Real 2 - Abe
Abraham provides a real life example of embracing the family of God.
Doyle Jackson
Feb 25, 2018 40m
In this sermon Pastor Doyle Jackson talks about the real life story of Abraham, from The Book of Genesis. Abraham was called by God to leave everything he knows, and move to a foreign land, to invite others into the family of God. Video recorded at Columbus, Ohio.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Doyle Jackson: 00:56 Awesome, you know this is the best season of the year, because right now everyone in the community is going to start talking about Easter. Alright? You go into Walmart or Meijer, what have they got out? They've got those Reese's eggs out already. I love them, I've already got a bag at home, I'm going slowly through them. I'm trying at least. Why is that important? At The Church Next Door, our mission is to move people closer to God. That's what we want to be about every day of the week, all the time. Because God has given us his love, and we want to give that love away to other people. What that means is this, you may meet somebody who's far from God, someone who doesn't even believe in God. Well, guess what? In this season, just because what's going on in our culture, you can engage the conversation. Just say, Hey, are you excited about Easter? They can say, oh no, a grumble, grumble, grumble. But you can say, oh man, for me it's great, I love all the festivities. Invite them, begin to invite them in.
Doyle Jackson: 01:56 And we want to invite you to get your feet wet, not just because of the rising tide right now. Okay? We want to invite you to get your feet wet in serving, and being a part of moving people closer to God, and we have this great egg hunt coming up. There are 30,000 eggs that need stuffing so they just told you, Jordan told you, March the 16th at 6:30 PM, we're having an egg stuffing party. How many of you have ever been to an egg stuffing party before? Raise your hand. Alright? So if you're sitting around and you didn't raise your hand, you now know somebody that can tell you a little bit more about it. How we have food. We have a lot of fun, but 30,000 eggs takes a few minutes to fill with candy, and we need your help. It is a great way to sit around a table, get to know some other people, share your story, hear their story. You're going to find out that there are people that are here, that God has done some unbelievable miracles in. People who have been healed of cancer, people who've had their marriages turned around, their life have been transformed by God. I invite you to come, come on the 16th, it's a blast. And don't tell anyone I told you this, but if you sneak a piece of candy every now and again, nobody gets upset. That's why I come, I don't want the kids to get bad candy. It's my job, my duty, to be like a cup cupbearer and make sure it's healthy for them. Well, maybe not healthy. You get the point right? Come on the 16th, be a part of Easter here at The Church Next Door.
Doyle Jackson: 03:30 Well, right now we're talking about real people, who live real lives. And today I want to open up for you, I want to unpack a real promise, through a boy. Abe, Abram, Abraham, this is his name from the Bible. And he is such a powerful figure, because he teaches you and I, how do I engage God and his promise? The scripture says that a seed was planted in humanity through Abraham, that you and I can grab a hold of, be engrafted into, and be a part of, and that's what I want to help you unpack today.
Doyle Jackson: 04:13 So if you would open up your folders, if you have a Bible, if you'll open it up to Genesis. The Abraham Story starts in Genesis chapter twelve and it goes to twenty-four. When you think about that, it's not much to cover someone who lived 175 years. Pretty amazing, and I'm not going to cover all his story, so I hope you'll go back and look at it. Read Genesis 12 to 24, it's a powerful, powerful lesson to you about how God's promises are real. But Abraham's life is planted in the book of Genesis, and I believe that's really, really important for you and I, because the context tells us a lot. In your notes, I wrote this down, because I believe this is true about Genesis. When first read Genesis, when we open the Book of Genesis, we are immediately faced with a question. Are these words the product of human imagination, or divine inspiration? Now, what's really going on when we asked that question, is this. Is this true? Is this real? It seems like it could be fiction. You know, I know some pretty creative writers, and they could have written this down. I'm just not sure if this is really from God?
Doyle Jackson: 05:24 Let me just, let me help address that skepticism, I've had that skepticism before, I've felt like that. But let me tell you, I've engaged in it a little bit more, and in the ancient world, you didn't write fiction books. There are no fiction books in the ancient world, and this is why, you had to kill a lamb every time you wanted to make a note, they didn't have Post-it notes people. Every time you had an idea, and it was really important enough to write down, it was costly. And so in the ancient world, you don't have fiction books. They used to carve it into stone, they used to make clay tablets, this is how we know the ancient world. Whenever someone wrote something down in the ancient world, it's because they believed it. So, when you and I open up Genesis, and we read the story of Genesis, it's more than just human inspiration. It's human inspiration in that sense that humanity has passed it on down, but it's because God has engaged them. Now this is another way you know it's true, when you read the story, it fits with your and my reality.
Doyle Jackson: 06:36 This is what I'll say, look at your notes, I want you to see this. This is what I said, what Genesis presents to us is a world of magnificent beauty, and extreme variety. A world of magnificent beauty, and extreme variety. Why do I say that? Because when you and I, when we go on a walk to the park. Go out today, go out to Battelle Darby Park, see how high the creek has gotten to and get a little wet. Okay? When you're out there, what you're going to do, you're going to be amazed at the variety, you're going to be amazed at the different animals you see. You'll see a squirrel, then you'll see a white squirrel, and you'll go, were on earth did an albino squirrel come to in Ohio. They're out there, dude, they're out there. Why? Because God has created just a magnificent, beautiful world, and it's of great variety. You know that by experience, and that's what the Bible tells us.
Doyle Jackson: 07:31 The second truth that the Bible tells us in Genesis, that you and I agree with, and even the world agrees
with is this, the world has been ruined, ruined by those who live here. Folks, anyone from the green movement in your world, in my world, today agrees with me with that. They will tell you, the problem in this world is people. Did you watch the news this past week? How many of us would agree that the problem in this world is people? I do. Why? Because people are ruining it. people are the problem. Now, here's the caveat, okay? The world would have you believe, the world would have you believe, that with just better stewardship we can fix the world. If you and I will just work harder, and smarter, and work together, we can solve the problems of the world. The Bible says that's not true. Because the Bible says that although we have caused the brokenness in this world, the only one that has the capacity, the resource, the power, to heal our broken world, is the one who created it, to get it back. And see, you and I, we can try really hard to be great stewards of the earth in which we live. But as long as a ruined, broken, humanity lives here, it's going to cause trouble. So the solution is this, the solution is we need a source outside ourselves that has a power and a love to heal us. And God is that answer. God says, I can fix it, if you'll come to me, if you'll allow me, if you will just accept that I exist, and that I love you.
