WEBVTT

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 Hey everyone, good to see you all. It's great to be back here again. I've been really blessed these last few weeks. We had Joe, we had Gabs and Shum share the week before. And then last week we had Johnny share. We've been going through the book of Acts and there's been a whole ton of firsts. The first time they saw a man fly in Acts 1 when Jesus ascended into heaven. The first time the first church that was started in Acts 2 because of the first filling of the Holy Spirit.

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 And then you saw the first sermon preached by Peter. First presentation of the gospel. He was filled with the spirit and he goes, hey guys, these people are not drunk. They are filled with the spirit and this is the gospel. This is your sin. You crucified him and this is your savior.

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 And so we talked a little bit about what it means to actually share the gospel. You have to talk about sin and you have to talk about the savior that comes to save you from that sin.

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 And actually Peter in Acts 2 has this whole sermon where he talks about the savior and actually any presentation of the gospel really must include Jesus.

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 And what it really must include Jesus is his life, his death and his resurrection. It is sometimes about actual real life testimonies, things that have happened to you that have completely transformed you.

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 But you see Peter here, you see the apostles here, they just point to Jesus. They said, you'll see that our lives are transformed, but you can, I want you to know about Jesus.

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 And then last week, actually just before that, they were then filled with awe and wonder. They were cut to the heart from this gospel.

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 And then the three guys shared with us what a community started to look like, what this church started to look like.

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 They were filled with awe and wonder. They were devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread and prayers.

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 They started to see miraculous signs. They started to just be filled with gladness and generosity.

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 And so they would share things with one another and they had favor with all people.

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 And then the Lord added to the number and the church, the first church suddenly became a group of 3000 people.

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 So we had the first flying man, we had the first church, we had the first sermon.

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 Now we have the first taste of persecution.

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 Up until now, it's been pretty good. Things have been hype has been building.

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 And last week, Johnny showed us that actually in chapter three, Peter and John, they see this lame beggar and they see him and he's asking for money.

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 He's like, I've been here for 40 years. All I really want is just some money now.

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 I have lost all hope in wanting to be healed.

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 Can you just give me some money? And then Peter and John say, hey, look at us.

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 They reestablish his integrity. They start a connection with him.

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 They say, look at us. They fixed their gaze onto him and the other way as well.

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 Because they know the most important thing that he needs, we need, everyone needs is connection.

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 Not just with each other, but with the father.

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 They say, we don't have any money to give you.

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 But what we do have is this, the power of the name of Jesus, would you stand up?

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 And for the first time in 40 years, he stands up.

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 And you look at our passage and you wonder, wow, what must we do to get that kind of power?

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 And then Peter explains it to the people.

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 He says, it's not us. You're looking at us again.

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 It's not about us.

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 How tempted are we often when we see people who do great things and go, wow, I want to be like that person.

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 Wow, what does that person have?

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 What's the secret sauce?

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 But then Peter says, it's not about us.

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 You've got the message wrong.

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 Again, it's about Jesus.

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 And then he preaches the gospel again.

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 That you guys sinned.

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 That you guys crucified him.

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 But Jesus is the savior.

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 He talked about the life and the death and the resurrection of Jesus once again.

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 And now we hit to chapter four, the persecution.

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 Where you have a bunch of people who come who are incredibly annoyed with what they've just talked about.

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 Now, so I'm going to ask us to, in a minute, stand for the word of the Lord.

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 Because we believe that that's just one way to really show reverence and awe.

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 Just I want you to all brace yourself.

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 Because this is a slightly long chapter.

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 Okay.

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 So this is chapter four, verse one to thirty one.

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 If there's any comfort to you, the early church started with everyone listening, standing for the whole sermon and the rabbi sitting.

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 So whilst you're standing in the middle, just find comfort in that.

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 It's okay.

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 But I have tried to help us.

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 I found the most dynamic reader of scripture that I could possibly find.

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 A drama teacher is going to read it and maybe even reenact the whole scene for us as we do this.

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 Can we give a round of applause to Danny?

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 And I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord.

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 Acts chapter four.

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 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

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 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

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 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

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 But many of those who had heard the word believed.

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 And the number of the men came to about five thousand.

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 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, and Cephas, and John and Alexander,

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 and all who were of the high priestly family.

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 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired,

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 By what power or by what name did you do this?

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 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,

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 Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man,

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 By what means this man has been healed?

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 Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

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 whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead,

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 by him this man is standing before you well.

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 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

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 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

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 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated, common men,

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 they were astonished, and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

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 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

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 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying,

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 What shall we do with these men?

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 For that a notable sign has been performed through them as evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

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 and we cannot deny it.

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 But in order that it may spread no further among the people,

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 let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.

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 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

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 But Peter and John answered them,

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 Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge.

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 For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

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 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people.

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 For all were praising God for what had happened.

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 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than 40 years old.

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 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

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 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,

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 Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them,

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 who through the mouth of our father David, your servants, said by the Holy Spirit.

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 Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain?

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 The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.

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 For truly in this city they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus,

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 whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

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 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

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 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

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 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

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 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken,

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 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Please take a seat.

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 Thank you, Danny.

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 We should have only South Africans read scripture from now on.

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 That can be a fourth gathering statement.

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 When was the last time you said something that annoyed someone?

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 Gigi, when was the last time you said something that annoyed Flo?

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 Hello.

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 I've lost count.

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 You've lost count.

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 You've lost count.

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 I annoyed my wife.

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 She's not here today.

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 She's at a young lives camp.

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 But I can safely share with you.

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 We had a fight this week.

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 We don't usually have that many fights these days.

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 But those of us who have done pre-marriage counseling with us, you'll have heard us say this.

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 When we fight, well, usually one's a hedgehog and one's a rhino.

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 That's usually the kind of the analogy that, you know, someone wants to just keep going.

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 And the other person just wants to shrink away, right?

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 I'm the one who wants to keep going.

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 And for some reason, when we start fighting, she will start to lose the words to say.

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 She won't know how to speak.

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 Whereas I just get wittier and wittier.

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 I just get more and more cocky.

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 And I'm just filled with the spirit of cockiness.

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 And, of course, that annoys her even more.

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 It doesn't help the situation.

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 It just gets it worse.

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 But then once I'm in a row, I'm just going to lie.

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 It just keeps going.

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 I just can't stop.

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 But she gets greatly annoyed.

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 But I don't know if I've ever annoyed anyone because I've shared about the gospel.

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 That's something that I was reflecting on.

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 If this is the first persecution that the church met, they were preaching a pretty offensive message.

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 And they were annoyed.

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 The Sadducees were annoyed.

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 And we'll talk a little bit about that.

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 But just straight off the bat, I was like, I don't know if as a church we are even offensive enough or controversial enough to share the message of Jesus Christ,

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 the gospel of sin and the Savior and the life and death and the resurrection of Jesus.

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 I don't know if we say it enough.

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 And I don't think we say it clearly enough.

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 To the point where people are like, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm offended by what?

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 I don't know if I've done that.

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 Have you?

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 Has anyone?

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 Brilliant.

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 Of course, it's got to be the lawyers.

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 But it's interesting.

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 The Sadducees, we haven't heard much about the Sadducees.

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 We hear a lot about the Pharisees.

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 The Pharisees were everyday teachers of the law.

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 They were the scribes.

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 They were just serious nerds about the law.

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 And so they would argue with Jesus a lot because they knew scripture.

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 The Sadducees were a different group of people.

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 They were a group of wealthy, elite aristocrats that had a lot of power in the temple.

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 They were people who actually, they were very influential.

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 You see, they are annoyed at what Peter and John did.

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 And what could they do?

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 They threw them into prison and they arrested them.

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 That's how powerful they were.

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 They were a group of people that were a part of the Jewish high council, which was called the Sanhedrin.

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 And they were just, they had basically were very politically savvy too.

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 So they were able to liaise with the Romans and liaise with the Jews and basically have accumulated a lot of power and influence.

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 So it was this group that was annoyed.

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 Something more interesting about this group is that they didn't believe in anything supernatural.

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 They were Jews by culture and they would believe.

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 But they didn't believe in anything supernatural.

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 And they definitely didn't believe in the resurrection.

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 I'll tell you a little bit more about why that's important afterwards.

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 But this is the group that shows up because they're like, wait, they're annoyed.

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 Not because there was a lame beggar who'd not been able to walk for the whole of his life for the whole 40 years is now being able to walk.

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 They're annoyed because the people who healed him are now talking about the resurrection.

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 And they say, oh, no, no, no, we have to stop it there.

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 There is no talk of the resurrection.

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 We do not believe it.

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 We've said, I hope, enough time and time again.

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 1 Corinthians 15.

