SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Family Church's Sermon of the Week.
SPEAKER_00: We're so glad you're here.
SPEAKER_00: Each week, we share a message from God's Word to encourage your heart, strengthen your faith, and help you grow in your walk with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: We hope this time blesses you and draws you closer to the heart of God.
SPEAKER_01: Alright, so I want to share one of my favorite verses with you this morning, but let me set it up first.
SPEAKER_01: Um so so we've been talking about Peter.
SPEAKER_01: So Peter calls at the beginning of Matthew, Peter calls Jesus and he says, Come with me and I'll make you, or follow me and I'll make you uh fishers of men.
SPEAKER_01: I'll teach you how to fish for people.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so Peter followed Jesus for three years during that time.
SPEAKER_01: Uh Jesus told him, Take up your cross and follow me.
SPEAKER_01: Then at the Last Supper he said, Follow my example, okay, share the gospel, be a servant.
SPEAKER_01: And then Jesus came to Peter uh three and three times he told Peter, If you love me, feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_01: Follow me and feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_01: So Peter's job was pretty clear.
SPEAKER_01: Fish for people and feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_01: And that and both of those are synonymous with share the gospel and make disciples.
SPEAKER_01: That's what we are supposed to be doing.
SPEAKER_01: Share the gospel and make disciples.
SPEAKER_01: That's what God called Peter to do.
SPEAKER_01: And now in the first chapter of Acts, the disciples are standing with Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus is talking to them the last time.
SPEAKER_01: This is the last thing he says to them.
SPEAKER_01: And then this is this is one of my favorite verses.
SPEAKER_01: And it says that they were watching Jesus as he went up into the into the sky.
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's kind of like when you're a kid, you know, and you have a healing balloon and you you let it go just to see how long it takes to disappear, you know, and you're watching and watching and watching, and and then finally it's gone.
SPEAKER_01: And then you think, well, that was a waste of five minutes.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I wish I had that five minutes back.
SPEAKER_01: I gotta get a lot of a lot done.
SPEAKER_01: But that's what it's like.
SPEAKER_01: They were watching, and it probably went faster than five minutes.
SPEAKER_01: But just as Jesus was out of sight, here's what happened.
SPEAKER_01: After saying this, Acts 1, 9 through 11.
SPEAKER_01: After saying this, he was taken up uh into a cloud.
SPEAKER_01: He had just told them, go into all the world, go into Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and all the earth, preach the gospel, uh, fish for people.
SPEAKER_01: After saying that, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him as they strained to see him rising into heaven.
SPEAKER_01: Two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.
SPEAKER_01: Men of Galilee, they said, Why are you standing here staring into heaven?
SPEAKER_01: Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go.
SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, it had been seconds since Jesus disappeared into the sky and rose to heaven.
SPEAKER_01: It had been seconds.
SPEAKER_01: And they're standing there watching, and two men in white robes show up and say, What are you waiting for?
SPEAKER_01: Why are you still standing here?
SPEAKER_01: There's work to do.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and I think I think that was intentional, that timing was intentional because when we're given too much time, we overprocess things and we start thinking, okay, there's a lot of stuff I need to do before I do the next thing.
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to put stuff off.
SPEAKER_01: You know, so so God wasn't giving Peter and the disciples enough time to start thinking, okay, you know, I've been traveling for three years, the lawn's getting pretty big, pretty tall.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I better, I better get home and mow the yard and do a little yard work before I go and and make disciples.
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, didn't give them time to think, okay, you know, the the the barnacles on the bottom of my boat, they're not gonna scrape themselves off.
SPEAKER_01: So I better go back, take care of that.
SPEAKER_01: They said, immediately, what are you waiting for?
SPEAKER_01: Why are you still standing here?
SPEAKER_01: It's time to go.
SPEAKER_01: And so I want to challenge you this week.
SPEAKER_01: I want I want you to think that what is your next step and your your commitment to following Jesus?
SPEAKER_01: What is the next thing you're supposed to do that you're putting off?
SPEAKER_01: I want you to consider that this week.
SPEAKER_01: Then I want you to think about why am I putting it off?
SPEAKER_01: What is stopping me?
SPEAKER_01: What about my life?
SPEAKER_01: Do I need two guys in white robes to go go?
SPEAKER_01: What are you waiting for?
SPEAKER_01: Think about that.
SPEAKER_01: That's the challenge for this week.
SPEAKER_01: What is stopping you from doing that?
SPEAKER_01: But Peter took his next step.
SPEAKER_01: Peter didn't wait.
SPEAKER_01: All right, and the disciples didn't wait.
SPEAKER_01: It says that they left uh the Mount of Olives, that's where Jesus ascended from heaven from the Mount of Olives.
