Welcome to the Cross Power Church podcast.
You're listening to a service from our church in Campbell, TX.
We pray this message strengthens your faith and points you to the
cross. Now let's join the service.
Good to be in the House of the Lord.
Have your Bible is going to be Genesis chapter 4.
Got lots to cover this morning. I preached a short version of
this serval. I don't know, years ago, weeks
ago, whatever it was, they all run together now, don't they?
Don't matter. But God always adds to it.
So it always gets better. But I want to say around the
Charlie Kirk time, I shared a little bit on this, but God's
given me a lot more and I want to share it with you today.
But I titled this message The Blood of the Martyrs.
Would you say that with me as you stand this morning, The
blood of the martyrs? Is the seed.
Of the Church, Can I say that one more time?
The blood of the martyrs. People that give their life for
this gospel they were. Eyewitnesses.
They believed it until. Death and there was nothing.
That could sidetrack them or change their mind, they said.
Go ahead and do. Whatever you want to do.
To me, I don't seen this man called Jesus raised from the
dead walk out of the tomb. I've done seen all the miracles
that he's performed. And you or the.
Devil in hell, they changing my mind.
See the blood of the mortars. It was the seed.
Of the church. The church.
Sprung off of that a man and there's something about the
blood I come by to tell you that today if you don't get.
Anything else? There's something about the
blood. And it will never lose its
power. As early as Genesis chapter.
Four, we all know the story in Genesis chapter 4 verse verse
6:00 we we start reading. About what the Lord said to
Cain, we know the story that that Cain has slew his brother
Abel because they had both brought.
Sacrifices. There's been mass confusion in
the body of Christ. Many.
Times about the sacrifices because both brought an offering
to God, but one brought what was required.
It was a blood sacrifice. Of an innocent.
It was innocent. I don't know there was a lamb,
but it was. Innocent, right?
And he brought in the other one brought.
Something from his. The work of his hands that he
had toiled for Lord like that sacrifice there was nothing
really wrong, but it wasn't the one he accepted.
Hello, there's only. One that he accepts when you and
I come to the end of this. Life.
There's only one. Thing that brings.
Us before Almighty God and. That's the blood of Jesus
Christ, and that's what he's getting.
Across right here Genesis 4 it said so the Lord said to Cain.
Can you imagine being Cain the first lifes?
Blood had been shed on. Planet Earth Death.
Murder had been brought forth and and the.
Lord said to Cain. He said.
Why are you angry and why? Has your countenance fallen?
You know, since the beginning of time, man still thought God
would ask a question and it would He would lead them into a
chance to spill the. Beans per SE, but yet.
Man still thought God wasn't watching right?
They still thought they could get away with something, as many
do today. Why?
Has your countenance, Felon Kane, Has your countenance
fallen? If you do well.
Will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, boy,
I like this right here. Genesis 4, the 4th chapter of
the Bible. He says if you do not do well,
sin lies at your door when you're not.
Trying when you're. Really not giving God the glory.
Sin lies at your door because sin knows it's got a victim.
Can I get an Amen and? If you do not, if you do well,
if you do not do will sin lies at your door and it's desire.
You know sin has a desire, and it's not for anything else but
you, it's to destroy you. But look what he.
Give him a commandment. Right here you.
Should rule over it. Isn't that powerful?
I said you should rule over it. A lot of times we don't, but God
said we. Should and in verse 8 it says
now. Can't talk with Abel his.
Brother that came to pass when they were in the field.
We know the story. Of what happened here, Life's
blood. Had been, had been.
Shed but God said what? Have you done the voice as we
read on here? Let's read the rest of this in
verse. 8 it says they were. In the field and Cain.
Rose up against Abel, his. Brother And he did what?
He killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain,
Where is Abel your brother? He said I do not know him, I'm
my. Brother's keeper.
And he said, what have you done for the Voice?
That's what I want to preach to you about today.
The Voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the
ground. So now you're cursed from the
earth, which has opened its mouth.
And has received your brother's blood from your hand, When you
till the ground it shall no longer.
