1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning in to our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,120 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:22,040 according to the Bible. Well, happy Mother's Day, 7 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:31,120 Inglewood. Wow, well y'all need more grits. 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,360 That's great. Take your Bibles this morning. 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,160 If you wouldn't turn to Acts chapter 3. 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:39,200 Appreciate you being here. Seriously. 11 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,000 I know some of you are here to visit your mama's. 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,440 Some of you visiting your grand mama's or your Mimi's or your 13 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,960 Grammys or whatever you call them appreciate you being here. 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,720 So I also know today we as Pastor Jordan said we do want to 15 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,960 honor our mothers. The Bible tells us to do that. 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:58,680 We, we want to do that rightfully. 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,240 I also know today can be hard on people, some of us who have lost 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,720 our moms already, some who want to be moms and can't be and wish 19 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,480 they were. So I also know there's a 20 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:11,240 bittersweetness sometimes to today. 21 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,040 So just know that we appreciate you and we're thinking of you 22 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,520 and we'll be lifting you all up. I also know that I hope you'll 23 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:20,480 come back on Wednesday night. We're having a great time on 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,000 Wednesday nights. Several of you are there. 25 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,320 Yeah. No, seriously. 26 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:26,200 Yeah, you can clap. It's OK. 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,040 Nobody's going to bite you. This week we're going to talk 28 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,240 about facing fear. This is actually a big, I 29 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,480 haven't, I won't say this much about every week, but this is 30 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,760 just a big deal. It's a big deal for people. 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,560 And so a lot of folks have fears that they're dealing with in 32 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,120 life. So I pray that you'll be here. 33 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,000 We're going to see what the Bible says about fear, how to 34 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,320 handle that and how to deal with it. 35 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:49,760 So I hope you'll come back. Then also pray for us this week 36 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,720 if you would. We have some really crucial 37 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,280 meetings. You may not understand the 38 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,000 historicity of it, but there's some historic meetings happening 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,680 this week with your staff and with your deacons and with your 40 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:01,880 lay leadership. Very important meetings where 41 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,080 we're talking about mission and vision in the future of the 42 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,400 church together. And then we're going to get 43 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,479 feedback from those groups. Your pastors have done a 44 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:12,320 tremendous job of working on some ideas and things from 45 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,000 straight from the Bible. Nothing weird, nothing you know, 46 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:16,720 nothing hard to understand, we hope. 47 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,000 But and then we're going to get feedback from these groups, do 48 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,920 some tweaking and adjusting. Then I promise we'll be sharing 49 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:25,960 all of that with you very soon. So we appreciate the work of 50 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,280 these these leaders because we want to share what your leaders 51 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,800 believe to be God's vision First Church with you all might 52 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,760 because what we're prayerfully trying to do is to seek God's 53 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:42,040 vision to fulfill his mission. And that's the the name of the 54 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,800 sermon series. Just come join the King's 55 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,000 mission because that's what we see in the book of Acts. 56 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,400 We see God working in the first church. 57 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:55,480 Last week we saw power and we saw the practices of the first 58 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,360 church and those are going to be things we'll return to in Acts 59 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,760 chapter 2 later. But the Holy Spirit came, He 60 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,960 established and He empowers the church. 61 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,600 Thousands of lives are transformed. 62 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:08,480 And the Bible says that they were devoted. 63 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,520 They had a single minded focus on a certain number of things. 64 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:16,760 Bible study, fellowship, prayer, ministry, stewardship, worship 65 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,960 and evangelism are a few of those things. 66 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,880 And I asked you last week to rate your own personal spiritual 67 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,400 walk in those areas 1:00 to 5:00, and be curious to know how 68 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,240 you you ranked yourself. And also be curious to know 69 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,840 where you think the church is. Those are the kinds of questions 70 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:31,800 we often ask in interviews with churches. 71 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,840 But we all need to recognize that every one of us must 72 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,800 continue to grow. We must continue to grow in our 73 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,320 discipleship. We, we want you to have a very 74 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,280 clear understanding. This is what a true disciple is. 75 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:44,920 This is what a biblical church is. 76 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,080 This is what a biblical church member is. 77 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,880 This is my personal next step in discipleship. 78 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,480 This is what my children need to do in discipleship. 79 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,480 We want you to understand that and how this church is going to 80 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,360 help equip you and help you to do those things. 81 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,840 That's the whole point of these meetings, everything that we're 82 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,040 talking about. So what we see is that pursuit 83 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:04,800 never, ever ends. None of us are perfect. 84 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,120 We're all on that journey together and that and that. 85 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,600 This early church was doing this brand new followers of Christ 86 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,560 with all kinds of excitement, all kinds of passion, but they 87 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,760 were also one. You'll see that theme. 88 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:17,800 I'll say it over and over again. You'll see it all through these 89 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,360 chapters. They're one. 90 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,160 They have a unity of purpose, a unity of heart and mind. 91 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,800 It reminds me of what the great theologian Winnie the Pooh once 92 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,200 said. He said to Christopher Robin in 93 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,160 the woods. He says if we don't stick 94 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,680 together, we will be lost indeed. 95 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,240 And there you go, Church, We've got to stick together, join 96 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,600 together on this journey of discovering and defining these 97 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,760 biblical things. Like the church. 