Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - The Rest of the Story (Part 1) | April 28, 2026
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- Allen jackson: you know, around the world people are searching
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- Known right here at home and around the earth wherever god
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- Opens the door.
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- Let's keep gathering his people and building his church until
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- The day our king returns.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen: i want to kind of follow up what we did for
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- The weekend.
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- I did something this easter i've never done before.
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- I did three separate messages for the three services we had.
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- But they were all built around three centurions that was all
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- Stuffed onto one outline.
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- So, if you're here friday night, you had a moment of panic
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- Thinking, "dear lord, we'll be here for sunrise service."
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- But we use those three different centurions as the theme for the
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- Messaging over the weekend.
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- I wanted to come back and kind of do the rest of the story.
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- We introduced three ideas that really centered on the power of
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- God that was demonstrated in easter, the power of choice that
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- We're given, the power of our words, the power to change.
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- And while i hope that, i doubt you all heard all three
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- Messages, but they're available to you if you want to go back
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- And listen, but you're familiar with the idea.
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- To me, it was the oddity, the absurdity, honestly, the most
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- Unexpected notion that these three roman centurions, the
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- Occupying army in israel, the hated interlopers, the
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- Oppressors, all those things, these three centurions's lives
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- Were dramatically impacted by jesus of nazareth.
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- And in some cases, god used their lives to make a
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- Significant shift in the unfolding purposes that he had
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- In the earth.
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- And i'll tag just briefly the centurion story that we looked
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- At and then i wanna unpack with you a little bit of the rest of
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- The story because we couldn't do it all this weekend.
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- The first centurion story we looked at was in matthew 27, and
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- It was the centurion that was overseeing the crucifixion.
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- The centurion that stood at the foot of the cross, and what i
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- Suggested was that i don't know him.
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- There's very little about him in scripture as far as personal
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- Character, but we can say with clarity, he had a brutal job.
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- He's a public executioner.
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- He tortures people to death, that's his day job.
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- And for the romans, it wasn't done in private.
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- It was done in public.
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- You wanted maximum intimidation out of crucifixion.
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- So, crucifixions were done--the crosses were put on major
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- Thoroughfares, major intersections.
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- You wanted everybody to know that rome was imposing its will,
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- And if that you challenged imperial rome, you could face
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- The horrors of crucifixion.
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- And this centurion that we meet, we don't know his name, but then
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- We're introduced to, that's his day job.
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- So, i think it's a safe assumption.
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- It could be erroneous, but i think it's a safe step to say
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- That he was a hardened character.
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- I don't think you could do that day in and day out, torture
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- People to death without having a pretty hardened self.
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- Is that fair?
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- Maximum punishment.
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- You know the story.
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- They wanted the--jesus and those crucified with him to be dead
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- Before sundown.
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- So, the message came to break their legs as if being nailed to
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- A cross, having been beaten beforehand wasn't
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- Sufficient punishment.
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- The death on a cross came from suffocation, typically.
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- Jesus was beaten to such a--in such a brutal way that he died
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- Before the others with him, but you would push up with your feet
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- In order to fill your lungs with air, you couldn't pull up.
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- And so, if you wanted to accelerate the death, you break
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- The bones in their legs where they can't pull up.
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- So, imagine if your day job is not just torturing people to
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- Death, but doing it as painfully as possible.
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- And if you had an early dinner appointment, inflicting some
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- Additional pain.
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- So, it's safe to say i think it's a legitimate imagination
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- That he was a pretty brutal character.
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- And he watches the events surrounding jesus.
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- It's in your notes, "when the centurion and those with him who
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- Were guarding jesus saw the earthquake and all that
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- Happened, they were terrified."
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- I mean there were tombs that split open.
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- It doesn't tell us explicitly that he saw that, but it says
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- That they saw all the things that happened around
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- Jesus's death.
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- They couldn't see the curtain being torn in two in the temple.
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- It was a distance away and covered by buildings
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- And facilities.
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- But it's reasonable to imagine they could have seen
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- Tombs opened.
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- And they were terrified, no, duh.
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- "and they exclaimed, 'surely, he was the son of god!'"
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- The centurion, this hardened, brutal, vicious man, when he
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- Sees the events surrounding jesus's death, said, "this was
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- The son of god.'
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- So, if you're a roman soldier and you're assigned the task of
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- Guarding a prisoner, if a prisoner escapes, you'll
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- Be killed.
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- So, there's some risk for him in acknowledging that what the
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- Roman governor has ordered to be done was to crucify the son of
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- God, and he says it out loud.
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- I mean, there's a transformation unfolding in his heart.
