The Gospel & Social Media

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Good evening Presbyterians Yes my favorite people in the world actually, uh,

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I Think this conference and next month. I'm actually heading after this in about two weeks to Ireland The Orthodox Presbyterian Church all over Ireland asked me a reformed

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Baptist Minister to come out and do their annual conference and the teacher all their churches so I think maybe this year

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I've spoken at more Presbyterian churches than I have Baptist which is a Either it's a good sign of amazing unity that God is bringing or I have become a mission field for Presbyterians globally

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One of the other Speaking of amazing single Presbyterians. I brought Marcus Pittman with me today.

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You have to show him lots of grace He is a member at Apologia Church is a reformed Baptist Church, and he is a hardcore pipe -hitting

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Presbyterian Calvinist so while we are here we're taking applications for young women just wanted to make sure I Notified you guys all of that and for those of you guys that watch

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Apologia Online you've seen teaching. I know that I look odd tonight

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With this situation, but I was coming to teach with one of my favorite people in the world

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Doug Wilson and I are dawned on me this week. He'll probably wearing a suit. So I'm as uncomfortable as you are right now

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Okay Let's get to oh one more thing

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This is by the way, really unique thing to teach on the gospel and social media not Expositional going through passage of Scripture.

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So I'm just gonna keep it kind of loose for a minute here You might be a

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Presbyterian if You've got a big bushy beard in honor of LRL Dabney Or Douglas Wilson, okay

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You can spell superlapsarian Okay When asked to name the 12

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Apostles you say Matthew John James Andrew Peter Nathanael Philip Simon Thomas Augustine Lutheran Calvin You might be a

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Presbyterian if you used to be a Baptist Stop You might be a

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Presbyterian if you started drinking in moderation, of course Once you became a

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Presbyterian and left the Baptist Church You might be a Presbyterian if your children's names all begin with quote covenant

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In other words normal people and have babies boys girls kids and children Presbyterians on the other hand have covenant children instead of introducing your kids as Billy Bobby and Susie They more proper to introduce them as Covenant Billy Covenant Bobby Covenant, Sue.

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Oh This one is absolutely true. I've seen this worldwide. By the way, how many of you guys are Presbyterians raise your hands?

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Well, look how high the hands came up for some of you most Presbyterians all Here. Okay.

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This one's good. Actually, you might be a Presbyterian if when the Spirit comes upon you in power You don't raise your hands and shout hallelujah rather you scratch your chin turn to your neighbor and whisper.

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That was a good point Right This is good

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You must be a Baptist, okay all right, if you would go to your Bibles a good text to spring off of since we're doing a talk on The gospel and social media it'd be good to get some context to get into The current part of the story that we're in so to do so let's go to Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 and 14

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Daniel 7 verses 13 through 14 Here now the words of the

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Living God I saw in the night visions and Behold with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion and glory and the kingdom that all peoples

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Nations and languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion

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Which will not pass away in his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed as far as the reading of God's Holy Word.

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Let's pray Father we're just so grateful For you for your love for your kindness to us

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God that you have Lord chosen to save people who don't deserve you or not worthy of you

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We never have been we aren't and we will never be God in ourselves righteous

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Lord before you apart from Christ God, we thank you that you've given us father your son to cleanse us of all sin and unrighteousness and Lord Jesus we praise you that you've given us as a gift your righteousness

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You God you've you've taken us out of our death. You've opened our eyes. You've given us life

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God, thank you for your presence Within us God, thank you Lord for your work the fact that you'll never lose us

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You'll never leave us and God that you are not done with us Thank you

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God that we can have a conference like this where Lord we focus in upon you We focus in upon your kingdom your gospel your work and we do it in a way

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Lord that gives you glory together Unified we praise you God that you love us and that you've

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God granted us the strength to love you back and each other Please bless the words that are given this week and and the

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Lord speak through us Teach your people God. I pray that this would not be a time of just filling our heads

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But Lord, it would it would be teaching that would change hearts and minds and Lord it would get us on our feet

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God I pray that you take these feet make them beautiful and you put your gospel on our lips in Jesus name.

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Amen So the gospel and social media the good news of Jesus Christ the gospel of the kingdom and social media

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Where do we start? I thought a good way to begin would not just would to be not just to simply leap into the discussion of the gospel and social

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Media, I mean, how do you exactly go about that? Anyways, and how do you do it in a way? That's ultimately a benefit and how do you do it in a way that's based upon Scripture?

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so I thought about it and I prayed about it and I thought well before we go into a discussion about social media and Gadgets and gizmos and using these things for the glory of God and the propagation of the gospel

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We have to first get caught up we have to get caught up and get ourselves Oriented right into the middle of the story.

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Where are we at? And what's our trajectory? Where are we going as a church as the people of God and this is actually one of the most vitally important things

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You know I was sitting today Doing cross politic with the guys and and it dawned on me at the end of the at the end of the time we had together

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The discussions that followed after we cut the record button and we just kept talking that there's something unique about how

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Post -millennialists think if you are new and you have no idea what that means there are different Views of what's happening in the future in terms of what is

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God doing now and what's gonna happen before Jesus returns? And there's the final judgment. There's different views and ours is right.

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That's what you need to know. Okay, so Post -millennialism the view ultimately that Jesus is

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King that he brought his kingdom on time and as Planned that he's reigning and ruling now that he has the final authority in heaven and on earth now

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That he's winning the world with his gospel by his spirit and his word and that's when

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Jesus returns He returns as a victorious King and when he returns he doesn't return to a defeated church and world

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But he returns to a world that he's won and he presents it back to the father in glorious praise finished

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Now that's that's the view and I thought today listening to the conversations that there's something unique about how

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Post -millennialists think about the world people who think that Jesus is actually ruling and reigning now and that he actually wins the world in history

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Christians that think in terms of post -millennial thought that Jesus wins in history

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Not just at the end. They do things differently. They think differently They they think about a legacy leaving a legacy for their children and for the kingdom of God They're future oriented they think about the fact that yes

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The meek shall inherit the earth that this world it actually belongs to Jesus and to his people

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It's ours and so post -millennialists tend to think about the world Every area every compartment under the rule of Jesus.

