Come and See - Stan Jantz | Faithly Stories

00:01 - Speaker 1 So our goal, we want to reach a million ministries. This includes churches, and we believe that transformation you know you're introduced to Jesus through a show like the Chosen, which we want then to then go to Scripture and read about this thing you've seen on the screen and that's where you of course encounter the Holy Spirit is through. You know the Scriptures and then to be connected at some point to a local church, to a body of believers who can kind of help you on your journey to know Christ and to make him known. 00:30 - Speaker 2 Welcome to Faithly Stories, the podcast that brings you inspiring tales from conversations with church leaders as they navigate the peaks and valleys of their faith journeys, through their ministry work and everyday life Brought to you by Faithly, an online community committed to empowering church leaders. Learn more at faithly.co. Get ready to be uplifted and inspired on the Faithly Stories podcast. 00:58 - Speaker 3 Welcome Stan Jantz to the Faithly Stories podcast. 01:02 - Speaker 1 Great, great to be with you, Alicia, and looking forward to our conversation. 01:06 - Speaker 3 Great so, Stan, you were the global ambassador of the Come and See Foundation, which of course fuels the work of the Chosen, which needs no introduction. But before we get there, I'd love to know before joining Come and See as Global Ambassador, you had a long career as a publisher and as a writer. Can you share a bit about that and how it led to your role with the Chosen? 01:33 - Speaker 1 Sure, I'd be happy to. Yeah, I've been around. My family owned a chain of Christian retail bookstores in California and so I grew up around books, always loved them and worked for the family business after graduating from Biola University and then, as things happened, you know, the whole industry changed. We had this little company called Amazon that came along and kind of changed the way people buy books. We actually sold our stores before that became a big issue. 02:01 And then I started writing books because I'd been around books my whole life and I've been doing different kind of writing projects for the industry, for Christian retail, and just started with a writing partner, Bruce Bickel, and we kind of adopted a kind of a God for dummies format. Only in this case it was, you know, God by dummies, because we my writing partner, Bruce Bickel, is a lawyer and I do have a degree in Christian apologetics but we find the literature and the availability and this is before when we started writing was before, of course, all the online resources, but there's so many wonderful, wonderful, you know resources for people who want to know more about the Christian story and whether it's CS Lewis or Oz Guinness or Francis Schaeffer or, you know more recently, people like John Mark Homer, and so I've just always been that way, and so I got into writing, and then I started to work for a couple of companies in publishing, as you said, and then led the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, which is a trade group that represents Christian publishers worldwide, and so, of course, right there in New York there's a lot of Penguin, random House and Simon Schuster and Hachette and all those Hachette's I think French, so he doesn't count, but anyway, new York is a publishing hub and I was in that industry. I was there quite often and always felt that, you know, there's something special about what happens in the publishing world and, of course, now it's shifted a lot to online, but you still have to write, content has to be written, whether it's on a platform that is online or in a book physical book. But it's interesting, Alicia. There's trends now going on that seem to indicate people are getting back to reading physical Bibles. You know, it's just an interesting phenomenon, which I think is wonderful, and not that there's anything wrong with reading your screen, but, as people will say, it's something about having a book, or especially the Word of God in your hand, tangibly to be able to read. It is exceptional. 04:02 And then I got involved in this little TV show called the Chosen about three years ago and I was kind of focusing my own personal life I had left ECPA and focusing on discipleship and how do we encourage Christians to really engage in that lifelong journey of knowing Jesus and of following Him and committing to him in all that we do? And so that kind of led me to this role. I was the founding CEO of the Come and See Foundation, which was established to and you said it correctly to enable the chosen to be made. So we raise money for the production of each season, starting with season four, and we're just concluding season six, which we can talk about, which is pretty exciting. And then we also are making sure that the entire series can be translated and our goal is 600 languages, which is pretty astounding for a series like this. I think the most a TV series had ever been translated before Come and See came along was about 50. And so we're right now actively working on about 125 to 150 languages. 05:12 But 600 is a huge task because most languages when you get over you know even the 50 mark. You don't have like voice actors for dubbing. So there's the technology that's going to enter into that. You don't have, like, voice actors for dubbing. So there's the technology that's going to enter into that and that's evolving, as you know, Alicia, that it's kind of God's moment to have this technology available, not just for distribution and for people to access content like the Chosen, but also to enable us to engage in Bible translation, both the Bible itself as well as these kind of projects like the Chosen. 05:45 So we live in a unique time. We really do. In the 2,000-year history of the church, there's never been anything like this, and maybe every generation says that. But I think we can point to, Alicia, with both what's happened with technology, but also the global population of 8.2 billion people you know it's doubled just in the last, you know, 40 years from what it was, and so it's it's. There's a lot of people that God wants to hear, hear his message, and, of course, through media and story, I think is is probably, right now, the most effective way to do that. And so the story of Jesus is timeless and to see it in the way the chosen is portraying it is touching hearts all across the world, in multiple countries, languages, regions and religions, and so we're just getting started. There's a lot to do and thanks to podcasts like what you're doing to get the word out for people is really part of that ecosystem as well, so appreciate what you're doing. 