WEBVTT

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 Welcome to Church of the Advent. If you are new here, we're so glad to have you.

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 I'm the assistant pastor here, Dan Bielman. Our senior pastor, Tommy Henson, is away on sabbatical.

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 He has one week left, and I haven't heard anything about how a sabbatical is going until yesterday.

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 I ran into him at the Maryland Renfest, and all I'm going to say is that his report was it's the best thing he and his family have ever done.

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 So, for all of you who have taken on extra responsibility because our pastor has been gone this summer, thank you so much.

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 It was so worth it. So worth it.

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 So, yeah. So, we've had a chance to hear from a number of different pastors this summer.

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 I've had a few opportunities to preach, and with my opportunities, we've been preaching through, thank you, Luke,

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 through Luke chapter 4, no, excuse me, Colossians chapter 4, verses 2 to 6.

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 And the reason why we're in Colossians is because a while back we started Colossians, never quite finished.

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 So, our goal this summer was to finally finish it. So, finally, yes.

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 So, there are other verses in Colossians chapter 4 that we're not going to be discussing tonight,

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 and that's because they're frankly hard to preach.

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 There are a lot of greetings from Paul to different people in the Church of Colossa,

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 and there's actually great stuff in there.

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 So, if you'd like to, you can study, grab a commentary, and check it out on your own.

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 As for preaching, we've actually taken parts of those greetings and worked it into previous sermons.

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 So, we're not going to preach that part of the chapter.

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 Now, in June, we looked at verse 4, actually verse 2,

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 and we explored what praying continually might look for us.

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 And I suggested that continuous prayer is akin to making ourselves present to God,

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 making ourselves present to Him.

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 In July, we noted how prayer comes from, leads into mission.

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 Paul asks for prayer as he preaches the gospel.

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 So, we pause to define and explore the meaning of the word gospel.

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 What is the gospel?

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 Well, concisely put, the gospel is the life-transforming message of salvation from sin

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 and all its consequences through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 The gospel is both a declaration and a summons,

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 announcing what has been done for us in Christ,

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 and calling us to repentance, faith, and submission to His Lordship.

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 And tonight, we're going to look at verses 5 and 6.

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 We're going to see that Paul extends the mission of proclaiming the gospel

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 to the Colossians, the people in the church in this town of Colossa.

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 And by extending it to Him, the spreading of the gospel, He extends it to us as well.

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 After unpacking the verses for a bit, we're going to talk about how to share the gospel

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 by looking at Jesus' interaction with Samaritan woman in John chapter 4,

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 which we heard Amy read for us tonight.

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 And by looking at that interaction, we're going to see the roles that

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 vulnerability, listening, and testimony have when we share the gospel.

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 Vulnerability, listening, and testimony, or story.

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 But before we begin, I'd like to say first that because we're talking about sharing the gospel,

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 I'm speaking primarily to those here who are Christians.

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 But that doesn't describe all of us, I understand.

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 Some of us in this room are skeptical of the claims made by Christianity.

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 And you're here because you're either visiting, or because a friend invited you,

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 or because you've been attending for a while, because you find this to be your community,

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 and yet you still have yet to fully accept the claims made by Christianity,

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 all the things that this community believes.

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 If that describes you, then there's a chance that you'll be offended by some of the things

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 I have to say tonight.

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 So I would ask you just to withhold judgments until the very end.

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 Let me come around at the end and address some things that I think will ease your discomfort.

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 In the meantime, we're glad you're here.

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 Father, we wouldn't be Advent without you.

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 And we're grateful that you can be a part of this family discussion.

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 So let's pray.

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 Father, would you open our ears and our minds and our hearts to hear and receive your word?

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 Lord, and open up your word tonight to our ears and our eyes, our minds and hearts,

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 that we might fully trust and believe in you and find you to be more beautiful

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 at the end of this evening than at the beginning.

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 Thank you for teaching to us through your word.

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 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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 Let's look at some of Paul's exhortations to the Colossians.

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 Remember first that the book of Colossians is a letter.

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 It's a letter written to a church.

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 This church is in the little town of Colossa.

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 It's a little town in what's now the Turkish Peninsula, what was once called Asia Minor.

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 And the issue that the church in Colossa had was they believed the gospel.

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 And over time, they were being tempted by outsiders, outside teachers,

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 to begin to accept other things as true.

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 Stuff from folk religion, stuff from Judaism.

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 They started to mix it all in, and they were surrendering the riches of the gospel.

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 Now, though Paul warns against influence from the outside,

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 at the same time, he calls the Colossians to be a witness to those outside the church.

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 He tells them, in verse 5, to walk in wisdom towards outsiders.

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 In the first three chapters, we see Paul explaining how our minds are renewed.

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 And wisdom is the middle space between thoughts and actions.

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 Wisdom enables us to determine just how our new way of thinking should be put into effect.

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 Don't adopt the worldview of outsiders, yet at the same time,

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 stay engaged with your fellow citizens to win them to Christ.

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 And be aware of how your actions color your testimony.

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 Next, he says, in verse 5, make the best use of the time.

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 Make the best use of this moment.

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 Well, what moment is this?

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 What's the time in between?

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 The already, but not yet.

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 The time after Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God and his rule

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 through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

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 And that time when it will be fully consummated when he comes again.

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 So we're in this in-between time, and it's not going to last forever.

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 Wise living is using the short time God has given us to his best effect.

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 Next, he says, let your speech always be gracious.

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 Or let your words, logos, be full of grace, charis, seasoned with salt,

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 so that you may know how to answer each other.

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 So that you may know how to answer each person.

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 In other words, let your speech be winsome, not flat or insipid.

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 You could say, let your speech be seasoned for each specific occasion.

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 Or as the apostle Peter writes elsewhere,

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 always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason

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 for the hope that is in you.

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 Yet do it with gentleness and respect.

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 So to summarize, Paul is giving the Colossians instructions

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 on how to have a public faith.

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 Their faith wasn't meant to be private,

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 constrained to an individual's own personal existence,

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 not to be shared with anybody else,

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 nor was it meant to be shared by this community.

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 The church is not to be a fortress,

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 bracing itself against the forces of culture in that city.

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 Rather, the church was to be an outpost of the kingdom of God,

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 proclaiming the hope and liberation found in Christ.

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 And as the Colossians share the gospel,

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 they must act wisely with urgency,

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 wisely with urgency and with winsome, gracious speech.

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 Well, what does this mean for us?

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 How can we put into practice being winsome

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 and gracious in our speech, seasoned with salt?

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 Well, we're going to look at John chapter 4.

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 We're going to look at how Jesus shares himself

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 with the Samaritan woman.

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 And we're also going to look at her response

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 and how she shared her story.

