WEBVTT

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 If you would, would you please open your Bibles and turn to Acts chapter 12.

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!

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 I got to preach on Acts chapter 10 a little bit over a month ago.

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 And before we kind of go into where Nathan brought us last week and where we are right

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 now, I definitely want to draw attention to something that David said in his prayer.

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 David was praying that we would be participating in the service through our worship, through

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 the music, through our prayers, through the preaching, through the receiving of the word,

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 through our giving.

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 So, painting the picture that all of this is worship, not just the music that was played.

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 Even as you're listening right now, like you're honoring God in the way that you receive this,

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 in the way that you ask God and you're praying for Him to show you what you need to see about

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 this text.

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 So, all of this is worship.

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 I need your prayers while I preach.

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 I am so, I'm not infallible like God's word is.

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 Thankfully, God chooses to use us.

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 And so, I take that very seriously.

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 But, please pray for me during this time.

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 Be praying for other people here that are bringing completely different stories into the service

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 who need to hear God's word.

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 And God's word pierces us like an arrow.

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 So, and each person needs to hear this in a way that God is kind of preparing their hearts for.

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 So, be praying for me.

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 Be praying for each other.

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 Be remembering that all of this is worship.

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 It's not just the music on the stage.

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 So, with that, let's kind of talk about where we've been in Acts so far.

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 Last week, Nathan preached on finishing up Acts 11.

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 And we kind of have seen a lot of really big pivotal things happen in Acts so far.

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 We've seen the church grow from just a very, very small number, a couple hundred people,

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 to thousands of people being added daily.

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 And it just, it's crazy.

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 And so, then we're seeing persecution come.

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 We see Stephen martyred.

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 And then we have this other big event with the Gentiles being brought in.

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 And we talked about that in Acts 10.

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 So, there's a lot of really big events.

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 The church is growing.

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 Gentiles are being added into the church, which to us doesn't seem like a big deal.

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 But if you're a first century Jew, that's a huge deal.

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 And now, what we've been doing, where we were last week,

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 is we were kind of talking about Paul and Barnabas.

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 And they're in Antioch.

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 So, now what the author of Acts, Luke, is doing is he's bringing us back into Jerusalem.

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 And if you remember, where we left in Jerusalem was Stephen being martyred.

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 So, we're coming back to persecution.

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 And you're going to see that persecution is this really, really big theme of Acts.

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 And we're going to kind of hit it over and over and over again.

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 And something that you're going to see, if you're noticing,

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 is that where there's persecution, there's going to be gospel growth and gospel sharing.

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 Where there's gospel sharing, there's going to be persecution.

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 It's not so much a cause and effect, but think of it as two sides of the same coin.

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 If you see persecution, you're going to see gospel growth.

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 When you see gospel growth, gospel proclamation, you will see persecution.

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 And we know that persecution will come to the believer.

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 The text that we're going to look at this morning is 2 Timothy 3.12,

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 which says that all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted,

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 which is not an easy thing to hear.

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 We also know that Satan is the enemy of the gospel.

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 We have an enemy, and it's not our neighbors or those who disagree with us politically.

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 It is a spiritual enemy whose desire is to stifle the gospel

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 and keep the believer apart from God.

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 We see that it's in Ephesians where Paul is saying,

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 hey, our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

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 So it's not against people, but it's against these principalities.

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 It's against these authorities of the spiritual world.

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 And so we know that Satan is the enemy of the gospel,

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 and Satan's drive, his goal, is to silence the believer,

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 to silence the proclamation of the gospel,

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 to keep the believer away from God.

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 So the question that I'm asking, that I'm posing to you this morning is,

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 it's not will you respond to persecution,

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 but how.

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 How will you respond to persecution when it comes?

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 So with that, we're going to read Acts 12, verses 1 through 19,

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 and then we're going to pray real quick,

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 and then we're going to go right into it.

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 Starting in verse 1.

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 About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

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 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,

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 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews,

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 he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

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 This was during the days of unleavened bread.

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 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison,

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 delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him,

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 intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

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 So Peter was kept in prison,

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 but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

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 Now when Herod was about to bring him out on that very night,

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 Peter was sleeping between two soldiers,

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 bound with chains,

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 and centuries before the door were guarding the prison.

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 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him,

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 and a light shone in the cell.

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 He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying,

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 Get up quickly.

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 And the chains fell off of his hands.

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 And the angel said to him,

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 Dress yourself and put on your sandals.

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 And he did so.

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 And he said to him,

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 Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.

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 And he went out and followed him.

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 He did not know what was being done by the angel was real,

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 but thought he was seeing a vision.

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 When they had passed the first and the second guard,

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 they came to the iron gate, leading into the city.

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 It opened for them of its own accord,

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 and they went out and went along one street.

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 And immediately the angel left him.

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 When Peter came to himself, he said,

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 Now I am sure the Lord has sent his angel

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 and rescued me from the hands of Herod

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 and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.

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 When he realized this,

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 he went to the house of Mary,

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 the mother of John,

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 whose other name was Mark,

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 where many were gathered together and were praying.

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 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway,

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 a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.

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 Recognizing Peter's voice in her joy,

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 she did not open the gate,

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 but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.

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 They said to her,

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 You are out of your mind.

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 But she kept insisting that it was so.

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 And they kept saying,

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 It is his angel.

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 But Peter continued knocking.

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 And when they opened,

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 they saw him,

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 and they were amazed.

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 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent,

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 he described to them

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 how the Lord had brought him out of prison.

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 And he said to them,

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 Tell these things to James and to the brothers.

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 Then he departed and went to another place.

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 Now when day came,

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 there was no little disturbance among the soldiers

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 over what became of Peter.

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 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him,

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 he examined the sentries

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 in order that they should be put to death.

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 Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea

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 and spent time there.

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 Pray with me real quickly.

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 Heavenly Father,

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 thank you for your word.

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 Thank you for giving it to us

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 that you speak to us through your word.

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 No other text can do that, God.

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 Only your word can.

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 Only your word can speak to us

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 in a unique way

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 that convicts us,

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 that encourages us.

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 And we pray that you would do those things this morning,

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 that you would use me,

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 God, a sinner,

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 that you would use me to proclaim your truth,

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 that there would be clarity this morning,

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 that we would all walk away

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 encouraged, convicted,

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 and changed by your word.

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 We ask this in Christ's name.

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 Amen.

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 Okay, so,

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 if you're taking notes,

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 one of the first things that we're saying right now

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 is that persecution will come to the believer.

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 Persecution will come to the believer.

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 That is seen in Acts chapter 12,

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 verses 1 through 2.

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 If you're looking at a text,

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 you can see about that time,

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 Herod the king laid violent hands

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 on some who belonged to the church.

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 He killed James,

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 the brother of John,

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 with the sword,

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 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews,

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 he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

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 So,

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 I want to take like a quick second

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 and just do a little bit of character clarification,

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 because if you're looking at the text,

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 it might be a little confusing who's who.

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 Okay, so James,

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 not the author of James.

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 Okay,

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 you remember,

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 if you recall,

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 Jesus is walking alongside the Sea of Galilee,

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 and he calls two men.

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 Do you remember their names?

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 It's James and John.

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 They're brothers.

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 That's the James that we're talking about.

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 So, this is,

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 while Stephen was the first martyr of the gospel,

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 this is the first apostle who's been martyred.

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 This is not James, brother of Jesus.

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 Okay,

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 that's the James who wrote the book of James.

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 Okay,

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 second thing,

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 his brother is John.

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 Later on in the story,

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 they talk about John Mark.

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 That's not James' brother.

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 Okay,

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 next thing I need to say,

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 when Peter asks about,

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 let's see,

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 verse 17,

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 he says,

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 tell these things to James.

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 It's not the James that just died.

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 So,

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 he knows.

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 He's talking about James,

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 Justice,

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 brother of Jesus,

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 who's now going to start kind of leading the church in Jerusalem.

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 Second thing is Herod.

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 There's a lot of Herods.

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 Okay,

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 there's Herod,

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 the one that tried to kill baby Jesus.

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 That's not the Herod we're talking about.

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 There's the Herod that questioned Jesus.

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 That's Herod Antipas.

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 Okay,

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 that's not the one that we're talking about here.

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 Herod Agrippa,

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 that's the one we're talking about.

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 He's the one who we're going to continue on with the story later on.

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 Okay,

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 so,

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 the couple things that we see here in the text.

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 Do you guys notice that James just kind of gets persecuted and killed with no trial?

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 Like,

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 there's nothing that happens.

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 There's no,

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 there's no,

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 like,

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 he goes before a public forum.

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 There's no,

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 there's nothing.

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 It's just James is,

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 at least that's the way that Luke describes it in the text,

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 is James is just killed.

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 Out of nowhere.

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 And then,

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 you'll see what Herod does,

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 is he kind of waits to see what the Jews are going to react to it.

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 So,

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 he kills James.

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 Herod is kind of looking for the applause of man in this.

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 And he sees,

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 okay,

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 well,

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 how are the Jews going to react to this?

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 And they react favorably.

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 And he's like,

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 okay,

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 I'm going to kill Peter next.

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 So,

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 he throws Peter in prison.

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 Again,

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 no trial.

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 Think about that.

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 That's you.

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 I mean,

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 no trial here.

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 And you're just,

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 there's no one to say,

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 no,

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 no,

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 no,

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 this guy,

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 he's a good man.

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 He should not die.

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 There's no one to do that.

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 If you were thrown in prison,

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 you would have friends who'd be able to come to your call,

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 and they would be able to voice their opinion for you,

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 and vouch for you,

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 and say,

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 no,

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 this is a good woman.

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 This is a good man.

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 That does not happen to James or Peter.

00:11:36.360 --> 00:11:37.919
 They don't get that opportunity.

00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:39.479
 So,

00:11:39.599 --> 00:11:40.000
 it's so,

00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:41.579
 it's so incredibly unjust.

00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:44.419
 And so,

00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:46.299
 Peter's next in line,

00:11:46.819 --> 00:11:47.539
 and the thing that,

00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:49.719
 the reason why he hasn't been executed yet,

00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:51.219
 is so that Passover can be honored.

00:11:51.599 --> 00:11:55.199
 There's this really tragic irony in upholding the law,

00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:56.500
 and upholding these feasts,

00:11:57.059 --> 00:11:59.000
 so that once those are done,

00:11:59.079 --> 00:12:00.360
 then we can kill our guy.

00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:03.439
 So,

00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:04.879
 again,

00:12:05.079 --> 00:12:06.439
 Peter's next in line to die,

00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:08.220
 and the only thing that's waiting on that,

00:12:08.420 --> 00:12:09.180
 is Herod's approval,

00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:11.400
 and the Passover being completed.

00:12:12.220 --> 00:12:12.740
 And so,

00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:14.040
 like James and Peter,

00:12:14.220 --> 00:12:16.160
 we're going to be persecuted just the same.

00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:18.000
 It's going to look differently,

00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.420
 and there's reasons why I would say,

00:12:20.520 --> 00:12:21.800
 we too will be persecuted.

00:12:22.580 --> 00:12:24.640
 The first reason is that Jesus is our master.

00:12:27.420 --> 00:12:28.640
 This is huge to get.

00:12:29.680 --> 00:12:30.640
 John 15,

00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:31.020
 20.

00:12:31.640 --> 00:12:31.840
 So,

00:12:31.900 --> 00:12:33.060
 Jesus is talking to his disciples,

00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:33.520
 and he says,

00:12:33.880 --> 00:12:35.020
 remember the word that I said to you,

00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:37.259
 a servant is not greater than his master.

00:12:37.939 --> 00:12:39.240
 If they persecuted me,

00:12:39.419 --> 00:12:40.620
 they will persecute you.

00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:42.000
 If they kept my word,

00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:43.620
 they will also keep yours.

00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:45.939
 Okay,

00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:47.199
 this is worth turning to,

00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:48.379
 2 Timothy 3.12.

00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:59.779
 Okay,

00:13:14.059 --> 00:13:14.399
 so,

00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:17.419
 Paul is writing this verse,

00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:20.559
 not from the comfort of freedom,

00:13:20.959 --> 00:13:23.219
 and the comfort of a library somewhere,

00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:23.899
 or a study.

