WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.500 We need to address the tragedy from this last week. 00:05.900 --> 00:08.900 If you could give me control of the PowerPoint, that would be great. 00:12.420 --> 00:15.280 It's something that has brought up a lot of questions. 00:17.340 --> 00:19.320 It's brought up a lot of response. 00:22.280 --> 00:26.680 And something we need to talk about a little bit and see if we can weigh through this a bit. 00:27.300 --> 00:33.700 I'm not going to take a lot of time and talk about Charlie or his wife or his family. 00:35.260 --> 00:41.100 There is so much online that is so much better than anything I could say. 00:42.460 --> 00:47.340 So there's really no point in me adding anything to it. I didn't personally know him. 00:47.880 --> 00:50.040 I saw him from a distance like most of us did. 00:51.580 --> 00:53.900 So I'm not going to take much time there. 00:57.700 --> 01:01.480 There's other things we need to talk about that have to deal with this. 01:02.320 --> 01:07.360 However, I do want to stop right here and pray for his wife and children. 01:08.800 --> 01:10.960 So if you want to agree with me in that, just stand. 01:11.980 --> 01:19.240 Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have sent your spirit to comfort us 01:19.240 --> 01:27.000 to walk alongside us, to be with us, especially in times like this. 01:27.820 --> 01:32.060 And Lord, we come into agreement for Erica and for their children 01:33.100 --> 01:37.800 that by your spirit you take them through this. 01:38.020 --> 01:42.200 I know you have people around them and I know you have people there that are supporting, 01:43.360 --> 01:46.600 but people can't reach into the deepest part of the heart. 01:47.340 --> 01:48.180 You can. 01:48.960 --> 01:53.520 And we're coming into agreement with, I'm sure, many, many people this morning 01:53.520 --> 01:56.780 for her and the children. 01:58.480 --> 02:02.440 That number one, they are able to reconcile this in their minds. 02:03.200 --> 02:07.820 And secondly, that they are able to wrap around what you, Holy Spirit, 02:07.940 --> 02:10.020 want them to pull out of this. 02:10.520 --> 02:13.900 And as the children grow older, they're able to understand it 02:13.900 --> 02:15.980 and wrap themselves around it. 02:16.140 --> 02:22.300 And there will be no hesitancy or stumbling by any of them concerning living for you. 02:23.300 --> 02:29.760 Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus that all her needs and the family's needs 02:29.760 --> 02:34.240 are supplied according to your riches and glory. 02:34.860 --> 02:42.180 We call for her to be better off financially after this than they were before. 02:42.180 --> 02:44.660 In Jesus' name. 02:45.520 --> 02:50.320 That is something we are asking she never has to worry about. 02:50.740 --> 02:56.300 It is taken care of and supplied for in Jesus' name. 02:57.120 --> 02:57.320 Amen. 02:58.080 --> 02:59.840 Amen. You can be seated. 03:05.780 --> 03:07.820 This one was costly. 03:08.560 --> 03:09.100 Everybody... 03:13.460 --> 03:16.860 I'm trying to word this in a way so I don't offend anybody. 03:20.960 --> 03:25.600 Everybody who is operating in the kingdom and flowing in their gifts, 03:26.060 --> 03:29.780 when they're taken out it's costly to the kingdom, it's costly to the church. 03:30.640 --> 03:32.860 In his case, it's costly to this country. 03:32.860 --> 03:36.140 And this verse addresses that, 03:37.160 --> 03:39.800 precious in the sight of the Lord of the death of his saints, 03:40.120 --> 03:42.860 that word precious is not... 03:43.400 --> 03:45.540 Oh, isn't it a precious thing? 03:46.200 --> 03:47.740 Isn't she just precious? 03:48.280 --> 03:49.900 Isn't that a precious puppy? 03:50.640 --> 03:51.920 That's not what that means. 03:52.100 --> 03:53.780 It's actually a really bad translation. 03:54.360 --> 03:56.320 I don't know why they translated it that way. 03:57.100 --> 04:01.080 The word precious there means something that is extremely valuable. 04:01.080 --> 04:06.240 It goes back again to the thought of a diamond in brightness. 04:07.060 --> 04:09.260 It's a clear diamond, it's far more costly. 04:10.340 --> 04:13.260 It comes from the root word 3365, 04:14.140 --> 04:17.080 which it's a primitive word, which means it's a root word. 04:18.060 --> 04:21.980 To be heavy, figuratively valuable, 04:22.440 --> 04:25.260 something that's rare, prized. 04:26.120 --> 04:27.940 Again, the thought going back, 04:28.160 --> 04:30.320 you can compare it to like a diamond in your mind. 04:30.320 --> 04:32.720 It's extremely valuable. 04:33.160 --> 04:35.940 It's the more carrots, the heavier it is, 04:36.160 --> 04:38.140 the more valuable it is. 04:38.840 --> 04:42.920 That's what that word precious means. 04:45.500 --> 04:49.220 The word yaquar, however it's pronounced, 04:49.560 --> 04:53.040 means precious, costly, valuable, rare, or honored. 04:53.760 --> 04:56.020 It conveys something of great worth, 04:56.320 --> 04:58.400 whether material, moral, or spiritual. 04:59.340 --> 05:01.540 Connotations of it, it often refers to something 05:01.540 --> 05:03.560 highly esteemed, treasured, or expensive 05:03.560 --> 05:06.180 due to its rarity or significance. 05:07.260 --> 05:08.220 And I'm going to stop right there, 05:08.420 --> 05:11.120 and it's easy to apply that to Charlie Kirk. 05:11.740 --> 05:13.180 His rarity and significance. 05:14.640 --> 05:18.100 But that applies to each one of us 05:18.900 --> 05:22.640 if we get into the purpose we're on this earth for. 05:24.280 --> 05:27.480 Because there are no two people in the kingdom of God 05:27.480 --> 05:28.040 who are alike. 05:29.600 --> 05:31.480 Everybody is custom built. 05:33.220 --> 05:36.760 And everybody has a specific purpose or reason 05:36.760 --> 05:38.580 to walk out, including all of us. 05:40.320 --> 05:42.260 And the more we walk that out, 05:42.600 --> 05:46.140 the more valuable we are to the kingdom 05:46.140 --> 05:48.980 and to what Jesus is trying to do on this earth. 05:49.480 --> 05:53.500 And when we leave, it's costly. 05:54.500 --> 05:56.820 Because somebody else has to come in and replace that. 05:57.660 --> 05:59.260 Or you lose it forever. 06:00.480 --> 06:02.380 So don't just put in your mind, 06:02.540 --> 06:04.460 well this is all about Charlie this morning. 06:04.600 --> 06:06.700 No, this is taking something that happened 06:06.700 --> 06:08.380 and we're going to open it up 06:08.380 --> 06:09.460 and we're going to talk about it. 06:09.840 --> 06:12.720 And that right there, something that is highly 06:13.460 --> 06:14.940 esteemed, treasured, or expensive 06:14.940 --> 06:17.400 due to its significance. 06:18.180 --> 06:21.440 And the flags in my way, I can't read that. 06:21.440 --> 06:24.880 Rarity, that's you. 06:26.200 --> 06:27.200 Say that's me. 06:28.520 --> 06:30.340 You're extremely valuable. 06:32.240 --> 06:35.440 It can describe tangible objects like gems or metals, 06:35.580 --> 06:36.880 see that's what I was talking about, like diamonds, 06:37.440 --> 06:42.460 or intangible qualities like wisdom or life. 06:43.440 --> 06:45.160 So what happened this last week 06:45.160 --> 06:48.020 with the assassination of Charlie 06:48.600 --> 06:50.600 was extremely costly 06:51.260 --> 06:52.740 to the kingdom of God 06:52.740 --> 06:54.420 and to this body. 06:56.900 --> 06:59.040 That doesn't mean there's defeat 06:59.040 --> 07:00.440 tied into that at all. 07:00.820 --> 07:02.600 So we're going to open that up a bit. 07:03.840 --> 07:06.220 I don't want to be inconsiderate 07:06.220 --> 07:08.920 and preempt 07:11.640 --> 07:13.520 the time to speak on this 07:13.520 --> 07:15.220 because people are, you know, 07:15.280 --> 07:16.480 there's a lot of sadness, 07:16.480 --> 07:18.680 there's grief concerning this, 07:18.880 --> 07:19.560 a lot of shock. 07:20.680 --> 07:22.940 So I'm not trying to preempt, 07:23.360 --> 07:25.460 you know, if you need room to work through that, 07:25.560 --> 07:27.200 that's fine, I'm not trying to stop that. 07:28.200 --> 07:29.760 However, I have found 07:31.100 --> 07:33.380 people listen the best at funerals. 07:34.700 --> 07:36.720 If you're going to give a salvation message, 07:37.440 --> 07:38.100 do it at a funeral. 07:38.820 --> 07:41.140 Because boy, the heart is open 07:41.140 --> 07:43.080 because all of a sudden we're pulled out 07:43.080 --> 07:44.920 of our fantasy life 07:44.920 --> 07:47.000 and we're faced with, oh, yeah, 07:47.960 --> 07:49.000 eternity is coming. 07:50.080 --> 07:52.080 And that's kind of what happened this week. 07:53.180 --> 07:55.840 So I want to deal with some of this stuff 07:55.840 --> 07:58.160 because there's grief going on. 07:58.320 --> 08:00.260 Things are happening in people's heart 08:00.260 --> 08:02.240 and people's lives, whether saved, unsaved. 08:02.820 --> 08:04.540 There's a lot of good things happening. 08:05.460 --> 08:07.060 There's, if you're following online, 08:07.240 --> 08:08.720 in fact, I'll just show a clip this morning 08:08.720 --> 08:11.780 of some of the reaction of what's happened 08:11.780 --> 08:14.880 and happening. There's a lot of good things happening. 08:15.620 --> 08:17.180 Hang on to your bootstraps, honey. 08:17.260 --> 08:18.840 This isn't going to go down unchallenged. 08:18.880 --> 08:21.580 There's going to be some pushback on this also. 08:22.040 --> 08:22.920 There's been a little. 08:24.380 --> 08:25.660 And, you know, people, 08:26.360 --> 08:27.420 you've probably heard this. 08:28.200 --> 08:29.980 Some people, especially some commentators 08:29.980 --> 08:31.380 opened their mouths too soon. 08:32.580 --> 08:34.260 And one guy said, 08:35.080 --> 08:36.660 well, when you talk like that, 08:37.480 --> 08:38.700 this is what you get. 08:39.780 --> 08:40.920 Which is like, 08:42.520 --> 08:44.760 I thought we had freedom of speech in America. 08:46.320 --> 08:48.600 And we don't have to be afraid of being shot 08:48.600 --> 08:50.320 because we express our opinion. 08:52.840 --> 08:54.760 Needless to say, this guy was fired 08:54.760 --> 08:56.180 that same day. 08:58.820 --> 09:01.120 So there's, you know, there's things going on, 09:01.200 --> 09:02.520 but there's going to be pushback 09:04.080 --> 09:06.240 on what God is doing right now. 09:06.380 --> 09:07.760 The enemy's not going to just lay down 09:07.760 --> 09:08.840 and go, oh, this is great. 09:09.560 --> 09:10.820 There's going to be pushback. 09:12.600 --> 09:15.620 However, as people go through their shock 09:15.620 --> 09:16.540 and through the grieving, 09:16.960 --> 09:18.600 this is something I've come to realize. 09:20.380 --> 09:22.180 When grieving comes to an end, 09:22.980 --> 09:25.280 the process the person went through 09:25.280 --> 09:29.100 tends to produce something that lasts a long time. 09:30.540 --> 09:33.480 There's going to be results coming out of 09:34.180 --> 09:37.160 what just happened in individual people. 09:38.100 --> 09:39.620 Those results can be good 09:40.500 --> 09:42.480 or those results can be bad. 09:44.400 --> 09:46.940 There's people who will have nothing to do 09:46.940 --> 09:48.560 with God all their lives 09:48.560 --> 09:49.920 because when they were little, 09:50.160 --> 09:52.880 grandma died and they prayed and asked God 09:52.880 --> 09:54.740 that she wouldn't and she died anyway. 