06:40 - Speaker 3 Well, thank you for taking me through all that. I thought I heard you incorrectly when you said 600, but it really it's 600. Like that's the goal and thank you especially for talking about the role that technology can play in that. I think we all are aware of the dangers of technology, but I think we don't often get such a clear picture of how technology can enable the spreading of the gospel in such a powerful way. 07:08 - Speaker 1 Well, it's not the first time, Alicia. You know there have been I kind of say there have been three of these technological moments that spread the gospel extraordinarily, in ways that had never been experienced, and the first happened when Jesus was on the earth, and that's the Roman roads, right? So you have this technology of Rome building about 250,000 miles of roads. About 50,000 were paved, and so that was how people took out their message, that's how Rome moved their commerce. And, of course, sometimes, when not sometimes always when God allows or enables something like this, it can be used for evil or for good up to the current time, but the Roman row has enabled the gospel to go out very efficiently in that first century to the farthest points of the known world. And then, about 1450, you have this little thing called the printing press, and that was a technology that massively changed the way people were able to access content. In fact, nobody could read because they didn't have to, and it took 40 days to copy a book, one book after gutenberg, within one generation, they had printed 50 million books, and, of course, the first book to be printed was the bible. And you have this. It changed the world. The reformation was triggered, uh, and enabled martin luther. Martin Luther, of course, was enabled by the printing press to get that message out. 08:29 And so now here we are in what I would call the third great technological moment for the gospel, and that's the information superhighway, which is kind of like the Roman roads of our day. Right, it's like that's how people are getting this message out all around the world. And again, as you said, it can be used for not good reasons, but God intends it for good and for those like you who are using it in such a positive, productive way, is so important to what God has in mind for his world. And I think, again, the reason he seems to be moving so fast is because this technology is available. It's never been. This is a unique time in 2000 years of history, and you know Bill Bright, who was the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, now CRU. He used to quote Matthew 24, 14, and it was his what drove him to say let's tell the whole world, because Jesus said when the whole world knows, I'll return. I'm paraphrasing loosely, and so it's like okay if we can just tell the whole world. Well, it wasn't possible in Bill Bright's day, which is just a few decades ago and it's not impossible till today. 09:32 Now we're not there, but that possibility exists and, as you know, it's amazing where you can find people that have a mobile phone. There are 8.2 billion people, but there are 6 billion smartphones in the world, which means not just a device to answer, but you can actually get content. So, at Come and See. One of our jobs is we have a whole division devoted to just the app, both the iOS and Google app, and to make sure that the content's always free, that people would never have to pay for it through that, and that's one of Dallas Jenkins' visions too. He wanted to reach a billion people and keep it free, and so that Come and See. That's our mandate. We want to reach a billion people and keep the show free for all. Now people can watch it in theaters when it comes, each season comes out, or on Amazon Prime, but it'll always be available, and then, in the languages as you mentioned are available through that app. But I've been in from the Middle East to Brazil, to Poland, to Bangkok, and I've watched people watch the Chosen, an episode, in their language, and it's just astounding to see their faces. They go wow, that's my heart language, I can understand this and it shows such respect and of course the communication of the content is much stronger and of the characters, and so that's a big goal. 10:52 And then we partner with literally hundreds of ministries so far, like Crew and like One, hope, prison, fellowship and Alpha, and you name it. I mean we've got got them lined up. Of course, our goal we talk about reaching a billion people we want to reach a million ministries. Now I'm gonna qualify that that a church is a ministry, right, so this includes churches and we believe that transformation. 11:18 You know you're introduced to Jesus through a show like the chosen, which we want then to then go to scripture and read about this thing you've seen on the screen. What is this story and that's where you of course encounter the Holy Spirit is through you know the scriptures and then to be connected at some point to a local church, to a body of believers who can kind of help you on your journey to know Christ and to make him known. So we really value and count on those ministries taking this and that's the only way to reach a billion people is when people then can experience it through local churches, local cities, and whether it's in theaters and home groups or on their phones. So we've got a ways to go, but we're kind of making that progress. And meanwhile, um, got a ways to go, but we're we're kind of making that progress, and meanwhile this week is very timely. Uh, they are concluding production of the Chosen season six. 12:10 - Speaker 3 Wow. 12:11 - Speaker 1 And uh, so it'll wrap this week and then go into post-production and, uh, I can explain the cadence of that because it is kind of unique to what the Chosen has done in the past. But this is the crucifixion season and we'd like to say season five, which is currently available on Amazon Prime and through the app, was the most intense week in history Palm Sunday to the kiss that betrayed Jesus, so it really is a little bit less than a week, but it goes up to the gardening of Seminy and when Jesus was betrayed. Season six is the most intense day in history. 12:45 It just covers one day, and so what happened after that betrayal to the cross and his burial? And then season seven, which we'll start filming next year, is the resurrection season, and so that will be the conclusion and that'll come out in 2028. So, anyway, so there's a ways to go, but people are still catching on to the first few seasons. So it's not like, you know, don't feel bad if you're behind, because you have lots of time to catch up. But then, as I started, it got really good and the story, you know, started getting intense and I think the production quality was really good to begin with. But every season seems to be something more personal, not more spectacular, but more personal and more relatable to who Jesus is and his followers, and you get to know the characters better. So, anyway, hang on, it's going to be quite a ride coming up. 13:48 - Speaker 3 Well, thank you for sharing all of that with us, dan. There is so much to unpack in everything that you said. I want to first start by saying you surprised me when you said there were three sort of major technological shifts and you started with Roman Rhodes. I thought you were going to start with the Gutenberg Press but you started with Roman Roads. I thought you were going to start with the Gutenberg Press but you started with Roman Roads, which is perfect and ties into sort of the information superhighway age that we're in today. 