WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 Okay, so now we're going to get into some practicals here. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:06.339 And, Sean, what time should I go? 00:00:06.500 --> 00:00:07.080 What time should I? 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:07.660 Should I shoot? 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:08.679 It's 11.30. 00:00:09.120 --> 00:00:10.279 Don't tempt me. 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:11.779 It's 9.30. 00:00:12.259 --> 00:00:13.220 It's 9.30. 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:13.960 Okay. 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:16.080 I'll go to 9.30. 00:00:16.339 --> 00:00:17.600 Okay, we're bound to 9.30. 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:18.679 I won't go that long. 00:00:18.740 --> 00:00:19.640 I'll go to the building at 9.30. 00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:20.640 Okay. 00:00:21.140 --> 00:00:23.280 That means, like, cleaned up and then out there. 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:24.920 All right. 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:26.199 So let's look at this. 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:30.579 I want to talk about evangelism and our times. 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:39.619 So this is just going to kind of set us up for the environment that we're trying to minister in. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:40.079 Okay. 00:00:42.219 --> 00:00:53.420 One of the biggest challenges we face is a steady erosion of conviction in the area of evangelism. 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:56.179 People don't have conviction in evangelism. 00:00:56.200 --> 00:01:01.280 Because evangelism doesn't really fit in with our postmodern thinking. 00:01:01.760 --> 00:01:02.660 And let me just say this. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.120 I want to start with this. 00:01:04.740 --> 00:01:08.640 I have been an evangelist for over 20 years. 00:01:09.100 --> 00:01:11.320 I don't say the word evangelism. 00:01:11.460 --> 00:01:13.879 I say it so fast it's going to come out like evangelism. 00:01:14.060 --> 00:01:16.020 Like, it just means evangelism. 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:16.320 Okay. 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.680 I just have said the word more than any other word. 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.820 It's like, that's just right. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.480 EVA is an abbreviation for evangelism. 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:26.340 So I'll just, I might slur that a little bit. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:26.700 Yes. 00:01:26.800 --> 00:01:27.620 Can I interrupt you for a second? 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:28.079 Yes, you may. 00:01:28.300 --> 00:01:29.920 I just want to make sure we gave it the right. 00:01:30.240 --> 00:01:30.960 Is this the right word? 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:31.500 Yes. 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:31.859 Yep. 00:01:31.939 --> 00:01:32.820 You're right on it. 00:01:33.260 --> 00:01:34.460 Evangelism and our times. 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:36.300 Take the one and have the one. 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:37.100 Oh. 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:41.439 Oh, what do you guys have? 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:44.439 Oh, guys. 00:01:44.520 --> 00:01:45.080 You're out. 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:46.719 I don't know. 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:47.480 Oh, my God. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:48.400 She's already got notes on it. 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:50.019 Hey, I can save it for tomorrow. 00:01:50.019 --> 00:01:50.280 Okay. 00:01:50.359 --> 00:01:50.679 You say it. 00:01:50.700 --> 00:01:50.840 Yeah. 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:52.439 Don't take hers back. 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:53.879 Don't take Emily's back. 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:57.000 No, just save the other one for tomorrow. 00:01:58.179 --> 00:01:58.500 Yep. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:01:59.319 Save it for tomorrow. 00:01:59.420 --> 00:01:59.659 All right. 00:02:01.659 --> 00:02:09.139 And I think one of the problems is that evangelism does not fit in with our postmodern thinking. 00:02:09.139 --> 00:02:17.579 The highest moral value in our culture is tolerance of other ideas, right? 00:02:17.699 --> 00:02:21.139 So tolerance is really the highest value. 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:27.539 We're out of bounds if we force our truth claims on someone else. 00:02:28.179 --> 00:02:29.799 You'll see this quote by Sam Chan. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:34.039 He says, first, we need to understand that tolerance is now the highest moral good. 00:02:34.519 --> 00:02:37.959 In modernism, it was okay to tolerate a person but not agree with their ideas. 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:41.820 That's because truth was objective and external to the person. 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:45.600 But in postmodernism, we're told that we must tolerate all ideas. 00:02:46.100 --> 00:02:50.520 That's because truth is viewed as subjective and internal to a person. 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.580 It is a product of language, culture, and upbringing. 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:59.340 So who are we to disagree with them and impose our ideas, which are only a product of our own upbringing, upon them? 00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:04.460 The only thing we should not tolerate as postmodern people is intolerance. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.900 That's because intolerance is understood as the worst moral evil. 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:12.780 It is to impose our arbitrary meta-narrative upon someone else's narrative. 00:03:12.920 --> 00:03:14.760 It is to play a power game. 00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:20.560 It is to do violence upon someone else's language, culture, and upbringing. 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:35.200 So there is a tremendous amount of societal, political, and social pressure to conform to what the news media and what our college professors believe. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:41.659 The cost of being a Christian is rising every day. 00:03:41.659 --> 00:03:42.659 Every day. 00:03:42.659 --> 00:03:43.199 Every day. 00:03:43.259 --> 00:03:45.900 And we don't want to be marginalized or ostracized. 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:57.000 And we're desperately trying to find ways to get out from under the stereotypes associated with conservative Christianity, especially younger generations. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:14.639 More and more I see Christians who believe biblical truth privately, like orthodox biblical teaching on cultural issues, pro-life issues, marriage issues, but publicly were less and less willing to make a stand. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:18.219 And that's exactly what our culture wants. 00:04:18.300 --> 00:04:20.339 They want us to keep all of our ideas to ourselves. 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:28.579 This is why we have to hold tight to biblical convictions, especially when it comes to evangelism. 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.259 So I want to talk about three different points here. 00:04:32.339 --> 00:04:33.699 The first is our environment. 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:35.419 I think you'll see this in your outline. 00:04:35.420 --> 00:04:41.220 We live in the age of post-modernity, which is very odd. 00:04:41.340 --> 00:04:43.060 It started in the 1980s. 00:04:43.900 --> 00:04:50.160 Modernity was from the 1600s to 1980s. 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:55.639 And then now we are in the age of post-modernity. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.080 And it's in direct contrast to the age of modernity. 00:04:58.180 --> 00:05:02.280 So post-maternity is characterized by several things. 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.060 I don't know if you have these in your outline. 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:06.720 Subjectivity of the individual. 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:08.240 So I'll just go through these. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:10.459 First is, are they in there? 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:11.720 Okay. 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:14.259 The subjectivity of the individual. 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:18.720 So people are not neutral, objective, or blank slates. 00:05:19.060 --> 00:05:22.879 We are subjective, we're biased, and we're influenced. 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:23.360 Okay? 00:05:24.939 --> 00:05:29.439 Post-modernity is also characterized by the fact that truth is free-floating. 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:33.160 Truth is not based on prior truth. 