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 --> 00:00:28,800 Acts chapter #5 This morning as we continue to look at the issue 8 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,760 of growth in the Christian life. And we've asked you over the 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,760 last several weeks, and we ask you again this week, have you 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,560 grown in your Christian life? Have you grown over the last 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,760 week? Have you found places in your 12 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,520 life that you need to grow in the spiritual realm? 13 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,320 And have you grown in those areas? 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,520 And we know that sometimes it's not everything that we want it 15 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,440 to be or everything that it ought to be, but we do know that 16 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,440 we ought to grow. And the Lord will help us grow 17 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,360 with His Holy Spirit. And so we've looking at this 18 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,720 issue of growth from the very last words that Peter gave us in 19 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,960 second Peter chapter #3 and then followed how Peter grew in the 20 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,319 book of Acts. But this morning, I want us to 21 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,320 look at a very important issue when it comes to this issue of 22 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:13,280 growth, and that is this growing through trials. 23 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,720 Growing through trials. Now, if I was to play a word 24 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,240 association game this morning, if I was to ask you to give me 25 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:22,720 some. Words that would. 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,840 Be associated with the word trials. 27 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,080 I imagine you'd probably come up with a word like this. 28 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:38,920 Fear, dread, pain, discouragement, quitting. 29 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,400 I mean, are those kind of words that you would maybe associate 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,480 with some of the troubles and the trials that you have in your 31 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:47,600 life? Let me ask you, has anybody ever 32 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,080 had any troubles or trials in life? 33 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:50,240 Let me see. I just want to make sure 34 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:51,320 everyone's hands work. All right. 35 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,240 Good, because we all have to raise our hands, don't we? 36 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,400 Every single one of us have gone through difficulties and 37 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:59,320 troubles and trials. I'll be honest with you. 38 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,000 When I go through those times in my life, here's the words that 39 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:09,320 I'm not using. Joy, gladness, rejoicing, 40 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:15,560 pleasure, growth. These are not the words that we 41 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,480 would associate with the issue of trials. 42 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,640 But here's what I want us to look at this morning when it 43 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:26,280 comes to growing trials will be in the way. 44 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,120 You know you can have revival in your life, you can have this 45 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:31,960 time of personal revival in your life. 46 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:32,920 Where? Where the Lord? 47 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaking to you through your Bible reading and everything's 48 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,040 good and everything's exciting and emotionally you just feel 49 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:41,480 like you're on fire for the Lord. 50 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,600 I hope you felt like that in your life before. 51 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,360 There've been times and seasons where where the Lord's presence 52 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,840 was was so real. It's not that he wasn't there 53 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,720 before, but you're just so in tune with what the Lord has in 54 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,000 your life. You've confessed your sin before 55 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,520 the Lord. You're keeping short accounts 56 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,240 with Him. You're listening and then things 57 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,840 are good and things are great and you're growing and you just 58 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,240 wished it would stay like that. But here's the problem. 59 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:09,040 There comes problems and trials, not even necessarily because of 60 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,080 what is happening in your life with what you're doing, that 61 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,160 you're doing something wrong and God's bringing judgement or 62 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,560 chastisement in your life. But it's just like Job, who is 63 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,560 minding his own business, and all of a sudden it seemed like 64 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,840 life crumbled around him. And if you're going to try to 65 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,880 live the growth type of life of which we're called to as 66 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,400 believers, trials are going to come, difficulties are going to 67 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,960 come. In fact, James 1 verses 2 68 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,160 through 4 says this. My brethren, count it all. 69 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,640 Joy, what was that the word association you thought you'd 70 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,840 use? It wasn't the one that first 71 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,240 came to my mind. My brethren, count it all. 72 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,120 Joy when you fall into divers temptations. 73 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,560 Knowing this at the trial of your faith, work as patience. 74 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,560 But let patients have a perfect work, that she may be perfect 75 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,120 and entire, wanting nothing. And James is saying this, If you 76 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,360 want to grow, problems aren't the problem. 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,280 But problems are actually the method that God often used to 78 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:16,079 help us grow, that problems aren't always the problem, but 79 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:19,279 problems are actually providentially placed in our 80 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,839 life because he wants us to grow. 81 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,520 And so this morning I kind of want us to change our thinking a 82 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,000 little bit today about this issue of trials that we have in 83 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,800 our life. And I'm not necessarily that 84 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,320 saying that when your bank account is empty, you ought to 85 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:39,600 be giddy and say I overdrew that that's kind of that's something 86 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:40,520 else. I don't know that that's 87 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,240 necessarily godly or not. But what I'm saying is this. 88 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,840 That we don't lose hope when things go wrong, That we don't 89 00:04:47,840 --> 00:04:49,920 lose courage when the problems come. 90 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,280 That we don't think God's quit on us when the troubles happen, 91 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:56,520 but instead realize that not only has God not. 92 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,360 Quit on us. But He's intricately and 93 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,120 intimately working in our life because He wants you to grow, 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,800 not because he's against you. Would you stand, please, for the 95 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:07,520 reading of God's Worry Acts chapter 5? 96 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,880 Beginning of verse #17 There's a lot going on in this chapter. 97 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:12,760 We'll try to cover it the best we can this morning. 98 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,480 Acts, chapter 5. Beginning of verse #17 It says 99 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,520 this. Then the high priest rose up, 100 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,440 and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the 101 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,840 Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, and they laid their 102 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:26,240 hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 103 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,960 But the Angel the Lord by night opened the prison doors and 104 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,800 brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the 105 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,120 temple to the people all the words of this life. 106 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:39,640 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in 107 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,040 the morning and taught. But the high priest came, and 108 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,480 they that were with him, and called the council together, and 109 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,400 all the Senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the 110 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,640 prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and 111 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,280 found them not in the prison, they returned and told saying 112 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,840 The prison truly found we shut with all safety, the keeper 113 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:58,720 standing without the doors, but when we'd open, we. 114 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,720 Found no man with him. Now when the high priest and the 115 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,360 captain of the temple, the chief priest, heard these things, they 116 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,360 doubted of them. Where unto this should grow. 117 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,920 They came. One told them, saying, Behold, 118 00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:16,000 the men whom he put in prison are standing in the temple and 119 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,520 teaching the people that you got to stop for just a moment. 