WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:14.000 Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:19.440 You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:21.280 Thank you for listening. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:26.399 I wanted you to meet someone from the Jesus Film Project. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:31.760 So we have with us, I'm going to invite to the stage, a guest with us this morning, Peter Mooley. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:38.320 He is an executive with Campus Crusade International and the Jesus Film Project. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.359 So he is here with us today to tell us some more about that. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:49.920 He is the partner that leads, that we are leading with in selecting the people group that we've selected and to be a part of that project. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.640 And so, Peter, we are glad to have you in Fort Smith and at First Baptist this morning. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.759 Thank you, Pastor Greg. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:57.039 I'm glad you'll be here as well. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:58.320 Well, we're excited. 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:02.640 Peter will be here tonight to do some QA with us and talk some more about the Jesus film. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:08.719 We'll also have someone from Arkansas, I think, who is over the Arkansas region of Jesus Film. 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:11.760 So Peter, let us just get to know you for a minute. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:12.719 I think you're good. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:14.159 You're you're on, right? 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:14.879 Is he on? 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:15.200 Good. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:16.959 All right, just make sure you hold it up close. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:17.920 There you go. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.719 And uh so tell us a little bit about yourself, Peter. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.159 Let us just get to know you for a minute. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:24.079 Well, good morning, Church. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:26.239 I like the response. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:26.799 Beautiful. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:28.319 I'm so glad to be here. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:31.439 Uh my name as Pastor Sadies Peter Mooley. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.519 I am from Kenya, but I I live in Orlando, Florida. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.959 Somebody asked me, Oh, well, you must be suffering from jet lag. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:42.480 Having come from Africa, I said, well, maybe about an hour only. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:46.959 Yes, but uh, as I said, I'm I'm from Kenya. 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:52.319 I work with uh uh Campus Crusade for Christ, the Jesus film more specifically. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.480 I've been on staff with Campus Crusade for the last 37 years. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:05.120 I first uh joined the ministry in Kenya, served there for 10 years, then moved to Zimbabwe with the Southeast Africa Regional Office. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:12.879 We were there for about another nine years, and then moved to South Africa, and we were there for another nine years. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.280 And so that's that's been our journey. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:29.599 And uh about eight years ago, the Jesus Film Project uh leadership asked if we could consider coming to the US to be more of a liaison or a link, if you will, uh, between the headquarters and and Africa. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:42.400 Because of the little experience that we have uh from the field, they thought it would be beneficial to have us uh be in in the US and help, in a sense, uh be the link or or the liaison between uh Africa. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:49.759 And so for the last uh eight years we have been overseeing work in uh 22 countries. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:03:04.240 Um, but about uh two years ago that changed, and so now we oversee work in 50 countries with a colleague who's from Ethiopia and just a small population of 1.2 billion people uh in that part of the world. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:10.000 And uh first and for all, if you don't mind, if we don't just roll, there's a slice to to introduce my family. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.319 That is my beautiful wife, Elizabeth. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:20.560 Uh she's actually watching the service online right now, so I'm sure she's very envious of me, but she sends her greetings to you all as a church. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:32.159 And let me just uh while we're still there, we we watched the service last Sunday in Orlando, and she said, Oh, if I could have been in Fort Smith, I could have applied to join the worship team. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.759 And the choir just sounded so brilliant, and it's true. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:36.800 The uh sound brilliant. 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:39.360 We'll savor a spot when y'all get here next week. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:41.599 All right, we'll do, we'll do. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.360 Yeah, and then that's that's our family. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:52.000 We have uh uh uh four children, uh two two daughters, actually, one daughter-in-law, and two two two boys. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:57.120 And uh I normally say, and then of course a granddaughter who is about two years old. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:06.639 I normally say that in Africa there are so many languages, Pastor, and uh we have about over 80 in uh in Kenya and uh we speak different languages. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:10.159 So I speak Kamba, that is my first language. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:12.639 My wife speaks Kikuyu. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:17.439 And so I was asking the the Sunday school class, what does that make our children? 