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So in essence, it works like this There is not a single inch of this universe that Jesus doesn't have authority over That he doesn't point to as one theologian says and say mine

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This is his all the world belongs to Jesus every area of thought is to be taken

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Captive and brought to the obedience of Jesus Christ, right? You guys are so quiet Presbyterians.

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Come on now This is good. This is right. That's how we think and thinking in terms of the future future orientation.

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This is really really important I think everyone can grab hold of this no matter what your perspective is if we have the popular view in the

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West the Evangelical West today that the church ultimately is defeated that we're gonna see more and more corruption and decay and ultimately defeat before Jesus returns then we live like that We live like that Doug and I have been on the radio together a number of times done

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Some things together and there's something that Doug said to me a long long time ago on a radio program he said you hit what you aim at you hit what you aim at and and as the

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Evangelical Church in the West Largely, we think ultimately that when bad things happen in the world when corruption seeps in and destruction and decay and misery

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Start to get all round about us. We think ultimately well, this is actually good Why is it good because it's a sign ultimately that any moment we're gonna leave our shoes and undies behind Get taken out of here.

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So what's bad for the world is good for the church You hit what you aim at and if we think about the future in terms of well the worse it gets for us

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Other the world the better it is for the church. Then will you hit what you aim at? So social decay?

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Well, Jesus is coming Political collapse. Well, Jesus is coming Educational disorder and disharmony.

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Well, Jesus is coming the media movies television Completely anti -christian

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Devoid of a Christian worldview in many respects. Well, Jesus is coming social media owned by mostly unbelievers

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Video game industry, whatever it might be. We look at that and we say well, hey the world's going to hell in a handbasket

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Why polish brass what on a sinking ship, right?

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we think in terms of that and it's interesting because when you look in history of people that had a

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Victorious view of the future when you look at some of the Giants of the faith that had that view of Jesus that he's actually

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King and that means something that he's actually ruler of heaven and earth and that means something

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That Jesus is Lord over the world when you look at them and you look at what they built they built things

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They were thinking about the future. They were laying down legacies They were planning not just for my moment in time, but my grandkids moment in time

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They were thinking about the future in terms of the rule of Jesus Christ when presented with difficulties and obstacles

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The question was how do I get the gospel into this area? So that this enemy is under the feet of Jesus when

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I go to be with him You see that's the difference in thinking and what's really important is we orient ourselves into the story

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Where are we at? I went to Daniel 7 13 through 14. I could have gone to a number of different passages

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Daniel 7 13 through 14 Daniel long before Jesus comes in his earthly ministry gets this beautiful vision

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We see it in the text He sees the Son of Man coming up to the Ancient of Days and he's given a kingdom dominion glory

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And what is that that dominion never passes away that kingdom is something that is permanent

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But Daniel is not telling you one thing as a novelty Daniel is picking up the story himself

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He's orienting himself in the middle of the story before Jesus comes But you think back to how the

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Bible begins what the Bible presents to us. God tells us this is the future This is what you're gonna see

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Abraham is told what you're gonna have descendants as numerous as the what guys as The stars as numerous as the stars.

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That's a lot of stars It's a lot of stars you think in terms of when Abraham was told that by God There wasn't actually a lot of light pollution, right?

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So you're not losing all those stars That's a lot of stars that doesn't look like defeat to me And so Daniel's picking up the story this

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Messiah is going to come into the world and what is Abraham told by God? That through this seed all of the all of the nations are gonna be blessed all the people in the world blessed through this seed that story that Daniel is pointing to of this

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Messiah who's given a rule a Kingdom dominion that ever passes away all peoples nations tribes languages.

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They're all coming to this Messiah He's picking up the story. It's already been told and as you look at the the prophets

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What do we have Isaiah 9 6 through 7? I know that Doug likes

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Christmas We did a show together recently about Christmas. And so this is a popular Christmas text Isaiah 9 6 through 7.

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What is it wonderful? Counselor who's coming a child a son is a monotheistic

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Jew long before Jesus comes a Monotheistic Jew that says a son is coming a child is coming.

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What is that? It's a human and what of him he's wonderful counselor and El Gibor He's the mighty

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God the mighty God is coming as a son as a child the father of eternity What's it say listen closely because it's very very it's it's relevant and vitally important to get and embrace as a

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Christian When you think about social media and the tools that God has given to us today To spread the good news of the kingdom the message of Jesus.

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He says this of the Messiah. God is a man He says of the increase of his government and of peace there will be what no

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Ends now you might think when you hear something amazing like that. Well Look around Does it look like that does it look like Jesus is winning every day if we looked at our circumstances would we be saying?

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Well, we're doing excellent now. It's obvious that things are great now Well, it can be very discouraging but if we would learn as Christians to actually base our hope in the

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Word of God and not in our Circumstances we would think about it in terms of what God says at the end of that passage.

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What's he saying? He says the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this

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How is this gonna take place? How is there gonna be an increase to his peace and his kingdom in the world?

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How's that gonna take place? we're beset on all sides by Difficulties and sin and opposition.

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We are attacked all day every day Especially in the current context we have fallen far away from where we started in this nation in particular

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And you ask the question, how could it take place? It takes place because God has made promises Like that one the zeal of the

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Lord of hosts will accomplish this God has made other promises about the kingdom of the Messiah Like in Psalm chapter 2 where the

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Father says to the Son God the Father says to the Son ask of me

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And I will give you the nation's as your inheritance the very ends of the earth as your possession

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Consider that for a moment. The Father says to Jesus ask me Ask me and I'll give you the nation's the ends of the earth as your possession one of my other

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Presbyterian heroes Dr. Greg Bonson said something that has stuck with me for a long time.

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He said about that passage He said do you think that G that the that Jesus forgot to ask?

