WEBVTT

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All right. So in a moment, we're going to take

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up the Lord's Supper. And at that time, we'll

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ask the deacons to come forward. But before we

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do that, I want to just kind of illustrate this

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for you. The Lord really laid it on my heart.

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I think sometimes we have something we don't

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understand we have. This really applies to our

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young people, like Ariana, like Zoe. Hey, Zoe,

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I'm going to tell a story that really applies

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to Zoe. Are you ready? Okay, she says she's ready.

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Carson, I'm going to tell a story that really

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applies to Carson. Are you ready? Okay, here

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we go. So when I was young, Carson's age about,

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was my first opportunity to frost Christmas cutout

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cookies. Take the cookie, still faintly warm.

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Not warm, because if you do it when it's warm,

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the frosting just rolls right up. The cookie,

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I can slather the frosting on there nice and

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heavy. And then, if it's a reindeer, you've got

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to put a little red candy dot on the nose. Maybe

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some brown sprinkling or yellow sprinkling over

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the antlers. Maybe brown for the body. And then

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after the first couple, you think, well, I can

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make this a rainbow reindeer, right? You get

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a bunch of different colors going on there. Or

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I could just cover it with those cinnamon dots

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because they're the best looking anyway, right?

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And my grandmother was fine with however we decorated

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those cookies. My mom and my grandmother were

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in the kitchen. The smells were amazing. I was

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very blessed to be a part of a family. Every

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year, my grandmother would cook probably, 40,

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50 dozen cookies, and then box those up, and

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they would get parted out to all the different

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parts of our family. And we would get our several

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dozen cookies when that was done, and I would

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eat a lot of them. Individually, they weren't

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very large, but, man, they tasted so good. Now,

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I was never allowed to help with the baking.

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Not when I was 6, not when I was 7, not when

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I was 10. Not when I was 14. And by the time

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I was 14, I really wasn't super excited about

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helping with the frosting anymore. But I was

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super excited about feeding the cookies. And

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my mom said, if you don't help with the frosting,

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you don't get any cookies. So that's a deal.

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So I helped with the frosting very faithfully.

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Helped with the frosting in the spring. But I

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never helped with the baking. Now my grandmother

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passed away when she was about 80 or so. And

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she passed the recipe down to my mother. And

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my mother began to make cut -out cookies in relatively

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large quantities. Now, she had less people to

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distribute the cut -out cookies to. My grandmother

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had 14 children, of which my mother was one.

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But my mother only had me and my brother. And

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then there were those relatives that lived nearby

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or whatever, and they still wanted cookies, but

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they weren't going to cook, and my mother would

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bake them. And my mother never let me help with

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the baking. I never mixed the ingredients. I

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never measured the ingredients. I never baked.

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the cookies to know exactly how long, what they

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look like, take them out, or whatever. So then,

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fast forward some years later, my mother's baking

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the cookies, and she shipped them to us. She

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lived in Michigan City, Indiana, and she'd ship

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us the cookies in the mail, or blackmail us and

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say, you've got to come see me at Christmas so

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you can have your cookies, and we would go, so

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we got ourselves cookies, so we could see my

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mother too, right? And then they moved to Tennessee,

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and then we would go see them in Tennessee and

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get the cookies, and by the time we ate all the

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cookies before we came home, we really shouldn't

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do that, but it was... They were really super

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good cookies. And so my mother was big into cookies,

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and she'd give some. So then eventually Sherry

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and I thought, and Sherry had a cut -out cookie

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recipe from great -grandma. And there's a peanut

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butter cut -out cookie recipe. I'm not a huge

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fan of peanut butter in cut -out cookies, but

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she kind of talked me into it, and over time

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I began to like them almost as much as my grandmothers.

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And one day I asked Sherry, I said, why don't

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we make my grandmother's cut -out recipe? And

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she said, well, what is your grandmother's cutout

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recipe? Because, you know, I don't know if you

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ever looked at this, but there are like a thousand

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cutout cookie recipes. I mean, at least, probably,

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I don't know, infinite number. And so we called

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my mom up, and she gave us the recipe. And she

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said, now here's a couple of key things. When

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you do this, you've got to do this, mix the dough

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exactly this way. It's got to stay in the fridge

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exactly this long. You've got to cut it out exactly

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this way. Put it in the oven for exactly this

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time, at this temperature exactly. And if you're

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using a gas oven, you've got to turn the tray

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around. And, you know, we followed her instructions

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to the tea. And I bet you can't guess what happened.

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It didn't taste the same. So I called my mom.

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I'm like, Mom, they don't taste the same. So

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we went through the whole recipe again from beginning

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to end. She said, do it like this. Do that. Did

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you do that? Did you do that? And we might have

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found some little things that we kind of like

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cut corners on. So we gave it a try. And we baked

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the cookies again. And guess what happened? They

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still didn't taste the same. Now the truth is,

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I ate those cookies when I was a kid every single

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year. In fact, I can pretty much taste them now,

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but I can't bake them. And if I bake them and

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taste them, I will know that the taste that I

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taste from back then is not the taste that I

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have today. It's not the same. So that means

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essentially what? My grandmother's cut -out cookie

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recipe was lost. Even though we have the exact

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recipe, if you online, you can get the exact

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directions of all of those recipes. You can get

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the exact directions from my mother for the cut

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-out cookie recipes. Even so, my grandmother's

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cut it. Now, you say, well, it's because my grandmother

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baked those cookies with love. Hey, my mother

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baked those cookies with love. And I'll tell

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you right now, I baked those cookies with love.

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I baked them for my kids. I baked them for my

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wife. I baked them for anybody that would eat

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my cookies. I baked them with love. I love the

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people. Right. But never the same. So it's not

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the love. Because they were baked with butter.

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You say, well, it's because you were a kid. No,

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they tasted that way when I was 14. They tasted

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that way when I was 23 and lost. They tasted

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that way when I was 28 and saved. So it's not

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because I was a kid. The recipe is lost. I was

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born into a family and blessed into a family

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that had that recipe. And when I ate those cookies,

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I knew it. I'm like, I can taste it. I taste

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I'm blessed. I would eat a cookie and be like,

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whoo! But, you know, it's not like I thought

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about it like that. I just thought, man, this

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is a good cookie. And then, on top of that, I

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certainly never, I mean, I pushed when I was

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younger, like from the time I was probably like

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nine and I could cook myself my own grilled cheese

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and things like that to the time I was probably

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like 19. I pushed pretty hard to be allowed into

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the kitchen to help bake the cookies. But I was

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never allowed to measure. I was never allowed

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to mix. I was never allowed to roll. I was allowed

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to stamp some eventually. I was never allowed

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to put them in the oven. I was never allowed

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to take them out. See, that's what's different

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about the kingdom of God. Zoe, this is what's

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different about the kingdom of God. At your age,

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you get to help. Carson, at your age, you get

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to give input. You get to say, hey, I think we

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should do this. Here's my opportunity. Right?

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Last week, because of the crosswalk, we couldn't

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do our visitation. We wanted to go and do flyering.

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And so some of my grandkids were out there going

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house to house. It's not an age thing. Right?

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Being saved is being part of God's kingdom. So

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if you're not old enough to know that you need

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to accept Jesus Christ, and it's possible, for

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example, Zoe isn't exactly old enough to understand

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what that means, then they're in the age of innocence.

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And they can work for God like maybe you or I

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can't or don't even have the capability of doing

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so because they just work unrestrained. They

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just go after it, right? Whereas when they get

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old enough, then they accept Christ. Now they've

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got the power of God working in them, the Holy

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Spirit working in them to help them do the things

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that they do. But they are not excluded from

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the recipe. They're not excluded. These children

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can, and I've seen it on a number of occasions,

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share a simple gospel truth, something straight

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out of the Bible, out of the gospel, whatever

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like that. In a simple, direct, poignant way

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that adults struggle to do because they want

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to complicate everything. We know that someone

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might say, well, but what about this? Or what

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about that? And so we hesitate to just share

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the fact, just like what it is. But it just is

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what it is. And we ought to get back our childlike

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faith and just accept that it just is what it

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is. When you do wrong, you deserve punishment.

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You deserve chastisement and correction. You

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want it. You need it. If you don't have it, you'll

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continue to do wrong and drift further. Even

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if it's a little wrong, you start with it and

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drift further and further away until it's a really

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bad thought. And so you literally do something

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and you go, I would never do that. But I just

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did. How did I get here? How did I wind up doing

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that? And so this is part of what the Lord's

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Supper is all about. The recipe for salvation

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is this. Are we ready? The recipe for salvation

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is this. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself. on

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the cross, to pay for sins. And we must never

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forget that single, most important ingredient.

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And for that purpose, God gave us, through His

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Son, Jesus Christ, in part of the Holy Spirit

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teachings, the Lord's Supper. That we can think

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about the body that was sacrificed for us. There's

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that major ingredient in our salvation, which

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is the blood spilled for us. And there's songs

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that sing the power of the blood, and it is the

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blood of Jesus. That pays to wipe away your sins.

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The next time you sin and go, oh, thank God I'm

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saved. God, I'm sorry. I repent. Turn to you.

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Cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Right? 1 John

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says God was faithful. He'll do that. He'll cleanse

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you of all unrighteousness. The next time you

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do that and you're like, whew, sure glad I'm

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saved. We're going to burn in hell for that one.

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Don't forget, the body was paid. The blood was

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paid. Not the body and blood of some dude who

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was a sinner himself. Some bad guy who was good

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one day, bad the next. Some parent that was up

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and down with their discipline or up and down.

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No. A perfectly righteous man. The body and the

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blood of a perfectly righteous man. And Jesus

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knew the propensity of human beings to forget

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how important the ingredients are to pay for,

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to create, to bake, if you will, the salvation

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that is available to the entire world. And because

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of that, he gave us the word supper. So that

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we'll never forget. So today, Carson, when you

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take the bread today, you take a little bit of

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the square bread. When you take that, don't forget.

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That bread represents the body of a man who loved

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you so much that he died for you. That's a pretty

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big deal, isn't it? Zoe, are you with me? Today,

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when you take the juice, it's going to taste

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good. That juice tastes good, doesn't it? But

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when you take it, don't forget that it represents

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the blood of a man who died for you. But not

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just a man. God in the flesh. God the Son. Who

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didn't have to die because he didn't have sin.

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The waves of sin and death. He didn't have to

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die because he didn't have sin. But he chose

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to do so. He willingly laid down his life for

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us. And if you live in a house of a Christian

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household, hear me now, grandkids of mine. Right,

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you're in the room. Adeline, hear me out. If

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you live in a Christian household, you are getting

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the blessing. Your parents are taking the hits.

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They're paying the bills. They're putting the

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roof over your head. They're disciplining you

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when necessary. They're providing the strength.

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They have been there. They have seen it. They

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know you've got to brush your teeth or you'll

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get cavities. I was just sharing that with Ariana

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this morning. You eat certain foods, you've got

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to either brush your teeth or you've got to rinse

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your mouth or something because... When I was

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17, I got 17 cavities, and I had them all filled

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in one day. It was one of the most torturous

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events of my life. Don't ever do that. They'll

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tell you, we're just going to fill them all in

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one day. Don't let them talk to you unless they're

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going to put you to sleep. Just don't get the

00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:35.250
cavities in the first place. How do you get it?

00:12:35.289 --> 00:12:37.610
Take care of your team. And your parents know

00:12:37.610 --> 00:12:39.090
you have to do that, and they've been teaching

00:12:39.090 --> 00:12:41.110
that from the beginning. You're getting the blessings

00:12:41.110 --> 00:12:43.610
of being part of a Christian household, but at

00:12:43.610 --> 00:12:45.629
the same time, you have the Lord's help. We will

00:12:45.629 --> 00:12:49.210
not forget. As we get the blessing of being part

00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:53.679
of the kingdom of God, we will not forget. that

00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:56.960
the two chief recipes, the two chief ingredients

00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:01.440
of the recipe are the body and the blood, which

00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.440
was technical. So if you're in the room and you're

00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.779
sitting away from your parents, your child, I'm

00:13:07.779 --> 00:13:10.100
actually going to meet your parents at this time.

00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:18.240
I'll be right here. I'm not far away. These young

00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.679
people are present. And if you don't have a parent

00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:23.799
here, you're fine. You're happy. Alright, I'll

00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:26.000
ask that our poor deacons, our poor deacons would

00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:37.600
come forward at this time. This is a couple of

00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.419
these men, first time they've ever done this

00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:41.279
because they were not against previously. We

00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:44.559
do have two both faithful yoke fellas and sometimes

00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:47.440
we'll intermittently change them in there. But

00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:49.039
we are going to tap, they don't know we're going

00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.299
to do this, we're going to tap our yoke fellas

00:13:50.299 --> 00:13:52.179
at this time. So I'm going to ask Michael, would

00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:54.600
you stand and ask a blessing upon the bread?