120 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,800 You got to find the Bible humorous all right, in the sense 121 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:22,840 that you realize what's happening here. 122 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:27,160 The idea is they were locked up. The Angel of the Lord frees the 123 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,600 disciples. They go out and preach because 124 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,760 they were told to go back out to preach The the the Sadducees 125 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,560 sent them and say, all right, let's put these guys on trial. 126 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,760 They're not there. The doors are locked. 127 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:39,840 Where are they? And someone just runs in and 128 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:41,560 says, are you all looking for the disciples? 129 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,560 Yeah, where are they? They're back out there 130 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:45,920 preaching. Wouldn't we arrest them for 131 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,080 that? Well, we did. 132 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:48,760 But they're back out there preaching again. 133 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,720 You define the the irony in that. 134 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:53,520 I well, OK, I do. All right. 135 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,120 So anyway in verse #26 Then went the captain with the officers, 136 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,320 and brought them without violence, for they feared the 137 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,560 people, lest they should have been stoned. 138 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,560 And when they brought them, they set them before the council. 139 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,760 And the high priest asked them, saying, Did we not straightly 140 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,600 command you that you should not teach in this name? 141 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:15,080 And behold, you fell Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend 142 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:16,760 to bring this man's blood upon us. 143 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,600 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 144 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,000 This, We ought to obey God rather than them. 145 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,680 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom he slew and hanged 146 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,960 on a tree. Him at God, exalted with his 147 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,640 right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to 148 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,040 Israel, forgiveness of sins. And we're as witnesses of these 149 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,720 things. And so it is that also the Holy 150 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,200 Ghost, whom God hath given to them, that obey Him. 151 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,240 Now drop down to verse #40 where it says. 152 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,240 And to him they agreed. And when they had called the 153 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,840 apostles, they'd beaten them, and they commanded them that 154 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,160 they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 155 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,200 I'd call that a trial, wouldn't you? 156 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,080 And they departed from the presence of the council. 157 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,880 What's that next word? Rejoicing. 158 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,000 Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his 159 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,600 name. And daily in the temple and in 160 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,280 every house, they cease not to teach and preach. 161 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,240 Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father, I pray that 162 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:16,600 you'll be with us here this morning. 163 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,040 Help us to be able to look at your word to understand who we 164 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:20,520 need to be. What? 165 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,840 I imagine there's going to be some people here this morning 166 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,200 who are going through trials, but this isn't just something 167 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,240 that we're talking about in a way that's conjecture, but 168 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,040 they're living it right now. Would help them to know that not 169 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,080 only can they go through grow through the trials, but I 170 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,200 believe that you have brought these trials into the life for 171 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,720 the very fact that they would grow to be able to be who they 172 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,080 are called to be. And that those trials that you 173 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:45,600 have brought their way are not there because of your hatred for 174 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,840 them, but rather because of your intense love for them would help 175 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:50,080 that to be evident through your word. 176 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,720 As I preach and I ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 177 00:08:52,720 --> 00:09:01,330 Thank you may be seated. When trials come, it's easy to 178 00:09:01,330 --> 00:09:06,210 stop reading your Bible. When trials come, it's easy to 179 00:09:06,210 --> 00:09:09,370 stop praying. Why is it when trials come 180 00:09:09,370 --> 00:09:12,370 people stop going to church? It would seem to be the best 181 00:09:12,370 --> 00:09:14,210 place to be when the trials come. 182 00:09:14,690 --> 00:09:18,530 But yet the very first temptation is to leave the very 183 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,360 place that God has designed for you to not just grow through the 184 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,520 Word of God, but through the fellowship of other believers as 185 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,880 well. Trials can get us into the place 186 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,520 where we relapse over habitual sin. 187 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,320 Maybe God's given us victory in the past, but yet we go right 188 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:41,240 back like the prodigal to the hog pen and go right back to 189 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,840 that which God had saved us from. 190 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,520 Why do we take this posture when trials come? 191 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,640 You see that Peter gave us an example and really all of the 192 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,320 apostles give us the example here at the end of Acts chapter 193 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,040 #5 when we saw that they were rejoicing. 194 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,640 And, and they teach us here this morning that trials are less 195 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,000 about groaning and more about growing. 196 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,920 Trials are less about groaning and more about growing. 197 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:12,000 You see, life may have its ups and downs, but growth doesn't 198 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,960 have to. I'll say that one more time. 199 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:19,040 Life may have its ups and downs, but your Christian growth 200 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:22,440 doesn't have to meaning this. Just because life goes up and 201 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,400 down doesn't mean your Christian walk has to go up and down. 202 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,520 Just because life goes up and down doesn't mean you have to 203 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,760 lay your Bible aside. You know, you ought to cling 204 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,120 tighter to it. Just because you're going 205 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,640 through the trials doesn't mean that prayer should go out the 206 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:37,800 window. No, no, we should wear out our 207 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,400 knees being on the on the ground, just asking the Lord and 208 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,920 begging Him to help us to get through those trials. 209 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:46,800 We need to recognize these trials for what they are. 210 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,800 And I'll tell you, Acts chapter 5 is just a, a seesaw of 211 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,440 activity. If you were to take it all the 212 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,080 way from verse #1 to see what took place, you start at the 213 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,360 very beginning in in verse number. 214 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,920 Verse number. 1. And then down to verse #10 you 215 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,600 find that there were two who were in the church, Ananias and 216 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,800 Sapphira. Now, the trajectory of the 217 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,520 church up to this point had just been up, hadn't it? 218 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,920 We saw how the church was established by Jesus Christ, 219 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,480 empowered on the day of Pentecost. 220 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:17,800 There was a day where 3000 people got saved. 