Outwards - Witness

0:00 · Speaker 1 Well, it's my great pleasure to welcome Les here and to ask him a few questions before he speaks to us. And for most folks who maybe don't know Les, we showed the Street Pastor video with some of the folks from Glen Abbey because Les founded Street Pastors, which we'll talk about in a minute. But before that, I thought it'd just be interesting for folks here to know a little bit about you and how you came to know the Lord.

0:28 · Speaker 2 Well, I definitely wasn't wearing a suit. It was interesting because, in a nutshell, I had a very serious argument with my father. And the argument was so serious that I wanted to kill him, and I was on the verge of buying a machete to go and kill my father. But that very day, I met a guy who was studying theology here in the United Kingdom, and he was on the verge of going back to Africa where he came from and he met me and we were just having a meal and he began to share. I asked him about Africa, he told me about Jesus and a 10 minutes conversation really sort of just blew me away in terms of conviction and I remember walking home that evening from Holborn in central London and God really began to minister to me about my life, about Jesus. And I didn't go with anger, but I went home and took three days and finally the third evening I went on my knees and I said, look, Jesus, I don't believe in you, but God, if you're real, helped me. And my life from that moment became transformed.

1:54 · Speaker 1 Wow. Fantastic. Maybe a little bit about family, married, fat kids.

2:02 · Speaker 2 Well, I've been married for 100 years now. I'm married to a woman called Louise. And this year, we celebrated 42 years of marriage. And we've got two children, Jake and Lara. and we've got seven grandchildren. And our daughter's got four. My son, up until recently, only had two. So he's a songwriter, a musician, and I said, put the guitar down and give me some more grandchildren.

2:34 · Speaker 2 So he heard me and he gave me one more.

2:37 · Speaker 1 Very good. We mentioned there, Street Passers. Could you maybe just briefly tell us how did that come about, founding that organization?

2:44 · Speaker 2 It was interesting because I'm passionate about Jesus and about the gospel. And what I didn't tell you in that little snippet, the first time I really had a conviction about Jesus, and I didn't know it was God or Jesus, but it was at a nightclub. And that spoke to me, that stayed with me. But I have been involved in different parts of society. So I'm not one of those Christians who just go to church and just relax. I had to think through why I might come to faith. And as I read the newspapers, I spoke with people, I realized that there was a major challenge in our society, particularly at that time on our high streets with young people going out drinking and antisocial behavior. But also we had another challenge that was compounding the problem of society and communities.

3:36 · Speaker 2 That was young people with drugs, guns, and gangs. And I really felt that I need to go and see what's happened. So I went out on the streets. I went out at 10 o'clock at night. I went out at 1 in the morning. And I went out just to meet people and listen to people. And it was really interesting because when I went out and spoke to people, I asked people the problem, but what was the solution? And 90% of people, whether they were politicians, so the mayor, the councillors, police officers,

4:09 · Speaker 2 youth workers or young people in general they said the solution was the church if the church could get involved and I found that fascinating people saw us as a solution and I'm not sure we saw what role we play and after that I took two and a half years to do some scoping talking to people, went as far as the Caribbean to look at some piece of work and came back and decided that we were, we wrote a report about what we found. And we said the streets needs pastors, not pastors in the sense of ordination or a ministry within the context of the church, but they need a shepherd carer. That's what the word pastor means, shepherd carer. And The Eastern Shepherd, you know, goes out and sleep amongst the flock. And we really felt, I felt that we need to get people, the church out there, to just be amongst people, to bring hope, to bring peace. And it was out of that context we started Street Pastors.

