1 00:00:05,042 --> 00:00:06,333 Howdy, Pastor Mark here. 2 00:00:06,375 --> 00:00:09,708 I wanted to say thanks for tuning in and joining us for our sermon series. 3 00:00:09,792 --> 00:00:11,417 We're currently in the Book of Acts. 4 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:14,500 We're actually going to take a chunk every year after Easter 5 00:00:14,583 --> 00:00:16,875 for the next number of years. 6 00:00:16,958 --> 00:00:19,500 And for those of you who pray for me or for us, 7 00:00:19,583 --> 00:00:23,583 those of you who give to the church, want to say thank you very, very much. 8 00:00:23,667 --> 00:00:25,625 For those of you who'd like to get connected 9 00:00:25,667 --> 00:00:27,917 and be part of the extended Mars Hill family, 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,375 go to marshill.com/global, we'll sign you up for a "connect" account. 11 00:00:32,458 --> 00:00:34,333 That'll get you some free resources 12 00:00:34,375 --> 00:00:37,292 and allow you to know what's going on at Mars Hill. 13 00:00:37,333 --> 00:00:41,000 In addition you can also find the study guide for the "Acts" series. 14 00:00:41,083 --> 00:00:44,417 It was put together by a team right here at Mars Hill church. 15 00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:46,000 We've made it very inexpensive. 16 00:00:46,083 --> 00:00:48,917 Any of the proceeds come back to the church, not to me. 17 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,500 And we'd love to have you do a deep study 18 00:00:51,583 --> 00:00:53,667 with us through the Book of Acts. 19 00:00:53,750 --> 00:00:55,708 So we love you, we appreciate you, thank you, 20 00:00:55,792 --> 00:00:58,083 and thanks for signing up for a global account. 21 00:01:04,667 --> 00:01:10,208 Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit 22 00:01:10,292 --> 00:01:12,083 "has come upon you, 23 00:01:12,167 --> 00:01:16,500 "and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem 24 00:01:16,583 --> 00:01:19,083 "and in all Judea and Samaria, 25 00:01:19,167 --> 00:01:22,167 and to the ends of the earth." 26 00:01:24,167 --> 00:01:29,875 What does Jesus' mission look like here? 27 00:01:29,958 --> 00:01:33,583 What's his mission here? 28 00:01:33,667 --> 00:01:37,792 What does Jesus' mission look like here? 29 00:01:37,833 --> 00:01:42,000 What does Jesus' mission look like here? 30 00:01:42,042 --> 00:01:45,875 What is Jesus' mission here? 31 00:01:45,958 --> 00:01:48,792 How do I know what Jesus' mission is? 32 00:01:51,292 --> 00:01:54,125 All right, we're in Acts 4, starting in verse 23. 33 00:01:54,167 --> 00:01:56,000 If you've got a Bible, go there. 34 00:01:56,083 --> 00:01:59,833 As we're studying the book of Acts, it's history, 35 00:01:59,875 --> 00:02:02,292 but it's history for the purpose of case study. 36 00:02:02,333 --> 00:02:05,125 It's not just looking at how Christianity began 37 00:02:05,167 --> 00:02:07,333 and how the early church grew, 38 00:02:07,375 --> 00:02:09,625 it's actually a study of the person and work 39 00:02:09,667 --> 00:02:11,125 of the Holy Spirit. 40 00:02:11,167 --> 00:02:13,417 Some will call it the acts of the Apostles. 41 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:17,083 I prefer to call it the acts of the Holy Spirit. 42 00:02:17,167 --> 00:02:20,625 It's an extraordinary God working through ordinary people 43 00:02:20,667 --> 00:02:23,667 to accomplish an extraordinary mission. 44 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:26,208 And the way he worked is the way he works, 45 00:02:26,292 --> 00:02:28,708 and the way he worked through them is the way 46 00:02:28,792 --> 00:02:30,500 that he wants to work through us. 47 00:02:30,583 --> 00:02:32,792 So, as we come to the book of Acts, 48 00:02:32,833 --> 00:02:35,625 we're not just looking in a way that is nostalgic-- 49 00:02:35,667 --> 00:02:38,417 "Oh, look at what it used to be like"-- 50 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:41,167 but we look, rather, leaning into the future-- 51 00:02:41,250 --> 00:02:43,500 "What does the future look like for us 52 00:02:43,542 --> 00:02:46,792 together on mission as God's people?" 53 00:02:46,833 --> 00:02:49,000 And I'm enjoying studying the book; 54 00:02:49,042 --> 00:02:50,500 I hope you are as well. 55 00:02:50,583 --> 00:02:53,833 One thing I don't think I've made clear to this point is 56 00:02:53,875 --> 00:02:55,917 the cultural context that they're working in. 57 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,583 What we examine in Acts 1 is that the church 58 00:02:58,667 --> 00:03:00,458 started with 120. 59 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:02,000 Acts 2, 3,000 people are added. 60 00:03:02,042 --> 00:03:05,500 Acts 4, 5,000 men, plus women and children, are added. 61 00:03:05,583 --> 00:03:06,917 The church is very large. 62 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,417 It's growing very fast. 63 00:03:08,500 --> 00:03:10,708 There's a great need for leadership and generosity 64 00:03:10,792 --> 00:03:13,500 and all the stuff we're always asking you to pray for 65 00:03:13,583 --> 00:03:15,583 and give toward. 66 00:03:15,667 --> 00:03:19,625 And it happens in the midst of a culture that sounds 67 00:03:19,667 --> 00:03:21,167 eerily familiar. 68 00:03:21,250 --> 00:03:23,125 It's in the midst of the Roman Empire. 69 00:03:23,167 --> 00:03:25,000 Tell me if this doesn't sound familiar. 70 00:03:25,083 --> 00:03:28,833 The Roman Empire was the biggest, most prominent, 71 00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:33,125 powerful, prosperous nation in the history of the world. 72 00:03:33,167 --> 00:03:37,375 The citizens lived relatively lavish lifestyles. 73 00:03:37,458 --> 00:03:40,708 They had multiple religions, multiple spiritualities, 74 00:03:40,792 --> 00:03:43,333 multiple gods, multiple goddesses. 75 00:03:43,375 --> 00:03:47,500 Their values included tolerance and diversity. 76 00:03:47,583 --> 00:03:51,000 They had widespread sexual sin. 77 00:03:51,042 --> 00:03:53,333 Homosexuality was very popular. 78 00:03:53,375 --> 00:03:55,667 Bisexuality was very popular. 79 00:03:55,750 --> 00:03:59,083 Cohabitation before marriage was frequent. 80 00:03:59,167 --> 00:04:01,875 Adultery within marriage was common. 81 00:04:01,958 --> 00:04:04,708 They also had child sacrifice, where if they didn't like 82 00:04:04,792 --> 00:04:06,708 the baby, they would kill it. 83 00:04:06,792 --> 00:04:11,625 Does this sound like anywhere you have heard of, yes or no? 84 00:04:11,667 --> 00:04:15,417 Yeah, they're Americans, that's what they are, OK? 85 00:04:15,500 --> 00:04:16,833 They're Americans. 86 00:04:16,875 --> 00:04:20,583 And so the church roots and grows in the midst of 87 00:04:20,667 --> 00:04:24,792 the culture that is very, very, very, very much like ours-- 88 00:04:24,833 --> 00:04:27,833 which gives us great hope that if the Holy Spirit could work 89 00:04:27,875 --> 00:04:31,833 through people in that day for this kind of great mission, 90 00:04:31,875 --> 00:04:35,000 he could do the same through us in our day. 91 00:04:35,083 --> 00:04:37,500 But, here's the truth: 92 00:04:37,583 --> 00:04:40,375 we're going to have to suffer. 93 00:04:40,458 --> 00:04:45,125 OK, you guys don't want to start the wave now? 94 00:04:45,167 --> 00:04:47,000 Yay, suffering! 95 00:04:47,083 --> 00:04:49,583 Because see, here's what happens: every action has 96 00:04:49,667 --> 00:04:51,500 an equal and opposite reaction. 97 00:04:51,583 --> 00:04:53,167 Have you heard that? 98 00:04:53,250 --> 00:04:54,833 It's true spiritually as well. 99 00:04:54,875 --> 00:04:57,500 More people meet Jesus; more critics rise up. 100 00:04:57,542 --> 00:05:01,583 More good things happen; more critics rise up. 101 00:05:01,667 --> 00:05:04,583 More people are saved; more critics rise up. 102 00:05:04,667 --> 00:05:06,917 The church moves forward in the book of Acts, 103 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,625 and the opposition escalates. 104 00:05:09,667 --> 00:05:12,125 This is what we're seeing through the book of Acts. 105 00:05:12,167 --> 00:05:14,125 And as you continue to read the book, 106 00:05:14,167 --> 00:05:18,000 as the church moves forward, it does so in an increasingly 107 00:05:18,083 --> 00:05:21,333 strong head wind of opposition. 108 00:05:21,375 --> 00:05:24,500 And see, Christians, we're not big fans of suffering, 109 00:05:24,542 --> 00:05:26,333 persecution. 110 00:05:26,375 --> 00:05:27,792 We don't like that. 111 00:05:27,833 --> 00:05:29,167 We're not excited about that. 112 00:05:29,250 --> 00:05:31,375 In fact, when we share the gospel with someone, 113 00:05:31,458 --> 00:05:32,792 we don't even include that. 114 00:05:32,833 --> 00:05:35,833 How many of you were told this: "Jesus loves you. 115 00:05:35,875 --> 00:05:37,917 "He has a wonderful plan for your life. 116 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,333 "Confess your sins to Jesus and he will forgive you, 117 00:05:41,375 --> 00:05:44,375 "and then he'll take you to heaven to live with him forever. 118 00:05:44,458 --> 00:05:46,208 Would you like to become a Christian?" 119 00:05:46,292 --> 00:05:48,625 How many of you, it was presented like that? 120 00:05:48,667 --> 00:05:51,875 What they forgot to tell you was the middle. 121 00:05:51,958 --> 00:05:56,208 The time between give your life to Jesus and go to heaven 122 00:05:56,292 --> 00:06:00,542 to be with Jesus, that part that we call life, 123 00:06:00,625 --> 00:06:02,750 they omitted that part, right? 124 00:06:02,833 --> 00:06:05,167 And in that part, they forgot to tell you, 125 00:06:05,250 --> 00:06:06,708 "Some people will hate you. 126 00:06:06,792 --> 00:06:08,625 "They will say horrible things about you. 127 00:06:08,667 --> 00:06:10,125 "It may cost you a job. 128 00:06:10,167 --> 00:06:12,125 "Your parents may turn their back on you. 129 00:06:12,167 --> 00:06:14,208 It's going to be very difficult," 130 00:06:14,292 --> 00:06:16,208 because they knew you wouldn't sign up. 131 00:06:16,292 --> 00:06:18,417 So, it's their fault. You're welcome, 132 00:06:18,500 --> 00:06:20,375 I just filled you in on the details. 133 00:06:20,458 --> 00:06:22,792 And that's what we're going to talk about today: 134 00:06:22,833 --> 00:06:25,417 suffering, persecution, opposition. 135 00:06:25,500 --> 00:06:30,000 Now, I'll share a verse with you before we jump into Acts. 136 00:06:30,083 --> 00:06:32,792 It's from the Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 3:12, 137 00:06:32,833 --> 00:06:36,292 and it's sort of a big principle that's illustrated with 138 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:39,208 a case study of Acts 4 today. 139 00:06:39,292 --> 00:06:42,375 "All"--how many? 140 00:06:42,458 --> 00:06:45,917 You are included in the all. 141 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,125 All right, great, good job, Mars Hill. 142 00:06:48,167 --> 00:06:50,125 "All who desire to live a godly life"-- 143 00:06:50,167 --> 00:06:53,000 do you desire to live a godly life? 144 00:06:53,042 --> 00:06:56,000 OK, one of you is very enthusiastic, 145 00:06:56,042 --> 00:06:58,333 the rest of you are thinking about it. 146 00:06:58,375 --> 00:06:59,792 OK, good. 147 00:06:59,833 --> 00:07:03,083 "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus"-- 148 00:07:03,167 --> 00:07:05,500 you want Jesus as the center of your life, 149 00:07:05,542 --> 00:07:08,333 everything connected to and emanating from him? 150 00:07:08,375 --> 00:07:10,083 Yes, you do. 151 00:07:10,167 --> 00:07:12,292 "Will be"--what? 152 00:07:12,333 --> 00:07:15,083 See, if this was written in America, it would say 153 00:07:15,167 --> 00:07:20,708 "blessed" because the prominent teaching today is, 154 00:07:20,792 --> 00:07:24,333 "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus 155 00:07:24,375 --> 00:07:27,333 will be blessed." 156 00:07:27,375 --> 00:07:28,708 You're sick? 157 00:07:28,792 --> 00:07:30,292 Come to Jesus. 158 00:07:30,333 --> 00:07:31,667 You're poor? 159 00:07:31,750 --> 00:07:33,083 Come to Jesus. 160 00:07:33,167 --> 00:07:34,500 You're single? 161 00:07:34,542 --> 00:07:35,875 Come to Jesus. 162 00:07:35,958 --> 00:07:37,292 You're married? 163 00:07:37,333 --> 00:07:40,000 Come to Jesus. 164 00:07:40,083 --> 00:07:42,000 Whatever you want, come to Jesus. 165 00:07:42,042 --> 00:07:44,375 He'll bless you. 166 00:07:44,458 --> 00:07:46,625 He'll give you a job. 167 00:07:46,667 --> 00:07:48,000 He'll give you health. 168 00:07:48,083 --> 00:07:49,708 He'll give you prosperity. 169 00:07:49,792 --> 00:07:51,125 He'll give you a spouse. 170 00:07:51,167 --> 00:07:52,500 He'll give you children. 171 00:07:52,583 --> 00:07:54,500 He'll give you joy. 172 00:07:54,583 --> 00:07:56,583 Whatever you want, come to Jesus. 173 00:07:56,667 --> 00:07:59,000 All right, he's the big piñata in the sky. 174 00:07:59,042 --> 00:08:03,375 Bring your stick and make your ask, right? 175 00:08:03,458 --> 00:08:06,625 And so then people sign up, and then they get disappointed 176 00:08:06,667 --> 00:08:08,917 with God, and then they get frustrated with God, 177 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,208 because life gets hard. 178 00:08:11,292 --> 00:08:14,125 And then some people even walk away from God. 179 00:08:14,167 --> 00:08:18,875 "Well, I signed up for blessing, and what I got was persecution. 180 00:08:18,958 --> 00:08:20,625 I didn't sign up for that." 181 00:08:20,667 --> 00:08:22,583 Yes, you did. 182 00:08:22,667 --> 00:08:27,625 "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus 183 00:08:27,667 --> 00:08:30,833 will be persecuted." 184 00:08:30,875 --> 00:08:36,333 Now, you may be blessed as well, but you will be persecuted. 185 00:08:36,375 --> 00:08:38,125 And when it comes to persecution, 186 00:08:38,167 --> 00:08:40,208 as soon as we start talking about persecution, 187 00:08:40,292 --> 00:08:42,833 there's always some religious people, right? 188 00:08:42,875 --> 00:08:45,000 And they're always like, "Well, we're not really persecuted. 189 00:08:45,083 --> 00:08:47,500 "It's not like you're gonna get stabbed or killed 190 00:08:47,583 --> 00:08:49,208 "or drawn and quartered. 191 00:08:49,292 --> 00:08:51,417 "It's not like they're throwing us to the lions. 