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:22.240 If we have uh Kamba and and Kikuyu, what does that make our children? 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:36.160 And uh they thought, but I said, well, it makes uh cucumbers because so Kikuyu and Kumba, we have uh uh three cucumbers there, so so glad to be here. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.000 I'm trying to figure out what my kids are now. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:41.680 I'll get in trouble if I say. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:47.680 Now tell us a little bit about the Jesus film. 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:55.600 I know as we've started talking about this in the church, um we we uh a lot of folks were not familiar with it. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:03.600 And so as I understood what you said, you're you're coordinating that over all of those people groups in that in the African area. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:07.600 So tell us how the Jesus film works and tell us what we're doing with it. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:08.240 Great. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.399 Well, the Jesus film, I normally refer to it as a tool on time. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.480 And Pastor, I must commend you. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:19.040 Uh uh last Sunday you did a great job of just talking about the Jesus film and the beginnings of it. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.040 1979, that's when this tool was released. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:23.839 Uh Dr. 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:29.920 Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, had a dream to have the gospel message in film. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:35.040 And so he challenged Paul Escherman, who became then the director of the Jesus film. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:44.639 And they took put together, after a lot of study, a lot of theological also engagement as well, to ensure that we are close to the scripture, came up with the Jesus film. 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.319 It's from the Luke Gospel in film. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:52.319 And that is why it's really a powerful tool. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:06:01.040 And since 1979, of course, the first language uh translation was in the Philippines, and then thereafter we began doing other translations. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:05.680 And so now to date we've done about 2,085 languages. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:07.199 Two say that again. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:13.279 2,085 languages have taken the story of Jesus around the world. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:14.240 That's incredible. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:15.439 Exactly. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:16.399 Exactly. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:17.680 Praise God. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:20.560 Thank you. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:30.560 And you know, uh Paul Escherman said that uh no one needs to learn a new language to understand how to spend eternity with God. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:36.480 And that is why uh the Jesus film in the heart language makes a big difference. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:44.000 I say that uh well, I speak uh English is actually my third language, first is Kikamba, second is Kiswahili, and then English is my third. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:50.959 Now, when I had the Jesus film in Kikamba, my heart language, it really tagged my heart. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:07:00.399 And every time when we go and show the film out there, and people watch, in fact, I just watch their faces in terms of their responses. 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:12.079 It's it's just it's just amazing because other people and I say this in some villages, this would be the very first motion picture that they would be ever seeing in their life. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:16.480 And they're seeing the story of Jesus being played in the film in their mother tongue. 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:17.199 Surely. 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:22.959 I mean, the ex the expectation is just enormous because of course they they they respond. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:24.000 And they respond, right? 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:32.959 I normally say between 70 and 80 percent of the people that watch this film out there would indicate decisions for Christ. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:33.680 So fine. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:35.040 This is a powerful medium. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:35.680 Very important. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:36.639 You mentioned that. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:45.759 Help just a little bit them to understand the power and the importance of hearing the film in your heart language. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:59.519 Um, as you said, this movie is the book of Luke, and so all of the words spoken, like if Jesus speaks, these are red letter from Luke words, and it's being translated into their heart language. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:04.639 Talk just for a minute, help us understand what that means to someone who is seeing that film. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:20.079 Someone who's seeing that film in in their heart language, because sometimes if you're if you get the message, for example, if you if you relay information and you translate it, something something will be lost between translation. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:27.279 But if they're hearing it in their first language, on their heart language, it really sinks in. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:30.560 And the gospel is understood so so well. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:31.600 So so well. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.399 And that's why I think we're seeing a lot of response the response rate. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:53.679 In one place, I think we showed the film and uh and uh the uh the crucifixion, we we held it there, and then we made an altar call for when we said any anybody who has never given their life to the Lord, uh just raise up their hand, and everyone raised their hands. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:57.919 In fact, the the person who was making the altar call thought I think they didn't understand. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.679 They said, put your hands down, please. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:01.200 He said, Let me explain this. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:06.159 If this is the very first time that you're making a commitment to the Lord, please raise your hand. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:08.080 Everyone raise their hands. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:14.320 It's because of the power of the heart language, it communicates the gospel in a very personal way. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:17.679 Okay, you want to be on that trip to watch that happen, don't you? 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.600 That is incredible. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:27.519 Um all right, so you're over African, the the in the different African nations and all in that in that part of the world. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:36.559 And so we are um partnering with you to cover the expenses of the translation into the ANUFO language. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:37.519 I said that correctly. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.799 ANUFO language. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:43.279 So tell us a little bit, if you will, about that people group and and all of that. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:52.720 As I do that, first of all, let me just register my appreciation, Pasta, to you and the leadership for really embracing and for helping sponsor take that language. 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:57.919 You're going to bring transformation not only in one country, but in three countries. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:02.879 Because this language, the Anufo people group, close to about 250,000 people. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.320 They live in Benin, in Togo, and in Ghana. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.120 But of course, the bigger majority is in is in Ghana. 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:12.480 And before I talk about that, let me just show you the expanse of Africa. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:14.799 If you could just maybe uh run some slides there. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:16.639 Africa is a huge continent. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:24.159 And uh these uh slides here will probably just show you what uh what how big the expanse of the continent is. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:28.720 It actually can take several continents in that one one continent. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:31.440 So it's a huge, huge, huge, huge continent. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.759 The 1.2 billion. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:36.159 That is the expanse of Africa. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:37.600 It has many challenges. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:47.200 And of course, now dealing now to Ghana, the Anufu Anufo people group, this tool is going to bring transformation among that community. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:54.960 The Anufo people group, they are actually uh about the they are they are they are what we call an enriched people group. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:08.399 In fact, the Joshua Project says that they are an enriched people group because uh they they the 90-80% of them actually embrace Islam and then also uh the ancestral worship and the practice of the same. 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:10.320 So they have that that mix. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:24.879 And so having this tool, this tool, I want to believe probably it might be the I think it's the only, definitely the only tool in that language, it's possible that some people may not have seen the film or any other motion picture film before this one. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:26.879 So this is very significant. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:31.200 So um uh a little over a quarter of a million people. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:31.919 Correct. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:36.159 Um, we would refer to that, use the term an unreached people group. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:36.879 That's right. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:47.039 What that would mean in Baptist life is less than two percent of that population um has had the opportunity to hear Jesus and accept Christ as their savior. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.200 So we're talking about literally an unreached people group. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:52.240 That's correct. 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:55.039 Um now um what happens? 00:11:55.200 --> 00:12:01.360 We go and we show the film, people get saved, then what happens? 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:07.519 Anybody say that uh we don't want to raise dust and go. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:15.759 We want to go and find churches planted, people walking with the Lord, following the Lord. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:25.200 Because as I say, the response rate is high, but there's need to ensure we have a responsibility that those who give their lives to the Lord that are nurtured, that are helped to grow. 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:32.879 And that is why we've we came up with a tool uh that would really help, in a sense, bring solidify uh those that have come to know the Lord. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:39.600 Because I normally say uh I guess in many cultures, but in Africa, it's like discipleship is like peeling an onion. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:44.960 Uh you need to peel a layer after a layer until we get to the core. 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:53.919 Because assuming if if I've had several props like maybe ancestral worship and so on, I need to begin to understand what it means to walk with the Lord. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:02.399 And that's why we've come up with a tool that is going to help now the people beyond uh the Jesus film that we we've translated. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:08.720 This tool is going to help now, in a sense, church planting bring discipleship and help people to walk with the Lord. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:30.320 So after the after the film has been shown in a number of places, the the tool you're talking about, they now have, in addition to church planting partners that go in and help plant churches, there is a series of of short films that unpack the journey now of following Christ and begin the discipleship process, right? 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:31.039 Correct. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.240 Because uh it's like saying, now what? 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:35.759 Now what? 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.120 Now that you have given your life to the Lord, what happens now? 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:42.480 Uh what happens about your your old lifestyle? 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.679 Uh what happens about you going to see the witch doctor? 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:51.120 Uh can I just go see, can I come to church in the morning and just go to the doctor in the in the afternoon? 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:52.399 Go to the witch doctor in the afternoon. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:54.080 That is in the afternoon. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:55.200 What does that mean? 00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:58.159 And so so it's about transformation, not just conversion. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:04.399 We are looking at transformation, and that is why we came up uh in about 2006, we came up with a series. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:04.639 Uh-huh. 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:10.879 It's a five 30-minute episode, a series of uh we call them Walking with Jesus, Africa. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:13.840 They were filmed in and actually in Kenya. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.600 Um the scriptwriter was from actually from Africa, West Africa. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:17.840 Uh-huh. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:20.720 We had our team there on location filming, uh-huh. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:23.840 And uh it really helps address some of those issues. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:33.840 And of course, we we have uh the theme is assurance of salvation, uh-huh, the Holy Spirit, uh-huh, uh, the word, study of the word of God, fellowship, and and growing in Christ. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:42.159 So those are, and then we begin to engage because they so they will watch the series and they'll have somebody who'll ask questions, uh, and they can begin to say, okay. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:45.919 And then of course they use a scripture because the scripture has to be there. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.159 Yeah, let's let's go, let's not go off scripture. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:59.679 We need to be uh be center in scripture, so they'll have scripture and talk about it and ask questions and ask things which are more uh relevant to their culture and say, How do I address this? 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.440 Yeah, and that's really important. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:08.159 A lot of times we don't really grasp that unless you have traveled around the world or been involved in missions in a detailed way. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:16.559 So, like here, if someone comes forward in the invitation and they get saved and they go home and life looks fairly simple, Jesus has changed it. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:28.000 You've been redeemed, you've been saved, but you go to Walmart, you go to work the next day, you know, you talk to your family, and it all fits in that culture in America. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:38.399 But in most of the world around the country, when you are saved, you have radically altered every opportunity that you have in life. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:44.240 You have put yourself at odds with your heritage, your culture as a nation, even your family. 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:49.440 And so some Muslim countries, for example, you've become an outlaw. 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:51.840 Your family disowns you. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:59.919 In African countries, you are really moving against the culture, and it has it is a sacrifice to give your life to Christ. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:14.080 And so this series tells the story of discipleship, begins the story of discipleship by introducing it in the story of someone who's been saved and how to unpack that in the culture in which they live. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:17.440 Peter has been kind enough to share a clip with us. 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:33.120 This is a short clip, but we want you to see this is from the first episode, and it sets up the story so you can see the kind of culture issues that Peter's been sharing with us that a person now has to learn to walk by faith through. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:34.080 Bobby? 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.320 Well. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:19.519 I am the chief priest of the god of the land. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:23.119 Yes, defy the gods. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.079 Why do you allow this man to destroy our traditions? 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:32.000 You are coming against the gods. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:42.079 You, the sounding mouth of the village, team with this stranger to pitch the villagers against the gods. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.640 This man is my guest. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:53.119 You have been telling the villagers to abandon their gods for your modern god. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.039 I have never troubled you for your religion. 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.279 Why are you doing this to us? 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.680 I have done nothing wrong, Mother. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:05.839 You have crossed the boundaries, and I will resist. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.079 I haven't done anything against you. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:20.480 Tai is my son, and it is his duty to pour the blood of divination on the shrine. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:25.039 He needs to be present at the ritual of slaughtering the coat. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:31.599 Ask him to follow me now, or I will have him dragged to the shrine. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:33.680 But why did he do it? 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:36.799 He keeps talking about this new blood. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:42.480 He says it is a sin for him to perform the ritual or bow before our God. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.160 He needs to do the ritual. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.440 I don't think it's right for you to force him. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.559 Why don't you let him choose yourself? 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:56.160 What's wrong with you? 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:00.319 You have no business telling me what to do with my child. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:04.480 I hear that your son is now a follower of this stranger. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:11.920 Lord, we shall alone watch how this new blood of yours is going to help you. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:20.240 You fool. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:22.960 You see how you brought me to distribute here? 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:28.960 Is that the kind of teachings you give your followers? 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:30.960 To disobey their fathers? 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.359 I taught them to obey God. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:38.000 Don't worry, it'll be okay. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:45.200 Taye, we're going to pray for you right now. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:53.759 I don't want you to be disturbed by what you see. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:56.640 Jesus will protect Taye. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.640 Be with him. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.359 Let's pray. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:12.240 That's an incredibly powerful picture of what it means in another culture when someone trusts Christ as their Savior. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:21.440 And I guess that's what we're teaching is once they've made that decision, how we unpack and unfold that life in the culture in which they live. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:25.440 The cross may not be light. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.440 It may be heavy. 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:48.480 Peter, we would like to pray for you as a church and then pray over this people group and this project that we're engaging with. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:21:13.839 So, church family, if you'll join me in prayer, Lord, we thank you for our brother and we thank you for his heart for the nations and for Africa and for uh creating the opportunity for us to partner with Campus Crusade, with his team, in presenting the message of Jesus to this people group. 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:18.000 Lord, we call them out by name, the Anufo people. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:23.920 We know that you love them and Jesus has a plan for them and died to save them. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:49.359 And so, Father, we pray as plans are made to take this film throughout their people group, that as they hear the words of Jesus, the living and powerful word of God verbalized in their heart language, we pray, Father, that people will be saved, will be redeemed, that the gospel will spread through their culture. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:59.680 New brothers and sisters in Christ who give their life to Christ and face these kinds of cultural issues and questions that you will protect. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:09.759 Them and strengthen them and give them grace to learn to walk with Jesus and to lead their families to know you as their Savior. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.240 Lord, I thank you for a church that has a heart for missions and for the nations. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:24.799 And I pray, Father, that you will take our gifts next month as we give and as we prepare a team to go and participate in the distribution of the film. 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:43.440 We pray that you will empower us and provide for us to go, for us to send, for us to use this film, and then be whatever role you would have us be moving forward with those new brothers and sisters in Christ to help them to be able to walk with you. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:46.160 Lord, we thank you again for Peter and his family. 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:49.200 We are glad his family has shared him with us today. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:23:02.480 We pray that you'll keep him safe while he's here, give him traveling mercies when he returns, and we pray for tonight an opportunity for us to get to know him better and this project better as we move forward into sharing the gospel. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:06.799 We thank you most of all for the incredible gift of eternal life through Jesus. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.440 In his name we pray, and all God's people said. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:15.279 Peter, thank you very much for being with us, and we look forward to getting a chance to be with you more tonight. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:29.680 We are grateful to have Peter with us because we had so many folks who who were not aware of the Jesus film and what that is. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:35.279 It's really a blessing to be able to get to learn more about that, see some about the project. 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:36.559 And tonight he'll be there. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:48.559 One of the great things about it having a portion of the Nights, a fellowship night is you'll get a chance to talk to Peter and the other gentleman who will be here from the Arkansas structure of Campus Crusade to walk through that. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:55.440 Then we'll have a time where we'll have Peter and they'll be able to talk with us and answer some more questions. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:57.680 You'll get a chance to see the film. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:03.839 One of the tables will have it playing, and you can see it and what it looks like and all of that if you've never seen it. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:07.279 But picture, if you will, in today's culture, the chosen. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:13.359 I know a lot of people watch that, and it's the power of seeing dramatize the person of Jesus. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:29.359 Imagine now seeing that if you've never seen a movie before, and you get a chance to see the sacrifice, Jesus dying on the cross, the incredible power of him walking out of the tomb and leaving it empty, having created eternal life. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:33.039 And so I pray you'll be here, you'll get a chance to meet some of those other things. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:38.559 We are finishing this week, our study through telling your Jesus story. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:51.759 And since today is missions day and missions night, I want to talk to you about this topic today in the few moments that we have left, and that is the call to reach a lost world. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:54.160 The call of lostness. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:58.960 I want to give you three things and a response here in just a few moments. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:04.640 Three things that Jesus told us about a world that needs him. 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:18.960 Now, when we use the term lost or lostness, that comes from, you know, it's been derived from scripture and it's spiritual speak, it's a church type of word that we use. 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:21.680 And so let me take just a moment to tell you what we mean by that. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:32.640 It's not a negative term, it's not a cut down, it's not anything like that, but it's used to describe someone who has not ever met Christ as their Savior. 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:47.920 If you think about illustrations in Scripture, for example, uh, when there's a shepherd and there's one lost sheep out of the hundred, and Jesus as the shepherd goes to reach out and find the one lost sheep. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:56.400 It talks about in Scripture, gives the illustration of someone who doesn't know Christ as their Savior and the effect of sin on our lives. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:02.880 Uses the example of us as sheep, and scripture says, all we like sheep have gone astray. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:08.240 We've turned away from God and gone off in that direction, and we're lost. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:12.319 And when you meet Jesus, these illustrations will use the term found. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.759 We've been found. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:21.839 So there's a lot of ways to say someone who is not a follower of Jesus, and that's what we're talking about when we talk about lostness. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.920 Let me give you this first thing that Jesus says about a lost world. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:39.920 Truth number one is this Jesus made us, all of us as his followers, we are responsible for the entire world, not just our little corner that we live in. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:46.160 Certainly, we're placed here to reach the river valley, and we have a passion to reach the river valley. 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:55.200 But the Great Commission, what we refer to as that commissioning from the Lord for all of us to go out and share the gospel to people who don't know Jesus. 00:26:55.680 --> 00:27:03.680 It does not give us the opportunity to say that we'll just reach here and then someday we'll maybe go out there and help or whatever. 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:08.720 Jesus has made us responsible for the entire world. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:10.240 Look at these scriptures. 00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:15.359 They're familiar to you, but but pay attention to how it makes this connection. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:18.079 Matthew 28, verses 18 and 20. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:24.079 This is one description of Jesus before he ascended in heaven, after he had risen from the dead. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:31.519 And here's what it says Jesus came near and said to them, his followers, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:35.920 Go, not stay, not wait for them to come to you. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:46.319 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:57.119 Teaching them, this is what Peter and the Jesus film folks have created in that follow-up process afterwards, teaching them to observe everything I've commanded you. 00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:00.079 It's not over when someone accepts Christ. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.200 Now we go into the journey of helping them walk with Jesus. 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:06.079 And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:12.799 Here's what he said in Acts 1.8 in that description of a moment, right before he ascends into heaven. 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:14.400 Here's what he tells them. 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:18.240 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you. 00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:28.240 And you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:38.960 Why are we working so hard through our financial gifts and cooperative missions through the cooperative program and the Southern Baptist International Mission Board? 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:40.400 Why do we spend so much time? 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:41.920 Why do we take Lottie Moon? 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:42.640 Why do we do that? 00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:44.319 Why do we send missionaries? 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:48.400 Because we do not have a choice. 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:55.599 Jesus has not given us the freedom to just focus on the River Valley. 