Acts 5:17-42 | Bold Faith

Zach Cunningham continues a series on the book of Acts. 

Transcript

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Hey everyone, my name is Zank. I'm one of the pastors here. And uh thanks for joining us this Sunday. Guys, wasn't last Sunday amazing Eastern Sunday? Praise God. He is risen. Every Sunday May, every Sunday resurrection Sunday May. Hey, so happy that you're here. Um excited for another great Sunday. And then I do have to say this, guys, before we jump in, um I have to admit, this was a pretty womaned week for the Cunningham fam. And so this Sunday might feel a little bit unique, okay? And legit after Easter, it felt like a few hours later, um, I escaped the country, okay? I'm humped, I'm gonna pull them in, no joke, less this last Monday, to go to North Africa and I just get back last night. Okay, so I say that a few things, a couple of things. Number one, I shout them out to Mamley for holding down the four uh with my three kids, and then you know, my two crazy kids, and I got a third one on the way. Now, guys, I will say this I'm happy to report, okay. You know, a couple months ago I told you guys we were considering like, should we find the gender amo early or wait until baby comes? Guys, we're holding strong, okay? We're gonna do it, okay. Last week we could have found the gender amount and we didn't, okay? So going the distance, anyways, shout out to my wife Natalie. Now, um, also, I say that to say, guys, we had a great week in Africa, and I'll share uh in the coming months more about this trip and kind of the fruit from it. But I do want to share a little bit this morning uh and and maybe encourage us along the way. Okay, I'll I'll try to make sense of us all. Long story short, uh, me and some other pastors from the SALT Network uh went to North Africa to catch a vision for what God is doing among the people uh there, and and it was great, and and it was two things, if I had to describe two words of this trip. It was both sobering and also very encouraging. Okay, sobering because the area that we were at in North Africa is one of the darkest places in the world, uh, where there is little to no gospel proclamation happening. In fact, almost all the countries in North Africa are 99.9% Muslim. And there are almost virtually no churches, no believers, no gospel presence in this uh country, in this part of the uh of the world. Uh no jet, we legit landed. Uh, I'm like jet lagged, I should be asleep. And we went straight from the plane, and our group went to the largest mosque in Africa where we walked and saw so many people coming to this mosque to worship uh a false God. And the darkness, guys, it's it's hard to describe the darkness of walking into this place. All these people who have never heard the good news of Jesus that we just sang about. So it's sobering. But also, in the middle of all this darkness, can I encourage you, God has not given up on the people of North Africa. Okay, we spent most of the week uh with dozens of missionaries who have given up their life to proclaim the good news of Jesus there. And guys, wild things are happening across North Africa. People are coming into faith. Okay, these workers there, missionaries, are some of the most bold, faithful, humble people you would ever meet. Okay, there they have faith that God has not given up on the Muslim people and that God wants to use them to share the gospel in the city, okay? And they were sharing all kinds of just encouraging things. And so I just want to come off this and just say two things. I was reminded of two big truths I want to put before us this morning before we jump into the book of Acts. Number one is this God is a global God. He has got people all over the world who bow the knee to King Jesus, and guys, he has not given up on people, he is saving people in some of the hardest to reach places in the world. And so, number one, God is a global God, and number two, we want to be a part of it. Okay, one of our values here as a church is that we would be a sending church. Okay, one that looks at the lostness in our city and on our campus and also the nations, and we are not content with it, but know a holy discontentment coming across our souls to reach the people around the world. And I'll just say this this week I have prayed more than ever that God would raise up people in this church that go to the nations, especially to North Africa. People who would give their lives to seeing the gospel reach Libya and Morocco and Egypt, all of these countries that do not have the gospel. And so I'm excited for the days ahead. We're a young church, but I have been praying that God might do something out of Denton, Texas, of all places. And uh, he already is, and I'll share more about that a little bit later. But let's jump back into the book of Acts, shall we? You got a Bible, we're jumping back into the book of Acts. Uh, if you're new to our