WEBVTT

NOTE
Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver
Episode: Witness - Part 1
Publishing Date: 2024-07-21T06:04:44-07:00
Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca
Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/witness-part-1/

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So I'm going to ask Tuni and Anilay and I think he wanted to bring Nick up to Nick to

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come up.

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There's this church that's been happening in Northland called Lifehouse 360.

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And so most of us don't know what's happening, so I just thought I'll ask Tuni and Anilay

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and Nick to come up and talk about it.

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Because there's the Wally Outreeds that's happening, there's Revive 24 which is happening

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in Langley every week on Thursdays, and then there's Lifehouse 360 Northland, all part

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of what we're doing as a church.

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So I'm going to ask Tuni to come up and take five minutes and talk about that.

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And then I'll continue from there on.

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Hello.

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Hello, friends.

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We want to briefly share about what's happening in Nord-Van.

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So just to cover a little bit about how it started, it was in 2022.

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The Lord would put Nord-Van in our hearts, so we would drive there and ask what God wants

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to do there.

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And nothing.

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We would go month after month and pray and ask the Lord for what he wants to do there.

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And we did that for a year.

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And it was in 2023 in the summer when we found out what we...

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There was a big area where there were no church in that area, so we showed it to Derek and

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Jacob and then they suggested us that we should start a church.

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And so that's how we landed there.

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And just when we were going and praying there and asking for space to rent so that we can

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go and meet.

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And I'm just going to tell one story of how we ended in that church.

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And I think the other two can share.

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So we would drive in that area and ask people.

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We have asked restaurants, schools, and daycare.

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We have asked in different places and we couldn't find and we struggled to get a place.

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And then one day we were walking on the Grand Boulevard and we saw this church.

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It's an Anglican church.

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And we felt the Lord saying, go to that church.

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So we went inside and the lady gave us a business card of the priest and then we immediately

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texted the priest and then the priest said, come and meet me on Tuesday.

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So Nick and I, we went to meet the priest and then the priest asked, who are you guys?

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What's your intent?

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What brought you here to North Vancouver?

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What's your intent?

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And so we answered those questions.

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And then within 10 minutes, he said, you can have the space.

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That was quite shocking to us.

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It was a pleasant one for sure.

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And we were wondering about the rent, how much he will charge.

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And then he gave us two options.

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You can use the sanctuary or there's another bigger space on the other side.

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And you can just have it for $25 an hour.

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So we got the space and that's how we ended there.

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And we've been meeting since last October, every first and third.

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And now we have about 10 to 12 people now.

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And we're starting to launch every week starting August.

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And so that's what's happening.

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I said we are very enthusiastic about what's happening, but sometimes our faces don't show it.

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Don't be put off by that.

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Yeah.

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Yes, please.

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So just one story was Nick and I were having a coffee in a coffee shop.

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And then the owner and her daughter, they were wondering why North Vancouver?

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And she said, it's a dead community.

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Everything closes by 4 p.m.

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All the shops are closed.

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Transit gets pretty slow by 4 or 5.

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And she said, it's a dead community.

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And instead of disappointing us, we realized this is the reason why God brought us there.

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And so God is doing some really awesome things there.

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We are seeing some amazing things that God is moving in our midst.

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Even the people who are attending, the things that we are teaching, seeing God as a father

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or hearing God and all of these things, they're learning and they're starting to practice

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in their own lives.

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And we are hearing amazing stories as we gather week after week.

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So that's been happening.

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Anything to add, Nick?

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I was just going to go along with what you said.

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God making space for us there.

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And you invited me in, just to be clear, it was God gave them the dream of going to North

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Vancouver.

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And then he invited me in and I went along for the adventure.

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And with God making space, it was so cool to see each life that he gave us along the

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path of 12 months.

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There was really interesting people that we would meet.

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We would meet them for bits and pieces and then all of a sudden they would go goodbye,

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see you later, we're not going to see them again, and then they come back.

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Just each person is so unique and precious.

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This is him making space for this home, this family that he wants to establish there.

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So it's just been really a blessing to me.

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Awesome, well done guys.

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They stuck with it from October to now.

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Sometimes you have to stick with it for results to show because the first few weeks they would

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come back and they would talk about what they did with no results, eh?

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And that went on for a while.

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You stick with it, it always breaks, always.

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Acts 29 is a result of that.

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Look at it.

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All you guys are here now.

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Sometimes you just have to stick with it.

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I want to start a new series called Witness.

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So we finished Running with the Horses for now.

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So I want to start a new series called Witness.

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So if you notice what we've done over the last little while, it's been power surge.

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What can we do to cause the power of God which is present in a place to surge through us?

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Second, what does it take to expect the impossible or expect the supernatural?

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Why it's so unnatural not to?

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So now that we know those things, if we step into the role of what is called witness bearing,

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how do the first two topics that we talked about now find avenues to express themselves to us?

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So it might take three, four weeks before we get through this.

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So let's define the word witness.

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It's a person, this is not a Christian definition, it's just the definition for the word.

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A person with experience and knowledge

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that can help establish the truth about some fact that is being disputed or that may be disputed.

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So it's a person, it's not a video, it's not a film, it's a person, it's life

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who has both experience and knowledge, not just knowledge but experience and knowledge.

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And what do they help do? They help establish what the truth about what, about some fact that may be disputed.

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So now you can see why when Judas dies, the disciples get together and they say,

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we need to replace Judas and so we have to pick someone.

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And one of the qualifications they lay down for someone that they want to pick

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is that the person should be a witness to Jesus' life and his resurrection.

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They wanted to pick someone who could testify to the veracity of Jesus' being someone they met on a shore in Galilee

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to when he died and was buried, to when he resurrected and appeared to many.

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Why did they go into that kind of a resume?

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Why couldn't they pick the most passionate believer present at that time?

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Why? Because they needed someone who could be a witness to facts that were indisputable.

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And so they picked Justice, right?

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So that's what a witness is.

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And the Bible says that you are here.

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The Bible says this right from Isaiah onto the book of Revelation.

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You are here to bear witness, to bear witness.

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You are here to bear witness to who he is,

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what he did,

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and what he does.

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To who he is, what he did and what he does.

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You are here to bear witness to who he is, what he did and what he does.

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And this is why sometimes we are like blind witnesses.

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Isaiah 42.15 talks about it where God is lamenting over Israel saying,

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Who is as blind as my servant?

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Who is as deaf as my servant?

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Why is he saying that?

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He's saying that because in his mind, those that should be bearing witness to him

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are the ones that seem blind to him or deaf to him or have a distorted opinion of him.

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So one of the reasons we keep working at correcting our perception of God

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is because a distorted God will end up being presented distortedly.

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And therefore people don't get an accurate witness.

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They get an inaccurate witness.

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That's why so much labor is put into correcting our perception of God.

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Correcting our perception of God.

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Like last week when I was really raging high in temperature and couldn't sleep and all this stuff,

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I keep going back to, Who are you, Father?

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I wouldn't go to Who are you, God?

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Because then it becomes, God, you can't heal me.

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God, you said this, you are not doing it.

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God, what mysterious purpose do you have in boiling my eyeballs at 40.7 degrees?

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Instead of that, why not go to Who are you, Father?

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Oh my God, you're Father.

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What else can you do but take care of your son?

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Who are you, Jesus?

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Aren't you the one who was striped brutally till his back was split open for my healing?

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Who are you, Holy Spirit?

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You're present right here, right?

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And you're bringing to pass everything the Father and the Son want to.

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Brilliant. I'm in good hands.

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The only problem now is since I recognize you like this,

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who do I go and complain to and who do I lash out at?

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Because you've taken away that option.

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That's the only problem when you find God being good.

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You'll have to find a cat or something because you don't know who to lash out at.

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And so at the end of the day, once you have a correct perception of God,

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you will be able to present the correct God to a world that begs to find in God a scapegoat they can punish.

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Every trauma that you and I bear, every background that has caused us harm,

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every evil that is perpetrated in the world,

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every injustice, who do we blame it on?

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We blame it on the one perfect good father-like person

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that runs the entire universe and has never changed from his intent.

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We blame it all on him. Why?

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Because he's the easiest one to blame.

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Because your dad and your mom and your boss will only take it so long

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before they kick you out of work or kick you out of your house.

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So why not make God your favorite scapegoat?

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And yet, if we are able to see his nature differently,

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we will be able to bear witness differently.

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Any questions on this before we go on?

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So what are we bearing witness to? Who is he?

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And there's two options to all these questions.

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Not two options. There are two ways to answer this.

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This entire thing can be answered,

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one, from Scripture,

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and two, from personal experience.

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And these, if they don't match,

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you'll have to stay within

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A, what matches,

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B, what Scriptures say.

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But if you can get to the point where these begin to match,

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my God, now we have a witness who is absolutely sold

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on what he is talking about

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because he actually loves what he is talking about.

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Any questions on this?

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What he, who he is, Scriptures tell you who he is,

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but is that your experience?

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And if it's not, then I'm at a loss because Scriptures tell me he is good,

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but I don't fully believe that he is good.

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There might be some areas that I'm beginning to believe that.

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And in those areas I'll be able to free flow from my heart.

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Otherwise all I can use is Scriptures.

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Second, what he did, that is the only one that perhaps is the experience of a Christian

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and in Scriptures, he died for me.

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I cannot approach the holiness of God. God is absolutely holy.

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But because God made me, because he is my father and he wants me back,

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he pays the price.

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Yahweh comes down in the form of human flesh in that of his son Jesus Christ

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who historically is real.

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There's no question to that.

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You can question the historicity of Krishna, of every Hindu God,

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of anyone else who claimed to be God who came down.

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You can question the historicity,

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but you cannot question the historicity of the birth and the death

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and the resurrection of Christ.

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You cannot question the authenticity of that.

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And so having established that from Scripture and from experience,

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what did he do for you? He died for me.

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Then comes the hard part.

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When he died for you, do you actually feel forgiven or do you struggle with guilt every day?

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If you're struggling with guilt every day, the free flow will stop.

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You'll just have to say, Christ died for me and he said he has forgiven my sins.

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But can you, if you really believe it, actually say it with the same kind of enthusiasm

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that maybe Levi the tax collector or Matthew the tax collector

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or the woman who was forgiven and therefore breaks a whole alabaster flask of oil on Jesus' head,

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can you begin to react that way where forgiveness is so dear to you,

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so special to you that you actually, when you talk of forgiveness,

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you sound like you've really been forgiven.

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That's what experience does with Scripture.

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And then the last bit is what he does now.

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Scriptures tell you that he's the same yesterday, today and forever.

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What's he doing now?

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The second part is what's he doing in your life?

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Is that real?

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So the silent brooding, I'm quiet and I'm a deep Christian type, is not Christian.

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Because it doesn't express what's happening inside.

