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The title of today’s message is his story creates history The story of disciples

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stories create history And Christianity is the true story

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You can see that I’m kind of ripping off people like Tolkien and Lewis there The Christianity is the true myth

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and it’s really good to get a hold of this idea Again

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that stories create history stories create our values how we understand ourselves who we are where we’re going what’s important what has value

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people have known this throughout time

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You could say when stories change the world changes

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the problem

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with the world is we are not feeding on his story enough and we’re letting other stories

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be what’s driving our values and our understanding of who we are and what’s important

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The reason that got into my mind again this week was last week I was watching a show and I was like I can’t believe what I’m seeing

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They’re throwing it in our face

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The Bible says the Children of this world are more shrewd than the Children of light Isn’t that true That’s what it says And I’m watching this show and it’s a show telling a story and in the show they actually said whoever controls the story controls the world

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And I was like they’re throwing it right in our face They understand this We hear others that say we need to control the narrative

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And I would challenge why we come to church on Sunday and why we read so much of scripture and why we go and have Bible studies or even just when we’re together having fellowship and we start talking about God’s word is because it’s his story And when we are immersed in his story it changes our whole life

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it changes everything

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I remember somebody asking me about a person one time

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and they said what happened to that person And I knew they read the whole Bible

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in the last year

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and people saw a difference in their life Complete transformation of their life God’s word does that And I remember wrestling for years How do we get people to read God’s word

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How do we get people to read God’s word Because a lot of times Christianity uses methods that are out of bounds and does not create maturity

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You’re a Christian and you should be reading God’s word Are you into God’s word Brother How come you’re not reading God’s word enough You’re really not a good Christian if you’re not in God’s word

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Oh

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you see what I’m saying But we it it it seems funny when I say it like that But that’s how often times people even treat themselves

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I’m not a good Christian because I never read his word

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You see what I mean

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And I and and there’s a just a simple principle I remember when I was teaching I was wrestling with these ideas How do we get people to read God’s word

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And then I thought about it People will buy whatever they value

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they will buy whatever they value So we started reading books about the powerful transformation that has happened in world history through the word of God

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And then a curiosity gets into people’s minds Wow I didn’t know God’s word was so powerful to change lives Let me see for myself But

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and next thing you know their whole life is transformed it literally works that way when you go to scriptures with hunger

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not self righteousness When you go wanting to meet Jesus not prove I’m a good Christian God will leap off the pages of scripture and it will change you it will transform you

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But I also think about you know like if I talk about the Bible is a story I mean there’s a lot of stories in it a lot of narratives right But there there’s all kinds of elements and genres in in the Bible

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but that book will change you forever It really does

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And one of the things that I want to mention is that good books often weave many story lines into a great story don’t they

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You know there’s stories within stories within stories and they all weave together for a whole And the Bible is also full of different stories that speak to us in every circumstance whether it’s the big picture or the little picture

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I mean it’s funny as I I was talking with Rachel this week and I was saying Rachel I you know we were wrestling with scripture I said on one side the the the scripture say there’s a time to shake the dust off your feet

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But there’s other times where you see like

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you’re you’re meant to hold on for hope until breakthrough right And I go how do you navigate when either could be applied in a situation Then you go to the author and say author

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show us what you mean show us how to apply your word and we found God answered that prayer that very day didn’t he Rachel It’s pretty awesome wasn’t it

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And the reason I say that is because a lot of times we’ll look at the scriptures and maybe even use the same scriptures week after week And you’re like oh could that be tedious No it is never tedious Why Because they we they connect in different ways You never exhaust how they can speak to you You you know like I remember one time somebody saying I read the whole Bible I

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don’t you know I already know what’s in there

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Like then you really don’t know what’s in there because when you really read the word of God in a certain manner what happens is every time you read it you see new things and every time you see something new and it will speak to you in new ways and and you go away going God You’re so good You are so wonderful You’re so beautiful That’s exactly the word that I needed Or maybe the word I didn’t want but actually I did need it will change your life

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So here is a scripture

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that captures my imagination

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And it comes from when Paul and Silas were ministering for three weeks in the I slaughtered that one

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They were preaching for three weeks and it says a great multitude became disciples

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Could you imagine somebody going into a city preaching for three weeks and a great multitude became disciples

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That’s pretty awesome isn’t it

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But it’s totally possible

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And there was a response

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but the Jews who were not persuaded

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and I like it says that Paul was actually persuading

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not coercing not manipulating he was persuading And the Jews who were not persuaded became envious Oh yeah Jews Godly people Good

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Jewish or Christian character envy

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right They became envious and they took some of the evil men from the marketplace

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I mean when do you know that you’re going down in ashes

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Well I’ve got a strategy What we have to do We have to go find the evil men Let’s find the most evil men we can find Yeah Why Because we’re Jews Let me just take my cross off before I do that Right

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And they went and took some of the evil men from the marketplace and gathering a mob They set the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people But when they did not find them they dragged Jason and some of the brethren to the rulers of the city

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And what these men said

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captures my imagination so completely

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They cried out These who have turned the world upside down have come here too

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right

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What an awesome testimony I want that testimony I want us I want the church of Jesus Christ to have that testimony Once again those who have turned the whole world upside down have come here too

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I mean you read the Book of Revelation and it talks about the whore of Babylon and it said through whom the merchants of this world had made themselves rich right That’s part of this world that they turned upside down

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They they turned upside down a world of injustice a world of impersonality a world that had no love That could it was a giant slave empire I mean the list of things that they turned upside down goes on and on and on and on

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Their Christianity made an impact in the world beyond just the four walls of the church These guys would not have said these men have turned the whole world upside down unless it was true

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I mean we saw elsewhere in Eis Paul destroyed the whole idol industry

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and he’s a minor

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I think that’s a pretty good testimony isn’t it You can’t hide from that They shut down the idol industry No wonder they were being attacked No wonder they wanted to kill them The merchants of the earth said we’re not getting rich anymore

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It’s exciting stuff isn’t it

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One of the driving passions of my life is connected to this question How do we restore that testimony to the church of Jesus Christ

