WEBVTT

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 Good morning. You be seated.

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 It's good to be with you all again.

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 Most of you all know who I am, but if you don't, if you're new, welcome.

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 We're really glad you're here today.

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 My name is Jonathan. I am a dear friend of Matthew's.

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 Actually, Matthew and I went to seminary together.

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 We were roommates together, so I've known Matthew for a very long time,

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 and it's a real treat to come and fill his shoes for a couple of weeks

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 and to examine a really crucial and fun, important topic for us this week.

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 I currently work as a college pastor.

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 I work with the denomination that Cheyenne Mountain is a part of.

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 It's called Reformed University Fellowship, the campus ministry wing.

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 I work on UCCS mostly, but also on Pikes Peak,

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 and we've just started on Colorado College as well.

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 I'll share a lot of stories about that over the next coming weeks.

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 It's really great to be with you.

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 I'm married to my wife, Caroline.

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 She's a really talented artist and a really great mother.

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 We have two little girls, Phoebe, who's five, and Molly.

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 She's 19 months almost, and I grew up here in Colorado,

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 and it's a real treat to be with you today.

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 So the next four weeks, I will be with you this week and then three weeks after,

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 and we will be looking at a topic that's really close to my heart

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 and really close to your session's heart.

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 We're going to be looking at the topic of evangelism,

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 which is how do we share our faith?

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 How do we share our faith?

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 This is something that Matthew and I have been,

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 and a couple other pastors in town have been bopping around,

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 and we've been realizing, like, man, we need to do a better job

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 of equipping our people, the people in the pews, y'all,

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 on how to share your faith.

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 And so that's what we're going to be doing.

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 This session has graciously invited me to come,

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 and so my hope over the next few weeks

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 is to not necessarily give you a theology of evangelism

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 because everybody knows that they should be doing it,

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 but a lot of the time we get into it and we think,

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 now what do I do?

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 You know, sometimes we'll, you know,

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 the dog that chases the car catches it and goes,

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 now what?

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 Now what do I do with it, right?

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 And so we'll find ourselves in circumstances

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 where there's an open door for us to share the faith,

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 or we don't even know how to start the conversation.

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 And fortunately, this is something I do a lot on a college campus,

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 and so I'm going to mostly just share stories of what's worked

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 and maybe some of what hasn't worked

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 and how do we share our faith as Christians today.

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 And so today we'll be looking at what I think is the starting point.

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 It's a great place for us all to start in this.

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 And so it comes from 1 Corinthians 15.

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 1 Corinthians 15 is an amazing chapter.

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 It's kind of one of the high points of the Bible.

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 It's talking about the resurrection.

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 But in it, Paul lays out something that he says,

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 this is the most important thing that it is to be a Christian.

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 And so I would argue this is where we start.

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 And for those of you who are maybe here today

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 and you're wondering, oh boy, man, what is this is,

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 what am I doing here?

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 I don't know if I even trust this,

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 and now I just get to get proselytized for 30 minutes.

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 I would challenge you to pay attention to

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 what does this mean for your life?

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 And for those of us who are Christians,

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 hopefully we can apply it to our,

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 how do we share our faith with others?

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 And so this is 1 Corinthians 15.

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 This is Paul speaking, and he says this.

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 Now I remind, I would remind you, brothers,

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 of the gospel I preached to you.

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 Which you received, in which you stand,

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 and by which you are being saved,

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 if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,

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 unless you believed in vain.

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 For I delivered to you as of first importance

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 what I also received,

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 that Christ died for our sins

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 in accordance with the scriptures,

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 and that he was buried,

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 and that he was raised on the third day

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 in accordance with the scriptures,

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 and that he appeared to Cephas,

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 and then to the 12.

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 This is God's word.

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 Would you pray with me?

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 Lord in heaven, thanks that we can worship you today.

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 Thanks that we have a day of rest.

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 Thanks that we have a day of gathering,

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 of singing.

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 Thanks that we have a day where we can hear your word.

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 And we pray that as we look at it now,

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 that you would equip us.

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 That is our big request,

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 that you would send your spirit

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 to equip the saints once more

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 for the work of ministry,

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 and that you would be glorified in it.

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 And it's in Jesus' name we pray.

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 Amen.

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 So I want to spend a little bit of time,

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 just before we start,

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 is to just describe to you,

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 if we were to zoom out

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 to the big, you know,

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 telescopic level of setting the stage

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 of the realities,

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 kind of the missionary realities

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 of the world that we're living in,

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 in Colorado, in the United States.

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 And the realities are that organized religion,

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 you've probably seen this in the news,

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 organized religion is by and large

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 on the decline in our world.

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 This is just demographically,

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 statistically the fact.

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 There is a rise of what is being called

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 by sociologists, the nuns,

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 N-O-N, nons or nons, nuns.

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 30% of Americans who would claim

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 no religious affiliation.

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 They would just say,

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 I'm not a religious person.

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 I don't claim a creed.

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 I don't behave or act religiously.

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 I'm just, I'm not a religious person.

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 And scholars over the next 10 to 15 years

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 believe that 35 to 40 million millennials,

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 that's my generation born between 1982 and 1992-ish

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 or something like that,

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 will leave the faith.

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 This is people who have perhaps grown up

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 in a kind of faith.

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 And so millions, tens of millions

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 are going to, on the trajectories,

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 to be leaving the faith.

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 And then Generation Z,

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 which is the generation

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 that I currently pastor,

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 this is late teenagers to early to mid-20s,

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 they, that is going to be

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 the least Christianized generation

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 in American history.

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 It's just, this is what's going to happen.

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 Compound that with the reality

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 that Christianity,

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 as an influence in our society,

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 has generally lost the cultural questions.

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 It's generally lost favor, right?

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 Universities, secular universities,

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 media, government, schooling,

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 the Christian answers

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 are no longer paid attention to,

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 no longer heeded.

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 And in fact, in a lot of ways,

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 they're viewed with suspicion,

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 they're viewed with antagonism.

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 The Christian vision for life,

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 both the individual life

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 and the questions that we would have

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 or the answers that we would have

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 for social life,

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 how we should live life shared together,

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 it's no longer considered desirable

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 and it's no longer considered good.

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 Christianity is just like,

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 well, you don't have a good story

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 of what the human person

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 or what the human life is about.

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 And so most of the major questions

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 that younger generations

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 and older generations, frankly,

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 they're built on a,

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 no longer on a Christian view

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 of the world, right?

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 So questions about human purpose,

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 of what the human body is for,

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 of what marriage is,

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 of what babies are for,

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 they're no longer orbiting within

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 thinking about how Christians

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 have historically thought about things, right?

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 So just less Christians

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 and more skepticism

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 about the Christian faith, right?

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 Next, there's what we could call

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 a privatization of the Christian life

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 that by and large,

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 both Christians

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 and our non-Christian friends

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 believe that if Christianity is true,

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 it's only for your individual

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 personal happiness.

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 It's not necessarily something

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 that you can, should,

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 might share with other people.

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 It helps, you know,

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 I've heard students say like,

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 Jonathan, I'm glad that Christianity

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 helps you sleep at night,

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 it's just not for me.

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 It's just not for me right now, right?

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 And that is a piece of

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 a larger system

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 of kind of capitalism,

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 pleasure that's kind of infiltrated

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 the way that we view things,

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 that religion is just basically

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 a calculus of pleasure and pain.

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 What am I getting out of this?

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 And we treat all of life this way, right?

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 We treat the way we order products

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 off the internet,

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 we treat relationships,

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 we treat restaurants this way.

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 What am I getting out of it?

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 And when we treat religion

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 as a consumption,

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 a product to consume,

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 and it doesn't meet our expectations,

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 we just say,

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 well, I'm just gonna move on with that, right?

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 Maybe if it's really bad,

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 I'll leave a bad Google review,

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 but by and large,

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 it's just, it's not for me.

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 And so for most people,

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 the demands of radical discipleship

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 and of following Jesus,

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 they don't meet that pleasure expectation

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 that as consumers,

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 we would expect, right?

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 The next thing that's happening

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 in our world is we live

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 in what one philosopher

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 would call the triumph

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 of the therapeutic.

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 The triumph of the therapeutic,

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 which means this.

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 It means that I do in my life

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 what feels good.

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 I do in my life

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 what feels good,

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 what makes me feel

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 most authentic,

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 what makes me feel

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 like the most true version

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 of myself,

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 and what that means

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 is that the things

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 that are most intrinsic,

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 inner desires of me,

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 that's who I am,

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 and that's how I should live, right?

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 And the Christian claims

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 about sin,

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 about killing parts

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 of who you are,

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 about self-denial,

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 those feel clumsy,

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 at least,

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 and even oppressive,

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 at most,

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 to who a person is, right?

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 And lastly,

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 we live in a world

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 that assumes,

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 this could maybe encapsulate

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 all of it,

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 it assumes

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 the doctrine of the day

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 is that I'm my own person.

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 I'm my own person.

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 I get to do

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 what I want to do.

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 I have the right

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 and the power

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 to create my own values,

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 my own identity,

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 my own beliefs,

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 and anyone

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 or anything out there,

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 society,

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 a person,

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 a faith,

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 a God,

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 anyone out there

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 who tells me

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 who I am

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 or what I should believe

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 is a power grab.

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 They're trying

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 to get power over me.

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 They're trying

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 to manipulate me, right?

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 And so the way

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 I often think about it

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 is the world

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 that we're living in right now,

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 it's kind of the formation

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 of like a super hurricane, right?

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 So a Category 5 hurricane

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 or an F5 tornado

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 takes dozens

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 of different

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 meteorological events

00:09:58.280 --> 00:09:59.080
 to form, right?

00:09:59.100 --> 00:09:59.980
 It doesn't just happen

00:09:59.980 --> 00:10:00.500
 on its own.

00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:01.100
 It has to have

00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:02.180
 the right combination

00:10:02.180 --> 00:10:03.760
 of air pressure

00:10:03.760 --> 00:10:05.160
 and water pressure

00:10:05.160 --> 00:10:06.480
 and air humidity

00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:07.500
 and the jet stream

00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:08.320
 has to be just right.

00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:09.480
 And when all of those pieces

00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:10.260
 can come together,

00:10:10.340 --> 00:10:10.760
 you can have

00:10:10.760 --> 00:10:11.900
 a really big storm,

00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:13.960
 a really big, big storm.

00:10:14.220 --> 00:10:15.540
 And the reality is

00:10:15.540 --> 00:10:17.240
 right now in 2025,

00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.020
 we are in such a storm

00:10:19.020 --> 00:10:20.500
 with how it feels

00:10:20.500 --> 00:10:21.240
 to be a Christian.

00:10:21.660 --> 00:10:22.900
 That's just the way it is.

00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:24.340
 And we need to face

00:10:24.340 --> 00:10:25.120
 the reality, right?

00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:26.940
 All of these different forces,

00:10:27.740 --> 00:10:29.640
 the rise up of the nones,

00:10:29.780 --> 00:10:30.620
 the doubt about

00:10:30.620 --> 00:10:31.560
 the Christian narrative

00:10:31.560 --> 00:10:32.200
 and answers,

00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:33.160
 the privatization

00:10:33.160 --> 00:10:33.820
 of the faith,

00:10:34.280 --> 00:10:35.640
 consumption of the faith,

00:10:36.640 --> 00:10:37.520
 view of it as just

00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:38.620
 what I'm getting out of it.

00:10:38.699 --> 00:10:39.759
 Triumph of the therapeutic,

00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:40.639
 I am my own,

00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:42.860
 has created a super storm

00:10:42.860 --> 00:10:43.679
 in our world.

00:10:44.439 --> 00:10:45.379
 And this is the world

00:10:45.379 --> 00:10:46.340
 that you and I live in

00:10:46.340 --> 00:10:47.159
 and it's the world

00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:47.919
 that you and I are called

00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:49.720
 to share our faith in, right?

00:10:49.939 --> 00:10:50.840
 This is the world

00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:51.659
 that Jesus does

00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:53.000
 that go and make disciples.

00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:53.860
 This is the world

00:10:53.860 --> 00:10:54.679
 where we are called

00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:55.939
 to evangelize.

00:10:56.740 --> 00:10:57.620
 That's what's happening

00:10:57.620 --> 00:10:58.699
 on this giant level,

00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.120
 on this 50,000 level of,

00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:02.259
 and you've felt this.

