ISRAEL: The Test Of Our Time – Will You Pass It?

0:02 Ah, good evening, everybody. It is really good to see you. And you know what? This is a really big church. And I just want to pray for Pastor Jack. I love Pastor Jack. How many of you remember 2020, that crazy lockdown? Remember COVID? Does anybody remember COVID? You know, your great pastor, like he heard from the Lord, you got to open the church. You got to open the church May 31st. Some of you remember this, right? Now, what he didn't know at the time, and I think I'm accurate with this, I'm pretty sure, right, is that he didn't know that it was actually biblically and historically Shavuot or Pentecost. It was when, of course, Peter stood up and he said, you men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, and gave the gospel of 3,000 Jews coming to faith in the Lord Jesus. And then, of course, it's impacted the entire world.

0:55 but he led leaders in California and he did because he's a leader, right? And I'm so grateful for him and I just wanna pray real quick. Lord, thank you for Pastor Jack and pray he would have a wonderful time of rest and renewal and Lord, we know you're here. Just what a blessing it has been to inhabit the praises of your people and your beautiful presence And I pray we would not only be informed, but transformed tonight. In fact, just in an attitude of prayer, because we were praying this earlier, you guys, I pray every one of you would be edified. That means nourished and built up. That every one of you would be encouraged. Every one of you would be comforted by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would give a peace that surpasses understanding. And also, I pray no one would leave here without turning to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

1:53 So we pray, Lord, for the greatest miracle of all, which is salvation to occur. And I pray no one will leave here without you. And I ask these things in Jesus' name. Everyone who agreed said? Amen. Hey, by the way, if you've yet to receive Jesus Christ, I just want you to know the doors are locked. You cannot leave. No, I'm just joking. You know, Pastor Jack, I saw him pull out his iPhone last week. I was watching online. And to make sure he was on time, right? So if Pastor Jack can pull his iPhone out in the pulpit, I can pull my iPhone out in the pulpit. Okay, kind of dumb, sorry about that. But I just want to make sure I got the right time. You guys, Acts chapter one, I want you to turn there. Acts chapter one, and I want to begin with a statement by author Sandra Rieker. She said, I realize this is a painful metaphor for many of us, but it is unfortunately appropriate.

2:50 The great tragedy of Alzheimer's disease is that it robs a person of themselves by robbing them of their memory, of their experiences and relationships. Hence, an elderly woman with Alzheimer's can watch her own children walk through the door and need to ask their names. She said the church has a similar condition. Just as an Alzheimer's patient must ask the name of their own children, the church watches her ancestors walk through the door with a similar response, and the end result is the church does not know who she is because she does not know who she was. You know, sometimes the way forward is the way back, actually. The way back is the way forward. You say, what are you talking about? I'm talking about rediscovering the ground floor of the Jesus movement.

3:46 Not 1970s Calvary Chapel. I'm talking about Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Because the reality is if we lose our story, we lose our identity. That's true in America. Because our story is the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation. We lose that story. We lose our identity, right? You guys, we're living in really unique times. Kind of sounds like a preacher, but it's true. The context of the times in which we are living are times of radical acceleration. COVID brought that to us. That ideas matter. That belief matters, right? That leadership matters. That policy matters. I'll prove the point here. Have you ever heard a guy named Fauci? Right? I mean, okay. Prove the point. Leadership matters, right? By the way, governors matter. During COVID, Governor Newsom issued an executive orders that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled were unconstitutional. So at times he was actually leading contrary to the Constitution. And at the same time, COVID revealed evil. Numerous Trojan horses, remember them? Black Lives Matter, which is just Marxism, really. And the blessed Charlie, who was in heaven, he said, you know, that was the summer of civilizational arson.

5:10 Then you had October 7th, 2023. Oh, what a day that was. In Israel. Israel's 9-11. 1,200 people, like, murdered. I've seen pictures, actually, that has never been published. I mean, the demonic, the demonic reality that took place is just beyond words. The raping of women, targeting children, taking 263 hostages. It ignited, interestingly, a global firestorm. You say, yeah, against Tomas? No, against Israel. It was so weird. A firestorm of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and anti-Israel. The reality is, everybody, that the nature of Israel is the ultimate gaslighter. It deflects in order to desensitize, to destroy. And what we've seen after 2023, October 7th, is also a skyrocketing of a doctrine, a teaching that without bullets or bombs seeks to erase and replace Israel in God's divine purposes.

6:19 It's called replacement theology. And by the way, just last night in Michigan, the Democratic primary there for Senate, Abdul El-Sayed won, interestingly, sadly. His whole campaign is framed by making Israel the scapegoat for America's problems. So it's kind of like this. Hey, we've got problems in America. You know, we need to invest more in our kids. Oh, goodness. Look, this is his ideas. Look what we're doing. You know, we're supporting our ally. We're sending funding to Israel. It's all a Trojan horse. It's all a form of deception, right? Playing off of Israel. Then there was the assassination of our dearest, dearest Charlie, who was on this very stage so many times with Pastor Jack. And, you know, when he went to heaven afterwards, man, there was an awakening across our country and across the world and in Israel where many were turning to the Lord Jesus Christ.

