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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - A God Designed Future (Part 1)

August 5, 2025 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - A God Designed Future (Part 1)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#Future #God'sWill #Plan #PromisesofGod #HandofGod #PresenceofGod #Purpose #HolySpirit #PoweroftheHolySpirit #RelationshipwithGod #Doubt #Unbelief

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - A God Designed Future (Part 1) | August 5, 2025
  • ...
  • 00:00:00.633 --> 00:00:01.016
  • Allen jackson: hey, i sat down recently with my father to do
  • 00:00:06.889 --> 00:00:09.258
  • A podcast, for my "culture & christianity" podcast, and it
  • 00:00:09.391 --> 00:00:13.695
  • Was so valuable to me.
  • 00:00:13.829 --> 00:00:14.196
  • I mean, we--it was stories that obviously i'm familiar with, but
  • 00:00:15.898 --> 00:00:18.600
  • As i heard him recount his faith, it ignited something in
  • 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:22.171
  • Me about the faithfulness of god across generations.
  • 00:00:22.171 --> 00:00:26.241
  • Well, i encouraged my dad to put together a book about his
  • 00:00:26.241 --> 00:00:28.944
  • Experiences with the holy spirit.
  • 00:00:28.944 --> 00:00:30.913
  • It changed his life, my parents's life, ultimately my
  • 00:00:30.913 --> 00:00:33.682
  • Family's life.
  • 00:00:33.682 --> 00:00:35.050
  • I believe the book will be a real encouragement to you.
  • 00:00:35.050 --> 00:00:38.420
  • I wanna make it available to you right along with "unleashing the
  • 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:41.090
  • Power of the holy spirit."
  • 00:00:41.090 --> 00:00:42.424
  • It's something i put together a while back that's been one of
  • 00:00:42.424 --> 00:00:44.827
  • The most effective tools we've ever had in the ministry.
  • 00:00:44.827 --> 00:00:47.863
  • Together, they'll open the doorway for you to not just have
  • 00:00:47.863 --> 00:00:51.066
  • Language around the holy spirit but to have something to
  • 00:00:51.066 --> 00:00:53.669
  • Actually do to invite him into your life on a regular basis to
  • 00:00:53.669 --> 00:00:57.840
  • Give you the wisdom you need, to help you unlock the problems
  • 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:00.542
  • That we face.
  • 00:01:00.542 --> 00:01:01.910
  • The spirit of god within us to help us, guide us, and direct
  • 00:01:01.910 --> 00:01:05.280
  • Us, that's invaluable, and these books will help you understand.
  • 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:11.687
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:01:15.023 --> 00:01:20.996
  • Allen: you know, we get some goofy notions at
  • 00:01:20.996 --> 00:01:22.731
  • Church sometimes.
  • 00:01:22.731 --> 00:01:24.733
  • I mean, i love god's people, i really do.
  • 00:01:24.733 --> 00:01:27.903
  • [congregation laughing]
  • 00:01:27.903 --> 00:01:33.375
  • But you know, like, we imagine that the only prayer that
  • 00:01:33.375 --> 00:01:35.944
  • Matters is the prayer we pray at the end of the service.
  • 00:01:35.944 --> 00:01:40.415
  • If you'll help me, we'll change that.
  • 00:01:40.415 --> 00:01:43.051
  • You know, i believe god's listening when you arrive
  • 00:01:43.051 --> 00:01:44.887
  • On campus.
  • 00:01:44.887 --> 00:01:47.322
  • I mean, spoiler alert, he's listening if you're at home.
  • 00:01:47.322 --> 00:01:51.960
  • But he listens more closely to those of us on campus.
  • 00:01:51.960 --> 00:01:57.533
  • But you know, let's change our imagination.
  • 00:01:57.533 --> 00:02:00.002
  • When you come into service and there's somebody near you,
  • 00:02:00.002 --> 00:02:05.440
  • Introduce yourself, "is there anything i can pray for you
  • 00:02:05.440 --> 00:02:07.509
  • For today?"
  • 00:02:07.509 --> 00:02:09.778
  • And don't stand up and, you know, wind up and quote 11
  • 00:02:09.778 --> 00:02:13.415
  • Scriptures, just take one sentence and invite god into
  • 00:02:13.415 --> 00:02:19.154
  • Their life.
  • 00:02:19.154 --> 00:02:21.056
  • It's one of the benefits in changing where you sit, right?
  • 00:02:21.056 --> 00:02:29.831
  • I mean, i understand you have an angle that is holy.
  • 00:02:29.831 --> 00:02:34.570
  • And from that angle, god ministers to you and from
  • 00:02:34.570 --> 00:02:37.239
  • Another angle, maybe the holy spirit won't know
  • 00:02:37.239 --> 00:02:39.608
  • You're here and you won't get credit because he won't take
  • 00:02:39.608 --> 00:02:46.048
  • Attendance and, you know, we-- we're like junior high kids.
  • 00:02:46.048 --> 00:02:49.518
  • They won't come to camp unless we promise they can be in
  • 00:02:49.518 --> 00:02:51.887
  • A group with their friends, come on.
  • 00:02:51.887 --> 00:02:56.658
  • You know, we come to church, it's the same church we were in
  • 00:02:56.658 --> 00:02:58.827
  • Last week and it's the same church we're coming back to next
  • 00:02:58.827 --> 00:03:00.963
  • Week, but if we can't sit with our friends...
  • 00:03:00.963 --> 00:03:08.637
  • [congregation applauding]
  • 00:03:08.637 --> 00:03:11.773
  • So here's an idea--i'm--i'll take all this off my preaching
  • 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:14.543
  • Time, i promise.
  • 00:03:14.543 --> 00:03:15.877
  • Don't get anxious.
  • 00:03:15.877 --> 00:03:17.646
  • But here's an idea, when you come into service, come in with
  • 00:03:17.646 --> 00:03:20.349
  • The intent of inviting god into your life, into the lives of the
  • 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:23.819
  • People around you.
  • 00:03:23.819 --> 00:03:26.555
  • Don't have to be weird about it.
  • 00:03:26.555 --> 00:03:27.956
  • Say, "i don't--you know, i don't like to meet people."