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- And again, he's the least likely character because of the nature
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- Of his job, the nature of his own personality.
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- He isn't jewish, he has no claims on the jewish.
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- I mean, there's no reason that he's so impacted by the
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- Circumstances surrounding jesus's brutal death on the
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- Cross, he said, "surely, surely this man was the son of god."
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- He hasn't witnessed any of the miracles.
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- He hasn't heard any of the teaching, he just watched
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- Jesus die.
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- That's matthew 27.
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- Matthew 28, same author, continuity of story.
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- You know, every--the bible and the new testament is written by
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- Multiple authors.
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- So, sometimes when you change authors, you have to pay
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- Attention to definitions.
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- How paul uses faith and how james uses faith is different.
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- And you have to pay a little attention to the interface
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- Sometimes, but in this case, this is matthew's telling of
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- Jesus's story, and in matthew 27, he dies.
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- In matthew 28, it says, "while the women were on their way,"
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- They're on their way back to find the disciples.
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- They've gone to the tomb early on resurrection day and they
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- Have found the tomb empty.
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- And they've had some supernatural encounters and
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- They're back to go find the guys who didn't go to the tomb and
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- Tell them what's happened.
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- Well, "some of the guards went into the city and reported to
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- The chief priest everything that had happened.
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- And when the chief priest had met with the elders and devised
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- A plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling
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- Them, 'you are to say, 'his disciples came during the night
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- And stole him away while we were asleep.
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- And if this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him
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- And keep you out of trouble.'"
- 00:08:18.146 --> 00:08:19.481
- That's a pretty bold promise because if they allowed an
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- Assignment like that to be breached, they would pay for it
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- With their lives.
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- Do you understand?
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- They wouldn't be just demoted, they wouldn't forfeit their
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- Pension, they would kill them.
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- But the--what intrigues me with that, if you read just the plain
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- Language, verse 12, the chief priest met with the elders and
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- They devised a plan.
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- The message that's been brought back is there was
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- A resurrection.
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- The tomb is empty, there was an earthquake.
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- The stone was rolled away.
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- He walked out.
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- Remember if--i didn't--we don't have time to unpack all of the
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- Verses around that.
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- The soldiers were knocked to the ground.
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- The centurion that oversaw the crucifixion has declared, "he's
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- The son of god."
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- I promise you that message resonated through those troops
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- That have responsibility for watching over the body of jesus.
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- And all of this messaging is taken to the chief priest and to
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- The elders and their response, "well, we need a plan.
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- We've got to counteract this unfortunate set
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- Of circumstances.
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- We will pay you to lie.
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- We don't want you to tell what you know to be accurate."
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- Well you--i hope you can see the irony in this, the bizarre
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- Nature of this.
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- A roman centurion with the brutal heart of a public
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- Executioner says, "this is the son of god."
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- And the chief priest and the elders when confronted with the
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- Facts from a credible set of sources say, "oh, bother
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- The facts.
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- We need a plan to maintain our position."
- 00:10:08.923 --> 00:10:14.863
- That's not what you would expect.
- 00:10:14.863 --> 00:10:18.833
- That doesn't follow a logic thread.
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- They're waiting for the messiah.
- 00:10:22.504 --> 00:10:23.972
- They're experts on scripture.
- 00:10:23.972 --> 00:10:25.407
- They know the prophets, they know the jesus narrative.
- 00:10:25.407 --> 00:10:28.643
- They know of the miracles and the crowds and all the things,
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- And they stubbornly refuse to change to the point that they're
- 00:10:32.147 --> 00:10:38.053
- Willing to go to the roman governor with lies and deception
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- And manipulation, and to expend a significant amount of money to
- 00:10:42.023 --> 00:10:45.060
- Pay bribes to keep the narrative alive that they want kept alive.
- 00:10:45.060 --> 00:10:51.433
- You know, we live in an age of great deception, and between
- 00:10:51.433 --> 00:10:56.004
- Here and the end of the age when our lord returns, there's gonna
- 00:10:56.004 --> 00:10:59.240
- Be the greatest falling away apostasy in the history of
- 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:02.744
- Our faith.
- 00:11:02.744 --> 00:11:06.081
- There will be false gospels and false prophets and false
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- Churches and all the things.
- 00:11:09.384 --> 00:11:12.787
- And we're gonna act as if we're appalled.
- 00:11:12.787 --> 00:11:15.623
- I answer lots of questions between the various places i'm
- 00:11:15.623 --> 00:11:18.493
- Engaged and one of the questions i get very frequently is, "you
- 00:11:18.493 --> 00:11:20.995
- Know, well, what will we do?