Yield its strength to you a. Fugitive and a Vagabond you
shall be on the earth. And Cain said to the Lord, My
punishment is greater. I cannot barely Barrett.
Surely you have driven me out this day before the face of the
ground. I shall be hidden from your
face. I shall be a fugitive, a
Vagabond on the earth. And it will happen when anyone
who finds me will kill me. The Lord said no, it's not going
to be that easy. Therefore, whoever kills Cain,
vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.
And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should
kill him as we back. Up there to verse verse. 10, he
said. What have you done?
He said the voice of your brother's blood cries out to me
from the ground. Father, we come to you today.
We thank you for this word that it's real, it's a life, it's
truth. We pray you'd blessed, you'd
anoint this message today that would penetrate our hearts and
it would stay with us in the days ahead to realize that the
blood cries out. The blood is still crying out
for the lost. The blood is still pleading the
cause for those that are lost and out done without Jesus
Christ. It's in your name we pray.
Amen. So Cain.
Murdered Abel out of jealousy. Because God did not.
Accept what he had brought, God said.
What have? You done the voice of your
brother's blood, and now you're cursed.
I got news. For those that thought by
killing God's man. A few few months.
Ago by killing. Charlie Kirk.
That they could stop it. No, you better get ready.
Hey, man. Those that thought they could
kill the 12 apostles, what happened?
The blood is still crying out today.
You better get ready, because when the blood cries, get ready.
How many remember when you heard the cry?
Of the blood on your life. You you felt the the pulling
toward the cross of Calvary. What was that?
It was the blood. That was shed on Calvary.
That was crying out for your soul today.
I'm going to get real today. When we look at Calvary, when we
look at the blood that hit the ground, there was some powerful
things. That happened I'm.
Not going to go. Back and cover it all.
You can go read about it in the gospels, but.
The earth shook, the sun hid, the veil of the temple was rent
in two, and the dead Saints was found coming out of the graves.
Can somebody give the Lord a praise?
And they were found walking around in the towns when the
blood cries out. There's something powerful
happened. Why?
Because there's power, there's power, there's wonder working
power in the blood of the. Lamb and I got news.
For you, it never loses its power.
Can somebody give the Lord a praise?
We go back. We Fast forward to Exodus
Chapter 11 when the blood was applied to the door closed.
When the first born was. Struck.
There was a great cry throughout.
I'm in the. Exodus 11/6 and seven.
There was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt.
Such as was and not. Like it?
Before nor. Shall it be like it?
Again, it was bad. And there's some bad stuff
that's going over there over there today.
But against get what he said here, but against none.
Of the children of Israel. Shall a dog move its tongue a
gets man or beast that. You may know that the.
Lord does make a difference. Man when I read.
Can you think about Egypt? The first born that was slain on
that terrible night. Of the flocks.
And of the human babies. And he says.
Here that there's not. The dogs were in the streets,
and they were. Licking the blood.
What a terrible night. Amen.
Because God was causing trying to cause Pharaoh to let his
people go. You know what that tells me?
God will not go to all limits. Not.
To let us perish. Amen and.
But he said, I want you to get this, that the Lord does make a
difference between the Egyptian and Israel.
There's a difference between the church and the world.
I get tired of people saying, well, what's the difference of
serving God? People's rich that don't know
God seem to be richer. Those that don't know God, well,
if you have to riches, you ain't after God.
Hello. And they say.
Well, what's the difference? What's the use of being a
Christian? A Christian gets cancer, someone
is living like hell gets cancer, someone loses a child someone
the the excuse goes on and on, but I.
Come by to tell. You there is a difference a man
God recognizes his children and when we come to the end of this
life, we will have an eternal home in heaven.
Why? Can't we get excited about that?
He's no respecter of persons. He proved that.
His own. His own children.
That he brought out of. Bondage wouldn't bow, they
wouldn't worship. And he said that's OK, I'm going
to worship, I'm going to let a Gentile come in and thank God we
were grafted into it. He's no respecter of persons,
but God. Always honors and respects
faith. Always.
