WEBVTT 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:12.880 Light and darkness. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:15.919 Did you know that really there's no such thing as darkness? 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:17.839 Darkness is simply light. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:19.839 The absence of light. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.640 When there is no light, darkness will prevail. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:27.039 And culture will take God culture that is only darkness. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:34.240 When you believe that evil and darkness, how do we all of this? 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:36.320 It has to do with now. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:37.520 How do we go? 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:42.479 How do we be the kind of instrument in our culture that really makes a difference? 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:48.479 At the road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:52.960 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:56.240 We hope you are encouraged by today's message. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:16.159 They asked me to consider coming on board as one of your pastors beginning in September, and uh I was a little concerned about that because I my my sense was that most of you folks are normal, you know. 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:24.480 But um now that I've been here for a month and had a chance to meet many of you, I feel right at home. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:26.719 Uh you're not normal. 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:28.879 But the guys are away. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:34.560 Pastor Steve and a bunch of the guys are out in the woods chasing Bambi right now, so you can be praying for them. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.400 Hopefully, they're not realizing a tremendous amount of bad weather. 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:48.640 But uh years ago, when we were at church on the way, Pastor Jack Hayford had a theory about what the end times would look like. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:52.319 Now, I know how many of you have said this before, boy, we're sure getting close. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.040 It looks like we're getting close to the end times. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:59.680 If you watch the news, you come away sometimes with those kind of ideas. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:03.680 But there are some theories about what it would look like in the end times. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:13.439 One theory is that the church will be bright and victorious, and the light will really take over the darkness, and Jesus will come for a mighty, victorious bride. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:17.919 Not a lot of uh biblical support for that extreme, but some people think that. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:27.360 Other people think the other side would be true, that their darkness will prevail and Jesus will come and uh bring the light of his kingdom and just destroy the darkness. 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:35.759 Again, not a lot of biblical support for that extreme theory, but Pastor Hayford would say that both of those are true. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.080 He would say that he would call it the opposing stream theory. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:52.400 The opposing stream theory says this that all throughout human history there have been two streams going in opposite directions, the stream of good and the stream of evil, the stream of light and the stream of darkness. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:03:02.400 And they have been running in opposite directions at a relatively slow enough speed so that it's possible for you to have a foot in both of them. 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:10.319 But he says in the end times, the darkness is gonna get a lot darker, and the light is gonna get a lot brighter. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:18.879 And those streams are gonna be going in opposite directions so fast that if you try to have a foot in both of them, it will rip you apart. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.280 You better make a decision. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:23.919 What stream do you want to be in? 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:29.840 Guys, I want to tell you, I believe we're seeing that happen in our culture today. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:33.120 You can no longer be on the sidelines, guys. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:46.319 When I was with Every Home for Christ, years ago, we developed a model of a man, and one arm it says, pray ye, and the other arm says, go ye. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.719 How many of you know that the Bible talks about both? 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:55.120 It's not just about prayer, and it's not just about our strategic plans and programs, it's about the need for both. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:04:06.560 On the pray ye side, uh, I just want to cover that very quickly because I really want to talk about the go ye, because I think this is an area where many of us Christians are awkward in how we approach our world. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:10.319 How we actually allow God's light to shine on us, why? 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:13.039 So that ultimately his light can shine through us. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:16.720 That's what this song is all about, for his kingdom to come. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:25.759 In our last prayer, 24-hour prayer, we had uh banners uh up front here indicating how to pray for the seven cultural mountains. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:29.839 Many of you who joined us were able to see and read those and pray over them. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:36.000 I decided to um have uh Anna uh take that information and make it into a little brochure. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:38.560 You were probably handed one of these as you walked in today. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.079 Uh go ahead and just wave it at me. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:41.839 Pick it up and just go ahead and wave it at me. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:47.519 I want you to take a look at what this uh little brochure is is is trying to suggest that we do. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:54.160 If we want to have an impact in our culture, the first thing we need to do is pray, and I think everybody would understand that. 00:04:54.319 --> 00:05:04.160 So, what we've done is we've produced this little brochure that's a resource that you can tuck in your Bible and an encouragement for you to pray over these seven mountains every single day. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.680 There's seven mountains of culture, and there are seven days in a week. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:14.720 And what we want to encourage you to do is to pray in this way over these seven different spheres of our culture. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:20.959 Can you imagine, guys, what it would be like if every Christian in our culture were to do something like this every day? 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:24.560 I mean, I can't even imagine what could happen as a result of that. 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:30.560 So, this is a resource we want you to have for you to be able to do that and to do that in a strategic way. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:48.800 The other thing we're gonna do, uh, and I'm gonna be talking to Steve about this, is we're also gonna, on the go-yee side, we're also gonna be trying to discover how many of you already work in these uh mountains, like the mountain of government, the mountain of the church, certainly, education, all of these different areas. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:06:01.360 We're gonna try to find out who you are, gather us together over the mountains and be able to encourage one another, pray with one another, and actually discover ways that we can have a greater impact within those mountains. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.720 So we're gonna be looking at doing that later down the road. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.160 But this is a good start. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.040 Pray ye, pray over these mountains. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:16.000 And then the other thing, how many of you know we're going into an election season right now, and this is a very, very critical time. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:19.759 Uh, as part of the go ye, we're also called to be citizens. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:23.120 We're citizens of heaven, but we're also citizens of this country. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.319 So I want to encourage you to vote, to get out and vote. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:35.279 And by the way, I have a brand new voter's guide here that some of you may not have received or have, but here it is. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:45.120 You don't need anything else to make a decision than this. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:55.199 When you vote, what you do is you say, listen, if I'm a child of God and if I'm in the kingdom of God, you come on, guys, you've already heard me use that theological word. 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:57.439 What's the theological word I use all the time? 00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:58.319 Stupid. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:01.439 There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:03.519 Ignorance is when you don't know any better. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:06.639 Stupid is when you know better and you don't do it anyway. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:09.040 You follow what other people in your family did. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:12.639 You follow the news media, you follow all these other people's opinions. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.439 No, guys, this is your voter's guide. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:27.519 When you go to vote, all you need is this book, and then you ask God by his Holy Spirit to help you understand who are the people that I should be voting for that will help usher in your kingdom, God, not the world's kingdom. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.759 So pray and then be responsible and go and vote. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.240 Now, light and darkness. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:37.279 Did you know that really there's no such thing as darkness? 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:39.279 Darkness is simply what? 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.199 The absence of light. 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.160 Where there is no light, darkness will prevail. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.959 In culture, when you take God out of culture, there's only darkness left. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:51.439 When God leaves, that's what fills the vacuum. 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:52.959 Evil and darkness. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.839 And so, how do we impact all of this? 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.879 It has to do with now how do we go? 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.519 How do we be the kind of instrument in our culture that really makes a difference? 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:15.439 Now let me pause here for just a second and mention to those of you who came this morning, because I advertised this to a lot of our friends, that you were coming to hear my story or my personal testimony. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:16.800 I will do that at another time. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:24.399 The reason I've changed and I wanted to talk about this is because the convergence of two things that are happening, uh, one in our culture and one in our church. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:29.120 In our culture, we're actually we're at we're headed for a very, very important election season. 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:34.080 But in our church, going all the way back to when Liz got that vision of the fire coming down. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:35.200 You guys remember that? 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:48.159 And as a result of that fire coming down and the whole purging process, Pastor uh changed his last two or three weeks of teaching to kind of focus on the cleansing fire and the things that God's trying to do in us. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:51.919 And I believe, by the way, guys, that that whole flow is prophetic. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:55.039 It's God trying to say, you better prepare people. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:56.639 My people are not prepared. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:01.120 Prepare my people, get them cleansed, get them fit for the battle yet to come. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:03.039 I believe that's what God is doing. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:07.519 So, what I want to share with you this morning is just some ideas for you to consider. 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:20.879 Okay, when you're approaching your culture, if you find yourself yelling at the television screen, getting mad at all the things that are going on, I want to challenge you to stop doing that and become a part of the solution. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:21.919 Stop doing that. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:28.720 Whining about that stuff isn't gonna change anything because the world without God is always gonna go in this direction. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:30.559 It should surprise no one. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.080 Now, I'm gonna read some Bible verses, rapid fire here. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:40.159 And here's the rule when I say get it, you're supposed to say, got it. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:40.720 You ready? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:41.519 Let's practice. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:42.480 Get it? 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:44.639 All right, hey, you guys are pretty good. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:45.840 Okay, here we go. 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:47.519 You're gonna have to listen closely. 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:50.320 Galatians 6, 7 to 10 says, Do not be deceived. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:51.519 God cannot be mocked. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:52.879 A man reaps what he sows. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:57.519 The one who sows to please a sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction. 