WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.480 Good morning again. It's great to be here with you this morning. I want to start out 00:00:07.480 --> 00:00:15.040 this morning telling you a story about a man. His name is Desmond Doss. Some of you may have 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:21.320 heard of him. There was a movie made about his life last year called Hacksaw Ridge. He 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:28.740 joined the U.S. Army in 1942, and due to his faith, he believed that it was wrong to carry 00:00:28.739 --> 00:00:34.859 a gun, to threaten a life, or to take another person's life. And he made sure that the army 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:40.539 knew about this when he joined, and he figured, because he believed so strongly that it was 00:00:40.539 --> 00:00:45.679 wrong to kill someone, that the army would make him a medic on the field. However, when 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:50.959 he joined the army, instead of making him a medic, they put him in an infantry rifle company. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:57.519 And here you have a man who refuses to pick up and carry a gun in a rifle company. 00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:05.780 And his team of soldiers that he was grouped with, understandably, saw him as a liability. 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:12.540 How can you be a part of a rifle troop when you don't carry a rifle? And so these men, because 00:01:12.540 --> 00:01:19.000 they saw him as a liability, they did everything that they could to get him taken out of their 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:24.280 squad. They would threaten him, and they told him, if you go out to battle, I'll make sure 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:30.980 you don't come back. They would insult him. They tried to say that he was mentally unfit 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:36.760 for duty. They even tried to have him court-martialed for disobeying the direct order to pick up and 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:44.000 shoot a gun. And nothing that they did worked. He kept sticking around. And eventually, as time 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:50.180 went by, he actually started to turn the soldiers in his squadron to liking him. Because when they 00:01:50.180 --> 00:01:54.800 would go on these long marches, they would get blisters on their feet. And he would come 00:01:54.800 --> 00:01:58.980 and he would treat their blisters and they would get better. And when they were on these 00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:04.740 long marches, it was hot and it was dry. And soldiers would pass out from dehydration. 00:02:05.700 --> 00:02:10.040 And he would be the first one at their side every time, offering them water from his own 00:02:10.040 --> 00:02:14.719 water bottle to help them recover and be able to get back up and keep going. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:22.240 Finally, his squadron gets sent into battle. And when they're on the battlefield, he has 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:29.400 his focus on one thing and one thing only. And that is saving lives. On the field, it doesn't 00:02:29.400 --> 00:02:33.539 matter how dangerous it is, how many bullets are flying. When someone calls for a medic, 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:39.740 he is there. The story that I read about him said that several times during the fighting, 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:44.699 he was so close to enemy lines that he could hear the Japanese soldiers whispering in their 00:02:44.699 --> 00:02:56.119 trenches. And yet he went and he rescued as many people as he possibly could. Early in 1945, 00:02:56.519 --> 00:03:02.099 his company was trying to take this area that they referred to as Hacksaw Ridge. It was a big, 00:03:02.259 --> 00:03:08.120 very steep hill. And they fought and fought and finally made it to the top. And when they got to 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:13.879 the top, they faced a counterattack from the Japanese soldiers who just started mowing down the American 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:20.979 troops. The American soldiers were commanded to retreat. And only a third of them were actually able to 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:26.900 retreat because so many of them had been injured in this counterattack. And when the command to retreat 00:03:26.900 --> 00:03:35.259 came, everyone that was able to retreated except for this man, Desmond Doss. He stayed in the thick of the 00:03:35.259 --> 00:03:41.639 battle trying to rescue as many lives as he could. He put together a stretcher at the edge of the cliff and 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:48.099 tied some rope to it. And one by one, he picked up the other soldiers and he carried them over to the 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:53.459 stretcher. He would load them onto the stretcher, lower them over the edge to safety, pull the stretcher 00:03:53.459 --> 00:04:00.019 back up, go get another man, and carry him over to rescue him as well. And he said, I'm going to keep 00:04:00.019 --> 00:04:08.159 going until I pass out or get shot and die. As long as I am physically able to keep rescuing my fellow 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:20.040 soldiers, I am going to keep saving lives. And on that day, he rescued 75 men from death. Later that 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:25.779 year, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. And the president, who was Harry Truman at the time, 00:04:26.219 --> 00:04:32.040 stood there and he shook his hand. He shook his hand and then throughout the award, he just held his hand. 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:40.520 And the president looked at Desmond Doss and he said, I'm proud of you. You really deserve this. 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:51.560 I consider this a greater honor than being president. Desmond Doss was a man who lived his life with a 00:04:51.560 --> 00:05:01.340 single focus, a laser focus on saving lives on the battlefield. I don't know about you, but when I hear a 00:05:01.339 --> 00:05:06.500 story like the story of Desmond Doss, it does a couple things inside of me. One, it fills me with 00:05:06.500 --> 00:05:16.239 respect for someone who could live so selflessly and sacrificially. I'm impressed by people who live 00:05:16.239 --> 00:05:21.599 with such singular focus. For him, it was saving lives. Didn't matter what stood in his way. Could 00:05:21.599 --> 00:05:27.319 be threats, could be insults, could be bullets. He was determined as long as he was able to, he was going 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:33.599 to keep moving and keep saving lives. The only thing that was going to stop him was death or 00:05:33.599 --> 00:05:40.480 incapacitation. The other thing that stories like this do is they make me want to do something great 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:48.500 with my life. And we've been going the past few couple months through the book of Acts. 00:05:49.300 --> 00:05:55.060 And today we're continuing looking at the book of Acts. And we're going to see that God wants to shape us 00:05:55.060 --> 00:06:03.399 into this type of person. God wants us to be a church filled with Desmond Doss type people who live 00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:11.480 with a singular laser focus on him. And so what we're going to see today as we continue our study in Acts 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:20.860 is that our unstoppable God accomplishes his unstoppable work by transforming the hearts of normal people 00:06:20.860 --> 00:06:28.199 like you and me to make us unstoppable forces for his kingdom. Before we start, let's pray. 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:34.240 Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that you have spoken to us and that you have in your 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:40.819 word given us the chance to know you. Such an amazing privilege and honor. And I pray that as we 00:06:40.819 --> 00:06:45.540 look at your word today that you would speak to us, that the Holy Spirit would make it clear to us 00:06:45.540 --> 00:06:51.439 what you want us to do in response. That you would help us to love you more, to love each other more, 00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:57.520 and to respond in obedience to what you're calling us to do. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:06:58.780 --> 00:07:04.200 So like I said, we've been going through the book of Acts lately. And we've started out saying 00:07:04.200 --> 00:07:10.660 that God told his disciples that they would spread his word. They would start in Jerusalem, 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:15.680 which we said for us is kind of like Pak Fulam. And then they would move on to Judea, which is 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:21.580 the wider area, sort of like our Hong Kong island. And then to Samaria, which for us maybe would 00:07:21.580 --> 00:07:26.460 include new territories, Kowloon. And then to the ends of the earth, which is the ends of the earth. 