WEBVTT 00:00:00.180 --> 00:00:00.200 Okay. 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:06.860 I'm going to invite you this morning to Acts chapter 22 is where we're going to be together today in Acts chapter 22. 00:00:06.920 --> 00:00:13.960 And we're actually going to pick up at the last few verses of Acts chapter 21, because the story that unfolds in Acts chapter 22 really begins at the 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:15.920 very tail end of Acts, chapter 21. 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:18.120 We're not going to be able to read all of this together. 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:25.720 We're going to I'll just allude to verse 22 to 29, but we're going to read all the way up to Acts chapter 22, verse 21 together as 00:00:25.720 --> 00:00:30.640 we just consider this particular passage of Scripture and what it means for us as believers. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:36.590 If you remember, as we've gone through the book of Acts together, we have really learned how the early church saw itself established. 00:00:36.980 --> 00:00:43.980 How in the world did the gospel go from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth, where really the entire known world, 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:51.140 the gospel, spreads among the entire known world within really the first 30 years of Christianity, the book of Acts records for 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:55.540 us the first 30 years of Christianity after the resurrection of Jesus. 00:00:55.640 --> 00:01:03.060 And it gives us kind of the thesis idea of Acts chapter in Acts chapter one, verse eight, that God calls his people to go from Jerusalem, Judea 00:01:03.060 --> 00:01:04.800 to the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:12.120 And the same, I hope you know, is true for you today, that this wasn't just something God gave to the first century church, but this is first church throughout 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:16.270 all time that God created his church for a purpose bigger than itself. 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:22.740 And as we give our lives to the Lord, as God transforms our lives, he uses us to glorify him and bless others. 00:01:22.800 --> 00:01:29.980 So as we walk with Jesus, we grow in that relationship with him, and the Lord uses us to bless others in this world. 00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:30.420 And we. 00:01:30.460 --> 00:01:32.080 We honor him as we do that. 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:39.140 And so here at Alpine Bible Church that as we find ourselves together, I hope this is a beautiful time where we're an encouragement to each 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:39.700 other. 00:01:39.780 --> 00:01:46.820 But we recognize that this gathering really is a rally cry for a beautiful story that God desires to do through us in this world as we serve 00:01:46.820 --> 00:01:47.320 him. 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:54.520 So as we surrender our lives to the Lord, what does that what does that look like for us to then take what we've received in Christ and then just 00:01:54.520 --> 00:02:01.520 honor him and the things that we do as we as we celebrate the joy of knowing Jesus today and we live 00:02:01.520 --> 00:02:02.670 for him tomorrow. 00:02:03.160 --> 00:02:09.020 And so Paul is really he's demonstrating that for us, especially here at the end of the book of Acts. 00:02:09.020 --> 00:02:13.200 If you remember, we've been following the Apostle Paul really from Acts chapter 12. 00:02:13.200 --> 00:02:18.440 His conversion was in Acts nine, but he starts to go on his missionary journeys in Acts chapter 12. 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:25.900 And up until this point, we've followed the Apostle Paul through three missionary journeys, Acts, records for us only three of his missionary journeys. 00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:27.480 We know after the Book of Acts ends. 00:02:27.920 --> 00:02:30.260 He then continues on these journeys. 00:02:30.440 --> 00:02:37.420 But the book of Acts is showing us how the gospel went from Jerusalem all the way to the capital of Rome and influenced all of the Roman Empire. 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:39.450 And so he goes to these three missionary journeys. 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:43.510 And here in Acts chapter 21, Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem. 00:02:44.640 --> 00:02:50.710 And it's when he gets to Jerusalem that he's imprisoned, and he spends the rest of his time in the book of Acts being imprisoned. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:58.360 He spends a couple of years in Israel being imprisoned, and then he spends a couple of years in Rome being in prison. 00:02:58.420 --> 00:03:00.930 But he ends the book of Acts in the imprisonment. 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:07.740 And here in this moment, we're finding the time where Paul is captured by a mob. 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:11.680 And then he's taken into custody by some some Roman soldiers. 00:03:12.420 --> 00:03:15.730 And this leads to his imprisonment, where he's going to spend the next four years. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:24.480 But Paul does something incredible here in this story that in this moment when this mob is coming against us and he's being 00:03:24.480 --> 00:03:31.700 maligned and attacked rather than react the same way, or out of all the ways we could say Paul 00:03:31.700 --> 00:03:38.080 could react, he chooses to respond for the glory of God to the benefit of others. 00:03:39.260 --> 00:03:45.120 Now, seeing Paul respond in this way, we should ask the question, what does that look like for me in my own life? 00:03:45.980 --> 00:03:53.020 Because if we're being honest, like some of us might even have a difficult time just wanting to honor the Lord, 00:03:53.260 --> 00:03:56.270 just in typical conversations of life, like we might. 00:03:56.600 --> 00:04:01.220 We might get too shy or maybe embarrassed, but regardless, we. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.920 We lack the boldness to honor Christ in the day to day, let alone when. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.140 When contentious moments arise. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.610 But here's Paul in one of the most contentious of moments. 00:04:12.620 --> 00:04:17.630 And rather than react in a way that maybe he could despair, maybe he could just quit. 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:19.079 Maybe he could get defensive. 00:04:20.440 --> 00:04:22.600 A lot of times we get attacked, we feel defensive. 00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:24.270 Or maybe we just respond in anger. 00:04:25.940 --> 00:04:28.740 He uses this moment to glorify God and bless others. 00:04:30.140 --> 00:04:35.610 How can we learn from the Apostle Paul Paul's life to respond in a in a similar way? 00:04:36.260 --> 00:04:40.100 Today we're titling the message My Story for God's Glory. 00:04:40.640 --> 00:04:47.720 And I want you to know there was a bit of this that I wrestled with because there's somewhat of a misleading idea when it comes to 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:49.900 my story for God's glory. 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:55.940 And that when you see it as you just simply representing your story on behalf of the Lord. 00:04:56.080 --> 00:05:03.200 It's putting a lot of attention on yourself, and part of the struggle we have as people to really honor God in any situation in life, 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:05.980 is that we already have too much attention on ourselves. 