When he sees the blood and the cries of the blood, see the
blood cries. With the voice from the.
Ground. The blood has a voice.
This morning, even over your life, because you're a child of
God and you were bought with a price, the precious blood of
Jesus, you must be born again to enter into the Kingdom of.
Heaven, we're told, but see. What is born again?
You need to realize that it's more than saying a Prince
Sinner's prayer and walking down the aisle.
It's more than just getting baptized and dunked under the
water. Hey man, it's a blood covenant
that was shed for you that you enter into.
It's the life's blood that cried out from Galgotha that's still
crying out today. Can somebody give him praise
today? It's a blood covenant of grace.
We get hung up at what we're doing or what we've done, Grace
says. I don't see it when you accept.
My blood over your life, the blood covenant of grace you
entered into cries that you're redeemed by the blood of the
Lamb. You know, that's all I need
every day to know that I've been.
Redeemed. Amen.
I think I can walk. Through any situation in life,
knowing that I'm redeemed, that at the end of this life, I have
a blessed hope. Amen.
I have a blessed hope. I've stood behind many.
Caskets that there was no. Hope.
The family didn't have no hope. They didn't have no hope.
But I've stood behind those that have lived a life pleasing to
God and Amen. It's a party that's going on
because there's a new name in heaven.
On that day, that's what. I want to be part of as Exodus
chapter 12 and 12. There was something unique.
Happened when the Lord seen the blood, he says.
For I will. Pass through the land of Egypt
on that night and I will strike all the first born in the land
of Egypt, both man and beast. Can you imagine?
Can you imagine and God and that didn't even get their attention.
He started with the worst and ended up bringing.
More plagues upon them, the locusts, the frogs, and all
those. Things turning the water into
blood. And the people still did not
listen. But yet there's people.
Today they we get as prideful as to say, well if God would just
do. This I would serve him.
He's already done it. I will pass through the land of
Egypt on that night, and I will strike all the first born in the
land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods
of Egypt. I will execute judgment.
And can I tell you he's about to do it again?
He's about to do it again. He's about to do it again
because when the. Rapture takes place.
See. There's a restrainer.
Called the Holy Spirit. Called the Church.
That's going to be lifted from the Earth.
He's at the four. Corners of the earth spoke of in
Revelations right now holding. Back all these things, but when
the Church is raptured out of here, guess what?
All hell. 'S going to break.
Loose up on this earth. And it's going to be.
The tribulation period that has never been seen before.
Thank God. We're going to be Why do you
live? You don't want to be a part of
that. Amen.
Going to be. It's going to be very hard to
be. Saved out of that, why not just
say be saved now? He says I'm the Lord in verse 13
of Exodus 11. He says now I believe that's
where I'm at now. The blood will be a sign for you
on the House where you are. And when I see the blood, he
said. Take the blood and put it over
the doorpost of your house. And when I see the blood, I'm
going to Passover you. And a plague shall not be on you
to. Destroy you when I strike the
land of Egypt. I've done that several times to
people that felt like there was a curse on their house.
Occur. Done it to my own house.
A man. Took the anointing oil and take
some, take some tomatoes, you whatever you got to take.
And begin to wipe it over the. Doorpost of your house, because
see. It is symbolic of what can
happen here, he said. When I see the blood, I'm going
to pass over you. But wait a minute.
Preacher, the people of. The world destroyed all
disciples and they live for Jesus.
They destroyed them. Oh no, they may have killed the.
Flesh see Matthew met his. End in Ethiopia suffering
martyrdom by a sword by a. Wound.
His death would mark the beginning of the.
End for many of the. Apostles that were spreading the
truth. But can I tell you when the
blood begin to fall from Matthew?
The blood cried from Calvary, too.
And no, you can't kill God's man.
You look at Mark, his. Journey concluded in.
Alexandria of Egypt, where he was drowned back through the
streets by a horse until his demise and his legacy, however.
Continues to galvanized believers today.
We look at Luke, the physician who was hanged in.
