WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.439 So like I said, I was out of town this week, 00:00:02.500 --> 00:00:06.299 and I was blessed to spend the last couple days 00:00:06.299 --> 00:00:08.560 in California at Pepperdine University for their 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.080 Bible lectures. And while I was there, I spent 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.699 a lot of time in classes, listening to some amazing 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:18.359 lessons and worshiping with, like I said, hundreds, 00:00:18.579 --> 00:00:20.260 there's probably over a thousand Christians, 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:23.760 and it was this awesome time. But in this time 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:27.170 there, There was this like overall theme that 00:00:27.170 --> 00:00:29.750 I felt from these teachers, from the worship 00:00:29.750 --> 00:00:32.810 leaders and from the leaders of this event. And 00:00:32.810 --> 00:00:37.030 it was the idea that we have to depend on God. 00:00:37.810 --> 00:00:40.469 that we need God in order to fulfill the mission. 00:00:40.570 --> 00:00:43.490 In fact, we sang this song, and it's called Same 00:00:43.490 --> 00:00:46.009 God, and it says, I'm calling on the God of Jacob, 00:00:46.109 --> 00:00:47.929 and I'm calling on the God of Moses. I'm calling 00:00:47.929 --> 00:00:50.429 on the God of Mary. I'm calling on the God of 00:00:50.429 --> 00:00:52.649 the Bible, of the Old Testament, the New Testament, 00:00:52.689 --> 00:00:55.469 throughout history, who has been with people, 00:00:55.630 --> 00:00:58.350 who has been faithful so that his mission could 00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:01.869 be fulfilled in this world over and over and 00:01:01.869 --> 00:01:04.310 over again. And I'm calling on that same God. 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:08.260 And it was this idea that we can't do what God 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:12.840 has called us to do without his power. And on 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:15.159 the last night of the lectures, I'm sitting in 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.760 my dorm and I had my window open and I'm just 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:22.019 listening to the waves and I'm looking out over, 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:24.900 it's dark, but I can see the lights in the mountain 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:28.760 and kind of see the beach a little bit. And I 00:01:28.760 --> 00:01:31.659 just started praying. And I'm praying and I'm 00:01:31.659 --> 00:01:34.019 praying and I'm praying. And I didn't do this 00:01:34.019 --> 00:01:37.140 on purpose, but thankfully, I'm really glad it 00:01:37.140 --> 00:01:38.980 worked out this way. After I finished praying, 00:01:39.079 --> 00:01:42.719 I felt like I needed to rewrite my sermon. The 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:44.379 sermon had been written, but Thursday night, 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:47.000 for some reason at midnight, I just decided I 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.700 need to say something else. And I'm going to 00:01:49.700 --> 00:01:52.340 call it a spirit moment. Eliza might call it 00:01:52.340 --> 00:01:54.939 my ADHD. I don't know. But either way, you're 00:01:54.939 --> 00:01:56.719 getting a different sermon than what was planned. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.159 But I think it's something that we need a little 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:03.049 bit more than what I had planned on saying. See, 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:04.849 we're in the beginning of this sermon series 00:02:04.849 --> 00:02:07.189 called The Jesus Church, where we're looking 00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:10.509 to find the way that the church of Jesus in the 00:02:10.509 --> 00:02:13.009 book of Acts. And if you're not familiar with 00:02:13.009 --> 00:02:15.430 the book of Acts, it's this powerful book, this 00:02:15.430 --> 00:02:18.229 recorded history of the chronicles of the first 00:02:18.229 --> 00:02:20.830 century church, of what the church of Jesus Christ 00:02:20.830 --> 00:02:23.210 looked like in the first century. The people 00:02:23.210 --> 00:02:26.750 that were closest to Jesus, what they did, how 00:02:26.750 --> 00:02:29.590 they lived, how they operated in the world. And 00:02:29.590 --> 00:02:31.870 I've been saying how excited I am for this series. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:34.539 And I'm really excited because I think it reminds 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:37.120 us of our heritage. See, while I was at the lectures, 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:40.400 they showed this video of the last 50 years of 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.199 the Bible lectures there because they had been 00:02:42.199 --> 00:02:45.939 in this one location at the Firestone Fieldhouse 00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:48.500 on their campus. And for 50 years, the lectures 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:50.280 have been in that building. And they had people 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:52.939 that used to like take their RVs from across 00:02:52.939 --> 00:02:55.560 the country and they'd camp out there. And those 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:57.919 same people, when they were like little kids, 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.000 are still going to these lectures today and now 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.289 they're old. And it was this really cool thing 00:03:02.289 --> 00:03:05.810 of their heritage. And it reminds me that we 00:03:05.810 --> 00:03:08.849 have a heritage, that our church, this church 00:03:08.849 --> 00:03:11.169 here that sits here today has a heritage. Now, 00:03:11.229 --> 00:03:15.169 this church was built maybe in the 70s or I can't 00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:17.310 remember the history, but the Church of Christ, 00:03:17.509 --> 00:03:20.849 it goes way back. And the church in this world 00:03:20.849 --> 00:03:23.389 goes way back to that first century church. And 00:03:23.389 --> 00:03:26.669 so I want us to remember our heritage as a community 00:03:26.669 --> 00:03:29.650 of people that were empowered by the Holy Spirit 00:03:29.650 --> 00:03:32.729 to do something remarkable, something that could 00:03:32.729 --> 00:03:36.129 not be explained by earthly measures. Our heritage 00:03:36.129 --> 00:03:39.129 as a community of people who lived life on a 00:03:39.129 --> 00:03:41.550 mission for Jesus. Our heritage as a community 00:03:41.550 --> 00:03:45.090 that lived to bring the kingdom of God to earth. 00:03:45.669 --> 00:03:48.699 That's our heritage. That's where we come from. 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:53.039 It's not a part of this just like fading moment. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.199 It's not this thing that's just drifting through. 