Dan Kimball: A Worshiping and Witnessing People (1 Peter 2:1-10) - Message from the 2024 CGN International Conference

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the CGN podcast. My name is Nick Katie and on this episode we have another message for you from the CGN International Conference which took place this past summer in Southern California.

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: The theme of this year's conference was Hope, Suffering and Glory, Studies in the Book of First Peter.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: This next message was taught by Pastor Dan Kimball, Dan is the founding pastor of vintage faith, church in Santa Cruz, California, and he serves at Western Seminary as the Vice President of Church Mission and Strategy.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And as associate professor of leadership and theology. Dan is the author of several books and he was a guest earlier this season on the podcast.

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_00]: This episode is also available as video for those of you listening on a podcast app that supports video.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: We hope you'll be blessed by this message, here's Pastor Dan Kimball.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, this very sincerely, I am of no one of Calvary Chapel as long as I've been ministry and I don't expect the intense respect that I have for what they're doing and for the Calvary Global Movement for what I'm in like learning all about and not just saying it when you come up and you say things about where you are.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_01]: But I was really, really exciting to hear of what's going on in all of the future and the zeal for church planting and seeing non-Christians know who Jesus is and all of this.

[00:01:36] [SPEAKER_01]: So it really is. I'm not again when you speak places I know you see things in the beginning but I really am really meaning.

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_01]: This I hope you always mean it. I can really mean it. It's a total honor to be here. So I hope this will be something.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_01]: So we each were assigned a section of scripture and even like as I'm walking up with the saffron of my boy. Even on the panel you got John Dixon who's like, and he's going to be speaking tomorrow night.

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_01]: This really intelligent, whizmo and they're talking about Greek words and everything and even just in earlier just like by so smart and then Gary Bashir who just leaks smartness all the time.

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I feel like I'm walking up here like George Costanza or something like that. All right, so I'm going to take an angle on this the first Peter chapter two verse one through ten.

[00:02:27] [SPEAKER_01]: It's an amazing wonderful section of scripture as you know and it was called a worshiping and witnessing people and and we're going to be talking about what does worshiping and witnessing even the correlation of those two.

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And what I'm going to do is I'm going to approach it in a way like what if we were reading this for the very first time. What if we were, you know, we're in exile and there's persecution going on and reading this for the very first time.

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_01]: What do even would have our emotions been like as we're going through this and this is such an encouraging section of scripture.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And then I'm going to be sharing a little bit just like for all of us today even to never forget like some of the simple truths that we say so many times how powerful they are that that come out of here.

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to be again walking through it in that way and then you know just in earlier in the morning message talked about holiness and then chapter two starts and after is kind of talking about holiness like it then will start.

[00:03:37] [SPEAKER_01]: But I'm going to say one more thing before I start this scripture should cause us to be running in shopping malls getting a lot of haircuts and needing prescription glasses.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you're like what in the world and I'll explain what I mean by that in a few minutes.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_01]: But starting in first first Peter chapter two verse one through ten I'm going to focus on verse nine.

[00:03:58] [SPEAKER_01]: It says therefore and that's going back to what holiness is and the preceding chapter and then says therefore after you're talking about holiness it just starts listing Peter's just starts listing things.

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And read yourself of all malice, ill deceive hypocrisy and be slander of every kind and then he says like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk.

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And I do understand that you know our natural immediate reactions like that's talking about the scriptures and it is totally talking about the scriptures but a lot more than that.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And ongoing encounter with God and prayer more than just the scriptures that are in the spiritual milk but I'm going to focus a little bit on this the scriptural part of this.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And then it says so that by by it by you may grow up in your salvation now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

[00:04:54] [SPEAKER_01]: All right just that verse there let me ask a question in the room how many of you could you raise your hand and this there's not don't play no well how many of you know how many of this room.

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Where had a Christian family that you grew up and you grew up in a Christian household can I just see your hands and then how many didn't how many did not grow up on a Christian home that's like that's great or they're both great but what I mean for this is when you did I didn't grow up in a.

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Christian home my family would have said they believed in God and it wasn't anti got or anything.

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_01]: But coming into this from the outside and then I can say if you can remember whether you grew up when you were a little kid if you can recall any of this or as an adult in my memory is from adults so I have them really strong.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Is that feeling of tasting that the Lord is good for the first time and it was kind of like oh and I was it call about staying a verse three and I can still remember there was one of these table that pamphlets out.

[00:05:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And I grabbed my little pamphlets and was looking at it and it talked about Jesus being the only way to God and like that's for Christians believe.