7:24 And what Charlie left us, and we all know this, I want to get to my point in a second, but what he left us was his faith, and that was his desire, right? Can I hear a big amen to that? So beautiful. Then the attacks, then the attacks to delegitimize his leadership, to attack his precious wife, just flat out demonic. My point is, is we're living in times of acceleration, where ideas matter, belief matters. And the point is, is that like game is on, everybody. Game is on regarding evil. Game is on regarding the gospel. Game is on regarding truth and living it out. And this brings us to the importance of the ground floor of the Jesus movement. Because we're going to study a bunch of stuff here. I mean, the title of the message is Israel, the test of our time. Will you pass the test?

8:17 But we've got a lot to talk about. But the chief question after resurrection was, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? That's in the mind of the first followers of Jesus after resurrection. Israel became the focus. Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus ascends from the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem with the guarantee he's going to return back to Zion. Zion means hell. It refers to Jerusalem. Jesus is identified as the Christ. It's not his last name. It's his throne name. It says that he's going to be the one, he's the Davidic king, who will rule on planet Earth, epicenter Jerusalem. Can I hear a big amen to that?

9:09 Right? Okay, so watch this. Anybody who promotes ideas that Zion does not have a future in God's plan, and purposes is really, this is not hyperbole, is really anti-Christ. Christ means anointed one. He is the Davidic king, Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus. I mean, like 300 times in the New Testament, the point is, that title associated with his name is his throne name. Israel and the person and work of Jesus, I'll tell you, it's the test of our time and we have to pass it. But here's the bullseye we're going after first, okay? Because we're gonna cover a couple of things. We got a couple of scriptures I wanna show you. Look, there's a connection between the Holy Spirit coming upon the church, then what, we're gonna read this in a second.

10:02 Then it says fear came upon the church. Fear? And then it says they walked in the fear of God. So check this out. You shall receive power, When the Holy Spirit has come, what's the next word, you guys? Upon you, right? And you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Okay, what's the next verse? Watch. Then, this is the next chapter, then fear came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were done to the apostles. And then we have another verse we're going to look at. then the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee, Samaria had peace and were built up, edified, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and they were multiplied. So if you haven't heard anything up to this point, I really want you to focus on this.

10:59 What is the common thread between the Holy Spirit coming upon the church, like baptizing the church, immersing them. Then fear came upon the church. Then they walked in the fear of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. You guys, like that question is really one of the most important questions as far as I'm concerned to actually ask because there is a connection between all of those. First of all, look, we gotta think clearly about what fear is. When it talks about the fear of God coming upon the church and they're walking in the fear of God, it's not that they were fearful that God would hurt them. You know, the Bible speaks of fear in a variety of ways. In fact, if you're writing down notes, can I suggest just write this down? There is the fear of a threat to harm, which then produces a fight or flight response. And that's actually an important fear to have. Like the disciples are on the boat, Jesus is in the boat, right?

12:06 Winds and waves, like huge, they feel threatened. They cannot fight the waves. They cannot flee because they're on a little boat. And Jesus ends up saying to them, why do you fear, O ye of, can someone tell me, O ye of what? Little faith. Okay, listen, that's a great question, actually. So pause here for a second. You know, James and John were on that boat. I don't know who owned the boat, but James and John's dad had a fishing business. So use a little imagination. I think it's okay to kind of go this way. But, I mean, you could have maybe had John afterwards say, Jesus, you know, we woke you up. We were fearful. We thought we were going to die. You calmed the raging seas and stuff. But let me tell you, since you asked, why did we fear? Can I tell you?

12:59 since you were raised in Nazareth and you are a carpenter, we are professional fishermen. And my dad has lost boats on this lake. And when the waves are this big, people die. So I'll just tell you that's why we were all freaking out. And the point is this, like faith does not deny problems. It just moves to the second part of the question. Why do you fear, O ye, of little what? Faith. Well, faith has an object. The object is God. So the idea is, hey, maybe you're going through an incredible trial and adversity. I mean, the size of the group here, I know many are. Just know this, okay? Problems are real.