09:55.380 --> 09:57.640 And that process of grief 09:58.340 --> 10:00.100 cemented in the fact in them, 10:00.300 --> 10:01.420 I want nothing to do with God. 10:05.520 --> 10:07.560 And then there's people who come through 10:07.560 --> 10:10.020 grief situations and it's like 10:10.020 --> 10:13.540 they almost deify the person. 10:13.760 --> 10:16.160 That's how they come out of that grief process. 10:16.620 --> 10:19.580 And it's like these people had no flaws. 10:19.800 --> 10:20.780 These people were perfect. 10:20.980 --> 10:22.440 These people did everything right. 10:22.620 --> 10:25.600 They never did or said a bad thing in their life. 10:25.960 --> 10:28.340 And you're going, yeah, that ain't right either. 10:31.040 --> 10:33.240 Surprise, surprise, even Charlie had issues. 10:36.310 --> 10:37.150 We all do. 10:41.530 --> 10:42.890 I mean, we all got issues. 10:44.470 --> 10:46.170 But see, when you come through the grief process, 10:46.350 --> 10:48.310 it tends to solidify something. 10:48.470 --> 10:50.490 It produces something in the person. 10:51.230 --> 10:52.190 Some people turn inward. 10:52.430 --> 10:53.210 They go to self-pity. 10:53.350 --> 10:54.150 They go to depression. 10:54.390 --> 10:56.610 And they never shake it for the rest of their life. 10:56.750 --> 10:59.110 They never really get over it. 11:00.770 --> 11:02.910 So when grieving comes to an end, 11:02.990 --> 11:04.450 the process the person went through 11:04.450 --> 11:05.870 tends to produce something. 11:08.090 --> 11:11.290 Right now, the question is this. 11:11.450 --> 11:15.490 When this is passed, will something have been produced 11:15.490 --> 11:17.690 in us for the good? 11:21.810 --> 11:24.530 Us, I'm talking us and whoever is watching online. 11:25.190 --> 11:27.390 Will something have been produced for the good? 11:27.730 --> 11:30.130 Will we have been motivated for the good? 11:30.390 --> 11:31.610 Right now it's fresh. 11:32.370 --> 11:36.110 And everybody is like, yeah, Jesus, yeah, 11:36.110 --> 11:38.710 we're going to live for God, yeah, because it's fresh. 11:38.890 --> 11:40.630 And the emotion is running high. 11:42.550 --> 11:44.910 Will that remain intact a year from now? 11:47.270 --> 11:48.630 That's what I want to talk about. 11:52.310 --> 11:53.850 Emotion is a motivator. 11:56.370 --> 12:01.690 It will cause people to do things and move forward. 12:01.910 --> 12:03.350 Why do you think at ball games, 12:04.150 --> 12:06.390 the parents standing beside 12:06.390 --> 12:08.810 are just screaming and going crazy? 12:10.390 --> 12:13.930 Because they know if their child hears them, 12:15.310 --> 12:17.030 it's going to motivate their children. 12:18.950 --> 12:21.810 Or they know if the ref hears them 12:21.810 --> 12:22.970 calling out a bad call. 12:23.230 --> 12:24.070 That was horrible. 12:26.350 --> 12:30.050 Hopefully that motivates him or her to wake up, 12:30.870 --> 12:32.570 make a better call next time around. 12:33.410 --> 12:34.770 Emotion motivates. 12:35.670 --> 12:38.870 Logic is the thing that stabilizes and focuses. 12:40.570 --> 12:43.270 Right now we're in a very emotional time. 12:45.010 --> 12:49.590 This has to shake out into some focused decisions 12:49.590 --> 12:52.090 that are not based on emotion. 12:52.630 --> 12:55.430 They're based on this is what needs to be done. 12:55.850 --> 12:59.050 This is what's right to carry this out in longevity. 12:59.930 --> 13:02.290 Or we'll lose the emotion and we'll lose everything 13:02.290 --> 13:04.890 that just happened and it'll all fall by the wayside. 13:06.470 --> 13:07.830 When this has passed, 13:08.810 --> 13:11.350 what will have been motivated in us for the good? 13:14.240 --> 13:16.760 The emotion needs to cross over to logic. 13:18.200 --> 13:21.100 That's what will lock in and cause us to be focused 13:21.100 --> 13:22.440 and do something for a lifetime. 13:24.920 --> 13:26.640 So that's what I want to talk about. 13:26.900 --> 13:28.840 I want to dwell on that a little bit this morning, 13:28.960 --> 13:31.220 but to do that we also have to answer some questions 13:31.220 --> 13:32.120 as we go through. 13:32.840 --> 13:34.720 So when you're dealing with martyrdom, 13:34.800 --> 13:37.060 and that's how I look at this situation this last week, 13:37.120 --> 13:38.300 that was a martyr situation. 13:39.180 --> 13:41.220 And I'll explain why as we go on. 13:41.740 --> 13:43.540 But when you're dealing with martyrdom, 13:44.920 --> 13:48.380 there's some principles around martyrdom. 13:49.100 --> 13:52.600 From God's side, that are absolutely huge. 13:55.300 --> 13:59.060 Here is... I'm not going to dwell on a bunch of them. 13:59.080 --> 14:00.920 I'm just pulling this one for this morning. 14:00.920 --> 14:05.160 I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground 14:05.160 --> 14:07.040 and dies, it remains alone. 14:08.220 --> 14:11.020 But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 14:12.400 --> 14:16.280 Since the fall, see, before Adam and Eve sinned, 14:16.500 --> 14:18.520 that principle wasn't around at all. 14:18.800 --> 14:19.940 Because there was no death. 14:21.480 --> 14:25.820 But since the fall, that is a spiritual law. 14:26.560 --> 14:28.080 That's a spiritual principle. 14:28.080 --> 14:30.820 That's how the kingdom of God works. 14:31.260 --> 14:33.320 That's how things work on this earth. 14:35.740 --> 14:39.440 If you want a plant of some kind and you plant the seed, 14:41.040 --> 14:42.240 corn, whatever. 14:43.480 --> 14:47.060 That seed has to die to produce. 14:48.560 --> 14:51.120 It's the way the system is set up, 14:51.340 --> 14:54.340 and it's set up the same way in the kingdom of God. 14:55.500 --> 15:00.480 The Holy Spirit was given to produce that in us. 15:03.400 --> 15:05.140 And don't just think martyr now. 15:05.780 --> 15:07.620 The physical death martyr. 15:08.060 --> 15:09.340 I'm going to open that up a bit. 15:10.040 --> 15:13.580 The Holy Spirit was given to help us die. 15:14.940 --> 15:19.800 Because until we die to ourselves, we will abide alone. 15:20.100 --> 15:21.680 But if we can die to ourselves, 15:21.780 --> 15:24.040 now all of a sudden we will begin to produce. 15:25.440 --> 15:29.320 Things that were never possible were going to be produced before. 15:30.040 --> 15:32.360 So the Holy Spirit was given to do that. 15:32.420 --> 15:33.900 And there's various forms of death. 15:34.960 --> 15:36.420 You got dying to self, 15:36.880 --> 15:39.760 which is basically dying to your own goals, your dreams, 15:40.020 --> 15:42.360 your plans, your priorities. 15:42.820 --> 15:44.780 This is what I always wanted to do. 15:45.280 --> 15:47.140 This is what I always wanted to have. 15:47.760 --> 15:51.820 This is taking all that and putting it second to God 15:51.820 --> 15:54.720 and saying, God, what do you want first for me? 15:56.460 --> 15:59.960 And letting this get into a position where, 16:00.780 --> 16:03.980 well, if it never happens in my lifetime, I'm good at that. 16:07.080 --> 16:10.920 If my plan or my priority never happens, 16:11.180 --> 16:14.900 I'll let it die to do what he's asking me to do. 16:15.980 --> 16:19.460 The Holy Spirit was given for that to be accomplished in us. 16:19.960 --> 16:22.340 And then that goes all the way up to physical death. 16:22.500 --> 16:23.340 Let me show it to you. 16:25.720 --> 16:28.700 And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you 16:28.700 --> 16:30.020 and you shall be witnesses. 16:30.340 --> 16:32.380 That word, witness, in the Greek is martyrs. 16:32.640 --> 16:33.440 I wrote it in there. 16:34.660 --> 16:36.340 You shall be witnesses to me and Jerusalem 16:36.340 --> 16:38.540 and all Judea, Samaria, the end of the earth. 16:40.040 --> 16:42.520 What does that word mean, martyrs? 16:43.680 --> 16:47.720 The English word martyr comes from the Greek word martyrs, 16:47.720 --> 16:52.600 which originally meant witness or one who testifies. 16:53.240 --> 16:55.680 In the New Testament and early Christian context, 16:55.860 --> 16:58.820 it came to refer to those who bore witness to their faith in Christ, 16:59.160 --> 17:01.880 often through suffering or death, 17:02.180 --> 17:05.860 leading to the modern association with someone who dies 17:05.860 --> 17:08.560 for their beliefs they're called martyrs. 17:09.900 --> 17:11.300 That's Acts 1-8. 17:13.220 --> 17:15.360 And you will receive power, 17:15.360 --> 17:19.280 or dunamis when the Holy Spirit comes upon you to make you die. 17:23.200 --> 17:26.560 That's the main reason Jesus said the Holy Spirit was given. 17:28.560 --> 17:31.280 To cause us to die to ourselves, 17:31.620 --> 17:34.120 which is kind of the lowest form of death, 17:34.860 --> 17:36.800 all the way up to physical murders. 17:38.560 --> 17:41.140 Without His help... 17:43.660 --> 17:46.340 I could use a saying I used in the past and you laughed at. 17:51.900 --> 17:54.980 Without His help, we will just avoid it. 17:55.260 --> 17:56.320 Let me say it that way. 18:00.500 --> 18:02.140 I'm not going to go back there again. 18:04.900 --> 18:06.700 Without the Holy Spirit help, 18:07.060 --> 18:10.180 we're not willing to do the work in us 18:10.180 --> 18:13.440 that will produce Jesus first, 18:14.080 --> 18:16.920 us second, third, fifth, or last, wherever we fit. 18:18.080 --> 18:21.160 That's the Holy Spirit's primary job. 18:22.560 --> 18:27.200 That's why when John the Baptist announced him for, you know, 18:28.020 --> 18:28.720 Here's Jesus. 18:30.400 --> 18:33.020 He's the one who's going to baptize you at the Holy Spirit. 18:33.900 --> 18:35.920 His winnowing fork is in His hand 18:35.920 --> 18:37.680 and the fire is going to burn up the chaff. 18:37.880 --> 18:38.680 What's He talking about? 18:38.960 --> 18:42.240 Everything in us that because of sin shouldn't be there. 18:42.980 --> 18:44.700 The first thing John the Baptist announced, 18:45.400 --> 18:48.980 the Holy Spirit is here to get rid of all that stuff in us. 18:50.040 --> 18:51.600 The first thing is not tongues. 18:51.940 --> 18:53.600 The first thing is not the gifts of the Spirit. 18:54.100 --> 18:59.560 The first thing is power to become a martyr, to die. 19:00.000 --> 19:01.580 So let's open that up a little bit. 19:03.120 --> 19:06.580 The first level of death is death to self. 19:10.790 --> 19:13.410 The first level of death is death to self. 19:13.410 --> 19:18.070 Every one of us has to face this and deal with this. 19:20.050 --> 19:23.610 Not my will, thine be done. 19:25.050 --> 19:29.530 Go back to that definition at the end there. 19:29.730 --> 19:34.630 It says at the end of the capitalized, 19:34.790 --> 19:37.410 through faith in Christ, often through suffering or death. 19:37.750 --> 19:42.090 What does it say in 1 Peter 4 verse 1 through 3? 19:44.870 --> 19:47.370 When we suffer in our body, 19:48.390 --> 19:50.890 and it's talking about saying no to sin, 19:51.070 --> 19:55.350 when we suffer we are done with or dead to sin. 19:58.640 --> 20:00.360 It's another way of talking about, 20:00.540 --> 20:01.640 yeah, you got to die to that. 20:02.440 --> 20:04.680 You can't keep living that way. 20:05.500 --> 20:11.100 You have to die to the desires of the flesh, the sin, that whole thing. 