Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.
If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.
Thank you for joining us today.
So we're turning to Acts chapter 5. We're continuing in Acts.
We're going to finish up the chapter this morning. I did want to mention there is one other announcement
that I would like to share. I don't know if we have that frame,
but our local church, Manko Bible Fellowship, we do a lot of things with them.
In fact, many of the men were at the men's breakfast yesterday morning, and they asked us to kind of promote a
program they're having at their church in August for children's evangelism fellowship.
So do you have that frame with Mark Skilpian, or I can't pronounce his name, but he's an evangelist.
No? Okay. All right. Never mind about all that.
If you, well, forget about it.
Anyway, we'll put this up next week, but praise the Lord.
Anyway, so yeah, turn to Acts chapter 5, and today's message, the Word of Life will not be silenced.
Amen. You know, unrelated, I just noticed that I am a fanatic about washing my hands.
I don't know, maybe even more so after COVID, but I'm always thinking about it.
I shake somebody's hand, I'm like, note to self, wash your hands.
No offense, no offense to anybody here.
But for some reason, I don't know about you, you know, you could nod your head if you're kind of the same way.
But I think about it because, you know, a lot of germs are passed through hand touching and so forth.
And so, and then sometimes I'll just come out of the bathroom, I'll shake somebody's hand, it's sopping wet, my hand is.
And I'm like, sorry about that, I just washed my hands.
Nothing else happened in there, I washed my hands.
But anyway, it's just, you know, I'm kind of a fanatic about it.
I think we all kind of are, you know, because we're aware that not washing your hands passes on a lot of contamination.
And I've been in hospitals a lot lately for myself and visiting people.
And if you ever notice, when the doctor comes in, they wash their hands every single time.
And they're always putting on the antiseptic and so forth.
And it's just, it's just common practice, isn't it?
And yet in the 1800s, doctors would go from one surgery to the next and not wash their hands.
They would deliver babies, they would just come from like an autopsy.
And because they did everything back then, and they would go right in and deliver a baby after having contaminated hands.
And you're like, wow, you know, you can't fathom that nowadays.
But that's what happened until a man named Ignis Semmelweis.
Do you have that frame?
There he is.
Kind of looks like Jerry Dover a little bit, but a little more importantly anyway.
But he was in the 1800s and he realized, okay, that he was a physician and a scientist.
And he realized that he worked in the maternity ward and there was one war that was up to 18% fatality, that the women were just dying.
It was a condition that was a baby death syndrome, but it wasn't the baby.
It was the mother was dying after a given birth and it was 18% of the women given birth were dying.
And it was hungry Budapest is where he was raised and he worked in the Vienna hospital and he's like, what is going on here?
Like this shouldn't be like women are just dying.
And so finally he discovered off time to explain how, but he discovered through the death of his partner in the in the practice.
He realized when his partner died, it was through contamination from this virus that these women are getting.
And he realized, wait a minute.
Wait, wait, wait.
All we have to do is wash our hands.
And he really was saying, let's start washing our hands with various things, chlorinated lime and so forth.
So he was washing his hands and his ward dropped from 18 to 1% deaths in his, in his ward.
So he started telling other doctors, Hey, you have to do this.
And they all said, are you, are you suggesting that we are causing the deaths in women giving birth?
Like how dare they were offended.
Okay.
So no one listened to him.
In fact, no one really, it really take on except in his little local practice until after his death.
Finally, people started trying.
Hey, you know what we should do?
Why don't we wash our hands?
You know, something we just take for granted.
And since then it is just normal practice.
And the reason why I bring that little antidote up is that in this passage today, the apostles are going
to share words of life, just like Ignat Sembelweis did, that he was sharing to the medical community.
We need antiseptic practices when we, when we give medical care, because diseases are being
passed from one person to another.
Well, the apostles were saying, you know what we need instead of like our, our bodies being
cleansed so that we don't catch disease.
Our souls need to be cleansed so that our souls no longer carry the disease of sin.
And this is what they were sharing.
They're saying, look, we, you need Jesus Christ for the, for forgiveness, for
repentance and forgiveness of your sins to be washed clean.
And only Jesus Christ provides that.
And what do you think the religious community we're doing?
Well, just like Ignatius medical community, are you suggesting that we mankind are
causing this worthy answer, the religious community?
They were saying, well, no, they were saying only Jesus Christ cleanses souls from sins.
And so, and they weren't listening and yet they were sharing the words of life.
