WEBVTT 00:00:06.551 --> 00:00:07.833 Good morning to each of you. 00:00:07.833 --> 00:00:11.907 I'm pretty sure I said each of you. 00:00:11.907 --> 00:00:14.185 I think I said each of you. 00:00:14.185 --> 00:00:14.926 We'll try it again. 00:00:14.926 --> 00:00:15.589 We'll try it again. 00:00:15.589 --> 00:00:21.864 Okay, look at the first couple. 00:00:21.864 --> 00:00:26.632 I was like, is this thing sinking or am I tripping? 00:00:26.632 --> 00:00:27.554 I couldn't remember. 00:00:27.554 --> 00:00:29.146 I'm like now I'm seeing it happen. 00:00:29.146 --> 00:00:32.999 I'm like, okay, it's not just me, it's not just me. 00:00:32.999 --> 00:00:33.200 I'm good. 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:37.712 I might not even use the notes anyway, because Pastor said I got till three. 00:00:37.712 --> 00:00:41.439 So it's good to be with you all. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:42.445 It always is. 00:00:42.445 --> 00:00:44.942 I enjoy you all as a community. 00:00:44.942 --> 00:00:45.643 It's good to be with you all. 00:00:45.643 --> 00:00:46.262 It always is. 00:00:46.262 --> 00:00:48.805 I enjoy you all as a community, and certainly you're a pastor. 00:00:49.106 --> 00:01:12.850 A lot of things that are happening here is because of the heart that your pastor has and the leadership that he does have, and so I'm grateful for the opportunities to be able to connect with him and our coaching relationship, but just even as friends, and so I think you all should give your pastor a great hand for his leadership and his heart for God, his heart for you. 00:01:12.850 --> 00:01:18.688 And yeah, I mean you guys have gone from one service, a two service, a three services. 00:01:18.688 --> 00:01:31.376 There's a lot that's happening here and I will say churches that are growing today in America in 2025, requires something a little different than churches growing 20 years ago. 00:01:31.376 --> 00:01:33.126 The culture has shifted. 00:01:33.126 --> 00:01:35.126 A lot of things are more challenging today. 00:01:35.126 --> 00:01:40.313 Like 20 years ago, it was culturally cool to go to a church right. 00:01:40.313 --> 00:01:45.549 Nowadays it's not so much Like you have to want to be here to be here. 00:01:45.549 --> 00:01:57.174 There's a lot of things coming against Christians, coming against the church, and so so hats off to what you all are doing not just his leadership, but the community that you all are creating by being who you are. 00:01:57.174 --> 00:01:59.581 So praise God for that. 00:02:00.423 --> 00:02:12.022 One of the things I want to talk about today is is kind of some of the things that have been in response to some cultural trends and some challenges In the American church. 00:02:12.022 --> 00:02:16.772 Evangelism, or sharing Jesus, has been a challenge for quite a while. 00:02:16.772 --> 00:02:29.068 Not so much the individuals like a Billy Graham or somebody preaching and teaching in a stadium to thousands of people and that being on TV all around the world, because that's not happening as much today. 00:02:29.068 --> 00:02:50.860 Today, there's a shift from that to that responsibility being on us, and it should have always been on us, but when you have people like that and others, we can easily think as believers, that that's what evangelism is Like, the people who are really gifted at it and strong at it and called to do it specifically like that's what evangelism is, and so we'll pray for them. 00:02:50.860 --> 00:02:54.268 But that's not where we are today as a church. 00:02:54.268 --> 00:03:04.383 Every believer needs to know how to share Jesus and feel confident about sharing Jesus, so that's one of the things I'm going to talk about today, in kind of a roundabout way. 00:03:04.383 --> 00:03:09.472 So how do we get more believers to share Jesus? 00:03:09.472 --> 00:03:12.723 We'll talk about that, and what I think is actually in the way. 00:03:12.723 --> 00:03:23.692 Another trend that's happening as we look at this landscape is that there are people who are, whether they be pastors or worship leaders. 00:03:23.692 --> 00:03:32.491 There are people who have written worship songs that have been popular all around the world, only for that person to come away and say I don't believe in Jesus anymore. 00:03:32.491 --> 00:03:39.451 So this idea of deconstructing the Christian faith is something that is picking up steam. 00:03:39.451 --> 00:03:42.659 Now, how does that happen? 00:03:42.659 --> 00:04:00.353 How do you have people who are deconstructing Christianity and that's increasing and you have believers who know Jesus but don't want to share Jesus, and I think what we're talking about today is part of something that overlaps into each of those. 00:04:01.781 --> 00:04:06.615 I will say that, globally, christianity is actually on the rise. 00:04:06.615 --> 00:04:23.927 Christianity is growing rapidly in a lot of countries, a lot of countries like China, a lot of countries like Afghanistan, a lot of countries where you don't think it would happen because of the oppression and the kind of government, but Christianity is thriving. 