WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:27.519 We're in a series called Ecclesia, and we're just simply asking this, you know, how do we return to Jesus' vision of the church? 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.039 And we said there were three distinctive marks of the early church. 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:37.280 They had a radical generosity, a bold faith and a sacrificial love. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.039 And we're spending two weeks on each of those. 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:41.840 We spent two weeks on a radical generosity. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:47.759 Last week we kicked off just a bold faith with a sermon called Irresistible. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.240 And one of the things we want to do is steward the stories well in our community. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:58.079 And so I want to invite up Alex and Bree Miley, if you guys would come welcome them up. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:03.840 They serve in a ministry called Called Up here locally. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:07.200 We've gotten to know them, love them, adore them. 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:09.040 They just had a baby a year ago. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.120 It's all he's a year. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:13.599 It's not half a wow. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:16.159 Come on, oh, come on, oh, come on, come on over here. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:23.439 And so they lead a ministry that ministers to Santa Clara University, San Jose State, and others. 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:26.079 It's for college athletes. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:31.519 Alex actually was a D1 track guy at Duke and Santa Clara. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:40.000 And so would love to hear your story, your journey of like what does your journey of just sharing your faith look like? 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:45.280 So we both actually grew up in Minnesota. 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:47.439 We're raised in Christian homes. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:56.640 And for me personally, sharing the gospel essentially was something that was frightening to me because I'm very introverted and quiet. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.920 And I just didn't think that I had the personality for it. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:06.799 I thought that if I was just a nice person, people would be like, oh, tell me about Jesus because you're really nice. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:09.599 You are nice. 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:12.960 Partly why I married you. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.080 Other things. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:17.680 But uh so I'm kind of the other side of the spectrum. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:30.879 Uh I was, you know, very bold, outgoing as a high school young adult, still a young adult, I guess, but um, you know, for me, honestly, like when I was talking about my faith with people, I was kind of a deer in headlights. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:36.800 Like, I mean the lights are actually a little dimmer right now, but I feel like the lights are just like completely in my eyes. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:39.120 I couldn't, I'm like, yeah, I don't I don't know what to say. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:41.039 I was like a loss at words. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:47.199 Um and I felt like I had to say the right thing, I had to, you know, continue to learn more. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:55.039 I had to because if I learned more, then you know I would be ready if someone had a counter-argument for you know why I believed in Jesus. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.400 And um I never felt like my faith was strong enough. 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:10.479 Sound familiar to the myth of more that we've been talking about that here, but um there was I was always more I could learn, and I never felt confident enough to share my faith, even though maybe in other things in my life I felt pretty confident. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:25.680 So and then for me, I guess something that slowly started changing was that I went to a Christian school, it's called Liberty, um, and so I learned more and actually also like gained more knowledge about like what to do. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:34.080 Um but then when it came into play was more like even my roommate, I like prayer prayed with her in my dorm room. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:56.800 Like she was unsure about her faith and she accepted Christ into her life, and then just like being one-on-one with people, like in our ministry called up, um, I slowly started like building relationships and just getting to know people, and then um started just genuinely living out my faith, and then it just came more naturally to me. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:17.360 Yeah, similar to um to Brie, I I think understanding kind of where it changed for me was understanding that you know my relationship with Christ is is first and foremost, like it's important to me, and authentically living out my faith um, you know, is a testimony in itself. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.560 It's um you know, being an evangelist on its own. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:40.160 And kind of in college, I started, you know, really living out my faith more authentically, and I was around a lot of individuals that maybe were um, you know, kind of following the typical college scene and just living my life and um you know following the word of God, I think that lent itself to questions, right? 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:42.000 My friends were like, why are you not doing this? 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:48.240 And um, you know, it was a very natural way for me to bring up my faith, right? 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:52.399 Um I didn't have to do a special thing to hook them in, right? 00:04:52.480 --> 00:05:00.000 Like I just lived my life authentically and had conversations, and um, I think of the verse uh 1 Peter 2.9, right? 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:03.040 We were he calls us a royal priesthood. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.120 Um, we're God's special possession, right? 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.399 And a life marked by Christ is gonna look different. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:16.000 Um and showing his praise, uh praising him because he's called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, right? 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:24.879 That just sharing the transformative, like transformative, you know, life that you've gone through or undergone because of Jesus, right? 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:26.319 That's a testimony in itself. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:33.120 You don't have to do something special, it doesn't have to be coded or you know cure curated to something specific, right? 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:42.560 Every person you meet or chat with or that knows you, right, you're living a life for towards Christ and learning more about him and wanting to be like him. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:53.920 And that alone is enough to you know kind of have those questions start spurring and and have an authentic conversation with someone about your faith and something that's actually important to you. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:06:08.959 And then I'll just add that we because we didn't grow up here, I think when we came here, especially like going up in a Christian home and then like going to a Christian school, when we came to the Bay, I was like, whoa, like people don't know what the gospel is. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:14.079 Like I thought people just go to Sunday school even if they don't like personally know Jesus. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:16.319 Like I just thought that's what everyone did. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:37.759 Um, and so I think the Bay area has definitely stretched us and just being involved in this ministry and like just knowing like my coworkers and like teachers and students that I work with, like um just like authentically living out my faith and like the pressing concern of like this actually is a big deal, and like some people don't know about it. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:07:00.480 Um, and so I think a verse though, because my mom actually and Alex both have this personality where they just are very bold in their faith, um, I never felt like I could have that, but I think a verse that stuck with me is also from it's from 1 Peter 3.15, it's always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:02.720 Do this with gentleness and respect. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:12.079 Um, and I think that you've done that well, and um I've just seen um like with certain influences, and that that's something that I can do as well. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.120 And yeah, yeah. 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:27.519 I mean, I think for me, you know, kind of now, you know, after kind of understanding that change, you know, I interact with student athletes we both do weekly, and you know, a lot of them don't have a faith, right? 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:33.040 But their their curiosity and their humbleness towards learning just fires me up, right? 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:38.079 Like, you know, many of you probably have met a new believer or someone that's curious, right? 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:43.360 It's like it's it's really cool to see just how into the faith they are, right? 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.959 And like um they want to learn, they have a bunch of questions, right? 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:58.319 And you know, for me, that's something where I think about that and I'm like, they're so bold in their questions, and like that challenges me to be bold in my faith. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.240 And like I'm someone that's followed Jesus for 15 years, right? 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:07.279 Like, I I want to be just as bold as them about asking about Jesus. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:30.560 And I think for me, I found too is like finding a common ground, building an you know, authentic, genuine relationship with them about being a good listener and understanding their interests, and then again, I think asking them simple as this tell me your story, tell me not just like the small talk, but tell me about yourself, like and then start digging into what drives you, what motivates you, right? 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:39.600 And um, and then it kind of lends itself into you being able to speak about what's important to you and and what motivates you, and um you know that a lot of times ends with talking about Jesus. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:41.120 It doesn't always have to, right? 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:53.600 I think um sometimes I go into it thinking, oh, this is gonna be a perfect opportunity to to talk about Jesus, and sometimes it's not, but um, having a conversation with them and and interacting and kind of planting those seeds. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:59.360 So um, and we just kind of wanted to leave you guys with with this, um, just as a challenge to the church. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:23.200 You know, I I found too is I've not always you know the most confident talking about my faith, but it's encouraging to know that everyone has a story, everyone has a unique story, and you also have a unique story and and sharing that you know genuinely, and God has done things in your life for a reason, um, and he's put people in your life for a reason, and interacting with them and sharing just how what he's done in your life, right? 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:24.639 And and being bold in that. 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.000 And um, again, we we thank you for bringing us up here. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:30.639 And we felt very blessed to be in the Bay Area. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:42.720 We felt welcome by Awakening since we've been here, and um just this ministry that we're part of at Called Up has really helped us grow and um being a bit more evangelistic. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:43.519 I love it. 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:45.039 Thank you guys so much. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:49.919 Hey, real quick before you go, called up uh it meets on Monday nights. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.279 You have around a hundred or so college athletes showing up. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:54.480 When does it kick off? 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:55.840 Uh kicked off last week. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:56.799 Kicked off last week. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.720 So tomorrow night, if you can be praying for them every Monday night. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:10.320 Uh literally a hundred or so athletes show up from Santa Clara University, San Jose State, and some other JCs around, but predominantly those. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:20.240 Um, and you know, I just got to reach out from a buddy um whose friend son is playing ball for Santa Clara, and he's like, Can you help him get connected? 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:22.399 I said, Yes, I got the perfect place. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:23.919 So thank you guys for what you do. 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:25.679 Can we thank them one more time? 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:35.360 Um today the sermon titles A Compelling Faith. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:36.799 Will you say that with me? 00:10:38.080 --> 00:10:39.679 A compelling faith. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.919 How do we have a compelling faith? 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.440 Um we live in the age of relativity. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:53.759 We live in the age of what's good for you may or may not be good for me, right? 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:57.600 And in some regards that's absolutely true, right? 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.279 Uh just take food. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:04.480 For some gluten, what's gluten for you may not be gluten for me. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:18.720 Uh, or you know, whether you're um dairy, you know, free, you have a dairy allergy, or maybe you're keto, or you're um vegan, or you're all like like we get that. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:23.919 And yet at the same time, there are some things, there's this reality. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:29.759 I've never heard of anyone saying, yeah, uh not really the water. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:34.159 You know, you know, I'm trying to quit, I'm trying to cut back. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:38.159 It's it's a bit, you know, nobody's done that, right? 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:39.919 They're not like, oh, not water. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:53.039 Like, I get that what's true for you or what's good for you may not be good for me when it comes to certain things, but there are certain things that are absolutely good for you, not just good for you, necessary for you. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:58.399 Can't did you know that a little over or around 60% of your body is this? 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:01.120 Now we don't always get it in this form. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:17.200 Some of you, like me, get it in this form a lot more, or some other sugary uh substance there, but the reality is is without this you can't survive. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:20.559 It's foundational for life. 