The Importance of Numbers
Notes
Transcript
1
ARE NUMBERS IMPORTANT?
• IMAGINE THIS: A COUPLE GOES
TO THE BEACH WITH THEIR
THREE CHILDREN.
• DURING THE COURSE OF THE
DAY, ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN
GO MISSING.
• THE COUPLE SEARCHES
EVERYWHERE AND FINALLY FIND
TWO OF THEM.
• THE HUSBAND TURNS TO HIS WIFE
AND SAYS, "LET'S GO."
• SHE SAYS, "WE CAN'T GO YET.
WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO OF OUR
KIDS."
• HE SAYS, "DOESN'T MATTER.
NUMBERS AREN'T IMPORTANT."
• ARE NUMBERS IMPORTANT? OF
COURSE THEY ARE!
• GOD EVEN WROTE A WHOLE
BOOK ON IT.
• NOW, I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY
THAT GOD ONLY CARES ABOUT
NUMBERS
• THAT WOULD BE SILLY, BUT THE
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
• IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD
• NOT JUST NUMERICAL GROWTH
• BUT GEOGRAPHIC GROWTH,
GROWTH IN MATURITY
• GROWTH IN FAITH, GROWTH IN
SERVICE
• IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE ARE
CALLED TO GROW OUR CHURCH
IN ALL THESE WAYS
• WE NEED TO KNOW THAT ONE OF
THE WAYS WE PARTICIPATE IN
• GROWING GOD’S CHURCH IS BY
SHARING WITH OTHERS
• HOW GOD HAS WORKED IN OUR
LIVES
• WHEN WE SHARE GOD’S WORKING
IN OUR LIVES
• THERE WILL BE SOME WHO
OPPOSE US
• WE NEED TO TRUST THAT GOD
WILL GROW THE CHURCH
• NO MATTER WHAT THE
OPPOSITION MIGHT DO
• BECAUSE HE KNOWS EXACTLY
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR
THE CHURCH TO GROW,
• NUMERICALLY, IN MATURITY
• IN SERVICE AND FAITH
• TODAY WE ARE GOING TO
LOOK AT
• THE SECOND HALF OF A STORY
ABOUT
• GOD WORKING IN PETER’S LIFE
• AND WAY THAT GOD GOES
ABOUT GROWING THE CHURCH
• IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION
TURN TO ACTS 12:13
• KING HEROD HAD BEGUN
PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS
• SOON AFTER BEING PUT IN
POWER
• HE ARRESTED SOME, HE
EXECUTED THE APOSTLE JAMES
• WHEN HE SAW THIS PLEASED
THE JEWS
• HE ARRESTED PETER AND
PLANNED TO EXECUTE HIM
• BUT ON THE NIGHT BEFORE
PETER’S EXECUTION
• THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL WHO
FREED PETER FROM PRISON
• AFTER BEING FREED PETER
WENT TO A HOUSE
• WHERE CHRISTIANS WERE
GATHERED TO PRAY FOR HIM
ACTS 12:13–17
WHEN HE KNOCKED AT THE DOOR OF THE
GATE, A SERVANT-GIRL NAMED RHODA
CAME TO ANSWER. WHEN SHE
RECOGNIZED PETER’S VOICE, BECAUSE OF
HER JOY SHE DID NOT OPEN THE GATE,
BUT RAN IN AND ANNOUNCED THAT
PETER WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE
GATE.
THEY SAID TO HER, “YOU ARE OUT
OF YOUR MIND!” BUT SHE KEPT
INSISTING THAT IT WAS SO. THEY
KEPT SAYING, “IT IS HIS ANGEL.”
BUT PETER CONTINUED KNOCKING;
AND WHEN THEY HAD OPENED
THE DOOR, THEY SAW HIM AND
WERE AMAZED.
BUT MOTIONING TO THEM WITH HIS
HAND TO BE SILENT, HE DESCRIBED TO
THEM HOW THE LORD HAD LED HIM
OUT OF THE PRISON. AND HE SAID,
“REPORT THESE THINGS TO JAMES
AND THE BRETHREN.” THEN HE LEFT
AND WENT TO ANOTHER PLACE.