98 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:49,040 Acts 2 also showed us that wondrous, amazing, miraculous 99 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,800 things were taking place. In fact, the way the Bible is 100 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,280 written, they were taking place continuously. 101 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,480 They didn't stop. These were evidences, These were 102 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,080 testimonies of the fact that Jesus really is who he said He 103 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,440 is and that the Holy Spirit really had come. 104 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,160 So God's hand was upon them. Inglewood As Pastor Jordan 105 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,400 alluded, I believe God's hand is on us too. 106 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,360 As far as I know, we're baptizing next week too. 107 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,280 And so people are coming every week, making decisions, making 108 00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:20,600 them public, sharing with our pastors about what God is doing 109 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,160 in their life. God's hand is on us. 110 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,560 So in chapter 3, where we are right now, Luke is going to 111 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,760 provide an illustration. It's almost like, let me show 112 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,800 you Exhibit A, Here's an example of some of these continuously, 113 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,840 continuously happening miracles, these wondrous, amazing things 114 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:38,840 that are happening. Let me just show you an example 115 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,120 of one of them right here in Acts chapter 3. 116 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,720 So all of this is happening because of Jesus and because of 117 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,360 the power of the Holy Spirit as evidence, as testimony, because 118 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,880 these things can only occur in His amazing name. 119 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,520 You've been singing about it. We'll do some more of that later 120 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,920 and we're going to see how powerful that name really is. 121 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,560 Acts 3, verse one. Here we go. 122 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,240 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of 123 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,160 prayer, the 9th hour. It's about 3:00 in the 124 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,560 afternoon. And a man lame from birth was 125 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,280 being carried and whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple 126 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:16,640 that is called the beautiful gate, to ask alms of those 127 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,680 entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to 128 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,840 go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 129 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,800 I'm just going to share a few very simple things with you this 130 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,000 morning. I want you to see, first of all, 131 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:33,160 just a lifetime of need, a legitimate lifetime of need, not 132 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,320 just for this person who's lame, but to be honest with you, for 133 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,160 all of us. Before we meet Jesus, Peter and 134 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,400 John are going into the afternoon prayer session at the 135 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,400 temp at the temple. Remember, they're, they're 136 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,200 Jewish believers at this point. All of them are still Jewish 137 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,240 believers in their backgrounds. And so going to the temple is 138 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:50,800 still a normal part of their life. 139 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,680 Faithful Jews would go to the temple three times a day if they 140 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,400 could. They'd go in the morning, they'd 141 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,880 go in this afternoon time, and they'd go at sunset. 142 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,120 This afternoon time was the biggest time. 143 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,400 They'd be the biggest crowd. And So what better time for the 144 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,040 Holy Spirit to show up, What better time for the Holy Spirit 145 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,680 to display himself than when the biggest crowd is gathered at the 146 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:13,280 temple? And that's what we're going to 147 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,360 see here in a moment to provide testimony, to provide evidence 148 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,560 of himself. So he, in other words, kind of 149 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,480 gather them all up when watch me show up. 150 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,960 That's kind of what the Holy Spirit is doing here as he 151 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,920 orchestrates this. But outside the temple gate, 152 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,560 ironically called the beautiful gate, there he sat. 153 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:36,200 He was there every day. The Bible says real lifetime 154 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,440 need is all around us every day, even in our lives. 155 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,200 Now listen, it wasn't this man's fault. 156 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,240 He needed help. This is an important part of the 157 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,400 story. He was born lame. 158 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,320 He literally from the womb. The Bible says a lifetime of 159 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,160 real need. He knew nothing else. 160 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:55,880 He never knew what it was to walk. 161 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,600 He never knew what it was to run. 162 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,280 He never knew what it was to jump. 163 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,600 This was all he ever knew. This is the way it always was, 164 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,360 and the way I am sure he probably thought. 165 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,280 This is the way it would always be. 166 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:14,600 Inevitable, eternal. And those who saw him every day 167 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:15,600 would have thought the same thing. 168 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,320 They saw him every day there. There's that guy by that gate. 169 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,080 We see him every single day and they knew nothing else about 170 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,080 him. The idea of being lame from 171 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:29,280 birth always was, always will be, and this becomes an 172 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:31,640 important fact. This is important because of 173 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,000 what's going to happen in Chapter 4 next week. 174 00:08:34,159 --> 00:08:38,799 The opposition would never be able to explain away what 175 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:42,120 happens to this man, and we're going to see that next week. 176 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,400 So come on back for Part 2. Because his need was real. 177 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:51,560 He was truly physically unable to walk for his entire life. 178 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:53,800 This is not a fake. This is not a scam. 179 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,680 This is not some excuse for a handout. 180 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,200 This guy, in fact, the word refers to paralysis in the feet 181 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:00,720 and ankle. Something was wrong with the 182 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,160 lower part of his legs and his feet. 183 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,800 And so he couldn't walk. And so he he was in this 184 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,120 lifetime of need. But we all are. 185 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,960 Maybe not physically with our feet and ankles, but we all 186 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:19,160 suffer from a lifetime of legitimate need before we 187 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,360 encounter His amazing name and grace. 188 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,400 All of us do. Lostness and sin are real. 189 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,320 Lostness and sin are paralyzing their legitimate needs. 