WEBVTT 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:14.539 There are some other profound phrases in America 00:00:14.539 --> 00:00:19.100 the beautiful. America is beautiful. I guess 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:22.920 I realized that afresh after Mike and I had the 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:26.440 opportunity to visit in a communist nation a 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:28.980 couple of weeks ago. We're looking forward to 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:31.579 bringing that report to you next Sunday evening. 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:37.920 One thing I was surprised to see was the degree 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:41.679 of liberty that there is religiously speaking 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.899 in the nation of Poland quite in contrast to 00:00:45.899 --> 00:00:49.000 surrounding nations East Germany and Czechoslovakia 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:52.759 Russia but within the nation of Poland I was 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:56.359 surprised I had my eyes open to see that they 00:00:56.359 --> 00:01:00.479 do enjoy at this particular time at least a good 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.879 deal of freedom of religion have you ever had 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:08.920 an eye -opening experience like that as we turn 00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:11.599 to our text today in Acts chapter 9, we're going 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:13.819 to see that Peter had an eye -opening experience 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:20.420 too. One of those times when he was taught something 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:25.680 so that he was enlightened and it seemed as though 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:32.239 the sun suddenly arose upon the horizon. That 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.579 eye -opening experience actually takes place 00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:37.920 in chapter 10. Our text today, beginning in chapter 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:45.340 9, verse 32, deals with the preparation for that 00:01:45.340 --> 00:01:51.060 experience. Acts chapter 9, beginning in verse 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:55.879 32. Now it came about that if Peter was traveling 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:58.599 through all those parts, he came down also to 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:02.900 the saints who lived at Lidup. And there he found 00:02:02.900 --> 00:02:06.700 a certain man named Aeneas. who had been bedridden 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:11.180 eight years, for he was paralyzed. And Peter 00:02:11.180 --> 00:02:15.080 said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:19.520 Arise and make your bed. And immediately he arose. 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:24.199 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, 00:02:24.379 --> 00:02:28.919 and they turned to the Lord. Now in Joppa, there 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:33.379 was a certain disciple named Tabitha. which translated 00:02:33.379 --> 00:02:37.879 in Greek is called Dorkus. This woman was abounding 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.659 with deeds of kindness and charity, which she 00:02:40.659 --> 00:02:45.300 continually did. And it came about at that time 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:48.860 that she fell sick and died. When they had washed 00:02:48.860 --> 00:02:52.879 her body, they laid it in an upper room. And 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.560 since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples having 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:00.210 heard that Peter was there, Sent two men to him 00:03:00.210 --> 00:03:04.150 and treating him do not delay to come to us Peter 00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:07.229 arose and went with them When he had come they 00:03:07.229 --> 00:03:10.469 brought him into the upper room and all the widows 00:03:10.469 --> 00:03:13.590 stood beside him weeping and showing all the 00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:16.530 tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make 00:03:16.530 --> 00:03:20.509 while she was with them But Peter sent them all 00:03:20.509 --> 00:03:23.430 out and knelt down and prayed and turning to 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:29.520 the body. He said Tabitha arise And she opened 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:33.259 her eyes. And when she saw Peter, she sat up. 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:37.199 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. And 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.060 calling the saints and widows, he presented her 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:43.539 alive. And it became known all over Joppa, and 00:03:43.539 --> 00:03:46.300 many believed in the Lord. And it came about 00:03:46.300 --> 00:03:49.080 that he stayed many days in Joppa with a certain 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:55.780 tanner, Simon. Verse 32 continues the narrative. 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:00.199 from chapter 8, verse 25. It is the record of 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:04.939 Peter's ministry. Saul's conversion was inserted 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:08.800 by Luke in the text to prepare us for his eventual 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.120 role as the main figure in the book of Acts. 00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:17.259 He then sent Saul off to Tarsus for a period 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:20.300 of 10 years. And it is apparently during the 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:23.819 beginning of that time when Saul was in Tarsus, 00:04:24.180 --> 00:04:28.279 his hometown, that Peter did this traveling that 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:33.139 is mentioned in verse 32. He conducted an itinerant 00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:37.100 ministry, it says, through all those parts, which 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:40.819 would seem to refer back to verse 31, which speaks 00:04:40.819 --> 00:04:46.240 about Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The area around 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.740 Jerusalem, the area of Galilee to the north, 00:04:50.259 --> 00:04:53.699 where Jesus ministered around Nazareth, the Sea 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:57.800 of Galilee, And then in Samaria, that land in 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:01.920 between Judea and Galilee, where