WEBVTT

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 Well, again, let me welcome you this morning.

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 I am, I've been loving this series in Acts because it's just, it's the kind of thing

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 that we have to come back to again and again and again as we think about what it means

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 to be the church.

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 And after this past year, I think it's just become clear to all of us that we need to be

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 reminded why we're here, what we're here to do.

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 And so for that reason, we're looking at this text.

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 The idea being that as we remember what the early church was like, the role they played

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 in Roman society, we can get clarity on what we're called to be like in D.C. society.

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 And as we look at the future of our church in D.C., one of the things that we are praying

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 for, one of the things that I'm praying for most is to see more adult conversions, is

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 to see more older children and adults, either people who have left the faith, people who've

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 never been exposed to the faith, coming in, falling in love with Jesus, giving their lives

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 to Jesus and being baptized.

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 And that's, I feel like God has just put that in my heart and I'm just praying and praying

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 and praying to see that in the years to come.

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 Now, I know that that statement probably makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable.

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 And it makes non-Christians feel comfortable.

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 And some of you are here and you're not Christians and you're like, man, this is the absolute wrong

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 Sunday to be here.

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 But there are a lot of Christians actually, maybe even more Christians than non-Christians,

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 who get really uncomfortable when we talk about adult conversions.

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 Because that whole idea of sharing your faith, convincing somebody else to believe what you

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 believe, is very taboo in our society.

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 It's just one of the things that civil people don't do in our society.

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 My sense of why we get so uncomfortable is that, at least in part, we have a lot of misconceptions

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 about conversion.

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 And I think that Christians and non-Christians alike have a lot of misconceptions about Christian

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 conversion, what it is and what it's not.

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 And so I want to clear up some of those misconceptions this morning by looking at, hands down, the most

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 famous Christian conversion in all of history, which is the conversion of Saul, the persecutor

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 of Christians, to Paul, the apostle who wrote many of the letters of the New Testament.

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 We're going to be looking primarily at the passage in Acts 9 that I read, but we're also going

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 to look a little bit at Acts 22 and Acts 26, where we see further retellings of his

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 conversion story.

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 And then we're going to draw from some of his letters as well and try to understand

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 what conversion is and what it's not.

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 And there are a lot of details that are unique to Paul's conversion.

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 We're not going to focus on those as much.

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 What we're going to do is to draw out three features of Paul's conversion that I think would

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 apply to any conversion out there.

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 So let's, with that in mind, ask the Lord to guide us, and then we'll open God's word

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 together.

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 Lord, we thank you for your word.

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 And as we will see today, your word, your gospel has its own power.

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 It doesn't depend on our rhetoric, our force of persuasion.

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 It doesn't depend on our production value.

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 Somehow your word, your gospel, goes out from you, accomplishes all that you intend for it

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 to accomplish in the power of your spirit in ways that are sometimes in spite of us.

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 And Lord, I pray for myself and for us that you would use your word to accomplish your will in us,

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 even if it has to be in spite of us, in spite of me.

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 And I pray this for your glory, that your name would be lifted above all others.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 So the first thing we see as we look at Paul's story, his conversion,

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 one of the things that I think is very clear in this text from the outset

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 is that conversion begins not with us, but with God.

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 It begins not with us, but with God.

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 Luke opens by telling us three things in the first couple of verses.

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 He tells us three things.

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 Number one, Paul is still breathing threats and murder against Christians.

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 He's walking along and he's grumbling and fantasizing

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 about all of the horrendous things that he wants to do

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 to these Christians when he finds them.

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 That's the first thing.

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 Number two, Paul has gotten an extradition order from the high priest

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 authorizing him to drag any Christians he finds in Damascus back to Jerusalem for trial,

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 to bind them and to drag them back to Jerusalem for trial.

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 And number three, he's on his way to Damascus to do just that.

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 So Paul is not sort of seeking Jesus at this point in his life.

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 And Luke wants to make that clear.

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 He's not seeking Jesus.

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 The whole point of the story is Jesus is the one seeking Paul.

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 It's clear from the very beginning.

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 But there's more going on than that.

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 There's more going on than just this miraculous appearance on the road.

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 We often think of the Damascus road experience as this sudden dramatic event, right?

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 Somebody is on the streets and addicted to heroin and robbing banks

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 and then they meet Jesus and then everything changes.

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 And that's kind of how we think of a Damascus road experience.

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 But if you know Paul's story, God has actually been working in his life for some time.

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 Now, Saul is a Pharisee and the Pharisees were generally opposed to the teachings of Jesus and the early Christians.

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 But the thing you have to understand about Paul is,

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 Paul's hatred of Christians went far beyond his colleagues.

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 It went far beyond his colleagues.

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 Paul's mentor, Gamaliel, had encouraged a posture of caution and leniency toward the Christians.

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 But Paul had broken away from his mentor and Paul had become a fanatic.

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 Paul saw Christians as pure evil, as heretics who were tearing apart the Jewish way of life.

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 And he believed that he was doing God's will by murdering as many of them as possible.

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 I mean, get that into your mind.

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 I'm glorifying God by murdering as many of these people as possible.

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 So you ask, well, why was Paul such a fanatic?

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 What's the source of his fanaticism?

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 Carl Jung, the analyst, once said this.

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 He says, fanaticism is only found in individuals who are compensating for secret doubts.

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 That's a really important point.

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 Right?

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 So then we have to ask the question,

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 was Paul's fanaticism due to the fact that he was compensating for secret doubts?

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 In Paul's own account of his conversion in Acts chapter 26,

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 at one point, Jesus says to him,

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 it's hard for you to kick against the goads.

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 You say, what does that mean?

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 Well, a goad is like a long stick with a pointy end.

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 It's like a cattle prod,

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 and you use it to get livestock to go in the direction that you want them to go.

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 So then you ask, well, what does this mean?

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 What were the goads in Paul's life?

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 What was goading him?

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 A few things.

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 Right?

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 Number one, commentators say it's very likely that Saul and Jesus were roughly the same age.

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 And so it's very likely, being in a small geographic area,

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 that they would have been around each other,

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 maybe even met earlier in life.

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 It's very possible that in one of the places in the Gospels

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 where you see Jesus and you see the Pharisees

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 kind of standing off to the side and grumbling,

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 it's very likely that Paul was among those Pharisees,

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 watching Jesus teach,

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 watching Jesus heal,

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 watching the way the crowds responded to him.

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 And these experiences may have goaded Paul,

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 punching little holes of doubt in his certainty.

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 Right?

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 And then there was the matter of Stephen.

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 We saw not too long ago

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 that Saul was standing there,

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 giving approval to what was happening.

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 He was overseeing the events of the murder of Stephen

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 when Stephen fell to his knees,

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 the rocks crashing into his body and into his head.

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 Stephen crying out,

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 seeing a vision of the glory of God,

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 Jesus at the right hand of the Father.

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 Stephen crying out in prayer,

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 God, please forgive the sins

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 of those who are killing me.

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 Please don't hold this against them.

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 And Saul,

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 this pious man,

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 had been taught to believe that Christians were evil heretics,

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 that they represented everything that was wrong in the world.

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 But this did not fit the stereotype.

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 Stephen had the face of an angel.

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 This isn't an evil person.

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 He's praying that God would forgive me,

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 even as I approve his execution.

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 Surely that haunted him in the late hours of the night.

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 Then there was probably moral doubt.

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 You know,

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 Saul was exemplary in every way.

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 No offense,

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 he was probably a better person than all of us.

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 He had kept almost all of the commandments

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 in word and deed his entire life

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 since he was very young.

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 But what about his heart?

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 What about that last commandment?

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 Thou shalt not covet.

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 You know,

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 all the other commandments

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 you can keep in word and deed,

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 more or less,

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 but coveting is different.

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 Coveting is not a word.

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 It's not a deed.

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 It's a feeling.

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 And I don't know about you,

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 but when I realize

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 that I am struggling with coveting something,

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 I don't remember making the choice to do it.

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 I catch myself red-handed in the act of coveting.

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 And that's how it often happens.

