And now it's time
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for our morning call to worship,
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and we're going to
read it responsively.
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We gather as two or three,
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as 100 or 200.
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We gather to
forgive as God forgives.
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To love as God loves.
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We covenant
together to be the church,
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the body of Christ
alive in the world.
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We will live the
truth of God's grace.
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Let's pray together.
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Father, we thank You
because You are the leader
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of the mission.
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The mission is Yours
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and You take
complete responsibility
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for the mission
of saving people.
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So to that end,
thank You for drawing
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close to every single
one of us that are gathered,
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those online, those
in-person, our eyes are on you
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as we worship today.
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And we think in the
name of Jesus. Amen.
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I heard an old, old story
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How a Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sins
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And won the victory
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about His healing
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Of His cleansing pow'r revealing
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How He made the
lame to walk again
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And caused the blind to see
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And then I cried dear Jesus
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Come and heal my broken spirit
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And somehow Jesus came
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And brought To me the victory
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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As I neared
Damascus on my journey,
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suddenly a light from
heaven flashed around me.
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I fell to the ground
and heard a voice say to me,
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"Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute Me?"
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"Who are You, Lord," I asked?
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"I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting,"
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He replied to me.
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"Now, get up
and go into the city
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and you will be
told what you must do."
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I got up from the ground.
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When I opened my
eyes, I could see nothing.
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So they led me by
the hand into Damascus.
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Early this year,
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a young millennial
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social critic writer
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and influencer
herself wrote a piece,
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an op-ed piece in
the New York Times.
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By the way, if
the New York Times
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ever asked you to
write an op-ed piece.
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Trust me, you're
already an influencer.
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Her name is Leigh Stein.
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Have the piece right
here, title of the piece,
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The Empty
Religions of Instagram.
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Let me read a
line or two to you.
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On Instagram I
follow 700 people,
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mostly women, she writes,
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100 of these women
follow Glennon Doyle
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whose memoir Untamed has been
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on the New York
Times `bestseller list.
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I checked it this
week, 77 weeks in a row.
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Another influencer.
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Fans of Ms. Doyle's gospel
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and accessible combination
of self-care activism,
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and tongue in
cheek Christianity.
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Ms. Doyle says,
Jesus loves me this I know,
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for He gave me Lexapro,
which is an antidepressant.
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Fans of Ms. Doyle's
gospel can worship at any time
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of day or night at
the electric church
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of her Instagram feed by
replacing the rigid dogma
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of religion with the
confessional lingua franca
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or the language of social media.
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Ms. Doyle has become
a charismatic preacher
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for women like me,
who aren't even religious.
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Now she's got my attention
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and I want these
words to get your attention.
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So I'm going to put
them on the screen now.
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Many millennials have found
a different kind of clergy,
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personal growth influencers.
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Women like Ms.
Doyle who offer 'nones.'
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Those are the
people that take surveys
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and they say none of
the above, no religion.
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Women like Ms.
Doyle who offered 'nones'
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like us permission,
validation, and community.
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These women are Instavangelists.
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You've heard of televangelists,
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well, she's coined a
new word, Instavangelists.
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These are personal influencers
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behaving like clergy in
the world of social media.
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Then Leigh Stein begins
to expose some of her soul.
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Follow along here.
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I have hardly prayed to
God since I was a teenager,
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but the pandemic has
cracked open inside me
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a profound
yearning for reverence,
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humility and awe."
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I'd like to say, wait a minute.
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Are we talking about
a young godless woman
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who says I have
no religion at all,
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but the pandemic has opened up
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inside of me this
yearning for reverence,
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humility, and awe.
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I don't know about you,
but I find that astonishing.
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Here is a
non-religious young woman
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who has a
yearning for reverence.
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I'm thinking about
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some of the
practitioners in the church
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who believes that the
more we can imitate the culture
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and the music of this very world
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that Leigh Stein finds so empty,
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the more we will
attract the Leigh Steins
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of this culture turns
out it's the exact opposite.
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They don't want
what they already have.
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She's looking for
reverence, humility, and awe.
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You know what?
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Maybe we ought to quit
apologizing for Pioneer
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being a place of worship
with reverence, humility,
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and awe, come on.
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Leigh Stein exposes
more of her thirsty soul.
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Here we go.
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The influencers we've
chosen as our moral leaders
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aren't challenging us to
ask the fundamental questions
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that leaders of
faith have been wrestling
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with for thousands of years.
00:10:04.10\00:10:06.17
Yo, Leigh, what
are those questions?
00:10:06.20\00:10:07.70
Well, let's find out.
00:10:07.74\00:10:09.07
Why are we here?
00:10:09.10\00:10:10.44
Why do we suffer?
00:10:10.47\00:10:11.81
What should we
believe in beyond the limits
00:10:11.84\00:10:13.88
of our puny selfhood?
00:10:13.91\00:10:16.24
And then she writes this line.
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The whole economy of Instagram
is based on our thinking
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about our selves,
posting about our selves,
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working on our selves.
00:10:25.79\00:10:29.92
Instead of answering
the big questions of life,
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these influencers,
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all they can talk
about is me, me, me.
00:10:36.26\00:10:39.83
She says, forget it.
00:10:39.87\00:10:43.10
And then now she
moves to where you
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and I need to be
listening very carefully.
00:10:46.24\00:10:47.94
I told my mother,
that I find myself
00:10:52.61\00:10:56.72
craving role models my age.
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And I'll start it right there.
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I want role models my age.
00:11:00.19\00:11:02.12
I don't need
somebody not my age.
00:11:02.16\00:11:03.86
I need somebody my age. Yeah.
00:11:03.89\00:11:06.03
But what do you want
the role model to do?
00:11:06.06\00:11:07.53
Well, let's find out.
00:11:07.56\00:11:08.90
I want, if I find myself
craving role models my age
00:11:08.93\00:11:12.50
who are not only righteous.
00:11:12.53\00:11:15.20
I'm saying, wait a minute, time.
00:11:15.24\00:11:17.07
You can't be telling me
that this godless millennial
00:11:17.11\00:11:20.01
and she described
herself, no religion at all.
00:11:20.04\00:11:22.04
You can't be
telling me that she wants
00:11:22.08\00:11:23.91
role models her age,
who are not only righteous,
00:11:23.95\00:11:28.75
not only righteous
crusaders, but keep reading,
00:11:28.78\00:11:31.75
but also humble and merciful.
00:11:31.79\00:11:35.76
And I told mom that
I'm not finding them
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.73
where I live and those
that, that's her word online.
00:11:37.76\00:11:40.63
They're just not there.
00:11:40.66\00:11:42.96
And I'm thinking to
myself, what she just said,
00:11:43.00\00:11:45.17
she is longing for at
her age level a role model,
00:11:45.20\00:11:50.31
turns out to be a
beautiful description
00:11:50.34\00:11:53.78
of who you are at
Andrews University,
00:11:53.81\00:11:57.28
her age,
righteous, crusading for good,
00:11:57.31\00:12:02.92
humble and merciful.
00:12:02.95\00:12:05.42
You are the role
model she's looking for.
00:12:05.45\00:12:08.86
You are the
influencer she needs.
00:12:08.89\00:12:14.46
She's looking for you,
but here's the question.
00:12:14.50\00:12:18.10
Are you looking for her?
00:12:18.13\00:12:20.94
We didn't know this.
00:12:25.01\00:12:28.04
We didn't know that
there's a yearning thirst
00:12:28.08\00:12:30.95
embedded in the
heart of this generation.
00:12:30.98\00:12:34.78
Sick and tired
00:12:34.82\00:12:38.62
of what it's been living with.
00:12:38.65\00:12:41.32
And you're the
role model her age
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she's looking for.
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My, oh my. One last line.
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There is a chasm between
the vast scope of our needs
00:12:53.94\00:12:58.37
and what
influencers can provide.
00:12:58.41\00:13:01.51
We're looking for
guidance in the wrong places,
00:13:01.54\00:13:04.38
people listen up.
00:13:04.41\00:13:06.01
Maybe we actually need to
go to something like church?
00:13:06.05\00:13:10.85
You think?
00:13:10.89\00:13:13.72
Amazing.
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.19
A New York Times
chosen influencer,
00:13:16.22\00:13:20.03
who says I'm tired
00:13:20.06\00:13:22.76
of the life that I've had.
00:13:22.80\00:13:26.74
If I just had somebody
my age that I can model
00:13:26.77\00:13:31.94
my life after.
00:13:31.97\00:13:33.44
And I'm thinking
that has to be you,
00:13:33.48\00:13:36.18
reverence, humility,
00:13:39.75\00:13:42.25
awe flowing through a righteous,
00:13:42.28\00:13:44.92
humble and merciful influencer.
00:13:44.95\00:13:50.23
How to become an influencer?
00:13:50.26\00:13:55.23
Now we've got to go back.
00:13:55.26\00:13:56.60
We've got to turn
to another story today.
00:13:56.63\00:13:59.93
Once upon a time,
there were two young men.
