1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,520 Acts chapter #10 As we get to these last few weeks here, of 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,000 looking at the life of the apostle Peter and how he has 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,960 grown, and once you get to Acts chapter 10, would you also put 10 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,880 your place in Hebrews chapter #12 All right, we're going to 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,520 look at both of these texts this morning, kind of bounce around a 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,520 little bit in our Bible reading, Acts chapter 10 and also Hebrews 13 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,240 chapter 12. If you prepare yourself for 14 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,680 that, that would be wonderful. Now, I know it's going to be a 15 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,960 surprise to you for me to say this this morning because you're 16 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,600 looking at this extremely handsome face. 17 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:56,520 And so I know. Why are you? 18 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,200 Laughing. That was not the part for 19 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,000 audience participation. Unless it's an Amen. 20 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,040 All right. But there you go, my man. 21 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,000 All right, So this is you and me, Ralph against the world, 22 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,160 baby. All right, Looking at this face. 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,880 But believe it or not, when I was a kid, the teeth in my mouth 24 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,200 grew in about every direction and set the directions they were 25 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,160 supposed to grow, you know, had no chin. 26 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,520 My chin was all the way kind of back and all of that. 27 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:30,800 And so it required some correction. 28 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,160 And I'll talk maybe a little bit about what that was a little bit 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,320 later. But the body doesn't always 30 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:37,640 cooperate, does it? Depending on what the issues 31 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,240 are. And sometimes the body, the 32 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,440 physical body needs correction. That could be the teeth, it 33 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,320 could be the chin, it could be something like allergies. 34 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,840 And a lot of us deal with allergies and have different 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,160 things like that. And you might need allergy shots 36 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,800 or something like that that require correction, might have 37 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,400 had surgery or an injury or a fall and you had to go to 38 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,080 physical therapy, don't you? They work you over. 39 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,400 I call them physical terrorists, not physical therapist. 40 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,640 And you know, they'll work you over a little bit, try to get 41 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,600 you back where you need to be, put some correction in line. 42 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,240 You know, we often need correction for these, don't we? 43 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:09,759 To be able. All right, well, you're still 44 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:11,560 there, all right, To be able to see. 45 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:15,120 I've got progressives now to be able to see, to see far and to 46 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,440 see near, hearing aids for hearing all of these different 47 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,240 things. They are necessary because 48 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,360 there's something in the physical body that's just not 49 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,160 the way it ought to be. And so we need some correction 50 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,400 to help make it what it needs to be. 51 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,720 We understand this in a physical sense. 52 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,200 Every single one of us deal with this in some way, shape or form, 53 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,040 and sometimes in many different ways. 54 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,080 Shapes and forms of the body kind of betrays us here and 55 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:39,560 there, but you know, as much as it's. 56 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,040 True that our body, our physical body needs correction. 57 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,560 You as a spiritual being also need correction. 58 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,640 You. But before you get too worried, 59 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,920 you and I as spiritual beings, we need correction from our Lord 60 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:58,120 because there's things within our spiritual life that aren't 61 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,040 what they ought to be. If that's true physically, how 62 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,200 much more is it true for us spiritually? 63 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Now this morning, Peter in our text has a deficiency in his 64 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,840 thinking and it's one that could have seriously hindered his life 65 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:12,560 and. Hindered his ministry. 66 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,800 So what happened? God brought him some gentle, 67 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,200 some loving, but very real correction to challenge his 68 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,680 thinking. And because Peter was open, 69 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,320 because Peter was willing to listen to the correction of God, 70 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,640 he was able to help others in his life who needed to grow 71 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:34,680 spiritually. You have to allow God to correct 72 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,600 you without complaint. Listen, if you get anything from 73 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,400 this message this morning, get this. 74 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,400 If you want to grow spiritually, you have to allow God to correct 75 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,600 you without complaint. Would you stand, please for the 76 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,760 reading God's Word where in Acts chapter 10 we'll begin in verse 77 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:57,800 #9 Got to be careful about speaking quickly this morning. 78 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,040 You know, sometimes I get excited. 79 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,520 I start saying things quickly. I those you were at the end of 80 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,200 Sunday school. You know, I was trying to pray 81 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,040 for the morning worship. But we've been talking so much 82 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,000 about Mormons. I prayed for the Mormon worship 83 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,520 this morning, and that's definitely not what I wanted us 84 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,800 to pray for. So I'm going to try to take it 85 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:15,520 easy. I'm going to try to slow down 86 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,760 and make sure we get everything in that needs to be said. 87 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,200 All right. Verse #9 Says, On the Morrow, as 88 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,720 they went on their journey, and drew nigh into the city, Peter 89 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,680 went up upon the housetop to pray about the 6th hour. 90 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,840 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten. 91 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,440 But while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw 92 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,760 heaven open, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as 93 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,320 it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let 94 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,720 down to the earth, where they were all manner of four footed 95 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,080 beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and 96 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,480 fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, 97 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,400 Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said. 98 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,640 Not so, Lord, for I've never eaten anything that is common or 99 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,000 unclean. And the voice spake unto him 100 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,320 again the second time, What God hath cleansed that call not thou 101 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,200 common. This was done thrice, and the 102 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,600 vessel was received up again into heaven. 103 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,160 No, well, Peter doubted himself what this vision which he had 104 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,760 seen should mean. Behold. 105 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,880 The men that were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry from 106 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,800 Simon's house, and stood before the gate, and called and asked 107 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,280 whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, was lodged 108 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:26,840 there. While Peter thought on the 109 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:30,240 vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek 110 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:35,000 thee, arise, therefore get thee down and go with them, doubting 111 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:39,520 nothing, for I have sent them. Why don't you be seated as we 112 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,440 pray together and look at this issue this morning of the growth 113 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,840 and correction connection. As we continue to look at the 114 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:50,640 issue of growth, there's a connection between growth and 115 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:53,160 correction. Heavenly Father, do pray to help 116 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:54,960 us this morning as we look at the life of Peter. 117 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,440 Lord, there was something in his life that just wasn't the way it 118 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,760 needed to be. His thinking was wrong and you 119 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,320 had to correct it. Or how much more so in our own 120 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,400 lives do we have to deal with this as well. 121 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:07,840 Help us to have the right type of attitude. 122 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,120 And to take the correction, the chastening, and count it joy, or 123 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,040 help us to be open to what is said today. 124 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,440 Blessed I do ask humbly in Jesus name, Amen. 125 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,920 You may say, Pastor, we are in Acts chapter 10. 