WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.280 In honor of Pastor Robert, I want you to open your Bible to two places, all right? 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:08.480 Matthew chapter 16 and Acts chapter 12. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.839 Matthew 16 and then Acts chapter 12. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:14.880 And I'm going to continue the series today called Free Indeed. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:20.320 I'm in the middle of this, I know Pastor Robert's been teaching on this, and I'm going to continue the sermon series today. 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:23.600 And the title of this message is called Open Gates. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.399 And that's going to make sense to you in just a moment, hopefully. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.760 And I'm really speaking to two different groups of people today. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:36.799 The first group of people I'm talking to this morning is the group of people where you really feel like you're really close to the Lord right now. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.079 I mean, you're in a good place. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:39.280 You're hearing the Lord. 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:40.719 You feel close to God. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:41.679 God is speaking. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:42.719 You're listening. 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:45.520 If I were to ask you, how are you doing with your walk with God? 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:46.640 You'd say, things are good. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:48.159 I mean, it's not perfect, but it's good. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:49.200 I feel like I'm growing. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:51.039 I feel like I'm close to the Lord. 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.520 It just feels like the sun is on my face and the spiritual winds are at my back. 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:57.200 I just feel close to God. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:00.320 And by the way, that should be true for us more often than not. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.520 I mean, I think that's the way God designed us is to walk closely with Him. 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:05.439 He wants to be close to us. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:10.560 There's another group of people, though, that you may feel completely opposite. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.760 You may feel trapped, abandoned. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.719 Feel like maybe you're being suffocated by something right now. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:18.799 You may feel like you're in some kind of prison. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:22.719 Maybe your marriage is not as good as you're making it out to be. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:27.439 Maybe you have a prodigal child that you wish would come home to the Lord. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:31.519 Maybe your health, maybe you're getting bad reports from the doctor, or something's going on. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.079 Maybe your finances have taken this unexpected hit. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:36.400 Maybe something has come around you. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:40.640 It seemed like storm clouds gathered around your life really quickly. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.680 And it went from sunshine to darkness overnight. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:45.680 You know what's fascinating about the Bible? 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:52.319 One of the fascinating things about the scripture is that we see the heroes of our faith in both places in the Bible. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:53.040 Everywhere. 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:57.840 I mean, you take the most famous men and women in the Bible. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:02.719 And without exception, God does not hide us from their humanity. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.120 I mean, look, for example, at King David. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:11.680 He goes from slaying Goliath, hero of the nation, fast forward, he's an adulterous murderer. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:22.240 I mean, we see David, King David, really close to God, a man after God's own heart, God called him, to being someone that had to be confronted by a prophet and told to repent for adultery and murder. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:36.719 I mean, you look throughout the Bible, the heroes of our faith found themselves in both places that I just described: close to God, near to God, distant from God in dark prison cells. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:38.240 Peter is one of my favorite. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:41.520 Peter the Apostle is one of my favorite characters in all the Bible. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:48.719 And if there was anybody that went up and down in the Bible who went from darkness to light, mountaintop to the valley of the shadow of death, it was Peter. 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:54.319 I mean, Peter was the first one when Jesus walked out on the water and he called for the disciples to come join him. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:56.240 It was Peter who was the only one that got out of the boat. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.159 I mean, he was the only one that stepped out of that boat. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:01.840 He took a couple of steps, he began to sink, but all the other disciples stayed in the boat. 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:03.439 It was Peter that was bold. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.919 Matthew chapter 16, we're about to find Peter at his absolute best. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:19.039 In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus begins to look at a very large crowd of people who were following him, and he begins to talk to them about serving and sacrifice as the way of following Jesus. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.159 The crowds wanted miracles and signs and wonders. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.080 Entertain us, the crowd said. 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:27.360 Jesus said, No, if you're going to follow me, you've got to take up your cross. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:30.240 If you're going to follow me, it's about serving and sacrifice. 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:37.680 And it says in Matthew that a lot of people got disgruntled with Jesus when he began to call for them to serve him and to sacrifice alongside him. 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:40.080 And Jesus turned to his disciples. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:42.800 Look at Matthew chapter 16 and verse 20. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:51.280 Jesus, brokenhearted that the crowd would not respond to him, looked at the 12 men that were following him in verse 15, and it says, What about you? 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:53.360 What about you? 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:55.919 Who do you say that I am? 00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:06.319 And Simon Peter is the one that stepped up and boldly, accurately said this You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:08.800 Very messianic language here. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:16.800 For 3,000 years the Jewish people have been hoping and longing for the Messiah to come and to fulfill the promises that God had made to Abraham. 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:19.839 And that was what they were holding on to at this point in their history. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:26.240 It was darkness, it was all around them, Roman occupation, complete darkness had swallowed up the nation of Israel. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:31.439 But somehow they held on to those promises of Abraham that God would fulfill his promise. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:42.319 And Peter is the one, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that had the spiritual bandwidth to really understand that he was standing in front of the promised Messiah. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.319 You see, Peter, this is the high point for Peter. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.879 This is the point where Peter was close to God. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:56.240 He had ears to hear, eyes to see, a mind to understand, and a heart to really believe. 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:58.800 And this is all that God's asking from any of us. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:04:59.839 Ears to hear. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:00.399 Will you say this? 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:08.399 Ears to hear, and eyes to see, a mind to really understand, and a heart to truly believe. 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:17.199 This is what God was calling his disciples to, and it was Peter, the first one to step out and say, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:18.800 Listen to what Jesus says. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:23.759 Now pay very careful attention to here, to what Jesus says in response to Peter. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:24.800 It's very important. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:29.839 Now, the problem with many of us who have read the Bible for 20 years, you know how this story ends. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:31.680 You know the ending to all the story. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:33.279 You know Jesus comes out of the tomb. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:34.720 You know all the endings. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:36.959 But I want you to listen to this story this morning. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:42.879 If you're a longtime believer like I am, I want you to listen to this story with a fresh set of ears this morning, will you? 00:05:42.959 --> 00:05:47.279 And listen to what Jesus says in response to Peter's declaration. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:54.079 And Jesus replied in verse 17, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man. 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.319 You didn't believe it because some pastor told you. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:58.959 You didn't believe this because of some book you read. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:02.879 No, this was given to you by the Holy Spirit, and you were paying attention. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.279 You were listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:09.920 And Peter, I'm so proud of you because you were listening with spiritual ears for spiritual words. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.680 This is what Jesus was saying. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.240 He said it was revealed by my Father in heaven. 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:15.360 Verse 18. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:17.839 Now I tell you that you are Peter. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:28.000 And on this rock, on people like you, on people who will believe like you, Peter, I'm going to build my church. 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:34.399 By the power of the Holy Spirit, I'm going to birth a congregation of people that's going to pronounce my coming kingdom to the whole world. 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:40.560 On people like you, Peter, people that believe like you, who understand like you, Peter, I'm going to build my church. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.240 Now notice what Jesus says. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:44.720 Jesus turns into a prophet here. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.839 He begins to say something very unusual to Peter. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:52.399 He says, Peter, the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:07:00.879 The gates of hell, the gates of Hades, which is another word for hell, Hades, will not overcome what I am going to do through you. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.000 And then verse 19 is even really more peculiar. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:13.759 He says that I'm going to give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is going to be loosed in heaven. 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:15.199 So Jesus says two things to Peter. 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:28.399 Now, Peter, right now, when the sun's shining on your face and the spiritual winds are at your back, when all seems well between you and me, I'm proud of the fact that you know I am Christ, the Son of the Living God. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:36.319 But right now, in this moment where things are going great for you, understand that not every day is going to feel like today. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:47.680 And in the future, when you find yourself in a very bad place, when darkness seems to overwhelm you, I want you to remember two things. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:57.759 The gates of hell will not overcome you, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:02.079 Turn with me now to Acts chapter 12 because everything Jesus said is about to happen. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:06.959 A lot happens between Matthew 16 and Acts chapter 12. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:20.639 Later on, when Jesus is about to be crucified, he gathers his disciples around him and says, And listen, guys, just as I've been telling you, they're about to arrest me and crucify me, but don't lose heart because on the third day I'm coming out of that grave. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.600 In the meantime, though, all of you will abandon me. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:25.439 And Peter goes, Whoa, whoa, whoa. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.959 Now, Jesus, now, I know these other knuckleheads, they might abandon you. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.959 But remember, I'm Peter. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:32.960 I'm kind of a big deal. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:34.879 And on this rock, you're gonna build your church. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:36.799 Remember, the gates of hell will not overcome me. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:42.720 So these other guys may run for their life, but I'm gonna be right here beside you to the very end, always. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:47.279 Jesus pulled Peter closer to him and said, Listen, knucklehead. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:53.039 On this night, you're gonna deny me three times. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:55.279 Peter goes, No, I will never deny you. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:57.120 I would never walk away from you. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.240 So they come and the soldiers come and arrest Jesus. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:08.639 And it was Peter in a moment of passion, grabs a sword and cuts off Malchus, the little servant guy's ear, and Jesus has to do some surgery right there, put the ear back on. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:18.399 Peter still in his mind is never going to abandon Jesus, but sure enough, when Jesus is brought to trial and they begin to make accusations against Peter. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:25.039 Peter begin to slide out to the distant, begin to separate himself, and then people begin to recognize him. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:27.600 Hey, Peter, you're that fisherman that Jesus was called to follow you. 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:28.879 Hey, I don't know this guy. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.279 Hey, you're one of the Galileans that followed this guy. 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:32.320 Oh, I don't know this guy. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:33.440 Hey, I recognize you. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:34.399 You walk with Jesus. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:35.120 I don't know this guy. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:36.320 Rooster Crows. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.519 All of the words of Jesus come back to Peter, and Peter weeps sorrow. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:42.639 His heart is broken. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:44.960 That yes, he also denied Jesus. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:46.000 Do you understand something? 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:49.840 Peter went from high point, I mean the top of the mountain. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:56.000 You are Peter, and on this rock I'm gonna build my church to denying him and walking away from him. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:57.919 Sounds like our lives, doesn't it? 00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:59.840 Sounds pretty familiar to most of us. 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:08.000 Peter, after Jesus comes out of the grave, the first person, one of the first people that Jesus tracks down is Peter. 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:10.080 He says, Peter, do you love me? 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:11.519 Of course I love you. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:12.879 Then take care of my sheep. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:14.799 A second time, Peter, do you love me? 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:15.840 I do love you. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:17.360 Feed my sheep. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:19.039 Peter, do you really love me? 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:20.240 Yes, God, I love you. 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:21.279 Then tend to my sheep. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.360 He keeps saying this over and over to Peter. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:27.279 So Peter leaves his fishing boat and goes back with the disciples in Jerusalem. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:31.360 And Jesus stands outside the gates of Jerusalem one day and ascends into heaven. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:37.600 But before he ascends, he says, Listen, all of you go to the upper room, wait for in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon you. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:42.639 Because when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you're going to be my witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and all over the world. 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:45.759 But do not leave Jerusalem until my Holy Spirit comes upon you. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:49.360 And to Jesus' surprise, they did exactly what he asked them to do. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:50.399 They go to the upper room. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.000 It's always a surprise, believe me. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:55.279 So they go to the upper room and they wait there and they pray there. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:56.480 They're fasting together. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:00.080 Suddenly the Holy Spirit comes upon them like a rushing mighty wind. 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.879 They begin to speak in languages that they had never spoken in. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:08.879 The crowds of people outside begin to hear the gospel, the story of Jesus in a language just like their own. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.759 And it says that clothing tongues of fire fell upon them. 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:18.000 And guess who was picked and chosen to step out and preach the first sermon in the first church? 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:18.960 Peter. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:25.360 Peter steps up and boldly proclaims the kingdom of Jesus, the coming God. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:27.440 Thousands of people get saved. 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:36.480 The church in Jerusalem is birthed, and Peter right away becomes the leader, the primary voice, the central figure of the local church in Jerusalem. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:43.039 Later on, they're walking into the temple, and there's a blind man, you know, a crippled man standing right there, or sitting right there. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:50.320 And it's Peter and John that reach out and talk and say, silver and gold we don't have, but what we do have, we give you the rise up and walk. 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:51.919 This guy just stands up and walks. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:56.320 The whole city is buzzing about Peter and Jesus. 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:00.960 Acts chapter 12, though, everything's gone horribly wrong. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:05.200 James, the brother of John, has already been killed by evil Herod. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:08.080 Herod was a brutal dictator. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:12.080 And he realized that, hey, this kind of pleases the crowd, so I'm gonna kill somebody else. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:12.720 Who can we kill? 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:13.360 Oh, Peter. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:18.879 Let's take out the top leader of the church, and this movement of Jesus now will disband. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.279 So Peter is arrested. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:23.440 And they're gonna wait till after the Passover. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:24.720 Now Peter is in a prison cell. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:25.600 Now think about this. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:27.039 You're the church of Jerusalem. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:40.240 Put yourself in Jerusalem under Roman rule, where everything you own can be taken at a moment's notice with no trial, where you can be executed for any kind of insurrection. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:47.519 And one of your leaders is already dead, and your primary leader has been in prison, sentenced to die. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.120 And Peter, can you imagine what Peter's thinking? 