Skip to content A Church of True Discipleship | Bishop Robert Stearns Apr 10 · 32 min ...more
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Eagles’ Wings, led by Bishop Robert Stearns, is a movement rooted in Jerusalem-centered Christianity with 3 core mandates: peace in Jerusalem, community, and bridge-building.
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Critiquing American Christianity, Embracing Global Discipleship 0:00 I don't think the nations of the world are really very interested in American Christianity, but I find that the nations of the world are very open to the kingdom of God.0:28 But I guess I'll start by saying this, American Christianity is not going to save the world. Somebody tweet that please.0:45 American celebrity Christianity that is consumer based, me based, what is God doing for me today?0:58 It never was biblical in the first place, and it's not going to bring salvation to our world. Thank you for that overwhelming1:10 affirmation. Whoever was clapping, Kelly, you get to keep your job and pastor Doug and I were just1:21 with believers from Nigeria, from across Africa, whose congregational members are being killed, are being murdered.1:35 We just came from India where Christians are increasingly facing persecution, and we are1:46 incorrect if we don't understand that that persecution is going to find us here in America. See, I I did. I told you when I turned 55, I gave myself1:58 the gift of taking off the filter. So I'm gonna take off the filter. We have lived in a Christianity Bishop2:11 that I believe twisted the great commission. We said of the great commission, go ye therefore into all the world2:28 And so our entire missiology was based on how many souls got saved. Oh 0, we had a great crusade and 420 souls got saved. How many2:40 were back in church the next week? The next month. The bible doesn't say go you therefore into all the world and get people to pray a prayer.2:53 The Bible says, go ye therefore into all the world and make disciples. Disciples.3:16 Encouraging thing I told you it's the best of times, the worst of times. The encouraging thing is what I see in Brazil, what I see in Africa, what I see in India, the Archbishop D'Souza,3:28 what I see in the nations of the world right now is a church who takes Jesus seriously. They're living like Jesus and they're leading the way and they are, I3:40 believe provoking the American church to jealousy. We have to get back to our first love. We have to get back to discipleship. We have to get back to the word of God. We have3:52 to get back to prayer. We have to get back to sacrifice. We have to get back to what it means to be a disciple. And these4:04 are the things that all as I journeyed over this missionary journey the past 2 weeks, very difficult to describe to you4:16 try. And the juxtaposition, the the contrast was, I don't think the nations of the world are really very4:28 interested in American Christianity, but I find that the nations of the world are very open to the kingdom of God. The nations of4:40 the world are very open to the kingdom of God. And if there is 1 distinctive of Tommy Reed's life,4:52 if Bishop Tommy Reed is going to be remembered for 1 thing, it will be that he taught us the message of the kingdom. He taught us the message5:04 of the kingdom of God. And what I have seen over these weeks is that we have got to get back to the message of God's kingdom. Now, what5:16 in the world does that have to do with Christmas? Everything has to do everything with Christmas. And I want to bring you to the first Listen to me, to the first pronouncement5:28 of the gospel. The first pronouncement of the gospel was not, hey, you're a sinner, go into hell. There's good news.5:42 How did we get this so messed up? What was the first pronouncement of the gospel? It was the angels5:54 over Bethlehem singing. Go ahead and put it up, Erica. The angels sing over Bethlehem. They say, glory to God in the highest. Glory to6:06 God in the highest and on earth. Peace to those of Goodwill, to those on whom his favor rests. All I see right there is good news. All I6:18 see there is number 1. What's the first thing glory to God in the highest. What is that? So there's 1 God, there's 1 God he's over all of it. When I walk into6:30 a room, the kingdom of God walks into that room with me. When I walk into a space, the kingdom of God, I don't care if your theology lines up with my theology. I'm an ambassador of the6:41 king. I'm a representative of the kingdom and that kingdom authority follows me into every place that I go. Glory to God in the highest and on6:53 earth. Peace. Peace. Now I'm going to take my time this morning. I just am. And,7:06 and I want to try to explain,7:09 I7:09 want to try to explain that Yeah.7:21 Yeah And I said, there would come a time that the questionDivisions Over Israel and Calls for Righteous Alliances 7:33 of Israel was going to divide churches, denominations, families, nations, and we're seeing this happen in front of our eyes.7:45 The level of antisemitism that is going on right now in the right wing portion of the church is unbelievable. It's unbelievable. It is all over the internet7:57 from conservatives and from Christians. And do you know what else is happening in the Jewish world? To the opposite,8:13 left parts of the Jewish world are a part of the problem. And we're I'm gonna make you think this morning. I know we're charismatic. We don't like to think. We like to feel, but you're gonna think.8:27 And we're living in this moment where we see very unusual alliances being arranged. How in the world do you end up