00:13:24.719 --> 00:13:26.939
 Paul is writing this in chains,

00:13:27.659 --> 00:13:30.860
 knowing that his execution is near.

00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:31.599
 So,

00:13:31.659 --> 00:13:32.799
 Paul is writing this text,

00:13:32.839 --> 00:13:33.879
 and he says in verse 12,

00:13:34.339 --> 00:13:34.559
 indeed,

00:13:34.719 --> 00:13:37.139
 all who desire to live a godly life in Christ,

00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:38.459
 will be persecuted,

00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:41.599
 while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse,

00:13:41.939 --> 00:13:42.379
 deceiving,

00:13:43.159 --> 00:13:44.299
 and being deceived.

00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:45.859
 So,

00:13:45.979 --> 00:13:46.959
 that's huge to get,

00:13:47.319 --> 00:13:48.079
 because Peter,

00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:50.659
 Paul is not saying that from theory.

00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:52.620
 He's saying that from personal experience.

00:13:54.359 --> 00:13:54.559
 And,

00:13:54.959 --> 00:13:56.299
 so,

00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:56.859
 again,

00:13:56.919 --> 00:13:58.299
 the first reason is that Jesus is our master.

00:13:58.500 --> 00:13:59.719
 We're identifying with Christ,

00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:00.679
 we will be persecuted.

00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:02.519
 The second reason is that

00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:04.779
 we're foreign to the world.

00:14:04.779 --> 00:14:13.019
 Peter kind of exhorts his writers over and over again,

00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:13.259
 saying,

00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:13.480
 hey,

00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:15.759
 you guys are strangers and exiles.

00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:18.459
 And then we see that theme with Paul where he says,

00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:18.620
 hey,

00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:19.319
 you're to be in the world,

00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:20.699
 but not of the world.

00:14:21.319 --> 00:14:21.500
 So,

00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:21.959
 saying that

00:14:21.959 --> 00:14:24.220
 this earth is not our home.

00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:26.860
 The ways of the world are not our ways.

00:14:26.939 --> 00:14:28.779
 We are called out of this world.

00:14:28.839 --> 00:14:30.059
 We are called out of sin,

00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:33.059
 and we're called strangers and exiles.

00:14:34.439 --> 00:14:34.819
 So,

00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:36.479
 the world will see that we are,

00:14:37.379 --> 00:14:39.919
 we don't go with everything that the world goes with.

00:14:42.659 --> 00:14:43.059
 So,

00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:43.979
 that we're foreign to the world.

00:14:44.419 --> 00:14:45.679
 It's not a question of,

00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:47.239
 like I said earlier,

00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:49.459
 it's not a question of will we respond to persecution,

00:14:49.659 --> 00:14:51.379
 but how will we respond to persecution?

00:14:51.500 --> 00:14:52.419
 Because of these reasons,

00:14:52.739 --> 00:14:53.699
 Jesus is our master,

00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.979
 we're strangers and exiles to the world.

00:14:56.219 --> 00:14:57.319
 We're going to appear different,

00:14:57.320 --> 00:14:59.560
 because we've been called out of darkness,

00:14:59.660 --> 00:15:01.220
 so we no longer look like that darkness.

00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:04.540
 So,

00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:05.660
 how are we going to respond?

00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.879
 The first thing is that,

00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:10.120
 we can kind of look at,

00:15:10.540 --> 00:15:11.660
 the reaction of the church.

00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:13.080
 The church is persecuted,

00:15:13.280 --> 00:15:14.540
 and it doesn't shrink back,

00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:17.800
 but instead it goes forth of a message even more,

00:15:17.900 --> 00:15:19.700
 and it proclaims it even more.

00:15:20.040 --> 00:15:21.380
 It's that two sides of the same coin.

00:15:21.860 --> 00:15:22.580
 There's persecution,

00:15:23.140 --> 00:15:24.460
 there's going to be gospel proclamation,

00:15:24.680 --> 00:15:27.220
 and the church doesn't shrink back from that gospel proclamation,

00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:29.260
 and so,

00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:31.040
 as people who will be persecuted,

00:15:31.640 --> 00:15:32.700
 we respond by,

00:15:33.140 --> 00:15:35.180
 not being surprised,

00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:36.040
 when it comes.

00:15:38.900 --> 00:15:40.860
 The church isn't shocked by it.

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:43.360
 And if they are,

00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:45.420
 Luke doesn't add that into the story.

00:15:46.660 --> 00:15:47.680
 It makes it very clear,

00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.420
 that the church,

00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:52.320
 responds to James being killed unjustly,

00:15:52.380 --> 00:15:53.020
 out of nowhere,

00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:53.820
 with no trial,

00:15:53.920 --> 00:15:55.380
 and Peter being next in line,

00:15:55.660 --> 00:15:56.700
 they respond with prayer,

00:15:56.700 --> 00:15:57.759
 they're not surprised,

00:15:57.920 --> 00:15:58.900
 they're not going,

00:15:59.280 --> 00:16:00.460
 and creating a mob,

00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:02.180
 and demanding justice.

00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:05.000
 They're counting it all joy.

00:16:06.560 --> 00:16:07.640
 And then they're praying.

00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:08.879
 We're going to get into that in a minute,

00:16:09.040 --> 00:16:10.420
 but that's the church's response.

00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:10.920
 Do you see that?

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:11.140
 Like,

00:16:11.180 --> 00:16:12.160
 it's so important to see.

00:16:12.420 --> 00:16:12.540
 Okay,

00:16:12.640 --> 00:16:13.360
 persecution comes,

00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:14.240
 the church prays.

00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:16.640
 That's the church's response.

00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:17.420
 Not surprised.

00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:17.960
 Yes,

00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.440
 grieved.

00:16:18.520 --> 00:16:19.000
 I don't want to,

00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:20.360
 I don't want to understate that,

00:16:20.379 --> 00:16:21.660
 that the church is some machine,

00:16:21.659 --> 00:16:23.639
 that is so godly,

00:16:23.819 --> 00:16:24.519
 and so holy,

00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:26.319
 that when one of their own gets killed,

00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:27.319
 or someone doesn't get healed,

00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:27.939
 they're immediately like,

00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:28.120
 well,

00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:28.899
 God is good,

00:16:28.939 --> 00:16:29.500
 we're just going to pray,

00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:30.539
 and that's what we're going to do.

00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:30.679
 Like,

00:16:30.719 --> 00:16:30.819
 no,

00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:31.779
 I'm sure,

00:16:32.219 --> 00:16:32.360
 like,

00:16:32.419 --> 00:16:34.240
 by no means do I believe,

00:16:34.299 --> 00:16:36.659
 that the church was not mourning James' death,

00:16:36.699 --> 00:16:37.740
 and they weren't crying out.

00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:37.879
 Like,

00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.639
 I absolutely believe that.

00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:40.299
 So,

00:16:40.459 --> 00:16:41.919
 church is not mechanical in that.

00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:42.639
 But,

00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:44.000
 it isn't surprised,

00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.319
 and they respond in prayer,

00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:45.839
 grief,

00:16:45.939 --> 00:16:46.480
 and in prayer.

00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:51.039
 The thing that I want to ask is,

00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:51.240
 okay,

00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:53.920
 so what if we aren't seeing persecution in our lives?

00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.240
 This is a big question.

00:16:57.139 --> 00:16:57.560
 We're,

00:16:57.580 --> 00:16:59.000
 we're seeing the type of persecution here,

00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:00.360
 where someone's being executed,

00:17:00.460 --> 00:17:01.279
 and thrown in jail,

00:17:01.940 --> 00:17:02.460
 wrongly.

00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:04.440
 So,

00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:05.720
 we're not seeing that.

00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:06.660
 We're sharing the gospel,

00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:09.740
 but we're not seeing ourselves be thrown in jail.

00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:10.420
 And thankfully,

00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:10.720
 our,

00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.500
 our government protects us in that way.

00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:14.720
 But,

00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:15.319
 nonetheless,

00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:16.460
 the promise is true.

00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:16.759
 Right?

00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:17.599
 The promise is true,

00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.720
 that all who desire to live a godly life,

00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:21.019
 will be persecuted.

00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:21.819
 There is not,

00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:22.519
 this,

00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:24.140
 explanation that he gives,

00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:24.500
 saying like,

00:17:24.539 --> 00:17:25.720
 unless you're living,

00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:28.839
 in a country that allows you to share the gospel.

00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:29.099
 No,

00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:29.240
 no,

00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:29.819
 he's just saying,

00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:30.279
 hey,

00:17:30.360 --> 00:17:31.579
 all who desire to live a godly life,

00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:32.380
 will be persecuted.

00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:32.559
 So,

00:17:32.620 --> 00:17:33.839
 what if we don't see that though?

00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:35.200
 What if you're looking around,

00:17:35.259 --> 00:17:35.480
 you're saying,

00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:35.660
 well,

00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:36.579
 we're not seeing that.

00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:37.019
 Again,

00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:39.740
 I'm not saying it's going to look exactly like the way it's looking in Acts.

00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.640
 At least in this country,

00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:42.099
 it won't.

00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:43.180
 For now.

00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:43.839
 But,

00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:46.059
 I want to give a couple reasons,

00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:49.500
 why I don't think we see persecution happen all the time.

00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:52.419
 And,

00:17:52.579 --> 00:17:55.679
 the first reason is that there are spiritual forces at work.

00:17:59.179 --> 00:17:59.579
 So,

00:17:59.639 --> 00:18:00.159
 like we said earlier,

00:18:00.259 --> 00:18:00.419
 again,

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:02.579
 our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

00:18:02.659 --> 00:18:04.799
 but it's against these spiritual forces.

00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:05.799
 And so,

00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:09.319
 Satan is happy to not persecute us,

00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:13.039
 if it means that we enjoy our luxuries more than we do share the gospel.

00:18:17.919 --> 00:18:18.319
 So,

00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:20.599
 it's a particular challenge that we face in the West.

00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:23.200
 Because we have all of our comforts,

00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:30.420
 and we do have these freedoms and these liberties that allow us to not have to worry about gathering this morning and reading the Bible.

00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:32.220
 But,

00:18:32.220 --> 00:18:39.340
 Satan doesn't see a need for us to be persecuted if we're already doing what he wants us to do, which is silence.

00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:40.939
 Which,

00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:43.559
 if we're not proclaiming the gospel boldly.

00:18:43.919 --> 00:18:44.019
 And,

00:18:44.139 --> 00:18:44.419
 again,

00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:45.959
 comforts are a blessing.

00:18:46.599 --> 00:18:49.199
 Material things in and of themselves are not evil.

00:18:49.459 --> 00:18:49.720
 But,

00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:50.819
 they can be a distraction,

00:18:50.959 --> 00:18:51.159
 right?

00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:51.619
 Like,

00:18:51.659 --> 00:18:55.000
 they can be a distraction from us knowing why we're here,

00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:55.939
 getting caught up,

00:18:56.299 --> 00:19:00.000
 getting caught up in everything that is happening in our season of life.

00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:00.619
 Whether it is,

00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:01.299
 like,

00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:02.039
 you're in college.

00:19:02.180 --> 00:19:02.319
 Like,

00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:03.880
 things that Satan wants you to focus on,

00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:04.940
 which is your schoolwork.

00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:05.900
 And,

00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:07.000
 making sure that you get through that.

00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:08.700
 Making sure that you get the grades that you need.

00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:08.880
 And,

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:12.039
 there's so many different stages.

00:19:12.140 --> 00:19:12.299
 I mean,

00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.480
 that we could kind of go on and on and on about.

00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:14.960
 But,

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.980
 I'm just saying that our comforts can be a blessing,

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:17.940
 but they can be a distraction.

00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:20.740
 And,

00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:24.400
 I think that we can be Christians who are over-medicated by luxury.

00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:28.700
 Remember,

00:19:28.700 --> 00:19:31.920
 all who strive to live a godly life will be persecuted.

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.480
 We will be persecuted.

00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:34.779
 It'll look differently,

00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:35.860
 but we will be persecuted.

00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:37.360
 So,

00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:39.600
 the first reason we're saying that there's spiritual forces at work.

00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:40.539
 The second,

00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:41.920
 and this is also the third reason,

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:43.259
 so you're going to have to listen to both.

