Prevailing Church :Following Jesus

All righty guys, so today we want to talk about what does it look like to

follow Jesus in terms of Lordship, His Lordship in our lives and what does it

look like to help somebody who wants to follow Jesus who doesn't know much about

Him, probably doesn't know Him as Savior or Lord and I think it's important that

the church have a divine format to work through and by divine format all I mean

is a path that has been prescribed by God in the New Testament, things that

Jesus said, Paul said, so we have an idea okay so this is how we go about the

Lordship of Christ in our lives and this is how we can introduce the Lordship of

other people's lives and that's what we want to talk about and it's part of this

whole idea of becoming a prevailing church because the intent is can we

engage, contend with and then be able to press through to the end with the world

and the people in the world because God, I know you know this but God laid down

the life of His Son Jesus Christ or Jesus Christ laid down His life for the

sake of the world not for Christians, for the sake of the world not for

Christians. So here are some things we need to know about the Lordship of

Christ and our witness in the world and how God wants to work through it all.

There is a divine format and the divine format is found in Matthew 28 19 and 20

where it says go make disciples, fall nations, baptizing them in the name of

the Father Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that

I have taught you. So there is a format to this it's not random. Paul followed it

Jesus taught it and these steps are not necessarily, oh yeah let's go there a

little later. Guys so here are the things we need to understand that when it comes

to this church in the world we have to first get this right, personal Lordship

after which we have to get right standing right. Once we accept Him as Lord

and understand Him as Lord we need right standing with God as in be in right

relationship with Him after His Lordship. Then we have to get into this place

called right living and after we finish right living I don't want to say after

we finish right living why it's because it's not sequential it can be

continuous then we move into public Lordship. These are four steps that we

the church must practice. We begin here we begin here we begin with a personal

Lordship of Christ established in our life the personal Lordship of Christ

established in our life. Now that He is Lord of our lives we now have to learn

how to be in right relationship with the Lord of our life, right relationship or

right standing. We have to learn how to be in right relationship or right

standing with the Lord of our lives because very often that's not the case

we acknowledge Him as Lord but churches are full of Christians who can declare

Christ as Lord but are not able to move into a vibrant right relationship with

God just like Jesus had with the Father. After that we come to right living. Now

that we are in right relationship and He is the Lord of our life there it should

show in right living. This is why Paul was so emphatic on the ethical living

of a Christian. He said that you are holy therefore show yourselves holy. The

essence of all of Paul's letters was to emphasize ethical living. Well what does

what does Christian living look like? And once we get that then we can begin to

now publicly make obvious this culture that Christ has created in us

individually and as a people. Now people begin to see us so that's what a

Christian looks like not the other version. This is what Christ looks like.

What happens very often is you can go from personal lordship to public

lordship and when that happens you miss out on right relationship and right

living and this you will often find in churches where the emphasis is

tremendously on grace grace grace grace grace. When the grace message is preached

like crazy it is possible for people to immediately accept Him as Lord and then

begin to live out their Christian life in the public without going through

right standing and right living because everything is covered by grace. You have

accepted Jesus Christ now Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life grace grace

This is the hyper grace pit that you can fall into when when there is no need to

develop right relationship when there is no need to develop right living because

everything is covered by grace. That's one danger. The other danger is when you

go from personal lordship to right living without right relationship. So

this is the result of hyper grace and this can be the result of legalism. So

one is the result of hyper grace where you can go straight from lordship into

now that I'm saved now that all my sins are forgiven now that God is my father

now that he's full of forgiveness every time things go wrong I can run to him

and just say grace grace grace. The other aspect is when you go from personal

lordship into right living without right relationship. That's when it's legalism

when now you've accepted Christ as Lord and now the emphasis is live right live

right live right don't do this do this don't do this do this don't do this do

this and everything is coming not out of a place of relationship but out of a

duty or an obligation of fear. That is when legalism kicks in. We have to go

through these stages not sequentially but keep it in mind so that we are

continuously moving in that area. Any questions before we go on? Any questions?

Any questions guys? Okay so let's start with personal lordship then. Personal lordship.

Personal lordship. Personal lordship would require that I be aware of him as

Savior and Master. I be aware of him. I be aware of him as Savior and Master. This

is very simple everybody knows this but the reason I'm repeating it is so that

as we go out into the world we have certain things settled in our minds

about what things look like. We can develop on it. I'm not saying this is the

end all of how to go about things but if we have these things set in my mind when

I talk to somebody I know that these are things that God requires of me to

convey or to demonstrate or to teach or to example. So the first thing when it

comes to personal lordship in my life or through my life to somebody else

who's not a believer is they have to become aware that Jesus Christ must be

received or acknowledged as Savior and as Master. Sometimes the word Lord

doesn't make sense therefore we have to go for words like Master. Two, we like

saying that Christianity is not a religion it's a personal relationship. As

true as that is it is also not true Christianity is a religion it has a

belief system. The moment anything has a belief system it is a religion and in

that sense yes Christianity comes out of a personal relationship but it's not

just a personal relationship there is a belief system. So we can't avoid that it

is a religion based on a personal relationship and if it's a religion then

it is essential that I help I learn the belief systems the belief system I am

part of. If I don't learn it I can't teach it I must learn it I must teach it

I must learn it then I can teach it.

I must learn it then I can teach it. 1st Timothy 4 16. 1st Timothy 4 16. A belief

system is made up of doctrine ugly ugly words that churches like ours avoids.