  • 00:03:27.956 --> 00:03:30.325
  • I--i'm not asking you to exchange life stories.
  • 00:03:30.325 --> 00:03:33.428
  • "hey, my name's allen.
  • 00:03:33.428 --> 00:03:34.963
  • I'm gonna say a little prayer for you.
  • 00:03:34.963 --> 00:03:36.298
  • 'god, bless my new friend, amen.'"
  • 00:03:36.298 --> 00:03:39.434
  • You can even say your name's allen if it makes it easier,
  • 00:03:39.434 --> 00:03:41.803
  • I don't care, okay?
  • 00:03:41.803 --> 00:03:46.842
  • But i mean, what if we turned worship into an invitation from
  • 00:03:46.842 --> 00:03:55.350
  • God into one another's lives?
  • 00:03:55.350 --> 00:03:59.087
  • You don't have to touch them, i don't want people i don't know
  • 00:03:59.087 --> 00:04:02.357
  • Touching me.
  • 00:04:02.357 --> 00:04:04.926
  • Again, you know, it doesn't make you spiritual, it just makes
  • 00:04:04.926 --> 00:04:07.362
  • You weird.
  • 00:04:07.362 --> 00:04:10.299
  • But let's get--let's--we gotta climb past the pretense, "well,
  • 00:04:10.299 --> 00:04:13.568
  • I'm here," you know, "i got here.
  • 00:04:13.568 --> 00:04:16.471
  • Are you happy now?"
  • 00:04:16.471 --> 00:04:17.839
  • No, not really.
  • 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:20.008
  • We want to invite god into our midst.
  • 00:04:20.008 --> 00:04:22.711
  • If there's nothing to it, if there's nothing substantive
  • 00:04:22.711 --> 00:04:24.913
  • About it, if there's no outcome connected to it, if it is false
  • 00:04:24.913 --> 00:04:27.749
  • And it's pretentious and it's empty, let's not do it.
  • 00:04:27.749 --> 00:04:32.754
  • But if there is a living god, and he can be known, and he
  • 00:04:32.754 --> 00:04:35.324
  • Moves in the midst of his people and he does respond to our
  • 00:04:35.324 --> 00:04:37.793
  • Prayers, and he changes us from the inside out and can
  • 00:04:37.793 --> 00:04:41.129
  • Completely change our world and our life experience, then
  • 00:04:41.129 --> 00:04:44.466
  • For--by all means, let's be proactive in inviting him
  • 00:04:44.466 --> 00:04:47.302
  • In, amen? [congregation applauding]
  • 00:04:47.302 --> 00:04:54.943
  • You know, god has been doing some remarkable, remarkable
  • 00:04:54.943 --> 00:04:57.512
  • Things in recent weeks, reversing laws that have
  • 00:04:57.512 --> 00:05:02.017
  • Restricted, i think, the purposes of god in many ways,
  • 00:05:02.017 --> 00:05:05.854
  • And--but this week, there was another significant step
  • 00:05:05.854 --> 00:05:08.623
  • Forward, could have been missed if you don't live in
  • 00:05:08.623 --> 00:05:11.326
  • Nonprofit world.
  • 00:05:11.326 --> 00:05:12.694
  • But the irs issued a ruling that churches would no longer be
  • 00:05:12.694 --> 00:05:17.466
  • Forbidden to talk about candidates.
  • 00:05:17.466 --> 00:05:27.509
  • Well, it--i want to put it into context because i think it's
  • 00:05:29.277 --> 00:05:31.480
  • A far more significant ruling than talking about
  • 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:33.648
  • Political candidates.
  • 00:05:33.648 --> 00:05:35.016
  • I truly understand it to be, they've taken down one of the
  • 00:05:35.016 --> 00:05:39.087
  • Significant prohibitions against free speech.
  • 00:05:39.087 --> 00:05:42.758
  • Because what we've recognized is that under that general notion
  • 00:05:42.758 --> 00:05:46.361
  • Of you can't talk about candidates, there was a great
  • 00:05:46.361 --> 00:05:49.097
  • Deal of pressure to not talk about culture.
  • 00:05:49.097 --> 00:05:52.734
  • So that if we said marriage was between a man and a woman, there
  • 00:05:52.734 --> 00:05:55.537
  • Were people that were saying you're being political.
  • 00:05:55.537 --> 00:05:57.272
  • I wasn't trying to be political at all, it's a biblical value.
  • 00:05:57.272 --> 00:06:01.243
  • When we talk about the sanctity of human life and why we're
  • 00:06:01.243 --> 00:06:06.248
  • Pro-life, it's not a political discussion, it's
  • 00:06:06.248 --> 00:06:08.150
  • A biblical discussion.
  • 00:06:08.150 --> 00:06:09.484
  • We talk about moral and immoral, again, it's not a political
  • 00:06:09.484 --> 00:06:12.788
  • Conversation, those are all biblical
  • 00:06:12.788 --> 00:06:15.023
  • Worldview conversations.
  • 00:06:15.023 --> 00:06:17.058
  • But because of the threat and the bullying, quite honestly, of
  • 00:06:17.058 --> 00:06:20.128
  • The irs, it's been in place for over 60 years, the churches have
  • 00:06:20.128 --> 00:06:24.299
  • Been deafening in their silence.
  • 00:06:24.299 --> 00:06:27.702
  • And so now the legal prohibition from that has been removed,
  • 00:06:27.702 --> 00:06:32.574
  • So the question will become more about our courage.
  • 00:06:32.574 --> 00:06:36.278
  • The reason we've been quiet is in the church, there's been
  • 00:06:36.278 --> 00:06:39.080
  • Tremendous division, we haven't really been biblically-oriented.
  • 00:06:39.080 --> 00:06:43.785
  • And so there is an opportunity for this.
  • 00:06:43.785 --> 00:06:45.854
  • It really goes back--that ruling has been in place, it's called
  • 00:06:45.854 --> 00:06:48.156
  • The johnson amendment--since the 1960s.
  • 00:06:48.156 --> 00:06:49.424
  • Now, i'm much too young to remember the '60s, but i'm
  • 00:06:49.424 --> 00:06:54.095
  • A student of history.
