Allen Jackson - Seasons of Change (Part 1)

December 17, 2024 | S

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.
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  • 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
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  • 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
  • 00:10:03.351 --> 00:10:06.821
  • The initiative that we have given ourselves to.
  • 00:10:06.821 --> 00:10:09.524
  • 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,
  • 00:10:25.507 --> 00:10:29.044
  • 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.
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  • Female announcer: god is moving in major ways in the ministry
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  • And our world.
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  • As we watched the 2024 election unfold, we witnessed a miracle.
  • 00:11:30.972 --> 00:11:35.677
  • God has heard our prayers.
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  • 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.
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  • Our assignment hasn't changed.
  • 00:11:45.754 --> 00:11:47.722
  • 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.
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  • 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,
  • 00:12:03.271 --> 00:12:09.310
  • "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
  • 00:12:19.254 --> 00:12:21.055
  • In the name of jesus.
  • 00:12:21.055 --> 00:12:23.224
  • God himself has shown us grace and it will require of us
  • 00:12:23.224 --> 00:12:31.232
  • Greater strength and greater courage than we have ever had to
  • 00:12:31.232 --> 00:12:35.603
  • Attach to our faith before.
  • 00:12:35.603 --> 00:12:39.073
  • 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
  • 00:12:42.710 --> 00:12:45.146
  • Next with pastor allen's brand new 90 day devotional called
  • 00:12:45.146 --> 00:12:49.384
  • "set apart for his purposes."
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  • It will help us seek god so we can recognize his voice and
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  • Consistently choose to follow him.
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  • Each day includes scripture, a short teaching, and a prayer
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  • Followed by a journaling prompt and room to write and reflect.
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  • Let's get ready for the season ahead.
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  • Request your copy of
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  • "set apart for his purposes"
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  • At allenjackson.com
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  • 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.
  • 00:26:09.350 --> 00:26:10.718
  • I'm not talking about that kind of pettiness, folks.
  • 00:26:10.718 --> 00:26:12.886
  • If we can disagree on a point and still both go to heaven, i
  • 00:26:12.886 --> 00:26:15.456
  • 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.
  • 00:26:25.933 --> 00:26:31.038
  • I can care about you, i'll treat you with respect and dignity,
  • 00:26:31.038 --> 00:26:34.475
  • 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
  • 00:26:44.318 --> 00:26:46.353
  • 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.
  • 00:26:59.533 --> 00:27:00.868
  • Father, give us understanding hearts and the discernment to
  • 00:27:00.868 --> 00:27:03.704
  • See and recognize what you're doing in the earth that we might
  • 00:27:03.704 --> 00:27:07.174
  • Take our places.
  • 00:27:07.174 --> 00:27:08.542
  • I thank you for your faithfulness and your
  • 00:27:08.542 --> 00:27:10.310
  • Great provision.
  • 00:27:10.310 --> 00:27:11.679
  • In jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:11.679 --> 00:27:13.947
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