SPEAKER_01: They went back to Jerusalem, they experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit, and and then uh they rolled up their sleeves and got busy.
SPEAKER_01: And it says they walked out of the upper room and there was a crowd there, and they started preaching.
SPEAKER_01: They didn't wait.
SPEAKER_01: They started, they did what what they were commanded to do without waiting.
SPEAKER_01: It says 3,000 people got saved that day.
SPEAKER_01: 3,000 people gave their hearts to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: That's pretty amazing.
SPEAKER_01: But look what happens in Acts chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Acts chapter 3, starting in verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: Look there with me.
SPEAKER_01: It says Peter and John went to the temple one afternoon to take part in the 3 o'clock prayer service.
SPEAKER_01: As they approached the temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in.
SPEAKER_01: Each day he was put beside the temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from people going into the temple.
SPEAKER_01: When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
SPEAKER_01: Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, Look at us.
SPEAKER_01: He looked at the lame guy and he said, Look at us.
SPEAKER_01: The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.
SPEAKER_01: But Peter said, I don't have any silver or gold for you, but I'll give you what I have.
SPEAKER_01: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk.
SPEAKER_01: I don't have any money, but I can give you Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Get up and walk.
SPEAKER_01: Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up.
SPEAKER_01: And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.
SPEAKER_01: He jumped up, he didn't just stand up, he didn't wobble up, he jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk.
SPEAKER_01: Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the temple with them.
SPEAKER_01: All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God.
SPEAKER_01: When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the beautiful gate, they were absolutely astounded.
SPEAKER_01: They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon's colonnade where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.
SPEAKER_01: So let's think for a second about what Peter and John are doing here.
SPEAKER_01: Let's think about what it means to fish for people.
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
SPEAKER_01: First thing, they started with what God gave them.
SPEAKER_01: You know?
SPEAKER_01: They started with what God gave them.
SPEAKER_01: God gave them a purpose and God gave them abilities, and and and God told them when they were disciples, said, You guys, you're gonna be unique because I'm gonna give you the ability to lay hands on people and heal them.
SPEAKER_01: At your discretion, you can just say, you're healed, you're healed, you're healed.
SPEAKER_01: And that was unique to them because not everybody gets to do that.
SPEAKER_01: Not everybody got to do that back then.
SPEAKER_01: It was it was the apostles that did that.
SPEAKER_01: And so so when when they walked up to that man and said, said, uh, stand up and walk, you know, to us, that that's that's spectacular, you know, that's miraculous.
SPEAKER_01: To Peter and John, that was just them using what they knew God had given them.
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure they were still just blown away.
SPEAKER_01: Well man, did you see that?
SPEAKER_01: He really got up and walked.
SPEAKER_01: But that was the gift that God gave them.
SPEAKER_01: So, so when it comes to fishing for people, start with what God has given you.
SPEAKER_01: Start with the abilities God's given you.
SPEAKER_01: Start with your spiritual gift, your passion, your abilities, your purpose, your experience, all those things God has given you to shape you to do the work of God in his church and through his church.
SPEAKER_01: So start with that.
SPEAKER_01: If you want to fish for people, start with what God has given you to fish with.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and if you have questions about what all that means, then then then our discover family class starting in May, that's the third class, that's all we talk about.
SPEAKER_01: So I encourage you to sign up for that class and find out what has God gifted me with that I can use to serve uh within his church and to to fish for people.
SPEAKER_01: How can I be a part of that?
SPEAKER_01: What has got how has God equipped me to do that?
SPEAKER_01: But then look at look at verse 12.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, it says that that Peter saw his opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: He just healed this guy, just healed him.
SPEAKER_01: There's a crowd that's gathered, and it says Peter saw his opportunity and he addressed the crowd.
SPEAKER_01: Peter seized an obvious opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: This week I want to challenge you, okay?
SPEAKER_01: That's two challenges so far.
SPEAKER_01: There's more, there's more coming.
SPEAKER_01: But I'm gonna challenge you this week to watch for the opportunity that you can share your faith.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not talking about being able to quote scripture, I'm not talking about, you know, knowing some salvation sales pitch or anything.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just talking about share your faith with somebody.
SPEAKER_01: Share the hope that you have in Christ with someone.
SPEAKER_01: Take advantage of the opportunities that God puts before you.
SPEAKER_01: Now, here's what that looks like.
SPEAKER_01: You know, if you're just say you're talking to a coworker, you know, you're sitting at the lunch table, you're talking to another soccer mom waiting on the sidelines for practice to be over, or a student at school, whatever it is, you're talking to somebody, and and they just say, Yeah, you know, we're we're kind of new to the area, and we, you know, we've we haven't made any friends yet.
