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Building Bridges To The Lost - Dan Chambers - July 31, 2026 11am — Transcript

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0:02I think it's about time to get started
0:05here. Am I right, Alan? Is okay.
0:09Well, I am so glad to be here and I am
0:12so glad to see you here as we think
0:14about some bridge building today.
0:17Um Alan has told me already that now see
0:22Alan is a member at Concord Road and
0:26um
0:27he knows that
0:30if I were to if I stay put
0:34I probably won't remember I certainly
0:37won't remember my sermon, but I may not
0:39even remember my name and so uh but for
0:42recording purposes that's important. So
0:45so I you know what? I'm just going to
0:47pull up this stool
0:49and join you in sitting down and that
0:52always keeps me where I need to be. Uh
0:57so I'm glad to be with you today. It is
1:00uh always a joy not only to be here, but
1:04just to be able to spend a few
1:06um spend some time leading people in a
1:08study of God's word. And we are going to
1:10talk about bridge building this morning.
1:12What we're talking about of course when
1:13we talk about bridge building we will
1:14just jump right into it because we do
1:16have quite a bit to go quite a ways to
1:19go in a short time to get there.
1:21Uh I'm assuming that I've got Is there
1:23anybody in authority here who tells me
1:26who knows the time to quit? Uh is it
1:28like
1:29>> Oh, we can always tell you that.
1:30>> You can always tell me that.
1:32Leave it to one of my Concord Road peeps
1:34for saying that.
1:35>> works.
1:35>> Uh it never works and and he can confirm
1:38that.
1:39I you know, I especially am thankful for
1:42some of my Concord Road brethren in
1:43here. I will never ever understand that.
1:47They hear my gums flap repeatedly
1:51every week and I do not know why except
1:54just the sweetness of their wanting to
1:57support their preacher and I appreciate
2:00that very sweet gesture and
2:02it always just makes my heart feel so
2:05good when I see
2:07some of my Concord Road folks here. But
2:09we are talking about bridge building as
2:11I said and we're talking about spiritual
2:13bridge building.
2:15You know, when we think about bridges
2:17we all know what the primary purpose of
2:20a bridge is and that is to help people
2:24or vehicles or goods whatever
2:26get across an obstacle, get from one
2:29spot
2:31to another spot, to get from one side to
2:34the other side. And of course when we
2:36think about it from a spiritual
2:37perspective, we all know what we're
2:39talking about. We're talking about on
2:42one side we've got the lost
2:44and then on the other side are those of
2:47us who are in Christ.
2:49And we know the obstacle that's there.
2:54And that obstacle is sin. And so what
2:56we're trying to do
2:58is we're trying to get them over
3:02to where we are, to know Christ.
3:05And and so as we think about building a
3:08bridge, what I just want to share with
3:10you today and I I told a couple of my
3:13Concord Road people, "Listen, you know,
3:14I test drove this on y'all like 3 months
3:17ago probably or so." I'm hoping that
3:20those of you who are here that were at
3:22Concord Road that night, I think it was
3:24an evening time. I hope you were I've
3:26never said this before, but I hope you
3:27were sleeping that night so it will all
3:29be fresh to you.
3:32But as we think about building bridges,
3:34I'm going to suggest that the bridge
3:37most
3:39bridges require four sections.
3:43Now not every bridge is going to require
3:46four sections.
3:47Some bridges might just require three
3:50sections. Some bridges might require two
3:53sections.
3:54Uh all of them are going to require at
3:56least one section, one segment, but
3:59we're going to talk about the four
4:01segments that I think are biblically
4:03informed uh
4:05in terms of uh of getting that bridge
4:08built. And so,
4:10uh as we think about the four segments,
4:12here's the first segment. And the first
4:14segment is this.
4:16If we're going to get people from the
4:17other side,
4:19if we're going to get them from their
4:21lostness
4:23to the side that we're on, knowing
4:27Christ
4:28and knowing and experience the
4:30forgiveness that is found in Christ,
4:33if we're going to get them there,
4:35uh
4:36first of all, we're going to have to
4:37serve right. We're going to have to
4:39serve right. Now,
4:42when I talk about being in the business
4:44of serving, and that's what we're
4:45talking about here, we got to be in the
4:47business of serving as God's people.
4:50Uh
4:51we're talking about doing good works.
4:53And we got to be about the business of
4:57doing good things
5:00for others.
5:02And that's just
5:05that's just fundamental Christianity.
5:07And doing good works is just a
5:08fundamental part of the kingdom.
5:11And there really two reasons why we do
5:13good things for others. Now, the first
5:16reason that we do good things for others
5:18is is because that's just what faith
5:21does.
5:22And so, if you got your Bibles, turn to
5:24James here.
5:25Uh in the book of James, of course, as
5:27we think about James chapter 2 here,
5:29look down at verse 14.
5:32As I said, that's just what faith does.
5:35Where there is real,
5:37authentic,
5:39genuine faith,
5:41there is going to be service to others.