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:27.919 And what if what if Jesus is a whole lot like m water than gluten? 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:33.200 What if Jesus isn't just good for some people? 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:35.919 What if he's good for all people? 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:38.879 We treat Jesus a little bit like gluten. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:45.360 Well, he's kind of, you know, I'm gluten intolerant, it's not really my thing, or I'm, you know, keto or I'm vegan. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:47.519 It's not my thing, but it's your thing. 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:54.799 But what if Jesus is far more like water than a preference or what you desire or what's good for you? 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:59.679 What if he's absolutely good for everyone? 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:08.879 And then the question, because if it's true, if he really is good for everyone, how do we have a compelling faith in the heart of Silicon Valley? 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.799 How do we have a compelling faith? 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:14.240 We've seen what a condemning faith looks like. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:34.799 We've seen the bullhorn guy, we've seen, you know, even last week we were talking about what word comes to mind when others who aren't part of the faith, you know, a part of Jesus, um, what word comes to mind Christian is like harsh, judgmental, uh, critical, hypocritical, all these areas. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.600 How do you have a compelling faith? 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:48.080 Uh, this question, it was not just a question that we're wrestling with, it's actually a question the very first followers were wrestling with as well. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:52.960 Uh, ancient Rome didn't have presidential elections, they had regime changes. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:14:00.879 When the Apostle Paul penned his letter to the church in Rome, uh, the Emperor Claudius had recently died. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.519 Now, Claudius in 49 A.D. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:09.039 had expelled all the Jews, which included all the Christians, from Rome. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.080 Uh, he died uh in around A.D. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:13.759 53, 54. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:21.840 The Jews and Christians are come returning back to Rome, and yet Nero ascended to the throne in A.D. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:22.799 54. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:26.639 It began uh decently under his advisors. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:28.320 He was only 16. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:35.039 And then Nero became one of the most infamous rulers in history. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:49.279 AD 64, he set ablaze Rome called the Great Fire of Rome, tore through the city, and Nero blamed the Christians, and the first great persecution of the church erupted. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:56.159 One historian described how Nero executed Christians with lavish publicity. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:12.720 Crucifixions and the gladiatorial games, feeding them to the wild beasts, covering them in tar, tying them to poles, and then setting them ablaze to light his parties that he hosted at night. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:25.279 This is the world and the city that Paul is writing to the church in Rome. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:32.159 And in this context, under that emperor, he pins these words. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.600 For I'm not ashamed of the gospel. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:46.000 Because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:52.240 I am not ashamed of the gospel in the heart of Rome. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:07.279 With an emperor that is killing Christians with glee, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:11.360 How do you have a compelling faith in the heart of the Roman Empire? 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:16.080 How do you have a compelling faith in the heart of Silicon Valley? 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:22.720 There were three convictions the first followers had when it came to their faith, this bold faith, this compelling faith. 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:24.240 We see it here in the text. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:30.399 The conviction number one was that the gospel fundamentally is good news, not good advice. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.639 The gospel is good news. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:38.480 The Apostle Paul says, I'm not ashamed, or you can write next to that in your notes, embarrassed. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:40.639 I'm not embarrassed of this. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:43.840 I'm not embarrassed of the gospel. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:44.720 What is the gospel? 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:46.559 It's the Greek word uangelion. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:57.840 It literally means good news, news that makes one happy, information that causes one joy, words that bring a smile, a message that causes the heart to be sweet. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:16:59.759 News, and T. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:06.559 Wright says, is something has happened as a result of which the world is a different place. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:08.799 Good advice. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:26.160 The gospel is not good advice, a new philosophy, a new way of thinking, a better, you know, life hack, five steps for you to, you know, improve your life, seven habits of highly effective people. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:27.279 That's not the gospel. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:28.960 We need good advice. 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:30.880 Nothing bad with that. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:36.400 But that's not what the early church was convicted. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.000 This is good news. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:44.559 And he wright, he writes this the whole point of advice is to make you do something to get a desired result. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:46.400 Now there's nothing wrong with good advice. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:49.119 We all need it, but it isn't the same as news. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:56.640 News is an announcement that something significant has happened, and good news is what Jesus and his first followers were all about. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:03.359 When Paul told people his good news, he did not mean for them to say, Well, that's interesting. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.160 I'll see if that's going to suit me or not. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:12.400 He wasn't inviting them to try on a new way of thinking or living that would enable them to live differently or think differently. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:24.640 He was telling them that something had happened which had changed the world, that the world was now a different place, and that he was summoning them to be a part of that new, different reality. 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:35.119 He was telling them about an event that would cause them to adjust their entire lives in order to come into line with the way things now were. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:08.319 That's why the apostle in 1 Corinthians said in 1 Corinthians 15, this for I was what I received, I pass on to you of first importance. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:18.559 That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, that is Peter, and then to the twelve. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:25.759 And after that he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:31.279 Then he appeared to James, then all the apostles, and last of all, he appeared to me as one abnabnormally born. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:33.039 This is what the Apostle Paul is saying. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.000 It's like that something happened. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.720 Did you know that there's five historical facts that all major scholars agree upon? 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:49.440 Whether you're theist or atheist, is simply this: that Jesus was a real historical figure. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:55.759 He died a Roman crucifixion, that he was buried in a tomb. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:57.200 The tomb was empty. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:09.279 Now there's disagreement about how the tomb was empty, but the tomb was empty, and that his disciples, his first followers, truly believed they saw the resurrected Jesus and died for that belief. 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:15.759 And that the skeptics, Paul, who was a skeptic, no, he was worse than that. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.640 He was trying to stamp out the faith. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:27.680 He was killing those who believed in the way, said he saw Jesus, his life was changed, and he died for life. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:36.160 The historical evidence of the resurrection is better than anything we have in ancient antiquity. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:43.119 You can have confidence in your faith, and if you don't have faith, would you examine the resurrection? 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.720 Because everything hinges on it. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:50.720 Because if Jesus did rise from the grave, then all that he said is true and trustworthy. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:52.400 He is Lord. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:54.400 If he didn't, this is a waste of time. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:57.519 Go enjoy your Sunday afternoon. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:01.200 Have a bagel, or if you're gluten-free, have eggs. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:02.480 I don't know. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:04.559 Yeah, yeah. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:05.200 C.S. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:09.680 Lewis said it this way Christianity, if uh false, is of no importance. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:11.920 If true, of infinite importance. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:16.240 The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:25.200 Oh God, would you keep the church from allowing your gospel to be moderately important to us? 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:36.720 On January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, officially outlawing slavery in the Confederate States. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:49.920 However, it wasn't until June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of all enslaved African Americans. 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:55.759 For two and a half years, these men, women, and children were free, but nobody told them. 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.359 The war had been won, and their freedom had been. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.200 Secured, but they were still enslaved. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:04.640 Why? 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:14.480 Because no one told them, and the powerful in the land held on to power as long as they could. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:20.880 The gospel is fundamentally good news. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:28.720 Jesus came, he died for you, he took on our greatest foe, death itself, and rose again. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:34.640 The second conviction is that the gospel is powerful. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:38.000 For he said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:38.240 Why? 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:39.279 Why aren't you ashamed? 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:41.200 Why aren't you embarrassed of this? 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:46.079 It's embarrassing to have a king who was crucified. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:48.960 It's embarrassing. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.039 It's shameful. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:57.599 The most shameful way to die in the ancient Rome was by crucifixion. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:01.359 You wouldn't even utter the word crucifixion in polite company. 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.039 It was worse than a cuss word. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:08.799 I'm not ashamed of this gospel where my king was crucified. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:09.680 Why? 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:17.119 Because it's the power of God that brings salvation. 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:24.160 This news that changed everything has the power to bring salvation. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.680 It's powerful. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:27.680 It's not a method. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.279 It's powerful. 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:33.279 It changes lives. 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:38.079 It is life-altering, life-shaping, life-changing. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:50.400 This is part of their witness and their boldness wasn't that they had it all together figured out and knew all the right words to say. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:54.480 Here's all I know. 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:57.440 This carpenter rabbi. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:15.680 He taught, predicted his death, did a lot of really amazing miracles, was crucified, resurrected on the third day, and he changed my life. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.559 And he can change yours too. 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:21.920 It's powerful. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:28.720 And it's not even just that the gospel is power, powerful, it's like he's empowered you. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:36.799 Jesus said this to his disciples, but you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you to be my witnesses. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.039 What is a witness, by the way? 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:41.039 Help me out. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:43.279 Pardon? 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:48.480 Yeah, witness, but like fundamentally, they saw something. 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:50.240 They experienced something. 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:56.160 They're telling you what they saw, what they experienced, they're telling you what happened. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:58.000 You'll be my witness. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:58.799 What is it? 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:02.720 It's not like let's not over-spiritualize this. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:10.000 If you saw, you know, um a car accident, you're a witness to it. 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:12.079 You're explaining the details of it. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:17.759 I'm a witness that Jesus changed my life, and all I need to share is how he changed my life. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:22.480 I have witnessed it firsthand, and I've witnessed it in many of your lives as well. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:28.480 Jesus said, the Holy Spirit will come on you with it, and you'll receive power. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:32.559 You'll be empowered to be his witness. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:38.720 The gospel's powerful, and every follower of Jesus is empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:41.680 Think about that. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:50.880 Because I think when we think about this bold faith, and it's easy to like get caught up in like, oh man, this is a lot. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:26:00.319 I gotta, you know, I loved how Alex and Bree were sharing, like, you know, I need to learn more and have the right words and some of these sort of things. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:10.880 It's just the gospel's powerful and you're empowered, and if you show up, Jesus works. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:12.880 It's that simple. 00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:16.400 The gospel's powerful, you're empowered. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:20.960 And if you just show up, if you're present, Jesus will work. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:27.599 I've shared this story so many times, you're probably annoyed with it, but it's my story, so I keep sharing my story. 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:33.119 And I love the part of the reason I love to share it is because it happened to me at 17. 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:39.680 And it's like I want our high school students, I want our college students, I want our young adults to know that there isn't an age limit to this. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:42.160 There isn't an age, like I need to reach this level. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:49.119 No, listen, the gospel's powerful, you're empowered, and like if you just show up, Jesus works. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.880 When I was 17, I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus. 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:56.400 He changed my life, set the course and trajectory of my life. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:01.359 I couldn't help but share about him because that's what you do when somebody changes your life. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:05.839 When you experience the good news, it's good to you, you can't contain it. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:11.759 And I showed up on my high school campus as a senior, day one of U.S. 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:17.599 Gov class, sitting in a little four kind of table thing. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:21.839 The most popular guy in school next to me, Preston Caffrey. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.680 The dude could sell snow to Eskimo. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.119 He was a part of every like friend group. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:33.839 I didn't know what I'm doing, I didn't know how to say it. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.519 I just, the gospel's powerful, I'm empowered. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:42.640 I just turned to Preston in the middle of US Gov and asked this simple question. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:45.839 Has anybody told you about Jesus? 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:51.039 And his answer, no. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:56.240 I was so naive, I was so dumb. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.119 I said, could I? 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:05.920 I mean, we're stuck for like a 90 minutes in this US Gov class. 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:09.039 He said, sure. 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:14.960 And I just began to share about this Jesus that changed my life. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:17.839 Having no idea. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:27.200 Just a little bit ago, a year or two ago, he lost his brother to keep leukemia. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:35.759 That though he looked perfect on the outside and was the coolest, most popular guy, there was so much heartache and pain. 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:49.039 And one 17-year-old just asking a simple, probably foolhardy, dumb question, you gotta have a better plan than that, Ryan. 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:52.079 That doesn't work. 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:58.319 And at the end of the time, Preston goes, hey, could we talk more about that? 00:28:58.640 --> 00:28:59.519 Jesus. 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:01.599 Like, yeah. 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.640 In fact, could I, you know, could we start meeting on Wednesday nights? 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:07.599 Cool. 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:10.960 Could I bring some of my friends? 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:12.960 Does that mean we're friends? 00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:13.440 You know. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:22.160 Preston, who did not know Jesus, started a Bible study in my house, and we started reading through the Gospel of John. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:29.920 And about four months later, in January, he gave his life to Jesus. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:38.480 So significant was that January date that he not only has it tattooed, but that's the date he got married because his new life began that day. 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.400 You have no idea what hangs in the moment. 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:51.839 You have no idea the people that you're sitting across from, and they look picture perfect and they're presenting picture perfect and they have it all together, and you don't know the deep pain. 00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:54.319 All you know is your pain that you're walking through. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:57.200 You have no idea the pain on the other side. 00:29:58.640 --> 00:30:03.039 The gospel is good news for every single person. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:06.640 It's powerful, and you're empowered. 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:13.039 And if you just show up to the moment Jesus moves, Jesus works. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:17.599 What would change for you if you just began to go? 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:19.839 Okay, I'm gonna show up at work. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:26.000 I'm just gonna show up with my friends or my classmates. 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:32.079 I'm just gonna start praying for them and looking for an opportunity. 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:45.200 And then you're gonna have this moment, like this gulp moment, and where like the Spirit of God actually presses upon your heart like you need to talk to them, and you're freaked out, you know, and you're like, I don't know if I can do it, and your heart's racing, I don't know, I don't know. 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:46.960 And you're gonna miss some of those, by the way. 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:54.640 We all do, and then you're gonna go like I don't want to miss that moment, I'm gonna follow through, and you step through and you're like, I just said all the wrong things. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:55.519 It was so dumb. 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:56.319 I was an idiot. 00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:57.519 I can't believe I said that. 00:30:57.680 --> 00:31:00.079 But then they're like, really, tell me more. 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:02.559 Why? 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:07.039 Because the gospel's powerful, and you're empowered. 00:31:08.319 --> 00:31:14.000 And the gospel, by the way, isn't just for some people, it's for everyone. 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:21.359 This was revolutionary in the ancient day. 00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:28.160 You had your personal deities, you had your city's gods. 