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 That is the only thing we should be talking about.

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 That Jesus, that there is a son of God who came and died and he rises again and he lives among us.

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 That's the only thing that separates us from this service being a memorial service and being an actual worship service of celebration.

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 And so they come and they say, hey, we cannot have that kind of talk because we do not believe in the resurrection.

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 We do not want to give these people hope.

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 It's interesting.

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 So if you're following with me, Acts chapter 4, we're just going to go through 1 to 31.

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 It actually says it, verse 2, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

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 Verse 3, and they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening.

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 They annoyed the Sadducees so much.

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 The Sadducees were like, okay, it's late now.

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 We can't really do anything right now, but we still have the power to put you into prison.

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 And we'll talk about this in the morning.

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 So that's what they did there.

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 But verse 4, Luke just kind of drops in something else.

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 He kind of does this, just this little kind of Easter eggs, I'd say, or what Steve would call it.

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 But many of those who had heard the word believed and the number of the men came to about 5,000.

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 Boom!

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 The lame beggar is healed.

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 They preach the gospel.

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 An extra 2,000 people are added, just like that.

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 Of course, these are just men, so they're not even counting the women and the children.

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 So he puts that in there.

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 He says, well, even with this message that was annoying certain people,

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 there were still a whole bunch of people who were believing.

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 The gospel was well and truly on its way.

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 But yet, they are put into the prison.

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 Now, the question is, why did those people believe and why did the Sadducees not?

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 Why did they get so annoyed to the point where they would arrest these people and put them into prison?

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 I think Peter knew what the issue was.

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 And he actually jumps into another part here.

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 You see the next morning, they finally get everyone together.

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 So they put them into prison.

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 Then they're like, okay, we're going to leave them there tonight.

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 Hey, can we rally everyone?

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 Annas, Kaifers, let's get everyone there.

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 Alexander, this whole priestly family.

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 This is basically just the city's most powerful people.

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 This is the same group of people that put Jesus on the cross.

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 They're like, can you just imagine the conversation?

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 I mean, they wouldn't have been WhatsAppping, but they would have somehow, you know,

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 I don't know what it would have been, owls or whatever, just sending messages.

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 Just, hey, that Jesus that we put down a couple months ago, there's these annoying guys who are around who just keep coming back.

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 We thought we had dealt with this.

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 Hey, but we have to reconvene the council because we need to put this down once and for all, is what they're saying.

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 So they gather the Avengers again and they assemble them.

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 And then they stand in front of Peter and John and they go, this is verse seven.

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 By what power or by what name did you do this?

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 Who's letting you do this?

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 Is what they're saying.

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 How are you able to do this?

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 We want to know.

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 And then Peter, I love this, verse eight, filled with the Holy Spirit.

00:14:38.640 --> 00:14:40.860
 Remember, this isn't just Peter, the betrayer.

00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:42.720
 This isn't just Peter, the coward.

00:14:42.920 --> 00:14:44.080
 This is a new Peter.

00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:46.360
 This is a Peter who's filled with the Spirit.

00:14:47.740 --> 00:14:48.440
 Says this.

00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:50.720
 He says, rulers of the people and elders.

00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:56.080
 If we're being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed.

00:14:56.380 --> 00:15:05.340
 Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him, this man is standing before you well.

00:15:05.880 --> 00:15:08.000
 Peter's like, what are we talking about here?

00:15:08.560 --> 00:15:09.700
 Are you serious?

00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:13.200
 Are you seriously criticizing us for healing this man?

00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:18.820
 That who you probably, as you walked in and out of this temple for 40 years, you didn't even notice.

00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:20.520
 And now we do this.

00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:22.600
 And now you're coming to talk to us about this.

00:15:22.820 --> 00:15:26.520
 Well, now that you're asking, let me tell you how this man was healed.

00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:28.020
 It wasn't because of me, Peter.

00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:29.800
 It wasn't because my friend John here.

00:15:30.400 --> 00:15:33.340
 It's because of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified.

00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:38.460
 Now, a couple sermons before, he was telling the masses, hey, you have sinned.

00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:39.519
 You did this.

00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:40.519
 You need a savior.

00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:47.040
 Now he's actually talking to the group of people who were actually directly responsible for Jesus's death.

00:15:47.460 --> 00:15:50.420
 And he's like, you remember who was here a few months ago?

00:15:51.660 --> 00:15:52.519
 You put him to death.

00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:54.519
 But it's funny, isn't it?

00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:55.620
 You thought you put him to death.

00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:59.700
 But now by that same power, he's now walking.

00:16:00.140 --> 00:16:04.500
 This lame beggar, who actually the rest of the community knows, and that will be the problem later for them.

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:06.960
 He's walking now, and it's because of that.

00:16:07.300 --> 00:16:08.300
 He turns it on them.

00:16:08.520 --> 00:16:14.840
 And then he says this, verse 11, this Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders which has become the cornerstone.

00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:20.580
 And there is salvation and no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

00:16:21.660 --> 00:16:24.200
 He's talking about the beggar, but he's not really talking about the beggar.

00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:25.920
 He's talking about them.

00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:31.159
 This is an implicit appeal to them and say, hey, stop rejecting Jesus.

00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:34.379
 You thought you put him down, but he is alive and well.

00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:37.439
 And something's starting that you won't be able to stop.

00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:40.399
 There is no other name.

00:16:41.819 --> 00:16:44.759
 Why did that group of people, the Sadducees, get so annoyed?

00:16:45.079 --> 00:16:48.240
 I think it's because their core value system was being threatened to.

00:16:48.299 --> 00:16:50.099
 How did they have so much wealth?

00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.120
 How did they have so much power?

00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:54.960
 They had worked for it.

00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:56.000
 They had family.

00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:58.060
 They were born into families that would preserve it.

00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:05.400
 I don't know if we live in a city that's all that different where there are a small group of people in control of a lot of things.

00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:13.900
 And so this group of people would have been very, very comfortable, very, very familiar, very confident in relying on their own name.

00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:15.779
 Do you know what family I'm from?

00:17:15.779 --> 00:17:18.379
 Do you know how I got here?

00:17:18.619 --> 00:17:24.220
 In fact, Annas and Caiaphas, they were both high priests and there was a father-in-law and a son-in-law.

00:17:24.740 --> 00:17:25.940
 He'd passed it on to him.

00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:29.059
 So this was a group of people who had so much power.

00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:32.940
 Their core value system was retaining and keeping that power.

00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:34.480
 So this is why they were annoyed.

00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:39.619
 Because they were like, do you know how hard we've worked as a family to preserve our wealth and our power?

00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:46.619
 And so that the Romans will leave us alone so that they're happy with us, so they can give us all this power, so we can arrest whoever we want to.

00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:48.659
 And we can do whatever we want to.

00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:50.479
 Do you know how hard we've worked to preserve that?

00:17:51.419 --> 00:17:53.519
 I'm a fourth generation aristocrat.

00:17:54.959 --> 00:17:56.339
 I need to preserve this.

00:17:57.079 --> 00:18:03.139
 You two coming in here and doing all these miracles and then talking about this Jesus is going to threaten that.

00:18:03.239 --> 00:18:05.239
 Because the Romans are going to hear about this.

00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:09.680
 And Pilate's already not very pleased with what happened a couple months ago.

00:18:11.120 --> 00:18:13.920
 Please, stop rocking the boat.

00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:15.599
 We're good.

00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:16.740
 It doesn't matter that you guys are not.

00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:17.599
 We're good.

00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.480
 That's why they were annoyed.

00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:25.000
 Jesus, no, Peter seems to know this because he goes straight into talking about the cornerstone.

00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:25.480
 Verse 11.

00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:30.799
 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders which has become the cornerstone.

00:18:31.620 --> 00:18:34.380
 Later we find out this is uneducated Peter.

00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:36.020
 This is unschooled Peter.

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:39.040
 Verse 13, it talks about this.

00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:42.980
 They recognized that they were uneducated and common men and they were astonished.

00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:43.700
 They were shocked.

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:50.500
 Peter, actually every time Peter speaks now since he's been filled with the Holy Spirit, he is quoting scripture left, right and center.

00:18:52.500 --> 00:18:54.460
 And people are looking at him going, you shouldn't know this.

00:18:54.540 --> 00:18:55.220
 You're just a fisherman.

00:18:55.900 --> 00:18:57.180
 How are you handling scripture?

00:18:57.260 --> 00:19:02.380
 How are you quoting the prophet Joel and talking about Psalm 16 and now you're talking about Psalm 118?

00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:02.940
 Psalm 118.

00:19:03.320 --> 00:19:04.540
 How are you doing this?

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:07.520
 Peter is filled with the Spirit.

