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 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,160 Acts chapter 3 in the word of God, this. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,800 Morning would you turn there Acts and chapter #3 it was a 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,360 couple weeks ago we were at the end of second Peter and we saw 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,120 that every single one of us were to grow right we saw that we. 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,160 Were to grow in grace, we were to grow in the knowledge of our 12 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:42,200 Lord Jesus. Christ and we also saw. 13 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:45,320 That we were to grow. In giving him glory and. 14 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:47,880 We all agreed, I believe. That that was what? 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,360 We were to do with our lives and then last. 16 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,000 Week I asked you the question that that nosy. 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,160 Question that only a pastor would ask you, right? 18 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,720 And that was this. Well, so did you grow? 19 00:00:58,840 --> 00:00:59,920 Sure. We preached about it and we 20 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,320 talked about it and we all agreed that it is in the word. 21 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,080 Of God. But the question is, did we 22 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,800 actually do what the Bible? Told us to do and so I hope that 23 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,800 over the last. Week you reflected upon that and 24 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,800 that it wasn't just the fact that growth is about just 25 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,920 getting tough or looking deep within yourself to be able to 26 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,280 find the way to be able to grow, but it's really if there's the 27 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:20,800 answer. Within you it's not. 28 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,880 Certainly within your own flesh. But the answer for the believer 29 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,600 is this the Holy Spirit who? Lives inside of you, he. 30 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:27,920 Is the one that. Empowers you. 31 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,080 He is the mechanism in which we are to be able to grow. 32 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,000 Listen, you want to grow on your own apart from the Holy Spirit. 33 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,840 That's a fool's errand. And so we looked at that over 34 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,400 the last couple weeks. But I would also like to ask you 35 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,480 another question here this morning. 36 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,280 In the same. Vein, as we continue to look at 37 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,280 Peter and we continue to look at his growth that it wasn't just 38 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,840 something that he talked about. But it was something that. 39 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,800 He lived out in his life in the book of Acts. 40 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,800 And as we look at this issue of growth, maybe we need to ask 41 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,640 ourselves this question this morning. 42 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,480 Do. You realize that someone is 43 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:06,200 depending upon you to grow. See maybe you think this issue. 44 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,960 Of growth is intimately. Personal. 45 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,600 And in a way it is because only you can grow in your own life. 46 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,400 Someone else cannot force you to grow. 47 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,440 I cannot come over to your house, say, Come on, man. 48 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,640 Grow, grow, grow, you'd say. Go, go, go, go. 49 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:21,160 Home. We don't want you here, pastor. 50 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,120 All right, I can't make you grow in and of myself. 51 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,960 Listen, that is an intimately personal decision that only. 52 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,720 You can make. And that the Holy Spirit can 53 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,320 help you with. But I will tell you this. 54 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,000 This morning that. God has people in your life that 55 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,760 are expecting you grow. God has people in your life that 56 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,680 need you to grow. So perhaps over the last couple 57 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,560 weeks you've thought, well, I haven't grown and I maybe don't 58 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,080 have a desire to grow. And I would submit to you this 59 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,600 morning that if that is the case, then there are people that 60 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,280 God is counting upon you to be able to reach and to help and to 61 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,480 lead and to serve, and the guide who have been neglected. 62 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,920 You know this isn't just about you, it's about the. 63 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,680 People that God has placed. In your life to be able to help. 64 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,920 To grow. Romans 14, seven says None of us 65 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:09,800 live unto ourselves. And none of us die unto 66 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,040 ourselves. Meaning this if you think life 67 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,600 is a solo mission, it's not that God has placed you in this. 68 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,880 Life to be able to. Be a help and a. 69 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,120 Blessing to others and they're counting on you to grow. 70 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:24,800 Would you stand? Pleased for the reading God's 71 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:30,000 Word in Acts chapter 3 this morning Acts chapter 3 will 72 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,080 begin in verse #1 and it says now John and Peter or well 73 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,600 Peter. And John went up. 74 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,160 Together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the 9th 75 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,200 hour. And a certain man lame from his 76 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,040 mother's womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of 77 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,200 the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them 78 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,440 that entered into the temple. Who's seeing Peter and John 79 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,400 about to go into the temple? Asked. 80 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,280 And alms. You know, talking about alms, 81 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,880 meaning he he wanted some money and Peter fastening his eyes 82 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,400 upon him with John said, look on us. 83 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,960 And he gave heed unto him, expecting to receive something 84 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,480 of him. And Peter said silver and gold 85 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,440 have I none? But such as I have, I give thee. 86 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:15,920 In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk, and 87 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,320 took him by the right hand and lifted him up. 88 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:22,240 And immediately his feet and ankle bones receive strength. 89 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,480 And he, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them 90 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,440 into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. 91 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,000 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and 92 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,880 they knew that it was he which sat at Homs, at the beautiful 93 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,520 gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and 94 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,800 amazement. At that which had happened unto 95 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,440 him, and as the lame. Man, which was healed, held 96 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,200 Peter and John. All the people ran together. 97 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,480 Under them, in the porch that is called Solomon's greatly 98 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,800 wondering, a man, thought he. Was going to get a little bit of 99 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,640 money. But he got something a whole lot 100 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,280 better. He got healing through Jesus 101 00:04:58,280 --> 00:04:59,880 Christ. And so we're look at that this 102 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:02,120 morning and the Ministry of. Peter and John to this. 103 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:03,640 Man, and a message I've. Entitled. 