221 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,040 There was a day where 5000 people got saved. 222 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:21,960 The church exploded in a major way. 223 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,200 There really been no problems in the church. 224 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,320 But there's one thing I can guarantee you about church. 225 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,120 They'll be problems as long as there's people say, Pastor, 226 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,680 that's not very encouraging. I'm just saying we're human 227 00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:34,720 beings this morning. Is there everyone awake this 228 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,800 morning? Did you drink decaf like me this 229 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:39,920 morning, Pastor? You say if you're drinking 230 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:41,400 decaf, what are you like on caffeine? 231 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:46,080 I know that's what I'm saying. I know it's dangerous, but, but 232 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:50,000 listen, the church had just gone through this, this upward ascent 233 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,680 and but there were people involved. 234 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:54,000 And two of those people were Ananias and Sapphira. 235 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,080 And they sold a piece of land and, and they decided to give 236 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,640 that money to the church. And there was a problem, though. 237 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,720 They decided that they were only to give a part of the portion of 238 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,880 the sale of the land to the church. 239 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,760 Now that wasn't the problem. The problem was this, that they 240 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,680 lied about it in front of the church and they told the church 241 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:13,920 that they gave a whole lot more than they actually gave. 242 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:16,880 What I just mentioned a few moments ago, that when it comes 243 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,840 to the issue of us giving, the right hand ought not to know 244 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,640 what the left hand is doing. We don't give. 245 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,280 So the people know how much we give. 246 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,720 We don't give because we're trying to receive anything in 247 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:27,440 return. Honestly. 248 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,440 We just give because, well, God commanded it. 249 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,040 And I'll tell you that every time that I've given, God has 250 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,640 given so much more to me than the little bit that I give to 251 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:36,840 Him. You say you only give a little 252 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,000 bit, Pastor, you don't give 10%. You know, I tithe and give 253 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,080 offerings and we tithe as a family and give offerings. 254 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,440 What I'm saying is this is how little is that compared to what 255 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,920 God's given us? And here's Ananias and Sapphira. 256 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:50,640 And they want to make much of themselves. 257 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,920 They go in the church and they want everyone to know how much 258 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,840 they've given. And so Peter talks to Ananias 259 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,520 first and, and makes mention of this. 260 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,880 And Ananias lies in front of the people. 261 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:08,280 And just like that, he's dead. And a few young men come and 262 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,480 take him out of the church body. Couple hours later Sapphira 263 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,040 comes. Looking for a husband. 264 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,840 Anyone. Seen my husband, Peter says, 265 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,840 hey, I'll answer your question if you answer one of mine. 266 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,000 That money you gave, was it so much? 267 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,720 The Bible says. And she says, Oh yeah, that's 268 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,960 what I gave, confirming the lie that Ananias had said a few 269 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,240 moments ago. And Peter looks at her and says 270 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:31,240 this. The sounds that you hear are the 271 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,680 feet of the men who took your, your husband's body away will be 272 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:37,320 taking your body away as well. And she dies. 273 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,360 I'd say that's a pretty bad day for the church. 274 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,080 I'd say that's a trial, wouldn't you? 275 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,920 I'd say that's things going poorly. 276 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,840 But what happened in verse #11 it says. 277 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:55,520 And great fear came upon all the church and upon as many as heard 278 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,160 these things in my Bible. Right next to that I say this, I 279 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,120 wrote this. I bet you imagine great fear 280 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,800 fell upon the church and two people just died because they 281 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:06,200 lied about the offering they gave. 282 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,240 I bet fear came upon the church. But listen, this wasn't the type 283 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,360 of fear where people were cowering before the Lord. 284 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,840 I would put it this way, This was a revival type fear where 285 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,120 people said this, we got to get right with the Lord. 286 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,200 We need to be serving the Lord. We need to make sure our hearts 287 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,840 are right before the Lord. Any kind of pride, any kind of 288 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,800 arrogance within us, it got to be removed. 289 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,160 There's no room for pride or arrogance in the church house. 290 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,440 These people said, and by the way, it's too 2025 and I would 291 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,000 say in this year there's still no room for pride or arrogance 292 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,440 within the church house. That counts for the one who's 293 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,960 standing behind the pulpit, and that counts for those who are 294 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,680 sitting in the chairs, and that counts for anyone who comes in 295 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,040 contact with the church. There's only one who's high 296 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:46,880 lifted up, and that's Jesus Christ. 297 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,600 We lift him up and we pray that all men are drawn unto him. 298 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,960 John the Baptist said he must increase and we must decrease. 299 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,720 It says by the hands of the apostles were many signs and 300 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,840 wonders wrought among the people and they were with 1 accord and 301 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,320 Solomon's Porsche's revival breaking out verse 13 and of the 302 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,440 rest Durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnify 303 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:08,160 them. It said this even the people 304 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,720 that didn't necessarily agree with them said there's something 305 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,160 going on here. You know what I hope the 306 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,360 testimony of Liberty Baptist churches and the community. 307 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,960 Even the people that don't agree with salvation and Jesus Christ. 308 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:20,640 They say this. I don't know what's going on in 309 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,920 Liberty Baptist Church. I don't know that I can agree 310 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:24,920 with it. I can't deny that something's 311 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:29,120 going on there and that's what's happening here in Jerusalem and. 312 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,160 Believers were more added to the Lord multitudes, both men and 313 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:34,920 women, in so much they brought forth. 314 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,200 Look at this, They brought forth the sick into the streets, lay 315 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,200 them on beds and couches. At least the shadow of Peter 316 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:42,880 passing by might overtake some of them. 317 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,120 There were people that were so amazed by what was going on that 318 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,800 that would lay their sick loved ones out on the ground and 319 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,960 hoping that Peter wouldn't even stop, that just his shadow 320 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,800 passing by would heal them. There came a multitude out of 321 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,880 the sick of the cities around about Jerusalem, bringing sick 322 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,640 folks and them which were vexed of unclean spirits, and they 323 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:03,840 were healed. Everyone, the seesaw has gone 324 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,400 the other way. Ananias and Sapphira. 325 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,520 It's low. Revival. 