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:32.040 In the past several weeks, we've been seeing this pattern where the church experiences God's blessing 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:38.000 and then faces opposition. And then they experience God's blessing and then they face opposition. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:43.959 And last week we looked at opposition from inside from this couple called Ananias and Sapphira. And 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:49.600 if you want to know more about them, Bernard's sermon is on our website and you can listen to it. 00:07:50.740 --> 00:08:00.100 And today they again face blessing and then opposition. But like we said, through them, 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:06.040 our unstoppable God accomplishes his unstoppable work by transforming the hearts of normal people 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:11.900 like you and me and the apostles to make us unstoppable forces for his kingdom. So we're 00:08:11.900 --> 00:08:17.939 going to look at three things today. First, the insecurity of the powerful. Second, the courage of 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:26.480 the weak. And then third, the source of unstoppable power. So first up, we have the insecurity of the 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:34.039 powerful. So after last week's sermon, Ananias and Sapphira cause a problem for the church that's 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:39.980 dealt with. And then we pick up today's passage and amazing things are happening with the church. 00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:45.819 People are looking at these church leaders with respect and awe and people are becoming Christians. 00:08:46.500 --> 00:08:51.860 People are getting healed. And we see this first step of progression of the gospel message going 00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:58.919 outside Jerusalem and into Judea, the wider area. It says that people are bringing their friends, 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:03.279 their family members, whoever, whoever's sick, whoever's demon-possessed from these surrounding 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:11.500 towns into Jerusalem so that they can be healed by the apostles. Because this is crazy to me, but it says 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:17.740 that so much healing is happening that even if Peter walks past you and his shadow falls on you at this 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:27.399 time, you will be healed. Is that nuts to anyone else? It's crazy power at work from God. Things are going 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:36.059 great, but not everyone is happy about this. The high priest, the main religious leader in Jerusalem 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:44.639 of that day, steps up and arrests the apostles. All of them, alongside of his political party and 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:52.100 religious party, the Sadducees, they see the apostles as a threat and so they release them. Now who are the 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:58.320 Sadducees and why did they see the apostles as a threat? The Sadducees were a leading religious group 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:05.259 in this day. And in Israel at this time, religion and politics go hand in hand. So a leading religious 00:10:05.259 --> 00:10:13.220 group is also the leading political group. They had opponents. There was one group called the Pharisees 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:18.379 that was probably their main opponent. And like opposing political parties in today's world, the 00:10:18.379 --> 00:10:22.620 Pharisees and the Sadducees, they would go at each other and attack each other for their different 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:28.460 beliefs. But at the end of the day, both of them were fairly pro-establishment. They wanted things to 00:10:28.460 --> 00:10:33.120 stay the way that they were because they were comfortable with the system the way that it was. 00:10:34.100 --> 00:10:40.679 And for them, as they looked out on the political and religious landscape of Israel, this new group of 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:47.940 Christians was this new upstart group that they saw as a threat. And they felt the need to shut these 00:10:47.940 --> 00:10:56.000 guys down. So the Christians are a threat because people who have been good Jews their entire lives 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:01.720 are all of a sudden now turning away from following the Sadducees and the Pharisees. 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:10.220 And the thing about the Sadducees is they had great worldly power. But the way that they respond 00:11:10.220 --> 00:11:16.040 to the apostles in this story shows that in reality, despite their worldly power, 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:23.500 they were radically insecure people. How are they insecure? Well, look at verse 17 with me. 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:24.459 It says, 00:11:24.599 --> 00:11:28.219 The high priest rose up, and all who were with him, that is the party of the Sadducees, 00:11:28.500 --> 00:11:34.000 and filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles, and they put them in the public prison. 00:11:35.459 --> 00:11:41.379 The Sadducees, the great establishment political and religious leaders of their day, 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:47.919 are jealous. And who are they jealous of? A group of street preachers. That's basically what the 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:53.620 apostles are at this time. The establishment religious and political leaders of their day 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:59.960 are jealous of this group of street preachers because they see them as a threat. And why were 00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:07.960 they jealous? Because the Sadducees weren't just leaders. They were people who found the core of 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:16.379 their identity in being the leaders. They had built the foundation of their identity around this idea 00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:24.639 that I am a leader. We call that making an idol out of leadership. An idol is anything in our lives 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:32.019 that we put as ultimate other than God. And the Sadducees, these religious leaders, had made 00:12:32.019 --> 00:12:38.819 being political and religious leaders into an idol. Which means that when this new group of Christians 00:12:38.819 --> 00:12:45.500 comes along and seems to be threatening their position of power, they're not just threatening a 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:51.379 position of power, they're threatening the very core of the identity of these Sadducees. 00:12:52.539 --> 00:13:00.379 It's not just that they're standing and this position is in threat, but that who I am as a person 00:13:00.379 --> 00:13:06.059 is in danger because of that. And that's how idols work. When our idols are threatened, 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:13.039 we feel like not just the idol itself is threatened, but we ourselves are threatened. It works the same 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:18.939 way in our lives today. Whenever we take anything other than God and make it ultimate in our lives. 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:23.840 Here's an example of what this looks like in my life. I like to be right. 00:13:25.779 --> 00:13:29.419 Justine can tell you that I like to be right. She's nodding her head now. Yes. 00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:36.379 I feel like if I know things and I am right about things, then I can be in control of situations, 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:41.399 maybe in control of people. And so when I'm having a conversation and I say something and I think I'm 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:48.320 right and someone else tells me I'm wrong, that threatens my idol of being right and being in 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:53.600 control. And so when someone says I'm wrong about something, even if I am wrong, even if we can pull 00:13:53.600 --> 00:14:00.759 out Google and Google says, Eric, you're wrong, when they say you're wrong, I don't hear you're wrong. 