Pastor Podcast - Acts 3 - The Name of Jesus

Each week Pastor Mark takes time to go deeper and talk about the week's message!  If you have questions you'd like him to answer or hear more about please send those in by texting us at the link in the show notes!

You can also view video of this podcast and our Sunday sermons by visiting our YouTube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/@lifehousemot 

A crippled man asks for spare change and walks away with new legs, a new future, and a crowd demanding answers. That scene from Acts 3 is more than a dramatic miracle story; it’s a spotlight on Jesus Christ of Nazareth and a test of what we really believe about him. We talk through why Peter refuses credit, why the healing is immediate and public, and how God often uses ordinary faithfulness like showing up to pray to put us in the right place at the right time. 

We also pull back the curtain on our week away representing our church at the Southern Baptist Convention and why we see denominational partnership as a voluntary, mission-focused affiliation. From the Cooperative Program to the commissioning of missionaries sent to unreached and even hostile places, we share why “we can do more together” is not a slogan but a practical strategy for global missions, North American church planting, and relief efforts that meet real needs. 

The heart of the conversation turns to clarity: not every use of the word “Jesus” points to the same Jesus. We unpack Peter’s bold claims about Jesus as the Holy and Righteous One and the Author of Life, why adding to Scripture or subtracting from Christ changes the gospel, and why fence-sitting is still a decision. We end with the beauty of repentance, the promise of sins being blotted out, and the deeper hope of salvation that holds steady even when circumstances don’t change. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review.

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Intro music by Joey Blair

Transcript

Welcome Back And Where We Went

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Well, hey Life House family, welcome back to our time with Pastor Mark, reflecting on sermons, and we were off a week. You know, hopefully I heard from a few of you Sunday, missed us apparently. So we're so thankful that you take this time to watch, and uh, we pray it's a blessing for you. As you mentioned in the sermon yesterday, we were away last week to attend something where we represent our church and our denominational affiliation, which is a great opportunity. We if people ever have questions about that, but it's just, man, awesome to learn from other churches. I think when I go getting to meet other people, hear how God's working, as well as uh just learn from one another. But any takeaways for you?

SPEAKER_02 0:53

I mean it's it's somewhat of a conference, but it's primarily a convention. So, and and I think some people may not even realize this, but we are a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which is a denomination, and it's really more of an affiliation, you know, and so there's a lot of different denominations that have different standards and associations, but it's really a blessing. The Southern Baptist

Why The SBC Matters For Missions

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Convention is the largest denomination that I understand in the whole world. And so one of the things that I think is very impactful is to come, I mean, 15 to 20,000 people there from not just all over the United States, but all over the world. And so to see what we are connected to and what we're a part of is a very inspiring and encouraging thing. And to just interact and engage with like-minded people, right? You know, and like-minded churches is such a blessing. And the there's powerful preaching that takes place and worship that takes place that's a part of the different things. But yeah, business and clarity as to like issues that are going on in our world today. And so it's really it's a blessing to go and and a blessing to be a part of.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

I think what's always the most impactful for me, and I would say one of the primary reasons the the SBC affiliates is for the work of missions. Absolutely. The bulk of the funding goes to fund missionaries. And so seeing, I think this year was like 63 or 67 missionaries being sent out all over the globe to spread the gospel is always what I love seeing, and just seeing the impact. You know, we talk about regularly during our offering, why we give, and it's to help the gospel go forth here locally, but also around the United States and around the world. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Honestly, that's the biggest why. Exactly. Why are we a part of this convention, of this denomination? And it's because of what's called or referred to as the cooperative program. Like we can do more together. I mean, it's just their strength in numbers. And so, yeah, like to go and every year at the convention, they have what's called the commissioning service, where they commission these who have gone through the process and vetting and training, and they're ready to go out into the field to places all over the world, many of them in unreached places, uh hostile places. And in fact, some of them have pseudonyms, like they don't even give their real names, and they they they hide behind, not hide, but they stand behind a screen, so their identities are not revealed to the public at large for safety reasons, because they're going into places that are hostile against the gospel, but they're going with the gospel, and that's their their message, their intention, and so it's just a beautiful thing to see and be a part of. So that's internationally, the international mission board, the IMB, but also the North American Mission Board, uh, which is so heavily involved in church planning, and that's another piece. There's so many churches being planted all over the United States and Canada as a part of the North American Mission Board. And then also send relief, you know, so relief efforts. And so, yeah, like because we're a part of this, it's such a blessing to know we have we're a part of this, and we do. We can we contribute financially, but also we engage and go as a physically too on mission trips and everything.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