WE NEED PATIENCE IN
PRESENTING GOD
• SOMETIMES IT TAKES AMAZING
PATIENCE
• TO TELL OTHERS WHAT GOD HAS
DONE IN YOUR LIFE
• IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
• PETER HAS JUST BEEN FREED FROM
PRISON
• HOURS BEFORE HE WAS TO BE
EXECUTED
• AND HE GOES TO THE HOUSE
• WHERE HE KNOWS PEOPLE ARE
GATHERED AND PRAYING FOR HIM
• ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS TELL THESE
PEOPLE WHAT HAS HAPPENED… HOW
GOD HAS…
• HE KNOCKS ON THE OUTER DOOR OF
THE HOUSEHOLD
• THIS WOULD BE A SMALL GATE ON THE
STREET
• THAT WOULD LEAD INTO A COURTYARD
• A YOUNG GIRL NAMED RHODA
COMES TO THE DOOR
• WE KNOW PETER TOLD LUKE
THESE EVENTS
• AND SINCE PETER MENTIONED
HER NAME IT IS LIKELY HE KNEW
HER
• THE FACT THAT SHE RECOGNIZES HIS
VOICE MAKES THIS EVEN MORE LIKELY
• BUT SHE IS SO EXCITED SHE DOES NOT
OPEN THE GATE TO LET HIM IN, SHE
LEAVES HIM STANDING OUT ON THE
STREET.
• SHE RUNS OF TO TELL EVERYONE
PETER IS OUTSIDE THE GATE
• THE PEOPLE SHE IS TELLING THIS TO
ARE GATHERED
• TO PRAY FOR PETER, WE ASSUME
THEY PRAYED FOR HIS RELEASE
• AND WHEN THIS YOUNG GIRL TELLS
THEM HE IS AT THE GATE
• “YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!”
• THE VERY THING THEY ARE PRAYING
FOR HAS HAPPENED
• THEY THINK SHE IS CRAZY FOR
SUGGESTING THEIR PRAYS WERE
ANSWERED
• NOW WE NEED TO NOTICE
SOMETHING HERE
• THE TEXT SAYS
• BUT SHE KEPT INSISTING THAT IT
WAS SO. THEY KEPT SAYING, “IT IS
HIS ANGEL.”
• THE WAY THIS IS WORDED MEANS
THAT THIS EXCHANGE
• WENT ON FOR A WHILE. THEY
WENT BACK AND FORTH A FEW
TIMES
• AND THIS ENTIRE TIME PETER
THE ESCAPED FUGITIVE
• IS STANDING OUT ON THE
STREET…
• SOME ONE MIGHT ASK… WHAT
DID THEY MEAN
• WHEN THEY SAID; “IT IS HIS
ANGEL.”
• THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION IS THAT
• THE WORD BEING TRANSLATED
ANGEL
• LITERALLY MEANS MESSENGER
• THESE PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK
PETER SENT A MESSENGER
FROM PRISON
• AND WHILE THIS
CONVERSATION IS GOING ON
• PETER CONTINUED KNOCKING;
• THIS IS SOME SERIOUS PATIENCE
• HE MUST THINK IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT
• TO TELL THEM WHAT GOD HAS
DONE
• HE COULD HAVE JUST LEFT WHEN
RHODA DID NOT OPEN THE DOOR
• BUT HE DID NOT… HE STAYS AND
WAITS
• SOMETIMES WE WALK AWAY
• WHEN WE SHOULD STAY AND
WAIT (RIFF)
• IF WE ARE PATIENT, WE MIGHT
HAVE A CHANCE
• TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT GOD HAS
DONE IN OUR LIVES…
• FINALLY, THEY OPEN THE DOOR AND
• THEY SAW HIM AND WERE AMAZED.
• THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A NOISY
KINDA OF AMAZED
• CAUSE THE NEXT THING PETER
DOES IT
• MOTION TO THEM WITH HIS HAND
TO BE SILENT,
• REMEMBER HE IS A FUGITIVE WHO
WAS ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED
• IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
AND THESE PEOPLE
• ARE NOW STANDING AT THE GATE
ON THE STREET
• MAKING ENOUGH NOISE THAT
PETER HAS TO MOTION WITH
HIS
• HAND FOR THEM TO BE SILENT…
• ONCE THEY WERE QUIET HE
• DESCRIBED TO THEM HOW THE
LORD HAD LED HIM OUT OF THE
PRISON.
