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Allen Jackson Ministries

Allen Jackson - A Triumphal Procession (Part 1)

September 18, 2025 | 28:35

Allen Jackson - A Triumphal Procession (Part 1)
Pastor Allen Jackson's mission is to help people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
#WalkwithGod #Christianity #Bible #Pastors #Grace #Mercy #LoveofGod #TrustGod

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Allen Jackson Ministries | Allen Jackson - A Triumphal Procession (Part 1) | September 18, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Allen jackson: hey, i've got a new book.
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  • I think it'll be a blessing.
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  • It's, "my friend jesus."
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  • You know, i've had the privilege of a good education, a lot
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  • Of formal training, years in church world.
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  • I've learned big words and definitions and
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  • Formal dialogues.
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  • I wanna peel all that back.
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  • At the end of the day, i wanna live my life as jesus's friend.
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  • I wanna trust him with who i am, with what i'm doing.
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  • I wanna invite him into the circumstances.
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  • I want his opinion.
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  • I want his perspective.
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  • I need his help a lot of times.
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  • I'm not trying to hide anything or compartmentalize anything.
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  • I wanna live my life as jesus's friend.
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  • I've talked about it, i've preached about it, and i've
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  • Written about it.
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  • And the real goal is to help jesus become your friend in
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  • A new way.
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  • I wanna talk about more than going to heaven or being saved
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  • Or being good or keeping the rules.
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  • I just wanna be jesus's friend.
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  • I believe that's the best lane in life.
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  • I think it's the best opportunities.
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  • It's the most fulfilling, the most rewarding.
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  • My hope is the book will change your faith and give a new
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  • Momentum to your own spiritual life.
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  • I believe it'll be a blessing.
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  • Allen: the topic we're working through is "lions and lambs."
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  • And in this session we're gonna talk about
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  • A triumphal procession.
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  • The reason for, you know, the why for this little study really
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  • Began is i wanted to spend some time walking around some of the
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  • Principles of spiritual conflict.
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  • There's a tremendous amount of conflict in our world.
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  • About any place you put your finger on the globe, there is
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  • Some expression of conflict, hatred, violence, turmoil.
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  • It's really unimaginable.
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  • I had a few minutes with angus bucket on the phone today.
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  • And south africa is under an enormous amount of stress.
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  • And it's not convenient for our media to report it.
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  • But it's not unique to there.
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  • Throughout the earth, there's great stress and it's not
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  • Primarily political or ideological or religious.
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  • The fundamentals of that are spiritual.
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  • And the only people equipped to deal with spiritual conflict are
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  • The people of god, the church.
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  • I don't mean a congregation or a denomination, but the people who
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  • Truly have chosen jesus of nazareth have the tools to do
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  • Something about this.
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  • And we are far too often either unaware or ambivalent
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  • Indifferent or we're simply unprepared and that is tragic.
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  • So i wanted to spend some time with this and i started to put
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  • It together and i haven't gotten past this imagery yet of the
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  • "lions and the lambs."
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  • So if i don't get past it, we'll figure out how to morph
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  • The series.
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  • But there's something happening in our world.
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  • Deception is flourishing, lies flourish, dishonesty is so
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  • Rampant, we reject the truth.
  • 00:03:03.665 --> 00:03:05.934
  • We reject the good and we embrace the perverse.
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  • That is spiritual.
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  • When you see something happening that makes no sense logically
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  • And there are people with education and sophistication and
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  • Influence and authority saying things that are so bizarre,
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  • Understand there's another motivation, there's another
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  • Force at work there.
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  • And then we have to understand the tools that we have at our
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  • Disposal to respond to that.
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  • I'll give you an example, washington dc.
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  • It's been a violent, violent place with a consistent pattern
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  • Of violent crime and murders.
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  • And the current administration took some steps to try to reduce
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  • The violent crime and to minimize the murders.
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  • And there have been a whole host of very powerful, very affluent,
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  • Very educated, very sophisticated people just saying
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  • It's horrible.
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  • And they're gone now what, nine or ten days without a murder in
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  • The nation's capital.
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  • And there's people just so torqued up.
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  • It's awful.
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  • You know, after january 6, they put a fence around the capitol
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  • And deployed the national guard to protect the people that
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  • Worked in the capitol.
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  • Imagine if one of them had been being murdered every week.
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  • And they could care less that the citizens of the city were
  • 00:04:34.923 --> 00:04:38.527
  • Suffering violent crime, murderous crime, and when it's
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  • Reduced, they complain.
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  • That's illogical.
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  • Forget political parties.
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  • Forget candidates.
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  • That kind of behavior makes--we should all want our cities to
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  • Be safe.
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  • I'll give you example after example of things we're watching
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  • That can't be understood just in terms of cultural conflict
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  • Or ideology.
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  • Biological sex.
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  • I mean, we have a whole industries now.
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  • I read an interview recently from the head of the ama, the
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  • American medical association, talking about gender altering
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  • Procedures in the healthcare community and how profitable
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  • They were.