14:12 But when you mentioned the Gutenberg Press, it brought to mind for me the first time I saw a page of the Bible that actually came off of that Gutenberg Press and I was so moved by it. There is still, even today, something different about the story in print. And so when you said that earlier in our conversation that people are wanting to read the Bible the physical Bible that's really encouraging because I think that means people don't just want to skim it. They know that there's something there that they need to absorb, something there that will move them and will change them. So anyway, I just wanted to sort of react to a lot of what you said there. 14:49 All right, so we are now six seasons into the Chosen, right, or the sixth one is soon to be released. But can you take us back to your first encounter with the Chosen? I imagine it wasn't when you joined the team. Did you know right away, given your long joined the team? Did you know right away, given your long career in publishing? Did you know right away that this would be something that God would use in such a big way? 15:12 - Speaker 1 I had no idea, all I knew and I had downloaded the original app, the Angel app, with the Chosen on it, just because it was. You know, people were talking about it, but I'd never seen it. And what I was impressed with. And at that time they had a little counter on how many views not viewers, but views, and I think it was over 200 million. When I first downloaded the app I thought wow and being I think I mentioned earlier, I mentioned that I was part of a family that we owned a chain of Christian bookstores and back in the day, Alicia, there were things called videotapes and then before that, which your listeners probably don't even remember, but 16 millimeter films. So we had a film we call a library because we would then loan these or actually rent them to churches to show, and they were these really cheesy dramas you know, about someone whose you know life isn't going so well. And then, of course, at the very end of these movies, you had to accept Jesus. That was absolutely the important thing and again, I'm not trying to downplay the importance of conversion, but it was so formulaic that Jesus had this and that quality was very poor and even up to more recent years, I just had never felt that the Christian movie quality was up to snuff with what we see in general productions. So even though I had heard about it and I downloaded the app, I'd never seen it and I had no desire to because I thought, well, it's going to be another cheesy Jesus TV show or movie, and I just so. 16:37 Then I met the. I'm a trustee at Biola University and Biola here in Los Angeles has a film school and we just had gotten a new dean. He came from AMC Networks in New York and he moved and decided to get into Christian Higher Ed and be the dean of the Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts. And I met him and I held up my phone. I said look at this app. Here it says 200 million views. The students need to know about this. Now, keep in mind I'd never seen it. And I said maybe do some kind of event. I don't know the people there, but I bet they'd help you. Well, he did exactly that. I had nothing to do with the production of it, of the event, but I kind of sparked the idea. So he calls me up a few weeks later and said we're going to do this thing. Would you come? I'd. So, Alicia, I saw it for the first time at this event and they did it because they had like 2,000 people showed up out in the quad, the lawn, you know, of Biola University, and they had a big screen set up and Dallas did an on-screen welcome. They had a couple of actors there and I watched season one, episode one, for the first time with 2,000 people and as this episode kind of progressed, the room or the space got smaller. It was just me. 17:50 And for those of you who have seen it, the last scene is when Jesus shows up he hasn't been in the scene until then and it's to talk with Lilith, who was the woman possessed by seven demons. We know her as Mary Magdalene, but she was known as Lilith and he called her Mary and she's just startled as she's walking out of this bar. And then she had been as a child in that episode reciting this kind of prophecy from the Old Testament you know, I have called you, I redeemed you, you are mine, you know. But then she'd given up and her life was just a wreck. So he walks out behind her and he calls her Mary and she's startled and she's got a little drink in her hand, drops it and it shatters on the ground and she turns around and he recites that to her. He says you know, I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine, you know. And she just collapses into this, you know, emotional, like she realizes what this, doesn't know who he is, but she realizes something special. So that to me, just got to me, and I was going, oh man. And so that was my first encounter with watching it and I've talked to many people who have that same resistance, and I've talked to many people who have that same resistance. 19:03 And then there's something, when they watch it and maybe it's not that scene, but it could be another one that they've seen that they just it kind of melts them, you know, because there's such, and it's not just the film, it's the power of the story and the way it's being portrayed, and realizing this is the effect that Jesus has on people and how he, you know, as the story progresses, we know where it goes, that he came to give his life, and that's why this, everything leading up to this crucifixion season, is almost like a prologue, because it's preparing the way, kind of like John the Baptist did, and there's indications of what Jesus knows, what he needs to do and, of course, seeing that human side of him that we sometimes overlook as evangelicals. I mean, I would say I'd have, because we focus on his divinity and his majesty, and obviously all of that is true, but we sometimes minimize the humanity. And we are known in scripture he's fully God, fully man, so a hundred percent of both, which is a mystery. And so when you see his humanity in the context of the story and what he was called to do, it's the attractiveness and the relatability that starts to become so important and such a part of the appeal, not just of the chosen but of Jesus, that he did it. That's why people followed him. There was something about him that compelled them to follow this person, even if they didn't understand exactly what that meant. And isn't that true today? Sometimes we'll say, yeah, I'll follow Jesus, but we don't really. 20:33 Okay, there's going to be world, especially in the Middle East, and places that it's not safe to be a Christian it's not necessarily, you know, in your family even, not to mention the state itself or places where there's just they're so entrenched in another cultural religion Hinduism, buddhism. You know that it's just like that's all we know, you know, and how do you introduce this new person, this new way of living, this new reality to people? And yet that's what the Holy Spirit's for right. He prepares the way and prepares hearts. It's not our job, you know, and there's a saying that the chosen is. It's not our job to change people. It's just to bring the loaves and fishes, which is a reference, of course, to the miracle of Jesus taking those loaves and fishes and expanding them. And that's one of the things. The show is not the chosen's job to win people to Jesus, it's just to tell the story. 