5:44We're going to do good things
5:48for other people. Verse 14, "What good
5:50is it, brothers, if someone says he has
5:52faith
5:53but does not have works, can that faith
5:57save him? If a brother or sister is
5:59poorly clothed and lacking in daily
6:03food, and one of you says to them, 'Go
6:05in peace, be warmed and be filled'
6:08without giving the things they need for
6:09the body, what good is that?" James
6:12says.
6:13So, also faith by itself, "if it does
6:15not have works, it is dead," he says.
6:18And so, that's one of the things as we
6:20think about, well, why do we do good
6:22things for other people? Why should we
6:24always be thinking about, how can we
6:27serve other people? One is just because
6:30that's what faith does.
6:32It's just what faith does. Another place
6:34where you're going to see that, of
6:35course, is Matthew chapter 25. Uh turn
6:38over there real quickly. What you have
6:39in Matthew chapter 25, of course, is one
6:41of these this great picture of judgment.
6:43Jesus paints the picture.
6:46And as he is painting the picture,
6:49uh we are very familiar with what he
6:51says here in places like verse 34. Then
6:54the king will say to those on the right,
6:56"Come, you who are blessed by my father
6:58blessed by my father, inherit the
6:59kingdom prepared for you from the
7:00foundation of the world. For I was
7:02hungry
7:04and you gave me food. I was thirsty and
7:05you gave me drink. I was a stranger and
7:08he says you welcomed me. I was naked and
7:10you called me. I was sick and you
7:11visited me. I was in prison and you came
7:13to me."
7:15Now, is Jesus saying here that our
7:17salvation is because of our good works?
7:23And the answer to that is absolutely
7:25not.
7:27We all know that. When we when we read
7:29these words of Jesus, his description
7:31here has to be read in the full context
7:33of the scripture. And we know from the
7:35fuller reading of the New Testament that
7:37our good works
7:39have never been able to
7:42and will never be able to atone for our
7:45sin.
7:47Uh no matter how many good works we do,
7:50it doesn't remove the fact that we are
7:54card-carrying sinners.
7:57And as card-carrying sinners, we owe a
8:00penalty. And that penalty, Romans 6:23,
8:03is eternal separation from God in a
8:05Christless hell.
8:07And so, Jesus is not saying that we're
8:10saved because of our good works.
8:13Uh his description here
8:15uh simply reflect reflects what James
8:18said there in James 2.
8:19And that is where there is real,
8:21authentic, genuine faith, there are
8:24going to be signs of that. You know, as
8:27I've said to our folks at Concord Road
8:29on many occasions when we've talked
8:31about this,
8:32you know, I've been in hospitals when
8:34people have died in almost 40 years of
8:36ministry multiple times. And when that
8:38person takes their last gulp of air,
8:42uh then the medical professionals come
8:44in and they start looking in the eyes,
8:46they start checking the pulse, they
8:48start listening for a heartbeat. Now,
8:50what are they doing? Well, what they're
8:52doing is they're looking for signs of
8:54life.
8:55Because if there is life in that body,
8:59there are going to be signs of life.
9:02If there is faith
9:04in us, if it is real, if it is
9:07authentic, and if it is genuine, there
9:09will be signs of faith. And that's what
9:13Jesus is saying here.
9:15And so, make no mistake about it.
9:18Uh we do good for others because that's
9:23what faith does. Where there are
9:26Christians present in society, that
9:29society better look different. It better
9:33look different.
9:36Um we all know that there are so many
9:38injustices
9:41that need to be righted.
9:44There are so many tears
9:47that need to be
9:48wiped away. There is so much suffering
9:52that needs to be alleviated.
9:55And God calls us to do that. That's what
9:59faith does.
10:01But, I said there are two primary
10:04reasons that we need to be about the
10:06business of doing good for people.
10:09That's one of the reasons, because
10:11that's just what faith does.
10:13But, the other reason that we need to be
10:16about doing good to others is because
10:20good works can open the door to knowing
10:24Jesus. I want you to take a look at
10:26Matthew chapter 5. We're familiar with
10:27this one. Matthew chapter 5,
10:31down in verse 16,
10:33Jesus says, "In the same way, let your
10:35light shine before men, so that they may
10:38see your good works." There it is, and
10:42give glory to your father who is in
10:45heaven.
10:47We want to do good, not only because
10:49that's what faith does,
10:52but we want to make a connection with
10:54people.
10:57We want people to feel
11:00good about us.
11:03I do good for people because I want them
11:06to have good feelings
11:09about me.
11:11And I want them
11:13to feel goodwill
11:17toward me.
11:18I want that.
11:20Not because it strokes my ego. That's
11:24not it. I'm not just trying to be a
11:26people pleaser,
11:28but I want them to feel good about me,
11:30and I want them to have goodwill toward
11:33me because I absolutely know that that's
11:37going to help me
11:41toward my ultimate goal for them.
11:45See, they don't know it,
11:48but I've got a goal for them.
11:52My goal, well, it's stated here in verse
11:5416.
11:56That goal, I want them to give glory
12:00to the Father.
