WEBVTT 00:00:15.474 --> 00:00:19.117 We're going to continue in our sermon series in the Acts of the Apostles. 00:00:19.117 --> 00:00:22.489 There is an outline available if you'd like one. 00:00:22.489 --> 00:00:25.309 If you didn't get one, just raise your hand. 00:00:25.309 --> 00:00:27.007 Our ushers would be happy to help you with that. 00:00:27.007 --> 00:00:40.512 As we've been talking about, the book of Acts is about earliest Christianity. 00:00:40.512 --> 00:00:48.082 It unfolds a story of how the early church grew exponentially through conversions to Christ. 00:00:48.945 --> 00:00:57.868 Now we spent the last few weeks taking a very long look at Saul's conversion in Acts, chapter 9, and what happened to him. 00:00:57.868 --> 00:01:02.383 From him we learned what it means to be converted. 00:01:02.383 --> 00:01:07.941 It means to start over, begin a brand new life with Jesus Christ. 00:01:07.941 --> 00:01:11.064 Jesus called it being born again. 00:01:11.064 --> 00:01:21.427 Jesus said that it's something we all must do if we want to enter the kingdom of God and receive eternal salvation. 00:01:21.427 --> 00:01:26.537 From Saul we learned how a person is converted to Christ. 00:01:26.537 --> 00:01:33.593 It results from some sort of collision with the truth about Jesus, leading to belief in him as our Savior. 00:01:33.593 --> 00:01:39.867 We also learned what changes can be seen in a person who is converted. 00:01:39.867 --> 00:01:45.115 We looked at Saul and he had a new intimacy with God in prayer. 00:01:45.115 --> 00:01:59.373 God gave him a new understanding of the scripture and a desire to seek out fellowship with other Christians and a desire to live a surrendered life to Jesus as his Lord. 00:01:59.373 --> 00:02:05.072 Finally, we learned from Saul what happened after a person is converted to Christ. 00:02:05.072 --> 00:02:12.713 Your relationship to other Christians changes from strangers to brothers and sisters in the Lord. 00:02:12.713 --> 00:02:19.054 Your view of Christianity changes from a religion to a relationship with Jesus. 00:02:19.054 --> 00:02:22.468 Your relationship to your former friends change. 00:02:22.468 --> 00:02:24.093 Relationship to your former friends change. 00:02:24.093 --> 00:02:39.312 You begin to realize that it was God leading you all the way to faith in Jesus and all the events going on, and you then identify yourself as a disciple, follower of Jesus and desire to grow in him and your understanding of the Scripture. 00:02:39.312 --> 00:03:00.114 We saw that all that was happening with Saul was being repeated over and over again in the lives of others and the church grew and exponentially began to increase, while Saul then was away three years in Arabia processing his conversion to Christ. 00:03:01.061 --> 00:03:09.211 The story of the early church continues as Luke takes us forward, but his focus now goes back to the ministry of the Apostle Peter. 00:03:09.211 --> 00:03:15.948 He's traveling through those same areas, meeting, teaching, encouraging those who had been converted to Christ. 00:03:15.948 --> 00:03:23.394 We're going to begin reading his account in Acts 9, beginning in verse 31. 00:03:23.394 --> 00:03:35.366 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:35.366 --> 00:03:36.906 It continued to increase. 00:03:36.906 --> 00:03:44.751 Now, as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came also down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 00:03:44.751 --> 00:03:51.954 There he found a man named Anais who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. 00:03:51.954 --> 00:03:58.187 Peter said to him Anais, jesus Christ heals you, get up and make your bed. 00:03:58.187 --> 00:04:06.629 Immediately he got up and all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him and they turned to the Lord. 00:04:07.893 --> 00:04:12.615 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated in Greek, is called Dorcas. 