Doctrine seems to put everything in a box but there are certain things that

are in a box that's continuously expanding. 1st Timothy 4 16. You don't

have to think out of the box when it comes to God because God's box keeps

expanding. 1st Timothy 4 16. 1st Timothy 4 16. Watch your life and doctrine

closely persevere in them because if you do you will save both yourself and your

hearers. What a beautiful verse. Watch your life and doctrine closely persevere in

them because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers and these

are some essentials of doctrine that I would suggest to you we don't know and

that we should know and I got this from someone else and he broke it into these

words. What are these things called?

Acronyms. Educated people I'm preaching to. So belief system and this is where

sometimes we as Christians fail because we think this belongs to churches that

are not charismatic or not vibrant so that's for them. We just we just depend

on the Holy Spirit. It's for the rest of them but it's so important to know deity

the deity of Christ. Is he fully man? Is he fully God? Is he both? Is he half man?

Is he half God? What is he? Why does he call himself the son of God, son of man?

Fascinating how most of us won't know. Probably most of us will know but it's

fascinating how many don't know. Second,

original sin, original sin. How did sin enter? What did sin do? What did I lose

because of sin? What did Jesus do to fix it? Third, the canon of scripture. As in

how did the Bible come along? Why did they choose these books? Why were some

books left out? What's the reasoning behind it? Fourth, Trinity. Do we believe

in three gods or do we believe in one God? Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Hard to

explain so we leave it alone. Why not explore it? Fourth one, resurrection. Did

it actually happen? Was it a figment of imagination? What actually happened? Why

is Christianity based solely on the resurrection of Christ? If he didn't rise

then 1st Corinthians 15 says we are pathetic people. Next one, incarnation.

When God took on flesh and became man and will forever be a high priest before

God. How does it work? What does it now mean for us to be incarnational?

I don't even want to ask these questions because it sounds profound and I don't

know all the answers. New creation. What does it mean to be born again? To be made

new? What does it mean? What became new? Yep and the work of the Holy Spirit in

making you new. And the last one, big word that I had to go to college for Bible

school for eschatology which is how does this all work out in the end? What's

God's future for us look like? How does this conclude? How does this world

continue? What does it look like? These are the essentials of doctrine and may I

suggest to you that we wouldn't be able to necessarily come up with reasonable

sound answers if someone with a seeking mind actually questioned us on it. We'll

have vague answers but not concrete answers to a true seeker. To a true seeker.

I'm not talking about people who want to argue because you can argue till the

cows come home. Do cows come home? They do. Okay so, pardon? Hamburgers do come

home but cows I was never sure. Anyways so yeah so guys when I realized that I

didn't know this I went and bought resources so that I could learn it

because I didn't have clear a clear way of speaking these things. Not a

complicated way. A clear way to a normal seeker because most of us don't work

in academic circles. Some of us do but most of us need to give simple answers for all these.

So when it talks about the personal lordship of Christ we want to avoid this completely because

we just want to say Jesus is Lord. But it ain't enough. Not in today's world. Not in today's

world. Not in today's world. This isn't a Judeo-Christian culture. It requires answers.

And the last one. So the first one was an awareness of being a Jesus being a savior

and master. Two was a belief system. And the third one is a willingness to confess him publicly.

A willingness to confess Jesus publicly.

A willingness to confess Jesus publicly. So if this is A this is B and this is C.

When these three things are going together and you are functioning in increasingly growing in this

you know that you're coming to this coming to that place where you can say yeah I understand

the personal lordship of Christ. I'm aware of him as a savior and master. I understand what he has

taught. What he is about. I know the doctrine that I follow. And then I am not just someone who has

accepted him personally and keeps it quiet. I'm willing to confess him openly. And one of the

first signs of an open confession is baptism. It was very natural for Christians to be baptized.

Guys some of us may be thinking right now but this is stuff that I know. Yes but we're setting

it down in a format that Jesus had set it down so that when we talk to others we can go down this

path eventually. This may take a person nine months so be it. But we go down this path.

Baptism is the first sign of an open confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. And for those who come

from Christian backgrounds, Hindu backgrounds, Muslim backgrounds, Buddhist backgrounds, baptism

is that place where you are publicly declaring that I belong to someone. I remember when I

decided to get baptized because my dad came from a church that believed in infant baptism and did

not believe in believers being baptized. I remember going and telling him finally I got baptized

without telling him because I knew it would cause havoc. Finally when I did go and tell him I was

a grown-up guy by now, not a kid, he slapped me straight across my face and I thought to myself

you just slapped me. And I had just gotten baptized but the reaction inside me wasn't

very baptism. I mean I had a storm out of the house because I was scared of how I would respond.

So there will be opposition. It doesn't matter which background you come from because there is

something about baptism that is so stark in terms of the dividing line that it's not easy.

But as the first open sign of confessing him before men and it says in Luke 9 26 it says that

if you will if you're not ashamed of me before men I will not be ashamed of you before the father.

And so it also goes on to say but if you're ashamed of me before men

I will be ashamed of you before the father.

See you said so many nice things about me. I just think you and I should preach together today.

Guys any questions on the personal Lordship of Christ

on what we just talked about? Any questions?

No. Okay well meaning it would I could say more but it would take very long.

I was thinking of eschatology as in God's I like Isaiah 46 which says he knows the end from the

beginning and that for me kind of summarizes it. When he started this he knew how he wanted it to

go and at the end of the day that is what I define it as. God seeing his people right from the

he's seeing the end from the beginning knowing this is what I wanted my people to be.

And when he said people he wasn't meaning Christians he was meaning people as in his people.

This is what he wanted for them. So it is not something I'm waiting for in the future and yet

it is something I'm waiting for in the future but it is what his people ought to be right now.