00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:13.040
 And he's saying, so they would have known this verse, Psalm 118.

00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:16.540
 And he's saying, hey, you grew up knowing this verse.

00:19:16.620 --> 00:19:18.960
 Let me tell you, I now know who the cornerstone is.

00:19:19.840 --> 00:19:20.780
 You rejected it.

00:19:21.280 --> 00:19:22.140
 Can you believe it?

00:19:22.140 --> 00:19:28.380
 You've grown up in Sunday school learning that passage and you didn't realize that actually you ended up being the ones rejecting the stone.

00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:30.500
 How humorous is that?

00:19:30.540 --> 00:19:32.200
 How ridiculous is that is what he's saying.

00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.100
 He is the cornerstone.

00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:35.820
 What is the cornerstone?

00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:40.860
 I'm no architect, but apparently the cornerstone is the stone that basically unites two walls.

00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:43.880
 The first two walls as you build a whole building.

00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:49.480
 It's basically the foundation where everything else becomes, it's following that as the reference point.

00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:53.800
 This whole building revolves around, it started with this cornerstone here.

00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:59.700
 And Peter's saying, Jesus, you thought you got rid of him, but now there's going to be a kingdom that's going to rule.

00:19:59.820 --> 00:20:00.900
 He's going to rule forevermore.

00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:03.680
 And he is the one who started it.

00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:05.660
 See, here's the thing.

00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:11.259
 When the message of Jesus comes into your life, it will wreck your core value systems.

00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:16.060
 Whatever you've been relying on, whatever your cornerstones have been, it will completely tear them apart.

00:20:16.540 --> 00:20:21.200
 Because when Jesus comes in and builds his house in your heart, he's saying, I want everything.

00:20:21.340 --> 00:20:23.200
 I want to be the one that it starts with.

00:20:23.600 --> 00:20:26.560
 I want to be the cornerstone, not everything else.

00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:28.120
 The Jews, what was their cornerstone?

00:20:28.220 --> 00:20:28.580
 Tradition.

00:20:29.360 --> 00:20:30.019
 What were the Greeks?

00:20:30.600 --> 00:20:31.540
 What was their cornerstone?

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:32.220
 Philosophy.

00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:32.960
 Intellect.

00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:36.759
 Americans, individualism.

00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:40.000
 The Brits, I don't know, politeness.

00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:42.000
 Passive aggressiveness.

00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:47.000
 The Africans, harmony.

00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:51.980
 The Chinese, money.

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:59.200
 When Jesus comes into your life, he's saying, whatever your cornerstone is, I need to remove it.

00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:01.960
 I am the only cornerstone.

00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:04.079
 That's why it's offensive.

00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:08.360
 Because whatever you've built, whatever you've said, maybe you are a modern day Sadducee.

00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:11.079
 Maybe you come from a family of wealth and influence.

00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.539
 Maybe you would be a modern day aristocrat.

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:21.360
 You come here and say, James, I'm sat here by, well, not just my own accolades, but my father's and my father's father.

00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:26.439
 And Jesus is saying, do you realize that I am the only one that you can rely on?

00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:33.519
 Do you realize that the majority of the things happening in your life that you have were not because of you, were not in your control at all?

00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:35.719
 You didn't get to choose where you were born.

00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:37.439
 You didn't get to choose which family you were born to.

00:21:37.479 --> 00:21:39.039
 You didn't get to choose how tall you would be.

00:21:39.219 --> 00:21:41.139
 You didn't get to choose how smart you would be.

00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:45.000
 So you sit here and you go, oh wait, everything I have is by my own.

00:21:45.020 --> 00:21:45.600
 No, it's not.

00:21:48.520 --> 00:21:50.960
 Jesus says, everything I have, I gave to you.

00:21:51.700 --> 00:21:53.120
 Would you allow me to be the cornerstone?

00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:55.140
 Would you revolve your life around me?

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:58.540
 If you revolve your life around me, then you will understand what you were made for.

00:21:58.540 --> 00:22:00.300
 And then you will be truly fulfilled.

00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:02.200
 You will live the abundant life in John 10.

00:22:02.820 --> 00:22:04.340
 But if you don't, you will be offended.

00:22:04.580 --> 00:22:06.000
 If you don't, you will be annoyed.

00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:09.559
 Because you think you have your cornerstones that you can rely on.

00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:10.900
 And that's what Peter's getting at here.

00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:13.220
 So he's talking about the beggar and then boom, he's not.

00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:16.740
 He's saying there is no other name that you will be saved by apart from Jesus.

00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:18.339
 That's it.

00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:20.259
 There is no other name.

00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:23.200
 That's why he was so annoyed.

00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:26.539
 I think a lot of us treat Christianity as a good thing.

00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:26.920
 Bless you.

00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:32.079
 Some of you are here because uncle and auntie or mom and dad brought you.

00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:33.380
 Or it's a good time.

00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.039
 It's an admiral tea.

00:22:34.259 --> 00:22:34.460
 Because...

00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:37.440
 So this is a perfect place to come and have that.

00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:40.319
 And you have just got just so used to, okay, what this is.

00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:41.100
 But it is.

00:22:41.460 --> 00:22:42.360
 But you say, oh, Jesus.

00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:43.740
 Yeah, Jesus is important.

00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:45.660
 I think I might even prioritize.

00:22:45.840 --> 00:22:46.319
 You know what?

00:22:46.380 --> 00:22:47.319
 Jesus is my number one.

00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:48.860
 At least I want him to be my number one.

00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:52.220
 And here's Jesus' message that it will be offensive to you.

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:54.380
 Jesus says, I don't even want to just be your number one.

00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.200
 I want to be your only one.

00:22:56.819 --> 00:22:59.059
 Because when you say, Jesus, you can be my number one.

00:22:59.180 --> 00:22:59.759
 What does that mean?

00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:03.460
 That means actually I have a number two, number three, number four, number five, number six.

00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:04.240
 Jesus says, no, no.

00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.319
 God says to the Israelites, you shall have no other gods before me.

00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:10.819
 And the word before me isn't just put ahead.

00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.220
 It's anywhere in my sight.

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:14.920
 You cannot be...

00:23:14.920 --> 00:23:17.480
 They cannot be in my presence at all.

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:19.620
 It can only be me.

00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:24.519
 Do you recognize how ludicrous that message would have been for the people of that day?

00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:31.379
 Because the Romans kept control via one of the methods was something just called religious relativism.

00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:34.099
 They just say, actually, everyone believe all your different gods.

00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:35.139
 You have a god of Ephesus here.

00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:35.660
 You have a god here.

00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:36.059
 Why?

00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:40.160
 If you all believe in your separate gods, then we can still be in control.

00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:47.519
 Did you know that actually the Jews would have been the last people because they were the ones that are saying, there is only one God.

00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:48.960
 Yahweh, there is only one God.

00:23:48.960 --> 00:24:00.539
 So for a Jew to stand up there to handle scripture in Psalm 118 and say, this Jesus is the cornerstone would have been mind-blowing for Peter himself probably and also for the people listening.

00:24:00.819 --> 00:24:03.120
 That's how important it was.

00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:06.920
 It makes me think about just how hard it is to actually follow Jesus.

00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:11.680
 Now, Christian faith is as inclusive as it can get.

00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:21.880
 But anyone, wherever you're at, whatever you've done in your life, however bad you have messed up in the past, however bad you still are, the Christian faith says, come.

00:24:23.460 --> 00:24:25.160
 There is grace and mercy for you.

00:24:27.060 --> 00:24:29.840
 So it's inclusive, but it's also exclusive.

00:24:30.100 --> 00:24:32.960
 Because when you come and follow Jesus, you cannot follow the other gods.

00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:35.940
 You shall have no other gods before me.

00:24:36.080 --> 00:24:37.580
 That's the tricky part.

00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:39.380
 That's where most people struggle.

00:24:39.380 --> 00:24:45.480
 People will say, I will follow Jesus, but so long as he gives me idol number two, which is money.

00:24:46.420 --> 00:24:49.460
 I'll follow Jesus as long as he still gives me health.

00:24:49.540 --> 00:24:51.120
 As soon as I lose my health, I don't know.

00:24:53.660 --> 00:24:57.520
 As soon as something doesn't, that's how we know, right?

00:24:57.580 --> 00:25:00.780
 That's how we know when someone has a real faith, when things just don't go their way.

00:25:02.780 --> 00:25:08.900
 When things go, I mean, we're getting to summer camp and, well, even though it doesn't look like summer out there, but summer camps are always fun.

00:25:08.900 --> 00:25:10.400
 Summer is always fun.

00:25:12.340 --> 00:25:18.019
 But as an Arsenal fan, one thing I know is summer is always fun because there's no games to disappoint us.