  • 00:06:54.095 --> 00:06:57.165
  • In the '60s, when lyndon johnson was president, was really at the
  • 00:06:57.165 --> 00:07:00.602
  • Height of the vietnam war and our nation was being torn apart,
  • 00:07:00.602 --> 00:07:03.472
  • More divided than we are today, with a great deal of protest
  • 00:07:03.472 --> 00:07:08.043
  • Against the war in vietnam.
  • 00:07:08.043 --> 00:07:10.212
  • And johnson didn't want the churches to speak against the
  • 00:07:10.212 --> 00:07:14.282
  • War because the church had a very significant influence in
  • 00:07:14.282 --> 00:07:18.320
  • The culture at that point, and if you could control the
  • 00:07:18.320 --> 00:07:20.255
  • Messaging of the church, you could control the culture.
  • 00:07:20.255 --> 00:07:23.492
  • And so he managed to slip into a bill that was making its way
  • 00:07:23.492 --> 00:07:26.294
  • Through congress, this amendment that kept churches from talking.
  • 00:07:26.294 --> 00:07:29.464
  • They called it political speech, but it was really talking about
  • 00:07:29.464 --> 00:07:32.634
  • Current events.
  • 00:07:32.634 --> 00:07:34.836
  • And so it's been in place for those more than 60 years, and i
  • 00:07:34.836 --> 00:07:38.306
  • Believe the silence of the church, the deafening silence of
  • 00:07:38.306 --> 00:07:40.709
  • The church, has resulted in a great deal of the immorality and
  • 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:43.845
  • The lawlessness and the things that we see as pervasive
  • 00:07:43.845 --> 00:07:47.249
  • Problems in our culture.
  • 00:07:47.249 --> 00:07:49.384
  • So it's a tremendously encouraging step that the irs
  • 00:07:49.384 --> 00:07:52.888
  • Chose to clarify that ruling and to restore a bit of free speech
  • 00:07:52.888 --> 00:07:57.726
  • To the church, amen.
  • 00:07:57.726 --> 00:08:03.331
  • We're watching miracles of biblical proportion.
  • 00:08:03.331 --> 00:08:07.536
  • I mean, we had the president of the united states not long ago
  • 00:08:07.536 --> 00:08:10.238
  • Say that marriage is between a man and a woman.
  • 00:08:10.238 --> 00:08:14.175
  • We had the president of the united states say there's only
  • 00:08:14.175 --> 00:08:16.545
  • Two biological sexes.
  • 00:08:16.545 --> 00:08:19.014
  • And now we've had the irs say the church should tell
  • 00:08:19.014 --> 00:08:22.083
  • The truth. [congregation applauding]
  • 00:08:22.083 --> 00:08:30.025
  • My preference would have been all those initiatives would have
  • 00:08:30.025 --> 00:08:32.627
  • Been led by the people of god.
  • 00:08:32.627 --> 00:08:36.364
  • We've been a little ambivalent.
  • 00:08:36.364 --> 00:08:40.068
  • It's a nice word.
  • 00:08:40.068 --> 00:08:42.070
  • But i'm grateful that god has raised up voices, unexpected
  • 00:08:42.070 --> 00:08:45.273
  • Voices, to stand up for the truth.
  • 00:08:45.273 --> 00:08:47.375
  • It brings freedom to us, but especially gives an opportunity
  • 00:08:47.375 --> 00:08:51.046
  • To our children and grandchildren.
  • 00:08:51.046 --> 00:08:53.348
  • There is a bill that has been proposed in congress, it's
  • 00:08:53.348 --> 00:08:57.686
  • Sponsored by representative mark harris of north carolina and
  • 00:08:57.686 --> 00:09:01.389
  • Senator james lankford of oklahoma.
  • 00:09:01.389 --> 00:09:03.592
  • It's called the free speech fairness act, that would reverse
  • 00:09:03.592 --> 00:09:08.096
  • The johnson amendment and make it a matter of formal law, not
  • 00:09:08.096 --> 00:09:10.832
  • Just opinion from the irs.
  • 00:09:10.832 --> 00:09:13.134
  • So it's worth praying that that bill be passed expeditiously.
  • 00:09:13.134 --> 00:09:18.940
  • All right, i just don't--you know, we come to church to talk
  • 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:20.842
  • About what god's doing, and everything he's doing isn't
  • 00:09:20.842 --> 00:09:24.079
  • Inside our building, hallelujah.
  • 00:09:24.079 --> 00:09:28.016
  • All right, you got an outline.
  • 00:09:28.016 --> 00:09:29.351
  • You should have received one when you came in.
  • 00:09:29.351 --> 00:09:30.719
  • If you didn't, maybe your neighbor will share.
  • 00:09:30.719 --> 00:09:34.456
  • If they won't, stand up and point at them.
  • 00:09:34.456 --> 00:09:37.993
  • You can download those same outlines if you're joining us.
  • 00:09:37.993 --> 00:09:41.529
  • We started a series that i wanna continue talking about, "god's
  • 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:44.566
  • Plan, god's promises, god's people."
  • 00:09:44.566 --> 00:09:47.502
  • In this session, we're gonna talk specifically about "a
  • 00:09:47.502 --> 00:09:49.704
  • God-designed future."
  • 00:09:49.704 --> 00:09:51.039
  • I believe god has a future for your life and mine.
  • 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:53.408
  • I believe god has a plan for every person.
  • 00:09:53.408 --> 00:09:55.343
  • He's the author and the completer, we're told, of
  • 00:09:55.343 --> 00:09:57.278
  • Our stories.
  • 00:09:57.278 --> 00:09:58.780
  • He knows us when we're being knit together in our
  • 00:09:58.780 --> 00:10:01.116
  • Mother's womb.
  • 00:10:01.116 --> 00:10:02.450
  • He's known us from the foundation of the world.
  • 00:10:02.450 --> 00:10:03.918
  • You're not an accident.
  • 00:10:03.918 --> 00:10:05.253
  • You're not some cosmic hiccup.
  • 00:10:05.253 --> 00:10:07.555
  • You're not a random collision of cells.