190 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,560 People who are hurt, people who are confused, people who are 191 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:35,480 abused, people who are trying to understand and find the best way 192 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,560 forward. They might feel like it's always 193 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:39,520 been that way. They might feel like it always 194 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,560 will be that way. That's just life. 195 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,600 Nothing can be done. There's really no hope for 196 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,840 anything else. Or maybe, like a lot of people 197 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,320 I've met, they've tried to fix it themselves. 198 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:57,280 If I can just muster up enough strength, if I can just pay 199 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:01,760 enough money, if I can just do enough good, I could make these 200 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:07,680 spiritual legs work somehow. Myself or the line I hear a lot, 201 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,640 preacher. If I could just get my life in 202 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:15,320 order first, then maybe I could come to Jesus, or maybe I could 203 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,640 come to church, or maybe I could be baptized or whatever, but I 204 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,000 got to get my own life straightened out first. 205 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,320 I hear this all the time and the problem with it is it never 206 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,400 works that way. It doesn't work that way. 207 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:30,360 You will never get your life straightened out on your own. 208 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,200 You're not designed to do that. You weren't created to do that. 209 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,840 You are incapable of that. It it reminds me of a friend and 210 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,600 I've shared this story with a couple of the lead from the 211 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:40,680 leaders, but it reminded me of Lonnie Butler. 212 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,960 In fact, if I had an acoustic guitar right now, we could have 213 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,280 a country music video for what I'm about to tell you. 214 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:51,120 Lonnie Butler was the very first senior pastorate I ever served 215 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,760 in, was in a church that had just stopped being a church 216 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:55,520 plant. I was their first full time 217 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,640 anything and I'm not sure they paid me full time. 218 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,920 They expected full time, not sure they paid me full time. 219 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,160 And a little bitty town of about 2000 people. 220 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,360 Now, you didn't go to this town unless you meant to go to this 221 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:08,280 town. It was not on the way to 222 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,040 anywhere. You understand what I'm saying? 223 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:17,120 So you went to the live down in a valley back in the Ozarks and 224 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,720 I was the pastor of this brand new church, right? 225 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:23,720 And we had vacation Bible school and, and a young boy came 226 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,200 forward and wanted to know more about trusting in Christ. 227 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,360 So we had people follow up in the home with him and his mama's 228 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,240 there. And so Mama then wants to know 229 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,120 about trusting in Christ. So mom and son accept Christ. 230 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:38,360 They're going to be baptized. This is the wife and son of 231 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:42,120 Lonnie Butler. Now Lonnie Butler was about 6 232 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:48,080 foot five, 425 lbs easy, looked like a professional wrestler and 233 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:51,200 he was a deputy sheriff who loved to dress in paramilitary 234 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,560 garb, drove him paramilitary type Jeep and his job was to 235 00:11:54,560 --> 00:11:58,680 bust up the marijuana growers in the Ozarks and he loved his job. 236 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,840 Rough around the edges does not describe Lonnie strongly enough. 237 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,280 Lonnie would be so tickled if he heard. 238 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,520 I may have to get in touch with him to say I talked about you 239 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:11,200 again, Lonnie. He would be thrilled to death. 240 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:12,760 You know, he's being mentioned from a pulpit. 241 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,320 Ruff cussed like a sailor, which I always felt bad for blaming 242 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:21,840 the sailors for that just rough around the But he had to come to 243 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:26,120 church because his wife and his son were getting baptized. 244 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:27,880 Well, let me tell you something. Lonnie Butler sitting there in 245 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:29,480 church, First of all, he's just hard to miss. 246 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,200 And second of all, the whole town knew Lonnie Butler. 247 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,640 And so they were amazed that Lonnie Butler was in church. 248 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,240 The probably the one time in the history of anything Lonnie 249 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:38,480 Butler had been in a church service. 250 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,080 So I got to know Lonnie. Some of you don't know my past. 251 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,560 The biography would be entitled. He ain't Always been a preacher. 252 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,280 So me and Lonnie would talk. We'd go to Peggy's Cafe. 253 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,120 It's the cafe, you know what I'm saying? 254 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,080 The cafe in town, there's nowhere else to go. 255 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,120 The cafe and the town will talk about it. 256 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,480 They couldn't believe that. The preacher and Lonnie would 257 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:04,200 sit at a table together, and Lonnie would just cuss and push 258 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,760 my buttons, trying to get me to react to him. 259 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:09,800 And I just share the gospel back to Lonnie. 260 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,840 We go back and forth. He heard the gospel. 261 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,240 He heard the gospel. But here's what Lonnie would 262 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,720 say. Well, preacher, you don't know 263 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,160 what all I've done. And I'd say, well, Lonnie, I can 264 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,360 imagine what you've done. In fact, you enjoyed doing it 265 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,880 too, didn't you? I got to get my life 266 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,720 straightened out first, then I might trust in Jesus. 267 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,040 Lonnie, you're never going to get that done that way. 268 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,480 You never will. Priest will testify that it was 269 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,360 a stormy night. Paul, I'm telling you, it was 270 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,240 like a country music. I need I need a background 271 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,080 music. Thunder and lightning and and 272 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:50,800 Latin. About midnight, my phone rings. 273 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,720 It's Lonnie Butler. Preacher, get out to my house. 274 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:59,040 All right, Lonnie. I drive out the country. 275 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:00,880 Then I drive a little further because that's where Lonnie 276 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:02,440 lived. A little further. 277 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,200 Knock on that door. This giant opens the door, 278 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,520 trembling and shaking and weeping. 279 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:11,680 Michael Lonnie, what in the world's wrong with you? 280 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:14,840 Preacher? I'm lost and I'm going to go to 281 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,360 hell. If I die, I need to be saved. 282 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,120 I'll never forget that night. He, he, he meant to kneel at the 283 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,920 couch, but he hit the floor so hard the couch went flying 284 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,080 across the room. And he's on all fours, this 285 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:31,400 giant man on. I mean, the house is shaking. 