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 So our gospel lesson was the beginning of John chapter 4,

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 but we're going to look at the whole chapter.

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 It begins with Jesus traveling through Samaria.

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 Now, Jews didn't travel through Samaria.

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 It's just not something they did.

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 And they didn't interact with Samaritans.

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 There was a deep hatred for Samaritans.

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 A rabbi from the first century wrote,

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 he who eats the bread of the Samaritans

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 is like one who eats the flesh of swine.

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 What the rabbi is saying is that by nature of their race,

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 a Samaritan can make you unclean.

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 And yet Jesus passed through Samaria

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 to seek out this one Samaritan woman.

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 His visitation is like a reverse hospitality.

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 He invites her into a conversation and relationship,

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 breaking through the divisions of race,

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 religion, gender, and lifestyle.

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 And then he does something pretty great.

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 He exposes his vulnerability.

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 He's tired and he's thirsty,

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 which is interesting, right?

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 He's the creator of the world.

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 He created water.

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 He could probably create some more.

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 It took a lot of energy to create the world.

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 I'm sure he could come up with more energy.

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 And yet to the Samaritan woman,

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 he presents himself as tired and thirsty and needy

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 for her sake.

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 And this is our first lesson.

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 Speaking with grace means making ourselves vulnerable.

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 Imagine, if you would,

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 a woman moves to the far side of the world

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 to start a business in a country.

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 It's a small nation state on an island,

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 fairly well developed.

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 There's a majority culture and a minority culture.

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 The two cultures get along just fine,

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 although the majority culture looks down

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 on the minority culture.

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 The majority culture,

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 they have this interesting way of dressing.

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 And the woman decides,

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 well, I'm going to start a business here.

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 I'm going to present myself to this culture

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 as the culture presents itself,

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 which I'm going to dress like them,

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 which means they wrap themselves,

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 not unlike a mummy.

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 But they don't look like mummies.

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 The wrappings are beautiful.

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 Many colors.

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 They're scented wraps.

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 They're gemmed.

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 I mean, they go all out with these wraps.

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 And it's from toe to head,

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 or head to toe, right?

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 You know, she doesn't think anything of it.

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 She just does it.

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 And she also observes the minority culture,

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 which actually kind of look like us.

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 They kind of dress like us.

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 They don't wrap themselves.

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 And then there's nothing to it.

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 Now, over time,

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 the woman starts to develop these nasty wounds

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 all over her body.

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 And she's not quite sure why.

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 But she knows that the minority culture doesn't.

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 They don't wrap their bodies.

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 And they don't have these wounds.

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 And so she starts to do some research

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 into the history of this culture.

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 Now, she learns that this minority culture,

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 they're kind of given this nickname called the hairlings.

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 And it used to be that everybody was like the hairlings.

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 They didn't wrap themselves like this.

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 And there was a time when everybody ate this particular fruit

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 called hair fruit.

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 And that's where the hairlings get their name.

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 This is not a true story.

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 You probably figured that out.

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 The hair fruit looks disgusting.

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 It looks like hairy brown fruit.

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 There's nothing in its appearance that you would desire it.

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 There's no beauty to it or smell.

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 It just smells bad, looks bad.

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 You wouldn't want to touch it.

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 Although the hairlings have kept eating it.

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 And there's something in the fruit

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 that prevents these wounds from forming.

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 At some time in this island's history,

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 a large group of people decided,

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 we don't want to eat any more of this fruit.

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 These wounds developed.

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 And it's because there's something in the soil

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 that's causing these wounds.

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 But they say, well, we'd rather just wrap ourselves.

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 And cover the wounds.

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 Then eat this fruit.

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 And then they began to make the wrappings more elaborate.

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 And so you have these two different cultures.

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 Well, she thinks, like, why don't I just eat the fruit?

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 And she does.

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 And it actually tastes great.

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 Even though it looks horrific.

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 And so she goes around and realized

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 everyone else has these wounds.

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 And she's wondering, why don't you eat the fruit?

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 Well, we're not going to eat the fruit

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 because we're not hairlings.

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 Like, why would we want to do that?

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 Like, well, you should actually eat the fruit.

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 Well, you don't eat the fruit.

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 Like, yes, I do.

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 How do we know?

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 Like, well, just trust me.

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 Eat the fruit and the wounds will go away.

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 Like, how do you know?

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 So how does she show, like, the whole culture

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 that you should eat the fruit?

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 Well, she unwinds the bandages

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 and reveals the scars that were once there

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 because of the wounds.

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 She makes herself vulnerable

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 so that she can tell everybody,

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 taste and see that this fruit is good.

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 It has healing power.

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 Let me tell you a true story.

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 It's about three men.

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 One of them is a good friend of mine.

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 He's a pastor of a church.

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 And my friend is all about excellence.

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 His preaching is excellent.

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 He wants the music in his church to be excellent.

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 The children's ministry to be excellent.

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 The architecture to be excellent.

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 Everything needs to be excellent.

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 And so one day he decided

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 we should have a missions conference

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 and that needs to be excellent.

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 You realize he wants to be excellent

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 because of his own ego, right?

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 Yes.

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 Because he wants to be viewed as excellent.

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 But the church's motto is

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 our church is about excellence

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 because it attracts people to the beauty of Christ

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 and inspires them.

00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:52.159
 So they're going to have

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:53.700
 an excellent missions conference

00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:57.399
 and they hire an excellent missions speaker,

00:15:57.580 --> 00:15:58.860
 or at least I assume he is.

00:15:58.860 --> 00:15:59.840
 And he's fairly well known

00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:03.120
 in the, I guess, missions conference world.

00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:04.240
 At the time.

00:16:05.419 --> 00:16:06.700
 And he's very excited.

00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:07.879
 And at the last minute,

00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:09.980
 the speaker has to bail out

00:16:09.980 --> 00:16:11.559
 because he's really old.

00:16:11.740 --> 00:16:12.720
 So he can't come.

00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:13.840
 So the missions agency says,

00:16:13.899 --> 00:16:14.379
 don't worry.

00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:15.879
 We have somebody else who can come.

00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:18.139
 He's going to do all the speaking.

00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:21.340
 And my friend is like freaking out.

00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:22.460
 Like, it's not going to be good.

00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:24.100
 This thing is not going to be excellent.

00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:25.720
 It's going to be miserable.

00:16:26.019 --> 00:16:26.899
 And people are going to look

00:16:26.899 --> 00:16:28.519
 and think bad of me, right?

00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:34.139
 So the guest speaker comes

00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:37.179
 and he's a missionary to Africa.

00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:38.059
 And you know what he does?