So for me Isaiah 46 10 kind of sums it up but it's such a poor definition. But if I had to go

into long definition I could. Yeah yeah go ahead Maurice. Okay any other questions or anything you

want to add to the eschatology poor eschatology definition that I just gave? Because it's not

about the temple in Jerusalem it's not about the new heavens and the earth and yet it's about

all that except the temple which is already torn down and rebuilt. So please don't send money to

Israel for temples. Yeah Isaiah 46 10. If I'm wrong you can correct me later. Any questions guys?

Okay guys see for the Holy Spirit to sculpt truths into our lives. He sculpts truths into our lives

through one anothering, through house church or church whatever you want to call it,

and gatherings wherever whenever teaching or instruction happens. This is

this is the Holy Spirit's way of teaching us. I've said this before and I need to say this again

because these are truths that are not learned in isolation. He just doesn't work that way. He just

doesn't work that way. It's so important to emphasize this at this stage because we mustn't

forget these things. The Holy Spirit instructs. Can he teach you directly? Yes. What's his preferred

method of teaching? His preferred method of teaching is Jacob can I teach you through others

through one anothering because I don't want you to be someone who is not dependent on others. Two,

I'll teach you through the church. Why? Because the church is called a pillar of truth and there the

bridegroom reveals himself fully. I've also appointed in the church apostles prophets teachers

pastors and evangelists for the equipping of the saints. So I'm going to use that method because I

authored the word and I've said it there. And third wherever there is gathering wherever there

is teaching wherever there is instruction I'll use those times to teach you. Will you hear from me

personally? Yes. But where will most of the teaching of truth happen in the context of others?

This is a hard thing to accept but this is the this is reality. The Bible talks about it again

and again and again. We pick on verses like the Holy Spirit will bring you into all truth. True,

absolutely true but true people. I don't think there's anything I have taught over the last

12-13 years here that didn't start through somebody else and then the Holy Spirit added things to it.

There's nothing that I have taught that isn't copyrighted by the Spirit of God who brought it

in through somebody else. Very little original teaching in this church.

Things have been added on things have been presented a certain way.

See the reason this goes into effect is because truths are on one hand cultural principles

and the reason I call them cultural principles is because we are developing a culture through

these truths. These truths when practiced give visibility to the kingdom culture. Truths are

principles cultural principles are principles and therefore they must be practiced together.

They must be practiced together. They must be practiced together. Two truths are

truths are proceeding as in truths don't stand stagnant. They proceed. I'll explain that. Guys

I've said this before and I'm saying it again and this is in topic. Don't think I'm going off on a

detour. Every truth of God is absolute but all truths of God keep unfolding. Keep unfolding. The

word of God keeps proceeding. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out

of the mouth of God. God's truths keep unfolding. Therefore it is necessary for me to be able to

learn from others through whom the Holy Spirit will bring to light a new dimension of the truth

that I did not know before. It is often brought to me through people. Occasionally the Holy Spirit

will shine his light and immediately I'll take it and go verify it with others because I've got to

make sure that I'm not running in vain. Paul did this. Paul said and I had Christ come and tell me

this and not that I wanted to confer with flesh and blood but I did go to the apostles in Jerusalem

and I spoke with them and said am I running the right path because I don't want to run in vain.

So because truth is proceeding once again I must discuss it with you.

Dissect it with you.

This is so important. So important when you think you have found the truth in the Bible

go discuss it with someone. Dissect it with someone who will parry your anger.

Dissect it with someone who will parry your every thrust and will begin to be like iron that sharpens iron.

Otherwise when we don't go down this route truths become errors that you continue down

into two, three, four generations.

And lastly truth is a principle, truth is proceeding and truth is a person.

And because truth is a person it is important that it display his nature

it display his nature and it be relational.

Just think of that. When it comes to Christianity no other religion is this true

but when it comes to Christianity Jesus didn't say I'm going to tell you the truth he did say that too

but he said I am the truth. Jesus said I am the truth. In Christianity truth is a person

and therefore any truth must be true.

So I'm going to tell you the truth.

Jesus said I am the truth. In Christianity truth is a person and therefore any truth must be relational.

This is why we never have to go sit on Grouse Mountain for 20 days doing penance.

Christianity is not practiced in isolation it's always relational.

I know you've heard this before but for new guys who've come in the last couple of years I mean

we have an amazing friend called Eddie in this church who hasn't visited for a while.

Someone came up to his dad and said to his dad oh you know I'm intensely spiritual and his dad

asked a simple question to this intensely spiritual guy. He asked the guy who are you spiritual with?

Because it is not possible to be spiritual if you're not spiritual in

relationship. That is where spirituality is exposed. All the fruit of the Holy Spirit cannot exist

except in relationship. Love, peace, joy all of them exist only in relationship. Therefore

because truth is a person it must display his nature and it must be relational.

Why am I suddenly going here? Because guys where we are going as a church it is necessary that we

become heavily reliant on each other when it comes to truths.

When it comes to the practice of principles we must practice them together. It's when you practice

truths together that the net doesn't tear when the fish are hauled in. There are two stories in Luke.

In Luke chapter 5 there was a lot of fish that were caught by the disciples when Jesus said

Luke 5 · chapter mention

cast the net on the other side and as they began to haul the net in guess what happened?

The net began to tear and then at the end of John there is a story of 150 fish that were caught

and there it says even though the number of fish was huge the nets did not break.

Nets don't tear when people decide that they will practice truths together because this becomes a

cultural principle. It becomes a culture that we observe. A whole group of people practice it.

Not one or two or three. No everybody practices it. Everybody practices it.

