  • You know, i earned a degree in history and i've studied a good
  • 00:10:04.496 --> 00:10:06.531
  • Bit about the church and the history of the church beyond
  • 00:10:06.531 --> 00:10:09.501
  • That and how awakenings come and renewals come, and the challenge
  • 00:10:09.501 --> 00:10:12.804
  • Is that we tend to imagine that what god will do next will look
  • 00:10:12.804 --> 00:10:16.608
  • Like what we've seen god do in the past.
  • 00:10:16.608 --> 00:10:19.544
  • That's a very normal expectation.
  • 00:10:19.544 --> 00:10:21.179
  • It's familiar to us, it's comfortable to us, it's like
  • 00:10:21.179 --> 00:10:23.381
  • Home cooking or staying in a familiar space.
  • 00:10:23.381 --> 00:10:27.886
  • It's not wrong, it's just typically not accurate.
  • 00:10:27.886 --> 00:10:32.757
  • You know, when god--when martin luther nailed his theses to the
  • 00:10:32.757 --> 00:10:36.594
  • Door and started a tremendous change in people of faith, it
  • 00:10:36.594 --> 00:10:42.467
  • Was really outside of the system.
  • 00:10:42.467 --> 00:10:44.469
  • It wasn't inside out.
  • 00:10:44.469 --> 00:10:45.904
  • When the wesley brothers and the whole methodist revival began,
  • 00:10:45.904 --> 00:10:49.641
  • They preached predominantly or frequently on horseback,
  • 00:10:49.641 --> 00:10:52.811
  • Sometimes standing on a saddle, riding hundreds
  • 00:10:52.811 --> 00:10:56.247
  • And hundreds of miles.
  • 00:10:56.247 --> 00:10:57.582
  • It didn't take place from within the structure.
  • 00:10:57.582 --> 00:11:01.786
  • And it isn't that there aren't expressions of that, but god is
  • 00:11:01.786 --> 00:11:05.457
  • Moving in the most remarkable ways.
  • 00:11:05.457 --> 00:11:08.159
  • And i watched and listened this weekend.
  • 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:10.695
  • It was remarkable to me, but we're gonna have to learn to
  • 00:11:10.695 --> 00:11:14.399
  • See, i really think trained to see in new ways.
  • 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:19.037
  • Everybody here has areas of expertise.
  • 00:11:19.037 --> 00:11:21.673
  • You see things that other people don't see.
  • 00:11:21.673 --> 00:11:23.541
  • I have a friend that's a world champion barbecue
  • 00:11:23.541 --> 00:11:26.111
  • Person, you know?
  • 00:11:26.111 --> 00:11:28.580
  • Some of you have thermometers, you know, and it's connected to
  • 00:11:28.580 --> 00:11:32.217
  • Your phone and you can set a temperature and the grill will
  • 00:11:32.217 --> 00:11:35.019
  • Do this and your phone will chirp and--not my friend.
  • 00:11:35.019 --> 00:11:40.058
  • He puts all the stuff on the grill and he opens the grill, he
  • 00:11:40.058 --> 00:11:42.193
  • Walks up and he pokes it with his finger.
  • 00:11:42.193 --> 00:11:44.996
  • That'd burned my finger.
  • 00:11:44.996 --> 00:11:47.465
  • And he goes, "that's done.
  • 00:11:47.465 --> 00:11:49.567
  • That's not done."
  • 00:11:49.567 --> 00:11:51.336
  • I'm saying, "how do you know?"
  • 00:11:51.336 --> 00:11:53.872
  • And he said, "i just know."
  • 00:11:53.872 --> 00:11:55.907
  • Well, he's cooked thousands and thousands and thousands of
  • 00:11:55.907 --> 00:11:58.943
  • Pounds of stuff, or smoked it or whatever he's doing to it.
  • 00:11:58.943 --> 00:12:03.815
  • I just like to eat it.
  • 00:12:03.815 --> 00:12:06.985
  • But he's a trained observer of what's happening.
  • 00:12:06.985 --> 00:12:10.655
  • You know, i grew up, my dad was a vet when i was at home, and
  • 00:12:10.655 --> 00:12:14.793
  • His expertise was at equine, but he treated horses and his real
  • 00:12:14.793 --> 00:12:17.362
  • Expertise was lameness in horses.