And in the same way, of course, you and I carry that same message into the world in
the same way we're saying, look, your souls are contaminated.
There's only one way to be cleansed from that sin.
And it's through Jesus Christ.
He is the only way truth in life.
He is the antidote for your soul's contamination to rid yourself of the sin
disease.
It's only through Jesus Christ.
Now we believers just take that for granted.
Like, yeah, no, doll.
Just like washing your hands.
Like, of course.
Well, no, it is still like a confounding idea to the world at large.
You mean this Jesus Christ?
How does he cleanse my sins?
You know?
And so we carry that same message as the apostles did.
Today, I want to talk about three kingdom priorities.
Three kingdom priorities that I'd love us to grasp.
And that is obedience to God is greater than approval of man, right?
That greater sign you took mathematics.
You know what I mean by that arrow.
Obedience to God is greater than approval of men.
Faithful persistence is greater than fearful pressure.
And then finally, eternal reward is greater than earthly regret.
And we're going to get into those things as we read on.
And so we're going to start in Acts chapter five in verse 17.
And just to set the stage, uh, last week we saw how there were signs and
wonders at the hands of the apostles.
There were miracles.
There were healings and there were deliverances.
And how about last week?
Wasn't that awesome?
We came to the center and received prayer from those around us.
And we just accepted in faith that the Lord wanted to heal us.
And some of you came forward and actually said, I was healed of something.
I'm still getting healed on my shoulder.
I believe it is healed.
It's just a matter of a couple little more prayers.
And it's going to be gone.
Amen.
But like the Lord demonstrated his power.
So many of us have been healed of things.
Amen.
And so at some point we'll have an opportunity in the future to give testimonies.
Because I believe if you weren't healed last week, the Lord is still working on
it because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Amen.
He doesn't change tactics.
He's the same way.
And so in Jerusalem, there was all these miracles and everything happening.
And like the whole city was in, like just elated with the glorious things that
were happening.
People were coming from the cities surrounding Jerusalem, bringing all their
sick and say, there's healing going on.
They're carrying them on stretchers and, and whatever way they could get them
there to be healed.
And so wouldn't you think everybody would be happy about that?
No.
Well, first of all, Satan's not happy about that, right?
And then those who he is controlling and inhabiting.
And so when the religious people heard this, of course they were envious and they
said, we have to put a stop to this.
Isn't it?
It's amazing.
The enemy always wants to put a stop to something glorious.
God is doing.
Amen.
And so that's where we're going to pick this up in verse 17.
And what we're going to do is just really dial in because we're going to
read right through the whole story because it is such an easy flow.
It's a narrative.
It's a story.
And we're not going to stop.
We're not going to break at all.
And we're just going to go right through it, but really concentrate on this
story because it's, it's magnificent.
You ready?
So father God, we asked you Lord, to open up our minds and hearts,
to sharpen ourselves.
Lord God, we want to truly receive your word, Lord, so that you can
cut into us, Lord God, and you can cut into the soul and the spirit,
the bone and the marrow and the thoughts and the intentions of the heart.
Lord God, we want to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so we can
prove the good, acceptable, perfect will of you, Lord.
So we asked you Lord, to do your surgery on us today, Lord God, and
just cleanse us of any wrong thinking.
And even if someone is holding on to contamination in their souls, Lord God,
we ask you to just cleanse us of all of that in Jesus name.
Okay.
Verse 17.
Then the high priest rose up and all those who were with him, which is the
sect of the Sadducees and they were filled with indignation and laid their
hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought
them out and said, go stand in the temple and speak to the people all
the words of this life and verse 21.
And when they had heard that they entered the temple early in the
morning and taught, but the high priest and those with him came and
called the council together with all the elders of the children of
Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought, but when the
officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and
reported saying, indeed, we found the prison shut securely and the
guards standing outside before the doors.
But when we opened them, we found no one inside.
Now, when the high priest, the captain of the temple and the chief
priest heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.
So one came and told them saying, look, the men whom you put in
prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.
Verse 26, then the captain went with the officers and brought them
without violence, for they feared the people less they should be
stoned and when they had brought them, they set them before the
council and the high priest asked them saying, did we not strictly
command you not to teach in this name?
And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to
bring this man's blood on us.
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey
God rather than men and the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom
you murdered by hanging on a tree.
Him, God has exalted to his right hand to be prince and
savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
And we are all, I'm sorry, we are his witnesses to these things.
And so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who
obey him.