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:34.920 Like in the past. 00:05:35.319 --> 00:05:41.160 Truth is more like free-floating rafts, like kind of loosely tied together. 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:43.500 Think of like planks that are loosely tied together. 00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:49.259 So these truths are all a product of our context. 00:05:49.259 --> 00:05:52.939 The culture we live in, our tribe, our language, our community, our upbringing. 00:05:52.939 --> 00:06:01.240 So your truths will be different than my truths, but there's not one truth that is right and another one that is wrong. 00:06:01.339 --> 00:06:03.000 You have yours and I have mine. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:08.060 Also, outcomes are determined by predispositions. 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:12.220 We are all trying to prove things. 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:23.060 Our starting point, our presuppositions will determine our ending points, our conclusions, our methods, our constructs that we impose on our observations. 00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:26.259 So think about like the news or social media. 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:32.199 Most people now listen to or watch what they already agree with. 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:33.240 Right? 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.639 So we don't read or study or listen to things that we disagree. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:44.719 We just kind of line ourselves up with what we already agree with. 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:45.000 Okay? 00:06:45.019 --> 00:06:47.639 That's a very post-modern thing to do. 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:49.659 And I even heard somebody was telling me a book. 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:52.699 It was called like Lying Through Statistics. 00:06:53.459 --> 00:06:54.300 So there's a book. 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:59.120 It's just about how statistics are manipulated to say what you want to say. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.579 And that's kind of what we're talking about here. 00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:08.819 Certainty of knowledge is impossible in post-modernity. 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:13.340 Belief in self is supreme. 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:18.740 So truth can only be found by looking inside of yourself. 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:27.079 So we've shifted from this external source of authority like the Bible being an external outside of ourselves source of authority 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:29.459 to internal sources of authority. 00:07:30.359 --> 00:07:31.919 Authority comes from inside. 00:07:32.039 --> 00:07:32.919 Don Carson says, 00:07:32.919 --> 00:07:39.099 The assumptions of the current form of secularism dictate that every individual enjoys not only the right, 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:42.759 but the obligation to choose their own path and identity. 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:46.819 It is ugly and foolish to submit to self-proclaimed authorities. 00:07:47.219 --> 00:07:52.079 And those authorities that try to tell you who you are and what you must do, religious, traditional, and governmental, 00:07:52.299 --> 00:07:54.839 are narrow-minded, corrupt, and intolerant. 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:56.359 All right? 00:07:56.839 --> 00:08:00.459 Next, there is no universal truth. 00:08:01.119 --> 00:08:02.079 Sam Chan again says, 00:08:02.179 --> 00:08:07.339 To say that truth is universal is to impose our truth on other cultures, peoples, and languages. 00:08:07.699 --> 00:08:12.159 It's not that post-modernism denies the existence of objective facts. 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:15.719 It's just that all facts have to be construed. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:21.639 And this construal is a product of our cultures, peoples, languages, places, and upbringing. 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:25.419 And then finally there, extremism. 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:29.620 Christianity is no longer just perceived as irrelevant. 00:08:30.219 --> 00:08:32.000 It's perceived as extreme. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:41.439 So it's extreme to believe in the exclusivity of Christ, the authority of God's word, male leadership, sexual purity, 00:08:41.860 --> 00:08:44.299 marriage exclusively between a man and a woman, etc. 00:08:44.299 --> 00:08:53.159 Our views on LGBT issues are considered hateful and could even be criminal. 00:08:53.719 --> 00:08:53.979 Okay? 00:08:54.079 --> 00:08:59.879 So this is the world that we live in where, as a pastor preaching or teaching these things, 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:06.279 I remember thinking that years ago, maybe 10 or 15 years ago, thinking, 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:15.659 Okay, well I can see maybe my kids, in their generation, people might have to go to jail for just teaching what the Bible says. 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:20.000 And now I can say, I can see that in my, I can see it with me. 00:09:20.659 --> 00:09:23.579 It's not, I don't think it's that far off. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:25.139 Sam Chan again says, 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:27.779 Ethics have become a barrier to believe in the gospel. 00:09:28.459 --> 00:09:32.179 When our non-Christian friends think of Christianity, they don't think of good news, salvation, forgiveness, 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:33.859 restoration, justice, mercy, or love. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.739 Instead, they think of hate, fear, power, and violence. 00:09:37.559 --> 00:09:41.759 They think that Christians are unethical because of their perceived stance on birth control and euthanasia. 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:48.659 They see their own views as the ethical stance because they are seeking to empower, liberate, restore justice, 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:50.599 and give mercy to the marginalized and depressed. 00:09:51.239 --> 00:09:58.319 Their views are labeled by words such as love, choice, mercy, freedom, equality, rights, or justice. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:03.340 In post-modernity, Christians are viewed as the oppressors and haters, 00:10:03.820 --> 00:10:08.500 while non-Christians are viewed as the ones on the side of love, justice, and mercy. 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:12.320 All right, so that's a little bit about our environment. 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:16.120 And I want to, we'll do Q&A after this, so write down any questions you have, 00:10:16.140 --> 00:10:17.920 and I want to hear your thoughts on this as well. 00:10:18.300 --> 00:10:19.780 Number two, our ethnic group. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:21.360 Now again, I'm stretching with the E's. 00:10:21.400 --> 00:10:23.060 I really try to get three different E's. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.280 Do I have three E's there? 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.659 Oh, yes, so I really, I had to work it with the ethnic group. 00:10:28.740 --> 00:10:31.679 So I'm just talking here about the people we're trying to reach, 00:10:31.740 --> 00:10:33.639 and especially those in the younger generation. 00:10:33.779 --> 00:10:37.079 So as I mentioned, usually referred to as millennials and Gen Z. 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:40.720 That's basically millennials, basically 30s, Gen Z, 20s. 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:45.879 And there are a ton of statistics out there, and I've been reading different books out there, 00:10:46.139 --> 00:10:48.679 and I wanted to just talk about this a little bit. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:51.600 I think we have to be careful when it comes to statistics. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:53.120 Again, lying through statistics. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:58.519 But I've tried to think about areas where the statistics actually line up with my experience, 00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:01.180 and there's a lot of overlap here. 00:11:01.700 --> 00:11:07.420 One of the most alarming trends is the rise of the nuns. 00:11:07.800 --> 00:11:12.200 And by that, I don't mean small Catholic ladies who live in a convent. 00:11:12.680 --> 00:11:21.060 I'm talking about nuns, N-O-N-E-S, those who check the box nun when it comes to religious affiliation. 00:11:21.859 --> 00:11:23.379 So they're called the nuns. 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:25.279 You may have heard of that, the rise of the nuns. 00:11:25.299 --> 00:11:26.339 There's a book called The Rise of the Nuns. 00:11:28.599 --> 00:11:31.659 The number of nuns in the 30s and 40s was at 5%. 00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:34.000 So, again, those who would check nun for religious affiliation. 