00:13:59.97\00:14:04.57
They were both
about the same age.
00:14:04.61\00:14:07.21
They were both
extremely well-educated.
00:14:07.24\00:14:10.58
You can call them
young Turks if you wish.
00:14:10.61\00:14:14.62
But what is more than clear
00:14:14.65\00:14:15.98
is that both of
them were influencers,
00:14:16.02\00:14:18.69
huge influencers and
the people around them,
00:14:18.72\00:14:23.99
and then came that
fateful public debate.
00:14:24.03\00:14:29.36
The room was packed.
00:14:29.40\00:14:31.73
The spectators
eventually forgot to breathe.
00:14:31.77\00:14:34.54
So transfixed are
they all by the wit,
00:14:34.57\00:14:37.51
matching wit, the
eloquence matching eloquence
00:14:37.54\00:14:39.91
of these two young
leaders who debate each other.
00:14:39.94\00:14:42.78
By the end of
the debate however,
00:14:42.81\00:14:46.41
it is clear to
everybody in the room
00:14:46.45\00:14:51.15
one of them just got whooped.
00:14:51.19\00:14:55.36
It's a story
most people skip over,
00:14:55.39\00:14:58.43
but you need to
find it right now.
00:14:58.46\00:14:59.96
Open your Bible
to Acts Chapter 6,
00:15:00.00\00:15:02.80
the book of beginnings
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.53
for the infant Christian Church.
00:15:04.57\00:15:06.77
Acts Chapter 6,
drop down to verse 8.
00:15:06.80\00:15:11.27
You haven't read
this in a long, long time.
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.88
Acts Chapter 6,
please drop down to verse 8.
00:15:13.91\00:15:18.08
I'll be in the New
International Version.
00:15:18.11\00:15:21.65
Acts Chapter Eight,
Chapter Six, rather verse 8,
00:15:21.68\00:15:26.25
"Now Stephen,
influencer number one.
00:15:26.29\00:15:30.96
Now Stephen, a man full
of God's grace and power.
00:15:30.99\00:15:34.46
Performed great wonders
and signs among the people."
00:15:34.50\00:15:37.57
Whatever's going on
here, this young man
00:15:37.60\00:15:43.00
through these acts
of supernatural signs,
00:15:43.04\00:15:47.08
supernatural wonder
00:15:47.11\00:15:50.08
is simply
confirming the veracity,
00:15:50.11\00:15:54.22
people are
concluding of his message.
00:15:54.25\00:15:56.08
And that is, you
know, this Jesus of Nazareth
00:15:56.12\00:15:58.49
that they crucified at Golgotha.
00:15:58.52\00:16:00.82
Let me tell you something.
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.19
He rose three days
later, He was here for a while.
00:16:02.22\00:16:06.80
He ascended and He's now
00:16:06.83\00:16:08.16
sitting on the
throne of the Almighty.
00:16:08.20\00:16:11.90
He's the Messiah
00:16:11.93\00:16:13.27
and people are
starting to believe.
00:16:16.24\00:16:17.61
I mean, how could
you do what you just did
00:16:17.64\00:16:20.14
if you weren't
telling the truth.
00:16:20.18\00:16:21.84
Look at verse 9,
opposition arose,
00:16:21.88\00:16:24.31
well, you didn't
think he'd get by for long.
00:16:24.35\00:16:26.72
"Opposition arose,
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.98
however, from
members of the Synagogue
00:16:29.02\00:16:31.45
of the Freedman."
00:16:31.49\00:16:32.82
Now we're called Pioneer Church.
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.69
So this is a synagogue called
the Synagogue of the Freedman.
00:16:34.72\00:16:37.53
It's just a name.
00:16:37.56\00:16:40.13
As it was called.
Who's in that synagogue?
00:16:40.16\00:16:42.36
Well, you've got Jews of Cyrene,
00:16:42.40\00:16:44.10
that would be North Africa.
00:16:44.13\00:16:45.77
You have Jews from
Alexandria, that would be Egypt,
00:16:45.80\00:16:48.14
of course, as
well as the provinces
00:16:48.17\00:16:50.37
of Asia Minor,
including Cilicia.
00:16:50.41\00:16:53.58
Hey, wait a
minute, time out, Cilicia.
00:16:53.61\00:16:56.95
Is it Cilicia the
one that has this major
00:16:56.98\00:17:00.58
metropolitan center
in it called Tarsus.
00:17:00.62\00:17:03.25
Wait a minute. I know
somebody who's from Tarsus.
00:17:07.52\00:17:10.23
Dr. Luke has intentionally
embedded in this description
00:17:10.26\00:17:14.93
the hint of
influencer number two,
00:17:14.96\00:17:18.90
Saul of Tarsus.
00:17:18.93\00:17:22.30
F. F Bruce and others have
suggested it's rather likely
00:17:22.34\00:17:26.71
that this was the synagogue
in which Saul worshiped.
00:17:26.74\00:17:30.45
Opposition, are you kidding?
00:17:30.48\00:17:32.05
They began to argue with
Stephen right off the bat.
00:17:32.08\00:17:36.79
How did it go?
00:17:36.82\00:17:38.15
But they could not
stand up against the wisdom
00:17:38.19\00:17:42.62
the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
00:17:42.66\00:17:45.93
If you ever get
called on by Almighty God
00:17:45.96\00:17:48.83
Himself to stand up in
front of a classroom of kids,
00:17:48.86\00:17:53.47
your peers.
00:17:53.50\00:17:55.47
You ever get
called on by Almighty God
00:17:55.50\00:17:57.61
to step in front of a neighbor
because something's on your
00:17:57.64\00:18:00.64
heart that you want to share.
00:18:00.68\00:18:04.01
Anytime you're put on the line,
00:18:04.05\00:18:06.18
I hope you'll remember
that the same Holy Spirit
00:18:06.21\00:18:09.62
who came in to this
young Turk influencer,
00:18:09.65\00:18:13.25
who came into him
at a critical moment
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.59
is the same spirit
00:18:15.62\00:18:16.96
who come into you
at that vital moment.
00:18:16.99\00:18:20.00
It doesn't have to be
your last day on earth
00:18:20.03\00:18:22.56
as it is for Stephen.
00:18:22.60\00:18:24.90
He doesn't know
it's his last day,
00:18:24.93\00:18:27.54
but I suppose he's
already beginning to read
00:18:27.57\00:18:29.34
the handwriting on the wall.
00:18:29.37\00:18:32.67
Wow.
00:18:32.71\00:18:35.24
There he is,
influencer number one.
00:18:35.28\00:18:40.42
There he is,
influencer number two.
00:18:40.45\00:18:42.42
And by the way, the
debate was gentlemanly,
00:18:42.45\00:18:44.02
come on, they're
not throwing stuff,
00:18:44.05\00:18:46.12
but it was
fierce because you have
00:18:46.15\00:18:48.12
two young influencers,
00:18:48.16\00:18:49.49
Stephen and Saul
both fluent in Aramaic,
00:18:49.52\00:18:51.59
the language of
Jerusalem, both fluent in Greek,
00:18:51.63\00:18:54.13
the language of the
synagogue for Hellenist Jews
00:18:54.16\00:18:56.87
devoted both of them,
educated believers to the max,
00:18:56.90\00:19:00.97
knowing the Holy Scriptures
would be the Old Testament
00:19:01.00\00:19:02.97
backwards and forwards.
00:19:03.00\00:19:04.34
They're quoting back
and forth, back and forth.
00:19:04.37\00:19:05.91
But yes, but
yes, but yes, but yes.
00:19:05.94\00:19:11.31
What a debate
that must have been.
00:19:11.35\00:19:14.95
Stephen crying
out, he is the Messiah.
00:19:14.98\00:19:17.35
Paul shouting back,
he is an imposter, this
00:19:17.39\00:19:20.79
Jesus of Nazareth.
00:19:20.82\00:19:24.99
But the young Saul of
Tarsus, as we just read
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.66
and his cohorts
could not outlogic.
00:19:27.70\00:19:30.87
They could not outsmart,
00:19:30.90\00:19:32.23
outquote or
outgun young Stephen,
00:19:32.27\00:19:34.00
the champion of
Jesus the Messiah.
00:19:34.04\00:19:39.07
Everybody knows
00:19:39.11\00:19:40.84
who had the
most convincing case.
00:19:40.88\00:19:43.11
Well, young Saul
knows influencer number two.
00:19:43.14\00:19:47.35
You may lose a
battle now and then,
00:19:47.38\00:19:49.08
but you still win the war.
00:19:49.12\00:19:52.25
And so Saul says, this is war.
00:19:52.29\00:19:55.69
And then he arranges
for a few false witnesses
00:19:55.72\00:19:58.19
who step forward, just
like they did to our Lord.
00:19:58.23\00:20:00.30
The witnesses make their case.
00:20:00.33\00:20:01.66
Immediately that
day, the Sanhedrin,
00:20:01.70\00:20:03.70
the Supreme Court of Jerusalem
and Judaism is convened.