00:04:12.615 --> 00:04:27.112 This woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity, which she continually did, and it happened at that time that she fell sick and died, and when they had washed her body they laid it in an upper room. 00:04:27.112 --> 00:04:36.451 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard Peter was there, sent two men to him imploring him do not delay in coming to us. 00:04:36.451 --> 00:04:52.269 So Peter arose, went with them and when he arrived they brought him into the upper room and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all their tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 00:04:52.269 --> 00:05:01.267 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed and, turning to the body, he said Tabitha, arise. 00:05:01.267 --> 00:05:13.490 And she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up and he gave her his hand and raised her up and, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 00:05:13.490 --> 00:05:24.423 Now it became known all over Joppa and many believed in the Lord and Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon. 00:05:26.204 --> 00:05:30.985 From Saul we learned how people were converted to Christ. 00:05:30.985 --> 00:05:38.249 Now, from Peter, we begin to learn how the church increased and was built up in the Lord. 00:05:38.249 --> 00:05:48.593 To continue, peter shows us how Christ is building his church, and it's the same kind of things today that he's still doing. 00:05:48.593 --> 00:05:50.634 What does building the church mean? 00:05:50.634 --> 00:06:01.898 We're not talking about a physical church building, but building converted people, people who've come to faith in Christ and now follow him. 00:06:01.997 --> 00:06:14.564 As his disciple, the Apostle Paul later described those who believed in Jesus this way, using this metaphor in Ephesians 2, 19-21. 00:06:14.564 --> 00:06:46.699 To these believers in Ephesus he said so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together, into a dwelling of God in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together, into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. 00:06:46.699 --> 00:06:50.165 That's the church building Jesus wants to build. 00:06:50.165 --> 00:07:07.293 The church is comprised of people who have been converted to Christ by the Holy Spirit and are growing together in the Holy Spirit, and one of the main points is the church of Jesus Christ is not built by human hands. 00:07:08.980 --> 00:07:12.391 Jesus prepared Peter and the apostles for that truth. 00:07:12.391 --> 00:07:15.949 We read in Matthew's Gospel, matthew 16,. 00:07:15.949 --> 00:07:21.800 Jesus said to them, to the disciples who do you say that I am Simon? 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.843 Peter said You're the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:07:24.843 --> 00:07:51.103 And Jesus said to him blessed are you, simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father, who is in heaven, I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 00:07:51.103 --> 00:07:52.348 The church belongs to Jesus and he is the one building it. 00:07:52.348 --> 00:07:53.651 So, as we read in Acts 9.31,. 00:07:53.711 --> 00:08:02.750 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:05.134 It continued to increase. 00:08:05.134 --> 00:08:09.630 Notice that the church was being built up. 00:08:09.630 --> 00:08:19.992 Being built up is in the passive voice, which means it's being acted upon from something outside it. 00:08:19.992 --> 00:08:28.351 It was being acted on by the Holy Spirit as believers surrendered their lives to the Lord to love and serve one another. 00:08:28.351 --> 00:08:32.230 It was being built up by the Holy Spirit. 00:08:32.230 --> 00:08:38.472 To build up is the Greek word akodomeno, translated sometimes as edify. 00:08:38.472 --> 00:08:45.331 It means to enhance the growth or benefit to something, to support and nurture it. 00:08:45.331 --> 00:08:55.333 That's what Jesus is doing through the people who have assembled together in his holy temple, together in honor of him. 00:08:55.333 --> 00:09:09.986 In Acts 9, 31 and 32, let me just read this again the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being being built up and going on in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:09.986 --> 00:09:19.582 It continued to increase and right after that now, peter was traveling through all those regions and he came down also to the saints who lived in Lydda. 00:09:20.244 --> 00:09:21.505 Now we're going to follow Peter. 