1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,240 Oh, crossing family. It is good to be with you. 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:13,800 In 173 days, around 160 million Americans will vote in the 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:19,240 upcoming presidential election. Over $5 billion is going to be 4 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,960 spent trying to get your attention and influence your 5 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:26,480 vote. Your social media feeds are 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,000 going to be littered with political ads and hot takes from 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,480 friends and family members. Your TV advertisements are going 8 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:39,320 to have lots of black and white commercials with doom and gloom 9 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:42,800 messages. News programs are going to cash 10 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,040 in on the coverage with non-stop news alerts and campaign 11 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,320 updates. Which is why I would like today 12 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,320 to announce to you, no, I'm joking, I'm not. 13 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:55,800 That was a good presidential voice. 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,200 Sadly, over the next six months, people are going to lose 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:00,560 friendships. They're going to lose their 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,680 reputation, they're going to lose their influence. 17 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,760 They're going to lose their peace, and they're going to lose 18 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,120 their minds. That's why today we are starting 19 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,040 a new series called Don't Take the Bait. 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,520 I want to welcome those of you joining from our different 21 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,240 locations to those of you who are in here at 48th St. to those 22 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,840 of you in Macomb, Kirksville, 929 Pike County, Hannibal, Lima, 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,240 Mount Sterling, Keokuk, Monmouth, Jacksonville, as well 24 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,360 as those of you who are part of our online and inside family. 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,600 What if this political season, we could gain friendships, 26 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,040 strengthen our reputation, increase our influence, maintain 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:46,320 our peace, and keep our sanity? This series is going to last for 28 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:50,120 four weeks, and there are some of you who are already upset, 29 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,800 and I haven't said anything yet. You're trying to figure out like 30 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,960 there's a lot of red, there's a lot of blue, like the donkey's, 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,520 the one with the fishing poles. So obviously Clayton's a 32 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,000 Republican. I get it. 33 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,080 Take a deep breath. You might need this series the 34 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,600 most. There are some of you who are 35 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,360 already wanting to check out because you could care less what 36 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,360 happens. I would caution you not to 37 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,400 neglect the privilege that we have as Americans and to be a 38 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,480 good steward of your vote, your influence, and your reputation. 39 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,800 And there are some of you, most likely most of you, who just 40 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,920 want to honor God with your life and your vote. 41 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:35,160 You're looking for some wisdom in trying times, and I want you 42 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,280 to know that I see you. I want you to know that in large 43 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,480 part, this sermon series is dedicated to you. 44 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,160 I don't want you to take the bait. 45 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:50,800 I don't want you to get hooked, dragged out of your mind, out of 46 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,240 your calling, and out of your faith. 47 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:57,880 So anytime I do a sermon series like this, we establish some 48 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,840 ground rules. Ground rule #1. 49 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,720 No emails until after the series. 50 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,560 There is plenty that could be said. 51 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,800 I could go for 16 weeks on this topic, but I don't think you 52 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,880 want a 16 week sermon series on politics. 53 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,240 OK, if you can wait until the end of the series after you've 54 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:20,840 heard everything that we're going to say. 55 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,480 If you have questions that still need answered, we would love to 56 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:29,880 have a conversation with you. Ground Rule #2 emails asking 57 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,680 questions about the series or what was said in this series and 58 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,480 emails providing criticism will be met with this response. 59 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:41,000 Thanks for sharing. When can we meet in person to 60 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,480 talk? We are not going to be a church 61 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,080 that is ruled by keyboard warriors, OK? 62 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,080 There are campus pastors and staff at each of our locations 63 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,280 and we would love a chance to meet with you face to face to 64 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:57,560 discuss these important issues. It is impossible to assume the 65 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,320 right tone over e-mail and text message. 66 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:06,120 Civilized people engage in civilized conversations face to 67 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,960 face, and I am on a mission to civilize America. 68 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,080 OK, we will. There we go. 69 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,279 And now you know my party Platform ground Rule #3. 70 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,040 I want you to take time to process the information before 71 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:25,160 you respond to the information. I'm going to do my very best 72 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,080 every week to do what I do almost every week to the best of 73 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:33,560 my ability, and that is expose ourselves, our hearts, our 74 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,320 souls, to the word of God. Before you come to the 75 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,200 conclusion that I said something you don't like, I want you to 76 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,760 ask yourself, did God reveal something to you that you just 77 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:51,000 simply didn't want to hear? Any time I do a sermon series 78 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,520 like this, I have all of my notes. 