00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:45.660
 The second reason is that,

00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:46.660
 second and third is that,

00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.799
 we either aren't striving to live godly lives,

00:19:50.580 --> 00:19:50.980
 or,

00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:53.500
 we aren't people who have God in our lives.

00:19:55.740 --> 00:19:56.140
 So,

00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:58.140
 we either aren't striving to live godly lives,

00:19:58.140 --> 00:19:58.780
 or,

00:19:58.860 --> 00:20:00.680
 we aren't people who have God in our lives.

00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:01.520
 So,

00:20:01.560 --> 00:20:03.140
 I hope that you're catching my heart,

00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:04.160
 and what I'm saying with that.

00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:04.860
 So,

00:20:05.060 --> 00:20:06.520
 I think that,

00:20:06.620 --> 00:20:08.300
 what's really happened is that we have,

00:20:08.420 --> 00:20:08.880
 we hear that,

00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:09.920
 we hear that phrase,

00:20:10.080 --> 00:20:10.300
 that,

00:20:10.360 --> 00:20:10.800
 that verse,

00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:12.840
 all who desire to live a godly life,

00:20:13.540 --> 00:20:14.280
 will be persecuted.

00:20:14.600 --> 00:20:14.900
 And,

00:20:14.980 --> 00:20:16.640
 we've redefined the word godly,

00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.300
 to suit our lifestyles,

00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:22.920
 to mean something different than what Paul is talking about here.

00:20:24.840 --> 00:20:25.420
 And remember,

00:20:25.520 --> 00:20:26.780
 it's two sides of the same coin.

00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:27.840
 Persecution,

00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:29.640
 and gospel proclamation.

00:20:29.840 --> 00:20:30.620
 They go hand in hand.

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:31.780
 It's not a cause and effect,

00:20:31.940 --> 00:20:32.820
 but what we're saying is,

00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:33.620
 if there is one,

00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:34.380
 there will be the other.

00:20:34.380 --> 00:20:37.700
 I'm saying,

00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:38.100
 yes,

00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:39.740
 if you share the gospel at work,

00:20:39.820 --> 00:20:42.100
 it's possible you might get passed over for a promotion.

00:20:43.120 --> 00:20:44.820
 It's possible that,

00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:46.320
 if you share the gospel at work,

00:20:46.360 --> 00:20:47.380
 you might lose your job.

00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:48.080
 It's possible that,

00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:50.340
 if you share the gospel with your friends,

00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:53.140
 that you might face social isolation.

00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:56.060
 You might get passed over for things.

00:20:56.560 --> 00:20:57.960
 It's possible that,

00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:59.860
 you might share the gospel with your classmates,

00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:02.439
 and suffer for it grade-wise.

00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:06.079
 It's going to take different forms,

00:21:06.179 --> 00:21:08.339
 but I'm saying that there is a cost to sharing the gospel.

00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:10.319
 And when there is gospel proclamation,

00:21:10.699 --> 00:21:12.199
 there is persecution.

00:21:12.719 --> 00:21:15.759
 I am saying that it's possible that you could share the gospel,

00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:17.039
 and not be persecuted,

00:21:17.179 --> 00:21:18.379
 and not experience hardship.

00:21:18.699 --> 00:21:20.599
 I'm saying it's possible.

00:21:20.939 --> 00:21:22.439
 I just don't think that it's likely.

00:21:24.459 --> 00:21:25.519
 I would be hard,

00:21:25.579 --> 00:21:29.219
 you would be hard-pressed to find someone who is boldly proclaiming the gospel,

00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:32.279
 and is not experiencing any problems with that.

00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:35.600
 And here's the thing.

00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:36.880
 We will bear fruit.

00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:38.579
 If we're believers,

00:21:38.860 --> 00:21:39.819
 and we've been changed,

00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:40.579
 we will bear fruit.

00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:41.100
 And to some,

00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:42.299
 that'll taste like a peach.

00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.200
 But to others,

00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:44.039
 it'll taste like a lime.

00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:49.559
 And the gospel will be a cold glass of water

00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:51.279
 to someone who's in need of refreshing,

00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:53.400
 and whose soul is weary,

00:21:53.900 --> 00:21:56.640
 and they're thinking about spiritual things.

00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:58.680
 It will be a cold glass of water to them.

00:21:59.220 --> 00:22:01.519
 But to those who have no desire for it,

00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:02.000
 who reject it,

00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:03.100
 it will be a glass of vinegar.

00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:05.519
 It's a polarizing effect.

00:22:06.579 --> 00:22:07.319
 So what I'm saying is,

00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:11.640
 if we're seeing little to no polarizing effect with our words,

00:22:11.940 --> 00:22:13.880
 we're looking less and less like our Lord,

00:22:14.420 --> 00:22:15.799
 and that should make us pause.

00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:18.299
 And that should make us wonder

00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:21.620
 if we actually do know and are communing with God.

00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:25.719
 That should make us pause.

00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:26.859
 That should make us ask,

00:22:26.939 --> 00:22:27.319
 all right, God,

00:22:27.399 --> 00:22:29.159
 am I desiring to live a godly life

00:22:29.159 --> 00:22:31.500
 the way that you have defined that in the Bible?

00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:38.500
 Okay, next thing that we're saying

00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:42.019
 is that prayers should be made by the church.

00:22:42.019 --> 00:22:45.680
 We've talked about persecution,

00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:46.319
 and we're saying,

00:22:46.639 --> 00:22:48.559
 okay, prayers will be made by the church.

00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:50.720
 You see that as the response from the church

00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.440
 that this event happens to.

00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:55.660
 Look at verse 5 and 12.

00:22:56.940 --> 00:22:57.599
 Verse 5,

00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:15.240
 So James has been killed.

00:23:15.419 --> 00:23:16.259
 Peter's thrown in prison,

00:23:16.439 --> 00:23:18.559
 and he's scheduled to be executed by the end of the day,

00:23:18.659 --> 00:23:20.539
 and the church is praying in response.

00:23:21.339 --> 00:23:22.139
 Interestingly enough,

00:23:22.219 --> 00:23:23.659
 there's one person who's not praying.

00:23:24.339 --> 00:23:24.939
 Did you notice that?

00:23:24.940 --> 00:23:27.660
 The guy who's about to die is not praying.

00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:28.559
 He's, like, sleeping.

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:32.279
 And it's like,

00:23:32.320 --> 00:23:33.640
 I feel like we've been here before.

00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:35.039
 Something big is about to happen,

00:23:35.380 --> 00:23:36.860
 and someone should be praying,

00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:37.900
 and it's always Peter,

00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:38.600
 and he's sleeping.

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:41.980
 It's like,

00:23:42.180 --> 00:23:43.240
 he either, like,

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.840
 is the most relaxed guy in the world

00:23:44.840 --> 00:23:45.680
 who's just not worried.

00:23:45.820 --> 00:23:46.039
 He's like,

00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:47.160
 God's sovereign in this,

00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:49.299
 or that dude just loves him some sleep.

00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:53.620
 Which I can identify with.

00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:57.980
 The other interesting thing,

00:23:58.220 --> 00:23:59.140
 just as a little side note,

00:23:59.180 --> 00:23:59.640
 do you notice that,

00:23:59.680 --> 00:23:59.779
 okay,

00:23:59.820 --> 00:24:01.799
 the church is praying for Peter's release,

00:24:02.380 --> 00:24:05.240
 but when Peter is actually released,

00:24:05.340 --> 00:24:06.120
 they're surprised.

00:24:07.360 --> 00:24:07.660
 Like,

00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:08.080
 it's either,

00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:08.340
 again,

00:24:08.360 --> 00:24:09.019
 they were either surprised,

00:24:09.100 --> 00:24:09.160
 like,

00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:10.559
 they didn't think that what was going to happen

00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:11.460
 was going to happen,

00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:12.980
 or it didn't happen the way they thought

00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:13.640
 it was going to happen.

00:24:14.840 --> 00:24:15.340
 It's like,

00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:16.019
 it's really,

00:24:16.180 --> 00:24:16.519
 really odd.

00:24:16.600 --> 00:24:18.400
 I'm not trying to critique the church too much there,

00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:18.840
 but it's like,

00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:19.320
 what?

00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:20.359
 So,

00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:23.019
 so Luke,

00:24:23.099 --> 00:24:23.379
 the author,

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.960
 he takes significant time

00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.960
 to talk about prayer in the story.

00:24:27.379 --> 00:24:27.519
 Like,

00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:28.179
 why,

00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:29.559
 why did he go so much into this,

00:24:29.639 --> 00:24:31.099
 why did he go into that story of,

00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:31.259
 like,

00:24:31.299 --> 00:24:32.000
 Peter shows up,

00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:32.759
 the church is praying,

00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.379
 and then the servant girl goes,

00:24:34.439 --> 00:24:34.740
 and they're like,

00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:35.200
 and she's like,

00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:35.359
 hey,

00:24:35.379 --> 00:24:35.819
 it's Peter.

00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:36.500
 And they're like,

00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:36.659
 no,

00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:36.799
 no,

00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:37.099
 it's not,

00:24:37.139 --> 00:24:37.700
 and they keep praying.

00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:37.879
 Like,

00:24:37.919 --> 00:24:38.240
 why does,

00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.759
 why does Luke go into that story?

00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:41.240
 I think he goes into that

00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:42.619
 to show,

00:24:42.819 --> 00:24:43.279
 to talk,

00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:44.519
 to make a significant point

00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:46.240
 to talk about prayer.

00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:47.859
 So,

00:24:48.019 --> 00:24:49.079
 because of that,

00:24:49.140 --> 00:24:51.279
 I'm saying that we should be praying collectively.

00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:52.980
 That's what the church is doing in this instance.

00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:55.160
 So,

00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:56.779
 individual prayer should be happening,

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:57.299
 yes.

00:24:57.799 --> 00:24:59.519
 But that should already be going on.

00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:02.940
 And group prayer should be a knee-jerk reaction

00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:03.660
 like it is here.

00:25:04.819 --> 00:25:05.120
 And again,

00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:07.019
 that's why Luke attaches that

00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:08.120
 to this text.

00:25:08.220 --> 00:25:09.200
 He's trying to make this point.

00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:10.420
 They're persecuted.

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:11.160
 They're thrown in jail.

00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:11.620
 Something like,

00:25:11.819 --> 00:25:12.440
 unjustly,

00:25:12.620 --> 00:25:13.319
 prayer's happening.

00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:13.980
 Again,

00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:14.779
 not mechanically,

00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:16.220
 but it is a knee-jerk reaction.

00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:19.420
 And it's important to remember

00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:21.319
 that God uses man's prayers

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.440
 as a vehicle,

00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.200
 as a means to accomplish his will.

00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:24.960
 Does he need us?

00:25:25.059 --> 00:25:25.380
 No.

00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:27.339
 He's totally sovereign,

00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:29.120
 entirely in control,

00:25:29.339 --> 00:25:30.720
 but he uses our prayers

00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:31.420
 as a vehicle,

00:25:31.720 --> 00:25:32.400
 as a means.

00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:34.720
 If you recall,

00:25:35.120 --> 00:25:35.740
 Acts 10,

00:25:35.779 --> 00:25:37.039
 you could flip over one page,

00:25:37.539 --> 00:25:41.160
 and you could see that in verse 4,

00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:42.559
 Cornelius,

00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:43.460
 who's the centurion,

00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:44.779
 he's praying to God.

00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:45.839
 Listen to the way

00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:48.039
 that God describes his prayers.

00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:49.119
 He says,

00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:50.579
 Cornelius is praying,

00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.799
 and then this angel appears,

00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:53.079
 and in verse 4 it says,

00:25:53.379 --> 00:25:55.440
 and he stared at him in terror,

00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:55.920
 and he said,

00:25:56.099 --> 00:25:56.759
 what is it, Lord?

00:25:57.619 --> 00:25:58.399
 And he said to him,

00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:59.799
 your prayers and your alms

00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:00.720
 have ascended

00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.220
 as a memorial before God.

00:26:03.099 --> 00:26:04.099
 That phrasing,

00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:05.759
 another version says it's,

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.059
 your prayers have ascended

00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:09.139
 as a fragrant offering to God.