00:04:23.927 --> 00:04:33.281 On the other hand, you have countries like ours, the UK, england where we are free to express our faith, but we're declining. 00:04:33.281 --> 00:04:36.348 We have more buildings, but we're declining. 00:04:36.348 --> 00:04:39.464 We have more seminaries, but we're declining. 00:04:39.464 --> 00:04:45.125 We have more Christian podcasts and Christian books and Christian conferences, but we're declining. 00:04:45.125 --> 00:04:49.526 And in countries where they have none of that, they're growing rapidly. 00:04:49.526 --> 00:04:52.665 Why is that? 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.485 I think on a couple things. 00:04:55.485 --> 00:05:02.500 There is a simplicity that they have that we don't have, and part of that simplicity is when you get saved. 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:15.267 You know that your role is to know Christ and make him known, and you are expected to do it, you are trusted to do it and you are trained on how to do it. 00:05:15.267 --> 00:05:29.149 But in some of our Western Christianity there's been a separation of the laity or those who are are in the quote-unquote audience versus the clergy, those of us who are skilled and trained and knowledgeable. 00:05:29.149 --> 00:05:40.632 That came at a time where the people on stage are the only ones who could read, and the people who were out there could not read, so you had to listen to the speaker and believe what they were saying about the Bible. 00:05:40.632 --> 00:06:08.288 That same structure is what we have today, although now you can read on your own you have apps, you can read the Bible on your own but yet, institutionally, as the history of the church now, there's just this mentality that all of you would expect most of the work to be done by a few of us, and part of what we're saying is no. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:19.891 Based on Scripture, based on God's design, based on how he has equipped you with the Holy Spirit yourself, you are trusted by God to share the news. 00:06:19.891 --> 00:06:23.790 You are instructed by God to share the news. 00:06:23.790 --> 00:06:28.069 So how do we get more believers to share the news? 00:06:28.069 --> 00:06:29.132 So think about this. 00:06:29.132 --> 00:06:37.747 First of all, I took a picture of the slide that had 14 baptisms on there and the 20-something people going through the growth track. 00:06:37.747 --> 00:06:38.488 That's huge. 00:06:38.488 --> 00:06:39.651 That's huge. 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:48.312 As a church consultant, I've been with churches with 400 people that have had one baptism the whole year Out of 400 people. 00:06:48.312 --> 00:06:54.360 It wasn't a priority to them and they didn't even see anything wrong with it, right? 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:58.649 So I say that to say don't underestimate how powerful that is. 00:06:58.649 --> 00:07:02.880 That that's part of what's happening here, okay, but what is it happening here? 00:07:02.880 --> 00:07:04.043 Okay, but what is it? 00:07:04.043 --> 00:07:19.880 For years and years as a pastor, as a preacher, teacher we're trying to convince believers that we should share Jesus, that the world needs to know Jesus, and all this kind of stuff. 00:07:19.880 --> 00:07:28.235 And as I thought about all the effort I put into all the different sermons, I realized that convincing Christians to share Jesus is not really one getting any results. 00:07:28.235 --> 00:07:31.786 And two, I don't think I'm addressing the real issue. 00:07:31.786 --> 00:07:33.891 It's not moving the needle. 00:07:33.891 --> 00:07:39.591 And then, in talking to Christians 101, I discovered what I think a big part of the problem is. 00:07:39.591 --> 00:07:42.223 So let me share it to you this way. 00:07:43.365 --> 00:07:52.009 First of all, sometimes when you hear people talk about why they don't share Jesus, they say well, I don't want to be awkward. 00:07:52.009 --> 00:08:06.528 I might put the relationship in jeopardy if I end up looking like that Jesus person or being a Bible thumper, these images that we think other people would have of us, because that's some people's reality. 00:08:06.528 --> 00:08:14.367 They've experienced people in a wrong way, trying to shove Jesus down their throats, and I don't want to appear to be that kind of person. 00:08:14.367 --> 00:08:15.110 I get it. 00:08:15.110 --> 00:08:18.149 Other folks will say I just have a problem talking with strangers. 00:08:18.149 --> 00:08:19.846 I just don't know how to bring it up. 00:08:19.846 --> 00:08:23.968 I don't have a problem talking with strangers and I'm like, well, you don't really have a problem talking with strangers. 00:08:23.968 --> 00:08:25.389 You, I have a problem talking with strangers. 