Acts - 01/20 Service

Let's go to the Lord. Alright Lord, as we are Eternal hearts and attention to you this morning. We are just so grateful in it and just amazed it really watching how you have chosen to step at a time and space on my behalf that the love of Christ that we just song about is so immense and it's so deep and it's so rich that got if there was just even one person who bore you heart image that you created and designed that needed Redemption you would have done the same thing that you did that you would have come to Earth and humbled yourself become human take on took on flesh that you would have become God incarnate. And so we look back at what Christ did for us got it causes us to just sing out in Praise of how good you are and we will be singing that song for all of eternity and we will be singing countless songs and worshiping in working and serving and finding joy and pleasure in your presence. And so God as we get the opportunity to look forward to that day. We also recognize that while we are here. We are to be about your work that you called your church to follow and continue on the mission that Christ began to show that the kingdom of God is coming the kingdom of God is at hand and that there is salvation in the Name of Christ. And so is a Church Father we want to be about that business. I'm as we turn our hearts intentions to ask today Father and we pick up that study that we began last fall. I pray that we would begin to see some things here in the text. That would be challenging for us as we follow and we serve here in Brenham, Texas. So Lord, may your words turn the hearts of us today as we started this text together in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen, you don't hear me. Okay, is it coming through? Okay. Well, welcome to Bible Church if you're visiting with us, I'm glad that you're here. My name is John Davies on the pastor here at the church. And we last fall begin a sermon series in the book of Acts. So if you have a Bible feel free to grab it and turn it to the book of Acts acts in the New Testament. And so if you're joining with us and you're learning about all of this and it's kind of fresh for you the Bible that we have or 66 inspired books that we believe that God LED human authors to write lots of folks Scholars have looked at this and they tried to disprove it. And today there is not one conclusive argument that is disproved any of the scripture. It's just been amazing to see how over and over generation after generation are always those who come in a Tac unit stand the test of time and so axes and New Testaments the fourth book or actually fifth book in the New Testament and the way that we can remember that is the Gospels. Matthew Mark and Luke. I told John to quit acting like a Roman and so is the fifth book in the New Testament and then a Romans but the four gospels proceed it and return their Acts chapter 8 is where we're going to be. Acts chapter 8 it's really cool to see acts acts is all about the establishment its historical narrative taxes were the story of The Establishment and spread of the early church as well as we go back and we look at the early church. There's a lot of Timeless principles. There's a lot of time was truth that we can take even the 21st century to understand what God wants us to be about as a local church removed from the ancient near East and place here in the west removed in the first century and placed on the twenty-first century. There are so many things that we can learn by looking at them and recognizing these are the things that we are supposed to be about. These are Timeless principles last fall. We begin to study the first seven chapters. We saw the beginnings of the church. We begin to identify really what it was to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We saw the life and the witness in the trials and the explosive Growth of the church in Jerusalem, why when we left off the church was exploding. It was just a thousands of people were coming to know Christ and listening to the apostles teaching and the apostles were overwhelmed. Didn't know how to take care of all the needs of the church began to have instead. They called seven men and these seven men were kind of a unique group that was going to be referred to as the 7 through really the entire. Do you actually see that phrase come up again? And again, but these seven men consist of Godly men who were both a Jewish Believers that were there as well as Jewish Believers that I come back in the diaspora those Jewish kind of descendants of those who have been exiled in previous generations. And so there is an interesting things are happening culturally and its first church as well and they're trying to understand how do we relate to one another culturally and so as they called you seven men to begin to serve and they begin to serve the hellenists Hellenistic widows. And so again the Hellenistic widows And you're probably like saying John we talked about all these phrases here. There's just a ton of richness and historical narrative. And so the brief overview of what happened was there was a group of people in Jerusalem Hood stop there and remain there and so you're going to see that group of people called kind of just the Jewish people the Jewish people and there's another group of people that in previous Exile house, cuz it's real. Concord many times before Christ came in and all those X-Files were different groups of Jews who got taken away. And so those became known as the diaspora Jews who got taken away. They settled in foreign lands and then some of them came back but there was kind of this cultural shift between those who stayed and those who left and there was they were called Hellenistic Jews. And so there was kind of like this little Schism that was taking place in the early church is Hellenistic Jews and just the juice had been there kind of begin to recognize. Hey, we're part of one family and so one of the things that When was the Hellenistic widows those women who did not have family to take care of them? They were not getting said they were going hungry. And so these seven the first task that they were given was to go in to take care of these widows. But one of them his name was Steven and we saw his account and Acts chapter 7 and Steven. I was a man full of grace and power. He was walking by the spirit and as he went out to sow really the diaspora Jews those who he was trying to minister to began to really challenge him and they brought him in front of the the chief priests and the pharisaic council and he began to give his witness and his testimony and there have been kind of a growing tension between the church and the religious leaders of Judaism in the first century. And by the time that Steve and enters a scene. It's kind of at a Breaking Point something has got to give between the two religious movements that are now existing in Jerusalem, and if Steven gives his testimony They drive him out of the city when he's finished and they Stoneham. Andaman is there named Saul? And so I was looking at what's happening and Saul approves of it and the first few verses and chapter 8 or kind of the transition between the first and see from your perspective the first major movement of that into the second major movement of Acts the first major movement of actors really understanding what the church is what God has called us to be understanding the identity in the trial in the witness and the quality and character of this new family of Believers, but the second movement is now going to introduce us to the missions work. And for the first time we are going to see concerted Focus given outside of Jerusalem to advance the gospel and it spread God's Kingdom.