SPEAKER_01: You know, we've been so busy getting settled and starting jobs and all that stuff.
SPEAKER_01: We haven't made any friends yet.
SPEAKER_01: Then you can say, you know, I got a family church, and I've got amazing friends from family church.
SPEAKER_01: You guys should visit with us, and then we'll take you to lunch after.
SPEAKER_01: That's how that works.
SPEAKER_01: That's all that's all it takes.
SPEAKER_01: And we assume that that sharing sharing the love of Christ and sharing hope with people is some complicated thing we have to go to classes for and stuff.
SPEAKER_01: All it is is being nice to people, you know, and that and that's a simple one.
SPEAKER_01: That's kind of the low-hanging fruit of evangelism, is inviting people to your church.
SPEAKER_01: But everybody can do that.
SPEAKER_01: So start there.
SPEAKER_01: Look for those opportunities.
SPEAKER_01: You know, here's another one.
SPEAKER_01: You know, let's say you know, you meet up with an old college friend or somebody you haven't seen in a long time, and they start describing what their life has been like for the last 10 years.
SPEAKER_01: And it's not pretty.
SPEAKER_01: They've made one bad decision after another, you know, and so they keep telling you all this, and and and it's just that you know, the the choices they've made have left them empty and lonely and anxious and depressed, and they just need hope.
SPEAKER_01: All they need is hope.
SPEAKER_01: Then that's your opportunity to say, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: I was headed down that road too.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I was I was feeling those same things, but I gave my life to Christ, and that made all the difference in the world.
SPEAKER_01: That's all it takes is just telling them, here's what Christ did in my life, here's what Christ does through my church, here's here's what here's what it means to have hope in Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And when you talk to people that say, I don't have hope, or I don't have friends, or I don't have this, or I don't have that, they can find it through Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And you share that with them.
SPEAKER_01: And I I guarantee, if you notice something this week, you notice, you take the time to really pay attention, and you see someone that, or someone, someone talks to you and confides in you, and you say this is the opportunity, I I'll guarantee whatever they're going through, you've been through.
SPEAKER_01: Because that's the way God does it.
SPEAKER_01: He he brought you through the difficult times you've been through so that you can talk to people that have been through the or that are going through the same times.
SPEAKER_01: So watch for those opportunities.
SPEAKER_01: And and listen to the promise that that the scripture makes in Acts 3, 19 through 20.
SPEAKER_01: It says, now repent of your sins and turn to God.
SPEAKER_01: This is Peter uh preaching.
SPEAKER_01: So so that your sins may be wiped away, then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.
SPEAKER_01: Whatever people are going through, whatever they're going through, whether it's adjustment to change or something traumatic, whatever it is, you know, that the answer is the refreshment that comes from the presence of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: And that word refreshment, it it means it means to recover your breath.
SPEAKER_01: Recover your breath.
SPEAKER_01: When I was a kid, my mom used to take us to the swimming pool at Bull Run Park over in Fairfax.
SPEAKER_01: You know, that was a big, big, huge pool.
SPEAKER_01: I would never do that now.
SPEAKER_01: It's like a 3,000-gallon petri dish.
SPEAKER_01: So, so yuck.
SPEAKER_01: So, and yeah, we're not going there.
SPEAKER_01: But that, you know, you didn't care about that stuff when you were a kid.
SPEAKER_01: So, so we would go, and and it was fun to to to see who could hold their breath the longest.
SPEAKER_01: You know, so you'd hold your nose, take a deep breath, and then dunk under the water and see who could stay there the longest, you know, and then you know, just you stay there underneath, and then your chest gets a little tight, but you're determined you're gonna be the last one to break the surface, and then then your head starts starts uh hurting and the you know it's pulsating, and and and then you start getting a little lightheaded, and then finally, just before your eyes pop out, you bust out of the water and you take that life-giving breath.
SPEAKER_01: That's what that word refreshment means.
SPEAKER_01: And to somebody who's been hurting and somebody who's been been struggling or lonely or whatever, Jesus is that life-giving breath.
SPEAKER_01: The presence of God in their life is that refreshment, that refreshing, life-giving breath.
SPEAKER_01: And you can share that with people.
SPEAKER_01: You can share that with them just by telling them, here's how my relationship with Jesus has given me hope.
SPEAKER_01: And when they come to know Christ, or when you tell them that, you know, when you just tell them that, that's that that could be the first conversation they have.
SPEAKER_01: You know, you may not lead them to Jesus at that moment, but that could be the first conversation they have of a long period of long, long time where they have multiple conversations, and each time they take a little step closer and a little step closer, and finally they accept Christ as their Savior.
SPEAKER_01: You know, no nowhere in the scripture does it say you have failed if they don't get saved.