00:08:25.389 --> 00:08:26.562 And I'm like, well, you don't really have a problem talking with strangers, you talk with strangers all the time. 00:08:26.562 --> 00:08:31.951 Let somebody cut you off in traffic and see if you don't initiate a conversation. 00:08:31.951 --> 00:08:35.125 I have no problem talking with strangers. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:43.135 I was in line at a restaurant that I frequent quite frequently I frequented frequently and I'm standing there looking like I don't even know why. 00:08:43.135 --> 00:08:45.546 I'm looking at the menu, because I walked in knowing exactly what I want. 00:08:45.546 --> 00:08:51.869 But there's a person in front of me looking like he's taking an SAT, like, uh, I don't know, you know. 00:08:51.869 --> 00:08:55.663 So then you know the ambassador of the restaurant that I am. 00:08:55.663 --> 00:08:57.288 I'm like, hey, this is your first time. 00:08:57.288 --> 00:08:58.230 Looks like this is your first time. 00:08:58.230 --> 00:08:59.020 Yeah, your first time. 00:08:59.020 --> 00:08:59.883 Okay, this is what you should try. 00:08:59.883 --> 00:09:02.788 You should try number one or number two. 00:09:02.788 --> 00:09:04.110 He's a brand new person. 00:09:04.110 --> 00:09:08.288 I don't know him, but here's the thing I don't mind sharing something that I enjoy. 00:09:08.288 --> 00:09:15.365 Didn't matter, he's a stranger. 00:09:15.365 --> 00:09:17.865 What mattered is what was on the inside of me. 00:09:17.865 --> 00:09:24.243 I enjoy those quesadillas right there. 00:09:24.243 --> 00:09:40.340 I enjoyed them and because I enjoy them and they have been a blessing to my life, I wanted to pass it on the good news because I want you to experience what I've experienced. 00:09:40.340 --> 00:09:59.166 Okay, okay, in John chapter 4, this woman at the well encounters Jesus and she runs back to the city saying come see this man who told me everything. 00:09:59.166 --> 00:10:00.808 I want you to encounter what I just encountered. 00:10:00.828 --> 00:10:09.404 A lot of Christians don't share Jesus because they don't really enjoy Jesus themselves, because they don't really know much about him. 00:10:09.404 --> 00:10:12.212 There's not a whole lot of knowledge about Jesus. 00:10:12.212 --> 00:10:20.168 A lot of Christians, your only knowledge about Jesus is whatever your pastor has preached about, because you haven't opened up the Bible yourself on your own. 00:10:20.168 --> 00:10:22.173 Listen, this is not a condemnation. 00:10:22.173 --> 00:10:25.408 We're just trying to highlight the real issue here and talk about what our way is moving forward. 00:10:25.408 --> 00:10:33.631 Okay, and so we can be in church a long time and if our pastor doesn't preach about it, that story about Jesus, we don't know it. 00:10:33.631 --> 00:10:41.273 We don't know it, and it's not reasonable for us because we have access to the Bible all the time. 00:10:41.273 --> 00:10:45.291 Whatever translation we want, whatever language we want, we have access to it. 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:57.730 And here's why I'm saying this, because as long as you and I are unknowledgeable about Jesus, there is no way we're going to be comfortable talking about him to somebody else. 00:10:57.730 --> 00:10:58.821 We just won't. 00:10:58.821 --> 00:11:00.043 It's awkward. 00:11:00.043 --> 00:11:04.561 It makes us look bad to talk about something so important that we don't know much about it. 00:11:04.561 --> 00:11:07.986 Especially, we say we've been in the game for a while and we still don't know stuff. 00:11:07.986 --> 00:11:10.090 That's embarrassing. 00:11:10.090 --> 00:11:14.486 Can we just have a family Y'all looking all serious at me right now? 00:11:14.486 --> 00:11:16.265 Can we have a family talk right now? 00:11:16.265 --> 00:11:19.470 So I was talking with a pastor friend of mine. 00:11:19.470 --> 00:11:23.711 I'm like how many people in your church right now? 00:11:23.711 --> 00:11:25.048 Give me five people. 00:11:25.048 --> 00:11:28.850 Give me five people that you've been pastoring for 20 years. 00:11:28.850 --> 00:11:35.150 Give me five people in your church right now who you are confident can explain the gospel in simple terms. 00:11:35.150 --> 00:11:35.871 Give me five. 00:11:35.871 --> 00:11:42.514 You couldn't Been there for 20 years Because we talk about a whole lot of other things. 00:11:42.554 --> 00:11:50.605 Here's my point we talk about a whole lot of other things and even when we read the scripture, we're not looking at what the scripture is saying about Jesus. 00:11:50.605 --> 00:11:58.961 The scriptures are pointing to Jesus and we can read the scriptures and still not see Jesus, because we're taught to read it through the lens of where am I at? 00:11:58.961 --> 00:12:02.784 In here there's some stories. 00:12:02.784 --> 00:12:07.889 It's not about you in here, the book is about Jesus. 00:12:07.889 --> 00:12:13.275 Now are there life application principles and points, absolutely, absolutely. 