So what's that turn our hearts and look at this and as we do this if we're to be an Acts chapter 8 starting on verse 4. and

before we get there. I want to just caveat and kind of throw this in the beginning of sermon. We're going to look at an interesting thing that happened today and it's going to show up over and over and over as we continue to get into acts and that is there going to be a lot of cross-cultural witnessing in Ministry that takes place. It's something I want you to notice as we get into this is that the ministry doesn't stop in Jerusalem. There's continued Ministry even the face of persecution that takes place as we get into the narrative today, but the focus that Luke is going to record for us as we begin to get into axe is beginning to share the stories of the missions that begin to spread out as people go. Two Acts chapter 8 starting in verse 4 and Luke is going to give us a summary statement to begin the text today. He says this there for those two had been scattered those who had come under persecution in Jerusalem and recognize that it was not safe for them and they left those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. So Phillip went down to the city of Samaria. He is one of the seven who is called. We see his name there in the identifying as one of the seven Philip he becomes known as the Evangelist but he goes down to the city of Samaria or city of Samaria and against proclaiming Christ of them the crowds with one Accord we're giving attention to what was said by Phillip as they heard and saw the signs. He was performing. Okay. So here's a circumstances again guys. The church in Jerusalem does not organize a mission trip. The church in Jerusalem doesn't get around and say hey, let's develop a missions board and figure out how we're going to spread the gospel from City to City to City persecution breaks out Saul of Tarsus. He's a Pharisee of Pharisees their pharisaic order the chief priests. These are the leaders in the Jewish movement and they begin to persecute the church. In fact, the Prius sitting versus they are dragging people out of homes. They are arresting them throwing in the prison and Believers are saying we have to go it's not safe for us. And so as the Believers went they proclaim the good news of Jesus Matthew 28, 18 to 20 is the Great Commission so familiar versus we remember and Jesus words. He said go therefore and make disciples or another translation. You might say As You Go Make Disciples and so here is Philip he's going in the first people he goes to the Samaritans. Not a Samaritan's or an interesting group and I want to kind of give you a little background to understand really that the context of what's going on when Phillip goes to a city of Samaria look doesn't tell us what city it is, but we know historically that the Samaritans were really by the Descendants from Ephraim and Manasseh. We're two of the tribes of Israel. But what was interesting is that these two tribes left the other tribes of Israel and settled a northern kingdom and so as time went on following the days of Solomon in the Old Testament these kingdoms became further and further and further apart from each other northern kingdom. They began to follow God, but they did not establish a temple and a place of worship in Jerusalem. They establish their place of worship at Mount gathering at shechem and check was about 37 miles north from Jerusalem about two to three day Journey. The show us as we see Phillip go. He is heading north and he's heading to this group of people who claims to worship Yahweh. But what's interesting is they have their own version of the pentateuch. They they come modify the first five books of the Bible and they said this is our scriptures and we're following this and we want to worship God in our way. We want to worship him in our city. We want to Worship in with our scriptures. Steven goes and as he's proclaiming the the good news of Jesus Christ and who Christ is and why he's come. He's performing signs and wonders and inverse 7. It says that you describe some of the different work that he's doing here. It says friend the case of many who had unclean spirits. They were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice. So there's exorcisms that are taking places as Philip is going and fill up his casting out demons says many were paralyzed and lame were healed. So