with8:39 queers for Palestine? Someone do the math for me on that 1. But what do you see? You see very strange alliances that are8:51 happening around darkness, but I wanna stretch your thinking this morning because we're going to see unusual alliances around the kingdom of light. You're gonna9:03 end up standing next to somebody saying, we don't have the same theology. We don't have the same Theo. We don't vote the same, but what, but glory to God in the highest,9:15 but we are aligned on the side of righteousness. We have got to get back into majoring on the majors and stop letting9:27 the enemy divide us over minor issues. Do you understand how divided America is right now? Because the algorithm is tearing apart the fabric of our9:39 nation left and right. The algorithm is getting in and sewing fear and suspicion and discord and division wherever it can. And9:51 so it's a very unusual time. I was just sitting here and Micah, we were just talking about pastor Mike. He just sent me a text10:01 and I said, Lord, this10:02 is so good. This is going to go great with my message. This is incredibly just send it. Listen to this. This is from Edmund Burke in 17 70. This is great.10:14 When bad men combine, the good must associate or else they will fall 1 by 1.10:29 When bad men combine, associate, must come together, or else they will fall 110:41 by 1. We got to Israel this last week, the most extraordinary mission. We had 182 pastors from10:52 22 nations. Can we thank God for that right now? Come on. You can do better than that. I want you to thank God for that. The vast majority. It was their11:04 first time, the vast majority. It was their very first time, 182 pastors from 22 nations. And I don't have words. There were11:16 moments it literally felt like we were in the upper room in the book of Acts. There were moments I thought this is Azusa street, like what is happening? You literally11:28 felt the atmosphere between earth and heaven was very thin. You were like, what? We're we're in a different realm. It was it was it was a foretaste11:41 of every nation, tribe and ton worshiping the king of glory. It was a foretaste of that eschatological time that that end of the age11:53 moment when every nation on earth will be worshiping. It was absolutely extraordinary. It was awe inspiring. And we got there to Israel andIsrael Mission: Favor, Druze Unity, and Kingdom Witness 12:06 we we have never had so many divine appointments, so much access, so much favor that just day by day was unfolding.12:18 And the thing that I want to say, connecting this to Christmas and connecting this to the book of Acts, and don't let me forget the Isaiah verse at the end because I forgot it for service in the 9 minutes I had to12:30 preach. The thing I wanna say is that favor came because we went as representatives of the kingdom of God. We went as12:41 representatives of God's kingdom. Now we have some of these pictures that I'm gonna try to talk you through some of this. Unfortunately, they're not in any particular order, but I want you to catch a sense of this12:52 gathering. Let's go ahead and try. If you've got Hebrew University, we can start well, we'll start there. That's fine. So this is the minister of foreign affairs. This would be the same as Marco13:04 Rubio, Secretary of State. This is the foreign minister of the state of Israel. We had an extended private conversation with him,13:16 building the alliance, building the connection, understanding how we need to work together to defend Western civilization that is under attack13:28 right now. Western civilization, the future of America, It's not at risk for, like, your great grandchildren. It's at risk in the next 5 to 10 years.13:40 That's what hangs in the balance as you see the election we just had in New York City. So this is the minister of foreign affairs. Our next, slide will go through those. Go ahead,13:52 Erica. There I am. Ambassador Huckabee, our dear friend. He was in fact, he he we spoke to him this morning as I was driving in from Clarence. I was on the phone with14:03 ambassador Huckabee this morning. And, of course, there's doctor Kellner and Rusty Nelson and Micah and our friend, Jeff. He was with us several times throughout the week. Next. So we14:15 were welcomed to this Druze village. Now the Druze are Arabs, and this is where we're gonna get into it. You're gonna have to think. You're gonna have to work. The Druze14:27 are not Muslims. They are Arabs and they are an offshoot of Islam. They're a small religious group, maybe 1000000 of them in the whole world.14:39 This little village has 7000 Druze in it. I kind of think of them I think of the Druze to Islam as Mormons to Christianity. That's the way you could think of it. They're like an offshoot of14:51 it. This community, listen, all of their relatives live just north in Syria, in a town called Suwaida.15:04 Suwaida is where a few weeks ago, 4000 were killed in cold blood, 4000 Druze and Christians killed15:16 side by side in suede in cold blood. 