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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - God's Powerful Presence, Moving In The Earth

October 2, 2025 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - God's Powerful Presence, Moving In The Earth
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#PresenceofGod #HandofGod #Devil #Evil #Truth #Jesus #Gospel #Faith #Fear #Persecution #Church #BodyofChrist #LightoftheWorld

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - God's Powerful Presence, Moving In The Earth | October 2, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen jackson: and i ask you a question, who's your
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  • Best friend?
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  • I don't want the politically correct answer or the answer
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  • That you think you should give, but in reality, who's the person
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  • Whose opinion you value the most, the person that you wanna
  • 00:00:15.265 --> 00:00:17.667
  • Share your opinions with, the person whose perspective matters
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  • To you when you're sorting through a difficult question or
  • 00:00:21.071 --> 00:00:23.940
  • Circumstance, who is it that brings joy to your life when you
  • 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:26.709
  • Get a little time with them?
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  • Who's your best friend?
  • 00:00:28.044 --> 00:00:29.679
  • Well, i wanna plant a seed.
  • 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:31.014
  • I got an idea, and it's an objective more than it's always
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  • A reality.
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  • I want jesus to be my friend, and i don't mean some
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  • Theoretical way.
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  • I mean i wanna care about his opinion.
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  • I wanna know what brings joy to him.
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  • I wanna invite him into my life.
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  • I'm not trying to keep any of my life secret from him.
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  • I wanna live my life as jesus's friend.
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  • It's changed the entire context of how i think about my faith.
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  • I've been living this out for a long time.
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  • It's become a tremendous gift in my life.
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  • It's important enough i wrote a book.
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  • I think it'll help you.
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  • It'll open a doorway to take your faith from the theoretical
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  • To a way to engage your faith every day in all you're doing.
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  • It'll be a blessing.
  • 00:01:05.849 --> 00:01:07.951
  • Allen: i'm gonna take the balance of our time and use a
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  • Portion of the scripture you've got in that outline.
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  • You know, there's a lot to be talked about: why tragedy
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  • Happens, why bad things happen to good people, the existence of
  • 00:01:17.327 --> 00:01:20.630
  • Evil, and we'll walk through that.
  • 00:01:20.630 --> 00:01:23.399
  • But in a day of shock, i think it's better to center our hearts
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  • On the lord and his faithfulness, and the power of
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  • His word and his eternal purposes in the earth.
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  • We're not the first generation to have to walk through seasons
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  • Of evil.
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  • And we won't be the last unless the lord returns.
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  • But i wanna pick this up and we're only gonna use a couple of
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  • Portions of this.
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  • The title still seemed to be important to me: "god's powerful
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  • Presence moving in the earth."
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  • It's greater than evil.
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  • There's more expressions of goodness and the mercy and the
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  • Power of god than there are expressions of evil.
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  • And i'm determined to keep my attention focused upon them.
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  • I'm determined to be an advocate for them, to use my voice and my
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  • Strength and my talents and my resources to see that the
  • 00:02:07.277 --> 00:02:10.547
  • Goodness of god is heralded throughout the earth.
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  • I'm more than willing to acknowledge the existence of
  • 00:02:15.885 --> 00:02:18.054
  • Evil and the impact it has, but i do not intend to be
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  • Distracted, and i would encourage you not to be either.
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  • I'm not asking you to ignore it, to put on some pollyanna-ish
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  • Mask and stumble through life and distract yourself.
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  • One of the tragedies in america is we have enough affluence that
  • 00:02:32.735 --> 00:02:35.805
  • We can distract ourselves from reality.
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  • When there's a tragedy in the world, we'll just go online and
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  • Buy something.
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  • Or we'll get our kids and go back to disneyland or we'll book
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  • Another cruise or let's not pay attention.
  • 00:02:45.882 --> 00:02:48.218
  • It's a bit of "gone with the wind"-like.
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  • We'll just think about it tomorrow.
  • 00:02:51.588 --> 00:02:54.190
  • And i don't want you to do that, but i do want to stay focused on
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  • What god has done and the assignment he's given us.
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  • The first verse in your notes is appropriate.
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  • It's acts 10:38, and it's written to us from a season when
  • 00:03:02.065 --> 00:03:05.368
  • The church and god's people were under tremendous pressure.
  • 00:03:05.368 --> 00:03:09.505
  • Tremendous pressure.
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  • Jesus has gone.
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  • He's ascended back to heaven and there's this commentary made
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  • About jesus that "god anointed jesus of nazareth, the holy
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  • Spirit and power, and he went around doing good, healing all
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  • Who were under the power of the devil, because god was
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  • With him."
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  • I want to submit to you, we need to lead our lives with the
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  • Awareness that god is with us.
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  • That there is an evil force in the world, that the
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  • Devil exists.
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  • And that he advocates for evil and that there's a kingdom of
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  • Darkness and it intends the destruction of humanity.
  • 00:03:37.367 --> 00:03:41.037
  • The church has spent too much time in recent decades
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  • Negotiating with evil, trying to understand it, explain it,
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  • Invite it to dinner.
  • 00:03:47.543 --> 00:03:49.912
  • Again, we don't have to be angry or violent or belligerent.
  • 00:03:49.912 --> 00:03:52.682
  • I'm not suggesting that, but the resolution to evil is the truth.
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  • And we have lost much of our courage, too many of us.
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  • I'll just skip to roman numeral number iv, i want you to have
  • 00:04:04.193 --> 00:04:06.396
  • The hope that i'll get done.
  • 00:04:06.396 --> 00:04:09.799
  • And me messing up an outline is not new to those of you who are
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  • Familiar travelers with us.
  • 00:04:12.502 --> 00:04:15.738
  • I want to look at a passage in the book of acts.
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  • It's the first real miracle outside of jesus's inner circle
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  • After he went back to heaven.
  • 00:04:23.446 --> 00:04:25.515
  • There's a healing in jerusalem.
