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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - Peace and Preparation (Part 2)

December 29, 2025 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - Peace and Preparation (Part 2)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#WordofGod #Emotion #Character #Rejoice #Joy #Worship #Testimony #Grace #Family #AllenJackson

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - Peace and Preparation (Part 2) | December 29, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen jackson: we began allen jackson ministries
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  • To strengthen the church.
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  • Thank you for your partnership.
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  • Together we made an impact in this nation, but we're not done.
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  • In fact, in many ways i believe we're just beginning.
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  • The status quo is not adequate any longer.
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  • We can't sit in our churches and have our polite bible studies
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  • And sing our favorite choruses while we watch
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  • Darkness increasing in the world around us.
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  • We have to have the courage to tell the truth to our culture.
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  • A biblical worldview to engage current events in a way
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  • To make what we believe apart of the fabric of our schools,
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  • Our homes, our communities, our nation, and beyond.
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  • We have invitations now from war-torn countries
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  • In israel and ukraine to strengthen the churches there.
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  • I want to ask you to make an investment with us
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  • In allen jackson ministries
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  • To make 2026 the most fruitful year we've ever had together.
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  • God is moving in the earth.
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  • We want to keep the pace.
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  • We want to take new steps to make a new impact.
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  • Your help makes that possible.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen: matthew in chapter 2, he introduces us to these nameless,
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  • Faceless figures from the east.
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  • Magi, kind of shadowy characters, i mean,
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  • They've become so much a part of our christmas celebration, i
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  • Think we all feel like we know them.
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  • Tradition has given names to them.
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  • But they came from the east searching for the one born king
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  • Of the jews.
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  • And they made a stop in the most likely place, the palace
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  • In jerusalem.
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  • And the king that was present didn't know anything about it.
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  • It's matthew 2:9, "after hearing the king, they went on their
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  • Way; and the star, which they had seen on the east--in the
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  • East, went on before them until it came and stood over the place
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  • Where the child was.
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  • And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with
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  • Great joy."
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  • That's another weird phrase.
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  • When they saw the star, they were happy that they were at the
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  • End of their journey.
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  • When they star the star, they were pleased.
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  • They weren't crazy.
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  • There was actually a child born king of the jews.
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  • That's not what it says.
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  • And that language matters.
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  • It says: "when they saw the star, they
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  • Rejoiced exceedingly."
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  • How do you rejoice exceedingly?
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  • If you rejoice--they rejoiced-- what does that mean?
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  • They got emotional?
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  • You know, we read it in a church service with our god voice.
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  • "and when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly."
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  • I don't think so.
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  • I think they lost their minds.
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  • I think there were hugs and high fives and tears.
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  • And the travelers from far just--they couldn't contain it.
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  • Enough that it got recorded and repeated and told and retold
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  • That it made it into the narrative when matthew was
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  • Telling the story.
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  • Those characters that came from the east, when they finally
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  • Found the place, they lost their minds.
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  • Well, i mean, "they rejoiced exceedingly," but it doesn't
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  • Stop there.
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  • "they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy."
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  • Yeah, we got the point.
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  • They were hilariously, uproariously beside themselves.
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  • "well, pastor, you know, i don't wanna be emotional."
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  • Well, stop it.
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  • You're emotional about the things you care about.
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  • But the magi, they didn't know the whole story.
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  • They didn't know about mary and joseph.
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  • See, if i'd been in charge of this, if i'd been orchestrating
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  • It, i'd have sent gabriel there too: "look, you got a long trip
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  • To make, it's not gonna be easy.
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  • It's gonna be very disruptive.
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  • Let me just tell you who you're looking for.
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  • Here's your picture."
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  • In fact, if you agreed to volunteer and help us do
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  • Something and you didn't get any better direction than that, you
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  • Would not be happy.
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  • Go spend a couple of years wandering around and you'll
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  • Figure out what we want you to do.
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  • No wonder they were exceedingly joyful.
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  • God warned the magi about herod.
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  • They had a dream, he said, "don't go back that way."
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  • He warned joseph about the threat to jesus.
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  • But god didn't--he didn't prevent herod from carrying out
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  • His murderous rampage.
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  • Remember, the goal we've got in this is not just learning
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  • Christmas from a different vantage point.
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  • We're trying to understand when god moves, what's that gonna
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  • Look like in our lives?
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  • The incarnate son of god is born.
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  • There are shepherds that have had the heavenly host announce
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  • A message.
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  • There are men that have traveled a tremendous distance to come
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  • And worship the infant king.
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  • And there's the murderous rage of the king in jerusalem.
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  • And the baby boys in bethlehem are gonna be slaughtered.
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  • In the midst of god moving in the earth in the most remarkable
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  • Of ways, the fulfillment of dozens and dozens of prophecies,
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  • We also have to process the existence of evil.
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  • What's the second week of advent?
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  • Preparation and peace.
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  • We need preparation and peace.
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  • Can we agree?
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  • But god is moving.
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  • If god is moving, it's just gonna be fun.