104 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,760 Somebody is counting on you to grow. 105 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:08,720 Would you be? Seated and let's pray together. 106 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:16,520 This morning. Heavenly Father, I do thank you 107 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:17,600 for. This morning and the people. 108 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,640 Who are here where I thank you for? 109 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,400 Our guests and visitors and returning guests and visitors, 110 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,600 Lord, we thank you for them all. We certainly don't take for 111 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,520 granted that there would be people that would take out of 112 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,040 their day to be able to come to not just any church, but to this 113 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:32,520 church to be able to hear Your word. 114 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,400 And so, Lord, we thank you humbly for that. 115 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,160 But I pray that as I give the word of God this morning, 116 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,640 they'll be given rightly, Lord, they'll be given clearly. 117 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,560 And most importantly, if there's someone here again who needs to 118 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,200 be saved, that they would. Understand the life changing. 119 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,120 Message of Jesus from this passage. 120 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,760 And we do ask it all this morning in Jesus name, Amen. 121 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,000 Life really doesn't end its salvation, it just begins. 122 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,840 The day you get saved, you become a servant of God. 123 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,880 And life changes for you completely. 124 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,560 It was Jim Berg and his book Change into his Image, which I 125 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:06,800 would. Encourage you to read if you've 126 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:08,520 never. Read it before Jim Berg. 127 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,880 Said this, our Lord did not come to this planet, live a perfect 128 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,600 life and become a worthy atonement for the sins of the 129 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,880 world, so that those who became as children could merely be well 130 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,120 adjusted, live morally upright lives, and enjoy personal 131 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,520 happiness and success. He died to redeem us from the 132 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,320 penalty and power of a sinful heart that keeps us from being 133 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,800 useful. Servants to the living God. 134 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,960 I like that you were saved to serve. 135 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:41,240 You were saved to be able to minister the gospel ministry to 136 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,240 others who are around you. And Peter is starting to. 137 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,040 Realize that now, isn't he? The man who around 40 days or so 138 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,480 ago, this is after Pentecost. But we know that somewhere 139 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,600 during the ascension, before the ascension of Jesus Christ, that 140 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,640 Peter decided to quit. He decided to go fishing, but 141 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,360 yet that he was told and admonished by Jesus to get back 142 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,680 in and to be. Able to. 143 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,200 Love the sheep and more than he loved the fish. 144 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,600 And so he did so and he took leadership in Acts chapter 1 and 145 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,480 then Acts chapter 2, the promise of the Holy Spirit, Amen. 146 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,960 And what happened? Peter wasn't just talking and 147 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,320 putting his foot in his mouth anymore. 148 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,640 Peter is talking and preaching with boldness that can only be 149 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,040 attributed to a man who is allowing the Holy Spirit to work 150 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,320 in his life. And we saw that at the end of 151 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,640 Acts chapter 2 that 3000 people got saved. 152 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,120 Imagine the parking problems they would have had compared to 153 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:33,800 what we have here at Liberty Baptist Church. 154 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,760 Amen. 3000 people got saved that day and were added to the church 155 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,720 and they continued in the apostles doctrine and prayers 156 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,200 and everything was going and everything was great. 157 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,960 But then we start chapter #3 and Peter and John are together. 158 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,040 Now, I don't want to take too long to dwell on this, but 159 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,000 listen, Peter and John were together. 160 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,120 Remember we looked at a few weeks ago the fact that Peter 161 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,000 and John didn't really get along very well in days before, and 162 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 they were like oil and water. And even though they've been 163 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,720 together for three years in the ministry of Jesus, they didn't 164 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,120 get along well. But now they are here and 165 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:06,920 they're in harmony. And that's what the power of the 166 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,120 Holy Spirit can do when people are willing to listen to the 167 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,800 Holy Spirit in their lives. And now there are two men who 168 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,240 come from two different ways of thinking, but they realize, 169 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,720 listen, we got the same way of thinking in Jesus Christ. 170 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:19,200 We need to be able to work together. 171 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,160 And here they are. And they're going to the temple, 172 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,800 by the way, not during the hours sacrifice, because the hour of 173 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,040 sacrifice held, no. Hold on them anymore. 174 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,280 Now they're coming during the hour of prayer. 175 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,120 This is what they are coming. And as they are going, they're 176 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,880 going through what is called the beautiful gate and reading a 177 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,720 little bit of the history of the beautiful gate from Josephus, 178 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,080 who was a Jewish historian. It was said that that beautiful 179 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,560 gate, also sometimes called the Corinthian gate, was covered 180 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:47,680 with Corinthian brass, not Corinthian leather, but 181 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:50,760 Corinthian brass with silver and gold. 182 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,600 It was located in the east side of the temple, and Josephus said 183 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,800 that it was more beautiful and it was more opulent than any of 184 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,120 the other gates. So it was literally called the 185 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,840 beautiful gate because of how ornate it was. 186 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,920 And many people would have been drawn through that gate because 187 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,800 of its beauty. But bringing those people 188 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:13,960 through that gate also meant that there were. 189 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,960 Men who wanted ohms. Men who needed. 190 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,880 Money. And they realized, well, if I 191 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,760 could, maybe. Talk to people, if I could maybe 192 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,720 ask people for money as they're going through this gate and they 193 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,600 have maybe a. Little bit of a religious 194 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,880 feeling within their bosom. During this time, because 195 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,640 they're about to go in and worship the Lord and maybe have 196 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,200 coming out from worshiping the Lord and maybe perhaps we can we 197 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,400 can talk to them during this time and receive a little bit of 198 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:38,880 money. And the Bible says there was a 199 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,440 lame man. There was a man that was born 200 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,400 without being able to walk and that for some great period of 201 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,480 time people had picked him up and had dropped him off at this 202 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:50,000 gate. And at the end of the day they 203 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,000 would pick him up and take him back home. 204 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,840 And this had happened over and over and over again. 