  • 00:10:07.555 --> 00:10:11.326
  • You're the result of an intentional design just as
  • 00:10:11.326 --> 00:10:14.029
  • Certainly as our earth is orbiting the sun.
  • 00:10:14.029 --> 00:10:17.799
  • God has a plan for your life, and he's made promises and made
  • 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:22.737
  • Them known to us in his word, that enable us to imagine
  • 00:10:22.737 --> 00:10:26.541
  • That plan.
  • 00:10:26.541 --> 00:10:29.177
  • But in order for those promises to define us, we have to be
  • 00:10:29.177 --> 00:10:31.713
  • Willing to be identified as god's people.
  • 00:10:31.713 --> 00:10:34.549
  • You can't reject god and imagine you should get the benefit of
  • 00:10:34.549 --> 00:10:37.352
  • His promises.
  • 00:10:37.352 --> 00:10:39.387
  • So we're doing this series to try to understand a bit better
  • 00:10:39.387 --> 00:10:42.223
  • God's promises for our lives and in this session, as i said,
  • 00:10:42.223 --> 00:10:45.894
  • There's a god-designed future for you and for me.
  • 00:10:45.894 --> 00:10:49.064
  • And i'm gonna--we're reading through the--we've been reading
  • 00:10:49.064 --> 00:10:52.200
  • Through the--beginning with the old testament, we've finished
  • 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:54.202
  • The book of joshua and we're into judges.
  • 00:10:54.202 --> 00:10:57.105
  • Big picture, that's the story of god's people.
  • 00:10:57.105 --> 00:11:00.775
  • He promised them a land that flowed with milk and honey.
  • 00:11:00.775 --> 00:11:03.445
  • It goes all the way back to genesis, promises that existed.
  • 00:11:03.445 --> 00:11:06.614
  • Abraham didn't understand that fully.
  • 00:11:06.614 --> 00:11:08.283
  • He understood the promise, but he didn't see it in the same way
  • 00:11:08.283 --> 00:11:10.552
  • That joshua did.
  • 00:11:10.552 --> 00:11:12.921
  • Moses understood that promise was the reason they were being
  • 00:11:12.921 --> 00:11:15.323
  • Delivered from egyptian slavery, but moses didn't get to enter
  • 00:11:15.323 --> 00:11:18.259
  • The promised land.
  • 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:20.528
  • In fact, that entire exodus generation died in
  • 00:11:20.528 --> 00:11:22.731
  • The wilderness.
  • 00:11:22.731 --> 00:11:24.065
  • Not because god wasn't willing, because they chose not to.
  • 00:11:24.065 --> 00:11:28.903
  • So the issue isn't entirely focused upon god's promises, it
  • 00:11:28.903 --> 00:11:33.742
  • Has to do with our responses.
  • 00:11:33.742 --> 00:11:35.944
  • And it should be noted that all along the narrative, from the
  • 00:11:35.944 --> 00:11:38.379
  • Book of genesis to the book of revelation, there is opposition
  • 00:11:38.379 --> 00:11:41.382
  • To the purposes of god.
  • 00:11:41.382 --> 00:11:43.785
  • I don't like that.
  • 00:11:43.785 --> 00:11:46.254
  • I think it would be better if you could plant a
  • 00:11:46.254 --> 00:11:47.822
  • Garden that didn't have weeds.
  • 00:11:47.822 --> 00:11:50.391
  • I think it'd be better if you could plant tomato plants in
  • 00:11:50.391 --> 00:11:52.427
  • Tennessee in the summertime and the bugs would not like them.
  • 00:11:52.427 --> 00:11:56.731
  • I'd like to be able to go outside in tennessee in the
  • 00:11:56.731 --> 00:11:58.767
  • Summertime, with all the heat and the humidity and the wonder
  • 00:11:58.767 --> 00:12:01.369
  • That it brings, and have no mosquitoes and no flies.
  • 00:12:01.369 --> 00:12:07.175
  • But that's not the world i live in, so i hoe the weeds and i
  • 00:12:07.175 --> 00:12:11.246
  • Spray for the bugs, and i look forward to the cooler
  • 00:12:11.246 --> 00:12:15.150
  • Temperatures of the fall.
  • 00:12:15.150 --> 00:12:17.819
  • And we live in a world where there is opposition to the
  • 00:12:17.819 --> 00:12:19.954
  • Purposes of god.
  • 00:12:19.954 --> 00:12:21.990
  • Now having established that, let's decide what to do
  • 00:12:21.990 --> 00:12:24.125
  • About it.
  • 00:12:24.125 --> 00:12:27.228
  • Allen: hey, i sat down with my father recently, did a podcast.
  • 00:12:31.432 --> 00:12:34.569
  • He told the story of how he came to faith, how god transformed
  • 00:12:34.569 --> 00:12:37.138
  • Our family.
  • 00:12:37.138 --> 00:12:38.473
  • They started a home bible study, all the way up to the beginning
  • 00:12:38.473 --> 00:12:40.341
  • Of this church that i've served now for decades.
  • 00:12:40.341 --> 00:12:43.178
  • As i listened, the heart of it was the work of the holy spirit
  • 00:12:43.178 --> 00:12:45.914
  • In his life and through his life.
  • 00:12:45.914 --> 00:12:48.016
  • I asked him to do a book around the topic, and we have it,
  • 00:12:48.016 --> 00:12:51.452
  • So that you can invite the spirit of god to be the dynamic
  • 00:12:51.452 --> 00:12:54.355
  • Presence of the power of god to bring change in life and hope no
  • 00:12:54.355 --> 00:12:58.693
  • Matter what the circumstances.
  • 00:12:58.693 --> 00:13:00.395
  • You'll enjoy the book.
  • 00:13:00.395 --> 00:13:01.729
  • Female announcer: experience the holy spirit in a deeper way with
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  • Of life."
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  • Request your copy when you donate any amount today.
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  • And when you give $50 or more, you can also request "unleashing
  • 00:13:11.406 --> 00:13:15.543
  • The power of the holy spirit."
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  • It's a collection of pastor allen's sermons that will help
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  • You understand the holy spirit in new ways.