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And I didn't quite understand that I never heard that before and I never thought about it.

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_01]: And what I know is that at that moment to call about staying in a verse three I'm like if Christians believe that I want to know if this is true because I never thought about this.

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And I just went and bought a Bible.

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I could say I had no friends that were Christians asking me to be a church my parents weren't I have a bottom out experience it was just like is this true what is this.

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And when I got the Bible for the first time I just remember the feeling of like oh like wow I didn't know this was in there.

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Like oh my goodness and it was I was tasting like a sense of the goodness of what we're learning from the first time hearing these truths some scripture and I started buying a couple of books about Christianity and the Bible.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And as I did I can still remember this because this was a big moment just for me personally.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I walked into the house that is living at the time and it got all quiet and my roommates were there and this girl that was friends with there and it got quiet and what's going on.

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Because you could tell they were talking about me and they're like we're worried about you and like what like what in the world and they said you have a Bible and we're seeing you have all these books and like what's what's going on.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER_01]: And I was like what's wrong with that and they're like we don't want you to become one of them.

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like what do you mean at the time there's a lot of focus on the end times and different things and the news like we don't need to like become one is end time fanatics.

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And I remember the girls like she's like maybe we don't need a lot of creativity and you know it'll be like angry and judgmental and all of these things then they're saying like it's a cult you can really join a cult.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And I remember that moment thinking like is Christianity cult like because people and cults don't realize their in cults right some just like I don't enjoy the cult.

[00:08:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And what it got me in thought would happen though, it was just like alright I want to really find out is this where this come from and it just started a journey of is this true isn't it true trying out different kind of local churches and different things.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_01]: But when I read this passage remembering that taste of the Lord being good.

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And there's a couple years later that I became a Christian but like don't forget that moment and so Peter here is like saying like as you grow up remember your graduation now that you've tasted the Lord is good.

[00:08:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And I can remember that like and alright as someone that wasn't a Christian starting to taste and then really understood.

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_01]: And I just know it was like I just never forget that let me keep going then Paul he then starts I'm sorry Peter then he's saying in verse four as you come to him the living stone rejected by humans but chosen by God and pressured to him.

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_01]: You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And I like we read that and like what is living stones and what is the mean and all of these type of things but to them they would have known right because this was written to those that were again some of them are going through suffering.

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Then using this terminology to someone who knows now if I don't know it's confusing if I do know then it's really bringing me life and in this taste thing is very good.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And then Peter's using in verse six he starts saying some things like for inscripture it says and he's quoting Isaiah 28 because then they would have known all of these things.

[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to get to verse nine which is on a focus on some kind of rushing this part but I want to just like read this and not in a technical way or anything.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And he's then saying see a laystone and Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone and then we know the talking about Jesus and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And talking about that is just like I'm not going to be put to shame like what does this mean in this trust and then in verse seven he then says now to you who believe the stone is precious but to those who don't believe.

[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_01]: The stone builders becouse rejected and has become the cornerstone and the stone that causes people to stumble on a rock that makes them fall and he's quoting Psalm on 18 right there.

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And just the bottom line of this for those early readers reading this for the first time was that reminder you know Jesus is the cornerstone and they would have understood the Old Testament tying it into this.

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And what Peter was then saying and for me reading this for the first time and imagining is looking at this is that understanding Jesus will cause people to trip and fall and stumble because of who he is understanding the wall analogy and sort of the stone analogy.

[00:11:03] [SPEAKER_01]: But then every person of puts faith in Jesus if I'm now seen as a living stone and it's starting to pull in the sense that Peter is communicating that through Jesus God is building a community of believers living stones for a purpose.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_01]: And all of a sudden it's like we can be part of that.

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I can be even though my background or all of this like all of a sudden we're part of something bigger than ourselves.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_01]: We're needed as a living stone if you're picturing like they're in a wall you pull out one stone it's not as strong and all of a sudden I'm starting to feel like am I part of something bigger.

[00:11:46] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm needed in this wall and then he gets to verse 9 this one I'm going to kind of settle into here.

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And then he says this picture here there are persecuted, exiled misunderstanding about what they believe and all different things going on suffering.

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And then in verse 9, but you are a chosen people.

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_01]: A royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession that you made to clear the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Like just think, all right I'm going to have a stew this.

[00:12:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm reading this and all of a sudden I'm like I'm in I'm getting I'm maybe scared you know there's persecution that's developing and then I'm having this reminder and I'm reading this from Peter and he know Jesus and then I'm reading this.