  • 00:12:17.362 --> 00:12:19.931
  • My brothers and i get to go with him sometimes on calls and--or
  • 00:12:19.931 --> 00:12:23.368
  • They'd bring a horse to the clinic, and if they're expensive
  • 00:12:23.368 --> 00:12:25.503
  • Horses and they're lame, it's a big deal and they need to know
  • 00:12:25.503 --> 00:12:27.939
  • What the problem is.
  • 00:12:27.939 --> 00:12:29.808
  • It sounds kind of simple, but not really.
  • 00:12:29.808 --> 00:12:33.011
  • You know, you've got a foot and an ankle and a knee and a hip,
  • 00:12:33.011 --> 00:12:36.314
  • But horses have got four of them,
  • 00:12:36.314 --> 00:12:39.784
  • And they're not very verbal,
  • 00:12:39.784 --> 00:12:44.222
  • Shoulders and so, you know, they'll say, "my horse is lame"
  • 00:12:44.222 --> 00:12:46.925
  • Or "he's not picking both feet up the same height."
  • 00:12:46.925 --> 00:12:50.829
  • I'm like, yeah, that's unfortunate.
  • 00:12:50.829 --> 00:12:54.132
  • So, he'd always say the same thing.
  • 00:12:54.132 --> 00:12:55.934
  • "well, walk the horse down that barn hall"
  • 00:12:55.934 --> 00:12:58.236
  • Or "walk him down that path."
  • 00:12:58.236 --> 00:12:59.571
  • And if that didn't, "get on him and ride.
  • 00:12:59.571 --> 00:13:00.905
  • I want to see you ride him."
  • 00:13:00.905 --> 00:13:02.340
  • And he'd stand there and watch and he'd get in the back and
  • 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:04.642
  • He'd go get in the front.
  • 00:13:04.642 --> 00:13:05.977
  • And if one of us was with him, usually he'd look over and he'd
  • 00:13:05.977 --> 00:13:08.379
  • Say, "so what do you think it is?"
  • 00:13:08.379 --> 00:13:12.517
  • And i never had the guts to say, but i think, "well, they're not
  • 00:13:12.517 --> 00:13:14.385
  • Paying me, that's really up to you," but i just--
  • 00:13:14.385 --> 00:13:19.457
  • I was wise enough not to say that, so.
  • 00:13:19.457 --> 00:13:24.429
  • But, you know, it took a lot of training to know whether it was
  • 00:13:24.429 --> 00:13:27.031
  • An ankle or a knee or what the problem was or how to finally
  • 00:13:27.031 --> 00:13:32.337
  • Get to that conclusion.
  • 00:13:32.337 --> 00:13:34.472
  • And, you know, you have training.
  • 00:13:34.472 --> 00:13:36.241
  • We have people in the building they're video editors.
  • 00:13:36.241 --> 00:13:38.977
  • They can look at a piece of video and they'll look at a
  • 00:13:38.977 --> 00:13:41.412
  • Transition video like we just saw and they'll go, "you know,
  • 00:13:41.412 --> 00:13:43.348
  • We should have gotten out of that two frames sooner," and i'm
  • 00:13:43.348 --> 00:13:45.383
  • Going like, "what?
  • 00:13:45.383 --> 00:13:47.852
  • I don't know."
  • 00:13:47.852 --> 00:13:50.088
  • Well, in the church, the people of god, we have to know how to
  • 00:13:50.088 --> 00:13:55.026
  • Recognize what god is doing.
  • 00:13:55.026 --> 00:13:57.929
  • We have to have eyes to see.
  • 00:13:57.929 --> 00:13:59.264
  • And we act like, "well, that's obvious."
  • 00:13:59.264 --> 00:14:00.632
  • No, we've been trained in some things.
  • 00:14:00.632 --> 00:14:03.334
  • We know about an altar call and a confession of faith.
  • 00:14:03.334 --> 00:14:06.838
  • Maybe we know about worship that we think is meaningful.
  • 00:14:06.838 --> 00:14:09.274
  • One of the first things i had to learn when i started in ministry
  • 00:14:09.274 --> 00:14:12.944
  • Is how do you know if a community of people is healthy?
  • 00:14:12.944 --> 00:14:15.980
  • 'cause our language doesn't help.
  • 00:14:15.980 --> 00:14:17.515
  • "how was church?" "oh, it's wonderful."