00:16:38.100 --> 00:16:39.279
 He spends a half hour

00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:41.460
 talking about how difficult it is

00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:44.000
 to live in this part of the world.

00:16:44.199 --> 00:16:46.379
 How hard it is to live in a mud hut

00:16:46.379 --> 00:16:49.139
 with the poisonous snakes

00:16:49.139 --> 00:16:52.259
 and how much of a chore it is.

00:16:52.259 --> 00:16:56.639
 Just to get water.

00:16:58.500 --> 00:16:59.779
 Just to get clean water

00:16:59.779 --> 00:17:00.919
 and to cook food.

00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:02.240
 I mean, they don't have any time

00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.559
 for actual like missionary stuff.

00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.259
 And it's just a chore.

00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:09.319
 And they have experienced disillusionment

00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:11.259
 and wonder why we're even there.

00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.359
 And then he sits down.

00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.879
 He sits down.

00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:17.599
 And my friend is like,

00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.700
 that is the worst missions conference,

00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:21.920
 the most uninspiring missions conference speech

00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:22.640
 I've ever heard.

00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:23.640
 We're supposed to hear about

00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:26.160
 thousands of souls being rescued.

00:17:27.220 --> 00:17:28.700
 Let me tell you about the third man.

00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.320
 There's a man who was sitting on the front row

00:17:32.320 --> 00:17:33.840
 and he'd been sitting on the front row

00:17:33.840 --> 00:17:34.820
 Sunday after Sunday,

00:17:34.900 --> 00:17:36.740
 listening to my friend's sermons.

00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:39.680
 But his heart wasn't changing.

00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:41.960
 He was an agnostic, committed agnostic.

00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:43.620
 You can't know if there really is a God.

00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:45.980
 But he did admit,

00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:49.840
 I will admit there might be a God.

00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:51.279
 If I can meet one person

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.980
 who actually believes this stuff.

00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:54.500
 And you know what happened

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.599
 at the end of that missions conference?

00:17:56.379 --> 00:17:58.379
 This man put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

00:17:58.379 --> 00:17:59.240
 for the first time.

00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.220
 Because he heard how hard it was

00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:03.740
 for this person to live out his calling

00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:04.859
 as a Christian,

00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:05.899
 as a missionary.

00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:08.819
 And he put his faith in Christ.

00:18:08.819 --> 00:18:12.779
 It's not our excellence that inspires people

00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:15.559
 and attracts them to the beauty of Christ.

00:18:16.220 --> 00:18:17.919
 Listen to Henry Nouwen.

00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:20.279
 He wrote in his book,

00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:21.460
 The Wounded Healer,

00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:24.700
 it is not the task of the Christian leader,

00:18:24.820 --> 00:18:26.460
 and I'm just going to change it to Christian.

00:18:26.840 --> 00:18:28.500
 It is not the task of the Christian

00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:31.680
 to go around nervously trying to redeem people,

00:18:31.860 --> 00:18:33.500
 to save them at the last minute,

00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:35.400
 to put them on the right track.

00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.480
 The Christian is to make visible in daily events

00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:42.340
 the fact that behind the dirty curtain

00:18:42.340 --> 00:18:43.840
 of our painful symptoms,

00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.539
 there is something great to be seen.

00:18:48.159 --> 00:18:52.619
 The face of him in whose image we are shaped.

00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.899
 It's not our excellence that attracts people

00:18:55.899 --> 00:18:57.319
 to the beauty of Christ.

00:18:57.599 --> 00:18:58.819
 It's our brokenness.

00:18:58.919 --> 00:18:59.559
 And through that,

00:18:59.679 --> 00:19:02.099
 people see the beautiful, healing,

00:19:02.379 --> 00:19:04.419
 saving power of our Lord Jesus.

00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:09.160
 So the first thing was vulnerability.

00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:14.920
 The second thing that is to inform our sharing the gospel

00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:21.039
 is the second thing we learn is listening.

00:19:22.620 --> 00:19:24.880
 Gracious speaking begins with listening.

00:19:25.779 --> 00:19:27.580
 Listening shapes what we say.

00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.300
 Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman

00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:33.740
 continues in verse 9.

00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:37.559
 It reads like this.

00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:39.839
 The Samaritan woman said to him,

00:19:40.399 --> 00:19:42.460
 How is it that you, a Jew,

00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:46.119
 ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?

00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:47.240
 It's a good question.

00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:52.279
 From here, in verse 9 through verse 24,

00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:56.139
 you can see Jesus doesn't seem to feel the need

00:19:56.140 --> 00:19:59.100
 to share the whole gospel with Herod,

00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:01.480
 to share the whole story of Israel,

00:20:01.540 --> 00:20:03.080
 how God created everything

00:20:03.080 --> 00:20:05.880
 and then from everything chose a family,

00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.480
 a people, Israel,

00:20:07.800 --> 00:20:11.380
 to fill and spread the blessings of God

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:13.080
 throughout the entire world.

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:14.440
 No.

00:20:16.840 --> 00:20:20.920
 He only says those parts

00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:23.060
 which address the issues

00:20:23.060 --> 00:20:24.740
 that this particular woman is facing.

00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:27.720
 And that makes sense, right?

00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:30.480
 Because he's interested in this person.

00:20:30.780 --> 00:20:33.300
 He's interested in this person

00:20:33.300 --> 00:20:36.160
 with very specific and very real concerns,

00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:39.640
 those that arrive from her own day-to-day experiences

00:20:39.640 --> 00:20:42.700
 in a particular time and place and culture.

00:20:43.420 --> 00:20:45.200
 And her questions stem from the tensions

00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.360
 between her ethnicity and Jesus'

00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:49.240
 her culture and his,

00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:50.720
 her religion and his,

00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.120
 specific things that she hopes for

00:20:53.120 --> 00:20:55.820
 or feels deep shame about.

00:20:56.140 --> 00:21:00.900
 If our speech is to be seasoned with salt,

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.900
 we can expect to be the same way.

00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:09.460
 Otherwise, we won't hear the other person

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:12.620
 and they become less than a person

00:21:12.620 --> 00:21:14.380
 and more of a project.

00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:18.240
 And they'll pick that up right away, won't they?

00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:22.180
 A friend of mine learned this lesson

00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:23.940
 in the most difficult of ways.

00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:27.640
 He was training to be a hospital chaplain,

00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.299
 which I've heard about hard jobs.

00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:32.220
 This is one of the hardest I've ever heard of.

00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:36.920
 And he went in to visit a young man that was dying.

00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:38.680
 He was around 19 or 20 years old.

00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:40.740
 And there's no question he was going to die.

00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:42.259
 And so he thought it was his job

00:21:42.259 --> 00:21:43.579
 to bring hope to this young man.

