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 - Seasons of Change (Part 1) | December 17, 2024
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- ♪♪♪
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- Allen jackson: we've been working through kind of
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- A continuation of a theme we've had for a while now,
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- Leading with our faith.
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- You are remarkable leaders in a whole variety of ways; business,
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- Technology, in the hobbies of your choice, in families.
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- In all those ways, you have so much confidence and ability and
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- You impact our community in so many great ways, but frequently
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- People with really strong skills and confidence in some of those
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- Arenas, when it comes to our faith, all that seems
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- To evaporate.
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- "yeah, you know, i don't pray," or "i don't know how to talk
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- About my faith," or "i'm not a bible scholar," or--
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- The litany begins.
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- And i wanna encourage you to begin to gently say to the lord,
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- "teach me to lead with my faith."
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- We're in the midst of a transition season in our nation.
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- We've just completed an election cycle, we're awaiting an
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- Inauguration, so there's a whole new leadership team being put in
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- Place, and every day the news cycle is populated by all these
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- New names and faces and people are voting up or down or
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- Complaining or celebrating or cheering or mourning.
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- You hear all of that.
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- Tremendous change, there's a whole new cabinet, a whole new
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- Administration being assembled.
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- I've been watching with some interest.
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- It's always interesting to me when there's a change on who's
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- Selected and what the process is, if there is a process.
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- I made a list, because i make lists, of the criteria that seem
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- To be necessary to be included in the cabinet, and i have no
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- Inside information from mar-a-lago.
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- This is just a hillbilly's observation on the building of
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- A new cabinet.
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- I chose seven criteria because seven is a good biblical number,
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- And if i had 48 reasons, you wouldn't want to listen
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- That long.
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- But it seems to me that loyalty is a high priority.
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- They want people to serve alongside them and lead, that
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- Will be loyal to the agenda.
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- It requires availability.
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- You have to be willing to almost totally reorganize your lives.
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- I'm acquainted with a couple of people that have been tagged and
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- I can assure you it's bringing tremendous change to their lives
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- And the people that were involved in their lives.
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- It requires a realignment, the acceptability of
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- A new assignment.
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- You've gotta be willing to go step into arenas where you don't
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- Have as much experience probably as where you've been standing.
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- You may have some qualifications that will enable you to be
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- Nominated or imagined to be selected, but you probably
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- Haven't led at the level you're being invited to lead.
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- Fourthly, the people who accept the assignments have to
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- Be invested.
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- I don't mean financially, but you can't lead at those levels
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- Of significance if it's a hobby, if it's a whim.
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- You think, "that'd be kinda cool.
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- I'll do that for a few weeks."
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- That's not adequate, you've gotta be fully invested.
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- The next one i would list, it seems to me you gotta be
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- Pretty durable.
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- You gotta be like an old timex watch.
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- You gotta be able to take a licking and keep on ticking,
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- Because everybody's not gonna cheer and all your decisions
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- Aren't gonna work out well.
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- And if you're gonna lead at one of those higher level roles,
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- You're gonna have to be willing to cultivate the perseverance
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- And the willingness to endure.
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- Durability is just a necessity, it seems to me.
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- Sixth, experience seems to help.
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- They wouldn't put you in some position, hopefully, where you
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- Have zero experience.
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- I mean, there's enough voice to say they don't have enough
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- Experience to lead at this level and that will be proven to be
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- Right or wrong.
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- But you can't-- you shouldn't imagine that you'd be trusted to
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- Lead in someplace where you haven't cared enough to develop
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- Any expertise.
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- And finally, it seems to me that, if you're gonna lead at
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- That level, you better have some situational awareness.
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- Naivete is not a helpful characteristic.
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- A lack of awareness of the world in which you're living and the
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- People that you're leading and the circumstances in the global
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- Community, if you're not aware and connected and observant,
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- You're in a deficit that you won't overcome.
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- Now my list could have gone on, but those seven seemed adequate
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- For me.
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- I've been thinking about them quite a bit in the context of
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- The church because i would submit to you that god's putting
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- Together his own leadership team, that the lord is
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- Assembling a leadership team for his initiative.
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- I promise you god's not passive.
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- He's the most creative, engaged, focused, powerful force that's
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- Present on planet earth today.
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- He's not assembling a cabinet, he's not assembling a team.
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- What do we call the initiative that god's committed himself to?
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- It's the church.
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- Say, "aww, pastor, i thought you had something exciting."
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- I think being a part of the church is exciting.
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- I think the greatest force for the transformation of humanity
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- Available on planet earth today is the church of jesus christ.
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- My lord is the head of the church.
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- He is the king of all kings and the lord of all lords.
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- The earth and everything in it belongs to him.
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- Ultimately, every earthly ruler will bend their knee to my lord
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- And king.