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  • Request yours today at allenjackson.com or by
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  • Calling ...
  • 00:13:26.321 --> 00:13:29.490
  • Allen: the bible is a book of promises.
  • 00:13:31.826 --> 00:13:34.295
  • It is a book of promises.
  • 00:13:34.295 --> 00:13:35.697
  • I brought you just a sample set in your notes.
  • 00:13:35.697 --> 00:13:38.933
  • In john 16 and verse 7, jesus is speaking.
  • 00:13:38.933 --> 00:13:41.636
  • He said, "if i go," he's telling his best friends, "if i go," if
  • 00:13:41.636 --> 00:13:44.239
  • I leave you, "i will send the holy spirit to you."
  • 00:13:44.239 --> 00:13:47.809
  • It's a promise, promise made, a promise kept.
  • 00:13:47.809 --> 00:13:50.812
  • John 7, jesus again, "if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me
  • 00:13:50.812 --> 00:13:54.849
  • And drink."
  • 00:13:54.849 --> 00:13:56.317
  • Matthew 6:14, jesus again, "if you forgive men when they sin
  • 00:13:56.317 --> 00:13:59.888
  • Against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you."
  • 00:13:59.888 --> 00:14:03.224
  • That's a big rock.
  • 00:14:03.224 --> 00:14:05.026
  • You can be forgiven by the creator of all things.
  • 00:14:05.026 --> 00:14:09.030
  • John 14, "if i go and prepare a place for you, i'll come back
  • 00:14:09.030 --> 00:14:13.401
  • And take you to be with me."
  • 00:14:13.401 --> 00:14:15.136
  • If you believe that jesus has been to the earth, the incarnate
  • 00:14:15.136 --> 00:14:18.606
  • Son of god, then i would invite you to believe the promise that
  • 00:14:18.606 --> 00:14:21.943
  • He's coming back for his people.
  • 00:14:21.943 --> 00:14:26.748
  • That really is a significant promise.
  • 00:14:26.748 --> 00:14:29.250
  • He came the first time as a suffering servant, the lamb of
  • 00:14:29.250 --> 00:14:32.053
  • God, to take the sins of the world.
  • 00:14:32.053 --> 00:14:33.788
  • He's coming back the second time with a very different role, he's
  • 00:14:33.788 --> 00:14:36.791
  • Coming back as a conquering king and the judge of all the earth.
  • 00:14:36.791 --> 00:14:41.829
  • You want to be prepared to meet the king.
  • 00:14:41.829 --> 00:14:44.399
  • Every one of those promises begins with that annoying little
  • 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:48.336
  • Preposition, if.
  • 00:14:48.336 --> 00:14:50.972
  • They're all conditional.
  • 00:14:50.972 --> 00:14:53.541
  • If you'll forgive men their sin, god said he'll forgive you.
  • 00:14:53.541 --> 00:14:57.078
  • You can't harbor unforgiveness and bitterness and resentment
  • 00:14:57.078 --> 00:14:59.580
  • And hatred and imagine that god will forgive you.
  • 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:03.518
  • You'll never make an argument so convincing to god that he'll
  • 00:15:03.518 --> 00:15:07.221
  • Agree with you in your bitterness and your hatred,
  • 00:15:07.221 --> 00:15:11.592
  • Because he's chosen to forgive us in all of our rebellion.
  • 00:15:11.592 --> 00:15:16.164
  • God's promises are invitations in our lives.
  • 00:15:16.164 --> 00:15:19.200
  • I like to think of them as little micro grants
  • 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.769
  • Of permission.
  • 00:15:21.769 --> 00:15:23.104
  • When you find a promise of god, you realize you've been given
  • 00:15:23.104 --> 00:15:26.074
  • Permission to walk into a life experience.
  • 00:15:26.074 --> 00:15:30.812
  • See, we stand apart from our bibles too often, i wanna invite
  • 00:15:30.812 --> 00:15:33.715
  • You into the pages of the narrative.
  • 00:15:33.715 --> 00:15:36.250
  • God's promises enable us to live a god-designed life.
  • 00:15:36.250 --> 00:15:40.655
  • Our lives, our lives are defined by promises made, promises
  • 00:15:40.655 --> 00:15:45.760
  • Believed, and promises kept.
  • 00:15:45.760 --> 00:15:48.329
  • I assure you that is the truth.
  • 00:15:48.329 --> 00:15:50.231
  • The quality of our lives, our level of contentment, our own
  • 00:15:50.231 --> 00:15:55.136
  • Self-worth is tied to our ability to maintain
  • 00:15:55.136 --> 00:15:58.439
  • Our promises.
  • 00:15:58.439 --> 00:16:00.508
  • It's true--is--for parents, it's true in marriages.
  • 00:16:00.508 --> 00:16:05.279
  • It's true in our government.
  • 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.448
  • It's true in our friendships, it's true with employers
  • 00:16:07.448 --> 00:16:11.452
  • And employees.
  • 00:16:11.452 --> 00:16:13.654
  • Our lives are defined by our ability to make and keep and
  • 00:16:13.654 --> 00:16:17.725
  • Honor and believe promises.
  • 00:16:17.725 --> 00:16:20.294
  • We're living in a great deal of crisis and turmoil because we've
  • 00:16:20.294 --> 00:16:23.398
  • Been forced to recognize that our government doesn't keep
  • 00:16:23.398 --> 00:16:25.733
  • Its promises.
  • 00:16:25.733 --> 00:16:28.269
  • And that's not about a political party, that's about the system.
  • 00:16:28.269 --> 00:16:33.408
  • Sadly, many churches have broken faith with the scripture.
  • 00:16:33.408 --> 00:16:37.111
  • But out of all the confusion and the chaos that is swirling,
  • 00:16:37.111 --> 00:16:40.915
  • Tremendous opportunities have emerged to share the truth
  • 00:16:40.915 --> 00:16:44.652
  • Because people are hungry for truth.
  • 00:16:44.652 --> 00:16:47.822
  • And if you will give them truth, it is attractive to people, they
  • 00:16:47.822 --> 00:16:51.325
  • Respond to it.