286 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Every time he shakes, he's shaking, sobbing, and he prays 287 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,280 and asks Jesus Christ into his heart. 288 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,800 Well, now came the baptism of Lonnie, but which would be the 289 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:46,000 theme? That would be the title of the 290 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:47,720 song, The Baptism of Lonnie Butler. 291 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:53,880 Well, let me tell you something. The whole town showed up for 292 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,960 that one. They're afraid the roof wasn't 293 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,360 going to last. You know, the whole thing going 294 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,960 to collapse because Lonnie Butler getting baptized. 295 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,240 Now, I was a bigger man in those days. 296 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,560 I'm still pretty tall, but I was a bunch bigger man in those 297 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:06,920 days. Lonnie Butler, though, it's the 298 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:08,480 only guy ever lost in the baptistry. 299 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,680 They turned on me. And in those days, the choir sit 300 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,320 right up underneath, you know what I'm saying? 301 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,160 So the base sections right up here in the choir road, right 302 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,840 underneath the baptism. And I mean, when he hit, there 303 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,120 was a tidal wave. Just took out the whole base 304 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,160 section. Don't tell me you're going to 305 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,640 get your life together first. It just doesn't work that way. 306 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,920 He's lame from birth. So are we. 307 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,840 So are we. We're lame from birth. 308 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,120 Nothing can be done. There's nothing if I could just 309 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:45,720 in reality, the only way for your healing, for my healing for 310 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:50,200 Lonnie's, for this man. The only hope is the amazing 311 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:51,640 power of the Messiah. So. 312 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,120 So here he was in the best place to beg. 313 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,880 Biggest crowd, best place, good time for begging, giving alms. 314 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,440 That was this is considered a work of merit and Judaism for. 315 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,960 So people coming out of the temple would be more generous. 316 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,200 They'd want to impress God and they'd want to impress one 317 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:07,920 another. So it'd be a good time to get 318 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,640 some coins off of them. But he had no idea what was 319 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,680 coming next. He's begging for pennies and he 320 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,240 needs something much more. Look at verse 4. 321 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,040 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, look 322 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,920 at us. And he fixed his attention on 323 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:24,960 them, expecting to receive something from them. 324 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,960 But Peter said, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I 325 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,560 give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and 326 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,200 walk. And he took him by the right 327 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,600 hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles 328 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,080 were made strong. So the second thing we see is 329 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,280 just very simple, this immediate transformation. 330 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:50,320 We go from legitimate need, a lifetime of legitimate need to 331 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,080 immediate transformation. I just want you to see this 332 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:54,760 power. Most would have just flipped a 333 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:56,640 coin. That's what they did. 334 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,560 They'd have flipped a coin and kept on walking. 335 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,800 It's easier to just flip a coin. It's easier than just investing 336 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,720 any real time in people's lives. It'd been easier just to pay off 337 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,599 the beggar. But Peter and John knew he 338 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:08,800 needed more. He needed love. 339 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,319 He needed transformation. So they stop and they fix their 340 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:15,359 gaze on him intentionally and demand him to do the same to 341 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:16,560 them. And you got to recognize 342 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,480 culturally, traditionally, what a huge moment this is. 343 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,319 We may not, we might kind of overlook that in our culture 344 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:24,040 today, but it's not. Think about this. 345 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,319 Most would just duck their heads. 346 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,160 Most would just turn away. But these men were going to be 347 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,720 different. I mean, what Jewish man, what 348 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,840 faithful Jewish man would look at a pitiful beggar who's 349 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,400 considered unclean, blemished, blemished beneath them and all 350 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:45,720 of their traditions, who'd look him right in the eye and demand 351 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,040 him to stare back? Who, who would spend the time 352 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,880 and energy to give dignity and respect to someone like that? 353 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,680 I mean, and you have to think about Peter and John. 354 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:56,200 They legitimately had a lot going on. 355 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,480 They, they had thousands of new members, they, they thousands of 356 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,280 new believers. They're trying to sort out think 357 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,360 about this. This is just Acts 3. 358 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,440 Acts 23000 people saved, thousands of issues, thousands 359 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,280 of hurts, thousands of needs, and because it's the church, 360 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:17,640 thousands of opinions. But Jesus had shown them. 361 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,800 Jesus had shown them the one was important, that one lost person, 362 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,800 that one inactive member, that one person who's hurting, maybe 363 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,440 alone they're worth it. I've shared with some of you 364 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,760 before that that that I used to work, I've worked on a couple of 365 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,280 cattle ranches. I this life, it's not the year 366 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,120 of the model, it's how many miles you put on it. 367 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,200 I'm telling you, I've worked on a couple and one of them was a 368 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,920 purebred bull breeding business in Central Texas. 369 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,320 We were raising purebred Santa Gertrudius bulls for the Kings 370 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,720 Ranch. We were a subcontractor and 371 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,600 these were like, it's like raising thoroughbred horses. 372 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,400 These are worth, we had one bull worth $1,000,000. 373 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,000 These are worth 10s of thousands of dollars, these animals. 374 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:00,440 And I lived at the rants for security and to work. 375 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:03,080 And if I woke up and I was missing one of those bull 376 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,760 calves, I had to go out and find it, search for it, rescue it, do 377 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:11,360 whatever I had for it because it was so valuable. 