5:21 · Speaker 1 That's great. Listen, I'm going to pray for you. Father, we just thank you for Les being with us this morning. We thank you for your hand on his life, for how you broke into his journey and revealed yourself to him. Thank you for what you have and continue to do through him. We pray that he would just now know your spirit, lead him as he speaks to us, as he shares with us. That each one of us would even just resonate with that, what he's just shared about the church being the solution. Lord how can we more effectively be witnesses for you Lord we just pray that you would be with us now challenge us speak into our lives and empower us as we pray in Jesus name Amen

6:11 · Speaker 2 Amen Thank you very much Well good morning everyone It's really great to be here It is not my first time here in Northern Ireland in Belfast I've been coming here for perhaps the last 35 years or so or more. One of my mentors was an Irish minister, and he was an incredible man called James Kane that played a really important part in my life and in my development. And I remember the first time I was coming over here, they said, you must go to Belfast to see the black man. and I thought okay and I remember coming over and it was you know really a blessed time and in fact I came to the conclusions that the Irish are black in white skin and I came to that conclusion because of your generosity when the Irish has come home you know you're going to get fat you know you're so warm in terms of your hospitality and your love and it reminded me very much of where I'm from originally in the Caribbean so it's really a pleasure and a privilege to be here this morning and to share with you all I want to just spend a little moment

7:46 · Speaker 2 just sharing with you about being a witness for Jesus being someone who is passionate about Jesus someone who is committed to Jesus, and someone who's enthusiastic about speaking about Jesus. Now, please, let me just get rid of this myth. I am not passionate or excited because I'm black. Is that okay? Is that okay? I'm passionate and excited because I met Jesus and Jesus transformed my life. Jesus forgave me of all my sins. Jesus paid the ultimate price for my sin.

8:33 · Speaker 2 And Jesus lives within me. That's where I get my excitement about from. That's why I'm passionate about Jesus. Okay? It's not about the tradition or my upbringing. I have my own personal experience with Jesus, and I've come to the conclusion that he is who he said he is. The scripture puts it this way. It's Christ in me, the hope of glory.

9:04 · Speaker 2 So there's something in us. And if we as a church, God's people, are going to be real representatives, real witnesses for Jesus, we in our thinking, in our attitude, in our character, in our personality, in our lifestyle have got to recognize that Jesus is in us. He's in us. He lives in us. He's working in us. He's helping us. He's strengthening us. He's our hope, He's our peace, and He's our joy.

9:41 · Speaker 2 And so that's the thing that really motivates me. I'm excited about Jesus. My life is not about a badge that says, smile, Jesus loves you. It's about the Jesus who's working powerfully and dynamically in my life. And I'm not special. We all are special. We all are part of the body of Christ and his kingdom. Now, it's interesting because I have to constantly remind myself, and I read scriptures, and I read books, and I love history.

10:15 · Speaker 2 I'm fascinated about history. I'm fascinated about the Bible. I'm also fascinated about my heritage in terms of the kingdom of God. And when we look at the Jesus of the first century and to the Jesus of the 21st century, they are blurred. It's blurred. In the first century, these are the people who turned the world upside down. These are the people who declares, I'm a prisoner of the Lord. These are the people who, when they were beaten, were excited that they were found worthy to be beaten because of the gospel of Jesus.

10:58 · Speaker 2 These are the people who were willing to go to jail and sing hymns in jail. These are the people in the first century who are willing to die rather than to denounce Christ. Fast forward 21st century. Sometimes I ask myself, is the church the biggest secret agent body in the United Kingdom? 007, license to do nothing. Because there are many Christians, many Christians in the United Kingdom, and nobody knows that they're Christians. It's amazing how Christians camouflage themselves after Sunday morning or Sunday evening. We're professional.

11:51 · Speaker 2 We're good at our jobs. We really demonstrate. We really demonstrate in industry and wherever field we work. But in terms of our faith and in terms of our witness of Jesus, it's undercover. It's private. It's secret. We've lost confidence. We've lost confidence in our faith.

12:15 · Speaker 2 We've lost confidence in the gospel. We've lost confidence in our ability to share Jesus. And that's a challenge for us. Because it has left society confused. It has left society and the generation looking elsewhere instead of looking to the church in which Jesus is being glorified. And so we need to rediscover our love, our commitment, our conviction for Jesus. and his gospel. The world thinks that Jesus is this geezer with a long nightie and manicured toenail who floats around doing nice, good things.