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Do you think that Jesus forgot to ask? Jesus is told by the

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Father. I'll give you the nation's the very ends of the earth for your possession I'll give them to you ask of me and I'll give them to you and then in that very same text.

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There's a warning There's a warning to every ruler in the world all the kings of the earth and what does it say?

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God himself says to the kings of the earth be wise Obey the

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Son or you will perish That's the message. Jesus is the king.

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He is ascended and seated. Do we think that Jesus forgot to ask? Do we think that Jesus forgot to ask for the nation's the very ends of the earth as the king when psalm the

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Passion psalm where it talks about his hands and his feet being pierced It's surrounded by dogs casting lots for his garments the very end of that passage amazing

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It goes from the passion and darkness and brokenness and death to where it says all the families of the earth

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Will return to worship God It says in Psalm 72 about this

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Messiah that he shall have dominion from sea to sea from the river to the ends of the earth

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This Messiah Psalm 110 one by the way, God's favorite Bible verse you would think you know, like John John 3 16

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Right at the baseball games and the football games John 3 16 We should wave

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God's favorite Bible verse at the at the football games not John 3 16 God's favorite verse

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The most quoted in the New Testament from the old who knows it anyone know

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Psalm 110 one What's that say it's the most quoted text in the New Testament from the old and so it's my it's

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God's favorite Bible verse Right Psalm 110 one. It says this the Lord said unto my Lord Sit at my right hand until what?

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Make your enemies a footstool For your feet and by the way, that is the flow of history.

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You need to hear that I guess it wouldn't work. Well at football games like enemies under God's feet, right? I don't know.

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I like it Apparently God does okay first Corinthians chapter 15 the

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Apostle Paul tells us and it's relevant for the flow of history and social media and all that we discuss here

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The Apostle Paul tells us the narrative of history the story of history moving forward.

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What's he say? He tells the story gives the gospel Jesus was Crucified he died was buried and rose again.

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There's the eyewitnesses to the resurrection and what's he say about Jesus? He's the firstfruits right and then at his coming those that are his and then what's he say though?

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He says this before that takes place he says someone's in one that he must make all of God's enemies a footstool for the feet of the

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Messiah and then what takes place after every enemy is defeated by Jesus put under the feet of Jesus after all

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Enemies of God are put under the rule of Jesus the feet of Jesus it says what the very last enemy after every enemy is

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Defeated the last enemy is death So it's every enemy of Jesus and then it's death and then the kingdom arrives.

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No The kingdom doesn't arrive the kingdom is then delivered to the father.

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What's that mean? Paul's context is a very Jewish context Paul's context is relevant to us today

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He tells us how history is going where are we going no matter the failures no matter the

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Difficulties no matter the moments of darkness. What we know is that Jesus is seated

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He is reigning and ruling now. God is putting all of his enemies under his feet.

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The last enemy is death That's how we should orient ourselves to the story.

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I know that it's difficult. I confess it's difficult When you look around you today, you see all the difficulties around us

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You see a nation that in many ways at the very very beginning was doing things in a way that glorified

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God The colonies in many ways were doing great things pointing to Jesus Christ in so many different ways

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You have so many examples in history of amazing Christian advancements

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Many of the colonies early on in our nation in our own nation's history Post -millennialism the idea that Jesus is the king and he wins in history was the dominant view good things were taking place

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Well, we've slipped a bit Things have gotten difficult I recognize as a brother as a

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Christian that when we look in front of us today We see we have a lot of things to overcome and the hope though brothers and sisters is that there are certain truths in Scripture That are undeniable

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Things that you just cannot get away from here's the truth. Jesus is seated on his throne.

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Amen So true. Jesus is seated on his throne Here's the truth.

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Jesus is king of kings Lord of lords Here's the truth.

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Jesus is ruling over his kingdom. Here's another truth Jesus said at his ascension

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Christians quote at all time. We know the text. I hope you have it memorized Matthew 28 18 through 20

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What's he say all? Authority in heaven and where on earth.

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This is really powerful and take a pause here just for a moment. This is powerful Many Christians today brothers and sisters in the

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Lord love that love God will say Jesus is king of kings and Lord of lords

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I Confess that But like Doug said in one of our recent interviews and when you say and he's king over these

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United States they say oh well Well, that's different And when you say

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Jesus has all authority in heaven Christians say yay and amen But when you say

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Jesus has all authority on earth, that's where we start to come into some difficulties

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Jesus has authority over the government of these United States Now we can say amen to that all day long as Christians But do we live and act like it in this world?

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Do we speak prophetically to our governments in the same way? That we believe do we speak prophetically to the government in the way that is consistent with what we say about Jesus rule and authority

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Do we live as Christians in such a way that our confession about Christ's authority?

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Matches how we actually live and move in the world's do we live in the world's today?

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Consistently with what we confess about the authority of Jesus. He says all authority in heaven and on earth has been past tense given to me and Christians are quite comfortable with Jesus being king over heaven king over Neverland, right?

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But when you had authority is starting to get wielded on earth. We start to back away We don't have the same kind of boldness

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We don't have the same kind of strength of confession. We talk about Christ's rule and authority on earth today

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Now think about the context for a moment. I told you I wanted to orient us to the context What does

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Daniel say? He sees the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven He comes up to the Ancient of Days and what is he given kingdom dominion glory that what all the people's nations?

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Everybody's gonna serve Jesus his dominion never passes away at the Ascension Jesus says what all authority in heaven and earth and has been given to me and he says what?

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Therefore go because of this Because I have all authority in heaven and over Twitter in heaven and over YouTube all authority he says therefore go make disciples of all

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Nations doing doing what baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the

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Holy Spirit Teaching them to Obey observe all that I have commanded you now

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Do you notice that the the distinct or the nature of those two things those two texts that really sound so very familiar?

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Daniel 7 13 through 14 the Son of Man comes up to the Ancient of Days He's given a kingdom that everyone all the nation's tribes

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Everyone's gonna serve him and then near the end of Jesus ministry his death and resurrection Presented alive before his disciples what takes place?