00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:46.660
 So he shares him the whole gospel,

00:21:46.779 --> 00:21:47.779
 how God created,

00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:49.579
 and this is a great story.

00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:51.039
 And it's a true story.

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:52.660
 And it inspires me.

00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:54.819
 And I think it inspires you too,

00:21:54.980 --> 00:21:58.799
 how God created the world good and perfect.

00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:03.519
 And he made man to flourish and to fill the earth.

00:22:04.159 --> 00:22:05.960
 And how man rebelled

00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:10.460
 and rebelled against the lordship and kingship of God,

00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:13.159
 which brought all kinds of trouble,

00:22:13.639 --> 00:22:16.720
 which brought sin into the world and death

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.579
 and broke everything, the environment,

00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:19.980
 our relationships with each other,

00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:21.379
 our relationships with ourselves

00:22:21.379 --> 00:22:23.359
 and our relationship with the Lord.

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:27.639
 But God sent his own son to restore

00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:30.880
 and renew and to redeem and to fix.

00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:33.120
 If we put our hope and trust

00:22:33.120 --> 00:22:34.600
 and faith in Jesus Christ,

00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:37.400
 we'll be unified to him.

00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:39.140
 And then in one day, like after we die,

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.640
 we'll get resurrection bodies

00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.580
 and live eternally with God.

00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:44.980
 And that's what he shared with him.

00:22:45.040 --> 00:22:46.120
 And it's all true.

00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:48.380
 But you know what this man's reaction was?

00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:50.100
 Get out.

00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:53.600
 And he raised his voice much more than that.

00:22:53.620 --> 00:22:54.759
 And his family joined him.

00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:56.380
 Get out of this room.

00:22:56.380 --> 00:22:59.480
 I don't want a resurrection body.

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:01.420
 I want this body.

00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:03.040
 I don't want to die.

00:23:06.100 --> 00:23:08.860
 My friend was so locked into a method

00:23:08.860 --> 00:23:12.460
 that he missed a very real issue

00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:15.160
 that this person right in front of him was dealing with.

00:23:15.520 --> 00:23:17.080
 He was afraid to die.

00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:22.960
 Listening frees us from a script,

00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:24.599
 from our own agendas,

00:23:24.879 --> 00:23:25.919
 from a project,

00:23:25.919 --> 00:23:29.500
 and it helps us address the real fears

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.559
 that people have,

00:23:30.619 --> 00:23:34.419
 real concerns, doubts, protests.

00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:40.120
 Now, if you ask anyone who has come to faith

00:23:40.120 --> 00:23:42.140
 as an adult,

00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.680
 who didn't grow up in the church,

00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:47.140
 the majority of time,

00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:48.300
 they'll tell you,

00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:50.320
 I came to faith because I had a friendship

00:23:50.320 --> 00:23:52.539
 or relationship with a Christian.

00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.440
 That's how it works.

00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:57.960
 People come to faith through relationships.

00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:01.259
 And relationships are established through trust.

00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.059
 And trust is built through listening.

00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:07.440
 So we share the gospel through being vulnerable,

00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:09.279
 by leading with our brokenness,

00:24:09.419 --> 00:24:10.440
 not with our excellence.

00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:14.139
 We share the gospel by listening first

00:24:14.139 --> 00:24:19.019
 and not feeling the need to share the whole gospel right away.

00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:24.980
 The third way to have our speech be gracious

00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:29.539
 is to have it be our story.

00:24:29.859 --> 00:24:32.519
 We learn this from the woman's reaction.

00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:35.819
 I'll read starting in verse 28 of chapter 4.

00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:38.420
 So the woman left her water jar

00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:40.099
 and went away into town

00:24:40.099 --> 00:24:41.420
 and said to the people,

00:24:41.639 --> 00:24:44.740
 come see a man who told me all that I ever did.

00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:46.599
 Can this be the Christ?

00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:50.119
 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

00:24:52.699 --> 00:24:54.199
 We learn from the Samaritan woman

00:24:54.199 --> 00:24:55.259
 that our testimony

00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:58.659
 isn't primarily a list of doctrines and propositions

00:24:58.659 --> 00:25:01.419
 that we need to subscribe to.

00:25:02.459 --> 00:25:07.319
 It's a story about our encounter with a living person.

00:25:11.139 --> 00:25:12.399
 In verse 39,

00:25:13.199 --> 00:25:15.719
 many Samaritans from that town believed in him

00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:17.100
 because of the woman's testimony.

00:25:17.539 --> 00:25:18.900
 He told me all that I ever did.

00:25:19.620 --> 00:25:21.019
 So when the Samaritans came to him,

00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:22.259
 they asked him to stay with them

00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:23.799
 and he stayed there two days.

00:25:24.360 --> 00:25:26.660
 And many more believed because of his word.

00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:27.960
 They said to the woman,

00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:31.279
 it is no longer because of what you said that we believe,

00:25:31.779 --> 00:25:33.400
 for we have heard for ourselves.

00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.319
 And we know that this is indeed the savior of the world.

00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:41.339
 Now a comforting thing about sharing our faith

00:25:41.339 --> 00:25:44.000
 is that we're just making an introduction.

00:25:45.439 --> 00:25:49.000
 And that we don't necessarily have to convince someone

00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:52.819
 with our intellect or wit or rhetorical flourish.

00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:55.299
 Jesus does that for us.

00:25:56.899 --> 00:26:00.419
 We're introducing a person to a person.

00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:03.880
 Verse 42,

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:04.680
 they said to the woman,

00:26:04.800 --> 00:26:06.660
 it is no longer because of what you said that we believe,

00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:09.759
 for we have heard for ourselves from him.

00:26:10.300 --> 00:26:13.180
 And we know that this is indeed the savior of the world.

00:26:14.120 --> 00:26:16.019
 Now I understand how difficult

00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:20.240
 it is for many of us in Washington, D.C.

00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:25.859
 to bear witness in our workplaces in particular.

00:26:26.059 --> 00:26:29.099
 How do I know if I should bear witness?

00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:31.339
 Will it cost me my job or reputation?

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:33.339
 How do I know what to say?

00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:35.680
 How do I know when to say it?

00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:38.859
 Well, the first thing to remember

00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:44.480
 is that your work itself bears witness.

00:26:45.079 --> 00:26:47.799
 The way you conduct yourself in your job,

00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:50.799
 doing good work, being honest,

00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:53.940
 showing kindness in a harsh landscape,

00:26:54.819 --> 00:26:55.859
 doing good work,

00:26:56.180 --> 00:26:58.279
 not giving into gossip or backbiting,

00:26:58.839 --> 00:27:00.359
 doing good work.