So if you have any questions about that, we'd love to share. But like you said, the why is we can do more together as churches when we pool our resources as well as we had missionaries go out from Lifehouse last year, Eric and Lena. Uh some of you may know them, and like they were very much supported, continue to be supported because of the work you know that gets done, all of our church plants that we've been so blessed to send out. You know, like you said, the North American Mission Board comes alongside and helps them get started and supports them. So why if we were just off on our own, you know, a lot of these resources.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

We can do more together. Yeah. And yet, you know, it's just to kind of as a point of clarity in comparison to other denominations. So I think accountability is a piece, you know, and support is a piece. You know, it's not just the missionaries that are being supported, you know, or the church planters, but also the ongoing pastors, you know, and people who have labored for years and even are in retirement now. There's all these different programs to help support and encourage pastoral families and all bivocational families. I mean, there's just all kinds of different things. But to to just compare, as compared to like the Methodist denomination as an example, where the denomination owns the assets of every church and they hire and fire, that's not the case. Like we are an autonomous church in that regard. Like the assets and the building are under our church's control. And the hiring and firing, you know, we don't have to check in with, you know, the denomination to see whether or not we want to hire this person. Like we can, as a church body locally here in Townsend MOT Delaware, pray and be led by and respond to what the Lord is leading us to do in our context while we are connected by this force and can receive support, encouragement, even finances to help do what God is calling us to do here. So it's a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

It's a voluntary affiliation, which is, I think, what we see in the New Testament. Like the churches, Paul says, we pull resources to help each

Autonomy With Accountability And Support

SPEAKER_00 6:02

other, but we also have to minister where we are. Absolutely. Yeah. So again, if you have questions, we'll be glad to answer more of those or share more about our experience. But that's why we were away. So we missed you. But we're

Acts 3 Miracle At The Beautiful Gate

SPEAKER_00 6:14

back. It's uh back into the book of Acts and getting into chapter three here and following. You know, we talked about the church being born, and so we're just starting to see the Holy Spirit, yeah. Like you said, working in amazing ways, and so just profound power. We're seeing the church grow now. Demonstrated.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