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  • And under some intensity with the person doing the interview,
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  • He finally admitted, you know, the only data and information
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  • That has come from the people who are performing the
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  • Procedures are administering the hormones.
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  • There's nothing like independent research.
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  • Well, you know, i grew up in tennessee.
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  • So there's some limits.
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  • And my formative years, i spent a lot of time in a barn.
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  • So i'm sure that brings a whole another set of limits.
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  • But i'm here to tell you, biological sex is not confusing.
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  • Now i have compassion on people that might be confused about it.
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  • If you're confused about something that fundamental,
  • 00:06:15.957 --> 00:06:18.960
  • There is significant trouble.
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  • But it is cruel and evil to take advantage of somebody or someone
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  • Who is confused that fundamentally and alter
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  • Their person.
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  • Again, we can respond with compassion, but it's not
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  • Compassion to profit from people who are confused in such
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  • A deep way.
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  • The list could go on, but there is a root beneath all of that.
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  • It isn't a political discussion.
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  • It's not an ideological discussion or
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  • A candidate discussion.
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  • There's a spiritual battle taking place.
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  • In church we have got to be engaged.
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  • We're gonna have to grow past statements like i'm born again.
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  • I'm grateful that you are.
  • 00:07:14.983 --> 00:07:16.985
  • If you're not, come see me before you leave.
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  • We can help with that.
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  • It's important, but it's the beginning point.
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  • The expectation is presented in scripture is that we would grow
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  • Up in our salvation.
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  • So we're talking about lions and lambs.
  • 00:07:33.201 --> 00:07:36.071
  • In the new testament, it is a lion's tale, t-a-l-e,
  • 00:07:36.071 --> 00:07:41.309
  • Not t-a-i-l.
  • 00:07:41.309 --> 00:07:44.880
  • And 1 peter chapter 5, the fisherman that jesus recruited
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  • Describes one of the lions with whom we are confronted.
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  • He said, "be self-controlled and alert, your enemy," do you know
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  • You have an enemy if you align yourself with the purposes
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  • Of god?
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  • Do you have any idea how many people i meet that think they're
  • 00:08:02.430 --> 00:08:04.266
  • Too sophisticated to believe in the devil?
  • 00:08:04.266 --> 00:08:08.904
  • That's a great ploy.
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  • Can you imagine being so clever that you could cause the people
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  • You intend to destroy to believe that you don't exist?
  • 00:08:14.042 --> 00:08:19.681
  • "your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
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  • Looking for someone to devour.
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  • Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that
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  • Your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same
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  • Kind of sufferings.
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  • And the god of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory
  • 00:08:30.325 --> 00:08:33.695
  • In christ, after you've suffered a little while, will himself
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  • Restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
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  • To him be power forever and ever, amen."
  • 00:08:39.434 --> 00:08:42.470
  • We've looked at this already.
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  • I'm not gonna do it in a great deal of detail, but peter
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  • Identifies an adversary and he describes him as something like
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  • A roaring lion.
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  • Now if you're a linguist, i understand that peter said he's
  • 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:56.518
  • Like a roaring lion.
  • 00:08:56.518 --> 00:08:57.852
  • He didn't call him a roaring lion.
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  • But the metaphor, the image, the power, the authority,
  • 00:09:00.221 --> 00:09:03.558
  • The destructiveness that he chose was like a roaring lion.
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  • He didn't say he was like a new puppy.
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  • He didn't say like he was like a docile house pet.
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  • He said he prowls around like a roaring lion, very intimidating.
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  • I've been on the plains of africa and seen prides of lions.
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  • I was not tempted to climb out of the jeep and say,
  • 00:09:24.446 --> 00:09:29.517
  • "here kitty, kitty."
  • 00:09:29.517 --> 00:09:33.555
  • I was quite comfortable to have a zoom lens to observe what was
  • 00:09:33.555 --> 00:09:37.258
  • Happening amongst the lions.
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  • And peter gives us the appropriate response to
  • 00:09:39.594 --> 00:09:42.964
  • Satanic roaring.
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  • Did you catch it?
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  • When you recognize that satan is roaring, when you recognize the
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  • Proximity is close enough that you can hear him and recognizes
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  • His presence, what are we supposed to do?
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  • Peter told us.
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  • Resist him. resist him.
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  • He didn't say ignore him.
  • 00:10:05.053 --> 00:10:06.788
  • He didn't say look the other way.
  • 00:10:06.788 --> 00:10:09.157
  • He didn't say run.
  • 00:10:09.157 --> 00:10:11.726
  • He said, you have an assignment to resist him.
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  • He said he will take self-control.
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  • You'll have to be alert.
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  • It will be necessary to stand firm in the faith.
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  • That the foundation that you're gonna stand on is faith in
  • 00:10:28.043 --> 00:10:30.812
  • A living god.
  • 00:10:30.812 --> 00:10:32.147
  • Hebrews says, "without faith it's impossible to please god."
  • 00:10:32.147 --> 00:10:34.315
  • When you're confronted with the roar of the lion, you have to
  • 00:10:34.315 --> 00:10:36.985
  • Stand firm in faith.
