Participants: Pr. Dwight K Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP100408
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00:27 ...is a shelter like no other
00:30 Your name, let the nations sing it louder 00:36 'Cause nothing has the power to save 00:43 But Your name 00:47 Is a strong and mighty tower 00:50 Your name is a shelter like no other 00:56 Your name, let the nations sing it louder 01:03 'Cause nothing has the power to save 01:10 But Your name 01:26 I was raised an Adventist, 01:28 but I backslid for a couple of years. 01:34 At the time when I met Allen, I was actually a Buddhist 01:40 which Buddhism's all about being peaceful and everything, 01:44 but I had such a problem with anger and addiction. 01:57 I've been reading these books that I'd found in my house 02:00 that my grandpa, he wasn't a Christian, 02:03 but he used to sell Ellen White books 02:05 and when he quit doing it he gave all the books to my mom. 02:09 So growing up I had all these Ellen White books in my house 02:12 and I was reading through them 02:14 and I felt the urge to start going to church. 02:20 After we got married, it was about a year-and-a-half later 02:24 that we got evicted from our apartment in Tucson 02:29 and we packed up everything that we had 02:33 that could fit into our Lincoln Town car. 02:39 When we got to Dallas, we were homeless 02:42 and we pretty much floated around from place to place. 02:46 Forever would take this time. 02:48 Yeah, for about two years, we had nowhere else to go, 02:53 no one else would let us stay with them, like, we had-- 02:56 we didn't have enough to get a place 02:58 so we put everything that we had in our van and we left. 03:04 So when we left Texas, we only had about $1,200 with us 03:11 and we didn't really know where to go, 03:15 so we prayed about it and she just opened up the atlas 03:20 and she pointed to the Upper Peninsula. 03:24 When we got to the Upper Peninsula, 03:27 we had to pay tithe on the money that we did have. 03:31 So I sent that to my grandfather who worked for the Conference. 03:37 And he always calls me to thank me for the tithe. 03:43 And so when he did call he said, 03:46 why don't you head down to Berrien Springs. 03:49 After he got off the phone with his grandfather, 03:52 we prayed about it and about 30 minutes later 03:55 we decided to leave and head down to Berrien Springs. 04:01 The following Sabbath, we went to Tennessee 04:05 and it was a communion service. 04:08 And I loved it because it felt like 04:12 the Holy Spirit was right there. 04:14 It was just a very strong experience. 04:17 We had both grown closer to God 04:21 and we had recommitted ourselves and everything 04:24 and so we wanted to kind of 04:27 start a new life with Christ and everything. 04:39 That is some testimony, Allen, Danae. 04:45 I mean, do I have the story straight? 04:47 Here is this Buddhist teenager 04:51 whose grandpa leaves some Christian books, 04:54 one of which was "Desire of Ages" 04:56 and "The Uncle Arthur Bible Stories." 05:00 So you grew up in this godless home 05:01 with these godly books and then you go to a website. 05:06 What's the name of that website? Straight edge. 05:08 Straight edge, a sexual purity website 05:11 and you bump into this kid across the country. Yes. 05:15 Do you get the feeling like God has been 05:18 moving you both step by step? No doubt. 05:21 Yeah, I mean you end up here at Andrews. 05:22 I meet you at the summer graduation 05:24 because you're running cameras for graduation here. 05:28 We got you on our television crew now, 05:32 but here you are 05:34 because this is what a husband and a wife need to do, 05:38 at some point we've got to go the journey with Christ together 05:43 And I'm so proud of you. 05:45 Allen, you could be taking theology here. Yes. 05:47 Danae, you're working on... General studies. 05:50 General studies, that's it. 05:53 But God's dream that got you to that website together, 05:57 in living in that car all these months, 06:01 God's dream that has brought you here to Andrews University, 06:05 is just the beginning. 06:07 This testimony of yours now, 06:08 you got to turn your story into His story, 06:11 so history is His story. 06:12 You got to turn you story into His story 06:14 and God is gonna use your friendship with Christ, 06:19 how you found Him to draw others. 06:22 You got a unique story that others 06:24 who also have unique stories can be drawn to. 06:27 So here it is, Revelation 12:11, 06:30 "And they overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb 06:34 and by the word of their testimony." 06:36 Don't you ever be afraid or ashamed of sharing the story. 06:41 The world needs to hear it 06:42 because it's the story of Jesus, right? 06:44 Right. The world needs to hear it. 06:46 So you want to become a part of the Pioneer Memorial Church, 06:50 body of Christ, both of you? Yes. 06:53 You're willing to follow Jesus every step? Yes. 06:55 Until He comes? Yes. 06:57 How about a congregation show, we just raise our two hands, 07:01 two hands and just say, "Hey, Danae, Allen Lowder, 07:04 you've come to us, we're proud of you." 07:07 I want to pray for you both. 07:09 Dear Father, what a story, praise God, 07:14 but that's the glory of you. 07:17 It doesn't matter our story, you can get there from here 07:22 and so we rejoice with Allen and Danae, 07:25 take this moment, seal it in their hearts 07:28 and make them bold witnesses for Christ, 07:31 wherever on earth You lead them. 07:33 And even as I put my hands upon their heads, 07:36 may this be a symbol of the mighty infilling 07:39 of the third person of the godhead, Holy Spirit, 07:41 who himself will bring a cluster of spiritual gifts 07:44 and will unleash this couple 07:47 in this generation before the return of Christ. 07:50 Bring them much joy as they share their story 07:54 and lead others to the same Jesus. 07:56 In His name, we pray. Amen. 07:59 Amen. Amen. 08:00 All right, Allen, you're the husband, 08:02 I'm gonna start with you. 08:10 You made the decision, you told us, 08:13 I'm going all the way, I'm gonna stay all the way. 08:15 Because you made that decision, 08:17 it's my joy to baptize you now in the name of God the Father, 08:21 God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 08:44 And, Danae, welcome to the family. 08:48 Because you've made the same decision your husband has, 08:51 to stick with Jesus every step of the way, 08:54 I'm delighted and honored to baptize you now 08:57 in the name of God who is our Father, 08:59 God who is our Savior and Son and God, the Holy Spirit. 09:18 How would you like to be on trial for your faith? 09:24 If you were being cross-examined for what you believe, 09:31 I wonder if you would fare like Joanne White did 09:39 in the Blount County, Tennessee, 09:42 courtroom of Judge W. Dale Young. 09:48 I read a story this summer in the July issue 09:50 of Liberty Magazine and I was appalled. 09:55 It was the final divorce hearing 09:57 involving the custody of her two teenage children. 10:01 Joanne is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 10:04 Let me read you from that court hearing. 10:10 This is a piece by Celeste Perrino Walker. 10:15 "Almost most Christians know in the back of their mind 10:17 that it's possible they'll be called on the stand 10:19 and asked to defend their beliefs. 10:22 Few of them actually believe it will really happen 10:23 and even fewer go through 10:25 the actual experience as Joanne White did. 10:30 She was asked about her religious beliefs extensively." 