00:09:21.505 --> 00:09:27.534 We're going to begin to see how the Lord begins to use him to build his church. 00:09:27.534 --> 00:09:29.065 What is Peter doing? 00:09:29.065 --> 00:09:38.514 First of all, it says he's meeting with the saints, the holy ones. 00:09:38.514 --> 00:09:44.211 This is a really apt description of people converted to Christ. 00:09:44.211 --> 00:09:48.927 You need to understand what that means. 00:09:48.927 --> 00:09:53.890 Luke doesn't call them saints because they're religious. 00:09:53.890 --> 00:10:00.712 They aren't called saints because they were canonized. 00:10:00.712 --> 00:10:06.091 They aren't called saints because of the good works they do. 00:10:06.091 --> 00:10:29.931 They are saints because Christ is in them and he is the Holy One and the Holy Spirit is in them, and when God looks at them in Christ, they are his holy ones, his saints, us, the ones who belong to and are set apart for Jesus. 00:10:29.931 --> 00:10:37.365 They're not just individual people either, as Peter will later go on to tell us. 00:10:37.365 --> 00:10:41.274 Those who are in Christ are in Christ together. 00:10:41.274 --> 00:10:44.322 That's the church. 00:10:44.744 --> 00:10:46.246 1 Peter, 2, 9 and 10. 00:10:46.246 --> 00:10:56.874 But he says to these believers you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. 00:10:56.874 --> 00:10:59.202 Why? 00:10:59.202 --> 00:11:06.095 So that you may proclaim the excellencies of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 00:11:06.095 --> 00:11:07.845 Once you were no people. 00:11:07.845 --> 00:11:10.471 Now you are God's people. 00:11:10.471 --> 00:11:12.544 Once you hadn't received mercy. 00:11:12.544 --> 00:11:14.530 Now you have received mercy. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:17.245 And so listen here. 00:11:17.245 --> 00:11:19.451 I hope you can catch this. 00:11:19.451 --> 00:11:43.053 I think Peter is showing us the things that were involved in the church being built up, how Jesus was building his church In the first way it's being built up and believers edified was first meeting with them and teaching and instructing and encouraging with the word of God. 00:11:43.053 --> 00:11:56.417 And instructing and encouraging with the word of God this is how the Apostle Paul actually later described how the church is built up as they began to think about all these ways, what God was doing. 00:11:56.417 --> 00:12:00.071 Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 4, 11 to 16. 00:12:00.179 --> 00:12:11.028 It's a lengthy one, but this is really the core of how Jesus is building his church and it begins with Jesus. 00:12:11.028 --> 00:12:21.006 Jesus, he who descended, is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens so that he might fill all things. 00:12:21.006 --> 00:12:31.748 And he, jesus, gave some as apostles, prophets, evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, all ministries of the word of God. 00:12:31.748 --> 00:12:35.166 Why do you do that? 00:12:35.166 --> 00:12:42.211 For the equipping of the saints, for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ. 00:12:42.211 --> 00:12:44.013 That's what Jesus is doing. 00:12:44.013 --> 00:12:50.139 Building up of the body of Christ. 00:12:50.139 --> 00:12:52.778 That's what Jesus is doing. 00:12:52.778 --> 00:12:53.139 For how long? 00:12:53.139 --> 00:13:05.951 Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure and stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, we're becoming more and more like Jesus. 00:13:05.951 --> 00:13:06.960 We're becoming more and more like Jesus. 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:14.125 When we're becoming more and more like Jesus, that means we're maturing in our spiritual life, in our relationship with God. 00:13:14.125 --> 00:13:17.605 We're growing up, we're being built up. 00:13:17.605 --> 00:13:28.809 As a result, we're no longer children, tossed here and there by winds, waves and carried away by every wind of doctrine. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:36.510 Doctrine, you see, is extremely important for the church and getting it right, which we'll be talking about later. 00:13:36.510 --> 00:13:45.509 In Acts 15, they needed to get the doctrine right for the church to grow, expand, increase. 