00:11:34.239 --> 00:11:36.879 So in the U.S., 30s and 40s, it was 5%. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.779 By 1990, the number had only risen to 8%. 00:11:40.779 --> 00:11:44.679 Okay, so that's a 3% increase in over half a century. 00:11:45.939 --> 00:11:55.959 Between 1990 and 2008, in just 18 years, the number of nuns doubled to 15%. 00:11:55.960 --> 00:12:04.980 And then in just four years, between 2008 and 2012, it jumped to 20%, representing one in every five Americans. 00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:16.399 And for millennials and Gen Z, or actually this is more Gen Z, for those 30 years or younger, nuns are one out of every three in our country. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:25.059 So 33% of our country of Gen Z are nuns, would check the box for nuns. 00:12:25.319 --> 00:12:28.600 James White said the nuns are no longer the second largest religious group in the United States. 00:12:28.699 --> 00:12:29.340 They are the largest. 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:32.279 And they are still by far the fastest growing. 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.259 But the significance is not simply that nuns are growing. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.959 The number of professing Christians is also shrinking. 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:41.879 Now, I want to share some characteristics. 00:12:42.059 --> 00:12:46.519 So in this reading that I've done, I want to share some characteristics of these younger generations. 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:56.500 Now, these things might not be surprising to you, but I think it's important that we understand who we're trying to reach out to as we seek to reach out to peers in the next generation. 00:12:56.500 --> 00:13:09.559 And there can be, let me say this, there can be opposition and even hatred and self-righteousness when it comes to how the older generations interact with the younger generations. 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:12.980 And also how the younger generations interact with the older generations. 00:13:13.139 --> 00:13:14.860 Like, okay, boomer, right? 00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:15.840 You've heard that phrase? 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:16.559 Right? 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:18.539 Isn't that like the meme, okay, boomer. 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:24.879 Like, it's very, the generation can be very dismissive of one another and very self-righteous. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:35.659 And both ways, I think the boomers toward younger generations, you young whippersnappers, and this kind of, like, animosity, I think, is wrong and it's unhelpful. 00:13:36.039 --> 00:13:39.059 Nobody wants to think the way their parents did. 00:13:39.379 --> 00:13:47.419 And every generation thinks that they're superior to the ones that came before them and the ones that come after them, okay? 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:49.539 So let's just kind of set that as parameters. 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:54.240 And I think it's important that we learn and kind of listen and try to understand this. 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:58.820 So here's a couple characteristics about these next generations. 00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:02.759 One, they're hopeful and optimistic, okay? 00:14:02.899 --> 00:14:04.299 They're not pessimistic. 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:07.279 I'm considered Generation X. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:10.399 We are the pessimistic generation. 00:14:10.659 --> 00:14:22.019 We are the, you know, latchkey, parents are divorced, depressed, on psychotropic medications, in counseling. 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:23.919 That's my generation, okay? 00:14:24.199 --> 00:14:26.000 But this generation is very optimistic. 00:14:26.779 --> 00:14:32.620 They believe that they can do something great and they want to change the world. 00:14:33.199 --> 00:14:34.159 Thank you, Disney. 00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:36.879 They're relational. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:38.799 They are learners. 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.379 They're the most educated generation in history. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.220 They're looking less and less to religion. 00:14:44.220 --> 00:14:48.440 Very few consider spirituality to be important in their lives. 00:14:48.779 --> 00:14:52.860 And listen, most don't think about religious matters at all. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:57.360 They're not necessarily antagonistic against religions or religious people. 00:14:57.800 --> 00:14:59.779 They just are, they see it as unimportant. 00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:02.160 They see it as irrelevant to their lives. 00:15:02.420 --> 00:15:05.879 And they can tend to see religion as very divisive and argumentative. 00:15:07.460 --> 00:15:11.460 Minorities make up about 40% of the next generation. 00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.519 Now, this is interesting. 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:19.259 In my generation, again, I was born in 69, so my generation is Gen X. 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:25.300 So I forget what a generation, I think we were like 64 to, help me out, 80. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:27.720 Yeah, I think it's 64 to 80 is Gen X. 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:38.400 So that generation, in my generation, I think minorities were 8% of our country. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:42.340 Now, minorities make up 40% of this generation. 00:15:42.439 --> 00:15:49.860 I think it was 8% of my, 8% to 40% in millennials and Gen Z, which is important. 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:55.199 They don't like to, so these younger generations, they don't like to commit to things. 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:59.439 And they definitely don't like to sign up for things. 00:16:00.079 --> 00:16:01.480 Smile if that's true about you. 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:08.159 They don't like things that are formal or overly polished. 00:16:08.920 --> 00:16:13.440 They don't do things because of tradition, because we've always done it that way. 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:16.539 They do value mentorship. 00:16:16.800 --> 00:16:19.480 So they love one-on-one mentoring relationships. 00:16:20.279 --> 00:16:22.659 It's one of the reasons I'm in charge of college ministry. 00:16:22.779 --> 00:16:29.480 We've changed our college ministry instead of focusing as much on meetings to focusing on mentoring because of this. 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:32.899 They're terribly lonely and depressed. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.820 Suicide rates are almost double previous generations. 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:39.080 They spend a ton of time on screens. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.320 They work, play, and socialize through computers and phones. 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:42.800 It's how they connect to the world. 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:44.360 You know that. 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.700 They believe that disagreement is the same as judging. 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:53.000 So if you disagree with them, you're judging them, right? 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:59.039 So James White, again, he says, members of Generation Z hold few things more dear than acceptance and inclusivity. 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:05.539 They view many moral stances, such as opposing gay marriage, as social stances in line with racism. 00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:08.220 To them, acceptance means affirmation. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.319 If you don't affirm, you don't accept. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:20.259 This, unfortunately, permeates all of culture, not just Generation Z, where to be considered welcoming to say the LGBT community is code for condoning their lifestyle. 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:24.640 All right, they believe that tolerance is the highest moral good. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:29.240 The only thing that we should not tolerate are people who are intolerant. 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:32.519 All religions are valid to them and essentially the same. 00:17:32.859 --> 00:17:34.019 There are no absolutes. 00:17:34.619 --> 00:17:37.920 They are usually unconvinced by proof or evidence. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:41.879 They believe that there are many ways to know something. 00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:44.400 They don't trust authority figures. 00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:47.180 Even scientists, they're not trusting as much anymore. 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:52.180 And they prefer testimonies of people over expert opinions. 