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Christ and Race · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
I'm glad I get to do this this morning.
0:04
Chris introduced both my name, Gerald and Jerry, and Jerry, and Jerry.
0:30
Gravely offended.
0:33
I want to present to you this morning four facts, a process with three steps.
0:46
And we're talking overall, at least, of course, I've been sitting where you all are sitting,
0:53
Christ and culture, and culture's not as simple as we make it out to be.
1:01
There's a lot too culture.
1:04
And there's a lot of interaction with things.
1:12
Sometimes I see ecology as kind of, or geology as world ecology.
1:20
And you know that ecology was birthed in Georgia.
1:26
You know that whole concept and study of ecology was birthed right here in Georgia.
1:34
And it's that interaction between elements.
1:39
And sometimes I feel like maybe some of you or all of you, I grew up with National Geographic,
1:46
and so I've read about the ecology of plants and animals and all that exists on the face of the earth
1:56
and cultures of people.
2:01
I learned a lot when I was a kid.
2:04
That's all I had to really look forward to.
2:07
We didn't have a television until I was quite a bit older.
2:12
And Mom and Dad didn't have a colored television until I moved out of the house.
2:20
And I had to talk my dad into a telephone when I was in high school.
2:25
Most of you take that for granted.
2:27
But he hated that telephone.
2:29
And so when it was drilled through the wall, we had a concrete block house in southern Arizona.
2:35
When he drilled the hole through it, it came out behind the couch.
2:39
And that's the only place you could use the phone if he wasn't in the house,
2:44
because you had to crawl behind the couch and lay down and call your friend.
2:50
So it was a chore.
2:53
And like no time in history, we started the postmodern era, calling it the information age,
3:03
and it wasn't long that people realized, well, what is that?
3:08
And maybe that doesn't describe the whole thing that we're into.
3:12
And a lot of people have been trying to tag the world that we're living in today.
3:21
And the best anybody's come up with so far is just postmodern.
3:26
Whatever postmodern is, we're in it.
3:31
And we're still trying to decide what it is.
3:35
And like with most human history, we're better at describing it after it's gone by
3:42
than looking forward to where it's taking us.
3:47
And so cultures, for me, is not a simple thing.
3:53
And then when we talk about race,
3:56
we hear about races of people.
4:01
And we scratch our heads.
4:05
It's like there's lots of different boats.
4:09
And there are people in different boats.
4:12
Some going in the same direction.
4:14
Others going in the opposite direction.
4:17
But it's as if races of people are in different boats.
4:23
And they're captains of their own destiny.
4:27
Going across some great, vast whatever.
4:35
Fact number one.
4:39
I'm not trying to stuff this on you.
4:41
Let me not be so arrogant to call these absolutes.
4:45
For me, they're absolutes.
4:47
But you have to decide for yourself.
4:49
Did you see the Stephen Hawking programs last night?
4:56
I recorded them.
4:58
And Stephen Hawking has finally decided no God.
5:04
Because everything was birthed out of a black hole.
5:07
And in a black hole, there is no time.
5:10
So if before the Big Bang, there was no time,
5:13
then how could God be?
5:15
Therefore, no God.
5:17
Well, that's what I don't choose to believe.
5:25
And it's purely by faith on my part.
5:30
Because I have no proof.
5:32
I have a book.
5:33
And I know that my life on my own
5:39
was going downhill fast.
5:45
And I know that when I placed my faith
5:48
in what this book said,
5:51
my life turned around.
5:54
And it has felt like it's going upward.
5:57
So that's all I can tell you.
6:03
I have no proofs this morning.
6:05
I'm just telling you that fact number one
6:08
is by faith on my part.
6:10
And it comes out of the very first verse in the Bible.
6:15
In the beginning, God created.
6:18
He created the heavens and the earth.
6:23
God did it all.
6:25
He spoke words, we understand.
6:28
He didn't go down and really get dirty.
6:30
He just spoke words and everything came into existence.
6:34
I believe that.
6:35
And I believe that everything that I believe
6:37
from that point
6:39
is predicated upon that moment in time.
6:43
If I don't believe that,
6:46
then the rest of this doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
6:50
Right?
6:52
It just doesn't make...
6:54
I mean, good luck.
6:59
Stephen Hawking said,
7:00
I just am so joyous that I have a mind
7:03
that I can just explore the universe.
7:05
I have absolute freedom
7:06
even though my body won't let me go anywhere.
7:09
I have absolute freedom with my mind
7:11
to explore the universe.
7:14
And it sounds like
7:16
when it's done, it's done.
7:20
And the joy of living
7:22
was about being free to explore the universe.
7:29
Well, okay.
7:33
Some folks, that would be huge.
7:36
But from where I stand
7:37
with the God who created the heavens and the earth,
7:41
that's just a puny little place.
7:48
And the fact,
7:49
and I believe this,
7:51
that He's redeemed me
7:53
and I'm going to get to share in all of that forever.
7:59
Praise God.
8:01
Huh?
8:03
I mean, if you haven't got an amen in you there,
8:05
you have no amens in you at all.
8:08
Praise God.
8:10
I get to...
8:12
No, okay.
8:15
Let me put my hands in my pocket
8:17
and then I'll be less preaching.
8:23
Fact number two.
8:28
He created not only the heavens and the earth,
8:31
but He created man
8:32
and then another man
8:34
called woman.
8:38
And the human race was born.
8:43
And there's something common
8:45
common in our likeness
8:50
among all peoples of the earth.
8:53
In fact,
8:56
I've had the privilege,
8:59
not as much as others
9:01
and more than some,
9:02
to travel to...
9:05
I've preached
9:06
crusades in South America,
9:09
Central America,
9:10
Mexico.
9:11
I've preached in Canada.
9:12
I've been to Korea preaching.
9:15
I've had the opportunity
9:17
to work with peoples
9:18
from every continent
9:21
on the face of this earth.
9:25
And I believe
9:26
we're all on the same boat.
9:31
I don't believe
9:31
there's a whole bunch of boats.
9:34
Now, maybe some folks
9:35
are on the Aledo deck.