Verse 33, when they heard this, they were furious and plotted to
kill them.
Then one in the council stood up a Pharisee named Gamaleo, a teacher
of the law held in respect by all the people and commanded them
to put the apostles outside for a little while.
And he said to them, men of Israel, take heed to yourselves
what you intend to do regarding these men.
For some time ago, Theudas, Theudas, I'm sorry, rose up claiming
to be somebody.
A number of men, about 400 joined him.
He was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to
nothing.
Verse 37, after this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the
days of the census and drew away many people after him.
He also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed.
And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them
alone.
For if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to
nothing.
But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it lest you even be
found to fight against God.
And verse 40, and they agreed with him and when they had
called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that
they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.
And so they, meaning the apostles, departed from the presence
of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for his name and daily in the temple and in
every house, they did not seize teaching and preaching Jesus
as the Christ.
Amen.
So what I mean, that just tells us everything, right?
And so just to kind of recap a little bit so that we can
really grasp what's going on.
So these amazing things were happening in Jerusalem and then
the Sadducees, which were the aristocrats, you know, they
they were the religious leaders, but they were not
religious like the Pharisees were.
The Pharisees were more authentic and raw and really
believed in like the separation of the Jews from from the
Gentiles and there.
But the Sadducees were kind of like they were in good with
the Roman government and they were really more all about
themselves and their position with the people.
They were mostly the more rich of the class of the religious
sect and and so they were the rulers of the people and
they had a lot of clout with the Romans.
And so it was best for them that they would diminish any
uproar in the city.
So this wasn't working for them.
OK, because all these people were like saying, wow, you
know, this is awesome and everything else.
And like they wanted to quiet everything.
So Rome didn't start to say, what's going on in that
city?
Are you managing things OK?
So they wanted to quench this for that.
And of course, they were envious that now that people
are following this guy who died and left rather than
them, they like being the leaders.
And so so they heard about this.
They captured them, they throw them in jail and then
an angel releases them, you know, brings them out and
shuts everything up behind them, right, to make it
even more of an amazing miracle.
Right.
And then he says this.
In fact, if you can put verse 20, he says, go stand in
the temple and speak to the people all the words of
this life, all the words of this life.
You know, just I want you to think about how much of
an ask that is.
OK, now they had just been arrested.
OK, I don't know about you.
I've never been arrested.
Praise the Lord.
OK, but like going to jail would kind of put some
fear in you, wouldn't it?
You know, and you know, it's only going to get
worse from there.
OK, and what does the angel give them a message from
God to do?
OK, not to go and leave Jerusalem, OK, not to hide
out in some house, but to go into the temple.
In fact, we have another picture of the temple.
I've been showing this a lot.
This is actually a model in Jerusalem you can go
see. But so they had been spending a lot of time
here in Solomon's Portico.
You know, you know, the church was growing.
It was like an outside church in a sense.
And then they were going out because they had too
many people.
I mean, thousands of people were joining.
So then they're out into the peripheral, into
the city, right, healing people and so forth.
Well, the angels are saying, all right, no, go
back and don't go out here.
Don't go there.
Don't go here.
Go there and even go there.
You know, that's right in the face of the
Sadducees and the Pharisees.
I mean, it was like you're going right back into
it, you know, and that was huge.
You know, I mean, I don't know about you, but I
wouldn't mind maybe hiding at one of these
little houses out here and like doing my little
thing. OK, and and, you know, but like here
and, you know, as I was thinking about this, it
kind of reminds me when the Lord tells me to go
show the words of this life to people I'm a
little intimidated by, like your boss, like your
boss, you know, I remember when I was newly
saved and my boss needed to get saved, man, he
was just like, he just, you know, he was so
off in his theology.
In fact, he had none.
Right. I got to go straight him out.
I remember people in my home fellowship
saying, just settle down, you know, just before
you go in there, you know, like you need to be
prayed up and really, you know, you still want
your job, don't you, at the end of this?
And they're kind of trying to settle me down.
And they did.
They kind of restructured how I was going to
approach this because I was so zealous I
could have got myself into some trouble.
Right. But like still the zeal and the
purpose was there.
And so I did.
I ended up talking to him and speaking to him
about things.
And he just thought he was great.
And, and I said, well, you know, you're going
to go to hell if you don't have Jesus Christ.
Now, if any of you are hearing that for the
first time, you know, it's true.
It's true.
You need Jesus Christ to be saved.
He is the only way truth and life to
salvation and that's it, you know, it's,
he's the narrow way.