  • 00:16:51.325 --> 00:16:53.127
  • So the question on the table that i want to spend a bit of
  • 00:16:53.127 --> 00:16:55.263
  • Time with is how do we experience god's promises?
  • 00:16:55.263 --> 00:16:59.100
  • How do we make them a part of our journey?
  • 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:01.736
  • Is this reasonable?
  • 00:17:01.736 --> 00:17:03.805
  • Or do we just have a message that says, "well, there's a way
  • 00:17:03.805 --> 00:17:06.174
  • To avoid hell, but between here and the end of time, you're on
  • 00:17:06.174 --> 00:17:09.844
  • Your own"?
  • 00:17:09.844 --> 00:17:12.513
  • Because many in the christian community think it's presumptive
  • 00:17:12.513 --> 00:17:14.816
  • To invite god into the day to day.
  • 00:17:14.816 --> 00:17:17.685
  • That there's an arrogance in it or a haughtiness in it or
  • 00:17:17.685 --> 00:17:20.788
  • Something that's inappropriate, "i don't wanna bother god."
  • 00:17:20.788 --> 00:17:22.857
  • Folks, god's big enough.
  • 00:17:22.857 --> 00:17:24.225
  • I don't think--i don't think my pleadings are so significant
  • 00:17:24.225 --> 00:17:31.899
  • That they bother god.
  • 00:17:31.899 --> 00:17:36.704
  • You know, we adopt some funny ideas.
  • 00:17:36.704 --> 00:17:42.009
  • And i'm an advocate for order and all those things, but
  • 00:17:42.009 --> 00:17:46.347
  • Sometimes, you know, i'll encourage us all to quietly
  • 00:17:46.347 --> 00:17:49.083
  • Thank the lord together.
  • 00:17:49.083 --> 00:17:51.519
  • And somebody will say to me, "you know, i just can't do that,
  • 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:54.021
  • It's so chaotic.
  • 00:17:54.021 --> 00:17:56.023
  • God couldn't even understand what we were saying."
  • 00:17:56.023 --> 00:17:59.627
  • And again, i do appreciate--i have a great deal of respect for
  • 00:17:59.627 --> 00:18:02.864
  • Order and discipline.
  • 00:18:02.864 --> 00:18:05.166
  • But i promise you that there's more people praying right now in
  • 00:18:05.166 --> 00:18:10.004
  • The earth than all of us represented in this space, and
  • 00:18:10.004 --> 00:18:14.575
  • The switchboard in heaven can handle the volume.
  • 00:18:14.575 --> 00:18:20.948
  • You know, we're used to finite structures, we can break
  • 00:18:20.948 --> 00:18:23.851
  • The internet.
  • 00:18:23.851 --> 00:18:26.053
  • You know, we can overload traffic flow on a highway, we
  • 00:18:26.053 --> 00:18:28.956
  • See that on a regular basis.
  • 00:18:28.956 --> 00:18:32.193
  • But god's not a part of our finite structures, he has
  • 00:18:32.193 --> 00:18:36.764
  • Capacities and abilities beyond anything that we know
  • 00:18:36.764 --> 00:18:39.567
  • Or understand.
  • 00:18:39.567 --> 00:18:41.335
  • And his promises are just little doorways, they're little windows
  • 00:18:41.335 --> 00:18:44.805
  • Into what he said, "you couldn't imagine this, but i could do
  • 00:18:44.805 --> 00:18:48.543
  • This with you.
  • 00:18:48.543 --> 00:18:50.545
  • I can make this possible for you," and then our willingness
  • 00:18:50.545 --> 00:18:54.415
  • To believe that.
  • 00:18:54.415 --> 00:18:55.983
  • So experiencing the promises of god require us to have an
  • 00:18:55.983 --> 00:18:59.387
  • Awareness of the legal component involved and the
  • 00:18:59.387 --> 00:19:03.491
  • Experiential component.
  • 00:19:03.491 --> 00:19:06.027
  • Knowing that something is a fact is not the same as having
  • 00:19:06.027 --> 00:19:09.263
  • The experience.
  • 00:19:09.263 --> 00:19:11.465
  • And the reality is we can have legal authority but not realize
  • 00:19:11.465 --> 00:19:14.235
  • The benefit.
  • 00:19:14.235 --> 00:19:16.103
  • Legal authority is about capacity, capability.
  • 00:19:16.103 --> 00:19:19.640
  • Experience is about utilization.
  • 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:23.044
  • I think we all understand this.
  • 00:19:23.044 --> 00:19:24.378
  • My computer, i'm quite certain, has many capabilities which i
  • 00:19:24.378 --> 00:19:27.515
  • Don't utilize.
  • 00:19:27.515 --> 00:19:29.784
  • For me, it's pretty much a fancy typewriter, right?
  • 00:19:29.784 --> 00:19:34.655
  • I mean, i used to have one of those old school typewriters,
  • 00:19:34.655 --> 00:19:36.524
  • You know, where the carriage moved back and forth.
  • 00:19:36.524 --> 00:19:38.259
  • I can remember even having to hit the, yeah, bells, the
  • 00:19:38.259 --> 00:19:41.262
  • Whole thing.
  • 00:19:41.262 --> 00:19:43.598
  • My computer has abilities that i don't use, they're not a part
  • 00:19:43.598 --> 00:19:46.300
  • Of me.
  • 00:19:46.300 --> 00:19:48.135
  • And what i'm suggesting to you is that we want to change the
  • 00:19:48.135 --> 00:19:50.838
  • Nature of the experiences we have with god.
  • 00:19:50.838 --> 00:19:53.407
  • We want to experience his truth.
  • 00:19:53.407 --> 00:19:55.476
  • There's a lot of barriers to that, there's things that
  • 00:19:55.476 --> 00:19:57.745
  • Hinder us.
  • 00:19:57.745 --> 00:19:59.280
  • I think we understand them.
  • 00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:00.615
  • Not an inclusive list, but our lack of knowledge, our
  • 00:20:00.615 --> 00:20:02.817
  • Ignorance, if you don't know, you don't even know you can ask.
  • 00:20:02.817 --> 00:20:06.787
  • You don't even know it's a possibility.