  • 00:10:36.985 --> 00:10:39.320
  • It's too late to figure out if you're standing in a firm place
  • 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:42.924
  • When you hear the roar.
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  • You better establish a firm foundation before you hear the
  • 00:10:45.660 --> 00:10:48.596
  • Roar of the threat.
  • 00:10:48.596 --> 00:10:51.533
  • It's too late to figure out how a sling works when you hear
  • 00:10:51.533 --> 00:10:55.136
  • Goliath bellow his challenge.
  • 00:10:55.136 --> 00:10:58.373
  • You better be a top shelf slinger of stones before you
  • 00:10:58.373 --> 00:11:02.177
  • Meet goliath.
  • 00:11:02.177 --> 00:11:08.950
  • And then peter gives us a bit of instruction, self-control,
  • 00:11:08.950 --> 00:11:12.253
  • Alert, resist him, stand firm in the faith.
  • 00:11:12.253 --> 00:11:14.489
  • And then he says something.
  • 00:11:14.489 --> 00:11:15.857
  • It's not a message.
  • 00:11:15.857 --> 00:11:17.192
  • I just white it out if i had biblical permission.
  • 00:11:17.192 --> 00:11:20.061
  • I don't.
  • 00:11:20.061 --> 00:11:21.396
  • He said, you're gonna have to endure some suffering.
  • 00:11:21.396 --> 00:11:25.633
  • Oh, it's a part of the journey.
  • 00:11:25.633 --> 00:11:29.971
  • Nobody makes it through the journey in time without some
  • 00:11:29.971 --> 00:11:33.041
  • Of that.
  • 00:11:33.041 --> 00:11:34.609
  • But then he gives us a perspective, he said, "be aware
  • 00:11:34.609 --> 00:11:37.412
  • Of the suffering of others."
  • 00:11:37.412 --> 00:11:39.347
  • It's not just yours.
  • 00:11:39.347 --> 00:11:41.716
  • It's not unique to you.
  • 00:11:41.716 --> 00:11:44.519
  • When it visits you, it's unique because it occupies your
  • 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.355
  • Awareness, but it isn't unique to you.
  • 00:11:47.355 --> 00:11:48.957
  • Others suffer as well.
  • 00:11:48.957 --> 00:11:50.325
  • And then we're given this amazing promise.
  • 00:11:50.325 --> 00:11:51.726
  • He said, after you've suffered a little while,
  • 00:11:51.726 --> 00:11:53.928
  • God will restore you.
  • 00:11:53.928 --> 00:11:55.964
  • But then he describes the restoration, what that
  • 00:11:55.964 --> 00:11:58.266
  • Will be like.
  • 00:11:58.266 --> 00:11:59.601
  • He said, "you'll be strong, firm, and steadfast."
  • 00:11:59.601 --> 00:12:03.471
  • There's a connection back there to the beginning when you
  • 00:12:03.471 --> 00:12:05.540
  • Recognize the roar of the lion, your adversary, he said, you're
  • 00:12:05.540 --> 00:12:08.476
  • Gonna stand firm in the faith.
  • 00:12:08.476 --> 00:12:10.111
  • And after god has restored you, you'll be stronger, you'll have
  • 00:12:10.111 --> 00:12:14.382
  • A more firm foundation, and you'll be steadfast immovable.
  • 00:12:14.382 --> 00:12:19.587
  • So the lion roars, the lord restores you, and you're in
  • 00:12:19.587 --> 00:12:23.525
  • A better place than you were when you heard the roar.
  • 00:12:23.525 --> 00:12:26.861
  • So some of you can hear the roar tonight.
  • 00:12:26.861 --> 00:12:31.232
  • You could describe it.
  • 00:12:31.232 --> 00:12:35.403
  • Allen: yeah, i've written a new book.
  • 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:40.642
  • It's called, "my friend jesus."
  • 00:12:40.642 --> 00:12:42.010
  • You know, i'm a pastor, a lot of ritual tradition, a lot of
  • 00:12:42.010 --> 00:12:45.213
  • Formality and the way we know god.
  • 00:12:45.213 --> 00:12:47.448
  • It's not bad.
  • 00:12:47.448 --> 00:12:48.783
  • There's some good things in that, but when i'm in real
  • 00:12:48.783 --> 00:12:50.585
  • Trouble or i have something i wanna celebrate, i call
  • 00:12:50.585 --> 00:12:52.921
  • A friend.
  • 00:12:52.921 --> 00:12:54.255
  • Well, i wanna live my life with jesus of nazareth is my friend.
  • 00:12:54.255 --> 00:12:57.559
  • It changes everything in both celebration and when there's
  • 00:12:57.559 --> 00:13:00.628
  • A problem.
  • 00:13:00.628 --> 00:13:01.996
  • I wrote the book to help.
  • 00:13:01.996 --> 00:13:03.331
  • I think it'll open your life to god in a more personal
  • 00:13:03.331 --> 00:13:05.667
  • Transformational way than ever before.