Greece met his favorite preaching of the.
Gospel, but yet his. Words live on reaching those
that he never met. John experienced what can.
Only be. Described as miraculous escape
from a boiling pot of of burning oil.
And they couldn't kill John. Hey man, they would throw him in
there and turn the fire up. History tales that it just he he
would get out. They could not kill him, they
said. So we're going to.
Send him. To the Isle of Patmos.
We're going to send him to the Isle of Patmos.
And he said they're going. To send him out there and we're
going to put. Him out with a.
Bit with the prisoner, we can't kill the guy, so let's just send
him out there and see what his God can do now.
And my God, did he do something? He give us the book of
Revelations and Amen. If you're not living for God
today, Revelations ought to scare you to death.
But if you're born again, it ought to hype you up and give
you hope and give you a promise. Amen.
See, there was 2 disciples. There was one named.
John that was exiled to the Isle of Patmos.
There was another one named Stephen that was stoned to death
when we go. Back to Matthew chapter 16 and
verse 28, Jesus was giving the disciples a great lecture and I
wanted to preach on the first part of this today about he
said, you got to take up your cross every day and you got to
follow me. If you don't, you're not worthy
of me. And then at the end of that text
in Matthew 16 and 28, Jesus came and and he said.
This just what I'm talking about now see in Matthew 1620. 8 As
all these disciples, I could go on and on.
Peter, he had came to the end of his journey and he said, don't
even make it a cross like my savior died.
Don't make it an. X Amen.
I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy to die as Jesus
did. Make it an X and hang me upside
down. Don't let me die.
Like my Savior did. But see, as Jesus was giving him
them lecture on that day, he looked at his disciples and
people. Have tried to discredit.
This over the years, Jesus said not all of you will taste death
until you see the Son of Man coming.
In his great glory. But yet all the disciples died,
right? They died before the 2nd coming
of Jesus Christ. We it's very evident that that
happened. But wait a minute, John was
exiled on Patmos and what did he see?
He said, I see the Son of man coming in great glory, Amen.
And then we get over to Acts 8 at 7 and 8 Stephen, what
happened to him as he was being stoned to death?
He said I see the power of God and the only time in Scripture
that you will find that Jesus wasn't sitting at the right hand
of the Father. But when the stones begin to
fly, what happened? It just Stephen said that the
heavens were open and I see the Son of man standing at the right
with somebody standing. Give him praises standing, give
him praise this morning. See when you give it up for
Jesus Christ, it, it brings him to his feet.
Amen. He's no longer standing at the
right hand of the Father. He's standing and he's
worshipping God Almighty. Whoa man, the blood of the
mortars is the seed of the church.
You may think you. Kill God's man.
You may think you turn the mic off and put him in prison, but
that's when Jesus is about to get up from being seated at the
right hand of the Father, and he's fixing to move.
In our behalf, then, I. Feel his glory.
James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.
He faced death by being. Thrown from the.
Temple's pinnacle. Only it didn't kill him.
It didn't kill him, God said. I protected.
You let you dash your foot against a stone.
But it didn't kill him, so they beat him to death.
Can you imagine? All they had to do was deny
Christ, but they said no. I cannot deny the things which I
have seen. Wow, James.
The son of Zedebee's. His leadership and his
dedication to the ministry were cut short.
By being beheaded in Jerusalem. Bartholomew's.
Missionary work took him. But it was in Armenia where he
met his in He was martyred by being flayed alive.
His commitment to spreading the word was unyielding.
And then we. Look at Andrew, he was crucified
as Peter on the X shaped. Cross in Greece, Thomas.
He was on he, he was. He was a missionary and went on
endeavors into India and and it ended when he.
Was stabbed with a spear. The blood of Thomas touched it,
but God heard the cries of that blood.
We. Look at all of these disciples,
Jude, he was killed. With arrows for refusing to
renounce his faith, a testament of his unwavering belief.
Matthius, chosen to replace Judas, was stoned and then
beheaded. And during a martyr's death.