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like I'm a chosen people and think of this like and they would know this because if they knew the Old Testament then they would have understood that Peter is using Old Testament phrases to show that this new community of believers, the God is building for a purpose tying into Israel and it was well explained earlier so I can go into it.

[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_01]: But like doodernomy 7 verse 7 when it says the Lord did not set his affection on you and chose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples.

[00:13:25] [SPEAKER_01]: It's talking to Israel for you were the fewest of all peoples but it was because the Lord loved you and he kept the Oath he swore to your ancestors.

[00:13:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Now I'm hearing this and I'm like that's right. This is right. The Lord did not I know myself I know my failures made an adequate season then he still chose me.

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Right and he's telling this community of exiled believers and you're putting in the analogy to Israel that he chose them and doodernomy chapter 10 verse 15 again they probably were familiar or some of the my family with the Old Testament scriptures.

[00:14:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Yet the Lord said his affection on your ancestors and he loved them and he chose you and to think to be reading that like scared when it was going on and then I'll send don't forget God chose you.

[00:14:22] [SPEAKER_01]: You're a chosen people and Israel was the chosen people and today we are joining in on them with them for the purpose that God has for showing who Jesus is and showing who He is.

[00:14:36] [SPEAKER_01]: So like the purpose is continuing but we are now part of this and we have become God's chosen people not by physical birth into a certain race or by spiritual rebirth into God's family through putting faith in Jesus.

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_01]: We are a family we're chosen people again the analogy from the Old Testament to the new and all I know is like I as a younger guy when I'm starting to think about some of these things like I'm in God's family.

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like chosen to be part of this new community and hearing these words like I'm in his family.

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_01]: He doesn't know me he wouldn't want me but he's choosing us and then as I'm thinking of this powerful thing for all of in our going to talk about this in a couple minutes.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But all of the negativity in this world today and now isolated people are to realize that through Jesus putting faith in Him that we're brought into a family for a purpose.

[00:15:42] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't ever forget this and I have this little illustration because I was thinking about this a couple weeks ago in Los Angeles for our daughter graduated from.

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_01]: We went there and we're sitting out there and there was kind of a weird set up how they have the chairs like far away and then the processional is happening and I happen to be walking over there.

[00:16:05] [SPEAKER_01]: I was like oh here come the students and I was there like first because I didn't realize this is happening they came out and they're walking along the side where they were going to end up going sitting this is a lot doors.

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_01]: There was like pop or at sea there's a massive parents that came around over to get close so they'll take pictures and they were like pushing and shutting because they were so delighted to see their son or their daughter.

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And they wanted to get this on camera and I'm like yeah happen to be there so side daughter walk by I'm okay and then took a picture with all of the other but there's like this joy in the sense of like my son and my daughter look at them and then I look around and I took a picture in myself on go to this picture.

[00:16:48] [SPEAKER_01]: This was a fan they couldn't get in the crowd right and they were back behind me and they were so proud of their daughter but they couldn't do it like I'm like hey they're even holding up like like we love you.

[00:17:01] [SPEAKER_01]: You know the dad was he's actually kind of like leaving up sometimes because he was trying to shoot over the head and I'm thinking like that's the human analogy about graduation what about God.

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And how he chooses us as part of chosen people today as we put faith in him how he must think of us like and to think that we have a God like it's like again it's an incredible truth here.

[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm in the keep going about your chosen people and then to remember he says a royal priesthood.

[00:17:38] [SPEAKER_01]: A whole nation and he's telling them again the the analogies go back to this was mentioned earlier exitive chapter 19 when talking about Israel so Peter was using this and talking about the new community that was going to be representing him on mission.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And then he says out of all the nations you'll be my treasured possession this is Israel but then he brings it to the believers and Jesus.

[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Although the whole earth is mine you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Now again think of the readers like daily members you know I went and looked like what the the what the temple looked like and now like that had dressed up on the certain garb and go to the photo.

[00:18:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm thinking of the priests and all the stuff they're doing and then you're like you know in exile as Peter's writing to this this group.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean remembering all of these things will seem like here at kingdom of priests because we now know Jesus Christ is the high priest.

[00:18:43] [SPEAKER_01]: He's our mediator, but we're all priests in that way and priests have a purpose they ought to purpose like they're all busy doing things.

[00:18:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And when they're when we're being said we're a kingdom of priests now we have a purpose.

[00:18:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And what he's saying we're chosen people we're a royal priesthood and priests don't just sit around and this royal priesthood.

