WEBVTT 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:03.919 So we are studying our way through the book of Acts. 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:06.480 We're in chapters three and four this morning. 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:10.240 So I'm going to tell the story that is in Acts 3 and 4. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:17.760 And then after I tell the story, we're going to make a little bit of sense of what this ancient story about this first church could possibly mean for us. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:20.559 2023 and Marietta. 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.960 So in Acts chapter 3, Peter and John are headed to the temple to pray. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:29.600 There's a man who's been lame from birth, crippled from birth, his entire life. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:31.280 He's never been able to walk. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:40.399 And so he's carried to this gate called the beautiful gate where people would gather who needed to ask for alms, beg for money to survive, to live. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:42.560 And so this man is there, this crippled man. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:49.039 And Peter and John walk by, and as they walk by, this man looks at Peter, asks him for some money. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:51.520 Anything, something would be nice. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:59.759 And Peter says in Acts 3, 6 through 10, Peter said to him, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:03.520 In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:12.879 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong, and leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:20.400 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple asking for alms. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:25.519 And they were filled with wonder and amazement of what had happened to him. 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.719 So the people were utterly astonished of what happened. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.040 They all come together and Peter begins to preach. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:36.400 This is what these miracles were doing in the New Testament in the time of Jesus and the time as the church was starting. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:40.159 These miracles were validating the work and message of Jesus. 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:43.200 And so this miracle leads straight into a proclamation. 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:54.640 Peter begins to preach, he's working it, he's pulling from the Old Testament, he's tying it together, he's telling them how Jesus fulfills the law, all that we should be and should do, and we don't. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.560 He fulfills that for us. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.040 He actually is our forgiveness and righteousness. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:05.280 And then Peter says to the religious authorities, and you guys kill them. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.159 But he also says, so repent. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:12.479 Like turn, turn to this Jesus, God's redeeming love for you. 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.520 But man, Peter's really poking at it. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.840 Like he is disturbing a well-founded system. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:28.080 Have you ever been out in your yard like in summertime and you're cutting the grass or you're out there playing with it and you come up on an ant pile? 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:33.919 I'm, I don't know if you're the kind of person who doesn't, I'm the kind of person who gets a stick and pokes it, or you throw a pine cone. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:39.120 Or maybe you just stepped in it, sat in it, and that's a journey if you sit in it, quite a journey for you. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:42.400 They will bite you. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:45.120 That is the journey. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:57.199 So as he knows, those ants will come after you with vengeance. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:02:58.319 Right? 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:04.240 That ant pile, Peter, Peter's not poking like a little sweet little Marietta ant pile. 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:08.400 I actually found this picture online, Ghana, Africa ant pile. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:11.120 That's what Peter's poking. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:30.879 That's the whole point of the ant pile illustration, is just to say that Peter is Peter's coming up on and poking a system that has been organized hundreds, thousands of years, strict hierarchy, rules, people in charge, and the people in charge are receiving massive benefit for the system to work smoothly. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:37.120 And now you've got a healing and a guy preaching a message about the fulfillment of the very system that benefits you. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.080 Yeah, you better believe the answer is going to come out. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:41.280 Vengeance. 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:43.280 Acts 4, 1 through 4. 00:03:43.439 --> 00:04:02.240 And as they were speaking to the people, here it comes, the priest and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed, because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, and they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:06.719 But many of those who had heard the word believed. 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:10.719 And the number of the men came to about five thousand. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:14.879 Picks back up in verse eight. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:37.680 And Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:46.720 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:54.000 And there is salvation and no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:58.240 Now Peter is quoting Psalm 118, verse 22. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:04:59.600 These religious people would know that. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.120 They would have picked up on that. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.480 Here's what Psalm 118, 19 through 22 says. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:10.720 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.720 This is imagery of what we have in Jesus. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.319 He is our gates of righteousness. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:15.360 Verse 20. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.360 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.920 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:29.519 Man, Peter's a preacher. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.279 He's pulling this together, right? 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:41.920 Peter views the Christ, as King David did, as the building stone by which all of God's redemption and love to us is found. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:47.439 And Peter reminds them, hey, you morons, you rejected him. 