Think about it. But yet steadfastness and faith.
Paul was faced and tortured and was ultimately beheaded by Nero
in Rome. Think about this.
His writings, most of them born from prison and came out of
prison, continue to guide and lead the church today. 13 out of
the 14 books of the were written by Paul of the books of the
Apostles. Wow.
What a God we serve. So my question is who I'm going
to preach to you. The Wednesday night crowd said
y'all needed this a Sunday morning crowd, something to give
it to you. I asked if they think I need to
preach it on Sunday. They said yes, but the blood of
the martyrs is the seed of the church looking When Charlie Kurt
was killed the church stood. People begin to profess Jesus
Christ and I believe it's open the door for a lot more of them.
To profess today we're. Here, in the name of Jesus on
national TV, more than we ever. Have.
When the blood of the martyrs is shed is the seed of the church.
It makes the church grow, and I see this in the world, but I'm
not seeing in the church a whole lot.
Why isn't the seed growing? Because the seed is.
We've got it all mixed up. He didn't say that.
The seed. Of the mortars would build big
buildings and have more functions, he said.
If you believe in me, signs and miracles and wonders will follow
those who believe. But we go to Acts Chapter 7 and
we can. Find so much of this in verse
51. I'm going to read because it's I
think it's one of the most important and most powerful
passage of Scripture that we ever read concerning a ministry.
Go home and read. Starting in chapter 6 of Acts,
I'm going to cover a little bit of this.
You go home and read in case I miss something.
There's no way I can cover it all but in Acts 6 and one it
says in those. Days.
Talking about when the early. Church was spreading.
After the day of Pentecost in those days, the number of the
disciples were multiplying. But.
There are rows of complaint against the Hebrews.
By the Helenus, that because they're widows.
Were neglected in the daily distribution and then the 12 got
together and had a meeting and and a.
Multitude of the disciples. And they said it's not desirable
that we should leave the. Word of God and serve tables,
they said. We're busy.
We're. Preaching the gospel.
But yet, you know we. Got we got people that need
something to eat in the ministry, an orphan or a widow.
But but. We're going to take.
Those that are. Full of the Holy Spirit and
we're going to take them out. We're going to keep preaching.
They had. This meeting and they said I
want you to seek. Out from among you 7 men of good
reputation, and boy did the church.
Run with that. I told the church.
One time a. Baptist minister, I said the
only thing y'all really pre I'm going to get, I'm just going to
tell it how it is the only thing you really preach out of the
book of Acts because you skip over the day of Pentecost, you
skip over the. Holy Ghost, pretty much.
And tell people it was for the disciples.
I said that's the only thing y'all got out of the book of
Acts was a saved and dignified deacons.
And I said you got it wrong. We're.
Going to get 7 and y'all going to go out and minister the
orphans and widows? I wonder how many deacons do
that today. Good men, good reputation.
And you know, most of them don't even.
Fulfill the law. Fulfill those callings.
The husband of a one wife, blameless in the side of the
Lord, giving them, giving them no drink and things like that.
But it's hard to. Find them full of the Holy
Spirit and. Wisdom go find me 7.
Whom? We may appoint over this
business, that's where they got it, business meeting.
But we'll give ourselves continually.
The prayer into this ministry, but get this in verse 5 it says
in C. In saying.
Please. The whole multitude.
It pleased them, so they chose. Stephen, but get this about.
Stephen, he wasn't just like a lot of the others, it says.
He was a man full of faith and the holy.
Spirit. And it goes on to tell those
those who they called. And they laid hands upon them,
and they sent them forth right. And the word of God begin to
spread. You know, Stephen, a lot of
people would have a problem doing what he did.
Because. He's full of the holy.
Ghost. And he thought, I'm sure he
thought, you know, I'm just as good as these.
Others that preaching the gospel.
Evidently he was better. He stirred them till they wanted
to kill him. But I bet Stephen never.
Thought that going out here. And tending orphans.
And with us, serving tables would cost him his life.
But he got a chance to preach while.