00:05:07.080 --> 00:05:10.600 When we share our story for God's glory, it's we. 00:05:10.820 --> 00:05:18.000 We step in it more boldly, more bravely when we recognize that it's really not about my story, but it's about 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:20.060 God writing his story in me. 00:05:20.760 --> 00:05:22.960 And so I'm not really putting the attention on me. 00:05:23.580 --> 00:05:26.400 I'm putting the attention on God and the beautiful work he's done in me. 00:05:27.340 --> 00:05:34.700 And anytime we learn how to better take the attention off ourselves in order to put it on God, I think it emboldens us to represent him 00:05:34.700 --> 00:05:42.060 and in a more powerful way, and also and emboldens us to represent him in a more genuine way as 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:44.220 we talk about representing the Lord. 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:51.540 I think one of the things that I really want us to take away from this is, we realize, I think we should realize if you've walked with Jesus 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:56.730 any amount of time, that the beautiful work God does in you, he wants to do through you in the hearts of other people too. 00:05:57.340 --> 00:06:00.660 And he wants to use you as the catalyst or the conduit for that. 00:06:01.460 --> 00:06:08.760 That is, as the beautiful work of God's done in your life, that you get to become this point place where other people can see how Jesus can 00:06:08.760 --> 00:06:12.210 transform people by seeing how your life has been transformed. 00:06:13.460 --> 00:06:20.520 And when you have a genuine walk with Jesus, it becomes more endearing when you share it with others because you're sharing it 00:06:20.520 --> 00:06:27.780 from this genuine place, not this place where I feel obligated to have to share it, but rather, I realize what Jesus 00:06:27.780 --> 00:06:30.080 has done in my heart and in my life. 00:06:30.580 --> 00:06:37.740 And so I'm just naturally sharing it because it's a part of who I am, and it's really not putting the attention on me, but putting 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:40.320 the attention on God who's working in me. 00:06:41.080 --> 00:06:42.220 And so what does that look like? 00:06:42.280 --> 00:06:43.680 My story for God's glory. 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:46.200 Let me give you point number one, and we'll start to read this passage together. 00:06:46.400 --> 00:06:48.700 And I got to move pretty quick through this today. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:53.000 But number one is this start with courage and connection. 00:06:53.840 --> 00:06:56.600 Start with courage and connection. 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:57.720 And Paul does both of these things. 00:06:57.820 --> 00:07:04.860 I would say even with that connection, it's a place of compassion where Paul rises above the circumstance, not not reacting out of anger towards 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:07.510 the other people, not getting defensive in and of himself. 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:15.120 But he's making this connection because he has compassion for people, because he knows what God's done for him and where God met him, how he was adverse 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:16.650 to who Jesus was. 00:07:16.780 --> 00:07:18.560 God radically transforms him. 00:07:18.640 --> 00:07:24.220 And now he's looking at people who are reacting towards him the same way he reacted before he knew the Lord. 00:07:24.820 --> 00:07:28.970 And so it says to you in Acts chapter 21, as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks. 00:07:29.580 --> 00:07:34.280 So if you remember, he was in the temple, a mob rises up and wants to kill him. 00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:41.300 And some Roman soldiers see this, and they come down to his rescue and they bring him up from there, and it says he's about to be brought 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:42.140 into their barracks. 00:07:42.660 --> 00:07:45.960 He said to the Tribune, May I say something to you? 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.640 And the leader said to him, do you know Greek? 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:50.530 Are you not the Egyptian? 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:54.120 Then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led 4000 men to. 00:07:54.200 --> 00:07:56.050 Of the assassins out into the wilderness? 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:03.720 Let me just say, just recently in history, there was an Egyptian who went to Jerusalem who led a revolt, got the Jewish people to uprise, and 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:04.760 they attacked Rome. 00:08:04.780 --> 00:08:06.770 They attacked the Roman leadership that was there. 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:13.990 And so now this individual leading the Tribune, these Roman soldiers think that this Egyptian has returned. 00:08:14.300 --> 00:08:21.900 And when this Egyptian originally came up and led this revolt, it led in the death of hundreds of people and the capture of hundreds more. 00:08:21.980 --> 00:08:23.720 But this Egyptian got away. 00:08:24.200 --> 00:08:28.600 And so this individual, this Roman leader, thinks that this person has returned. 00:08:28.840 --> 00:08:33.570 So now that he's captured Paul, he's he thinks in his mind this is probably who the apostle Paul is. 00:08:33.880 --> 00:08:40.580 But now that the Apostle Paul is speaking to him in Greek, this individual would have known that the Egyptian would have spoken in Aramaic. 00:08:40.659 --> 00:08:44.680 So this is this is not that person he thought he was because Paul speaking to him in Greek. 00:08:45.180 --> 00:08:47.200 And so he asked him, May I respond to the crowd? 00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:48.440 And he gives him the opportunity. 00:08:48.700 --> 00:08:53.020 In verse 39, Paul replied, I'm a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. 00:08:53.060 --> 00:08:53.620 I'm not that Egyptian. 00:08:53.900 --> 00:08:56.400 He's saying, a citizen of no obscure city. 00:08:56.400 --> 00:08:58.800 I beg you, permit me to speak to the people. 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:05.980 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people, and there was a great hush. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:10.000 I wish I knew exactly how Paul motioned here like this would have. 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:11.840 This should be the art of every teacher. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:12.600 He gets. 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:13.580 Your unruly class. 00:09:13.580 --> 00:09:17.940 You're like, silence, children, try to gather that classroom again. 00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:21.460 There's a couple of ideas of what Paul would have done here in his time of day. 00:09:21.520 --> 00:09:29.100 Anytime a public communicator was about to orate something that people should know, he would either raise his hand or they think maybe broadly 00:09:29.380 --> 00:09:33.920 brush the crowd this way to say he's about to speak, to recognize it. 00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:36.770 And likely Paul probably would have done one of those things. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:44.240 It says, and there was a great hush, and he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying, brothers and fathers, 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:44.860 hear the Here. 00:09:44.860 --> 00:09:46.560 The defense that I now make before you. 00:09:46.760 --> 00:09:51.920 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. 00:09:51.940 --> 00:09:59.120 And he said, and we'll talk about what he said in just a moment, but I want you to see that Paul, he responds here with 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:00.940 incredible courage. 