So many people hear about the Broadway,
the gateway, you know, that, you know,
there must be other ways.
No, no, there really isn't.
It's narrow and it's simple.
It's one man and God, Jesus Christ.
He is the doorway.
Right. And so I remember saying to him,
I said, you know, yeah, but you need Jesus
to to go to heaven.
He's like, you're not suggesting like
that people don't believe in Jesus
aren't going to heaven.
Like, well, yeah, you know,
I'll see you later.
I didn't go much further than that.
OK, but like sometimes you want to be out here,
but the Lord sends you right in there.
OK, right in the face of your family members
that you know are going to argue with you
that they know everything.
They're know it all.
Does anybody have a know it all family member?
You know, if they're next to you,
I don't want you to point them out.
OK, but but really, you know, it's like,
you know, the last thing you want to do
is debate with someone that, you know,
is going to come up with more facts
than you know and all that kind of stuff.
You know, but it's like the Lord is sending
it's saying to them, no, you go back there.
OK, so that's where they go.
And then they're looking for them.
And that next verse we have up on the slide,
verse 25, they said, look, the men
whom you put in prison are standing
in the temple teaching the people.
Can you imagine that?
They're like, like what?
Like they weren't afraid to do that.
You know, the boldness of that,
you know, the arrogance, you know,
to defy what we are telling them to do.
And so they go and they get them again
and they bring them in.
And they start rebuking them.
And verses twenty eight to thirty two
goes to that little story
when they said, did we not strictly
command you not to teach in his name?
And look, you have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine and intend to bring
this man's blood on us.
I love this.
This is this is where I want to live
day in and day out.
You ought to obey God rather than men.
Amen.
I mean, that is so profound.
Yesterday, a couple of us
went out on the street for Lansdale Day
and we came across, you know,
and I'm just going to say it.
All right, you don't mind it.
Don't tell anybody, OK?
It's between us.
But, you know, man on Main Street.
Now, that was a Christian organization.
OK, it it came from a Christian church.
OK, and in the name matter,
who's the matter?
You know, Jesus, right?
So there they are giving out stuff.
And and I know their board comprises
a lot of variety of religions now
and so forth, and it's it's it's not religious.
It's not Christian any longer.
And I realize that.
So just for kicks, I went over
and I'm talking and the guy there was wonderful.
He's like, oh, yeah, you know,
I come from, you know, this church and
and actually I'm born again, too.
And all that. So that's awesome.
Well, you wouldn't mind if I put some tracks
here to give out about Jesus Christ, would you?
Oh, yes, sorry.
I can't I can't you know,
I just can't do that.
And he's on the board.
And I'm like, I knew the answer.
I already knew the answer.
I'm like, like, really?
Like, you can't or you won't.
Like, what's going to happen to you?
They're going to kick you off the board.
It's free anyway.
You're you're a volunteer
and you're not even going to push
the envelope a little bit.
Now, God bless.
You know, I'm not.
I'm just saying
it was Christian.
The why and what a.
See, what's the see?
Is it still, you know, it's like,
what is that the enemy intrudes
and then all of a sudden
what was once about Jesus Christ
isn't any longer, you know.
And that's when you when you obey
man rather than God, you know.
And so and then they went on from there
and they said him,
God has exalted to his right hand
to be prince and savior,
to give repentance to Israel
and forgiveness of sins.
That's to all of us. Amen.
But the reason they're saying
specifically Israel is
because they're talking
to Israel's leaders,
you know, the Jewish leaders.
And they're saying, yeah,
this is for you.
First and foremost to you,
then the rest of all those dogs
out there, the Gentiles.
But first to you, right?
This is for you.
You know, and then from there
and we are his witnesses
to these things.
And so also is the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those
who obey him.
By the way, was it by their own
strength and power and boldness
and strength they were doing this?
It was the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was saying,
you're not going to go back
and oh, that's it's gone.
You're not going to go back
into some house up on the hill.
You're going into the temple.
You know, you're not going
to chicken out.
You know, we have that same
Holy Spirit in us
and he's ready to be unleashed
in us, you know.
But so often we allow
the fear of man
to just press in on us
and keep us in that prison,
even though the door
is already open, we stay there.
Oh, no, you know, you know,
I don't want to I don't want
to offend anybody.
I don't want to hurt it.
Well, Jesus is the chief
cornerstone that everybody
trips over and kicks
and swears and gets angry
because they don't want to submit
to the rock.