00:17:53.080 --> 00:17:57.640 So the modern mindset, is anyone else in here with Gen X with me? 00:17:59.360 --> 00:17:59.920 Oh, good, Kevin. 00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:01.600 You said Gen X. 00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:06.420 He's so old he forgot, folks. 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:08.820 Okay, so I have a couple. 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:10.440 We don't have boomers here, right? 00:18:10.560 --> 00:18:11.680 We're just, okay. 00:18:11.820 --> 00:18:14.779 So at least we're, okay, well, oh, easy, boomer. 00:18:14.779 --> 00:18:17.339 Okay, boomer. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:18.920 So my parents are boomers. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:26.079 But so Gen X, all of the commercials, and you guys are all younger, you wouldn't know this. 00:18:26.399 --> 00:18:32.559 All of the commercials, like, in the 80s always had, like, a guy in a white lab coat. 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:34.420 Like, if they're like, here's Tide, right? 00:18:34.660 --> 00:18:36.220 And here's the Tide commercial. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:40.779 There's a guy in a white lab coat with a clipboard behind, like, because you're like, oh, this is scientific. 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:44.359 Oh, Tide is the best detergent that you could possibly get. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:49.180 Always, like, expert scientific guy to tell us. 00:18:49.460 --> 00:18:52.539 The expert is telling us what is the best, what we should do. 00:18:53.019 --> 00:18:56.220 Now, that's not at all how people don't even trust. 00:18:56.980 --> 00:18:57.980 They don't trust science. 00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:01.039 They don't trust any of that. 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:09.299 But now what you guys do is you're looking at ratings and reviews and comments from other customers. 00:19:10.659 --> 00:19:11.899 We don't trust experts. 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:15.319 We're going to trust what somebody else said about this. 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:17.279 As we look on Amazon, we go to the reviews. 00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:19.000 What are people saying about it? 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.099 Okay, very different in that mindset. 00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:26.379 These younger generations are very open to the perspective of other cultures. 00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:31.640 They tend to see Christians as unethical, and they look to things like CrossFit and yoga for community. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.700 Now, it's true. 00:19:34.800 --> 00:19:41.500 These are generalizations, but I think these can help us really think about this, get an outline of who we're trying to reach out, 00:19:41.560 --> 00:19:45.960 who you're trying to reach out to, and also who the future leaders of this church are. 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:57.759 Now, one thing that jumped out to me when I was studying this was how similar these characteristics are to my generation and to me personally. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:02.019 So I didn't want to do anything the way my parents did. 00:20:02.500 --> 00:20:04.640 I certainly felt superior to them. 00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:06.200 I was optimistic. 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:08.220 I wanted to change the world. 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:09.220 Thank you, Disney. 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:11.360 They were saying the same thing back then as they are now. 00:20:11.880 --> 00:20:13.880 I was relational and educated. 00:20:13.880 --> 00:20:16.620 I found my community in sports. 00:20:17.100 --> 00:20:19.120 I spent a lot of time on screens. 00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:24.480 They just happened to be a TV screen, and I also played video games looking at that TV screen. 00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:28.320 I didn't trust in authority figures either, right? 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:31.360 And I think the baby boomers could say the same things. 00:20:31.700 --> 00:20:37.260 I think the big difference is that, listen, here's what I think the big difference is between your generation and my generation, 00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:40.460 is that religion was a bigger part of our lives. 00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:44.700 It was a much bigger part of our lives, and it was a much bigger part of our parents' lives. 00:20:44.840 --> 00:20:53.620 It was a factor, not necessarily a meaningful one, but it played an important role in our lives. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:21:03.860 This move away from church has opened up our culture to being more secular, more relativistic, and more pluralistic, 00:21:03.859 --> 00:21:09.399 more tolerant of everything, more immoral, more liberal in our thinking. 00:21:09.979 --> 00:21:13.679 And listen, these ideologies are not just affecting younger generations. 00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:16.019 They're all pushing up into different generations. 00:21:16.159 --> 00:21:17.339 These things are affecting us all. 00:21:17.879 --> 00:21:26.519 That's why it's becoming increasingly hard to publicly support hot-button issues like pro-life or anti-abortion issues 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:29.779 or complementarian issues or LGBT or race, whatever. 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:32.259 These things are affecting us. 00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:46.900 And I think that we are increasingly and we will increasingly see the rise of private support for things Christians are unwilling to take a public stand on. 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:54.620 That divide is happening sharply that Christians are saying, oh, well, I believe this privately, 00:21:54.620 --> 00:22:02.660 but they're unwilling to make a public stand on that because the cost is so great. 00:22:02.740 --> 00:22:08.800 This is why evangelism is becoming more and more difficult, and we're more and more scared to evangelize. 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:18.159 Many people in younger generations do not like evangelism or the stereotypes associated with evangelism. 00:22:18.180 --> 00:22:19.519 That's why I'm so encouraged that you're all here. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:20.579 I can't even believe you're all here. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.519 It's beautiful. 00:22:22.659 --> 00:22:24.279 But people don't want to be marginalized. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:26.279 They don't want to be ostracized. 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:33.319 And there's a growing number, as I mentioned, there's a growing number of Christians who believe it's wrong to evangelize, 00:22:33.399 --> 00:22:37.159 people that believe it's the job of the church to do evangelism. 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:39.279 But I know that's a lot of information. 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:42.960 Here's the good news that I've found as I've kind of studied this. 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:47.500 These younger generations, they spend a lot of time with non-Christians. 00:22:48.560 --> 00:22:53.820 They have at least an average of four close friends that are non-Christians, 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:57.560 while their Christian parents have an average of one or less. 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:06.220 So they're spending time with non-Christians, and they're well-connected in their communities, which is great. 00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:09.740 This presents tremendous opportunities for the gospel. 00:23:09.860 --> 00:23:15.180 This is one of the main ways that the gospel is going to spread is through these relationships. 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.380 And we'll talk about that a little bit in the next section and tomorrow. 00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:20.680 So number three, our evangelism. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.860 Here's our third E. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:28.319 So here's just a couple of things I'll mention about this, and then we'll try to jump into Q&A. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:36.819 All right, so first, one of the most important things that we need to do is to merge our friendships, 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:43.639 to have it so that our Christian friends are spending time with our non-Christian friends, 00:23:43.899 --> 00:23:50.059 that we have non-Christian friends, and we're encouraging them to spend time with our Christian friends, 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:51.819 and we're merging these two groups. 00:23:51.879 --> 00:23:52.419 Does that make sense? 00:23:52.420 --> 00:24:00.560 Do you guys know what a plausibility structure is? 