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:07.940 What I hear is you're a worthless human being because you're wrong. And that means that you 00:14:07.940 --> 00:14:15.620 cannot have a normal, rational discussion in this situation because I am not focused on the facts 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:23.159 anymore. I'm focused on trying to establish my worth as a person. And in this moment, because I feel like 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:29.500 my worth as a person is threatened, I often lash out by trying to tear down the worth of the other 00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:36.019 person. So what started as a simple comment, Eric, you're wrong, can result in personal attacks and 00:14:36.019 --> 00:14:41.600 assaults on people from me because I feel like they have threatened me and so I need to threaten them 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:47.300 in response. That's how idols work. They cause us to respond with jealousy, fear, anger, anxiety, 00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:55.860 anything except love. And that's exactly what we see happening in this story. The Sadducees see their 00:14:55.860 --> 00:15:01.360 idol threatened. They feel like they themselves and the core of their identity is threatened and they 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:10.639 respond in jealousy. And not just jealousy, but also fear. So the Sadducees, they arrest the apostles, 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:17.819 they put the apostles in prison. In the middle of the night, an angel comes and frees the apostles 00:15:17.819 --> 00:15:23.860 and says, go preach again in the temple. So they do that. And then in the morning, the Sadducees wake 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:28.980 up and realize, oh no, these guys have escaped from prison. Where are they? Someone tells them where they 00:15:28.980 --> 00:15:36.240 are and they go and it says in verse 26 that they go and bring the apostles back again. They arrest them 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:44.299 again. But notice this, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. They were 00:15:44.299 --> 00:15:52.200 not just jealous, they were also afraid. Why were they afraid? Because public opinion was turning against 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:57.659 them and they thought that they would be killed by the people for doing what they were doing. 00:15:57.659 --> 00:16:05.179 Because they built their identity around idols that were not big enough or strong enough or powerful 00:16:05.179 --> 00:16:12.959 enough to sustain the core of who they were. They acted in fear. Even though they thought that they 00:16:12.959 --> 00:16:18.860 were doing the right thing, they did it timidly in fear. Which is going to give a stark contrast later 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:23.959 on when we look at the apostles and how they act in this situation, despite the fact that they had far 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:32.840 less worldly power to rely on. And like I said, the way that idols work is the same way today. When we 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:38.720 build our lives and our identities around idols, it leads to jealousy, it leads to fear, it leads to 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:47.019 anxiety, stress, anger, anything except love. So if we want to be Desmond Doss type people who live with 00:16:47.019 --> 00:16:53.240 this singular focus on what God wants us to be focused on, step one is identifying and dealing with 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:58.960 the idols in our lives. And if you're sitting here and you're like, I recognize some of these tendencies 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:03.340 that you're describing in myself, but I don't necessarily know what my idols are that I struggle 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:10.039 with, I have some questions I want us to look at that will help us think through what our idols are. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:16.680 So the first question, what is the first thing I want people to know about me when they meet me? 00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:26.220 What's the big thing that if they know nothing else about me, this is the one thing that they need to know? 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:31.220 Second, what do I daydream about? 00:17:32.900 --> 00:17:37.100 In those moments where there's nothing particular filling my mind, what is it that just naturally 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:39.219 comes in there and consumes my thoughts? 00:17:43.699 --> 00:17:48.019 Third, what causes me the greatest amount of stress and anxiety? 00:17:52.679 --> 00:17:54.559 What causes me to lose sleep at night? 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:08.879 Finally, what wish or desire, if I didn't get it, would make me consider walking away from my faith? 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:19.139 Because we look through these questions, if we identify common themes among them, that's probably a sign 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:21.560 that we have idols in our lives. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.060 There's a famous preacher back in the 1500s, he said, 00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:27.460 our hearts are idol factories. 00:18:28.280 --> 00:18:30.220 They just find things and they idolize them. 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:31.620 We place our hope in them. 00:18:33.300 --> 00:18:36.200 And the way that the Sadducees respond in this story 00:18:36.200 --> 00:18:39.640 shows us that building our lives around these idols is not sustainable 00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:43.680 because it leads to jealousy, it leads to fear, anxiety, anger. 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.120 And no matter how much worldly power we may have, 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:53.119 if our lives are built around idols, we will be wildly insecure people. 00:18:54.500 --> 00:18:56.219 But it doesn't have to be that way. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:59.179 Let's look next at the courage of the weak. 00:19:00.179 --> 00:19:04.059 So in contrast to the Sadducees are the apostles. 00:19:04.899 --> 00:19:08.179 These guys are common, uneducated men. 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:10.339 Basically at this point, street preachers. 00:19:10.959 --> 00:19:13.979 They're finding places out in public areas, 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:15.899 standing up and talking to people about Jesus. 00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:20.160 They don't have huge church buildings like we might picture them having today. 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:23.060 They're literally just finding wherever 00:19:23.060 --> 00:19:26.640 and using the opportunity to tell people about Jesus. 00:19:26.780 --> 00:19:30.300 By worldly standards, they really have nothing going for them. 00:19:31.060 --> 00:19:36.060 But God is doing these incredible and amazing, powerful things through them. 00:19:36.280 --> 00:19:39.140 And from their actions, we can see amazing courage. 00:19:39.800 --> 00:19:41.320 I mean, look at what they were doing in this story. 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:47.740 In Acts chapter 4, we saw that Peter and James got—no, Peter and John, sorry—got arrested. 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:50.819 And they were threatened by the religious leaders saying, 00:19:51.099 --> 00:19:52.679 don't preach about Jesus anymore. 00:19:53.639 --> 00:19:56.200 And yet, at the start of today's passage, what are they doing? 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:59.299 They're preaching about Jesus and healing people. 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:01.480 And loads of people are becoming Christians. 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:04.019 So they get arrested. 00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:06.579 And they're put in prison. 00:20:07.120 --> 00:20:09.519 And in the middle of the night, the angel comes and says, go preach. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.259 And what do they do? 00:20:10.500 --> 00:20:15.539 They go back to the exact same place where they were arrested the day before 00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:20.799 and start doing the exact same thing that got them arrested in the first place. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:25.279 And then, they get arrested again. 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:29.619 And when they come in, and they're standing before the religious leaders, 00:20:29.899 --> 00:20:34.700 they don't plead and say, we're sorry, please let us go, we won't do it anymore. 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:40.299 Look at this response that Peter gives to the high priest, 00:20:40.539 --> 00:20:44.639 the top religious leader of his day in Israel. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:52.360 He says, in verse 30, he says, literally, you killed Jesus. 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:58.240 He stands in front of the top religious leaders of his day and accuses them of murder. 00:20:59.520 --> 00:21:04.120 And not just of murder, but he says, you killed Jesus by hanging him on a tree, 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:07.920 and God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior. 00:21:08.140 --> 00:21:14.620 He says, you murdered Jesus, and God is standing in direct opposition to you. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:20.060 That's harsh, especially being spoken towards a religious leader. 00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:24.440 Not only that, but then he says, in verse 32, 00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:27.340 we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, 00:21:27.740 --> 00:21:30.740 whom God has given to those who obey him. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.380 Now, follow this logic. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:35.820 The Holy Spirit is a witness to the truth about these things of Jesus. 00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:38.940 God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. 00:21:39.280 --> 00:21:42.280 Therefore, if you obey God, you have the Holy Spirit, 00:21:42.280 --> 00:21:44.160 and you believe these things about Jesus. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:48.440 However, you religious leaders do not believe these things about Jesus, 00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:50.580 which means you do not have the Holy Spirit, 00:21:50.860 --> 00:21:52.759 which means you are disobedient to God. 00:21:54.060 --> 00:21:59.360 Peter and the apostles stand before these men who have the power to have them killed 00:21:59.360 --> 00:22:02.060 and accuse them of murder, 00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:08.480 accuse them of going directly opposed to God in their actions 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.339 and disobedience to God as a general pattern of life. 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:17.200 And if you hear this response and you think, 00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:19.539 oh, that's probably just how people talked back then. 00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:20.519 It's not. 00:22:20.819 --> 00:22:21.860 And how do I know that? 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:25.180 Because look at the response of the religious leaders in verse 33. 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:26.640 They heard this. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:29.799 They were enraged and wanted to kill them. 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:34.759 They're no longer wanting a happy, peaceful, friendly conversation. 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:36.039 They want blood. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:38.319 They are angry. 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:43.519 And the apostles are standing there incredibly courageous. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:48.579 Despite their lack of worldly power and lack of worldly authority, 00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:51.700 they have this power and this courage 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:55.680 that the religious leaders of their day could only ever dream of. 00:22:57.539 --> 00:23:00.660 The Sadducees respond in jealousy and fear 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:02.920 when they feel that their position is in danger. 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:06.380 And yet the apostles respond with amazing courage 00:23:06.380 --> 00:23:08.700 when even their lives are on the line. 00:23:10.080 --> 00:23:11.819 And it's not that they don't recognize this. 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:13.440 They know that their lives are in danger. 00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:15.799 They know that this is a dangerous situation. 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:21.039 But God fills them with this incredible courage. 00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:25.920 And this contrast between the Sadducees and the religious leaders 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:27.799 versus the apostles 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:33.600 shows us that worldly power is not where security comes from. 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:38.019 Being the boss, being the CEO, does not make you a secure person. 00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:43.779 Having the top position in politics does not mean that you are courageous. 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:47.200 It has to come from somewhere else. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:53.600 It takes something else for us to live with the type of courage, 00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:57.299 the type of single-minded focus that the apostles had, 00:23:57.380 --> 00:23:58.400 that Desmond Doss had. 00:24:02.620 --> 00:24:04.180 Where does that come from? 00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:09.539 Well, let's look at the source of unstoppable power. 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:15.259 As the religious leaders have the apostles on trial, 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:18.920 they all want to kill the apostles, 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:21.740 and one of the religious leaders, a man named Gamaliel, 00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:25.599 stands up and says something actually very wise and insightful. 00:24:26.420 --> 00:24:26.920 He says, 00:24:27.019 --> 00:24:29.059 Hey guys, let's think about this. 00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:34.359 If this new Christian movement is from men, 00:24:34.399 --> 00:24:35.720 if their power is from men, 00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:37.359 it's not going to last. 00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:40.200 We've seen plenty of different leaders throughout the years 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:42.039 rise up, start these movements, 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:43.700 and as soon as a leader gets killed, 00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:44.879 the movement just falls apart. 00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:47.319 If this is from men, 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:48.919 it's just going to be like all the other ones. 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:51.139 Once a couple of key people get killed off, 00:24:51.339 --> 00:24:52.159 it's going to stop. 00:24:52.339 --> 00:24:53.039 No big deal. 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:56.000 We don't need to do anything actively to oppose them 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.819 because it's going to die out on its own. 00:24:57.980 --> 00:24:58.380 However, 00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:02.160 if this movement is from God, 00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:04.799 it doesn't matter what we do to oppose them, 00:25:05.059 --> 00:25:06.319 it's not going to work. 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:10.359 And if we try to make it stop, 00:25:11.099 --> 00:25:12.480 and it is from God, 00:25:12.660 --> 00:25:15.500 then what we're doing is we're actually opposing God, 00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:18.079 which is probably not a good idea. 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:20.740 So we should stand back, 00:25:20.900 --> 00:25:22.019 we should let these guys go, 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:23.920 we shouldn't cause any trouble for them, 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:26.380 that's all. 00:25:30.300 --> 00:25:32.680 And the other religious leaders listen to him, 00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:35.000 they decide to just beat the apostles 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:36.140 instead of killing them, 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:38.700 and then they let them go. 00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:43.240 But notice what happens with Gamaliel here. 00:25:44.420 --> 00:25:46.759 He has really good insights. 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:51.060 He speaks truth to a certain degree, 00:25:51.059 --> 00:25:55.839 and yet he still has the wrong response 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:56.799 to what God is doing. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.960 Because as he speaks these words, 00:25:59.099 --> 00:26:00.299 look where he's standing. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:03.259 He's not standing saying, 00:26:03.659 --> 00:26:04.159 hey guys, 00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:05.759 God is working here, 00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:07.519 let's join him in what he's doing 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:08.500 and be a part of it. 00:26:09.679 --> 00:26:10.839 He's standing there 00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:13.220 as one of the religious leaders, 00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:15.659 still in opposition to what God is doing, 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:16.079 saying, 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:16.419 uh, 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.339 maybe we shouldn't fight against this, 00:26:19.339 --> 00:26:19.819 I don't know. 00:26:21.399 --> 00:26:23.259 If you think about the story of Desmond Doss, 00:26:23.720 --> 00:26:25.439 Gamaliel's response is the equivalent 00:26:25.439 --> 00:26:27.059 of sitting at home on your couch. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:28.159 Yeah, 00:26:28.199 --> 00:26:29.899 I guess it's better than joining the wrong side 00:26:29.899 --> 00:26:30.299 in the war 00:26:30.299 --> 00:26:31.659 and fighting against the good guys. 00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:34.339 But at the end of the day, 00:26:34.379 --> 00:26:35.659 it's an active choice 00:26:35.659 --> 00:26:37.859 not to fight for what is right. 00:26:38.199 --> 00:26:38.599 Gamaliel, 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:41.240 who's one of the top religious leaders in Israel, 00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:43.079 looks at the situation 00:26:43.079 --> 00:26:45.319 of this growing movement of Christianity, 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:45.799 he says, 00:26:45.899 --> 00:26:48.599 I think God might be at work here, 00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:52.519 and then he stops, 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:53.619 and he doesn't say, 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:55.460 but I want to be a part of it. 00:26:56.619 --> 00:26:58.259 So what does Gamaliel teach us? 00:26:58.460 --> 00:26:59.960 It teaches us that recognizing 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:00.759 that there is a God 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:02.700 and recognizing that that God is at work 00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:03.700 is not enough. 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:06.700 It's not enough to give us 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:08.519 this unstoppable power 00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:11.139 like the apostles and Desmond Doss have. 00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:13.360 For our lives to be transformed 00:27:13.360 --> 00:27:14.000 in such a way 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:14.820 that we can live 00:27:14.820 --> 00:27:17.020 with this singular laser focus 00:27:17.020 --> 00:27:18.220 and unstoppable power, 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:21.280 it takes something more. 00:27:24.520 --> 00:27:26.400 What is that something more? 00:27:27.780 --> 00:27:28.620 Well, let's look at 00:27:28.620 --> 00:27:30.140 how the apostles respond here. 00:27:30.840 --> 00:27:31.720 They get beaten, 00:27:32.820 --> 00:27:34.300 which back in those days, 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:35.000 getting beaten 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:36.900 was not just like, 00:27:37.100 --> 00:27:38.020 you're done. 00:27:38.580 --> 00:27:39.540 They would hit you 00:27:39.539 --> 00:27:41.460 with these specially designed whips, 00:27:42.059 --> 00:27:44.039 and they limited by law 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:44.899 the number of times 00:27:44.899 --> 00:27:45.619 that they could whip you 00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:46.579 because if they whipped you 00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:47.480 too many times, 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:48.200 you would die. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:50.799 And even within the legal limits, 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:52.240 people would sometimes die 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:55.420 from the impact 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:56.440 that your body took 00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:57.259 while being beaten. 00:27:58.460 --> 00:27:59.579 So these apostles 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:00.519 are whipped 00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:01.920 to within an inch 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:02.940 of their lives. 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:05.680 And look at their response 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:06.420 as they leave 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:07.359 in verse 41. 00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:08.440 They left the presence 00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:09.059 of the council, 00:28:09.539 --> 00:28:10.680 rejoicing. 00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:12.539 Rejoicing about what? 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:13.759 Rejoicing that they were 00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:14.480 counted worthy 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:16.399 to suffer dishonor 00:28:16.399 --> 00:28:17.240 for the name. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:20.420 There's something weird 00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:21.899 about these guys. 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:25.019 Something different 00:28:25.019 --> 00:28:26.099 about them. 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:30.119 Rejoicing that they were 00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:31.399 counted worthy 00:28:31.399 --> 00:28:33.619 to suffer dishonor 00:28:33.619 --> 00:28:35.000 for the name. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:37.940 has anyone here ever 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:39.819 like been wildly mistreated 00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:40.599 and then walked away 00:28:40.599 --> 00:28:41.140 from it saying, 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:41.559 yay! 00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:44.759 That's not a normal 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:45.619 human response. 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:47.000 Something has happened 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:47.839 to these guys 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:49.640 that has changed them. 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:52.640 There is a power 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:54.400 at work in their lives 00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:56.259 that is not a normal 00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:57.740 human response. 00:28:57.740 --> 00:29:01.620 They are now part 00:29:01.620 --> 00:29:02.839 of this upside down 00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:04.500 inside out kingdom 00:29:04.500 --> 00:29:05.740 that finds honor 00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.559 in shame 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:07.440 and rejoices 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.339 in suffering. 00:29:10.339 --> 00:29:12.019 And how is this response 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:12.480 possible? 00:29:13.420 --> 00:29:15.579 It's only possible 00:29:15.579 --> 00:29:17.440 if the gospel 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.339 grips the depths 00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:20.160 of your heart 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:20.859 and is allowed 00:29:20.859 --> 00:29:21.779 to shape 00:29:21.779 --> 00:29:22.700 and mold 00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:23.599 the person 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:24.799 that you are becoming. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:28.139 See, 00:29:28.220 --> 00:29:28.779 until we 00:29:28.779 --> 00:29:29.740 look 00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:31.139 at who God is 00:29:31.139 --> 00:29:31.819 and understand 00:29:31.819 --> 00:29:32.700 how big 00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:33.359 and amazing 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:34.059 and powerful 00:29:34.059 --> 00:29:34.919 he is 00:29:34.919 --> 00:29:36.799 and understand 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:37.339 the fact 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:38.399 that we have 00:29:38.399 --> 00:29:39.819 chosen to rebel 00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:40.500 against him 00:29:40.500 --> 00:29:41.519 and cut ourselves 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.639 off from any 00:29:42.639 --> 00:29:43.559 access to him, 00:29:43.639 --> 00:29:44.659 from any type 00:29:44.659 --> 00:29:45.240 of relationship 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:45.799 with him, 00:29:46.279 --> 00:29:47.599 we're not going 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:48.319 to understand 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:49.680 how big 00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:50.440 of a deal 00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:51.119 a relationship 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:51.740 with him 00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:52.779 really is. 00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:54.920 but once 00:29:54.920 --> 00:29:55.579 we see that 00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:56.799 and once 00:29:56.799 --> 00:29:57.379 we see 00:29:57.379 --> 00:29:58.399 what he has 00:29:58.399 --> 00:29:58.779 done 00:29:58.779 --> 00:29:59.460 to make 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:00.099 a relationship 00:30:00.099 --> 00:30:00.639 with him 00:30:00.639 --> 00:30:01.779 possible for us, 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:03.379 that cannot help 00:30:03.379 --> 00:30:04.500 but change us. 00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:07.700 When we look 00:30:07.700 --> 00:30:08.480 and we see 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:09.039 the God 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:09.920 who spoke 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:10.759 the universe 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:11.940 into existence 00:30:11.940 --> 00:30:13.759 by speaking 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.720 and we recognize 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:17.259 that he became 00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:18.119 a human being 00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:18.899 like you 00:30:18.899 --> 00:30:19.559 and me 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:20.460 so he could 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:21.319 have a relationship 00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:21.920 with us, 00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:24.240 that changes 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:24.700 us. 00:30:25.840 --> 00:30:27.000 When we recognize 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.620 that Jesus, 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:28.640 this God 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:29.320 man, 00:30:30.120 --> 00:30:31.480 didn't just 00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:32.279 come to the 00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:33.120 earth as a human 00:30:33.120 --> 00:30:33.980 and live as a king 00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:34.700 but came 00:30:34.700 --> 00:30:35.500 to suffer 00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:36.539 and die 00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:37.180 because that 00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:37.920 was the price 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:38.539 that it cost 00:30:38.539 --> 00:30:39.060 for us 00:30:39.060 --> 00:30:39.820 to be restored 00:30:39.820 --> 00:30:40.779 to a relationship 00:30:40.779 --> 00:30:41.420 with God 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:42.100 and that he 00:30:42.100 --> 00:30:42.539 was willing 00:30:42.539 --> 00:30:43.039 to do that 00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:43.980 because he 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:45.300 loved us, 00:30:45.800 --> 00:30:47.259 that changes 00:30:47.259 --> 00:30:47.700 us. 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:49.300 Hebrews chapter 00:30:49.300 --> 00:30:50.220 12 00:30:50.220 --> 00:30:51.220 says that 00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:51.600 Jesus 00:30:51.600 --> 00:30:52.539 endured 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:53.380 the shame 00:30:53.380 --> 00:30:54.120 of the cross 00:30:54.120 --> 00:30:56.039 for joy 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:58.279 because he 00:30:58.279 --> 00:31:00.039 loves us 00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:00.720 and he wanted 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:01.460 to honor his 00:31:01.460 --> 00:31:02.120 father and he 00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:02.660 knew that us 00:31:02.660 --> 00:31:03.880 having a relationship 00:31:03.880 --> 00:31:04.880 with God 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:05.759 would be 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:06.420 something that 00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:06.900 would result 00:31:06.900 --> 00:31:07.299 in joy. 00:31:07.299 --> 00:31:08.120 So even as he 00:31:08.120 --> 00:31:08.839 was going to the 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:09.259 cross, 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:10.620 he was suffering, 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:11.339 there was anguish, 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:12.059 it was his darkest 00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:13.220 moment and yet 00:31:13.220 --> 00:31:13.880 he was still 00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:14.940 motivated by 00:31:14.940 --> 00:31:16.539 joy. 00:31:16.539 --> 00:31:19.139 and when we 00:31:19.139 --> 00:31:19.680 recognize 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:20.759 that this 00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:21.220 God 00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.059 who became 00:31:22.059 --> 00:31:22.619 a man 00:31:22.619 --> 00:31:23.159 so that he 00:31:23.159 --> 00:31:23.799 could suffer 00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:24.579 for us 00:31:24.579 --> 00:31:25.339 so that we 00:31:25.339 --> 00:31:25.619 could be 00:31:25.619 --> 00:31:26.299 restored to 00:31:26.299 --> 00:31:26.779 a relationship 00:31:26.779 --> 00:31:27.220 with him 00:31:27.220 --> 00:31:27.700 that we 00:31:27.700 --> 00:31:28.359 in no way 00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:28.779 shape or 00:31:28.779 --> 00:31:29.399 form deserve 00:31:29.399 --> 00:31:30.819 was also 00:31:30.819 --> 00:31:31.680 raised from 00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:32.159 the dead 00:31:32.159 --> 00:31:33.180 and that his 00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:33.960 resurrection 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:35.240 assures us 00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:35.879 that there is 00:31:35.879 --> 00:31:36.599 nothing, 00:31:36.740 --> 00:31:37.180 not even 00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:37.659 death, 00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:38.259 that can 00:31:38.259 --> 00:31:38.920 separate us 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:39.259 from this 00:31:39.259 --> 00:31:39.680 relationship 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:40.259 with him, 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:41.859 that 00:31:41.859 --> 00:31:43.420 changes us. 00:31:43.420 --> 00:31:45.900 and when 00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:46.820 he sends 00:31:46.820 --> 00:31:47.880 his Holy Spirit 00:31:47.880 --> 00:31:48.920 to live in our 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:49.640 lives and 00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:50.580 guide us 00:31:50.580 --> 00:31:51.840 as a part 00:31:51.840 --> 00:31:52.200 of our 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:52.800 day-to-day 00:31:52.800 --> 00:31:53.160 life, 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:53.759 shaping us 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:54.120 and making 00:31:54.120 --> 00:31:54.820 us more 00:31:54.820 --> 00:31:55.759 like him, 00:31:56.660 --> 00:31:57.380 that 00:31:57.380 --> 00:31:59.000 changes us 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:00.259 into these 00:32:00.259 --> 00:32:01.259 type of 00:32:01.259 --> 00:32:03.000 singular-focused, 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:04.460 laser-focused, 00:32:05.300 --> 00:32:06.800 inside-out, 00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:07.539 upside-down 00:32:07.539 --> 00:32:08.880 people who 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:09.800 God will 00:32:09.800 --> 00:32:10.620 use as 00:32:10.620 --> 00:32:11.240 unstoppable 00:32:11.240 --> 00:32:12.960 forces in 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:13.720 the world 00:32:13.720 --> 00:32:14.400 for him. 