- 00:11:20.995 --> 00:11:22.363
- How will we--what?
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- Pastor."
- 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.536
- And i'm like, we will trust the lord.
- 00:11:28.536 --> 00:11:35.443
- You see, we've trusted governments and all the things,
- 00:11:35.443 --> 00:11:38.012
- The lord will lead us through.
- 00:11:38.012 --> 00:11:42.684
- The letters in the new testament paul is writing to these
- 00:11:42.684 --> 00:11:45.086
- Churches that he helped birth and shepherd, and he said, "you
- 00:11:45.086 --> 00:11:48.089
- Know, when i leave, i know that false teachers will come amongst
- 00:11:48.089 --> 00:11:52.293
- You like ravenous wolves."
- 00:11:52.293 --> 00:11:55.263
- Ravenous wolves.
- 00:11:55.263 --> 00:11:56.631
- Ever seen a--i haven't been around a ravenous wolf.
- 00:11:56.631 --> 00:11:59.234
- I've been around some mean dogs.
- 00:11:59.234 --> 00:12:04.038
- You know, i've had a rottweiler had my thigh in its mouth.
- 00:12:04.038 --> 00:12:06.975
- It's not a particularly pleasant experience.
- 00:12:06.975 --> 00:12:12.647
- And we're gonna have to mature a little bit, but this first
- 00:12:12.647 --> 00:12:15.750
- Centurion has a life changing--he chooses to declare
- 00:12:15.750 --> 00:12:19.454
- That jesus is the son of god, and the chief priest and the
- 00:12:19.454 --> 00:12:23.358
- Elders devise a plan to create further deception.
- 00:12:23.358 --> 00:12:29.697
- You better decide which side you're gonna be on, you have a
- 00:12:29.697 --> 00:12:33.234
- Choice to make.
- 00:12:33.234 --> 00:12:35.637
- You have a choice to make.
- 00:12:35.637 --> 00:12:36.971
- You can further your career, you can further your momentum of
- 00:12:36.971 --> 00:12:40.175
- Your whatever.
- 00:12:40.175 --> 00:12:42.477
- Or you can fully align yourself with the lord, i would encourage
- 00:12:42.477 --> 00:12:45.213
- You to do so.
- 00:12:45.213 --> 00:12:46.915
- ♪♪♪
- 00:12:46.915 --> 00:12:51.219
- Allen: i have a childhood memory i wanna share with you.
- 00:12:53.188 --> 00:12:55.056
- It was our kitchen table.
- 00:12:55.056 --> 00:12:56.424
- I've got two younger brothers.
- 00:12:56.424 --> 00:12:58.193
- We gathered around the table, and my parents were
- 00:12:58.193 --> 00:13:00.395
- Consistently, persistently inviting guests to dinner, you
- 00:13:00.395 --> 00:13:04.299
- Know, practicing that notion of hospitality.
- 00:13:04.299 --> 00:13:06.835
- My brothers and i weren't always excited about it, but i realized
- 00:13:06.835 --> 00:13:09.704
- That we had a front row seat for expressions of the kingdom
- 00:13:09.704 --> 00:13:12.907
- Of god.
- 00:13:12.907 --> 00:13:14.242
- We can still do the same.
- 00:13:14.242 --> 00:13:15.610
- Imagine your kitchen table as an expression of god's love in
- 00:13:15.610 --> 00:13:18.746
- This generation.
- 00:13:18.746 --> 00:13:20.114
- God's moving in the earth, let's join him.
- 00:13:20.114 --> 00:13:22.717
- Announcer: hospitality doesn't have to be complicated.
- 00:13:22.717 --> 00:13:25.553
- Sometimes it begins with inviting someone to your
- 00:13:25.553 --> 00:13:27.522
- Kitchen table.
- 00:13:27.522 --> 00:13:29.190
- To help you get started, we've created a tools for
- 00:13:29.190 --> 00:13:31.559
- Hospitality set.
- 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:33.094
- It includes a custom kitchen towel that reminds you sweet
- 00:13:33.094 --> 00:13:35.697
- Tea, pecan pie, and your god story make a difference.
- 00:13:35.697 --> 00:13:38.933
- It also has three favorite recipes from pastor allen and
- 00:13:38.933 --> 00:13:42.003
- Some tips that will help make hospitality a little bit easier.
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- Request the tools for hospitality set with your gift
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- Of $25 or more at allenjackson.com
- 00:13:47.842 --> 00:13:51.179
- Or call...
- 00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:53.748
- Allen: the second centurion we looked at is the centurion in
- 00:13:55.183 --> 00:14:00.255
- Capernaum, it's where jesus moved to when he was ready to
- 00:14:00.255 --> 00:14:04.092
- Begin his public ministry, it's a little jewish fishing village.
