WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Shekinah 7 – Planting the Gospel _ Day 6 Publishing Date: 2021-01-17T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/shekinah-7-planting-the-gospel-_-day-6/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.000 So one of the things I felt God would do is enlarge our tent because of what's going to happen. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:17.000 And so I'm going to ask Heidi to come up and pray that we get ready to enlarge our tent. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:25.000 What that looks like, I'm not sure. I don't know whether it's a physical enlargement, a spiritual enlargement, a financial enlargement, or all three. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:32.000 But we need to prepare for what we are speaking, believing, and expecting. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:42.000 Usually when people know they're going to have a second or third child, they usually move from a one bedroom flat to a two bedroom flat. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:50.000 And stuff like that. So physically, spiritually, financially, relationally, mentally, we have to prepare for what God is doing. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.000 So I'll ask Heidi to read the scripture and then pray as she feels led. And then I'll come and teach. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:06.000 Okay, this is from ICF 54, verse 1 to 4. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:13.000 Sing, O barren woman, who did not bear. Break forth into singing and cry aloud. 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:22.000 You who have not been in labor, for the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married, says the Lord. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:29.000 Enlarge the place of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:38.000 Do not hold back. Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:45.000 And your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.000 Can you read it again, Heidi? 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:54.000 Sing, O barren one, who did not bear. Break forth into singing and cry aloud. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:03.000 You who have not been in labor, for the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married, says the Lord. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:09.000 Enlarge the place of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:18.000 Do not hold back. Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right and to the left. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.000 And your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Fear not, for you will not be ashamed. You will not be confounded, for you will not be disgraced. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:40.000 For you will forget the shame of your youth and the reproach of your widowhood. You will remember no more. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:48.000 So Father, I remember how over these last 16 years you gave us this promise again and again as a body. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.000 And now it is actually coming to fruition. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:03:00.000 Father, you compared us to a woman that never experienced childbirth, just as you're saying it in these verses in Isaiah. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.000 You're reminding us again of what you spoke to us this week, 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:09.000 how you will draw young men and women from the north and the south and the west and the east, 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:18.000 from the ends of the earth adding to those that are already here so that our tents are not large enough to contain them. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:28.000 Father, I ask you to help us to move quickly in enlarging your tent, to be prepared to receive what you have promised. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:38.000 We are rising up now to lengthen our courts and to putting in the stakes deeply enough in anticipation of the ones that are coming. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:45.000 They will thrive and flourish and mature to dispossess nations and settle in desolate cities. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:54.000 You said, don't be afraid. So we will step out in boldness. We will not be in fear but walking in your promise. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:02.000 Thank you that you have removed the shame and the reproach and that we can rejoice in the many children that you're giving to us. 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:08.000 We are full of joy and praise because you, our Heavenly Father, are with us. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:16.000 So come, Holy Spirit, move, Father, move, Holy Spirit, because your word is yes and amen. Amen. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:22.000 Hallelujah. Thank you, Heidi. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:30.000 Praise God, every prayer recorded in heaven, prayed in the will of God, shall be answered. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:38.000 Like Heidi was saying, this was a scripture that was given to us since 2006, 2009, 2016. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:44.000 It just keeps coming back and I believe the time for its fruition, like she said, is now. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:51.000 Today, if you want a title for the topic, it's Shekinah and Shekinah Planting the Gospel. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.000 Shekinah Planting the Gospel, that's the title. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:09.000 But before we go down that road, always remember, guys, throughout history, revivals are the Holy Spirit's way of awakening human hearts towards God, which are otherwise turning dull and are dying. 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:19.000 So revivals throughout history are the Holy Spirit's way of awakening human hearts. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:31.000 He does this himself, he does this because he knows that if he doesn't, then hearts will go so dull, so cold, they'll get stolen by the enemy of our souls. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:38.000 And so to avert what awaits, he just breaks through. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:44.000 And throughout history, he's done this at different times, we just happen to be in one of those times. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:57.000 And during the process, like we said over the last many days, God makes his greatness and his nearness known, pouring water on dry and thirsty ground. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:00.000 God makes his greatness and nearness known. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:07.000 Try memorizing that line, that in a revival, God makes his greatness and his nearness known. 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:23.000 And the first person that should know it is me and you, so that in our conveying what we need to convey, we don't forget that he does make his greatness and nearness known in times like this, through you and sometimes despite you. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:42.000 And in the process, he pours water on thirsty dry ground, pours water on thirsty dry ground, pours water on thirsty dry ground, pours water on thirsty dry ground, pours water on thirsty dry ground. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:51.000 Our part then is to seed with wisdom the soil that he now softens and ploughs. 00:06:51.000 --> 00:07:01.000 Our part then is to seed with wisdom the soil that he ploughs and softens. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:18.000 He'll give us a seed, but we have to use it with wisdom so that the soil that he's now softening and ploughing across the earth, across nations, across this city, will get the seed that he wants us to plant according to his wisdom. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:26.000 In Isaiah 28, we realize that there's wisdom in seeding. Once we have seed in our hands, we need to use wisdom to seed it. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:35.000 If you go to the last few words of Isaiah 28, there's this beautiful scripture there, and God will give us that wisdom, because he's in that kind of mood right now. 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:42.000 Isaiah 28, verse 25 and 26 says... 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:50.000 No, let's start at verse 23. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:08:02.000 Listen and hear my voice, pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:18.000 When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:30.000 His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Whenever there's a revival, and there is a revival here, God will begin to move men and women into places for divine encounters. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:43.000 That's another thing God does during a revival. He moves men and women into certain places so that they have divine encounters through his people or sovereignly through his direct intervention, one or the other. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:54.000 I have to walk in this awareness because my fear in situations like this, and it's a well-founded fear, is that when the meetings end, we think what God is doing has ended. 00:08:55.000 --> 00:09:09.000 Which is why in the house churches and in our conversations, we have to remind each other of what God is doing, and God will keep a record of it like it says in Haggai or Malachi, that God heard what they were saying and he wrote it down. 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:21.000 We have to spend the next three, four, five weeks conversing about what God is doing on the earth and in our midst because it would be a shame if we forgot it because there are no meetings in the evenings. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:33.000 God is not going to sustain a revival through meetings. It's a sovereign work of God sustained through his people. If we keep in conversation for the next four to five weeks, it will become natural for us. 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:43.000 It will be like the Canucks making the playoffs. You then talk about it for the next many days, and then after they lose or win, you talk about that for the next few weeks. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:58.000 It's literally like that. It becomes part of the conversation we are having. This is what we need to do. Every year from say April to September, the only thing the guys in Toronto talk about is how the Maple Leafs lost to Boston again in the playoffs. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.000 That's all they talk about. Let's not go too far with that point. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:10.000 So because there's a revival here, men and women will be moved into place for divine encounters. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:15.000 And when they're moved into place for divine encounters, you need to be aware of something else too. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:27.000 You need to be aware of something stirring in their hearts that they are unable to define, but there is an awakening happening. There is an awakening happening. We don't realize it. 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:33.000 The unfortunate part about most of us who have now been saved is that we don't realize it. 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:42.000 We have forgotten that stirring in our heart, the awakening that we could not put a finger on, that we could not define, but that was there. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:57.000 The unfortunate part about most of us who have now been saved for more than three days is that we've forgotten that stirring in our heart, the awakening that we could not put a finger on, that we could not define, but that was there. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:09.000 There's someone at the door, but let it be. Evan, don't. Yeah, let it be. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:19.000 So I want to read you a passage from the Hebrides' revival just to emphasize this point. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:32.000 On one evening, a group of between two and three hundred persons pressed with this awareness of eternal realities journeyed to the police station in town. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:44.000 They had to find relief from the internal strain that they were experiencing, and they knew that there was a policeman there who was a strong, committed Christian. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:56.000 In our case, it might be an environmental engineer or an energy engineer or an electrician or a professor at Langara or a nurse at BGH or a pianist near Boundary. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:10.000 People will suddenly realize that they have to find relief from the internal strain that they were experiencing, and they knew that there was a policeman who was a strong, committed Christian. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:18.000 And so pressed with this awareness of something that was happening within them, their journey to the police station in town. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:24.000 Duncan Campbell was informed of this gathering and proceeded there himself. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.000 On the way, he continued to witness unusual scenes. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:36.000 One of the scenes was that of four men praying by the roadside, overwhelmed with a sense of their need for God. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:41.000 Arriving at the police station, Campbell could hear people crying to God for mercy. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:47.000 One man in the crowd, seeing his wretched condition, repeatedly exclaimed, Hell is too good for me. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.000 Hell is too good for me. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Another man was seen on his knees with his mother crying out beside him, Willie, are you coming home at last? 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.000 Willie, are you coming at last? 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:03.000 Campbell stood in awe at such scenes of deep conviction. 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:13.000 People not only gathered in churches and at the police station, but on one occasion, a crowd of seekers was found waiting in a field. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:25.000 Campbell went to them and was moved to see two teenage girls who had recently been converted, counseling a deeply distressed older man who was crying out to God in prayer. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:32.000 The man happened to be the school headmaster, and the girls were encouraging him to persevere in his seeking for God. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:38.000 One of them could be heard saying to the schoolmaster, the Jesus that saved us last night can save you now. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:43.000 And so these were different scenes in just a day where things were beginning to happen. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:49.000 Guys, this is a sovereign move of God. Because we have not experienced it, we do not expect it. 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:54.000 But unfortunately, faith does not work based on whether you have experienced it or not. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:57.000 Faith is based on an expectation that this is what God will do. 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:02.000 And as you begin to step into that expectation, you experience what you're supposed to experience. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:09.000 And then you pass it down to the next generation, and the next generation cannot embrace it and hold on to that as the only way it will happen. 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:16.000 But you must expect it, and I'll do my best to remind us every day that there are divine encounters waiting to happen. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:28.000 So with regard to what we want to talk about today, here's a question that someone asked me and that I'm conveying to you. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:37.000 If you were the last Christian on the earth, and the final command you received was plant a church, 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:43.000 would Christianity die with you or would it thrive? And how would you go about it? 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:54.000 If you were the last Christian on earth, and the final command you received was plant a church, 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:00.000 would Christianity die with you or would it thrive? How would you go about it? 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:05.000 Here's a catch with this question. If you're the last Christian on earth, 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:10.000 you can't go get a few more Christians to start a church. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:15.000 You can't go tell some other believers that, listen, I'm starting a church. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:21.000 Our music team is better or our preacher is Cracker Jack. Come and Cracker Jack is such an old world word. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:28.000 I don't think anyone uses it anymore. Sorry. Our preacher is Jacob. How about that? That's modern. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:33.000 So you can't do that because you're the last Christian on earth. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:36.000 And yet there are thousands of people left on earth. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:43.000 So if you were the last Christian on the earth, and the final command you received was plant a church, 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:49.000 would Christianity die with you or would it thrive? How would you go about it? 00:15:49.000 --> 00:16:01.000 Our present Kairos, as in the present time we are in, our present Kairos demands that the way we go about it, 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:10.000 that the way we get to be the way we go about it, and the way we enlarge our tent 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:23.000 and fill in the tent with sons around a world in which we stay is what our God said. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:29.920 enlarge our tents and fill in the tents with sons and daughters from all over. 00:16:29.920 --> 00:16:51.240 The way we go about it is by planting the gospel and if we do, we will harvest churches. 00:16:51.240 --> 00:17:07.840 The present Kairos we are in demands this. It demands it. 00:17:07.840 --> 00:17:21.520 It demands it. So if you were the last Christian on earth and the final command you received was 00:17:21.520 --> 00:17:25.520 plant a church, would Christianity die with you or would it thrive? How would you go about it? 00:17:25.520 --> 00:17:32.680 Our present Kairos demands that we go about it by planting the gospel. We cannot go about it the way 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:40.280 we've been going about it because all we'll do is add to our numbers those that are already believers. 00:17:40.280 --> 00:17:51.280 We cannot do that anymore. Our present Kairos demands that the way we go about it is by planting 00:17:51.280 --> 00:17:57.280 the gospel so that we may harvest churches. Because this is what you would have to do if 00:17:57.280 --> 00:18:06.960 you were the last Christian on earth. I want to be like this. Guys, the thing with sovereign 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:11.640 moves of God is you can't amend it. You can only contaminate it if you don't do it right. 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:20.320 If you amend it, you're contaminated. And it happens in every revival, eh? Because either 00:18:20.320 --> 00:18:26.760 something is really difficult to do or because something is really wonderful or something is 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:32.200 in greater demand, we go down that route instead of staying on the straight and narrow of the 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:40.680 Spirit of God. We have to be like that cloud in Job chapter 37 where God loads up the clouds 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:45.080 with water and then he makes them go through their paces. Sometimes this way, sometimes that, 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:50.680 to deliver upon the earth extravagant love, discipline, correction, whatever is required. 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:56.680 We cannot amend this. And so I say to Acts 29 and then I take out the label of Acts 29 and I say 00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:03.240 church, wherever you're listening to this, if we want to be continuous participants in what God is 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:07.480 going to be doing on the earth for the next two or three years, this is our only choice. 00:19:10.840 --> 00:19:15.640 For us to go back to the way we were building, would be building out of time, would be building 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:22.200 according to a preceding word and not according to a proceeding word. House church leaders, 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:29.560 house church assistant leaders, pay attention. Thus far it was okay to gather towards us 00:19:30.360 --> 00:19:37.160 believers who wanted more. And I'm not saying we don't do that anymore, but the emphasis must shift 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:44.120 to this. This is now the focus. The other thing becomes peripheral, this becomes central. 00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:46.440 So blessed are you if you've just started a house church, 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:49.720 because you don't have the baggage that the others have. 00:19:56.360 --> 00:20:03.480 And so when we talk about planting the gospel, I think we need to just define the gospel again. 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:06.920 Because if people are being awakened out of their slumber, which is what happens, 00:20:07.560 --> 00:20:14.600 if like the incidents I mentioned in the article I read from the Island of Lewis, 00:20:14.600 --> 00:20:22.120 there were people by the side of the road and I love what those girls said to their schoolmaster, 00:20:22.120 --> 00:20:28.360 the Jesus that saved us lives, the Jesus that saved us lives, the Jesus that saved us lives. 00:20:28.520 --> 00:20:35.320 I love what those girls said to their schoolmaster, the Jesus that saved us last night can save you 00:20:35.320 --> 00:20:41.960 now. The cop at the police station where 300 gathered, can you imagine 300 people marching to 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.680 Derek's workplace? I mean he loses his job, but he saves 300. 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:54.200 The mother saying, Willie, you're coming home at last. 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:03.480 These stories did not happen in two days, it happened over a period of five to six to seven 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:11.720 months. When they were happening, people probably thought maybe this is a one-off incident. It is in 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:19.640 hindsight that you realize, oh shucks, look at what happened. Collect stories, guys. I'm already 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:24.840 collecting stories of what God is doing. The advantage of being the pastor is people text you 00:21:24.840 --> 00:21:28.440 telling what's happening in their lives and I'm chronicling them. 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:36.440 Things that are happening while some of these live streams are being watched, 00:21:38.840 --> 00:21:42.840 people being freed, manifestations happening. 00:21:47.320 --> 00:21:53.320 So planting the gospel, so let's just talk about the gospel. The gospel is the gospel of the 00:21:53.320 --> 00:21:58.040 world. Just talk about the gospel. The gospel simply means good news. So let's not complicate 00:21:58.040 --> 00:22:06.600 it with Greek or Hebrew. Let's just go with good news. And this good news was announced, celebrated 00:22:06.600 --> 00:22:21.560 and lived. Good news was announced, celebrated, lived. So it is not just announcement. I mean if 00:22:21.560 --> 00:22:27.480 you have a baby, you announce it, you celebrate it and then you live it because now you don't have 00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:38.120 a choice. The baby has arrived. It's a joyful living of course, but good news is always announced, 00:22:38.120 --> 00:22:44.440 celebrated and lived. So at its heart, the gospel simply means good news and it was announced, 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:52.840 celebrated and lived. And so there are three distinct usages of the gospel in the Bible, 00:22:58.760 --> 00:23:05.880 three distinct usages. So the first one was gospels as in the 00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:15.640 biography of Jesus written by the four, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. And by the way, Sue, Mark was 00:23:15.640 --> 00:23:23.560 written by Mark in case you have that question right now. So gospels were the four biographical 00:23:23.560 --> 00:23:29.640 accounts of Jesus's life 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:39.640 written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 00:23:44.920 --> 00:23:49.080 So that's one way to talk about it. Second, when Jesus was on earth, 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:57.000 when Jesus was on earth, both John the Baptist and Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:04.520 They preached the gospel of the kingdom of God, the gospel of the kingdom of God. 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:14.600 So you often hear even today this argument about, oh are we preaching the gospel of the 00:24:14.600 --> 00:24:21.080 kingdom of the gospel of grace? The gospel of the kingdom was simply this. It was this moment in 00:24:21.080 --> 00:24:29.320 history where the long-awaited messiah broke through time and space and arrived in Jesus. 