church, mostly all we do is pick a book and we teach through it, and we've been in a series through the book of Acts, and we took a couple weeks off, but we're in Acts chapter four, okay, jumping right back into the middle of the story. And maybe as you're turning there, I do want to share maybe the most encouraging story that I heard all week uh in Africa, and it actually set up our text for where we're going, okay, set up the story in Acts 4. So let me share this briefly. Um, on the on the last night we were in Africa, uh, one of the workers, the missionaries, was telling us the story of this woman from Iran who recently got saved. I think it was like 2018. She puts her faith in Jesus, and uh we don't know her real name, but he was calling her Fatima. And so this woman, she gives her life to Jesus in 2018, and she guys, she is on fire for the Lord, okay? So bold for Jesus, and she begins to share the gospel with her family and her friends, and things start going crazy across Iran. Okay, households are getting saved, people are coming to faith, and and because in Iran, you guys might know this, like they can't all gather publicly like this. And so the Iranians and these missionaries, uh, they secretly kept records of everybody who came to faith and of all these house churches, you know, in this database. And that night, this missionary he opens this like portal, like this website, and it looks kind of like ancestry.com. Do you guys want to find like with these maps and like these family trees? And and what he's telling us is they're secretly keeping record to praise God for what he's doing. And basically, he shows us all the people who now follow Jesus because of this one woman, Fatima. And you can kind of see it, like she shared the gospel with this person, and now this church has started, and it's kind of spreading like this family tree. And guys, in this corner, from just this one woman's faith and all the people she shared with and they've shared with, there are 15,000 Iranians who now follow Jesus because of the because of the faith of this one woman. Yes, God is using one woman in Iran to change the world. Well, anyways, Fatima, she's basically shared her faith with all of her family and all of her friends in the village, in the town, and they would ask her, so Fatima, what are you gonna do now? And she said this, I think we need to go to Como, okay, which I had never heard of. But Comb apparently is the city that's all over the news even today, that apparently all the Iranians know Comb is one of the darkest places in the world. Okay, it's a city where the dark regime is there. Guys, some of the most, I was hearing stories, some of the most wicked things across the world are happening in Come. And so everyone's like, Fatima, but you ain't going to Come. Like you'll die there. And she says, No, no, no, we're going to Come. So her and her fiance, she's engaged, they go, and they're walking into the city and they're praying, God, who should we talk to? And they're walking down the street, and they both sense, they see this man who's smoking a cigarette outside of his house, and they both sense that's the guy. And so they walk into this home and he welcomes them. It's cultural, he makes some tea for them, and they sit down. And Fatima begins to share the gospel with this man. And it turns out that this man is a high-ranking official in an Iranian terrorist group. And Fatima, she's sharing the gospel with this guy, and she gives him the Bible and he gets ticked. He runs her out and says, Get out of my house. So they they leave the Bible on the desk and they kind of go running out, and they're outside and they're just so frustrated. Like, God, what are we supposed to share with this person? And the fiance's like, We need a jet. Well, anyways, a couple minutes later, Fatima's like, I think we need to go back in. And I'm like, What is happening? So she's walking back into the house and he opens the door. The man comes running out, and he says to Fatima and her fiance, guys, I picked up that book you left on my table and I started to read it. Can you tell me more about this Jesus? And the fiance's like, No, bro, this guy called the cops. Like, we're not going into this house. Like, his worst case for the fiance is he's gonna get publicly executed, he's probably gonna get hung. Worst case for his fiance, Fatima, is she's gonna get put in prison and be sexually assaulted until she dies. And Fatima says, No, we're going in. And they go into this home and they sit down with this high-ranking official and they share the gospel, and guys, he believes in Jesus in this place. A high-ranking official. You know why? Because all thrones and dominions, all powers and positions will come to bow the name of the King Jesus. And now this man, and they're my this missionary friend Telling us in tears, he still knows this guy, and they're in constant communication. And this guy right now, this