1 00:00:11,667 --> 00:00:13,167 Welcome to Mars Hill church. 2 00:00:13,250 --> 00:00:16,167 Jesus is using Mars Hill to make disciples 3 00:00:16,208 --> 00:00:18,458 and plant churches all over the world 4 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:21,167 and this wouldn't be happening without your help. 5 00:00:21,250 --> 00:00:24,000 Your gifts enable what you're watching right now 6 00:00:24,083 --> 00:00:26,583 and help plant churches, equip evangelists, 7 00:00:26,667 --> 00:00:29,333 and translate resources and study materials 8 00:00:29,375 --> 00:00:33,292 for people who have never had access to them before. 9 00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:36,500 Whether you're a part of a local Mars Hill church 10 00:00:36,542 --> 00:00:40,167 or you're one of hundreds of thousands of people 11 00:00:40,250 --> 00:00:43,250 listening and watching sermons each and every week, 12 00:00:43,333 --> 00:00:47,042 you're a part of our global family and I want to thank you. 13 00:00:47,125 --> 00:00:50,333 I encourage you to pray about giving to Mars Hill. 14 00:00:50,375 --> 00:00:54,083 You make this content available for free to anyone in the world, 15 00:00:54,167 --> 00:00:57,458 send out more pastors, plant more churches, 16 00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:02,333 and bring the kingdom of Jesus Christ to our world today. 17 00:01:02,375 --> 00:01:04,000 Thank you. 18 00:01:16,292 --> 00:01:20,875 You will receive power! 19 00:01:34,500 --> 00:01:38,500 You will receive power! 20 00:01:57,833 --> 00:02:03,000 You will receive power! 21 00:02:11,500 --> 00:02:15,250 At Mars Hill Church, we want to see as many people 22 00:02:15,333 --> 00:02:19,958 as possible meet Jesus and become Christians. 23 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,708 Even today, many of you are praying for family members, 24 00:02:23,792 --> 00:02:29,375 friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors who don't yet know 25 00:02:29,458 --> 00:02:32,500 Jesus that they might meet Jesus and become Christians. 26 00:02:32,542 --> 00:02:35,875 I'm doing the same, but it brings up a really important 27 00:02:35,958 --> 00:02:37,583 question that we have to answer. 28 00:02:37,667 --> 00:02:41,333 How do people who don't yet know Jesus meet him 29 00:02:41,417 --> 00:02:43,000 and become Christians? 30 00:02:43,042 --> 00:02:45,667 That's exactly the question that we're going to look at 31 00:02:45,708 --> 00:02:47,167 in our text today. 32 00:02:47,250 --> 00:02:50,583 If you have a Bible, let me encourage you to turn to Acts 10 33 00:02:50,667 --> 00:02:53,083 as we continue our study through the book of Acts. 34 00:02:53,167 --> 00:02:56,083 And I want us to look at this story in Acts 10 35 00:02:56,167 --> 00:02:58,000 really through two angles today. 36 00:02:58,042 --> 00:03:00,542 Much like a great drama, we're going to watch actors 37 00:03:00,625 --> 00:03:03,458 on the stage engage with one another, 38 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:05,458 and I want us to have that perspective, 39 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:08,042 but I also want us to go backstage. 40 00:03:08,125 --> 00:03:10,000 I want us to peer behind the curtain. 41 00:03:10,083 --> 00:03:13,125 I want you to see that God the Holy Spirit, 42 00:03:13,167 --> 00:03:14,833 the third member of the Trinity, 43 00:03:14,917 --> 00:03:16,333 is behind the scenes, 44 00:03:16,417 --> 00:03:18,500 directing the actors in such a way that 45 00:03:18,583 --> 00:03:20,042 the mission of Jesus goes forward. 46 00:03:20,125 --> 00:03:22,542 Because I want you to be encouraged that if you're 47 00:03:22,625 --> 00:03:25,792 a Christian, the Holy Spirit is actively involved in your life, 48 00:03:25,833 --> 00:03:29,042 empowering you to tell others about Jesus. 49 00:03:29,125 --> 00:03:31,833 Let's pray and then we're going to jump into Acts 10. 50 00:03:31,917 --> 00:03:35,250 Father, thank you that you are a loving Father. 51 00:03:35,333 --> 00:03:38,167 Thank you that you're a kind Father. 52 00:03:38,208 --> 00:03:40,083 Thank you that you're an affectionate Father. 53 00:03:40,167 --> 00:03:41,667 You wouldn't abandon us. 54 00:03:41,708 --> 00:03:43,167 You wouldn't abuse us. 55 00:03:43,208 --> 00:03:45,792 But Father, your Word tells us that you love us with 56 00:03:45,833 --> 00:03:48,292 all the love you have for your Son Jesus. 57 00:03:48,333 --> 00:03:51,833 Jesus, thank you that you being eternally God, 58 00:03:51,917 --> 00:03:54,750 you are God the Son, you humbled yourself, 59 00:03:54,833 --> 00:03:58,083 and you entered into our world, and you became a man. 60 00:03:58,167 --> 00:04:00,750 You became the God-man who walked among us. 61 00:04:00,833 --> 00:04:04,458 You lived the only perfect life that's ever been lived. 62 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:07,833 Jesus, you went to the cross, and there on the cross you took 63 00:04:07,875 --> 00:04:11,833 upon yourself the punishment for our rebellion against God, 64 00:04:11,917 --> 00:04:13,833 our treason. 65 00:04:13,917 --> 00:04:17,250 And Jesus, you died on the cross. 66 00:04:17,333 --> 00:04:20,958 So Lord Jesus, thank you that the grave couldn't contain you. 67 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,417 Thank you that you are physically risen from the dead, 68 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:25,583 that you're at the right hand of the Father. 69 00:04:25,667 --> 00:04:28,583 And Jesus, we want all of our time together today to be 70 00:04:28,667 --> 00:04:31,583 an act of worship towards you and for you. 71 00:04:31,667 --> 00:04:34,167 Father and Son, thank you for God the Holy Spirit. 72 00:04:34,250 --> 00:04:37,333 Holy Spirit, we pray for those of us that are Christians here 73 00:04:37,417 --> 00:04:40,542 today that you would empower us, that you would break down 74 00:04:40,625 --> 00:04:44,458 any walls of separation we put between ourselves and those who 75 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:48,583 don't know Jesus, that you would open our eyes to see those 76 00:04:48,667 --> 00:04:51,542 who you want us to share our faith with. 77 00:04:51,625 --> 00:04:56,042 Holy Spirit, I especially pray for those here today who don't 78 00:04:56,125 --> 00:04:59,333 yet know Jesus, especially those who are religious, 79 00:04:59,417 --> 00:05:02,458 who think by working hard they're going to earn 80 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:03,958 a relationship with God. 81 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,333 Holy Spirit, I pray that you would convict those folks. 82 00:05:06,417 --> 00:05:08,542 I pray that you would convert those folks. 83 00:05:08,625 --> 00:05:12,250 I pray that people would meet Jesus and forever be changed. 84 00:05:12,333 --> 00:05:15,208 In his good name we pray, amen. 85 00:05:15,292 --> 00:05:17,333 Turn with me if you will to Acts 10. 86 00:05:17,417 --> 00:05:19,042 We're going to begin in verse 1. 87 00:05:19,125 --> 00:05:21,750 And the first thing I want you to see is that 88 00:05:21,833 --> 00:05:23,833 the Holy Spirit convicts. 89 00:05:23,917 --> 00:05:25,750 The Holy Spirit convicts. 90 00:05:25,833 --> 00:05:31,958 Acts 10:1, "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, 91 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,333 "a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 92 00:05:36,417 --> 00:05:39,458 "a devout man who feared God with all his household, 93 00:05:39,500 --> 00:05:42,167 "gave alms generously to the people, 94 00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:43,958 "and prayed continually to God. 95 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:45,833 About the ninth hour of the day," 96 00:05:45,917 --> 00:05:50,000 that's 3 p.m., "he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God 97 00:05:50,042 --> 00:05:52,792 "come in and say to him, 'Cornelius.' 98 00:05:52,833 --> 00:05:56,750 "And he stared at him in terror and said, 'What is it, Lord?' 99 00:05:56,833 --> 00:05:59,375 "And he said to him, 'Your prayers and your alms 100 00:05:59,458 --> 00:06:01,833 "'have ascended as a memorial before God. 101 00:06:01,917 --> 00:06:05,167 "'And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon 102 00:06:05,208 --> 00:06:06,958 "'who is called Peter. 103 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,750 He is lodging with one Simon,'" 104 00:06:08,833 --> 00:06:10,833 a lot of Simons in this story today, 105 00:06:10,875 --> 00:06:13,000 "'a tanner, whose house is by the sea.' 106 00:06:13,083 --> 00:06:15,333 "When the angel who spoke to him had departed, 107 00:06:15,375 --> 00:06:18,833 "he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among 108 00:06:18,917 --> 00:06:21,750 "those who attended him, and having related everything 109 00:06:21,833 --> 00:06:25,167 to them, he sent them to Joppa." 110 00:06:25,208 --> 00:06:27,000 First character you're going to meet today 111 00:06:27,042 --> 00:06:28,583 is a guy named Cornelius, 112 00:06:28,667 --> 00:06:30,750 and we need to make a couple of observations 113 00:06:30,833 --> 00:06:32,167 about Cornelius. 114 00:06:32,208 --> 00:06:34,167 First of all, he's an important man. 115 00:06:34,208 --> 00:06:38,000 He's a centurion, which means, much like today in our military, 116 00:06:38,042 --> 00:06:41,750 he's probably a non-commissioned officer, but he leads 100 men. 117 00:06:41,833 --> 00:06:43,833 That's what a centurion does. 118 00:06:43,917 --> 00:06:46,833 And he's part of the Italian Cohort. 119 00:06:46,917 --> 00:06:48,250 Right, that just sounds like 120 00:06:48,333 --> 00:06:50,167 special forces all over it, right? 121 00:06:50,208 --> 00:06:51,875 He's a part of the Italian Cohort, 122 00:06:51,958 --> 00:06:54,167 probably a garrison of 600 soldiers 123 00:06:54,208 --> 00:06:56,542 assigned to Caesarea. 124 00:06:56,625 --> 00:07:01,042 Caesarea was where the Roman governor resided. 125 00:07:01,125 --> 00:07:04,208 And so Cornelius is a leader, a military leader, 126 00:07:04,292 --> 00:07:05,833 leads 100 men, 127 00:07:05,917 --> 00:07:08,167 is a part of a special detachment that's protecting 128 00:07:08,208 --> 00:07:11,667 the Roman governor, and also probably deployed occasionally 129 00:07:11,708 --> 00:07:14,333 to put down insurrections in that part of the world. 130 00:07:14,417 --> 00:07:17,458 But what's interesting to me about Cornelius is where he's 131 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:21,333 coming from spiritually, because he's really abandoned 132 00:07:21,417 --> 00:07:25,250 his spiritual, cultural heritage. 133 00:07:25,333 --> 00:07:28,792 He's a Roman, which means he should be polytheistic. 