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  • There's a man, a beggar, and he's sitting by a very popular,
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  • Highly traveled area, and he's asking, much like a current
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  • Homeless interaction we might have today.
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  • And when peter and john pass him,
  • 00:04:40.263 --> 00:04:41.664
  • They're on their way to the temple at the time.
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  • I'm quite certain they passed him many times before.
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  • Nothing about it was new.
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  • We understand the dynamics of the interaction, but on this
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  • Particular day, they stop and address the man and they said,
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  • "we're not gonna give you any money, but in the name of
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  • Jesus, walk."
  • 00:04:54.844 --> 00:04:56.813
  • And the man was healed.
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  • There's no explanation given beyond that.
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  • But it's in your notes.
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  • It's in acts 3, verse 5: "the man gave them his attention,
  • 00:05:03.986 --> 00:05:06.489
  • Expecting to get something.
  • 00:05:06.489 --> 00:05:08.024
  • Peter said, 'money i don't have, but what i have, i give you.
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  • The name of jesus, walk,' and he took him by the hand.
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  • He helped him up, and the man's feet and ankles became strong."
  • 00:05:12.195 --> 00:05:15.598
  • Don't do some metaphorical something with that that they
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  • Gave him a hand and helped him up.
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  • It's an--it's a miraculous expression of the power of god.
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  • If we don't have the courage to believe the bible, don't
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  • Emasculate it with metaphors that take the power out of it.
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  • I don't know how god did it.
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  • I don't need to know if that man--i don't think he cared.
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  • One moment he couldn't walk and the next moment he could.
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  • I live in the midst of enough miracles.
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  • I see them with enough frequency, god providing
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  • Outcomes that were impossible apart from his intervention.
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  • They're often included in the context of medical science.
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  • Doesn't offend me at all if there's some components of it
  • 00:05:52.068 --> 00:05:56.105
  • That can be explained, but when the outcome breaks the norm, it
  • 00:05:56.105 --> 00:05:59.242
  • Deviates from the standard expectation, i am very happy to
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  • Give god the glory for that.
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  • Then would encourage you to do the same.
  • 00:06:05.515 --> 00:06:08.785
  • "so the man jumped to his feet and he began to walk.
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  • And he went with them into the temple courts, walking and
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  • Jumping, and praising god."
  • 00:06:13.055 --> 00:06:15.792
  • His lack of faith seemed to have been resolved.
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  • It's a remarkable story.
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  • It's the outcome from that that really fascinates me, and
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  • There's some questions that are very appropriate.
  • 00:06:23.166 --> 00:06:24.667
  • Do you think god still does miracles?
  • 00:06:24.667 --> 00:06:27.470
  • You know, does the spirit of god still arrange these kind of
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  • Meetings today?
  • 00:06:29.739 --> 00:06:31.541
  • 'cause this is in the midst of a city with other people who had
  • 00:06:31.541 --> 00:06:33.743
  • Great physical disabilities and they weren't all resolved
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  • That day.
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  • This wasn't the only beggar in the city.
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  • So there's questions here that i can't answer.
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  • I wouldn't pretend to be able to answer them, but what we have to
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  • Answer is for our own hearts.
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  • Do we still imagine god is in the business of engaging in
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  • Human affairs, not eliminating tragedy, not
  • 00:06:49.425 --> 00:06:52.595
  • Eliminating suffering?
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  • Do we imagine god is still involved?
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  • We've been cautious and timid and reluctant because we don't
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  • Always get our way.
  • 00:07:00.236 --> 00:07:03.873
  • You've been around little children when they don't get
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  • Their way, all of a sudden their parents are mean and cruel
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  • And unfair.
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  • They wanna trade them off for another set of more
  • 00:07:09.545 --> 00:07:11.581
  • Cooperative adults
  • 00:07:11.581 --> 00:07:15.418
  • Called grandparents.
  • 00:07:15.418 --> 00:07:18.855
  • And if all grandparents do is express a desire to resolve
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  • Every conflict and every problem that the child has, they add to
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  • The destruction.
  • 00:07:26.229 --> 00:07:28.598
  • We've got bigger assignments.
  • 00:07:28.598 --> 00:07:30.967
  • And god was up to more in jerusalem on this day.
  • 00:07:30.967 --> 00:07:33.236
  • In verse 9, the narrative changes completely.
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  • It's no longer centered in this man at the beautiful gate who
  • 00:07:36.706 --> 00:07:39.675
  • Was a beggar and had some significant disability.
  • 00:07:39.675 --> 00:07:43.779
  • In verse 9, it says: "when all the people saw him walking and
  • 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:46.182
  • Praising god, they recognized him as the same man who used to
  • 00:07:46.182 --> 00:07:50.586
  • Sit begging at the temple called beautiful, and they were filled
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  • With wonder and amazement at what had happened."
  • 00:07:53.155 --> 00:07:55.091
  • This is no longer the story about that man.
  • 00:07:55.091 --> 00:07:56.759
  • Now it's the story about all the people gathered
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  • On the temple mount.
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  • And the temple mount, you know, i smile,
  • 00:07:59.629 --> 00:08:00.963
  • People say, "you have a big church."
  • 00:08:00.963 --> 00:08:02.298
  • Not really, the temple mount could accommodate
  • 00:08:02.298 --> 00:08:03.633
  • Well over hundreds of thousands of people.
  • 00:08:03.633 --> 00:08:08.004
  • You could hide our congregation on the temple mount.
  • 00:08:08.004 --> 00:08:12.074
  • And it was on multiple occasions during the year be filled with
  • 00:08:12.074 --> 00:08:14.577
  • People, but this man goes up onto the temple mount,
  • 00:08:14.577 --> 00:08:16.379
  • Leaping and praising god.
  • 00:08:16.379 --> 00:08:17.713
  • They recognize him for the person he's been and they see
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  • Someone transformed before them.
  • 00:08:20.650 --> 00:08:23.986
  • And you think, "well, that's a good day for the whole city.