week, is trying to share the gospel with other members of this Iranian militant group. And I share that, all that to say, guys, God is on the move because of the boldness of this one Iranian woman. And I share that because of two things. Number one, you need to know that even with all the crazy stuff on the news, God is not deterred from saving people in Iran. And number two, it's this kind of boldness from Fatima that I want to talk about briefly this morning. And it's actually the main point of where we're gonna be in Acts chapter four, because this morning I want to talk about this idea, bold faith. Bold faith. Like, what's it gonna take for us in this room to have bold faith? Like real faith that leads to real boldness. Okay, I want it for myself, I want it for this church, I want it for people to be like this Iranian woman who are willing to say yes to whatever God puts in front of us. Maybe not to go overseas or to put us in harm's way, but maybe to go across the street and share the gospel, maybe go across the hallway and share Jesus. What's it gonna take for us to have bold faith? Well, today I want to give you four quick ingredients to bold faith right here in Acts chapter 4. Sound good? Okay, we're in Acts 4. We're gonna start in verse 23. I'll read it and then I'll catch us up, okay? Acts 4, verse 23 says this. Right in the middle of the story. After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priest and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, They're gonna pray. Okay, stop right there. Let's recap the scene because it's been a few weeks, okay? Can you guys remember, long story short, Peter and John they heal a man and everybody starts going nuts, and they ask Peter what happened, and Peter gets up and he says, No, I didn't heal this man. Jesus healed this man. And thousands of people get saved, but a few people get ticked. You see, these religious leaders arrest Peter and John, throw them in prison. And we saw this a few weeks ago. The question was, how does the church respond under pressure? Well, Peter and John, they don't back down. Okay, they're put on trial in the same court that tried Jesus, and while the religious leaders tell them to stop talking, what do they say? They respond, We can't help but speak of what we have seen and heard. Okay, just this incredible boldness on display here. And so they threaten them a little more and then they let them go, and that's where we are today. Now think for a moment. Okay, what would you do if you were in their shoes? Okay, you just got yelled at by real people with real power, giving you real threats, and I imagine the threats went something like this. Hey, we're gonna do to you what we did to Jesus. What do you do here? Like maybe you lay low for a little bit? Maybe you sneak out of the city, you come up with a new game plan, maybe you give up on this whole Jesus thing. Like, what do you do in this moment? Well, what did they do? Look at verse 23 again. After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priest and the elders had said to them. Okay, can you see it here? They get out and it says immediately they did what? They went to their own people. Or maybe your translation says this they went to their friends. Okay, which leads me to the first quick ingredient that you need if you want to have bold faith, and it's this you need friends that love Jesus. Like if you're gonna have bold faith in this life, you're gonna need other friends, people in your life, people in this church, who love Jesus. That's who Luke is talking about here. Okay, the word Greek for his own people is used in the Bible in unique ways. Okay, it describes one's own house, one's own relatives, or in John chapter 1, where it says Jesus went to his own people and got rejected. Okay, Luke, it's this word, this idea of intimacy, of close relationships, people who love Jesus and love you. Okay, to which we have to step out and ask the question Is this how you describe people in your life? Like, is this how you describe people in this room, in your connection group, in your friend group, as your own people? Because Peter and John knew it, that if they were gonna be bold, they needed to be bold together with other people. So that's the first thing they do when they get punked by the Jews. They went to their friends, they needed them, their friends, their people, their own. Okay, so we'll move on from this quickly, but you gotta see this. If you want to be bold, you need friends who are also bold for Jesus. You know why? Because boldness sparks other boldness. Okay, this is like guys who are about to jump off like a cliff or like a bridge and go bungee jumping. They'll say, they say what? I'll do it if you do it. Okay, it's just boldness, right? Boldness creates other boldness, and it's that cycle or that circle of boldness that we need in this church. People who can speak to your life and give you