00:10:00.940 --> 00:10:03.820 I mean, on one hand, he's got a mob that wants to kill him. 00:10:03.880 --> 00:10:11.400 It tells you in Acts chapter Acts chapter 22, verses 22 to 29, there's a mob that wants to kill him and 00:10:11.400 --> 00:10:14.460 not understanding why this mob wants to kill him. 00:10:14.560 --> 00:10:16.880 The Roman soldiers want to flog him. 00:10:17.060 --> 00:10:22.460 In fact, it goes on through that passage, verse 22 to 29, where the Paul tells the Roman soldiers, he's a Roman citizen. 00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:24.350 You can't just flog a Roman citizen. 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:26.620 You have to go through due process to find him guilty. 00:10:27.420 --> 00:10:27.980 The. 00:10:28.160 --> 00:10:29.560 The Roman soldiers are amazed. 00:10:29.560 --> 00:10:30.290 He's a citizen. 00:10:30.300 --> 00:10:34.150 They want to know how he got his citizenship, because that's a prestigious thing in the Roman Empire. 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:36.400 And so there's this discussion. 00:10:36.400 --> 00:10:40.510 But on either side, Paul's got a group that wants to kill him and a group that wants to flog him. 00:10:40.880 --> 00:10:47.970 And Paul, an incredible Courage turns and responds to the crowd to connect with them with a heart of compassion. 00:10:49.260 --> 00:10:50.260 How does he do that? 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:57.640 Guys, can I tell you, the only way that truly happens is incredible confidence in your own identity in the Lord. 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:06.020 So much so that when other people are attacking you, that you don't wear that personally because you already know who you are, because you know who 00:11:06.020 --> 00:11:07.000 you are in Christ. 00:11:07.820 --> 00:11:11.470 It's different than what our culture tells us in terms of how you find courage. 00:11:11.580 --> 00:11:18.800 Because in a humanistic way, the way our culture and other cultures will commonly say to it is, you can do it, just believe in 00:11:18.800 --> 00:11:26.020 you, look deeper in you, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and for like five seconds in different points of life that 00:11:26.020 --> 00:11:26.540 works. 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:33.780 But what you find eventually is that you come to the end of yourself and you don't possess all that you need to do what God has created 00:11:33.780 --> 00:11:37.200 you for, really, to live the kind of life that God has created you for. 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:38.420 It takes a supernatural power. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:42.750 And so the only way you discover that honestly is in the Lord. 00:11:43.540 --> 00:11:50.110 I can think in times of my life, I was a kind of a punk kid, and there were times in my life where I learned some humility. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:57.600 I mean, the earliest memory I was trying to think about this as a kid, like the earliest memory I have, where I just came to the end of myself really quick was when 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.020 I was ten years old. 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:05.560 My parents had purchased a trampoline for my siblings and I and my cousins. 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:10.240 We would all play in the back of our yard and I remember I was the oldest of my cousins. 00:12:10.260 --> 00:12:12.180 So it was my job to always play that game. 00:12:12.180 --> 00:12:19.780 You ever play Crack the Egg as a kid where it's I don't know, many parents today are like, you need a helmet and, but 00:12:19.780 --> 00:12:21.240 back then it didn't matter. 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:23.530 He just we didn't have nets around the trampoline. 00:12:23.640 --> 00:12:24.600 You just did it right. 00:12:24.780 --> 00:12:25.760 You just crack the egg. 00:12:25.980 --> 00:12:31.120 And I remember bouncing all my cousins and I, to be honest, I always saw it as a great delight to torture them. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.800 And so I didn't care about just cracking the egg. 00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:36.670 I wanted to see how high I could get that egg to launch. 00:12:37.180 --> 00:12:40.520 So it was me that was typically the one that was bouncing all of my cousins. 00:12:40.760 --> 00:12:45.500 And you know, I would get them so high that they would just panic and scream and lose their mind. 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:49.830 And I remember I would always just chuckle and laugh so loud, not just with them, but at them. 00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:55.340 And this one particular time, I remember my mouth was just wide open and I'm like, ha ha, belly laughing. 00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:57.200 Like just extreme laughing. 00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:03.340 And at that particular moment, I realized that the only thing that my cousins weren't the only thing that I had bounced. 00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:07.080 Also, there happened to be the largest ant on planet earth. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:13.900 I felt like that was in the air, and I didn't realize it was in the air until it was about about two inches from my mouth. 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:15.640 And my mouth is so wide. 00:13:15.640 --> 00:13:22.680 I'm laughing so loud that ant went straight down my throat and it grabbed a hold of that dangly thing in the back of your 00:13:22.680 --> 00:13:23.180 throat. 00:13:23.800 --> 00:13:24.700 And I was a kid. 00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:27.170 Like I get bit by a mosquito stung by a bee. 00:13:27.400 --> 00:13:28.830 You instantly swell. 00:13:28.920 --> 00:13:32.570 And all I could think about in this moment is, oh my gosh, I'm going to die. 00:13:32.880 --> 00:13:36.740 Like I got an ant on my dangly thing and I don't know what to do. 00:13:36.800 --> 00:13:38.990 And I can just picture in my mind is going to swell. 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:39.860 I'm going to stop breathing. 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:40.820 This is it. 00:13:40.860 --> 00:13:47.150 So like we go from this place of laughter and then all of a sudden I'm just dead serious and I run in a panic into the house. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.340 Now, you know how the story goes. 00:13:49.380 --> 00:13:50.460 I didn't die, right? 00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:54.530 Like, and fortunately, nothing swelled so much that it just closed my throat off. 00:13:54.700 --> 00:13:58.250 And it took some creative moments to figure out how to get in and out of the back of your throat. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:05.800 But any given moment in life, if you said to me, do you have the courage to take on an ant, I would have been like, of course, like me versus I win 00:14:05.800 --> 00:14:06.860 that every time. 00:14:07.160 --> 00:14:11.880 And then I found out there's possibly one scenario where that just doesn't work out, right? 00:14:12.020 --> 00:14:13.640 And it's the same for all of us. 00:14:13.640 --> 00:14:20.820 Like, yeah, you can find some temporal courage and certain things you do in life, but then there becomes moments where you realize, man, I may not have 00:14:20.820 --> 00:14:21.360 it in me. 00:14:21.980 --> 00:14:25.870 I mean, even yesterday I decided I don't know what I was thinking, not in my right mind. 00:14:26.040 --> 00:14:27.420 I needed to jog six miles. 00:14:27.420 --> 00:14:29.640 So I did that yesterday at five. 00:14:29.640 --> 00:14:31.320 Yeah, I used that to soft brag for a minute. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:32.220 But don't worry. 00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:33.800 It gets gets worse from there. 00:14:34.380 --> 00:14:41.520 At about five and a half miles into my run, there is a bulldog that decides that it really likes the look of my chicken 00:14:41.520 --> 00:14:43.880 legs, and it's not chained. 