Doyle Jackson: 09:24 And Abraham is the beginning of that big relationship, shift. Now here comes the problem. The fact that we mentioned that, and we say that Abraham had the solution, obsessed us. It creates a tension inside us, I call it the scandalous truth. Okay, and here's the scandal. If God is going to be the one that fixes the problem, he has to start somewhere, with someone. God has to start somewhere, with someone, and God chose to start with Abraham. And when you and I look at that, our natural reaction to say, that's not fair, I wanted it to be me. Suddenly we're taken back to the third grade and kick ball, and you were like, why did you pick them first? I wanted to be picked. And suddenly it's about that brokenness within us, that we want it to be the chosen one, that we want it to be the first in line, that we wanted to be the key, we wanted to be the hero, I want to be superman, you want to be wonder woman, that's the way that works. And that's the scandal.
Doyle Jackson: 10:36 But can we be honest? If God had chosen you, how many thousand years would have transpired before the hope got to anybody? A Bible teacher friend, and my dad, once explained the tension this way. When we look at the Jewish people, and Abraham is the beginning of that, we're like, it's not fair that they're the chosen people. Why did God choose them? And that's the scandal that we're struggling with. We're upset about it, and this Bible teacher said, well, it's kind of like a father who comes home from work and he's brought candy for his children. Now there's a couple of ways he can do this, and what we want is this, we say things, well, why did God just have to go to the Jewish people? Why couldn't he go to one person among every tribe, every people, every group, and he do it that way. And a father could come home, and he could hand each child individually, one candy bar. But instead the father came home and he handed a bag of candy to the first child that came to him when he came through the door, and he said, I've got some candy for you and your brothers and sisters, and I'd like for you to take it and share it with them. Tell them daddy loves them and give him some candy. Now, why would a father do that? A father would do that, because he would want his children to understand the importance of receiving and giving and sharing, and being a part of the story and the love. And the reason that God has chosen to do it this way, is because you have received a gift from him, and he wants you to be a part of the family. In his family, we give away what he has given to us, to others. We share, we're kind, we're like our father, and I believe that's a great way of understanding it.
Doyle Jackson: 12:59 So let's get into Abraham, and what we can learn from him. A real person, in the Word of God, that can impact our real lives. We can relate to him. I love this, says in Genesis chapter twelve verse one, "The Lord had said to Abraham, go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you this week." I was talking with my dad and I said, dad, you have any advice for me? Any recommendation? We've been talking about the world, and how broken it is. Okay? And my dad just said, well Doyle, all I can tell you is this. When I read the Bible, and I pray and I look at this, I'm just convinced we're in the last days. And I said, well, what's your advice? He said, well, my advice to you is this, learn to listen to God. Learn to recognize God's voice, and follow his voice, your relationship with him is the only thing that's going to carry you through this time period. Now God's voice, recognize his voice, and listen. And right here we are with Abraham. Abraham's story began with God's voice in his life, and his being willing to be obedient to that. Now I realize the world in which you and I live, they scoff at that, they'll mark us, they'll make fun of us, for believing that we can hear the voice of God. But I hear people all the time who tell me things like this, they don't even believe in God and they'll say I did such and such, and I just knew it was the right thing to do. Well, how'd you know? I don't know, it was like a voice inside of me. Are you crazy? No. We understand that language, because every one of us is designed within us, we have this ability to recognize, maybe I ought to do the right thing here.
Doyle Jackson: 14:54 Well, Abraham is the beginning of that faith run, of learning to recognize God's voice, and responding to it. And some of you say, well, can God talk to me when I don't believe in God? Well, I hope so, he created you, he designed you for a relationship with him. Even though you don't believe in him, he can be talking to you. How do I know this? Because I used to try to ignore my mother, and she still kept talking to me, and I knew she was there. Oh, you had a mother like mine. See Abraham recognized God's voice. Now what did God ask him to do? He said, I want you to leave your home, I want you to go. Now, let me tell you something, talk about something that's not appealing to most of us. What did God do? God uprooted Abraham from everything he knew, uprooted his life, and took him to another place. And let me just tell you from personal experience, I have been uprooted by God multiple times. And the first times he does it to you, it is just like, wow, I can't believe this, you know, it's so hard. But now I've gotten to this point and I'm like, okay, God, if I need to be uprooted, it must be a good thing and I just trust you. But at first it's really hard. I mean, I remember being uprooted in college, you know? I remember going from one college, to the next, and it was God. I was in a good place. Can I tell you this? Sometimes when God uproots you, it's not because where you are is a bad place. I was doing godly things, good things were going on. Now, sometimes we're in a bad place, we know it, but we don't want to leave the bad place. And we're like kicking and screaming when God is saying you got to leave. All I can tell you is this, is if right now you feel like, Alright, God is beginning to say, I need to move you. Or a year in the midst of it right now. Maybe right now you feel like, Oh man, God has been uprooting me over the last six months. It's this process he's been going through, I feel like right now I'm on a truck. You know, United Van Lines in the middle of hauling me somewhere, and you're getting banged around. Or some of you feel like, well, I've just got to this new place, and I'm getting...That's a different part of it, but see, that's what Abraham had to go through. Just to understand this, your father in heaven, who loves you, sometimes will take you. Read Psalm one, A tree transplanted is what it says there. The blessed life has transplanting involved, and so God will move you from where you are. Alright?
Doyle Jackson: 17:56 Genesis chapter 12:6, "Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) The Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your offspring, I will give this land. So he built an altar there to the Lord who has appeared to him." This is why the Jewish people have returned home. I've got a picture for you. This is 1986 of me, when I went to Shechem, and I want to show you where Abraham went to. That's a picture of me, same hair, good hair, always good hair. Alright. And over to my left you'll see a round circle, it may be hard for some of you guys see over here. But that's Shechem. Now this is a whole huge valley, and up here on the left you see these trees. This is Mount Gerizim, and on the other side of the valley is Mount Ebal. Now these two mountains is where God brought the people of Israel after they came out of Egypt, they're taking the land, and Joshua brings them in. It's in Deuteronomy chapter 15, 16, 17, and he puts half the people on Mount Gerizim, and half the people on Mount Ebal over there. Ebal is bald, no trees growing up, and he says, if you will hear my voice, and you will obey me, I will make you a blessed people. But if you ignore me, and choose your own way, you will be cursed. And that's how he tells them, choose to obey my voice. Now, this is where God planted that promise in the midst of time and history and humanity, and the well is still there at Shechem. And as you can see, people still live there and you and I have a choice. We can be like Abraham, and we can listen to God's voice.