126 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:22,840 Weren't we in Acts chapter 10 last week? 127 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:25,520 And the answer was yes, we were. We looked at the beginning of 128 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,080 Cornelius who was the centurion of the Italian band. 129 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,000 Remember that wasn't a music group, that was a men that were 130 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,680 soldiers together. And we saw that he had this 131 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,480 desire to be able to know who God was, and we saw last week he 132 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,360 was respected. He was religious, but he was 133 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,080 lost, wasn't he did not know Jesus Christ. 134 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:46,520 But then we picked up at the end of the chapter, we saw that 135 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,560 Peter came to this group of Gentiles 1000, preached the word 136 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,080 of God to them, and that they were gloriously saved. 137 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,760 But what we didn't read last week was this middle part. 138 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,280 How did Peter end up a few miles away in Joppa to be able to 139 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:02,720 preach to these people and let them know about salvation? 140 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,560 Well, it's explained to us here beginning in verse #9 that there 141 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,400 he was. And he was with a man named 142 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,920 Simon the Tanner, and he was there in his house. 143 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,440 And by the way, without getting too deeper this this morning, 144 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,760 the fact that he was even. Spending time with a man named 145 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,560 Simon The. Tanner Simon, a typical Jewish 146 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,520 name. Of course, we know Peter, Simon 147 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,520 Peter as well. But a man who is a Tanner, you 148 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,360 have to understand that to a Jew, being a Tanner was not a 149 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,040 typical occupation in previous time. 150 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:32,840 Why was that? Well, because you'd have to 151 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,040 handle dead animals to be able to tan their hides. 152 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,800 This was not something a Jew would typically do because they 153 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,200 would be ceremoniously unclean, well, almost every day. 154 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,160 And so for this man, Simon, to be a Tanner was still pretty a 155 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,600 new thing at that time. And for Peter to be spending 156 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,400 time with him was almost a scandalous thing to be able to 157 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,320 be around him. So Peter's already in. 158 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,480 His thinking being. Pushed a little bit because 159 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,280 remember when Jesus Christ died in the cross the veil was rented 160 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,240 too. Do you remember the veil in the 161 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,400 temple was torn apart? Why? 162 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,680 Because now we have bold access before Jesus Christ. 163 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,440 And those things that were a shadow of that which to come 164 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,560 were no longer pertaining to the Jews. 165 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,800 Why? Because now they have Jesus 166 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,040 Christ. And Peter knew this to a certain 167 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,760 point, but he's there. It says he's on a housetop and 168 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:21,720 he's waiting for lunch. It's about the 6th hour. 169 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,000 That's about noontime. And I'll tell you a lot of you 170 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,600 could probably, you could feel what Peter feels here because it 171 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,240 says he was hungry. They were making ready and he 172 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:31,720 goes into. A trance and maybe some of you 173 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:33,799 say pastor. That's how I feel about 11:45 174 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:35,360 every week. When you preach, it's like, is 175 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,200 he ever get done? I'm in a trance right now. 176 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:38,960 I'm so hungry. And it's like, listen, that's 177 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:40,919 not the kind of trance that he was in, all right? 178 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,159 This idea of a trance that he was in is actually from the 179 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:47,520 Greek word. Ecstasis and ecstasy, if you 180 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,320 will, that he wasn't asleep, but rather that God was speaking to 181 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,320 him in a very real way. And it says the heavens opened 182 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,400 up here in this this experience that he's having that came from 183 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:01,840 the Lord. And falling down from heaven, 184 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,560 slowly coming down is a sheet that's gathered together in the 185 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:08,200 four corners, kind of like a knapsack that a kid would put 186 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,280 together on a stick and put over his shoulder that it's falling 187 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,360 down from the sky. And in the midst of it are all 188 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,680 types of animals. Now, why is that important? 189 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,080 Well, because inside of this knapsack, inside of this sheet, 190 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,000 if you will, are animals clean and unclean. 191 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,160 Now to us, that doesn't mean a lot, does it? 192 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:26,640 You are like me. You go to market. 193 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,160 Basket, you go to Walmart, you go to Big Y and you get the 194 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,280 market, you get the the meat that's there and you just pick 195 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,240 whatever sounds good that week or whatever's on sale that week 196 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,120 or whatever you just want to. Cook that week. 197 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,000 But for the Jews, they had to be very particular about the type 198 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,960 of food that they ate. Why was that? 199 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,280 Because God had ceremonially called some foods clean. 200 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,080 And some foods unclean for the Jews. 201 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,960 They could eat animals that chewed their cud and had split 202 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,200 hooves, like cows or sheep or goats. 203 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,240 They could eat fish with fins and scales. 204 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,480 Most birds except for the forbidden ones, eagles, 205 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,480 vultures, owls, typically scavenger type birds. 206 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,680 They were allowed to eat specific jumping insects like 207 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:08,000 locusts. And I'll be honest with you, I'd 208 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,280 prefer those to be in the unclean. 209 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,000 Part, but the Lord knew what He was. 210 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,280 Doing so, I don't want to question the Lord there, but 211 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,960 they could have eaten locusts and we know that on the Baptist 212 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:17,960 would have eaten locust and wild honey. 213 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:22,200 But everything else including pork, shellfish, rabbits, eating 214 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,120 animals that had died on their own and then you would happened 215 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,000 upon or or even mixing meat with dairy. 216 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,680 None of it was allowed. Do you know what that means? 217 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:39,280 No bacon, no shrimp, no shrimp wrapped bacon, none of it. 218 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,560 It was not allowed. Now why is that? 219 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:47,560 Well, in essence, because God by His design wanted His people to 220 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:50,160 be different. I'm going to run that by you one 221 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,960 more time. God by design wanted His people 222 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,400 to be different. That doesn't mean that we can't 223 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,880 have shrimp and that we can't have bacon today, but I will 224 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:00,320 tell you this. He still wants us to be 225 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,160 different from the world. He still wants us to look 226 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,720 different than those who do not know the name of Jesus Christ. 227 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,880 But you go to Exodus 15 verse 26 and he says and said, If thou 228 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,880 wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and 229 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,480 will do that which is right in his sight, and will give. 230 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,040 Ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes. 231 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,480 I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have 232 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,840 brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that healeth thee. 233 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,160 God gave Israel the very particular and very precise 234 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,920 promise that if they just followed His laws, if they just 235 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,080 followed His commandments, they would be a healthy people. 236 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,000 In fact, there's a book that I read years ago. 237 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,480 I don't have it anymore, but I would suggest to you, if you're 238 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:42,040 able to get your hands on it, called None of These Diseases 239 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,800 specifically showing how people following the Jewish dietary 240 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,720 laws and people following the Jewish laws, particularly at 241 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,840 that time. How much healthier they would 242 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,080 have been because God. Cares for his people. 243 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,000 And so God says, I don't want you to eat these things, I want 244 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:58,920 you to be different. And the Jews took this 245 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,800 seriously. Now listen, there wasn't a lot 246 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,280 that they took seriously about the law. 247 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:04,240 Just had to go through the old. Testament. 