00:24:29.320 --> 00:24:33.960 That was the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God that they had been waiting for 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:37.240 ages for this messiah to come. The long-awaited messiah 00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:45.640 now had arrived on earth. He had broken into history. He had arrived on earth and with his 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:53.160 arrival, the rule of God was here. That was the good news of the kingdom of God. 00:24:54.520 --> 00:25:01.720 So that's the second usage. But those are not what we are concerned with. We're just going to look at 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:06.440 we're just going to look at the good news that Paul begins to talk about. 00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:23.640 I know we know this. I'm just putting it together in a capsule so that we can swallow it easily. 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:28.120 So by the time Paul wrote his letters, it became the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:25:28.120 --> 00:25:33.640 It became the good news of Jesus Christ. 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:43.720 It became the good news of Jesus Christ. What would fall into the good news of Jesus Christ? 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:49.160 It would be his origin, his life, teachings, 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:57.480 interactions with people. I love his interactions with people. It gives you such an insight into 00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:05.000 God's nature. Interactions, his healings and miracles. 00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:09.480 And then crucifixion, 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:13.320 resurrection, 00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:24.680 ascension. And the final one is his sending of the spirit. 00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:33.400 This then became the good news of Jesus Christ. And how can you exclude any of this? 00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:43.640 His origin was critical. His life, I still, I mean who tires of reaching reading the gospels? 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:50.200 Who tires of reading the gospels? Nobody. You've read it so many times. How many Christmases have 00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:55.400 some of you been through? How many times have you heard the birth of Jesus? Why is it that your 00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:58.040 heart is still grabbed by it? Who tires of it? 00:27:02.040 --> 00:27:07.880 His origins, his teaching, his life, his teachings, brilliant. Still can't wrap our heads around the 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:14.920 Beatitudes, leave alone the rest of it. His interaction with people, be it Levi, be it Zacchaeus, 00:27:14.920 --> 00:27:20.840 be it the prostitute, be it the tax collector, be it Peter, be it Nicodemus, brilliant interactions. 00:27:20.840 --> 00:27:27.480 Brilliant interactions. Each so different, each so specific and personalized. Learn from this guys. 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:32.360 The good news teaches us how to interact with people. We need this in times of revival. 00:27:35.320 --> 00:27:42.360 It is still the same Jesus flowing through his body into the lives of people and the same response 00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:44.680 is to be expected. 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:51.720 Same Jesus, unchanging one. When we say unchanging one, we think he was king of kings before, he is 00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:56.440 the king of kings now and he'll be king of kings forever. True, but the unchanging one is also that 00:27:56.440 --> 00:28:02.360 what I was when I was here on earth is the same I was that is now presently operating through you 00:28:02.360 --> 00:28:08.120 and will be tomorrow when you step out further. There is that unchangingness about him. 00:28:09.080 --> 00:28:13.720 His healings and miracles, revivals must expect healings and miracles. 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:20.280 I was praying that to the Lord saying, dry ground, one of the things I wrote down in terms of dry 00:28:20.280 --> 00:28:26.120 ground is father, what I have seen in terms of healings and miracles on a large scale is very 00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:31.960 limited, not satisfied. It is an area that is dry in my life, pour water on it. 00:28:31.960 --> 00:28:38.760 His crucifixion, his resurrection, his ascension and the sending of the Spirit and that then becomes 00:28:38.760 --> 00:28:45.000 the heart of the proclamation that the good news of Jesus Christ is about because that alone saves. 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:51.800 So all this gives us an insight into why it is good news but at the end of the day, it is not. 00:28:51.800 --> 00:28:56.840 It is not the good news. It is the good news. It is the good news. It is the good news. 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:02.440 So all this gives us an insight into why it is good news but at the end of the day, 00:29:04.280 --> 00:29:12.520 if there is a heart to the gospel of Christ, it is this. And guys, write this down so that you 00:29:12.520 --> 00:29:19.320 don't forget this in your interactions. Through the death, resurrection, 00:29:19.320 --> 00:29:27.240 through the death, resurrection of Jesus, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, 00:29:30.520 --> 00:29:31.240 there is 00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:35.240 A. Forgiveness 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:37.160 A. Forgiveness 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:51.160 Of sin, forgiveness of sin. B. Friendship with God 00:29:56.120 --> 00:30:02.280 Friendship with God. C. Entry into eternal life 00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:07.240 Friendship with God. 00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:20.040 And there's a bit more and I'll add it after we just go over this. The good news of Jesus Christ 00:30:20.040 --> 00:30:25.880 that must be conveyed, that must be proclaimed in our interactions either initially or eventually 00:30:26.840 --> 00:30:35.080 is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, there is the forgiveness of sin, 00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:46.840 there is friendship with God and there is entry into eternal life. This cannot be diluted, this 00:30:46.840 --> 00:30:52.840 cannot be diminished. This must come true. Heidi and I were meeting with someone who came from 00:30:52.840 --> 00:31:00.040 marital counseling, not a believer and even though what we were saying to the person had nothing to 00:31:00.040 --> 00:31:08.440 do with this part, we had to bring in this part and I was explaining to her that this is important 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:14.200 if you want your marriage to succeed. Was not a believer but you can't have anything succeed 00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:20.120 without this because even if you succeed, what's the point? And in a revival guys, please, this is 00:31:20.120 --> 00:31:25.160 critical. The second part of this is 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:33.640 all these three things, forgiveness of sin, friendship with God and entry into eternal life 00:31:34.280 --> 00:31:43.960 is for any sinner who repents and trusts God. 00:31:44.360 --> 00:31:47.000 Unfortunately, even this cannot be amended. 00:31:53.560 --> 00:31:57.720 If we are passionate Christians, we can go this far but if we are obedient Christians, 00:31:57.720 --> 00:32:07.880 we have to go here. These things are available for those who will repent of their sins and trust in 00:32:08.040 --> 00:32:11.160 God. Who will repent of their sins and trust in him. 00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:15.400 If you go to 1st Corinthians 15, 00:32:16.840 --> 00:32:25.000 1st Corinthians 15, Paul never skirted this. Paul never skirted this. 00:32:29.880 --> 00:32:31.080 1st Corinthians 15, 00:32:31.080 --> 00:32:35.880 1st Corinthians 15, verse 1 to 4. 