  • 00:14:17.515 --> 00:14:18.850
  • "what do you mean?" "well, the spirit moved."
  • 00:14:18.850 --> 00:14:20.184
  • "how'd you know?"
  • 00:14:20.184 --> 00:14:22.487
  • "well, you could feel it."
  • 00:14:22.487 --> 00:14:25.223
  • No, you may have just been hungry.
  • 00:14:25.223 --> 00:14:29.827
  • I mean, it could have been about your emotions.
  • 00:14:29.827 --> 00:14:31.362
  • That's not, you know, i had to come to understand ways to
  • 00:14:31.362 --> 00:14:36.367
  • Recognize what was happening so that we could have
  • 00:14:36.367 --> 00:14:39.270
  • Conversation about it.
  • 00:14:39.270 --> 00:14:40.605
  • And how do we see, how do we recognize?
  • 00:14:40.605 --> 00:14:43.574
  • We need god's help.
  • 00:14:43.574 --> 00:14:46.811
  • We had a conversation, what's today?
  • 00:14:46.811 --> 00:14:49.147
  • Is this saturday?
  • 00:14:49.147 --> 00:14:50.515
  • We had a conversation friday morning about israel.
  • 00:14:50.515 --> 00:14:52.884
  • And we had two people that traveled from israel to talk
  • 00:14:52.884 --> 00:14:55.153
  • To us.
  • 00:14:55.153 --> 00:14:57.488
  • And we had a man who's works in the media.
  • 00:14:57.488 --> 00:15:00.792
  • He's the editor in chief of breitbart.
  • 00:15:00.792 --> 00:15:03.761
  • I had a conversation with him earlier in the week and he said,
  • 00:15:03.761 --> 00:15:05.630
  • "i'd like to come be a part of that conversation."
  • 00:15:05.630 --> 00:15:08.566
  • And he wanted to talk about it based on what he understands.
  • 00:15:08.566 --> 00:15:11.636
  • I mean, he's world class at the news and the media and
  • 00:15:11.636 --> 00:15:14.706
  • The conversations.
  • 00:15:14.706 --> 00:15:16.941
  • In my imagination, that would have been a conversation fueled
  • 00:15:16.941 --> 00:15:19.077
  • By pastors.
  • 00:15:19.077 --> 00:15:22.280
  • But they're much more reluctant to have that conversation.
  • 00:15:22.280 --> 00:15:27.185
  • We're having to learn to see in new ways.
  • 00:15:27.185 --> 00:15:30.021
  • We had a conversation on the media last night and i learned a
  • 00:15:30.021 --> 00:15:32.724
  • Great deal about spiritual things happening in our nation
  • 00:15:32.724 --> 00:15:35.360
  • From sports reporters, editors of media outlets.
  • 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:40.898
  • They had some amazing insight and discernment about what's
  • 00:15:40.898 --> 00:15:43.334
  • Happening in our nation from a spiritual vantage point and the
  • 00:15:43.334 --> 00:15:47.405
  • Courage to say it.
  • 00:15:47.405 --> 00:15:49.540
  • Well, i didn't expect that.
  • 00:15:49.540 --> 00:15:50.908
  • It's not their business.
  • 00:15:50.908 --> 00:15:52.877
  • I'd prefer that to be coming out of our theological seminaries.
  • 00:15:52.877 --> 00:15:57.048
  • I mean, those are the places that we pay to train people to
  • 00:15:57.048 --> 00:15:59.517
  • Be spiritual leaders, right?
  • 00:15:59.517 --> 00:16:00.852
  • That's how it happens.
  • 00:16:00.852 --> 00:16:04.655
  • And i'm like, wow.
  • 00:16:04.655 --> 00:16:06.491
  • And i'm listening to all this going, there's some, i got pages
  • 00:16:06.491 --> 00:16:09.460
  • And pages of notes.
  • 00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:10.795
  • I'm gonna try to share some of it with you in a minute.
  • 00:16:10.795 --> 00:16:17.835
  • But what i was conscious of is i've got to see in some
  • 00:16:17.835 --> 00:16:21.506
  • New ways.
  • 00:16:21.506 --> 00:16:24.108
  • And i would invite you to that.
  • 00:16:24.108 --> 00:16:27.311
  • Say, "well, i've never seen that."
  • 00:16:27.311 --> 00:16:28.713
  • No kidding, 'cause what we've been doing isn't working.
