WEBVTT 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:19.839 With us this morning, some very special people. 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:25.940 Pastor Kirk and Diane Stickler from Calvary Open 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:29.500 Bible Church in Springfield. Would you guys just 00:00:29.500 --> 00:00:31.780 stand right now that we can just... Would you 00:00:31.780 --> 00:00:33.740 just tell them thank you for being here with 00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:36.500 us this morning? I'm going to introduce Kirk 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:39.280 in just a little bit, but come on. He's a great 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:46.000 friend. Come on up here. He's a great friend. 00:00:46.990 --> 00:00:50.509 Great pastor. We've known him for many years. 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:56.479 Pastor Kirk is part of our MFI fellowship. And 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:59.219 the Bible says, the last shall be first. And 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:01.740 come on, he just joined there about a couple 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:04.420 years ago. But I call him, just so you know, 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:05.959 I mean, because I know I'm going to get beat 00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.099 up on today, just so you know. Don't, don't let 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:10.920 him take advantage of that. But I'm just telling 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:13.359 you, I call him the pretty boy. The California 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:16.099 pretty boy. Got a perfect smile. Got perfect 00:01:16.099 --> 00:01:19.519 hair. Got a great figure. And I have none of 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.459 those things. I don't have a smile. I got one 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:24.519 buck tooth. I got no hair. And I don't have a 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:26.760 good figure. But anyways. Would you tell him 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:28.319 that we love him, and let's introduce him. Let 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:37.260 the Spirit of God fall. I was a little bothered 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:39.959 when a lady from our church raised her hand as 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:44.739 a visitor. You're not coming here next week, 00:01:44.739 --> 00:01:49.760 just for the record. This is kind of like coming 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.620 home in a way, our very first. home group at 00:01:53.620 --> 00:01:55.599 Eugene Christian Fellowship a long, long time 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:58.120 ago. We were in it with Andy and Patty and a 00:01:58.120 --> 00:02:01.599 whole bunch of people that attend this wonderful 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.040 church, have been part of our lives for a long 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:06.819 time. I do want to thank Pastor Brad for the 00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:09.740 invitation to speak. You and Jenny have become 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:12.919 great friends of ours and not just of ours, but 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:17.039 also to our church. Your leadership and your 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:20.430 direction and your guidance. Your support, I 00:02:20.430 --> 00:02:21.810 don't know where your wife went, I hope she's 00:02:21.810 --> 00:02:24.729 coming in here, but you have blessed us deeply. 00:02:25.569 --> 00:02:28.069 And I know that you guys know this, but you have 00:02:28.069 --> 00:02:37.150 two tremendous pastors in them too. But for all 00:02:37.150 --> 00:02:39.810 of his great qualities, he also has a mischievous 00:02:39.810 --> 00:02:46.620 side. Right? You know when he gets that twinkle 00:02:46.620 --> 00:02:50.699 in his eye and that big toothy grin that he's 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:52.800 going to say something and you're in trouble 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.080 and there's not anything you can do to respond 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:58.139 to it? How many have been on the other side of 00:02:58.139 --> 00:03:02.840 those comments? He and my own church referred 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:07.270 to me as the pretty boy and Mr. Smooth. I don't 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.490 know, the golden boy with the great hair. And 00:03:09.490 --> 00:03:11.110 I don't know where he gets that because I grew 00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:13.370 up in South Dakota and I started in a trailer 00:03:13.370 --> 00:03:20.289 park. And unlike the real Mr. Smooth, I've never 00:03:20.289 --> 00:03:23.669 been to Vegas. I don't own any shiny shoes like 00:03:23.669 --> 00:03:34.000 that. I don't have any silk shirts. I am sure 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.300 that his shoe collection is worth more than my 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:44.020 daily driver. I know that. So I am more Harrisburg 00:03:44.020 --> 00:03:50.139 than Brad is, don't you think? I love you, brother. 00:03:53.979 --> 00:03:56.280 There's more, I think, but we'll just get on 00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:00.900 with it. I do want to share something that's 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:04.189 more important than that. I came across this 00:04:04.189 --> 00:04:07.610 in my devotions, I don't know, maybe a month 00:04:07.610 --> 00:04:10.349 ago. One of the core values that I had when I 00:04:10.349 --> 00:04:13.930 became a pastor about 10 years ago, 9 now, is 00:04:13.930 --> 00:04:16.350 I wanted my devotional time to remain my time 00:04:16.350 --> 00:04:18.350 with the Lord. I didn't want to preach from that. 00:04:18.430 --> 00:04:21.129 I didn't want to teach from that. I value that. 00:04:21.230 --> 00:04:24.370 It's got to be me filling up me with the things 00:04:24.370 --> 00:04:27.430 the Lord has for Kirk. But once in a while, I'll 00:04:27.430 --> 00:04:29.509 share something out of my devotions. And I came 00:04:29.509 --> 00:04:32.300 across this. this biographical sketch really 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:34.839 of another ordinary guy like your pastor by the 00:04:34.839 --> 00:04:38.399 name of Philip this is not Philip the disciple 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:41.139 but it's Philip the deacon and the reason that 00:04:41.139 --> 00:04:43.439 I want to talk about him is because this deacon 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:47.480 is so much like us his story is like ours his 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:49.819 journey with the Lord is like ours he had those 00:04:49.819 --> 00:04:52.920 mountaintop experiences those valleys of grief 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:56.060 the examples of obedience to do what you wouldn't 00:04:56.060 --> 00:04:59.379 want to do the desert the long season of faithfulness, 00:04:59.459 --> 00:05:01.220 and then there was the inheritance at the end. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:03.620 And that's exactly what our journey with God 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:05.680 is like. And I think it's important for us to 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:08.759 understand that. We all go through those things. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:12.079 Sometimes people, I think, misrepresent the Christian 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.740 journey. They misrepresent the faith that we 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:17.199 have. You know, it's all easy. You know, it all 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:19.519 turns out good all the time. Is that your story? 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:21.939 It's not my experience. And so, you know, it's 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:24.560 not that we have freedom from hardship. It's 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:27.180 that we have victory in hardship. And we see 00:05:27.180 --> 00:05:30.620 that in the story of Philip the deacon. So real 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:32.579 quickly, I'm going to just give you five sketches 00:05:32.579 --> 00:05:35.560 from his life that I think that we all can relate 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:38.720 to. First, we have to begin with the honeymoon 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.920 because that's how his story begins. It started 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:45.199 in Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus. 00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:48.759 He was at this new church plant. It was exploding 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:51.540 in growth. And then there were all of those miraculous 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:54.639 signs and wonders that were taking place. Just 00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:58.060 a couple of verses. Acts 2 .41 says that 3 ,000 00:05:58.060 --> 00:06:00.540 people were added in one day, if you can imagine. 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:04.519 And then in Acts 2 .46 and 47, it says, Every 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:07.019 day the believers attended the temple together, 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.060 all 3 ,000 of them, and broke bread in their 00:06:10.060 --> 00:06:13.220 homes, praising God and having favor with all 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:16.019 the people. And the Lord added to their number 00:06:16.019 --> 00:06:22.220 daily even more. Acts 5 .14 says, More than ever, 00:06:22.259 --> 00:06:25.740 believers were added to the Lord, multitudes 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:30.509 of both men and women. So do the math. You start 00:06:30.509 --> 00:06:34.290 with 120 in Acts 1, and then you add 3 ,000, 00:06:34.290 --> 00:06:36.370 and then you add more every day, and the more 00:06:36.370 --> 00:06:39.350 every day is defined by multitudes of men and 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:43.610 women. That church was exploding. It had to be 00:06:43.610 --> 00:06:47.629 4 or 5 or 6 or 10 ,000 people by the time we 00:06:47.629 --> 00:06:50.870 get to the introduction of Philip. And then we 00:06:50.870 --> 00:06:53.370 see how he comes on the scene in Acts 6, 1 through 00:06:53.370 --> 00:06:55.870 7. I think we have these verses up on the screen 00:06:55.870 --> 00:06:57.970 if you'll follow along. It says, Now in those 00:06:57.970 --> 00:07:00.790 days when the disciples were increasing in number, 00:07:00.870 --> 00:07:04.269 so it's still growing, a complaint by the Hellenists 00:07:04.269 --> 00:07:07.089 arose against the Hebrews because their widows 00:07:07.089 --> 00:07:08.990 were being neglected in the daily distribution. 00:07:09.829 --> 00:07:12.870 And the twelve apostles summoned the full number 00:07:12.870 --> 00:07:15.089 of the disciples, or the followers of Jesus, 00:07:15.170 --> 00:07:17.790 all of them. And they said, it's not right that 00:07:17.790 --> 00:07:19.670 we should give up preaching the word to serve 00:07:19.670 --> 00:07:22.430 tables. Therefore, brothers, would you pick out 00:07:22.430 --> 00:07:25.209 from among you seven men of good repute, full 00:07:25.209 --> 00:07:27.410 of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:30.329 to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to 00:07:30.329 --> 00:07:33.069 prayer and to the ministry of the word. And what 00:07:33.069 --> 00:07:35.829 they had said pleased the whole gathering. And 00:07:35.829 --> 00:07:38.670 they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of 00:07:38.670 --> 00:07:41.610 the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and 00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:45.209 Nicanor, and Timon, and... Parmenas and Nicholas, 00:07:45.310 --> 00:07:48.750 a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before 00:07:48.750 --> 00:07:51.110 the twelve, and they prayed and laid their hands 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:54.949 on them. And the word of God continued to increase, 00:07:55.269 --> 00:07:59.170 and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly 00:07:59.170 --> 00:08:03.089 in Jerusalem, and a great many of priests became 00:08:03.089 --> 00:08:06.490 obedient to the faith. Man, that's a honeymoon, 00:08:06.629 --> 00:08:10.939 isn't it? Think about the atmosphere and the 00:08:10.939 --> 00:08:13.480 method by which those seven deacons, including 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:17.139 Philip, were chosen. Think about the method first. 