- 00:14:04.092 --> 00:14:08.529
- What makes it significant is its location.
- 00:14:08.529 --> 00:14:10.865
- It's on the largest freshwater source in the entire region,
- 00:14:10.865 --> 00:14:14.168
- The sea of galilee, and because of that, it's on a major
- 00:14:14.168 --> 00:14:17.605
- Roman highway.
- 00:14:17.605 --> 00:14:18.940
- If you were gonna travel through the middle east, you're gonna
- 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:21.276
- Pass capernaum.
- 00:14:21.276 --> 00:14:22.644
- If you're gonna move from egypt in the south to assyria or the
- 00:14:22.644 --> 00:14:25.647
- Babylonian areas, if you're gonna move through that fertile
- 00:14:25.647 --> 00:14:28.516
- Crescent, you're gonna pass through or pass near capernaum.
- 00:14:28.516 --> 00:14:33.154
- So, jesus made a strategic move from nazareth, a village of
- 00:14:33.154 --> 00:14:37.292
- Maybe 1500 people when he was there, tucked away in the hills
- 00:14:37.292 --> 00:14:40.161
- Of galilee to a major roman highway on a water source.
- 00:14:40.161 --> 00:14:46.100
- So, i'm not surprised that there's a roman centurion
- 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:48.403
- Quartered there.
- 00:14:48.403 --> 00:14:49.938
- They need security.
- 00:14:49.938 --> 00:14:52.106
- They're gonna have to maintain order.
- 00:14:52.106 --> 00:14:54.242
- In the excavations at capernaum, the romans put mile markers.
- 00:14:54.242 --> 00:14:57.412
- You know, we have mile markers on the interstate.
- 00:14:57.412 --> 00:14:59.847
- They had mile markers along the roman roads cut in stone, and
- 00:14:59.847 --> 00:15:04.319
- They found those mile markers there at capernaum.
- 00:15:04.319 --> 00:15:07.055
- So, jesus strategically relocates when it's time for his
- 00:15:07.055 --> 00:15:10.525
- Public ministry to unfold.
- 00:15:10.525 --> 00:15:12.093
- It's gonna be easier for his reputation to get established.
- 00:15:12.093 --> 00:15:15.396
- And in capernaum, there's a centurion asking for help.
- 00:15:15.396 --> 00:15:20.802
- You know this story, most of you, pretty well, they said,
- 00:15:20.802 --> 00:15:22.804
- "'lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed.'
- 00:15:22.804 --> 00:15:26.841
- And jesus said, 'i'll go and heal him.'"
- 00:15:26.841 --> 00:15:30.778
- It's--jesus turns away.
- 00:15:30.778 --> 00:15:33.147
- Remember the woman that came to jesus and said, "i need
- 00:15:33.147 --> 00:15:35.483
- Your help.
- 00:15:35.483 --> 00:15:36.851
- I have a child."
- 00:15:36.851 --> 00:15:38.186
- And what did jesus say? no.
- 00:15:38.186 --> 00:15:41.656
- No, he said it wouldn't be right to take the food that's meant
- 00:15:41.656 --> 00:15:45.159
- For children and give it to the dogs.
- 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:48.997
- There's no language thing that makes that easier.
- 00:15:48.997 --> 00:15:51.299
- Jesus called that woman a dog.
- 00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:54.669
- I mean, he was rebuffing her.
- 00:15:54.669 --> 00:15:57.705
- And some of you remember the woman said, "well, lord, even
- 00:15:57.705 --> 00:15:59.374
- The dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table."
- 00:15:59.374 --> 00:16:02.276
- She wasn't offended, she wasn't angry, she was desperate, and
- 00:16:02.276 --> 00:16:06.014
- Jesus said, "you have answered very well."
- 00:16:06.014 --> 00:16:09.984
- Your prayer's been heard.
- 00:16:09.984 --> 00:16:11.753
- And this roman centurion comes and says, "i need help," and
- 00:16:11.753 --> 00:16:15.323
- Jesus said, "okay."
- 00:16:15.323 --> 00:16:17.592
- No explanation really given.
- 00:16:17.592 --> 00:16:18.960
- I mean, there's--but the centurion is the striking part.
- 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:22.764
- The centurion replied, "lord, i don't deserve to have you come
- 00:16:22.764 --> 00:16:25.500
- Under my roof.
- 00:16:25.500 --> 00:16:26.834
- Just say the word and my servant will be healed."
- 00:16:26.834 --> 00:16:28.703
- And you--and you know the balance of it.
