Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - Heroes Emerging

August 23, 2025 | S25 E238 | 28:35

Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

#inActive #Christianity #Pastors #Encouragement #RelationshipwithGod #WalkwithGod #TrustGod

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Heroes Emerging | August 23, 2025

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♪♪♪
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Allen jackson: hey, i sat down recently with my father to do a
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Podcast for my "culture & christianity" podcast.
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And it was so valuable to me.
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I mean, we--it was stories that obviously i'm familiar with, but
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As i heard him recount his faith, it ignited something in
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Me about the faithfulness of god across generations.
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Well, i encouraged my dad to put together a book about his
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Experiences with the holy spirit.
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It changed his life, my parents's life, ultimately my
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Family's life.
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I believe the book will be a real encouragement to you.
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I wanna make it available to you right along with "unleashing the
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Power of the holy spirit."
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It's something i put together a while back that's been one of
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The most effective tools we've ever had in the ministry.
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Together they'll open the doorway for you to not just have
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Language around the holy spirit but to have something to
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Actually do to invite him into your life on a regular basis to
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Give you the wisdom you need to help you unlock the problems
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That we face.
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The spirit of god within us to help us, guide us, and direct
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Us, that's invaluable, and these books will help you understand.
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♪♪♪
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Cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.aberdeen.io
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Allen: the only way--the only way that our nation can flourish
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Is to remember that we're a nation under god.
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That's the truth.
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[congregation applauding]
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If we imagine we're a nation under a political party or a
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Political leader, i'm not opposed to those things, they're
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A part of our process, but the form of government we have is a
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Representative form, which means washington, dc, is like looking
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In a mirror.
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That's the awkward reality of where we are.
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You see, washington, dc is not going to be more godly,
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Righteous, holy, until we are.
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And you know that's true with just a little bit of thought.
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You know the struggle we have to maintain or even try to
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Establish godliness and righteousness in the little
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Community where we live, and we're not exactly at the
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Crossroads of the world.
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We have trouble keeping pornography out of our schools.
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We have trouble keeping drag shows being celebrated as
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Something appropriate for children in our own community.
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I mean, we're having trouble with those fundamental issues
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Where we live here.
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And until we can see progress made in those arenas where in
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The communities we say, "those things are not acceptable.
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We won't endorse that or support that or support people who do
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Endorse that and support that."
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That's not about parties or politics, that's about families
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And godliness and common sense and what's good for
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Our children.
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Until we have the courage to say that in the community where we
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Live, it's inappropriate to ask somebody to have the courage to
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Go to washington, dc and say that.
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If you won't say it in your neighborhood, and you won't say
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It with your friends and you won't say it to your family and
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You won't say it where you work, why in the world do you imagine
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Somebody should take a large platform and say that?
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"amen, pastor."
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One nation under god.
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Under god's authority.
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You see, the blessings of god come from being under the
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Authority of god.
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If we're under rebellion to god and we're living rebellious
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Lives to god and casting off his principles and his boundaries,
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We'll come under god's judgment, not his blessings.
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So it's very important.
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The church has a role to play in this.
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I know you understand that.
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But i want to encourage you while our governor's taking a
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Month to encourage us to fast and pray, that you'll take--
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We're gonna--i'm gonna invite the whole church
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Starting this weekend.
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We're gonna take wednesdays to fast and pray corporately.
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You can take as many days as you would like, but since we're
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Together on wednesdays, we're gonna fast and pray.
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But i would submit to you, i have been suggesting to you that
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We need a new generation of heroes.
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My recent flights kind of reminded me of this, you know,
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Those in-flight--if you got an 11-hour flight, you're looking
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For something.
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And i spent more time trying to find something to watch than
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Watching something.
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Most of the--so many of the movies were hero movies and i'm
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Not opposed to that, but i don't think a spandex suit and a cape
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Is really gonna fix us.
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And i think we have the wrong imagination of heroes.
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I'm grateful for sports stars that can sign contracts worth
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Hundreds of millions of dollars.
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I'm not opposed to that, but i don't believe they should be
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Our heroes.
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I don't believe that should be what we're dreaming that our
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Children become.
