1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,080 Crossing family, I missed you and you have to just hear me say 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,240 this. It is such a joy and a privilege 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,400 and an honor to be numbered among you as we try to make this 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,400 region the hardest place on planet Earth to get the hell 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,600 from. Many of you have asked and let 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,760 me just tell you the trip was incredible and I speak on behalf 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:26,360 of all who are able to go, that something shifted and changed in 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,360 all of us. For me, I am still very much 9 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,720 processing and navigating everything that went on in my 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,720 heart and my hope is that in the coming months and years I will 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:42,200 do my best to let you in on what God is teaching and revealing to 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,920 me on the other side of this experience. 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,680 It was just incredible. I want to welcome all of our 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,320 campuses to those of you here at 48th St. to those of you in 15 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:57,160 Macomb, Kirksville, 929, Pike County, Hannibal, Lima, Mount 16 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:02,080 Sterling, Keokuk, Monmouth, Jacksonville, Weaver Online And 17 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,120 let's give another big shout out to those of you who are part of 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:09,160 our Inside with 17 Baptisms. I love it. 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,680 I also want to welcome those of you who are new here. 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,520 I am so glad that you are with us. 21 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,640 And if you have not stopped by the new here booth or downloaded 22 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,160 the app, please do so. Let me tell you why this is not 23 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,480 for us, This is for you. Connected people grow. 24 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,520 So if you're wanting to grow in Christ, let me encourage you. 25 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,560 Get connected. Today. 26 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,360 I want to publicly thank Tyler McKenzie and Chuck Hedsler. 27 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,800 Would you give them a big round of applause for preaching in my 28 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,000 absence? I was blessed by each of them 29 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,760 and challenged to take several steps to make sure that I have 30 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,840 done all I can do to raise and lead a godly family, and I hope 31 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,240 you did the same. As I said at the very beginning 32 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,560 of the Lovers and Landmines series, we are entering into 33 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,520 contested waters as a church. We're talking about family, 34 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,480 We're talking about money, we're talking about the Holy Spirit. 35 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,160 And hear me, Satan will be at work. 36 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,200 You see, God or Satan wants your family leaderless and godless, 37 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,880 so that he can be the dominant voice, so that his will will be 38 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,960 done inside of those you and I love the most. 39 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,600 He wants to keep you and I from being generous so we are 40 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,360 enslaved to the flesh in order to choke out gospel 41 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,720 effectiveness in our region. He wants you and I to be 42 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,080 ignorant of the Holy Spirit so that way you do not operate in 43 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,440 His power so that you are not guided by His wisdom. 44 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,200 So you have a life that does not produce His fruit. 45 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,120 Then after that we're going to have a one off series where we 46 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,320 celebrate the 250 anniversary of America and then we will launch 47 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,720 into what could be the highest attended month of ministry at 48 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:57,480 our church. When we jump into the At the 49 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,360 Movies series, begin thinking now about who you would like to 50 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,920 invite. You see, Satan hates it when 51 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:09,880 people begin to give Jesus or his church a chance and he will 52 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,320 do whatever he can do to stop it, to destroy it. 53 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,720 And so as I stand here today, you need to know where I'm at. 54 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,960 I see so much potential and opportunity in front of us, and 55 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,000 I am hopeful that God will do a mighty work in US and through us 56 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,560 over the next couple of months. And because of that opportunity 57 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,360 and because of what God is inviting us into, those of you 58 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,760 who would consider yourself a prayer warrior or to those of 59 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,560 you who from time to time pray, to those of you who have a 60 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,520 prayer journal, let me give you something to write down. 61 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,680 Would you please lift me up in your prayers? 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,920 Would you lift our staff up in your prayers? 63 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,640 Would you lift up our church as a whole in your prayers? 64 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,480 Would you go to God on behalf of this region and those we are 65 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,280 trying to reach? And since I'm talking about it, 66 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,160 why don't we do it? Would you spend a little time 67 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:08,720 with me and allow me to pray? Heavenly Father, you've been so 68 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,240 good to us. You have brought us to this very 69 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,800 moment, covered in Your grace and in your mercy. 