00:20:03.73\00:20:08.57
The chambers are packed.
00:20:08.60\00:20:12.47
The young influencer
Stephen will be on trial,
00:20:12.51\00:20:16.31
as he now surmises for his life.
00:20:16.34\00:20:19.71
The last verse
of Acts Chapter 6,
00:20:19.75\00:20:22.18
"All who were
sitting in the Sanhedrin,
00:20:22.22\00:20:24.12
looked intently at Stephen,
00:20:24.15\00:20:26.49
and they saw
that his face was like
00:20:26.52\00:20:29.46
the face of an angel.
00:20:29.49\00:20:33.90
Stephen's face
must've looked like Moses
00:20:33.93\00:20:35.33
coming down from Mount Sinai.
00:20:35.36\00:20:36.70
Moses comes down
from that mountain,
00:20:36.73\00:20:38.07
having been in the
presence of God himself
00:20:38.10\00:20:40.37
and his face is a glow.
00:20:40.40\00:20:41.74
And the people look at him
and they shield their eyes,
00:20:41.77\00:20:44.44
put something over your face,
00:20:44.47\00:20:45.87
we can't stand to see the light.
00:20:45.91\00:20:48.04
A little classic
on the life of Paul.
00:20:51.68\00:20:53.58
If you could ever get
it, add it to your library.
00:20:53.62\00:20:56.42
Sketches on the life
of Paul often forgotten.
00:20:56.45\00:21:01.16
One line from that classic.
00:21:01.19\00:21:02.52
Many who beheld the lighted
countenance of Stephen trembled
00:21:02.56\00:21:06.76
and veiled their faces.
00:21:06.80\00:21:10.27
Now this little factoid
00:21:10.30\00:21:11.77
tucked away at the
beginning of this trial.
00:21:11.80\00:21:13.84
Obviously some
eyewitness observed his face
00:21:13.87\00:21:17.14
looking like an angel.
00:21:17.17\00:21:19.31
And I'm wondering who that
eye witness might have been,
00:21:19.34\00:21:24.95
who would later
report to Dr. Luke.
00:21:24.98\00:21:28.82
Here's what I saw.
00:21:28.85\00:21:30.19
Keep going.
00:21:37.96\00:21:39.29
We're going to
skip the entire defense.
00:21:39.33\00:21:40.66
And by the way, this afternoon,
00:21:40.70\00:21:42.33
a wonderful
Sabbath afternoon activity.
00:21:42.36\00:21:43.90
You read Stephen's defense.
00:21:43.93\00:21:45.53
It is brilliant.
00:21:45.57\00:21:47.77
This is what outwitted
Saul of Tarsus, this defense.
00:21:47.80\00:21:52.81
And he brings it before he dies.
00:21:52.84\00:21:55.21
Yeah. Read Chapter 7.
00:21:55.24\00:21:56.58
We'll pick it up at the
end of his defense though.
00:21:56.61\00:21:57.95
When the members
of the Sanhedrin heard
00:21:57.98\00:22:00.18
Stephen's
defense, they were furious
00:22:00.22\00:22:02.82
and gnashed their teeth at him.
00:22:02.85\00:22:04.45
But Stephen full
of the Holy Spirit,"
00:22:04.49\00:22:06.02
look at that.
00:22:06.05\00:22:07.39
No wonder his face is glowing.
00:22:07.42\00:22:08.76
"He looked up to heaven
and he saw the glory of God
00:22:08.79\00:22:11.39
and Jesus standing at
the right hand of God.
00:22:11.43\00:22:13.80
Look, he said,
'I see heaven open,
00:22:13.83\00:22:17.83
and the Son of Man standing
at the right hand of God.'"
00:22:17.87\00:22:20.70
The only human
being in the New Testament
00:22:24.54\00:22:28.71
who uses the name Son
of Man is Jesus Himself.
00:22:28.74\00:22:34.48
This is the last use of
that phrase in the Bible.
00:22:34.52\00:22:39.25
And it's on the
lips of a protomartyr,
00:22:39.29\00:22:43.43
the first martyr.
00:22:43.46\00:22:46.73
I see him, He, Jesus of Nazareth
00:22:46.76\00:22:50.03
standing, standing.
00:22:50.07\00:22:55.10
Standing?
00:22:55.14\00:22:56.47
Well, you didn't think
Jesus would sit through
00:22:56.50\00:22:58.24
what is about to transpire.
00:22:58.27\00:22:59.61
Did you?
00:22:59.64\00:23:00.98
Of course, He's not sitting.
00:23:01.01\00:23:02.34
He's standing for two reasons.
00:23:02.38\00:23:05.15
He's standing number
one, because this man
00:23:05.18\00:23:08.72
who will become
the first human being,
00:23:08.75\00:23:10.45
who believes in
Jesus of Nazareth
00:23:10.49\00:23:12.49
to be executed for that belief
00:23:12.52\00:23:15.42
is about to perish.
00:23:15.46\00:23:17.49
And Jesus stands,
not sitting through this,
00:23:17.53\00:23:21.60
but He stands
for a second reason,
00:23:21.63\00:23:23.87
because it's
clear that nobody else
00:23:23.90\00:23:27.27
is standing for
Stephen, but Jesus is standing
00:23:27.30\00:23:32.47
and He's saying, Hey, boy,
00:23:32.51\00:23:35.24
I am standing for you right now.
00:23:35.28\00:23:39.61
And by the way, when
you come to your moment
00:23:39.65\00:23:42.12
and it'll feel like
nobody in the classroom,
00:23:42.15\00:23:45.22
nobody's agreeing,
nobody in the dormitory,
00:23:45.25\00:23:48.79
nobody in your
circle of friends,
00:23:48.82\00:23:50.83
nobody with your
associates that you work with,
00:23:50.86\00:23:53.16
nobody
understands why you believe
00:23:53.19\00:23:54.96
what you believe.
00:23:55.00\00:23:56.33
When it feels like
you are standing alone,
00:23:56.36\00:23:58.50
good news, there'll be somebody
who stands up in heaven.
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.50
He says, "Girl, I'm
standing with you right now.
00:24:02.54\00:24:05.51
I'm standing with you."
00:24:05.54\00:24:09.34
I see the Son of
Man and He's standing.
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.21
The record goes on.
00:24:16.22\00:24:18.09
"At this, they
covered their ears
00:24:18.12\00:24:21.09
and yelling at the
top of their voices,
00:24:21.12\00:24:22.99
they all rushed at Stephen.
00:24:23.02\00:24:24.59
They dragged him out of the city
00:24:24.63\00:24:26.03
and they began to stone him.
00:24:26.06\00:24:27.40
Meanwhile, the
witnesses laid their coats
00:24:27.43\00:24:29.26
at the feet of a
young man named Saul."
00:24:29.30\00:24:32.93
Influencer number two,
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.47
who's pulled off this
execution behind the scenes,
00:24:35.50\00:24:38.91
who will never for
the rest of his life
00:24:44.35\00:24:48.78
be able to face the memory
00:24:48.82\00:24:51.19
of this tragic hour
00:24:51.22\00:24:52.85
in which he was so
heinously the instigator.
00:24:52.89\00:24:55.99
He will never
forget till he dies.
00:24:56.02\00:25:01.80
That Stephen died at his feet,
00:25:01.83\00:25:04.70
watched it all
00:25:09.04\00:25:12.74
and then relayed
the eyewitness account.
00:25:12.77\00:25:15.08
What's the account?
00:25:15.11\00:25:16.44
"While they were stoning
him," and Saul is watching.
00:25:16.48\00:25:20.68
"Stephen prayed the
prayer of Jesus on the cross,
00:25:20.72\00:25:23.89
'Lord Jesus receive my spirit.'
00:25:23.92\00:25:28.76
And then he fell on
his knees and he cried out,
00:25:28.79\00:25:33.16
'Lord do not hold
this sin against them.'
00:25:33.19\00:25:37.33
And when he had said
this, he fell asleep,
00:25:37.37\00:25:41.84
he died.
00:25:41.87\00:25:45.04
And Saul approved
of their killing him.
00:25:45.07\00:25:47.81
And on that day, a
great persecution broke out
00:25:47.84\00:25:49.91
against the church in Jerusalem
and all except the apostles
00:25:49.94\00:25:53.15
were scattered
throughout Judea and Samaria.
00:25:53.18\00:25:55.25
Godly men buried Stephen
and mourned deeply for him.
00:25:55.28\00:25:59.05
But Saul began to
destroy the church.
00:25:59.09\00:26:01.29
Going from house to house,
00:26:01.32\00:26:02.66
he dragged off
both men and women
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.96
and put them in prison."
00:26:04.99\00:26:09.30
What can you do to
steal a guilty conscience?
00:26:09.33\00:26:14.60
Some people today self-medicate,
00:26:14.64\00:26:17.41
they take more and more
of that substance to mask
00:26:17.44\00:26:20.38
the guilt that is killing them.