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_01]: It got pasted some words up here and changed it but it says because of our relationship with Jesus our high priests.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_01]: We can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace coming from Hebrews 4 to 4 or 16 we don't need any more animal sacrifice.

[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Now we know this but picture them back then is their understanding things this was what 30 35 years after Jesus Christified and resurrected.

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_01]: We have direct access to God as priests we have the honor of interceding and praying for other people like they were learning this like and their pictureing for those that would have known Jerusalem in the setup.

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_01]: All of that stuff.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_01]: They're now given that title.

[00:19:51] [SPEAKER_01]: They're now royal priesthood and royal means that we are now part of God's family in this way so these words.

[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Our so incredibly powerful and I think in someone here is this today priesthood the first time I read this something of like Catholic priest or something in the pope and like I didn't know but don't know again to it and understand what this is talking about.

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_01]: What in the like I can't say like an amazing amazing thing right let me keep going here because then he says we're a holy nation.

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And he's talking to them a holy nation.

[00:20:27] [SPEAKER_01]: We're now part of this family of God and the Holy Spirit helps us live lives and creasing holiness we talked about this earlier.

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_01]: We are set apart not just to go as we talked in the panel not just to go like be hiding somewhere or just we're going to have to be separate from everything but we're set apart for a purpose not to just be hiding.

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And then we demonstrate to others what it means to follow Jesus in our culture and then we're also God's special possession.

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And this was again my H of these words when we're a God special possession the value of a possession like you've very seen like when you go online and you look up like Mickey mantles bat you know be like $10,000 or something like that early you know sports heroes.

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_01]: They're uniform or they're a football or something and all of a sudden like this football you might pay $5,000 for because the belong to a family's football player and the football is great value.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_01]: We're talking about where God's possession there are being reminded their God's possession right and the value you can't have anybody more important than God that then we're seeing us his possession.

[00:21:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And when you think of that the value he has in us, you know it's it's hard to comprehend but these series of statements that he's Peter is then through the spearhead is encouraging these folks with.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_01]: It's just incredible incredible to think about and even just reading it now I keep I'm just standing up here like this is really amazing of the worth that God says we are.

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And where his special possession in verse nine sorry the end then it goes all of these many things I'm going to go the next person come back to this that you made declare.

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_01]: The praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light I'm going to come back to that in a second and then verse ten it says once you were not a people but now you are the people of God.

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Once you had not received mercy but now you received mercy and I read that and I was preparing these slides.

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like just those words again there is spoken they're written to people suffering and maybe scared and all of these things and then they're like.

[00:22:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Remember who you are once you are in a people but now you're the people of God.

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Now you're the people of God like now and then once you receive mercy but now you receive mercy like you know think of all of you like all of the things that we think our have done or like that we need mercy.

[00:23:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And then to think like we can mercy like this God gives us mercy how can we not forget this like never forget so in the slides I'm like I want to make that a little bigger so I said so I made it a little bigger like that's right.

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_01]: We got to remember this once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy I'm like that's right because we want to make it just like the message and then I even try to make it bigger so you made it bigger like but now you have received mercy.

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Now think of just that line of this verse.

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_01]: Another section where he's he's mercy think of what it would be like if you didn't know that think about what life would be if you didn't know you have mercy right through what Jesus did and our faith in him.

[00:24:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And now we receive God's mercy think of walking around and you just don't know like never forget these things.

[00:24:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And then back tracking like so we hearing these truths and then it says and now what about this mercy and then in verse nine he's like here's what we should be doing.

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_01]: Now I'm sorry that you made declare all of these things he's telling us the praises of him who call you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm thinking also we're chosen people.

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_01]: We're royal priesthood, regardless that's all possession.

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_01]: We're not a people but now we are we weren't people and now we are we didn't receive mercy but now we do.

[00:24:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's just cause us just like Romans 12 1 and 2 when we realize this it's just like God.

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_01]: I like I offer everything to you I offer out of because of this mercy I offer you my everything my body is living sacrifice to you right.

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Help me not conform to the culture and I have to know what what this what the culture is and I have to know scripture for that reason but all some like I want to give back.

[00:25:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Not at all I'm supposed to but when we see these things it's kind of like chosen people while priesthood, whole nation.

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_01]: God's special possession not a people but now we are not received mercy but now we do.

[00:25:32] [SPEAKER_01]: I just want to worship and worship is more than singing you know like there's a statistic if you ever look at us like the word worship is only used with singing.

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I think three times the entire Bible worship is that acknowledgement and the awe in our place of him and just sacrificing anything of our lives.