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 Had he really never coveted anything or anyone

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 in his whole life?

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 So Paul's fanaticism was very likely

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 an attempt to compensate for secret doubts

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 as the Spirit goaded him toward Jesus.

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 And you know, here's the thing.

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 Everyone, everywhere, struggles with doubt.

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 Christians struggle with doubt.

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 Non-Christians struggle with doubt.

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 Sometimes it's just doubt.

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 Human beings doubt.

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 It's kind of what it means to be a human being.

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 What this shows us, though,

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 is that sometimes,

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 for those people who are not followers of Jesus,

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 they're not just doubts.

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 Sometimes,

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 as a non-Christian,

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 when you are doubting your certainty

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 that Jesus is a fraud,

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 that Christians are wrong,

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 sometimes when that doubt creeps in,

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 it's actually the work of the Holy Spirit

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 beginning to goad you,

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 beginning to poke holes in your certainty.

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 Sometimes it's the work of the Lord in your life.

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 You know, I think of the example of Cy Gart,

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 who is a research biochemist.

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 He's been a tenured professor at NYU

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 and at Rutgers and University of Pittsburgh.

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 And he wrote about his Christian conversion.

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 And I love his story.

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 He talks about being raised

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 in a staunchly Marxist,

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 atheistic household.

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 His dad made sure that he was a staunch atheist

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 and a staunch Marxist.

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 And his dad taught him,

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 always ask questions,

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 question everything.

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 Right?

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 And so he grew up believing

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 in the power of reason,

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 the power of science

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 to sort of explain everything.

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 But then,

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 cracks began to appear.

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 Cracks began to appear

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 in his watertight worldview.

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 He began to see inconsistencies

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 in the worldview his parents had given him.

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 He writes this.

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 He says,

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 if humans were a blind product

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 of evolutionary chance

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 with no special purpose or significance,

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 then how could the stated goals of socialism

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 to advance human dignity and value

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 make sense?

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 He's like,

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 how can we believe

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 that humans have dignity and value

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 if we're just a blind product of chance?

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 And then he began to ask questions

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 that science simply could not answer.

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 He began to wonder,

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 where did the universe come from?

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 How did life begin?

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 What does it mean to be a human being?

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 What's the source of our creativity?

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 Of art?

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 Of poetry?

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 Of music?

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 And humor?

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 And then he began to meet Christians

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 who were highly educated.

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 He began to meet Christians

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 who were scientifically minded.

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 And his whole perception of Christianity

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 began to shift.

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 And what he would say

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 is that all of these were like cracks

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 in the ceiling of his worldview.

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 He had a nice, orderly worldview.

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 He knew the good guys and the bad guys.

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 He kind of knew what he believed.

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 And all of a sudden,

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 these cracks started to appear in the ceiling.

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 Light started shining through.

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 And he had to figure out

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 what to do with that.

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 Right?

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 That's how God began working in his life.

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 That ultimately led him to faith.

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 So the first thing that we want to make clear

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 is that conversion begins with God.

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 Right?

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 For some of us,

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 this happens before we have any conscious memories.

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 You know, some of you were baptized as babies.

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 You grew up in the church.

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 You never knew a day apart from the Lord.

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 And praise God for that.

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 For other people,

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 it begins when the Spirit of God

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 starts to put cracks in the ceiling

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 of your worldview.

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 Inconsistencies.

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 Questions you can't answer.

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 Unfulfilled longings.

00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:43.659
 So this is the first thing.

00:13:43.739 --> 00:13:44.859
 Conversion begins with God.

00:13:46.299 --> 00:13:48.299
 The second thing we see in Paul's conversion

00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:52.319
 is that conversion calls us not to moralism,

00:13:53.459 --> 00:13:55.559
 but it calls us away from moralism.

00:13:56.379 --> 00:13:58.059
 It calls us not to moralism,

00:13:58.139 --> 00:13:59.839
 but it calls us away from moralism.

00:14:00.479 --> 00:14:01.739
 Now when I say moralism,

00:14:01.819 --> 00:14:03.259
 you know, moralism comes in many forms.

00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:04.559
 Lots of different kinds of moralism.

00:14:05.119 --> 00:14:06.739
 But moralism basically means

00:14:06.739 --> 00:14:09.299
 believing that life is about being a good person.

00:14:09.839 --> 00:14:11.359
 And most people out there think

00:14:11.359 --> 00:14:12.099
 at the end of the day,

00:14:12.439 --> 00:14:13.359
 what life is really about,

00:14:13.439 --> 00:14:14.219
 whatever you believe,

00:14:15.079 --> 00:14:16.319
 what life is really about

00:14:16.319 --> 00:14:17.939
 is being a good person.

00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:18.959
 That's all that really matters.

00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:23.980
 Paul lived in a very highly moralistic society,

00:14:24.180 --> 00:14:26.040
 and religion in Paul's culture

00:14:26.040 --> 00:14:27.700
 was all about keeping God's law.

00:14:27.800 --> 00:14:29.040
 And it was especially focused

00:14:29.040 --> 00:14:32.540
 on keeping the external aspects of the law.

00:14:32.680 --> 00:14:33.680
 Be circumcised,

00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:35.000
 keep the Sabbath,

00:14:35.660 --> 00:14:36.160
 tithe.

00:14:37.560 --> 00:14:39.040
 I would argue that we also live

00:14:39.040 --> 00:14:40.320
 in a highly moralistic society,

00:14:40.420 --> 00:14:41.800
 and I would actually argue in some ways

00:14:41.800 --> 00:14:44.200
 I think we live in a more moralistic society.

00:14:44.560 --> 00:14:45.800
 Because we don't just have

00:14:45.800 --> 00:14:47.240
 one kind of moralism,

00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.060
 we have what we would call

00:14:50.060 --> 00:14:51.259
 a kind of moral pluralism.

00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:53.200
 There are lots of different

00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:55.539
 moralities out there.

00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:57.720
 And in our society,

00:14:57.899 --> 00:14:58.820
 we might think of

00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:00.639
 our moral pluralism

00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.080
 tends to generally fall along political lines.

00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:04.360
 Right?

00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:06.000
 So your politics, to a large degree,

00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:06.980
 shape your morality

00:15:06.980 --> 00:15:09.399
 for the average person in our society.

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:12.220
 So roughly broad categories,

00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:13.259
 we can sort of think of

00:15:13.259 --> 00:15:14.980
 there's kind of red state morality,

00:15:14.980 --> 00:15:17.000
 and then there's like blue state morality.

00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:18.460
 Right?

00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:19.820
 So red state morality,

00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:21.480
 a love for freedom,

00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:22.480
 love for God,

00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:23.519
 love for country,

00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:25.639
 tends to hold to the kind of

00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:28.740
 traditional Judeo-Christian values

00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:30.500
 around marriage and sexuality.

00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:33.060
 But when you bring up things

00:15:33.060 --> 00:15:34.000
 like social justice,

00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:35.320
 when you bring up things

00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:36.680
 like structural racism,

00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:38.940
 people get really nervous

00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:40.980
 if they live in a kind of

00:15:40.980 --> 00:15:43.000
 red state morality society.

00:15:43.779 --> 00:15:44.820
 And then on the other side,

00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:46.100
 you have blue state morality.

00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:47.879
 And largely speaking,

00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:48.539
 you know, this is all

00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:50.000
 rough, crude categories,

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:51.539
 but blue state morality

00:15:51.539 --> 00:15:52.639
 actually co-ops

00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:54.279
 a lot of the Christian values

00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:56.480
 around things like justice,

00:15:57.059 --> 00:15:57.679
 equality,

00:15:58.379 --> 00:15:59.460
 universal human rights,

00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:00.740
 care for the poor.

00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:01.320
 Right?

00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:03.419
 Very serious about ending

00:16:03.419 --> 00:16:04.559
 all forms of racism.

00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:04.879
 Right?

00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:07.679
 But it de-emphasizes

00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:08.799
 the need to believe in God

00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:09.700
 or really anything.