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  • What bible do you read?
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  • See, we've crafted this in our own image.
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  • We've ignored scripture.
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  • We're not prepared.
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  • We've got to be prepared.
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  • Let's learn the lessons.
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  • Let's study.
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  • Let's do what peter said: "prepare our minds for action."
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  • The shepherds, i didn't put the larger verses in there for you.
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  • They get a birth announcement.
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  • They didn't get any information about zechariah and elizabeth.
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  • They weren't read in on what gabriel said to mary and joe.
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  • They just said go into bethlehem and you'll find a baby in
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  • A manger.
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  • Well, their story would have been better if they could have
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  • Had the whole thing.
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  • How many times have you said to the lord, "i want
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  • More information"?
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  • Or am i the only one that makes those kind of statements to him?
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  • "if you want me to do this, if you want us to expand and do
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  • This and that, i would like your presentation of the economy for
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  • The next 36 months, please.
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  • Feels a little vulnerable to be starting a project in the middle
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  • Of this crazy world."
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  • Maybe you don't pray that way.
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  • I do.
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  • So when i read this, i'm like, "wow, god, keep moving."
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  • He put the shepherds in a place that changes their lives.
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  • They don't have any status.
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  • They're the lowest rung on the social ladder.
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  • They don't even have status in a court.
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  • You had to have more than one shepherd testify.
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  • If just one showed up, it wasn't even considered trustworthy.
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  • They are not the most celebrated.
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  • God chose the weakest and the outcast to come in and be the
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  • Witnesses for the arrival of his son.
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  • But they're in the story.
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  • The innkeeper, look at luke 2:7, "mary gave birth to her
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  • Firstborn, a son.
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  • She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because
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  • There was no room for them in the inn."
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  • Gracefully, we don't know this innkeeper's name.
  • 00:07:56.157 --> 00:08:00.228
  • But he was too far out from the messaging.
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  • He wasn't aware that god was moving.
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  • I mean, if he'd had a fraction of an idea, how many of you know
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  • He would have changed the traffic at his inn forever?
  • 00:08:09.504 --> 00:08:14.109
  • "jesus was born here."
  • 00:08:14.109 --> 00:08:20.148
  • I mean, sometime in the night the shepherds are all
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  • There babbling.
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  • I mean, there's a celebration going on and his wife is going,
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  • "and you told 'em there was no room?"
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  • He's clueless.
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  • He turned joseph and his crew away.
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  • Imagine if he'd had the shepherds in the house, waking
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  • Everybody up with the good news, or the magi coming through
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  • The door.
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  • Simeon and anna, we looked at them last week, the two people
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  • In the temple that were waiting for the messiah.
  • 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:54.649
  • They had an awareness.
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  • They recognized the infant jesus in the midst of all the children
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  • That were being brought to fulfill the commandments of
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  • The law.
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  • They recognized jesus and took him in their arms, prophesied
  • 00:09:03.258 --> 00:09:06.928
  • Over him, celebrated what god was doing.
  • 00:09:06.928 --> 00:09:08.930
  • Again, there's no sense that they knew the whole drama.
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  • They just knew that god was sending his son.
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  • Again, god is moving in the earth and there's multiple
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  • Families involved, multiple people involved from across the
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  • Nation of israel, each with an assignment or an awareness or a
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  • Pursuit of god that gives them a seat at the table or a window to
  • 00:09:25.647 --> 00:09:29.884
  • See what god is doing, but they're not all fully read in.
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  • That's not how we think about god moving.
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  • We want it to be affirmed by everybody we know, by the voices
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  • That we follow, by the people that we listen to, by the
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  • Publishing houses that we trust.
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  • I don't believe that's what it will look like.
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  • We haven't had the imagination that we would listen to the
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  • Spirit of god, that we would know our bibles, that we would
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  • Trust the people we worship with to the point that we would
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  • Process what's happening in the earth together and say, "that
  • 00:10:00.115 --> 00:10:02.651
  • Seems like god to us."
  • 00:10:02.651 --> 00:10:06.287
  • Herod, the king in jerusalem, you would have expected the king
  • 00:10:06.287 --> 00:10:08.923
  • Of jerusalem to be excited about the return of the messiah.
  • 00:10:08.923 --> 00:10:13.428
  • The anticipation, the cultural expectation of messiah was he
  • 00:10:13.428 --> 00:10:16.965
  • Would repel the romans.
  • 00:10:16.965 --> 00:10:18.299
  • Herod didn't have the juice to do that.
  • 00:10:18.299 --> 00:10:20.068
  • You'd want to make friends with the king of kings.
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  • Herod wasn't interested.
  • 00:10:27.942 --> 00:10:29.944
  • He had an agenda.
  • 00:10:29.944 --> 00:10:31.279
  • He had a plan, and it certainly didn't include welcoming the
  • 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:33.615
  • Promise of the prophets.
  • 00:10:33.615 --> 00:10:36.384
  • So he ordered the murder of the children.