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The people that have those athletic gifts began with a gift
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From god.
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And then added to it the self-discipline to maximize
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Those gifts.
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But i believe that the real heroes are the expression of
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Character that's formed within us.
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And that comes from submitting ourselves to the authority
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Of god.
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I don't believe our great heroes or our celebrities are our most
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Talented musicians.
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In fact, i think we idolize people that are very ungodly.
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And we line up and take our selfies with all sorts of ways
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Around their concerts and their images, and i don't know that
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That's wicked, but i certainly think we're planting seeds in
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The hearts of our children and our young people and our
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Teenagers that they should aspire towards a set of things
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That will bring judgment and destruction to them.
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I think our heroes need to be men and women of faith, people
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Of integrity and character.
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I think we should celebrate having character more than being
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A character.
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What a thought.
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So in this particular session i wanna talk to you a little bit
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About this notion that there's heroes emerging.
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I believe that.
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We're watching a season of great opposites.
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Jesus told a parable about the end of the age.
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He talked about a farmer who had a field that was sown, and when
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The crop came in, there was a liberal sprinkling of weeds in
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The midst of the intended crop.
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And those responsible for the crop were very distressed.
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They understood the failure that it represented, and so they went
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To their master and they said, "do you want us to pull up all
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The weeds?"
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And he said, "no, we'll do that at harvest time."
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Well, the disciples asked for a private explanation
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Of that parable.
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You all know this story, i hope, and jesus said that it's about a
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Parable of the end of the age, that the field was the world.
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And the weeds were those things sown by satan, that the angels
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Would be the harvesters and then at the end of the age god would
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Separate the weeds from the intended crop.
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It's worth noting that the same climate that lets the wheat
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Ripen lets the weeds ripen.
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They're going to ripen simultaneously, and we see that.
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We see so many expressions of ungodliness and of evil, of the
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Failures of the church and apostasy and a turning away from
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Biblical values.
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We see celebrations of ungodliness.
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I mean, it doesn't take any discernment at all to recognize
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That we're on the precipice of something.
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And for there to be a positive outcome will take the sovereign
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Intervention of almighty god.
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Nothing less will be sufficient.
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And yet there's a tremendous momentum in the church and
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Inertia within the church.
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Do you know the word?
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Inertia says that a body or an object will remain at rest
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Until--unless it's acted upon by an outside force, and once it
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Is, it'll continue in that direction until it's acted upon
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By another force.
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It'll just continue to move with perfect inertia.
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I could take a tennis ball and throw it towards nashville, and
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It would go all the way.
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But gravity acts upon it and pulls it down.
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Well, it seems almost like we're in this mind-numbing drill that
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We just go sit in church and recite a prayer and then go act
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Like the world, while we capitulate to ungodliness.
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And i believe god is calling forth an emerging generation
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Of heroes.
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Men and women who will stand for a biblical set of values, a
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Biblical worldview, a judeo-christian worldview, who
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Will acknowledge jesus as lord, who will turn to say no to
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Ungodliness and yes to godliness.
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I don't think they're going to arrive from the traditional
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Places that we would anticipate, but i'm meeting more and more of
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Them, and i'm hearing reports of them.
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It's an exciting time.
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I wanna be a part of it.
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I intend to be a part of it if the lord allows me.
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I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the lord than dwell
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In the tents of the wicked, to borrow the line from
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The psalmist.
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There's heroes emerging.
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There's two passages we've used as text for this little series,
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Hebrews 11:32 and 33.
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I could go on and on, but i've run out of time.
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It's--hebrews 11 is this listing of the great men and
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Women of faith, and the author's, much like me, said,
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"look, my time's gone, and i have outline left."
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So now he just kind of dumps a bunch of names into the end of
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The outline and he said, "there's so many more--gideon
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And barak and samson and jephthah and david and samuel
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And the prophets."
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I can't tell you their stories, but i would remind you that they
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Were there.
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And then he gives us this little summary, set of summary
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Statements that "through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms."
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Did you know that faith in god can bring ungodly
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Kingdoms down?
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Hallelujah?
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"through faith they made justice work."
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Justice doesn't come from governments.