248 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,080 Find out. They weren't typically very 249 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,120 seriously about the law, but they were very serious about 250 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,600 kosher food. They were very serious about 251 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,560 eating that which was clean. And so all of this takes place 252 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,520 and this all comes down in the sheet. 253 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,440 And what does God say? He says this rise, Peter kill 254 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,280 and eat. And Peter looks in there and 255 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,480 sees a pig. And Peter looks in there and and 256 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:33,000 he sees a rabbit and he says, excuse me, he says. 257 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,600 No, Lord, I can't do that, that it's not something I can do. 258 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,320 It's not something he'd ever done in his life before, that he 259 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,880 had never done such a thing. But yet the voice responds to in 260 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,960 verse #15 and says, what? God has cleansed that call not 261 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,720 thou common. Now God has a very curious way 262 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,920 of taking things that are understandable, that are right 263 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,040 down home where we are. To be able to help us to learn 264 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,520 about things that maybe are not quite as understandable. 265 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,160 That's why there were parables, There were earthly stories with 266 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,800 heavenly meanings that the Jews would not have understand 267 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:10,840 certain things about heaven that we wouldn't have. 268 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,000 But as an Agricultural Society, there were certain things that 269 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,520 he could talk about with seeds and sowing that immediately 270 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,160 would help them to be able to understand. 271 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:21,800 Is God really talking about animals here? 272 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,160 Is God super concerned with Peter making sure that he has 273 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,000 bacon in his life now? I'm concerned about Peter 274 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,560 getting some bacon his life. I hope he did before the 275 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,720 marriage supper at the Lamb. I think it's be unlimited bacon 276 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:33,840 there that I'm looking forward to that. 277 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,000 It's going to be like a Golden Corral, but like good, you know 278 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,840 what I'm saying? That's what it's going to be 279 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,040 like. But but he's not concerned about 280 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:41,320 that. What he's concerned about is 281 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,800 this is that there's a man named Cornelius who happens to be a 282 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,680 Gentile. There's a man named Cornelius 283 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,920 who happens to be, according to the Jews, unclean. 284 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,400 There's a man named Cornelius who needs to be saved. 285 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,840 He, he needs someone to come along and give him the good news 286 00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,720 of the gospel. In fact, there's been a vision 287 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,120 that's already taken place. There's some men, three men who 288 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,960 are going to be coming to Peter's door, there where Simon 289 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,080 the Tanner lived, where Peter was lodging. 290 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,560 And they're going to come and they're going to ask for Peter 291 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:11,120 to come and preach the good news. 292 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,680 And God is trying to tell Peter when that time comes, don't 293 00:14:14,680 --> 00:14:17,600 hesitate. When that time comes, you go. 294 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,080 They may be Gentiles, but don't call them common. 295 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,600 Don't call them unclean, he said. 296 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,240 I want you to know they need to be saved just as much as the 297 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,480 Jews do. Now why was God doing this? 298 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,520 Because he wanted Peter to know. Don't look down upon the 299 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,160 Gentiles. Don't look down upon them. 300 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,680 Now why was this important? Is this news to Peter? 301 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,720 Had Peter not known this or heard about this? 302 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,680 The problem is, Peter had already heard about this. 303 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,520 Peter should have already known this. 304 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:54,480 Acts chapter 1 don't turn there because I want you to turn to 305 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,440 Hebrews chapter 12 in just a few moments, but I'm going to read 306 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,320 you Acts chapter 1. Remember Jesus about to ascend 307 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,160 into heaven. And it says in Acts chapter one 308 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,880 verse 6, it says, when they therefore were come together, 309 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,040 they asked of him saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore 310 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,840 again the Kingdom of Israel? And he said unto them, It is not 311 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,200 for you to know the times of the seasons which the Father had put 312 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,160 in his own power, but you shall receive power after that. 313 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,160 The Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses 314 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:20,480 unto me. So what does He say when the 315 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,160 Holy Ghost comes upon you? You will be witnesses. 316 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:28,480 Now where He says to Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and 317 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,160 unto the other most part of the earth, which happens to be the 318 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,880 domain of the Gentiles. You see, the Church had already 319 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,920 been given the commandment to go to the Gentiles, yet they had 320 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,040 not yet. O Peter was faithful. 321 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,360 We've seen him grow. Peter was doing well, there's no 322 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,560 doubt about that. But there was this little bit of 323 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,160 a hitch that he had in his spiritual life where for 324 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,600 whatever reason, even though he was becoming more comfortable 325 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,000 being around Jewish type gentiles, like a Simon the 326 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,920 Tanner, who maybe he wouldn't even have associated with not 327 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,320 that long ago, he had not completely given himself to 328 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,680 ministry of the Gentiles. He'd even preached to the 329 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,560 Samaritans, who were the half Jews, the people who had 330 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,080 animosity against the Jews and back and forth between them. 331 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,680 But yet he had not gone to the Gentiles, but. 332 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,160 Peter had to be reminded by God. I had already told you this 333 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,800 before, by the way, in case you're curious about it. 334 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,320 Jesus had great concern for the Gentiles as well, not just. 335 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,200 The Jews. Jesus. 336 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,120 Had said this several times, the disciples Matthew chapter 8 337 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,960 verses 10 and 11. After healing the centurion 338 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,480 servant, Jesus said many shall come from the east and the West, 339 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,560 and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. 340 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:46,040 In the Kingdom of heaven, to go to Matthew 28, don't go there, 341 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:51,400 but Matthew 2819 go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing 342 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,440 them name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 343 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,960 Luke 2447 Repentance and remission of sins should be 344 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,680 preached in His name among. All nations beginning at 345 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,520 Jerusalem. What I'm saying is, is that 346 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,800 Peter should have already known, Peter should have already 347 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:09,319 understood. But yet what happens? 348 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,920 God brings this vision down. And here he says it not just 349 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,680 once, but twice, but three times. 350 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,280 He has to be told by God and that sheet goes back up into 351 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,800 heaven, the animals. Go away if it was me, he's like. 352 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:24,280 No, no bacon, come back. Please come back. 353 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,280 But it goes away. And it says he doubted in 354 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,680 himself. What was the meaning of this? 355 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,560 What happened? Well, Peter needed some 356 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,240 correction. If he was going to grow 357 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:42,040 properly, he needed to be corrected here and there. 358 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:48,360 God had told him before. God had told him again, all 359 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:51,560 nations, all nations, all nations. 360 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:56,960 But right now it's just Jews and Samaritans and God knows that if 361 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,960 those three men come and his meth is thinking is not 362 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:01,920 corrected, what's going to happen? 363 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,320 He may not go with them and may not preach to the Gentiles as 364 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:12,000 God wants him to do. So we all need correction here 365 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,800 and there, don't we? You know, Can you relate to 366 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,880 Peter this morning? Been told and told again. 