205 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,080 For how long? Well, I don't know exactly how 206 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,240 long the Bible doesn't tell us, but it was long enough that 207 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,000 people knew who he was. So we're not talking about 208 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,040 something that just happened a week or two weeks. 209 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:09,040 I would I would dare say by what we see here in the text that it 210 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,640 probably been many years that this man had gone through the 211 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,800 same routine that someone had picked him up. 212 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,520 They had taken him to the temple, they set him down the 213 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,360 beautiful gate. He asked for money. 214 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,840 At the end of the day, they picked him up, they took him 215 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,440 home. And he had a reputation as one 216 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,480 of them who would sit there at the gate. 217 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,320 So Peter and John are going through this beautiful gate and 218 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,840 as they do, he asked for alms just like he did on every other 219 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,800 day to every other man and woman that would have walked through 220 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,320 that gate. And as they do so, Peter and I 221 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,400 believe as he listens to the Holy Spirit within him, no, not 222 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:45,080 an audible voice, but the urge of the Holy Spirit saying to to 223 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:49,120 Peter at that time that he is to address this man, but he's not 224 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,960 to address him with silver and gold. 225 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,240 You know how I know he was a Baptist preacher? 226 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:54,880 Because he says this silver and gold. 227 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,040 Have I none silver and gold Have I none? 228 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,240 And he he says, he says look at me and the man is excited. 229 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,320 He says hey I'm I finally got someone's. 230 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:06,520 Attention. Listen, you know. 231 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,000 From. People who have asked. 232 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:09,960 For money in the past. Often times they're they're 233 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,800 gays, a virtue. They don't want to look you in 234 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:13,360 the eye. They're already expecting that 235 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:15,920 someone's going to say no. And here's this man. 236 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,080 He I imagine his expectations. Already this nobody's giving me 237 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,520 any money, nobody's going to help me and. 238 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,840 Peter says hey, pay attention. And he gets excited. 239 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,640 He says. Silver and gold have I none, And 240 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:34,640 I imagine in that one moment that man goes, Oh well, what 241 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:39,080 else can you help me with? My need is silver and my need is 242 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,480 gold. But Peter, through the Holy 243 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,680 Spirit, realized his need was a whole lot greater than silver 244 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:48,280 and gold, that he had something to offer that couldn't. 245 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,680 Be offered any other way? By any other person. 246 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,120 And he said this in the name of Jesus. 247 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:58,720 Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk now we. 248 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:00,640 Kind of take for. Granted the miracles that take 249 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,160 place in the gospels, but do you realize for Peter this is a 250 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,520 first for Peter? This is something that he. 251 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:11,200 Has not done in the past and he's. 252 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,200 Trusting the Lord that this is what is supposed. 253 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,640 To be done and what happens? Well, the Bible makes it clear 254 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,440 this man gets up and boy, what a scene it was. 255 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:20,440 In fact, it doesn't just say that he got up. 256 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,160 It says in verse 8 and he leaping stood up. 257 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,120 But by the way, when Jesus heals, it's not like the faith 258 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,320 healers, you see that the snake oil salesman that you find it 259 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,240 and say, well, eventually I'm going to feel better. 260 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,200 I got healed but in probably about a month I'm going to get a 261 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,040 little bit. Better here. 262 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:35,840 No, He. Got healed and what happened? 263 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:41,040 He jumped up and he jumps up and he's, I mentioned he's crying 264 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,720 and he's grabbing Peter and he's grabbing John. 265 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,600 A man, listen, who had never walked in his life. 266 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,720 This wasn't a man who had gone through an accident or an 267 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,480 incident and lost the use of his legs. 268 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,320 And certainly that would have been tragic enough. 269 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,720 But there's a man who didn't even know what it was to walk, 270 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,520 who never experienced to be able to actually use his feet and his 271 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,440 leg bones in his entire life. And all of a sudden the strength 272 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,000 is given to him in a moment and he's jumping and he's leaping 273 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,120 and he's glorifying God. And what happens? 274 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,880 All those people that are going in the temple, they don't care 275 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:12,600 about the temple anymore. What are they doing? 276 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:15,120 They're gathering around Peter and they're gathering around 277 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,040 John and they want to know exactly it was what happened? 278 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,600 How did this happen? What's going on? 279 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,600 This, this is incredible. We know this man, we've seen 280 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,840 this man. He's never gotten up before. 281 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,520 He's never stood up. All he ever does is ask for 282 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:29,840 money. And here he is. 283 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,040 He's restored and he's with Peter and he's with John. 284 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,720 And we remember those guys from Pentecost and what's going on 285 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,560 what, what exactly is happening here. 286 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,480 And Peter again filled with the Holy Spirit, What does he do? 287 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,840 He used the opportunity to give glory to God, and he uses an 288 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,480 opportunity to preach. The Gospel. 