00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:03.899
 You have seen this

00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:05.559
 when you look on your Instagram

00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:06.479
 or your Facebook

00:11:06.479 --> 00:11:07.500
 or something like that

00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:08.379
 or you watch the news

00:11:08.379 --> 00:11:09.119
 and you'll see things

00:11:09.119 --> 00:11:10.459
 like the war on Christmas

00:11:10.459 --> 00:11:12.419
 or you'll see the rise

00:11:12.419 --> 00:11:13.199
 of different visions

00:11:13.199 --> 00:11:14.279
 of human sexuality,

00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:16.579
 the rise of the LGBTQ movement.

00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:17.899
 You'll see this in politics.

00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:19.199
 You've all felt this, right?

00:11:19.619 --> 00:11:20.639
 I'm just trying to describe

00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:21.259
 what it's like.

00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.219
 Or you felt the fact

00:11:22.219 --> 00:11:23.199
 that when you talk

00:11:23.199 --> 00:11:24.139
 with your Christian friends

00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:25.259
 or non-Christian friends,

00:11:25.299 --> 00:11:26.139
 there's more of a disconnect.

00:11:26.479 --> 00:11:27.739
 They just don't understand

00:11:27.739 --> 00:11:28.599
 what you're saying.

00:11:29.199 --> 00:11:31.219
 It's harder than it maybe was,

00:11:31.419 --> 00:11:32.479
 especially for those of you

00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:33.320
 who have grown up,

00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:34.680
 who've been here

00:11:34.680 --> 00:11:35.860
 on God's green earth

00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:36.300
 a little longer.

00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:37.039
 It's just different.

00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:38.560
 It's just different, right?

00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:40.039
 And on the other level,

00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:41.940
 just zooming down into life,

00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:42.920
 you all have friends.

00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:43.800
 I know you do.

00:11:44.500 --> 00:11:46.840
 Neighbors, coworkers, family

00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:49.600
 who you want to be Christians

00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:50.000
 and you're,

00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:51.300
 I don't know how to do this.

00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:52.680
 How do I bring it up

00:11:52.680 --> 00:11:53.920
 in a way that doesn't make them

00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:55.039
 angry with me again?

00:11:55.580 --> 00:11:57.180
 How do I share this thing

00:11:57.180 --> 00:11:58.279
 that's so dear to me

00:11:58.279 --> 00:11:58.960
 that I would spend

00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.060
 every Sunday of my life in?

00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:01.500
 I don't know

00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:02.420
 how to bring it up anymore.

00:12:03.300 --> 00:12:04.600
 So what I want to spend

00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:06.200
 is the next four weeks

00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:07.279
 on how to do this.

00:12:08.300 --> 00:12:09.200
 And I don't share

00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:10.779
 any of this big picture stuff

00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:11.879
 to scare you.

00:12:12.899 --> 00:12:13.940
 And I don't do it too,

00:12:14.060 --> 00:12:15.180
 I mean, it is what it is, right?

00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:15.700
 But actually,

00:12:15.800 --> 00:12:16.300
 the good news

00:12:16.300 --> 00:12:16.899
 is actually better

00:12:16.899 --> 00:12:17.539
 than the bad news.

00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:18.480
 We could spend a lot of time

00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:19.060
 on the good news.

00:12:19.259 --> 00:12:20.220
 Pieces of the good news

00:12:20.220 --> 00:12:22.039
 are that the Christian faith

00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:23.080
 is on the rise

00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:24.019
 faster than it is

00:12:24.019 --> 00:12:24.680
 on the decline

00:12:24.680 --> 00:12:26.300
 in the rest of the world.

00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:27.360
 Christianity

00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.180
 in the global church

00:12:28.180 --> 00:12:29.180
 is exploding

00:12:29.180 --> 00:12:30.240
 in Africa

00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:31.100
 and South America

00:12:31.100 --> 00:12:31.659
 and Asia.

00:12:31.659 --> 00:12:32.860
 it is growing

00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:34.839
 at exponential rates.

00:12:35.939 --> 00:12:37.219
 It is exponentially

00:12:37.219 --> 00:12:38.699
 expanding in Africa.

00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:39.159
 In fact,

00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:39.919
 they're beginning

00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:41.459
 to send missionaries here.

00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:42.539
 They're beginning

00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:43.379
 to send missionaries

00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:43.959
 to us

00:12:43.959 --> 00:12:45.219
 and they encounter us

00:12:45.219 --> 00:12:45.639
 and they say,

00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:47.000
 what are you doing?

00:12:47.219 --> 00:12:47.459
 You said,

00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:48.779
 what is this, right?

00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:50.399
 So the global church

00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:51.620
 is in a really good place.

00:12:51.819 --> 00:12:53.279
 Here it's on the decline,

00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:54.199
 but there's really

00:12:54.199 --> 00:12:55.019
 good news in that.

00:12:55.299 --> 00:12:56.299
 Other piece of the good news

00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:56.559
 is,

00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:57.579
 and this is one of my favorite

00:12:57.579 --> 00:12:58.419
 pieces of the good news,

00:12:58.500 --> 00:12:59.579
 is that the rejection

00:12:59.579 --> 00:13:00.259
 of the gospel

00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:01.000
 over the last,

00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:01.639
 I don't know,

00:13:01.699 --> 00:13:02.339
 70 years,

00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:03.819
 it's beginning to bear fruit,

00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:05.139
 particularly in the lives

00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:05.879
 of my generation

00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:06.319
 and younger,

00:13:06.419 --> 00:13:07.059
 and they're miserable.

00:13:07.939 --> 00:13:08.899
 They're really miserable,

00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:09.600
 and I'm going to share

00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:10.659
 some stories about that.

00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:11.799
 And we're getting

00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:12.539
 to tell them,

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:12.899
 I mean,

00:13:12.959 --> 00:13:14.000
 I'll often ask students,

00:13:14.079 --> 00:13:14.579
 they'll talk to me

00:13:14.579 --> 00:13:15.319
 about how depressed

00:13:15.319 --> 00:13:16.059
 or anxious,

00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:16.519
 and I'll just say,

00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:18.019
 how's it working out for you

00:13:18.019 --> 00:13:18.779
 not being a Christian?

00:13:19.439 --> 00:13:20.620
 It's clearly not working

00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:21.059
 very well.

00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:21.879
 You're lonely,

00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:23.159
 you're isolated,

00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:24.460
 you hate yourself,

00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:25.240
 you're anxious.

00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:26.559
 What if it didn't have

00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:27.519
 to be that way, right?

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.600
 So there are levels

00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.579
 of receptivity

00:13:30.579 --> 00:13:32.100
 that I think are new

00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:33.019
 and unparalleled.

00:13:33.179 --> 00:13:34.039
 And so this is an exciting,

00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:34.819
 I mean, for me,

00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:35.220
 I don't know,

00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:36.340
 for me as a pastor

00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:36.960
 of college students,

00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:37.799
 I love my job

00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:38.500
 because I get to share

00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:39.340
 the gospel three or four

00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:39.899
 times a week,

00:13:40.759 --> 00:13:41.939
 and students are interested,

00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:42.399
 right?

00:13:42.419 --> 00:13:42.980
 And I would bet

00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:43.799
 that there's a level

00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:45.059
 of interest, curiosity,

00:13:45.059 --> 00:13:46.799
 even in your friends,

00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.059
 right?

00:13:47.859 --> 00:13:49.119
 So the good news is

00:13:49.119 --> 00:13:51.119
 that there's a level

00:13:51.119 --> 00:13:52.000
 of receptivity

00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.559
 even as there's decline.

00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:54.779
 And then the last news,

00:13:54.859 --> 00:13:56.519
 and this is the best news,

00:13:56.619 --> 00:13:58.539
 is that Jesus has proven

00:13:58.539 --> 00:13:59.899
 himself more and more

00:13:59.899 --> 00:14:00.559
 over this,

00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:00.959
 you know,

00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:01.759
 he's proven himself

00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:02.359
 very comfortable

00:14:02.359 --> 00:14:03.179
 in stormy seas.

00:14:03.739 --> 00:14:05.159
 If our cultural moment

00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:07.439
 is a F5 tornado

00:14:07.439 --> 00:14:09.039
 or a category 5 hurricane,

00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:09.759
 we can go and say

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:10.979
 Jesus has been very comfortable

00:14:10.979 --> 00:14:12.039
 with culturally

00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:13.699
 and literally stormy seas,

00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:14.000
 right?

00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.960
 And he has proven

00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:17.139
 over and over again

00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:18.000
 that he has

00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.480
 and will save his own,

00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:21.759
 and he will use us

00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:22.399
 in that, right?

00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:24.679
 So we have total confidence

00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:25.639
 that God will work,

00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:27.100
 and at the same time,

00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:28.779
 we must face

00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:30.200
 the missionary realities

00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:31.179
 of 2025,

00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:32.440
 face the realities

00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:33.139
 of the ways

00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:34.379
 that we have done evangelism

00:14:34.379 --> 00:14:36.120
 the last few decades

00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:37.580
 will probably not work

00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:39.799
 the ways that we have seen

00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:40.740
 them work in the past,

00:14:40.779 --> 00:14:41.600
 and so we need to innovate.

00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:42.840
 Not the message,

00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:43.820
 but how we do it.

00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:44.980
 We need to face

00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:45.580
 the realities

00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:46.960
 that door-to-door evangelism

00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.820
 not only doesn't work

00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:49.300
 but actually turns people away

00:14:49.300 --> 00:14:50.800
 in the same way

00:14:50.800 --> 00:14:51.320
 that if somebody

00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:52.340
 knocks on your door

00:14:52.340 --> 00:14:53.180
 and says,

00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:54.639
 would you like to buy this?

00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:54.899
 We go,

00:14:55.019 --> 00:14:56.280
 not right now.

00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:57.660
 That's the feeling

00:14:57.660 --> 00:14:58.700
 that people feel

00:14:58.700 --> 00:15:00.160
 when door-to-door evangelism

00:15:00.160 --> 00:15:00.540
 happens.

00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:01.639
 It used to work great,

00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:01.920
 right?

00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:03.860
 The reality

00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:05.160
 that handing out tracts

00:15:05.160 --> 00:15:06.440
 and even handing out Bibles

00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:08.080
 is not effective anymore.

00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:11.180
 It only turns people away,

00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:11.540
 right?

00:15:12.020 --> 00:15:13.420
 We have to know

00:15:13.420 --> 00:15:14.220
 that the reality

00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:15.820
 that people do not bring

00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:17.759
 in Christian worldview things,

00:15:17.900 --> 00:15:18.600
 Christian assumptions

00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:20.560
 like Jesus is God

00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:22.280
 or God's judgment

00:15:22.280 --> 00:15:23.460
 like things that we could

00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:24.139
 50 years ago.

00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:25.120
 I remember I was talking

00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.379
 with a student last year.

00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:28.460
 She knows absolutely nothing

00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:29.360
 about Christianity,

00:15:29.680 --> 00:15:30.759
 and she said,

00:15:30.900 --> 00:15:30.980
 hey,

00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:32.000
 what's this thing

00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:32.740
 called the Trinity?

00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:34.140
 I've never heard of it before,

00:15:34.180 --> 00:15:34.960
 and I just heard of it

00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:35.600
 last week.

00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:36.920
 And I was,

00:15:37.060 --> 00:15:38.019
 here's a girl

00:15:38.019 --> 00:15:39.420
 who's 20 years old

00:15:39.420 --> 00:15:40.519
 and has never even heard

00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:41.080
 of the Trinity,

00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:41.360
 right?

00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:42.659
 We cannot just assume

00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:43.860
 these things anymore

00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:44.580
 like we could.

00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:47.340
 We must adapt.

00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:48.740
 So a few years ago,

00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:50.019
 I read this really great book

00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:50.779
 about leadership.

00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:51.519
 It's a book called

00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:52.100
 Team of Teams.

00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:54.080
 It's by General Stanley McChrystal.

00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:55.720
 And McChrystal was

00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:58.080
 the general of the U.S.,

00:15:58.080 --> 00:15:59.460
 of the whole U.S.,

00:15:59.460 --> 00:15:59.879
 I don't know,

00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:00.200
 military.