13:52 But God is in the boat. And that's the point. Like, that's why, like James would say, count it all joy when you fall into various trials and things. So why? Because it's a test of your faith. Our faith is in God. All right? God who never fails. Can I hear another big amen to that? So it's like, okay. I mean, look, if someone's threatening you, right, you need to either flee or fight them to protect your children or something. But I mean, there is the fear of a threat, right? Number two, just jot this down real quick. There's the fear of the future. Like the what-if seesaw that robs us from the present. You know, Jesus said, don't worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

14:47 So he's just saying, okay, watch this. Hey, be present. In fact, we're going to get to fear in a little bit. You know, the fear of God is to be present in his presence. And I'm like, I'm conscious, okay, like the Lord is here with us, right? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. So it's like, look, Jesus is saying don't worry about tomorrow. He gives us a solution. He says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. And of course he's working all things out for the good. But look, if you want to boil down prophecy, if prophecy means anything, and it does, it means there's a future. We are headed into the future. Jesus has taken control of the future. Hence, the future is in really good hands. And that means you as well as his son or daughter.

15:44 We are in his arms, and he doesn't fumble any of us. It's like he's got this. Okay, write this down here taking notes. Number three, there's the fear that actually paralyzes our movement, taking ground in God's will in our lives. It kind of undermines the go for it. Paul wrote, Timothy, God has not given us the spirit of fear, of timidity, or kind of the deer in the headlight existence where I'm paralyzed to move forward, but he's given us power and love and a sound mind. Okay, jot one more down. There's the fear, because we're going to get to the fear of God in a moment. But there's the fear that makes what is not real seem real. Like, let me ask you a question. Like, as a child, did you ever, like, were you ever fearful of looking underneath your bed? I'm just curious.

16:39 Now, I would really like to see a response here. Or looking in the closet, or am I just the only one? I mean, how many of you are at times like, I just don't want to look under the bed. I'm just a little weird about the closet. anybody like that? Oh, no, I'm just the only one. That's what I thought. No. I mean, that's like the fear that makes what is not real seem real, right? It's kind of the boogeyman. Like I had a sibling who in the old days, we had these dial phones. Some of you will remember. He would like dial our phone number and then hang up and then it would ring. And then he'd pick it up and he'd say, hello, boogeyman, how are you doing? I mean, so you're going to be at Greg's window. I mean, it's great. You know, tonight, he used to freak me out. You know, I'm thinking to myself, it's not true, it's not true, but then it would always get in my head. You know? I mean, what is not real seems real. I think of Elijah after a major victory.

17:34 He's afraid, and he runs for his life. He's hiding in a cave, and he says, I'm the only one left. And, you know, he's depressed. I mean, he's come off a great victory. There's relational conflict. He's super, super tired. Everything's piling up, and he's just feeling really, really alone. But he wasn't alone. And the Lord said, look, you're not the only one left. I got thousands. There's a faithful remnant here. But the Bible says we need to take every thought captive. Don't be anxious about anything. Okay, so it gets us to the question. What is the fear that came upon the first followers of Jesus? The answer is, it is a fear that made what is real, really real. And the greatest reality of all is the Lord himself. So in other words, this fear was being overwhelmed with the greatness of God.

18:32 And it's connected, now check this out, it's connected to when the Holy Spirit came upon the church. Remember Jesus said the Holy Spirit is with you. Then he's going to be in you. Like you have a glass of water, the water's outside of you, right? Then you can drink it so the water's in you. But one day the Holy Spirit's going to come upon you. It's this baptism, this idea of immersion where now, like, God is not just in you, but he is overflowing in your life. It's like you've been immersed. You've been baptized. Now you're dripping wet. I mean, think of the ocean. The ocean, I grew up near the ocean. is beautiful. It's super big, super powerful. It's inviting. It's refreshing. You know, it's healing. But you can't lose the awe factor because it's also dangerous. I mean, there's a healthy fear that needs to accompany it. When the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus, it was like it could be said a wave coming upon them, overcoming them, being immersed, and now they are more aware than ever before.

19:47 It's like, my goodness gracious, the Lord is in our midst. The Holy Spirit is with us. And it was not only a demonstration that the Lord was active in their midst, in power and purpose, but it led to a greater sense of holiness as well. Now we don't have time to develop. Let me just remind you Acts chapter five. You know, remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They were a couple, and they conceived a deception and misrepresentation in the church. In fact, we have this verse on the screen where Peter says, Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? And it says, So great fear came upon the church. Like, what is going on there? Well, I mean, to make a long story short, Ananias and Sapphira sold some piece of real estate. Let's say they made like $200,000 and they gave $150,000, you know, to the church.

20:50 They didn't even have to do this. Withheld 50, but made it seem like they gave the entire amount. and Peter, by the help of the Holy Spirit, by a word of knowledge, reveals to them, hey, this is something you cooked up in your heart. There's a deception. It's a form of hypocrisy. And when he brought it to their attention, they both dropped dead, actually. You say, well, what's going on there? Did Peter read their minds? No, no, Peter didn't read their minds. it was God in their midst who actually revealed their thoughts. So now they're like, whoa, like the Lord, I mean, our thoughts were revealed. And having this fear, you guys, is actually a rescue. Like, what's the rescue?