289 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,480 Look at verse #12 He says this. And when Peter saw it. 290 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:53,720 He answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at 291 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,480 this, or why you look ye so earnestly on us, as though by 292 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,360 our own power or holiness we made this man to walk. 293 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,280 Peter says, listen, if you thought there was anything 294 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,120 within me. He says, If you only knew who I 295 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,240 am, If you only knew what my back story was, There's nothing 296 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,600 within me that could cause this. This man who was lame on his 297 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,440 feet to be able to walk. It's not about my holiness and 298 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,400 it's not about my power. Go down to verse #16 And he said 299 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,160 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man 300 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:28,320 strong who ye see and know. Yeah, the faith which is by. 301 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,360 Him hath given him this. Perfect soundness and presence 302 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:34,400 of you all. What does he say? 303 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,920 He says, listen, it's not because of me, it's because 304 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,040 Jesus. It's not because of me. 305 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,400 It's because faith in his name. And listen, it was because of 306 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,320 faith in the name of Jesus Christ that this man was 307 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,400 physically healed. But I also want to say this to 308 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:49,680 you this morning and listen to me. 309 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,080 It's also by faith in Jesus Christ that someone is not 310 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,480 necessarily physically healed, but a more important healing 311 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,760 than a physical healing is a spiritual healing. 312 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,920 And only Jesus Christ can save a soul. 313 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,880 Only faith in Jesus Christ can save someone to take them from 314 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,240 death unto life. As we looked at Mephibosheth 315 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,480 last week on Sunday night, how this man, Mephibosheth was lame 316 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,760 on his feet. He had nothing, he could do 317 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,200 nothing, he owned nothing. But all of a sudden the King 318 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,080 came by and he had everything. Why? 319 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,680 Because of what the King could do for him. 320 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,400 And the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, King Jesus is the 321 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,360 one that can bring healing into your life. 322 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,240 Oh sure, physical healing, but we're not really talking about 323 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:30,680 that. What we're talking about, 324 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,400 something far more important, is we're talking about a spiritual 325 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,200 healing that you can pass from death unto life. 326 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,400 When you trust in Jesus. Christ your Savior. 327 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:42,680 If you don't know Jesus Christ your Savior, if you've never had 328 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,160 a time and a place where you realize that you were a Sinner 329 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,520 and only Christ could save you, you need to call upon Him today. 330 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,240 You know. This is what you need to do. 331 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,560 There is no other priority. There is no other step that you 332 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,000 need to take. The Gospels be extended to you. 333 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,040 It's been purchased. Your salvation has been 334 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,840 purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 335 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,760 What you need to do is call upon Him. 336 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,760 Not upon the sacraments, not upon your works, not upon the 337 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,200 money that you give, not upon church membership, not upon any 338 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,160 of the things that you can do. Because listen, if you could 339 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,120 save yourself, Jesus Christ didn't need to come. 340 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,640 If you could save yourself, Jesus Christ didn't need to die 341 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,760 on that cross. No, no, what you need is what 342 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,560 only Jesus Christ can offer. He is the door. 343 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,680 He is the one that can give you life and give you life more 344 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,040 abundantly. So you're going to call upon 345 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:34,480 him. And this is good stuff, don't 346 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:35,680 you? It's just crazy when people say 347 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:36,440 the Bible is. Boring. 348 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,320 It's. Like, I don't think you read the 349 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,800 Bible if you think the Bible is boring because this is exciting. 350 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:46,240 And Peter, a man who was a failure a few weeks ago, has a 351 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,160 crowd come up and he says this. You know how to do? 352 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:52,080 How to preach to him? Like, I don't want to get over 353 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,720 the fact that this is the same Peter that was cursing a few 354 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:57,120 weeks ago. I don't know him. 355 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,120 And now he's saying. Hey, Jesus Christ. 356 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,240 You don't know him, but you need to know him. 357 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,880 Find out that his preaching was so bold and we'll. 358 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,160 By God's grace, look. At this later, his preaching was 359 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:16,040 so bold that he and John ended up getting arrested and he got 360 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:20,440 out and you know what he said? Well, we'd listen to you, but we 361 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,200 got to listen to Jesus first. So we're going to keep 362 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,280 preaching. Who is this guy? 363 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,560 It's a guy who grew. A man who? 364 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,760 The Holy Spirit. Had done a work in his life. 365 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,040 This was an incredible day and one that the spirit moved within 366 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:40,000 Peter to see healings of both a physical and of a spiritual 367 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:42,800 nature. But you remember. 368 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,720 What I said a few minutes ago that someone is counting on you 369 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:49,840 to grow. You might wonder. 370 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:51,680 Well, OK. Pastor, I see, but where do you 371 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,120 get that from This text that we were reading like I, Pastor, I 372 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:56,360 agree with. Everything you just said, it's 373 00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:57,880 all right. Here, but I don't understand why 374 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,600 the thrust of the messages someone is counting on you to 375 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,600 grow, because I don't know that I saw that necessarily well. 376 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Let me remind you a couple things go back to verse #2 it 377 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,360 says in a certain man lame from his mother's. 378 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,240 Womb was. Carried, whom they laid daily at 379 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,680 the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful to ask alms of. 380 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,640 Them that entered into the temple now drop. 381 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:23,320 Down to verse #10 and they knew that it was that let's try that 382 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:23,880 again I'm. Sorry. 383 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,040 And they knew that it was. He which had sat for. 384 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,600 Alms at the beautiful gate of the temple, and they were filled 385 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,240 with wonderful or with. Wonder and amazement. 386 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,760 At that which had happened unto him. 387 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,160 Seems to be that there's no doubt that this was a man that 388 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,560 was fairly well known. This man was only well known 389 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,480 because of the passage of time. He had been. 390 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,560 Laid at the gate, but by the way, not. 391 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:47,520 Just at different. Gates. 