- 00:16:28.703 --> 00:16:30.071
- He said, "i understand authority."
- 00:16:30.071 --> 00:16:31.472
- He said, "i have authority.
- 00:16:31.472 --> 00:16:32.807
- I tell a soldier to go someplace and do something, and they do
- 00:16:32.807 --> 00:16:36.210
- What i tell them to do, or i tell a servant to come help me,
- 00:16:36.210 --> 00:16:39.113
- And they come and help me."
- 00:16:39.113 --> 00:16:41.215
- He said, "i recognize in you an authority that i don't have.
- 00:16:41.215 --> 00:16:43.885
- I command soldiers.
- 00:16:43.885 --> 00:16:45.219
- I command people, you command sickness and disease.
- 00:16:45.219 --> 00:16:49.457
- And if you'll say the word, my servant will be healed.
- 00:16:49.457 --> 00:16:52.460
- I don't deserve you to have you to come under my roof."
- 00:16:52.460 --> 00:16:55.129
- Now, that's a stunning--this is the authority.
- 00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:59.934
- He's the expression of roman power in this community.
- 00:16:59.934 --> 00:17:04.372
- He doesn't bow his knee to itinerant jewish rabbis.
- 00:17:04.372 --> 00:17:11.312
- In fact, jesus really shouldn't be interacting with him, and he
- 00:17:11.312 --> 00:17:14.849
- Certainly shouldn't be humbling himself before jesus.
- 00:17:14.849 --> 00:17:19.487
- All the roles in this little scenario reversed.
- 00:17:19.487 --> 00:17:23.825
- And yet, he recognizes in jesus, an authority.
- 00:17:23.825 --> 00:17:27.295
- He says, "i'm a man with authority.
- 00:17:27.295 --> 00:17:28.729
- I have some real authority.
- 00:17:28.729 --> 00:17:30.064
- I got some stroke.
- 00:17:30.064 --> 00:17:35.870
- But you have an authority i don't have."
- 00:17:35.870 --> 00:17:39.440
- And jesus--it's fascinating, he says that jesus was astonished.
- 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:44.278
- Astonished.
- 00:17:44.278 --> 00:17:46.147
- He was astonished by the disciples several times.
- 00:17:46.147 --> 00:17:48.149
- He looked at him and said, "are you really that dull?"
- 00:17:48.149 --> 00:17:52.987
- If you're gonna astonish jesus, let me suggest you, astonish him
- 00:17:52.987 --> 00:17:55.756
- With your faith, not your lack of.
- 00:17:55.756 --> 00:18:00.461
- And he turned around and he said, "i haven't found faith
- 00:18:00.461 --> 00:18:02.530
- Like this in all of israel, not amongst my disciples, not
- 00:18:02.530 --> 00:18:05.800
- Amongst the chief priests.
- 00:18:05.800 --> 00:18:07.335
- I haven't found faith like this anywhere amongst my own people,
- 00:18:07.335 --> 00:18:10.671
- Those who eat kosher, those who celebrate holidays, those who go
- 00:18:10.671 --> 00:18:14.475
- To temple, those who offer sacrifices.
- 00:18:14.475 --> 00:18:16.978
- Nowhere have i found faith like this."
- 00:18:16.978 --> 00:18:21.749
- Which is very offensive to say to the people.
- 00:18:21.749 --> 00:18:24.519
- And we have no real explanation.
- 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:26.020
- We don't know how this centurion arrived at this insight, this
- 00:18:26.020 --> 00:18:30.424
- Understanding, this revelation.
- 00:18:30.424 --> 00:18:34.729
- And i think it's a message to us.
- 00:18:34.729 --> 00:18:36.731
- I find that god often works in the lives of
- 00:18:36.731 --> 00:18:38.833
- Unlikely characters.
- 00:18:38.833 --> 00:18:41.369
- I have been doing ministry for a bit and i have come to the
- 00:18:41.369 --> 00:18:44.872
- Realization that i can't determine the people that will
- 00:18:44.872 --> 00:18:47.842
- Cooperate with god and the ones who won't.
- 00:18:47.842 --> 00:18:51.279
- I'm often amazed the people that i think will cooperate with god
- 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.148
- That would be such good candidates, are more reluctant.
- 00:18:54.148 --> 00:18:58.352
- And sometimes, i think the people that, oh god, surely you
- 00:18:58.352 --> 00:19:00.688
- Wouldn't, they choose the lord with an enthusiasm, and
- 00:19:00.688 --> 00:19:06.961
- Transformation unfolds and god uses their lives in the most
- 00:19:06.961 --> 00:19:09.764
- Remarkable ways.