00:12:13.275 --> 00:12:18.625 But what is it that we need to apply most from this book? 00:12:18.625 --> 00:12:31.511 It's the reality that Jesus is the Son of God that apply that truth to your life, and so we're not really as rooted and grounded as we could be With the kind of access and resources we have. 00:12:31.511 --> 00:12:37.090 We're not really as rooted and grounded as we could be in who Jesus is. 00:12:37.090 --> 00:12:39.875 We need to know for ourselves. 00:12:40.197 --> 00:12:42.302 Not well, I'm a Christian because my parents are Christian. 00:12:42.302 --> 00:12:46.633 I'm a Christian because, no, no, no, I'm a Christian because I believe in Jesus. 00:12:46.633 --> 00:12:48.267 I have met Jesus. 00:12:48.267 --> 00:12:49.505 I have encountered Jesus. 00:12:49.505 --> 00:12:52.149 I have experienced him forgiving me of my sins. 00:12:52.149 --> 00:12:55.503 I know that I'm washed by the blood of Jesus and his blood. 00:12:55.503 --> 00:13:03.847 That makes me whole and makes me clean, is what enables me to stand before God completely righteous in God's sight, like I know that for me. 00:13:03.847 --> 00:13:11.572 I've read the scriptures, even listened to sermons and messages and other believers who have poured into me, but I've had my own encounter. 00:13:11.572 --> 00:13:13.482 I can tell you that I believe in Jesus. 00:13:13.482 --> 00:13:21.086 Because I believe in Jesus, I have met Jesus, I know Jesus, I've been forgiven by Jesus. 00:13:21.326 --> 00:13:26.205 Like, when you have that, then we can share it more. 00:13:26.205 --> 00:13:29.225 But a lot of us we don't have that. 00:13:29.225 --> 00:13:41.370 And if you're getting uncomfortable, I kind of want you to be uncomfortable, because if you don't have that you need to, number one, know it and number two, get it Right. 00:13:41.370 --> 00:13:43.868 And you can't get it if you think you've got it. 00:13:43.868 --> 00:13:50.267 And so I was going through a drive-thru one time and ordering this drink. 00:13:50.267 --> 00:13:57.994 I was on my way actually to a conference room to record an online course where I'm talking about the Father's Love. 00:13:57.994 --> 00:13:59.907 Y'all know that's my jam, right, the Father's Love. 00:13:59.907 --> 00:14:00.649 I'm doing an online course. 00:14:02.001 --> 00:14:12.892 As I was on my way there, I was going through this drive-thru and it's a little coffee shop and I like this mango peach lemonade drink that they have, right. 00:14:12.892 --> 00:14:16.111 So I'm driving up and a lady comes out and she says can I take your order? 00:14:16.111 --> 00:14:17.822 I'm like, sure, let me have this mango peach lemonade. 00:14:17.822 --> 00:14:22.541 And so she's having a little small talk, being, you know, nice and cordial and professional. 00:14:22.541 --> 00:14:26.768 And then she says so what are you up to today? 00:14:26.768 --> 00:14:32.143 Now, normally, if there's small talk happening and I just got things to do. 00:14:32.143 --> 00:14:34.128 I would just give you a little answer. 00:14:34.128 --> 00:14:35.980 You know, got a busy day, you know how about you. 00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:36.863 You know that kind of thing. 00:14:37.283 --> 00:14:52.375 But in this moment I felt an intruding thought Tell her what you're doing Now, because I didn't drive up to make a new friend. 00:14:52.375 --> 00:14:56.028 I didn't drive up to have a whole, nother conversation. 00:14:56.028 --> 00:15:06.067 I came through the drive-through because all I want to do is drive through. 00:15:06.067 --> 00:15:06.847 That's it, that's it. 00:15:06.847 --> 00:15:17.585 So, because I knew that that was my will and my desire to have this other idea come in, I knew that that was not me. 00:15:17.585 --> 00:15:21.366 Okay, I'm sharing that with you so you can recognize it when it happens to you. 00:15:21.366 --> 00:15:28.169 Amen, okay, you want it to happen to you, right, okay, all right. 00:15:28.169 --> 00:15:30.835 So I'm like, oh, oh, snap Something about to you, right, okay, all right. 00:15:30.835 --> 00:15:32.844 So I'm like, oh, oh, snap, something about to happen. 00:15:32.844 --> 00:15:35.307 Right, because I'm recognizing it. 00:15:35.307 --> 00:15:46.254 And so I said, well, I'm actually on my way to record an online course where I'm talking about people encountering God's love, because God loves us. 00:15:47.081 --> 00:15:49.546 And she goes oh, I used to be a Christian too. 00:15:49.546 --> 00:15:59.889 I'm going to put this car in park. 00:15:59.889 --> 00:16:06.062 Is that a fact? 00:16:06.062 --> 00:16:07.344 Well, okay, now, this is a God moment. 00:16:07.344 --> 00:16:11.567 This is a moment that God didn't put me in because I'm a pastor. 00:16:11.567 --> 00:16:13.690 He didn't put me in because I'm a Bible teacher. 00:16:13.690 --> 00:16:16.131 He put me in because I'm one of his sons, just like you. 00:16:16.131 --> 00:16:18.173 Sons and daughters Like this is what he does. 00:16:18.173 --> 00:16:19.735 We got to be ready for these moments. 