the half -breeds 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:05.279 lived, those of mixed blood who were part Jewish 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:09.620 and part Gentile, and most hated and despised 00:05:09.620 --> 00:05:12.860 by the Jews, and the favor was returned by the 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:16.459 Samaritans toward the Jews as well. Peter did 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:19.199 some traveling, preaching throughout that whole 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:23.250 area. Our text today begins a new section of 00:05:23.250 --> 00:05:25.490 the book of Acts, which continues through chapter 00:05:25.490 --> 00:05:31.290 11, telling us how Gentiles, that is non -Jews, 00:05:31.610 --> 00:05:33.930 those who were uncircumcised according to the 00:05:33.930 --> 00:05:38.269 law of Moses, came to be accepted as part of 00:05:38.269 --> 00:05:42.389 the church. Now the issue is not entirely settled 00:05:42.389 --> 00:05:45.490 at this particular time because it arises again 00:05:45.490 --> 00:05:49.389 as a great controversy in chapter 15. But up 00:05:49.389 --> 00:05:52.689 to this point, In the history of the Church, 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:57.410 there has not been one Gentile who has been saved, 00:05:58.009 --> 00:06:00.949 apart from a few Gentiles who were proselytes 00:06:00.949 --> 00:06:04.910 to Judaism. But no Gentile up to this point had 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:07.870 been saved and brought into this new body, the 00:06:07.870 --> 00:06:13.930 Church. It was Jewish, or half Jewish, because 00:06:13.930 --> 00:06:18.899 of the Samaritans who had believed. At this particular 00:06:18.899 --> 00:06:22.899 time, Peter is going to be told, and us through 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:28.620 Peter, that God fully accepts Gentiles as well 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:33.079 as Jews. That Gentiles do not have to become 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:36.339 Jews to be acceptable to God and to believe on 00:06:36.339 --> 00:06:40.579 the Lord Jesus Christ. God now fully accepts 00:06:40.579 --> 00:06:45.699 Gentiles as Gentiles. and will bring them into 00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:48.279 a relationship with himself through faith in 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:53.339 Jesus Christ just as he would the Jews. Now that 00:06:53.339 --> 00:06:57.160 may be difficult for us to appreciate 2 ,000 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.480 years later and being primarily Gentile in makeup. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:05.180 It's difficult for us to realize how impossible 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:09.800 that seemed to the Jewish believers. That is 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:14.279 the Gentiles as Gentiles would share equally 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:18.000 in the glorious salvation of God without first 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:22.959 being circumcised and becoming Jews. After all, 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:26.560 they had been called the chosen people. They 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:30.420 were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:07:31.339 --> 00:07:34.019 They were the recipients of the covenants of 00:07:34.019 --> 00:07:37.500 God. It was in their city of Jerusalem that the 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:44.319 temple of God was. God's plan had involved Israel 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:47.360 becoming a missionary nation, reaching out to 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.579 the Gentiles to bring to them the knowledge of 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:54.120 the true God. But sadly, the nation of Israel 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.160 failed in doing that. And instead of reaching 00:07:57.160 --> 00:07:59.920 out to the Gentiles, the Jews actually, over 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.060 the process of history, erected a wall of separation 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:07.279 between themselves and the Gentiles. And that 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.689 wall became prejudice and even hatred. for the 00:08:10.689 --> 00:08:16.430 dogs, the Gentiles. For even such a person as 00:08:16.430 --> 00:08:21.589 Peter, the acceptance of Gentiles as equal sharers 00:08:21.589 --> 00:08:26.850 in God's plan was a revolutionary change of thinking. 00:08:28.009 --> 00:08:30.910 It was an eye -opener regarding God's love for 00:08:30.910 --> 00:08:36.730 all men. Before God gave him the eye -opener, 00:08:36.809 --> 00:08:40.529 God graciously prepared him for this change. 00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:45.330 God graciously prepared Peter for this change 00:08:45.330 --> 00:08:50.289 of thinking by three sovereign actions done in 00:08:50.289 --> 00:08:52.769 Peter's life. I'd like to look at them with you 00:08:52.769 --> 00:08:56.149 this morning. The first sovereign action of God 00:08:56.149 --> 00:09:01.950 is that God led him to an area with a large Gentile 00:09:01.950 --> 00:09:06.279 population. Up to this point Peter had primarily 00:09:06.279 --> 00:09:10.620 concentrated on Galilee, Judea, and Samaria. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:17.580 That area had comparatively few Gentiles. But 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:20.600 then the Lord led him away from there down toward 00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:26.820 the coast to Lydda and to Joppa. Lydda today 00:09:26.820 --> 00:09:34.789 is basically where Tel Aviv is. national airport 00:09:34.789 --> 00:09:41.690 of Israel is today called Lod. Joppa is the city 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:47.490 today of Jaffa. It is still a thriving metropolis 00:09:47.490 --> 00:09:53.850 in Israel. God led him down to the coastal plain 00:09:53.850 --> 00:09:58.169 of Sharon because there were more Gentiles who 00:09:58.169 --> 00:10:01.309 lived there. Certainly it was Jewish territory. 00:10:01.610 --> 00:10:04.110 But the further away you got from Jerusalem, 00:10:04.490 --> 00:10:08.769 the more Gentiles lived there. The increasing 00:10:08.769 --> 00:10:13.389 Gentile population where he was ministering allowed 00:10:13.389 --> 00:10:19.450 his mind to be prepared to see that the gospel 00:10:19.450 --> 00:10:23.950 was not for Jews only. I say again, it's not 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:26.830 until chapter 10, which we'll get to next week, 00:10:27.090 --> 00:10:31.639 that God fully reveals to him this truth. But 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:34.019 at this point, God led him down into that area 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:36.120 where there were more Gentiles living. He had 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:38.840 to brush shoulders with them more frequently 00:10:38.840 --> 00:10:43.100 so that God could begin to prepare his mind to 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:47.919 see that God loves Gentiles as well as Jews. 