Secondly truth is proceeding. Therefore if I hear something it is good to come and discuss it with

you. Dissect it with you. Bounce it off you because in doing that you may add something that I have

not seen and now I think to myself oh shucks I hadn't seen that. I mean most of the time I

won't admit when you guys come up with a nugget of truth because I'm the pastor I can't admit I

didn't know that but you'll be surprised at how many times when I've been involved in discussions

with you and you ask a question or you say something and inside me tube lights are going

off but outside me I pretend like of course I knew this. That's vanity. We'll deal with that

another day but the point is this so many times in your questions and your comments I think to

myself oh shucks I never saw that but keep it quiet. And lastly the truth is a person therefore

you must display his nature. If you're practicing a truth it must display his nature. One of the

greatest problems with Christians is that we display truth without displaying his nature

and you cannot separate Jesus from the truths he speaks because he is it. Therefore when I practice

a truth without his nature being conveyed it ain't the truth.

It just ain't the truth. It must display his nature and it must be relational. It must be relational

and this is very important because if we are saying that we are a people who are going to proclaim

the gospel, penetrate places with the gospel, cause it to progress then if the gospel is true,

if Jesus is true then in everything we do it must be relational. It can't be from the good old days.

The good old days were never good by the way just so you know. It's a myth.

The older I get the better it's getting. The good old days they had black and white photographs,

no microwaves.

Oh okay sorry I got carried away. I was just thinking of how difficult it was to heat food.

Now it's so easy. Sorry we don't need to go there. Where were we? The good old days.

These are the good old days. Guys where were we? We were at some very critical truth.

Yeah see so here's the thing. There was a time when you could go stand in front of a people and

announce the gospel in a big crusade and thousands would come to the front. With the death of Billy Graham that era is over.

It used to work in this part of the world. In other parts of the world it worked but not necessarily well.

One of the things that happened in Asian and South Asian countries is Christianity was a mile wide and two centimeters thick.

People who got saved again and again and again but didn't know better.

Make disciples of all nations yes. For one life at a time through relationship.

You take Jesus and you will see it again and again and again. You will see the way Jesus went about it.

Crusades aren't the way to go guys. One man conducting a crusade. No now the church is the evangelist.

The church is the teacher. The church begins to take on a governing apostolic role. The church begins to speak the will of God and becomes prophet.

The church becomes the one that shepherds the sheep binds up the wound feeds them. Oh people not one individual.

If there was it I need to say this so that we are clear about this not because I want to put a black mark on that man.

But if there was one thing that Billy Graham changed to the detriment of the church. It was when he pulled himself out of the church.

And started an organization called the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

And that began the departure of every gifted evangelist from the church to an organization.

When the church was supposed to be the one that did it.

Let the work of Christ live among your riches.

Yeah. Yeah.

God has formats that he gives us. Let me use a different one. God has frameworks he gives us that we are supposed to work within.

But he wants us to understand that Jacob you may have a formula right now. And it's worked brilliantly many times.

But can you be open to my truth because it's proceeding and it'll unfold a little more. Discuss it with people. Learn new ways.

God has a framework. We may have principles that we understand and practice together. There'll be new principles added to it.

God has a framework. Truth is a person. Jacob when you relate to people when you tell them about me.

Can you make sure that you don't come out with your standard lines and that you first relate to them.

Approach evangelism in a very different way. Approach the proclamation of the gospel differently like my son used to do.

So what does that look like? We'll talk about that right now.

Bearing witness to Jesus as Savior. What does it look like? What should it look like?

One guys first thing I must be relational. Guys we live in Vancouver.

This city thrives on either a lack of relationality or intense relationality.

You go out on August 1st when the pride parade takes place in downtown.

And you will see relationality between the spectators and the ones who are parading.

I'm not lifting it up. I'm saying it's a perverse situation at least based on what the Bible says

and what we believe but relationality this city thrives on.

Why do we assume that Christianity can progress in this place without relationality by standing

and preaching it or inviting people into the church doesn't work that way.

Jesus knew this ages ago. He was like this. I must be relational and see the person

in the image of God. I must be relational and see the person as one made in the image of God.

Distorted at present needing restoration.

Distorted at present needing restoration. Why is this important? Because as soon as you begin to

see the person like this, this brings joy, compassion, desire for that person to know the Lord.

It is critical that we get this first. When you see a person you're talking to,

that you're encountering in an elevator, that you're meeting on the road,

remember this. This is one of the first steps. I must be relational.

You're not a notch on my six gun. You're not a scalp I want to collect. It doesn't matter which

line I use. Both are racist. At the end of the day, I must be relational to I must see you

as made in the image of God. When I see you made in the image of God, then compassion comes up in

my heart because I know that the only difference between you and me is that you are made in the

image of God and your image is completely distorted as mine used to be. But all it needs is

restoration and Jesus Christ is the only one who can restore it. Now there is compassion.

Now that compassion does something. Compassion makes me even more relational. Compassion makes

me relational. Now there is joy. With joy will come the hope and the expectancy that into this

person's life can come Christ as he did in mine when thousands, not thousands, when a few,

no not even a few hundreds, when about 30 people gave up on me.

And it brings desire. Do you realize how critical this is guys? And do you realize how rarely we go

down this route? It is not the first thought that comes into your mind. It was usually the first

thought that came into Jesus's mind made in the image of God, made in the image of God,

made in the image of God. Once you know that, it fuels desire in you, the kind of desire that wants

you to go an extra mile. It causes you to have compassion saying you are made in the image of

God. It is distorted right now, but it shall be restored because mine was and I am restored.

And there is suddenly joy in this whole idea of witnessing to who God is. Second,

I must gauge where the person is at. I must gauge where the person is at.

This is another thing we don't do. I must gauge where the person is at.

Father, where is this person at? Gauge means I must fathom. I must try to understand. I must

try to understand. I must try to, give me another word guys, I must try to understand.