- 00:19:09.764 --> 00:19:12.667
- I wanna be in that group.
- 00:19:12.667 --> 00:19:15.136
- I wanna be in that group.
- 00:19:15.136 --> 00:19:16.504
- So, i think about these people a lot.
- 00:19:16.504 --> 00:19:17.838
- I wanna be more like that centurion.
- 00:19:17.838 --> 00:19:20.841
- Well, i wanna understand your authority.
- 00:19:20.841 --> 00:19:24.078
- I wanna have faith in you.
- 00:19:24.078 --> 00:19:25.513
- I wanna know--i wanna believe what you can do.
- 00:19:25.513 --> 00:19:32.153
- He receives the miracle he came asking for.
- 00:19:32.153 --> 00:19:34.855
- It's a stark contrast to me, to luke 13.
- 00:19:34.855 --> 00:19:38.793
- And i think if you--if you don't intentionally put them alongside
- 00:19:38.793 --> 00:19:41.395
- One another, you can lose the wonder and the majesty of what
- 00:19:41.395 --> 00:19:46.500
- Happened in that man's life.
- 00:19:46.500 --> 00:19:49.003
- But, i don't know if he was on the sermon on the mount or the
- 00:19:49.003 --> 00:19:51.305
- Periphery of the sermon on the mount and he heard that, or
- 00:19:51.305 --> 00:19:54.275
- I don't know if he had somebody that he knew that had
- 00:19:54.275 --> 00:19:56.577
- Received him.
- 00:19:56.577 --> 00:19:57.912
- I don't know what--we're not told.
- 00:19:57.912 --> 00:19:59.280
- Luke's a physician.
- 00:19:59.280 --> 00:20:00.615
- I think if luke had access to the facts, he would have told
- 00:20:00.615 --> 00:20:02.717
- Us, but he didn't.
- 00:20:02.717 --> 00:20:12.426
- In luke 13 it says: "on a sabbath jesus was teaching in
- 00:20:12.426 --> 00:20:14.962
- One of the synagogues, and a woman was there who'd been
- 00:20:14.962 --> 00:20:16.897
- Crippled by a spirit for eighteen years."
- 00:20:16.897 --> 00:20:20.835
- That's a long time.
- 00:20:20.835 --> 00:20:25.039
- "and she was bent over and she couldn't straighten up.
- 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:27.008
- And when jesus saw her, he called her forward and he said
- 00:20:27.008 --> 00:20:29.043
- To her, 'woman, you're set free from your infirmity.'
- 00:20:29.043 --> 00:20:33.381
- And he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up
- 00:20:33.381 --> 00:20:35.616
- And praised god."
- 00:20:35.616 --> 00:20:37.818
- Yay god!
- 00:20:37.818 --> 00:20:39.720
- They're in a synagogue on a sabbath, that's roughly the
- 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:43.424
- Equivalent of--i mean, i know it's not exactly apples to
- 00:20:43.424 --> 00:20:45.960
- Apples, but it's the--it's the rough equivalent of being in
- 00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:49.263
- A church for a worship service.
- 00:20:49.263 --> 00:20:52.867
- And a woman is healed and she's giving glory to god.
- 00:20:52.867 --> 00:20:59.073
- Good for her.
- 00:20:59.073 --> 00:21:01.008
- She's had a problem for 18 years and she's set free.
- 00:21:01.008 --> 00:21:05.046
- But verse 14, it says, "indignant because jesus had
- 00:21:05.046 --> 00:21:10.918
- Healed on the sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the
- 00:21:10.918 --> 00:21:13.721
- People," who is--who is it that's indignant?
- 00:21:13.721 --> 00:21:17.925
- The synagogue leader.
- 00:21:17.925 --> 00:21:21.829
- He's indignant.
- 00:21:21.829 --> 00:21:25.232
- He--and it's--luke tells us why he's indignant, because jesus
- 00:21:25.232 --> 00:21:29.870
- Had healed on the sabbath.
- 00:21:29.870 --> 00:21:33.074
- See, there's a--there's a whole host of sabbath rules.
- 00:21:33.074 --> 00:21:36.644
- The ten commandments says, "keep the sabbath holy."
- 00:21:36.644 --> 00:21:38.679
- That's all it says.
- 00:21:38.679 --> 00:21:41.482
- So, the rabbis posed the question, the people posed the
- 00:21:41.482 --> 00:21:43.984
- Question: what does it mean to keep the sabbath holy?
- 00:21:43.984 --> 00:21:46.687
- And from that question has grown by the time jesus arrived, a
- 00:21:46.687 --> 00:21:50.691
- Whole body of rules about what it is to keep the sabbath holy,
- 00:21:50.691 --> 00:21:54.795
- According to the rabbis.