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:53.200 The second sovereign action of God is that God 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:57.240 employed miracles to assure Peter of his direction. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:03.379 Peter might have questioned the movement of his 00:11:03.379 --> 00:11:07.940 ministry if God had not confirmed to him that 00:11:07.940 --> 00:11:13.399 he was in fact in the center of his will. As 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:17.519 Peter began to brush more and more with the Gentiles, 00:11:17.980 --> 00:11:21.179 he might have began asking himself, have I compromised 00:11:21.179 --> 00:11:25.289 in coming to this area? Have I gone astray in 00:11:25.289 --> 00:11:28.289 my theology that I'm beginning to see Gentiles 00:11:28.289 --> 00:11:32.950 out there? Rather than those questions arising, 00:11:33.009 --> 00:11:37.110 God precluded them by assuring Peter that he 00:11:37.110 --> 00:11:40.710 was in the place of blessing, by doing through 00:11:40.710 --> 00:11:43.629 Peter two notable miracles that are recorded 00:11:43.629 --> 00:11:48.750 for us here. One involved the healing of a paralyzed 00:11:48.750 --> 00:11:54.820 man for eight years. This man had to be cared 00:11:54.820 --> 00:11:59.080 for. He was a helpless human being. As far as 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:01.759 we can determine here, he must have been close 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:05.899 to a quadriplegic. He had very little use of 00:12:05.899 --> 00:12:09.580 his limbs. For eight years he was used to people 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:16.539 ministering to him. And then Peter meets Aeneas. 00:12:18.860 --> 00:12:23.809 Peter said to him very simply, Jesus Christ heals 00:12:23.809 --> 00:12:29.090 you. Four simple words, said without a lot of 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:34.529 drama and show, Jesus Christ heals you, and then 00:12:34.529 --> 00:12:39.690 the command, arise and make your bed. He hadn't 00:12:39.690 --> 00:12:43.649 made his bed for at least eight years. And now 00:12:43.649 --> 00:12:49.049 Peter says, make your bed. And it says that all 00:12:49.049 --> 00:12:52.519 who lived it lit up. and in Sharon, saw him, 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:56.559 and they turned to the Lord. The second miracle 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:00.779 involves a lady by the name of Gazelle, Tabitha, 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:04.500 Dorcas. It is a name that indicates she was a 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:08.279 woman of beauty and grace. She was also a woman 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:12.740 of inner beauty. She did deeds of kindness and 00:13:12.740 --> 00:13:16.820 charity, continually. She made clothing for the 00:13:16.820 --> 00:13:19.919 widows and those who were poor. It came about 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:24.639 that she got sick and died. So in the customary 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:26.960 way, they prepared her body and laid it in an 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.960 upper room for the purpose of visitation, as 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:35.620 we would call it today. The disciples who were 00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:38.539 there in Joppa sent the lid and asked Peter to 00:13:38.539 --> 00:13:43.460 come immediately. So Peter went. They took him 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:47.200 to the upper room. The widow stood around him 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:50.580 weeping. They showed him the clothing that she 00:13:50.580 --> 00:13:55.820 had made for them. Then Peter sent them all out. 00:13:56.980 --> 00:14:01.460 He knelt down and began to pray. Where did Peter 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:05.460 learn to do this? Had he had a course in raising 00:14:05.460 --> 00:14:09.379 the dead 101 when he was with Jesus? Well, the 00:14:09.379 --> 00:14:13.460 fact of the matter is, yes, he did. He was with 00:14:13.460 --> 00:14:17.279 Jesus when Jesus raised a young girl from the 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:23.259 dead. Peter, James, and John were with Jesus. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.620 They were together in that room. Jesus sent everyone 00:14:26.620 --> 00:14:30.360 else out, just like Peter did here. And then 00:14:30.360 --> 00:14:32.879 Jesus spoke to the little girl and said, I say 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:38.779 to you, get up, arise. And she got up. Peter 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:41.860 observed that closely and he follows the pattern 00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:45.940 basically that Jesus left for him. He knelt down 00:14:45.940 --> 00:14:50.769 and he prayed. Then he turned to the body. This 00:14:50.769 --> 00:14:53.769 is the test of faith up to this point most of 00:14:53.769 --> 00:14:57.049 us could join Peter But now Peter is going to 00:14:57.049 --> 00:15:00.370 do something. It's going to demand faith He turns 00:15:00.370 --> 00:15:03.110 to the body that has been dead now for some time 00:15:03.110 --> 00:15:07.169 and has been washed prepared for burial and he 00:15:07.169 --> 00:15:14.289 says to this lady Tabitha arise and Amazingly 00:15:14.289 --> 00:15:19.730 she opened her eyes Wouldn't she like to have 00:15:19.730 --> 00:15:24.570 been in the room at that point? To have seen 00:15:24.570 --> 00:15:27.409 the flutter of the eyelids as she opened her 00:15:27.409 --> 00:15:31.250 eyes from the sleep of death. And it says that 00:15:31.250 --> 00:15:34.769 she saw Peter and she set up. Peter reached out 00:15:34.769 --> 00:15:37.870 his hand and raised her up. And he called the 00:15:37.870 --> 00:15:42.090 others back in and presented her alive. And it 00:15:42.090 --> 00:15:44.889 became known all over Joppa and many believed 00:15:44.889 --> 00:15:49.879 in the Lord. You see, God employed miracles here 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:53.200 to assure Peter that he was heading in the right 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.740 direction so that he would not get down the road 00:15:56.740 --> 00:15:59.000 toward this eye -opener and say, wait a minute, 00:15:59.019 --> 00:16:02.240 I think I've goofed. I've missed a turn somewhere. 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:05.820 I've gotten on a detour toward the Gentiles. 