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Governments aren't just.
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Have you read. "animal farm"?
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All animals are equal, but pigs are more equal.
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If you haven't read it, that's homework.
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"they took the promises for themselves."
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I like that phrase.
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You see, the promises of god are much like the promised land.
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We're not promised a piece of terra firma.
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We're not promised, as abraham's descendants were, a particular
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Plot of ground in the earth, but the new covenant means that
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We're a people whose lives are expressed or defined by the
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Promises of god, and in the same way that the former slaves of
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Egypt had to occupy, conquer the promised land, you and i have to
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Take the promises of god and make them our own.
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We have been coached towards this passive christianity.
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We say things like, "well, you know, i want everything god has
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For me.
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Just anything god has for me, i'm open to it.
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Whatever he might want me to do."
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And we say it so smugly and so piously, having absolutely no
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Intent of reordering our lives for god.
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Did you know that you could go-- make your journey, your entire
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Journey through time, step out of time into eternity and spend
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Eternity in hell parroting that statement every day?
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Because unless you confess that jesus is lord and believe it in
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Your heart and offer yourself as a living sacrifice to him, you
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Will miss the redemptive power of god expressed for you through
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Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection.
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You don't receive it passively, you receive it intentionally.
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And in my journey so far, the majority of the promises of god
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Have to be believed for, appropriated, applied, pursued,
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Sought, desired, an intentional part of your life.
00:11:54.095 --> 00:12:01.469
I used to think skinny people just had better metabolism
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Than me.
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They used to annoy me.
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Because they don't really tell the truth.
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You know, "why are you skinny?"
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"i don't know."
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So i got up one morning really early, went to the gym about 5
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O'clock, you know who's there?
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Bunch of skinny people.
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[congregation laughing]
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Go to the donut shop about 9:30.
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You know who's there?
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Well, besides us.
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A lot of people not quite so skinny.
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And you listen to the way we process our faith, you know,
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"well, how often do i need to go to church?
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Do i have to go to church?
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Can i watch online?
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And that bible reading, you know, i did that
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Bible reading thing.
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Last year i did it for, like, almost 6 months.
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How do i--you want me to do it again?
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You know, pray?
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Well, no, i don't pray."
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I mean, we act as if it's intrusive, burdensome, limiting.
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We're gonna have to take the promises and make them ours.
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We're gonna have to begin to stand up and say, "in the name
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Of jesus, righteousness will prevail in this generation.
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In the name of jesus, our schools will welcome biblical
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Principles back into the classrooms of our public
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Schools," that our college campuses will once again train
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Young people in righteousness and holiness.
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They'll begin to tell them the best parts of our national
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History and not the worst.
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We're gonna have to believe it can happen.
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We're gonna have to be willing to say i'm an advocate for that.
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I've invested in that.
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I'll give myself to that.
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We're gonna have to say, "god, i'm sorry.
00:13:45.173 --> 00:13:47.642
I've been distracted.
00:13:47.642 --> 00:13:50.044
I've been more intent on pursuing my hobby or what i
00:13:50.044 --> 00:13:53.114
Wanted or what i felt like doing than taking a stand for
00:13:53.114 --> 00:13:57.385
Godliness on the behalf of people that weren't willing or
00:13:57.385 --> 00:13:59.754
Understood how to take that stand."
00:13:59.754 --> 00:14:04.726
A whole new generation of heroes emerging.
00:14:04.726 --> 00:14:07.729
Ephesians 3:20, this is from the message.
00:14:07.729 --> 00:14:10.131
Says: "god can do anything, you know--far more than you could
00:14:10.131 --> 00:14:12.500
Ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!
00:14:12.500 --> 00:14:16.070
He does it not by pushing us around, but by working within
00:14:16.070 --> 00:14:19.774
Us, his spirit deeply and gently within us."
00:14:19.774 --> 00:14:24.646
God can do anything, you know?
00:14:24.646 --> 00:14:28.049
I'm so past--you know, we've done bible studies on whether or
00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:31.753
Not god still does miracles.
00:14:31.753 --> 00:14:33.087
There's a whole school of theology.