00:16:19.774 --> 00:16:22.636 So she says I used to be a Christian. 00:16:22.636 --> 00:16:25.841 I'm like what do you mean? 00:16:25.841 --> 00:16:26.402 You used to be a Christian? 00:16:26.402 --> 00:16:28.144 Well, I was in church, and here's what I'm listening for. 00:16:28.144 --> 00:16:29.287 Here's what I'm listening for. 00:16:29.287 --> 00:16:31.029 I want you to learn how to listen, for this. 00:16:31.129 --> 00:16:31.730 People talk about it. 00:16:31.730 --> 00:16:32.393 I used to be here. 00:16:32.393 --> 00:16:33.554 I'm deconstructing my faith. 00:16:33.554 --> 00:16:38.491 What I'm listening for is what are you talking about concerning Jesus? 00:16:38.491 --> 00:16:42.089 Christianity is about Jesus. 00:16:42.089 --> 00:16:43.724 The gospel is about. 00:16:43.724 --> 00:16:47.587 It's not the gospel of the church, it's the gospel of Jesus. 00:16:47.587 --> 00:16:53.405 So you can have all kinds of issues with the church, but we're talking about Jesus. 00:16:53.405 --> 00:16:57.802 So that's what's in the back of mind as I'm listening and that's what's kind of driving my questions. 00:16:57.841 --> 00:16:58.884 I said so tell me what you mean. 00:16:58.884 --> 00:17:00.610 You used to be a Christian. 00:17:00.610 --> 00:17:08.484 Well, I was in church and I went to my mom's church and I was in church all the time and on Sundays, and then we had the midweek service and I was there. 00:17:08.484 --> 00:17:10.571 I was even a youth leader. 00:17:10.571 --> 00:17:18.304 What happened to that vetting process, I don't know, but okay, I was even a youth leader. 00:17:18.304 --> 00:17:20.730 Okay, I said what happened? 00:17:20.730 --> 00:17:22.987 Well, the church, they hurt my mom. 00:17:22.987 --> 00:17:27.111 When they hurt my mom, my mom stopped going and then I stopped going. 00:17:27.111 --> 00:17:31.519 So that's why I used to be a Christian In my mind. 00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:38.892 I'm like so far you haven't said anything that makes you a Christian, right, so okay. 00:17:38.892 --> 00:17:44.242 So you said people hurt your mom, right, people hurt your mom. 00:17:44.242 --> 00:17:45.227 So you stopped going. 00:17:45.227 --> 00:17:47.588 But you didn't say anything about Jesus. 00:17:47.588 --> 00:17:49.861 Did Jesus hurt you? 00:17:49.861 --> 00:17:52.144 Well, no, I said. 00:17:52.144 --> 00:17:54.788 Well, being a Christian is about Jesus. 00:17:54.788 --> 00:18:00.194 So if Jesus didn't hurt you but the church hurt you, like I don't see how you're saying you used to be a Christian. 00:18:00.194 --> 00:18:06.359 Well, aren't they the same thing? 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:17.224 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, they're not the same thing. 00:18:17.224 --> 00:18:20.650 But this is an important distinction to make. 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:24.154 I said no, they're not the same thing. 00:18:24.154 --> 00:18:34.941 The church is a group of people who believe in Jesus and are being perfected by Jesus, but the church is not Jesus. 00:18:34.941 --> 00:18:42.575 Jesus is the son of God who came to die for you so that you could be united with God. 00:18:42.575 --> 00:18:47.820 Now, that doesn't have anything to do with the church Now those who believe that become the church. 00:18:47.820 --> 00:18:52.372 But it's possible for the church to hurt you, but Jesus not hurt you. 00:18:52.921 --> 00:18:55.512 I said let me ask you a question how long have you been working at this coffee shop? 00:18:55.512 --> 00:18:56.319 I'm looking in the rearview mirror. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:57.505 I'm like do I have a line behind me? 00:18:57.505 --> 00:19:00.301 Because I've been here for a minute and I still got a while to go. 00:19:00.301 --> 00:19:05.306 I said let me ask you this question how long have you been working here? 00:19:05.306 --> 00:19:05.987 She told me. 00:19:05.987 --> 00:19:06.507 She said yeah. 00:19:06.788 --> 00:19:12.712 I said what if this guy behind you I don't know his name, another worker there? 00:19:12.712 --> 00:19:23.842 What if this guy behind you, what if I came and encountered him and he gave me horrible service, absolutely horrible service? 00:19:23.842 --> 00:19:25.826 Do you think it would be fair for me to blame the manager for what happened? 00:19:25.826 --> 00:19:28.294 Do you think it would be fair for me to blame you Because you work here? 00:19:28.294 --> 00:19:37.732 Should I blame you for what this person did, or should I understand that this person is this person and doesn't represent this entire organization? 00:19:37.732 --> 00:19:39.465 She goes yeah, that wouldn't be fair. 00:19:39.465 --> 00:19:40.746 Well, that's kind of what you're doing, though. 00:19:40.746 --> 00:19:45.589 You're blaming somebody Jesus for what these other people did. 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:46.903 Jesus didn't hurt you. 00:19:46.903 --> 00:19:48.769 Yeah, I guess you're right. 