  • 00:08:23.986 --> 00:08:26.188
  • Everybody on temple mount, everybody there to worship god.
  • 00:08:26.188 --> 00:08:30.226
  • Gonna be some jacked up with excitement for god."
  • 00:08:30.226 --> 00:08:34.230
  • You would think.
  • 00:08:34.230 --> 00:08:35.765
  • But the narrative changes completely in that verse.
  • 00:08:35.765 --> 00:08:37.967
  • In verse 11: "while the beggar held on to peter and john, all
  • 00:08:37.967 --> 00:08:40.403
  • The people were astonished and came running to them at the
  • 00:08:40.403 --> 00:08:42.872
  • Place called solomon's colonnade.
  • 00:08:42.872 --> 00:08:44.907
  • And when peter saw this," saw what?
  • 00:08:44.907 --> 00:08:47.176
  • All the people coming.
  • 00:08:47.176 --> 00:08:49.979
  • "he said to them," listen to his words: "'men of israel, why does
  • 00:08:49.979 --> 00:08:54.383
  • This surprise you?
  • 00:08:54.383 --> 00:08:56.185
  • Why do you stare at us if by our own power or godliness we've
  • 00:08:56.185 --> 00:08:59.755
  • Made this man walk?
  • 00:08:59.755 --> 00:09:01.991
  • The god of abraham, isaac and jacob, the god of our fathers,
  • 00:09:01.991 --> 00:09:05.795
  • Has glorified his servant jesus.'"
  • 00:09:05.795 --> 00:09:09.065
  • I can't tell you how many times i've been invited someplace and
  • 00:09:09.065 --> 00:09:11.133
  • They will say to me, "we would love you to come and pray or
  • 00:09:11.133 --> 00:09:13.836
  • Come and do this, but could you not mention jesus?"
  • 00:09:13.836 --> 00:09:18.407
  • It never works out real well, but--it works out pretty well
  • 00:09:18.407 --> 00:09:21.744
  • For us, but--but i'm very conscious that on this day,
  • 00:09:21.744 --> 00:09:25.348
  • Peter understood he's speaking to an audience that would--had
  • 00:09:25.348 --> 00:09:28.417
  • Cried just not too many days earlier, "crucify him."
  • 00:09:28.417 --> 00:09:33.656
  • And he's linking them to their historical faith, the god of
  • 00:09:33.656 --> 00:09:36.025
  • Abraham, isaac, and jacob, and he said, "it's the god of
  • 00:09:36.025 --> 00:09:38.194
  • Abraham, isaac, and jacob who glorified his servant jesus.
  • 00:09:38.194 --> 00:09:42.531
  • You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him
  • 00:09:42.531 --> 00:09:46.302
  • Before pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
  • 00:09:46.302 --> 00:09:50.906
  • You disowned the holy and the righteous one and asked that a
  • 00:09:50.906 --> 00:09:54.877
  • Murderer be released to you.
  • 00:09:54.877 --> 00:09:57.380
  • You killed the author of life, but god raised him from
  • 00:09:57.380 --> 00:10:00.850
  • The dead.
  • 00:10:00.850 --> 00:10:02.218
  • And we are witnesses of this."
  • 00:10:02.218 --> 00:10:06.155
  • Some of you will need to read those words again.
  • 00:10:06.155 --> 00:10:09.291
  • Some of you who think the only way to deal with a challenge to
  • 00:10:09.291 --> 00:10:12.061
  • Truth is by being conciliatory and not telling the truth.
  • 00:10:12.061 --> 00:10:18.768
  • If a physician did that and didn't tell you the truth about
  • 00:10:18.768 --> 00:10:21.904
  • Your diagnosis because he didn't want to hurt your feelings, we
  • 00:10:21.904 --> 00:10:25.041
  • Would call that malpractice and try to have their
  • 00:10:25.041 --> 00:10:26.776
  • License removed.
  • 00:10:26.776 --> 00:10:29.445
  • And if a christian isn't willing to tell the truth, not in anger,
  • 00:10:29.445 --> 00:10:34.083
  • Not in joy with the imagination of some sort of divine
  • 00:10:34.083 --> 00:10:36.819
  • Retribution, but to help one another find our way forward,
  • 00:10:36.819 --> 00:10:41.357
  • It's malpractice.
  • 00:10:41.357 --> 00:10:45.628
  • And i think our friend had stepped out of time today, had a
  • 00:10:45.628 --> 00:10:49.265
  • Courage to tell the truth.
  • 00:10:49.265 --> 00:10:52.601
  • But oftentimes we have been reluctant to tell.
  • 00:10:52.601 --> 00:10:57.206
  • And i think the unfolding of this narrative is helpful.
  • 00:10:57.206 --> 00:10:59.275
  • It's helpful to me.
  • 00:10:59.275 --> 00:11:01.210
  • Peter goes on in verse 16: "by faith in the name of jesus, this
  • 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:04.280
  • Man you see and know was made strong.
  • 00:11:04.280 --> 00:11:06.982
  • It's jesus's name and the faith that comes through him that has
  • 00:11:06.982 --> 00:11:09.452
  • Given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."
  • 00:11:09.452 --> 00:11:13.322
  • I mean, peter's words are very pointed.
  • 00:11:13.322 --> 00:11:16.926
  • In fact, i'm gonna submit to you there's nothing conciliatory
  • 00:11:16.926 --> 00:11:20.062
  • About them.
  • 00:11:20.062 --> 00:11:21.630
  • "you handed jesus over to be killed.
  • 00:11:21.630 --> 00:11:24.300
  • You disowned him before the roman governor.
  • 00:11:24.300 --> 00:11:28.771
  • One of our own.
  • 00:11:28.771 --> 00:11:31.941
  • One that shares our heritage and one that worshiped with us and
  • 00:11:31.941 --> 00:11:34.510
  • One that gathered with you in synagogue and gathered with you
  • 00:11:34.510 --> 00:11:36.779
  • On temple and celebrated our holidays with you.