326 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,360 It's high. But then we get back to our 327 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,960 text. The disciples are preaching, 328 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,040 they're teaching, and they're arrested. 329 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:22,560 They're back low again. Another trials popped up, this 330 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,920 one perhaps the gravest of all the trials that have taken place 331 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,160 yet. The deepest valley that they've 332 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:32,440 come across yet since they have been the church together without 333 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,200 Jesus Christ, this trial that now all of the. 334 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,840 Apostles are in prison. They're all imprisoned together. 335 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,440 What are they going to do? Certainly they believe their 336 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,240 lives are on the line. But here's the Angel of the 337 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:47,480 Lord. What does the Angel of the Lord 338 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,000 do? Well, the Angel of the Lord has 339 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:55,440 the key. Freeze them, Go, stand, preach. 340 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,720 What do they do? Exactly what the Lord tells them 341 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,840 to do. They go, they stand, and they 342 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,119 speak the word of God. And just as I mentioned a few 343 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,760 moments ago, the authorities come looking for them. 344 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:09,720 They can't find them, but they're not hiding. 345 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,560 They're out there front and center. 346 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,160 And what are they doing? They're preaching the word of 347 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,200 God. The the authorities come to them 348 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,000 and say, what are you doing? Peter? 349 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,280 You need to stop. Apostles, you need to stop. 350 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,200 And he preaches a message that's straight and true. 351 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,000 He says we ought to obey God rather than them, the God of our 352 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,760 fathers raised up, raised up. Jesus, listen to this. 353 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:36,960 Whom ye slew and hang on a tree. You think Peter's dancing around 354 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,040 the subject here? He's like John the Baptist. 355 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:41,960 And we'll look at this tonight in the issue of prophet 356 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,680 preaching when instead of John the Baptist that he laid the 357 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:46,720 axe. To the root of the tree, meaning 358 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,560 this he got right to the heart of the matter. 359 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:51,080 Peter looks at them and he says this. 360 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,520 You slew Jesus Christ. But do you know what Israel 361 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,360 needs? Repentance. 362 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,800 He says, do you know what Israel needs? 363 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,120 The forgiveness of sins. And he preaches to him, Jesus, 364 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,200 even in this low point. Now, I skipped over a section 365 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,200 where there's a man named Gamaliel who stood up. 366 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:13,880 Gamaliel, we'll find out later on, is a teacher of soul who 367 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,400 will become Paul. And Gamaliel stands up in front 368 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,320 of the people because the Sadducees and the religious 369 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:20,680 authorities, they don't know what to do. 370 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:22,760 They're at a There are crossroads here. 371 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:29,880 Gamaliel basically says this guys, if God's not in this, then 372 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:30,920 it'll. Crumble and fall. 373 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,640 But if God's in this, you can't stop it. 374 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,400 Leave him alone. And what happened? 375 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:42,680 Well, we saw in verse #40 and to him Gamaliel, they agreed. 376 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,240 And when they called the apostles and beaten them, now 377 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,800 that's not what Gamaliel said. He said leave him alone. 378 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:54,200 But what do they do for spite? To send a message, to teach him 379 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,920 a lesson? They beat him and they sent him 380 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,840 away. We're back low again. 381 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,160 They're bearing the marks for the first time of their faith. 382 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,520 Did you get that? For the first time they are 383 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,680 physically bearing the marks for their faith. 384 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:18,720 They've watched Jesus with the nails, with the side pierced, 385 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:23,160 with the crown upon his head. But for the first time, they 386 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,720 themselves and their body bear the marks of being a believer. 387 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:30,880 I don't know about you. I've had people be mean to me 388 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,600 here and there. I've had people make fun of me 389 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,600 for being a Christian. I've never had anyone physically 390 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,000 assault me for being a Christian. 391 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,240 I've never been imprisoned for being a Christian. 392 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,520 I've never had anyone lay a finger on me because of being a 393 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,320 Christian. I can't imagine how I would 394 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,160 respond. But how did they respond? 395 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:59,720 The word that just jumps off the page at me is the word 396 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:07,320 rejoicing, that in the midst of this deep, dark hour, they 397 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,800 rejoiced. But they didn't just rejoice. 398 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,320 They kept doing what they were called to do because they 399 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,240 rejoiced. And they went out and even 400 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,440 though they were threatened, don't preach again. 401 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,960 What did they do? They kept on preaching. 402 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,960 They kept on doing that, which was right. 403 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,920 Despite the fact that they were in a deep trial, despite the 404 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,080 fact that they've been up and down, up and down in the events 405 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:41,520 of the days, their growth continued unabated. 2. 406 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,200 People die in the middle of church because they lied. 407 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,880 That's bad. Great revival breaks out and 408 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,520 multitudes get saved. And in fact I don't even know 409 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,680 how many people got saved here because think about it. 410 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:55,400 Pentecost 3000, a few days later 5000. 411 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:57,520 In this text it just says a multitude. 412 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:00,200 So in my mind I'm wondering is that more than 5000? 413 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,280 Because before it was mentioned 3000 and 5000. 414 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,800 I think anyway you slice it, there's more than 10,000 people 415 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,520 who have gotten saved I would imagine in a very short period 416 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,840 of time. That's good. 417 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,440 They're arrested, they're beaten, they're made mockery of. 418 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,640 That's bad. But then they rejoice at what 419 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,520 God did through them, and that's good. 420 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,120 Now remember, trials are less about groaning and more about 421 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:33,720 growing. And we see Peter and all the 422 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,360 apostles grow through the difficulties that they went 423 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:40,040 through in this chapter. They'd never encountered 424 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,080 anything like this before. It was just all good. 425 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:46,320 Everything was good Once you got to Pentecost, up to Chapter 5, 426 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,800 everything's good. Everything's good, everything's 427 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,000 good. And wouldn't you love it in life 428 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,360 if everything was good all the time? 429 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,680 You know, if I didn't think much about it, I would think. 430 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,520 Life would be. Good if it was just always good. 431 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,280 But think about some of the greatest lessons you've learned 432 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,360 in your life. Some of you think about how you 433 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:09,480 came to Christ. Was it because life was just 434 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:13,080 always good? Or did God get a hold of you 435 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:14,760 when you were in a pretty dark place? 