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.940 To preclude Peter from thinking that he somehow 00:16:09.940 --> 00:16:13.759 had erred, God graciously did through Peter some 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:16.740 miracles. to assure him that he was on the right 00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:20.500 track. And the results of the miracles were salvation 00:16:20.500 --> 00:16:23.559 for those who were in the area and heard about 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:26.220 it. In verse 35 it says, they turned to the Lord. 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:32.960 Verse 42, many believed in the Lord. Now the 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:35.259 thinking person has to ask a question at this 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:41.320 point. Should we today expect such confirmations 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:47.529 as this? in the ministry of God's Word. Is what 00:16:47.529 --> 00:16:51.610 happened here the norm for the church age, or 00:16:51.610 --> 00:16:56.730 is this something special? The answer to that 00:16:56.730 --> 00:16:58.850 is clear, not only from the biblical record, 00:16:58.870 --> 00:17:02.169 but from church history. What happened in these 00:17:02.169 --> 00:17:05.710 early chapters of the book of Acts were miracles 00:17:05.710 --> 00:17:09.390 that were a part of the ministry of the apostles. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.759 You say, doesn't God do miracles today? Yes, 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:17.359 of course he does. God has performed miracles 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:21.079 on people in our church. One of our staff members, 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:23.420 in fact, had a miracle occur to him in healing 00:17:23.420 --> 00:17:26.640 of his eyesight. He has shared that with me. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:34.160 But that is the exception, not the rule. That 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:39.180 is the unusual, not the norm, for this age. There 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:42.140 are some important considerations that we should 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:47.299 note regarding miracles. The first is that the 00:17:47.299 --> 00:17:51.660 occurrence of miracles in history as a common 00:17:51.660 --> 00:17:57.799 phenomena is more rare than we might think. Indeed, 00:17:57.819 --> 00:18:02.319 there are only three periods thus far in history 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.640 when miracles have been common. They were in 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.200 the day of Moses, when he led the people out 00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:14.900 of Egypt toward the promised land, their wilderness 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:20.940 journey and so on. The day of Elijah and Elisha, 00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:24.339 the times of the prophets when astounding miracles 00:18:24.339 --> 00:18:28.740 were done, and then during the time of Christ 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:32.819 and the apostles. You say didn't God do miracles 00:18:32.819 --> 00:18:36.630 at other times? Yes. God can at any time that 00:18:36.630 --> 00:18:41.210 he wishes intervene and perform a miracle. He 00:18:41.210 --> 00:18:45.369 can suspend the natural laws as we know and understand 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:49.369 them and intervene to accomplish his sovereign 00:18:49.369 --> 00:18:53.730 purposes whenever he wishes to do that. But only 00:18:53.730 --> 00:18:56.650 in three times in all of history up to this point 00:18:56.650 --> 00:18:59.589 have miracles been what we might say common. 00:19:01.329 --> 00:19:04.400 Those are the three times I've mentioned. They 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:09.900 were done then to validate the work of God and 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:13.700 new revelation that was being given particularly 00:19:13.700 --> 00:19:16.980 at that time. That is clear from the first and 00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:20.940 the third examples. The times of Moses, the law, 00:19:21.299 --> 00:19:24.740 the first five books of revelation were being 00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:28.099 delivered. Then of course during the times of 00:19:28.099 --> 00:19:31.400 Christ and the apostles. there was new revelation. 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:33.779 The whole New Testament was written during that 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:38.259 time. Miracles accompanied those revelations. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.680 There's a second consideration to note, and that 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:46.700 is that they always glorify God rather than any 00:19:46.700 --> 00:19:51.740 man. Miracles in the Bible were never done in 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:56.890 a sideshow carnival kind of atmosphere. The miracles 00:19:56.890 --> 00:20:00.490 were not dependent upon highly charged emotional 00:20:00.490 --> 00:20:06.130 settings. Here Peter is by himself as he raises 00:20:06.130 --> 00:20:10.069 this woman from the dead. Can you imagine how 00:20:10.069 --> 00:20:12.289 that will be done today or at least attempted 00:20:12.289 --> 00:20:14.990 today by some of the people that claim to be 00:20:14.990 --> 00:20:20.250 healers? Miracles in the Bible always glorify 00:20:20.250 --> 00:20:25.269 God and not man. When you see man being honored, 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:29.160 and uplifted and glorified by purported miracles, 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:34.359 you know something is arrived. Number three, 00:20:34.740 --> 00:20:39.279 the third consideration, miracles always validate 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:43.140 the statements of scripture. They do not contradict 00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:47.140 them. If you hear someone say, well, I know what 00:20:47.140 --> 00:20:49.140 the Bible says, but here's what happened and 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:51.380 I can't explain it, it does contradict the Bible, 00:20:51.400 --> 00:20:54.779 but this occurred and I believe that, then something's 00:20:54.779 --> 00:20:58.930 wrong. Because you see miracles always validate 00:20:58.930 --> 00:21:01.930 what God has said in His Word, miracles never 00:21:01.930 --> 00:21:06.509 contradict what the Word of God states. Consideration 00:21:06.509 --> 00:21:12.990 number four, the result of miracles is that the 00:21:12.990 --> 00:21:18.390 gospel is received by people. God's Word is authenticated 00:21:18.390 --> 00:21:23.950 to the observers of the miracles. Now the claim 00:21:23.950 --> 00:21:30.089 that miracles are occurring today, commonly in 00:21:30.089 --> 00:21:33.289 some people's meetings, may not be truthful. 00:21:34.650 --> 00:21:36.730 You say, are you calling these people liars? 