378 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,280 How about a church member? How about a lost soul? 379 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:18,720 How about somebody who's hurting? 380 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,520 We're implementing a strategy to reach every inactive church 381 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,720 member to love and to lead them back into the flock. 382 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,120 We need everybody to be in a connect group so you can be 383 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:28,800 ready to help with that. The deacons are going to be 384 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,840 mobilized to help with it too. But it reminds me of Jesus just 385 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,400 a few weeks ago. Remember in Jericho he stopped 386 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,480 for that one blind beggar named Bartimaeus. 387 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,960 He stopped for that tax collector up the tree. 388 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,360 In other places in his ministry. He stopped for that woman who 389 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,520 was hurting. He'll even stop and restore that 390 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,680 one disciple who denies him three times. 391 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,840 The one is important. And Peter and John had something 392 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:56,160 much greater than coin, silver and gold. 393 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,920 I have none. Perhaps Peter was saying that 394 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:02,120 and he's he was standing there in front of the temple gate 395 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,680 called Beautiful, which is very ornate. 396 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,960 It had, it had carvings of great clusters on it covered in gold 397 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,800 or silver or Corinthian bronze. Maybe he's looking at that and 398 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:16,040 he says I don't have any of that, but I've got something 399 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:21,280 even better. Much better, eternally better. 400 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:28,080 They knew the answer, So do we. They shared the answer, so must 401 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,720 we. Jesus is the answer for the 402 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,080 beggar, but for also for us and for you. 403 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,400 For all your hurt, for all your pain, for all your confusion, 404 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,480 for all your stress, for all your anger, for all your fear, 405 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,680 for all your loneliness, for the chaos of your life. 406 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:45,800 You're never going to figure that out on your own. 407 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,280 He's the answer. Your own efforts to live a good 408 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,880 life, to lift yourself up by your own bootstraps. 409 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,440 Which, by the way, in his original version, is a satirical 410 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:56,800 joke. It's sarcasm. 411 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:00,520 To fix things, all those things are going to fail. 412 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:06,440 You need an amazing power found only in one amazing name. 413 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,360 God's gazing right into your heart, right into your life, and 414 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:13,600 He wants you to stare right back at him right now. 415 00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:16,680 He loves you. He's got an incredible purpose 416 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:18,680 and value for you. A pastor. 417 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,560 You don't know me. You don't know what I've done. 418 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:23,680 You don't know what I'm doing right now. 419 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,160 You don't know how far away I am. 420 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,240 I don't care. It's, it can be a lifetime of 421 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,160 distance. Just focus and stare right back 422 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,720 at God right now and see what he does. 423 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:39,040 I challenge you. Peter knew he couldn't heal him 424 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,920 by his own power. Peter never takes credit. 425 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:43,440 Peter never takes credit. He always does things in the 426 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,160 power of Jesus. And this is not some magic trick 427 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,640 that only through Christ could true immediate transformation 428 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,800 take place, And only as another evidence, only as a testimony of 429 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:57,400 who Jesus really is and of the reality and power of the Holy 430 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:01,480 Spirit could this happen. So in Scripture, we've got to 431 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,520 remember that the name carried the presence and power of the 432 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,320 person. And so he invokes the name in 433 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:12,040 the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. 434 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:19,000 And immediately after an entire lifetime of being broken, 435 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:25,840 immediately after a lifetime of being paralyzed, immediately he 436 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:27,880 was healed. Now, the same thing happened to 437 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:29,800 me. You don't know what all I've 438 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,200 done. You don't know who I used to be. 439 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:34,440 And the same thing happened to me. 440 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,520 I was very broken and in one instant, Jesus Christ 441 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,520 immediately saved me and healed me. 442 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,120 And the same thing can happen to you immediately. 443 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,320 This morning. I was in Phoenix a few years 444 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,800 ago, downtown, it's 100°, you know, because it's always 100° 445 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,880 in Phoenix, could be December. It's 100° in Phoenix. 446 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,640 And there was a restaurant and, and outside the restaurant, 447 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,480 there was a man passed out on the sidewalk, a homeless man. 448 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,160 And I reached down and I was helping him. 449 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:04,760 I was trying to revive him and help him. 450 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,760 His name's Larry. He's a homeless veteran. 451 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,960 And Larry said to me, and I'll never forget his words, he says, 452 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,520 I didn't think anybody would ever stop. 453 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:17,320 I didn't think anybody would care enough to help me. 454 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,160 Larry began to share with me about all the addictions in his 455 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,240 life, all the problems and addictions in his life. 456 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:25,320 So I turned around and I shared with him about mine. 457 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,880 I shared with him about my addiction to Jesus Christ at 458 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:35,600 that point in my life and now and how did change me and Larry 459 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,600 and I prayed on that sidewalk 100° you could fry an egg. 460 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,000 But we prayed and asked Jesus. He prayed and was saved that 461 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,960 day. I would love to share about 462 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,840 Jesus more with you, but we got to move on. 463 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,920 So what happens next? A lifetime of need, immediate 464 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,240 transformation, and then it results #3 very appropriately in 465 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,840 a responsive praise. You got to see this verse 8 and 466 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,960 leaping up. He didn't just stand up, he 467 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,800 leaps up. He stood and began to walk and 468 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:07,840 entered the temple with them. Don't miss that phrase. 