367 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,120 But then the Lord has to kind of rattle your bell. 368 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,760 Bring your cage a little bit to be able to tell us what we need 369 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,400 to do. When your life doesn't line up 370 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,720 with God's expectations for you, you need correction. 371 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,960 Listen, When your life doesn't line up with God's expectations 372 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,800 for you, you need correction. He tells us what we need to do 373 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,960 and when we don't do what He wants us to do, we need to be 374 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:45,520 corrected. Now, where can we find some 375 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,520 great teaching about that in the Word of God? 376 00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,200 Hebrews chapter 12. Now the good news is you're 377 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:51,920 already there. So put your ribbon in Acts 378 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,880 chapter 10 and go to Hebrews chapter 12 very quickly because 379 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:56,240 I want you to see this this morning. 380 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,640 I could quote it for you, but there's so much that's here you 381 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,160 need to be able to see it for yourself. 382 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,080 I'd encourage you if you're a Bible marker, you mark in your 383 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:04,760 Bible. This is a place you need to mark 384 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,280 in your Bible. All right, for Hebrews chapter 385 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,680 12, look at verse #5 and. We have forgotten the 386 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,600 exhortation which speaketh unto you as children. 387 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,000 My son despised not the chastening of the Lord. 388 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,680 You say, What is the chastening of the Lord? 389 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,600 Well, keep reading. Nor faint when thou art rebuked 390 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,280 of him. Oh, OK, you weren't sure about 391 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,960 the first part you got in the second part, isn't it? 392 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,920 A chastening is when God has to correct us. 393 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:32,960 And what does it say to those of us who are believers? 394 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,040 Don't despise the chastening of the Lord. 395 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,720 I don't know about you, but I don't like anybody correcting 396 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:39,840 me. I'm like anybody correcting me 397 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:41,520 about nothing. Why? 398 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:43,680 Because I think I'm right all the time. 399 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:45,760 You say, well, that's a pretty. Arrogant thing to do? 400 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,840 Well, of course you think you're right when you do things, if 401 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,280 you. Didn't think you were right. 402 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,920 You wouldn't do them. But there comes a time maybe 403 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:52,840 you're in the middle of something. 404 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,160 You say, I don't think this is right. 405 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,040 Or sometimes you get to the end of it and you're really sure 406 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:58,800 you're right and you're way. Off. 407 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,640 But we all have places and times and seasons where we need 408 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:03,680 corrections. So he says. 409 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,240 Do not despise. When God corrects you in your 410 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,120 life or 6. For whom the Lord loveth he 411 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:13,600 chasteneth and scourgeth every son who he receiveth. 412 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,440 You know my evil wicked father, His name is Victor Rivero. 413 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:22,080 He he brought physical. Punishment to my life? 414 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:24,520 Say what kind of physical punishment? 415 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,520 I'm not sure if the statue of limitations has passed yet, so I 416 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:31,200 don't know that I want to say, but it involved making sure that 417 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,200 my hindquarters understood. What up here should have 418 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:37,480 understood? And that's all I'll say about 419 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:41,160 that. And I thought my dad hated me. 420 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:43,400 Now, I'm not talking about my dad decking me. 421 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,360 I'm not talking about my dad making me pick myself up off the 422 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:48,560 floor, by the way, There's nothing biblical about that. 423 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:53,240 I'm talking about physical correction in a place that is 424 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:58,160 very well designed for physical correction if done properly and 425 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:01,640 lovingly. And I remember one time my dad 426 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:08,480 said it's time for, you know, And so I remember before he came 427 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:09,760 to the room, I went into my room. 428 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,360 I was probably about 6 or 7, and I had a crayon box, a big 429 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:15,920 plastic crayon box inside, had all the change that I had 430 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,400 amassed, probably about four or $5 worth of change in there, you 431 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,800 know, in the 1980s. That's a lot of money, you know. 432 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:27,280 And so I gave it to my dad and I said, will you please not do 433 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:31,080 what you're about to do? I'll give you all this money and 434 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:32,680 my dad said all right, kid, all right, that's it. 435 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,160 No, he didn't say that. You asked my. 436 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,680 Dad to say, well, I'm about $5 light anyway, so this is 437 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,360 perfect. Opportunity knocks. 438 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:44,440 You answer, you know, you know what my dad, because he loved 439 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,720 me, said, no, son, you need what you need. 440 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,680 And at the time I didn't like it. 441 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:54,560 But, you know, I look back now and I said, well, I'm thankful I 442 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:58,000 had a dad. They caught a mom who was 443 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,480 willing to not give me what I wanted, but what I needed. 444 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,640 You know, I didn't understand at the time, but now I look at, I 445 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,160 say I did not. I don't despise the correction I 446 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,880 received now because I needed it, because I would have been a 447 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:17,440 spoiled punk if I continued the way that I was going without the 448 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,520 correction of my parents. Look at verse #7. 449 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,000 For if you endure chastening, God deal with you as sons. 450 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,600 For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 451 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,000 But if now listen to this. But if you be without 452 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,920 chastisement, whereof all are partakers, you are bastards and 453 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,800 not sons. Now somebody say, oh, hold on a 454 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,160 second pastor, that's not good language to be able to use. 455 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,000 And I would understand that if that word is used in a very 456 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,280 casual way today, certainly it's a curse word and not a word that 457 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,200 should be used in the mouth of a believer. 458 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:54,360 But I will say that this word here as it's used is not used as 459 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:58,080 a slur, but rather it's a neutral legal and social 460 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:01,600 designation. Meaning someone that was born, 461 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,440 that was outside of the family. Someone. 462 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,000 Who is not within the family? Again, this is not a slur. 463 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,920 This is not someone using this as a curse word here, but rather 464 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,560 legal and matter of fact of what it said. 465 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,320 And why is this important? Because if you are part of the 466 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,440 family of God, if you know Jesus Christ as Savior, He will 467 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:19,200 correct you. Amen. 468 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,200 Remember my wife and I talking to a young lady several years 469 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,920 ago and we were unsure about whether she really knew Jesus 470 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:27,760 Christ as our Savior. And we were talking with her and 471 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,360 counseling with her, and her parents were there. 472 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,080 And she had done some things that were, well, not good, to be 473 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,120 honest with you, and done some things that I knew would not. 474 00:23:34,120 --> 00:23:36,600 Please the Lord. And so we asked her after she 475 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,120 came to talk to us, it had been probably a couple weeks of that 476 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:41,480 issue taking place. And I said, did you ever feel 477 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,800 guilty about it? Did the Lord ever correct you? 478 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,240 Do you ever feel within your spirit that you needed to get 479 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:49,000 right? And she said. 480 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,760 Not really. And she thought about saying no, 481 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:56,040 not at all. It was that moment I realized 482 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:58,880 this young lady doesn't know Jesus Christ as our Savior. 483 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,560 Why? Because he corrects his own. 484 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,360 I live at 7922 Woodvale Circle. Growing up for 17 years, I 485 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:09,240 didn't go to 7924 Woodvale Circle to get correction and I 486 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:11,600 didn't go to 7920 Woodvale Circle to get correction. 