  • 00:20:06.787 --> 00:20:08.990
  • Fear can keep us from experiencing god, unbelief.
  • 00:20:08.990 --> 00:20:14.595
  • A lack of desire.
  • 00:20:14.595 --> 00:20:16.030
  • Sometimes we don't want to cooperate with god,
  • 00:20:16.030 --> 00:20:19.333
  • We're not interested.
  • 00:20:19.333 --> 00:20:20.201
  • Sin, our own choices for ungodliness.
  • 00:20:20.201 --> 00:20:23.004
  • Not only are we neutral, "i don't want to participate," we
  • 00:20:23.004 --> 00:20:25.473
  • Are actively ungodly.
  • 00:20:25.473 --> 00:20:26.974
  • We're aware that that is not a godly path.
  • 00:20:26.974 --> 00:20:29.343
  • We understand that in god's equation it's not right and we
  • 00:20:29.343 --> 00:20:33.714
  • Choose wrong.
  • 00:20:33.714 --> 00:20:36.384
  • All of those things would separate us from the promises
  • 00:20:36.384 --> 00:20:39.387
  • Of god.
  • 00:20:39.387 --> 00:20:40.755
  • You can't choose ungodliness and then turn around and demand his
  • 00:20:40.755 --> 00:20:44.292
  • Promises be fulfilled.
  • 00:20:44.292 --> 00:20:47.194
  • For instance, if we use the passage about forgiveness,
  • 00:20:47.194 --> 00:20:49.430
  • He said, you know, if we'll forgive others,
  • 00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:51.165
  • He'll forgive us.
  • 00:20:51.165 --> 00:20:52.400
  • You cannot harbor hatred and bitterness and resentment and
  • 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.437
  • Expect to be forgiven.
  • 00:20:56.437 --> 00:20:59.507
  • I mean, you can expect it, but you won't experience it.
  • 00:20:59.507 --> 00:21:03.044
  • It's illogical.
  • 00:21:03.044 --> 00:21:05.046
  • There's some actions that release god's impact in
  • 00:21:05.046 --> 00:21:07.815
  • Our lives.
  • 00:21:07.815 --> 00:21:09.283
  • The line i've often used, and it bears repeating, is that truth
  • 00:21:09.283 --> 00:21:11.919
  • Divorced from experience must always remain a theory, remain
  • 00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:16.023
  • In the realm of a doubt.
  • 00:21:16.023 --> 00:21:17.958
  • You have to combine truth with experience, and when you do
  • 00:21:17.958 --> 00:21:21.462
  • That, then your experience portfolio grows.
  • 00:21:21.462 --> 00:21:25.533
  • James 2 and verse 26 says, "the body without the spirit is dead,
  • 00:21:25.533 --> 00:21:29.003
  • So faith without deeds is dead."
  • 00:21:29.003 --> 00:21:32.406
  • Our faith is not a theoretical conversation.
  • 00:21:32.406 --> 00:21:34.608
  • It's not a series of bible studies, it's a series of life
  • 00:21:34.608 --> 00:21:38.713
  • Experiences evaluated against the truth of scripture.
  • 00:21:38.713 --> 00:21:43.417
  • And then we course correct so that the promises of scripture
  • 00:21:43.417 --> 00:21:46.821
  • Begin to fulfill our experiences.
  • 00:21:46.821 --> 00:21:49.523
  • And if we're not getting the outcomes defined in scripture,
  • 00:21:49.523 --> 00:21:52.093
  • There are course adjustments to be made.
  • 00:21:52.093 --> 00:21:56.263
  • There's a god and he's not us.
  • 00:21:56.263 --> 00:22:00.301
  • For instance, you can believe that marriage exists.
  • 00:22:00.301 --> 00:22:03.304
  • We can agree it's an institution, it's recognized by
  • 00:22:03.304 --> 00:22:05.539
  • The civil authorities, it's a biblical concept.
  • 00:22:05.539 --> 00:22:08.676
  • All of those things we could agree on, but until you choose
  • 00:22:08.676 --> 00:22:10.945
  • To involve yourself, it's just an idea.
  • 00:22:10.945 --> 00:22:17.918
  • There's a huge gap between the concept and the experience,
  • 00:22:17.918 --> 00:22:23.691
  • I promise.
  • 00:22:23.691 --> 00:22:26.494
  • You may believe that exercise is good for you.
  • 00:22:26.494 --> 00:22:30.030
  • You could spout data, show me studies, site experts, phds,
  • 00:22:30.030 --> 00:22:34.702
  • Physicians, all sorts of scientific fact, but until your
  • 00:22:34.702 --> 00:22:39.774
  • Behavior matches your understanding, you get
  • 00:22:39.774 --> 00:22:42.676
  • No benefit.
  • 00:22:42.676 --> 00:22:45.646
  • I studied in multiple academic settings with some people who
  • 00:22:45.646 --> 00:22:49.083
  • Had spent their entire lives studying scripture, but didn't
  • 00:22:49.083 --> 00:22:52.887
  • Believe it to be true.
  • 00:22:52.887 --> 00:22:55.923
  • And the benefit in there--they were scholars of the first
  • 00:22:55.923 --> 00:22:59.160
  • Order, but the benefits did not come to them.
  • 00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:05.032
  • Actions in our lives release the impact of god's promises.
  • 00:23:05.032 --> 00:23:10.805
  • In fact, the outcome is disproportionate, typically,
  • 00:23:10.805 --> 00:23:13.741
  • To our investment.
  • 00:23:13.741 --> 00:23:16.076
  • Forgiving someone else for the minor offenses against me do not
  • 00:23:16.076 --> 00:23:19.480
  • Equate the forgiveness that god extends to me, he welcomes me
  • 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:23.951
  • Into his eternal kingdom.
  • 00:23:23.951 --> 00:23:26.487
  • And i'm just mad because somebody cut me off in traffic,
  • 00:23:26.487 --> 00:23:31.425
  • On campus.
  • 00:23:31.425 --> 00:23:36.130
  • Now, to experience the promises of god, the bible tells us that
  • 00:23:36.130 --> 00:23:41.001
  • There is a double trigger, that we have to have
  • 00:23:41.001 --> 00:23:43.337
  • Dual authentication.
