WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:10.400 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:14.720 Well, welcome to Awakening Church. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:18.960 My name's Ryan, and we're absolutely thrilled to have you join us today. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:23.600 Uh, we're kicking off a brand new series called Future Church. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:24.800 And isn't it true? 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:30.160 The shape of the church has just radically changed in the last year. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:38.320 And it feels like everything we thought, you know, about life, spirituality, and church has just been uh altered. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.679 It's been um, you know, brought into question. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:47.920 And we want to wrestle with this question uh what does or what is the future of the church? 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:51.439 Like, where is this thing headed? 00:00:51.759 --> 00:01:00.399 And maybe to ask even perhaps a better question, how do we return to God's design for his church? 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:10.159 And for us to answer those questions, we actually have to go back to the early church and how the church began. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:22.799 And here's what's amazing: as we look back at how the church began, it will inform and tell us what is the future for us and how we're to move forward today. 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:25.359 It's the future of the church. 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:30.959 And this is a series then that we're gonna be diving in and studying the book of Acts. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:35.359 In fact, we're gonna spend uh the entire spring studying the book of Acts. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.560 We'll do four series just out of this book. 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:49.040 It's an incredible book, all about the birth of the church and God's hand of movement and bringing salvation to the world. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:02:03.680 And so before we begin and dive in into what is the church and returning, I thought let's spend some time reorienting ourselves or rather getting a brief introduction to the book of Acts. 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:10.080 Uh, in case you don't know or not familiar with, the book of Acts was actually written by a guy named Luke. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:19.439 He was a physician, uh, he was a historian, and he was at one point a traveling companion with the Apostle Paul on these missionary journeys. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:22.479 Uh, he wasn't one of the original apostles. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:26.159 He wasn't there with Jesus when uh he walked this planet. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:39.360 He came to faith a little bit later on, uh, and yet he was a highly educated, well-trained, uh, incredibly gifted author and writer. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:44.000 Uh and Acts, actually, this book is part is a two-part volume. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:51.759 Um, and so uh you notice that we have the Gospel of Luke, that's the first volume, and then the book of Acts. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.560 And it comes from the title is The Acts of the Apostle. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:10.319 However, it's not really so much the Acts of the Apostle as it is simply the continuation of all Jesus began to do and teach by the Spirit through the Apostles, namely Peter and Paul. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:34.639 I love how if you take a chance uh or stop and take a look at the gospel project or the, oh my goodness, the Bible project, uh, they have these great videos, and on Acts, uh, they say this this is a story about Jesus leading his people by his spirit to go out and invite all people of the world to live under his reign. 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.840 That is what this book is about. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.800 Well, then who is this written to? 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:55.919 In fact, in the very first verse of Acts, we see this that Luke says, in my former book, speaking of the gospel of Luke, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up into heaven. 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:00.000 And so it's written to this person named Theophilus. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.319 Now, we don't really know who he is. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:10.800 Uh some think he's perhaps, you know, a um wealthy aristocrat in Rome or a military official. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:20.800 Uh, some think even that Theophilus might be a pseudonym to protect his identity from being persecuted by uh Roman authorities. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:33.600 Others also think, because Theophilus means friend of God or lover of God, that this might just be a letter that Paul was writing to all people who are friends of God or lovers of God. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:38.160 Now, this was written somewhere around AD 60 to 64. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:47.920 The book of Acts spans about 30 years from the ascension of Christ to Paul's imprisonment in Rome in about AD 62 or so. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:55.360 And the key text that sets up the structure and the book of Acts is Acts 1.8. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:05:02.240 In fact, we'll talk about it in just a minute, but it says this but you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:09.759 And you're gonna notice the spirit, we're gonna talk a lot about that in this uh hymn, in this series and throughout this book. 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:19.439 Uh, you'll be my witnesses that you have a purpose and a mission and a plan by God in Jerusalem and all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:23.040 And this acts, uh very much like the structure of Acts. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:26.639 And you'll notice that the beginning of Acts is all about in Jerusalem. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:51.839 And then you notice after Acts chapter uh eight, you see uh Judea and Samaria, this expansion, and then finally, then to the ends of the earth, Paul's uh missionary journeys, and we'll just begin to travel and see how, uh, as the um Bible project writer said, how Jesus is leading his people by his spirit to go out and invite all people. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:56.800 It's an incredible reality of the world to live under his reign. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:10.079 Well, and so finally, the major themes is the gift of the Holy Spirit, this incredible gift that had been long prophesied and awaited, the gospel for all nations, which is a radical concept. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.639 I can't wait until we talk about this. 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:22.560 The birth of the church, this movement of God and his redemptive plan in human history, and how persecution actually works with the providence of God. 