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That’s the thing That’s something that I pray about all the time Lord how do we restore this testimony in our generation How do we restore this testimony for our Children and our children’s Children

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When Christianity has the power to turn the world upside down it’s actually normal It’s a conflict of Kingdoms You can’t turn the light on and have the darkness remain right

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I want us to start turning the lights on in such a way that the darkness flees that it makes an impact that it brings transformation We you know we sing that song that giants would fall

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What are these great giants on the earth that we stand in awe of and say that it’s Impenetrable Oh Tire The tower of Tire can never fall before the word of the Lord It will fall

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But we often don’t have that faith

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and expectation

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that God can do it

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I believe one element to restoring that testimony is that we must first dare to believe that it is possible

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If you don’t believe that it is possible then you won’t seek it then you won’t ask for it

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You won’t go down that road Does that make sense We first have to believe that it is real impossible for us

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and the hour is never too late Samson’s hair can grow back

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I believe that as we let his story and scripture scripture captivate our hearts and imagination

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that that will be a major

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part of restoring that testimony

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when we dare to go to scripture and believe that everything that is written is written for us to believe and to expect

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in all these stories I mean they tell you one story after another You have to first believe that God exists and He rewards those that diligently seek Him We we see David and Goliath we see Joshua and Caleb before the promised land we see my God can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace But even if He doesn’t

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we will not bow down in these stories They change our lives they give us courage they give us hope they give us boldness they give us passion but they also put the love of God into our hearts and we start to cry out for for the Lord that this world is broken and lost And hurting and they need Jesus

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And then the love of Christ starts to compel us as we get into his story it changes history because his love gets into our heart And next thing you know is that we can not just be silent before his throne any longer but we start to groan and we weep and we long for the the lord to just wake up a people that are like sheep being led to the slaughter

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to break the yoke of impression to set at liberty the captives to give sight to the blind

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I mean that’s what scripture has to do in us It’s got to reach us at the depth of our soul and being and transform us in the measuring stick to measure how much it’s making a difference Is is it filling us with the love of God

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Is it filling us with a love for righteousness and a hatred for sin Is it giving us a courage and a boldness to stand against evil no matter what the cost you know those who overcame they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death They could not help but to stand against evil They were not cowards

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Why Because these men have been with Jesus

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how I wanna be in his presence We can be in his presence and prayer But there’s one way that you can always get in his presence And that’s when you have a conversation with Him

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in God’s word is Him speaking to us

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When we go hungry to hear from Him he will speak to us And when you immerse yourself in his story

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it will change you and transform you

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completely

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It will

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in part you can see that there’s a shameless plug here for the power of God’s word and the power of preaching God’s word Because I believe this with all my heart that this works I’ve seen it I can testify It’s real

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And what’s happening is so many in the world are not feeding on his story

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But we’re here this morning listening to his story in scripture That’s what the preaching of the gospel is about

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And and right now people feed on all kinds of social media on the news on movies all kinds of forms of entertainment and we’re being fed tons and tons of stories that do not bring forth love They don’t bring forth hope they don’t bring forth compassion they don’t bring forth justice

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they don’t bring forth salvation

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Salvation is only found in Jesus

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Christ

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in all scripture testifies about him

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isn’t that powerful

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it’s powerful

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So I wanted to tell the story of disciples today and there’s a reason for this

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because I really feel like there’s something that God wants to do right here at life Springs Church and to help open up the harvest

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So the story of disciples let’s begin and granted this is not gonna be a comprehensive story because we we don’t wanna be here until next Sunday right So Matthew 4 18 through 20 and Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew’s brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen

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Then he said to them follow me and I will make you fishers of men

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and they immediately left their nets and followed him

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The first part of the story of a disciple is hearing the voice of Jesus saying come follow me

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That’s it

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We’re called to make disciples How do I make disciples Very simple Follow him

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What does that mean You don’t even need to know a whole lot more except I’m gonna follow him It literally begins that simple Follow Jesus become his disciple follow him

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You don’t need to know at all They don’t need to know it all They all they need to know is He is Christ he is Lord he is Savior he is God and I will surrender all I will leave all

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and follow Him

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That’s where you begin

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It’s hearing the voice of the Son of God say come follow me

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And then your first identity is what to be fishers of men to say follow him

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You were fishing for fish now fish for men

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What am I What’s the what’s the hook What’s the bait Follow him

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It’s literally that simple

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We make it over complicated

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And what I love is that Jesus

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He’s OK with

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mixed motives at the beginning to some level

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What do you mean if we really look at the disciples they were all following him for different reasons

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But as they follow him they start to change they start to become like him

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Their lives will never be the same if they keep following him

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That’s it What’s our life from the moment we believe to the we breathe our last What did I want to do follow Jesus

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That’s it You can’t get any more simple than that can you

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But I wanna tell tell more of the story that said you could go you could go scripture after scripture after scripture literally For

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really probably you could never exhaust it and approach it from many angles What does it mean to follow Jesus But one of the things I like is some of those first initial encounters with Jesus sometimes I think are kind of like divine set ups

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What I mean by that is a lot of times when you first meet the Lord it’s amazing A world of miracles opens up and it’s like wow there’s glory and there’s love and there’s grace and there’s this presence And whoa I mean it’s just so uh there’s no words for how wonderful it is When you first meet Jesus

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I mean it’s wild right When somebody first encounters the Holy Spirit it’s life transformative and these disciples they got to see all kinds of things Jesus healing the sick casting out devils walking on water The list goes on and it’s like wow And then even at one point go I’m sending you and they come back Even devils are subject to us in your name Wow

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And there’s all this exciting wow In in the beginning of Christianity and throughout all of Christianity it never goes away

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The but the sense of wow and awe and wonder gets deeper and richer and more deep And what eventually happens is it becomes less about the wow and more about the love

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What is it like What is it that you seek I wanna love like Christ loves I wanna care I mean at at the beginning it’s like I wanna see a miracle I wanna see healing Wow that was really cool And it is but really all it is is God showing his love to people That’s all it really is You know we make some bigger thing It’s just God saying I love you I love you I love you