SPEAKER_01: It just says, give them hope.
SPEAKER_01: Share the gospel and give them hope.
SPEAKER_01: That's all you have to do.
SPEAKER_01: God will take care of the rest.
SPEAKER_01: You plant that seed, someone else will water it, and someone else will reap the harvest.
SPEAKER_01: But those people come to know Christ.
SPEAKER_01: So always be ready to share that hope with people.
SPEAKER_01: Give and and look, so look for those opportunities this week.
SPEAKER_01: Look for opportunities to share hope.
SPEAKER_01: Okay?
SPEAKER_01: Now, the first verse of chapter four tells us that as Peter was preaching, he was confronted and arrested by priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees.
SPEAKER_01: And this is important, and we're gonna come back to this in a little bit.
SPEAKER_01: But but these men, these leaders of of Jerusalem, they they grilled the disciples, asking them over and over again, whose authority, who, by whose authority are you speaking?
SPEAKER_01: Who gave you the authority to say these things?
SPEAKER_01: But they noticed some things about the disciples that made them stand apart from everyone else.
SPEAKER_01: And and these and these things are important.
SPEAKER_01: If you want to fish for people, they were important to the disciples, they're important to us too.
SPEAKER_01: So look at Acts 4, 13 through 15.
SPEAKER_01: It says the men members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: But since they could see that uh see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
SPEAKER_01: They couldn't say anything.
SPEAKER_01: But the first thing they noticed is these are ordinary men.
SPEAKER_01: These guys aren't rabbis, these guys aren't they're not leaders, they're nothing.
SPEAKER_01: These are just ordinary men, yet they were preaching about an extraordinary God.
SPEAKER_01: They were ordinary men preaching about an extraordinary God, so you don't have to have special qualifications to fish for people.
SPEAKER_01: You don't need any experience, you don't need any training.
SPEAKER_01: You just talk about what Jesus has done in your life.
SPEAKER_01: And and and you you take your ordinary life and you make it an example of the extraordinary God, what he has done in your life.
SPEAKER_01: And people are gonna notice that.
SPEAKER_01: Peter wrote this later uh in his life when he was a solid man of God, leader of the church.
SPEAKER_01: He wrote 1 Peter 3:15, instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.
SPEAKER_01: And if someone asks you about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
SPEAKER_01: That's what that means.
SPEAKER_01: That's what we've been talking about.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody notices that you have hope, that you're different, that you respond differently to trauma or or whatever, you respond differently, and they ask you, that's your opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: That's your opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: The leaders recognize that.
SPEAKER_01: If you want to fish for people, you have to lead and you don't have to lead an extraordinary life.
SPEAKER_01: You just have to talk about your extraordinary God.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and that verse said that that we must worship Christ as the Lord of our life.
SPEAKER_01: That doesn't, that's not talking about singing on Sunday morning, which by the way was amazing when the instruments dropped out.
SPEAKER_01: That was awesome.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for thank you for worshiping.
SPEAKER_01: Men, thank you for worshiping.
SPEAKER_01: I can hear men singing, that's important.
SPEAKER_01: But but uh that's not what it's talking about.
SPEAKER_01: It's talking about everything about your life ascribes worth to God.
SPEAKER_01: Everything about your life ascribes worth to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And when people see that in you, they'll notice it, and that's your opportunity to say, here's why I have hope.
SPEAKER_01: Here's why I have that hope.
SPEAKER_01: And and you know, you might you might think, you know, I I don't know if the people that I hang out with on Monday through Friday would would notice that about me.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know that they would notice that.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and and I get that.
SPEAKER_01: We're all at different places in our walk with Christ, but but just do this, make some make some quick, obvious changes to your life and say, I'm gonna do what I know I'm supposed to do, and I'm gonna start doing that and change your conversation, change your conduct, and people after a few weeks are gonna go, what's wrong with you, dude?
SPEAKER_01: What's going on?
SPEAKER_01: You know, you used to talk like this, you used to say this, you used to do this, but but something's changed, and you can say, you know, I I I I I I don't know much, but I just decided that I'm gonna live my life according to what the scripture says, you know.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just I I've tried everything else and it's not working, so I'm gonna try this now.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna choose to to please God rather than trying to please everybody else because that doesn't work.
SPEAKER_01: You know, you make that change and people will notice and you have that opportunity.
SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't take much for people to notice the difference.
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't take much.
SPEAKER_01: I've told you all this before when when I was in high school, I worked at a store in Fair Oaks Mall called Carlin's.
SPEAKER_01: It was a men's clothing store.
SPEAKER_01: Pastor Barry over at Park Valley Church, he worked there with me.