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- One of the great challenges we have is we're so familiar with
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- The idea of church, with the principle of church, that we
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- Really attach very little significance to it any longer.
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- It's simply a sermon station or a place where our children get
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- Some character-building ideas or it's an expression
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- Of benevolence.
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- It's kind of a civic club with a little bit more of a moral bent.
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- And so we don't imagine the church to be an initiative of
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- Great significance.
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- The only thing that stands between humanity being totally
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- Dominated by evil is the church.
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- That's biblical.
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- So i wanna invite you to a little different imagination.
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- I wanna invite you to imagine that the privilege of leading
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- With your faith is the greatest invitation of your life.
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- It's been some years ago, but i remember reading chuck colson.
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- If you're not familiar with him, i highly recommend his books.
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- He was an attorney, he's a marine, he was an attorney,
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- He was white house counsel for richard nixon and got caught up
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- In the scandal that came with watergate and became a believer
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- In the aftermath of all of that.
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- But he wrote and he said he saw many people of faith come to
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- Washington dc into the white house, imagining that they were
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- Going to change the white house or washington dc.
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- And he said, almost without exception, they were changed and
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- The white house remained the same.
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- I think we misunderstand.
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- The greatest invitation of our life is not to serve in
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- A political administration, not to be a corporate something.
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- The greatest opportunity ever presented to a human being is to
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- Become a part of the church of jesus christ.
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- I believe that and i would invite you towards that.
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- Each generation is required to make a decision about service,
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- Lordship, priorities.
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- Every generation-- what your grandparents believed or your
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- Great grandparents believed is valuable.
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- You certainly stand on their shoulders, but it will not bring
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- You the qualifications necessary.
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- You and i have to make decisions.
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- Matthew 16:18 is a verse that changed my life.
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- My spiritual formation didn't take place in church.
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- I was born again in my parents's kitchen, i was baptized in
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- The atlantic ocean in fort lauderdale.
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- Probably explains a lot about me.
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- I had to come to understand the value of church.
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- I did not see church as an incubator of
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- Spiritual formation.
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- But in matthew 16:18 jesus said, "i will build my church, and the
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- Gates of hades will not overcome it."
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- Jesus is on record in public as being engaged, invested in,
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- Establishing, and strengthening his church.
- 00:08:13.775 --> 00:08:17.178
- In ephesians chapter 1 in verse 22 it says "god's placed all
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- Things under his feet," speaking of jesus, "and appointed him to
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- Be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the
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- Fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
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- Jesus is the head of the church, not pastor, not the
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- Denominational execs, not the seminary professors, not the
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- Supreme court.
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- Jesus is the head of the church.
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- We're his body.
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- I have to guard my heart on this one.
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- One of the reasons i didn't wanna be a part of the church, i
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- Didn't like it, i wasn't comfortable there, i didn't like
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- The people that were there.
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- I didn't, christians got on my nerves.
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- I thought church was a place for leftovers.
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- Leftover time, leftover clothes, leftover appliances,
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- Leftover money.
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- I didn't think of church-- i had no imagination of excellence
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- Being connected with church.
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- In fact, from my vantage point, if you did something well at
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- Church, we were suspicious.
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- And i was so wrong.
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- The reason i didn't like the people of the church is there
- 00:09:25.880 --> 00:09:27.482
- Was so little jesus in me.
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- I had to change.
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- I was far more comfortable with ungodly people than i was
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- Godly people.
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- Godly people made me nervous because i had so little jesus
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- In me.
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- I had to change.
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- The more that i've allowed the presence of god to grow in my
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- Life, the greater the value, the appreciation i have for
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- The people of faith.
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- We're gathered from every nation, race, language,
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- And tribe.
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- We're gifted very broadly with a diverse set of gifts
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- And abilities.
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- But we are the people of god and jesus is the head of
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- The initiative that we have given ourselves to.
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- It is the primary assignment of our lives.
- 00:10:09.524 --> 00:10:14.996
- Allen: i wanna take just a moment to say thank you.
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- In a year of political turmoil and confusion and wars and
- 00:10:21.636 --> 00:10:25.507
- Rumors of wars, because of your partnership, your generosity,
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- Your prayers, your encouragement, we have done more
- 00:10:29.044 --> 00:10:32.147
- For the gospel than any year in our ministry so far.
- 00:10:32.147 --> 00:10:35.016
- We started a whole new genre of programming.
- 00:10:35.016 --> 00:10:37.385
- Allen jackson now does a daily review of headlines from
- 00:10:37.385 --> 00:10:40.455
- A biblical worldview.
- 00:10:40.455 --> 00:10:41.790
- We started a new podcast, "culture & christianity," to
- 00:10:41.790 --> 00:10:44.459
- Help stabilize god's people in the midst of all the confusion.