10:35 Listen, "I knew that they were gonna do this," White says, 10:39 "but I didn't know how hard it was gonna be. 10:41 I was told not much religion goes in the courtroom, 10:45 but between them Judge Young and Craig Garrick, 10:47 her ex-husband's attorney, asked her questions 10:50 about subjects including mark of the beast, 10:54 the fourth commandment, the reformers." 10:57 Say, what do you know about the reformers? 10:58 Tell us about the reformers. 11:01 "The Sabbath changing from Saturday to Sunday, 11:05 the papacy, worship, the seal of God, 11:08 recognizing the Sabbath, keeping it holy. 11:11 Though he protested many times, 11:13 her own attorney Kevin Shepherd, 11:15 was unable to deter the line of questioning." 11:19 Now here's from the actual court transcripts. 11:21 Mr. Shepherd, that's her attorney speaking now. 11:24 "Your Honor, I'm gonna object. 11:25 I feel like the court is attacking 11:27 my client's religious beliefs." 11:29 The court, that would be his honor, 11:30 "I'm not attacking anybody, 11:32 I just want to understand what she's talking about. 11:35 "They just kept on," says White. 11:37 He, judge Young, didn't tell Craig Garrick 11:39 to stop the line of questioning, 11:40 he told Kevin Shepherd to basically, 11:42 her attorney, sit down. 11:43 "I was up there helpless. 11:44 Kevin couldn't help me and he, Judge Young, 11:46 did not tell Craig Garrick to be quiet. 11:48 He just kept asking me questions." 11:50 The transcript reads further, 11:52 the court, the judge speaking again, 11:53 "Well, I'd like to understand it, 11:55 I really would and I'm not trying 11:56 to harp on you or put you in a box, 11:58 but you've got to tell me, you got to explain it to me, 12:02 why were her religious beliefs even an issue? 12:08 Well, that's what bothered me, says Shepherd, her attorney. 12:10 It really wasn't an issue and my concern was 12:12 that Joanne really felt mocked 12:14 You could tell by watching her on the stand 12:16 that she was feeling very uncomfortable 12:18 and I think she truly felt that she was being attacked. 12:22 The irony of it is that although 12:23 the case was not about religion at all, 12:25 there was nevertheless, it nevertheless 12:28 was the main topic of cross examination." 12:32 Final line, says Joanne White, 12:34 "I gave an hour long bible study course to a judge in a courtroom 12:37 where church and state are supposed to be separate, 12:40 that's the bottom-line." 12:44 How would you like to be in that hot seat, huh? 12:48 Maybe someday you will. 12:50 In fact, the biblical line that is the premise, 12:54 the logical premise for this new series called Primetime 12:58 suggests that, in fact, one day you will. 13:01 I want you take a look at that line. 13:03 1 Peter, find 1 Peter in your Bible. 13:06 I don't want you to read it on the screen, 13:07 you got to read this in your Bible. 13:09 If you don't have a Bible, grab the pew Bible in front of you. 13:11 1 Peter, Chapter 3, one line, 13:17 this is the rationale for why you and I 13:19 are plunging into this Primetime series. 13:21 We're not taking this stuff lightly. 13:24 One line, 1 Peter 3:15, 13:30 cut right to the heart of verse 15, 13:33 you see these words there, verse 1 Peter 3. 13:35 By the way it's page 816 in the pew Bible, 13:38 if you're looking on in the pew Bible. 13:40 Right in the middle of that verse, here comes the line. 13:43 "always be ready to give a defense." 13:46 There's a courtroom word, 13:48 "always be ready to give a defense to everyone 13:51 who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you." 13:56 You know how Peter knows that that in fact has to be true, 13:59 because of his own bitter experience, that's why. 14:02 He learnt the hard way. 14:03 You better be ready with an answer. 14:05 That little girl sitting on the other side 14:06 of the bonfire that dark night, 14:08 she looks through the orange shadows, 14:09 says, "hey, boy, haven't I seen you before? 14:12 Aren't you a follower of that man on trial, 14:14 Jesus of Nazareth?" 14:15 Peter was not ready with an answer 14:17 for the reason of the hope that is within him. 14:18 He didn't know what to say and then we know 14:20 the tragic meltdown that took place to cover up. 14:25 The glorious truth about failure is that you can learn from it 14:29 and Peter learned and now he tells us, 14:31 hey, hey, hey, when you're in the witness stand, 14:34 be ready, be ready to give a defense, 14:38 the hope that is inside of you. 14:44 You're in a classroom, raise your hand. 14:48 You're in a boardroom, 14:50 Mr. Chair, I have something to say. 14:52 You're in the court of law, you're on the basketball court, 14:55 it doesn't matter where you are, 14:56 just be ready 24x7 to give a defense. 15:01 That's Peter's point. 15:04 And right now with your permission 15:06 for the defense that you will make, 15:08 I want to place in your hands a single tool, 15:12 a single truth, you get this straight, and you will, 15:16 a single truth that nobody, and I mean nobody, will ever, 15:20 even in a court of law be able to refute 15:22 or countermand what you're saying, 15:25 a single strategic tool in your hand. 15:31 You see this series Primetime, we set it all up talking about 15:33 how important young adults are in God's end time strategy. 15:37 We move now past the setup. 15:38 We are plunging now into the how-to, 15:40 the rest of the series is how-to. 15:41 Don't miss, coming up soon. 15:43 Two parts, how to testify to an atheist, 15:47 how to reach an atheist with the gospel of Christ. 15:50 So in order to plunge into this particular how-to, 15:52 we got to go to the book of Acts again 15:53 because that's our textbook for this series. 15:55 So find Acts chapter 9, incredible story. 15:58 This has to be one of the great, 15:59 great, great stories of all Christianity, 16:03 not as great as Calvary, not as great as Calvary, 16:06 but here's the effect of Calvary. 16:08 Take a look at this, Acts Chapter 9. 16:11 I'm in the Today's New International Version. 16:13 You follow along, 16:14 whatever translation you brought with you. 16:17 Acts Chapter 9, we're gonna find out what this tool is, 16:19 you're gonna see it wielded skillfully 16:21 and you're gonna realize I can do that, too. 16:24 All right, Acts 9:1, 16:25 "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out 16:28 murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." 16:31 Hey, who's this Saul guy? 16:33 You know, a lot of-- the problem with most of us, 16:35 when we see the word "Saul," 16:36 'cause we know he's gonna eventually become Paul, 16:37 we imagine him to be an old man right here. 16:41 He is not an old man right now. 16:44 In fact, I need to show you that 16:45 in fact he's your age, he is a young adult. 16:47 Watch this, you got to skip Chapter 8, 16:49 go back to the end of Chapter 7 because at the end of Chapter 7, 16:53 a trial has been brought to its rump court conclusion. 16:57 Another young adult, you say, 16:59 Dwight, how do we know the other young adult is a young adult? 17:02 Because it is clear from Acts 6, 7 and 8, 17:06 you weave these three chapters together, 17:08 it is clear that the young adult who's on trial for his faith, 17:12 an Hellenized Jew who's become a Christian, 17:15 his name is Stephen, Stephen has already met this Saul. 17:21 Oh, they met all right. 17:23 In Acts 6, Stephen goes into 17:25 a Cilician synagogue in Jerusalem. 