00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.220
In a second, I'm sorry. Before we do that, we

00:13:57.220 --> 00:14:01.419
need to clear the cloth. Normally, my wife would

00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:03.480
do that and pick somebody. So today we're going

00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:08.120
to ask Alicia, would you come and do that? And

00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.940
Molly, would you come and do that? And then just

00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:19.159
remove the cloth and fold it up. Sherry's at

00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.299
home watching this right now going... I wish

00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:26.059
I was there. They have the same bread and juice

00:14:26.059 --> 00:14:28.360
at the house this morning. We'll be taking it

00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:31.039
before the supper with us. Thank you very much,

00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:37.940
ladies. Ready? Michael, would you stand and ask

00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:43.460
a blessing? On the bread. Father God, we want

00:14:43.460 --> 00:14:45.460
to thank you. Thank you for this time. Thank

00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:48.139
you for this place. Please, thank these people.

00:14:48.750 --> 00:14:51.690
Your people, God, want to thank you for your

00:14:51.690 --> 00:14:55.669
body having broken for us. Yes, Lord. Pray that

00:14:55.669 --> 00:14:57.350
we take this and take it in remembrance of what

00:14:57.350 --> 00:15:06.690
you did for us. I pray you bless us and instill

00:15:06.690 --> 00:15:09.110
us while we do this in remembrance of what you've

00:15:09.110 --> 00:15:32.240
done. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you.

00:15:58.090 --> 00:15:59.830
around finishing up. The bread, you'll notice,

00:15:59.929 --> 00:16:02.370
is unleavened bread. It is not raised. It is

00:16:02.370 --> 00:16:03.710
definitely not like the bread that you would

00:16:03.710 --> 00:16:12.789
buy from the store. Tony, if you would serve

00:16:12.789 --> 00:16:38.250
the other deacons and myself. Jesus, clearly

00:16:38.250 --> 00:16:40.309
already knowing what he was about to go through

00:16:40.309 --> 00:16:43.029
that night, took that bread. He pronounced a

00:16:43.029 --> 00:16:45.850
blessing on it, as we have. He broke it. He said,

00:16:45.990 --> 00:16:51.029
this is my body, which is broken for you. Always

00:16:51.029 --> 00:16:53.809
do this in remembrance of me. Now take and eat.

00:16:57.409 --> 00:17:08.890
Let me take a second. At this time, I'll ask

00:17:08.890 --> 00:17:11.410
Ron Mack to pronounce a blessing on the Jews.

00:17:14.970 --> 00:17:18.849
Father, thank you for this opportunity. As we

00:17:18.849 --> 00:17:22.329
partake in the Lord's Supper, I pray, Lord, that

00:17:22.329 --> 00:17:26.369
we will remember the blood that was spilled for

00:17:26.369 --> 00:17:31.569
us on that day. As the song goes, Lord, there

00:17:31.569 --> 00:17:36.250
is power in the blood. Because that blood was

00:17:36.250 --> 00:17:42.269
freely given. It wasn't forced. You could have

00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:46.970
changed the outcome at any time. You had the

00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:50.930
power. But you willingly sacrificed it for the

00:17:50.930 --> 00:17:58.630
joy that was accepted for you. I ask a blessing

00:17:58.630 --> 00:18:05.450
now upon everybody in this room that we would

00:18:05.450 --> 00:18:07.900
experience you in a You empowered the way today.

00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:17.680
Bless this. Bless this Lord's Supper. In Jesus'

00:18:17.819 --> 00:19:59.529
name. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. In my mind,

00:19:59.549 --> 00:20:03.210
I always see the imagery of juice pouring one

00:20:03.210 --> 00:20:05.730
to another, and I see the blood and the water

00:20:05.730 --> 00:20:08.390
that flows from our Savior. But the truth is,

00:20:08.450 --> 00:20:12.049
he began to bleed a lot before that. He began

00:20:12.049 --> 00:20:14.420
to bleed. in the garden the night before when

00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:17.460
he prayed so fervently. Can you imagine being

00:20:17.460 --> 00:20:21.420
faced with your own crucifixion? Knowing that

00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:28.299
it was a great ingredient in the salvation that

00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:30.740
was prepared for all mankind and all you could

00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:35.079
do was go through it. Like when the dentist is

00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:39.500
about to give me one shot, I'm like, ah! It's

00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:44.160
crucifixion. You know, I have a split second

00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.500
before a softball hits me and I'm unprepared.

00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:50.319
Oh no, here comes Kane. He was praying about

00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:54.200
his crucifixion. His blood would be poured out

00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:55.920
for us. He took the blood on that night when

00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:58.240
they were eating together and probably poured

00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:01.359
it from one to another. He blessed the juice,

00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:08.380
the wine, very little difference. And he said,

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:11.230
this is my blood, just pour it out for you. In

00:21:11.230 --> 00:21:14.950
taking this, do so in remembrance of me. Take

00:21:14.950 --> 00:29:17.200
now and drink. ascension of Jesus in Acts chapter

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:24.660
1. In Acts chapter 1, Luke, who was not an apostle,

00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:26.640
people always do so, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,

00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:28.079
and we think, well, he must have been an apostle,

00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:31.660
but he was not an apostle. He joined the ministry

00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:34.539
sometime later, probably a doctor, a man of medicine,

00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:39.220
a learned man, and he investigated thoroughly

00:29:39.220 --> 00:29:42.539
the activities that took place during Jesus'

00:29:42.759 --> 00:29:44.440
lifetime. And then in the book of Luke and in

00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:49.880
the book of Acts, he lays out a history as accurately

00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:52.799
as he is capable of doing and also inspired by

00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:55.640
the Holy Spirit, of course, of what transpired

00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:58.660
up to the crucifixion during the gap in between

00:29:58.660 --> 00:30:01.380
when there was a crucifixion resurrection and

00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:02.819
during the gap in between there and when Jesus

00:30:02.819 --> 00:30:08.519
went back to heaven to stay. And we are now in

00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:13.279
the gap. Before I get there, I want to kind of

00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.279
illustrate the principle that I think the Lord

00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:19.440
kind of was pushing on me as I was looking at

00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:24.700
this text. Some years ago, we had gamers. We

00:30:24.700 --> 00:30:26.640
are gamers. We play role -playing games, card

00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:29.339
games, board games, all kinds of games. We like

00:30:29.339 --> 00:30:31.279
games. If you go to my house, I have 100 games.

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:34.619
I probably have 200 games. We had gamers over

00:30:34.619 --> 00:30:38.579
at our house playing games. Quite a few people

00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:41.569
were there actually. Stay till about 1030 or

00:30:41.569 --> 00:30:44.829
so. It was time to be done. All the games were

00:30:44.829 --> 00:30:48.450
over and put away. And then it was time to clean

00:30:48.450 --> 00:30:51.849
up the mess. Because invariably, while people

00:30:51.849 --> 00:30:55.029
play games, they eat snacks. And there was bits

00:30:55.029 --> 00:30:57.250
of snacks and there was paper plates and there

00:30:57.250 --> 00:30:59.609
was cups and the tables had been moved around

00:30:59.609 --> 00:31:01.950
and pillows were in odd places and even a chair.

00:31:02.670 --> 00:31:04.910
And there were a few faithful servants who stayed

00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:09.619
to clean up because they realized. That sometimes

00:31:09.619 --> 00:31:15.099
when an event or a thing is over, life goes on

00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:19.059
afterwards and you have to prepare for it. After

00:31:19.059 --> 00:31:23.099
all family fellowship on Friday the 18th, there

00:31:23.099 --> 00:31:26.039
were tables to be put away, chairs to be put

00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:29.259
away, dishes that had to be washed. Holly stood

00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:32.319
at the sink washing dishes for probably 45 minutes

00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:38.259
straight. The building had to be returned to

00:31:38.259 --> 00:31:40.440
usable status because Friday is not that far

00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:42.440
away from Sunday. And even though cleaning was

00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:45.019
slated for Saturday during the day to get us

00:31:45.019 --> 00:31:47.259
ready for Sunday, there was still work that needed

00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:49.279
to be done even so we could get ready to clean.

00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:53.380
And some stayed to do the work of cleanup because

00:31:53.380 --> 00:31:56.180
they realized that because the event is over,

00:31:56.299 --> 00:31:59.819
the building has to return to whatever is going

00:31:59.819 --> 00:32:04.880
to go next. One time we went to a football game

00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:08.160
to listen to Alicia play in the marching band,

00:32:08.359 --> 00:32:10.980
and we stayed to the very end of the football

00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:13.259
game, even though the game was not a nail -biter.

00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:16.380
Northwood was up by like 50 points. And as we

00:32:16.380 --> 00:32:18.720
walked out, I noticed there were popcorn and

00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:21.339
empty bottles like everywhere. The garbage can

00:32:21.339 --> 00:32:23.900
was overflowing. People had stuffed as much as

00:32:23.900 --> 00:32:25.140
they possibly could in there. There was garbage

00:32:25.140 --> 00:32:26.940
sticking out in every direction and piled up

00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:29.240
on top and then laying on the ground all around

00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:32.430
it. And as we were leaving and the marching band

00:32:32.430 --> 00:32:34.109
had already marched off, the football team was

00:32:34.109 --> 00:32:36.769
gone and there were very few fans left, I saw

00:32:36.769 --> 00:32:39.930
just a couple of people, I believe they worked

00:32:39.930 --> 00:32:42.390
for the school, working their way through the

00:32:42.390 --> 00:32:44.750
stands picking up the mess. And I thought, this

00:32:44.750 --> 00:32:50.190
is going to be a big job. Someone was doing the

00:32:50.190 --> 00:32:52.329
job of cleaning up and getting ready for what

00:32:52.329 --> 00:32:56.529
comes next. I walked the fairgrounds the day

00:32:56.529 --> 00:32:59.490
after a fair and a flea market was over. There

00:32:59.490 --> 00:33:03.089
was garbage plentiful, snacks again. People tend

00:33:03.089 --> 00:33:05.069
to leave a trail behind them wherever they eat

00:33:05.069 --> 00:33:07.609
snacks. But also, people selling in the flea

00:33:07.609 --> 00:33:09.569
market that had stuff that they didn't want to

00:33:09.569 --> 00:33:12.450
pack back up and take home had placed the stuff

00:33:12.450 --> 00:33:14.950
next to the garbage receptacles. There was furniture,

00:33:15.230 --> 00:33:18.710
suitcases, I remember, all kinds of stuff just

00:33:18.710 --> 00:33:23.130
piled up next to the garbage can because they

00:33:23.130 --> 00:33:25.349
didn't want to take it home because for them

00:33:25.349 --> 00:33:27.190
the event was over and they were going on to

00:33:27.190 --> 00:33:29.779
the next thing. but they didn't realize that

00:33:29.779 --> 00:33:31.740
someone was going to have to return the fairgrounds

00:33:31.740 --> 00:33:33.940
to use for the next thing, or they just thought

00:33:33.940 --> 00:33:36.380
somebody would take care of it. The bottom line

00:33:36.380 --> 00:33:38.319
is that people leave an imprint wherever they

00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:41.640
go. The activities that people engage in leave

00:33:41.640 --> 00:33:44.759
a footprint and a lasting effect. Jesus knew

00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:47.400
that his physical absence, he was about to leave

00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.599
physically from the earth to go be in heaven

00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:52.279
with the Father. His physical absence from among

00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:56.740
people would leave a huge vacancy. and also had

00:33:56.740 --> 00:34:01.380
left a huge impact. So now we see in this text,

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:03.119
and it's going to go by rather quickly, we have

00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:05.200
exactly two texts today, and I might quote a

00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:06.359
couple others, but we're only going to look at

00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:08.199
two texts today, and they're going to go by pretty

00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:10.639
quickly. So I hope you got your thinking caps

00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:14.099
on. We see in this text that he is preparing

00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:18.320
them to deal with what comes next, because he

00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:22.500
physically is not going to do it himself. This

00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:24.840
is what it says then in Acts chapter 1. It says,

00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:27.199
The first account I composed, Theophilus, about

00:34:27.199 --> 00:34:30.699
all that Jesus began to do and teach. So our

00:34:30.699 --> 00:34:32.719
best understanding is this is Luke writing, and

00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:34.619
he's writing to Theophilus, and he's saying,

00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:38.599
We got the story started. I gave it all to you.