00:32:40.600 --> 00:32:47.240 Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which 00:32:47.240 --> 00:32:54.360 you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached 00:32:54.360 --> 00:33:00.680 to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of 00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:07.720 the first importance that Christ died for us sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:13.400 that he was raised and on the third day according to scriptures and that he appeared to Peter and 00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:21.720 then to 12. So here again he's saying, listen guys, you can't amend this. What I received I passed on 00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:28.360 to you as of first importance. As in, guys, you cannot dilute, diminish, amend this. You cannot 00:33:28.440 --> 00:33:32.680 skirt around it. That Christ died for us sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, 00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:36.600 that he was raised on the third day according to scriptures. That is the good news. Anything else 00:33:36.600 --> 00:33:44.760 that is done to change this is no longer good news. It is news. It is even pleasing to the ears. 00:33:44.760 --> 00:33:46.920 It is acceptable, but it does not save. 00:33:46.920 --> 00:33:59.400 So tell your stories. Tell your stories. I mean one of the coolest things about Jesus was most 00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:04.520 everything he conveyed, he conveyed through stories. Tell your stories. But sometimes what 00:34:04.520 --> 00:34:12.360 happens with us as believers is that in our telling of stories we witness, but we don't 00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:18.840 necessarily go to the heart of the gospel. Go beyond witnessing about what Jesus did for you 00:34:18.840 --> 00:34:26.600 to the heart of the gospel. That is what I find myself skirting around. I'll tell them what Jesus 00:34:26.600 --> 00:34:35.160 did for me, how Jesus benefits me, but I must lead or I must go on to who Jesus is from what 00:34:35.160 --> 00:34:43.720 he did for me. And if I don't, people cannot be saved. Tell your stories, but go beyond witnessing 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:53.400 about what Jesus did for you to who Jesus is. And to tell people who Jesus is, we'll have to go here 00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:59.720 because if you don't go there, then people cannot be saved. 00:35:05.320 --> 00:35:07.960 I wish I could say any questions and then you could ask questions. 00:35:10.520 --> 00:35:17.080 So please tell your stories. It's one of the coolest ways to convey any truth and we learn 00:35:17.080 --> 00:35:25.400 it from our master Jesus. So don't avoid stories, but after you tell your story, take them from 00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:32.760 how you benefited and what Jesus did for you to who Jesus is. And then as you present who Jesus is, 00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:39.960 that is when people get saved. And at a time like this, Jesus put it this way to I think Nicodemus, 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:45.080 maybe to Nicodemus, you look at the clouds and you know it is raining. Why don't you know the times? 00:35:45.080 --> 00:35:52.040 Maybe he said it to the Pharisees. The point being, hey church, look at the sky. You know there are 00:35:52.040 --> 00:35:56.360 clouds and so you know it's going to rain. Well then why don't you know that there's a sovereign 00:35:56.360 --> 00:36:01.640 move of God upon the earth right now, Jacob? There's a revival at hand. I'm plowing up ground, 00:36:01.640 --> 00:36:08.200 I'm pouring water on thirsty land. Go sow seed with wisdom. Tell your stories. Tell them, 00:36:08.200 --> 00:36:13.080 I'm setting up people, bringing them into places where they might have divine encounters, 00:36:13.080 --> 00:36:17.800 some directly, sovereignly through me, some through you. But as they come into your presence, 00:36:17.800 --> 00:36:26.200 you cannot now step back from who my son is because that alone saves. And that is how young 00:36:26.200 --> 00:36:32.600 men and young women who thus far may have been entertained by Jesus will know who Jesus is. 00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:45.720 Romans 1 16 to 17 says that we are not ashamed of the gospel and I really believe that for all of 00:36:45.720 --> 00:36:54.680 us, that none of us are ashamed of the gospel. None of us are ashamed of the gospel. But 00:36:56.520 --> 00:37:01.880 we aren't, we are not ashamed of the gospel. We are not ashamed of the gospel. 00:37:06.120 --> 00:37:12.680 We are not ashamed of the gospel but we are not, but we are not persuaded, 00:37:16.120 --> 00:37:21.720 we are not persuaded that it is sophisticated enough 00:37:26.520 --> 00:37:29.720 for 00:37:34.200 --> 00:37:35.880 the young men and women of today. 00:37:44.600 --> 00:37:50.360 That is way too simple or way too unreasonable or way too foolish that there has to be some kind of 00:37:50.520 --> 00:37:55.560 apologetics behind it, that there must be a way to explain it. Go ahead, Don. 00:38:04.280 --> 00:38:04.840 Say that again. 00:38:11.640 --> 00:38:18.120 Yeah, what is the way we can convey the worth of achieving eternal life with God? I would say 00:38:18.120 --> 00:38:27.800 the focus or emphasis should be on achieving relationship with him who is of unsurpassing 00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:34.040 worth. Eternal life just happens to be something that comes with it. So rather than focus on 00:38:34.040 --> 00:38:40.920 eternal life, we focus on the eternal one who is of unsurpassing worth, that we pursue him not because 00:38:41.560 --> 00:38:49.640 he's a purpose giver, not because he'll give me healing, not because he's a healer, 00:38:50.200 --> 00:38:53.800 not because he's a history maker, not because he's a sin remover, 00:38:55.720 --> 00:39:03.880 not because he's a comforter. We pursue him and tomorrow when God begins to tell us who he wants 00:39:03.880 --> 00:39:09.400 us to present him as, you'll realize that the one thing he's looking for in young men and young 00:39:09.400 --> 00:39:13.800 women is pursue me not for any other reason, not because I'll give you purpose, not because 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:17.480 I'll give you a destiny, not because I'll make you a history maker, not because I'll take away 00:39:17.480 --> 00:39:23.320 your sin, not because I will make your life prosperous. Pursue me because I am simply so 00:39:24.120 --> 00:39:31.800 worth it because I'm of unsurpassing worth. There is a purity he's going to bring upon the earth 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:36.440 amongst young men and young women where their only reason to pursue him is you have the words 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:43.320 of eternal life. Where can we go? That is how this revival is different. 00:39:48.760 --> 00:39:57.080 That we get eternal life is important because if we don't present that we also are not able to say 00:39:57.080 --> 00:40:01.720 that there is another place that you go to if you do not receive eternal life. 00:40:02.360 --> 00:40:07.800 But it is the one of eternal worth, unsurpassing worth as Paul says I think in Colossians that we 00:40:07.800 --> 00:40:17.000 are focusing on. There is no soft pitching in this. There's just very simple. 00:40:19.960 --> 00:40:23.160 There's no costuming the cross in this revival. 00:40:23.400 --> 00:40:26.120 There's no costuming the cross in this revival. 00:40:34.280 --> 00:40:42.760 So even though we're not ashamed of the gospel, we are not persuaded that it is sophisticated enough 00:40:43.560 --> 00:40:50.520 for today's young man or today's young woman and that is why we then try skirting around the issue 00:40:50.520 --> 00:40:55.000 because we think we might lose them if we tell them how foolish and simple it is. 00:40:56.440 --> 00:41:03.880 And it's not a new struggle guys. It's a very very old struggle. Paul said that listen 00:41:04.600 --> 00:41:11.720 in 1st Corinthians 1.23 he said I know this. I know that 1st Corinthians 1.18 to 23 he talks about 00:41:11.720 --> 00:41:17.400 I realize guys that to the Jews this is a stumbling block and to the rest of the people 00:41:17.400 --> 00:41:23.480 when he says Greeks he meant everybody else to the rest of the people it's foolish. The message 00:41:23.480 --> 00:41:30.200 of the cross is very hard for Jews to look at and it is absolute foolishness to the rest of the world. 00:41:30.200 --> 00:41:33.800 He struggled with it 2020 years ago and we are still struggling with it 00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:37.800 because we don't think it's sophisticated enough. 00:41:41.640 --> 00:41:46.520 In a world where there's apologetics and there is presentations and there's dramatic ways of 00:41:46.520 --> 00:41:51.800 doing things and there's smoke and there's light and there are moving stories and celebrity stories 00:41:51.800 --> 00:41:59.000 and all of these things that we use as bait and hook to draw people in sometimes what just gets 00:41:59.000 --> 00:42:08.840 lost in the whole thing is Jesus Christ died for you and then rose again and if you as a sinner 00:42:08.840 --> 00:42:16.200 repent and trust in that you will have your sins forgiven. You will become friends with God and 00:42:16.200 --> 00:42:22.200 you will gain eternal life. My god that sounds so not sophisticated. 