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If I'm in love, you always announce what you adore.

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I mean, you do that about a burger.

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One announces what one adores.

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And therefore, if Christ is actively at work in me, my God, I'll talk about it.

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So to not talk about it, it's because sometimes experience is not there.

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Experience is not there.

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And when experience is not there, yeah, it's hard to talk about stuff.

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But when experience is there, it's easy to talk about stuff, man.

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I don't know what it is to go skiing downhill.

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And I'm not interested in finding out at 60.

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But it must be exhilarating to have, I mean, yeah, I assume it must be fun.

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It is, yeah.

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So experience gives way to authentic witness.

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So sometimes if the experience is not there, guys, don't sweat it.

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Work on how do I make this God who is in scripture real in my life so that my experience keeps increasing.

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We don't beat ourselves up for not having the experience.

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We work towards making word flesh.

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So a free flowing witness is when someone is so convinced of who he is

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and can put it into words without going through a course.

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Wouldn't it be a shame if you had to go through a course to tell someone who your wife is?

00:20:21.540 --> 00:20:25.540
But if you really know her, tell me a little bit about her wife.

00:20:25.540 --> 00:20:29.540
Usually your immediate reaction would be, honey, what should I say?

00:20:29.540 --> 00:20:31.540
That would be the appropriate response.

00:20:31.540 --> 00:20:36.540
But you should be either tongue tied or your tongue should be free when it comes to Jesus.

00:20:36.540 --> 00:20:45.540
What I dislike about formats on doing witnessing is they tell you Jesus Christ is Lord, Jesus Christ is this, Jesus Christ is that.

00:20:45.540 --> 00:20:47.540
That used to work long ago.

00:20:47.540 --> 00:20:50.540
Today people want to hear who he really is, guys.

00:20:50.540 --> 00:20:54.540
Who is he to you?

00:20:54.540 --> 00:20:58.540
And then when they hear that, you make him attractive.

00:20:58.540 --> 00:21:02.540
Once they find him attractive, then you can tell them this is who he is.

00:21:02.540 --> 00:21:05.540
He is the unchanging king.

00:21:05.540 --> 00:21:07.540
He is the Lord of the universe.

00:21:07.540 --> 00:21:08.540
He is a creator.

00:21:08.540 --> 00:21:10.540
You can begin to give him definition.

00:21:10.540 --> 00:21:19.540
But initially you should be attracted by this person who in my life seems to be changing me just like he's changing you.

00:21:19.540 --> 00:21:20.540
And he is.

00:21:20.540 --> 00:21:23.540
Don't for a moment think you're not changing.

00:21:23.540 --> 00:21:24.540
You are.

00:21:24.540 --> 00:21:25.540
You are.

00:21:28.540 --> 00:21:31.540
Any questions on this?

00:21:31.540 --> 00:21:32.540
Yep.

00:21:44.540 --> 00:21:45.540
Yeah.

00:21:45.540 --> 00:21:48.540
Yeah.

00:21:48.540 --> 00:21:52.540
Yeah.

00:21:52.540 --> 00:21:53.540
Yeah.

00:21:53.540 --> 00:21:55.540
Yeah.

00:21:55.540 --> 00:21:56.540
Yeah.

00:21:56.540 --> 00:22:03.540
Those things should always be my quiver full of arrows.

00:22:03.540 --> 00:22:13.540
But what good is a quiver full of arrows in a guy who's not interested in archery?

00:22:13.540 --> 00:22:18.540
The question is, shouldn't we know the archaeological finds?

00:22:18.540 --> 00:22:22.540
Shouldn't we know the historical information about Jesus?

00:22:22.540 --> 00:22:24.540
Shouldn't we know the most recent discoveries?

00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:33.540
Shouldn't we know, have arguments about how to let people know that the Bible and the manuscripts found are authentic?

00:22:33.540 --> 00:22:35.540
That they have been verified?

00:22:35.540 --> 00:22:38.540
That they actually go back to 2,000 years, 4,000 years?

00:22:38.540 --> 00:22:39.540
Shouldn't we know that?

00:22:39.540 --> 00:22:40.540
Yes.

00:22:40.540 --> 00:22:49.540
A person who knows that is armed for sometimes arguments that come from the world which is skilled at arguing.

00:22:49.540 --> 00:22:57.540
But why would you argue about something that you're not passionate about?

00:22:57.540 --> 00:23:07.540
So the passion comes first and the passion is fed and fueled and substantiated by the arguments.

00:23:07.540 --> 00:23:12.540
And so it's not the arguments that at the end of the day usually win people.

00:23:12.540 --> 00:23:19.540
At the end of the day what wins people is the reality of someone in your life.

00:23:19.540 --> 00:23:22.540
The reality of someone in your life.

00:23:22.540 --> 00:23:25.540
That gets people.

00:23:25.540 --> 00:23:27.540
And then you can tell them.

00:23:27.540 --> 00:23:29.540
Sorry, go ahead.

00:23:29.540 --> 00:23:31.540
Yeah.

00:23:38.540 --> 00:23:39.540
No.

00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:41.540
How to express it.

00:23:41.540 --> 00:23:46.540
Which is why you have to when it comes to witness bearing.

00:23:46.540 --> 00:23:51.540
If these don't match, stick with this.

00:23:51.540 --> 00:23:55.540
If these don't match, stick with this.

00:23:55.540 --> 00:23:58.540
Stick to scripture.

00:23:58.540 --> 00:24:02.540
You may not think Jesus is good because he hasn't done much for you over the last one year.

00:24:02.540 --> 00:24:10.540
Stick to God said that he will always be good and that he will not do you harm.

00:24:10.540 --> 00:24:13.540
You stick to that.

00:24:13.540 --> 00:24:18.540
Because otherwise in this room there will be 30 different experiences with God.

00:24:18.540 --> 00:24:28.540
This God is going to come out looking not like he says he is, but looking like anybody's painting.

00:24:28.540 --> 00:24:35.540
Any questions?

00:24:35.540 --> 00:24:37.540
All good?

00:24:37.540 --> 00:24:42.540
Okay.

00:24:42.540 --> 00:24:44.540
So what does a witness do?

00:24:44.540 --> 00:24:50.540
A witness says you are here to bear witness to who he is.

00:24:50.540 --> 00:24:54.540
To who he is.

00:24:54.540 --> 00:24:57.540
What he does and what he did.

00:24:57.540 --> 00:25:00.540
And remember this is from scriptures and from experience.

00:25:00.540 --> 00:25:03.540
Okay.

00:25:03.540 --> 00:25:25.540
Which brings us to the fact that if I don't increasingly grasp his faithfulness and truth,

00:25:25.540 --> 00:25:35.540
I cannot be a fluent witness,

00:25:35.540 --> 00:25:43.540
but I can be taught to witness.

00:25:43.540 --> 00:25:47.540
I would rather be a fluent witness than a taught witness.

00:25:47.540 --> 00:25:51.540
I can still be taught witnessing.

00:25:51.540 --> 00:25:54.540
There are tons of courses that can teach you how to witness.

00:25:54.540 --> 00:25:55.540
I got them.

00:25:55.540 --> 00:25:58.540
I was so tempted to bring them.

00:25:58.540 --> 00:26:00.540
But I want to be a fluent witness.

00:26:00.540 --> 00:26:02.540
Someone can be taught to be a witness.

00:26:02.540 --> 00:26:04.540
This is what you need to say.

00:26:04.540 --> 00:26:06.540
This is how you lead people to God.

00:26:06.540 --> 00:26:07.540
Nothing wrong with that.

00:26:07.540 --> 00:26:11.540
That's part of the equation, but I think it's putting the horse before the cart.

00:26:11.540 --> 00:26:18.540
What you need to do is become a fluent witness where your heart flows as you tell stories about who he is,

00:26:18.540 --> 00:26:23.540
what he did and what he's still doing.

00:26:23.540 --> 00:26:31.540
Through your life, through others' lives, through scriptures, through your grasp of it.

00:26:31.540 --> 00:26:34.540
God's faithfulness.

00:26:34.540 --> 00:26:37.540
How do you define God's faithfulness?

00:26:37.540 --> 00:26:55.540
God's faithfulness is your palatable experience, as in something you've tasted.

00:26:55.540 --> 00:27:03.540
God's faithfulness is your palatable experience of his love.

00:27:03.540 --> 00:27:06.540
You've tasted.

00:27:06.540 --> 00:27:10.540
You've seen.

00:27:10.540 --> 00:27:22.540
You have history.

00:27:22.540 --> 00:27:33.540
God's faithfulness is his mighty power at work,

00:27:33.540 --> 00:27:47.540
cause of his furious love.

00:27:47.540 --> 00:27:52.540
Part of my desire in life, and I pray that I live long,

00:27:52.540 --> 00:27:57.540
is to continuously prove here on earth God's faithfulness.

00:27:57.540 --> 00:27:59.540
Prove not to myself.

00:27:59.540 --> 00:28:01.540
I think I'm convinced of it now.

00:28:01.540 --> 00:28:06.540
But to continue to prove through my life the faithfulness of God.

00:28:06.540 --> 00:28:10.540
Through my life to prove the faithfulness of God.

00:28:10.540 --> 00:28:21.540
That, hey, there is tasteable, seeable evidence that you can see through the stories in my life,

00:28:21.540 --> 00:28:28.540
in the lives around me, that God's love is being backed by his mighty power.

00:28:28.540 --> 00:28:30.540
It's palatable.

00:28:30.540 --> 00:28:32.540
That's what faithfulness is.

00:28:32.540 --> 00:28:37.540
So I desire to prove that.

00:28:37.540 --> 00:28:40.540
I mean, some of you guys are doing your thesis, right?

00:28:40.540 --> 00:28:42.540
You're going to become doctors in the future.

00:28:42.540 --> 00:28:43.540
Why do you write your thesis?

00:28:43.540 --> 00:28:48.540
Is it just some fairy tale or do you want to prove it?

00:28:48.540 --> 00:28:53.540
You want to prove it.

00:28:53.540 --> 00:28:57.540
That it works.

00:28:57.540 --> 00:29:01.540
That should be a desire that we have to prove the faithfulness of God.

00:29:01.540 --> 00:29:06.540
That it can be tasted, it can be seen.

00:29:06.540 --> 00:29:08.540
And it's very simple.

00:29:08.540 --> 00:29:10.540
And here's the simplicity of it.

00:29:10.540 --> 00:29:18.540
Because he is true, you have a point that you can stand on that you do not have to shift from.

00:29:18.540 --> 00:29:20.540
I'll tell you why it is simple.

00:29:20.540 --> 00:29:24.540
And this might seem like an oxymoron because this is where we struggle.

00:29:24.540 --> 00:29:34.540
But the reason it is simple to continually prove the faithfulness of God is because he speaks the truth.