469 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,320 Hugely important. Walking and leaping and praising 470 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,520 God. And all the people saw him 471 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,560 walking and praising God and recognized him as the one who 472 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,000 said at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for alms. 473 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,440 And they were filled with wonder and amazement of what had 474 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,920 happened to him. And while he clung to Peter and 475 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,560 John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them 476 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:31,200 in the portico called Solomon's. He jumped up and began to walk. 477 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:34,080 He leaped up. After a lifetime. 478 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:39,720 It's amazing never knowing, never knowing what it felt like 479 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,560 to put pressure on those feet, to look down from way up here. 480 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,280 The ground is way down there. Never in his life that he had 481 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,440 that perspective. And to think about the no 482 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,200 groaning, no wobbling, no teetering, just leaping. 483 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,080 But don't miss what happens next. 484 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:58,880 This is huge. And you might miss it because of 485 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,240 the context. You might miss it because you 486 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,360 don't understand the culture in the context. 487 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,560 He entered the temple with them. Now you got to understand what a 488 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:09,520 big deal this is. Day by day. 489 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,960 He sat there. He'd sat there by the gate, he 490 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,720 said, at the very threshold of the place of worship, unable to 491 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:17,640 go in. You see, he was lame. 492 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,800 He was unclean. He was not allowed to go in by 493 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,840 the law. He, he was, he was denied access 494 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,520 because he was blemished. He couldn't go into the temple. 495 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,520 Now not only was he healed physically, but he was now also 496 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,640 to be free and accepted relationally and spiritually, 497 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,600 rejected by the old, deemed worthy by Christ. 498 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,600 What a moment. For the first time he praised 499 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,720 God in that designated place, at that designated time with the 500 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,520 other people, with his community. 501 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:53,760 I mean, Can you imagine his praise that day? 502 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:58,520 We need to worship God that way. He's done the same thing for us. 503 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:02,000 And the people saw it all. They were amazed. 504 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:03,840 They witnessed the transformation. 505 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,560 So they come running because real transformation is going to 506 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,360 do that. When lives are truly 507 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,840 transformed, others are going to come running to see what's going 508 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:13,600 on. You remember Asbury just a few 509 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,080 years ago. Now, years and years ago, you 510 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,560 can watch black and white films of what happened in Asbury. 511 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,320 Years ago, they had a huge revival at Asbury College in 512 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,560 Kentucky. But just a couple few years ago, 513 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,200 it happened again and people from all over 10s of thousands 514 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,600 of people went over there to see what's going on. 515 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,680 Now listen, why not now? Why not here at Inglewood? 516 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,760 Why can't the revival of Rocky Mount start right here? 517 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:44,240 So leaping and praising, they were in order. 518 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,400 And the way it's written is he kept on, he kept on leaping, he 519 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,160 kept on praying. They couldn't stop him. 520 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:53,560 That guy's just hopping over there and we can't slow him 521 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,040 down. He wouldn't quit. 522 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,360 I'm not, I'm lame now. I can leap. 523 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,400 I'm lost now. I'm going to testify. 524 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,960 I was rejected. Now I can praise. 525 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,560 So they all meet together at Solomon's colonnade. 526 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,040 It's on the east side of the temple. 527 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,040 Because they're not done yet. Holy Spirit's not done. 528 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,760 Incredible power, incredible transformation, incredible 529 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,000 things happening. Why? 530 00:27:16,120 --> 00:27:18,920 Because then there was evidence. This is clear evidence. 531 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:20,600 Jesus really is who He said He is. 532 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:22,600 And the Holy Spirit really has come. 533 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:24,760 Here's the message. But the Holy Spirit's not done 534 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:27,000 yet. It was time for explanation. 535 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,320 It was time for the testimony. So Peter steps up verse 12. 536 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,520 And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people, men of 537 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,160 Israel. Why do you wonder at this? 538 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:40,280 And why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety 539 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:43,360 we have made Him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of 540 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:46,200 Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified 541 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,720 his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the 542 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,400 presence of Pilate, when He had decided to release Him. 543 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,360 But you denied the holy unrighteous, 1 and asked for a 544 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:58,600 murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of 545 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,800 life, whom God raised from the dead. 546 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:06,120 To this we are witnesses, and His name by faith in His name, 547 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,520 has made this man strong whom you see and know, And the faith 548 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:14,320 that is through Jesus has given the man His this perfect health 549 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,600 in the presence of you all. And now, brothers, I know that 550 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,480 you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 551 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,320 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that 552 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,400 is, Christ, would suffer, He thus fulfilled. 553 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:29,400 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted 554 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,920 out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of 555 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,800 the Lord, that he may send the Christ appointed for you Jesus, 556 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,240 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring. 557 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,600 Of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy 558 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,520 prophets. Long ago Moses said, The Lord 559 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,840 God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your 560 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,560 brothers. You shall listen to him and 561 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,800 whatever he tells you, and it shall be that every soul who 562 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,200 does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the 563 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,440 people. And all the prophets who have 564 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,800 spoken from Samuel and those who came after him also proclaimed 565 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,920 these days you're the sons of the prophets and of the covenant 566 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,440 that God made with your father's saying to Abraham. 