9:37
I've never been on a cruise ship.
9:39
What other decks,
9:40
kind of decks are there?
9:41
What are some of the names?
9:43
All I can remember
9:44
is Aledo.
9:46
But what are some of the names
9:48
of the other decks?
9:51
Luau.
9:55
But there's something common
9:57
about all of us
9:59
that we hold in common.
10:00
There's some things
10:00
that we hold in common.
10:02
And one of the big things,
10:03
I think,
10:04
is that we have a need
10:06
to be loved
10:07
and to love.
10:10
I've not met a human being
10:13
that doesn't share that.
10:17
All human beings everywhere
10:19
seem to share that.
10:21
So fact number two for me
10:24
is that there's only one race.
10:26
There's not races.
10:28
There's only one race
10:29
and it's human.
10:31
So if you are a racist,
10:33
you're working against yourself.
10:38
They're against you.
10:40
Now,
10:45
there were a lot of folks
10:47
coming to exist on the earth.
10:51
And God looked out over them
10:52
and said,
10:53
these are violent folks.
10:56
In fact,
10:56
he felt so bad about it,
10:58
you know,
10:59
it says in the very first part
11:02
of Genesis,
11:02
he wished he hadn't even created it.
11:05
He wished he was
11:07
languishing over the fact
11:09
that he even created
11:10
a man in the world.
11:14
And he has it in his mind
11:16
to just take his big eraser out
11:19
and erase it all.
11:23
Now,
11:23
he could erase it
11:24
just as quickly
11:25
as he created it
11:26
in my mind.
11:27
Y'all with me on that?
11:30
You believe that?
11:32
You think he could undo it
11:33
with a word
11:34
just like he did it
11:35
with a word?
11:37
And yet,
11:37
he sees this
11:38
one man,
11:41
Noah,
11:43
who says,
11:44
here's still righteousness
11:46
on the earth.
11:46
So I'm going to take
11:49
this one man
11:51
and his family
11:53
and I'm going to gather up
11:56
what I want to carry on
11:58
in this big boat
12:00
that he's going to build for me
12:02
and then I'm going to take
12:03
my eraser
12:03
and erase everything else.
12:06
I believe that's what happened.
12:07
Then man
12:13
starts populating again
12:16
and it says in the Bible
12:18
that there was one language.
12:20
They all spoke the same words.
12:24
And the people on the earth,
12:25
they traveled on.
12:27
Let me read it here
12:29
and we'll get it precise.
12:31
They traveled east,
12:33
it says.
12:34
Now the whole earth
12:36
used the same language
12:37
and the same words.
12:39
And it came about
12:40
as they journeyed east
12:42
that they found a plain
12:45
in the land of Shinar
12:47
and settled there.
12:50
Well, you remember the story.
12:51
They create a city called Babel
12:54
which later on became Babylon.
12:57
And they built a tower there,
13:00
the Tower of Babel
13:02
or Babel's Tower.
13:04
And they were going to
13:05
reach up to heaven.
13:06
And God looked on that.
13:07
He came down to see
13:08
what man was doing
13:10
and he said,
13:10
Oh man,
13:14
they're doing it again.
13:18
I clean the slate.
13:20
I find one righteous man.
13:22
I set it all in motion again.
13:24
And they're still doing it.
13:26
Is that not the history
13:28
of the world?
13:28
God said,
13:32
Okay,
13:32
but
13:33
I'm dedicated to this process.
13:37
I'm going to redeem man.
13:40
This wasn't his original plan.
13:43
His original plan
13:44
is that we would multiply
13:45
and come out of the garden
13:47
or even just live
13:48
in one great big garden
13:49
and it would go on
13:51
forever like that.
13:52
But man is
13:53
constantly disobedient.
13:55
And so what God does then,
13:59
He said,
14:00
Okay,
14:00
we're going to confound
14:01
their languages.
14:05
The Greeks would say,
14:07
Well,
14:07
they must have all spoke Greek
14:08
and He left that with us.
14:12
The language of the intellect.
14:15
Those who spoke Latin
14:16
would probably have said,
14:17
Yeah,
14:18
He confounded the language,
14:19
but He left Latin
14:20
that original language
14:22
with us.
14:23
Some Americans might even say,
14:26
Well,
14:26
no,
14:26
it was English.
14:28
I had a Hebrew professor
14:29
that was dead sure
14:31
it was Hebrew.
14:34
I don't think
14:35
that language exists
14:36
because
14:37
then God would have left
14:38
in the hands of
14:39
one group of people
14:41
an arrogance
14:42
that could have said,
14:44
Ah,
14:45
it all began here
14:46
with us.
14:48
I think He undid
14:49
that one language
14:50
and everybody
14:50
jumped off
14:51
and went off
14:52
to other languages.
14:53
I was in Seoul,
14:54
Korea
14:54
with a Navajo
14:55
brother of mine
14:56
and he was poking around
14:58
and found
15:00
it had to be
15:03
a God thing.
15:05
He found
15:06
as he was conversing
15:07
with Koreans
15:08
a word
15:09
in Korean
15:10
that has exactly
15:13
the same pronunciation,
15:15
spelling,
15:16
and meaning
15:17
in Navajo.
15:18
and he said,
15:21
Whoops,
15:21
here's the land
15:22
bridge here.
15:24
He saw a connection
15:25
to something
15:27
very ancient
15:28
that he felt
15:29
that his people
15:31
had come.
15:36
And finally,
15:38
man was starting
15:38
to do what God
15:39
had told him to do,
15:40
go out
15:40
to the four corners
15:43
of the earth
15:44
and multiply
15:45
and fill
15:46
this earth
15:47
up.
15:49
And they did.
15:51
But God
15:52
didn't create
15:53
more races.
15:55
The Greek word
15:56
is ethnos.
15:59
It's the word
16:00
we get ethnic
16:01
from.