  • 00:11:36.779 --> 00:11:39.582
  • When he was on trial before a roman governor, you
  • 00:11:39.582 --> 00:11:42.451
  • Disowned him."
  • 00:11:42.451 --> 00:11:43.819
  • Those are harsh words.
  • 00:11:43.819 --> 00:11:46.122
  • And then he puts it into the realm of eternity and the larger
  • 00:11:46.122 --> 00:11:48.457
  • Unfolding of god's story.
  • 00:11:48.457 --> 00:11:49.825
  • He said, "you killed the author of life.
  • 00:11:49.825 --> 00:11:53.429
  • But god didn't accept your verdict, and he raised him from
  • 00:11:53.429 --> 00:11:56.799
  • The dead."
  • 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.001
  • I feel confident tonight that out of what seems like a
  • 00:11:59.001 --> 00:12:03.806
  • Completely senseless tragedy, god will bring life.
  • 00:12:03.806 --> 00:12:11.413
  • Allen: hey, i've written a new book.
  • 00:12:15.251 --> 00:12:16.619
  • It's called "my friend jesus."
  • 00:12:16.619 --> 00:12:18.454
  • You know, i'm a pastor, a lot of ritual, tradition, a lot of
  • 00:12:18.454 --> 00:12:21.824
  • Formality in the way we know god.
  • 00:12:21.824 --> 00:12:24.059
  • It's not bad.
  • 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:25.394
  • There's some good things in that, but when i'm in real
  • 00:12:25.394 --> 00:12:27.196
  • Trouble or i have something i wanna celebrate, i call
  • 00:12:27.196 --> 00:12:29.532
  • A friend.
  • 00:12:29.532 --> 00:12:30.866
  • Well, i wanna live my life with jesus of nazareth as my friend.
  • 00:12:30.866 --> 00:12:34.170
  • It changes everything in both celebration and when there's
  • 00:12:34.170 --> 00:12:37.273
  • A problem.
  • 00:12:37.273 --> 00:12:38.607
  • I wrote the book to help.
  • 00:12:38.607 --> 00:12:39.975
  • I think it'll open your life to god in a more personal
  • 00:12:39.975 --> 00:12:42.278
  • Transformational way than ever before.
  • 00:12:42.278 --> 00:12:45.014
  • Enjoy the book.
  • 00:12:45.014 --> 00:12:46.348
  • Female announcer: in his book, "my friend jesus," pastor allen
  • 00:12:46.348 --> 00:12:48.617
  • Shares how friendship with jesus brings clarity, strength, and
  • 00:12:48.617 --> 00:12:52.087
  • Peace in every part of life.
  • 00:12:52.087 --> 00:12:54.056
  • This isn't about following a religion or religious rules.
  • 00:12:54.056 --> 00:12:57.293
  • It's about cultivating a cherished relationship that will
  • 00:12:57.293 --> 00:13:00.062
  • Help your faith become more personal, more joyful, and more
  • 00:13:00.062 --> 00:13:03.599
  • Powerful each day.
  • 00:13:03.599 --> 00:13:05.301
  • Request "my friend jesus" with your donation of $25 or more
  • 00:13:05.301 --> 00:13:09.104
  • Today at allenjackson.com or by calling...
  • 00:13:09.104 --> 00:13:15.377
  • Allen: look at the next verse.
  • 00:13:15.444 --> 00:13:17.513
  • "the priest and the captain of the temple guard and the
  • 00:13:17.513 --> 00:13:20.082
  • Sadducees came up to peter and
  • 00:13:20.082 --> 00:13:21.450
  • John while they were speaking to the people."
  • 00:13:21.450 --> 00:13:22.785
  • These are the power brokers.
  • 00:13:22.785 --> 00:13:24.920
  • These are the people that orchestrated jesus's execution.
  • 00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:28.824
  • "and they were greatly disturbed because the apostles were
  • 00:13:28.824 --> 00:13:31.193
  • Teaching the people and proclaiming in jesus the
  • 00:13:31.193 --> 00:13:33.295
  • Resurrection of the dead.
  • 00:13:33.295 --> 00:13:35.664
  • And they seized peter and john, because it was evening, and they
  • 00:13:35.664 --> 00:13:38.901
  • Put them in jail until the next day."
  • 00:13:38.901 --> 00:13:43.472
  • What were peter and john doing?
  • 00:13:43.472 --> 00:13:46.242
  • They helped a man who needed help.
  • 00:13:46.242 --> 00:13:51.747
  • And then they told the truth about how that help was made
  • 00:13:51.747 --> 00:13:54.416
  • Available to him.
  • 00:13:54.416 --> 00:13:57.253
  • Now, it wasn't a popular message with everybody.
  • 00:13:57.253 --> 00:14:00.756
  • But they weren't reluctant or hesitant, and they didn't step
  • 00:14:00.756 --> 00:14:03.392
  • Away from it.
  • 00:14:03.392 --> 00:14:05.794
  • They didn't say, "it's a private matter.
  • 00:14:05.794 --> 00:14:07.229
  • If you'll come to our home."
  • 00:14:07.229 --> 00:14:10.099
  • There was all sorts of opportunities in there for them
  • 00:14:10.099 --> 00:14:12.334
  • To have made other choices, but they chose the truth.
  • 00:14:12.334 --> 00:14:16.038
  • And the outcome of that, in the moment where we are in the
  • 00:14:16.038 --> 00:14:18.507
  • Narrative, is they find themselves in jail.
  • 00:14:18.507 --> 00:14:24.947
  • That's not easy, folks.
  • 00:14:24.947 --> 00:14:27.149
  • There's consequences for being people of faith.
  • 00:14:27.149 --> 00:14:29.184
  • For far too long, the contemporary church has wanted
  • 00:14:29.184 --> 00:14:32.288
  • All the benefits of faith without facing any of the
  • 00:14:32.288 --> 00:14:34.857
  • Consequences of evil in our world.