192 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:52,833 "It's not really suffering. 193 00:08:52,875 --> 00:08:54,208 "You know, around the world, 194 00:08:54,292 --> 00:08:55,625 the Christians are really suffering." 195 00:08:55,667 --> 00:08:58,333 And all of a sudden, you're supposed to feel bad because 196 00:08:58,375 --> 00:09:00,042 your suffering isn't like that. 197 00:09:00,125 --> 00:09:03,083 Jesus speaks of two kinds of suffering. 198 00:09:03,167 --> 00:09:06,583 Matthew 5:11, he says it this way: "Blessed are you"-- 199 00:09:06,667 --> 00:09:08,500 so our blessing is actually our suffering. 200 00:09:08,583 --> 00:09:13,083 "Blessed are you when others revile you." 201 00:09:14,250 --> 00:09:17,125 Stuff like, "Christians are idiots. 202 00:09:17,167 --> 00:09:18,917 "Christians believe that God made the world. 203 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:20,875 "Christians are anti-science. Christians are bigots. 204 00:09:20,958 --> 00:09:24,833 "Christians hate women. Christians, they hate sex. 205 00:09:24,875 --> 00:09:29,208 "Christians hate homosexuals. Christians supported slavery. 206 00:09:29,292 --> 00:09:31,875 "Christians are a blight on the planet. 207 00:09:31,958 --> 00:09:35,833 "Christians don't really love the rest of the people 208 00:09:35,875 --> 00:09:37,417 "in the culture. 209 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:39,917 "Christians are bigots. They're intolerant. 210 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,417 "They're discriminatory. 211 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:45,000 They're narrow-minded. And they are a problem." 212 00:09:45,042 --> 00:09:46,917 Anybody have a TV? 213 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,500 Anybody have Internet access or a neighbor? 214 00:09:50,583 --> 00:09:52,875 Have you heard these things? 215 00:09:52,958 --> 00:09:54,958 It's reviling. 216 00:09:55,583 --> 00:09:57,292 It's reviling. 217 00:09:57,333 --> 00:10:00,917 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and 218 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,542 utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." 219 00:10:05,625 --> 00:10:08,333 You say, "Well, that's not true. That's not what we believe. 220 00:10:08,375 --> 00:10:10,750 "That's not what the Bible says. That's not--wait a minute. 221 00:10:10,833 --> 00:10:13,833 This isn't right." 222 00:10:13,917 --> 00:10:17,833 There is overt persecution where you get thrown to the lions. 223 00:10:17,917 --> 00:10:21,250 There's covert persecution where you get thrown to the critics. 224 00:10:21,333 --> 00:10:25,167 There's overt persecution where you die for Christ. 225 00:10:25,208 --> 00:10:30,458 There's covert persecution where you live for Christ. 226 00:10:30,500 --> 00:10:35,542 There's overt persecution where they silence you by killing you. 227 00:10:35,625 --> 00:10:38,167 And then there's covert persecution where they silence 228 00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:41,750 you by shaming you. 229 00:10:41,833 --> 00:10:44,750 The goal of both kinds of persecution is, 230 00:10:44,833 --> 00:10:49,667 "Don't talk about Jesus. We'll kill you or shame you. 231 00:10:49,708 --> 00:10:56,333 We just want to silence you. Stop talking about him." 232 00:10:56,417 --> 00:10:59,667 And both forms count. 233 00:10:59,708 --> 00:11:03,625 Today, we get into a case study 234 00:11:03,667 --> 00:11:08,125 of why Christians suffer 235 00:11:08,167 --> 00:11:11,667 and how Christians should suffer. 236 00:11:11,750 --> 00:11:14,583 And it's a story, a case study, 237 00:11:14,667 --> 00:11:20,417 with Peter and John, two leaders in the early church. 238 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:23,833 They were loved by Jesus, and they loved Jesus. 239 00:11:23,875 --> 00:11:26,875 This story actually started in Acts 3, 240 00:11:26,958 --> 00:11:30,000 where after Jesus died for sin, rose from death, 241 00:11:30,083 --> 00:11:32,417 ascended into heaven, sent the Holy Spirit, 242 00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:35,000 empowering his people to continue his mission. 243 00:11:35,083 --> 00:11:38,000 These two men, Peter and John, they're going up to the temple 244 00:11:38,042 --> 00:11:39,833 to pray at the hour of prayer. 245 00:11:39,875 --> 00:11:41,875 It's like 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 246 00:11:41,958 --> 00:11:45,917 And there's a man who is lame from birth, Acts 3 says. 247 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,708 He's an older man. This has been his condition his entire life. 248 00:11:49,792 --> 00:11:52,333 He's suffering, and he's begging, 249 00:11:52,375 --> 00:11:55,000 and he's asking God's people to give him finances 250 00:11:55,042 --> 00:11:57,000 to sustain his existence. 251 00:11:57,083 --> 00:12:00,583 And they look at him and say, "Silver and gold we do not have, 252 00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:03,458 "but in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be healed, 253 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:06,333 arise, walk." 254 00:12:06,375 --> 00:12:09,708 This guy who's never, never stood up in his life, 255 00:12:09,792 --> 00:12:11,833 his legs are instantaneously healed, he jumps up. 256 00:12:11,875 --> 00:12:13,333 He's totally healed. 257 00:12:13,375 --> 00:12:15,000 It's a public healing. 258 00:12:15,083 --> 00:12:16,708 It's confirmed here by Luke the physician 259 00:12:16,792 --> 00:12:19,125 who's recording this. 260 00:12:19,167 --> 00:12:21,500 And this guy's leaping, praising God, celebrating, 261 00:12:21,583 --> 00:12:24,500 goes into the temple worshiping God. 262 00:12:24,583 --> 00:12:26,667 How many of you think that you shouldn't 263 00:12:26,750 --> 00:12:29,708 get in trouble for that? 264 00:12:29,792 --> 00:12:33,833 Like, the lame guy got healed-- no deductible, no co-pay, right? 265 00:12:33,875 --> 00:12:36,583 Like, we all would say, "Well, that seems like a good--" 266 00:12:36,667 --> 00:12:38,417 like, who's against healing? 267 00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:41,083 Anybody here anti-healing? 268 00:12:41,167 --> 00:12:45,500 Like, "I prefer sickness. I'm against healing. 269 00:12:45,583 --> 00:12:48,125 "You know, what this world needs is less healthy people. 270 00:12:48,167 --> 00:12:50,417 That's just the problem." 271 00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:53,125 No, we all would say, "Healing, yes." 272 00:12:53,167 --> 00:12:55,333 Even the atheists who don't believe in healing 273 00:12:55,375 --> 00:12:56,917 are still for it. 274 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,875 It's that popular, right? 275 00:12:58,958 --> 00:13:02,042 It's that popular. 276 00:13:02,125 --> 00:13:06,708 They get arrested and thrown in jail--Peter and John. 277 00:13:06,792 --> 00:13:08,125 Why? 278 00:13:08,167 --> 00:13:09,833 Why do they get thrown in jail? 279 00:13:09,875 --> 00:13:11,208 Because the guy was healed? 280 00:13:11,292 --> 00:13:13,000 Why? 281 00:13:13,042 --> 00:13:16,375 Because they started talking about Jesus. 282 00:13:16,458 --> 00:13:17,833 "Who healed this guy?" 283 00:13:17,875 --> 00:13:19,417 "Jesus did." 284 00:13:19,500 --> 00:13:20,833 "Who's Jesus?" 285 00:13:20,875 --> 00:13:22,208 "Well, he's God." 286 00:13:22,292 --> 00:13:23,625 "Well, where is he?" 287 00:13:23,667 --> 00:13:25,000 "He's in heaven." 288 00:13:25,083 --> 00:13:26,500 "Well, how did he heal him?" 289 00:13:26,583 --> 00:13:29,000 "Well, he can heal from heaven because he's sovereign God 290 00:13:29,083 --> 00:13:30,417 who rules over all." 291 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:32,125 "Oh, tell me more about this Jesus." 292 00:13:32,167 --> 00:13:36,167 Here's a great case study, friends. 293 00:13:36,250 --> 00:13:38,875 We won't get in trouble for serving. 294 00:13:38,958 --> 00:13:43,208 We will get in trouble for speaking. 295 00:13:43,292 --> 00:13:46,333 There's no controversy around serving. 296 00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:49,083 All the controversy's around speaking. 297 00:13:49,167 --> 00:13:51,875 If we just go out and feed the hungry, no problem. 298 00:13:51,958 --> 00:13:54,125 No problem. 299 00:13:54,167 --> 00:13:56,917 We love the hurting, no problem. 300 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,167 We give generously to support single moms and kids 301 00:14:00,250 --> 00:14:02,542 that don't have a dad, that's not a problem. 302 00:14:02,625 --> 00:14:05,208 We volunteer in the public schools to be part of 303 00:14:05,292 --> 00:14:08,667 the community and to love kids, that's not a problem. 304 00:14:08,750 --> 00:14:10,667 We collect coats for the cold and food 305 00:14:10,750 --> 00:14:12,417 for the hungry, not a problem. 306 00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:17,000 And if we say, "Jesus loves us and he told us to love you," 307 00:14:17,042 --> 00:14:21,625 well, then the problem is what we've spoken, 308 00:14:21,667 --> 00:14:24,167 what we've said. 309 00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:27,208 So, a lot of cowards like to turn Christianity into nothing 310 00:14:27,292 --> 00:14:30,833 but serving, and to get rid of the speaking because it's 311 00:14:30,875 --> 00:14:33,917 the speaking that causes the suffering. 312 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,333 And Jesus served and spoke, and Jesus' people are to serve 313 00:14:37,375 --> 00:14:44,167 and speak, and to do so boldly, not cowardly. 314 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:45,917 So, we pick up the case study. 315 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,875 What happens to these two guys when they get out of jail? 316 00:14:48,958 --> 00:14:52,292 And I need you to see this: they went to jail not for anything 317 00:14:52,333 --> 00:14:54,625 they did wrong but for what they did right. 318 00:14:54,667 --> 00:14:57,125 Sometimes you can get busted for doing the right thing. 319 00:14:57,167 --> 00:14:59,667 We'll read it, Acts 4:23. 320 00:14:59,750 --> 00:15:01,875 Here is the case study. 321 00:15:01,958 --> 00:15:04,417 "When they were released"-- so they get out of jail-- 322 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:07,125 "they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests 323 00:15:07,167 --> 00:15:08,875 and the elders had said to them." 324 00:15:08,958 --> 00:15:10,292 These are the religious leaders. 325 00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:12,792 "And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together 326 00:15:12,833 --> 00:15:14,833 to God"--so they pray-- "and said, 'Sovereign Lord, 327 00:15:14,875 --> 00:15:16,583 "'who made the heaven and the earth 328 00:15:16,667 --> 00:15:18,333 and the sea and everything in them.'" 329 00:15:18,375 --> 00:15:20,333 I mean, now we're even into controversy, right? 330 00:15:20,375 --> 00:15:23,500 If you just get up--let's say you get up in your science class 331 00:15:23,583 --> 00:15:26,125 at the public university and say, "God made the world." 332 00:15:26,167 --> 00:15:28,667 Just quote that verse, and all of a sudden 333 00:15:28,750 --> 00:15:31,167 you're going to find yourself in trouble. 334 00:15:31,250 --> 00:15:34,917 "'Who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, 335 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:39,125 "'said by the Holy Spirit, "Why did the Gentiles rage, 336 00:15:39,167 --> 00:15:40,667 and the peoples plot in vain?"'" 337 00:15:40,750 --> 00:15:42,333 Here, he's quoting Psalms 2, 338 00:15:42,375 --> 00:15:45,208 written 1,000 years prior by King David. 339 00:15:45,292 --> 00:15:47,125 "'"The kings of the earth set themselves, 340 00:15:47,167 --> 00:15:49,375 "'"and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord 341 00:15:49,458 --> 00:15:51,500 and against his Anointed"'"-- there's Jesus-- 342 00:15:51,542 --> 00:15:54,000 "'for truly in this city there were gathered together 343 00:15:54,083 --> 00:15:56,667 "'against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 344 00:15:56,750 --> 00:15:58,625 both Herod and Pontius Pilate'"-- 345 00:15:58,667 --> 00:16:01,042 two political leaders that he's naming here. 346 00:16:01,125 --> 00:16:02,583 That's very bold. 347 00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:05,125 These are the guys that just got out of prison 348 00:16:05,167 --> 00:16:07,917 now naming the leaders. 349 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,208 "'Along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel'"-- 350 00:16:10,292 --> 00:16:12,792 the Jewish people--"'to do whatever your hand and your plan 351 00:16:12,833 --> 00:16:14,167 had predestined to take place.'" 352 00:16:14,250 --> 00:16:15,667 We'll come back to this. 353 00:16:15,750 --> 00:16:17,833 It's a church prayer meeting with Calvinists, all right? 354 00:16:17,875 --> 00:16:20,125 Right there, "Predestined to take place." 355 00:16:20,167 --> 00:16:22,583 All right, "'And now, Lord, look upon their threats 356 00:16:22,667 --> 00:16:25,292 "'and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word 357 00:16:25,333 --> 00:16:26,917 with all'"--what? 358 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,417 "'Boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, 359 00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:31,583 "'and signs and wonders are performed through the name 360 00:16:31,667 --> 00:16:33,583 "of your holy servant Jesus.' 361 00:16:33,667 --> 00:16:35,917 "And when they had prayed, the place in which 362 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,417 they were gathered together was shaken"-- 363 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:39,083 they get their own local earthquake-- 364 00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:41,292 "and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 365 00:16:41,333 --> 00:16:43,792 and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." 366 00:16:43,833 --> 00:16:45,167 There is a lot here. 367 00:16:45,250 --> 00:16:48,000 I'm going to ask five questions. We'll unpack them in succession. 