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:40.820
It's already done. And probably in reference

00:34:40.820 --> 00:34:43.059
to the book of Luke. Then he says in verse 2,

00:34:43.159 --> 00:34:45.739
he says, Until the day when he, that's Jesus,

00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:48.440
was taken up to heaven, after he had, by the

00:34:48.440 --> 00:34:52.079
Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostle, to

00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:54.559
the apostles whom he had called. So now he's

00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:57.300
saying, I wrote all that leading up to this point

00:34:57.300 --> 00:34:59.340
now where Jesus would go back into heaven. He

00:34:59.340 --> 00:35:01.559
hasn't yet, but we're written, we're back into

00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:04.820
heaven. And how Jesus had taught them in preparation

00:35:04.820 --> 00:35:07.699
for that. Notice that here, when it says that

00:35:07.699 --> 00:35:11.260
he had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the

00:35:11.260 --> 00:35:14.099
apostles whom he had chosen, that it's talking

00:35:14.099 --> 00:35:16.460
about essentially like three things. It's talking

00:35:16.460 --> 00:35:18.440
about an empowering, that Jesus was empowered

00:35:18.440 --> 00:35:20.519
while he was alive to do the ministry that he

00:35:20.519 --> 00:35:22.889
was doing. By the Holy Spirit. He said, well,

00:35:22.909 --> 00:35:24.889
he didn't really need to be empowered because

00:35:24.889 --> 00:35:28.150
he was God in the flesh. And that's true, but

00:35:28.150 --> 00:35:30.789
he was also in the flesh. And so our bodies are

00:35:30.789 --> 00:35:36.929
not necessarily designed after post -fall, after

00:35:36.929 --> 00:35:39.409
things have fallen apart. We're not able to contain

00:35:39.409 --> 00:35:42.469
the God of the universe. That's a different kind

00:35:42.469 --> 00:35:45.789
of a thing. And so the Holy Spirit makes... Him

00:35:45.789 --> 00:35:48.969
able as a man to do what he was doing and makes

00:35:48.969 --> 00:35:52.429
us able as people to do what we're doing. It

00:35:52.429 --> 00:35:54.530
also says that he was guiding him. He taught

00:35:54.530 --> 00:35:56.210
them by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit showed

00:35:56.210 --> 00:35:59.070
him on a regular basis what to say and do. He

00:35:59.070 --> 00:36:00.530
said, I don't do anything that I see my father

00:36:00.530 --> 00:36:01.929
doing. The Holy Spirit was right there making

00:36:01.929 --> 00:36:04.090
clear what it was that he was supposed to be

00:36:04.090 --> 00:36:05.389
doing, what it was that he was supposed to be

00:36:05.389 --> 00:36:07.949
saying. And also inspiring him. And the word

00:36:07.949 --> 00:36:09.789
inspiring is a big word because it means like

00:36:09.789 --> 00:36:12.389
to breathe into something. And so the Holy Spirit

00:36:12.389 --> 00:36:15.510
was breathing life into the body of Jesus. When

00:36:15.510 --> 00:36:17.610
we think about how he said, I have food that

00:36:17.610 --> 00:36:20.269
you know not of, that's when he's talking to

00:36:20.269 --> 00:36:22.409
the Samaritan woman by the well. Or when he goes

00:36:22.409 --> 00:36:24.869
into the desert and fasts for 40 days without

00:36:24.869 --> 00:36:27.389
food, which we believe, scientifically, our bodies

00:36:27.389 --> 00:36:29.469
can't do that. If we go without food for 40 days,

00:36:29.530 --> 00:36:31.989
you'll probably die well before then, in fact.

00:36:32.590 --> 00:36:34.869
But when Jesus did that, he was receiving and

00:36:34.869 --> 00:36:38.190
inspiring a pouring out in him of God's power

00:36:38.190 --> 00:36:41.230
through his Holy Spirit. Verse 3 then says, To

00:36:41.230 --> 00:36:44.309
these he also presented himself alive after his

00:36:44.309 --> 00:36:45.510
suffering. He's talking about the disciples,

00:36:45.750 --> 00:36:49.329
the apostles, the 11 and then 12. He presented

00:36:49.329 --> 00:36:53.750
himself alive after his suffering by many convincing

00:36:53.750 --> 00:36:55.889
proofs. That's an interesting phrase when you

00:36:55.889 --> 00:36:58.030
think about it because it would be hard, wouldn't

00:36:58.030 --> 00:36:59.969
it? Now you see Jesus die and then see Jesus

00:36:59.969 --> 00:37:02.670
alive after that. It would be hard to accept

00:37:02.670 --> 00:37:04.190
that he's alive again. That's kind of a tough

00:37:04.190 --> 00:37:07.090
thing. In fact, it's tough now for people who

00:37:07.090 --> 00:37:09.769
are lost to suddenly come to this. the realization

00:37:09.769 --> 00:37:13.690
that Jesus is alive, right? People say, oh yeah,

00:37:13.969 --> 00:37:17.150
he lived, he died, and they say he rose again.

00:37:17.429 --> 00:37:19.670
And that's how that usually goes. But once you're

00:37:19.670 --> 00:37:21.050
saved, you know he rose again because you've

00:37:21.050 --> 00:37:23.469
had a personal experience with him. But then

00:37:23.469 --> 00:37:26.269
even on days where it's dark or struggling or

00:37:26.269 --> 00:37:27.929
you're in the middle of difficulty, you start

00:37:27.929 --> 00:37:31.010
kind of wavering a little bit on your adamant

00:37:31.010 --> 00:37:34.800
sensation that he is alive. So he, by many convincing

00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:37.219
proofs, showed them that he was alive. He appeared

00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:40.380
to them over a period of 40 days, and speaking

00:37:40.380 --> 00:37:42.719
of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:45.300
So basically he was teaching them about the kingdom

00:37:45.300 --> 00:37:47.480
of God while he was appearing to them over and

00:37:47.480 --> 00:37:49.000
over and over again and spending time with them.

00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:52.099
Verse 4 says, Gathering them together, he commanded

00:37:52.099 --> 00:37:54.139
them to leave Jerusalem. Now you're going to

00:37:54.139 --> 00:37:58.280
go out. But then he commanded them not to leave

00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:01.800
Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had

00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:04.730
promised. So you're going to go out, that's what

00:38:04.730 --> 00:38:06.809
an apostle is, a sent one, but you're not going

00:38:06.809 --> 00:38:09.329
to go out until God sends what he has promised.

00:38:13.650 --> 00:38:15.730
Gathering them together, he commanded them not

00:38:15.730 --> 00:38:18.550
to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the

00:38:18.550 --> 00:38:21.309
Father had promised, which he said, you heard

00:38:21.309 --> 00:38:22.750
of from me. In other words, I already told you

00:38:22.750 --> 00:38:24.190
about this. You already knew this was going to

00:38:24.190 --> 00:38:27.929
happen. For John baptized with water, but you

00:38:27.929 --> 00:38:30.010
will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many

00:38:30.010 --> 00:38:32.710
days from now. So he was talking about a coming

00:38:32.710 --> 00:38:34.550
of the presence of the Holy Spirit, an immersion.

00:38:34.710 --> 00:38:36.369
We'll get back to that in a second. Something

00:38:36.369 --> 00:38:38.610
that would happen on the inside of them. Water

00:38:38.610 --> 00:38:41.650
baptizes the outside and it's an immersion being

00:38:41.650 --> 00:38:44.230
dunked. It's completely encasing you, right?

00:38:44.309 --> 00:38:45.590
And if you breathe in, it would literally go

00:38:45.590 --> 00:38:46.989
into your lungs because you're totally underwater.

00:38:48.329 --> 00:38:50.829
But the Holy Spirit would be an immersion, something

00:38:50.829 --> 00:38:53.030
different. Verse 6, we're almost done with the

00:38:53.030 --> 00:38:55.110
text. So when they had come together, they were

00:38:55.110 --> 00:38:58.489
asking him, saying, Lord, is it at this time

00:38:58.489 --> 00:39:00.230
you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? Now

00:39:00.230 --> 00:39:01.949
before I get into this for a second here, see

00:39:01.949 --> 00:39:05.750
what just happened there? Jesus is saying, you're

00:39:05.750 --> 00:39:07.190
going to stay here in Jerusalem for a while,

00:39:07.250 --> 00:39:09.030
and then God's going to pour out on you what

00:39:09.030 --> 00:39:11.050
I already promised you he would pour out on you,

00:39:11.070 --> 00:39:13.550
which is the Holy Spirit, a living water, a powerful,

00:39:13.690 --> 00:39:16.690
upcoming, empowering from the inside of you,

00:39:16.730 --> 00:39:18.469
God's presence, all of those things that it would

00:39:18.469 --> 00:39:20.400
be, that he's taught them that it would be. And

00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:22.940
their response is to ask him, Lord, is it at

00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:24.860
this time you're restoring the kingdom to Israel?

00:39:27.300 --> 00:39:29.280
Because people are more concerned about their

00:39:29.280 --> 00:39:31.440
situation than they are about what God is doing.

00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:34.800
People are more concerned about their heritage,

00:39:34.920 --> 00:39:37.340
their family values, their culture, the flow

00:39:37.340 --> 00:39:39.880
of their money, the way they think they're going

00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:42.739
to get what they think they need than they are

00:39:42.739 --> 00:39:44.980
about what God is doing. He's already been teaching

00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:47.829
them about it. outpouring, and let's say it this

00:39:47.829 --> 00:39:50.650
way, an inpouring of the Holy Spirit. He's already

00:39:50.650 --> 00:39:51.869
been teaching. He's already told them that very

00:39:51.869 --> 00:39:53.429
clearly. And now he's saying, you're going to

00:39:53.429 --> 00:39:55.289
stay here until that happens. And they go, is

00:39:55.289 --> 00:39:56.730
it at this time that you're going to restore

00:39:56.730 --> 00:40:01.170
the kingdom to Israel? He said to them in verse

00:40:01.170 --> 00:40:04.329
7, it is not for you to know times or epics which

00:40:04.329 --> 00:40:07.389
the Father has fixed by his own authority. Now

00:40:07.389 --> 00:40:10.869
he didn't say no, and he didn't say yes. He said,

00:40:10.929 --> 00:40:14.369
what I want you to do is get off your petty concerns.

00:40:15.880 --> 00:40:18.280
It doesn't seem petty. The nation is enslaved.

00:40:19.420 --> 00:40:22.039
There were laws, for example, if a Roman soldier

00:40:22.039 --> 00:40:24.260
was walking along the road and he had a heavy

00:40:24.260 --> 00:40:27.860
military pack on, weighs 40, 60 pounds, and he

00:40:27.860 --> 00:40:32.139
bumped into a Jewish citizen, he could grab that

00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:34.679
Jewish citizen and he could say, hey you, carry

00:40:34.679 --> 00:40:37.059
this, and he could put his pack on him and make

00:40:37.059 --> 00:40:39.820
him walk the next mile. The law said he could

00:40:39.820 --> 00:40:42.260
walk the next mile carrying that man's military

00:40:42.260 --> 00:40:45.699
pack and the man could not refuse. They were

00:40:45.699 --> 00:40:48.480
in slavery. It's a pretty big deal. They didn't

00:40:48.480 --> 00:40:50.519
have an army. They couldn't make their own laws.

00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:53.440
They couldn't put to death somebody who was guilty

00:40:53.440 --> 00:40:56.440
of a capital crime. The Romans had to do that

00:40:56.440 --> 00:40:57.920
so they could go and petition, which is why they

00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:00.880
had to go and petition to put Jesus to death.

00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:03.219
And Pilate had to give them the authority to

00:41:03.219 --> 00:41:05.300
do so because they didn't have the authority

00:41:05.300 --> 00:41:07.260
to kill even a mass murderer in their midst.

00:41:07.500 --> 00:41:10.119
They couldn't really enforce any of their laws

00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:13.239
unless those laws were specifically said to be.

00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:16.619
Religious laws. Because the Roman government,

00:41:16.920 --> 00:41:20.340
the emperor, had recognized Judaism as a religion.

00:41:20.460 --> 00:41:23.460
So inside Judaism, they could do things. But

00:41:23.460 --> 00:41:25.559
otherwise, they were in slavery. It's a pretty

00:41:25.559 --> 00:41:27.940
big deal. Imagine if our nation were conquered

00:41:27.940 --> 00:41:30.739
by another country. Or if our church were invaded

00:41:30.739 --> 00:41:34.440
by Satan. We would want that dealt with. And

00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:36.440
God says, okay, the Holy Spirit power is going

00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:39.159
to come. And you're like, okay, but are we going

00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:41.139
to get the solution that we need? Will the money

00:41:41.139 --> 00:41:44.110
come in? Will the bill be paid? Lord? Yes, I

00:41:44.110 --> 00:41:45.789
hear you want to heal me. You want to make me

00:41:45.789 --> 00:41:47.349
perfect. You want to take me to heaven one day.