00:26:09.140 --> 00:26:10.759
 So it's like God,

00:26:11.040 --> 00:26:12.400
 it's like you smelling something

00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:13.400
 really, really delicious,

00:26:13.560 --> 00:26:13.920
 and it's like,

00:26:14.080 --> 00:26:14.600
 oh man,

00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:15.960
 that gets me going,

00:26:16.060 --> 00:26:16.920
 I love that.

00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:20.600
 And that's Cornelius' prayers

00:26:20.600 --> 00:26:21.320
 in this instance,

00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:22.240
 and that's what we're saying

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.240
 with this text,

00:26:23.320 --> 00:26:24.160
 is that our prayers,

00:26:24.520 --> 00:26:26.120
 they please God.

00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:28.020
 Our prayers please God.

00:26:28.360 --> 00:26:29.580
 God uses them as a means,

00:26:29.740 --> 00:26:30.759
 and they please him.

00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:35.220
 But praying collectively

00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:37.240
 is not a knee-jerk reaction for us,

00:26:37.259 --> 00:26:38.059
 if we're honest.

00:26:40.740 --> 00:26:42.700
 I think that individual prayer

00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:43.900
 sometimes can be,

00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:45.359
 and that most of us,

00:26:45.579 --> 00:26:46.900
 our reaction is to pray,

00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:48.000
 and that's good,

00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:49.379
 but I don't want to leave out

00:26:49.379 --> 00:26:50.420
 this piece of collective,

00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:51.740
 group-wide prayer.

00:26:53.220 --> 00:26:54.940
 Often it's not a knee-jerk reaction.

00:26:55.339 --> 00:26:57.160
 The thing is that group-wide prayer,

00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:57.859
 if you have noticed,

00:26:57.980 --> 00:26:58.400
 if you are,

00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:00.119
 is anyone here like a,

00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:02.519
 like you love to people-watch sometimes,

00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:03.579
 you love to notice trends

00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:05.019
 and like the way that people do things

00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:06.000
 and just the interesting things

00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.659
 that go on during prayer.

00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:09.679
 Have you noticed that it's awkward sometimes

00:27:09.679 --> 00:27:12.039
 that we're easily distracted,

00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:14.459
 and we feel pressure to impress

00:27:14.459 --> 00:27:15.179
 in our prayers?

00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:20.039
 It can feel forced, right?

00:27:20.099 --> 00:27:20.859
 Like our group prayer,

00:27:20.939 --> 00:27:21.359
 when we say like,

00:27:21.379 --> 00:27:22.019
 okay, let's get together

00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:22.619
 and let's pray,

00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:24.059
 if you've been in your community groups,

00:27:24.179 --> 00:27:25.439
 like you've probably experienced

00:27:25.439 --> 00:27:27.539
 some difficulty in group prayer.

00:27:27.659 --> 00:27:29.099
 Like it doesn't just flow like water,

00:27:29.219 --> 00:27:29.539
 it's just,

00:27:29.539 --> 00:27:30.819
 sometimes it's difficult

00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:32.579
 and it's not as easy

00:27:32.579 --> 00:27:33.779
 as you would hope it would be.

00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:37.420
 And I think that reveals something

00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:40.559
 about our view of God in prayer.

00:27:41.059 --> 00:27:41.960
 Sometimes we view prayer

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:43.619
 as like a ceremony or a ritual

00:27:43.619 --> 00:27:44.480
 that we have to go about.

00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:45.799
 There's these certain rules

00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:48.139
 that make up prayer.

00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:49.339
 So what I'm talking about

00:27:49.339 --> 00:27:50.359
 with the people-watching thing,

00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:51.639
 some things that I thought about,

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:54.180
 like the rules that kind of affect prayer,

00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:55.099
 here are the rules of prayer

00:27:55.099 --> 00:27:55.759
 that I've noticed.

00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:56.799
 If you're going to pray,

00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:58.039
 you must always announce,

00:27:58.539 --> 00:27:59.379
 all right, let's pray now.

00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:00.399
 Again, none of these,

00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:01.240
 I'm not critiquing them

00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:02.240
 and saying they're really, really terrible.

00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:04.599
 It's just showing something about like,

00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:05.779
 I feel like we can all identify

00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:06.500
 with different rules.

00:28:06.619 --> 00:28:07.539
 So there's the,

00:28:07.619 --> 00:28:08.200
 we have to announce

00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:09.079
 that we have to pray,

00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:09.980
 that we're going to pray.

00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:11.240
 It's not like if someone

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.079
 was sharing something with me

00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:12.460
 and I was like,

00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:13.859
 man, that's really, really good.

00:28:14.399 --> 00:28:15.419
 God, like what do you,

00:28:15.559 --> 00:28:16.899
 like we want you to accomplish it.

00:28:16.899 --> 00:28:18.279
 Like we couldn't just go into that necessarily.

00:28:18.399 --> 00:28:18.919
 It would be like,

00:28:19.180 --> 00:28:20.279
 okay, like let's all gather together

00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:21.180
 and let's pray right now.

00:28:23.139 --> 00:28:24.220
 Sometimes you'll get in that time

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:24.619
 where it's like,

00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:25.339
 if we're going to pray,

00:28:25.420 --> 00:28:26.339
 we're going to pray to the left

00:28:26.339 --> 00:28:27.220
 and you're going to pray

00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:28.160
 for the person to your left

00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:28.660
 and they're going to pray

00:28:28.660 --> 00:28:29.319
 and we're going to complete

00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:29.940
 the circle here.

00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:33.899
 And then the other thing is,

00:28:34.099 --> 00:28:35.740
 if you've ever gotten in a situation

00:28:35.740 --> 00:28:36.980
 where you're in a group

00:28:36.980 --> 00:28:39.000
 and everyone's prayed

00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:39.799
 but two people,

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:41.299
 it's like this unspoken agreement

00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:42.500
 between that person and you

00:28:42.500 --> 00:28:42.920
 that like,

00:28:43.079 --> 00:28:44.440
 I won't have to pray

00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:45.240
 if you don't pray

00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:46.319
 and then we'll wait.

00:28:46.899 --> 00:28:47.899
 We'll wait this thing out.

00:28:47.900 --> 00:28:50.300
 We will like go through the storm here

00:28:50.300 --> 00:28:51.660
 and then someone,

00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:53.600
 someone else will say amen

00:28:53.600 --> 00:28:54.960
 and so amen signals

00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:55.840
 the end of our prayer time.

00:28:56.180 --> 00:28:57.420
 It's like this unspoken agreement

00:28:57.420 --> 00:28:59.000
 and it's just like,

00:28:59.060 --> 00:28:59.780
 that's just human nature.

00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:00.320
 Like that's okay.

00:29:00.380 --> 00:29:01.100
 I'm not critiquing it

00:29:01.100 --> 00:29:02.040
 and saying like that's the worst thing

00:29:02.040 --> 00:29:02.340
 in the world.

00:29:02.600 --> 00:29:04.180
 I'm just saying that sometimes,

00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:05.360
 and I feel like other people

00:29:05.360 --> 00:29:06.320
 can share more rules

00:29:06.320 --> 00:29:08.460
 but it seems like there are rules to prayer

00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:10.400
 which again is,

00:29:10.560 --> 00:29:11.720
 I think it's reflecting something

00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:12.720
 about our view of prayer.

00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:17.100
 We view prayer

00:29:17.100 --> 00:29:18.740
 as a ritual or a ceremony

00:29:18.740 --> 00:29:19.640
 with certain rules

00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:21.120
 rather than commuting

00:29:21.120 --> 00:29:21.799
 with the Almighty.

00:29:26.220 --> 00:29:27.400
 Hardly can we say

00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:29.019
 prayer is a knee-jerk reaction.

00:29:29.360 --> 00:29:30.299
 When was the last time,

00:29:30.660 --> 00:29:32.120
 just as a gauge,

00:29:32.180 --> 00:29:32.759
 when was the last time

00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:33.940
 we prayed for more than 30 minutes?

00:29:35.160 --> 00:29:36.240
 When was the last time

00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.839
 that we cried out in prayer

00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:40.579
 and showed emotion in our prayers?

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:46.439
 When was the last time

00:29:46.439 --> 00:29:47.019
 that we did that?

00:29:47.679 --> 00:29:49.939
 And I don't want to come down too hard

00:29:49.939 --> 00:29:51.500
 but I do want to say

00:29:51.500 --> 00:29:52.679
 I think this is a muscle

00:29:52.679 --> 00:29:54.220
 that you have to work out.

00:29:54.439 --> 00:29:55.059
 Just like anything.

00:29:55.379 --> 00:29:56.319
 Like someone needed to show you

00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:57.259
 how to read your Bible.

00:29:57.399 --> 00:29:58.220
 Someone needed to show you

00:29:58.220 --> 00:29:59.059
 how to share the gospel.

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.179
 And just like that,

00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:03.220
 learning how to pray collectively

00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:04.759
 is not an easy thing

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:05.500
 and we need,

00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:06.379
 it's a muscle

00:30:06.379 --> 00:30:07.259
 that we have to work out.

00:30:07.579 --> 00:30:09.159
 So how do we do that?

00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:12.580
 I have a really complicated plan

00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:13.259
 for how we do that.

00:30:13.340 --> 00:30:15.040
 We just start doing it.

00:30:16.820 --> 00:30:17.480
 It's not something

00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:18.360
 that we need to overthink.

00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:20.279
 As you leave here,

00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:21.460
 like are you praying right now?

00:30:21.540 --> 00:30:22.680
 As you leave today,

00:30:22.759 --> 00:30:23.560
 as you go over your meals,

00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:25.740
 like are you thinking about

00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:26.660
 how do we pray?

00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:27.540
 How do we ask God

00:30:27.540 --> 00:30:28.900
 that He would transform our hearts?

00:30:30.019 --> 00:30:30.960
 It starts with,

00:30:31.040 --> 00:30:32.100
 what about the one-on-one encounters?

00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:33.259
 What about with the

00:30:33.259 --> 00:30:34.740
 quarter group discipleships?

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:36.680
 Like are you making prayer a focus?

00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:38.840
 I have noticed that

00:30:38.840 --> 00:30:40.299
 in the times that I've discipled guys,

00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.440
 prayer has not been a focus.

00:30:41.560 --> 00:30:42.279
 It's been something that we do

00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:43.620
 at the very, very end of our meeting.

00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:45.320
 It is not the focus of it.

00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:47.820
 And I feel like in some ways,

00:30:48.340 --> 00:30:50.220
 I've failed certain guys

00:30:50.220 --> 00:30:51.640
 by not showing them

00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:53.140
 how important prayer is.

00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:56.140
 By not letting that be a major focus.

00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:58.380
 I let the content

00:30:58.380 --> 00:30:59.420
 that we're going through

00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:00.580
 be the main focus.

00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:01.220
 And at the very end,

00:31:01.259 --> 00:31:02.480
 we have like a quick little prayer.

00:31:02.600 --> 00:31:03.900
 But rarely have I

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:05.160
 like gotten with these guys

00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:05.759
 and be like, hey, like,

00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:06.540
 let's cry out together.

00:31:06.600 --> 00:31:07.700
 Let's really labor for the people

00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:08.860
 that we are praying for

00:31:08.860 --> 00:31:10.160
 and we want to see changed

00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.019
 and transformed.

00:31:12.540 --> 00:31:13.460
 So it starts there.

00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:14.380
 It starts in your core groups.

00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:15.720
 It starts in your community groups.

00:31:16.580 --> 00:31:17.519
 And it's just something that

00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:20.300
 we sometimes,

00:31:20.600 --> 00:31:21.779
 and this isn't for every case,

00:31:21.840 --> 00:31:23.080
 but sometimes we have to

00:31:23.080 --> 00:31:24.540
 act our way into right thinking

00:31:24.540 --> 00:31:25.480
 rather than think our way

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.180
 into right acting.

00:31:29.300 --> 00:31:30.080
 And with that,

00:31:30.080 --> 00:31:32.100
 we should be praying expectantly.

00:31:32.940 --> 00:31:33.019
 Right?

00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:34.720
 The church, again,

00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:35.400
 the thing is that

00:31:35.400 --> 00:31:36.319
 they are praying,

00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:36.819
 but they,

00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:38.460
 it's like there's some disconnect.