00:14:44.280 --> 00:14:51.580 And at that exact moment, there's a part of you when you catch a bulldog running behind you at the corner of your eye, you realize, 00:14:51.680 --> 00:14:52.340 oh, this is it. 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:55.800 I just, after running that much, I don't have anything in me. 00:14:55.880 --> 00:15:02.660 But just seeing that last minute, I don't know what happened, but I learned I had abilities that I thought left me in my 20s. 00:15:02.660 --> 00:15:03.160 Right? 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:11.080 I there was a car that pulls up at a stop sign as I'm crossing the street behind it, and at the same time that bulldog comes behind 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:12.720 me to eat me. 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:16.800 And after running five and a half miles, you would think to yourself, I don't have it in me anymore. 00:15:17.660 --> 00:15:24.680 But I managed to jump on the back of that car, and that bulldog just kind of skated past me, and 00:15:24.680 --> 00:15:26.760 then it turned at me, and I'm looking at it. 00:15:26.900 --> 00:15:31.260 It was looking at me, and we're determining how we're measuring one another up over who's about to die here. 00:15:31.400 --> 00:15:35.210 Fortunately, the owner showed up in that moment and nobody, nobody had to die. 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:40.860 But those temporal moments, like you maybe for a moment find the courage. 00:15:42.060 --> 00:15:42.220 But. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:46.060 But eventually in life, you're going to realize I don't have everything that it takes. 00:15:48.040 --> 00:15:49.400 Just trusting in me. 00:15:49.400 --> 00:15:56.560 If Paul, in this moment where he's being attacked, is trusting in himself, we know the reaction Paul would have because we've all had it. 00:15:57.040 --> 00:15:57.700 Despair. 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:00.980 Anger, defensive. 00:16:01.560 --> 00:16:03.900 That's what comes in us when we're depending on us. 00:16:04.740 --> 00:16:05.990 But that's not the way Paul responds. 00:16:07.380 --> 00:16:10.020 And it's teaching us that he's depending on something greater. 00:16:10.020 --> 00:16:13.140 He's finding his courage in something more powerful. 00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:16.720 And what we know with the apostle Paul is it's the Lord. 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:24.300 Because what Paul discovered is the promises of God and the presence of God wherever he went. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:31.560 And he knew his God was faithful so that no matter what he went through, he knew there was a God who went before him and a 00:16:31.560 --> 00:16:39.080 God who walks with him and rather than react, he's able to respond with incredible boldness and 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:39.820 boldness. 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:40.060 Get. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:42.180 This doesn't necessarily mean you're loud. 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:47.120 Boldness can be this quiet confidence because you know who you are. 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:53.280 And when we think about representing the Lord in this world, it starts with this place of courage in that way. 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:54.330 And this is what Paul does. 00:16:54.520 --> 00:16:57.720 And so he reacts in that courage. 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:00.600 And by the way, let me just throw a couple verses out for you. 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:07.920 Like you see this throughout the scriptures that when it comes to anyone representing the Lord, the place that they rest themselves, 00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:11.480 no matter how difficult the day might be, is who the Lord is. 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.010 And if I just three verses up here, these are in your notes. 00:17:14.040 --> 00:17:16.980 If I just gave you one for time's sake, let's say the bottom here. 00:17:16.980 --> 00:17:17.880 Psalm 27. 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:19.200 The Lord is my light and my salvation. 00:17:19.780 --> 00:17:20.819 Whom shall I fear? 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:22.359 The Lord is the stronghold of my life. 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:23.540 Of whom shall I be afraid? 00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:28.319 It's like no matter what life brings to me, I've got the trump card. 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:29.380 I know what's greater. 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:34.120 It's the Lord and his strength, his courage, his presence, his promises. 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:38.060 It's not about me impressing people with who I am, but. 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:41.820 But it's about recognizing the greatness of who God is wherever, wherever I go. 00:17:41.820 --> 00:17:45.640 And Paul, he responds this way with courage and conviction. 00:17:46.320 --> 00:17:51.580 I mean, it tells you in this passage that he speaks calmly, though, that one group wants to kill him. 00:17:51.580 --> 00:17:52.640 The other one wants to flog him. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.420 He turns to the leader of the Roman soldiers and says, can I address them? 00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:58.000 And he says that in Greek. 00:17:58.020 --> 00:18:01.400 And then he turns to the group and it tells you he speaks to them in the Hebrew language. 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:08.980 I think it's better translated as the language of the Hebrews, because at this particular point in the in the Jewish people's lives, they're not regularly 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:12.660 speaking Hebrew, they're regularly speaking Aramaic. 00:18:12.740 --> 00:18:14.480 This is likely what Jesus taught in. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.320 He predominantly taught in Aramaic. 00:18:16.340 --> 00:18:18.860 Hebrew was still important because their scriptures were written in it. 00:18:18.860 --> 00:18:21.960 So it was considered their religious language, but the common trade language. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:26.630 Because of the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish people went to Aramaic had dominated the day. 00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:29.560 And so Paul is likely speaking to them in this language. 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:30.350 So here's a guy. 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:35.860 He's just wanting to connect with him, and he relates to them as being a fellow Jew, brothers and fathers. 00:18:36.840 --> 00:18:38.600 So here's Paul. 00:18:38.600 --> 00:18:42.800 Even though he's being treated poorly, he still respects them. 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:44.720 He still speaks boldly. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:49.000 He still seeks a way to identify with them and connect to them. 00:18:49.020 --> 00:18:51.040 So point number one, start with courage and connection. 00:18:51.100 --> 00:18:53.680 Please know that it's not by putting attention on you, but on the Lord. 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:54.920 That's where courage comes from. 00:18:55.100 --> 00:18:59.910 Number two is share your past honestly, share your past honestly. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:00.960 And this is what Paul does. 00:19:02.020 --> 00:19:07.470 And so when you think about just sharing what God's done in your life, we call this testifying or sharing a testimony. 