16:02
God created
16:04
by confounding
16:05
languages,
16:08
any missionary
16:08
will tell you
16:09
that when you're
16:11
going to reach
16:12
a people
16:13
of a different
16:14
culture,
16:16
you must
16:16
speak
16:17
their
16:18
language,
16:20
for their
16:20
language
16:21
is the language
16:23
of the heart,
16:24
what they grew
16:24
up with.
16:26
Now,
16:27
the most diverse
16:28
people on the
16:28
face of the earth,
16:30
or at least
16:31
in America,
16:32
are white folks.
16:35
Folks tend
16:36
to put white folks
16:37
all in one
16:38
great big pile.
16:38
So,
16:39
okay,
16:39
here's white folks.
16:40
They're all
16:41
the same.
16:44
Well,
16:44
I assure you,
16:46
we're not all
16:47
the same.
16:48
I come from
16:49
southern Arizona
16:50
down on the
16:50
Mexican border.
16:51
I ain't like
16:52
southern at all.
16:57
I knew
16:58
coming to the
16:59
south,
16:59
I was going to
16:59
have to deal
17:01
with sweet tea.
17:02
I figured that
17:02
one out before
17:03
I ever got here.
17:05
I grew up
17:06
without sweet tea,
17:07
and so,
17:08
you know,
17:08
I don't like
17:09
sweet tea.
17:10
So,
17:11
when we went
17:12
to the restaurants,
17:13
I knew,
17:14
I had to
17:14
specify,
17:16
unsweet tea.
17:18
That's all I
17:19
drink.
17:23
But what I
17:24
didn't know
17:24
was that in
17:26
the south,
17:28
lying is
17:30
permissible.
17:32
Where I come
17:33
from,
17:34
you don't tell
17:34
any kind of
17:35
lie.
17:35
lie.
17:36
There's no
17:36
such thing
17:37
as a white
17:38
lie,
17:39
or a big
17:39
lie,
17:40
or a little
17:40
lie.
17:44
You know
17:44
what I'm
17:45
talking about,
17:45
don't you?
17:47
Somebody says
17:47
to you,
17:48
hey,
17:49
come on over
17:49
to my house.
17:51
Come on over
17:51
and visit me.
17:53
And then you
17:53
show up,
17:54
and they look
17:54
at you like,
17:56
where'd you
17:57
come from?
17:59
Well,
17:59
you told me
18:00
to come over.
18:00
I'm just
18:01
being polite.
18:03
I didn't
18:03
really mean
18:04
that.
18:09
So one
18:10
southerner
18:11
told me,
18:12
he said,
18:12
it's okay
18:14
to lie
18:15
as long
18:16
as it's
18:16
not going
18:17
to hurt
18:17
anybody.
18:23
Somehow
18:23
that's got
18:24
mixed up
18:25
in southern
18:25
Christianity.
18:27
It mixes
18:28
a whole bunch
18:28
of folks
18:29
up.
18:30
It certainly
18:31
wasn't the way
18:32
I grew up
18:33
and I
18:33
didn't
18:33
grow up
18:34
in a
18:34
Christian
18:35
home.
18:37
Where I
18:37
grew up,
18:37
a lie
18:38
was a
18:38
lie
18:38
was a
18:39
lie.
18:42
This
18:42
issue
18:43
of
18:43
ethnicity
18:44
is
18:45
really,
18:46
really
18:46
diverse.
18:49
And
18:50
any
18:50
trained
18:51
missionary
18:52
knows
18:52
that
18:53
when they
18:53
go to
18:54
a new
18:55
place,
18:55
you can't
18:56
automatically
18:57
assume
18:58
that
18:58
everybody
18:58
there
18:59
is like
19:00
you
19:00
are
19:01
or
19:02
thinks
19:03
like
19:03
you
19:03
do.
19:04
So
19:05
the
19:05
old
19:05
missionary
19:05
thing
19:06
was
19:06
you
19:06
go to
19:07
India
19:08
or you
19:08
go to
19:09
some
19:09
jungle
19:09
place
19:10
and
19:10
people
19:11
are
19:11
running
19:11
around
19:11
in
19:12
loin
19:12
claws
19:13
that
19:13
really
19:14
say
19:14
they'll
19:14
wear
19:14
pants.
19:19
And
19:19
we took
19:20
superficial
19:20
things
19:21
from
19:23
our
19:23
culture
19:23
and
19:24
imposed
19:25
it
19:25
upon
19:26
the
19:27
Christianity
19:27
of
19:28
others.
19:29
Instead of
19:29
letting
19:29
the
19:29
Holy
19:30
Spirit
19:30
build
19:31
out
19:32
of
19:32
that
19:32
culture
19:33
we
19:34
imposed
19:35
on
19:36
that
19:36
culture
19:37
our
19:38
preconceived
19:39
notions
19:39
of what
19:40
Christianity
19:40
looks like
19:42
or doesn't
19:43
look like.
19:45
And so
19:46
we haven't
19:46
been highly
19:47
successful.
19:48
William
19:48
Carey
19:49
is the
19:49
father
19:50
of the
19:51
what's
19:52
called
19:53
the
19:53
modern
19:53
missionary
19:53
movement
19:54
and he
19:55
took
19:55
his
19:55
clues
19:56
from
19:57
the
19:58
Catholics
19:59
and when
20:00
he went
20:01
to what
20:01
is now
20:01
modern
20:02
Bangladesh
20:02
then it
20:03
was
20:03
India
20:04
and he
20:05
started
20:05
a work
20:06
the first
20:07
thing he
20:07
did is
20:07
he built
20:08
what in
20:09
the west
20:09
we would
20:10
have called
20:10
a fort.
20:13
And
20:14
then you
20:16
set up a
20:16
medical
20:17
clinic or
20:17
school
20:18
and everybody
20:20
comes to
20:21
you.