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:39.160
 Again, it's either

00:31:39.160 --> 00:31:39.819
 they were praying

00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:40.940
 and things didn't happen

00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:41.460
 the way they thought

00:31:41.460 --> 00:31:42.140
 they were going to happen

00:31:42.140 --> 00:31:43.039
 or they didn't,

00:31:43.299 --> 00:31:43.819
 or they just didn't think

00:31:43.819 --> 00:31:44.519
 it was going to happen at all.

00:31:44.579 --> 00:31:45.079
 There's something

00:31:45.079 --> 00:31:46.100
 that's a little bit off

00:31:46.100 --> 00:31:47.839
 in the church here

00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:48.680
 in chapter,

00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:50.180
 or verse 12 of chapter 12.

00:31:50.740 --> 00:31:52.240
 So this verse that came to mind

00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:53.600
 is James 1, 5.

00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:55.120
 And if you want to turn there

00:31:55.120 --> 00:31:55.500
 real quick,

00:31:55.779 --> 00:31:56.620
 it'll be one of the last ones

00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:57.259
 that you'll turn to.

00:31:57.259 --> 00:31:57.779
 So,

00:31:57.779 --> 00:32:03.779
 starting in verse 5,

00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:04.819
 James is talking about

00:32:04.819 --> 00:32:05.819
 praying for wisdom here,

00:32:05.859 --> 00:32:06.339
 but the principle

00:32:06.339 --> 00:32:07.140
 is still the same.

00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:08.980
 He says in verse 5,

00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:11.559
 If any of you lacks wisdom,

00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:13.019
 let him ask God

00:32:13.019 --> 00:32:14.579
 who gives generously to all

00:32:14.579 --> 00:32:15.620
 without reproach,

00:32:15.799 --> 00:32:17.480
 and it will be given him.

00:32:18.579 --> 00:32:20.240
 But let him ask in faith

00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:21.299
 with no doubting,

00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:22.620
 for the one who doubts

00:32:22.620 --> 00:32:24.140
 is like a wave of the sea

00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:24.819
 that is driven

00:32:24.819 --> 00:32:26.360
 and tossed by the wind.

00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:28.059
 For that person

00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:28.700
 must not suppose

00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:29.279
 that he will receive

00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:30.160
 anything from the Lord.

00:32:30.620 --> 00:32:31.860
 He is a double-minded man,

00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:33.480
 unstable in all his ways.

00:32:34.860 --> 00:32:35.259
 So,

00:32:35.620 --> 00:32:36.839
 James is touching on this point

00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:37.180
 of like,

00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:37.319
 hey,

00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:38.500
 not doubting when you pray,

00:32:38.579 --> 00:32:39.000
 believing,

00:32:39.299 --> 00:32:40.399
 praying expectantly.

00:32:41.159 --> 00:32:42.079
 How often is it

00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:43.579
 that we pray for something,

00:32:43.639 --> 00:32:44.319
 whether it's healing

00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:45.299
 or a job

00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:46.119
 or an opportunity

00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:46.819
 to share the gospel,

00:32:47.079 --> 00:32:48.439
 and then it doesn't happen,

00:32:49.079 --> 00:32:49.599
 and it's like

00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:50.579
 we're the first ones,

00:32:50.980 --> 00:32:51.859
 God's like the first one

00:32:51.859 --> 00:32:52.619
 that we do blame.

00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:53.779
 We're like,

00:32:53.879 --> 00:32:54.039
 oh,

00:32:54.119 --> 00:32:54.439
 like why,

00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:55.139
 or question,

00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.579
 or just get frustrated with,

00:32:56.619 --> 00:32:56.740
 like,

00:32:56.779 --> 00:32:56.899
 God,

00:32:56.939 --> 00:32:57.740
 why didn't you do that?

00:32:58.579 --> 00:32:58.939
 But,

00:32:59.439 --> 00:33:00.939
 when God does answer that prayer,

00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:01.419
 it's almost like

00:33:01.419 --> 00:33:02.259
 we write it off

00:33:02.259 --> 00:33:02.819
 as like it was going

00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:03.500
 to happen anyways.

00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:04.379
 Like,

00:33:04.419 --> 00:33:04.939
 I mean,

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:05.720
 I interviewed,

00:33:05.879 --> 00:33:05.899
 well,

00:33:05.939 --> 00:33:06.439
 like I prepared

00:33:06.439 --> 00:33:07.079
 for that interview.

00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:07.480
 And we're like,

00:33:07.539 --> 00:33:07.639
 no,

00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:07.879
 like,

00:33:07.939 --> 00:33:08.139
 I mean,

00:33:08.899 --> 00:33:10.480
 like the doctors knew

00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:11.119
 what they were doing.

00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:11.720
 They're like,

00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:12.500
 they're great doctors.

00:33:12.699 --> 00:33:13.019
 And like,

00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:13.699
 we thank God,

00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:14.759
 we like throw up a prayer to God

00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:14.960
 and like,

00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:15.359
 thank you.

00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:16.419
 But it's not like

00:33:16.419 --> 00:33:17.279
 it consumes us like,

00:33:17.379 --> 00:33:17.919
 oh my gosh,

00:33:17.939 --> 00:33:18.919
 we prayed that this person

00:33:18.919 --> 00:33:19.539
 would be healed

00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:21.379
 and God used the doctors

00:33:21.379 --> 00:33:22.439
 and he was healed.

00:33:23.059 --> 00:33:23.199
 Like,

00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:24.720
 so we were the first ones

00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.579
 to blame God,

00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:26.779
 but when he does answer

00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:27.139
 our prayers,

00:33:27.199 --> 00:33:28.859
 like we often like

00:33:28.859 --> 00:33:30.919
 skirt that joy.

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:33.600
 the other thing

00:33:33.600 --> 00:33:34.080
 that I thought

00:33:34.080 --> 00:33:34.820
 was something

00:33:34.820 --> 00:33:35.560
 that we kind of

00:33:35.560 --> 00:33:36.220
 might struggle with

00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:36.980
 a little bit more

00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:37.740
 in the reform camp

00:33:37.740 --> 00:33:39.039
 and I have to say this

00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:39.400
 very,

00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:39.920
 very carefully

00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:41.019
 and I ask you

00:33:41.019 --> 00:33:41.720
 to hear my heart

00:33:41.720 --> 00:33:42.160
 in this.

00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:43.600
 So,

00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.460
 we know about

00:33:44.460 --> 00:33:45.000
 the sovereignty

00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:45.600
 of God.

00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:47.000
 We know that God

00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:47.300
 is good,

00:33:47.320 --> 00:33:48.279
 that he doesn't need us,

00:33:48.380 --> 00:33:48.960
 that he's going to do

00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:49.720
 what he's going to do

00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:50.740
 and that he uses

00:33:50.740 --> 00:33:51.259
 our prayers.

00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:52.779
 We have a tendency

00:33:52.779 --> 00:33:54.019
 to keep ourselves

00:33:54.019 --> 00:33:55.080
 from truly praying

00:33:55.080 --> 00:33:55.820
 expectantly

00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:57.379
 in this way.

00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:58.240
 And again,

00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:59.019
 hear my heart in this.

00:33:59.079 --> 00:33:59.500
 I think that

00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:00.919
 we know that God

00:34:00.919 --> 00:34:01.819
 is not the God

00:34:01.819 --> 00:34:02.359
 of the wealth

00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:03.939
 and prosperity gospel

00:34:03.939 --> 00:34:05.220
 and we know that

00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:06.960
 just because he doesn't

00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:07.879
 give us what we ask

00:34:07.879 --> 00:34:08.440
 for in prayer,

00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:09.319
 we know that he's

00:34:09.319 --> 00:34:09.960
 still good.

00:34:11.659 --> 00:34:12.059
 But,

00:34:12.259 --> 00:34:12.719
 and we know that

00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:13.699
 it's right for Jesus

00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:14.539
 to pray in the garden,

00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:15.019
 hey,

00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:15.900
 let this cut past

00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:16.500
 before me,

00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:17.539
 but your will,

00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:17.940
 not my.

00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:18.819
 Right?

00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:19.219
 So,

00:34:19.219 --> 00:34:20.119
 we get that concept

00:34:20.119 --> 00:34:21.099
 that Jesus is saying,

00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:22.279
 hey,

00:34:22.340 --> 00:34:22.940
 I really want this

00:34:22.940 --> 00:34:23.400
 to happen,

00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:24.679
 but it's not my will,

00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:25.179
 I'm submitting

00:34:25.179 --> 00:34:25.839
 to your will.

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:26.799
 And I think that

00:34:26.799 --> 00:34:28.719
 where we hurt ourselves

00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:29.699
 when it comes to

00:34:29.699 --> 00:34:30.679
 praying expectantly

00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:31.739
 is that anytime

00:34:31.739 --> 00:34:32.539
 that we pray for something,

00:34:32.619 --> 00:34:32.779
 again,

00:34:32.819 --> 00:34:33.519
 a job interview,

00:34:33.940 --> 00:34:34.359
 healing,

00:34:34.879 --> 00:34:35.919
 gospel sharing,

00:34:36.379 --> 00:34:38.179
 we will ask for that

00:34:38.179 --> 00:34:38.980
 and then we'll always

00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:40.099
 follow that up with,

00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:41.679
 but if it's your will,

00:34:41.759 --> 00:34:41.940
 God,

00:34:42.139 --> 00:34:42.319
 like,

00:34:42.799 --> 00:34:43.759
 if that's what you

00:34:43.759 --> 00:34:44.440
 want to happen,

00:34:44.579 --> 00:34:45.299
 then make that happen.

00:34:45.779 --> 00:34:46.000
 And,

00:34:46.119 --> 00:34:47.219
 again,

00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:47.759
 while I'm saying

00:34:47.759 --> 00:34:48.599
 that that's right,

00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:50.599
 because we're so quick

00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:51.339
 to follow it up,

00:34:51.699 --> 00:34:52.940
 I think that

00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:53.739
 if we're not careful,

00:34:53.839 --> 00:34:54.899
 it can be a subtle way

00:34:54.900 --> 00:34:55.820
 for us to insulate

00:34:55.820 --> 00:34:56.780
 ourselves from pain,

00:34:58.800 --> 00:34:59.960
 that

00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:02.180
 when God doesn't

00:35:02.180 --> 00:35:02.700
 answer the prayer

00:35:02.700 --> 00:35:03.099
 the way that we

00:35:03.099 --> 00:35:03.800
 want him to,

00:35:04.160 --> 00:35:04.840
 it's almost like

00:35:04.840 --> 00:35:05.740
 we already protected

00:35:05.740 --> 00:35:06.079
 ourselves,

00:35:06.180 --> 00:35:07.160
 we saw that happening

00:35:07.160 --> 00:35:07.860
 two or three steps

00:35:07.860 --> 00:35:08.380
 down the line

00:35:08.380 --> 00:35:08.860
 and we were like,

00:35:09.820 --> 00:35:10.820
 but if it's your will

00:35:10.820 --> 00:35:12.500
 to not let that happen,

00:35:12.639 --> 00:35:13.559
 then let me be okay

00:35:13.559 --> 00:35:13.820
 with it.

00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:13.980
 And,

00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:14.200
 again,

00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:14.740
 I'm not saying

00:35:14.740 --> 00:35:15.240
 that's wrong,

00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:15.639
 I'm not saying

00:35:15.639 --> 00:35:16.119
 that's bad,

00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:16.840
 I'm just saying

00:35:16.840 --> 00:35:17.460
 it is something

00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:18.200
 that can subtly

00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:18.880
 keep us from

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:19.960
 praying expectantly.

00:35:19.960 --> 00:35:24.900
 It's good and

00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:25.519
 biblical to say

00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:25.900
 this,

00:35:26.280 --> 00:35:27.400
 but while it can

00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:28.139
 soften the blow

00:35:28.139 --> 00:35:28.840
 of our disappointment,

00:35:29.079 --> 00:35:29.820
 it can also

00:35:29.820 --> 00:35:32.000
 stifle our praise

00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.559
 for when God

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.300
 does answer

00:35:33.300 --> 00:35:33.840
 our prayers.

00:35:34.460 --> 00:35:35.059
 Do you see that?