134 00:07:28,833 --> 00:07:30,583 He should believe in many gods. 135 00:07:30,667 --> 00:07:32,667 He also should be worshiping Caesar, 136 00:07:32,750 --> 00:07:34,667 especially as a good military man. 137 00:07:34,750 --> 00:07:37,583 If you were a Jewish person in this day and age 138 00:07:37,667 --> 00:07:39,292 under the Roman government, 139 00:07:39,333 --> 00:07:41,333 you would see them as traitors, as oppressors, 140 00:07:41,417 --> 00:07:46,292 as very evil men, but yet this is a man who seems to be drawn 141 00:07:46,333 --> 00:07:48,583 to the God of the Jews. 142 00:07:48,667 --> 00:07:52,833 He's a devout man, he has a respect for God, 143 00:07:52,917 --> 00:07:55,583 and he's beginning to act upon that respect. 144 00:07:55,667 --> 00:07:58,458 He prays, he gives gifts to the poor, 145 00:07:58,500 --> 00:08:02,167 and he's in good standing with the local Jewish population. 146 00:08:02,208 --> 00:08:04,167 How does this happen? 147 00:08:04,208 --> 00:08:07,833 This doesn't make sense to us on paper. 148 00:08:07,875 --> 00:08:11,000 Here is a man sent to be a soldier in a foreign country, 149 00:08:11,083 --> 00:08:14,208 and he's turned his back on his own culture and on his own 150 00:08:14,292 --> 00:08:16,833 religious heritage, and he's begun to seek out the God 151 00:08:16,917 --> 00:08:20,833 of the Bible with a modicum of respect and activism. 152 00:08:20,917 --> 00:08:23,125 This is the Holy Spirit at work. 153 00:08:23,167 --> 00:08:24,625 That's how this happens. 154 00:08:24,667 --> 00:08:28,292 And what I want you to see today as we look at the words of 155 00:08:28,333 --> 00:08:30,292 Jesus--and we're going to look at several passages-- 156 00:08:30,333 --> 00:08:33,292 the Holy Spirit is exactly who Jesus said, he would be doing 157 00:08:33,333 --> 00:08:35,500 exactly what Jesus said he would do. 158 00:08:35,542 --> 00:08:37,500 Let me give you an example, John 16. 159 00:08:37,542 --> 00:08:40,083 This is who Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be. 160 00:08:40,167 --> 00:08:42,167 "And when he comes," the Holy Spirit, 161 00:08:42,250 --> 00:08:46,250 "he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness 162 00:08:46,333 --> 00:08:50,042 "and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in 163 00:08:50,125 --> 00:08:53,667 "me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, 164 00:08:53,750 --> 00:08:57,542 "and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, 165 00:08:57,625 --> 00:09:02,542 because the ruler of this world is judged." 166 00:09:02,625 --> 00:09:05,667 The Holy Spirit convicts. 167 00:09:05,708 --> 00:09:07,625 That's the work of the Holy Spirit. 168 00:09:07,667 --> 00:09:10,625 The Holy Spirit takes hearts that are far away from God 169 00:09:10,667 --> 00:09:14,000 and begins to go to work on them so that they have a greater 170 00:09:14,083 --> 00:09:16,750 understanding that there is such a thing in the world as sin. 171 00:09:16,833 --> 00:09:19,333 God is a holy God, he has a righteous standard, 172 00:09:19,375 --> 00:09:21,833 and there's an intrinsic sense when the Holy Spirit begins 173 00:09:21,875 --> 00:09:24,917 to bring out conviction that somehow I'm not right with God. 174 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,417 There's this idea of righteousness that we're going 175 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:29,250 to stand before God in judgment 176 00:09:29,333 --> 00:09:31,458 and God is going to hold us to account. 177 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:33,708 And in some ways, Cornelius gets this. 178 00:09:33,792 --> 00:09:35,958 He's not yet a Christian, but the Holy Spirit 179 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,625 is convicting his heart. 180 00:09:38,667 --> 00:09:42,708 Christian, I hope that gives you great encouragement for those 181 00:09:42,792 --> 00:09:47,542 you are praying for today who don't know Jesus. 182 00:09:47,625 --> 00:09:49,542 The Holy Spirit convicts. 183 00:09:49,625 --> 00:09:52,333 You don't have to convict of sin; that's not your job. 184 00:09:52,375 --> 00:09:54,542 That's the role of the Holy Spirit. 185 00:09:54,625 --> 00:09:56,542 And the good news is the Holy Spirit 186 00:09:56,625 --> 00:09:58,625 knows no hard cases. 187 00:09:58,667 --> 00:10:01,542 There's no hearts too hard, there's no cultures too far 188 00:10:01,625 --> 00:10:05,833 removed that the Holy Spirit can't do his convicting work. 189 00:10:05,875 --> 00:10:09,125 Several years ago, as I was serving as lead pastor of 190 00:10:09,167 --> 00:10:12,125 Mars Hill Albuquerque, we just finished a service meeting 191 00:10:12,167 --> 00:10:15,000 in the old historic Lobo Theater on Route 66, 192 00:10:15,083 --> 00:10:16,417 Nob Hill in Albuquerque, 193 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:19,542 and I would make my way out of the back of the theater 194 00:10:19,625 --> 00:10:22,542 and come around to the front so that I could greet people 195 00:10:22,625 --> 00:10:24,750 as they left or new people were coming in 196 00:10:24,833 --> 00:10:26,167 for the new service. 197 00:10:26,250 --> 00:10:28,875 On this particular Sunday, there was a line of very enthusiastic, 198 00:10:28,958 --> 00:10:31,375 agitated Mars Hill members who wanted to talk to me, 199 00:10:31,458 --> 00:10:33,875 and I really couldn't figure out what was going on, 200 00:10:33,958 --> 00:10:36,583 but I knew it had to be either really, really good 201 00:10:36,667 --> 00:10:38,000 or really, really bad. 202 00:10:38,042 --> 00:10:40,000 First person comes up to me, "Pastor Dave, 203 00:10:40,042 --> 00:10:42,167 you're not going to believe who was here today!" 204 00:10:42,250 --> 00:10:44,875 I said, "I don't know, I saw a lot of people. 205 00:10:44,958 --> 00:10:46,292 Who was here?" 206 00:10:46,333 --> 00:10:47,667 He said, "Buck was here. 207 00:10:47,750 --> 00:10:49,875 "Did you know that Buck was here, Pastor Dave? 208 00:10:49,958 --> 00:10:52,667 And we really need to pray that Buck would meet Jesus." 209 00:10:52,708 --> 00:10:54,375 And I said, "That's great, let's pray." 210 00:10:54,458 --> 00:10:56,083 We prayed that Buck would meet Jesus. 211 00:10:56,167 --> 00:10:58,583 Second person came up to me, next person in line. 212 00:10:58,667 --> 00:11:00,833 This person actually grabbed at my shirt, "Pastor Dave," 213 00:11:00,917 --> 00:11:03,042 like they really wanted to get at my heart. 214 00:11:03,125 --> 00:11:05,833 "Pastor Dave," you know, you got to reach into my chest 215 00:11:05,875 --> 00:11:07,208 and pull my heart. 216 00:11:07,292 --> 00:11:09,708 "Pastor Dave, you need to know who was here today. 217 00:11:09,792 --> 00:11:11,208 You know who was here today?" 218 00:11:11,292 --> 00:11:13,417 I said, "I don't know who was here today." 219 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:14,833 "Buck was here today. 220 00:11:14,875 --> 00:11:16,833 We need to pray that Buck meets Jesus." 221 00:11:16,875 --> 00:11:18,208 I said, "Great, let's pray." 222 00:11:18,292 --> 00:11:19,708 We prayed. Next person in line. 223 00:11:19,792 --> 00:11:21,458 I'm an observant pastor, I caught on. 224 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:23,667 This person came up to me and said, "Hey!" 225 00:11:23,708 --> 00:11:26,167 Before they could even speak, "You're not going to believe 226 00:11:26,208 --> 00:11:27,542 who was here today." 227 00:11:27,625 --> 00:11:30,167 And they said, "No, who?" And I said, "Buck was here!" 228 00:11:30,250 --> 00:11:32,667 And they said, "That's what I was going to say!" 229 00:11:32,750 --> 00:11:35,167 And I said, "Let's pray together that Buck meets Jesus." 230 00:11:35,250 --> 00:11:36,667 "Yeah, let's do that!" We prayed. 231 00:11:36,750 --> 00:11:39,875 Fourth person in line comes up to me, wants to talk to me, 232 00:11:39,958 --> 00:11:41,292 grabs my sleeve again. 233 00:11:41,333 --> 00:11:43,000 "Pastor Dave!" I said, "Wait a second. 234 00:11:43,042 --> 00:11:46,000 Before you ask me any questions, let me ask you a question." 235 00:11:46,042 --> 00:11:47,500 "Sure, Pastor Dave. What is it?" 236 00:11:47,542 --> 00:11:50,250 I said, "Who is Buck and why is he here today?" 237 00:11:50,333 --> 00:11:51,750 "Oh Pastor Dave, don't you know? 238 00:11:51,833 --> 00:11:54,250 "Buck is Buck from 'Buck and Dex in the Morning.' 239 00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:56,250 "He's got the most prominent radio show on 240 00:11:56,333 --> 00:11:57,750 "the alternative rock station in Albuquerque. 241 00:11:57,833 --> 00:11:59,750 We need to pray that he meets Jesus." 242 00:11:59,833 --> 00:12:01,542 So I began to pray for Buck. 243 00:12:01,625 --> 00:12:04,250 And it was during the week that Pastor Mark was preaching 244 00:12:04,333 --> 00:12:05,667 through the Gospel of Luke, 245 00:12:05,708 --> 00:12:07,417 and there was a very poignant passage. 246 00:12:07,500 --> 00:12:10,417 Pastor Mark was preaching from Luke 7 about a widow all alone 247 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:13,625 in the world other than her only son, and her only son died, 248 00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:15,833 and Jesus in his mercy, and grace, and love, 249 00:12:15,875 --> 00:12:18,000 raises this dead--this woman's dead son up and restores 250 00:12:18,083 --> 00:12:20,125 the widow to her son. 251 00:12:20,167 --> 00:12:23,833 And Pastor Mark solicits input from members and participants 252 00:12:23,875 --> 00:12:27,292 in Mars Hill to tell their own stories about losing loved ones. 253 00:12:27,333 --> 00:12:29,333 And so on The City--that's where we communicate-- 254 00:12:29,417 --> 00:12:31,542 on The City, Pastor Mark put out a request, 255 00:12:31,625 --> 00:12:33,750 "Does anybody want to share their own personal story 256 00:12:33,833 --> 00:12:35,875 of grieving and heartache?" 257 00:12:35,958 --> 00:12:42,667 And Buck responds, and his story is absolutely heartbreaking. 258 00:12:42,708 --> 00:12:47,167 And Buck responds on The City in a very angry, disillusioned way. 259 00:12:47,250 --> 00:12:50,875 Buck says, "Here's my story. 260 00:12:50,958 --> 00:12:56,292 "I lost my dad to cancer, I lost my older brother to a car wreck, 261 00:12:56,333 --> 00:12:59,000 "I recently lost my younger brother to suicide, 262 00:12:59,042 --> 00:13:01,667 "and now I just lost my best friend to suicide. 263 00:13:01,708 --> 00:13:06,250 Where's God in all this?" 264 00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:09,250 The Holy Spirit was convicting Buck. 265 00:13:09,333 --> 00:13:12,208 It didn't make sense that he would show up in church 266 00:13:12,292 --> 00:13:14,833 if he was that angry with God, that disillusioned with God. 267 00:13:14,917 --> 00:13:17,708 Why in the world would Buck show up to church 268 00:13:17,792 --> 00:13:19,208 to learn more about God? 269 00:13:19,292 --> 00:13:21,958 The only reason that makes any sense at all would be 270 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,458 the explanation that the Holy Spirit 271 00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:24,833 was doing his thing. 