WEBVTT 00:00:00.180 --> 00:00:06.200 I'm going to invite you this morning to Acts chapter eight, where we're going to be together today, Acts chapter eight. 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:12.580 And I really appreciate the nature of this chapter. 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:20.220 And I think what it represents for the church as a whole, and particularly for us here at Alpine Bible Church, because I 00:00:20.220 --> 00:00:25.440 believe, and I'll let you determine on your own here if you agree with me on this. 00:00:25.520 --> 00:00:30.990 But I believe that this chapter very much represents the heart of what ABC is about. 00:00:31.420 --> 00:00:36.820 And when I look at a chapter like this, I don't look at a chapter like this and saying we need correction here, Lord. 00:00:36.820 --> 00:00:43.340 But rather I look at a chapter like this and I say, and how can we keep turning the dial up and what God has for us? 00:00:43.780 --> 00:00:50.950 Acts chapter eight is one of those chapters that really helps us begin to understand how the church spread beyond Jerusalem. 00:00:51.300 --> 00:00:54.580 Remember, the birth of the early church takes place in the city of Jerusalem. 00:00:55.720 --> 00:01:03.040 And but here we are in the 21st century in Utah, of all places, talking about the significance of Jesus and the 00:01:03.040 --> 00:01:10.060 message of the gospel, which brings deliverance to our soul and the privilege it is to walk in light of that, having a relationship now in 00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:10.600 Christ. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:18.410 Like, how does that happen that we not only see that as individuals, but a community as birthed, united together in Christ moving forward? 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:23.160 I mean, how did the church go from Jerusalem to where we are today? 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:25.880 And you start to see how that unfolds in the book of Acts. 00:01:25.940 --> 00:01:33.020 And remember that the thesis of Acts is Acts, chapter one, verse eight, a portion of that, it's up here on the on the banners that we have on the side 00:01:33.020 --> 00:01:33.450 of the stage. 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:40.640 But it tells us in Acts one eight, you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.600 earth, that what matters to the Lord is people. 00:01:44.860 --> 00:01:49.960 And the reason for that is because God created us in his image, and he gave us gave his life for us. 00:01:49.960 --> 00:01:57.040 There's no greater value placed on anything in this world than you as a human being, and what it means to be made in the image of 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.190 God and being able to have the opportunity to be remade at the cross. 00:02:01.720 --> 00:02:08.240 And so the mission of the church is all about people and what God has called us to, for the glory of God to the benefit of others. 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:10.919 And so what does that look like for us to live that out? 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.010 Acts chapter one, verse eight. 00:02:12.140 --> 00:02:18.480 And how did the early church have this take place, where they were even willing to go from Jerusalem and beyond? 00:02:18.480 --> 00:02:22.820 Or how did the church expand in such a global way? 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:29.560 I mean, we'll study a little bit about the expansion of Christianity and represented in different continents around the world next week. 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:31.980 But in looking at this, what took place. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:39.400 And when you read Acts chapter eight, it almost seems disingenuous to talk about this in light of what happens 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:40.460 in chapter eight. 00:02:40.820 --> 00:02:48.160 And I think this is what makes the idea of looking at the movement of the church so profound, because when you read Acts chapter eight, the first, the 00:02:48.160 --> 00:02:52.840 first three verses, what you discover is the church is in incredible hardship, right? 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:58.040 Acts chapter eight, verse one, it says, And Saul approved of his Steven's execution. 00:02:58.040 --> 00:03:01.050 If you remember, we read chapter six and seven together. 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.660 There became an incredible growth in the church. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.420 The church decides to appoint some new leaders to help better care for the church. 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:09.200 One of those individuals was named Stephen. 00:03:09.740 --> 00:03:10.300 In chapter seven. 00:03:10.820 --> 00:03:17.860 Stephen preaches the only message that we have from Stephen in the Bible, and he's martyred through that and in the martyrdom of Stephen. 00:03:17.940 --> 00:03:21.300 Stephen, this unlocks in tremendous persecution against the church. 00:03:21.700 --> 00:03:29.400 And it tells you that persecution starts on the approval of Saul, who was a leader in Jerusalem among the Jewish people. 00:03:29.580 --> 00:03:33.260 And he's the one that gives the okay for Stephen's martyrdom. 00:03:34.040 --> 00:03:41.180 And so the Saul here eventually will become the apostle Paul, which is another incredible story, how someone with such a hard heart 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:45.620 becomes a figure that is transforming in this world. 00:03:45.640 --> 00:03:50.680 Like there's probably no greater Christian that has made a difference in this world than the Apostle Paul, other than Jesus. 00:03:50.820 --> 00:03:51.200 Right? 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:58.420 But Saul approved of Stephen's execution, and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, 00:03:58.440 --> 00:04:03.290 and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:09.200 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:14.580 But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house. 00:04:14.660 --> 00:04:18.200 He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:26.540 Now when you read a few verses like that, and then you look at what we're titling this chapter today, we're going to be talking about how 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:29.340 does a godly movement grow, right? 00:04:29.340 --> 00:04:31.770 And when you read these first three verses, you're like, do you not? 00:04:32.220 --> 00:04:34.280 Do you not care about what's happening to these people? 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.080 How can you even be talking about growing at a time like this? 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:43.860 I mean, when you're using words like ravaging the church, this is an incredibly desperate moment. 00:04:44.020 --> 00:04:51.100 Could you imagine if we were to go back in the first century, it would seem we'd be very calloused of heart to look at the early church and be like, 00:04:51.280 --> 00:04:52.650 hey, how's your movement going now? 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:53.300 Right. 00:04:53.300 --> 00:04:56.150 Like, do you guys feel like the future is bright today? 00:04:56.580 --> 00:05:00.120 This is one of those kind of moments where you're like, I'm not even thinking about my future. 00:05:00.140 --> 00:05:02.560 I'm just trying to survive right now. 00:05:03.840 --> 00:05:11.000 But this chapter becomes a pinnacle chapter in the growth of Christianity, not only in Jerusalem, 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:12.360 but around the world. 