13:08 · Speaker 2 The Jesus that you and I serve is powerful. He's known as the conquering lion of the tribe of Judah. He's known as the great king. And yet he is known as the lamb who was slain before the foundation as well. the first century reveals to us the Christ who entered into this world and revealed himself to humanity the gospel is about the revelation of God's love and God's grace towards mankind for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Isn't that beautiful? That's the purpose of the gospel. That's the purpose of Jesus coming.

14:01 · Speaker 2 That the world through Jesus might be saved. Now, I know that, you know, we've come to a point where nobody wants to talk about heaven. Nobody wants to talk about hell. Nobody wants to talk about separation from God and people, there's all this hairy fairy. Listen, living without God is hell. I don't know how people do it. In the 21st century, with so much chaos and uncertainty, what keeps me from trauma, from discouragement, from hopelessness, is the fact that I know that there's no dispute in heaven over sovereignty. Jesus is still Lord.

14:43 · Speaker 2 Now, if I was in a black church they'll say hallelujah and i'll have the grandmother say preach it boy preach it come on we need to understand that this message that you and i have that dwells so richly in us it's about the world coming to know life and that life is in our lord and savior jesus christ he's a savior of the world that's why he came he's the lamb of god and isaiah puts it in a beautiful way even some 700 years prior to his birth listen to what isaiah prophesied he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he he was led as a lamb to the slaughter as a sheep before a share is silent so he opened not his mouth he was taken from prison from judgment and who will declare his generation who who will declare it for he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people he was stricken that's the gospel The gospel is about God doing something to redeem mankind from the power of sin, from darkness and from death. That's the gospel. And here are the scriptures. Well, how shall they hear without a preacher? Now, God doesn't want you to be like any of your elders.

16:25 · Speaker 2 God wants you to be you. Your elders come up and they speak wonderfully and you think, well, I couldn't do that. Listen, God's not calling you to be one of your elders. He's calling us to be us. He's calling us. And it doesn't matter what we have or what we don't have. It's not about us. It's about God empowering us to be his mouthpiece, his witness to individuals.

16:57 · Speaker 2 Hear what the scripture says. It's not by might nor by power, but it's by my spirit. And so the more we understand God and the more we love God, we recognize that God works through the power of his spirit to give us that strength to speak about him, to speak about what he has done in our lives. Listen, the greatest thing about the gospel and the church's witness and testimony is that we could say we are living proof of God transforming power in our lives. Could you imagine if I'd kill my father? Now, I love my dad. But there was tension in the family. Like there are tensions in many families.

17:48 · Speaker 2 There are turbulence. And when Jesus came into my life, he brought peace to me. And he averted me from doing something that was destructive, not only to my family, but to myself. That's what Jesus does. He transforms situation. He transformed relationship. He transformed people's circumstances, and he brings hope. That's what the gospel does.

18:18 · Speaker 2 And so it's important for us to recognize that Jesus came into this world, revealed himself. But he came and he died on the cross for our sins. In him we have redemption through his blood for the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of his grace, which he has made throughout, made abound towards us in all wisdom. That's the grace. God's grace, God's unmerited favor. I do not deserve it. We don't deserve it. Ephesians talks about we were the children of disobedience.

19:00 · Speaker 2 We hear it in Titus, what was read to us. And yet God looks at us and he says, well, when I look at you, I see myself in you. You don't deserve it, but I'm going to lavish you with my grace. Isn't it so wonderful? He not only gives us his grace, but he pours into our lives his love. For God so loves us. We're carrying those messages. We're carrying that hope.

19:26 · Speaker 2 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. God wants to lavish us. He wants to lavish our family, our community. He wants to lavish the United Kingdom, Europe. He wants to lavish this world with his love. Why? Because he loves us unequivocally. He loves us unreservedly.

19:48 · Speaker 2 God loves us. When I go to church on Sunday morning, I go with a gratitude of God's grace and of God's love and of God's mercy for me. I don't go just because I just want to feel good and tickle my emotion. But I go with a sense of gratitude. That's why the psalmist says, I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Why? Because there's a sense that God has been good and merciful and kind and gracious to him. And it's in that context.