• THIS IS PETER TELLING THESE FOLKS
HOW GOD WORKED IN HIS LIFE
• THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO BE
DOING..
• LETTING PEOPLE KNOW HOW GOD HAS
GOTTEN US THROUGH TOUGH TIMES
• AND PETER CONSIDERED THIS
IMPORTANT ENOUGH
• TO RISK HIS LIFE, TO STAND OUTSIDE A
GATE
• IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT RIGHT
AFTER
• ESCAPING FROM PRISON….
• HOW IMPORTANT DO WE
CONSIDER IT? (RIFF)
• HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT
DO WE PUT INTO MAKING SURE
• WE TELL OTHERS WHAT GOD
HAS DONE FOR US?....
• AND THEN BEFORE HE LEAVES PETER
GIVES THEM AN INSTRUCTION
• “REPORT THESE THINGS TO JAMES
AND THE BRETHREN.”
• THIS JAMES IS THE HALF BROTHER
OF JESUS, NOT THE APOSTLE
• AT THIS POINT HE IS THE LEADER OF
THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM
• SO PETER IS TELLING THEM
• MAKE SURE THE REST OF THE
CHURCH KNOWS WHAT GOD HAS
DONE
• AS SOON AS HE HAD DONE THIS IT
SAYS;
• HE LEFT AND WENT TO ANOTHER
PLACE
• A LOTA PEOPLE MAKE A BIG
DEAL ABOUT WHERE
• PETER MIGHT HAVE GONE
• BUT LUKE JUST SAYS HE WENT
TO ANOTHER PLACE
• I THINK IF WHERE HE WENT WAS
IMPORTANT
• LUKE WOULD HAVE TOLD US WHERE
HE WENT
• LUKE MAY NOT TELL US WHERE
PETER WENT
• BUT HE DOES TELL US WHAT
HAPPENED
• IN JERUSALEM AFTER PETER LEFT
ACTS 12:18–19
NOW WHEN DAY CAME, THERE
WAS NO SMALL DISTURBANCE
AMONG THE SOLDIERS AS TO WHAT
COULD HAVE BECOME OF PETER.
WHEN HEROD HAD SEARCHED FOR
HIM AND HAD NOT FOUND HIM,
HE EXAMINED THE GUARDS AND
ORDERED THAT THEY BE LED
AWAY TO EXECUTION. THEN HE
WENT DOWN FROM JUDEA TO
CAESAREA AND WAS SPENDING
TIME THERE.
GOD WORKING IS NOTICED
• HEROD HAD 16 MEN WORKING
IN SHIFTS OF 4 TO GUARD PETER
• PETER WAS CHAINED TO TWO
OF THEM AT ALL TIMES
• AND YET HE HAD ESCAPED NOT
JUST FROM THESE MEN
• BUT FROM THE ENTIRE PRISON
• AND WHEN DAY BREAK COMES
• THERE WAS NO SMALL
DISTURBANCE AMONG THE
SOLDIERS
• LUKE USES A PHRASE HERE THAT
MEANS
• THESE PEOPLE WERE VERY
DISTURBED
• THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR
HOW PETER COULD HAVE
ESCAPED
• AND THEY KNEW THEY WERE
GONNA BE IN ALOTTA TROUBLE…
• WHEN THE TEXT SAYS; HEROD
HAD SEARCHED FOR HIM AND
HAD NOT FOUND HIM,
• IT MEANS HE ORDERED A
SEARCH; HE DID NOT SEARCH
HIMSELF
• AND THEN WE SEE THAT HEROD
• EXAMINED THE GUARDS AND ORDERED
THAT THEY BE LED AWAY TO EXECUTION.
• IT IS LIKELY THIS IS TAKING ABOUT THE 4
GUARD THAT WERE
• PERSONALLY GUARDING PETER, THE
TWO CHAINED TO HIM
• AND THE TWO AT THE DOOR OUTSIDE
HIS CELL
• NOW IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL BUT THE
WORD EXECUTION IS NOT ACTUALLY
• IN THE TEXT, THEY ADDED IT
BECAUSE THAT STATEMENT
• THAT THEY BE LED AWAY WAS A
POLITE WAY OF SAYING
• THAT HEROD HAD THESE MEN
KILLED…
• THEN HEROD LEFT JERUSALEM
• HE WENT DOWN FROM JUDEA
TO CAESAREA AND WAS
SPENDING TIME THERE.