  • 00:13:05.667 --> 00:13:08.403
  • Enjoy the book.
  • 00:13:08.403 --> 00:13:09.737
  • Female announcer: in his book, "my friend jesus," pastor allen
  • 00:13:09.737 --> 00:13:12.006
  • Shares how friendship with jesus brings clarity, strength, and
  • 00:13:12.006 --> 00:13:15.476
  • Peace in every part of life.
  • 00:13:15.476 --> 00:13:17.445
  • This isn't about following a religion or religious rules.
  • 00:13:17.445 --> 00:13:20.682
  • It's about cultivating a cherished relationship that will
  • 00:13:20.682 --> 00:13:23.451
  • Help your faith become more personal, more joyful, and more
  • 00:13:23.451 --> 00:13:26.988
  • Powerful each day.
  • 00:13:26.988 --> 00:13:28.556
  • Request, "my friend jesus" with your donation of $25
  • 00:13:28.556 --> 00:13:31.826
  • Or more today at allenjackson.com
  • 00:13:31.826 --> 00:13:34.896
  • Or by calling...
  • 00:13:34.896 --> 00:13:38.700
  • Allen: now i want to put in parallel against that, in
  • 00:13:38.766 --> 00:13:40.802
  • Contrast to that, another lion we meet in the new testament.
  • 00:13:40.802 --> 00:13:44.005
  • Revelation chapter 5, familiar passage.
  • 00:13:44.005 --> 00:13:47.075
  • This is john.
  • 00:13:47.075 --> 00:13:49.177
  • The disciple closest to jesus.
  • 00:13:49.177 --> 00:13:50.812
  • He has this amazing revelation of the throne room of god,
  • 00:13:50.812 --> 00:13:53.581
  • This vision.
  • 00:13:53.581 --> 00:13:54.916
  • And he said, "i wept and wept because no one was found who was
  • 00:13:54.916 --> 00:13:57.018
  • Worthy to open the scroll."
  • 00:13:57.018 --> 00:13:58.353
  • There's a book with the story of the end of the age and nobody
  • 00:13:58.353 --> 00:14:01.256
  • Has the authority to open it and john is emotional about it.
  • 00:14:01.256 --> 00:14:04.259
  • "and one of the elders said, don't weep!
  • 00:14:04.259 --> 00:14:06.261
  • The lion of the tribe of judah, the root of david,
  • 00:14:06.261 --> 00:14:08.696
  • Has triumphed.
  • 00:14:08.696 --> 00:14:11.132
  • And he's able to open the scroll and it's seven seals.
  • 00:14:11.132 --> 00:14:14.969
  • And i saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in
  • 00:14:14.969 --> 00:14:17.805
  • The center of the throne, encircled by the four living
  • 00:14:17.805 --> 00:14:20.008
  • Creatures and."
  • 00:14:20.008 --> 00:14:21.976
  • I wanted, you know, the peter passage, i've heard so many
  • 00:14:21.976 --> 00:14:25.113
  • Christians say, peter didn't say he was a roaring.
  • 00:14:25.113 --> 00:14:27.615
  • He said he was like a roaring lion.
  • 00:14:27.615 --> 00:14:29.117
  • I said, okay, i got it.
  • 00:14:29.117 --> 00:14:32.153
  • When john describes jesus is the lion of the tribe of judah,
  • 00:14:32.153 --> 00:14:35.757
  • Eternally identified with the jewish people, when john turns
  • 00:14:35.757 --> 00:14:39.994
  • To see if the elder says to him, the lion of the tribe of judah
  • 00:14:39.994 --> 00:14:43.498
  • Can do this, he's been given the authority.
  • 00:14:43.498 --> 00:14:46.200
  • And john turns to see the lion, but he sees a lamb that looks
  • 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.538
  • Like he's been slain.
  • 00:14:50.538 --> 00:14:53.474
  • He doesn't see a lion in all of his majesty.
  • 00:14:53.474 --> 00:14:55.810
  • Most of us have seen some illustrations of c.s.
  • 00:14:55.810 --> 00:14:57.946
  • Lewis, "narnia" tales and aslan and this impressive lion.
  • 00:14:57.946 --> 00:15:05.086
  • But when john turns to see the lion of the tribe of judah, he
  • 00:15:05.086 --> 00:15:07.689
  • Sees a lamb that looks like he's been slain.
  • 00:15:07.689 --> 00:15:11.392
  • Because the authority that jesus gained came through that cross.
  • 00:15:11.392 --> 00:15:14.963
  • We're gonna come back to that in just a moment.
  • 00:15:14.963 --> 00:15:16.731
  • Can you hold that idea for a minute?
  • 00:15:16.731 --> 00:15:20.201
  • I highlighted for you the appropriate response to the
  • 00:15:20.201 --> 00:15:23.438
  • Roars, the satanic roars.
  • 00:15:23.438 --> 00:15:27.141
  • What's the appropriate response when you see the lion of the
  • 00:15:27.141 --> 00:15:29.844
  • Tribe of judah?