20:22 · Speaker 2 It's in that context that we become witnesses. Jesus is the door to salvation. There is no other name on the heavens whereby man can be saved other than the name of Jesus. Let's not be confused. that's what the bible says that's what the lord declares there is no other name on the heaven whereby men can be saved jesus says to thomas i am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father but through me it's important for us to recognize that and to declare that and to be unequivocal about that that's the gospel message we're not arrogant salvation is a serious business what god has given to us and what god has enabled us to to live out it's a powerful message it's a message of life it's a message of death

21:36 · Speaker 2 it's a message that could transform an individual from death to life through jesus christ but not only that it's a message of hope that one day jesus will come again he will come again i love that old hymn that declares when the trumpet of the lord shall sound and time shall be no more and the morning breaks eternal bright to fair when the saved of earth shall gather over the other shore and the rollers call up yonder. I'll be there. Thank you, sister. Come on. That's a powerful message. That's why we need to understand each and every one of us as a believer Have that message embodied within us. In us.

22:40 · Speaker 2 That as we live, we live for Christ. When we die, we gain. Because we are with Christ. That's a powerful message. And I want people to know that. I want people to understand that. I want people to receive and to embrace it. But how are people going to receive it?

22:59 · Speaker 2 How are people going to embrace it when we are silent and muted about it? The biggest challenge within the 21st century for the church, particularly in the West, is confidence in their gospel. Confidence in their faith. Brothers and sisters, you do not need to be a Bible scholar to talk about Jesus. You just need to be you. you just need to be you hear what the scripture says he takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise he takes the weak things of the world to confound the strong God is in the business of taking insignificant men and women and using them in a very powerful way if we will allow God to use us that's the big question if we as the church would allow God to use us if we would go on our knees and pray and say God you know I'm scared you know that I feel this and you know I feel that but God give me strength there's so much at stake God give me strength I have a wonderful testament I have a wonderful message you have done some powerful things in my life God help me to share that

24:29 · Speaker 2 you may think I'm going to be I'm going to feel awkward that's okay you know every day every day Jesus creates opportunities for the church to be a witness every day just be conscious tomorrow just be conscious tomorrow wherever you work just be conscious sometimes people say well you know political correctness today hinders me I can't share the gospel in my context that's not exactly true I'm excited when Christians are sacked because of their job it tells me you know hey we're standing up but we need to be wise in our context Some Christians go to work and they have a four by four Bible. And they're beating people up over the head, telling them how bad they are. They don't need you and I to tell them how bad they are.

25:32 · Speaker 2 They know how bad they are. They need to know about how good they can become. And how their lives can be transformed. I was in hospital 18 months ago. I was very, very sick, poorly sick. Nearly died in hospital. And while I was going through this episode, a nurse came to my aid. And she's a Pentecostal, she's black, so she's, you know what I mean, she's just going for it, you can imagine.

26:08 · Speaker 2 She began to speak in tongues, and listen to what she said. In the midst of all what she was doing, she said, In the name of Jesus you shall not die, but you shall live and declare the works of the Lord. now I didn't introduce myself as the Reverend Cannon Les Isaac OBE this and that no she didn't know who I was but this woman was in the spirit this young nurse was in the spirit she said to my wife mommy please help me to pray while she was doing all sort of things there were people coming red and black people these were the action people of the hospital but they were coming doing all thing inject to me. But this woman prayed, you shall not die, she said. Wow. I knew someone had my back. I wrote to her afterwards because we had a service of thanksgiving. Incredible woman, incredible woman.

27:12 · Speaker 2 I woke up one morning and just about could see and I knew that There was a shadow there. And I said, nurse, because she was praying for me, quietly praying for me. I said, nurse, which church are you from? And she said, I'm from a little Anglican church down the road. She was praying for me. She was praying over me. Come on. That's how God works.