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:20.480 Acts as they were picked from among the people 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:23.879 by the people. So the 10 ,000 members of the 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:26.579 first church of Jerusalem had this meeting. And 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:29.220 I don't know where they met, but as they were 00:08:29.220 --> 00:08:31.180 getting together and they were congregating that 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:33.960 day, they began to pick from among the 10 ,000 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:39.070 seven men. How do you? How do you narrow it down 00:08:39.070 --> 00:08:42.590 to seven? Did they have a strategic planning 00:08:42.590 --> 00:08:45.309 session? Did they have whiteboards? How do you 00:08:45.309 --> 00:08:50.450 narrow it down to seven guys to manage the affairs 00:08:50.450 --> 00:08:53.250 of the church in order that the apostles might 00:08:53.250 --> 00:08:57.549 dedicate themselves to prayer and teaching? Can 00:08:57.549 --> 00:09:00.029 you imagine the honor associated with being one 00:09:00.029 --> 00:09:03.889 of those seven who were picked? I'm not suggesting 00:09:03.889 --> 00:09:06.009 that Philip wasn't contrite or that he wasn't 00:09:06.009 --> 00:09:08.399 humble. But it would have been a big deal to 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.480 be chosen from 10 ,000. And he would have been 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:14.960 a big deal in that church. They were the go -to 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:16.700 guys. That's how they would have been perceived. 00:09:16.740 --> 00:09:19.480 They were the magnificent seven. And without 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:22.620 a doubt, that whole thing would have been a mountaintop 00:09:22.620 --> 00:09:25.620 experience. And then think about how awesome 00:09:25.620 --> 00:09:27.360 it would have been to serve in that atmosphere. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:30.200 Acts tells us that people were selling their 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:33.419 possessions and bringing them to the church all 00:09:33.419 --> 00:09:36.320 of the time. We read that they went to the church 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.360 and ate together every day. Where'd Kelly go? 00:09:38.460 --> 00:09:40.179 Kelly Jeunesse. I mean, how would you like to 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:42.759 cook for 10 ,000 people every day? But that's 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.080 what they were doing. Yeah, no thanks. And most 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.559 importantly, every day it says that multitudes 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:50.639 of new people were coming to the Lord. That alone 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:55.159 would be awesome. And the seven had to invent 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:58.340 a structure to accommodate all of those things. 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:01.860 Maybe one was the real estate representative. 00:10:02.019 --> 00:10:03.559 You know, Ann Marie, you've got all those people 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:05.860 that are giving the land. And then there's Brian 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:08.659 Matthews. He's taking care of all of the automobiles, 00:10:08.659 --> 00:10:11.580 right? And then there's the meals and those that 00:10:11.580 --> 00:10:13.659 are giving personal gifts, jewelry, furniture, 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:16.879 equipment. Others are over the kitchen and the 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.519 daily menu. There's others. Another would have 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:21.360 had to be over the requests that came in for 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.940 people's needs. And we don't know how they divided 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:25.779 up all those responsibilities. But remember, 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:28.919 this is ground zero in this church. There's no 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:31.659 structure. And these are the seven that have 00:10:31.659 --> 00:10:34.799 given the responsibility to do it. It would have 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:37.580 been incredible. Think of their morning meetings, 00:10:37.779 --> 00:10:40.440 you know, every day getting together, talking 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:42.919 about, you know, how to go about it, coordinating, 00:10:43.179 --> 00:10:46.200 celebrating, laughing, praying, debriefing, rejoicing, 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.759 and telling of all of the remarkable things that 00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:52.879 were occurring. And I'm sure that... Stephen 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.360 and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.100 and Parmenas and Nicholas shared an inseparable 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:02.039 bond. And don't forget that these guys weren't 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:06.080 just administrators. Acts 6 tells us that Stephen 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.159 was ministering to people doing all kinds of 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:10.600 signs and wonders in his spare time. I don't 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:14.379 know when he did that. You know, he's up in the 00:11:14.379 --> 00:11:16.200 middle of the night out in the streets of Jerusalem 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.500 just preaching the gospel. Lord knows he had 00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:21.889 to be busy. And I believe that the other six 00:11:21.889 --> 00:11:24.570 were the same. So they were Edmina pastors, Edmina 00:11:24.570 --> 00:11:27.610 evangelists. That's my word. So it would have 00:11:27.610 --> 00:11:29.889 been a honeymoon experience for sure. And for 00:11:29.889 --> 00:11:34.169 the rest of his life, Philip would have talked 00:11:34.169 --> 00:11:37.750 about those experiences in the church in Jerusalem. 00:11:39.669 --> 00:11:44.190 The next sketch comes from Acts 6, verse 9 through 00:11:44.190 --> 00:11:47.009 chapter 7, verse 60. And it's where there was 00:11:47.009 --> 00:11:50.659 this heartbreak and sorrow. It's the biographical 00:11:50.659 --> 00:11:55.279 sketch of a deacon. It's the account where Stephen, 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:57.279 Philip's close friend, who shared all of those 00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:59.259 glorious moments serving with him, was killed 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:02.100 because of his testimony about Christ. And it 00:12:02.100 --> 00:12:04.980 must have shaken them deeply. I mean, this was 00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:08.600 one of their own. You might have expected that 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:10.899 the first martyr would be an apostle, not... 00:12:11.419 --> 00:12:13.879 Not one of the deacons. Not one of the guys that 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:15.740 was running the church. You know, the apostles 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:18.460 were the ones who dedicated themselves to preaching 00:12:18.460 --> 00:12:21.759 and teaching. But this was one of their own. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.820 And so Philip's loss hit too close to home. And 00:12:25.820 --> 00:12:27.600 I'm guessing that he went from the mountaintop 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.639 to the valley of the shadow of death. And isn't 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:33.019 that so like us sometimes? That's what I love 00:12:33.019 --> 00:12:36.980 about this story. It's so us. We see us in these 00:12:36.980 --> 00:12:40.500 sketches all along the way. How many times have 00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:45.669 you, You've come off of those incredible breakthroughs. 00:12:46.070 --> 00:12:50.450 God has just met you in a powerful way. And then 00:12:50.450 --> 00:12:52.309 you're encountered with something that just knocks 00:12:52.309 --> 00:12:55.570 the wind out of your sails. You think, where 00:12:55.570 --> 00:12:59.230 did that come from? It causes you to forget the 00:12:59.230 --> 00:13:01.629 victory that you just had. It's like, God, that's 00:13:01.629 --> 00:13:03.649 a flagrant foul. I don't know what's going on 00:13:03.649 --> 00:13:06.730 here, but where did that come from? It's so us. 00:13:07.549 --> 00:13:10.149 The heartbreak has a way of just wiping out those 00:13:10.149 --> 00:13:13.220 things. And that's how it was with the death 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:16.480 of Stephen. Acts 1 through 5 tells us that the 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.799 persecution that broke out against the church 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:22.559 as a result of that resulted in everyone fleeing 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:25.360 except for the apostles. So, man, the honeymoon 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:29.440 was over now, wasn't it? So how would our deacon 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:34.000 respond? The third sketch we see is in Acts 8, 00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:36.940 and it tells us that as the people were scattered, 00:13:37.059 --> 00:13:40.429 that Philip went to Samaria. In that decision, 00:13:40.490 --> 00:13:42.990 we see his obedience to do what he wouldn't have 00:13:42.990 --> 00:13:47.169 wanted to do. You guys know how the Jews viewed 00:13:47.169 --> 00:13:50.230 the Samaritans. They hated them. In fact, they 00:13:50.230 --> 00:13:52.210 would go several miles out of their way just 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:55.870 to avoid traveling through their land. In those 00:13:55.870 --> 00:13:58.769 days... There was this highway that just connected 00:13:58.769 --> 00:14:01.649 Galilee to Jerusalem that was up on the ridge. 00:14:01.789 --> 00:14:04.570 There's really two roads that run parallel, 99 00:14:04.570 --> 00:14:07.370 and I -5. And one of them was up on the top of 00:14:07.370 --> 00:14:09.769 this ridge. And it just followed the mountains 00:14:09.769 --> 00:14:12.490 all the way from one area to the other. And the 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:15.370 other followed the Jordan River. And if a Jew 00:14:15.370 --> 00:14:18.049 was up on top of that ridge and he got to the 00:14:18.049 --> 00:14:20.629 border of Samaria, he would walk several miles 00:14:20.629 --> 00:14:23.210 down to the Jordan River. And then he would continue 00:14:23.210 --> 00:14:25.710 to go south and back up the hill he would go. 00:14:26.190 --> 00:14:28.830 just so we didn't have to step foot in Samaria. 00:14:29.450 --> 00:14:31.929 We were there in November, and just to see those 00:14:31.929 --> 00:14:35.169 mountains, you know, it'd be like walking off 00:14:35.169 --> 00:14:37.470 of the Coburg Hills down to I -5 and then back 00:14:37.470 --> 00:14:39.730 up just to avoid something that you didn't want 00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:43.470 to see. That's how much they disliked this place. 00:14:43.570 --> 00:14:47.590 That little detour would take several hours to 00:14:47.590 --> 00:14:50.669 accomplish and add several miles to their trip. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.600 You know this, Jerusalem was the epicenter of 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.039 all that was God for the Jews. When you read 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.080 your Bible, it always says they went up to Jerusalem. 00:15:01.620 --> 00:15:03.679 Whether north, south, east, or west, they went 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.740 up to Jerusalem. It's not because of an elevation 00:15:05.740 --> 00:15:07.539 thing. Their phone apps didn't say they were 00:15:07.539 --> 00:15:10.100 higher in Jerusalem. No, it was because it was 00:15:10.100 --> 00:15:14.379 their high place. And Samaria was at the bottom 00:15:14.379 --> 00:15:16.820 of the conference. Man, it was OSU for sure. 00:15:16.940 --> 00:15:19.740 It was the last place that they would want to 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:29.190 be. For the record, I have one student there 00:15:29.190 --> 00:15:31.470 now, and we put another one through there. So 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:34.490 I do root for him. But aren't they at the bottom? 00:15:34.529 --> 00:15:40.529 Well, that's where Philip was. Think about that. 00:15:41.350 --> 00:15:45.830 That's where this Jewish deacon chose to go as 00:15:45.830 --> 00:15:50.440 a result of the persecution. It's almost inconceivable 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:52.580 that he would have went there except that he 00:15:52.580 --> 00:15:54.799 was following the leading of the Holy Spirit. 