00:41:47.530 --> 00:41:49.150
It's all good things. I'm glad for all that.

00:41:49.309 --> 00:41:51.789
But are you going to fix my problem? Are you

00:41:51.789 --> 00:41:53.849
going to solve this very major issue that is

00:41:53.849 --> 00:41:57.969
lingering? And he says, redirect your attention.

00:41:58.989 --> 00:42:01.489
Take your focus off the things of this world

00:42:01.489 --> 00:42:02.969
that you're concerned about, whether they be

00:42:02.969 --> 00:42:05.889
nations or principalities, whether they be powerful

00:42:05.889 --> 00:42:08.010
things that are affecting you, enslaving you,

00:42:08.090 --> 00:42:10.329
hurting you. Take your focus off of that and

00:42:10.329 --> 00:42:15.170
look at what God wants to do. So he says, it

00:42:15.170 --> 00:42:17.289
is not for you to know the epics or the times

00:42:17.289 --> 00:42:19.650
which the Father has set in his own authority.

00:42:19.949 --> 00:42:23.710
And then in verse 8 he says, but you will receive

00:42:23.710 --> 00:42:27.670
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

00:42:28.230 --> 00:42:30.949
As he's been saying, you will receive the power

00:42:30.949 --> 00:42:33.570
when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you shall

00:42:33.570 --> 00:42:37.110
be my witnesses. And we could stop right there

00:42:37.110 --> 00:42:39.230
for one second and clarify when he says you shall

00:42:39.230 --> 00:42:41.989
be my witnesses. The word there is martyro. And

00:42:41.989 --> 00:42:44.289
it was fully understood. He's been teaching it

00:42:44.289 --> 00:42:47.230
since Luke 9, right? He's been teaching it all

00:42:47.230 --> 00:42:50.690
along that their lives were essentially forfeit

00:42:50.690 --> 00:42:53.269
to do the work of God. And so that's why it makes

00:42:53.269 --> 00:42:55.409
it all the more stupid. If your life is forfeit

00:42:55.409 --> 00:42:57.449
to do the work of God when you become a believer,

00:42:57.530 --> 00:43:01.050
that is essentially what it says. Deny yourself.

00:43:01.760 --> 00:43:03.539
Take up your cross. That means be willing to

00:43:03.539 --> 00:43:06.119
be crucified if necessary. What else can take

00:43:06.119 --> 00:43:07.500
up your cross mean? Even though you want to make

00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:08.800
it poetic in this world and say, we've got to

00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:11.659
bear my own burdens. So my burden is my wife

00:43:11.659 --> 00:43:13.539
doesn't treat me nice or my house doesn't get

00:43:13.539 --> 00:43:16.239
clean on time. That's not your burden. Your burden

00:43:16.239 --> 00:43:19.260
is crucifixion. The same as Jesus' burden. It's

00:43:19.260 --> 00:43:21.019
talking about his cross. And everybody in that

00:43:21.019 --> 00:43:23.239
day understood. Taking up your cross meant you

00:43:23.239 --> 00:43:26.550
were being crucified. Okay, so he said, deny

00:43:26.550 --> 00:43:28.650
yourself, take up your cross, and follow after

00:43:28.650 --> 00:43:30.829
me. So if their lives were sacrificed, then how

00:43:30.829 --> 00:43:32.710
on earth did they come about going, okay, but

00:43:32.710 --> 00:43:35.190
are we going to see the kingdom restored to Israel

00:43:35.190 --> 00:43:37.389
at this time? The great political advantage that

00:43:37.389 --> 00:43:39.730
we thought we would get, our situation changed.

00:43:40.610 --> 00:43:43.269
And he says, but you will receive power when

00:43:43.269 --> 00:43:44.969
the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall

00:43:44.969 --> 00:43:47.429
be my witnesses, and that's martyro. That means

00:43:47.429 --> 00:43:52.780
you will even, if necessary, die for me. And

00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:54.440
we know for them, for everyone that was gathered

00:43:54.440 --> 00:43:56.820
that day, it was except the Apostle John. And

00:43:56.820 --> 00:43:58.760
the truth is they all would eventually die, even

00:43:58.760 --> 00:44:01.019
if they died of old age, for him, if they lived

00:44:01.019 --> 00:44:03.920
for him to the end. And so will you. If Jesus

00:44:03.920 --> 00:44:05.780
does not come again in the next hundred years,

00:44:06.059 --> 00:44:09.599
everyone in this room who believes in Jesus as

00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:12.380
Lord and Savior will die for Jesus. You will

00:44:12.380 --> 00:44:14.980
die for the Lord. So how are you going to die?

00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:17.079
And not only that, how are you going to live

00:44:17.079 --> 00:44:20.280
until you die? Because if Jesus does not come

00:44:20.280 --> 00:44:23.340
again, you will die for him. If Jesus comes again

00:44:23.340 --> 00:44:25.840
in, say, ten years, some of us will live for

00:44:25.840 --> 00:44:28.860
that long or would live for more. And when Jesus

00:44:28.860 --> 00:44:31.179
comes again, we will not die. Not see any death.

00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:34.139
No cancer, no disease, no car hits us, no gun

00:44:34.139 --> 00:44:37.519
to the head. Right? Nothing. If Jesus comes again

00:44:37.519 --> 00:44:39.659
before we die, then we will essentially not die

00:44:39.659 --> 00:44:42.280
for him, speaking of life or death. But you die

00:44:42.280 --> 00:44:45.320
for him still in that you are willing daily to

00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:47.780
set your own desires aside and put his first.

00:44:47.960 --> 00:44:50.400
And that's what it means to be a witness for

00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:52.360
the Lord. And they were being told that. And

00:44:52.360 --> 00:44:54.619
you shall be my witnesses. And right there, they're

00:44:54.619 --> 00:44:56.840
going, yeah, sure. We'll witness for you. Especially

00:44:56.840 --> 00:44:57.840
if we're going to get power from the Holy Spirit.

00:44:57.940 --> 00:44:59.260
That sounds logical, right? I'll witness for

00:44:59.260 --> 00:45:00.400
you if I get power from the Holy Spirit. That

00:45:00.400 --> 00:45:02.280
makes perfect sense. Because they had seen the

00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:03.900
empowering of the Holy Spirit at work in him.

00:45:04.179 --> 00:45:06.019
So now it makes sense. If they also have the

00:45:06.019 --> 00:45:07.300
Holy Spirit living in them, that they'll be able

00:45:07.300 --> 00:45:08.900
to do amazing things like he can. And that makes

00:45:08.900 --> 00:45:10.280
perfect sense. We'll be witnesses for you. And

00:45:10.280 --> 00:45:14.119
then he adds this. He says, and you will do so

00:45:14.119 --> 00:45:16.559
both in Jerusalem. That makes sense. That's home,

00:45:16.619 --> 00:45:17.980
right? We'll be here. We'll do it in Jerusalem.

00:45:18.599 --> 00:45:22.980
And in all Judea. It's a bit of a walk, but we

00:45:22.980 --> 00:45:25.139
can do that. That's no real problem. And Samaria,

00:45:25.199 --> 00:45:27.320
now wait a minute. A devout Jewish man doesn't

00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:29.420
go to Samaria because those people are half -breeds.

00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:31.719
A devout Jewish man, not all the disciples were

00:45:31.719 --> 00:45:34.340
devout Jewish men, but some of the ones that

00:45:34.340 --> 00:45:36.260
were were going like, ah, but we go around Samaria.

00:45:36.280 --> 00:45:37.960
We don't go to Samaria. When we go that way,

00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:40.039
we go around Samaria. But now you're going to

00:45:40.039 --> 00:45:42.420
be my witnesses in all Samaria. So, okay, now

00:45:42.420 --> 00:45:43.559
we're going to go where we're uncomfortable.

00:45:43.920 --> 00:45:45.300
We're going to go where it's going to be difficult.

00:45:45.579 --> 00:45:47.139
We're going to go where the rest of the Jews

00:45:47.139 --> 00:45:48.880
are going to look down on us because we go there

00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:51.289
to talk. Right? Because we go there to do what

00:45:51.289 --> 00:45:52.650
Jesus has commanded us to do, but we've got to

00:45:52.650 --> 00:45:54.409
do it because he says we'll be our witnesses

00:45:54.409 --> 00:45:57.630
both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and

00:45:57.630 --> 00:45:59.050
that that wasn't bad enough, and they're going,

00:45:59.130 --> 00:46:00.489
ooh, got to go where it's uncomfortable. But

00:46:00.489 --> 00:46:03.710
now he says, even to the remotest parts of the

00:46:03.710 --> 00:46:07.309
earth. Now, this is a pretty common phrase, Acts

00:46:07.309 --> 00:46:10.329
1a, and people have talked about it a hundred

00:46:10.329 --> 00:46:11.789
different ways. I don't want to drill down on

00:46:11.789 --> 00:46:13.269
it too much, but this is what I want you to see

00:46:13.269 --> 00:46:17.849
today. When he said that, they knew without a

00:46:17.849 --> 00:46:21.489
doubt. For the first time ever, without a doubt,

00:46:21.610 --> 00:46:25.610
that the mission would be a lifelong mission.

00:46:26.130 --> 00:46:28.889
The apostles were no longer thinking, Jesus is

00:46:28.889 --> 00:46:32.449
going to go back to heaven, kingdom is going

00:46:32.449 --> 00:46:35.610
to come back to Israel, it's all going to change,

00:46:35.769 --> 00:46:39.530
massive changes, etc. And it's all going to be

00:46:39.530 --> 00:46:42.690
done. No, if we are going to be your witnesses,

00:46:42.849 --> 00:46:46.690
we 12 are going to be your witnesses, then we...

00:46:47.199 --> 00:46:49.139
We're going to go to the remotest parts of the

00:46:49.139 --> 00:46:50.840
earth? Like you can't get there in less than

00:46:50.840 --> 00:46:54.059
40 days. It's going to take over a month for

00:46:54.059 --> 00:46:55.539
us to even get there just one time. But then

00:46:55.539 --> 00:46:57.360
we're going to get there and we're going to pronounce

00:46:57.360 --> 00:46:58.960
it and then turn around and come back home. That's

00:46:58.960 --> 00:47:01.699
a month and a half, two months minimum. But we

00:47:01.699 --> 00:47:03.940
have to go there and tell everybody? So this

00:47:03.940 --> 00:47:07.599
became a lifelong mission. So here's a few things

00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:09.820
in here that I want you to see. The first one

00:47:09.820 --> 00:47:13.239
is Jesus is preparing them for his prolonged

00:47:13.239 --> 00:47:17.300
physical absence. And he's laying out a pretty

00:47:17.300 --> 00:47:21.420
clear plan. When the party is over and the event

00:47:21.420 --> 00:47:23.380
is done, in this case that's the crucifixion,

00:47:23.380 --> 00:47:25.380
burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When that

00:47:25.380 --> 00:47:29.619
is done, there are things that still have to

00:47:29.619 --> 00:47:34.340
be done. And he's laying out a pretty clear plan

00:47:34.340 --> 00:47:36.519
for what that looks like. God's Holy Spirit will

00:47:36.519 --> 00:47:38.860
come and live in you and you will take this message

00:47:38.860 --> 00:47:43.000
that I have been presenting to you, all of my

00:47:43.000 --> 00:47:45.710
teachings, you will take them. to everywhere

00:47:45.710 --> 00:47:49.750
on the earth. In preparation for this, as he

00:47:49.750 --> 00:47:51.869
says he was going to have a prolonged physical

00:47:51.869 --> 00:47:54.769
absence, but he's laying out a pretty clear plan,

00:47:54.989 --> 00:47:59.369
he convinces them of the truth. The truth. The

00:47:59.369 --> 00:48:01.550
number one truth. Looking at this text, do you

00:48:01.550 --> 00:48:04.210
know what the number one truth was that he was

00:48:04.210 --> 00:48:07.090
convincing them of? It says that he gave abundant

00:48:07.090 --> 00:48:12.429
evidence. What was he convincing them of? Over

00:48:12.429 --> 00:48:14.550
and over again. Do you remember it from what

00:48:14.550 --> 00:48:20.670
I read? I'll go back. And to these, he presented

00:48:20.670 --> 00:48:24.789
himself alive after his suffering by many convincing

00:48:24.789 --> 00:48:29.789
proofs. He was convincing them that he was alive.