00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:24.200
 But on a cold, dark night in November in Stoke, our true colors are revealed.

00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:25.980
 We are fair weather men.

00:25:27.360 --> 00:25:31.420
 A little bit better these last few years, but you start to see the true colors.

00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:34.340
 You start to see what your real idols are when things don't go your way.

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.340
 And that's when you realize, oh, and that's where we have to ask, Jesus, are you actually my only one?

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.240
 Are you the only one I'm pinning my hopes on?

00:25:42.380 --> 00:25:45.980
 Or am I actually pinning my hopes on you and an Ivy League university?

00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:50.740
 Am I actually pinning my hopes on you and getting a good job in consulting?

00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:57.920
 Am I actually pinning my hopes on you and so long as I get to find a girlfriend who I can marry and we can have a happy life together?

00:25:58.099 --> 00:26:00.359
 What is our actual God here?

00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:03.420
 Jesus says, Peter says, I can be the only one.

00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:06.019
 I can be the only one.

00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:08.740
 Verse 13.

00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:18.740
 Now, when they saw the boldness, not my boldness, their boldness is different, of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated common men, they were astonished and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

00:26:18.940 --> 00:26:19.599
 They were shocked.

00:26:19.779 --> 00:26:22.980
 Peter and John should not be able to handle scripture in the way that they were doing.

00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:24.420
 And they were shocked.

00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:28.920
 It reminds me, if you're sat here going, well, I would love to share the gospel.

00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:32.640
 I would love to gather in this chapter, but I don't know the Bible well enough.

00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:34.099
 I don't know this well enough.

00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:34.759
 I'm just not confident.

00:26:34.859 --> 00:26:35.759
 I'm only a new Christian.

00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:38.599
 Well, how long has Peter been a Christian for?

00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:43.180
 He was filled with the spirit, which was different.

00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:46.700
 When you're filled with the spirit, you can do it.

00:26:46.859 --> 00:26:51.380
 At this point, Peter, I swear, must have had flashbacks from Jesus.

00:26:51.880 --> 00:27:00.059
 Because Jesus told him, there's going to be a time when you follow me that they're going to drag you into synagogues and they're going to persecute you and they're going to beat you.

00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:01.819
 And you're not going to know what to say.

00:27:01.819 --> 00:27:02.920
 Luke 12, Luke 21.

00:27:03.380 --> 00:27:05.059
 You're not going to know what to say, but what?

00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:07.160
 The Holy Spirit will tell you what to say.

00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:11.300
 He must have just been just living the life at that moment.

00:27:11.360 --> 00:27:13.660
 He's like, I don't know what I'm going to say, but I'm going to open my mouth.

00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.640
 And the spirit is going to give me the words.

00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:17.500
 I am uneducated.

00:27:17.580 --> 00:27:18.200
 I am in common.

00:27:18.340 --> 00:27:19.360
 I am a common person.

00:27:20.180 --> 00:27:21.519
 That has to encourage us.

00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:22.660
 If you're like, oh, I don't know.

00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:25.200
 I've only done alpha once or I've only done alpha five times.

00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:25.920
 I still don't get it.

00:27:27.360 --> 00:27:27.680
 Speak.

00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:36.460
 Put yourself in a position where you're like, Jesus, if you don't come through for me, I want to take this step of faith and trust that you will then teach me what to say.

00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:38.759
 Are we willing to do that?

00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:43.480
 You don't know the amount of times where someone comes to me and says, hey, Pastor James.

00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:46.660
 And I, you know, for the record, once again, I hate being called Pastor James.

00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:47.600
 My name is James.

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:47.919
 Okay.

00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:50.480
 I don't come in to you and say Dr. Arrow.

00:27:50.619 --> 00:27:51.579
 Well, actually, I guess I could.

00:27:52.159 --> 00:27:58.519
 But James, I need you to talk to this person because I said, what do they need?

00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:01.319
 Well, they just need someone to care for them and maybe share with them the gospel.

00:28:01.439 --> 00:28:02.439
 I'm like, well, you can do it.

00:28:03.219 --> 00:28:04.219
 That's the whole point.

00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:05.799
 Aidan and I spoke about this a few weeks ago.

00:28:05.859 --> 00:28:10.179
 The whole point is now it doesn't have to be just the one who is trained and anointed.

00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:16.240
 Acts 2 says everyone now is anointed and filled with the spirit to do this.

00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:18.359
 That's the whole point of Pentecost.

00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:20.400
 That we all do this.

00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:23.000
 There's not just, we're not just all gathering around one little fire.

00:28:23.079 --> 00:28:27.599
 We are all burning bushes filled with the spirit, able to say the words that God is telling us to say.

00:28:28.859 --> 00:28:31.579
 So this Peter and this John are an educated man.

00:28:31.660 --> 00:28:32.680
 So it's funny for them.

00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:34.579
 They saw him and they were shocked.

00:28:35.019 --> 00:28:36.559
 And verse 13, the second half says this.

00:28:36.680 --> 00:28:39.839
 And they recognize that they had been with Jesus.

00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:41.519
 Wow.

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:50.180
 They're like, wait, isn't that, isn't that the guy that lied to the little girl just a couple months ago because he was too scared?

00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:52.339
 Isn't that the same person?

00:28:53.879 --> 00:28:57.819
 Oh, this guy was now filled with the spirit.

00:28:57.859 --> 00:28:59.960
 And this guy had been with Jesus.

00:29:00.200 --> 00:29:01.119
 Charles Spurgeon says this.

00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:06.419
 The same Peter who denied Christ before a servant girl now stands before the Sanhedrin without flinching.

00:29:06.859 --> 00:29:14.759
 Just can you see how big a deal this would have been for Jesus to stand in front of the same people that put Jesus to death.

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:17.939
 But this time not flinch at all.

00:29:18.819 --> 00:29:25.539
 And there's a whole beautiful story where when Jesus comes back in John 20, where he restores Peter and gives him the confidence once again, even though he messed up before.

00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:27.919
 Without flinching.

00:29:27.959 --> 00:29:28.739
 He carries on the quote.

00:29:28.740 --> 00:29:29.759
 What made the difference?

00:29:29.940 --> 00:29:34.620
 The Holy Spirit, the cowardice of the flesh, was swallowed up by the courage of the spirit.

00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:38.319
 The cowardice of the flesh was swallowed up by the courage of the spirit.

00:29:38.420 --> 00:29:42.859
 John Stark calls this, the spirit transforms fear into holy audacity.

00:29:44.620 --> 00:29:46.960
 Fear into holy audacity.

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:50.200
 That's the difference.

00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:55.700
 I came across a video a while ago by the actor Chris Pratt.

00:29:56.259 --> 00:29:58.160
 FYI, I don't know everything about Chris Pratt.

00:29:58.160 --> 00:29:59.240
 I don't know about his whole life.

00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:02.380
 But I have seen him accept awards.

00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:06.700
 And he says, every time I have a platform, I'm going to talk about Jesus.

00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:08.480
 I'm going to talk about God.

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:10.759
 And I just find it fascinating.

00:30:10.840 --> 00:30:14.460
 I mean, the guy in Guardians of the Galaxy, he's just an idiot in the film.

00:30:14.460 --> 00:30:18.779
 So I'm not used to seeing him on the stage sharing about Jesus.

00:30:18.840 --> 00:30:27.220
 And I think there was one interview that asked him, are you not scared that people will look at you in a different way and start thinking that you're weird and really just treat you differently because of your message?

00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.019
 And he said, well, Jesus already covered that for me.

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:33.819
 He said that 2,000 years ago, he said that, well, they hated me, so they're going to hate you.

00:30:33.819 --> 00:30:44.539
 And he said, well, if they hated Jesus, then yeah, my message actually best be offensive in some way because if the world loves me, that means I'm not with Jesus.

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:46.059
 I was like, wow.

00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:48.419
 How good is that?

00:30:49.259 --> 00:30:51.159
 How inspiring is that?

00:30:51.160 --> 00:30:56.740
 And the other thing I love to just see that is they recognize that they had been with Jesus.

00:30:57.060 --> 00:31:04.259
 There is something that happens to you when you're filled with the spirit of Jesus, but also when you just spent time with him.

00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.560
 People can tell the difference.

00:31:08.140 --> 00:31:13.540
 When you spent time with Jesus and you walk in, there's a glow about you.

00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:17.660
 There's just some, you're just not shaken in the same way.

00:31:17.660 --> 00:31:22.980
 When you've been with that person, it reminds me of Paul talking to his mentee, Timothy.

00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:27.360
 In 2 Timothy 3, it's one of my favorite interactions between the two of them.