21:37 Yeah, and then what we do is come and see is part of that third pillar I talked about. The distribution is when are the ministries that can help do that? And I'll give you a quick example is Crew, and they have been doing for the last year and a half, watch parties where they will during and they've done it at NYU and Columbia and they'll invite students to come and, you know, feed them pizza and show an episode, and then they'll afterwards they'll talk about it and they'll. What did you think? And you know, we're so quick as Christians to kind of proclaim and want to tell them what they should believe, rather than just ask questions, just invite people into a conversation and the results have been remarkable. And they'll do like a whole season, so eight consecutive evenings, like a Monday night. They'll do this and they've had some, some wonderful stories to come out of that and they're really pleased with, again, the portrayal of the story in a way that's creative and kind of matches kind of the Gen Z sensibility which is around beauty, of the Gen Z sensibility which is around beauty. 22:45 And I'm a boomer, my sensibility is around truth. You know, it's kind of like that's what I value. And millennials, they're about goodness, right? So you've got truth, goodness, and then Gen Z is all about beauty. They like if it has that, that ring of, you know, quality and it doesn't not just just an object but a production or a relationship or friendship. That's kind of the most important thing now. Truth has to be there. You can't deny that. If it's not a true story, then it's really just now, it's just a story. But if it's a story well told and it's good for me and it has truth in it, then you've got all those truth, goodness and beauty kind of wrapped together. 23:25 - Speaker 3 But you've got the trifecta. 23:27 - Speaker 1 Yeah, and of course, that's what the Greeks, you know, talked about, but the Bible did it first, right, and to talk about that beauty of and Jesus really is, there's a beauty in the story and a beauty in his person that is very attractive and not to minimize what he had to go through at all, but there was something about him that and still is very compelling to people, and what he did to sacrifice is also the thing. How do we understand that, that he did that for us? Yeah, you know, and with this and we've all you know, if you grew up anywhere around the church or something, you know the story and you know the cross and all of that. But again, to see the portrayal in a way that will bring it, I can't wait, but I can't wait till next year, so that's the only thing. 24:20 - Speaker 3 I think one of the themes that I heard through what you said. One of the themes is that storytelling is a super powerful way to share the gospel. Why do you think that is especially through media like the Chosen? Why has it been and why will it continue to be so powerful? 24:46 - Speaker 1 Well, I think, first of all, God made us to understand stories. I mean, the great story of the ages is the classic story of all Hollywood movies. Right, creation, fall, redemption, and the hero gets introduced. The hero has a crisis and the hero has a guide that leads him back. Take Star Wars, insert Luke into that, and Yoda and the dark, all that stuff that goes into it. 25:07 Cs Lewis once said that every myth has a story, because he was as a scholar, he was an expert on mythology, that's kind of what he did. So every myth kind of has a similar theme. But he said only the Christian story is the true story. And he said and when people hear it, they'll recognize it, because God has planted that story in each heart. Whether or not you acknowledge it, it's there, and one verse in particular is Ecclesiastes 3.11, that God has planted eternity in the human heart. So there's something that people, whether they accept it, deny it. Whatever it's there and you can't, you have to deal with it. There's something beyond what we have here in this world, and so that true myth, as CS Lewis called it, as it's being told, whether it's through the Bible or through a book or through a film like that it resonates in people, again, depending no matter where you are, you know, in the world, and I think that's where the story is, something we have sometimes put aside. In place of it, we put in the doctrinal realities, the steps, and we parse out Christian I'm speaking for myself we parse out Christianity into a series of propositions, and so, when you accept Christ, it's a transaction I'm being pretty cold about this, but I think you'll get my meaning Versus when you come to Christ and you understand what he's doing. And you have to know it's not just, yes, it starts with the story, but you have to know there's things that he did to fix the sorry state that we're in, the fall, you know. But then it becomes a transformation, not a transaction, a life that's changed. And what I'm finding too, Alicia, is that we've put too much emphasis and I'm speaking for myself on that instant moment that this happens. 27:05 I think Jesus didn't call Christians to be his disciples. He called people who were on a journey to know him and then, as they then came to that point of realization, certainly from his death and resurrection and the encounter with him in the upper room and the Holy Spirit coming upon them, it's like, okay, this is what this is, and I think it's no different today. Sometimes we think you've got to have that moment and it can be where you realize, oh gosh, I'm a sinner, I need Jesus, I need to raise my hand and become a Christian, and I'm not minimizing that. But I think for many people it's the beginning of a journey to better understand who Jesus is and let the Holy Spirit do His work in our hearts. And being in community where you can interact with people and you can hear, like in your church, hear messages being taught and worship music and talking with people and being in a small group. Our church is just starting the process called Rooted, which is a long and a lot of churches are using this now. It's kind of taking you through what it means to follow Jesus and I think we see in the disciples that they had different moments of awakening. The Chosen kind of shows this Like oh, they finally get it, but not all at once, right, and that's what's going to be kind of hard to watch in season six is how many disciples were actually at the foot of the cross when Jesus was being crucified? 