368 00:16:48,042 --> 00:16:51,208 I want you to consider them, and I want you to discuss them 369 00:16:51,292 --> 00:16:52,917 in Community Group this week. 370 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,417 First one, and this is the issue that really is 371 00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:56,833 the foundational issue. 372 00:16:56,875 --> 00:16:58,792 Who do you think wrote the Bible? 373 00:16:58,833 --> 00:17:01,542 OK, if you're new, this is the Bible. 374 00:17:01,625 --> 00:17:04,375 We have them, grab one on the way out, they're free. 375 00:17:04,458 --> 00:17:08,125 All right, who do you think wrote this book? 376 00:17:08,167 --> 00:17:10,833 Who do you think wrote the Bible? 377 00:17:10,875 --> 00:17:15,875 Mars Hill, this question is really the question. 378 00:17:18,292 --> 00:17:22,417 Once this question is answered, the other answers come 379 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:27,000 as a result of what is written in this book. 380 00:17:27,042 --> 00:17:32,125 And it's interesting because in our day, like every day, 381 00:17:32,167 --> 00:17:35,292 there is disagreement between Christians and non-Christians 382 00:17:35,333 --> 00:17:42,292 on various issues, be it gender, be it sexuality, be it marriage, 383 00:17:42,333 --> 00:17:44,625 be it spirituality. 384 00:17:44,667 --> 00:17:48,125 There are these conflicts that come over issues. 385 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:52,083 And here's the bottom line: Christians believe the Bible; 386 00:17:52,167 --> 00:17:54,708 non-Christians don't. 387 00:17:54,792 --> 00:17:57,833 So, it's not that we just disagree on some issues; 388 00:17:57,875 --> 00:18:01,292 it's that we disagree on the issue under the issues. 389 00:18:01,333 --> 00:18:06,000 And that is: is this a book that people wrote about God, 390 00:18:06,083 --> 00:18:10,625 or is this a book that God wrote through people? 391 00:18:10,667 --> 00:18:12,667 There's a big difference there. 392 00:18:12,750 --> 00:18:15,625 If it's a book that people wrote about God, then, well, 393 00:18:15,667 --> 00:18:19,333 there's philosophy, psychology, sociology, other religions, 394 00:18:19,375 --> 00:18:21,708 and you know, there's lots of books, 395 00:18:21,792 --> 00:18:25,125 and this is one of the books on the shelf with all the other 396 00:18:25,167 --> 00:18:28,000 books that claims to have a little perspective on God. 397 00:18:28,083 --> 00:18:30,208 If this is the book that God wrote, 398 00:18:30,292 --> 00:18:32,333 then it's above all the other books. 399 00:18:32,375 --> 00:18:34,208 It's the only perfect book. 400 00:18:34,292 --> 00:18:37,125 It's not a word about God; it's a word from God. 401 00:18:37,167 --> 00:18:40,000 It's not speculation; it's revelation. 402 00:18:40,083 --> 00:18:42,625 It's not how we perceive God; 403 00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:45,208 it's how God reveals himself to be. 404 00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:50,083 That's entirely, entirely different. 405 00:18:50,167 --> 00:18:52,000 And so you need to know this. 406 00:18:52,083 --> 00:18:55,417 If you're at Mars Hill Church, we believe that this is 407 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:59,000 the word of God, and it alone is the word of God, 408 00:18:59,083 --> 00:19:02,292 and part of the reason is that the Bible keeps telling us 409 00:19:02,333 --> 00:19:04,083 that's exactly what it is. 410 00:19:04,167 --> 00:19:06,625 And I'll give you an example right here, Acts 4:25. 411 00:19:06,667 --> 00:19:08,625 So they're praying, "Sovereign Lord"-- 412 00:19:08,667 --> 00:19:10,125 that's our God. 413 00:19:10,167 --> 00:19:13,125 He's above all the other gods, all the rulers, all the nations, 414 00:19:13,167 --> 00:19:15,333 all the tribes, all the tongues, all the languages, 415 00:19:15,375 --> 00:19:17,375 all the sexualities, all the spiritualities. 416 00:19:17,458 --> 00:19:21,333 He's the sovereign Lord, seated on a throne alone. 417 00:19:21,375 --> 00:19:23,625 They're praying to that God. 418 00:19:23,667 --> 00:19:26,083 And then they, from memory, from their heart. 419 00:19:26,167 --> 00:19:29,500 They're echoing Psalms 2, written 1,000 years prior 420 00:19:29,542 --> 00:19:32,208 through David, showing us how important it is 421 00:19:32,292 --> 00:19:35,625 to hide God's word in our heart so that moment of need it then 422 00:19:35,667 --> 00:19:38,875 is on our lips, so that we can remind ourselves of the truth 423 00:19:38,958 --> 00:19:41,500 that God has said. 424 00:19:41,583 --> 00:19:44,208 "Through the mouth of our father David, your servant, 425 00:19:44,292 --> 00:19:46,000 said by the Holy Spirit." 426 00:19:46,042 --> 00:19:47,917 OK, are you ready? 427 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,333 Every opportunity I get at Mars Hill, 428 00:19:50,375 --> 00:19:53,625 I love to remind you that this is the book that God wrote, 429 00:19:53,667 --> 00:19:56,500 it is the only book that God wrote, it is perfect, 430 00:19:56,583 --> 00:19:59,708 it is authoritative, it is to be obeyed. 431 00:19:59,792 --> 00:20:02,500 And here is one more occasion to do that. 432 00:20:02,542 --> 00:20:07,167 So, he is quoting--they are quoting Psalms 2, 433 00:20:07,208 --> 00:20:11,125 and it says that the words of Psalms 2 came from 434 00:20:11,167 --> 00:20:13,042 the mouth of who? 435 00:20:13,125 --> 00:20:15,458 David. 436 00:20:15,500 --> 00:20:21,708 So, the words came through David, but they came from who? 437 00:20:21,792 --> 00:20:25,208 The Holy Spirit. 438 00:20:25,292 --> 00:20:29,667 David is the messenger; he's not the author. 439 00:20:29,708 --> 00:20:32,333 Big difference, right? 440 00:20:32,417 --> 00:20:36,167 He's the messenger, not the author. 441 00:20:36,208 --> 00:20:41,042 The message comes through him, but it doesn't come from him. 442 00:20:41,125 --> 00:20:43,667 The message comes from the Holy Spirit, 443 00:20:43,708 --> 00:20:47,667 through the servant David, so it's God's word 444 00:20:47,708 --> 00:20:49,958 through David's voice. 445 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,833 Do you get that? 446 00:20:51,875 --> 00:20:54,458 And this is so important because what you'll hear is--even 447 00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:57,250 sometimes among those who profess to be Christian-- 448 00:20:57,333 --> 00:20:59,458 they'll say, "Oh, well that's what Moses said," 449 00:20:59,500 --> 00:21:03,208 or "That's what Paul said," or "That's what David said." 450 00:21:03,292 --> 00:21:08,708 No, that's what God said. 451 00:21:08,792 --> 00:21:12,000 You can't say, "Well, I disagree with Moses," and "I disagree 452 00:21:12,042 --> 00:21:14,500 with Paul," because what you're saying is, 453 00:21:14,583 --> 00:21:18,125 "I disagree with God," and what you're saying is, 454 00:21:18,167 --> 00:21:24,625 "I'm god and the other God needs to submit to me. 455 00:21:24,667 --> 00:21:26,708 "The other God needs to listen to me. 456 00:21:26,792 --> 00:21:30,208 "The other God needs to echo me, so when I speak, 457 00:21:30,292 --> 00:21:33,417 "I want that God to be my servant, 458 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:38,667 and I want my words to go forth as his truth." 459 00:21:38,750 --> 00:21:41,708 It's deeply spiritual. 460 00:21:41,792 --> 00:21:46,500 Here he says, "David speaks, but it's God's words." 461 00:21:50,542 --> 00:21:56,500 Some of you right now, you're bristling because it's an issue 462 00:21:56,583 --> 00:22:01,333 of authority and lordship. 463 00:22:01,417 --> 00:22:05,333 Every time I say something like this, people leave. 464 00:22:05,375 --> 00:22:07,500 We don't want you to leave. We love you. 465 00:22:07,583 --> 00:22:10,000 But if you're going to leave, leave because you've decided 466 00:22:10,083 --> 00:22:13,333 to reject the word of God. 467 00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:20,167 But ask yourself, "Is what I believe true? 468 00:22:21,875 --> 00:22:25,083 Is what I believe true?" 469 00:22:25,167 --> 00:22:30,208 Because here's what frustrates me more than people who reject 470 00:22:30,292 --> 00:22:33,000 what the Bible says. 471 00:22:33,083 --> 00:22:35,000 What frustrates me more is people who edit 472 00:22:35,083 --> 00:22:38,917 what the Bible says. 473 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,292 If God says something, and you don't like it, 474 00:22:41,333 --> 00:22:43,500 and you reject it, that grieves me, 475 00:22:43,542 --> 00:22:47,000 but at least you have integrity. 476 00:22:47,042 --> 00:22:49,000 If you try and edit what God says, 477 00:22:49,083 --> 00:22:52,125 you have no integrity because you are rejecting God, 478 00:22:52,167 --> 00:22:55,125 but in a way that is cowardly and not courageous, 479 00:22:55,167 --> 00:22:57,708 in a way that is trying to be God's editor 480 00:22:57,792 --> 00:23:00,375 and not God's messenger. 481 00:23:00,458 --> 00:23:02,167 And there's a great history of this. 482 00:23:02,208 --> 00:23:04,167 Thomas Jefferson, our deistic President, 483 00:23:04,208 --> 00:23:06,583 sat down in the Bible--you've heard me tell the story-- 484 00:23:06,667 --> 00:23:08,083 with a copy of the Bible 485 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:10,083 in the White House in the Oval Office 486 00:23:10,167 --> 00:23:13,500 and a pair of scissors, and he cut all the parts of the Bible 487 00:23:13,542 --> 00:23:15,333 out he didn't like or agree with. 488 00:23:15,375 --> 00:23:16,792 That's incredibly cowardly. 489 00:23:16,833 --> 00:23:19,833 He ended up with a much shorter version of the New Testament 490 00:23:19,875 --> 00:23:22,417 he called "The Philosophy of Jesus Christ," 491 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:24,833 which then puts Jesus on the Mount Rushmore. 492 00:23:24,875 --> 00:23:28,500 You know, there's Gandhi, and there's, you know, Buddha, 493 00:23:28,542 --> 00:23:32,208 and there's Jesus and Oprah, and there they all are, sort of, 494 00:23:32,292 --> 00:23:36,292 you know, giving us wise counsel for better living. 495 00:23:36,333 --> 00:23:40,417 It just reduces Jesus down to yet another philosopher. 496 00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:46,500 And the truth is, we all, in varying ways, do the same thing, 497 00:23:46,583 --> 00:23:50,333 and sometimes the scissors are scholars. 498 00:23:50,375 --> 00:23:54,625 I'm not against scholarship, but there are certain scholars who 499 00:23:54,667 --> 00:23:57,583 are used like scissors to edit parts of the Bible 500 00:23:57,667 --> 00:23:59,917 that we simply don't like. 501 00:24:00,042 --> 00:24:01,375 I'll give you an example. 502 00:24:01,458 --> 00:24:04,667 So, let's say you're in a poor, arty, hipster, 503 00:24:04,750 --> 00:24:08,417 perverted hypothetical place like Seattle or Portland, OK, 504 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:10,708 hypothetically. 505 00:24:10,792 --> 00:24:13,375 You're like--everybody's naked and riding a skateboard 506 00:24:13,458 --> 00:24:17,625 and reading Kant and, you know, plays guitar and has a tattoo. 507 00:24:17,667 --> 00:24:21,500 And OK, so hypothetically, you're in a place like that. 508 00:24:21,583 --> 00:24:24,500 So, what they're going to do, they're going to go the Bible 509 00:24:24,583 --> 00:24:27,417 and they're going to say, "Oh, be generous and love the poor 510 00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:28,833 and care for the hungry." 511 00:24:28,875 --> 00:24:30,833 Are they going to cut that part out? 512 00:24:30,875 --> 00:24:32,417 No. 513 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:36,000 "Don't have sex outside of heterosexual marriage." 514 00:24:36,083 --> 00:24:41,083 Yeah, that's going to get cut really fast. 515 00:24:41,167 --> 00:24:43,875 Now, let's say you go to a place like Orange County, 516 00:24:43,958 --> 00:24:47,708 or Bellevue, or Sammamish, and there's a lot of heterosexuals, 517 00:24:47,792 --> 00:24:50,083 maybe even a few closet Republicans, 518 00:24:50,167 --> 00:24:53,375 and they've got a decent income stream, 519 00:24:53,458 --> 00:24:57,000 and they're trying to reduce their tax burden. 520 00:24:57,042 --> 00:25:00,375 Are they going to cut all the parts out about homosexuality 521 00:25:00,458 --> 00:25:02,542 and sex before marriage. 522 00:25:02,625 --> 00:25:04,167 Are they going to do that? 523 00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:06,708 No, because they got teenage kids and they want them 524 00:25:06,792 --> 00:25:08,125 to keep their pants on. 525 00:25:08,167 --> 00:25:10,833 OK, so they're going to keep those parts of the Bible, 526 00:25:10,875 --> 00:25:13,583 but what about the parts of, "Be generous and give money 527 00:25:13,667 --> 00:25:15,083 to God's mission and the poor"? 528 00:25:15,167 --> 00:25:17,583 Are they going to get their scissors out for that? 529 00:25:17,667 --> 00:25:19,000 Yes. 530 00:25:19,042 --> 00:25:23,000 We're all hypocrites: we're just different kind of hypocrites. 531 00:25:23,042 --> 00:25:25,875 We all come to the Bible, and we're all offended by something, 532 00:25:25,958 --> 00:25:29,500 and we all want to edit it out, and we all want it to say 533 00:25:29,583 --> 00:25:34,833 something it doesn't, but we can't because it's the book 534 00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:37,167 that God wrote. 535 00:25:37,250 --> 00:25:39,083 So rather than editing the Bible, 536 00:25:39,167 --> 00:25:42,208 we need to study the Bible, and when we disagree with the Bible, 537 00:25:42,292 --> 00:25:44,625 we need to change our minds. 538 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:47,083 And so for us, I'll give you three big words: 539 00:25:47,167 --> 00:25:50,000 verbal plenary inspiration. 540 00:25:50,083 --> 00:25:51,500 This is what we believe. 541 00:25:51,583 --> 00:25:52,917 I've said it before. 542 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,708 But "verbal," the very words of Scripture, not just the ideas, 543 00:25:55,792 --> 00:25:58,333 the concepts--the words. 544 00:25:58,375 --> 00:26:01,250 All Scripture is God-breathed, right? 545 00:26:01,333 --> 00:26:05,083 Jesus says that every dot-- every "I" will be dotted, 546 00:26:05,167 --> 00:26:06,500 every "T" crossed. 547 00:26:06,583 --> 00:26:08,333 He came to fulfill the whole law. 548 00:26:08,375 --> 00:26:12,833 "Verbal," the very words; "plenary," in the whole Bible. 