I must perceive. Discern is a good word. You win. You will get an honorarium

that is twice as much as what Derek and Jeevan get. I must discern. I must discern where a person is

at. Jesus did this. You can see it. When he is with Nicodemus, he discerns where Nicodemus is at.

To begin with, he knows if a guy comes to visit me in the middle of the night,

doesn't need much discernment there. The guy is scared. And then he begins this conversation

with him. He discerns where the rich man is at. And he also discerns where the rich man is at.

And he also discerns that there's no point pursuing this rich man or hammering anything

further because he's going to walk away because his riches are way too blinding right now.

He discerns where Zacchaeus is at. And he knows that for this man who's been an outcast thrown

aside by most people, the thing that will break his life open is very simple. Visit him in his house.

He discerns where Levi is at. It is such an important part of witnessing that we have

completely lost out. Why? Because we quickly want to give the message of Jesus and get it done with.

Oh my God, if I can wait till one recognizes the image of God that she has made and distorted as it

may be, but will need restoration, can be done. And then if I can gauge where she's at,

this is where she's at life. And now I have the ability to deal with her as I would, Nicodemus,

or Levi, or Zacchaeus, or whoever. And you will find that the words you speak go through

the person like a knife through butter, but I've never found that to be true.

Every time I've taken a knife to butter, it's a blooming solid block.

And by the time I put it on my piece of bread, it just destroys the slice of bread.

But then that would mean waiting. Anyways, cows coming home, knife, fire.

Microwave it. Yeah, I told you these are the good old days. Anyways,

some of these phrases just don't work. Knife through butter ain't true. Cows come home,

haven't seen it yet. So this is so important, guys. Third one. I must make use of every chance.

I must make use, that's how the message puts it, in Ephesians 5.14 to 7.15.

I must make use of every chance to further God's intent. I must make use of every chance

to further God's intent. Further God's intent. Which then begs the question, manner, meaning

what is it? And then I have the ability to deal with the person like a knife through butter,

which then begs the question, manner, meaning what is it? Sorry, getting too cute here.

Basically, you have to ask, what is it, oh God, what's your intent in this chance encounter?

What is your intent in this chance encounter? Because what if it is healing that is required

first? What if it is money that is required first? What if it is food that is required first?

What if it is just kindness that is required first that will open this person up?

What is it that is required? Oh God, what is your intent? This is part of the gaging, but

I must make use of every chance, every encounter. I was going up the elevator a few days ago,

and I saw an older man carrying a large plank of wood. It looked like he could carry it, but

I just said, hey, do you want help? Because that's what I sensed God prompting me to say.

And I knew what he would say. He would say, no, thank you. But do you know how many times I've

met that man in the last five days? Four. And every time he and I meet now, and it's very unusual to

meet this man four times in a building without that many people. Four times I've met him. Today,

when I was driving out to church, he was driving in, saw him again. I even know the floor he lives

on. But I'm thinking about, oh, shucks, father of all the people, him. So what's the intent? What's

the intent? This is like an adventure that you're on and God knows the end from the beginning.

So ask the intent. I must make use of every chance I get to further God's intent

and to present Jesus and to present Jesus,

present Jesus' story in my life. Jesus' story in my life. Must make use of every chance.

Because if you can turn a person to see the story of Jesus in your life, you will take the veil away.

Second Corinthians 3, 3, 16. When someone turns to Jesus, the veil is lifted up and the person is

no longer blind. Enjoy it, guys. I mean, you heard the stories of Jesus in your life today,

and those are just the big ones. What about the small ones? We could keep God here till the evening.

When you tell the story of Jesus in your life, you're presenting Jesus. And every time

Jesus Christ is presented, the veil is lifted. People begin to see the blindness is removed.

Second Corinthians 3, 18 talks about it. 3, 16 talks about it. Make use of every opportunity,

every chance you get. Make use of it. Do you realize that there won't be a single person you

will come across tomorrow who wasn't a chance encounter, that everything

God can arrange so that they bump into you who carry Jesus, who carries you.

It just blows my mind that tomorrow there'll be so many people that I come across, some

that I recognize, some that I know, some that I don't know. But none of them will be people that

happen to happen. There will be people that haven't been programmed, but God knows beforehand.

God knows beforehand. If only Jacob could be a little more aware.

Good!

Next one! I must have clarity in what I say and do.

I must have clarity in what I say and do.

1st Peter 3.15, 1st Peter 3.15 it says in every situation have a defense for the

reasonable hope that you have in Jesus meaning be able to speak about it why is

it that you believe in Jesus and let it be a reasonable defense why do I believe

it why do you believe in Jesus Jacob because I'm a sinner and he saved me

really but I am not so I guess I don't need him no you got us there's got to be

more than that this is why relationality helps tremendously one-liners don't help

much I was choosing songs today and there's one song called the king of love

and there's a line in that verse which says my lover's breath is sweetest wine

I'm thinking to myself if some person who does not know Christ walks in and

hears us singing that line he'll wonder what we are up to my lover's breath is

sweetest wine therefore it is important to be relational any questions on these

four before we go to the last three and then we're done for now we won't even go

into right standing because that's a long one too any questions on these

anything you want to add to these am I missing out stuff order this in your

head guys Mark was telling me how he goes home and then he takes these notes

and then he goes over them and kind of sets it in his head why because he will

be working throughout the week and during the week he works with people

from different trades many of them who do not know Jesus Christ and once he

reads these notes and goes over them he has them set so that during the week if

anything comes he pulls out of the storehouse old and new as it says in

Matthew 13 so how does this help me it gives me a framework doesn't mean that

this is how we follow but I know this is where I can go okay last three

next one is I won't forget that only the good news of Jesus Christ rescues people