- 00:10:44.459 --> 00:10:48.463
- All of that because of your faithfulness,
- 00:10:48.463 --> 00:10:50.398
- Your generosity, your prayers.
- 00:10:50.398 --> 00:10:52.067
- Thank you so much.
- 00:10:52.067 --> 00:10:53.768
- As we come to the end of this year, i wanna ask you
- 00:10:53.768 --> 00:10:55.503
- To prayerfully consider making a sacrificial investment
- 00:10:55.503 --> 00:10:58.540
- In what's next.
- 00:10:58.540 --> 00:11:00.508
- We wanna take those programs, share them in new places
- 00:11:00.508 --> 00:11:03.378
- With more people.
- 00:11:03.378 --> 00:11:05.180
- We wanna continue to be creative in how we share the good news
- 00:11:05.180 --> 00:11:08.483
- Of jesus christ.
- 00:11:08.483 --> 00:11:09.918
- A generous partner makes it possible.
- 00:11:09.918 --> 00:11:11.820
- Every gift you give will be matched.
- 00:11:11.820 --> 00:11:13.488
- It doubles your gift between now and the end of the year.
- 00:11:13.488 --> 00:11:16.091
- Let me thank you in advance for what we've been doing and what
- 00:11:16.091 --> 00:11:18.893
- God's going to do with our lives and our partnership together
- 00:11:18.893 --> 00:11:22.497
- In 2025.
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- Thank you and god bless you.
- 00:11:23.965 --> 00:11:26.101
- Female announcer: god is moving in major ways in the ministry
- 00:11:26.167 --> 00:11:29.337
- And our world.
- 00:11:29.337 --> 00:11:30.972
- As we watched the 2024 election unfold, we witnessed a miracle.
- 00:11:30.972 --> 00:11:35.677
- God has heard our prayers.
- 00:11:35.677 --> 00:11:37.812
- He has shown us his mercy.
- 00:11:37.812 --> 00:11:40.115
- We're entering a new era with new leaders, but it's not a time
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- To rest.
- 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:45.754
- Our assignment hasn't changed.
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- In fact, it's as urgent as ever.
- 00:11:47.722 --> 00:11:50.492
- You and i have been set apart by god for his purposes and there's
- 00:11:50.492 --> 00:11:54.329
- A lot for us to do.
- 00:11:54.329 --> 00:11:56.264
- Allen: i believe when god shows you mercy, he gives with it
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- An opportunity.
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- I want us to quietly say to the lord,
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- "here am i.
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- Let me go.
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- Let me go back to where i work in the name of jesus.
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- Let me go back into my neighborhood
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- In the name of jesus.
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- God himself has shown us grace and it will require of us
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- Greater strength and greater courage than we have ever had to
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- Attach to our faith before.
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- Let's go, let's go."
- 00:12:39.073 --> 00:12:42.710
- Female announcer: let's set our hearts on preparing for what's
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- Next with pastor allen's brand new 90 day devotional called
- 00:12:45.146 --> 00:12:49.384
- "set apart for his purposes."
- 00:12:49.384 --> 00:12:51.786
- It will help us seek god so we can recognize his voice and
- 00:12:51.786 --> 00:12:55.023
- Consistently choose to follow him.
- 00:12:55.023 --> 00:12:56.958
- Each day includes scripture, a short teaching, and a prayer
- 00:12:56.958 --> 00:13:00.628
- Followed by a journaling prompt and room to write and reflect.
- 00:13:00.628 --> 00:13:04.399
- Let's get ready for the season ahead.
- 00:13:04.465 --> 00:13:06.401
- Request your copy of
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- "set apart for his purposes"
- 00:13:07.836 --> 00:13:09.337
- When you donate $50 or more today
- 00:13:09.337 --> 00:13:11.439
- At allenjackson.com
- 00:13:11.439 --> 00:13:13.107
- Or by calling...
- 00:13:13.107 --> 00:13:17.545
- Allen: the impact of the church varies generation to generation.
- 00:13:20.148 --> 00:13:24.052
- If you read your bible with us, and we just completed the
- 00:13:24.052 --> 00:13:26.487
- Historical books and the record of the kings, it's not
- 00:13:26.487 --> 00:13:29.757
- Dissimilar in the-- if you charted the history of
- 00:13:29.757 --> 00:13:32.026
- The church, there were godly kings and ungodly kings and
- 00:13:32.026 --> 00:13:35.163
- The nation's fortunes rose and fell depending on the godliness
- 00:13:35.163 --> 00:13:39.434
- That was available to the people.
- 00:13:39.434 --> 00:13:41.002
- There are seasons when the church has been effective and
- 00:13:41.002 --> 00:13:43.004
- The church has been ineffective, where the church has been
- 00:13:43.004 --> 00:13:46.674
- Yielded more completely to the authority of jesus and
- 00:13:46.674 --> 00:13:49.410
- The authority of his word, and there are times when we rebelled
- 00:13:49.410 --> 00:13:51.546
- Against it.