if you see lame people beginning to get up so not only in the Miracles that Phillip is performing are there Audible? By products we hears demons coming out in people screaming but there's a visible byproducts of the Miracles as well. People are seeing people who are lame beginning to walk and it says it happened really for so many people that there was much rejoicing in the city. We don't know how many people received Miracles but as Philip is going and he's ministering and he's sharing a good news over and over and over Miracles are happening all around him so much so that the city begins to celebrate there's a culture shift where they had been focusing their worship and what they had been listening to and what they had been following is now focused and oriented on Philip. And I'm going to practice the next thing that happens with this don't expect a culture shift without conflict. Because there will be conflict whenever we see a shift and culture verse 9. Now there was a man named Simon. And Simon was one who lived in this city was formerly practicing magic in the city and its tarnished the people of Samaria Simon claimed to be someone great. How many of you guys have seen a t-shirt? Somebody wears his I'm kind of a big deal. And that's kind of Simon Simon was one of those guys who might have been one of The Originals. I don't know but he was if you were to meet him and modern-day probably have to your t-shirt on and says I'm kind of a big deal. Simon was a magician in scripture when we see the concept of magic and arts really what we recognize that this is part of the occult in modern times. This is these are people who engage in your Simon. He's claiming to be someone great and that verse 10 says they all everyone who live in a city from the smallest the greatest we're giving attention to him saying this man is called the great power of God. So Simon is ascribed deity. He's escribe divine power the people of Samaria. Look at Simon in the magic in the way that he's able to do things and they say this guy is divine. In fact verse 11 it says and they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic Arts. But when they believe Phillip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized men and women alike. Okay, so here's sign and he is a great person. Justin Martyr is an early church father. He was born in 100 AD. Justin Martyr was a Samaritan. He was a Believer you profess faith in Christ, but he was a Samaritan and he was born in shechem near the area and in and out a hundred eighty. He was born as he grew up and lived and begin to follow Christ. He recorded a number of things as the church was moving and spreading and he wrote about Simon Simons kind of Legacy had survived down through the time where Justin was alive and Justin actually declared that he was God above all power and authority and my this kind of who this guy Simon was he was a deity in the local area and he was above all power and all might and authority and the Samaritans confessed that this man Simon was their first God. So Justin Martyr gives us a great insight into the psych who this guy Simon is now. Luke doesn't go into the details about Simon's power, but there are actually extra biblical accounts that claimed that Simon is able to make himself appear to fly. So here's a guy pretty crazy. We don't know all the details of what's going on certainly could have been demonic activity and but here in the ancient world again, this concept of magic is tied into what we would understand today as witchcraft or the occult. It's the teaching or believe that people got demons in the visible world are all connected and they can be influenced by incantations or manipulation of objects. And so the population in Samaria up until this point has been enthralled with Simon they've been looking at what this guy is doing. He has become a local celebrity. He is famous. In fact the feet of him being able to appear to fly made him famous even in Rome and so he is kind of established himself as a local household name. People know about Simon and he's popular he's powerful but instead of listening to Simon now Philip comes and people are being healed and demons are being cashed out and the city is now focused and the culture begins to shift and instead of listening to Simon. They are now listening to Philip and the people are amazed at Phillips power.

