WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.040 Alright, well, if you would get your Bibles open to Acts chapter five. 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:14.400 Acts chapter five, as we continue to uh to move along through the book of Acts as we see the church uh get built up and uh and started. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:20.800 And um back at the very beginning of Acts, the very first message that we looked at, Luke starts off his book. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:25.920 Luke is the author here, he starts off by showing us that God has a plan. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:40.240 Okay, God has a plan to establish his kingdom, his reign through the local church, as the local church is built up and grows and then expands all across the globe. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:54.079 And uh that involves seeing people get saved, seeing people get discipled, and then get on mission as the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed boldly and as the Holy Spirit supplies the power. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:56.560 Okay, that's in a nutshell what the plan is. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:03.200 Now, through uh five chapters so far, uh we've seen all of those things start to happen, haven't we? 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:09.920 We've seen the church starting to grow and people are getting added to it, and we see the Holy Spirit moving in power and all these amazing things uh happening. 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:13.040 Uh, but at the same time, we've noticed this as well. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:18.400 There's been some serious pushback to all of that, hasn't there? 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:19.439 Uh big time. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.959 And of course, it's coming from those who oppose Jesus. 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:30.480 They oppose the apostles, they opposed the gospel, they oppose all of these plans uh taking place. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:40.719 And it it and seemingly uh these people involved in this pushback will stop at nothing to overthrow the entire operation. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:46.239 That is becoming more clear and more clear that that is their uh game plan. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:02:01.680 Okay, but what we're uh gonna see here this morning is, I believe, a powerful reminder that God's plan to establish his kingdom will not, okay, cannot be overthrown. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:02.959 It can't. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:07.519 And I think it's such an important passage, I mean they all are, right? 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:12.479 But it's such an important passage for you and I, for all of us to believe. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:19.280 Okay, because there are times, if we're honest, where those beliefs that we have about that are tested. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:40.719 They're pressed, okay, where there seems to be so much resistance against us, against the church, and in areas of our own personal walk with the Lord, uh, so much so that we can honestly, I think, be tempted to wonder: is God prevailing at all? 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:42.960 Is he working? 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:44.879 Is he is he moving? 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:49.919 Is he actually establishing his kingdom in my life and in our church? 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:54.879 Okay, perhaps you have felt that way uh even lately. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.400 I will confess and admit to you that I certainly have at times, uh for sure. 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:11.759 But let's just take a look at uh this passage now and see what God has to say about these things and find and draw some real encouragement for us as we think about this and go from here today. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:17.520 So this is picking it up part way through the story we started last week, chapter 5, starting in verse 33. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:18.479 Follow along. 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:22.800 It says, When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:32.879 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamalael, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:39.520 And he said to them, the Sanhedrin, Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do to these men. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:46.560 For before these days Phaedis rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.199 He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:57.840 After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:02.000 He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:07.759 So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.439 For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:18.959 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.319 You might even be found opposing God. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:24.399 So they took his advice. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:32.000 And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:40.000 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:49.600 And every day in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:54.319 Lord, we again, as we do every week, we thank you for your word. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.120 Lord, we thank you for the clarity that comes from it. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:00.959 Lord, we thank you for the encouragement that can come from it, Lord. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:06.240 We thank you so much, God, for the fact that it can change our lives. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:26.560 God, I pray that you would uh show us that your kingdom can't be overthrown. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:28.560 It's never going to. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:30.160 No chance, no way. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:31.839 You will build your church. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:33.360 God, encourage us in these things. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:35.519 Lord, I really pray that, Lord, today. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.199 Encourage anybody who might be struggling in this in some manner. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:40.480 God, would you do it? 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:42.319 We pray in your name. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:43.279 Amen. 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:44.319 Amen. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:06:01.519 Now, uh one of the reasons that I think you and I tend to struggle or have a hard time truly believing and having genuine confidence that God's plans cannot fail is because we see we see our plans collapse all the time. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:08.319 And because we see our plans and our desires kind of fall apart and stuff like that, I think we often think, like, well, maybe God's plans are kind of like that. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.000 Can can I really trust him? 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:10.480 Right? 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:17.759 And we we wouldn't necessarily say that, but that I think is what's lurking in the bedrock of our hearts and our souls at times. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.839 Okay, let me give you a couple of examples here. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:24.560 Just this past Monday, um, my son Wyatt and I planned on going and playing a round of golf. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:28.240 So we had this plan, like this day, this dad's and due day, okay? 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:30.240 We're gonna get together and go out and play. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.439 Well, uh, we got chased off the course, didn't we, buddy? 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:37.040 On the first hole because of thunder and lightning. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:41.279 Okay, so our plans are shot and we're back home, like eating ramen noodles, right? 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:42.879 Like, so much for that plan. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:45.360 Now, that one isn't that much of a serious plan. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.920 Of course, I can get much more serious than that. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:58.240 Perhaps you planned on getting engaged, and in the plan and in the discussion of all of that, it somehow, in some way, uh turned into a breakup. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:07.120 Or you plan to buy a house or or buy a car, but before you know it, you've been let go for by the company. 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:18.480 Or you have all kinds of exciting plans about the future that you can't wait to get to, only to have that very future called into question because of the doctor's diagnosis. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:25.040 Again, our plans, and they vary, they can they can definitely be overthrown, can't they? 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:26.000 They really can. 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:31.199 But God's plan, okay, that God's plan for his church, God's plan for his kingdom. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:33.120 Never, never. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:41.839 Okay, even though sometimes with our very limited human vantage points, it can seem like it, right? 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:47.279 It can seem like the whole thing is falling apart, which definitely brings us to our first thing here today. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:56.959 Okay, God's plans to establish his kingdom cannot be overthrown, though intense opposition might make it seem like it's crumbling. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:05.920 Alright, so our verses today pick up the final part of the story that we began last week, where the apostles they had been arrested again. 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:07.920 Okay, this is becoming a common theme, isn't it? 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:20.240 They've been arrested, they were put in prison, and then you remember God sends the angel to open up the prison doors, and and and they just walk right out of there, and he tells them, go and continue to proclaim Christ in the temple. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:22.399 And so that's the very thing that they do the next day. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:38.080 And the Sanhedrin, the religious council, the Jewish leadership, they they find out about this and they're wondering what's going on, and so they kind of carefully bring the apostles back and they and they grill them and they they challenge them on this and they tell them, hey, listen, like, do not proclaim Jesus. 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:43.440 And the apostles' response to it is like, yeah, thanks for the tip on that, but uh, we're just gonna continue to do that. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:45.120 They're very they're very bold in it. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:48.159 They're like, they do not back down from sharing the gospel. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:50.720 Okay, which brings us now to our verse, verse 33. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:53.120 Take a look at with me at it with me again. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:03.039 It says, when they, this is the council, when they heard this, that the apostles were not gonna back down, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:09.519 Now, if you read that and you're like, that seems extreme, um, that's because it is. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:10.960 That's that's very extreme. 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:12.639 That is not normal behavior. 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:13.120 Okay? 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:32.320 But you see here that that God is is working powerfully to establish his kingdom, and yet at the same time, what's going with along with that is is this opposition, and that opposition is just intensifying, isn't it? 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:34.559 It's getting, again, more extreme. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:43.519 Okay, so for you and I, we have to realize this as we think about our own lives, that that these two things very much uh go hand in hand. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:57.039 Okay, because as believers, we really have to learn to identify and then reject the thinking and that false belief that opposition to God's work means that his work or his plans uh must be crumbling. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:59.120 Okay, it must be falling apart. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.120 Because that's just simply not true. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.120 Okay, we've got to reject that. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:09.519 Remember, that the Christian life, this the spiritual life, it is it is a war. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.000 Okay, it is a a battle. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:18.320 Okay, God is at work, but so are the forces of Satan. 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:22.960 Okay, Satan hates what's happening, he he's fighting against all of that. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:31.120 Okay, we know that our flesh, that that part that is yet to be fully sanctified, our flesh is fighting against what God wants in in our own lives, right? 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:38.639 Our flesh fights that, the world, I mean, the world's values are completely and directly opposed to what God is going for. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:40.480 We have to understand that. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:57.600 And so when you and I, when we pray for God to do something, when we ask him to move in power, or when we commit our lives to him in the service of Jesus and the church, listen, we've we've got to learn to just expect, to adjust our expectations, to understand that opposition is just gonna happen. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:59.679 It's gonna be part of the program. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.000 And that's exactly what's happening here in these verses. 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:09.440 Okay, this very influential and very powerful group of Jewish leaders. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:13.840 I mean, these guys were tied into the politicians, these guys, these guys had sway, okay? 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:20.240 This group, the Sanhedrin, they're essentially channeling their inner death squad at this point. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:25.679 And they're like, we're coming after them, which is of course what they did when Jesus stood up to them, right? 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:45.200 And so now they've got their their sights set on the church, they've got their sights set on these apostles specifically, which again, from a from a human standpoint, imagine just being one of the disciples here in this, as all these exciting things are happening, from a certain angle, this appeared to be quite bleak for them. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:49.519 They would have been thinking, man, these guys, this council, they've done this before. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.879 They killed Jesus, and and now they're they're coming after us. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:07.039 But again, we know that even in this opposition and how bad that it got for them at times, it was all in line with God's plan to uh to further establish his kingdom. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:20.399 And so again, it's crucial for you and I to see these things and see our own experiences of opposition through God's eyes, according to the scriptures, and really choose to believe it, right? 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:34.720 Believe that God is actually working, even when, you know, with our human understanding, it seems like everything is kind of crumbling and falling apart all around us, or when we can't see the good things that God is doing because it's more behind the scenes. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:38.320 Listen, we've got to understand, God cannot fail. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:40.639 He cannot, he will not. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:49.519 Now, interestingly enough, it's actually someone on this very council who seems to have at least some recognition of this. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:51.120 Take a look at verse 34. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:55.919 It says, But a Pharisee in the council named Gamalael, okay, who's this guy? 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:03.600 Well, history tells us that Gamalael, he was the most noteworthy uh rabbi of the Pharisees uh during this day. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.919 He was actually the same guy that that taught the apostle Paul. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:08.559 You remember him? 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.360 We're gonna see lots of him in the book of Acts as we as we go. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.480 He taught Paul in the tradition of the Pharisees. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:19.279 Okay, so Gamalael, it says, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.120 So he's this highly respected guy. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:27.519 It says that he stood up and gave orders to put the men, the apostles, outside for a little while. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:32.799 And this is so that the council could could talk together privately, okay? 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.000 Verse 35. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:35.600 This is what he says to them. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:41.840 He says, Men of Israel, take care or be careful what you're about to do with these men. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:51.200 For before these days, Thaedis, not sure if I'm getting that pronunciation right, but Thaedis rose up, and Thaedis is a guy we don't really know anything about in history. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:56.960 Okay, but he rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about 400, joined him. 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:02.159 He was killed, and and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:11.919 Verse 37, it says, After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:18.559 Now, the the Jewish historian uh Josephus actually did write about this Judas. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:30.879 It's not Iscariot, that's the Judas that we are most familiar with, but but this other Judas, it was a common name, uh, he was known to have led this tax revolt during the census that happened in A.D. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:31.200 uh. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:31.679 six. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.080 Okay, so he was a known guy at the time, he's known now. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:40.240 Okay, and then he says, if you keep going in verse 37, he too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:15:03.600 Okay, so so Gamalael, he's giving us two examples here of these leader type guys who who had a strong voice and had a strong opinion and did some things to garner some followership, and and and they created a ruckus of of differing types, but but their movements, their plans ultimately were frustrated and came to nothing. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:05.440 They fell flat. 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:07.360 Okay, keep going, verse 38. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:13.200 Gameleel says, So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:18.720 For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:20.399 Okay, so you see what he's saying here? 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.879 He's like, guys, don't get too worked up about these disciples at this point. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:28.399 Okay, we've seen this song and dance before. 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:37.759 We've seen guys like this rise up, we've we've seen a lot of you know excitement and passion only for the whole thing to completely fall apart. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:49.840 He's like, if this is what we think it is, a bunch of worked men twisting the law and falsely claiming that this Jesus guy is the Messiah, then the whole thing will eventually just fall apart, like these other two guys I just mentioned. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:53.919 It's gonna fall apart on its own, so be careful what you do here. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:58.879 That's the first part of Gamalael's advice. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:08.399 Which, if you think about it, it's actually incredibly ironic, considering that it's the it's him, it's the Jews, it's the it's the Sanhedrin whose plan is actually the undertaking of man. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:13.360 Theirs is the plan that's actually crumbling and falling apart. 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:18.720 They have no hope of overthrowing what God plans to establish. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:29.519 And though they're on the wrong side of this, Gamala, he does seem to have or you know, realize that God's plans are unstoppable. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:31.759 He he gets that part of it. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:41.840 And he seems to kind of leave the door open, maybe just a crack, right, for you know, for the possibility that maybe God is in some ways working through these apostles. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:43.919 You know, verse 39. 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:51.519 He continues, he says, but if it is of God, here's where we see it, you will not be able to overthrow them. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:55.039 You might even be found opposing God. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:59.279 Okay, so you hear all that, and you're like, where does Gamala stand exactly? 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.200 Isn't this guy a like a Pharisee? 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.440 And like, where where is he? 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.720 Well, again, at the end of the day, we don't totally know where his heart was at. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.359 We're not exactly uh told here. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:36.480 Most people think that, yeah, I mean he's definitely a hardcore Pharisee, and which means he was opposed to Christianity in general, and and he was sharing these things to actually protect his own interest, self-interest, and the interest of the council, because if they were if if they were to go and just rage hardcore and go kill these apostles and these disciples, then it would absolutely blow any sway that they had with the people, because the people so appreciated the apostles and what God was doing to them. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:41.119 So there is likely some self-protection that's going on here. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:49.440 But again, maybe he is leaving some room for the slight chance that the apostles were right and that God was at work through them. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:54.400 Okay, but in the end here, it says there, if you continue, that they took his advice. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:04.799 Verse 40 now, and when they called in the apostles, they they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:20.559 Alright, so Gamala succeeds in stopping them from flying off the handle and killing them, but that's not before giving them a beating, and then as we know, fruitlessly trying to dissuade them from speaking about Jesus. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:30.799 Okay, now as you kind of think about this and you absorb it, you take it all in, two main takeaways that that I think would be good for you to chew on this week. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:47.599 Okay, first of all, just in line with what we've been saying already, just the encouragement and and the reminder that just because things might appear as though God's plans are crumbling, that his kingdom itself is being overthrown, uh that's just simply never the case. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.160 Just be encouraged by that. 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:57.599 What you see and what you feel emotionally and what you're experiencing, it may not actually be reality. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:04.319 In fact, it's not reality if you believe that the kingdom itself is falling apart and God's plans are failing. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:13.759 I mean, I was just talking to somebody in our church somewhat recently who's experiencing an awful lot of opposition just for simply believing what Christians have believed for 2,000 years. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:24.319 And so-called Christian friends bailing on their faith and accusing them of all kinds of things and losing family relationships and all kinds of difficulty that they are experiencing. 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:26.799 Maybe you're experiencing some of that opposition as well. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:37.119 So encouraging to chat with these folks, though, and just hear them say, but at the same time, as hard as this has been, it's just amazing what God is doing and the encouragement that we that we feel in this, right? 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:44.640 And so they're sensing, yeah, it's hard and there's opposition, but but the Lord's kingdom is being established, our hearts are being transformed, and we're being used in different ways. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:46.880 I mean, how amazing is that? 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:53.200 I think kind of another, maybe kind of different angle to look at this is just the whole COVID pandemic. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:20:12.000 I think it's very easy to look at that and the fact that you know we were online for how X you know number of months, and and and now there's all these restrictions and some of them kind of annoying that we have to kind of put into place in order to be able to meet in person and and all of that, that that can like from a certain angle make it look like the church is falling apart. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:13.279 I mean, my hand is up. 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:19.119 How many of us felt like disconnected from the whole operation over the last six months or so? 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:19.680 Absolutely. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:23.920 And you can have and it starts to creep in, like, oh no, is is the whole thing failing? 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:52.880 I mean, I was just recently uh hearing that George Barna, if you've heard of him, uh, he is part of the Barna group and they do different stats on trends that are happening in in evangelical circles, and he did a massive um questionnaire to uh believers and churches and pastors and all of that, and basically found out that uh what was going on in the church during the season of being online as we are. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:58.000 And I think his numbers kind of for me helped quantify what I was already sensing to be the case. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:03.200 He said about a third of your church, okay, a third of your church is there with you. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:03.680 Right? 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:14.960 They're they're in, they're they're tracking online, they're coming when they can in person as they're able to, they're giving, they're doing all of that, and and they are they're they're they're they're there, they're they're locked in. 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:17.039 That's a third of your church. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:34.160 Yeah, another third of your church, he said, uh, based on people's responses to this poll that he did, um, are now kind of church shopping essentially and and watching other sermons from other pastors and other churches, and they're not tracking with with with what's going on in their own local church. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.240 That's a whole third of your church that's doing that. 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:38.079 They're pretty unplugged. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:44.799 And then the remaining third of your church are just completely disconnected completely from everything. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:54.480 They're not reading emails, they're not watching sermons, they're not plugging in with the kids' ministry, they're but they're not doing that anywhere else either. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:57.440 They're just kind of in the wind somewhere. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:57.920 Right? 00:21:58.079 --> 00:21:59.759 And all of these people pulled were were people. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.400 Who profess Jesus Christ and I belong to and love my local church. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:16.079 And so you think about some of these stats here, and again, from a human standpoint, you're thinking, man, this the church is getting decimated. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.039 Right? 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:18.799 And this is a problem. 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:24.240 And I believe wholeheartedly, I've said this to some, and I'll keep saying it. 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:29.119 I think the Lord is using this time to stir up his church. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:33.039 I think the Lord is using this to test his people. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:38.480 I think he's using this time to see who are the pretenders and who are all in. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.079 And personally, I think that is that's awesome. 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:44.000 I think that's a great thing. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:48.720 I think so much of North American Christianity makes me want to gag. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:58.160 So much of it is just I'm gonna show up and kind of be there and look the part, but for the most part, honestly, if you start to peel back the layers, I'm not really in at all. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:05.279 And so when we're tested in the ways that this pandemic has tested us, some are just like, I'm I'm out. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.759 I think that that's good. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.559 It saddens me, don't get me wrong. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.200 At times it's even frustrating. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:16.960 But it's a good thing because the Lord is is working. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:31.279 He's working in the lives of his elect, he's working in the lives of those who know and love Jesus Christ, and he's refining us, and he's continuing to build his kingdom, even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it. 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:33.039 Do we believe that? 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:38.400 Let's find encouragement and let's remind ourselves of these things this week. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.240 Okay, so I said two main takeaways. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:40.960 That's the first one. 