00:03:55.259 --> 00:03:59.719 We have a long standing heritage and it's a heritage 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.879 of boldness. It's a heritage of boldness that 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:05.319 looked death and looked harm in the face and 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:07.580 said, do what you need to do and we will do our 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:11.219 best as well. It was a boldness that said, we're 00:04:11.219 --> 00:04:13.180 going to keep speaking Jesus. We're going to 00:04:13.180 --> 00:04:15.580 keep proclaiming the gospel regardless of what 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.720 it costs us, regardless of what we have to sacrifice, 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.180 regardless of where we have to go, what we have 00:04:21.180 --> 00:04:23.620 to do, who we have to be, and what we have to 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:27.100 say. We are going to boldly proclaim the name 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:29.480 of Jesus. And I believe that to be true because 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:33.019 that's what I find in the book of Acts. specifically 00:04:33.019 --> 00:04:35.759 in Acts chapters three and four. In chapter three, 00:04:35.779 --> 00:04:38.100 we see these two disciples, Peter and John, they're 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:39.959 going to the temple. They're on their way to 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.339 pray. This was a daily rhythm in the scripture. 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:44.879 It says it was the hour of prayer. And so they're 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.720 going to the temple to pray. But this time they 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:50.860 happen upon a paralyzed man and he's sitting 00:04:50.860 --> 00:04:53.319 at this gate, but they don't have money. He's 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:54.980 begging and they don't have anything to give 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:57.279 him. What they do have though, is the ability 00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:00.050 to offer this man healing. He's been paralyzed 00:05:00.050 --> 00:05:02.389 since birth, but they are willing, they're able 00:05:02.389 --> 00:05:05.389 to give him healing. They're able to help him 00:05:05.389 --> 00:05:08.209 walk again or walk for the first time. And so 00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:10.069 they heal the man. He gets up and he doesn't 00:05:10.069 --> 00:05:12.810 just walk. He jumps up, he celebrates and he's 00:05:12.810 --> 00:05:15.930 shouting these praises and he's standing for 00:05:15.930 --> 00:05:17.970 the first time in his life. And all these people 00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:20.529 around, they notice and they see this because 00:05:20.529 --> 00:05:23.870 how could you not? And what happens then is this 00:05:23.870 --> 00:05:26.029 doesn't just catch the attention of the crowd. 00:05:26.269 --> 00:05:28.410 This catches the attention of the religious leaders. 00:05:29.019 --> 00:05:32.180 And they have now caught the disciples of Jesus 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:35.180 healing someone. And they don't like this. Remember, 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.139 these are the same people that just killed Jesus 00:05:37.139 --> 00:05:40.439 a few months ago. And so they don't want to know. 00:05:40.579 --> 00:05:42.939 They don't want to see. And they don't want other 00:05:42.939 --> 00:05:45.860 people to see that Jesus' followers are doing 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:49.879 the same things that Jesus was doing. And so 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:55.540 they arrest Peter and John. They take them to 00:05:55.540 --> 00:05:59.230 this trial. before these religious elites known 00:05:59.230 --> 00:06:01.850 as the Sanhedrin. And this is what we see happen 00:06:01.850 --> 00:06:04.910 in Acts chapter 4, verses 7 through 12. If it's 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:06.470 underlined, I'd love for you to read with us. 00:06:06.930 --> 00:06:08.889 And when they had set them in the midst, they 00:06:08.889 --> 00:06:11.740 inquired, by what power... or by what name did 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:14.399 you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:16.819 Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:19.339 elders, if we are being examined today concerning 00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:22.759 a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:25.319 this man has been healed, let it be known to 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:27.980 all of you and to all the people of Israel that 00:06:27.980 --> 00:06:30.779 by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:33.740 you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:37.319 by him this man is standing before you well. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.899 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by 00:06:40.899 --> 00:06:44.120 you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.459 And there is salvation in no one else, for there 00:06:47.459 --> 00:06:50.199 is no other name under heaven given among men 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:54.439 by which we must be saved. Do you see what just 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:57.480 happened there? I want you to remember that these 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:00.060 aren't just random guys questioning Peter and 00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:03.360 John. Peter says it himself that these are the 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:05.480 men that killed Jesus. These are the men that 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:08.920 killed their rabbi. These are the men that they 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:12.860 had a motive to make sure that nobody believed 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:16.579 in the power of this Jesus, that nobody believed 00:07:16.579 --> 00:07:19.699 in the divinity of this Jesus, and that nobody 00:07:19.699 --> 00:07:23.360 believed the message that Jesus' followers were 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.060 preaching. But Peter and John, they don't care. 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:30.379 They don't shy away from the message that they 00:07:30.379 --> 00:07:33.259 have come to proclaim. Why? Because the Holy 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:36.079 Spirit filled them. The Holy Spirit gave them, 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.160 I want you to say this with me, boldness. Okay, 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:42.180 that wasn't very bold. So we're going to say 00:07:42.180 --> 00:07:45.579 that again. The Holy Spirit filled them with? 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:49.689 Boldness. And I think that's so key to the message 00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:52.829 today and so key to the church because we need 00:07:52.829 --> 00:07:55.850 a boldness, not just a boldness that sings praises 00:07:55.850 --> 00:07:58.610 loudly in here, but a boldness that is noticeable 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:01.509 to the world, a boldness that is noticeable to 00:08:01.509 --> 00:08:05.209 our enemies. I love the song, Raise a Hallelujah. 