17:27 Saul is from Tarsus of Cilicia, 17:30 he goes into a Silesian synagogue 17:32 and he debates the brightest minds 17:34 that synagogue has to offer. 17:35 And he-- I was gonna say, hoops them, 17:40 but that didn't sound like a very spiritual term. 17:42 He beat them. The record is clear. 17:45 They could not answer his debating strategy. 17:50 He beats Saul and Saul is smarting 17:54 from that public humiliation 17:56 and the very next verse in Acts 6 says, 17:58 so immediately they set about to trump up false charges. 18:02 You can be certain that Saul is behind 18:06 the court scene in Acts Chapter 7. 18:08 Now there was no-- Stephen knew this is no hearing, 18:11 I'm not gonna get a jury's vote. 18:13 This is the Sanhedrin and it's over for me. 18:16 And sure enough, look at verse 57, 18:18 this is the tail end of Acts 7:57, 18:20 "At this" because he just said I see Jesus standing 18:23 beside the eternal God and the throne of the universe. 18:26 "At this" verse 57, the court, 18:28 "they cover their ears 18:29 and yelling at the top of their voices, 18:30 they all rushed at Stephen, they dragged him out of the city 18:33 and they began to stone him. 18:36 Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats 18:38 at the feet of a young man named Saul." 18:40 He won't touch a stone. 18:42 He set this whole thing up, 18:44 he's just there to make sure it happens 18:46 and all the coats, 'cause you get sweaty 18:48 when you're trying to stone somebody to death. 18:51 All the coats are at the feet of a young, 18:54 did you see that, young man. 18:56 He's a young adult, he's your age, 18:58 maybe late 20s, Stephen is young. 19:03 Saul is standing there with the coats heaped at his feet 19:06 and he's watching them kill a man. 19:08 I've never seen somebody kill a man, 19:10 but I only can imagine 19:12 that once you see someone kill a human being, 19:16 you will never forget it for the rest of your life. 19:23 The young adult is being stoned while the other watches. 19:28 Who wins now, Stephen? Who wins now? 19:34 And so Stephen, verse 60, "He falls to his knees." 19:41 I'll pick it up in verse 59, "While they were stoning him, 19:43 Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'" 19:45 Saul is hearing this whole testimony. 19:50 And when he fell to his knees, here it is, verse 60, 19:51 "Then he fell to his knees and he cried out, 19:53 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' 19:55 And when he had said this, he fell asleep." 19:58 By the way just take note that in the Bible 20:00 when you die, you don't go to heaven, 20:02 you don't go to hell, you go to sleep, 20:04 this is the Bible truth, you go to sleep. 20:07 He fell asleep. But that's not over. 20:10 And Saul approved of their killing him. 20:14 This has been a setup from the beginning. 20:17 I got rid of him, blood on the stones, the man's dead, 20:21 but something happens in the heart 20:24 of one who represses the memory. 20:27 And the only way to deal with a repressed memory 20:31 is to in theory, distract your own attention. 20:36 And that's precisely what he does. 20:37 "And on that day," look at this, Acts 8:1, 20:39 "On that day a great persecution broke out 20:41 against the church in Jerusalem, 20:42 and all except the apostles were scattered 20:44 throughout Judea and Samaria." 20:45 Verse 2, "Godly men buried Stephen 20:47 and mourned deeply for him. 20:49 But Saul still driven by this memory, 20:52 Saul began to destroy the church. 20:53 Going from house to house, 20:54 he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison." 20:58 That's the background, he's a young man. 21:00 Chapter 9 now, one of the greatest stories in history. 21:03 He's a young man, not an old man, he's a young man. 21:06 All right, back to Chapter 9:1, 21:09 "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out," 21:11 the Semitic mind associates anger with breath, 21:15 and by the way, that's absolutely true. 21:17 The next time you see somebody angry in front of you, 21:20 you watch, their nostrils will flare, 21:21 they'll begin to breathe shallowly. 21:24 When you're mad, it happens the same way to you. 21:28 That's just you can't help it, 21:29 it is a psychosomatic reaction to anger. 21:33 A synthetic mind breathing out means he's furious. 21:36 "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out 21:38 murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." 21:40 He's not content with Stephen's blood, 21:41 he's not content with Jerusalem's blood 21:42 and so, He went to the high priest," in verse 2, 21:44 "He asked the high priest for letters 21:46 to the synagogues in Damascus, 21:48 so that if he found anyone there who belonged to the Way," 21:51 that's what they were calling 21:52 this new Christian movement, the Way. 21:53 Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life." 21:56 So if he found anybody in Damascus, 21:58 by the way, Damascus is oldest existing city on earth, 22:02 continuously existing, it still exists today, 22:04 oldest city on earth. 22:05 Now it's older than Cairo, older than Jerusalem, Damascus. 22:09 He says just let me go up to Damascus, 22:10 let me have papers that allow me to arrest 22:12 anybody belonging to the Way, whether men or women. 22:14 Desperation comes when you go for women and children, 22:17 you're desperate and that's what's happening here. 22:19 That "he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem." 22:21 Look at verse 3, "As he neared Damascus on his journey," 22:25 all right, the most famous conversion story in history, 22:29 "as he neared Damascus on his journey, 22:32 suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him." 22:35 Have you ever seen those old and black white pictures 22:37 of the A-bomb Hiroshima or the testing done 22:41 out in the New Mexico wilderness? 22:42 It's this just this... 22:44 It's this white light and then the mushroom cloud. 22:48 It was a white light just... 22:52 and everybody in the passing, everybody is flat on the ground. 22:58 "And he fell to the ground," verse 4, 23:00 "And he heard a voice say to him, 23:02 'Saul, Saul, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 23:10 Who are you, Lord?'" 23:13 By the way this is not, he's not saying this is the Lord God. 23:15 It's just sir, who are you, Sir? 23:21 And the voice responds, "I am Jesus, whom you," 23:26 the Greek is emphatic, "you are persecuting." 23:32 "Now," verse 6, "get up," the voice continues to speak. 23:35 "Get up and go into the city, 23:38 and you will be told what you must do." 23:39 Goodbye, gone. 23:43 That's it. What happens? 23:47 "The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless." 23:50 Saul later tells the story 23:51 and he says everybody's flat on the ground. 23:52 So they have gotten up now, 23:53 they're up and Saul, where is Saul? 23:58 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless, 24:00 they heard the sound, they heard, 24:02 the Greek word is actually the voice, 24:03 but they did not see anyone. 24:04 Verse 8, now the man for whom 24:07 this nuclear flash has taken place 24:10 pushes himself on that rocky road, 24:13 he pushes himself up, finally stagers to his feet, 24:17 but when he opens his eyes, 24:20 but did he-- his eyes could see nothing. 24:26 So they led him by the hand. 24:27 Obviously, they're close to Damascus to do this. 24:29 They led him by the hand into Damascus. 24:31 And verse 9, "For three days he was blind, 24:33 and did not eat, he did not drink anything." 