272 00:13:24,917 --> 00:13:27,833 He was bringing conviction to Buck's heart. 273 00:13:27,917 --> 00:13:31,167 The Holy Spirit convicts. 274 00:13:31,250 --> 00:13:33,875 Christian, that should give you great confidence today. 275 00:13:33,958 --> 00:13:35,292 It should relieve you. 276 00:13:35,333 --> 00:13:37,583 You don't have to convict people of sin. 277 00:13:37,667 --> 00:13:39,792 That's entirely in the realm of the Holy Spirit, 278 00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:42,167 and he does it very, very well. 279 00:13:42,208 --> 00:13:44,458 And no matter how hard-hearted your family member is, 280 00:13:44,500 --> 00:13:48,042 no matter how distant your friend is who doesn't yet know 281 00:13:48,125 --> 00:13:51,292 Jesus, the Holy Spirit isn't limited by such things 282 00:13:51,333 --> 00:13:55,250 and he can go to work on any heart he chooses to. 283 00:13:55,333 --> 00:13:57,250 Now we're going to switch scenes. 284 00:13:57,333 --> 00:14:00,042 We're going to be introduced to another character in the story, 285 00:14:00,125 --> 00:14:02,833 one of my favorite people in the Bible, Peter. 286 00:14:02,875 --> 00:14:05,750 Back to Acts 10. 287 00:14:05,833 --> 00:14:08,917 Not only does the Holy Spirit convict, 288 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,833 the Holy Spirit empowers. 289 00:14:12,917 --> 00:14:16,167 Cornelius sends an entourage to go meet Peter, 290 00:14:16,208 --> 00:14:18,333 because that's what the angel told him to do 291 00:14:18,417 --> 00:14:19,750 in the city called Joppa. 292 00:14:19,833 --> 00:14:22,042 Joppa was about 30 miles away from Caesarea. 293 00:14:22,125 --> 00:14:24,708 "The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching 294 00:14:24,792 --> 00:14:28,333 the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour," 295 00:14:28,417 --> 00:14:30,250 that was noon, "to pray. 296 00:14:30,333 --> 00:14:32,667 "And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, 297 00:14:32,750 --> 00:14:36,500 but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance." 298 00:14:36,542 --> 00:14:39,042 Next time, Christian, you're with your friends 299 00:14:39,125 --> 00:14:41,667 and they're being insensitive to you needing to eat, 300 00:14:41,750 --> 00:14:43,083 you should just say that. 301 00:14:43,167 --> 00:14:46,083 "You know, I'm so hungry, I'm going to fall into a trance 302 00:14:46,167 --> 00:14:47,833 if you don't get my food done." 303 00:14:47,917 --> 00:14:50,583 "And saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet 304 00:14:50,667 --> 00:14:53,583 "descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 305 00:14:53,667 --> 00:14:55,833 "In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles 306 00:14:55,917 --> 00:14:57,833 "and birds of the air. 307 00:14:57,917 --> 00:15:01,917 "And there came a voice to him: 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' 308 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,167 "But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord; 309 00:15:05,208 --> 00:15:08,750 "'for I have never eaten anything 310 00:15:08,833 --> 00:15:11,667 "'that is common or unclean.' 311 00:15:11,708 --> 00:15:14,167 "And the voice came to him again a second time, 312 00:15:14,208 --> 00:15:17,833 "'What God has made clean, do not call common.' 313 00:15:17,917 --> 00:15:19,750 "This happened three times, 314 00:15:19,833 --> 00:15:23,000 and the thing was taken up at once to heaven." 315 00:15:23,083 --> 00:15:25,458 I want you to appreciate this scene. 316 00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:27,750 I want you to appreciate Peter even more. 317 00:15:27,833 --> 00:15:29,333 Peter's in Joppa. 318 00:15:29,417 --> 00:15:31,667 It's a seaward town. 319 00:15:31,750 --> 00:15:34,833 He's gone up on the roof, he's very hungry, he's been praying, 320 00:15:34,917 --> 00:15:37,333 it's noon, he's waiting for his food to be prepared. 321 00:15:37,417 --> 00:15:41,583 He's likely looking out onto the sea and probably seeing ships. 322 00:15:41,667 --> 00:15:44,667 And out of heaven, in a supernatural vision, 323 00:15:44,750 --> 00:15:47,750 in a trance, comes this sheet that probably looks like a sail. 324 00:15:47,833 --> 00:15:49,667 And on it, according to the text, 325 00:15:49,750 --> 00:15:51,875 are all kinds of animals. 326 00:15:51,958 --> 00:15:54,375 And Peter is commanded by the Lord, 327 00:15:54,458 --> 00:15:56,667 "Peter, I want you to kill and eat." 328 00:15:56,708 --> 00:15:58,667 That's a strange command. 329 00:15:58,708 --> 00:16:02,042 And Peter does what Peter often does in the Bible when the Lord 330 00:16:02,125 --> 00:16:05,458 tells him to do something, he resists. 331 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:07,458 You like that about Peter? 332 00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:09,250 I personally resonate with Peter 333 00:16:09,333 --> 00:16:12,667 because I'm very much the same way. 334 00:16:12,708 --> 00:16:15,958 And these three different times, Peter refuses the Lord. 335 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,958 If you know your Bible, you'll remember the scene where Jesus 336 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,333 is asking his followers who people say he is 337 00:16:23,417 --> 00:16:26,042 and guys are throwing out different perspectives. 338 00:16:26,125 --> 00:16:28,292 Jesus says, "Well, who do you think I am?" 339 00:16:28,333 --> 00:16:30,792 And Peter, Peter responds, "You're the Christ. 340 00:16:30,833 --> 00:16:32,167 You're the Son of God." 341 00:16:32,250 --> 00:16:34,792 Peter gets the answer right. 342 00:16:34,833 --> 00:16:36,667 Jesus confirms Peter's understanding. 343 00:16:36,750 --> 00:16:38,375 Remember Jesus begins to explain, 344 00:16:38,458 --> 00:16:40,458 "Hey Peter, I'm going to have to--and disciples, 345 00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:43,458 I'm going to have to go and suffer, and be handed over." 346 00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:46,333 And Peter after just saying, "Jesus, you are the Son of God. 347 00:16:46,417 --> 00:16:49,000 You are the Christ," Peter says, "That will never happen, Lord." 348 00:16:49,042 --> 00:16:51,000 That's what Peter does. 349 00:16:51,042 --> 00:16:53,792 Later, we have another scene of Peter gathered around the table 350 00:16:53,833 --> 00:16:57,375 at the Last Supper, and Jesus is coming humbly to wash his feet. 351 00:16:57,458 --> 00:16:59,792 What does Peter do? He refuses. 352 00:16:59,833 --> 00:17:02,708 "No Jesus, you're not going to do that for me." 353 00:17:02,792 --> 00:17:04,458 See the pattern in Peter's life?" 354 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:07,250 Peter then leaves that event, and goes out, 355 00:17:07,333 --> 00:17:10,625 and he denies Jesus three times. 356 00:17:10,667 --> 00:17:12,625 And once again--Peter loves threes, doesn't he? 357 00:17:12,667 --> 00:17:15,333 Once again, we see Peter here with a direct command from 358 00:17:15,417 --> 00:17:17,333 the Lord to rise up, and kill something, 359 00:17:17,417 --> 00:17:18,833 and eat from the sheet. 360 00:17:18,917 --> 00:17:20,333 And what does Peter say? 361 00:17:20,417 --> 00:17:21,833 "No, not going to do that. 362 00:17:21,917 --> 00:17:26,875 I've never done that." 363 00:17:26,958 --> 00:17:30,000 Do you get Peter? 364 00:17:30,042 --> 00:17:31,500 Do you relate to Peter? 365 00:17:31,542 --> 00:17:35,000 I do, because oftentimes when Scripture comes 366 00:17:35,042 --> 00:17:37,292 with hard commands, when Jesus prompts us 367 00:17:37,333 --> 00:17:40,000 to do things that are difficult, I really relate to Peter. 368 00:17:40,042 --> 00:17:42,167 My first response is, "Yeah, I don't think so. 369 00:17:42,250 --> 00:17:43,583 I've never done that before." 370 00:17:43,667 --> 00:17:46,875 The Holy Spirit empowers. 371 00:17:46,958 --> 00:17:49,667 The Holy Spirit empowers in such a way that he overcomes 372 00:17:49,708 --> 00:17:53,458 obstinate and stubborn followers of Jesus to move them on 373 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:55,833 mission, and that's exactly what he's about to do 374 00:17:55,917 --> 00:17:57,250 here with Peter. 375 00:17:57,333 --> 00:17:59,375 Let's pick up in our story. 376 00:17:59,458 --> 00:18:05,417 Verse 17, "Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what 377 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:07,833 the vision that he had seen might mean," 378 00:18:07,917 --> 00:18:09,458 he still doesn't get it, 379 00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:11,458 "behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, 380 00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:13,833 "having made inquiry for Simon's house, 381 00:18:13,917 --> 00:18:16,917 "stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon 382 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,250 who was called Peter was lodging there." 383 00:18:19,333 --> 00:18:21,458 The entourage from Cornelius has arrived. 384 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:26,167 "And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit," 385 00:18:26,208 --> 00:18:27,750 the Holy Spirit, "said to him, 386 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:29,792 "'Behold, three men are looking for you. 387 00:18:29,833 --> 00:18:32,875 "'Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, 388 00:18:32,958 --> 00:18:35,083 "'for I have sent them.' 389 00:18:35,167 --> 00:18:37,375 "And Peter went down to the men and said, 390 00:18:37,458 --> 00:18:39,542 "'I am the one you are looking for. 391 00:18:39,625 --> 00:18:42,167 "'What is the reason for your coming?' 392 00:18:42,250 --> 00:18:44,250 "And they said, 'Cornelius, a centurion, 393 00:18:44,333 --> 00:18:46,500 "'an upright and God-fearing man, 394 00:18:46,542 --> 00:18:49,292 "'who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, 395 00:18:49,333 --> 00:18:52,250 "'was directed by a holy angel to send for you 396 00:18:52,333 --> 00:18:55,458 "'to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.' 397 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:58,042 "So he invited them in to be his guests. 398 00:18:58,125 --> 00:19:00,542 "The next day he rose and went away with them, 399 00:19:00,625 --> 00:19:03,458 and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him." 400 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:06,625 So now he takes some of his own friends, followers of Jesus. 401 00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:08,625 "And on the following day they entered Caesarea. 402 00:19:08,667 --> 00:19:11,167 "Cornelius was expecting them and had called together 403 00:19:11,208 --> 00:19:13,958 his relatives and close friends." 404 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,250 Don't you love that about Cornelius? 