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Where does he go? Up and what does he tell us when he goes up?

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What does he say? He says go get them Do you think Jesus forgot to ask? The gospel in social media, this is a really really important one because there's so many things to talk about But I want to address some important foundational things.

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We have two messages. I'm gonna try to blend a lot of them together I'm gonna give you as much as I can That I hope encourages you lifts you up and sends you out on your feet in the next two days

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I want to do my best I'm gonna try to answer any questions you guys might have but I want to think about some foundational things

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Let's think about this first and foremost Jesus says this if you're not with me you are against me

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Jesus demands of us as his people full and complete obedience and allegiance

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There is no neutrality with Christ We are plagued with it brothers and sisters today in the church.

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We are plagued with the myth of neutrality Christians believe it unbelievers

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Don't really That's the interesting thing, right? Christians oftentimes in our culture try to placate towards the culture and we oftentimes try to pretend neutrality

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Have you noticed that the unbelievers most often are not pretending neutrality?

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Isn't that amazing? Jesus says to Christians if you're not with me you're against me and we go face the world and we try to approach context education

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Politics media film TV you name it We try to do it in such a way as we are in our heart of hearts and between our ears

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Christian But we want to say well, but we're neutral really we'll play it neutral. Have you noticed the unbelievers are not playing neutral?

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Unbelievers when they go into government aren't playing neutral Unbelievers when they create film and television, they're not playing neutral Unbelievers when they sing songs, they're not playing neutral.

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It's it infects everything Francis Schaeffer used to say that Christians Oftentimes see the world and how the world works in parts and pieces little bits here and there not necessarily

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Held together as a network bits and pieces and what's interesting though is that unbelievers in Many ways will try to pretend neutrality, but then they firm up their commitments to their total world view and perspective

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It's in everything Nobody's neutral. Everybody has commitments to an ultimate an ultimate authority

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That's either gonna be God or it's gonna be them. It's either gonna be God or it's gonna be the state

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Everybody has an ultimate. It's not a question of whether there will be an ultimate but which ultimate whether there's a

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God which God Whether we'll impose a morality, but which morality and yes,

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I stole that from Doug. This is very very important Let me give you an example famous song

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It became an anthem. It became an anthem while the

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United States government was deciding to call circle squares With Obergefell it was it was the anthem

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What was that anthem Macklemore? And what was it? Same love? Do you ever hear that song?

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It's powerful It's got a great hook a lot. It's very Malcolm or very talented artists. It's really a beautiful song

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It's catchy. And this was that this was the anthem while all that was going on. I can't change

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Even if I tried even if I what? What's that who said that?

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sinner, okay, I can't change even if I tried even if I Wanted to first of all, how sad is that I can't it became an anthem.

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It was like all that's so beautiful That's so wonderful. It's about love and I can't change even if I tried even if I wanted to what an

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Amazingly broken and deplorable world view and thing to say Can you imagine the thief or the child molester going before the judge in?

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The courtroom standing before the judge and singing that song your honor. I can't change

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Even if I tried even if I wanted to right, can you imagine?

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What would the judge say? You had better try and you had better start wanting to the world embraces these things these sound bites but they're representative of their complete and Total Worldview a worldview that is not

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Christ a worldview that is opposed to Christ. What's another anthem sung in our culture?

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What's another one during the same time in the same context Lady Gaga? What's she say?

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What's the song? I was very good another sinner. Okay born This way

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I was okay. I was born this way. And what was it just some neutral song It's just we're all neutral.

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No, I I was born this way I can't change even if I tried even if I wanted to it's the whole package

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Unbelievers when they create media when they do film and television, it's not neutral It's come it's according to their complete and total worldview when they face education.

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What is it not neutral? It is very much opposed to God when they when unbelievers create a science curriculum

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For the public school education system. Is it neutral? It's completely opposed to God.

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It's completely and totally opposed to God The world is not seen by unbelievers as parts and pieces

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But as total and complete have you noticed that after the last election? Have you have you noticed the response in the streets?

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Have you noticed the wrecking and destruction of property have you noticed the vitriol and the anger and and just people tweeting and Facebooking and just getting so upset why because from their perspective their entire world is

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Collapsing they're not seeing the world and parts and pieces. They see the entire package one of the most eerie

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Things that I saw in the the film the free speech apocalypse was that That that banner that was carried at the

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University of Indiana that banner spoke it all It really did while Doug was there

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Sharing and the intolerance stood up and did what they did. What did the banner say?

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What did I say? the queer shall inherit the earth

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Isn't it interesting that Unbelievers who don't know God they don't know Jesus Christ. They don't have a biblical worldview.

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They're without God and without hope in the world isn't it interesting that they have a Perspective of the future they are more future oriented than Christians We know the

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Creator Himself He loves us. He's drawn us into communion and fellowship with him.

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He saved us He dwells with us He says the meek shall inherit the earth that Abraham's descendants will inherit the world

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He tells us that the future belongs to him that we have hope and that the world belongs to him isn't it interesting that Christians treat the world like it's a throwaway and The unbelievers are having a more biblical view of the world in the future than us

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It's tremendous I Think an important thing to talk about in light of this discussion about the future.

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I Have a friend that I love dearly. He's a wonderful man of God doesn't share my perspective our perspective of the future and Occasionally when something really bad happens in the world.

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He shares it on his social media He shares it and he says no

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Christian No The world is not Getting better and I've always thought this is a peculiar thing

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No, the world is not getting better says the Christian in A place where a couple hundred years ago.

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You can count the amount of Christians on two hands He says no, the world is not getting better When he's sitting in a

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Starbucks purchasing a $5 cup of coffee On a device where when he pushed the button he had free

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Wi -Fi by the way, it was free When he pushed the button he reached into Zimbabwe Canada, South America, Ireland.

34:08

Did you get it? Australia he reached around the world at the click of a button his message made it around the world in a second.