24:36 Three tortured days of pitch black, 24:40 nothing but my thoughts, nothing but my mind. 24:45 And Stephen's last prayer, God, forgive me. 24:51 Three days of that, tell you what, you'd be ready, 24:56 you'd be ready for anybody to visit you. 24:59 And sure enough that's what happens here. 25:01 Verse 10, "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias." 25:04 His name means the Lord is gracious, yahweh is gracious" 25:07 And the Lord called to him in a vision, 'Hey, Ananias'" 25:11 Saul he has to call it twice to get his attention. 25:13 With Ananias it's just one call, "Ananias." 25:15 Ananias recognizes it's Jesus calling him. 25:19 But once you get used to that voice of the Lord 25:21 in your heart, you know, Ananias. 25:25 "Yes, Lord," he answered. 25:27 Verse 11, "The Lord told him, 25:29 'Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street 25:32 and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.'" 25:35 Isn't it great, ladies and gentlemen, 25:37 when God is after you, when God is hot on your trail, 25:40 He already knows your house address? Hallelujah. 25:46 He doesn't have to go on Google and find you. 25:49 He has the address on the tip of his tongue. 25:50 He says, go to that address. 25:52 By the way the Straight Street is still in Damascus today. 25:56 You go to Straight Street, you find Judas' house 25:59 and you ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, he's praying. 26:03 Oh, by the way, I need to tell you this, Ananias 26:05 he's just had a vision and in that-- 26:06 God is very sweet and gracious. 26:09 He gives further instructions by tangentially pointing it out. 26:13 Oh, by the way, he's had a vision, Ananias, 26:14 and in the vision he saw a man named Ananias come 26:16 and place his hands on him to restore his sight. 26:18 Timeout, timeout, are you talking about this Ananias? 26:23 Are you talking about this Ananias from Damascus? I am. 26:29 But then you're not talking about the Saul, 26:30 maybe Saul at Bethlehem or Saul at Jerusalem, 26:32 but you're not talking about Saul at Tarsus, are you? I am. 26:37 Verse 13, "Lord, I have heard many reports about this man 26:40 and all the harm he's done to your people in Jerusalem. 26:42 And word on the street is he's come here 26:44 with the authority from the chief priests 26:45 to arrest all who call on your name." 26:47 You can't be serious? I am, go. 26:52 I tell you what, when you get the go, 26:54 when you finally get to go, there's only one choice 26:57 if you're a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, 26:59 you got to go, you got to go. "Go! 27:04 This man is a chosen instrument 27:05 to proclaim my nam to the Gentiles 27:07 and their kings and to the people of Israel. 27:09 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." 27:11 Goodbye, gone. "Then Ananias went." 27:19 There it is, he went to the house. 27:22 I want to tell you something, 27:23 what do you suppose his pulse rate is right now? 27:27 He knows this is the killer, the young adult killer. 27:32 Don't you suppose he's about 120 beats a minute, maybe 140? 27:39 He finds that address and goes inside. 27:41 He said, do you have Saul of Tarsus here? 27:42 Hey, how do you know? I need to see him. 27:47 He walks into the room, there's a blind man sitting there. 27:49 A man is blind, he can't move, he's in that chair sitting. 27:55 And Ananias comes walking up to him, 27:57 isn't this beautiful, placing his hands on Saul. 28:00 Look at this, Jesus said you're safe, you're safe. 28:03 And he put his hands, he put his hands down on the killer. 28:09 "Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul.'" 28:12 Ananias becomes Saul's first post conversion friend. 28:17 And he called him a brother, isn't that great? 28:19 Called him a brother. He didn't say, hey, you! 28:22 He said, Brother Saul. 28:24 "Brother, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you 28:27 on the road as you were coming here, 28:28 the Lord has sent me so that you may see again 28:31 and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 28:33 And in that instance, something like scales 28:35 white flaky substance trickling down Saul's cheeks 28:39 out of his eyes and he could see again 28:41 and he got up and the first thing he did was 28:43 I got to get baptized, I'm not wasting a minute. 28:47 I don't need food, get me saved. 28:50 That's how important baptism is. 28:55 You can go without your food, 28:57 but you can't go without being baptized by the water. 29:01 You haven't been baptized by the water, my friend, 29:03 you got a huge chapter in your life coming up. 29:05 Don't put it off. 29:09 The greatest Christian in the history of Christianity, 29:12 his first response is get me to water and baptize me. 29:16 And Ananias baptizing just as you saw it here 29:19 in the water, down under and back out again. 29:25 And after taking some food, verse 19, 29:26 after his baptism, he regained his strength. 29:28 And I love this 'cause here's the after. 29:30 "Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus." 29:32 Can you imagine people walking in the room 29:34 and saying, you ripped him? No, I am, I am. 29:39 And at once Saul, look at this verse 20, 29:40 he began to preach in the synagogues 29:42 that Jesus is the Son of God. 29:43 The only place in the book of Acts 29:45 you'll find that phrase "Son of God," 29:46 because it's so critical here that this Jew, 29:50 this rabbi is now declaring that Christ is the Son of God. 29:56 I heard Stephen say he saw Him. 29:59 I met Him on the road, He is the Messiah. 30:04 All those who heard, verse 21, 30:06 they are astonished and they asked, 30:07 "hey, isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem 30:10 among those who call on His name? 30:11 And hasn't he come here 30:12 to take us prisoners to the chief priests? 30:14 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful." 30:16 I'm telling you the moment you accept 30:18 the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior 30:19 and you begin to testify in His name, 30:22 you'll become more powerful and more powerful. 30:24 But if you say, well, I'm not quite ready yet, 30:26 you won't get an ounce of power. 30:28 The power comes in the act of witnessing, not prior to it. 30:33 The more you witness, the more power will be unleashed. 30:35 The more you talk, the more Holy Spirit takes charge. 30:39 That's what's happening to Saul. 30:41 And he became more and more powerful. 30:43 He baffled the Jews living in Damascus 30:45 by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 30:49 There it is, ladies and gentlemen, 30:50 the Damascus road conversion story of Saul who became Paul. 30:54 And by the way, Damascus road now has become global metaphor. 30:57 You don't even have to be 30:58 a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ 30:59 and you can say, you know, 31:00 I had a Damascus road experience 31:02 and everybody knows you're talking about 31:04 a radical about-face in your thinking. 31:07 Everybody knows Damascus road, 31:08 now thanks to Saul who became Paul. 31:14 And out of that crisis, one blinding instant 31:18 and 72 hours of pitch darkness, 31:22 out of that crisis, the most dramatic 31:24 about-face in the history of the church took place. 31:28 An arch enemy of Christ is transformed in 72 hours 31:35 into the most passionate and devoted follower 31:37 Jesus has ever had on earth. 