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  • He's the exact opposite of the wise men, he's the not so
  • 00:10:38.887 --> 00:10:41.389
  • Wise man.
  • 00:10:41.389 --> 00:10:43.591
  • And when god's moving in the earth, you'll see wise people
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  • Choose to cooperate with him and you'll see not so wise people
  • 00:10:46.227 --> 00:10:49.130
  • Oppose it.
  • 00:10:49.130 --> 00:10:51.433
  • People with power and influence and you'll think, "well, i don't
  • 00:10:51.433 --> 00:10:54.169
  • Know, if somebody with that much influence and that much--if
  • 00:10:54.169 --> 00:10:58.740
  • They're opposing it."
  • 00:10:58.740 --> 00:11:00.809
  • Again, i wanna learn from this, not just history.
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  • I wanna cooperate with the lord.
  • 00:11:03.745 --> 00:11:08.016
  • Herod said, "not me."
  • 00:11:08.016 --> 00:11:09.384
  • The chief priests.
  • 00:11:09.384 --> 00:11:11.586
  • I don't know who you imagine to be the chief voices of faith or
  • 00:11:11.586 --> 00:11:15.490
  • The keepers, the most knowledgeable about scripture.
  • 00:11:15.490 --> 00:11:18.359
  • That's the chief priest.
  • 00:11:18.359 --> 00:11:20.261
  • In matthew 2, "herod called together all the people's chief
  • 00:11:20.261 --> 00:11:23.131
  • Priests and the teachers of the law, and he asked them where the
  • 00:11:23.131 --> 00:11:25.400
  • Christ was to be born."
  • 00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:27.268
  • And they knew.
  • 00:11:27.268 --> 00:11:29.704
  • They knew from the scripture.
  • 00:11:29.704 --> 00:11:31.072
  • It says: "in bethlehem in judea, for this is what the prophet has
  • 00:11:31.072 --> 00:11:33.708
  • Written," and they quoted the prophecy.
  • 00:11:33.708 --> 00:11:36.344
  • But they didn't care enough to go look.
  • 00:11:36.344 --> 00:11:41.583
  • They had influence in the palace.
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  • They didn't say to herod, "i wouldn't do that."
  • 00:11:43.051 --> 00:11:46.321
  • They had a place, they had premium real estate
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  • In jerusalem.
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  • They had a good thing going.
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  • The chief priests didn't want any part of it.
  • 00:11:55.263 --> 00:11:56.765
  • The shepherds, they're all in.
  • 00:11:56.765 --> 00:11:58.333
  • Where's the baby? whee!
  • 00:11:58.333 --> 00:12:01.636
  • These nameless foreigners that aren't jewish, that don't have a
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  • Covenant, that they have no claim to anything, they're
  • 00:12:05.006 --> 00:12:08.610
  • Exceedingly joyful because they're invested.
  • 00:12:08.610 --> 00:12:14.549
  • They opened their treasures and gave extravagant gifts.
  • 00:12:14.549 --> 00:12:18.453
  • But the chief priests-- bethlehem's only about 3 miles
  • 00:12:18.453 --> 00:12:23.892
  • From jerusalem.
  • 00:12:23.892 --> 00:12:25.627
  • It's not even a hard walk.
  • 00:12:25.627 --> 00:12:30.198
  • Allen: god is moving in the earth and at allen jackson
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  • Ministries, we're doing everything we can to strengthen
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  • The church in our nation and wherever god opens the door.
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  • We don't intend to maintain the status quo or to gather in our
  • 00:12:42.811 --> 00:12:45.780
  • Churches for polite bible studies, we're gonna engage our
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  • Culture with biblical truth and give you the tools to do so.
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  • Church that's vibrant and vital, and to do that, we've got to
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  • Make an investment.
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  • Will you give generously to what we're doing at allen
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  • Female announcer: at allen jackson ministries,
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  • Allen: so in this one little story, this one little window of
  • 00:13:37.232 --> 00:13:39.901
  • Time, you've got this whole cast of characters, some with angelic
  • 00:13:39.901 --> 00:13:44.639
  • Visits, multiple angelic visits, the heavenly host, others
  • 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:48.443
  • Directed by a star, following god, others with prophetic
  • 00:13:48.443 --> 00:13:52.447
  • Information that is rooted in scripture that they ignore.
  • 00:13:52.447 --> 00:13:57.685
  • And then you have people that are just blissfully ignorant.
  • 00:13:57.685 --> 00:14:02.824
  • What did jesus tell us about the end of the age before
  • 00:14:02.824 --> 00:14:06.895
  • He returns?
  • 00:14:06.895 --> 00:14:08.263
  • How many of you would say that jesus's second coming would be
  • 00:14:08.263 --> 00:14:09.864
  • An expression of god moving in the earth?
  • 00:14:09.864 --> 00:14:12.901
  • About a third of you.
  • 00:14:12.901 --> 00:14:14.235
  • What are the rest of you waiting--what do you think?
  • 00:14:14.235 --> 00:14:16.871
  • Remember what jesus told us about what happened in the world
  • 00:14:16.871 --> 00:14:19.474
  • Before he came back?