00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:35.579
 Like,

00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:36.460
 it's super,

00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:37.059
 super subtle,

00:35:37.300 --> 00:35:38.159
 and I'm not saying

00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:39.420
 don't pray for God's

00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:39.860
 will to be done,

00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:40.320
 I'm just saying

00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:40.579
 it's something

00:35:40.579 --> 00:35:41.079
 that we need

00:35:41.079 --> 00:35:42.039
 to be on guard

00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:42.360
 for.

00:35:42.579 --> 00:35:42.880
 Like,

00:35:42.920 --> 00:35:43.039
 okay,

00:35:43.059 --> 00:35:43.760
 when I pray this,

00:35:43.760 --> 00:35:44.199
 when I say,

00:35:44.599 --> 00:35:45.079
 let your will be

00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:45.260
 done,

00:35:45.340 --> 00:35:46.579
 am I insulating

00:35:46.579 --> 00:35:47.420
 myself from pain

00:35:47.420 --> 00:35:48.119
 in case you don't

00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:48.880
 give that to me?

00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:51.140
 Because I think

00:35:51.140 --> 00:35:51.860
 that that hurts us

00:35:51.860 --> 00:35:52.559
 again in the way

00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:53.260
 that we praise God

00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:54.099
 when he does come

00:35:54.099 --> 00:35:54.599
 through with those

00:35:54.599 --> 00:35:54.900
 things.

00:35:56.260 --> 00:35:57.480
 I'm not suggesting

00:35:57.480 --> 00:35:58.280
 that we adopt

00:35:58.280 --> 00:35:59.160
 a name it and claim

00:35:59.160 --> 00:36:00.920
 it mentality

00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:01.700
 when it comes to

00:36:01.700 --> 00:36:01.820
 prayer,

00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:02.420
 that's not what

00:36:02.420 --> 00:36:02.940
 I'm suggesting.

00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:04.240
 I'm saying that

00:36:04.240 --> 00:36:05.519
 we pray expectantly

00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:06.720
 knowing that God

00:36:06.720 --> 00:36:07.000
 hears.

00:36:07.099 --> 00:36:07.559
 We don't need to

00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:08.160
 pray harder,

00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:08.760
 you don't need to

00:36:08.760 --> 00:36:09.320
 pray louder.

00:36:11.660 --> 00:36:12.940
 We pray expectantly

00:36:12.940 --> 00:36:14.280
 knowing that,

00:36:14.740 --> 00:36:15.920
 we pray expectantly

00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:17.019
 so that our praise

00:36:17.019 --> 00:36:18.000
 or our hurt

00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:19.179
 are not stifled.

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:21.159
 We let God

00:36:21.159 --> 00:36:21.920
 work through that.

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:22.619
 Even in the painful

00:36:22.619 --> 00:36:22.920
 moments,

00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:23.960
 we still let God

00:36:23.960 --> 00:36:25.000
 work through that.

00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:25.639
 We still wrestle

00:36:25.639 --> 00:36:26.179
 through that.

00:36:26.420 --> 00:36:27.099
 We don't numb

00:36:27.099 --> 00:36:28.980
 ourselves so that

00:36:28.980 --> 00:36:29.800
 it doesn't hurt

00:36:29.800 --> 00:36:30.199
 as bad.

00:36:31.500 --> 00:36:32.380
 So let's pray

00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:33.340
 expecting God

00:36:33.340 --> 00:36:34.699
 to work in power

00:36:34.699 --> 00:36:36.980
 because power

00:36:36.980 --> 00:36:37.820
 will be displayed

00:36:37.820 --> 00:36:38.400
 by God

00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:39.380
 for his church.

00:36:41.079 --> 00:36:42.300
 So this is my

00:36:42.300 --> 00:36:42.860
 kind of last

00:36:42.860 --> 00:36:43.480
 and final point

00:36:43.480 --> 00:36:44.460
 is that power

00:36:44.460 --> 00:36:45.500
 will be displayed

00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:46.019
 by God

00:36:46.019 --> 00:36:46.940
 for his church.

00:36:48.340 --> 00:36:48.840
 How?

00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:50.039
 We're saying it's

00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:51.659
 for God's purposes.

00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:54.960
 There is this

00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:55.599
 interesting detail

00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:56.619
 where James is killed

00:36:56.619 --> 00:36:57.460
 but not Peter.

00:36:57.599 --> 00:36:58.579
 There's much rejoicing

00:36:58.579 --> 00:36:59.039
 over the fact

00:36:59.039 --> 00:36:59.679
 that Peter

00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:00.840
 is released

00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:01.679
 miraculously

00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:02.519
 but that miracle

00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:03.639
 didn't come to James

00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:05.239
 and God saw that

00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:05.759
 it was good

00:37:05.759 --> 00:37:06.519
 for that to happen.

00:37:08.699 --> 00:37:09.639
 There were different

00:37:09.639 --> 00:37:10.099
 outcomes

00:37:10.099 --> 00:37:11.420
 for different men.

00:37:12.380 --> 00:37:13.300
 One got to come

00:37:13.300 --> 00:37:14.079
 home and one didn't.

00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:16.059
 But God is good

00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:17.199
 in both situations.

00:37:18.279 --> 00:37:19.360
 God is glorified

00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:20.659
 in the martyrdom

00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:21.119
 of James

00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:21.940
 and in the release

00:37:21.940 --> 00:37:22.380
 of Peter.

00:37:24.179 --> 00:37:24.960
 Could he have

00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:25.500
 released James?

00:37:25.819 --> 00:37:26.380
 Absolutely.

00:37:27.480 --> 00:37:27.960
 100%.

00:37:27.960 --> 00:37:29.079
 Like none of us

00:37:29.079 --> 00:37:29.779
 are doubting that.

00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:32.179
 God uses it

00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:33.219
 for his purposes.

00:37:35.860 --> 00:37:36.679
 We see that

00:37:36.679 --> 00:37:37.539
 Peter's released.

00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:38.539
 He encourages

00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:39.019
 the church.

00:37:39.159 --> 00:37:39.920
 He reminds them

00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:40.900
 of God's sovereignty

00:37:40.900 --> 00:37:41.900
 and God's

00:37:41.900 --> 00:37:43.119
 continued plan

00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:44.180
 to use Peter

00:37:44.180 --> 00:37:45.139
 to advance

00:37:45.139 --> 00:37:45.680
 the gospel.

00:37:47.960 --> 00:37:48.720
 And the other

00:37:48.720 --> 00:37:49.320
 thing that's great

00:37:49.320 --> 00:37:50.160
 about God's power

00:37:50.160 --> 00:37:50.619
 being displayed

00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:52.000
 by God

00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:52.880
 for his church

00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:53.680
 is that God

00:37:53.680 --> 00:37:54.139
 does this

00:37:54.139 --> 00:37:55.280
 because of us

00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:56.380
 but also

00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:57.240
 in spite of us.

00:37:58.240 --> 00:37:58.420
 So,

00:37:59.099 --> 00:37:59.840
 their prayers,

00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:01.180
 God uses those prayers.

00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:01.840
 Those are

00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:03.019
 the means,

00:38:03.139 --> 00:38:03.599
 the vehicle

00:38:03.599 --> 00:38:03.960
 that God

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.680
 accomplishes

00:38:04.680 --> 00:38:05.260
 his purposes.

00:38:06.599 --> 00:38:06.960
 But,

00:38:07.180 --> 00:38:08.059
 Peter's sleeping

00:38:08.059 --> 00:38:08.860
 and the church

00:38:08.860 --> 00:38:09.880
 isn't praying

00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:11.599
 completely expectantly.

00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:12.179
 You know what I mean?

00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:12.940
 Like those are the

00:38:12.940 --> 00:38:13.279
 two things

00:38:13.279 --> 00:38:13.699
 that are a little

00:38:13.699 --> 00:38:14.619
 off about the situation

00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:15.799
 but God still

00:38:15.799 --> 00:38:16.860
 answers their prayers.

00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:17.299
 So,

00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:18.360
 God works

00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:19.440
 because of our prayers

00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:20.320
 but also in spite

00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:20.779
 of our prayers.

00:38:20.940 --> 00:38:21.440
 Like he does,

00:38:21.539 --> 00:38:22.179
 he is sovereign,

00:38:22.279 --> 00:38:22.900
 he is good.

00:38:24.099 --> 00:38:25.079
 He doesn't need

00:38:25.079 --> 00:38:25.619
 our prayers

00:38:25.619 --> 00:38:27.139
 but he invites us

00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:28.420
 in to have

00:38:28.420 --> 00:38:29.019
 them be the means,

00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:29.739
 that vehicle

00:38:29.739 --> 00:38:31.239
 that drives his will.

00:38:33.279 --> 00:38:34.079
 And then this is

00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:34.519
 the why.

00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:35.940
 Why does God

00:38:35.940 --> 00:38:36.579
 use his power

00:38:36.579 --> 00:38:37.219
 to be displayed

00:38:37.219 --> 00:38:37.860
 for the church?

00:38:38.059 --> 00:38:38.759
 This is

00:38:38.759 --> 00:38:40.420
 the biggest point,

00:38:40.539 --> 00:38:40.699
 guys.

00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:40.900


00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:43.920
 God is entirely

00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:44.739
 devoted to

00:38:44.739 --> 00:38:45.279
 the advancing

00:38:45.279 --> 00:38:45.860
 of the gospel.

00:38:46.619 --> 00:38:47.440
 He is relentless

00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:47.900
 in it.

00:38:48.360 --> 00:38:48.759
 Nothing

00:38:48.759 --> 00:38:50.420
 will keep

00:38:50.420 --> 00:38:50.860
 the gospel

00:38:50.860 --> 00:38:51.960
 from being advanced.

00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:53.460
 Okay,

00:38:53.739 --> 00:38:54.320
 the miracle

00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:55.019
 is awesome

00:38:55.019 --> 00:38:56.380
 but there's

00:38:56.380 --> 00:38:57.219
 a bigger purpose

00:38:57.219 --> 00:38:57.579
 to it

00:38:57.579 --> 00:38:58.360
 and I don't want

00:38:58.360 --> 00:38:58.779
 to say

00:38:58.779 --> 00:38:59.599
 don't pay attention

00:38:59.599 --> 00:38:59.920
 to the miracle

00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:00.719
 because just stop

00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:01.559
 and think for a second

00:39:01.559 --> 00:39:02.860
 like the insanity

00:39:02.860 --> 00:39:03.699
 of this miracle.

00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:04.759
 The fact that

00:39:04.759 --> 00:39:05.779
 Peter is guarding,

00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:06.400
 so what would have

00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:06.820
 happened is

00:39:06.820 --> 00:39:07.799
 he has a

00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:08.560
 chain around

00:39:08.560 --> 00:39:08.940
 one leg

00:39:08.940 --> 00:39:09.280
 and a chain

00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:09.700
 around the other

00:39:09.700 --> 00:39:10.100
 and those are

00:39:10.100 --> 00:39:10.580
 both connected

00:39:10.580 --> 00:39:11.100
 to guards

00:39:11.100 --> 00:39:11.740
 and there are

00:39:11.740 --> 00:39:12.380
 two guards

00:39:12.380 --> 00:39:13.440
 guarding the doors

00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:14.160
 and there's

00:39:14.160 --> 00:39:14.980
 four of these

00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:15.820
 four man groups

00:39:15.820 --> 00:39:16.400
 and they take

00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:16.980
 different shifts.

00:39:17.320 --> 00:39:17.620
 So it's like

00:39:17.620 --> 00:39:17.980
 you would think

00:39:17.980 --> 00:39:18.380
 that they were

00:39:18.380 --> 00:39:19.580
 guarding the most

00:39:19.580 --> 00:39:20.240
 valuable man

00:39:20.240 --> 00:39:20.760
 in the world

00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:21.920
 or the most

00:39:21.920 --> 00:39:22.560
 violent man

00:39:22.560 --> 00:39:22.860
 in the world

00:39:22.860 --> 00:39:23.180
 but they're

00:39:23.180 --> 00:39:23.800
 guarding Peter

00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:24.240
 who's done

00:39:24.240 --> 00:39:25.000
 no violence.