34:17

No The world is not getting better The Debbie Downer of Christianity No matter how good it is.

34:27

Womp womp womp Right. It's an amazing thing. It really is.

34:33

No, the world is not getting better. The world is not getting better We put up a video recently

34:40

Went with Summer White, Dr. White's daughter. She's a member of our church Summer White went with us to the feminist rally in Phoenix Wasn't really a feminist rally.

34:51

It was a I hate God rally and that's what it was. It was pro. It was pro -choice

34:58

Some words that I can't say in church Trump and I hate the patriarchy it's really what it was

35:05

I don't know how you can make that. What do you call that? Well, I don't know. What do you call that feminism? I guess it was accurate.

35:10

So So we go to the feminist Rally Summers there and we get some footage.

35:18

We're there And so we were there anyways do some evangelism get some conversations and so we filmed it and so we put it up online

35:25

Put it up online pushed a couple buttons send it out to the world within four hours

35:32

Within four hours that one video went around the entire globe.

35:38

It was seen by 333 23 ,000 people within four hours within two days a million people worldwide

35:50

Two days a million people worldwide saw this video and what did the video expose it?

35:57

Exposed people saying this about abortion. Yeah, I know that it's murder

36:02

But hey, if that's what you want to call it, I think we should still be able to do it

36:08

It exposed that people who hold to that position believe yes, it's a human

36:14

I know that it's murder, but I should still be able to kill my child that went around the world

36:20

After it went around the world It was picked up by Ben Shapiro's organization daily wire and what happened with the daily wire the daily wire

36:27

Emphasized what we've been trying to emphasize for so long. It doesn't matter if you prove the biology

36:33

It doesn't matter if you show that it's human. They don't Care you still ought to be able to kill it.

36:41

We've said something for a long time at apologia. We've said change the conversation Speak the truth into the world in such a way with the gospel that you can change the conversation

36:51

Bring the gospel into conflict with the unbelieving perspectives in such a way that you can change the conversation

36:58

The world is not getting better We pushed a button and we're able to communicate biblical truths around the world in a way

37:07

That would make Peter jealous Consider for a moment at Pentecost 3 ,000 people were saved that day.

37:14

What if of those 3 ,000 people? What if they represented 10 % of the total population that actually heard the message that day?

37:21

Think about it just for a moment Imagine 10 % of the people that were there at Pentecost heard the message and God saved granted repentance and faith

37:30

They got life and God saved them 3 ,000 people that day What if it was 10 % 1 out of 10, that's still a pretty significant audience

37:39

But what happened that day through the grace of God and the power of God God gave this message to Peter We have it recorded for us in media

37:48

You weren't there, but you have a media record of that day of that event

37:56

It happened one time before one audience Never to be repeated.

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The only way you know about it and I know about it is by God's grace. We've received media passed down by Christians Throughout history that allows us to view what took place that day

38:13

That was one event one time one message Now we have the ability to communicate the gospel to communicate the biblical worldview

38:22

And guess what we put it up and it is up 24 hours a day 365 days a year and it goes global in a second in a moment

38:36

Don't tell me that the world is not getting better the world is

38:43

Getting better every single time God in his grace gives life to a dead sinner

38:50

The world is getting better every single time. Every single one is a miracle and God has given you and I He has given the church a gift.

39:00

He's given us so many gifts But this is a tremendous one social media and I want to say something about that gift

39:06

I believe with all of my heart that social media the internet what we have all these tools of technology

39:13

I believe with all my heart that there is a gift of Jesus Christ to his people

39:19

It doesn't belong to the pagans It doesn't belong to them that might sound arrogant and I think it would be arrogant if it was coming without a basis without a

39:28

Foundation. Here's my basis. The meek shall inherit the earth There's a basis.

39:35

Who does the world belong to the devil to pagans to unbelievers? No, they're visitors and he's a loser the world belongs to Jesus Christ He has all authority in heaven on earth.

39:48

And what does he promise? He promises that the meek shall inherit the earth What happened in Egypt they dug up gold they formed it they shaped it they labored for gold

39:58

They purchased gold they made gold they had gold. It was their gold. They worked hard.

40:04

They lived in the world they took from the world and what happened when God was redeeming his people and Giving his people their inheritance what took place when it was time for God to bless his people

40:17

He takes them out of their slavery and bondage delivers them from that darkness And what does he give them along the way gold from the

40:26

Egyptians? It belongs to God this world belongs to Jesus Christ not the devil

40:33

This world belongs to God's people. It's our inheritance We should be future oriented and when we see these amazing things that God has done in history

40:43

We have to recognize that God is doing something not for our sake but for his glory and for our good isn't it the basis of our

40:53

Confession don't we believe that that through the love of God and the grace of God and in his providence that all

41:00

Things work together for what good? for God's people

41:07

Those who love God think for a moment about the uniqueness of this of this of this whole entire scenario

41:12

This is really fascinating and I'm really glad you guys chose this subject because it is really really amazing

41:17

Marcus did a talk at Reform Con last year. That was I thought was amazing and Informative and I want you to hear about some things that God has done to get us to where we're at today

41:29

It gives you a greater appreciation for what God's people have done in history and where we're going now so think for a moment about this

41:38

The common medium the common media for about 3 ,000 years from 3 ,000

41:45

BC to 100 AD was papyrus Think about that No advancements for 3 ,000 years 3 ,000 years

42:01

No major advancements. How fast can you get something somewhere? Well how fast your horse go?

42:07

Right, how fast can you run right? And what do I have to transmit?

42:13

How do I have as a media a medium that gets that message over there? Well, I've got papyrus

42:19

It doesn't last very long right if it gets wet you're done, right? It's expensive

42:25

It's difficult process. But what do we got for 3 ,000 years papyrus? That's it.