I won't forget that only the good news of Jesus has the power to rescue people

from sin penalty of sin death sickness danger Satan false doctrine I won't

forget that because the kind of Christianity we practice is the kind of

Christianity that either costumes the cross or completely avoids the cross and

that kind of Christianity is not worth anything is a joy lost in brand of

Christianity and I deliberately took his name there are other wonderful things

he says which you must follow but not not when it comes to this area I must

not forget that it is always the good news of Jesus Christ who came down to

the earth God coming down to the earth as man and then dying on a cross for my

sins the ability to explain that to have clarity in my explanation to think it

through father I'm going to meet this person today who's not a believer where

is he located at would you show me Holy Spirit what is it that your intentions

are can you help me explain this clearly Paul was astute at this how come when he

goes to Athens and stands on Mars Hill that he is a completely different

approach how come when he stands in front of the Jews he has a completely

different approach then go to Acts 26 and 27 and see how he speaks before

Felix and a gripper and it's a completely different approach why is it

that Paul could do that because besides being led by the Spirit and trusting

that the Holy Spirit will supply the words when you stand before people there

was thought put into things guys we are working at something we are working at

the expansion of a kingdom no emissary no ambassador goes into a meeting

unprepared unless of course you're meeting put in one-on-one with an

interpreter that's different but otherwise people go in prepared we are

expanding you this work ain't for unprepared nabby pabby babies this is

hard work for a king who commands great respect I haven't had TV for three or

four days it has been some of the most constructive times in my life the amount

of time I spent before the TV I realized is ridiculous now that the TV isn't

there don't worry it will be coming back but the point is that it's fascinating

how much time you can save and work on other things I just on the side the

point being this guys please this is not this is not a walk in the park a

vacation this is work that is done out of rest but there is no laziness in this

there is a work ethic to this but it's done out of rest because you can't do

anything to save anybody but there is no laziness in this a part of the reason

the church is lazy is because there are evangelists who go out on behalf of the

church but guess what acts 29 has no evangelists next point I must pray for

the one I encountered I must pray for the one I encountered I must pray for

the one I encountered so I've begun to pray for that man I must pray for the

one I encountered

sometimes I pray oh God can you take it a little deeper can you give me time

with him other times it is father I don't know if I'll meet him again but

can I just bring him to you and pray that what I have started could you

finish and I will trust the work of the Holy Spirit I must pray for the people I

encounter and I must trust the work of the Holy Spirit I must trust the work of

the Holy Spirit I was thinking of printing some cards just with our website

on it and you carry just two of them in your wallet because there are some times

where you will meet a person only once or twice or maybe once and if they show

even remote interest say hey you can read more on the more about this on this

website and give them the card all it will say is acts 29 dot see it and lead

them to a page where it just gives you the basics about a good God about a good

father about one who takes away guilt and sin it'll be very very simple won't

be seeker friendly but will be very friendly or whatever it'll be good carry

two of them in your wallet just in case you meet someone you're never going to

meet again who showed some interest

evangelism can be approached two ways full of grace or full of legalism and

both are not all that effective it has to be all these together in Philippians

Paul says that some preach out of envy some preach on a strife some preach out

of different reasons regardless of what be the motive that a person preaches the

gospel from he says I'm glad that the word of God is going forth while that is

true why not aim for the more excellent way and the more excellent ways

incorporates all these people who emphasize grace will usually choose the

last three points sorry people who emphasize grace will choose the first

three points being relational trying to gauge where people are that's what

people who are full of grace will do people who have a bent towards being a

little more legalistic we'll go for the last three I got to give the message

with clarity I've got to tell them about Jesus I've got to do this both will help

the spread of the gospel but what if we combined all six to both can be one or

the other I usually end up in the top three I want to be gracious I want to

tell them about what Jesus intended for them and in the process what happens is

I miss out on the core of the matter but then Gisela might be someone who goes

straight for the core of the matter where she'll say you need Christ

otherwise you're going to hell both of us can get people saved she's gotten

people saved by saying that I've gotten people saved by using the other method

but what if Gisela and I combined our methods where I have the audacity and

the courage to go and say to somebody hey listen you need Jesus right now let

me tell you what Jesus can do for you and Gisela takes on my strong points

which is let me gauge where this person is that maybe I can say this instead of

this what if we combine this would be potent where I have her courage and she

has my whatever yeah whatever you want to call it what if we combine both

yeah combine both do both and then you'll have what is called the most

excellent way and the most excellent way is always Christ's way any questions

guys anything you want to add to this anything you want to add to this that

will make this more effective any questions on this yeah I've mentioned

that anything I want to add to this any questions on it okay we'll stop here

we'll do right standing next time and then we'll do right living and public

Lordship so you can take people through these stages if you were marooned on an

island with another person and had about six months to work through this and when

you're hungry you will say it is I have meat and bread that you know not off

till the other person gets so hungry that you begin to swim that story was

going way way off so I thought I better end it yep so I want to call markup

there should be another mic somewhere

Oh

okay so my first question to you mark is why do you go read notes at home okay

and so you go read the things at home and what do you do with it then so

you read the notes and say okay this is how I simplify everything I just boil

things down from what we get on Sunday or from what I know it's on Sunday and

then I remember things not so much I don't remember so much from the notes

but I remember what he says because of the notes that make sense that you make

a note saying he just these are the these are the points and you read the

notes and say oh yeah that's what he was talking about he's talking about this

and so on so you have this friend called Jeff who yeah my co-workers name is

Gavin we call him Jeff sometimes okay I was trying to hide his name man okay so

now that the cat is out of the bag okay so I can hold all sorts of stuff so what

was the first encounter with him because how did it all begin when he started how