00:14:33.087 --> 00:14:36.524
I mean, there's an entire block of study with seminary courses
00:14:36.524 --> 00:14:41.296
And universities and whole denominations committed to the
00:14:41.296 --> 00:14:44.933
Concept that miracles ceased.
00:14:44.933 --> 00:14:49.237
And we get puffed up about it.
00:14:49.237 --> 00:14:51.639
We'll argue about it.
00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.175
I'm not arguing with you.
00:14:54.175 --> 00:14:56.044
I'm just gonna go over here and live with the miracles.
00:14:56.044 --> 00:14:59.514
Go have your seminar.
00:14:59.514 --> 00:15:02.083
But it doesn't mean life is not difficult.
00:15:02.083 --> 00:15:04.385
The truth is it's more challenging than i would like it
00:15:04.385 --> 00:15:06.654
To be most of the time.
00:15:06.654 --> 00:15:09.824
That's the reality.
00:15:09.824 --> 00:15:12.193
It doesn't mean god has abandoned us.
00:15:12.193 --> 00:15:13.962
He can do anything, you know.
00:15:13.962 --> 00:15:18.466
And he doesn't do it by bullying us and intimidating us.
00:15:18.466 --> 00:15:22.303
He does it by sending his spirit to gently, quietly, persistently
00:15:22.303 --> 00:15:27.141
Invite us towards him.
00:15:27.141 --> 00:15:30.244
And we have to be willing and open and interested enough to
00:15:30.244 --> 00:15:33.348
Say yes.
00:15:33.348 --> 00:15:37.018
Allen: hey, i sat down with my father recently, did a podcast.
00:15:41.222 --> 00:15:44.192
He told the story how he came to faith,
00:15:44.192 --> 00:15:45.860
How god transformed our family, he started a home bible study,
00:15:45.860 --> 00:15:49.063
All the way up to the beginning of this church that
00:15:49.063 --> 00:15:50.999
I've served now for decades.
00:15:50.999 --> 00:15:52.967
As i listened, the heart of it was the work of the holy spirit
00:15:52.967 --> 00:15:55.703
In his life and through his life.
00:15:55.703 --> 00:15:57.605
I asked him to do a book around the topic and we have it
00:15:57.605 --> 00:16:01.009
So that you can invite the spirit of god to be the dynamic
00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:04.078
Presence of the power of god to bring change
00:16:04.078 --> 00:16:06.948
And life and hope no matter what the circumstance is.
00:16:06.948 --> 00:16:10.118
You'll enjoy the book.
00:16:10.118 --> 00:16:11.452
Female announcer: experience the holy spirit in a deeper way
00:16:11.452 --> 00:16:13.755
With this new book by pastor allen's dad,
00:16:13.755 --> 00:16:15.923
"the eternal breath of life."
00:16:15.923 --> 00:16:18.259
Request your copy when you donate any amount today
00:16:18.259 --> 00:16:21.262
And when you give $50 or more you can also request
00:16:21.262 --> 00:16:24.565
"unleashing the power of the holy spirit."
00:16:24.565 --> 00:16:27.301
It's a collection of pastor allen's sermons
00:16:27.301 --> 00:16:29.437
That will help you understand the holy spirit in new ways.
00:16:29.437 --> 00:16:32.740
Request yours today at allenjackson.com
00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:35.576
Or by calling...
00:16:35.576 --> 00:16:39.347
Allen: well, for those heroes to emerge, we're gonna just walk
00:16:41.916 --> 00:16:43.851
Through some really practical components of that for the next
00:16:43.851 --> 00:16:46.988
Few minutes.
00:16:46.988 --> 00:16:48.623
One is we're gonna have to be willing to face both adversaries
00:16:48.623 --> 00:16:51.092
And adversities.
00:16:51.092 --> 00:16:52.994
If you're not willing to do difficult things and understand
00:16:52.994 --> 00:16:54.996
There's going to be opponents and opposition and they're gonna
00:16:54.996 --> 00:16:57.298
Call you names and you'll get canceled, if you think this is
00:16:57.298 --> 00:17:01.803
About a parade and everybody's gonna applaud, christianity
00:17:01.803 --> 00:17:04.906
Isn't for you.