  • 00:16:28.713 --> 00:16:31.416
  • We've presided over one of the most precipitous declines of
  • 00:16:31.416 --> 00:16:34.552
  • Christian influence in the history of the church.
  • 00:16:34.552 --> 00:16:38.623
  • For all of our talk about safety and security, our lives aren't
  • 00:16:38.623 --> 00:16:41.325
  • Safer or more secure.
  • 00:16:41.325 --> 00:16:42.660
  • Our children aren't safer or more secure.
  • 00:16:42.660 --> 00:16:44.962
  • I'm old enough to be of a generation, they used to let me
  • 00:16:44.962 --> 00:16:47.565
  • Walk to school unattended.
  • 00:16:47.565 --> 00:16:50.768
  • Like blocks, and it wasn't because they hoped i didn't come
  • 00:16:50.768 --> 00:16:52.804
  • Home, i mean--
  • 00:16:52.804 --> 00:16:57.975
  • And it was normal.
  • 00:16:57.975 --> 00:16:59.310
  • There was lots of kids walking to school.
  • 00:16:59.310 --> 00:17:02.814
  • I mean, it was pretty typical behavior.
  • 00:17:02.814 --> 00:17:05.750
  • That's unthinkable today.
  • 00:17:05.750 --> 00:17:08.753
  • So for all of our language, it's really deceptive.
  • 00:17:08.753 --> 00:17:13.257
  • Our grades are down, our scores are down, they're not as safe.
  • 00:17:13.257 --> 00:17:16.360
  • We took the ten commandments out and put in metal detectors.
  • 00:17:16.360 --> 00:17:20.598
  • But we're anesthetized to we're like, "yeah, that's just how we
  • 00:17:20.598 --> 00:17:23.201
  • Do things."
  • 00:17:23.201 --> 00:17:24.535
  • No, that's not always been the case.
  • 00:17:24.535 --> 00:17:27.138
  • We have to learn to see.
  • 00:17:27.138 --> 00:17:31.409
  • Allen: now, how should we respond to the nation of israel
  • 00:17:35.546 --> 00:17:38.149
  • And the jewish people?
  • 00:17:38.149 --> 00:17:39.550
  • It's a complex question in today's world.
  • 00:17:39.550 --> 00:17:41.986
  • Well, i've written a book, "supporting israel: how far is
  • 00:17:41.986 --> 00:17:44.755
  • Too far?"
  • 00:17:44.755 --> 00:17:46.090
  • To help us establish a biblical perspective on what has become a
  • 00:17:46.090 --> 00:17:49.994
  • Complex question in contemporary culture.
  • 00:17:49.994 --> 00:17:52.997
  • We don't wanna follow the guidance and the counsel of some
  • 00:17:52.997 --> 00:17:55.867
  • Of the elite universities in this nation.
  • 00:17:55.867 --> 00:17:58.536
  • We wanna form a perspective that's built from god's word.
  • 00:17:58.536 --> 00:18:01.105
  • If we'll do that, it'll bring his blessings to our lives.
  • 00:18:01.105 --> 00:18:04.475
  • Enjoy the book.
  • 00:18:04.475 --> 00:18:05.810
  • Female announcer: from the pages of scripture to the frontlines
  • 00:18:05.810 --> 00:18:07.812
  • Of today's news, israel stands at the center of god's purposes.
  • 00:18:07.812 --> 00:18:12.250
  • Pastor allen's new booklet, "supporting israel: how far is
  • 00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:15.786
  • Too far?"
  • 00:18:15.786 --> 00:18:17.121
  • Offers a quick way to gain a biblical perspective on israel,
  • 00:18:17.121 --> 00:18:20.091
  • Why israel matters to god, and why it should matter to us.
  • 00:18:20.091 --> 00:18:24.428
  • Request your copy with your gift of any amount today at
  • 00:18:24.428 --> 00:18:27.498
  • Allenjackson.com or by calling...
  • 00:18:27.498 --> 00:18:33.237
  • Allen: in 2 kings 6, it's not in your notes, but elisha is in the
  • 00:18:35.239 --> 00:18:38.676
  • Midst of a little bit of a--he's a prophet in israel, but there's
  • 00:18:38.676 --> 00:18:41.913
  • Some tremendous pushback and he's actually giving messages to
  • 00:18:41.913 --> 00:18:45.783
  • The king of israel about an adversary.