00:21:37.130 --> 00:21:40.210 It is not my position to do that. I'm simply 00:21:40.210 --> 00:21:42.329 stating to you that you need to be sure that 00:21:42.329 --> 00:21:47.069 the people are being truthful. I recall one healer 00:21:47.069 --> 00:21:50.609 who is now dead who had meetings in the state 00:21:50.609 --> 00:21:55.450 of Ohio and he always wore a white suit. As he 00:21:55.450 --> 00:21:57.809 was preaching, one of the miracles that God did 00:21:57.809 --> 00:22:02.009 to show his approval of his ministry was to make 00:22:02.009 --> 00:22:04.549 drops of the blood of Christ appear on his white 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:09.390 suit. It worked well until one day somebody caught 00:22:09.390 --> 00:22:11.269 the guy up above who was dropping animal blood 00:22:11.269 --> 00:22:15.769 on him. The claim that miracles are occurring 00:22:15.769 --> 00:22:21.829 may not be truthful. Secondly, I'd like to say 00:22:21.829 --> 00:22:26.059 that the presence of miracles does not mean that 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:30.319 they're of God. Because, you see, miracles can 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:33.640 be done by the other side too. So just because 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:37.200 a miracle has been done does not necessarily 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:41.799 mean that it is the result of God's work. Indeed, 00:22:41.940 --> 00:22:44.200 one of the greatest miracle workers the world 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:48.140 will ever see will be the Antichrist who will 00:22:48.140 --> 00:22:52.849 be indwelled by Satan. But let me say again that 00:22:52.849 --> 00:22:56.609 God does occasionally intervene miraculously 00:22:56.609 --> 00:23:01.109 in our human experience. He does not always choose 00:23:01.109 --> 00:23:04.769 to do that in answer to our prayers. There are 00:23:04.769 --> 00:23:07.670 many people who have died sincerely praying that 00:23:07.670 --> 00:23:09.829 God would heal them, and God has chosen not to 00:23:09.829 --> 00:23:14.089 do that. But sometimes God does heal, God does 00:23:14.089 --> 00:23:18.490 restore. You say, why does God do it for one 00:23:18.490 --> 00:23:21.440 and not the other? That's a question only God 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:25.859 can answer. I cannot answer that. But the facts 00:23:25.859 --> 00:23:30.119 are that God does occasionally intervene miraculously, 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:34.259 as an exception, not as the rule, and for his 00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:39.420 purpose and his glory alone. Miracles were more 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:41.200 common in these days in the book of Acts, and 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:44.599 God used miracles in the ministry of Peter to 00:23:44.599 --> 00:23:48.180 affirm him at this particular time, so that he 00:23:48.180 --> 00:23:51.160 would not question that he was in the center 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:53.440 of the will of God when God began to open his 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:58.119 eyes as he will in chapter 10. And then we come 00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:03.039 to the third preparation that God graciously 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:08.539 gave to Peter in verse 43. God placed him in 00:24:08.539 --> 00:24:12.619 an uncomfortable situation. God prepared him 00:24:12.619 --> 00:24:15.299 for this change of thinking by putting him in 00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:18.579 a situation where he must not have been comfortable. 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:21.619 It says that it came about he stayed many days 00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:27.660 in Joppa with a certain tanner, Simon. Tanners 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:31.259 did unclean work as far as the Jews were concerned. 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:34.680 Because their work naturally involved the touching 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:40.440 of corpses of animals, they took the hide from 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:42.940 animals and then prepared that hide, made leather 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:51.839 from it. carcass of an animal makes one unclean. 00:24:52.859 --> 00:24:58.299 And so this righteous Jew, this apostle of Jesus 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:04.559 Christ, Peter, had to live with ceremonial uncleanness. 00:25:04.980 --> 00:25:07.839 And he had to live that way for many days. It 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:12.380 was a prolonged period. Now we're not told why 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:17.140 he had to live there. Maybe it was his beach 00:25:17.140 --> 00:25:20.180 front location. I don't know. In chapter 10, 00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:24.299 verse 6, it says his house was by the sea. But 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.920 I think it must have taken more than that to 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:29.740 get Peter there. This was God's arrangement. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:34.799 Actually, he was by the sea because tanners were 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:38.599 not welcome in Jewish settlements. They had to 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:41.839 live in more remote locations. And it was there 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:45.779 that God arranged for Peter to stay. It was at 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:50.700 the city of Joppa. Joppa was, or is today rather, 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:56.099 3 ,500 years old. It's an old city. It thrives 00:25:56.099 --> 00:26:00.259 as the city of Yaffa in Israel. It was then a 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:04.920 strongly Jewish city with a definite pharisaical 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.380 influence. In other words, the Pharisees who 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:12.319 were very strict Jews had an influence there. 