549 00:26:12,875 --> 00:26:15,000 You can't say, "Well, that's in the Old Testament," 550 00:26:15,042 --> 00:26:16,708 or "That's here or there." 551 00:26:16,792 --> 00:26:19,708 It's still from God, the whole Bible. 552 00:26:19,792 --> 00:26:24,875 "Inspiration," it's God working through a human personality--so 553 00:26:24,958 --> 00:26:28,125 Peter reads like a fisherman, and Luke reads like a doctor-- 554 00:26:28,167 --> 00:26:31,833 God works through the personality to bring his word 555 00:26:31,875 --> 00:26:35,917 to pass perfectly through someone he calls a servant. 556 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,917 Sometimes they speak, sometimes they write, 557 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,167 sometimes they do both. But they're messengers 558 00:26:40,250 --> 00:26:41,917 on behalf of the Lord. 559 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,125 That's what we believe. 560 00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:45,708 OK, here's my question to you. 561 00:26:45,792 --> 00:26:48,208 Who do you think wrote the Bible? 562 00:26:48,292 --> 00:26:51,708 You need to be resolved on this fundamental issue, 563 00:26:51,792 --> 00:26:55,667 and then you need to be able to articulate it to other people, 564 00:26:55,750 --> 00:26:58,792 and you do that, in part, by studying and reading 565 00:26:58,833 --> 00:27:00,875 the Bible for yourself. 566 00:27:00,958 --> 00:27:04,000 I'll give you an interesting study that was recently 567 00:27:04,042 --> 00:27:06,417 conducted by the American Bible Society. 568 00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:09,000 Eighty-eight percent of Americans own a printed Bible. 569 00:27:09,042 --> 00:27:11,667 That's a lot, right? 570 00:27:11,750 --> 00:27:14,583 A hundred percent of Americans have access to the Internet, 571 00:27:14,667 --> 00:27:17,917 whether it's at work, on your computer, 572 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:19,875 whether it's on your smart phone, 573 00:27:19,958 --> 00:27:22,500 or you can just go to the library and it's free, 574 00:27:22,583 --> 00:27:25,125 and there's computers, and Internet access. 575 00:27:25,167 --> 00:27:29,500 And online, we have more Bible study tools than any time 576 00:27:29,542 --> 00:27:31,125 in the history of the world. 577 00:27:31,167 --> 00:27:34,000 It's unbelievable--Bible translations, study tools, 578 00:27:34,083 --> 00:27:36,417 language helps, cultural backgrounds, podcasts, 579 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:38,333 vodcasts, classes. 580 00:27:38,375 --> 00:27:42,333 It is an unbelievable amount of resources God has put freely 581 00:27:42,375 --> 00:27:46,333 at our disposal, including the YouVersion Bible app, 582 00:27:46,375 --> 00:27:48,000 developed by a friend of ours. 583 00:27:48,042 --> 00:27:50,208 A hundred million people have downloaded it. 584 00:27:50,292 --> 00:27:51,875 You can pick your translation. 585 00:27:51,958 --> 00:27:53,917 They'll set up the Bible study reading plan. 586 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:59,333 It's free. You use your phone. Unbelievable. 587 00:27:59,375 --> 00:28:02,792 Eighty percent of Americans think that the Bible is sacred. 588 00:28:02,833 --> 00:28:05,292 How many of you are surprised by that? 589 00:28:05,333 --> 00:28:07,708 They may not hold to what I just taught, 590 00:28:07,792 --> 00:28:10,125 verbal plenary inspiration, but it's a special book, 591 00:28:10,167 --> 00:28:12,417 it's a unique book, it's in its own category, 592 00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:15,125 maybe it is the book that God wrote and it's something 593 00:28:15,167 --> 00:28:16,500 to be listened to. 594 00:28:16,583 --> 00:28:20,000 Yet 61% of Americans wished they read it. 595 00:28:20,042 --> 00:28:22,292 That is so American. 596 00:28:22,333 --> 00:28:25,208 "Hey, God wrote a book, and I have access to it. 597 00:28:25,292 --> 00:28:29,667 I should really read that sometime." 598 00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:32,167 This is like, "What?" 599 00:28:32,250 --> 00:28:34,625 This is like starving to death at the grocery store. 600 00:28:34,667 --> 00:28:38,667 Like, that's on you, right? 601 00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:43,167 There's a whole menu in front of you, and you have availed 602 00:28:43,250 --> 00:28:44,792 yourself to none of it. 603 00:28:44,833 --> 00:28:49,583 I love teaching you the Bible, but I can't be your only Bible. 604 00:28:49,667 --> 00:28:52,000 You've got to study for yourself, read for yourself. 605 00:28:52,042 --> 00:28:53,583 It's why we do study guides. 606 00:28:53,667 --> 00:28:55,000 That's why we give away Bibles. 607 00:28:55,083 --> 00:28:57,500 That's why we want you to be in Community Group. 608 00:28:57,583 --> 00:29:01,000 This is why we want you to study the word of God for yourself. 609 00:29:01,042 --> 00:29:03,083 And I just--I tell you this, Mars Hill, 610 00:29:03,167 --> 00:29:06,208 because we are in an age where there is greater hostility 611 00:29:06,292 --> 00:29:09,208 toward Christian faith, and those who are Christians 612 00:29:09,292 --> 00:29:11,833 have lowering biblical knowledge. 613 00:29:11,875 --> 00:29:14,208 They don't really know what the Bible says. 614 00:29:14,292 --> 00:29:16,583 We need you to know what the Bible says. 615 00:29:16,667 --> 00:29:18,792 We need you to study what the Bible says. 616 00:29:18,833 --> 00:29:21,000 We need you to memorize what the Bible says. 617 00:29:21,042 --> 00:29:23,167 We need you to believe what the Bible says. 618 00:29:23,250 --> 00:29:25,375 We need you to obey what the Bible says. 619 00:29:25,458 --> 00:29:28,000 And we need you to share what the Bible says. Amen? 620 00:29:28,083 --> 00:29:30,208 And they get together, and that's where they start, 621 00:29:30,292 --> 00:29:31,625 with the Bible. 622 00:29:31,667 --> 00:29:33,375 And then, they proceed forward with community. 623 00:29:33,458 --> 00:29:36,375 So, the next question is: which Christian friends do you go to? 624 00:29:36,458 --> 00:29:39,125 It says in Acts 4:23, "They went to their friends." 625 00:29:39,167 --> 00:29:42,625 Which Christian friends do you go to in your time of need, 626 00:29:42,667 --> 00:29:45,500 and which friends come to you in their time of need? 627 00:29:45,583 --> 00:29:47,625 And when we talk about friendship and community, 628 00:29:47,667 --> 00:29:50,292 we do so in the midst of a fractured society. 629 00:29:50,333 --> 00:29:51,875 You all know the statistics. 630 00:29:51,958 --> 00:29:56,000 The nuclear family is nuclear in that it is exploded, right? 631 00:29:56,042 --> 00:29:57,583 And parents are getting divorced, 632 00:29:57,667 --> 00:29:59,375 and kids are going off to college, 633 00:29:59,458 --> 00:30:02,000 and singles are running off to cities to start their career, 634 00:30:02,083 --> 00:30:04,542 and the family's fragmented and fractured, 635 00:30:04,625 --> 00:30:09,625 and everybody's divided and separated and spread. 636 00:30:09,667 --> 00:30:14,667 And it's a lonely day where you may have a lot of online 637 00:30:14,708 --> 00:30:16,667 relationships, but you don't have a lot of 638 00:30:16,708 --> 00:30:18,958 face-to-face relationships. 639 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,333 You're not sure who you can trust, who you can confide in, 640 00:30:23,417 --> 00:30:26,708 who you can lean on, who you can run to. 641 00:30:26,792 --> 00:30:28,458 Peter and John get out of prison. 642 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:30,208 They run to their friends. 643 00:30:30,292 --> 00:30:32,833 And here's the truth: it was a good thing they had 644 00:30:32,917 --> 00:30:34,333 their friends before their tragedy struck, 645 00:30:34,417 --> 00:30:37,042 and their tragedy was they just got out of jail. 646 00:30:37,125 --> 00:30:40,333 Might I encourage you to have Christian friends before 647 00:30:40,417 --> 00:30:44,333 your tragedy comes, before your trial comes, 648 00:30:44,417 --> 00:30:46,333 before your troubles come. 649 00:30:46,417 --> 00:30:49,458 And what I find at Mars Hill is oftentimes people will ignore 650 00:30:49,500 --> 00:30:51,333 Christian community, they won't get involved in 651 00:30:51,375 --> 00:30:53,333 a Community Group, they won't pursue church membership, 652 00:30:53,417 --> 00:30:56,500 they won't get in relational connection with God's people, 653 00:30:56,583 --> 00:30:58,458 and then something happens. 654 00:30:58,500 --> 00:30:59,958 It could be something good. 655 00:31:00,083 --> 00:31:02,625 "Hey, we're getting married. We need premarital," you know? 656 00:31:02,667 --> 00:31:04,208 It could be something bad. 657 00:31:04,292 --> 00:31:06,125 "I got cancer. 658 00:31:06,167 --> 00:31:09,292 We're getting divorced," or whatever. 659 00:31:09,333 --> 00:31:11,167 "I lost my job." 660 00:31:11,250 --> 00:31:12,917 And then people run into the church, 661 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,292 and they want to microwave relationships. 662 00:31:16,333 --> 00:31:18,833 "Give me, just, close friends that I can totally trust 663 00:31:18,875 --> 00:31:21,583 "and lean on, and they can do the same for me, 664 00:31:21,667 --> 00:31:24,000 and I'd like them all today." 665 00:31:24,083 --> 00:31:27,125 I would just beg you, because I love you, and I want good 666 00:31:27,167 --> 00:31:31,917 for you, to pursue Christian friendship before it's seemingly 667 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,375 an urgent need. 668 00:31:34,458 --> 00:31:37,917 And the question is not just, "Who can you lean on?" 669 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,792 but "Who can lean on you?" 670 00:31:39,833 --> 00:31:41,417 Who are you a friend to? 671 00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,083 Who are you inviting, saying, 672 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,083 "You know, if you need me, call me. 673 00:31:45,167 --> 00:31:46,583 "I'm checking in. I'm praying. 674 00:31:46,667 --> 00:31:48,333 "I love you. I'm concerned for you. 675 00:31:48,375 --> 00:31:51,333 "I want to be here for you. I'm part of your life. 676 00:31:51,375 --> 00:31:52,708 You can depend on me." 677 00:31:52,792 --> 00:31:55,917 And when we think of community, what we often think of is people 678 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:57,917 I can use to make my life better. 679 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,417 That's not the Christian concept. 680 00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:02,458 The Christian concept is people I can serve and love 681 00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:04,833 because Jesus loves them. 682 00:32:04,875 --> 00:32:07,708 So, when you hear this--and many of you hear this and say, 683 00:32:07,792 --> 00:32:09,625 "Yeah, that's right. I need better friends." 684 00:32:09,667 --> 00:32:12,417 No, you need to be a better friend. 685 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:15,208 All right, the Bible says in Proverbs that he who wants 686 00:32:15,292 --> 00:32:18,208 a friend must himself be friendly. 687 00:32:18,292 --> 00:32:20,417 So, if you don't have a lot of friends, 688 00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:22,500 it's because you're not friendly. 689 00:32:22,542 --> 00:32:24,500 Friendly people have friends. 690 00:32:24,583 --> 00:32:27,833 People who are friends toward others have others reciprocate 691 00:32:27,875 --> 00:32:30,000 friendship toward them. 692 00:32:30,042 --> 00:32:32,792 But who do you run to in your time of need? 693 00:32:32,833 --> 00:32:35,083 And let me tell you very clearly, 694 00:32:35,167 --> 00:32:37,333 they have to be Christians. 695 00:32:37,375 --> 00:32:39,417 It's great to have non-Christian friendships. 696 00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:41,083 Maybe your family, friends, neighbors, 697 00:32:41,167 --> 00:32:42,833 coworkers are non-Christians. 698 00:32:42,875 --> 00:32:45,417 You love them, you enjoy them, but when trouble comes, 699 00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:47,917 and you're looking for support, and you're looking for counsel, 700 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,875 you need to run to God's people to hear God's word 701 00:32:50,958 --> 00:32:54,417 and to seek God's will. 702 00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:57,167 And then, what do they do when they get together? 703 00:32:57,250 --> 00:32:59,333 What should you do when you get together, 704 00:32:59,375 --> 00:33:01,333 Community Groups and friendships? 705 00:33:01,417 --> 00:33:02,875 They pray. 706 00:33:02,958 --> 00:33:04,333 Who do you pray with? 707 00:33:04,375 --> 00:33:08,000 Acts 4:24, "They lifted their voices together to God." 708 00:33:08,042 --> 00:33:10,917 And again, this is why Christian friendship is so important. 709 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:14,125 Your non-Christian friends may be able to give you counsel 710 00:33:14,167 --> 00:33:17,417 but not prayer. 711 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:19,417 They may say, "Well, based on my experience 712 00:33:19,500 --> 00:33:22,000 "and based upon my background and based upon my perspective, 713 00:33:22,083 --> 00:33:24,000 here's what I would counsel you to do." 714 00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:27,417 It may or may not be helpful, may or may not be wise. 715 00:33:27,500 --> 00:33:29,208 But they can't pray for you. 716 00:33:29,292 --> 00:33:32,333 They can't ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. 717 00:33:32,375 --> 00:33:34,625 They're not going to open the Scripture with you 718 00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:36,500 as these friends are doing here, right? 719 00:33:36,583 --> 00:33:38,000 I mean, trouble comes, right? 720 00:33:38,083 --> 00:33:39,708 Trouble comes. 721 00:33:39,792 --> 00:33:42,333 Christianity's exploding, and persecution is rising. 722 00:33:42,375 --> 00:33:45,333 The pastors go to jail, not because they did anything wrong, 723 00:33:45,375 --> 00:33:47,833 but because they were talking about Jesus. 