12:02They don't know that's my goal for them
12:05right away,
12:06but that's my goal for them. In other
12:08words, I want them to come to know Jesus
12:12as the savior and glorify him as the
12:16savior. And so, I've got this goal.
12:18Every person that I meet,
12:21I've got a goal.
12:23I want them to glorify God. Now, to
12:25glorify God, I've got to get them
12:28from the other side.
12:30They're in a lost state. I've got to get
12:32that
12:33bridge built to get them so that they
12:35can get to my side.
12:37And so, to do that, one of these first
12:39segments of that bridge is I've got to
12:42serve right. It just is going to open
12:44the door.
12:46If they've got good feelings toward me,
12:48if they've got goodwill toward me, then
12:52then they are going to be
12:55far more open to having a conversation
12:59with me
13:00about Jesus Christ.
13:03I want them to get That's my goal.
13:05Again, they don't know that's my goal
13:07for them, but that's my goal. And to
13:09reach my goal, I've got to make this
13:11connection that generates good feelings
13:15and it generates goodwill. You know,
13:18Jesus You see this in Jesus's life. Turn
13:20over to John chapter 15 real quick.
13:24You'll see it there
13:25in John chapter 6, rather, not John
13:27chapter 15. John chapter 6
13:29verse 1 and 2. This is I mean
13:32Now
13:33one reason that Jesus went about doing
13:36good is because he's God in the flesh.
13:40And God is infinite love.
13:44And he is infinitely compassionate.
13:47And infinitely merciful.
13:50And when he sees people who are hurting
13:53Jesus responds to alleviate that
13:57suffering and hurt. That's one of the
13:59reasons.
14:00Another reason that he does it is
14:03because
14:04doing good things for people
14:06draws people to him so that they can
14:10hear the message.
14:12If you look at verse the first two
14:13verses of 6 here, chapter 6 here. After
14:15this Jesus went away to the other side
14:17of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea
14:18of Tiberias, and a large crowd was
14:20following him
14:23because
14:26Why were they following him?
14:28Because
14:30they saw the signs he was doing on the
14:35sick.
14:36That's why.
14:38That's why they were following him.
14:39Because they saw the good things he was
14:43doing.
14:44Listen, that's the model.
14:46If we're going to build a bridge to help
14:48people get from the lost side of sin
14:51to the saved side of sin
14:54we got to serve right.
14:56Uh
14:57people will be open to us. We understand
15:00that.
15:01Uh they'll be open to our message.
15:03They're far more likely to be open to
15:04our message when we are serving them and
15:07doing good things for them. Now, let me
15:10say this about that.
15:12Uh this is important to understand and
15:14and we need to help our people
15:15understand this.
15:18This is something that you don't need to
15:19be taught. N- Now, you then you need to
15:22be reminded of how important this
15:25segment is to the bridge that's going to
15:26bring them over.
15:28They need to be taught that that this is
15:29important doing good. It's a part of
15:32that big picture of helping bring them
15:34from that one side of sin to the other
15:36side of sin.
15:38But I'm saying people don't need to be
15:40taught
15:43how to do good.
15:45I honestly don't think we need training
15:47sessions
15:50on how to do good.
15:52I I I really don't believe that.
15:55I just think we need to
15:57help people get conscious of getting
16:00their antennas up
16:03so that they can really see the
16:06opportunities for good that are all
16:08around them.
16:11My wife and I were just the other day
16:13walking and she was telling me about a
16:15co-worker.
16:16She's a nurse and uh Williamson Medical
16:19she's a labor and delivery nurse.
16:22And she's over here today. You talk
16:23about I said I can't believe my Concord
16:25Road folks are here. They hear me all
16:27the time. I can't believe my wife is
16:29here.
16:30She not only hears me preach all the
16:32time at church, she hears me preach all
16:33the time at the house, too.
16:35>> [laughter]
16:36>> Um
16:38but we were walking and she was telling
16:39me about this colleague who this young
16:41lady
16:42she's a prob mid-30s about my daughter's
16:45age.
16:46And
16:49she's just going through a period of
16:51life that is just
16:55she's overwhelmed with stress.
16:58And
16:59I I I didn't know anything about it
17:00until that day.
17:02And she said, "Oh, it's just terrible."
17:03She said, "This this lady and I've never
17:06met her. I don't I don't even know her
17:08name. I'm sure she may have told me but
17:09I don't
17:11Um
17:13her husband has cheated on her and so um
17:17the time has come
17:19that
17:21she has decided, "I'm I I can't take his
17:24infidelity anymore. I'm I'm I'm
17:27divorcing him."
17:29And she has a small child.
17:33And and she has been overwhelmed. She
17:36was telling Leola, uh she was just and
17:39and my wife is just
17:41uh wonderful in terms of she and I'm I
17:44was she is one of the most
17:47uh empathetic, sympathetic people. And
17:50so, that's why this
17:51colleague felt very comfortable sharing
17:53this with her.