He was there. You can read about most of that,
about his address and the call to Abraham and verse 7 you can
go read about that. But Stephen was appointed to
orphans and with us it what they.
'D already said it wasn't desirable that they should leave
the work of the Lord and serve the tables.
Hello, but Stephen. Said I will do it.
He said I will do it. My question What is God calling
you? To do that seems insignificant
because many Christians aren't doing anything for the Kingdom.
Doesn't have to. Be just at this church, wherever
you're placed, you can do something for the Kingdom.
He began to preach and he began to talk about all the things and
the patriarchs, and it says God was with him and he.
Goes and tells all the. Stories about what had happened.
And when we get over to verse 54, go home and read Chapter 7
tonight. But 7 and 54?
It says that when they heard these things that Steven was.
Preaching says they were. Cut to the heart.
Waiting tables led him from tendon.
Orphans and widows. Maybe they were feeding them in
the synagogue. I don't know or in the little
building, but yet. He ended up on the.
Streets preaching when they. Heard these things that were cut
to the heart. 7 and 54 of Acts. And they gnashed at him with
their teeth. They were think about it, they
made him some mad. They were biting him.
But he being full of the Holy Spirit, he.
Gazed into heaven. He looked.
Beyond this fleshly life and he's seen the glory of God and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And he said, look, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God, see what seemed
insignificant. What?
Seemed. Not a very big ministry at all.
LED Stephen to see the Jesus standing at the right hand of
the simply because he obeyed. Makes me wonder where I miss God
in the little things. I get to preach to a lot of.
Folk on Sunday morning because I did what nobody else wanted to
do, started a church from scratch and it's a great
blessing to come and preach to y'all.
I'll never take it for granted. I thank God for it.
But I'm telling you when you. Refuse to do what others don't
want to do. God will open you a bigger door.
He will put it on you. He said I found me somebody, but
Steven didn't run. From it didn't.
He didn't run. From it, he was.
Maybe he wasn't. Expecting anything but see if
there was bloodshed. For this thing that I'm talking
about this morning, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And it's a seed that Jesus referred to that must be
planted. Then maybe I might ought.
To be looking for a place to. Plant it.
Hey, man, Steven. Didn't say.
Oh no, there's no need. To wait tables, it's not.
My calling boy, I hear that a lot.
Tell me we need it but it's. Not your calling.
Who no need to wait tables. It's not my calling.
When I hear this today. From a lot of people, I think it
really probably is your calling. But see, the truth is.
This is going to hurt. Just get ready.
The truth is, most never get. Past the complaining to the.
Calling you got to get plastic complaining.
To find the calling of God. Most never get past the.
Complaining and the burden of. Having to go to church so you
can grow. Hey man, God's trying to get.
You to the church so you can grow, so some will be stirred
within you. When a brother says whoa,
Hallelujah, some begins to stir up inside of me.
But most, it's a lot easier. Well, it's a lot easier.
It's a lot easier. Can I just stop?
And right, we're at 12:00. I'm just going to stop and I'm
just going to sing. Come by y'all or?
Whatever it is they do, my mind went blank.
What's the old hymnal? I surrender all.
Good song. I can just stop right now.
Way easier on me. I'd have less of these.
Great, but I got to dig a little deeper.
I can't stop right there. That's why I had to spend so
many hours getting these messages and just driving just.
But see, most start doing anything unless the occasion
arises because they haven't got past the complaining.
But when I get past the complaining.
I do it at my desk. I.
You know I get to hurt. I just got it a study to read
to. My back's hurt my so I go.
Get in the recliners. Still got the Bible there.
Sometimes I'll. Break it up.
I can't. Stand the word that I'm just.
I have a attention. Deficit this, whatever they
call, I got to be moving. So I'll I'll put my.
Phone in my jacket. And I'll get a message.
On that from somebody go to picking things up and.
Gathering them instead of complaining about having to sit.
There, if you can't sit there, walk around with it.
But somehow I got to get it but most aren't looking.
At doing, you only skip these notes.
Most aren't. Look, I'd like to.