first 13 here's what's really interesting. even Simon himself believed

Here's a guy who could be Superman. Superman believe the gospel He recognizes that there's a power about Philip that he does not possess. He does not have access to your something greater and Phillip in is greater than what's in him. It says he believed in after being baptized.

after being baptized he continued on with Philip and as we observe signs and great Miracles taking place. He was constantly amazed he he and this text does not give us at any kind of inkling that Simon rushed into this or that he he made a profession of faith that was not genuine for all intents and purposes what Luke says is this guy Simon makes a genuine profession of Faith. He is baptized and after he was baptized he takes the role of the disciple he ties himself to Philip. He's following Philip. He's constantly watching what's going on. This is what a disciple in the first century would do if he would follow the one he was learning from a disciple was a learner and Simon is following Phillips footsteps, and he is just amazed at what Philip is doing. This is beyond anything that he was able to do through his own Magic. It's amazing turn because Simon in this verse is no longer been really a key piece for the devil to utilize and drawing people away from God. He has now become a trophy of God's grace. And he's been delivered from the Dominion of darkness and transferred into a kingdom of light and there's no hand at all in the tax guys. I just want to make sure you get that there's no hint that Simon has prematurely been baptized in the name of the Lord. So there's a church in Jerusalem still and several of the Apostles are still there. And it says that when they heard about this that the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of the God of War. They sent Peter and John to the apostles and they came down and prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit for he had not yet fallen on any of them. They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Now if you are a scholar of the word and you have studied the word, this is a very fascinating verse It's because the question is will how come they hadn't received the Holy Spirit? Doesn't the Holy Spirit come at the moment where someone professes faith in Christ. And the answer is Norman normative sense. Absolutely. Yes. But something is happening here. This is the very first time. That the Samaritans are professing faith in Christ in and I've looked at a lot of different Scholars on this point and I'm what I'm going to say to you. I want to preface it with just me saying this this is my conjecture on this. This is me looking at these verses and trying to understand what's really going on here because this is not normative. It's not normative that the Holy Spirit would not have been given to these people initially. Luke doesn't offer an explanation for the delay of the Holy Spirit and Samaria the Samaritans and Jews however had been alienated from one another for several hundred years the southern Kingdom in the northern kingdom had not gotten along. In fact, they were at one point really brothers who had gone Separate Ways.

Samaritan's certainly would have been prone to reject the leadership down in Jerusalem and likewise it likewise those in Jerusalem probably would have looked at what was going on in Sumerian been very skeptical because they were estranged.

As I thought about the sermon last week. The Prodigal Son what was fascinating about that sermon in the text and Luke, is that here as a father coming and making a means not only for both of the sons to be reconciled to him, but he makes a mean in the parable for those Sons be reconciled to one another. I'm taking a step out on a limb here. But what I see here in the text and again 30 years from now I might go back and be like, I don't know if that's right. But this is conjecture. I think it's a fascinating thing to study but I think what God is doing in this text as he is establishing a greater unity in the church. By saying the apostles need to come so that you can receive the same spirit that the church in Jerusalem has that the teaching that is being passed down is the authoritative teaching. And at the Samaritans need to understand that they cannot be separated from the church in Jerusalem and call themselves The genuine Church. There is one Lord one Christ one Spirit One Church.

And the way that I see Luke developing this and what happens when Peter and John come is it is affirming that there is a unified church that is being built. The church is not meant or intended to be fractions are sectioned off and then saying, you know, we've got our group of what we believed over here and what we believe over here and let me this is a group of people who is directly distorted the pentateuch and they talked about this is the way to worship Yahweh and Peter and John, and they affirm Phillips teaching he was continuing the work of the Apostles. They affirm his teaching in the Holy Spirit of Rives. I see God building a unified Church in this. I think it's just amazing that this is how our God works he wants to build unity in US. Verse 17 says Peter and John Begin by laying hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now, this must have been visible or audible just like the Miracles that Philip had been performing because the next verse says that when Simon saw that the spirit was bestowed to the laying on of the Apostles hand he offers them money saying give me the authority to do this as well. So that everyone on whom I Lay My Hands On they received the Holy Spirit. What Simon's mistake? He thinks he can buy the Holy Spirit. He thinks and they again guys. This is a really fascinating text. It's amazing to see what's going on in this new Believers Hart and his mind Simon is here and throughout his really his work and his occupation of Performing magic everything that he had done in life leading up to this point was done through him manipulating people or objects that he could do something amazing. And so here's Simon's first thought is this is an amazing power that the holy spirit is coming to God's spirit is taking a resident some people and I'm watching it happen. I'm watching, you know, Philip perform all these awesome Miracles. I'm seeing Peter and John lay on hands and the Holy Spirit comes in. I want to be able to do this.