00:42:26.680 --> 00:42:31.800 And so what I want to do right now before we go further is nail sophistication to the cross. 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:39.640 Let us nail sophistication to the cross. 1st Corinthians 1.23 what does it say? 1st Corinthians 1.23 00:42:40.120 --> 00:42:48.120 This is something Chad spoke on December 31st. He said oh god as your glory comes to disrupt 00:42:48.120 --> 00:42:51.080 oh god we no longer want to be Christians that are cool. 00:42:54.200 --> 00:42:56.200 Today we end cool Christianity 00:43:00.120 --> 00:43:05.160 because it's been highly unsuccessful. 1st Corinthians 1.23 00:43:06.040 --> 00:43:07.640 1st Corinthians 1.23 00:43:09.800 --> 00:43:13.240 starting at verse 20. Where is the wise man? 00:43:15.640 --> 00:43:20.600 Starting at verse 18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing 00:43:21.160 --> 00:43:23.640 but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. 00:43:26.040 --> 00:43:31.560 For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent 00:43:31.560 --> 00:43:37.800 I will frustrate my god man how we try to be intelligent to convey a truth. 00:43:39.240 --> 00:43:44.360 I will destroy the wisdom of the wise forgive us lord forgive us Jesus forgive me lord 00:43:48.040 --> 00:43:48.680 forgive me 00:43:51.240 --> 00:43:57.640 you want us to use our intelligence but to depend on it would be so 00:44:02.200 --> 00:44:03.160 counter-crossish 00:44:06.520 --> 00:44:11.240 I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate 00:44:13.080 --> 00:44:13.640 go ahead Don 00:44:21.960 --> 00:44:23.640 how do we convey the 00:44:24.120 --> 00:44:27.640 how do we convey the connection between need to pursue and someone of worth 00:44:28.680 --> 00:44:33.640 the only way to convey it is to show it through our lives that I am in pursuit of someone of 00:44:33.640 --> 00:44:41.160 infinite worth I want to present him to you and I can show you how to both pursue and why he is 00:44:41.160 --> 00:44:48.120 worth pursuing because we are talking about an invisible inaudible and the truth is that 00:44:48.200 --> 00:44:53.160 he is worth pursuing because we are talking about an invisible inaudible 00:44:54.520 --> 00:45:00.840 person and the only way we can convey it is through the word becoming flesh we have to do 00:45:00.840 --> 00:45:07.800 what Jesus did he came to the earth to show the father he came to reveal what it is when man is 00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:13.960 in relationship with God he came to do what Adam lost we have to do the same 00:45:18.840 --> 00:45:25.160 Christ has to be pinched touched his nail scarred hands have to have 00:45:25.160 --> 00:45:29.160 people put their fingers in it and you are now that body 00:45:35.560 --> 00:45:39.720 and you will either be rejected received or stoned 00:45:39.720 --> 00:45:49.480 and to those that are perishing the cross is anathema but to those who are being saved 00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:54.920 it is the power of God and to salvation and thank God we are not in that group that things 00:45:55.640 --> 00:46:00.760 okay since only a few are being saved why bother now we do not know we leave that with God 00:46:03.320 --> 00:46:08.040 where is the wise man verse 20 where is the scholar where is the philosopher of this age has 00:46:08.040 --> 00:46:13.720 not God made foolish the wisdom of the world for since in the wisdom of God the world through its 00:46:13.720 --> 00:46:19.400 wisdom did not know him God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached God was 00:46:19.400 --> 00:46:25.160 pleased they remember this every time we return to the simple message of the death and the 00:46:25.160 --> 00:46:34.440 resurrection of Jesus Christ God is pleased sometimes that is reason enough if that is 00:46:34.440 --> 00:46:39.800 what comes to my mind I will choose it every time than looking cool or sophisticated or 00:46:39.800 --> 00:46:46.440 intelligent or wise God is pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those 00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:53.080 who believe because that's the only way people get saved Jews demand miraculous signs Greeks look for 00:46:53.080 --> 00:46:59.720 wisdom but we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to the Jews foolishness to Gentiles but to 00:46:59.720 --> 00:47:05.320 those whom God has called were Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 00:47:05.320 --> 00:47:09.800 for the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than 00:47:09.800 --> 00:47:13.880 man's strength guys we must remember who's writing this Paul a brilliant guy 00:47:16.600 --> 00:47:22.040 talk about intelligent talk about the ability to take the word and tie your 00:47:22.040 --> 00:47:27.800 shoes in a knot the point being guys that here is a guy who was brilliant he could have used 00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:37.560 every argument he occasionally did so let us nail sophistication to the cross let's pray against 00:47:37.560 --> 00:47:47.000 the fear of being uncool fools let us pray against the fear of being uncool fools let's pray now 00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:49.560 uncool fools let's pray now 00:47:53.320 --> 00:47:53.800 Jesus 00:47:57.320 --> 00:48:00.520 we want to transact things with you 00:48:01.640 --> 00:48:05.320 we don't want to think about this message later on we want to do it now 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:13.720 we want to lose the fear of being uncool and foolish I want to lose the fear today for the 00:48:13.720 --> 00:48:23.640 rest of my life of being uncool and foolish it pleases you and it saves people that is enough 00:48:23.640 --> 00:48:32.360 it pleases you and it saves people that is enough so today I nail all forms of 00:48:32.360 --> 00:48:42.920 coolness all forms of sophistication all forms of being a Christian in the know a Christian who is 00:48:42.920 --> 00:48:50.280 cool and worldly and yet has an in with God I despise it I spit on it 00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:55.800 I say with Paul that I counted as dog dung 00:49:00.120 --> 00:49:05.480 forgive me Lord if there are people who have religious education we lay it down 00:49:06.760 --> 00:49:11.480 if there are people that are more intelligent than others and it's been proven we lay it down 00:49:12.600 --> 00:49:16.440 if there are people with great oratorial skills we lay it down 00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:23.000 if there are people with great oratorial skills we lay it down if there are people that have 00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:31.240 risen in life and have a reputation amongst people as a good savvy Christian we lay it down 00:49:33.800 --> 00:49:40.680 if there are people that think of us as man he's a Christian but boy you should see him he's 00:49:40.920 --> 00:49:49.560 he just knows how to walk both we laid down today oh God we go and say with Paul that we despise it 00:49:49.560 --> 00:49:53.880 and we look at it as dog dung we're actually going to look at the scripture from the message 00:49:53.880 --> 00:50:00.840 because dog dung sounds horrible but that is what I am going to consider sophistication 00:50:02.120 --> 00:50:06.120 and cool Christianity from now on it ain't for me 00:50:06.120 --> 00:50:10.280 so we're going to go to that message version 00:50:24.680 --> 00:50:32.200 it's in Philippians 3 8 Philippians 3 8 reading from the message 00:50:32.440 --> 00:50:34.280 Philippians 3 8 reading from the message 00:50:42.760 --> 00:50:48.200 I'm going to change the word so it applies to me and you can change it according to your preference 00:50:48.200 --> 00:50:54.360 the very the very credentials that I have been waving around as something special 00:50:54.520 --> 00:50:55.640 as something special 00:50:59.480 --> 00:51:04.520 the very credentials that I have been waving around as something special 00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:11.240 I'm tearing up and throwing it out with the trash 00:51:13.880 --> 00:51:21.560 along with everything else I used to take credit for and why because of Christ 00:51:21.560 --> 00:51:26.760 yes all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life 00:51:28.520 --> 00:51:38.040 one of them being sophisticated or being a cool Christian no longer compared to the high privilege 00:51:38.040 --> 00:51:43.960 of knowing Christ Jesus as my master firsthand everything I once thought I had going for me 00:51:44.280 --> 00:51:49.160 everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant dog dung 00:51:50.680 --> 00:51:56.760 I've dumped it all in the trash so that I may embrace Christ and be embraced by him 00:52:00.360 --> 00:52:07.000 so father today and for years on end as people listen to this teaching 00:52:07.960 --> 00:52:13.240 maybe hear the sound of