21:42 The rescue is that we need to realize we're not the only ones that see our thoughts. You know, Genesis 3 tells us that sin did not begin with an action. It began with an idea. It began with a belief. I mean, ideas matter. In fact, let me put it this way. Belief is more than just ideas in your mind. They have an impact in your life. I mean, think of what Jesus said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes, believes, shall not perish, break down now and forever, but have everlasting life, right? If you continue in my word, you'll be my disciples. You'll know the truth. The truth shall set you free. Science has actually caught up, like, to the reality, hear me now, that what informs our thinking, ideas in our head, has a radical impact, even down to the cellular level.

22:47 I mean, this is like, you know, neuroscience, right? Which has revealed that belief shapes the brain, influences the body, down to the cellular level, impacts the trajectory of a person's health, relationships, even legacy. It's called neuroplasticity. What we think, how we think matters. We can't control, like, every thought, you know, that enters our mind. We can't control whether a bird flies over our head, but we can control whether we allow that bird to build a nest on our head, right? It's true. And this is where the fear of God comes in. Because the fear of God is what interrupts thoughts before they become patterns. And that matters.

23:36 You know, in Psalm 1, I just want to just quickly say, you know, it's like the gateway to the Psalms. Blessed is a man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scorn. There's actually this progression there. Now, what informs your thinking impacts the direction of your life that will then impact your very sense of identity, whether good or bad. But the point is, watch, the fear of God, like, hey, I'm not the only one that sees my thoughts. is actually a rescue. I mean, that is so important. And that's what was being revealed in the early church. So here's point number one. We have it up on the screen. To fear God is to rightly manage our thinking, which brings rescue and healing since our thoughts impact us neurologically, biologically, and eternally.

24:36 And watch this. By the time we get to chapter nine, good job for hanging in there, you guys. Chapter 9, verse 31. Now they're walking in the fear of God. It's like, what do you mean? It's like they're walking conscious that God is with them, present in his presence. The Holy Spirit is alongside of them and dwells the church, overflowing. It's like they're dripping with God's presence, overflowing to impact other people's lives. and it tells us that they walked in the fear of God and in the comfort or the guidance of the Holy Spirit and they were multiplied. So what does this all mean? It means that they were present in his presence as I've been saying and in doing so, they were guided by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit. They were gifted by the Spirit and they multiplied.

25:32 And point number two is, we have it up on the screen, walking in the fear of God works hand in glove with the help and gifting and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Can I hear another amen to that? So it's like, okay, walking in the fear of God, not that he's gonna hurt me. I mean, no, I'm conscious of his presence. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's like if I lose the fear, if I lose that healthy fear, watch this, I lose an ear to hear him. Retaining that fear is absolutely essential. Spurgeon said, the more a man fears God, the more he yields to the Spirit's leading. I love that. So we're gonna come back to that. And I'm looking at time here. Oh, we're making great time. We're gonna come back to that.

26:26 But you guys, the ground floor of the Jesus movement. so this is so important for the time in which we live actually brought Israel front and center which has become really the test of our time after the resurrection watch Peter, James and John Jesus will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel Jesus' sins we were talking about earlier with a guarantee from the angel he's going to come back in like manner Zechariah 14.4, he's going to set his feet back on the Mount of Olives, overlooking Zion. Zion means he'll refers to Jerusalem. Then 10 days later, 50 days after the resurrection, Peter directs his message. Hear this, you men of Israel. The gospel was first preached to Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And then we have it on the screen.

27:20 Peter ends up saying to his generation, repent therefore, return to the Lord that he may send Jesus Christ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all of his holy prophets since the world began. Look, it could be said this, hear me, now we're talking about the second coming, not talking about the rapture here, but the world will not see actually the second coming of Jesus when we are with him we'll talk about this in a moment when we're with him and rule and reign with him they will not see a second coming until Jerusalem our Jewish friends say as Jesus said blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Peter was saying look you got a course correct I mean it's it's essential actually for him to send the Lord Jesus. And of course, what is like the return of Jesus? It's multifaceted.

28:21 Watch this. I mean, Jesus is coming again, right? The dead in Christ shall rise first. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up. There will be a reunion with those who have gone before us. Then it is in prep for the return and the reign of Jesus Christ. And we are going to reign with Jesus here on planet earth. Okay, so watch this. Here's what's, you can clap there. I love that. I know that's true, right? So good. Here's what's essential, everybody. Okay, it's essential we understand like where everything is headed. No, it is. It's like the great Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, good players skate to where the puck is, but great players' escape to where it will be. So where is the puck heading? The answer is to a single brewing conflict over Zion, Jerusalem, commonly known as the Battle of Armageddon, when a world leader inspired by demonic power called the Antichrist will arise.