00:26:13.340 --> 00:26:15.859 So you can see the kind of dilemma that Peter 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:20.539 must have been in, in that situation. Himself 00:26:20.539 --> 00:26:23.660 being a righteous Jew, aware of the laws of the 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:28.099 Old Testament, the Pharisees influencing heavily 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:31.339 the area where he was, and yet he lived with 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:35.279 a tanner. I believe that God placed him there 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:38.980 to make him uncomfortable so that he would be 00:26:38.980 --> 00:26:43.190 opening his mind to some things. God has a way 00:26:43.190 --> 00:26:46.769 of doing that when he wants us to change, doesn't 00:26:46.769 --> 00:26:52.329 he? Of making us uncomfortable where we are. 00:26:57.029 --> 00:27:02.269 When an eagle is going to lay her eggs, she carefully 00:27:02.269 --> 00:27:05.789 prepares her nest on some pinnacle or ledge high 00:27:05.789 --> 00:27:12.349 out of the reach of predators. rather large sticks 00:27:12.349 --> 00:27:16.730 and places them there carefully. Those sticks 00:27:16.730 --> 00:27:22.170 are pointed. Sometimes she will even get sticks 00:27:22.170 --> 00:27:24.769 that have thorns on them. That lays the foundation 00:27:24.769 --> 00:27:28.650 for her home. Then she begins to pick up some 00:27:28.650 --> 00:27:32.430 softer material. She will pick up straw or stubble 00:27:32.430 --> 00:27:36.009 or hay and take it there to her nest and put 00:27:36.009 --> 00:27:39.869 the second layer in. And finally, she will prepare 00:27:39.869 --> 00:27:44.230 it with feathers, sometimes from her own body, 00:27:44.890 --> 00:27:47.990 pulling the feathers out, placing them nicely 00:27:47.990 --> 00:27:51.529 so that she's able to lay her eggs in that soft, 00:27:51.950 --> 00:28:00.309 cuddly home. The eggs are hatched, the eaglets 00:28:00.309 --> 00:28:05.109 come forth, and they begin to grow. The mother 00:28:05.109 --> 00:28:08.250 eagle brings the food necessary for the little 00:28:08.250 --> 00:28:12.390 eagles. Then they begin to sprout their wings 00:28:12.390 --> 00:28:15.029 a little bit, but they won't move out of that 00:28:15.029 --> 00:28:18.509 nest. It's comfortable. She wants them to learn 00:28:18.509 --> 00:28:22.490 to fly. She wants them to go out to get their 00:28:22.490 --> 00:28:24.789 own food, but they'll never do it in that comfortable 00:28:24.789 --> 00:28:28.150 setting. And so she reaches down and begins to 00:28:28.150 --> 00:28:31.349 pick out the feathers and drop them from that 00:28:31.349 --> 00:28:35.880 pinnacle. And then she reaches to pick out the 00:28:35.880 --> 00:28:38.660 straw and the stubble that is there until all 00:28:38.660 --> 00:28:41.680 that is left in her nest are the sticks and the 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:46.019 thorns. And they poke the young eagles. They're 00:28:46.019 --> 00:28:49.720 uncomfortable to be in. And finally the little 00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:52.720 eaglets get the picture. And they get to the 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:55.220 edge of the nest and the mother pushes them out 00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:59.319 and in that manner teaches them to fly. You see 00:28:59.319 --> 00:29:02.160 she prepares them for the change by making them 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.730 uncomfortable. in their setting. I think that's 00:29:06.730 --> 00:29:10.950 what Peter experienced here. Peter was comfortable 00:29:10.950 --> 00:29:15.549 as a Jew and as a believer in Jesus Christ, but 00:29:15.549 --> 00:29:18.569 now God, through some means which we do not know 00:29:18.569 --> 00:29:22.869 about, forced him to live with a tanner so that 00:29:22.869 --> 00:29:26.410 he was in contact every day with that which is 00:29:26.410 --> 00:29:30.910 unclean. The word unclean also describes the 00:29:30.910 --> 00:29:33.609 basic Jewish attitude toward all those Gentiles 00:29:33.609 --> 00:29:37.869 out there. God was preparing Peter for change. 00:29:39.730 --> 00:29:41.710 From our study in the Word of God today, there 00:29:41.710 --> 00:29:43.849 are three lessons that I'd like for us to draw 00:29:43.849 --> 00:29:49.230 and to apply to our lives. Number one, a lesson 00:29:49.230 --> 00:29:51.549 is this, and it's a lesson that all of us need 00:29:51.549 --> 00:29:58.920 to write in our hearts. Change is a God -designed 00:29:58.920 --> 00:30:04.480 part of life. Change is a God -designed part 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:09.759 of life. God knows that routine without change 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:14.819 becomes rut, that opinions without change become 00:30:14.819 --> 00:30:19.339 prejudice, that relationships without change 00:30:19.339 --> 00:30:26.160 become dull and even enslaving. So God designs 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:30.480 change into life itself. It's part of the fabric 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:34.920 of life. People who do not like change have a 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:38.519 hard time with life because it's a part of life. 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:44.539 God himself, of course, does not change. He is, 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:49.759 to put it theologically, immutable. He says, 00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:55.650 I am the Lord, I change not. He is the same yesterday, 00:30:55.710 --> 00:31:00.250 today, and forever. And so is his word. But all 00:31:00.250 --> 00:31:05.509 else does change. We live in a changing world. 00:31:06.710 --> 00:31:13.109 And if we do not learn to change, we become eventually 00:31:13.109 --> 00:31:18.210 obsolete relics and irrelevant pieces of our 00:31:18.210 --> 00:31:24.640 society. I'm not talking about change in the 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:27.480 basic convictions regarding God or the Bible, 00:31:28.700 --> 00:31:31.380 but I'm talking about learning how to change 00:31:31.380 --> 00:31:36.619 with the changes around us in life. God doesn't 00:31:36.619 --> 00:31:41.500 force us to change just for change's sake, but 00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:46.039 always for His will's sake and for our own good. 00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:50.400 This is true when it is applied to churches. 00:31:51.809 --> 00:31:54.490 Churches from time to time have to change their 00:31:54.490 --> 00:31:59.450 methods of ministry. They must do that in order 00:31:59.450 --> 00:32:03.069 to more effectively reach the changing society 00:32:03.069 --> 00:32:06.990 around them. One of the things that we were impressed 00:32:06.990 --> 00:32:09.430 with the Church in Poland about is that they 00:32:09.430 --> 00:32:13.730 have a very effective literature ministry. They 00:32:13.730 --> 00:32:16.730 pass out literally tens of thousands of tracts. 00:32:16.809 --> 00:32:20.430 They sell Bibles in the open marketplaces. as 00:32:20.430 --> 00:32:22.349 well as other pieces of Christian literature. 