20:22
Imagine
20:23
how they
20:23
looked at
20:24
Hudson
20:24
Taylor
20:24
when he
20:26
went to
20:26
China
20:27
and he
20:28
said
20:29
this is
20:30
dumb
20:30
this is
20:31
wrong
20:31
the gospel
20:32
is supposed
20:33
to go
20:33
to the
20:34
people
20:34
not go
20:35
and build
20:35
a fort
20:36
and say
20:36
y'all
20:36
come
20:37
and hear
20:38
the gospel
20:39
and yet
20:39
we do
20:39
it over
20:40
and over
20:40
and over
20:40
again
20:41
with
20:41
buildings
20:42
and property
20:43
and
20:44
look at
20:46
and want
20:47
to be a
20:47
lighthouse
20:48
y'all
20:48
come
20:49
it's
20:50
safe
20:51
here
20:51
Hudson
20:56
Taylor
20:56
said
20:56
not
20:57
we
20:58
got to
20:58
become
20:59
a part
20:59
of the
21:00
people
21:00
that we
21:01
want
21:01
to reach
21:02
he
21:03
began to
21:03
dress
21:04
like the
21:04
Chinese
21:04
did
21:05
he
21:05
grew
21:06
his
21:06
hair
21:06
like
21:07
the
21:07
Chinese
21:07
men
21:08
would
21:08
grow
21:08
his
21:08
hair
21:09
when he
21:09
would go
21:10
back to
21:10
England
21:10
to
21:11
speak
21:12
on his
21:12
work
21:13
a lot
21:14
of people
21:14
quit
21:14
sending
21:15
money
21:16
to him
21:16
about
21:16
the only
21:17
guy
21:17
that really
21:18
supported
21:18
him
21:18
big
21:18
time
21:19
was
21:19
George
21:19
Mueller
21:20
looked
21:23
past
21:24
the
21:25
surface
21:25
stuff
21:26
to the
21:27
stuff
21:27
that
21:28
God
21:28
was
21:28
looking
21:28
at
21:29
number
21:33
three
21:33
God
21:35
created
21:35
ethnos
21:36
ethnos
21:37
number
21:40
four
21:40
it ought
21:41
to be
21:41
obvious
21:42
to us
21:42
but it
21:42
isn't
21:43
obvious
21:43
to
21:43
every
21:44
believer
21:45
today
21:45
that
21:46
God
21:46
is still
21:47
at work
21:47
he
21:48
really
21:49
is
21:49
for
21:50
many
21:50
believers
21:51
in the
21:51
missionary
21:52
parts
21:54
of
21:54
the
21:55
work
21:55
of
21:55
God
21:55
they
21:57
see
21:58
Jesus
21:58
standing
21:59
on the
21:59
mountain
21:59
and there's
22:00
a whole
22:00
bunch
22:01
of folks
22:01
around him
22:02
some say
22:02
you know
22:03
twelve
22:04
some say
22:04
a hundred
22:04
and twenty
22:05
but there
22:05
was more
22:06
than twelve
22:07
I believe
22:07
and there
22:08
was a whole
22:08
bunch
22:09
of them
22:09
and Jesus
22:09
is there
22:10
and he's
22:10
about to
22:10
ascend
22:11
and Jesus
22:14
says
22:15
all y'all
22:15
some
22:25
believe
22:25
he said
22:26
and commanded
22:27
go
22:27
I don't
22:30
believe that's
22:30
what the
22:31
bible says
22:31
I believe
22:32
that when you
22:33
dig into the
22:33
original language
22:34
what he
22:35
did is he
22:36
assumed
22:37
we were all
22:38
going to go
22:38
somewhere
22:39
how many of you
22:41
have been to
22:41
walmart
22:42
!
22:42
in the last
22:43
month
22:43
come on
22:44
raise your
22:44
hand
22:45
come on
22:45
this is
22:45
a participatory
22:46
you're going
22:47
to go
22:47
somewhere
22:48
aren't you
22:49
tomorrow
22:50
tomorrow
22:51
afternoon
22:51
I'm going
22:52
to go
22:52
drive a
22:53
school bus
22:53
take kids
22:54
to me
22:55
we're all
22:56
as we're
22:57
going
22:58
then he
22:59
commands
23:00
disciples
23:02
teach them
23:04
all that
23:06
I've commanded
23:06
you
23:07
not just
23:07
some things
23:08
not the
23:08
convenient
23:09
thing
23:09
but everything
23:10
I've commanded
23:11
baptizing
23:15
them
23:15
oh I'm
23:18
with you
23:19
always
23:19
to the
23:21
end of
23:21
the age
23:22
God's
23:25
still at
23:25
work
23:25
some believe
23:26
he just
23:27
said
23:27
ok y'all
23:28
go
23:28
and
23:31
create
23:32
good
23:32
things
23:33
to bring
23:33
glory
23:33
to my
23:34
name
23:34
go out
23:36
there
23:36
and build
23:37
beautiful
23:37
crystal
23:38
cathedrals
23:39
and y'all
23:41
have heard
23:41
what happened
23:42
to the
23:42
crystal
23:42
cathedral
23:43
the man
23:47
that built
23:47
it died
23:48
and they
23:50
couldn't afford
23:51
to keep
23:52
the glass
23:53
clean
23:54
so they
23:56
had to sell
23:56
it to
23:56
another
23:57
church
23:57
this is
24:02
what God
24:02
would have
24:04
said go
24:05
to go
24:05
do
24:06
I don't
24:08
think so
24:08
so
24:12
I have
24:14
to believe
24:14
forcefully
24:16
more
24:17
fact is
24:18
that God
24:19
is still
24:20
at work
24:20
so the
24:23
issue is
24:23
not oh
24:23
God come
24:24
help me
24:25
the issue
24:27
is God
24:28
what will
24:28
you include
24:29
me in
24:29