70 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:20,040 And you more than any of us, You know what lies ahead of us and 71 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:24,680 you know what's at stake. I'm asking you to wake something 72 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:30,560 up in US, shift something in US. We're asking you to do something 73 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:36,160 mighty in US and through US. I pray that you'd protect the 74 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,080 ears and the minds and the hearts of those who are new here 75 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,720 and new to you. Draw them close to you so that 76 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,080 they crave an intimate, personal relationship with your Son Jesus 77 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,840 Christ and whose name we pray. Amen. 78 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Several years ago, a group of us on staff were invited to a 79 00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:00,160 conference that was being hosted in Nashville, TN and when we 80 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,200 arrived, we had a chance to meet up with somebody who used to 81 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,360 attend our McComb campus. He was one of the football 82 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,320 coaches for the Vanderbilt Commodores. 83 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,120 And so he took us on a tour of the facility. 84 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,000 And while he was showing at the athletic fields, in the weight 85 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,520 rooms, in the training areas, in the locker rooms, there was this 86 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,800 joy in his voice as he told us that they were getting ready to 87 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,600 launch a new renovation and expansion of their entire 88 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:33,880 athletic complex. And the cost was $300 million. 89 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:38,000 This was on the heels of them just doing a renovation, but it 90 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,760 wasn't enough and it wasn't big enough. 91 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,880 And so they set a goal of 1/3 of a billion dollars. 92 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:51,120 And then he said that the first $100 million came from three 93 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,280 families. And as he talked about this, you 94 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:58,800 could hear the excitement in his voice, the possibilities for 95 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,360 what it was going to allow them to do, the joy he had of seeing 96 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:07,160 people get behind the vision to make The Commodores a contender 97 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,680 in the SEC. Yeah. 98 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,240 I'm assuming you're all moved just like I was, and to be 99 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,440 honest with you, as I'm walking through this, my mind was blown. 100 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,400 This is an incredible amount of money, an incredible amount of 101 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:27,040 generosity, an incredible amount of excitement for a game. 102 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:31,640 Now, do not get me wrong. Do not get me wrong, I have zero 103 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,200 problem with this. I love sports. 104 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,960 I love giving and participating in high school activities. 105 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,720 I love watching teams win and young men and women learning 106 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:44,360 about how to overcome hardship and adversity. 107 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,360 I love seeing them develop through the wins and the losses. 108 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:53,280 And there are some people who they love athletics so much that 109 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:56,440 they want to be patrons of athletic departments. 110 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,960 We call them boosters, and when you give enough money, they put 111 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:01,040 your name in the back of the catalog. 112 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,400 And so when you show up at the game, you can see, Yep, there we 113 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:04,920 are. We're a part of this. 114 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,880 There are other people who are hard wired differently. 115 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,880 God made them with different desires, gifts and desires. 116 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:15,480 And so they want to be patrons of the arts or patrons of music. 117 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,760 They get behind it, they support it. 118 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,400 In fact, some of the greatest works that have occurred in the 119 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:27,120 world of art were the result of patronage, somebody footing the 120 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:32,320 bill to make that happen. I titled my message an 121 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:36,360 extraordinary invitation. Turn to your neighbor and say 122 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:43,480 you have been invited. You have been invited. 123 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,160 I have a question for you. Well, before I ask the question, 124 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:59,520 a couple years back, I, I, I read a or I saw a, a, a sermon 125 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,800 by an author. And then I bought the book and 126 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,680 my heart was on fire as I read the book. 127 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,520 And my heart was burdened as I heard these stories because the 128 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:20,440 stories of these people absolutely and completely have 129 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,680 shaped the world that you and I live in today. 130 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:30,320 And I felt a burden to take you on the very same journey that I 131 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:32,760 went on. So let's begin with a question. 132 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,280 Have you ever wondered who funded Jesus's ministry? 133 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:43,159 Who paid to make Jesus's ministry happen? 134 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,520 And I mean, we read about everything that he did as he 135 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,000 walked along the banks of the Sea of Galilee and as he toured 136 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,680 the streets of Jerusalem. But who funded it? 137 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:59,280 Who paid and paved the way for Jesus to do what he did here on 138 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,080 earth? Jesus had money. 139 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,520 In fact, he had so much money, he had a treasurer. 