courage, encouragement, when fear comes up. Fear of speaking up, fear of sharing your faith, fear of going on a church plant, or even fear of going over seeds. All of us need friends who will embolden us. Okay, that's what we want here at King's Church to inspire boldness. But let's keep going, because that's the first thing you need. You need friends who can give you courage, but also friends who will pray with you and lift your head up to a big God. Okay, here's the second ingredient to bold faith. You need friends who love Jesus, but number two, you need confidence in God's sovereignty. That if you want to be bold, you're gonna need confidence in the sovereignty of God. You see, what happens next is they pray together, and it's not the prayer you'd expect. Because before asking for anything, they acknowledge who God is. Like they don't ask first, but first they acknowledge the powerful rule of God. And it's kind of three movements you gotta see in this prayer. First, God you are. Second, God you have said, and then third, God you have done. Okay, you can see this movement all banked on the sovereignty of God. Okay, first, God you are. Let's look at the prayer. Look at verse 24 again. When they heard this, all these believers, they raised their voices together to God and said, This Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in it. Okay, stop right there. Can you see it here? Notice how they start their prayer. Not with God we need, but God you are. And here they start with the word master, or literally sovereign Lord. That you are the King, the creator of heaven, earth, the sea, and everything in them. Can you see it? Before they ask God for anything, they acknowledge God for who He is, which might be a good note for us as we pray. Okay, but that's another sermon. Okay, right here, in the middle of all these big problems, can you see what they do? They lift their eyes to a really big God, a God that is above us, and a God that is outside of us, okay, which is important for us to see about who God is, that he's not within us. In fact, just recently I was reading a quote from like a popular American self-help book. Okay, I wasn't reading it, someone else read it, but he gave me this quote. And this author is teaching not that God is above us or God is outside of us, but no, God is within us. And this author, she writes in this book, Eat, Pray, Love, maybe you've heard of it, that the highest spiritual wisdom in life is this that God dwells within all of you, as you yourself, exactly the way that you are. And that somewhere inside all of us exists a supreme self that is universal and divine. Which might sound crazy, but you have to understand, like, people have, as they've commented on this book, like praising it, they say that this God within us message is the highest currency in American culture today. But notice what Acts 4 says. They don't look within themselves for God. What do they do? They look up, and they see not that they're the center of the universe, but that God is the creator and the center of the story. And they begin to do this. They begin to see their life in light of the story of God through that lens, that God is the author and the main character of the story, that it revolves around him. And so you can see it here. The disciples start this prayer saying this God, you created the people who are creating problems for us. That's how they start, but then keep reading. Look at verse 25. They keep praying and say this. You said, God, you said, through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our Father David, your servant, and then they quote Psalm 2, Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain, futile things. The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers assemble together against the Lord, against his Messiah. Okay, they do something incredible here. They move from God you are to what God has said, and they begin to interpret their situation through the lens of Scripture. Again, helpful thing for us to do, to know the word, to interpret our life through the word. And here they quote Psalm 2, okay, which is an amazing and very unique psalm. You should read it later. But the psalm is about King David when he becomes king. But you guys know when King David became king, all the other kings and rulers rejected him. They did not initially acknowledge his kingship. Well, for years, the Jews would use Psalm 2 as this kind of like messianic psalm. Like they viewed it in a unique way that every time a new king was crowned from David's line, they would read Psalm 2. It's a coronation psalm. Why? Because they believe that Psalm 2 found its final fulfillment in David's true and better king that's going to come from his line, the Messiah, the anointed one. Okay, that's what they're reading in Psalm 2. What's happening in Acts 4? Well, in Acts 4, this is what they say is happening. That the fulfillment of the promise of Psalm 2 has