- 00:21:54.795 --> 00:21:57.865
- And one of the most consistent conflicts that jesus finds he
- 00:21:57.865 --> 00:22:01.435
- Bumps into are sabbath rules.
- 00:22:01.435 --> 00:22:05.005
- And he--you know, we find him saying that, you know, you've
- 00:22:05.005 --> 00:22:07.508
- Made rules to protect your idea of the sabbath.
- 00:22:07.508 --> 00:22:10.344
- They have very little to do with god.
- 00:22:10.344 --> 00:22:14.915
- But it's a--very much a living corpus.
- 00:22:14.915 --> 00:22:17.385
- It's very much a living body of regulations to the point that
- 00:22:17.385 --> 00:22:21.288
- This man is indignant.
- 00:22:21.288 --> 00:22:22.623
- A woman who is a part of his synagogue that he's known for
- 00:22:22.623 --> 00:22:27.661
- However long he's been there to be infirmed, and she's healed,
- 00:22:27.661 --> 00:22:31.132
- And he's not celebrating, he's indignant.
- 00:22:31.132 --> 00:22:39.607
- That's a very different response than the roman centurion.
- 00:22:39.607 --> 00:22:43.444
- The roman centurion says, "listen, i understand authority.
- 00:22:43.444 --> 00:22:45.546
- I've got some authority, but i don't have the same kind of
- 00:22:45.546 --> 00:22:47.481
- Authority you've got.
- 00:22:47.481 --> 00:22:48.816
- You've got an authority i don't even understand, but if you will
- 00:22:48.816 --> 00:22:51.419
- Use your authority, it'll bring great benefit to my life.
- 00:22:51.419 --> 00:22:54.422
- Would you please do that?
- 00:22:54.422 --> 00:22:55.756
- I don't deserve to have you come in my home.
- 00:22:55.756 --> 00:22:57.625
- I'm not worthy of having you under my roof.
- 00:22:57.625 --> 00:23:01.695
- I'm clearly an interloper.
- 00:23:01.695 --> 00:23:03.164
- I'm an outsider.
- 00:23:03.164 --> 00:23:04.498
- Would you please?"
- 00:23:04.498 --> 00:23:08.035
- And now we find a synagogue ruler who's indignant because
- 00:23:08.035 --> 00:23:12.106
- Someone he's charged with serving, benefits from god.
- 00:23:12.106 --> 00:23:20.181
- See, our words matter.
- 00:23:20.181 --> 00:23:22.450
- We write our futures with what we choose to believe.
- 00:23:22.450 --> 00:23:26.420
- Now, i know you can take that and do some goofy things
- 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:29.156
- With it.
- 00:23:29.156 --> 00:23:31.859
- I--but i wanna finish it, "indignant because jesus healed.
- 00:23:31.859 --> 00:23:34.695
- And the synagogue ruler said to the people, "there are six days
- 00:23:34.695 --> 00:23:36.897
- For work, you come and be healed on those days."
- 00:23:36.897 --> 00:23:41.035
- What a happy, happy man. [congregation laughing]
- 00:23:41.035 --> 00:23:46.106
- It's a really sharp contrast with this roman centurion, this
- 00:23:46.106 --> 00:23:49.143
- Pagan, this godless man that we don't know that he knows
- 00:23:49.143 --> 00:23:52.480
- Anything about the decalogue or the books of moses or--i
- 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.349
- Mean, we don't know, he just knows that jesus has authority.
- 00:23:55.349 --> 00:23:58.152
- And this man, with all the things that shape his life and
- 00:23:58.152 --> 00:24:01.055
- His belief system, he's indeed--he said, "listen, you
- 00:24:01.055 --> 00:24:03.524
- Got six days, you can't get better."
- 00:24:03.524 --> 00:24:06.193
- She's been sick for 18 years, knucklehead.
- 00:24:06.193 --> 00:24:13.634
- And the lord answers him, this is intriguing to me.
- 00:24:13.634 --> 00:24:16.804
- Jesus answers this man, for all of you who say, you know, "jesus
- 00:24:16.804 --> 00:24:20.107
- Is all about love.
- 00:24:20.107 --> 00:24:22.877
- Group hug."
- 00:24:22.877 --> 00:24:26.013
- Jesus says to this man, and it seems to me from the context
- 00:24:26.013 --> 00:24:30.150
- He's in the synagogue, "you hypocrite!
- 00:24:30.150 --> 00:24:35.155
- Don't each of you on the sabbath untie your ox or your donkey
- 00:24:35.155 --> 00:24:37.758
- From the stall and lead it to give it water?"