Most aren't looking at doing anything unless the occasion
arises. But when I obey, even waiting
tables, even taking out whatever it is I have to do, sometimes
it's just making myself approachable and available.
I'm planting a seed. There might be somebody by the
dumpster. There might be somebody.
I've LED people to. Christ by an old dumpster.
I looked in the parking lot 1 time I told him any Jesus.
We knelt down by an old dumpster and he accepted.
Jesus in church today. Save from a bad life.
There might just be someone here today and you realize I got to
do something for the Kingdom. Jesus has done so much for me.
I got to do something. We can have functions, but a
function does nothing unless it's effective.
Does nothing when I was. Bucking all the bulls and horses
and leading a lot of people to Christ because of the bulls.
And horses they would. Come, if I said no bulls and
horses this week, we're just going to preach the Word.
I would go from 120 to 10. Was the function effective?
But if I delight myself in the Lord Psalm 37 and four, He will
give me the desires of my heart to see so many Christians today.
They're looking at the church to get offended or someone in the
church to offend them so they don't have to return to the
church. So I become a stumbling block
maybe, huh? Smile at someone that don't
smile back. You know that sucker ain't
gonna. Smile.
I don't Smile at him 10 times he don't.
Speak unless I speak. You got him in your.
Family. There's some people in your
family. Be the function.
They won't even talk. To you, unless you speak first.
Anybody got any of those? And I ain't never done nothing
to them. You know what it is?
They don't like what they see in you because they can never be
what you are until they're willing to pay the price that
you paid to become what you are. So it's easier to push.
Away you ain't. Done nothing.
God ain't done nothing. It's a devil convicting them
that they need to be more like Christ and they see Christ in
you so they begin to box Christ. Whoo.
I told a boy that one time. I said you ain't never going to
be like me if you don't willing to pay.
The price that I pray. To smile at someone that don't
smile back, it don't cost you nothing, they said it's harder
to frown. It takes way more muscles to
frown than it does to smile. So just.
And then you know what they going to do They're.
Going to say he didn't really smile at me, he was a fake
smile. I've seen him, I've seen him
smile. When he smiles, it's like this
and he just did this. Am I right?
I smile. Whether it's fake or not, you.
Discern it, but I smile. I may not even like you, but I
smiled. Baba, don't say I got to.
Like you, but it says. Eternally and heartfully and
soulfully, I got to love you. Speak to someone that's never
spoke talking about planting seed.
Make yourself approachable. Do what no one else wants to do,
but watch out when you do because God will open more
doors. Teach a class that you really
don't want to teach. Well, that's hard, ain't it?
Sow seed. What's that done for me?
Can I tell you that when you really do something you don't
want to do, such as some of those things I'm that I just
spoke of, What does that really do for me?
Nothing at the time that's going to make the enemy's going to end
end up in your mind and he's going to say, man, why did you
do that? You didn't really want to do
that wasn't heartfelt. You know that wasn't for Jesus.
You just did it because you wanted to do it.
Bye, bye bye. Just go on and on.
Does he ever do that to y'all to get your mind off the prize?
See nothing at the. Time makes you feel good.
Sometimes it even puts you on the edge, makes you pull your
hair. Out.
But it might enable somebody else to hear the gospel, Amen.
And you could be a big part of that.
And God recognizes that, right? But instead we.
Miss out on the blessing because we don't want to be put out.
If Steven had to. Refuse and I'm going to close.
I got a lot more on this, but if Steven would have.
Said or would have left the early church.
You know, he just said, look, I, I've been traveling with Jesus.
I've been doing all these things that these others have doing.
Why the I got to go? I think I'll just go over here
and start me an old church and call it the second Church of the
first born or something. You know I'm full of the holy.
Spirit, I'm full of faith and you already.
Said back there. That it ain't desirable to me to
go serve. Tables.
Y'all ain't going to do it, but you want me to do it?
I'm going somewhere with this. Same.
Very insignificant. For Steven, a man, after we see
what he, what he was really made of.
See, as I said Wednesday night, time tells everything.