00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:00.899
 I'm not a soldier.

00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:01.800
 You guys can ask Andy,

00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:02.779
 but he was in charge of it.

00:16:02.800 --> 00:16:04.500
 But he was in general

00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.480
 in charge of defeating

00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:06.980
 the insurgencies of ISIS

00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:08.000
 and Al-Qaeda

00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.060
 in the mid-2000s.

00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:10.519
 And he looked at the structure

00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:11.279
 of the U.S. military

00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:11.779
 and said,

00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:12.259
 hey,

00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:13.000
 we are built,

00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:13.779
 the U.S. military

00:16:13.779 --> 00:16:14.620
 is built right now

00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:15.300
 to defeat

00:16:15.300 --> 00:16:17.639
 a large line of tanks

00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:18.920
 that slammed towards us

00:16:18.920 --> 00:16:20.379
 in like a Cold War scenario.

00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:21.340
 And he says,

00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:22.360
 what we're fighting now

00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:23.600
 is these cellular,

00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:25.139
 highly mobile,

00:16:25.940 --> 00:16:27.080
 highly adaptable

00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:28.700
 terrorist insurgents

00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:29.420
 like ISIS.

00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:31.460
 And we cannot just

00:16:31.460 --> 00:16:32.940
 slam tanks into them

00:16:32.940 --> 00:16:33.800
 the way that we used to.

00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:34.060
 And he says,

00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:35.180
 if we're going to defeat them,

00:16:35.179 --> 00:16:36.079
 we must adapt.

00:16:36.699 --> 00:16:37.799
 We must become

00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:40.500
 ready to fight the enemy

00:16:40.500 --> 00:16:41.419
 that we have to fight, right?

00:16:41.459 --> 00:16:42.299
 And now I hesitate

00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:43.479
 to use this story

00:16:43.479 --> 00:16:44.639
 because I don't want

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:45.799
 to equate evangelism

00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:46.839
 with military warfare.

00:16:47.599 --> 00:16:49.239
 Do not hear me say that.

00:16:50.239 --> 00:16:52.379
 I do want you to think

00:16:52.379 --> 00:16:53.719
 about evangelism

00:16:53.719 --> 00:16:54.339
 as a thing

00:16:54.339 --> 00:16:55.559
 that must be adapted.

00:16:56.839 --> 00:16:57.699
 Evangelism is something

00:16:57.699 --> 00:16:58.239
 that we take

00:16:58.239 --> 00:16:59.519
 the timeless message

00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:00.579
 in which we will look at

00:17:00.579 --> 00:17:01.120
 in just a minute

00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.840
 and apply it

00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:04.319
 in ways that are relevant

00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:06.180
 and hearable

00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:07.140
 to our audience.

00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:08.960
 We must approach evangelism

00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.640
 with new eyes,

00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:10.500
 new techniques.

00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:12.299
 So that's what I'm hoping

00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:13.059
 to share with you

00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:14.299
 over the next few weeks.

00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:16.839
 So my goal

00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:17.799
 over the next four weeks,

00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:18.700
 first and foremost,

00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:19.940
 is to equip you

00:17:19.940 --> 00:17:21.539
 with words to say

00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:22.940
 about evangelism,

00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:24.099
 of you share your faith.

00:17:24.879 --> 00:17:25.819
 And if you have things

00:17:25.819 --> 00:17:26.359
 that you're,

00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:27.699
 questions that you're

00:17:27.699 --> 00:17:28.199
 thinking about,

00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.119
 come and talk to me.

00:17:29.199 --> 00:17:30.639
 I'm writing these this week

00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:31.799
 and over the next few weeks

00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:33.339
 and I will think about it

00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:34.359
 and I'll come and speak to them.

00:17:34.439 --> 00:17:35.559
 So if you hear something today

00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:35.919
 and you say,

00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:37.319
 Jonathan, think about this.

00:17:37.419 --> 00:17:38.659
 I'd love to hear from you

00:17:38.659 --> 00:17:39.679
 and we can have a dialogue

00:17:39.679 --> 00:17:40.259
 about it.

00:17:40.459 --> 00:17:41.639
 We can ask questions together.

00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:44.299
 I do evangelism

00:17:44.299 --> 00:17:45.480
 probably three to four times

00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:46.079
 a week.

00:17:46.159 --> 00:17:46.639
 I meet with three

00:17:46.639 --> 00:17:48.299
 or four non-Christian students

00:17:48.299 --> 00:17:49.480
 and I want to share

00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:50.000
 what's working.

00:17:50.139 --> 00:17:51.279
 I don't want to spend time

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.059
 over the next four weeks

00:17:52.059 --> 00:17:53.079
 doing a theology

00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:54.139
 of evangelism.

00:17:54.139 --> 00:17:55.039
 We're basically trying

00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:55.639
 to guilt you

00:17:55.639 --> 00:17:55.980
 and to say,

00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:57.099
 here's why you need

00:17:57.099 --> 00:17:57.740
 to share your faith.

00:17:58.159 --> 00:17:58.879
 If you're a Christian,

00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:00.000
 you know you're called

00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:00.639
 to share your faith

00:18:00.639 --> 00:18:01.259
 and you want to,

00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:02.939
 but you run into brick walls,

00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:03.480
 culturally,

00:18:03.980 --> 00:18:04.879
 even vocabulary,

00:18:05.539 --> 00:18:06.359
 words to say.

00:18:07.679 --> 00:18:09.099
 I want to look at

00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:10.099
 how you share it,

00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:11.019
 what words you say.

00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:11.519
 Next week,

00:18:11.539 --> 00:18:12.240
 we're going to look at

00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:13.000
 how do you start

00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:14.119
 a spiritual conversation

00:18:14.119 --> 00:18:14.740
 because I know

00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:15.839
 that's ridiculously challenging.

00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:17.339
 So we'll look at that

00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:17.899
 next week.

00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:20.039
 My suspicion is that

00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:20.960
 you have a nagging guilt

00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.039
 that you should be,

00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:23.000
 but you don't know

00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:23.259
 how.

00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:24.440
 So that's what we're

00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:24.940
 going to look at.

00:18:25.779 --> 00:18:26.319
 That's what we're

00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:26.779
 going to look at,

00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:27.039
 right?

00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:28.019
 So let's dig into

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:29.440
 what our text says to here.

00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:31.259
 I want us to see

00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:32.119
 that this passage

00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:33.200
 shows us what

00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:34.519
 and how to prioritize

00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:36.000
 the most important thing

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:37.420
 that is the Christian faith,

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:38.539
 which is the person

00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:38.960
 and the work

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:39.700
 of Jesus Christ.

00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:42.339
 That's what we preach.

00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:43.640
 That's what we proclaim

00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:44.619
 is the person

00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:45.539
 and the work

00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:46.819
 of Jesus Christ.

00:18:47.019 --> 00:18:48.000
 And start with this.

00:18:48.059 --> 00:18:49.299
 What is the Christian faith about?

00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:51.559
 What is the Christian faith about?

00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:53.599
 Well, the Christian faith

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:55.099
 is about the wonderful works

00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:55.619
 of God

00:18:55.619 --> 00:18:56.659
 to reconcile

00:18:56.659 --> 00:18:58.500
 all things to himself.

00:18:59.659 --> 00:19:01.039
 We believe as Christians

00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:02.639
 that God has done

00:19:02.639 --> 00:19:04.079
 everything necessary

00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.740
 to fix,

00:19:05.980 --> 00:19:06.980
 that is reconcile,

00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:08.539
 our broken world

00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:09.740
 back to the way

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:10.659
 that he created it

00:19:10.659 --> 00:19:11.299
 and to the way

00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.339
 that we intuitively

00:19:12.339 --> 00:19:13.659
 know it should work.

00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:15.480
 So 1 Corinthians 1

00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:16.240
 says it this way.

00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:17.779
 He has transferred us.

00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:19.180
 This is Christ

00:19:19.180 --> 00:19:20.200
 has transferred us

00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:20.899
 from the domain

00:19:20.899 --> 00:19:21.480
 of darkness.

00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:23.119
 He's delivered us

00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:23.559
 from the domain

00:19:23.559 --> 00:19:23.940
 of darkness

00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:24.799
 and transferred us

00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:25.279
 into the kingdom

00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:26.319
 of his beloved Son

00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:27.460
 in whom we have

00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:28.259
 redemption

00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:28.879
 of forgiveness

00:19:28.879 --> 00:19:30.039
 and sins.

00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:31.119
 For in him

00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:32.000
 all the fullness

00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.519
 of God

00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:33.559
 was pleased to dwell

00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:34.619
 and through him

00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:35.299
 to reconcile

00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:36.180
 to himself

00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:37.059
 all things,

00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:38.519
 whether on earth

00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:39.420
 or in heaven

00:19:39.420 --> 00:19:40.240
 making peace

00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:40.799
 by the blood

00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:41.420
 of his cross.

00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:43.259
 We believe

00:19:43.259 --> 00:19:44.839
 in a God,

00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:46.440
 the only God,

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.859
 who comes to earth,

00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:49.319
 becomes God

00:19:49.319 --> 00:19:50.019
 and man

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:51.240
 at the same time,

00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:52.779
 lives the perfect life,

00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:54.119
 dies the perfect death

00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:55.660
 to make the world

00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:56.940
 the way we hope

00:19:56.940 --> 00:19:57.400
 it should be,

00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:58.019
 the way we know

00:19:58.019 --> 00:19:58.519
 it should be.

00:19:58.599 --> 00:19:59.400
 It is trust

00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:00.599
 in the God

00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:01.339
 who redeems

00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:02.240
 and reconciles

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:02.960
 creation

00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:04.579
 through the saving work

00:20:04.579 --> 00:20:05.400
 that is the death

00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:06.299
 and resurrection

00:20:06.299 --> 00:20:07.440
 of his Son.

00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:09.480
 And that's what Paul

00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:10.980
 says to this church

00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:11.980
 when he comes to them,

00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:12.240
 right?

00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:13.299
 Look what he says

00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:13.720
 to them.

00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:15.519
 Verse 3,

00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:17.120
 I deliver to you

00:20:17.120 --> 00:20:18.539
 as of first importance

00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:20.000
 what I also received.

00:20:20.900 --> 00:20:22.000
 So this is the most

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:22.799
 important thing

00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:24.420
 of first importance,

00:20:24.660 --> 00:20:26.000
 top priority stuff

00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:26.660
 right here.

00:20:28.339 --> 00:20:29.359
 What is it?

00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:31.819
 That Christ died

00:20:31.819 --> 00:20:32.720
 for our sins.

00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.299
 That Christ died

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:35.079
 for our sins.

00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.259
 Paul here says

00:20:37.259 --> 00:20:38.079
 that is what

00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:39.059
 of first importance,

00:20:39.180 --> 00:20:39.740
 the thing that is

00:20:39.740 --> 00:20:40.620
 the most crucial

00:20:40.620 --> 00:20:42.099
 thing that we believe

00:20:42.099 --> 00:20:43.319
 truth claim

00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.099
 that we have

00:20:44.099 --> 00:20:45.439
 is that there was

00:20:45.439 --> 00:20:46.500
 a man named Jesus

00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:47.699
 who was also God

00:20:47.699 --> 00:20:48.500
 and he died

00:20:48.500 --> 00:20:49.639
 for human sins.

00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:50.819
 And he says

00:20:50.819 --> 00:20:52.619
 that he received it

00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:53.839
 from the authoritative

00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:54.399
 witnesses,

00:20:54.619 --> 00:20:55.500
 that is the apostles,

00:20:55.699 --> 00:20:56.839
 the people who saw it

00:20:56.839 --> 00:20:57.740
 and understood

00:20:57.740 --> 00:20:58.779
 what it meant

00:20:58.779 --> 00:21:00.339
 and now he tells them

00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:01.240
 to us what it is.

00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:02.599
 It is the simplicity

00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:04.399
 of the death

00:21:04.399 --> 00:21:04.859
 and resurrection

00:21:04.859 --> 00:21:05.459
 of Jesus,

00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:06.559
 of first importance,

00:21:06.659 --> 00:21:06.799
 right?

00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:07.959
 Now the resurrection

00:21:07.959 --> 00:21:08.839
 in this text,

00:21:08.919 --> 00:21:09.399
 it tells us

00:21:09.399 --> 00:21:10.119
 what this is,

00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:10.559
 it tells us

00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:10.899
 what it is.