00:17:04.906 --> 00:17:09.777
And that's not a negative confession.
00:17:09.777 --> 00:17:11.479
Somebody's confession meter just was going, "whoop,
00:17:11.479 --> 00:17:13.581
Whoop, whoop."
00:17:13.581 --> 00:17:15.883
That's an acknowledgement of the reality.
00:17:15.883 --> 00:17:18.319
Heroes dare to be different.
00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:21.055
They're willing to step out of the crowd, to have a different
00:17:21.055 --> 00:17:24.525
Set of metrics by which they're gonna measure success.
00:17:24.525 --> 00:17:27.662
There should be a fundamental difference in what we're
00:17:27.662 --> 00:17:30.965
Aspiring to become and what we-- the aspirations we have for our
00:17:30.965 --> 00:17:35.536
Children than the secular culture has.
00:17:35.536 --> 00:17:39.640
If there's no difference, what is it that we imagine makes us
00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:42.376
Christ followers: a location for a few minutes on the weekend?
00:17:42.376 --> 00:17:45.847
I think not.
00:17:45.847 --> 00:17:49.050
David, when he was a shepherd boy, and several thousand
00:17:49.050 --> 00:17:52.954
Israelite soldiers heard goliath bellow a challenge.
00:17:52.954 --> 00:17:59.327
The soldiers, including the king, went to their tents.
00:17:59.327 --> 00:18:03.464
And david went to battle.
00:18:03.464 --> 00:18:09.270
In babylon, there were several thousand israelite captives,
00:18:09.270 --> 00:18:12.440
Slaves, who worshiped nebuchadnezzar's golden statue.
00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:16.444
When the music played, they planted their faces in
00:18:16.444 --> 00:18:19.413
The ground.
00:18:19.413 --> 00:18:21.716
But shadrach and his friends stood up.
00:18:21.716 --> 00:18:27.588
I saw a quote from corrie ten boom.
00:18:27.588 --> 00:18:29.290
I'll share it with you.
00:18:29.290 --> 00:18:30.658
Do you know who corrie ten boom is?
00:18:30.658 --> 00:18:32.193
If you've never read the book, "the hiding place," or seen the
00:18:32.193 --> 00:18:34.662
Movie, i would highly recommend them to you.
00:18:34.662 --> 00:18:37.565
She was the daughter of a dutch watchmaker.
00:18:37.565 --> 00:18:40.301
She and her family hid jews in their homes during world war ii.
00:18:40.301 --> 00:18:46.407
They were betrayed by a neighbor, a christian neighbor.
00:18:46.407 --> 00:18:51.579
And corrie's father and sister died in concentration camps.
00:18:51.579 --> 00:18:56.784
She was released by a clerical error.
00:18:56.784 --> 00:19:01.689
She said this: "memories are the key not to the past but to
00:19:01.689 --> 00:19:05.660
The future.
00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:07.295
I know that the experiences of our lives when we let god use
00:19:07.295 --> 00:19:10.598
Them become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work
00:19:10.598 --> 00:19:14.669
He will give us to do."
00:19:14.669 --> 00:19:17.705
That's spoken from someone who faced a great deal of evil in
00:19:17.705 --> 00:19:21.475
Their life.
00:19:21.475 --> 00:19:23.277
And she recognized that in the midst of that, god was
00:19:23.277 --> 00:19:25.680
Preparing her.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.784
Shadrach, meshach, and abednego, those three hebrew young men,
00:19:29.784 --> 00:19:32.587
Most likely teenagers, faced a very difficult scenario.
00:19:32.587 --> 00:19:36.958
They're exiles in a foreign land, and yet they stood up in
00:19:36.958 --> 00:19:40.795
The face of the king, a very intimidating--there was a great
00:19:40.795 --> 00:19:44.131
Deal of inequity in the power structures that they held and
00:19:44.131 --> 00:19:46.934
The king held.
00:19:46.934 --> 00:19:48.269
He's an absolute monarch.