29:37 Like the Roman emperors of old, he'll claim to be God. He will lead all nations against Jerusalem, Zion, to fight against the reign of the Davidic king called the Christ, which means the anointed one and his throne. Let's be clear. This is the final fight. The ultimate showdown between truth and deception, between light and darkness, God and Satan, good and evil, between Jesus Christ and Antichrist, and evil does not win. So the question is, watch this, the question is, and we're gonna get back to like fearing the Lord walking in the power of the Holy Spirit in a moment, but watch this, the question is, what are the microcurrents? You know, what are the, well, how many of you saw that story of the lifeguard that saved that 10-year-old boy?

30:29 No, raise your hand, let me see it real quick. I mean, was that like beautiful or what? I think he was 18 or 16. He was a rookie lifeguard. Our president's going to honor him at the White House. His name is Ryder Williams. He's a flat-out hero. I'll tell you, that boy would have drowned. I mean, he was already losing consciousness and things.

30:52 But think about what a lifeguard does real quick. A lifeguard sees big picture, identifies dangers before they become life-threatening, is proactive, intervenes before death. Intervenes before death. And I love lifeguards. I mean, through the years, I actually approach them all the time and I ask them this one question. I said, look, out of 10 people you rescue, how many of them were aware that they were in danger? And I've had a lot of lifeguards say, seven out of ten had no idea they were in danger. And I'm saying that, hear me you guys, because in a way we're like lifeguards. And this means that we're going to see dangerous riptides before other people do.

31:46 Are you guys tracking with me on this? It's like, I mean I had a friend, a lifeguard, I'm not kidding. He's like going out to save this guy and the guy goes, I don't want to be rescued. and if I remember, Greg, I thought he punched him. You know what I mean? It's like, I mean, you've got to wake up here because you're in a very dangerous place. So it's like, if we're kind of like lifeguards, we see big pierce, we know what the final fight is, then we have understanding of what the currents are that's shaping the here and now, that's shaping a generation to be on the wrong side of the final fight. We're called to be salt and light. So it's like, what are the microcurrents that are influencing this generation that ultimately lead to Armageddon? One of them is, I want to go through this real quick, but one of them is we are seeing a de-christing of Jesus. As I mentioned earlier, Christ means anointed, refers to the promised Davidic king, the son of David, loosely translated Jesus the king.

32:49 I mean, this is Tucker Carlson, who names the name of Christ, but somehow in his thinking, Christ loses his throne. Because his throne is in Zion. Right? There's a future there. He de-Christ's Jesus. Further, listen, we know this Revelation 12. Now, this is during the tribulation period. But nonetheless, we see such currents today. listen, Satan has public enemy number one and public enemy two on his list. Number one is Israel. Number two are followers of the king of Israel who's the savior of the world, Jesus. Christians. I mean, are you surprised that the number one persecuted religion in the world are Christians?

33:42 I mean, are we surprised that there's a radical rise of anti-Semitism And as I mentioned earlier, without using bullets and bombs, the teaching that erases and replaces Israel called replacement theology, it leads us to the question, are the Jewish people still God's chosen people? The answer is absolutely. Now watch, someone might say, well, Israel broke the Sinai covenant and God rejected them. No, God did not reject them. God promised a better covenant. In fact, check this out. I think we have it up on the screen. The days are coming. Oh, I love this. Oh, you know what? I'm nearsighted, yet I can still read this. I love it. The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a, what's the next word, you guys? New what?

34:34 Covenant? Yay. And how many of you remember Passover, right? Jesus said, this cup is the what? New covenant in my blood. which actually, we're going to get to this a little bit, guarantees the preservation of Israel. Okay, so make a new covenant with the people of Israel, with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. In other words, you got a really good covenant coming your way. Others say, but when the Jewish nation rejected Jesus, God rejected them forever. God says the exact opposite. We have this on the screen, Romans 3. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness?

35:28 Not at all. Let God be true and every man being a liar. And then this next verse, Romans 11, it's like, you know, someone ought to say, Hey, Tucker, you've got to ask Paul if God has rejected Israel. Because Paul's very clear. I say then, has God cast away his people? Certainly. Let's all say it together. Not. Okay? For I'm also an Israelite. Of the seed of Abraham, the tribe of Benjamin, God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew. And then it goes on to say, Romans 11, 26, all Israel will be saved. You know, Michael Vlock is a great theologian. Good job for hanging in here, you guys. He said, how should Christians today understand Israel as God's people? He said, the answer begins by recognizing that, quote, the people of God, unquote, concept includes more than one dimension.

36:30 On the one hand, there's national, historical, and functional role that belongs uniquely to the nation of Israel, even when the people is unrepentant. On the other hand, Scripture teaches that a saving relationship with God comes through personal faith. Recognizing this distinction helps explain how Paul can insist that faith is necessary to belong to God's family while still referring to Israel, even in a state of unbelief, as God's people. now look this brings us to the test that is like in living color before our very eyes today in broad daylight and that is what iran has been attempting to do to israel for so many years you You know, Hitler believed in a superior race.