00:26:20.41\00:26:24.21
And so self-medication
numbs them for a while.
00:26:24.25\00:26:28.62
The only self-medication
00:26:28.65\00:26:31.09
young Saul has is to kill him.
00:26:31.12\00:26:35.06
Just keep
killing him until nobody
00:26:35.09\00:26:39.23
of the sect is left alive.
00:26:39.26\00:26:41.96
Years later, Paul,
00:26:48.27\00:26:51.37
the young Saul is on
trial for his own life.
00:26:51.41\00:26:55.48
He standing before
00:26:55.51\00:26:56.85
the great king Agrippa of Judea.
00:26:56.88\00:27:00.12
The king and his wife Berenice
have come to hear this prisoner
00:27:00.15\00:27:04.95
tell the story.
00:27:04.99\00:27:06.65
And so Paul tells the story,
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.62
and we'll go over to
Acts 26 to pick it up
00:27:08.66\00:27:10.59
right in the middle of
his testimony to the king.
00:27:10.63\00:27:13.23
"I too was convinced by the way
that I ought to do all that was
00:27:13.26\00:27:17.00
possible to oppose the
name of Jesus of Nazareth.
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.77
And that is just
what I did in Jerusalem.
00:27:19.80\00:27:21.84
On the authority
of the chief priests,
00:27:21.87\00:27:23.37
I put many of the
Lord's people in prison,
00:27:23.41\00:27:26.11
and when they were put to death,
00:27:26.14\00:27:27.58
I cast my vote against
them, kill him, kill her.
00:27:27.61\00:27:32.25
Many a time I went from
00:27:32.28\00:27:33.68
one synagogue to
another to have them punished,
00:27:33.72\00:27:36.12
and I tried to
force them to blaspheme.
00:27:36.15\00:27:39.12
I was so obsessed
with persecuting them that
00:27:39.15\00:27:41.32
I even hunted them
down in foreign cities."
00:27:41.36\00:27:45.16
Oh, I wish I had a YouTube now.
00:27:45.19\00:27:47.60
I wish I had that
YouTube screen in front of me
00:27:47.63\00:27:50.40
now that captures the moment
00:27:50.43\00:27:52.03
when Paul and his band
of enforcers after days
00:27:52.07\00:27:56.00
and nights of
traversing the barren wilderness
00:27:56.04\00:27:58.87
north of Jerusalem.
00:27:58.91\00:28:00.24
Finally that last sandy bluff
00:28:00.28\00:28:02.88
and looking across
00:28:02.91\00:28:05.91
the valley is the skyline
00:28:05.95\00:28:10.69
of the ancient city of Damascus.
00:28:10.72\00:28:14.46
Palm trees waving in the breeze,
00:28:14.49\00:28:18.56
gardens and orchard,
00:28:18.59\00:28:20.60
streams and beauty.
00:28:20.63\00:28:25.30
And if the YouTube
camera would zoom in just
00:28:25.33\00:28:28.37
a little closer
to the countenance
00:28:28.40\00:28:29.74
of influencer number two.
00:28:29.77\00:28:32.67
I have a feeling
there was a smug look
00:28:32.71\00:28:34.94
of satisfaction
on his grinning face,
00:28:34.98\00:28:37.81
because in his hip pocket
00:28:37.85\00:28:39.75
he has a handwritten authority
of the high priest of Jerusalem
00:28:39.78\00:28:45.42
to go house to
house if necessary,
00:28:45.45\00:28:47.69
synagogue to synagogue
and destroy any disciples
00:28:47.72\00:28:52.26
of this dead Jesus of Nazareth.
00:28:52.29\00:28:56.73
It can't get any better
than this if you're influencer,
00:28:56.77\00:29:00.17
he tells himself.
00:29:00.20\00:29:01.54
When suddenly,
because I'm still watching
00:29:05.97\00:29:08.18
the YouTube screen,
00:29:08.21\00:29:10.01
suddenly that
road that dips down
00:29:10.05\00:29:12.01
into the oldest
00:29:12.05\00:29:13.38
contagiously
inhabited city on earth,
00:29:13.42\00:29:15.78
it's still inhabited by the way.
00:29:15.82\00:29:17.92
It's the oldest city on earth
00:29:17.95\00:29:20.02
with people in it
since the beginning.
00:29:20.06\00:29:22.46
As the road drops down
to the gates of Damascus,
00:29:22.49\00:29:26.70
suddenly,
amazingly, strangely there's,
00:29:26.73\00:29:29.53
there is this white like
why did you flash the white?
00:29:29.56\00:29:34.07
Is there something wrong
with the iris of the camera?
00:29:34.10\00:29:36.04
Why is this thing turned white?
00:29:36.07\00:29:37.54
It looks like
white is just spilling.
00:29:37.57\00:29:39.21
Light is spilling and suddenly
00:29:39.24\00:29:41.38
all the participants
in the story are gone,
00:29:41.41\00:29:43.75
they just disappeared.
00:29:43.78\00:29:45.11
And we
instigately begin to squint
00:29:45.15\00:29:46.92
because it hurts our eyes.
00:29:46.95\00:29:48.68
It spills off of
the YouTube screen
00:29:48.72\00:29:50.52
and we close our senses to this.
00:29:50.55\00:29:53.79
To a man Saul and
his companioneth, boom.
00:29:58.43\00:30:02.63
They hit the ground,
00:30:02.66\00:30:04.63
incoming fire,
00:30:04.67\00:30:06.27
thunder, darkness,
00:30:10.34\00:30:14.61
and then Saul hears,
00:30:14.64\00:30:17.71
Saul, Saul.
00:30:17.75\00:30:22.38
Before the king
Saul continues his story.
00:30:27.06\00:30:30.76
"About noon, King
Agrippa, as I was on the road,
00:30:30.79\00:30:35.13
I saw a light from
heaven brighter than the sun,
00:30:35.16\00:30:39.63
blazing around me
and my companions.
00:30:39.67\00:30:42.47
We all fell to the ground
00:30:42.50\00:30:44.11
and I heard a voice
saying to me in Aramaic,
00:30:44.14\00:30:48.28
'Saul, Saul, why
do you persecute me?
00:30:48.31\00:30:53.75
It is hard for you to
kick against the goads."
00:30:53.78\00:30:57.05
That's a stick with a
metal sharp point to it
00:30:57.09\00:31:00.06
that you use on an ox.
00:31:00.09\00:31:01.42
Come on, come on, come
on, you're kicking, why?
00:31:01.46\00:31:06.23
To his dying day,
00:31:14.04\00:31:15.84
Saul of Tarsus will
testify that Jesus of Nazareth,
00:31:15.87\00:31:20.48
the hated imposter
that he has fanatically
00:31:20.51\00:31:23.75
sought to expunge
from human consciousness,
00:31:23.78\00:31:26.92
Jesus of Nazareth,
the glorified Christ,
00:31:26.95\00:31:29.38
the one who was
crucified, buried, rose again
00:31:29.42\00:31:33.46
and ascended to
the throne of eternity.
00:31:33.49\00:31:36.22
That same Jesus
appeared to him, personally.
00:31:36.26\00:31:40.66
He saw Jesus of Nazareth
00:31:40.70\00:31:45.00
and he heard the
voice of the crucified one,
00:31:45.03\00:31:49.80
Saul, Saul.
00:31:49.84\00:31:55.74
N. T. Wright in
his marvelous book,
00:31:55.78\00:31:58.85
Paul: A Biography
describes the moment this way.
00:31:58.88\00:32:01.88
"Everything was now
focused on the figure from
00:32:01.92\00:32:04.45
whom they
streamed a blinding light,
00:32:04.49\00:32:07.46
the figure who now addressed
Saul as a master addresses
00:32:07.49\00:32:11.03
a slave, the
figure he recognized
00:32:11.06\00:32:13.80
as the crucified
Jesus of Nazareth.
00:32:13.83\00:32:16.10
Heaven and earth came
together in this figure,
00:32:16.13\00:32:19.33
and He was commanding
Saul to acknowledge this fact
00:32:19.37\00:32:23.04
and reorient his
entire life accordingly."
00:32:23.07\00:32:26.84
Saul knows who this is.
00:32:30.65\00:32:34.25
As only the eternal
can do, in one second
00:32:38.52\00:32:42.82
a lifetime can go by,
00:32:42.86\00:32:44.79
and in that
lifetime of the one second,
00:32:44.83\00:32:47.70
Saul reviews all the
evidence of the Old Testament
00:32:47.73\00:32:51.47
and evidence he had memorized,
but connecting the dots
00:32:51.50\00:32:56.44
he had never done,
00:32:56.47\00:33:00.11
and he realizes.
00:33:00.14\00:33:03.38
Ellen White like N. T. Wright
00:33:03.41\00:33:07.48
believes the same reality.
00:33:07.52\00:33:10.19
Sketches From the Life of Paul.