405 00:19:16,333 --> 00:19:18,833 He wants to extend--even though he doesn't know Jesus yet, 406 00:19:18,917 --> 00:19:23,125 he wants to extend learning about Jesus to those around him. 407 00:19:23,167 --> 00:19:25,750 "When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down 408 00:19:25,833 --> 00:19:27,667 at his feet and worshiped him." 409 00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:31,167 Even though Peter is stubborn, he still knows who Jesus is. 410 00:19:31,208 --> 00:19:33,250 Verse 26, "But Peter lifted him up, saying, 411 00:19:33,333 --> 00:19:35,250 "'Stand up; I too am a man.' 412 00:19:35,333 --> 00:19:37,458 "And as he talked with him, he went in 413 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:39,458 "and found many persons gathered. 414 00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:43,917 "And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful 415 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,250 "'it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit 416 00:19:47,333 --> 00:19:49,417 "'anyone of another nation, 417 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:52,750 "'but God has shown me that I should not call any person 418 00:19:52,833 --> 00:19:54,333 "'common or unclean. 419 00:19:54,417 --> 00:19:56,833 "'So when I was sent for, I came without objection. 420 00:19:56,917 --> 00:19:58,833 I ask then why you sent for me.'" 421 00:19:58,917 --> 00:20:01,833 Can you see Peter's getting it? 422 00:20:01,917 --> 00:20:04,042 Can you see the Holy Spirit doing his work? 423 00:20:04,125 --> 00:20:07,625 Verse 30, "And Cornelius said, 'Four days ago, about this hour, 424 00:20:07,667 --> 00:20:10,500 "'I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, 425 00:20:10,583 --> 00:20:13,125 "'a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, 426 00:20:13,167 --> 00:20:15,333 "'"Cornelius, your prayer has been heard 427 00:20:15,417 --> 00:20:17,833 "'"and your alms have been remembered before God. 428 00:20:17,917 --> 00:20:19,750 "'"Send therefore to Joppa and ask for 429 00:20:19,833 --> 00:20:21,625 "'"Simon who is called Peter. 430 00:20:21,667 --> 00:20:24,750 "'He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea." 431 00:20:24,833 --> 00:20:26,500 "'So I sent for you at once, 432 00:20:26,542 --> 00:20:28,500 "'and you have been kind enough to come. 433 00:20:28,542 --> 00:20:31,667 "'Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear 434 00:20:31,750 --> 00:20:33,875 all that you have been commanded by the Lord.'" 435 00:20:33,958 --> 00:20:35,667 What a captive audience. 436 00:20:35,708 --> 00:20:39,250 What an opportunity for Peter, and Peter gets it. 437 00:20:39,333 --> 00:20:42,250 Look at verse 34, "So Peter opened his mouth and said: 438 00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:46,083 "'Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 439 00:20:46,167 --> 00:20:49,458 "'but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right 440 00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:53,583 is acceptable to him.'" 441 00:20:53,667 --> 00:20:57,250 You see what the Holy Spirit is doing in the heart of Peter? 442 00:20:57,333 --> 00:21:00,833 Peter was living out the Old Testament 443 00:21:00,917 --> 00:21:04,333 in a way that was inconsistent with Jesus, 444 00:21:04,375 --> 00:21:06,333 because Jesus has already made it very clear 445 00:21:06,417 --> 00:21:08,042 that there is no such thing anymore 446 00:21:08,125 --> 00:21:10,167 as clean and unclean foods. 447 00:21:10,208 --> 00:21:12,167 The gospels record that for us. 448 00:21:12,208 --> 00:21:15,333 But as Peter sees this vision in Joppa while he's hungry of 449 00:21:15,417 --> 00:21:17,542 animals, that he's to rise, and kill, and eat, 450 00:21:17,625 --> 00:21:20,042 he sees that there's a deeper issue in his heart. 451 00:21:20,125 --> 00:21:21,750 It has more to do with than food. 452 00:21:21,833 --> 00:21:24,958 It has to do with the fact that Peter is separating himself from 453 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,292 people that Jesus wants him to go to. 454 00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:31,167 And as Peter comes to Caesarea, and he sees Cornelius, 455 00:21:31,250 --> 00:21:33,667 and he understands what the Holy Spirit is doing, 456 00:21:33,750 --> 00:21:36,292 he gets the deeper lesson in his own heart. 457 00:21:36,333 --> 00:21:39,375 The Holy Spirit has empowered him to see his own sin, 458 00:21:39,458 --> 00:21:41,000 his own shortcoming. 459 00:21:41,042 --> 00:21:44,500 He's raising up walls of separation between him and those 460 00:21:44,542 --> 00:21:47,250 that Jesus is sending him to in a way that's hindering 461 00:21:47,333 --> 00:21:49,375 the work of Jesus. 462 00:21:49,458 --> 00:21:54,042 But the Holy Spirit overcomes all that, why? 463 00:21:54,125 --> 00:21:55,875 Because the Holy Spirit empowers. 464 00:21:55,958 --> 00:21:58,083 Look at what Jesus says about the Holy Spirit. 465 00:21:58,167 --> 00:22:02,750 Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit 466 00:22:02,833 --> 00:22:04,333 "has come upon you, 467 00:22:04,417 --> 00:22:06,833 "and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in 468 00:22:06,917 --> 00:22:09,542 all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 469 00:22:09,625 --> 00:22:12,958 The Holy Spirit is ensuring that Peter is obedient to what Jesus 470 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:19,000 has already said he's going to do. 471 00:22:19,083 --> 00:22:21,458 The Holy Spirit empowers. 472 00:22:21,500 --> 00:22:25,958 He takes stubborn Christians like Peter, like me, like you, 473 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,167 and he sends us to those who don't yet know Jesus, 474 00:22:29,250 --> 00:22:31,375 and he sanctifies us. 475 00:22:31,458 --> 00:22:36,583 He works deep within our heart to show us where we have erected 476 00:22:36,667 --> 00:22:39,375 walls that Jesus wants to tear down between us and people 477 00:22:39,458 --> 00:22:43,083 who don't yet know Jesus. 478 00:22:43,167 --> 00:22:49,250 It was rather ironic that I would be the pastor of a church 479 00:22:49,333 --> 00:22:51,375 that Buck would come to. 480 00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:55,583 And I was there at that church because Jesus had called me 481 00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:57,833 to be there. 482 00:22:57,917 --> 00:23:01,250 Mars Hill Albuquerque at that time was in the countercultural, 483 00:23:01,333 --> 00:23:06,958 avant-garde, arty, urban hipster, center of Albuquerque. 484 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,333 I like to say Nob Hill keeps the quirky in Albuquerque. 485 00:23:10,417 --> 00:23:12,250 It's just one of those quirky places. 486 00:23:12,333 --> 00:23:15,333 And if you know me at all, that's not me. 487 00:23:15,375 --> 00:23:17,250 That's not the way I roll. 488 00:23:17,333 --> 00:23:18,667 I'm not a foodie. 489 00:23:18,708 --> 00:23:21,833 As a matter of fact, last night if you would have given me 490 00:23:21,917 --> 00:23:23,250 the opportunity, "Hey Pastor Dave, 491 00:23:23,333 --> 00:23:25,167 "there's a great small Italian restaurant. 492 00:23:25,208 --> 00:23:28,667 "They have the best free-range rabbit ravioli and kale 493 00:23:28,750 --> 00:23:31,583 with sea salt," you know what I would have told you? 494 00:23:31,667 --> 00:23:33,667 "You know the Olive Garden? 495 00:23:33,750 --> 00:23:36,500 "They've got this never-ending pasta bowl, 496 00:23:36,542 --> 00:23:39,250 "and they bring you salads and breadsticks, 497 00:23:39,333 --> 00:23:40,875 and it's all you can eat." 498 00:23:40,958 --> 00:23:43,333 That's who I am. 499 00:23:43,417 --> 00:23:45,375 Not much into indie music. 500 00:23:45,458 --> 00:23:49,875 I'm a classic rock guy with a little bit of Johnny Cash 501 00:23:49,958 --> 00:23:51,375 mixed in. 502 00:23:51,458 --> 00:23:54,333 And I mean, if it's not classic rock, it will be someday, 503 00:23:54,417 --> 00:23:56,542 and I'm just going to call it classic rock. 504 00:23:56,625 --> 00:23:57,958 But that's who I am. 505 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,958 I don't know obscure bands and different labels. 506 00:24:00,083 --> 00:24:01,458 That's just not who I am. 507 00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:07,042 I don't watch a lot of arty shows on TV. 508 00:24:07,125 --> 00:24:13,167 I watch football on TV, not this game where guys pretend like 509 00:24:13,208 --> 00:24:16,000 they are injured so that they might get the right call. 510 00:24:16,083 --> 00:24:21,208 I'm talking about the game--you follow, right? 511 00:24:21,292 --> 00:24:24,708 I'm talking about the game where the guys fake like they are well 512 00:24:24,792 --> 00:24:27,292 when they are seriously injured so they can stay in 513 00:24:27,333 --> 00:24:28,667 for one more play. 514 00:24:28,750 --> 00:24:30,083 That's the game I like. 515 00:24:30,167 --> 00:24:32,292 And it doesn't matter to me whether it's professional, 516 00:24:32,333 --> 00:24:35,875 or semi-professional, or they play in the sand, 517 00:24:35,958 --> 00:24:38,875 or they play in an arena, whether it's college, 518 00:24:38,958 --> 00:24:40,375 high school, or middle school. 519 00:24:40,458 --> 00:24:41,792 I'll watch it anytime, anywhere. 520 00:24:41,833 --> 00:24:44,000 I will watch football on TV. 521 00:24:44,042 --> 00:24:49,292 Then the only other genre of visual arts that I pay attention 522 00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:53,292 to are war movies and Westerns. 523 00:24:53,333 --> 00:24:55,958 Not multiple ones, really only two. 524 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,250 "Band of Brothers," probably seen it 35 times now. 525 00:24:59,333 --> 00:25:01,042 My favorite Western, "Breaking Bad." 526 00:25:01,125 --> 00:25:04,042 I know it's not really a Western, but it kind of is, 527 00:25:04,125 --> 00:25:05,458 all right? 528 00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:06,833 That's it. 529 00:25:06,917 --> 00:25:09,042 So, I don't really connect with people that are 530 00:25:09,125 --> 00:25:10,458 arty and creative. 531 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:11,833 Just not who I am. 532 00:25:11,917 --> 00:25:13,833 I'm not a fashionista, as you can tell. 533 00:25:13,917 --> 00:25:18,250 Never owned a pair of skinny jeans. 534 00:25:18,333 --> 00:25:21,833 I have some jeans that now fit like skinny jeans, 535 00:25:21,917 --> 00:25:25,500 but they weren't ever intended to be skinny jeans. 536 00:25:25,583 --> 00:25:27,792 I'm cheap and I don't throw away old jeans, 537 00:25:27,833 --> 00:25:30,292 and I have some 501s that used to be baggy 538 00:25:30,333 --> 00:25:34,292 that are now skinny jeans. 