00:28:55.759 --> 00:29:07.440 It is focusing on the entire world around us, and it is our responsibility to find ways and opportunities to go into all of the nations. 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:15.119 That word nations, every time you hear that in Scripture, that's not talking about the government structure of a country. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:19.359 As we know, government structures change throughout the course of time. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:22.400 What that word means is people groups. 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:30.799 As we've talked about the Anufo people, we're talking about a people that have a common heritage and language. 00:29:31.039 --> 00:29:41.440 They spill over from Ghana into Togo and in that area, but they have a common language, a common heritage, a common history as they became a people group. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:43.440 And so every people group. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:45.839 Now let me give you just an understanding. 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:58.640 According to the studies in the Joshua Project, for example, or our International Mission Board, they tell us that there are over 12,000 people groups in the world. 00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:05.039 There are over 12,000 different heart language, cultural people groups in the world. 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:09.440 That's 8 billion people on the planet. 00:30:10.480 --> 00:30:17.279 And our International Mission Board, as they strategize these things, they talk to us about certain terms, and Peter and I had that discussion. 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:19.519 An unreached people group. 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:27.519 Of that 12,000, there are over 7,200 unreached people group. 00:30:28.319 --> 00:30:35.839 More than half of the peoples on our planet are unreached with the gospel. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:44.000 Why does God make all of us as followers of Christ responsible for all of the peoples on the planet? 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:48.400 Because it takes everybody to reach 8 billion people. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:57.519 It takes all of us, every church, every follower of Christ, every evangelical faith heritage like us, like Campus Crusade. 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:04.640 It takes all of us to reach them, and we are less than halfway done with the job. 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:06.400 Does that make sense? 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:15.680 That means of these over 7,200 people groups, less than 2% of them know Jesus as their Savior. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:17.839 And so it takes all of us. 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:21.920 We also use this term, unengaged people groups. 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:27.680 And so when you talk about an unreached people group, you're talking about less than 2% evangelical. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:36.160 Unengaged, unreached people group, that means we don't have a current evangelism strategy. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:43.200 We have now developed an evangelism strategy, the collective we, the church, for the ANUFO people. 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:50.640 There is the Jesus film, and there are people in that area, and there is a structure in the IMB that can relate to them. 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:54.480 And now there is the Jesus film, and there are churches like us. 00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:58.799 We're going into these, and there is a strategy now. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:10.559 But there are over 3,000 people groups that don't even have a strategy to take the message of Jesus to them. 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:20.960 That is 25% of the people groups on our planet that don't even have a strategy of evangelism. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:24.000 I mean, it's incredible when you begin to think about that. 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:31.039 But here's what I, as I was praying this morning for you and praying for what we're doing today, here's what I thought. 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:34.480 I can give us stats. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:46.000 We can talk about what's happening out there in the world and what it means to accept Christ in a different culture and the effect of that and all that. 00:32:46.240 --> 00:33:08.480 But here's the deal: it's just so easy to get in our cars, go eat Mexican food for lunch, or whatever it is your guilty pleasure is, go home, be excited about the NFL starting soon, go to work tomorrow, kids go to school, and easily slide back into the structure of our lives. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:23.279 The only way to get a heart for the nations and the magnitude of lostness is for the Holy Spirit to birth that in our lives. 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:35.680 I don't possess the eloquence to try to tell stories and describe what it means that a world is dying and going to hell. 00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:50.799 It is a Holy Spirit-driven thing for us to understand that it is my responsibility to be a part of the advance of the gospel beyond simply the River Valley or Arkansas. 00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:53.599 And Jesus has given us that responsibility. 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:59.599 Here's the second truth I want you to see that Jesus tells us about the lostness around us. 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:07.839 Jesus' example, who he was and how he did ministry and showed us what he wanted us to do, modeled it for us. 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:15.119 Jesus' example requires us to have a deep compassion for those who do not know Jesus. 00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:19.199 Listen to this description from Matthew chapter 9 of Jesus. 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:29.280 Jesus went to all the towns and villages teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 00:34:29.840 --> 00:34:42.320 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out like sheep without a shepherd. 00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:54.079 Then, after seeing and his heart breaking, he says to his disciples, The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 00:34:54.719 --> 00:35:00.480 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. 