436 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:18,720 Or did God get a hold of you because he put your back against 437 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:21,520 the wall? Not because, again, he despises 438 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,920 you, but because He loves you? Amen. 439 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,520 Because he wanted you to. Grow, whether it's grow in 440 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,280 salvation. And I'll remind you here this 441 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,160 morning that the message of Peter is the message I echo here 442 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,680 today. There is no name under heaven. 443 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,720 Remember Acts 412 given among men where why we must be saved. 444 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,000 That every single person must come to the understanding that 445 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,720 only Jesus Christ can save them. That you can't really grow in 446 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,040 your faith until you're in the faith. 447 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,400 And so if you don't know Jesus Christ your Savior, understand 448 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,080 that you're a Sinner and that only Christ can save you through 449 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,120 His precious blood, and that you need to call upon Him to save 450 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:00,880 you today. Listen, that's the first thing 451 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,720 you got to do. But then after that, you got to 452 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,040 keep growing. And growth doesn't come just 453 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:12,680 because life is good. Growth isn't about just being on 454 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:17,240 the mountaintop every day spiritually, but where are the 455 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,640 most fertile places for anything to grow. 456 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:21,840 It's not on a mountaintop. You've ever seen a farm on a 457 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,240 mountaintop? Not a good place to grow things, 458 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,400 but I'll tell you, down in the valley where the soil is 459 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,800 fertile, where the rains collect, things can grow. 460 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:38,400 And you know, even in our valleys, God can bring some of 461 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,400 the greatest growth in our life. If you understand, it's not 462 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,680 about groaning, but it's rather about growing. 463 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:47,000 What do I see about that from our text? 464 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,960 I see three things that I want to show you from our text that I 465 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,680 want you to remember when it comes this issue of our trials. 466 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,280 First of all, reject using trials as a reason to quit. 467 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,680 The first thing you need to understand is to reject trials 468 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,960 using trials as a reason to quit. 469 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,480 A pastor once said a true mark of a disciple is what it takes 470 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:07,560 to stop. Them. 471 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:10,720 A true mark of a disciple is what it takes to stop them. 472 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,040 Why is that true? Because a disciple is a 473 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,480 follower. Particularly, a disciple is a 474 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,960 follower of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ is leading you 475 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,120 into the valley, if the Jesus Christ is leading you into the 476 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,480 trial, if Jesus Christ is leading you into the difficulty, 477 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,080 A disciple will follow him Wherever that road may lead. 478 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:33,240 It may not be what you want, it may not be what you desire, but 479 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,320 that's what is done nonetheless. Verse #29 Peter said this. 480 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:41,560 We ought to obey God rather than man meaning this when they were 481 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,080 given the option to quit. Listen guys, you're free. 482 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,080 Listen guys, you busted out. We don't know how, we don't know 483 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,160 what happened, but we do know this. 484 00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:53,640 All we're asking of you is you just. 485 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,880 Stop preaching. They might as well just ask them 486 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,360 to stop breathing because that was who they were. 487 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:03,960 That was their DNA. By the way, if you're a 488 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,880 believer, it's your life too, and my life too. 489 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,240 They could have used the opportunity to quit. 490 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:13,480 And by the way, I don't know that anyone would have blamed 491 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,760 them in the flesh for quitting in that moment. 492 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,720 Listen, guys, you had a good run, guys. 493 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,520 Things were good here for a few weeks, weren't they? 494 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,320 You saw a few 1000 people get converted. 495 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,720 But listen, you had your run and it's over. 496 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:28,680 The authorities are all over you. 497 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:31,120 If you keep going, you're going to die. 498 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,120 Just call it quits. No one's going to blame you. 499 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,560 But Peter said this. There's only one I'm going to 500 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,920 obey, and that's God. There's only one I want to 501 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:45,440 please, and that's God. And they did not use trials as a 502 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:46,880 reason. To quit. 503 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,480 They did not use trials as a reason to stop preaching. 504 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,120 It's true for them and it's true for us. 505 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,880 A disciple. Disciple rather, is a follower 506 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,600 of Christ. And if he leads you into and 507 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,040 through a trial, you must follow him there as well. 508 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,960 There's a hymn we sing sometimes called Am IA, soldier of the 509 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,760 Cross, and it goes Am IA soldier of the cross, a follower of the 510 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,760 Lamb. And the next verse says this, 511 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:17,280 Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while 512 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,360 others fought to win the prize and sail through bloody seas, 513 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:25,360 basically saying this, Did you believe that the Christian life 514 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,200 was just always going to be a cakewalk? 515 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,040 Did you just believe that the cakewalk was that the Christian 516 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,840 life was just always going to be? 517 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:38,000 A bed of. Roses, but no if our Savior was 518 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,240 a suffering Savior. Then yes, we must go through 519 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,280 those trials as well, because to reject the trials would be to 520 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:49,400 reject the very character and nature of the Savior who saved 521 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,640 us. Because of His suffering, we 522 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,600 were able to be saved. Could you imagine if he said, 523 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:00,600 well, the cross is too much, The nails upon my head, the mockery, 524 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,200 I don't want it. And by the way, he could have 525 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:08,960 said that he was being. Crucified by his own creation. 526 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,560 Mocked by his own creation. He could have called. 10,000 527 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:19,400 angels to to rescue him there, but he died alone for you and 528 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,720 me. And his example is our way of 529 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,520 living today as well. Listen, are you going through a 530 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,000 difficult time right now? Don't raise your hand, but are 531 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,320 you going through a trial right now? 532 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,520 I want to encourage you. Listen, don't stop coming to 533 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,080 church. I'm glad you're here today. 534 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,840 I would even say this. My prescription. 535 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:40,840 I can't write a prescription. I'm not a doctor. 536 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,160 I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 537 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:44,880 OK, I can't, I can't help you with that. 538 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,880 But if I was to give you a prescription, it would be this. 539 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,240 If you come to 1 service a week, come to two. 540 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:52,360 If you come to two service a week, come to three. 