We Can't Lose
Notes
Transcript
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Afraid to Lose?
Afraid to Lose?
Who’s afraid you’re going to lose $10 million?
Who’s afraid you’re going to lose $10 million?
I’m not. I don’t have $10 million.
Can’t be afraid to lose what I don’t have.
Things my grand parents never worried about losing.
We live in an over-stressed age.
Things we worry about that our grandparents never dreamed of worrying about.
They didn’t have most of what we do.
You never worry about losing what you don’t have.
My g-parents never worried about losing their phone.
It was attached to the wall.
Or, the handset. It was attached to phone attached to the wall.
Our children never had the pleasure of twirling the phone cord, and then untangling it.
They never worried about losing their passwords.
Or, losing their ID, or being hacked.
Lizzy Borden, maybe.
They didn’t worry about spilling their hot, Starbucks coffee in their lap in the drive thru.
They drank instant coffee at their bfst table.
Drive thrus weren’t invented until the 70’s.
We worry about losing so much more
What are you afraid to lose?
Afraid to lose a couple of pounds?
Losing control of something, someone?
Keys?
Hair?
Money, retirement?
Hair
Health, life?
I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of what’s going to kill me, it might hurt.
But for the possibility of the rapture, who here is not going to experience the end of their life on earth?
Who isn’t going to die?
Honestly, I’m more concerned about losing Sara than I am my own life.
Things we worry about that our grandparents never dreamed of worrying about.
They didn’t have most of what we do.
You never worry about losing what you don’t have.
My g-parents never worried about losing their phone.
It was attached to the wall
They never worried about losing their passwords.
Or, losing their ID, or being hacked.
Lizzy Borden, maybe.
They didn’t worry about spilling their hot, Starbucks coffee in their lap in the drive thru.
They drank instant coffee at their bfst table.
Some things are more worthy of our concern.
But, we stress over so much more.
We stress over things that someone else might say is ridiculous. But, then, they stress over something we think is silly.
Fear, stress is relevant, but real.
Book of Acts. The foundation of the church.
An Old House, 2000 years old.
We are an addition to what was started in .
Jesus said He was going to build His church. We don’t need to worry about that.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
M
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
It’s going to happen. Nothing will stop it. No one’s death will prevent the successful completion of the church.
Jesus is collecting people. Ekklesia = a gather of people w/ and for a common purpose.
Make Disciples.
Right after, Jesus gave his recruiting pitch:
I’ve been to a few church-growth seminars and conferences. Comfort and relevance tend to be hot topics.
Coffee shops, graphics on the slides, music volume, things like this are in the workshop schedule.
I don’t think Jesus ever attended one of these. Right after saying He was going to build his church He said this:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
OK, Jesus, I’ve been to a few church-growth seminars, read a few books, and I think we can do better than this.
This is hard to market. No pithy sayings or iliterations.
Deny yourself, pick up your cross, lose your life.
That’s like exactly the opposite of what will work. That doesn’t seem to be good messaging.
And, yet, here we are.
Counter-intuitive as it may be.
I get the impression Jesus wouldn’t be too worried if the room has wooden pews or padded chairs.
This is so counter-intuitive.
Wouldn’t you think He’d say if you join I’ll make your life more comfortable?
We’re trying to build something here and attract a lot of people. I just doesn’t seem like it would work to ask people to give everything up to join.
But, He does.
Faith alone, in Him, nothing else. Give everything else up to receive what He will give you.
Jesus poked us in a sensitive spot.
Jesus just asked us to give up everything we are most afraid to lose.
We stress over losing these things.
Anxiety, embarrassment, confusion, perplexity, anger.
These emotions compound our problems.
We don’t sleep, we act and speak rashly, making matters worse.
But Jesus chose His words, schpeal, carefully.
First of all, we’re all going to die and, as the saying goes, I’ve never seen a hearse towing a U-haul.
We’re going to lose all anyway.