392 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:52,560 He was laid at the same gate. Every day for an extended period 393 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,080 of time. So something I it's just, I kept 394 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,160 coming back to this this week. During my study and I kept I 395 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,320 kept thinking about this and it really it's what I want to focus 396 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,000 on for the next few moments if we have the time by. 397 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,240 God's grace, it's this. If this man. 398 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,840 Had been sitting at the gate of the temple for an extremely long 399 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:14,520 time. You know this man had. 400 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,360 Been there. Always asking for money. 401 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,840 Always needing a healing. And he just got healed on this 402 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,520 day. But he'd been there for a very, 403 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,720 very long time. Why hadn't? 404 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,920 Jesus healed him already. I mean, seems to me that Jesus 405 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:32,200 spent quite a bit of time in the temple. 406 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,560 I have no doubt that Jesus. Would have passed by this man 407 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,520 many times I mean I don't think there's any doubt that we can 408 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:47,160 surmise that Jesus would have passed by this man gone through 409 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,120 the gate beautiful to go in and out of the temple that as he 410 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,840 done so that this man who had been there for a very long. 411 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:55,480 Time would have been there. And while Jesus may have 412 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:56,920 acknowledged. Him while Jesus may have. 413 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,520 Talked to them, it's never found in the word of God and we do 414 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,520 though this. Jesus had never healed him. 415 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:10,320 So why Peter and not Jesus? Why for three possible? 416 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,240 Years did Jesus pass by him here and there every time he was in 417 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,160 Jerusalem. But Peter, on this day, is the 418 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:19,240 one that brings. Healing to him. 419 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:23,040 Now I can't. Always say that. 420 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,840 I mean, can any of us really say we know the mind of the Lord? 421 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:28,120 I'll say this. If you say you always know the 422 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,200 mind of the Lord, then. We got some. 423 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,200 Questions for you, because none of us can discern the mind of 424 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,600 the Lord unless the mind of the Lord's already preserved for us 425 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,640 within the Word of God. He gives us His mind in 66 426 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,840 books, doesn't he? And so we're thankful to be able 427 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:43,120 to have that. And there's some things we can 428 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:45,480 surmise. From what we see here. 429 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:51,200 But we do know this. God is sovereign and nothing. 430 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,680 Escapes him. Here's what I mean. 431 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:55,680 Jesus. Didn't. 432 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,480 Just go past him and say you know what I've been meaning? 433 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:00,600 To heal him. And I forgot. 434 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,320 You know what, Peter? You take care of it for me. 435 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:04,640 I can't believe I forgot about that. 436 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:06,280 Say, Pastor, you're being sarcastic. 437 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:10,680 No. OK, that would be really 438 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,960 sarcastic, you know. God's sovereign nothing that 439 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,320 happened. In Job's life came as a surprise 440 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:21,640 to God Job chapter one Job chapter 2 God was intimately 441 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,560 acquainted with every difficulty that came in job's life. 442 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:27,760 None of it caught in my surprise. 443 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:30,680 And I'm not suggesting here that there's anything that took place 444 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,760 that got Jesus by surprise or that Jesus was neglectful or 445 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:36,800 anything like that. In fact, I think we could 446 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,560 surmise knowing what we know about God, knowing what we know 447 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,920 about his omnipotence, knowing what we know. 448 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,920 About his omniscience. Knowing what we know about his 449 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,400 character, about his love. And his compassion. 450 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,080 I think we can surmise that that because we know that nothing 451 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,640 escapes him. There's no doubt in my mind that 452 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:58,280 Jesus hadn't done a work in this man's life specifically because 453 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,800 he left the work for. Peter to do. 454 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:05,560 Amen. That he left this man for some 455 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:11,200 period of time because he knew someday that it would be the job 456 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,640 of Peter to walk by and to be able to see his ministry expand, 457 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,320 to see his ministry grow, to see his faith and trust grow in God 458 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:22,400 as he understood in this moment that, wow, the Lord will use me 459 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,880 in ways that I never even thought possible. 460 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,360 And So what do I see from this? That listen, God doesn't need. 461 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,680 Us to fulfill his work. Before we get too. 462 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,440 Far down this road here. God doesn't need you and he 463 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,520 doesn't need me. We can get a little bit too high 464 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,120 on our horse, can't we? In the sense that, well, I'm a 465 00:22:43,120 --> 00:22:45,080 preacher of the Word of God. The Lord needs me. 466 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:47,560 Listen, that's about. The time when the Lord says hey. 467 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,160 You're done, the Lord. Needs me. 468 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,440 He doesn't need me for anything. I caused him more grief than 469 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,440 help. The Lord needs me. 470 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,440 The Lord needs you. He don't need any of us. 471 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:08,200 He chooses to use us. And in many ways that's even 472 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:15,400 more wonderful that God has chosen to use you and God has 473 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,400 chosen to use me. He doesn't need us to. 474 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,520 Proclaim His name, but He chooses us to proclaim his name. 475 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,040 He doesn't need us to. Lead. 476 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,560 But He chooses us to lead. He doesn't need us to fulfill 477 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,880 the obligations of life, but He chooses us to be able to do so. 478 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,960 Why? Because of His great love, He's 479 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,560 left some obligations. For us, not because he's. 480 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:44,640 Neglectful, but because he wants to continue to see us grow, and 481 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:46,040 someone's counting on you to grow. 482 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:52,600 There's some people that God has left behind for you to be able 483 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:56,880 to be a blessing to. And if you don't grow, you can't 484 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,320 be the person you need to be for those people that He has called 485 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,720 you to be for. Listen, I'm not saying this. 486 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,400 Man would never have gotten. Healed if Peter went a fishing 487 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,000 because the Lord can work things out however he wants. 