00:05:13.380 --> 00:05:14.240 And God does. 00:05:14.600 --> 00:05:17.720 He works in incredibly incredible ways. 00:05:17.760 --> 00:05:23.240 And in fact, he does it in some of the most desperate times that we might discover as people. 00:05:24.320 --> 00:05:28.020 There are moments where we go through in life are like, man, I don't even want to get up today. 00:05:29.200 --> 00:05:32.630 I know what yesterday had in it, and I've got to move through the mess of that today. 00:05:33.620 --> 00:05:35.350 And like, I just want to just fast forward. 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:36.780 Is there a button for this? 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:40.120 And I don't even know how this can turn around. 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:48.520 But yet when you when you read about how God moves in Scripture, look, it's a beautiful reminder to say to you, it's not about 00:05:48.520 --> 00:05:48.940 you. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:53.060 But about the power of God made known through you. 00:05:54.080 --> 00:06:00.880 And so how do we see God move in such an incredible way, where the church spreads from Jerusalem throughout the world? 00:06:01.420 --> 00:06:06.560 But even so, how does God do that in an incredibly difficult moment? 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:15.340 This is what we see with the early church is they're helping us understand and how Acts chapter one, verse eight is 00:06:15.340 --> 00:06:20.600 fulfilled through the church despite the circumstance. 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:27.660 And maybe we even say through the circumstance where we might think it's the end of an opportunity, but God has a 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:29.180 far greater plan. 00:06:30.180 --> 00:06:33.580 Maybe even you this morning in your own family. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:40.790 Maybe you're the only Christian in your family and walking that way it can oftentimes be discouraging. 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:44.340 Or maybe where you work or maybe your friends circle. 00:06:44.340 --> 00:06:48.620 You're like, I'm I'm unique in this, and it sometimes makes me feel isolated. 00:06:48.940 --> 00:06:54.820 But when you look at a story like this and just think, man, if God can work in such a profound way. 00:06:55.580 --> 00:06:59.960 In Acts chapter eight, and we follow that same God today, how? 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:07.260 How can we discover in this chapter how God moves in incredible ways through through any 00:07:07.260 --> 00:07:08.920 circumstance of life? 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:09.700 What does that look like? 00:07:09.700 --> 00:07:10.650 Let me give you point number one. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.190 Number one is this take responsibility. 00:07:18.200 --> 00:07:19.320 Take responsibility. 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:24.050 Don't ignore the fact that God has you in a place. 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:31.500 He's got you in different relationships, in this world, connected with people for a reason, and 00:07:31.500 --> 00:07:35.210 it becomes an opportunity to see how the grace of God wants to move. 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:43.340 But being able to do that starts with you understanding the responsibility of what it means to be a follower of Jesus where 00:07:43.340 --> 00:07:44.250 you are. 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:51.760 That's one of the things about I love about living in Utah is there are days, I think, nearly every day, I think since I've been here, I wake up and just 00:07:51.760 --> 00:07:58.940 think, man, I might be the only person that gets to represent the biblical Jesus that others might get to interact 00:07:58.940 --> 00:07:59.700 with today. 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:02.780 What an opportunity and a gift it is, right? 00:08:02.780 --> 00:08:04.280 To walk in that. 00:08:04.320 --> 00:08:07.700 Now, when we talk about responsibility, sometimes there's the weight of that. 00:08:07.700 --> 00:08:14.760 But when you realize what you have in Jesus is a joy and a privilege to even have an opportunity to know him, to walk with him, 00:08:14.820 --> 00:08:22.160 and to share him with others, it's it is a beautiful place to represent the Lord and knowing 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:25.480 just how God can work and how God can move. 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:29.660 And even despite the circumstance of the early church, this is exactly what they did. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.309 Because look at this at the end of verse one. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:38.630 One of the interesting things it tells you about the early church, when they're when they're scattering throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 00:08:39.059 --> 00:08:42.140 The very last few words of this verse tells you everyone. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:47.400 Everyone was running away from Jerusalem because of the persecution except the who. 00:08:48.700 --> 00:08:54.920 The apostles and the apostles were the leaders of the early church. 00:08:56.060 --> 00:09:02.480 So here it is now that the regular people within the body of Christ pick up the mantle and move forward. 00:09:03.640 --> 00:09:08.200 And so what you're seeing is rather than sit on their hands and saying, well, that's the leader's job. 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:10.240 We're just here to cheer that person on. 00:09:10.260 --> 00:09:11.100 They're saying, no, no, no. 00:09:11.300 --> 00:09:16.680 God has done this work in all of us so that we can all participate in this collectively. 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:25.300 And so we step into the responsibility of what it means to live in light of who I am, because I've been found in Jesus with 00:09:25.300 --> 00:09:30.280 this incredible gifting and privilege and identity that I didn't receive in my own doing. 00:09:30.280 --> 00:09:32.520 But Christ has lavished on me. 00:09:32.640 --> 00:09:34.700 And so I get to walk in light of that. 00:09:35.300 --> 00:09:41.020 And so owning this together becomes incredibly important for all of us if we want to see better days in our future. 00:09:41.800 --> 00:09:45.920 It's about walking in light of this as a community, participating in this together. 00:09:45.940 --> 00:09:53.280 Now, sometimes, sometimes I might have a formal ministry in life where, maybe in the church there's a place 00:09:53.280 --> 00:09:57.900 that I show up to serve and do things and that's fantastic to do that. 00:09:57.900 --> 00:09:58.720 I think that's wonderful. 00:09:59.540 --> 00:10:07.410 But then there's also a lot of places where I just do this organically that I recognize that I'm the incarnational 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:11.140 ministry of Jesus everywhere I go. 00:10:12.060 --> 00:10:19.560 And so as I as I interact in relationship, there's always potential for new life to be discovered in Christ. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.500 And so therefore I live in light of that. 00:10:22.540 --> 00:10:24.230 And this is what you see in the early church. 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:26.040 They walk in this. 00:10:26.040 --> 00:10:33.060 In fact, if you going further in verse four, it says, and maybe if I can, there we are now those who were scattered went about 00:10:33.060 --> 00:10:34.640 preaching the word. 00:10:34.940 --> 00:10:42.060 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ and the crowds with one accord paid attention to 00:10:42.060 --> 00:10:49.060 what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did for unclean spirits, crying out 00:10:49.060 --> 00:10:55.190 with a loud voice came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 00:10:55.500 --> 00:10:58.740 So that was much joy in that city. 00:10:59.680 --> 00:11:06.760 I love the beauty of this and the way that it represents how the church is carrying themselves in the 00:11:06.760 --> 00:11:13.110 midst of these relationships with people that really, they weren't a part of up until this movement made them move on. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:19.680 That in the city there is such joy because of the genuine care of the people around them. 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:27.920 I even think with our church or churches in general, that the blessing of a church in a community should be such that for 00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:28.620 us. 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:29.910 And what is happening? 00:11:31.780 --> 00:11:34.800 Okay, let's, let's let's put it right here. 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:35.200 There we go. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:35.560 Okay. 00:11:35.680 --> 00:11:36.220 All right. 00:11:36.380 --> 00:11:43.480 So when you think about the blessing of a church in a in a community, like if all of a sudden tomorrow ABC did not 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:49.650 exist, the community should ache because of the lack of your presence. 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:59.160 You, more than anybody, should be able to appreciate the gift of life, because you 00:11:59.160 --> 00:12:06.220 understand in Scripture where the value of every human being comes from, your value is 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:08.780 not merited to you based on your performance. 00:12:10.580 --> 00:12:15.700 Your value is given to you intrinsically by your creator being made in his image. 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:23.720 Which means every interaction that we have in this world, in that sense, is divine, because every human 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:25.340 being is a gift from God. 00:12:26.780 --> 00:12:33.940 I find my mom, when I was born, I was I had I'm getting sidetracked here, but it reminds me that I was I was 00:12:33.940 --> 00:12:34.980 born Incredible. 00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:36.300 Mom. 00:12:36.340 --> 00:12:38.160 I have a very strong, tough mom. 00:12:38.400 --> 00:12:43.910 I love my mom, but she had me at a very young age, at a difficult time, and she was a teenager. 00:12:45.280 --> 00:12:47.930 And it didn't dawn on me till I got into my later years. 00:12:48.040 --> 00:12:55.120 There was a doctor I met that said a man that was loved the Lord, and it was a friend of mine, and he was in his 80s 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.000 and I was in my in my early 20s. 00:12:57.020 --> 00:13:04.260 I just remember being able to meet with this man and he said, it's incredible that you even exist because of the way you came into this world, the peer 00:13:04.260 --> 00:13:05.700 pressure would have been to abort you. 00:13:07.560 --> 00:13:09.110 But here you are in existence. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:12.100 And what a gift. 00:13:13.420 --> 00:13:14.360 What a gift that is. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:21.000 And no one should know better the value of a human being than God's own people. 00:13:22.040 --> 00:13:29.160 Because not only do you understand how everyone's been made in the image of God, but also we're recreated at the cross and God has given 00:13:29.160 --> 00:13:30.620 us an incredible gift in him. 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:39.720 Which means the message that you carry is a powerful message because in this world, people are broken looking 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:44.900 for something to help them understand why they matter and why they exist. 00:13:45.760 --> 00:13:52.980 And that makes you a profound figure in a culture and wanting to see change take 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:53.720 place. 00:13:54.020 --> 00:13:55.280 But it doesn't happen. 00:13:56.160 --> 00:14:00.030 It doesn't happen until you're willing to take the responsibility. 00:14:01.180 --> 00:14:02.540 Now, why would you do that? 00:14:03.260 --> 00:14:08.370 And the only reason you want to put that extra added to your life more responsibility. 00:14:08.540 --> 00:14:09.760 That's the last thing I want, right? 00:14:09.780 --> 00:14:15.520 But the only reason you're going to you're going to want to do that is because you truly understand what it means to be found by Jesus. 00:14:16.780 --> 00:14:20.210 And to be honest, it's not a weight, it's a gift. 00:14:21.540 --> 00:14:24.680 And nothing in this world can even relate to it. 00:14:25.640 --> 00:14:28.560 And so this is this is what the early church is doing now. 00:14:28.560 --> 00:14:33.730 Those who were scattered abroad went about preaching and Philip going down to this area and he's proclaiming it. 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:34.920 And look at this. 00:14:35.040 --> 00:14:42.100 The catalyst for him to have a platform to even begin to share this message is seen through the way that 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:43.700 he loves on people around them. 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:44.920 Right? 00:14:44.920 --> 00:14:50.560 Like sometimes we walk in life and we realize as we're moving through life, oh, these people are living their life away. 00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:52.160 That's opposed to God's kingdom. 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:56.860 And sometimes in seeing that, we might begin to treat them like an enemy. 00:14:57.300 --> 00:14:58.410 We should not do that. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:02.500 But can I tell you, when you start to perceive people like an enemy, you will never reach them. 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:06.480 Because what we end up doing is just arguing with people. 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:09.240 And look, nobody is won in arguing with them. 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:13.220 No one's ever like, oh, thank you so much for making me feel like trash, right? 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:14.080 Like, oh, this. 00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:16.360 I'm so I'm so better off because of this. 00:15:16.420 --> 00:15:17.840 Let's let's move forward together. 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:18.540 Right? 00:15:18.540 --> 00:15:19.580 Nobody wants that. 00:15:21.820 --> 00:15:23.140 What they want to know is they matter. 00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:24.720 What they want to know is you care. 00:15:26.020 --> 00:15:33.020 And so doing it provides for us an opportunity to begin to share the richness of who God 00:15:33.020 --> 00:15:34.630 is with others. 00:15:35.160 --> 00:15:42.440 And so taking responsibility is significant for all of us to understand our place in and what God has for us 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.420 as we move forward in him. 00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:53.840 Jim Elliott said it like this wherever you are, be all there. 00:15:56.640 --> 00:15:58.000 Wherever you are, be all there. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.000 God has you in a place for a reason. 00:16:01.780 --> 00:16:08.840 God's desire is for you to not only see your life made different in him, transformed in him, but as you're nurtured in 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:12.520 that relationship that the Lord would use you to bless others too. 00:16:13.520 --> 00:16:20.680 One of the most beautiful ways you have to love God is seen in the way that you care for his creatures, because 00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:26.950 people matter to the Lord and because they matter to the Lord, they should matter to us. 