00:19:07.620 --> 00:19:08.270 How do I do that? 00:19:08.780 --> 00:19:13.880 Well, in order for people to see the need for Jesus in their life, they got to understand why they have that need. 00:19:14.940 --> 00:19:16.540 And Paul talks about his past life. 00:19:16.540 --> 00:19:23.950 He says, I'm a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in the city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:28.900 according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as. 00:19:29.060 --> 00:19:33.800 As all of you are to this day, I persecuted the way to the death. 00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:34.140 So. 00:19:34.280 --> 00:19:36.980 So here's what Paul saying is like, you guys think you're Jewish. 00:19:36.980 --> 00:19:37.680 I'm Jewish. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:39.140 Like we are related. 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:40.220 I'm the most Jewish. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.340 And Paul shares, the path that he followed. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:43.630 He's the Hebrew of Hebrews. 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:49.940 He says in the book of Philippians chapter three, but then he says, I want you to understand how extreme I went with this. 00:19:50.320 --> 00:19:53.230 I persecuted the way to the death, binding them and delivering them to prison. 00:19:53.520 --> 00:20:00.720 Both men and women, as the high priest and the Council of Elders can bear witness of me from them I receive 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:05.200 letters to the brothers, and I journeyed towards Damascus to take those. 00:20:05.340 --> 00:20:06.960 And who were there and. 00:20:07.060 --> 00:20:09.520 And bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. 00:20:10.620 --> 00:20:17.700 And Paul saying, I was so devout, I was so enamored by this, that I had this sincerity that drove me to the point that I was willing 00:20:17.700 --> 00:20:20.400 to kill people for it and imprison people for it. 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:24.850 Like he's looking at this crowd saying, I get where you're coming from because I was there. 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:30.240 And he recognizes just how far he was willing to walk that road. 00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:38.100 Now, when it comes to us sharing about our past, honestly, I want you to know there's a way you can do this well and a way you can do 00:20:38.100 --> 00:20:38.660 this poorly. 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:47.340 The way you can do this well is just to recognize that you're not above anyone else that you needed Jesus, just like everyone else needs 00:20:47.340 --> 00:20:47.900 Jesus. 00:20:48.840 --> 00:20:55.980 The way you can do this poorly is you talk about your the details of your past so much that people start to think you might try. 00:20:56.040 --> 00:21:01.270 You might be trying to glorify your sin rather than honor the Christ who rescues you. 00:21:01.560 --> 00:21:01.780 Right? 00:21:01.780 --> 00:21:04.420 So this is not an opportunity to say, oh, I was a terrible person. 00:21:05.020 --> 00:21:07.720 Let me get into every detail of every bad thing I've done right? 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:12.860 That's not what you are called to do as God's people, but to recognize we all have need. 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:16.920 And I understand where you're at because I've, I've, I've, I've been there too. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:22.540 And only by God's grace have I ever have I been able to find a different path in life. 00:21:23.340 --> 00:21:30.680 And this is one of the beautiful things about coming to know Jesus is realized that it's not about you coming to know Jesus, but Jesus coming for you. 00:21:31.520 --> 00:21:38.270 You know, Paul's story is about Jesus meeting him, and the gospel message is about God pursuing us in our sins. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.140 Like we don't do things to avail ourselves to God. 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:44.910 What can we offer in our sinfulness that God can't already do for himself? 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:51.360 But it's realized how gracious God is that he wouldn't give up on us and still pursue us to give us his life. 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:55.380 It's not about me making myself so lovable that God just couldn't turn me down. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:00.750 It's about understanding the depth of God's love and the way he pursued me and my sin. 00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:03.860 And so Paul is acknowledging this. 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:04.880 He's sharing his past honestly. 00:22:05.360 --> 00:22:06.970 And then let me move on. 00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:10.140 He explains, let me say it this way. 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:11.660 Explain your encounter with Christ. 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:12.500 And this is what Paul does. 00:22:12.840 --> 00:22:19.980 He talks about the way he came to know this Jesus and in the midst of his of his life that was opposite to him, to the point that he was even 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:21.410 killing God's people. 00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:29.050 In verse six, I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, talking about on his journey to imprison Christians. 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:37.020 About noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:38.880 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:40.920 And I answered, who are you, Lord? 00:22:41.320 --> 00:22:45.020 And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:50.960 Now those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:53.220 And I said, what shall I do, Lord? 00:22:53.600 --> 00:22:56.110 And the Lord said to me, arise, and go into Damascus. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:22:59.980 And there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do. 00:23:00.060 --> 00:23:06.750 And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those who were with me and came into Damascus. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:15.100 Now Paul is about to point to Jesus in all of this, but I want you to recognize that Paul's been brought to this place of humility, 00:23:16.280 --> 00:23:18.390 and the gospel does this in a wonderful way. 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:24.060 The gospel is got to bring you to the place of utter humility, the end of yourself. 00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:31.820 But at the same time, the gospel is incredibly empowering in the way that it lifts you up in all that you are in Christ because of what Christ 00:23:31.820 --> 00:23:33.030 has done to you. 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:39.100 It brings you to this place of brokenness and realize before a holy God, you're sinful and you need forgiveness. 00:23:39.820 --> 00:23:46.120 But God also not only forgives you, but he gives you a future and a hope in who he is, this brand new identity. 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:49.080 So it's humbling and empowering altogether. 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:53.330 And Paul's saying to us in the beginning as he's sharing this gospel, he had that humbling moment. 00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:54.770 He thought he was great. 00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:58.270 He thought in his own power he was going to end this problem with these Christians. 00:23:58.800 --> 00:24:02.030 But he's brought to this place of weakness to the point he can't even see. 00:24:02.060 --> 00:24:03.250 He's dependent on other people. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:11.740 And as Paul is sharing this story, he tells us a couple of things that I think are important to highlight for us as we think about how we talk about the Lord 00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:12.540 with others. 00:24:12.560 --> 00:24:19.740 And it's in verse seven and again in verse eight, as Jesus identifies himself as Paul saying this 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:22.880 one thing he's certainly teaching us is the power of the resurrection. 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:25.300 And some people know Jesus was crucified. 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:33.340 But not only was Jesus crucified by without even saying the word resurrection, Jesus or excuse me, Paul is telling us that Jesus still lives, 00:24:33.360 --> 00:24:36.030 rules and reigns as. 00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:38.420 As he had his own encounter with who Christ is. 00:24:39.120 --> 00:24:40.440 And even more than that. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:48.200 You see the interest of Jesus as he's talking to the Apostle Paul, and I find this incredibly enriching 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:54.290 for me as a follower of Christ and an even emboldening for me in living for Jesus in this world. 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:57.450 And that is seeing how Jesus views his church. 00:24:58.600 --> 00:25:04.370 When he says to Paul, he says to him, at this time, he's called Saul, but Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:13.160 What Jesus is actually saying is Jesus sees what's happening to his people, and 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:20.360 he cares so deeply about his people that the way that they're treated, he sees as an affront even 00:25:20.360 --> 00:25:23.800 to himself, that Jesus receives that personally. 00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:26.980 It's not, oh, you're attacking my people, Paul. 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:30.030 It's you're attacking me by attacking my people. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:34.780 And so I think this is critical for all of us to think about in your own relationship with the Lord. 00:25:35.640 --> 00:25:37.240 Like, how much does Jesus love you? 00:25:38.120 --> 00:25:42.970 So much so that the pain that you go through, Jesus wears it as if it is his own pain. 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:47.320 Jesus deeply cares for you and cares about you. 00:25:48.120 --> 00:25:55.220 And even as you think about your journey in life and all the adversity and all the successes that might come along with it, when you're walking a hard 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:58.260 road, Jesus wears that with you. 00:25:58.260 --> 00:26:00.240 Jesus cares about you in that way. 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:07.460 And so this is a very sobering moment for Paul, that he's not just attacking people, he's attacking the Lord himself. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:15.720 But then Paul discovers in these in verse 12, it says, and one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, 00:26:15.740 --> 00:26:22.740 well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight not this very 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:25.380 hour I received my sight, and Saul and he. 00:26:25.500 --> 00:26:32.520 And he said, The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the righteous, the righteous one, and to hear a voice 00:26:32.520 --> 00:26:33.760 from his mouth. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:35.900 For you will be a witness for him. 00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:38.460 To everyone of what you have seen and heard. 00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:39.720 And now why do you? 00:26:39.860 --> 00:26:40.410 Why do you wait? 00:26:40.940 --> 00:26:44.120 Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins. 00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:45.290 Calling on his name. 00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:48.520 There's a couple things I want to highlight here. 00:26:48.560 --> 00:26:52.160 He's definitely bringing it to a place to say, look, we need Jesus. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:52.640 And. 00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:54.580 And here was the moment I came to know Jesus. 00:26:54.760 --> 00:26:56.380 And I would say the same for all of us. 00:26:57.460 --> 00:27:04.460 Are we all we all need that place where we can look back on our life and say, out of all the things my life could have been about here 00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:10.480 came the moment that defined everything that I would be as a human being, everything that I would live for. 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:18.520 It was rooted in my identity in Jesus and guys for all of us to come to know Christ, we all have to come to this place 00:27:18.520 --> 00:27:22.710 where we're humbled before the cross of Christ and we call out to God for salvation. 00:27:23.800 --> 00:27:26.140 Now, for some of us, we might be able to point it to a specific moment. 00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:31.620 For others, we just know at some point I, I, my life became about that. 00:27:31.620 --> 00:27:32.620 I surrender to that. 00:27:32.620 --> 00:27:39.780 Maybe it doesn't come to a specific spot, but there is this time, this place in our lives where we came and to 00:27:39.780 --> 00:27:44.140 a moment where we trusted in Christ and what he did for us. 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:51.240 And this is critical for us to consider because the Bible tells us sometimes people might assume, I just have known the 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:51.880 Lord forever. 00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:53.200 I've always belonged to the Lord. 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:54.990 And I want you to know that's not what the Bible says. 00:27:56.560 --> 00:28:03.720 In fact, in John chapter one verse 12 to 14, it very clearly says to as many as received 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:07.380 him, to those he gave the right to become the children of God. 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:10.980 Meaning just because you're born doesn't make you a child of God. 00:28:11.060 --> 00:28:18.240 In fact, when you're born, the Bible tells you you're not a child of God, but rather you're a child of wrath, meaning you're under the judgment of God, 00:28:18.280 --> 00:28:22.340 because we're all born sinful as human beings, and we choose sinful things. 00:28:23.460 --> 00:28:27.600 But if we want to become a child of God, God gives us all the opportunity to do that. 00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:32.840 That's why Romans chapter eight tells you that you have been received or adopted to him. 00:28:32.840 --> 00:28:35.200 If you belong to Jesus, right? 00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:37.080 There's this adoption that takes place in our life. 00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:39.670 And the reason we're able to have that is because the cross of Christ. 00:28:40.360 --> 00:28:42.080 So it becomes a place in our life where we. 00:28:42.280 --> 00:28:48.580 We turn from anything else and say, Lord, I'm a sinner, but Lord, you pursued me and you gave your life for me. 00:28:48.580 --> 00:28:50.120 So forgive me of my sins. 00:28:50.280 --> 00:28:51.320 Give me new life in you. 00:28:51.340 --> 00:28:53.550 And the Bible says, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:28:54.440 --> 00:28:57.860 You don't add into to anything that Jesus has done for you on the cross. 00:28:57.880 --> 00:28:59.860 You receive what Christ has already done for you. 00:28:59.860 --> 00:29:01.370 That's why the Bible refers to this as grace. 