00:31:27.800 --> 00:31:35.820
 And Paul says, and actually it's the verse I chose to memorize this week for our scripture club, but because I'm at the front here, I'm blanking out a little bit.

00:31:35.819 --> 00:31:49.039
 He says to Timothy, you followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my suffering, my persecution.

00:31:49.700 --> 00:31:51.019
 And you saw everything that I endured.

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:51.659
 You know what?

00:31:51.679 --> 00:31:56.419
 I just stopped there and I was like, what an interesting list that a teacher would give to his mentee.

00:31:56.420 --> 00:32:01.220
 Out of everything, really, the teaching was just the first one.

00:32:01.340 --> 00:32:02.620
 Everything else was about his living.

00:32:03.080 --> 00:32:07.279
 Everything else was about his conduct in life, his aim, his faith, his love, his steadfastness.

00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:09.000
 It was about the way he lived.

00:32:09.300 --> 00:32:12.960
 Timothy had spent enough time with Paul and Paul knew that so he could talk about it.

00:32:13.019 --> 00:32:17.519
 He's saying, hey, Timothy, you know what I've taught, but you've also know how I live.

00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:23.740
 When you are with Jesus, when you've spent time with him, it's just different.

00:32:24.980 --> 00:32:35.299
 Many of you know, it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and one of my least favorite activities, but I am truly blessed by it is when the community give me words of affirmation that you all beautifully did.

00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:44.720
 And one of the things that stuck out to me that I went home and joked about with Christina was everyone just kept talking about how, oh, yeah, you do your sermons, but what we really like is just the way you live.

00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:48.539
 And after a while, I was like, wow, my sermons must be really bad.

00:32:50.259 --> 00:32:51.700
 They must really not like my sermons.

00:32:52.980 --> 00:33:00.140
 But it's been the prayer of mine that my living would always outrun my preaching because there's no point being a good preacher if I don't live it out myself.

00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:05.460
 So to be able to actually do what I want you to do, I must first do it first.

00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:07.900
 And I see Paul telling Timothy the same thing.

00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:08.779
 He's like, you get my teaching.

00:33:08.900 --> 00:33:13.640
 And if we're all honest, every pastor knows most people forget the sermons by, you know, one or two weeks.

00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:16.660
 I mean, if you ask me what I preached on three weeks ago, I probably couldn't tell you either.

00:33:16.780 --> 00:33:19.220
 So, but it's not really about the teaching.

00:33:19.820 --> 00:33:20.640
 It's about the living.

00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:22.440
 You look at someone and you go, okay, that someone's different.

00:33:22.820 --> 00:33:23.740
 They live in a different way.

00:33:24.580 --> 00:33:27.560
 They looked at Peter and John and went, they've been with Jesus.

00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:30.160
 They've actually spent time with him.

00:33:30.620 --> 00:33:33.920
 And at this point, they didn't really know what to do.

00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:38.259
 Verse 14, but seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:43.619
 They're like, okay, well, we really want to keep them arrested.

00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:48.680
 We really want to punish them, but we can't actually find any reason to punish them.

00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:57.000
 And what's worse, no judicial reason, but what's worse is there's a lame beggar stood right next to them that the whole community can see.

00:33:57.220 --> 00:34:00.900
 If we do anything right now, it's going to cause a revolt.

00:34:00.900 --> 00:34:04.160
 Because everyone sees that there's been a transformation.

00:34:06.360 --> 00:34:10.599
 How many of you, I want you to raise your hand here, just a bit of passive interaction.

00:34:11.320 --> 00:34:14.900
 How many of you have been trying to share the gospel with someone?

00:34:19.300 --> 00:34:20.539
 It is not always easy.

00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:24.720
 If that someone is a family member, Jesus has you covered.

00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:27.019
 There's no, no prophet has honor in his own town.

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:29.920
 So just find comfort in that.

00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.980
 But can you see what's happening here?

00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:35.200
 When people see transformation, there's nothing that they can say.

00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:41.180
 What that tells me is, I may preach the gospel, I may share as much as I can,

00:34:41.240 --> 00:34:46.099
 but the only thing that will really transform their hearts to start with is just that they see you and you're just different.

00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:52.619
 And Ken's talked about this when he's, you know, Ken's a cutthroat banker.

00:34:53.860 --> 00:34:57.180
 But he came to Christ and, you know, he says his colleagues look at him different now and go,

00:34:57.180 --> 00:34:59.500
 wait, you're not the same Ken as I used to know.

00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:00.860
 That's a transformation.

00:35:02.280 --> 00:35:03.659
 Still a work in progress, of course.

00:35:04.820 --> 00:35:05.920
 But that's a transformation.

00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:11.159
 Because if we want to share the gospel with people, if we want to talk to them about the sin,

00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:14.480
 our sin, and the Savior that will come and transform us,

00:35:14.840 --> 00:35:18.079
 we better be transforming, at least.

00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:23.340
 Because when they see true transformation, there's nothing they can say.

00:35:23.659 --> 00:35:24.480
 They'll just be shocked.

00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:25.199
 You know what?

00:35:25.819 --> 00:35:28.579
 I may not fully agree with your message right now intellectually,

00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:31.639
 but I look at the way you've changed your life.

00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:32.219
 I'm like, you know what?

00:35:32.259 --> 00:35:33.219
 I can't argue with that.

00:35:33.299 --> 00:35:38.079
 Wouldn't it be great for us to have all the people who know us go, wow, I can't argue with that.

00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:45.059
 I may not agree with you, Josh John, theologically, but I cannot argue with the way you live your life.

00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:47.299
 Wouldn't that be a great thing to hear?

00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:50.319
 Wouldn't that be a great thing to say?

00:35:51.340 --> 00:35:53.159
 And so they do that.

00:35:53.239 --> 00:35:53.719
 And so they're like, hey.

00:35:54.099 --> 00:35:57.219
 But when the council commanded them to leave the council, they was like, okay, what should we do then?

00:35:57.299 --> 00:36:01.259
 For a notable sign has been performed through them, is evident to all, and we cannot deny it.

00:36:01.260 --> 00:36:06.220
 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak.

00:36:06.340 --> 00:36:07.680
 So they're like, we're warning you.

00:36:08.640 --> 00:36:09.700
 Don't do it anymore.

00:36:10.660 --> 00:36:12.340
 We're going to give you another slap on the wrist.

00:36:12.600 --> 00:36:15.120
 But just please, just stop.

00:36:16.620 --> 00:36:21.620
 And then Peter says this incredibly annoying, incredibly cocky line.

00:36:22.060 --> 00:36:22.880
 Verse 19.

00:36:23.500 --> 00:36:28.440
 Peter and John answer them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God,

00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:33.619
 you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:40.059
 They show this basic submission to the authority of the council and say, hey, we will submit to you.

00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:43.139
 You can judge whether we listen to you or to God.

00:36:43.420 --> 00:36:44.880
 We'll let you be the judge of that.

00:36:45.340 --> 00:36:49.300
 But for us, you don't know what to say to what you've seen.

00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:51.139
 We cannot shut up about it.

00:36:51.820 --> 00:36:52.539
 It's the opposite.

00:36:53.079 --> 00:36:54.579
 We're going to have to keep talking about it.

00:36:54.900 --> 00:36:55.720
 We didn't make this up.

00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:57.800
 We are all witnesses, is what he said in an earlier chapter.

00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:01.039
 We cannot help but keep talking about this.

00:37:02.580 --> 00:37:04.500
 We'll let you decide what to do with us afterwards.

00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:09.640
 This is just an interesting place where they actually are being threatened.

00:37:10.120 --> 00:37:11.340
 And it could get worse.

00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:13.440
 And it will likely get worse.

00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:16.660
 And yet they say, hey, we will submit to you to this level.

00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:19.700
 But after that, we cannot.

00:37:19.699 --> 00:37:27.119
 Of course, we went through a turbulent time as a city a few years ago.

00:37:27.379 --> 00:37:33.460
 And the passage Romans 13 kept coming up, talking about submitting to authority.

00:37:33.460 --> 00:37:36.139
 But here's the thing.

00:37:36.199 --> 00:37:41.440
 Why do we submit to authority in an earthly sense?

00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:42.760
 Because of the God who's behind.

00:37:43.659 --> 00:37:44.019
 Why?

00:37:44.099 --> 00:37:47.699
 Because we trust in the God who's sovereign over everything.

00:37:47.699 --> 00:37:53.579
 And they subjected themselves to the judgment of the council because they said, look, you keep doing you.

00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:56.039
 But we have to do us.

00:37:57.259 --> 00:38:02.500
 And we will open ourselves to whatever it is because we submit to you because God's placed you here.