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:30.970 And if I love the Lord, it's seen in the way that I care for those around us. 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:34.160 And so the truth of who God is matters. 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:35.800 Don't compromise in the truth. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:36.860 Right. 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:43.020 But your compassion for others matters and give you an opportunity to share the richness of who Christ is with them. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:45.640 And so taking responsibility matters now. 00:16:45.760 --> 00:16:47.340 Now, let me just say it like this then. 00:16:47.340 --> 00:16:47.660 So. 00:16:47.820 --> 00:16:48.800 So what does that look like? 00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:49.560 Right? 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:52.000 What does it look like for you and for me to take responsibility? 00:16:52.300 --> 00:16:56.450 Because we could just step into a room and be like, I'm taking responsibility. 00:16:57.240 --> 00:16:58.940 I'm in charge now, right? 00:16:58.940 --> 00:17:01.360 Like, I know that does not work. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:06.060 If you have to tell people that you're the one in control, can I just tell you you're not in control, right? 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:13.720 That's not even how Jesus worked in Philippians chapter two, it tells you, have this mind in you, which is also in Christ Jesus, who, though in the form of God, became 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.599 a servant willing to die on the cross. 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:23.180 And so Philippians two is always telling you, look, every time Jesus walked in a room, he was always the most important person to walk in the room. 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:29.200 But he didn't walk in the room and say, hey everybody, I'm the most important person to walk in this room. 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:31.460 He demonstrated it. 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:38.260 And so for us to make a difference, it's about understanding your position of influence in this world. 00:17:39.340 --> 00:17:46.340 Not to say you're in control, but to step into the position that you've already been given in Christ, and therefore minister for the cause 00:17:46.340 --> 00:17:47.200 of Christ in this world. 00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:48.180 So. 00:17:48.260 --> 00:17:49.100 So how do we do that? 00:17:49.140 --> 00:17:54.340 Well, let me give you point number two, be inconvenienced for the gospel. 00:17:57.280 --> 00:18:00.120 Be inconvenienced for the gospel. 00:18:01.120 --> 00:18:03.040 And guys, again, that's not an easy thing to do. 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:08.160 That takes a supernatural ability to love people that way. 00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:16.460 And get this, you're never going to do that until your heart is first settled and the richness that you truly 00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:17.460 have in Jesus. 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:20.000 God thank you. 00:18:21.260 --> 00:18:26.760 I mean, it's a heart of rejoicing that gives that opportunity to then reflect God in this world. 00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:28.780 God, thank you for the gift of your grace. 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:31.580 God, thank you for the privilege of life. 00:18:32.300 --> 00:18:34.540 God, thank you for the richness that I have in you. 00:18:34.600 --> 00:18:41.700 The position not only rescuing me from a past of sin, but giving me a glorious future in you, because there's no greater 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:47.860 worth that can be placed in my life than what you've done to be willing to be inconvenienced for the gospel that is. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:52.260 That is the only way that things move forward is in the midst of adversity. 00:18:52.300 --> 00:18:57.960 That someone else is willing to take the position of a servant for the well-being of those around them. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:02.700 I mean, this is what Jesus did for you and you being a follower of Christ. 00:19:02.900 --> 00:19:05.700 That's how you most mimic Jesus in your life. 00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:07.950 And this is what the early church did. 00:19:08.260 --> 00:19:12.820 And we've we read a little bit about it here, but I want us to see how this story continues to unfold. 00:19:13.020 --> 00:19:20.260 So in verse 12, but when they believe Philip, as he preached good news about the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men 00:19:20.260 --> 00:19:20.960 and women. 00:19:20.980 --> 00:19:27.320 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip and seeing signs and great miracles performed. 00:19:27.360 --> 00:19:27.850 He was amazed. 00:19:28.260 --> 00:19:35.280 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent him to them Peter and John, who came down and 00:19:35.280 --> 00:19:42.320 prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only 00:19:42.320 --> 00:19:44.180 been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:19:44.860 --> 00:19:48.230 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:54.620 Now I want you to know this is a rather unique happening in this passage. 00:19:54.800 --> 00:20:02.140 In fact, this happens only one other time in Scripture where there's a delay in receiving the gospel of Christ 00:20:02.140 --> 00:20:04.190 and the coming of the Holy Spirit. 00:20:04.700 --> 00:20:09.670 So why don't you notice this is not a prescribed instance where you believe in Jesus, and later you get the Holy Spirit. 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:17.400 And the Bible tells you in first Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13, if you belong to the Lord, if you receive the gospel, the Spirit of God dwells all of us. 00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:20.880 But there's uniqueness to how the spirit unfolds here. 00:20:21.020 --> 00:20:24.940 And this is because God wants us to understand the power of his message in this world. 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:29.560 And so in this narrative story, it's talking about the uniqueness that we can recognize it. 00:20:29.600 --> 00:20:37.420 And what I mean by this is when the Christians in Jerusalem traveled beyond Jerusalem, as 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:45.320 they looked among the people groups, you could ask the Jews, well, if God's calling you to the world to see people saved, who 00:20:45.320 --> 00:20:49.180 might you think would be the last to be saved? 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:49.360 Right? 00:20:49.360 --> 00:20:51.200 Or who might you think God's like? 00:20:51.220 --> 00:20:52.720 Well, yeah, do it for everybody. 00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:54.760 But those guys ignore those guys. 00:20:54.760 --> 00:20:56.420 Like their hearts are too hard. 00:20:56.420 --> 00:21:00.000 In fact, I can save nearly anyone, but not them, right? 00:21:00.080 --> 00:21:02.100 And the Jews would answer like this. 00:21:02.180 --> 00:21:02.800 Oh, that's easy. 00:21:02.800 --> 00:21:03.370 It's the Samaritans. 