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:57.279 Like you keep thinking you have to climb the mountain to get to God, and you're going to force everybody else to climb the mountain to get to God through your rules and your system. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:02.560 And if you're good enough and you can claw your way up there, God'll have you. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:07.360 But in Jesus, God comes down the mountain to us. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.240 Which is what love does. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:12.000 That's what love does. 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:14.879 Love humbles and love pursues. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:20.560 So I live in a house with four ladies, one wife, three daughters. 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:21.680 That's the count there. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:22.720 I'm doing okay. 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:23.920 Thanks for asking. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.839 My emotional life is doing okay. 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:26.319 It's me. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:28.720 I have a boy dog that helps. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:30.399 Here's what I can tell you. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:34.240 Uh we have a lot of Taylor Swift. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:35.839 Can verify that. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:40.639 And we can clog up some shower drains. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:51.120 So I go and get my screwdriver out and I take off the little top of the drain because I'm sick and tired of showering in two inches of water. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:52.720 Finally, given. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:07:03.839 And I have this long plastic, uh, I think they call it a snake, long plastic, little teeth on it, and you kind of work it down in there, you pull it out, and that beautiful auburn hair. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:07.040 I'm dry even. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:12.240 It is nasty scene. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:17.839 And for years, my wife has been telling me about Drena. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:21.519 Years. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:23.040 Right. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:24.240 I got this. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:26.399 Like I'm the fi I'm the fix-it guy. 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:28.079 Like, I got it, okay? 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:29.279 Just let me do my thing. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:29.920 I got I got it. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.199 Sure, sure, sure, sure, sure. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:31.920 Yeah, right, right, right. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:33.920 But this week I'm over it. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.439 And I don't want to see the deal. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:36.480 I don't want to see that. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:37.680 I don't want to touch it. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:47.199 And so when she's not looking, I go under the kitchen cabinet and I grab that 18-year-old bottle adrenal because I ain't been using it. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.160 I walk back to our shower. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:52.639 Can you guess what happened? 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:54.000 Can you believe it? 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:56.000 15 minutes later. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:58.720 Just clear as can be. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:03.600 Just poured it in there, waited 15 minutes, things running smooth. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:04.879 Unbelievable. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:06.480 Who knew? 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.040 She knew. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.399 And then the walk of humility begins. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.319 Back down the hallway with the bottle of Drano. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:23.600 Hey, babe, it turns out Dreno works. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:25.839 Now here's the point of the story. 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:29.040 Where love is being given. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:40.480 For 18 years, this woman has endured my rejection of an obvious solution. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:46.960 She knows something is the answer, and she's still just patient with me and mentions it about every other year. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:48.879 Just, hey, by the way, you could do. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:51.679 So why is she so patient? 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:52.240 I mean, how? 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.240 And then when I tell her, like she doesn't gloat, she's just like, yeah, that's great, you know. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:57.600 Just kind of. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:08.480 Well, because she's granting forgiveness all along the way and imputing a righteous standing with her that I don't deserve while I'm a moron, right? 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.000 It's the only way any relationship works. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.720 Friendship, romance, family, neighbor. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:16.559 It's the only way it's gonna work. 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:20.879 And it's the only way a relationship with God works. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:29.519 We rejected him, the cornerstone, who is our rescue, the solution to this problem of how can I have a relationship with God? 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:31.600 Is it by me being good enough, climbing the mountain? 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:34.480 No, no, no, it's by him coming to us. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:40.000 In his grace, God pursues us and redeems us with a limitless love, and this is known in Christ. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:44.240 While we're messy, while we're sinners, he took on the cross. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:50.720 So this first church has, they have been found by a love rather than trying to earn it. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.799 Here's how Peter answers these religious authorities, verse 19 of chapter 4. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:08.320 But Peter and John answered them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard, and what they had further threatened them, they let them go. 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:16.480 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:21.919 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.639 So then all the believers gather together and they pray. 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:31.440 As this persecution is heating up because they've poked the system. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:39.039 And just when you think they would just meet together and like form a strategy, let's be clever. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:40.399 That's usually my first step. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.039 Let's be clever, let's work our way through this with our cleverness. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:44.639 They just pray for help. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:46.480 They just ask God for help. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:55.440 Acts 4 29, and now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:02.480 The words look upon is the Greek word apidon, meaning behold or regard. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:08.480 So they don't pray, zap them and make my life more comfortable. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:09.759 That's my prayer. 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:11.840 Like that's my that's my first prayer. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:15.919 Zap them and make my life more comfortable. 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:27.759 They pray, consider this difficulty, regard this difficulty, and then help us be brave in spite of it. 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:33.360 Help us be brave even though it might cause more difficulty. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:41.360 Last week on CBS Sunday morning, um, I do watch CBS Sunday morning. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.279 I'm old, apparently. 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:44.799 I record it. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:46.639 I can't wait to watch it. 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:49.440 It's on right now, and I'm gonna watch it later. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:52.559 CBS Sunday morning, news stories. 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.279 I'm in the club, I watch it. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:12:00.559 John Clifton, the CEO of Gallup Research and Polls, he says this on CBS Sunday morning. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.240 I think it was last week or two weeks ago. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:09.039 Over 300 million adults in the world today live in total loneliness. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:20.879 We are experiencing more stress, more sadness, more anger, more physical pain, and more worry than we have in the history of gallop tracking. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:29.600 Now it's not new, but what he is saying is since we've been tracking this, more now than ever. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:31.279 Now that's our world. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:33.679 Think about this early church. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:36.879 Think about their stress, persecution. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.080 Their leaders were just jailed, heating up. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.559 Maybe they'll get jail time, maybe they'll be killed. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:52.080 And yet, and yet, we see rich relationships generosity. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.399 We see faith. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:00.960 We see joy. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:04.720 How? 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:08.080 Like how does that happen in the people? 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:18.559 Like, how can you endure such difficulty and disappointment at the same time in such community and generosity and bravery and joy? 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:23.440 But I think there's a couple things we can learn from them. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.240 Number one is this. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.159 Point number one, we have been found by powerful love. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.080 Jesus is enough. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:35.039 We could say the redeeming one-way love of God known in Jesus. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:36.960 And that is powerful. 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.679 And this past year I've I've sat with some of you in the hospital. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:48.000 Maybe your baby or your kid or your husband or your wife. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.320 It comes out of nowhere a lot of times. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.879 We talk, we pray together, maybe we cry. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.240 And then I go home. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:00.879 But you don't. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:01.840 Right? 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.240 Because you're fighting for better care for this person. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:07.279 You're earning your medical degree in three days on WebMD. 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:10.320 You're learning everything about every beep in the room. 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:11.840 What is that beep and what does that do? 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.440 I mean, you're learning all of it. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:15.840 You sleep in that ridiculous chair. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:16.480 Right? 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:17.759 They tell you it's a bed. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:18.639 It's not a bed. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.120 You don't really sleep because the nurse comes in every 23 minutes. 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:25.120 I think we think they're just doing it to mess with us. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:26.000 We're not quite sure. 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:26.879 Just checking. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.799 It's 3 a.m., you know. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:35.759 You rearrange your entire life for this person. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.639 Because you love this person. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:52.879 And now what do you think it does in the heart of the sick person, the sick child, the sick husband, the sick wife, the sick friend when you do that? 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.759 What do you think it would do inside the heart of that person? 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:57.759 Well, some of you know. 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.320 I would imagine that her heart is endeared to you. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:04.879 Grateful. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:07.759 Radically in love. 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:14.720 See, that's the power of a powerful love. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:20.639 Peter says in Acts 3, 12, do you think this happened by the power of our piety? 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:21.919 So he says to them. 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:24.159 Do you think that's how that happened? 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:30.080 Like he's saying, do you think any change can happen by the power of our religious effort? 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:33.360 Like, do you think that's how change happens? 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:41.840 That word power shows back up in the chapter 4, when the religious religious leaders ask, by what power or by what name did you heal? 