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:03.500 Has anybody ever heard that term, the term plausibility structure? 00:24:04.340 --> 00:24:13.420 Okay, so a plausibility structure is accepted beliefs, convictions, and understanding that you have. 00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:19.600 It's almost like a grid that you look through or glasses that you look through that help you either greenlight something 00:24:19.600 --> 00:24:26.460 as something that's plausible, something that's true, or you redlight something as implausible. 00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:31.420 All right, so a plausibility structure is just like how you determine whether something's true or false. 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:32.500 It's a way of saying that. 00:24:32.800 --> 00:24:35.360 So, for instance, let's say that your friend said, 00:24:36.019 --> 00:24:37.420 Oh, my goodness, you're not going to believe this, 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:41.519 but last night the spaceship came down in my backyard, 00:24:41.860 --> 00:24:47.240 and this alien walked out and invited me to come onto the spaceship, 00:24:47.600 --> 00:24:50.120 and so you're not going to believe this, but I got on the spaceship. 00:24:50.380 --> 00:24:51.480 It zoomed away. 00:24:51.600 --> 00:24:56.720 We went to Jupiter, and I had dinner there on Jupiter, 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:02.420 and then we came back, and only like a second had elapsed. 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:04.060 It was like some kind of time-space continuum. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:05.060 It was amazing, okay? 00:25:05.059 --> 00:25:11.819 If somebody told you that, your plausibility alarms are going crazy. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:13.799 Your plausibility structures have no roof. 00:25:13.859 --> 00:25:20.839 It's like red flag, like this cannot be. 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:25.700 Now, the reason is your alarms are going off is because of this. 00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:28.460 Your plausibility structures are made out of three different things. 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:30.039 One is our community, okay? 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:33.799 Like have other people that I know experience this? 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:38.119 No, nobody else that I know in my community has had a spaceship, 00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:39.259 land in their backyard, okay? 00:25:39.379 --> 00:25:40.139 So that's one. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.279 Another factor is our experiences. 00:25:42.940 --> 00:25:44.539 I've never experienced that. 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:45.940 You're saying you experienced it. 00:25:46.159 --> 00:25:47.700 I've never experienced that in my life. 00:25:48.059 --> 00:25:49.399 And evidence is the third one. 00:25:49.919 --> 00:25:52.240 There's no, what evidence, you know, let's go to your backyard. 00:25:52.399 --> 00:25:53.599 Is there like a blast off? 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:55.000 Did the grass get blasted away? 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:58.359 Like what evidence can support this, okay? 00:25:58.440 --> 00:25:59.519 So those three things. 00:26:00.059 --> 00:26:05.460 What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to our plausibility structure? 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:07.759 Out of those three factors, what do you think is the most important one? 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:11.140 What's that? 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:12.420 For Gen Z or for us? 00:26:13.160 --> 00:26:15.259 Just anybody, for anyone. 00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:16.980 Community. 00:26:18.259 --> 00:26:25.280 Our community of trusted friends and family is the most important factor in determining what we believe. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:33.599 People will find a story more believable if more people in their community believe this story. 00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:39.920 So if you told this story, or let's say somebody told you the story about the alien, 00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:44.039 and you're sitting there going, oh my goodness, this person is crazy. 00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:50.980 And then you talk to another friend and said, oh my goodness, you're kidding me because that's crazy. 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:58.940 Like last night I had an alien come down to my backyard and took me, you know, up to Jupiter. 00:26:59.059 --> 00:26:59.620 I was having dinner. 00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:01.920 I think I saw that other person there. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:04.039 I just didn't want to say anything to him. 00:27:04.339 --> 00:27:06.539 And then it came back in like no time elapsed. 00:27:06.860 --> 00:27:13.000 Okay, now you have two people and your plausibility alarms are still going like, okay, is this some kind of hoax? 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:14.420 Like, you know, what is that? 00:27:14.420 --> 00:27:21.519 But now you have somebody else that's like, wait a second, what is going on here? 00:27:23.340 --> 00:27:25.539 There's strength in those numbers. 00:27:25.820 --> 00:27:28.759 And this is why conspiracy theories can gain such traction. 00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:35.420 And it's honestly why the Internet can be very dangerous because you can find community with other crazy things 00:27:35.980 --> 00:27:39.560 and find that and solidify kind of what you believe. 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:45.579 Now, and this is one of the many reasons we need to merge our universes of friendships. 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:46.179 You know why? 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:49.000 Because we're the ones with the story of aliens. 00:27:51.639 --> 00:27:53.000 Let that sink in. 00:27:53.500 --> 00:27:55.740 We're the alien story guy. 00:27:56.379 --> 00:28:00.579 We have the story of the aliens that have landed. 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:04.960 They do not have a community that believes these things. 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:12.759 That's why it's so helpful if non-Christians can spend time with groups of Christians. 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:20.500 So that's why it helps if you can bring unsaved friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers into the community of the church, 00:28:21.380 --> 00:28:27.720 into your community group or small group, into a ministry like the Bridge Course, 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:34.460 where they can see other people that actually believe the same thing. 00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:37.579 It gives our beliefs credibility and believability. 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:43.259 It's much harder to convince someone of the truths of the gospel if you're the only one that they know that believes it. 00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:46.420 Because they can write you off as an exception. 00:28:46.539 --> 00:28:47.319 You're just an exception. 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:52.500 But if they start to see multiple people, a room full of people that believe this, 00:28:52.620 --> 00:28:56.759 that is a totally different story. 00:28:56.759 --> 00:29:06.180 This is something I've been thinking about and working on for at least 23 years since I've been in ministry is this. 00:29:06.579 --> 00:29:12.940 How do I get our church and these wonderful, amazing Christians together with the rest of the world? 00:29:13.180 --> 00:29:18.240 Because so often these worlds are separate and we're not rubbing shoulders, intersecting, building these relationships. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:26.039 How do we overlap and merge so that we build relationships and friendships with people who are not Christian? 00:29:26.779 --> 00:29:29.819 I've been working on this for a long time and it's not easy to do. 00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:31.380 Christians are very busy. 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:32.160 There's a lot of meetings. 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.019 There's a lot of Christian meetings. 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:33.839 A lot of things we have to do. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:38.400 And we can often insulate and isolate ourselves so we don't have time for non-Christian. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:44.580 But if we can just get these worlds overlapping to some degree, good stuff is going to happen. 00:29:45.560 --> 00:29:46.400 Good stuff. 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:48.519 Fireworks are going to happen. 00:29:48.780 --> 00:29:56.480 And God is going to use that to reach people for the sake of the gospel. 00:29:57.019 --> 00:30:03.360 How can we build these kind of friendships with people who don't know the Lord? 00:30:03.420 --> 00:30:05.780 How do we become friends of sinners? 