79 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,200 I've written 98% of what I'm going to say. 80 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,800 There'll be a 2% slip and you'll just have to live with it like 81 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,920 you've lived with it before. I also have all of the words I'm 82 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:05,600 supposed to say on the back wall. 83 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,920 I'm going to be reading this message that was written in love 84 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,520 to you. The Bible describes itself in 85 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,840 many, many ways and it uses imagery to help us understand 86 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:20,960 the beauty of God's word to those who are young on their 87 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,800 spiritual journey. Hebrews calls it milk. 88 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,000 In that same chunk of Scripture, it says to those who are mature 89 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,320 in their faith, it is solid food which requires more work and 90 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,840 more time to chew or to chew and digest. 91 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,680 Time is part of the process. The Bible also describes itself 92 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,760 as a light and a lamp to illuminate the way in which we 93 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,720 should walk. So if we are walking in a way 94 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,720 that is not in the Bible, that means that we are walking in the 95 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,320 wrong direction and we are walking in darkness. 96 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,640 The Bible also describes the Word of God as precious as gold, 97 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,840 as sweet as honey. That means that the Word of God 98 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:08,320 is something that Christians should value, and it is 99 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:13,080 delicious for our consumption. Jeremiah the prophet, records 100 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:18,200 God saying that his word is like a fire and a hammer, a fire that 101 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,280 is hot and it purifies, it burns away the things that should not 102 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:25,880 be there, and it refines the things that should stay and that 103 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,400 it's a hammer. And it breaks things to pieces, 104 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,440 which means sometimes when you encounter the word of God, 105 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,280 you'll feel it burning away things in you that don't belong. 106 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,320 Other times you'll feel the word of God breaking down walls and 107 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:44,560 idols and beliefs that should have never been built in the 1st 108 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,240 place. The Bible also describes itself 109 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,160 as a sword. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12. 110 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,520 For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double 111 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,760 edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing 112 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,640 soul and spirit, joints and marrow. 113 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,520 It judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart. 114 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:10,120 That means that the word of God is a scalpel that cuts away 115 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,160 things in us that are growing, that need to be removed. 116 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:20,360 It confronts us, convicts us, and should ultimately change us. 117 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,440 And while the cutting and the piercing are painful, they are. 118 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,360 There is purpose in that pain. It is for our good. 119 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:34,160 Here's what this means. There will be times at church 120 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:40,400 when you will leave feeling encouraged, empowered, seen, 121 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,480 heard. There will be times when you 122 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,880 show up for church and it will feel like cold milk on a hot 123 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,480 day. There'll be times when you're 124 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,440 listening to the sermon and it will feel like a light and a 125 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,640 dark hour. There will be times when you are 126 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,920 engaging in the word of God and it will feel like honey and a 127 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,160 bitter season. But there will also be times 128 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,480 when you and when those happen. What? 129 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,760 This is what people say. I feel like you were talking 130 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,920 just to me, But how come is it when the word of God is just 131 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,160 saying something good about you? You're like, oh, that's exactly 132 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,440 what I needed to hear. God was speaking to me. 133 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:21,000 But when it says something that you didn't want to hear, what 134 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,360 happens when you feel like you've been burned, hammered, 135 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,720 pierced? There are two dangerous 136 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,040 responses. The first one is that that 137 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,240 sermon was good for somebody else. 138 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,159 There's a difference between I wish somebody could hear this 139 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:45,920 and I wish somebody else could hear this as well, that I need 140 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,920 to go on this journey, and I wish some other people that I 141 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,360 care about could go on this journey as well. 142 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,520 It's not just good. It's not just good for somebody 143 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:59,040 else, it's good for me. Response #2 is to reject the 144 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:01,920 message altogether. The Bible is clear that all of 145 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,640 us are sinners and the role of the Word of God and the Spirit 146 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,680 of God who lives inside of you when you come into a right 147 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:12,280 relationship with Jesus is to transform us into the likeness 148 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,400 of Christ. And since we are sinners and 149 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:19,280 Christ is perfect, there is a lot of transforming that needs 150 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,680 to take place. What that also means is that 151 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:26,520 when we reject the very message that's designed to transform us, 152 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,720 it is not only to our detriment, It is to the detriment of the 153 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:38,280 people we love because we rob them of us, becoming the person 154 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,240 that God commanded us to become. That Christ died and sacrificed 155 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,080 and bled for us to become, and the Holy Spirit has empowered us 156 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,520 to become. The author of Hebrews recalls 157 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:52,400 the words of the Old Testament where he says where the people 158 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,320 are commanded. Do not harden your hearts. 159 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:03,200 And there may not be a more hardened soil in the hearts of 160 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,920 Americans than our political beliefs. 161 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,000 So I'm elevating the word of God to you for a second. 162 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,160 But you might be going. But Clayton, what if you're 163 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,080 wrong? That's been known to happen. 