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:34.480 You'll notice this, it's incredible that as you saw the persecution break out against the church, it actually, God used it in his providence to spread this good news. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:41.519 Well, that's an introduction to the book of Acts and what we'll be spending the next several months studying together. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:42.879 I'm really excited about it. 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:47.120 And I know for many, you're already diving in in our Bible reading plan. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:53.759 If you haven't, jump on in with us, get on board and begin to read this incredible book with us. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:58.480 Well, like I said, right at the top, we're asking this question today. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:00.319 What is the future of the church? 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:01.600 Where are we headed? 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.279 What's going on? 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:09.839 Is there any hope for the church in this crazy, messed up, wacky world? 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:17.439 And then what is or how do we return to God's design for his church? 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.759 And so, if you got your Bibles, would you open up to Acts chapter one? 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:35.120 We'll begin in verse three as we look back and to see how the church began to discover exactly how we are to be the church today. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:41.600 Begins in chapter uh verse three saying this after his suffering, speaking of Jesus, he presented himself to them. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:47.279 That's the disciples, and he gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.879 He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:04.720 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:11.120 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:18.160 Then they gathered around him and asked, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel? 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:27.600 Like, like Israel that's been oppressed, Israel that Babylon conquered so long ago, that now we're under the oppressive uh regime of Rome. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:30.560 Like, is Israel once more going to be the superpower? 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:37.120 I can only imagine 11 uh disciples sitting around thinking, is now our time to be in charge? 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:54.879 And then he said to them, It's not for you to know the times or dates the Father is set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witness in Jerusalem, in Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:09:00.720 And then after he said that, he literally is ascends into heaven right in front of him. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:18.159 The disciples are just awestruck watching Jesus go up into heaven and he's covered by a cloud, and then suddenly two men in white angels just appear and go, Hey guys, why are you still staring up at the sky? 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:26.720 This same Jesus, who has been taken up into heaven, will return in the very same way again. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:30.399 Translation, get on with what Jesus told you to do. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.840 And so they go back to Jerusalem and they were told to wait. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:35.360 And that's exactly what they did. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:41.840 They go to the upper room, and there's about 120 total of them, a small group of people. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:54.480 And they needed to replace uh Judas Iscariot and have one more apostolic leader in the church, and they appoint Matthew, who'd been with them from the beginning, from the day Jesus was baptized. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:11.600 And you see that in this moment, this small group in a very obscure part of the Roman Empire had this incredibly big calling to reach the nations, to advance the kingdom of God. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:30.240 And so in Acts chapter one, we actually discover and find five foundational marks, the five characteristics of the early church. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:45.440 And these five marks of the early church that are so foundational and core to the movement that spread, that changed the world as we know it, they need to be foundational and core to the future church. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:51.360 They need to be foundational and core to us, to awakening church. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:52.559 Well, what are they? 00:10:52.720 --> 00:11:00.960 Well, the first foundational mark of the early church is it was about using in the kingdom of God. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.200 You notice that Jesus spent, think about this, he spent 40 days. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:14.960 He rose from the grave, and then he spends 40 days, and he's talking to his disciples all about the kingdom of God. 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:17.120 Well, what is the kingdom of God? 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:21.039 The kingdom of God is the range of God's effective will. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:25.200 It's wherever God's will is perfectly done as in heaven. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:32.480 It's where Jesus is the king, and we go, your will be done not, my will be done. 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:34.720 I like how Dallas Wood says it. 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:39.200 It says, the kingdom of God is the natural home of the soul. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:47.679 I, you know, Tim Keller writes this, and he's talking about redemption or the bringing about of the kingdom of God. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:53.360 And he says this says, redemption is much more than simply saving souls. 00:11:53.519 --> 00:12:04.639 It will ultimately entail the complete healing of creation, including social justice, the reunification of all humanity, and the end of physical decay and death. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:14.240 He goes on, but even now it means bringing the health and coherence of Christ's Lordship back into every aspect of human life. 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:16.159 Now notice this, don't miss this. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:36.080 The Christian church is to be a new society in which the world can see exhibited what family, business practices, race relations, and all of life can be under the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:44.320 The future church needs to go back to what the early church had as foundational. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:48.960 It's about ushering in the kingdom of God. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:56.879 Now, here's what's the problem, and it's the problem for us, and it was the problem for them, is we usher in different things, don't we? 00:12:57.759 --> 00:12:59.759 We get sidetracked. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:03.759 You know, you think about it, Jesus spent 40 days talking about the kingdom of God. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:07.919 And then what did his disciples ask about the kingdom of Israel? 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:12.000 They were focused politically, they were focused on their agenda. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:13.360 And he's like, no, no, no. 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:19.440 This is about the kingdom of God, not something that you're seeing in your political agenda. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:24.639 See, it's about ushering in the kingdom of God, not your personal agenda. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:32.080 It's about ushering in the kingdom of God, not your political point of view. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:39.759 You know, um, I remember I was a youth pastor in Georgia many, many years ago. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:51.919 And when I was there, it was during one of the elections, I can't really remember which, and I was uh doing a junior high event at um at a house, and they opened up their home was great. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.399 We had like 30 junior hires out there, and at the end of the night, his parents are picking up. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:02.799 We're standing on the deck, you know, on the front porch talking, and you have parents showing up, and kids are hanging and playing. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:13.440 And then all of a sudden the conversation turned political, and the parents are just in in Georgia, as you can imagine, they're they're ripping apart Democrats in such a vicious way. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.919 And I'm going, their language is shaping this generation. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.799 And I couldn't help it in my soul. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:30.960 I just said, you know, um, many of our African American brothers and sisters in Christ are Democrats. 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:48.720 And there's people that deeply love Jesus and are walking closely with God who are Democrats, and the conversation got quiet, and everybody stopped talking, and eventually people kind of walked away, and then I had some lady come up to me afterwards and go, You don't really believe that, do you? 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:50.799 Yeah. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:15:00.559 And you know, I think maybe today we might have to have the conversation, at least in the Bay Area, the other way around. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:07.840 You know, there's people who deeply love Jesus, walk with God and are Republicans too. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:17.919 You see, Jesus isn't a Republican, and Jesus isn't a Democrat, and it's not about any political agenda whatsoever. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:28.320 It's about the kingdom of God, and get your eyes on his kingdom and his ways and what's going on there, and just put all the other stuff behind us. 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:32.159 See the early church. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:39.039 It was foundational, is about ushering in the kingdom of God. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:59.519 In my life as it is in heaven, in my home as it is in heaven, and everywhere I go, I get to usher in the kingdom of God. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:05.039 First mark, ushering in the kingdom of God. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:12.720 The second mark of the early church was they operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:16.320 They operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:19.759 And remember, it's a theme throughout the book of Acts. 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:23.600 Is he said, wait, remember what it said? 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:29.200 Wait for the gift my Father promised. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:30.799 Now think about this. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:41.919 This is a promise that came from uh the prophecies of old, from Ezekiel, when he said, I'll take out that heart of stone and put a heart of flesh, and I'll put my spirit inside of you. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.559 Like the very spirit of God will go inside of you. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:51.120 In Joel chapter 2, it says, I will pour out my spirit on you and you'll you'll dream dreams and have visions. 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:59.440 And then in Jesus, John 14 through John 16, he begins to promise and tell them the spirit is coming. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:01.200 In fact, Jesus says this, it's amazing. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:02.159 Think about this. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:10.480 He tells his disciples this you will do greater things than I have done. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:20.880 And then he even says this it's better for you that I go because I'm going to send the Spirit of God to you. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:26.799 See, the early church and the reason this spread wasn't because of human cleverness. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:32.160 It wasn't because they had some amazing marketing strategy, social media campaign. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.720 They figured out how to get all the likes and followers. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.119 It was because of the power of the Spirit of God. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.400 Because we don't like waiting. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.400 We just want to do our thing, have our vision, have our plan. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.119 They operated, they functioned by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:00.160 Well, who is the Holy Spirit? 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:12.960 The Holy Spirit is a third person of the Trinity, God and very God, who alone brings new life, regeneration of the soul to the believer, and then empowers them to live out this new life. 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:34.880 I was talking with one of our leadership council members, Sayye, and as we're talking about uh this um uh Acts and the Spirit of God, he's like, you know, Ryan, um the Christian faith without the Spirit of God has to be the hardest one in all the world to follow. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:42.480 Think about it love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:58.000 If somebody slaps you to turn the other cheek, not let alone be holy just as I am holy, but with the spirit of God. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:07.359 See deposited the spirit, that same spirit that raised Christ from the dead, now dwells in you, empowering you to live out a new life. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:13.839 You have supernatural power to be and to do what God has called you to be and to do. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:26.720 And here's the problem: so many Christians, so many people walk around unaware, never operating by the power of the Spirit of God, always operating in their own strength and going, Would you wait? 