42:30

That's our media It's difficult Mass -producing pretty much out of the question

42:38

Pentecost happens God brings his gospel out immediately boom in a day

42:44

Spreads across the entire Roman Empire. What do you say? What do you hear what do you see Paul saying in Romans chapter 1 that the gospel had so penetrated the

42:52

Roman Empire? He says to the Roman Church. He says that your faith is being proclaimed

42:59

Throughout the whole world in Colossians chapter 1 He says before 70

43:04

AD that the gospel had been preached to every creature under heaven the gospel is going forth now

43:10

God is bringing the tribes the tongues the Peoples the nations the rule of Christ is now spreading but a hundred

43:17

AD the Chinese create paper So three thousand years papyrus and a hundred

43:24

AD the Chinese create paper There's a medium doesn't really catch on very much for a long period of time till about the time of Gutenberg What happened with Gutenberg?

43:34

The printing press it was the next major advancement of Media the big one the big pop.

43:42

That's really if you think about it's compelling 3 ,000 years Papyrus Right, how fast can you run right and then you've got paper

43:55

And then the printing press and it's like whoa now we can mass -produce and we're doing what 95 thesis 95 thesis 95 thesis

44:02

Bible Bible Bible Bible Bible right and it's media media media and book book book book book and it's still what is it?

44:10

It's a slow process. It's an expensive process. It's a difficult process and then you have the story of Samuel Morse a

44:20

Calvinist praise God very post -millennial

44:28

What happens with Samuel Morse actually kind of a sad story Samuel Morse is an artist and he's away

44:34

Samuel Morse artist away from home and his wife died Well while he's away his wife falls ill and dies they send

44:44

Samuel Morse a message but by the time he gets his message his wife is Dead and she's buried and the funerals over so they send a message his father sends a message to Samuel Morse And he says son bad news

44:58

Wife's fallen ill and she's passed away Do the work that you have left the best way that you can with this information

45:06

Don't bother hurrying back by the time you've received this She's already been buried

45:13

He was so broken up by this. He was so distraught over it.

45:18

He couldn't get it out of his head His wife had fallen ill and died He couldn't go to her funeral couldn't be there with her and why because the time it took to get that medium

45:29

That message that media by the time it took to get to him It's all over and done with and so this plagued

45:35

Samuel Morse a Calvinist for a long time

45:41

And so he had conversations with some important people and they were talking about how they were able to transmit

45:48

Electricity over these long distances and it didn't matter where it was. It just got there at the same time

45:53

He started thinking about he starts saying hey, is it possible to maybe sneak a message in there? Some sort of a message along that and they all don't know that you're crazy.

46:02

You're telling tales out of the schoolyard Sam Calvinist, okay, and what happened he figured it out.

46:11

He figured out wait a minute We could transmit data across this line. And so Samuel Morse created

46:18

Morse code Telegraph and so the first message that was sent across this amazing technology from Baltimore to Congress by Calvinist Was this what hath

46:35

God wrought? First message across the telegraph we went from 3 ,000 years of papyrus to finally paper to a long time to printing press into Overnight We could get things from one place to another at about two miles or so per hour

46:56

We went overnight with Samuel Morse a Calvinist creation we went to a message now going at 286 ,000 miles a second we leapt so quickly and advanced so quickly in terms of Communication and the ability to get media across It's astonishing.

47:22

We went not long after that to the transatlantic cable and it's amazing if you

47:29

I just challenge you to do this when you get home Google This look how easy information is to get now, right?

47:36

I don't have to give you the book or the reference just Google it right become a verb now Google it right just Google transatlantic cable first message and that first message from the

47:47

United States to the Queen over in England was Christian through and through it talked about Propagating religion and law.

47:57

It was really an amazing thing Quoted glory to God in the highest

48:03

You see the best things in the world have been given to the world by Christians You know who you can thank for your smartphone today, you know, you could thank

48:14

Not Samsung not Apple a Calvinist named Samuel Morse That's where it came from all that technology.

48:21

We still ride off of today. That's where it came from It really is amazing, but that's where it comes from your

48:28

Internet your smartphones all essentially based in the same technology Send that information quickly and what's it for?

48:35

I believe for the advancement of the gospel the glory of Jesus Christ in the world think for a moment now about how things have changed

48:42

Jonathan Edwards sinners in the hands of an angry God we talked about the Great Awakening And what do you know about sinners in the hands of an angry

48:49

God? You only know what you know because Somebody created media and Transmitted that media through some type of vehicle and medium so that you and I can get it today

49:01

The the moment that takes place all you have when Jonathan Edwards is preaching and George Whitfield is preaching when those guys are

49:09

Preaching the gospel and the world is transforming. All you have is Edwards preaching a sermon

49:16

Recording and someone transmitting that later limited transmission when

49:21

Whitfield preaches 18 ,000 times in his life sometimes he preaches before crowds of 20 ,000 people how did you get to hear it?

49:31

Well, you didn't unless of course you were nearby and you took a

49:36

Long trip hours upon hours upon hours to go and hear Whitfield's preaching.

49:43

That's what took place And because of what God has given to us today We've gone from being able to have one audience one time long distances of travel we've gone now to being able to have the gospel on repeat a scenario an instance of gospel proclamation an

50:06

Instance of teaching it is now available 24 hours a day 365 days a year worldwide at the click of a button

50:16

How come? because Jesus is In charge how come because he has all authority how come because Jesus wins the world?

50:25

What's this stuff for? Well, it's really great makes things very very easy. It's nice to have but what's it for fundamentally?

50:32

What does God allow us to have it? How come? 3 ,000 years of papyrus with no advancements and now we have information spread so quickly because God's people

50:45

Through the advancement of the gospel are transforming the world Think about the gift and the blessing that we have today of social media, by the way, how much time do

50:55

I have? Okay, don't say that to me because you'll be here at a midnight

51:01

Let me just say quickly because I have more to say tomorrow in terms of what we should be doing and how we can use

51:08

This just think about the blessings of social media for a moment Media is essentially medium.

51:13

It could not it doesn't have to be just film. It could be any form of medium But we're talking today about social media.