724 00:33:47,875 --> 00:33:51,083 They get out, their friends come together, they open the Bible, 725 00:33:51,167 --> 00:33:55,167 Psalms 2, and they pray. 726 00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:59,000 Would you please do these things? 727 00:33:59,042 --> 00:34:04,083 Open the Bible, seek Christian friendship, and pray together. 728 00:34:04,167 --> 00:34:07,125 These three things are like three legs on a stool. 729 00:34:07,167 --> 00:34:09,875 One is missing, it's falling over. 730 00:34:09,958 --> 00:34:12,208 Some of you are like, "I study the Bible." 731 00:34:12,292 --> 00:34:13,708 But without Christian friends and prayer, 732 00:34:13,792 --> 00:34:15,125 it's going to fall over. 733 00:34:15,167 --> 00:34:17,625 Some of you say, "I pray and have Christian friends, 734 00:34:17,667 --> 00:34:19,625 I just only hear the Bible on Sunday." 735 00:34:19,667 --> 00:34:21,000 It's going to fall over. 736 00:34:21,083 --> 00:34:23,000 "Well, I study the Bible and I pray, 737 00:34:23,083 --> 00:34:25,208 but I don't have a lot of Christian friends." 738 00:34:25,292 --> 00:34:26,625 It's going to fall over. 739 00:34:26,667 --> 00:34:28,625 All right, this is like a three-legged stool. 740 00:34:28,667 --> 00:34:30,000 This is in balance. 741 00:34:30,083 --> 00:34:32,000 God's word is open, God's people are gathered, 742 00:34:32,083 --> 00:34:34,208 and then prayer occurs so that God is invited 743 00:34:34,292 --> 00:34:36,417 into that community with God's people and God's word. 744 00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:39,417 And here's what I've seen in 17 years of being your pastor: 745 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:42,000 people who don't have these three things in place, 746 00:34:42,083 --> 00:34:44,083 eventually they leave the church, 747 00:34:44,167 --> 00:34:46,125 eventually they turn their back on Jesus, 748 00:34:46,167 --> 00:34:48,333 eventually they wander away from the faith, 749 00:34:48,375 --> 00:34:52,375 and they don't come back until it's a crisis. 750 00:34:52,458 --> 00:34:54,083 "I'm not married. I'm pregnant. 751 00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:55,833 "We were engaged. It fell apart. 752 00:34:55,875 --> 00:34:58,000 "They committed adultery." "We're getting divorced." 753 00:34:58,083 --> 00:34:59,500 "The kids have gone apostate. 754 00:34:59,583 --> 00:35:01,375 "I have cancer. I lost my job. 755 00:35:01,458 --> 00:35:02,875 "God's people, please help. 756 00:35:02,958 --> 00:35:04,625 "God's word, please counsel. 757 00:35:04,667 --> 00:35:06,125 God's Spirit, please comfort." 758 00:35:06,167 --> 00:35:08,708 OK great, welcome back, we love you, but man, 759 00:35:08,792 --> 00:35:10,833 this is the hard route. 760 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:13,708 This is the rough way to live life. 761 00:35:13,792 --> 00:35:17,208 And I need you to hear this, not as a condemnation, 762 00:35:17,292 --> 00:35:20,125 but an invitation; not something that you have to do 763 00:35:20,167 --> 00:35:22,625 but something that you get to do. 764 00:35:22,667 --> 00:35:25,375 Study the Bible for yourself. 765 00:35:25,458 --> 00:35:27,125 Pursue community with God's people. 766 00:35:27,167 --> 00:35:28,833 We call them Community Groups. 767 00:35:28,875 --> 00:35:32,125 This is exactly why we do them. 768 00:35:32,167 --> 00:35:35,083 And when you gather together, pray. 769 00:35:35,167 --> 00:35:37,333 Pray for one another, and through the week, call, 770 00:35:37,375 --> 00:35:41,375 text, e-mail, get together, praying for one another. 771 00:35:41,458 --> 00:35:44,000 I always say that the shortest distance between two people 772 00:35:44,083 --> 00:35:45,792 is prayer. 773 00:35:45,833 --> 00:35:48,333 The thing that knits God's people better than anything 774 00:35:48,375 --> 00:35:49,792 is prayer. 775 00:35:49,833 --> 00:35:51,792 As you're praying with them and for them, 776 00:35:51,833 --> 00:35:53,792 and they're praying with you and for you, 777 00:35:53,833 --> 00:35:56,500 that's how true friendship is built and God is welcomed in, 778 00:35:56,583 --> 00:35:57,917 amen? 779 00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,833 And it's the cure for our grumbling. 780 00:35:59,875 --> 00:36:02,958 It's the cure for our gossiping. 781 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,292 The cure for grumbling and gossiping is praying. 782 00:36:06,333 --> 00:36:09,083 There's another way to talk about it that's not destructive 783 00:36:09,167 --> 00:36:10,833 but constructive. 784 00:36:10,875 --> 00:36:12,417 So, they do these three things: 785 00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:15,708 they open the Bible, they gather together, they pray. 786 00:36:15,792 --> 00:36:18,500 Now, they're in the midst of a hard season. 787 00:36:18,542 --> 00:36:21,125 So, my next question for you is: when tough times come, 788 00:36:21,167 --> 00:36:24,167 do you trust or doubt the sovereignty of God? 789 00:36:24,250 --> 00:36:28,708 The church here in Acts, like our own day, facing opposition. 790 00:36:28,792 --> 00:36:31,000 Have you guys noticed that? 791 00:36:31,042 --> 00:36:36,208 Have you noticed that the culture shifted fairly quickly? 792 00:36:36,292 --> 00:36:39,083 How many of you fairly recently 793 00:36:39,167 --> 00:36:41,583 put your Christian T-shirts away? 794 00:36:41,667 --> 00:36:44,167 You're not wearing those anymore. 795 00:36:44,250 --> 00:36:49,292 You're not waving the Jesus flag quite as high. 796 00:36:49,333 --> 00:36:52,625 See, there's a thing that happens in sports, 797 00:36:52,667 --> 00:36:55,000 and that is when a team starts winning, 798 00:36:55,083 --> 00:36:58,000 they get a lot of new fans, right? 799 00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:01,375 Everybody jumps on the proverbial bandwagon. 800 00:37:01,458 --> 00:37:04,333 Well, right now, anti-Christian sentiment, 801 00:37:04,375 --> 00:37:07,875 anti-Christian sexuality, anti-Christian morality, 802 00:37:07,958 --> 00:37:14,000 anti-Christian spirituality feels like it's winning, right? 803 00:37:14,083 --> 00:37:16,500 And so there's the bandwagon. 804 00:37:16,583 --> 00:37:18,375 Well, everybody's jumping on the bandwagon. 805 00:37:18,458 --> 00:37:19,875 You know what that means? 806 00:37:19,958 --> 00:37:22,583 We get run over by the bandwagon. 807 00:37:22,667 --> 00:37:27,000 We're not on the bandwagon; we're under the bandwagon. 808 00:37:27,083 --> 00:37:29,917 And it's not like the media--and you know, 809 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,125 it's easy to pick on the media because they're wrong. 810 00:37:33,167 --> 00:37:35,292 And so when it comes to the media, 811 00:37:35,333 --> 00:37:38,208 the media's not pro-Christian right now. 812 00:37:38,292 --> 00:37:39,833 It's not. 813 00:37:39,875 --> 00:37:41,500 It's not pro-heterosexuality. 814 00:37:41,583 --> 00:37:43,167 It's not pro-Bible-believing. 815 00:37:43,250 --> 00:37:46,292 It's just not. 816 00:37:46,333 --> 00:37:50,792 So, there's opposition that comes, criticism, persecution. 817 00:37:50,833 --> 00:37:53,792 I mean, you can get up and say things now about Christians 818 00:37:53,833 --> 00:37:56,000 you can't say about any other minority group, 819 00:37:56,042 --> 00:37:59,000 and we're between 7% and 8.9% of the population. 820 00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:01,958 You can't--I mean, any other group, can you get up and say, 821 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,667 "They're bigoted. They're intolerant. 822 00:38:03,708 --> 00:38:05,708 "They're hateful. They're discriminatory. 823 00:38:05,792 --> 00:38:11,417 They're unloving. They're uneducated." 824 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:14,000 Can you do that about any other religious group, 825 00:38:14,083 --> 00:38:17,292 any other sexual group, any other political group? 826 00:38:17,333 --> 00:38:23,333 No, but Christianity right now, it's very popular. 827 00:38:23,375 --> 00:38:26,208 The bandwagon is feeling very victorious 828 00:38:26,292 --> 00:38:28,875 and it's rolling down the street. 829 00:38:32,375 --> 00:38:35,333 And in those seasons when it seems like the cultural tide 830 00:38:35,375 --> 00:38:39,583 is against your team and/or personally in your own life 831 00:38:39,667 --> 00:38:43,583 when circumstances make it feel as if you're losing, 832 00:38:43,667 --> 00:38:47,333 it's not going well, the question is: 833 00:38:47,375 --> 00:38:50,500 where is God in all of this? 834 00:38:50,583 --> 00:38:53,208 And people go strange places. 835 00:38:53,292 --> 00:38:55,500 They say, "Well, maybe God doesn't exist," 836 00:38:55,542 --> 00:38:57,583 or "Maybe God exists, but he's not powerful," 837 00:38:57,667 --> 00:39:00,667 or "Maybe God exists, and he is powerful, but he's not good." 838 00:39:00,750 --> 00:39:05,000 We end up in all kinds of bad places. 839 00:39:05,042 --> 00:39:07,333 How about you? 840 00:39:07,375 --> 00:39:10,000 In your past, what's the toughest season you've been in? 841 00:39:10,042 --> 00:39:13,000 What's the worst day of your life? 842 00:39:13,042 --> 00:39:15,375 OK, maybe it's the place emotionally you don't even 843 00:39:15,458 --> 00:39:16,792 want to go there. 844 00:39:16,833 --> 00:39:19,792 You want me to just pick up the sermon and move on 845 00:39:19,833 --> 00:39:21,792 very quickly because it's very painful for you. 846 00:39:21,833 --> 00:39:24,417 OK, let's revisit that place for a moment. 847 00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:29,833 Is it a place in your present, like right now--right now's 848 00:39:29,875 --> 00:39:32,500 a really brutal season for you. 849 00:39:32,542 --> 00:39:35,000 You'd say, "No, my hard season is now," 850 00:39:35,083 --> 00:39:38,917 whatever the situation and circumstance might be. 851 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:44,875 When those seasons come, 852 00:39:44,958 --> 00:39:47,500 how do you view the sovereignty of God? 853 00:39:47,583 --> 00:39:50,875 And let me say this: Christians tend to view the sovereignty of 854 00:39:50,958 --> 00:39:56,583 God more easily when things are going more positively, right? 855 00:39:56,667 --> 00:39:59,417 "Hey, you got a 4.0," "You won the lottery," 856 00:39:59,500 --> 00:40:01,375 and "Someone far more interesting than you 857 00:40:01,458 --> 00:40:03,125 "wants to date you." 858 00:40:03,167 --> 00:40:04,667 "Yay, God's sovereign!" right? 859 00:40:04,708 --> 00:40:09,042 Like, yay, that's pretty easy. 860 00:40:09,125 --> 00:40:11,417 "You flunked," "You got fired," "They dumped you," 861 00:40:11,500 --> 00:40:13,458 and "It's cancer." 862 00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:19,000 "Oh, well, where's God?" 863 00:40:22,417 --> 00:40:28,917 When that day comes, what's your tendency? 864 00:40:32,917 --> 00:40:34,833 The first car I ever had, 865 00:40:34,917 --> 00:40:36,750 the front end was out of alignment. 866 00:40:36,833 --> 00:40:42,500 Every time you hit the brakes, it'd drift in that direction. 867 00:40:44,083 --> 00:40:46,625 What direction do you drift? 868 00:40:46,667 --> 00:40:51,333 You say, "My natural tendency is I go there." 869 00:40:51,417 --> 00:40:54,000 Is it to trust or doubt the sovereignty of God? 870 00:40:54,083 --> 00:40:55,833 Let me explain sovereignty. 871 00:40:55,875 --> 00:40:58,458 Sovereignty doesn't mean that everything that happens is what 872 00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:00,833 God wants, all right? 873 00:41:00,875 --> 00:41:04,500 There are things that happen that God doesn't want, like sin. 874 00:41:04,583 --> 00:41:06,708 It says in Genesis 6, I believe it is, 875 00:41:06,792 --> 00:41:09,708 that God was grieved in his heart that he made man because 876 00:41:09,792 --> 00:41:12,208 he knew the inclination of his heart was only wicked 877 00:41:12,292 --> 00:41:15,167 all the time, that God was grieved in his heart. 878 00:41:15,250 --> 00:41:17,500 Sin is not just breaking the laws of God, 879 00:41:17,542 --> 00:41:19,708 it's breaking the heart of God. 880 00:41:19,792 --> 00:41:22,583 That's like foolish children who are out committing suicide, 881 00:41:22,667 --> 00:41:24,833 and there's a dad who loves them. 882 00:41:24,875 --> 00:41:28,000 That's not what he wants. 883 00:41:28,083 --> 00:41:30,708 So, to say that God is sovereign is not--and everything 884 00:41:30,792 --> 00:41:33,333 that happened is what God wants. 885 00:41:33,375 --> 00:41:36,000 That's not true. 886 00:41:36,042 --> 00:41:39,375 But to say that God is sovereign means that he is above all, 887 00:41:39,458 --> 00:41:41,875 that he rules over all gods and over all nations 888 00:41:41,958 --> 00:41:44,125 and over all kings and over all kingdoms 889 00:41:44,167 --> 00:41:46,917 and over all philosophies and over all ideologies, 890 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,500 that he rules above all, that he towers above all, 891 00:41:50,542 --> 00:41:53,708 and that when he determines to do his will, 892 00:41:53,792 --> 00:41:57,917 none can ultimately thwart him because there's no one that 893 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:01,875 matches him in glory, there's no one that matches him in power, 894 00:42:01,958 --> 00:42:06,000 there's no one that matches him in majesty. 895 00:42:06,042 --> 00:42:09,083 All right, this is all typified in the Bible by this image 896 00:42:09,167 --> 00:42:14,125 of a throne that Jesus sits on, that rules and reigns over all. 897 00:42:14,167 --> 00:42:15,708 That's sovereignty. 898 00:42:15,792 --> 00:42:18,417 The sovereign is the one who sits on that throne 899 00:42:18,500 --> 00:42:21,000 that is above every other throne. 900 00:42:21,083 --> 00:42:23,917 Every CEO sits in a chair. 901 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,125 We call those who lead departments at university 902 00:42:27,167 --> 00:42:29,500 "department chairs." 903 00:42:29,542 --> 00:42:32,917 At the head of every table is a father or a mother who sits 904 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:34,500 in a chair. 905 00:42:34,542 --> 00:42:36,917 Well, there's a throne above all those thrones, 906 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,833 and that's the throne that Jesus sits on. 907 00:42:39,875 --> 00:42:41,708 So, we're talking about the sovereign. 