00:08:06.110 --> 00:08:08.889 I'm going to sing in the middle of the storm, 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:11.269 louder and louder, I'm going to let my praises 00:08:11.269 --> 00:08:16.290 roar. I don't care what enemy hears me proclaim 00:08:16.290 --> 00:08:19.670 the good news. I don't care where I'm at. I don't 00:08:19.670 --> 00:08:21.829 care what you think. I don't care what it may 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:25.370 bring. I'm going to proclaim the gospel with 00:08:25.370 --> 00:08:31.089 boldness. Because boldness is noticeable. It 00:08:31.089 --> 00:08:34.230 catches attention. In fact, in my sermon notes, 00:08:34.389 --> 00:08:37.629 I have in bold print the things I really need 00:08:37.629 --> 00:08:40.610 to see. Because if I'm just like glancing at 00:08:40.610 --> 00:08:43.429 my computer, I can see some of the notes, but 00:08:43.429 --> 00:08:45.889 when I see them in bold, I know that's something 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:49.649 that needs to be paid attention to. And when 00:08:49.649 --> 00:08:52.350 the gospel of Christ is proclaimed with boldness, 00:08:52.590 --> 00:08:56.389 when it's lived out in a bold way, the world 00:08:56.389 --> 00:08:58.889 has no choice but to pay attention to it. And 00:08:58.889 --> 00:09:01.090 what we see in this instance here is something 00:09:01.090 --> 00:09:03.649 so noticeable. In fact, the story goes on to 00:09:03.649 --> 00:09:06.129 say that the religious leaders, they saw the 00:09:06.129 --> 00:09:09.259 boldness of Peter and John. And not only did 00:09:09.259 --> 00:09:11.019 they see it, but I want you to look at what happens 00:09:11.019 --> 00:09:13.899 in verse 13. It says, when they saw the boldness 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:16.220 of Peter and John and perceived that they were 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:18.659 uneducated common men, basically they just called 00:09:18.659 --> 00:09:21.100 them stupid, right? When they saw that they were 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:24.000 uneducated common men, they were astonished and 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.840 they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:32.909 They spoke. They acted in a way that when the 00:09:32.909 --> 00:09:36.009 religious leaders who wanted to deny the divinity 00:09:36.009 --> 00:09:39.350 of Jesus, when they saw them, when they heard 00:09:39.350 --> 00:09:42.470 them, they had no choice but to say, these men, 00:09:42.649 --> 00:09:47.330 they've got a glow. They've got an aura about 00:09:47.330 --> 00:09:50.870 them that says they have been with the divine. 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:54.250 Last week, I read a quote to you from the spy 00:09:54.250 --> 00:09:59.110 that reported back to Nero. And that spy... said, 00:09:59.250 --> 00:10:02.250 surely there is something divine among these 00:10:02.250 --> 00:10:05.190 people. What I mean by that and what the spy 00:10:05.190 --> 00:10:07.710 meant and what the scripture means is that when 00:10:07.710 --> 00:10:10.970 people saw the first century church, they saw 00:10:10.970 --> 00:10:14.490 people that had a glow like they had just been 00:10:14.490 --> 00:10:17.929 in the presence of God. And I asked the question 00:10:17.929 --> 00:10:19.990 last week, I ask it again today, and I'm going 00:10:19.990 --> 00:10:22.570 to keep asking it. When the world outside sees 00:10:22.570 --> 00:10:25.730 us, when they see you, do they see someone? Do 00:10:25.730 --> 00:10:28.570 they see a people that have a glow like they 00:10:28.570 --> 00:10:33.830 have been in the presence of Jesus? These religious 00:10:33.830 --> 00:10:36.929 leaders were astonished. They recognized that 00:10:36.929 --> 00:10:38.529 these men had been with Jesus. I want you to 00:10:38.529 --> 00:10:42.460 imagine facing persecution. Having your life 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:45.399 on the line and you behave in such a way that 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:49.539 the persecutor is amazed by your actions. That 00:10:49.539 --> 00:10:52.220 you live so radically different than the average 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:54.620 person would in this moment that they look at 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:56.600 you and they say, this person has been with God. 00:10:56.899 --> 00:10:59.340 That's a compliment. And the story goes on to 00:10:59.340 --> 00:11:01.720 tell us that the council decided to let Peter 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:06.299 and John go. But it seems that they're doing 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:10.580 this in a way that... It's more for Peter and 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:12.759 John to go back and to tell their little friends 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:16.840 to be quiet about this Jesus thing. They're being 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:19.720 let go kind of as a, hey, go send the message 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:22.799 that we mean business. You know, like in the 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:27.159 mob movies where the enforcer might break a guy's 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:29.600 knees to make sure he goes and tells his little 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.659 friends, hey, the mob is not to be messed with. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.179 That's what happens here. These leaders, they 00:11:36.179 --> 00:11:38.860 let Peter and John go so that they can go warn 00:11:38.860 --> 00:11:43.559 their friends. But I want you to see that Peter 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:47.440 and John, they're not concerned with these threats. 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:53.399 They don't care about these threats. In fact, 00:11:53.419 --> 00:11:58.500 the way they respond is exactly how we said earlier. 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:04.070 It was with... It was with boldness. They respond 00:12:04.070 --> 00:12:06.309 with boldness, which is why they're able to say 00:12:06.309 --> 00:12:11.210 this in verses 19 and 20. Whether it is right 00:12:11.210 --> 00:12:15.870 in the sight of God to listen to you rather than 00:12:15.870 --> 00:12:19.629 to God, you must judge. For we cannot but speak 00:12:19.629 --> 00:12:23.970 of what we have seen and heard. In other words, 00:12:24.129 --> 00:12:26.649 we can't help but tell people about the miracles. 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:29.740 We can't help but tell people about his teachings. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.440 We can't help but tell people about this radical 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:35.059 love that he showed, not just in the way that 00:12:35.059 --> 00:12:37.259 he walked and encountered people, not just in 00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:38.580 the way that he talked with people, not just 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:40.700 in the way that he taught people, but in the 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:43.919 way he died. on a cross for sinful men. And the 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.120 way Peter says it, it's for sinful men like you 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:49.159 that killed him. We can't help but speak of Jesus. 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:52.360 We can't help but show people the joy, the peace 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:55.139 that we feel because of the goodness of God. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:58.639 We can't help but proclaim the resurrected Savior. 00:12:58.899 --> 00:13:01.500 So threaten us all you want, but we will not 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:03.860 be quiet. We are going to sing. We are going 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:05.960 to shout. We are going to proclaim it from the 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:07.960 rooftops. We are going to keep healing. We're 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:10.320 going to keep changing communities because we 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:17.210 have sinned. seen. We have been with God. And 00:13:17.210 --> 00:13:19.309 so they leave after being threatened some more 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:22.269 and saying, we're going to keep speaking Jesus. 00:13:23.629 --> 00:13:26.190 And when they leave, they do exactly what I want 00:13:26.190 --> 00:13:29.169 us to do this morning. They go to their church 00:13:29.169 --> 00:13:32.730 family and they immediately pray for more what? 00:13:35.250 --> 00:13:39.809 Notice they don't pray for safety. They don't 00:13:39.809 --> 00:13:42.870 pray for Somebody within the church should be 00:13:42.870 --> 00:13:45.289 put in a political position so that they can 00:13:45.289 --> 00:13:47.649 keep proclaiming the gospel with freedom. They 00:13:47.649 --> 00:13:51.429 don't pray that God would do harm to their enemies. 00:13:51.549 --> 00:13:54.029 They don't pray that God would make it easy for 00:13:54.029 --> 00:13:55.889 them. They don't pray for those things. What 00:13:55.889 --> 00:14:02.470 they pray for is... Read Acts 4, 23 through 30 00:14:02.470 --> 00:14:05.090 with me. When they were released, they went to 00:14:05.090 --> 00:14:07.029 their friends and reported what the chief priests 00:14:07.029 --> 00:14:09.429 and elders had said to them. And when they heard 00:14:09.429 --> 00:14:11.750 it, they lifted their voices together to God 00:14:11.750 --> 00:14:14.690 and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven 00:14:14.690 --> 00:14:17.190 and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 00:14:17.289 --> 00:14:19.710 who through the mouth of our father David, your 00:14:19.710 --> 00:14:22.549 servant, said by the Holy Spirit, why did the 00:14:22.549 --> 00:14:25.789 Gentiles rage in the people's plot in vain? The 00:14:25.789 --> 00:14:28.049 kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers 00:14:28.049 --> 00:14:30.710 were gathered together against the Lord and against 00:14:30.710 --> 00:14:33.450 his anointed. For truly in this city there were 00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:35.809 gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, 00:14:36.049 --> 00:14:39.289 whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, 00:14:39.370 --> 00:14:41.929 along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 00:14:42.070 --> 00:14:45.789 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined 00:14:45.789 --> 00:14:49.470 to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their 00:14:49.470 --> 00:14:51.950 threats and grant to your servants to continue 00:14:51.950 --> 00:14:55.649 to speak your word with all boldness. while you 00:14:55.649 --> 00:14:58.629 stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and 00:14:58.629 --> 00:15:01.169 wonders are performed through the name of your 00:15:01.169 --> 00:15:05.870 holy servant, Jesus. They had just had their 00:15:05.870 --> 00:15:09.929 lives threatened. They had probably been told 00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:12.049 all of these unspeakable things that would be 00:15:12.049 --> 00:15:14.830 done to them if they didn't stop talking about 00:15:14.830 --> 00:15:18.710 Jesus. And it wasn't hollow threats. Again, just 00:15:18.710 --> 00:15:21.610 a few months ago, they saw their rabbi murdered. 00:15:22.330 --> 00:15:24.809 They saw the rabbi not just murdered, but tortured, 00:15:25.009 --> 00:15:29.289 spit on, beat, put a crown of thorns put on his 00:15:29.289 --> 00:15:32.710 head, a spear driven into his side, nails driven 00:15:32.710 --> 00:15:35.889 through his hands. They saw this happen. They 00:15:35.889 --> 00:15:39.269 knew exactly what these men would do and could 00:15:39.269 --> 00:15:43.149 do if they didn't stop speaking Jesus with boldness, 00:15:43.269 --> 00:15:48.769 but they don't care. They just pray, God, would 00:15:48.769 --> 00:15:52.360 you help us to look death in the face? and speak 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:56.200 Jesus? Would you help us to look our enemies 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.899 in the face and speak Jesus? And this wasn't 00:15:59.899 --> 00:16:03.100 just about death. And it wasn't just about torture. 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:06.620 I mean, this was social outcast. They were losing 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:08.940 friends. They were losing family. They would 00:16:08.940 --> 00:16:10.940 lose work. I mean, these people still had jobs, 00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:15.440 but their jobs could be threatened. Their homes 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:21.279 could be threatened. Their lives, their livelihoods. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:23.620 Their friendships, their families, everything 00:16:23.620 --> 00:16:25.700 that they had, everything that they knew, and 00:16:25.700 --> 00:16:27.720 everything that they loved could be taken away 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:29.720 from them. In fact, this is exactly what the 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:32.259 Hebrew writer is writing about in the book of 00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:36.600 Hebrews. He's saying you've had your life damaged. 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:39.700 You've had your life destroyed. You've had everything 00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:42.139 pillaged from you and taken from you, and you're 00:16:42.139 --> 00:16:44.659 having your life threatened, but please don't 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:48.120 give up because there was a temptation to give 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:51.250 up. which is why they're praying, God, would 00:16:51.250 --> 00:16:54.110 you make us bold so that we don't shrink back, 00:16:54.210 --> 00:16:57.389 so that we don't cower down. They prayed for, 00:16:57.610 --> 00:17:01.809 say it again, boldness. And it's not some solemn, 00:17:01.929 --> 00:17:04.589 simple prayer. In verse 24, it says, they lifted 00:17:04.589 --> 00:17:07.730 their voices together to God. Another way to 00:17:07.730 --> 00:17:11.190 say that is they cried out together. They didn't 00:17:11.190 --> 00:17:13.809 just say, God, would you give us boldness? Would 00:17:13.809 --> 00:17:15.990 you help us to proclaim that? That wasn't it. 00:17:16.569 --> 00:17:20.140 It was God. Would you help us to be unashamed? 