00:13:45.509 --> 00:13:50.556 It is extremely important. 00:13:50.556 --> 00:13:52.261 The right doctrine. 00:13:52.261 --> 00:13:52.842 What does that mean? 00:13:52.842 --> 00:13:57.614 The truths we believe from God's Word Very important. 00:13:57.614 --> 00:14:05.813 And being taught the Word of God helps us not to be carried away by all kinds of ideas, beliefs, philosophies. 00:14:05.813 --> 00:14:35.927 Extremely important for the building up of the body, not tossed to and fro by the trickery of men, by craftiness, in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love. 00:14:35.927 --> 00:14:38.548 We are to grow up into all aspects, into him, who is the head. 00:14:38.568 --> 00:14:39.870 This is just an amazing passage. 00:14:39.870 --> 00:14:44.292 The growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. 00:14:44.292 --> 00:14:47.952 This is just an amazing passage. 00:14:47.952 --> 00:14:54.456 It's really the heart and soul core of the church's ministry, right here, what we're doing? 00:14:54.456 --> 00:14:55.456 How it's done? 00:14:55.456 --> 00:14:56.636 Where we're going? 00:14:56.636 --> 00:14:58.538 Where does it all go to? 00:14:58.538 --> 00:15:05.886 The church is built up first of all by the ministry of God's word the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. 00:15:05.886 --> 00:15:08.653 We've got to have it. 00:15:08.653 --> 00:15:16.966 We've got to have the doctrine straight, the doctrine of the gospel, the doctrine of discipleship, theology. 00:15:16.966 --> 00:15:21.490 There's one God, there's three persons, three persons in that one. 00:15:21.490 --> 00:15:22.572 We've got to have it right. 00:15:22.572 --> 00:15:37.240 Anytime, anytime. 00:15:37.259 --> 00:16:04.777 The church is reading, listening, studying, singing, praying the word of God, it is being edified by Jesus, and it is being edified so that, as individual believers who take in the Word of God and are changed by it down to the core of our being, we grow up in Christ, becoming more and more like him, so that we'll be able to build one another up in love. 00:16:04.777 --> 00:16:07.273 That's basically the heart of this passage. 00:16:07.273 --> 00:16:09.630 That's the first thing. 00:16:09.630 --> 00:16:14.695 Jesus is building his church through the ministry of God's word. 00:16:14.695 --> 00:16:26.235 Make sure you take advantage of every single opportunity you have regarding that ministry of God's word Reading, studying, listening, singing it, whatever. 00:16:26.235 --> 00:16:31.410 Ministry of God's word reading, studying, listening, singing it, whatever that's what Jesus is doing to help us grow up. 00:16:31.410 --> 00:16:43.847 The second thing Peter shows us here is that the church is being built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, which we sang about this morning, and Jesus made that clear. 00:16:43.847 --> 00:16:57.899 The church exists because of Jesus Christ and he will build his church as people continue to respond to the word of God and believe in him as their Savior. 00:17:00.025 --> 00:17:02.149 Now look at what Peter does in Acts 9. 00:17:02.149 --> 00:17:26.682 In Lydda he found a man named Anais who was paralyzed and bedridden for eight years, and in Acts 9.34, he said Anais, jesus Christ heals you, arise, make your bed, get up, don't miss it. 00:17:26.682 --> 00:17:29.211 Peter's just the middle man. 00:17:29.211 --> 00:17:32.952 Jesus is the one who heals. 00:17:32.952 --> 00:17:38.537 The power to heal and to save comes from Jesus, not Peter. 00:17:38.537 --> 00:17:46.890 Now, when people saw and heard this, they didn't turn to Peter, they turned to the Lord. 00:17:46.890 --> 00:17:48.674 Lord and the church increased. 00:17:48.674 --> 00:17:55.191 Acts 9.35, all who lived and lived and shared saw him and they turned to the Lord. 00:17:55.191 --> 00:17:56.314 That's just amazing. 00:17:56.314 --> 00:17:58.330 Why didn't they go running after Peter? 00:17:58.330 --> 00:18:05.885 Because he told them point blank it's Jesus who's doing this. 00:18:05.885 --> 00:18:13.217 That leads us to maybe ask ourselves what are we doing? 00:18:13.217 --> 00:18:23.545 Like Peter was to point people to Jesus, who has the power to heal and to save. 00:18:23.545 --> 00:18:28.515 That's really the point. 