- 00:13:51.546 --> 00:13:53.615
- The history of the church is not an even chart any more than
- 00:13:53.615 --> 00:14:00.021
- The history of the monarchs of israel is.
- 00:14:00.021 --> 00:14:03.358
- In psalm 84 in verse 10, david said, "better is one day in your
- 00:14:03.358 --> 00:14:06.394
- Courts than a thousand elsewhere; i would rather be
- 00:14:06.394 --> 00:14:08.997
- A doorkeeper in the house of my god than dwell in the tents of
- 00:14:08.997 --> 00:14:11.666
- The wicked."
- 00:14:11.666 --> 00:14:13.034
- I mean, i know it's in the bible and we're in church and we're
- 00:14:13.034 --> 00:14:15.370
- Listening to a church service and so we're gonna go
- 00:14:15.370 --> 00:14:17.438
- "amen," really?
- 00:14:17.438 --> 00:14:21.276
- And maybe skip church because you got a really cool invitation
- 00:14:21.276 --> 00:14:23.845
- To some wicked tent.
- 00:14:23.845 --> 00:14:26.614
- Well, they were good seats, it was a unique opportunity, i go
- 00:14:26.614 --> 00:14:31.886
- To church anytime.
- 00:14:31.886 --> 00:14:35.523
- I believe what david said was the attitude that shaped his
- 00:14:35.523 --> 00:14:38.493
- Life and caused him to be one of the most remarkable characters
- 00:14:38.493 --> 00:14:41.162
- In all of scripture.
- 00:14:41.162 --> 00:14:43.131
- He said, "listen, i'll do whatever i need to do to be
- 00:14:43.131 --> 00:14:45.333
- Included with the people of god."
- 00:14:45.333 --> 00:14:48.603
- He said, "that's more valuable to me than any other invitation
- 00:14:48.603 --> 00:14:51.239
- In my life."
- 00:14:51.239 --> 00:14:52.573
- I believe you have to cultivate that.
- 00:14:52.573 --> 00:14:53.942
- I don't believe it's intuitive, i don't think it's automatic.
- 00:14:53.942 --> 00:14:57.378
- Well, i believe we learn to worship the lord, to serve the
- 00:14:57.378 --> 00:15:00.381
- Lord, to engage with the lord in the same way we learn any other
- 00:15:00.381 --> 00:15:03.985
- Aspect of discipline in our lives.
- 00:15:03.985 --> 00:15:06.788
- We do it haltingly, it's a bit uncomfortable at first.
- 00:15:06.788 --> 00:15:09.190
- It makes you sore, it feels awkward.
- 00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:11.526
- It's unfamiliar, a little bit intimidating, maybe even
- 00:15:11.526 --> 00:15:14.362
- A little frightening.
- 00:15:14.362 --> 00:15:15.730
- We're tempted, if it's something you don't understand, you know,
- 00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:17.198
- Kind of the default response is, "well, that's stupid," until
- 00:15:17.198 --> 00:15:23.237
- Something captures your attention and gains a bit of
- 00:15:23.237 --> 00:15:25.974
- Your heart.
- 00:15:25.974 --> 00:15:28.443
- You know, if you don't like to hunt, you can't imagine why
- 00:15:28.443 --> 00:15:30.545
- People would get up early in the morning to go sit in the woods.
- 00:15:30.545 --> 00:15:34.082
- If you love to hunt, you can't imagine why everybody doesn't.
- 00:15:34.082 --> 00:15:38.853
- If you love to cook, you probably watch the food network.
- 00:15:38.853 --> 00:15:41.222
- If you don't like to cook, you pray you never have to.
- 00:15:41.222 --> 00:15:48.863
- I have discovered that i have to have the intent to make room in
- 00:15:48.863 --> 00:15:53.067
- My heart for god, that i have to wanna grow with him.
- 00:15:53.067 --> 00:15:56.304
- I have to begin to develop-- i have to spend time with people
- 00:15:56.304 --> 00:15:58.806
- That wanna know the lord better.
- 00:15:58.806 --> 00:16:00.742
- If most of my discretionary time is spent with people who don't
- 00:16:00.742 --> 00:16:03.344
- Value the lord, my interest in the lord diminishes, and i get
- 00:16:03.344 --> 00:16:08.016
- Paid to be a christian.
- 00:16:08.016 --> 00:16:13.921
- Doesn't mean you love the lord, you have to choose that
- 00:16:13.921 --> 00:16:16.057
- For yourself.
- 00:16:16.057 --> 00:16:17.925
- And the challenge is this inconsistency is a part of
- 00:16:17.925 --> 00:16:21.763
- The people of god.