20:11.360 --> 20:12.280 You got to die to it. 20:12.360 --> 20:14.160 And there is suffering involved, 20:14.160 --> 20:17.140 which makes us martyrs. 20:20.970 --> 20:22.570 That's why the Holy Spirit was given, 20:24.030 --> 20:27.770 to sanctify us, to change us, to grow us. 20:28.950 --> 20:30.690 And there's suffering involved in that. 20:32.570 --> 20:35.630 There's going to be some tears shed over that 20:35.630 --> 20:37.390 if we actually follow God. 20:39.070 --> 20:40.970 Because we all have our own plans. 20:41.110 --> 20:42.750 We all have our own things we want to do. 20:42.830 --> 20:45.770 We all have everything that we want to see happen. 20:47.870 --> 20:50.510 And God says, no, I want you doing this. 20:50.630 --> 20:51.530 You're on the earth for this. 20:51.610 --> 20:52.890 This is my purpose for you. 20:54.350 --> 20:55.470 Now the war is on. 20:55.750 --> 20:56.690 Now the suffering is on. 20:57.670 --> 20:59.050 And are we going to die to it? 20:59.070 --> 20:59.990 Or are we going to get stubborn? 21:01.090 --> 21:02.790 And say, well, I don't really care what God wants. 21:02.990 --> 21:04.830 You know, I feel like God wants me to do this, 21:04.870 --> 21:06.230 but then I have to give up all that. 21:06.530 --> 21:07.910 And I'm going to give up all that. 21:11.950 --> 21:14.650 Well, giving it up is what turns us into a martyr 21:14.650 --> 21:17.710 on an everyday process of, 21:19.130 --> 21:21.490 hey, there's some things God asks of us. 21:22.570 --> 21:25.390 There's some things that God asks of Charlie and Erika, 21:25.550 --> 21:27.050 which are going to be brought up later. 21:29.130 --> 21:31.090 And you come to the point of saying, 21:31.170 --> 21:31.990 will I choose? 21:32.110 --> 21:35.150 And you've got to make that choice a very non-emotional choice. 21:36.250 --> 21:37.890 Because tomorrow when you wake up 21:37.890 --> 21:39.270 and the emotion is not there, 21:39.850 --> 21:41.590 the choice has to stand. 21:43.030 --> 21:44.890 The decision has to stand. 21:45.670 --> 21:49.890 And that's the thing that affects people 21:49.890 --> 21:53.470 is when we're willing to die to something in our life 21:53.470 --> 21:55.510 for the sake of Christ or for the sake of the kingdom. 21:57.750 --> 21:59.390 I read, you know, I'm going back, 22:00.050 --> 22:02.690 just had the 50th class reunion this summer, 22:02.730 --> 22:04.430 so I'm going back 50 some years here. 22:05.390 --> 22:07.710 And the principal called me into the office 22:07.710 --> 22:08.430 and he said, 22:11.010 --> 22:14.270 so what do you plan to be once you get, 22:14.370 --> 22:15.430 what are you going to college for? 22:17.050 --> 22:20.670 And I said, well, I think I'm going to be a minister. 22:24.430 --> 22:25.410 What? You're going to be a what? 22:26.350 --> 22:26.910 A minister. 22:29.970 --> 22:31.210 I knew you wouldn't like it. 22:31.950 --> 22:32.910 I said, I think I'm going to be a minister. 22:34.570 --> 22:35.390 And he didn't like it. 22:35.810 --> 22:36.570 He said, are you sure? 22:38.050 --> 22:41.150 He said, because you've got the capability 22:41.150 --> 22:42.670 of doing anything you want to do in life. 22:44.250 --> 22:45.590 Why would you waste it on that? 22:49.570 --> 22:52.310 See, now that gets in your head as a teenager. 22:54.310 --> 22:56.930 Just that statement will get in your head going, 22:57.610 --> 22:58.350 well, maybe he's right. 22:59.050 --> 22:59.870 Maybe this is stupid. 23:00.810 --> 23:01.970 Maybe I shouldn't do this. 23:02.510 --> 23:04.030 Maybe it wasn't God at all anyway. 23:04.750 --> 23:07.810 Because look at all the things I could have, 23:07.810 --> 23:09.250 life I could have. 23:10.090 --> 23:12.190 Or if I go in ministry, this is what I'm going to have. 23:13.350 --> 23:14.750 And it starts messing with you. 23:16.350 --> 23:18.670 And then you know the best way to miss God 23:19.990 --> 23:21.850 is stop getting into his presence. 23:25.270 --> 23:27.010 Get away from your devotional life. 23:27.550 --> 23:29.670 Get away from any services like this 23:29.670 --> 23:31.610 where the Holy Spirit's going to tap you on the shoulder 23:31.610 --> 23:32.290 and talk to you. 23:33.430 --> 23:35.230 Stop getting into his presence. 23:35.450 --> 23:36.770 Stop pushing that direction 23:36.770 --> 23:38.330 and guaranteed you'll miss God. 23:39.910 --> 23:42.050 But when you take all that confusion 23:42.050 --> 23:43.950 and everything that's wrapped up in the head 23:43.950 --> 23:49.010 and then you get back into his presence, 23:50.930 --> 23:54.650 all that stuff you just know that you know that you know yet, 23:54.910 --> 23:56.710 that's not right, that's not it. 23:57.510 --> 23:58.390 That's man's opinion. 23:59.830 --> 24:01.930 This is what God's asking me to do. 24:02.850 --> 24:05.910 And I have to, he's asking me to sacrifice that. 24:08.740 --> 24:10.460 Die to it. Let it go. 24:12.200 --> 24:13.800 And do what he's asking me to do. 24:15.960 --> 24:19.320 People, that has a real strong effect on people. 24:20.000 --> 24:21.320 They don't always understand it. 24:21.400 --> 24:22.840 Most time they don't understand it. 24:24.320 --> 24:27.080 Why we would give something up for the sake of the kingdom? 24:27.340 --> 24:29.380 For Christ, in fact, if you go to 1 Peter 4, 24:29.480 --> 24:30.820 the first three verses deal with 24:30.820 --> 24:33.880 he who has suffered in his body has done with sin, 24:34.000 --> 24:35.940 no longer lives his life for his own will, 24:36.080 --> 24:38.600 but for God's will, verse 4 says, 24:39.380 --> 24:41.520 and people looking in won't get it. 24:43.240 --> 24:45.060 Verse 4, right after that says, 24:47.180 --> 24:49.640 they're not going to understand why you're doing this. 24:49.980 --> 24:51.880 So just realize that right up front. 24:52.000 --> 24:53.160 People are going to look at you like, 24:53.220 --> 24:55.140 what, no world is wrong with you. 24:56.680 --> 24:59.280 As we die to ourselves. 24:59.280 --> 25:02.140 And of course, that can lead all the way up to 25:02.140 --> 25:04.600 physical death, level of martyrdom, 25:04.680 --> 25:07.280 really, really makes that type of martyrdom 25:07.280 --> 25:10.840 really, really makes the point of bearing witness to our faith, 25:11.160 --> 25:14.900 even through suffering or death like that definition said. 25:16.140 --> 25:18.840 See, martyrdom can be summed up in this little phrase, 25:18.980 --> 25:20.680 to be seen and heard at all costs, 25:20.860 --> 25:22.080 even to the point of death. 25:23.780 --> 25:28.100 So now, there's some people that are putting out some clips 25:28.100 --> 25:30.320 that I'm paying far more attention to than others. 25:31.020 --> 25:32.620 And Mark Driscoll put out a clip. 25:33.480 --> 25:35.080 Maybe some of you saw it, maybe you didn't. 25:35.260 --> 25:38.360 But he put out a clip where he was talking about 25:38.360 --> 25:39.380 Charlie and Erica. 25:39.780 --> 25:43.780 He had gotten into a type of a mentoring situation 25:43.780 --> 25:45.620 with Charlie. 25:47.000 --> 25:49.180 And Charlie was, because there were some shifts 25:49.180 --> 25:51.280 in the future that Charlie was feeling that 25:51.280 --> 25:52.380 he might need to make. 25:52.760 --> 25:54.740 And he pulled Mark in on that, 25:54.740 --> 25:56.260 and he was talking with him. 25:57.440 --> 26:00.220 And he said he had just set up a half-day meeting 26:00.220 --> 26:02.900 with me to go over some stuff on theological things 26:03.880 --> 26:06.880 because he felt he was going to get pulled more into apologetics, 26:06.980 --> 26:08.820 which is the defense of the gospel, 26:09.140 --> 26:10.680 defense of the word. 26:11.200 --> 26:13.660 And he wanted to run some things past me and so forth. 26:14.140 --> 26:15.900 And he said, something happened. 26:16.020 --> 26:17.480 I don't remember what the situation was. 26:17.580 --> 26:18.420 He said, but he called me. 26:19.120 --> 26:21.140 And he said, hey, you want to come over 26:21.140 --> 26:23.180 and meet the vice president? 26:23.600 --> 26:25.240 So there was something going on in town, 26:25.900 --> 26:27.440 and J.D. Vance was in town, 26:30.360 --> 26:33.580 and Vance had invited Charlie 26:33.580 --> 26:35.360 to come be part of what that was. 26:36.020 --> 26:36.980 And they were together, 26:37.280 --> 26:39.440 and it just kind of crossed Charlie's mind. 26:39.540 --> 26:41.120 He said, hey, can I invite somebody? 26:41.200 --> 26:42.520 So he invited Mark Driscoll. 26:43.200 --> 26:44.260 So he said, yeah, I'll come. 26:44.540 --> 26:46.720 And he came, he said, I walked in the door 26:48.300 --> 26:49.760 and Charlie greeted me. 26:50.580 --> 26:52.340 And he said the first thing he said to me, 26:53.740 --> 26:55.360 according to the, he was shaking his hand. 26:55.420 --> 26:56.880 He said, according to the information I'm getting, 26:57.140 --> 26:58.820 they're either going to try to kill me 26:59.220 --> 27:00.440 or they're going to incarcerate me. 27:03.160 --> 27:05.260 That was his greeting to Mark Driscoll, 27:07.020 --> 27:10.620 which I'm sure kind of trying to read 27:10.620 --> 27:11.400 between the lines. 27:12.180 --> 27:14.600 He got that information from the vice president 27:14.600 --> 27:15.760 who was standing behind him, 27:17.060 --> 27:18.900 because the vice president has access 27:18.900 --> 27:21.080 to everything the FBI knows and everything else. 27:23.240 --> 27:26.040 And he said, yep, they're either going to try to kill me 27:26.040 --> 27:27.500 or they're going to try to throw me in prison. 27:28.420 --> 27:29.560 They're going to shut me up. 27:30.880 --> 27:32.500 Okay, now stop and think about that. 27:36.230 --> 27:38.270 Did that detour him whatsoever? 27:38.910 --> 27:39.230 No. 27:40.550 --> 27:40.990 Why? 27:41.730 --> 27:44.190 Not because of the emotion and the excitement 27:44.190 --> 27:45.310 of I could die. 27:46.570 --> 27:47.730 Oh, this is going to be awesome. 27:48.770 --> 27:49.210 No. 27:50.250 --> 27:51.730 He knew what he was here for. 27:52.290 --> 27:55.210 His wife had to agree with that. 27:58.140 --> 27:59.460 They were on the same page. 27:59.600 --> 28:01.540 In her statement, she as much as said, 28:01.680 --> 28:02.900 hey, we were on the same page. 28:02.980 --> 28:04.660 We knew the dangers. We knew the risks. 28:05.440 --> 28:07.260 Well, they had been warned by the vice president. 28:09.300 --> 28:11.040 There's people who are planning to kill you. 28:11.620 --> 28:13.100 You're too big a problem to them. 28:14.860 --> 28:16.540 He went home and shared that with her. 28:17.680 --> 28:18.620 And what did she do? 28:19.000 --> 28:20.620 She tried to talk him out of his ministry. 28:21.640 --> 28:22.120 No. 28:23.800 --> 28:24.280 No. 28:24.900 --> 28:26.180 They counted the cost and said, 28:26.240 --> 28:27.120 well, if it's death, 28:28.020 --> 28:28.980 then it's death. 28:30.220 --> 28:32.240 But you have to be seen and heard because 28:32.240 --> 28:33.680 that's what God's asking you to do. 28:36.800 --> 28:38.500 That's martyr mentality. 