00:16:10.640 --> 00:16:12.440
 And then it swaps out

00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:14.400
 the Judeo-Christian view

00:16:14.400 --> 00:16:15.100
 of human nature,

00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:17.400
 which sees human beings

00:16:17.400 --> 00:16:17.940
 as sinful

00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:19.500
 and in need of grace.

00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:21.780
 And in its place,

00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:22.980
 it holds on to a kind of

00:16:22.980 --> 00:16:24.140
 post-enlightenment view

00:16:24.140 --> 00:16:24.800
 of human nature

00:16:24.800 --> 00:16:26.220
 that comes from people

00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:27.020
 like Rousseau,

00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:27.879
 Marx,

00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:28.680
 Freud.

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.440
 It's a view of human nature

00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:31.140
 that says humans

00:16:31.140 --> 00:16:32.160
 are inherently good

00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:33.240
 and it's society

00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:33.860
 that's corrupt.

00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:36.580
 It says that our true self

00:16:36.580 --> 00:16:37.920
 is defined by our feelings

00:16:37.920 --> 00:16:39.340
 and that we're morally obligated

00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:40.660
 to express that to the world.

00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:43.440
 And it says that any traditions

00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.280
 or institutions

00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:45.080
 or religions

00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:46.500
 that get in the way of that

00:16:46.500 --> 00:16:47.700
 are oppressive

00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:48.980
 and need to be overturned.

00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:50.180
 Alright,

00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:50.780
 so this is kind of

00:16:50.780 --> 00:16:53.200
 two distinct moral worlds

00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:54.300
 that people live in

00:16:54.300 --> 00:16:55.340
 that are largely shaped

00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:56.420
 by politics.

00:16:56.800 --> 00:16:57.540
 And here's the point

00:16:57.540 --> 00:16:58.100
 I want to make.

00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.519
 A lot of people think,

00:17:00.940 --> 00:17:02.220
 a lot of people assume

00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:03.780
 that becoming a Christian

00:17:03.780 --> 00:17:05.579
 basically means shifting

00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:07.000
 from blue state morality

00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:08.759
 to red state morality.

00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:10.599
 I can't tell you

00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:11.419
 how many conversations

00:17:11.419 --> 00:17:12.419
 I've had with people

00:17:12.419 --> 00:17:14.019
 where that's essentially

00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:14.619
 what they think

00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:15.539
 being a Christian is.

00:17:15.679 --> 00:17:16.379
 It's shifting

00:17:16.379 --> 00:17:17.639
 from blue state morals

00:17:17.639 --> 00:17:20.000
 and adopting red state morals.

00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:22.039
 Because I ask,

00:17:22.139 --> 00:17:22.240
 you know,

00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:23.779
 what's the hesitation for you?

00:17:24.179 --> 00:17:25.459
 And what they describe

00:17:25.459 --> 00:17:26.259
 is I'm just not sure

00:17:26.259 --> 00:17:27.059
 I can embrace

00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:28.279
 what essentially amounts

00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:29.220
 to red state morality.

00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:31.259
 Right?

00:17:31.379 --> 00:17:32.639
 And so it's all about

00:17:32.639 --> 00:17:33.879
 what morals you have.

00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:36.600
 And if we look at Paul's story,

00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:37.320
 we have to realize

00:17:37.320 --> 00:17:38.780
 this couldn't be further

00:17:38.780 --> 00:17:39.580
 from the truth

00:17:39.580 --> 00:17:41.440
 of what Paul experienced.

00:17:41.840 --> 00:17:43.080
 Before Paul met Jesus,

00:17:43.300 --> 00:17:44.500
 he thought very highly

00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:45.080
 of himself.

00:17:45.760 --> 00:17:45.920
 I mean,

00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:46.800
 in Philippians 3,

00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:47.460
 Paul says,

00:17:48.260 --> 00:17:49.580
 if anyone could have been

00:17:49.580 --> 00:17:51.120
 confident of God's approval,

00:17:51.260 --> 00:17:52.620
 if anyone could be confident

00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:53.340
 that when they walked

00:17:53.340 --> 00:17:53.980
 up to the gate,

00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:55.360
 God would say,

00:17:55.460 --> 00:17:56.480
 we've been waiting for you.

00:17:56.940 --> 00:17:57.860
 Come on in.

00:17:58.100 --> 00:17:58.240
 Right?

00:17:58.280 --> 00:17:59.760
 If anybody could say that,

00:18:00.760 --> 00:18:01.740
 it would have been Paul,

00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:02.400
 he says.

00:18:03.120 --> 00:18:03.460
 He says,

00:18:03.539 --> 00:18:03.660
 you know,

00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:04.940
 I was a Hebrew of Hebrews.

00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:06.140
 When it comes to righteousness

00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:06.779
 under the law,

00:18:06.859 --> 00:18:07.819
 I was blameless.

00:18:09.460 --> 00:18:10.500
 But then Paul comes

00:18:10.500 --> 00:18:11.220
 face to face

00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:12.640
 with Jesus.

00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:15.599
 And when Paul sees Jesus

00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:16.660
 in all of his glory,

00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:19.440
 when he sees that blinding light

00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:20.700
 that is so magnificent,

00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:23.240
 that is so overwhelming,

00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:25.019
 that it blinds him,

00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.519
 when he realizes

00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:29.240
 that Jesus is the Son of God

00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:30.279
 who has defeated death

00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:31.599
 and he is standing there,

00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:32.279
 in the flesh,

00:18:32.419 --> 00:18:33.500
 it changes everything.

00:18:35.459 --> 00:18:35.659
 Right?

00:18:35.719 --> 00:18:36.639
 And the first thing

00:18:36.639 --> 00:18:37.919
 that it changes for Paul

00:18:37.919 --> 00:18:39.500
 is the way he sees himself.

00:18:39.959 --> 00:18:40.879
 In that light,

00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:42.379
 he sees himself clearly,

00:18:42.659 --> 00:18:43.699
 maybe for the first time

00:18:43.699 --> 00:18:44.279
 in his life.

00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:46.759
 And his knees buckle.

00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:48.740
 And he falls to the ground.

00:18:49.679 --> 00:18:51.199
 In the light of Jesus' glory,

00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:52.399
 Paul sees the truth,

00:18:52.679 --> 00:18:53.639
 not just about himself,

00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:54.799
 but all human beings,

00:18:54.959 --> 00:18:55.859
 which he writes about

00:18:55.859 --> 00:18:56.939
 in Romans chapter 3.

00:18:57.219 --> 00:18:57.799
 He says, you know,

00:18:57.799 --> 00:18:59.199
 I used to think the world

00:18:59.199 --> 00:19:00.839
 was divided into good guys

00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:01.579
 and bad guys.

00:19:02.419 --> 00:19:03.599
 I used to think I knew

00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:04.559
 who the good guys were

00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:06.220
 and who the bad guys were.

00:19:06.639 --> 00:19:07.819
 And I knew by the morals.

00:19:08.059 --> 00:19:09.059
 I knew by the way they lived.

00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:11.699
 And then I met Jesus.

00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.159
 And I realized,

00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.240
 there's no difference.

00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:18.500
 There's no difference.

00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:19.019
 He says,

00:19:19.199 --> 00:19:20.259
 for there is no distinction

00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:21.299
 between anyone,

00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:23.519
 Jew, Gentile,

00:19:23.899 --> 00:19:24.559
 red state,

00:19:24.919 --> 00:19:25.419
 blue state.

00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.459
 There's no difference.

00:19:26.659 --> 00:19:27.480
 It doesn't matter.

00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:29.480
 He says,

00:19:29.539 --> 00:19:30.440
 here's the truth I realized

00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:31.339
 when I saw Jesus.

00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:33.500
 All of us have sinned.

00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:35.539
 We all fall short

00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:36.079
 of that glory.

00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:37.559
 I've never met

00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:38.500
 a human being in my life

00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:39.099
 who comes close

00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:39.980
 to what I saw on the road.

00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:41.360
 I've never met anyone

00:19:41.360 --> 00:19:42.940
 who could hold a candle

00:19:42.940 --> 00:19:43.519
 to that light.

00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:44.559
 It was so bright.