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:22.339 Would you help us to be unafraid? Would you help 00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:25.339 us to not care about this life? Would you help 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:27.299 us to not care about this world, but to care 00:17:27.299 --> 00:17:30.019 only about you and speaking your goodness and 00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:33.259 bringing people with us to your home? Would you 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:37.059 help us to give up ourselves? It was crying out. 00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:39.740 It's like a baby crying out in the middle of 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:42.079 the night for their mama. Notice they're not 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:44.460 crying out for dad. They're crying out for mama. 00:17:46.409 --> 00:17:49.609 And if you have multiple kids, this is why when 00:17:49.609 --> 00:17:51.710 Easton and Peyton were little, we didn't have 00:17:51.710 --> 00:17:54.809 them in rooms close together because if baby 00:17:54.809 --> 00:17:56.470 starts crying out in the middle of the night, 00:17:56.650 --> 00:17:58.430 guess who else is crying out in the middle of 00:17:58.430 --> 00:18:01.309 the night? Older brother. And now you've got 00:18:01.309 --> 00:18:04.589 these two voices crying out until somebody answers 00:18:04.589 --> 00:18:08.950 their cry. And that's what I see in Acts. I see 00:18:08.950 --> 00:18:11.829 a church, a community of people that were crying 00:18:11.829 --> 00:18:16.740 out to God until he answered. And I love the 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:21.599 way God shows up and answers. I love what happens 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:25.660 here. I want you to read verse 31 with me. When 00:18:25.660 --> 00:18:28.160 they had prayed, the place in which they were 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:30.940 gathered together was shaken, and they were all 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:33.259 filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to 00:18:33.259 --> 00:18:39.539 speak the word of God with... Imagine, we're 00:18:39.539 --> 00:18:44.460 praying, and we're pleading with God. God, my 00:18:44.460 --> 00:18:48.400 wife's in danger. God, I've been struggling with 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:52.640 this diagnosis of cancer and I got to focus on 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:55.440 that. I don't have time. I don't have the mental 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.880 capacity to focus on bringing the gospel to others. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:01.299 God, I'm struggling with finances and I've got 00:19:01.299 --> 00:19:03.460 to work some extra shifts. I don't have time 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:06.339 to disciple this brother. God, I've been struggling 00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:09.440 with my family. We're really dealing with some 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:12.640 things and so I don't have time. I don't have 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:14.200 the mental capacity. I don't have the energy. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:17.680 My spirits are weak. I don't have the ability 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:19.740 to continue going to church right now. I just 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:25.640 need a break. But in all of this, God, would 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:28.920 you give me boldness so that I could set aside 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:32.359 the fear of the diagnosis? so that I can set 00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:34.819 aside the anxiety of the financial stresses, 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:37.200 so that I can set aside the worries, so that 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.819 I can set aside all of the things that are trying 00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:42.000 to distract me from the mission, that are trying 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.539 to distract me from the community, that are trying 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.200 to distract me from preaching, Jesus, God, would 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:50.660 you give me boldness so that I can keep going 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:54.240 in spite of all of that? And God shows up and 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:57.079 he shakes the very foundation of the ground you 00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:08.039 stand on. He rocks your... You see, this lesson 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:10.019 was supposed to be about being a prayerful church. 00:20:10.180 --> 00:20:13.779 The lesson title I had in my series outline was 00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:16.019 the prayerful church. And in a sense, it still 00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:21.259 is. But man, I just feel like our issue isn't 00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:24.240 as much that we don't pray enough. When things 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.579 go bad, we're really quick to just, God, would 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:29.059 you help me? When things aren't going right, 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.720 we're really quick to throw up the prayer, and 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.779 that's great. I think our first resort should 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:37.119 always be prayer. But I think sometimes we pray 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:41.460 for the wrong things. We spend so much time, 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:44.039 and I'm not saying these are bad things, but 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:46.940 we spend so much time. God, pray for our nation. 00:20:47.790 --> 00:20:50.130 Or we spend so much time saying, God, we pray 00:20:50.130 --> 00:20:52.210 for our leaders. God, we pray for the poor and 00:20:52.210 --> 00:20:53.950 needy. God, we pray for the widows and orphans. 00:20:53.970 --> 00:20:56.009 God, we pray for the lost. God, we pray for the 00:20:56.009 --> 00:20:58.109 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And that's good. 00:20:58.250 --> 00:21:00.569 We absolutely should pray for those things. But 00:21:00.569 --> 00:21:02.410 more than that, I believe what we need to be 00:21:02.410 --> 00:21:04.329 praying for is exactly what's on the screen, 00:21:04.450 --> 00:21:06.569 exactly what we've been saying, exactly what 00:21:06.569 --> 00:21:08.910 the church in Acts prayed for. It's boldness. 