28:40.380 --> 28:41.580 So both levels, 28:41.780 --> 28:43.320 the level that you and I face 28:43.320 --> 28:44.980 on a daily basis, 28:45.360 --> 28:47.300 the dying to self 28:47.300 --> 28:49.180 and choosing to do it God's way 28:49.180 --> 28:50.240 rather than our way. 28:50.520 --> 28:52.500 And when he says you got to let go of that 28:52.500 --> 28:54.540 certain realm of the way you're living sin, etc. 28:56.880 --> 28:57.900 That's martyrdom. 28:58.840 --> 29:01.020 And it goes up from there to 29:01.020 --> 29:02.440 losing friends, 29:03.060 --> 29:05.700 losing family. Jesus talked about all those. 29:06.720 --> 29:07.280 Follow me. 29:08.540 --> 29:10.300 Your parents are going to be against you. 29:10.420 --> 29:11.760 Your siblings are going to be against you. 29:12.200 --> 29:13.180 It goes up to betrayal. 29:14.100 --> 29:15.480 I mean, it just marches up 29:15.480 --> 29:17.620 to the point of 29:18.360 --> 29:19.700 physical death murder. 29:21.620 --> 29:23.920 This is by God's 29:23.920 --> 29:24.740 design. 29:26.280 --> 29:26.920 Because 29:27.220 --> 29:29.580 the system that he's been handed with sin 29:29.580 --> 29:30.400 and everything else, 29:31.320 --> 29:33.620 this is how the kingdom of God 29:33.620 --> 29:34.120 advances. 29:37.490 --> 29:38.870 This is how it advances. 29:39.830 --> 29:41.210 If you and I 29:41.210 --> 29:43.070 are not willing to die to our 29:43.070 --> 29:44.390 self and put Jesus first, 29:44.390 --> 29:46.390 the kingdom of God will not advance 29:46.390 --> 29:47.170 in our lives. 29:48.130 --> 29:49.790 It will be locked down. 29:51.930 --> 29:53.190 It all depends on 29:53.190 --> 29:54.670 are we willing to give 29:55.330 --> 29:57.130 the reins, the driver's 29:57.130 --> 29:58.130 seat over to him 29:58.130 --> 29:59.510 and we follow? 30:00.830 --> 30:02.030 Or are we going to hang on to it? 30:02.490 --> 30:04.550 If we hang on to it, the kingdom of God won't advance 30:04.550 --> 30:04.910 in us. 30:07.990 --> 30:10.170 We have to turn it over. 30:11.790 --> 30:13.750 Were you able to formulate your thoughts? 30:13.750 --> 30:14.790 Would you like to read it? 30:15.650 --> 30:16.530 You can read it. 30:17.170 --> 30:19.090 God showed her something on the way in 30:20.150 --> 30:21.890 and it took her praise and worship 30:21.890 --> 30:23.030 to wrap her head around it. 30:23.770 --> 30:25.090 So now she's going to share. 30:25.230 --> 30:26.850 Go ahead. I trust you. 30:27.310 --> 30:27.750 Okay. 30:30.410 --> 30:31.690 So I had a little 30:31.690 --> 30:33.570 vision and I 30:33.570 --> 30:35.610 saw a black kitchen chair with blood 30:35.610 --> 30:37.630 on it and the blood began to drip down 30:38.070 --> 30:39.810 and then it hit the earth and as it 30:39.810 --> 30:41.670 hit the earth it turned clear like water 30:41.670 --> 30:43.130 and it soaked into the earth. 30:43.930 --> 30:45.410 And then in the car 30:45.410 --> 30:46.250 I started singing, 30:46.990 --> 30:49.490 earth you will give birth to these seeds 30:49.490 --> 30:50.090 of revival. 30:52.930 --> 30:53.750 And then 30:53.750 --> 30:55.310 this is what I believe 30:55.310 --> 30:57.610 the Lord is trying to give a picture of 30:57.610 --> 30:59.710 is it's the blood of the martyr that has 30:59.710 --> 31:00.950 been sown as seed 31:01.650 --> 31:03.650 and it will bring forth a pure fruit 31:03.650 --> 31:04.470 of revival. 31:05.290 --> 31:07.710 Pure and holy says the Lord of hosts. 31:08.610 --> 31:09.590 These seeds are not 31:09.590 --> 31:11.530 sown in vain and the blood of the martyr 31:11.530 --> 31:12.990 is precious to the Lord. 31:13.890 --> 31:15.510 This blood will bring 31:15.510 --> 31:16.090 revival. 31:17.130 --> 31:19.390 And then Habakkah 2.3 at the end 31:19.390 --> 31:21.050 it will speak and it will not lie 31:21.050 --> 31:22.890 and though it tarries wait for it 31:22.890 --> 31:25.130 but it will surely come and it will not tarry. 31:27.110 --> 31:27.630 So 31:27.630 --> 31:29.330 I know I said a black chair 31:29.330 --> 31:31.470 and oftentimes people think that's very negative 31:31.470 --> 31:33.010 but there's a positive meaning 31:33.010 --> 31:34.210 so I looked them up quickly. 31:35.010 --> 31:37.210 So black is a beautiful substance. 31:38.090 --> 31:39.090 The kitchen 31:39.090 --> 31:41.070 chair is a representation 31:41.070 --> 31:43.030 of a position 31:43.030 --> 31:44.710 of authority that also 31:44.710 --> 31:46.470 inflicts like passion. 31:47.770 --> 31:49.170 And then the blood I believe 31:49.170 --> 31:51.450 represents the blood of the martyrs 31:52.430 --> 31:52.990 but 31:52.990 --> 31:55.230 when it's sown as a seed it's very pure 31:55.230 --> 31:56.610 it's a very holy thing. 31:57.090 --> 31:59.210 To God. And it will produce 31:59.830 --> 32:01.410 and so it's not in vain. 32:02.390 --> 32:03.270 Isn't that cool? 32:04.270 --> 32:05.710 Just what we've been talking about 32:05.710 --> 32:06.810 just what the Scripture says 32:06.810 --> 32:08.630 unless a grain of wheat, kernel of wheat 32:08.630 --> 32:09.570 fall on the ground and die. 32:10.310 --> 32:11.390 It's that principle. 32:12.430 --> 32:14.630 So here's a big question that's been coming up. 32:16.390 --> 32:17.530 Was this God's will 32:17.530 --> 32:18.690 for Charlie to be murdered? 32:20.690 --> 32:21.170 Now 32:21.710 --> 32:23.530 if you lean more towards Calvinism 32:23.530 --> 32:25.550 which Calvinists say everything 32:25.550 --> 32:27.410 on this earth that happens is God's will. 32:28.310 --> 32:29.810 If it happened it's God's will. 32:30.670 --> 32:32.370 Which I totally disagree with. 32:32.870 --> 32:34.350 I don't think it's scriptural at all. 32:35.450 --> 32:37.170 But if you're Calvinist 32:37.170 --> 32:38.130 you're going to say yes. 32:38.450 --> 32:39.850 That was absolutely God's will. 32:39.970 --> 32:41.850 And I've heard people say like the phrases 32:41.850 --> 32:43.830 well see God called him home 32:44.530 --> 32:45.590 God took him. 32:46.430 --> 32:47.470 No, that's garbage. 32:49.470 --> 32:50.030 God 32:50.850 --> 32:52.250 was not the one 32:52.250 --> 32:53.990 who instigated his death. 32:54.050 --> 32:56.190 He was shot. He was assassinated. 32:57.610 --> 32:58.610 That's where it's at. 32:59.710 --> 33:01.050 So let's unpack 33:01.050 --> 33:02.370 martyrdom a bit here 33:02.370 --> 33:04.190 and let's talk about martyrs 33:04.190 --> 33:06.650 since we're all supposed to be martyrs 33:08.170 --> 33:09.970 in our own personal life 33:09.970 --> 33:12.550 on up to wherever this needs to go. 33:13.470 --> 33:14.390 So let's talk 33:14.390 --> 33:15.150 about it a little bit. 33:15.770 --> 33:17.270 There's many martyrs in Scripture 33:17.270 --> 33:18.750 in God's original design. 33:18.930 --> 33:20.470 It was never God's will for death 33:20.470 --> 33:22.230 to even exist. 33:22.810 --> 33:25.270 Much less to be killed for our faith. 33:26.170 --> 33:27.130 So in that way 33:27.130 --> 33:29.010 if you go back to the original design 33:29.010 --> 33:30.530 before Adam and Eve sinned 33:30.530 --> 33:33.050 no, it was not God's will that this happened 33:34.030 --> 33:35.090 because he didn't want 33:35.090 --> 33:36.850 any of this that we're dealing with 33:36.850 --> 33:37.350 to happen. 33:38.070 --> 33:39.330 But now it happened. 33:40.050 --> 33:41.910 So now because of sin 33:42.730 --> 33:44.430 and the increase of lawlessness, 33:44.650 --> 33:46.250 rebellion, that realm 33:46.830 --> 33:48.330 has entered the world 33:49.150 --> 33:50.270 following Christ 33:50.910 --> 33:53.170 has always made Christians a target. 33:54.930 --> 33:56.510 That's only going to increase 33:56.510 --> 33:58.550 as we move further into the last days. 33:59.650 --> 34:01.450 Now I'm going to talk about that a bit 34:01.450 --> 34:02.830 and I'm puzzled 34:03.750 --> 34:05.910 because whenever I talk about 34:06.510 --> 34:08.270 this is going to increase 34:08.910 --> 34:10.850 as we move into the last days. 34:11.050 --> 34:12.470 The things that come against the church 34:12.470 --> 34:14.430 things that come against Christianity 34:14.430 --> 34:16.590 this stuff is going to increase. 34:17.350 --> 34:18.790 It's like people get 34:19.570 --> 34:20.130 weird. 34:21.610 --> 34:22.830 Christians get weird. 34:23.710 --> 34:24.630 It's like they 34:25.710 --> 34:27.310 well I don't want to talk about that. 34:28.090 --> 34:29.390 Well Jesus talked about it. 34:29.750 --> 34:30.990 Jesus warned us about it. 34:31.030 --> 34:32.090 Why don't we want to talk about it? 34:34.930 --> 34:36.490 So please take that 34:37.310 --> 34:39.050 denial hat off this morning 34:40.090 --> 34:41.230 and say well I just don't like 34:41.230 --> 34:42.310 to talk about those kind of things. 34:42.390 --> 34:44.250 Well don't make any difference if you like it or not. 34:44.510 --> 34:46.490 Jesus talked about it and what Jesus talked about 34:46.490 --> 34:47.350 we need to talk about. 34:48.670 --> 34:50.270 And we need to face what's real 34:51.570 --> 34:53.410 no matter how difficult it is. 34:54.470 --> 34:54.870 But 34:56.630 --> 34:57.950 so in that way 34:57.950 --> 34:58.410 since 34:59.270 --> 35:00.290 since Christ 35:00.290 --> 35:02.630 and you've got the devil and sin 35:02.630 --> 35:04.110 you've got Jesus 35:04.110 --> 35:06.090 and God and righteousness 35:06.870 --> 35:08.870 those two are not in agreement 35:09.990 --> 35:10.970 and we 35:10.970 --> 35:13.550 as human beings are caught in the middle of those two. 35:15.470 --> 35:16.930 And if you want to boil 35:16.930 --> 35:18.890 the whole gospel down to 35:19.710 --> 35:21.310 one real easy thought 35:22.370 --> 35:23.330 the devil 35:23.330 --> 35:24.910 caused Adam and Eve to sin 35:24.910 --> 35:27.170 he caused us to sin by allowing 35:27.170 --> 35:29.750 Adam and Eve to let the door open 35:29.750 --> 35:30.930 by getting involved 35:30.930 --> 35:33.650 we let the door open by getting involved 35:33.650 --> 35:35.870 why is the devil doing that 35:35.870 --> 35:37.730 to get us to rebel against God 35:37.730 --> 35:39.610 and ultimately get us 35:39.610 --> 35:41.050 to hell with him 35:41.050 --> 35:42.530 he knows he's going there. 35:43.410 --> 35:44.970 The lake of fire was prepared 35:44.970 --> 35:46.150 for the devil and his angel 35:46.150 --> 35:47.690 wasn't prepared for human beings 35:48.230 --> 35:49.910 prepared for the devil and his angels 35:50.510 --> 35:52.050 but in one last 35:52.050 --> 35:53.230 spitting in God's face 35:53.230 --> 35:55.490 he wants to take as many human beings 35:55.490 --> 35:57.890 who are made in the image of God with him as possible 35:58.850 --> 36:00.030 well it was our fault 36:00.030 --> 36:00.730 that we let 36:02.770 --> 36:03.650 his world 36:03.650 --> 36:05.470 into us so to speak and we sinned 36:05.470 --> 36:06.430 and we turned against God 36:07.030 --> 36:08.450 so God sent a savior 36:09.570 --> 36:11.450 that would pay for the whole thing 36:11.450 --> 36:13.310 for us if we just choose him 36:15.910 --> 36:16.950 and follow him 36:18.590 --> 36:23.390 And right now we are caught in the middle and God is trying to save the world and turn it back to him, 36:23.510 --> 36:29.610 and the devil is trying to deceive and take as many as he can to his eternal resting place. 