00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:45.380
 It was noon.

00:19:46.120 --> 00:19:46.960
 And the glory of Jesus

00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.620
 was so bright

00:19:47.620 --> 00:19:48.740
 that it blotted out the sun.

00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:49.900
 I've never seen anything like it.

00:19:51.360 --> 00:19:52.440
 But this doesn't lead

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:53.259
 Paul to despair.

00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:53.500
 See,

00:19:53.660 --> 00:19:54.599
 that could easily lead you

00:19:54.599 --> 00:19:54.720
 to say,

00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:55.039
 well man,

00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:55.519
 it's hopeless.

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.319
 Let's give up.

00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.240
 But it has the opposite

00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.079
 impact on Paul.

00:19:59.179 --> 00:20:00.839
 It leads him to a joyous revelation

00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:02.139
 which he goes on to say

00:20:02.139 --> 00:20:02.939
 in verse 24

00:20:02.939 --> 00:20:04.679
 in Romans 3.

00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:05.079
 He says,

00:20:05.399 --> 00:20:06.240
 therefore we're justified

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.679
 by his grace

00:20:08.679 --> 00:20:10.279
 as a gift.

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:11.059
 He gets it.

00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:11.259
 Oh,

00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:12.679
 I can't ever attain this.

00:20:12.879 --> 00:20:14.059
 It has to be given to me

00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:15.339
 through the redemption

00:20:15.339 --> 00:20:16.659
 that is in Christ Jesus

00:20:16.659 --> 00:20:19.179
 whom God put forward

00:20:19.179 --> 00:20:20.299
 as a propitiation

00:20:20.299 --> 00:20:21.839
 by his blood

00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:22.539
 to be received

00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:23.339
 by faith.

00:20:24.399 --> 00:20:24.799
 Propitiation,

00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.359
 what does that mean?

00:20:25.419 --> 00:20:25.939
 Here's what it means.

00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:26.660
 Jesus didn't come

00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:27.460
 to be an example

00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:28.259
 for us to follow.

00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:29.620
 He came to be a substitution.

00:20:30.840 --> 00:20:32.080
 He came to take our place.

00:20:32.860 --> 00:20:34.120
 To live the life

00:20:34.120 --> 00:20:34.900
 we should have lived.

00:20:35.100 --> 00:20:36.019
 To die the death

00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:37.160
 that we deserve to die.

00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:39.259
 To take our place

00:20:39.259 --> 00:20:40.740
 on the cross

00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:42.920
 and give us

00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:43.539
 his place

00:20:43.539 --> 00:20:45.200
 at the table.

00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.440
 Right?

00:20:48.500 --> 00:20:49.460
 Life is not about

00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:50.460
 being a good person.

00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:52.480
 Conversion is not about

00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.059
 shifting from

00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:53.960
 red state morality

00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:55.079
 to blue state morality.

00:20:56.420 --> 00:20:56.819
 Life,

00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:57.980
 the reason that you're here

00:20:57.980 --> 00:20:59.579
 is that you might

00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:00.079
 come to know

00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:00.900
 Jesus Christ

00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:02.759
 entirely through

00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:03.299
 the gift

00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:04.299
 of his grace

00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:05.400
 that he gives you.

00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:06.180
 That's the gospel.

00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:08.019
 And that's only possible

00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:09.460
 when you come

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:10.079
 face to face

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:10.779
 with the hard truth

00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:11.620
 about who you are.

00:21:11.860 --> 00:21:12.259
 Really.

00:21:13.600 --> 00:21:14.100
 And you need

00:21:14.100 --> 00:21:15.360
 a really bright light

00:21:15.360 --> 00:21:16.259
 to be able to see it

00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:17.700
 as it really is.

00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:19.600
 and most of our lives

00:21:19.600 --> 00:21:20.019
 we live in

00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:21.460
 very dim conditions

00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:23.460
 where we think

00:21:23.460 --> 00:21:23.920
 we can tell

00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:24.819
 who the good guys are.

00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:27.319
 This reminds me

00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:27.819
 of the story

00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:29.500
 about Dr. Kamesh Sankaran

00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:30.420
 who is a

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:32.039
 physics professor

00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:33.120
 at Whitworth University.

00:21:34.140 --> 00:21:34.759
 Another physicist.

00:21:34.980 --> 00:21:35.660
 I don't know why.

00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:37.200
 Or another scientist.

00:21:37.860 --> 00:21:38.880
 But he has a great story.

00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:41.380
 When he was a PhD student

00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:41.960
 at Princeton

00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:44.180
 he says that he was still

00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:45.160
 a very devout Hindu.

00:21:46.120 --> 00:21:47.120
 And he was I think

00:21:47.120 --> 00:21:48.400
 one of the leaders

00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:49.940
 of the student association

00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:50.540
 for Hindus

00:21:50.540 --> 00:21:51.420
 at Princeton.

00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:53.840
 And he describes himself

00:21:53.840 --> 00:21:55.440
 as a very moral person.

00:21:55.560 --> 00:21:56.519
 Again, probably better

00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:57.140
 than most of us

00:21:57.140 --> 00:21:57.660
 in this room.

00:21:58.680 --> 00:21:59.460
 And he says

00:21:59.460 --> 00:22:00.540
 he writes that he had

00:22:00.540 --> 00:22:01.480
 a disdain

00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:02.620
 for Christians in the West.

00:22:03.380 --> 00:22:04.060
 He saw Christians

00:22:04.060 --> 00:22:04.440
 in the West

00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:05.320
 as morally bankrupt

00:22:05.320 --> 00:22:08.480
 as debaucherous even.

00:22:09.860 --> 00:22:10.920
 But then he found himself

00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:12.440
 working 12 hours a day

00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:14.240
 as PhD students do

00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:15.339
 right alongside

00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:16.940
 another doctoral student.

00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:18.160
 And that guy

00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:18.799
 was a Christian.

00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:20.400
 And so what do you do

00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:21.259
 with 12 hours

00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:21.980
 shoulder to shoulder

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:22.380
 working?

00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.400
 Well eventually you start

00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:24.460
 you get past

00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:25.460
 the nice small talk

00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:26.079
 and you start talking

00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:26.839
 about real stuff.

00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:27.380
 And so you start

00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:28.079
 talking about faith.

00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:30.039
 And so they talk

00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:30.740
 about different aspects

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:32.279
 of their various faiths

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:33.359
 and then they come

00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:33.799
 to the topic

00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:34.440
 of the cross.

00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:36.599
 And this Christian guy

00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:37.740
 begins to describe

00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:39.200
 to Kamesh

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.759
 how Jesus

00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:41.519
 was willing

00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:42.400
 to take the sins

00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:42.820
 of the world

00:22:42.820 --> 00:22:43.500
 on himself

00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:44.340
 and to die

00:22:44.340 --> 00:22:46.259
 so that people

00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:46.980
 could be forgiven

00:22:46.980 --> 00:22:48.380
 and saved.

00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.040
 And Kamesh says

00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:50.920
 that he was deeply

00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:52.019
 offended by this idea.

00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:54.240
 He says

00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:55.180
 he writes this

00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:55.460
 he says

00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:57.060
 I was a deeply

00:22:57.060 --> 00:22:58.140
 religious person

00:22:58.140 --> 00:22:59.980
 diligently striving

00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:00.720
 to be good.

00:23:01.080 --> 00:23:02.200
 How dare this man

00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:03.160
 think that anyone

00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:04.480
 especially someone

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.220
 like me

00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:06.740
 was a sinner

00:23:06.740 --> 00:23:07.940
 in need of salvation.

00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:09.840
 You know

00:23:09.840 --> 00:23:10.880
 he said this

00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:11.380
 because he was

00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:11.960
 a devout Hindu

00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:12.320
 but I think

00:23:12.320 --> 00:23:12.760
 most people

00:23:12.760 --> 00:23:13.180
 on the street

00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:13.780
 if you were to ask

00:23:13.780 --> 00:23:14.100
 would say

00:23:14.100 --> 00:23:14.760
 probably something

00:23:14.760 --> 00:23:15.180
 similar.