00:21:10.959 --> 00:21:11.359
 It tells us

00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:12.159
 it's two things.

00:21:12.219 --> 00:21:12.839
 It's an event

00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:13.599
 with meaning.

00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:15.319
 It's an event

00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:16.039
 with meaning.

00:21:16.219 --> 00:21:17.319
 Now some things

00:21:17.319 --> 00:21:18.000
 can happen in,

00:21:18.239 --> 00:21:19.439
 let's look at that,

00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:20.379
 an event with meaning.

00:21:20.899 --> 00:21:21.459
 It's something

00:21:21.459 --> 00:21:22.179
 that happened

00:21:22.179 --> 00:21:23.239
 in human history

00:21:23.239 --> 00:21:25.339
 and it means something,

00:21:25.419 --> 00:21:25.619
 right?

00:21:25.679 --> 00:21:26.399
 So think about this.

00:21:26.459 --> 00:21:27.679
 We can all have events

00:21:27.679 --> 00:21:28.239
 that don't really

00:21:28.239 --> 00:21:29.119
 have a lot of meaning.

00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:30.219
 Things that happen

00:21:30.219 --> 00:21:30.899
 in our life

00:21:30.899 --> 00:21:31.639
 that weren't

00:21:31.639 --> 00:21:32.599
 particularly meaningful.

00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:33.679
 I put this jacket

00:21:33.679 --> 00:21:34.259
 on this morning.

00:21:34.339 --> 00:21:35.199
 It happened in human

00:21:35.199 --> 00:21:35.779
 space, time,

00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:36.199
 and history,

00:21:36.339 --> 00:21:36.579
 right?

00:21:36.579 --> 00:21:39.000
 It's an event

00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:40.220
 or I ate an omelet

00:21:40.220 --> 00:21:40.819
 for breakfast.

00:21:41.419 --> 00:21:42.039
 It's an event

00:21:42.039 --> 00:21:42.720
 but it didn't really

00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:43.179
 mean a lot,

00:21:43.259 --> 00:21:43.480
 right?

00:21:44.779 --> 00:21:45.859
 Something but not a lot.

00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:46.839
 On the other hand,

00:21:47.199 --> 00:21:48.220
 we can have

00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:49.579
 things that are

00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:50.699
 non-historical

00:21:50.699 --> 00:21:51.480
 but have a ton

00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:51.899
 of meaning,

00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:52.179
 right?

00:21:52.199 --> 00:21:52.899
 So I'm a huge

00:21:52.899 --> 00:21:53.879
 Lord of the Rings fan.

00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:54.939
 You read the Lord

00:21:54.939 --> 00:21:55.339
 of the Rings

00:21:55.339 --> 00:21:56.159
 and you can derive

00:21:56.159 --> 00:21:57.379
 a ton of lessons

00:21:57.379 --> 00:21:58.039
 and meanings

00:21:58.039 --> 00:21:59.139
 about life from this,

00:21:59.199 --> 00:21:59.879
 of the struggle,

00:22:00.220 --> 00:22:01.599
 of good versus evil,

00:22:01.740 --> 00:22:02.359
 of loyalty,

00:22:02.539 --> 00:22:03.319
 of friendship.

00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:05.240
 But it's not historical.

00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:06.740
 It didn't actually

00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:07.400
 happen as much

00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:08.339
 as I really wish

00:22:08.339 --> 00:22:08.819
 Lord of the Rings

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:09.099
 did.

00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:09.819
 It didn't.

00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:11.259
 It didn't happen,

00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:11.559
 right?

00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:13.480
 The resurrection,

00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:14.440
 Paul tells us,

00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:15.500
 is an event

00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:16.960
 that means something.

00:22:17.059 --> 00:22:17.539
 It's like the

00:22:17.539 --> 00:22:18.700
 Declaration of Independence.

00:22:19.460 --> 00:22:20.180
 The event

00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:21.460
 was July 4th

00:22:21.460 --> 00:22:22.140
 and the meaning

00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:23.319
 is the start

00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:24.259
 of the United States

00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:24.819
 of America.

00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:26.660
 The event,

00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:27.339
 Paul says,

00:22:27.380 --> 00:22:28.339
 is the resurrection.

00:22:29.380 --> 00:22:30.299
 The God-man

00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:32.120
 died on a hill

00:22:32.120 --> 00:22:33.539
 outside of Jerusalem

00:22:33.539 --> 00:22:34.899
 and then came

00:22:34.899 --> 00:22:35.859
 back to life.

00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:38.099
 Our faith starts

00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:38.819
 with the conviction

00:22:38.819 --> 00:22:40.200
 that that happened

00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:41.659
 around 35 AD.

00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:43.659
 In fact,

00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:44.059
 we actually,

00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:46.259
 we assent to that

00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:46.920
 every time we say

00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:47.740
 the Apostles' Creed,

00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:48.379
 right?

00:22:48.399 --> 00:22:49.000
 We say this.

00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:49.779
 There's a line

00:22:49.779 --> 00:22:50.099
 that says,

00:22:50.139 --> 00:22:50.379
 it says,

00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:51.299
 he suffered

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:52.519
 under Pontius Pilate.

00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:53.299
 Pontius Pilate,

00:22:53.399 --> 00:22:53.859
 we know,

00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:55.700
 is a historical figure.

00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:57.079
 Everybody acknowledges

00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:57.839
 that this man,

00:22:57.940 --> 00:22:58.659
 Pontius Pilate,

00:22:58.940 --> 00:23:00.099
 really existed,

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:00.619
 right?

00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:01.960
 It's an,

00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:03.119
 and nobody doubts that.

00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:03.759
 Nobody doubts

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:06.000
 the history of Pontius Pilate.

00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:07.000
 We say Jesus Christ

00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:08.359
 suffered under,

00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:09.239
 it happened,

00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:09.500
 right?

00:23:09.779 --> 00:23:10.299
 But second,

00:23:10.399 --> 00:23:11.439
 it's an event with meaning

00:23:11.439 --> 00:23:12.919
 and the text tells us this.

00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:14.099
 It tells us what the meaning is.

00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:15.759
 It says that Christ died,

00:23:15.919 --> 00:23:16.759
 there's the event,

00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:18.119
 for our sins

00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:19.500
 in accordance with Scriptures.

00:23:20.500 --> 00:23:21.279
 The Scripture

00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:23.399
 becomes the interpretive lens.

00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:24.379
 It becomes the tool

00:23:24.379 --> 00:23:25.059
 that we use

00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:27.139
 to interpret the event.

00:23:28.419 --> 00:23:30.059
 For our sins

00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:31.539
 in accordance with Scriptures.

00:23:31.539 --> 00:23:32.700
 And so the Scripture

00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:33.319
 is this

00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:34.720
 absolutely

00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.879
 kaleidoscopic

00:23:35.879 --> 00:23:37.359
 and beautiful meaning

00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:39.319
 of what the event is.

00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:40.940
 To save the world

00:23:40.940 --> 00:23:41.539
 from sin,

00:23:41.659 --> 00:23:42.740
 to deliver us

00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:44.119
 out of bondage,

00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:45.099
 to defeat

00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:46.039
 dark powers

00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:46.980
 of Satan

00:23:46.980 --> 00:23:47.759
 and everything else

00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:48.359
 around us.

00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:49.740
 It is the event

00:23:49.740 --> 00:23:51.319
 of what it means.

00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.379
 And so the Bible

00:23:54.379 --> 00:23:55.539
 is this interpretation.

00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:56.819
 It says it twice

00:23:56.819 --> 00:23:57.379
 in our text.

00:23:57.460 --> 00:23:57.980
 It says that

00:23:57.980 --> 00:23:59.000
 he was raised

00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.740
 on the third day.

00:24:00.859 --> 00:24:01.839
 There's event again

00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:03.279
 in accordance with Scripture.

00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:04.299
 There's the meaning.

00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:07.000
 And it's a whole list

00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:07.359
 of things

00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:08.440
 to estone from sin,

00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:09.240
 to propitiate

00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:10.200
 the Father's wrath,

00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:11.220
 to triumph

00:24:11.220 --> 00:24:12.279
 over demonic forces.

00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:13.240
 And here's the point.

00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:14.220
 This is where it starts

00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:15.180
 to get to evangelism.

00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:17.960
 If that didn't happen,

00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:19.579
 then Christianity

00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:20.000
 is worthless.

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:22.720
 If that event

00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:23.440
 and that meaning

00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:24.279
 didn't happen,

00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:25.500
 then our faith

00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:26.680
 is utterly worthless.

00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:27.660
 If the resurrection

00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:28.360
 didn't happen,

00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:29.340
 then Paul says

00:24:29.340 --> 00:24:30.259
 it's one of two things.

00:24:30.300 --> 00:24:31.900
 It's either a giant deception.

00:24:32.900 --> 00:24:33.420
 Verse 15,

00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:33.820
 he says,

00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:34.400
 we are found

00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:36.440
 to be misrepresenting God.

00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:37.620
 We are lying

00:24:37.620 --> 00:24:38.980
 about who God is

00:24:38.980 --> 00:24:40.080
 if it didn't happen.

00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:42.220
 Or it's a pitiful delusion.

00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:43.620
 Verse 19 says

00:24:43.620 --> 00:24:44.880
 that if the resurrection

00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:45.440
 didn't happen,

00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:46.519
 we are of all men

00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:47.720
 most to be pitied.

00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:50.800
 So the resurrection,

00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:52.100
 the event with meaning,

00:24:53.080 --> 00:24:54.620
 everything in the Christian faith

00:24:54.620 --> 00:24:56.259
 hinges on that.

00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:58.140
 it is of first importance.

00:24:58.539 --> 00:25:00.000
 Perhaps you've heard

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:00.900
 of C.S. Lewis'

00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:02.700
 Lord liar lunatic argument

00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:03.500
 that he lays out

00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:04.779
 in mere Christianity.

00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:05.660
 He says that either

00:25:05.660 --> 00:25:06.759
 Jesus was a liar,

00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:08.000
 he thought he was God,

00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:08.279
 but he,

00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:08.599
 I'm sorry,

00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.460
 he knew he wasn't God

00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:11.799
 and he told everybody he was

00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:12.759
 and so he was just lying,

00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:13.640
 which makes him

00:25:13.640 --> 00:25:14.720
 a horrible person.

00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:16.740
 Or he thought he was God

00:25:16.740 --> 00:25:18.359
 and he wasn't

00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:19.440
 and he was just delusional,

00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:20.759
 so he's an absolute lunatic.

00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:22.660
 Or Jesus actually is

00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:23.559
 who he claimed he is,

00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:24.680
 which is God, right?

00:25:24.680 --> 00:25:27.500
 But it's the same idea here.

00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:28.600
 The resurrection

00:25:28.600 --> 00:25:29.700
 makes Christianity

00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:31.420
 either the biggest lie

00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:32.160
 that has ever fooled

00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:32.799
 the most people

00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:33.500
 in human history

00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:35.640
 or the most pitiful delusion

00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:39.279
 or the best hope

00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:40.539
 for our lives

00:25:40.539 --> 00:25:41.100
 and our world.

00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:42.240
 Those are the stakes.

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.060
 That's what it is, right?

00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:45.860
 And if we're wrong on this,

00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:46.700
 we're either liars

00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:47.180
 or idiots.

00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:49.060
 And if we're right on this,

00:25:49.120 --> 00:25:49.560
 then we offer

00:25:49.560 --> 00:25:50.200
 the best hope

00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:50.779
 for our world

00:25:50.779 --> 00:25:51.860
 and the best hope

00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:52.819
 for our friends' lives.

00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:54.819
 That's what it is, right?

00:25:55.459 --> 00:25:56.539
 Now, how does this

00:25:56.539 --> 00:25:57.719
 apply to evangelism?

00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:00.259
 How does this apply

00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:00.839
 to evangelism?

00:26:00.919 --> 00:26:02.139
 Well, 1 Corinthians 15

00:26:02.139 --> 00:26:04.119
 gives us a shortcut

00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:05.419
 to evangelism.

00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:06.319
 A shortcut.

00:26:06.639 --> 00:26:07.099
 Let me try

00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:07.839
 and explain it to you.