Doyle Jackson: 19:58 Think about this. The people of Israel, they were planted in Egypt, and God transplanted them and bought them back to the promised land. Listen, I don't know where you are right now, but if you are being shaken up, and the dirt being shaken off your roots, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, because he's doing something in your life, he's doing something. Okay? In Genesis 22 the Lord visits Abraham again, and this time he shows him the stars of the sky. And he says, Abraham, he's changing his name now, all the nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me. You have obeyed me. What's he doing? He changes Abraham's identity. He says, Abraham, you've left your past, and you've come to follow me, I'm giving you a new identity. I'm working through your life, and if you will continue to obey me, if you continue to listen to my voice, if you'll continue, this is my promise to you. I will not just bless you, I'll bless the whole world through you. Now, why is that important? Because you and I need to understand that God's blessing in your life is not for you alone, God blesses you to bless others. God is looking for a people that will pass out his love, his hope, and his new life, but you have to obey him. And I'm sorry, but it's not easy, it's not easy. But what's God wanting to do? God's people, he wants to make a family under his leadership. See, when God said to Abraham, said Abraham, and if you can obey my voice, then you can be a part of my family.
Doyle Jackson: 21:50 He's trying to make us family, under his leadership, under his identity. And when you and I, we come from broken families, every one of us in this room, every one of us, I include myself in that. Abraham's family was just as messed up as yours and mine. We look at ourselves and say, no way God could use me, my family's a wreck. God gives you a new family. Doesn't mean you still are a part of their family. Alright? Listen, you may not like your family, they're still your family. And when God brings you into his family, you may say, well, I don't like the church. We family now. I've heard my brothers, every once in a while, they'll complain about me, little brother this, little brother that. I said, you didn't choose me. God did. See, you and I have to learn to love our family. And guess what? Sometimes the church ain't perfect. You ought to come to Deeper Life tonight, five o'clock, I'm going to teach about the church. And one of the things that God talks about is the family of God. That's what God has always called us, and what God said to Abraham is, I'm going to make you part of a family. Now, if you've come from a broken family, it's been hurtful in this life. I want you to know something, we won't be perfect, the church won't be perfect. Okay? What I can tell you is this, we're going to get it right some of the time, and we're going to love you as much as possible and we all need a family. How did Jesus teach, teaching the disciples to pray? He said, pray our father in heaven, because God wants us to be a part of his family.
Doyle Jackson: 23:51 Let me tell you a little bit about Abraham's story. Abraham, the Bible tells us about Abraham, and how he left Ur of the Chaldees, and I think one of the things that we struggle with over Abraham, is we think that his life was perfect. It wasn't. In Joshua, Joshua was gathering the people around him, and he's trying to direct them as they go into this new land, and all this. And he reaches back into history, and tells them where they came from. In your notes I gave you, this is from Joshua 24:2. This is where Abraham produces this great nation. many years later. Joshua said to all the people, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says. So Joshua now, is now speaking in a prophetic voice. This is what God says about Abraham, alright? Long ago, your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, live beyond the Euphrates river and worshiped other gods.
Doyle Jackson: 24:57 Hmm, God says, you need to know, this all started with Terah, an idol worshiper, a false worshiper. Now, what's it mean to be an idol worshiper? It means that they looked to a source, other than God, to be the source for their life. You and I can be idol worshiper, we can worship material things. We can worship, we can think that drugs or alcohol will give us peace. Trust me, it won't. Okay? We can think that a relationship will give us peace, those are all false idols. What God says is you've got to worship me. The Jewish rabbis, when they talk about Terah, you know what they say he was? They say that he was actually an idol maker.
Doyle Jackson: 25:50 That Abraham was born into a wealthy household, in an urban world, that made their living off of selling people false gods. And so when God takes the people of Israel into the land, he says, please don't do that. Please do not go back to worshiping false gods. Please do not begin to believe that any source other than me can meet your life. And every time you and I looked to a source other than God to bring us hope, peace, and life, we're looking to an idol. And we can even idolize ourselves, please know this, okay? We can believe that we can solve all our problems. Listen, if I could solve all my problems, I would have done it. I needed help. I needed help, and God has been my help, and that's what I invite you to. And that's what Abraham had to learn. Now what happened? Abraham leaves there. He leaves Ur of the Chaldees, then he makes his way to Shechem where we said. He gets into the promised land, and he builds an altar there, he's doing really good. Now, this is what I want you to remember about Abraham, it's a great comfort to me. Abraham did not always get it right. Did you hear me? The reason I know that the story of Abraham is not fiction is because he'd have him get it right all the time, it tells us his flaws, his mistakes. But let me tell you this about Abraham, he did get it right when it mattered. See you don't have to always get it right, but you do need to get it right when it matters. So when does it matter? When it matters is this, is when you're trusting God for your hope of your life. When you're trusting God for your future, and your salvation.
Doyle Jackson: 27:51 What do I mean about when he didn't get it right? He gets into the land, he finds Shechem, and he builds an altar there, he worships God. Thank you God, you've led me to land, I found where you were leading me to. So he knew within himself, he recognized he was in the place that God wanted him to be. Then a famine hits, a famine hits, a tough day, a hot day, a dry day, doesn't matter, whatever you want to call it. And suddenly what does he do? His first decision is to go to Egypt. Now why does he go to Egypt? Because they had a big city. See, Abraham was a city boy. You say, well, how do you know he was a city boy? Because you don't sell idols in an open field where there's a bunch of grass, you need people that buy idols, okay? You cannot sell Coca Cola's is in the middle of the field in nowhere, if no one's out there hiking. And you don't sell idols that way. He was a city dweller, and when God called him out and uprooted him, he took him away from the posh life, the nice life, the beautiful life, and he said, you're going to be a shepherd. You're going to live in a tent. Oh God, I thought you were going to bless me, did you know them, sheep stink? Did you know they smell 24/7, and there ain't nothing you can do about it. Sometimes you and I, we go from where God has us, he transplants us, and we said, you know, my new life kind of stinks.