00:18:28.515 --> 00:18:29.576 I'll say more in a little while. 00:18:34.204 --> 00:18:36.154 Peter is helping Jesus build the church on the foundation of Jesus. 00:18:36.154 --> 00:18:44.817 Specifically, he's helping people see that Jesus is alive and well to do amazing things in our lives. 00:18:44.817 --> 00:18:47.184 To do amazing things in our lives. 00:18:47.184 --> 00:19:04.238 And so I think, from this, what stands out to me is that the church is not built, it's not built on the foundation of a charismatic human personality. 00:19:04.238 --> 00:19:09.501 It is not built on a successful ad campaign. 00:19:09.501 --> 00:19:17.690 It is not built on a slick, well-run business at an institution Not going to do it. 00:19:17.690 --> 00:19:38.750 It's built on Jesus Christ and being invited, encouraged to come to him, for whatever we need, he has the power to save. 00:19:38.750 --> 00:19:53.436 Peter shows us that the third way the church is built up knowing by the word of God and Jesus being the foundation of everything in the church. 00:19:53.436 --> 00:19:55.130 The third way the church is being built up. 00:19:55.130 --> 00:19:56.855 Peter shows us. 00:19:58.728 --> 00:20:01.435 Here's a believer following Jesus as his disciple. 00:20:01.435 --> 00:20:11.916 That's what Jesus is using to build his church Disciples who are following him, doing what he's asked us to do. 00:20:11.916 --> 00:20:15.328 Peter shows us, you know what? 00:20:15.328 --> 00:20:18.096 The main thing he's showing us here, right away boom. 00:20:18.096 --> 00:20:22.474 The main thing a disciple learns from Jesus is to serve others. 00:20:22.474 --> 00:20:25.731 Oh, here's a paralytic guy. 00:20:25.731 --> 00:20:26.513 What does he need? 00:20:26.513 --> 00:20:27.236 How can I help him? 00:20:27.236 --> 00:20:33.634 Jesus is doing that, directing him. 00:20:33.634 --> 00:20:36.611 Why Peter's his disciple? 00:20:36.611 --> 00:20:40.212 Now, that's what Peter's doing. 00:20:40.212 --> 00:20:49.317 That's what is behind these two miracles we see in this passage healing the lame man, ananias, and raising a woman who died, tabitha. 00:20:49.317 --> 00:20:56.134 He's meeting needs, he's helping them, he's serving them. 00:20:56.134 --> 00:20:58.950 Tuck that away. 00:20:58.950 --> 00:21:06.200 Peter is following Jesus, not just by serving them, these two people in need. 00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:13.313 He's also following Jesus by following Jesus' example of how Jesus helped them. 00:21:14.555 --> 00:21:17.806 How did Peter learn about healing a paralytic? 00:21:17.806 --> 00:21:21.392 He saw Jesus do it, mark 2. 00:21:21.392 --> 00:21:26.619 He used the same words practically that Jesus did. 00:21:26.619 --> 00:21:29.933 He said rise, take up your bed. 00:21:29.933 --> 00:21:39.258 How did Peter learn about raising the dead in the next account of Tabitha? 00:21:39.258 --> 00:21:42.855 He learned it from watching Jesus in Mark, chapter 5. 00:21:42.855 --> 00:22:04.457 Just as Jesus cleared the room of weepers and raised Jairus' daughter from the dead by saying Talitha, come, little girl, get up, peter clears the room of the weepers and says Tabitha, come, tabitha, get up. 00:22:04.457 --> 00:22:11.015 And he raised her from the dead. 00:22:11.015 --> 00:22:20.045 He's following Jesus example and serving others, but also how, what he learned from Jesus, he's doing that himself. 00:22:20.045 --> 00:22:27.452 Both miracles were performed by the power and dependence on Jesus. 00:22:27.452 --> 00:22:31.095 But I've got to quickly say don't be distracted by the miracles. 00:22:31.095 --> 00:22:39.239 The miracles are pointing us to Jesus, his resurrection and power and promise to save us. 00:22:39.239 --> 00:22:46.553 Jesus' power to save Jesus' promise to restore, renew, return things to their original created order. 00:22:46.553 --> 00:22:48.675 They all point to that All the miracles do. 00:22:50.218 --> 00:23:00.880 The main point to take away from Peter's example is that a disciple of Jesus uses the gifts that Christ gave them to edify the body. 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:04.933 Peter's given the gift of healing. 00:23:04.933 --> 00:23:05.837 He's given the gift of healing. 