164 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:16,720 I've been married. I didn't know I was wrong. 165 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:18,520 Got married. Realized I'm an idiot. 166 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,000 OK, and let me show you if you're going. 167 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,080 Hey, I hear some. I don't necessarily know how I 168 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,960 feel about it. Acts chapter 17 gives us a 169 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,040 blueprint. Paul commends the people of 170 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,400 Berea for their behavior. Let me show you what their 171 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,520 behavior was. Acts Chapter 17. 172 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:38,840 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in 173 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,200 Thessalonica. Here's what happens they Paul 174 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,440 shows up, preaches the gospel in Thessalonica, the people there 175 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,160 get mad. They riot, They kick him out of 176 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:47,520 town. In fact, the people of 177 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,240 Thessalonica are so upset that when Paul ran to Berea, the 178 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,880 people of Thessalonica chased after him to make sure that they 179 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,840 punished him some more. And so Paul shows up in Berea. 180 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,920 And notice how the Bereans responded to Paul's preaching. 181 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,160 For they received the message with great eagerness and 182 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:12,920 examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was 183 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,840 true. And guess what? 184 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,200 The result of people listening to the word of God, going home, 185 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,080 and daily examining the word of God. 186 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,840 What do you think happened? I'll show you next verse. 187 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,720 As a result, many of them believed, and also a number of 188 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,920 prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 189 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,960 In other words, when people dedicate themselves to the Word 190 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,280 of God, expose themselves to the preaching of God's Word, what 191 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,160 happens is the people around them fall in love with Jesus, 192 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,080 Which if we could make more Republicans, more Democrats, or 193 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,240 more Jesus followers, which would you choose? 194 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,400 Now you have a blueprint, so when you hear something that 195 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:55,760 doesn't sit right, go home and study, process, pray before you 196 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,960 ever try to defend God. Just might be up to something 197 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,200 for your good. So what's the target on the wall 198 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,800 for this sermon series? Well, first, Peter chapter 2 199 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,800 says this. Live such good lives among the 200 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,520 pagans. This is anybody who is not in a 201 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:15,160 right relationship with Jesus Christ. 202 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:16,720 So that's what they're talking about. 203 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,240 There's Christians, people who have a right relationship with 204 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:21,960 Jesus, and there are people who don't have a right relationship 205 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,120 with Jesus. The Bible calls them Pagans live 206 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:25,760 such good lives among the pagans. 207 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,600 Christians live such good lives around people who don't have a 208 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,320 relationship with Jesus that though they, the pagans, accuse 209 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:37,400 you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God 210 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:41,280 on the day that he visits us. We are told in scripture to make 211 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,760 every effort to live at peace with all men and to be holy. 212 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,720 As it says in Hebrews, we are to be kind to one another. 213 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,200 That's what it says in Ephesians. 214 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:54,800 We are all to allow our gentleness to be evident to all. 215 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,000 That's what Paul writes to the church in Philippi. 216 00:12:57,560 --> 00:13:00,560 The prophet Malachi cries out, stating the obvious. 217 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,400 Don't we all come from one father? 218 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,560 Aren't we all created by the same God? 219 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:15,280 So why can't we get along? So how do you and I live such 220 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,240 good lives among the pagans? How do we strengthen our 221 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,200 reputation, increase our influence, maintain our peace, 222 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:31,480 and keep our sanity? Week 1 Remember, we are part of 223 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,760 a better Kingdom and have a better citizenship. 224 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:40,560 We are part of a better Kingdom and we have a better 225 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:42,680 citizenship. Now before I get too far into 226 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:44,920 this series, I at least need to give some disclaimers. 227 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,640 In high school, at the awards ceremony on graduate was we were 228 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:53,760 preparing for graduation. They invited me up to the 229 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:58,240 platform and they gave me this award most likely to become 230 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,840 president of the United States of America, and I'd be a good 231 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,520 candidate, folks. Then I went and I sat down and 232 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,160 then they had me come back up right after that, and they gave 233 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:15,640 me a second award most likely to be impeached by his own party. 234 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,160 And that's a true statement. Someone. 235 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,200 Well, I should also tell you this, when I was in high school, 236 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,520 I was arrested for political activism. 237 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:34,400 So when it comes to politics, you are talking to somebody who 238 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,920 has a proven track record of passion. 239 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:42,640 So if you get riled up during an election, I get it. 240 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,640 What I want us to do is I want us to figure out a way to 241 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:53,800 maintain our influence, maintain our peace, keep our sanity, and 242 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,680 still honor God. I was talking to one of our 243 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,640 campus pastors and I love how he said this. 244 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,920 He goes, Everybody likes to go to a church. 