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:01.919 The one who sows to please the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:08.480 So it says, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.080 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all peoples. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:26.480 Titus 2, 11 to 14 says that we should live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:27.840 From how much wickedness? 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:36.480 All, and to purify himself, to purify himself, you and I, a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:37.600 Ephesians 2 10. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:41.519 We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:54.000 Philippians 2, 3 and 4 says, To do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain consents, uh, or vain uh do uh of vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:11:02.240 John 4, 31 to 34, Jesus himself says, My food, Jesus said, is to do the will of him who sent me. 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:07.919 Proverbs 21, 3 says, To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:08.720 Get it? 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.840 Matthew 21, 19, Jesus seeing a fig tree by the road. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:14.799 You all know the story. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:15.759 He goes up to it. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:19.519 From a distance, the tree looked fruitful, it looked abnormal. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:24.240 But as he got up close to the tree, there was no fruit. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:26.879 He cursed it and it withered and died. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:31.759 And many theologians believe that's a picture that Jesus was painting of the church and the world. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:38.240 We look good from a distance, we look good, we sound good, but when we get up and close and personal, where's the fruit? 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.360 Religion without substance is what they're talking about. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.879 Our ministry is to be Jesus to a dying world. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:46.960 Now, quickly, three principles. 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:49.759 Principle number one is to a lot adopt behavior. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:50.960 Everybody say behavior. 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.240 Behavior that lights up. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:12:05.120 I remember one time back again at church on the way, Pastor Hafer got up one time in the auditorium, and it was a very big auditorium, and he had ever all the lights were turned out. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:09.759 We could do it here, uh, actually, and it would be completely blackened out the whole room. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:16.799 But all the lights were out, and he stood up on the platform and he had a little birthday candle, and he lit it, and he said this. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.639 He said, Now, there's no one in this room, in the most remote corner of this room, that can't see me. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.000 But I can't see you. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:27.279 I don't even know if you're still here, but you all can see me. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:35.120 And it was an illustration of how the world is when it comes to viewing our lives and viewing what God's doing us. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:40.159 We're called to be that little candle, even though we may not see everyone else. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:43.440 How many of you know everyone else is seeing you? 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:45.519 What kind of a light are you? 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:48.559 Matthew 5, 14, it says, You are the light of the world. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:50.320 A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:52.960 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:57.200 Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.039 In the same way, shine your light on men. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:02.639 Is that what it says? 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:04.399 Come on, all you theologians. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:05.120 Is that what it says? 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.120 Does it say shine your light on men? 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:08.639 What does it say? 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.120 Let your light shine before men. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:14.960 Guys, please hear me. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:16.480 There is a big difference. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:17.440 Listen to me. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.480 When you shine it, all they see is the glare. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:26.080 When you're comfortable to just let your light shine, that's when they can see Jesus in you. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:28.559 We got to be comfortable letting our light shine. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:36.639 Philippians 2.15, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault, in a crooked and depraved generation. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:38.720 Is that the generation we live in, guys? 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:39.919 Yes, it is. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:43.759 It says, in which you shine like stars in the universe. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:50.320 First Peter 2.12 says, Keep your behavior, your behavior excellent among the Gentiles. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:14:02.159 So that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, and they will, they may, on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:04.480 Saint Francis has a great quote. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:09.440 He said, Go out and witness to people, and if necessary, use words. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:11.679 Why is this important? 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:16.720 Colossians 4, 5, and 6 says, To be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:18.559 Make the most of every opportunity. 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:26.799 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:30.240 In John 12, 47, Jesus says this. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.320 I did not come to judge the world. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:33.919 I sent you to do that. 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:37.759 What? 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:39.519 Why? 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:41.200 It doesn't say that. 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:45.840 NIV, new Italian version. 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:49.360 I gotta get rid of this thing. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:51.679 Is that not what it says? 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:53.200 What does it say? 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:58.320 I did not come to judge the world. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.200 No, he came to save the world. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:05.200 If it doesn't say, I sent you to do that, then let me ask you a question. 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:06.960 Why is that what you're doing? 