36:30.830 --> 36:39.610 There it is. The whole thing. That's what's happening. So Christians are always under attack. 36:42.590 --> 36:47.630 And if you boil it down to the bottom line, it's demonic. Its origin is in the kingdom of 36:47.630 --> 36:54.130 darkness. That's why our friends say things to us. That's why relatives say things to us. 36:54.190 --> 37:00.330 You don't have to be that radical about God. Where do you think that started from? Not the throne of God. 37:01.830 --> 37:06.550 Because he already told us how radical we need to be. Love him with all the heart, soul, mind and strength. 37:06.850 --> 37:15.890 That's radical. So anything that washes that down or sets the bar lower isn't coming from the kingdom of God. 37:16.410 --> 37:21.410 You say, but grandma loves me. I don't care if she loves you or not. She's talking out of her knowledge 37:21.410 --> 37:26.670 and her inspiration from the kingdom of darkness when she says, well, you don't have to marry 37:26.670 --> 37:33.170 a Christian girl to be happy. Well, see there she's contradicting scripture. 37:35.650 --> 37:40.150 So it can't be from God. If you're a Christian, you better find a Christian, 37:40.250 --> 37:43.610 you're going to be unequally yoked, and that always turns into a little bit of hell on earth. 37:44.950 --> 37:51.870 Until that person becomes a Christian and or you backslide and go that way so you can have peace. 37:53.210 --> 37:55.430 So no matter how much grandma loves you, she's wrong. 37:56.510 --> 37:59.970 And it's not the kingdom of God speaking through it. It's the kingdom of darkness speaking 37:59.970 --> 38:07.090 through her. So with that in mind, we face death because of our stand for the gospel and the 38:07.090 --> 38:13.390 kingdom of God. Yeah, if we face death because we're choosing to take a stand in our faith, 38:13.790 --> 38:23.880 yeah, then it is God's will. So it could go either way. So let's break it down a little further. 38:25.880 --> 38:31.640 Does God choose certain people to be martyrs? I heard this last week. Well, 38:31.700 --> 38:35.940 see God chose Charlie to be a martyr. This was God's will. God took him home. 38:35.940 --> 38:44.940 This was God's idea. God wanted him martyred. It's like, well, I don't know, but the Scripture knows. 38:45.980 --> 38:51.160 So let's talk about martyrs and what makes them a martyr. Let's talk about martyrdom some. 38:52.200 --> 38:56.720 So there's many Scriptures. There's many examples in Scripture of people who were martyrs, many 38:56.720 --> 39:00.580 martyrs. As we go through, I've just got a whole bunch of them listed. I'll go as quick 39:00.580 --> 39:07.200 as I can. As we go through these, notice what caused their death. Just pay attention to that. 39:08.540 --> 39:15.380 Abel, first recorded martyr, killed by his brother, Cain, out of jealousy over God's acceptance of Abel 39:15.380 --> 39:21.940 sacrifice. Cain got jealous that God accepted Cain's sacrifice. So he killed him. Zachariah, 39:22.020 --> 39:26.880 son of Jahida, stoned to death in the temple courts for rebuking the people and the king 39:26.880 --> 39:34.560 for idolatry. Uriah, son of Shamiah, a prophet killed by King Jehoiakim for prophesying against 39:34.560 --> 39:42.420 Jerusalem. And to desecrate a further, they didn't even honor his burial. Isaiah, tradition holds 39:42.420 --> 39:47.740 that he was sawn in half because of his prophecies. John the Baptist was beheaded 39:48.400 --> 39:54.660 because he condemned King Herod's marriage. Jesus was crucified. He was the ultimate martyr 39:55.380 --> 40:01.940 to fulfill prophecy and to overcome all of this. Stephen, the first Christian martyr stoned by the 40:01.940 --> 40:08.320 Sanhedrin for his bold testimony, accusing them of being wrong and resisting the Holy Spirit. 40:09.280 --> 40:14.960 Antipas, a faithful witness in Pergamum, killed by Satan, likely Roman persecution did it. 40:15.460 --> 40:20.920 For what? For his testimony. The twelve disciples, James the just. This was the 40:20.920 --> 40:26.000 brother of Jesus. So you got James, Peter, and then later you'll have John. These were the three 40:26.800 --> 40:32.700 people in charge of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. They were in headquarters. 40:33.720 --> 40:38.940 They were the ones who were calling the shots of how the church would develop. James, 40:39.460 --> 40:44.120 thrown from the temple pinnacle and clubbed to death for his leadership in Jerusalem church. 40:48.000 --> 40:54.160 So they threw him off the top of the temple, which was quite high, and apparently he wasn't dead yet. 40:55.160 --> 41:00.120 So they clubbed him to death. This is one of our three supreme leaders. 41:01.180 --> 41:06.740 Peter was crucified upside down in Rome under Nero, again for preaching the gospel. We'll get 41:06.740 --> 41:12.380 to John a little later. Paul was beheaded in Rome again for, you know why, preaching the 41:12.380 --> 41:17.700 gospel. Simon Peter crucified upside down. Oh, that's the second time he's there. Andrew 41:17.700 --> 41:23.820 crucified in an X-shaped cross, now called St. Andrew's Cross. He was bound, not nailed. 41:24.640 --> 41:28.860 And while he was dying, because he didn't die quickly, because they just tied him to the cross, 41:29.440 --> 41:34.980 he preached for days while he was on the cross. Well, that's why he was on the cross. He 41:34.980 --> 41:43.000 was preaching. Now, notice some things of the apostles. He died in Greece. James, son of Zebede, 41:43.080 --> 41:49.220 beheaded under King Agrippa, Jerusalem, part of the persecution against the church. 41:49.820 --> 41:55.460 Notice a lot of these apostles died away from Jerusalem. John the Summit, Zebede. Now, 41:55.500 --> 42:01.880 they think this is John the Beloved. They think he died of natural causes. He was an old man 42:04.160 --> 42:11.680 because they couldn't kill him. He was to be martyred. They boiled him in oil. 42:16.570 --> 42:24.250 That's a rough route to go. Boiled in oil. Now, maybe God protected him like he did the 42:24.250 --> 42:28.950 three Hebrew children in the fire, and he came out without anything. And then he could have come 42:28.950 --> 42:39.150 out one scarred, mangled mess. We don't know. They couldn't kill him, so they threw him on the 42:39.150 --> 42:45.170 Isle of Patmos. Get rid of him. That's where he got the revelation of the book of revelation. 42:47.490 --> 42:49.770 So the reason they couldn't kill him is he wasn't done yet. 42:54.850 --> 43:01.530 Let's go on where we are. Philip, crucified or stoned to death in Turkey. What's he doing in Turkey? 43:02.810 --> 43:12.950 Preaching. He was preaching. Bartholomew. Nathaniel. That's a rough one. 43:13.870 --> 43:18.610 Flayed alive. And then he wasn't dead, so they just took his head off. 43:20.210 --> 43:28.730 Armenia. What's he doing in Armenia? He's preaching. Thomas speared to death in India 43:29.430 --> 43:35.210 after preaching and converting many. Matthew likely martyred by stabbing or beheading 43:35.210 --> 43:41.630 in Ethiopia or Persia. So now he's down the other direction. James, the son of Alpheus, 43:41.630 --> 43:47.490 stoned or clubbed to death in Jerusalem or Persia. Some accounts suggest he was thrown 43:47.490 --> 43:54.450 from the temple like the other guy and then beaten to death. Thaddeus, martyred in Persia or Syria, 43:54.910 --> 44:07.030 possibly by arrows or an axe. Simon, martyred in Persia. That's Turkey, Iran, that realm. 44:07.890 --> 44:10.890 Sawn in half are crucified. They're not sure which one. 44:12.210 --> 44:16.950 Some traditions place his death in Britain, which again, why would he be there? Well, 44:16.970 --> 44:23.190 he's preaching the gospel. And then you've got the unnamed. Hebrews refers to it. Old Testament 44:23.190 --> 44:28.570 people who were tortured, stoned or sawn in two, cut in half like Isaiah and possibly the last 44:28.570 --> 44:34.590 guy, for their faith. And in Revelation it describes the souls of martyrs under God's altar 44:34.590 --> 44:42.410 and that is a special place because it is right before the throne. And when John saw them, 44:42.830 --> 44:47.650 he saw them like under the altar. In other words, as he looked and they're right under 44:47.650 --> 44:56.430 where God was right in front, right before the throne. Special place for these kind of martyrs, 44:57.250 --> 45:00.750 for sure, those kind of martyrs. Now, did you notice how they died? 45:02.750 --> 45:13.210 Scripture doesn't say any place that God chose them to be a martyr. You know how they became martyrs? 45:13.770 --> 45:19.510 By doing what God asked them to do and the other side didn't care for it and killed them. 45:21.010 --> 45:23.290 That's how we become a martyr, physical martyr. 45:25.150 --> 45:33.690 Now with that, I agree, there comes a tremendous release of anointing and spiritual power when 45:33.690 --> 45:43.730 that happens. It forces everything forward. But people are martyred simply for doing what God 45:43.730 --> 45:51.470 asked them to do. I do not believe Charlie was chosen by God to be a martyr. Charlie was 45:51.470 --> 45:56.530 chosen by God to do what he was doing. And yeah, there's probably only one person in the whole 45:56.530 --> 46:04.690 United States who could pull off what he was doing with excellence. He did it. And that's what got him 46:04.690 --> 46:11.090 in trouble. Now they say, well, you know, calling it a political assassination. Well, he did delve 46:11.090 --> 46:16.590 into politics. But do you know why he delved into politics? He always came from the direction 46:18.190 --> 46:25.950 we come from. He's attacking the sin that the political realm and the government is promoting. 46:28.090 --> 46:33.910 That was a direction he always came from. I mean, he wasn't big into from the times I listened to 46:33.910 --> 46:38.530 him. He wasn't big into, hey, let's just trash this certain group of people today. 46:39.450 --> 46:43.530 No, they'd ask a question and then he'd give the answer and they'd say, 46:43.530 --> 46:47.750 so are you pointing at them? Well, the shoe fits, put it on. What are you going to do? 46:49.170 --> 46:55.150 But he was always coming from a scriptural moral stance. And that got him killed. Because there's 46:55.150 --> 47:01.090 a lot of people who don't want the scriptural moral stance of God. They don't want it in this 47:01.090 --> 47:07.750 country. And he had become too big a voice, too big a threat. And he's not the first 47:07.750 --> 47:10.550 smarter. And guess what? He's not going to be the last. 47:13.030 --> 47:20.530 Did you know that martyrdom is happening daily in this world? See, we have been founded in a 47:20.530 --> 47:27.750 Christian nation. Our founding fathers put such an awesome covenant together between us and God 47:27.750 --> 47:33.930 via the Constitution. And we have just been in safety and blessed. 47:35.590 --> 47:38.250 But let me give you some statistics. 47:40.590 --> 47:46.870 The open doors nonprofit, their whole focus is on persecuted Christians. 