00:29:34.540 --> 00:29:46.540
And therefore there's one thing in this entire equation that is so solid that you can put your feet there and know that that will not shift.

00:29:46.540 --> 00:29:55.540
To have a starting point in anything that you know cannot be shifted is the beginning of everything.

00:29:55.540 --> 00:30:01.540
You know that gravity works.

00:30:01.540 --> 00:30:04.540
It's a starting point. You know it works.

00:30:04.540 --> 00:30:06.540
You can go to Africa, it works in Africa.

00:30:06.540 --> 00:30:10.540
Water doesn't go the other way around in Sydney and they'll flush.

00:30:10.540 --> 00:30:12.540
It still goes. I went and checked it.

00:30:12.540 --> 00:30:18.540
I went and flushed every toilet in Sydney and Brisbane and Melbourne and nothing is wrong with gravity there.

00:30:18.540 --> 00:30:21.540
It still goes around this way.

00:30:21.540 --> 00:30:30.540
And so you realize suddenly that the one thing you can do in any part of the world is throw something up and it usually comes down.

00:30:30.540 --> 00:30:34.540
It's the same way with the Word of God, eh?

00:30:34.540 --> 00:30:38.540
So that's your great starting point.

00:30:38.540 --> 00:30:45.540
So every time I think to myself, it's not working, the promise hasn't come to pass, it's taking so long, you said so, nothing is happening,

00:30:45.540 --> 00:30:56.540
I go back to that one place where I can stand and say, this bit I know is true because you are truthful.

00:30:57.540 --> 00:31:00.540
Any questions?

00:31:00.540 --> 00:31:06.540
That's why it's easy.

00:31:06.540 --> 00:31:13.540
The second thing is if you can begin to take… to be a witness, take your eyes off yourself.

00:31:13.540 --> 00:31:17.540
You're not bearing witness to yourself.

00:31:17.540 --> 00:31:19.540
You're not bearing witness to yourself.

00:31:19.540 --> 00:31:21.540
The Holy Spirit has done that already.

00:31:21.540 --> 00:31:24.540
He's born witness that you are a child of God.

00:31:24.540 --> 00:31:26.540
Stop bearing witness to yourself.

00:31:26.540 --> 00:31:28.540
You don't need proof.

00:31:28.540 --> 00:31:30.540
The world needs proof.

00:31:30.540 --> 00:31:33.540
Take your eyes off yourself.

00:31:40.540 --> 00:31:47.540
When I get self-engrossed with my problems only, until they are repaired, there's no other progress.

00:31:47.540 --> 00:31:55.540
We're going to have very difficult times because all I have to do is make sure, if I'm the devil, that I have enough problems in your life.

00:32:03.540 --> 00:32:11.540
One of the things we must do is every week, like for instance tomorrow,

00:32:11.540 --> 00:32:21.540
this is Jacob and he's got this bullseye staring at him on Monday.

00:32:21.540 --> 00:32:28.540
Displace it first.

00:32:28.540 --> 00:32:39.540
Then replace it with something that is from the rock called the Word or Christ.

00:32:40.540 --> 00:32:45.540
That you will keep reverting back every time this tries to come in.

00:32:45.540 --> 00:32:47.540
Keep reverting back.

00:32:47.540 --> 00:32:56.540
Every time it keeps coming back, be it shame, be it fear, be it, oh shucks, am I making a mistake?

00:32:56.540 --> 00:32:58.540
Is this a good decision?

00:32:58.540 --> 00:33:04.540
Be it, this promise hasn't come to pass, the deadline is coming, I'm sunk, I'm screwed, I'm whatever.

00:33:04.540 --> 00:33:06.540
And you're beginning to think all those things.

00:33:06.540 --> 00:33:17.540
And in the midst of that, can you remember that you have displaced this bullseye and placed something that is solid rock from the Word or from the nature of Christ in there?

00:33:17.540 --> 00:33:24.540
And every time it comes back to this place, you go back to this and say, nope, nope, nope.

00:33:31.540 --> 00:33:34.540
All of us have this happening in our lives.

00:33:36.540 --> 00:34:03.540
It was not justice, it was Matthias, thanks Heidi, who replaced Judas.

00:34:03.540 --> 00:34:06.540
How are we, I mean why are we his witnesses?

00:34:06.540 --> 00:34:08.540
Why are we his witnesses?

00:34:13.540 --> 00:34:24.540
You can think of many different reasons, but let me tell you the main reason, which is in Isaiah 43, 10 and John 15, 16.

00:34:25.540 --> 00:34:30.540
We are his witnesses because he says,

00:34:34.540 --> 00:34:44.540
I chose you, that you may know me.

00:34:44.540 --> 00:34:54.540
I chose you, that you may understand me.

00:35:02.540 --> 00:35:05.540
Go to Isaiah 43, 10.

00:35:10.540 --> 00:35:11.540
Isaiah 43, 10.

00:35:12.540 --> 00:35:22.540
You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.

00:35:23.540 --> 00:35:25.540
He chose you for this.

00:35:26.540 --> 00:35:33.540
He chooses you, Matt Dirks, and he says to you, Matt Dirks, you are my witness.

00:35:33.540 --> 00:35:34.540
I chose you.

00:35:34.540 --> 00:35:49.540
I chose you out of a community of intellectual, high thinking, scientific people, but I chose you and also at the same time gave you a heart that is humble enough to know me as your savior.

00:35:49.540 --> 00:35:57.540
I chose you and gave you the understanding to understand what men wiser than you are still struggling to understand.

00:35:57.540 --> 00:36:02.540
And having chosen you and having given you this understanding, you now are my witness.

00:36:02.540 --> 00:36:03.540
Beautifully.

00:36:06.540 --> 00:36:09.540
And then he chooses someone who is absolutely uneducated.

00:36:10.540 --> 00:36:12.540
And he goes and says the same thing to him.

00:36:12.540 --> 00:36:13.540
I chose you.

00:36:14.540 --> 00:36:23.540
People may think you are not educated, that you have got nothing going for you, but I gave you an understanding of God who human minds cannot comprehend.

00:36:23.540 --> 00:36:27.540
You understand with such ease and simplicity.

00:36:27.540 --> 00:36:28.540
Why?

00:36:28.540 --> 00:36:31.540
Because you are my witness.

00:36:32.540 --> 00:36:34.540
This is what he is doing.

00:36:34.540 --> 00:36:35.540
Why are you his witness?

00:36:35.540 --> 00:36:38.540
Because he chose you.

00:36:41.540 --> 00:36:43.540
That's why you are his witness.

00:36:43.540 --> 00:36:45.540
He chose you.

00:36:48.540 --> 00:36:57.540
And he thinks the ones he's chosen thus far are enough at present to keep doing what he wants done because he ain't losing this game.

00:37:02.540 --> 00:37:10.540
We'll talk about 2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 21 next time.

00:37:10.540 --> 00:37:30.540
It's a beautiful passage where you'll realize that bearing witness is not possible without a passion for God.

00:37:33.540 --> 00:37:42.540
God's claim over everything.

00:37:46.540 --> 00:37:48.540
And the price he has paid.

00:37:51.540 --> 00:37:52.540
It's a beautiful passage.

00:37:52.540 --> 00:37:55.540
Maybe next time you come for next week, read it up.

00:37:55.540 --> 00:37:58.540
2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 21.

00:37:58.540 --> 00:38:02.540
Bearing witness is not possible without a passion for God's claim over everything.

00:38:02.540 --> 00:38:10.540
Where Paul gets so passionate about the fact that Christ has paid for everything that he says, I can't help it.

00:38:10.540 --> 00:38:17.540
I'm compelled by the love of God to go around telling people that hey, you, you, you, and you, you, you, you belong to Christ.

00:38:17.540 --> 00:38:21.540
Whether you believe it or not, whether you like it or not, you belong to Christ.

00:38:21.540 --> 00:38:22.540
He made you.

00:38:22.540 --> 00:38:23.540
He paid a price for you.

00:38:23.540 --> 00:38:24.540
How can I not tell you?

00:38:24.540 --> 00:38:26.540
He becomes quite passionate about it.

00:38:26.540 --> 00:38:27.540
He's convicted about it.

00:38:27.540 --> 00:38:34.540
He says through one man, Adam sin came in through one man, Christ sin was removed and you now belong to Christ.

00:38:34.540 --> 00:38:36.540
The price for you has been paid.

00:38:36.540 --> 00:38:41.540
A ransom has been paid and I cannot but tell you about it because I'm compelled.

00:38:43.540 --> 00:38:48.540
I got to tell you that you do not belong to either the devil or to yourself or to the world.

00:38:48.540 --> 00:38:50.540
You belong to one who's paid a price.

00:38:50.540 --> 00:38:53.540
You can reject it, but I will not stop from telling you.

00:38:53.540 --> 00:38:54.540
But that's for next week.

00:39:15.540 --> 00:39:19.540
One of the reasons the Holy Spirit is given, we've been talking about power and the Holy Spirit.

00:39:19.540 --> 00:39:24.540
The Holy Spirit was given for bearing witness.

00:39:34.540 --> 00:39:35.540
Acts 1, 8.

00:39:35.540 --> 00:39:40.540
And the Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Spirit of God will make you witnesses.

00:39:40.540 --> 00:39:45.540
So we need to understand that this is very dear to his heart and he loves igniting.

00:39:45.540 --> 00:39:47.540
This idea of witnessing.

00:39:47.540 --> 00:39:49.540
So here's a question I have for you.

00:39:49.540 --> 00:39:57.540
One of the ways the Spirit of God works on this is yes, he helps you when you go out to bear witness.

00:39:57.540 --> 00:40:06.540
The other thing he does when you're not going out and when you're inside is he ignites in you wonder for God.

00:40:06.540 --> 00:40:12.540
The fire of wonder for God will eventually end up in being flame for witness.

00:40:12.540 --> 00:40:21.540
So for instance, what you find about God in the dark is what you will speak out about God in the light.

00:40:21.540 --> 00:40:28.540
The marvel of God that you find in your quiet is the God you will talk about openly.

00:40:29.540 --> 00:40:30.540
You see this in Isaiah.

00:40:30.540 --> 00:40:32.540
Isaiah chapter 6.

00:40:32.540 --> 00:40:35.540
Is Isaiah in a public place preaching?

00:40:35.540 --> 00:40:36.540
No.

00:40:36.540 --> 00:40:37.540
He's seeing a vision.

00:40:37.540 --> 00:40:38.540
He's seeing a dream.

00:40:38.540 --> 00:40:44.540
And in the dream he sees him who is seated on high.

00:40:44.540 --> 00:40:49.540
And then he begins to talk about God and God's sending.

00:40:49.540 --> 00:40:52.540
One of the things the Spirit of God does is hey, this is the Holy Spirit.