00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:08.720 Because if we do this, God's going to use that. 00:30:09.879 --> 00:30:14.839 And part of the reason is, you know, again, I'm going to kind of undercut myself here. 00:30:16.639 --> 00:30:18.559 We're going to do training and stuff tomorrow. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:20.420 We're going to think through how do we share the gospel and stuff. 00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:24.740 But the reality is we could do this without any of this training. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:27.000 You guys know Christ. 00:30:27.539 --> 00:30:28.839 You know the gospel. 00:30:29.399 --> 00:30:30.440 You love Jesus. 00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:39.480 You're great at befriending people, at connecting, at fellowshipping, spending time, having hospitality. 00:30:39.799 --> 00:30:41.160 All those things you guys are great at. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:43.620 I'm sure every one of you would get high marks on this. 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:43.799 Why? 00:30:43.880 --> 00:30:44.600 Because you're Christians. 00:30:44.660 --> 00:30:45.440 This is what we do. 00:30:45.900 --> 00:30:47.000 We know how to have a small group. 00:30:47.080 --> 00:30:53.420 We know how to sit and serve pie and talk to each other and serve one another and care and love and all these things. 00:30:53.539 --> 00:30:54.039 And we're merciful. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:56.440 All these things the Spirit of God has done in our hearts already, right? 00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:03.779 If we can just connect with unbelievers, they'll see those things. 00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:05.480 And we know the gospel. 00:31:06.140 --> 00:31:08.680 And God can use that to reach them. 00:31:09.100 --> 00:31:11.600 The problem is it's kind of like never shall the two meet. 00:31:11.660 --> 00:31:15.400 Like how do we get these two worlds together? 00:31:16.380 --> 00:31:17.539 And it's not easy. 00:31:17.580 --> 00:31:19.920 It's not easy because it takes time. 00:31:20.080 --> 00:31:21.000 One, because it's dangerous. 00:31:21.100 --> 00:31:23.539 But two, because it takes time and it's messy. 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:29.980 It's messy and it requires a lifestyle change. 00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:37.200 See, our usual approach when it comes to this is to maybe like hear a message on evangelism, 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.399 maybe a sermon or something like a seminar like this. 00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:42.200 And then we'll just try to reach out to somebody or invite somebody. 00:31:42.460 --> 00:31:49.319 But we need to do this in a way that is not just kind of a tackle, but it's an evangelistic lifestyle. 00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:56.139 We need Christians, our Christian friends, to become friends with our non-Christian friends. 00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:59.279 And we need to be a part of their community. 00:31:59.779 --> 00:32:02.859 We need to get into their lives and their worlds. 00:32:03.059 --> 00:32:07.720 And then they will see how the Christian life works. 00:32:07.859 --> 00:32:10.419 They'll discover that the Christian life is livable. 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:10.899 It works. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:11.720 It makes a difference. 00:32:11.720 --> 00:32:15.440 And then if they see that, then they'll see that it's believable. 00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:19.860 And if they see that, then they might also acknowledge that it's true. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.360 But that's only going to happen as we live out our lives with non-Christian friends, 00:32:24.380 --> 00:32:28.360 not just visiting them, not just going out with them once in a while, but living among them. 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:31.759 So they're part of our closest network of friends. 00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:35.180 And we're part of their closest network of friends. 00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:36.559 That's hard for us. 00:32:36.740 --> 00:32:38.220 That's hard for me. 00:32:38.579 --> 00:32:39.100 You know why? 00:32:39.099 --> 00:32:41.099 Because there's a steep cost to that. 00:32:41.679 --> 00:32:43.639 I don't know if I have time for that. 00:32:45.379 --> 00:32:46.740 But we need to do that. 00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:48.379 We need to find somehow. 00:32:48.939 --> 00:32:54.279 I need to find a way to do that, to go to their events and their games and their concerts 00:32:54.279 --> 00:32:55.879 and their fundraisers. 00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:01.919 And then when we invite them to things, it will be natural because they invite us to things 00:33:01.919 --> 00:33:04.439 and we come to their things and they come to some of our things. 00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:12.200 It will be more natural when we finally decide to invite them to come to church or a small group social 00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:15.279 or a bridge course or something like that. 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:18.019 So that's letter A. 00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:21.519 Letter B is to listen to their story. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.580 And letter C is to tell his story. 00:33:23.660 --> 00:33:26.700 So let me just say something real quick because I want to get to Q&A. 00:33:26.700 --> 00:33:32.059 One of the things that Sam Chan says, I really like this, is just listening is so different. 00:33:32.380 --> 00:33:34.059 Nobody's listening to anybody anymore. 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:39.860 Everybody's just like judging other people, mic dropping, and then just nobody is listening. 00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:41.140 You want to be different? 00:33:41.259 --> 00:33:42.420 Listen to people, okay? 00:33:42.840 --> 00:33:44.580 And I love how Sam Chan says he likes us. 00:33:44.660 --> 00:33:46.660 He really says that coffee has came. 00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:47.180 This is cool. 00:33:47.220 --> 00:33:48.539 We went to a really cool coffee shop. 00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:51.100 This is like the coffee capital of the world, like all these little cafes. 00:33:51.099 --> 00:33:58.459 Anyways, inviting somebody to coffee is perfect because it's an opportunity to listen to talk in a short environment. 00:33:58.459 --> 00:33:59.859 It might be like 30 or 40 minutes. 00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:00.779 It's not that long. 00:34:00.959 --> 00:34:06.419 And it takes advantage of the sacred-secular divide where you can talk about secular things, 00:34:06.539 --> 00:34:09.219 just natural things over coffee. 00:34:09.339 --> 00:34:11.119 That's just to know, hey, want to grab coffee? 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:12.519 Hey, why don't we grab coffee? 00:34:12.579 --> 00:34:12.920 It's short. 00:34:13.339 --> 00:34:15.819 And to do that a couple times to get to know somebody. 00:34:15.820 --> 00:34:21.260 And so then you can jump from that to dinner where if you invite somebody to dinner, 00:34:21.300 --> 00:34:25.519 even if you go out to dinner, especially if you invite them to their home, which is great, much more intimate. 00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:32.160 Okay, so now we're a couple hours at dinner, and it takes advantage of that more sacred space. 00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:37.680 Like you talk to people if you're at dinner about what they believe, what they think about, what they fear, 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:38.740 what their hopes, what their dreams. 00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:40.980 You go deeper in that, okay? 00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:48.460 So there's a natural progression that can happen that goes from, like, coffee to dinner 00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:54.000 and then to being able to share the gospel and opening up into those kind of things. 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:58.639 But listening to their story, getting to know them before it was really important. 00:34:58.699 --> 00:35:00.679 We started a thing called Coffee and Conversations. 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:03.659 I might have time to talk about tomorrow at our church. 00:35:03.740 --> 00:35:05.559 It's worked really well in that regard. 00:35:05.820 --> 00:35:08.179 And then tell his story. 00:35:08.179 --> 00:35:12.539 So once you've listened to their story, then you can tell their story. 00:35:12.679 --> 00:35:16.759 And one of the amazing things about this, and I'll just say this to close, 00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:31.259 is that we need to understand what somebody's story is so that we can help them to see how God is really the answer 00:35:31.259 --> 00:35:33.199 to what they've always been looking for. 00:35:33.759 --> 00:35:35.639 So every single person has a story. 