SPEAKER_01: We were friends, we worked there side by side, and uh um, you know, we we didn't we didn't go to work wearing three-piece suits and carrying big Bibles and a pocket full of gospel tracts.
SPEAKER_01: We just went to work and we worked hard.
SPEAKER_01: But there were things about us that were noticeably different.
SPEAKER_01: You know, we didn't we didn't talk the same way, we didn't party like they did.
SPEAKER_01: You know, they'd go out afterwards and they'd go party and Barry and I would go over across the street and go see a movie, you know, at 10 o'clock at night or whatever.
SPEAKER_01: And uh um so so there was nothing drastically different about us, but it was just enough difference that they noticed.
SPEAKER_01: And they would ask us, you know, why don't you do these things?
SPEAKER_01: And we could just tell them, you know, we've chosen to to follow Jesus rather than try to make everybody else happy.
SPEAKER_01: You know, that's that's we said basically told them that.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and that just makes them more curious, and later they they would ask questions like, Well, how do you know that you're going to heaven?
SPEAKER_01: How do you know?
SPEAKER_01: And then we could share the gospel with them, you know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know where any of those guys are now.
SPEAKER_01: We worked, you know, both both of us were there two, three years maybe, uh, worked, you know, summers, we were home for college, we kept working there.
SPEAKER_01: And uh, I don't know where any of those guys are right now, but I know I will see one of them again in heaven because I got a chance to lead him to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: His name is Justin.
SPEAKER_01: And I know one day I'm gonna be walking around heaven and and we're gonna look and go, I are you Justin?
SPEAKER_01: He's go, yeah, are you John?
SPEAKER_01: You know, and and we'll have that moment because I led him to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: You know, and and I wasn't all all I did was talk about talk about what Jesus had done in my life and and lived a life where people just slightly different and people noticed.
SPEAKER_01: That's all it takes.
SPEAKER_01: So, so when people when people see you and see your life, take advantage of those things.
SPEAKER_01: It's they're gonna ask questions and take those opportunities.
SPEAKER_01: Notice those opportunities.
SPEAKER_01: Look for them this week.
SPEAKER_01: You know, the next thing, the fruit of their faith was obvious.
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's kind of hard to argue with the disciples, you know, as the those leaders, it's kind of hard to argue with them when when the guy that's been that was that was lame from birth is standing there going, you know, right there next to him.
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of hard to argue with them.
SPEAKER_01: They all saw it.
SPEAKER_01: The the fruit of their ministry was obvious.
SPEAKER_01: You know, the fruit of your ministry, the fruit of your relationship with Christ should be that obvious.
SPEAKER_01: That God is doing something through your life and you're giving him the glory for it.
SPEAKER_01: And and and, you know, they should see that fruit in your life.
SPEAKER_01: And maybe that fruit looks like something like, you know, you're gonna be honest when everybody else is being dishonest.
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna make the right choice when everybody else is gonna make the wrong choice.
SPEAKER_01: That's that's the fruit of your relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Um, you're gonna prioritize your family and your church, and they're gonna see that.
SPEAKER_01: You're you're gonna decline the invitation to maybe do some things that you know you shouldn't be doing as a follower of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna decline those opportunities.
SPEAKER_01: And and that's the that's the fruit of your relationship with Christ being lived out publicly.
SPEAKER_01: And people are gonna see that.
SPEAKER_01: That's tangible, obvious fruit of your faith in God, and it speaks very loudly.
SPEAKER_01: And it says that the leaders uh sent the apostles out of the chambers to confer and figure out what to do with them.
SPEAKER_01: So they thought, okay, there is no way we can throw these guys in jail or sentence them to death, which was not uncommon for followers of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Um, but but because they had, you know, everybody saw them heal that man, they just knew if we if we sentence these guys, there's gonna be riots.
SPEAKER_01: We know riots are gonna break out.
SPEAKER_01: So they just they just said, we're gonna let you off with a warning.
SPEAKER_01: Here's what they said.
SPEAKER_01: So they called the apostles back in, commanded them to never speak or teach in the name.
SPEAKER_01: Of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: But Peter and John replied, Do you think God, talking to men who are supposed to be representatives of God, said, Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than Him?
SPEAKER_01: Is that what you think?
SPEAKER_01: They were not afraid to stand for what's right.
SPEAKER_01: And I said we'd come back to this.
SPEAKER_01: These guys were leaders.
SPEAKER_01: Now, in in Jerusalem, you know, it was a theocratic government.
SPEAKER_01: It was led by men who said that they were representatives of God, and they were the political and religious leaders, and they led and judged people according to their interpretation of the law of Moses.
SPEAKER_01: Some of it they got right, some of it they got wrong.
SPEAKER_01: Some of it they just made confusing for everybody.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, but that's who they were.