487 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,760 I didn't go to 7920 Woodvale Circle to get correction. 488 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,280 I knew her correction came from 7922 Woodvale Circle, Tampa, FL 489 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:24,640 33615, phone number 81388623511. Of the last numbers that I 490 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:25,760 remember. None of us remember phone 491 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,320 numbers anymore because of our phones, right? 492 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,240 But I knew that's where correction came from. 493 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:31,880 Why? Because that's where my dad 494 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,000 lived and I was part of his family. 495 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,240 You know, if you belong to the Lord, He will correct you. 496 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,920 And if He doesn't correct you, can I tell you, you need to get 497 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,800 saved today If you've never been corrected by the Lord, He says 498 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,080 right here, that's problematic. Because he corrects his own. 499 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,720 Look at verse #9 Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh 500 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,120 which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. 501 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,120 Didn't you come to a place where you understood that what your 502 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:02,680 father did was right? Didn't you come to the place 503 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,040 where he said this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you 504 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:06,320 and at the time? You're like, yeah, right. 505 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,280 And then you get to a place in your life where you realize, 506 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:12,920 wow, he was right, particularly as you may have children of your 507 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,560 own. And you have to go through that 508 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:16,800 process and it tears you up inside. 509 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,080 And it says, if you give reverence to your father's in 510 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,760 this life who aren't even perfect, don't you give 511 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,720 reverence to God Almighty who always chastises you in the way 512 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,560 that's perfect and the way that's right. 513 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,800 Listen, He never chastises us out of control. 514 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,560 He never chastised us in a way like like we could where we just 515 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,520 get riled up within ourselves and maybe say something we ought 516 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:43,160 not or do something we ought not Listen, God has never chastised 517 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:48,000 someone incorrectly ever. He always does right. 518 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,120 They barely 1st 10 for a few days chastened us after their 519 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:57,760 own pleasure, but he for our What's that word prophet that 520 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,280 what? We might be partakers of His 521 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,440 Holiness. No chastening, for the present 522 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:06,520 seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. 523 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,400 If there is ever a truer saying in the Bible, that's it, isn't 524 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,360 it? In the moment never feels good, 525 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,480 but nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of 526 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,040 righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 527 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,160 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble 528 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,480 knees. Listen, you need God to correct 529 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,640 you in your life. If you want to grow. 530 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,600 You want God to correct you in your life. 531 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:38,400 If you're going to grow, and when He does, it's good and 532 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,720 right and it will be joyous. Why? 533 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:45,560 Because it brings the peaceable fruit of righteousness. 534 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,960 If we just go on our own, if we just go our own way and God 535 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,480 ignores us, that's not love on His part. 536 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,920 No, no, He loves us so much. That he corrects us when our 537 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:03,480 thinking is wrong. He didn't do it for his joy, He 538 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,560 did it for love. And that brings US joy. 539 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,120 You know, he is joyous that we are reconciled to him, but he 540 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:13,720 didn't do it out of a twisted sense of I'm going to get even 541 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,520 with them. Know the joy that he has. 542 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:20,360 And you can go to the very top of the chapter and find out that 543 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,480 Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross 544 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,320 and the shame it was he did that. 545 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:26,680 Why? Because he knew what the end 546 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,000 result would be. How do you feel about 547 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,400 correction? It says here we're supposed to 548 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,160 take it and we're supposed to take it with joy. 549 00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:39,760 Well, how did Peter take it? What can we learn from Peter? 550 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,200 Go back to Acts chapter 12 quickly. 551 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,400 I know you got your ribbon there. 552 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:50,120 Acts chapter 10 rather, I'm sorry, what do you need to do in 553 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:53,720 these situations to grow? Peter gives us an understanding. 554 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:56,960 The first thing you need to do is this. 555 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:58,720 Recognize when God's speaking to you. 556 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,920 Recognize when God speaking, Do you look at verse #13 It says 557 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:06,040 there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter, kill and eat. 558 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,280 And Peter said not so what's the next word, Lord? 559 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,400 He recognized it was the Lord who was speaking to him. 560 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,160 Peter recognized the voice of God. 561 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,560 When correction comes in your life, it need not be an audible 562 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,760 voice. It's the Holy Spirit who speaks 563 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,760 to our hearts and tells us what we have done wrong. 564 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,880 John 16 verse 8 And when he the Spirit has come, He will reprove 565 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,800 the world of sin of. Righteousness and of judgement. 566 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,560 It's the Holy Spirit who's the one who tells you you ought not 567 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,600 to do that. It's the Holy Spirit says you 568 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,840 ought not to touch that. You ought not to turn that on. 569 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,280 You ought not to think that. You ought not to let that come 570 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,440 out of your mouth. It's the Holy Spirit who tells 571 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,040 us after we do those things that we ought not to do. 572 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,080 You shouldn't have done that. You need to make it right. 573 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,040 You need to repent. You need to get right with the 574 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:51,960 Lord. Listen, if you're reading your 575 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,080 Bible, you should be seeing things that need to be 576 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,240 corrected. You shouldn't just be reading 577 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,720 your Bible. Well, I want to know more about 578 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,960 Abraham, or I want to know more about Isaac, or I want to know 579 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,680 about Jacob. Well, listen, I find myself in 580 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,120 parts of Abraham's life, and I find parts of myself in Isaac's 581 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,080 life. And I find parts of myself in 582 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,120 Jacob's life, you know, like, not like the polygamy part, but, 583 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:12,960 you know, all the other stuff in his life. 584 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:14,080 I mean, what's the matter with you people? 585 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:14,920 What are you thinking? All right. 586 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,240 But I see lots of myself and Jacob, the instability in Jacob, 587 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,200 the way they bounce from one thing to the next. 588 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,520 And when I read that, it's not like, wow, I learned something 589 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,120 new about Jacob today. It's wow, I learned something 590 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:29,280 about myself today that the Holy Spirit revealed to me and I 591 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,120 don't like it. I need to get it right. 592 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:34,440 When we come to hear the word of God, is it just to hear some 593 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,480 platitudes is just to be able to say we've done our religious 594 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,000 thing. Do I just get up here to preach 595 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,240 so I can show you how eloquent I am? 596 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,800 If I've done that, I've failed. Remember Mormon worship this 597 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:45,520 morning. That's not what it's about. 598 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,360 No, it's about this that thus sayeth the Lord means that 599 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,520 there's some things in my life that aren't right. 600 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:53,320 And when the pastor preaches, when Jeff Abel's preaches, 601 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,240 whoever it is that preaches the Word of God, here there comes a. 602 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,800 Time in our life where we say he's saying that's what the 603 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:00,680 Bible says, but it's not what I'm doing. 