539 00:25:34,333 --> 00:25:37,958 But I've had to deal with a lot, because I tend to look at people 540 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,667 who have different tastes than me 541 00:25:39,708 --> 00:25:42,875 and I tend to look down on them. 542 00:25:42,958 --> 00:25:47,250 And here I am in the heart of a city in the most avant-garde, 543 00:25:47,333 --> 00:25:51,958 countercultural area, and here comes someone who represents, 544 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,667 in Buck, that very heart of the city. 545 00:25:54,750 --> 00:25:57,375 And where I would have seen Buck before is someone being 546 00:25:57,458 --> 00:25:59,083 different, and someone being disillusioned with Jesus, 547 00:25:59,167 --> 00:26:01,917 and really wouldn't have wanted to care for him at all. 548 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,333 My heart went out to him. 549 00:26:06,417 --> 00:26:11,417 And when I saw his angry post on The City, I responded to him, 550 00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:14,708 "Hey, next time you're in church, come find me. 551 00:26:14,792 --> 00:26:16,750 "Let's talk. Let's go get coffee. 552 00:26:16,833 --> 00:26:19,958 Let's do something." 553 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,750 Christian, the Holy Spirit empowers you. 554 00:26:22,833 --> 00:26:26,500 He empowers you in such a way that you are sent out on mission 555 00:26:26,542 --> 00:26:29,042 with Jesus and your heart is sanctified. 556 00:26:29,125 --> 00:26:32,833 Jesus is great at tearing down the barriers between you 557 00:26:32,917 --> 00:26:35,667 and people in your life who don't yet know Jesus, 558 00:26:35,750 --> 00:26:39,000 despite your differences. 559 00:26:39,042 --> 00:26:41,667 Isn't this what Jesus got in trouble for? 560 00:26:41,708 --> 00:26:44,333 Isn't it what religious leaders said about Jesus all the time? 561 00:26:44,417 --> 00:26:47,167 He hangs out with sinners and tax collectors. 562 00:26:47,250 --> 00:26:49,792 He doesn't hang out with upright, religious folks. 563 00:26:49,833 --> 00:26:51,958 Somehow Peter missed that about Jesus, 564 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,667 but now through the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, 565 00:26:54,708 --> 00:26:57,000 Peter gets it. 566 00:26:57,042 --> 00:27:00,958 The Holy Spirit reveals. 567 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,167 Peter is going to take advantage of this captive audience 568 00:27:05,208 --> 00:27:06,708 and this opportunity. 569 00:27:06,792 --> 00:27:08,708 He's going to hit a home run. Ready? 570 00:27:08,792 --> 00:27:10,125 He's going to preach. 571 00:27:10,167 --> 00:27:16,542 Verse 36, "As for the word that he sent to Israel, 572 00:27:16,625 --> 00:27:19,458 preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ," 573 00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:21,458 important in this parentheses, 574 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:26,042 "(he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened 575 00:27:26,125 --> 00:27:28,583 "throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee 576 00:27:28,667 --> 00:27:30,875 "after the baptism that John proclaimed: 577 00:27:30,958 --> 00:27:33,542 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth 578 00:27:33,625 --> 00:27:36,750 "with the Holy Spirit and with power. 579 00:27:36,833 --> 00:27:39,667 "He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed 580 00:27:39,708 --> 00:27:42,375 "by the devil, for God was with him. 581 00:27:42,458 --> 00:27:45,583 "And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country 582 00:27:45,667 --> 00:27:48,167 "of the Jews and in Jerusalem. 583 00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:51,167 "They put him to death by 584 00:27:51,250 --> 00:27:52,583 hanging him on a tree," 585 00:27:52,667 --> 00:27:55,875 that's the cross, "but God raised him on the third day," 586 00:27:55,958 --> 00:27:58,458 that's the Resurrection, "and made him to appear, 587 00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:02,333 "not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as 588 00:28:02,375 --> 00:28:05,417 "witnesses, who ate and drank with him 589 00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:07,708 "after he rose from the dead. 590 00:28:07,792 --> 00:28:10,917 "And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify 591 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,750 "that he is the one appointed by God to be judge 592 00:28:14,833 --> 00:28:17,333 "of the living and the dead. 593 00:28:17,375 --> 00:28:20,833 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone," 594 00:28:20,917 --> 00:28:26,375 that everyone, that everyone, "who believes in him receives 595 00:28:26,458 --> 00:28:30,333 forgiveness of sins through his name." 596 00:28:30,417 --> 00:28:33,833 I want you to see the elements of Peter's sermon 597 00:28:33,917 --> 00:28:36,375 because they're consistent throughout the book of Acts. 598 00:28:36,458 --> 00:28:38,667 And as we launch into the New Testament, 599 00:28:38,708 --> 00:28:41,167 this is the message of the Bible. 600 00:28:41,250 --> 00:28:44,167 The first element is that Jesus is Lord of all. 601 00:28:44,250 --> 00:28:45,792 You know what that means? 602 00:28:45,833 --> 00:28:47,750 That means he's God. 603 00:28:47,833 --> 00:28:49,375 He is Lord of all. 604 00:28:49,458 --> 00:28:51,042 He is sovereign over all. 605 00:28:51,125 --> 00:28:52,792 There's nothing not under his dominion and authority 606 00:28:52,833 --> 00:28:54,167 that exists. 607 00:28:54,250 --> 00:28:55,667 He is over all. 608 00:28:55,750 --> 00:28:58,583 He is the King of kings and he's the Lord of lords. 609 00:28:58,667 --> 00:29:01,333 Jesus lived a perfect life. 610 00:29:01,375 --> 00:29:04,125 The Holy Spirit anointed him, and he healed the sick, 611 00:29:04,167 --> 00:29:08,167 and he defeated Satan, perfectly compliant, 612 00:29:08,208 --> 00:29:10,750 perfectly obedient with his Father. 613 00:29:10,833 --> 00:29:15,417 Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. 614 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:18,917 Jesus rose from the grave, physically, bodily. 615 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:20,833 I want you to see that. 616 00:29:20,917 --> 00:29:23,458 That's a critical message in the gospel. 617 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,333 Peter's making it very clear that Jesus wasn't some type of 618 00:29:26,375 --> 00:29:29,333 apparition that reappeared after his death. 619 00:29:29,375 --> 00:29:33,042 He wasn't some sort of bizarre, paranormal manifestation, 620 00:29:33,125 --> 00:29:35,542 but we actually ate and drank with Jesus. 621 00:29:35,625 --> 00:29:37,750 Jesus physically rose from the dead. 622 00:29:37,833 --> 00:29:40,667 Jesus is the one who's going to ultimately judge all people, 623 00:29:40,708 --> 00:29:44,542 those who are living at the time, those who are dead. 624 00:29:44,625 --> 00:29:49,167 And here's the good news, the whole Bible is about Jesus. 625 00:29:49,208 --> 00:29:52,000 All the Old Testament prophets spoke about Jesus. 626 00:29:52,083 --> 00:29:55,417 And specifically the message of Jesus is, "If we believe in him, 627 00:29:55,500 --> 00:29:59,208 "if we turn from sin and we believe in him, guess what? 628 00:29:59,292 --> 00:30:00,667 We can be forgiven." 629 00:30:00,708 --> 00:30:03,708 Forgiveness is in his name. 630 00:30:03,792 --> 00:30:07,708 This is the work of the Holy Spirit. 631 00:30:07,792 --> 00:30:10,125 Oh, this is the mouth of Peter that's speaking, 632 00:30:10,167 --> 00:30:13,250 but this--these are the words of the Holy Spirit. 633 00:30:13,333 --> 00:30:15,750 The Holy Spirit is doing here exactly what Jesus 634 00:30:15,833 --> 00:30:18,458 said he would do. 635 00:30:18,500 --> 00:30:25,458 John 16, Jesus speaking to his weary disciples with information 636 00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:28,583 overload, have been drinking from a fire hydrant, 637 00:30:28,667 --> 00:30:30,583 that don't really get who Jesus is yet. 638 00:30:30,667 --> 00:30:32,583 Look at what he says to them. 639 00:30:32,667 --> 00:30:34,792 "I still have many things to say to you, 640 00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:36,292 but you cannot bear them now." 641 00:30:36,333 --> 00:30:37,667 They're too heavy for you. 642 00:30:37,750 --> 00:30:39,167 You're not ready for it yet. 643 00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:41,167 "When the Spirit of truth comes"--who's that? 644 00:30:41,250 --> 00:30:42,583 It's the Holy Spirit. 645 00:30:42,667 --> 00:30:45,292 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into 646 00:30:45,333 --> 00:30:48,292 "all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, 647 00:30:48,333 --> 00:30:50,042 "but whatever he hears he will speak, 648 00:30:50,125 --> 00:30:53,042 "and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 649 00:30:53,125 --> 00:30:56,042 He will glorify me," Jesus, "for he will take what is mine 650 00:30:56,125 --> 00:30:57,667 "and declare it to you. 651 00:30:57,750 --> 00:30:59,667 "All that the Father has is mine; 652 00:30:59,708 --> 00:31:03,333 "therefore I said that he will take what is mine 653 00:31:03,417 --> 00:31:08,667 and declare it to you." 654 00:31:08,708 --> 00:31:12,500 See the Holy Spirit behind Peter's sermon? 655 00:31:12,583 --> 00:31:14,833 Just remember where Peter's coming from. 656 00:31:14,917 --> 00:31:17,625 He doesn't have a hard copy of the New Testament yet 657 00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:19,542 because the New Testament hasn't been finished, 658 00:31:19,625 --> 00:31:21,958 so he doesn't have a cool Bible app with ESV. 659 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,708 He hasn't even been able to listen to Tim Keller's sermons 660 00:31:24,792 --> 00:31:26,083 yet, okay? 661 00:31:26,167 --> 00:31:27,833 This is where Peter is coming from, 662 00:31:27,917 --> 00:31:30,583 but Peter has the Holy Spirit doing exactly what Jesus said 663 00:31:30,667 --> 00:31:32,583 the Holy Spirit would do. 664 00:31:32,667 --> 00:31:35,583 The Holy Spirit would give Peter the words at the right time, 665 00:31:35,667 --> 00:31:38,292 that Peter would ultimately speak in such a way that 666 00:31:38,333 --> 00:31:45,042 the Holy Spirit's words would ultimately exalt Jesus. 667 00:31:45,125 --> 00:31:47,792 Buck came to church the next Sunday, 668 00:31:47,833 --> 00:31:49,958 and I'd been been praying for him all week, 669 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,958 and I was hopeful that at the end of the service he 670 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:54,667 would come up and talk to me. 671 00:31:54,750 --> 00:31:57,792 And I'm not sure what Buck expected in this message 672 00:31:57,833 --> 00:32:00,042 that was about death, and mourning, and suffering. 