00:29:01.940 --> 00:29:08.320 To try to add to that as an insult, to add, to add religion on top of that, as an insult to what Jesus accomplished to you. 00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:09.800 As believers, we receive. 00:29:10.100 --> 00:29:14.300 And then we respond joyfully in everything we do as we serve the Lord in this world. 00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:19.160 But it's not to earn, but it's to be given what Christ has given to us. 00:29:20.060 --> 00:29:27.100 As Paul is saying this, I love that he talks about Ananias because he's recognizing that one of the, one of the most powerful ways and beautiful ways God works 00:29:27.100 --> 00:29:32.680 is through his people, that God wants to use you as a conduit in this world to honor him. 00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:34.560 And for Paul, it was Ananias. 00:29:34.820 --> 00:29:38.800 And if you remember anything about Ananias, Ananias was reluctant to go to Paul. 00:29:39.520 --> 00:29:40.580 And he's like, are you kidding me? 00:29:40.580 --> 00:29:41.660 God, he's killing people. 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:42.820 Don't you know who this God is? 00:29:42.820 --> 00:29:43.640 This guy is. 00:29:43.640 --> 00:29:45.100 I'm not going to him. 00:29:45.560 --> 00:29:53.220 But here you see a man incredibly emboldened for the Lord and still ministers to the apostle Paul and Ananias. 00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:53.320 He. 00:29:53.840 --> 00:29:55.080 He sees this radical transformation. 00:29:55.320 --> 00:30:02.460 When I when I think about my own life, like what it took for me to come to know Jesus, I was a pretty stubborn, broken individual, 00:30:02.540 --> 00:30:05.640 hard hearted, living for this world and in my life. 00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:06.420 I can think back. 00:30:06.420 --> 00:30:08.280 There was a guy in the military. 00:30:09.100 --> 00:30:14.070 There was the chief of police in my city and a pastor in my hometown. 00:30:14.120 --> 00:30:20.600 All three of those speaking into my life about the goodness of who Christ was and being patient with me. 00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:25.890 Because if you had seen me before Jesus, you would have said let's, let's try someone easier. 00:30:26.660 --> 00:30:33.620 Like we, there's got to be a lot of other people in this world that probably need Jesus or will listen about the Lord before this guy. 00:30:33.780 --> 00:30:41.040 And it took time, but their patience in Christ and example helped me come to know the Lord conduits for his glory. 00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:43.120 And it's the same for you. 00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:45.620 Just think of the opportunity is to come to the Lord. 00:30:46.300 --> 00:30:47.650 And Paul talks about this. 00:30:47.900 --> 00:30:52.820 And when he shares this message that was given to him by Ananias, Ananias says, why do you wait? 00:30:53.340 --> 00:30:56.810 Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. 00:30:57.480 --> 00:31:04.600 I've, I've talked about this extensively, this phrase in Acts, when it comes to the idea of baptism, one of the things I think 00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:10.140 is important for you to know and remember is that when the Bible talks about baptism, there's a few different types of baptism. 00:31:11.520 --> 00:31:11.760 The Bible talks about one. 00:31:11.760 --> 00:31:16.450 One big type of baptism is water baptism that we're familiar with, and the other is a spirit baptism. 00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:24.720 In Luke three, when John the Baptist was baptizing people, he said, I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I, that 00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:30.530 I, excuse me, is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:32.760 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:35.380 Now some of you might be wondering, what is that fire? 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.780 Because when I got baptized, I don't remember anybody lighting me on fire. 00:31:39.060 --> 00:31:46.160 But if you read the next verse, it's a fire of judgment saying, Because of Christ and His forgiveness, you're judged in the righteousness 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.640 of Jesus Christ and you're preserved. 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:52.320 And so this Holy Spirit baptism is different than water baptism. 00:31:53.520 --> 00:32:00.540 And when we read the New Testament, what we discover is like when the Bible talks about a Holy Spirit baptism, it's talking about you being indwelt by the 00:32:00.540 --> 00:32:03.540 Spirit of God, God being in you. 00:32:03.600 --> 00:32:10.820 And this is critical as a believer to understand because for us, what this means is wherever you go as a believer, you're a walking 00:32:10.820 --> 00:32:11.600 temple. 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:19.430 The presence of God goes with you because the Spirit of God indwells you and you have a relationship with Jesus forever. 00:32:19.800 --> 00:32:22.640 You don't have to wait until you're in heaven to have a relationship with God. 00:32:22.760 --> 00:32:23.360 Eternity. 00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:25.900 Your relationship with God starts the moment you trust in Jesus. 00:32:26.120 --> 00:32:27.470 You're indwelt by the spirit. 00:32:27.800 --> 00:32:35.160 In fact, first Corinthians chapter 12, verse 13 says, all are baptized into one body or Ephesians chapter four, verse five, 00:32:35.160 --> 00:32:37.800 there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. 00:32:38.620 --> 00:32:38.760 Right? 00:32:38.760 --> 00:32:43.020 So the minute you trust in Christ, everyone in Jesus is baptized in the Spirit of God. 00:32:43.140 --> 00:32:46.500 This is why as Christians, we don't build temples because we are the temple. 00:32:47.080 --> 00:32:50.760 And wherever we gather, the presence of God has made known in us. 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:58.660 And so when Paul is in this particular passage, when it talks about baptism, one of the things I think is important to recognize is it is talking about water 00:32:58.660 --> 00:32:59.000 baptism. 00:32:59.300 --> 00:33:01.280 Here he's saying, rise and be baptized. 00:33:01.540 --> 00:33:08.740 And here's why in the early church, and this would be true today when you come to know Jesus spiritually, you're spiritually baptized. 00:33:09.060 --> 00:33:16.640 You would immediately follow that up with water baptism, because water baptism is this public profession to the world that you've trusted in Jesus. 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.310 And it works like this. 00:33:18.780 --> 00:33:25.800 Jesus publicly professed his life for you, and so now you have the opportunity to publicly profess your life in 00:33:25.800 --> 00:33:32.860 him, that as Jesus has given you new life spiritually, you're proclaiming that through the physical that I 00:33:32.860 --> 00:33:36.930 am now being baptized, symbolizing what I've received in Jesus. 00:33:37.460 --> 00:33:42.560 And so Paul is saying, this becomes a marker for us and recognizing the goodness of who God is. 00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:47.440 As we've been baptized spiritually, we get baptized in Christ physically. 00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:51.660 So we explain that encounter with Christ. 00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:58.960 And then finally in your notes, last point is this end with purpose and mission, end 00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:00.140 with purpose and mission. 00:34:02.180 --> 00:34:05.610 And God created his church for a purpose greater than ourselves. 00:34:05.800 --> 00:34:05.940 Right? 00:34:07.120 --> 00:34:09.620 And in thinking about going in this world, how do I do that? 00:34:10.440 --> 00:34:11.560 Because I don't feel like I'm a professional. 