488 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,040 It's not like Peter could have stymied the plans of God. 489 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:15,600 You know, but God says, all right, this is for Peter, and 490 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,000 Peter goes to fishing and he never comes. 491 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,640 Back and God says now what am I going to do? 492 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:22,880 Like the old saying says, has it ever occurred to you? 493 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,480 That nothing's ever occurred to God like. 494 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:26,640 Nothing ever just came to his mind. 495 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,760 Whoa, I didn't see that possibility. 496 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,080 He knows it all. He's seen it all. 497 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:32,080 The end from the. Beginning. 498 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:39,440 But God had planned for Peter and John to be the ones to grow 499 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,640 enough to be able to minister this man. 500 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,800 And it couldn't happen while they were fishing and it 501 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,000 couldn't happen while they were trying to do things with their 502 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,440 own power. What I'm saying is there were 503 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,680 people that were counting on them to grow. 504 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,840 There's going to be people in Samaria that Peter's got to 505 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,440 preach to. They're going to count on him to 506 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,080 grow. There's Gentiles who are going 507 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,640 to be outside of the household of the faith until Peter 508 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,920 receives a vision from the Lord that says don't call unclean 509 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,600 that, which I have cleansed talking of the Gentiles. 510 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,760 And what does Peter do? He goes and preaches the gospel 511 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,160 to him. He basically opens up the 512 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,240 gospel, if you will, humanly speaking, to the Samaritans and 513 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,360 to the Gentiles. He goes on and there's a pillar 514 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:29,640 of the church, as Paul calls him. 515 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,440 He goes on and defends the Gentiles salvation. 516 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,560 In Acts chapter #15 when there were those Judaizers who tried 517 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,840 to say, well, they can't get saved unless they follow the 518 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,000 law. And Peter says this, you don't 519 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:45,680 understand the gospel does. Peter can't do these things 520 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:50,480 unless he grows. He can't be the person who God 521 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,840 has called him to be unless there is growth in his life. 522 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,320 But but really, this message isn't about Peter because he's 523 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,160 gone. I'm looking forward to meeting 524 00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:58,280 him someday. I'll tell you got a lot of. 525 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,960 Questions for him can't wait to meet him, but his message is 526 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,800 about Peter. This message is about you. 527 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:10,200 It's about me. And the question is this, do you 528 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,840 realize that God has put people in your life to be able to 529 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,280 minister to? And if you don't grow, you won't 530 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:18,920 be able to be the person he's called you to be. 531 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,000 You know, he could use the angels to proclaim the gospel to 532 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,640 your neighbors, but what has he done? 533 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,000 He's left them for you to minister to. 534 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:30,880 He's called you to be able to do that job. 535 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:33,600 He he could write an interoffice. 536 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,400 Memo at your work saying. Hey everyone who's a believer, 537 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,520 let's have a Bible. Study together, but he's called 538 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,720 you to be salt and light in your workplace and to be able to 539 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,960 maybe read the Bible with people who are there. 540 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,680 Witness your faith as you can in your workplace. 541 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,080 You know he's he's left that job for you to do. 542 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,800 You know, would it be great if a new believer got saved and the 543 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:56,520 Lord just uploaded all the information they. 544 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,560 Need right in their brain. He doesn't do that, does he? 545 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:01,960 Oh. No, you're a new creature. 546 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:02,960 You pass. From death to life. 547 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:04,520 But there's still a lot about the Christian life you don't 548 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:06,640 know. And God has ordained. 549 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,040 The method of growth for a new believers being in the word but 550 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:15,640 also that in the church that the elder teach the younger and if 551 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,760 you don't grow enough and you can't teach the younger. 552 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,560 And again, that's not necessarily. 553 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,960 Elder and younger in age, but in Christ. 554 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:26,200 And if you can't do that, listen, there are people that 555 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:30,320 God has left for you, for you to be able to minister to within 556 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:31,520 the church, and you can't do that. 557 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,640 Well, that's the pastor's job. You think I can? 558 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:36,080 Minister to everybody adequately. 559 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:37,960 Within this church, do you? Think I should minister to 560 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:39,360 everyone adequately in this church? 561 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,280 I only have one life experience. You have your life experience 562 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,320 that God's brought you through and there's people that he wants 563 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:47,360 you to help. But what if you don't grow 564 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:49,480 enough? Then you just come to church. 565 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,800 You come and you go and you come and you go and you miss what God 566 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,720 has for you, which is to be a blessing to someone who's 567 00:27:54,720 --> 00:28:00,240 younger in Christ. Hey fellas, if you got a wife, 568 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:03,160 God's called you to minister to her. 569 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:06,800 He's called you to minister to her. 570 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,520 He's told you in in Ephesians chapter 5 to love her as Christ 571 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:14,080 loved the church. Listen, you are to show Christ. 572 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,800 To her. That's a tall order, isn't it? 573 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,520 God's left you with that responsibility and if you don't 574 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,560 grow, you will not be able to fill that responsibility because 575 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,960 you can't do that on your own. You can't do it on your own 576 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:34,000 husband and wife with children to be able to raise them in the 577 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:35,480 nurture and the admission of the Lord. 578 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:40,240 Listen, you got to grow so that you can pass on the faith to 579 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,680 your children. You've got to grow so you can 580 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,480 pass on the faith to your grandchildren. 581 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,880 Listen, how will you pass on the word of God if you don't read it 582 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,040 for yourself? How can you pass on a love for 583 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,120 church if you're not in the House of God for yourself? 584 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,120 You know, God has left you with this responsibility and it 585 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:02,560 requires your growth. Hey, he's left us a whole town 586 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,840 to be able to minister, to say things are dark out there. 