00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:12.079 You see, we can't consider a lost and dying world and not have a heart that breaks for people who will spend an eternity separated from God in hell. 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:37.280 There has to be something that the Holy Spirit does inside of us if we are considering Jesus and his heart for the lost, his heart that would cause him to step out of heaven as omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God, and to humble himself to being squeezed into the life experience of humanity. 00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:44.800 Becoming a man, a human, a person, so that he could live through this life. 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:50.400 He could show us that he understands and what his compassion means for us. 00:35:50.559 --> 00:36:05.840 And then to go to the cross and take all of our sins and to sacrifice his holiness for us and to die in our place, that horrible death on the cross, and then to conquer death and sin and walk out of that tomb for us. 00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:22.079 And it not affect us and how we view every person that we can imagine who does not know Jesus as their Savior. 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:25.199 What does it mean? 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:28.880 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:30.880 It's that picture. 00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:42.880 Jesus standing over a crowd, telling them how much God loved them, that he had provided a sacrifice and forgiveness of their sins. 00:36:43.440 --> 00:37:03.679 To see throngs of people standing in line, bringing their children who are lame, their brother who is blind and can't see, pleading for Jesus for their leprous cousin or sister or uncle who is in a leper colony outside of town and they have no hope. 00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:05.119 And please heal them. 00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:16.079 And Jesus heals this one and he tells that one to get up and walk, and he tells that one they can see, and he puts his hands on the next one, and he covers their ears, and now they can hear. 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:23.280 And when he looks up, all he sees is a line of hundreds and hundreds of people waiting for them to heal him. 00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:37.360 And it breaks his heart to see all of this brokenness, the weariness of life without hope. 00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:40.320 And that's why he came. 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:55.920 And the Holy Spirit has to birth in us this incredible depth of passion and brokenness for people who have no hope. 00:37:56.719 --> 00:38:09.840 Can you imagine a people group, a world, a culture that has no way to hear that Jesus is the hope of the world? 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:12.719 And we have an answer. 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:14.400 We have the message. 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:16.159 Truth number three. 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:26.159 Jesus saw that brokenness, but Jesus also knows there is hope and came to bring hope. 00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:29.039 And this is what he tells us about that lostness. 00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:34.159 He saw an abundant harvest of people who would and could be saved. 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:35.599 Again, look what he says. 00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:47.760 In the midst of that, as he sees that line and his heart begins to break with all of these people that need Jesus, he also understands, I have brought them hope and they're going to be saved. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:52.079 And as he looks at his disciples and he tells them, I want you to pray for workers. 00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:54.320 Pray that God will bring those workers. 00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:57.599 He is giving them a heart to build the church. 00:38:57.920 --> 00:39:04.639 He is preparing them to go out into the world and plant churches, to preach the gospel, to be missionaries. 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:13.199 He is trying to plant in their minds the understanding that he came to save people and the gospel saves. 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:24.960 He wants Peter to understand that when Peter stands up on the day of Pentecost and preaches to that crowd, he is not shocked by the thousands of people who come to be saved. 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:29.679 It is Peter's expectation that people be saved when he shares the gospel. 00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:38.400 And so why do we partner with the Jesus film to create this method of sharing the gospel and the people? 00:39:38.880 --> 00:39:40.639 Because we believe it works. 00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:48.719 And we believe that those people, when they see about Jesus and they understand he did that for him, we believe people are going to be saved. 00:39:49.199 --> 00:39:53.119 Why are we studying how to be a personal witness here in the River Valley? 00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:57.119 Because I believe when we share Jesus, people get saved. 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:14.719 I told the staff guys the other day, as we're going through this uh evangelism training deal and you're signing up and we're doing all that, listen, I just believe in the middle of that, with all these people thinking about Jesus and thinking about sharing Jesus, I believe somebody's going to get saved from this process. 00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:26.000 I hope that when you see our culture, you don't just see what they tell you in politics or you read in the newspaper on some website or see on television. 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:34.880 I hope you don't just see a world that is tacking Christians and we have forwarded ourselves up in this so that the devil can't get to us. 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:51.199 I hope what you see is a world that needs Jesus, but a world that will get saved when we stand up as the church and we stand out with a belief that lostness is the place where people are saved, so we're going to share Jesus. 00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:56.079 Jesus saw a harvest of people who would be saved. 00:40:56.320 --> 00:40:58.639 Jesus said, pray for lots of workers. 00:40:58.880 --> 00:41:02.559