00:15:55.820 --> 00:15:58.580 We're talking about the honeymoon. We're talking 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:01.419 about the brokenness. And now we're talking about 00:16:01.419 --> 00:16:04.960 his obedience. But even when he got there, he 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:07.279 must have wondered, how can this be the leading 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:14.059 of God? To go from Jerusalem to losing my friend 00:16:14.059 --> 00:16:19.279 to Samaria. It's so us, isn't it? We've all been 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:23.340 there. You could understand if all Philip wanted 00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:25.759 to do was just hole up in a safe place until 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.440 it was time to leave. Like, I'm not here to minister 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:31.399 to anyone. I don't want to talk to anyone. I 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:33.879 don't like you guys. I'm going to leave as soon 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:36.100 as it's safe. I'm going to get my paycheck and 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:37.960 I'm out of here, right? That's how we would respond 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:41.059 sometimes when we get stuck in those awful places 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:44.830 that God puts us. But notice what Philip did. 00:16:44.909 --> 00:16:47.730 I love this. Acts 8, 6 -8 says, He proclaimed 00:16:47.730 --> 00:16:50.669 Jesus, he prayed for people's healings and deliverance, 00:16:50.710 --> 00:16:53.389 and many believed, and there was great joy in 00:16:53.389 --> 00:16:56.769 the city. That's his response to this, really 00:16:56.769 --> 00:16:59.029 what would be the worst appointment that he could 00:16:59.029 --> 00:17:02.090 have ever received. And I can assure you in the 00:17:02.090 --> 00:17:04.809 natural, Philip wouldn't have found any joy in 00:17:04.809 --> 00:17:07.029 that assignment. It was the last place in the 00:17:07.029 --> 00:17:09.710 world he would have wanted to minister in the 00:17:09.710 --> 00:17:13.380 natural. But as he obeyed the leading of God, 00:17:13.500 --> 00:17:16.920 his natural thinking changed and his worst became 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:23.119 a place of joy. And that is so us. I know that's 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:25.599 what God wants to do with us when we're in those 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:28.059 places we wouldn't choose. Just for a moment, 00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:31.599 think of your worst assignment. Think of the 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.779 most difficult person that God has asked you 00:17:33.779 --> 00:17:37.170 to serve. That person at work, your neighbor, 00:17:37.289 --> 00:17:39.789 whatever it is, the worst situation that you 00:17:39.789 --> 00:17:43.549 found yourself in. I don't know your story, but 00:17:43.549 --> 00:17:47.109 maybe your Jerusalem is long gone and now you're 00:17:47.109 --> 00:17:48.990 living in Deadwood. How would you like to live 00:17:48.990 --> 00:17:54.089 there? What if in that place, out of obedience, 00:17:54.250 --> 00:17:57.990 you proclaimed Jesus and the Holy Spirit met 00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:01.950 you there and it became a place of joy? That's 00:18:01.950 --> 00:18:05.839 Philip. This biographical sketch of a deacon. 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:12.420 I love this story. Next came the desert. Acts 00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:15.640 8, 26 through 30 tells us that Philip was instructed 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:18.059 to go to the road that led to Gaza. And then 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:20.299 the Bible adds that it was a desert place. And 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:22.640 it's one thing to find yourself in a desert. 00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:24.500 It's another to be sent there by the Spirit of 00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:27.559 God on purpose. You know, I've read about those 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:30.259 desert experiences in the Bible. Moses spent 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:33.400 40 years there. David had his 20 -year run literally 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.180 running in the desert. Jesus met the devil in 00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:37.799 the desert. I don't want anything to do with 00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:42.140 the desert. But we've been there. Once again, 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:46.640 that's why I like the story. It's so us. Like 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:49.000 Philip, so many of you have had these glorious 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:52.140 seasons of growth. You've served where you didn't 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:56.960 want to. And then it got worse. God puts you 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:00.339 in the desert. And look what Philip encountered 00:19:00.339 --> 00:19:03.019 when he gets there. Acts says that he sees this 00:19:03.019 --> 00:19:06.700 chariot. In those days, a chariot was a sign 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:10.319 of influence. This was somebody that was important. 00:19:10.500 --> 00:19:12.660 And the Lord tells Philip to go join the person 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:15.240 who's in the chariot. So from Philip's perspective, 00:19:15.420 --> 00:19:17.359 things are finally looking up. It's like seeing 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:19.779 a bright red Tesla out in the middle of nowhere. 00:19:19.980 --> 00:19:22.339 It's a roadster, like right on, you know. Or 00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:25.099 maybe for you Harrisburgites, it's like a 2018 00:19:25.099 --> 00:19:27.799 Dodge Cummins turbo diesel, you know, dually 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:31.960 thing. Yeah, right? Thank you, Jesus. I knew 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:34.319 you'd come through, right? Go join the ride. 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:37.579 This is going to be good. Read it in your Bible. 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:40.599 Go get in the chariot. Really? Yeah. Do I have 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:43.940 permission? Yeah, get in the chariot. But here's 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:46.420 where the story takes another one of those unsuspecting 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:50.059 turns. It's who's in the chariot? Has God ever 00:19:50.059 --> 00:19:52.240 done that to you? Like, hey, I want you to go 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.200 over and do this. And you're thinking, yes, this 00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:55.559 is going to be good. And you get there and it's 00:19:55.559 --> 00:20:00.490 like, oh, man, this is awful. Who was in the 00:20:00.490 --> 00:20:04.630 chariot? Who was the Holy Spirit sending Philip 00:20:04.630 --> 00:20:12.089 to go minister to? A eunuch. You know what a 00:20:12.089 --> 00:20:15.930 eunuch is, don't you? Somebody who's been eunuch. 