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:51.360 And that's where he says in Acts 4, 10, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.279 Now what would happen? 00:15:54.000 --> 00:16:00.000 If in Christ you trusted that God knew all of you and loved all of you? 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:05.279 What would happen if there was nothing left for you to prove to God? 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:12.960 What would happen if faith was about receiving when you have nothing? 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:16.720 Before it was about doing for God. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.120 Like what healing might happen? 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.399 What endearment might be created back toward God? 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:28.080 Not because you need to pay Him back, but your heart has actually been freed and healed. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:40.159 And then if we think about these people, these Acts 3, first church, like what bravery, what generosity, and what joy might be created in us. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:43.360 Second point from this early church. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:44.159 Last point. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:45.519 Two-point sermon. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:46.720 Thank you. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:47.600 You're welcome. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:48.720 Point number two. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:52.000 We live in the power of providence. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:54.399 God's story is at work. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.639 God's story is not finished in you. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:16:59.919 It's at work right now. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.960 This early church prays beginning with sovereign Lord. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:03.840 That's how they begin their prayer. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:07.279 Maybe your translation isn't like, Lord, you are God. 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:14.000 Which means I am not God. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.200 Which stings a little, right? 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:21.039 I mean, I kind of want to wanna control a bit. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:25.839 But isn't it relieving to say, I am not God? 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:27.119 Can we say that together? 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.720 I am not God. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:32.720 And just relieving, just kind of like, I'm gonna let go a little bit here. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:37.759 Providence teaches that there's two histories happening in the world. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:40.240 One is the current events going on right now. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:44.240 All the events we see, the events happening to us, the current events. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:47.279 And then there's a deeper history. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.279 It's the real history, the real story. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.880 It's called providence. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:55.359 It's how that story is being formed over time by those current events. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:56.559 And we can't always see it. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:58.559 Sometimes we see it looking back. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:07.359 This week I learned that when Civil War soldiers they would write home letter after letter after letter. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:13.440 Being on the battlefield, cannonballs falling, that guy dies, you live. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:18.799 And they would write, today, Providence protected me. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:23.440 Tomorrow, it may be that Providence will take me home. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.079 For them, providence meant everything. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:31.359 They couldn't control everything. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:33.359 There's a bit of humility. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.359 And I think it gave them a bit of peace. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.599 They were wise, but they were limited. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:43.519 The Heidelberg Catechism says this about providence, this theological document. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:45.200 It says this about providence. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:47.359 The providence of God is this. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:19:09.119 The Almighty, everywhere, present, power of God, whereby, as it were, by his hand, he still upholds, he still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:21.119 Meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand. 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:27.200 Now that doesn't mean you will have a pain-free life. 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.319 It actually affirms the opposite. 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:32.240 That we will have pain. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:36.799 And it doesn't affirm that you will have answers for your pain. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:52.720 What it does is it gives us a relational God who, even while we don't understand the mysteries of this world or the mysteries of suffering, the mysteries of a persecution, Acts 3 and 4, we can still say, sovereign Lord. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:54.319 Sovereign Lord. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:02.559 It means we have a sovereign God who knows all of you and all of your life and loves all of you. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.559 And your story is still being written. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:09.279 And your crazy kid. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:44.000 That our story is begun in you by you, your pursuit of us, that we do not have to strap on the boots this morning to climb up to you. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:50.880 But you have come to us while we are sinners, and on the cross all of our sin is taken. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.799 And all of your righteousness is given to us. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:59.519 And we are fully yours, forever and secure. 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:08.880 And that you love us in your grace through the blood of Jesus just relentlessly, and you love us right where we're at, not where we need to be or should be. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.440 May this be so healing to us. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:21.200 May we know of a providence that is beyond our current events, beyond our disappointments. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:27.759 Would you create in us just a bit of trust that we might have more peace? 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:33.680 We thank you that you love us, you know us, and you love us. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:35.359 In Jesus' name, amen.