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:27.359 Would you sit? 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:30.240 Would you wait on the Spirit of God? 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.920 And we're going to talk more about that in the weeks to come. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:39.119 But let me just ask this question Are you doing and you fill in the blank, whatever you're doing? 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:46.720 Your job, you know, maybe stuff around the house with the kids in your power or in the spirit's power. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:48.400 All right. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:20:02.880 Is this you're working so hard because you have the spirit of God who wants to come alongside you, who dwells inside every single believer to empower you to do what he's called and made you to be. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.319 First mark. 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:06.559 It's about ushering in the kingdom of God. 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.000 Second mark, it operates in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:17.599 The third mark we saw in Acts chapter one was every believer is a minister of the gospel. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.680 Every single person. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:27.519 Not just the pastors, not just the superstar spiritual people. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:30.960 What does it say in Acts chapter 1, 8? 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.799 We already said it, but you'll receive power. 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:33.759 There it is. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:35.680 That's the Greek word dunamis. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:38.480 It's where we get our English word dynamite. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:42.799 No, they didn't have dynamite, that wasn't in their mind, but but it's this power. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:45.119 Not just like, oh, you got some power. 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:46.000 No, no, no, no, no. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:55.200 It's the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you'll be my witnesses. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:56.559 What's a witness? 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:03.359 It's just someone that testifies to what they've seen, heard, and experienced. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:08.160 Someone that just simply tells somebody else about their experience. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:10.480 That's all it is. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:17.119 In fact, this word uh it's martyrs, it's where we get our English word martyr. 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:33.440 It those who testified about Jesus so often gave their life for Jesus that then this word now became synonymous with giving your life away to be a martyr. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:52.000 But every believer this is to be a witness, is to is to be a sharer of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ that you're love, that you're forgiven, that He's changed your life. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.680 Like, think about a time when you got something that you really were excited about, or you had an experience you couldn't. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:00.720 Stop. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.119 Yeah. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.319 You know, it just was the most amazing thing ever. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:11.839 My wife's like, she's the type of person, the minute she gets excited about something, she's going to tell everyone about it. 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:16.079 Uh, in fact, we just got our kids some new bikes or well-used bikes. 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:18.240 Uh, it's from Good Karma Bikes. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.920 And it's this great place that they, you know, take um all these donated bikes. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:29.920 They they train up people who have come out of the foster care system to give help and craft. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.680 And and so it's just this incredible business that we want to support. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.880 And we got these great bikes. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:38.640 Well, I got to tell you, when we run into neighbors, she's talking about it. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:41.920 When we run, you know, having a phone call, she's talking about it. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:42.640 Why? 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:46.720 Because this was an incredible experience and she's passionate about it. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:57.839 See, it's actually not that abnormal for those whose lives have been transformed by Christ to just begin to talk about it. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:05.680 Like, like my life has been changed, and I'm not trying to do an apologetic or trying to like share. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:08.400 I'm just gonna tell you what Jesus did in my life. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:13.200 See, that's all we're to be. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:19.119 To live our life in such a way that you just go, it just overflows out of us. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:29.279 Like, man, Jesus changed my life, and and I don't have to bring them to Ryan or to Christina or to Felicia or to Chris or anybody else. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:31.440 I get to be the minister of the gospel. 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:39.279 You're fully empowered by the Spirit of God, you're equipped, and and and he wants to use you. 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:42.240 Think about this. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:46.880 You are God's game plan for reaching the world, and there is no plan B. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:54.240 You're God's game plan for reaching your world, your neighborhood, your workplace. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:12.640 He has strategically placed you right where you're at to be a light and a witness for him to usher in the kingdom of God, the natural home of the soul, so that people can experience new life in Jesus. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:22.640 And if that feels intimidating, you are empowered supernaturally by the Spirit of God to do just that. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:28.559 And most of us don't experience it because we don't step out in faith. 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:45.440 So you might have had this like inkling in your heart, I need to share with someone, or maybe someone your coworker has been put on your heart, they're going through a hard time, and you just felt like maybe I should just say, I'm praying for you, or some of these, but but you just kind of shrink back and you never say it. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:54.799 And so you never experience the supernatural empowerment of the Spirit of God because you got to step out in faith as he leads and as he guides, and you go, Okay, I'm gonna trust you. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.079 Oh, this is scary. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:57.440 Oh, okay. 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:02.319 My 40th birthday was just recently. 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:09.519 Um, and my wife made a whole bunch of videos for me uh of people who were just sharing things. 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:12.640 And one particular video was a guy named Preston. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:18.960 I guess they weren't sharing things, they were sharing nice things about me, and uh it was very sweet and I loved it um and meaningful. 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:29.200 But one particular guy was a guy named Preston, and his thing, and I can't say it without crying, he's like, Thank you. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:33.039 Thank you for sharing Jesus with me. 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:44.799 Back in high school, the life I have, the wife and kids I'm married to would not be a reality without Jesus. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:46.799 And you introduced me to him. 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:52.000 I was a silly little high school senior. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:56.400 So, high schoolers who are listening, this is for you, not just for it. 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:59.599 It's not like, hey, one day, someday I gotta, you know, get all this. 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.279 I was just a high school senior, and and God changed my life that summer. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:05.759 Like, he totally radically changed my life. 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:06.880 I encountered Jesus. 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:10.720 And like, when you encounter Jesus, you can't help but just talk about him. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:14.079 And so I started at school. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:21.599 I mean, I was at a US gov class, and I turned, we were at these tables and turned to Preston like, has anybody told you about Jesus? 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:23.680 Like, that was my intro line. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:25.039 I that's all I knew how to say. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:25.839 That's all I had. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.359 And he's like, What? 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:41.759 No, and we started talking, and then he started a Bible study in my house because he wanted to learn more about it, and then he invited his friends, and God led so many people to the Lord through that one silly question. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:46.640 It's the power of the Spirit of God in us, working through us. 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:49.519 Okay, all right. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:52.400 So let me ask you this. 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:55.519 Have you experienced Jesus? 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:00.880 If not, would you call upon him right now and say, Jesus, I need you. 00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:02.559 Would you come and save me? 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:04.480 Come into my life. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:08.720 Like to where you're going, like, no, I I have a testimony. 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:12.559 I can testify, I can tell of the Jesus who has changed my life. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:15.920 Has your life been changed by the power of the Spirit of God? 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:18.319 And if not, would you start waiting? 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:30.000 Would you start waiting on him, waiting on God, getting into his word, getting with other people who are moving you towards Jesus and say, Spirit of God, have your way in me. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:33.920 When you wait on God, you say, Spirit of God, have your way in me. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:39.599 You see, it's not that we need to get more of the Spirit, it's that the Spirit needs to get more of us. 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:42.079 All right. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:46.960 First mark of the early church ushered into the kingdom of God. 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:51.599 Second, the power, they operate in the power of the spirit of God. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:56.240 Third, every believer is a minister of the gospel. 00:27:56.400 --> 00:28:04.000 The fourth mark of the early church is they lived in anticipation of the return of Jesus. 00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:11.759 They're standing there, they're looking up into the sky, and he disappears as he sends into heaven. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:27.680 And then the text says this the same way Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:34.640 The early church lived in anticipation of the return of Jesus. 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:43.920 Like they were looking forward to and living in that reality of come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.160 Like he could come at any moment. 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:52.480 They lived with a sense of urgency as a result. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.640 See, Jesus is returning. 00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:01.279 And if Jesus is returning, he will judge the living and the dead. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:09.839 We will stand before him as believers, and we will be uh judged and given account for all that we do. 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:16.559 He will also restore and make all things right. 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:29.759 And the reality is most of us aren't living in anticipation of the return of Jesus. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:36.160 We're living in the anticipation of the return of going to the movies, of not wearing masks, of all those things. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.960 And those are fine. 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.319 Okay, that's not a bad thing. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.039 Yes, me too. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:51.039 But let me ask you this if you knew Jesus was returning, how would you live differently? 00:29:51.440 --> 00:30:01.279 You know, last year when um uh when the pandemic first hit, and we weren't sure if we're gonna have Easter or not, uh, you know, in person, and then we weren't. 00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:05.359 Jenny kept saying, she's like, wouldn't it be awesome if Jesus returned this Easter? 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.799 Like, that would be the best. 00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:14.160 Because all the hurt, all the brokenness, it would be, you know, he show up and he restore and make all things right. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:24.640 Well, let me ask you this: if you knew Jesus was returning this Easter, how would you live differently? 