00:48:30.230 --> 00:48:33.329
And the great part of the gospel message today

00:48:33.329 --> 00:48:37.449
is that Jesus is alive. And extended off of that,

00:48:37.469 --> 00:48:39.510
it makes perfect logical sense. If Jesus is alive

00:48:39.510 --> 00:48:42.269
after his death, then what happens to Dan after

00:48:42.269 --> 00:48:46.190
Dan's death? Dan will be alive, right? But you

00:48:46.190 --> 00:48:49.750
have to be convinced that he's alive. Can you

00:48:49.750 --> 00:48:53.190
say Jesus is alive? Let's do that. Okay, we're

00:48:53.190 --> 00:48:54.630
going to stop right now. This is not a rhetorical

00:48:54.630 --> 00:48:56.150
question. I'm asking you to participate with

00:48:56.150 --> 00:49:00.210
me. Let's say Jesus is alive on the count of

00:49:00.210 --> 00:49:04.050
three. Ready? One, two, three, go. Jesus is alive.

00:49:04.469 --> 00:49:07.429
Now, could you not say it? Was there anybody

00:49:07.429 --> 00:49:09.369
in the room? I want you to be boldly honest.

00:49:09.920 --> 00:49:11.599
Just boldly honest with me right now. Anybody

00:49:11.599 --> 00:49:13.460
in the room who, A, could not say it, raise your

00:49:13.460 --> 00:49:15.000
hand if you just couldn't do it. You're frozen.

00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:18.480
Right now, we're going to fix it. Anybody? Nobody.

00:49:19.280 --> 00:49:21.980
All right, good. That's good. Now, is there anybody

00:49:21.980 --> 00:49:25.739
in the room that when they said it, doubted it?

00:49:26.300 --> 00:49:29.119
And it's okay if it's the case. If that's the

00:49:29.119 --> 00:49:30.500
case, we're going to fix it right now. Is there

00:49:30.500 --> 00:49:33.000
anybody that doubted when they said Jesus is

00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:34.380
alive? Raise your hand if it's true. We'll fix

00:49:34.380 --> 00:49:38.159
it. Okay. Now, see, you know why that's true?

00:49:39.280 --> 00:49:41.320
You know why we can say it and know that it's

00:49:41.320 --> 00:49:46.840
true? Because Jesus convinced the apostles. And

00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:49.699
the apostles, who were, many of them were devout

00:49:49.699 --> 00:49:52.219
Jewish men, became what we would call Christians.

00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:54.840
They became the first church with the mission

00:49:54.840 --> 00:49:57.079
of taking the gospel to the entire world, even

00:49:57.079 --> 00:50:00.940
willing to die to deliver the truth that Jesus

00:50:00.940 --> 00:50:04.000
Christ died on the cross, buried in the grave,

00:50:04.019 --> 00:50:07.579
and on the third day rose again. That is the

00:50:07.579 --> 00:50:10.340
basics of the gospel. And if you can't deliver

00:50:10.340 --> 00:50:13.219
any other message to anyone who will possibly

00:50:13.219 --> 00:50:15.059
listen in your life, you've got somebody who's

00:50:15.059 --> 00:50:16.280
cussing you out and just saying, hey, I've got

00:50:16.280 --> 00:50:19.340
one thing for you. Jesus was the Christ. He lived.

00:50:19.679 --> 00:50:22.940
He died on the cross. He was buried. He rose

00:50:22.940 --> 00:50:25.760
again. And we're like, but F this and that and

00:50:25.760 --> 00:50:29.079
you're this and that. Jesus goes straight to

00:50:29.079 --> 00:50:30.440
the truth. You don't need to convince them they

00:50:30.440 --> 00:50:32.159
shouldn't be acting that way. You don't need

00:50:32.159 --> 00:50:34.440
to take what they're saying to heart. Go straight

00:50:34.440 --> 00:50:38.559
to the truth. Jesus. lived, died, was buried,

00:50:38.659 --> 00:50:42.699
and rose again. Give him that at least. In fact,

00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:44.360
the next time you're running from some guy with

00:50:44.360 --> 00:50:46.300
a baseball bat, yell that over your shoulder.

00:50:46.420 --> 00:50:48.619
Because someday, that guy's going to go to hell.

00:50:50.139 --> 00:50:53.079
And he needs the ingredients of salvation lest

00:50:53.079 --> 00:50:55.619
he burn in hell for eternity. Before you say

00:50:55.619 --> 00:51:02.280
he deserves it, so do we. Jesus convinces them

00:51:02.280 --> 00:51:09.349
of the truth. He is alive. He warns them of their

00:51:09.349 --> 00:51:11.730
need to stand. This is going to be a long journey.

00:51:12.150 --> 00:51:16.389
Stick near me. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Let

00:51:16.389 --> 00:51:20.329
Him work through you. He lays out the mission.

00:51:20.769 --> 00:51:23.989
What will they be doing? They will be living.

00:51:24.929 --> 00:51:26.630
Oh, I wish it stopped there, but it doesn't,

00:51:26.630 --> 00:51:31.090
does it? And dying for Jesus. There's a lot of

00:51:31.090 --> 00:51:32.489
people who get saved. They get saved and they're

00:51:32.489 --> 00:51:34.949
like, I received a great blessing. I am receiving

00:51:34.949 --> 00:51:36.670
the free gift of salvation. I'm totally paid

00:51:36.670 --> 00:51:38.730
for it. I don't have to do nothing. Yay, me.

00:51:38.929 --> 00:51:42.909
Go to heaven now. All true to an extent, assuming

00:51:42.909 --> 00:51:44.710
you realize to be a follower of the Lord Jesus

00:51:44.710 --> 00:51:50.389
Christ is about living and dying for Jesus. He

00:51:50.389 --> 00:51:52.489
lays out the mission. What will they be doing?

00:51:52.570 --> 00:51:55.969
They will be living and dying for him to the

00:51:55.969 --> 00:52:00.690
uttermost parts of the earth. He explains God's

00:52:00.690 --> 00:52:03.869
provision, his power, how the Holy Spirit will

00:52:03.869 --> 00:52:06.909
come in them and empower them as he did Jesus.

00:52:07.530 --> 00:52:10.469
His presence, how he will remain in them and

00:52:10.469 --> 00:52:12.530
with them and never leave them. That's the end

00:52:12.530 --> 00:52:15.230
of Matthew. And he's been talking about it for

00:52:15.230 --> 00:52:17.670
40 days. My presence will be real with you even

00:52:17.670 --> 00:52:19.610
though I'm not physically walking this earth

00:52:19.610 --> 00:52:24.650
the way you are. I will be with you. His purpose.

00:52:25.389 --> 00:52:28.530
We have one job to do. God has one job to do

00:52:28.530 --> 00:52:31.690
to bring man back into fellowship with God. That's

00:52:31.690 --> 00:52:33.929
our one job. It may feel like you have to pay

00:52:33.929 --> 00:52:36.309
your bills. And in our society, if you want things

00:52:36.309 --> 00:52:38.489
to function smoothly, you kind of do have to

00:52:38.489 --> 00:52:40.659
pay your bills. But if it ever comes to paying

00:52:40.659 --> 00:52:42.579
your bills or bringing people to Jesus, you better

00:52:42.579 --> 00:52:44.380
choose bringing people to Jesus because in your

00:52:44.380 --> 00:52:46.099
identity as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:52:46.239 --> 00:52:49.219
that's who you are now. You bring people to Jesus.

00:52:49.400 --> 00:52:51.539
We have the ministry of reconciliation. At any

00:52:51.539 --> 00:52:53.940
point in time, you're too busy. You're too tired.

00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:57.059
You're too sick. You stayed up too late. It doesn't

00:52:57.059 --> 00:52:59.139
matter. If at any point in time, anything in

00:52:59.139 --> 00:53:02.440
this life would interfere with your desire to

00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:04.760
carry out the mission that God gave the church,

00:53:04.900 --> 00:53:07.179
then you need to understand that you are turning

00:53:07.179 --> 00:53:10.349
your back. On the purpose that God has given

00:53:10.349 --> 00:53:13.650
you, which is a problem because the power was

00:53:13.650 --> 00:53:15.849
given for the purpose. So now you're turning

00:53:15.849 --> 00:53:18.750
back your back on the purpose and losing access

00:53:18.750 --> 00:53:21.429
to the power. It's also a problem because the

00:53:21.429 --> 00:53:24.030
one who has presence in you has that purpose.

00:53:24.610 --> 00:53:26.730
And so just the same as if you invited a friend

00:53:26.730 --> 00:53:28.530
over your house, you say, hey, let's play poker.

00:53:28.949 --> 00:53:31.349
Not going to gamble, but let's play poker. We'll

00:53:31.349 --> 00:53:35.980
play cards. I'll order pizza. Then when it's

00:53:35.980 --> 00:53:37.420
done, we'll watch a movie. Got a first -run movie.

00:53:37.539 --> 00:53:40.679
I just bought it on Prime or something. We'll

00:53:40.679 --> 00:53:42.860
watch that. And then they get there, and actually,

00:53:42.960 --> 00:53:44.880
you're cleaning out the basement, throwing stuff

00:53:44.880 --> 00:53:46.460
in a dumpster, and then you're going to put all

00:53:46.460 --> 00:53:48.460
your stuff in a truck and move across town. And

00:53:48.460 --> 00:53:49.539
we're like, hey, this is supposed to be poker,

00:53:49.639 --> 00:53:54.679
pizza, and a movie. You lied to me. I'm here

00:53:54.679 --> 00:53:56.820
for poker, pizza, and a movie, not heavy, hard

00:53:56.820 --> 00:53:58.519
work that's going to make me sweat, and tomorrow

00:53:58.519 --> 00:54:02.400
I'm going to be sore. You lied to me. If he comes

00:54:02.400 --> 00:54:04.949
for... poker, pizza, and a movie, and when he

00:54:04.949 --> 00:54:08.550
gets his hard work, if he comes that time, he

00:54:08.550 --> 00:54:09.989
ain't going to come the next time he's promised.

00:54:11.130 --> 00:54:12.710
Probably he's just going to try to walk back

00:54:12.710 --> 00:54:16.750
out and say, you deceiver. God has a purpose,

00:54:16.809 --> 00:54:18.769
and it is to bring people into a relationship

00:54:18.769 --> 00:54:20.949
with him, and we cannot turn our back on that

00:54:20.949 --> 00:54:22.949
purpose, because in doing, we will turn our back

00:54:22.949 --> 00:54:29.579
on his power and on his presence. He is teaching

00:54:29.579 --> 00:54:32.219
Jesus throughout this time on the kingdom of

00:54:32.219 --> 00:54:34.679
God. Now, really, in the last three minutes,

00:54:34.719 --> 00:54:36.460
I've said just about everything that you really

00:54:36.460 --> 00:54:39.039
need to know about the kingdom of God to get

00:54:39.039 --> 00:54:44.900
started. But there's more. All throughout Scripture,

00:54:45.099 --> 00:54:46.519
all throughout the New Testament, there's tons

00:54:46.519 --> 00:54:48.719
of teachings of Jesus about the kingdom of God.

00:54:48.739 --> 00:54:51.800
But the truth is, as we'll see, there really

00:54:51.800 --> 00:54:54.670
is no end. That's why it's the kingdom of God,

00:54:54.750 --> 00:54:56.929
not the kingdom of a set of rules or a set of

00:54:56.929 --> 00:54:59.769
laws or even the kingdom of a book. It's the

00:54:59.769 --> 00:55:01.949
kingdom of God. He has no end, nor does the kingdom.

00:55:02.269 --> 00:55:04.590
He trains them then in delivering the message.

00:55:04.949 --> 00:55:08.610
And you know what he says? You already do. He

00:55:08.610 --> 00:55:10.050
doesn't say to them, go and tell them that they

00:55:10.050 --> 00:55:12.909
have sinned. He doesn't say to them, go and tell

00:55:12.909 --> 00:55:16.329
them that they should live a certain way. Stop

00:55:16.329 --> 00:55:18.030
doing certain things or do certain things now

00:55:18.030 --> 00:55:20.869
that I've told you to do, right? He says, go

00:55:20.869 --> 00:55:26.820
and tell them that what? I am alive. Go and tell

00:55:26.820 --> 00:55:31.199
them that I am alive. I was dead. I was buried.

00:55:31.300 --> 00:55:34.840
I am rose again. There's an internet guy. He

00:55:34.840 --> 00:55:37.199
says, if you come to the end of a road and there's

00:55:37.199 --> 00:55:38.619
a fork in the road, you can go right or left.