00:33:10.22\00:33:11.85
"Saul lying
prostrate upon the ground,
00:33:11.89\00:33:15.56
understood the
words that were spoken,
00:33:15.59\00:33:17.43
and saw clearly
before him the Son of God.
00:33:17.46\00:33:20.36
One look upon
that glorious Being,
00:33:20.40\00:33:22.96
imprinted His image
forever upon the soul
00:33:23.00\00:33:26.77
of the stricken Jew."
00:33:26.80\00:33:28.14
Keep reading.
00:33:28.17\00:33:29.50
"No doubt
entered the mind of Saul
00:33:29.54\00:33:31.51
that this was Jesus of
Nazareth who spoke to him,
00:33:31.54\00:33:35.14
and that he was indeed
the long looked for Messiah,
00:33:35.18\00:33:39.18
the Consolation and
Redeemer of Israel."
00:33:39.21\00:33:42.92
And so Saul
tells Agrippa the king.
00:33:50.19\00:33:54.00
"Then I asked,
'Who are you, Lord?'
00:33:54.03\00:33:58.77
'I am Jesus, whom
you are persecuting,'
00:33:58.80\00:34:03.61
the Lord replied.'"
00:34:03.64\00:34:07.78
What follows now are three days
00:34:07.81\00:34:09.84
and three nights of no light,
00:34:09.88\00:34:14.78
no food, no water,
00:34:14.82\00:34:18.79
nobody but Saul alone
00:34:18.82\00:34:23.53
with his guilty
conscience and a hidden divine
00:34:23.56\00:34:28.66
presence in the darkness.
00:34:28.70\00:34:32.27
Hey, come on, think
about it for a moment.
00:34:32.30\00:34:34.04
You think about it.
00:34:34.07\00:34:35.40
If you knew that
you sent an innocent man
00:34:35.44\00:34:38.27
to his violent death
in the stoning of Stephen,
00:34:38.31\00:34:40.61
knowing now that
Stephen was telling the gospel
00:34:40.64\00:34:44.08
truth about this,
Jesus, you have just met.
00:34:44.11\00:34:46.41
How could you possibly sleep?
00:34:46.45\00:34:51.02
If you knew that
you drag men and women
00:34:51.05\00:34:55.26
and children to their
deaths for their faith,
00:34:55.29\00:34:57.66
in this same Jesus
that you have just met,
00:34:57.69\00:35:00.13
how could you
possibly eat or drink?
00:35:00.16\00:35:03.06
You cannot do
00:35:03.10\00:35:04.43
anything, nothing
00:35:04.47\00:35:09.80
but pray.
00:35:09.84\00:35:12.77
Three days and three nights,
00:35:12.81\00:35:18.65
such is the nature
of a guilty conscience.
00:35:18.68\00:35:22.68
And there's only one
cure for a guilty conscience.
00:35:22.72\00:35:25.72
And we all know the cure.
00:35:25.75\00:35:29.36
You have to be forgiven.
00:35:29.39\00:35:32.63
And until you are, you
are tormented to death,
00:35:32.66\00:35:37.73
but Jesus is not
going to come to Saul, Nope.
00:35:41.27\00:35:44.81
I already came.
00:35:44.84\00:35:47.38
Jesus will send
the church instead.
00:35:47.41\00:35:51.65
The church can handle
this, they're My body.
00:35:51.68\00:35:54.42
The head doesn't
have to be there.
00:35:54.45\00:35:56.75
So He turns to
the church in Damascus
00:35:56.79\00:35:59.29
and He picks a church member.
00:35:59.32\00:36:03.19
He says, "You're
going to be my man."
00:36:03.22\00:36:06.70
Watch this.
00:36:06.73\00:36:08.06
This is in the
actual historical account
00:36:08.10\00:36:09.50
now that Luke
gives in Acts Chapter 9.
00:36:09.53\00:36:11.80
"In Damascus, there was
a disciple named Ananias.
00:36:11.83\00:36:15.30
And the Lord called to
him in a vision, 'Ananias!'
00:36:15.34\00:36:18.77
'Yes, Lord,' he recognizes
the voice of his master.
00:36:18.81\00:36:22.14
'Yes, Lord,' he answered.
00:36:22.18\00:36:24.05
The Lord told him, 'Now, look,
00:36:24.08\00:36:25.71
I need you to go to the house
of Judas on Straight Street,"
00:36:25.75\00:36:28.88
which by the way
still exists today
00:36:28.92\00:36:30.92
in Damascus, right?
00:36:30.95\00:36:33.09
I need you to go to the
house of a man named Judas.
00:36:33.12\00:36:35.22
He lives on Straight Street.
00:36:35.26\00:36:36.59
"And I want you to ask
for a man from Tarsus who,
00:36:36.62\00:36:39.29
whose name is
Saul, for he is praying.
00:36:39.33\00:36:42.60
In a vision he has seen
a man named Ananias come
00:36:42.63\00:36:46.20
and place his hands on
him to restore his sight."
00:36:46.23\00:36:50.71
Talking about an
oblique invitation.
00:36:50.74\00:36:54.14
He won't come out
and say, you do it.
00:36:54.18\00:36:56.85
No, he just says,
this guy has had a vision
00:36:56.88\00:37:00.78
of you coming and
putting your hands on him.
00:37:00.82\00:37:04.85
Excuse me. Time out, Lord.
00:37:04.89\00:37:08.59
You talking about Ananias me,
00:37:08.62\00:37:09.96
or how about the
Ananias down the street?
00:37:09.99\00:37:11.33
Which Ananias are
you really talking about?
00:37:11.36\00:37:12.79
Me? Okay.
00:37:12.83\00:37:14.20
But look at Saul,
they're all kinds of Sauls.
00:37:14.23\00:37:17.57
You're not talking
about the Saul of Tarsus
00:37:17.60\00:37:19.17
who is dying to
put his hands on me.
00:37:19.20\00:37:21.67
Are you? I am, go.
00:37:21.70\00:37:24.37
Jesus doesn't
show up again to Saul.
00:37:27.44\00:37:29.34
Doesn't have to,
He's got the church.
00:37:29.38\00:37:33.18
That's why we come
to church because Jesus
00:37:33.21\00:37:36.38
doesn't show up
like the Damascus road,
00:37:36.42\00:37:41.12
but we keep hearing about Jesus
00:37:41.16\00:37:43.32
and He keeps showing up in
our minds and in our hearts.
00:37:43.36\00:37:47.13
That's why we just keep coming
week after week after week.
00:37:47.16\00:37:50.47
I'm sending the church, you go.
00:37:50.50\00:37:53.50
Ananias says, listen, rather,
the Lord says to Ananias now,
00:37:53.54\00:37:58.17
come on, come on, go.
00:37:58.21\00:37:59.64
"This man is my
chosen instrument to proclaim
00:37:59.67\00:38:02.08
my name to the
Gentiles and their kings
00:38:02.11\00:38:05.21
and to the people of Israel.
00:38:05.25\00:38:06.58
I will show him how much
he must suffer for my name."
00:38:06.61\00:38:10.75
You go and guess
what? Ananias goes.
00:38:10.79\00:38:14.22
His heart is up
here. He finds the address.
00:38:14.26\00:38:17.99
He opens the door.
00:38:18.03\00:38:19.89
There is a blind man
00:38:19.93\00:38:21.46
sitting on some stool
00:38:21.50\00:38:26.07
and he walks in with
the most beautiful word
00:38:26.10\00:38:29.50
that Saul could ever have heard.
00:38:29.54\00:38:32.41
He walks in.
00:38:32.44\00:38:34.01
He places his hands on Saul.
00:38:34.04\00:38:36.85
And he says,
00:38:36.88\00:38:38.98
Brother Saul,
isn't that beautiful?
00:38:39.01\00:38:43.65
Brother Saul, I
know who you are,
00:38:43.69\00:38:48.59
but you're my brother.
00:38:48.62\00:38:51.59
Brother Saul, it's okay.
00:38:51.63\00:38:55.03
You're with friends now.
00:38:55.06\00:38:58.07
Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus
00:38:58.10\00:39:00.97
who appeared to you on the
road as you were coming here,
00:39:01.00\00:39:03.41
He has set me confront,
confirmation whom you saw
00:39:03.44\00:39:09.04
is who spoke to me?
00:39:09.08\00:39:12.98
It wasn't a dream.
00:39:13.01\00:39:15.35
The Lord Jesus who
appeared to you on the road
00:39:15.38\00:39:17.99
as you were
coming here has sent me,
00:39:18.02\00:39:19.82
so that you may see again
00:39:19.85\00:39:21.36
and be filled
with a Holy Spirit.
00:39:21.39\00:39:23.39
And immediately
something like scales...
00:39:23.43\00:39:25.69
The new American Standard Bibles
00:39:25.73\00:39:27.70
2020 edition that
just came out this spring,
00:39:27.73\00:39:29.86
adds a word,
something like fish scales.
00:39:29.90\00:39:32.37
I've always wondered,
what are these scales?