  • 00:18:45.783 --> 00:18:47.752
  • So for those of you that think the church shouldn't be engaged
  • 00:18:47.752 --> 00:18:49.954
  • In culture, you'll have to lose the book of kings.
  • 00:18:49.954 --> 00:18:53.357
  • Your bible's gonna get really small.
  • 00:18:53.357 --> 00:18:56.160
  • You'll lose the gospels and the book of acts.
  • 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.896
  • You'll lose all the epistles. well, never mind.
  • 00:18:58.896 --> 00:19:02.733
  • Not sure what you'll have. you'll have a table of contents.
  • 00:19:02.733 --> 00:19:06.737
  • But the enemy of israel sends an army to get elisha because he is
  • 00:19:06.737 --> 00:19:11.576
  • Telling the king of israel what their plans and schemes are.
  • 00:19:11.576 --> 00:19:15.346
  • And so the army surrounds the little community where the
  • 00:19:15.346 --> 00:19:17.682
  • Prophet lives, and when the servant gets up in the morning,
  • 00:19:17.682 --> 00:19:19.617
  • Goes up on the roof, he sees the surrounding army and he's
  • 00:19:19.617 --> 00:19:21.986
  • Terrified and elisha prays a little prayer.
  • 00:19:21.986 --> 00:19:24.121
  • "lord, open his eyes to see."
  • 00:19:24.121 --> 00:19:26.991
  • And it's one of my primary takeaways
  • 00:19:26.991 --> 00:19:28.659
  • From these last couple of days.
  • 00:19:28.659 --> 00:19:29.994
  • It's a prayer i'm praying for myself and for you, "lord, open
  • 00:19:29.994 --> 00:19:32.263
  • My eyes.
  • 00:19:32.263 --> 00:19:33.731
  • I wanna see what you're doing.
  • 00:19:33.731 --> 00:19:36.167
  • I don't intend for my viewpoint to be shaped by secular voices.
  • 00:19:36.167 --> 00:19:39.403
  • God, i wanna see it from your vantage point.
  • 00:19:39.403 --> 00:19:41.072
  • Help me to see what you're doing in the earth."
  • 00:19:41.072 --> 00:19:43.841
  • Jesus is the head of the church.
  • 00:19:43.841 --> 00:19:45.209
  • I promise you, they're not in heaven wringing their hands,
  • 00:19:45.209 --> 00:19:46.644
  • Going, "what should we do?"
  • 00:19:46.644 --> 00:19:51.282
  • You know, i'll grieve charlie's loss.
  • 00:19:51.282 --> 00:19:54.685
  • I'm deeply sorry.
  • 00:19:54.685 --> 00:19:57.121
  • But jesus is still the head of the church.
  • 00:19:57.121 --> 00:19:58.756
  • Charlie got a promotion.
  • 00:19:58.756 --> 00:20:00.725
  • We got a baton.
  • 00:20:00.725 --> 00:20:03.561
  • I didn't want one.
  • 00:20:03.561 --> 00:20:04.929
  • I thought i was already busy.
  • 00:20:04.929 --> 00:20:07.665
  • And i'm sure you thought you were as well.
  • 00:20:07.665 --> 00:20:10.434
  • But the assignment is still before us.
  • 00:20:10.434 --> 00:20:12.536
  • Lord, help us to see.
  • 00:20:12.536 --> 00:20:16.807
  • You know, the help in scripture arrives from very
  • 00:20:16.807 --> 00:20:18.743
  • Unlikely sources.
  • 00:20:18.743 --> 00:20:21.846
  • Balaam, do you know about balaam?
  • 00:20:21.846 --> 00:20:23.814
  • He was a prophet of sorts, kind of a shady character, a little
  • 00:20:23.814 --> 00:20:26.651
  • Sketchy, but he knew the lord well enough to ask
  • 00:20:26.651 --> 00:20:29.654
  • For instruction.
  • 00:20:29.654 --> 00:20:31.389
  • And balaam was in a disobedient season.
  • 00:20:31.389 --> 00:20:33.424
  • You know, you could know the lord and still be disobedient.
  • 00:20:33.424 --> 00:20:35.493
  • Did you know that?
  • 00:20:35.493 --> 00:20:37.061
  • You shouldn't pretend that because you know the lord that
  • 00:20:37.061 --> 00:20:38.996
  • You're always obedient.