17:54And she was talking about how stressed
17:55she was and even things like suddenly
17:57now, not only does she have her her son
18:00to take care of, little boy to take care
18:01of,
18:03and uh but all the things around the
18:05home
18:07that she's never had to do before.
18:11Mow the grass.
18:14Clean out the gutters.
18:18And so, I said to her,
18:20"You contact her.
18:22You let her know, I'll come and cut her
18:24grass.
18:26I'll cut And and we both said, "Yeah,
18:28yeah." Cuz you never know.
18:31You never know.
18:32I said, "I'll come and cut her grass.
18:35I'll clean her gutters out.
18:37We'll do that."
18:39And so, she let her know and and she was
18:41so so grateful. She said, "But my dad
18:43cuz she said her dad wasn't you know,
18:46struggle with some things." And but he
18:48was able then when my wife contacted
18:49him, he got over and he cleaned out the
18:50gutters.
18:52And all, but uh and and I and I actually
18:54cut the grass, she said. But and Leola
18:56said, "Listen, just know
18:58anything we can do and my husband
19:00anytime,
19:02just let me know,
19:04and he is eager to do it."
19:07That's that's that's what I'm talking.
19:08I'm not That's why I say, I I we don't
19:10need to be trained
19:13how to do good things for people.
19:16We just need to open up our eyes
19:19to see
19:21the good things that we can do for
19:24people.
19:26And I don't always get that. I miss it.
19:28We We all miss it. That's one of the
19:30things we need to pray about, I think.
19:31That's one of the things I need to pray
19:33about more.
19:34Lord, help me open my eyes
19:37to see the suffering that's around me.
19:41And where I can step in and in the name
19:44of Jesus Christ offer a cold cup of
19:47water.
19:49And you just never know where that cold
19:51cup of water is going to go.
19:53I was talking to Keith
19:55uh
19:56Keith O'Neal back here, colleague of
19:58mine for so many years at Concord Road.
20:00Now he's the
20:01VP of development down at Mount Dora and
20:03was the head of schools for 3 years
20:05there. He just
20:06this year, a couple of months ago, moved
20:08up into vice president of development
20:10position there.
20:12We were talking and he reminded us when
20:14he first came to Concord Road from Ohio
20:1613 years ago. He had never heard of
20:18Mount Dora, but he remembered
20:21he remembered my wife and I driving a
20:24single mom in a U-Haul down to Mount
20:26Dora. And he goes, "Well, that's a
20:27pretty neat place to hear about this
20:29place. They had a program for single
20:31moms."
20:33Uh that was all my wife That was a
20:35patient of my wife's
20:38who was having a baby one time.
20:42And and my wife saw She's just
20:45a single mom who had this these
20:47circumstances. She needed help and
20:50and we had just recently learned about
20:52this program in Mount Dora that
20:54ministers to single parents.
20:57And that started this process and
21:00you know, it wasn't long before we
21:02contacted the Mount Dora folks and they
21:04worked so hard like they do
21:07and had an opening for him. We loaded
21:09her up and Leola and I drove her down
21:12there.
21:13We just have to open our eyes.
21:17And and so that's what this segment is
21:19all about.
21:21When it comes to bridging that gap of
21:24sin to get people over from the bad side
21:28to the good side, from a lost center to
21:30a redeemed center,
21:33uh this is an important segment. This is
21:35one of the four important segments in
21:37building that bridge.
21:39It can really open the door. It It's
21:42It's part of what can be crucial
21:46in bringing someone
21:49to the other side.
21:51Doing We got to serve, right? Okay.
21:55Let's look at the second segment. We
21:56could talk about each one of these for
21:58an entire class time.
22:01Okay, the next thing that we got to do
22:03is we got to live right.
22:06We got to live right. Uh I want you to
22:09turn to 1 Peter chapter 2.
22:121 Peter chapter 2,
22:14look at verse 11.
22:171 Peter chapter 2 verse 11, "Beloved, I
22:19urge you as sojourners and exiles,
22:24He's reminding us that we are temporary
22:27residents here. We don't belong here.
22:29Uh
22:31sojourners and exiles, he's giving us
22:32perspective there.
22:34to abstain from the passions of the
22:36flesh, which wage war against your soul.
22:42Listen to this now.
22:44Keep your conduct
22:46among the Gentiles
22:49honorable,
22:51so that when they speak against you
22:54as evildoers,
22:57they may
22:58see your good deeds
23:02and glorify God on the day of
23:05visitation.
23:09One of the most powerful ways to make a
23:11connection with unbelievers is not just
23:13through doing good things for them.
23:17Another powerful way to make that
23:20connection is through unimpeachable
23:24integrity.
23:25Here, good deeds is not talking so much
23:29about good works done for someone. This
23:33is talking about excellent behavior.
23:37And you can see that contextually. Keep
23:39your conduct honorable.
23:42Um
23:44we need to pursue moral excellence,
23:47Christian virtue.
23:50Uh
23:52we're being watched.
23:56We're always
23:59being watched.
24:02And we need to remind ourselves of that.
24:06And we need to remind our people of
24:08that.