Doyle Jackson: 29:29 Yup, but are you going to rely on me? If you thought God's blessing in your life meant that everything was going to be rosy, sweet smelling, you might not have been listening to God. What did Satan said to Jesus? He said, hey, if you'll worship me, I'll give you all this. See, that's the tempter. What God says is if you rely on me, I'll be with you wherever you go, I'll be through the dark places and the light places, I'll always be with you. I'll never leave you or forsake you. And that's what Abraham was in, famine hits, and you know what he does? He runs to Egypt. Why does he run to Egypt? Because he thinks that that city life is more secure, and he gets down there, and he's got this gorgeous babe of a wife. I believe that Sarah, I believe this, I believe that Sarah was actually a princess of the ancient world. She would have been a diva. She was more accustomed to city life, and the bright lights, and the red carpet, than she was to tents and sheep. That's why she seemed so grumpy when I read her in the Bible sometimes. Alright? It's why I think Lot chose to go down by Sodom and Gomorrah, he grew up in the city, and that looked better than the hill country of Judea. Okay. So they come riding into Egypt, and Abraham leans over I guess from his camel, and he says, when we get there, tell them you're my sister. Why is he saying that? Because she's an awesome babe, and he's worried they're going to kill him, and take her. And what happens? As soon the King sees her, he's like, wow, she's a goddess, she's a goddess. This, woman, there's no one else like her, and he takes her in. Why can she do it? Why can she handle that world? She knows that world. She's not thrown by it. She's been worshiped before.
Doyle Jackson: 32:08 Now, what's the problem with this? This is when they're missing God, they're going back to trusting in themselves, and it gets them in a whole world of hurt. They finally figured it out, and they have to repent. That's why I say Abraham missed it at times, but he got it when it counted. Later, God says to him, the son that I've given you, I want you to go to the mountain and offer me a sacrifice. He says, yes, Lord. On the way Isaac looks at him and says, Daddy, we've got wood, we've got fire, but where's the sacrifice? Isaac, the Lord's going to provide. Do you think Isaac ever forgot that day? That's how it got passed on down.
Doyle Jackson: 33:08 If you're a daddy in this room, let me ask you a question. Have you passed on the truth of Jesus Christ to your children? Do they know that you have a conviction in the depth of your heart, that no matter what he is the source, and he is the answer for your life? If not, better get to work, that's your job. See the question is this, will I get it right when it counts? Will I get it right when it counts? And that's what counts. Will you make some mistakes? Let me tell you something, everybody in this room has made mistakes, self-included. But I want to get it right when it counts. Why is everybody in America celebrating today? Why would we celebrate Billy Graham's death? Because he got it right when it counted. Don't believe Billy Joel, the good don't die young. Better get it right. That's why I'm in, I'm all in.
Doyle Jackson: 34:23 Okay, so what should you and I take away from Abraham? What should we talk about? I'm going to give you three things, three things to take away from Abraham. They're powerful, you can do them, alright? This is not beyond your capacity. Number one, live a meaningful life. What's that mean? Live an active, far reaching, faith. This is what I mean by an active, far reaching, faith. A far reaching faith does not just save me, it impacts others. Have a faith that says God will do for you, what he's done for me. let me tell you what he's done for me. That's what real people do. That's what this series is about. Get real with people, get real, the way Abraham's story is real. Tell people the mistakes you've made, and when you got it right, begin to share your story like his story. If we didn't have his story, we wouldn't know how to live a meaningful life. You live a life not for yourself, but for the one who gave you life. That's a meaningful life. Okay?
Doyle Jackson: 35:24 Number two, live what I call an active life. That means trusting God, impacts my daily living. Trust that God will impact every day of your life. Lord, what is it you want me to do today? God, if there's that you want me to do today, let me do that. I want to be guided by you. I want to be directed by you. God, I want to learn to recognize your voice in a band. Sometimes I'll pray, I got to go to the store or something. I'll say, Lord, if there's somebody that I need to talk to when I'm in the store, show it to me. Now what that does, is that prepares my heart, it cues me up, so I'm ready to serve God. I'll be walking through Walmart, you know, and I'll see some mama with a basket full of groceries, and a child sitting there, just wailing. And I'll walk over and I'll say, I want you to know something, you're a good mama no matter what that one says right now. Why? Because when I had little ones and they were behaving that way, I needed some encouragement to keep on going. You're just trying to get out of the store, and that's just part of having kids. But if I don't encourage that person, I've missed my job. Sometimes he'll bring someone into me at the grocery, and I'll be alright, could we pray about that? I don't know why these people will start these conversations with us. It could be because I told God, I'm willing to be a light in a world that needs it. Ask him every day. Now is it going to impact your decisions? Yeah, it's going to impact where you live, it's going to impact where you go to school. Why? Because my faith impacts my decisions. Someone told me this morning about a friend who just moved all across the country, got there and they have no church, they have no family, they have nobody there, they moved without thinking about the spiritual implication of that move. For shame, for shame, for shame, to quote Gomer Pyle. God is the one that should determine the moves of your life, not self, because self will get you in a ditch.
Doyle Jackson: 37:48 Last one, family life. Live as a part of God's family. Live as a part of God's family. Look what it says here in Galatians chapter three, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." You and I are part of the family of God, live every day with that reality. Realize that your family now, your family now, looks a whole lot like the people around you. You got people of every age group, every color, and every tribe, why? Because that's what God's family looks like. That's why I love this place, that's why I love you, because I'm part of a family with you.