00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:02.759
 All of these things,

00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:04.799
 especially doing good work,

00:27:05.159 --> 00:27:08.159
 go a long way in bearing witness

00:27:08.159 --> 00:27:11.079
 that there is something different about you.

00:27:11.379 --> 00:27:12.440
 I mean, even Paul says,

00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:14.559
 like even by not doing two things,

00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:16.720
 do you stand out like stars in the universe?

00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:19.279
 Don't complain and don't argue.

00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:22.740
 Do everything without complaining and disputing

00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:26.660
 and you will shine like stars in the universe.

00:27:28.019 --> 00:27:33.420
 Okay, so after I do good work,

00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:36.079
 I still have to say something, right?

00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:37.559
 Like probably.

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:39.500
 And that is how people come to faith.

00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.500
 It's through the word.

00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:41.940
 It's through word.

00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:43.980
 So how will you know what to say?

00:27:44.080 --> 00:27:45.460
 How will you know what to say

00:27:45.460 --> 00:27:47.039
 and when to say it?

00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:50.160
 Well, just ask him.

00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:52.600
 Just ask him.

00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:54.039
 You feel nervous, right?

00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:55.779
 Well, what do you do when you get nervous?

00:27:55.840 --> 00:27:57.259
 I'll tell you what I do when I get nervous.

00:27:57.360 --> 00:27:58.019
 As a musician,

00:27:58.480 --> 00:27:59.320
 as a musician,

00:27:59.500 --> 00:28:01.220
 if I'm nervous on the stage,

00:28:01.460 --> 00:28:02.519
 well, I just rely on my training,

00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:05.320
 rely on what I've learned and practiced,

00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:07.500
 rely on some instinct,

00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:11.000
 put my head down and just get the job done, right?

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:15.000
 Well, I'm behaving like I don't have a father.

00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:17.299
 I'm behaving like I don't have a father

00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:19.420
 who's willing to hear and give

00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:21.700
 anything I should ask for.

00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:23.019
 He is always there.

00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:26.140
 I just have to make myself present to him.

00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:31.420
 You know, maybe what God is primarily interested in

00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:33.740
 when we share the gospel

00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:39.819
 is that his children are completely dependent on him.

00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:43.579
 And so we end where we began

00:28:43.579 --> 00:28:45.880
 in chapter 4, verse 2 of Colossians.

00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:48.619
 Continue steadfastly in prayer,

00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:51.359
 being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:56.000
 Okay, a couple postscripts.

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.980
 The first is this.

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:04.279
 Some of you enjoy sharing the gospel.

00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:07.079
 You're just like naturally gifted at it.

00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:09.440
 For some of you, it's very difficult.

00:29:09.619 --> 00:29:11.880
 But I think most of us understand

00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:13.380
 it is all of our responsibility

00:29:13.380 --> 00:29:14.940
 to share the gospel.

00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:18.740
 Now, what if I told you

00:29:18.740 --> 00:29:19.880
 that there's a demographic

00:29:19.880 --> 00:29:23.559
 when they hear the gospel taught to them,

00:29:24.580 --> 00:29:27.059
 99 times out of 100,

00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:28.039
 they'll believe what you say.

00:29:29.100 --> 00:29:30.900
 And they'll be joyful to hear it

00:29:30.900 --> 00:29:33.140
 and accept it and believe it.

00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.740
 What if there's a demographic

00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:37.680
 that was like that?

00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:40.140
 Would you share the gospel with them?

00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:42.860
 Well, do you know who I'm talking about?

00:29:45.540 --> 00:29:45.940
 Children.

00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:46.940
 Our children.

00:29:48.060 --> 00:29:48.700
 Our children.

00:29:49.020 --> 00:29:49.380
 Now listen,

00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:52.580
 the scriptures are entirely clear

00:29:52.580 --> 00:29:53.440
 on this matter

00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:55.180
 that if a family has children,

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:56.140
 this is like from the beginning

00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:56.720
 in the Old Testament

00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:57.780
 all the way to the end of the New,

00:29:58.220 --> 00:29:59.200
 it is the responsibility

00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:00.600
 of the family

00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:02.060
 to impart the faith

00:30:02.060 --> 00:30:02.980
 to the children.

00:30:03.120 --> 00:30:04.400
 Well, this is a family.

00:30:05.220 --> 00:30:06.000
 This is a family.

00:30:06.100 --> 00:30:07.140
 It's everyone's responsibility

00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:10.240
 to proclaim the gospel

00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:11.020
 to our children.

00:30:11.120 --> 00:30:12.280
 But here's the great thing.

00:30:12.800 --> 00:30:13.740
 They're going to believe you.

00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:15.440
 They're going to believe you

00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:17.060
 and they're going to accept it.

00:30:18.420 --> 00:30:19.520
 So listen,

00:30:20.780 --> 00:30:22.240
 Jane has had a really hard time

00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:24.120
 finding people to teach our children

00:30:24.120 --> 00:30:24.980
 at this hour,

00:30:25.100 --> 00:30:25.820
 this coming fall.

00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:27.660
 A number of our longtime teachers

00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:28.720
 have had to step down

00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:29.500
 for various reasons.

00:30:29.840 --> 00:30:30.720
 Now, perhaps you've been waiting

00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:31.380
 on the sidelines

00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:31.820
 and been wondering,

00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:32.520
 what can I do

00:30:32.520 --> 00:30:33.660
 to be a part of this church?

00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.340
 How can I fit in?

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:34.960
 How can I help?

00:30:36.020 --> 00:30:36.840
 Maybe you've been

00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:38.199
 a member a long time

00:30:38.199 --> 00:30:38.720
 and have been standing

00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:39.319
 on the sidelines.

00:30:39.419 --> 00:30:40.139
 Maybe you've been coming

00:30:40.139 --> 00:30:41.019
 for a long time.

00:30:42.399 --> 00:30:43.399
 I would encourage you

00:30:43.399 --> 00:30:44.639
 to talk to Jane.

00:30:45.679 --> 00:30:47.000
 I'd implore you

00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:47.899
 to talk to Jane

00:30:47.899 --> 00:30:49.399
 because you're going to

00:30:49.399 --> 00:30:51.539
 you're going to

00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:52.619
 have success

00:30:52.619 --> 00:30:54.359
 as a teacher

00:30:54.359 --> 00:30:54.980
 of the gospel.

00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:56.720
 And yeah,

00:30:56.899 --> 00:30:57.839
 please talk to Jane.

00:30:58.220 --> 00:30:59.339
 So the second postscript

00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:00.439
 is the thing

00:31:00.439 --> 00:31:01.119
 I said at the beginning.

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:03.359
 There's some of us here

00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:03.959
 that don't believe

00:31:03.959 --> 00:31:04.519
 in the gospel.