00:19:48.269 --> 00:19:50.204
In the ancient near east, he can have your head separated from
00:19:50.204 --> 00:19:53.474
Your shoulders and there's no court of appeal, and these three
00:19:53.474 --> 00:19:56.611
Slaves stood before him and rather brazenly said, "we cannot
00:19:56.611 --> 00:20:01.282
Bow to your statue.
00:20:01.282 --> 00:20:03.551
Our god will deliver us."
00:20:03.551 --> 00:20:06.053
And you think about their story, jerusalem, their home city where
00:20:06.053 --> 00:20:10.291
This--the temple of god dwelt, has been destroyed.
00:20:10.291 --> 00:20:14.428
The heartache of that, they've been exiled, they've been
00:20:14.428 --> 00:20:17.698
Enslaved, they've fasted, they've made an attempt to
00:20:17.698 --> 00:20:21.235
Seek god.
00:20:21.235 --> 00:20:22.637
They've been forced into idolatry at the point of
00:20:22.637 --> 00:20:25.172
A spear.
00:20:25.172 --> 00:20:26.540
Their choice is noncompliance.
00:20:26.540 --> 00:20:28.442
They're threatened.
00:20:28.442 --> 00:20:30.511
They make a declaration of faith.
00:20:30.511 --> 00:20:33.848
God doesn't intervene, they're thrown into a furnace.
00:20:33.848 --> 00:20:36.817
You see, my preference is god would intervene before
00:20:36.817 --> 00:20:39.220
The furnace.
00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:41.656
Like, when the king is trying to pronounce judgment that his
00:20:41.656 --> 00:20:44.825
Tongue would stick to the roof of his mouth.
00:20:44.825 --> 00:20:48.529
And he couldn't get the words out.
00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:52.133
But he did get the judgment out and the furnace is heated up and
00:20:52.133 --> 00:20:55.036
Now they have every imagination that their life is at an end and
00:20:55.036 --> 00:20:59.073
They're tossed into the furnace.
00:20:59.073 --> 00:21:01.842
And somehow they are fireproof.
00:21:01.842 --> 00:21:06.314
It's an amazing story.
00:21:06.314 --> 00:21:09.383
It's an amazing story, but i don't believe it's just a story.
00:21:09.383 --> 00:21:11.919
I think it's a pattern.
00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:14.188
I think it's given to us, the scripture of the new testament
00:21:14.188 --> 00:21:16.390
Says it's been written down for us as examples that we might
00:21:16.390 --> 00:21:19.527
Know how to live.
00:21:19.527 --> 00:21:22.196
And we're afraid to put a "jesus is lord" sticker on our car.
00:21:22.196 --> 00:21:29.370
I mean, we have been so timid for so long, we've lost
00:21:29.370 --> 00:21:33.140
An imagination.
00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:34.475
We don't have to be arrogant or belligerent or condemning or
00:21:34.475 --> 00:21:37.745
Critical, but why are we reluctant to say that the
00:21:37.745 --> 00:21:40.748
Biblical definition of marriage includes a man and a woman?
00:21:40.748 --> 00:21:45.920
I mean, it does.
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.490
"well--"
00:21:49.490 --> 00:21:53.794
See, i think what we ask for matters.
00:21:53.794 --> 00:21:56.530
I brought you a sample.
00:21:56.530 --> 00:21:57.865
I'm not sure we're gonna look at all of them, but
00:21:57.865 --> 00:21:59.433
I'll touch them.
00:21:59.433 --> 00:22:00.768
James 4 and verse 2 says: "you don't have, because you
00:22:00.768 --> 00:22:02.937
Don't ask.
00:22:02.937 --> 00:22:05.039
And when you do ask, you don't receive, because you ask with
00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:07.975
Wrong motives."
00:22:07.975 --> 00:22:10.044
See, the condition of your heart matters.
00:22:10.044 --> 00:22:13.280
Most of us have been reluctant to ask, "well, you know, i don't
00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:15.182
Pray much or i don't wanna bother god or i don't wanna be
00:22:15.182 --> 00:22:17.752
Presumptive," and you finally kind of get oriented enough that
00:22:17.752 --> 00:22:20.588
You asked for god and then god says, "well, actually, your
00:22:20.588 --> 00:22:22.623
Heart condition matters."