245 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,720 That hits hard up until the point that they get hit. 246 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,560 I would like you to keep that in mind because you very well might 247 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,600 be the party that would try to impeach me. 248 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,080 OK? Therefore, let me walk you 249 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,600 through some funny things that have happened over the history 250 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,640 of our beautiful America, which I love. 251 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,800 But for as awesome as America is, she gets it wrong sometimes. 252 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,120 And every four years we go through the privilege of 253 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,320 electing a president of the United States. 254 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,240 And since the beginning of our system, there have been 255 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,240 candidates who are flawed, who have stepped forward, and they 256 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,880 have pitched their ideals. We have bought into them, and we 257 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,200 have elected them. And our presidential candidates 258 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:50,440 are always pitching. Let's go back to 1848. 259 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,560 Zachary Taylor for president of the people. 260 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,080 There's presidents for the land owners. 261 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,160 There's presidents for those who have wealth and influence. 262 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,040 But I'm going to be a president for the people. 263 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:11,320 And the people said yes, and he became president. 1860 Abraham 264 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,840 Lincoln, vote yourself a farm and horses. 265 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,880 Catchy. How many of you would like some 266 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,840 farmland right now? Like, yeah, I'll take an acre. 267 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,280 OK. Yeah. 268 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,240 People were like, hey, I would like a farm and I'd like some 269 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,760 horses. That's my guy. 270 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,320 Then next one little bit different. 271 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,280 Union, Liberty. Peace. 272 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:38,640 You guys know what was happening? 273 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:47,720 1868, Ulysses S Grant. Let us have peace. 274 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:53,440 He has a spicier 1 the next time. 1868 vote as you shot 275 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,280 Spicy. This is one of my favorite 276 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,760 stories. 1884 Grover Cleveland was the first Democrat elected 277 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:10,960 after the Civil War. It went Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, 278 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:13,880 Garfield, Arthur. Depending on how you count. 279 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,359 Who was it? Johnson, who assumed the 280 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:19,480 presidency after the assassination of Lincoln, which 281 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,839 was a big event in our nation's history, and Grover Cleveland, 282 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:26,640 had rumored that he had an illegitimate child. 283 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:31,760 And so the naysayers led by James Blaine, who was running in 284 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,720 opposition to him, they used to chant at Grover's rallies. 285 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:41,040 Mama, where's my Pennsylvania? And after the election, where he 286 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,880 won, they said on his way to the White House. 287 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,320 Ha ha ha. I was like that. 288 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:52,680 Away Get them 8 or 1916 War in the East, Peace in the West. 289 00:17:52,840 --> 00:18:01,640 Thank God for Woodrow Wilson, 1920 America First, Warren G 290 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:07,680 Harding, 1932 Franklin D Roosevelt. 291 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:12,200 Happy days are here again. To those of you who know what 292 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:20,280 happened around there, don't think so. 1956 Eisenhower Peace 293 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:29,680 and Prosperity. 1968 Richard Nixon. 294 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:40,600 This time, vote like your whole world depended on it and people 295 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:52,000 did. 1880 Ronald Reagan, Let's Make America Great Again, George 296 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:58,880 HW Bush 1000 Points of Light. He also said, to those of you 297 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:08,040 who remember read my lips, No new taxes until the 298 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,800 Democratically controlled Congress and Senate in fact 299 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,440 raise taxes. He couldn't keep his promise and 300 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,560 it kept him from a second term. So who did we get? 301 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,080 A guy right After that? It's time to fix America, right? 302 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:36,760 Stick to the script. In 2004 something happened. 303 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:41,400 In 2001 and 2004 George W Bush ran on this platform. 304 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:48,680 A safer world and a more hopeful America. 2008 What was the 305 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:57,760 promise of Barack Obama? Hope 2016 Donald Trump, Make 306 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:04,800 America Great Again. 2020 Joe Biden Restore the Soul. 307 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,800 Of the nation. And if you go to Trump's 308 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:14,120 website, the banner reads. They're not after me, They're 309 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:18,280 after you. I'm just standing in the way. 310 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:25,960 Every president makes promises, promises that appeal to our core 311 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,400 fears and concerns. We want peace, not war. 312 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,000 We want freedom, not restriction. 313 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,160 We want hope, prosperity, money, happiness. 314 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,600 Yet no temporary government can give you eternal benefits. 315 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:45,560 And so America, as great as she is, she's flawed. 316 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,640 She gets it wrong. Sometimes. 317 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:53,880 She makes mistakes, which is why we have amendments to our 318 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,400 Constitution. Our Constitution came into 319 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:05,760 effect in 1789. The 14th Amendment 186879 years 320 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:10,960 later extended citizenship to all natural born and naturalized 321 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:15,760 Americans. Two years later, in 1870, the 322 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:19,200 15th Amendment prohibited the restriction of the right to vote 323 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:24,480 due to race. Then we introduced the 18th 324 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,600 Amendment, which introduced the prohibition of alcohol. 325 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,440 Then, 50 years after the 15th Amendment, in the 19th 326 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,440 Amendment, women were given the right to vote. 327 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:39,360 In other words, we said no to beer before we said yes to 328 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:41,840 women. Interesting. 