37:27 The Iranian Islamic leadership believed in a superior faith. And their aim is to destroy not only Israel but Western civilization and then replace it with a new Islamic world order. Here's the thing, and you're so well taught, I know you know this, but let me just say it this way. If we fail to pass this test, In other words, that the existence of Israel in the Middle East reveals the enemy of humanity that we face today. A new Islamic world order and the false god of Allah. If we don't pass that test, we end up cursing ourselves. Because the scriptures say, you bless those who bless you, I'll curse those who curse you. You say, what do you mean curse yourself?

38:21 Well, we have failed to expose, recognize, and fight against evil itself. And in that way, we allow the door to be open for it to continue to morph, deflect, desensitize in order to destroy. Listen, well, I'm here with my dear friend, Mike Evans. and it was one of B.B. Netanyahu's greatest friends right over here. You talk about a great friend of Zion and he's a Jewish believer. But I was asking about anti-Semitism before we were driving up together and things.

39:04 And all throughout his life he certainly experienced it. But look, let me just say, everybody, that our Jewish friends feel terribly threatened and feel very alone. and the greatest friends to Israel are those who worship the Lord God of Israel and know that there's an unfolding plan in and through Israel and the Messiah of Israel who's the savior of the world. That's their best friends, okay? So I just wanna say this. Do you know a Jewish person? Because if you do, I just wanna suggest something to you. I'm not kidding, like call them and just tell them you love them. and that you stand with them, and that they are not alone. You know, Jesus said, if you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me. And further, there are raging currents, you guys, purposed to totally delegitimize Israel by rewriting history.

40:04 And you know this, that's the core of anti-Zionism. Anti-Zionism is the denial that the land of Israel is the ancestral home of the Jewish people. It's just insane. This is the basis of the Palestinian liberation scam, one of the biggest scams in history. The Palestinians have been offered a state five times. They've denied it every single time. The Egyptian con man Yasser Arafat scammed the world, died with billions of dollars. Today, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who still promotes a pay-for-slave policy of murdering Jews, is worth $100 million. In fact, just this last week, one of his deputies congratulated the newly elected leader of Hamas, wished him success in his new position.

40:56 Zionism, on the other hand, is the belief in the future of Israel, that Israel has a future in their ancestral homeland. In fact, we have Ezekiel chapter 37 up here on the screen. This is what the sovereign Lord says. I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. They will live in the land, and I gave to them, I gave to my servant Israel the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever. Amen to that. Let me just say it this way. It's true. God is a Zionist, okay? God believes in the future of Israel and their ancestral home, and Jesus is coming back to Israel. Finally, let me share something with you. We're talking about currents. Bear with me, currents.

41:48 You know, they're trying to rip people off and drown them. One of them is actually undermining the idea that Jesus is the central figure of Passover. I know that sounds really a big idea, but bear with me. Jesus asked us to remember him in a specific context that the first Christian emperor in 325 outlawed, actually, the church to do. Remember when Jesus said, do this in remembrance of me, right? The question is like, well, what is this? Well, the day is Passover, actually, the meal. They're celebrating the Passover meal. Jesus takes the third cup. We talked about it earlier, right? This cup is the new covenant in my blood. So giving his life, he's guaranteeing the inaugurating. He's guaranteeing this genius plan of God, which is called the new covenant.

42:47 Okay? So what is the new covenant? It is this. Number one. We have it up on the screen. Whoa, there we go. We got them all. There's forgiveness of sins available to all who believe. Number two, regeneration of the Holy Spirit, that the law is internalized in our hearts, as Jesus said, a man must be born again. the guarantee Israel will be preserved throughout the ages. Number four, Israel will be reconciled to God. All Israel will be saved. And finally, all humanity will know the Lord because the Lord is returning. He's gonna rule and reign on planet Earth. Here's the point, point number three, we have on the screen. You cannot separate the person and work of Jesus Christ, past, present, and future from the reality of Israel. Look, like Jesus, like at the, just real quick, watch this.

43:41 Like Jesus at the Passover Seder, okay, like we call it communion, just a little part of that. It's really fivefold in reality. And he told Peter, James, and John, you guys, like I'm not gonna eat of the bread and drink of the cup till it's fulfilled in the kingdom. So in other words, in other words, we're going to celebrate Passover again. It's called the marriage supper of the Lamb. It's like we're going to rule and reign with Jesus on planet Earth. If Christians lose their story, they lose their identity. Look, the test of our time, let me just say this. We're almost done, but don't believe any preacher that says we're almost done. Okay, I mean, just give me a little break. I think I'm almost done. Here's the real test, you guys. We're talking a lot about Israel. Okay, here's the real test. It has really less to do with a nation, has more to do with God. Because the Lord himself said he would be glorified among the nations in two specific ways.