00:31:04.959 --> 00:31:06.139
 And perhaps some of this

00:31:06.140 --> 00:31:07.560
 sharing of the gospel

00:31:07.560 --> 00:31:11.020
 sounds kind of insidious.

00:31:11.020 --> 00:31:12.600
 Wait, you're just like

00:31:12.600 --> 00:31:13.520
 kind of forcing

00:31:13.520 --> 00:31:15.480
 your beliefs on people?

00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:18.120
 Shouldn't they be free

00:31:18.120 --> 00:31:19.420
 to choose and decide

00:31:19.420 --> 00:31:20.080
 for themselves?

00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:22.020
 That sounds like aggrandizement

00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:23.620
 at the best.

00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:26.500
 Well, let me tell you

00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:28.540
 if that's the way you feel

00:31:28.540 --> 00:31:30.160
 or inclined to feel,

00:31:30.520 --> 00:31:32.400
 why that doesn't quite work.

00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.060
 And I'm indebted

00:31:33.060 --> 00:31:34.420
 to Pastor Tim Keller

00:31:34.420 --> 00:31:35.960
 for this.

00:31:36.180 --> 00:31:37.060
 It doesn't work

00:31:37.060 --> 00:31:38.040
 for a number of reasons.

00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:38.580
 The first,

00:31:39.040 --> 00:31:40.500
 it doesn't work emotionally.

00:31:40.860 --> 00:31:41.900
 It doesn't work emotionally

00:31:41.900 --> 00:31:42.840
 for this reason.

00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:45.060
 If you had

00:31:45.060 --> 00:31:46.980
 a really nasty form

00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:47.660
 of cancer

00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:49.980
 and there was

00:31:49.980 --> 00:31:51.340
 a rare cure

00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.460
 that you discovered,

00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:54.540
 would you not

00:31:54.540 --> 00:31:55.660
 share it

00:31:55.660 --> 00:31:57.240
 with as many people

00:31:57.240 --> 00:31:58.000
 as you could?

00:31:58.140 --> 00:31:59.019
 Like, of course.

00:31:59.019 --> 00:32:00.180
 Yes, emotionally

00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:01.220
 you are,

00:32:02.039 --> 00:32:03.379
 you have to.

00:32:04.940 --> 00:32:05.359
 And you know what?

00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:07.519
 There are atheists

00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:08.960
 that agree

00:32:08.960 --> 00:32:10.519
 with this very point.

00:32:10.900 --> 00:32:11.839
 You know Pendulet?

00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:13.940
 He's a comedian.

00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:18.079
 There was a video

00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:18.779
 that a lot of Christians

00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:20.139
 saw back in 2009.

00:32:20.279 --> 00:32:21.039
 It's a video of himself.

00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:22.480
 I think he was like

00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:23.039
 in his home.

00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:24.660
 And he said this

00:32:24.660 --> 00:32:26.940
 after encountering

00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:27.940
 somebody on the street

00:32:27.940 --> 00:32:29.920
 who was trying

00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:31.180
 to evangelize him,

00:32:32.080 --> 00:32:32.539
 he said,

00:32:32.620 --> 00:32:33.460
 I've always said

00:32:33.460 --> 00:32:34.340
 that I don't respect

00:32:34.340 --> 00:32:36.200
 people who don't proselytize.

00:32:36.600 --> 00:32:37.880
 I don't respect that at all.

00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:39.019
 If you believe

00:32:39.019 --> 00:32:39.759
 that there's a heaven

00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:40.340
 and a hell

00:32:40.340 --> 00:32:41.420
 and people could be

00:32:41.420 --> 00:32:42.140
 going to hell

00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:43.600
 or not getting eternal life

00:32:43.600 --> 00:32:44.180
 and you think

00:32:44.180 --> 00:32:45.279
 that it's not really

00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:46.500
 worth telling them this

00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:47.460
 because it would make

00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:48.660
 it socially awkward

00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:49.920
 and atheists

00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:50.559
 who think people

00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:51.660
 shouldn't proselytize

00:32:51.660 --> 00:32:52.539
 and who say

00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:53.680
 just leave me alone

00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:54.740
 and keep your religion

00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:55.400
 to yourself,

00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:56.640
 how much do you

00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:58.200
 have to hate somebody

00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:00.040
 to not proselytize?

00:33:00.660 --> 00:33:01.519
 How much do you

00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:02.680
 have to hate somebody

00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:03.280
 to believe

00:33:03.280 --> 00:33:04.519
 everlasting life

00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:05.340
 is possible

00:33:05.340 --> 00:33:07.040
 and not tell them that?

00:33:08.120 --> 00:33:08.860
 So emotionally

00:33:08.860 --> 00:33:09.660
 we're required

00:33:09.660 --> 00:33:10.980
 to share the gospel.

00:33:11.040 --> 00:33:11.920
 That makes sense, right?

00:33:12.100 --> 00:33:12.900
 Now let me tell you

00:33:12.900 --> 00:33:13.720
 why it doesn't work

00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.840
 intellectually.

00:33:15.220 --> 00:33:17.180
 It's because of this.

00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:18.320
 Like we all have

00:33:18.320 --> 00:33:19.460
 our own views

00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:20.440
 of the world,

00:33:20.500 --> 00:33:21.100
 of truth,

00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:21.759
 of reality,

00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:22.519
 of life,

00:33:22.560 --> 00:33:23.120
 of God,

00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:23.980
 of faith.

00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:26.400
 And the view

00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:27.240
 that says

00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:27.920
 you shouldn't

00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:29.259
 share your view

00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:30.720
 of faith

00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:31.460
 with another person

00:33:31.460 --> 00:33:32.460
 is itself

00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:33.539
 a view.

00:33:33.640 --> 00:33:34.059
 So we're not

00:33:34.059 --> 00:33:34.860
 talking about

00:33:34.860 --> 00:33:36.860
 one person

00:33:36.860 --> 00:33:38.059
 kind of dominating

00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:38.680
 everybody

00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:40.360
 with their viewpoint

00:33:40.360 --> 00:33:41.440
 and trying to evangelize.

00:33:41.460 --> 00:33:41.920
 We're talking about

00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:42.900
 two competing

00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:43.860
 worldviews.

00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:44.519
 And in saying

00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:45.400
 like a Christian

00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:46.000
 shouldn't share

00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:46.539
 the gospel,

00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:48.259
 well really what is being said

00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:49.500
 like my worldview

00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:50.039
 should prevail.

00:33:50.539 --> 00:33:50.720
 Okay?

00:33:50.980 --> 00:33:51.700
 So that's why

00:33:51.700 --> 00:33:52.880
 intellectually it doesn't work.