587 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,840 I know. And he's left these people for 588 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:10,400 us. Why? 589 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:12,480 So we could show them Jesus Christ. 590 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:15,360 Could he just write it in the clouds? 591 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:20,880 Sure, he could, but he's chosen us to be his ambassadors. 592 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:26,560 He's chosen us to be the ones to be able to go and share the good 593 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,920 news of Jesus Christ. There's people he's left for us 594 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:31,480 to help. You say, Pastor, I don't feel 595 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:36,680 very capable of that. Well, maybe you could say 596 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:38,800 something like this. Well, silver and gold have I 597 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,000 none. But such as I have, I give you 598 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,040 basically saying, Lord, I'm not much. 599 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:48,200 But you already knew that, didn't you? 600 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,480 That's why you gave me the Holy Spirit to grow. 601 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,480 And I'm going to grow because my family's counting on me. 602 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:56,880 I'm going to grow because my spouse is counting on me. 603 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,000 I'm going to grow because my kids are counting on me. 604 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,240 I'm going to grow because my grandchildren are counting on me 605 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,120 I'm a grow because my church is counting on me. 606 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,760 I'm a grow because my. Neighborhood, my office, my 607 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,760 friends, my, my peers, the kids in my school, they're all 608 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,600 counting on me. And so I have to grow it. 609 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,120 If I don't grow, I don't live unto myself and I don't die into 610 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:16,960 myself. No, no, this isn't just about 611 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,960 me. He's left me here not because he 612 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,720 needs me, but he's left these people for me. 613 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,280 Not because he's forgotten about them, but he's left them 614 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:26,320 because. They're my mechanism of growth. 615 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:27,920 As they are to grow at the same time. 616 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,320 And if you forget what will happen? 617 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:34,960 And this is really where the issue comes down for us this 618 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,360 morning, Really, only a strong man can help a lame man. 619 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,560 A weak Peter can't help this man. 620 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:48,520 A weak John cannot help this man. 621 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,640 Why do we need to grow? Because as we grow stronger in 622 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,640 the Lord, we're able to help those in desperate situations, 623 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,280 and we're able to help those that God has called us to lead 624 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,480 in the 1st place. 2nd Corinthians 518 All things are 625 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:05,720 of God, who hath. Reconciled us to himself. 626 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,920 By Jesus Christ hath given us, listen, the ministry of 627 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,520 reconciliation, John 1020 or John 2021. 628 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,080 And Jesus said to them, Peace be unto you, as my Father has sent 629 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:21,400 me, Even so send I you. He's commissioned us. 630 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,760 He's called us to go out and he's left people for us, not 631 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,600 because he forgot about them, but because he loves them so 632 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,120 much and he loves us so much. He wants to grow to reach those 633 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,040 people and that's why we have to get stronger. 634 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,240 Peyton, my daughter, many of you know her as if I take for 635 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:40,240 granted. There's a few of you that are 636 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,440 new that may not know all of my family yet, but believe it or 637 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:44,160 not, we have an older daughter that doesn't even live here 638 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,240 anymore. She's married, but Peyton comes 639 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,240 up to me and this is kind of a little child thing because I 640 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:50,920 feel like our older girls did this too. 641 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:54,000 But she has a water bottle because, you know, the water 642 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,680 bottles are the thing nowadays, isn't it? 643 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,480 It's it's kind of a cult. I mean, let's be honest, the 644 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:00,680 water bottle people and the pickleball people, they really 645 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,840 annoy me. All right, But OK, that's an 646 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:04,960 exaggeration. But. 647 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:07,560 Peyton has a water bottle, you know, keeps her water cold and 648 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:08,400 all that, and that means we don't. 649 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,960 Buy a bunch of these bottles so it's really good but but she 650 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:12,240 has. This water bottle and. 651 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,200 She'll come up to me almost every morning and say. 652 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:18,360 Dad, I don't know why she has to. 653 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,720 Make the noise too, because she's not moving anything. 654 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:26,640 I don't know why she's moving. I can't open it as a baby. 655 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,720 Daddy's not going to open it for you. 656 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,800 What a what? A jerky 1. 657 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:34,560 And I'm only admitting this in front of you. 658 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:36,440 Actually, I don't know why I'm admitting in front of you. 659 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,840 No, no, there's a reason why. I know she can open it. 660 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:47,520 She just doesn't want to. Say listen, stop making. 661 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,560 That noise and open the bottle and then it says. 662 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,680 Oh, I did it. Wow. 663 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,240 You know, you know why I forced her to do it. 664 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,920 I want to grow stronger. She needs to grow stronger. 665 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,320 Could you imagine her being in her 20s and going? 666 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:09,560 It's like, it's like I got to get. 667 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,440 Married. I got to find a man, open my 668 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:16,720 water bottle. Like, no, OK, that's not good. 669 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,600 That's not good. These things ought not to be. 670 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,880 You know what I'm saying? Because I want her to grow. 671 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:26,120 I put her in situations to strengthen her. 672 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:30,440 If she does not grow, then someone else is going to have to 673 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,000 do the work for her. Now, I want you to listen 674 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,240 carefully. I want you to look right into my 675 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,720 beady eyes right now, OK? Because we're close to being 676 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,600 done. If you don't raise your children 677 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,720 in the nurture, the admonition of the Lord, if you're not 678 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:46,160 strong enough to be able to do that, at least growing, someone 679 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:50,480 else will. This world wants to raise your 680 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:53,640 children and they want to raise your grandchildren. 681 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,240 So what do you do? You need to grow enough so that 682 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:58,240 you could listen. I don't. 683 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,240 I never said you were to be perfect. 