00:40:52.540 --> 00:40:56.540
And then he begins to talk about God and God's sending.

00:40:56.540 --> 00:41:00.540
One of the things the Spirit of God does is hey, Jacob, can I show you something about Jesus

00:41:00.540 --> 00:41:08.540
that will so impress you that it will become a part of your life and you'll bring it up everywhere you go.

00:41:08.540 --> 00:41:10.540
So here's a question I ask you.

00:41:10.540 --> 00:41:16.540
If you were in Acts chapter 3, and all of us have this, so I'm actually giving us one or two minutes to think about this.

00:41:16.540 --> 00:41:24.540
If you were in Acts chapter 3 and you say the lines as you see the man sitting at the gate, paralyzed,

00:41:24.540 --> 00:41:31.540
and you are with Peter and you go up and you say, such as I have, give I thee.

00:41:31.540 --> 00:41:32.540
That's what it says.

00:41:32.540 --> 00:41:33.540
Acts chapter 3 verse 6.

00:41:33.540 --> 00:41:38.540
Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I now give you.

00:41:38.540 --> 00:41:44.540
What is it that you have at present that you're so convinced about, that you're so sure of,

00:41:44.540 --> 00:41:49.540
that you don't have any hesitation giving, that you genuinely, honestly believe

00:41:49.540 --> 00:41:56.540
is your understanding or niche with God that you can give away fluently, what would that be?

00:41:56.540 --> 00:42:02.540
And if you arrive at the conclusion that I don't know, that's okay.

00:42:02.540 --> 00:42:05.540
It helps you start discovering it.

00:42:05.540 --> 00:42:07.540
But what is it?

00:42:07.540 --> 00:42:11.540
Such as I have, I give you right now.

00:42:11.540 --> 00:42:19.540
If I was a beggar by the door and you were passing me and you said what I have I give you.

00:42:19.540 --> 00:42:24.540
I got no silver, I got no gold, I got no message, no teaching, I got nothing I can give you.

00:42:24.540 --> 00:42:26.540
But what I have I'll give you.

00:42:26.540 --> 00:42:29.540
What is that thing you have?

00:42:29.540 --> 00:42:30.540
What is it?

00:42:30.540 --> 00:42:33.540
It's not money, it's not aid, it's not food.

00:42:33.540 --> 00:42:35.540
What do you have?

00:42:35.540 --> 00:42:37.540
What do you have?

00:42:37.540 --> 00:42:44.540
What do you have from the son in you that you can give away genuinely, honestly, fluently?

00:42:44.540 --> 00:42:47.540
If you don't understand the question, ask.

00:42:56.540 --> 00:42:59.540
Praise God, that's his answer.

00:42:59.540 --> 00:43:03.540
Mine surprisingly wouldn't be that.

00:43:03.540 --> 00:43:06.540
But I absolutely believe what Dilna is saying.

00:43:06.540 --> 00:43:10.540
That the love of the father can flow through that man just like that.

00:43:10.540 --> 00:43:15.540
What is it that can genuinely flow out of you?

00:43:15.540 --> 00:43:22.540
I can give any human on earth at any moment on earth, if I walk past them, I assure you,

00:43:22.540 --> 00:43:28.540
I can give them a sense of dignity and destiny with the words that come from heaven.

00:43:28.540 --> 00:43:29.540
Any moment.

00:43:29.540 --> 00:43:32.540
You wake me up any time during the day.

00:43:32.540 --> 00:43:39.540
I put a man in front of me, I will tell that person who he is, who God made him,

00:43:39.540 --> 00:43:41.540
and what God's plans for him are.

00:43:41.540 --> 00:43:43.540
It'll flow out of me like water.

00:43:43.540 --> 00:43:45.540
What is it that flows out of you?

00:43:45.540 --> 00:43:50.540
If they took everything away from you and all you have is the son in you,

00:43:50.540 --> 00:43:55.540
what flows out of you without thinking?

00:43:55.540 --> 00:43:59.540
Because we all have it, what is it?

00:43:59.540 --> 00:44:02.540
And if you can't find it, it's time to find it,

00:44:02.540 --> 00:44:09.540
because we're entering that time in our lives, guys, as a church.

00:44:09.540 --> 00:44:15.540
This is when you form a net that has such strong notches that the fish will be caught.

00:44:15.540 --> 00:44:21.540
If they're not caught in the net of dignity and destiny, they'll be caught in the net of love.

00:44:21.540 --> 00:44:22.540
What is it?

00:44:22.540 --> 00:44:25.540
Think about it for a couple of minutes.

00:44:25.540 --> 00:44:29.540
Such as I have, give I thee.

00:44:29.540 --> 00:44:32.540
There can be more than one, eh?

00:44:38.540 --> 00:44:41.540
What else can you give?

00:44:41.540 --> 00:44:48.540
And if you can't think of anything, start the process or even ask the question why.

00:44:48.540 --> 00:44:51.540
Why can't I think of anything?

00:44:52.540 --> 00:44:57.540
Because your little flask of oil is what the Holy Spirit will start with.

00:44:57.540 --> 00:45:04.540
And if you can't think of anything, start the process or even ask the question why.

00:45:04.540 --> 00:45:07.540
Why can't I think of anything?

00:45:07.540 --> 00:45:12.540
Because your little flask of oil is what the Holy Spirit will start with.

00:45:12.540 --> 00:45:18.540
We said the Holy Spirit was sent to make us witnesses.

00:45:18.540 --> 00:45:25.540
He gives us the power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

00:45:25.540 --> 00:45:27.540
But he starts with what?

00:45:27.540 --> 00:45:31.540
I already am so worried about the future of the world.

00:45:31.540 --> 00:45:34.540
That then becomes a mighty river.

00:45:41.540 --> 00:45:44.540
I'll give you a minute.

00:45:50.540 --> 00:45:53.540
I'll give you a minute.

00:45:53.540 --> 00:45:56.540
I'll give you a minute.

00:45:56.540 --> 00:45:59.540
It's not a talent, guys.

00:45:59.540 --> 00:46:08.540
It's a gift or a nature or character or act that comes from the sun in you.

00:46:08.540 --> 00:46:11.540
It's not a talent.

00:46:26.540 --> 00:46:29.540
Sometimes it's a desire that's burning in you.

00:46:29.540 --> 00:46:35.540
You haven't even seen its fruition, but it's been burning there, burning there, burning there.

00:46:35.540 --> 00:46:39.540
Oh God, please let this happen through me.

00:46:56.540 --> 00:46:58.540
Remember, we'll come back to this.

00:46:58.540 --> 00:47:00.540
Keep Act 3.6 in mind.

00:47:00.540 --> 00:47:03.540
We'll come back to it in the end.

00:47:03.540 --> 00:47:08.540
The power of the Spirit will always be present.

00:47:08.540 --> 00:47:14.540
The power of the Spirit will always be present.

00:47:14.540 --> 00:47:21.540
The power of the Spirit will always be present.

00:47:21.540 --> 00:47:26.540
The power of the Spirit will always be present

00:47:30.540 --> 00:47:38.540
where bearing witness is practiced.

00:47:42.540 --> 00:47:45.540
Where bearing witness is practiced. He'll always be present.

00:47:46.540 --> 00:47:49.540
Can you learn this scripture this week? Can you memorize it?

00:47:49.540 --> 00:47:52.540
Just like Sunday school kids memorize it. Can you memorize this?

00:47:52.540 --> 00:47:54.540
Acts 26.

00:47:56.540 --> 00:47:59.540
Because we've got to, the entire church has to learn it. Yeah?

00:47:59.540 --> 00:48:01.540
Acts 26.

00:48:06.540 --> 00:48:08.540
Verse 17 and 18.

00:48:08.540 --> 00:48:11.540
Acts 26, 17 and 18.

00:48:11.540 --> 00:48:13.540
Yeah, just remember to memorize it.

00:48:16.540 --> 00:48:19.540
Sorry, verse 16, 17 and 18.

00:48:20.540 --> 00:48:22.540
Now get up and stand on your feet.

00:48:23.540 --> 00:48:27.540
I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and a witness

00:48:28.540 --> 00:48:31.540
what you have seen of me and what I will show you.

00:48:33.540 --> 00:48:36.540
Then you can skip verse 17 in the first part if you want and go to the next part.

00:48:37.540 --> 00:48:41.540
Then you can skip verse 17 in the first part if you want and go to

00:48:41.540 --> 00:48:46.540
I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light

00:48:46.540 --> 00:48:51.540
from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins

00:48:51.540 --> 00:48:54.540
and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

00:48:54.540 --> 00:48:56.540
One more time.

00:48:56.540 --> 00:48:58.540
Verse 16.

00:48:58.540 --> 00:49:00.540
Now get up and stand on your feet.

00:49:00.540 --> 00:49:04.540
I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness

00:49:04.540 --> 00:49:07.540
of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.

00:49:08.540 --> 00:49:14.540
I am sending you to them to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light

00:49:15.540 --> 00:49:21.540
and from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins

00:49:21.540 --> 00:49:26.540
and a place among us as a church.

00:49:26.540 --> 00:49:30.540
Learn that up for next week. We'll try it together.

00:49:30.540 --> 00:49:35.540
Sorry. You can choose any version. This was an IV.

00:49:35.540 --> 00:49:43.540
Yeah. Try not to choose TPT or one of those versions but stick to one of the main versions

00:49:43.540 --> 00:49:45.540
just so we can say it together.

00:49:45.540 --> 00:49:53.540
Guys, Satan blinds minds.

00:49:53.540 --> 00:49:55.540
Who said so?

00:49:56.540 --> 00:49:58.540
God. Where?

00:49:58.540 --> 00:50:00.540
2 Corinthians 4.4.

00:50:00.540 --> 00:50:04.540
Satan blinds minds.

00:50:04.540 --> 00:50:06.540
Who said so?

00:50:06.540 --> 00:50:08.540
God. Where?

00:50:08.540 --> 00:50:10.540
2 Corinthians 4.4.

00:50:10.540 --> 00:50:12.540
What's the solution?

00:50:12.540 --> 00:50:20.540
Light of the gospel.

00:50:20.540 --> 00:50:24.540
What in the world is the light of the gospel?

00:50:24.540 --> 00:50:26.540
What in the world does that mean?

00:50:27.540 --> 00:50:29.540
Good news.

00:50:31.540 --> 00:50:33.540
Preached.

00:50:33.540 --> 00:50:36.540
Whenever the good news is preached,

00:50:38.540 --> 00:50:41.540
whenever the good news is preached,

00:50:41.540 --> 00:50:57.540
it's like light and blindness is penetrated.

00:51:05.540 --> 00:51:07.540
And every time you preach it, a strange thing happens.