44:43 The rescue of the children of Israel out of Egypt, the Passover exodus, and that the Lord would actually draw exiles, our Jewish friends all throughout the world, back into the land. so it really has less to do with the nation more to do with God's plan and the truth of his word I mean think about Genesis 3 you know what was the lie of the serpent the devil it was the attempt to undermine the authority of God's word that God cannot be trusted remember what he said did God really say this? Questioning God's word, seeking to undermine trust in it, and then ultimately saying, no, no, look, like you can go outside of God's boundaries in his word. You're not going to end up dying. So bear with me, okay? We're almost, we're going to land this plane in a second.

45:39 But we face, you guys, in a lot of ways today, the test that was not passed going all the way back to Genesis 3. Will we be the generation that takes God at His word? Like, watch these scriptures I want to put up. Did God really say, I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all the countries, and bring you back into your own land? Did He really say that? Can I hear a big amen to that? Of course He said it. Now watch this. We'll get to that. Did God really say, I will place you in your own land and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken and performed it says the Lord. I mean will we pass it? Yes we're gonna pass it. Watch this. Did God really say David my servant shall be king over them?

46:33 And this is rearing the Messiah Lord Jesus and they shall all have one shepherd. Did he really say it? Of course he did. Did God really say God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew? Did God really say we'll go to the next one. Concerning the gospel, they're enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they're beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the callings of God are, let's all say it together, irrevocable. Did God really say, and so all Israel will be saved? Did God really say the deliverer will come out of Zion, out of Jerusalem? The answer is yeah. And point number four is, you guys, we're living in unique times, times of acceleration.

47:27 By that I mean that, hey, ideas matter. What you believe matters. It's been said, you know, a lie travels the world seven times before truth ever gets its shoes on. But a lie will not win. Evil does not win. And we have a calling on our life. And point number four is, you guys, it's a rubber meets the road moment. The test is not so much about Israel. It is first whether we'll pass the test as God really said. And you know this. I mean, we don't build our lives on podcasters and political commentators and political platforms, which seemingly are created every four years. We build our lives on the word of God as Jesus called us to. Can I hear a big amen to that? It's true.

48:16 And listen, I want us to go back. And I am almost done. I am almost done here. But I want us to go back. You know, like we were talking about like the ocean. The ocean kind of can speak to us in a way about what the fear of God is like. Ocean's beautiful. It's really big. It's inviting. It's healing. It's refreshing. And you can't lose that awe factor, right? You can't lose that awe factor. But when we go to the beach, you know, I was just there with my wife two days ago. We go to the beach, and we had waves coming over us, right? You kind of jump in, you have a wave coming over, and you stand up, and you're just like dripping wet, right? Well, then, of course, we get out of the water, and we dry off, and we go home. And it all becomes all kind of compartmentalized.

49:11 Let me just say it this way. The first followers of the Lord Jesus, our brothers and sisters, who we are is who we were, who we were is who we are. Let me just say it. They became immersed, right, baptized by the Holy Spirit, so they're dripping, but they didn't dry off. They walked in the fear of God, which means I'm going to be present in his presence. And Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Like knowledge of the most important. Like the Lord is in the room with us. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is the right application for life. Making right judgments. Like, I don't know, maybe you're a single person and, you know, you're dating. You know, what is the wisdom?

50:06 Well, the wisdom is like the fear of God, actually. The wisdom is to ensure right vertical relationship with God, that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life. You're going to find the right person, you got to be the right person, right? And if you need your course, Greg, you think, you know, we've taken it too far in some areas. okay, well, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. You know, he's in the room. Or like walking in the fear of God is having an ear to hear and therefore saying, here I am, Lord, use me. Or walking in the fear of God, therefore, the Bible says, leads to strong confidence. The point is, like, I just want you to hear this, like, this idea of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, immersed dripping. It's overflow. That's the idea. Then fear came upon them. Many signs and wonders were done because they knew like the Lord was in the room. In chapter 3 of Acts, Peter and John, you know, walking in the temple seeing a man paralyzed, silver and gold we don't have. It's like they're still dripping. They're like, hey, but the Lord is here. You know, we don't have money, but what we do have, we'll give to you in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.

51:24 They didn't compartmentalize their life. They didn't, like we do, we go to the beach, right? And we get out and then we dry off. We go home. But as followers of Jesus, and this is the fifth point I want to make, don't dry off. Walk in the fear of God and the Holy Spirit is upon you. And he's seeking to work through you. Can I hear a big amen to that? Listen, everybody, amen. Listen, let's pray, let's pray. Pray with me because I wanna pray for those who are here that perhaps have never opened the door of their heart to the Lord. And let's just, let's pray, let's pray for that. Lord, I just wanna pray for anyone here because we're talking about having right recognition of your presence and you are here with us and we just love you, Lord, and we give you our hearts afresh. And I just pray this will be so transformative to all of us walking in the fear of God.