SPEAKER_01: They were the political and religious leaders.
SPEAKER_01: And the captain of the temple guard was probably a Roman officer because Rome had in the wall around it when they built the new temple, when Herod built the new temple, uh, part of the deal was Rome said, you have to have places where Roman officers, Roman soldiers can stand guard and make sure that nothing is going on in that temple that would threaten Caesar or bring shame to Caesar.
SPEAKER_01: So the captain of the temple of the guard was probably a Roman.
SPEAKER_01: And if you look through scripture, throughout scripture, the Bible heroes confronted political leaders.
SPEAKER_01: Abraham stood up to the king of Elam, Moses stood up to Pharaoh, David stood up to King Saul, Elijah stood up to King Ahab, Daniel stood up to Kings Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Cyrus.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus stood before Pilate and Herod.
SPEAKER_01: Paul stood before Nero, Emperor Nero of Rome.
SPEAKER_01: These men stood before political leaders.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm just going to make a statement.
SPEAKER_01: To say that you need to keep your faith and your politics separate is not a biblical statement.
SPEAKER_01: It is not a biblical statement.
SPEAKER_01: Because whatever you do is founded in your faith.
SPEAKER_01: If you really put your faith in Christ and you trust him and you trust his word and be obedient to his word, then everything about that should influence everything about your else about your life, including the choices you make in the voting booth.
SPEAKER_01: And this is not a popular thing to do, but this Tuesday, there is an opportunity for you to stand on the truth of God's word in the voting booth.
SPEAKER_01: And our current leadership in Virginia has has an agenda that is anti-biblical, it is anti-God.
SPEAKER_01: They want to make abortion legal up to the moment of birth.
SPEAKER_01: They want to advance the LGBTQ, transgender, all that.
SPEAKER_01: They want to advance that agenda.
SPEAKER_01: And they want to label publicly made publicly made opposing statements as hate speech.
SPEAKER_01: So everything I just said could be labeled as hate speech if they get their way.
SPEAKER_01: So Tuesday's important.
SPEAKER_01: Tuesday's an important day to walk in there and say, I'm going to stand for what's right.
SPEAKER_01: And I want to encourage you to do that.
SPEAKER_01: It's an important day.
SPEAKER_01: As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to stand up for what's right and speak up for what's right.
SPEAKER_01: I want you to listen to this verse.
SPEAKER_01: Proverbs 31, 8 and 9.
SPEAKER_01: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
SPEAKER_01: Ensure justice for those being crushed.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice.
SPEAKER_01: We are supposed to speak up.
SPEAKER_01: We are supposed to be involved in standing firm on the Word of God and not be afraid to do what God has told us to do just to please those that are telling us something else.
SPEAKER_01: Just like the disciples said, do you think we're supposed to do what God wants us to do or what you want us to do?
SPEAKER_01: That's our responsibility.
SPEAKER_01: 37 years ago, a young man in Tanyman Square, China, some of you remember the picture.
SPEAKER_01: He's standing with a tank right in front of him.
SPEAKER_01: And he said, I'm not moving.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not giving in to this tyranny.
SPEAKER_01: And he stood there.
SPEAKER_01: Nobody knows what happened to that man, but that young man started a movement that made changes, that affected.
SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of people lost their lives, but it made changes.
SPEAKER_01: For a decade, Charlie Kirk stood before, stood publicly and proclaimed, This is truth.
SPEAKER_01: This is truth.
SPEAKER_01: And he lost his life less than a year ago.
SPEAKER_01: And that started a movement.
SPEAKER_01: That started a revival.
SPEAKER_01: So when you stand, when you stand for what you know is right, and you stand on the word of God, uncompromisingly stand on the word of God, people notice.
SPEAKER_01: And it starts a movement.
SPEAKER_01: It might be a small movement in your family.
SPEAKER_01: It might be a small movement at work.
SPEAKER_01: It might be a small movement at school.
SPEAKER_01: Teenagers, you can have a huge impact on your school by standing for what's right, publicly standing for what's right, and saying, I'm not doing that because my faith, my God, and the word of God says I shouldn't do that, so I'm not going to do it.
SPEAKER_01: You have an obligation, according to God's Word, to stand on what's right and to do it publicly.
SPEAKER_01: And that is fishing for people also.
SPEAKER_01: There is fishing for people one-on-one, being kind, being loving, sharing your faith, sharing what God has done in your life, giving them hope.
SPEAKER_01: But there is fishing for people that says, I'm going to stand for what's right.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm going to be part of a movement, part of a revival that says, I'm going to make Jesus more important than everything else.
SPEAKER_01: So here's a challenge this week.
SPEAKER_01: Here's the last challenge.
SPEAKER_01: All of you were given a piece of paper when you came in.