00:26:07.919 --> 00:26:08.459
 I'm going to try this

00:26:08.459 --> 00:26:09.000
 with two stories.

00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:10.299
 So a few months ago,

00:26:10.459 --> 00:26:11.979
 I met a student on campus

00:26:11.979 --> 00:26:13.679
 and we'll say her name is Jen

00:26:13.679 --> 00:26:14.939
 and Jen is a lesbian.

00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:17.859
 And as you can imagine,

00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:18.919
 she meets me,

00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:19.759
 a Christian minister,

00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:20.720
 and all of a sudden,

00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:22.220
 all of her defenses go up.

00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:23.740
 And she's like,

00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:25.180
 it took me everything I could

00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:26.240
 to try to get her

00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:26.879
 to meet with me

00:26:26.879 --> 00:26:27.660
 and to talk with me.

00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:28.440
 She's just like,

00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:29.099
 I don't want to.

00:26:29.099 --> 00:26:30.000
 And she knows nothing

00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:30.759
 about Christianity.

00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:31.960
 She's currently

00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:33.240
 in a romantic relationship

00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:34.000
 with another woman.

00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:35.839
 And she's heard

00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:36.859
 that Christians

00:26:36.859 --> 00:26:37.859
 don't like her

00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:38.980
 because of her sexuality,

00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:39.980
 because she's a lesbian.

00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:42.160
 And she's had several Christians

00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:43.059
 and one pastor

00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:44.140
 tell her that she needs

00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:44.660
 to be straight

00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:45.460
 to follow God.

00:26:45.740 --> 00:26:47.059
 And she's totally ignorant

00:26:47.059 --> 00:26:47.660
 of our faith,

00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:48.840
 but she has at least

00:26:48.840 --> 00:26:50.100
 a bad taste in her mouth

00:26:50.100 --> 00:26:50.640
 for Christians.

00:26:51.860 --> 00:26:52.400
 And frankly,

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.019
 that describes

00:26:53.019 --> 00:26:54.160
 a lot of people

00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:55.160
 in our town.

00:26:55.340 --> 00:26:56.460
 You probably have friends

00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:57.080
 in this camp

00:26:57.080 --> 00:26:59.060
 or friends who experience this.

00:26:59.740 --> 00:27:00.440
 And she knew

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:01.360
 that she was a pastor

00:27:01.360 --> 00:27:01.980
 and she agreed

00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:02.540
 to meet with me.

00:27:02.600 --> 00:27:03.019
 And so I started

00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:03.759
 asking her questions.

00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:04.000
 You know,

00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:04.240
 she's like,

00:27:04.620 --> 00:27:05.680
 how'd you come to school?

00:27:05.860 --> 00:27:06.600
 How did you come to,

00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:07.360
 what are you studying?

00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.060
 Tell me about your girlfriend.

00:27:09.600 --> 00:27:10.240
 All these things.

00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:11.480
 So then my wife

00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:12.140
 and I have her over

00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:12.580
 for dinner.

00:27:13.960 --> 00:27:14.700
 And I told her,

00:27:14.779 --> 00:27:14.980
 I was like,

00:27:15.060 --> 00:27:15.240
 hey,

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:15.700
 you know what?

00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:16.880
 I personally hold

00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:17.819
 the historic

00:27:17.819 --> 00:27:18.559
 and orthodox view

00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:19.319
 of gender and sexuality,

00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:19.980
 but I really like

00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:20.680
 hanging out with you.

00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:22.380
 And you're always

00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:23.160
 welcome in my home.

00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:25.039
 And we don't have to talk

00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:25.900
 about gender and sexuality

00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:26.799
 all the time, right?

00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:28.519
 And so we're just

00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:29.539
 building our friendship.

00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:30.339
 And eventually,

00:27:30.460 --> 00:27:31.000
 she comes to me

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:31.440
 and she says,

00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:31.940
 so Jonathan,

00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:32.980
 why does Christianity

00:27:32.980 --> 00:27:33.920
 not like gay people?

00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:35.380
 Why does Christianity

00:27:35.380 --> 00:27:36.160
 not like gay people?

00:27:36.180 --> 00:27:36.519
 And I said,

00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:36.700
 hey,

00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:37.480
 I've been waiting

00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:38.140
 for that question.

00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:39.160
 I've been waiting

00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:39.660
 for that question.

00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:40.420
 I'm really glad

00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:41.120
 you asked it.

00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:42.180
 And you deserve

00:27:42.180 --> 00:27:42.740
 a careful

00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:43.519
 and thoughtful answer.

00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.279
 And I can give you

00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:44.680
 a careful

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:45.539
 and thoughtful answer.

00:27:46.859 --> 00:27:48.599
 But can we sideline

00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:49.299
 that for now

00:27:49.299 --> 00:27:50.099
 and talk about

00:27:50.099 --> 00:27:50.639
 what I think

00:27:50.639 --> 00:27:51.779
 is the most important

00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:52.920
 thing about the Christian faith?

00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:55.180
 Can we sideline

00:27:55.180 --> 00:27:55.639
 that for now?

00:27:55.639 --> 00:27:56.639
 Because you deserve

00:27:56.639 --> 00:27:57.440
 to know what I think.

00:27:57.700 --> 00:27:58.180
 But if we're going

00:27:58.180 --> 00:27:58.639
 to go there,

00:27:58.700 --> 00:27:59.200
 can we start

00:27:59.200 --> 00:27:59.639
 at the beginning?

00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:00.299
 And we looked

00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:01.319
 at 1 Corinthians 15.

00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:02.579
 And I said this,

00:28:02.639 --> 00:28:02.980
 I said,

00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:03.339
 Jen,

00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:04.619
 if I'm wrong

00:28:04.619 --> 00:28:05.539
 on this,

00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:07.480
 1 Corinthians 15

00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:08.619
 of first importance,

00:28:09.859 --> 00:28:10.579
 then it really

00:28:10.579 --> 00:28:11.119
 doesn't matter

00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:11.579
 what you do

00:28:11.579 --> 00:28:12.460
 with your sexuality.

00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:14.500
 It really doesn't matter

00:28:14.500 --> 00:28:15.419
 because if I'm wrong

00:28:15.419 --> 00:28:16.399
 on this point,

00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:17.599
 then I'm either lying

00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:17.980
 to you

00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:18.839
 or I'm deluded.

00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:20.439
 But if I'm right

00:28:20.439 --> 00:28:21.139
 on this,

00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:22.299
 then we need

00:28:22.299 --> 00:28:22.939
 to pay attention

00:28:22.939 --> 00:28:24.279
 and everything else

00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:25.000
 falls into place.

00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:25.939
 If the resurrection

00:28:25.939 --> 00:28:26.779
 did happen,

00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:27.659
 it means that Jesus

00:28:27.659 --> 00:28:28.339
 is God,

00:28:28.579 --> 00:28:29.519
 that he died

00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:30.339
 and rose again

00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:31.460
 because he loves you

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:32.639
 and he's your Lord.

00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:34.240
 And you need

00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:34.779
 to follow him

00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:35.819
 with all of your life.

00:28:35.819 --> 00:28:39.419
 And if you're

00:28:39.419 --> 00:28:40.000
 a non-Christian

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:40.679
 here today,

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.359
 that's the challenge

00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:42.899
 before you

00:28:42.899 --> 00:28:43.539
 is to ask,

00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:44.759
 is it possible

00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:46.500
 that a man

00:28:46.500 --> 00:28:47.500
 named Jesus Christ

00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:49.279
 was also God

00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:50.059
 and he died

00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:51.019
 and came back

00:28:51.019 --> 00:28:51.519
 to life

00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:52.279
 three days later?

00:28:54.019 --> 00:28:54.919
 Is it possible?

00:28:55.099 --> 00:28:55.899
 I think it is.

00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:57.179
 I think it is.

00:28:59.319 --> 00:29:00.359
 So I'm in this process

00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:00.720
 with her.

00:29:00.939 --> 00:29:01.819
 And here's what's amazing

00:29:01.819 --> 00:29:02.419
 with Jen

00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:04.840
 is we got to sidestep

00:29:04.840 --> 00:29:05.820
 the hot issue.

00:29:06.300 --> 00:29:07.539
 The thing that she was ready

00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:08.519
 to blow up at me,

00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:09.620
 the thing that she was ready

00:29:09.620 --> 00:29:10.220
 to say,

00:29:10.259 --> 00:29:11.460
 I'm never talking to you again.

00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:11.759
 I was like,

00:29:11.820 --> 00:29:11.920
 hey,

00:29:12.060 --> 00:29:13.279
 this is such an important

00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:14.000
 thing to you.

00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:15.740
 Can we sideline it for now

00:29:15.740 --> 00:29:17.700
 and talk about this?

00:29:17.779 --> 00:29:18.300
 And she was like,

00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:18.600
 yeah.

00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:20.880
 She's willing to do that.

00:29:22.320 --> 00:29:23.140
 Second story,

00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:24.380
 I'm currently teaching

00:29:24.380 --> 00:29:25.740
 a class at UCCS

00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:26.700
 in political theology

00:29:26.700 --> 00:29:27.960
 and there's three women

00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:28.560
 in this class

00:29:28.560 --> 00:29:29.080
 who are queer.

00:29:30.180 --> 00:29:30.940
 And they're fascinated

00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:32.100
 why a Presbyterian minister

00:29:32.099 --> 00:29:33.359
 will teach in political theology

00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:34.339
 and yet here I am.

00:29:34.519 --> 00:29:34.939
 And eventually,

00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:35.539
 one of these girls,

00:29:35.639 --> 00:29:37.139
 she grew up as super Christian

00:29:37.139 --> 00:29:38.319
 in the charismatic tradition

00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:39.740
 and has since left the faith.

00:29:40.679 --> 00:29:42.359
 And she's also,

00:29:42.619 --> 00:29:42.779
 yeah,

00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:43.339
 she's a lesbian

00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:44.339
 and she came to me

00:29:44.339 --> 00:29:45.039
 after class

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:45.519
 and she said,

00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:45.859
 Jonathan,

00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:46.859
 what if you're wrong

00:29:46.859 --> 00:29:47.519
 about Christianity?

00:29:47.639 --> 00:29:48.599
 Have you ever thought about that?

00:29:48.980 --> 00:29:49.419
 Have you ever thought

00:29:49.419 --> 00:29:50.099
 that you're wrong?

00:29:51.059 --> 00:29:51.740
 And I said,

00:29:51.879 --> 00:29:52.019
 yeah,

00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:52.679
 I might be.

00:29:53.419 --> 00:29:54.299
 I might be,

00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:54.579
 right?

00:29:54.779 --> 00:29:55.500
 And if I am,

00:29:55.539 --> 00:29:56.000
 then again,

00:29:56.099 --> 00:29:57.240
 Christianity is the biggest lie

00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:57.759
 in the world

00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:59.099
 and it's the biggest delusion

00:29:59.099 --> 00:29:59.500
 that's fooled

00:29:59.500 --> 00:30:00.740
 all the people in the world.

00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:01.139
 But I said,

00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:02.520
 I don't think I am.

00:30:03.560 --> 00:30:03.940
 Of course,

00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:04.480
 I don't think I am.

00:30:04.520 --> 00:30:05.360
 But I think that there is

00:30:05.360 --> 00:30:07.280
 really persuasive evidence

00:30:07.280 --> 00:30:07.900
 historically,

00:30:08.180 --> 00:30:08.920
 theologically,

00:30:09.600 --> 00:30:11.180
 every kind of evidence

00:30:11.180 --> 00:30:11.880
 that you can have

00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:12.400
 to say that

00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:14.000
 I think this actually happened.

00:30:14.700 --> 00:30:16.060
 And she looked sideways at me

00:30:16.060 --> 00:30:17.300
 and she said,

00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:17.540
 Jonathan,

00:30:17.600 --> 00:30:18.600
 you're the first person

00:30:18.600 --> 00:30:19.259
 I've ever met

00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:20.060
 that said he might,

00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:20.720
 the first Christian

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.320
 I've ever met

00:30:21.320 --> 00:30:23.020
 that said he might be wrong.

00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:24.440
 I've never heard that before.

00:30:24.540 --> 00:30:25.500
 And that's the tool

00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:27.800
 that 1 Corinthians 15 offers you.