00:51:07.540 --> 00:51:09.540
If you go to Acts 16, verse 14,

00:51:09.540 --> 00:51:14.540
Acts 16, 14, Paul is at a river and there's a lady there called Lydia

00:51:14.540 --> 00:51:17.540
and she's a merchant. She's not a Christian.

00:51:17.540 --> 00:51:19.540
She wasn't a believer.

00:51:19.540 --> 00:51:23.540
And so as Paul starts preaching to her, here's what the scriptures say,

00:51:23.540 --> 00:51:31.540
as Paul preached to her, the Lord opened up her heart to Paul's words

00:51:31.540 --> 00:51:33.540
and she becomes a believer.

00:51:33.540 --> 00:51:36.540
As you preach, God opens the person's heart.

00:51:36.540 --> 00:51:39.540
The gospel or the good news,

00:51:39.540 --> 00:51:41.540
and we'll briefly touch on good news and then end,

00:51:41.540 --> 00:51:47.540
the gospel or the good news is the only thing that takes away the blindness of people.

00:51:47.540 --> 00:51:49.540
Arguments do not.

00:51:49.540 --> 00:51:54.540
The only thing, Paul does say,

00:51:54.540 --> 00:51:57.540
have a reasonable defense for what you believe.

00:51:57.540 --> 00:52:01.540
And that's where we need to load ourselves with all the good news

00:52:01.540 --> 00:52:04.540
that we need to load ourselves with all the things that we need to

00:52:04.540 --> 00:52:08.540
so that if anyone questions, it is for the defense of what we believe.

00:52:08.540 --> 00:52:12.540
But the offensive weapon is always the gospel,

00:52:12.540 --> 00:52:18.540
the good news of Jesus Christ is the only thing that takes away blindness.

00:52:18.540 --> 00:52:23.540
But the good news of Jesus Christ cannot be expressed with much joy

00:52:23.540 --> 00:52:27.540
if I'm not fully persuaded of it.

00:52:27.540 --> 00:52:32.540
The fluency comes when I'm persuaded of it.

00:52:32.540 --> 00:52:36.540
I mean, do you think a person who is healed

00:52:36.540 --> 00:52:41.540
will have any problems talking about God healing?

00:52:41.540 --> 00:52:45.540
Do you think someone who's really forgiven or something terrible,

00:52:45.540 --> 00:52:49.540
something nasty will have any problems talking about,

00:52:49.540 --> 00:52:52.540
oh my God, you won't believe, I really messed up,

00:52:52.540 --> 00:52:54.540
God can forgive you too?

00:52:54.540 --> 00:52:56.540
God can forgive you too.

00:52:56.540 --> 00:52:58.540
That's why new believers are so enthusiastic.

00:52:58.540 --> 00:53:04.540
They see things that happened to them that they never thought could happen to them.

00:53:04.540 --> 00:53:08.540
And it fills their heart with such joy.

00:53:08.540 --> 00:53:14.540
And then if we can keep them fired up, that's all we need to do.

00:53:14.540 --> 00:53:16.540
Because God takes care of it.

00:53:16.540 --> 00:53:19.540
What do I mean keep them fired up?

00:53:19.540 --> 00:53:22.540
Help them keep stepping out, keep stepping out, keep stepping out,

00:53:22.540 --> 00:53:24.540
keep discovering God.

00:53:24.540 --> 00:53:26.540
How do you fire up someone?

00:53:26.540 --> 00:53:32.540
Not by raraing them, but by helping them step further and further and further and further.

00:53:32.540 --> 00:53:36.540
That's how you get someone going, man.

00:53:36.540 --> 00:53:43.540
This rara thing doesn't work because once you leave here, the rara will become rara.

00:53:43.540 --> 00:53:50.540
But you keep helping them go further and further.

00:53:50.540 --> 00:53:53.540
It is only the Gospel, only the preaching of the Good News.

00:53:53.540 --> 00:53:55.540
So let's look at the Good News.

00:53:55.540 --> 00:53:57.540
What in the world is this Good News?

00:53:57.540 --> 00:53:59.540
Because as you preach the Good News, something strange begins to happen.

00:53:59.540 --> 00:54:03.540
As you begin to preach the Good News, God in heaven,

00:54:03.540 --> 00:54:06.540
who is all powerful and can actually do anything he wants if he wants to,

00:54:06.540 --> 00:54:09.540
but he refuses to take anyone's will away,

00:54:09.540 --> 00:54:12.540
so as you begin to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ,

00:54:12.540 --> 00:54:16.540
God begins to open the heart of people.

00:54:16.540 --> 00:54:18.540
And their hearts get chained.

00:54:18.540 --> 00:54:21.540
They can still choose to reject. That's up to them.

00:54:21.540 --> 00:54:23.540
But he opens their hearts up.

00:54:23.540 --> 00:54:27.540
The blindness that Satan puts on people is removed.

00:54:27.540 --> 00:54:29.540
No other religion is worse than one other.

00:54:29.540 --> 00:54:35.540
The Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, every religion, we can't say this one is worse or this one.

00:54:35.540 --> 00:54:38.540
Christianity, if Christianity is true and Christ is the only living God,

00:54:38.540 --> 00:54:43.540
everything else that conspires takes a person away from Christ.

00:54:43.540 --> 00:54:47.540
In fact, everything works together against one main truth.

00:54:56.540 --> 00:55:02.540
You turn from darkness to light through the light of the Gospel in the mouth of witnesses.

00:55:02.540 --> 00:55:10.540
You turn from darkness to light through the light of the Gospel of the Good News.

00:55:22.540 --> 00:55:24.540
I will talk about what the Good News is.

00:55:24.540 --> 00:55:29.540
Through the light of the Good News in the mouth of witnesses.

00:55:32.540 --> 00:55:36.540
That's very nice. Get ready. We're going to have a lot of fun.

00:55:36.540 --> 00:56:01.540
So my grasp of Good News is revealed through the light of the Gospel in the mouth of witnesses.

00:56:01.540 --> 00:56:14.540
Conviction, meaning the heart condition.

00:56:14.540 --> 00:56:30.540
B, the conversational fluency.

00:56:30.540 --> 00:56:38.540
Or response to the questions below.

00:56:38.540 --> 00:56:45.540
Okay. My grasp of the Good News is revealed.

00:56:45.540 --> 00:56:47.540
I'm going to give you a list of four questions.

00:56:47.540 --> 00:56:50.540
And again, maybe we'll take two minutes to think about it.

00:56:50.540 --> 00:56:52.540
I'm going to give you four questions.

00:56:52.540 --> 00:56:58.540
But our grasp of the Good News is revealed through one.

00:56:58.540 --> 00:57:02.540
The conviction we have as we respond to these four questions.

00:57:02.540 --> 00:57:08.540
If you had to ask these questions to yourself as you respond, what's the conviction of your heart?

00:57:08.540 --> 00:57:14.540
And B, the conversational fluency or the ease with which you can respond.

00:57:14.540 --> 00:57:18.540
Both will give you an idea of your grasp of the Good News.

00:57:18.540 --> 00:57:23.540
I mean, haven't you had guys who call you on the phone and they're trying to sell you a product

00:57:23.540 --> 00:57:26.540
and you know they're reading off a paper?

00:57:27.540 --> 00:57:31.540
And it is just so painful because you've got to wait right till the end.

00:57:31.540 --> 00:57:33.540
You don't want to interrupt them.

00:57:33.540 --> 00:57:36.540
Dinner's getting cold and they go through that stuff.

00:57:36.540 --> 00:57:40.540
And then there are some guys who know their product, eh?

00:57:40.540 --> 00:57:47.540
And those guys are so fun to work with because they know the product.

00:57:47.540 --> 00:57:53.540
And so here are the four questions.

00:57:53.540 --> 00:57:57.540
These are terribly simple, terribly difficult questions.

00:58:54.540 --> 00:58:58.540
The fifth one we can keep up for now.

00:58:58.540 --> 00:59:01.540
The first four questions.

00:59:06.540 --> 00:59:11.540
You'd be surprised at how much we'll struggle with this right now if we went around the room.

00:59:14.540 --> 00:59:18.540
I'm not asking that you go around the room because it'll be quite a mess.

00:59:18.540 --> 00:59:20.540
Who is Jesus?

00:59:20.540 --> 00:59:22.540
Who is Jesus?

00:59:22.540 --> 00:59:28.540
Lord, King, Master, Creator, God.

00:59:28.540 --> 00:59:33.540
All fine answers, but really we don't process these things, eh?

00:59:33.540 --> 00:59:36.540
Which is why someone else has to process it for us.

00:59:36.540 --> 00:59:39.540
But the problem with someone else processing it for us is we learn it by heart

00:59:39.540 --> 00:59:42.540
instead of actually taking what they process and making it our own.

00:59:44.540 --> 00:59:46.540
So who is Jesus?

00:59:46.540 --> 00:59:48.540
What has Jesus done?

00:59:50.540 --> 00:59:52.540
We're talking about bearing witness.

00:59:52.540 --> 00:59:58.540
We're not talking about what Jesus has done this morning in your life

00:59:58.540 --> 01:00:01.540
or what he did with you yesterday.

01:00:01.540 --> 01:00:03.540
We're talking about what has Jesus done?

01:00:03.540 --> 01:00:11.540
How do you put into words that are both heart conviction and free-flowing conversational fluency?

01:00:11.540 --> 01:00:13.540
What has he done?

01:00:17.540 --> 01:00:21.540
Yes, it will involve talking about the death of Christ.

01:00:21.540 --> 01:00:24.540
We'll talk about what the Bible says it must involve.

01:00:24.540 --> 01:00:27.540
But that aside, what has he done?

01:00:29.540 --> 01:00:31.540
Can you talk about it through?

01:00:31.540 --> 01:00:33.540
I can ask one of you to try it.

01:00:33.540 --> 01:00:36.540
Yeah? You want me to pick on you? Sure.

01:00:37.540 --> 01:00:39.540
Why has he done this?

01:00:39.540 --> 01:00:41.540
Why has he done this?

01:00:41.540 --> 01:00:43.540
Can you explain why he did it?

01:00:46.540 --> 01:00:50.540
And the fourth one, okay, now that you've explained it, how should you respond?

01:00:54.540 --> 01:00:57.540
I'm so excited for us, I can't tell you.

01:01:00.540 --> 01:01:04.540
So can you work on this? This week there's homework. Oh, please.

01:01:05.540 --> 01:01:09.540
In fact, I deliberately kept the sermon short.

01:01:13.540 --> 01:01:15.540
That's when I'm really serious about something.

01:01:16.540 --> 01:01:18.540
No, I'm kidding. Serious most weeks.

01:01:18.540 --> 01:01:22.540
But can you work on this? Can you have heart...

01:01:22.540 --> 01:01:24.540
I'm going to work on this too.

01:01:24.540 --> 01:01:27.540
I've got standard pastoral responses to this.