• THE WAY LUKE WORDS THIS MEANS
THAT THERE IS A CONNECTION
• BETWEEN THE EVENTS OF PETER’S
ESCAPE AND HEROD LEAVING TOWN
• MAYBE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT
THE PEOPLE
• THEY HAD LIKED IT WHEN HE
EXECUTED JAMES
• MAYBE HEROD WAS WORRIED THE
PEOPLE
• WOULD NOT LIKE THAT PETER HAD
ESCAPED…
• HEROD HAD PERSECUTED THE
CHURCH
• HE HAD ARRESTED AND
MISTREATED CHRISTIANS
• HE HAD EXECUTED THE APOSTLE
JAMES
• HE HAD WANTED TO DO THE
SAME THING TO PETER
• BUT GOD HAD WORKED IN PETER’S
LIFE
• GOD HAD SENT AN ANGEL WHO
FREED PETER
• FROM PRISON AND SAVED HIM
FROM EXECUTION
• BUT GOD IS NOT DONE WITH
HEROD
ACTS 12:20–24
NOW HE WAS VERY ANGRY WITH THE
PEOPLE OF TYRE AND SIDON; AND WITH
ONE ACCORD THEY CAME TO HIM, AND
HAVING WON OVER BLASTUS THE KING’S
CHAMBERLAIN, THEY WERE ASKING FOR
PEACE, BECAUSE THEIR COUNTRY WAS
FED BY THE KING’S COUNTRY.
ON AN APPOINTED DAY HEROD,
HAVING PUT ON HIS ROYAL
APPAREL, TOOK HIS SEAT ON THE
ROSTRUM AND BEGAN DELIVERING
AN ADDRESS TO THEM. THE
PEOPLE KEPT CRYING OUT, “THE
VOICE OF A GOD AND NOT OF A
MAN!”
AND IMMEDIATELY AN ANGEL OF
THE LORD STRUCK HIM BECAUSE HE
DID NOT GIVE GOD THE GLORY, AND
HE WAS EATEN BY WORMS AND
DIED. BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD
CONTINUED TO GROW AND TO BE
MULTIPLIED.
GOD REMOVES OBSTACLES
• HEROD WAS NOT A HAPPY MAN
• HE DID NOT LIKE THE CHURCH
• AND HERE IT SAYS HE WAS
ANGRY WITH TYRE AND SIDON
• NOW HE DID NOT RULE OVER
THESE LANDS
• BUT THE PEOPLE OF TYRE AND
SIDON DEPENDED
• ON THE LANDS HEROD DID RULE TO
GET THEIR FOOD
• SO THESE PEOPLE GOT BLASTUS THE
CHAMBERLAIN ON THEIR SIDE
• AND ON THE BIG DAY WHEN
• WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO SIGN
A TREATY
• HEROD SHOWS UP DRESSED VERY
FANCY
• SITS DOWN AND STARTS HIS SPEECH
• WE ACTUALLY HAVE HISTORICAL
ACCOUNTS
• OF THIS EVENT OUTSIDE THE BIBLE
• HEROD’S OUTFIT WAS SILVER AND
GOLD AND SPARKLED
• SO BRIGHTLY PEOPLE WERE
“BLINDED” BY IT
• FROM THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS
WE KNOW
• THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
AUDIENCE
• WERE PEOPLE FROM TYRE AND
SIDON
• AS HEROD IS GIVING HIS SPEECH
THESE PEOPLE
• KEPT CRYING OUT, “THE VOICE OF A
GOD AND NOT OF A MAN!”
• MAYBE HE REALLY WAS THAT
IMPRESSIVE
• MAYBE IT WAS JUST THE SPARKLY
CLOTHES
• OR MAYBE THEY WERE JUST TRYING
TO GET ON
• HEROD’S GOOD SIDE, BUTTERING
HIM UP SO SIGN THE TREATY
• BUT HEROD NEVER GOT THE
CHANCE TO SIGN THE TREATY
• IMMEDIATELY AN ANGEL OF THE
LORD STRUCK HIM BECAUSE HE DID
NOT GIVE GOD THE GLORY, AND HE
WAS EATEN BY WORMS AND DIED.