00:23:16.020 --> 00:23:16.800
 How dare you

00:23:16.800 --> 00:23:17.240
 think that I

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:17.860
 would need that.

00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:19.640
 But then he says

00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:20.460
 all at once

00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:21.300
 he experienced

00:23:21.300 --> 00:23:23.460
 several catastrophic

00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:25.700
 failures in his life.

00:23:25.780 --> 00:23:26.680
 They were unexpected

00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:27.400
 but it was

00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:28.720
 financial failure

00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.940
 academic failure

00:23:29.940 --> 00:23:31.240
 and relational failure

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:32.000
 all at once

00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:32.840
 the bottom dropped

00:23:32.840 --> 00:23:33.560
 out in his life.

00:23:34.540 --> 00:23:35.560
 And here's what he says

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:37.419
 the blows came

00:23:37.419 --> 00:23:38.460
 from different directions

00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:39.839
 but their cumulative

00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:41.399
 effect was devastating.

00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:42.980
 By removing

00:23:42.980 --> 00:23:44.240
 the frail crutches

00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:45.440
 on which my life

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.019
 was built

00:23:46.019 --> 00:23:47.599
 God exposed

00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:48.460
 the reality

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:49.419
 of my profound

00:23:49.419 --> 00:23:50.179
 weakness

00:23:50.179 --> 00:23:51.740
 especially my

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.619
 utter inability

00:23:52.619 --> 00:23:53.419
 to fix

00:23:53.419 --> 00:23:54.740
 relational brokenness.

00:23:55.299 --> 00:23:56.740
 I was in more pain

00:23:56.740 --> 00:23:57.740
 than I had imagined

00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.279
 possible

00:23:58.279 --> 00:23:59.480
 and I was devoid

00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:00.379
 of the props

00:24:00.379 --> 00:24:01.440
 on which I was

00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.659
 accustomed to resting.

00:24:03.740 --> 00:24:04.619
 Knowing no other

00:24:04.619 --> 00:24:05.099
 way out

00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:05.939
 I decided to

00:24:05.939 --> 00:24:07.000
 end my own life.

00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:10.000
 So this is his

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.739
 rock bottom.

00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:13.959
 In the midst

00:24:13.959 --> 00:24:14.659
 of this darkness

00:24:14.659 --> 00:24:16.479
 a voice within me

00:24:16.479 --> 00:24:16.839
 spoke

00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:19.279
 this is why

00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:20.039
 Jesus had to die

00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:20.459
 for you.

00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:22.559
 All of a sudden

00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.919
 the offense

00:24:24.919 --> 00:24:25.639
 of the cross

00:24:25.639 --> 00:24:27.459
 made sense.

00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:30.319
 The cross

00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:31.099
 is a whole lot

00:24:31.099 --> 00:24:31.519
 clearer

00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:33.219
 when you look

00:24:33.219 --> 00:24:34.059
 at it from below.

00:24:34.619 --> 00:24:35.899
 it's really

00:24:35.899 --> 00:24:36.500
 hard to see it

00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:37.299
 clearly when you

00:24:37.299 --> 00:24:38.299
 look down on it

00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:39.519
 from above.

00:24:41.479 --> 00:24:42.259
 This happened

00:24:42.259 --> 00:24:42.839
 on a Sunday

00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:43.299
 morning

00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:44.019
 so instead

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:44.439
 of killing

00:24:44.439 --> 00:24:44.939
 himself

00:24:44.939 --> 00:24:45.979
 Kamesh called

00:24:45.979 --> 00:24:46.419
 his friend

00:24:46.419 --> 00:24:47.039
 and asked

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:47.479
 if he could

00:24:47.479 --> 00:24:47.939
 go to church

00:24:47.939 --> 00:24:48.239
 with him

00:24:48.239 --> 00:24:49.619
 and his friend

00:24:49.619 --> 00:24:49.979
 was just

00:24:49.979 --> 00:24:50.279
 getting their

00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:50.739
 family ready

00:24:50.739 --> 00:24:51.119
 to go

00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.419
 so Kamesh

00:24:52.419 --> 00:24:52.939
 comes to them

00:24:52.939 --> 00:24:53.719
 and that morning

00:24:53.719 --> 00:24:54.839
 thankfully

00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:55.500
 he heard the

00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:55.839
 gospel

00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:56.599
 and he ended

00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:57.500
 up giving

00:24:57.500 --> 00:24:58.039
 himself to

00:24:58.039 --> 00:24:58.359
 Jesus.