31:40 You may equal Saul, you will never surpass Saul. 31:45 Young adult, young man Saul. 31:50 Proof enough by the way that when you meet Jesus, 31:53 when you really, truly, personally meet Jesus, 31:58 you'll never be the same again, never, never, never, 32:01 never be the same again. 32:03 And once you've met Jesus, oh, boy, you got to talk, 32:06 you have to tell the story, you can't keep it to yourself. 32:12 Watch Paul, now what I'm gonna do, 32:16 obviously, Paul has shared his testimony hundreds of times 32:19 in the course of the history 32:20 of these 20 years in the book of Acts. 32:23 Obviously, Dr. Luke goes and records it three times, 32:28 rather repetitious, but he's trying to tell us, 32:29 look, this is important, you got to tell your story. 32:31 So we've got the story three times. 32:33 I'm gonna go to those three stories right now with you 32:35 and I want to show you there tucked away in those stories 32:37 are some very simple instructions that will enable 32:40 you to tell your story just as powerfully, 32:43 just as effectively as Saul did, all right? 32:46 So get your study guide out. 32:47 You got your study guide, pull it out. 32:48 Actually let's make sure that everybody here 32:50 gets these simple instructions on how to tell your own story. 32:54 Hold your hand up if you don't have a study guide. 32:56 Ushers, all the way up to the back of the balcony, 32:58 in the overflow room, hold your hand up. 33:00 And those of you watching on television, 33:02 we're delighted to have you. 33:03 Let me put our website on the screen for you 33:04 and you can find the same study guide. 33:07 There it is, www.pmchurch.tv 33:10 Go to that website, 33:11 you're looking for the series Primetime. 33:13 This is part five of Primetime. 33:15 You're looking for the teaching 33:16 entitled, turning your story into His-story, 33:20 which of course, is the word history. 33:22 History is His-story, two words put in the one, 33:24 turning your story into His-story. 33:28 And when you click on study guide right there, 33:30 you'll have the same one we have. 33:32 All right, now get your study guide out, 33:33 we're not gonna write in it, just yet. 33:35 I'm gonna do this very quickly, 33:36 so have your pen ready to go. 33:38 Let's do these in three stories. 33:39 These are three times Paul shares his testimony. 33:42 My story, number one, 33:44 you know what they said about Paul? 33:45 I love this, you know, they said, 33:48 whenever Paul showed up in town, 33:50 there was either a revival or a riot. 33:53 And that's a gospel truth. 33:55 I'm telling you wherever this guy goes, 33:56 he's so radically devoted to Christ 33:58 that they're either gonna have a big revival in the church 34:00 or there's gonna be a riot in that city. 34:02 This story is about the riot. There is a huge riot. 34:06 I want you to go to Chapter 21. 34:08 Chapter 21, my story number one, 34:11 'cause there's a truth tucked away. 34:13 You learn this truth, you know how to tell your own story. 34:15 Keep this little study guide with you 34:17 and eventually you'll have your own story written up. 34:19 Okay, we're going to Acts Chapter 21. 34:21 Now he's come back from his third missionary tour. 34:26 I mean, he's been all over the Mediterranean, 34:27 particularly Asia Minor. 34:29 He's come back, he's brought some Gentile converts with him, 34:35 they become believers in the most High God. 34:39 He's gone to the temple. 34:42 You got to understand this about the temple in Jerusalem. 34:44 There's an outer court for Gentiles, 34:46 then there's a court for women, 34:48 then there's a court for men. 34:51 Some Jews from Asia Minor see Saul, now Paul, 34:56 they recognize him, their nemesis and he's here. 34:59 They saw him a moment ago 35:01 out on the street with a Gentile convert, 35:04 they assume he's taking that Gentile convert 35:07 all the way in to the sacred court of the men 35:11 and they explode, they may be trumped up, 35:14 I have no idea, but they explode and they say, 35:16 "men and brothers, did you see what this guy has just done? 35:21 He's desecrated our temple." 35:24 And, boy, just like that there is a riot. 35:27 All right, take it up here in-- 35:29 they are tearing Paul to pieces by the way, 35:32 they're tearing him when the Roman centurion 35:35 and his guard, they come racing in 35:36 to deliver whoever it is, he has no idea who it is. 35:38 He thinks it's an Egyptian, it's not. 35:40 Turns out he's a Roman citizen, Paul, 35:42 as he was speaking the language of the centurion 35:43 and as they are taking him up in chains, 35:44 up the stairs to the barracks, Paul says to the centurion, 35:47 "do you mind if I say a word to this crowd?" 35:50 And when he heard him speak in his own tongue, 35:52 "sir, I didn't know you could"-- "Can I say a word?" 35:55 Said, "you may." 35:56 So Paul turns around halfway up to the barracks 35:59 and he addresses the rabble, they are furious. 36:02 And now here's where we pick it up, verse 40, 36:06 "Having received the commander's permission" 36:07 all right, here we go, 36:08 "Paul stood on the steps and he motioned to the crowd. 36:11 When they were all silent," you can just see it happening. 36:13 "He said to them in Aramaic" that's their tongue, 36:16 "He said to them in Aramaic, 'Brothers and fathers, 36:18 listen now to my defense.'" 36:20 And when they heard him speaking to them in Aramaic, 36:23 they became shh, shh. 36:27 Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, 36:31 but brought up in this city. 36:33 I studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel. 36:35 I was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. 36:37 I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today." 36:40 And boom, here goes his testimony. 36:42 We're not even gonna read it, because it's a repetition 36:43 of what we've already just read in Acts 9. 36:45 But you know what he does, he tells them, 36:46 here's my life before I met Jesus, 36:48 here's how I met Jesus and now here is my life today. 36:52 He is going just fine 36:54 until he makes the mistake of using the word Gentile. 36:56 And the moment he says Gentile, 36:59 the place, they read the riot act all over again 37:02 and the guards whisk him away. 37:04 This guy is lethal whoever it is. 37:08 All right, my story number one, 37:09 write it down, here we go, my story number one, 37:11 what do I learn from this? Keep it simple. 37:13 Write it down, keep it simple, very simple story. 37:15 I'm gonna tell you where I was born, 37:16 I'm gonna tell you where I grew up, 37:17 I'm gonna tell you how I met Jesus 37:19 and now here's what's happening. 37:20 Very simple, keep it simple. Keep your pen moving. 37:23 Let your story be a simple timeline that includes 37:26 "my life before I met Jesus, how I met Jesus, 37:30 my life after meeting Jesus." 37:32 Listen, folks, there's nothing erudite, 37:34 there's nothing fancy or complicated, highfalutin. 37:37 No, no, no, you already have these three components. 37:39 What your life was before Jesus, 37:41 how you met Jesus and now your life after Jesus, 37:44 after walking with Jesus. 37:48 Weave them together and you have your story 37:50 and you can turn your story into His story. 37:51 You can turn your story into His story 37:53 doing it just like Paul. 37:54 All right, that's story number one. 37:55 Keep it simple. Here goes story number two. 37:57 The very next day-- I love this story. 38:00 This is in Chapter 22, so the guard-- 38:02 so the centurion says, "okay, listen, I got to figure out, 38:05 what are the religious charges against this holy man? 38:09 I'm gonna convene the Sanhedrin and I'll take Paul down there 38:13 and they can cross-examine him." 38:14 So Paul is taken in chains to the Sanhedrin. 