  • 00:15:29.844 --> 00:15:32.747
  • We need to go a little further in chapter 5.
  • 00:15:32.747 --> 00:15:34.349
  • Look at verse 12, same scenario, same picture.
  • 00:15:34.349 --> 00:15:37.986
  • I just edited it a bit for brevity's sake.
  • 00:15:37.986 --> 00:15:40.855
  • It says, "in a loud voice they sang: worthy is the lamb, who
  • 00:15:40.855 --> 00:15:44.625
  • Was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
  • 00:15:44.625 --> 00:15:48.129
  • And honor and glory and praise!'"
  • 00:15:48.129 --> 00:15:51.132
  • That's an intriguing list to me.
  • 00:15:51.132 --> 00:15:54.502
  • There's some things in that list i wouldn't even think would be
  • 00:15:54.502 --> 00:15:56.704
  • Relevant to jesus.
  • 00:15:56.704 --> 00:16:00.241
  • Do you know why i think sometimes we misunderstand.
  • 00:16:00.241 --> 00:16:03.411
  • We think worship is for the purpose of the one
  • 00:16:03.411 --> 00:16:06.514
  • We're worshiping.
  • 00:16:06.514 --> 00:16:08.983
  • I don't worship the lord because he needs his ego to
  • 00:16:08.983 --> 00:16:12.153
  • Be bolstered.
  • 00:16:12.153 --> 00:16:14.822
  • I worship the lord because i need to reframe my own
  • 00:16:14.822 --> 00:16:18.926
  • Perception of myself and god and my world.
  • 00:16:18.926 --> 00:16:27.668
  • You need to think about that 'cause some of us are very
  • 00:16:27.668 --> 00:16:29.437
  • Reluctant worshippers.
  • 00:16:29.437 --> 00:16:31.506
  • I'm not raising my hands.
  • 00:16:31.506 --> 00:16:34.275
  • Not gonna get you catch me being emotional.
  • 00:16:34.275 --> 00:16:38.846
  • You know, and because we have got in our minds and it's
  • 00:16:38.846 --> 00:16:42.216
  • Purposed i think incorrectly, we think that we worship the lord
  • 00:16:42.216 --> 00:16:46.020
  • Because in his fragile state, he needs to be bolstered by the
  • 00:16:46.020 --> 00:16:52.693
  • Adoration of his creation.
  • 00:16:52.693 --> 00:16:55.763
  • Oh, oh.
  • 00:16:55.763 --> 00:16:57.432
  • We worship the lord because in our frailty we need to be
  • 00:16:57.432 --> 00:17:00.034
  • Reminded there's an almighty god who's watching over all.
  • 00:17:00.034 --> 00:17:07.275
  • So with that thought come back and look at what they're saying
  • 00:17:07.275 --> 00:17:12.046
  • In worship in heaven.
  • 00:17:12.046 --> 00:17:14.515
  • "worthy is the lamb, who was slain, to receive power and
  • 00:17:14.515 --> 00:17:19.520
  • Wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
  • 00:17:19.520 --> 00:17:25.893
  • How do we worship the lord?
  • 00:17:25.893 --> 00:17:29.564
  • Well, by giving expressions to him from our authority from
  • 00:17:29.564 --> 00:17:32.200
  • Whatever little bit of power he's given us.
  • 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:34.135
  • We point it towards him.
  • 00:17:34.135 --> 00:17:36.304
  • With our wealth.
  • 00:17:36.304 --> 00:17:38.873
  • We worship the lord with our stuff.
  • 00:17:38.873 --> 00:17:41.843
  • We worship him with our wisdom.
  • 00:17:41.843 --> 00:17:43.911
  • We submit our intellect to the authority of scripture.
  • 00:17:43.911 --> 00:17:48.749
  • With our strength we serve him.
  • 00:17:48.749 --> 00:17:52.553
  • With honor and glory, the respect and dignity that we were
  • 00:17:52.553 --> 00:17:55.957
  • Talking about, you know, i don't know why you go to, why do
  • 00:17:55.957 --> 00:17:57.792
  • You stand when you pray?
  • 00:17:57.792 --> 00:17:59.160
  • 'cause i intend to show respect and honor to the lord.
  • 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:06.334
  • We gotta lose some of this entitlement stuff, folks.
  • 00:18:06.334 --> 00:18:09.237
  • It makes us vulnerable to the roar of a lion you don't wanna
  • 00:18:09.237 --> 00:18:12.607
  • Be close to.
  • 00:18:12.607 --> 00:18:15.977
  • Nobody can tell me where to park or how to sit or.
  • 00:18:15.977 --> 00:18:20.882
  • Stop.
  • 00:18:20.882 --> 00:18:22.984
  • We are gathering to worship the king of kings and the lord
  • 00:18:22.984 --> 00:18:25.887
  • Of lords.
  • 00:18:25.887 --> 00:18:30.825
  • I'm pretty sure, i don't know who's on your high on your
  • 00:18:30.825 --> 00:18:33.761
  • Respect list if it's a food network star or a sports figure
  • 00:18:33.761 --> 00:18:38.466
  • Or if it would be the white house or the opposition to the
  • 00:18:38.466 --> 00:18:42.436
  • White house.