00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:30.859
 It offers you the ability

00:30:30.859 --> 00:30:32.960
 to sideline the hot topics

00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:34.079
 and the red flag issues

00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:34.799
 that your friends

00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:35.720
 want to bring up.

00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:37.299
 Politics and faith,

00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:38.240
 sexuality,

00:30:39.180 --> 00:30:39.720
 environment,

00:30:39.899 --> 00:30:40.539
 all the things

00:30:40.539 --> 00:30:41.899
 that they want to attack you with

00:30:41.899 --> 00:30:42.419
 and you say,

00:30:42.539 --> 00:30:42.680
 look,

00:30:42.759 --> 00:30:44.480
 those are so important issues.

00:30:44.899 --> 00:30:46.419
 And I frankly can't defend

00:30:46.419 --> 00:30:47.740
 all of them right now on it.

00:30:47.859 --> 00:30:49.619
 But I can defend one thing.

00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:51.019
 And it is the death

00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:51.500
 and resurrection

00:30:51.500 --> 00:30:52.480
 of Jesus Christ.

00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:56.700
 And if that's wrong,

00:30:57.380 --> 00:30:58.120
 then I'm wrong.

00:30:58.920 --> 00:30:59.980
 But if I'm right,

00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:01.480
 then this is the hope

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:02.079
 of the world, right?

00:31:02.140 --> 00:31:03.180
 And it places you

00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:04.500
 in a place where you can be

00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:05.700
 humble and confident

00:31:05.700 --> 00:31:06.740
 at the same time.

00:31:07.420 --> 00:31:07.620
 Say,

00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:08.519
 I might be wrong here.

00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:09.380
 If I am,

00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:10.799
 you don't have to pay attention to me.

00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:11.559
 But if I'm not,

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:13.099
 this is the hope for the world

00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:14.319
 and you need to pay attention.

00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:17.480
 Here's the other blessing

00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:18.019
 out of this,

00:31:18.220 --> 00:31:19.180
 particularly for our

00:31:19.180 --> 00:31:20.180
 younger generation.

00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:21.980
 The younger generation

00:31:21.980 --> 00:31:23.380
 has far less hangups

00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:24.120
 with the possibility

00:31:24.120 --> 00:31:25.340
 of a bodily resurrection

00:31:25.340 --> 00:31:27.039
 than older generations did.

00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:29.420
 Older generations,

00:31:29.580 --> 00:31:30.900
 our baby boomer friends,

00:31:31.480 --> 00:31:32.720
 some of our Gen Xs say,

00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:32.840
 well,

00:31:32.860 --> 00:31:34.519
 that's physically impossible.

00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:35.720
 How could that be?

00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:36.360
 A dead person

00:31:36.360 --> 00:31:37.140
 coming back to life.

00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.620
 My generation and Gen Z

00:31:38.620 --> 00:31:39.900
 are much more willing to say,

00:31:40.060 --> 00:31:40.180
 yeah,

00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:40.660
 it could happen.

00:31:41.320 --> 00:31:42.240
 Maybe it happened, right?

00:31:42.779 --> 00:31:44.060
 They don't get stuck up

00:31:44.060 --> 00:31:45.560
 on the scientific claim

00:31:45.560 --> 00:31:46.180
 of it as much

00:31:46.180 --> 00:31:47.140
 as older generations.

00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:48.700
 Much more open

00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:49.980
 to the possibility of it,

00:31:49.980 --> 00:31:50.279
 right?

00:31:50.519 --> 00:31:51.099
 So you just say,

00:31:51.220 --> 00:31:52.160
 let's let it hang

00:31:52.160 --> 00:31:53.000
 in the air for a minute

00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:54.720
 and let's talk through it.

00:31:55.120 --> 00:31:55.539
 And they'll go,

00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:57.000
 and I've not once

00:31:57.000 --> 00:31:58.200
 had anybody say no.

00:31:58.339 --> 00:31:59.140
 They're always,

00:31:59.360 --> 00:32:00.660
 I've done this hundreds of times,

00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:01.000
 saying,

00:32:01.160 --> 00:32:01.319
 sure,

00:32:01.779 --> 00:32:02.620
 let's talk about it.

00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:04.920
 And good things

00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:05.539
 have come from it.

00:32:05.940 --> 00:32:06.440
 New Christians

00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:07.279
 have come from it, right?

00:32:07.339 --> 00:32:08.539
 So what are my tips?

00:32:08.740 --> 00:32:09.480
 How do we do this?

00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:10.440
 First and foremost,

00:32:10.900 --> 00:32:12.319
 like I'm doing with Gen,

00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:14.200
 you must build trust.

00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:16.220
 You must build trust

00:32:16.220 --> 00:32:16.860
 with your friends

00:32:16.860 --> 00:32:17.980
 who are not Christians yet.

00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:18.880
 Trust is the most

00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:19.839
 persuasive tool

00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:20.440
 that you have.

00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:21.640
 I've recently started

00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:22.220
 a small group

00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:22.980
 with some women

00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:24.099
 from Colorado College.

00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:25.279
 Colorado College,

00:32:25.380 --> 00:32:26.299
 if you know anything about it,

00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:27.339
 is an incredibly

00:32:27.339 --> 00:32:28.180
 progressive school.

00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:30.319
 And it is very,

00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:31.120
 very non-Christian.

00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:32.400
 And for all,

00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:33.279
 for various reasons,

00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:34.059
 these five women

00:32:34.059 --> 00:32:34.519
 who are coming

00:32:34.519 --> 00:32:35.200
 to this small group

00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:35.660
 in my house

00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:36.779
 have a very bad taste

00:32:36.779 --> 00:32:37.640
 in their mouth for religion.

00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:38.160
 They,

00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:39.539
 it took everything within us,

00:32:39.599 --> 00:32:40.160
 my wife and I,

00:32:40.200 --> 00:32:41.660
 to try and tease them

00:32:41.660 --> 00:32:42.940
 to come to a pastor's house

00:32:42.940 --> 00:32:43.920
 and to have a conversation

00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:44.820
 about spirituality.

00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:47.420
 And we had to start

00:32:47.420 --> 00:32:48.340
 at the very beginning

00:32:48.340 --> 00:32:49.480
 of very simple,

00:32:49.680 --> 00:32:50.400
 of just saying like,

00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:51.320
 come to our house

00:32:51.320 --> 00:32:52.300
 and eat dinner with us.

00:32:52.420 --> 00:32:53.039
 No agenda,

00:32:53.860 --> 00:32:55.019
 no talking about anything,

00:32:55.160 --> 00:32:56.220
 just come eat our food.

00:32:56.700 --> 00:32:57.320
 And they were willing

00:32:57.320 --> 00:32:58.360
 to do that, right?

00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:00.420
 People are weary of,

00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:01.740
 are wary and weary

00:33:01.740 --> 00:33:03.300
 of conversion attempts.

00:33:03.420 --> 00:33:03.960
 They hate them

00:33:03.960 --> 00:33:05.080
 and they see through it.

00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.420
 And they say,

00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:06.920
 I don't want to be

00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:07.860
 a part of that, right?

00:33:08.460 --> 00:33:09.180
 But they're also

00:33:09.180 --> 00:33:10.000
 desperately lonely

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:10.720
 and they're looking

00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:11.680
 for meaning in their life.

00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:13.620
 And so if you can offer friendship

00:33:13.620 --> 00:33:15.600
 and build trust,

00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:17.779
 then I have found,

00:33:17.900 --> 00:33:18.799
 almost without fail,

00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:19.460
 that they are willing

00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:20.820
 to begin talking with you, right?

00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:22.680
 So they will view evangelism

00:33:23.360 --> 00:33:24.220
 poorly done the way

00:33:24.220 --> 00:33:24.820
 that we would view

00:33:24.820 --> 00:33:25.660
 door-to-door sales

00:33:25.660 --> 00:33:26.539
 or a pyramid scheme.

00:33:27.120 --> 00:33:28.519
 But they will view trust

00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:29.840
 and they will view,

00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:30.920
 honestly, food

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:32.400
 with a lot of,

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:34.460
 I mean,

00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:35.580
 they'll pay you back

00:33:35.580 --> 00:33:36.299
 in dividends, right?

00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:36.660
 So you,

00:33:37.120 --> 00:33:37.240
 you know,

00:33:37.240 --> 00:33:38.160
 how do you build the trust?

00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:39.720
 The best thing I know

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:41.080
 is to eat together, right?

00:33:41.079 --> 00:33:42.359
 So there's this great book

00:33:42.359 --> 00:33:43.339
 by Rosaria Butterfield

00:33:43.339 --> 00:33:46.500
 who was a lesbian professor

00:33:46.500 --> 00:33:47.519
 at, you know,

00:33:47.659 --> 00:33:48.659
 in an Ivy League school

00:33:48.659 --> 00:33:50.240
 and this pastor invites her

00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:50.879
 over for dinner

00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:51.899
 for months

00:33:51.899 --> 00:33:54.299
 and they eat together.

00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:55.000
 Something,

00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:55.819
 I always say this,

00:33:55.899 --> 00:33:57.179
 something magical happens,

00:33:57.319 --> 00:33:58.379
 something spiritual happens

00:33:58.379 --> 00:33:59.460
 when you eat together

00:33:59.460 --> 00:34:00.019
 with people.

00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:01.699
 It's so much more

00:34:01.699 --> 00:34:02.699
 than the sum of its parts.

00:34:02.779 --> 00:34:03.259
 What are the parts

00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:05.099
 where we're sticking food

00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:05.639
 into us

00:34:05.639 --> 00:34:07.240
 to maintain our biological life?

00:34:07.379 --> 00:34:08.840
 But so much more happens

00:34:08.840 --> 00:34:09.739
 when you eat together.

00:34:09.739 --> 00:34:11.139
 You connect

00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:11.939
 and you laugh

00:34:11.939 --> 00:34:12.699
 and you share life

00:34:12.699 --> 00:34:13.879
 and you talk about your day.

00:34:14.839 --> 00:34:15.839
 So the best thing

00:34:15.839 --> 00:34:16.299
 you can do

00:34:16.299 --> 00:34:17.059
 to build trust

00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:18.219
 is to tell your neighbor,

00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:18.979
 hey, you know,

00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:20.139
 we don't really know each other.

00:34:20.179 --> 00:34:20.699
 You want to come over

00:34:20.699 --> 00:34:21.559
 for dinner sometime?

00:34:21.959 --> 00:34:23.119
 Or to tell your coworker,

00:34:23.259 --> 00:34:24.559
 we talk about water cooler

00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:25.299
 stuff all the time

00:34:25.299 --> 00:34:26.359
 but maybe we could,

00:34:26.599 --> 00:34:27.199
 you want to come over

00:34:27.199 --> 00:34:27.819
 for a cookout?

00:34:28.319 --> 00:34:29.379
 That could be great, right?

00:34:30.459 --> 00:34:31.419
 They'll often do it

00:34:31.419 --> 00:34:32.139
 because they're lonely.

00:34:33.779 --> 00:34:34.459
 Then you begin

00:34:34.459 --> 00:34:35.199
 to ask questions

00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:35.959
 about their lives

00:34:35.959 --> 00:34:36.500
 and you probe

00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:37.239
 for deeper things.

00:34:37.359 --> 00:34:38.219
 You'll say things like,

00:34:38.219 --> 00:34:38.759
 you know,

00:34:38.779 --> 00:34:39.419
 I know you're a lawyer

00:34:39.419 --> 00:34:40.559
 but tell me what attracted you

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.119
 to law school.

00:34:41.379 --> 00:34:42.299
 What is it about law school

00:34:42.299 --> 00:34:43.099
 that you wanted to do?

00:34:43.359 --> 00:34:44.319
 And you'll find in there,

00:34:44.379 --> 00:34:45.379
 we'll talk about this next week,

00:34:45.419 --> 00:34:46.439
 there's going to be a kernel

00:34:46.439 --> 00:34:46.879
 of something

00:34:46.879 --> 00:34:47.839
 that they value deeply

00:34:47.839 --> 00:34:48.919
 and you can grab onto that.

00:34:49.299 --> 00:34:49.819
 You can turn it

00:34:49.819 --> 00:34:50.919
 into some sort of thing

00:34:50.919 --> 00:34:51.439
 about the gospel.