happened before their eyes. How do we know that? Well, look what happens next. Look at verse 27. For in fact, in this city, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the Jews, the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. You see, they say, yes, this psalm is about David, but ultimately it's about Jesus. He is the king, he is the anointed, he is the Messiah, and the religious leaders, Herod and Pilate, are just like the religious leaders in the psalm. They have rejected the king. And then they introduce this great irony here. That while they thought they were in control, the religious leaders who applauded and killed Jesus, trying to control the narrative, they say, really, someone else was writing the story. Can you see verse 28? They assemble against Jesus, you anointed, to do what? To do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. Can you see it? Like there's a massive theological implication here. And we already saw it in Acts chapter 2, right? Like while these guys are praying and they're recapping all that had happened to Jesus and how it was in accordance with Psalm 2, and how the Jews and the Romans and all the leaders they plotted and they crucified and they killed Jesus. All these disciples, they turned to God and they said, And all of it was according to your plan. They said, Yeah, they they thought they were in control, but they were just playing a role in God's plan. That nothing happens apart from God's predestination and sovereignty. He planned it and he predestined it. And again, we see a tension here, right? Like we saw in Acts chapter 2. There is a tension between man's freedom and man's responsibility, but also God's sovereignty. That sure in this world, man, us, we can plan and act, and we do act, and we do make decisions, and we will be held accountable for those decisions, and yet at the same time, God is sovereign over all of it. That here in Acts 4, he's not the author of evil, but he does permit sin to happen as part of his greater redemptive plan. You see, this verse is very similar to what Joseph says, right? In Genesis 50, when his brothers sold him to slavery, what does Joseph say to his brothers? Hey, what you meant for evil, God meant it for good. See, there's an encouragement here that all things work together for the good of those who love God. And guys, you have to wonder how infuriating this would be for the enemies of God. That God is in total and complete control. Like, think about Satan in this moment. He has coaxed Judas to betray Jesus. And they kill Jesus and all the enemies, they start rejoicing, saying, Our plan worked. But the very thing that the enemy planned for our death was actually for our victory and his death and his defeat. You see, this is the sovereignty of God. And while there's a lot of complexity here, and we can talk about it, the sovereignty of God, it should Give us not only comfort that God is with us in the middle of trials and tribulations, but also, here's my argument: it should give us boldness. That God's sovereignty should fuel the boldness of all believers. Why? Because we know the end of the story. Like we can take risk, we can share the gospel, we can give up home and comfort and move to North Africa. Why? Because we know the end of the story, Jesus wins. You see, this was on full display this week when I was in Africa. We spent some time uh just walking the streets and sharing the gospel with some Muslims at the mall. And I'll be honest, I was very frustrated. We had no, I had no good conversations, okay? It was very like running into a brick wall with these people. It was very frustrating. Well, the next morning I'm in a living room uh with this missionary. He's lived there for three years, and he actually went to Salt Company in Gainesville, Florida. Okay, go gators, June, okay, our drummer, big Florida guy. And he moved there three years ago. Guy, he was a salt company student sitting just like this. And he's moved over there, and I'm asking him, like, dude, how do you do it? And this is what he said. No joke. He said this. I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I get to wake up every day and share the gospel with Muslims. And guys, I believe what God said to Paul in Acts 17 is true in this city, that he has many people in the city who will believe. Can you see it? Like this missionary, this salt student, a guy that we would know, he reads Revelation 7, where it says, every tribe and nation will bow the knee to King Jesus, and he believes it fuels his boldness every day. Can you see it? The sovereignty of God is not just a theological debate, it really fuels boldness if you'll hold on to it, confidence. And here's his deal like all we can be responsible for is seed sowing. God causes the growth. You know, he can confidently share the gospel and not put so much pressure on himself that he's got to be the one to win Muslims to Jesus. Guys, if you don't