00:21:05.040 --> 00:21:06.740 The Samaritans, we hate them. 00:21:06.740 --> 00:21:07.770 They hate us. 00:21:07.820 --> 00:21:10.800 Like, if there's a place God's not going to work, it's definitely in Samaria. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:11.160 That's. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:14.760 That's how they would respond based on their relationship with those people. 00:21:14.780 --> 00:21:22.000 Can I can I just tell you in a, in a personal story, if you were to line up 100 people and you were to put me among that 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:28.860 group in your in Pre-jesus days and say, out of these 100 people, who do you think would be the last one to come to Christ, if at all? 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:35.760 I would bet money that you would put me among the last, if not the very last. 00:21:36.620 --> 00:21:40.470 And it's to it's to speak to the power of how God truly moves. 00:21:41.060 --> 00:21:47.080 And when you think about the history of Israel, there's a reason the Jewish people hated the Samaritans. 00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:54.180 Now, I'm not saying it's a good reason to hate anybody, but there is a history to the relationship of the Samaritans to the Jewish 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:54.730 people. 00:21:55.760 --> 00:22:02.760 If you study Israel's history, you discover that in 722, Assyria came down into Israel, 00:22:02.780 --> 00:22:05.870 and they conquered the ten northern tribes of Israel. 00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:11.200 And once they conquered the ten northern tribes of Israel, they carried them into captivity, and they were never to be heard from again. 00:22:12.260 --> 00:22:16.320 And once they carried them into captivity, a serious sent their own people back into the land. 00:22:16.340 --> 00:22:23.600 Now, there were still a few people that remained that were of Jewish descent, but a serious sense, their own people back into the land to really get rid of Jewish culture 00:22:23.600 --> 00:22:25.200 and intermarry among them. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:27.840 So they become identified with the Assyrians. 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:31.670 And so this particular people group came to be known as the Samaritans. 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:37.200 The Jews referred to them as half breeds because they were half Jewish, half Assyrians. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.080 And they treated this region with disdain. 00:22:41.080 --> 00:22:48.080 And so because of that, the Jews, even when they had to travel from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, rather than go through 00:22:48.080 --> 00:22:53.870 Samaria, which was the direct route, they would walk all the way around it because they had a hatred for this region. 00:22:54.800 --> 00:23:01.800 And so when the persecution is breaking out among the church and the church is now on the run, one of the ways that the 00:23:01.800 --> 00:23:05.400 church is thinking about preservation of life, they're thinking, we need to hide. 00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:07.400 And where's the best place to hide in the place? 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:08.680 No Jews going to go. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.900 Let's go to the region of Samaria, and then they travel into Samaria. 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:15.670 And when they get in there, they begin to share the gospel. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:16.630 And here's what they discover. 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:22.820 The Samaritans are receiving Jesus, but they're left to wonder can God really save a Samaritan? 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:29.520 And the way they find this indicated is through the Spirit of God coming upon them. 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:37.620 And so the apostles coming to this land, just to verify that they are receiving the true gospel, and once they verify that tells the Spirit 00:23:37.620 --> 00:23:38.960 of God comes into them. 00:23:39.020 --> 00:23:46.220 And this is saying to us that Jesus has the ability to save anyone, anywhere, even 00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:46.920 your enemy. 00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:56.420 In fact, I would say it like this guys, one of the true markers of knowing am I willing to be inconvenienced, is 00:23:56.420 --> 00:24:01.580 seeing in your ability to love your enemies, even when they may treat you as such. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:06.150 Now you think about the end of Jesus's life as he hangs on the cross. 00:24:06.360 --> 00:24:08.600 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 00:24:10.020 --> 00:24:14.220 And Jesus washing the feet of Judas, the one who was going to betray them. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:18.220 Your ability to love. 00:24:18.320 --> 00:24:25.640 Those who may disagree with you, may even dislike you as an opportunity to reflect the goodness of who Christ is. 00:24:26.600 --> 00:24:32.660 I mean, it just it gets at the heart of people when all they want to do is spew hatred at you. 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.020 But the way that you respond is genuine care towards them. 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:40.740 It brings sensitivity to that heart. 00:24:40.800 --> 00:24:45.750 It's hard to hate when all that someone does is love and response. 00:24:46.620 --> 00:24:50.290 And so the early church and going into Samaria, this is what happens. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:58.300 I mean, I don't know this morning who your enemy may or may not be, but I know our culture loves to pit people against 00:24:58.300 --> 00:25:02.760 one another, like whatever political position you have. 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:05.130 How do you treat the person on the other side? 00:25:06.600 --> 00:25:13.100 It doesn't mean that you have to agree with them, but you are to value the image of God in everyone. 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:15.280 I saw a kid. 00:25:15.280 --> 00:25:22.660 One of the things that I've always wondered about is in 1980s 90s watching action movies, I always thought to myself, man, in America, I 00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:23.850 would hate to be Russian. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:24.400 Right? 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:27.140 Like it's like every enemy we fight against. 00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:30.040 There goes Rocky Balboa again, crushing the Russian. 00:25:30.040 --> 00:25:30.140 Right. 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:37.400 It's like you just think about how they characterize certain people groups, and it has this way of building up this image in our mind of seeing those 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:37.940 guys. 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:39.700 And there's us versus them. 00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:43.690 And truth be told, if you just meet a regular Russian, you know what they want. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:45.260 The same thing we want. 00:25:45.260 --> 00:25:46.330 Just leave me alone. 00:25:46.560 --> 00:25:49.120 I don't want to be someone's toy in a political game. 00:25:50.360 --> 00:25:50.420 Right. 00:25:50.520 --> 00:25:52.100 It's like people are just people. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:59.370 Wherever you go now, it doesn't mean we're necessarily always great, but you're never going to reach someone if you see them as an enemy. 