00:22:22.623 --> 00:22:25.559
We're going, "well, i didn't know that."
00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:28.362
"you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get
00:22:28.362 --> 00:22:30.664
Just on your pleasures."
00:22:30.664 --> 00:22:32.032
We're not the first generation that wants to treat god like
00:22:32.032 --> 00:22:35.669
Some sort of a heavenly vending machine.
00:22:35.669 --> 00:22:38.272
"god, if i go to church 3 weeks in a row, can i pray for good
00:22:38.272 --> 00:22:42.143
Weather on the 4th weekend so i could go to the lake and the
00:22:42.143 --> 00:22:44.245
Weather be perfect?"
00:22:44.245 --> 00:22:46.781
We all bargain with god.
00:22:46.781 --> 00:22:50.184
We've all been guilty of that.
00:22:50.184 --> 00:22:53.287
It's like kids.
00:22:53.287 --> 00:22:54.655
We bargain with that, you know, "how many green beans do i have
00:22:54.655 --> 00:22:57.425
To eat before i can have ice cream?"
00:22:57.425 --> 00:23:01.629
And they, you know, the kids think they can wear you down and
00:23:01.629 --> 00:23:04.165
Sometimes they can, but we're not gonna wear god down.
00:23:04.165 --> 00:23:08.135
In daniel chapter 3, i've told you a bit of the story.
00:23:08.135 --> 00:23:10.271
Nebuchadnezzar said, "praise be to the god of shadrach, meshach,
00:23:10.271 --> 00:23:13.274
And abednego," this is after they survived the flames, "who
00:23:13.274 --> 00:23:17.211
Sent his angel and rescued his servants!
00:23:17.211 --> 00:23:19.013
They trusted in him and denied the king's command.
00:23:19.013 --> 00:23:22.082
And they were willing to give up their lives rather than to serve
00:23:22.082 --> 00:23:24.618
Or worship any god except their own god," wow.
00:23:24.618 --> 00:23:28.689
Their adversary said, "these men had a courage that amazes me."
00:23:28.689 --> 00:23:33.994
A new generation of heroes.
00:23:33.994 --> 00:23:35.696
A new generation of heroes.
00:23:37.097 --> 00:23:38.466
You see, we still struggle beneath the shame.
00:23:38.466 --> 00:23:40.634
We've lost 60 million children on our watch in the last 40
00:23:40.634 --> 00:23:43.571
Years or so.
00:23:43.571 --> 00:23:47.141
We really haven't found our voices.
00:23:47.141 --> 00:23:51.579
We haven't.
00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:52.913
That's just the awkward reality of it.
00:23:52.913 --> 00:23:55.783
Forget the collapse of the church in europe in the run-up
00:23:55.783 --> 00:23:58.185
To world war ii.
00:23:58.185 --> 00:23:59.587
We can talk about the collapse of the church in north america,
00:23:59.587 --> 00:24:03.691
In our lifetime.
00:24:03.691 --> 00:24:06.961
And these three young men with all the reasons they had to have
00:24:06.961 --> 00:24:09.597
Been angry at god or resentful or embittered, they said, "no,
00:24:09.597 --> 00:24:12.733
We're not bowing, sir.
00:24:12.733 --> 00:24:14.101
I know most of our peer group is bowing.
00:24:14.101 --> 00:24:17.705
Can't speak for them, but we're not going to.
00:24:17.705 --> 00:24:19.974
You know, our god could deliver us.
00:24:19.974 --> 00:24:22.343
And he's well able and we think he might, but we want you to
00:24:22.343 --> 00:24:24.778
Know, even if he doesn't, no chance."
00:24:24.778 --> 00:24:30.251
Wow!
00:24:30.251 --> 00:24:33.287
I hear all the ways we find loopholes.
00:24:33.287 --> 00:24:35.222
"well, you know, if i stood up, there could be some consequences
00:24:35.222 --> 00:24:38.626
And then my children would suffer, and i don't want my
00:24:38.626 --> 00:24:40.794
Children to suffer.
00:24:40.794 --> 00:24:42.129
Therefore, i'm gonna capitulate."