24:09We are always being watched. The world
24:13is always watching. Whether we like it
24:17or not, good, bad, right, wrong, the
24:20reality is we are being watched and we
24:24are being observed. And if the world
24:27sees us,
24:28if they observe us reflecting
24:31a Christ-like attitude,
24:33if they observe us
24:36uh behaving in Christ-like ways,
24:40it can really pique their interest
24:43in the message
24:45that
24:46forms and informs
24:49that behavior of ours.
24:52I'll tell you what, we may live in a
24:53world that is increasingly secular.
24:58Uh but still most people want to be
25:00around
25:02people with integrity.
25:04People still want to live in a
25:06neighborhood
25:07where they can trust their neighbors.
25:11Uh I'm telling you you know there are
25:13sometimes I I'm so I'm so cynical about
25:16people these days. I'm the most cynical
25:18person. I'm telling my wife will tell
25:19you that.
25:20We were out
25:21we were out at just I don't three or
25:23four years ago we were out west I'd been
25:25speaking at the Red River Family
25:26Encampment and we were I think going to
25:28the
25:28uh Grand Canyon after that or something.
25:30And
25:31we stopped on this Indian reservation
25:33driving through it. And uh
25:36uh you know we were knew we were on this
25:38reservation because you know you know we
25:40saw the sign we're entering a
25:41reservation but
25:42and we stopped for gas and there's this
25:44big casino across the street. That was
25:45another indication that we were on a
25:46reservation. And so uh I mean you see it
25:50I mean you know I'm not saying that in a
25:52pejorative insulting way but that's just
25:54the reality of it. Uh
25:57you know how how you know often times
26:00the reservations in terms of generating
26:01income and things like that.
26:03Uh so we stopped there's a a little gas
26:05station and then this big casino across
26:07the street. And I get out to pump the
26:08gas.
26:11And
26:12uh I did the stupidest thing. I've done
26:14this a couple of times and I've stopped
26:15doing this. I think I've stopped doing
26:17this. I hope I've stopped doing this.
26:20I after I you know put my credit card in
26:23the uh in the pump I set my wallet on
26:26top of the car.
26:29The collective groan. You know what's
26:32happening. YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING to
26:34happen.
26:34>> [laughter]
26:35>> And not only did I have you know uh
26:37credit cards debit cards in that but I
26:39had uh you know I probably had like $300
26:43in cash in there as well because I had I
26:47had sold some books at Red River. And so
26:49I just stuck it down in my wallet when I
26:51got it gathered up the cash and
26:54And so uh we're driving we get probably
26:5610 minutes down the road I GO OH
26:58OH JUST I THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE I'VE LEFT
27:01I LEFT LEFT MY WALLET IN the car and
27:03jumped out I knew it was going to be
27:04gone.
27:06And it was and and so we start back
27:08driving and we're driving real slow and
27:10I'm just scanning the road you know it's
27:12this desolate place. I'm just scanning
27:14the road looking for this little brown
27:16wallet and and
27:18couldn't find it. We well let's go back
27:20to the gas station. She said maybe
27:22somebody turned it in I go nobody turned
27:23it in.
27:25Nobody turned that in.
27:26So we went back to the gas station
27:28nobody turned it in.
27:30So uh
27:32so I was able to get online at least and
27:35lock the cards.
27:37And uh but the cash is gone. My carry
27:41permit's gone. My license is gone.
27:43Everything's gone.
27:45And she goes well may
27:46This is my wife.
27:48Bless her heart.
27:53Maybe somebody will mail it to you.
27:57Yeah honey.
27:58>> [laughter]
27:59>> Yeah sweetie.
28:01Nobody's going to mail it cuz I'm the
28:04cynic and uh
28:07And so we go home and I'm about to go
28:10down well I got to get my I got to get a
28:12license and so it's like three or four
28:14days when we get home I got to get we
28:15take care of that taken care of.
28:16And then I hear my wife I just hear
28:19she's not I just remember her saying
28:21well maybe somebody said and I'm like no
28:22way but but it's like Friday and I go
28:24okay to myself I go I'll at least wait
28:26till Monday. Monday or Tuesday first of
28:29the week. If I get pulled over I'll just
28:31explain hey I lost my wallet you know
28:32and and hope for grace and uh
28:36and so um
28:39So [snorts] Monday a police officer
28:41comes and knocks on my door.
28:45Franklin police officer comes knocking
28:46on my door.
28:47And um
28:50I'm not home, but we we'd seen I think
28:52it was through maybe the ring that we
28:53saw it and then there he left a note.
28:57And the note was to come down to say
29:00that they have something
29:02for me.
29:03And uh so I drove down to the Franklin
29:06Police Department in Franklin.
29:08And they had my wallet. And I thought,
29:12"Okay, that's Well, that's nice. At
29:14least I got the wallet back." But
29:16knowing all the contents I had Oh, I had
29:18gift cards in there, too, as well. I
29:19mean I I don't know why I had it so
29:21chock-full.
29:23Uh
29:25everything
29:27was in there.