Doyle Jackson: 38:41 Here's our closing confession. Alright? I want to invite you to say it with me in just a second, but I want to read it to you first, so you know what you're getting into. God help me see what to leave behind. Keep me from the temptation of trusting my wisdom over yours. I want to share in the promise, and blessing, of Abraham in Jesus's name, amen. If you want to say that with me, I invite you to stand, I give you permission to hold your neighbor's hand. And this is what I want you to think about as we say that line, if there's anything that I need to leave behind, if there's something right now that you know for sure in your life, it needs to be left behind. It's something that's been holding you back, I want you to submit, just mentally and emotionally, just say, I'm going to leave it here today. God, I'm going to leave it here, I'm going to walk out with you. Alright? Let's say it together. God help me see what to leave behind. Keep me from the temptation of trusting my wisdom over yours. I want to share in the promise, and blessing, of Abraham in Jesus's name, amen. Amen. God bless you. Love to talk to you, if you're new, come say hello. If you want prayer, we always pray with folks, there's a team down here.
Recorded in Columbus, Ohio.
Doyle Jackson: 01:56 And we want to invite you to get your feet wet, not just because of the rising tide right now. Okay? We want to invite you to get your feet wet in serving, and being a part of moving people closer to God, and we have this great egg hunt coming up. There are 30,000 eggs that need stuffing so they just told you, Jordan told you, March the 16th at 6:30 PM, we're having an egg stuffing party. How many of you have ever been to an egg stuffing party before? Raise your hand. Alright? So if you're sitting around and you didn't raise your hand, you now know somebody that can tell you a little bit more about it. How we have food. We have a lot of fun, but 30,000 eggs takes a few minutes to fill with candy, and we need your help. It is a great way to sit around a table, get to know some other people, share your story, hear their story. You're going to find out that there are people that are here, that God has done some unbelievable miracles in. People who have been healed of cancer, people who've had their marriages turned around, their life have been transformed by God. I invite you to come, come on the 16th, it's a blast. And don't tell anyone I told you this, but if you sneak a piece of candy every now and again, nobody gets upset. That's why I come, I don't want the kids to get bad candy. It's my job, my duty, to be like a cup cupbearer and make sure it's healthy for them. Well, maybe not healthy. You get the point right? Come on the 16th, be a part of Easter here at The Church Next Door.
Doyle Jackson: 03:30 Well, right now we're talking about real people, who live real lives. And today I want to open up for you, I want to unpack a real promise, through a boy. Abe, Abram, Abraham, this is his name from the Bible. And he is such a powerful figure, because he teaches you and I, how do I engage God and his promise? The scripture says that a seed was planted in humanity through Abraham, that you and I can grab a hold of, be engrafted into, and be a part of, and that's what I want to help you unpack today.
Doyle Jackson: 04:13 So if you would open up your folders, if you have a Bible, if you'll open it up to Genesis. The Abraham Story starts in Genesis chapter twelve and it goes to twenty-four. When you think about that, it's not much to cover someone who lived 175 years. Pretty amazing, and I'm not going to cover all his story, so I hope you'll go back and look at it. Read Genesis 12 to 24, it's a powerful, powerful lesson to you about how God's promises are real. But Abraham's life is planted in the book of Genesis, and I believe that's really, really important for you and I, because the context tells us a lot. In your notes, I wrote this down, because I believe this is true about Genesis. When first read Genesis, when we open the Book of Genesis, we are immediately faced with a question. Are these words the product of human imagination, or divine inspiration? Now, what's really going on when we asked that question, is this. Is this true? Is this real? It seems like it could be fiction. You know, I know some pretty creative writers, and they could have written this down. I'm just not sure if this is really from God?
Doyle Jackson: 05:24 Let me just, let me help address that skepticism, I've had that skepticism before, I've felt like that. But let me tell you, I've engaged in it a little bit more, and in the ancient world, you didn't write fiction books. There are no fiction books in the ancient world, and this is why, you had to kill a lamb every time you wanted to make a note, they didn't have Post-it notes people. Every time you had an idea, and it was really important enough to write down, it was costly. And so in the ancient world, you don't have fiction books. They used to carve it into stone, they used to make clay tablets, this is how we know the ancient world. Whenever someone wrote something down in the ancient world, it's because they believed it. So, when you and I open up Genesis, and we read the story of Genesis, it's more than just human inspiration. It's human inspiration in that sense that humanity has passed it on down, but it's because God has engaged them. Now this is another way you know it's true, when you read the story, it fits with your and my reality.
Doyle Jackson: 06:36 This is what I'll say, look at your notes, I want you to see this. This is what I said, what Genesis presents to us is a world of magnificent beauty, and extreme variety. A world of magnificent beauty, and extreme variety. Why do I say that? Because when you and I, when we go on a walk to the park. Go out today, go out to Battelle Darby Park, see how high the creek has gotten to and get a little wet. Okay? When you're out there, what you're going to do, you're going to be amazed at the variety, you're going to be amazed at the different animals you see. You'll see a squirrel, then you'll see a white squirrel, and you'll go, were on earth did an albino squirrel come to in Ohio. They're out there, dude, they're out there. Why? Because God has created just a magnificent, beautiful world, and it's of great variety. You know that by experience, and that's what the Bible tells us.
Doyle Jackson: 07:31 The second truth that the Bible tells us in Genesis, that you and I agree with, and even the world agrees
with is this, the world has been ruined, ruined by those who live here. Folks, anyone from the green movement in your world, in my world, today agrees with me with that. They will tell you, the problem in this world is people. Did you watch the news this past week? How many of us would agree that the problem in this world is people? I do. Why? Because people are ruining it. people are the problem. Now, here's the caveat, okay? The world would have you believe, the world would have you believe, that with just better stewardship we can fix the world. If you and I will just work harder, and smarter, and work together, we can solve the problems of the world. The Bible says that's not true. Because the Bible says that although we have caused the brokenness in this world, the only one that has the capacity, the resource, the power, to heal our broken world, is the one who created it, to get it back. And see, you and I, we can try really hard to be great stewards of the earth in which we live. But as long as a ruined, broken, humanity lives here, it's going to cause trouble. So the solution is this, the solution is we need a source outside ourselves that has a power and a love to heal us. And God is that answer. God says, I can fix it, if you'll come to me, if you'll allow me, if you will just accept that I exist, and that I love you.