believe in the sovereignty of God in salvation, go to a mosque and share Jesus. Guys, if it's not for the sovereignty of God waking up people and us in this room from seeing the grace of God, you don't fully understand the spirit of God's work in regeneration. It gives us confidence, it fuels our boldness. My point is this if you want confidence in your walk with Jesus, you need confidence in the sovereignty of God. So that's the second thing. Now let's go back to the story because you're gonna notice something strange happen next. They do this whole like God you are, God you said, and God you've done thing, lifting up their minds to God. But then they ask for something finally, and it's strange. They don't ask for safety or protection from the people who just threaten them. They don't ask for like a new game plan, like a whiteboard, a strategy. No, instead, look at what they ask for. Verse 29. And so now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Can you see it? They say to the Lord, Lord, consider their threats. Okay, which is actually a funny thing they're saying here. Or in other words, if you know Psalm 2, this is what they're saying. Hey, God, laugh at them. The Bible says in Psalm 2 that God sits in the heavens and laughs at the threats of the kings. Consider their threats. And then what do they ask for? Not for safety. They say, Lord, just grant us more boldness to speak the word more clearly. They ask for boldness, which is the third ingredient for bold faith. Here it is. You need to ask for boldness. You gotta ask for it. You want bold faith? You should pray and ask God for boldness. Okay, this is a prayer that God loves to answer. I'd argue he always answers a prayer for boldness of his people. Okay, it kind of reminds me of Chick-fil-A with my kids. Um, we pretty much only eat out at Chick-fil-A. Uh, and EJ and Caden, they love it. Okay, they love the fries. Amen. Okay, Ranch. Okay, they love the chocolate milk, they love the fruit cup, and they love the ice cream. They love it all. And sometimes when we go, they they just finish their fries or their milk and they ask for more. I can have some more fries. But I tell them, Nally tells them in this moment the same thing that the cows tell us eat more chicken, and then and then I will give you more. Okay, sometimes we take them to Chick-fil-A, like my son Caden, all he does is eat the chicken, okay? He's just all about the chicken nuggets, and then he'll say, more, more, more. And you know what I tell my son Caden when he asks for more chicken nuggets? You bet you you can have more chicken. Okay, we'll buy you a 30 count, okay? Get stronger, get stronger than your dad, okay? Because here's the thing chicken at Chick-fil-A is always the thing I'm willing to give more of to my kids. And likewise, when we ask for boldness, that's a prayer that God always loves to answer. It's a prayer he always says yes to. You want to know how I know that? Because you see it in the next verse. Look at verse 31. When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God what? Boldly. Can you see it? I think the point is clear here. If you want to be bold in your faith, you need to ask for more boldness in your prayers. They didn't ask for protection, though there's nothing wrong with asking for protection, but the early church was more concerned with boldness. And they would say, like, hey, you can take my life. That's fine. To live is Christ, to die is gain. But I would rather go out in my 30s, bold for you, than to go out quietly in my 80s, quietly. Do not let me be an unbold follower of Jesus in my death. No, God, make me bold. Give us boldness to speak your word to our neighbors, to our classmates, to the employees that we work with and the families that we have. Guys, God doesn't choose primarily to write the gospel in the clouds or to show up in dreams. No, he primarily chooses to proclaim the gospel through ordinary people. And I think you'll never be bold until you realize what your boldness can do. Guys, your boldness can change a family. Your boldness can change a workplace, and your boldness can even change a country like Iran. Because God loves to answer the prayer for boldness. Would we be a church that prays, God, make us bold, King's Church? Now I want to close with just one more reminder about boldness and one more ingredient about boldness and where it comes from, because you have to understand if you read the whole Bible, not just this little section here, that our boldness doesn't primarily come from friends who are bold, though you need friends who are bold. And it doesn't even primarily come from just trusting God's plan, it's gonna work out, though it does come from that. And it doesn't just come from praying for boldness. But here's the fourth thing. Ultimately, our boldness for Jesus is only a response to his boldness for us. Or in other words, if you want boldness, you gotta look to Jesus. Remember