00:19:48.769 --> 00:19:51.303 Well, you said you're kind of looking for the truth. 00:19:51.303 --> 00:19:56.988 So my question to you is if you really are looking for the truth, then shouldn't you consider all your options? 00:19:56.988 --> 00:20:02.182 Well, yeah, then I want to ask you to consider Jesus. 00:20:02.182 --> 00:20:06.888 Why don't you really ask Jesus, if he's real, to show himself to you? 00:20:06.888 --> 00:20:11.155 And I get the whole church folks have hurt me too, but they're not Jesus. 00:20:11.155 --> 00:20:13.365 Nobody in church died for me. 00:20:13.365 --> 00:20:14.744 Jesus died for me. 00:20:14.744 --> 00:20:17.247 So I encourage you to look at that. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:20.951 So it sounds like you didn't really stop becoming a Christian. 00:20:20.951 --> 00:20:23.486 You weren't one to begin with. 00:20:23.486 --> 00:20:24.509 Would that be fair? 00:20:24.509 --> 00:20:27.605 Yeah, I guess you're right, I know, I know All right. 00:20:27.605 --> 00:20:28.386 Well, god guess you're right. 00:20:28.386 --> 00:20:33.701 I know, I know All right. 00:20:33.701 --> 00:20:34.864 Well, god bless you. 00:20:34.864 --> 00:20:36.346 Now my work here is done. 00:20:36.346 --> 00:20:39.311 Yeah, that was it. 00:20:39.311 --> 00:20:40.433 That was the whole conversation. 00:20:40.433 --> 00:20:42.346 I want her to see one. 00:20:42.346 --> 00:20:43.531 There's a difference. 00:20:43.531 --> 00:20:45.460 You didn't leave Christianity. 00:20:45.460 --> 00:20:47.146 You used to be Christian. 00:20:47.146 --> 00:20:48.204 No, you never were. 00:20:48.204 --> 00:20:49.805 That's an important distinction. 00:20:49.805 --> 00:20:52.426 But if you want to be, this is how you do it. 00:20:52.426 --> 00:20:53.430 It was a much longer conversation. 00:20:53.430 --> 00:20:54.784 I just gave you a little snapshot, right? 00:20:54.784 --> 00:20:55.787 So that was it. 00:20:56.348 --> 00:20:58.846 Uh-huh, all these people saying, well, I'm deconstructing my faith. 00:20:58.846 --> 00:21:00.263 No, no, no, you're not. 00:21:00.263 --> 00:21:00.846 No, you're not. 00:21:00.846 --> 00:21:02.230 No, you're not. 00:21:02.230 --> 00:21:06.693 Let's go to Tell me about when it started. 00:21:06.693 --> 00:21:09.076 Tell me about what you believe about Jesus. 00:21:10.277 --> 00:21:10.916 That's a different thing. 00:21:10.916 --> 00:21:20.006 Now there are others of us who are not deconstructing our faith, although I would say some folks are deconstructing churchianity not Christianity, but churchianity. 00:21:20.006 --> 00:21:26.393 Even though we would say Christianity is a relationship, it's not a religion. 00:21:26.393 --> 00:21:33.525 A lot of people are experiencing it as a religion and they're deconstructing that and I would say you should deconstruct that. 00:21:33.525 --> 00:21:48.580 Here's the difference Christianity, as a religion, treats Jesus and God like you are any other religion, where you're saying I've got to be good to be accepted by God, I've got to do good things to be approved from him to be accepted by him. 00:21:48.580 --> 00:21:54.352 That's religion, where my relationship with God is based on my work and my performance. 00:21:54.352 --> 00:21:57.788 That's religion and that's not Christianity. 00:21:57.788 --> 00:22:00.346 That's not what the gospel says. 00:22:00.981 --> 00:22:13.234 On the other hand, the gospel is about God saying to me John, I know there's not enough good works you can do to meet my standard of perfect holiness and righteousness. 00:22:13.234 --> 00:22:20.314 So instead of requiring you to meet that standard, someone has to do it, and it's going to be my son. 00:22:20.314 --> 00:22:25.211 I'm going to send my son to die on the cross for your sins. 00:22:25.211 --> 00:22:39.010 The blood that he sheds I'm going to use to wash you clean, because all sin has to be covered by blood and has to be covered by sinless, pure, spotless blood. 00:22:39.010 --> 00:22:42.929 You don't have it because you've already sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:22:42.929 --> 00:22:47.165 But my son is going to come and he's going to come and he's going to do the work for you. 00:22:47.165 --> 00:22:48.049 He's going to do the performance for you. 00:22:48.049 --> 00:22:49.474 He's going to come and he's going to do the work for you. 00:22:49.474 --> 00:22:50.700 He's going to do the performance for you. 00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:54.049 He's going to have a perfect life and be spotless. 00:22:54.440 --> 00:23:06.913 And now you and anyone else who accepts the fact that you cannot be holy for me you can't be holy enough for me but you accept my gift of holiness to you in my son. 00:23:06.913 --> 00:23:19.534 When you put your faith in my son for your holiness and for your forgiveness and for your righteousness, then I will forgive you and make you completely whole and spotless. 00:23:19.534 --> 00:23:22.221 In my sight that's called justification. 