The church was born, now the church is growing and expanding, and the Holy Spirit is working through the church to grow the church in incredible ways. And the first thing we see in Acts chapter 3 is this profound power demonstrated by Jesus. Like Peter is very clear, you know. So there's this man, a lame man who was born lame from birth, so crippled, and every day they would bring this man to go sit on the steps before the beautiful gate, and he would beg because he couldn't make a living for himself. And so he it just demanded life demanded that he receive money in this way. And Peter and John are on the way to the temple to pray at the hour of prayer, right? So they're, you know, devoted to prayer as you preached two weeks ago. And so, of course, like if there's a prayer meeting, we're gonna go pray because prayer is a privilege and and we get to pray, and prayer's a profitable thing to do. So they're going, you know, to the temple. Right now, the church is still very much connected to the the the Jews, to Judaism. And so, as devout Christian Jews, they're going to pray. And on the way, the Spirit of God just points this man out, and Peter says, Look at me, you know, and the guy's thinking, okay, payday, like yeah, you know. I mean, honestly, like we have those people in our culture that ask for alms essentially, and we try to avoid eye contact with them, right? Most of the time. And but this guy, Peter says, Look at us, and the guy did, and I love it. He says, Silver and gold, I don't have. Like, I'm not going to give you money, but what I do have, I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And what is striking to me is that without hesitation, we're told that Peter immediately reached, took the man by the right hand and lifted him up. And this guy, I mean, born lame, was born lame, so from birth, never used those muscles. So his muscles had to be atropied, if there were any muscles there at all. But immediately the man's legs and ankles, his feet and ankles were strengthened. And this guy didn't just rise up. We're told he leapt up and he was jumping all over the place and standing and praising God. And it's beautiful, he's able to enter the temple that he had actually been forbidden to enter. Because under the Mosaic law, invalids and people who were sick and people who were lame and crippled and blind, they were not permitted to enter the temple, right? To even worship or join the worship. He was never able to enter the beautiful gate that he sat before it day in and day out. But he leapt in and made a spectacle. Everybody was like, What's going on? They knew they recognized the guy because he was there every day. And they want to know, like, what's this about? So it's a profound miracle. The one thing that just I think to point out, it was all about Jesus. Peter did not perform the miracle. He made that clear, and he tells them as the chapter continues, it's documented. Like, don't think it was us. Like, why are you looking at us? It was Jesus, right? So, and he that was the first point. The profound power of the Lord Jesus Christ was demonstrated.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Yep. And like you said, they're putting themselves in position. That's what we talked about last week, is we don't pick the times, but they were customarily, you know, ninth hour. Like we pray. This is what we do. We're devoted, and then God does amazing things. And so when we are devoted to Christ, then we see people like the beggar where God is working, you know, experiencing God. We see where God is working and we go to where he is working. We don't be like, all right, God, I want to, you know, do a miracle today, or this is what I want. But truly just the devotion allows us to have those.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Yeah, we're in tune and attentive. And I think that's an appropriate prayer to pray, Lord. Give us the eyes to see the people that you want to see, you know, day in and day out of our lives. In essence, we're keeping in step with the Spirit, in tune with the Spirit that indwells our hearts, listening, watching. You know, I mean, I think of

Devotion To Prayer And Noticing People

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Samuel's prayer way back in, you know, speak, Lord, for I your servant am listening. Like I'm all ears. So if you're gonna speak, like like I'm ready, I'm I'm ready to hear, or I even pray, Lord, uh, show, reveal, because I'm watching, like I'm looking for you. Like point out what you need me to see or to notice, and then respond to, you know. I mean, he doesn't just entertain us, you know, but it's what he does. And this miracle is very purposeful, it's intentional to get the attention of the people that were there for the message that would then be preached. You know, he preached the gospel afterwards, Peter did. And so it's very, yeah, a profound power. And it was Jesus' power. So Jesus didn't like, you know, ascend to heaven and he's not just sitting down with his feet kicked up. I mean, he's still at work. Jesus said, I will build my church. This is what he's doing. He's still working. And so I'm thankful for that.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

We still continue to see that, but that's the particular person. Like when these things happen, it's not just for fun, it's not just haphazard, it is for declaring the glory. You know, get to the purpose, but the particular person, like throughout this, it's in the name of Christ, it's in faith in the name of Christ, it's Jesus who is providing that power, that particular person.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

And so in so Peter takes this opportunity.