00:55:38.659 --> 00:55:40.199
You can't go straight anymore. And there's two

00:55:40.199 --> 00:55:42.300
guys there. One guy's dead. One guy's alive.

00:55:42.460 --> 00:55:45.199
Who are you going to ask for directions? The

00:55:45.199 --> 00:55:47.860
live guy, right? Because he can answer. Jesus

00:55:47.860 --> 00:55:51.139
is alive. That's not true in any other religion.

00:55:52.329 --> 00:55:54.809
Frankly, every other religion is dead, and everybody

00:55:54.809 --> 00:55:56.789
who ever worshipped it or served in it is dead,

00:55:56.869 --> 00:55:59.070
and those that are alive now will be dead, and

00:55:59.070 --> 00:56:01.210
if they are dead in their trespasses and sins,

00:56:01.250 --> 00:56:02.409
they're essentially already dead, and they'll

00:56:02.409 --> 00:56:03.690
just stay dead, and then they're going to go

00:56:03.690 --> 00:56:05.909
to hell and be dead for an eternity. And that's

00:56:05.909 --> 00:56:07.329
apparently fine with them, because they are part

00:56:07.329 --> 00:56:11.650
of a religion that does not lead to God. Jesus

00:56:11.650 --> 00:56:14.489
is alive. There is only one way to the Father,

00:56:14.570 --> 00:56:17.530
and it is through him, and it is partly, if not

00:56:17.530 --> 00:56:20.489
mainly, if not totally, because he is alive.

00:56:21.409 --> 00:56:23.289
One more thing then in there to see is that the

00:56:23.289 --> 00:56:25.469
disciples will be his body now. That's interesting.

00:56:25.530 --> 00:56:28.489
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, 27, I believe

00:56:28.489 --> 00:56:31.030
it is, it says, Now you are the body of Christ,

00:56:31.110 --> 00:56:33.110
and each one of us is a member of it. So what

00:56:33.110 --> 00:56:36.110
he was basically saying is, I am bodily leaving

00:56:36.110 --> 00:56:37.889
this earth, but actually what I'm doing is I'm

00:56:37.889 --> 00:56:42.050
multiplying myself. When I was at Pizza Hut,

00:56:42.130 --> 00:56:45.349
I was on the track to promote. So first I was

00:56:45.349 --> 00:56:47.510
a shift manager at a delivery restaurant out

00:56:47.510 --> 00:56:49.130
on Reynolds Road and I was serving there. I've

00:56:49.130 --> 00:56:51.809
been there for about two, two and a half years,

00:56:51.869 --> 00:56:54.010
whatever. And I was basically running the restaurant.

00:56:54.190 --> 00:56:56.829
My manager was hardly ever around. I wrote the

00:56:56.829 --> 00:56:58.610
schedule, did all the ordering, put all the orders

00:56:58.610 --> 00:57:01.409
away. And my area manager came in and she says,

00:57:01.449 --> 00:57:02.889
you're on the track to promote. And the first

00:57:02.889 --> 00:57:04.369
thing she said to me was, when you get promoted,

00:57:04.630 --> 00:57:07.809
will the restaurant function without you? And

00:57:07.809 --> 00:57:09.710
I said, well, there's a couple of younger managers

00:57:09.710 --> 00:57:11.250
and general manager can do everything that I

00:57:11.250 --> 00:57:13.539
do. But, you know, I do it. because he's been

00:57:13.539 --> 00:57:15.019
training me and I didn't throw him under the

00:57:15.019 --> 00:57:16.159
bus or anything like that. I said, he's been

00:57:16.159 --> 00:57:18.179
training me. I do most of what he could do. So

00:57:18.179 --> 00:57:20.260
I could do the job above me for sure, which was

00:57:20.260 --> 00:57:23.000
actually manager and training or assistant manager.

00:57:23.519 --> 00:57:25.139
I think the guys under me could pretty much do

00:57:25.139 --> 00:57:26.099
it. And she said, well, that's what we're going

00:57:26.099 --> 00:57:27.780
to figure out first. First, we're going to figure

00:57:27.780 --> 00:57:29.340
out, is there anybody behind you that can do

00:57:29.340 --> 00:57:30.860
what you do before we take you out of here and

00:57:30.860 --> 00:57:33.579
ruin this restaurant? Jesus was leaving, but

00:57:33.579 --> 00:57:36.619
he wasn't really leaving. He was multiplying

00:57:36.619 --> 00:57:41.820
himself. And now you're the body of Christ. And

00:57:41.820 --> 00:57:43.699
you're the body of Christ. And you're the body

00:57:43.699 --> 00:57:45.559
of Christ. Some of you are prettier. Some of

00:57:45.559 --> 00:57:48.219
you are handsome. Some of you are more intelligent.

00:57:48.460 --> 00:57:49.659
Some of you are more creative. Some of you are

00:57:49.659 --> 00:57:52.880
artsy. Some of you are musical. And we all have

00:57:52.880 --> 00:57:54.980
different spiritual gifts and that kind of thing.

00:57:55.159 --> 00:57:57.340
And I'm not judging that any one of those things

00:57:57.340 --> 00:57:58.980
is any better than any other one of those things.

00:57:59.019 --> 00:58:01.079
What I know is that Jesus was multiplying himself.

00:58:01.760 --> 00:58:03.639
And I think if we could somehow add together

00:58:03.639 --> 00:58:06.139
our sum total of every human that will ever exist,

00:58:06.239 --> 00:58:08.320
we could almost begin to represent God like we

00:58:08.320 --> 00:58:10.099
were supposed to in the beginning before Adam

00:58:10.099 --> 00:58:12.679
and Eve sinned. Now you are the body of Christ,

00:58:12.860 --> 00:58:15.480
he says. They will be his witnesses. They will

00:58:15.480 --> 00:58:17.340
tell and die as necessary. They will spend their

00:58:17.340 --> 00:58:19.599
whole lives on it to the ends of the earth. They

00:58:19.599 --> 00:58:23.340
will be empowered to stay the course to the ends

00:58:23.340 --> 00:58:25.679
of the earth, representing Jesus. And then the

00:58:25.679 --> 00:58:27.300
third thing to see in the text, then, is the

00:58:27.300 --> 00:58:29.300
empowerment. Notice that they will be baptized

00:58:29.300 --> 00:58:31.679
in the Holy Spirit. It says here and elsewhere.

00:58:32.059 --> 00:58:34.320
Notice that they will be guided as Jesus was

00:58:34.320 --> 00:58:36.579
guided. In fact, Luke 12 .1 says, now when they

00:58:36.579 --> 00:58:39.199
bring you before the synagogues, the officials,

00:58:39.340 --> 00:58:42.099
the authorities, do not worry about how or what

00:58:42.099 --> 00:58:43.920
you are to speak in your defense or what you

00:58:43.920 --> 00:58:46.219
are to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you

00:58:46.219 --> 00:58:49.429
at that very hour what you ought to say. The

00:58:49.429 --> 00:58:51.730
Holy Spirit would be present and teach the disciples

00:58:51.730 --> 00:58:53.650
at that very hour what they were supposed to

00:58:53.650 --> 00:58:55.429
say at that very moment, as we talked about a

00:58:55.429 --> 00:58:58.610
few weeks ago, at which you must tell the truth.

00:59:00.170 --> 00:59:02.929
Oh, but it would be easier to lie than be put

00:59:02.929 --> 00:59:06.530
to death for Christ. Easier to lie than to serve

00:59:06.530 --> 00:59:09.590
to the extent. I submit to you that they were

00:59:09.590 --> 00:59:12.050
told they would be inspired like Jesus was inspired.

00:59:12.250 --> 00:59:14.150
They would be empowered like Jesus was empowered.

00:59:15.579 --> 00:59:18.079
In truth, they would be indwelt. And that brings

00:59:18.079 --> 00:59:23.639
us to our conclusion. Already, God the Father

00:59:23.639 --> 00:59:26.199
wrote the plan. God the Son is here carrying

00:59:26.199 --> 00:59:28.880
it out. God the Holy Spirit walking in and through

00:59:28.880 --> 00:59:32.639
Jesus. Commands are given to the apostles to

00:59:32.639 --> 00:59:34.659
continue the mission. And now the apostles will

00:59:34.659 --> 00:59:36.559
be filled with the Holy Spirit. And the apostles

00:59:36.559 --> 00:59:38.900
will carry out Jesus' mission in the power of

00:59:38.900 --> 00:59:40.380
the Spirit. Which apparently they did a pretty

00:59:40.380 --> 00:59:43.559
good job. Because here I stand before you. A

00:59:43.559 --> 00:59:46.280
saved person who by no rights had any right to

00:59:46.280 --> 00:59:54.940
be saved. By the Holy Spirit means that the Holy

00:59:54.940 --> 00:59:57.739
Spirit would be the one doing the work. God is

00:59:57.739 --> 01:00:00.780
pouring himself into them, changing them, equipping

01:00:00.780 --> 01:00:02.880
them for the mission ahead. The church will spread

01:00:02.880 --> 01:00:05.659
the truth to the world, display the truth to

01:00:05.659 --> 01:00:08.340
the angels, that's Ephesians 3 .10, and be the

01:00:08.340 --> 01:00:14.050
body of Christ, that's Corinthians 12. 27, until

01:00:14.050 --> 01:00:17.530
he returns. The party is over. There's a mess

01:00:17.530 --> 01:00:20.690
to clean up and a God -sized mission ahead. Do

01:00:20.690 --> 01:00:23.210
you understand what the mess is to be cleaned

01:00:23.210 --> 01:00:26.269
up? The apostles were going to go out into the

01:00:26.269 --> 01:00:28.489
world and face persecution. We're talking about

01:00:28.489 --> 01:00:32.309
Jesus. But also, who else is out there? Who's

01:00:32.309 --> 01:00:39.449
in the world that Jesus left behind? Well, people

01:00:39.449 --> 01:00:42.860
that he healed. Right? The paralytic. The blind

01:00:42.860 --> 01:00:44.599
man. They're all out there. Tons of people. How

01:00:44.599 --> 01:00:47.280
many? Hundreds? Thousands maybe? There are thousands

01:00:47.280 --> 01:00:49.199
of people out there that Jesus fed miraculously.

01:00:49.960 --> 01:00:51.659
Thousands of people that Jesus fed miraculously.

01:00:53.340 --> 01:00:57.420
Is that not somebody with a question? What do

01:00:57.420 --> 01:00:59.800
you think they want to know? Whatever happened

01:00:59.800 --> 01:01:02.559
to the guy who fed us miraculously? Whatever

01:01:02.559 --> 01:01:04.920
happened to the guy who healed my legs? Whatever

01:01:04.920 --> 01:01:06.440
happened to the guy who made it so I could see

01:01:06.440 --> 01:01:07.659
for the first time ever in my life? Whatever

01:01:07.659 --> 01:01:10.099
happened to him? and the disciples are going

01:01:10.099 --> 01:01:11.639
to go and answer the question, and they're going

01:01:11.639 --> 01:01:16.820
to say, he's alive. Now he's standing at the

01:01:16.820 --> 01:01:18.639
right hand of the Father in heaven, making intercession

01:01:18.639 --> 01:01:20.519
for us. He has right to be Lord and Savior of

01:01:20.519 --> 01:01:23.079
your life. Would you have him as that? You think

01:01:23.079 --> 01:01:25.820
they would say yes? You better believe it. The

01:01:25.820 --> 01:01:29.880
man that healed my legs is alive? How do I know

01:01:29.880 --> 01:01:33.500
that for sure? Really? That happened? That happened?

01:01:33.539 --> 01:01:36.719
All these witnesses? Wow. Okay, yeah. Give me

01:01:36.719 --> 01:01:38.619
my Lord and Savior. There's a mess to be cleaned

01:01:38.619 --> 01:01:41.480
up. There are people that were healed. And further,

01:01:41.820 --> 01:01:44.340
there were people that weren't. Remember that

01:01:44.340 --> 01:01:46.199
Jesus went through Galilee and there was a time

01:01:46.199 --> 01:01:47.980
lots of people needed healed, but they didn't

01:01:47.980 --> 01:01:49.340
really believe. And because they didn't believe,

01:01:49.480 --> 01:01:52.420
he did only a few miracles of healing. Because

01:01:52.420 --> 01:01:54.159
they didn't believe. Because their faith was

01:01:54.159 --> 01:01:57.199
so weak or non -existent. And the people that

01:01:57.199 --> 01:01:59.699
weren't healed, you think they had a question?

01:02:00.360 --> 01:02:03.980
Sure they did. They had a question. Why didn't?