47:47.890 --> 47:54.230 They put it out an annual watch list and they have this audited by the International 47:54.230 --> 48:00.550 Institute of Religious Freedom. And they're defining martyrdom as someone who is killed 48:00.550 --> 48:10.310 directly motivated by anti-Christian hostility. So in other words, the one at a times they know 48:10.310 --> 48:14.330 that they were martyred because they wouldn't back away from their religious faith, their Christian 48:14.330 --> 48:23.150 faith. They estimate worldwide between 4,500 and 6,000 of those people every year are murdered. 48:24.690 --> 48:31.410 4,500 to 6,000. Now, another organization, the Center for Study of Global Christianity 48:32.410 --> 48:39.990 at Cornwell Theological Seminary uses a little different approach. They are counting everybody 48:39.990 --> 48:46.830 that like for instance, and you got to call it what it is, when Islam does jihad on some 48:46.830 --> 48:52.990 country. They go in and wipe out everybody who's not going to convert to Islam. 48:54.150 --> 49:00.410 This group counts all those. It's not the one by one that get pulled out. It's like 49:00.410 --> 49:07.570 you wiped out half the population of that community because they refused to convert. 49:08.970 --> 49:11.070 They count those as martyrs. 49:13.110 --> 49:20.770 Their estimate worldwide every year is around 90,000 people. 49:22.600 --> 49:28.530 So you've got the conservative estimate all the way up to, well, this could be top end. 49:29.490 --> 49:38.130 So 4,500 a year, which is the lowest estimate, is 11.5 people per day are martyred. 49:39.910 --> 49:50.090 Today, 11 people, tomorrow would be 12, that gives you the 11.5. Every day are martyred 49:50.090 --> 50:00.010 for Christianity. The 90,000 a year, if you come from that direction, it's 246 people a day 50:01.310 --> 50:05.990 are losing their lives as martyrs. 50:09.890 --> 50:15.410 See, we've just been insulated and isolated from this kind of stuff in our country. 50:17.870 --> 50:22.530 It's a huge deal here and I'm not saying it's a little deal over there. I'm just saying we see 50:22.530 --> 50:29.510 so little of it, it becomes magnified. Other parts of the world, there's people being killed right 50:29.510 --> 50:41.860 now for their stand for Christ, right now. Now, martyrdom, it's not something to shrink away from. 50:43.600 --> 50:45.820 I've heard people say, I hope I'm never a martyr. 50:47.860 --> 50:54.640 Well, that attitude will take you all the way back to, I bet you don't do very well on following 50:54.640 --> 51:00.280 Jesus either, because if you're not willing to die to this, you're definitely not wanting 51:00.280 --> 51:10.260 to die to that. Martyrdom in one form or another is for everybody who's a disciple. 51:11.580 --> 51:18.040 Remember that picture? If we're going to follow Christ, we're going to become a disciplined one. 51:19.240 --> 51:24.120 In other words, when we make Jesus our Savior, then he starts asking us to do things and we 51:24.120 --> 51:30.460 decide whether we're going to or not. If we decide, okay, I'm going to be a martyr. 51:32.900 --> 51:38.900 I'm going to, he's telling me to stop cussing at my husband. 51:41.600 --> 51:47.880 And I just accept Jesus as my Savior. And I just, I just got this inside. It's just like, I know God 51:47.880 --> 51:51.840 wants me to stop cussing at my husband. Well, now we have a choice. Are we going to follow that 51:51.840 --> 51:58.460 or aren't we? If we follow that, there's going to be a realm of discipline that's going to 51:58.460 --> 52:04.060 kick in. You're going to have to discipline yourself because usually those kinds of things, 52:04.720 --> 52:13.120 the Holy Spirit will help us change, but he doesn't just take it away. Follow me? It's not like, 52:13.380 --> 52:17.580 okay, God, I'll do that. And tomorrow you wake up and you never have the desire to cuss at 52:17.580 --> 52:23.640 your husband again. It's just gone. That usually doesn't work that way. Now you're 52:23.640 --> 52:27.180 going to need his help. And you're going to need some revelation knowledge from his 52:27.180 --> 52:34.220 scripture. And you're going to need to grow to the point where you're able to stop what he says, 52:34.360 --> 52:40.000 I want you to stop this. So now you're following. As a follower, that turns us into a disciplined 52:40.000 --> 52:51.220 one or a disciple. Once we have grown in something, like a disciple, we will automatically 52:51.220 --> 53:00.960 lead others in that. When we hear our friend cussing at her husband, once we've overcome, 53:02.700 --> 53:09.820 we will automatically speak into that. You say, how does that work? You might not say anything 53:09.820 --> 53:21.200 at all. You just go, because you know what she's doing, God don't want. You're kind of 53:21.200 --> 53:29.820 blank, any blank? I don't want any blank. Well, here's your opportunity to minister and lead. 53:32.500 --> 53:36.940 Once you've conquered it yourself, God will always put you in a position to help someone else. 53:37.420 --> 53:45.280 Always. Which ultimately flows from... you're going to witness now because you're a martyr. 53:45.280 --> 53:52.980 You grew in this. Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny 53:52.980 --> 53:58.380 himself, take up his cross and follow me. So he's telling his disciples, here's how the process 53:58.380 --> 54:05.120 works. Whoever desires to save his life, yeah, I'm not going to do that dying to myself thing. 54:05.540 --> 54:09.400 I've got plans for my life. Yeah, go ahead and try that route. You're going to lose it. 54:10.340 --> 54:14.960 But if you're willing to lose your life, suki, there means soul. The mind will, the emotions, 54:16.240 --> 54:21.620 it's translated life in these spots, but a little further, it's translated soul. It means soul. The 54:21.620 --> 54:26.020 mind will, the emotions, the intellect, the reasoning. If you're not willing to give up 54:26.020 --> 54:30.880 your mind will, the emotions, what you want, your desires, your plans for God, God says, 54:30.960 --> 54:34.340 well, you're going to lose that anyway. But if you're willing to give it up and follow 54:34.340 --> 54:39.880 God, for my sake, then you will find what you were really after. For what profit is to a man if he 54:39.880 --> 54:47.540 gains the whole world and loses his own soul, suki? Or what can a man give an exchange for his soul? 54:48.820 --> 54:56.060 Nothing. You have to do it Christ's way if you want to save your soul. The Holy Spirit was 54:56.060 --> 55:07.440 given to turn us into martyrs from the lowest level up to the top level. Physical death type of 55:07.440 --> 55:14.820 martyrdom is an honor. It will produce a greater harvest than would be accomplished without the 55:14.820 --> 55:22.420 death. Why? Because the kernel fell into the ground, now the spiritual law kicks in and forces 55:22.420 --> 55:36.200 that to multiply. Because Charlie died, there will be a multiplication for God's kingdom way greater 55:36.200 --> 55:42.460 than would have happened had he stayed alive. That's how it works. It's like persecution. 55:42.660 --> 55:50.260 Persecution is the same thing. The people who are persecuting others are actually, if the 55:50.260 --> 55:56.900 person that's being persecuted can keep their head on straight, keep their attitude right. The people 55:56.900 --> 56:01.120 are persecuting them because they want them to stop. They want to shut down what they're doing. This 56:01.120 --> 56:08.280 is wrong. But in reality, they're actually helping that person. You say, how are they helping them? 56:09.280 --> 56:15.040 Well, unless the seed falls into the ground and dies, have you ever been accused of 56:15.040 --> 56:19.520 things persecuted by someone of whether they knew what they were talking about or not? 56:21.100 --> 56:26.020 And did you ever have the feeling like, man, I want to get in that person's face and just 56:26.020 --> 56:30.380 reap them out? Somebody needs to set them straight. 56:33.220 --> 56:38.980 Man, do you hear all the garbage they're talking about word of life? Boy, it's time to posse 56:38.980 --> 56:45.560 up. We're going after them. You ever have any of those feelings? Guess what? Jesus says you 56:45.560 --> 56:53.560 get to die to those. Nope, you're not doing them. What? We have every right. You might have, 56:53.680 --> 57:01.260 but you're not doing them. If we will keep our head on straight and handle it right and die to 57:01.260 --> 57:08.040 those things inside of us that want to get us out of God's will, that death is actually a 57:08.040 --> 57:13.180 planted seed which will produce much more. How did it happen through the persecution? 57:13.900 --> 57:16.820 The best thing that happened to the early churches, they were persecuted 57:17.900 --> 57:25.850 because it spread the gospel through the whole world. Some of them ran to all different 57:25.850 --> 57:30.070 countries of the world for their life's sake. They tried to stay alive because people were 57:30.070 --> 57:35.910 being killed in Rome. People were being killed in Jerusalem. John, James, that whole leadership 57:35.910 --> 57:41.790 of the church all got crucified in Jerusalem. So people ran. That was the best thing could 57:41.790 --> 57:48.390 happen because when they ran, they took the gospel with them. And because they were willing to die to 57:48.390 --> 57:52.850 the desires of, well, but I got to leave my home. I got to leave my family. I mean, this is, I've 57:52.850 --> 57:57.690 been in this area all my life. I got to leave because they were willing to die to that and 57:57.690 --> 58:02.910 do it. Now they were supernaturally empowered to spread the gospel and it just spread that 58:02.910 --> 58:13.990 much greater, that much more. Let's show that video. It's a video that shows the impact that 58:14.670 --> 58:19.390 Charlie's death this last week, what's happening worldwide and the impact with that. 58:20.510 --> 58:24.970 It's only like three minutes long. Let's show that and then we'll talk about it a little bit 58:24.970 --> 58:29.070 afterwards. I don't know why it's like this, but it's just the way it is and the way it's 58:29.070 --> 58:35.470 been. You don't ever know the impact of someone's life on the world until they're gone. 58:36.050 --> 58:41.430 And then you can see the massive hole that is left when they're taken from you and the world 58:41.430 --> 58:48.130 is experiencing that with Charlie Kirk right now. But even I am shocked at how Charlie's legacy 58:48.690 --> 58:55.350 and dominance of culture extends to virtually every corner of the globe. They're vigils 58:55.350 --> 59:01.470 for Charlie. They're popping up all over America and on college campuses where Charlie gave his life. 59:01.650 --> 59:07.890 You can see some of the videos here. Often they are prayer vigils with candles and with flowers. 59:08.390 --> 59:14.410 This is where Charlie Kirk did his work, spreading light in the darkness. But there's 59:14.410 --> 59:19.550 something else remarkable about what's happening right now with the memory of Charlie Kirk. 59:19.550 --> 59:25.950 We're just getting started. Around the globe there are memorials to Charlie Kirk that are popping up. 59:26.410 --> 59:33.110 Here are just some of the memorials that we have seen, memorials in Sydney, Australia. 59:34.050 --> 59:40.150 Look like this. Check out what they did for Charlie Kirk in the United Kingdom. Look at this. 59:40.150 --> 59:48.670 In Madrid, Spain. Look like this. Here's the Polish parliament. Poland, of course. 