29:29There wasn't a dollar missing.
29:32There wasn't a dollar missing.
29:35And here's what really irritated me.
29:39>> [laughter]
29:41>> No, seriously, I got irritated and
29:43here's why.
29:45Whoever sent it, first of all, it was
29:47genius to send it to the police
29:48department cuz my license had an
29:50address, but you know, people move.
29:53People move.
29:55And so they figured I'm going to send
29:58this to the local police department.
29:59They'll find this guy.
30:02And here's what irritated me.
30:04They didn't put their name.
30:06Whoever did it
30:08didn't tell me their name
30:11or their address.
30:13God knows who they are.
30:17But but I don't.
30:19I wanted to thank them so bad.
30:23I wanted to reward them in some way.
30:27But they weren't But But here's what I
30:29thought.
30:32I bet that person's a Christian.
30:35I bet that person
30:37really believes with all of their heart
30:40that Christ needs to shape their life.
30:43I believe that.
30:45And I thought,
30:46that's what Christ wants us to be, that
30:49kind of integrity.
30:52I want to live in a neighborhood full of
30:53people like that.
30:56I want to work with people like that.
30:59And
31:00and and and what God is telling us is,
31:02yeah, even when we live in a secular
31:04world who is in many ways hostile to
31:06Jesus, when we live in moral excellence,
31:10it gets people's attention.
31:12It gets people's attention.
31:15And and and that and and Peter
31:20says, it can result in well, he uses the
31:23same words like that Jesus used in
31:24Matthew 5.
31:26Uh and glorify God on the day of
31:27visitation.
31:29Uh they they see your moral excellence
31:31and they're drawn to it. What makes you
31:33like you are?
31:35And it's uh that's how they living
31:37right.
31:38Uh don't ever Listen, don't ever
31:40underestimate the power of a transformed
31:43life. Don't ever underestimate it
31:46because it is incredibly powerful. A few
31:49verses later Peter's going to
31:50reinforce that. Take a look at it.
31:52Chapter 3. Wives be subject to your own
31:55husbands so that even if some of them do
31:57not obey the word. Here here's a someone
32:00theoretically a husband who is hard
32:03hearted toward the biblical truth.
32:07So that even if some do not obey the
32:08word, they may be won without a word by
32:09the conduct of by the conduct. Do you
32:11see there?
32:13By the conduct of their wives when they
32:16see
32:18our respectful
32:20and pure conduct. When they see it.
32:23Don't ever underestimate the power of a
32:25transformed life. Okay, got to move on.
32:27Like I said, we could spend all class on
32:30each one of these.
32:31So here the third segment of this
32:33bridge. We're We're to get folks from
32:36[snorts] that
32:37bad side of sin
32:40to the good side of it. From the lost
32:42side of it to the saved side of it.
32:45Third segment is we got to think right.
32:50We got to think right.
32:53Now, as we um
32:55as we think about this, you know, if
32:57you're going to make a connection it
32:59Okay, you're living morally excellent
33:01lives. People can see that you are a
33:03person of integrity.
33:06They see that you are always
33:08consistently You're consistently honest.
33:12You're consistently
33:14uh
33:15kind.
33:17You're consistently forgiving.
33:20Uh
33:22you know, you're consistently patient.
33:26Uh they see all of these things. You're
33:27living You're living the right way.
33:30Uh you're you're looking for
33:31opportunities and you're doing good for
33:34people.
33:37But listen, that alone isn't going to
33:39get them from the lost side of sin
33:43to the saved side of sin.
33:45You've also got to think right.
33:47Uh if you want to get them to God,
33:51you got to think right. In other words,
33:53you have to believe
33:55certain truths. You have to understand
33:57certain truths and you have to
33:59absolutely believe certain truths.
34:01Uh one of those is is this. Uh you have
34:05to believe with all of your heart
34:07that lost people are lost.
34:10You got to believe that.
34:11That lost people
34:14are lost.
34:16You know, scripture teaches us that
34:17there really are two categories of
34:19people in the world.
34:21Saved and lost.
34:23That's it.
34:24Saved
34:26and lost.
34:27And those who do not know Christ
34:30and have not obeyed the gospel of Jesus
34:32Christ,
34:34they are lost.
34:35They're lost today
34:38and they're lost tomorrow.
34:40And we have to believe that, that they
34:44are destined for a Christless
34:48hell.
34:50That they are eternally separated from
34:53God because they do not know Christ in
34:56an intimate relational way.
34:59So, we have to believe
35:00>> Yeah.
35:00>> Uh another thing we have to believe with
35:02all of our heart is
35:05that you have to have explicit faith in
35:07Christ.
35:10Uh if you're going to be saved. It is
35:11the only way to be saved. Well, how do
35:14we know that Jesus is the only way that
35:17we can be saved? Well,
35:18the same way that we know people who
35:20don't have Christ are lost because the
35:23Bible tells us that.
35:25And and we have absolute faith
35:28in the truthfulness of scripture. We
35:31accept that the scripture is what it
35:33claims to be, a God book. And we believe
35:35that.