Doyle Jackson: 09:24 And Abraham is the beginning of that big relationship, shift. Now here comes the problem. The fact that we mentioned that, and we say that Abraham had the solution, obsessed us. It creates a tension inside us, I call it the scandalous truth. Okay, and here's the scandal. If God is going to be the one that fixes the problem, he has to start somewhere, with someone. God has to start somewhere, with someone, and God chose to start with Abraham. And when you and I look at that, our natural reaction to say, that's not fair, I wanted it to be me. Suddenly we're taken back to the third grade and kick ball, and you were like, why did you pick them first? I wanted to be picked. And suddenly it's about that brokenness within us, that we want it to be the chosen one, that we want it to be the first in line, that we wanted to be the key, we wanted to be the hero, I want to be superman, you want to be wonder woman, that's the way that works. And that's the scandal.
Doyle Jackson: 10:36 But can we be honest? If God had chosen you, how many thousand years would have transpired before the hope got to anybody? A Bible teacher friend, and my dad, once explained the tension this way. When we look at the Jewish people, and Abraham is the beginning of that, we're like, it's not fair that they're the chosen people. Why did God choose them? And that's the scandal that we're struggling with. We're upset about it, and this Bible teacher said, well, it's kind of like a father who comes home from work and he's brought candy for his children. Now there's a couple of ways he can do this, and what we want is this, we say things, well, why did God just have to go to the Jewish people? Why couldn't he go to one person among every tribe, every people, every group, and he do it that way. And a father could come home, and he could hand each child individually, one candy bar. But instead the father came home and he handed a bag of candy to the first child that came to him when he came through the door, and he said, I've got some candy for you and your brothers and sisters, and I'd like for you to take it and share it with them. Tell them daddy loves them and give him some candy. Now, why would a father do that? A father would do that, because he would want his children to understand the importance of receiving and giving and sharing, and being a part of the story and the love. And the reason that God has chosen to do it this way, is because you have received a gift from him, and he wants you to be a part of the family. In his family, we give away what he has given to us, to others. We share, we're kind, we're like our father, and I believe that's a great way of understanding it.
Doyle Jackson: 12:59 So let's get into Abraham, and what we can learn from him. A real person, in the Word of God, that can impact our real lives. We can relate to him. I love this, says in Genesis chapter twelve verse one, "The Lord had said to Abraham, go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you this week." I was talking with my dad and I said, dad, you have any advice for me? Any recommendation? We've been talking about the world, and how broken it is. Okay? And my dad just said, well Doyle, all I can tell you is this. When I read the Bible, and I pray and I look at this, I'm just convinced we're in the last days. And I said, well, what's your advice? He said, well, my advice to you is this, learn to listen to God. Learn to recognize God's voice, and follow his voice, your relationship with him is the only thing that's going to carry you through this time period. Now God's voice, recognize his voice, and listen. And right here we are with Abraham. Abraham's story began with God's voice in his life, and his being willing to be obedient to that. Now I realize the world in which you and I live, they scoff at that, they'll mark us, they'll make fun of us, for believing that we can hear the voice of God. But I hear people all the time who tell me things like this, they don't even believe in God and they'll say I did such and such, and I just knew it was the right thing to do. Well, how'd you know? I don't know, it was like a voice inside of me. Are you crazy? No. We understand that language, because every one of us is designed within us, we have this ability to recognize, maybe I ought to do the right thing here.
Doyle Jackson: 14:54 Well, Abraham is the beginning of that faith run, of learning to recognize God's voice, and responding to it. And some of you say, well, can God talk to me when I don't believe in God? Well, I hope so, he created you, he designed you for a relationship with him. Even though you don't believe in him, he can be talking to you. How do I know this? Because I used to try to ignore my mother, and she still kept talking to me, and I knew she was there. Oh, you had a mother like mine. See Abraham recognized God's voice. Now what did God ask him to do? He said, I want you to leave your home, I want you to go. Now, let me tell you something, talk about something that's not appealing to most of us. What did God do? God uprooted Abraham from everything he knew, uprooted his life, and took him to another place. And let me just tell you from personal experience, I have been uprooted by God multiple times. And the first times he does it to you, it is just like, wow, I can't believe this, you know, it's so hard. But now I've gotten to this point and I'm like, okay, God, if I need to be uprooted, it must be a good thing and I just trust you. But at first it's really hard. I mean, I remember being uprooted in college, you know? I remember going from one college, to the next, and it was God. I was in a good place. Can I tell you this? Sometimes when God uproots you, it's not because where you are is a bad place. I was doing godly things, good things were going on. Now, sometimes we're in a bad place, we know it, but we don't want to leave the bad place. And we're like kicking and screaming when God is saying you got to leave. All I can tell you is this, is if right now you feel like, Alright, God is beginning to say, I need to move you. Or a year in the midst of it right now. Maybe right now you feel like, Oh man, God has been uprooting me over the last six months. It's this process he's been going through, I feel like right now I'm on a truck. You know, United Van Lines in the middle of hauling me somewhere, and you're getting banged around. Or some of you feel like, well, I've just got to this new place, and I'm getting...That's a different part of it, but see, that's what Abraham had to go through. Just to understand this, your father in heaven, who loves you, sometimes will take you. Read Psalm one, A tree transplanted is what it says there. The blessed life has transplanting involved, and so God will move you from where you are. Alright?
Doyle Jackson: 17:56 Genesis chapter 12:6, "Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) The Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your offspring, I will give this land. So he built an altar there to the Lord who has appeared to him." This is why the Jewish people have returned home. I've got a picture for you. This is 1986 of me, when I went to Shechem, and I want to show you where Abraham went to. That's a picture of me, same hair, good hair, always good hair. Alright. And over to my left you'll see a round circle, it may be hard for some of you guys see over here. But that's Shechem. Now this is a whole huge valley, and up here on the left you see these trees. This is Mount Gerizim, and on the other side of the valley is Mount Ebal. Now these two mountains is where God brought the people of Israel after they came out of Egypt, they're taking the land, and Joshua brings them in. It's in Deuteronomy chapter 15, 16, 17, and he puts half the people on Mount Gerizim, and half the people on Mount Ebal over there. Ebal is bald, no trees growing up, and he says, if you will hear my voice, and you will obey me, I will make you a blessed people. But if you ignore me, and choose your own way, you will be cursed. And that's how he tells them, choose to obey my voice. Now, this is where God planted that promise in the midst of time and history and humanity, and the well is still there at Shechem. And as you can see, people still live there and you and I have a choice. We can be like Abraham, and we can listen to God's voice.