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But for us we’re like wow God answers prayer Wow And he does But it’s just I love you I love you I love you

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We make it over complicated don’t we

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But the life of disciple is so much more than the

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it’s about reproducing the life of Christ and he hooks us and we know his love we know his goodness we know his grace We we we just fall madly in love with Jesus and he gets that I will have you for you know in good times and bad and sickness and health until death do us unite I guess right And

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then he says great

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Now I’m putting you on a plan to become more like

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me Great

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What’s the method It’s also really simple

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It’s called a cross

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Take up your cross and follow me

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But but he didn’t say that first day that he called him he didn’t say

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take up your cross and follow me He just said come follow me And then when they get down the road a little while then he says oh by the way take up your cross and follow me And if you don’t know this is how God’s work works It just it’s fun to read scripture I’m gonna bring you to the promised land I’m gonna give you this land flowing with milk and honey Then we get out to the boundaries and he says no go take it

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You said you’re gonna give it to me I did I’m giving it to you Go take it

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Wait God How I imagine you giving it to me and how you meant it are two different things

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He said well you didn’t ask

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plain taken right If you would have asked how are you gonna give it to me Oh I’m gonna take you up to the edge and make you fight giants

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Oh we should have told that told us that at the beginning of the journey He goes yeah you weren’t ready yet And apparently only two of you two of you are now But don’t worry I’ll I’ll I’ll have a generation that will make it in

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It’s it’s amazing isn’t it So another but another I’ll give another little snippet These are just little snippets of stories that kind of give us some of the picture of what it means to be a disciple On the same day when evening had come they said to him or he said to them

Speaker#1:
00:23:24.78 – 00:23:39.76
let us cross over to the other side Now when they had left the multitude they took him along in a boat as he was and other little boats were also with him and a great windstorm arose and the waves beat the boat so that it was already filling

Speaker#1:
00:23:42.0 – 00:23:44.589
But he was in the stern asleep on a pillow

Speaker#1:
00:23:46.609 – 00:23:52.18
and they awoke him and they said to him teacher do you not care that we are perishing

Speaker#1:
00:23:53.25 – 00:24:04.229
Which is so interesting to me too Like do they even know he has the power to stop a storm yet Or are they just so frustrated that he was sleeping when they were freaking out I don’t know I can’t answer that

Speaker#2:
00:24:04.239 – 00:24:04.819
question

Speaker#2:
00:24:05.969 – 00:24:07.839
That word doesn’t tell us

Speaker#2:
00:24:08.609 – 00:24:10.329
I have a theory It’s probably

Speaker#2:
00:24:10.859 – 00:24:12.099
the latter but

Speaker#1:
00:24:12.949 – 00:24:38.17
then he arose then he arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea Peace be still And the wind ceased and there was a great calm But he said to them why were you so fearful How is it that you have no faith Well I guess that kind of proves it They were fearful and had no faith So really they weren’t waking him up to deal with it They were just wake The misery loves company

Speaker#1:
00:24:38.579 – 00:24:43.239
You can’t be at peace when I’m miserable Wake up and be miserable too We’re gonna die

Speaker#1:
00:24:45.069 – 00:24:50.109
don’t you care We’re perishing It’s all your fault We should have never followed you

Speaker#2:
00:24:50.119 – 00:24:51.25
in the first place

Speaker#1:
00:24:51.76 – 00:24:53.79
You got us into trouble and he

Speaker#2:
00:24:53.8 – 00:24:55.91
still does by the way

Speaker#1:
00:24:58.969 – 00:25:03.9
And they feared exceedingly and said to one another Who can this be that even the wind and the

Speaker#2:
00:25:03.91 – 00:25:05.469
sea obey him

Speaker#1:
00:25:06.14 – 00:25:27.52
I mean I just picked this story because what happens is they’re following Jesus and it’s all just sunshine and you know gentle breezes No right here Right in the middle of it We’re all gonna die There’s a great storm We can’t live They were fishermen If they were scared this was some serious stuff and Jesus was asleep

Speaker#1:
00:25:28.81 – 00:25:33.89
Well why do you put this in here Lord Oh Oh because by the way I’m gonna put you through some storms

Speaker#2:
00:25:33.9 – 00:25:36.569
in your life that are gonna be so bad

Speaker#1:
00:25:36.849 – 00:25:40.469
that you are going to feel like there’s no way you’re going to

Speaker#2:
00:25:40.479 – 00:25:44.469
survive and you’re gonna feel like I don’t care and I’m asleep

Speaker#2:
00:25:48.15 – 00:25:50.17
Well why would you do that God Well

Speaker#1:
00:25:50.18 – 00:25:54.79
apparently in the economy of God this is part of the recipe of making disciples

Speaker#1:
00:25:58.739 – 00:26:00.869
Can I avoid that one Lord

Speaker#2:
00:26:01.239 – 00:26:06.88
No please No Right What does that mean

Speaker#1:
00:26:06.89 – 00:26:19.709
You will probably be at points in your life Totally afraid thinking there’s no way you’re gonna make it thinking it’s impossible feeling like everything is going to destroy you and feeling like God doesn’t care and

Speaker#2:
00:26:19.719 – 00:26:20.66
he’s asleep

Speaker#2:
00:26:21.729 – 00:26:25.469
and somehow this is part of the recipe Well why are you telling that story now

Speaker#1:
00:26:25.479 – 00:26:26.819
Because this

Speaker#2:
00:26:26.829 – 00:26:45.709
is how we prepare disciples not to just begin well but to finish Well when we have right expectations of the Christian journey For somewhere along the way the church of Jesus Christ forgot

Speaker#2:
00:26:47.479 – 00:26:51.839
that a disciple takes up his cross

Speaker#2:
00:26:52.38 – 00:26:53.829
and follows Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:26:58.3 – 00:27:00.0
couple more passages

Speaker#1:
00:27:01.339 – 00:27:03.979
John 6 66 to 69

Speaker#1:
00:27:04.979 – 00:27:10.239
From that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more

Speaker#1:
00:27:12.88 – 00:27:20.359
Jesus was getting really popular and man he was getting a real movement going So what did he do He offended everybody