28:31 Just one, you know. One betrayed him, of course, so I'll select 11. But the only one that was at the cross was John, and the women were there, so otherwise the rest were hiding. They were just scared of their wits, and Scripture tells us then, when they met in the upper room after he had been risen, but they hadn't seen him yet. There's 120 of them, you know Well, they had seen Jesus. I'm sorry, but they hadn't experienced Holy Spirit yet. There were only 120 out of all the throngs that he preached to, and so who you know. And then, of course, peter preached his first sermon, and the Holy Spirit was there and 3,000 people were at it. So it started to grow very quickly, but in that turmoil of what was going on. 29:15 So I think we need to give people room that this is a journey, and to give them guidance and what I would call discipleship, to follow Jesus, what that means, and then let the Holy Spirit do its work of transformation, supernatural transformation for people, and the story is just just helps us, opens us up to what we can experience, and we have a phrase, too, that at Come and See. 29:38 We want everyone to experience experience. 29:39 And we have a phrase, too, that at Come and See. 29:39 We want everyone to experience Jesus, and we like the word experience, or you could use the word encounter, but there's something about not just, you know, start with that, because the transformation will follow, and as people, then you engage with the community, people start praying for you, and if you're in that particular place in life and you being in a city, like you see, it's just like people are, they're looking for meaning, but it could also happen in a rural cornfield too, so, but it just seems like the movement, by the way, and the movement towards cities is profound in profound globally. It's something that, and for ministries it's extremely important that those cities are cared for and that there's, you know, creative, productive and welcoming, you know, opportunities for people to be able to engage in these conversations and to meet Jesus in this way, and often it'll be through the fellowship and the kindness and the prayers of God's people, you know, in a community like that, and so people feel like they belong, even before they believe, but they at least belong here and that belief will then follow. 30:55 - Speaker 3 Well, as a 20-year New Yorker, I couldn't agree more with what you said. I also I think there is a ton of truth in what you said about the teaching of the church moving over time from transactional to sort of transformation. I also have seen in my own church leadership that even when you teach transformation, that for those who are looking to follow Jesus that there's an evolution for them right in their journey, that it moves from transaction to transformation in terms of their understanding. It seems to be part of the sort of maturity and part of the walk. So thank you for sharing that. And you know, since we're talking about storytelling, Stan, and you alluded to you know things you've seen around the world as a result of your work with Come and See, can you share with us a story or two of something that's really moved you in terms of how the Chosen has impacted people's faith? 31:54 - Speaker 1 Yeah, well, I'll tell a quick story about in Egypt, and I've been, as I said, been spending some time in the Middle East and getting invitations to come. But we were at a camp in Egypt sponsored by an evangelical church, and this is not just any camp. They have built this with some help from some American churches and they have a soccer stadium that they build, and so every day they bus in about 10,000 to 11,000 people. Now in Egypt it would be subject to, you know, prosecution, and so this camp is they bring in, quote unquote, christians, but inevitably there are Muslims who are going to come too, because it's this wonderful experience and they provide. 32:50 If any of you or your listeners have experienced a camp, experienced a Christian camp, it's like they have activities and you can do a climbing wall, and they had motorcycle demonstrations of, you know, stunt drivers and all that. But then they had a room that they had dedicated to the chosen and about about 500 people, and so we showed episodes of the chosen, my team and I, in Egyptian Arabic, and so we started the first day and it was going to be the episode of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, which is the conclusion of season four, and so we're kind of at the front, and so the organizers come up and say would you give an invitation at the end of this particular screening? And I didn't say anything, but I had been told you know, this is one of those countries where you can't proselytize and I'm thinking either, well, aren't these all Christians? But to myself, you know, I didn't say anything but I just followed, and so that episode played and it's, of course, it's a great story, and that is of Lazarus and his resurrection and the conversation that Jesus has with Mary and Martha. And he makes that famous statement I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will not die but have eternal life. And in the fact that he raised Lazarus, yes, he raised him back, but Lazarus would physically die again, but he would also have which all of us have, and that's the eternal life that we have in Jesus. 34:23 So, anyway, so the conclusion of this, and of course it's in Egyptian Arabic, and so at the conclusion then one of the pastors came up and interpreted for me, as I then gave an invitation, and it was amazing how many people came up and including, because they tell me I'm Muslim and I know now the truth about who Jesus is. So to me that was an indication that this story will translate, and of course, the language translation was very important. And as I watched them watch the Chosen in Arabic and you could just see their faces, they got it. There's no barrier and they could get to the story without the language interference. And but then to see the response of people, and so it was quite moving for me and, you know, I guess I could say maybe a surprise, it shouldn't have been but that Muslims came forward, and so it's really encouraged me that there's a you know, there are 2.2 billion Muslims in the world, as many as there are Christians, and so it's and it's the fastest growing religion, and but it's, you know, the story is based in the Middle East, it's a Middle Eastern story and Arab you know, believers are some of the sweetest people in the world, and so it's been exciting to see that. 35:45 So, and then one quick story that didn't happen to me, but I can relate to you characters or personality traits of known characters that help us better relate to what the story is saying. And, for example, matthew. The character of Matthew is, you would say, just observing him. He's on the spectrum. Now, in the first century they didn't have somebody like that. But what the scriptwriters have done so well is to relate the story to some current you know. Things that we would say today are going on. 36:24 And that's why, you'll see, sometimes you'll see Jesus say something like when he says not too shabby when they put a clean cloak over the leper at a ragged one. Well, that's kind of a contemporating but it kind of brings that relatability a bit. So some of the characters they've written and it doesn't violate at all scripture, in fact they're so faithful to the truth of scripture, the integrity, the theological integrity, the fact that