673 00:32:00,125 --> 00:32:02,750 I'm wondering if he didn't expect that maybe it was going 674 00:32:02,833 --> 00:32:05,042 to be five ways to work through mourning, 675 00:32:05,125 --> 00:32:08,625 different stages of grief, how to be reunited with loved ones, 676 00:32:08,667 --> 00:32:10,542 how to minister to those that are hurting. 677 00:32:10,625 --> 00:32:14,458 Because as Pastor Mark preached from Luke 7, 678 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:16,750 you know what Pastor Mark preached about? 679 00:32:16,833 --> 00:32:18,250 Jesus. 680 00:32:18,333 --> 00:32:21,958 He preached entirely about the person and work of Jesus, 681 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,000 so much so I also had one of our Protect team members keeping 682 00:32:26,042 --> 00:32:29,000 a record of how many times Pastor Mark used the name 683 00:32:29,042 --> 00:32:30,500 of Jesus during that sermon. 684 00:32:30,542 --> 00:32:32,292 Seventy-four times. 685 00:32:32,333 --> 00:32:34,958 Seventy-four times Pastor Mark used the name Jesus 686 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,167 in that sermon. 687 00:32:37,250 --> 00:32:40,750 And I'm sitting there, not yet having met Buck, 688 00:32:40,833 --> 00:32:43,750 hoping that Buck is present, thinking that he probably is, 689 00:32:43,833 --> 00:32:46,292 listening to this message coming to us from Pastor Mark 690 00:32:46,333 --> 00:32:48,833 knowing this is perfect. 691 00:32:48,917 --> 00:32:51,458 This is exactly what the Holy Spirit had in mind 692 00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:53,375 for Buck to hear that day 693 00:32:53,458 --> 00:32:55,667 because he needed to see something greater than 694 00:32:55,750 --> 00:32:57,167 his own suffering. 695 00:32:57,250 --> 00:32:59,375 He needed to see something greater than his own 696 00:32:59,458 --> 00:33:00,833 disillusionment. 697 00:33:00,917 --> 00:33:04,042 He needed to see the person and work of Jesus and all that 698 00:33:04,125 --> 00:33:08,542 that means to him. 699 00:33:08,625 --> 00:33:14,125 Christian, be encouraged when you share your faith. 700 00:33:14,167 --> 00:33:16,833 Holy Spirit's going to give you words. 701 00:33:16,917 --> 00:33:18,667 Don't be paralyzed by the thought of, 702 00:33:18,708 --> 00:33:21,417 "What if somebody asks me a question I can't answer?" 703 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:23,417 Talk about Jesus. 704 00:33:23,500 --> 00:33:25,875 Trust the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus through your 705 00:33:25,958 --> 00:33:27,792 imperfect words. 706 00:33:27,833 --> 00:33:31,542 The Holy Spirit is great at that. 707 00:33:31,625 --> 00:33:35,792 I love this story because it's one of the greatest stories 708 00:33:35,833 --> 00:33:38,750 in the Bible that has one of the greatest happy endings. 709 00:33:38,833 --> 00:33:40,167 You ready for a happy ending? 710 00:33:40,250 --> 00:33:42,167 Here we go. 711 00:33:42,250 --> 00:33:45,458 Verse 44, not only does the Holy Spirit convict, 712 00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:47,792 not only does the Holy Spirit empower, 713 00:33:47,833 --> 00:33:49,875 not only does the Holy Spirit reveal, 714 00:33:49,958 --> 00:33:51,875 the Holy Spirit gives life. 715 00:33:51,958 --> 00:33:53,500 This is great. 716 00:33:53,542 --> 00:33:56,500 Verse 44, "While Peter was still saying these things"-- 717 00:33:56,542 --> 00:33:58,000 he's still preaching. 718 00:33:58,042 --> 00:34:01,250 He's not even done yet, not even to the point of the invitation, 719 00:34:01,333 --> 00:34:02,750 not even an altar call. 720 00:34:02,833 --> 00:34:04,458 "While Peter was still saying these things, 721 00:34:04,500 --> 00:34:06,958 the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word." 722 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,458 Isn't that great? 723 00:34:08,500 --> 00:34:10,458 Peter doesn't even get to finish his message. 724 00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:12,667 The Holy Spirit descends on those that are hearing 725 00:34:12,708 --> 00:34:14,250 and they receive the Holy Spirit. 726 00:34:14,333 --> 00:34:16,250 "And the believers from among the circumcised," 727 00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:18,000 those are the Jewish believers, 728 00:34:18,083 --> 00:34:21,042 "who had come with Peter were amazed, 729 00:34:21,125 --> 00:34:24,417 "because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out 730 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:28,667 even on the Gentiles." 731 00:34:28,750 --> 00:34:35,500 Even on a Pagan Roman who was opposed militarily to Israel, 732 00:34:35,542 --> 00:34:37,375 he receives the Holy Spirit. 733 00:34:37,458 --> 00:34:39,875 Verse 46, "For they were hearing them speaking in tongues 734 00:34:39,958 --> 00:34:41,583 "and extolling God. 735 00:34:41,667 --> 00:34:43,875 "Then Peter declared, 'Can anyone withhold water 736 00:34:43,958 --> 00:34:45,833 for baptizing these people'"-- 737 00:34:45,917 --> 00:34:47,292 don't you love his zeal? 738 00:34:47,333 --> 00:34:49,000 "'Who have received the Holy Spirit 739 00:34:49,042 --> 00:34:50,542 "'just as we have?' 740 00:34:50,625 --> 00:34:52,292 "And he commanded them to be baptized 741 00:34:52,333 --> 00:34:53,792 "in the name of Jesus Christ. 742 00:34:53,833 --> 00:34:57,167 Then they asked him to remain for some days." 743 00:34:57,208 --> 00:34:59,667 Wow. 744 00:34:59,750 --> 00:35:02,167 If you've been following along in this series in 745 00:35:02,208 --> 00:35:05,458 the book of Acts, you're going to stop here and think, 746 00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:08,958 "This is strangely familiar. 747 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,000 "Where have I seen this scene before? 748 00:35:11,083 --> 00:35:13,000 "Is this a rerun? 749 00:35:13,083 --> 00:35:15,542 Like, where have I seen this?" 750 00:35:15,625 --> 00:35:18,458 You've seen it in Acts 2. 751 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:23,500 There's a great point that Luke, as he writes this inspired by 752 00:35:23,583 --> 00:35:28,000 the Holy Spirit, is making in God's grand history of coming on 753 00:35:28,042 --> 00:35:30,667 a rescue mission to save his people. 754 00:35:30,750 --> 00:35:34,000 In other words, what's going on here in Acts 10 with 755 00:35:34,042 --> 00:35:38,500 non-Jewish believers is exactly what happened in Acts 2 756 00:35:38,542 --> 00:35:41,083 among Jewish believers. 757 00:35:41,167 --> 00:35:42,542 They're receiving the Holy Spirit 758 00:35:42,625 --> 00:35:44,167 in just the same way. 759 00:35:44,208 --> 00:35:46,292 They've received the full extent of salvation 760 00:35:46,333 --> 00:35:49,333 just as Jewish believers have in the ultimate gift of salvation 761 00:35:49,417 --> 00:35:52,667 which is the presence of the Holy Spirit. 762 00:35:52,708 --> 00:35:58,042 They're even speaking in tongues, extolling God. 763 00:35:58,125 --> 00:36:01,750 There's a priority to salvation historically. 764 00:36:01,833 --> 00:36:03,958 Scripture tells us it's first for the Jew, 765 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:08,000 then for the Gentile, but there's no prejudice. 766 00:36:08,083 --> 00:36:11,542 God is no respecter of persons. 767 00:36:11,625 --> 00:36:14,542 If you are in Christ, you are in Christ. 768 00:36:14,625 --> 00:36:16,333 Scripture makes that very clear. 769 00:36:16,375 --> 00:36:21,667 There are no second-hand citizens in the kingdom of God, 770 00:36:21,708 --> 00:36:25,583 no second-class citizens in the kingdom of God. 771 00:36:25,667 --> 00:36:30,375 There's neither Jew nor Gentile, there's neither male nor female, 772 00:36:30,458 --> 00:36:34,458 there's neither slave nor master, 773 00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:41,167 there's neither rich nor poor, there's neither black nor white. 774 00:36:41,208 --> 00:36:47,292 Everyone whom God saves has equal standing in 775 00:36:47,333 --> 00:36:49,333 the kingdom of God and equally receives 776 00:36:49,417 --> 00:36:52,083 the greatest gift that we have until Jesus returns, 777 00:36:52,167 --> 00:36:55,583 the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. 778 00:36:55,667 --> 00:36:59,750 Christian, I want you to see the panorama of God's 779 00:36:59,833 --> 00:37:01,500 great work and salvation. 780 00:37:01,583 --> 00:37:03,667 I want you to see it as a project, 781 00:37:03,708 --> 00:37:05,667 a co-laboring project of the Trinity. 782 00:37:05,708 --> 00:37:07,958 The Father decrees in eternity past all those 783 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:09,542 who would be saved. 784 00:37:09,625 --> 00:37:12,042 Jesus comes to the earth and he achieves our salvation. 785 00:37:12,125 --> 00:37:15,542 The Holy Spirit then is sent by the Father and the Son and he 786 00:37:15,625 --> 00:37:17,958 applies the finished work of Jesus to our hearts. 787 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:23,958 He indwells us and we receive the Holy Spirit. 788 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:25,875 You can't save people. 789 00:37:25,958 --> 00:37:27,375 It's not your job. 790 00:37:27,458 --> 00:37:30,250 It's the job of the Holy Spirit, and take encouragement because 791 00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:33,500 he's really good at it. 792 00:37:33,542 --> 00:37:37,000 The Holy Spirit gives life. 793 00:37:37,042 --> 00:37:39,458 Look at the words of Jesus. 794 00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:44,167 John 6, Jesus said as much, "'It is the Spirit who gives life; 795 00:37:44,250 --> 00:37:46,875 the flesh is no help at all.'" 796 00:37:46,958 --> 00:37:49,583 It means you can't be saved on your own effort. 797 00:37:49,667 --> 00:37:51,375 You just can't. It's of no help. 798 00:37:51,458 --> 00:37:52,792 It's useless. 799 00:37:52,833 --> 00:37:54,375 Salvation doesn't come from within, 800 00:37:54,458 --> 00:37:56,375 it comes from without through the Holy Spirit. 801 00:37:56,458 --> 00:37:59,292 "'The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 802 00:37:59,333 --> 00:38:01,833 "'But there are some of you who do not believe.' 803 00:38:01,917 --> 00:38:04,333 "(For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who 804 00:38:04,417 --> 00:38:07,042 "did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 805 00:38:07,125 --> 00:38:10,042 "And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one 806 00:38:10,125 --> 00:38:13,042 can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'" 807 00:38:13,125 --> 00:38:15,000 That's encouraging. 808 00:38:15,083 --> 00:38:19,208 There's no one beyond the grasp of God. 809 00:38:19,292 --> 00:38:21,208 There's no hard cases for the Holy Spirit. 