Speaker#1:
00:27:21.65 – 00:27:26.29
Jesus don’t you know how to work a crowd You could be the next president

Speaker#1:
00:27:27.719 – 00:27:37.42
If you would just listen to your pr guys you could you could have the whole world All the kingdoms of this world could be yours

Speaker#1:
00:27:37.989 – 00:27:40.099
If you will just bow down and worship me

Speaker#1:
00:27:41.219 – 00:27:43.88
he didn’t compromise ever

Speaker#1:
00:27:44.66 – 00:27:55.339
He never compromised and he wouldn’t build anything on the flesh because if you look after that he talks about his words are spirit and life and the flesh profits nothing

Speaker#1:
00:27:56.739 – 00:28:00.78
So from that time when when Jesus said things that offended them

Speaker#1:
00:28:01.469 – 00:28:09.459
because their flesh did not like it they didn’t like the way he was talking He didn’t follow their agenda he didn’t conform to their expectations

Speaker#1:
00:28:10.67 – 00:28:13.52
Then Jesus said to the 12 do you also want to go away

Speaker#1:
00:28:14.04 – 00:28:25.52
But Simon Peter answered Lord whom shall we go to Whom shall we go You have the words of eternal life Also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ

Speaker#1:
00:28:26.339 – 00:28:27.93
the son of the living God

Speaker#1:
00:28:32.41 – 00:28:47.16
And I’m telling you part of that journey of following it Jesus is that you start to follow Him and it’s wonderful and it’s beautiful and then you will hit the next place in your life where He is trying to let you die to the flesh

Speaker#1:
00:28:49.26 – 00:28:51.0
and you’ll be tempted to turn away

Speaker#1:
00:28:52.189 – 00:28:55.449
because many don’t will not continue with Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:28:56.359 – 00:29:10.709
But the true disciples say Lord to whom else shall I go You have the words of eternal life It’s like job though he slay me yet I will maintain my walk with Him I know my redeemer lives

Speaker#1:
00:29:11.65 – 00:29:25.41
I know He is good I know he is faithful I know that He is with us I know He is for us And somehow in the economy of God what we are going through is necessary

Speaker#1:
00:29:26.989 – 00:29:30.05
for his life to be revealed in us

Speaker#1:
00:29:31.719 – 00:29:33.239
pretty wild isn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:29:34.88 – 00:29:39.969
the normal life of a believer We read his story and we start to see

Speaker#1:
00:29:40.839 – 00:29:44.25
what to expect So when these things happened

Speaker#1:
00:29:44.8 – 00:29:49.939
we know how to navigate it It was like one of Lewis’s ideas is that

Speaker#1:
00:29:50.479 – 00:29:55.81
people know how to do the right thing in big circumstances

Speaker#1:
00:29:56.589 – 00:30:00.719
because of the simple morality they were taught at home when they were kids

Speaker#1:
00:30:01.64 – 00:30:16.05
they just applied to bigger parts And then he also understood the power of story And then he talks about Eustis who when confronted with a situation did not know what to do because he had read all the wrong stories

Speaker#1:
00:30:17.01 – 00:30:32.469
and we read his story and it helps us make sense of our story It helps us navigate through our story in a way that comes out that other end and becomes more like Jesus so that we shine like a light in the world and become fishers of men

Speaker#1:
00:30:33.619 – 00:30:35.17
It’s exciting isn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:30:37.209 – 00:30:40.489
Matthew 26 I’ll keep one more

Speaker#1:
00:30:41.04 – 00:30:55.81
You know it started out come follow me and you’re seeing signs wonders and miracles and it’s exciting you know and it’s glorious and it is But the real glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ is when he takes these jars of clay

Speaker#1:
00:30:56.79 – 00:30:58.949
and it causes us to love one another

Speaker#1:
00:31:00.0 – 00:31:05.969
That’s the beauty of the gospel He makes us love one another

Speaker#1:
00:31:07.26 – 00:31:20.67
in that process of dying to the self and dying to selfishness and dying to self centeredness is a process and it’s a painful process but it brings forth something beautiful in the earth

Speaker#1:
00:31:21.18 – 00:31:23.43
It brings forth something wonderful

Speaker#1:
00:31:24.06 – 00:31:28.069
These light momentary afflictions are working out a far greater

Speaker#2:
00:31:28.079 – 00:31:29.219
weight of glory

Speaker#1:
00:31:32.229 – 00:31:37.53
Matthew 26 And when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives

Speaker#1:
00:31:38.05 – 00:31:42.67
then Jesus said to them all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night

Speaker#1:
00:31:43.27 – 00:31:48.31
For it is written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered

Speaker#1:
00:31:49.119 – 00:31:52.88
But after I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee

Speaker#1:
00:31:54.17 – 00:32:02.13
Peter answered and said to him even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble

Speaker#1:
00:32:03.8 – 00:32:06.089
And I believe he meant that with his whole heart

Speaker#1:
00:32:08.05 – 00:32:16.3
Jesus said to him assuredly I say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times

Speaker#1:
00:32:17.16 – 00:32:23.979
Peter said to him even if I have to die with you I will not deny you And so said all the disciples

Speaker#1:
00:32:27.05 – 00:32:28.67
and they all denied the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:32:29.29 – 00:32:34.14
But he was already telling them I forgive you I will go before you into

Speaker#2:
00:32:34.15 – 00:32:35.729
Galilee when I’m raised

Speaker#1:
00:32:36.27 – 00:32:42.9
But what this is telling us is that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom

Speaker#1:
00:32:44.15 – 00:32:48.31
The will of man is not powerful enough

Speaker#1:
00:32:49.949 – 00:32:54.439
to prevail against the powers of sin and death

Speaker#1:
00:32:55.569 – 00:32:57.29
and the powers of darkness

Speaker#1:
00:32:59.03 – 00:33:06.719
the flesh and will of men the soul of men The intentions of men are not enough to do what is right

Speaker#1:
00:33:08.05 – 00:33:12.38
in the midst of great trials and tribulations and temptations