38:17 Now these are his colleagues, 38:18 Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin 38:21 before he became a Christian. 38:23 These are his colleagues, 38:24 he knows them all, they know who he is. 38:25 Don't play dumb with me, you know who I am. 38:29 But he knows he's not gonna get a hearing here. 38:32 They'll nail him, they will kill him. 38:34 And he's worried for his life and I would be, too. 38:37 And so Paul does a mastiff, a brilliant piece of strategy. 38:41 He takes his life story and reduces it to a single sentence. 38:45 He says let's try this because you see, 38:46 there are two groups here. 38:47 They're the Sadducees, these are the liberals, 38:49 no resurrection, no angels, no nothing. 38:51 Then over here, all the Pharisees. 38:53 Paul is a Pharisee, all the Pharisees, 38:54 yes, there are angels, yes, there is a resurrection. 38:57 And Paul realized I've got to split this court 38:59 and split it fast. 39:00 And so he stands before them with his chains on his wrist 39:03 and he said, "men and brethren, 39:04 I'm here to tell you that I'm on trial 39:06 because I'm a Pharisee of the Pharisees 39:09 and I believe in the resurrection." 39:10 And just like that everybody who had been prepared to lynch him, 39:14 half of the group said, "hey, timeout, 39:16 hey, hey, this guy is one of us." 39:20 And there is a roaring controversy now 39:24 because everybody's stepping off the plane saying 39:25 you know what, please this guy, there's nothing wrong with him. 39:27 What's the problem? Why is he arrested anyway? 39:30 The Sadducees want him, but Paul split the court. 39:33 In fact, it's so bad, you drop down here to 23:10, 39:41 Acts 23:10, "The dispute became so violent 39:43 that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn into pieces." 39:46 The Sadducees want him and the Pharisees want him. 39:49 So he sends the troops in, he's out. 39:51 Okay, there's my story number two, 39:52 that's it, one line, one line, write it down, keep it short. 39:56 My story number two, keep it short. 39:58 What do I get from this story? Keep it short. 39:59 First one, keep it simple, simple. 40:01 Number two, keep it short. 40:04 Keep your pen moving, 40:06 to defend your faith by telling your story. 40:09 Come on, you don't need a long testimony. 40:11 In fact, jot this down, 40:12 some suggest that you can do it in less than 100 words. 40:16 Keep it short, my story number three, 40:21 only three of these, here's number three. 40:23 Paul can no longer be entrusted to the temple hierarchy. 40:27 It's clear they're gonna kill him. 40:29 Paul realizes he has no hope with appealing to the Jews 40:32 and so Paul is taken up to Caesarea by the Roman guard, 40:36 kept in a prison in Caesarea which is still in Palestine. 40:40 And finally Paul says the only way 40:42 I'm gonna get out of here alive is if I appeal to Caesar. 40:45 And so he says, "I exercise my rights as a Roman citizen, 40:48 I appeal to Caesar, please." 40:51 To Caesar you've appealed, to Caesar you'll go. 40:53 A Roman gets that, get it, 40:55 just a privilege and prerogative. 40:58 But Festus, the Roman governor 40:59 doesn't know what to do with this guy. 41:01 I mean the religious hierarchy wants him executed. 41:03 I can't find anything wrong with him. 41:05 Ah, I have your highness King Herod Agrippa II, 41:10 I'm gonna have the king come. 41:11 And so he invites the king, great pomp and ceremony. 41:14 He invites the king with his wife Bernice. 41:17 You see Agrippa, this is a brilliant move on Festus' part. 41:19 Agrippa is the great grandson of Herod the Great, 41:23 through the Jewish wife of Herod the Great. 41:26 So there is a little bit of Jewish blood in Herod Agrippa. 41:31 This is perfect, but Herod Agrippa 41:32 is strictly loyal only to Rome. 41:34 So he has a man who can represent both sides. 41:36 Now listen, oh, King, you listen carefully now, 41:39 I'm gonna have this man talk. 41:40 Give me something to put in the legal document 41:42 that sends him to Caesar. 41:43 I've got to have something. King says bring him in. 41:45 And they bring him in, where is this, 26, 41:48 they bring him in, Acts 26:1, then Agrippa said to Paul, 41:51 "okay, you go, 41:53 you have permission now to speak for yourself." 41:55 And you know what Paul does? Brilliant. 41:58 He adjusts his testimony to fit his audience. 42:01 Watch, what he does. 42:02 When he's talking to the Jews on the barrack stairs, 42:05 no mention, no mention of Gentile 42:07 until he slipped right at the end. 42:10 Why? Because that will only inflame them. 42:12 When he's talking to the Jews, he mentions Ananias, 42:14 a holy and devout Jew living in Damascus, 42:17 but when he's in front of Gentiles, 42:19 a room of Gentiles now no mention of Ananias, 42:23 no mention of Ananias. 42:25 And instead, he weaves into the Damascus road movement 42:28 Jesus saying, I'm the road, I'm sending you to the Gentiles. 42:31 Why has he changed his story? 42:33 It's true, but he's changed it to adapt to his audience 42:37 and he wants the Gentiles, he wants their souls 42:40 and so he says I'll talk to you about Gentiles. 42:42 God cares about Gentiles. 42:45 See, it's brilliant. What did he do? 42:49 Here's the third point, my story number three, 42:51 write it down, keep it suitable. 42:54 You know how you put a suit on when you go to one place, 42:56 then you get another suit of clothes, you go somewhere else, 42:57 put on another suit of clothes when you go somewhere else? 42:59 That's what it means to be suitable, 43:01 you've got to fit the occasion, keep it suitable. 43:04 If you're sharing your testimony with a roommate down 43:07 or a friend down the hall in the dorm, 43:11 you're gonna put this suit of clothes on. 43:13 If you are in an airplane 43:14 and you're sitting beside a Fortune 500 executive, 43:17 you're gonna put this suit of clothes on. 43:20 If you're writing an email to somebody and said, 43:21 I need help. Can you help me? 43:22 And you're gonna tell your story in that email, 43:24 you're gonna put the suit on 43:25 that's appropriate to the person you are talking to. 43:27 Keep your testimony suitable. 43:29 You can change your clothes, and the story is still the same. 43:31 That's what Paul does. 43:33 And when he's with the Pharisees, I'm a Pharisee. 43:36 One line story now. Keep it suitable. 43:39 Keep it simple, keep it short, keep it suitable. 43:42 And finally how can I do it? Here we go. 43:44 Bill Hybels, very helpful book, 43:46 "Just Walk Across The Room," which by the way 43:48 they have on sale over here 43:49 at the ABC Christian book store just across the street. 43:52 So you can go over there, pick up the book, if you like. 43:56 Hybels shares some very practical counsel 43:59 and how to write up your own story and then share it. 44:01 I mean this guy has listened to stories 44:03 because he's been coaching people 44:04 how to be contagious Christians for years. 44:06 He's heard hundreds of these bumbling, stumbling 44:09 Christian testimonies and in all candor he makes this point. 44:12 I got to put the words on the screen for you, 44:13 he makes this point, 44:14 he said some of these testimonies are so annoying, 44:17 exhausting and circuitist, I have thought to myself, 44:20 and now here are his words put on the screen, 44:22 I have thought to myself, 44:23 "If I were a person living far from God 44:26 and had even a tinge of interest 44:28 in this thing called Christianity, 44:30 after hearing your story, 44:31 I think I'd recommit myself to paganism." 