567 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,360 And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be 568 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,120 blessed. God, having raised up his 569 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:17,480 servant, sent him to you first to bless you by turning everyone 570 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:21,920 of you from your wickedness. So the last thing we just have 571 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,120 to point out is a glorifying testimony. 572 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,960 That's what happens. You have a lifetime of need when 573 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,080 Christ brings immediate transformation. 574 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:32,920 You respond with the praise he deserves, and then you testify 575 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,400 about him. That's exactly what you've seen 576 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:37,840 this morning. So Peter preached the gospel 577 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:39,320 again. He preached the sermon. 578 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,440 It's almost exactly like the sermon in Acts 2. 579 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,840 He's he's it's a Jewish audience. 580 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,160 So he's referring to Old Testament leadership and Old 581 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,400 Testament examples and Old Testament prophecies to bridge 582 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,800 the gap with that audience that, but pointing out that they all 583 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,520 lead to Jesus Christ is the film fulfilment of the covenant. 584 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,480 He is the ultimate fulfilment and deserves all the glory. 585 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,280 So they hadn't healed this man by their power. 586 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,120 In fact, he says, men of Israel, why do you wonder if this, why 587 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:12,160 do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we've 588 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,880 made him walk? Of course they wondered and 589 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:16,840 stared, What else would they do? Nothing like this has ever 590 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,160 happened before. They've never seen this before. 591 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,600 But it was the power of Christ, the faith in Christ, in his name 592 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,800 that needed to be their focus. In fact, Peter says in his name, 593 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,480 by faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and 594 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,440 know. And the faith that is through 595 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,040 Jesus has given this man this perfect health, not just sort 596 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:41,880 of, but perfect health in the presence of you all, all done in 597 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,840 his amazing name. And then listen one last time to 598 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,520 Peter's appeal, verses 19 and 20. 599 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:55,360 He says repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be 600 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,560 blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the 601 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:02,840 presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed 602 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,960 for you, Jesus. You must repent. 603 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,880 You must turn back or turn to God. 604 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,200 They'd rejected him. Now they had to return to him 605 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,120 that their sins might be blotted out. 606 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,800 It literally means to be wiped out, to be to be rubbed off, to 607 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,240 be erased, to be removed completely from the document. 608 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,400 They don't exist anymore. And then a phrase only time used 609 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:31,200 in the New Testament at times of refreshing may come from the 610 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,560 presence of the Lord. The image here is of a cool 611 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:37,400 breeze on a very hot day. The refreshing, the restoration 612 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:41,920 that that cool breeze, that cool wind would bring on a very hot 613 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:46,680 desert day. Only from God, only by 614 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,200 believing, only by receiving the Christ, responding in repentance 615 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,200 and turning to him with this personal forgiveness, with this 616 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:56,000 refreshing, with this restoration take place. 617 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:00,000 And Jesus now waits. Peter says he waits in heaven 618 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:03,520 and he'll return one day to bring complete restoration to 619 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,960 everything. Verse 21, whom heaven must 620 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,920 receive until the time for restoring all the things about 621 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:14,000 which God spoke by the mouth of the holy prophets long ago. 622 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:16,800 So don't miss him on Mother's Day. 623 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:21,440 Allow him to restore you today. This miracle was a testimony of 624 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,520 the reality of God the Son and God the Spirit working with God 625 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,560 the Father on mission. You see this incredible 626 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:33,560 Trinitarian formula taking place, but what part of your 627 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,200 life is broken? What part of your life is 628 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,720 paralyzed? What part of your life needs 629 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:41,520 immediate transformation to join them? 630 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,200 It was a Sunday night. I know that's foreign to a lot 631 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:47,880 of churches now. Didn't used to be. 632 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:52,120 It was a Sunday night service. I was actually the interim youth 633 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:53,480 pastor. I was just getting ready to go 634 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,640 overseas with our Foreign Mission Board before it became 635 00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:58,080 known as the International Mission Board. 636 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,000 So I was just there for a few more days really. 637 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,720 And it was a smaller crowd on a Sunday night. 638 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,720 I was an interim in a church in my hometown just helping him out 639 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,560 for a few months before I went overseas. 640 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:15,760 And I watched this young, college aged young man in a Army 641 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:20,200 fatigue jacket come all the way from the back and just kneel at 642 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:24,320 the front right, right there in that church sobbing. 643 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,080 I was sitting over there. So I did, I came and I put my 644 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,600 arm around him and just begin to pray with him and ask him who he 645 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:36,000 was and what's going on. He he said, well, everybody 646 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,240 calls me Little Juan. His name was Juan, but everybody 647 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:40,600 said my, my nickname is Little Juan. 648 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:45,000 And little Juan had grown up in Oklahoma City and he'd been 649 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:46,880 involved in St. gangs his whole life. 650 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,200 And he used to steal cars. That's what he did. 651 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,240 And he finally got caught after stealing a bunch of them. 652 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:55,120 And the judge gave him two options. 