Jim Elliot, missionary to the Auka Indians in Papua New Guinea, who lost his life to these South American Indians, said, before, He went to New Guinea,
“He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Why do we stress so much over what we are certainly going to lose especially when we have gained so much more that we cannot ever lose.
This is the message of . Don’t stress over what you cannot keep when you’ve gained so much more that you cannot lose.
The religious leaders of the day were afraid they were losing something important .
They were afraid b/c they were losing temporal things.
Earthly things that were more important to them than they should have been.
The apostles were not afraid b/c they had already won eternal things.
They weren’t giving up anything they weren’t going to lose anyway. So, they didn’t stress.
They were not afraid.
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Not Afraid
Not Afraid
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Acts 5:
Known location
Known location
If you were looking you needed to know where to find them.
Solomon’s colonnade was a regular place for discussions, debates and speeches. It became the regular meeting place.
It was out in the open, everyone knew.
Church was the people, not the place, anyway. It didn’t matter so long as it was the same place and everyone knew where to find them.
Or, where to avoid.
No one else
No one else
If you weren’t one of the new believers you avoided the place like it was plagued.
They respected the leadership and appreciated what everyone was doing but the leaders had just been arrested and there were 2 mysterious deaths under questionable circumstances among the membership recently
Ananias and Sapphira
Rumors were swirling. You know how people talk.
If the leaders were arrested they must have done something wrong and who wants to be associated w/ criminals.
And, why did that couple die? How? Are you sure you want to hang out with them and risk your life?
We know they lied to God and He made an example of them. But what did the public really know?
There was positive energy, good things happening, needs were being met, people were getting things, being cared for.
A social life, Miracles, momentum, critical mass
VS.
Arrest, torture, death.
It wasn’t worth the risk for those who did not believe.
But, for others, it was.
Worth the risk
Worth the risk
More and more believed every day.
They were not afraid.
They believed the message. The message that Peter and John had been arrested for teaching and commanded to stop.
Quoting Jesus about giving up your life on earth in order to gain eternal life. Believe and receive all that Jesus is.
The name of Jesus.
It was the message that provoked people to leave the temple and join the church.
You’d think it might be the miracles. But, in this passage, the miracles are just mentioned in passing, in general terms.
The message would be specific. And, it was the message they were commanded to stop, not the miracles.
The danger of the miracles is the people would see the apostles as miracle-workers and miss the message that Jesus is the Messiah.
It may be more worth the risk for someone who was seriously ill to join, they had less to lose.
They had already given up on a normal life, so, why not give these miracle-workers a chance to give them what they had already lost?
Either way, the church continued to grow. In the face of opposition, threats, and the unknown.
You can imagine how the temple leaders felt.
All the religious people in Jerusalem were Jewish. There were no other options.
Now, there’s competition and it’s growing. The momentum is shifting.
The apostles are gaining, the temple leaders are losing.
And, they are getting emotional about it.
Emotions
Emotions
Back to Jesus’ message. Give up your life to receive life.
They are afraid they are losing, and they are.
They are losing people, authority, and control
They go thru a range of emotions
Jealous
Jealous
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
Not only are the people leaving the temple and joining the church they are talking about it in ways they never talked about the temple.
So, their response is to crack down. Impose what authority and control they think they have.
It was a very public arrest intended to send a message.
They didn’t just arrest Peter and John, but all of the apostles.
In doing so, they hoped fear would spread throughout the membership. Surely, they would now believe they are losing.
But, remember, Jesus said He the church is going to be built. No one’s death, persecution, or prosecution would prevent it.
To receive a miracle made your life better, it gave you something in this life. It made your life more comfortable.
And, it would be built on the stories of personal experiences people had w/ God.
“You will be my witnesses”
Not anyone else’s story, just your own.
But, Jesus
Well, the apostles are about have another experience.
This is the ultimate cosmic over-ride.
Cosmic Over-ride
Cosmic Over-ride
But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
Acts 5:
This is the ultimate cosmic over-ride.