140 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,520 You're going a treasurer? Yeah. 141 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,760 Jesus had a treasurer. And you know his name. 142 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,000 Do you know what his treasurer's name was? 143 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,000 Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 144 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:17,760 If you don't believe me, go home. 145 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,000 John chapter 12 verse 6 tells you all about it. 146 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,280 So we know that Jesus had money. We know he had a treasurer, but 147 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,560 how did he get it? And I know what some of you 148 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:28,000 Bible people are thinking right now. 149 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,280 He just made it happen. He's a miracle worker. 150 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,280 He just piled stacks of cash anytime he needed it. 151 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,120 Someone gave him 5 bucks and he was like, and that's how we did 152 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:38,120 it. No, no, no, no. 153 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,600 Some of you, you're a kind of Bible nerds and you're going. 154 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,360 I know how he did it because one time he was being asked about 155 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,680 taxes and he told Peter to go fishing and that there would be 156 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:50,320 a coin in the fish's mouth. And Peter goes and he fishes and 157 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,640 he pulls out the fish and inside the fish's mouth was money. 158 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:59,240 Fellas, your wife would not be frustrated with you for as much 159 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,240 money as you spend fishing. If every time you pulled a bass 160 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,920 out, you're like, babe, another $100. 161 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,960 Maybe that's what Jesus did. He just had his disciples walk 162 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,720 around and like Asian carp hopped out into the boat and 163 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,240 they were just pulling money out. 164 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,120 But that is not how he did it. I know what some of you are 165 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,120 thinking, but Clayton, we're talking about Jesus. 166 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:26,520 He turned water into wine. Jesus had a side hustle. 167 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,040 He would take wine or water and he would just turn it into wine. 168 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:38,520 You know, Jesus was the one who created Seagrams by the Savior. 169 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,640 Oh, it gets worse. The original Crown Royal 170 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:55,880 Bethlehem Brewery, Jordan River Gin, The real Maker's Mark. 171 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,240 This one's a stretch wave. Walker Scotch maybe? 172 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:04,680 No, that's not how he did it. That is not how Jesus got the 173 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:10,160 money to do his ministry. It happened because of a Gospel 174 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,240 patron. Somebody funded him. 175 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,280 There was this woman named Joanna. 176 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,200 Joanna was married to a very influential man. 177 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:26,680 They walked in powerful circles, held positions in high society. 178 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,680 Her husband was well connected, oversaw re illustrating multiple 179 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:36,280 streams of income. For the most part, Joanna and 180 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:40,800 her husband lived lives where their needs were always met. 181 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:48,080 Until she got very sick. And this sickness, well, it 182 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:51,320 changed her. It humbled them. 183 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,400 All the connections and all the wealth could not fix her. 184 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,360 They ran through doctors until they ran out of doctors. 185 00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:06,080 And yet she remained sick. So what does she do next? 186 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:13,800 After she had tried everything else, Joanna tried Jesus. 187 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,160 Some of you, you can relate. You've tried everything else and 188 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,120 you are no better off than when you started. 189 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,760 And now you find yourself doing things you never thought you 190 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,120 would do. You're here at church on a 191 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,960 weekend. You find yourself reading and 192 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:36,640 praying to praying to God. You've tried everything else. 193 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,960 And so you decided to give Jesus a try. 194 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,160 So Joanna met Jesus, Jesus met Joanna, and Jesus heals her. 195 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:49,720 And as a result, two things happen. 196 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,080 The first, she begins to follow Jesus. 197 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,760 In fact, not only did she follow Jesus, she kept following Jesus 198 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,520 because you read about her again because she was at the 199 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,600 resurrection in Luke chapter 24 verse 10. 200 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:08,280 The second thing that happened is that she became generous so 201 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,360 that other people could meet the very same Jesus that saved her. 202 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:18,760 On the heels of her generosity, Jesus restores a demon possessed 203 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,840 man, raises a dead girl, and heals the woman with the issue 204 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,800 of blood. Three stories that you know 205 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,120 well, but do you know what happened before that? 206 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:32,480 Joanna became a patron of the gospel as Jesus traveled from 207 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,880 town to town preaching the good news, the gospel of the Kingdom 208 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,440 of God. He was funded by Joanna, a 209 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:42,280 gospel patron. You can read about it in Luke 210 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,560 chapter 8 verses one through 3. After this, Jesus travelled 211 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:48,680 about from 1 town and village to another proclaiming the good 212 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:52,880 news of the Kingdom of God. The 12 were with him and also 213 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,520 some women who'd been cured of evil spirits and diseases. 