00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:26.849 That is very effective where they are. But if 00:32:26.849 --> 00:32:29.089 you took the same methodology and applied it 00:32:29.089 --> 00:32:31.990 to Grace Church, Roseville, it would not work 00:32:31.990 --> 00:32:35.769 because we live in a different society, a different 00:32:35.769 --> 00:32:41.829 culture. We have to be able to adjust our methods 00:32:41.829 --> 00:32:47.369 to the society in which we live. The same is 00:32:47.369 --> 00:32:51.400 true regarding pastoral leadership. Change occasionally 00:32:51.400 --> 00:32:54.740 is good for churches as well as pastors. This 00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:59.480 is not an announcement by the way. But it nonetheless 00:32:59.480 --> 00:33:05.380 is true. God allows change to take place in leadership 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:08.279 in a church from time to time for the good of 00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:12.740 the church as well as the leader. It's true when 00:33:12.740 --> 00:33:16.180 it comes to families too. Don't you husbands 00:33:16.180 --> 00:33:20.700 and wives? experience change in your relationship 00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:25.200 as you mature in your love. I would dare say 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:29.000 that the way you relate to each other today is 00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:32.200 to some degree, maybe to a great degree different 00:33:32.200 --> 00:33:38.440 than the way you related on your honeymoon. Love 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:44.940 matures. Love deepens. And as your relationship 00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:48.839 changes. You must change in the way you treat 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:52.440 each other. The same is true regarding parents 00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:57.339 and children. Parents have to learn that children 00:33:57.339 --> 00:34:02.480 grow up. That's not always easy to learn, especially 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:08.880 with the first one. The children develop as individuals. 00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:12.739 They become more independent. And as they do, 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:17.280 the relationship has to change. God forces change 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:22.239 upon us for our own good. It is a God -designed 00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:30.480 part of life. Lesson number two. Frequently, 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:36.860 I hesitate to say always because that is a broad 00:34:36.860 --> 00:34:41.760 term, but frequently God graciously prepares 00:34:41.760 --> 00:34:46.699 us for those changes. that he brings into our 00:34:46.699 --> 00:34:53.099 lives. He does that in a church. He will prepare 00:34:53.099 --> 00:34:55.800 us for change in ministry, for example, and the 00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:59.380 methods that we use by revealing to us that those 00:34:59.380 --> 00:35:02.079 methods are no longer working and bringing to 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:04.199 our attention some other methods that may be 00:35:04.199 --> 00:35:10.820 better. When a pastor leaves, there is normally 00:35:10.820 --> 00:35:14.900 a change, a preparation rather for change. in 00:35:14.900 --> 00:35:18.000 his own heart, as well as in the heart of the 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:21.820 congregation. And even though it's always a difficult 00:35:21.820 --> 00:35:25.840 experience, God nonetheless graciously prepares. 00:35:27.099 --> 00:35:31.380 Is it not true in a family? The reason that a 00:35:31.380 --> 00:35:34.800 child has that growing sense of independence 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:40.420 beginning about day one It's so that mom and 00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:43.280 dad, by the time the child is 18 or so, will 00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:49.019 be able to say goodbye. If you had to do that 00:35:49.019 --> 00:35:52.380 overnight, it would be tough. But there's that 00:35:52.380 --> 00:35:56.400 growing independence and sometimes the struggle 00:35:56.400 --> 00:36:01.400 to adapt from both sides. But God prepares for 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:06.460 that change, and I think it's true often in death 00:36:06.460 --> 00:36:11.739 as well. This last week I attended the funeral 00:36:11.739 --> 00:36:14.820 of a former pastor of Emanuel Community Church. 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:19.159 The Lloyd Van Stone died last Saturday while 00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:22.739 jogging in Topeka, Kansas, only 25 miles from 00:36:22.739 --> 00:36:26.179 where my home is. I heard about it in time to 00:36:26.179 --> 00:36:31.940 get to the funeral on Tuesday. The coroner said 00:36:31.940 --> 00:36:35.659 that he died mid -step as he was jogging. They 00:36:35.659 --> 00:36:40.199 lifted his foot and didn't know. that he missed 00:36:40.199 --> 00:36:44.719 the next step. He was gone that quickly. But 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:48.099 I would venture to say that if Floyd could speak 00:36:48.099 --> 00:36:52.039 to us and if Dory, his wife, were here this morning, 00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:56.119 that they would probably say that God had done 00:36:56.119 --> 00:36:58.760 some things to prepare them for that, even though 00:36:58.760 --> 00:37:03.639 it was a very sudden home going for him. Often 00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:07.179 God does that through the natural aging process. 00:37:10.840 --> 00:37:15.139 Even at my advanced age, when I hear an older 00:37:15.139 --> 00:37:19.519 person say, I'm ready to go, I'm eager to die, 00:37:19.699 --> 00:37:23.179 it's a little bit of a shock to me. Because even 00:37:23.179 --> 00:37:25.380 though I'm eager to see the Lord, I can't really 00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:27.659 say I'm eager at this point to leave my physical 00:37:27.659 --> 00:37:30.000 body and my family and my ministry and go to 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:33.159 heaven. In my humanness, I'm not that eager to 00:37:33.159 --> 00:37:37.860 go. Today, you see as you grow older, your body 00:37:37.860 --> 00:37:41.590 changes and it begins to... have pains and limitations 00:37:41.590 --> 00:37:45.650 and one begins to be frustrated in those limitations 00:37:45.650 --> 00:37:49.469 and pains. God prepares one for death often. 