- 00:16:21.763 --> 00:16:23.131
- And one of the things we're told is that, as we approach the end
- 00:16:23.131 --> 00:16:25.900
- Of the age, it will grow more intense.
- 00:16:25.900 --> 00:16:29.837
- I give you lots of examples, it's not new to our generation.
- 00:16:29.837 --> 00:16:33.374
- In 1 samuel, one of the-- kind of the poster children for
- 00:16:33.374 --> 00:16:37.779
- Losing your way was the first king of israel.
- 00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:40.314
- His name was saul.
- 00:16:40.314 --> 00:16:41.949
- God recruited him.
- 00:16:41.949 --> 00:16:43.284
- God sent the prophet to anoint him and he said, "i've
- 00:16:43.284 --> 00:16:45.019
- Chosen you."
- 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:46.387
- God sent samuel to saul to say, "i have chosen you to be king."
- 00:16:46.387 --> 00:16:51.893
- Saul felt more ill-equipped than anybody who's been tapped for
- 00:16:51.893 --> 00:16:54.896
- The current cabinet, i promise you.
- 00:16:54.896 --> 00:16:58.066
- He was kind of bumbling, but very quickly he got acclimated.
- 00:16:58.066 --> 00:17:03.471
- In your notes it's 1 samuel 15.
- 00:17:03.471 --> 00:17:05.740
- "samuel comes back to saul with a message and he said, 'let me
- 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:08.376
- Tell you what the lord said to me last night,' and saul said,
- 00:17:08.376 --> 00:17:11.879
- 'well, tell me,' and samuel said, 'you were once small in
- 00:17:11.879 --> 00:17:14.215
- Your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes
- 00:17:14.215 --> 00:17:17.885
- Of israel?
- 00:17:17.885 --> 00:17:19.253
- The lord anointed you king over israel.
- 00:17:19.253 --> 00:17:21.289
- And he sent you on a mission.
- 00:17:21.289 --> 00:17:23.291
- Why did you not obey the lord?'
- 00:17:23.291 --> 00:17:28.696
- Samuel goes on to say, 'god's gonna take the kingdom
- 00:17:28.696 --> 00:17:31.399
- Away from you.'"
- 00:17:31.399 --> 00:17:33.301
- You were chosen, you were anointed, you were given
- 00:17:33.301 --> 00:17:36.671
- The role.
- 00:17:36.671 --> 00:17:38.005
- It was a very significant change.
- 00:17:38.005 --> 00:17:40.241
- For hundreds of years, the covenant people of god have
- 00:17:40.241 --> 00:17:43.778
- Lived in the promised land without a central authority.
- 00:17:43.778 --> 00:17:47.482
- Twelve tribes loosely affiliated.
- 00:17:47.482 --> 00:17:50.051
- When there was a need for a corporate response,
- 00:17:50.051 --> 00:17:52.820
- God would raise up a leader.
- 00:17:52.820 --> 00:17:54.155
- That is the book of judges.
- 00:17:54.155 --> 00:17:56.390
- Gideon or deborah or samson.
- 00:17:56.390 --> 00:17:59.393
- No monarchy.
- 00:17:59.393 --> 00:18:01.395
- The tribal leaders come to samuel, the last of the judges,
- 00:18:01.395 --> 00:18:04.465
- And say, "we want a king.
- 00:18:04.465 --> 00:18:05.833
- We wanna be like all the other nations."
- 00:18:05.833 --> 00:18:08.769
- Samuel warns them about the pain and suffering it will bring.
- 00:18:08.769 --> 00:18:12.340
- They ignore his warning and they say, "we want a king," and god
- 00:18:12.340 --> 00:18:15.643
- Chooses saul.
- 00:18:15.643 --> 00:18:18.713
- And saul loses his balance and stops being obedient.
- 00:18:18.713 --> 00:18:23.050
- Church, we cannot afford disobedience and think we
- 00:18:23.050 --> 00:18:27.021
- Will flourish.
- 00:18:27.021 --> 00:18:30.525
- And we tend to be a little-- we have clarity on that when it's
- 00:18:30.525 --> 00:18:34.395
- Someone else's disobedience.
- 00:18:34.395 --> 00:18:37.798
- You'd have quite a bit of clarity if it was my life.
- 00:18:37.798 --> 00:18:43.337
- But it gets fuzzier the closer it gets to home, because around
- 00:18:43.337 --> 00:18:48.009
- Home you've got all the rest of the story and we tend to morph
- 00:18:48.009 --> 00:18:52.580
- Into a rather disobedient lot of people.
- 00:18:52.580 --> 00:18:56.083
- Or we think it's just about me in my house and we forfeit our
- 00:18:56.083 --> 00:18:59.554
- Assignment to be salt and light in the world.