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.559 Listen, guys, it's not our job to judge the world. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:11.840 It's not. 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:16.480 John 16, 8 says, when he comes, in this context, who is he? 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:20.879 In this context, it's talking about the Holy Spirit, which by the way, you and I have. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:28.639 When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:30.000 Please hear me, Christian. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.320 It is not your job. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.080 It is his job. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:36.960 Are you imposing your faith? 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:38.799 Are you exposing your faith? 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:42.639 Are you shining your light or are you just letting it shine? 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:49.759 To illustrate this point a little further, I I've uh I asked for someone who had a pack of cigarettes to come up and help me do an illustration. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:50.799 Where is Christian? 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:52.399 Christian, come on up here real quick. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.080 Christian has agreed to come up and help me. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:55.600 Come on up, buddy. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:16:02.799 Now, Christian wanted me to remind you that he actually doesn't smoke, but he borrowed a pack of cigarettes from somebody who does. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.720 And so for the purpose of this illustration, we're gonna do we're gonna do that, okay? 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.519 What are you doing way up there? 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:12.159 That's a bit better. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:13.600 Do you have to do cigarettes with you? 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:15.360 Okay, now this actually happened. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:18.320 I'm gonna uh share with you an illustration that actually happened. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.720 I didn't plan it this way, but it was perfect. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:24.879 I was teaching a bunch of uh management folks one time how to train their employees. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:26.639 This is way back in the business world. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:28.639 And so I needed a smoker for an illustration. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:33.840 So I got this guy up on stage, you know, like Christian here, and I said, Hey, uh, Christian, I don't know how to smoke. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:34.879 Teach me how to smoke. 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:36.320 So here's exactly what the guy did. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:37.679 Go ahead and give me a cigarette. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.080 And so the guy gives me a cigarette, and this is what he says. 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:41.600 He said, I said, okay, uh, what do I do? 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.159 So the guy says, the first thing you do is you put it in your mouth. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:51.120 So man, Christian, this is terrible. 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:55.120 If that's smoking, he's and the guy says, That's not smoking, you idiot. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:55.840 What are you doing? 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.240 I said, I'm doing exactly what you told me to do. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.879 And give me another cigarette. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:01.840 Like I said, it'll be okay. 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:05.680 So, so so he gives me another cigarette. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.640 And then this is what he says. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.640 He says, Now listen, I want you to watch really close. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.359 Watch this. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:10.640 He says, see that part right there? 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:13.119 I said, Yeah, he says, that's the filter, the brown part. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:14.319 I said, Okay, that's good to know. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:18.240 He says, now the part underneath, that's the white part is the back goes in there. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:23.759 And so he says, I want you to put the filter end only in your mouth. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:29.039 So I pop it on and I put my mouth that he says, and the guy's looking at me like, what are you doing? 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:30.799 I'm doing exactly what you told me to do. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:37.759 Give me a so that's okay. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:38.640 It'll be all right. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:46.880 So anyway, so uh so anyway, so we got to the point where, I mean, the audience is hysterical, and we're going, and we I mean, I'm almost through a whole pack of cigarettes. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.319 I mean, they're all over the floor, man. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:54.720 And this guy, everybody's laughing except this one guy, young guy, comes down the main aisle and he's headed right for for Christian and I, you know. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.480 And we were down on the floor and he's headed for us. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.839 He looks like he's gonna do bodily harm, you know, and we didn't know what was happening. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:09.279 And he comes up and he and he and he grabs the cigarettes, he grabs a lighter, he pushes Christian aside, and he does, he says, Stop! Just like that. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:12.079 I mean, every we we we were we were frozen. 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.240 This is what he did. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:16.960 Watch me. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:19.839 Okay, everybody put your hand on your shin. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:21.680 Everybody look around. 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:24.319 How many people actually have their hand on their chin? 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:26.799 Get it? 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:32.960 I said get it! Thank you. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:44.160 Hey, uh, you know, I I know you don't smoke, but whoever you got those from, you should tell them to quit. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:45.279 It's a filthy habit. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:53.519 Anyway, uh so people need to see it. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:55.279 Don't curse the darkness, guys. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:56.640 Just be a candle. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:01.440 Don't be preoccupied with reaping, just allow the Holy Spirit to help you. 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:10.880 So people need to see Jesus in you, not hear you yelling at them, which gets into the second part, which is a part that I've failed miserably. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:16.400 And that the second part is to develop a healthy attitude toward others. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.880 In psychology, there's something called a pygmalion effect. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:28.799 But the pygmalion effect suggests that our attitude and assumptions about people, places, and things can actually be the reason why they are the way they are. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:36.160 In order to test a theory, they took a class of students back about 50 years ago, eighth-grade students, they tested them. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:41.839 There were 20 children, and they discovered that five of these children were gifted learners. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.640 They didn't have a gifted learner program back then, but they were gifted. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.119 They were off the charts really smart. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:54.240 They identified these children to the teacher, pointed out the five kids that were gifted, and they gave her the class for the entire year. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:20:01.920 At the end of the year, they brought all the children back and tested them to determine how much of the material during that year they had actually learned. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:07.839 And they discovered, in fact, that those five children learned 30% at least more than all the other kids. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.119 They were off the charts. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:13.759 It validated the first test, they were truly gifted students. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.119 Then they broke the news to the teacher. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:27.119 You see, they never tested any of the children the first time, they simply picked five kids at random and told the teacher they were gifted. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:28.400 Gee. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:45.279 But in reality, what God's calling us to do is to see other people through his lens, through his eyes. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:47.839 That's the whole thing we did last time I was here, guys. 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:57.279 Putting God between you and your circumstances and other people and the situations you encounter in life so that you see them through his eye. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:59.440 Develop a healthy attitude. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:00.799 I did not have a healthy attitude. 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:06.799 For most of my even Christian life, I would argue, yell at people, try to embarrass them. 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:19.359 Some of you who are here, I recognize, like Jeremy Melchizedek knew me back in the early days of the 90s when uh Mayor Bob, you remember Mayor Bob was a mayor here when we first moved to town. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:20.720 He asked me if I would serve. 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:22.160 And I said, sure, I'll serve. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:26.160 So he he asked me to serve on what is called the Human Relations Commission. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:35.359 So I said, okay, I didn't know what the Human Relations Commission was, you know, but it was back then that my friend uh Will Perkins had just uh brought forth this thing called Amendment 2. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:44.799 I don't know if any of you guys remember that, but amendment two was this no special rights for homosexual, uh the homosexual community, and there was a big firestorm that went up to the Supreme Court and got defeated. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:46.000 You guys remember some of that? 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:55.119 So anyway, the Human Relations Commission back in those days, there were like um uh 14 very liberal people and me. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.720 They didn't have a chance and they didn't they didn't know it. 00:21:58.799 --> 00:21:59.759 Okay, so anyway, just me. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.599 And one other person, Amy Stevens. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:03.200 Some of uh Jerry, remember Amy? 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:05.359 She was the head of public policy at Focus and the Family. 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:07.119 So here I am on this commission with Amy. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:09.279 We're the only two conservatives, and there's 14 liberals. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:10.880 And man, the meetings were ugly. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.200 They had me on the front uh page of the page. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:15.119 They blame me for blowing up the commission. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:20.720 They actually disbanded the commission because of me, because I would come in and ask questions that they they couldn't answer. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:27.680 You know, uh I often say liberal ideology cannot exist in an atmosphere of accountability, but that's another area we won't go into. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:31.440 But anyway, so anyway, so I'm arguing and mean and everything. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:46.559 And so one day there was this guy on the commission, it was a lawyer guy, uh kind of a little guy, and he was kind of like always angry and mean, you know, and he's on the commission, very liberal, and he's speaking with Amy, and my his back is to me, and so he's he says to Amy, he says, Where do you work? 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:48.319 She says, I work at Focus on the Family. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:53.359 He said, Huh, the most un-American organization in this country. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.160 He said that in front of me. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:01.119 In those days, that's the equivalent of bleeding in front of a shark. 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:07.359 So I said, Excuse me. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:08.799 He said, Yes. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.640 I said, You're a lawyer, right? 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:12.160 Uh yes. 00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:19.599 Could you tell me, help me, with the body of evidence that you have uncovered that would lead you to make such an incredible statement? 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:21.440 Just give me one example. 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:24.319 And so he looked at me and his lips started to quiver. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:25.920 He couldn't think of anything. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:27.599 You know, he's getting angry. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:29.440 You know, yeah, I just want one thing. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:30.240 Just give me one thing. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:32.559 And finally he says, Yes, I can think of one thing. 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.519 I said, What is it? 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:36.880 It's their position on prayer in the public school. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:38.640 I said, Really? 