They had been arrested and commanded to stop teaching about Jesus and new life.
Then, an angel shows up, a rep for Jesus, releases them, and commands them to keep it up.
The apostles have a choice to make. Who would they be most afraid of? Who should they obey?
Acts 5:
Who could take the most away from them?
Simple answer. the only thing the temple leadership can take away from them is what they had already given up.
They weren’t afraid of them.
So, after a very public arrest and demonstration of perceived authority the apostles ignored all of it.
Now, the leaders were embarrassed
Embarrassed
Embarrassed
At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
As the leadership gathers to discuss what to do with the people they thought were still in jail, the former prisoners gather in the temple to teach what they had been forbidden to teach.
Totally disrespected and completely disregarded.
But, what happened?
The jail was still securely locked and the the guards still at their posts. It would have been a death sentence if the guards had knowingly let the prisoners escape.
They would die trying to keep them in custody.
They weren’t afraid . They didn’t know they had lost them.
The guards weren’t afraid . They didn’t know they had lost them.
Aside:
God will do what we can see so we know He can do what we can’t see.
He delivered the apostles from their bondage. He will deliver us from the things that bind us. New Life.
He won’t free them every time they are in jail. In fact, he never frees Paul.
But, since the message is the priority and Paul is able to more effectively get the message out while he’s in jail God lets him stay in jail.
The message of this new life was being communicated throughout the civilized world as the soldiers who guarded Paul became believers, were transferred, and took their experiences w/ God, new lives, and testimony about it all w/ them.
It accomplished God’s purpose.
The best way to accomplish God’s purpose this time was to miraculously let them out of jail. It won’t be the last time God releases them, either.
If God is behind it there is nothing any individual, group, or ruling council, board, business owner, politician, can do to stop it.
Oh, but, they tried. And when it didn’t work the way thit always had in the past and the way the expected, they were perplexed.
This was confusing. They had always had the authority, commanded the respect before.
Why didn’t they now?
Perplexed
Perplexed
On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
Acts 5:24026
They had a problem. It was a very public arrest and reprimand.
They assumed they would be respected and obeyed.
And yet, there the apostles were, out of jail and teaching what they were explicitly told not to teach any more.
Somebody didn’t get the memo. Who dared let them out and give them permission to teach again?
Made them look bad!
How did they really get out? What did it all mean?
They were perplexed. At a loss. A dilemma.
How will this end? Badly.
Badly.
Momentum is clearly on the side of the church. They tried to stop it and it backfired. Now, they look worse than ever.
They arrest them again, 3rd time overall, 2nd time in 2 days.
No public show of force. They feared the crowds.
They might lose something important to them.
Control and incite a riot.
More embarrassment.
Didn’t want to highlight what just happened.
They brought them in for questioning. Never asking about how they got out of jail, maybe they were afraid of the answer.
One of the least effective tools of a discussion is to repeat your position over and over expecting the other party to finally agree.
Obviously, you’re not smart enough to understand. If you would just try harder, listen better, you’ll agree w/ us.
Until you do, you’re making us look bad. Stop it.
No, the apostles understood everything.
Jesus is the Messiah.
He is innocent.
You cursed Him, killed Him, and missed it.
Basically, they said the apostles were making them look bad. Accusations about killing an innocent man, Jesus. And, not only was He innocent, but was also their long-awaited Messiah and they missed it.
God raised Him and exalted HIm.
The apostles were there for all of it. They are simply telling their own story about their own experience.
No one is making you look bad except you.
See what God is doing. It’s not the apostles who are being disobedient to God and need to turn. It’s the leadership.
But God raised Him and glorified Him.
See what God is doing. It’s not the apostles who are being disobedient to God and need to turn. It’s the leadership.
Peter was doing what Jesus told Him to do here. He was testifying about his own experiences. He was there and saw it all happen. He knew Jesus was innocent and they killed him.
Peter did not back down. He was not afraid.