  • 00:20:38.996 --> 00:20:41.565
  • And balaam makes some really bad choices.
  • 00:20:41.565 --> 00:20:43.501
  • He's driven by greed and some things that aren't good.
  • 00:20:43.501 --> 00:20:46.904
  • And god is angry enough with him, he dispatches an angel to
  • 00:20:46.904 --> 00:20:49.674
  • Take his life.
  • 00:20:49.674 --> 00:20:51.509
  • But as an expression of mercy, 'cause there's no other way to
  • 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:55.713
  • Understand it, he loosens the tongue of the donkey balaam's
  • 00:20:55.713 --> 00:20:59.116
  • Riding and the donkey says to him, "what are you doing?"
  • 00:20:59.116 --> 00:21:06.957
  • Well, i would call that an unlikely source of a
  • 00:21:06.957 --> 00:21:10.528
  • Divine message.
  • 00:21:10.528 --> 00:21:14.131
  • But it's about the mercy of god.
  • 00:21:14.131 --> 00:21:16.967
  • Who would have imagined it'd happen that way?
  • 00:21:16.967 --> 00:21:20.071
  • But it doesn't stop that way.
  • 00:21:20.071 --> 00:21:21.539
  • Jesus, when he needed to teach the disciples a lesson, the
  • 00:21:21.539 --> 00:21:23.974
  • Apostles a lesson about god's ability and provision, he took
  • 00:21:23.974 --> 00:21:27.511
  • The lunch away from a kid.
  • 00:21:27.511 --> 00:21:31.382
  • I mean there's a little boy with a happy meal and jesus said,
  • 00:21:31.382 --> 00:21:33.651
  • "take it away from him."
  • 00:21:33.651 --> 00:21:37.321
  • You know we always talk about the
  • 00:21:37.321 --> 00:21:38.656
  • Miracle of the loaves and the fishes.
  • 00:21:38.656 --> 00:21:39.990
  • I think the miracle was the kid didn't have a complete meltdown
  • 00:21:39.990 --> 00:21:42.093
  • And disrupt the whole meeting.
  • 00:21:42.093 --> 00:21:46.163
  • And he took that little boy's lunch and he said to the
  • 00:21:46.163 --> 00:21:48.232
  • Disciples, "now we're gonna feed this group of people with it."
  • 00:21:48.232 --> 00:21:50.901
  • They could have had manna on the ground.
  • 00:21:50.901 --> 00:21:52.370
  • That's already a part of their narrative.
  • 00:21:52.370 --> 00:21:54.105
  • It's in their history.
  • 00:21:54.105 --> 00:21:55.473
  • They could have had quail blow in.
  • 00:21:55.473 --> 00:21:56.907
  • That's a part of their story.
  • 00:21:56.907 --> 00:21:58.642
  • The ravens, i mean, there's all sorts of--but no, jesus did
  • 00:21:58.642 --> 00:22:01.579
  • Something they've never seen before.
  • 00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:04.982
  • I mean, it's a consistent pattern through the narrative of
  • 00:22:04.982 --> 00:22:07.885
  • Scripture that when god moves, we're going, wow, i don't know
  • 00:22:07.885 --> 00:22:10.020
  • What that--is that-- could that be god?
  • 00:22:10.020 --> 00:22:13.524
  • When god recruited moses and said, "i need you to go back
  • 00:22:13.524 --> 00:22:15.426
  • To egypt, it's time, now we're gonna get
  • 00:22:15.426 --> 00:22:17.027
  • Those people out of there."
  • 00:22:17.027 --> 00:22:18.362
  • Moses said, "well, wait a minute, what if i go back there
  • 00:22:18.362 --> 00:22:20.297
  • And they say, just who sent you?"
  • 00:22:20.297 --> 00:22:24.568
  • And i think we're in one of those seasons we
  • 00:22:24.568 --> 00:22:26.003
  • Recognize we need god to move.
  • 00:22:26.003 --> 00:22:27.638
  • We can't just keep playing church and whistling and acting
  • 00:22:27.638 --> 00:22:30.408
  • Like there's nothing happening in the world.
  • 00:22:30.408 --> 00:22:31.809
  • Something's happening.
  • 00:22:31.809 --> 00:22:35.045
  • I mean, how is it we can't find voices to speak for israel?