- 00:24:37.758 --> 00:24:40.427
- The answer would be, yes, they take care of their livestock.
- 00:24:40.427 --> 00:24:43.097
- It's like managing your investments in an
- 00:24:43.097 --> 00:24:45.065
- Agricultural environment.
- 00:24:45.065 --> 00:24:46.400
- Your livestock is your investment.
- 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:51.305
- "then shouldn't this woman, a daughter of abraham, whom satan
- 00:24:51.305 --> 00:24:53.974
- Has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the
- 00:24:53.974 --> 00:24:56.410
- Sabbath from what bound her?"
- 00:24:56.410 --> 00:24:58.779
- His opponents are humiliated.
- 00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:02.416
- But the people were delighted.
- 00:25:02.416 --> 00:25:03.751
- It doesn't say his opponents were repentant.
- 00:25:03.751 --> 00:25:07.855
- So, we have a roman centurion, a pagan occupying soldier.
- 00:25:07.855 --> 00:25:14.094
- Hated by the broad majority of the people.
- 00:25:14.094 --> 00:25:16.897
- With greater insight and understanding into the person
- 00:25:16.897 --> 00:25:19.533
- And authority of jesus than the synagogue ruler.
- 00:25:19.533 --> 00:25:23.904
- You need that idea tucked away in your heart.
- 00:25:23.904 --> 00:25:27.541
- Because as we walk towards the end of the age, when we say god
- 00:25:27.541 --> 00:25:30.444
- Is moving in the earth, he's going to move in ways that are
- 00:25:30.444 --> 00:25:33.714
- Not going to arrive from the delivery systems that we would
- 00:25:33.714 --> 00:25:36.450
- Have imagined.
- 00:25:36.450 --> 00:25:38.519
- Church history supports that.
- 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:43.090
- Typically revivals, awakenings, i don't like most of that
- 00:25:43.090 --> 00:25:46.126
- Language because they come with so many preconceptions, but when
- 00:25:46.126 --> 00:25:49.530
- God initiates change, it often happens on the periphery.
- 00:25:49.530 --> 00:25:54.268
- Because the institutional expressions of faith are so
- 00:25:54.268 --> 00:25:57.871
- Buttoned down with their own agendas, there's not room for
- 00:25:57.871 --> 00:26:01.909
- The breath of the spirit of god.
- 00:26:01.909 --> 00:26:06.313
- We don't want to do that.
- 00:26:06.313 --> 00:26:09.316
- We don't want to do that.
- 00:26:09.316 --> 00:26:11.986
- ♪♪♪
- 00:26:11.986 --> 00:26:18.359
- Allen: you know, i've often said that what happens in the
- 00:26:18.425 --> 00:26:20.094
- White house is not more important than what happens in
- 00:26:20.094 --> 00:26:22.463
- Your house.
- 00:26:22.463 --> 00:26:23.797
- I have an assignment if you'll accept it.
- 00:26:23.797 --> 00:26:25.299
- Imagine your kitchen table as an expression of the love of god to
- 00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:28.902
- Our generation.
- 00:26:28.902 --> 00:26:30.237
- Let's start to practice hospitality from the inside out,
- 00:26:30.237 --> 00:26:32.673
- From our kitchen table to our neighbors, our friends.
- 00:26:32.673 --> 00:26:36.110
- God will meet us in that place as we take those simple steps of
- 00:26:36.110 --> 00:26:39.113
- Obedience, honor him at our kitchen table, and we can join
- 00:26:39.113 --> 00:26:42.549
- With what god is doing in the earth.
- 00:26:42.549 --> 00:26:44.485
- Now, that is an opportunity.
- 00:26:44.485 --> 00:26:47.354
- Announcer: some of life's most meaningful moments happen around
- 00:26:47.354 --> 00:26:49.823
- A kitchen table.
- 00:26:49.823 --> 00:26:51.158
- That's where stories are shared and faith is passed from one
- 00:26:51.158 --> 00:26:54.128
- Generation to the next.
- 00:26:54.128 --> 00:26:55.629
- To help you welcome others for a meal, we've created a tools for
- 00:26:55.629 --> 00:26:58.565
- Hospitality set.
- 00:26:58.565 --> 00:26:59.933
- It includes a custom kitchen towel, three of pastor allen's
- 00:26:59.933 --> 00:27:02.803
- Favorite recipes, and some simple tips you can use to help
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- Your guests feel at home.
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- Request your tools for hospitality set with your gift
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- Of $25 or more at allenjackson.com.
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- ♪♪♪
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