604 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,960 So I need to be correct. I need to get it right. 605 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,360 I use the term guilt a few moments ago, and I said that 606 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,280 incorrectly. You know who tries to make you 607 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,080 feel guilty? Satan. 608 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,080 Second Corinthians. 710 For godly sorrow worketh repentance 609 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:22,280 to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world 610 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,960 worketh death. You know what guilt from Satan 611 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,400 does that makes you feel like you'll never get right? 612 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:30,800 Guilt from Satan says, you know what, you ought not to go to 613 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,880 church. They're good people and you're 614 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,000 not, by the way. We're just people saved by the 615 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,520 grace of God and hanging on by a thread some days. 616 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,160 But we're here. And it's guilt that says you 617 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,480 don't belong, you can't get right. 618 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:47,440 Oh, you're going back to him again? 619 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,320 How many times you're going to ask forgiveness for that? 620 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,000 What? What kind of loser are you 621 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:52,840 spiritually? Do you keep going to him over 622 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:54,720 and over again? And by the way, what does that 623 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:56,160 accomplish? You say, well, I'm going to go 624 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:58,440 to him again. I've asked for forgiveness 10 * 625 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,160 20 * 100 times. Listen, the Bible says that we 626 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:06,040 could say 70 * 7. And the alternative is this. 627 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,840 I'm not going to ask for forgiveness and just not be 628 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:09,920 right. Well, who wants that? 629 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,760 Satan does. In your life, recognize when God 630 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:15,720 is speaking to you. You know what the voice of God 631 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:18,000 says to your heart. Repent. 632 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,400 The voice of the Lord in your heart says this. 633 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,080 Get right. Let your life be in alignment 634 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,280 with God's word. But don't just recognize when 635 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:27,480 God speaking to you. Secondly. 636 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,600 Resist telling God no. Resist telling God no. 637 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:38,960 Looking at verse #14 it says but Peter said not so Lord Peter had 638 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:43,240 a bad habit of telling Jesus no. There were several times that 639 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:47,240 Peter said, Jesus you need to get this right to the point 640 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,800 where Jesus said get thee behind me, Satan, don't. 641 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,880 Don't tell me no. Listen, you could have a lot of 642 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,080 honest conversation with the Lord. 643 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,560 I believe that the Lord in his grace, the Lord in his 644 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,200 benevolence toward us, is so patient. 645 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:09,120 But I will say this. That patience is exhausted when 646 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:13,960 you flat out tell God no. Where do we find an example of 647 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:15,000 that? You could find an example that 648 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:17,480 Moses. There's the Lord in the burning 649 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,520 Bush, and God tells Moses what needs to be done. 650 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,080 And Moses? Starts with the. 651 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,640 Excuses, doesn't he? He says I'm I'm nobody 652 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:26,760 important. Who am I? 653 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,640 He says They'll ask me what your name is and what am I supposed 654 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,200 to tell them? They won't believe that I am the 655 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,640 the the speaker of the Lord. I'm his emissary. 656 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,400 I won't believe nobody believe me because I'm a terrible 657 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,960 speaker. And every time Moses gave an 658 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:45,080 excuse, God gave him an answer, didn't he said What's that, nine 659 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,520 hand a rod? Throw it down. 660 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,440 By the way, that worked out pretty well with Pharaoh, didn't 661 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,440 it? He says I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, 662 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,680 I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm. Slow speech, He says. 663 00:32:57,680 --> 00:32:59,960 Your brother's coming. He's going to speak. 664 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,440 And by the way, once Moses got rolling, you couldn't shut him 665 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:06,560 up. He started, he may have said he 666 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,000 he needed Aaron's help, but it seems like Moses got that 667 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:10,760 speaking thing figured out after a while. 668 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:17,080 But the 5th and final thing Moses did was he told God, nay, 669 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:22,040 send someone else. And it says the anger of the 670 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:26,560 Lord was kindled against him. Was God angry when he said I 671 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,080 don't know what to say? Was God angry when he said I 672 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,840 don't know what to do, I don't know who to tell him who sent 673 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:34,880 me, I don't know what to do with this mouth of mine. 674 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:35,560 But. When he finally. 675 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,520 Got to the place where God says, listen, if I've called you to do 676 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,840 it, I'll do the work I'll do. Just make yourself available to 677 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,160 me. I will do what needs to be done. 678 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,040 You can't make rivers turn to blood. 679 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:48,160 You can't make lice come out of nowhere. 680 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,120 You can't turn the sun to darkness. 681 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,760 You can't do it. Just be available and be a 682 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,400 vessel that I can use. But Moses, after God gave him 683 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:57,520 all of his. Provision. 684 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,400 He said no. And the Lord got angry. 685 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:03,600 The anger of the Lord was kindled. 686 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:06,800 Now let's say this, I want you to listen very carefully while I 687 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,520 say, listen to it all the way through. 688 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,840 Don't just take the first sentence or two and then go into 689 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:12,920 a trance. You know what I'm saying? 690 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,639 But if you have never responded at an invitation, if you've 691 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:23,560 never responded when the Word of God is being preached, either 692 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,840 God's not speaking to you or you're saying no a lot to him. 693 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:29,159 And neither one of those are good. 694 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:33,679 Now, here's the part where I know some of you were thinking, 695 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,280 OK, pastor, so you're saying if I don't March myself up to this 696 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,880 front, you're saying if I don't March myself all the way up here 697 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,920 and make a performance or make a show and make sure I get down 698 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:45,520 here, So what? So I could be seen am in so 699 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,000 everyone can see that I'm coming down here. 700 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:49,199 Oh, here's the parade. I bet, pastor, you know, they 701 00:34:49,199 --> 00:34:51,000 count the offerings and they count how many people are. 702 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:52,560 I bet they count how many people are at the altar. 703 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:54,159 I bet they count all those kinds of things. 704 00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:56,679 That's what you want, pastors. It's just so so you can go on 705 00:34:56,679 --> 00:34:57,920 social media and say look at all. 706 00:34:58,160 --> 00:34:59,560 All the people that came to the altar. 707 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:04,600 And the answer is no, I'm not talking about that kind of 708 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,400 response. Now, is the altar available 709 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:08,280 here? Yes. 710 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:10,800 Do I think it's good to use the altar? 711 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,520 Yeah. Like we built it here so that we 712 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,240 could use it. But you know, I've seen people 713 00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:21,480 going on the altar and Boo hooed and cried buckets of tears and 714 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:26,360 got up, sat down and live, live like hell on earth on Monday and 715 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:27,640 never really got right with the Lord. 716 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,240 There's not godly sorrow that worketh under repentance. 717 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:36,200 But I've known people that maybe have never come forward, but you 718 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,640 can tell in their heart God spoke to them. 719 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:41,880 Then we say bow your head and close your eyes, that they're 720 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:43,920 not really paying attention to everything else that's going on. 721 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,480 They may kneel at their seat, they may just bow their heads, 722 00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,840 but they're getting something right with the Lord. 723 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,320 You know, I'm not looking for a performance. 724 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:53,560 God's not looking for a performance. 725 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:55,960 He's looking for us to get right. 