  • 00:14:19.474 --> 00:14:21.175
  • He said we would be busy buying and selling, marrying and giving
  • 00:14:21.175 --> 00:14:26.180
  • In marriage, planting and reaping.
  • 00:14:26.180 --> 00:14:30.418
  • He didn't list anything that was wicked or evil or immoral
  • 00:14:30.418 --> 00:14:33.354
  • Or ungodly.
  • 00:14:33.354 --> 00:14:34.722
  • He listed normal human activity, but he suggested that we would
  • 00:14:34.722 --> 00:14:38.459
  • Be completely unaware that god was moving in the earth.
  • 00:14:38.459 --> 00:14:45.066
  • So, one of my takeaways from this is that it requires of us a
  • 00:14:45.066 --> 00:14:49.070
  • Desire, an intent, an interest, a willingness not just to
  • 00:14:49.070 --> 00:14:55.009
  • Present our resume because everybody in this narrative,
  • 00:14:55.009 --> 00:14:58.012
  • With perhaps the exception of the magi, have a religious
  • 00:14:58.012 --> 00:15:01.282
  • Pedigree that qualifies them to participate.
  • 00:15:01.282 --> 00:15:04.752
  • They're the covenant people of god.
  • 00:15:04.752 --> 00:15:06.387
  • They keep the right holidays, they eat kosher.
  • 00:15:06.387 --> 00:15:10.124
  • They visit the temple.
  • 00:15:10.124 --> 00:15:11.592
  • There were a lot of babies being dedicated the day jesus was
  • 00:15:11.592 --> 00:15:14.929
  • Dedicated, but only simeon and anna recognized the messiah.
  • 00:15:14.929 --> 00:15:22.203
  • So it requires of us a desire to see, an interest, a willingness.
  • 00:15:22.203 --> 00:15:27.241
  • Does that feel fair?
  • 00:15:27.241 --> 00:15:30.311
  • But not everybody in the story, even the ones participating,
  • 00:15:30.311 --> 00:15:34.015
  • They don't have the full spectrum of what's happening.
  • 00:15:34.015 --> 00:15:39.120
  • There's a second perspective.
  • 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:40.655
  • It's similar, but it's a little different in this.
  • 00:15:40.655 --> 00:15:42.790
  • There are differing invitations to everybody.
  • 00:15:42.790 --> 00:15:44.692
  • The invitation extended to mary and joseph was different than
  • 00:15:44.692 --> 00:15:47.095
  • Zechariah and elizabeth.
  • 00:15:47.095 --> 00:15:48.429
  • It was different than the shepherds.
  • 00:15:48.429 --> 00:15:49.764
  • It was different than the magi.
  • 00:15:49.764 --> 00:15:51.132
  • It was different.
  • 00:15:51.132 --> 00:15:54.102
  • Differing invitations, not every invitation is the same.
  • 00:15:54.102 --> 00:15:57.338
  • We get a little sideways about this.
  • 00:15:57.338 --> 00:16:00.208
  • "we should all get to do the same thing."
  • 00:16:00.208 --> 00:16:02.944
  • Probably not.
  • 00:16:02.944 --> 00:16:06.314
  • God gives us different assignments.
  • 00:16:06.314 --> 00:16:08.583
  • The shepherds, it seems to me, were the--were in charge
  • 00:16:08.583 --> 00:16:10.985
  • Of publicity.
  • 00:16:10.985 --> 00:16:14.489
  • They were at the center of the communication strategy
  • 00:16:14.489 --> 00:16:16.591
  • For bethlehem.
  • 00:16:16.591 --> 00:16:18.226
  • Luke 2:17, "when they'd seen him, they spread the word
  • 00:16:18.226 --> 00:16:20.862
  • Concerning what had been told about the child, and all who
  • 00:16:20.862 --> 00:16:23.965
  • Heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."
  • 00:16:23.965 --> 00:16:26.801
  • It's not clear whether they were amazed at what the shepherds
  • 00:16:26.801 --> 00:16:28.836
  • Said or they were amazed at what the shepherds were telling
  • 00:16:28.836 --> 00:16:30.605
  • Them about.
  • 00:16:30.605 --> 00:16:32.673
  • They were just amazed that the shepherds and this story were
  • 00:16:32.673 --> 00:16:34.976
  • Linked together.
  • 00:16:34.976 --> 00:16:36.344
  • The shepherds were up for the forefront of pr.
  • 00:16:36.344 --> 00:16:37.945
  • They were the dregs of society.
  • 00:16:37.945 --> 00:16:43.384
  • The magi were given an assignment.
  • 00:16:43.384 --> 00:16:45.686
  • They bring these costly gifts from a long way away.
  • 00:16:45.686 --> 00:16:48.456
  • It'd have been much easier if herod would just make
  • 00:16:48.456 --> 00:16:50.124
  • A donation.
  • 00:16:50.124 --> 00:16:52.860
  • "coming to the house they saw the child, his mother; and they
  • 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:55.363
  • Fell to the ground and worshiped him.