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:45.279 The gospel of Jesus Christ wasn't for perfect people, the right people, certain people, some people, a certain race or creed or nationality is for all people. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:50.160 To everyone who believes. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:32:00.400 In fact, the uh verse that we talked about, the most famous verse last, you know, in the Bible, John 3.16, we talked about it last week. 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:04.000 For God so loved the world. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:23.440 When we read that, we are so familiar that the wonder and the scandal of that statement just well, of course, God loves the world. 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:27.200 That's not how gods in the ancient day worked. 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:29.279 They were capricious, by the way. 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:38.000 Uh, you seek to appease or please your God, you know, and you had your gods and they loved you, but they hated everybody that you hated. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.640 God loves the world. 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:48.400 The gospel is for every single person. 00:32:51.920 --> 00:33:01.119 The gospel is the singular yet comprehensive solution to all that is broken in our lives and in the world. 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:13.519 Uh there was this uh something a couple years ago called the Asbury Pouring Outpouring Revival that happened at the Asbury College. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:16.640 Encourage you to look it up if you're not familiar with it. 00:33:16.799 --> 00:33:21.519 Uh some of the professors and people tried to kind of figure out what was happening. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:26.160 There's a movement, by the way, Gen Z is called the Quiet Revival. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:32.880 We're seeing Gen Z come back to Jesus, or come to Jesus rather, uh, at rates that we haven't seen. 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:36.640 This next generation is turning to Jesus. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:40.480 I'm so glad we're a church that exists to awaken this generation. 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:48.240 We're perfectly placed in the valley next to Santa Clara, Stanford, San Jose State, City College, West Valley. 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:50.000 I'm not gonna get them all, guys. 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:50.480 I'm sorry. 00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:52.000 There's so many JCs. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:34:01.440 But you can go to awakeningrevival.com. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.480 I believe that's what it is. 00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:05.119 If it's wrong, I'll get it right. 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:06.720 Yeah, email me. 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:13.119 But it unpacks the origins of awakenings, of these revival moments. 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:26.320 And one of the things that it said here that I just loved in our day of the pantheon of advice and things that we want, like, oh, this is good, or what about this? 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:40.880 The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a competing spirituality in the pantheon of religions, it is not a self-help therapy, it is not a philosophical construct, the gospel is not a spiritual solution to a material problem. 00:34:41.679 --> 00:34:49.920 The gospel is a profoundly integrative and comprehensive solution for a deeply complex and disintegrated world. 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:56.880 The vision of the gospel is not a socially engineered utopia, but the in-breaking of the kingdom of God. 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:03.119 Structural and systemic evils will change only when human beings are transformed. 00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:09.760 This is the gospel that is good news for every person. 00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:24.880 Tim Keller says it this way: the gospel is this we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:45.119 And the truth is that you are the greatest Christian, your classmate, your co-worker, your neighbor, your friend, your family member, whatever. 00:35:46.400 --> 00:35:46.719 No. 00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:57.519 And then the question remains if the gospel is so good, why don't we share it with everyone? 00:35:59.760 --> 00:36:02.159 Why do we struggle with this? 00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:08.559 And I think the reason is back to this guy. 00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:11.840 Bullhorn guy. 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:35.599 We've all seen it, we've all probably experienced it, especially if you're on a college campus or if you go to a concert or from random times, someone yelling on the corner that's just, I mean, I remember going to a concert and some guy just yelling at vitriol and hate, and I just wanted to yell back, that's not Jesus. 00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:45.360 See, I think we're either shamed into silence or we're embarrassed. 00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:48.320 I'm not embarrassed of the gospel, we're embarrassed. 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:54.480 Because there's five myths I think we buy into or we believe when it comes to sharing the gospel. 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:59.039 The first is that my faith is a private issue. 00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:01.039 My faith is private. 00:37:02.159 --> 00:37:04.320 It's just about me and Jesus. 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.599 Let's be clear. 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:07.360 Your faith is personal. 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:09.760 It was never intended to be private. 00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:17.519 You have a personal relationship with Jesus, and you are called, and he said, You are the light of the world. 00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:19.920 You are the salt of the earth. 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:24.880 The second is that my well, my life is my message, Ryan. 00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:33.360 You know, so I keep my Bible on my desk at work, or I wear the cross, necklace, and those things are great, nothing wrong with that. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:33.679 St. 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:36.480 Francis of Assisi gets uh misapplied all the time. 00:37:36.639 --> 00:37:38.960 He says, preach the gospel at all times. 00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:40.880 When necessary, use words. 00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:42.960 And like, well, my life is my message. 00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:44.559 I'm preaching the gospel with my life. 00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:48.400 That is wonderful and beautiful, and yes, and amen. 00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:52.960 But it is necessary to use words. 00:37:53.519 --> 00:38:00.159 In fact, Romans 10 says, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:05.280 How will they hear unless someone shares with them? 00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:07.840 My life is my message. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:08.800 Third myth. 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:10.800 Well, it's just not my gift. 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:13.679 I love that Miley's hit on that. 00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:16.159 Well, it's not my gift, it's not my thing, you know. 00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:17.119 Like, I don't know. 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:20.239 Some of you, well, Ryan, you've been trained by this. 00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.639 That's why I like sharing the story of a 17-year-old kid before I had any training of anything. 00:38:24.800 --> 00:38:25.599 It's not my gift. 00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:28.239 Yeah, there are some people who are gifted. 