00:39:32.40\00:39:33.97
When you put fish in
front of it, I understand now.
00:39:34.00\00:39:36.07
Everybody has seen
a fish that gets skin.
00:39:36.10\00:39:37.97
It's just this crusty stuff.
00:39:38.01\00:39:39.41
Something like fish scales
00:39:39.44\00:39:42.74
trickle down from
Saul's eyes across his cheeks.
00:39:42.78\00:39:46.31
And guess what?
He could see again.
00:39:46.35\00:39:48.68
He got up and he was baptized.
00:39:48.72\00:39:50.62
And after taking some
food, he regained his strength.
00:39:50.65\00:39:53.39
Wow. Forgiven.
00:39:56.86\00:39:59.16
And by the way,
with a rap sheet,
00:39:59.19\00:40:00.80
I don't know how long
that rap sheet on Saul was.
00:40:00.83\00:40:03.06
It was a long one,
00:40:03.10\00:40:05.00
charged,
charged, charged, charged,
00:40:05.03\00:40:09.90
forgiven of all
those bloody sins.
00:40:09.94\00:40:13.84
Forgiven. Do you understand?
00:40:13.88\00:40:16.04
Gone.
00:40:16.08\00:40:18.81
Years later, Saul turned Paul
00:40:18.85\00:40:21.45
would write a line that I hope
00:40:21.48\00:40:22.82
I will never
forget as long as I live.
00:40:22.85\00:40:25.45
Now, I'm going to
share it with you right now.
00:40:25.49\00:40:28.52
It's a beautiful line.
00:40:28.56\00:40:29.89
Don't you ever
forget it either please?
00:40:29.92\00:40:32.69
1 Timothy 1:15,
00:40:32.73\00:40:38.00
"Here is a trustworthy saying
that deserves full acceptance."
00:40:38.03\00:40:42.97
Here comes a sentence.
00:40:43.00\00:40:44.41
"Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners
00:40:44.44\00:40:48.54
of whom I am the worst."
00:40:48.58\00:40:51.88
I want you to
repeat it out loud with me.
00:40:51.91\00:40:53.72
Come on. You're old enough.
00:40:53.75\00:40:55.45
You can do this out loud.
00:40:55.48\00:40:58.25
Let's read it together.
00:40:58.29\00:40:59.62
Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners
00:40:59.65\00:41:04.86
of whom I am the worst.
00:41:04.89\00:41:08.80
This isn't play acting.
00:41:08.83\00:41:10.17
This is not putting on
some kind of mellow drama,
00:41:10.20\00:41:13.00
so that God is convinced,
00:41:13.03\00:41:14.37
I'm, I really am a bad guy, God.
00:41:14.40\00:41:16.44
No, no, no,
because in the secret
00:41:16.47\00:41:18.61
of your conscience, you know,
you are about the worst dude
00:41:18.64\00:41:22.84
who has ever
sinned, you know that,
00:41:22.88\00:41:26.15
and your
conscience reminds you of it.
00:41:26.18\00:41:29.15
Paul isn't just playing around.
00:41:29.18\00:41:33.19
He never forgot the face
00:41:33.22\00:41:36.29
of Stephen that
he ordered executed.
00:41:36.32\00:41:41.73
Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners
00:41:41.76\00:41:44.13
of whom I am the worst
00:41:44.17\00:41:47.77
and so are you.
00:41:47.80\00:41:51.64
That's the gospel.
00:41:51.67\00:41:53.78
Saul will spend the rest
of his teaching this sentence
00:41:53.81\00:41:59.05
wherever he goes.
00:41:59.08\00:42:01.18
Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners
00:42:01.22\00:42:04.45
of whom I am the worst.
00:42:04.49\00:42:09.59
Eternal good news.
00:42:09.62\00:42:12.93
So what's all this
have to do with Leigh Stein,
00:42:12.96\00:42:15.96
and
Instavangelists and influencers
00:42:16.00\00:42:17.97
and Saul and you and
me, what's it have to do?
00:42:18.00\00:42:20.97
It's the second secret to
how to become an influencer.
00:42:21.00\00:42:24.27
And here comes
secret number two,
00:42:24.31\00:42:26.37
don't ever forget the
truth, to become an influencer
00:42:26.41\00:42:30.51
you must follow the
capital I Influencer.
00:42:30.55\00:42:35.08
That's the only
way you will make
00:42:35.12\00:42:36.85
a lasting impact
on human society.
00:42:36.89\00:42:40.86
You can make an impact.
00:42:40.89\00:42:42.56
We see people in the news
every night that have made
00:42:42.59\00:42:44.69
huge impacts and we're
sick and tired of seeing them.
00:42:44.73\00:42:49.46
You can make an eternal impact.
00:42:49.50\00:42:52.23
You want to be that
kind of an influencer.
00:42:52.27\00:42:53.94
Sure, you do, me too.
00:42:53.97\00:42:56.20
The only way to
become an influencer,
00:42:56.24\00:42:58.57
you must follow the
capital I, Influencer.
00:42:58.61\00:43:03.31
Three days and three
nights of soul searching.
00:43:03.35\00:43:04.98
That's a lot of time.
00:43:05.01\00:43:06.61
Sometimes that's how
long it takes however.
00:43:06.65\00:43:09.12
When I was a kid
here at Andrews University
00:43:09.15\00:43:11.15
and a student on this campus,
00:43:11.19\00:43:12.95
I was wrestling
with guilt so bad.
00:43:12.99\00:43:14.72
I thought I was
going to lose my mind.
00:43:14.76\00:43:16.83
It took several months for me.
00:43:16.86\00:43:19.09
I don't know how
long it will take for you.
00:43:19.13\00:43:20.80
We all have guilt that has
to be absolved and forgiven.
00:43:20.83\00:43:26.17
But if you're serious and you
submit yourself to the capital,
00:43:29.34\00:43:33.58
I Influencer, Jesus Christ,
00:43:33.61\00:43:37.15
who came into the
world to save sinner
00:43:37.18\00:43:39.31
of whom I am the worst.
00:43:39.35\00:43:40.68
That Jesus, He will take care
00:43:40.72\00:43:43.69
of that guilt just like that.
00:43:43.72\00:43:48.66
Try it.
00:43:48.69\00:43:50.59
I want you to find this Jesus.
00:43:50.63\00:43:53.90
I want you to hook your
destiny to the capital I
00:43:53.93\00:43:59.23
Influencer star
00:43:59.27\00:44:02.54
and stay with Him until you die.
00:44:02.57\00:44:04.57
There's no other way.
00:44:10.35\00:44:12.28
It was Jesus who saved Saul.
00:44:12.31\00:44:13.65
Let's not get confused
here. The church saves Saul.
00:44:13.68\00:44:16.69
No, He just used the church.
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.69
He just used Ananias.
00:44:18.72\00:44:20.06
It's Jesus who saves Saul
00:44:20.09\00:44:22.29
and it's Jesus
who will save you.
00:44:22.32\00:44:25.03
It's Jesus, the
divine Influencer.
00:44:25.06\00:44:28.50
That is the answer
to the deepest longing
00:44:28.53\00:44:30.07
you have in your heart
and soul right now, Jesus.
00:44:30.10\00:44:35.60
And because He saves
Saul, you think about this now.
00:44:35.64\00:44:38.81
Look at all the
other people who got saved.
00:44:38.84\00:44:42.81
You remember Augustine,
some are now calling him
00:44:42.84\00:44:44.61
Augustine,
Augustine, the church father.
00:44:44.65\00:44:47.22
He's a young man.
00:44:47.25\00:44:48.62
He is overwhelmed
with personal guilt.
00:44:48.65\00:44:51.69
One day he's in his back garden.
00:44:51.72\00:44:54.82
He's weeping before
God, take this guilt away.
00:44:54.86\00:44:58.46
And he hears a child's voice.
00:44:58.49\00:45:00.26
He doesn't know if
it's a boy or a girl,
00:45:00.30\00:45:02.66
but I'll put his words on
here from his great confession.
00:45:02.70\00:45:05.67
"I interpreted that voice
solely as a divine command."
00:45:05.70\00:45:08.97
Do you know what the
voice was saying in Latin?
00:45:09.00\00:45:13.17
Tolle lege,
tolle lege, tolle lege.
00:45:13.21\00:45:16.95
It's like, is this a kid's game?
00:45:16.98\00:45:18.45
No, I determined,
00:45:18.48\00:45:20.38
"It is a divine
command that came to me to open
00:45:20.42\00:45:22.88
the book that was near him
00:45:22.92\00:45:24.25
and read the
first chapter I find."
00:45:24.29\00:45:25.82
He opens that
book that is near him.
00:45:25.85\00:45:27.26
And the first
chapter is Romans 13.
00:45:27.29\00:45:29.36
And in Romans 13, he gets saved.
00:45:29.39\00:45:32.19
An unlikely place by
the way to find salvation.