- 00:18:59.554 --> 00:19:02.423
- Saul wasn't called simply to be a private disciple, he was
- 00:19:02.423 --> 00:19:05.993
- Called to be an influence in the nation, so his personal choices
- 00:19:05.993 --> 00:19:09.163
- Of disobedience influenced lots of people.
- 00:19:09.163 --> 00:19:12.066
- Your choices of disobedience influence lots of people.
- 00:19:12.066 --> 00:19:17.138
- Matthew 21, it's not just an old testament issue.
- 00:19:17.138 --> 00:19:20.041
- Jesus is speaking.
- 00:19:20.041 --> 00:19:21.409
- He said, "i tell you that the kingdom of god will be taken
- 00:19:21.409 --> 00:19:23.511
- Away from you and given to a people who will produce
- 00:19:23.511 --> 00:19:26.414
- Its fruit.
- 00:19:26.414 --> 00:19:27.915
- He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on
- 00:19:27.915 --> 00:19:31.085
- Whom it falls will be crushed."
- 00:19:31.085 --> 00:19:34.188
- That's a first century audience, he's talking to the religious
- 00:19:34.188 --> 00:19:36.591
- Leaders in jerusalem.
- 00:19:36.591 --> 00:19:37.959
- Folks, we're not the first generation to drift into
- 00:19:37.959 --> 00:19:40.094
- Rebellion and i assure you we will not escape the consequences
- 00:19:40.094 --> 00:19:44.565
- If we don't correct our own courses.
- 00:19:44.565 --> 00:19:48.002
- Jesus had a great deal to say.
- 00:19:48.002 --> 00:19:49.704
- Matthew 15, "he called the crowd to him.
- 00:19:49.704 --> 00:19:52.173
- He said, 'listen and understand.
- 00:19:52.173 --> 00:19:53.541
- What goes into a man's mouth doesn't make him 'unclean,' what
- 00:19:53.541 --> 00:19:56.444
- Comes out of his mouth, that's what makes him 'unclean.'"
- 00:19:56.444 --> 00:19:58.913
- That's a radical statement.
- 00:19:58.913 --> 00:20:00.414
- He's talking to a group of people who keep kosher rules and
- 00:20:00.414 --> 00:20:03.551
- They believe because they eat the right foods they're better
- 00:20:03.551 --> 00:20:06.087
- Than people who don't.
- 00:20:06.087 --> 00:20:09.023
- All religious people have rules.
- 00:20:09.023 --> 00:20:12.627
- You know, the principle of religious rules: my rules make
- 00:20:12.627 --> 00:20:17.265
- Sense and your rules are stupid.
- 00:20:17.265 --> 00:20:22.036
- We all think that because we've kind of baked in the under--
- 00:20:22.036 --> 00:20:25.673
- Exploitation for the rules that we hold.
- 00:20:25.673 --> 00:20:29.043
- The example i've used before but it is as clear as any, i took
- 00:20:29.043 --> 00:20:32.313
- A-- years ago, i went with a mission team to india.
- 00:20:32.313 --> 00:20:36.017
- Long way to fly, and we got off the plane.
- 00:20:36.017 --> 00:20:38.052
- Before we got off the plane, everybody kind of spruced up
- 00:20:38.052 --> 00:20:40.154
- And cleaned up.
- 00:20:40.154 --> 00:20:41.489
- You know, the women put on their lipstick and freshened their
- 00:20:41.489 --> 00:20:43.491
- Whatever and off the plane we went.
- 00:20:43.491 --> 00:20:46.827
- And our host saw us and they didn't seem pleased.
- 00:20:46.827 --> 00:20:50.698
- And a conversation ensued and they informed us that in
- 00:20:50.698 --> 00:20:53.200
- The portion of the people that we were going to be with,
- 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.270
- Godly women didn't wear jewelry or makeup.
- 00:20:56.270 --> 00:21:01.542
- And they asked if when we showed up for the meeting the next day,
- 00:21:01.542 --> 00:21:03.911
- If we could be absent jewelry and makeup.
- 00:21:03.911 --> 00:21:08.282
- Well, it wasn't a big deal to me but to some of those traveling
- 00:21:08.282 --> 00:21:15.156
- With us, it was a big deal.
- 00:21:15.156 --> 00:21:17.825
- Much consternation, great angst.
- 00:21:17.825 --> 00:21:21.595
- And after a great deal of persuasion, i-- we gained some
- 00:21:21.595 --> 00:21:25.499
- Kind of detente that we could probably attend one worship
- 00:21:25.499 --> 00:21:27.935
- Service without the nature of our marital status being
- 00:21:27.935 --> 00:21:31.505
- Assaulted too severely, absent a ring, until we showed up at
- 00:21:31.505 --> 00:21:36.344
- The meeting.