00:24:42.129 --> 00:24:46.433
Or, "i have partners and if i told the truth, there could be
00:24:46.433 --> 00:24:49.737
Some sort of reprisal and my partners would suffer, and
00:24:49.737 --> 00:24:53.741
They're not the ones that are making the decision.
00:24:53.741 --> 00:24:55.442
I'm making the decision, therefore, i'm going to
00:24:55.442 --> 00:24:57.244
Capitulate," and on and on and on.
00:24:57.244 --> 00:25:02.750
What are you asking for?
00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:06.987
Some of you know the little book, "the prayer of jabez."
00:25:06.987 --> 00:25:08.989
I brought you the prayers in 1 chronicles 4: "his mother named
00:25:08.989 --> 00:25:12.626
Him jabez, saying, 'i gave birth to him in pain,' but jabez cried
00:25:12.626 --> 00:25:16.063
Out to the god of israel, 'oh, that you would bless me and
00:25:16.063 --> 00:25:20.067
Enlarge my territory!
00:25:20.067 --> 00:25:21.569
Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that i will
00:25:21.569 --> 00:25:25.272
Be free from pain.'"
00:25:25.272 --> 00:25:27.374
Look at that next little phrase: "god granted his request."
00:25:27.374 --> 00:25:32.613
Why would we not say, "god, pour out your spirit in
00:25:32.613 --> 00:25:35.416
This generation.
00:25:35.416 --> 00:25:36.784
Awaken our churches.
00:25:36.784 --> 00:25:39.887
Fill our pulpits with people who will speak the truth.
00:25:39.887 --> 00:25:45.359
Put faculty members in our universities and teachers in our
00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:48.762
Schools, people at the head of industry that fear the name
00:25:48.762 --> 00:25:53.767
Of god.
00:25:53.767 --> 00:25:57.271
Fill our military with young people who will honor god with
00:25:57.271 --> 00:26:01.041
Their lives"?
00:26:01.041 --> 00:26:04.411
Why would we not begin to ask for that?
00:26:04.411 --> 00:26:10.317
Allen: being a christ follower is not as much about an
00:26:14.455 --> 00:26:16.757
Experience and a completed activity, a prayer, a visit to
00:26:16.757 --> 00:26:20.427
An altar, a response to an evangelist.
00:26:20.427 --> 00:26:23.631
It's certainly a beginning point of welcoming jesus into your
00:26:23.631 --> 00:26:26.233
Heart, but it's a life that we lead, so we continue to grow and
00:26:26.233 --> 00:26:29.870
Learn and gain strength.
00:26:29.870 --> 00:26:31.705
As life presents challenges, we get to know god in a new way.
00:26:31.705 --> 00:26:35.142
Well, i believe this book about the holy spirit is a tool to
00:26:35.142 --> 00:26:38.512
Help you gain a new momentum to grow through the things in your
00:26:38.512 --> 00:26:42.383
Life under the direction of the power of the spirit of god.
00:26:42.383 --> 00:26:45.686
Folks, we're not gonna outwork evil or outthink evil.
00:26:45.686 --> 00:26:48.422
We're not gonna outorganize evil.
00:26:48.422 --> 00:26:50.124
The only thing evil will yield to is a power greater than
00:26:50.124 --> 00:26:52.993
Itself, and that power is the spirit of god, and you and me
00:26:52.993 --> 00:26:57.264
Manifest in the earth through people of faith.
00:26:57.264 --> 00:27:00.234
We're salt and light, we're change agents.
00:27:00.234 --> 00:27:02.703
I wanna pray: heavenly father, give us a discernment to
00:27:02.703 --> 00:27:06.240
Recognize your spirit, how we can welcome him into our lives
00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:09.510
And cooperate with him to bring your breakthroughs into our
00:27:09.510 --> 00:27:12.713
Lives, our homes, and our churches.
00:27:12.713 --> 00:27:15.282
In jesus's name, amen.
00:27:15.282 --> 00:27:16.750
♪♪♪
00:27:16.750 --> 00:27:16.750

Allen Jackson - Heroes Emerging

August 23, 2025 | S25 E238 | 28:35

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