00:45:32.23\00:45:35.46
But it worked for Augustine,
00:45:35.50\00:45:38.10
all because of the
Damascus road and a man
00:45:38.13\00:45:41.47
who met Jesus of Nazareth there.
00:45:41.50\00:45:43.71
Augustine met the same Jesus.
00:45:43.74\00:45:46.34
Oh, I think of the, come on,
everybody loves Martin Luther.
00:45:46.37\00:45:50.18
Hundreds of years later
00:45:50.21\00:45:52.15
affected by
Augustine but Luther, a monk,
00:45:52.18\00:45:55.82
his tonsure is shaven.
00:45:55.85\00:45:58.35
He's in a monastery library
chained to the wall is a Bible.
00:45:58.39\00:46:01.59
And he opens that Bible and
he discovers the Book of Romans.
00:46:01.62\00:46:05.39
Martin Luther who
would later write,
00:46:05.43\00:46:07.30
"Thereupon I felt
myself to be reborn
00:46:07.33\00:46:10.33
and to have gone through
open doors into paradise.
00:46:10.37\00:46:13.00
The whole of Scripture
took on a new meaning for me,"
00:46:13.03\00:46:16.40
because of a man
on the Damascus road
00:46:16.44\00:46:18.57
who met Jesus of Nazareth,
Martin Luther met Him too.
00:46:18.61\00:46:23.21
Every influencer
keeps influencing
00:46:23.24\00:46:25.65
and influencing and influencing.
00:46:25.68\00:46:27.18
How about John
Wesley, the young man?
00:46:27.22\00:46:29.52
John Wesley tortured with guilt.
00:46:29.55\00:46:31.55
Why is it that guilt
is what most effectively
00:46:31.59\00:46:33.92
takes us to the Savior?
00:46:33.96\00:46:35.29
Because it creates
some, it creates an experience
00:46:35.32\00:46:37.99
we cannot absolve ourselves.
00:46:38.03\00:46:39.86
You cannot rid
yourself of guilt.
00:46:39.89\00:46:42.33
You can, as we
said, medicate yourself,
00:46:42.36\00:46:44.60
but that lasts a few hours
00:46:44.63\00:46:45.97
and then it's
back to the same guilt.
00:46:46.00\00:46:47.54
You have to find
someone who can wash you clean
00:46:47.57\00:46:52.07
and sets you free of that guilt.
00:46:52.11\00:46:55.28
John Wesley
stumbles into a little
00:46:55.31\00:46:57.71
prayer group in an upper
room in the city of London.
00:46:57.75\00:47:00.98
And as it turns out,
they are reading together
00:47:01.02\00:47:03.15
Luther's preface
to the Book of Romans.
00:47:03.18\00:47:06.39
And as they read the preface,
00:47:06.42\00:47:09.02
John Wesley would later testify.
00:47:09.06\00:47:11.19
"I felt my heart
was strangely warmed,
00:47:11.23\00:47:15.46
I felt I did trust in Christ,
00:47:15.50\00:47:18.40
Christ alone for salvation."
00:47:18.43\00:47:21.90
Because of the man, the
man on the Damascus road
00:47:21.94\00:47:24.97
who met Jesus of Nazareth,
00:47:25.01\00:47:26.54
personally, Wesley
himself met Jesus personally
00:47:26.57\00:47:31.75
and thousands have been
influenced by that man as well.
00:47:31.78\00:47:36.28
It just keeps going,
which is why God needs
00:47:36.32\00:47:38.59
you to be an influencer for Him.
00:47:38.62\00:47:40.12
I'm telling you the
gospel truth here in closing.
00:47:40.16\00:47:42.36
He needs you to
be an influencer.
00:47:42.39\00:47:44.23
Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners
00:47:44.26\00:47:46.49
of whom I'm the worst.
00:47:46.53\00:47:48.06
So you got a little something
you got to deal with Jesus.
00:47:48.10\00:47:51.10
That's no
problem. That's what we do.
00:47:51.13\00:47:54.34
You just take this verse to Him.
00:47:54.37\00:47:56.37
You take this verse to
Him and you remind Him,
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.81
You came into the
world to save sinners,
00:47:58.84\00:48:00.38
and I'm the worst.
00:48:00.41\00:48:01.74
I need You to forgive me.
00:48:01.78\00:48:03.11
I don't have to feel forgiven.
00:48:03.14\00:48:04.48
I need to know I'm forgiven.
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.98
If we confess our
sins, He is faithful
00:48:07.02\00:48:08.42
and just to
forgive us of our sins
00:48:08.45\00:48:09.78
and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
00:48:09.82\00:48:11.62
I need to know that that's true.
00:48:11.65\00:48:12.99
It's true.
00:48:13.02\00:48:14.36
It is true, boy,
girl, listen to me.
00:48:14.39\00:48:16.42
It's true.
00:48:16.46\00:48:17.79
Are you asking to be forgiven?
00:48:17.83\00:48:20.53
I just gave you forgiveness.
00:48:20.56\00:48:24.43
You don't feel
it, you believe it.
00:48:24.47\00:48:28.10
Augustine,
Luther, Wesley and you.
00:48:28.14\00:48:33.61
So I can't think
00:48:33.64\00:48:35.58
of a better way to
begin this New Year
00:48:35.61\00:48:38.55
at Andrews
University than to invite
00:48:38.58\00:48:40.42
you to give your heart.
00:48:40.45\00:48:42.68
If you've never
given your heart to Jesus,
00:48:42.72\00:48:45.62
you've never thrown
open the door of your life,
00:48:45.65\00:48:47.39
your mind, you've never thrown
00:48:47.42\00:48:49.52
it open, say, Jesus,
I need You to come here.
00:48:49.56\00:48:51.16
Just I'm a mess,
but I'm the worst.
00:48:51.19\00:48:53.70
And You came, You said
You came for the worst.
00:48:53.73\00:48:56.23
Well, you found me.
00:48:56.26\00:48:58.17
I'm inviting You
in, wash me, cleanse me.
00:48:58.20\00:49:00.90
He will.
00:49:04.94\00:49:06.54
You have to ask Him.
00:49:06.57\00:49:08.74
What Paul did, you do.
00:49:08.78\00:49:10.91
Soon as you get
that, you get baptized.
00:49:10.95\00:49:12.81
Come on, don't push
your foot around now.
00:49:12.85\00:49:14.48
You don't wait,
you get baptized.
00:49:14.52\00:49:16.75
You accept Jesus as
your Lord and Savior,
00:49:16.79\00:49:18.62
then you go under the
water and burry that past.
00:49:18.65\00:49:21.42
When Paul came up, the
memory was still there,
00:49:21.46\00:49:24.19
but the tortured
guilt was forever gone.
00:49:24.23\00:49:26.29
And he became the great champion
00:49:26.33\00:49:28.46
of the gospel that Jesus Christ
00:49:28.50\00:49:30.13
came into the
world to save sinners
00:49:30.17\00:49:31.50
of whom I am the
worst of the worst.
00:49:31.53\00:49:36.10
That's the gospel.
00:49:36.14\00:49:37.84
And by the way,
the blinded Saul,
00:49:37.87\00:49:39.81
I just reminded
this before I sit down.
00:49:39.84\00:49:41.54
He cries out on
the Damascus road.
00:49:41.58\00:49:43.31
He can't see a blooming thing.
00:49:43.35\00:49:45.05
Its darkness, but
he cries out, "Lord,
00:49:45.08\00:49:48.98
what would You have me to do?"
00:49:49.02\00:49:52.55
And instantly comes back
the answer from the Lord Jesus.
00:49:52.59\00:49:56.19
"I want you to
become an influencer for Me,
00:49:56.22\00:50:01.46
just like Stephen."
00:50:01.50\00:50:04.90
And Saul took the place
of Stephen in the galaxy
00:50:04.93\00:50:10.64
of the early church.
00:50:10.67\00:50:13.31
God needs you to take
somebody else's place.
00:50:13.34\00:50:17.08
God needs you to
be the influencer.
00:50:17.11\00:50:19.61
I want to give you
a chance to say, yep,
00:50:19.65\00:50:21.45
I want to be that influencer.
00:50:21.48\00:50:24.19
Put this on the screen
for you. Text the word Paul1.
00:50:24.22\00:50:26.65
So you got no space between it,
00:50:26.69\00:50:28.02
just Paul1 to 269-281-2345.
00:50:28.06\00:50:32.46
You do that right now.
00:50:32.49\00:50:34.46
Don't look at me.
Look at your smart device.
00:50:34.50\00:50:37.47
Text, text to 281-2345,
00:50:37.50\00:50:43.34
the word Paul1 is
Chapter 1 in the series
00:50:43.37\00:50:48.74
and you hit send.
00:50:48.78\00:50:51.71
It'll reply to you. You watch.
00:50:51.75\00:50:53.65
Kind of fun to do, but you do it
00:50:53.68\00:50:56.15
because it's going to
take you to the connect card.
00:50:56.18\00:50:57.89
Now you're going to
get to a connect card.