214 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,240 Mary called Magdalene from whom 7 demons had come out, Joanna 215 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,680 the wife of Chooser, the manager of Herod's household, Susanna 216 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:07,040 and many others. These women were helping to 217 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,960 support them out of their own means. 218 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,760 Joanna is almost completely forgotten in history, but it was 219 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,960 her generosity that funded the ministry of our Savior. 220 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,320 And what you will see happen over and over again, not just in 221 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:31,080 Scripture but in history, is that behind every significant 222 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:36,880 move of God, there were people faithfully giving behind the 223 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:41,800 scenes. They were patrons of the gospel. 224 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:49,360 In the 1700s, the Bibles in England sat in homes and in 225 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:54,880 churches, collecting dust. As a result, people far and wide 226 00:14:55,120 --> 00:15:00,080 ignored the Bible's teaching on sin, salvation, and the coming 227 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:04,960 day of judgment. Church was stuffy and formal, 228 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,640 and the ministers of the day were timid. 229 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,000 No one was attracted to God and to His church. 230 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:16,480 No one was inspired to live for His Kingdom cause, and as a 231 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,480 result, society was out of control. 232 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,160 That is how the 18th century began. 233 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:30,560 But by God's grace, that is not how it would end. 234 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:37,800 God saw fit to raise up a preacher and a patron to turn 235 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,880 things around. The preacher was George 236 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,200 Whitfield. He was described as a Man on 237 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,320 Fire. At a time when sermons were dry, 238 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,920 moral essays read from church pulpits. 239 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,040 Whitfield's words were like living water overflowing from 240 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,400 his heart. The Bible's truths about heaven 241 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,440 and hell, God and Satan, sin and salvation, we're all realities 242 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,040 to Whitfield, and he preached them that way. 243 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,640 George Whitfield was described as Thunder and lightning in the 244 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:15,640 pulpit, a man made to awaken the slumbering. 245 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:21,320 He spoke in a way that showed spiritual things to be real. 246 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:27,120 He was biblical, passionate, dramatic, and joyful. 247 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,920 He loved the people he preached to. 248 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,960 He frequently wept in his sermons. 249 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:38,720 He urgently pleaded everyone to come to Jesus. 250 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,840 Whitfield's maxim was to preach as a palace painted, but for 251 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:48,040 eternity. He often said would ministers 252 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,280 preach for eternity? They would then act the part of 253 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:56,360 two Christian orators and not only calmly and coolly inform 254 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,680 the understanding, but by persuasive, passionate address, 255 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:06,000 endeavor to move the affections and warm the hearts. 256 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,839 And the patron, The patron, it was Lady Huntington. 257 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:19,280 She was a woman who was described as a tornado and a 258 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,880 silver spoon all wrapped into one. 259 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,319 A5 foot 6 force of nature in the heiress of old money. 260 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:33,200 Blunt, opinionated, constantly in motion. 261 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,120 Lady Huntington was a rare English aristocrat. 262 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,680 She rubbed shoulders with royalty, enjoyed a pinch of 263 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,080 snuff, and she really believed the Bible. 264 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:48,720 This is my kind of girls. Her heart was broken for the 265 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:55,160 gospel and for her country, and so she cried out to the 266 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,600 preacher. This is what she said. 267 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,480 What pride the rich have, Mr. Whitfield. 268 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:06,480 I am quite out of patience at all of the wickedness of them 269 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,320 all. To which Whitfield replied, the 270 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:19,120 love of money is the reason many are no more than all most 271 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:24,440 Christians. I wish the Church of England was 272 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,360 the joy of the whole earth, but the Christian world is instead 273 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:35,640 in a deep sleep. That night, Lady Huntington 274 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,840 poverty or pondered the gravity of her nation's sinful 275 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,120 condition. She was grieved that parties, 276 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:45,960 fashion shows, concerts and gambling houses were captivating 277 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,080 for the rich for months at a time. 278 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:52,400 She mourned that they sat down to eat and drink and rose to 279 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,800 play with no thought of eternity. 280 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:03,160 And so that night she prayed. But Lord, what am I to do about 281 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,640 it? My generation lies lost in 282 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,800 darkness. They are like sheep without a 283 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:15,080 shepherd. God, may you pour abundant 284 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:20,960 blessings on our sinful country and help me to fill my place in 285 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:27,360 your work. Sometime later, the patron, Lady 286 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:30,480 Huntington, reached out to the preacher, George Whitfield. 