  • 00:22:35.045 --> 00:22:38.282
  • They were attacked by hamas, a globally agreed upon terror
  • 00:22:38.282 --> 00:22:41.886
  • Group recognized even by the united nations in the most
  • 00:22:41.886 --> 00:22:45.923
  • Heinous behaviors, killing women and children.
  • 00:22:45.923 --> 00:22:48.926
  • They put children in the oven and made the families watch.
  • 00:22:48.926 --> 00:22:53.864
  • Over 700 days later, they still have hostages that
  • 00:22:53.864 --> 00:22:57.334
  • They're torturing.
  • 00:22:57.334 --> 00:23:03.140
  • There's a lot of voices saying the israelis are misbehaving.
  • 00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:06.677
  • Christians, christian leaders saying, "well, the israeli
  • 00:23:06.677 --> 00:23:09.680
  • Government is inconsistent."
  • 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:11.015
  • Oh, well, thank god ours isn't.
  • 00:23:11.015 --> 00:23:14.618
  • I was relieved to get that sorted out.
  • 00:23:14.618 --> 00:23:19.824
  • I mean, a disproportionate anger.
  • 00:23:19.824 --> 00:23:21.592
  • There's horrible things happening in the earth.
  • 00:23:21.592 --> 00:23:24.829
  • Sudan, ukraine, i mean, it's a--but there's a hatred directed
  • 00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:29.767
  • Towards the jewish people and we're reluctant to talk
  • 00:23:29.767 --> 00:23:31.936
  • About it.
  • 00:23:31.936 --> 00:23:34.038
  • We need new eyes to see.
  • 00:23:34.038 --> 00:23:35.506
  • God moves in unusual ways.
  • 00:23:35.506 --> 00:23:38.142
  • They argued about jesus, the religious scholars, the experts,
  • 00:23:38.142 --> 00:23:41.111
  • The power brokers in the synagogues and the temple and
  • 00:23:41.111 --> 00:23:43.647
  • They said, "there's no prophet that comes from galilee.
  • 00:23:43.647 --> 00:23:45.950
  • Listen to his accent.
  • 00:23:45.950 --> 00:23:47.718
  • He's a hillbilly and god doesn't recruit hillbillies.
  • 00:23:47.718 --> 00:23:51.055
  • We know the scriptures. check for yourselves.
  • 00:23:51.055 --> 00:23:53.858
  • Now, we know he walks on the water and he makes wine out of
  • 00:23:53.858 --> 00:23:56.160
  • Water and he raises the dead and he opens blind eyes, but his
  • 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:58.729
  • Pedigree is wrong."
  • 00:23:58.729 --> 00:24:01.365
  • And you're reading the narrative and you think, how could they
  • 00:24:01.365 --> 00:24:03.467
  • Not see?
  • 00:24:03.467 --> 00:24:06.136
  • And i look at our world and i go, it's hard to see.
  • 00:24:06.136 --> 00:24:10.174
  • That's not the way i expect it.
  • 00:24:10.174 --> 00:24:13.844
  • It's not the way i expect it.
  • 00:24:13.844 --> 00:24:19.016
  • One of the pastors that was here and spoke to us was rob mccoy,
  • 00:24:19.016 --> 00:24:23.521
  • Pastors a calvary chapel in california.
  • 00:24:23.521 --> 00:24:26.757
  • It's a mission field.
  • 00:24:26.757 --> 00:24:29.159
  • He was charlie's pastor.
  • 00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:32.363
  • And he made a statement that i wrote down.
  • 00:24:32.363 --> 00:24:35.132
  • He said, "in the absence of courage, truth is an orphan."
  • 00:24:35.132 --> 00:24:40.971
  • In the absence of courage, truth is an orphan,
  • 00:24:40.971 --> 00:24:45.709
  • That it's not enough to have access to the truth.
  • 00:24:45.709 --> 00:24:48.679
  • We have to embrace it with courage.
  • 00:24:48.679 --> 00:24:52.049
  • Truth is not always celebrated.
  • 00:24:52.049 --> 00:24:54.785
  • Truth is not always welcome.
  • 00:24:54.785 --> 00:24:58.055
  • In fact, a casual glance at history would tell us that there
  • 00:24:58.055 --> 00:25:03.694
  • Have always been powerful forces that try to suppress the truth
  • 00:25:03.694 --> 00:25:07.531
  • Or manipulate the truth.