59:49.510 --> 59:57.930 Celebrating Charlie's legacy. Vienna, Austria. Here is a celebration of Charlie's life in Germany. 59:59.410 --> 01:00:06.410 Here's a celebration of Charlie's life in New Zealand. Ladies and gentlemen, Charlie's life 01:00:06.410 --> 01:00:12.730 being celebrated and his legacy being honored in Tel Aviv. Along with some of these beautiful murals 01:00:12.730 --> 01:00:19.090 that are now being painted of Charlie and what I expect to totally be a part of, which is 01:00:19.090 --> 01:00:25.530 the crowdfunding of a permanent memorial to Charlie Kirk that includes him with a microphone 01:00:25.530 --> 01:00:36.390 sitting at a college campus having a conversation, an open conversation, a dialogue. I think that 01:00:36.390 --> 01:00:42.350 the political assassination of Charlie Kirk has officially backfired. 01:00:44.230 --> 01:00:48.930 He's getting more powerful. And that's what happens with the monument. 01:00:50.130 --> 01:00:55.830 You know why that is? Because when a seed falls into the ground and dies, God 01:00:57.190 --> 01:01:03.470 supernaturally multiplies it. Whether it's our seeds or like that one. 01:01:06.610 --> 01:01:08.210 Supernaturally propelled forward. 01:01:10.210 --> 01:01:15.550 And you know what? It's showing to me, there's a lot of people in this world who still want truth. 01:01:17.190 --> 01:01:26.290 And he was a voice crying in the wilderness and people gravitated to that voice. 01:01:28.450 --> 01:01:32.950 So why does this pertain to us and our children? Well, let's real quickly go through this. 01:01:35.050 --> 01:01:39.530 Then Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed, no one deceives you for many will come in my name 01:01:39.530 --> 01:01:49.780 saying, I am the Christ. All right, get to the right verse here. I am the Christ will deceive many. 01:01:50.920 --> 01:01:57.220 There we go. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to 01:01:57.220 --> 01:02:01.740 tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for my namesake. 01:02:02.240 --> 01:02:06.900 Then many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. 01:02:10.300 --> 01:02:20.530 Huh? Really, Jesus? Do you know what he just made there? Some promises. 01:02:21.430 --> 01:02:27.870 You want to claim some promises of God? There's Jesus promising. This is what is coming. 01:02:31.170 --> 01:02:39.550 That's how it pertains to us, especially our children. And I know it's hard for mothers to 01:02:39.550 --> 01:02:43.930 hear that because, you know, fathers aren't far behind. It's like, do I want my kids to go through 01:02:43.930 --> 01:02:51.770 that? No. So then let's just ignore it, not talk about it. Hence, we don't prepare them for 01:02:51.770 --> 01:02:59.310 what's coming. Jesus didn't bring this up as a light topic at dinner. He brought this up 01:02:59.310 --> 01:03:05.090 to say, get ready. Here is where it's going. And you know what? Brother's going to betray brother 01:03:05.690 --> 01:03:09.170 and a father's going to betray his child and children are going to rebel against their 01:03:09.170 --> 01:03:12.510 parents and have their parents put to death because their parents are Christian and the 01:03:12.510 --> 01:03:17.950 kids don't want nothing to do with that. All men will hate you because of me. 01:03:21.720 --> 01:03:24.680 But before all this, they're going to lay hands on you and they're going to 01:03:24.680 --> 01:03:29.600 persecute you. Well, that's where we are right now. Before it really gets ugly, 01:03:29.600 --> 01:03:33.260 that's where we are right now. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons and you will be 01:03:33.260 --> 01:03:39.320 brought before kings and governors, all in account of my name. That is what's beginning to play out 01:03:39.320 --> 01:03:50.760 right now. We had a play out in this state under the administration that did not want 01:03:50.760 --> 01:04:02.050 anything to do with Christian values. That whole thing. This will result in your being witnesses, 01:04:02.510 --> 01:04:08.970 martyrs to them. Make up your mind not to worry beforehand. This isn't to get you all shook up 01:04:08.970 --> 01:04:14.790 how you're going to defend yourselves. For I will give you the words and the wisdom none of 01:04:14.790 --> 01:04:20.590 your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by 01:04:20.590 --> 01:04:24.070 parents, brothers, relatives, and friends and they will put some of you to death. 01:04:24.510 --> 01:04:29.770 Some people are going to be physical martyrs over this. All men will hate you because of me. 01:04:31.470 --> 01:04:38.130 But if you stand firm, not a hair of your head has to perish. So there's some will die 01:04:38.830 --> 01:04:43.350 and then there's others who are going to stand firm in their faith and they won't be affected at 01:04:43.350 --> 01:04:56.400 all. That is what's coming. Are we ready, parents, young people, are we ready to be 01:04:56.400 --> 01:05:07.170 betrayed by the people closest to us because we're choosing to be Christians? That's what's coming. 01:05:09.960 --> 01:05:25.320 Some people will die over it in this country. Are we ready for that? Because that's where 01:05:25.320 --> 01:05:31.260 it's going. What really needs to come out of what happened this last week is a renewed vigor 01:05:32.160 --> 01:05:41.240 to stand for and defend righteousness and godliness even to the point of death. 01:05:42.960 --> 01:05:49.660 So let's walk it through the levels. In our personal life, God says, I want you to stop that 01:05:49.660 --> 01:05:56.720 or start that. Whatever you're doing, it's wrong. I want it out of your life and dealt with. 01:05:57.980 --> 01:06:02.100 We need to come out of this week going, yeah, whatever is going on in me 01:06:02.820 --> 01:06:10.020 that is not of God needs to end. That's the lowest level of martyrdom. It needs to die. 01:06:12.160 --> 01:06:21.020 All of us will deal with that. Depending upon who our associates are, who our friends are, 01:06:21.160 --> 01:06:26.600 who our parents are, who our relatives are, the next step up, not everybody's happy when 01:06:26.600 --> 01:06:32.500 someone decides to live for Jesus. Not everybody's happy about that. 01:06:33.680 --> 01:06:37.840 If you're the first one out, and what I mean by that is you come from a family that, 01:06:37.840 --> 01:06:41.600 as far as you know, nobody was ever saved. You're the first one. 01:06:42.900 --> 01:06:48.320 This whole thing of parents, brothers, relatives and friends being all over your case, 01:06:48.700 --> 01:06:54.120 you know that one first hand. That one's that one, you know. That is a step up in martyrdom 01:06:55.700 --> 01:06:59.280 because you're going to have to die to some of those people to stay serving Jesus. 01:06:59.720 --> 01:07:03.780 You will lose some of those people and you have to be willing to make that choice. 01:07:05.740 --> 01:07:10.900 And another step up is what if the people you lose are your parents? Well now your children no 01:07:10.900 --> 01:07:17.740 longer have grandparents. That's more intense yet. See how it steps up depending upon what our 01:07:17.740 --> 01:07:27.000 situation is? Every step is a form of martyr. We're dying to something for the sake of following 01:07:27.720 --> 01:07:43.340 Christ. In the younger generations, which Charlie was part of, he was 31 years old, 01:07:45.860 --> 01:07:54.280 this needs to ignite in you. And I'm going to go with Brian's division this morning, 01:07:55.660 --> 01:08:00.580 30 on down. The older I get, 30 looks pretty young to me. 01:08:04.200 --> 01:08:12.240 So you 30 on down to zero. What needs to take place because of what happened this last week 01:08:13.480 --> 01:08:17.840 is there needs to be, yeah, the grief process is going to take place, the emotion is going to 01:08:17.840 --> 01:08:22.460 take place for some of you, many of you, depending upon how much you were a follower 01:08:22.460 --> 01:08:27.800 of what he was doing. You're going to know the loss, the emotion will be there, 01:08:27.800 --> 01:08:35.280 but once the emotion dies down, there needs to be a focus and a vigor produced in you 01:08:36.580 --> 01:08:45.620 that what he was willing to die for, I am willing to die for. And it's a decision, it's a choice. 01:08:46.680 --> 01:08:51.660 The opposite of what is intended needs to take place. You know what's intended by that kind 01:08:51.660 --> 01:09:00.400 of thing? Keep your mouth shut. You could be the next one. Be afraid. Be timid. Back up. I mean, 01:09:00.480 --> 01:09:06.160 it's not that big a deal. Oh no, it's not that big a deal. It's eternity. Not that big a deal. 01:09:07.560 --> 01:09:13.140 We're talking about forever here, but the thought will go through. It's not that big a deal. I 01:09:13.140 --> 01:09:19.880 mean, I mean, I can live for God without telling everybody about it. You know, that's a really 01:09:19.880 --> 01:09:25.840 selfish statement. Because you know why you're doing that? You don't want the death process that goes 01:09:25.840 --> 01:09:30.700 with you speaking up. Well, I'm going to tell anybody about this because I'll lose my friend. 01:09:31.960 --> 01:09:38.440 There you go. No matter what the application is, if we're going to love others like ourselves, 01:09:39.100 --> 01:09:43.820 wasn't it nice that someone shared the gospel with us? Well, if we love them, we should be 01:09:43.820 --> 01:09:51.220 sharing something with them. The exact opposite needs to take place, not the becoming silent, 01:09:51.440 --> 01:10:00.870 not the negative impact which is going to try to produce, and there's going to be a lot of 01:10:00.870 --> 01:10:12.390 input coming out concerning that. It needs to turn into a logical resolve. I have decided to 01:10:12.390 --> 01:10:22.010 follow Jesus. And I'm not turning. I don't care what happens. I'm not turning. The emotion needs to 01:10:22.570 --> 01:10:26.330 consolidate into that. Pastor Igor, you got anything you want to share? 01:10:27.710 --> 01:10:33.690 So here's what the Lord told me during prayer. I had, on my notes I had written down, 01:10:34.410 --> 01:10:39.350 I think at the end I want us to agree on John 12, 24 concerning Charlie. Now, 01:10:39.350 --> 01:10:42.950 in other words, the seed fell into the ground. It's not going to buy it alone. It's going to produce 01:10:44.050 --> 01:10:53.750 unbelievably. Agree for him and agree over us, all of us, especially the younger generations, 01:10:54.850 --> 01:11:00.250 that it happens as they walk through the process of following and discipleship and 01:11:00.250 --> 01:11:09.070 and martyrdom in their own lives. The seed they plant multiplies in them for the kingdom just 01:11:09.070 --> 01:11:15.930 very quickly, very powerfully. Okay? So during prayer while Brian's talking, 01:11:17.550 --> 01:11:20.990 just, I don't even remember what he was talking about. Just out of the blue the Holy Spirit said, 01:11:22.470 --> 01:11:28.610 well it wasn't Holy Spirit, it was Jesus said, tell them I need them. 01:11:31.870 --> 01:11:40.010 Tell them I need them. That would be God saying I need you. 01:11:42.270 --> 01:11:51.810 Why would God say he needs us? Because the system he has set up is 01:11:53.270 --> 01:11:59.950 the rulership, the evangelization, the things he wants done. Your kingdom come, 01:11:59.950 --> 01:12:03.970 be done on earth as it is in heaven. That happens through people. 