Clearing Up Confusion About Jesus

SPEAKER_02 11:52

And the second point, the particular person of Jesus Christ is distinguished. So there and then, just like here and now, there's a lot of confusion about Jesus Christ where there need not be. I mean, scriptures reveal who he is. He is the word who was in the beginning with God and who was God. Jesus is not less than God. He is not God, but he is God, you know. And so, like, he there's a lot of different cults, let's just call them that, religions that acknowledge the reality of Jesus, a man named Jesus, and even Jesus of Nazareth, but they fail to recognize and acknowledge what Scripture reveals. I mean, and Peter says, like, this is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Now, in that day, there were a lot of, that was a common name, but this isn't just any Jesus. This is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the one that you crucified. And so it's a confrontational sermon, but also clarifying, He is the Holy One, He is the righteous one, this is the servant, right, of the God of our fathers, right? Referring to the suffering servant of Isaiah chapter 52 and 53, right? The messianic prophecies that reveal that the transgressions would be laid upon him. I mean, there's just so much in here. That is who you crucified, you know, you killed the author of life. Like this is Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the author of life, the holy one, the righteous one, not a holy one, not a the holy one, the righteous one. And so there's just a lot of clarity, you know, and and yeah, it blows my mind really like why there's so many people confused about who Jesus Christ is. Because we need not be. Scripture spells it out. And this is just one sermon, but but Peter spells it out for them.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Yeah. This is what we have to be most clear on. I was just thinking there's a recent controversy. I don't know if you followed this, where the Department of War, Department of Defense was trying to reconfigure their chaplaincy, you know, like what the, you know, what faiths they're going to have chaplains for. And there was a controversy where the Mormons got left out of the Christian faith and they took umbrage and it's like, well, actually you're not. Why? Because of what you believe about Jesus. You don't believe Jesus is the Son of God. You don't believe he is the way, the truth, the life. And if you're not clear on that, that's what really distinguishes.

SPEAKER_02 14:18

Well, it's very nuanced because I do think that they would say he's the Son of God, but not the second person of the Trinity.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: They don't believe in the Trinity, he was created, not co-equal. There's a whole lot of theological things that are very unclear.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: And it's you have to be so careful because I really do think one of the strategies of the Mormon faith in evangelizing and in and encouraging people to essentially convert and to be a part of Mormonism is to say, oh, we're just like you. We believe in Jesus. He's the Son of God, you know, but they will not recognize or acknowledge his place as a part of the Trinity, his position. I mean, he's the author of life in the sermon. I wonder what a Mormon would say about that. And specifically, Jehovah's Witnesses is another cult. You know, I think a lot of sincere people, you know, not necessarily trying or thinking that they're deceiving, but they have been deceived in and of themselves and what they believe. They even have their own translation of the Bible. It's called the New World Translation, that when scripture, like the the original Hebrew and Greek, does not align with their doctrine, they tweak it. Case in point, John chapter one, where the Bible says the translation in the ESV is in the beginning, the word referring to Jesus Christ, was with God and was God. Well, that doesn't align. They don't believe He's God, the second person of the Trinity. So they add in a little article there, very small, but they say was a God, not God. And so they they tweak that, and man, don't mess with God's word, you know. But they do that. The Mormon faith, in addition to that, adds books, you know, that interestingly enough, some of these books and some things in these other books, additional books, contradict what the Bible says. And so there's a lot of contradictions where there is not in the word of God, the Kenan Scripture. It's very unified. Be not confused about Jesus