52:20 and the power of the Holy Spirit. But Lord, you said you stand at the door and knock. And if anyone would hear your voice and open the door, you will come in. So let me just say in an attitude of prayer, and if I could just ask, you don't have to do this, but our heads bow and the eyes are closed. Just have a private moment here of reflection. Let me just say the Lord is in our midst right now. And I am convinced there are some here that have come who need to leave here with the assurance that you are right with the heavenly father in his son. Because Jesus said, you're either for me or against me. It's like there's no middle ground. To not say yes to him is to say no to him. As Jesus said, you know, you're either for me or against me, right? So it's like he's trying to get your attention. He's knocking on the door. That's when someone knocks. It's like, okay, I hear them. Someone's there. You know, I got to go open it. I may not let them in, but generally you open the door and you greet them, right? I mean, it's possible like to hear the Lord knocking on your door, trying to get your attention because he loves you. And you just never open the door. You leave him outside or you open the door and like see him a little bit, hear a little truth, but then you shut the door. Don't do that. Don't do that. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. Now is the acceptable time And today, if you hear the voice of God, harden not your heart.

53:52 You say, well, Greg, what does it even mean to like, I hear the Lord knocking on the door of my life. And what does it mean to even open the door? Here's what we could say. Listen. it is to recognize what the Lord has done for us. There's a God in heaven. He sent his son to die on the cross for your sin and my sin that separates us from a holy God. And the wages of sin is death, the Bible says. It has consequences now and forever. And God is holy and he's just and he sent his son to bear the sin and break down and guilt of the world. And Jesus demonstrated he did by resurrecting from the dead, he's alive. I don't think an honest historian could ever deny the evidences are overwhelming.

54:47 So it's like, okay, what does it mean to hear like the Lord? Okay, well, it means to recognize that the father sent his son, as Jesus said, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. And whosoever believes in it would not perish, but have everlasting life. And that he resurrected from the dead. And yes, he is coming again. And Jesus said, number two, you must repent. That means change the way you think. And then a course correction in your life. It's like you're moving away from God, but you're going to stop and make a U-turn. It's like, okay, look, the Lord's pursuing me. Instead of running away from him, tonight I'm going to turn around. and I'm gonna face him and I'm gonna put my trust in him. And he really is just a prayer away, my friend, because the Bible says those who call upon the Lord shall be saved.

55:41 So to hear the truth, hear this, God loves you, you're not alone, you're not a byproduct of mindless nature. God created you and he wants to recreate you. We've been singing about that. And to open the doors to say, I believe Jesus died for me. He resurrected. I'm gonna turn from my sin to Jesus. The greatest sin is to reject God's son. You wanna turn from that and embrace him as your Lord and Savior. So I just wanna ask, while our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed, how many of you would say, you know, Greg, like, I want to call upon the Lord. I wanna pray to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I want to leave here knowing for sure my sins are forgiven. If I had died, go to heaven. I want to settle that. If that's you, just raise up your hand right now. Let me pray for you.

56:34 And by raising up your hand, you'd be saying, yes, God bless you. Anybody else in the side, in the front, in the back, God bless you. Anybody else, you just raise up your hand. Listen, it's important to respond. It really is. And I'm just asking you to raise up your hand high so I can see it. And God bless you guys. God bless you. God bless you and God bless you. And anybody in the side here in the front, God bless you guys. Good job. I don't know, I'm thinking about maybe someone in the back there. You know, Billy Graham said he was the last one to respond. I don't know, maybe that will be you. But you're not going to be alone here tonight to turn to Christ as Savior and Lord. Anybody else just before we end the invitation? God bless you. You can put your hand down at this time. but listen for those of you that raised your hand even if you didn't you would like to open the door of your heart embrace Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and listen maybe if you need to return to the Lord or recommit yourself we were singing a little bit about that I love that I love that time I want you to pray with me and church family if you'd like to pray along with those who are going to pray at this time to embrace Christ go for it as well as a way of encouraging you.

57:49 You don't have to, but for those of you that raised you up, pray with me now. This is the prayer of asking Christ to be your Lord and Savior to forgive you of your sins. Pray with me. Lord Jesus, I call upon you now to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you for dying for me, resurrecting from the dead. I know I'm a sinner, but I know you're a great Savior. Lord, forgive me of my sins. Lord, come into my life. Fill me with the life of God. Teach me to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for coming into my life, making me your child, both now and forever.

58:43 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen, amen, and amen. So you'll tell them to come. Well, listen, God bless everybody. Those of you that raised you, and there are many of you did. And we were praying for you. We want you to come up afterwards. We have pastors and leaders up in the front. We have some Bibles we'd like to get in your hands if you don't have a Bible. Share with you how to grow as a Christian. And may the Lord richly bless you, keep you, make his beautiful face to shine upon you. be gracious to you, raise up his countenance in your life and give you a bunch of shalom, shalom, shalom, shalom. And may the Lord richly bless your pastor.