did you begin this talk about you and God and him how does start well he's

been working for us for two years it started pretty much a first day that so

on our sites we keep swearing down or we don't swear because my boss are

Christian my co-workers are Christian except for him we'll call him Jeff so

he's uh so nobody knows him and and when he arrived on site then every second

word was a swear word and whatnot all and it was and that his first day was a

Friday and so on Fridays and quite often we'll go out for a burger together

and so we went for a burger and and that my boss had stopped at coal and stopped

to pick up gas and that we were sitting in we were chatting and we we have we

pray before we eat and we were talking about different trades and different

things going on nobody swore nobody bought a beer nobody did any of these

things and he was floored just like I cannot believe that you guys are in the

construction industry and you guys don't do this stuff and then my boss phoned

co-op back because he had paid for $45 worth of gas and he had gotten 60 and

that he had been that his receipt said 63 because he he drew he phoned them up

and said I'll come back in if need be and my my co-worker Jeff was just

astonished that somebody would do this like a gas station you get ripped off

there anyways you got 15 extra bucks worth of gas and here is this these guys

that are talk like nobody else in the construction industry I've ever known

and that this is that they're completely honest and they're completely yes

they're cultural principles guys where truths that are practiced when a group

of people practice it it becomes the culture that becomes visible cultures

are always visible go to Saudi Arabia you will see it go to Indonesia you will

see it go to India you will see a whole culture behaves a certain way and it

becomes very visible so what happened with him and his swearing and his stuff

because you were telling me about how he now goes and talks to yeah so he's he

comes from an extremely rough background and like an extremely rough background I

don't know how else to say it but without getting into a lot of the details

but and his friends the people he hangs out with he hangs out with them on a

regular basis and that they're very very rough that if you needed if you needed

something done outside the law he knows who to talk to and these people would be

extremely willing to help and but one day one of his friends showed up at his

at his house and that they're gonna do something and he was wearing a shirt

that said that said something extremely terrible about Jesus and and that

because in the last two years Gavin or Jeff has been with us for this time and

that we've had multiple talks almost on a daily basis of who God is who Jesus is

if there's any question about religion he'll ask because the he hides nothing

playing poker with him and be just great because you know he's not ever I don't

know maybe maybe not anyways but yeah if you have it if I would ask him what what

drugs have you tried he'll list off everything and every side effect which

was good which was bad which one you ask him whatever you know and he's very

willing to give you whatever whatever answer so what did he do when he saw

this t-shirt so yeah his friend is wearing this t-shirt that said something

very terrible about Jesus and he said you know what I know this is sounds this

sounds pretty messed up but I need you to flip that shirt inside out I can't

read that that can't be in my house and his friend started making fun of him and

said are you of all people like you know that you go to your way to offend people

you know that this shirt is just it's offensive but it's just it's enjoyable

for us and he's no but the guys I work with that this is important to them and

that I see it in their lives so I see it on a daily basis that this is something

that is special to them this is something that changes their life this

is something that is value to them and because it's value to them that I look

at their lives and I recognize that there's something going on in there and

it's like I need you to flip that shirt around because yeah it's offensive but

it's offensive because it's offensive and and it offends me because my friends

would be offended by it so he's standing up for my beliefs even though he doesn't

necessarily believe it's kind of a strange thing so is he a religious guy

um yeah yes ish no ish um he's I don't know how to answer that he'd be a

faithful agnostic he'd the weird thing is this that he prays before like when

we sit down on Friday and we ate on Friday that he bows his head and he

he'll pray he talks about praying though he's not sure or certain who he's

praying to or what he's praying to that he'll say I was learning about stuff

that you know about like oh well what's that well about different religions and

and telling me about various religions and how there's all these different

types of Christian or how I don't know like I think he was on Wikipedia or

something like that and learning about Christianity or just about religion in

general has he visited your home no he lives in mission so he's always away so

does he have other Christian friends other than you guys no well I think he's

going to Sunday school like he is the understanding that Jesus is in some way

really special in the Christian religion but how far have you gone and have you

guys gone not just you in presenting who Jesus is to him okay so that doctrine

thing and pretty much all of that you have already done yeah so the deity of

Christ because he was because if he's asking he wants an answer and so I'll

give him an answer then always a difficult thing is these things take a

while to explain and that every time it's like okay we've got a really

important deadline to meet and you have your job to do and I have my job to do

and your job is over there and my job is over here and this will take a long time

How long have you been talking to him about it?

Oh for like from the from the day that we...

How long? Months?

I don't know 24 now?

24 months

From the first day he started that he was asking questions

Do you think he's received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

As Savior and Lord?

I don't think so he knows better who Jesus is

and he holds him in high regard because of us because he sees it in our lives

and he sees he recognizes also that like because he's met all my kids he's met

Rhonda and he's met all of our other co-workers families because everybody's

kind of around and he sees in our families he sees how our kids behave

how our kids talk and he recognized like this is something that is a like it's a

completely different culture than what I'm in and that your kids behave this way

if my kids would behave this way this would be awesome but my kids don't behave this way

they behave this way because this is what I permit for them does that make sense?

Like he sees what's going on but he also acknowledges that there's a different that

there's a difference in his life

Okay so here's a question guys if I called any of you up you could share stories like this

from your warehouse from your workplace from your telus office from wherever you work you

could have stories like this my question is this two years this person has been exposed to

Christianity the way of Christian living so my question is this more than one question one

is there something called leading a person to make a decision or is that something that we invented?

That's the first question

Is there something called leading a person to make a decision for Jesus Christ

or is that something we invented?