684 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:05,360 You just need to be growing and grow because if you don't raise 685 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,080 them, the public school system will. 686 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,880 Entertainment will. The music industry will all the 687 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,480 people you don't want downloading into your child's 688 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,560 mind. What do you do? 689 00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:20,199 If you don't do it, someone else will. 690 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:26,440 Spiritually speaking, if you don't grow, who will reach your 691 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,800 spouse on if they need to get saved? 692 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:34,440 If they don't see you growing spiritually an unsaved spouse, 693 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:37,760 well, how are they going to come to Christ? 694 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,560 Now listen, I'm not, I'm not saying that you are the one to 695 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,159 be blamed. They have to make that decision. 696 00:34:43,159 --> 00:34:44,960 But we do know that the Bible also says we have a 697 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,159 responsibility to be the watchman, to be the proclaimer 698 00:34:48,159 --> 00:34:51,719 of the word of God. You say, well, pastor, you can 699 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:53,400 do it for me. Listen, they'll never listen to 700 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:57,120 me if they don't see it in you. You got to grow. 701 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,960 Who if? You don't win your family. 702 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,560 Who will if we don't reach our town? 703 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,040 Who will if we don't reach our neighbors? 704 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,600 Who will if you don't offer encouragement? 705 00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:10,160 Who? Will if you don't help. 706 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:12,240 Reconcile your loved ones. Who will? 707 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:14,720 Over and over. The question is who will do it 708 00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:17,600 if we don't? Because he's left these people 709 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,240 for us to minister to. Not because he's forgotten about 710 00:35:21,240 --> 00:35:23,760 him. No, because he wants you to be 711 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:26,920 able to be the one so it can be in your process of growth. 712 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:29,120 He said, well, if I don't grow, it's just up. 713 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:30,840 Look at this pastor. It's a personal decision. 714 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:33,040 It may be a personal decision, but don't think the 715 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,040 ramifications. Just extend to your life and 716 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:39,560 your life alone, because it will extend far greater than you 717 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:45,120 could ever imagine. Here's Joseph. 718 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:47,600 Bad things happen in his life, but he grows. 719 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:49,920 What happens? He ends up saving his family. 720 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:53,720 Here's Daniel. Bad things happen in his life. 721 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:56,640 He's stolen from his homeland. He's made a eunuch. 722 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:57,920 Do you understand what I'm saying? 723 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:01,000 I get every reason to tap out and say I don't want to follow 724 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,720 God. God used him to save a nation. 725 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,840 Here's Ruth in the same situation, taken by force. 726 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,440 What happens? She grows. 727 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,320 And what saves? No, we're not living to 728 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,200 ourselves and we're not dying to ourselves. 729 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:21,960 God needs you to grow, so He needs me to. 730 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,960 He needs you to because He ordained you to, not because he 731 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,320 needs you because he's incapable. 732 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:31,280 He needs you to because he's already chosen you to do it. 733 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:37,400 I read a book a few maybe a year or two ago on the the Johnstown 734 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:42,280 or Jonestown or Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania is a David 735 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:43,960 McCullough book. It's like the very first book 736 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:47,080 that David McCullough wrote and it sounded like a great book to 737 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,120 read. But you know, when you realize a 738 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:53,360 600 page book about a flood, that's like, I haven't read that 739 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:54,720 much about the flood in the Bible. 740 00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:57,360 You know, I don't know that I want to read that much about 741 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,520 this flood that happened, but it was a tragedy. 742 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:06,080 Over 2000 people died. And the reason that happened was 743 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,960 because there was a dam that was created that was supposed to 744 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,200 have been strengthened. It was made, it was created. 745 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,640 It was supposed to have been strengthened and made stronger 746 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,280 over the years because it was earthen and there was other 747 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:21,000 parts of it that were supposed to have been. 748 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,960 Enhanced and made better. And also to be cleaned and to 749 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,600 make sure that everything would would end up being, you know, if 750 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,240 there's a spillways, the water need to go over that the 751 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:32,840 spillways would be clear. And all those things every. 752 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:37,400 Possible safety precaution was neglected and everybody thought, 753 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:41,680 well, it'll take care of itself. And what happened was a 754 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:45,640 catastrophic rainstorm took place that overwhelmed the dam, 755 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:49,160 went through the valley and ended up causing such horrific 756 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,160 damage. As I mentioned, almost 2000 757 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:52,920 people died. It was a miracle for those who 758 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:54,600 even lived. And in the middle of the flood 759 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:56,240 was a great fire that took place. 760 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,960 And if fire and water all together? 761 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:05,800 An amazing mixture of catastrophe almost unseen in our 762 00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:09,280 history as a nation. It all came. 763 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:13,320 Down to a few people that said, you know what, I think things 764 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:17,440 are fine the way they are. I will say. 765 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:20,560 This and I will be done. You don't know the effects 766 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,600 downstream if you refuse to grow. 767 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:28,600 You don't know the effects downstream, but I will tell you 768 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,760 this. They will be catastrophic. 769 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:39,080 God has called you to grow, and in His love and in His mercy, 770 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,920 He's given you everything you need to grow with the Holy 771 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:45,520 Spirit inside and the Word of God. 772 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:48,520 He wants you to grow. He'll help you to grow. 773 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:50,600 There's other people that need you to grow. 774 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,360 So I'll ask for the third time in three weeks, will you grow 775 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,040 this week? Thank you for listening to the 776 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,640 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 777 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:04,240 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 778 00:39:04,240 --> 00:39:07,400 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 779 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:12,280 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 780 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:16,160 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 781 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:19,240 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.