Doyle Jackson: 19:58 Think about this. The people of Israel, they were planted in Egypt, and God transplanted them and bought them back to the promised land. Listen, I don't know where you are right now, but if you are being shaken up, and the dirt being shaken off your roots, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, because he's doing something in your life, he's doing something. Okay? In Genesis 22 the Lord visits Abraham again, and this time he shows him the stars of the sky. And he says, Abraham, he's changing his name now, all the nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me. You have obeyed me. What's he doing? He changes Abraham's identity. He says, Abraham, you've left your past, and you've come to follow me, I'm giving you a new identity. I'm working through your life, and if you will continue to obey me, if you continue to listen to my voice, if you'll continue, this is my promise to you. I will not just bless you, I'll bless the whole world through you. Now, why is that important? Because you and I need to understand that God's blessing in your life is not for you alone, God blesses you to bless others. God is looking for a people that will pass out his love, his hope, and his new life, but you have to obey him. And I'm sorry, but it's not easy, it's not easy. But what's God wanting to do? God's people, he wants to make a family under his leadership. See, when God said to Abraham, said Abraham, and if you can obey my voice, then you can be a part of my family.
Doyle Jackson: 21:50 He's trying to make us family, under his leadership, under his identity. And when you and I, we come from broken families, every one of us in this room, every one of us, I include myself in that. Abraham's family was just as messed up as yours and mine. We look at ourselves and say, no way God could use me, my family's a wreck. God gives you a new family. Doesn't mean you still are a part of their family. Alright? Listen, you may not like your family, they're still your family. And when God brings you into his family, you may say, well, I don't like the church. We family now. I've heard my brothers, every once in a while, they'll complain about me, little brother this, little brother that. I said, you didn't choose me. God did. See, you and I have to learn to love our family. And guess what? Sometimes the church ain't perfect. You ought to come to Deeper Life tonight, five o'clock, I'm going to teach about the church. And one of the things that God talks about is the family of God. That's what God has always called us, and what God said to Abraham is, I'm going to make you part of a family. Now, if you've come from a broken family, it's been hurtful in this life. I want you to know something, we won't be perfect, the church won't be perfect. Okay? What I can tell you is this, we're going to get it right some of the time, and we're going to love you as much as possible and we all need a family. How did Jesus teach, teaching the disciples to pray? He said, pray our father in heaven, because God wants us to be a part of his family.
Doyle Jackson: 23:51 Let me tell you a little bit about Abraham's story. Abraham, the Bible tells us about Abraham, and how he left Ur of the Chaldees, and I think one of the things that we struggle with over Abraham, is we think that his life was perfect. It wasn't. In Joshua, Joshua was gathering the people around him, and he's trying to direct them as they go into this new land, and all this. And he reaches back into history, and tells them where they came from. In your notes I gave you, this is from Joshua 24:2. This is where Abraham produces this great nation. many years later. Joshua said to all the people, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says. So Joshua now, is now speaking in a prophetic voice. This is what God says about Abraham, alright? Long ago, your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, live beyond the Euphrates river and worshiped other gods.
Doyle Jackson: 24:57 Hmm, God says, you need to know, this all started with Terah, an idol worshiper, a false worshiper. Now, what's it mean to be an idol worshiper? It means that they looked to a source, other than God, to be the source for their life. You and I can be idol worshiper, we can worship material things. We can worship, we can think that drugs or alcohol will give us peace. Trust me, it won't. Okay? We can think that a relationship will give us peace, those are all false idols. What God says is you've got to worship me. The Jewish rabbis, when they talk about Terah, you know what they say he was? They say that he was actually an idol maker.
Doyle Jackson: 25:50 That Abraham was born into a wealthy household, in an urban world, that made their living off of selling people false gods. And so when God takes the people of Israel into the land, he says, please don't do that. Please do not go back to worshiping false gods. Please do not begin to believe that any source other than me can meet your life. And every time you and I looked to a source other than God to bring us hope, peace, and life, we're looking to an idol. And we can even idolize ourselves, please know this, okay? We can believe that we can solve all our problems. Listen, if I could solve all my problems, I would have done it. I needed help. I needed help, and God has been my help, and that's what I invite you to. And that's what Abraham had to learn. Now what happened? Abraham leaves there. He leaves Ur of the Chaldees, then he makes his way to Shechem where we said. He gets into the promised land, and he builds an altar there, he's doing really good. Now, this is what I want you to remember about Abraham, it's a great comfort to me. Abraham did not always get it right. Did you hear me? The reason I know that the story of Abraham is not fiction is because he'd have him get it right all the time, it tells us his flaws, his mistakes. But let me tell you this about Abraham, he did get it right when it mattered. See you don't have to always get it right, but you do need to get it right when it matters. So when does it matter? When it matters is this, is when you're trusting God for your hope of your life. When you're trusting God for your future, and your salvation.
Doyle Jackson: 27:51 What do I mean about when he didn't get it right? He gets into the land, he finds Shechem, and he builds an altar there, he worships God. Thank you God, you've led me to land, I found where you were leading me to. So he knew within himself, he recognized he was in the place that God wanted him to be. Then a famine hits, a famine hits, a tough day, a hot day, a dry day, doesn't matter, whatever you want to call it. And suddenly what does he do? His first decision is to go to Egypt. Now why does he go to Egypt? Because they had a big city. See, Abraham was a city boy. You say, well, how do you know he was a city boy? Because you don't sell idols in an open field where there's a bunch of grass, you need people that buy idols, okay? You cannot sell Coca Cola's is in the middle of the field in nowhere, if no one's out there hiking. And you don't sell idols that way. He was a city dweller, and when God called him out and uprooted him, he took him away from the posh life, the nice life, the beautiful life, and he said, you're going to be a shepherd. You're going to live in a tent. Oh God, I thought you were going to bless me, did you know them, sheep stink? Did you know they smell 24/7, and there ain't nothing you can do about it. Sometimes you and I, we go from where God has us, he transplants us, and we said, you know, my new life kind of stinks.