  • 00:25:07.531 --> 00:25:10.434
  • Jesus said you'd know the truth and truth would bring freedom
  • 00:25:10.434 --> 00:25:13.804
  • To you.
  • 00:25:13.804 --> 00:25:15.172
  • So one of the assignments of the church is to be advocates for
  • 00:25:15.172 --> 00:25:17.474
  • The truth, and when i heard rob say that, i understood
  • 00:25:17.474 --> 00:25:20.978
  • That we can't be advocates for the truth absent courage.
  • 00:25:20.978 --> 00:25:25.683
  • Because you won't tell the truth.
  • 00:25:25.683 --> 00:25:28.152
  • You'll capitulate to whatever the cultural narrative is.
  • 00:25:28.152 --> 00:25:31.589
  • You'll just accept conventional wisdom.
  • 00:25:31.589 --> 00:25:34.024
  • You'll just go with the flow.
  • 00:25:34.024 --> 00:25:36.493
  • And we've done a lot of that.
  • 00:25:36.493 --> 00:25:37.828
  • We've done a lot of encouraging around that.
  • 00:25:37.828 --> 00:25:39.163
  • And if you talk about the truth from a biblical worldview,
  • 00:25:39.163 --> 00:25:41.599
  • There's a lot of voices that say, "wait a minute, stop it.
  • 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:43.400
  • You're being inappropriate.
  • 00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:44.735
  • You're not--you're being--can't we just do a bible study about
  • 00:25:44.735 --> 00:25:46.971
  • The truth in the first century?"
  • 00:25:46.971 --> 00:25:49.807
  • We can, but it won't be overly relevant to the 21st.
  • 00:25:49.807 --> 00:25:53.911
  • Understanding why the sadducees' understanding of their world was
  • 00:25:53.911 --> 00:25:57.047
  • Incomplete and they missed an opportunity can inform our
  • 00:25:57.047 --> 00:26:01.018
  • Decisions, but the purpose of studying the sadducees is to
  • 00:26:01.018 --> 00:26:03.420
  • Help us make better decisions in the 21st century.
  • 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:06.256
  • Allen: you know, i used to believe that antisemitism was a
  • 00:26:08.025 --> 00:26:10.194
  • European problem or an issue in the islamic nations of the
  • 00:26:10.194 --> 00:26:13.964
  • World, but now we see it flourishing in our nation,
  • 00:26:13.964 --> 00:26:17.534
  • On elite college campuses, even amongst the political class,
  • 00:26:17.534 --> 00:26:21.271
  • And now on the conservative ideological spectrum.
  • 00:26:21.271 --> 00:26:25.109
  • It's troubling.
  • 00:26:25.109 --> 00:26:26.443
  • So i wrote a book, "supporting israel: how far is too far?"
  • 00:26:26.443 --> 00:26:30.547
  • You know, i know we've all got a little battle fatigue with the
  • 00:26:30.547 --> 00:26:32.883
  • Constant conflicts in the middle east and beyond,
  • 00:26:32.883 --> 00:26:36.086
  • But what we desperately need is a biblical perspective on how to
  • 00:26:36.086 --> 00:26:39.189
  • Navigate what's unfolding in our world,
  • 00:26:39.189 --> 00:26:42.126
  • And i believe the word of god gives that to us with clarity.
  • 00:26:42.126 --> 00:26:45.529
  • So we put this book together to help you find yourself in a
  • 00:26:45.529 --> 00:26:48.465
  • Place that will bring the blessings of god to your life.
  • 00:26:48.465 --> 00:26:51.435
  • I want to pray that we'll have his wisdom.
  • 00:26:51.435 --> 00:26:53.437
  • Father, you said when we lack wisdom,
  • 00:26:53.437 --> 00:26:55.172
  • We can ask and that you would give it to us without criticism.
  • 00:26:55.172 --> 00:26:58.108
  • We want to stand with you in what you're accomplishing in the
  • 00:26:58.108 --> 00:27:00.511
  • Earth so that your purposes can come forth.
  • 00:27:00.511 --> 00:27:03.447
  • Holy spirit, give us the discernment we need
  • 00:27:03.447 --> 00:27:05.949
  • In jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:05.949 --> 00:27:08.018
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:10.087 --> 00:27:29.106