329 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,720 Then a mere 4 elections later, men were like if women are going 330 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,840 to vote, we need to drink. So they passed the 21st 331 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:54,240 Amendment repealing Prohibition. OK, we're still here. 332 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:59,000 God bless you guys. As great as America is, she gets 333 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,400 it wrong sometimes. And as great as America is, she 334 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,480 is not worth comparing to the Bride of Christ. 335 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,400 Doctor Gina Zerlo, who is the Co director of the Center for the 336 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:16,720 Study of Global Christianity, gives us unique insight into the 337 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,200 Bride of Christ, the Kingdom of God. 338 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:28,040 She says there are presently 2.5 billion Christians globally. 339 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:30,440 I love sharing stats like that with you. 340 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,840 And here's why. I want you to know that you are 341 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,040 not alone, That there are more people than you can possibly 342 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,240 imagine who are calling Christ their Lord, who are believe that 343 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,520 the Bible is true and are living in submission to it. 344 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,200 And she says, if you were to take all 2.5 billion Christians 345 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:56,920 and you were to reduce them to the number 100, here is what 346 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:02,360 Christianity looks like globally, 26. 347 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:07,880 Live in Africa 24. Live in Latin America 23. 348 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:16,960 Live in Europe, 15. Live in Asia. 11 Live in North 349 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:21,120 America. We are not the most godly 350 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:24,160 nation. We are not the most godly 351 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,560 continent. One lives in Oceana. 352 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,200 That means that global Christianity is not white. 353 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:38,720 It's mostly brown and black. 65 live in urban communities and 35 354 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,600 live in rural communities. That means that the power of God 355 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,240 can make headway in both rural communities surrounded by 356 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:50,400 farmland, and expand an elitist, sophisticated cultural hubs. 16 357 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:54,800 speak Spanish, 10 speak English, 8 speak Portuguese, 5 speak 358 00:23:54,800 --> 00:24:03,400 Russian, Three speak Mandarin. Only 19 live in highly developed 359 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:10,040 countries, while 81 do not live in a life of luxury like you and 360 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:18,760 I do. Only 21 live in low corruption 361 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:25,840 countries. That means that 79% of global 362 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:30,000 Christians live with daily oppression from corrupt 363 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:37,040 governments. 18 live on less than $10 a day. 63 live on 364 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:41,800 between 10 and $100 a day. That means that 81% of our 365 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,600 Christian brothers and sisters live on less than $100 a day. 366 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,040 No doubt when they pray, Lord give us this day Our Daily 367 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,880 Bread, they mean something so much sweeter and rawer than when 368 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:58,160 we pray. She concluded her research with 369 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,360 this. A typical Christian today is a 370 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:08,560 non white woman living in the global S is non-english speaking 371 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:13,480 with a lower than average level of income, safety and 372 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,760 healthcare. That means that when you and I 373 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,760 get to heaven, we will be the minority group, and I can't wait 374 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,160 to be there. America, or any nation for that 375 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,880 matter, is simply limited by its borders. 376 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:34,160 It is a land of mass that has been defined on maps, codified 377 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,680 in legal documents, purchased with money, and defended in 378 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,280 blood. However, the Kingdom of God does 379 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:44,640 not elect a president, for we have a king. 380 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,880 Our documents need not be amended, for God himself is 381 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:51,840 their author. We need no military for the 382 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,600 Kingdom, for the King of Peace is the commander of Angel 383 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,600 armies. As Tyler McKenzie puts it, God's 384 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:03,200 borders are not geographical, they're individual. 385 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:08,640 His nation is not a mass of conquered land, it is a mass of 386 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:13,280 repentant people. Paul confirms this in Galatians. 387 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,000 So in Christ Jesus you all are children of God through faith, 388 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:24,880 for all of you were baptized into Christ, have clothed 389 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:29,960 yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor 390 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,840 Gentile, neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor 391 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:39,280 female, For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 392 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:45,160 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs 393 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,240 according to the promise. When you place your faith in 394 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,520 Jesus, you become part of the promise, part of the lineage, 395 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:57,080 part of the family, and part of his eternal Kingdom. 396 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,000 Paul goes on to say this in his letter to the Philippians. 397 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:06,440 But whatever were gains to me, I now consider loss for the sake 398 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,520 of Christ. What is more, I consider 399 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,600 everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing 400 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:19,880 Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. 401 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,080 I want to pause here for a second. 402 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,920 He's saying knowing Jesus is preeminent, it's number one. 403 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,480 That means that your pursuit of him should trump your pursuit of 404 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,080 everything else. In other words, if you have a 405 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,960 love for the Republican Party and it's here, or you have a 406 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,240 love for the Democratic Party and it's here, and your love for 407 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:50,960 God is here or here or here, it's in the wrong place because 408 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:55,960 it's not worth comparing. Now listen, I'm not being anti 409 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,000 American. I love America, Love it, Love 410 00:27:59,000 --> 00:27:59,440 it. Can I? 411 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,560 Can I, can I say the Pledge of Allegiance? 