810 00:38:21,292 --> 00:38:23,958 And you know the way I like to think of it? 811 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,667 I like to think of every relationship that comes into my 812 00:38:26,750 --> 00:38:29,667 life of people who don't know Jesus are ordained by God that 813 00:38:29,750 --> 00:38:32,875 I might tell them about Jesus because God is on a mission to 814 00:38:32,958 --> 00:38:36,042 save them and it's only a matter of time before what the Father 815 00:38:36,125 --> 00:38:38,542 decreed in eternity past and Jesus achieved on the cross, 816 00:38:38,625 --> 00:38:40,292 the Holy Spirit applies in their life. 817 00:38:40,333 --> 00:38:45,792 Do you believe that? 818 00:38:45,833 --> 00:38:48,792 Finished the service that Sunday, 819 00:38:48,833 --> 00:38:51,583 came down to the front where I hoped to meet Buck, 820 00:38:51,667 --> 00:38:53,958 waited for a minute. 821 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,667 All of a sudden, a man emerged from the crowd, 822 00:38:57,750 --> 00:39:01,542 a man that was just wrecked. 823 00:39:01,625 --> 00:39:05,500 Shoulders slumped, face covered in tears, 824 00:39:05,583 --> 00:39:08,000 shirt covered in tears literally. 825 00:39:08,083 --> 00:39:09,833 He came up to me and said, 826 00:39:09,875 --> 00:39:12,208 "Pastor Dave, you wanted to meet with me." 827 00:39:12,292 --> 00:39:14,542 And again, being an observant pastor, I said, 828 00:39:14,625 --> 00:39:16,542 "You're Buck, right?" He said, "Yeah." 829 00:39:16,625 --> 00:39:18,625 I said, "Man, you're really hurting, aren't you?" 830 00:39:18,667 --> 00:39:20,250 See, sensitive, observant. 831 00:39:20,333 --> 00:39:22,417 "Yeah, I'm hurting, Pastor Dave." 832 00:39:22,500 --> 00:39:25,417 I said, "You don't know Jesus yet, do you?" 833 00:39:25,500 --> 00:39:26,958 He said, "No." 834 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:28,958 He couldn't really answer, he was just crying. 835 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,958 I said, "But you really do want to meet Jesus, don't you?" 836 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:33,333 He said, "Oh, I do." 837 00:39:33,417 --> 00:39:35,750 I said, "Let's pray," and we prayed together. 838 00:39:35,833 --> 00:39:38,208 And right there Buck gave his life to Jesus, 839 00:39:38,292 --> 00:39:40,667 gave his sin to Jesus, gave his hurt to Jesus, 840 00:39:40,708 --> 00:39:43,667 gave all the things in his life that were broken to Jesus 841 00:39:43,708 --> 00:39:45,042 and asked Jesus for forgiveness, 842 00:39:45,125 --> 00:39:47,750 and Buck received the Holy Spirit. 843 00:39:47,833 --> 00:39:50,125 His life didn't get 100% better the next day. 844 00:39:50,167 --> 00:39:53,625 In many ways it got harder, but what I saw in Buck that I 845 00:39:53,667 --> 00:39:56,125 hadn't seen before or heard about before is he had 846 00:39:56,167 --> 00:39:58,458 a peace about him. 847 00:39:58,500 --> 00:40:03,667 He had a lot of things to work through still, 848 00:40:03,708 --> 00:40:06,333 but he came to the conclusion he was no longer alone, 849 00:40:06,417 --> 00:40:09,167 that the God who created him now indwelled him through 850 00:40:09,208 --> 00:40:12,250 the Holy Spirit. 851 00:40:12,333 --> 00:40:16,542 The Holy Spirit gives life. 852 00:40:16,625 --> 00:40:21,167 As we close today, I want you to identify with one of two 853 00:40:21,208 --> 00:40:27,667 characters in this story. 854 00:40:27,750 --> 00:40:32,667 For some of you, you need to identify with Cornelius 855 00:40:32,750 --> 00:40:37,583 before--before he meets Peter. 856 00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:39,083 His story is your story. 857 00:40:39,167 --> 00:40:42,250 You've been convicted by the Holy Spirit but you've not 858 00:40:42,333 --> 00:40:45,583 yet been converted by the Holy Spirit. 859 00:40:45,667 --> 00:40:49,792 You're very religious, you do religious activity, 860 00:40:49,833 --> 00:40:53,250 you do everything you can to do all the right things and you do 861 00:40:53,333 --> 00:40:55,792 everything within your power to avoid all the wrong things, 862 00:40:55,833 --> 00:40:59,542 just like Cornelius did. 863 00:40:59,625 --> 00:41:01,250 And you're a convicted person 864 00:41:01,333 --> 00:41:02,917 but you're not a converted person. 865 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,917 You're a religious person but you're not a regenerated person 866 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,417 who's experienced the new life of the Holy Spirit. 867 00:41:09,500 --> 00:41:11,750 "Pastor Dave, how would I know if I've received 868 00:41:11,833 --> 00:41:13,250 the Holy Spirit?" 869 00:41:13,333 --> 00:41:15,333 Because according to Jesus, you've received new life, 870 00:41:15,417 --> 00:41:17,458 you've been born again, and there's at least 871 00:41:17,500 --> 00:41:19,667 three characteristics of new life you should look for. 872 00:41:19,708 --> 00:41:22,667 First and foremost, you should look for a new faith. 873 00:41:22,708 --> 00:41:24,250 Here's what I mean by that. 874 00:41:24,333 --> 00:41:27,875 You no longer trust in your own ability, your own works, 875 00:41:27,958 --> 00:41:31,250 your own good deeds, your own avoidance of evil to make you 876 00:41:31,333 --> 00:41:32,667 right with God. 877 00:41:32,708 --> 00:41:35,292 All of the sudden, you've turned away from that and you trust 878 00:41:35,333 --> 00:41:37,167 entirely in Jesus. 879 00:41:37,250 --> 00:41:40,083 He's your righteousness, his obedience is yours, 880 00:41:40,167 --> 00:41:42,792 his perfect life, substitutionary death, 881 00:41:42,833 --> 00:41:45,375 and subsequent resurrection are enough that you 882 00:41:45,458 --> 00:41:46,833 might be forgiven from sin. 883 00:41:46,917 --> 00:41:48,542 So you are trusting in Jesus. 884 00:41:48,625 --> 00:41:52,167 You have a new faith. 885 00:41:52,250 --> 00:41:54,500 Another evidence that you've received the new life that 886 00:41:54,542 --> 00:41:59,042 the Holy Spirit gives you is that you have a new love. 887 00:41:59,125 --> 00:42:05,750 Your heart is overwhelmed with affection for Jesus. 888 00:42:05,833 --> 00:42:08,750 You love him. 889 00:42:08,833 --> 00:42:15,417 You care about the things he cares about. 890 00:42:15,500 --> 00:42:18,750 You worship him. 891 00:42:18,833 --> 00:42:21,458 You love his people, as imperfect as they are, 892 00:42:21,500 --> 00:42:23,833 and they are very imperfect, right? 893 00:42:23,917 --> 00:42:27,500 If I get to lead them, they're way imperfect, 894 00:42:27,542 --> 00:42:29,750 but you love the church. 895 00:42:29,833 --> 00:42:31,250 Suddenly, you're drawn to God's people. 896 00:42:31,333 --> 00:42:33,000 You want to spend time with them, 897 00:42:33,042 --> 00:42:36,000 you want to do life with them, you want to encourage them, 898 00:42:36,042 --> 00:42:38,042 you want to be in community with them. 899 00:42:38,125 --> 00:42:41,375 And you love his Word, because when you open up the pages 900 00:42:41,458 --> 00:42:44,542 of the Bible, now it's not just a bunch of names, and places, 901 00:42:44,625 --> 00:42:48,167 and a story much like you had to read in English Lit. 902 00:42:48,250 --> 00:42:50,667 Now as you open up the pages of the Bible, 903 00:42:50,750 --> 00:42:54,667 you encounter the living Jesus there. 904 00:42:54,750 --> 00:42:56,875 If you've received new life in the Holy Spirit, 905 00:42:56,958 --> 00:42:59,375 you have a new faith, you have a new love, 906 00:42:59,458 --> 00:43:01,917 and you have a new power. 907 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,750 You're not perfect, no one is other than Jesus, 908 00:43:05,833 --> 00:43:08,500 but progressively, you're becoming a woman, 909 00:43:08,583 --> 00:43:11,958 you're becoming a man who thinks, feels, speaks, 910 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,000 and acts like Jesus, 911 00:43:14,083 --> 00:43:16,708 because that's what the Holy Spirit does. 912 00:43:16,792 --> 00:43:20,000 Some of you today are totally in the position of Cornelius 913 00:43:20,083 --> 00:43:22,167 before he met Peter. 914 00:43:22,208 --> 00:43:23,917 You're religious, you're not regenerate. 915 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,292 You've been convicted but you haven't been converted. 916 00:43:26,333 --> 00:43:28,000 You need to receive the Holy Spirit 917 00:43:28,042 --> 00:43:29,667 right here, right now. 918 00:43:29,750 --> 00:43:31,333 How do you do that? 919 00:43:31,417 --> 00:43:32,875 You do what Cornelius did. 920 00:43:32,958 --> 00:43:34,958 You believe in Jesus. 921 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:37,667 You believe in the message that Peter preached. 922 00:43:37,750 --> 00:43:40,958 You believe that Jesus is the God-man who died for your sin 923 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,500 and he offers you, by his own mercy and grace, 924 00:43:44,542 --> 00:43:46,583 forgiveness from sin, 925 00:43:46,667 --> 00:43:51,375 freedom from sin, and you can be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 926 00:43:51,458 --> 00:43:53,667 You don't need a fancy prayer to do that. 927 00:43:53,750 --> 00:43:57,083 Just believe where you are right here, right now. 928 00:43:57,167 --> 00:44:02,500 Do me a favor, don't leave here today without telling somebody, 929 00:44:02,583 --> 00:44:04,500 "I became converted today. 930 00:44:04,583 --> 00:44:06,250 "I became a new person today. 931 00:44:06,333 --> 00:44:09,250 I received new life from the Holy Spirit today." 932 00:44:09,333 --> 00:44:15,167 Most of us need to identify not so much with Cornelius before he 933 00:44:15,208 --> 00:44:18,750 met Peter, we need to identify with Peter before he met 934 00:44:18,833 --> 00:44:25,417 Cornelius because many of us, like Peter, 935 00:44:25,500 --> 00:44:29,750 have obstacles in our own heart that keep us from reaching out 936 00:44:29,833 --> 00:44:33,667 to people whom Jesus is reaching towards. 937 00:44:33,750 --> 00:44:39,167 We've put up walls of separation. 938 00:44:39,250 --> 00:44:43,333 We've called unclean that which God doesn't call unclean. 939 00:44:43,417 --> 00:44:47,167 We've called people that Jesus is loving and reaching out to 940 00:44:47,250 --> 00:44:52,333 off-limits and unreachable. 941 00:44:54,250 --> 00:44:57,792 I don't know what it is for you. 942 00:44:57,833 --> 00:44:59,500 Maybe it's racial. 943 00:44:59,542 --> 00:45:02,500 Maybe you have a problem with a racial group of people that 944 00:45:02,583 --> 00:45:05,250 keeps you from reaching out to people that Jesus has said, 945 00:45:05,333 --> 00:45:07,958 "I'm sending you to in the power of the Holy Spirit." 946 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:12,167 And you need to not only be sent, you need to be sanctified. 947 00:45:12,208 --> 00:45:17,167 Maybe it's ethnic, maybe it's linguistic. 948 00:45:17,208 --> 00:45:18,750 I know there's some barriers there, 949 00:45:18,833 --> 00:45:20,958 but the Holy Spirit is wonderful at breaking through 950 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,958 linguistic barriers. 