  • 00:14:34.857 --> 00:14:38.961
  • We want our schools to be happy places, so we don't tell
  • 00:14:38.961 --> 00:14:43.132
  • The truth.
  • 00:14:43.132 --> 00:14:44.767
  • We'd rather put in metal detectors than the
  • 00:14:44.767 --> 00:14:46.502
  • Ten commandments.
  • 00:14:46.502 --> 00:14:50.072
  • And it--i don't wanna, i promised myself i would stay off
  • 00:14:50.072 --> 00:14:52.975
  • Of rabbit trails tonight.
  • 00:14:52.975 --> 00:14:54.310
  • So with your help, and god's--
  • 00:14:54.310 --> 00:14:56.845
  • Look at the--verse 4: "many who heard the message believed, and
  • 00:14:56.845 --> 00:14:59.815
  • The number of men grew to about five thousand."
  • 00:14:59.815 --> 00:15:04.053
  • So the message--what's happened on this day through this one
  • 00:15:04.053 --> 00:15:06.655
  • Miracle, the whole city of jerusalem is stirred.
  • 00:15:06.655 --> 00:15:09.558
  • That never happened during jesus's earthly ministry.
  • 00:15:09.558 --> 00:15:12.962
  • If the whole city had been stirred to the magnitude it was
  • 00:15:12.962 --> 00:15:14.964
  • Stirred in this chapter with the miracle that's taken place with
  • 00:15:14.964 --> 00:15:17.232
  • That singular man, the crowd that gathered in front of pilate
  • 00:15:17.232 --> 00:15:20.035
  • Would have had a different message.
  • 00:15:20.035 --> 00:15:23.472
  • The spirit of god has done something through these unlikely
  • 00:15:23.472 --> 00:15:26.542
  • Characters, these unprepared.
  • 00:15:26.542 --> 00:15:29.645
  • Many--there's criticisms, they're ordinary.
  • 00:15:29.645 --> 00:15:31.647
  • They say they're ordinary, unschooled, they're ignorant.
  • 00:15:31.647 --> 00:15:34.817
  • They said that about charlie.
  • 00:15:34.817 --> 00:15:38.921
  • Let's push on, the narratives is--i wrote this
  • 00:15:38.921 --> 00:15:40.923
  • Yesterday, not today.
  • 00:15:40.923 --> 00:15:43.192
  • "the next day the rulers and the elders and the teachers of the
  • 00:15:43.192 --> 00:15:45.327
  • Law met in jerusalem, and the high priest was there, and john
  • 00:15:45.327 --> 00:15:49.264
  • And alexander and the other men of the high priest's family.
  • 00:15:49.264 --> 00:15:51.133
  • They had peter and john brought before them, and they began to
  • 00:15:51.133 --> 00:15:53.168
  • Question them: 'by what power or what name did you do this?'"
  • 00:15:53.168 --> 00:15:57.072
  • This would be a good time if, you know, your counsel would say
  • 00:15:57.072 --> 00:15:59.475
  • To you, "you should dial it back here, right?
  • 00:15:59.475 --> 00:16:03.512
  • Time to be a little conciliatory."
  • 00:16:03.512 --> 00:16:04.880
  • "peter, filled with the holy spirit," you should circle that.
  • 00:16:04.880 --> 00:16:07.950
  • Not filled with his ego.
  • 00:16:07.950 --> 00:16:10.586
  • There'll be enough ego on display in the next few days.
  • 00:16:10.586 --> 00:16:12.721
  • You'll have to overcome it.
  • 00:16:12.721 --> 00:16:14.757
  • "filled with the holy spirit, he said to them: 'rulers and elders
  • 00:16:14.757 --> 00:16:17.326
  • Of the people!
  • 00:16:17.326 --> 00:16:18.694
  • If we're being called to account today for an act of kindness
  • 00:16:18.694 --> 00:16:20.963
  • Shown to a man and are asked how he was healed, then know this,
  • 00:16:20.963 --> 00:16:23.999
  • You and all the people of israel: it's by the name of
  • 00:16:23.999 --> 00:16:26.335
  • Jesus, the messiah from nazareth, whom you crucified but
  • 00:16:26.335 --> 00:16:30.606
  • Whom god raised from the dead, that this man stands before
  • 00:16:30.606 --> 00:16:33.008
  • You healed.'"
  • 00:16:33.008 --> 00:16:35.277
  • Boom, so much for kindness and conciliation.
  • 00:16:35.277 --> 00:16:40.983
  • Look at verse 13: "when they saw the courage of peter and john
  • 00:16:40.983 --> 00:16:43.952
  • And realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they
  • 00:16:43.952 --> 00:16:48.924
  • Were astonished and they took note that these men had been
  • 00:16:48.924 --> 00:16:51.160
  • With jesus."
  • 00:16:51.160 --> 00:16:53.395
  • You know what i've decided, the reason that we've been so timid,
  • 00:16:53.395 --> 00:16:57.266
  • The reason we've been so quick to be conciliatory and to not
  • 00:16:57.266 --> 00:17:00.102
  • Advocate for the truth, the reason we're more willing to
  • 00:17:00.102 --> 00:17:03.238
  • Think about the impact on--the economic impact, we might lose a
  • 00:17:03.238 --> 00:17:06.675
  • Business deal or we might forfeit an opportunity in the
  • 00:17:06.675 --> 00:17:09.078
  • Profession of our choice if we let our faith be too prominent,
  • 00:17:09.078 --> 00:17:13.348
  • Is we haven't been very close to jesus.
  • 00:17:13.348 --> 00:17:20.222
  • Because if he's truly our friend and we're his friend,
  • 00:17:20.222 --> 00:17:23.659
  • The consequences of that advocacy aren't the
  • 00:17:23.659 --> 00:17:26.095
  • Primary consideration.
  • 00:17:26.095 --> 00:17:28.397
  • The faithfulness to our friend becomes the primary
  • 00:17:28.397 --> 00:17:30.933
  • Consideration, amen.