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:15.400 When we 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:16.019 understand 00:32:16.019 --> 00:32:17.640 the power 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:18.019 and the 00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:18.900 amazingness 00:32:18.900 --> 00:32:19.319 of these 00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:19.700 truths, 00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:21.279 we can 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:21.840 become the 00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:22.160 type of 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:22.900 people who 00:32:22.900 --> 00:32:23.380 stand up 00:32:23.380 --> 00:32:23.740 for God 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:24.180 even when 00:32:24.180 --> 00:32:24.600 it costs 00:32:24.600 --> 00:32:24.920 us. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.140 We can 00:32:26.140 --> 00:32:26.539 become the 00:32:26.539 --> 00:32:26.860 type of 00:32:26.860 --> 00:32:27.579 people who 00:32:27.579 --> 00:32:28.579 rejoice even 00:32:28.579 --> 00:32:29.039 when we're 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:29.880 mistreated. 00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:31.500 We can 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:31.860 become the 00:32:31.860 --> 00:32:32.100 type of 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:32.500 people who 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:33.940 consider it 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:35.259 a joy 00:32:35.259 --> 00:32:36.500 to be 00:32:36.500 --> 00:32:37.380 mistreated 00:32:37.380 --> 00:32:38.960 for God. 00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:40.539 And when 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:41.079 we believe 00:32:41.079 --> 00:32:41.579 the gospel 00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:42.220 on this 00:32:42.220 --> 00:32:42.579 level, 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:44.120 God makes 00:32:44.120 --> 00:32:44.579 us into 00:32:44.579 --> 00:32:45.319 unstoppable 00:32:45.319 --> 00:32:46.319 forces for 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:46.819 his kingdom 00:32:46.819 --> 00:32:47.900 that our 00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:48.519 unstoppable 00:32:48.519 --> 00:32:49.579 God uses 00:32:49.579 --> 00:32:50.120 to spread 00:32:50.120 --> 00:32:50.519 his 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:51.380 unstoppable 00:32:51.380 --> 00:32:51.940 kingdom 00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:53.059 in the 00:32:53.059 --> 00:32:53.340 world. 00:32:55.880 --> 00:32:56.079 You know, 00:32:56.120 --> 00:32:56.360 I think 00:32:56.360 --> 00:32:56.940 looking back 00:32:56.940 --> 00:32:57.160 at the 00:32:57.160 --> 00:32:57.480 story of 00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:57.740 Desmond 00:32:57.740 --> 00:32:58.100 Doss, 00:32:58.360 --> 00:32:58.840 it's easy 00:32:58.840 --> 00:32:59.180 to listen 00:32:59.180 --> 00:32:59.460 to that 00:32:59.460 --> 00:33:00.700 story and 00:33:00.700 --> 00:33:00.980 think, 00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:01.160 oh, 00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:01.559 that was 00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:02.440 great for 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:02.759 him and 00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:03.100 I'm really 00:33:03.100 --> 00:33:03.600 glad that 00:33:03.600 --> 00:33:04.019 there's not 00:33:04.019 --> 00:33:04.740 a war going 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:05.160 on right 00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:05.579 now that 00:33:05.579 --> 00:33:05.819 I would 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:06.100 have to 00:33:06.100 --> 00:33:06.360 do that 00:33:06.360 --> 00:33:06.519 in. 00:33:07.319 --> 00:33:07.620 Anyone 00:33:07.620 --> 00:33:07.960 else feel 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:08.279 that way? 00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:11.200 You know, 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:11.559 the Bible 00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:12.139 says that 00:33:12.139 --> 00:33:12.819 life is 00:33:12.819 --> 00:33:13.200 a war. 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:15.920 There's a 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:16.660 pastor and 00:33:16.660 --> 00:33:17.559 preacher named 00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:18.220 Paul Tripp, 00:33:18.879 --> 00:33:19.480 and he says 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:19.920 it this way. 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:20.259 He says, 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:20.940 there's a war 00:33:20.940 --> 00:33:21.440 for our 00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.399 hearts that 00:33:22.399 --> 00:33:23.000 takes place 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:23.399 in every 00:33:23.399 --> 00:33:23.980 situation, 00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:25.240 every location, 00:33:25.460 --> 00:33:25.920 and every 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:26.940 relationship of 00:33:26.940 --> 00:33:27.559 daily life. 00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:29.259 This war is 00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:29.940 fought on the 00:33:29.940 --> 00:33:30.619 turf of our 00:33:30.619 --> 00:33:31.139 hearts and 00:33:31.139 --> 00:33:32.059 is fought for 00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:33.000 control of 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:33.619 our souls. 00:33:33.619 --> 00:33:35.679 every decision, 00:33:36.399 --> 00:33:37.159 every action, 00:33:37.439 --> 00:33:38.299 and every word 00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:39.019 in our lives 00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:40.559 reflects this 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:41.159 war. 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:42.459 It is the 00:33:42.459 --> 00:33:43.439 great conflict 00:33:43.439 --> 00:33:44.159 of human 00:33:44.159 --> 00:33:44.479 life. 00:33:44.719 --> 00:33:45.479 This war 00:33:45.479 --> 00:33:46.419 is the 00:33:46.419 --> 00:33:47.299 reason for 00:33:47.299 --> 00:33:47.959 all the 00:33:47.959 --> 00:33:49.079 other wars 00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:50.519 fought between 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:51.099 people. 00:33:54.179 --> 00:33:54.379 You know, 00:33:54.399 --> 00:33:54.639 here in 00:33:54.639 --> 00:33:55.000 Hong Kong, 00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:55.539 it can be so 00:33:55.539 --> 00:33:56.019 easy to be 00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:56.679 consumed by 00:33:56.679 --> 00:33:57.279 comfort and 00:33:57.279 --> 00:33:57.879 not want to 00:33:57.879 --> 00:33:58.779 think about 00:33:58.779 --> 00:33:59.399 the fact that 00:33:59.399 --> 00:33:59.979 we are living 00:33:59.979 --> 00:34:01.019 in a war 00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:01.639 on our 00:34:01.639 --> 00:34:02.279 day-to-day 00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:02.739 life. 00:34:03.619 --> 00:34:05.139 every moment 00:34:05.139 --> 00:34:05.439 that we 00:34:05.439 --> 00:34:05.939 choose to 00:34:05.939 --> 00:34:06.619 spend focusing 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:07.679 on our 00:34:07.679 --> 00:34:08.539 comfort or 00:34:08.539 --> 00:34:09.179 our advancement 00:34:09.179 --> 00:34:09.679 or our 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:11.279 idols is a 00:34:11.279 --> 00:34:11.579 moment that 00:34:11.579 --> 00:34:12.099 we're losing 00:34:12.099 --> 00:34:14.480 ground in 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:15.179 this fight 00:34:15.179 --> 00:34:16.739 on the side 00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:16.980 of our 00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.480 unstoppable 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:18.259 God. 00:34:19.839 --> 00:34:20.639 And God 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:21.420 wants us to 00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:22.199 approach this 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:22.799 battle in 00:34:22.799 --> 00:34:23.420 life with a 00:34:23.420 --> 00:34:24.799 singular focus 00:34:24.799 --> 00:34:25.659 on him. 00:34:27.819 --> 00:34:28.779 Just like 00:34:28.779 --> 00:34:29.420 Desmond 00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:29.880 Doss, 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:31.019 each of our 00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:31.539 lives we live 00:34:31.539 --> 00:34:32.539 surrounded by 00:34:32.539 --> 00:34:33.199 people who 00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:33.599 need, 00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:34.279 to be 00:34:34.279 --> 00:34:35.000 rescued. 