726 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,480 And if you've never contemplated at the end of a message, Lord, 727 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,480 are you talking about me? You know, not as pastor talking 728 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,280 about me. I know this might be hard for 729 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,200 you to believe, but I don't sit in my office during the week and 730 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,640 say, let's see how many people I can get this week. 731 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:13,200 Oh man, I want to know. I'm going to look on their 732 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,000 social media. I'm going to call their friends. 733 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,760 I'm going to call their I'm going to call their bosses. 734 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:17,760 I want to find out what they're doing. 735 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:18,880 I want to find out what they're saying. 736 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:19,960 I want to know everything coming. 737 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,280 Honestly, I don't want to know nothing. 738 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:24,480 I want to be your friend. I want to love on you. 739 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,280 I don't want to know about those things. 740 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:28,440 I don't want them in my mind. I don't want them in my heart. 741 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,480 I want to know when I preach the word of God that I'm just 742 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:31,920 preaching. And if it lands, listen. 743 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,560 That's because the Holy Spirit landed it. 744 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,360 Amen. Amen. 745 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,600 But if you never respond, not here. 746 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,160 But if you never respond in your heart, either God's never spoken 747 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,280 to you and that's problematic, or you're consistently telling 748 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,120 God no, and that's problematic too. 749 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:51,640 Listen. Not so, Lord, hey. 750 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:54,480 Don't do that. Recognize the voice of God. 751 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,000 Resist telling God no. And 3rd and finally, retain the 752 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,640 lessons that you learn. Retain the lessons that you 753 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,560 learned. And I know we talked about this 754 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:05,760 briefly on Wednesday night that we have to be reminded things 755 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,720 over and over again. But when God has you get 756 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:13,680 something right in your life, make some steps to be able to 757 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,960 retain the things that God has taught you. 758 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:23,920 Look at verse #28 Peter goes. What I love is that in verse #17 759 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,400 it says that while Peter doubted in himself, but in verse #20 God 760 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,880 says, listen, go with them and doubt nothing. 761 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,000 So the Lord knows what's happening in our hearts, by the 762 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,840 way, because as Peter's doubting, the Lord says, don't 763 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,600 doubt, just do what I'm telling you to do, but then drop down 764 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,600 again to verse #28 And he said unto them, you know. 765 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,760 How it was, how that is an unlawful thing for a man that is 766 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,240 a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. 767 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:55,600 But God has showed me that I should not call any man common 768 00:37:56,080 --> 00:38:00,920 or unclean. 3 days later, by the way, Peter standing in front of 769 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,760 these gentiles in a way he never has before, and he looks at them 770 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,400 and says on my own I wouldn't be here. 771 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,400 If you'd asked me 3 days ago where I'd be. 772 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:14,360 I'd be back with Simon the Tanner. 773 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,080 God spoke to me. He said I need to be here 774 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:22,400 because it's not just salvation for the Jews, salvation for the 775 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:24,120 Gentiles. By the way, salvation for the 776 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:27,480 Gentiles ought to get all of us excited because I'd say we're 777 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,760 probably all Gentiles here. So thank the Lord for salvation 778 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,280 of the Gentiles. But you know. 779 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,400 It wasn't just that go to Acts chapter 15 and we're going 780 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:38,680 moving a lot in the word of God today. 781 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,240 That's OK. If you that's, that's a lot. 782 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:43,320 Wait till tonight. We're going to be moving a lot 783 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:48,480 in the word of God tonight. Acts 15, the verse #1 There was 784 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:54,040 a problem. 15 years later or so, give or take, there's a problem. 785 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:58,360 Peter and Barnabas had gone out and given the gospel to Jews, or 786 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:00,200 the Gentiles rather, and there's some Jews that were. 787 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:03,080 Upset about this, at the end of the first missionary journey, it 788 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,960 says that certain men came down from Judea, taught the brethren, 789 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:07,960 and said, except you be circumcised after the manner of 790 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:09,720 Moses, you cannot be saved. Whoa. 791 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,520 Oh, that's not the gospel. 1st 2:00 and then therefore Paul. 792 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:16,400 Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. 793 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:18,880 They determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of 794 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:21,680 them should go up to Jerusalem under the apostles and elders 795 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,360 about this question. And being brought on their way 796 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,960 by the church, they passed through Fennis and Samaria, 797 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,600 declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. 798 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:31,680 And they caused great joy and all the brethren. 799 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:33,760 And when they were coming to Jerusalem, they were. 800 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:34,920 Received. At the church and of the 801 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:37,920 apostles and the elders, and they declare all things that God 802 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,440 had done with them. But there rose up certain sect 803 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:43,280 of the Pharisees which believe saying that it was needful to 804 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:44,800 circumcise. Them and to command. 805 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:47,120 Them to keep. The law of Moses so Paul 806 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:49,520 Barnabas talk about how wonderful it is the Gentiles are 807 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,640 saved then these judaizers get up and say, listen, they may you 808 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,520 may think that they're saved, but they're not saved unless 809 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:57,880 they keep the law of Moses they got to live like Jews and the 810 00:39:57,880 --> 00:39:59,480 church was at an. Impasse. 811 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,240 But there was a man. Who learned a lesson a few years 812 00:40:04,240 --> 00:40:07,480 ago and it says verse 6 and the apostle and elders. 813 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,040 Came together for to consider this matter and when they're 814 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:13,080 been much disputing, Peter rose up. 815 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,280 And said unto them, Men and brethren, you know how that a 816 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,400 good while ago God. Made choice among us that the 817 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,840 gentiles by my. Mouth should hear the word of 818 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:25,400 the gospel. And believe. 819 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,880 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, 820 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,640 giving them the. Holy Ghost, even as He did unto 821 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:36,600 us, and put no difference between US and them, purifying 822 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,600 their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why attempt he 823 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,400 God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither 824 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:44,080 our fathers nor we were able to bear? 825 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:45,360 He said we couldn't have kept the law. 826 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,880 Why are you making them? Keep the law, but we believe. 827 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,600 That through the. Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 828 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:57,240 we shall be saved even as they. Peter learned his lesson and 829 00:40:57,240 --> 00:41:01,480 years later Peter. Peter remembered his lesson kind 830 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,280 of encourage you if God spoken to your heart during a. 831 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:06,840 Message if God is just put upon. Your heart there's. 832 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:07,960 Something that needs to get right. 833 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:10,320 You know what would be great thing to do in your Bible? 834 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,560 Write it down next to the text which was preached today. 835 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:17,000 Maybe the back of the flyleaf? Of your Bible just write down 836 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,520 some decisions that God has had you make if you're in the 837 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:24,680 journaling group that likes to journal write that down I'll be 838 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:28,320 honest with you I I I don't like journaling at all but just 839 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,200 recently I've gotten A5 year journal it's just a couple lines 840 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:34,160 every day for five years I'm looking. 841 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,200 Forward. In year 234, looking back at 842 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,720 some of the things God spoke to me about from before you can 843 00:41:39,720 --> 00:41:42,520 find them online. You could. 844 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:45,760 If you're of the persuasion, you could make a note on your. 845 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,240 Phone and just. Write down things that the 846 00:41:48,240 --> 00:41:52,680 Lord's taught you. Remember the lessons that God 847 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:53,680 has taught you. Why? 848 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:57,600 Because you need to grow and I need to grow. 849 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:01,440 And the only way we truly grow is by correction. 