  • 00:18:42.436 --> 00:18:43.804
  • I don't know who that would be, but if you got an invitation for
  • 00:18:43.804 --> 00:18:45.706
  • A personal visit, i bet you wouldn't wear a dirty t-shirt
  • 00:18:45.706 --> 00:18:49.243
  • And a ragged pair of shorts.
  • 00:18:49.243 --> 00:18:52.613
  • You'd probably even, like, brush your teeth.
  • 00:18:52.613 --> 00:18:56.384
  • And i suspect you would be early for the appointment.
  • 00:18:56.384 --> 00:19:00.354
  • I don't think you'd come dragging in, you know, ten,
  • 00:19:00.354 --> 00:19:02.156
  • 15 minutes late going, "nice to see you."
  • 00:19:02.156 --> 00:19:09.197
  • What has caused us to become so casual with the lord?
  • 00:19:09.197 --> 00:19:14.068
  • You know, i'm not saying it was better 'cause our whole culture
  • 00:19:14.068 --> 00:19:17.438
  • Is more casual and there's some things about that that are
  • 00:19:17.438 --> 00:19:19.240
  • Very good.
  • 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:21.475
  • But when i was a young person, people went to church in a much
  • 00:19:21.475 --> 00:19:26.480
  • More formal state.
  • 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:27.848
  • Now they used to fly on airplanes in a much more formal
  • 00:19:27.848 --> 00:19:31.586
  • State, so it isn't just church.
  • 00:19:31.586 --> 00:19:34.455
  • But the language that emerged in churches you were judged if you
  • 00:19:34.455 --> 00:19:37.892
  • Couldn't dress nicely.
  • 00:19:37.892 --> 00:19:40.995
  • So we were gonna be more casual and we celebrated that as an
  • 00:19:40.995 --> 00:19:43.864
  • Expression of kind of an egalitarian, you know, we're not
  • 00:19:43.864 --> 00:19:47.201
  • Any longer judging one another and i'm all good with that.
  • 00:19:47.201 --> 00:19:51.138
  • I'll tell you what i'm not good with.
  • 00:19:51.138 --> 00:19:53.241
  • If you give more attention to your wardrobe when you're going
  • 00:19:53.241 --> 00:19:56.344
  • Out for the evening than you do when you come worship.
  • 00:19:56.344 --> 00:20:03.918
  • The clothes i wear have, i mean, my shirt's untucked.
  • 00:20:03.918 --> 00:20:10.491
  • I've gotten notes about that.
  • 00:20:10.491 --> 00:20:11.993
  • It's okay.
  • 00:20:11.993 --> 00:20:15.563
  • So i'm not trying to push us back to some place.
  • 00:20:15.563 --> 00:20:19.600
  • I am trying to recapture an idea or express an idea that god is
  • 00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:24.238
  • Worthy of respect.
  • 00:20:24.238 --> 00:20:27.241
  • And we have this scene with the lion of the tribe of judah.
  • 00:20:27.241 --> 00:20:34.048
  • And it doesn't feel overly casual to me.
  • 00:20:34.048 --> 00:20:38.853
  • The elders fall down.
  • 00:20:38.853 --> 00:20:41.322
  • We talked about postures for prayer.
  • 00:20:41.322 --> 00:20:44.125
  • If you think bowing your head is an expression of submission or
  • 00:20:44.125 --> 00:20:46.861
  • Kneeling, how about laying on the floor before someone?
  • 00:20:46.861 --> 00:20:52.667
  • I need to finish the passage so we can finish the outline.
  • 00:20:52.667 --> 00:20:59.940
  • "and then i heard every creature in heaven on earth and under the
  • 00:20:59.940 --> 00:21:03.611
  • Earth and on the sea, and all that's in them, everybody
  • 00:21:03.611 --> 00:21:06.714
  • Everywhere singing, 'to him who sits on the throne and to the
  • 00:21:06.714 --> 00:21:10.651
  • Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever
  • 00:21:10.651 --> 00:21:14.455
  • And ever!'"
  • 00:21:14.455 --> 00:21:16.290
  • So here's the question, what's the appropriate response when
  • 00:21:16.290 --> 00:21:19.727
  • You recognize that the lion of judah?
  • 00:21:19.727 --> 00:21:24.231
  • Praise and worship.
  • 00:21:24.231 --> 00:21:27.201
  • But that's not just a song service.
  • 00:21:27.201 --> 00:21:30.471
  • That's a yielding of your whole person.
  • 00:21:30.471 --> 00:21:34.008
  • If you don't like to sing our little choruses, i'm okay
  • 00:21:34.008 --> 00:21:36.077
  • With that.
  • 00:21:36.077 --> 00:21:37.945
  • You start practicing how you yield your whole person to
  • 00:21:37.945 --> 00:21:40.414
  • The lord.