[00:25:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Omihors and that's this response seeing these words and all I know is like alright I'm going to say one more time because these are big words chosen people.

[00:26:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you Lord royal priesthood thank you God like I can't believe this whole nation.

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like you've drawn me in a part of a special community that the church and we have this mission God special possession I can't believe that you still see me as a special possession Lord.

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Amazing not a people but now I'm not received mercy but now we do and all I know is this then it starts hitting me and I remember as the young guy and to the state.

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I started realizing these truths and through Jesus mercy and I got to tell people about this.

[00:26:52] [SPEAKER_01]: This is like really amazing.

[00:26:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I got to tell people that there's a had so many people don't know this so many people don't know it's in the scriptures so many people don't know that they can be part of the chosen people the royal priesthood the whole nation.

[00:27:06] [SPEAKER_01]: God special possession not a people but now you are not receiving mercy but now you do like we got to tell people and then that's what it says here like we want to be declaring the praises of him.

[00:27:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light also realize I've been in darkness.

[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_01]: I wanted I'm receiving this light I didn't even know it existed before and now I'm seeing it like, oh like I kind of tell people that was my instinct that started back when I was like 25 and it's still going because you want others like he's saying to know this.

[00:27:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Don't ever get numb to these words.

[00:27:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm saying like, oh I'm saying you're saying you're saved.

[00:27:51] [SPEAKER_01]: He forgives you.

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_01]: You have mercy.

[00:27:53] [SPEAKER_01]: You're a person, you're a real priest like found, you're a cat because we can just forget and sort of go in one of his life and church activity.

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_01]: But here's I know we want to tell people.

[00:28:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And but in 2024 just like back then there's obstacles.

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_01]: 2024.

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I want people to know we have a growing challenge in a world.

[00:28:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Many don't know the difference between light and darkness.

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to mention something in the moment.

[00:28:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Many people have negative impressions of Christianity, the church, in the Bible.

[00:28:34] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean they did back then.

[00:28:37] [SPEAKER_01]: They do now it's not new.

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_01]: But I have some thoughts that I want to share so that we can have a perspective of 2024.

[00:28:46] [SPEAKER_01]: If we really believe these truths about what Peter is saying who we are and then he want to tell people.

[00:28:55] [SPEAKER_01]: I think there's cycles and different cultures over the time period of the world.

[00:29:01] [SPEAKER_01]: But a cycle in judges chapter two for 6th to 11 was when the people of Israel, Moses was their leader, as you know, Joshua took over a generation one by.

[00:29:17] [SPEAKER_01]: After Joshua dismissed the Israelites they went to take possession of the land each to their own inheritance.

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_01]: The people of the people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and it be elders who outlived him.

[00:29:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And there's this is who had seen all the great things the Lord had in Israel.

[00:29:39] [SPEAKER_01]: They heard all of these things that Peter was reiterating about now the church and followers of Jesus.

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_01]: They're joining in to these things that Israel all heard back then.

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And then verse 8, Joshua son of nom the servant of the Lord died at the age of 110.

[00:29:58] [SPEAKER_01]: And they buried him in the land of his inheritance.

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_01]: And this verse is so haunting springs so true today.

[00:30:07] [SPEAKER_01]: After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors.

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Another generation grew up who neither knew neither the Lord nor what he had done.

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER_01]: They don't know about they can be saved.

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_01]: They don't understand that not only save but there can be chosen people and gods.

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Beautiful possessions of how much he loves them.

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And they don't understand they don't need mediators that way between us and God anymore.

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_01]: That we have access through Jesus to high priest.

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_01]: They don't know any of this.

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's more of a jumbled message they're getting.

[00:30:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And when a generation grows up and they don't know the natural thing is going to be exactly what happened in verse 11.

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_01]: Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and they followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Now we have all of these wonderful truths that were being communicated through a Peter about who we are.

[00:31:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And they don't know.

[00:31:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And when new generations then don't know the scriptures in the story of God back in the judges time.

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And Josh was time period they started worshiping other gods and they adopt the worldview and the beliefs of the other cultures that they're raised in.

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_01]: It's a natural progression.

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_01]: And today as we know things are changing and have changed in America.

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm talking about America to the most part here and because God's doing different things all over the world.

[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And I want to show something to try to place us in the minds of someone that doesn't know those beautiful truths that Peter just expressed.

[00:32:00] [SPEAKER_01]: But instead they're just seeing unfortunately all the bad stuff that comes out of the news.

[00:32:06] [SPEAKER_01]: And they hear bits and pieces about things about this failure, this church did this, this and there all of this stuff.