You can't buy the Holy Spirit. You can't buy the holy spirit's power.

Simon wants to purchase the power of God and this term actually gives rise really is action gives rise to a term Simon disseminate or simony which Thomas Aquinas defined as a deliberate design of selling or buying it for a temporal price something that is spiritual or a next the spiritual. So Simon actually gets his own word as a result of this. Peter then gives a four-point response four-point response. If you want to take a note in your margins your Bible, here's here's the four-point response in and all kind of break it down as we go through it to him. And remember what had happened with Peter and some of the previous people he had spoken to back in Jerusalem who tried to manipulate God they died in a niacin to fire a fascinating account. Go back a few pages, you'll see that so here is Peter Peter says this may or silver perish with you. Okay set a minimum Peters first point is the threat of a curse. That you will perish and not only you will perish but the money you think you can buy God off with is going to perish with you. So there's a threat of a curse that Peter gives to Simon at this point because he says you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have no part or portion of this matter for your heart is not right before God. Okay, so really distraught of a curse. The first thing is that there's a notion that you can convey or control the Holy Spirit by buying it and that is sin that is flat-out send the Holy Spirit and the power that he demonstrates to a Christian who was Yoda in obedience to him as a gift. It is not something you can purchase. It's not something you can learn or try to work up enough favor and God's sight. The holy spirit is a is it it's all about God's grace being poured out to you because you have humbled yourself and you have trusted Christ alone for salvation. And Peter is saying there is no other means by which you can get it. It's exclusively through faith alone In Christ Alone by God's grace alone. You cannot purchase it second thing. He says here is your heart is not right with God more or less. You've got a defective Faith Simons Faith. His heart is not right. The Greek word in here is actually the wording for proper or online in alignment or honest and his relationship with God is defective. Theologically not only has Simon misunderstood the nature of God Spirit, but he cannot discern between his own Vice and gods virtue. Simon needs to be able to grow in his understanding. He's a baby believer and he's really getting some things kind of messed up here. Verse 23. Sorry verse 22 Peter says this he says therefore repent of the wickedness that is in your heart repair the wickedness of yours pray that the Lord if it all possible the intention of your heart may be forgiven you so Peter is telling him third thing is repent. You got to turn away from your habit of manipulation and ask God for forgiveness. And the first thing that we see here is in verse 23 And this is the attitude of the unrighteousness item Peter says this is you looking inside me says for I see that you are in the gall and bitterness and bondage of iniquity. So Peter is saying the time he's basically saying look if you don't repent if you don't bring yourself in alignment with God, you will not be receiving God's favor. There is a sinful attitude that is in you that needs to be brought back into alignment and despite his faith in Jesus and his faith that it was expressed in Simon's baptism is in his intentions are still Wicked. And Sir Simon says this which is phenomenal wisdom. He says pray to the Lord for me yourself. So that nothing of what I said may come upon me. So what was Simons response his response was humility. He said pray for me here is a man who has been manipulating people his entire life. He has used his words for manipulation and I think in his Spirit, he hears the truth and the conviction to the deepest parts of a spirit and he recognizes I don't want to open my mouth again and try to manipulate anything. I am asking for you to intercede for me so that this will not happen in that God might have his rightful place in my heart.