00:39:25.560 --> 00:39:26.160
 It's an odd

00:39:26.160 --> 00:39:26.800
 thing but

00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:27.760
 nevertheless

00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:28.340
 it's almost

00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:28.360
 it's almost

00:39:28.360 --> 00:39:28.820
 like God

00:39:28.820 --> 00:39:29.760
 uses that

00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:30.600
 uses man's

00:39:30.600 --> 00:39:30.980
 attempts

00:39:30.980 --> 00:39:32.520
 to prevent

00:39:32.520 --> 00:39:32.960
 Peter from

00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:33.340
 escaping

00:39:33.340 --> 00:39:34.480
 just to show

00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:34.940
 how big

00:39:34.940 --> 00:39:35.360
 and powerful

00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:36.220
 God is.

00:39:37.680 --> 00:39:38.180
 Nothing

00:39:38.180 --> 00:39:39.260
 stands in

00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:40.240
 God's way.

00:39:40.620 --> 00:39:41.220
 He suspends

00:39:41.220 --> 00:39:41.800
 his own

00:39:41.800 --> 00:39:42.620
 laws of

00:39:42.620 --> 00:39:43.080
 physics.

00:39:44.140 --> 00:39:44.580
 The laws

00:39:44.580 --> 00:39:44.920
 that he

00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:45.460
 created

00:39:45.460 --> 00:39:47.000
 he suspends

00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:47.320
 them.

00:39:47.880 --> 00:39:48.180
 He says

00:39:48.180 --> 00:39:48.920
 you will not

00:39:48.920 --> 00:39:49.560
 hold this man

00:39:49.560 --> 00:39:50.120
 any longer

00:39:50.120 --> 00:39:50.920
 and the chains

00:39:50.920 --> 00:39:51.800
 fall off of him.

00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:52.460
 He shines

00:39:52.460 --> 00:39:53.000
 this light

00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:53.580
 in the cell

00:39:53.580 --> 00:39:54.660
 and it wakes

00:39:54.660 --> 00:39:55.440
 up Peter

00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:56.039
 after touching

00:39:56.039 --> 00:39:56.420
 him

00:39:56.420 --> 00:39:57.420
 but not

00:39:57.420 --> 00:39:57.940
 the guards.

00:39:59.300 --> 00:39:59.900
 He walks

00:39:59.900 --> 00:40:00.920
 through the gate

00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:01.300
 the gate

00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:02.139
 opens for him

00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:02.519
 he walks

00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:03.280
 out of the city.

00:40:03.720 --> 00:40:04.639
 Like this

00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:05.599
 is a big deal

00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:06.200
 like God

00:40:06.200 --> 00:40:07.000
 suspends

00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:07.679
 all of these

00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:07.860
 things

00:40:07.860 --> 00:40:08.340
 all these

00:40:08.340 --> 00:40:08.619
 things

00:40:08.619 --> 00:40:09.119
 that would

00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:09.900
 be impossible

00:40:09.900 --> 00:40:11.760
 for the sake

00:40:11.760 --> 00:40:12.179
 of God

00:40:12.179 --> 00:40:12.780
 building up

00:40:12.780 --> 00:40:13.139
 his church

00:40:13.139 --> 00:40:13.780
 and advancing

00:40:13.780 --> 00:40:14.320
 the gospel.

00:40:14.460 --> 00:40:15.079
 That is the

00:40:15.079 --> 00:40:15.679
 point of this

00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:16.360
 miracle here.

00:40:16.760 --> 00:40:17.220
 It's not

00:40:17.220 --> 00:40:18.039
 just to say

00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:18.480
 oh that was

00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:19.460
 super cool

00:40:19.460 --> 00:40:20.679
 and I think

00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:21.139
 that God's

00:40:21.139 --> 00:40:21.420
 neat

00:40:21.420 --> 00:40:22.260
 and isn't

00:40:22.260 --> 00:40:22.659
 he powerful

00:40:22.659 --> 00:40:22.980
 no it's

00:40:22.980 --> 00:40:23.820
 to say God's

00:40:23.820 --> 00:40:24.300
 relentless

00:40:24.300 --> 00:40:24.880
 in his pursuit

00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:25.420
 of the gospel

00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:26.059
 and he will

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:26.639
 accomplish it

00:40:26.639 --> 00:40:26.920
 and he's

00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:27.700
 using Peter.

00:40:30.019 --> 00:40:30.820
 The physical

00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:31.360
 properties

00:40:31.360 --> 00:40:32.039
 bend their

00:40:32.039 --> 00:40:32.579
 knees

00:40:32.579 --> 00:40:33.220
 to God's

00:40:33.220 --> 00:40:33.880
 purposes.

00:40:36.460 --> 00:40:37.200
 God is

00:40:37.200 --> 00:40:37.740
 entirely

00:40:37.740 --> 00:40:38.460
 about

00:40:38.460 --> 00:40:39.059
 the

00:40:39.059 --> 00:40:39.519
 proclamation

00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:40.800
 of the gospel

00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:41.639
 entirely.

00:40:43.139 --> 00:40:44.039
 So in

00:40:44.039 --> 00:40:44.780
 closing thoughts

00:40:44.780 --> 00:40:47.240
 I believe

00:40:47.240 --> 00:40:48.000
 that Luke

00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:49.039
 wrote this

00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:49.420
 text

00:40:49.420 --> 00:40:50.460
 to encourage

00:40:50.460 --> 00:40:50.960
 the church

00:40:50.960 --> 00:40:51.980
 to remain

00:40:51.980 --> 00:40:52.720
 steadfast

00:40:52.720 --> 00:40:53.760
 steadfast

00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:54.460
 under persecution

00:40:54.460 --> 00:40:56.340
 steadfast

00:40:56.340 --> 00:40:56.679
 in prayer

00:40:56.679 --> 00:40:57.720
 because of

00:40:57.720 --> 00:40:58.320
 our belief

00:40:58.320 --> 00:40:59.019
 in God's

00:40:59.019 --> 00:40:59.360
 power.

00:41:00.280 --> 00:41:00.500
 Steadfast

00:41:00.500 --> 00:41:00.720
 in prayer

00:41:00.720 --> 00:41:01.099
 that we'll

00:41:01.099 --> 00:41:01.720
 believe that

00:41:01.720 --> 00:41:02.539
 God will

00:41:02.539 --> 00:41:03.039
 hear our

00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:03.260
 prayers

00:41:03.260 --> 00:41:03.500
 and he

00:41:03.500 --> 00:41:03.720
 will

00:41:03.720 --> 00:41:04.139
 accomplish

00:41:04.139 --> 00:41:04.619
 his will.