00:20:23.880 --> 00:20:26.359 They've literally been emasculated, which is 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:28.759 the wrong word. It should be demasculated if 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:32.980 you ask me. In the case of those who were the 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:35.339 officials for kings and queens in antiquity, 00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:38.019 they were eunuchs so they wouldn't be tempted 00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:40.299 to mess around with the booty, right? Literally, 00:20:40.380 --> 00:20:49.059 not the, you know. But I'm just guessing. I'm 00:20:49.059 --> 00:20:52.279 just guessing that. If you were eunuched and 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:54.779 your job was to be the interior decorator for 00:20:54.779 --> 00:21:00.440 the queen, you might be a bit odd. Might be a 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:11.619 bit different. Might be a bit unique. So you 00:21:11.619 --> 00:21:14.680 see where things are going. Philip goes from 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:16.440 running the church in Jerusalem. It's a true 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:19.940 story. I'm just reading it right out of Acts. 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:23.160 He goes from running the church in Jerusalem. 00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:26.019 He ran the church in Jerusalem. You know, he 00:21:26.019 --> 00:21:28.180 was Kenny and Dave and all. He ran the place. 00:21:29.259 --> 00:21:33.660 And then to Samaria and losing his friend, and 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:40.420 now he's in the desert with these weirdos. I 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:42.480 mean, he's like from South Dakota, really. That's 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:46.039 the truth, yeah. Have you ever felt like him? 00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:49.420 You've been obedient to do the right things, 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:53.339 but you can't seem to catch a break. All the 00:21:53.339 --> 00:21:57.680 good stuff happens to everyone else. You get 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.660 the third, fourth, and fifth grade boys, and 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:01.940 Joe gets the home group with all the big shots. 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:06.299 I taught him at our church. I taught him at ECF. 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:08.079 I love the third, fourth, and fifth grade boys, 00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:11.680 but sometimes you look around and you wonder, 00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:14.160 your buddy Brad has a $10 million church on the 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:29.990 banks of the river with an RV park. I think this 00:22:29.990 --> 00:22:32.569 stage is 100 foot wide. I think these screens 00:22:32.569 --> 00:22:35.309 are 75 foot wide. We still use an opaque projector 00:22:35.309 --> 00:22:38.970 at Calvary Open Bible. And have you been in the 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:41.589 bathrooms? I mean, for crying out loud, I got 00:22:41.589 --> 00:22:43.490 my shoes shined and my hair done. I've never 00:22:43.490 --> 00:22:48.849 been anything like this place. You look around 00:22:48.849 --> 00:22:52.230 and you wonder. God's put you in felony flats 00:22:52.230 --> 00:22:55.349 in a 60 -year -old building, but not Brad, right? 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:04.779 For the record, God has given us an awesome church, 00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:07.940 and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But sometimes 00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:10.720 we look around at others, and we look at our 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:14.200 circumstances, and we wonder, what gives, God? 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:19.559 Are you mad at me? Where did I go wrong? Why 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:23.579 am I in this desert? The desert is a place of 00:23:23.579 --> 00:23:27.240 isolation. It's where you feel dry. Nothing is 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:30.369 growing. It feels like a sentence, really. You're 00:23:30.369 --> 00:23:32.049 sure that you're never going to get out of there. 00:23:32.470 --> 00:23:34.529 You're sure you'll never see that fruitfulness 00:23:34.529 --> 00:23:37.589 from Jerusalem again. It's harsh. It's where 00:23:37.589 --> 00:23:45.950 everything seems to be challenged. I remember 00:23:45.950 --> 00:23:51.529 a long time ago, we were at ECF, and I was going 00:23:51.529 --> 00:23:54.849 through a desert. It had nothing to do with ECF. 00:23:54.890 --> 00:24:00.559 It had everything to do with me. All of my life, 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:03.960 all of my Christian life, I had tithes. It was 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:08.279 easy for me. It was easy because I had a Nazi 00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:10.319 mom who just drilled it into you. You know, if 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:13.299 you got five bucks for your birthday, 50 cents 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:15.019 went in the offering when I was in grade school. 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:17.140 I mean, she just drilled it into me. Thank you, 00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:19.859 Jesus, for moms and dads like that. But it was 00:24:19.859 --> 00:24:24.079 easy for me. And then I started going through 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:28.420 this desert, and even that was challenged. I 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:31.519 remember sitting at church one Sunday and they 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:33.599 were passing the envelopes. I was just, you know, 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:36.799 working. And I was getting ready to put my tithe 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.079 in the bucket. And I thought, why am I doing 00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:43.079 this? What's the use of that? And it scared me. 00:24:43.559 --> 00:24:46.799 It's like, you know, that's the power of the 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:50.819 desert, isn't it? I've been there. I'm not just 00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:53.500 talking. I've been there. It's experience that 00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:58.000 I'm speaking from. And that's where you find 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:00.119 