850 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:04,680 What does God tell us to do? Well, there's a. 851 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:05,840 Lot of things that we need to get right. 852 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:11,720 It could be about gossip. Having a gossiping tongue could 853 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:16,520 be about being angry. A hasty and angry spirit could 854 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,920 be about speaking. Words that are of health and 855 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,520 kindness. Job 625. 856 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,040 How? Forcible are right words, he 857 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,400 said. Could be that lust. 858 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:28,000 Is eating you up. We're going to look at that 859 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,760 tonight. Could be a while since you've 860 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,960 read your Bible and prayed be living a spiritual double life. 861 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,440 You look good on Sunday. Everyone thinks there's nothing 862 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:39,520 going on but you and the Lord. No different. 863 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:44,720 But what do you need to do? If you want to grow, you have to 864 00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:48,880 be willing to be corrected, and sometimes that correction hurts, 865 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:53,400 but it's needed. By the way, nobody makes it 866 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:54,920 without being corrected by the Lord. 867 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:58,000 You know, don't let Satan get you in this place. 868 00:42:58,000 --> 00:42:59,480 Well, why do I always need corrected? 869 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:02,520 Because you're saved and you're human and you're still dealing 870 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,360 with the flesh. We'll look at Romans chapter 6 871 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:06,080 tonight. It's going to speak. 872 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:10,920 Much to that to crucify our flesh to deal with this every. 873 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:13,760 Day, we're going to need correction. 874 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:16,800 Proverbs 12, verse one. Whosoever loveth instruction 875 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:19,400 loveth knowledge, but he that hateth reproof. 876 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:20,320 Is. Brutish. 877 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:24,720 Don't be a brute. Except correction Proverbs. 1532 878 00:43:24,720 --> 00:43:28,040 He that refuses instruction despises his own soul. 879 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,520 But he that heareth reproof. Getteth understanding why do we 880 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:35,640 hate correction so much? It's 5 little letters. 881 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:41,320 PRIDE, remember? We think we're right. 882 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:45,400 That's why we do what we do and no one likes God telling us what 883 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:48,160 we're wrong. But there's physical correction 884 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:50,920 that's needed. Spiritual correction is needed. 885 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:55,040 And sometimes it hurts. Remember I talked to you a few 886 00:43:55,040 --> 00:44:00,400 moments ago about my my teeth and my chin growing up actually 887 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:01,960 had flat feet as. Well. 888 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:06,960 And I was about 5 or 6 years old and they put metal plates inside 889 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:08,920 of my shoes. I don't think they do that 890 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:09,840 anymore. There's probably a good. 891 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:11,360 Reason. Why they don't do that anymore? 892 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:14,760 But I remember having, you know, my kids because, you know, back 893 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:16,920 in the 80s, like, that's the the thing, you know what I'm saying? 894 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:20,360 I got my kids and inside my kids are steel plates. 895 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:22,840 I'm glad there's no TSA back. Then because they. 896 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,480 Would have wondered what am I carrying in my shoes but they 897 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:28,400 hurt man walking around with steel plates. 898 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,880 Inside of your shoes. But they did the job, you know? 899 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:37,240 About second, third grade. Didn't have a chin, remember? 900 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:39,920 They gave me a dental. Appliance now wasn't. 901 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,080 That headgear that some of those had back in the day, remember 902 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,240 the headgear that was just like, you know, medieval barbarism, 903 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:48,080 you know, back in the day. But I had, it wasn't even a 904 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:49,880 retainer. It filled my whole mouth. 905 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:51,840 I couldn't move my teeth. So I talked. 906 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,680 I had to talk like this. For two years. 907 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,240 And every month I would go to the orthodontist and they would 908 00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:02,080 move that a little bit. They turn a key and it would 909 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:04,200 come out a little bit and it would make my chin come out. 910 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:06,040 And I want you to get, can we get a close up of this? 911 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:10,360 I mean, look at this right here, this my mom, if my mom was still 912 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:13,000 with us, I mean, she was very proud of this Chin, let me say, 913 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:14,920 because she it was most of her pension. 914 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:16,760 I think she pulled out early to be able to get that Joe. 915 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:18,640 That's good. No, that's, that's that's my 916 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:20,640 stomach. All right, Just don't let's not 917 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:24,320 focus in there, right. This is why I shouldn't have 918 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:26,240 that screen back there because now I know what they're focusing 919 00:45:26,240 --> 00:45:27,680 on. It's throwing me off, but I'm 920 00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:29,520 just going to move over here, all right, anyway. 921 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:32,600 But then I had braces after that. 922 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:34,600 Had to get the teeth right, you know, then they. 923 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:37,080 They put the the different stuff in there and move it around. 924 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,240 You have to put wax in there because it was scraping on your 925 00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:40,840 mouth. Then when that was done, I had a 926 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:42,640 retainer to make sure that everything stayed where it need 927 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:44,760 to stay. So basically from about first 928 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:48,960 grade until about 10th grade, I had some sort of appliance on my 929 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,720 body trying to make it what it needed to be, and they hurt do. 930 00:45:53,640 --> 00:45:56,560 You know what today. I'm glad that I went. 931 00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:58,800 Through it. Because there was some stuff 932 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:03,360 that needed correction. Listen, when God corrects you, 933 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,280 listen. He don't smack you around, you 934 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,000 know what I'm saying? He doesn't just Willy nilly, 935 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:09,560 just. Kind of. 936 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:16,360 God with love, concern, and care will correct you. 937 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:19,800 Why? Because he loves you so much and 938 00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:23,120 if you weren't part of the family, he'd let you on your 939 00:46:23,120 --> 00:46:26,560 own. But he loves you so much that he 940 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:29,080 wants you to be corrected. People say, well God loves me 941 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:31,480 just the way I am. God loves you just the way you 942 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:34,720 are, but He loves you far too much to keep you that way. 943 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:37,480 He wants you to be conformed into His image. 944 00:46:38,320 --> 00:46:41,920 When was the last time you gave in to God's correcting measures 945 00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:44,280 in your life? When was the last time you got 946 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:46,640 to the end of a message? When was the last time you were 947 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:47,840 in the middle of your Bible reading? 948 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:49,960 Like I got to read 2 chapters today, but you had to stop. 949 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:52,760 Like Lord I, I got to stop, right? 950 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:55,400 Here because this is me and I got to. 951 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:58,680 Get this right? If not, then why are we reading 952 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:01,560 our Bibles? Why are we listening to sermons? 953 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:05,320 He wants to make us better, not better. 954 00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:08,120 He wants to make us conform to the image of Christ. 955 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:11,960 And that requires correction. By the way, that includes me, 956 00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:18,160 because if I don't get it right then I can't stand up here and 957 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:19,920 be able to tell you. I say it the Lord if. 958 00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:21,880 I'm not willing to have the same thing happen in my life. 959 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:24,760 Are you willing to be corrected? And if you've never been 960 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:28,400 corrected, do you truly know if you're born again or not? 961 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,040 Perhaps today is the day you need to come to know Jesus 962 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:34,200 Christ your Savior. Thank you for listening to the 963 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,400 sermon from. The Pulpit of Liberty Baptist 964 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:39,520 Church If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's 965 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:43,560 any way we can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 966 00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:48,480 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 967 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:52,360 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 968 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:55,440 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.