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:45.759 Here's the second one, and this is, again, coming from a completely different angle here. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:56.319 But I think the second thing for us to consider is that maybe the intense opposition that you're experiencing is actually from the Lord. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:58.559 You ever thought about that? 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:09.519 Perhaps the resistance that you're facing is because we actually fall more into the Sanhedrin's way of thinking in certain ways. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:11.839 Do you think that could be true of yourself? 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:18.720 Where our undertaking and our whole approach is actually more of man than it is of the Lord, as Gamel Ale puts it. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:23.440 Meaning that perhaps we're not truly committed to the Lord's plans. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:29.359 We're actually more committed to our own and our own glory and our own comforts and our own whatever. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:41.519 And the Lord, in his love and in his grace, and because he knows what's best, he's actually working in your life to frustrate your plans. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:52.960 He's working to crumble your mini self-serving kingdom and your plans as his way to get after your heart. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:25:02.079 As his way to show you that he is Lord and you are not, that he is on the throne and you are not, that his ways are always best. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:06.640 Let's remember that his plans are what you and I have been called to. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:08.720 End of story. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:09.599 Right? 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:16.079 That's what we're called to get on board with, that's what we're called to spend our lives carrying out. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:20.000 God's kingdom will be established one way or the other. 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:21.440 You can count on that. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:29.759 It'll certainly get messy at times, it will be hard, it will be draining, it will be discouraging, it will be frustrating, certainly all of it. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:31.119 But it will not be overthrown. 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:32.720 God's kingdom will not be. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:37.839 Even if it's us, we're the opposition to all of that. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:40.240 He will never be stopped. 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:43.039 Last thing here, second thing. 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:47.200 God's plan to establish his kingdom cannot be overthrown. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:52.160 So let's rejoice in being worthy of suffering and keep proclaiming Christ. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:56.319 I just love how this is totally the mentality of the apostles here. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:58.400 Verse 41, take a look with me. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:05.200 It says, Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:06.559 That's the name of Jesus. 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:18.000 And every day, notice in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ, the Messiah, is Jesus. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:37.200 Listen, as the Lord begins to take over more real estate in your heart, and he becomes the object of your affection and he becomes the thing that you love most, and you're drawn into him more and serving him and obeying him. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:45.200 Listen, don't be scur discouraged at all by the presence of opposition and suffering that comes as a result. 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:46.480 Don't be discouraged by that. 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:50.400 Notice how these these believers, they're not discouraged. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:51.680 Not at all. 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:55.359 Their zeal hasn't shrunk even a touch. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:58.559 In fact, you see, it's the exact, it's the exact opposite. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:00.960 It says that they actually rejoiced. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:01.920 Do you see that word? 00:27:02.079 --> 00:27:04.960 That rejoice, just uh word rejoice just means to be glad. 00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:12.640 Okay, they were they were glad to go through the experience of all of this because it was a sign to them that they were on the right path. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:15.599 They were doing the right things. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:26.079 Jesus had already promised his disciples when he was still on earth with them, that that if his people hated him, they're gonna hate his followers too. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:29.440 That's all from John chapter 15. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:39.519 Okay, so in this case here, they're they're able to legitimately rejoice, not because they enjoyed pain, like, yeah, bring on more of that, that's fun. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:45.279 That's not what it is, but because they knew that they were living in line with God's will. 00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:47.440 And to them, there's like nothing sweeter than that. 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:59.119 Have you been in that point where it's like it's hard, but but you know you're you're you're the Lord is allowing you by grace to be faithful and to follow him, and there's that sweetness and there's that joy in the midst of the difficulty? 00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:02.799 I mean, that's where that's where these guys were living. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:13.279 Which made them, of course, targets, okay, worthy of the kind of suffering, the kind of opposition that Christ himself faced. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:22.079 So, hey, listen, if you're suffering for faithful obedience to the Lord, realize that it's that's actually a really good thing. 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:24.720 Because it means that you're in the game. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:29.279 It means that by God's grace, you're making a difference. 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:35.599 God's kingdom is being established in you and through you, and that is incredible. 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:40.000 Listen, as a pastor, I gotta remind myself of those things all the time. 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:49.279 You know, as I sense opposition, and at times there's there's suffering, and sometimes it feels like it's all too much, and it's discouraging, and disappointing, and frustrating, and all of that. 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:51.839 It gets messy, it's just easy to get down. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.799 I gotta remind myself of that, but that's not just a pastor thing to remind themselves of. 00:28:57.039 --> 00:28:59.759 That's something all of us have to remember. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:17.839 I mean, what an exciting thing, what a what a joyful thing to know that the difficulty and the hardships and the challenges, that the suffering dishonor for the name, as it says here, can actually be viewed and experienced as this sweet, sweet thing. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:23.759 Christ was worthy of the suffering for serving the will of his father. 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:35.759 We're worthy of it when we serve that same will, that same plan, which which motivates us then to continue to keep proclaiming him. 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:40.799 Preaching and teaching that the Christ is Jesus, as it says, right? 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:42.000 Just as these guys did. 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:57.519 And that is what we as believers, that is what we as a church will continue to declare, no matter how hard this gets, that Jesus is the one who died for our sin. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:01.839 That he offers you and I forgiveness, right? 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:11.680 He offers you and I this restored, perfected relationship with our creator that we have done nothing but but make a mess of. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:13.279 The Lord restores it. 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:18.799 He does it by his blood, and he gives us our salvation as a gift of grace. 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:22.319 And I would just say, if you have not done that, do it today. 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:24.319 Respond to the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:31.920 Know that He wants to save you from sin, He wants to forgive you for all of your sin, all of it that is ultimately against the God who made you. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:34.400 He wants you to be spared from the punishment. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:34.720 Why? 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:39.839 Well, because he already took your punishment for himself on the cross when he was crucified. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.200 Would you believe that? 00:30:41.359 --> 00:30:42.640 Would you believe that that is for you? 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:48.880 Would you just humbly admit your brokenness and trust in Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:53.599 As I always say, if you have questions about that, hey, can you unpack that a little bit more for me? 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.640 Just come find me. 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:55.359 We'll talk. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:58.400 We'll pray, we'll work through it together. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:07.359 But listen, as a church, let's really work this week to encourage each other to just keep standing. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:11.359 To keep proclaiming Jesus. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:31.680 If someone that you know here in our church is is kind of down about these things and discouraged or maybe even complaining about the suffering that they're experiencing as a Christ follower, just remind them again, this is simply what Christ has promised would happen. 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:36.640 Remind them that He is with them in the midst of it. 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:45.200 And again, all of it is actually a really good sign that they're being used by the Lord to establish his kingdom. 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:45.839 Right? 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:49.599 A kingdom that will never, ever, ever be overthrown. 00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:51.359 Let's pray. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:16.960 God, I pray that truly we would be filled with joy, Lord, that we would rejoice in the reality of suffering, meaning that you are at work, that you are building the kingdom, that the opposition is all part of it. 00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:26.960 Father, I pray that supernaturally you would fill us, you would you would strengthen our weary bones, Lord, our uh steal our spines where we are fearful. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:35.200 Or get our eyes off of our own wants and our own desires and on to you and what you want and what you desire. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:41.279 Lord, continue to push us, your church, your followers, forward, Father. 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:46.880 We pray that graciously you would show us how your kingdom is being built here. 00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:52.240 Lord, I pray that you would show us that you are sanctifying us and you are transforming us, Lord. 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:56.000 Encourage us in these things as it's again very easy to get down. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:01.680 Lord, I pray that we would see that nothing will overthrow your planet. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:03.119 Nothing. 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:07.279 Help us to believe that. 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:14.559 Root this truth deep down in our hearts that we may live according to it. 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:18.160 We pray all these things in your name. 00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:19.119 Amen.