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I want you to take that out.
SPEAKER_01: Take out a pen.
SPEAKER_01: If you don't have a pen, lift your hands and one of our ushers or somebody will come by and toss you a pen.
unknown: Okay?
SPEAKER_01: But here's what I want you to do.
SPEAKER_01: I want you to write your name at the top.
SPEAKER_01: Just your first name is fine.
SPEAKER_01: Just put your first name on it.
SPEAKER_01: And then I want you to write the name of one person at the bottom.
SPEAKER_01: And if somebody that you think that person needs to know the truth.
SPEAKER_01: That person needs to know that there is hope.
SPEAKER_01: I want you to write their first name on the bottom.
SPEAKER_01: And here's what we're going to do.
SPEAKER_01: In a minute, I'm going to ask you to come up and put those cards on this ledge up here.
SPEAKER_01: Walk down, put the cards on this ledge up here.
SPEAKER_01: Then we're going to take those cards, and members of our prayer team and our staff, we're going to take these cards and we're going to pray over these people.
SPEAKER_01: And here's what we're going to pray.
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're we're not just going to pray that that person gets saved, the person at the bottom of the card.
SPEAKER_01: We're going to pray for the person at the top of the card.
SPEAKER_01: We're going to pray for you that you would have the opportunity, that you would watch for the opportunity with that person to share the hope that you have in Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And for some of you, that's a tough thing.
SPEAKER_01: That's a bold thing, but God can give you that boldness.
SPEAKER_01: You know, in 1 John says that that God, God is greater than any feelings that you have, and He knows everything.
SPEAKER_01: So if fear is keeping you from doing that, God knows that you're fearful, and He's greater than that.
SPEAKER_01: So you can just walk right past that fear and you can start that conversation with someone.
SPEAKER_01: So your name at the top, their name at the bottom, and we're going to pray for those people all week.
SPEAKER_01: So so after you've done that, I want you to, I just want you to get up.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if there's music playing, but if there's not, that's fine.
SPEAKER_01: Just get up, walk up here, and put it on the thing here, and then our prayer team is going to come and get it.
SPEAKER_01: This is where it's got to start.
SPEAKER_01: It's got to start with the people of this church talking about Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: To people that don't know Jesus, whether it's inviting him to church or telling him what God has done in your life, that's how it happens.
SPEAKER_01: And when the whole church steps up, we have an impact on the community.
SPEAKER_01: We see people come to know Christ.
SPEAKER_01: We see people give their heart to Christ.
SPEAKER_01: And prayer is powerful.
SPEAKER_01: You know, somebody prayed with Kim in the ambulance yesterday, and immediately she got relief.
SPEAKER_01: I talked to another Marin in the hospital in Fairfax Hospital.
SPEAKER_01: She said she was going through anxiety and stuff, and she just stopped and she prayed.
SPEAKER_01: Immediately the anxiety was gone.
SPEAKER_01: Prayer is powerful.
SPEAKER_01: So we want to pray for these people.
SPEAKER_01: But if you're here today and you're thinking, my name probably ought to be at the bottom of that because I haven't given my heart to Christ yet.
SPEAKER_01: You just know you've never made that decision to follow Jesus, that's where it has to start.
SPEAKER_01: That's where it starts.
SPEAKER_01: That revival that we're talking about, the movement that you think, oh, I'd love to start a movement like that.
SPEAKER_01: It's got to start here.
SPEAKER_01: And if you've never accepted Christ as your savior, today's the day.
SPEAKER_01: Today is the day.
SPEAKER_01: Don't put it off.
SPEAKER_01: Don't wait for two white robed men to walk up to you and go, what are you waiting for?
SPEAKER_01: Today's the day.
SPEAKER_01: So let me have every head bowed and every eye closed.
SPEAKER_01: If you've never accepted Jesus as your Savior, and I know most of you in this room have, and you've given your heart to Christ and you're trusting Him for eternity, but I also know there's some people here that have not.
SPEAKER_01: Don't put it off one more day.
SPEAKER_01: Nobody has a promise of tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01: So don't put it off one more day.
SPEAKER_01: Today, say, I'm going to give my heart to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And it's as simple as praying and telling God that you are going to trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for your salvation.
SPEAKER_01: You're going to trust in his shed blood for the forgiveness of your sin so that you can spend eternity in heaven.
SPEAKER_01: And you can talk to him however you want.
SPEAKER_01: But if you struggle putting putting that into words, then you can just say something like this say, Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you that he paid the penalty for my sin on the cross.
SPEAKER_01: Because I could never earn it, I could never deserve it.
SPEAKER_01: So thank you that Jesus paid for that, paid the price for my sin.