  • 00:16:55.363 --> 00:16:56.731
  • They opened their treasures and they presented him gifts of gold
  • 00:16:56.731 --> 00:16:59.233
  • And frankincense and myrrh.
  • 00:16:59.233 --> 00:17:02.336
  • They were warned by god in a dream, don't go back to herod."
  • 00:17:02.336 --> 00:17:06.007
  • That has to give you some pause, he warns the magi, but there's
  • 00:17:06.007 --> 00:17:09.610
  • Gonna be a tremendous amount of suffering come to bethlehem and
  • 00:17:09.610 --> 00:17:12.113
  • There's no warning issued.
  • 00:17:12.113 --> 00:17:14.549
  • God is moving in the earth.
  • 00:17:14.549 --> 00:17:17.251
  • You wanna be a part of it, it's the safest place you can be.
  • 00:17:17.251 --> 00:17:20.421
  • "my peace i give to you."
  • 00:17:20.421 --> 00:17:23.324
  • Don't live presumptive lives.
  • 00:17:23.324 --> 00:17:26.427
  • Don't tell me about what god did in your life a decade ago.
  • 00:17:26.427 --> 00:17:28.996
  • I'm grateful for that, but let's talk about what god's doing now.
  • 00:17:28.996 --> 00:17:32.600
  • What are we doing now?
  • 00:17:32.600 --> 00:17:35.937
  • The invitations are different for all of them and we've been
  • 00:17:35.937 --> 00:17:39.574
  • So affected by this socialist mindset, we've become so
  • 00:17:39.574 --> 00:17:44.512
  • Accustomed to being cared for by the government that the
  • 00:17:44.512 --> 00:17:46.914
  • Government is our protector, the government is our caregiver, the
  • 00:17:46.914 --> 00:17:49.917
  • Government is our provider, the government is responsible
  • 00:17:49.917 --> 00:17:52.453
  • For justice.
  • 00:17:52.453 --> 00:17:55.323
  • The government is responsible to see to it that i'm
  • 00:17:55.323 --> 00:17:58.092
  • Treated fairly.
  • 00:17:58.092 --> 00:17:59.460
  • Folks, no government has ever done that.
  • 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:04.499
  • The one that we're under has a better track record than almost
  • 00:18:04.499 --> 00:18:07.568
  • Any government in history, but the governments of human beings
  • 00:18:07.568 --> 00:18:10.738
  • Have never been just and fair.
  • 00:18:10.738 --> 00:18:15.209
  • Only god is just.
  • 00:18:15.209 --> 00:18:19.413
  • Just exactly whom are we trusting?
  • 00:18:19.413 --> 00:18:22.283
  • Different invitations.
  • 00:18:22.283 --> 00:18:23.651
  • Not every invitation is the same.
  • 00:18:23.651 --> 00:18:25.119
  • Mary got stretch marks.
  • 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.489
  • Joseph got stress marks.
  • 00:18:28.489 --> 00:18:32.727
  • John the baptist was alone with the message.
  • 00:18:32.727 --> 00:18:40.067
  • That verse that describes him multiple places, "the voice of
  • 00:18:40.067 --> 00:18:43.538
  • One calling in the wilderness."
  • 00:18:43.538 --> 00:18:47.508
  • Let me emphasize it a little differently, "a voice of one,
  • 00:18:47.508 --> 00:18:52.813
  • Crying in the wilderness."
  • 00:18:52.813 --> 00:18:55.516
  • None of us want to be a voice of one.
  • 00:18:55.516 --> 00:18:58.352
  • You don't wanna be a voice of one at work, you don't wanna be
  • 00:18:58.352 --> 00:19:00.221
  • A voice of one in your home, you don't wanna be a voice of one in
  • 00:19:00.221 --> 00:19:02.623
  • Your family system, you don't wanna be a voice of one.
  • 00:19:02.623 --> 00:19:07.094
  • We might be coaxed into being part of a choir.
  • 00:19:07.094 --> 00:19:11.299
  • None of us want to sing truth solos.
  • 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:15.603
  • A voice of one.
  • 00:19:15.603 --> 00:19:17.872
  • The invitation is different for all of them.
  • 00:19:17.872 --> 00:19:20.408
  • John's gonna give up his life, because he got involved in
  • 00:19:20.408 --> 00:19:25.680
  • Conversations around current events.
  • 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.450
  • If he'd just talked about moses and the red sea and king david
  • 00:19:29.450 --> 00:19:36.457
  • And isaiah--
  • 00:19:36.457 --> 00:19:38.559
  • "have i ever told you the story of the circumstances of
  • 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:40.761
  • My birth?
  • 00:19:40.761 --> 00:19:42.096
  • I'm actually the fulfillment of a prophecy by isaiah."
  • 00:19:42.096 --> 00:19:46.500
  • I'm pretty sure he could have made it on the banquet circuit.