287 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,400 Mr. Whitfield, I watched God save souls through the light of 288 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:42,400 His all glorious gospel, and now I see the one thing living which 289 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:48,200 must be the proclamation of the love of God to man in Christ 290 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,200 Jesus. I am nothing. 291 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:54,560 Christ is all to behold. The glory of such a Savior ought 292 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:58,040 to make us breathe His praises from pole to pole. 293 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:02,080 To preach Christ and His blessing upon repentance over 294 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,680 the earth is the Commission. Whitfield sat still. 295 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,080 So, she said, my mind is made-up. 296 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,040 I would like to propose a partnership. 297 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:19,800 Go on, the preacher said. Lady Huntington replied, God 298 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:24,560 chose me to be a member of England's nobility, and now I am 299 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:29,960 ready to use my position for Jesus's sake, and I want your 300 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:33,240 help. I'm listening, the preacher 301 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,840 said, a warm smile spreading across his face like a sunrise. 302 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,960 She continued. Well, Galatians 22 says that 303 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,400 Paul preached privately to those who seemed influential in 304 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,040 Jerusalem. And I have a burden for the 305 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,360 influential in England. They won't go out to the fields 306 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,320 to hear Methodist preachers, and when they attend church, they 307 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,160 hear sermons with no theological guts. 308 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,160 Whitfield was known as an open air preacher. 309 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,520 He would go into the fields where everybody could show up, 310 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,160 and he would preach to the thousands. 311 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,360 But Lady Huntington was worried that the people she wanted to 312 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:14,240 reach wouldn't be people who would go to the fields. 313 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:22,600 Whitfield, I want you to bring the gospel to them in my house 314 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:28,080 starting tomorrow night. Whitfield was thrilled to answer 315 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,840 Lady Huntington's call, and so he wrote to her. 316 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:34,800 If they will hear the gospel only under a sealed roof, 317 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,800 Ministers S shall be sent to them there. 318 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,320 If only in a church or in a field, they shall have the 319 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,320 gospel there. Oh, that I may be enabled, when 320 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,600 called, to preach to any of them, so as to preach to win 321 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,920 their souls to the blessed Jesus. 322 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:58,160 And this partnership sparked the First Great Awakening. 323 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:00,960 To those of you who are unfamiliar with the First Great 324 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,440 Awakening, it's spread across England and it's spread across 325 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,720 the United States of America before we were the United States 326 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,080 of America, when we were still trying to figure out how to be 327 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,520 the 13 original colonies. And when you read our founding 328 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,040 documents where it says we hold these truths to be self-evident, 329 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:23,120 that all men are created equal, it was not evident until George 330 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:25,560 Whitfield preached the gospel to them. 331 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:30,120 You and I are standing on the ground not just paved by the 332 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,640 grace and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the preaching 333 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,560 of George Whitfield and the patronage of Lady Huntington. 334 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:44,960 This partnership made him one of her personal chaplains, a 335 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,360 special privilege reserved for nobility. 336 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:51,320 Her support gave Whitfield the means and the encouragement to 337 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,440 continue preaching everywhere, promoting revival among all 338 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:01,200 churches, all denominations and all peoples, as Whitfield wrote 339 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,800 to his patron, whom he described as a woman who was all aflame 340 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,240 for Jesus. Oh, that that could be said of 341 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:13,040 us, he said about 2000. Attend every night. 342 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:19,160 Last Sunday evening in the field there were about 5000 hearers. 343 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,000 I hear much good has been done at Bristol. 344 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,320 Everywhere fresh doors are opening. 345 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,880 People flock from all quarters. I have not been so well for so 346 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,880 long a season, for many years as I have been since I left London. 347 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:40,080 A proof, I think, that the Lord calls me into the fields to 348 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:44,920 preach. After 30 years, Lady Huntington 349 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,760 returned to the city that had appalled her when she was 350 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,240 younger. This time she bought a plot of 351 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,080 land, hired builders and began construction. 352 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,440 Lady Huntington's project caught the eye of the city and grabbed 353 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,880 their attention. Why build a Chapel, They 354 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,760 questioned. Your money could be better spent 355 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:14,280 helping the poor, she replied. I do pity the poor, and I will 356 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:19,640 give them what I can. But when I gave myself up to the 357 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,480 Lord, I likewise devoted all my fortune to Him with this 358 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,880 condition that I would take with a sparing hand what might be 359 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,120 necessary for my food, clothing, and support of my children. 