Doyle Jackson: 29:29 Yup, but are you going to rely on me? If you thought God's blessing in your life meant that everything was going to be rosy, sweet smelling, you might not have been listening to God. What did Satan said to Jesus? He said, hey, if you'll worship me, I'll give you all this. See, that's the tempter. What God says is if you rely on me, I'll be with you wherever you go, I'll be through the dark places and the light places, I'll always be with you. I'll never leave you or forsake you. And that's what Abraham was in, famine hits, and you know what he does? He runs to Egypt. Why does he run to Egypt? Because he thinks that that city life is more secure, and he gets down there, and he's got this gorgeous babe of a wife. I believe that Sarah, I believe this, I believe that Sarah was actually a princess of the ancient world. She would have been a diva. She was more accustomed to city life, and the bright lights, and the red carpet, than she was to tents and sheep. That's why she seemed so grumpy when I read her in the Bible sometimes. Alright? It's why I think Lot chose to go down by Sodom and Gomorrah, he grew up in the city, and that looked better than the hill country of Judea. Okay. So they come riding into Egypt, and Abraham leans over I guess from his camel, and he says, when we get there, tell them you're my sister. Why is he saying that? Because she's an awesome babe, and he's worried they're going to kill him, and take her. And what happens? As soon the King sees her, he's like, wow, she's a goddess, she's a goddess. This, woman, there's no one else like her, and he takes her in. Why can she do it? Why can she handle that world? She knows that world. She's not thrown by it. She's been worshiped before.
Doyle Jackson: 32:08 Now, what's the problem with this? This is when they're missing God, they're going back to trusting in themselves, and it gets them in a whole world of hurt. They finally figured it out, and they have to repent. That's why I say Abraham missed it at times, but he got it when it counted. Later, God says to him, the son that I've given you, I want you to go to the mountain and offer me a sacrifice. He says, yes, Lord. On the way Isaac looks at him and says, Daddy, we've got wood, we've got fire, but where's the sacrifice? Isaac, the Lord's going to provide. Do you think Isaac ever forgot that day? That's how it got passed on down.
Doyle Jackson: 33:08 If you're a daddy in this room, let me ask you a question. Have you passed on the truth of Jesus Christ to your children? Do they know that you have a conviction in the depth of your heart, that no matter what he is the source, and he is the answer for your life? If not, better get to work, that's your job. See the question is this, will I get it right when it counts? Will I get it right when it counts? And that's what counts. Will you make some mistakes? Let me tell you something, everybody in this room has made mistakes, self-included. But I want to get it right when it counts. Why is everybody in America celebrating today? Why would we celebrate Billy Graham's death? Because he got it right when it counted. Don't believe Billy Joel, the good don't die young. Better get it right. That's why I'm in, I'm all in.
Doyle Jackson: 34:23 Okay, so what should you and I take away from Abraham? What should we talk about? I'm going to give you three things, three things to take away from Abraham. They're powerful, you can do them, alright? This is not beyond your capacity. Number one, live a meaningful life. What's that mean? Live an active, far reaching, faith. This is what I mean by an active, far reaching, faith. A far reaching faith does not just save me, it impacts others. Have a faith that says God will do for you, what he's done for me. let me tell you what he's done for me. That's what real people do. That's what this series is about. Get real with people, get real, the way Abraham's story is real. Tell people the mistakes you've made, and when you got it right, begin to share your story like his story. If we didn't have his story, we wouldn't know how to live a meaningful life. You live a life not for yourself, but for the one who gave you life. That's a meaningful life. Okay?
Doyle Jackson: 35:24 Number two, live what I call an active life. That means trusting God, impacts my daily living. Trust that God will impact every day of your life. Lord, what is it you want me to do today? God, if there's that you want me to do today, let me do that. I want to be guided by you. I want to be directed by you. God, I want to learn to recognize your voice in a band. Sometimes I'll pray, I got to go to the store or something. I'll say, Lord, if there's somebody that I need to talk to when I'm in the store, show it to me. Now what that does, is that prepares my heart, it cues me up, so I'm ready to serve God. I'll be walking through Walmart, you know, and I'll see some mama with a basket full of groceries, and a child sitting there, just wailing. And I'll walk over and I'll say, I want you to know something, you're a good mama no matter what that one says right now. Why? Because when I had little ones and they were behaving that way, I needed some encouragement to keep on going. You're just trying to get out of the store, and that's just part of having kids. But if I don't encourage that person, I've missed my job. Sometimes he'll bring someone into me at the grocery, and I'll be alright, could we pray about that? I don't know why these people will start these conversations with us. It could be because I told God, I'm willing to be a light in a world that needs it. Ask him every day. Now is it going to impact your decisions? Yeah, it's going to impact where you live, it's going to impact where you go to school. Why? Because my faith impacts my decisions. Someone told me this morning about a friend who just moved all across the country, got there and they have no church, they have no family, they have nobody there, they moved without thinking about the spiritual implication of that move. For shame, for shame, for shame, to quote Gomer Pyle. God is the one that should determine the moves of your life, not self, because self will get you in a ditch.
Doyle Jackson: 37:48 Last one, family life. Live as a part of God's family. Live as a part of God's family. Look what it says here in Galatians chapter three, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." You and I are part of the family of God, live every day with that reality. Realize that your family now, your family now, looks a whole lot like the people around you. You got people of every age group, every color, and every tribe, why? Because that's what God's family looks like. That's why I love this place, that's why I love you, because I'm part of a family with you.
Doyle Jackson: 38:41 Here's our closing confession. Alright? I want to invite you to say it with me in just a second, but I want to read it to you first, so you know what you're getting into. God help me see what to leave behind. Keep me from the temptation of trusting my wisdom over yours. I want to share in the promise, and blessing, of Abraham in Jesus's name, amen. If you want to say that with me, I invite you to stand, I give you permission to hold your neighbor's hand. And this is what I want you to think about as we say that line, if there's anything that I need to leave behind, if there's something right now that you know for sure in your life, it needs to be left behind. It's something that's been holding you back, I want you to submit, just mentally and emotionally, just say, I'm going to leave it here today. God, I'm going to leave it here, I'm going to walk out with you. Alright? Let's say it together. God help me see what to leave behind. Keep me from the temptation of trusting my wisdom over yours. I want to share in the promise, and blessing, of Abraham in Jesus's name, amen. Amen. God bless you. Love to talk to you, if you're new, come say hello. If you want prayer, we always pray with folks, there's a team down here.
Recorded in Columbus, Ohio.
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