[00:32:13] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're hateful people and all of these different things.

[00:32:16] [SPEAKER_01]: But first let's just go to Mary Poppins and I want to show you something.

[00:32:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Mary Poppins is a story and if you know the story, you know she was a magical nanny that helped a family and she had a positive experience with them.

[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Because you know the story, so you know the story from the beginning to the end of Mary Poppins from the movie.

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Now what if you don't know the story and you're only seeing bits and pieces that are twisted?

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_01]: Let's take a look at this 60-second video clip that shows Mary Poppins in a certain way.

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think what's going on in our cultures that more and more there's an increasing portrayal of Christians and the church and the Bible through a lens of pulling out the bad examples that have happened.

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And there'll always be examples and all people repent when they make mistakes.

[00:34:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And all of that, and then Christians are hateful and all of these other things.

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're piecing together a new way of thinking here's what it means to be a Christian.

[00:34:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Here's what the Bible says and all of that needs a church is that's the scary version of it.

[00:34:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And if I don't know the original version and I'm outside of the church, I'm outside of hearing the news.

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_01]: No one's ever told me about being a holy nation forgiven about God's mercy.

[00:34:44] [SPEAKER_01]: All I'm doing is hearing the scary Mary version.

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not going to be interested and there's a new barrier that's out that comes out.

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what I love about Calvary's history and Calvary Global Network because you're doing everything possible to not see that concept.

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_01]: So people hear about the true Mary Poppins, but the true Jesus, the true story of Scripture, the true gospel.

[00:35:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Because there's a lot of confusion and I'm looking for a DeBriens talk Wednesday because there's a lot of deception.

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_01]: And like in the Book of Isaiah, we're in chapter 5 verse 20, we want to tell people the truth.

[00:35:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And yet in our culture to this is so true, what do those of you who call evil good and good evil?

[00:35:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Who put darkness for light and light for darkness who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_01]: So instead of hearing these positive things like what Peter talked to them about their hearing a lot of other things and the values have switched it.

[00:35:54] [SPEAKER_01]: When we had daughters and when they were in middle school, I remember seeing something a lot of middle school was reading and it was this book series called Fallen.

[00:36:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And I can still remember looking at this thing and there's a slide that they became a movie.

[00:36:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I think Disney put up, forget something about.

[00:36:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm watching, I'm like, what is this? This is pretty popular and I'm watching it and then it talks the story of a battle in heaven.

[00:36:19] [SPEAKER_01]: And God had like was trying to do things a certain way, yet there was a group who wanted love and they were cast out of heaven and they felt earth.

[00:36:31] [SPEAKER_01]: That's why they call the fallen and they're the ones that are seeking true what love is.

[00:36:37] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, that's a totally twisted story. Wait a minute, the fallen or the demon's like, what's going on here?

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Like what's happening? And then I don't overstate this millions of junior high mainly girls were learning a different narrative and say, oh, this is good.

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_01]: In 1931, here's my universal monster's illustration.

[00:36:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Dracula was their vampire. Now a few sub-ampire in 1931, what would you do? Like, got to kill it. Vampires are evil.

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_01]: Speed to today, what happens? Vampires are handsome when we want to marry them and become one.

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of the new narrative. Got a next slide because you know what I'm talking about with.

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's like evil is becoming seen as good.

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_01]: So in the midst of trying to say, we have to want people to know that they're in the royal priesthood and they're chosen and all of these things to encourage them.

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_01]: We're in this culture that is teaching the opposite in many ways. And then the church and Christianity seen as in the negative way.

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And it's like kind of madness because God's telling Peter and to believe, as they want to be building this community,

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_01]: to be talking about once you could be in darkness, but you're going to be in light.

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_01]: But now the light in the darkness by definition is being switched with values in the culture. So what do I do?

[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_01]: We can go huddle until I guess in this world so bad. Oh, those terrible, those terrible youngsters. All of this stuff, you know, or we say, wait a minute.

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_01]: I was that youngster once, there's different but they got to know we got to do something.

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_01]: They have to know all of these wonderful amazing truths like we get to worship this God, right? Who has this and all of these amazing things and Peter,

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01]: that he's telling us who we are and they don't know. And they're following these false stories and such confusion, all of sexual ethics, or all up and down,

[00:38:34] [SPEAKER_01]: if you're a whole historical ethic and now it's seen as hateful and all this flip flop.

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And then why do we kind of do about it? And there are times when I'll go through these cycles like it's so bad, I want to quit. Oh, it's so hard.