360 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:36,000 Many benevolent persons who have no religion feel for the 361 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:42,440 physical needs of others and help them, but few, even among 362 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:47,800 professing Christians, have a proper concern for the awful 363 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:54,880 condition of perishing souls. As the gospel spread, the need 364 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,120 for churches and preachers was everywhere. 365 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,720 So Lady Huntington committed to building and funding the 366 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,720 churches, and Whitfield committed to raising up the 367 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:10,600 preachers to fill the pulpits. And within a few years, she was 368 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:16,720 responsible for 116 preaching places and a seminary to train 369 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:20,400 the preachers who'd prime proclaim the good news of Jesus 370 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,960 Christ. What Lady Huntington and George 371 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,840 Whitfield accomplished was truly incalculable. 372 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,680 They reached into the unreached places of both England and 373 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,600 America, where there were no faithful churches and no gospel 374 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,600 preachers. Together, the two of them 375 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,960 persuaded many of England's nobility that God was not a dull 376 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:48,920 idea, but a living Savior who could be known and felt. 377 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,440 In the years before the American colonies became an independent 378 00:25:54,440 --> 00:26:03,440 nation, 4 fifths 80% of Americans had heard Whitfield 379 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:08,480 preach about Jesus. Whitfield's broad reaching 380 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:13,360 evangelism gave America a theological backbone that shaped 381 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:16,640 the nation for generations to come. 382 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:23,040 In total, Whitfield evangelized upwards of 10 million people in 383 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,840 his lifetime, and no one could begin to count the number of 384 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,760 conversions he saw the day before his death. 385 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:34,200 Although he was not feeling well, Whitfield had been 386 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,240 persuaded to preach what became his final sermon. 387 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,720 With a day almost gone and his health already poor, a friend 388 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,080 cautioned him. Sir, you are more fit to go to 389 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,480 bed than to preach. True, Sir, responded Whitfield. 390 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,800 But then the preacher turned his attention heavenward and prayed. 391 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:04,120 Lord Jesus, I am weary in your work, but not of it. 392 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:09,680 If I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for 393 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,320 you once more in the fields, and come home and die. 394 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:20,680 He closed his final sermon by saying I have outlived many on 395 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,240 earth, but they cannot outlive me in heaven. 396 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:29,320 I shall soon be in a world where time, age, pain and sorrow are 397 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,960 unknown. My body fails, my spirit 398 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,840 expands. How willingly I would live 399 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:41,720 forever to preach Christ, but I die to be with Him. 400 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,440 What was it that moved George Whitfield to be a preacher? 401 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:54,000 What was it that moved Lady Huntington to be its patron? 402 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:00,800 It was the good news. It was the gospel. 403 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,040 There might be some of you who are new to the crossing here 404 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:09,360 today and you might be asking what is this gospel that so 405 00:28:09,360 --> 00:28:13,000 moved them? You know it. 406 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:26,480 John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and 407 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:33,000 only Son. Hear this, that whoever believes 408 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:39,520 in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 409 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,520 You may have a bad idea about God, but listen to what God says 410 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,920 about God. For God did not send His Son 411 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:50,880 into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world 412 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:55,040 through Him. God is on a rescue mission to 413 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,400 not condemn your soul, but to save your soul through His Son 414 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,920 Jesus Christ. And listen to the promise. 415 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:07,440 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not 416 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:13,480 believe stands condemned already because they have not believed 417 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,720 in the name of God's one and only Son. 418 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,800 You want it a different way? You want to know how my trip to 419 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,560 Greece went? Well, I stood in Corinth where 420 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,320 Paul preached, and he wrote a letter to that church. 421 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,040 And in the 15th chapter, verses one through 6, this is what Paul 422 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,080 says to the church that he started. 423 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,960 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel 424 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:45,280 I preached to you, which you have received and on which you 425 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:49,560 have taken your stand. If your life is not standing on 426 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:53,600 the gospel of Jesus Christ, you are standing on sinking sand. 427 00:29:54,920 --> 00:30:01,200 But if you are in Christ, by this gospel you are saved. 428 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:06,320 If you hold firmly to the Word, I preach to you, otherwise you 429 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,760 have believed in vain. This is the power of the gospel. 