00:23:05.837 --> 00:23:10.825 He's given the gift of apostleship, signs and wonders to confirm the word of God of the New Testament. 00:23:10.825 --> 00:23:13.134 There are reasons behind the gifts. 00:23:13.134 --> 00:23:20.894 The point is he's using them to edify the body and people are coming to the Lord. 00:23:20.894 --> 00:23:39.657 We may not be given the gift of healing, but we have been given a spiritual gift or more from the Holy Spirit to use for the edification of Christ's body. 00:23:39.657 --> 00:23:48.211 Christ wants that's how he's building his body, assembling us together, building one another up in love. 00:23:48.211 --> 00:23:56.753 Now, if you're new to this whole thing of spiritual gifts, there's a lot of resources that can help with that. 00:23:56.753 --> 00:23:58.833 I'm happy to talk with anybody if you want help. 00:23:58.833 --> 00:24:10.538 But if you want to learn what the spiritual gifts are in the New Testament, basically three places Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. 00:24:12.305 --> 00:24:14.874 Peter later exhorts us all. 00:24:14.874 --> 00:24:16.892 He realizes how important this is. 00:24:16.892 --> 00:24:25.931 He doesn't say in 1 Peter 4, now you guys with the gift of healing, get out there and start healing, so many people come to Christ. 00:24:25.931 --> 00:24:26.512 He doesn't say that. 00:24:26.512 --> 00:24:40.708 Here's what he says as each one of you has received a special gift or spiritual gift, use it. 00:24:40.708 --> 00:24:47.374 Employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 00:24:49.445 --> 00:24:56.378 Whoever speaks, speaking gifts, is to do so as one speaking the utterances of God. 00:24:56.378 --> 00:25:06.579 Whoever serves another spiritual gift, is to do so as one who's serving by the strength which God supplies. 00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:09.413 And he could go on, and on, and on and on. 00:25:09.413 --> 00:25:12.153 What have you been given by Jesus? 00:25:12.153 --> 00:25:31.935 Because if you are truly converted, part of that is you're given by the Holy Spirit a special gift so that Christ will use to build his body and so that many others can come in and be born again. 00:25:31.935 --> 00:25:39.950 All of that he says, so that, all in all things, god may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 00:25:39.950 --> 00:25:40.833 That's it. 00:25:40.833 --> 00:25:49.977 See, when we're using our gifts, I don't know how to say this. 00:25:49.977 --> 00:26:20.594 So some people, I believe I have the gift of teaching, spiritual gift of teaching, and over the years people have said they come up to me, hey, that's, that's great, appreciated the teaching, and I'm thinking it's not me, don't you see, it's not me. 00:26:20.594 --> 00:26:24.519 So in all things, god may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:30.348 It's him Pointing to him. 00:26:30.348 --> 00:26:30.930 He gave it. 00:26:30.930 --> 00:26:32.332 He gave me the gift I have. 00:26:32.332 --> 00:26:38.954 I'm just using it for his benefit, that's it. 00:26:38.954 --> 00:26:45.065 But that's the way it is with all the gifts. 00:26:45.065 --> 00:26:50.462 Don't think your gift is any better than anybody else's. 00:26:50.462 --> 00:26:54.645 But I mean, it's okay, you can continue to thank me, it's fine. 00:26:54.645 --> 00:27:02.635 But the Lord, just so you know, I know it's not me. 00:27:02.635 --> 00:27:07.401 If you're helped by that, it's Jesus helping you through what I'm doing. 00:27:07.401 --> 00:27:09.445 That's it. 00:27:09.506 --> 00:27:11.146 Peter shows us the fourth way. 00:27:11.146 --> 00:27:13.669 Christ is building his church. 00:27:13.669 --> 00:27:28.361 When you see Peter here and the other disciples and apostles, they're building the church by making the gospel of Jesus clear. 00:27:28.361 --> 00:27:44.964 Clear so people can grasp it, hang on and believe. 00:27:44.964 --> 00:28:04.432 In modern days and I'm sure it was true in ancient times you realize everybody believes in some gospel, everybody that they're relying on. 00:28:04.432 --> 00:28:11.305 They wouldn't call it salvation, they're called by different names. 00:28:11.305 --> 00:28:13.291 Some good news that they're hanging on to. 00:28:13.291 --> 00:28:14.398 That promises them something. 