00:24:58.359 --> 00:24:59.899
 so the

00:24:59.899 --> 00:25:00.279
 thing that

00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:00.679
 makes you

00:25:00.679 --> 00:25:01.139
 a Christian

00:25:01.139 --> 00:25:02.299
 is this

00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:04.139
 if someone

00:25:04.139 --> 00:25:04.619
 were to

00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:05.199
 ask you

00:25:05.199 --> 00:25:05.599
 how do

00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.240
 you know

00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:06.579
 that you

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:06.899
 are right

00:25:06.899 --> 00:25:07.339
 with God

00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:07.719
 how do

00:25:07.719 --> 00:25:08.399
 you know

00:25:08.399 --> 00:25:09.279
 that your

00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:09.779
 relationship

00:25:09.779 --> 00:25:10.439
 with God

00:25:10.439 --> 00:25:10.939
 that you

00:25:10.939 --> 00:25:11.199
 can have

00:25:11.199 --> 00:25:11.719
 assurance

00:25:11.719 --> 00:25:12.439
 that you

00:25:12.439 --> 00:25:13.019
 are right

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:13.539
 with God

00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:15.000
 here's how

00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:15.219
 you know

00:25:15.219 --> 00:25:15.500
 you're a

00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:15.740
 Christian

00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:16.579
 you don't

00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:16.939
 point to

00:25:16.939 --> 00:25:17.299
 your Jewish

00:25:17.299 --> 00:25:17.799
 credentials

00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:19.199
 you don't

00:25:19.199 --> 00:25:19.559
 point to

00:25:19.559 --> 00:25:19.959
 your Hindu

00:25:19.959 --> 00:25:20.439
 devotion

00:25:20.439 --> 00:25:21.699
 you don't

00:25:21.699 --> 00:25:22.039
 point to

00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:22.359
 your red

00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:23.059
 state morality

00:25:23.059 --> 00:25:24.099
 you don't

00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:24.399
 point to

00:25:24.399 --> 00:25:24.740
 your blue

00:25:24.740 --> 00:25:25.439
 state morality

00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:26.500
 in fact

00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:26.759
 you don't

00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:27.059
 point to

00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:27.380
 yourself

00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:27.779
 at all

00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:30.059
 you point

00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:30.600
 to Jesus

00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:32.180
 you point

00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:32.380
 to the

00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:32.860
 finished work

00:25:32.860 --> 00:25:33.340
 the cross

00:25:33.340 --> 00:25:34.180
 his life

00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:35.000
 his death

00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:35.960
 his resurrection

00:25:35.960 --> 00:25:37.580
 so conversion

00:25:37.580 --> 00:25:38.180
 is not about

00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:38.880
 swapping out

00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:39.799
 one morality

00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:40.440
 for another

00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:41.880
 it's about

00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:42.580
 giving up

00:25:42.580 --> 00:25:44.000
 on moralism

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:45.160
 altogether

00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:50.000
 the last thing

00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:50.299
 that we want

00:25:50.299 --> 00:25:50.680
 to see about

00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:51.140
 conversion

00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:51.980
 not only does

00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:52.340
 it begin

00:25:52.340 --> 00:25:52.880
 with God

00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.180
 not only

00:25:54.180 --> 00:25:54.480
 does it

00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:54.940
 call us

00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:55.620
 away from

00:25:55.620 --> 00:25:56.240
 moralism

00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:57.420
 as the

00:25:57.420 --> 00:25:57.740
 center of

00:25:57.740 --> 00:25:58.059
 our life

00:25:58.059 --> 00:25:58.559
 and identity

00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:00.519
 but conversion

00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:01.200
 joins us

00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:01.660
 not only

00:26:01.660 --> 00:26:02.299
 to Christ

00:26:02.299 --> 00:26:02.740
 but also

00:26:02.740 --> 00:26:03.100
 to his

00:26:03.100 --> 00:26:03.420
 church

00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:05.600
 the first

00:26:05.600 --> 00:26:05.940
 lesson

00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:06.440
 Jesus

00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:06.900
 teaches

00:26:06.900 --> 00:26:07.360
 Paul

00:26:07.360 --> 00:26:07.720
 as a

00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:07.880
 new

00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:08.220
 Christian

00:26:08.220 --> 00:26:09.140
 is that

00:26:09.140 --> 00:26:09.440
 he needs

00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:09.779
 people

00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:10.700
 isn't that

00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:11.080
 amazing

00:26:11.080 --> 00:26:12.480
 the first

00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:12.900
 thing that

00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:13.160
 Jesus

00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:13.539
 teaches

00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:13.840
 Paul

00:26:13.840 --> 00:26:14.059
 as a

00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:14.200
 new

00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:14.480
 Christian

00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:15.019
 is that

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:15.279
 he needs

00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:15.600
 to join

00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:16.039
 the church

00:26:16.039 --> 00:26:17.640
 after his

00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:17.940
 encounter

00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:18.480
 with Jesus

00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:18.840
 Paul

00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:19.220
 is left

00:26:19.220 --> 00:26:19.720
 blind

00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:20.360
 this man

00:26:20.360 --> 00:26:21.180
 who knew

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:21.960
 everything

00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:22.840
 right top

00:26:22.840 --> 00:26:23.120
 of his

00:26:23.120 --> 00:26:23.600
 class

00:26:23.600 --> 00:26:24.440
 Hebrew of

00:26:24.440 --> 00:26:24.759
 Hebrews

00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:25.259
 Pharisee

00:26:25.259 --> 00:26:25.400
 of

00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:25.940
 Pharisees

00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:27.360
 crawling

00:26:27.360 --> 00:26:27.680
 around

00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:27.900
 on the

00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:28.320
 ground

00:26:28.320 --> 00:26:30.880
 unable

00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:31.360
 to even

00:26:31.360 --> 00:26:33.519
 he has

00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:33.940
 to be led

00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:34.259
 like a

00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:34.620
 child

00:26:34.620 --> 00:26:35.340
 to Damascus

00:26:35.340 --> 00:26:35.640
 to the

00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:35.980
 house of

00:26:35.980 --> 00:26:36.259
 Judas

00:26:36.259 --> 00:26:38.620
 he fasts

00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:39.000
 for three

00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:39.360
 days

00:26:39.360 --> 00:26:41.600
 we can only

00:26:41.600 --> 00:26:42.080
 imagine

00:26:42.080 --> 00:26:44.299
 it says

00:26:44.299 --> 00:26:44.720
 later that he

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.160
 was praying

00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:45.519
 during that

00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:45.700
 time

00:26:45.700 --> 00:26:46.059
 we can only

00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:46.440
 imagine

00:26:46.440 --> 00:26:46.980
 what that

00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:47.880
 was like

00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:49.340
 three days

00:26:49.340 --> 00:26:49.840
 of fasting

00:26:49.840 --> 00:26:50.420
 and repentance

00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:51.580
 and then

00:26:51.580 --> 00:26:51.880
 Jesus

00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:52.400
 sends a

00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:52.600
 man

00:26:52.600 --> 00:26:52.860
 named

00:26:52.860 --> 00:26:53.460
 Ananias

00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:53.779
 who is

00:26:53.779 --> 00:26:53.920
 a

00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:54.279
 Christian

00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:54.700
 in the

00:26:54.700 --> 00:26:54.920
 church

00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:55.060
 of

00:26:55.060 --> 00:26:55.519
 Damascus

00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:55.920
 and we

00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:56.180
 have this

00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:56.539
 amazing

00:26:56.539 --> 00:26:56.820
 scene

00:26:56.820 --> 00:26:57.039
 one of the

00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:57.420
 most powerful

00:26:57.420 --> 00:26:57.820
 scenes in

00:26:57.820 --> 00:26:58.140
 the Bible

00:26:58.140 --> 00:26:59.920
 Paul is

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:00.259
 sitting there

00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:00.720
 completely

00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:01.180
 helpless

00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:02.940
 entirely at

00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:03.460
 the mercy

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:04.160
 of a man

00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:04.580
 he had

00:27:04.580 --> 00:27:05.160
 planned to

00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:05.759
 kill

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.680
 just a few

00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:08.300
 days earlier

00:27:08.300 --> 00:27:09.740
 if he could

00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:12.000
 and Ananias

00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:12.759
 lays his hands

00:27:12.759 --> 00:27:13.259
 on Saul

00:27:13.259 --> 00:27:13.960
 and says

00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:15.039
 brother

00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:15.480
 Saul

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:17.420
 calls him

00:27:17.420 --> 00:27:17.759
 brother

00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:18.819
 brother

00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:19.160
 Saul

00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:19.559
 the Lord

00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:19.860
 Jesus

00:27:19.860 --> 00:27:20.319
 who appeared

00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:20.519
 to you

00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:20.740
 on the

00:27:20.740 --> 00:27:21.019
 road

00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:21.680
 by which

00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:22.000
 you came

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:22.360
 has sent

00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:22.620
 me

00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:23.380
 so that

00:27:23.380 --> 00:27:23.620
 you may

00:27:23.620 --> 00:27:23.960
 regain

00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:24.339
 your sight

00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:24.559
 and be

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:24.740