Christ, the specific Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And I love how Peter, in and throughout this sermon, he just kept saying, it was by faith in his name, like the particular person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that this man was made well and healed in front of everybody. And he is the one who saves. Like it is so imperative, right? It's not just general faith that saves us, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in who he is and in what he did. He is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. It is his blood that washes our sins away, not any other lamb's blood, his blood. And it's important that he's deity, right? That's why his blood was sufficient and is sufficient for all sins, for all men, like can wash our sins away in a way that nothing else or nothing no one else could. It's so emphatically, imperatively important that we understand who Jesus is. It's not an arbitrary Jesus or just any old Jesus, it is the Jesus that we must believe in, that we must follow, and our faith is in him. And so Peter spells that out in this sermon, and he tells the people, and you crucified him. Right. You killed him. Like you can't, like they didn't, like literally, right? They got the Romans to do it, but they orchestrated it. And Peter's like, look, no, you did it, you demanded his crucifixion. Pontius Pilate wanted to release him, but you said no, give us Barabbas instead, and you released a murderer. Pontius Pilate found no guilt in him, right? The Roman governor at the time, the Roman. But but that's what they were trying to get the Romans to do their dirty work. Peter said, No, you killed the author of life. You denied him, you rejected him. And I do think I want to get your thoughts on this. I think what Peter was saying here, you know, John 1.11 says that Jesus came to his own, but his own would not receive him. And that's what Peter's saying. Like you denied him. Like you did not acknowledge who should have been acknowledged. You not you did not honor Jesus, the Son of God. Like you, in essence, by not honoring, by not acknowledging, you denied. You by not receiving, rejected, right? Like this is the sin of omission. He who knows the right thing to do but does it not, to him, it is a sin. So many people, I think, well, I'm not rejecting Jesus, I'm not denying Jesus. Well, if you're not accepting him, if you're not receiving him, I mean, literally, God holds and has held his son out before man, right? God sent his son into the world that whoever would believe in him would be saved. And it's literally like a gift that the Lord, God Almighty, holds before an undeserving people. And by not receiving that gift, you are rejecting it. And so that's what Peter clarifies in a confrontational but loving way.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Trevor Burrus, Jr. There's no fence, you know, as you were talking. I think that's the important thing. A good kind of story or analogy, you know, there's those who follow and those who don't, and there's a fence. And some people want to ride the fence, like you say, well, I haven't really rejected, but I haven't accepted. And ultimately at the end, Satan owns the fence. You know, if you haven't committed, you haven't trusted, you haven't put your faith in Christ, you're trying to ride that fence and have it both ways, you can't. You know, Jesus came and very clearly, you know, it's like we say, even though Jesus has been crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, ascended, is still working, and he's still working today. And so that's the message we have to respond to through rejection or acceptance, you know, which we get to the repentance side and what that takes. But that's two kinds of people. You know, you've accepted or or you haven't, and that's really where it's at. And just to tie the bow on what you're talking about, the particular person, just because some faiths use the same vocabulary doesn't mean we're talking about the same Jesus. So, like truly, if you have people, you know, like even Muslims would say, oh, well, Jesus was a great prophet, but not the Son of God, or diminish, you know, it's the we've talked about before doing the gospel math. You know, don't add to Scripture, which the Mormons add on the Book of Mormon or Muslims add on the Quran, like don't add to Scripture and don't subtract from Jesus Christ in his work. If you're absolutely if you're adding to Scripture, you're diminishing Christ and you you can't do that.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