- 00:21:36.344 --> 00:21:38.012
- And some of our hosts showed up in their traditional garb and
- 00:21:38.012 --> 00:21:42.817
- You could see a portion of their stomach.
- 00:21:42.817 --> 00:21:45.986
- Well, we lost our collective minds.
- 00:21:45.986 --> 00:21:50.925
- My wedding ring made me ungodly and there stands that hussy,
- 00:21:50.925 --> 00:21:59.500
- Because my rule makes sense and your rule is stupid.
- 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:04.672
- Religious rules are problematic and jesus took a religious rule
- 00:22:04.672 --> 00:22:08.075
- That was at the center of so much of their life it built
- 00:22:08.075 --> 00:22:10.878
- Their menu.
- 00:22:10.878 --> 00:22:12.780
- And he said, "what goes into your mouth does not make you
- 00:22:12.780 --> 00:22:15.182
- Unclean, what comes out of your mouth does."
- 00:22:15.182 --> 00:22:18.552
- Mic drop.
- 00:22:18.552 --> 00:22:20.421
- And the disciples come to jesus.
- 00:22:20.421 --> 00:22:22.022
- In verse 12, "the disciples came to him and said, 'do you know
- 00:22:22.022 --> 00:22:25.159
- That the pharisees were offended?'"
- 00:22:25.159 --> 00:22:30.064
- You have to coach jesus a little bit.
- 00:22:30.064 --> 00:22:31.499
- Sometimes he's not very clued in.
- 00:22:31.499 --> 00:22:34.735
- "every plant," this is jesus, "every plant that my heavenly
- 00:22:34.735 --> 00:22:37.405
- Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.
- 00:22:37.405 --> 00:22:40.508
- Leave them; they are blind guides."
- 00:22:40.508 --> 00:22:47.114
- It's really common these days.
- 00:22:47.114 --> 00:22:48.482
- You hear people say, "you know, jesus was all about love.
- 00:22:48.482 --> 00:22:51.886
- Group hug, come on, let's hug it out."
- 00:22:51.886 --> 00:22:55.089
- Well, i agree a portion of jesus's message was about love,
- 00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:58.292
- But it was also about delivering the truth.
- 00:22:58.292 --> 00:23:00.361
- When he looks at the spiritual leaders and the people that are
- 00:23:00.361 --> 00:23:02.696
- Around them and he said, "leave them, they're blind guides,"
- 00:23:02.696 --> 00:23:05.733
- That is not a compliment.
- 00:23:05.733 --> 00:23:08.869
- That's not affirming, that's not encouraging, that is very harsh.
- 00:23:08.869 --> 00:23:14.408
- So i'll give you the 21st century interpretation of that
- 00:23:14.408 --> 00:23:17.478
- From my vantage point.
- 00:23:17.478 --> 00:23:18.813
- Don't choose tradition over truth.
- 00:23:18.813 --> 00:23:20.948
- Don't prefer the familiar over faithfulness.
- 00:23:20.948 --> 00:23:23.951
- Don't trade your future for momentary comfort.
- 00:23:23.951 --> 00:23:27.721
- Never lose sight of the fact that we are the church and we
- 00:23:27.721 --> 00:23:30.958
- Are under the authority of the king.
- 00:23:30.958 --> 00:23:33.794
- What i think, what i want, what i feel are not the
- 00:23:33.794 --> 00:23:36.564
- Primary leads.
- 00:23:36.564 --> 00:23:38.599
- I am submitted to the authority of the king.
- 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:43.804
- In 2 timothy chapter 4 in verse 2, it says, "preach the word; be
- 00:23:43.804 --> 00:23:46.707
- Prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
- 00:23:46.707 --> 00:23:49.276
- Encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
- 00:23:49.276 --> 00:23:53.280
- For the time will come when men will not put up with
- 00:23:53.280 --> 00:23:55.382
- Sound doctrine.
- 00:23:55.382 --> 00:23:57.251
- Instead, to suit their own desires, they'll gather around
- 00:23:57.251 --> 00:23:59.620
- Them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears
- 00:23:59.620 --> 00:24:02.022
- Want to hear."
- 00:24:02.022 --> 00:24:04.825
- The new testament gives us very clearly a portrayal of the
- 00:24:04.825 --> 00:24:07.661
- Church as we approach the end of the age.
- 00:24:07.661 --> 00:24:09.897
- And it's not a pleasant picture, it's a picture of deterioration.
- 00:24:09.897 --> 00:24:14.435
- That we'll be intolerant of the truth, that we will cast off the
- 00:24:14.435 --> 00:24:18.172
- Restraint of the authority of scripture.
- 00:24:18.172 --> 00:24:20.674
- That will we will lead lives filled with rebellion while we
- 00:24:20.674 --> 00:24:23.744
- Use language filled with religious words.