Jesus Christ, right?
He is an offense, you know.
And so I love what
how the the apostles responded.
And so after that,
Gamaliel comes along
and Gamaliel is was a Pharisee
as opposed to the Sadducees.
But he really knew his stuff.
I mean, he everybody respected
the words of Gamaliel.
You know, he was like Samuel
on his day, you know,
Gamaliel is speaking.
You know, in fact,
Paul makes that part
of his defense
when he was in Jerusalem in Acts
22, and he's like
arguing with them.
He's like, look, I was taught
at the feet of Gamaliel.
So, you know, I know
more than y'all
because I was taught by him.
Right. So this guy is respected.
And he says, well, what are you doing?
I mean, that's some wisdom, isn't it?
Because he realized, look,
I mean, there's some peculiar
things happening out there
in Jerusalem
I've never seen before.
And he warns them
if this is of God,
you don't want to be fighting
against God.
We see this in verses
41 and 42.
I'm sorry, 38 and 39.
And then
and then finally
they bring them back in.
They're like, OK,
all right, you can go
after we give you a whooping.
Like, I mean, that's a beating.
Now that word they used for beating,
it means broken skin.
OK, it's not just like, all right,
come here, let me give you
a little smack in the butt.
Now get out there.
Don't do that again now.
It's like we're talking
they beat them up, OK?
Now, I'm not saying with the rods
that Paul was later
with beaten thirty nine times.
I'm not saying that
but they were beaten up.
You know, I've never been beaten up
for the gospel.
You know, I'm sure some day
we may all be.
I don't know.
But they beat them.
And then as they left 40
verses 41 or 42.
As they departed from the presence
of the council rejoicing
that they were counted worthy
to suffer shame for his name
and daily in the temple
and in every house.
They did not cease teaching
and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
So there's some significant boldness.
And I believe when that angel,
remember when the angel came
and they said, you must go
into the temple
and speak the words of this life.
Isn't that a different way to phrase?
I mean, it's not.
It's a little unusual.
But I really believe
when the angel said that to Peter
in particular,
something resonated in Peter
because in in John, chapter six,
when when Jesus was talking
about how he is the bread
from come down from heaven.
And unless you eat his flesh
and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
And he was talking
on something like this guy
is talking about being eaten by us,
you know, like cannibalized.
You know, they didn't understand it.
And he would have explained further.
But they just started leaving.
OK, and we read this in John 666 to 69.
And for that time,
many of his disciples went back
and walked with him no more.
A lot of people just said,
I can't take this.
This is just too weird.
I can't grasp what he's trying to say.
And then Jesus said to the twelve,
do you also want to go away?
But Simon Peter, there he is,
answered him, Lord,
to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Also, we have come to believe that
and know that you are the Christ,
the son of the living God.
You know, Peter, I believe
when that angel said,
go and speak the words of this life.
Don't you think that triggered
and Peter's my like,
wow, this is really the Lord
just saying, no, I got you.
Go back.
Where else can you go?
But be the serving me
and hearing my word.
I mean, though, Jesus said,
you know, those who follow me,
they know my voice.
Remember the shepherd in John,
Chapter 10, and he said,
those who hear my voice,
they follow me and
and he brings them out of the sheep
and he goes before them
and the sheep follow him,
for they know his voice, right?
They don't know someone else's voice.
They know his voice.
And, you know, as I was thinking about this,
I know you're going to think
this is a weird connection,
but as I was thinking about this,
I couldn't help but think about
my son, Jake, down in Tennessee,
and he has a hunting dog named Gunner.
There he is now.
My son, Jake, is an extreme hunter
and, you know, he just
he loves hunting birds,
duck, turkey, deer,
you name it, okay?
And he like leaves nothing for waste,
all you animal lovers.
He literally butchers it in the woods,
shrink wraps the meat in plastic
and takes it out of the woods
and leaves the rest there for,
you know, bury some
and leaves the rest for the scavenger animals.
So he's very environmentally conscious, okay?
I don't want you to judge him,
but he's just the real deal.
I mean, like wherever you go,
he always shoots the most,
he always catches the most on a fishing pole.
He just has this magnet for game, right?
And he has freezers full of it
and he eats it all.
But anyway, he has a dog named Gunner
and this dog is so cool.
I mean, it's high strung.
I mean, when it bumps in, you're like,
ow, like your quad is like sore, you know?
He's like, yeah.
And he hasn't been, what do you call it,
neutered or spaded or whatever it is.