51:19

We're talking about the Internet Twitter YouTube Facebook You name it Instagram the blessing of it is the gospel is now on repeat 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

51:31

You can reach the world at the click of a button. I Went to Australia New Zealand a couple months ago, and it was so humbling.

51:40

I was tremendously Humbling to go to a place. I mean that flight is long.

51:47

I mean I wasn't ready I wasn't ready Four hours from Phoenix to San Francisco like 14 hours from San Francisco to New Zealand.

51:56

I got New Zealand It was another four -hour layover and then four more hours to Brisbane. I was tore up after that trip

52:05

Dr. White was fine. I have no idea because he's old I It was a long way and I got to this conference and I'm just humbled and grateful that they brought me and just excited to Be able to be there and share and and this conference is sold out like it

52:24

Just be there like an overflow room and people came out to me and these are Australians like good day

52:29

I mean, they really do that. It's not pretend right like this. They're they were doing it and they came

52:36

From across the country now I this stupid stupid American that I am like I'm going to Australia and never bothered to look at a map

52:42

I've seen it before but who really pays attention to Australia Right, like, you know, like there's

52:48

United States and there's everything else, right? Okay, so I know I'm going there It's somewhere on the map and I get to Australia.

52:54

I discover that Australia is actually pretty big, right? It's like the size United States I had people that came from the western side of Australia all the way to Brisbane Just to come say hi and tell me like what a

53:06

God had done in their life as a result of listening to our ministry We're a small church.

53:11

We have like 200 people in our church. It's small. It's a small church in Tempe, Arizona We are limited on resources.

53:17

We people walk in our church. They come in sometimes and they're like wait, I'm in the wrong place They're surprised because it's a tiny little church a tiny band of believers in Tempe, Arizona a bunch of ex -drug addicts many of them

53:33

Impacting the world so that I had people come out to me in Australia after they're watching what we have online and they're listening to the radio show

53:40

I Had a group of people come to me Pastors and and and the church members had driven from like halfway across Australia, which is like,

53:49

Texas to New York And they told me that they had their entire church had become reformed

53:55

Had gone from an Arminian church to a reformed church by listening to Apologia radio

54:01

I Had people come up to me in groups saying I'm involved in active ministry now

54:06

I've gone to seminary seminary now as a result of listening to your radio show I had people come to me and tell me they had started ministries to the

54:12

Mormons in Australia as a result of listening to our stuff online of our engagement with Mormons.

54:18

It was really tremendous I was now flying over ocean now in a land that was not my own

54:23

I was looking at the into the eyes and looking at the faces of people that have been Dramatically impacted by a little church in Tempe, Arizona How because we do ministry we try to be faithful to Jesus and we just put it up and we just spread it around the world

54:37

But here you go. Here you go. Here's here it is and God uses that he uses it.

54:42

He changes the world I have a message that I gave at a conference.

54:49

I Don't usually talk a lot about myself in the message So if it's a little odd, but hopefully this is helpful to you in terms of encouraging you to get involved in this

54:58

We have a message I did at a conference a couple years ago at a church that I would never would have imagined would have had a message like This but they asked me to come and I did it was a church

55:07

Conference with a lot of pastors from across really around the world they asked me to do a message on the gospel and I turned it into a message of the gospel and advancing the gospel and I brought up a woman at the end and The woman at the end that I brought up was a mother

55:22

With her baby and that baby was saved from death at a Planned Parenthood in Glendale, Arizona.

55:28

I shared the story of us bringing the gospel to this abortion clinic and then I brought the mother up with the baby in front of All these pastors these up -and -coming pastors and some of them currently pastors

55:38

I brought her up with the baby as a reminder of the power of the gospel

55:44

It was recorded. It was placed online It has been for three years the number one suggested video on YouTube has over 1 .5

55:53

million views The most suggested video if you type in sermon on YouTube, it's the first one that comes up for three years

56:00

It's been like that and as a result of that one message that somebody recorded and put online

56:06

It has started over 20 ministries to abortion clinics across the

56:12

United States. I As a result of that work we get updates all the time and why because of social media why because the gospel and Social media

56:26

God has used it. We've put up videos of conversations we have with Mormons on the street

56:31

You've maybe some of you guys have seen them. We go out to bring the gospel to Mormons We're bringing in the gospel and we record it

56:37

We hit the record button then we put it online Some of them have been seen by over 200 ,000 people one video

56:43

We get messages from around the world from Christians who see the content and use it to go reach

56:50

Mormons that come to Christ and we get messages from people who were Mormons saw the video of the evangelism

56:57

Came to Christ and now they write us to let us know. I'm now in Christ and part of a

57:02

Presbyterian Church And then I send them.

57:08

Okay, wait That's what God does with it He does things with it that are really out of our hands and not to our glory and praise

57:17

That's the gift and the blessing of this. Jesus is King Jesus rules the world the future belongs to Jesus and God's people all these things are tools

57:27

For the propagation of the gospel of the kingdom Their blessings now just quickly and I'll end with this.

57:36

I don't want to keep you here too late Want to talk about the curse of social media there's the blessing of social media and then there's the curse of social media is something about the

57:46

Internet's can turn even the greatest Christian into an internet thug.

57:52

I Don't know what it is. Is it the lack of accountability is The fact that the person isn't there standing in front of you looking you in the eyes

58:01

If we're gonna use social media in a way that glorifies God and for the purposes of the kingdom

58:07

We have to remember first and foremost. We have to stop sinning on the Internet's that would be good

58:12

We have to stop sinning on the Internet. How do we sin on the Internet? How do we sin with social media?