So the gospel with additions and the gospel with subtractions is not the gospel. But the gospel, the true gospel, is the power of God for salvation to everyone who would believe.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Which leads to our purpose, right? Like why

No Fence Sitting And Gospel Math

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Jesus came. And you know, Peter says, like, you did this, but there was ignorance. You know, you were ignorant, you believed lies. Too many people believed the lies. Satan is a liar, the world throws lies and you know misconceptions. So God had a purpose in that, and the purpose was salvation.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Salvation, you know, and one thing I clarified, you know, the purifying purpose, you know, and and that was to forgive or to blot out our transgressions. So Peter, and I do think it is so profound. I mean, what a gracious God that we serve. So the fact that salvation is offered

Repentance And Sins Blotted Out

SPEAKER_02 21:36

to the very people that orchestrated the crucifixion, right? Like still God was holding out salvation through the preaching of the gospel through Peter to these people. And I think about Jesus on the cross when he prayed, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they're doing. You know, they don't realize, right? And and so salvation is held out before these men. Peter urges, exhorts them to repent. To turn back. And we talk about this repent. Like it is, I think, in our culture, American culture, a very offensive word. Like repent. It just sounds so antiquated, but it's so beautiful. It's such a beautiful word because I think that people don't fully understand what the word and what it means. Like turn from evil, from death, from sin, from the consequences of sin, and to life and to forgiveness and to love and to joy and hope and peace. And the list goes on. And so it's not just a one-sided thing, it's two-sided. And turn back. That can also be translated as be converted, right? You know, be changed, be transformed, right? Become a new creation in Christ, right? And so it's such a beautiful thing, this exhortation. But he said, do that. Why? Like, why do you need to repent? So that your sins may be blotted out. That's the problem, right? The sin. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin is the problem. Sin offends a holy, righteous God, the wrath of God. Like He is not just a loving God, but He is a just God and justice will be served. I was at the YMCA this morning speaking to a man with a Catholic background. And from what I understand, he's pretty devout. And one of the things that we were talking about is, you know, different just levels of sin. You know, in his mind, he's thinking, you know, well, you know, one sin versus, you know, a hundred sins or like a big sin. And, you know, and one of the things I was trying to explain to him is either you're guilty or you're not guilty. Like whether it's one sin or in your mind, what is a big sin, like or a little sin, like you're guilty before a holy, righteous God. You know, and it is profound to know and understand that the sin or the blood of Jesus can wash away the big ones, the little ones, the many sins. I mean, because it's the Son of God, his sin, his blood. But guilty is guilty, right? If you have told a lie, thou shalt not lie. One of the Ten Commandments, you're guilty before a holy, righteous God. And God is a just God. That sin, even a little white lie, must be atoned for. The wages of sin is death. And so, yeah, either you're guilty or you're not. And so, what must happen if we're gonna be forgiven? Like our sins must be blotted out. And this is what Jesus does. He forgives us of our sins. There's a, I think it's Psalm 145 that speaks of how he removes our sin as far as the East is from the West. What can wash away, not just wash, but wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ. And when he washes our sin, he washes it away completely. He blots it out. We don't really use that phraseology in our context, but essentially erase. Like he erases it. Like incredible. Like that product incredible that I think.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

A good analogy, and even just thinking if you ever got white t-shirts back in my officiating days, that's way back. I'm getting old. Yeah, okay. We used to wear white knickers, if you remember football stuff. How about that word? Yeah, we had to wear white. Yeah, I still I think I got rid of it. But they were pure white. You get them at the beginning of the year. You could not go one game without getting things. They went to black pants. Okay. Black pants are much cooler. Oh, they're much nicer. Yes. And don't look as weird. But hey, back in the day, I just pictures to prove it. You wore these white knickers that just go down to your knees. To fast your knees. But they were they would start the season snow white. I had to buy a new pair every single year because they would get mud and whatever, and you just couldn't clean them up. And so we always think of even the analogy of like a sheep on a pure thing of snow. Like we like to think our righteousness is not that bad. But if we truly analyze, and like you said, lies, little sins, but also even our thoughts, our hearts will always condemn us. Jesus up the ante that, you know, if you're looking at a woman or you're hating your brother, the only thing really stopping you from sinning is opportunity. You know, James says it gives birth, and then it just ultimately plays out. So if we're even entertaining those things, that's creating separation between God.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Absolutely. And even not just the little things we do, but the things we don't know, like sins of omission, like we talked about. I mean, I that that's a sin. He who knows the right thing to do but does it not to him, it is a sin. And so, yeah, we're all guilty. The Bible makes it very clear. And so earlier we were talking about, like, has the Lord, or I asked the question, proposed, has the Lord got your attention? Or what did the Lord do to get your attention? And I shared my own testimony about when I came to saving faith and how really prior leading up to my salvation, the Lord, I believe sovereignly and providentially orchestrated

Sin Guilt And The Need For Atonement

SPEAKER_02 27:04

my circumstances. I mean, so it was like fertile ground, but then I had a dream. And I want to be cautious about dreams, you know, but I it just is what it is. I had a dream, and I believe that it was a God-ordained dream. And in the dream, what was revealed was my depravity, you know, and that's one of the things that this sermon closes with. Uh Peter tells them, he says, you know, God raised up his servant Jesus, sent him for to you first to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. That word can also be translated as depravity. And that's the thing. Like, you know, had I told a white lie here or there, yes, you know, and I can, you know, think about my life. There's a lot of pride. God hates pride. But I was, you know, involved in church life, you know, I put parted my hair to the side. I lived in this little Christian bubble. We were there every time the doors were open. But I thought I was saved because I did all these things. You know, it was the world in which I lived, but I had not understand my desperate need. And that's what the dream did for me. It revealed, Mark, you are a sinner in need of a savior. Like you're, in essence, you're wicked, you're depraved. And here's the thing that was horrifying, humbling, but it wasn't, it was so gracious because at the same time God revealed my depravity, he also revealed his open arms and his great love despite my depravity, right? And his desire to offer the forgiveness that I so desperately needed to block out or to blot out the wickedness and depravity that had offended him, so that I could be in right relationship and not at enmity and far from God, dead in my trespasses and sins. And so it was a glorious, I'll never forget it. And I'm just so thankful. And this is what men must realize, what we all must realize, you know, I think in our culture we have to be careful because we get so focused on our circumstances and situations, right? Our temporal stuff. And I remember the baptism we had a couple weeks ago, and people