He hasn't been, so he's even more jacked, you know?
It's like, what are we gonna do?
Jake, what are we gonna, what do we got going?
And so he is so intense and he's all about Jake.
Like Jake is his Yahweh, you know?
It's like whatever Jake says, he follows him.
So Jake says, you know, heal
and Gunner runs up and stands right next to him
at attention, okay?
There he is on the,
there he is on the duck boat, right?
But he just stands here, right?
And then he says, post.
And Gunner runs up on like a spot where he's looking,
you know, if he has a spot in the little duck shack,
whatever that thing's called or whatever,
and he's waiting, like,
you know something's about to happen, right?
Okay?
And then when he says fetch,
it doesn't matter what Gunner's doing,
even if he wasn't even, he was chewing on a toy, fetch.
Boom.
I mean, he's just, boom, burst into action.
And he's just running.
Sometimes he doesn't even know what he's running towards.
He's just running, like looking back, all right?
What am I looking for here, you know?
But he just, he's insane, right?
And it's really cool to watch
how this dog can, you know,
consistently transform into this magnificent hunting dog,
right?
And as I was thinking about that,
I'm thinking, well, why am I comparing myself to a dog?
Okay.
Well, kind of, kind of,
because he knows Jake's voice.
Like when I say to Gunner, Gunner, post.
You know, he's like, what?
You know, Gunner, heal.
For who?
No, he doesn't talk back,
but he just, you know, he just isn't interested.
I'm not Jake.
I don't have Jake's voice.
He knows Jake's voice,
and he does exactly what Jake tells him to do.
And you know why?
It might seem like, well, this is animal, cool.
Because Jake has introduced Gunner
into the greatest things of his life.
All Gunner wants to do is to be swimming in water,
is to be out in the outdoors,
is to be jogging along with him,
is to be engaged in the wilderness.
And guess who brought that to fruition for Gunner?
Jake.
Jake knows exactly what Gunner loves,
and Gunner just follows the one
who leads him into that.
And the same way you and I,
you know, Jesus Christ is our shepherd.
It's like, Lord, like I know
whatever you're about to tell me to do,
it's the best thing.
It's the best thing for me.
It's the best thing for you.
I wanna go.
I wanna do it, Lord.
You just tell me where to go.
You tell me to heal.
I'm healing.
Post, I'm posting.
Fetch, I'm fetching.
Because Lord, I know this is where,
this is what my life is for.
You know, Gunner was trained to be a hunting goal.
I am trained to be a servant of the Lord Most High.
I serve Jesus Christ.
And you know what?
Willingly, like gladly, joyfully rejoicing,
because I know what he calls me into
is the best for him and myself, amen.
And that's the idea,
is that we know his voice,
and we listen to it.
You know, there's,
we see this form of censorship
that the apostles are going through.
And in this country, at this time,
we're probably not gonna go through right now
the same things they went through.
First, imprisoned, okay?
And then beaten.
And they're gonna be beaten way worse than this,
by the way.
And then later, martyred.
And just two more chapters.
Dr. Steven is getting stoned to death.
I mean, that's not a fast death.
I wouldn't imagine, right?
You know, that's intense.
What are our forms of censorship?
Like how we are persecuted.
And I don't mean to guilt you, okay?
This isn't like, see how bad they had it?
How dare you ever get scared of people?
It's not about this.
I'm comparing for,
so that we can all grasp,
like what am I worried about?
And I fall into it.
I feel like, ah, this person looks a little this or that.
I don't wanna, you know, so, right?
And you look at, what do we go through?
We go through being judged.
Like, well, if I bring that up,
I kinda, I know how this person feels.
I'm gonna hurt my family's feelings and so forth.
You know, now there's a way to be sensitive, right?
I'm not just saying, just say stuff, you know?
And really, it's so much better
not to get into any issues or political,
it's never, it's not about that.
It's not, it's about Jesus Christ.
He is the one who cleanses our sins,
washes our sins away.
He is the one who forgives our sins.
He is the one who holds our eternal life.
He holds the keys to the kingdom of God
and hands them to us.
It's about Him.
So, yeah, we shouldn't burst into all these issues
that aren't about Jesus Christ.
But still, when it comes to Jesus,
why aren't we talking more about Him?
It's like, and really, it's just my testimony.
It's just what He's done for me.
You know, because my life, I only,
my life is in Him.
Like, identity is in Him.
And what about consequences?
You know, yeah, will we suffer some consequences?