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:44.960 Tell me, what is their position on prayer in the public school? 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:48.559 He had no clue. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:53.519 And I proceeded to tear this man apart verbally, limb from limb. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.519 I said, You call yourself a lawyer? 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:56.960 You are pathetic. 00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:59.599 Who in the world would ever hire you as a lawyer? 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:01.839 How kind of flimsy evidence is that? 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:08.240 And I just tore into this guy and I did many such things, and I really liked it. 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:20.640 I understand the guy left that experience and went and said, Boy, I can't wait to go to that guy's church and hear more about Jesus. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:22.960 What do you think? 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:24.880 Is that light? 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:29.759 I can't tell you how many times I've done that, guys. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:31.920 It doesn't get us anywhere. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.400 What should you have done, Vince? 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:38.000 Well, do you think that guy formed his worldview overnight? 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.119 No. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:43.680 In fact, I had a worldview not much different than his before I became a Christian. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:47.359 And I certainly didn't become a Christian by someone doing that to me. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:52.559 I should have probably been kind to him, got to know him, maybe went and had lunch with him. 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:54.559 That's what I probably should have done. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:56.160 Prayed for him, certainly. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:06.079 Years ago, I was traveling to the South to speak at a pastor's conference for a bunch of cities where pastors came together in a region of the South. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:18.880 I don't remember exactly where it was, but it was a little community, and one of the pastors picked me up at the um airport, and we're driving out to the event, and he said, Have you heard about the firestorm that's happening in our community? 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.480 I said, No, what's going on? 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:39.680 He says, Well, all the Christian leaders are battling it out in the oped section of the newspaper with all the government leaders, and there's a big argument going on because the Christian leaders in our in our city believe that the government paid a painter to come in and paint a fresco on the wall of a public building that's evil. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:40.799 I said, Really? 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:41.839 He said, Yep. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:43.519 I said, Well, where is this painting? 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:46.079 And he told me, I said, Do we have time to go see it? 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:47.200 So he said, Okay. 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:49.039 So we went over to this building. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:54.640 It's a big building, and it turns out it was a big library kind of building, and that it was huge. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:26:02.799 And imagine the wall, the wall inside, if you looked at that wall over there, double the width of those two walls together, double and double the height. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:04.400 That's how big this wall is. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:08.880 And they hired a painter to come in and depict the history of the region. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:18.480 So we started with way back hundreds of years ago, with what it looked like, all the way over here to the progression into modern buildings and modern culture. 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:25.680 And so I'm looking at this and I said, you know, I'm not the most spiritually discerning guy in the world, but can you show me where the evil is? 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:32.720 And he said, Yes, and he pointed to a pig up in the top corner, a black pig with a bone in his mouth. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:34.319 He said, That's the evil. 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:35.440 I said, Really? 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:36.240 He said, Yeah. 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:37.680 Well, what why is that evil? 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:43.279 He gave me the history back in the early days, you know, black magic and what this stood for and everything else. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:45.200 So I thought, wow. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:48.880 So I go to the meeting, and the pastors all know that I did this. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:52.400 I went to see the so they said, What do you think? 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:55.599 I didn't really didn't know what to tell them, so this is what I said. 00:26:55.680 --> 00:27:03.920 I I said, I I'm not sure I know what to think, but I I looked at that and they told me the the history and all that about the pig and everything. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:07.039 Is that a hill that you guys want to die on? 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:10.960 I mean, really, is that where you want to hang everything on? 00:27:11.039 --> 00:27:11.839 That that hill? 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:15.039 Where most people don't even understand what that stands for? 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:20.960 And I said, I'm not gonna tell you what I would do, but I'm gonna give you a question. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:26.000 And by the way, this question I believe is for all of us, myself included. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:29.920 Here's the question that we don't ask often enough. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:40.160 Is what I am about to do or say more likely to draw people toward Jesus or push them further away? 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:42.400 And I just left them with that. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:51.839 If whatever it is you decide to do can stand the test of that question, by all means, you're spiritual leaders in this community, you go ahead and and do that. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:54.079 I encourage you to ask that question. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:58.480 Guys, how many of you know we'd get in a lot less trouble if more of us did ask that question? 00:27:58.720 --> 00:27:59.839 What is my motive? 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:01.200 What is really behind this? 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:02.559 What are people gonna say? 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:11.920 By the way, it was back in that day that I heard that there was a story here in Colorado Springs of a bunch of Christian leaders that got together and decided that driving an F SUV was a sin. 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:14.559 Now, again, I I don't know if it's a sin. 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:16.160