01:01:28.540 --> 01:01:30.540
I want Jacob responses.

01:01:31.540 --> 01:01:33.540
I don't want pastoral responses.

01:01:38.540 --> 01:01:40.540
We're not trying to close the deal.

01:01:40.540 --> 01:01:44.540
We're conversing about someone who can change the universe and change your life.

01:01:44.540 --> 01:01:46.540
So there's no hurry in closing the deal.

01:01:51.540 --> 01:01:53.540
You want to take a shot at it, Ashish?

01:01:55.540 --> 01:01:56.540
Want to come up?

01:01:57.540 --> 01:01:58.540
No?

01:01:59.540 --> 01:02:00.540
Okay, next week?

01:02:00.540 --> 01:02:01.540
Okay.

01:02:02.540 --> 01:02:04.540
I wanted to impress your friend today itself.

01:02:10.540 --> 01:02:13.540
Because I've got to report back to Annette about how you're doing.

01:02:14.540 --> 01:02:16.540
Yeah? Okay.

01:02:18.540 --> 01:02:20.540
No pressure, but next week, yeah?

01:02:21.540 --> 01:02:23.540
Annette is watching this anyways.

01:02:25.540 --> 01:02:27.540
And she knows your parents.

01:02:27.540 --> 01:02:29.540
Okay, no pressure.

01:02:31.540 --> 01:02:35.540
Here's what the scriptures say we must take into account when we talk about the Good News.

01:02:39.540 --> 01:02:43.540
That in the Old Testament,

01:02:43.540 --> 01:02:49.540
this you can do with some Christians or some people who have a Christian background.

01:02:49.540 --> 01:02:54.540
You don't need to do this with many people today because it wouldn't make a difference to them.

01:02:54.540 --> 01:02:58.540
In the OT, Old Testament, prophecies were fulfilled

01:03:02.540 --> 01:03:04.540
in the birth of Christ.

01:03:04.540 --> 01:03:05.540
Two.

01:03:07.540 --> 01:03:11.540
Jesus came saying,

01:03:13.540 --> 01:03:17.540
I'm bringing in

01:03:20.540 --> 01:03:22.540
a new kingdom.

01:03:26.540 --> 01:03:28.540
And Jesus said,

01:03:28.540 --> 01:03:32.540
I'm bringing in a new kingdom.

01:03:35.540 --> 01:03:37.540
Do you want to be part of it?

01:03:45.540 --> 01:03:46.540
Three.

01:03:48.540 --> 01:03:53.540
He was fully man

01:03:53.540 --> 01:03:58.540
born to Joseph

01:04:00.540 --> 01:04:01.540
and Mary.

01:04:05.540 --> 01:04:06.540
Four.

01:04:08.540 --> 01:04:09.540
He died

01:04:11.540 --> 01:04:14.540
according to scriptures

01:04:18.540 --> 01:04:20.540
to deliver us from sin.

01:04:24.540 --> 01:04:26.540
See, this is where it's not conversational.

01:04:26.540 --> 01:04:29.540
It's very biblical and Christian sounding.

01:04:29.540 --> 01:04:31.540
Conversational is when you simplify this.

01:04:32.540 --> 01:04:33.540
Five.

01:04:33.540 --> 01:04:36.540
He was buried.

01:04:38.540 --> 01:04:39.540
Six.

01:04:42.540 --> 01:04:47.540
He rose in three days.

01:04:48.540 --> 01:04:49.540
Seven.

01:04:49.540 --> 01:04:54.540
He is seated in heaven.

01:04:58.540 --> 01:04:59.540
Eight.

01:04:59.540 --> 01:05:04.540
He will come again

01:05:05.540 --> 01:05:09.540
to save and judge

01:05:10.540 --> 01:05:11.540
the earth.

01:05:11.540 --> 01:05:13.540
These are essentials of the Good News.

01:05:13.540 --> 01:05:15.540
Can you bring them into conversation?

01:05:26.540 --> 01:05:27.540
Any questions?

01:05:28.540 --> 01:05:30.540
I'm going to ask you a question.

01:05:30.540 --> 01:05:32.540
I'm going to ask you a question.

01:05:32.540 --> 01:05:34.540
I'm going to ask you a question.

01:05:34.540 --> 01:05:36.540
I'm going to ask you a question.

01:05:36.540 --> 01:05:38.540
I'm going to ask you a question.

01:05:39.540 --> 01:05:40.540
Any questions?

01:05:45.540 --> 01:05:46.540
Sorry, go ahead.

01:05:52.540 --> 01:05:56.540
Yeah, he was, the actual scriptures say he was born from the line of David.

01:05:56.540 --> 01:05:58.540
He was, so you have to add to that.

01:05:58.540 --> 01:06:00.540
He was fully man and fully God.

01:06:00.540 --> 01:06:01.540
But I'm trying to find that scripture.

01:06:01.540 --> 01:06:02.540
Can someone find it for me?

01:06:02.540 --> 01:06:06.540
All this is in one scripture in the Bible where it says,

01:06:09.540 --> 01:06:12.540
First Corinthians, First Corinthians 15.

01:06:17.540 --> 01:06:18.540
Do you know which verse?

01:06:34.540 --> 01:06:35.540
Yeah, verse three.

01:06:35.540 --> 01:06:36.540
Verse three.

01:06:37.540 --> 01:06:38.540
Starting at verse two.

01:06:39.540 --> 01:06:41.540
Let's start at verse one.

01:06:41.540 --> 01:06:42.540
It's reading from the NIV.

01:06:42.540 --> 01:06:47.540
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preach to you,

01:06:47.540 --> 01:06:50.540
which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

01:06:51.540 --> 01:06:53.540
By this gospel you are saved.

01:06:53.540 --> 01:06:56.540
If you hold firmly to the word I preach to you,

01:06:56.540 --> 01:06:59.540
otherwise you have believed in vain.

01:06:59.540 --> 01:07:04.540
For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance.

01:07:05.540 --> 01:07:09.540
That Christ died for us sins according to scriptures,

01:07:09.540 --> 01:07:14.540
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,

01:07:14.540 --> 01:07:18.540
and then that he appeared to safest and then to the twelfth and so on.

01:07:18.540 --> 01:07:22.540
There's another scripture which talks about how he was very similar to this,

01:07:22.540 --> 01:07:24.540
how he was born of the line of David,

01:07:24.540 --> 01:07:27.540
that prophecies were fulfilled in his being born,

01:07:27.540 --> 01:07:30.540
and then the same thing again, and that he's coming back to judge.

01:07:35.540 --> 01:07:36.540
Any questions?

01:07:36.540 --> 01:07:38.540
I can't find the other scripture.

01:07:38.540 --> 01:07:39.540
I'll find it some other time.

01:07:43.540 --> 01:07:48.540
So this must be the scriptural basis for you to develop.

01:07:48.540 --> 01:07:49.540
Sorry, go ahead.

01:07:52.540 --> 01:07:54.540
Because of the fans, I'll have to come closer.

01:07:58.540 --> 01:07:59.540
I can't hear you too.

01:07:59.540 --> 01:08:00.540
Yeah.

01:08:00.540 --> 01:08:03.540
At what point do you bring the story of Adam and Eve?

01:08:03.540 --> 01:08:09.540
You bring it in at any point from your treasure chest of all the new stories

01:08:09.540 --> 01:08:12.540
that God has given you and based on the person.

01:08:12.540 --> 01:08:14.540
This is the skeleton.

01:08:14.540 --> 01:08:21.540
On this skeleton, we got to pull from our understanding of the story of Adam and Eve.

01:08:21.540 --> 01:08:24.540
We have to understand that Adam and Eve are the same.

01:08:24.540 --> 01:08:29.540
On this skeleton, we got to pull from our understanding of,

01:08:29.540 --> 01:08:31.540
do we have to go back to Adam and Eve?

01:08:31.540 --> 01:08:37.540
Do we have to perhaps talk about David and how he committed adultery and yet God forgave him?

01:08:37.540 --> 01:08:41.540
Which story at present would help the person understand?

01:08:41.540 --> 01:08:47.540
If I go to Adam and Eve, am I going to suddenly open the Pandora box of evolution and Genesis and creation?

01:08:47.540 --> 01:08:50.540
Which perhaps I can use another time.

01:08:50.540 --> 01:08:52.540
I'll leave Adam and Eve alone right now.

01:08:52.540 --> 01:08:56.540
Because what if the argument becomes about whether Adam had a belly button or not?

01:08:56.540 --> 01:08:58.540
You want to move away from that one.

01:08:58.540 --> 01:09:04.540
So, depending, oh, did I tell you the fig is not a fruit, it's an inverted flower.

01:09:04.540 --> 01:09:06.540
But we'll talk about that another day.

01:09:06.540 --> 01:09:08.540
So, here's the thing though.

01:09:08.540 --> 01:09:15.540
That, shoot, I promised myself I wouldn't talk about the fig today.

01:09:15.540 --> 01:09:23.540
Yeah, so what we use to substantiate this depends on two wonderful things.

01:09:23.540 --> 01:09:26.540
One, how's the Spirit of God leading me in this conversation?

01:09:26.540 --> 01:09:32.540
Two, how conversational can I get about this?

01:09:32.540 --> 01:09:38.540
How conversational can I get about this?

01:09:38.540 --> 01:09:48.540
How do you get conversational about someone who was beaten and bruised and killed for you?

01:09:48.540 --> 01:09:58.540
Trump is getting conversational about his ear.

01:09:58.540 --> 01:10:07.540
How do you get conversational about someone who was beaten and bruised for you?

01:10:07.540 --> 01:10:17.540
My first exposure to the Gospel was through a man called Chakrabarti.

01:10:17.540 --> 01:10:27.540
He was a devout Hindu whose life was a living hell.

01:10:27.540 --> 01:10:33.540
And he would abuse her, he would punish her for that.

01:10:33.540 --> 01:10:43.540
And then one day he had come home drunk and was completely bruised.

01:10:43.540 --> 01:10:49.540
And his wife had not come home yet, but she sees the fire.

01:10:49.540 --> 01:10:55.540
And he's asleep there and they're beating him.

01:10:55.540 --> 01:10:58.540
And he's sleeping.

01:10:58.540 --> 01:11:01.540
And he's sleeping.

01:11:01.540 --> 01:11:04.540
And he's sleeping.

01:11:04.540 --> 01:11:07.540
And he's sleeping.

01:11:07.540 --> 01:11:17.540
And she goes in and pulls out the son and she literally goes in again and pulls out the husband.

01:11:17.540 --> 01:11:27.540
And then in the process, both son and husband live, but the wife is sleeping.

01:11:27.540 --> 01:11:41.540
And then in the process, both son and husband live, but the wife gets third degree burns and dies.

01:11:41.540 --> 01:11:45.540
I'm 11 years old listening to this story.