00:26:00.300 --> 00:26:05.540 And so your ability to love people well becomes important for us. 00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:12.860 And you see how this is being nurtured in the way that they're caring for them physically, and that becomes the catalyst and 00:26:12.860 --> 00:26:19.820 the opportunity for them to love people well to be able to speak into their lives. 00:26:21.820 --> 00:26:28.730 You know, there's a when you think about the Assyrian people, one of the one of the prophets that really highlights this, I think, is the prophet of Jonah. 00:26:30.840 --> 00:26:38.140 When you look at the Assyrians, the history tells us that when the southern tribes that were left after the captivity, it was Benjamin 00:26:38.140 --> 00:26:42.650 and Judah, they were eventually taken into captivity by the Babylonians. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:46.820 But they return after 70 years and they rebuild the temple. 00:26:46.840 --> 00:26:48.490 And it tells us why they're trying to rebuild the temple. 00:26:48.840 --> 00:26:51.660 It's the Samaritans that give them a difficult time and just trying to rebuild. 00:26:51.660 --> 00:26:56.280 And so there was this tension that built and even the prophet Jonah highlights this and that. 00:26:56.360 --> 00:27:00.620 God called him to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, to preach the gospel. 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:04.720 And Jonah, reluctant, was like, I'd rather take the belly of a fish. 00:27:04.800 --> 00:27:05.000 Right. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:06.740 That's what he experiences. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:09.320 And finally he reluctantly goes to Nineveh. 00:27:09.540 --> 00:27:12.840 And in a hatred, he preaches a terrible message to the people. 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:15.220 Like God wants to rescue his people, he knows it. 00:27:15.260 --> 00:27:16.840 So he goes and preaches a terrible message. 00:27:17.020 --> 00:27:20.030 I mean, if you ever read the story of Jonah, he basically says, turn or burn. 00:27:20.220 --> 00:27:22.920 That's really that's all he really says is like, I don't like him. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:26.010 I hope God's wrath comes on him, turn or burn, and he moves away. 00:27:26.060 --> 00:27:26.810 And then they repent. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.840 They come to the Lord and thousands of them come to know Christ. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:32.930 And then in Jonah chapter four, verse two, Jonah tells you why. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.560 Why are you so reluctant, Jonah, to go? 00:27:35.560 --> 00:27:42.560 And he says it like this I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to 00:27:42.560 --> 00:27:48.520 anger, abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.360 I love that about the Lord. 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:59.960 I mean, it's what gives me hope every morning, knowing some days I mess up and but each day I get the opportunity to walk in the gracious presence 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:00.760 of God. 00:28:00.780 --> 00:28:05.170 His mercies are new every morning and some people read the Old Testament. 00:28:05.360 --> 00:28:12.340 And it's funny when I interact with people that some people read the Old Testament and they'll say, well, God is a judgmental, wrathful God. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:14.860 And there is there's truth in that. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:20.000 God is holy and God has a standard because he's holy and he wants a holy people dedicated to him. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:20.700 That's true. 00:28:21.280 --> 00:28:21.840 God is holy. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:28.940 But some people that just walk away with that conclusion I find really interesting because Jonah, who is from the Old Testament, says the opposite of that. 00:28:30.760 --> 00:28:37.130 Jonah is acknowledging that God is a compassionate God, and he's slow to anger, abounding in his steadfast love. 00:28:37.320 --> 00:28:39.200 Like he's not changing in that, right. 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:40.280 He's that's who he is. 00:28:40.280 --> 00:28:40.940 That's his nature. 00:28:41.940 --> 00:28:43.660 This is why he created you. 00:28:43.660 --> 00:28:45.550 Because he wanted to lavish his love on you in relationship. 00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:50.870 This is why he pursued us through the cross, that even when we're sinful, he still wants to give his life for us. 00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:52.940 This is what gives us hope for everybody. 00:28:53.540 --> 00:29:00.720 This is why it becomes important not to see people as enemies, but rather as we like to say here at 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.120 ABC is prisoners of war. 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:08.920 We're all held captive by an enemy until Jesus frees us. 00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:17.960 And it's the gift of taking that deliverance message to them that gives them the opportunity to walk in that life transformed by 00:29:17.960 --> 00:29:18.220 him. 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:21.660 Because the Bible says it like this, that we're all enemies of God. 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:28.040 Until we come to the cross of Christ, we're all opposed to him. 00:29:29.340 --> 00:29:33.820 And so therefore, we get the privilege of knowing, just as I've been rescued, others can be rescued too. 00:29:34.080 --> 00:29:37.580 And to deliver that message for their well-being. 00:29:37.620 --> 00:29:39.720 Theodore Theodore Roosevelt said it like this. 00:29:40.060 --> 00:29:45.340 People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. 00:29:46.780 --> 00:29:53.890 For those that don't know history, that are more into like, let's say, TikTok, the kid president says it like this. 00:29:54.140 --> 00:29:59.720 He says, be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody. 00:30:01.780 --> 00:30:01.780 Body. 00:30:01.820 --> 00:30:04.160 Nobody likes to feel like they don't belong. 00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:06.880 Nobody likes to feel like. 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:07.620 Like an outsider. 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:14.640 In fact, there's another quote that says this attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. 00:30:16.740 --> 00:30:21.620 When we talk about being inconvenienced for the sake of the gospel, let's let's be real. 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:27.880 And just saying in Jesus, it's really never an inconvenience when you know what you have in Christ. 00:30:28.820 --> 00:30:36.160 Being asked to give up anything in this world pales in comparison to the richness that you've received in Jesus, and therefore it really can't even be labeled as sacrifice. 00:30:37.360 --> 00:30:37.770 It's a joy. 00:30:39.400 --> 00:30:41.840 It's a joy to walk in the freedom of what I have in Christ. 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:50.760 It's a joy to know that even when I walk in this world and people may not receive what I have in Jesus, that's okay, because get this people 00:30:50.760 --> 00:30:51.560 aren't a project. 00:30:52.920 --> 00:30:54.260 No one wants to feel like that. 00:30:55.020 --> 00:30:55.860 And people aren't. 00:30:55.860 --> 00:31:00.940 People aren't a project like, I'm not here to be someone else's Holy Spirit to try to force them to something. 