Speaker#1:
00:33:14.5 – 00:33:15.93
We need power from on high

Speaker#1:
00:33:17.209 – 00:33:42.089
That’s the only way And that’s what the new covenant is all about What was impossible The law of sin and death has been broken There’s power to become Children of God There’s power to stand in the day of testing There’s power to stand in the midst of temptations and trials and tribulations because it’s not us It’s not our will it’s not our strength it’s his spirit in us

Speaker#1:
00:33:42.839 – 00:33:45.14
And that is the only way

Speaker#2:
00:33:46.189 – 00:33:47.569
it is The only

Speaker#1:
00:33:47.579 – 00:33:51.17
way the whole world has been made new

Speaker#1:
00:33:51.819 – 00:34:04.199
There’s power to overcome the world there’s power to overcome the flesh there’s power to overcome the devil there’s power to stand in temptation but not in your own strength

Speaker#1:
00:34:08.479 – 00:34:13.82
and not and and so those men who turned the world upside down that we read about

Speaker#1:
00:34:15.378 – 00:34:18.138
they didn’t turn the world around until Pentecost

Speaker#1:
00:34:19.678 – 00:34:23.148
They couldn’t do anything until they received the Holy Spirit

Speaker#1:
00:34:23.699 – 00:34:44.37
And without the Holy Spirit we can have all the right intentions to do the right thing But when you are staring down death and I don’t necessarily mean physical death When you are staring down things that have the potential to destroy your life And they’re saying bow down and worship me

Speaker#2:
00:34:45.648 – 00:34:47.239
take the easy road

Speaker#2:
00:34:48.07 – 00:34:49.418
avoid the cross

Speaker#1:
00:34:51.1 – 00:34:52.85
And I think of people like Luther

Speaker#1:
00:34:54.3 – 00:34:55.719
before the emperor

Speaker#1:
00:34:57.629 – 00:34:58.52
repent

Speaker#1:
00:34:59.52 – 00:35:01.3
unless you can convince me

Speaker#1:
00:35:01.81 – 00:35:05.54
by reason In the word of God I cannot recant

Speaker#1:
00:35:06.76 – 00:35:13.909
That’s the power to stand in the day of testing those first disciples

Speaker#1:
00:35:14.479 – 00:35:15.639
can’t do it

Speaker#1:
00:35:17.159 – 00:35:19.26
But only those that have walked with God

Speaker#1:
00:35:20.12 – 00:35:21.879
who walked with Him

Speaker#1:
00:35:22.61 – 00:35:28.949
through fire through tribulation through troubles step by step measured until

Speaker#2:
00:35:29.389 – 00:35:29.8
our

Speaker#1:
00:35:29.81 – 00:35:43.87
love and appreciation from him For Him comes out of some of the deepest love and appreciation because you’re not gonna do it through the zeal of the flesh You’re not gonna do it through human

Speaker#1:
00:35:44.54 – 00:35:46.59
I mean this principle like so many

Speaker#2:
00:35:46.6 – 00:35:54.34
times Christians try this I’ll never do that again Do it again Never do that again Do it again Never do that again I feel like crap I did it again

Speaker#1:
00:35:56.909 – 00:35:59.8
But when we when he his story has gotten

Speaker#2:
00:35:59.81 – 00:36:06.51
into us and his love has gotten into our hearts and his Holy Spirit has poured out upon us

Speaker#1:
00:36:07.1 – 00:36:11.139
then we are then we’re like Paul the love of Christ compels me

Speaker#1:
00:36:13.53 – 00:36:18.56
That’s what Christ is trying to bring forth in the earth through his church

Speaker#1:
00:36:19.62 – 00:36:21.0
So many Christians

Speaker#1:
00:36:21.939 – 00:36:23.429
run from the cross

Speaker#1:
00:36:25.3 – 00:36:27.229
If it’s not my best life now then I

Speaker#2:
00:36:27.239 – 00:36:28.07
don’t want it

Speaker#2:
00:36:29.729 – 00:36:37.27
I want this world to reflect heaven on earth but don’t believe for a second your best life will ever be on this before Christ returns

Speaker#2:
00:36:38.83 – 00:36:41.179
You will never have your best life

Speaker#2:
00:36:42.34 – 00:36:44.239
until you are with Him in glory

Speaker#2:
00:36:46.229 – 00:36:47.939
But we can have a good life

Speaker#2:
00:36:48.489 – 00:36:57.389
and we can walk with God and we can know His love and his mercy and purpose and significance and worth and value and beauty

Speaker#1:
00:36:57.399 – 00:37:02.02
We can find beauty in the mo in the manger and in in the trials and

Speaker#2:
00:37:02.03 – 00:37:05.61
tribulations in the midst of the fire He will be with you

Speaker#2:
00:37:10.3 – 00:37:12.169
But we have to draw near to him

Speaker#2:
00:37:12.929 – 00:37:16.899
We have to seek him We have to love him and we need

Speaker#1:
00:37:16.909 – 00:37:20.889
to get his story into us so that his

Speaker#2:
00:37:20.899 – 00:37:22.85
story is lived through us

Speaker#2:
00:37:27.389 – 00:37:35.54
And then I just figured I’d only read four scriptures for the story of disciples And I closed it out with the great reversal

Speaker#1:
00:37:36.61 – 00:37:37.53
a new story

Speaker#2:
00:37:37.54 – 00:37:38.61
for a new world

Speaker#2:
00:37:39.36 – 00:37:43.389
The great reversal really is on the other side of this cross

Speaker#2:
00:37:44.649 – 00:37:50.719
is Jesus Christ ascended into heaven sat down on the throne of David forever

Speaker#2:
00:37:53.389 – 00:37:55.37
And he’s poured out his holy spirit

Speaker#2:
00:37:57.409 – 00:38:02.229
to give sight to the blind to set at liberty to the captive to

Speaker#1:
00:38:02.239 – 00:38:05.02
bring love and hope in

Speaker#2:
00:38:05.03 – 00:38:06.899
life and freedom

Speaker#2:
00:38:07.489 – 00:38:08.709
And it’s real

Speaker#2:
00:38:09.76 – 00:38:11.6
and it can only be found in Him

Speaker#2:
00:38:12.669 – 00:38:16.439
and it only is found in Him When you hear that voice come follow me