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:40.139 They have a mission, something that they think will bring happiness, something that will bring joy, 00:35:40.279 --> 00:35:41.500 something that will bring purpose. 00:35:42.179 --> 00:35:45.799 It really won't, in the end, bring them joy and fulfillment. 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:49.159 Jesus is the one that can do that. 00:35:49.259 --> 00:35:52.980 And Jesus is the one that is the answer to the story. 00:35:53.579 --> 00:35:55.039 And so we'll talk about that more. 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:55.940 Like, how do we do that? 00:35:56.019 --> 00:35:57.159 What does that look like? 00:35:57.539 --> 00:35:58.639 And we'll talk about that tomorrow. 00:35:58.639 --> 00:35:59.639 Questions? 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:02.259 Love to hear questions. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:08.739 And I would also love comments on what you think about your generation, younger generations, 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:13.779 and if what I mentioned was accurate, how you would adjust that, what your thoughts are. 00:36:13.839 --> 00:36:14.239 Yes, Emily? 00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:17.879 I have a friend at college who we've got really close to. 00:36:18.279 --> 00:36:19.979 She is Catholic. 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:21.099 Her boyfriend's Muslim. 00:36:21.359 --> 00:36:27.619 And she thinks that Muslim Christianity and Catholicism kind of stem from the same part of Scripture. 00:36:28.259 --> 00:36:31.479 So in essence, she thinks that they're the same God, just different. 00:36:32.059 --> 00:36:38.239 So, but she's also still trying to figure out what she believes and believes that truth is, like, 00:36:38.659 --> 00:36:39.559 your truth is your truth. 00:36:39.579 --> 00:36:39.779 Yeah. 00:36:39.780 --> 00:36:53.260 So how do you, like, go from talking about truth and, like, the meaning of the word truth is that there's things that are false. 00:36:53.320 --> 00:36:56.060 So how do you kind of, like, talk about truth? 00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:56.519 Yeah. 00:37:00.120 --> 00:37:00.760 I don't know. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:01.500 Sean, what do you think? 00:37:01.620 --> 00:37:01.720 No. 00:37:05.220 --> 00:37:05.620 Yeah. 00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:08.860 So, and you have a good friendship with this girl, too. 00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:14.620 So, again, one of the things that, and I'll talk about this a little bit more tomorrow, the corporate witness. 00:37:14.820 --> 00:37:19.380 So them seeing other believers who believe this is really important. 00:37:20.320 --> 00:37:29.420 One of the things that can happen in our bridge course is that they are experiencing, they're listening to truth. 00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:29.920 I'm preaching. 00:37:30.039 --> 00:37:30.820 I'm talking about truth. 00:37:30.900 --> 00:37:32.640 We're talking about all these rational things. 00:37:33.099 --> 00:37:35.280 A lot of times people don't believe that. 00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:38.460 But what affects them the most are the relationships. 00:37:38.720 --> 00:37:40.600 These people are serving them, caring for them. 00:37:40.680 --> 00:37:41.160 There's friendships. 00:37:41.360 --> 00:37:43.260 They have kids that seem to be somewhat obedient. 00:37:43.680 --> 00:37:46.019 There's people that are giving money so they can go on this retreat. 00:37:46.240 --> 00:37:47.740 And there's people that love each other. 00:37:47.820 --> 00:37:50.540 And they're seeing the love that we have for each other and serving them. 00:37:50.539 --> 00:38:06.940 Like, that sometimes has more of an effect than the apologetics as you're going to help her see that, you know, when she says, you know, I don't really think, you know, there's one particular truth. 00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:09.920 You could say, do you think that statement is true? 00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:15.720 So it's always self-defeating, the relativistic, it defeats on itself. 00:38:16.240 --> 00:38:18.539 So even when she says that, like, do you think that's true? 00:38:18.860 --> 00:38:23.340 So she believes things that are not, that there is objective truth. 00:38:24.039 --> 00:38:26.700 One of the main ones is that you have to be tolerant about everything. 00:38:26.860 --> 00:38:27.420 That's the objective truth. 00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:28.039 So whatever. 00:38:28.240 --> 00:38:30.820 So the argument often defeats itself. 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:36.740 What I try to do there, sometimes you're going to get on, like, those rabbit trails. 00:38:36.739 --> 00:38:40.639 I will often bring it back to the gospel because the gospel is the power of God for salvation. 00:38:40.839 --> 00:38:41.479 And they often don't understand. 00:38:41.779 --> 00:38:42.859 So, you know what, that's a great question. 00:38:42.939 --> 00:38:43.579 I'm not really sure. 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:44.359 Let me think about that. 00:38:44.659 --> 00:38:50.599 But I want to make sure I'm not sure you really understand what the Bible says about this. 00:38:50.819 --> 00:38:52.299 So you don't even have to have the argument about truth. 00:38:52.399 --> 00:38:55.359 Just let me help you understand what this says so you know. 00:38:55.659 --> 00:38:57.319 Because a lot of people get this wrong. 00:38:57.399 --> 00:38:59.159 They think it's about their own good works or efforts. 00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:00.739 So let me take you through this. 00:39:00.939 --> 00:39:05.939 So sometimes just, you know, you can answer those little apologetics and it's a self-defeater. 00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:17.639 But I think getting a community and then trying to bring it back to the gospel and trying to get her to look at what you want her to look at, not just what she wants you to look at. 00:39:17.700 --> 00:39:18.720 You do need to do that some. 00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:21.059 But I don't know if that helps you or not. 00:39:21.139 --> 00:39:22.679 That's a really good question. 00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:24.000 Good. 00:39:24.079 --> 00:39:24.400 Who else? 00:39:24.500 --> 00:39:24.920 Yes. 00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:26.400 What's the W spectrum on the back? 00:39:26.619 --> 00:39:26.980 Yeah. 00:39:27.059 --> 00:39:29.519 So the W spectrum is kind of cool. 00:39:29.519 --> 00:39:33.139 This is, it was, it's a missionary scale that they use. 00:39:33.259 --> 00:39:34.380 W stands for worker. 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:36.259 And it's interesting. 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:40.739 It's how kind of the gospel has been shared in the past. 00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:41.679 So look at W1. 00:39:41.800 --> 00:39:44.920 It's like the aim of the evangelist, oppose the culture storyline. 00:39:45.420 --> 00:39:48.440 Gospel there messages your culture storyline is wrong. 00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:50.000 You must reject your culture, follow Christ. 00:39:50.460 --> 00:39:53.340 Then the model of Christ is Christ triumphs over the culture storyline. 00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:55.159 The model of sin is transgression, rebellion. 00:39:55.159 --> 00:39:57.159 And then it progresses. 00:39:57.299 --> 00:39:58.159 Just look at W3. 00:39:58.319 --> 00:40:02.659 So W3 is retain and repurpose the culture storyline. 00:40:03.259 --> 00:40:06.779 The gospel message, your culture storyline is good, but Christ can make it better. 00:40:07.179 --> 00:40:10.339 And then Christ transforms the culture storyline. 00:40:11.019 --> 00:40:13.719 And the sin, the model of sin there is brokenness. 00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:19.779 So what it's showing is that there are, there's kind of a progression, 00:40:19.780 --> 00:40:25.480 whereas the old way of sharing the gospel, the modern way is more like a W1 and probably W2. 00:40:25.820 --> 00:40:30.200 And what might be more effective now is more W3, W4. 00:40:30.600 --> 00:40:35.640 So in the past, the way you would do things, you'd share the gospel, say this, you'd say, 00:40:35.860 --> 00:40:37.120 this is true. 00:40:38.080 --> 00:40:40.600 You must believe it and you must live it. 00:40:41.080 --> 00:40:42.760 Now it's the reverse. 00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:46.260 You would say the gospel is livable. 00:40:46.780 --> 00:40:48.220 It actually works. 00:40:49.120 --> 00:40:51.080 And therefore it's believable. 00:40:51.660 --> 00:40:52.840 And therefore it's true. 00:40:54.180 --> 00:40:57.240 Is this saying that these are all valid ways to communicate the gospel? 00:40:57.420 --> 00:40:58.140 It's just a matter of... 00:40:58.140 --> 00:40:59.060 Yeah, I think it is. 00:40:59.120 --> 00:41:00.960 I think it's saying depending on where you are, 00:41:01.040 --> 00:41:05.960 I think the more modern mindset would be more like the W1, W2, 00:41:06.260 --> 00:41:11.700 whereas the 3 and 4 is moving more toward where our culture is now. 00:41:11.699 --> 00:41:13.679 Not one right or wrong way. 00:41:13.859 --> 00:41:15.759 The power of the gospel is neat. 00:41:15.859 --> 00:41:17.879 The gospel needs to go forth and get out there. 