First 25 we begin with a summary verse we're going to end with a summer summary verse. So when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord they started back to Jerusalem to the apostles are heading back to Jerusalem. And as they were going they were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans and you see God work over and over and over and his people to bring them. Sorry slide. You're going to Sloan a up here. You see God work in his people to bring more people to saving faith and join the church this Greater Community of the church a couple years ago. I went to a conference up in Dallas and the gentleman who is giving a conference. His name was Ken Sandy and Ken Sandy is a part of a Ministry called peacemakers and he goes in the churches. He goes in the seminary's he goes in conferences and he has really a Ministry of reconciliation. The conference that I went to was a really great one and it was actually conference about how churches can learn. The fight in a healthy way, which I thought the title was very fascinating. Like what does he mean by that? The realization is that we're not always going to see eye-to-eye on everything but there is a way that we can wrestle through the difference is that we have and build even greater Unity as a result of it and he started off the conference that I went to and he asked a question. He said if you throw a word out there and you gave me one word and response to it that pops in your head, what would it be and it said here's the word I'm going to throw out their conflict. And as I thought about that one word, I begin running a bunch of things down conflict. discomfort

stress

difficulty

issues all these words begin to come in my mind and after a minute and letting everybody right words, he asks question. He said how many of you guys wrote the word opportunity?

And nobody in the room raised their hand. But I think what we see here and the text is really this first major point. the opposition creates opportunity is it early church didn't have a mission for the early church did not get together and they didn't get together and they say here's the budget and here's how we're going to do this. And where do I send you know a team to begin doing things and Samaria we're going to do this the year of this there. We're going to spread out in this direction. The early church was going in the result of the persecution that they were going through the result of the opposition that they were enduring was that they began to have opportunity. Opportunities for Evangelistic work or not always the result of deliberate planning. Sometimes They Come As the result even of accidental developments. I've been part of some different Ministries in churches even here a BBC I've seen different things that God has done her own church and was really funny couple years ago before we were in this building how many of you were part of our church when we're still in the old building. Yeah several of you. How many have you part of our church and you've never seen the old building or been in the old building? Yeah, she probably doesn't at least 15 hands kind of slip up. The old building that we used to be in was right across the street from the bus barn. So you guys know the bus barn with public bus drivers Park and it was really neat when I got there was we had the bus drivers with parking our parking lot all week long. And I remember talking to some different Folks at the church. And one of the folks said to me man, those bus drivers big just do so much wear-and-tear in the parking lot and they've backed into the planter box in the front of the church and then of the bricks are kind of broken and how are we going to do about all these bus drivers here and I thought I don't know. Let me pray about it and we'll talk to the elders about it. And we said why don't we try to minister to them? They're right next to us. And so it began to do Service events for the bus drivers and we had fresh lemonade and cookies and we would give him the gospel and we're it was really neat was the first year we did that there was actually a lady who came up in the middle of us doing this as a bus drivers are coming back from their routes. And this lady was like we can tell if she pulled up she got out of her car and she just kind of stood in the middle of the street and you could tell her like she was flustered. She didn't know it was going on. She was kind of like in the midst of like just crazy. Scenario that was happening in her life and none of us really understood what was going on until one of us walked over there. And I think it might have been one of the Roscoe's that walked up to her and they said hey what's going on? Do you know are you one of the bus drivers and she said no. My husband is one of the bus drivers and I got to call my cell phone that he was having shortness of breath and they're thinking they might be having a heart attack. I just drove over. And I don't know where he is. And so there was like a window about 15 to 20 minutes where this lady was just there on the side of the street and I think the Roscoe's were there and maybe the faron's were there and their families. I just came over and just began to pray with her and we just began to Ministry for this lady on the side of the street all because of bus drivers are parking in a parking lot. We had no clue what was going on or like it wasn't like there was an organized event to say. Hey, we're going to minister to this lady whose husband and she doesn't know what is health condition is but it's just as God opens opportunity, you can see how he will bring sometimes opposition in or just circumstances in life and he will open the door for you to go and just to serve and love them people and we were able to give her a gospel and we were able to see her husband. In fact, they came and visit for a few weeks, but the lemonade wasn't good enough so they didn't stay.