00:28:14.398 --> 00:28:23.457 It's a gospel, a message that gives them meaning for why they're here. 00:28:23.457 --> 00:28:27.013 Every gospel promises you something. 00:28:27.013 --> 00:28:31.607 Every gospel tells you what you must do to get it. 00:28:31.607 --> 00:28:37.144 Every gospel reminds you you know there's a cost to get that. 00:28:40.650 --> 00:28:55.753 There are many, many, many false gospels floating around that we just slip into, just as part of the cultural DNA. 00:28:55.753 --> 00:29:03.135 False gospels that offer us a new life and hope. 00:29:03.135 --> 00:29:06.433 If only we'd meet the conditions. 00:29:06.433 --> 00:29:11.290 There's the gospel of. 00:29:11.290 --> 00:29:13.751 There are hundreds of these. 00:29:13.751 --> 00:29:14.555 I'll just give you a few. 00:29:14.555 --> 00:29:26.315 There's the gospel of academic success If you get good grades, you will become successful and feel good about yourself. 00:29:26.315 --> 00:29:39.395 There's the gospel of marriage If you get married to a wonderful person, then your life will be wonderful and all your problems will be solved. 00:29:39.395 --> 00:29:44.049 Really Okay, it's the gospel. 00:29:44.049 --> 00:29:45.233 It's good news. 00:29:45.233 --> 00:29:46.431 We're hoping this is good news for us. 00:29:46.431 --> 00:29:46.834 There's the gospel. 00:29:46.834 --> 00:29:47.135 It's good news. 00:29:47.135 --> 00:29:48.364 We're hoping this is good news for us. 00:29:48.364 --> 00:30:04.256 There's the gospel of morality If you become more religious and less of a sinner, then God will accept you more and love you more and you're going to feel better about yourself. 00:30:04.256 --> 00:30:07.230 That's good news. 00:30:07.230 --> 00:30:09.270 That's a gospel. 00:30:09.270 --> 00:30:25.026 There's a gospel of wealth Boy, if you make more money and do whatever you have to to get it, you're going to be content and happy for a good long time, Maybe forever. 00:30:25.026 --> 00:30:29.593 Content and happy for a good long time, maybe forever. 00:30:29.673 --> 00:30:31.458 Gospels, gospels, gospels. 00:30:31.458 --> 00:30:44.359 There are many, many of them, and we believe in them and they promise us something better. 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:57.998 But listen to me, there are many, many false gospels that we grasp, hold tight, especially those regarding our eternal destiny. 00:30:57.998 --> 00:31:08.096 Only the gospel of Jesus can save us from sin and eternal death when we if only we believe it. 00:31:08.096 --> 00:31:10.807 Peter says it. 00:31:10.807 --> 00:31:14.155 Acts chapter 4, verse 12,. 00:31:14.155 --> 00:31:17.131 He says there's salvation in no one else. 00:31:17.131 --> 00:31:23.142 There's no other name Under heaven. 00:31:23.142 --> 00:31:26.030 It's been given among men by which we must be saved. 00:31:26.030 --> 00:31:29.528 This is it Only one? 00:31:31.921 --> 00:31:44.313 Believe this one, first and foremost, when Peter healed the paralytic Anais, it says they turned to the Lord because of what Peter said and did. 00:31:44.313 --> 00:31:47.406 They didn't turn to Peter. 00:31:47.406 --> 00:31:50.207 They saw the Lord in this. 00:31:50.207 --> 00:31:57.506 They didn't turn to the law of Moses so they would become more righteous. 00:31:57.506 --> 00:31:58.849 They didn't turn there. 00:31:58.849 --> 00:32:01.887 They didn't turn to themselves. 00:32:01.887 --> 00:32:04.607 Oh, I'm going to do better, I'm just going to do better. 00:32:04.607 --> 00:32:08.085 And my efforts and works of good deeds. 00:32:08.085 --> 00:32:12.534 They turned to Jesus. 00:32:12.534 --> 00:32:18.971 That's really the whole heart of the gospel ministry. 00:32:18.971 --> 00:32:28.011 In the using of our gifts, in serving one another, we want people, we want Christ to help people turn to him. 00:32:32.261 --> 00:32:46.228 The phrase turning to the Lord is a way of describing really two things together Repentance, the repentance of belief in Jesus, turn to the Lord. 00:32:46.228 --> 00:32:56.020 Both, Both. 00:32:56.020 --> 00:33:01.750 They changed their mind about Jesus when they saw and heard the compelling evidence that he lives and then they believed in him. 00:33:01.750 --> 00:33:03.974 See how that works. 