  • 00:17:30.933 --> 00:17:38.707
  • Look at the next verse: "but since they could see the man who
  • 00:17:38.707 --> 00:17:41.276
  • Had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing
  • 00:17:41.276 --> 00:17:44.613
  • They could say."
  • 00:17:44.613 --> 00:17:45.948
  • It's time for the church to come back to believing in
  • 00:17:45.948 --> 00:17:48.016
  • [clearing throat]
  • 00:17:48.016 --> 00:17:49.351
  • Excuse me, in the power of god.
  • 00:17:49.351 --> 00:17:52.387
  • We're not gonna outthink evil or outwork evil or
  • 00:17:52.387 --> 00:17:54.523
  • Out-organize evil.
  • 00:17:54.523 --> 00:17:56.091
  • We need the power of god.
  • 00:17:56.091 --> 00:17:57.459
  • We gotta be willing to pray, invite
  • 00:17:57.459 --> 00:17:58.794
  • God into the circumstances.
  • 00:17:58.794 --> 00:18:00.129
  • "well, what if nothing happens?" what if something does?
  • 00:18:00.129 --> 00:18:08.203
  • "so they ordered them to withdraw from the sanhedrin and
  • 00:18:08.203 --> 00:18:10.706
  • They conferred together.
  • 00:18:10.706 --> 00:18:12.508
  • 'what are we gonna do with these men?'
  • 00:18:12.508 --> 00:18:13.909
  • They asked.
  • 00:18:13.909 --> 00:18:15.244
  • 'everybody living in jerusalem knows that they have done an
  • 00:18:15.244 --> 00:18:17.646
  • Outstanding miracle, and we can't deny it.
  • 00:18:17.646 --> 00:18:21.316
  • But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the
  • 00:18:21.316 --> 00:18:24.953
  • People--'" that's the goal.
  • 00:18:24.953 --> 00:18:27.256
  • What is this thing they want to stop?
  • 00:18:27.256 --> 00:18:28.590
  • They want to stop sick people getting better?
  • 00:18:28.590 --> 00:18:31.960
  • They want to stop hopeless people finding hope?
  • 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:35.297
  • They want to stop the truth being told: "you crucified him,
  • 00:18:35.297 --> 00:18:38.867
  • But god raised him from the dead"?
  • 00:18:38.867 --> 00:18:42.838
  • What they really want to stop is any suggestion they could
  • 00:18:42.838 --> 00:18:45.741
  • Lose power.
  • 00:18:45.741 --> 00:18:48.443
  • That their economic status might be threatened by these ragtag,
  • 00:18:48.443 --> 00:18:52.548
  • Uneducated, unsophisticated people.
  • 00:18:52.548 --> 00:18:55.217
  • "'to stop this thing from spreading any further, we must
  • 00:18:55.217 --> 00:18:59.188
  • Warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.'"
  • 00:18:59.188 --> 00:19:09.097
  • We've been quiet too long.
  • 00:19:09.097 --> 00:19:13.802
  • Our faith belongs in the public square.
  • 00:19:13.802 --> 00:19:21.677
  • Our faith belongs in our college campuses.
  • 00:19:21.677 --> 00:19:25.314
  • But before it can--before we can take it to any of those
  • 00:19:25.314 --> 00:19:27.816
  • Places, and this one's not so easy to clap for, our faith has
  • 00:19:27.816 --> 00:19:31.386
  • To be generated in our churches.
  • 00:19:31.386 --> 00:19:34.156
  • We have to believe it.
  • 00:19:34.156 --> 00:19:35.524
  • We have to believe it's vibrant and vital.
  • 00:19:35.524 --> 00:19:37.626
  • When jesus said, "no one comes to the father except through
  • 00:19:37.626 --> 00:19:40.295
  • Me," he didn't give three plans.
  • 00:19:40.295 --> 00:19:43.465
  • He is our redeemer.
  • 00:19:43.465 --> 00:19:45.634
  • And we have been reluctant and apologetic.
  • 00:19:45.634 --> 00:19:48.403
  • We have lived too much like a secular culture and too little
  • 00:19:48.403 --> 00:19:51.573
  • Like the people of god.
  • 00:19:51.573 --> 00:19:53.875
  • We have adhered too closely to our affiliation with some
  • 00:19:53.875 --> 00:19:57.145
  • Organization, whether it's a denomination or whether it's
  • 00:19:57.145 --> 00:20:00.015
  • Protestant or it's roman catholic.
  • 00:20:00.015 --> 00:20:01.416
  • We've imagined that we could join a group and
  • 00:20:01.416 --> 00:20:04.119
  • Be okay with god.
  • 00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:05.454
  • That's as silly as joining a gym and thinking you're an
  • 00:20:05.454 --> 00:20:07.823
  • Olympic athlete.
  • 00:20:07.823 --> 00:20:10.759
  • We gotta step closer to our friend.
  • 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:15.063
  • And a day like this is a wonderful time for a reminder.
  • 00:20:15.063 --> 00:20:19.701
  • "to stop this thing from spreading any further among the
  • 00:20:19.701 --> 00:20:22.471
  • People, we must warn these men to speak no longer."
  • 00:20:22.471 --> 00:20:25.674
  • What we're confronting is not new.
  • 00:20:25.674 --> 00:20:31.446
  • It's more personal now than it's ever been in our lives.
  • 00:20:31.446 --> 00:20:34.783
  • Look at verse 18: "they called them in again and commanded them
  • 00:20:34.783 --> 00:20:37.386
  • Not to speak or teach and all-- at all in the name of jesus."
  • 00:20:37.386 --> 00:20:40.756
  • Now, this is not like--they're not being reprimanded by the
  • 00:20:40.756 --> 00:20:43.525
  • School counselor.
  • 00:20:43.525 --> 00:20:45.994
  • This isn't their buddies.