00:41:18.199 --> 00:41:21.539 It's just saying how you might connect in their story differently. 00:41:21.739 --> 00:41:23.159 So it's kind of progressive. 00:41:23.399 --> 00:41:24.299 Does that make sense? 00:41:24.980 --> 00:41:26.299 Good, good question on that. 00:41:26.359 --> 00:41:26.639 Yes. 00:41:26.879 --> 00:41:29.619 I have a two-part question about your merging with communities. 00:41:30.139 --> 00:41:30.619 Yes. 00:41:30.739 --> 00:41:37.139 So the first one is like, so we go with like their worlds and the events of James. 00:41:37.539 --> 00:41:37.980 Yes. 00:41:37.980 --> 00:41:40.980 And in exchange they would... 00:41:40.980 --> 00:41:41.780 Hopefully... 00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:42.780 Yes. 00:41:43.139 --> 00:41:44.139 But if they're... 00:41:44.139 --> 00:41:50.500 What if they're like at a point where they don't necessarily want to come to establish things 00:41:50.500 --> 00:41:51.900 that already happen in our community? 00:41:52.420 --> 00:41:53.980 Have you had to create like... 00:41:53.980 --> 00:41:58.440 In the middle kind of space of an event and like what have you done? 00:41:58.820 --> 00:41:59.179 Yeah. 00:41:59.300 --> 00:42:01.860 So just invite somebody over for dinner and say you're having another friend over. 00:42:01.920 --> 00:42:04.559 Oh, I'm having a friend or I'm having a couple friends over. 00:42:05.659 --> 00:42:06.579 Yeah, dinner party. 00:42:06.659 --> 00:42:07.679 Why don't you come over for that? 00:42:07.780 --> 00:42:11.360 Or me and a couple friends are having a game night. 00:42:11.420 --> 00:42:12.760 Would you like to come with us? 00:42:12.780 --> 00:42:15.320 Or like little things like that that aren't big. 00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:17.400 I'm inviting you to a small group. 00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:18.700 I'm inviting you to church. 00:42:19.559 --> 00:42:21.099 Those might be down the road. 00:42:21.660 --> 00:42:24.800 But it might be some friends and I are going to a movie. 00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:26.960 Would you want to come with us? 00:42:27.019 --> 00:42:27.800 That sort of thing. 00:42:28.260 --> 00:42:31.000 And then a lot of times they'll reciprocate and say, oh, would you like to come to this 00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:31.340 with me? 00:42:31.380 --> 00:42:32.079 That sort of thing. 00:42:32.240 --> 00:42:37.400 So yeah, just creating those little events or little spaces where people can come. 00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:40.180 Or even just, hey, I'm going to dinner with a friend. 00:42:40.240 --> 00:42:41.019 Would you like to come? 00:42:41.019 --> 00:42:44.759 And then they get to meet your Christian friend or somebody you think they might connect with 00:42:44.759 --> 00:42:45.199 or whatever. 00:42:46.019 --> 00:42:47.360 Does that answer that question? 00:42:47.460 --> 00:42:47.880 Okay, good. 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:48.800 And what was the second one? 00:42:48.820 --> 00:42:53.259 One part I was also wondering is, other than time, what have you found to be the cost? 00:42:53.480 --> 00:42:54.500 And what is the messiness? 00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:55.759 Oh, the messiness. 00:42:55.880 --> 00:42:56.780 We'll talk about that tomorrow. 00:42:56.880 --> 00:43:01.659 The big part of the messiness is it's just much easier to be with Christian friends. 00:43:02.239 --> 00:43:03.619 You have so much more in common. 00:43:03.759 --> 00:43:04.980 You believe the same things. 00:43:05.059 --> 00:43:06.559 You enjoy the same things. 00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:07.860 And it's messy. 00:43:07.860 --> 00:43:13.900 When you're with non-Christians, they like different things or they value things that 00:43:13.900 --> 00:43:14.539 are sin for. 00:43:15.120 --> 00:43:16.240 You have to draw lines. 00:43:16.300 --> 00:43:17.220 You can't go into sin. 00:43:17.300 --> 00:43:18.460 They might say, hey, let's watch this movie. 00:43:18.539 --> 00:43:20.660 You might be like, oh, is there another? 00:43:20.780 --> 00:43:23.039 I probably wouldn't feel as comfortable watching that movie. 00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:24.800 And it gets messy like that. 00:43:24.860 --> 00:43:27.240 Their language, what they want to talk about. 00:43:27.340 --> 00:43:30.120 You have to navigate through that. 00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:34.280 When you have kids, that brings its own set of challenges. 00:43:34.280 --> 00:43:38.180 And I've had lots of messy situations there where you have to just trust God. 00:43:38.360 --> 00:43:42.900 But the way that their kids are, what their kids are, those influences, those sort of things. 00:43:43.500 --> 00:43:45.760 So you have to be careful. 00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:48.760 And they're not going to value the same things. 00:43:48.820 --> 00:43:51.280 They're not going to act with integrity or the same way. 00:43:51.440 --> 00:43:54.460 So you could have that mud splash on you. 00:43:54.600 --> 00:43:56.900 It gets messy when you're with them. 00:43:57.240 --> 00:43:59.660 So we'll talk, I think, a little bit about that tomorrow. 00:43:59.800 --> 00:44:02.420 But does that fill it in a little bit for you? 00:44:02.420 --> 00:44:03.639 Yeah, good question. 00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:04.440 Who else? 00:44:04.519 --> 00:44:04.619 Yeah. 00:44:04.980 --> 00:44:11.700 How do you make the trade-off of, maybe you can give some guidelines around when to keep investing? 00:44:12.039 --> 00:44:12.599 Yes. 00:44:12.740 --> 00:44:15.820 In one versus this time you want to be responsible. 00:44:15.980 --> 00:44:16.539 Yes. 00:44:16.980 --> 00:44:18.139 Great question. 00:44:19.139 --> 00:44:20.920 I think we have to be wise there. 00:44:21.360 --> 00:44:27.539 And the scripture I would pull on there is where, not scripture. 00:44:27.539 --> 00:44:32.920 There was a book called Experience of God where he talked about going where you see God at work. 00:44:33.559 --> 00:44:34.719 Okay, where is God at work? 00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:39.920 So the scripture I would use for that is Luke 19 where Jesus and Zacchaeus. 00:44:40.500 --> 00:44:46.000 So when Jesus was walking that road, he stopped in front of one tree. 00:44:46.420 --> 00:44:49.119 And it happened to be a guy that was up in that tree. 00:44:49.320 --> 00:44:51.779 Somebody that, there was big crowds all along this road. 00:44:51.840 --> 00:44:52.759 Why did he stop there? 00:44:52.760 --> 00:44:56.940 Well, this guy had run ahead and climbed up in a tree, was obviously interested. 00:44:57.240 --> 00:45:02.620 So you could draw from that this idea that go where you see God at work, okay? 00:45:03.180 --> 00:45:04.220 We don't have time. 00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:05.100 We're limited in our time. 00:45:05.180 --> 00:45:06.000 We can't reach out to everybody. 00:45:06.720 --> 00:45:14.820 And I tell people, I say, listen, go to the person that seems friendliest to you, somebody that likes you, enjoys you, wants to talk to you, seems interested. 00:45:14.940 --> 00:45:15.320 Go there. 00:45:15.800 --> 00:45:16.460 Get involved there. 00:45:16.520 --> 00:45:17.560 There's something there. 00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:24.219 You don't have to figure out, like, okay, who's the hardest, most difficult person that I can befriend on the earth and go there. 00:45:25.360 --> 00:45:26.619 Put your antennas up. 00:45:26.739 --> 00:45:27.039 Pray. 00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:30.619 And sometimes God will lead you to very hard people, and God does something there. 00:45:31.019 --> 00:45:32.500 But just think about that. 00:45:32.579 --> 00:45:33.799 Who do you connect with? 00:45:33.840 --> 00:45:34.799 Who seems friendliest? 00:45:34.940 --> 00:45:37.039 Who do you relate to well? 00:45:37.119 --> 00:45:41.320 Who has an affinity towards you or seems friendly? 00:45:41.579 --> 00:45:42.159 Start there. 00:45:42.799 --> 00:45:43.340 And invest there. 00:45:43.340 --> 00:45:54.720 And if you're investing there and you start trying to, you know, just build this friendship and then you eventually start bringing around the spiritual issues and you're talking about and you keep, you know, doing that over time and a year and two, it's not going well. 00:45:54.780 --> 00:46:00.420 You might need to think, okay, God, is there somewhere else that I need to, this person seems to really be shutting these doors. 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:02.100 It doesn't always mean give up right away. 00:46:02.160 --> 00:46:03.140 My friend didn't give up on me. 00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:05.480 But there's a time where we're limited. 00:46:05.559 --> 00:46:07.059 We can't be friends with everybody. 00:46:07.240 --> 00:46:08.519 So we do have to be strategic. 00:46:08.700 --> 00:46:11.059 So go where you see God at work. 00:46:11.059 --> 00:46:13.179 That's kind of just like a general principle. 00:46:13.619 --> 00:46:14.960 And does that make sense? 00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:15.920 It's a great question.