600 were are were taken hot were kidnapped and taken hostage, and are still being held hostage. Have you heard about it?15:30 Couple of you do because you follow along, but15:32 most of you did not. There's no boycotts, there's no outrage, no one's screaming,15:51 Christians they'd ever welcomed into their city. And when I say welcomed, they gave us a parade. The all of the young people of the village, they16:03 lined up on either side of the street waving flags, beating drums, welcoming us into the city. And I'm walking in, I had my ecclesiastical collar on and16:15 I walked in with the cross Bishop right on my chest. And you say, well, how can you but they're not Christians. And Well, but did, but did, did they accept Jesus? I'll tell you who they accepted. They16:27 accepted me who came in the name of Jesus. And that is the first step to announcing the kingdom of God is at hand. And so these are people16:39 who are suffering under the same threat that Christians are suffering under and Jews are suffering under, and they're choosing the path of life, hope, love,16:51 peace, justice. They're choosing what glory to God in the highest, they, they might not have the same theological language we do. They might be on a spiritual journey, but17:03 we are linked together in a good against evil fight here at the end of the age. And that is what we're walking through at this moment. Next slide.17:15 This is us going into this. That's the mayor next to me. That's, that's the mayor of whole Fesh. This is them welcoming us. Go ahead. Addressing them there. Go ahead.17:27 This is the whole, these are all the elders of the city that all came out. The, the, the principal of the school came, the mayor came, the social media people came, everybody was there17:39 Now in the middle of Horfesh, 7000 Drews village, what is there? There's a Christian church. Christian church. This is pastor Simon who pastors a Christian church17:51 with 300 people in the middle of HOFESH. Their building is 700 years old, 700 years old. I think L Reed had something to do with18:03 dedicating it. I'm not sure, but I think he was involved somehow. 700 years old. They they're there. And what are they doing? They're walking in fellowship and harmony, right alongside18:15 their Drew's neighbors. And they're standing against evil. They're standing in unity against evil. Next slide. This is the parade. You could see the kids on the right with the18:27 flags, and on the left, you see a drum. That's them welcoming us into the city. Meeting the elders. These are the elders of the city. This18:39 was the Drew's coffee. You see those beards and those cool I wanted 1 of those cool hats. I didn't get 1, but, keep going. Next. That's18:50 me singing then DAPPS Guam was with us. If you remember brother DAPPS, this is the tabernacle's missionary in Nigeria. Pastor DAPPS is our, is our tabernacle,19:03 missionary in Nigeria. He's on the cutting edge. He's the 1 who pulled together along with Doctor. Kellner, all the African bishops they're on the front lines, the19:14 very front lines against this evil in this time. And he was there and it was a life changing to have him with us. We've gotta get him back here to visit us again soon.19:27 These, this is the hundred and 82 pastors that are here. The the picture goes beyond the borders that you see. This is 182 pastors from 22 nations. This is inside the19:39 Knesset as we're sharing together, talking together, being educated on all that is happening. What a historic photo. I mean, I can go around it's it's Germany and Italy and19:50 France and Brazil and Nigeria and Tanzania and Belgium, and literally all around the world gathered together there. So I want to show you this video. This is20:02 the entrance to, to, Horpe. This is the, the major Drews social media influencer. So there's about 1000000 Drews in the world.20:16 Main social media influencer to the Drews world. This video, I checked this morning. This video has, I think about 350000 views. It was just up a few days ago. It's20:28 gonna be in Arabic, but you'll get a sense of the idea of it as you watch along. This is what it looks like when the gospel of the kingdom gets outside the 4 walls of the church and20:40 takes a stand for righteousness out in the places that God calls us to. So take a listen, to this, video. It's happening in is terrible.21:13 Welcome to our village. Welcome to our fresh. It's my pleasure, to meet you. I have, 2 question. The first question is, what are you doing here in Israel? And the second21:25 question is how your organization, help my community, my, my Druze people in Syria, in Sweden.21:35 It's it's an honor to meet you. Thank you. You're very famous on Instagram, and it's a great pleasure to be with you and a great pleasure to be in Hofesh. We are here as evangelical Christians21:48 because we are living in a moment of history where it is good against evil, light against darkness. Yeah. Life against hate. And love against22:00 hatred. Yeah. And so we are here to spread love, to spread peace, to call for justice. What is happening in Soweto is terrible. And it is not only happening22:12 to Christians, it is happening to Druze. Yeah. Yeah. And so we become friends, we become partners, we become those working for the next generation. So that the next generation of young22:24 people can live free from fear, from the oppression of radical Islam.22:31 Yeah.22:31 And so we must work together. Thank you very22:33 much. God bless you,22:34 my brother. And so the angels22:46 pronounce as pastor Doug helps me move this over. The angels pronounce glory to God in the highest on earth. Peace. Goodwill towards all this is, I believe the22:57 message of the kingdom. This is the message of what it means to be those. Thank you, pastor Doug, who Harold, the kingdom, who welcome the kingdom, who declare the kingdom.23:11 And I believe that we need to, as never before, prepare ourselves for a very unusual journey because we're in a moment that23:23 is this great division. There are portions of the Christian church I can no longer agree with, I can no longer walk in unity with,23:35 I can no longer cooperate with, but I'm finding commonality and fellowship with the