00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:33.039 Evangelists, that every time they share, like somebody comes to Christ. 00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:38.960 It's amazing, it's beautiful, it's wonderful, and yet we're all called to share our faith. 00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:42.400 Um, fourth one. 00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:44.639 I don't know enough. 00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:46.480 I just don't know enough. 00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:49.199 The truth is, you do. 00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:52.320 Uh, John 9 is blind Bartimaeus. 00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:53.920 Jesus heals him. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.760 He's being grilled by the religious leaders who healed you. 00:38:57.920 --> 00:39:02.079 And they're not like wanting to know this because, like, wow, this guy's amazing. 00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:05.760 This somebody healed on the Sabbath, and we're gonna get him. 00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:11.199 And I love his response. 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:15.679 He's like, I don't know all of your answers. 00:39:16.159 --> 00:39:18.480 I don't have answers to all those. 00:39:18.719 --> 00:39:20.480 Here's all I do know. 00:39:21.199 --> 00:39:25.039 I once was blind, but now I see. 00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:32.079 I don't have all the apologetic answers, I don't have all the historical stuff. 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:34.159 You're asking some great questions. 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:36.159 Here's all I do know. 00:39:36.880 --> 00:39:40.239 Jesus entered my life and he forever changed my life. 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:43.360 I once was blind, but now I see. 00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:47.519 You don't need to know enough, you just need to share your story. 00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:51.840 Your story is irrefutable. 00:39:53.519 --> 00:39:54.960 It's powerful. 00:39:55.599 --> 00:39:58.239 This is how Jesus has shared my story, and I love that. 00:39:58.320 --> 00:40:01.840 Absolutely, the Milo is talking about get to know other people's stories. 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:05.679 Ask them their what's going on in their life. 00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:12.239 And finally, myth number five, people are just not open. 00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:16.400 That's a big one for us, isn't it? 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:18.639 People just aren't open. 00:40:18.880 --> 00:40:31.440 They don't really, I don't, you know, they're this is Silicon Valley, it's fast-paced, it's you know, um, upwardly mobile, they have it all together, they're driving the right thing, they're wearing the right stuff. 00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:33.840 They're just not open. 00:40:35.920 --> 00:40:41.679 Jesus would say this that the harvest is ripe, but the workers are few. 00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:49.039 When Jesus sees Silicon Valley, he sees a harvest waiting to be brought in. 00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:52.320 What if his church saw the same thing? 00:40:52.719 --> 00:41:09.920 What if our vision at our office or our vision at our school or our vision at our neighborhood or our apartment complex was like there's people here who desperately need to hear the gospel of Jesus, and they're actually needing it and wanting it. 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:20.639 They're looking and searching and running after so many things, and they're hoping that somebody somewhere might just help them, and you have the solution in Jesus. 00:41:21.440 --> 00:41:28.960 And we begin to look and go, the harvest is ripe, but the workers are few. 00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:32.000 So here's what I want to ask you to do, all right? 00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:38.639 This is our whole strategy for bold faith, to live a compelling faith. 00:41:38.719 --> 00:41:39.280 It's simple. 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:40.559 Three words. 00:41:41.119 --> 00:41:44.639 You'll remember it as you go, and you won't ever forget it. 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:46.320 I promise you. 00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:47.119 Three words. 00:41:47.280 --> 00:41:48.159 You ready? 00:41:48.559 --> 00:41:51.840 Prayer, care, share. 00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:53.360 Did you got that? 00:41:53.599 --> 00:41:54.960 Yeah, say it with me. 00:41:55.280 --> 00:41:57.840 Prayer, care, share. 00:41:58.000 --> 00:41:59.199 It's that simple. 00:41:59.360 --> 00:42:00.719 Prayer, say it again. 00:42:01.039 --> 00:42:02.480 Care, share. 00:42:02.559 --> 00:42:03.280 What was that again? 00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:04.079 I totally forgot. 00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:05.199 What I did I don't remember. 00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:06.239 What was it? 00:42:06.639 --> 00:42:06.960 Prayer. 00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:08.480 Care, share. 00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:11.519 In fact, just take it off the screen real quick and see if you can say it. 00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:14.159 I don't know if you can remember those three words. 00:42:14.239 --> 00:42:14.639 There you go. 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:15.519 Try it again. 00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:17.840 Prayer, share, share. 00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:19.599 It's that simple. 00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:23.920 Uh tomorrow we kick off 21 days of prayer. 00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:32.000 If you haven't gotten your prayer journal book, it's going to be out there on the way and on your way out. 00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:32.960 Would you pick it up? 00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:36.320 Join us for 21 days that leads up to our birthday. 00:42:36.639 --> 00:42:42.480 When I was 17, and Preston, you know, started this Bible study. 00:42:42.639 --> 00:42:44.719 Again, I didn't know any better. 00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:50.079 Boy, do we need a lot more people that just don't know any better. 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:59.519 I grabbed a three by five card and I just wrote the names of all the guys that were showing up to the Bible study. 00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:06.320 I put it on my bedside table, and I just prayed for them every night before going to bed. 00:43:09.280 --> 00:43:20.559 And the amazing thing, and God doesn't always work this quickly, by the end of my senior year, every single one of them had come to know Jesus. 00:43:23.199 --> 00:43:28.800 Because one kid just prayed and then cared and shared. 00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:31.440 So here's what I want you to do at the front of your book. 00:43:32.559 --> 00:43:33.840 Who's your one? 00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:35.840 Who's your two? 00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:37.599 Who's your three? 00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:40.239 Who are the people that you're gonna pray for? 00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:43.199 Let's just at least do 21 days. 00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:49.840 Would you write them down and pray for them? 00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:56.639 Who are your co workers, your classmates, your teammates, your friends, your family members? 00:43:57.280 --> 00:43:59.760 And then care that you would actually care. 00:44:01.119 --> 00:44:01.760 For people. 00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:09.119 So in my neighborhood, I about 10 years ago, I started running. 00:44:10.480 --> 00:44:12.800 And I have I run the same route. 