  • 00:23:43.337 --> 00:23:44.738
  • They've introduced that little jewel in my world.
  • 00:23:44.738 --> 00:23:48.342
  • If you're trying to access something on our it system,
  • 00:23:48.342 --> 00:23:52.746
  • We have to have dual authentication.
  • 00:23:52.746 --> 00:23:56.217
  • I'm thinking if i say, "this is allen," that should get me
  • 00:23:56.217 --> 00:23:59.153
  • Access, but au contraire mon ami, there is more required.
  • 00:23:59.153 --> 00:24:05.893
  • And i'm sure it's intended to grow patience in my life, and
  • 00:24:05.893 --> 00:24:09.230
  • Faith and patience are the two things that god says are
  • 00:24:09.230 --> 00:24:13.334
  • Required of you and me.
  • 00:24:13.334 --> 00:24:14.702
  • I don't like that, i'm on the record with you.
  • 00:24:14.702 --> 00:24:17.805
  • It's not my idea.
  • 00:24:17.805 --> 00:24:19.740
  • I'm not making the news, i'm just reporting it.
  • 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:22.676
  • If you're going to receive god's promises, you and i will have to
  • 00:24:22.676 --> 00:24:26.213
  • Decide to cultivate faith and patience.
  • 00:24:26.213 --> 00:24:29.517
  • I can give you examples, i can support it from scripture.
  • 00:24:29.517 --> 00:24:32.086
  • Look at hebrews 6, says, "we don't want you to become lazy,
  • 00:24:32.086 --> 00:24:36.590
  • But to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what
  • 00:24:36.590 --> 00:24:41.395
  • Has been promised."
  • 00:24:41.395 --> 00:24:43.430
  • How do you inherit the promise?
  • 00:24:43.430 --> 00:24:44.865
  • How do you make the promise as a part of your experience?
  • 00:24:44.865 --> 00:24:47.701
  • What are the necessary components?
  • 00:24:47.701 --> 00:24:50.437
  • Faith, faith is believing there is a god, and then ordering your
  • 00:24:50.437 --> 00:24:56.510
  • Life to respond to him as if that reality is a truth.
  • 00:24:56.510 --> 00:25:01.115
  • We will change our behaviors based on the belief that there
  • 00:25:01.115 --> 00:25:05.019
  • Is a god.
  • 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:07.121
  • Faith is about activity, it's about action, it's about
  • 00:25:07.121 --> 00:25:09.757
  • Behavior, it's about thoughts.
  • 00:25:09.757 --> 00:25:12.059
  • And it's says they inherited the promises by faith, by acting
  • 00:25:12.059 --> 00:25:16.330
  • Like there's a god, and by patience.
  • 00:25:16.330 --> 00:25:20.668
  • See, i can have faith for ten seconds, i believe.
  • 00:25:20.668 --> 00:25:28.175
  • But i didn't get my answer, and then i start to question.
  • 00:25:28.175 --> 00:25:32.346
  • Look at 2 timothy 3, paul's writing to timothy, a young man
  • 00:25:32.346 --> 00:25:35.583
  • He's mentoring.
  • 00:25:35.583 --> 00:25:36.917
  • And he said, "you know all about my teaching, my way of life, my
  • 00:25:36.917 --> 00:25:40.287
  • Purpose, my faith, my patience, love, and endurance."
  • 00:25:40.287 --> 00:25:45.659
  • If you and i are going to allow the promises of god to shape our
  • 00:25:45.659 --> 00:25:48.929
  • Future, we're going to have to decide to cultivate,
  • 00:25:48.929 --> 00:25:52.166
  • To cooperate with the formation of faith and patience.
  • 00:25:52.166 --> 00:25:55.936
  • Isn't that good news?
  • 00:25:55.936 --> 00:25:57.304
  • And i thank you for that overwhelming response.
  • 00:25:57.304 --> 00:26:04.345
  • Allen: being a christ follower is not as much about
  • 00:26:08.415 --> 00:26:10.884
  • An experience and a completed activity, a prayer, a visit to
  • 00:26:10.884 --> 00:26:14.421
  • An altar, a response to an evangelist.
  • 00:26:14.421 --> 00:26:17.558
  • It's certainly a beginning point of welcoming jesus into your
  • 00:26:17.558 --> 00:26:20.194
  • Heart, but it's a life that we lead, so we continue to grow and
  • 00:26:20.194 --> 00:26:23.864
  • Learn and gain strength.
  • 00:26:23.864 --> 00:26:25.666
  • As life presents challenges, we get to know god in a new way.
  • 00:26:25.666 --> 00:26:29.103
  • Well, i believe this book about the holy spirit is a tool to
  • 00:26:29.103 --> 00:26:32.473
  • Help you gain a new momentum to grow through the things in your
  • 00:26:32.473 --> 00:26:36.343
  • Life under the direction of the power of the spirit of god.
  • 00:26:36.343 --> 00:26:39.647
  • Folks, we're not gonna outwork evil or outthink evil, we're not
  • 00:26:39.647 --> 00:26:42.650
  • Gonna out organize evil.
  • 00:26:42.650 --> 00:26:44.184
  • The only thing evil will yield to is a power greater
  • 00:26:44.184 --> 00:26:46.620
  • Than itself.
  • 00:26:46.620 --> 00:26:47.955
  • And that power is the spirit of god in you and me, manifest in
  • 00:26:47.955 --> 00:26:51.892
  • The earth through people of faith.
  • 00:26:51.892 --> 00:26:54.194
  • We're salt and light, we're change agents.
  • 00:26:54.194 --> 00:26:56.664
  • I wanna pray, heavenly father, give us a discernment to
  • 00:26:56.664 --> 00:27:00.234
  • Recognize your spirit, how we can welcome him into our lives
  • 00:27:00.234 --> 00:27:03.470
  • And cooperate with him to bring your breakthroughs into our
  • 00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:06.674
  • Lives, our homes, and our churches, in jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:06.674 --> 00:27:10.678
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:10.678 --> 00:27:27.394