No one was going to take away from him what he hadn’t already given up himself.
For good measure, he added that the HS
They were not impressed, at all.
If you were there you would have seen their faced turn redder and redder.
They were furious
Questioning
Questioning
Furious
Furious
When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
Acts 5
How dare Peter and the rest talk to them that way.
Instead of conviction and the realization they needed to turn, they insisted that if the apostles would not turn they would make them.
They got defensive and too the offensive
If they didn’t change direction they would kill them.
They were not used to someone standing up to them like this. And, remember, the last time Peter was in front of them they were impressed as he was an uneducated man and represented himself as well as any lawyer.
Ramping up. Speaking out of emotion. Previous bad decisions leading into worse decisions.
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
They are ready to take them all out when one of them stands up to speak.
A man named Gamaliel.
He said, “Think first, don’t react out of emotion.”
Wisdom.
He reminded them that there had been 2 recent uprisings. And, in both cases they died out after their leaders had been killed.
He said if this uprising is of human origin it will die, too, since their leader, Jesus is dead.
If they bring strong opposition it will just prolong it’s life.
It will live as long as it has a fierce enemy.
Don’t be that enemy. Leave them alone.
Don’t give them a reason to stay together and fight.
But, if God is behind it, it won’t die out no matter what we do and we shouldn’t oppose it.
They didn’t want to find themselves fighting God.
Gamaliel didn’t take a position one way or the other.
Just let them be.
If this movement is of God it will not fail and it would be foolish to oppose it.
They heed his word.
Acts 5:
They don’t kill the apostles, they have them beaten, flogged, just like Jesus had been.
The intent was to scare them and their followers to finally stop their teaching and let the church die.
But, it didn’t scare them. Their reaction was surprising.
Joy
Joy
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
They rejoiced.
The temple leaders were jealous, embarrassed, perplexed and furious.
Of all the emotions reflected in this episode this is the only positive one.
It’s not like the apostles didn’t lose something.
They lost the ability walk, lie down, wear their shirts w/out pain.
The could have feared worse. But that’s only if they were afraid they were going to lose something they hadn’t already given up.
So what?
And a bonus. Jesus got flogged, too. They really had become like their Savior.
And, it didn’t stop them. It only fired them up and they traveled and taught all the more.
This is Memorial weekend. Monday we celebrate the soldiers who fought and died for our freedom.
I’m not saying that’s not stressful, but there’s no way a soldier fights to end defending Bunker Hill or runs up Omaha Beach at Normandy to fight back an evil invader if their priority was keeping what they would eventually lose anyway.
They held their lives loosely and bravely gave what they had so that their grandchildren are spending British pounds or German marks and speaking the king’s English or German.
Why do we stress so much trying to hang onto what we cannot keep even though we have gained what we cannot lose?
Those things we are most afraid of losing and react with anger when threatened need to be freed from our grip.
If you know Jesus then you have all the wealth, comfort, peace, strength you will ever need. And it’s yours forever.
Applications
Applications
Let Go
Let Go
What do you need to hold more loosely?
What are so afraid of losing that it’s causing you stress and you’re making poor decisions about?
When you let go of the things you can’t keep anyway you will let go of the anger, embarrassment, confusion, and jealousy that goes w/ them.
Think about that. How much better will you sleep?
How much more fun will you be at home?’
I guarantee you if there’s something you need to let go of God is telling you right now.
Joy
Joy
Find joy.
I don’t mean a false, made up, pretend joy.
Rejoice in what you have.
Get up every day and make a list of things God has given you that you will enjoy that day.
Decide to joy.
Thank a vet
Thank a vet
We are free to worship. Free to come up w/ a list of things we can rejoice over. Free to enjoy our stuff b/c a vet gave up their stuff so we could.
Follow their example.
Don’t be afraid to lose what you cannot keep.
Find a vet and thank him or her today.
Why do we stress so much over what we are certainly going to lose especially when we have gained so much more that we cannot ever lose?