hammer on nail as sophistication is nailed to the cross 00:52:13.800 --> 00:52:20.760 and people return to the foolishness of Christ hung on a cross and Christ risen from the dead 00:52:21.400 --> 00:52:24.040 which alone is the power of God unto salvation 00:52:24.040 --> 00:52:26.440 which alone is the power of God unto salvation 00:52:35.800 --> 00:52:43.160 so guys this foolish grace that we will begin to preach will produce a wave of awakened inquirers 00:52:43.160 --> 00:52:48.600 of converted sinners of spiritually renewed believers this foolish grace that we will begin 00:52:48.600 --> 00:52:53.960 to preach that we will speak into divine encounters that we will weave into our stories is going to now 00:52:54.040 --> 00:53:02.040 across the earth raise a group of awakened inquirers who we can then lead of solidly 00:53:02.040 --> 00:53:11.640 converted sinners and of renewed believers before we end I want us to recount our salvation 00:53:12.200 --> 00:53:18.680 I want us to take time to recount our salvation that despite your intellect despite your sophistry 00:53:18.680 --> 00:53:25.800 despite your sin-soaked pleasure how come you turn to him how come you turn to him how come 00:53:25.800 --> 00:53:30.120 it worked for you or why is it that we are not convinced that it'll work for others 00:53:32.280 --> 00:53:39.560 so just take a moment think of how you got saved I'm actually saying take two three minutes to 00:53:39.560 --> 00:53:41.880 think of it just ponder on it 00:53:54.200 --> 00:53:57.400 think of the books you used to read the ideology you had 00:54:01.800 --> 00:54:07.640 the sin-soaked pleasure that you thoroughly enjoyed that you didn't want to move away from 00:54:09.560 --> 00:54:11.640 your life 00:54:25.160 --> 00:54:29.640 think of the callous self-centered existence that you lived 00:54:30.600 --> 00:54:39.480 or think of the good life you had a good religious life where there was no need for anything more 00:54:40.200 --> 00:54:43.720 because you were so much better than most people 00:54:51.960 --> 00:54:54.520 think how intellectually sound you were 00:54:59.640 --> 00:55:03.720 to use an old phrase but the hound of heaven was pursuing you 00:55:10.040 --> 00:55:11.720 wouldn't let go 00:55:18.280 --> 00:55:24.600 didn't matter where you went you would hear a song you would hear an annoying pre-destruction 00:55:24.600 --> 00:55:30.040 didn't matter where you went you would hear a song you would hear an annoying pre-test 00:55:31.160 --> 00:55:32.200 about salvation 00:55:38.280 --> 00:55:42.760 you would remember that there is a god but not today 00:55:44.840 --> 00:55:49.240 you did that a thousand times but he would turn up again 00:55:55.560 --> 00:55:59.320 there were times when the rug was pulled from underneath you and you would turn to him 00:56:00.600 --> 00:56:04.200 begging him for mercy and he would do what you asked to and then you would turn your back on him 00:56:04.920 --> 00:56:07.240 and the next morning he'd be there again 00:56:07.320 --> 00:56:09.320 you 00:56:19.720 --> 00:56:27.320 some of us worshiped idols false gods ancestral gods 00:56:27.320 --> 00:56:34.920 some of us couldn't stand the gods of our mums and dads and the religious rituals be it christianity 00:56:34.920 --> 00:56:41.400 or other religions but there he was again 00:56:42.120 --> 00:56:45.080 rituals be it christianity or other religions 00:56:48.520 --> 00:56:49.480 but there he was again 00:57:01.480 --> 00:57:06.760 and then one day something happens and your heart turns and you don't fully understand it 00:57:07.640 --> 00:57:12.200 but something happens 00:57:16.040 --> 00:57:23.560 and you know even though you don't know you know that he died for you and that he likes you 00:57:29.960 --> 00:57:31.160 and you call out to him 00:57:31.160 --> 00:57:39.960 and you don't know how it will work but you ask him to forgive your sins and as you say that 00:57:43.800 --> 00:57:45.800 you somehow know something is changing 00:57:53.560 --> 00:57:56.920 and you give him your life and you invite him into your life and 00:57:57.560 --> 00:58:00.920 sometimes with tears sometimes with absolutely no emotions 00:58:06.680 --> 00:58:14.920 you get up and that's it the rest of your life changes for all eternity 00:58:18.120 --> 00:58:26.120 and we worship you jesus for what you've done we worship you if i were to write the stories 00:58:26.120 --> 00:58:31.960 before people got born again if i were to take the stories of each person listening be fascinating 00:58:36.440 --> 00:58:41.480 we worship you jesus if you could do it with my life surely you can do it with 00:58:41.480 --> 00:58:43.640 the lives of someone else caught up in drugs 00:58:47.320 --> 00:58:48.920 why is it that i think you can't 00:58:48.920 --> 00:59:01.960 and we worship you jesus father we want to recover the joy and the freshness of salvation 00:59:01.960 --> 00:59:07.160 before we leave this place the joy and the freshness of salvation we want to go back to 00:59:07.160 --> 00:59:12.760 the story that you wrote that day for some of us three months ago for some of us 20 30 40 years 00:59:12.760 --> 00:59:18.920 ago and we want to just with hearts brimming with joy say oh god you saved me oh god you saved me 00:59:20.200 --> 00:59:21.480 oh god you saved me 00:59:25.960 --> 00:59:27.080 god you saved me 00:59:30.360 --> 00:59:37.160 want to stand next to the school master who's weeping want to stand next to 200 300 at the 00:59:37.160 --> 00:59:43.160 police station crying out the same that we cry out now oh god you saved me 00:59:46.440 --> 00:59:49.160 amazing grace oh god how we've forgotten 00:59:51.400 --> 00:59:52.920 how we've forgotten oh god 00:59:56.280 --> 01:00:01.080 how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me 01:00:07.720 --> 01:00:09.720 so 01:00:14.280 --> 01:00:18.680 that day is present before you as freshest today oh god 01:00:24.120 --> 01:00:26.280 and the angels sang and celebrated 01:00:30.520 --> 01:00:35.480 and you rejoiced at the return of a son and a daughter how many more father how many more 01:00:35.480 --> 01:00:47.160 to come in how many more father help me help us to recover the freshness and the joy of salvation 01:00:47.160 --> 01:00:54.680 as it says in isaiah 12 that don will put up on the screen isaiah 12 it says i will draw to the 01:00:54.680 --> 01:01:03.880 wells of salvation buckets full and now pour it out i will tell of what god has done i will 01:01:04.760 --> 01:01:08.760 boast of his reputation i will sing songs about what he has done 01:01:16.200 --> 01:01:19.640 jesus it was your death and your resurrection that saved me 01:01:22.120 --> 01:01:24.040 it was the forgiveness of my sins 01:01:26.440 --> 01:01:30.920 and my friendship with god that sustains me surely 01:01:31.880 --> 01:01:34.840 my mouth will be full of this as we go forward 01:01:41.320 --> 01:01:46.760 so father as we sing this simple song that says my chains are gone i've been set free and then we go 01:01:46.760 --> 01:01:53.160 into amazing grace i just pray that one of the things you do in our midst holy spirit 01:01:53.160 --> 01:01:57.480 is to help us recover the freshness and the joy of salvation 01:01:57.480 --> 01:02:02.520 the freshness and the joy of salvation the freshness and the joy of salvation 01:02:03.160 --> 01:02:09.000 isaiah 12 3 to 6 from the message says joyfully now we will pull up buckets of water from the 01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:14.760 wells of salvation and as you do jacob you'll say give thanks to god call out his name ask him 01:02:14.760 --> 01:02:20.360 anything shout to the nations tell them what he's done spread the news of his great reputation sing 01:02:20.360 --> 01:02:26.760 praises to god he's done it all let the whole earth know what he's done raise the roof sing your 01:02:27.240 --> 01:02:32.600 hearts out of zion the greatest lives among you the holy of israel father this is what we want to 01:02:32.600 --> 01:02:38.840 do we just don't want to tell our stories we want to tell your story it has benefited our lives but 01:02:38.840 --> 01:02:45.160 we want to tell your story we go from the benefits in our life to who you are that is what your 01:02:45.160 --> 01:02:52.360 reputation is about that is the good news thank you for reminding me that you saved me 01:02:52.360 --> 01:03:00.440 i'm eternally grateful will be eternally grateful so now come holy spirit do only what you can do 01:03:00.440 --> 01:03:08.840 do what my words can never do bring back to us the joy and the freshness of our salvation 01:03:11.320 --> 01:03:16.520 help us recover our first love so you can sing and talk about it in jesus name amen 01:03:22.520 --> 01:03:26.120 um 01:03:41.720 --> 01:03:50.120 so 01:05:22.360 --> 01:05:29.360 Amazing grace. 01:05:29.360 --> 01:05:34.360 Amazing grace. 01:05:34.360 --> 01:05:45.360 How sweet this saved a wretch like me. 01:05:45.360 --> 01:05:52.360 I once was lost but now I'm found. 01:05:52.360 --> 01:05:57.360 Was blind but now I see. 01:05:57.360 --> 01:05:59.360 Twas grace. 