Matthew was a tax collector and that he was engaged in that world. Yeah, I mean, people who are on the spectrum typically are really good with numbers and there's a kind of a genius there and he's become like one of the most popular characters. I think people just really identify with him. So, anyway, so we get this letter from a mother and she said when I watched the Chosen and first saw Matthew, I wept for an hour Because my 11-year-old son is on the spectrum. In fact he's autistic, and I always have wondered whether he could understand the story in the Scripture and know what it means to be a Christian. So I had him watch the Chosen and see this character and he said his eyes lit up when he saw Matthew, this character. And he said his eyes lit up when he saw Matthew and I always wondered would he know enough to be able to accept Christ, to have him in his life as his Savior and Lord? And he came to his mother this is in the email that she sent us and said Mommy, I want to be a Christian, wow. So she prayed with him and then later in his room he made up kind of a poster that said God loves me. And she says you can't know how meaningful this is, that this character who I know is an actor, but the way it was portrayed, spoke to my son and we've had many. 38:08 There's another conversation that takes place between little James, who is with the staff and is kind of, you know, disabled in a way, and Jesus about healing. You know, if you remember that, it's in season three. And there's again from Scripture there is a scene where Jesus is sending them disciples out two by two and they're going to go out and spread the message and they're going to cast out demons and heal people and so and it's kind of it's a, it's a charming moment in in the show where they have this and they're kind of looking at each other like I've got to go with him, you know, especially who gets paired up with Matthew. It's like cause. He's considered kind of strange, you know, by the other disciples. But anyway, as these dispersing them, they walk out, little James with his staff. He walks out behind Jesus and he says Rabbi, could I have a word? And he says, sure, little James, what is it? He says you've asked us to cast out demons and to heal. Yes, why haven't you healed me? And he's, you know, clearly struggles when he walks. And, by the way, the actor who plays that character does have a disability and I've gotten to know him. I asked him once did they bring you on the cast for this scene that I'm about to describe? He said no, that came up later. And so they're standing there and they're having this conversation. 39:30 And how many people that we know have ever asked that question God, why haven't you healed me? Why haven't you healed my grandmother, my son? It's a question that Christians ask and sometimes non-Christians about. Well, God so great. Why doesn't he fix that? You know, heal that person. 39:46 And so the conversation again is not scripture, but it's so consistent with who God is, who Jesus, what he came to do and the theology that we've all had to kind of work through on how does God heal, and the theology that we've all had to kind of work through on how does God heal, and two things that Jesus tells him. 40:08 First he said, little James, just think how powerful it will be that someone like you is healing others. And the character nods like he's okay, I think I'm getting this. And he says, oh, and by the way, little James, you will be healed, it's just a matter of time. And and, leisha, the number of people we have heard from just how that has been so meaningful, including someone like Johnny Erickson Tada, you know, who has been in a wheelchair for more than 50 years because of the diving accident, how much that meant to her. You know as a global, you know Christian, and what she does for disabled, representing disability. And so, again, just credit these script writers for being so faithful to scripture. But then telling us, okay, there is some, there's maybe a character here that we can develop that would help people understand better and relate better to who Jesus is. 40:58 And so those kinds of things are coming up more and more. We hear them and it's just quite, it's humbling, quite honestly, and I just credit how God has been so faithful and Dallas Jenkins is so willing and submissive to what God wants for this show to do the best in terms of quality, but let's not veer away from what God wants us to do in this and they're so mindful of that and careful about that so. But again, it kind of starts with telling a good story in a good way. The quality, you know has to be there and it's no different than your podcast. If you didn't do this with quality, people wouldn't listen. You know your message gets muddled if it's not done well. 41:38 Or an artist you know paint something or a book is written or a sermon is preached, anything that when we communicate to others and we do it with the best we can give that God has given us. You know, the first person to be filled with the spirit of God in the bible was an artist. His name was bezalel and in Exodus 31 you read the story where the spirit of God filled Bezalel so he could make beautiful objects for the temple. He was already an artist, he was, but this, this special anointing, a special filling, was for the, for the skill of even being better as a craftsman, and I think that's for us, is that that's what God wants for us to do. Whatever you're called to, whether it's in banking or art or school teaching or, you know, medical field or whatever you know, be the best you can and bring that, that beauty of your giftedness to whatever it is, and people will be attracted to that. 42:35 I want to know more. Ok, what's your story Right? We all have a story Right, so that's what God uses in this whole. You know I say communication, but this whole telling of the story includes our story as well. 42:49 - Speaker 3 Yeah, and it makes it so real for people. I'm struck by how many times we've used millions and hundreds of millions and billions as we talk about how God is moving and using the chosen. But the stories really, I think, bring to life for people the impact and the power. So let's go back to the numbers actually for a moment. 43:14 Stan because I know the mission of Come and See is to reach a billion people with the story of Jesus. Let me ask you a couple questions about that. First is how far along in that goal are you? 43:27 - Speaker 1 Yeah, probably right around 300 million right now, and we count a viewer, so these are viewers, versus the number I quoted earlier was views, because one person can have multiple views, but a viewer is someone who's watched at least five minutes of one episode. So it doesn't mean that there are 300 million people who have seen the entire series, but they've at least been introduced to the Chosen, obviously, with 5 and 2 Studios who do the production of the show, and they have, of course, a strategy for both theatrical and streaming and all those things that go into when you make a product like this known in the world. And it's really important and they do a wonderful job. Lionsgate is their commercial distributor and then, of course, amazon Prime. It's available Now. Amazon Prime doesn't go outside the US, so Netflix becomes a factor, but then other broadcast platforms as well. That satellites are another part of how it's being portrayed. 