A Dream That Exposed Depravity

SPEAKER_02 29:08

were testifying of just, you know, because I've trusted in Jesus, my life's better now. In essence, kind of just summary summarizing like so many things. But yes, like Jesus offers peace that passes understanding. And yes, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace. But what we need to remember and know is that what he saves us from, what Jesus came to save us, he was born on mission to die for our sins, to shed his blood, to save us from eternity in hell and separation from a holy, righteous God. And so that's like, you know, wow, you know, it's not just peace. And I do think like he gives peace, but that's not, he may not, right? He may, like Paul. Paul begged that God would remove or remove the thorn, but God left the thorn, but his grace was sufficient.

SPEAKER_00 29:58

Exactly. And I think you may not change your circumstances, but why are things better? Things are better because of now we have that abundant life, we have that salvation. We're not looking for the worldly things. Sometimes he will change those, but our perspective. Right. Too often we pray for changed circumstances instead of change me, you know, change me from the internal inside out. And so now, whatever difficulty you're dealing with, you look at it differently because now I have that peace with my heavenly father. So now the horizontal things, my perspective has completely changed on them. And so I can endure good, bad, whatever it is through Christ. You know, the popular verse that gets out of context sometimes, but the good or the bad, now I know where my salvation lies, I know where my hope, you know, now I have hope in these circumstances that's not going to define me. And so that's the change. So, like, yes, we don't want a prosperity gospel, like come to faith and everything will be smooth and it'll be roses and rainbows. Yeah. But he will, we see. He will do miracles and he will do things.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

And if he does, those are our opportunities to it's not change yourself. Right. It's be changed. Like that exhortation, repent and turn back, but really it's be converted, like a more literal translation, or be changed. Like let the Lord change you, let the Lord transform you, let him blot out the sin that defines you, you know, and be forgiven, be washed, be cleansed, and be saved. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

So that's the purpose, not for us to have the country club or kick back. The purpose is to change us through the power of the Holy Spirit, not our change, but for us to surrender, to repent, and to allow him to change us, which then change how we view things. So a whole lot to dive into. Anything looking forward to chapter four.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

You hear John get to continue to one of my favorite verses that I quote all the time, so much so that people probably roll their eyes because I do it. But man, Acts 4 12, where Peter says, There is salvation found in no one else. There is no other name given under heaven and among men by which men must be saved. It is Jesus Christ. And so it's really the extension. So Acts chapter 4, after this amazing miracle in Peter's sermon, he actually gets arrested, thrown in prison. Now, 2,000 people come to Saving Faith, glory to God, but the religious leaders aren't happy about that. They arrest them, they throw Peter and John in jail and basically tell them, shut up. We don't want to hear that. Do not speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John basically say sorry, not sorry. We cannot help but speak of that which we have seen and heard. So one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. So excited, already getting chills, thinking about it. So hope you'll join us this Sunday.

SPEAKER_00 32:52

Yep. Well, VBF Week. We hope we'll see many of you in the evenings. And thanks for taking the time to join us. Covered a lot over two weeks, but we do appreciate you taking time out of

Salvation Over Circumstances And Perspective

SPEAKER_00 33:02

your day. We hope this encouraged you, covered all sorts of topics today. But if you do have questions, anything we can support you with, reach out anytime. But we'll look forward to seeing you soon, Lifehouse Family. Thanks again.