00:34:36.279 --> 00:34:36.839 Now that 00:34:36.839 --> 00:34:37.199 doesn't mean 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:37.579 throwing them 00:34:37.579 --> 00:34:37.940 over our 00:34:37.940 --> 00:34:38.500 shoulders and 00:34:38.500 --> 00:34:38.900 walking them 00:34:38.900 --> 00:34:39.199 to the edge 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:39.739 of a cliff, 00:34:41.179 --> 00:34:41.839 but it 00:34:41.839 --> 00:34:42.380 means pointing 00:34:42.380 --> 00:34:43.319 them to 00:34:43.319 --> 00:34:43.779 the source 00:34:43.779 --> 00:34:44.359 of life, 00:34:44.759 --> 00:34:45.219 the God 00:34:45.219 --> 00:34:45.779 who loves 00:34:45.779 --> 00:34:46.380 them and 00:34:46.380 --> 00:34:47.000 who wants 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.019 to save 00:34:48.019 --> 00:34:48.859 and rescue 00:34:48.859 --> 00:34:49.279 people. 00:34:50.699 --> 00:34:51.219 And for us 00:34:51.219 --> 00:34:52.059 to be effective 00:34:52.059 --> 00:34:52.659 in the role 00:34:52.659 --> 00:34:53.000 that God 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:53.359 has called 00:34:53.359 --> 00:34:53.679 us to, 00:34:53.759 --> 00:34:54.299 we need to 00:34:54.299 --> 00:34:54.599 live our 00:34:54.599 --> 00:34:55.319 lives with 00:34:55.319 --> 00:34:55.920 a singular 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:56.900 focus. 00:34:57.960 --> 00:34:58.659 That doesn't 00:34:58.659 --> 00:34:59.179 come from 00:34:59.179 --> 00:35:00.500 just recognizing 00:35:00.500 --> 00:35:01.099 there's a God 00:35:01.099 --> 00:35:01.759 or recognizing 00:35:01.759 --> 00:35:02.219 that he's at 00:35:02.219 --> 00:35:02.420 work, 00:35:02.420 --> 00:35:02.840 but from 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:03.480 trusting in 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:04.119 him and 00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:04.800 joining him 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:05.800 in the work 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:06.480 that he's 00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:06.780 doing. 00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:07.780 And as long 00:35:07.780 --> 00:35:08.320 as our lives 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:08.680 are built 00:35:08.680 --> 00:35:09.240 around things 00:35:09.240 --> 00:35:09.740 other than 00:35:09.740 --> 00:35:10.079 God, 00:35:11.079 --> 00:35:11.420 we're going 00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:11.619 to be 00:35:11.619 --> 00:35:12.000 ineffective. 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:13.860 But when we 00:35:13.860 --> 00:35:14.420 build our 00:35:14.420 --> 00:35:15.200 lives around 00:35:15.200 --> 00:35:15.780 God and 00:35:15.780 --> 00:35:16.360 shape them 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:16.880 around the 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:17.220 gospel, 00:35:17.579 --> 00:35:17.880 it will 00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:19.380 become fuel 00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:20.760 that changes 00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:21.240 us into 00:35:21.240 --> 00:35:22.159 these unstoppable 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:23.800 forces for 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.360 God's kingdom. 00:35:24.539 --> 00:35:24.860 And at the 00:35:24.860 --> 00:35:25.240 end of the 00:35:25.240 --> 00:35:25.500 battle, 00:35:25.700 --> 00:35:26.360 it's not going 00:35:26.360 --> 00:35:26.519 to be 00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:26.820 President 00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:28.120 Truman or 00:35:28.120 --> 00:35:28.440 Trump, 00:35:28.720 --> 00:35:29.380 standing there 00:35:29.380 --> 00:35:30.039 congratulating 00:35:30.039 --> 00:35:30.420 us, 00:35:31.080 --> 00:35:31.880 but it's 00:35:31.880 --> 00:35:32.200 going to be 00:35:32.200 --> 00:35:34.240 God looking 00:35:34.240 --> 00:35:34.860 at us and 00:35:34.860 --> 00:35:35.160 saying, 00:35:35.380 --> 00:35:35.740 well done, 00:35:36.200 --> 00:35:36.920 good and 00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:37.559 faithful servant. 00:35:38.580 --> 00:35:39.280 Let's pray. 00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:42.300 Father, 00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:43.019 we thank you 00:35:43.019 --> 00:35:44.039 that you are 00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:45.600 a good God. 00:35:47.160 --> 00:35:48.000 We thank you 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:48.660 that you are 00:35:48.660 --> 00:35:49.280 a God who 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:49.980 rescues, 00:35:50.080 --> 00:35:50.400 that you are 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:51.160 a God who 00:35:51.160 --> 00:35:52.360 empowers us 00:35:52.360 --> 00:35:53.140 to be these 00:35:53.140 --> 00:35:53.820 unstoppable 00:35:53.820 --> 00:35:54.740 forces for 00:35:54.740 --> 00:35:54.980 you. 00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:57.620 As I think 00:35:57.620 --> 00:35:57.980 about this 00:35:57.980 --> 00:35:58.599 idea of being 00:35:58.599 --> 00:35:59.220 unstoppable 00:35:59.220 --> 00:36:00.059 forces for 00:36:00.059 --> 00:36:00.400 God, I'm 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:00.960 reminded of a 00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:01.340 verse in 00:36:01.340 --> 00:36:02.000 Hebrews chapter 00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:02.579 11 where it 00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:03.019 talks about 00:36:03.019 --> 00:36:03.400 Abel. 00:36:05.240 --> 00:36:05.559 And it 00:36:05.559 --> 00:36:06.280 says that 00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:08.160 even though 00:36:08.160 --> 00:36:08.920 he is dead, 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:09.500 he still 00:36:09.500 --> 00:36:09.980 speaks. 00:36:10.099 --> 00:36:10.500 Not even 00:36:10.500 --> 00:36:11.660 death could 00:36:11.660 --> 00:36:12.480 stop him 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:14.960 from showing 00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:15.740 the world how 00:36:15.740 --> 00:36:16.440 great and 00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:17.280 amazing our 00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:17.980 God is. 00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:19.039 And God, 00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:19.599 I pray that 00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:20.000 you would 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:20.980 shape us into 00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:21.820 those types of 00:36:21.820 --> 00:36:22.280 people today. 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:22.980 People who 00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:24.079 are unstoppable, 00:36:24.240 --> 00:36:25.059 not even death, 00:36:25.460 --> 00:36:26.500 can stop us 00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:27.300 from showing 00:36:27.300 --> 00:36:28.480 the world how 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:30.460 great you are 00:36:30.460 --> 00:36:32.079 because you 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:32.860 are worth it. 00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:34.480 I pray that 00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:35.039 you would show 00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:35.539 us what the 00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:36.140 idols are that 00:36:36.140 --> 00:36:36.980 we're relying on 00:36:36.980 --> 00:36:37.700 in our lives 00:36:37.700 --> 00:36:38.300 and that you 00:36:38.300 --> 00:36:39.460 would help us 00:36:39.460 --> 00:36:40.440 to fight against 00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:41.280 those continuously 00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:42.039 even when it's 00:36:42.039 --> 00:36:42.280 hard. 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:44.140 That you would 00:36:44.140 --> 00:36:45.400 give us joy in 00:36:45.400 --> 00:36:46.260 knowing you and 00:36:46.260 --> 00:36:47.039 trusting you. 00:36:48.680 --> 00:36:49.400 And that you 00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:50.180 would spread your 00:36:50.180 --> 00:36:51.200 kingdom here on 00:36:51.200 --> 00:36:51.480 earth. 00:36:51.480 --> 00:36:53.619 through us. 00:36:55.059 --> 00:36:55.940 God, we love 00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:56.179 you. 00:36:57.500 --> 00:36:58.519 We thank you 00:36:58.519 --> 00:36:59.579 that you love 00:36:59.579 --> 00:37:00.079 us. 00:37:01.240 --> 00:37:02.219 In Jesus' name, 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:03.059 Amen. 00:37:03.059 --> 00:37:03.179 Amen. 00:37:03.179 --> 00:37:33.159 Thank you.