35:36And uh and the Bible's message is both
35:40inclusive and it's exclusive, and we
35:42believe that. Inclusive in the sense
35:45that whosoever will,
35:48that Jesus Christ
35:50is ready to radically forgive
35:54whosoever will.
35:56It's inclusive.
35:58Everybody.
36:00Every human being that has been created
36:03in the image of God, whosoever will. But
36:06it's at the same time, it's not only the
36:08inclusive, it's exclusive.
36:10Whosoever will can be saved, but it's
36:13exclusive in that Jesus though is the
36:16only way anybody can be saved. And of
36:20course, we think of like Acts chapter 4
36:23uh there in verse 12, one of the great
36:26declarations of the New Testament and
36:28there is salvation in no one else for
36:29there is no other name under heaven
36:31given among men by which we must be
36:33saved. So, we have to think right. We
36:35have to believe lost people are lost. We
36:37have to believe that Jesus is the only
36:38way to salvation and we have to believe
36:40the gospel message.
36:43And when we think about the gospel
36:44message and we talk about the gospel
36:45message, we're talking about a message
36:46about God.
36:49Uh, he's a holy God.
36:51He hates sin.
36:52He's a loving God.
36:54He loves everybody and he wants to save
36:57everybody from the from his holy wrath
37:00that has to be poured out on sin. Uh,
37:03it's a message about humanity. We were
37:05created in God's image and God loves us,
37:07but we're all broken and we're all
37:09fallen and we're all sinful. We're all
37:11card-carrying sinners.
37:13And um and it's a message about Christ.
37:17That Christ is merciful.
37:19He is a merciful redeemer.
37:22He is God in the flesh and he came to
37:24this world to do for us what we could
37:25not do for ourselves and that is to be a
37:27substitute.
37:29And that God put all of our sins on
37:31Christ on the cross and poured out on
37:34him all the wrath that my sins deserve.
37:37We've got to believe that. It's a
37:39message about Christ. And then we have
37:41to believe that the gospel also contains
37:43not only message about God, about
37:44humanity, about Christ, but a message
37:46about a necessary response. That we have
37:49to respond to that. That God's not going
37:51to automatically just apply the work of
37:53Christ to us, but we have to respond by
37:56believing it and by surrendering our
37:59life to God and handing our life over to
38:01him. The Bible calls that repentance.
38:02And then being buried with him in the
38:03bap in baptism for the forgiveness of
38:05our sins. Joining Christ in the likeness
38:07of his death. Being raised in the
38:09likeness of his resurrection. And God's
38:10promise to meet us there in our faith
38:14and wash our sins away and bring us back
38:16to life. We got to believe all of that.
38:19We got to think If we don't think that,
38:23then no matter how much of a connection
38:25we make with people,
38:28we're not going to tell them what they
38:29have to do. That bridge is only half
38:30finished. They're not going to get
38:31across.
38:32If we don't believe that lost people are
38:34lost, that Jesus is the only way.
38:37Listen, I'm having a Bible study with a
38:38guy right now.
38:40Um 2:00, we're going to meet again.
38:43Yesterday we met at
38:45at 10:00.
38:48We met about four of the last 5 days. He
38:51uh was I was connected to him. Someone
38:54connected me with him who we have AA
38:56Alcoholics Anonymous that meets in our
38:58building 365 days a week a year.
39:01And
39:03and so
39:04um
39:06So we've gotten hooked up and we're
39:07studying. And so as we started, cuz he
39:10said cuz another fellow AA member
39:13contacted me and said, "Hey, he wants to
39:15be baptized." Well, I didn't know
39:16anything about him.
39:18And I didn't know even what he knew
39:19about baptism. So So I reached out and
39:22we made a time where we got together.
39:25And so I needed to find out where he
39:26was. So he talked about, you know, he
39:28said, "Yeah, I want to be baptized." He
39:29told me about his life full of trauma.
39:31Just full of trauma.
39:33And then he told me about, you know,
39:34people are saying he needs to be
39:35baptized.
39:36And he's like he didn't really, you
39:38know, he was born in his words Irish
39:40Catholic in New York. And
39:42what do I need to do that I've already
39:43been baptized, you know, as a baby.
39:45And why do we even have to do that
39:47anyway? And but but they say I need to
39:49do it. So I want to do it and see if we
39:50can arrange a time to do it.
39:53And so
39:56uh so I I started with him
39:59basically right here.
40:01Think right.
40:04And so I knew, okay, this guy, okay,
40:06he's lost.
40:09He needs to know the message. He doesn't
40:11really understand the situation of
40:13humanity.
40:15All he knows is he's had a life full of
40:17trauma.
40:18But he doesn't understand about being
40:20lost.
40:22And he doesn't understand the meaning
40:24and significance of baptism. We can't
40:28rush to that. We got to start with the
40:30gospel message and help him understand
40:33about a holy God
40:36and a loving God.
40:38We got to start with the the gospel
40:39message, a message about God,
40:41a message about Christ,
40:44and a message about humanity,
40:47and a message about our necessary
40:49response.