00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:17.860 You know, I'm not a pastor, but God wants to use all of us just to share the beautiful work he's done in us. 00:34:17.860 --> 00:34:19.260 It's not about pointing to me. 00:34:19.260 --> 00:34:21.340 It's about pointing to Him and His grace in our lives. 00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:29.679 And so we do this boldly and with courage, seeking to connect with people, not because we're better than, but we highlight, where 00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:36.880 we've been without Jesus, but who we are now because of Jesus and what how 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:41.780 God has made my life different, what my life looks like now because I know Jesus. 00:34:42.900 --> 00:34:49.920 And Paul ends this by sharing that purpose and mission, he says, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:56.500 So this is he's talking about immediately after he was converted, he went back to Jerusalem and he falls into this trance. 00:34:56.500 --> 00:35:03.000 And it says, and I saw him saying to me, make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me. 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:10.100 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that in synagogues and after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed 00:35:10.100 --> 00:35:10.950 in you. 00:35:11.020 --> 00:35:18.120 And when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed 00:35:18.120 --> 00:35:18.480 him. 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:21.720 And he said to me, go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. 00:35:22.480 --> 00:35:30.180 And I was at this moment when he made this statement, the crowd goes in an uproar and starts to react to Paul, because they know the 00:35:30.180 --> 00:35:33.400 part that Paul's going to the Gentiles is not what frustrates them. 00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:40.640 It's knowing that he's telling the Gentiles, you don't have to be circumcised or obey the old covenant law in order to be saved, because they want 00:35:40.640 --> 00:35:43.820 salvation to still depend on their own effort, not what Christ has done. 00:35:44.580 --> 00:35:46.490 And so they get angry with the apostle Paul. 00:35:47.720 --> 00:35:53.780 But here's Paul in this moment saying, this is what my life is about, my story for God's glory. 00:35:54.620 --> 00:35:57.480 He's radically transformed me to use me in this world. 00:35:58.240 --> 00:35:59.880 And I'm not really here to point to me. 00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:04.760 I'm here to point to him and what he's done in me so others can have that opportunity too. 00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:07.840 I need to share this way and close with us. 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:09.180 We have enough time for communion together. 00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:15.040 But there's this story in Matthew chapter 16 of the Apostle Peter, if you remember in verse 22. 00:36:15.060 --> 00:36:19.080 This is right after Jesus told his disciples that he's going to die. 00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:24.820 And Peter does typically what all of us do, like over my dead body, right? 00:36:25.120 --> 00:36:29.370 I'm going to pick myself up by my bootstraps, and I'm going to show you how strong I am. 00:36:29.460 --> 00:36:30.900 And Peter says this to Christ. 00:36:30.900 --> 00:36:33.800 He took him aside and began to rebuke Jesus. 00:36:33.900 --> 00:36:34.800 It's never a good idea. 00:36:34.940 --> 00:36:38.800 Guys began to rebuke Jesus, saying, far be it from you, Lord. 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:40.280 This shall never happen to you. 00:36:40.760 --> 00:36:42.170 Peter, thinking in his own strength. 00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:46.780 But even Jesus in that moment responded, but he turned and said to Peter, get behind me, Satan. 00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:52.100 You are a hindrance to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. 00:36:53.080 --> 00:36:59.180 And this is where Jesus tells Peter, even before the rooster crows, you will have denied me. 00:37:00.180 --> 00:37:06.960 And Peter, if you know this story, when Jesus is being taken on trial, Peter sees Jesus being beaten. 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:09.740 He denies Christ, and he runs away weeping like a baby. 00:37:10.300 --> 00:37:11.780 Here he was thought he was so tough. 00:37:12.680 --> 00:37:15.760 But he finds out in the end he's not as strong as he thought he was. 00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:18.700 But then there's something that changed everything for Peter. 00:37:20.900 --> 00:37:24.220 His life rested in the resurrection of Christ. 00:37:26.020 --> 00:37:29.480 He saw Jesus, who could not be defeated by death. 00:37:30.740 --> 00:37:37.600 And in so doing, rather than become one who runs away as a coward, weeping, he was incredibly emboldened with the gospel. 00:37:38.600 --> 00:37:42.400 This God who loved him so deeply that defeated death on his behalf. 00:37:43.120 --> 00:37:45.360 And Peter used his life to proclaim that. 00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:52.880 You know, it's interesting when you read throughout the New Testament, you'll find in the letters in the New Testament, there's often prayers for the church. 00:37:53.860 --> 00:37:56.800 And the Apostle Paul is one who regularly writes prayers for you. 00:37:56.800 --> 00:37:59.160 And I included one here at the top of the screen in Ephesians. 00:37:59.700 --> 00:38:01.740 But of all the prayers, Paul could have prayed for us. 00:38:01.740 --> 00:38:02.320 It's interesting. 00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:06.360 You could think to yourself, maybe before you read a prayer of Paul, what is it? 00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:07.540 Paul would pray for us. 00:38:07.560 --> 00:38:10.340 You know, what would he really want us to be better at? 00:38:10.640 --> 00:38:12.720 Better, better Bible memory. 00:38:12.720 --> 00:38:14.120 You know, better. 00:38:14.340 --> 00:38:16.820 Better at understanding systematic theology. 00:38:16.900 --> 00:38:20.800 Like what are all the things that Paul could pray that we would have as people? 00:38:20.800 --> 00:38:20.940 Do? 00:38:20.940 --> 00:38:28.180 You know, one of the central things Paul focused on, he just said, out of all the things you could be about God's people, if you could just get this one thing, 00:38:29.260 --> 00:38:32.020 this one thing radically transforms everything. 00:38:33.720 --> 00:38:37.760 And it's not better Bible memory, it's not systematic theology. 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:39.090 And those things all have a place. 00:38:40.240 --> 00:38:47.420 But he just says this, that you would know the love of God if your life could be rooted 00:38:47.420 --> 00:38:49.520 in the depth of God's love for you. 00:38:50.660 --> 00:38:58.000 If you could truly understand the way that Christ cares for you, that love changes everything. 00:38:59.020 --> 00:39:06.040 And in a life that's radically transformed in that grace, that's what compels us as people to 00:39:06.040 --> 00:39:08.620 use my story for his glory. 00:39:09.260 --> 00:39:14.900 Because truth be told, it's not really my story, but it's God's hand all over my life. 00:39:15.740 --> 00:39:21.000 And so when I share that with people, I'm not afraid to do it because I'm not resting in me. 00:39:22.180 --> 00:39:23.040 I'm resting in him. 00:39:24.040 --> 00:39:31.140 I'm just pointing to the one that's transformed my life from a broken past and enriched in him, and now giving me a mission for his glory 00:39:31.140 --> 00:39:31.880 in this world. 00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:35.420 And I can do that compassionately towards you, no matter how you treat me. 00:39:35.480 --> 00:39:38.740 Because I know just not long ago, I was in your shoes. 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:41.520 If it weren't for the grace of God.