in what
24:30
you're doing
24:30
we don't
24:32
have to go
24:32
out and make
24:33
it up for
24:33
God
24:34
we don't
24:35
have to go
24:35
out and
24:35
bang on
24:36
doors
24:36
we don't
24:36
have to go
24:37
out and
24:37
raise the
24:39
roof or
24:40
bring it
24:40
low
24:41
I don't
24:41
have to
24:42
when set
24:42
free
24:43
sets out
24:44
we don't
24:45
go out
24:45
looking for
24:46
black folks
24:47
we don't
24:47
go out
24:48
looking for
24:48
white folks
24:49
we don't
24:49
go out
24:49
looking for
24:50
people of
24:52
color
24:53
Martin Luther
24:56
King
24:56
I think
24:57
said it
24:58
the best
24:58
in his
24:59
I've got
24:59
a dream
25:00
he said
25:00
he said
25:02
let's not
25:04
judge
25:04
he said
25:05
I dream
25:05
of a day
25:05
when we're
25:06
not judging
25:06
one another
25:07
by the
25:09
color of
25:09
our skin
25:09
our socioeconomic
25:11
status
25:12
or our
25:13
educational
25:14
levels
25:15
or any
25:15
of that
25:16
stuff
25:17
but by
25:18
the content
25:19
of our
25:21
care
25:22
my wife
25:25
keeps telling
25:25
me I
25:26
am
25:26
she says
25:27
you are
25:28
a character
25:28
that's not
25:30
what I'm
25:30
talking about
25:31
for when
25:33
the power
25:34
of God
25:35
comes within
25:36
us
25:36
from the
25:37
inside out
25:38
he is
25:39
generating
25:40
and creating
25:41
a character
25:43
quality
25:43
that is like
25:45
Christ
25:46
in us
25:47
through us
25:48
to us
25:49
by us
25:50
and for us
25:51
the great
25:53
truths of
25:54
the New
25:55
Testament
25:55
is not
25:56
what I
25:56
can do
25:56
for God
25:57
but what
25:58
God is
25:58
willing to
25:59
do
25:59
in me
26:00
through me
26:01
to me
26:01
by me
26:02
and for
26:03
me
26:03
see
26:06
it is not
26:07
my work
26:08
it's his
26:09
work that's
26:09
important
26:10
so the
26:14
process
26:14
how do you
26:16
tap into
26:17
that
26:17
and here
26:20
I am
26:20
63 years
26:21
old
26:21
finishing up
26:22
my 63rd
26:23
year on
26:24
the face
26:24
of the earth
26:24
I was
26:26
saved when
26:26
I was
26:27
25
26:28
out of a
26:29
bunch of
26:30
drunkenness
26:31
and partying
26:32
and all that
26:32
kind of stuff
26:33
in the
26:34
60s
26:35
God gloriously
26:39
saved me
26:40
out of all
26:40
this stuff
26:41
I'm going
26:43
to give you
26:44
the irreducible
26:45
minimum
26:45
of what
26:48
all that
26:48
has made
26:49
over this
26:50
40
26:50
year
26:51
I've been
26:54
involved in
26:55
church planting
26:55
I've somehow
26:56
or another
26:57
been involved
26:57
in probably
26:58
over 3,000
26:59
different churches
27:01
whether mentoring
27:02
or providing
27:02
resources
27:03
or some
27:04
way or
27:05
another
27:05
I've had
27:06
and have
27:06
tucked over
27:07
3,000 new
27:09
churches being
27:09
birthed here
27:11
in the United
27:11
States alone
27:12
and in other
27:13
parts of the
27:14
world
27:14
and I say
27:19
to you that
27:20
God's invitation
27:21
to you is
27:22
real
27:22
first to get
27:26
saved
27:27
it all
27:29
begins with
27:29
salvation
27:30
some point
27:32
you've got to
27:33
believe that
27:33
God
27:34
created
27:35
the heavens
27:36
and the
27:36
earth
27:37
and he
27:38
has a
27:38
purpose
27:39
for your
27:40
life
27:40
God is
27:45
one of the
27:48
great works
27:49
that he's
27:49
doing today
27:50
if you read
27:51
about it
27:51
it's the
27:52
works he's
27:52
doing with
27:53
Chinese people
27:54
underground
27:55
church
27:56
they're sending
27:57
out mission
27:58
they're sending
27:59
out mission
28:00
to Mongolia
28:01
and to India
28:02
they don't
28:03
have no
28:03
money
28:03
people that
28:06
are going
28:06
out are
28:07
walking
28:08
not jumping
28:10
on jet
28:10
planes and
28:11
being jetted
28:12
off and
28:12
and creating a
28:14
mission center
28:15
and establishing
28:16
if they're
28:16
sneaking off to
28:17
these lands
28:18
them
28:20
because in
28:21
some places
28:22
like North
28:22
Korea
28:23
they'd be
28:25
killed
28:25
I have an
28:26
acquaintance of
28:27
mine who
28:28
got in
28:29
spent time
28:30
in North
28:31
Korea
28:31
was helping
28:33
feed people
28:34
in North
28:34
Korea
28:35
and got
28:36
out just
28:36
in time
28:37
the
28:38
the
28:39
Mexico
28:40
the
28:41
policia
28:41
were chasing
28:43
him
28:44
he didn't
28:44
really know
28:45
it but they
28:46
were following
28:46
him and
28:48
got across
28:48
into China
28:49
before they
28:51
caught up