his boldness for you. Can you think about a moment where Jesus was bold? You know what I think about? Luke chapter 22, when he's praying in the garden. Okay, it's currently EJ's favorite story in her little Bible. She's like, Dad, let's read the part where Jesus, you know, gets betrayed and dies. Like, that's her favorite part of the Bible. It's a good part. And Jesus is praying in Luke 22, and you guys know the story. It's the night before he dies, and and you know, he's with his friends, isn't he? He's with his own people. But while Peter and John go back to their friends for encouragement, Jesus goes back to Peter and John asleep. He was alone. He didn't have friends to give him boldness. And what does he do? Well, he prays in the garden and he trusts the sovereignty of God, praying what? Not my will, but yours be done. Can you see it? He gets confidence in the sovereignty of God. And what he does next is he prays for boldness and he prays for strength to do what God is calling him to do, to make the unthinkable divine exchange, giving us the righteousness that he earned and taking the punishment that we deserved, and he asks for boldness to step into it, and then he boldly steps into it, and he does the boldest act ever recorded by any man to ever walk the face of the earth, and it's not tightroping across the Grand Canyon, and it's not swimming with sharks, it's drinking the cup of wrath of God. And I love this scene. You know, Jesus, he's on the cross and he drinks the full cup of wrath, and Jesus still says, I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty, as if to say to all of us, Is there any more to drink? The cup of God's wrath, it wasn't just sipped, it was drained completely for us. And then what does he say before he dies? It is finished, paid in full. You see, Jesus' boldness to step into the cross, to take the wrath of God that we deserved, his life for ours, substitute for us. He lays down his life for us, and now because of the boldness of Jesus, our only response is what? To be bold for him. That's how you find boldness. You look to Jesus, you look to the cross. And I want to close our morning by telling you about another girl I met this week that was bold for Jesus in response to the boldness of God. It was our last night in Africa, and I'm in this living room. And you know, over the week we got to meet a few workers over there. And we finally got to meet this girl in this living room. She's like 23 years old. She had just moved there in the past year. And like this other dude, she's like the happiest girl you'd ever meet, the happiest she's ever been in her life. And she's sitting there in this living room and she's just telling us her story. And guys, it's crazy. I mean, this girl, she wakes up and she studies Arabic. She builds relationships with Muslims. And God is using this 23-year-old girl to change the world. This summer, she's gonna host nine different short-term teams over nine different weeks where she's gonna lead them, train them to share the gospel, and she's gonna go out. This girl, God is using, she's like a superhero of the faith. And so I'm sitting there at the end of all this, she's telling us all that God is doing. I'm like, where are you from? And she said, I'm from Texas. I'm like, heck yeah, you are. Texas forever, baby. And then I ask her, I'm like, it's crazy. Where'd you go to school? And she looks at me in the eyes, she pauses, she says, I went to UNT, the University of North Texas. And goes, I'm sitting here in this living room in tears, in the middle of nowhere in North Africa, sitting across from a girl who went to our school, to my school, thinking that God would raise up someone from this city. She'll never have a missionary book written about her. Her name will never be known across the world, and yet she laid down her life to move to North Africa to love Muslims because God loves the Muslim people. And she's serving, and I'm just sitting here praying and weeping over her, saying, God, would you do it again? From Denton, Texas? Would you do it from North Texas, from TWU, and we raise up students and not just students, but couples and families and empty nesters to lay down their life? You know why? Because unless a wheat of grain falls into the soil and dies, will not fruit rise from this? Would anybody who leaves behind family and mother and brother, will they not be paid back a hundredfold in the kingdom to come? God, would you do it here at King's Church? And so as I close, I challenge you guys, be bold for your faith. Be bold in your families and your co-workers. Guys, only one life twill soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. And he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he can never lose. Would we be a church? And I know it's early, that would raise up people to go to North Africa and to the nations. And to that end, let's pray that God would do it even in our midst.