Philip. For the record, I love the story of the 00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:03.279 Ethiopian eunuch because he finds faith. They're 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.500 in the desert. They find water. They baptize 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:07.900 him. He returns to his country, never to be heard 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:10.279 from again, but he returns a believer. And through 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:13.119 that, the gospel is once again spread into places 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.779 that wouldn't have been reached. But the thing 00:25:15.779 --> 00:25:18.000 I've never liked is those hard, dry, isolated, 00:25:18.339 --> 00:25:22.279 challenging deserts. And if that is where you 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.279 are today, it's one more reason why I love this 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:29.170 story. Because this account of Philip is far 00:25:29.170 --> 00:25:33.750 from over. Now to this last sketch, which is 00:25:33.750 --> 00:25:37.430 the season of anonymity. After his encounter 00:25:37.430 --> 00:25:40.450 with the eunuch, Philip was picked up by air 00:25:40.450 --> 00:25:43.289 Holy Spirit and he was transported 20 miles away 00:25:43.289 --> 00:25:47.390 in an instant to Azotus. And from there, the 00:25:47.390 --> 00:25:49.849 Bible gives us this story. He's picked up himself. 00:25:49.950 --> 00:25:52.690 There's no one else. And he begins to preach 00:25:52.690 --> 00:25:55.049 in all the towns along the way until he gets 00:25:55.049 --> 00:25:58.450 to the Caesarea Maritime, which was on the shores 00:25:58.450 --> 00:26:01.190 of the Mediterranean Sea. There were two Caesareas, 00:26:01.230 --> 00:26:03.069 you know that. But this one was on the shore 00:26:03.069 --> 00:26:04.769 of the Mediterranean Sea. And it's the place 00:26:04.769 --> 00:26:07.289 where King Herod built one of his four opulent 00:26:07.289 --> 00:26:09.710 vacation resorts. We were there again in November. 00:26:09.869 --> 00:26:14.089 We saw it. And it is an amazing place. But here's 00:26:14.089 --> 00:26:17.309 the most interesting part of the story of Philip 00:26:17.309 --> 00:26:22.349 to me. After he gets to Caesarea, nothing is 00:26:22.349 --> 00:26:26.230 heard from him for 35 years until you get to 00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:30.769 the 21st chapter of the book of Acts. In chapters 00:26:30.769 --> 00:26:34.829 6, 7, and 8, 7 is the message of Stephen. But 00:26:34.829 --> 00:26:37.750 in 6 through 8, he's like a key figure in the 00:26:37.750 --> 00:26:40.089 New Testament church in Jerusalem. And then there's 00:26:40.089 --> 00:26:43.569 the events that we just described. But when you 00:26:43.569 --> 00:26:47.430 get to 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 and 00:26:47.430 --> 00:26:51.289 15 and 16 and 17 and 18 and 19 and 20, nothing. 00:26:52.269 --> 00:26:57.309 He fell off the map. There's nothing to hear 00:26:57.309 --> 00:27:02.329 from him. So for 35 years, this guy who was once 00:27:02.329 --> 00:27:04.970 on the cover of Charisma magazine now served 00:27:04.970 --> 00:27:09.349 in anonymity in Caesarea. Not because he did 00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:12.900 something wrong. But because he was doing exactly 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:17.299 what God had led him to do all along. We don't 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:19.960 really know what Philip did during that time. 00:27:20.019 --> 00:27:22.200 We know some things about the church there in 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:24.359 Caesarea. We know that Peter went there twice. 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:27.680 We know that Paul came and went from there several 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.980 times on his missionary journeys. We know that 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:33.059 by Acts 21 that Philip was some kind of leader, 00:27:33.140 --> 00:27:36.160 a key leader there as well. But to go from where 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.859 he was in Jerusalem to spending 35 years being 00:27:38.859 --> 00:27:40.980 so far removed from the narrative must have been 00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:45.079 difficult in some ways. If they had those Where 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:47.500 Are They Now shows in those days, I'm sure that 00:27:47.500 --> 00:27:49.500 Philip and the other seven would have been featured. 00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:52.359 Like, what happened to those seven guys that 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:56.740 used to run the church? They were gone. To be 00:27:56.740 --> 00:27:59.839 in those places where you feel like you don't 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:03.799 matter anymore. Or you don't have a contribution. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:09.440 You're not part of the action. No one notices 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:13.180 you. There's a new group of people doing what 00:28:13.180 --> 00:28:15.220 you used to do. And now they're talking and writing 00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:19.119 about someone else. You've been banned to Caesarea. 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:24.450 That can be difficult, can't it? But here's the 00:28:24.450 --> 00:28:28.470 cool part of the story of Philip. If they had 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:31.170 Facebook in those days and you were able to search 00:28:31.170 --> 00:28:34.049 for Philip the deacon, this is what would pop 00:28:34.049 --> 00:28:39.410 up in his photos. As Acts 21 .8 describes, we 00:28:39.410 --> 00:28:42.210 would see him living in Caesarea with four daughters 00:28:42.210 --> 00:28:49.170 who prophesied. And I love that. In part, that's 00:28:49.170 --> 00:28:52.569 what he was doing for 35 years. This guy who 00:28:52.569 --> 00:28:55.380 was... used mightily by God, and it was full 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:59.740 of wisdom and power in the Spirit, was raising 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:04.019 four kids to be full of the Spirit. I love that 00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:07.799 story. Every part of the journey was part of 00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:11.299 the heritage that he gave those girls. The mountaintops, 00:29:11.299 --> 00:29:15.359 the pain, the obedience, the desert, the long 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:18.980 season of anonymity, all of it. And I believe 00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:21.460 that Philip's greatest contribution to the kingdom 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:25.000 of God wasn't what happened in Jerusalem, but 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:28.599 it's what was birthed in his daughters. Yes, 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:31.019 we have our mountaintops, we have our pain, we 00:29:31.019 --> 00:29:33.160 have our obedience, we have our deserts, we have 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:36.940 all those seasons. But during all of it, something 00:29:36.940 --> 00:29:39.400 important is occurring. God is birthing something 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:42.059 in us. That will be our lasting inheritance. 