00:33:52.880 --> 00:33:53.500
 Let me give you

00:33:53.500 --> 00:33:54.500
 a third reason

00:33:54.500 --> 00:33:56.880
 to pause

00:33:56.880 --> 00:33:59.220
 in judgment,

00:33:59.360 --> 00:33:59.900
 to pause

00:33:59.900 --> 00:34:00.800
 in being offended

00:34:00.800 --> 00:34:01.560
 when people share

00:34:01.560 --> 00:34:02.460
 the gospel with you.

00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:03.480
 It's this.

00:34:03.600 --> 00:34:04.180
 It's probably

00:34:04.180 --> 00:34:05.080
 because they love you.

00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:06.580
 It's probably

00:34:06.580 --> 00:34:07.280
 because they love you.

00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:07.900
 Now some share

00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:08.260
 the gospel

00:34:08.260 --> 00:34:09.059
 not out of love.

00:34:09.180 --> 00:34:09.740
 Some share

00:34:09.740 --> 00:34:11.079
 out of greed

00:34:11.079 --> 00:34:12.960
 or for some

00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:13.440
 other reasons.

00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:14.220
 But nine times

00:34:14.220 --> 00:34:14.720
 out of ten

00:34:14.720 --> 00:34:15.640
 I'm going to guess

00:34:15.640 --> 00:34:16.180
 they share it

00:34:16.180 --> 00:34:16.980
 because they love you.

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:17.640
 And I learned

00:34:17.640 --> 00:34:18.340
 this lesson

00:34:18.340 --> 00:34:18.820
 personally

00:34:18.820 --> 00:34:19.900
 from a Muslim.

00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:21.160
 I learned it

00:34:21.160 --> 00:34:21.900
 from a Muslim.

00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:22.340
 When I lived

00:34:22.340 --> 00:34:22.760
 in Vienna,

00:34:22.940 --> 00:34:23.300
 Austria

00:34:23.300 --> 00:34:24.420
 I was

00:34:24.420 --> 00:34:26.440
 a part

00:34:26.440 --> 00:34:26.980
 of a church

00:34:26.980 --> 00:34:27.559
 who had

00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:28.440
 an English

00:34:28.440 --> 00:34:29.220
 conversation

00:34:29.220 --> 00:34:29.780
 class

00:34:29.780 --> 00:34:31.079
 or English

00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:31.680
 conversation

00:34:31.680 --> 00:34:32.099
 cafe

00:34:32.099 --> 00:34:32.660
 and I got

00:34:32.660 --> 00:34:33.300
 to befriend

00:34:33.300 --> 00:34:34.660
 two guys.

00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:35.480
 One

00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:36.160
 his name

00:34:36.160 --> 00:34:36.660
 was Mohammed

00:34:36.660 --> 00:34:37.539
 he was from Iran

00:34:37.539 --> 00:34:38.559
 and the other

00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:38.900
 his name

00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:39.480
 was Wade

00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:40.780
 he was from China.

00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:41.519
 He really liked

00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:42.079
 Dwayne Wade

00:34:42.079 --> 00:34:42.840
 so he calls

00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:43.460
 himself Wade.

00:34:44.420 --> 00:34:45.059
 And the three

00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:45.360
 of us

00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:46.160
 had a really

00:34:46.160 --> 00:34:47.000
 great friendship

00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:47.460
 going

00:34:47.460 --> 00:34:48.280
 for a while.

00:34:48.360 --> 00:34:48.960
 And I could tell

00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:49.720
 that Mohammed

00:34:49.720 --> 00:34:50.720
 was trying

00:34:50.720 --> 00:34:52.000
 to convert

00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:52.400
 me

00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:53.619
 to Islam

00:34:53.619 --> 00:34:55.300
 and I wasn't

00:34:55.300 --> 00:34:55.840
 quite sure

00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:56.559
 what to think.

00:34:56.659 --> 00:34:56.960
 I guess

00:34:56.960 --> 00:34:57.559
 flattered?

00:34:57.820 --> 00:34:58.240
 I don't know.

00:35:00.720 --> 00:35:01.619
 But you know

00:35:01.619 --> 00:35:02.139
 Mohammed

00:35:02.139 --> 00:35:03.679
 really loved

00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:04.800
 Wade.

00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:06.740
 And now

00:35:06.740 --> 00:35:07.280
 you should know

00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:07.940
 this about Wade

00:35:07.940 --> 00:35:09.420
 he had like

00:35:09.420 --> 00:35:10.119
 a deep

00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:10.840
 ennui

00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:12.500
 a sadness

00:35:12.500 --> 00:35:13.179
 a depression

00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:13.840
 he just looked

00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:14.260
 at the world

00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:15.300
 and felt hopelessness

00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:17.700
 and Mohammed

00:35:17.700 --> 00:35:18.519
 his heart

00:35:18.519 --> 00:35:18.940
 broke

00:35:18.940 --> 00:35:20.060
 for Wade

00:35:20.060 --> 00:35:20.840
 and so

00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:21.680
 he tells me

00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:22.380
 Daniel

00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:23.220
 well I'll just

00:35:23.220 --> 00:35:23.560
 do it in

00:35:23.560 --> 00:35:24.120
 American accent

00:35:24.120 --> 00:35:24.340
 sorry

00:35:24.340 --> 00:35:25.000
 Daniel

00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:26.940
 I really love

00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:27.140
 Wade

00:35:27.140 --> 00:35:27.740
 I'm concerned

00:35:27.740 --> 00:35:28.240
 for him

00:35:28.240 --> 00:35:29.539
 and I want

00:35:29.539 --> 00:35:29.740
 to do

00:35:29.740 --> 00:35:30.120
 something for

00:35:30.120 --> 00:35:30.240
 him

00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:30.519
 but I

00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:30.900
 think

00:35:30.900 --> 00:35:32.420
 it's just

00:35:32.420 --> 00:35:32.840
 too far

00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:33.140
 to go

00:35:33.140 --> 00:35:33.440
 from

00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:33.920
 his

00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:34.300
 worldview

00:35:34.300 --> 00:35:35.700
 to Islam

00:35:35.700 --> 00:35:36.460
 what if

00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:36.860
 I could

00:35:36.860 --> 00:35:37.220
 convert

00:35:37.220 --> 00:35:37.360
 him

00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:37.519
 to

00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:38.000
 Christianity

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.519
 instead?