541 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,520 Say what you think the oh, you think the answer is in church. 542 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:57,880 Well, I'll tell you where the answer isn't. 543 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,960 And the answer is really not in in church, the institution. 544 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:10,640 The answer is in this book that we teach and we preach and we 545 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:15,000 agree upon and not man's opinions, but on the word of 546 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,520 God. Listen, don't, don't make 547 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,160 excuses to stop coming to church. 548 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:23,160 Make excuses to come to church. Well, Sir, I can't be there 549 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:24,080 tonight. I got to be at church. 550 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:26,400 What are you? What are you, some kind of holy 551 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,560 roller and say, well, when was the last time you saw me roll 552 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,080 anywhere? I'm not a holy roller. 553 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,280 No, I just know what God's done for my life. 554 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,240 And you can even tell them God will do the same for you. 555 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,200 Well, don't talk to me about that. 556 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,520 Well, maybe they're not the kind of friend you thought they were. 557 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,880 Listen, don't quit. Don't quit praying. 558 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,160 Don't don't quit on living a holy life. 559 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,080 Don't don't quit reading your Bible every day. 560 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:51,800 Don't quit asking for forgiveness. 561 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,280 It's amazing how often we just take the Bible and put it off to 562 00:28:55,280 --> 00:28:56,640 the side door. We're discouraged. 563 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,000 Listen, if you're sick, what do you need? 564 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,800 You need some medication. You need something that will 565 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,880 help you down deep and sometimes they got to give you a 566 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,480 supercharged dose at first to be able to help you. 567 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,640 You know what you would do? Well, just to sit down and read 568 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,080 the word of God, to turn off your phone, to turn off the 569 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,320 television, to turn off the Internet and turn on your 570 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,520 relationship with Him so that you can actually be helped. 571 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:21,920 You know it's not going to help you doom scrolling for three 572 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:22,440 hours. Well, that's right. 573 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,280 You know it's not going to help you binge watching a show. 574 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,680 You know what? Will help you absorbing the word 575 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,960 of God God say pastor you just you just think the. 576 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,560 Bible has all the answers. And. 577 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,320 Guilty. Has all the answers for life. 578 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,640 Now do we go through our life every moment of every day 579 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:50,040 reading the word of God? No, but the Bible says that we 580 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,480 can pray without ceasing that we can meditate upon him. 581 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,360 And I will tell you this, this is stolen a lot of our 582 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:01,440 meditations upon the Lord, because we scroll and scroll and 583 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,120 listen and listen. We don't even. 584 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,840 Use this for calls and when was the last time you called 585 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:08,000 somebody? We call these phones that's like 586 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,360 the, that's like one of the last functions we use it for. 587 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,560 But it takes away so much of our thoughts. 588 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,720 Listen, don't quit on Lord. Don't quit during the trial. 589 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,200 What do you do? No, dig deep. 590 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,080 I can't do that myself, Pastor. You're right. 591 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,960 We'll go back to Acts chapter 2. Remind ourselves it's the Holy 592 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:32,600 Spirit who helps us because when you are weak he is strong. 593 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,480 Don't quit going through the trials. 594 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,440 Galatians 6 verse 9. Let us not be weary in well 595 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:44,120 doing, for in due. Season we will reap if we faint 596 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:46,640 not. The farmer goes out and he 597 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,840 plows. The farmer goes out and he 598 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,880 plants. The farmer goes out and he 599 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,480 waters. The farmer goes out and he weeds 600 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:58,720 and he does it time and time and day and day and month and month 601 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,400 in back, breaking work for nothing. 602 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:07,480 Until one day there's an ear of corn, and then there's a bushel 603 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:11,560 of corn. There's an acre of corn, then 604 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:16,000 there's a field of corn. Why don't give up, Farmer? 605 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:18,920 Go out again. Well, I'm not. 606 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,520 I don't see anything today. I don't even see anything in the 607 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,600 ground. Just trust the process, Farmer. 608 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,280 Well, what am I going to get out of this field? 609 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,080 There's a stalk that's not even up to my knee. 610 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,960 Hey, keep going, farmer. It'll come. 611 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,000 How how much longer is this going to take? 612 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,800 Yeah, I I see it coming up to about my shoulder, but but 613 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,320 there's no yield. Keep going, farmer. 614 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:45,800 You're close. Don't give up. 615 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,600 Don't be weary and well doing, because if you're weary you'll 616 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,840 miss the harvest. There's a harvest of growth God 617 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,080 has for your life, but if you quit, you won't see it. 618 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,560 There's a harvest of growth, what God wants for your life, 619 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,960 but if you quit because of the trials, you won't see it. 620 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,000 You'll blame the Lord of the harvest who was trying to bring 621 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,960 out the best in you, but that you were blaming were the 622 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,240 troubles of your life, but he brought them into your life 623 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,040 because he brought, he was trying to bring something better 624 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:22,000 out of you and not a spite, but out of love project using trials 625 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,320 as a reason to quit #2 rejoice that you're counted worthy of 626 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,600 the trial. Rejoice that you're kind of 627 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:29,040 worthy of the trial. I know we already mentioned 628 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,040 this. Look at verse 41. 629 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:33,200 They departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that 630 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,720 they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. 631 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,760 Now listen to this. Listen very, very closely. 632 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,320 This is where we can get our thinking a little bit off. 633 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,440 I've overdrawn my account, OK? This isn't a personal testimony, 634 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:47,720 just to be clear, All right? This is a sermon illustration, 635 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,520 All right? I've overdrawn my account. 636 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:56,280 I look online and I see those red numbers, and I know that 637 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,400 those red numbers are not good, but then the bank's going to 638 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,240 probably tack on another $35 every time the numbers are read 639 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,880 because they're interested in keeping me poor, right? 640 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:07,520 And so that's the way it's going to work, right? 641 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,680 And so it's going to keep going. They're going to make more money 642 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,440 off of this. It's going to be a spiral. 643 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,960 I don't look at that and say rejoice. 644 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:19,280 Rejoice, it's a trial. Diane says OK, when you're done 645 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,960 rejoicing, can you tell me how we're buying groceries? 646 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,920 That's not what I'm saying. I found I had a tumor in my jaw 647 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:33,800 and the surgery was going to be severe. 