28:51
to him
28:52
God
28:55
didn't want
28:55
to include
28:56
you in
28:57
what he
28:57
did
28:57
he really
28:59
does
28:59
that isn't
29:01
for a select
29:02
few that's
29:02
for all
29:03
of us
29:03
but isn't
29:05
that where
29:05
we get
29:05
fearful
29:06
oh no
29:08
oh no
29:10
I can't
29:11
see myself
29:12
in
29:13
in
29:14
Africa
29:16
now
29:20
if you
29:20
send me
29:21
to
29:21
Ireland
29:21
maybe
29:22
on a
29:32
beautiful
29:32
island
29:33
somewhere
29:34
beautiful
29:36
beach
29:36
process
29:45
how do
29:47
you
29:47
engage
29:48
with
29:49
God
29:50
so that
29:53
he
29:53
can
29:54
invite
29:55
you
29:56
into the
29:56
things
29:57
that he
29:57
is doing
29:58
and
29:59
include
29:59
you
30:00
not
30:00
because
30:01
he
30:01
has
30:01
to
30:02
because
30:03
he
30:03
wants
30:03
to
30:04
include
30:06
you
30:06
in
30:06
the
30:07
things
30:07
he
30:07
does
30:08
so I'm
30:09
saying to
30:10
you
30:10
our
30:10
challenge
30:11
is not
30:11
to go
30:12
out
30:12
and
30:12
reach
30:13
all the
30:13
ethnics
30:14
in
30:14
North
30:14
Georgia
30:14
some have
30:17
said
30:17
you know
30:18
because of
30:18
our
30:18
unwillingness
30:19
to go
30:20
to other
30:20
lands
30:21
to help
30:22
the gospel
30:22
get to
30:23
those other
30:23
lands
30:24
God's
30:24
bringing
30:24
them
30:24
here
30:25
I
30:26
believe
30:26
that
30:26
sometimes
30:27
I
30:28
stood
30:28
on a
30:29
corner
30:29
in
30:29
in
30:31
Flushing
30:31
New
30:32
York
30:33
usually
30:34
when
30:34
the
30:35
new
30:35
waves
30:36
of
30:36
immigrants
30:37
come
30:37
to
30:38
the
30:38
New
30:38
York
30:38
City
30:39
area
30:39
they
30:39
start
30:40
in
30:40
Flushing
30:40
where
30:41
they
30:41
settle
30:42
down
30:42
to
30:42
you
30:42
can
30:43
tell
30:43
what
30:43
last
30:44
ethnic
30:44
group
30:45
lived
30:45
in
30:45
Flushing
30:45
by
30:46
the
30:46
funeral
30:47
homes
30:47
you
30:48
can
30:48
tell
30:48
who
30:49
the
30:49
new
30:49
ethnic
30:50
group
30:50
is
30:50
by
30:50
the
30:50
grocery
30:51
stores
30:51
and
30:52
I
30:52
stood
30:52
on
30:53
a
30:53
corner
30:53
in
30:54
Flushing
30:55
and
30:55
there
30:55
were
30:55
four
30:55
Hispanic
30:56
grocery
30:57
stores
30:57
on
30:57
this
30:58
one
30:58
corner
30:58
why
31:01
my
31:03
Hispanic
31:04
friend
31:04
that was
31:04
with me
31:04
said
31:05
well
31:05
he said
31:05
that
31:05
one's
31:06
from
31:06
Spanish
31:09
speaking
31:09
but
31:09
they're
31:09
from
31:10
the
31:10
Dominican
31:10
Republic
31:11
and
31:12
that
31:12
one
31:12
over
31:12
there
31:13
it's
31:13
from
31:13
Venezuela
31:15
and
31:15
this
31:15
one
31:15
over
31:15
here
31:16
represents
31:17
Mexico
31:18
and
31:18
this
31:18
one
31:18
over
31:18
here
31:19
yo
31:23
I gotta
31:24
know
31:25
all that
31:25
stuff
31:26
I'm
31:27
just
31:28
telling
31:28
you
31:28
you
31:28
don't
31:28
have
31:28
to
31:28
know
31:29
anything
31:29
I'm
31:31
telling
31:32
you
31:32
God
31:32
already
31:32
knows
31:33
that
31:33
stuff
31:33
and
31:36
what
31:36
we
31:36
need
31:36
to
31:36
engage
31:37
in
31:37
as
31:37
a
31:37
church
31:38
and
31:38
you
31:39
as
31:39
individuals
31:39
is
31:40
only
31:40
what
31:40
God
31:41
invites
31:41
you
31:41
into
31:42
he's
31:42
doing
31:43
a
31:43
whole
31:43
lot
31:43
more
31:44
than
31:44
this
31:44
church
31:44
could
31:44
ever
31:45
get
31:45
involved
31:45
in
31:45
he's
31:46
doing
31:47
a
31:47
whole
31:47
lot
31:47
more
31:48
than
31:48
any
31:48
of
31:48
you
31:48
as
31:48
individuals
31:49
could
31:49
ever
31:50
say
31:50
yes
31:51
to
31:51
how
31:52
do
31:53
you
31:53
decide
31:53
how
31:55
do
31:56
you
31:56
know
31:56
the
31:56
will
31:57
of
31:57
God
31:57
at
32:00
the
32:00
point
32:01
of
32:01
engaging
32:01
with
32:02
God
32:02
in
32:03
his
32:04
work
32:04
the
32:06
cost
32:06
of
32:06
discipleship
32:07
Matthew
32:07
how'd
32:10
you like
32:10
that
32:10
for an
32:11
introduction
32:11
Matthew
32:19
16
32:22
24
32:23
you all
32:25
know
32:25
these verses
32:26
I'm sure
32:26
my Bible
32:31
here has
32:31
a little
32:32
heading
32:33
for this
32:33
section
32:34
calling it
32:35
the
32:35
discipleship
32:36
is
32:37
costly
32:37
Matthew
32:41
16
32:41
24
32:42
then
32:42
Jesus
32:43
said
32:43
to
32:43
his
32:43
disciples
32:44
if
32:45
anyone
32:46
wishes
32:46
to
32:47
come
32:47
after
32:47
me
32:48
let
32:49
him
32:49
deny
32:50
himself
32:51
take
32:52
up
32:52
his