And I was reminded and prepared for this
and I asked Zach, hey, remind me of some of those details,
but he was in Penn State and he once had this professor
that was like just a real, just, I won't say the words,
but just not likable, okay?
I don't know.
But he was an atheist and he had all these bad things
to say about Christians and the hypocrisy
and Jesus Christ and everything.
And here he is a professor.
So I was hearing this, I'm like saying,
you gotta record this.
Get this on your laptop, remember Zach?
And I want you to play this back when this course is over.
Get your grade, again, consequences, right?
Get your grade, but then report them.
You know, because how dare he share these things
in class to students.
This has nothing to do with it.
He's not even supposed to be talking about religion.
And yet he's vomiting just demonic evil.
And so I just, you could tell I was seething
mad 12 years ago or 15, whatever that was.
I was angry back then, right?
But like, you know, so, but Zach, you know,
he just went with the flow and waited for the timing.
And then finally the guy said something about,
is there any Christians here?
And Zach raised his hand, he's the only one
in the class of like 30 some, raised his hand.
So why do you believe?
And he stood up and he gave his testimony
right there in the class, right in front of like 30 some.
30 some students and he gave it.
And you know what happened to him
as he was walking down the steps
about to leave the room, professor says, hey, come here.
And he says, yeah, I really respect what you just did.
And from that time on, he never talked negative
about Christianity or Jesus Christ in that class.
Isn't that amazing?
It just silenced, you know, I mean, that's amazing.
Jesse had a similar situation when his professor was,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, talking all this garbage
about the Bible and the New Testament.
And Jesse actually straightened her out in a loving way.
You know, he just said, hey,
well, that's not actually accurate.
This happened in this date
and it was about the apostle Paul.
She thought the apostle Paul came like
in this second century AD.
And he's like, no, actually,
he was the beginning of the church
and she didn't even know that.
And here she is talking just trash
about our Lord and Savior and the Bible.
But those are victories.
It could have turned out differently.
But I think sometimes if we just are sensitive
to where they're at and approach it,
not in a confrontational way.
In fact, the Lord in the Word even says, you know,
don't debate and get into arguments.
Just with, in fact, it says, you know,
in 1 Peter chapter 3.15, we don't have the verse here,
but it says, always be prepared to give a reason
for the hope that is within you
with gentleness and meekness.
In other words, like we don't have to win an argument.
We can tell them the truth in love.
We don't have to even convince them.
Just tell them the truth, you know?
I mean, that goes a long way, doesn't it?
When we just share the truth.
And so those are the differences.
And so we're gonna have communion this morning,
but I wanted to go over again, just one more time
about the three kingdom priorities.
Because I think we can learn through what happened
in this scripture, lessons for ourselves.
Because the apostles were obedient to God.
They weren't seeking the approval of the Sadducees
and the rulers of their people.
And you know, they were intimidating people.
They knew more than everybody else.
They could make life difficult for you.
And they could even get you in trouble
with the Roman government.
They could do all kinds of things.
And yet the apostles said, no, it is more important
to obey God rather than to be approved by you.
And then the next thing is faithful persistence.
Go back to the temple and preach.
You know, that could have been easy
to just have fearful pressure and say,
you know what, I'd rather not go, okay?
I'd rather stop here.
I'm still alive.
I only have some stripes on my back.
I can survive with that.
But no, they move forward.
If the worship team could come up too.
And then finally, eternal reward
is greater than earthly regret.
I know I shared this before in the past,
but there was a time when someone I knew
from work, like this work colleague,
she was a real, I was a mortgage person.
And she was dying.
She was in the hospital.
She was terminal.
And I was born again, maybe only a year or two or something.
And someone told me about her.
She was a friendly lady.
I think I have one.
We might, oh, you all have one?
Yeah, we're good, thank you.
And so I just sense this unction,
this angst, this urge from the Holy Spirit.
You have to go and tell her about Jesus Christ.
She's gonna die.
Anyone ever get an urge from the Holy Spirit?
I know most of you.
Do you know what I'm talking about?
That urge, that pressure,
that good pressure from above saying,
come on, you could do this.
You could do this.
This is what I would do if I were there
and I am there because I'm in you.
So I want to do this in you, right?
Just like we were singing about,
that we are his temple.
He resides in us.
He's saying, look, I wanna go do this.
Let's go.
You ever have a kid tugging on you saying,
can we go, can we go, can we?
I want you, I want the Holy Spirit saying,
can we go, can we go?