  • 00:21:40.414 --> 00:21:43.284
  • Don't let anybody that knows you imagine anything other than you
  • 00:21:43.284 --> 00:21:47.688
  • Are fully submitted to the lordship of jesus with your
  • 00:21:47.688 --> 00:21:51.592
  • Strength, with your intellect, with your resources, with your
  • 00:21:51.592 --> 00:21:54.662
  • Calendar, with your priorities.
  • 00:21:54.662 --> 00:21:57.331
  • Folks, that doesn't happen overnight.
  • 00:21:57.331 --> 00:22:00.634
  • That isn't--that doesn't emerge from us immediately after
  • 00:22:00.634 --> 00:22:03.938
  • Reciting the sinner's prayer.
  • 00:22:03.938 --> 00:22:06.507
  • That is something that we begin to practice to yield if the
  • 00:22:06.507 --> 00:22:13.748
  • Response to the threat of the satan's roar is to resist him.
  • 00:22:13.748 --> 00:22:21.355
  • If you wanna spend time in the presence of the lion of judah,
  • 00:22:21.355 --> 00:22:25.192
  • I would submit to you that we wanna become better at giving
  • 00:22:25.192 --> 00:22:28.195
  • Expression to worship.
  • 00:22:28.195 --> 00:22:33.334
  • And i wanna push that a little further with you.
  • 00:22:33.334 --> 00:22:35.903
  • In 2 corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14.
  • 00:22:35.903 --> 00:22:40.174
  • Says, "thanks be to god, who always leads us in a triumphal
  • 00:22:40.174 --> 00:22:43.277
  • Procession in christ.
  • 00:22:43.277 --> 00:22:45.346
  • And through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the
  • 00:22:45.346 --> 00:22:47.948
  • Knowledge of him."
  • 00:22:47.948 --> 00:22:50.017
  • Seems like a pretty passive verse, but there's something in
  • 00:22:50.017 --> 00:22:55.656
  • There that i think is really helpful to us.
  • 00:22:55.656 --> 00:22:58.058
  • It says that god always leads us in a triumphal procession
  • 00:22:58.058 --> 00:23:02.129
  • In christ.
  • 00:23:02.129 --> 00:23:04.365
  • The words are a little bit perhaps lost on us.
  • 00:23:04.365 --> 00:23:13.307
  • New testament was written in greek predominantly in the
  • 00:23:13.307 --> 00:23:16.477
  • First century.
  • 00:23:16.477 --> 00:23:18.379
  • And in rome when a general had a victory, particularly remarkable
  • 00:23:18.379 --> 00:23:23.384
  • Victory, he was rewarded with a triumph.
  • 00:23:23.384 --> 00:23:29.323
  • It was a parade, a processional through the streets of rome with
  • 00:23:29.323 --> 00:23:33.894
  • The plunder of whoever was conquered.
  • 00:23:33.894 --> 00:23:38.532
  • So a triumph is not the winning of a victory.
  • 00:23:38.532 --> 00:23:43.103
  • The triumph was a celebration of a victory that has been won.
  • 00:23:43.103 --> 00:23:49.143
  • Do you recognize the difference?
  • 00:23:49.143 --> 00:23:51.245
  • We talk about a triumph.
  • 00:23:51.245 --> 00:23:52.580
  • We're not saying, oh, you've had a great victory 'cause that's
  • 00:23:52.580 --> 00:23:54.815
  • The way we use the word today.
  • 00:23:54.815 --> 00:23:56.750
  • You were triumphant.
  • 00:23:56.750 --> 00:23:58.085
  • You won.
  • 00:23:58.085 --> 00:23:59.487
  • It's not the way the word was used and that it was defined
  • 00:23:59.487 --> 00:24:02.723
  • To the audience when this was written.
  • 00:24:02.723 --> 00:24:04.492
  • A triumph was the celebration of a victory that had been won.
  • 00:24:04.492 --> 00:24:08.796
  • If a professional sports team wins a championship, it's not
  • 00:24:08.796 --> 00:24:13.234
  • Uncommon for them to have a parade in their home city.
  • 00:24:13.234 --> 00:24:17.137
  • That would be a triumphal parade.
  • 00:24:17.137 --> 00:24:20.608
  • The victory was one weeks before typically or days before on some
  • 00:24:20.608 --> 00:24:26.013
  • Competition field of competition.
  • 00:24:26.013 --> 00:24:29.183
  • So when it says here that god leads us in a triumphal
  • 00:24:29.183 --> 00:24:32.620
  • Procession in christ and through us spreads everywhere the
  • 00:24:32.620 --> 00:24:36.724
  • Fragrance of the knowledge of him, we are the evidence of
  • 00:24:36.724 --> 00:24:42.830
  • A victory that has been won.
  • 00:24:42.830 --> 00:24:46.000
  • So that when people see our lives, they go, you know,
  • 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:48.702
  • There's no explanation for that other than god.
  • 00:24:48.702 --> 00:24:52.806
  • Maybe i should check that god thing out.
  • 00:24:52.806 --> 00:24:57.745
  • Are you with me?