Speaker#2:
00:38:17.209 – 00:38:18.399
and you follow him

Speaker#2:
00:38:19.07 – 00:38:20.75
and you never quit following him

Speaker#2:
00:38:21.26 – 00:38:23.159
and you never quit walking with him

Speaker#2:
00:38:26.489 – 00:38:27.51
Why did I choose

Speaker#1:
00:38:27.52 – 00:38:28.239
the scriptures that I

Speaker#2:
00:38:28.25 – 00:38:35.83
chose one I really feel very strongly that God wants to harvest

Speaker#2:
00:38:37.639 – 00:38:38.709
this generation

Speaker#2:
00:38:40.57 – 00:38:45.12
And we have to understand it literally begins with come follow him

Speaker#2:
00:38:46.31 – 00:38:47.09
That’s it

Speaker#2:
00:38:47.959 – 00:38:48.75
If you put any

Speaker#1:
00:38:48.76 – 00:38:49.959
more than that

Speaker#2:
00:38:49.969 – 00:38:55.219
to some level you could be doing a disservice because we think well you got

Speaker#2:
00:38:55.85 – 00:39:22.169
have this this is the only way to make a disciple No God does it many ways Sometimes you’re convicted of sin Other times you just experience his love and his grace and you just start following Him Sometimes you just get caught up with believers and they’re following him So you find yourself following Him There’s so many ways and we’ve got to make it that simple What you want to be a fisher of men I gotta know apologetics I gotta know it’s very simple Come follow Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:39:23.149 – 00:39:23.87
That’s it

Speaker#2:
00:39:24.61 – 00:39:30.659
Number two I feel it in my soul that if God if we will prepare

Speaker#1:
00:39:30.669 – 00:39:31.669
our hearts to let

Speaker#2:
00:39:31.679 – 00:39:34.36
him be their savior and sancti fier

Speaker#2:
00:39:35.77 – 00:39:39.469
and not put on any expectations on people

Speaker#2:
00:39:40.58 – 00:39:43.04
except that you need to hear God for yourself

Speaker#2:
00:39:43.78 – 00:39:45.31
by getting into his story

Speaker#2:
00:39:46.379 – 00:40:02.07
and being authentic being a genuine follower of Jesus And then as they get in his word his word will start to renew their mind but they can’t change to please us They have to change to please him

Speaker#2:
00:40:02.86 – 00:40:06.29
and he will change them on his time table

Speaker#2:
00:40:07.05 – 00:40:17.729
It’s not our job to save the world It’s not our job to set people free from sin It’s our job to bring them to Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:40:18.449 – 00:40:27.919
It’s our job to encourage them to keep following Jesus And sometimes you’ll know man you are dead wrong But you can’t say that

Speaker#2:
00:40:28.8 – 00:40:30.1
you have to encourage him

Speaker#2:
00:40:31.949 – 00:40:33.29
Listen to Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:40:34.07 – 00:40:48.51
Find Jesus follow Jesus because people need to be persuaded they need to make the choice for themselves That’s part of the dignity of being in the image of God

Speaker#2:
00:40:49.33 – 00:40:57.78
And when God comes in we don’t want them to feel like they have to conform to all these externals to be loved

Speaker#2:
00:40:58.8 – 00:41:03.03
We have to love them first and point them to Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:41:03.989 – 00:41:08.0
and then get on our knees and say God please would you hurry up with that one

Speaker#2:
00:41:11.34 – 00:41:24.989
Because boy they’re a mess But really it’s if you really a lot of the things we really need to wrestle with like why do you you know some people the LGBT Q plus is destroying the nation

Speaker#2:
00:41:26.02 – 00:41:28.379
We need to see an end to that whole agenda

Speaker#2:
00:41:29.02 – 00:41:29.8
Why

Speaker#2:
00:41:31.08 – 00:41:32.189
What’s your motive

Speaker#2:
00:41:33.31 – 00:41:34.81
Do you really care for them

Speaker#2:
00:41:35.709 – 00:41:37.659
Do you care for them as human beings

Speaker#2:
00:41:38.3 – 00:41:45.479
Do you want them to know the goodness of the Lord and the land of the living Do you want them to know the fullness of life that Christ has for them

Speaker#2:
00:41:45.989 – 00:41:49.28
It literally begins with come follow Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:41:50.189 – 00:41:53.479
but God I know it’s painful

Speaker#2:
00:41:54.139 – 00:41:57.85
but they need to hear Christ for themselves

Speaker#2:
00:41:59.439 – 00:42:13.26
first begins with just come follow me and then as they start following him he starts to put his finger on things one at a time Usually not on the schedule or timetable that I would approve of

Speaker#2:
00:42:14.77 – 00:42:22.35
I mean I really do have a bone to pick with God and probably get spanked for it in heaven But God why does it take you so long

Speaker#2:
00:42:23.139 – 00:42:24.709
to change our lives

Speaker#2:
00:42:26.09 – 00:42:26.729
Right

Speaker#2:
00:42:27.61 – 00:42:32.01
God can’t we just take take a a pill and make it happen instant

Speaker#2:
00:42:32.8 – 00:42:33.429
No

Speaker#2:
00:42:34.189 – 00:42:36.419
because the way He does it is right

Speaker#2:
00:42:37.929 – 00:42:44.07
The way he does it is good He is in the business of making disciples and raising up sons and I believe it

Speaker#2:
00:42:44.76 – 00:42:55.199
But I just sometimes do wish he would hurry up a little more with even with myself Do you know what I’m saying Like let’s be honest It’s like OK now I’m going to spoil one on Rachel

Speaker#2:
00:42:55.79 – 00:43:03.84
I got her eyes and and because she was saying to me when I said something to her the other day or a couple of weeks ago and

Speaker#2:
00:43:04.459 – 00:43:20.689
and then she came to me because she’s got such a tender sweet heart after God And she’s like dad I’m so sorry Really What she did was so she was nothing really bad She just was trying to encourage somebody to do the right thing And I pointed out if if they listen to what you said