And we're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, shh.
The Holy Spirit's saying, let's do this.
And I was saying, I don't want to.
Cause I don't know her that well.
I mean, I'm not buddies with her.
And even if I were, it's weird.
She's in the hospital.
She's gonna have family members there.
I don't know.
I'm not eloquent at talking about the Bible.
I don't know how to do this stuff, you know?
And again, I was a newer believer.
I don't know what to do.
And so I just was like pushing it down
and I just didn't wanna do it.
And she died.
And I'll never forget like hearing she died
and say, let's say, you know, that's a shame.
But it was more than that for me.
I felt regret.
I felt like I resisted the Holy Spirit
and basically said, no, but I don't want,
you might want to, but I don't want to.
And I just tried to press it out of my mind.
And finally, I just was so humbled and repentant.
And I said, all right, Lord,
if you ever give me an opportunity to do that again,
I'll do it.
I'll tell you what, within a year,
about three more people, this one's mom,
this one's dad, they're dying.
Their own child doesn't know what to do with that.
And I said, well, you know, if you want,
I'll come and visit.
And it was like almost like, all right,
you said you would.
All right, I have these scheduled appointments for you now.
And I just recruited you.
And I said, yes.
And you know what is amazing?
Every time I went, I was more and more emboldened
and encouraged by the Holy Spirit to say, no, no,
I am doing this.
Just show up and just follow my lead.
Let the Holy Spirit speak through you.
And I'll give you the words to say.
And it was magnificent.
It really, in a huge way, just reset my whole,
my whole confidence in the Lord.
I realized that, no, this is,
if he calls me to do this,
I will have regret, earthly regret if I don't do it.
But I said, yes.
You know, just the same thing with Peter,
like, you know, do you love me?
Do you love me?
It's because he said, I don't know him,
I don't know him, I don't know him, right?
But he wants to, he wants to reconcile.
You know, you can fail to obey the Lord.
He'll give you more options to reset,
to be reconciled.
Like, don't judge your past on your past failures,
your past rejection to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Don't judge that.
Say, Lord, I'm acknowledged because that is exactly
why I'm gonna say yes next time.
This feeling of regret is gonna be a thing of my past.
Because it's what got me to the next level
of saying yes to you, Lord.
Yes, I wanna go.
Please send me.
I'm ready.
Amen.
We're of communion now.
And our family, you know, we have a son,
I just mentioned Tennessee with Destiny, his wife,
and their daughter, Vienna,
and my son-in-law, Tevin, and Morgan,
and their two sons, Kingston and Coase, in Orlando.
Of course, Jesse and Zach and their families up here.
And I say this because sometimes it's hard to get together,
but what we try to do is whenever anyone has a birthday,
we try to somehow navigate a trip to be all together
and have a dinner together, you know?
And it's like we celebrate their birthday together.
It doesn't always land near.
Sometimes we have to kind of cheat
and group two of them together,
but we come together and we have a birthday meal together.
And it's just a time to celebrate
that person in our family.
And I was relating that to this communion table,
how this is a celebration that we're enjoying together
because we are a family.
And even if you're a visitor here,
we welcome you to be part of this family
because this is, in a sense, like a birthday meal.
If you've been born again, it's a birthday meal.
You've been born again.
We're celebrating our birthdays in Jesus Christ.
And so as we have this celebration,
I just wanna invite you today, if you're sitting here,
you've never given your life to Jesus Christ.
I implore you, don't wait any longer.
This is it.
This is the life.
This is the words of this life.
That when you become born again,
you are a new creation.
You think differently.
You feel differently.
You love differently.
You act differently.
It's a whole new life.
It's a whole new experience by the blood here today.
But I'm inviting you, if you're here,
say yes to the Lord.
Just say, Lord, I am a sinner
and I have a diseased soul.
I am contaminated.
And I need to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
Today, I wanna just die with you, Lord, on that cross.
And I ask you to forgive all of my sins
and fill me with your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' name, amen.
And the word said that if you pray in that way,
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
All who call upon the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Anyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved.
And that's us.
I don't know about you, but I totally don't deserve heaven.
And yet I'm going there.
Isn't that awesome?
Praise the Lord.
So let's all stand.
We're gonna worship just for a refrain or two.
And then we're gonna have communion together.
So let's worship the Lord.
Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church
as we praise God and discuss his word.
Don't forget to join us for Worship Lives Sunday mornings
at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.
Be blessed and have a great day.
Amen.