01:02:04.239 --> 01:02:07.500
Where is the man who didn't heal me? He was certainly

01:02:07.500 --> 01:02:08.679
something special, but I don't understand why

01:02:08.679 --> 01:02:10.840
he didn't heal me. But you're telling me now

01:02:10.840 --> 01:02:12.679
he's alive? And I submit to you, there was those

01:02:12.679 --> 01:02:14.840
that he could not heal during his lifetime because

01:02:14.840 --> 01:02:17.780
they wouldn't believe. Still walking around on

01:02:17.780 --> 01:02:20.079
stumped legs, using bent arms, blinded, whatever.

01:02:20.579 --> 01:02:23.039
All of that was going on. We've got people in

01:02:23.039 --> 01:02:24.599
this room right now that need healing. And they're

01:02:24.599 --> 01:02:26.500
going, I don't understand. But let me tell you

01:02:26.500 --> 01:02:30.960
this. Jesus is alive! He's alive and standing

01:02:30.960 --> 01:02:32.900
at the right hand of the Father in heaven making

01:02:32.900 --> 01:02:35.460
intercession for you. And your ache, your hurt,

01:02:35.539 --> 01:02:37.880
your situation that you're facing does not matter

01:02:37.880 --> 01:02:40.219
in the grand scheme of things unless by some

01:02:40.219 --> 01:02:42.780
chance it would draw you away from the Jesus

01:02:42.780 --> 01:02:45.699
who will take you to heaven forever. You won't

01:02:45.699 --> 01:02:47.780
have a stumped hand or messed up bowels. You

01:02:47.780 --> 01:02:51.599
won't have a brain disease, tumor, anxiety. You

01:02:51.599 --> 01:02:53.639
won't have any of that. It will all be perfect

01:02:53.639 --> 01:02:58.889
because he's alive. The party is over and there's

01:02:58.889 --> 01:03:01.989
a mess to clean up and a God -sized mission ahead.

01:03:03.230 --> 01:03:05.869
There's an enemy still in the weeds. He's still

01:03:05.869 --> 01:03:07.949
out there, still resisting the fact that Satan

01:03:07.949 --> 01:03:11.449
has lost control of this world, that Jesus now

01:03:11.449 --> 01:03:14.130
has control, that God has placed it fully in

01:03:14.130 --> 01:03:19.909
his authority. Satan is beaten and weak. compared

01:03:19.909 --> 01:03:22.010
to the Holy Spirit. Greater is he that is in

01:03:22.010 --> 01:03:24.929
you than he that is in the world. We've got this.

01:03:25.030 --> 01:03:27.769
We just need to stop playing with it and go and

01:03:27.769 --> 01:03:30.530
be it and do it and take the gospel where it

01:03:30.530 --> 01:03:32.329
needs to go, which is everywhere, including here

01:03:32.329 --> 01:03:34.510
and wherever you don't want to go and beyond

01:03:34.510 --> 01:03:36.710
that and ultimately to the ends of the earth.

01:03:38.670 --> 01:03:41.289
There is kingdom work to be done. And that brings

01:03:41.289 --> 01:03:44.190
us to our conclusion text. If you're following

01:03:44.190 --> 01:03:45.510
along in your Bibles, if you want to go there

01:03:45.510 --> 01:03:50.309
with me, it is Psalm 71. Psalm 71. I'll begin

01:03:50.309 --> 01:03:52.550
reading in verse 15. And this is it. So if you're

01:03:52.550 --> 01:03:55.949
tired, if you're warm, stretch. If you're falling

01:03:55.949 --> 01:03:59.349
asleep, stand up. That's what it takes. Whatever

01:03:59.349 --> 01:04:02.190
it is, you got this. Psalm 71. Here we go. Beginning

01:04:02.190 --> 01:04:06.269
in verse 15. This is what it says. My mouth shall

01:04:06.269 --> 01:04:09.250
tell of thy righteousness. It's a long time before

01:04:09.250 --> 01:04:11.090
Jesus ever lived, died, was buried, and rose

01:04:11.090 --> 01:04:13.550
again. My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness

01:04:13.550 --> 01:04:17.380
and of thy salvation all day long. for I do not

01:04:17.380 --> 01:04:19.019
know the sum of them. Hold on a second. I want

01:04:19.019 --> 01:04:21.840
you to understand this. The primary reason which

01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:24.699
we will never, ever, ever stop talking about

01:04:24.699 --> 01:04:28.260
what God has done is because you and I do not

01:04:28.260 --> 01:04:32.699
fathom the depth of it. When we say Jesus is

01:04:32.699 --> 01:04:35.760
alive and believe it, we do not even begin to

01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:40.519
understand how much that means. You understand?

01:04:41.420 --> 01:04:43.619
You're still thinking about it in terms of what

01:04:43.619 --> 01:04:46.099
can it mean to me? What do I know? What do I

01:04:46.099 --> 01:04:48.039
know the world is like? What is my heart like?

01:04:48.139 --> 01:04:49.900
Oh, my decrepit soul and the things that I've

01:04:49.900 --> 01:04:51.820
done and I wish I had and I need to be cleansed.

01:04:51.940 --> 01:04:55.760
We're thinking of those terms. God has so much

01:04:55.760 --> 01:04:58.619
more that lies behind your basic understanding.

01:04:59.440 --> 01:05:02.300
We cannot stop speaking of it because we never

01:05:02.300 --> 01:05:06.300
know what he might use us to say. I've been immensely

01:05:06.300 --> 01:05:08.719
blessed since I started preaching because I can

01:05:08.719 --> 01:05:12.199
preach sometimes the same text and God will use

01:05:12.199 --> 01:05:14.500
it to say something I never even saw there before.

01:05:15.320 --> 01:05:17.940
I've preached Acts 1 at least three times since

01:05:17.940 --> 01:05:21.079
I became pastor of this church. A couple of them

01:05:21.079 --> 01:05:22.760
you can probably go and listen to online on the

01:05:22.760 --> 01:05:25.579
podcast. But this message is uniquely different.

01:05:26.340 --> 01:05:28.480
And none of those times did I focus on the fact

01:05:28.480 --> 01:05:31.360
and realize the fact that Jesus was saying, He

01:05:31.360 --> 01:05:34.760
who empowers me to be God in the flesh and be

01:05:34.760 --> 01:05:36.800
able to use my body accordingly will now empower

01:05:36.800 --> 01:05:41.179
you. I've never said that before. I've talked

01:05:41.179 --> 01:05:42.860
about the power that comes with the Holy Spirit

01:05:42.860 --> 01:05:45.500
for sure. But that was a direct connection that

01:05:45.500 --> 01:05:48.699
he was making. We have things to say that we

01:05:48.699 --> 01:05:50.519
don't even know what they are. You can't stop

01:05:50.519 --> 01:05:51.780
talking because you don't know what you're going

01:05:51.780 --> 01:05:54.900
to say. Or how far it goes. Or what it means.

01:05:57.699 --> 01:06:02.000
Verse 16 says, I will come with the mighty deeds

01:06:02.000 --> 01:06:05.099
of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness

01:06:05.099 --> 01:06:08.780
thine alone. Only God. Only Christ is righteous

01:06:08.780 --> 01:06:11.280
and can give us righteousness. Oh God, thou hast

01:06:11.280 --> 01:06:14.340
taught me from my youth. And I still declare

01:06:14.340 --> 01:06:17.519
thy wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and

01:06:17.519 --> 01:06:20.880
gray, O God, do not forsake me until I declare

01:06:20.880 --> 01:06:23.719
thy strength to this generation. And that word,

01:06:23.800 --> 01:06:28.460
this there, it is a certain word that means this

01:06:28.460 --> 01:06:31.400
generation in the time that I'm talking about.

01:06:31.400 --> 01:06:32.679
He's talking about the generation when he's old.

01:06:33.099 --> 01:06:35.579
So you have a responsibility to declare this

01:06:35.579 --> 01:06:38.300
truth to your generation now. But by the time

01:06:38.300 --> 01:06:40.260
we are as old as we can get, there's going to

01:06:40.260 --> 01:06:42.590
be another generation. and then another generation.

01:06:42.869 --> 01:06:45.289
And if it should skip three generations, we have

01:06:45.289 --> 01:06:47.230
the same responsibility. You say, well, I can't

01:06:47.230 --> 01:06:48.449
even talk to them. They don't understand me.

01:06:48.469 --> 01:06:50.170
I can't even talk. They use words that don't

01:06:50.170 --> 01:06:53.110
even make sense to me. Yeah, but you can say

01:06:53.110 --> 01:06:58.309
he's alive. You can say he lived, he died, he

01:06:58.309 --> 01:07:00.150
was buried, and he rose again on the third day.

01:07:00.750 --> 01:07:03.630
And as long as English persists, they will understand

01:07:03.630 --> 01:07:07.090
those words. They might say, man, he's sick.

01:07:08.309 --> 01:07:10.130
And you might think, oh, no, he's sick. No, that

01:07:10.130 --> 01:07:12.809
means good. They might say it differently to

01:07:12.809 --> 01:07:15.389
their generation, but they need the basic truth

01:07:15.389 --> 01:07:17.489
of it, and we have a responsibility to deliver

01:07:17.489 --> 01:07:19.150
it even when we're old to whatever generation

01:07:19.150 --> 01:07:21.869
comes. And if the teenagers in this room don't

01:07:21.869 --> 01:07:23.409
get it, and God forbid, we don't want it to be

01:07:23.409 --> 01:07:24.809
so, but if they would walk away from the Lord,

01:07:24.889 --> 01:07:27.730
God will still raise up a faithful generation

01:07:27.730 --> 01:07:29.809
out of the other teenagers that we have not yet

01:07:29.809 --> 01:07:31.730
met or out of the teenagers that will come in

01:07:31.730 --> 01:07:34.849
the next generation. God will declare his own

01:07:34.849 --> 01:07:37.309
strength through his own people, and they will

01:07:37.309 --> 01:07:40.840
come. Verse 19 says, For thy righteousness, because

01:07:40.840 --> 01:07:43.900
thy righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens.

01:07:44.099 --> 01:07:47.920
Thou hast done great things, O God. Who is like

01:07:47.920 --> 01:07:49.940
thee? You know the answer to that question. No

01:07:49.940 --> 01:07:52.980
one. Verse 20, Thou hast shown me many troubles

01:07:52.980 --> 01:07:54.719
and distresses. In other words, I've been through

01:07:54.719 --> 01:07:56.840
it. I've been through the ringer at times. I

01:07:56.840 --> 01:07:58.420
have had first -hand experience with some stuff

01:07:58.420 --> 01:07:59.820
I would never have liked to see. A trouble is

01:07:59.820 --> 01:08:01.940
what happens on the outside and it sucks. A distress

01:08:01.940 --> 01:08:04.920
is what happens on the inside and it sucks. He

01:08:04.920 --> 01:08:08.420
says, Thou hast shown me many troubles and distresses.

01:08:08.480 --> 01:08:11.840
Wilt revive me again. That is to say, God will

01:08:11.840 --> 01:08:15.480
revive me again. And will bring me up again from

01:08:15.480 --> 01:08:18.020
the depths of the earth. No matter how far down

01:08:18.020 --> 01:08:20.520
I go, God will bring me up again. Mayest thou

01:08:20.520 --> 01:08:23.079
increase my greatness and turn to comfort me.

01:08:23.220 --> 01:08:28.520
I will also praise thee with a harp. Even thy

01:08:28.520 --> 01:08:31.699
truth, O my God. To thee I will sing praises

01:08:31.699 --> 01:08:35.680
with the lyre, O thou holy one of Israel. My

01:08:35.680 --> 01:08:38.380
lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to

01:08:38.380 --> 01:08:41.619
thee, and my soul, which thou hast redeemed,

01:08:41.760 --> 01:08:45.180
my tongue also will utter thy righteousness all

01:08:45.180 --> 01:08:48.180
day long. For they are ashamed, for they are

01:08:48.180 --> 01:08:51.140
humiliated, who seek my hurt. You understand,

01:08:51.279 --> 01:08:53.500
if somebody kills you and does not come to the

01:08:53.500 --> 01:08:59.340
Lord, they will spend eternity in hell. If somebody

01:08:59.340 --> 01:09:03.189
curses your name, somebody mocks you, It does

01:09:03.189 --> 01:09:04.670
not turn their life over to the Lord Jesus Christ.

01:09:04.710 --> 01:09:06.909
They will spend eternity in hell. And I submit

01:09:06.909 --> 01:09:11.890
to you that what they did to you, what put them

01:09:11.890 --> 01:09:14.710
there, will be on constant playback for an eternity.