  • 00:24:57.745 --> 00:24:59.747
  • Now i wanna go back to the passage in revelation 5.
  • 00:24:59.747 --> 00:25:03.517
  • Look at revelation 5 and verse 5 "again, one of the elders said
  • 00:25:03.517 --> 00:25:07.187
  • To me, don't weep.
  • 00:25:07.187 --> 00:25:08.556
  • The lion of the tribe of judah, the root of david
  • 00:25:08.556 --> 00:25:10.991
  • Has triumphed."
  • 00:25:10.991 --> 00:25:17.064
  • He's not saying he had a victory.
  • 00:25:17.064 --> 00:25:20.868
  • God responded to what jesus did in such a way that we have
  • 00:25:20.868 --> 00:25:27.374
  • Become the demonstration of the victory that jesus had.
  • 00:25:27.374 --> 00:25:32.713
  • And the message to john in revelation 5 is, you don't have
  • 00:25:32.713 --> 00:25:36.584
  • To weep.
  • 00:25:36.584 --> 00:25:37.918
  • There's one with the authority to open the scroll because he
  • 00:25:37.918 --> 00:25:40.387
  • Has a triumph.
  • 00:25:40.387 --> 00:25:43.090
  • You're a part of the display.
  • 00:25:43.090 --> 00:25:44.425
  • The book of revelation opens and god said, you know, i have
  • 00:25:44.425 --> 00:25:46.493
  • A message for the people in the earth.
  • 00:25:46.493 --> 00:25:48.929
  • How will we get it to them?
  • 00:25:48.929 --> 00:25:50.264
  • And the answer comes, i have a servant.
  • 00:25:50.264 --> 00:25:56.036
  • You and i are an expression of the victory that jesus won.
  • 00:25:56.036 --> 00:26:00.808
  • This is very much a part of the new testament.
  • 00:26:00.808 --> 00:26:02.977
  • There's a spirit, you see, if you don't believe there was
  • 00:26:02.977 --> 00:26:05.179
  • Really a conflict, if you don't believe the roar of the lion
  • 00:26:05.179 --> 00:26:07.581
  • That would destroy you is real, then you will undersell the
  • 00:26:07.581 --> 00:26:11.218
  • Victory of the lion of the tribe of judah.
  • 00:26:11.218 --> 00:26:16.357
  • Allen: i'm so grateful i've had a few minutes with you today.
  • 00:26:20.561 --> 00:26:23.330
  • These opportunities to open the word of god and open our lives
  • 00:26:23.330 --> 00:26:26.100
  • And invite god into the midst of it, they're transformational.
  • 00:26:26.100 --> 00:26:29.403
  • I've learned to never take them for granted.
  • 00:26:29.403 --> 00:26:31.138
  • I used to imagine that they were unlimited, that we could do
  • 00:26:31.138 --> 00:26:33.574
  • It forever.
  • 00:26:33.574 --> 00:26:34.908
  • Every time i have an opportunity to talk with a friend and make
  • 00:26:34.908 --> 00:26:37.778
  • A journey through the word of god for a bit, i think it's
  • 00:26:37.778 --> 00:26:40.714
  • Something precious.
  • 00:26:40.714 --> 00:26:42.049
  • It's a gift from god.
  • 00:26:42.049 --> 00:26:43.384
  • I'm grateful we had this time together.
  • 00:26:43.384 --> 00:26:44.752
  • I've got a new book.
  • 00:26:44.752 --> 00:26:46.086
  • It's called "my friend jesus."
  • 00:26:46.086 --> 00:26:47.855
  • It's the culmination of years of my own spiritual journey, kind
  • 00:26:47.855 --> 00:26:50.758
  • Of peeling away the formality of theology and ritual and routine
  • 00:26:50.758 --> 00:26:54.461
  • And opening the heart of what it means to be
  • 00:26:54.461 --> 00:26:56.563
  • A christ follower.
  • 00:26:56.563 --> 00:26:57.898
  • I wanna to live as jesus's friend.
  • 00:26:57.898 --> 00:26:59.466
  • When i'm in trouble, i call my friends.
  • 00:26:59.466 --> 00:27:01.602
  • When they're in trouble and i can help, it's the delight
  • 00:27:01.602 --> 00:27:03.771
  • Of my life.
  • 00:27:03.771 --> 00:27:05.105
  • I wanna pray with you.
  • 00:27:05.105 --> 00:27:06.473
  • Let's invite my friend jesus into the midst of our world.
  • 00:27:06.473 --> 00:27:08.842
  • He changes everything.
  • 00:27:08.842 --> 00:27:10.644
  • Heavenly father, i thank you that you love us, that you sent
  • 00:27:10.644 --> 00:27:12.880
  • Your son.
  • 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:14.214
  • We need his help, his strength, his wisdom.
  • 00:27:14.214 --> 00:27:16.250
  • Open our hearts to know him as we've never known him before.
  • 00:27:16.250 --> 00:27:19.353
  • In jesus's name, amen.
  • 00:27:19.353 --> 00:27:21.422
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:21.422 --> 00:27:29.630