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:54.879 What about all that build upon the rock? 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:56.320 I thought I was Peter. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:58.559 I didn't think the gates of hell would prevail against me. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:05.120 But somehow, somehow, Peter settled his soul because I want you to show you something in Acts chapter 12, verse 5. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.840 So Peter was kept in prison. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:15.600 But the church that the Holy Spirit had birthed was earnestly praying to God. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.840 Can I stop here and make one point? 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:22.159 There's a difference between a church that prays and a praying church. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.080 This church, I was here when the church was birthed. 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:32.240 This church was birthed out of prayer, through prayer, a cause of prayer. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:39.360 There is something powerful about belonging, not to a church that prays, but to a praying church. 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.519 And Gateway is a praying church. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.919 I belong to a praying church. 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:46.240 And it saved us, it's resurrected us. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:54.240 It's the reason we're still standing today because somewhere along the way, New Life Church became a praying church, not just a church that prays. 00:13:54.399 --> 00:14:04.399 We have 14 prayer meetings a week right now that people come to are led mostly by high school and college kids, and we have decided we are going to be a praying church that we cover everything in prayer. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:10.320 And it's in that atmosphere of a praying church that God does his best business, his best work. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:12.000 It's the kind of church you belong to. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:13.679 I don't know if you know that or not. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:19.200 Verse 6 the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:21.360 Now, this was not the first time Peter had been in prison. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:22.799 You can look back in the book of Acts. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:25.840 Peter was already in prison and he had already had one escape episode. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:30.799 And this time, so they triple and quadruple the guard around Peter to make sure he doesn't escape. 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.039 And it says that he was sleeping between two soldiers. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.519 Now just think about this practically, okay? 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:41.840 You're in a prison cell guarded by stinky Roman soldiers in a bad prison. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:46.000 This is not a good prison, a bad prison, and the next day you're supposed to die. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:48.559 That's not a night you're going to sleep. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:54.639 Peter not only was asleep, he had one of those mouth wide open, drooling kind of sleeps. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:59.759 He was deep, post-Turkey, second quarter of the cowboys kind of sleep. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:03.039 You know you were asleep. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:15.279 And it says, suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell, and Peter still did not wake up. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:17.200 That's how asleep he was. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:21.679 Listen, every time an angel's coming to my bedroom, I've it's waking me right up. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:23.440 I don't have any trouble waking up. 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:25.679 Every single time it's happened, which is none. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:28.240 But it would wake me up every time. 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:34.000 And it says, not only he saw a light shone in the cell, and still Peter was asleep, so he had to strike Peter. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.240 He struck Peter on the side to wake him up. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.960 Wow! Woke him up. 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.720 How in the world could Peter be so asleep? 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:47.679 Because Christ is the King. 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:51.200 Christ, the Lord, is the Messiah. 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:53.519 So I might as well sleep tonight. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:58.320 The peace of God that rules our hearts and minds guards us. 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:00.240 It says, quick, get up. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:05.200 And the chains fell off of Peter's wrist. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:07.919 Whatever you bind on the earth will be bound in heaven. 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:10.320 Whatever you loose on the earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.799 The chains fall off of Peter's wrist. 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:17.279 Verse 8, then the angel said to him, Put on your clothes and sandals, and Peter did so. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:20.159 Wrap your cloak around you and follow me. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:27.440 And the angel told him, and Peter followed him out of the prison through gates, through jail cells. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:30.799 But he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:31.759 He thought he was in a dream. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:33.519 He thought he was seeing a vision. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:43.600 And they passed the first and the second guards, and they came to the iron gate leading to the city. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:44.879 Now stop here for a moment. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:45.919 This makes no sense. 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:48.159 This makes no sense. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.759 He was probably held in a Roman garrison outside the city walls. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:17:01.039 And so when you he suddenly was now liberated from the garrison, the last place you want to go back into is the city. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:06.400 If there's any escaped convicts in here, they'll tell you don't run to the place where the police are. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:08.400 You run away from them. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:14.480 And so here he is, Peter's gotten this freedom, this liberty. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:29.039 And instead of running for the Judean hillside, running for the wilderness, the angel sent by God leads him to the city, into the city, where there are more Roman soldiers. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.480 I came here with a very simple message. 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:38.640 Some of you have spent way too long outside the city gates when your destiny is on the other side. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:42.160 The enemy has come and convinced you. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:48.960 I had a lady tell me just recently, the enemy has convinced her that she can't do anything remarkable for the Lord. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:52.880 You see, this is the jail cell the enemy wants to put every one of us in. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:55.039 He didn't want you back in the city. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:56.720 You know why he didn't want you back in the city? 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:58.640 Because that's where he's called you. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.519 Why would Peter go back into the city? 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:03.759 Because that's where he was called. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:10.160 And you'll find him in this story preaching the next day, proclaiming the Christ, getting busy with his assignment. 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.240 So I've got good news and bad news. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:19.440 God has a beautiful and dangerous call on every one of your lives. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:24.799 You cannot play it safe and follow Jesus all every day. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:31.519 The safe thing was for him to flee to the Judean hillside to hide out in a cave until everything calmed down. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:35.200 But God says to Peter, Peter, on this rock I'm going to build my church. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.839 And the gates of hell will not overcome you. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:48.640 And to prove it, I'm going to open the gate and send you back into the very place that is the most dangerous for you, but I am with you always to the very end of the age, and do not be afraid. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.839 And the gates of the city open up without any human help. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:55.359 And listen, this is not the gate to your grandmother's garden. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:59.839 These are iron gates, military gates, designed to keep armies outside. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.039 And these gates open up, and Peter walks in. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.160 It opened up for them by itself and they went through it. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.880 And when they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:16.799 I know exactly what it feels like to be in those spiritual prison cells. 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:23.920 I know what it feels like to have darkness surround me, and I wondered if I'll ever get out of this place. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:31.359 A few weeks ago, I was invited to Newtown, Connecticut to speak at a church there and to visit with some community leaders in Newtown. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:45.759 And if you follow the news, you know that Newtown, Connecticut, almost a year ago was a place where a young man went into an elementary classroom and killed 20 first graders, a teacher, and five, six other people in that school before killing himself. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:51.039 It's an awful December 14th is the one-year anniversary of that tragedy in Newtown. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:53.359 And we should be praying for the people in Newtown. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:59.200 When I went there a few weeks ago, literally, I drove in, I flew into New York City and drove over to Newtown. 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:06.480 And as you go into the city, you can feel the heaviness, spiritual heaviness over that place. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:07.920 Their hearts are broken. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:10.799 They just buried 20 of their first graders. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.559 Some of them attended this church that I was called to speak to. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:22.400 And I was there with their pastor and their leaders, and they they looked at me, and here's the their only question was this Brady, will you tell us it's gonna be okay? 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.200 Can you tell us what's next for us? 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:37.119 See, six years ago, a little over six years ago, I had a gunman come on my campus after church on a Sunday morning like this in December, opened fire, killed two of my teenage girls. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:42.960 And I stood there and prayed over their mother as a child, their bodies were being sent to the hospital. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:44.559 Their mother was covered in blood. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:45.920 I was there. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:47.200 I just left here. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.240 I was the pastor there for 100 days when it happened. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:53.680 I'm a part of a club that nobody wants to join. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:21:01.039 And I looked at that congregation in Newtown a few weeks ago and I said, listen, I know right now you feel like you're in this prison cell. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.279 You got to hold on to what you believe. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.720 Right now is not a time to figure out all the answers to the questions. 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.240 Right now is a time to declare what you know to be true. 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.200 And what I know to be true is that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:24.319 Listen, if the sun is in your face and the wind is at your back right now, if everything's great in your home, and I hope that it is, and I pray that that's a long stretch of time for you. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:30.480 Right now is the time, in the good times, the good seasons to wrestle to the ground what you really know to be true. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:38.400 When trials come, when difficulties come, when storm clouds rise, that's not a good time to figure out what you believe. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:51.039 Right now, in the good seasons, in the prosperous times, like Peter said, when things are good, when everything looks great, this is when I need to know what I believe. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.920 You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:57.519 How could Peter fall asleep in that cell that night? 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.759 Because he wasn't wrestling with what he believed. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:02.160 He already knew what he believed. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:06.799 If they come the next morning and take my life, I'm going to spend eternity with my Savior. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:09.920 If they don't, I'm going to get busy going back into the city preaching the gospel. 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:11.440 One way or the other, I'm going to win. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.480 So I'm going to go to sleep tonight because there's no need to stay up worrying about all this. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:15.759 I know what is true. 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.720 You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:20.400 That's it. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:30.240 I told that church in Newtown, our own story at New Life. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:33.599 Just a few days after the shooting, our lives were wrecked. 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:39.519 I mean, I was, I really felt like that I was just a hospice pastor called to give a once great church an honorable death. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:48.640 I really felt that's what God had called me away from Gateway, away from you to go up there and do is to spend a season of time helping them close that thing down because there's no way we're recovering from that. 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:52.720 A few days after that shooting, we gathered as a church and I didn't know what to say. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:58.880 I stood in front of our congregation, and all we could say was, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:00.160 We don't know the answers. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:02.720 Why did evil come and strike good people? 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:06.240 Why all those questions were swirling around in our minds, and they're good questions. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:10.480 There's nothing wrong with asking them, but in the moment of crisis is not the time to try to answer that. 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:12.880 You have to answer that before the storm comes. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:20.480 And I remember standing in front of our congregation and we begin to sing this song, We Will Overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:22.240 We will overcome. 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:24.160 Everyone overcome. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.359 Just a few months ago, that song went number one all over the world. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:38.960 That song is being sung from the four corners of the earth right now, but it started in a prayer meeting at New Life Church where that song was written in our darkest moment when we didn't know what to say, what to do, what to believe. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:47.839 John Egan stood on the stage of the World Prayer Center and began to just drum his guitar and declare that passage out of Revelation to our church. 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:56.799 We began to sing that three days after the shooting on our campus. 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:03.440 And I remember our congregation kind of leaning forward like this, and I saw holy defiance come back into our church. 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:07.759 And we said openly that night, you will not overcome our church. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.920 You will not overcome our congregation. 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:16.480 The gates of hell will not overcome us, and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:18.880 And we stand here today believing that. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:04.960 Listen, I stand here today as a testimony of something. 00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:05.839 I just came to encourage you. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:08.079 The only reason I came here this weekend is to encourage you. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:13.200 Some of you feel really dark right now, wondering if the jail cell is your home. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:14.160 I've got good news for you. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:14.960 It does not. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:20.319 If you've made up your mind, like I have, that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, I've got good news for you. 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:22.960 The gates of hell will not prevail against you. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:24.720 Will not. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:29.920 People are fascinated by our story. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:35.359 In fact, if you want to read the story of the New New Life, we're on the front cover of Christianity Day. 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:36.160 It comes out next week. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:39.039 You can read the whole story with a cover story on Christianity Today. 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:41.680 People are looking at us fascinated because we're a miracle story. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:54.400 We have no, I have no idea how it happened, except that God came in to a group of broken people and fulfilled a promise to us that if we would believe him and not waver, if we would stay strong and believe that he would come to our aid and he would be a miracle among us. 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:56.400 And that's exactly what's happened at New Life. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:26:02.559 And I'm telling you, it'll happen in your marriage, it'll happen in your home, it can happen with your prodigal son and daughter that's away from you. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:10.880 The gates of hell will not prevail against you if you believe He is the Christ, Son of the Living God. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.400 Would you stand with me this morning? 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:14.559 Stand with me right now. 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:20.319 Now we're about to do something that might be a little different than what we do here normally, but we're about to sing a song. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:21.680 We're gonna sing this song together. 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:22.720 We will overcome. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:24.960 But I don't want you to sing it as a word on the screen. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:26.319 There's gonna be words on the screen. 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:28.000 Do not sing it as a song. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.240 Will you listen to me very carefully? 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:32.319 I want you to declare it. 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.319 I want you to pray it. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:38.480 And maybe right now everything is awesome at your home, and I'm I I pray that it is. 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:40.880 But I want you to pray for your brothers and sisters around you. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:43.759 Everything may not be right with everyone around you. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:46.160 And I want you to pray this over your city. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:52.000 I want you to pray this over your family, not as words on the screen, not as some song, but as a prayer of faith. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.039 We will overcome. 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:55.279 And I want our altar ministry team to come on down for it. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:56.799 I told Pastor John I was going to do this. 00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:58.480 Altar team, I want you to come down. 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:07.839 If you're here today and you just need someone to agree with you, you need someone to believe with you, you need someone to pray with you and agree with you that we will overcome. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.039 Come, let us pray for you. 00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:11.599 But let's sing this song as a closing prayer this morning. 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:13.039 Come on, sing it with me.