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't want to be called hateful. Oh, and then also, like wait a minute, we got to do something.

[00:38:55] [SPEAKER_01]: I can just retreat and just get busy in my own church stuff. I can just but we have to know, and all these youth pastors and kids pastors and music leaders,

[00:39:03] [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of them are just, you know, they're joining in there. They're on the front lines of things, facing the questions.

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why I got involved with Western seminary because I want to see people get trained that are in the front lines,

[00:39:16] [SPEAKER_01]: so they can answer these tough questions and this is like such a big. And all I know is like, I can't, I'm as introverted as they get.

[00:39:24] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, you've had it, this is like, I want to see people and just like just, I'm on the screen, my barber.

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_01]: This is Friday, so there he is, Kyle, let's set up my head, getting my haircut because coming down is going to haircut for a child.

[00:39:41] [SPEAKER_01]: And Kyle, he knows I talk about him and Kyle doesn't have beliefs, he's at and little by little, I go to the barber, so I can talk,

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_01]: that's not good, but it allows 45 minutes of talking to somebody and they ask you what you're doing.

[00:40:05] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm in there like, I want Kyle to know he is the possibility to receive God's mercy.

[00:40:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I want Kyle to know that he can possibly understand that he's a valued possession by God,

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_01]: that who Jesus is and over time we get to talk and even on Friday, I can't speak it up this event with church leaders.

[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_01]: What should I tell him, Annie talk for half an hour, but what he wants me to tell you.

[00:40:33] [SPEAKER_01]: Now a lot of it was like in Kyle, I'm to keep the good work going on to some Kyle, keep going, right?

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_01]: But I can tell like, I bought him a buy this first Bible and it was like awesome, it's like, I can't believe he's like, never had a Bible.

[00:40:49] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're in there and we're talking about pretty intense stuff and he's let me into his life, and it's like, but I'm not going to two barbers because I'm like, I'm going to get my haircut twice as much.

[00:41:01] [SPEAKER_01]: I've no go to two because I want to have somebody else that can sit down for 45 minutes with and have a haircut.

[00:41:08] [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't need to do anything I can because we're in the church world, you don't suck into the office in different types of things, like how to get out, how to make sure we're getting out, how to make sure this.

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_01]: I just shared this when I was up in Portland at the graduation for Western, so it's always thinking of like looking for opportunities, I was in a mall and sitting there across table with food court if I'm all.

[00:41:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And I could hear these two girls, the tables were close and I could just hear them on and on about Christians and negative activity and all this stuff.

[00:41:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And finally I just said, hey, it wasn't weird because we're so close.

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, that's some interesting things you're saying and they're like, oh yeah, yeah, do you do we open up and I say what do you think or someone said something?

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_01]: And I saw that little window, they just asked me a question and I stuck into them and I'm like, can I say, like, so we're like, I started saying like, I agree with these observations and then I heard them talking about literature.

[00:42:11] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're English-lit folks from a university, like, do we see a solution?

[00:42:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and we know he was like, did you know he was a Christian and we ended up in this good conversation they're talking.

[00:42:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And like, okay, by my call never seen again, and I said, you just get to speak by mere Christianity by them.

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And they're like, okay, and that was it. And I could never get to buy that.

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And I saw bookstore on the other side of the mall and I'm like, oh, you know what, I'm looking like, I'm gonna go and I ran as fast as I possibly could.

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I crossed them all. Like, if you had seen me that day, it would have been like, you would have looked like what's chasing him or something.

[00:42:50] [SPEAKER_01]: And all my, I bet they got a Christian in this bookstore and I ran so fast and like sure, they had to copy, like, oh, I got like, grab the book and I'm like, I got it and I'm just running along the way back.

[00:43:04] [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, I hope they're still there. I'm not pleased. And they were still there. And I'm like, oh, I'm all about like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_01]: He was like, hey, there's... there's the books and they're looking at me. Like a pleased read of them. You know, if you have something, it's like, okay.

[00:43:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And that was it. But what I know is they got to put no weather they read and I don't know, but I keep looking at these moments.

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, I think like, is that we should feel this?

[00:43:33] [SPEAKER_01]: We should feel the angst of it.

[00:43:35] [SPEAKER_01]: We should feel, I want them to know what Peter said here

[00:43:39] [SPEAKER_01]: and about what truth is because there's so it's such a totally,

[00:43:43] [SPEAKER_01]: totally mixed up world.

[00:43:45] [SPEAKER_01]: And so now I was talking about earlier,

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, we should be running in more holes, right?