  • 00:19:46.500 --> 00:19:50.705
  • But he had to shoot his mouth off about the king and his
  • 00:19:50.705 --> 00:19:54.342
  • Immorality, and it cost him his life.
  • 00:19:54.342 --> 00:20:00.648
  • You see, the invitations were different.
  • 00:20:00.648 --> 00:20:02.583
  • When god is moving, he's gonna need us in a variety of ways.
  • 00:20:02.583 --> 00:20:08.823
  • And we'll know the portion that he's invited us to, but it's
  • 00:20:08.823 --> 00:20:11.559
  • Highly improbable we'll know the whole story.
  • 00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:15.129
  • I got just a moment, so how do we say yes to the lord?
  • 00:20:15.129 --> 00:20:17.465
  • What's that look like for us in very practical ways?
  • 00:20:17.465 --> 00:20:20.101
  • I believe we have to invest in his word.
  • 00:20:20.101 --> 00:20:23.204
  • Time, thought, effort, energy, if you're not reading your bible
  • 00:20:23.204 --> 00:20:26.941
  • Routinely in an intentional way, you are forfeiting the
  • 00:20:26.941 --> 00:20:30.111
  • Opportunities of the kingdom.
  • 00:20:30.111 --> 00:20:34.282
  • We're just wrapping up our bible reading for this year.
  • 00:20:34.282 --> 00:20:36.250
  • We'll start again in a few weeks.
  • 00:20:36.250 --> 00:20:37.585
  • We're gonna start with the gospels and the book of psalms.
  • 00:20:37.585 --> 00:20:41.389
  • Come on, i mean, if you wanna jump in right now, you can
  • 00:20:41.389 --> 00:20:44.425
  • Finish with us.
  • 00:20:44.425 --> 00:20:45.760
  • It's always fun to go across the finish line.
  • 00:20:45.760 --> 00:20:47.762
  • We won't tell everybody you had a cab ride till you could almost
  • 00:20:47.762 --> 00:20:49.964
  • See the finish line.
  • 00:20:49.964 --> 00:20:52.300
  • You can just run across the tape with us and we'll all do a
  • 00:20:52.300 --> 00:20:54.268
  • Little victory dance.
  • 00:20:54.268 --> 00:20:56.671
  • We'll act like the wise men when they found the
  • 00:20:56.671 --> 00:20:58.472
  • Stable, "wee-hee!"
  • 00:20:58.472 --> 00:21:02.877
  • The second thing i would suggest you do is normalize a life
  • 00:21:02.877 --> 00:21:06.213
  • Of faith.
  • 00:21:06.213 --> 00:21:08.482
  • Normalize a life of faith.
  • 00:21:08.482 --> 00:21:09.850
  • Maybe say, "lead with faith," but in your home make it normal
  • 00:21:09.850 --> 00:21:13.621
  • That this is a faith place.
  • 00:21:13.621 --> 00:21:15.523
  • We pray here, we read our bibles here, we go to church here.
  • 00:21:15.523 --> 00:21:19.727
  • We honor god here.
  • 00:21:19.727 --> 00:21:21.062
  • We want that to be as normal as if you live in tennessee, you
  • 00:21:21.062 --> 00:21:23.964
  • Like orange and white and you sing "rocky top."
  • 00:21:23.964 --> 00:21:27.768
  • I've been in many homes in tennessee where there's a room
  • 00:21:27.768 --> 00:21:30.438
  • In the house with turf on the floor and orange walls and all
  • 00:21:30.438 --> 00:21:35.376
  • Sorts of paraphernalia and i don't walk in there and i think,
  • 00:21:35.376 --> 00:21:37.611
  • "you people are sick."
  • 00:21:37.611 --> 00:21:40.481
  • No, i walk in and i think, "oh, let me guess.
  • 00:21:40.481 --> 00:21:44.552
  • You like the university of tennessee."
  • 00:21:44.552 --> 00:21:48.756
  • Well, you want to normalize faith in your home with a
  • 00:21:48.756 --> 00:21:53.427
  • Greater enthusiasm than anybody would support an
  • 00:21:53.427 --> 00:21:55.529
  • Athletic program.
  • 00:21:55.529 --> 00:21:57.465
  • And i'm not opposed to athletics.
  • 00:21:57.465 --> 00:22:00.935
  • I'm quite happy for that, but normalize faith in your home, at
  • 00:22:00.935 --> 00:22:05.239
  • Work, with your friends.
  • 00:22:05.239 --> 00:22:06.841
  • Don't get together with your friends and not pray.
  • 00:22:06.841 --> 00:22:08.542
  • If you've got friends that you won't pray with, either you
  • 00:22:08.542 --> 00:22:10.878
  • Change or change your friends.
  • 00:22:10.878 --> 00:22:12.913
  • Pray until your friends change.
  • 00:22:12.913 --> 00:22:16.050
  • "well, they'll think i'm weird."
  • 00:22:16.050 --> 00:22:17.485
  • You think they don't already?
  • 00:22:17.485 --> 00:22:21.122
  • Invest in his word.