00:38:02.500 --> 00:38:05.159
 And that's why we don't jaywalk.

00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:08.280
 And that's why we wait for the green man before we cross the road, James.

00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:11.860
 I won't tell that story.

00:38:11.980 --> 00:38:12.420
 Anyway, so.

00:38:15.300 --> 00:38:18.179
 But I submit to you, not just because of you, but because of the God behind you.

00:38:21.340 --> 00:38:24.559
 And that's something that we have to hold on to.

00:38:26.579 --> 00:38:30.519
 When we live our lives, when we look at our boss who's like, hey, I need you to do this.

00:38:30.519 --> 00:38:34.420
 And you're like, okay, well, I'll do this because ultimately God is above all of this.

00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:36.360
 And God's also placed me beneath you.

00:38:36.820 --> 00:38:38.119
 But only up until this point.

00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:43.259
 We need to have that kind of courage.

00:38:44.679 --> 00:38:45.239
 It's funny.

00:38:46.280 --> 00:38:50.179
 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor in Nazi Germany, he said this.

00:38:50.259 --> 00:38:51.780
 The spirit grants no cheap grace.

00:38:52.340 --> 00:38:53.960
 He empowers costly confession.

00:38:54.099 --> 00:38:57.559
 When Peter said we cannot but speak, he embraced the risk of the cross.

00:38:57.559 --> 00:39:00.900
 The spirit's courage is born in the furnace of surrender.

00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:04.139
 He's saying there is no cheap grace.

00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:10.219
 His whole point, his whole sermon in his life was there is forgiveness, there is grace, but it came at a cost.

00:39:10.619 --> 00:39:11.559
 Someone paid for it.

00:39:12.659 --> 00:39:19.719
 And when we make our decisions, we have to recognize, hey, whether we listen to you or to God, you can be the judge, but this is what we're going to do.

00:39:19.759 --> 00:39:21.059
 We cannot shut up about this.

00:39:21.699 --> 00:39:23.420
 You can then deal with us however you wish.

00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:26.400
 You're saying, I am willing to take on whatever cost that might be.

00:39:28.720 --> 00:39:29.079
 Why?

00:39:29.220 --> 00:39:31.599
 Because Christ took on the cross for me.

00:39:33.180 --> 00:39:34.599
 And I'm good with that.

00:39:36.579 --> 00:39:42.940
 The next time you're in the hospital or in the office or at the family dinner,

00:39:42.940 --> 00:39:49.179
 and you know, deep in your heart, the Holy Spirit saying, okay, you have to say something now.

00:39:53.340 --> 00:39:54.039
 Take courage.

00:39:55.300 --> 00:39:56.619
 Because it's not you who's going to say it.

00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:57.940
 The spirit's going to say it through you.

00:39:58.059 --> 00:40:00.940
 But may he say it through you through grace and truth.

00:40:01.400 --> 00:40:03.860
 But recognize there is a cost to that.

00:40:04.519 --> 00:40:06.900
 Jesus talks about there is a cost to discipleship.

00:40:06.900 --> 00:40:12.180
 When you choose to follow him, when you choose to make him your only one, it does mean you have to say no to other things.

00:40:12.220 --> 00:40:13.280
 And it will hurt in other ways.

00:40:14.380 --> 00:40:17.200
 I think sometimes we don't talk about that enough because we say, hey, follow Jesus.

00:40:17.300 --> 00:40:17.480
 Why?

00:40:17.740 --> 00:40:20.019
 Because you'll be a better person.

00:40:20.280 --> 00:40:24.940
 And when you're a better person, your kids will be better and they'll study better and they'll go to a better university.

00:40:25.079 --> 00:40:28.420
 And they'll be healthier and they'll be happier and they'll have a better job and they'll be richer.

00:40:28.519 --> 00:40:29.440
 And then you're like, oh, wow.

00:40:31.099 --> 00:40:32.139
 That's not why God came.

00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:37.179
 God didn't come to give us the earthly pleasures here.

00:40:37.299 --> 00:40:38.859
 But he pointed us to an eternal kingdom.

00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:40.719
 Would you trust that?

00:40:40.779 --> 00:40:41.559
 Would you submit to that?

00:40:41.779 --> 00:40:44.059
 Would you follow that at all costs?

00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:45.639
 So they don't know what to do with them.

00:40:45.699 --> 00:40:46.539
 So they release them.

00:40:47.460 --> 00:40:48.319
 Verse 23.

00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:49.699
 And what do they do when they get released?

00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:51.219
 They don't run.

00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:54.359
 They go straight back, probably to the upper room and they go and hang out with their friends.

00:40:54.619 --> 00:40:57.119
 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,

00:40:57.119 --> 00:41:00.400
 Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,

00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:03.320
 who threw the mouth of our father, David, your servant by the Holy Spirit.

00:41:03.579 --> 00:41:05.139
 And then he goes into Psalm 2.

00:41:05.240 --> 00:41:06.280
 Why did the Gentiles rage?

00:41:06.800 --> 00:41:11.920
 The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.

00:41:12.900 --> 00:41:17.559
 What they do is that when they go back and they're released, they go and they just praise God.

00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:21.639
 They're like, God, you really are in complete control.

00:41:22.099 --> 00:41:23.900
 You are the one who created heaven and earth.

00:41:24.220 --> 00:41:28.019
 No one can do anything without your say so, is what they're saying.

00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:30.380
 And then they carry on and he talks about it.

00:41:30.420 --> 00:41:31.079
 Verse 27.

00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:33.820
 They basically point to the sovereignty of God.

00:41:33.940 --> 00:41:36.860
 They say, wait, you are the anointed one for truly in the city.

00:41:36.940 --> 00:41:37.420
 They were gathered.

00:41:37.739 --> 00:41:40.619
 The whole city tried to rage against you and now they're trying to rage against us.

00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:42.159
 And yet they still had no power.

00:41:42.480 --> 00:41:44.679
 You are the one who is in complete control.

00:41:44.920 --> 00:41:46.960
 And this is the verse I want us to focus on just to finish.

00:41:47.219 --> 00:41:47.800
 Verse 29.

00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:52.900
 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

00:41:52.900 --> 00:41:56.220
 So they know something's coming.

00:41:56.740 --> 00:42:01.780
 Because Jesus told them in Luke 12 and 21 that, hey, it's not going to be a fun time, what you're going to do.

00:42:03.639 --> 00:42:08.940
 But then when they pray, they're not praying for the problems to go away.

00:42:09.180 --> 00:42:12.920
 When you had a problem last and you prayed, what did you pray for?

00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:17.180
 Well, likely, just like me, you prayed for that problem to go away.

00:42:18.619 --> 00:42:24.400
 Whether there is that tricky person at work or whether there's that project that you are trying to get over.

00:42:24.619 --> 00:42:27.460
 What you prayed for or the exam that you want to just get rid of now.

00:42:28.780 --> 00:42:30.300
 Or the injury that you, whatever it is.

00:42:30.380 --> 00:42:32.280
 You're praying for that threat to go away.

00:42:32.360 --> 00:42:33.720
 You're praying for that problem to go away.

00:42:34.079 --> 00:42:37.559
 It would have been so reasonable and so understandable if we were in that prayer meeting.

00:42:37.659 --> 00:42:39.300
 God, could you just make a way?

00:42:39.300 --> 00:42:42.039
 Can you just make the Romans like us?

00:42:43.300 --> 00:42:47.980
 Can you just make Christianity the main religion in Rome?

00:42:48.039 --> 00:42:50.580
 And that we can just kind of build your kingdom smoothly and safely.

00:42:50.660 --> 00:42:51.760
 They don't pray for that.

00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:53.640
 They pray.

00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:55.860
 They say, look, the threats are coming.

00:42:56.820 --> 00:42:59.400
 Grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

00:43:01.060 --> 00:43:02.019
 They pray for courage.

00:43:03.860 --> 00:43:07.080
 They pray that, Lord, whatever we're about to face, would you help us face it?

00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:09.519
 That's a different prayer, brothers and sisters.

00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:11.880
 I don't know if I pray that prayer that much.

00:43:12.319 --> 00:43:14.019
 I pray for people to be healthy.

00:43:14.139 --> 00:43:15.960
 I pray for passage to be smooth.

00:43:16.059 --> 00:43:17.840
 I pray for flights to be on time.

00:43:19.059 --> 00:43:22.519
 But they're praying for boldness to continue to speak the word despite the threats.

00:43:23.759 --> 00:43:24.699
 Francis Chan says this.

00:43:24.759 --> 00:43:27.699
 We pray for safety and comfort while the early church prayed for boldness.

00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:30.059
 The spirit doesn't give us polished words.