32:52
cross
32:53
and
32:55
follow
32:55
me
32:56
earlier
32:59
in
32:59
Matthew
32:59
he said
33:00
those
33:00
that
33:01
will
33:01
not
33:01
take
33:01
up
33:01
their
33:02
cross
33:03
and
33:03
follow
33:04
me
33:04
are
33:04
not
33:04
worthy
33:05
of
33:05
me
33:05
sound
33:09
like
33:09
that's
33:09
an
33:09
option
33:10
for
33:10
us
33:11
does
33:12
it
33:12
sound
33:12
like
33:13
if
33:13
you
33:13
say
33:13
I
33:14
believe
33:14
in
33:14
Jesus
33:15
I
33:15
believe
33:16
God
33:16
created
33:17
I
33:18
believe
33:19
the
33:19
Holy
33:19
Spirit
33:19
lives
33:19
within
33:20
me
33:20
that
33:21
it's
33:21
an
33:22
option
33:22
for
33:23
your
33:23
life
33:23
no
33:25
way
33:26
Jose
33:27
not
33:30
an
33:31
option
33:31
it
33:33
does
33:33
cost
33:33
something
33:34
it
33:37
always
33:37
starts
33:38
with
33:38
death
33:38
Jesus
33:41
says
33:41
in
33:41
the
33:42
gospel
33:43
of
33:43
John
33:43
several
33:44
times
33:44
about
33:45
six
33:45
times
33:46
I
33:46
take
33:47
no
33:47
initiative
33:47
of
33:48
my
33:48
own
33:48
I
33:48
take
33:51
no
33:52
initiative
33:52
of
33:52
my
33:53
own
33:53
I
33:54
only
33:54
say
33:54
what
33:55
I
33:55
hear
33:55
the
33:55
father
33:55
say
33:56
I
33:57
only
33:57
go
33:57
where
33:58
the
33:58
father
33:58
sends
33:59
me
33:59
I
34:00
didn't
34:00
even
34:01
come
34:01
on
34:01
my
34:01
own
34:01
initiative
34:02
he
34:02
sent
34:03
me
34:03
but
34:04
then
34:05
in
34:05
one
34:05
spot
34:06
he
34:06
says
34:06
but
34:07
this
34:07
one
34:07
initiative
34:08
I
34:08
can
34:08
take
34:09
because
34:10
the
34:10
father
34:10
already
34:11
told
34:12
me
34:12
prior
34:13
that
34:14
I
34:14
could
34:14
take
34:15
this
34:15
one
34:15
initiative
34:16
he
34:17
said
34:17
I
34:17
can
34:18
die
34:18
that's
34:21
where
34:22
we
34:22
all
34:22
start
34:22
the
34:24
fear
34:24
starts
34:24
welling
34:25
up
34:25
within
34:25
us
34:26
because
34:26
Jesus
34:27
says
34:27
as
34:27
the
34:27
father
34:28
sent
34:28
me
34:28
so
34:29
so
34:30
send
34:31
I
34:32
you
34:32
oh
34:34
we
34:37
know
34:37
what
34:37
happened
34:37
to
34:38
Jesus
34:38
at
34:39
the
34:39
end
34:40
of
34:40
his
34:40
run
34:40
right
34:41
could
34:42
that
34:43
happen
34:43
to
34:43
you
34:43
and
34:47
the
34:47
process
34:48
you know
34:48
I've
34:48
discovered
34:49
one
34:49
thing
34:50
through
34:50
the
34:50
word
34:51
God
34:52
makes
34:53
no
34:53
hesitation
34:54
to
34:54
take
34:55
that
34:55
which
34:56
belongs
34:56
to
34:57
him
34:57
and
34:58
use
34:59
it
34:59
for
34:59
his
35:00
own
35:00
purposes
35:00
first
35:03
missionary
35:04
story
35:04
I ever
35:05
read
35:06
was about
35:06
the
35:07
missionary
35:07
going
35:08
to
35:08
the
35:08
Aka
35:09
Indians
35:09
cannibals
35:11
headhunters
35:12
in
35:12
South
35:13
America
35:13
and how
35:15
they died
35:16
landing on
35:18
a beach
35:18
with a
35:19
piper
35:19
cub
35:20
after having
35:22
made
35:22
attempts
35:23
by air
35:23
to
35:24
touch
35:25
the
35:25
Aka
35:25
people
35:25
and
35:26
the
35:26
Aka
35:26
men
35:27
came
35:27
and
35:27
killed
35:28
the
35:28
pilot
35:29
and
35:29
this
35:30
missionary
35:30
and
35:34
thought
35:34
no
35:36
way
35:36
Jose
35:36
I
35:36
ain't
35:37
going
35:37
back
35:37
there
35:37
some
35:40
months
35:40
later
35:40
here
35:40
comes
35:41
a
35:43
woman
35:43
out
35:43
of
35:43
the
35:43
jungle
35:44
from
35:44
Aka
35:45
India
35:45
have
35:48
you
35:48
read
35:48
that
35:48
the
35:49
gates
35:49
of
35:49
splendor
35:50
God
35:56
says
35:56
you
35:57
know
35:57
when
35:57
God
35:57
invites
35:58
you
35:58
and
35:58
what
35:58
he
35:58
doing
35:58
it
35:59
is
35:59
always
35:59
as
35:59
big
35:59
as
35:59
he
36:00
is
36:00
as
36:00
small
36:01
as
36:01
he
36:01
is
36:01
or
36:01
it
36:04
could
36:04
be
36:05
old
36:05
me
36:05
because
36:07
that
36:09
requires
36:10
on my
36:10
part
36:11
some
36:11
kind
36:11
of
36:11
faith
36:12
because
36:14
if
36:14
it's
36:15
as
36:15
big
36:15
as
36:15
he
36:15
is
36:16
not
36:16
as
36:16
small
36:16
as
36:16
I
36:16
am
36:17
there's
36:17
a
36:17
good
36:17
chance
36:18
I'm
36:18
going
36:18
to
36:18
be
36:18
uncomfortable
36:19
with
36:19
what
36:20
he's
36:21
calling
36:21
me
36:21
to be
36:22
it's
36:23
going
36:23
to
36:23
challenge
36:24
me
36:24
down
36:26
to
36:26
the
36:26
!
36:28
Are you
36:30
ready to
36:30
be
36:30
challenged?
36:33
Do you
36:34
know
36:34
yourself?