44:35 You didn't dodge me into a thing. 44:36 I don't want whatever you've got If that's your story... 44:40 So Hybels says, listen, let me help you, 44:42 let me give you four critiques, four critiques. 44:45 He said this is the problem I see in some testimonies. 44:47 Don't let this be your problem. 44:48 Criticism number one, write it down, 44:50 criticism number one, long-windedness. All right. 44:54 Our testimony, keep writing, 44:55 ought not to be no longer than 3 minutes. 44:57 I've got mine down to just about 100 words. 45:00 Pay attention to the other person's body language. 45:03 Look at, if they're looking all over the room, 45:05 if they're-- you know, their arms are crossed, 45:07 that means they're not listening. 45:08 Arms crossed, that means I'm shut off to you now. 45:11 Watch the body sign. 45:12 You don't have to finish the testimony. 45:14 It's not like you get a little extra star in your crown 45:16 if you can get it all the way through. 45:19 No, you're supposed to be thoughtful. 45:21 You don't have to share the rest of the story. 45:22 I'll tell you some other time. 45:24 Keep your story short enough, jot this down, 45:25 to allow the other person to ask questions. 45:27 Hey, tell me about that, I mean, what really happened? 45:30 You can't tell it all in 100 words, 45:31 but, you don't need to. 45:33 You want to whet Holy Spirit, whet an appetite, 45:35 I want to know more. 45:36 Okay, criticism number two, write it down, fuzziness. 45:39 Hybels says "the only thing worse than a long story 45:41 is a long story that is incoherent." 45:44 Man, where are you going with this thing? 45:45 Where are you going with this? I don't know. 45:50 "Keep your stories simple," I like this counsel, 45:53 "containing one clear plot line" write it down, 45:56 "one clear plot line that appropriately conveys 45:58 the heartbeat of your faith journey." 46:00 See there's a keyword about your past, 46:03 there's a keyword now that needs to explain 46:05 your life since meeting Jesus. 46:07 You'll figure it out, I'll show you in just a minute. 46:09 Now criticism number three, religioinese. 46:12 Hybels writes it takes a lot of work to expunge 46:14 insider jargon from your story, but it's worth it. 46:17 I was amazed, I wrote mine out, 46:18 I was amazed I'm still talking to a Christian 46:20 that's what I'm doing, 46:21 make the story so that it's heard by a non-Christian. 46:24 You can't say to a non Christian, 46:25 listen, when the Holy Spirit came 46:27 into my heart, he set me on fire. 46:30 Like what? How they get it out? 46:34 You know, set me on fire. What does that mean? 46:36 Means nothing to secular person. Nothing. 46:40 You know, my life changed. 46:42 Well, then tell me how it changed. 46:44 Then you tell me. All right. 46:46 Watch out for these religionese. 46:47 Okay, final criticism, number four, superiority. 46:51 Hybels writes, "there may be no quicker way to send 46:53 an unbeliever to the hills than to play the piety card." 46:56 Since I've become so good and so perfect 47:01 and I sure feel sorry for you, but if you come to my Jesus, 47:05 you can become the same way as me. 47:08 You get the point, drop it, drop it. 47:12 Your superiority is your intent, 47:14 you'll never reach anybody anyway, 47:16 'cause it isn't your story that reaches up soul. 47:18 It's Jesus story tucked away in your story, 47:20 that's the whole point. 47:22 All right, four critiques, they're good, 47:24 hang on to that little study guide. 47:25 Now to protect us from these four common pitfalls, 47:28 you and I need to remember this. 47:29 Look at, Madison Avenue, they're selling everything. 47:31 Boy, the economy is so bad, 47:33 they're just hoping you'll buy anything at all for Christmas. 47:37 It's bad, but the way Madison Avenue 47:39 has leant to sell effectively is to do a before and after. 47:46 Have you ever seen those diet loss, 47:48 those weight loss diet advertisements? 47:51 Have you seen those? They're crazy. 47:53 So I go on the internet, I say, okay, I got to find a real one. 47:55 So I went on the internet and I came to an internet article, 47:59 getting healthy the geeky way. 48:02 I said I'd be interesting in that, 48:04 well, because right there, sure enough, 48:07 look at this, before and after. 48:08 Whoa, I said I got to try this method. 48:10 So here I was, this is directly from the internet, 48:13 first, the before picture, 48:15 look at that, isn't he a handsome dude? 48:16 Look at that, look at that after look at that after. 48:21 I tell you what, can you really go from there to there? 48:24 Are you serious? Is it some kind of trick? 48:26 No, it's really is me. It is. 48:29 Man, I'm the before, but here's the point, 48:32 ladies and gentlemen, I'm the before, 48:34 I share your before and I want to now experience your after. 48:40 In fact would you write that down please, write it down. 48:41 "Because when you share the same "before" with somebody else, 48:44 you are seeking the same "after." 48:47 Nothing is more persuasive than the testimony, 48:49 'it worked for me!' 48:53 Show me that before and after picture again. 48:55 Oh, boy, it really did work for you, didn't it? 48:58 I want the same thing to happen to me. 49:00 Guys, that's how they make billions of dollars. 49:04 Because we believe the testimony before and after. 49:07 And when you're telling the truth, God wins. 49:11 So here's what you got to do, 49:12 you got to know what your before is. 49:14 I hope you haven't been a Christian so long 49:16 that you can't remember what your before was. 49:18 What was it, fear? Or was it guilt? 49:22 Or was it self destruction? Or was it ego? 49:26 There's somebody on this planet that has your before 49:30 and who needs to hear how you got to this after. 49:33 I mean, I looked just like you before, 49:35 how do I get to this after, you got to tell them. 49:38 You know what, I was filled with fear 49:40 till I met Jesus and when Jesus came, 49:43 when Jesus took over my life and I began to trust myself to him, 49:46 you know what, I got peace today. 49:49 Really? You can go from fear to peace? 49:50 Yeah, look at me, I'm living proof. 49:53 Before I met Jesus I'm telling you I felt so guilty 49:56 I was practicing, I was practicing a life 49:59 that I couldn't even go to sleep at night. 50:01 I had to medicate myself to get to sleep, 50:03 I felt so guilty and then I met Jesus 50:05 and I found out that you can get forgiveness 50:07 and you can be accepted by the God of the universe 50:09 and he has brought me a sense of accepting peace. 50:17 Let me tell you something, I was a self destructive man. 50:18 You don't know all the stuff I did before. 50:21 I was self destructive and then I met Jesus, 50:23 He found me and now my heart is growing 50:27 in healthily emotional ways I could never dreamed possible. 50:31 I was egotistical before, 50:33 I was depending on my own achievement, 50:34 I was certain that I could get there by my accomplishments 50:37 and then I met Jesus and I learned the truth. 50:40 You know what, you really, 50:43 you really need the gift of humble service. 50:49 God's still working on me, but I'm telling you what, 50:52 I'm finding that the life with Jesus is so much better. 