 filled

00:27:24.740 --> 00:27:25.000
 with the

00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:25.519
 Holy Spirit

00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:26.279
 and Paul

00:27:26.279 --> 00:27:26.860
 is filled

00:27:26.860 --> 00:27:27.279
 with the

00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:27.539
 Spirit

00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:28.360
 he regains

00:27:28.360 --> 00:27:28.819
 his sight

00:27:28.819 --> 00:27:29.680
 and immediately

00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:30.579
 they baptize

00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:30.799
 him

00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:31.860
 and all

00:27:31.860 --> 00:27:32.420
 of Paul's

00:27:32.420 --> 00:27:32.720
 letters

00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:33.460
 are filled

00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:34.160
 with teaching

00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:34.920
 about the

00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:35.519
 absolute

00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:36.440
 centrality

00:27:36.440 --> 00:27:37.180
 and necessity

00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:37.900
 of the

00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:38.319
 church

00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:38.839
 for the

00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:39.220
 life and

00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:39.579
 the growth

00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:40.500
 of Christians

00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:40.920
 came out

00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:41.079
 of his

00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:41.180
 own

00:27:41.180 --> 00:27:41.740
 experience

00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:43.220
 so it

00:27:43.220 --> 00:27:43.440
 doesn't

00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:43.740
 matter

00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:44.360
 how brilliant

00:27:44.360 --> 00:27:45.039
 you are

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.299
 you're

00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:45.859
 credentials

00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:47.200
 are important

00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:47.859
 in one

00:27:47.859 --> 00:27:48.159
 way

00:27:48.159 --> 00:27:48.599
 but in

00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:48.839
 another

00:27:48.839 --> 00:27:49.059
 way

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:49.339
 when it

00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:49.680
 comes to

00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:49.879
 God

00:27:49.879 --> 00:27:50.180
 they don't

00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:50.460
 matter

00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.079
 at all

00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:52.240
 it doesn't

00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:52.559
 matter how

00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:52.879
 gifted

00:27:52.879 --> 00:27:53.519
 you are

00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:55.279
 the most

00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:55.720
 important

00:27:55.720 --> 00:27:56.259
 lesson you

00:27:56.259 --> 00:27:56.700
 will ever

00:27:56.700 --> 00:27:57.259
 learn as a

00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:57.599
 Christian

00:27:57.599 --> 00:27:58.139
 is that

00:27:58.139 --> 00:27:58.460
 you need

00:27:58.460 --> 00:27:58.899
 the church

00:27:58.899 --> 00:27:59.839
 is that

00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:00.159
 you can't

00:28:00.159 --> 00:28:00.339
 do it

00:28:00.339 --> 00:28:00.619
 alone

00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:02.339
 I don't

00:28:02.339 --> 00:28:02.700
 think it's

00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:03.399
 possible to

00:28:03.399 --> 00:28:04.019
 have the

00:28:04.019 --> 00:28:04.399
 kind of

00:28:04.399 --> 00:28:04.919
 relationship

00:28:04.919 --> 00:28:05.359
 that we're

00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:05.740
 called to

00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:06.099
 have with

00:28:06.099 --> 00:28:06.419
 Jesus

00:28:06.419 --> 00:28:07.339
 apart from

00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:07.839
 his church

00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:09.559
 and I think

00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:09.940
 we kind of

00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:10.339
 see that

00:28:10.339 --> 00:28:10.659
 here

00:28:10.659 --> 00:28:11.240
 indirectly

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.619
 in verse

00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:12.899
 four

00:28:12.899 --> 00:28:13.519
 Jesus says

00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:13.980
 Saul

00:28:13.980 --> 00:28:14.539
 Saul

00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:15.619
 what does

00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:15.859
 he say

00:28:15.859 --> 00:28:16.220
 why are

00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:16.359
 you

00:28:16.359 --> 00:28:16.859
 persecuting

00:28:16.859 --> 00:28:17.039
 my

00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:17.399
 people

00:28:17.399 --> 00:28:19.019
 no he

00:28:19.019 --> 00:28:19.200
 doesn't

00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:19.599
 say that

00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:19.940
 he says

00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:20.740
 why are

00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:20.859
 you

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:21.500
 persecuting

00:28:21.500 --> 00:28:22.559
 me

00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:24.539
 now that's

00:28:24.539 --> 00:28:25.000
 profound

00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:25.579
 Saul had

00:28:25.579 --> 00:28:25.940
 not been

00:28:25.940 --> 00:28:26.480
 persecuting

00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:26.799
 Jesus

00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:27.279
 personally

00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:27.539
 he had

00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:27.680
 been

00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.279
 persecuting

00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:28.859
 the

00:28:28.859 --> 00:28:29.299
 church

00:28:29.299 --> 00:28:30.859
 and what

00:28:30.859 --> 00:28:31.359
 Jesus is

00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:31.799
 saying is

00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:32.099
 that he

00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:32.559
 is so

00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:33.039
 connected

00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:33.799
 to the

00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:34.099
 church

00:28:34.099 --> 00:28:34.899
 so present

00:28:34.899 --> 00:28:35.379
 with his

00:28:35.379 --> 00:28:35.759
 people

00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:37.500
 that whatever

00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.460
 Saul did

00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:38.879
 to the

00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:39.359
 church

00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.460
 he was

00:28:40.460 --> 00:28:40.859
 doing to

00:28:40.859 --> 00:28:41.180
 Jesus

00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:41.799
 personally

00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:43.399
 they're

00:28:43.399 --> 00:28:43.980
 inextricably

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:44.339
 linked

00:28:44.339 --> 00:28:46.079
 and what

00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:46.539
 this means

00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:46.919
 is that

00:28:46.919 --> 00:28:47.139
 our

00:28:47.139 --> 00:28:47.779
 relationship

00:28:47.779 --> 00:28:48.079
 with

00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:48.379
 Jesus

00:28:48.379 --> 00:28:48.680
 is

00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:49.579
 inextricably

00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:50.220
 bound

00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:51.119
 to our

00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:51.720
 relationship

00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:52.200
 with

00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:52.680
 the

00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:53.099
 church

00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:55.039
 so just

00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:55.339
 think about

00:28:55.339 --> 00:28:55.720
 this

00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:57.019
 if Jesus

00:28:57.019 --> 00:28:58.619
 says to

00:28:58.619 --> 00:28:59.200
 someone who

00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:00.139
 is persecuting

00:29:00.139 --> 00:29:00.659
 his church

00:29:00.659 --> 00:29:01.379
 why are you

00:29:01.379 --> 00:29:02.039
 persecuting

00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:02.339
 me

00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:04.319
 how would

00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:04.599
 Jesus

00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:05.299
 respond to

00:29:05.299 --> 00:29:05.700
 someone

00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:06.220
 a Christian

00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:06.559
 who has

00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:07.119
 decided to

00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:07.500
 forsake

00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:08.019
 the church

00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:09.879
 who says

00:29:09.879 --> 00:29:11.000
 I'll follow

00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:11.319
 Jesus

00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:11.819
 I'll listen

00:29:11.819 --> 00:29:12.160
 to sermons

00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:12.619
 online

00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:14.160
 but

00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:15.180
 I'm just

00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:15.500
 not sure

00:29:15.500 --> 00:29:16.139
 I want to

00:29:16.139 --> 00:29:16.440
 be a part

00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:16.619
 of a

00:29:16.619 --> 00:29:16.920
 church

00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:18.799
 I don't

00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:19.119
 think it's

00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:19.480
 a stretch

00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:19.920
 to assume

00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:20.319
 that Jesus

00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:21.000
 might say

00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:21.619
 something

00:29:21.619 --> 00:29:22.259
 like this

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:23.180
 why have

00:29:23.180 --> 00:29:23.680
 you forsaken

00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:23.960
 me

00:29:23.960 --> 00:29:26.019
 why have

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.480
 you forsaken

00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:26.839
 me

00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:28.839
 right

00:29:28.839 --> 00:29:29.180
 this is

00:29:29.180 --> 00:29:29.359
 one of

00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:29.660
 the great

00:29:29.660 --> 00:29:30.180
 challenges

00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:30.539
 I think

00:29:30.539 --> 00:29:30.779
 of the

00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:31.379
 last year

00:29:31.379 --> 00:29:31.720
 when we

00:29:31.720 --> 00:29:32.319
 were prevented

00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.099
 from meeting

00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:33.440
 together

00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:34.000
 in person

00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:34.819
 technology

00:29:34.819 --> 00:29:35.139
 has been

00:29:35.139 --> 00:29:35.579
 a major

00:29:35.579 --> 00:29:35.980
 blessing

00:29:35.980 --> 00:29:36.440
 it's allowed

00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:36.980
 many people

00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:37.319
 to stay

00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:37.720