412 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:05,360 Yeah, but the allegiance I'm giving to my country is a 413 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:09,240 remnant of the allegiance that I'm giving to God. 414 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,760 It's a remnant. Am I glad to be an American? 415 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,440 Yeah. But that is that is not the 416 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,160 primary thing that defines me. The primary thing that defines 417 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,600 me is that I have been purchased, bought, redeemed, 418 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,920 loved by God through the sacrifice of his son. 419 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,880 Satan tries desperately to get us to take the bait, and we 420 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,040 can't. Let's keep going. 421 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,960 I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in 422 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,920 him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the 423 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,040 law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the 424 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,800 righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 425 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:52,200 I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of His 426 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,120 resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like 427 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,640 him in his death, and so somehow attaining to the resurrection 428 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,440 from the dead. Not that I have already obtained 429 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:09,120 all of this, or I have already arrived at my goal, but I press 430 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:15,000 on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me, 431 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:20,560 that you and I should be relentlessly pursuing the grace 432 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:25,360 that Jesus brought us, because that was exactly what Jesus did. 433 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,200 He took hold of grace on our behalf. 434 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,800 He took hold of the pain and the punishment on our behalf. 435 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,640 And so our preeminent concern should be to chase after the 436 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,000 grace and faith that we have through him. 437 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,320 Let's keep going, brothers and sisters. 438 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,120 I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 439 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,280 But one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining 440 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:54,360 toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize 441 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,800 for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 442 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,320 All of us. Then who are you? 443 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:04,040 Say this word. I'm going to let you self 444 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:12,880 identify for a little bit. Mature should take such a view 445 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,560 of things he's saying. This is the view of mature 446 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,840 people. So if we're going to have the 447 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,240 conversation, let's at least have it acknowledging whether 448 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:27,640 we're being mature or immature. And on some point, if you think 449 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,240 differently, that too God will make clear to you. 450 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:35,920 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 451 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,760 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters. 452 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:44,040 And just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those 453 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,360 who live as we do. As you get ready to go into this 454 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:50,880 political season, keep your eyes on people who are pursuing 455 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:56,040 peace, who are maintaining civility, who are trying to 456 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,760 honor God and not being disruptive. 457 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,960 Keep your eyes on those people. Follow after those people, 458 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,000 people who are emanating or emanating the fruits of the 459 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,760 Spirit, not spewing talking points from political parties. 460 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,240 Let's keep going For as often as I've told you before and now 461 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:17,320 tell you again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the 462 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,840 cross of Christ. Let's keep going. 463 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,920 Their destiny is destruction. Their God is their stomach. 464 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,880 Their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly 465 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:37,400 things every A presidential candidate pitches you what you 466 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:41,240 already want to hear. They want you to reach into your 467 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,800 carnal nature and vote based on your carnal nature. 468 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,320 What is good for you? They want to get your mind set 469 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:54,960 on earthly things so they can manipulate you, control you, and 470 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:01,240 this is both parties both. And what they will try to get 471 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,720 you to do is to think that somehow the vote for this 472 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,160 particular party is a vote for Christ. 473 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:12,160 He doesn't need elected. You need to remember that the 474 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,760 election that matters is the election that you do in your 475 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,280 heart as to whether or not you are going to surrender your life 476 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,360 to Jesus. So when someone says, hey, I'm, 477 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,160 you know, you. If you love God, you got to vote 478 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:24,000 for this. No. 479 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,200 When Donald Trump tries to sell you a Bible with the 480 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,000 Constitution in it, that is stupid. 481 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,360 It's incredibly stupid because Jesus doesn't have a political 482 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:37,320 party and the Constitution, as beautiful as it is, has no right 483 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,800 being next to the Bible, to the very words of God. 484 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,520 You are setting your mind on earthly things. 485 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,920 Let's keep going. But our citizenship is in 486 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,080 heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord 487 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,400 Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring 488 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:56,320 everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies 489 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,160 so that they will be like His glorious body. 490 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,120 Satan tries desperately to get you and I to take the bait to 491 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,920 live as if this is all there is, that America is the only nation 492 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,720 that matters, that this election is for the soul of America. 