SPEAKER_01: So today I choose to trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for my salvation, and trust in the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of my sin.
SPEAKER_01: I ask you to forgive me of my sin, to cleanse me, and to save me.
SPEAKER_01: And if you just prayed that, then the Bible says that you have crossed from death to life.
SPEAKER_01: You have eternal life.
SPEAKER_01: If you prayed that in mental, if you prayed it just to repeat a prayer, this isn't about repeating prayers.
SPEAKER_01: This is about this is about giving your heart to Christ, responding to the call of the Holy Spirit and saying, I'm gonna follow Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: So if you did that, you have crossed from death to life.
SPEAKER_01: You now have eternity in your future.
SPEAKER_01: You have a home in heaven because of that decision.
SPEAKER_01: And nothing can change that.
SPEAKER_01: If you're here today and and and you know, you feel like, you know what, I'm not where I should be spiritually.
SPEAKER_01: I've got sin that's kicking my butt, I've got anxiety, I've got fears, I've got all these things that are just keeping me from being the man or the woman God's called me to be.
SPEAKER_01: You know, that movement starts with you.
SPEAKER_01: And this is a good time to stop and and say, Gotta repent of my sin.
SPEAKER_01: Help me to to to live for you.
SPEAKER_01: Help me to to give my heart to you.
SPEAKER_01: Help me to to to live in purity.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, help me to trust you more, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01: Just pray that right now.
SPEAKER_01: And let me pray for you.
SPEAKER_01: God, thank you, Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, for anyone that may have accepted Christ as their Savior.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I pray that that you would just bless them.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, help them to help help your son to become so real to them, so real in their life, that you that they understand uh the decision they've made to follow you, Lord, that they understand your word, and Lord, that they would just grow every day to be more and more like Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Surround them with people that will encourage them to do that.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I pray for people that that uh are just hurting right now, people that are are confessing sin, people that are repenting, people that are seeking your face because of of uh fear and anxiety or health issues, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01: God, we we just pray for all of those people.
SPEAKER_01: Meet them at the point of their need today.
SPEAKER_01: So with heads bowed and eyes closed, if you just prayed this morning to receive Christ as your Savior, would you do me a favor and lift your hand and let me know that you did?
SPEAKER_01: Okay, if you prayed this morning, I want you to do two brave things.
SPEAKER_01: First, tell somebody, tell somebody that you accepted Christ.
SPEAKER_01: You can come and tell me.
SPEAKER_01: You can come and tell one of our prayer leaders down front here or prayer leaders in the back.
SPEAKER_01: Let them know.
SPEAKER_01: And and and then grab a black bag on your way out.
SPEAKER_01: There's some information in there.
SPEAKER_01: There's a Bible and some things that'll help you in your journey.
SPEAKER_01: If you if you need prayer this morning, our prayer team is here.
SPEAKER_01: There's uh four of them down here in the front, and it looks like there's three or four in the back.
SPEAKER_01: They all have lanyards on that say prayer team.
SPEAKER_01: So uh you can you can uh seek one of them out for prayer and uh uh spend some time talking with them this morning.
SPEAKER_01: That's what they're here for.
SPEAKER_01: Let's pray together.
SPEAKER_01: God, thank you so much for your love for us.
SPEAKER_01: God, thank you for what you're doing in family church and through family church.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, thank thank you that that that you designed the church to be a family, God, and and people that that don't have a family can come here and instantly have a family.
SPEAKER_01: And people that that that uh uh just need need other believers in their life.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, you you have given us a family through your church.
SPEAKER_01: And so, Lord, help us to be diligent about being part of the family as we take care of those who have needs.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, help us to be diligent at at building the family of God by sharing hope and sharing truth with other people.
SPEAKER_01: God, we we just pray for every name that was written down this morning.
SPEAKER_01: Pray for the the name on the top, give them courage, give them give them wisdom, help them to recognize this week, help them this week to recognize an opportunity to somehow share the hope they have in Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And Lord, we don't know how it'll be taken, we don't know what you will do with that down the road, but Lord, give us the boldness to take that opportunity when we see it and say, Here's why I have hope in Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I pray for the person on the bottom of that card.
SPEAKER_01: I pray that you would, even right now, wherever they are, Lord, begin to soften their heart, begin to reveal to them their need for a savior.
SPEAKER_01: And Lord, do it, do a miraculous work in their heart.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, tear down walls, tear down any any uh preconceived ideas that they have about church and Christianity and religion.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, just just remove all of those barriers so that they can meet Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And Lord, we ask all of this in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to Family Church's Sermon of the Week.
SPEAKER_00: We pray this message to encourage you to help you grow in your faith.
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SPEAKER_00: You can hear more at Family Church at my family church.
SPEAKER_00: If you pray.