00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:52.279
 Come back next week.

00:34:53.839 --> 00:34:54.839
 You have to sincerely

00:34:54.839 --> 00:34:55.500
 care about them,

00:34:55.559 --> 00:34:56.199
 not for the sake

00:34:56.199 --> 00:34:57.539
 of just getting to evangelism

00:34:57.539 --> 00:34:58.619
 but because you truly

00:34:58.619 --> 00:34:59.799
 care about them, right?

00:35:00.139 --> 00:35:01.039
 They have to know

00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:02.179
 that I love you.

00:35:02.379 --> 00:35:03.239
 I'm in your corner.

00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:04.439
 I don't just want to make

00:35:04.439 --> 00:35:05.959
 another notch in my belt

00:35:05.959 --> 00:35:06.839
 of a convert with you.

00:35:06.840 --> 00:35:08.059
 I want you to be my friend.

00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:09.480
 I want you to know

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:10.860
 that I'm in your corner

00:35:10.860 --> 00:35:11.980
 in all of life.

00:35:14.220 --> 00:35:15.140
 Second piece of this

00:35:15.140 --> 00:35:17.019
 is we can and should be quick

00:35:17.019 --> 00:35:17.660
 to acknowledge

00:35:17.660 --> 00:35:18.880
 the failures of Christians

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:21.019
 because one of the first things

00:35:21.019 --> 00:35:22.059
 particularly that younger

00:35:22.059 --> 00:35:22.980
 generations will do

00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:23.980
 is they will weaponize

00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:25.380
 the systemic

00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:26.660
 and historical failures

00:35:26.660 --> 00:35:27.680
 of the Christian faith

00:35:27.680 --> 00:35:29.019
 and they'll say

00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:29.740
 and most of them

00:35:29.740 --> 00:35:30.340
 have experienced

00:35:30.340 --> 00:35:31.420
 something from that, right?

00:35:31.420 --> 00:35:33.539
 In fact, everyone

00:35:33.539 --> 00:35:34.260
 who I've ever met

00:35:34.260 --> 00:35:35.360
 who's gay,

00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:36.119
 who's LGBT

00:35:36.119 --> 00:35:37.139
 says I got kicked out

00:35:37.139 --> 00:35:37.539
 of a church

00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:38.559
 because of this, right?

00:35:38.940 --> 00:35:39.559
 So we just need

00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:40.400
 to acknowledge that

00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:41.680
 and say, you know,

00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:43.220
 they'll say I go to a church

00:35:43.220 --> 00:35:44.820
 and when X happened

00:35:44.820 --> 00:35:45.619
 I quit going

00:35:45.619 --> 00:35:47.639
 or a pastor did this to me

00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:48.500
 or a group of Christians

00:35:48.500 --> 00:35:49.280
 did this to me

00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:51.320
 and we need to acknowledge

00:35:51.320 --> 00:35:52.900
 the reality to them

00:35:52.900 --> 00:35:54.280
 that Christians can do

00:35:54.280 --> 00:35:56.820
 really painful things, right?

00:35:56.820 --> 00:35:58.000
 And so one of the things

00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:58.440
 that I'll say

00:35:58.440 --> 00:35:59.260
 when I'm trying to gather

00:35:59.260 --> 00:36:01.280
 students for RUF

00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:01.780
 is I'll say,

00:36:01.900 --> 00:36:02.519
 hey, we want to be

00:36:02.519 --> 00:36:03.460
 the Christian group

00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:04.340
 that can acknowledge

00:36:04.340 --> 00:36:05.320
 the reality

00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:06.460
 of spiritual abuse

00:36:06.460 --> 00:36:06.860
 and they go,

00:36:07.019 --> 00:36:07.420
 what?

00:36:08.160 --> 00:36:09.019
 Spiritual abuse?

00:36:09.100 --> 00:36:09.980
 You think that happens?

00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:10.340
 And I say,

00:36:10.380 --> 00:36:11.240
 of course it does.

00:36:11.720 --> 00:36:12.620
 Jesus derides

00:36:12.620 --> 00:36:13.320
 and criticizes

00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:14.920
 the Pharisees repeatedly

00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:17.240
 for being bad shepherds,

00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:19.500
 for being pastors

00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:20.660
 who did not care well

00:36:20.660 --> 00:36:21.120
 for them.

00:36:21.900 --> 00:36:23.059
 Of course it can happen.

00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:25.500
 But then I would say,

00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:27.280
 but if you,

00:36:27.539 --> 00:36:28.119
 would you hold

00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:29.119
 that same standard

00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:30.420
 of rejecting something

00:36:30.420 --> 00:36:32.219
 because of one bad apple?

00:36:32.300 --> 00:36:32.880
 Would you reject

00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:33.559
 the whole thing?

00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:34.239
 You wouldn't hold

00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:34.760
 that standard

00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:35.519
 in any other area

00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:36.159
 of your life.

00:36:36.900 --> 00:36:38.139
 If you went to a Thai restaurant

00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:39.059
 and got sick from it,

00:36:39.059 --> 00:36:39.539
 you wouldn't say,

00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:40.599
 well, I guess all Thai food

00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:41.079
 is bad.

00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:42.579
 Of course not, right?

00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:43.820
 We wouldn't hold

00:36:43.820 --> 00:36:44.480
 that standard

00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:45.320
 to other areas

00:36:45.320 --> 00:36:46.059
 of our lives.

00:36:46.699 --> 00:36:47.500
 And beside that,

00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:48.280
 the Christian faith

00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:49.059
 has openly

00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:50.139
 and often said

00:36:50.139 --> 00:36:51.519
 that humans are sinners.

00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:52.800
 That's the point.

00:36:54.360 --> 00:36:54.920
 I will,

00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:56.500
 be more than willing

00:36:56.500 --> 00:36:57.400
 to say that Christians

00:36:57.400 --> 00:36:58.300
 will do hurtful things,

00:36:58.400 --> 00:36:59.840
 but I will stand my ground

00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:00.420
 on a God

00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:01.760
 who saves all of us.

00:37:02.300 --> 00:37:03.740
 So acknowledge freely,

00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:05.300
 yeah, Christians could do

00:37:05.300 --> 00:37:06.220
 really hurtful things too.

00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:07.579
 I'm so sorry that happened.

00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:10.820
 I'm so sorry that happened.

00:37:10.900 --> 00:37:11.720
 Would you be interested

00:37:11.720 --> 00:37:15.119
 in maybe looking past that

00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:15.639
 for a minute,

00:37:16.260 --> 00:37:16.920
 setting that aside

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.700
 and looking at a piece

00:37:17.700 --> 00:37:19.200
 of 1 Corinthians 15 with me?

00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:21.980
 And they'll say yes.

00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:22.699
 I haven't had them.

00:37:23.219 --> 00:37:24.819
 I've literally never had

00:37:24.819 --> 00:37:26.460
 someone say no to this.

00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:30.899
 Next, acknowledge the reality

00:37:30.899 --> 00:37:31.719
 of hot topics,

00:37:31.779 --> 00:37:32.739
 but don't feel pressured

00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:34.559
 to spend all your time there,

00:37:34.619 --> 00:37:34.839
 right?

00:37:35.439 --> 00:37:36.279
 Man, you nailed it.

00:37:36.519 --> 00:37:37.159
 You nailed it.

00:37:37.239 --> 00:37:38.779
 Sexuality is a really hot topic

00:37:38.779 --> 00:37:39.299
 in our day.

00:37:39.619 --> 00:37:41.119
 Like the Christian sexual ethic,

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:42.359
 it's really, really hard.

00:37:43.179 --> 00:37:44.359
 And that's the big one,

00:37:44.399 --> 00:37:44.939
 and we're going to have

00:37:44.939 --> 00:37:45.879
 to talk about that eventually.

00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:48.400
 But I think the Christian faith

00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.720
 has a really satisfying answer.

00:37:50.660 --> 00:37:51.940
 Can we sideline that for now?

00:37:53.079 --> 00:37:54.160
 Can we just sideline that for now?

00:37:54.240 --> 00:37:54.860
 And can I look at

00:37:54.860 --> 00:37:55.980
 1 Corinthians 15 with you?

00:37:56.160 --> 00:37:57.200
 If I'm wrong on that,

00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:57.720
 on this,

00:37:57.880 --> 00:37:59.519
 then I can be wrong on the,

00:37:59.599 --> 00:37:59.760
 you know,

00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:00.519
 then we can talk about.

00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:02.720
 So acknowledge the reality

00:38:02.720 --> 00:38:03.340
 of like, man, yeah,

00:38:03.380 --> 00:38:04.519
 church and politics is icky.

00:38:04.860 --> 00:38:05.920
 It's really icky right now.

00:38:06.220 --> 00:38:07.960
 And it's not the first thing

00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:08.480
 that I believe.

00:38:08.579 --> 00:38:09.800
 The thing of first importance

00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:10.460
 that I believe

00:38:10.460 --> 00:38:12.440
 is that Christ died

00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:13.320
 for our sins

00:38:13.320 --> 00:38:14.780
 and was raised for our,

00:38:14.780 --> 00:38:16.420
 and was raised on the third day

00:38:16.420 --> 00:38:17.320
 in accordance with scriptures.

00:38:21.140 --> 00:38:21.960
 That's what we do.

00:38:22.660 --> 00:38:22.940
 Now,

00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:24.720
 the most important thing

00:38:24.720 --> 00:38:25.220
 you can do,

00:38:25.580 --> 00:38:26.220
 and this is a part

00:38:26.220 --> 00:38:26.960
 of building trust,

00:38:27.560 --> 00:38:28.740
 the most important goal

00:38:28.740 --> 00:38:29.760
 when sharing your faith,

00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:32.660
 especially in the first few moments,

00:38:32.840 --> 00:38:34.540
 you have seconds to do this,

00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:37.180
 is to get to the next conversation.

00:38:37.700 --> 00:38:39.060
 That is all you have to do,

00:38:39.300 --> 00:38:40.740
 is get to the next conversation.

00:38:40.739 --> 00:38:43.139
 I met a girl on campus

00:38:43.139 --> 00:38:44.959
 who,

00:38:45.899 --> 00:38:46.919
 she introduced,

00:38:47.059 --> 00:38:48.259
 I met her through tabling

00:38:48.259 --> 00:38:49.139
 where we set up a table

00:38:49.139 --> 00:38:49.899
 and she introduced me

00:38:49.899 --> 00:38:50.679
 to one of her friends

00:38:50.679 --> 00:38:51.699
 and her friends

00:38:51.699 --> 00:38:53.699
 had been dreadfully hurt

00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:54.259
 by the church

00:38:54.259 --> 00:38:55.239
 and she wanted nothing

00:38:55.239 --> 00:38:56.179
 to do with,

00:38:56.459 --> 00:38:58.500
 and so her friend meets me

00:38:58.500 --> 00:38:59.279
 and says,

00:38:59.399 --> 00:39:00.439
 hey, this is my pastor

00:39:00.439 --> 00:39:03.479
 and she looks me up

00:39:03.479 --> 00:39:04.139
 and says,

00:39:04.419 --> 00:39:06.699
 I don't expletive mess

00:39:06.699 --> 00:39:07.219
 with pastors.

00:39:07.859 --> 00:39:08.500
 And I was like,

00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:09.419
 okay.

00:39:09.420 --> 00:39:11.159
 I didn't know what to say.

00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:11.639
 Like, she just,

00:39:11.700 --> 00:39:12.700
 she just cursed me out

00:39:12.700 --> 00:39:13.300
 right then and there

00:39:13.300 --> 00:39:13.700
 and I said,

00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:14.680
 okay,

00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:15.539
 well,

00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:17.740
 can I buy you a coffee?

00:39:19.260 --> 00:39:19.579
 Like,

00:39:19.860 --> 00:39:20.340
 it's just,

00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:20.720
 you know,

00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:21.119
 she just,

00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:22.400
 and then she told me,

00:39:22.519 --> 00:39:23.059
 I'm a lesbian,

00:39:23.139 --> 00:39:24.039
 you don't want to hang out with me.

00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:25.220
 And I said,

00:39:25.300 --> 00:39:25.760
 no, I do.

00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:27.139
 I really want to buy you a coffee.