Speaker#2:
00:43:21.59 – 00:43:24.699
they would only be acting because you made them feel bad

Speaker#2:
00:43:26.729 – 00:43:35.52
and that’s coercion and that won’t that’s not what we want to do And then I didn’t realize I have such a hard impact and she came over and she was crying and she said I’m sorry And I said no

Speaker#2:
00:43:37.52 – 00:43:41.29
I’m so proud of you because so many people wouldn’t even try

Speaker#2:
00:43:42.11 – 00:43:58.76
And now I can tell you about the unfortunate story of discipleship What’s that And I began when we make mistakes what happens is we in hi why hindsight is 2020 is another bone to pick right But but but I was like

Speaker#2:
00:43:59.54 – 00:44:03.879
ok here’s what happens in hindsight You realize man

Speaker#2:
00:44:05.08 – 00:44:06.27
I should do it differently

Speaker#2:
00:44:06.949 – 00:44:13.989
right And so then you go OK next time I’m gonna do it differently But the problem is it shows up in a different form

Speaker#2:
00:44:15.32 – 00:44:17.149
and you do the same thing again

Speaker#2:
00:44:18.28 – 00:44:21.229
And then in hindsight you go do on it I’m going to do it differently

Speaker#2:
00:44:21.889 – 00:44:25.199
And then the next time it comes up with another form it’s like that’s not fair

Speaker#2:
00:44:26.129 – 00:44:27.37
and you do it again

Speaker#2:
00:44:28.84 – 00:44:40.189
And then all of a sudden like it shows up in another form and you’re about to do it again And something says wait you’re something I’m supposed to remember but I can’t remember what it is And so then you do it again

Speaker#2:
00:44:40.889 – 00:44:43.129
but then eventually

Speaker#2:
00:44:43.979 – 00:44:48.1
you’re like oh I recognize you ha

Speaker#2:
00:44:48.649 – 00:44:51.479
and through that whole process there’s a whole lot of prayer

Speaker#2:
00:44:52.3 – 00:45:02.949
God please help me because I keep falling into that one You see what I mean I wish the journey would be press the button and it will never happen again

Speaker#2:
00:45:03.899 – 00:45:17.169
Prayer God please can you just take over for a little while and put do autopilot and give it back to me and give me another training session He never will answer that prayer He just doesn’t he doesn’t want robots He wants sons

Speaker#2:
00:45:17.729 – 00:45:19.159
He wants to save us

Speaker#2:
00:45:19.879 – 00:45:23.78
God You let us make so many mistakes that another bone to pick

Speaker#2:
00:45:24.659 – 00:45:35.389
God I mean I I yes it’s part of the journey of following Him following Jesus But we’ve got to keep our consciences tender

Speaker#2:
00:45:36.429 – 00:45:46.09
and know how to measure the things that need to be measured And that measuring rod is Lord Let me love Lord let me grow in love Let me love Well

Speaker#2:
00:45:46.78 – 00:45:48.139
that’s what matters

Speaker#2:
00:45:50.52 – 00:46:03.489
So preparation for the harvest we need to know He is the rabbi We are to imitate and follow That’s who we’re to point him to He is the savior who saves people from their sin on his time

Speaker#2:
00:46:05.54 – 00:46:08.159
in their story and his story

Speaker#2:
00:46:09.53 – 00:46:24.419
These are painful things for me So I really wish he would hurry up And I and I would say Lord start with me like literally God could you please hurry up Why does it take so long It’s like why can’t I plant a blade of grass and have it tomorrow in my yard

Speaker#2:
00:46:25.129 – 00:46:29.939
right Like hey why can’t I plant a fig tree and eat figs tomorrow

Speaker#2:
00:46:30.61 – 00:46:31.52
I don’t know

Speaker#2:
00:46:32.79 – 00:46:36.129
maybe if I had faith I could no I will not go down that road

Speaker#2:
00:46:37.83 – 00:46:43.31
I say he’s looking for a free will offering People must be persuaded not coerced

Speaker#2:
00:46:43.959 – 00:46:58.29
That’s what Paul did in Thessalonica I can’t get that home to us enough The importance of persuasion rather than coercion because coercion manipulation disapproval they are sneaky and they are out of bounds

Speaker#2:
00:47:00.979 – 00:47:05.07
People must not be coerced to externally match our expectations

Speaker#2:
00:47:05.879 – 00:47:08.239
Well what am I supposed to do then

Speaker#2:
00:47:09.169 – 00:47:11.199
witness God be a witness of Christ

Speaker#2:
00:47:12.639 – 00:47:17.58
Oh that’s easy enough But it’s actually I love God’s Word because it’s so funny

Speaker#2:
00:47:18.189 – 00:47:27.629
He says you never asked me if you ask me There’s so many different angles I don’t even know how they’re exhausted I’m his witness What do I do I testify about him

Speaker#2:
00:47:28.159 – 00:47:30.76
but I’m his witness I see him at work and I join him

Speaker#2:
00:47:31.989 – 00:47:37.5
I’m witnessing him at work in reality and I only do what I see the father doing

Speaker#2:
00:47:38.679 – 00:47:49.899
Is that interesting I mean there’s so many different levels to scripture that it’s just transformational But I really think that I I really have a conviction in my heart

Speaker#2:
00:47:50.85 – 00:47:54.5
that God is at work in every human being’s life

Speaker#2:
00:47:55.09 – 00:48:02.77
Everyone every unbeliever they’re still apart somewhere in their life

Speaker#2:
00:48:03.86 – 00:48:05.949
where they’re connected to truth

Speaker#2:
00:48:06.639 – 00:48:13.389
connected to reality even if it’s stick it to the man because the man is evil

Speaker#2:
00:48:14.219 – 00:48:16.27
You know you know what I’m

Speaker#1:
00:48:16.28 – 00:48:19.159
saying Like sometimes the unbeliever can call

Speaker#2:
00:48:19.169 – 00:48:24.31
out wrong and evil sin in the world And that’s a connection point with reality

Speaker#2:
00:48:24.84 – 00:48:30.32
Sometimes they can care about things that God cares about It’s a connection point And with reality