27:37 · Speaker 2 God creates opportunities for us. I was invited to speak on the 11th floor of the Scotland Yard with a group of police guys, the most senior officers in London. And I was there and I beckoned to the chair and I said, excuse me, sir. I said, I'd just like to say a few things. And he said, yes, let's please do. And I said, look, I'm aware in this room that some of you are not Christians and I'm aware that some of you have other faith in this room. I'm aware that some of you have no faith. But I want to do two things, say two things.

28:13 · Speaker 2 First of all, I want to say thank you for policing this complex city and putting yourself in harm's way. And then secondly, I said, as a Christian, as a minister of the gospel, I want to pray for you guys. And everybody bowed their head. And I prayed for them. When we went out for the coffee, one of the senior officers said to me, it's obvious that you believe you preach and you believe what you preach that's what people want to know we have conviction about it we were discussing policing the city I was contributing to the thinking and the strategy of policing the city but I was conscious and I was waiting and I was asking the Lord Lord give me wisdom in this context to speak. I didn't speak in as a nutter. I spoke as an intelligent, concerned Christian.

29:27 · Speaker 2 Brothers and sisters, I want to put it to us. Where is our witness? Where is our faith? Where is our ability and our confidence in sharing Jesus. Where is it? Where is it? Is it for one and a half hour, one hour, 15 minutes from Sunday morning? Is that it?

29:51 · Speaker 2 Are we secret agents for the gospel? Licensed to do nothing? Or are we men and women who are saying, God, help me to bring hope and confidence and peace and joy and forgiveness through you, Jesus, and the power of your gospel. You see, to be a witness for Jesus is a man or woman who understand what God has done in their lives and who are praying, God, help me to be relevant. Create the opportunity, God, that I may speak to somebody about you. And we have the confidence and the boldness to speak about Jesus. I was flying to Los Angeles to speak and some lady came on the plane. So, you know, when you're traveling, you always find these, the captain says sometimes, we're just waiting for three passengers.

30:52 · Speaker 2 Perhaps they're looking for a bargain at the duty-free shop. Listen, there's no bargain in the duty-free shop. It's a con. It's a con. anyway these people came on the plane and they were flustered because they were late and everything and this lady came and sat next to me this lady was gorgeous how do i know because i saw her but as she came and sat next to me the lord revealed something about this woman to me it was really interesting and for the first three and a half hours 11 hours flight three hours, nearly four hours, we talked about everything. Really interesting. Now, I cannot imagine traveling for 11 hours on a flight and not seeking an opportunity to talk about Jesus.

31:45 · Speaker 2 They can't go anywhere. What are you going to press the bell? Let me off here, mate. Come on. And even when I'm going on holidays, I don't go on holidays from the gospel. I seek opportunities. Because there's somebody on holidays that you will meet that's probably longing for someone to explain, just as that guy did for being in that restaurant. And as we was going on flight, we talked about politics, we talked about society, all sort of things.

32:17 · Speaker 2 And then she said to me, and what do you do for a living? And I went, yes. I was excited because that was an opportunity. Now, I didn't whip my four by four Bible out and say, I'm a Christian. I said to her, listen man, I'm a professional layabout. She said, man, you're funny. And we began to talk. And then I said, actually I work for the church.

32:47 · Speaker 2 And then she just switched on me. Switched. Really switched. And sometimes you get that because people have had bad experience of Christians, bad experience of church. Let's be honest. People have. And so I listened to her. And because we spent nearly four hours talking, she recognized that, hey, this guy is reasonable.

33:18 · Speaker 2 Because she was sussing me out. And I got to a point where I said, hey, listen. The best thing that's ever happened in my life is knowing Jesus. and some good things have happened in my life. But the best is knowing Jesus. And we had a conversation from that moment to Los Angeles about my faith in Jesus. When we left Los Angeles, I remember her looking back and waving to me.

33:52 · Speaker 2 And I just waved and I haven't seen her again. I don't know anything about this woman. But I'm praying and hoping. that that single moment helped that woman to come to a conclusion that she needs Jesus. That's a witness. That's what a witness does. That's what we do. That's what we do.