 connected

00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:38.279
 who otherwise

00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:38.680
 might not

00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:38.900
 have been

00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:39.120
 able to

00:29:39.120 --> 00:29:39.240
 be

00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:39.559
 connected

00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:40.160
 it's allowed

00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:40.380
 a lot

00:29:40.380 --> 00:29:40.680
 of new

00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:41.000
 people

00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:41.240
 to get

00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:41.640
 connected

00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:42.420
 to churches

00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:42.980
 like ours

00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:43.220
 that they

00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:43.420
 weren't

00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:43.799
 previously

00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:44.180
 connected

00:29:44.180 --> 00:29:44.360
 to

00:29:44.360 --> 00:29:44.660
 and we

00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:45.180
 thank God

00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:45.539
 for that

00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:46.740
 that's a

00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:47.220
 great use

00:29:47.220 --> 00:29:47.880
 of technology

00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:49.880
 but nothing

00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:51.240
 can replace

00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:53.120
 our physical

00:29:53.120 --> 00:29:54.019
 presence and

00:29:54.019 --> 00:29:54.559
 participation

00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:55.860
 in the local

00:29:55.860 --> 00:29:56.180
 church

00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:56.779
 there is too

00:29:56.779 --> 00:29:57.440
 much in

00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:57.860
 scripture

00:29:57.860 --> 00:30:00.299
 to argue

00:30:00.299 --> 00:30:02.480
 for this

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:02.960
 case

00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:04.579
 that

00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:06.460
 this is

00:30:06.460 --> 00:30:06.860
 where we

00:30:06.860 --> 00:30:07.160
 are meant

00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:07.880
 to experience

00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:08.240
 Jesus

00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:08.920
 most fully

00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:10.180
 and that

00:30:10.180 --> 00:30:10.779
 our attitude

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.279
 toward the

00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:11.840
 local church

00:30:11.840 --> 00:30:12.720
 is inextricably

00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:13.080
 linked to

00:30:13.080 --> 00:30:13.800
 our attitude

00:30:13.800 --> 00:30:15.000
 toward Jesus

00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:15.560
 himself

00:30:15.560 --> 00:30:16.880
 so biblically

00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:17.600
 I would say

00:30:17.600 --> 00:30:18.300
 that the idea

00:30:18.300 --> 00:30:18.860
 of following

00:30:18.860 --> 00:30:19.340
 Jesus

00:30:19.340 --> 00:30:19.779
 but being

00:30:19.779 --> 00:30:20.320
 in no way

00:30:20.320 --> 00:30:20.720
 connected

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.600
 to the

00:30:21.600 --> 00:30:22.200
 local church

00:30:22.200 --> 00:30:22.840
 there's no

00:30:22.840 --> 00:30:23.660
 category for

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.019
 that in

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:24.279
 scripture

00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:27.380
 so these

00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:27.620
 are the

00:30:27.620 --> 00:30:28.220
 characteristics

00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:28.800
 of true

00:30:28.800 --> 00:30:29.180
 Christian

00:30:29.180 --> 00:30:29.779
 conversion

00:30:29.779 --> 00:30:31.380
 conversion

00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:31.960
 begins not

00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:32.360
 with us

00:30:32.360 --> 00:30:33.200
 but with

00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:33.600
 God

00:30:33.600 --> 00:30:35.080
 conversion

00:30:35.080 --> 00:30:35.540
 is not a

00:30:35.539 --> 00:30:35.879
 call to

00:30:35.879 --> 00:30:36.399
 moralism

00:30:36.399 --> 00:30:37.500
 it's a

00:30:37.500 --> 00:30:38.059
 call out

00:30:38.059 --> 00:30:38.339
 of

00:30:38.339 --> 00:30:38.960
 away from

00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:39.500
 moralism

00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:41.180
 and conversion

00:30:41.180 --> 00:30:41.680
 joins us

00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:42.220
 not only to

00:30:42.220 --> 00:30:42.559
 Christ

00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:44.299
 but also to

00:30:44.299 --> 00:30:45.039
 Christ's church

00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.279
 and with this

00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:47.019
 understanding of

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:47.500
 conversion

00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:50.019
 I just want to

00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:50.559
 ask you to

00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:51.159
 join me

00:30:51.159 --> 00:30:52.599
 in praying

00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:53.839
 regularly

00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.899
 daily

00:30:54.899 --> 00:30:56.119
 to see more

00:30:56.119 --> 00:30:56.779
 conversions in

00:30:56.779 --> 00:30:57.279
 this church

00:30:57.279 --> 00:30:58.720
 more baptisms

00:30:58.720 --> 00:30:59.839
 more people

00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:00.440
 coming to know

00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:01.019
 and experience

00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:01.839
 the free grace

00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:02.659
 of Jesus Christ

00:31:02.660 --> 00:31:04.700
 let's pray

00:31:04.700 --> 00:31:07.740
 Lord we do

00:31:07.740 --> 00:31:08.700
 recognize that

00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:09.480
 because this is a

00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:10.160
 work of your

00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:10.759
 Holy Spirit

00:31:10.759 --> 00:31:11.320
 it's something

00:31:11.320 --> 00:31:12.200
 that you must

00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:12.620
 do

00:31:12.620 --> 00:31:14.380
 every Christian

00:31:14.380 --> 00:31:14.920
 and every

00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:15.779
 conversion story

00:31:15.779 --> 00:31:16.279
 I have ever

00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:17.140
 heard has been

00:31:17.140 --> 00:31:18.680
 a glorified

00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:19.580
 bystander

00:31:19.580 --> 00:31:22.779
 in your work

00:31:22.779 --> 00:31:25.180
 a lucky

00:31:25.180 --> 00:31:26.140
 providentially

00:31:26.140 --> 00:31:27.100
 present witness

00:31:27.100 --> 00:31:28.880
 to see the

00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:29.960
 culmination of a

00:31:29.960 --> 00:31:30.940
 renovation project

00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:31.640
 that you've been

00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:32.019
 doing

00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:33.960
 in many cases

00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:34.460
 for years

00:31:34.460 --> 00:31:34.779
 and years

00:31:34.779 --> 00:31:35.220
 and years

00:31:35.220 --> 00:31:36.480
 in the hearts

00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:37.059
 of your people

00:31:37.059 --> 00:31:38.680
 and so we pray

00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:39.360
 this Lord

00:31:39.360 --> 00:31:40.180
 for our community

00:31:40.180 --> 00:31:41.640
 I pray that you

00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:42.039
 would give us

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:42.640
 the boldness

00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:43.259
 and the confidence

00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:43.980
 to recognize

00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:45.660
 that you're

00:31:45.660 --> 00:31:46.380
 inviting us

00:31:46.380 --> 00:31:46.960
 into something

00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:47.500
 that you're

00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:47.840
 doing

00:31:47.840 --> 00:31:49.539
 and that you

00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:50.059
 would give us

00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:51.360
 the trust

00:31:51.360 --> 00:31:52.080
 and the faith

00:31:52.080 --> 00:31:53.539
 Lord

00:31:53.539 --> 00:31:54.700
 to be present

00:31:54.700 --> 00:31:55.779
 and to be willing

00:31:55.779 --> 00:31:56.380
 to speak

00:31:56.380 --> 00:31:56.980
 the words

00:31:56.980 --> 00:31:57.600
 of the gospel

00:31:57.600 --> 00:31:58.620
 recognizing

00:31:58.620 --> 00:31:59.340
 that somebody

00:31:59.340 --> 00:31:59.980
 might be

00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:00.799
 in the very

00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:01.360
 place that

00:32:01.360 --> 00:32:02.079
 Kamesh was

00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:03.940
 or Sygart

00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:04.400
 was

00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:06.079
 at a place

00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:06.700
 of all they

00:32:06.700 --> 00:32:07.500
 needed is to

00:32:07.500 --> 00:32:08.160
 hear the words

00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:10.039
 and you've done

00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:10.660
 everything else

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:13.000
 Lord I just

00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:13.680
 pray that Lord

00:32:13.680 --> 00:32:14.700
 and I pray that

00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:15.240
 for those who

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:15.799
 are hearing this

00:32:15.799 --> 00:32:16.920
 who may have

00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:17.700
 misunderstood the

00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:18.799
 gospel or people

00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:19.299
 who thought they

00:32:19.299 --> 00:32:19.779
 were Christians

00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:20.660
 but realized that

00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:21.880
 they're still

00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:22.759
 moralists like

00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:23.640
 we all are

00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:24.220
 prone to be

00:32:24.220 --> 00:32:25.599
 I pray that you

00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:26.160
 would make the

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:26.920
 clarity of the

00:32:26.920 --> 00:32:28.200
 gospel and the

00:32:28.200 --> 00:32:28.660
 grace at the

00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:29.120
 heart of it

00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:31.259
 uniquely powerful

00:32:31.259 --> 00:32:31.919
 to them right

00:32:31.919 --> 00:32:33.239
 now that they

00:32:33.239 --> 00:32:33.859
 would that they

00:32:33.859 --> 00:32:34.759
 would if they

00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:35.699
 need to realize

00:32:35.699 --> 00:32:36.399
 that maybe they've

00:32:36.399 --> 00:32:37.139
 never heard the

00:32:37.139 --> 00:32:38.019
 gospel before this

00:32:38.019 --> 00:32:39.439
 very moment and

00:32:39.439 --> 00:32:39.759
 that they would

00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:40.819
 respond to you in

00:32:40.819 --> 00:32:41.899
 faith and with

00:32:41.899 --> 00:32:42.639
 gratitude Lord we

00:32:42.639 --> 00:32:43.119
 pray this in your

00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:43.899
 son's holy name

00:32:43.899 --> 00:32:44.379
 amen

00:32:44.380 --> 00:32:55.860
 wish for the

00:32:55.860 --> 00:32:56.920
 sake of

00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:57.920
 you