00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:14.400 I'm very boring every day. 00:44:14.480 --> 00:44:20.159 And I would go up and down the same, you know, street and then around, up and down, and all this. 00:44:20.239 --> 00:44:25.679 And I would run past this one house, and this dad would be playing with his kids quite often on the runs. 00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:28.320 And so I just started praying for them. 00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:34.559 And uh one day, while I was running past, I felt that spirit prompting that tugging. 00:44:35.199 --> 00:44:40.559 And it's like, Ryan, you need to like stop and share Jesus with them. 00:44:41.360 --> 00:44:44.800 And you know, I do the same, I'm a pastor, I do the same thing. 00:44:44.880 --> 00:44:45.920 I'm like wrestling with God. 00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:47.679 I'm like, no, that's a terrible idea. 00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:49.760 What a weirdo, you know. 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:53.440 And then I finally get to the point where like, okay, fine. 00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:54.880 Um, I'll do that. 00:44:55.039 --> 00:45:00.159 And so I'm like, if he's outside with his kids, I'll I'll share it with them, I'll stop. 00:45:00.320 --> 00:45:02.159 And I would come back and he's inside. 00:45:02.239 --> 00:45:03.199 There's they're not out fun. 00:45:03.360 --> 00:45:05.679 I was like, dodge that bullet. 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:09.679 And I kept running. 00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:18.480 And like that, like angst, that feeling in my chest of like, no, you're being disobedient now. 00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:21.760 I'm like, oh, uh, you know, like you need to turn around. 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:31.360 I stopped my run, I turn around, I knock on the door, he opens it up, like, hey, I'm Ryan, I'm your neighbor. 00:45:31.519 --> 00:45:32.880 He's like, I'm Craig. 00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:36.000 Yeah, I I run the neighborhood, and he's like, Oh, I see you. 00:45:36.320 --> 00:45:37.920 And hey, you've lost some weight. 00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:39.119 I'm like, thanks. 00:45:39.760 --> 00:45:41.280 That's the reason I run. 00:45:41.599 --> 00:45:45.840 Um and I'm like, this is kind of weird. 00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:59.599 I it might be a little weird, but like I'm a Christian, and like I just, I every time I run, I I I pray for you and your family, and I just wanted to like stop and share Jesus, a little bit of like who Jesus is to me. 00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:02.400 Again, I haven't grown much since 17. 00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:07.440 And he's like, I don't think that's weird. 00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:11.760 Because if you really believe that, why wouldn't you share that? 00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:14.079 I'm like, yeah, no, that's what I was meaning. 00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:20.079 Um developed a friendship with him. 00:46:21.760 --> 00:46:24.800 He happened to be a volleyball beach volleyball player too. 00:46:24.880 --> 00:46:26.639 We started playing volleyball together. 00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:32.719 And then he, after about six months, he moved away. 00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:34.719 And we lost contact. 00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:42.960 I don't have like the shiny wrap-abo on it like he gave his life to Christ ending. 00:46:45.519 --> 00:46:56.800 There's some research that tells us that people need about six to seven positive encounters with the gospel before they respond. 00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:00.960 Here's all I know with Craig. 00:47:01.679 --> 00:47:03.599 I wasn't number seven. 00:47:04.960 --> 00:47:07.360 But man, I might have been number one. 00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:14.719 I don't know like his full story and history with church, but I know he had a background where he was anti-faith. 00:47:14.800 --> 00:47:17.440 Uh, but I and so I don't know if he had any other positive. 00:47:17.519 --> 00:47:29.840 I know I was at least number one, I might have been number three, I might have been number four, but I was along the chain of his story, him coming to know Jesus, and I pray that he does, and when God brings him to mind, I still pray for him. 00:47:30.079 --> 00:47:32.960 So you don't have to have that shiny end of the story. 00:47:33.039 --> 00:47:34.400 You just go like I'm faithful. 00:47:34.480 --> 00:47:36.559 I'm I'm I'm number three. 00:47:36.960 --> 00:47:41.599 I'm number four in the line of what God's doing in this person's life. 00:47:41.840 --> 00:47:45.360 Would you care enough to share? 00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:50.320 This quote has always been challenging to me. 00:47:54.400 --> 00:47:56.159 If I can find it. 00:47:57.119 --> 00:48:03.519 Magician Pin Gillette, who's an outspoken atheist, once said, I don't respect people who don't proselytize. 00:48:04.079 --> 00:48:08.480 If you really believe in heaven and hell, how much do you have to hate someone not to tell them? 00:48:12.079 --> 00:48:15.760 Prayer, care, share. 00:48:17.360 --> 00:48:21.199 It might be risking, hey, would you like to get coffee? 00:48:21.519 --> 00:48:23.679 Would you like to go to lunch? 00:48:24.320 --> 00:48:26.079 Love to have you over for dinner. 00:48:27.119 --> 00:48:28.880 I'd love to hear your story. 00:48:31.679 --> 00:48:33.280 Love to get to know you. 00:48:34.239 --> 00:48:35.360 Look for opportunities. 00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:36.480 God, where are you working? 00:48:36.559 --> 00:48:37.920 How are you moving? 00:48:38.079 --> 00:48:41.280 One of the easy things that we do, our birthday. 00:48:42.159 --> 00:48:44.800 21 days from this day. 00:48:45.599 --> 00:48:46.559 Would you share with them? 00:48:46.639 --> 00:49:00.559 Hey, we want to make it a Sunday where you show up and you know like everything's done to such a level that as your friend comes in, your your family member, your coworker, they're going like, oh my goodness, that was an incredible experience. 00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:03.679 And God was in that place. 00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:04.400 I don't even know. 00:49:04.480 --> 00:49:06.800 I had I had something something happened. 00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:13.760 And where you would share with them, and that you would invite them. 00:49:14.079 --> 00:49:18.639 We do these Sundays, we call them easy invite Sundays. 00:49:19.920 --> 00:49:24.880 We we don't water down the gospel, but we want to make it easy for you to invite your friends here. 00:49:25.599 --> 00:49:28.880 Where it show up and it's like, oh man, this something's happening. 00:49:28.960 --> 00:49:30.320 You want to be a part of it. 00:49:30.639 --> 00:49:32.400 Would you join us for that? 00:49:32.639 --> 00:49:34.559 What's our evangelism strategy? 00:49:37.599 --> 00:49:38.480 Thank you. 00:49:38.719 --> 00:49:42.480 What if Jesus isn't just good for some people? 00:49:43.039 --> 00:49:46.159 What if he's good for all people? 00:49:46.960 --> 00:49:55.199 What if he's not gluten at all, but he is, as he said, the living water of life. 00:49:56.719 --> 00:50:12.800 I want to pray a prayer for us that I prayed last week, or really quoted it, but I want it to be a prayer for us as we close and we partake in communion by Henry Nellan. 00:50:14.559 --> 00:50:19.360 That we'd make it our prayer for how we see a watching world. 00:50:19.920 --> 00:50:25.679 And as we take communion, realize that Jesus sees us this way. 00:50:31.840 --> 00:50:41.119 God help me to see others, not as my enemies or as ungodly, but rather as thirsty people. 00:50:43.039 --> 00:50:50.800 God help me to see others, not as my enemies or as ungodly, but rather as thirsty people. 00:50:52.159 --> 00:50:58.400 And give me the courage and compassion to offer your living water. 00:50:59.199 --> 00:51:10.159 Give me the courage and compassion to offer your living water, which alone quenches deep thirst. 00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:12.000 In Jesus' name. 00:51:12.960 --> 00:51:13.599 Amen. 00:51:14.400 --> 00:51:16.639 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:51:16.880 --> 00:51:21.280 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:51:21.440 --> 00:51:23.519 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:51:23.679 --> 00:51:29.599 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.