00:43:30.119 --> 00:43:32.519
 He gives us power to proclaim Christ's lordship without apology.

00:43:32.519 --> 00:43:37.820
 If you're not facing opposition, ask, am I speaking the uncensored gospel?

00:43:40.619 --> 00:43:42.099
 That's the fine line we have to find.

00:43:42.179 --> 00:43:45.780
 Because the last thing I want you to do is to go to work and take this Bible and just

00:43:45.780 --> 00:43:48.719
 whack people around the heads with the Bible and say, repent.

00:43:49.659 --> 00:43:50.940
 The kingdom of heaven is near.

00:43:53.219 --> 00:43:54.860
 There is grace in the way we do it.

00:43:54.860 --> 00:44:01.160
 This last month I've been looking at scripture and I've just been blown away by how gracious

00:44:01.160 --> 00:44:01.980
 Jesus was.

00:44:03.019 --> 00:44:05.820
 That he came not to judge the world but to save the world.

00:44:05.900 --> 00:44:10.180
 He just, he had just incredible compassion, incredible patience that we don't have.

00:44:11.380 --> 00:44:12.980
 And yet his message was uncensored.

00:44:14.260 --> 00:44:15.140
 I am the cornerstone.

00:44:15.840 --> 00:44:16.960
 I am the only one.

00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:21.920
 There is no other name by which you will be saved apart from mine.

00:44:22.460 --> 00:44:26.139
 And the final bit, which is just a, would have loved to see this in movie form.

00:44:27.820 --> 00:44:29.539
 Verse 31 at the very end.

00:44:30.199 --> 00:44:33.900
 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken and

00:44:33.900 --> 00:44:37.800
 they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

00:44:37.860 --> 00:44:39.320
 Can you imagine being in a prayer meeting?

00:44:39.320 --> 00:44:44.360
 Can you imagine being here and you closing your eyes and praying and then this room shaking?

00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:52.280
 That would have been terrifying, but incredibly encouraging.

00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:54.760
 Because you'd have been like, whoa.

00:44:56.120 --> 00:45:04.039
 Now, prayer was heard and then he responded by shaking this room.

00:45:05.460 --> 00:45:08.220
 Up until this point, when was the last time they had experienced an earthquake?

00:45:10.700 --> 00:45:11.700
 This group of people.

00:45:13.059 --> 00:45:13.720
 Think back.

00:45:15.360 --> 00:45:17.260
 Gabs, you're looking very thoughtful.

00:45:19.260 --> 00:45:21.960
 After Jesus was crucified, the earth shook.

00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:23.160
 The veil was torn.

00:45:25.240 --> 00:45:28.539
 Fast forward to now, they're praying and the earth shakes again.

00:45:31.059 --> 00:45:34.039
 The last time that happened, there was a man that said, it is finished.

00:45:35.460 --> 00:45:36.220
 It is done.

00:45:36.219 --> 00:45:44.639
 What must have been going through their minds when they were praying in that moment and the earth was shaking again?

00:45:44.779 --> 00:45:47.639
 They're like, there is nothing we can be afraid of.

00:45:49.099 --> 00:45:49.539
 Nothing.

00:45:49.539 --> 00:45:51.539
 Nothing at all.

00:45:51.539 --> 00:45:55.619
 Nothing at all.

00:45:56.259 --> 00:45:57.699
 We were supposed to be dead.

00:45:58.599 --> 00:45:59.840
 He was supposed to be dead.

00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:02.539
 But now he's alive.

00:46:02.740 --> 00:46:04.320
 And we're still alive.

00:46:04.320 --> 00:46:07.160
 That would have filled them with faith.

00:46:07.340 --> 00:46:08.680
 That would have filled them with courage.

00:46:08.740 --> 00:46:10.059
 That would have filled them with conviction.

00:46:10.380 --> 00:46:12.460
 And so they went straight back into the threat.

00:46:12.800 --> 00:46:14.440
 They went straight back into the fire.

00:46:14.440 --> 00:46:17.019
 Because now the Holy Spirit had given them boldness.

00:46:19.260 --> 00:46:20.380
 Had given them faith.

00:46:22.860 --> 00:46:27.300
 Makes me think of Hebrews 6 where it talks about Jesus being the anchor.

00:46:27.300 --> 00:46:30.620
 The one who entered into the inner sanctuary.

00:46:33.500 --> 00:46:34.740
 When we face storms.

00:46:36.580 --> 00:46:37.740
 When we're being shaken.

00:46:37.940 --> 00:46:39.840
 And our circumstances are all over the place.

00:46:40.539 --> 00:46:43.560
 We can sit and go, wow, Jesus, you are my anchor.

00:46:44.200 --> 00:46:44.539
 Why?

00:46:44.940 --> 00:46:49.420
 Because you went into the inner sanctuary and you gave us connection back to the source of life.

00:46:49.840 --> 00:46:50.960
 The creator of heaven and earth.

00:46:51.019 --> 00:46:53.120
 The one who is in complete control.

00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:57.599
 And he was the only one who entered into that place.

00:46:58.219 --> 00:47:00.339
 That's why he was the only one.

00:47:01.420 --> 00:47:04.099
 That's why he's the only name who can save us.

00:47:05.079 --> 00:47:07.980
 No fame, no power, no money can save us.

00:47:08.219 --> 00:47:09.920
 No health can save us.

00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:12.960
 Only the name of Jesus.

00:47:13.039 --> 00:47:14.960
 Because he was the only one who went into that place.

00:47:15.619 --> 00:47:16.019
 Why?

00:47:16.359 --> 00:47:18.219
 Because he died for us.

00:47:19.359 --> 00:47:21.019
 Tim Keller puts it in a just beautiful way.

00:47:21.079 --> 00:47:21.859
 Maybe I'll butcher it.

00:47:21.860 --> 00:47:23.120
 But I just want to share it with you here.

00:47:24.460 --> 00:47:25.840
 Jesus is the only name.

00:47:26.579 --> 00:47:31.140
 Because he was the one who did the only thing to save all of mankind.

00:47:33.019 --> 00:47:37.039
 No religious teacher ever claims the claims that Jesus did.

00:47:37.519 --> 00:47:38.780
 That he is the son of God.

00:47:38.860 --> 00:47:40.640
 That he would die and that he would rise again.

00:47:40.760 --> 00:47:42.400
 No one ever did that.

00:47:43.059 --> 00:47:45.340
 Let alone actually do it.

00:47:45.340 --> 00:47:50.100
 And then Keller puts it in an interesting way.

00:47:50.180 --> 00:47:53.559
 He says, well, if there was another way, don't you think Jesus would have found another way?

00:47:53.620 --> 00:47:57.579
 If there was another way to save humanity, wouldn't he have found another way?

00:47:57.780 --> 00:48:02.820
 My goodness, in the garden of Gethsemane, we see him asking, God, is there another way?

00:48:02.820 --> 00:48:06.559
 If there is, would you remove this cup of suffering?

00:48:06.640 --> 00:48:08.019
 Because this one is too painful.

00:48:08.100 --> 00:48:09.880
 If there is another way, can you help?

00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:13.740
 And he knew there was no other way.

00:48:13.820 --> 00:48:18.519
 Because in order to pay for the depths of this world, the sinless one would have to be sacrificed.

00:48:18.519 --> 00:48:22.559
 And because there was no other way, there is no other name.

00:48:25.259 --> 00:48:27.639
 Are you trusting in the name of Jesus?

00:48:28.119 --> 00:48:29.239
 And only Jesus.

00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:33.199
 That's the message of Peter here.

00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:35.440
 That's what filled him with courage.

00:48:35.539 --> 00:48:37.079
 That's what shook the world.

00:48:39.500 --> 00:48:44.380
 To the point where there was a group of terrified, terrified followers.

00:48:45.699 --> 00:48:48.099
 Who'd be even scared of a little girl questioning them.

00:48:48.519 --> 00:48:52.639
 To be able to stand in front of a council and say, you did this.

00:48:53.199 --> 00:48:54.380
 And yet he still lives.

00:48:55.219 --> 00:48:59.400
 And because of that, there is nothing you can take from me today.

00:49:00.820 --> 00:49:04.119
 Can I pray for all of us to have that same boldness?

00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:06.219
 To have that same courage?

00:49:06.219 --> 00:49:08.280
 To have that same conviction?

00:49:09.860 --> 00:49:13.019
 That when you leave here, you would be filled with the spirit.

00:49:15.659 --> 00:49:17.639
 You would be cut to the heart by the gospel.

00:49:17.639 --> 00:49:19.519
 You would be transformed.

00:49:20.519 --> 00:49:21.420
 Like Peter was.

00:49:22.719 --> 00:49:25.019
 Because there's only one name that you trust.