  • 00:20:45.994 --> 00:20:48.497
  • After they've, you know, been bowling, saying, "maybe we ought
  • 00:20:48.497 --> 00:20:50.899
  • To dial it back a little bit."
  • 00:20:50.899 --> 00:20:53.302
  • They've been called in before the most powerful, wealthy,
  • 00:20:53.302 --> 00:20:57.039
  • Politically influential people in the nation, the people that
  • 00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:02.311
  • Orchestrated the execution of the man that they watched walk
  • 00:21:02.311 --> 00:21:05.180
  • On the water, raise the dead, open blind eyes, so their power
  • 00:21:05.180 --> 00:21:09.851
  • Is not theoretical, it's very real to them.
  • 00:21:09.851 --> 00:21:15.157
  • "they called them in and they commanded them not to speak or
  • 00:21:15.157 --> 00:21:18.927
  • Teach in the name of jesus.
  • 00:21:18.927 --> 00:21:20.295
  • And peter and john replied.
  • 00:21:20.295 --> 00:21:23.031
  • 'well, thank you for that corrective notion.
  • 00:21:23.031 --> 00:21:24.900
  • Perhaps we have been a bit too aggressive.'"
  • 00:21:24.900 --> 00:21:31.740
  • "peter and john replied, 'you judge for yourselves whether
  • 00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:35.310
  • It's right in god's sight to obey you rather than god.
  • 00:21:35.310 --> 00:21:40.682
  • For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen
  • 00:21:40.682 --> 00:21:43.218
  • And heard.'"
  • 00:21:43.218 --> 00:21:45.620
  • I would submit to you that in many ways there are parallels
  • 00:21:45.620 --> 00:21:50.559
  • With the world we live in.
  • 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:51.927
  • There are those with great authority that intend to stop
  • 00:21:51.927 --> 00:21:54.629
  • This thing from spreading any further amongst the people.
  • 00:21:54.629 --> 00:21:58.233
  • And they do their very best to warn us not to speak in this way
  • 00:21:58.233 --> 00:22:02.371
  • Any longer: "you're too political.
  • 00:22:02.371 --> 00:22:05.874
  • Talk about what happened in the 1st century, but don't talk
  • 00:22:05.874 --> 00:22:08.276
  • About what happened in the 21st century.
  • 00:22:08.276 --> 00:22:12.414
  • Don't bring it to the corporate boardroom, don't bring it to
  • 00:22:12.414 --> 00:22:14.750
  • The classroom.
  • 00:22:14.750 --> 00:22:16.084
  • It's not welcome in the operating suite."
  • 00:22:16.084 --> 00:22:18.920
  • I can't think of any place it should be more welcome than all
  • 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.156
  • Of those places.
  • 00:22:21.156 --> 00:22:23.258
  • And i like peter and john's response: "you have to judge for
  • 00:22:23.258 --> 00:22:26.027
  • Yourselves what's right in god's sight, whether we're gonna obey
  • 00:22:26.027 --> 00:22:29.498
  • You or god."
  • 00:22:29.498 --> 00:22:31.433
  • To the best of my ability, i want to cooperate with god.
  • 00:22:31.433 --> 00:22:36.071
  • [congregation applauding]
  • 00:22:36.071 --> 00:22:42.511
  • I told you this was a pastoral message.
  • 00:22:42.511 --> 00:22:45.147
  • It's a tragic day.
  • 00:22:45.147 --> 00:22:47.382
  • It's a day defined by heartache.
  • 00:22:47.382 --> 00:22:50.285
  • It's one of those days i suspect you'll remember where you were
  • 00:22:50.285 --> 00:22:52.854
  • When you heard the news.
  • 00:22:52.854 --> 00:22:55.690
  • But i also believe it's a day that offers for us the promise
  • 00:22:55.690 --> 00:22:59.194
  • Of a new beginning.
  • 00:22:59.194 --> 00:23:01.630
  • And the best way we can honor charlie kirk is to take that
  • 00:23:01.630 --> 00:23:07.169
  • Truth that he'd chosen for himself and make a decision for
  • 00:23:07.169 --> 00:23:11.606
  • Our own selves.
  • 00:23:11.606 --> 00:23:14.109
  • I want to see if we can close with that same prayer we prayed
  • 00:23:14.109 --> 00:23:17.212
  • A minute ago, that same proclamation.
  • 00:23:17.212 --> 00:23:19.881
  • I can pray for you, but i think it's far better that we say
  • 00:23:19.881 --> 00:23:22.117
  • It together.
  • 00:23:22.117 --> 00:23:24.085
  • You know, god's word in your mouth is more powerful for you
  • 00:23:24.085 --> 00:23:27.589
  • Than god's word in my mouth.
  • 00:23:27.589 --> 00:23:31.326
  • I bet we can get the crew to put it--look at that, they're
  • 00:23:31.326 --> 00:23:33.361
  • So smart.
  • 00:23:33.361 --> 00:23:35.964
  • You know, if my life depended on it, i don't know how to make
  • 00:23:35.964 --> 00:23:37.999
  • That happen.
  • 00:23:37.999 --> 00:23:40.335
  • We need one another.
  • 00:23:40.335 --> 00:23:43.738
  • You know, we spend too much time competing, and all ratcheted up
  • 00:23:43.738 --> 00:23:49.144
  • About things.
  • 00:23:49.144 --> 00:23:52.214
  • The essence of who we are and why we're here and what we're
  • 00:23:52.214 --> 00:23:54.516
  • Doing is not that complicated.
  • 00:23:54.516 --> 00:23:57.853
  • I've had too many friends step out of time into eternity, in my
  • 00:23:57.853 --> 00:24:01.356
  • Opinion, way too soon.
  • 00:24:01.356 --> 00:24:04.192
  • There are some old movies that i have watched over and over and
  • 00:24:04.192 --> 00:24:06.795
  • Over again because there are people, actors in those movies,
  • 00:24:06.795 --> 00:24:10.131
  • That remind me of friends that have stepped into eternity.