44:29 But to get to that number of a billion, it's going to take. You know we think it could take well into the 2030s and, as you know, there's this date of it'd take well into the 2030s and, as you know, there's this date of 2033 that you can't hear a lot, the 2000,. You know anniversary, but we've kind of set our bar a little higher. We'd like to get to 3 billion by 2033. So that's only eight years, you know by that. But it's going to be Alicia, it's going to be the these million ministries, these ministries like CRU and Prison Fellowship and local churches, and we're seeing, especially with this season five, which is the Holy Week season, and then getting into the crucifixion. I don't think you're young enough. Do you remember Passion of the Christ when that first came out? 45:14 - Speaker 3 Of course, I'm definitely young enough. 45:16 - Speaker 1 Okay, that was 2004 when that came. 45:20 - Speaker 3 Well, you meant old enough. Right, Stan, you meant old enough. 45:22 - Speaker 1 Oh yeah, old enough, excuse me. Yeah, I thought well, you're maybe too young to remember that one, but it had a dramatic impact in the world and the church really came to the conclusion as well. We need to invite people and develop study guides, and all of that. It was a great example of what this story can do. There'll be a difference, because now the season six is, if you could say, is the passion of the Christ only, whereas Mel Gibson passion is suffering. So really focus on the suffering, the hard brutality that Jesus endured, which is all important for us to know and experience. In that way, what the chosen's approach will be is more the compassion of the Christ, so meaning to suffer with that. He did this for us and so it becomes basically what the Bible says it is. It's the greatest love story in the Bible that God so loved the world that he sent his son Well, sending meaning he sent him to die, you know. Or in Romans, where it said God demonstrated his love for us. So while we were still sinners, christ died for us and for Paul. 46:34 It's interesting my wife and I were in France a couple weeks ago for a little vacation and went through a lot of this everybody does, and go to all the cathedrals, right from Notre Dame to all the other, and there's crucifixes all through, you know, because they're built by the Romans and they're Catholic, and I remember growing up it's like, well, that's kind of weird. You know you have Jesus on the cross. He's not on the cross anymore, you know he's in heaven. He's, you know, he's risen from the dead. So I think we sometimes, as again, as evangelicals, we've underplayed the crucifixion. And obviously Paul also said that without, if Christ is not raised, then we're all fools, you know, for talking this message. But he also said I preach nothing except Christ crucified. That was his driving, if you will, motivation, and throughout his letters he talks about the crucified Christ. How important that is for us to realize. 47:30 And what's interesting is in that first century Alicia, that was a terrible message. The Greeks hated it because they're all about wisdom. That's not wise. Why would somebody come and then be killed? And the Jews didn't like it because, you know, they're after a Messiah that's going to rescue them from their oppressors. And the Romans thought it was stupid because, you know, roman citizen was not crucified, you had to be. You couldn't be a Roman citizen to be crucified. They just wouldn't do it. It was so shameful, it's scandalous, but that's what Jesus did. He took that on and the shame and he endured that for us and it's just like wow. 48:07 And people start to and I've even gone through my own kind of journey through this. As we come up to this season, we have to embrace that and realize what he did, how big a sacrifice that was. Embrace that and realize what he did, how big a sacrifice that was. Now again we have Jesus coming back and that'll season seven. But we know in the Bible it's there from the dead and conquering death and the grave and Satan, but it's still a presence among us, like Lazarus yeah, I raised you, but you're still going to die. But we have this eternal hope, this eternal weight of glory, as CS Lewis called it. But to not have the cross as part of that story in a profound way minimizes what we have in the resurrection and the fact that we will be raised, even those that have died, those that have died. And so I think that the chosen and we're really counting on churches to really help with that as well, to get that message out and to really show the world. And it's a story then too, that does play in the Muslim world. It plays in the Buddhist, in Hindu. So these 4.2 billion people who aren't Christians, or more, it's probably more than that, people who aren't Christians, you know, or more, it's probably more than that. 49:18 This story is going to have a profound effect and the way they're doing it there's a typically the seasons have, and so far through season five have eight episodes, so it's an episodic show. For season six, they're going to do six episodes showing the from the kiss that betrayed Jesus. So that's that moment in the garden. Then he was arrested and we know then all these things that happened, the trials, the denial of Peter, all these different things that happened will be in the first six episodes, as the chosen is so good at telling, developing these characters and giving us some background. 49:56 And in place of the last two episodes, they have already shot a feature film, and they did it in Matera, italy, which is one of the oldest villages that is still inhabited. It's over 2000 years old, and it is where Mel Gibson shot Passion of the Christ. They wanted this not to look like it was in a soundstage but to really feel like this is where it could have been, and this is the kind of place it would happen, and they were there in the month of June shooting it. It was extremely difficult and Dallas posted on social media how difficult it was, both from the heat and the circumstances and the place and the Italian film crew. It was both from the heat and the circumstances and the place and the Italian film crew. 50:43 But what we've been told is what has come out of that is going to be profoundly impactful for that movie and so these six episodes will release in the fourth quarter of next year, so before Christmas, and then the movie will come out in the first quarter of 2027. So before Easter. That it'll come out in preparation, of course, for that Holy Week that year. And then season seven, which is, will open with a resurrection movie. So similar kind of idea, but they'll begin the season and that will open in the spring of 2028, before Easter. And then the other episodes follow that. 51:22 When he was on earth for 40 days doing different things and of course it's kind of sparse the information about what he did in those 40 days, when