00:23:22.221 --> 00:23:35.432 Everyone who does that is a believer and a true Christian, believer and a true Christian. 00:23:35.432 --> 00:23:42.076 So that's how you know Jesus, that's how you meet Jesus. 00:23:42.076 --> 00:23:55.290 He begins to grow in your life and the Holy Spirit is given to you to work in your life and make the Jesus even more real to you as you learn about him and as you know him, so that you can make him known Like. 00:23:55.290 --> 00:23:56.232 This is what it's about. 00:23:56.232 --> 00:23:59.163 But the reality is not. 00:23:59.243 --> 00:24:17.348 Everybody gets quote unquote saved that way, and I would say some folks aren't actually saved If I preach a message about finances because it could be helpful as we look at a biblical view of finances, but then I say that the message all right, do you want to accept Jesus? 00:24:17.348 --> 00:24:21.103 Well, I might not have said anything about Jesus, but do you want to accept Jesus? 00:24:21.103 --> 00:24:22.425 Okay, well, yeah. 00:24:22.425 --> 00:24:23.990 Now, what do you know about Jesus? 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:27.406 Well, I don't know, but I want my life to be better. 00:24:27.406 --> 00:24:30.385 That's not what we're talking about. 00:24:30.385 --> 00:24:39.511 Or I preach a whole message about what hell is like and I want you, afraid, to walk out of this building without knowing Jesus. 00:24:39.511 --> 00:24:44.211 You could walk out there and get hit by a car and go straight to hell if you don't know Jesus. 00:24:44.211 --> 00:24:46.643 Do you want to accept Jesus today, like right now? 00:24:46.643 --> 00:24:47.446 This is your moment. 00:24:47.446 --> 00:24:50.336 No other moment is promised to you, because if not, you can go to hell. 00:24:50.336 --> 00:24:52.625 You're like I don't want to go. 00:24:52.625 --> 00:24:54.250 Well, sign me up for that. 00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:57.048 I said nothing about repenting from sin. 00:24:57.048 --> 00:24:58.553 I said nothing about Calvary. 00:24:58.553 --> 00:25:00.451 I said nothing about the blood of Jesus. 00:25:00.451 --> 00:25:03.268 I said nothing about that, but I did scare you into heaven. 00:25:03.268 --> 00:25:07.840 And then I wanted you to repeat a prayer and I said now you're saved. 00:25:07.840 --> 00:25:10.041 No, you're not. 00:25:10.041 --> 00:25:11.883 Listen to me. 00:25:11.903 --> 00:25:13.502 Y'all that happened to some of you. 00:25:13.502 --> 00:25:14.523 No, you're not. 00:25:14.523 --> 00:25:16.683 Here's the crisis. 00:25:16.683 --> 00:25:29.249 The crisis and the tragedy is that person walks out thinking that they are saved, thinking that everything the Bible says should be happening to you because you're saved, thinking that's what should happen to them and it's not happening to them. 00:25:29.249 --> 00:25:34.378 Right, because even if you're deceived, the Holy Spirit is not. 00:25:34.378 --> 00:25:35.756 The kingdom of God is not. 00:25:36.309 --> 00:25:41.682 If you didn't repent from your sins and believe in Jesus Christ and what he's done for you, you're not saved. 00:25:41.682 --> 00:25:44.377 If you didn't believe in the resurrection, you're not saved. 00:25:44.377 --> 00:25:47.238 I don't care who put the stamp of salvation on you. 00:25:47.238 --> 00:25:49.798 If your name is not in the book of life, you're not saved. 00:25:49.798 --> 00:25:55.115 And so there are some people who were stamped you're saved. 00:25:55.115 --> 00:25:59.058 And they're walking around thinking okay, I'm saved, I'm supposed to have the Holy Spirit. 00:25:59.058 --> 00:26:00.421 I'm not sensing the Holy Spirit. 00:26:00.421 --> 00:26:02.083 I'm supposed to have the power to overcome sin. 00:26:02.083 --> 00:26:03.463 I'm still doing the same old stuff. 00:26:03.463 --> 00:26:05.686 This Christianity thing is not working. 00:26:05.686 --> 00:26:09.153 I'm going to deconstruct. 00:26:09.153 --> 00:26:12.297 That is some craziness happening today. 00:26:12.297 --> 00:26:16.542 We've got to have the clarity and the boldness to say you're not saved. 00:26:16.542 --> 00:26:17.544 Well, you can't judge me. 00:26:17.544 --> 00:26:23.723 I'm not judging you, I'm teaching you. 00:26:23.723 --> 00:26:26.275 I just asked you about Jesus and you can't say squat about him. 00:26:26.275 --> 00:26:28.862 That's a problem. 00:26:28.862 --> 00:26:34.336 You can't tell me he's your king and he's your savior and you can't tell me nothing he said. 00:26:34.336 --> 00:26:39.413 You can't tell me anything that he did. 00:26:39.473 --> 00:26:47.596 Christians are some people who some of the Christians are so illiterate when it comes to knowing about who Jesus is. 00:26:47.596 --> 00:26:48.738 They don't know. 00:26:48.738 --> 00:26:50.060 How did we get here? 00:26:50.060 --> 00:26:50.962 How did we get here? 00:26:50.962 --> 00:26:51.750 I'll tell you why. 00:26:51.750 --> 00:26:59.295 Some of us, our only experience or knowledge about Jesus is based only on pastor sermons. 