[00:43:50] [SPEAKER_01]: We should be going to the barber more often

[00:43:52] [SPEAKER_01]: and when it's about reading glasses

[00:43:54] [SPEAKER_01]: because I end up as I get older,

[00:43:56] [SPEAKER_01]: I need glasses now to read because my eyesight's not as good

[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_01]: because I want to read so much.

[00:44:01] [SPEAKER_01]: So here's the thing, if you are in conversations

[00:44:06] [SPEAKER_01]: with people that don't know Jesus

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_01]: and they trust you, we're going to hear it

[00:44:11] [SPEAKER_01]: in the next couple of messages here.

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_01]: The questions are going to come.

[00:44:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Once they try, you know, be prepared, right?

[00:44:21] [SPEAKER_01]: To give an answer for those who ask,

[00:44:26] [SPEAKER_01]: you've got to be in a posture of being asked about things.

[00:44:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why there's two girls like I waited and I waited

[00:44:32] [SPEAKER_01]: and as soon as they asked, I'm in.

[00:44:36] [SPEAKER_01]: And like, I'm in a barber, I'll just talk or whatever.

[00:44:39] [SPEAKER_01]: And then when they ask, then I'm in.

[00:44:42] [SPEAKER_01]: And I just have so much hope.

[00:44:45] [SPEAKER_01]: But what it means is that we have to be thinking about this

[00:44:50] [SPEAKER_01]: and praying about this and living it out,

[00:44:54] [SPEAKER_01]: not just in our church context

[00:44:55] [SPEAKER_01]: because the leaders of churches you guys need to be feeling this

[00:45:01] [SPEAKER_01]: because I just never ever get numb

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to these amazing, wonderful truths.

[00:45:07] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why again, I love California Global Network

[00:45:09] [SPEAKER_01]: because every time I'm here talking to Brian,

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Charleck, meeting some of you, it's in you.

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what makes this so good.

[00:45:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why I really have a lot of hope

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_01]: because people when they learn truth,

[00:45:23] [SPEAKER_01]: some are going to reject absolutely.

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_01]: But some are going to trust in Jesus.

[00:45:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they'll be like, the male one, David,

[00:45:33] [SPEAKER_01]: like, I don't know, I'm a person from part of a person,

[00:45:36] [SPEAKER_01]: people, and then hopefully they'll be like,

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I got to tell somebody.

[00:45:40] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they'll go tell somebody.

[00:45:43] [SPEAKER_01]: All right.

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_01]: The music is going to start now.

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And we're going to sing with worship.

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_01]: So if the band will make it sway up,

[00:45:54] [SPEAKER_01]: now I'm just going to pray, these passages,

[00:45:58] [SPEAKER_01]: what an amazing section.

[00:46:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Lord, as we're here and these words

[00:46:05] [SPEAKER_01]: that you're Holy Spirit wrote through Peter.

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh God, that may we really remember chosen people.

[00:46:15] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Lord, that we're chosen by you.

[00:46:19] [SPEAKER_01]: There were royal priests, God may that never go for granted

[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_01]: that we don't need a human person.

[00:46:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Like we have Jesus as our high priest.

[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Who's our meteor, but we all priests.

[00:46:34] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's priests we haven't rolled, we have to do.

[00:46:37] [SPEAKER_01]: God, I've just prayed that may we're a Holy Nation.

[00:46:40] [SPEAKER_01]: God may people understand that we're your special possession.

[00:46:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for bringing us out of darkness

[00:46:48] [SPEAKER_01]: into your wonderful light.

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And may we declare the praises of you

[00:46:57] [SPEAKER_01]: who call this out of darkness into light.

[00:47:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Please, Lord, may others know who you are.

[00:47:06] [SPEAKER_01]: We love you, Lord.

[00:47:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for saving us and pulling us that up darkness into light.

[00:47:12] [SPEAKER_01]: And may we just burn with everything in us

[00:47:15] [SPEAKER_01]: to want others to know that too.

[00:47:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening to this episode of the CGM podcast.

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Episodes are released every two weeks,

[00:47:31] [SPEAKER_00]: so make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you'll be notified

[00:47:34] [SPEAKER_00]: when those new episodes come out.

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_00]: In upcoming episodes we'll have more messages from the conference

[00:47:38] [SPEAKER_00]: as well as interviews to encourage you and equip you.

[00:47:42] [SPEAKER_00]: We'd love to hear feedback from you on these episodes

[00:47:44] [SPEAKER_00]: you can email us at cgnacowrachapel.com

[00:47:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Until next time, God bless you.