01:11:45.540 --> 01:11:48.540
This is the first time our family has ever heard.

01:11:48.540 --> 01:11:54.540
I grew up in a nominal Christian home where we used to go to church.

01:11:54.540 --> 01:11:56.540
Every Sunday I would go to church.

01:11:56.540 --> 01:11:59.540
But this is the first time I heard this man say,

01:11:59.540 --> 01:12:03.540
that day when my wife went in and pulled my son and me,

01:12:03.540 --> 01:12:09.540
and she had to drag me out because I was so drunk that I couldn't even, I wasn't even awake,

01:12:09.540 --> 01:12:11.540
so the flames were all around her.

01:12:11.540 --> 01:12:14.540
And how she died of third degree burns.

01:12:14.540 --> 01:12:18.540
And that is when suddenly the story of Jesus Christ that he,

01:12:18.540 --> 01:12:23.540
she would keep telling him about how Christ died so that you could live.

01:12:23.540 --> 01:12:25.540
Christ died so that you could live.

01:12:25.540 --> 01:12:28.540
And he is just weeping as he begins to say,

01:12:28.540 --> 01:12:33.540
suddenly it was like the lights went on and I knew why I was alive and she was dead.

01:12:33.540 --> 01:12:34.540
Why I was alive and she was dead.

01:12:34.540 --> 01:12:38.540
And I'm listening to this thinking, how come I've read these stories over and over again?

01:12:38.540 --> 01:12:46.540
And this is the first time it's making sense that Christ was a sacrifice so that someone else might live.

01:12:46.540 --> 01:12:52.540
That guy went around from house to house as a converted Hindu believer,

01:12:52.540 --> 01:12:57.540
talking about what Christ has done.

01:12:57.540 --> 01:13:06.540
That is what I mean by something becoming part of a fluent conversation in your life.

01:13:06.540 --> 01:13:08.540
It was the first time I became a believer in my life.

01:13:08.540 --> 01:13:12.540
It didn't last, I didn't even know what to do.

01:13:12.540 --> 01:13:16.540
I just started weeping and a guy came and asked me, do you want to receive Christ into your life?

01:13:16.540 --> 01:13:18.540
I said yes, and I received Christ into my life.

01:13:18.540 --> 01:13:22.540
I sustained it for about five days and didn't know what to do with it.

01:13:22.540 --> 01:13:26.540
And then it was years later that someone came and talked to me about Christ.

01:13:26.540 --> 01:13:33.540
And it happens to us in churches where we get dull to Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, but no salvation.

01:13:33.540 --> 01:13:40.540
But I still remember how it wrecked me to know someone died so someone can live.

01:13:48.540 --> 01:13:53.540
I remember going to the back pages of a magazine that was very popular in India then,

01:13:53.540 --> 01:13:56.540
and it would have letters to the editor.

01:13:56.540 --> 01:14:03.540
One of the letters to the editor was from a guy in West Bengal who was dying of cancer.

01:14:03.540 --> 01:14:08.540
I quickly got his address and I wrote to him and told him that Jesus died for you and that he can make you live.

01:14:08.540 --> 01:14:13.540
I was 11 or 12, man. I sent him a letter. It was the only thing I knew how to do.

01:14:13.540 --> 01:14:18.540
I didn't know how to sustain it after that.

01:14:18.540 --> 01:14:22.540
I don't even know what could have happened had someone helped me when I was 11.

01:14:22.540 --> 01:14:38.540
It took another 13 years bearing witness to who he is, what he did and what he has done.

01:14:38.540 --> 01:14:41.540
I don't know whether I'll see that man from West Bengal.

01:14:41.540 --> 01:14:43.540
I wouldn't be surprised if I did.

01:14:43.540 --> 01:14:49.540
What are the odds that an 11-year-old was touched for five days and wrote a letter to a man dying of cancer in West Bengal saying,

01:14:49.540 --> 01:14:53.540
Christ can save you?

01:14:53.540 --> 01:15:03.540
You'll be surprised at the number of people we'll meet that we thought we didn't make an influence or an effect on.

01:15:03.540 --> 01:15:07.540
What is it to conversationally speak of these truths, man?

01:15:07.540 --> 01:15:11.540
That's what we need to become, eh?

01:15:11.540 --> 01:15:18.540
I refuse to subscribe to discipleship methods to talk about someone I love.

01:15:18.540 --> 01:15:23.540
The discipleship method should give me format. If I need, I can dip into it.

01:15:23.540 --> 01:15:28.540
But my God, I'm talking about someone inside who I care for, who loves me, who I love.

01:15:28.540 --> 01:15:31.540
How can I make him a method?

01:15:37.540 --> 01:15:43.540
I can't. I'm not saying you shouldn't.

01:15:43.540 --> 01:15:46.540
I'm only saying there's a more excellent way.

01:15:46.540 --> 01:15:49.540
Yeah, I'm not trashing method.

01:15:49.540 --> 01:15:55.540
Method is important, but it is not the most excellent way.

01:15:55.540 --> 01:16:02.540
I refuse to have this church or myself settle for anything less than the most excellent way.

01:16:03.540 --> 01:16:06.540
The most excellent way takes the most time.

01:16:19.540 --> 01:16:21.540
Romans 1.3.

01:16:33.540 --> 01:16:37.540
Yeah, this is that part that I was talking about.

01:16:37.540 --> 01:16:40.540
If you can add this to 1 Corinthians 15, it gives you a complete picture.

01:16:40.540 --> 01:16:42.540
Romans 1.

01:16:42.540 --> 01:16:47.540
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

01:16:47.540 --> 01:16:52.540
The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

01:16:52.540 --> 01:16:58.540
regarding his son who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,

01:16:58.540 --> 01:17:02.540
and through the spirit of holiness was appointed the son of God.

01:17:02.540 --> 01:17:12.540
This is a combination of a few scriptures that makes it known to you what the content of the gospel should be.

01:17:12.540 --> 01:17:15.540
What the content of the gospel should be.

01:17:15.540 --> 01:17:17.540
So let's close.

01:17:29.540 --> 01:17:32.540
Here's what I want us to close by doing.

01:17:32.540 --> 01:17:36.540
In Luke chapter 10, verse 1, it says, And they went out two by two.

01:17:40.540 --> 01:17:45.540
I want us to this week try going out two by two, to actually bear witness.

01:17:47.540 --> 01:17:55.540
I pray God that we come back on Sunday, and all of us can say we did go out two by two.

01:17:56.540 --> 01:17:59.540
Are we, we did bear witness?

01:18:00.540 --> 01:18:07.540
Whether it be rejected, whether it be spurned, whether it be laughed at, that we did try it.

01:18:11.540 --> 01:18:17.540
And so I just want you to find your significant other.

01:18:18.540 --> 01:18:22.540
And by this I don't mean your spouse, I mean whoever you're going out two by two with.

01:18:23.540 --> 01:18:27.540
Suddenly all the single guys are going, ha, they are here?

01:18:28.540 --> 01:18:36.540
No, I meant significant other as in, but don't worry, Don's working on that one too, for all of us.

01:18:40.540 --> 01:18:44.540
And guys, find someone that will encourage you in this.

01:18:45.540 --> 01:18:50.540
Find someone that will spur you on to doing this, that will give you the courage to do this.

01:18:50.540 --> 01:18:56.540
Like, you know, when you want to exercise, you always want someone who will spur you on to exercise.

01:18:57.540 --> 01:19:01.540
For instance, in this church, there's Jeremy and Sheldon.

01:19:02.540 --> 01:19:04.540
I mean, they spur each other on, eh?

01:19:05.540 --> 01:19:08.540
They have decided that they are going to go and exercise at 7.30.

01:19:09.540 --> 01:19:16.540
At 7.15, Jeremy wakes up and he'll text Sheldon at 7.16 saying, Just woke up.

01:19:16.540 --> 01:19:20.540
Sheldon will text back saying, Not to worry then, let us skip.

01:19:21.540 --> 01:19:26.540
I'm not talking about people like that, eh?

01:19:27.540 --> 01:19:29.540
I'm talking about someone who's more committed to it, yeah?

01:19:30.540 --> 01:19:36.540
But occasionally Sheldon and Jeremy do go, they're committed to once a week, they do go about once every seven weeks.

01:19:37.540 --> 01:19:38.540
So there is some hope there.

01:19:39.540 --> 01:19:42.540
But we want someone who can spur you on and stir you up, yeah?

01:19:42.540 --> 01:19:46.540
So can you find your significant other?

01:19:47.540 --> 01:19:56.540
And then, right now, for those of you who are not married or whose wife or husband is not here, find someone right now.

01:19:57.540 --> 01:20:01.540
Move around, you can ask each other, you can go and say, I would like to, would you please accept me?

01:20:02.540 --> 01:20:03.540
Yeah?

01:20:05.540 --> 01:20:06.540
Now, now.

01:20:07.540 --> 01:20:08.540
Yeah.

01:20:08.540 --> 01:20:15.540
And then you'll have to go and make sure that this week you find a time where you go out to bear witness.

01:20:16.540 --> 01:20:18.540
We'll talk about it a little more.

01:20:19.540 --> 01:20:23.540
So, I mean, you can move, you know, you can ask someone.

01:20:24.540 --> 01:20:25.540
Yeah.

01:20:25.540 --> 01:20:28.540
Yeah, husbands and wives can do it together, no problem there.

01:20:37.540 --> 01:20:39.540
Davant, will you come with me?

01:20:40.540 --> 01:20:41.540
Yeah.

01:20:42.540 --> 01:20:44.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:20:45.540 --> 01:20:47.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:20:48.540 --> 01:20:50.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:20:51.540 --> 01:20:53.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:20:53.540 --> 01:20:54.540
Will you come with me?

01:20:55.540 --> 01:20:56.540
Do you have time?

01:20:57.540 --> 01:20:58.540
It would be okay?

01:20:59.540 --> 01:21:00.540
Oh, great. Thank you so much.

01:21:01.540 --> 01:21:02.540
It would be great.

01:21:11.540 --> 01:21:13.540
I'm going to ask whether you found someone in a couple of minutes.

01:21:16.540 --> 01:21:17.540
Pardon?

01:21:19.540 --> 01:21:20.540
One person for now.

01:21:21.540 --> 01:21:22.540
Yeah.

01:21:23.540 --> 01:21:24.540
Let's start with one.

01:21:25.540 --> 01:21:27.540
Because it's unlikely you'll go twice a week.

01:21:28.540 --> 01:21:29.540
Let's at least start with once a week.

01:21:32.540 --> 01:21:33.540
Everyone's found one?

01:21:41.540 --> 01:21:44.540
Next week, if this works, we'll go buy one, get one more free.

01:21:44.540 --> 01:21:47.540
Okay, can you go stand next to the person you're going with?