12 hour surgery, 10 days 648 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,560 to 14 days in the hospital, two months at being out of the 649 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,320 pulpit. I didn't go. 650 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,000 This is good. This is what I was waiting. 651 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,480 For I've been looking for an opportunity like. 652 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:49,880 This you say, Pastor, what's? Who would do that? 653 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,120 Nobody would do that, he said. What's it says? 654 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,720 Rejoice. It didn't say to rejoice in the 655 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:58,600 beating. That's not what it said. 656 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,760 Go back and look at it again. They rejoiced that they were 657 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:09,199 what counted worthy could be had their names associated with 658 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,560 Jesus Christ. That's where the rejoicing was. 659 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,000 Now listen, if you misspent your money because you're not 660 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,480 handling your money right and you've been participating in 661 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,840 sinful activities, that's on you. 662 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,080 But I would tell you, there have been times that I've lost money 663 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:28,679 and we've been in situations where we're just trying to be 664 00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:30,520 faithful and all of a sudden the money was gone. 665 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:35,560 Or all of a sudden you had $300 in the account and a $400.00 666 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:37,639 bill came in and you didn't know what to do. 667 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:40,880 I'm not saying you need to rejoice about that. 668 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:46,960 But remember, our Savior was a smitten, suffering Savior, and 669 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:50,440 He willfully. Hebrews chapter 1, Hebrews 670 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,199 chapter 12, verse one for the joy that was set before him. 671 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:57,600 Verse #2 rather, I'm sorry, The joy that was set before him. 672 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,360 He endured the cross and suffered the shame for us, and 673 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:06,200 that He would count me worthy to have a difficulty that I don't 674 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:10,160 know what I'm going to do with. I rejoice that Lord, you counted 675 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:14,280 me worthy of that. Lord, You thought I could handle 676 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,720 this with your help, so I rejoice. 677 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,080 I don't know what I'm going to do about this health situation, 678 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,000 but you counted me worthy to walk through it with you. 679 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:29,080 I rejoice, Lord, I don't know where the next groceries are 680 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,840 going to come from, but you counted be worthy to walk 681 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:35,640 through this with you. I rejoice my friends and family 682 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,600 don't want to talk to me anymore because I named the name of 683 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,760 Jesus Christ. They make fun of me that they 684 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:41,960 don't really want to be around me anymore. 685 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:44,880 The people at work, they kind of make a Halo around me, like they 686 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:46,880 don't want to, like they don't want to be around. 687 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:48,920 They'll stay about 10 feet away. That's as close as they'll get 688 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,040 because they don't want to get too close to me because they're 689 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,440 tired of hearing me talk about the Bible. 690 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,920 But you know what, Lord, you went through a lot worse than I 691 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:01,440 did, and I count myself to rejoice that I could have just 692 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:06,320 that little bit of what you had and that you would count me 693 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,040 worthy of that. That's where the rejoicing is. 694 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,560 Not that. Not that we're getting getting. 695 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,320 Punched in the face, metaphorically speaking. 696 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,240 This is great. Keep it coming. 697 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:25,440 Lord, what's going on here? I don't understand it, but I 698 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:28,160 know you do. And now you're going to help me. 699 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,800 And I know I'm really stronger on the way out than I was on the 700 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:35,440 way in. So I rejoice because of what you 701 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:37,400 have done. I don't rejoice in the trial, 702 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,880 but I rejoice that I was counted worthy that you counted me 703 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,320 worthy. You know, they, they, I believe 704 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,840 we're saying they rejoice. They were counted worthy that, 705 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,560 that the Sanhedrin and that the Pharisees, the Sadducees would 706 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:51,240 associate them with Jesus Christ. 707 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,520 But who brought that trial into their life? 708 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,760 God. None of that took them by 709 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:58,920 surprise. But none of that took God by 710 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,200 surprise. God didn't say I was going to 711 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:03,080 protect them. In the Sanhedrin, they did. 712 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,840 How did this happen? No, the Sanhedrin thought they 713 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,040 were in control. God was in control. 714 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,280 They grew quickly. We're almost done. 715 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:17,360 Reject using trials as reason to quit. 716 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,280 Rejoice that you're counted worthy of the trial #3 resume 717 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,080 doing what you did when the trial started. 718 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,160 Resume doing. There are times you go through. 719 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:27,200 Trials and you can't do the things that you normally do. 720 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:29,240 You know, there are times you go through a surgery, you go 721 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:30,520 through a sickness, you go something like that. 722 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,880 You can't go to church. Do you know what you do? 723 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:37,520 As soon as you can go back to church, There are times that 724 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,320 you've got a migraine that's so bad you couldn't even read the 725 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:44,040 Bible if you tried. You try to put headphones in and 726 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:45,880 try to even listen to it being spoken to you. 727 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:47,640 You couldn't even concentrate on it. 728 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:52,000 But as soon as you're better, get back into the word of God. 729 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:59,120 There are times people with grief may struggle to be able to 730 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:04,800 pray, but may I remind you that Romans tells us that the Holy 731 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:09,320 Spirit can help us even when we don't even know what to pray and 732 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:13,160 we just appeal to Him. Listen, resume doing what you 733 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:15,880 did when the trial started. What does it say in verse #42 734 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,160 and daily in the temple and in every house? 735 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:23,920 They cease not, they didn't cease doing what they were doing 736 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,200 from the beginning. Well, there was a while they 737 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:28,440 couldn't keep preaching Jesus because they were in prison. 738 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,800 There's probably a good 24 hour period where they were not able 739 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,680 to preach Jesus, although I'm sure they were preaching them to 740 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,560 the jailers and everyone else in the jail too. 741 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,160 If we know Paul and we know Barnabas, or rather Silas, we 742 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,120 know that would be the case. But they couldn't. 743 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:44,920 But as soon as they could, they got back right. 744 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,920 They got right back to it. Listen, no matter what trial, 745 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,160 what difficulty, whatever you've been doing, listen. 746 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:55,520 Keep pressing forward. Life may have its ups and downs, 747 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,840 but growth doesn't have to. Growth can consistently go up 748 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:04,440 with God's help. I have to wonder, someday 749 00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:10,120 there'll be people that will. Maybe it's just, it's a 750 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,400 fictional account, just a way that I would think of this 751 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,720 myself, that there would be people who spent their life 752 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:19,840 grumbling about trials. They spent their whole life 753 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,800 grumbling about this problem and that problem and this issue and 754 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:24,360 that issue. And again, I'm not talking about 755 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:27,560 the the trials we go through of our own making because of sin. 756 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,040 That's a whole different thing to talk about. 