• SEE HEROD KNEW BETTER
• THESE PEOPLE CHANTING THAT HE
HAD
• THE VOICE OF A GOD AND NOT OF A
MAN
• THEY WERE PAGANS… THEY DID NOT
KNOW GOD
• HEROD WAS NOT A DEVOUT JEW
• HE DID NOT KEEP JEWISH
PRACTICES
• BUT HE KNEW THERE WAS A
GOD
• AND HE KNEW IT WAS NOT HIM
• AND HE ALLOWED THESE
PAGANS TO GIVE HIM GLORY
• HE DID NOT CORRECT THEM, HE
DID NOT STOP THEM CHANTING
• HE AND BECAUSE
• HE DID NOT GIVE GOD THE
GLORY, AND HE WAS EATEN BY
WORMS AND DIED.
• NOW, I ASSUMED HE DIED RIGHT
AWAY AND MAYBE HE DID
• BUT WHEN I READ THE
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
• IT SAID THAT IT TOOK HEROD 5
DAYS TO DIE
• AND WHEN HE FINALLY DIED, HE
BURST OPEN
• AND HIS GUT WAS FULL OF
WORMS…
• HE HAD ONLY RULED FOR 3
YEARS
• IN HIS ARROGANCE HE HAD OPPOSED
THE CHRISTIANS IN JERUSALEM
• HE HAD ARRESTED AND MISTREATED
SOME
• HE HAD EXECUTED THE APOSTLE
JAMES
• HE HAD ARRESTED AND PLANNED TO
EXECUTE PETER
• BUT GOD HAD SENT AN ANGEL TO FREE
PETER
• AFTER PETER WAS FREED HEROD WENT
TO CAESAREA
• IN HIS PRIDE HE HAD ALLOWED THE
PEOPLE
• TO CALL HIM A GOD
• AND HE HAD BEEEN STRUCK DOWN BY
AN ANGEL
• THIS MAN HEROD HAD OPPOSED
THE CHURCH
• HE HAD PERSECUTED THE CHURCH
• AND GOD HAD REMOVED HIM AS
AN OBSTACLE
• REMOVED HIM AS SOMETHING
THAT WOULD HAVE
• SLOWED OR STOPPED THE GROWTH
OF THE CHURCH…
• I GUESS I ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD
WEEDS WERE BAD
• BUT REALLY TO ME, THEY WERE JUST
NOT A MAJOR ISSUE
• I KNEW THEY WERE A PROBLEM
THEY JUST NEVER HAD ANY IMPACT
• ON ANYTHING I DID
• BUT SEE…. NOW I HAVE A LITTLE
GARDEN
• NOT MUCH OF A GARDEN BUT A
LITTLE GARDEN
• AND I LOVE MY PLANTS.. I GO
CHECK ON THEM
• 3 OR 4 TIMES A DAY.. JUST TO MAKE
SURE THEY ARE GROWING
• AND EVERY NOW AND THEN THESE
LITTLE WEEDS SHOW UP
• I NOTICE THEM RIGHT AWAY.. THEY
DON’T LOOK LIKE
• MY PLANTS, THEY REALLY STAND
OUT IN THE GARDEN
• SO I PULL THOSE LITTLE WEEDS
RIGHT OUTTA THE GROUND
• OR MAYBE SKY PULLS THEM.. HE
IS GOOD AT HELPING WITH THAT
• BUT SEE IF WE DID NOT PULL
THEM
• THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY
HARM THE PLANTS
• THEY WOULD BE TAKING
NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL
• AND EVENTUALLY THEY WOULD
CHOKE OFF THE WHOLE GARDEN
• AND NOTHING COULD GROW
• HEROD WAS A WEED.. IN HIS
CASE HE WAS A BIG POWERFUL
WEED
• AND HE WAS STARTING TO
CHOKE THE CHURCH
• SO GOD PULLED THAT WEED RIGHT
OUTTA THE GROUND…
• WE NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD REMOVES
OBSTACLES TO CHURCH GROWTH
• HE HAS DONE IT ALL THROUGH
HISTORY…..