908 00:42:41,792 --> 00:42:44,500 We're talking about the one who rules from a throne 909 00:42:44,542 --> 00:42:48,833 over all the other thrones. 910 00:42:48,875 --> 00:42:52,917 When we are struggling, when we are suffering, 911 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:59,000 it increases the possibility of our questioning whether or not 912 00:42:59,083 --> 00:43:02,000 anyone is on that throne. 913 00:43:02,042 --> 00:43:04,875 OK, so for those of you who know me, 914 00:43:04,958 --> 00:43:08,208 do I believe in the sovereignty of God? 915 00:43:08,292 --> 00:43:09,625 Yes. 916 00:43:09,667 --> 00:43:11,375 Do I preach the sovereignty of God? 917 00:43:11,458 --> 00:43:14,583 I think I've done a pretty good job a few times on that, 918 00:43:14,667 --> 00:43:19,083 by God's grace, humbly, amen, OK? 919 00:43:19,167 --> 00:43:23,167 Have I written pages in books and systematic theologies 920 00:43:23,250 --> 00:43:26,000 with footnotes on the sovereignty of God? 921 00:43:26,042 --> 00:43:28,667 Yes. 922 00:43:28,750 --> 00:43:35,375 Are there seasons where I doubt the sovereignty of God? 923 00:43:35,458 --> 00:43:38,625 Yes, 924 00:43:38,667 --> 00:43:42,708 because sometimes what I know theologically 925 00:43:42,792 --> 00:43:47,000 I struggle to translate emotionally. 926 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:55,500 And so maybe it's just me, but in case it's you as well, 927 00:43:55,542 --> 00:43:58,583 I will know that God is sovereign, 928 00:43:58,667 --> 00:44:03,500 and then when I am suffering, it feels like the circumstances 929 00:44:03,542 --> 00:44:06,583 are sovereign, 930 00:44:06,667 --> 00:44:10,833 like this is all not going to work out for my good 931 00:44:10,875 --> 00:44:14,417 because it's big, complicated circumstances. 932 00:44:14,500 --> 00:44:17,625 Or sometimes, I feel like someone else is sovereign. 933 00:44:17,667 --> 00:44:20,208 They're in control, they're driving the boat, 934 00:44:20,292 --> 00:44:26,958 I'm just being drug along behind, and it's out of control. 935 00:44:28,167 --> 00:44:32,333 And sometimes what that'll cause for me personally is despair, 936 00:44:32,375 --> 00:44:34,500 sadness, depression. 937 00:44:34,583 --> 00:44:36,167 All right, circumstances are in control, 938 00:44:36,250 --> 00:44:40,000 someone else is in control, I'm doomed because that's not 939 00:44:40,083 --> 00:44:43,083 a good sovereign. 940 00:44:43,167 --> 00:44:45,500 All right, who or what is sitting on the throne 941 00:44:45,583 --> 00:44:48,000 is not loving like Jesus and good like Jesus. 942 00:44:48,083 --> 00:44:50,583 I'm in trouble. 943 00:44:50,667 --> 00:44:54,500 Or, and usually they go in this order, 944 00:44:54,583 --> 00:44:58,000 I then try to figure out how I can get sovereign. 945 00:44:58,083 --> 00:45:01,000 I say, "I've got to get on top of this thing. 946 00:45:01,042 --> 00:45:03,583 "I need to be in charge. You know what? 947 00:45:03,667 --> 00:45:07,833 "I need to get on that throne, and I need to make everything 948 00:45:07,875 --> 00:45:11,500 work out according to some plan that I developed." 949 00:45:11,583 --> 00:45:14,000 Any of you like me or is this just me? 950 00:45:14,083 --> 00:45:16,000 Right, you're like, "Oh, I have a plan. 951 00:45:16,083 --> 00:45:19,000 "If I could just be sovereign, then I could execute my plan, 952 00:45:19,083 --> 00:45:21,500 "then it would all be good, because the things that 953 00:45:21,583 --> 00:45:24,125 are out of control then would be under my control." 954 00:45:24,167 --> 00:45:25,833 Is this just me? 955 00:45:25,875 --> 00:45:29,000 OK, well, thanks for just hanging in there with me. 956 00:45:29,083 --> 00:45:31,000 What's the answer? 957 00:45:31,083 --> 00:45:34,083 They're not in control, it's not in control, I'm not in control, 958 00:45:34,167 --> 00:45:37,625 he's in control. 959 00:45:37,667 --> 00:45:39,583 Back to the book. 960 00:45:39,667 --> 00:45:44,208 Acts 4:24, "They pray to the sovereign Lord." 961 00:45:44,292 --> 00:45:46,375 That's double sovereign. 962 00:45:46,458 --> 00:45:48,292 Lord is the one who's sovereign. 963 00:45:48,333 --> 00:45:52,417 They're really, like, sovereign Lord, right? 964 00:45:52,500 --> 00:45:56,417 "Sovereign Lord," they pray. 965 00:45:56,500 --> 00:45:59,417 "There were gathered together Herod and Pontius Pilate, 966 00:45:59,500 --> 00:46:03,167 "along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 967 00:46:03,250 --> 00:46:05,625 "to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined 968 00:46:05,667 --> 00:46:07,125 to take place." 969 00:46:07,167 --> 00:46:09,125 So, they pray to the sovereign Lord, 970 00:46:09,167 --> 00:46:12,625 and first they talk about people and things 971 00:46:12,667 --> 00:46:15,375 that think they're sovereign. 972 00:46:15,458 --> 00:46:19,000 Herod and Pilate--they think they're sovereign. 973 00:46:19,083 --> 00:46:20,625 They're political rulers. 974 00:46:20,667 --> 00:46:24,708 They get to decide who lives and dies. 975 00:46:24,792 --> 00:46:28,000 The Gentiles--these are the masses who cried out to Jesus, 976 00:46:28,083 --> 00:46:30,000 "Crucify him, crucify him." 977 00:46:30,042 --> 00:46:35,000 They think they're sovereign because they all voted. 978 00:46:35,042 --> 00:46:38,583 People of Israel--they think they're sovereign 979 00:46:38,667 --> 00:46:42,000 because they come up with a plan to kill Jesus. 980 00:46:42,083 --> 00:46:44,167 "Well, we'll pay Judas 30 pieces of silver, 981 00:46:44,250 --> 00:46:47,000 "we'll have him betray Jesus, he'll hand Jesus to us, 982 00:46:47,083 --> 00:46:49,917 "and then we'll hand Jesus to the authorities, 983 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,792 "like Pontius Pilate and Herod, 984 00:46:52,833 --> 00:46:56,500 "these guys who rule, and then our plan is that they 985 00:46:56,583 --> 00:47:02,083 will kill him, and we will have Jesus killed by our plan." 986 00:47:02,167 --> 00:47:04,333 Everybody thinks they're sovereign. 987 00:47:04,375 --> 00:47:06,625 The political leaders think they're sovereign because of 988 00:47:06,667 --> 00:47:09,208 their position. The spiritual religious leaders think 989 00:47:09,292 --> 00:47:11,625 that they are sovereign because of their plan. 990 00:47:11,667 --> 00:47:14,000 And then the Gentiles think that they are sovereign 991 00:47:14,042 --> 00:47:17,625 because they constitute the populous. 992 00:47:17,667 --> 00:47:22,792 And the one thing they all agree on is, "Let's kill Jesus." 993 00:47:24,250 --> 00:47:26,917 OK, now Christians sometimes have gotten a bad rap as being 994 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:30,333 anti-Semitic because we teach that the Jews killed Jesus. 995 00:47:30,375 --> 00:47:32,792 Here it tells us everybody killed Jesus. 996 00:47:32,833 --> 00:47:36,000 The Romans, the Jews, and the Gentiles-- 997 00:47:36,083 --> 00:47:40,208 which is the miscellaneous bucket for the rest of us, OK? 998 00:47:40,292 --> 00:47:45,000 I'm Irish; I'm in the Gentile bucket. 999 00:47:45,083 --> 00:47:49,000 Jesus died for my sin. Jesus died for your sin. 1000 00:47:49,083 --> 00:47:51,708 His blood is on all of our hands. 1001 00:47:51,792 --> 00:47:55,833 We all killed Jesus. 1002 00:47:59,542 --> 00:48:03,167 And if there was ever a time that it looked like God was not 1003 00:48:03,250 --> 00:48:07,667 sovereign, and things were not going according to plan, 1004 00:48:07,750 --> 00:48:11,333 it was at the cross of Jesus, amen? 1005 00:48:11,375 --> 00:48:12,708 "Where's God?" 1006 00:48:12,792 --> 00:48:14,125 "He's right there." 1007 00:48:14,167 --> 00:48:15,500 "Which one?" 1008 00:48:15,583 --> 00:48:22,333 "The bloodied, nearly naked, beaten one who's dying." 1009 00:48:22,375 --> 00:48:28,167 "Oh my gosh, he's the sovereign one? 1010 00:48:29,958 --> 00:48:33,208 "He doesn't look very sovereign. 1011 00:48:33,292 --> 00:48:37,500 "It doesn't look like he's in control. 1012 00:48:37,583 --> 00:48:40,875 "It doesn't look like he's winning; he's losing. 1013 00:48:40,958 --> 00:48:47,750 It doesn't look like his plan is working; it's failing." 1014 00:48:51,292 --> 00:48:56,792 But that was what 1015 00:48:56,833 --> 00:48:59,417 your hand and plan 1016 00:48:59,500 --> 00:49:04,500 had predestined to take place. 1017 00:49:09,458 --> 00:49:11,833 Who's plan was it that Jesus would die? 1018 00:49:11,875 --> 00:49:18,417 He tells us it was the Romans' plan, it was the Jews' plan, 1019 00:49:18,500 --> 00:49:23,875 it was the Gentiles' plan, it was God's plan. 1020 00:49:26,667 --> 00:49:29,000 When was this plan determined? 1021 00:49:29,042 --> 00:49:32,583 Well, it was predetermined, it was predestined, 1022 00:49:32,667 --> 00:49:35,917 meaning that this plan was, to quote Ephesians 1, 1023 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:39,917 "before the foundations of the earth." 1024 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:46,000 If you're paying attention, your brain just exploded, OK? 1025 00:49:46,083 --> 00:49:50,500 Because there's a big debate in theology between a tribal 1026 00:49:50,542 --> 00:49:53,167 called the Arminians and the Calivinists. 1027 00:49:53,250 --> 00:49:55,708 And the Arminians stress human responsibility, 1028 00:49:55,792 --> 00:49:59,000 and the Calvinists stress God's sovereignty. 1029 00:49:59,083 --> 00:50:01,625 And so the Arminians will read this and they'll say, 1030 00:50:01,667 --> 00:50:03,125 "Do you see? 1031 00:50:03,167 --> 00:50:05,833 "Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Romans, the Gentiles, 1032 00:50:05,875 --> 00:50:08,750 "everybody else, and the Jews, they all made their own 1033 00:50:08,833 --> 00:50:11,000 "freewill choice decision. 1034 00:50:11,083 --> 00:50:13,125 "They made a plan to kill Jesus. 1035 00:50:13,167 --> 00:50:14,833 "They're morally responsible. 1036 00:50:14,875 --> 00:50:17,833 This is what they decided to do." 1037 00:50:17,875 --> 00:50:19,667 Is that true? 1038 00:50:19,708 --> 00:50:21,417 Yes. 1039 00:50:21,500 --> 00:50:24,167 And then the Calvinists will come around, and they'll read 1040 00:50:24,208 --> 00:50:25,833 the second half of the verse. 1041 00:50:25,875 --> 00:50:28,625 They'll read the first half, you know, quickly, like, 1042 00:50:28,667 --> 00:50:31,542 "'Herod and Pilate,' blah, blah, OK, here we go, right here: 1043 00:50:31,625 --> 00:50:33,167 "'planned,' 'predestined,' all right? 1044 00:50:33,208 --> 00:50:35,167 "We're going to talk about that right now. 1045 00:50:35,208 --> 00:50:36,833 "Here we go, planned, predestined. 1046 00:50:36,875 --> 00:50:38,208 God had a plan." 1047 00:50:38,292 --> 00:50:40,708 And they're going to get really excited right about there. 1048 00:50:40,792 --> 00:50:43,708 The rest is going to be sort of read it fast, right? 1049 00:50:43,792 --> 00:50:47,042 It's like an ad for a drug where they list the side effects 1050 00:50:47,125 --> 00:50:50,000 quickly at the end and hope you don't pay attention, OK? 1051 00:50:50,083 --> 00:50:56,250 "Oh, your head may explode, but you won't have allergies." 1052 00:50:56,333 --> 00:51:01,375 The truth is, here, 1053 00:51:01,458 --> 00:51:04,833 the Bible lays equal responsibility on 1054 00:51:04,875 --> 00:51:09,208 the sinful choices of rebellious people and says that 1055 00:51:09,292 --> 00:51:14,000 it's all according to God's predestined plan. 1056 00:51:14,083 --> 00:51:17,667 So, the Bible here is saying people are responsible 1057 00:51:17,750 --> 00:51:20,167 and God is sovereign. 1058 00:51:20,250 --> 00:51:23,500 People do things that God does not want them to do, 1059 00:51:23,542 --> 00:51:28,000 and God uses them as part of his predestined plan. 1060 00:51:28,042 --> 00:51:30,333 Some of you say, "How does this work?" 1061 00:51:30,375 --> 00:51:33,083 I don't know, OK? 1062 00:51:33,167 --> 00:51:35,375 It won't keep me from talking. 1063 00:51:35,458 --> 00:51:37,708 But I want to lower your expectations. 1064 00:51:37,792 --> 00:51:39,417 I don't know. 1065 00:51:39,500 --> 00:51:43,833 My brain is 3 pounds, fallen, and went to public school. 1066 00:51:43,875 --> 00:51:46,417 I don't know, OK? 1067 00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:49,500 When the Bible says, "Who has known the mind of the Lord?" 1068 00:51:49,542 --> 00:51:51,333 I'm not raising my hand, all right? 1069 00:51:51,375 --> 00:51:54,500 I'm going to keep my hand down and say, "I don't know." 1070 00:51:54,583 --> 00:51:59,583 Here's what I do know: When you sin, it's your fault. 1071 00:51:59,667 --> 00:52:02,083 When I sin, it's my fault. 1072 00:52:02,167 --> 00:52:05,875 And God is so big and God is so good that he will use sin 1073 00:52:05,958 --> 00:52:07,833 for good. 1074 00:52:07,875 --> 00:52:10,208 It doesn't--you can clap if you like. 1075 00:52:10,292 --> 00:52:13,250 I think it's pretty fantastic. 1076 00:52:14,833 --> 00:52:17,625 It doesn't mean that God causes sin. 1077 00:52:17,667 --> 00:52:20,917 It means that God uses sin because God is both sovereign 1078 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:22,333 and good. 1079 00:52:22,375 --> 00:52:23,708 How do I know? 1080 00:52:23,792 --> 00:52:25,208 Look to the cross of Jesus. 1081 00:52:25,292 --> 00:52:28,208 The murder of Jesus was the most horrific thing that was ever 1082 00:52:28,292 --> 00:52:30,083 done in the history of the world, 1083 00:52:30,167 --> 00:52:32,583 and it's the most wonderful thing that was ever done 1084 00:52:32,667 --> 00:52:35,333 in the history of the world, because people have a plan, 1085 00:52:35,375 --> 00:52:36,833 but God has a bigger plan. 1086 00:52:36,875 --> 00:52:39,333 People have a plan, but God has a better plan. 1087 00:52:39,375 --> 00:52:41,625 That's what it means to be the sovereign. 1088 00:52:41,667 --> 00:52:44,417 It doesn't mean that everything that happens is what you want, 1089 00:52:44,500 --> 00:52:49,375 but you use everything that happens for what you want. 1090 00:52:49,458 --> 00:52:51,292 That's an amazing God. 1091 00:52:51,333 --> 00:52:53,000 That's a majestic God. 1092 00:52:53,042 --> 00:52:54,625 That's a wonderful God. 1093 00:52:54,667 --> 00:52:56,208 That's a glorious God. 1094 00:52:56,292 --> 00:52:59,625 But here's the truth: we only see his predestined plan 1095 00:52:59,667 --> 00:53:02,875 in the rearview mirror, not in the windshield. 