- 00:24:23.744 --> 00:24:28.782
- In 2 timothy 3, it's not in your notes, but it is in the book.
- 00:24:28.782 --> 00:24:31.218
- You can check me.
- 00:24:31.218 --> 00:24:32.553
- The first five verses, paul said, "in the last days there'll
- 00:24:32.553 --> 00:24:34.154
- Be terrible times," and then he lists 18 aspects of human
- 00:24:34.154 --> 00:24:37.258
- Character that will deteriorate, centered around three things.
- 00:24:37.258 --> 00:24:39.894
- He said, "people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
- 00:24:39.894 --> 00:24:44.298
- And lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of god."
- 00:24:44.298 --> 00:24:47.268
- But then he says something that's really unsettling.
- 00:24:47.268 --> 00:24:49.370
- He says they'll have a form of godliness but deny the power of
- 00:24:49.370 --> 00:24:53.741
- It, have nothing to do with him.
- 00:24:53.741 --> 00:24:55.609
- He sounds a lot like jesus at that point.
- 00:24:55.609 --> 00:24:59.046
- I read those verses as a younger person, even as a person in
- 00:24:59.046 --> 00:25:03.250
- Ministry for many years, and they didn't seem overly relevant
- 00:25:03.250 --> 00:25:05.686
- To the world we live in.
- 00:25:05.686 --> 00:25:08.522
- In those seasons, if you looked across the landscape of american
- 00:25:08.522 --> 00:25:11.225
- Christianity, orthodoxy still held sway.
- 00:25:11.225 --> 00:25:15.596
- The majority of churches still embraced the authority of
- 00:25:15.596 --> 00:25:17.965
- Scripture, the uniqueness of jesus, the redemptive work of
- 00:25:17.965 --> 00:25:20.501
- Jesus, and it wasn't being taught in our leading
- 00:25:20.501 --> 00:25:25.005
- Theological institutions, but that hadn't made its way into
- 00:25:25.005 --> 00:25:27.641
- The churches themselves, yet.
- 00:25:27.641 --> 00:25:30.244
- Folks, we've arrived at a place that's very unsettling.
- 00:25:30.244 --> 00:25:33.914
- Orthodoxy is no longer orthodox.
- 00:25:33.914 --> 00:25:37.885
- It's not common.
- 00:25:37.885 --> 00:25:40.054
- Oh, our buildings still look ecclesiastical in their
- 00:25:40.054 --> 00:25:42.356
- Architecture and the signs say churches, but the language and
- 00:25:42.356 --> 00:25:45.793
- The authority structure in those places is not yielded to the
- 00:25:45.793 --> 00:25:48.862
- Word of god.
- 00:25:48.862 --> 00:25:51.131
- It's an unsettling place, it's awkward.
- 00:25:51.131 --> 00:25:55.469
- I'm not talking about the kind of pettiness that comes with
- 00:25:55.469 --> 00:25:58.606
- Sectarian attitudes amongst believers, where we argue about
- 00:25:58.606 --> 00:26:02.643
- The cover on the bible that we read or the color of the grape
- 00:26:02.643 --> 00:26:07.014
- Juice with which we take communion or the frequency of
- 00:26:07.014 --> 00:26:09.350
- Which we take it.
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- I'm not talking about that kind of pettiness, folks.
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- If we can disagree on a point and still both go to heaven, i
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- Will extend to you a hand of fellowship.
- 00:26:15.456 --> 00:26:18.959
- If there's an idea that, wrongly embraced, would disqualify me
- 00:26:18.959 --> 00:26:22.796
- For the kingdom, i cannot call you brother or sister.
- 00:26:22.796 --> 00:26:25.933
- I have no intention of being united with ungodliness.
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- I can care about you, i'll treat you with respect and dignity,
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- But i won't deny the fact that there is a breach.
- 00:26:34.475 --> 00:26:40.948
- We have to lead with our faith.
- 00:26:40.948 --> 00:26:42.516
- Allen: the scripture says that some of us have entertained
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- Angels and we didn't know it.
- 00:26:46.353 --> 00:26:48.756
- I wanna pray with you before we go that we'll have the
- 00:26:48.756 --> 00:26:50.791
- Discernment to recognize what god is doing in the earth.
- 00:26:50.791 --> 00:26:54.561
- We don't wanna be overwhelmed with the darkness and the bad
- 00:26:54.561 --> 00:26:57.031
- News, we wanna be aware of the moving of god.
- 00:26:57.031 --> 00:26:59.533
- Let's pray.
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- Father, give us understanding hearts and the discernment to
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- See and recognize what you're doing in the earth that we might
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- Take our places.
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- I thank you for your faithfulness and your
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- Great provision.
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- In jesus's name, amen.
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