00:26:59.295 --> 00:27:08.417 If pastor doesn't preach about that story about Jesus, we won't know that story about Jesus. 00:27:08.417 --> 00:27:17.884 And even though it's not a reality, we're going way back hundreds of years to the same time where the only person who taught was the person who could read and everyone else had to just trust what they were saying. 00:27:18.126 --> 00:27:22.810 When Martin Luther broke from the Catholic Church, one of the things he said was alright, the Catholic Church got to the whole thing with all. 00:27:22.810 --> 00:27:24.016 Everyone has to listen to the priest. 00:27:24.016 --> 00:27:25.053 You sit down and listen to the priest. 00:27:25.053 --> 00:27:28.512 The priest is the only one who knows and got a connection with God and all that kind of stuff. 00:27:28.512 --> 00:27:31.836 Martin Luther's like no, I think, on our own. 00:27:31.836 --> 00:27:35.762 That's part of the pro-Protestant protest. 00:27:35.762 --> 00:27:44.451 They protested that whole thing, but we still kept some stuff. 00:27:44.451 --> 00:27:48.686 So nowadays we have Christians who think that they can't read the Bible on their own, even though you can read everything else. 00:27:48.686 --> 00:27:50.613 You read all kinds of stuff Any of you can't read. 00:27:50.613 --> 00:27:51.816 There's a whole lot of YouTube stuff out there. 00:27:51.816 --> 00:27:52.758 There's audio, right. 00:27:52.758 --> 00:27:54.844 There's a whole lot of YouTube stuff out there. 00:27:54.844 --> 00:27:55.946 There's audio right. 00:27:56.731 --> 00:27:57.733 Here's my point as a believer. 00:27:57.733 --> 00:28:13.382 If you're saying that you are a believer in Jesus Christ, I want to stir up for you this desire, this opportunity for you to study the life of Jesus on your own. 00:28:13.382 --> 00:28:17.680 You need to become an expert in the life of Jesus. 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:18.422 You know why? 00:28:18.422 --> 00:28:31.141 One because you can and it's so powerful to get to know Jesus by reading the scripture and letting his spirit speak to you and let the words come alive in your spirit. 00:28:31.141 --> 00:28:32.817 Like there's opportunity for that. 00:28:33.910 --> 00:28:41.480 Then, number two culture is shifting and if you're not grounded in your belief that Jesus is the son of God, not secondhand stuff. 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:43.454 Well, I believe it because pastor said it. 00:28:43.454 --> 00:28:45.044 I believe it because I grew up in church. 00:28:45.044 --> 00:28:47.132 I believe no, that's not going to hold you down. 00:28:47.132 --> 00:28:47.953 That's not going to hold it. 00:28:47.953 --> 00:28:52.913 These cultural winds are blowing and you and your grandmama's faith is not going to hold it. 00:28:53.013 --> 00:28:54.538 You need to know Jesus yourself. 00:28:54.538 --> 00:28:56.962 You need to be able to answer about Jesus yourself. 00:28:56.962 --> 00:29:01.769 You need to be able to talk about the miracles of Jesus yourself and the teachings of Jesus yourself. 00:29:01.769 --> 00:29:05.760 You cannot limit your knowledge about God and Jesus to sermons. 00:29:05.760 --> 00:29:19.974 As much as I love teaching, as gifted of a teacher you have, it's not meant to do that. 00:29:19.974 --> 00:29:20.896 You're here on Sunday. 00:29:20.896 --> 00:29:22.040 You got money through Saturday. 00:29:22.040 --> 00:29:24.513 What are we doing? 00:29:24.513 --> 00:29:25.375 Read study about. 00:29:25.375 --> 00:29:29.763 You need to know him because you ain't seen crazy yet in this world. 00:29:29.763 --> 00:29:34.067 You ain't seen it yet. 00:29:36.369 --> 00:29:38.001 Just a couple weeks ago, 70 Christians were found beheaded in a church. 00:29:38.001 --> 00:29:42.857 Do you think they stood there with their heads being chopped off, thinking, well, I hope my grandmama was right. 00:29:42.857 --> 00:29:50.737 No, they stood there knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain. 00:29:50.737 --> 00:29:56.769 They stood there on the teachings of Jesus. 00:29:56.769 --> 00:29:59.209 Don't fear what people can do to the body. 00:29:59.209 --> 00:30:09.750 They stood on the teachings of Jesus, that the tribulations that we're encountering now can't even be worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed for you later. 00:30:09.750 --> 00:30:10.914 That's what they knew. 00:30:10.914 --> 00:30:22.923 They knew Jesus, encountered Jesus, stood on Jesus and didn't think twice. 00:30:22.923 --> 00:30:25.974 It didn't all happen at the same time. 00:30:25.974 --> 00:30:27.378 70 people all at the same time? 00:30:27.378 --> 00:30:30.493 No, there was one at a time Boom, boom, boom. 00:30:30.493 --> 00:30:32.256 Like you know, your turn is coming. 00:30:32.256 --> 00:30:40.853 Are you going to deny Jesus? 00:30:40.853 --> 00:30:44.377 Well, I mean, at the time, people persuaded me. 00:30:44.377 --> 00:30:48.924 It was a pretty solid argument that I believe, but now this is happening. 00:30:48.924 --> 00:30:58.296