No, I mean there's there's opportunities all through life where you can recognize we know God is going to use opposition in my life to give me opportunity to share my faith Joseph understood this if you go back to Genesis, you look at the account of Joseph in Genesis chapter 50 Joseph. Look at his own circumstances, as you know, God allow me to go through some crazy things in my life. My brother sold me into slavery. I was accused of adultery with the boss's wife early on when I came to Egypt, but he looks back over his life in at the end of Genesis 50. He says this what you meant, what what man meant for evil against me God meant it for good Joseph understood that through the opposition of his life there was opportunity for him to boldly follow and profess his faith in God. Paul understood it to and 2nd Corinthians 2:9 Paul said we felt like we received the sentence of death, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but I'm God who is able to raise the Dead Poet was looking at the circumstances of his own Ministry and he was like look Ministries not easy Ministry difficult. You're going to get tossed out of cities. You're going to get chased out. You're going to have people come against you and Paul the way he described it in sankranthi, and she said it's like I received the death penalty. But it was so that I would lean on God even further. This week. I got a chance to follow up with a friend of mine Bruce Latimer Bruce's church planting down the Katy area and he came and spoke at our church a few years ago is African-American. He is a good friend of mine. When I was at Dallas Theological Seminary Bruce married Chinese girl, and they have just awesome looking kids are just like the coolest sweetest little girls, but Bruce he knows a thing or two about cross-cultural challenge every time that he goes to a family reunions on his wife side of the family. He's always like the weird guy in the picture. There was a great picture of that. He had posted a few years ago. And we're one of his wife's siblings was getting married and all of the Bridesmaids and the groomsmen were all Chinese and Bruce is kind of like in the background doing this as a big black guy and he's always standing out wherever he goes, but Bruce, you know, as I was talking to him about this he wished his he was telling me on the phone this week and we're going to actually follow up and have lunch on Friday, but he said John I made them. Think of telling God that I'm going to serve him. What are the ministry he is he gives me his 40 people or four hundred and he said man right now, it's just tough and I'm looking at all the things that I'm going through and I'm looking at our budget and looking at our volunteers and I'm looking at facilities. I'm looking at the core group of people that I'm trying to launch this church with and I'm and I'm adding all these things up in my head and I'm looking at all the resources I have and looking at how I can try to figure out how to manipulate and it's never going to work because God wants you to lean into him.

Simon looked at everything he had and he said I want to figure out how to manipulate all these I want to do it my way and I want to try to be powerful Mister this and the apostles teaching was Noah and do it yourself. Even an opposition of recognizing you're not adequate enough to use opportunity for you to learn to lean into God and learning to the power of the spirit is able to provide. It can't come through you and your manipulation. It's only through what he can accomplish.

But here's the application that I thought about his I was really wrestling with this text this weekend. And that is this that I was Believers as disciples is those who are passing on our faith to the Next Generation there will be unrest in the process. There will be opposition. There will be trial there will be persecution perhaps and in that unrest we can rest. Know what I mean by that is that mean we can take a nap. No, it's not talk about napping. talking about certainty because in the midst of resting and fighting really what the true source of our security is there's a piece about that. There's a piece that I have and that's why I love getting together with other guys who are going through this and talking with people in our church or just actively going out and making disciples because we recognize that in the process of advancing God's Mission. There are roadblocks in there are things that come in on our way and we're like man we can't get past it. There's just no way it's physically humanly possible for me to accomplish these things. Yeah, we can get together and we can stay lean into God. Let God have his way in your ministry and in your spirit and in your work that you're doing find certainty in this. It's not about sleep. It's about certainty now. I think some people come to church for one type of rest and some people come to church for the other type of rest. I hope you come to church that you can find greater and greater certainty in the mission knowing that it is greater. Who is a greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world? I Think Jesus over and over and over as he told his disciples what really God's Redemptive story was and how is it unfold over and over and over? He told them be at peace. Don't let your heart be anxious for this and that in John 14 at as as he's getting ready to depart. He's even telling them. He's like don't let your heart be troubled believe in God believe also in me and my father's house. There are many Dwelling Places and if it were not so I would have told you but I am going to prepare a place for you. I'm establishing your home your permanent home. He said if I go and prepare a place for you, I'm going to come back and I'm going to get you and receive you to myself that where I am there. You can be also and you will know the way that I'm going until my said Lord. We don't know. We don't know where you're going. How are we going to other way in Jesus told him this he said I am the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except through me. That's it. You want to know how to go and be with the father and experience glory and being his presents for all of eternity and enjoy the riches and Splendor and glory of God Almighty. It's the Christ. You can't receive the spirit through anything. You do can't receive the Holy Spirit guys. I know there's teaching out there about second baptisms and all this. That's not what it's about my personal relationship in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except through him. No man receive the spirit except through him. Did Matthew 28 the Great Commission Jesus again is telling his disciples don't get let your heart be troubled understand that there is rest in the unrest he says this in Matthew 28, Jesus came and spoke to them. I said all authority has been given and Heaven and Earth to me go there for a mix Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I committed you for a low. I am what with you always. rest in the unrest