493 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,240 Don't take the bait first, Peter. 494 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,280 Chapter 2 says this. But you, talking to those of you 495 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:22,800 who are in Christ, are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a 496 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:28,040 holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare 497 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:32,280 the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his 498 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:33,400 wonderful light. Pause. 499 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:38,440 There is no candidate that has done more for you than what God 500 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,240 reveals on your behalf in these verses. 501 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,920 He gives you a new identity. He lets you understand you have 502 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,440 a new role, a new responsibility. 503 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,800 And he says that we are to declare the praises of him who 504 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,480 called you out of darkness and into the light. 505 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,400 Let me ask you this question. As you get ready to go into this 506 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,240 political season, do you use your words, your social media 507 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,600 platforms, to declare the praises of God or to elect a 508 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:08,000 fallen president? Use the energy you have to 509 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:10,360 promote Christ More than anything. 510 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:14,280 Let's keep going. Once you are not a people, but 511 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,880 now you are the people of God. So we belong to somebody else. 512 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,560 We belong to him. Once you had not received mercy, 513 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:28,360 but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you as 514 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,400 foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage 515 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,639 war against your soul. Pause. 516 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:38,040 He is not only called U.S. citizens, he's not only called 517 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,480 us a royal nation or a royal people, but he's also said we 518 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:44,080 are foreigners and aliens in this world. 519 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:48,480 America is where you live. It's not your home you're 520 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,320 passing through. There were Christians before 521 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,320 America existed, and there will be Christians after. 522 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,320 America exists unless Christ comes back beforehand. 523 00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:58,440 So I'll go back. We'll go back. 524 00:34:58,440 --> 00:34:59,160 Go back, Go back. Go back. 525 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,640 Right there. What do you think the next verse 526 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:02,960 is? You've seen it. 527 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:09,440 It's the target on the wall. Live such good lives among the 528 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,680 pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see 529 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:16,360 your good deeds and glorify God on the day that he visits us. 530 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:23,000 The sad truth today is that many Christians are better Americans 531 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:28,080 than they are Christians. I want to do an exercise with 532 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:31,400 you right now, and I want you to know that this exercise is in 533 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,240 love. Would you please take out your 534 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:43,720 phone open to your calculator? Once you have your calculator 535 00:35:43,720 --> 00:35:46,560 open, I want you to type in your age. 536 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:51,280 You don't have to show it to anybody, just type in your age. 537 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,840 Then I would like you to subtract 18. 538 00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:59,840 Then I'd like you to divide by 4. 539 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,360 That is the number of presidential elections that you 540 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,200 have participated in. Now, I know that there are some 541 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,840 of you who are voting before 1971 and the passing of the 26th 542 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:12,760 Amendment, which changed the voting age from 21 to 18. 543 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:17,040 Yeah, I did my work. Folks, I want you to look at 544 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,560 that number. That is how many presidents you 545 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:24,760 have elected. And if you have not discipled, 546 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:32,040 baptized 1 to Christ, matured in Christ more than that number, 547 00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:35,040 that means that every four years you have voted for a president, 548 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,800 but every four years you have not completed the Great 549 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:42,440 Commission. We have become better Americans 550 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:47,600 than we have Christians. We have woefully missed the 551 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:51,080 mark. Our ultimate goal is not for 552 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,880 there to be a Democrat in office or a Republican in office, but 553 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:59,000 for Jesus to be in the hearts of our neighbors, friends, and 554 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,040 family members. Satan is trying to get you to 555 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:07,680 take the bait that the next election is the only way 556 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,520 forward. The truth of the matter is that 557 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:15,480 our apathy, our fear of rejection, our laziness and 558 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:19,600 accomplishing the Great Commission is sad in light of 559 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:21,720 Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. 560 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:34,520 Peace and prosperity hope, 1000 Points of Light. 561 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,120 There's only one person who can give us that. 562 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,960 That's Jesus. They're not coming after me. 563 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,840 They're coming after you. I'm just standing in their way. 564 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,480 There's only one person who's ever done that. 565 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:55,760 My sin. My past, my evil deeds were on 566 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,800 their way. After me, Satan, the accuser who 567 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:03,120 knows all of my wrong, stood accusing me, and someone stood 568 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,960 in the gap. And it wasn't Trump. 569 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,880 It was Jesus. And he bore my sins on his body 570 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:13,880 and by his wounds I have been healed. 571 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:17,400 I have very little to give. Very little to give, Donald, 572 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,000 because so much of it belongs to Jesus. 