50:57 You see what it is, guys? 50:58 This is not rocket science, it's what Paul did. 51:00 Before I was this, then I met Jesus on the Damascus road 51:03 and now I'm this and he adapted it to fit 51:05 the needs of whoever he was sharing his story with. 51:09 Isn't that great? 51:10 Bill Hybels will end with this, Bill Hybels, 51:12 look at that quotation, he puts this distinctly, 51:15 "it's worth sharing your heart and soul to firm up 51:17 the three-pronged foundation of your story." 51:19 Here's a little review for you. 51:21 The key word or concept that describes 51:23 who you were before you met Christ. 51:25 I was filled with fear. 51:27 Then the fact that you came to a relationship with Jesus. 51:30 But then Jesus found me. 51:32 I've begun a friendship with him and now the key word 51:34 or concept that describes who you are 51:36 after walking with Christ for a time, 51:38 my fear has been exchanged by peace. 51:41 I can't even explain it to you 51:42 but when I put my head on the pillow at night, 51:44 I fall straight asleep. 51:47 Something has happened to me 51:49 and, my friend, it can happen to you, too. 51:52 Same Jesus can do it for you. 51:53 You see the before and after and let me tell you 51:56 the greatest before and after in all of Christendom 51:59 is probably Paul but here's the second greatest, 52:01 I once was lost but now I'm found, 52:04 was blind but now I see. 52:09 That's before and after, that's John Newton, 52:10 the slave trader who saidi, my life before I met Jesus, 52:13 I was a mess, I was lost, blind, 52:18 but I met Christ and now I can see 'cause I'm found. 52:23 That's it, ladies and gentlemen, that's it. 52:26 This is not some kind of you got to get a PhD 52:29 and how to give a testimony installment. 52:33 No, all you need is to have met Jesus. 52:37 If you haven't met Jesus, 52:40 then there is a new story just waiting to get told. 52:43 If you haven't met Jesus, 52:45 oh, my, this may be the best day of your life. 52:50 But before I get to that, I'm praying this morning 52:54 in my little study back at home, 52:56 everything is done, just thinking 52:59 and the Holy Spirit said, hey, Dwight, 53:01 you forgot a key verse. I said, you're right. 53:06 How could I miss that? It's not in the study guide. 53:09 We got together with out PowerPoint producer, 53:12 he produced it for me. 53:14 Here's the verse, I put it on the screen for you. 53:16 Look at this, Revelation 12:11, 53:20 the generation living at the end of time, 53:23 they young and the not so young, 53:25 triumphed over the dragon by the blood of the Lamb 53:28 and most people stop the verse right there. 53:30 Scribble this down in your study guide, Revelation 12:11. 53:33 Most people stop the verse right there, 53:35 but there's a second half to that. 53:36 It's not only Calvary that wins. 53:38 Calvary can only win when people see 53:40 a before and after picture as a result of Calvary. 53:44 Calvary is not enough. 53:46 Calvary says I need some human witnesses 53:49 in the defense stand to tell the truth 53:53 about what I've done in their lives. 53:55 They overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb 53:57 and by the word of their testimony. 54:00 If you don't have a testimony, 54:02 the Holy Spirit is about to give you a testimony. 54:06 It's been a long time since you've had a testimony? 54:08 I got some good news for you. 54:09 It doesn't matter how long it's been. 54:11 You say, Dwight, I've never told my story to anybody. 54:13 You know why I haven't told my story to anybody? 54:15 Because I didn't have a Damascus road experience. 54:16 I grew up in a happy home. 54:18 My parents never divorced, I never took drugs, 54:21 you know, I've just been trying to be faithful all my life. 54:24 I have no great story. 54:26 My dear friend, that is the story that God needs 54:31 because there are people out there just like you. 54:34 They didn't do the whole nine yards, 54:37 they just haven't found Jesus. 54:38 They're living a great life but something's missing, 54:41 and you can come along and say, hey, 54:43 you don't have to do drugs in order to find Jesus. 54:45 You don't have to sleep with every woman 54:47 in the city in order to find Jesus. 54:49 You can just have a hunger in your heart realizing 54:51 like the rich young ruler that when you go to bed at night, 54:53 something doesn't feel quite right. 54:57 I'm telling you why you don't feel quite right 54:58 because you don't have Jesus yet. 54:59 I found Jesus. I kind of grew into it. 55:03 But the closer I have come to know him, the more I realized, 55:07 without Jesus this world is shut. 55:10 I wish you would the Jesus I've found. 55:12 See, how simple that is. 55:14 You don't need some horrendous story, 55:17 you just need a story, you just need to find Jesus. 55:27 This is a strategic weapon for you, you wield this right. 55:32 Your before and after picture will go into the internet, 55:34 it will go around the world, 55:37 your little world, your office world, 55:38 your class world, your dormitory world, 55:40 your story will go through your neighborhood world, 55:43 your story as simple as it is, 55:45 before and after is waiting to be told. 55:50 There are some people on this planet 55:52 who will only be reached by your story. 55:55 The other stories won't touch them. 55:57 So the Holy Spirit's gonna make sure 55:59 that somebody who is in need of your story 56:01 crosses your path this next week. 56:04 If you say to the Holy Spirit, 56:06 Holy Spirit, I would like my life to help you. 56:11 Give me somebody with whom I can share my story. 56:15 If you pray that prayer, next week, 56:18 you be patient, you be patient, 56:21 somebody will cross your path who needs your story. 56:28 It's that simple. We're talking strategy now. 56:32 We're talking a generation that approaching the edge of crisis. 56:35 We're talking about it's the right time 56:39 to tell your story and let it be transformed into His story. 56:48 It's been a pleasure to be able to worship with you again today. 56:51 I hope the Spirit of Jesus has blessed your time with us. 56:54 You know what, we've got people all over this earth 56:56 who join us every week for this worship hour. 56:59 Now as a consequence we're always looking for new ways 57:02 to bridge to somehow allow these who worship with us 57:05 to be bridged to the truth about Jesus 57:08 for this critical time in history. 57:10 One of the areas of bridging 57:12 that's quickly growing is our website. 57:14 We have more than 140,000 visitors a year. 57:17 It is an amazing opportunity that God has given us 57:20 to expand His kingdom here on earth. 57:23 If you'd like to partner with us, 57:24 as we seek to spread the everlasting gospel, 57:27 I tell you what, would you be willing to call this number? 57:30 Let me put it on the screen for you, 877-- it's toll free, 57:33 877, the two words, His Will. 57:36 One of our operators will be glad to help you, 57:38 walk through the details of that partnership, 57:41 or if you prefer you can do it all online 57:43 in the privacy of your own home. 57:45 The website, you know it, www.pmchurch.tv 57:51 I've been honored for the privilege of partnering 57:52 with you as we seek to spread the truth 57:54 about Jesus for this generation. 57:56 If ever there were an urgent generation 57:59 to get the good news out, it's got to be this one. 58:02 So once again, the toll free number, 58:04 877, two words, His Will. 58:06 Thank you in advance for your generosity. 58:08 I'm looking forward to the continuing worship journey 58:11 that you and I share right here. |
Revised 2014-12-17