58:19

I'll give you an example of the curse of social media Oftentimes the world is filled with those things blessings and cursings the very same thing

58:26

We can stop sinning on the Internet when we repent of our idolatry of the

58:32

Internet's Good example is the social media statistics for 2016 They said that 18 and 34 year olds that use

58:40

Facebook 18 to 34 year olds that use Facebook 90 to 100 percent of 18 to 34 year olds use

58:49

Facebook for over 1 ,000 minutes a month over a thousand minutes a month

58:57

That is basically a full 24 hour period glued to and most of the time

59:08

You're with other people when this is happening, okay? Listen worship is essentially glory and sacrifice glory and sacrifice

59:17

What do you give the weight to it's it's weightiness giving the weight to and sacrificing to those are elements of worship glory and sacrifice and The Internet social media can become

59:30

Idolatrous it can become glory in this thing. That's not

59:35

Jesus and Sacrifice to this thing. That's not Jesus think about it for a moment now

59:40

We're on the tail end of this think about this people do that all the time. We recognize false worship

59:46

We see it religiously you see it in Mormonism. You see it in the Watchtower you see it in Islam You see the false

59:52

God the false religious text you see glory and sacrifice to it You recognize that as idolatrous.

59:59

It is worship glory and sacrifice in this area But glory and sacrifice can help happen other places too for example you can have glory and sacrifice to heroin to alcohol to cocaine to ecstasy to pornography and of course

01:00:19

Social media the Internet's the curse can become an issue of idolatry false worship

01:00:25

Some somehow we've we've we've actually believed as Christians now And I recognize the social media in the

01:00:30

Internet is actually relatively new in our experience So we're just sort of starting to figure this out, so we have to give each other grace of course

01:00:36

But somehow we believe it seems as Christians that if it isn't sin if it's on the

01:00:43

Internet Slander is not slander It's on the Internet gossip is not gossip if it's on the

01:00:52

Internet lies are not lies If it's on the Internet abuse is not abuse

01:00:58

If it's on the Internet See I think as Christians we Have not rightly handled largely largely social media some of our greatest trolls

01:01:10

That's an internet word by the way. It's a good one. Okay some of our greatest trolls are not the atheists

01:01:18

Some of our greatest trolls are the professing Christians Online what do we have to do to avoid this curse of social media we have to recognize that God calls us to sanctification in every area of our life including social media including the

01:01:36

Internet how we handle Christians on social media is either for the glory of Jesus Christ or the

01:01:44

Shaming of Jesus Christ from us. I'm gonna say finally

01:01:51

We need to recognize that we have to use this amazing medium that God has given to us

01:01:59

To communicate the biblical worldview in every single area of life

01:02:06

Listen closely this is something you probably heard a million times from your faithful pastor not whether but which right

01:02:14

It's not whether a worldview will be promoted and propagated But which one not whether we'll have a

01:02:21

God of our system, but which God? Not whether someone will impose a morality, but which morality we have to recognize in this area of actually conflict with the world and the gospel as Christians I believe that we're failing in so many ways

01:02:40

Unbelievers tend to see that the world as a total package. They want the whole world

01:02:46

They want their entire perspective the queer shall inherit the earth These are tools that God has given to us to communicate the truth of God into the world

01:02:56

So that Christ would be glorified and his kingdom spread It's amazing, isn't it?

01:03:04

Think about it unbelievers today secularists What do they say family they say what to it?

01:03:12

It's how you don't need that blueprint you don't need that fundamental blueprint of society You don't really need that thing it can really be anything it could be a man man man man dog man

01:03:23

It could be woman cat dog could be woman bridge man tree Marriage isn't important by the way.

01:03:29

I wish I was making that up You realize that that wasn't pretend You see they say you don't need the blueprint.

01:03:36

You don't need male and female relationships. You don't need the family It could be anything you want. So they destroy the family.

01:03:42

What do they say to children? What do they say? They say it's okay. If you actually have children, you don't want children.

01:03:47

Here's what you do kill them They destroy the family. They destroy their own children now if you think about it logically

01:03:57

No Society can last that does that to the family and does that to their children?

01:04:05

You can't last you can't last another two generations if you're killing all your children and destroying the family it won't work

01:04:12

And so you ask the question Who's having all the children? Well, it's the Presbyterians goodness. Okay.

01:04:17

No, who's having all the children? It's the Christians right Christians are having children. We're having children. We're adopting the children that the world doesn't want

01:04:25

Having children adopting children. We're having children Giving our children the gospel in the biblical worldview and he asked the question

01:04:31

How is secular belief and atheistic thought and worldview? How is it still being propagated from generation to generation if they're destroying the family and killing their children answer?

01:04:42

two ways one We're giving our children to the unbelievers to be discipled by them and The second thing is when conflict is necessary as Christians in the

01:04:55

West What we tend to say is well Jesus He isn't really

01:05:00

Lord over that that's not really a Christian area well

01:05:06

The worse it gets the better it is for us. We tend to disengage from engagement with the culture

01:05:13

Because our perspective isn't future oriented. We don't really think that Jesus is going to be victorious within history

01:05:21

We don't have a long -term vision of the future And if we're going to use social media for the glory of Jesus Christ and his kingdom

01:05:28

Then what we have to recognize is that this is a tool for us to reach into the world

01:05:33

With the gospel in every area of life My hope is that God would start raising up Christians who would create the next amazing version of Facebook for the glory of God Christians who would create the next amazing version of YouTube for the glory of God Christians who would get into the film industry and start making great films with amazing stories that actually glorify

01:05:57

God Christians that create amazing television content for the glory of Jesus Christ Christians who would go into the political arena and actually represent

01:06:06

Jesus Faithfully Christians who actually start building schools To propagate the biblical worldview and see the whole world as a complete unit

01:06:16

The biblical worldview as a whole thing and the authority of Jesus as total

01:06:23

And we have to use social media to that end Amen Let's pray.

01:06:28

Father. Thank you Lord for this time. We had I pray that you continue to bless it This weekend pray God that you would allow us

01:06:35

God to communicate truth in such a way as to change us I pray God that you put your hand on all the all the amazing tools that you've put before us

01:06:43

I pray that we'd bring you glory with it that we wouldn't bring shame to your name through it that we would actually take advantage

01:06:50

Of all these amazing things that you've given to your people Lord to spread the gospel of the kingdom in Jesus name.