00:37:50.610 --> 00:37:54.650 Sometimes it's by illness that that occurs. It's 00:37:54.650 --> 00:37:58.590 true on our parts who must lose a loved one. 00:37:59.809 --> 00:38:02.289 We cannot imagine losing that person that we 00:38:02.289 --> 00:38:06.070 have loved so dearly and yet Often, God allows 00:38:06.070 --> 00:38:08.289 some illness to come to that loved one, and I 00:38:08.289 --> 00:38:11.210 have seen cases, and so have you, where by the 00:38:11.210 --> 00:38:13.469 time that individual went home to be with the 00:38:13.469 --> 00:38:15.389 Lord, the family was actually praying that that 00:38:15.389 --> 00:38:19.010 would happen because the illness had advanced 00:38:19.010 --> 00:38:23.750 itself. You see, God graciously, frequently prepares 00:38:23.750 --> 00:38:28.449 us for change, just as he did Peter. So my third 00:38:28.449 --> 00:38:32.789 lesson is the conclusion. Learn to accept change 00:38:32.789 --> 00:38:37.690 in your life. as from the hands of a changeless, 00:38:38.210 --> 00:38:44.389 sovereign God. Every one of us today is facing 00:38:44.389 --> 00:38:49.289 some kind of change, perhaps a multiplicity of 00:38:49.289 --> 00:38:56.369 changes. We need to learn to accept change from 00:38:56.369 --> 00:39:00.510 the hands of God, who himself does not change, 00:39:01.309 --> 00:39:05.900 but who is sovereign. In His sovereign goodness, 00:39:07.099 --> 00:39:10.159 He has designed change into our existence in 00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:15.579 this world. When God brings change to us, He 00:39:15.579 --> 00:39:18.579 does it inevitably for our good, not for our 00:39:18.579 --> 00:39:23.900 ill. God is too loving to be unkind. God is too 00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:28.039 wise to make mistakes. When God brings change, 00:39:28.099 --> 00:39:33.300 it is right. We can trust Him. You can trust 00:39:33.300 --> 00:39:36.139 him today for the change that is confronting 00:39:36.139 --> 00:39:41.579 you. The story is told about a train that was 00:39:41.579 --> 00:39:44.719 speeding along its way one dark, stormy night. 00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:50.219 The lightning was flashing outside. Black clouds 00:39:50.219 --> 00:39:54.659 rolled by as the train sped on toward its destination. 00:39:56.260 --> 00:39:59.099 The passengers observing the storm outside were 00:39:59.099 --> 00:40:04.409 tense. Some were fearful. But among the passengers 00:40:04.409 --> 00:40:08.690 was one little boy. He was sitting in a seat 00:40:08.690 --> 00:40:12.030 all by himself, seemed to be totally unaware 00:40:12.030 --> 00:40:14.889 of what was happening outside the train, the 00:40:14.889 --> 00:40:18.570 wind and the storm, the lightning, the rain. 00:40:20.389 --> 00:40:22.750 He was amusing himself playing with his toys. 00:40:22.889 --> 00:40:25.989 One of the passengers went over and sat down 00:40:25.989 --> 00:40:30.250 beside him and said, Sonny, I see you're alone 00:40:30.250 --> 00:40:33.969 on the train. Aren't you afraid to travel all 00:40:33.969 --> 00:40:38.929 by yourself on such a stormy night as this? A 00:40:38.929 --> 00:40:42.409 little lad looked up at the man and said with 00:40:42.409 --> 00:40:47.610 a smile, no sir, I ain't afraid. My daddy is 00:40:47.610 --> 00:40:53.309 the engineer. I want to tell you something, your 00:40:53.309 --> 00:40:58.650 father is the engineer. And that change that 00:40:58.650 --> 00:41:01.369 seems to be so threatening that looms in your 00:41:01.369 --> 00:41:06.449 life, which seems to be overwhelming you, that 00:41:06.449 --> 00:41:09.409 change comes through the hands of God for you. 00:41:10.309 --> 00:41:14.469 So don't be afraid of it. Reach out and by faith 00:41:14.469 --> 00:41:18.750 embrace it. And thank God that in that change 00:41:18.750 --> 00:41:23.369 He is working for your good. You may have resented 00:41:23.369 --> 00:41:26.130 the change to this point, or you may have resisted 00:41:26.130 --> 00:41:30.980 it. But God is trying to work in your situation 00:41:30.980 --> 00:41:35.000 for His glory and your benefit. So don't struggle 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.019 with Him anymore about it. Trust Him to fashion 00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:44.619 that change and to employ it for your good. That 00:41:44.619 --> 00:41:47.880 is the heritage of God's people. That is the 00:41:47.880 --> 00:41:50.900 heritage of His saints. You may have noticed 00:41:50.900 --> 00:41:53.019 as we read our text today that the word saints 00:41:53.019 --> 00:41:58.539 is used two times. Saints are not a certain class 00:41:58.539 --> 00:42:03.519 of especially spiritual or perfect people. In 00:42:03.519 --> 00:42:07.360 a biblical definition, saints are simply God's 00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:10.739 people, those who have been set apart by God 00:42:10.739 --> 00:42:15.960 for His special purpose and use. Those are the 00:42:15.960 --> 00:42:20.380 objects of His special care and affection. Those 00:42:20.380 --> 00:42:23.699 are God's saints. It's those who turn to the 00:42:23.699 --> 00:42:27.900 Lord. verse 35. Those who believe in the Lord, 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:31.920 verse 42. It may be that you're here today and 00:42:31.920 --> 00:42:35.679 you've never turned to the Lord. You may have 00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:37.659 a knowledge about Him and you've believed on 00:42:37.659 --> 00:42:40.699 Him in some kind of a vague sense, like everybody 00:42:40.699 --> 00:42:44.059 believes in God, but you've never truly believed 00:42:44.059 --> 00:42:48.659 in Him and given your life to Him for Him to 00:42:48.659 --> 00:42:52.320 be your Lord and Master and your Savior from 00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:56.409 your sin. Today, my friend, with open arms, He 00:42:56.409 --> 00:42:59.010 reaches out to you desiring that you might receive 00:42:59.010 --> 00:43:03.210 Him. He would receive you if you would come to 00:43:03.210 --> 00:43:08.250 Him and trust Him. Become one of His own, and 00:43:08.250 --> 00:43:10.230 then you too can go through life with the kind 00:43:10.230 --> 00:43:14.809 of assurance that those saints around you today 00:43:14.809 --> 00:43:18.030 have as we pass through the changes that God 00:43:18.030 --> 00:43:21.570 designs into life. Let's bow together in prayer. 00:43:24.260 --> 00:43:28.099 Our loving Father, how glad we are that you're 00:43:28.099 --> 00:43:32.980 the engineer, that you're the one in control, 00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:37.559 that you're leading our lives. And Lord, by faith 00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:39.760 we thank you for the changes that you bring. 00:43:39.940 --> 00:43:43.280 Sometimes you know that we resist them. Forgive 00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:46.619 us. Forgive us for that unbelief. Sometimes, 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:51.920 Lord, we resent them. Forgive us of that. And 00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:54.260 today I pray that each of us who is a saint, 00:43:54.599 --> 00:43:58.679 who is a child of God, would be able to look 00:43:58.679 --> 00:44:02.260 into your face and honestly say, Father, I love 00:44:02.260 --> 00:44:07.800 you, and by faith I thank you for the changes 00:44:07.800 --> 00:44:12.599 that I'm facing right now. And Father, I pray 00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:14.199 that if there are those here who don't know the 00:44:14.199 --> 00:44:17.719 Lord Jesus, that today they might become one 00:44:17.719 --> 00:44:21.719 of the family by believing in Him. and receiving 00:44:21.719 --> 00:44:26.239 Him and turning from themselves their sin to 00:44:26.239 --> 00:44:31.099 the Lord. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.