John 1st, John 4:4 is that verse? I just said I think John the Apostle looking at the church and understand the challenge of advancing the mission of God John the Apostle 1st John 4:4. You said you are from God and you have overcome. Because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world? So guys whether we going to hostile environment or we speak the truth in our own homes offices schools. We can rest and knowing that God's spirit is greater than any power. We will face. We are on a mission together. One of my favorite quotes is from Charles Spurgeon who said every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.

Running together missionaries are not intimidated by demonic phenomena. They are not intimidated by celebrity. We are a people that go beyond having a christ-like veneer and we recognize that if Christ is going to be working in us he needs to be Central in us that we need to have the gospel radically transform us so that we can bring it to others. Cubic Seagal Lucas Rashard was here and Lucas is a missionary in Liberia. He and I had a chance to catch up last weekend in my office and he he was just sharing stories about things that he had seen God do as he was there and in Liberia, there's a tribe north of where he lives in a serving and there is a Shaymin who live in that tribe and there's kind of like this spiritual spiritism that exists in that tribe very Pagan culture and religious organization that's there and ask you was ministering in Liberia. One of the ladies who live in that Village came down and heard the gospel being preached by Lucas and the men he was with and she professed faith in Christ this woman who was kind of one of the leaders in this religious organization. That's shamanic culture where there was tribalism existing. She comes down to profess his faith in Christ, and she begins coming to hear Lucas share the good news of Jesus and she begins to learn the Bible, but what's fascinating Lucas tells me This here is this woman for Generation to generation? She's grown up in this culture and she is now in one of the leaders in it. She's coming and she can't even read and she's listening to him speak and he said man there has never been some more in-depth conversation that I've ever had about scripture that I've had with this woman. It's like the spirit is is tuning her into truth as we're sharing and she seeing things for the first time but there is a process to be in to get her turn the right way. Simon's a great reminder here in the text that celebrities those who are popular those who are influential don't automatically become leaders in the church. That God needs to work in us and there's a progressive sanctification that we must go through to allow God to work in us as we yield to him while man looks on the outward appearance. God looks on the heart. So let's rest in the unrest. And know that the mission that's ahead of us. Is no challenge for him. There's no Optical too high. There's no Valley too low. That God is able to lead his church exactly where he needs and that through the opposition comes opportunity. Lord as we close out today and we reflect just on how you've moved throughout our story the church since we've seen opposition both from within and different seasons. And certainly Lord as we would reflect back on the church and actually see how they manage these things and Philip and the apostles continue to work of Christ. There are lessons that we can apply in our own lives and seek to follow is we are a model what the church is in 21st century. So God, we ask that you give us courage and boldness even if it means going into people's homes or Alive's that historically may have not seen eye-to-eye with us. Maybe there are those who we once identified with us Brothers our family. Just like the Samaritans and the Jews did. Look out. We recognize that it's through your spirit that we become one family again. That we are called to be on one Mission because we serve one Lord. So God, we cry out now with one voice and we celebrate and we worship your name. May we be about your mission today as we leave here? We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.