  • 00:22:21.122 --> 00:22:22.456
  • Normalize a life of faith.
  • 00:22:22.456 --> 00:22:23.824
  • Third, cultivate the habit of prayer.
  • 00:22:23.824 --> 00:22:25.559
  • Start to make it normal.
  • 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:26.927
  • I'm tired of meeting people who say, "you know, i don't pray."
  • 00:22:26.927 --> 00:22:28.596
  • What do you mean?
  • 00:22:28.596 --> 00:22:31.832
  • I mean, we maybe said that a decade ago, we can't say
  • 00:22:31.832 --> 00:22:34.301
  • That anymore.
  • 00:22:34.301 --> 00:22:35.669
  • They're mutilating our children.
  • 00:22:35.669 --> 00:22:39.774
  • They're telling us things that-- we can't continue the momentum
  • 00:22:39.774 --> 00:22:44.245
  • In the direction we're going.
  • 00:22:44.245 --> 00:22:45.713
  • We gotta learn to pray: "god help us."
  • 00:22:45.713 --> 00:22:50.918
  • He will help us.
  • 00:22:50.918 --> 00:22:53.020
  • Number four, don't capitulate to evil.
  • 00:22:53.020 --> 00:22:55.823
  • Don't give in to it in your home, in your life, in
  • 00:22:55.823 --> 00:22:58.192
  • Your heart.
  • 00:22:58.192 --> 00:23:00.127
  • Stop curtsying to evil.
  • 00:23:00.127 --> 00:23:04.432
  • I'm ashamed: they told us to retreat from the public square
  • 00:23:04.432 --> 00:23:07.735
  • And we very, very demurely said okay.
  • 00:23:07.735 --> 00:23:12.506
  • Never again.
  • 00:23:12.506 --> 00:23:14.909
  • We cannot.
  • 00:23:14.909 --> 00:23:17.912
  • What do you mean we're nonessential?
  • 00:23:17.912 --> 00:23:19.246
  • We may not be essential to you, but we have an
  • 00:23:19.246 --> 00:23:20.748
  • Essential purpose.
  • 00:23:20.748 --> 00:23:26.554
  • And lastly, accept the invitation, god's invitation for
  • 00:23:26.554 --> 00:23:29.990
  • Your life.
  • 00:23:29.990 --> 00:23:31.926
  • And by that, i mean very clearly embrace the risk of obedience.
  • 00:23:31.926 --> 00:23:35.095
  • Being obedient to god is risky business.
  • 00:23:35.095 --> 00:23:38.165
  • God will invite you to do more than endure sermons.
  • 00:23:38.165 --> 00:23:41.802
  • He will invite you right out of your comfort zone, i promise.
  • 00:23:41.802 --> 00:23:47.408
  • "but what if i fail?
  • 00:23:47.408 --> 00:23:48.742
  • What if i say yes to the lord and then it doesn't work out the
  • 00:23:48.742 --> 00:23:50.744
  • Way i wanted it to?"
  • 00:23:50.744 --> 00:23:53.481
  • Well then, i would have been--i will have been caught in the
  • 00:23:53.481 --> 00:23:56.050
  • Open, giving my best to the lord.
  • 00:23:56.050 --> 00:23:59.553
  • And i'll be okay with that.
  • 00:23:59.553 --> 00:24:05.993
  • It's not a complex list.
  • 00:24:05.993 --> 00:24:07.495
  • You don't need to know greek or hebrew.
  • 00:24:07.495 --> 00:24:09.930
  • Invest in the word of god, normalize a life of faith,
  • 00:24:09.930 --> 00:24:13.000
  • Cultivate the habit of prayer, don't capitulate to evil.
  • 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:16.303
  • And accept the invitation.
  • 00:24:16.303 --> 00:24:19.240
  • Take the risk of being obedient to god.
  • 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.710
  • Repent of your sin.
  • 00:24:22.710 --> 00:24:26.313
  • Start living the truth that you know.
  • 00:24:26.313 --> 00:24:29.950
  • And let's just see what god will do with us.
  • 00:24:29.950 --> 00:24:33.354
  • It will exceed our abilities.
  • 00:24:33.354 --> 00:24:36.757
  • I brought you a prayer, but it's really a declaration of intent.
  • 00:24:36.757 --> 00:24:40.294
  • Most of you know the line after gabriel visits mary and tells
  • 00:24:40.294 --> 00:24:42.963
  • Her she's been selected.
  • 00:24:42.963 --> 00:24:46.400
  • Mary's remarkable answer for a teenage girl, it's incredible to
  • 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.770
  • Me, she said, "i'm the lord's servant.
  • 00:24:49.770 --> 00:24:51.572
  • May it be to me as you have said."
  • 00:24:51.572 --> 00:24:54.808
  • Are you kidding me?
  • 00:24:54.808 --> 00:24:57.044
  • Most of us: "well, i'll need a week to fast and pray.
  • 00:24:57.044 --> 00:25:00.548
  • Can i talk to my parents?
  • 00:25:00.548 --> 00:25:03.717
  • Somebody?"