Druze. Now they didn't23:47 prepare that me for that at Valley Forge. Bible school did not prepare me for these unusual journeys, but we are living in very unusual times.24:00 And we're living in a moment. The the the best parable that I can think of is where Jesus says, this is the kingdom of God. A farmer sows a field. HeKingdom Purification and the Resting Place for the King 24:12 sows wheat. And then an enemy comes and he sows tears. He sows chaff.24:24 Pull out everything now, then you're gonna pull out the good. He says, Let it grow all the way till the end and then it will be made manifest, which is24:36 wheat and which is chaff. Not everyone who names the name of Jesus is a disciple of Jesus. I'll let that sit there.24:51 There is stuff happening in the Christian world besides besides the antisemitism,25:02 besides all of that, there is stuff happening in the Christian world that is no nothing less than people making money, making a name for themselves, following their own25:14 egos. And I'm telling you what, before Jesus returns, he is going to have a bride without spot and without wrinkle. He's going to have a house, not of25:26 spiritual entertainment, but a house that is filled with the glory of the Lord, a house that is thick with the presence of God. What we experienced, we did not25:37 have the right sound system. We had a guitar 1. We had 1 guitar. We25:49 had 1 guitar and the glory of God filled these worship services time after time after time after time.26:03 God is calling you and I back to discipleship. We are being I remember, Bishop and Wanda remember, I remember the charismatic movement. You could come into a service26:16 and someone would begin to sing a phrase in the spirit. They would just begin to sing and the whole room, the whole sanctuary would begin to reverberate26:27 with the song of the spirit and it would last for 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 15 minutes. No song leader, no led walls. No.26:40 And I love all of it. It's all fine, but I'll get, take all that and give me Jesus, give me the spirit of God. Give me the presence of God. I'm not saying we have to choose between both, but if we have26:52 to choose, I'll tell you which 1 we're going to choose. So the Lord is calling us as a house and he's calling you as a disciple in this moment27:05 to begin to align yourself with the kingdom of God. Now go please to the Isaiah verse. As we come to Advent, as we come to Christmas for unto us, a child is born unto27:16 us, a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And another verse, I thought it was this 1. 0, it's the27:28 next 1. It says, and of the increase of his government, there will be no end. Now go back please to the first verse and the government will be on27:40 his shoulders. Jesus said, foxes have holes. Birds have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.27:52 Foxes have holes, birds have nests, the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. He had nowhere to rest his head. What are shoulders? Shoulders are the place that the head28:04 rests. If we want the authority of God in our midst, we will create a resting place for the king of glory. If we28:16 will be a resting place for God, if we will make our lives and this house a28:28 place where God is comfortable, resting the glory of his presence, the peace of his presence. If we will allow the Lord to rest his head28:39 here, what does that mean? What does that mean, folks? Young people, that means to turn it off, shut it down, unplug,28:52 be still parents. All of us, we don't have to be29:04 creating something that he wants to come and just bring on his own. Unto us a child of the government will be on his shoulders. He'll be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, and of29:15 the increase of his government. Bishop, I have never all of the favor on my life, everything that's happened, never in 1000000 years did I experience what I've experienced the last 229:27 weeks. Every place we walked into. Total favor, total open doors. Why? Because we came in the name of the Lord. We came walking29:39 in the kingdom presence of God. We didn't sacrifice who we were. I walked you saw me walking to that city. I wore I don't know if you could see it in the video. I wore the the Bishop's Cross.29:51 We're not some ecumenical interfaith thing that leaves Jesus at the door. We are believers in Jesus, but you don't have to believe exactly30:03 like I believe for me to defend you if your life is in danger. Can I say that 1 more time? You don't have to believe exactly as I30:15 believe for me to say it is righteous and right and necessary for me to stand by you. If your life is in danger, If we only30:26 cry out for ourselves, who are we? Our calling is to fight for the oppressed, not just for the oppressed to agree with us. So my heart30:38 is filled this Christmas season because I believe with all of my spirit that we are on the verge. I honestly actually don't know. I have to refer I think it's30:50 already begun. I can't describe to you. And it wasn't just 1 meeting. Every single meeting we went31:02 to, if it was a diplomatic meeting, the favor was off the charts. And if it was a prayer meeting, the glory of God was present in a way that I have31:14 not felt since the mid nineties.In this video 0:00 Critiquing American Christianity, Embracing Global Discipleship7:28 Divisions Over Israel and Calls for Righteous Alliances12:01 Israel Mission: Favor, Druze Unity, and Kingdom Witness24:06 Kingdom Purification and the Resting Place for the King
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