00:33:03.974 --> 00:33:11.027 They turned from something they believed in to something else Jesus, the Savior. 00:33:11.027 --> 00:33:17.444 That's conversion by these miracles. 00:33:17.585 --> 00:33:32.669 Peter was affirming the heart of the gospel, saying that Jesus died for the brokenness in this man's life, was raised from the dead for the brokenness in this man's life and was raised from the dead and he gives new life restoration to everyone who believes in him. 00:33:32.669 --> 00:33:36.909 Jesus Christ is alive to save you. 00:33:36.909 --> 00:33:44.704 When Peter raised Tabitha from the dead I read it earlier, verse 42, many people believed in the Lord. 00:33:44.704 --> 00:33:52.448 Again, notice they didn't believe in Peter, they didn't believe in magic. 00:33:52.448 --> 00:33:57.431 They believed in Jesus as their Savior. 00:33:57.431 --> 00:34:02.752 Peter makes it clear that this and every miracle was done by Jesus. 00:34:02.752 --> 00:34:08.929 Raised from the dead, conquered death, has the power to give life to all who believe in him. 00:34:08.929 --> 00:34:11.255 It's powerful. 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:15.668 This is a powerful passage how Jesus is building his church. 00:34:15.668 --> 00:34:19.951 He's using us, the gifts he's given us. 00:34:19.951 --> 00:34:31.775 He's using our words and our pointing to Jesus for everything. 00:34:31.775 --> 00:34:33.344 It's him. 00:34:33.344 --> 00:34:34.126 It's him. 00:34:34.126 --> 00:34:38.389 Jesus said I will build my church. 00:34:38.389 --> 00:34:42.186 And the apostles understood from the beginning that the church belonged to Jesus. 00:34:42.186 --> 00:34:47.150 It was made up of people he purchased with his precious blood. 00:34:47.150 --> 00:35:02.972 It was made up of people he purchased with his precious blood, and the church of Jesus Christ grew, was built up and increased as Jesus' disciples gave their lives away, using their gifts to serve others and point them to the saving power of Jesus. 00:35:02.972 --> 00:35:05.226 That's the dynamic. 00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:25.327 Colossians 1.18 says and Jesus is the head of the body, the church, he's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might First place Priority one. 00:35:25.327 --> 00:35:30.630 You see, the church. 00:35:30.630 --> 00:35:51.871 Where Jesus is not the central focus and preeminent, where the word of God is not being taught, where serving others is left to a few, where the message of the gospel is not clear, it's clouded by works-based righteousness, ideas, that church will not be attractive and it will not be built up. 00:35:51.871 --> 00:36:11.869 This passage is instructive in terms of how God is using Peter and he uses the other disciples to do his work of building the church In order to be the church Jesus called us to be. 00:36:11.869 --> 00:36:19.893 Let us then name the name of Jesus as the reason for who we are and what we do. 00:36:22.121 --> 00:36:25.490 Let us then all serve one another in love. 00:36:26.905 --> 00:36:29.719 Let us then all serve one another in love. 00:36:29.719 --> 00:36:41.746 Let us then all thank God for the gospel of grace and share it with others wherever we can, and if you've never done so, now is the perfect time to believe in Jesus for the gift of eternal life. 00:36:41.746 --> 00:36:52.572 He has the power to save, to turn from thinking that your good works or something else will be enough to be acceptable to God. 00:36:52.572 --> 00:36:59.693 Turn from that to Jesus, the only righteous one who can save me from my sins. 00:36:59.693 --> 00:37:11.293 I invite you to believe in Jesus, the Son of God risen from the dead, currently working right now in this place. 00:37:11.293 --> 00:37:25.059 Let's pray, father, thank you for Jesus, whom you sent to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. 00:37:25.059 --> 00:37:32.168 Thank you for the church built on the foundation of Jesus and being built up into a mature body in the likeness of Jesus, loving and serving one another. 00:37:32.168 --> 00:37:43.670 Help us to follow Jesus in our words and deeds, so that our church would reflect the one who is our Savior and, as a result, draw many others to him. 00:37:43.670 --> 00:37:46.088 I pray in Jesus' name, amen.