653 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,680 Either you go to the penitentiary or you get into 654 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:01,320 this Job Corps work program at the State University in the town 655 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,880 where I was. And of course, he chose that. 656 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,199 But that night he was escaping. That night he was running away. 657 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,800 He was on his way to Tulsa, OK to find a man to kill him. 658 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,080 He purposely made sure he got positioned as close as he could, 659 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:19,400 and then he was going to run away. 660 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,199 This man had killed his little brother in a street gang fight. 661 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,159 He'd whipped him to death with a chain off a chainsaw. 662 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:29,840 He says, I'm going to go. I was going to kill that man 663 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,560 then I'm going to kill myself. And he said I was walking, I was 664 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:36,719 running away. And I walked by the building and 665 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:40,560 I heard the music and I just like a force just pushed me into 666 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,120 there. I couldn't, couldn't not come in 667 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:47,280 there. And so I, I shared with him 668 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:52,120 about Jesus and both of us sobbing there at the front on 669 00:34:52,120 --> 00:34:58,160 those steps, not as many there. He prays and asks Jesus to come 670 00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:02,040 into his heart to save him. I tried to introduce him to 671 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,920 Christian brothers and sisters on the college campus I knew and 672 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,000 some of the ministries there and got him involved and it's 673 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,760 discipling him some. But I'm getting ready to leave 674 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:10,680 and I don't see him for a few days. 675 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:12,680 And then he shows up my office and he goes, I want you to know, 676 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,600 I went to Tulsa and I'm like, oh, oh, oh, man. 677 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:23,800 So what happened goes, well, I found him and I pounded on his 678 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:27,680 door and he opened the door and he immediately knew who I was 679 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,560 and why I was there. And I looked at him and I said, 680 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,520 I just wanted you to know I've come all this way and I was 681 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,880 going to kill you for what you did to my brother. 682 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,760 But instead I've come here to forgive you because I've trusted 683 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,040 in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and only he could change 684 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:45,760 my heart to be able to give this to you. 685 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:57,320 Transformation Acts 319 says repent therefore and turn back, 686 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,320 that your sins may be blotted out. 687 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,120 Come on, gang, let him take them off the document. 688 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:09,840 Let him save you if you're not saved. 689 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:16,600 Father, thank you for grace. Father, thank you for life. 690 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,560 What a testimony these families, these children are to us. 691 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,400 Thank you for salvation. What a testimony of these 692 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:27,960 baptisms have been for us. And Father, we, we're so 693 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:30,960 thankful for all that you give us. 694 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:34,800 There may be some here this morning though, and that maybe 695 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,440 they're here visiting mom or grandma. 696 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:41,160 Maybe they really didn't even want to be in church, but it's 697 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:46,520 part of the day. Or maybe they're here every week 698 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:52,080 and they have to admit I can't share the testimony that Boyd 699 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:55,720 shared. Or maybe they're they're 700 00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:57,680 similar. Maybe they've thought they were 701 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,200 Christians their whole life but recognize they're really not. 702 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:02,800 They've really never surrendered to you. 703 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,960 They've never really trusted you as their Lord and Savior. 704 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:09,440 Or, or maybe they sit there and they know for sure they never 705 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,160 have. They, they've blatantly never 706 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,360 trusted in Christ, perhaps even rejected him before. 707 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:18,760 Well, Father, right now I just pray your Holy Spirit moves so 708 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:22,400 powerfully in here. The Father, you're staring right 709 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:24,480 into their hearts and their minds right now, and they have 710 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:28,640 no choice but to look right back at you that they can't deny it 711 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,600 anymore. They can't fight it anymore. 712 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:37,520 But they know you're real, that you love them, that you're the 713 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,200 only one who can save them. They can't do it themselves. 714 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:41,840 They're not going to work their way towards you. 715 00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:46,000 They're not going to straighten themselves out and I'm going to 716 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,800 get clean first. They've got to come to you and 717 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:54,440 they need your grace and help. So Father, in just a moment as 718 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:58,320 we sing, I pray that they would come physically come down here, 719 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:00,760 take a pastor by the hand and say I need to know what it means 720 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,400 to trust in Jesus. Maybe there's somebody here and 721 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:05,880 they've been attending and attending, visiting perhaps. 722 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,040 And Lord, I pray that today they'll recognize I, I need to 723 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,800 join this church. I need to be a part of what 724 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:13,880 God's doing here. I need to join the team 725 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,360 officially. Or maybe they need to be 726 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:17,840 baptized. They've been saved, but they've 727 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,320 never publicly shared what these men have shared today. 728 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:25,880 Or maybe they just want to come and fill this altar with prayer. 729 00:38:27,240 --> 00:38:29,960 They just need to come and pray for themselves, for friends, for 730 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:34,160 neighbors, for hurt, for brokenness, for paralysis, 731 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:39,400 whatever they need to do. I just pray that as we sing, as 732 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,360 the worship team leads us, the Father will respond in Christ's 733 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:46,560 name, Amen. So I want you to stand with me. 734 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,520 I'm going to be here. Other pastors are here. 735 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:50,880 We'd love to pray with you. We have counselors who'd love to 736 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,200 share with you. I just need you to come, need 737 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,080 you to surrender, need you to give up, give in. 738 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,960 You come pray. Come talk to one of the one of 739 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:02,920 us. We'll pray with you. 740 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:05,440 Whatever you need to do, You come as we sing. 741 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:12,280 Thank you so much for listening today, and I also hope that 742 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:14,800 you'll go to ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com 743 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,880 as well as our app and find many other resources that will bless 744 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,040 you and your families. Thank you once again.