951 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:27,875 Maybe it's socioeconomic. 952 00:45:27,958 --> 00:45:31,167 Maybe you're a wealthy person who looks down upon those who 953 00:45:31,250 --> 00:45:34,292 aren't as wealthy as you are, somehow being outside the reach 954 00:45:34,333 --> 00:45:39,000 of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit wants you to repent. 955 00:45:39,042 --> 00:45:41,875 In our culture, maybe it's political. 956 00:45:41,958 --> 00:45:45,542 How sad would that be if you wouldn't reach across the aisle 957 00:45:45,625 --> 00:45:48,958 politically to tell someone on the other side of the aisle 958 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:53,958 about the love of Jesus? 959 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:58,875 Jesus can save all people, even Republicans, trust me. 960 00:45:58,958 --> 00:46:02,000 That's a joke, let it sit in, all right? 961 00:46:07,208 --> 00:46:09,833 Maybe it's sexually. 962 00:46:09,875 --> 00:46:13,833 Maybe it's people who are caught up in sexual immorality, 963 00:46:13,917 --> 00:46:17,333 living a life inconsistent with what God would have them live 964 00:46:17,417 --> 00:46:20,042 sexually, and you've already determined that they are outside 965 00:46:20,125 --> 00:46:21,833 the reach of God. 966 00:46:21,875 --> 00:46:24,833 And the Holy Spirit wants to remind you that no heart is 967 00:46:24,875 --> 00:46:28,083 too hard, no sin is too great, no one is too dead that 968 00:46:28,167 --> 00:46:30,583 the Holy Spirit can't breathe life into that person, 969 00:46:30,667 --> 00:46:34,500 and the Holy Spirit is calling you to go. 970 00:46:34,542 --> 00:46:37,167 Here's what I hear all the time. 971 00:46:37,250 --> 00:46:39,375 "Pastor Dave, I can't really tell someone about Jesus 972 00:46:39,458 --> 00:46:41,875 "because number one, I'm not a preacher, and number two, 973 00:46:41,958 --> 00:46:43,375 "for those that are more nuanced, 974 00:46:43,458 --> 00:46:46,250 I don't have the spiritual gift of evangelism." 975 00:46:46,333 --> 00:46:48,583 You don't have to be either one. 976 00:46:48,667 --> 00:46:52,792 The Holy Spirit can empower you as you are, who you are, 977 00:46:52,833 --> 00:46:59,167 where you are, among those he's put in your life. 978 00:46:59,208 --> 00:47:00,958 See, that's what Buck did. 979 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:04,042 Buck is Buck's radio name. 980 00:47:04,125 --> 00:47:05,542 Buck's real name is Aaron Burnett. 981 00:47:05,625 --> 00:47:10,167 Aaron Burnett is now a deacon at our church in Albuquerque. 982 00:47:10,208 --> 00:47:14,125 As soon as Aaron met Jesus, 983 00:47:14,167 --> 00:47:16,250 through the influence of the Holy Spirit, 984 00:47:16,333 --> 00:47:19,750 Aaron decided that he wanted to use his influence 985 00:47:19,833 --> 00:47:22,750 to tell people about Jesus. 986 00:47:22,833 --> 00:47:24,542 And so whenever he had the opportunity, 987 00:47:24,625 --> 00:47:28,292 whether it was with family members, or friends, or fans, 988 00:47:28,333 --> 00:47:31,583 or coworkers, or acquaintances, he would talk about Jesus. 989 00:47:31,667 --> 00:47:35,792 I checked in with Aaron yesterday, 990 00:47:35,833 --> 00:47:40,000 and as best as we can surmise, Aaron has watched 991 00:47:40,042 --> 00:47:42,292 the Holy Spirit give life 992 00:47:42,333 --> 00:47:46,000 since he's met Jesus to 30 of his family members, 993 00:47:46,042 --> 00:47:52,000 friends, fans, coworkers. 994 00:47:52,042 --> 00:47:56,667 You don't have to be a preacher to be a witness and be empowered 995 00:47:56,750 --> 00:47:59,167 by the Holy Spirit to tell someone about Jesus. 996 00:47:59,250 --> 00:48:01,542 You don't have to be gifted as an evangelist. 997 00:48:01,625 --> 00:48:04,625 Aaron's primary gifting is in mercy. 998 00:48:04,667 --> 00:48:06,458 He's not gifted primarily as an evangelist, 999 00:48:06,500 --> 00:48:09,667 but he's just faithful among the people God has placed him 1000 00:48:09,708 --> 00:48:14,042 to tell boldly folks about Jesus. 1001 00:48:14,125 --> 00:48:18,958 Let's do this as we wrap up our time today. 1002 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:23,333 I want you to bow your heads, close your eyes. 1003 00:48:23,375 --> 00:48:30,292 Christian, I want you to invite the Holy Spirit to impress upon 1004 00:48:30,333 --> 00:48:33,958 you those whom he's sent you to 1005 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:35,958 that you might talk about Jesus boldly. 1006 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:39,167 So let me just pray, and we're going to ask the Holy Spirit 1007 00:48:39,208 --> 00:48:41,875 to show us exactly who he's sent us to. 1008 00:48:41,958 --> 00:48:46,000 Holy Spirit, I pray right now that you would show us exactly 1009 00:48:46,042 --> 00:48:49,583 who it is that you want us to be bold and share Jesus with. 1010 00:48:49,667 --> 00:48:52,500 If a name comes to memory, great. 1011 00:48:52,542 --> 00:48:55,292 If a face comes to mind, great. 1012 00:48:55,333 --> 00:48:59,000 If a people group suddenly is impressed upon our heart, great. 1013 00:48:59,042 --> 00:49:02,333 If a verse of Scripture comes to mind, even better. 1014 00:49:02,417 --> 00:49:05,125 Holy Spirit, I pray with each and every Christian that's here 1015 00:49:05,167 --> 00:49:07,542 that you would put in her mind, in his mind, 1016 00:49:07,625 --> 00:49:10,208 in her heart, in his heart, 1017 00:49:10,292 --> 00:49:15,458 a sense of who you've sent him or her out to reach. 1018 00:49:15,500 --> 00:49:19,750 Empower us, Holy Spirit, to be your bold witnesses. 1019 00:49:19,833 --> 00:49:23,667 In Jesus' good name, we pray together, amen. 1020 00:49:23,708 --> 00:49:26,917 I want you to respond now as we continue our time of worship. 1021 00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:29,417 Can I ask our financial stewards to come forward? 1022 00:49:29,500 --> 00:49:31,542 They're going to collect an offering. 1023 00:49:31,625 --> 00:49:33,958 I encourage you to give generously to a God 1024 00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:35,625 who's given you everything. 1025 00:49:35,667 --> 00:49:37,125 We're going to celebrate Communion, 1026 00:49:37,167 --> 00:49:40,167 and at Communion we recognize again, in a very physical way, 1027 00:49:40,208 --> 00:49:44,417 that it's all about Jesus, that Jesus died for our sins. 1028 00:49:44,500 --> 00:49:46,833 It's through his body and his blood alone 1029 00:49:46,917 --> 00:49:48,333 that we have forgiveness of sin. 1030 00:49:48,417 --> 00:49:51,000 And I don't want you to go through the motions today. 1031 00:49:51,083 --> 00:49:52,417 Would you not do that? 1032 00:49:52,500 --> 00:49:54,917 Would you not just be religious or rote or ritualistic, 1033 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:56,417 but when you take Communion today, 1034 00:49:56,500 --> 00:49:59,417 would you remember who Jesus is and what he's done for you? 1035 00:49:59,500 --> 00:50:02,667 We're going to sing, we're going to worship, 1036 00:50:02,708 --> 00:50:04,333 we're going to pray together. 1037 00:50:04,417 --> 00:50:07,833 We're going to be sent out by the Holy Spirit on mission with 1038 00:50:07,917 --> 00:50:09,833 Jesus, empowered to be his witnesses. 1039 00:50:09,917 --> 00:50:12,333 Mars Hill, we got a great summer plan for you. 1040 00:50:12,417 --> 00:50:14,833 For the second summer in a row, we're bringing you 1041 00:50:14,917 --> 00:50:17,250 the "Best Sermon Ever" series. 1042 00:50:17,333 --> 00:50:19,250 We've got some really great speakers lined up. 1043 00:50:19,333 --> 00:50:22,458 We want you to get a greater sense of what God is doing 1044 00:50:22,500 --> 00:50:25,000 among his people, and so take a look at this. 1045 00:50:29,667 --> 00:50:32,167 Our purpose, our highest calling is to live 1046 00:50:32,250 --> 00:50:34,000 for the glory of Jesus. 1047 00:50:34,042 --> 00:50:35,583 We are going to face pushback. 1048 00:50:35,667 --> 00:50:38,833 That's going to be reality of those who are living for Christ. 1049 00:50:38,917 --> 00:50:40,792 There are lots of uncertainties in the world, 1050 00:50:40,833 --> 00:50:43,750 and sometimes we get misplaced priorities as to what 1051 00:50:43,833 --> 00:50:45,375 we need to fix on. 1052 00:50:45,458 --> 00:50:48,083 And frankly, what we need to fix on is Jesus Christ. 1053 00:50:48,167 --> 00:50:50,375 The Bible tells us of this God, 1054 00:50:50,458 --> 00:50:53,083 that he is immoveable, solid. 1055 00:50:53,167 --> 00:50:54,750 He's not like you and I. 1056 00:50:54,833 --> 00:50:56,542 He doesn't change. 1057 00:50:56,625 --> 00:50:59,333 I've never desired to be anything but a pastor 1058 00:50:59,417 --> 00:51:01,042 and a preacher of the gospel. 1059 00:51:01,125 --> 00:51:03,917 Therefore, I know who I am, and I know what God 1060 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:06,333 has called me to do. 1061 00:51:06,375 --> 00:51:07,958 God has a role for you. 1062 00:51:08,000 --> 00:51:11,042 Until the day you die, there's an opportunity to step in line 1063 00:51:11,125 --> 00:51:15,500 and start following him, and the role for you is a real role. 1064 00:51:21,792 --> 00:51:23,125 Pastor Sutton Turner here. 1065 00:51:23,167 --> 00:51:24,500 The sermon just finished 1066 00:51:24,542 --> 00:51:27,417 and you can still play a role at Mars Hill church. 1067 00:51:27,500 --> 00:51:31,417 Whether you're part of one of our local Mars Hill churches, 1068 00:51:31,500 --> 00:51:34,792 or part of our global Mars Hill community, 1069 00:51:34,833 --> 00:51:38,500 if you value this sermon, please consider making a donation 1070 00:51:38,542 --> 00:51:43,042 by visiting marshill.com/give. 1071 00:51:43,125 --> 00:51:46,167 Sermons like this are recorded and streamed for free 1072 00:51:46,208 --> 00:51:49,292 to anyone interested in learning more about Jesus 1073 00:51:49,333 --> 00:51:50,958 and living their faith. 1074 00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:54,292 And I'd like to ask you to support making that happen 1075 00:51:54,333 --> 00:51:57,833 by making a gift, even a small one, to Mars Hill, 1076 00:51:57,875 --> 00:52:02,125 you will help a global family of brothers and sisters in Christ 1077 00:52:02,167 --> 00:52:07,333 that download sermons like this one over 10 million times. 1078 00:52:07,375 --> 00:52:11,375 Your gift also helps plant churches, equip evangelists, 1079 00:52:11,458 --> 00:52:15,917 distribute bibles and study materials all over the world. 1080 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:18,792 Let's see more materials translated, 1081 00:52:18,833 --> 00:52:21,875 more pastors sent out, more churches planted, 1082 00:52:21,958 --> 00:52:24,333 and more people saved by Jesus Christ.