40:50So, we're there.
40:52He
40:53He's eating it up.
40:54I think in just a day or two,
40:57he's going to put on Jesus Christ.
41:00And uh I'm looking forward to 2:00 today
41:03uh in my office. Um
41:06He's going to AA from 1:00 to 2:00, and
41:07he's coming to my office after he gets
41:09finished with AA. He's been sober for 8
41:11years.
41:12Um
41:14but that leads us Here's where we're at
41:15now. So, it kind of started there. I I
41:16had to think. I had to I had to talk
41:18with him, assess where he's at, and I
41:20had to you know, and I had to think
41:22right. You know, this guy's lost, and be
41:23just putting him in the baptistry,
41:25that's not going to He's got to
41:27understand the gospel.
41:29And so, this is going to lead to the
41:30last one, and we're about out of time
41:32here.
41:34We got to speak right.
41:36We Listen, we've got to speak
41:39We cannot be
41:42silent soul winners.
41:45We cannot be silent so Listen, and if
41:47maybe I you know, I
41:49And and And sometimes this is sometimes
41:52you may not be the one who speaks right,
41:55but you know you know someone has to
41:57speak right.
41:58Listen, most of the people I have Bible
41:59studies with now,
42:01most of them are brought to me by
42:03others.
42:05And and and I'm doing the speaking right
42:08part of it.
42:10Um
42:12not all, but but but many ask for my
42:16help. And hey, would you be willing to
42:17talk to me? They said they'd be willing
42:18to talk to you. Absolutely.
42:20And uh
42:22you know, some say, "Well, I'm going to
42:23let my life do the talking." Okay.
42:26Uh that's great. And we already talked
42:28about how important living right is.
42:32And sometimes they will even people will
42:33even misquote this 12th, 13th century
42:35monk by the name of St. Francis of
42:37Assisi, who's very
42:38very uh you know,
42:41historically very well known. They
42:42misquote him. There's a There's a
42:44statement that's attributed to St.
42:45Francis that says, "Preach the gospel at
42:48all times. Use words if necessary."
42:52And um but scholars of St. Francis say
42:56he didn't really say that.
42:57He didn't really say that.
42:59But if he did say that, he was wrong.
43:03If he did say that, he was wrong.
43:06Uh
43:07because the fact of the matter is
43:10uh
43:11you have to share Christ verbally.
43:14It has to be done. Somebody has to do
43:16it.
43:17Somebody has to explain
43:19the message about God, the message about
43:20Christ, the message about humanity, and
43:21the message about how we respond.
43:23Somebody's got to explain that.
43:25And that can only be done verbally.
43:27Uh it can only be done in words. Uh
43:31And so, you know, saying
43:34"Preach the gospel at all times and, you
43:36know, if necessary, use words." That's
43:37kind of like saying, "Feed the hungry at
43:38all times and if necessary, use food."
43:41Oh,
43:41you know, no, you got to always use food
43:44if you're going to feed the hungry.
43:45And uh so, we got to always use words.
43:49Um
43:50Uh let me even though it's a misquote,
43:52if you don't mind, I'm going to recast
43:54that, even though it is a misquote.
43:57Share the gospel at all times.
44:01And use words because they are
44:03absolutely
44:05necessary.
44:07You know, the last passage I'm going to
44:08look at with you, we're going to close
44:09it. We've got to close. Romans chapter
44:1110, Paul asks a series of questions here
44:12beginning in verse 14. How can they call
44:14on him
44:16in whom they have not believed?
44:18Well, they can't.
44:20They can't.
44:22And he says, "And how are they to
44:24believe in him in whom they have never
44:26heard?"
44:28They can't.
44:29They can't.
44:31"And how are they to hear without
44:32someone preaching?"
44:35They can't.
44:37And so, as we think about this, and I
44:39know we're out of time, so we're going
44:40to we're going to shut it down now, but
44:41this is I want you to think about
44:43building bridges. Building bridges.
44:46What we're trying to do, we are on one
44:48side of this great gulf, and we are so
44:50blessed because we know Christ, and we
44:53are in Christ.
44:56And uh and yet we look over the chasm,
45:00and there are people
45:02who are lost, and there is no way that
45:06they can get over to us unless we build
45:09that bridge.
45:11And um I I said, sometimes the bridge is
45:14only the last two. Sometimes it's only
45:16the last segment. But sometimes you got
45:19to start from the very beginning and
45:20build the whole bridge.
45:23We got to serve right.
45:24We got to live right.
45:26We got to think right.
45:28And we got to speak right.
45:30Let's end with prayer. Father, we're so
45:32thankful that we've had these few
45:33moments that we could just think about
45:34you.
45:36We can think about
45:38your glorious gospel.
45:41We can think about your commission to
45:43us.
45:45And we can think about
45:47how to accomplish that mission.
45:51Father, help us to be bridge builders to
45:54the lost.
45:56And we offer this prayer in Jesus' name.
45:58Amen.
46:00Thank you for being here.

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