WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.439 Well, we are studying our way through the book of Acts. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:08.640 We're learning about this first church, the Christian church, as it was forming, sometimes called the early church. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:17.039 And this early church has become amazingly generous, joyful, unified, bold, brave. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:25.679 And all of this unity lasted for about 30 seconds or so until we get to Acts 6, verse 1. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:40.079 Now, in these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, so they're growing, good things, good things, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:47.280 So here's what it looks like happening here is we had converted Hebrew Jewish people, converted to Christianity. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:53.759 There's a group of people, and there's some sort of distribution going on to the widows to take care of the widows. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:55.759 And those were those people were doing just fine. 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:57.200 They were getting their distribution. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:59.119 The Hebrew Jewish widows. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:06.159 But these Hellenists, the Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews, and in this situation, converted to Christianity, a part of the church. 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.000 Those widows are being neglected. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:12.239 Now, some people say, some of the competitions say, oh, this was an administration problem. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.680 Like as you grow, there are administrative problems that pop up. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:16.879 That is very true. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:18.879 We know that as a church. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:23.040 But also, these two groups of people have had prejudice toward each other for a long time. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.719 So maybe it's an administration, maybe there's some prejudice, maybe a little bit of both. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:33.439 We have to remember this story of Jesus is moving out from the Jewish tribe to all people. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:34.480 Right? 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:39.120 God's not just welcoming one sort of person or one sort of people group. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.439 You have to have the right resume or something like that. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:42.000 No, no, no. 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.480 God doesn't demand you to climb up the mountain, right? 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:47.680 This is what we've been saying. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:49.760 He comes down the mountain to us. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:55.519 And the law has led us to our need of grace, and the outsider is welcome. 00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:07.120 And so this message of love and welcome, God's pursuit of us, this message is going out from that temple and the Jewish tribe to all people, to these outsiders that are waiting for a message like this. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:08.960 And so it's growing, the church is growing. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:10.400 And can you believe it? 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:18.159 Can you believe it that when the church is growing, that everyone and everything doesn't work perfectly? 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.879 Well, of course, you know, you already know that. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:21.680 Not new. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:22.879 That's not new. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.520 So that issue is brought up to the leadership. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.960 And the good news here is the leadership does their job. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:36.000 They don't blame, they don't deny, they find the solution, they bring restoration, and they move on. 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.039 It just sort of moves on pretty quickly here in the storyline. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:43.680 And then we jump straight into the story of this guy named Stephen, because at the same time, Stephen's doing amazing things. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.400 He's teaching about Jesus in Acts 6, 8. 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:49.840 It says, and Stephen, full of grace and power. 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.560 There's probably everything we need to know about Stephen. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:54.560 Where's everything coming from with this guy? 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:56.800 This amazing guy that we read about in Acts 6 and 7. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:01.280 Full of grace and power, is doing great wonders and signs among the people. 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:03.919 Full of grace and power. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:15.360 The word grace is the Greek word peastes, meaning faith, assurance, conviction of belief in Christ. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:23.439 So some translations, yours may say full of faith and power instead of full of grace and power. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:27.680 A few weeks ago we had our monthly elder leadership meeting. 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:41.039 So that's the governing leaders of our church, and I'm in there with them, and we prayed and we had a devotion and we talked through different congregational care concerns, and we moved into some more practical financial talking and different issues talking about it. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:42.319 We're always running up on things. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:50.960 And somebody will always say, I've been in these meetings, 10 years I've been in these meetings. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.879 Somebody will always say, Well, God's faithful. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:57.520 God will provide. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:00.080 God's with us. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:02.560 God will help us. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:07.360 You know, and I'm kind of good, I'm sitting there, I'm you know, pastor, you know, like, amen, amen, brother. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:08.319 It's wonderful. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:10.639 But I'm sweating it. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.319 Like, I'm sweating it. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:20.160 Ten years of God's faithfulness to us, I still default to worry. 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:22.639 That's my that's my starting point. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.160 I'm good at that. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:26.879 I still feel like all this could fall apart. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.519 Just next week, and I show up and nobody else does. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:31.839 Like, I mean, I still feel that way. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:37.199 I mean, so I read like full of faith and power, and I'm like, ugh, I don't know. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:43.680 Like, like, anything's based on my, the strength of my faith or the volume of my faith. 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.759 I'm kind of like, uh, we we're in trouble. 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:47.920 Like, things aren't gonna go well. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:54.079 That's why I love the passage where Jesus says, you know, just faith like a mustard seed, and I'm like, got it. 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:54.639 I'm in. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:55.519 Like now I'm good. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:56.800 Like I can work with that. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.720 Thank you for working with me. 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:03.519 I think Jesus is saying, like, we don't have to measure our faith or compare our faith. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:09.360 Like, it's it's not necessarily about the volume or the strength of our faith, it's about where our faith rests. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:10.480 That's the point. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:13.199 The point is, is where is the faith resting? 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:20.800 And that's why I think the debate of this word, like full of grace and power, or full of faith and power, is actually really wonderful. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:24.240 Because it's by grace that we have faith. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:28.399 Like our our faith is created and sustained out of grace. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.120 That's why there's power. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:35.680 It's because our faith is in something greater than us, in something outside of us. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:42.639 Not faith in our own faith or faith in the strength of our own faith, but actually faith in his sufficiency for us. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:56.160 The word power is the Greek word donymus, dunymus, meaning might or power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:56.639 Right? 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:57.279 You get it? 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:04.720 So it's not faith in your own, the power is not from you, the faith is that it's in residing in a thing by virtue of its nature. 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:12.720 So point number one is this we are empowered by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.680 I read this week. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:26.399 Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us, not because of who we are or what we do. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:29.680 We can all just exhale right there. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:32.959 But because of the work of Christ. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.839 See, the Holy Spirit uses that truth. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.360 It's powerful. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:41.199 Because the guilt trip's over. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:42.000 That's what it means. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:43.120 The guilt trip's over. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:44.240 Shame cycle. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:46.000 We don't have to keep doing that. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:48.879 The busy be good enough. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.000 Then God might approve of me or love me today. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:54.000 Like, we can let go of that. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:56.560 It's powerful. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.079 It begs the question you know, full of grace and power. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:01.759 What are you full of? 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:03.120 Don't answer that a lot. 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:04.560 I know how some of you want to answer that. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:08.959 Be appropriate, you know what I'm saying? 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:10.720 What are you full of? 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:15.920 The word full is the Greek word clearis. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:20.639 Now that means a hollow space filled up. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:22.879 You felt that, I felt that. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.480 As to the soul, covered in every part. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:31.600 Last week everybody in our house was getting ready for bed. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:40.160 And Christy and I got in our bed in our room, turned on the TV, and then the girls climbed in the bed with us, and we all squished together. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:41.199 Queen size bed. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.240 All of us were in there. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:43.839 I'm like half on the nightstand. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.439 We got Seinfeld on, was I controlled the television in our house. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.680 And we're watching that, and we're all snuggled together. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:08:02.959 We're laughing, and you know, Kramer has us cracking up a couple times, and we're snuggling, and my heart is full. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.240 I mean, these are the people I love. 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:08.319 I love them, they love me. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:10.800 And we're watching Seinfeld. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:12.720 I don't need anything. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.360 Like, I mean, Jesus and Jerry, take me home. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.279 That's all I need. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:21.279 I don't need anything else in this world. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:22.399 I'm full. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:24.399 The hollow spaces are filled up. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:25.120 We know the difference. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:28.639 We feel like I'm all hollow inside and like I'm full. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.040 It's the feeling I don't need anything else. 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.200 It's the feeling like I'm okay. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:34.480 Like I'm okay today? 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.080 Or I'm at peace. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.159 Now we know that in moments, right? 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:39.519 I just told you a moment. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:46.159 But much better than like one great moment is a soul. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:55.840 A tired, anxious, needy soul, weary, that can have peace because it has faith in something beyond itself. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:58.080 And it's not because you're perfect. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.840 It's just because you're loved perfectly in Jesus without conditions. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.879 Now being full of that, like that's powerful. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.960 All those hollow spaces can be filled up. 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:19.440 We are already completely filled by Christ, and we are all still learning the implications of such love. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.360 Acts 6, 10 through 15. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:29.120 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit which he was speaking. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.240 The Stephen starts to speak truth to them about Jesus. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:33.200 Verse 11. 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:44.639 Then they secretly instigated men who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God, and they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:50.559 They set up false witnesses, who said, This man never ceases to speak words against the holy place and the law. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:58.399 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, will change the customs that Moses delivered to us. 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:04.320 And gazing at him, all who sat on the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:09.679 So chapter 7 begins with the high priest questioning Stephen. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.039 And Stephen reacts with no fear. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.720 Stephen knows something that we talked about last week, Acts 5, 29. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.919 We must obey God rather than men. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.799 And here's the point that we made last week coming out of that, because I think Stephen knows the same thing. 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:39.279 Point number two, as we rest in our forever approval in Christ, that that part of your life can be settled, that you're already approved. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.600 As we rest there, we grow free from being a people pleaser. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:50.480 I mean, how easy for Stephen in this moment, under this pressure, to back down or water something down. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.080 To want their approval or avoid their wrath. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:54.639 Right? 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:58.399 He could have lived out of fear or people pleasing very easily in this moment. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:00.480 Do you like me? 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:01.519 Do you approve of me? 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:02.960 Do you respect me? 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.399 Remember, we read last week this quote by Scotty Smith. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:20.159 On one hand, there are people to whom I attach my umbiblical cord, metaphorically speaking, and look to them for life. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:34.240 Their praise is like an elixir of joy, sometimes more so than the gospel, and their disappointment or rejection can taste like a potion of self-contempt, causing me to withdraw, retaliate, or medicate. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:39.039 Nobody deserves that much power over our hearts. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.600 Because the gospel is true, I can freely confess these things. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.440 Because the gospel is powerful, I have hope for change. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:52.000 I think Stephen knows something about this truth. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.480 He goes on to give them a speech. 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.440 He tells them their own story. 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:04.159 The story of being enslaved in Egypt, the story of the giving of the law, the story of Moses liberating them. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:07.440 And then he says, hey, you guys are missing it. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:08.799 You're missing it. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:10.480 You're stiff-necked. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:13.039 Jesus is the true liberation. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:16.399 Point number three is this. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:22.240 In Christ's love, fear fades and bravery grows. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:27.440 See, now we can deliver truth with love. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:31.039 Now we can deliver truth without love, right? 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:34.480 You can be right and you can be a jerk. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:35.679 Been there. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:42.000 Now you can also love someone and avoid speaking truth. 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:43.360 Been there. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:59.360 But people full of grace and power, looking at this Stephen, looking at the life of Jesus, they're learning how to live from love out of compassion for people and a boldness that speaks truth because it's true. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.039 Jumping to verse 54, Acts 7, 54. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:12.639 Now when they heard these things, they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:18.960 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:25.039 And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:30.080 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.600 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:39.120 And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:45.120 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:52.000 And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:54.639 And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:56.320 Isn't that amazing? 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:58.320 It's almost annoying. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:02.159 Because I would have had other words. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:07.840 A lot of other words for this group of people that is stoning me to death. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:08.639 Right? 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:10.240 Like I know what I'm full of. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.440 And a lot of that would have started seeping out a little bit here. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:21.039 And this guy falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against me. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:26.159 I mean, how do we hold this kind of compassion toward people? 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:30.879 To ignore us or belittle us or harm us. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:33.600 Point number four. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:38.879 In Christ's love, judgment fades and compassion grows. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:46.879 A few weeks ago, Brad O'Kelly preached hard against the Prius. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:47.360 I don't know. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:53.440 If you were here, I was like, man, he is going hard at the Toyota Prius, preaching hard against the Toyota Prius. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:54.879 Ruthless. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:58.720 So I was really surprised this week when I was walking down Church Street. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:02.399 And I looked up and I see Brad just. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:30.960 Now, when Brad and Mandy and their three girls pack up their Prius, their new Prius, to go to the beach, they all pack in that Prius, all their beach stuff. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.279 Three girls are in the backseat, tight together. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:35.759 Brad and Mandy from Indigo Girls is going. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:42.000 When they're packed up, the night before, Brad has to plug that car in, right? 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:42.879 All night. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:48.080 Because the car has to have power from somewhere beyond itself. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:54.159 Brad's Prius can drive because of power provided to it, right? 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.200 Not because of power the Prius has in and of itself. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.480 It has to have power outside of itself given to it. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.360 That's the point. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:02.399 Picture's still up there. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:03.200 Let's take the picture down. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:05.919 I'm trying to segue to a more serious moment. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:11.600 Right? 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:12.320 That's the point. 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.799 Power from outside of us given to us. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:16.000 First John. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.519 We love because he first loved us. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.279 Full of grace and power. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.240 Here's what I think Stephen knew, what we're discovering. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:34.240 Because of Christ's righteousness for us, we no longer have to defend ourselves with self-righteousness. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:36.799 It's very difficult, very free. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:45.600 As we grow more astonished to our forever welcome and approval and righteousness in Christ, we are free from trying to earn that or prove that. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:48.879 And we can begin to be less judgmental. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:56.080 We can begin to be more compassionate, and we can begin to be free to speak truth without fear. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:02.559 Last week at my family went to River Dance at the Fox. 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:03.600 That's not a joke. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.759 We really did go to River Dance at the Fox. 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.599 I'm not a big river dance guy. 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:14.000 Hadn't been watching a lot of videos of River Dance, not up to date on River Dance, but I can tell you this there's a lot of people that are. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:17.839 They were at the Fox Saturday afternoon last week. 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:23.039 A lot of people, and sure enough, we sit down and a river dance die hard fan. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:24.799 She sits right behind me. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:30.000 And the whole show, just loud enough for us to hear, just loud enough for me to hear, definitely. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.319 Just stuff like, oh, here it comes. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.079 Oh here she oh here he comes. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:35.200 Oh he oh he did it. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:35.839 Oh he did it. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:37.119 And you do you know river dance? 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:42.400 Like the upper body's completely still, the lower body's just doing all sorts of clogging and stuff like that. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:48.319 And oh here he comes, there she goes, there she is, there she comes, she did it, she did it, oh he did it, he's gonna do it, he's gonna do. 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:59.519 Just laugh, I mean it's just just enough, just to, and I am in good old-fashioned judgment upon this moron, right? 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:07.920 Like I am, and everything she loves, just just I'm judging everything about her and all the things dearest to her. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:11.200 And then you know what happened? 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:16.079 The just the worst thing happened, and that's just like these Irish people just kept on dancing. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:21.519 And then a bagpipe guy came out and played a solo, and you know, it's like, ooh, man. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.400 I mean, that almost made me cry. 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:30.799 Then they're out there dancing, the whole line, they're in a line, and pounding, pounding, and then there she comes. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:35.920 She's the lead lady, she comes out, she just kind of dancing, prancing across the stage. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:37.839 And yeah, and then they had me. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:38.880 I was hooked. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:39.440 I loved it. 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.799 It was awesome. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:42.960 It was totally awesome. 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:50.319 And then the thing that happened, which I didn't plan on, is I sure wasn't planning on having compassion on that lady behind me. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:52.720 All of a sudden she wasn't annoying to me. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:54.000 Right? 00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:09.200 The power of the river dance, my conversion to river dance, something outside of me, and then suddenly the lady behind me just wasn't as annoying. 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.200 And I would have never had compassion on her. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:14.960 I was gonna be very happy to sit in judgment the entire time. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:20.720 But once that conversion happened, suddenly she wasn't so annoying at all. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:22.079 Right? 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.240 We could say, take the sermon illustration, leak with me, right? 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:30.319 Like we could say, I've been loved so I could love. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:32.799 A power outside of me. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:37.680 That's what we're talking about, full of grace and power, full of faith and power. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:45.279 We're talking about that there's a power outside of us that we are loved by, rescued by, forgiven, and righteous, whole, validated. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.759 That changes everything else. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.160 It creates compassion, creates boldness to speak truth. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:01.519 I close with this, just to clarify where this love originates from for Stephen and for me and for you. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.519 This was in an article I read this week, older article on the Mockingbird website. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:06.640 So, what is love? 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:14.480 And here's what the author wrote: even with Jesus, I still worry about protecting myself. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:20.079 Even with the Spirit's help, I can't always overcome or get my ego in check. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:25.839 Or as Paul puts it so aptly in Romans 7, although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.279 So what do we do? 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:29.599 Or better yet, what is love? 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:36.400 Love is Jesus being humiliated, mocked, slapped, spit on. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:43.279 Love is Jesus being taken advantage of, derided, misused, taken for granted. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:47.119 And then turning around, giving us everything. 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:55.519 Love is this record imputed to loveless, egoistic, megalomaniacs like us. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.880 You're free. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:58.160 Let's pray together. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:00.640 God, thank you for your grace and mercy. 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:09.200 Thank you that the power that we have is because of grace alone and faith alone, Christ alone. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:17.599 Thank you that we are not reliant upon all of our own selves and our own abilities to pull up our boots, climb the mountain to you. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:27.200 But as we see and understand our sinfulness by the law that we cannot get our acts perfectly together, we see that you are perfect for us. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:32.960 All of our sin has been put upon the cross, and Jesus' righteousness is given to us. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:37.200 May this create a rested heart and soul. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:40.880 May all the hollow spaces be filled up. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:47.200 May we be completely filled by Christ, and may we be on the journey of those implications for our lives. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:22:03.200 May we as a people learn what it means to love more, be less self righteous, be less judgmental, and grow in our bravery and boldness of what is truth. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:05.519 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:06.319 Amen.