00:50:57.92\00:50:59.65
It's a little bit tricky,
00:50:59.69\00:51:01.86
but when it says drop
down menu for my next steps,
00:51:01.89\00:51:04.59
you touch that.
00:51:04.63\00:51:05.96
Bingo. They'll be there.
00:51:05.99\00:51:07.33
Here they are. Step number one.
00:51:07.36\00:51:09.83
Like Saul, I want to accept
Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
00:51:09.86\00:51:12.80
Listen, if you have
never accepted Jesus
00:51:12.83\00:51:14.70
as your Lord and Savior,
just put a check, put a...
00:51:14.74\00:51:18.14
You click onto it.
It's electronically.
00:51:18.17\00:51:19.87
And it'll just suddenly identify
00:51:19.91\00:51:21.28
that as your choice.
00:51:21.31\00:51:22.68
You can do all
four if you want it.
00:51:22.71\00:51:25.01
Electronically, we'll
be back in touch with you
00:51:25.05\00:51:27.18
and give you
material to begin a life
00:51:27.22\00:51:30.29
where Jesus is
your Lord and Savior.
00:51:30.32\00:51:31.92
It's not as
complicated as people
00:51:31.95\00:51:33.36
have tried to tell
you, don't believe them.
00:51:33.39\00:51:35.46
Do not believe
them. Box number two.
00:51:35.49\00:51:38.59
Like Saul, I want to be
baptized into Christ my Savior.
00:51:38.63\00:51:41.26
You haven't been baptized yet.
00:51:41.30\00:51:42.73
You accepted Jesus.
00:51:42.76\00:51:44.10
Sure, but you just
haven't been baptized.
00:51:44.13\00:51:45.53
Come on. What
are you waiting for?
00:51:45.57\00:51:46.90
Don't put it off. What
a way to begin a new year.
00:51:46.94\00:51:49.70
Go under the water.
00:51:49.74\00:51:51.07
Go under the water with Jesus.
00:51:51.11\00:51:52.97
Next box.
00:51:53.01\00:51:54.34
Like Saul, I want to learn
00:51:54.38\00:51:55.71
how to be an
influencer for Jesus.
00:51:55.74\00:51:57.25
Yeah, me too.
00:51:57.28\00:51:58.61
Just hang in
there with this series.
00:51:58.65\00:52:01.08
By the time we're
through God willing.
00:52:01.12\00:52:05.12
And finally I look forward
to learning from Paul's mental
00:52:05.15\00:52:07.59
health meltdown next week.
00:52:07.62\00:52:10.63
There aren't a lot of
scholars that have seen this,
00:52:10.66\00:52:12.56
N.T. Wright has.
00:52:12.59\00:52:13.93
And I'm going
to go out on a limb
00:52:13.96\00:52:15.60
and tell you
that Paul went through
00:52:15.63\00:52:17.27
a nervous breakdown,
00:52:17.30\00:52:19.23
and we're going to look
at the evidence next week.
00:52:19.27\00:52:21.00
This is a generation
that's big on mental health
00:52:21.04\00:52:23.17
and rightfully so.
00:52:23.20\00:52:24.54
It's a mess with this pandemic.
00:52:24.57\00:52:26.04
Some of you are struggling
with depression right now.
00:52:26.07\00:52:28.24
You don't know how to
deal, cope with your life.
00:52:28.28\00:52:31.15
Come next week.
We'll talk about that.
00:52:31.18\00:52:33.42
There will be a solution.
00:52:33.45\00:52:36.48
And then you go
down to the bottom
00:52:36.52\00:52:37.85
and send it and it'll go.
00:52:37.89\00:52:42.02
I wanna pray with you.
00:52:42.06\00:52:43.39
And then we're
going to stand together
00:52:43.43\00:52:44.83
as we do on the first
Sabbath of every school year.
00:52:44.86\00:52:47.00
And this is technically
00:52:47.03\00:52:48.36
the first Sabbath
that we began last week.
00:52:48.40\00:52:51.33
We're going to stand together
and sing the Lord's Prayer.
00:52:51.37\00:52:53.20
There's no experience like it,
00:52:53.23\00:52:56.91
but I want to
pray with you first.
00:52:56.94\00:52:58.27
Dear God, Jesus of Nazareth,
00:52:58.31\00:53:01.81
Holy Spirit,
00:53:01.84\00:53:03.98
all three of You were at
work in the story that unfolded
00:53:04.01\00:53:07.52
before our eyes.
00:53:07.55\00:53:08.98
All three of You
are at work in the story
00:53:09.02\00:53:11.25
of our lives right now.
00:53:11.29\00:53:12.85
Dear God, do whatever it takes.
00:53:12.89\00:53:14.59
You see that check mark.
00:53:14.62\00:53:15.96
You see that selection of
the next step, honor that.
00:53:15.99\00:53:19.93
It's just an electronic
signal, but honor the decision
00:53:19.96\00:53:24.37
and leave us
never the same again.
00:53:24.40\00:53:26.77
There are some
young men and women
00:53:26.80\00:53:28.14
here who are eager to begin
a new chapter in their life.
00:53:28.17\00:53:33.48
Let this be the day.
00:53:33.51\00:53:35.44
Let the Jesus of
Nazareth of the Damascus road
00:53:35.48\00:53:38.15
come to them
quietly through His Spirit.
00:53:38.18\00:53:41.98
And may we never
be the same again.
00:53:42.02\00:53:43.65
Make us all influencers for You,
00:53:43.69\00:53:47.42
for Your glory.
00:53:47.46\00:53:48.89
We love You, Father.
00:53:48.92\00:53:50.26
We love You back
00:53:50.29\00:53:52.06
with all our
hearts, in Jesus' name.
00:53:52.09\00:53:55.76
Amen.
00:53:55.80\00:53:57.27
Please stand now as
we sing the beautiful,
00:53:57.30\00:54:00.04
beautiful Lord's Prayer.
00:54:00.07\00:54:01.50
Our Father
00:54:12.35\00:54:14.85
Which art in heaven
00:54:21.32\00:54:27.03
Hallowed be
00:54:31.00\00:54:33.10
Thy name
00:54:33.13\00:54:35.20
Thy kingdom come
00:54:47.68\00:54:53.69
Thy will be done
00:54:54.59\00:54:59.23
On earth
00:54:59.26\00:55:04.33
As it is in heaven
00:55:04.37\00:55:08.94
Give us this day
00:55:30.39\00:55:34.96
Our daily bread
00:55:35.00\00:55:40.67
And forgive us our debts
00:55:40.70\00:55:45.94
As we forgive our debtors
00:55:45.97\00:55:51.38
And lead us not
00:55:58.95\00:56:01.92
Into temptation
00:56:01.96\00:56:05.39
But deliver us
00:56:05.43\00:56:07.96
From evil
00:56:08.00\00:56:12.73
For thine is the kingdom
00:56:12.77\00:56:18.17
And the power
00:56:18.21\00:56:21.74
And the glory,
00:56:21.78\00:56:26.92
For ever
00:56:26.95\00:56:31.85
Amen
00:56:37.53\00:56:41.86
Thank you for taking the time
to join us in worship today.
00:57:06.12\00:57:08.76
I'd like to spend another moment
00:57:08.79\00:57:10.13
with you here at
the end of our program
00:57:10.16\00:57:11.49
to share a word of hope.
00:57:11.53\00:57:12.86
In fact, that's
what this little book
00:57:12.89\00:57:14.23
is all about in
these uncertain times.
00:57:14.26\00:57:15.60
And let's face it,
00:57:15.63\00:57:16.97
they're uncertain
all over this planet.
00:57:17.00\00:57:18.67
This book entitled,
00:57:18.70\00:57:20.04
The Great Hope
will help you understand
00:57:20.07\00:57:22.04
not just what God has
planned for your future,
00:57:22.07\00:57:24.37
but for the future of
the entire human race.
00:57:24.41\00:57:26.91
Why keep shining
on this dark old world
00:57:26.94\00:57:28.88
and new truths
long forgotten are being
00:57:28.91\00:57:30.98
constantly rediscovered.
00:57:31.01\00:57:32.85
If you need a fresh dose of
hope for your life this day,
00:57:32.88\00:57:35.45
or you know somebody else
00:57:35.48\00:57:36.82
who could sure
use that gift of hope.
00:57:36.85\00:57:38.95
Then I'd like to
invite you to grab your phone,
00:57:38.99\00:57:40.56
dial our toll free number 877,
00:57:40.59\00:57:42.89
the two words HIS-WILL.
00:57:42.92\00:57:44.53
811-HIS WILL, and
at no charge to you,
00:57:44.56\00:57:47.96
we'll get a copy in
the mail to you right away.
00:57:48.00\00:57:50.77
Till the next time we meet,
00:57:50.80\00:57:52.30
may the peace and
hope of the Lord Jesus
00:57:52.33\00:57:55.10
be with you 24/7.
00:57:55.14\00:57:57.01