• WE CAN GET ALL STRESSED OUT OVER
HOW THINGS
• ARE GOING IN THIS COUNTRY… AND
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE DO
• BUT THE TRUTH IS OUR GOD IS A
MIGHTY GOD
• AND NO WEED NO MATTER HOW
TOUGH
• IS GOING TO STOP HIS CHURCH
FROM GROWING… BECAUSE
GOD GROWS THE CHURCH
• LUKE CONCLUDES THIS ACCOUNT
• OF HEROD’S PERSECUTION BY
SAYING
• BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD
CONTINUED TO GROW AND TO BE
MULTIPLIED.
• LUKE IS WRITING THIS BOOK
• TO EXPLAIN TO A FELLA NAMED
THEOPHILUS
• HOW THE CHURCH GOT FROM
JERUSALEM TO ROME
• EVERY NOW AND THEN WE SEE
STATEMENTS LIKE THIS ONE
• STATEMENTS TALKING ABOUT THE
CHURCH GROWING
• WHEN LUKE MENTIONS THAT THE
CHURCH MULTIPLIED
• THAT IS TALKING ABOUT NUMERIC
GROWTH
• MORE PEOPLE JOINED THE CHURCH
• AND WHEN HE SAYS THE CHURCH
CONTINUED TO GROW
• THAT IS ABOUT GEOGRAPHIC
GROWTH
• THE CHURCH INCREASED THE AREA
IT REACHED
• BOTH OF THESE KINDS OF GROWTH
ARE IMPORTANT
• BOTH ARE PART OF GOD’S PLAN
• EVERY CHURCH SHOULD BE SEEKING
TO GROW
• NOT JUST IN NUMBERS AND AREA
• BUT IN MATURITY, IN SERVICE, IN
LOVE…..
• WE HAVE A PART IN THAT GROWTH
• WE PRESENT THE GOSPEL TO FOLKS
• WE PREACH AND TEACH GOD’S WORD
• WE TELL PEOPLE HOW GOD HAS
WORKED IN OUR LIVES
• WE LOVE AND SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS
• WE GROW TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST
• BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS GOD WHO
GROWS THE CHURCH
• IN ALL THESE AREAS NOT JUST
NUMBERS…..
• WE NEED TO DO OUR PART
AND TRUST
• IN GOD FOR THE GROWTH
PETER HAD GIVEN GLORY TO GOD
FOR HIS ESCAPE
• PETER WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO
MAKE SURE
• PEOPLE KNEW HOW GOD HAD
SAVED HIM FROM EXECUTION
• BUT HEROD HAD TAKEN GLORY FOR
HIMSELF
• HE HAD SOUGHT TO KILL PETER
BECAUSE IT MIGHT PLEASE THE
PEOPLE
• HE HAD ACCEPTED THE PRAISE
OF THE PEOPLE
• WHEN THEY SAID; “THE VOICE
OF A GOD AND NOT OF A MAN!”
• AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
STRUCK HIM DOWN
• GOD REMOVED AN OBSTACLE… A
WEED.. THAT WAS
• AFFECTING THE GROWTH OF THE
CHURCH
• WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
• TELL OTHERS HOW GOD HAS
WORKED IN OUR LIVES
• SOMETIMES THIS WILL MEAN WE
MIGHT HAVE TO
• PATIENTLY WAIT OUTSIDE THE GATE
AT NIGHT
• UNTIL PEOPLE WILL QUIET DOWN
LONG ENOUGH
• FOR US TO TELL THEM WHAT GOD
HAS DONE
• WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE
WILL BE PEOPLE
• WHO WILL BE OBSTACLES TO GOD’S
GOSPEL
• TO THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
• WE CAN BE CERTAIN GOD WILL
DEAL WITH THEM
• MAYBE NOT THE WAY WE
WOULD WANT
• OR WHEN WE MIGHT WANT
• BUT HE WILL CERTAINLY DEAL
WITH THEM
• AND THE CHURCH WILL GROW
• SOMETIMES THIS GROWTH WILL
BE IN NUMBERS OR AREAS
• BUT OTHER TIMES THE GROWTH
WILL BE
• IN MATURITY, OR SERVICE OR
LOVE
• WE CAN KNOW AND TRUST THIS
BECAUSE
• WE HAVE A MIGHTY GOD WHO
LOVES US AND CARES FOR US
• A GOD WHO WANTS AN
ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH US
• BUT WE ALL SIN….
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