1096 00:53:02,958 --> 00:53:05,167 How many of you, right now, you're probably like, 1097 00:53:05,250 --> 00:53:07,208 "Yes, God, you're sovereign, you have a plan. 1098 00:53:07,292 --> 00:53:08,833 Show me!" 1099 00:53:08,875 --> 00:53:10,583 and he never does. 1100 00:53:10,667 --> 00:53:12,417 And you're freaked out, and you're anxious, 1101 00:53:12,500 --> 00:53:14,417 and you're stressed, and you're worried like your 1102 00:53:14,500 --> 00:53:15,833 hypocritical pastor. 1103 00:53:15,875 --> 00:53:17,208 You just--you're like that... 1104 00:53:17,292 --> 00:53:18,625 "Show me the plan. 1105 00:53:18,667 --> 00:53:21,125 I don't know what the plan is. What's the plan?" 1106 00:53:21,167 --> 00:53:23,125 And he says, "The plan is trust me." 1107 00:53:23,167 --> 00:53:24,792 "Aww, really? Come on. 1108 00:53:24,833 --> 00:53:28,417 I was hoping for more detail to the plan." 1109 00:53:28,500 --> 00:53:31,375 How many of you, though, if you look in the rearview mirror, 1110 00:53:31,458 --> 00:53:34,625 back at the circumstances of your life, you realize, 1111 00:53:34,667 --> 00:53:37,708 "I sinned, they sinned, this was all bad, this was all wrong, 1112 00:53:37,792 --> 00:53:39,708 "and God used it for good. 1113 00:53:39,792 --> 00:53:41,833 "Would you look at that? 1114 00:53:41,875 --> 00:53:45,792 That actually was a pretty good plan right there." 1115 00:53:48,667 --> 00:53:50,792 The Bible says that "Now we see in part; 1116 00:53:50,833 --> 00:53:53,083 "then we shall see in full, 1117 00:53:53,167 --> 00:53:56,417 and we will know as we are fully known." 1118 00:53:56,500 --> 00:53:59,333 This is the age of faith where we look out the windshield 1119 00:53:59,375 --> 00:54:01,875 and we say, "I don't know what the plan is, 1120 00:54:01,958 --> 00:54:05,208 "but I know the one who does. 1121 00:54:05,292 --> 00:54:08,333 "So, I don't trust the plan; I trust the sovereign 1122 00:54:08,375 --> 00:54:11,833 who has the plan." 1123 00:54:11,875 --> 00:54:15,000 And in his grace, he allows us sometimes to look back on our 1124 00:54:15,042 --> 00:54:17,417 life and say, "You know what? 1125 00:54:17,500 --> 00:54:19,125 "The God who was faithful yesterday 1126 00:54:19,167 --> 00:54:21,167 "will be faithful tomorrow. 1127 00:54:21,250 --> 00:54:24,333 "And I see God's plan, and it's not the plan I thought that 1128 00:54:24,375 --> 00:54:27,333 "God would have, and it's not the plan that I would have, 1129 00:54:27,375 --> 00:54:30,292 but by God's grace, it's a glorious plan." 1130 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:36,167 I've said it before: the illustration I like to use 1131 00:54:36,250 --> 00:54:39,208 is that divine sovereignty and human responsibility 1132 00:54:39,292 --> 00:54:41,708 are like two pedals on a bike. 1133 00:54:41,792 --> 00:54:43,708 Some theology's like, "You've got to do this. 1134 00:54:43,792 --> 00:54:45,125 "You've got to do this. 1135 00:54:45,167 --> 00:54:47,625 You've got to give this. You've got to give this." 1136 00:54:47,667 --> 00:54:49,625 Well, eventually that's going to get off course. 1137 00:54:49,667 --> 00:54:51,833 The other is, "God's sovereign. God has a plan. 1138 00:54:51,875 --> 00:54:53,833 "God does everything. God works it all out. 1139 00:54:53,875 --> 00:54:55,208 God's in charge." 1140 00:54:55,292 --> 00:54:57,333 Well, that's going to get off course. 1141 00:54:57,375 --> 00:54:59,500 God is sovereign and has a plan, 1142 00:54:59,583 --> 00:55:02,958 and you are part of his sovereign plan, 1143 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,167 so he will do everything that he promises to do, 1144 00:55:06,250 --> 00:55:10,292 and he empowers you to do what he is asking you to do 1145 00:55:10,333 --> 00:55:12,875 so that the two of you are working together. 1146 00:55:12,958 --> 00:55:16,000 And that's what it means to be a Christian. 1147 00:55:16,042 --> 00:55:17,708 And this leads to the last point. 1148 00:55:17,792 --> 00:55:21,292 We then need the Holy Spirit to empower us so that we can follow 1149 00:55:21,333 --> 00:55:25,000 God's plan for our life and speak boldly to others 1150 00:55:25,083 --> 00:55:27,333 about this sovereign God. 1151 00:55:27,375 --> 00:55:31,000 So, the last question is: who does the Holy Spirit want you 1152 00:55:31,042 --> 00:55:33,125 to speak boldly to? 1153 00:55:33,167 --> 00:55:35,417 Acts 4:29, "And now, Lord"--they're praying-- 1154 00:55:35,500 --> 00:55:38,875 "look upon their threats and grant your servants 1155 00:55:38,958 --> 00:55:41,917 to continue to speak your word with all boldness." 1156 00:55:42,000 --> 00:55:43,917 So here's the deal: they're saying--they're not praying, 1157 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,667 "God, get rid of our trial. Get rid of our trouble. 1158 00:55:46,750 --> 00:55:48,875 "Get rid of our tribulation. God, crush our enemies. 1159 00:55:48,958 --> 00:55:50,292 "God, close all the prisons. 1160 00:55:50,333 --> 00:55:52,292 "God, make the media trend in our direction. 1161 00:55:52,333 --> 00:55:54,792 "God, pass some laws that make everybody agree with us. 1162 00:55:54,833 --> 00:55:57,292 "God, give us a safe place to hide our families 1163 00:55:57,333 --> 00:55:58,667 "and our assets. 1164 00:55:58,750 --> 00:56:00,750 God, make sure that it doesn't go bad." 1165 00:56:00,833 --> 00:56:02,250 They don't pray any of that. 1166 00:56:02,333 --> 00:56:04,417 They don't pray for anything out there to change. 1167 00:56:04,500 --> 00:56:06,333 They pray for everything in here...to change. 1168 00:56:06,375 --> 00:56:09,000 Don't get us around the valley of the shadow of death, 1169 00:56:09,083 --> 00:56:11,500 get us through the valley of the shadow of death. 1170 00:56:11,542 --> 00:56:15,000 That's what they're praying. 1171 00:56:15,083 --> 00:56:17,917 And what they're praying for boldness in the face of is 1172 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:21,833 threats, and this is it. 1173 00:56:21,875 --> 00:56:25,500 Someone will start threatening, and if we listen, 1174 00:56:25,542 --> 00:56:27,792 we're letting them seat themselves on 1175 00:56:27,833 --> 00:56:30,500 the throne of sovereignty. 1176 00:56:30,583 --> 00:56:33,333 "Don't give your life to Jesus; your family will disown you. 1177 00:56:33,375 --> 00:56:35,000 "We'll cut you out of the inheritance. 1178 00:56:35,083 --> 00:56:36,417 "Your spouse will divorce you. 1179 00:56:36,500 --> 00:56:38,917 "Your professor will give you a bad grade. 1180 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:42,125 "Your boss, if you don't violate your conscious and Scripture 1181 00:56:42,167 --> 00:56:44,500 "to do something that they want you to do, 1182 00:56:44,542 --> 00:56:46,083 they're going to terminate you." 1183 00:56:46,167 --> 00:56:47,708 Threat, threat, threat. 1184 00:56:47,792 --> 00:56:50,417 "I love Jesus. I love you. But I can't do that 1185 00:56:50,500 --> 00:56:52,125 because that violates Jesus." 1186 00:56:52,167 --> 00:56:54,833 "Then we won't be your friend. You're out of our group. 1187 00:56:54,875 --> 00:56:56,333 "You can't hang out with us. 1188 00:56:56,375 --> 00:56:58,000 "We'll say terrible things about you. 1189 00:56:58,083 --> 00:56:59,500 "We'll turn our back on you. 1190 00:56:59,583 --> 00:57:01,375 "We'll abandon you. We'll betray you. 1191 00:57:01,458 --> 00:57:02,792 We might even persecute you." 1192 00:57:02,833 --> 00:57:04,833 "Oh no, oh no, oh no, not threats. 1193 00:57:04,875 --> 00:57:07,417 "Sit on the throne. Be the sovereign. 1194 00:57:07,500 --> 00:57:08,833 "You're in charge. 1195 00:57:08,875 --> 00:57:12,583 "Tell me what to do and not do, and I'll obey you as long as 1196 00:57:12,667 --> 00:57:14,333 "you don't punish me. 1197 00:57:14,375 --> 00:57:15,708 "Just don't punish me. 1198 00:57:15,792 --> 00:57:17,500 "I'll make you a deal: 1199 00:57:17,583 --> 00:57:24,208 "You threaten me, I will worship you and obey you as long as 1200 00:57:24,292 --> 00:57:27,875 you don't hurt me." 1201 00:57:31,042 --> 00:57:33,875 So, they pray for boldness. 1202 00:57:33,958 --> 00:57:38,792 "Let us remember who the sovereign is and speak 1203 00:57:38,833 --> 00:57:43,500 "to those who are threatening so that they can come to know him 1204 00:57:43,583 --> 00:57:46,000 and be saved." 1205 00:57:46,083 --> 00:57:48,500 Why, there's a lot of courage there. 1206 00:57:48,583 --> 00:57:51,833 There's a lot of courage there. 1207 00:57:51,875 --> 00:57:53,833 "While you stretch out your hand to heal, 1208 00:57:53,875 --> 00:57:56,000 "and signs and wonders are performed through the name 1209 00:57:56,083 --> 00:57:57,417 of your holy servant Jesus." 1210 00:57:57,500 --> 00:57:59,000 Anything miraculous, supernatural, godly, 1211 00:57:59,083 --> 00:58:01,833 and good that happens is through the living Jesus working 1212 00:58:01,917 --> 00:58:06,708 here and now. 1213 00:58:06,792 --> 00:58:09,583 This is why even sometimes faith healers and junk like that, 1214 00:58:09,667 --> 00:58:13,125 I get really frustrated because the glory doesn't go to Jesus. 1215 00:58:13,167 --> 00:58:14,917 It's like the holy man showed up. 1216 00:58:15,000 --> 00:58:17,917 Wrong man-- and he's not that holy. 1217 00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:19,500 Jesus is the one who heals. 1218 00:58:19,542 --> 00:58:23,000 And so they're praying, "Jesus, on occasion, 1219 00:58:23,042 --> 00:58:25,625 "please show up in a miraculous way so that everybody knows 1220 00:58:25,667 --> 00:58:27,833 that you're still alive." 1221 00:58:27,875 --> 00:58:30,000 Because it's not about how powerful the church is 1222 00:58:30,042 --> 00:58:31,625 or miracles or the supernatural, 1223 00:58:31,667 --> 00:58:34,125 or somebody was healed, or a demon was cast out, 1224 00:58:34,167 --> 00:58:36,333 or a person was delivered, or cancer was cured. 1225 00:58:36,375 --> 00:58:40,083 It's--ultimately, it's do they know that Jesus is alive? 1226 00:58:40,167 --> 00:58:41,708 Do they know who Jesus is? 1227 00:58:41,792 --> 00:58:43,208 Do they know where Jesus is? 1228 00:58:43,292 --> 00:58:45,083 Do they know that he's coming back? 1229 00:58:45,167 --> 00:58:47,583 Do they know that they're going to have to give 1230 00:58:47,667 --> 00:58:49,000 an account to him? 1231 00:58:49,042 --> 00:58:51,000 And so they're praying for supernatural, 1232 00:58:51,042 --> 00:58:52,375 miraculous things to happen. 1233 00:58:52,458 --> 00:58:54,875 And friends, I know that they don't happen a lot. 1234 00:58:54,958 --> 00:58:56,875 That's why call them miracles and not Mondays. 1235 00:58:56,958 --> 00:58:58,292 They're unusual. 1236 00:58:58,333 --> 00:58:59,792 They don't happen all the time. 1237 00:58:59,833 --> 00:59:01,542 You can't set your clock by it. 1238 00:59:01,625 --> 00:59:03,250 But as God's people are on mission, 1239 00:59:03,333 --> 00:59:06,208 trying to pray for boldness to invite people to come to know 1240 00:59:06,292 --> 00:59:08,417 the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus will, upon occasion, 1241 00:59:08,500 --> 00:59:09,833 do something extraordinary, something miraculous, 1242 00:59:09,875 --> 00:59:12,667 something supernatural so that people know he's still alive, 1243 00:59:12,750 --> 00:59:16,667 and he shows up, and we just can't explain him away. 1244 00:59:16,750 --> 00:59:20,000 And then the story continues and concludes. 1245 00:59:20,083 --> 00:59:22,625 "And when they had prayed, the place in which they 1246 00:59:22,667 --> 00:59:24,208 were gathered together was shaken." 1247 00:59:24,292 --> 00:59:25,875 They actually got a visible sign. 1248 00:59:25,958 --> 00:59:27,667 Does God still do stuff like that? 1249 00:59:27,750 --> 00:59:29,417 He can; he doesn't have to. 1250 00:59:29,500 --> 00:59:32,167 Some theologies say he has to do it all the time. 1251 00:59:32,250 --> 00:59:33,583 No, he doesn't. 1252 00:59:33,667 --> 00:59:36,708 Part of being the sovereign is you get to do what you want. 1253 00:59:36,792 --> 00:59:38,500 It's like one of perks, all right? 1254 00:59:38,542 --> 00:59:40,208 Others say, "No, he can't do that." 1255 00:59:40,292 --> 00:59:41,917 Well, sure he can. He's the sovereign. 1256 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:45,125 He kind of--back to my point-- gets to do what he wants. 1257 00:59:45,167 --> 00:59:47,333 That's one of the perks of being the sovereign. 1258 00:59:47,375 --> 00:59:49,708 You don't have to do anything, and you're not forbidden 1259 00:59:49,792 --> 00:59:51,125 from doing anything. 1260 00:59:51,167 --> 00:59:53,125 You can kind of do what you want. 1261 00:59:53,167 --> 00:59:54,500 So, God's sovereign. 1262 00:59:54,583 --> 00:59:57,500 He gets to do what he wants, and occasionally what he wants 1263 00:59:57,583 --> 00:59:59,708 to do is show up in a supernatural, miraculous, 1264 00:59:59,792 --> 01:00:01,917 powerful way to remind everybody that he still exists, 1265 01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:04,083 and he's still paying attention, and he's still present, 1266 01:00:04,167 --> 01:00:05,458 and he's still involved. 1267 01:00:05,500 --> 01:00:07,958 Here, it's an earthquake. I'll give you a quick story. 1268 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:11,167 I'm going to start a series in 14 months where I'm looking at 1269 01:00:11,208 --> 01:00:12,667 the objections and oppositions to Christianity 1270 01:00:12,708 --> 01:00:14,167 from 18 to 44 year olds. 1271 01:00:14,208 --> 01:00:16,667 We did all the research, figured out what this is. 1272 01:00:16,708 --> 01:00:19,167 We had focus groups that then met with the non-Christians 1273 01:00:19,208 --> 01:00:21,667 and tried to figure out why they didn't like Jesus 1274 01:00:21,708 --> 01:00:23,042 and Christianity. 1275 01:00:23,125 --> 01:00:25,542 And there was one particular group that they were meeting, 1276 01:00:25,625 --> 01:00:28,333 and the atheists were talking about how they don't like Jesus 1277 01:00:28,375 --> 01:00:30,750 and Christianity, and prayer's a myth, and God's not real, 1278 01:00:30,833 --> 01:00:33,167 and miracles aren't possible, and this is all very out-dated, 1279 01:00:33,208 --> 01:00:35,167 and antiquated and silly and ridiculous and nefarious. 