  • 00:25:03.717 --> 00:25:05.085
  • No, mary said, "i'm in.
  • 00:25:05.085 --> 00:25:06.587
  • Here we go."
  • 00:25:06.587 --> 00:25:08.522
  • So i wanna give you that.
  • 00:25:08.522 --> 00:25:09.857
  • That's our declaration of intent tonight.
  • 00:25:09.857 --> 00:25:11.358
  • "i'm the lord's servant.
  • 00:25:11.358 --> 00:25:13.427
  • May it be to me as the lord has said."
  • 00:25:13.427 --> 00:25:16.997
  • Would you be willing to say that?
  • 00:25:16.997 --> 00:25:19.033
  • I want to say it to the north, the south, the east and
  • 00:25:19.033 --> 00:25:21.435
  • The west.
  • 00:25:21.435 --> 00:25:23.237
  • Just stand with me.
  • 00:25:23.237 --> 00:25:24.905
  • This building's pretty square with the compass.
  • 00:25:24.905 --> 00:25:28.943
  • I mean, obviously it's not square, but it's oriented with
  • 00:25:28.943 --> 00:25:32.046
  • The compass.
  • 00:25:32.046 --> 00:25:33.781
  • Behind me is north.
  • 00:25:33.781 --> 00:25:35.950
  • So we're gonna declare that to the north.
  • 00:25:35.950 --> 00:25:37.685
  • You've got the phrase in your notes, i think in bold, right?
  • 00:25:37.685 --> 00:25:39.920
  • "i'm the lord's servant."
  • 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:41.655
  • Have you got it?
  • 00:25:41.655 --> 00:25:43.190
  • You have a voice?
  • 00:25:43.190 --> 00:25:45.559
  • Good, i got the right group.
  • 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:47.227
  • Let's say it together.
  • 00:25:47.227 --> 00:25:48.629
  • "i am the lord's servant, may it be to me as god has said."
  • 00:25:48.629 --> 00:25:53.734
  • To the east: "--am the lord's servant, may it be to me as god
  • 00:25:53.734 --> 00:25:59.740
  • Has said."
  • 00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:01.075
  • To the south: "--the lord's servant, may it be to me as god
  • 00:26:01.075 --> 00:26:06.714
  • Has said."
  • 00:26:06.714 --> 00:26:08.082
  • To the west: "i am the lord's servant, may it be to me as god
  • 00:26:08.082 --> 00:26:14.054
  • Has said," amen.
  • 00:26:14.054 --> 00:26:19.560
  • Allen: allen jackson ministries was created to strengthen
  • 00:26:23.697 --> 00:26:26.133
  • The church.
  • 00:26:26.133 --> 00:26:27.501
  • With your help, we've been able to take some steps in that
  • 00:26:27.501 --> 00:26:29.336
  • Direction, but we're more determined than ever to make an
  • 00:26:29.336 --> 00:26:32.172
  • Impact in our world.
  • 00:26:32.172 --> 00:26:33.941
  • We have some invitations internationally to step into
  • 00:26:33.941 --> 00:26:36.010
  • Some war-torn countries, into israel and ukraine, to help
  • 00:26:36.010 --> 00:26:38.746
  • Strengthen the church there.
  • 00:26:38.746 --> 00:26:40.280
  • We plan to respond to that.
  • 00:26:40.280 --> 00:26:42.316
  • But as importantly in this nation, folks, business as usual
  • 00:26:42.316 --> 00:26:45.886
  • Isn't gonna get this done.
  • 00:26:45.886 --> 00:26:47.221
  • We can't be timid and sit in our churches and have polite bible
  • 00:26:47.221 --> 00:26:49.790
  • Studies and sing our favorite choruses.
  • 00:26:49.790 --> 00:26:52.426
  • We've got to take the truth into the public square, a biblical
  • 00:26:52.426 --> 00:26:55.596
  • Worldview back into the midst of our culture.
  • 00:26:55.596 --> 00:26:58.599
  • We're creating tools to help you do that in your home, in your
  • 00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:01.468
  • Church, in your community.
  • 00:27:01.468 --> 00:27:03.203
  • Bible studies, publishing books, content that we can
  • 00:27:03.203 --> 00:27:05.739
  • Share with you,
  • 00:27:05.739 --> 00:27:07.107
  • It's time for the church to be the church.
  • 00:27:07.107 --> 00:27:09.743
  • We have an advocacy for jesus of nazareth that has to be heard in
  • 00:27:09.743 --> 00:27:13.480
  • This season or our children and grandchildren will pay
  • 00:27:13.480 --> 00:27:16.150
  • The price.
  • 00:27:16.150 --> 00:27:17.518
  • Will you make an investment in this ministry to make 2026 the
  • 00:27:17.518 --> 00:27:20.521
  • Most fruitful year we've ever had together?
  • 00:27:20.521 --> 00:27:23.490
  • Thank you.
  • 00:27:23.490 --> 00:27:24.858
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:25.459 --> 00:27:25.459