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:13.059 To live like Jesus, to speak like Jesus, to proclaim 00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:15.500 the goodness of God. And do you know why I think 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:18.259 that? Because if God's church was bolder, this 00:21:18.259 --> 00:21:21.119 nation could be great. If God's church was bolder, 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:23.480 this world could be great. If God's church was 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:26.380 bolder, the poor, the needy would never go without. 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:29.460 If God's church was bolder, the widows, the orphans, 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:32.799 the lost would have people to call family. If 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:38.230 God's church was bolder, all of the pain. All 00:21:38.230 --> 00:21:41.470 of the sorrow, all of the sickness, all of the 00:21:41.470 --> 00:21:45.150 hurt in this world could be mitigated. If God's 00:21:45.150 --> 00:21:48.829 church was bolder, imagine what this world could 00:21:48.829 --> 00:21:53.970 be. You see, I love the book of Acts. And I love 00:21:53.970 --> 00:21:56.329 early church history because what it tells us 00:21:56.329 --> 00:22:00.410 is that these people, these first Christians, 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:03.109 these people that had something divine among 00:22:03.109 --> 00:22:06.099 them, Those people lived in such a way, they 00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:12.779 spoke in such a way that changed the world. It 00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:16.319 made people realize that the way that they were 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:20.259 living, the sinful, sick, twisted way they were 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:23.700 living wasn't good enough. It made people realize 00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:26.759 that we need to give to the poor and needy. It 00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:29.200 made people realize that we need to bring in 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:31.299 the outcasts. It made people realize that there 00:22:31.299 --> 00:22:33.980 is no stranger in the church of Christ. It made 00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:37.180 people realize that the kingdom of God is available 00:22:37.180 --> 00:22:42.640 to everybody, even the least of these. And it 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.440 changed the world. And I'm not just like cliche 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:47.619 saying it changed, like it changed the world, 00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:51.720 our hospitals. come from the church. Our orphanages 00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:54.740 come from the church. Foster care came from the 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:57.720 church. Widow care came from the church. Welfare, 00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:59.880 all of those things came from the church. The 00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:02.599 best governments in the world came from the church. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:05.660 Why? Because the way of God is so much better 00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:07.859 than the way of the world. But the way of God 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:10.339 cannot take over if we act like we're afraid 00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:13.500 of things, if we act like we're timid, for God 00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:21.900 has not given us a spirit of fear. Sadly though, 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:26.440 I believe we, for far too long, individually 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:30.579 and collectively, have been too self -centered 00:23:30.579 --> 00:23:35.720 to fulfill the mission. I've shared the illustration 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:39.380 before of the small boat rescue station that 00:23:39.380 --> 00:23:42.039 started out with a mission of saving wrecked 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:45.079 ships out on the sea. And they'd go out and they'd 00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:49.140 save the ships and they'd bring them back. the 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:50.920 crew members, not the ships. They'd bring the 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:53.000 crew members back and they'd bring them to their 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.819 rescue station. They'd heal them up. They'd feed 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:56.759 them and they'd clothe them. And then what would 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:58.700 happen is because these people, they're from 00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:00.500 wherever and they're stranded here, they would 00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:04.109 join the small boat rescue station. And then 00:24:04.109 --> 00:24:06.130 the next time there's a distress signal out on 00:24:06.130 --> 00:24:07.849 the water, they would go out and they would save 00:24:07.849 --> 00:24:10.069 those people and they bring them back in this 00:24:10.069 --> 00:24:12.630 cycle repeated. And they had like this fleet, 00:24:12.710 --> 00:24:15.390 like a Coast Guard of people that could go out 00:24:15.390 --> 00:24:18.410 and save wrecked ships anytime, any day, in any 00:24:18.410 --> 00:24:22.049 weather. But over time, they started to fix up 00:24:22.049 --> 00:24:24.170 the rescue station because it had some nasty 00:24:24.170 --> 00:24:27.349 carpet and had some raggedy chairs and it needed 00:24:27.349 --> 00:24:29.710 some fixing up. And so they did that. They made 00:24:29.710 --> 00:24:31.329 it look real nice and it was real pretty and 00:24:31.329 --> 00:24:36.650 it grew and it grew and it grew. And over time, 00:24:36.769 --> 00:24:42.549 the distress signals would go up. But man, it's 00:24:42.549 --> 00:24:45.369 really bad weather out there. If we go out there, 00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:48.980 we might die. And if we die, then who's going 00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:50.900 to take care of this and who's going to do the 00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:55.059 saving? But they'd go and they'd save people. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:57.500 But, you know, they were like, maybe we'll bring 00:24:57.500 --> 00:24:59.160 like a small boat. We can put them on the small 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:01.319 boat and launch them off so they can go back 00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:04.079 on their way. And then they'd go back and they'd 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:06.940 do their thing. And then the next, you know, 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:09.359 next time the distress signals would go up and 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:12.660 it's, ah, man, the weather's bad and the food 00:25:12.660 --> 00:25:14.720 here, like we just, somebody just cooked up this 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:17.950 really good food. We got to stay. Oh, and we've 00:25:17.950 --> 00:25:20.690 got a seminar. We've got to train, right? Because 00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:22.849 if something were to happen and we needed to 00:25:22.849 --> 00:25:24.650 go save these people, we need to know how. We 00:25:24.650 --> 00:25:26.450 need to be equipped. And so they would do this. 00:25:26.490 --> 00:25:29.069 And all of this training and taking care of each 00:25:29.069 --> 00:25:30.690 other, and they had a really good community going 00:25:30.690 --> 00:25:33.490 on, but the stress signals were going up in the 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:39.450 water, and nobody was going to save anybody because 00:25:39.450 --> 00:25:44.240 of fear of what might happen. Fear that I might 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:46.359 have to give up something in my own life. Fear 00:25:46.359 --> 00:25:49.740 that I would be uncomfortable. Fear that I would 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:52.279 have to go and do. And fear that if we bring 00:25:52.279 --> 00:25:55.339 them back, maybe they'll, you know, we really 00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:58.039 don't want those kind of people in our rescue 00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:04.440 crew. When I say self -centered, what I mean 00:26:04.440 --> 00:26:09.059 is we're too afraid of what might happen to us. 00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:13.359 We're too afraid. of what we might have to give 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:19.359 up. And I mean this honestly. Fear is a symptom. 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:22.920 It's just a symptom of believing that my physical 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:29.579 life is more important than a lost soul. God, 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:32.940 if I do that, I got to give up my friends. And 00:26:32.940 --> 00:26:36.180 I like my friends. They make me happy. God, if 00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:37.920 I do that, I've got to give up where I live. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:39.740 And I like where I live. It's not too hot. It's 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:42.900 not too cold. God, if I do that, I've got to 00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:45.000 give up some of the things that I like to have. 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:47.079 God, if I do that, I've got to take time away 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:49.420 from... God, if I do that, and it's just all 00:26:49.420 --> 00:26:51.079 of these things about what I might have to give 00:26:51.079 --> 00:26:54.079 up, not considering the fact that this life is 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:57.319 temporary, but that person perishing in hell 00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:01.980 is eternal. Are my 100 years in this life... 00:27:02.329 --> 00:27:06.829 If I get that, I got like 50. If my few years 00:27:06.829 --> 00:27:09.650 of life on this earth, are they more important 00:27:09.650 --> 00:27:16.789 than that person's soul in eternity? I just, 00:27:16.910 --> 00:27:20.349 I think that's what we need. We need a boldness 00:27:20.349 --> 00:27:22.289 that says, I'm not going to be self -centered. 00:27:22.369 --> 00:27:24.190 I'm not going to be fearful. I'm not going to 00:27:24.190 --> 00:27:27.849 walk in a way that says, what if? I'm just going 00:27:27.849 --> 00:27:33.150 to say, God, even if. I'm going to proclaim the 00:27:33.150 --> 00:27:38.269 goodness. So today I want us to pray for boldness. 00:27:39.029 --> 00:27:42.190 I want us to be in constant prayer that the Holy 00:27:42.190 --> 00:27:44.829 Spirit would fill us with a confidence in Christ 00:27:44.829 --> 00:27:48.450 that would allow us to fulfill the mission. And 00:27:48.450 --> 00:27:50.769 I want us to pray this with expectation that 00:27:50.769 --> 00:27:53.190 God will show up because I do believe that the 00:27:53.190 --> 00:27:57.740 same God that showed up For Moses, the same God 00:27:57.740 --> 00:28:00.420 that showed up for Jesus, the same God that showed 00:28:00.420 --> 00:28:02.819 up for the disciples, the same God that we read 00:28:02.819 --> 00:28:06.859 of shaking the ground and acts for that same 00:28:06.859 --> 00:28:13.140 God can move in power right now. I believe that. 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:16.940 So today I don't want us to just pray more. I 00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:19.420 want us to pray more for the right things and 00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:21.819 I want us to pray it boldly. So I want us to 00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:24.609 pray. like people who actually believe that God 00:28:24.609 --> 00:28:27.009 will show up and pray like people who know what's 00:28:27.009 --> 00:28:29.369 at stake. I'm not saying we pretend that the 00:28:29.369 --> 00:28:31.650 fears of this world aren't real. I'm just saying 00:28:31.650 --> 00:28:35.950 we live in a way that says, I don't care. And 00:28:35.950 --> 00:28:37.829 I want us to pray like a people who have been 00:28:37.829 --> 00:28:47.440 with Jesus. So let's pray. Father God. The same 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:50.200 God that defeated nations and armies. The same 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:53.099 God that flooded an entire earth. The same God 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:56.799 that created the entire universe. That same God 00:28:56.799 --> 00:28:59.019 that has been with his people, that has been 00:28:59.019 --> 00:29:01.539 fighting for his people. God, we are praying 00:29:01.539 --> 00:29:05.200 to you. And we are praying to you that your church 00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:07.990 would wake up. that your spirit would fill us 00:29:07.990 --> 00:29:10.210 with a boldness, that your spirit would fill 00:29:10.210 --> 00:29:13.849 us with a need to live and speak in a way that 00:29:13.849 --> 00:29:15.950 cannot be denied that we have been with Jesus. 00:29:16.009 --> 00:29:19.210 God, we are praying for your spirit to come and 00:29:19.210 --> 00:29:22.619 shake this room. And although we know that it 00:29:22.619 --> 00:29:24.500 may not be a physical shaking, although God, 00:29:24.599 --> 00:29:26.759 I believe you can do it. Although we know that 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:29.559 we may not just get up and start shouting in 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:32.680 exclamations and God, we know that it may not 00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:35.619 look like it did in Acts. God, I do believe that 00:29:35.619 --> 00:29:38.119 you still are the same God that moved in power 00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:40.839 then. And so God, we are praying that you would 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:46.700 wake your children up to speak boldly. to live 00:29:46.700 --> 00:29:49.279 boldly, to stop worrying about ourselves, to 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:51.420 stop worrying about this life. And God, we're 00:29:51.420 --> 00:29:54.240 not discounting the dangers. We're not discounting 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:56.339 the troubles. We're not discounting the suffering. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:29:58.839 We're not discounting any of that. But God, what 00:29:58.839 --> 00:30:02.119 we're saying is even if whatever comes, whatever 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:06.259 we have to give up, God, we want to speak your 00:30:06.259 --> 00:30:13.420 good news boldly. We want to live good news boldly. 00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:16.720 because, God, there is a world of people out 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:20.670 there suffering. There are people out there that 00:30:20.670 --> 00:30:22.849 are struggling, that are hurting, that are in 00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:25.410 need of hope. There are people out there, God, 00:30:25.529 --> 00:30:27.250 that are in need of family. There are people 00:30:27.250 --> 00:30:29.789 out there that are in need of your cleansing 00:30:29.789 --> 00:30:32.529 power. There are people struggling with addictions, 00:30:32.589 --> 00:30:34.950 that are struggling with loss, that are struggling 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:37.670 with grief, that are struggling with abuse, that 00:30:37.670 --> 00:30:40.450 are struggling with being in need of all kinds 00:30:40.450 --> 00:30:43.109 of things. And God, I don't want us to be a people 00:30:43.109 --> 00:30:46.150 that just sit on our hands. So God, we pray that 00:30:46.150 --> 00:30:49.519 you would move in your church. that you would 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:57.019 fill us, that you would stir us. God, would you 00:30:57.019 --> 00:31:00.460 help us to raise our sails? And would your spirit 00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:04.519 push us to the least of these? Would your spirit 00:31:04.519 --> 00:31:08.759 push us to the lost, to the hurt? And may we 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:12.119 rescue them with your good news and bring them 00:31:12.119 --> 00:31:15.589 in. so that they too can be a part of this good 00:31:15.589 --> 00:31:20.410 news, life -saving, God -given mission. God, 00:31:20.430 --> 00:31:23.450 we know you are the same God that you have always 00:31:23.450 --> 00:31:26.509 been, and that God is a promise keeper, that 00:31:26.509 --> 00:31:30.450 God is a way maker. And so, God, would you move 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:34.309 in power in your people today? We pray this in 00:31:34.309 --> 00:31:38.109 the name of Jesus, and we believe with expectation 00:31:38.109 --> 00:31:41.960 because of the power of the Spirit. that you 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:45.119 will do a mighty work in and through your people. 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:51.900 It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Now maybe 00:31:51.900 --> 00:31:54.859 you're here today and you realize that you've 00:31:54.859 --> 00:31:59.759 been living in fear. And I want to make sure 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:05.099 that you understand the reason Christians, the 00:32:05.099 --> 00:32:07.700 reason the church has been able to look fear 00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:11.079 in the face. The reason Christians have been 00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:13.880 able to look diagnosis in the face, the reason 00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:15.940 Christians have been able to look death in the 00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:17.559 face, the reason Christians have been able to 00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:21.000 look loss in the face for all of these centuries 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:26.400 is because the church has been founded on the 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:31.500 truth that God is greater than all of it. And 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:35.079 the church has been formed with the truth that 00:32:35.079 --> 00:32:38.680 this is just supposed to be a glimpse. of our 00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:42.680 eternal destination. And so whatever comes in 00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:48.980 this life, we know our God is greater and what 00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:54.180 he has in store for us is greater. And so if 00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:57.539 you need to be reassured or if you need people 00:32:57.539 --> 00:32:59.859 to walk alongside you and prop you up because 00:32:59.859 --> 00:33:02.319 you can't feel that right now and you don't really 00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:04.480 believe that right now, but you believe that 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:06.559 there are people that can help you along the 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:09.599 way. We want to pray for you. We want to lay 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:12.299 hands on you and pray over you and be in prayer 00:33:12.299 --> 00:33:15.160 with you and walk with you. If you're struggling 00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:17.400 with life and where you're at, we want to walk 00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:19.740 with you. And if you're ready to give your life 00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:22.299 to Jesus, if you're ready to make the boldest 00:33:22.299 --> 00:33:24.839 statement of all by burying your life in the 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:27.700 watery grave of baptism and rising again to new 00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:31.200 life to say, I am giving everything I am to Jesus. 00:33:31.299 --> 00:33:34.400 If you're ready to make that proclamation. We 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:36.160 want to be there with you. We want to help you 00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:38.839 with that, wherever you are today. I know we've 00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:40.759 been sitting here for a long time. We're about 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:43.920 to stand, and we're going to proclaim the goodness 00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:45.559 of God. We're going to sing a song of invitation, 00:33:45.900 --> 00:33:47.839 and I don't want you to let this moment pass 00:33:47.839 --> 00:33:50.359 by. I don't want you to listen to this invitation 00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:55.240 and just go. Wherever you are, whatever you need, 00:33:55.460 --> 00:33:58.940 let us pray boldly over you, with you today, 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:00.740 whatever it is you need.