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:40.880 Like there's gotta be an urgency in our souls about the friends and coworkers and family and people who do not know him, who will die apart from God and spend an eternity apart from him. 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:43.119 Like there's something in us where we gotta go, you know what? 00:30:43.200 --> 00:31:09.039 We're gonna live in the anticipation that he's returning, and so we have a certain confident hope that a better tomorrow awaits us, and so we can move forward in the face of adversity, forward in the face of persecution, forward in the face of a hard and difficult and evil season, and live with urgency, saying, Okay, who can I share with? 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:14.400 How can I help people know this Jesus who changed my life? 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:23.759 And the final mark of the early church is they appointed godly leaders who faithfully walk with Jesus. 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:31.200 They appointed leaders who faithfully walk with Jesus. 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:39.759 You know, in our culture today, we promote gift over godliness, we promote charisma over character. 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:53.039 And in the church, tragically, we've watched it's far too many superstar celebrity pastors' fault. 00:31:54.960 --> 00:32:00.720 And it creates such harm and pain, and it hurt. 00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:06.799 The early church said, No, no, no, no, we're gonna appoint godly leaders. 00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:15.279 They needed to replace Judas Iscariot, and they said, Okay, who's been with us since uh Jesus' baptism? 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:19.279 They found two guys, and this was before the Spirit of God. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:27.359 This is actually the last time we have recorded of casting lots as a way to discern, you know, God's, you know, um uh decision in the moment. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:30.160 But once you have the Spirit of God, you don't need to do that anymore. 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:37.359 So they between two guys, this guy, Matthews, became the the 12th disciple to take his place. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:40.799 Leadership matters. 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:46.640 Godly leadership is needed for today, now, more than ever. 00:32:47.920 --> 00:33:01.359 In fact, at awakening, one of the things as we are looking at, okay, future church, us, we're saying, okay, we want to raise up and we want to appoint godly leaderships. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:06.160 And we uh some of you have even got an email that's called the leadership essentials. 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:21.920 And this is part of the process in which we want to say, how do we identify and unleash these godly leaders and that we'd be men and women of character, of integrity who walk closely with Jesus. 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:30.240 Not, you know, hey, I built this great platform, and it's all about me. 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:37.200 No, no, no, it's all about Jesus, and it's all because of him, and it's all for him. 00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:41.200 I like the way Carl Barth said it. 00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:56.000 He said, the church exists to set up in the world a new sign which is radically dissimilar to the world's own manner and which contradicts it in a way which is full of promise. 00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:57.519 I love that. 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:05.279 See, it's this kind of church that ushers in the kingdom of God, operating the spirit of God. 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:23.360 Every single person, they're not a spectator in a service, a consumer, they're a contributor, they're a minister of the gospel, living, anticipating the return of Jesus and faithfully walking with God. 00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:31.440 You see, here's what the church is the church is the spirit-empowered community of Jesus. 00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:40.320 We're on mission to invite the entire world into new life in the kingdom of God. 00:34:40.639 --> 00:34:42.239 That's the future of the church. 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:48.320 It's how it was founded, and it's what it is for us today. 00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:52.480 And so, what do we do in the meantime? 00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:54.320 What do we do until next week? 00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:59.679 Until we get to Acts chapter 2 and Pentecost and the fire and the wind. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.360 I want you to do two things. 00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:05.119 Would you wait and would you witness? 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:07.679 Would you wait this week? 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.000 Would you wait on the Spirit? 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:12.159 Would you get into His God God's word? 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:15.679 Would you say, Holy Spirit, would you have your way in me? 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:16.639 And would you wait? 00:35:16.719 --> 00:35:17.519 And would you wait? 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.639 Would you wait until the Spirit of God begins to work and to move in you? 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:26.880 You can do it with your family, you can do it with a friend. 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:31.039 But would you begin to wait on the Spirit of God? 00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:38.239 And then this week, witness look for an opportunity to share what Jesus has done in your life. 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:40.079 That might be with a coworker. 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:44.639 Man, I had this awesome school of faith class that I just went to. 00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:46.400 I'm learning so much and growing. 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:48.719 It might be with a friend. 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:51.599 Can I tell you how hard this season has been? 00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:53.039 And I'm just going through it. 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:56.639 I Jesus has been my comfort. 00:35:57.039 --> 00:35:58.239 He's been my counselor. 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:04.639 And it doesn't mean everything's been great or easy, but man, there is a steadfastness and peace in my soul. 00:36:04.960 --> 00:36:07.599 Would you wait and would you witness? 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:11.760 And next week, we'll dive into Acts chapter two. 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:15.599 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:20.800 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:23.280 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:29.360 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.