36:38
Then you
36:40
must take
36:41
up your
36:41
cross
36:41
scripture
36:43
says
36:43
daily
36:44
you
36:45
got to
36:45
redo
36:45
that
36:46
every
36:46
day
36:46
you
36:48
got to
36:48
say
36:48
with
36:49
Isaiah
36:49
here
36:49
I
36:50
am
36:50
you
36:52
got to
36:52
say
36:53
with
36:53
Jesus
36:53
at
36:54
Gethsemane
36:55
not
36:55
my
36:55
will
36:56
but
36:56
thine
36:56
a
36:58
friend
37:01
a
37:01
friend
37:01
of mine
37:01
says
37:01
that
37:02
taking
37:02
up
37:02
your
37:02
cross
37:03
daily
37:03
that
37:03
the
37:03
cross
37:04
is
37:04
the
37:05
instrument
37:05
of
37:06
discipline
37:08
spiritual
37:09
discipline
37:10
in your
37:11
life
37:12
to
37:13
engage
37:14
freshly
37:15
in a
37:16
fresh
37:17
experience
37:18
with the
37:18
Lord
37:18
Jesus
37:19
Christ
37:19
that's
37:21
why
37:21
you
37:21
don't
37:21
wait
37:21
until
37:21
the
37:22
evening
37:22
to do
37:23
that
37:23
you
37:23
do
37:23
that
37:23
first
37:24
thing
37:24
you
37:25
engage
37:26
with
37:26
him
37:26
here
37:27
I
37:27
am
37:28
and
37:32
then
37:32
it's
37:32
that
37:32
discipline
37:33
taking
37:34
up
37:34
your
37:34
cross
37:34
is
37:35
that
37:35
discipline
37:35
of
37:36
life
37:37
while
37:37
you're
37:38
working
37:38
through
37:38
your
37:39
day
37:39
as
37:39
you
37:39
are
37:40
going
37:40
wherever
37:41
it is
37:42
Walmart
37:42
school
37:43
you're
37:46
always
37:47
your
37:47
eyes
37:48
are
37:48
open
37:48
sharp
37:50
ready
37:51
to
37:51
see
37:52
and
37:53
join
37:53
the
37:54
father
37:54
at
37:55
his
37:55
invitation
37:56
into
37:57
what
37:57
we
37:57
do
37:58
that's
38:04
where
38:04
I'm
38:04
going
38:04
that's
38:05
where
38:05
I'm
38:05
going
38:06
we
38:08
all
38:08
want
38:08
to
38:08
sit
38:08
here
38:09
in
38:09
church
38:09
and
38:09
say
38:09
here
38:11
I
38:12
am
38:12
Lord
38:12
y'all
38:12
come
38:13
come
38:14
on
38:14
in
38:14
but
38:17
I
38:17
don't
38:17
know
38:17
about
38:17
you
38:17
but
38:18
my
38:18
Jesus
38:18
you
38:19
know
38:19
the
38:21
only
38:21
time
38:21
he
38:21
did
38:21
a
38:21
miracle
38:22
that
38:22
had
38:22
roof
38:23
over
38:23
it
38:23
they
38:23
cut
38:23
a
38:24
hole
38:24
in
38:24
the
38:24
ceiling
38:24
he
38:26
was
38:27
moving
38:27
around
38:28
some
38:28
people
38:28
say
38:28
well
38:29
if you
38:29
just
38:29
sit
38:29
around
38:30
waiting
38:30
for
38:30
God
38:30
to
38:31
lead
38:31
you
38:32
you
38:34
ain't
38:34
going
38:34
to
38:34
be
38:35
doing
38:35
anything
38:35
I'm
38:37
busier
38:37
than I am
38:38
once
38:38
for when
38:40
you're
38:41
open
38:41
and
38:42
giving
38:43
it
38:44
to
38:44
him
38:45
for
38:45
his
38:45
leadership
38:46
God
38:48
will
38:48
invite
38:48
you
38:49
into
38:49
more
38:49
stuff
38:50
than
38:50
you
38:51
can
38:51
even
38:52
imagine
38:53
you
38:54
the
38:56
trouble
38:56
with us
38:56
men
38:57
is
38:57
we're
38:57
always
38:57
wanting
38:58
it
38:58
to be
38:58
something
38:58
big
38:58
for
38:59
me
38:59
or
39:03
I
39:03
can
39:03
receive
39:05
a badge
39:06
!
39:23
God
39:24
said
39:25
probably
39:26
the last
39:26
thing
39:26
we're
39:27
ever
39:27
going to
39:27
do
39:27
is
39:27
give
39:27
you
39:28
a
39:28
badge
39:28
!
39:28
Men
39:31
are
39:31
always
39:31
wanting
39:32
to
39:33
carry
39:34
their
39:34
authority
39:34
around
39:35
with
39:35
them
39:36
God
39:38
said
39:38
I
39:38
am
39:39
here
39:39
for
39:39
them
39:39
!
39:40
God
39:40
may
39:41
just
39:43
come
39:44
follow
39:45
me
39:45
I'm
39:47
moving
39:47
constantly
39:48
I'm
39:50
moving
39:50
in
39:50
people's
39:51
lives
39:51
I'm
39:52
dealing
39:52
with
39:53
people
39:53
all over
39:54
the place
39:55
maybe
39:55
the
39:55
cashier
39:56
at Walmart
39:56
maybe
39:58
somebody
39:59
at
40:00
one of
40:01
the
40:01
restaurants
40:02
you all
40:02
meet
40:02
and
40:06
God
40:06
may
40:07
just
40:07
keep
40:07
you
40:08
say it
40:09
another
40:09
way
40:10
there
40:11
is
40:11
somebody
40:12
in
40:12
this
40:13
world
40:13
that
40:14
the
40:14
only
40:14
Jesus
40:15
they'll
40:15
ever
40:16
believe
40:16
in
40:17
is
40:17
the
40:17
Jesus
40:18
they
40:18
see
40:19
in
40:19
you
40:19
for
40:22
every
40:22
one
40:22
of us
40:23
there's
40:23
only
40:23
there's
40:25
somebody
40:25
or
40:26
some
40:26
people
40:27
or
40:28
some
40:28
people
40:29
it
40:29
may
40:29
be
40:29
a
40:29
whole
40:30
culture
40:30
of
40:31
people
40:31
but
40:33
there's
40:34
somebody
40:34
somewhere
40:35
that
40:36
the
40:36
only
40:36
Jesus
40:37
they'll
40:38
ever
40:38
believe
40:38
is
40:40
the
40:40
one
40:40
that
40:41
they
40:41
see
40:41
it
40:42
up
40:44
with
40:44
them
40:44
you