757 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:32,840 I'm talking about the things that God brings into our life 758 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,400 just as we're trying to be faithful, just as we're trying 759 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,000 to grow. And some of those people that 760 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,520 just complain, well, why? Why did my life work out the way 761 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:42,920 I wanted it to? Why didn't I have other things I 762 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:44,760 thought I would? And why did it seem like things 763 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:49,680 were difficult and why? Could you imagine getting to 764 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,440 heaven and maybe that person seeing the Lord? 765 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,000 And again, this is just a fictional way of looking at it, 766 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:56,960 but just as a way of illustration, seeing the Lord, 767 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:01,120 this person saying, God, why did you make my life so hard? 768 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,680 Ever felt like maybe God felt that way about you? 769 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:09,520 God, why did you make my life so hard? 770 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:13,160 I don't want to put words in the mouth of the Lord, but if I 771 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:15,760 could take what the word of God says and maybe imagine what he 772 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:19,640 would say. In love, I believe you would say 773 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:24,400 something like this, child. It was you that made it hard. 774 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:29,840 You made it hard through your groaning and you're complaining 775 00:40:31,080 --> 00:40:35,160 because I was there with you. I was there with you every step 776 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,040 of the way. I wanted to help you grow. 777 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:41,080 In fact, I brought these things into your life because I wanted 778 00:40:41,080 --> 00:40:45,000 you to grow. Listen, sailors aren't made on 779 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,240 calm seas. Students aren't made in easy 780 00:40:48,240 --> 00:40:51,360 classes. Soldiers aren't made without 781 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,600 training and very intense training. 782 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,600 We go right down the line of all the things in life that take a 783 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,240 struggle to be able to get somewhere, and God says this. 784 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:04,360 Not only that, bring those trials in your life. 785 00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:09,080 I brought them because I loved you, and life would have been 786 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:13,320 much easier if you had just grown through the trials instead 787 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:17,480 of groaned through the trials. You know why Peter and John 788 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:21,120 needed these trials? Peter would have more 789 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,960 difficulties in his life. You know, someday he's going to 790 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:29,840 be crucified upside down. By the way, that was at his own 791 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,520 request. History tells us I can't be 792 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,440 crucified in the same manner as my Lord. 793 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,280 What man says that? No, no, listen. 794 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,520 What man says something like that? 795 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,400 A man who had grown through a lot of trials. 796 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:53,080 There's John on the Isle of Patmos, an elderly man, the 797 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:54,640 only. Apostle, that's left. 798 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:02,120 He's been marooned there, if you will, in exile by the Roman 799 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:06,720 Empire, and there he is on that island and they thought he was 800 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:09,680 all alone. The Lord was there. 801 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:12,520 How we have the Book of Revelation. 802 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:18,040 How was John able to endure? You know why? 803 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:22,960 Because he grew in Acts chapter 5 and he grew a lot of places 804 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:26,360 later. Listen, do you want to be able 805 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,080 to handle the difficulties of life? 806 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:30,760 Do you want to be able to handle some of the things that are 807 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,040 coming down the road in your life? 808 00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:35,560 Eventually it starts here. Grow in the trials that God 809 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:39,000 gives you now. And sometimes you get through 810 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:41,120 life and you realize, you know, my trials seem like they're 811 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:44,160 getting smaller. And it's not that they're 812 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:46,800 getting smaller, it's that you're growing in your faith. 813 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,120 It's not that they're smaller. They could be bigger, but you're 814 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:53,520 growing. I know this, that coming to New 815 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,320 England, starting a church, not knowing about salary and those 816 00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,320 kind of things. We had support, but we lost a 817 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:01,240 lot of it right away. There was a lot of fear. 818 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,680 There's a lot of fear. It's easy for me to say that 12 819 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,400 years into it now. I wouldn't have admitted at the 820 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:10,560 time, but I now know there was. Boy, I was. 821 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,800 But you know, one thing that I was always sure about that God 822 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,480 brought us through some really difficult times in the first 823 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:19,400 seven years of ministry, in times when they didn't even pay 824 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:20,960 us and they promised us they would pay us. 825 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:26,360 And that I realized that if God could get me through that, he 826 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:29,640 could help us through this. And if God could help us through 827 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,720 this, then God could help us through some of the family 828 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:34,440 trials and turmoils that we've had. 829 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:37,680 And through it all, He's been faithful. 830 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:40,320 I'll repeat that. Through it all, he's been 831 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:43,920 faithful. But you don't come to that 832 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:47,320 conclusion unless you decide I'm going to grow. 833 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,560 Not just when I'm on the mountaintop, but I'm going to 834 00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:53,680 grow no matter what the situation is. 835 00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:57,160 Here's Peter and John, they did incredible things. 836 00:43:57,520 --> 00:43:59,480 None of those incredible things would happen if they quit. 837 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:03,760 Next chapter 5. God would have done his own 838 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:05,880 things, his own way, because God's in control. 839 00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:08,040 I'm not saying Christianity would have collapsed. 840 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:12,360 What I'm saying is this Peter wouldn't have been used and John 841 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:14,280 would have been used in the way that God intended them to. 842 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:16,600 What is God trying to do with you today? 843 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:19,960 Maybe you thought he he's angry at you. 844 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:25,800 Maybe you thought about quitting the trials too hard. 845 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:27,280 Can I encourage you this morning? 846 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:31,000 Could it be? Could it just be that God's not 847 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:35,280 angry with you and that's why this trials come in your life 848 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:39,640 while you're being faithful? Could it be he loves you so much 849 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:44,200 he wants you to grow so that you continue to can continue to be 850 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:47,160 what he's called you to be? Time to change our thinking. 851 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:49,800 Change our thinking. It should be less about groaning 852 00:44:49,800 --> 00:44:52,800 when it comes to trials and a whole lot more about growing. 853 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:56,360 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 854 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,280 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 855 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,760 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 856 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:07,360 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 857 00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:12,160 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 858 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:15,000 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 859 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:16,200 grow in His Word.