00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:05.740 I just become a conduit of opportunity for what God wants to do in them. 00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:12.000 We're terrible holy spirits, and it's not your power that changes people. 00:31:12.340 --> 00:31:14.380 It's his power at work in them. 00:31:14.860 --> 00:31:17.560 But I get to be the conduit to see the change. 00:31:18.540 --> 00:31:25.620 That's one of the things, even in living in Utah over these last couple of decades, I love to be here in general, but these last couple of decades to see or excuse 00:31:25.620 --> 00:31:32.620 me the last couple of years to see how people are growing and hunger for Christ to know the true grace that 00:31:32.620 --> 00:31:34.300 only can be received in Jesus. 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:35.480 I mean, it's incredible. 00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:42.620 You get a front row seat to being a conduit to the transforming power of what God can do, even in difficult moments. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:49.480 And that's why Acts chapter eight exists to say in a moment where the church couldn't even think about the hope that is to come because they're just trying to survive. 00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:54.010 And this is exactly the catalyst to birth the movement throughout the world. 00:31:54.600 --> 00:31:57.320 You think about the challenges of walking with Jesus where we are. 00:31:57.360 --> 00:31:59.090 It pales in comparison to this. 00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:03.300 But even still, it doesn't deny the fact that sometimes hearts are hardened. 00:32:04.020 --> 00:32:11.040 But I get to see the beauty of God working, not because I'm trying to force anybody to any anything, but rather I just share the richness of Christ and he does 00:32:11.040 --> 00:32:11.440 the work. 00:32:13.540 --> 00:32:18.600 Being inconvenienced for the sake of the gospel is a willingness to give up anything, resources, time, whatever. 00:32:18.620 --> 00:32:26.140 I just understand God's got me in a place to make a difference in this world, and as I own that responsibility, I'll surrender my life, even for my enemy. 00:32:26.220 --> 00:32:27.400 And then he gives us another idea. 00:32:27.460 --> 00:32:32.760 Not not just in the idea of enemy, but in terms of people that I stand nothing to gain from. 00:32:33.600 --> 00:32:37.880 I mean, when they're going into Samaria, it's not like they want things from specifically Samaritans. 00:32:38.520 --> 00:32:39.580 They're just trying to survive. 00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:41.830 And it's the same for us. 00:32:42.320 --> 00:32:49.290 It's like when we look at relationships, we often as people just want to treat them in a, in a in an earthly sense and a fleshly sense, like it's a commodity. 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:52.760 I love you in order to get what I want, which is not real love. 00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:59.010 But when you think about what the biblical representation is, it says it like this in the book of Deuteronomy and Zechariah. 00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:01.260 It's peppered throughout Scripture. 00:33:01.260 --> 00:33:08.480 I just put two verses up here, but it talks about different people in society that are marginalized, and saying the evidence of your true 00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:14.020 relationship with the Lord is really seen in how you love people, regardless of what you might get from them. 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:22.380 And in order to teach us that, it talks about the most marginalized people in society the widow, the orphan and the foreigner, the 00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:24.220 widow, the orphan and the foreigner. 00:33:24.300 --> 00:33:27.880 In fact, if I just read Deuteronomy, I'll skip Zechariah for time's sake. 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:34.740 But he says he defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 00:33:35.140 --> 00:33:36.780 Love those who are foreigners. 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:39.190 For you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. 00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:41.380 Here's what he's saying to Israel. 00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:44.810 To us in this verse is like, you know what it's like to not belong. 00:33:46.020 --> 00:33:48.580 Like even on a Sunday morning, we get new people walking in. 00:33:48.580 --> 00:33:53.980 And I'm glad if you're new and you're here, I'm not going to call you out directly, but I'm going to use you as an illustration for a second. 00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:54.790 So give me some grace. 00:33:55.340 --> 00:34:00.020 But when you come into a new group, like you just kind of think to yourself, like, who are these people? 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:00.980 Are they weird? 00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:02.460 Will I fit in? 00:34:02.660 --> 00:34:06.240 Like, I don't know, you kind of just you kind of scope things out. 00:34:06.280 --> 00:34:07.390 Give us the sniff test. 00:34:07.560 --> 00:34:11.659 You know, you want to know what kind of people that we are, and that's completely normal. 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:15.639 And then if you feel like, I think I can, I can belong here, then you gotta you gotta deal with. 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:15.840 Okay. 00:34:15.860 --> 00:34:16.929 What does that look like? 00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:19.409 Because I don't want to feel like an outsider within a community. 00:34:20.560 --> 00:34:21.230 I want to be a part. 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.120 And so he's helping us think. 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:25.100 Think through this. 00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:27.239 Especially with people that might find it difficult. 00:34:28.560 --> 00:34:35.600 And especially during this time period when the scriptures are written like, it's never easy to be someone that feels like an outsider in general. 00:34:35.739 --> 00:34:42.800 But during this particular time period, like, if you think about moving today, you might move somewhere like relocate completely and you're like, I am willing 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:43.449 to do that. 00:34:43.580 --> 00:34:45.590 If you just pay me the right dollar, I'll go anywhere. 00:34:46.120 --> 00:34:49.230 You pay me, you pay me, and you can send me to Antarctica. 00:34:49.300 --> 00:34:54.060 I don't care if as long as I make the right kind of money, I am willing to consider the move right. 00:34:54.100 --> 00:34:55.780 And so in our culture today, we move like that. 00:34:55.780 --> 00:35:00.780 But during this time period, that's not how things worked for you to go to a completely different culture. 00:35:02.540 --> 00:35:07.120 It was it was a falling apart from the region in which you were from. 00:35:07.900 --> 00:35:15.040 Something catastrophic tended to happen because when you went to that new culture, you were very vulnerable, especially if the people didn't 00:35:15.040 --> 00:35:15.800 receive you. 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:21.220 There's not necessarily governing laws in that land to help protect you. 00:35:21.340 --> 00:35:23.410 The people were the protectors and outsiders. 00:35:23.560 --> 00:35:26.280 They often would kick out or be ill intended towards them. 00:35:27.320 --> 00:35:31.900 And he's saying to God's people, that's not your way because everyone matters to the Lord. 00:35:33.180 --> 00:35:40.010 And so for you, it becomes this place of reflecting the gospel and your willingness to surrender your life to the benefit of others. 