It shows the fake. It shows the real you don't
believe, look in the mirror. Time tells everything.
It's not desirable that I should do that.
I think I'm just going to leave. I'm going to leave this and I'm
going to go do my own thing. But what does Steven do?
He used it as a platform. He said Wherever I'm at, I can
still be full of faith. I can still produce signs,
wonders and miracles. You want to think about this?
Look at the importance of what Stephen did.
We all know the story they got. They gnashed him.
Where there's people biting him. There was blood running out of
his body. But guess what that blood was?
About to hit the ground. And God said that.
Blood's about to cry out and Stephen said just go.
On and throw that old stone. Just go ahead and throw it at
me. Just go ahead and kill me
because I don't see my savior stand up at the right.
Hand of God and open the heavens to receive.
Me, but here's the importance. He did not.
Realize it at the time but in chapter 8 and verse one of acts,
go home and read it, it says. That there was a man.
Man, I get this. Gets in my spirit when I read
it. There was a man named Saul that
was watching. There was a man named Saul that
was approving that. Go ahead, throw the throw the
stones at that old Christian and cussing him and.
He said I got the. Letters in my pocket from the
Roman government. We can kill them all.
Just go ahead and kill him. Go ahead and kill him, it's OK.
I can get you out of jail when you murder them.
Sorry Christian, I can just do. It Think about it, Stephen said.
Keep throwing them. God knew that Saul's name would
soon be changed to the apostle Paul.
What? Was it a chapter later?
He wasn't hearing and God blinded him on the Damascus Road
and told him. He said you go to the man's
house on straight straight St. and your eyes will be healed.
But he said there's something. Within you.
You stand to your feet, he said. There, but there's.
Something within you, he said. See, Paul you.
Your name's going to be changed to from Saul to Paul.
But see the importance of. What Steven did, he could have
got mad. He could have left.
The church he could have. Left the faith, but there was
somebody watching. There was.
Somebody watching and God had. Him a man named.
Saul and it looked like the most unlikely man in the world to
carry this gospel on because he didn't believe it.
He was trained as good as you could be trained in the Jewish.
Custody. He knew it all.
For the wrong side. But God said I'm about to change
his heart. Could it be that Paul got a
glimpse that day? In Acts 8 and 1, he got a
glimpse. I don't know if he got a
glimpse, but he had to be thinking what faith to die for
what you believe. Did Paul know at that time that
he would die for what he was about to be changed over a few
years later? And he went three years and got
a little bit of teaching and his life was forever changed.
And Can you imagine the lies I'm here today?
Because of the right, the blood of Jesus.
But as I'm still surviving because of the letters of an
Apostle Paul that I can open and read every day, when I'm placed
in an old sinful prison and the blood begins to cry out because
it was shed and it landed. Upon my heart what a.
About you we read of these things.
We talk of these things, but are.
We willing to die for these? Things see when we look to hear
a small act of obedience of what Stephen did.
Stephen was one of them that Jesus was talking about said you
will not die you to see the son of a man coming and in
Revelations chapter 12 and 11. It says that they overcame by
the blood of what the lamb and the word of their testimony.
See the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
You never know what a planted seed can turn into but there's
one thing I can assure you if you don't plant it, it will not
turn into anything. A seed has to be planted.
You never know what a planted seed can turn into when you
plant it because we look at Steve Stevens humble lowly
response. It got him an entrance into
heaven, but it also softened the heart of of old Saul, the
apostle Paul that started so many churches and wrote 13 of
the 14 books of the New Testament while he was in prison
many times. But I ask you today, what is God
calling you to do that you've placed his insignificant in your
life? Would you bow your heads?
It's because of the blood. See the blood cries from the
ground? We read it all through the
Bible, from Genesis to Revelations.
The blood, it will never lose its power.
Thanks for listening to the Cross Power Church podcast.
May you know that true hope, peace, and salvation can only be
found in Jesus. If you're near Campbell, TX, we
would love for you to join us in person.
You can find service times at crosspowerchurch.com.