430 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,920 But what is the gospel for? What I received? 431 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:22,640 I pass on to you as of first importance, that Christ died for 432 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:27,920 our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried 433 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,240 and that He was raised on the third day according to the 434 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,640 Scriptures. And you might be going, well, I 435 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:36,200 mean, people could have made that up. 436 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:37,920 People could just be saying stuff. 437 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,600 Oh no, Paul goes on. There were witnesses to what 438 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:42,400 happened. There were witnesses to the 439 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,920 crucifixion, and there were witnesses to the resurrection. 440 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,040 And that he appeared to Cephas. That's Peter. 441 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,400 Then to the 12:00. And after that, he appeared to 442 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,000 more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at that time. 443 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:01,160 This is a verifiable historical event, some of whom are still 444 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,520 living, though some have fallen asleep. 445 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:09,880 This is the gospel. People can be saved, changed, 446 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:15,240 redeemed, made right before God, can have the hope of eternity in 447 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,000 their hearts, can conquer death, can't conquer sin. 448 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:28,360 This is the gospel that leads to salvation and that very gospel 449 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,000 raised up a preacher and a patron. 450 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:39,400 You've been invited. Will you join me in becoming a 451 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,720 gospel patron? We're moving to a time of 452 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:49,270 decision. Every week we have this moment. 453 00:31:49,270 --> 00:31:50,670 We say we're moving to a time of decision. 454 00:31:50,670 --> 00:31:53,150 And then we come down here and internally, we call it landing 455 00:31:53,150 --> 00:31:56,910 the plane. You may not know this, I don't 456 00:31:56,910 --> 00:32:01,800 expect you to, but Whitfield landed the plane and one of his 457 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:07,040 favorite closes was this. He would end his sermon with an 458 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:10,400 invitation for his his hears to believe in Jesus. 459 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:14,520 And he would say these words and let me say them over you. 460 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:21,280 Oh, let there be joy in heaven over some of you who believe. 461 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,560 Let me not go back to my Master and say, Lord, they will not 462 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:30,880 believe my reports no longer. Harden your hearts, but open 463 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,520 them wide and let the King of Glory enter in. 464 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:40,160 Believe me, I'm willing to go to prison and death for you, but I 465 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,160 am not willing to go to heaven without you. 466 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:48,360 The love of Jesus Christ constrains me to lift up my 467 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:55,520 voice like a trumpet. And He did, and millions of 468 00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:02,360 lives were saved. And that message is still 469 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:07,680 available to you today. And so if you are here today and 470 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,520 you have never started an intimate personal relationship 471 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:14,320 with Jesus Christ, you have not believed in the gospel, in the 472 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,400 finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf, no longer harden 473 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:22,000 your heart. In just a few moments, the 474 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,920 people around you are going to stand and sing, and some of them 475 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,440 are going to come to the steps and pray. 476 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,880 And I want to encourage you, if right now you are outside of 477 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,720 Christ, you have not yet surrendered your life to him, 478 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:39,200 I'm going to encourage you to either turn to a friend and say, 479 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:40,920 how do I get this figured out today? 480 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,480 Or if you want, you can take the bold walk right over there 481 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,320 underneath that screen next to the baptistry, and somebody will 482 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,800 meet you and talk to you about what it means to be in Christ. 483 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,000 To the rest of you, to those of you who call yourselves 484 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,760 Christians, you have received an extraordinary invitation to 485 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:03,480 partner with God in the saving of souls. 486 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:08,960 Do not harden your hearts. Do not be faithless. 487 00:34:09,679 --> 00:34:14,080 Do not sit on the sidelines while God is inviting you onto 488 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:19,120 the field. Would you lift high the gospel 489 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:23,600 in your life and would you become one of its patrons? 490 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:33,370 Would you stand with me? Heavenly Father, we are not 491 00:34:33,370 --> 00:34:40,130 worthy. We are not deserving to have our 492 00:34:40,130 --> 00:34:45,449 prayers into your throne room. But we were able to do so 493 00:34:45,449 --> 00:34:51,010 because your Son has made us worthy, that through his 494 00:34:51,010 --> 00:34:55,960 sacrifice we are your sons and daughters. 495 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,280 So Heavenly Father, I'm asking that the hearts that are far 496 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:07,200 from you would be brought to you today and to the hearts that 497 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:11,640 have had their minds and their emotions fixed on the things of 498 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:15,360 this earth, that God, you would lift them up to the hills where 499 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:19,040 our hope came from. And God, that you would stir in 500 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:25,320 us a desire to make sure that everybody knows about what your 501 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:29,080 Son has done on our behalf. And your name, I pray. 502 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:30,160 Amen.