00:35:40.260 --> 00:35:47.380 In fact, even in revelation chapter seven, verse nine, it tells us that we're of every tribe, tongue and language before the throne of God called to worship him. 00:35:48.560 --> 00:35:53.160 God made everyone, every ethnic group unique for his purposes and to his glory. 00:35:54.240 --> 00:36:01.280 And so my willingness to be inconvenienced is also my opportunity to show the beauty of who Christ is and why he 00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:02.120 matters to me. 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:09.120 Not because I'm trying to change people, but because I want to represent the beauty of who Christ is and see how God desires to change them. 00:36:09.600 --> 00:36:17.600 Now, for some of us, let's just acknowledge and I got to do this quick, but this is not this is not easy work, because 00:36:17.600 --> 00:36:21.360 sometimes it feels like I'm doing a lot, and some days it just doesn't go far. 00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:24.880 And it reminds me of the Chinese bamboo tree. 00:36:25.980 --> 00:36:27.860 Did you ever study the Chinese bamboo? 00:36:27.900 --> 00:36:28.860 If you know anything about it. 00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:32.830 It actually takes five years for the bamboo to sprout. 00:36:33.200 --> 00:36:36.460 Well, initially, what you'll see in the first couple years is a Chinese farmer. 00:36:36.840 --> 00:36:39.660 Will, he'll he'll nurture the ground and there'll be nothing there. 00:36:39.660 --> 00:36:40.540 He'll be like, is this guy crazy? 00:36:40.820 --> 00:36:41.980 Like, it's been two years. 00:36:41.980 --> 00:36:43.380 He keeps watering this spot. 00:36:43.420 --> 00:36:45.360 And finally, about year 3 or 4, something pops up. 00:36:45.360 --> 00:36:46.660 It looks like a piece of grass. 00:36:47.520 --> 00:36:49.260 But then suddenly year five happens. 00:36:50.080 --> 00:36:50.580 And the. 00:36:50.740 --> 00:36:54.720 That Chinese bamboo will grow up to 90ft in six weeks. 00:36:55.600 --> 00:36:56.840 And it's like there seems to be nothing. 00:36:56.840 --> 00:36:58.890 But all of a sudden, this explosion. 00:37:00.160 --> 00:37:01.420 I feel like we're like. 00:37:01.660 --> 00:37:05.300 We're like in year four, week 51, in Utah. 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:06.140 It feels that way. 00:37:06.160 --> 00:37:10.880 And what the way God, God's people here are beginning to respond to who Christ is. 00:37:11.500 --> 00:37:12.370 What a beautiful opportunity. 00:37:12.500 --> 00:37:15.820 If God's people just nurture that what he can do. 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:17.400 And so let me give you this last point. 00:37:17.400 --> 00:37:19.860 Because we got to end, we have to pursue gospel renewal. 00:37:21.060 --> 00:37:23.050 You got to pursue gospel renewal. 00:37:23.100 --> 00:37:26.330 And you see this battle with this guy named Simon. 00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:33.840 I got to just read The Beginning for time, but it says now when Simon saw that the spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles hands, he offered the money, saying, give 00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:38.720 me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. 00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:42.280 If we're not careful. 00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:50.140 The world has the tendency to rob us of our joy in the Lord, and we need that gospel renewal to remind us again and again of the richness that I have in Christ to 00:37:50.140 --> 00:37:55.460 let my life be saturated in that position, because life wants to rip it away. 00:37:55.460 --> 00:37:57.840 And Simon becomes the antithesis to that right. 00:37:57.840 --> 00:38:04.960 The joy of the Lord and the way he describes it here is Simon's interested in power, 00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:07.230 not God's presence. 00:38:08.520 --> 00:38:14.570 And Simon's not so much wanting the Messiah in his life, but the methods that he sees here employed. 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:22.970 And I want us to know we have the tendency sometimes to fall into that danger that I don't necessarily want Jesus, but the things I get from Jesus. 00:38:24.220 --> 00:38:26.280 But Jesus is the prize of the Christian life. 00:38:27.060 --> 00:38:34.100 And that gospel renewal reminds us of this, that we would come back to this again, again, to be willing to be inconvenienced 00:38:34.100 --> 00:38:39.580 and take responsibility for the sake of what God has called us to in him, because it's worth it. 00:38:40.600 --> 00:38:41.480 People are worth it. 00:38:41.720 --> 00:38:42.960 That's why Jesus gave his life. 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:45.300 So let me close with this last little story here. 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:48.760 You probably know this guy Yep. 00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:51.700 I I know half of you want to break out in song right now. 00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:52.330 We're not going to do that. 00:38:52.540 --> 00:38:55.440 But I'm going to confess something. 00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:56.630 You can throw stones at me later. 00:38:56.740 --> 00:38:57.650 Wait till I'm off the stage. 00:38:57.700 --> 00:38:59.230 But when I was a kid, I did not. 00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:02.020 I did not value this guy. 00:39:02.940 --> 00:39:06.360 And the reason I didn't, I could find really little ability to connect with him. 00:39:06.500 --> 00:39:07.660 This is like I grew up. 00:39:07.660 --> 00:39:08.560 Poor kid in West Virginia. 00:39:08.560 --> 00:39:10.290 I could not connect with suburbia. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:16.400 Sweater wearing guy who got paid to play with dolls on TV that just that was not getting it done for me. 00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:16.680 Right? 00:39:16.680 --> 00:39:18.980 And I connected to Mr. 00:39:19.060 --> 00:39:20.280 T better than Mr. 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:22.630 R, that's how my upbringing was. 00:39:22.720 --> 00:39:24.200 But I will say this. 00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:26.180 I know Mr. 00:39:26.260 --> 00:39:33.840 Rogers was a professing Christian, and I think part of his faith led into how he carried himself in 00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:35.000 his television program. 00:39:35.540 --> 00:39:38.580 And one time someone asked him, how were you able to influence so many people? 00:39:39.500 --> 00:39:40.240 And Mr. 00:39:40.300 --> 00:39:41.580 Rogers responded this way. 00:39:41.580 --> 00:39:46.940 He said, I take care of the relationship first and everything else follows. 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:54.070 Can I tell you guys that's a beautiful way to live your Christian life when it comes to your walk with Jesus. 00:39:55.340 --> 00:39:56.800 You take care of that relationship first. 00:39:57.820 --> 00:40:04.880 Everything else follows when it comes to you making a difference in this world, even in the most difficult of circumstances, where you may feel like 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:12.110 the early church in Acts eight where you're just trying to survive, if you just keep loving in that relationship, being the hands and feet of Christ. 00:40:12.900 --> 00:40:14.040 The Lord takes care of the rest. 00:40:15.240 --> 00:40:17.040 How do you how do you create a movement? 00:40:18.060 --> 00:40:25.440 We all take responsibility and the willingness to be inconvenienced because of the gospel renewal that happens in our heart daily 00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:26.180 through Jesus.