01:09:16.430 --> 01:09:21.350
He cursed my name. July 15, 2025. And they'll

01:09:21.350 --> 01:09:25.630
hear what they said to you over and over and

01:09:25.630 --> 01:09:31.760
over again for an eternity. We don't have to

01:09:31.760 --> 01:09:34.579
do anything to them. God's already got it well

01:09:34.579 --> 01:09:37.100
under control. We do have to do something to

01:09:37.100 --> 01:09:40.920
them. We have to tell them the truth. Jesus is

01:09:40.920 --> 01:09:45.159
alive. Jesus is alive and accordingly there is

01:09:45.159 --> 01:09:46.819
something we need to do. Now you heard in there

01:09:46.819 --> 01:09:51.979
this is going to be something. You heard in there

01:09:51.979 --> 01:09:55.800
that we will praise the Lord and it's specifically

01:09:55.800 --> 01:10:00.180
named with a harp or with a lyre. I don't have

01:10:00.180 --> 01:10:08.149
a harp. But I am a liar. This is a liar. Ariana's

01:10:08.149 --> 01:10:11.189
learning to play Amazing Grace on it. It's mostly

01:10:11.189 --> 01:10:14.409
tuned. And up here on the surface, here on the

01:10:14.409 --> 01:10:17.390
front of it, up here, we've written the letters

01:10:17.390 --> 01:10:19.590
for the notes of Amazing Grace. So somebody who's

01:10:19.590 --> 01:10:22.010
kind of like dexterous like Ariana can just go

01:10:22.010 --> 01:10:30.529
like that and pluck the notes. So somebody could

01:10:30.529 --> 01:10:34.010
play the lyre and praise God. Who wants to do

01:10:34.010 --> 01:10:41.470
it? Alright. Here you go. It's Amazing Grace.

01:10:42.810 --> 01:10:44.489
You can play that song or you can play something

01:10:44.489 --> 01:11:15.840
else. Sorting it out. They're all there. We're

01:11:15.840 --> 01:11:18.199
waiting to see if it sounds like Amazing Grace.

01:11:22.119 --> 01:11:28.140
The one with the dash is the higher. Everything

01:11:28.140 --> 01:11:35.220
else is in the lower range. So play G, play C.

01:11:35.420 --> 01:11:38.399
Those are the notes. No, not at the same time.

01:11:38.460 --> 01:12:03.699
One after another. That was pretty close. I'm

01:12:03.699 --> 01:12:18.729
playing upside down. Say that. I'm sorry. All

01:12:18.729 --> 01:12:22.970
right, so you're going to try. Here we go. Don't

01:12:22.970 --> 01:12:30.329
laugh. Yeah, like... I'm sorry. Yeah, that's

01:12:30.329 --> 01:13:14.430
fine. Okay. Want to also try it? Amen. Thank

01:13:14.430 --> 01:14:00.520
you. Stand over. Ready? Same thing. I got this.

01:14:00.640 --> 01:14:09.699
I got this. Okay, you do it without me. Go. Sorry.

01:14:09.979 --> 01:14:29.819
Okay, next person. Tim? Okay, after service,

01:14:29.899 --> 01:15:13.170
anyone can try it. Let me ask you a question.

01:15:15.869 --> 01:15:20.390
Haley, why was it so difficult? Simple answer.

01:15:20.529 --> 01:15:24.289
Why was it difficult? I don't know. Have you

01:15:24.289 --> 01:15:26.470
ever done it before? No. If you had done it before,

01:15:26.489 --> 01:15:29.449
it would be easier? No. So probably that's why

01:15:29.449 --> 01:15:31.810
it's difficult. Part of it. Why was it so difficult?

01:15:32.630 --> 01:15:35.369
Other than the fact that I was helping you. Don't

01:15:35.369 --> 01:15:37.770
blame it on me. Why was it so difficult? It's

01:15:37.770 --> 01:15:39.489
harder to read the instructions. It's harder

01:15:39.489 --> 01:15:41.310
to read the instructions. Okay. Tim, why was

01:15:41.310 --> 01:15:46.779
it difficult? Tim can play multiple instruments.

01:15:47.100 --> 01:15:49.359
The keys, the strings, the guitar, they're all

01:15:49.359 --> 01:15:51.880
different, right? Why is it so difficult? It's

01:15:51.880 --> 01:15:55.340
so difficult because that's not what you're good

01:15:55.340 --> 01:15:57.060
at. It's not what you've done before. You haven't

01:15:57.060 --> 01:15:58.779
practiced it. You haven't drilled down on it.

01:15:59.039 --> 01:16:00.880
Ariana's practiced playing this song with these

01:16:00.880 --> 01:16:02.960
little notes here quite a bit. In fact, she took

01:16:02.960 --> 01:16:04.319
it to school one day and showed it to her band

01:16:04.319 --> 01:16:06.380
instructor, and so now they've asked her to play

01:16:06.380 --> 01:16:08.159
it at the band concert in front of the entire

01:16:08.159 --> 01:16:11.460
audience. And she took a deep breath and went...

01:16:11.869 --> 01:16:14.489
I don't know about that. So we'll see whether

01:16:14.489 --> 01:16:16.210
she does it or not. That's up to her. It's between

01:16:16.210 --> 01:16:19.210
her and the Lord. My point is this. He was saying

01:16:19.210 --> 01:16:22.989
to the apostles, I'm asking you to do what you've

01:16:22.989 --> 01:16:27.409
never done. I want you to take this message that

01:16:27.409 --> 01:16:30.250
I am alive and take it to everyone. And yes,

01:16:30.409 --> 01:16:32.050
you will be persecuted. And he said, when you're

01:16:32.050 --> 01:16:35.850
persecuted, you know, they persecuted me first.

01:16:36.909 --> 01:16:38.989
Right? When they hate you, realize they hated

01:16:38.989 --> 01:16:42.239
me first. When they refuse to listen, take the

01:16:42.239 --> 01:16:45.020
dust off your feet and move on to the next time.

01:16:47.420 --> 01:16:49.819
The power is in the Holy Spirit. The purpose

01:16:49.819 --> 01:16:53.199
that God has, if we say no to the purpose, which

01:16:53.199 --> 01:16:55.020
is for the church to deliver the gospel to the

01:16:55.020 --> 01:16:56.840
world, the truth, beginning with the fact that

01:16:56.840 --> 01:16:59.039
Jesus is alive to the world, then we say no to

01:16:59.039 --> 01:17:02.579
the purpose. If we say no to the purpose, we

01:17:02.579 --> 01:17:03.960
say no to the power. If we say no to the purpose

01:17:03.960 --> 01:17:05.960
and the power, you're essentially saying no to

01:17:05.960 --> 01:17:09.279
the presence. Because God has just one God. He

01:17:09.279 --> 01:17:11.699
wants to bring people to himself. And that's

01:17:11.699 --> 01:17:13.920
what we have to do. Now, you may do it by learning

01:17:13.920 --> 01:17:18.159
to play the lyre, or you may do it by learning

01:17:18.159 --> 01:17:21.859
to fix cars, or you may do it by learning to

01:17:21.859 --> 01:17:26.300
quote Bible verses, or post memes, TikToks or

01:17:26.300 --> 01:17:28.899
whatever, things like that. You may learn a lot

01:17:28.899 --> 01:17:30.279
of different things that you can learn to try

01:17:30.279 --> 01:17:32.699
to get there. The question is just as simple.

01:17:33.039 --> 01:17:36.279
Will you follow Jesus? In fact, it really is,

01:17:36.380 --> 01:17:39.229
will you become the body of Christ? And do what

01:17:39.229 --> 01:17:42.590
Jesus set out to do? That's the question. And

01:17:42.590 --> 01:17:44.010
you're going to be like, I don't know. I've never

01:17:44.010 --> 01:17:45.449
done that before. It's freaked me out a little

01:17:45.449 --> 01:17:50.149
bit. It's going to be hard. Yeah. But somebody

01:17:50.149 --> 01:17:53.529
can play the liar. And it's the one who practiced.

01:17:53.750 --> 01:17:55.289
It's the one who took the steps. It's the one

01:17:55.289 --> 01:17:59.090
who bought a liar. Whatever. And you can do it

01:17:59.090 --> 01:18:01.609
too. You can share the gospel in whatever situation

01:18:01.609 --> 01:18:03.270
you're in. You can tell people he was dead, he

01:18:03.270 --> 01:18:06.039
was buried, he was risen. He is alive. I have

01:18:06.039 --> 01:18:07.960
met Him personally. I have a personal... If you

01:18:07.960 --> 01:18:09.300
could just get as far as to say, I have a personal

01:18:09.300 --> 01:18:10.760
relationship with Him and I really would like

01:18:10.760 --> 01:18:13.840
for you to have that. And if they say no at that

01:18:13.840 --> 01:18:16.079
point, then it's no. But if you could just get

01:18:16.079 --> 01:18:19.239
that far, then I think you can. If you just realize

01:18:19.239 --> 01:18:21.399
the only thing stopping you from doing it is

01:18:21.399 --> 01:18:24.560
doing it. We'll have the praise team to come

01:18:24.560 --> 01:18:26.279
forward at this time. We're going to have a closing

01:18:26.279 --> 01:18:28.020
hymn. This is going to end our service, but you're

01:18:28.020 --> 01:18:30.079
here today. I know the Lord's been speaking to

01:18:30.079 --> 01:18:32.380
your heart in some way. You know, I've got to

01:18:32.380 --> 01:18:35.319
do what I've got to do. I've got to do what God's

01:18:35.319 --> 01:18:37.720
calling me to do. And you respond to the Lord

01:18:37.720 --> 01:18:39.319
and say, yes, I will do it. Right where you sit,

01:18:39.460 --> 01:18:41.000
you don't need me for that. You say, okay, God,

01:18:41.060 --> 01:18:42.899
I'm going to do it. But then if God impresses

01:18:42.899 --> 01:18:44.220
a point in your heart, you can make that decision

01:18:44.220 --> 01:18:45.840
publicly. Like say, maybe this is my church.

01:18:45.939 --> 01:18:48.479
I can go, hey, God has told me this is going

01:18:48.479 --> 01:18:50.720
to be my church. Or say, I need to be baptized.

01:18:51.479 --> 01:18:54.020
Or say, I need to give. Or I need to serve. Or

01:18:54.020 --> 01:18:56.359
whatever it might be. And you say, okay, God,

01:18:56.420 --> 01:18:58.159
I'll do it. And then God says, make that decision

01:18:58.159 --> 01:19:00.039
publicly. And you come up here and you tell me.

01:19:00.199 --> 01:19:02.199
And together, we'll tell the group. And everybody

01:19:02.199 --> 01:19:04.819
prays together. And we say, okay. Watch this.

01:19:06.100 --> 01:19:09.840
And why do you tell? Because you've got no knowledge

01:19:09.840 --> 01:19:12.840
that's finite compared to the whole of the message.

01:19:13.500 --> 01:19:15.439
You could tell somebody about Jesus, they could

01:19:15.439 --> 01:19:17.100
accept Jesus, and then they could take it to

01:19:17.100 --> 01:19:20.760
their hometown or a whole country. The gospel

01:19:20.760 --> 01:19:22.340
could spread like wildfire starting with the

01:19:22.340 --> 01:19:23.979
one. I submit to you that that's how it usually

01:19:23.979 --> 01:19:26.979
works. It's one step away. Just outside the reach

01:19:26.979 --> 01:19:28.579
of Christians who won't quite do what they're

01:19:28.579 --> 01:19:31.619
supposed to do. That's where the real kingdom

01:19:31.619 --> 01:19:34.689
growth lies. So let's be Christians who will

01:19:34.689 --> 01:19:37.149
do what we're supposed to do. Would you stand

01:19:37.149 --> 01:19:38.930
with me and sing this song for the Lord who's

01:19:38.930 --> 01:19:40.750
laid something on your heart today that you need

01:19:40.750 --> 01:21:08.380
to share with us when you come and respond? Make

01:21:08.380 --> 01:21:11.060
this your prayer to God today. Will you sing

01:21:11.060 --> 01:21:13.159
it out or just say it where you're standing?

01:21:55.279 --> 01:21:57.819
Thank you to all of you for being patient with

01:21:57.819 --> 01:22:00.760
me today as I felt the Lord move in to do some

01:22:00.760 --> 01:22:02.159
things a little bit differently. I hope you were

01:22:02.159 --> 01:22:03.880
blessed. I hope you've been blessed to be in

01:22:03.880 --> 01:22:06.140
the house of the Lord today. I hope you're blessed

01:22:06.140 --> 01:22:08.340
by the message that God is speaking and that

01:22:08.340 --> 01:22:13.439
it's not for only a certain time.