01:21:51.540 --> 01:21:52.540
Davant, you'll have to come up.

01:22:14.540 --> 01:22:18.540
Oh, by the way, if you think two by two and you want to make it three by three,

01:22:18.540 --> 01:22:19.540
that's fine too, yeah?

01:22:20.540 --> 01:22:21.540
Yeah.

01:22:22.540 --> 01:22:24.540
Two by two can become three by three, so it's not a problem.

01:22:30.540 --> 01:22:33.540
What I meant is it should be at least two by two.

01:22:34.540 --> 01:22:35.540
Let's limit it to three by three.

01:22:36.540 --> 01:22:37.540
Okay.

01:22:38.540 --> 01:22:39.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:22:40.540 --> 01:22:41.540
So, I'm going to ask you to come with me.

01:22:41.540 --> 01:22:43.540
I meant it should be at least two by two.

01:22:44.540 --> 01:22:48.540
Let's limit it at three by three, otherwise it becomes one big group.

01:23:05.540 --> 01:23:06.540
Max is three, guys.

01:23:07.540 --> 01:23:08.540
Max is three.

01:23:08.540 --> 01:23:09.540
Not more than three.

01:23:11.540 --> 01:23:12.540
Not more than three.

01:23:14.540 --> 01:23:18.540
It has to be sufficiently difficult and should require sufficient courage.

01:23:19.540 --> 01:23:22.540
Has everyone found someone to go out with this week?

01:23:25.540 --> 01:23:28.540
The only way you can excuse yourself out of this is if you just don't want to.

01:23:29.540 --> 01:23:31.540
If you don't want to, just feel free to sit down, yeah?

01:23:32.540 --> 01:23:33.540
Because there's no compulsion.

01:23:34.540 --> 01:23:35.540
I forgot to add that.

01:23:39.540 --> 01:23:40.540
All righty, let's pray.

01:23:44.540 --> 01:23:45.540
Let's pray.

01:23:46.540 --> 01:23:47.540
All good?

01:23:48.540 --> 01:23:53.540
Father, this part now we are genuinely...

01:23:54.540 --> 01:23:57.540
Come, Davant, you'll have to walk up and down with me.

01:24:00.540 --> 01:24:01.540
No?

01:24:03.540 --> 01:24:04.540
Oh, you're on camera.

01:24:04.540 --> 01:24:05.540
Okay.

01:24:06.540 --> 01:24:09.540
So, Father, this part is sincere.

01:24:10.540 --> 01:24:14.540
This week we want to start what will never end in this church.

01:24:16.540 --> 01:24:19.540
This week we want to start what will never end in this church.

01:24:22.540 --> 01:24:26.540
It is a going out two by two to bear witness to who you are,

01:24:27.540 --> 01:24:31.540
to what you have done and what you do every day.

01:24:31.540 --> 01:24:34.540
To this we, oh God, commit ourselves.

01:24:35.540 --> 01:24:36.540
This is just a small start.

01:24:37.540 --> 01:24:40.540
It's a small start, but my God, when have you despised small beginnings?

01:24:41.540 --> 01:24:43.540
This is not a group in Wally.

01:24:44.540 --> 01:24:46.540
This is not a group in Quest or Pursuit or Life House or Revive.

01:24:47.540 --> 01:24:48.540
This is the church doing it.

01:24:49.540 --> 01:24:53.540
And we start with the persons we are standing next to, Davant and me, others.

01:24:54.540 --> 01:24:55.540
And we will go out this week.

01:24:56.540 --> 01:24:59.540
We will go out this week not to feed the poor, not to clothe the naked.

01:24:59.540 --> 01:25:00.540
That will come later.

01:25:01.540 --> 01:25:06.540
This week we will take the courage to go out and bear witness in places unfamiliar,

01:25:07.540 --> 01:25:10.540
to strangers we may not know or neighbors we haven't talked to.

01:25:11.540 --> 01:25:15.540
And tell them about who you are, what you have done and what you do.

01:25:16.540 --> 01:25:18.540
Begin this process because this is something you are starting.

01:25:19.540 --> 01:25:22.540
I'm so excited for you, Father, and so excited for us

01:25:23.540 --> 01:25:28.540
because the Holy Spirit is going to honor us with His power and His presence.

01:25:29.540 --> 01:25:30.540
And we have longed for.

01:25:31.540 --> 01:25:35.540
And He sent them out two by two saying, go, I give you authority.

01:25:36.540 --> 01:25:38.540
Tell them that the kingdom of God is here.

01:25:39.540 --> 01:25:40.540
Please the good news to the poor.

01:25:41.540 --> 01:25:43.540
Heal the sick. Cast out demons.

01:25:44.540 --> 01:25:46.540
As you have been freely given, now freely give.

01:25:47.540 --> 01:25:50.540
As you have freely received, now freely give.

01:25:51.540 --> 01:25:56.540
Jesus, we ask, you are the one who said, pray to the Lord of the harvest

01:25:56.540 --> 01:26:00.540
to send more laborers into the fields and that the fields are white.

01:26:01.540 --> 01:26:04.540
We are asking that you send us out as laborers, that today changes

01:26:05.540 --> 01:26:10.540
and brings in a new phase into the nature of this church that reflects you here on earth.

01:26:11.540 --> 01:26:14.540
This is what we ask for in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

01:26:16.540 --> 01:26:19.540
So may you go out two by two and three by three, yeah,

01:26:20.540 --> 01:26:24.540
and start something that will never go back to normal. Yeah?

01:26:27.540 --> 01:26:31.540
The question is not about results. The question is about obedience.

01:26:32.540 --> 01:26:33.540
The results are His.

01:26:34.540 --> 01:26:36.540
I'm going to ask Juni to come up and sing the song.

01:26:42.540 --> 01:26:44.540
Actually, I'll sing the song.

01:26:46.540 --> 01:26:48.540
Yeah, yeah, you come and sing along. Yeah.

01:26:49.540 --> 01:26:51.540
Hey, Brandon, do we have the song?

01:26:51.540 --> 01:26:59.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:27:02.540 --> 01:27:05.540
First, I thought of singing, I've been touched by a fire.

01:27:06.540 --> 01:27:08.540
I think I'll sing this one instead.

01:27:21.540 --> 01:27:22.540
Yeah.

01:27:27.540 --> 01:27:29.540
Nii, you want to come up?

01:27:34.540 --> 01:27:35.540
Sheldon?

01:27:42.540 --> 01:27:43.540
No.

01:27:44.540 --> 01:27:58.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:28:01.540 --> 01:28:06.540
Your kingdom, kingdom has come.

01:28:09.540 --> 01:28:10.540
Your will be done.

01:28:13.540 --> 01:28:32.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:28:33.540 --> 01:28:39.540
Your kingdom, kingdom has come.

01:28:40.540 --> 01:28:42.540
Your will be done.

01:28:44.540 --> 01:28:46.540
Our father.

01:28:50.540 --> 01:28:54.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:28:58.540 --> 01:29:02.540
Take no bag or bread with you.

01:29:02.540 --> 01:29:07.540
Cast out demons and field us sick.

01:29:07.540 --> 01:29:13.540
For the glory of the Lord God dwells in you.

01:29:15.540 --> 01:29:28.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:29:32.540 --> 01:29:41.540
Your kingdom, your kingdom has come.

01:29:43.540 --> 01:29:45.540
Your will be done.

01:29:47.540 --> 01:29:49.540
One more time, our father.

01:29:51.540 --> 01:30:01.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:30:03.540 --> 01:30:05.540
Your name.

01:30:07.540 --> 01:30:09.540
Your kingdom.

01:30:11.540 --> 01:30:13.540
Kingdom has come.

01:30:15.540 --> 01:30:17.540
Your will be done.

01:30:19.540 --> 01:30:20.540
One more time.

01:30:21.540 --> 01:30:23.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:30:25.540 --> 01:30:29.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:30:29.540 --> 01:30:31.540
Take no bag or bread with you.

01:30:33.540 --> 01:30:37.540
Take no bag or bread with you.

01:30:38.540 --> 01:30:40.540
Cast out demons and field us sick.

01:30:41.540 --> 01:30:45.540
Cast out demons and field us sick.

01:30:46.540 --> 01:30:51.540
For the glory of the Lord God dwells in you.

01:30:52.540 --> 01:30:54.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:30:55.540 --> 01:30:58.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:31:03.540 --> 01:31:06.540
Take no bag or bread with you.

01:31:07.540 --> 01:31:09.540
Cast out demons.

01:31:11.540 --> 01:31:15.540
Cast out demons and field us sick.

01:31:16.540 --> 01:31:20.540
For the glory of the Lord God dwells in you.

01:31:21.540 --> 01:31:22.540
One more time, cut.

01:31:25.540 --> 01:31:28.540
So he sends us two by two.

01:31:33.540 --> 01:31:36.540
Take no bag or bread with you.

01:31:37.540 --> 01:31:38.540
Cast out demons.

01:31:41.540 --> 01:31:44.540
Cast out demons and field us sick.

01:31:46.540 --> 01:31:51.540
For the glory of the Lord God dwells in you.

01:31:54.540 --> 01:32:07.540
Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

01:32:10.540 --> 01:32:11.540
Your kingdom.

01:32:12.540 --> 01:32:14.540
Kingdom has come.

01:32:16.540 --> 01:32:18.540
Your will be done.

01:32:20.540 --> 01:32:21.540
Honor.

01:32:24.540 --> 01:32:26.540
Your kingdom.

01:32:28.540 --> 01:32:30.540
Kingdom has come.

01:32:32.540 --> 01:32:34.540
Your will be done.

01:32:36.540 --> 01:32:37.540
Honor.

01:32:37.540 --> 01:32:39.540
Your kingdom.

01:32:40.540 --> 01:32:42.540
Your kingdom.

01:32:43.540 --> 01:32:45.540
Kingdom has come.

01:32:47.540 --> 01:32:49.540
Your will be done.

01:32:51.540 --> 01:32:52.540
Honor.

01:33:00.540 --> 01:33:06.540
Brandon, it's not on Google, it's on some of our old PowerPoints.

01:33:07.540 --> 01:33:10.540
Guys, bless you. If you need prayer, someone will be here to pray with you.

01:33:11.540 --> 01:33:14.540
And otherwise, we'll see you when the church meets.

01:33:14.540 --> 01:33:17.540
Remember who you said goes with you two by two, yeah?

01:33:17.540 --> 01:33:20.540
And make sure it gets done this week.

01:33:21.540 --> 01:33:24.540
And if you finish it by Monday, go again Thursday and Friday.

01:33:25.540 --> 01:33:30.540
Yeah? It's not a one-off. It is something we are starting so we become used to.

01:33:31.540 --> 01:33:32.540
Bless you as you go.

01:33:37.540 --> 01:33:40.540
That's the rest of it.