00:29:42.359 --> 00:29:44.079 And it's really not about the four daughters 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:46.180 who prophesied. I mean, what are you going to 00:29:46.180 --> 00:29:48.000 say if you don't have four daughters? What if 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:49.500 you just have two boys? What if you don't have 00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:52.099 any kids, right? It's not about the four daughters. 00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:57.819 It's about what God is birthing in you. He birthed 00:29:57.819 --> 00:30:00.279 a nation greater than the sands of the sea through 00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:05.680 the only son of Abraham and Sarah. And I believe 00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:08.390 that he's... Birthing something through every 00:30:08.390 --> 00:30:11.769 one of us as we're faithful in our dry and broken 00:30:11.769 --> 00:30:19.250 and isolated and unwanted assignments. I'd like 00:30:19.250 --> 00:30:23.750 to ask some volunteers to come up. How many would 00:30:23.750 --> 00:30:27.289 say, you know, I've been in the desert and I've 00:30:27.289 --> 00:30:30.190 been in the place of brokenness and I've had 00:30:30.190 --> 00:30:34.539 those unwanted assignments. And I've been in 00:30:34.539 --> 00:30:37.980 those places of anonymity. I've served in difficult 00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:42.099 situations. But I'm here to tell you that God 00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:44.119 has birthed something powerful in my life. How 00:30:44.119 --> 00:30:46.380 many could say that this morning? You're on the 00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:52.140 other side of that. If you're known to this church, 00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:54.720 this is your home church, you're part of this 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:58.680 place. What I would like to do is, wouldn't you 00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:00.359 like to pray for people that are on the other 00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:03.700 side of that story? people that are struggling. 00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:06.839 Let me just tell you my story. You know, that's 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:08.720 what Revelation says, that we overcame by the 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:10.099 blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony. 00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:12.539 Let me tell you my testimony. I've been where 00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:15.859 you stand, ma 'am or sir. I know what that's 00:31:15.859 --> 00:31:18.619 like. And I want to just pray over you. I want 00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:21.880 to encourage you to keep on. Keep being faithful. 00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:24.930 Keep serving. Would you be willing to do that 00:31:24.930 --> 00:31:27.049 if you're on that side of it? If that's you, 00:31:27.109 --> 00:31:29.069 would you just stand and come on up here? I'd 00:31:29.069 --> 00:31:30.730 like the worship team just to play something, 00:31:30.730 --> 00:31:34.269 or Jenny, if you would. Come on up. If you're 00:31:34.269 --> 00:31:37.630 on that side of it, God has done something supernatural 00:31:37.630 --> 00:31:41.130 in your life. Come now. Come on. Because I want 00:31:41.130 --> 00:31:42.789 you to pray for people that are on the other 00:31:42.789 --> 00:31:53.549 side. You can just line these altars. Man, if 00:31:53.549 --> 00:31:55.490 you've walked with Jesus for any length of time 00:31:55.490 --> 00:32:03.509 at all, that's our story, isn't it? Now, the 00:32:03.509 --> 00:32:05.690 rest of you, could you bow your heads and close 00:32:05.690 --> 00:32:09.589 your eyes just for people's privacy? How many 00:32:09.589 --> 00:32:11.730 would say, man, I'm in a place of brokenness. 00:32:13.109 --> 00:32:16.630 I'm in a place of desperation. I'm in a difficult 00:32:16.630 --> 00:32:20.250 situation this morning. I'm in a place that's 00:32:20.250 --> 00:32:24.470 awfully hard to serve. I'm in this place where 00:32:24.470 --> 00:32:27.009 I don't even know if I count anymore. I feel 00:32:27.009 --> 00:32:29.930 like, you know, like things have passed me by. 00:32:30.269 --> 00:32:32.609 My greatest moments are behind me and I'm not 00:32:32.609 --> 00:32:35.009 sure what's ahead. You're just in place of struggling 00:32:35.009 --> 00:32:36.890 this morning. How many would say that's me? Would 00:32:36.890 --> 00:32:39.190 you just raise your hand? Come on, just raise 00:32:39.190 --> 00:32:42.509 them up. We're just family today, right? That's 00:32:42.509 --> 00:32:47.049 where I am today. Could we pray for you? These 00:32:47.049 --> 00:32:49.210 people know how you feel. They've walked in your 00:32:49.210 --> 00:32:52.859 shoes. Would you come forward and go ahead and 00:32:52.859 --> 00:32:54.700 stand? If you've raised your hand, just would 00:32:54.700 --> 00:32:56.900 you stand and come forward? We want to pray for 00:32:56.900 --> 00:32:59.779 you. Come on. We know how you feel. We've walked 00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:01.720 in your shoes. Come on. Come on up here. Just 00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:04.819 get in front of somebody that's up here. Pastor 00:33:04.819 --> 00:33:08.000 Brad, if you'd come on up. Come on up. Yeah, 00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:12.539 just come up to somebody. Others. Come on, church. 00:33:12.660 --> 00:33:16.259 Be praying for those. Others that raised their 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:32.250 hand. Anyone else? Would you come now? If you 00:33:32.250 --> 00:33:34.990 are interested in hearing other podcasts or contacting 00:33:34.990 --> 00:33:38.769 Life Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch 00:33:38.769 --> 00:33:43.569 .org or call us at 541 -995 -8282.