1280 01:00:35,208 --> 01:00:37,333 And then an earthquake hit during the focus group. 1281 01:00:37,417 --> 01:00:39,958 I would call it a sovereign earthquake, by the way. 1282 01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:42,833 So, a sovereign earthquake hit during the focus group while 1283 01:00:42,917 --> 01:00:45,458 the atheists were talking about how stupid prayer is, 1284 01:00:45,500 --> 01:00:48,458 and one of the atheists dropped to their knees and prayed that 1285 01:00:48,500 --> 01:00:50,958 God would spare their life-- 1286 01:00:51,000 --> 01:00:56,667 which is hilarious, OK, because there's nothing funnier 1287 01:00:56,708 --> 01:01:01,417 than a praying atheist. And it was captured on video, 1288 01:01:01,500 --> 01:01:04,583 and they signed a waver so we can actually use it legally. 1289 01:01:04,667 --> 01:01:07,583 They signed the waver before they cried out to God in prayer, 1290 01:01:07,667 --> 01:01:10,000 because again, it was a sovereign earthquake. 1291 01:01:10,083 --> 01:01:12,333 OK, God had a plan. 1292 01:01:12,375 --> 01:01:16,333 It just goes to show that sometimes God does show up 1293 01:01:16,375 --> 01:01:19,708 in the ways that he has shown up in the past because he wants 1294 01:01:19,792 --> 01:01:21,708 somebody to know that he still exists, 1295 01:01:21,792 --> 01:01:23,667 and "Hey, you need to pay attention," 1296 01:01:23,750 --> 01:01:25,792 and "Hey, the circumstances shake." 1297 01:01:25,833 --> 01:01:28,167 And sometimes it's an actual shaking of the space 1298 01:01:28,250 --> 01:01:29,583 that we're in. 1299 01:01:29,667 --> 01:01:32,333 Sometimes it just feels like our life is uncertain and unstable, 1300 01:01:32,375 --> 01:01:35,333 and things are out of control, and we're not sure what's going 1301 01:01:35,375 --> 01:01:38,500 on in the world, and we're not sure what's going on in us, 1302 01:01:38,583 --> 01:01:40,000 and it's God's way of saying, 1303 01:01:40,083 --> 01:01:41,500 "Just trying to get your attention." 1304 01:01:41,583 --> 01:01:43,583 There's a sovereign, and he's here for you, 1305 01:01:43,667 --> 01:01:46,792 and that's the only firm footing you will find. 1306 01:01:46,833 --> 01:01:49,500 "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued 1307 01:01:49,542 --> 01:01:52,417 to speak the word of God with boldness." 1308 01:01:52,500 --> 01:01:54,500 When God's people receive the Holy Spirit, 1309 01:01:54,542 --> 01:01:56,292 they do so at conversion. 1310 01:01:56,333 --> 01:01:58,583 Ephesians calls it being sealed with the Spirit. 1311 01:01:58,667 --> 01:02:02,083 You're sealed with the Spirit once upon your salvation, 1312 01:02:02,167 --> 01:02:04,500 and then there are many fillings that happen throughout 1313 01:02:04,583 --> 01:02:06,417 the course of your life. 1314 01:02:06,500 --> 01:02:09,000 And the filling of the Holy Spirit is to empower 1315 01:02:09,083 --> 01:02:11,208 you for boldness to be on mission with Jesus. 1316 01:02:11,292 --> 01:02:13,625 So in Acts, it says they received the Holy Spirit, 1317 01:02:13,667 --> 01:02:16,375 and they spoke in other tongues, meaning they spoke about Jesus 1318 01:02:16,458 --> 01:02:17,875 boldly in languages they didn't know. 1319 01:02:17,958 --> 01:02:19,875 Sometimes it says like this, that they received 1320 01:02:19,958 --> 01:02:21,708 the Holy Spirit and spoke with boldness 1321 01:02:21,792 --> 01:02:23,208 in a language they did know. 1322 01:02:23,292 --> 01:02:24,708 In either occasion, it's the same. 1323 01:02:24,792 --> 01:02:28,125 If you have the Holy Spirit, there is a love for Jesus in you 1324 01:02:28,167 --> 01:02:29,833 that you can't contain within you. 1325 01:02:29,875 --> 01:02:33,000 It comes out of you as you tell others about Jesus because you 1326 01:02:33,083 --> 01:02:36,125 love them, and you love him, and you want his love 1327 01:02:36,167 --> 01:02:39,917 to be made known to them. 1328 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:44,083 How often do you gas up your car? 1329 01:02:47,167 --> 01:02:49,667 You gas up your car; you go on a journey. 1330 01:02:49,750 --> 01:02:52,292 You gas up your car to go on another journey. 1331 01:02:52,333 --> 01:02:55,417 Being filled with the Holy Spirit is like that. 1332 01:02:55,500 --> 01:02:58,125 Nobody'd ever buy a car and say, "I filled it up. 1333 01:02:58,167 --> 01:03:00,792 Glad that's over." 1334 01:03:00,833 --> 01:03:03,667 No, there's fuel for that journey, 1335 01:03:03,708 --> 01:03:05,500 then there's fuel for the next journey, 1336 01:03:05,583 --> 01:03:07,333 fuel for the next journey. 1337 01:03:07,375 --> 01:03:09,000 We're like that, all right? 1338 01:03:09,042 --> 01:03:10,375 We're on mission with Jesus, 1339 01:03:10,458 --> 01:03:12,875 the Holy Spirit fills us to go on that journey, 1340 01:03:12,958 --> 01:03:15,083 and fills us to go on the next journey, 1341 01:03:15,167 --> 01:03:17,292 then fills us to go on the next journey. 1342 01:03:17,333 --> 01:03:21,833 Every time you gas up your car, pray. 1343 01:03:21,875 --> 01:03:27,500 "Holy Spirit, fill me so that I might journey with Jesus 1344 01:03:27,542 --> 01:03:30,000 "on the mission he's laid before me 1345 01:03:30,042 --> 01:03:32,000 "and give me boldness on that mission 1346 01:03:32,042 --> 01:03:35,000 to talk to people about Jesus." 1347 01:03:35,083 --> 01:03:37,792 I need you to pray that prayer. 1348 01:03:37,833 --> 01:03:40,625 If you do it every time you gas up your car, 1349 01:03:40,667 --> 01:03:44,000 that'll be the way to remind you that as you need to fill up 1350 01:03:44,042 --> 01:03:46,708 your tank, God needs to fill up your tank. 1351 01:03:46,792 --> 01:03:48,708 As you need fuel for your journey, 1352 01:03:48,792 --> 01:03:52,375 Jesus needs to fuel you for his journey. 1353 01:03:52,458 --> 01:03:55,375 And we live in a day when guys like me, we're preachers, 1354 01:03:55,458 --> 01:03:57,875 we yell for a living, we're supposed to be bold. 1355 01:03:57,958 --> 01:04:02,250 But the real credibility, quite frankly, is now with you. 1356 01:04:02,333 --> 01:04:05,000 It's the moms and the dads and the single men 1357 01:04:05,042 --> 01:04:07,167 and the single women and the high school kids 1358 01:04:07,250 --> 01:04:09,375 and the college kids and those who have cancer 1359 01:04:09,458 --> 01:04:11,625 and those who are elementary school teachers, 1360 01:04:11,667 --> 01:04:13,625 and those who are CEOs in companies. 1361 01:04:13,667 --> 01:04:16,500 It's the regular Christian who has an irregular affection for 1362 01:04:16,583 --> 01:04:19,333 Jesus and an irregular boldness to talk about him that has 1363 01:04:19,375 --> 01:04:21,708 great credibility because you're not clergy, 1364 01:04:21,792 --> 01:04:24,083 and you're not professional, and it's not your vocation, 1365 01:04:24,167 --> 01:04:27,292 and no one is paying you, so you have a listening that is 1366 01:04:27,333 --> 01:04:30,333 different than someone like me. 1367 01:04:30,375 --> 01:04:32,000 And some of you are shy. 1368 01:04:32,042 --> 01:04:33,917 You need to repent of your shyness. 1369 01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:35,500 Some of you are quiet. 1370 01:04:35,583 --> 01:04:37,417 You need to repent of your quietness. 1371 01:04:37,500 --> 01:04:40,208 Some of you don't like conflict and you need to repent 1372 01:04:40,292 --> 01:04:41,917 of your cowardice and invite 1373 01:04:42,000 --> 01:04:43,833 the Holy Spirit to make you bold 1374 01:04:43,875 --> 01:04:46,583 so that you could share the love of Jesus with others. 1375 01:04:46,667 --> 01:04:49,708 And so in closing as well, for those of you who are not 1376 01:04:49,792 --> 01:04:51,125 Christian, do you know Jesus? 1377 01:04:51,167 --> 01:04:53,625 If you've not turned from sin and trusted to him, 1378 01:04:53,667 --> 01:04:55,125 it may be for two reasons. 1379 01:04:55,167 --> 01:04:58,000 You want to be God's editor. 1380 01:04:58,042 --> 01:05:00,167 You have no right to do that. 1381 01:05:00,250 --> 01:05:03,667 Or secondly, you know that you will suffer, 1382 01:05:03,750 --> 01:05:09,375 but Jesus suffered for you and he'll suffer with you. 1383 01:05:09,458 --> 01:05:12,500 And as you suffer, you'll learn to love him more and become more 1384 01:05:12,583 --> 01:05:17,583 like him, and suffering is part of his good, sovereign plan. 1385 01:05:17,667 --> 01:05:19,917 We're going to collect our tithes and offerings now. 1386 01:05:20,000 --> 01:05:23,167 This is where we give to the God who gave all for us. 1387 01:05:23,250 --> 01:05:25,083 We do so generously and gladly. 1388 01:05:25,167 --> 01:05:27,000 As we partake of our tithes and offerings, 1389 01:05:27,083 --> 01:05:28,917 I also want to explain Communion. 1390 01:05:29,000 --> 01:05:31,500 Jesus instituted Communion at the Last Supper where he 1391 01:05:31,583 --> 01:05:34,917 broke bread with his friends and shared drink with his friends. 1392 01:05:35,000 --> 01:05:38,292 And he says, "This bread is my body broken for you, 1393 01:05:38,333 --> 01:05:40,500 "and this drink is my blood shed for you. 1394 01:05:40,583 --> 01:05:42,708 When you partake of it, remember me." 1395 01:05:42,792 --> 01:05:45,500 So at Mars Hill, every week we try to remember Jesus 1396 01:05:45,583 --> 01:05:47,833 right in the middle of our time together. 1397 01:05:47,875 --> 01:05:50,000 And this is where, if you're not a Christian, 1398 01:05:50,083 --> 01:05:52,917 you give your life to Jesus and you, with boldness, 1399 01:05:53,000 --> 01:05:55,417 identify yourself with God's people by standing up 1400 01:05:55,500 --> 01:05:57,125 and partaking of Communion. 1401 01:05:57,167 --> 01:05:58,792 It is an act of boldness. 1402 01:05:58,833 --> 01:06:00,250 It's standing up publicly, saying, 1403 01:06:00,333 --> 01:06:02,000 "I don't just listen to these things. 1404 01:06:02,042 --> 01:06:04,000 "I love Jesus, and I belong to Jesus, 1405 01:06:04,042 --> 01:06:06,417 and I'm on mission with him by God's grace." 1406 01:06:06,500 --> 01:06:09,500 And then we will also sing and celebrate. 1407 01:06:09,583 --> 01:06:12,208 Who are we going to sing to, Mars Hill? 1408 01:06:12,292 --> 01:06:13,625 Jesus. 1409 01:06:13,667 --> 01:06:15,125 Where's he at right now? 1410 01:06:15,167 --> 01:06:17,333 He's not the humble, marginalized Galilean peasant. 1411 01:06:17,375 --> 01:06:20,333 He's the resurrected, ascended, ruling, reigning King of kings, 1412 01:06:20,375 --> 01:06:21,917 Lord of lords. 1413 01:06:22,000 --> 01:06:24,625 As we sing today, I want you, in your imagination, 1414 01:06:24,667 --> 01:06:27,667 to see him high and exalted and seated upon his throne, 1415 01:06:27,750 --> 01:06:31,917 not in humility but in glory, surrounded by the angels, 1416 01:06:32,000 --> 01:06:34,417 being worshiped as the Creator God, 1417 01:06:34,500 --> 01:06:36,625 what they spoke of here in Acts 4, 1418 01:06:36,667 --> 01:06:40,000 as that sovereign God who rules and reigns over all. 1419 01:06:40,042 --> 01:06:44,708 And as we sing we're joining the angels in the presence of Jesus, 1420 01:06:44,792 --> 01:06:48,333 doing that which we were made for, the worship of God. 1421 01:06:48,375 --> 01:06:51,875 And we're doing so together with gladness, 1422 01:06:51,958 --> 01:06:55,417 and that's part of God's sovereign plan. 1423 01:06:55,500 --> 01:06:59,000 And so, Lord Jesus, as we come now to worship you, I pray, 1424 01:06:59,042 --> 01:07:02,583 Holy Spirit, that you would give faith to those who do not yet 1425 01:07:02,667 --> 01:07:05,625 know you, that you would give boldness to those who know you. 1426 01:07:05,667 --> 01:07:09,167 Holy Spirit, we invite you to fill us individually 1427 01:07:09,250 --> 01:07:12,833 and collectively, that you would empower us to pray 1428 01:07:12,875 --> 01:07:16,292 and to be bold in proclaiming the message of Jesus. 1429 01:07:16,333 --> 01:07:19,292 God, I pray right now that you would give 1430 01:07:19,333 --> 01:07:25,000 to those who have joined us and are listening in a face, 1431 01:07:25,042 --> 01:07:29,000 a name, of someone that they need to speak boldly to. 1432 01:07:29,042 --> 01:07:31,167 Maybe it's a parent, maybe it's a family member, 1433 01:07:31,250 --> 01:07:33,167 maybe it's a friend, maybe it's a neighbor, 1434 01:07:33,250 --> 01:07:35,500 maybe it's a classmate, maybe it's a coworker, 1435 01:07:35,583 --> 01:07:40,583 maybe it's a spouse, maybe it's a child, maybe it's an enemy. 1436 01:07:40,667 --> 01:07:45,917 Holy Spirit, who do you want them to speak to about Jesus? 1437 01:07:46,000 --> 01:07:49,917 Would you please let them know right now and empower them 1438 01:07:50,000 --> 01:07:53,000 to go talk to that person about Jesus? 1439 01:07:53,083 --> 01:07:55,875 And may you go ahead of them and open that person's 1440 01:07:55,958 --> 01:07:58,167 understanding, and may they be saved, 1441 01:07:58,250 --> 01:08:01,083 and may this all work out according to your perfect, 1442 01:08:01,167 --> 01:08:03,750 predestined plan. 1443 01:08:03,833 --> 01:08:06,292 Lord God, help us to not argue about sovereignty 1444 01:08:06,333 --> 01:08:08,833 but trust in it; not to speculate about it 1445 01:08:08,875 --> 01:08:12,625 but to cling to it; not to use it as a dividing point to argue 1446 01:08:12,667 --> 01:08:16,167 with Christians but to use it as a uniting point to gather 1447 01:08:16,250 --> 01:08:20,375 together as Christians, trusting that when times are tough, 1448 01:08:20,458 --> 01:08:24,208 you are seated on a throne, and though things are out 1449 01:08:24,292 --> 01:08:26,625 of our control, they're certainly under your control. 1450 01:08:26,667 --> 01:08:29,292 And we thank you for that, Lord Jesus, amen. 1451 01:08:32,000 --> 01:08:34,958 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1452 01:08:35,000 --> 01:08:38,042 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1453 01:08:38,125 --> 01:08:40,667 This ministry is generously supported 1454 01:08:40,708 --> 01:08:43,292 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1455 01:08:43,333 --> 01:08:46,833 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1456 01:08:46,917 --> 01:08:49,833 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1457 01:08:49,917 --> 01:08:52,750 by visiting marshill.com/give.