00:35:40.240 --> 00:35:40.940
 I think

00:35:40.940 --> 00:35:41.180
 that'd be

00:35:41.180 --> 00:35:41.539
 a much

00:35:41.539 --> 00:35:42.060
 easier

00:35:42.060 --> 00:35:42.980
 root

00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:43.740
 to peace

00:35:43.740 --> 00:35:44.680
 and happiness

00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:45.539
 and so

00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:46.099
 the three

00:35:46.099 --> 00:35:46.440
 of us

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:47.299
 were together

00:35:47.299 --> 00:35:48.259
 and

00:35:48.259 --> 00:35:49.980
 Mohammed

00:35:49.980 --> 00:35:50.659
 was just

00:35:50.659 --> 00:35:52.019
 really hitting

00:35:52.019 --> 00:35:52.559
 Wade hard

00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:52.799
 like

00:35:52.799 --> 00:35:53.279
 Wade

00:35:53.279 --> 00:35:53.819
 I know

00:35:53.819 --> 00:35:54.219
 you're set

00:35:54.219 --> 00:35:54.679
 maybe you

00:35:54.679 --> 00:35:55.019
 should start

00:35:55.019 --> 00:35:55.539
 listening to

00:35:55.539 --> 00:35:55.819
 Dan

00:35:55.819 --> 00:35:56.139
 and maybe

00:35:56.139 --> 00:35:56.359
 you should

00:35:56.359 --> 00:35:56.839
 start listening

00:35:56.839 --> 00:35:57.239
 to his

00:35:57.239 --> 00:35:57.539
 pastor

00:35:57.539 --> 00:35:57.879
 and believe

00:35:57.879 --> 00:35:58.259
 the things

00:35:58.259 --> 00:35:58.619
 they say

00:35:58.619 --> 00:35:59.000
 about the

00:35:59.000 --> 00:35:59.139
 Lord

00:35:59.139 --> 00:35:59.379
 Jesus

00:35:59.379 --> 00:35:59.839
 Christ

00:35:59.839 --> 00:36:01.779
 thank you

00:36:01.779 --> 00:36:02.199
 I have

00:36:02.199 --> 00:36:02.719
 raised a lot

00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:03.199
 of money

00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:04.199
 and flown

00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:04.659
 my family

00:36:04.659 --> 00:36:05.039
 thousands

00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:05.599
 of miles

00:36:05.599 --> 00:36:06.419
 for you

00:36:06.419 --> 00:36:06.719
 to do

00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:07.319
 my job

00:36:07.319 --> 00:36:07.619
 for me

00:36:07.619 --> 00:36:08.219
 thank you

00:36:08.219 --> 00:36:08.639
 Mohammed

00:36:08.639 --> 00:36:10.960
 yeah

00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:12.879
 but you know

00:36:12.879 --> 00:36:13.179
 Mohammed

00:36:13.179 --> 00:36:13.519
 was doing

00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:13.899
 that out

00:36:13.899 --> 00:36:14.199
 of love

00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:14.500
 for me

00:36:14.500 --> 00:36:14.719
 to be

00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:14.819
 able

00:36:14.819 --> 00:36:15.119
 to see

00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:15.379
 that

00:36:15.379 --> 00:36:15.699
 from

00:36:15.699 --> 00:36:15.960
 a

00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:16.219
 third

00:36:16.219 --> 00:36:16.599
 person

00:36:16.599 --> 00:36:17.179
 perspective

00:36:17.179 --> 00:36:19.039
 yeah

00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:19.699
 so

00:36:19.699 --> 00:36:20.359
 again

00:36:20.359 --> 00:36:21.679
 if someone

00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:22.099
 tries to

00:36:22.099 --> 00:36:22.399
 share the

00:36:22.399 --> 00:36:22.639
 gospel

00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:23.099
 with you

00:36:23.099 --> 00:36:24.219
 it's probably

00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:24.659
 because they

00:36:24.659 --> 00:36:25.039
 love you

00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:25.359
 and you know

00:36:25.359 --> 00:36:25.539
 what

00:36:25.539 --> 00:36:26.259
 they love

00:36:26.259 --> 00:36:26.419
 you

00:36:26.419 --> 00:36:26.759
 because

00:36:26.759 --> 00:36:27.759
 they know

00:36:27.759 --> 00:36:28.079
 that they

00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:28.299
 are

00:36:28.299 --> 00:36:29.139
 dearly

00:36:29.139 --> 00:36:29.460
 loved

00:36:29.460 --> 00:36:30.219
 loved

00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:30.599
 by

00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:31.259
 God

00:36:31.259 --> 00:36:31.619
 and it's

00:36:31.619 --> 00:36:32.139
 demonstrated

00:36:32.139 --> 00:36:33.519
 in this

00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:34.000
 that Jesus

00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:34.719
 gave his

00:36:34.719 --> 00:36:35.079
 life

00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:35.859
 for them

00:36:35.859 --> 00:36:37.079
 that when

00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:37.339
 we put

00:36:37.339 --> 00:36:37.759
 our faith

00:36:37.759 --> 00:36:38.159
 and trust

00:36:38.159 --> 00:36:38.379
 in the

00:36:38.379 --> 00:36:38.519
 Lord

00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:38.799
 Jesus

00:36:38.799 --> 00:36:39.339
 Christ

00:36:39.339 --> 00:36:41.139
 we are

00:36:41.139 --> 00:36:41.939
 reconciled

00:36:41.939 --> 00:36:42.199
 with the

00:36:42.199 --> 00:36:42.439
 Father

00:36:42.439 --> 00:36:43.039
 he makes

00:36:43.039 --> 00:36:43.239
 us

00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:43.739
 one

00:36:43.739 --> 00:36:44.319
 with

00:36:44.319 --> 00:36:44.659
 Jesus

00:36:44.659 --> 00:36:45.459
 he adopts

00:36:45.459 --> 00:36:45.719
 us

00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:46.219
 as his

00:36:46.219 --> 00:36:46.500
 sons

00:36:46.500 --> 00:36:47.039
 and daughters

00:36:47.039 --> 00:36:47.759
 he gives

00:36:47.759 --> 00:36:48.399
 us a

00:36:48.399 --> 00:36:48.899
 seat

00:36:48.899 --> 00:36:49.699
 at his

00:36:49.699 --> 00:36:50.319
 table

00:36:50.319 --> 00:36:51.239
 and we

00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:52.159
 were promised

00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:53.000
 life forevermore

00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:53.739
 isn't that great

00:36:53.739 --> 00:36:55.379
 that's the message

00:36:55.379 --> 00:36:55.919
 that we

00:36:55.919 --> 00:36:56.699
 share with the

00:36:56.699 --> 00:36:56.939
 world

00:36:56.939 --> 00:36:58.419
 let's pray

00:36:58.420 --> 00:36:59.860
 for that

00:36:59.940 --> 00:37:00.539
 please

00:37:01.220 --> 00:37:02.059
 Lord

00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:04.480
 you