00:41:06.619 --> 00:41:07.199
 And it's

00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:07.880
 easy to look

00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:08.240
 inward

00:41:08.240 --> 00:41:08.820
 I believe

00:41:08.820 --> 00:41:09.179
 it's easy

00:41:09.179 --> 00:41:09.420
 to look

00:41:09.420 --> 00:41:09.720
 inward

00:41:09.720 --> 00:41:10.559
 and be a

00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:10.780
 little bit

00:41:10.780 --> 00:41:11.340
 discouraged

00:41:11.340 --> 00:41:13.380
 or maybe

00:41:13.380 --> 00:41:15.139
 be discouraged

00:41:15.139 --> 00:41:15.599
 or maybe see

00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:16.019
 this as an

00:41:16.019 --> 00:41:16.519
 indictment

00:41:16.519 --> 00:41:16.900
 on our

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:17.360
 lack of

00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:17.699
 prayer

00:41:17.699 --> 00:41:18.659
 or our

00:41:18.659 --> 00:41:19.059
 lack of

00:41:19.059 --> 00:41:19.320
 belief

00:41:19.320 --> 00:41:19.840
 sometimes

00:41:19.840 --> 00:41:20.900
 or our

00:41:20.900 --> 00:41:21.720
 lack to

00:41:21.720 --> 00:41:22.300
 proclaim

00:41:22.300 --> 00:41:22.820
 the gospel

00:41:22.820 --> 00:41:23.100
 when we

00:41:23.100 --> 00:41:23.579
 really need

00:41:23.579 --> 00:41:23.860
 to

00:41:23.860 --> 00:41:25.700
 because we're

00:41:25.700 --> 00:41:26.140
 afraid of

00:41:26.140 --> 00:41:26.440
 uncomfortable

00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:27.079
 situations

00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:27.640
 because

00:41:27.640 --> 00:41:28.980
 a million

00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:29.240
 different

00:41:29.240 --> 00:41:29.700
 reasons

00:41:29.700 --> 00:41:31.600
 it's easy

00:41:31.600 --> 00:41:31.860
 to look

00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:32.180
 in that

00:41:32.180 --> 00:41:33.400
 and especially

00:41:33.400 --> 00:41:34.059
 for myself

00:41:34.059 --> 00:41:35.400
 I know

00:41:35.400 --> 00:41:35.880
 that I

00:41:35.880 --> 00:41:36.860
 fail so

00:41:36.860 --> 00:41:37.240
 much of

00:41:37.240 --> 00:41:37.380
 this

00:41:37.380 --> 00:41:38.000
 like I

00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:38.340
 am not

00:41:38.340 --> 00:41:38.700
 the greatest

00:41:38.700 --> 00:41:38.960
 of this

00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:39.840
 I'm in

00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:40.400
 that group

00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:40.760
 I'm in

00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:41.240
 that camp

00:41:41.240 --> 00:41:41.960
 where I'm

00:41:41.960 --> 00:41:42.460
 saying guys

00:41:42.460 --> 00:41:44.100
 I've

00:41:44.100 --> 00:41:44.620
 redefined

00:41:44.620 --> 00:41:45.079
 godliness

00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:46.300
 to mean

00:41:46.300 --> 00:41:46.579
 something

00:41:46.579 --> 00:41:47.000
 different

00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:47.640
 to mean

00:41:47.640 --> 00:41:48.120
 something more

00:41:48.120 --> 00:41:48.579
 palatable

00:41:48.579 --> 00:41:48.940
 for me

00:41:48.940 --> 00:41:49.159
 something

00:41:49.159 --> 00:41:49.440
 that's a

00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:49.659
 little bit

00:41:49.659 --> 00:41:49.799
 more

00:41:49.799 --> 00:41:50.239
 comfortable

00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:50.779
 for me

00:41:50.779 --> 00:41:51.319
 so that

00:41:51.319 --> 00:41:53.599
 I can

00:41:53.599 --> 00:41:54.139
 still say

00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:54.539
 that I

00:41:54.539 --> 00:41:54.840
 am my

00:41:54.840 --> 00:41:55.039
 own

00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:55.279
 instead

00:41:55.279 --> 00:41:55.659
 of saying

00:41:55.659 --> 00:41:56.019
 I'm

00:41:56.019 --> 00:41:56.400
 gods

00:41:56.400 --> 00:41:56.679
 and I'm

00:41:56.679 --> 00:41:56.799
 bought

00:41:56.799 --> 00:41:57.039
 with a

00:41:57.039 --> 00:41:57.340
 price

00:41:57.340 --> 00:41:57.960
 and it's

00:41:57.960 --> 00:41:58.440
 no longer

00:41:58.440 --> 00:41:58.639
 me

00:41:58.639 --> 00:41:58.960
 but it's

00:41:58.960 --> 00:41:59.279
 Christ

00:41:59.279 --> 00:42:00.039
 like I

00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:00.599
 want to

00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:00.860
 avoid

00:42:00.860 --> 00:42:01.199
 that

00:42:01.199 --> 00:42:02.139
 and I

00:42:02.139 --> 00:42:02.579
 fail at

00:42:02.579 --> 00:42:02.779
 this

00:42:02.779 --> 00:42:03.360
 so please

00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:03.659
 please

00:42:03.659 --> 00:42:04.219
 hear me

00:42:04.219 --> 00:42:05.639
 but

00:42:05.639 --> 00:42:06.779
 in that

00:42:06.779 --> 00:42:07.259
 even though

00:42:07.259 --> 00:42:07.519
 it's easy

00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:07.719
 to be

00:42:07.719 --> 00:42:08.099
 discouraged

00:42:08.099 --> 00:42:08.900
 the message

00:42:08.900 --> 00:42:09.980
 is not

00:42:09.980 --> 00:42:10.619
 try harder

00:42:10.619 --> 00:42:12.500
 the message

00:42:12.500 --> 00:42:13.039
 is not

00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:13.920
 pray louder

00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:14.719
 pray more

00:42:14.719 --> 00:42:16.299
 or that

00:42:16.299 --> 00:42:16.699
 you need to

00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:17.259
 believe more

00:42:17.259 --> 00:42:17.519
 or that

00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:17.940
 your faith

00:42:17.940 --> 00:42:18.420
 is little

00:42:18.420 --> 00:42:19.119
 that's not

00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:19.539
 the message

00:42:19.539 --> 00:42:19.820
 that we're

00:42:19.820 --> 00:42:20.119
 saying

00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:21.360
 it would

00:42:21.360 --> 00:42:22.159
 be a

00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:22.900
 travesty

00:42:22.900 --> 00:42:24.300
 to believe

00:42:24.300 --> 00:42:24.460
 that

00:42:24.460 --> 00:42:24.720
 to get

00:42:24.720 --> 00:42:25.000
 that out

00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:25.119
 of this

00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:25.320
 message

00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:25.639
 that okay

00:42:25.639 --> 00:42:25.900
 we need

00:42:25.900 --> 00:42:26.139
 to go

00:42:26.139 --> 00:42:26.380
 home

00:42:26.380 --> 00:42:26.579
 we need

00:42:26.579 --> 00:42:26.840
 to pray

00:42:26.840 --> 00:42:27.079
 more

00:42:27.079 --> 00:42:27.400
 and we need

00:42:27.400 --> 00:42:28.019
 to be

00:42:28.019 --> 00:42:28.639
 more godly

00:42:28.639 --> 00:42:28.940
 and we need

00:42:28.940 --> 00:42:29.159
 to share

00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:29.539
 the gospel

00:42:29.539 --> 00:42:29.760
 more

00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:30.019
 and like

00:42:30.019 --> 00:42:30.360
 hoo-ha-hoo

00:42:30.360 --> 00:42:30.800
 let's go

00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:31.460
 like that's

00:42:31.460 --> 00:42:31.940
 not the

00:42:31.940 --> 00:42:32.260
 message

00:42:32.260 --> 00:42:32.500
 and it

00:42:32.500 --> 00:42:32.840
 would be

00:42:32.840 --> 00:42:34.740
 like a

00:42:34.740 --> 00:42:35.260
 travesty

00:42:35.260 --> 00:42:35.559
 for us

00:42:35.559 --> 00:42:35.940
 to go

00:42:35.940 --> 00:42:36.200
 in that

00:42:36.200 --> 00:42:36.599
 direction

00:42:36.599 --> 00:42:39.179
 instead

00:42:39.179 --> 00:42:39.940
 what we're

00:42:39.940 --> 00:42:40.179
 saying

00:42:40.179 --> 00:42:40.719
 is that

00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:42.219
 god's

00:42:42.219 --> 00:42:42.619
 power

00:42:42.619 --> 00:42:42.900
 his

00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:43.500
 message

00:42:43.500 --> 00:42:44.119
 centers

00:42:44.119 --> 00:42:44.319
 on

00:42:44.319 --> 00:42:44.819
 himself

00:42:44.819 --> 00:42:46.819
 nothing

00:42:46.819 --> 00:42:47.039
 will

00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:47.319
 stand

00:42:47.319 --> 00:42:47.739
 in god's

00:42:47.739 --> 00:42:47.980
 will

00:42:47.980 --> 00:42:48.440
 nothing

00:42:48.440 --> 00:42:48.599
 will

00:42:48.599 --> 00:42:48.759
 stand

00:42:48.759 --> 00:42:49.099
 in god's

00:42:49.099 --> 00:42:49.440
 way

00:42:49.440 --> 00:42:50.480
 of the

00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:50.839
 gospel

00:42:50.839 --> 00:42:52.159
 and that's

00:42:52.159 --> 00:42:52.920
 not dependent

00:42:52.920 --> 00:42:53.900
 upon us

00:42:53.900 --> 00:42:55.480
 at all

00:42:55.480 --> 00:42:56.480
 it's not

00:42:56.480 --> 00:42:56.779
 dependent

00:42:56.779 --> 00:42:57.659
 upon how

00:42:57.659 --> 00:42:58.079
 good we

00:42:58.079 --> 00:42:58.380
 are

00:42:58.380 --> 00:42:59.659
 but

00:42:59.659 --> 00:43:00.519
 god

00:43:00.519 --> 00:43:00.920
 invites

00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:01.059
 us

00:43:01.059 --> 00:43:01.299
 to be

00:43:01.299 --> 00:43:01.799
 a part

00:43:01.799 --> 00:43:02.440
 of that

00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:04.480
 so here's

00:43:04.480 --> 00:43:04.860
 what i'm

00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:05.420
 saying that

00:43:05.420 --> 00:43:06.039
 the messages

00:43:06.039 --> 00:43:07.119
 of this

00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:07.679
 to you

00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:08.079
 that we

00:43:08.079 --> 00:43:08.519
 go home

00:43:08.519 --> 00:43:08.880
 with this

00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:09.260
 is that

00:43:09.260 --> 00:43:10.300
 remind

00:43:10.300 --> 00:43:10.679
 yourself

00:43:10.679 --> 00:43:11.039
 of that

00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:11.740
 daily

00:43:11.740 --> 00:43:13.099
 remind

00:43:13.099 --> 00:43:13.460
 yourself

00:43:13.460 --> 00:43:13.720
 of that

00:43:13.720 --> 00:43:14.340
 right now

00:43:14.340 --> 00:43:14.679
 remind

00:43:14.679 --> 00:43:15.000
 yourself

00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:15.360
 of that

00:43:15.360 --> 00:43:15.820
 as we're

00:43:15.820 --> 00:43:16.139
 about to

00:43:16.139 --> 00:43:16.440
 take the

00:43:16.440 --> 00:43:16.760
 lord's

00:43:16.760 --> 00:43:17.039
 supper

00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:17.659
 remind

00:43:17.659 --> 00:43:17.900
 yourself

00:43:17.900 --> 00:43:18.280
 of what

00:43:18.280 --> 00:43:18.619
 christ

00:43:18.619 --> 00:43:19.159
 has done

00:43:19.159 --> 00:43:19.659
 for us

00:43:19.659 --> 00:43:20.079
 and how

00:43:20.079 --> 00:43:20.940
 god

00:43:20.940 --> 00:43:21.320
 has

00:43:21.320 --> 00:43:21.639
 redeemed

00:43:21.639 --> 00:43:21.800
 us

00:43:21.800 --> 00:43:21.960
 from

00:43:21.960 --> 00:43:22.460
 darkness

00:43:22.460 --> 00:43:22.900
 and

00:43:22.900 --> 00:43:23.159
 taken

00:43:23.159 --> 00:43:23.340
 us

00:43:23.340 --> 00:43:23.480
 into

00:43:23.480 --> 00:43:23.700
 light

00:43:23.700 --> 00:43:23.880
 and

00:43:23.880 --> 00:43:24.920
 jesus

00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:25.260
 is

00:43:25.260 --> 00:43:25.420
 our

00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:25.820
 master

00:43:25.820 --> 00:43:26.260
 and

00:43:26.260 --> 00:43:26.420
 we

00:43:26.420 --> 00:43:26.700
 are

00:43:26.700 --> 00:43:27.019
 formed

00:43:27.019 --> 00:43:27.019


00:43:27.099 --> 00:43:27.179
 the

00:43:27.179 --> 00:43:27.300
 world

00:43:27.300 --> 00:43:27.679
 that's

00:43:27.679 --> 00:43:27.760
 what

00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:27.860
 we

00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:28.179
 remind

00:43:28.179 --> 00:43:28.200
!

00:43:28.200 --> 00:43:28.559
 ourselves

00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:28.760
 of

00:43:28.760 --> 00:43:28.780
!

00:43:28.780 --> 00:43:29.060
 not

00:43:29.060 --> 00:43:29.460
 try

00:43:29.460 --> 00:43:29.820
 harder

00:43:29.820 --> 00:43:30.660
 you need

00:43:30.660 --> 00:43:30.960
 to pray

00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:31.360
 more

00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:32.080
 you need

00:43:32.080 --> 00:43:32.460
 to believe

00:43:32.460 --> 00:43:32.700
 more

00:43:32.700 --> 00:43:34.040
 it's

00:43:34.040 --> 00:43:35.420
 believing

00:43:35.420 --> 00:43:36.040
 that god

00:43:36.040 --> 00:43:36.680
 will accomplish

00:43:36.680 --> 00:43:37.300
 his purposes

00:43:37.300 --> 00:43:37.980
 and reminding

00:43:37.980 --> 00:43:38.400
 ourselves

00:43:38.400 --> 00:43:38.920
 of that

00:43:38.920 --> 00:43:40.980
 and then

00:43:40.980 --> 00:43:41.280
 reminding

00:43:41.280 --> 00:43:41.680
 each other

00:43:41.680 --> 00:43:41.900
 of that

00:43:41.900 --> 00:43:42.100
 in your

00:43:42.100 --> 00:43:42.360
 core

00:43:42.360 --> 00:43:42.700
 groups

00:43:42.700 --> 00:43:43.440
 reminding

00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:43.820
 each other

00:43:43.820 --> 00:43:44.180
 of that

00:43:44.180 --> 00:43:44.800
 in your

00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:45.220
 community

00:43:45.220 --> 00:43:45.680
 groups

00:43:45.680 --> 00:43:46.560
 that god

00:43:46.560 --> 00:43:47.140
 is relentless

00:43:47.140 --> 00:43:47.600
 about his

00:43:47.600 --> 00:43:48.019
 pursuit of the

00:43:48.019 --> 00:43:48.260
 gospel

00:43:48.260 --> 00:43:48.500
 and he

00:43:48.500 --> 00:43:50.040
 uses us

00:43:50.040 --> 00:43:50.240
 and we

00:43:50.240 --> 00:43:50.780
 get to be

00:43:50.780 --> 00:43:51.060
 a part

00:43:51.060 --> 00:43:51.400
 of that

00:43:51.400 --> 00:43:53.519
 that

00:43:53.519 --> 00:43:54.180
 is what

00:43:54.180 --> 00:43:54.960
 i want

00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:55.460
 us to hear

00:43:55.460 --> 00:43:56.019
 out of this

00:43:56.019 --> 00:43:57.240
 i want

00:43:57.240 --> 00:43:57.640
 us to hear

00:43:57.640 --> 00:43:57.920
 that

00:43:57.920 --> 00:43:59.159
 god

00:43:59.159 --> 00:43:59.599
 invites

00:43:59.599 --> 00:43:59.780
 our

00:43:59.780 --> 00:44:00.059
 prayers

00:44:00.059 --> 00:44:00.300
 in

00:44:00.300 --> 00:44:00.700
 persecution

00:44:00.700 --> 00:44:01.260
 will

00:44:01.260 --> 00:44:01.659
 come

00:44:01.659 --> 00:44:02.980
 and it

00:44:02.980 --> 00:44:03.340
 should

00:44:03.340 --> 00:44:03.700
 come

00:44:03.700 --> 00:44:03.980
 if

00:44:03.980 --> 00:44:04.900
 there's

00:44:04.900 --> 00:44:05.240
 gospel

00:44:05.240 --> 00:44:05.760
 proclamation

00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:06.500
 there's

00:44:06.500 --> 00:44:06.820
 going to

00:44:06.820 --> 00:44:06.940
 be

00:44:06.940 --> 00:44:07.480
 persecution

00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:09.200
 but it's

00:44:09.200 --> 00:44:09.760
 all

00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:10.460
 relying

00:44:10.460 --> 00:44:10.700
 on

00:44:10.700 --> 00:44:10.860
 it's

00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:11.099
 all

00:44:11.099 --> 00:44:11.400
 hinging

00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:11.700
 on

00:44:11.700 --> 00:44:12.059
 god's

00:44:12.059 --> 00:44:12.559
 power

00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:13.500
 believing

00:44:13.500 --> 00:44:13.900
 that god

00:44:13.900 --> 00:44:14.159
 will

00:44:14.159 --> 00:44:14.820
 accomplish

00:44:14.820 --> 00:44:15.880
 what

00:44:15.880 --> 00:44:16.360
 he

00:44:16.360 --> 00:44:16.760
 desires

00:44:16.760 --> 00:44:17.000
 to

00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:17.579
 accomplish

00:44:17.579 --> 00:44:18.519
 let's

00:44:18.519 --> 00:44:18.700
 pray