  • 00:24:10.131 --> 00:24:19.341
  • And i'm very conscious that this is not the sum total of why god
  • 00:24:19.341 --> 00:24:28.517
  • Gave us a life.
  • 00:24:28.517 --> 00:24:31.553
  • And i like everything about the journey.
  • 00:24:31.553 --> 00:24:33.989
  • I do, i like all the beautiful places and the good food
  • 00:24:33.989 --> 00:24:36.458
  • And i like fall and the colors and winter and the
  • 00:24:36.458 --> 00:24:38.894
  • Cool air, spring and the promise of--i like the whole
  • 00:24:38.894 --> 00:24:41.863
  • Thing, but folks, i'm living for something else.
  • 00:24:41.863 --> 00:24:50.605
  • Help one another.
  • 00:24:50.605 --> 00:24:52.474
  • There needs to be a very clear distinction
  • 00:24:52.474 --> 00:24:54.643
  • Between you and your friends who are not choosing to serve
  • 00:24:54.643 --> 00:24:57.312
  • The lord.
  • 00:24:57.312 --> 00:24:58.680
  • I'm not talking about sitting in church, i mean meaningfully
  • 00:24:58.680 --> 00:25:00.015
  • Serving the lord.
  • 00:25:00.015 --> 00:25:01.383
  • There is a difference.
  • 00:25:01.383 --> 00:25:05.320
  • And when we face a tragedy, i don't know that there's any more
  • 00:25:05.320 --> 00:25:09.190
  • Important time to understand the difference.
  • 00:25:09.190 --> 00:25:13.228
  • Can we make this proclamation together?
  • 00:25:13.228 --> 00:25:16.064
  • I don't intend to hesitate.
  • 00:25:16.064 --> 00:25:19.401
  • Let's say it together.
  • 00:25:19.401 --> 00:25:21.002
  • "we know not all will go with us.
  • 00:25:21.002 --> 00:25:23.838
  • We recognize the journey is long, and there's a price
  • 00:25:23.838 --> 00:25:27.042
  • To pay.
  • 00:25:27.042 --> 00:25:28.410
  • We are aware of an adversary.
  • 00:25:28.410 --> 00:25:31.246
  • We wrestle with the inconsistency of our own hearts.
  • 00:25:31.246 --> 00:25:35.250
  • We see many temptations.
  • 00:25:35.250 --> 00:25:37.519
  • We weep for the pain and suffering around us.
  • 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:41.156
  • Our plans are made.
  • 00:25:41.156 --> 00:25:43.058
  • Our course is charted.
  • 00:25:43.058 --> 00:25:44.960
  • Our heart is fixed.
  • 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:46.962
  • The one who promised is faithful.
  • 00:25:46.962 --> 00:25:49.364
  • The one who called us will deliver us to our destination.
  • 00:25:49.364 --> 00:25:53.602
  • The author of our--is also the completer of our story.
  • 00:25:53.602 --> 00:25:58.373
  • His strength is sufficient.
  • 00:25:58.373 --> 00:26:00.442
  • His wisdom is transcendent.
  • 00:26:00.442 --> 00:26:02.777
  • His watchfulness is flawless.
  • 00:26:02.777 --> 00:26:05.447
  • His presence is permanent.
  • 00:26:05.447 --> 00:26:07.649
  • His joy is our strength.
  • 00:26:07.649 --> 00:26:10.118
  • We will not stop," amen.
  • 00:26:10.118 --> 00:26:15.390
  • You've got a prayer assignment beyond this little service.
  • 00:26:15.390 --> 00:26:18.560
  • Don't forget it.
  • 00:26:18.560 --> 00:26:20.195
  • God bless you.
  • 00:26:20.195 --> 00:26:21.863
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:26:21.863 --> 00:26:26.701
  • Allen: thank you for spending a few minutes with us today.
  • 00:26:28.103 --> 00:26:30.205
  • You know, our goal in doing this is to add momentum to your
  • 00:26:30.205 --> 00:26:33.541
  • Spiritual life, to help open the kingdom of god to you in a more
  • 00:26:33.541 --> 00:26:37.145
  • Practical way that you could engage in a relationship with
  • 00:26:37.145 --> 00:26:39.681
  • The lord, not be a more faithful church sitter or a bible reader,
  • 00:26:39.681 --> 00:26:43.451
  • But a person who actually knows a living god.
  • 00:26:43.451 --> 00:26:46.221
  • Well, i've written a new book.
  • 00:26:46.221 --> 00:26:47.555
  • It's called "my friend jesus."
  • 00:26:47.555 --> 00:26:48.923
  • To be candid, it's the culmination of years of my own
  • 00:26:48.923 --> 00:26:52.560
  • Spiritual journey.
  • 00:26:52.560 --> 00:26:53.895
  • I wanted to peel away all the formality of language and
  • 00:26:53.895 --> 00:26:57.399
  • Routine and ritual, and i really wanted to focus on what it means
  • 00:26:57.399 --> 00:27:00.869
  • To be a friend of the lord.
  • 00:27:00.869 --> 00:27:02.871
  • And that book is intended to give you a pathway to imagine
  • 00:27:02.871 --> 00:27:06.041
  • Your faith in a way that enables it to be more personal,
  • 00:27:06.041 --> 00:27:08.877
  • More transformational.
  • 00:27:08.877 --> 00:27:10.245
  • When i need help, i call my friends.
  • 00:27:10.245 --> 00:27:11.746
  • Well, when i need real help, i call my friend jesus.
  • 00:27:11.746 --> 00:27:15.183
  • He changes everything.
  • 00:27:15.183 --> 00:27:16.518
  • He's done it many times in my life.
  • 00:27:16.518 --> 00:27:18.420
  • He'll do it in your life.
  • 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:20.155
  • Read the book, open your heart, there'll be a whole new power
  • 00:27:20.155 --> 00:27:23.425
  • Available to help shape your future.
  • 00:27:23.425 --> 00:27:27.395