00:39:27.619 --> 00:39:28.420
 And she stopped

00:39:28.420 --> 00:39:30.159
 and then she's still trying to,

00:39:30.200 --> 00:39:31.460
 I met with her earlier this week,

00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:33.139
 she's still trying to get me

00:39:33.139 --> 00:39:33.760
 to reject her

00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:35.019
 and I will not do it.

00:39:35.980 --> 00:39:37.300
 I will not do it.

00:39:37.300 --> 00:39:39.060
 And the only thing

00:39:39.060 --> 00:39:39.720
 I'm trying to do

00:39:39.720 --> 00:39:40.560
 with this gal right now

00:39:40.560 --> 00:39:42.000
 is get her to meet with me again.

00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:43.920
 That's your only goal

00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:45.820
 is to just get to the next conversation

00:39:45.820 --> 00:39:47.400
 to build trust

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:48.480
 to where you can,

00:39:48.700 --> 00:39:49.600
 so they trust you

00:39:49.600 --> 00:39:51.060
 and they know that you're in their corner.

00:39:51.180 --> 00:39:53.360
 My mentor says that

00:39:53.360 --> 00:39:55.140
 for a thoroughly secular person

00:39:55.140 --> 00:39:55.820
 or for somebody

00:39:55.820 --> 00:39:57.720
 who has a really bad taste in their mouth,

00:39:57.780 --> 00:39:58.960
 it can take five years

00:39:58.960 --> 00:40:00.580
 to persuade them of Christianity.

00:40:01.160 --> 00:40:02.580
 Hundreds of conversations.

00:40:03.080 --> 00:40:04.480
 This will not happen overnight.

00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:07.960
 There's no pressure on you

00:40:07.960 --> 00:40:09.980
 to defend the entire history

00:40:09.980 --> 00:40:11.519
 of the Christian faith

00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:13.820
 or to defend the entire doctrine

00:40:13.820 --> 00:40:14.800
 of the Christian religion.

00:40:15.260 --> 00:40:16.920
 There's great power in saying,

00:40:17.240 --> 00:40:18.179
 that's a really good question.

00:40:18.380 --> 00:40:19.500
 I don't know the answer to it,

00:40:19.579 --> 00:40:20.599
 but someone else does

00:40:20.599 --> 00:40:21.440
 and I'll get back to you.

00:40:22.139 --> 00:40:22.280
 Right?

00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:23.559
 And then you call your session

00:40:23.559 --> 00:40:24.800
 or you call Matthew

00:40:24.800 --> 00:40:25.740
 and you say,

00:40:25.820 --> 00:40:26.719
 hey, they asked this question.

00:40:26.820 --> 00:40:27.699
 I didn't know the answer.

00:40:28.300 --> 00:40:29.840
 And they can find the answer, right?

00:40:29.860 --> 00:40:31.260
 So if somebody asks you a question,

00:40:31.400 --> 00:40:31.760
 you say,

00:40:31.760 --> 00:40:32.640
 oh no,

00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:33.100
 you know,

00:40:33.360 --> 00:40:34.560
 is the Christian faith defeated?

00:40:34.720 --> 00:40:35.440
 No, it's not.

00:40:35.540 --> 00:40:36.900
 You just don't know the answer right now.

00:40:37.520 --> 00:40:38.260
 We can figure it out.

00:40:38.300 --> 00:40:38.720
 You just say,

00:40:38.820 --> 00:40:39.520
 that's a great question.

00:40:39.740 --> 00:40:40.760
 Can we meet for coffee again

00:40:40.760 --> 00:40:41.240
 in a month

00:40:41.240 --> 00:40:41.980
 and I'll get back to you?

00:40:42.460 --> 00:40:43.380
 They will say yes.

00:40:44.060 --> 00:40:45.280
 I've never had them say no.

00:40:46.120 --> 00:40:46.320
 Right?

00:40:48.580 --> 00:40:50.200
 The goal is to build trust

00:40:50.200 --> 00:40:51.680
 to get to the next conversation,

00:40:52.460 --> 00:40:55.200
 to get to Christ and him crucified.

00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:57.760
 Do not win the argument,

00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:58.660
 but lose the person.

00:40:58.760 --> 00:40:59.960
 Be the person who says,

00:41:00.140 --> 00:41:00.960
 who they say of you,

00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:03.139
 man, I've never met a Christian

00:41:03.139 --> 00:41:04.139
 who was this gentle,

00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:05.639
 but also this convicted,

00:41:05.960 --> 00:41:07.639
 who actually cares about my life,

00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:10.380
 doesn't just want to persuade me

00:41:10.380 --> 00:41:11.260
 to come to his side.

00:41:12.679 --> 00:41:14.240
 It's simple as that, honestly.

00:41:14.840 --> 00:41:16.039
 And it's really fun.

00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:17.199
 At least I love it.

00:41:18.539 --> 00:41:19.659
 It's really amazing.

00:41:20.159 --> 00:41:21.159
 And I think you'll find

00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:22.460
 that your non-Christian friends,

00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:23.720
 it's a relief.

00:41:25.300 --> 00:41:26.720
 They actually enjoy it.

00:41:27.099 --> 00:41:28.340
 I said this before,

00:41:28.340 --> 00:41:29.440
 I do this weekly.

00:41:30.140 --> 00:41:31.460
 And they really enjoy it.

00:41:32.120 --> 00:41:33.100
 And I'm in the process

00:41:33.100 --> 00:41:35.539
 with maybe 20 students right now

00:41:35.539 --> 00:41:36.880
 and a couple of professors

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:38.300
 at UCCS of doing this.

00:41:38.380 --> 00:41:39.140
 And nobody thinks,

00:41:40.260 --> 00:41:41.519
 I always tell people,

00:41:41.620 --> 00:41:42.800
 I want to be the campus ministry

00:41:42.800 --> 00:41:44.519
 that people are glad it's on campus.

00:41:45.200 --> 00:41:46.480
 And I've had so many people say,

00:41:46.539 --> 00:41:47.539
 Jonathan, we're glad you're here.

00:41:47.680 --> 00:41:49.120
 We disagree with you about sexuality,

00:41:49.120 --> 00:41:50.340
 but we're really glad you're here.

00:41:51.140 --> 00:41:51.600
 I said, great.

00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:53.079
 Let's meet again next week.

00:41:54.019 --> 00:41:55.579
 And they'll do it, right?

00:41:56.340 --> 00:41:57.799
 And the Lord works in that.

00:41:58.900 --> 00:42:01.079
 So go to 1 Corinthians 15.

00:42:01.539 --> 00:42:02.319
 Evangelism's tough.

00:42:02.420 --> 00:42:03.960
 It always has been tough.

00:42:04.900 --> 00:42:05.980
 But it's not impossible.

00:42:06.219 --> 00:42:07.380
 Your call, my call,

00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:08.679
 is to point others to Jesus.

00:42:08.880 --> 00:42:10.880
 And despite the storm of culture

00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:12.779
 and of pain and abuse,

00:42:12.860 --> 00:42:14.739
 it's to show them the nerve center

00:42:14.739 --> 00:42:16.179
 of what you believe,

00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:18.579
 which is Christ and him crucified.

00:42:19.679 --> 00:42:20.900
 Point them to Jesus,

00:42:20.900 --> 00:42:22.019
 and your task is done.

00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:23.639
 And the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:25.840
 Be the safe person,

00:42:26.059 --> 00:42:27.240
 the Christian that they probably

00:42:27.240 --> 00:42:28.340
 have not met before,

00:42:29.220 --> 00:42:30.840
 who they can meet with

00:42:30.840 --> 00:42:32.460
 and not be preached at,

00:42:32.900 --> 00:42:34.740
 but have a conversation with.

00:42:35.079 --> 00:42:36.599
 And the Lord will work in that.

00:42:36.700 --> 00:42:37.820
 One of my favorite quotes

00:42:37.820 --> 00:42:39.180
 comes from G.K. Chesterton.

00:42:40.240 --> 00:42:41.139
 He says it best.

00:42:41.240 --> 00:42:41.500
 He says,

00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:42.960
 Christianity has died

00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:44.579
 a series of revolutions.

00:42:45.360 --> 00:42:46.539
 Sorry, Christianity has had

00:42:46.539 --> 00:42:47.780
 a series of revolutions.

00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:49.139
 And in each one of them,

00:42:49.240 --> 00:42:50.360
 Christianity has died.

00:42:51.200 --> 00:42:52.460
 Christianity has died

00:42:52.460 --> 00:42:54.119
 many times and risen again,

00:42:54.720 --> 00:42:55.720
 for it has a God

00:42:55.720 --> 00:42:56.579
 who knew his way

00:42:56.579 --> 00:42:57.340
 out of the grave.

00:42:59.300 --> 00:43:00.539
 It's different times now

00:43:00.539 --> 00:43:01.240
 sharing our faith

00:43:01.240 --> 00:43:02.360
 than maybe it ever has been

00:43:02.360 --> 00:43:03.119
 in human history.

00:43:03.260 --> 00:43:04.280
 There's no doubt about it.

00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:06.160
 But this isn't new ground

00:43:06.160 --> 00:43:07.019
 in a lot of other ways.

00:43:07.160 --> 00:43:08.240
 Christianity is a faith

00:43:08.240 --> 00:43:09.800
 who has died,

00:43:09.880 --> 00:43:11.139
 that has died many times

00:43:11.139 --> 00:43:12.240
 and risen many times,

00:43:12.340 --> 00:43:13.000
 for it's a God

00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:14.260
 who knew his way

00:43:14.260 --> 00:43:15.340
 out of the grave.

00:43:16.280 --> 00:43:17.160
 Let me pray for us.

00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:18.940
 Lord,

00:43:19.179 --> 00:43:21.199
 first and foremost,

00:43:21.339 --> 00:43:22.039
 thank you that you are

00:43:22.039 --> 00:43:23.079
 the God who saves us.

00:43:23.719 --> 00:43:24.460
 You are the God

00:43:24.460 --> 00:43:27.420
 who does inject yourself

00:43:27.420 --> 00:43:28.559
 into our world

00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:30.059
 of sin and brokenness

00:43:30.059 --> 00:43:32.079
 to bear the shame

00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:32.579
 and guilt

00:43:32.579 --> 00:43:34.279
 on the cross for us

00:43:34.279 --> 00:43:35.039
 and to save us

00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:35.859
 from ourselves

00:43:35.859 --> 00:43:37.559
 and from the world

00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:38.059
 and the flesh

00:43:38.059 --> 00:43:38.420
 and the devil

00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:39.539
 which war against us.

00:43:40.139 --> 00:43:40.819
 May that truth

00:43:40.819 --> 00:43:41.739
 be sweet to us

00:43:41.739 --> 00:43:43.219
 and may it be so sweet

00:43:43.219 --> 00:43:44.099
 that we can't help

00:43:44.099 --> 00:43:45.259
 but share it with our friends.

00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:46.460
 Give us wisdom.

00:43:46.900 --> 00:43:47.699
 Give us words.

00:43:48.420 --> 00:43:49.619
 We pray for the person

00:43:49.619 --> 00:43:50.500
 that each one of us

00:43:50.500 --> 00:43:51.299
 is thinking through

00:43:51.299 --> 00:43:53.059
 that if and as we have

00:43:53.059 --> 00:43:53.819
 this conversation

00:43:53.819 --> 00:43:54.719
 in the coming weeks

00:43:54.719 --> 00:43:55.299
 that you would be

00:43:55.299 --> 00:43:56.279
 working in them

00:43:56.279 --> 00:43:58.239
 so that they may have

00:43:58.239 --> 00:43:59.440
 the hope and the peace

00:43:59.440 --> 00:44:00.099
 and the joy

00:44:00.099 --> 00:44:01.179
 and the assurance

00:44:01.179 --> 00:44:03.599
 that you have given to us

00:44:03.599 --> 00:44:05.279
 and we will give you

00:44:05.279 --> 00:44:05.819
 the glory.

00:44:06.539 --> 00:44:07.139
 It's in Jesus' name

00:44:07.139 --> 00:44:07.519
 that we pray.

00:44:07.619 --> 00:44:07.799
 Amen.

00:44:10.119 --> 00:44:10.839
 Let's stand and sing

00:44:10.839 --> 00:44:11.299
 our final hymn.