34:19 · Speaker 2 It's not about this big preaching. It's about us having confidence in that very simple way, which is profound. Maybe simple to us, but it's powerful in terms of the gospel, in terms of the power of the spirit, in terms of God using us to help somebody to know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I was invited to a nightclub in London by a chief executive for a big company. I had a meeting at the police station. And then we took a taxi to this nightclub called Tiger Tiger. Big nightclub. So I texted my daughter and I said, Hey honey, guess where daddy is tonight?

35:09 · Speaker 2 I'm at this nightclub, Tiger Tiger. She said, Dad. She texted me back. Dad, I knew you still had it in you. But I was invited to that nightclub by the owners. You know why? As part of their corporate social responsibility and care for the people who visit them, they wanted my approval. Are we doing well and caring for people if they're drunk?

35:41 · Speaker 2 Are we overselling them drinks? Are we providing taxes for them? And they wanted me to help them and to critique them with these things. I'm a pastor. Why are you going to get a pastor in? one of the first things that happened as I was going there the doorstops said I know street pastors they're fantastic they're great they're this man they helped me they prayed for me and these guys were saying they helped me they prayed for me without any reservations what is it telling me? people are looking for witnesses those men and women who will explain the gospel.

36:26 · Speaker 2 Take them out of confusion and bring them into clarity about the love and the grace and the power of Jesus. And that's you and I. That's you. That's me. That's the elders. That's the body of Christ. And I want to just encourage us because we have a great message. I love this hymn by Fanny Crosby. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.

36:57 · Speaker 2 Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine. I'm an heir of salvation. I'm purchase of God. I'm born of his spirit. I'm washed in his blood. This is my story. This is my song. Praise him, my savior, all the day long.

37:15 · Speaker 2 Wow. Isn't that beautiful? That's our hope. That is my hope. That is our hope. And that's why every day I'm saying, Jesus, help me. Help us as a church to share our faith. The faith that we have in you.

37:46 · Speaker 2 To our neighbors. To our friends. To our families. To our colleagues. A school, college, university, wherever we are. Is that okay? Can I pray for you? I want to pray.

38:02 · Speaker 2 Please stand with me for a moment. This is the easy part. It takes boldness. confidence. And I'm going to pray that God will give each and every one of us boldness and confidence to share Jesus. Some of you would know, and some of you won't, that I was invited to speak in Parliament at a prayer breakfast. Some nearly 800 people were there.

38:39 · Speaker 2 Boris Johnson was sitting on my right-hand side, the Archbishop there, Claire Starmer there, and everybody was there. and I had the task of preaching. I sent them several versions of my sermon and they had to tweak it and they want me to tweak it, okay? The third time I said, listen, whatever I send to you, there's a spirit at work so I may not even preach from that. So give me a break. Come on. Because the God that we serve is, you read scriptures, He is so powerful. And he's not like us.

39:21 · Speaker 2 And he gets a point because when you go and speak and all these people there, these famous and great people there, you begin to feel, hey God, give me a break. Should I be up here? But you know something? I went in the confidence, not in Leia's ability to speak, but the confidence in the Jesus who called me. the Jesus who calls us that's where our confidence is it's in Jesus it's not in your qualification it's not in your position your social state it's in Jesus so I'm going to pray right now that you and I that God would increase our confidence in him so please bow your heads Father I thank you I thank you for your words that says for as many as received you to them gave you power to become sons of God and Father I pray that you would break every fear

40:34 · Speaker 2 every doubt that we may have or carry with us as we want to speak to people. I just ask that you, through your spirit, through your word, would strengthen us. I pray that we will be humorous, hilarious people, loving, caring men and women, discerning, moving under the influence of your Holy Spirit. I pray that we will know joy in sharing your gospel. I pray that we will be committed to the vision and the strategy of this congregation in sharing you to others. Lord, I pray that each and every one of us will know the joy of praying with someone to accept you.

41:40 · Speaker 2 I pray oh God that you would take away doubt and fear and fill us today with confidence in the name of Jesus Amen Amen