573 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,280 Restoring the soul of America. How dare you? 574 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:26,960 How could you? The only way you could restore 575 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:31,040 the soul of America is for Christ to reign in people's 576 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,280 hearts. And we don't have to get access 577 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,520 to the gospel through Joe. He gave us the access to the 578 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:40,960 gospel through his spirit which descended on us on Pentecost 579 00:38:41,240 --> 00:38:45,160 today when 3000 people, the church was started, gave their 580 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:48,800 life to him. Your hope is not in an office, 581 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,000 it's on a throne. Satan is trying to get you to 582 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,760 take the bait, and some of us already have. 583 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,400 But by God's grace, we can break the line. 584 00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:58,880 We're moving to a time of decision. 585 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,440 If you're here today and you've never started an intimate 586 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:09,440 personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or if this is your first 587 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,040 time, this is not typical crossing. 588 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,680 But if you can survive the next three weeks, you're going to 589 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,720 love it here. And I want you to hear me say 590 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:19,480 this. I believe the fact that you are 591 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:23,880 here is a sign that God is wanting to come into a right 592 00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:27,920 relationship with you, and he is using the circumstances of your 593 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:32,160 life, the courage of your friends, to bring you into an 594 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,120 intimate, personal relationship with Him. 595 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:36,760 If you want to know what an intimate, personal relationship 596 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,720 with him looks like, I'm going to encourage you to go home and 597 00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:43,080 read the 23rd Psalm. One of the most powerful and one 598 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:46,600 of the most popular passages in all of Scripture defines what it 599 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:50,520 looks like to be in an intimate, personal relationship with him. 600 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:54,720 And if you're here today and you've never started it, you can 601 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,680 have it. You can become a part of his 602 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:01,160 Kingdom of peace, a Kingdom of peace that surpasses all 603 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,680 understanding. You become part of the family of 604 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:07,240 God that is full of love and grace and mercy. 605 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:09,880 And in just a few moments, the people around you are going to 606 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:12,840 stand and sing, and some of them are going to come to the steps 607 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:14,800 and pray. And what I want to do is I want 608 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:19,280 to encourage you to maybe make a walk that could absolutely 609 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,800 change your life. And walk from wherever you're 610 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:25,000 sitting right over there underneath that screen, next to 611 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,000 the baptistry, and somebody will be waiting there to talk to you 612 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,560 about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 613 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,760 The testimony of thousands of people who call the crossing 614 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,760 home is that starting a relationship with Jesus Christ 615 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,120 is not only the best decision that we've ever made. 616 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:41,440 Our biggest regret is how long we put it off. 617 00:40:42,040 --> 00:40:44,600 And we would love God to have an opportunity to write a better 618 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,760 story for you. But he's not going to do it 619 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,680 unless you surrender to him. The way we come into His Kingdom 620 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:57,040 is we abandoned our own. We wave a white flag of 621 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,400 surrender and say I give up. You rule in me now instead of 622 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:04,800 me. To those of you who already have 623 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:09,640 a relationship with Jesus, Christians, I'll be quick. 624 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,680 But what I want to encourage you to do is I want to ask you to 625 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:16,200 pray. Pray that this election season, 626 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,280 you would maintain your influence, increase your 627 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:22,720 reputation, keep your peace, not lose your mind. 628 00:41:22,720 --> 00:41:27,160 I'm going to ask you to pray that God would show you point 629 00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:30,920 you, compel you to talk to people about how to have a 630 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,160 relationship with Jesus Christ, that you would promote Christ 631 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:35,640 more than a presidential candidate. 632 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,160 Maybe some of us, we're kind of looking at that number that we 633 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:44,480 were left with, and we realize that we have not been as serious 634 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,120 about our faith as we have been about our elections. 635 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:51,680 Maybe we would repent over that. Go. 636 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:54,800 God, I'm sorry I've been misaligned. 637 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:56,760 I don't want to draw back to you. 638 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:01,920 Maybe we need to just repent for a radical allegiance to a 639 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:05,880 political party and a lukewarm commitment to Christ. 640 00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:11,880 God promises that he meets us in our repentance. 641 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:18,120 God loves a humble heart because he can do anything with it. 642 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:23,520 So if he we would humble ourselves, he promises to lift 643 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:26,760 us up. Would you stand with me, 644 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,960 Heavenly Father? I'm asking you to do a work in 645 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:38,160 our church that could only be described as you. 646 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:43,280 That nobody gets the credit, nobody gets the glory. 647 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,600 God That none of it is shared, that it solely goes to you. 648 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:54,800 Stir something loose in US. Break something loose in US so 649 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:57,840 that way we more fully cling to you. 650 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:01,880 Soften our hardened hearts. Remove the scales from our eyes 651 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:05,320 so that way we can see your will and your purposes more clearly 652 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:07,920 over our life and your name, I pray. 653 00:43:08,600 --> 00:43:08,960 Amen.