01:12:05.930 --> 01:12:12.130 He doesn't bypass people. That happens through people. He set it up that way. 01:12:12.690 --> 01:12:16.410 And if people refuse to cooperate with them, it doesn't happen. 01:12:17.930 --> 01:12:24.530 He needs us to cooperate with the system because he gave the rulership of the world over to 01:12:24.530 --> 01:12:29.890 man. He said, the heavens I reserve for myself. I rule the heavens. But the rulership of the 01:12:29.890 --> 01:12:36.590 world he gave over to man. And do you know who is representing God on this world? The church. 01:12:38.530 --> 01:12:47.450 He needs us to represent him. Without us he can't do it. We're the salt, we're the light. 01:12:49.190 --> 01:13:00.280 We are the living epistols, read by men. Here's what gets in the way, especially when you're younger, 01:13:00.460 --> 01:13:07.730 because believe it or not, at one time I was younger. Some of the younger ones look at me like, 01:13:08.650 --> 01:13:16.230 I don't think I'll ever get that old. Yeah, don't hold your breath. It sneaks right up on you. 01:13:19.930 --> 01:13:24.870 The thing that stops us from making the deaf things, there's a number of things, 01:13:25.230 --> 01:13:28.850 that stop us from making a definite choice for Christ, young people. 01:13:32.510 --> 01:13:43.410 We're shy. Which shyness is a form of fear. Or we're timid, timidity is a form of fear. 01:13:46.920 --> 01:13:51.740 So as a result, we use those things as an excuse. Well, I just, I'm not, I'm not the kind of 01:13:51.740 --> 01:13:55.560 person who can say anything. You know, when you want something, you speak up. 01:13:57.740 --> 01:14:01.300 You ever notice shy people have a way of making it known when they want something? 01:14:06.980 --> 01:14:12.540 It's a choice. You're going to have to choose to not let shyness or timidity run your life. 01:14:12.760 --> 01:14:16.500 Make your choices for it. You got to choose to say, you know what, it's really, really, 01:14:16.500 --> 01:14:27.100 really uncomfortable for me. But I have to say something. Low self-esteem. Nobody's going to 01:14:27.100 --> 01:14:33.940 listen to me anyway. Who cares? I'm just the cast away here anyway. Low self-worth, low self-esteem. 01:14:35.720 --> 01:14:41.880 Feel bad about yourself already. Now I'm going to open my mouth and insert my foot with 01:14:42.440 --> 01:14:50.040 the few people that do seem to respect me and lose them too. Well, you might not lose them. 01:14:50.280 --> 01:14:55.340 You might gain them. It doesn't always go negative. You might gain them. 01:14:57.540 --> 01:15:00.880 See, it's those simple things that a lot of times we don't think of. 01:15:03.140 --> 01:15:07.820 Chances are really good. You don't need demons cast out for you to take a stand for Jesus. 01:15:08.540 --> 01:15:14.260 You just need to overcome the things in your flesh that are saying, yeah, I don't... 01:15:14.920 --> 01:15:24.660 I really feel uncomfortable in this world. You know, I've had people tell me, 01:15:24.660 --> 01:15:29.440 in some, you know, some of our services, the Holy Spirit shows up really, really strong. 01:15:30.060 --> 01:15:34.880 And I've had people tell me, thinking of two people right off the top of my hat, that 01:15:35.300 --> 01:15:39.320 they said, you know, we were there for that service. One guy said this. He said, 01:15:39.480 --> 01:15:43.000 during that service, it was so heavy, he said, it felt like God was right there. 01:15:43.200 --> 01:15:51.020 And he said, then he spoke to me. He was saved, but he was real nominal as a Christian. 01:15:51.580 --> 01:15:56.900 He said, it scared me so bad. He said, I don't know if I can ever come back to word of life. 01:15:59.830 --> 01:16:08.600 I was so uncomfortable. See now, for those of us who are on this side of it, we say, well, 01:16:08.640 --> 01:16:16.560 you know what that is? That's flesh. Your old nature, probably for the first time in your 01:16:16.560 --> 01:16:23.380 life, got into contact with the tangible presence of God and freaked you out. 01:16:25.060 --> 01:16:28.840 Which is a sad story for, you know, because he went to other churches, 01:16:29.180 --> 01:16:34.940 which is a sad story for the other churches. But when you get into the presence of God, 01:16:35.040 --> 01:16:40.840 and occasionally he'll show up really, really heavy, that thing inside of you that goes, 01:16:40.960 --> 01:16:45.020 eh, this really makes me uncomfortable. I wonder if I can get out the door without 01:16:45.020 --> 01:16:50.620 him seeing me. I don't know. I don't like this. That's what you have to conquer. 01:16:51.960 --> 01:17:00.200 That right there, that's you. That's your old nature trying to run from God. 01:17:02.240 --> 01:17:07.220 That's what you have to conquer. And you're going to become a martyr to do it. 01:17:07.700 --> 01:17:10.820 You're going to die in some area to yourself to do it. 01:17:11.980 --> 01:17:18.440 What I'd like us to do the last few minutes, I'd like us as adults to pray over any of the young 01:17:18.440 --> 01:17:24.180 people, children who are willing. This is voluntary. If you want to come, that's fine. 01:17:24.260 --> 01:17:29.420 If you don't want to come, that's fine, too. But if you say, yeah, I want to, 01:17:30.120 --> 01:17:37.920 I want to pick up what Charlie was carrying. That's why I watched him. That's why I followed 01:17:37.920 --> 01:17:43.580 him. It was just so awesome. He said everything so I don't have to say anything. Well, guess what? 01:17:43.660 --> 01:17:50.280 He's gone now. And now God's looking at you saying, I want you to talk. I want you to speak up. 01:17:50.400 --> 01:17:55.240 I want you to educate yourself. I want you to be this light in the darkness now. 01:17:56.500 --> 01:18:02.900 And you know, some of you know deep in your heart, yeah, I know it's me. He's working on me. 01:18:04.020 --> 01:18:08.800 Well, I want to pray for everybody who wants prayer. And I want all the young people who want 01:18:08.800 --> 01:18:11.920 this, all the children who want this, come gather up here and then the adults are going 01:18:11.920 --> 01:18:19.030 to gather around you and we're just going to pray over you. So, we'll do it now. 01:18:19.450 --> 01:18:23.450 So let's let the young people and the children come first. Young is 30 and under. 01:18:40.090 --> 01:18:43.570 Okay, now all of us who aren't 30 and under, if you want to be part of this, 01:18:43.610 --> 01:19:05.060 just come up behind them. We're going to pray over them. Wow, this is a solid moment. 01:19:05.060 --> 01:19:09.740 You feel it in the air? You can just feel it in the spiritual atmosphere. This is like, 01:19:12.880 --> 01:19:19.000 wow, what do you compare it to? It's like standing before the throne and he's right up here going, 01:19:21.080 --> 01:19:27.240 okay, let's sign up for this. Let's do this. You can just feel the solemnness in the air. 01:19:28.480 --> 01:19:35.880 Heavenly Father, we respect, we respect this atmosphere right now. 01:19:36.640 --> 01:19:45.480 We give honor and precedence to it. And Lord, we want it to be more than just an experience. 01:19:46.360 --> 01:19:58.350 We want this to change lives. We started this whole thing by talking about a man who gave his 01:19:58.350 --> 01:20:07.250 life this last week for what he believes and he absolutely believed in Jesus as his savior 01:20:07.250 --> 01:20:14.840 and promoting the gospel. Now you're looking into the world and saying, 01:20:15.680 --> 01:20:22.540 all right, it was one candle. It was one fire. We planted it. I want this to spread 01:20:23.120 --> 01:20:31.460 like wildfire through this earth. Just spread and multiply. To do that, every person it spreads 01:20:31.460 --> 01:20:37.480 to has to make the choice. Lord, I'm not going to pray a prayer for them. I'm going to pray 01:20:37.480 --> 01:20:45.360 over them. I pray every one of our younger generations, every person makes the choice. 01:20:46.040 --> 01:20:54.260 And it goes beyond emotion. It goes into I am willing to be that voice. I am willing to be 01:20:54.260 --> 01:21:00.720 that person who will step up and say what needs to be said. I am that person who is willing 01:21:00.720 --> 01:21:06.080 to take a stand for righteousness and stand against the kingdom of darkness and sin and 01:21:06.080 --> 01:21:12.820 that whole realm. I am the person who's willing to take a stand against culture and against society 01:21:12.820 --> 01:21:19.340 when they're trying to promote all kinds of things that are not God. If I even have to stand alone, 01:21:19.660 --> 01:21:28.980 I will stand up and say, I disagree. And here's why I disagree. And the gospel, the truth of the 01:21:28.980 --> 01:21:35.040 kingdom will penetrate and will continue to penetrate. And lives will be changed. 01:21:35.500 --> 01:21:42.200 Hearts will be saved. People will come into the kingdom because of individuals who are standing here 01:21:42.200 --> 01:21:48.860 today. And I pray they make that choice of this is going to be more than just emotion to me. 01:21:49.380 --> 01:21:54.860 This is going to be more than just sadness to me. This is what Charlie called it. This is a 01:21:54.860 --> 01:22:02.820 turning point in my life where I will follow him with all my heart, with all my strength, 01:22:03.280 --> 01:22:12.100 with all my mind, with all my soul. I will follow Jesus. I will follow the example of the Christian 01:22:12.700 --> 01:22:19.560 leaders around me who take that stand. I will let God tailor it to how it works in me, 01:22:19.560 --> 01:22:28.500 but I will follow their courage in taking the stand. Lord, I'm asking today you birth not only in this 01:22:28.500 --> 01:22:35.640 church, but across this nation in this world, you birth hundreds of thousands and millions 01:22:36.620 --> 01:22:44.500 of people who will turn on what took place and say that's it. I'm taking a stand now too. 01:22:45.440 --> 01:22:51.060 And the end result of this will be so much greater. This is what you have designed, Father. This is 01:22:51.060 --> 01:22:57.140 what you want. The end result of what happened this last week will be so much greater because a 01:22:57.140 --> 01:23:05.320 little piece of who Charlie was, that anointing, is taken and spread and imparted in millions. 01:23:07.580 --> 01:23:16.240 That looking back in years to come, they will say that was a mistake to shoot the men 01:23:16.920 --> 01:23:23.060 because now we have way bigger problems with people taking a stand for God and righteousness. 01:23:24.280 --> 01:23:28.260 That's what we're after. And that's what we're asking for. That's what we're agreeing on 01:23:28.740 --> 01:23:33.920 for all of us and especially the younger ones who are going to face things in the future that 01:23:33.920 --> 01:23:37.560 are going to be way more intense than anything many of us adults have ever faced. 01:23:38.320 --> 01:23:43.600 We're calling it, believing for it, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.