Invented yeah so is there something so guys take turns and speak loudly if you are do do do we

need to lead a person to make a decision saying you need to make a decision now or is that something

that it's a western concept that we came up with leave it to the holy spirit

Okay

Okay anyone else there's a time and place for both

I think I think

Yeah but go ahead keep on praying keep on sewing someone will water because my thing often was to

make a person come to you need to make a decision now but over the last little while I'm not sure

that that is the best way to go yeah and I know that Peter did speak to in Acts chapter three he

gets up and says repent and be baptized and thousands of people come so there is something

called an invitation but I don't know whether there is if you want to decide for Christ now

lift up your hands I don't know if that is the way to go I'm not convinced that it is not see this

is what I mean but dissecting something okay because I'm not convinced that that is not the

way to go because I've seen its effectiveness but does something being effective mean it is right

I think maybe where you offer the wording should be in a different sense

Yeah and then the question is is coming forward is that the way to do it how does this work how

does it tie it time with if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth

how does that time when if you don't ask them to ask someone to make a decision and say publicly

that I want to receive Christ where is the open confession or is there the need for an open

confession any answers on that going forward would be also an open what you call accepting

acknowledging God openly so it's not very clear-cut guys and I'm still not sure about it

point number two that I must be where the person is at

okay where am I supposed to be now in this relationship because sometimes the Lord will

disconnue okay now ask this and I would suggest that when you can't discern go for a formula

but try to discern because sometimes I'm trying to figure it out and I don't know what to do

you everything Diana go ahead

good

okay okay so to to leave people with a question

or some kind of an invitation that brings them to having to choose anyone else

can you think about this and think about it seriously guys

because I don't want to come up with a formula but we have to think about this

yes

I understand the prayer part, Gisela, and I agree with you that the Word of God does

not come back void, but when it comes to making a choosing, when it comes to

acknowledging sin, God will never force you to. And so yes, I think it's important

to present the truth, but my question is, after presenting the truth, at

what point, like Diana was saying, do you help the person with, do you present the

person with a choice? There's something about presenting a person with the

choice that we have to learn how to do from a very godly perspective, and I

would suggest to you that you really think about it, because, and think about

it not to make it a doctrine, think about it so that you think about it. That father,

when I look at scriptures, when I look at how Jesus operated, when I look at how

Paul operated, can you give me a basic idea of how you think, so that I begin

to think like you think? Because I was at a service not too long ago where a man

gave an altar call, and I find this altar call idea almost archaic now, almost out

of place, where the lights are dimmed and I see that hand now, I see that hand now,

and it makes me... And yet, when you see three hands go up and people get saved,

you think to yourself, oh shucks, but it did happen. So I don't know when to say,

throw out this entire thing or to keep some of it, so please think about it,

because this is something this church will enter into. You want to say something,

you look like itching to say something.

Good point. Can you say that again on the mic? Is it still being taped? Okay.

I said I was wondering if this is similar to what you had said about Billy Graham and

evangelists and how this church has no evangelists because the expectation is

that the whole body will be doing that work and not a single person, and altar

calls may be used as a replacement for the whole body stepping up and acting in

relationship with people and offering that choice or offering that prerogative

based on where they're at instead of having to be done in a service on a Sunday.

Where it becomes us the evangelists going out building relationships and

thereby not having to give an altar call because we are building a true relationship.

And in the process we present a choice and that choice allows the person to

come to a place of decision whenever the person has to make that decision.

Because this is one thing that Jesus never forced. Following him and surrendering

to him as Savior and Lord was something he never forced. Never forced. It had to be

a free will choice because you take away free will from it and ruins the entire

thing. And the reason we need to really talk about stuff like this and next week

maybe I'll call somebody else because all I mean isn't it great that we have

this guy called Mark the evangelist and Jillian the evangelist and Aaron the

evangelist and Sheldon the evangelist and you can't pinpoint anyone who is not

because this is our call. This is where we must go guys and this is where God's

calling us huh. We must go here.

Yeah and keep learning.

So anyways okay we're talking about kingdom culture and that we have the

world's culture and we have a kingdom culture and the kingdom culture can be

evidenced needs to be evidenced in our lives. But we have to have our kingdom

culture. So my co-worker is able to discern kingdom culture from church

culture. What somebody put on 106.5 yes the other day on Friday and that the the

moment the announcers came on that there was a lot of yelling because it's just

he who was able to discern falsehood immediately that there's a certain

kingdom there's a certain culture to the church that he doesn't like. There's a

culture within I mean within Canada within our church community within Acts

29 that there's a church culture a kingdom culture that is true that is

right that people look at and say this is what I want. But then at the same time

there's there the world's culture and that the culture that they're into that

they say well you know but I really like doing drugs and I really like not having

to go to church. I think the point Mark is trying to make is that this guy sees a way a

certain people are living and he is beginning to embrace that. I pray God

that when it comes to us as a body and may this body keep growing so that more

and more are embraced in it. I pray that there be no difference between what we

do out there and in here. There can't be a difference. There should not be a

difference. This is just one of the activities of a people called the people

of God. May there be no difference so that there's no two cultures called

kingdom and church that it be one and that people be embraced into this that

it keeps growing keeps growing. Guys keep me in line and I'll keep you in line.

You have what awaits us is glorious. I know I've said that at different points

in our lives but I'm saying that again to you. What awaits us is glorious. A

normal God is going to function through very ordinary people. Look at him. Can

they come more ordinary? I got a haircut. That was his distinguishing thing this

week. He got a haircut. You see how ordinary he is but he is evangelist Mark

and Jeff is going to be affected by it. So let's just sing the King of Love and

then we'll go home. When you come to my lover's breath is sweetest wine know

that it is in the song of songs. I didn't come up with it.