01:05:59.360 --> 01:06:06.360 Twas grace that taught my heart to pain. 01:06:06.360 --> 01:06:13.360 And graced my fears with relief. 01:06:13.360 --> 01:06:20.360 How precious did that grace appear. 01:06:20.360 --> 01:06:26.360 The hour I first believed. 01:06:26.360 --> 01:06:30.360 My chains are gone. 01:06:30.360 --> 01:06:34.360 I've been set free. 01:06:34.360 --> 01:06:41.360 My God, my Savior has rest on me. 01:06:41.360 --> 01:06:48.360 And like a flood, His mercy reigns. 01:06:48.360 --> 01:06:51.360 Unending love. 01:06:51.360 --> 01:06:56.360 Amazing grace. 01:06:56.360 --> 01:06:59.360 The Lord has promised. 01:06:59.360 --> 01:07:06.360 The Lord has promised good to me. 01:07:06.360 --> 01:07:13.360 His word my hope secured. 01:07:13.360 --> 01:07:20.360 He will my shield, and portion me. 01:07:20.360 --> 01:07:26.360 As long as life can yours. 01:07:26.360 --> 01:07:30.360 My chains are gone. 01:07:30.360 --> 01:07:33.360 I've been set free. 01:07:33.360 --> 01:07:40.360 My God, my Savior has ransomed me. 01:07:40.360 --> 01:07:47.360 And like a flood, His mercy reigns. 01:07:47.360 --> 01:07:51.360 Unending love. 01:07:51.360 --> 01:07:55.360 Amazing grace. 01:07:55.360 --> 01:07:59.360 The earth shall soon. 01:07:59.360 --> 01:08:06.360 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow. 01:08:06.360 --> 01:08:13.360 The sun bore bare to shine. 01:08:13.360 --> 01:08:20.360 But God who called me here below. 01:08:20.360 --> 01:08:27.360 Will be forever mine. 01:08:27.360 --> 01:08:31.360 Will be forever mine. 01:08:31.360 --> 01:08:34.360 You are forever mine. 01:08:34.360 --> 01:08:38.360 You are forever mine. 01:08:38.360 --> 01:08:40.360 My chains are gone. 01:08:40.360 --> 01:08:43.360 My chains are gone. 01:08:43.360 --> 01:08:47.360 I've been set free. 01:08:47.360 --> 01:08:54.360 My God, my Savior has ransomed me. 01:08:54.360 --> 01:09:01.360 And like a flood, His mercy reigns. 01:09:01.360 --> 01:09:04.360 Unending love. 01:09:04.360 --> 01:09:08.360 Amazing grace. 01:09:08.360 --> 01:09:11.360 My chains are gone. 01:09:11.360 --> 01:09:15.360 I've been set free. 01:09:15.360 --> 01:09:22.360 My God, my Savior has ransomed me. 01:09:22.360 --> 01:09:29.360 And like a flood, His mercy reigns. 01:09:29.360 --> 01:09:33.360 Unending love. 01:09:33.360 --> 01:09:37.360 Amazing grace. 01:09:37.360 --> 01:09:44.360 And like a flood, His mercy reigns. 01:09:44.360 --> 01:09:48.360 Unending love. 01:09:49.360 --> 01:09:52.360 Amazing grace. 01:09:59.360 --> 01:10:04.360 I want to share a very quick story that happened yesterday and then we'll pray and close. 01:10:04.360 --> 01:10:12.360 So the last, Pawan and I, we've been talking about God sending us out for encounters. 01:10:12.360 --> 01:10:15.360 And so just yesterday we were driving in Wally. 01:10:15.360 --> 01:10:28.360 And during the drive, Pawan says, God just told me that there is a man who is wearing a red jacket and he has a cart with him. 01:10:28.360 --> 01:10:30.360 We need to meet him. 01:10:30.360 --> 01:10:34.360 So we said, Father, if this is what you want us to do today, we are in for it. 01:10:34.360 --> 01:10:38.360 Two minutes driving through Wally and we see this man. 01:10:38.360 --> 01:10:40.360 And we step out. 01:10:40.360 --> 01:10:44.360 We start talking with three young men. 01:10:44.360 --> 01:10:49.360 And this guy that we were talking with, the guy with the red jacket, he was 24 years old. 01:10:49.360 --> 01:10:57.360 And initially for the first three to four minutes, I can't even begin to explain to you how difficult he was. 01:10:57.360 --> 01:11:01.360 Because he just, there was spiritual elements to it too. 01:11:01.360 --> 01:11:04.360 But then God asked us to pray. We prayed. 01:11:04.360 --> 01:11:10.360 Just like a mountain melts, things began to change. 01:11:10.360 --> 01:11:16.360 And he was open to us, Pawan particularly, Pawan talking about Christ to him. 01:11:16.360 --> 01:11:21.360 And Pawan said, I used to be someone who dealt with drugs. 01:11:21.360 --> 01:11:24.360 I know you are in it. And he said, yes. 01:11:24.360 --> 01:11:31.360 And he heard about Jesus. He was open to us praying for his mom, for him. 01:11:31.360 --> 01:11:36.360 And things changed so quickly in a span of three to four minutes as we prayed to God. 01:11:36.360 --> 01:11:41.360 And we are talking about lives being touched because God has already started doing this. 01:11:41.360 --> 01:11:43.360 He has already started doing this. 01:11:43.360 --> 01:11:47.360 So I just shared that story only because he is so active. 01:11:47.360 --> 01:11:52.360 He has so many lives he wants to touch through all of you listening to this. 01:11:52.360 --> 01:11:54.360 All of us under this roof. 01:11:54.360 --> 01:11:56.360 And this is happening right now. 01:11:56.360 --> 01:11:58.360 So let's pray. 01:11:58.360 --> 01:12:01.360 In line with what we have been hearing today. 01:12:01.360 --> 01:12:05.360 Let's surrender to God for that which he has for us. 01:12:05.360 --> 01:12:09.360 And let's lay aside everything that stands in the way. 01:12:09.360 --> 01:12:14.360 Because God wants to use us, simple people like us, to influence and change the world. 01:12:14.360 --> 01:12:18.360 So Father, we come to you. 01:12:18.360 --> 01:12:24.360 I just thank you, Abba, because of your grand plan for the world. 01:12:24.360 --> 01:12:29.360 Abba, this is for the world, for nations, continents. 01:12:29.360 --> 01:12:32.360 You are changing lives, Abba. 01:12:32.360 --> 01:12:39.360 And you, for some reason, you are saying, all of us here, all of us listening to this, 01:12:39.360 --> 01:12:44.360 all of us under this roof, you are saying, I want you to start running with this. 01:12:44.360 --> 01:12:50.360 So Father, as a body, we come together and we lay aside all sophistication. 01:12:50.360 --> 01:12:53.360 We lay aside all sophistication, Abba. 01:12:53.360 --> 01:12:55.360 We want your simpleness. 01:12:55.360 --> 01:13:01.360 Jesus, you were so simple, you hung out with fishermen who no one wanted to hang out with. 01:13:02.360 --> 01:13:08.360 Jesus, your simplicity exposed the foolishness of the world. 01:13:08.360 --> 01:13:13.360 So I want simplicity. Father, we want simplicity. 01:13:13.360 --> 01:13:18.360 Father, as Jacob reminded us today, we are not ashamed of the Gospel, 01:13:18.360 --> 01:13:26.360 but many a time we don't believe in the power of the Gospel. 01:13:26.360 --> 01:13:33.360 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, but then it says, it is the power of God unto salvation. 01:13:33.360 --> 01:13:40.360 And so Father, as a body we recognize that your Gospel, your story, your redemptive work, 01:13:40.360 --> 01:13:46.360 your birth, your life, your death, your resurrection, that is what we will proclaim. 01:13:46.360 --> 01:13:48.360 That is what we will shout out to the world. 01:13:48.360 --> 01:13:53.360 It is your story, your redemptive work. It is what saved us. 01:13:53.360 --> 01:13:57.360 It is what changed our lives. It is what is changing our lives today. 01:13:57.360 --> 01:14:02.360 It is what saved Pawan. It is what saved many of us here, Abba. All of us here, Abba. 01:14:02.360 --> 01:14:06.360 It is what saved us. And so I will not be ashamed. 01:14:06.360 --> 01:14:11.360 We will not be ashamed of the Gospel, but we will also believe in the power of the Gospel. 01:14:11.360 --> 01:14:14.360 So Abba, you're saying that there are new births happening. 01:14:14.360 --> 01:14:18.360 You're saying that there are new births happening right now. 01:14:18.360 --> 01:14:20.360 So church, let's pray into that right now. 01:14:20.360 --> 01:14:26.360 This is just beginning. There is a wave after wave after wave of God's redemptive work, 01:14:26.360 --> 01:14:30.360 God's new birth occurring across the face of the planet. 01:14:30.360 --> 01:14:34.360 And so Father, you're showing new births. And we say, yes, we welcome you in. 01:14:34.360 --> 01:14:39.360 We welcome you in from the north, from the south, from the east, from the west, 01:14:39.360 --> 01:14:42.360 people who are in your homes. Look to the surrounding areas. 01:14:42.360 --> 01:14:49.360 Look, speak life into those areas. Speak into the lives that are going to be born again right now. 01:14:49.360 --> 01:14:54.360 Speak to the lives that are going to be changed for eternity over the next few days. 01:14:54.360 --> 01:14:58.360 Do it right now because God is saying there are new births. 01:14:58.360 --> 01:15:04.360 Father, I believe that even right now in this area, there are new births happening 01:15:04.360 --> 01:15:08.360 because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God, you are saying, 01:15:08.360 --> 01:15:13.360 I will give them dreams. I will give them visions. I will visit them. 01:15:13.360 --> 01:15:19.360 I will speak to them. And then we will go out to you, Father, with your story, with your gospel. 01:15:19.360 --> 01:15:24.360 We thank you. We are just waiting for more of you, Father, more of you. 01:15:24.360 --> 01:15:29.360 We're just getting started. We know. We thank you. Amen.