he did the road to Emmaus of course we know that and he had breakfast on the beach with the fish and the disciples and he forgave Peter and all the things that happened. That's all after the resurrection. So that will then conclude the season, but that's still, you know, two years away, for that, two and a half years away. So lots to do. And to reach that number, as you said, of the 3 billion, it's going to take well past the conclusion of the chosen into. 51:56 You know, the 2033 is kind of our goal, but there's, you gotta have, you know, gotta be ambitious with those goals, even though it seems like it's impossible. We probably won't get the 600 languages done by then. That's going to take some doing, but this is kind of the world you've lived in too is how technology changed finance and, like I, was changing art as well and translation. I'm lucky, I was changing art as well and translation, and so the ability to employ some of the technology that didn't exist just a few years ago that now can be used to create effective episodes with the translated dubbing that is possible. So God has something in mind. So you just kind of be faithful and follow what he's doing. 52:41 - Speaker 3 That's right, and I'll go back to one of the very first things you said at the beginning of this conversation, which is that God is moving fast. You know, we know, technology is moving fast, but I don't think we always remember that technology is of God, that he is over all of that and he is using it and these huge numbers that seem so staggering and so unreal to us. God is moving fast, so let me leave it with just one final question for you, Stan. So we have thousands of pastors and other ministry leaders who listen to this podcast and I have to imagine they're excited and they're thinking how can we get involved? You talked about, you know, the million ministries million including churches that you need to further this work. How can they get involved? 53:32 - Speaker 1 Well, we would love there's a. We have an app, of course. You can download the chosen app and, by the way, we just developed a what's called a light app for those places in the world that the full feature would be more than their phone could handle. So but the website comeandseenet is probably you can go comeandseefoundationorg, but just comeandseenet will take you to our website and there's buttons for resources and for we have sermon outlines, and one of the most effective things if we have time real quick is we have a library of clips and we're expanding this even more where there's a particular scripture and then the clip that would then show what that scripture has been portrayed in the Chosen, and pastors can download this and then use and even provide sermon outlines. So that's under the resources tab on there. 54:26 And then also there's ways to be involved in prayer. We are so grateful for and depend on the prayers of people. We have a call, we call them the prayer crew, and you can sign up without any obligation. You don't have to donate to be a part of it, and we have almost 200,000 people that have signed up to pray and they get a regular email. They can opt in to receive an email that shows okay, here's what we're doing. They're filming in Italy now Pray for that. Or they're in post-production Pray for that. Or pray for our translators as they work in this. 54:56 But the website will give a lot of you know, information and a way to contact us and get involved. So we'd love to, you know, hear from pastors, and my email is real simple Stan at, come and see dot net. And if there's a pastor who wants to just reach out and say, hey, how can I get involved, I'm happy to respond to that. To respond to that. So, yeah, it's we again, we are, we are. Come and See. Is is the kind of the bridge, if you will, for for churches and ministries. 55:30 Pastors, you know those who are working in the creative arts to be able to then utilize this. I call it a catalyst. You know, a catalyst is something you add to what's already existing and it just gives it more energy and more movement. I mean, it's a chemical reaction that takes place. So wonderful ministries and organizations and churches already have things in process and small groups meeting, and then this is like put this catalyst, insert what you're doing and make it a part of your strategy as you go forward, especially leading into Holy Week next year, for 2026. And then at the end of that year is when the crucifixion season will be released. So and again, I think we've seen this too, where you said, the technology that we have enables people around the world to be able to see it and to experience it, and many churches have connections to ministries that are global and you know to be able to either they have people that they've sent into these regions or to be able to, you know, connect with ministries that are working. 56:30 We have one, real quick, we have a ministry that works with us called the Bucket Ministry, and they basically go into slums in primarily Africa, but India, and they have a five-gallon bucket that has a filter attached to it and you can pour you know sewer water into it and it comes out drinkable, and so what they're doing is showing episodes, then, of the chosen. Someone from that local you know, knows the language, goes in and shares with them. We've had some dramatic testimonies of people who have watched this in their language and realized that there is more than just this space here, and then you try to help in other ways as well, but just to give them that hope, and so those kinds of ministries are abundant. It's exciting to see what ministries are doing with this catalyst called the Chosen. 57:19 - Speaker 3 I love it. Well, we'll leave it there for today, Stan. I just want to thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing about the mission and all the beautiful work that's being done for the kingdom. I've learned so much. I'm excited, I'm encouraged. I know our listeners are as well. 57:37 - Speaker 1 Well, thank you for what you're doing. You're part of this process of getting this word out, and podcasting is the new reality of how people access content, information, find out what they should do. So thank you for what you're doing your Faithly podcast. 57:54 - Speaker 2 Thank you, Stan. Thank you for tuning in to the Faithly Stories podcast. We pray this episode gave you the encouragement you needed to continue on your journey. The Faithly Stories podcast is brought to you by Faithly, an online community committed to empowering church leaders, pastors, staff and volunteers. The Faithly digital platform offers innovative and practical tools and resources to enhance connection, foster collaboration and promote growth within the church and ministry space. And resources to enhance connection, foster collaboration and promote growth within the church and ministry space. Remember to subscribe, rate and review our podcast to help reach more listeners like you. Stay tuned for more uplifting tales from the frontlines of ministry on the Faithly Podcast. Stay bold, stay faithful and never underestimate the power of your own story.