Speaker#1:
00:48:30.439 – 00:48:32.82
sometimes our job

Speaker#2:
00:48:32.83 – 00:48:38.78
is to awaken what is sleeping in them find out where that is and awaken it Sometimes our job

Speaker#1:
00:48:38.79 – 00:48:41.85
is to fan into flame a smoldering wick

Speaker#2:
00:48:43.33 – 00:48:50.699
But we’ve got to reach people where they are at find out where God is at Work in their life Say come let’s follow Jesus together

Speaker#2:
00:48:51.979 – 00:48:56.149
and then watch as God is working in them

Speaker#2:
00:48:58.0 – 00:49:10.679
and come alongside But we need to learn to dance with him to be led by him to be led by the spirit Does this make sense I think this is how we prepare for the harvest

Speaker#2:
00:49:17.83 – 00:49:19.659
I couldn’t help throwing this one in here

Speaker#2:
00:49:20.719 – 00:49:23.969
We have access to the author of history who can rewrite it

Speaker#2:
00:49:25.77 – 00:49:31.179
That’s one of our primary jobs that 1st 1st and foremost that prayers be made for all men

Speaker#2:
00:49:32.419 – 00:49:35.209
especially those who are in authority including Biden

Speaker#2:
00:49:37.54 – 00:49:41.09
because Christ died for all and he loves all

Speaker#2:
00:49:42.3 – 00:49:45.169
I wonder if we have the same heart for Biden that God does

Speaker#2:
00:49:47.659 – 00:49:49.629
Just a curiosity

Speaker#2:
00:49:51.5 – 00:49:55.479
I would say that we need new wine for new new wine skins for new wine

Speaker#2:
00:49:57.199 – 00:50:06.82
I I know I’ve been learning that there is a really is a Bible belt I was talking to Stan Devin the other day and we’re talking about the Bible belt spirituality

Speaker#2:
00:50:07.379 – 00:50:08.679
that we see down here

Speaker#2:
00:50:09.3 – 00:50:11.05
there’s a lot of legalism

Speaker#2:
00:50:11.56 – 00:50:16.56
There’s a lot of conformity to external expectations There’s a lot of coercion

Speaker#2:
00:50:17.54 – 00:50:22.189
there is a lot of things that don’t get to the heart and produce the love of God

Speaker#2:
00:50:24.179 – 00:50:28.8
And we need to be able to put first things first

Speaker#2:
00:50:29.55 – 00:50:45.27
and get that love of God out of us And as I was wrestling with these things I think and I were kind of talking about this too that you’ll see people They genuinely have faith and they genuinely love God But they have things that are so far out of order and they’ve almost sanctified it with God’s word like they once did with slavery

Speaker#2:
00:50:46.5 – 00:50:51.959
Maybe there’s people who still do that today I don’t know I mean you know because sometimes

Speaker#2:
00:50:52.59 – 00:50:53.53
we don’t

Speaker#2:
00:50:54.11 – 00:51:01.37
continue following Jesus We don’t keep taking up our cross We don’t let it have its full work

Speaker#2:
00:51:03.26 – 00:51:04.669
We need to ask Lord

Speaker#2:
00:51:05.05 – 00:51:33.55
everything that is not of you in my life get it out everything in you that is being held back from following you with everything that is in me everything that you need to change to make me more like you to let your love rule over me Lord renew my mind transform us renew us revive us to think that the world needs revival We don’t Paul said all who are mature say forgetting what’s what lies behind We press forward for the upward call

Speaker#2:
00:51:34.399 – 00:51:35.949
not that we have arrived

Speaker#2:
00:51:37.07 – 00:51:40.679
You see where I’m going people quit going forward with God

Speaker#2:
00:51:42.239 – 00:51:46.03
Disciples move forward following Jesus They don’t look back

Speaker#2:
00:51:48.87 – 00:52:00.419
We’ve got to always be pressing forward There’s always more we can always become more like Him We have to hunger for it We have to ask for it We have to seek it

Speaker#2:
00:52:01.28 – 00:52:04.929
It has to be a driving motivation in our life

Speaker#2:
00:52:08.189 – 00:52:12.989
I would challenge that What the church is currently doing right now in the world

Speaker#2:
00:52:14.06 – 00:52:16.31
is not going to turn the world upside down

Speaker#2:
00:52:17.51 – 00:52:18.709
because it’s not

Speaker#2:
00:52:19.239 – 00:52:20.03
doing it

Speaker#2:
00:52:20.87 – 00:52:26.62
So that means but if we dare where we start with that question we have to believe we can do it

Speaker#2:
00:52:27.689 – 00:52:30.06
and that we need to seek him for how to do it

Speaker#2:
00:52:31.01 – 00:52:32.879
and be committed to it

Speaker#2:
00:52:35.56 – 00:52:41.31
Then I believe he will reveal it But we’ve got to change The church has to change We are missing it

Speaker#2:
00:52:41.889 – 00:52:47.409
I told the story of disciples and try to make it simple because I really do believe

Speaker#2:
00:52:49.139 – 00:52:50.469
that part

Speaker#1:
00:52:50.479 – 00:52:53.36
of what the world is waiting for is mature

Speaker#2:
00:52:53.37 – 00:52:54.129
sons and daughters

Speaker#1:
00:52:54.139 – 00:52:54.739
of God

Speaker#1:
00:52:55.729 – 00:53:12.26
for a type of Christianity that has let the love of God change us to set us free to transform us to give us the courage to stand against evil to not be afraid of death to love holiness in righteousness and justice and to love Well

Speaker#1:
00:53:13.27 – 00:53:19.51
I believe that will change the world I believe that kind of Christianity will turn the world upside down again

Speaker#1:
00:53:20.129 – 00:53:22.459
I believe it with my whole heart

Speaker#1:
00:53:23.739 – 00:53:28.8
And so our prayer as Lord may a generation of disciples appear on the scene of history

Speaker#1:
00:53:29.699 – 00:53:31.61
who once again turned the world

Speaker#2:
00:53:31.62 – 00:53:32.419
upside down

Speaker#1:
00:53:33.489 – 00:53:34.199
Amen