00:49:25.940 --> 00:49:27.980
 There is only one name that saved you.

00:49:29.319 --> 00:49:31.779
 When you recognize that you are the lame beggar.

00:49:32.279 --> 00:49:34.980
 When you recognize, when we recognize that we are the lame beggar.

00:49:35.039 --> 00:49:37.099
 That for 40 years could not stand up ourselves.

00:49:37.339 --> 00:49:40.559
 Yet by just the whisper and uttering of that name Jesus.

00:49:40.900 --> 00:49:42.819
 His ankles were strengthened and he could stand up.

00:49:42.820 --> 00:49:45.019
 When we recognize that we are that person.

00:49:46.720 --> 00:49:47.900
 That fills us with courage.

00:49:47.900 --> 00:49:49.340
 Because we know we're playing with house money.

00:49:49.920 --> 00:49:51.019
 This isn't on us.

00:49:52.120 --> 00:49:53.500
 There's nothing to lose here.

00:49:54.860 --> 00:49:58.140
 The last time the earth shook, Jesus said, it is done.

00:49:58.240 --> 00:49:59.080
 It is finished.

00:49:59.200 --> 00:49:59.960
 It is a done deal.

00:50:00.039 --> 00:50:01.559
 The victory has been won.

00:50:01.559 --> 00:50:05.059
 And authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.

00:50:05.119 --> 00:50:08.840
 So no boss, no uncle, no family, friend.

00:50:10.219 --> 00:50:12.619
 Can threaten what you have in him.

00:50:14.219 --> 00:50:17.960
 Can I ask you to be open to being filled with that same courage and that same spirit.

00:50:17.960 --> 00:50:20.139
 Let's pray.

00:50:20.139 --> 00:50:20.159
 Let's pray.

00:50:39.159 --> 00:50:40.920
 Holy Spirit, we.

00:50:47.960 --> 00:50:52.639
 We sit here now and we approach you with humility.

00:50:56.559 --> 00:50:59.579
 Knowing that the same spirit that shook the room that day.

00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:03.300
 Is the same one that could do it right now.

00:51:17.960 --> 00:51:27.679
 Jesus, we as your followers, we believe you.

00:51:28.780 --> 00:51:29.860
 We believe in you.

00:51:30.380 --> 00:51:32.420
 We believe your name is the name that saves.

00:51:35.079 --> 00:51:36.780
 This is the only name that saves.

00:51:41.840 --> 00:51:43.840
 But let us not stop at just believing.

00:51:44.579 --> 00:51:45.780
 Give us the strength to follow.

00:51:45.780 --> 00:51:50.600
 Give us the strength to count the cost of following you.

00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:54.360
 And once we see that cost.

00:51:59.820 --> 00:52:03.160
 We deem it completely worth it.

00:52:04.380 --> 00:52:05.280
 Everything else.

00:52:06.760 --> 00:52:09.960
 Can be considered rubbish when compared to the surpassing worth.

00:52:10.800 --> 00:52:11.500
 Of knowing you.

00:52:12.800 --> 00:52:14.720
 Knowing that you desire connection with us.

00:52:14.719 --> 00:52:16.699
 That you came to save us.

00:52:17.019 --> 00:52:18.739
 You came to say, look at me.

00:52:19.179 --> 00:52:20.939
 Fix your gaze at me.

00:52:23.099 --> 00:52:26.459
 There is no other way that you can be saved apart from through me.

00:52:26.460 --> 00:52:38.340
 We are going to sing a final song now.

00:52:38.340 --> 00:52:39.599
 And it's no other name.

00:52:39.840 --> 00:52:41.780
 And maybe I'll pray that as we sing this.

00:52:42.420 --> 00:52:45.679
 Can we declare this truth over our families.

00:52:45.800 --> 00:52:49.820
 Over the places that you think the Lord is calling you to go to.

00:52:49.820 --> 00:52:51.820
 That when you go back home.

00:52:51.820 --> 00:52:52.860
 That when you go back home.

00:52:53.660 --> 00:52:54.580
 Wherever you are.

00:52:55.480 --> 00:52:58.820
 That the name that is above all other names already goes before you.

00:52:59.780 --> 00:53:01.380
 That there is power in his name.

00:53:01.860 --> 00:53:05.880
 To break the chains that have held you back for so long.

00:53:05.880 --> 00:53:09.920
 We believe that.

00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:10.860
 We have to believe that.

00:53:11.039 --> 00:53:12.079
 We do believe that.

00:53:12.860 --> 00:53:14.260
 Because Jesus died and rose again.

00:53:14.680 --> 00:53:16.280
 And showed us that he can be trusted.

00:53:16.880 --> 00:53:17.640
 So let us declare.

00:53:19.180 --> 00:53:20.760
 That there is no other name.

00:53:20.860 --> 00:53:21.640
 Can I invite you to stand?

00:53:21.640 --> 00:53:21.700
 Thank you.

00:53:21.699 --> 00:53:31.779
 Jesus we know that.

00:53:32.980 --> 00:53:34.159
 Every value system.

00:53:34.299 --> 00:53:35.480
 Every religion in this world.

00:53:38.519 --> 00:53:40.019
 Tells us that we have to better ourselves.

00:53:40.019 --> 00:53:40.379
 So we.

00:53:42.879 --> 00:53:44.039
 Keep reaching out.

00:53:45.679 --> 00:53:47.079
 Climbing up to reach you.

00:53:51.699 --> 00:53:54.239
 Every religion tells us that we have to prove ourselves.

00:53:56.239 --> 00:53:58.319
 Every system tells us we have to make a name.

00:53:58.799 --> 00:53:59.739
 Trust in ourselves.

00:54:00.879 --> 00:54:01.579
 Yet you are the one.

00:54:01.659 --> 00:54:03.359
 The light of the world that reached down to us.

00:54:05.019 --> 00:54:06.139
 You are the only one.

00:54:08.460 --> 00:54:09.619
 That knows us by name.

00:54:14.219 --> 00:54:15.759
 That fixed your eyes on us.

00:54:20.619 --> 00:54:21.679
 Reach down to us.

00:54:21.699 --> 00:54:24.500
 And so we trust in you.

00:54:24.879 --> 00:54:25.619
 And only you.

00:54:29.199 --> 00:54:30.859
 We fear in a holy.

00:54:31.699 --> 00:54:32.759
 Reverent kind of way.

00:54:33.259 --> 00:54:34.119
 We fear only you.

00:54:35.139 --> 00:54:36.960
 Help us not to be afraid of anything else.

00:54:37.460 --> 00:54:38.039
 Your grace.

00:54:38.879 --> 00:54:39.319
 Abounds.

00:54:41.259 --> 00:54:42.539
 So then when we have to.

00:54:43.219 --> 00:54:44.579
 Seek forgiveness from family.

00:54:44.699 --> 00:54:45.980
 When we have to share the gospel.

00:54:46.399 --> 00:54:46.799
 With family.

00:54:46.939 --> 00:54:48.419
 When we have to declare your name.

00:54:48.819 --> 00:54:50.579
 To those who are nearest and dearest.

00:54:50.579 --> 00:54:56.420
 It will be you that carries us through.

00:55:02.179 --> 00:55:03.299
 We trust in you Jesus.

00:55:04.179 --> 00:55:05.980
 Fill us with your power and your spirit.

00:55:06.059 --> 00:55:06.779
 As we go from here.

00:55:07.920 --> 00:55:09.880
 Let us be messengers of grace and truth.

00:55:11.179 --> 00:55:13.299
 In whatever arena you send us to.

00:55:13.300 --> 00:55:16.800
 Here we are Lord.

00:55:19.340 --> 00:55:19.900
 Send us.

00:55:21.900 --> 00:55:23.019
 We thank you for this time.

00:55:26.360 --> 00:55:27.360
 As we go from here.

00:55:27.420 --> 00:55:29.680
 Would you allow us to be acutely aware.

00:55:30.360 --> 00:55:31.200
 Of your presence.

00:55:31.900 --> 00:55:32.360
 In the present.

00:55:32.360 --> 00:55:36.160
 Thank you Lord.

00:55:36.579 --> 00:55:37.220
 We love you.

00:55:37.340 --> 00:55:37.920
 We worship you.

00:55:38.019 --> 00:55:38.620
 We follow you.

00:55:40.200 --> 00:55:41.360
 It's in your name we pray.

00:55:42.780 --> 00:55:43.099
 Amen.

00:55:43.099 --> 00:55:43.220
 Amen.

00:55:43.379 --> 00:55:43.379


00:55:43.379 --> 00:55:43.379


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00:55:43.379 --> 00:55:43.379


00:55:43.380 --> 00:55:44.380
 Amen.