WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.640 Awesome. 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:04.559 Well, uh thank you again for uh joining us online. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:13.439 Uh let me just say, for those of you that I haven't met, my name is Nathan, and I am uh one of the pastors here at Church of the Grove, and we're thrilled uh that you're joining us today. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:21.199 Uh it's been a little crazy to think that we have now uh been uh not able to meet for 12 weeks. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:27.199 It's been 84 days since we were last in this building or in our social circle campus. 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:35.200 Uh it's been almost three months since we were able to physically see each other in one of our spaces, and we miss you. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:46.560 We we just really, really miss you and getting to see your faces, to getting to see your kids, and uh, we're looking forward to the day that's coming very soon where we're able to see each other once again. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:58.560 But one of the things that I feel like the Lord has taught me through this season is ultimately that I'm not in control, that I don't have control over the situations and the circumstances that we face. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:14.959 As a church leader, um, we would kind of get our church uh leaders together and we would talk about our plans and what we needed to do and how we could best kind of navigate our church and lead our church through this virus and all the stuff that was going on, and we would make a plan, and then the next day everything would change. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:30.799 There would be a government dictation that would come out, there would be some type of medical report that would come out, and it would change everything that we were planning, and it would just throw us into this constant mode of pivoting where we'd be moving one direction, then we have to constantly change and move to the other direction. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:34.239 And it just simply showed me, hey, I'm not in control. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.319 Now, for me, that's really difficult because I like to be in control. 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:46.079 I've told my wife before that she's not allowed to throw surprise parties for me because I would absolutely hate a surprise party because I'm not in control. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:47.359 I want to be in control. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:58.319 Like I've always kind of had this idea in the back of my mind that if I just worked hard enough, if I just put enough time in, if I could just put enough effort in, that I could overcome any obstacle that I face. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:06.239 It's kind of that realization of the American dream, you know, where you can just work and work and work and you can achieve and succeed anything you want in life. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:11.439 And what this season has shown me is that ultimately I'm not in control. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:14.639 That I'm not in control of the circumstances that I face. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.120 I'm not in control from one moment to the next. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:20.319 And that's honestly really, really scary. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:26.639 Because if I like to be in control and I'm not in control, what that ultimately leads to is fear. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:30.240 It leads to uncertainty, it leads to worry in my life. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:49.680 And I don't know if you felt the same way during this whole season, but for me, when I when I feel worried, when I feel scared, when I feel like there's this uncertainty that's kind of hanging over my head, oftentimes what I do is I don't walk and live in power, but instead I kind of retreat and I live a defeated lifestyle. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:54.080 And that's easy for us all to fall into, I feel like in this season of our lives. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:01.199 It's easy to get discouraged, it's easy to get lonely, it's easy to have just difficult circumstances press up against us. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:08.400 But here's the great news that I want us to see this morning: that it's in our weakness that we are made strong. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:10.639 It's in our weakness that God moves. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:16.400 In fact, Paul said this in the 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9 and 10. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:25.360 He said, But he said to me, God said to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:32.159 Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:39.199 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:43.039 For when I am weak, then I am strong. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.439 Now this goes against everything that we learn. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:50.639 This goes against everything that we're taught, because we're taught that you've got to be powerful, you gotta be strong. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.879 But but that's not how God's economy works. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.360 That's not how the kingdom of God is structured. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:01.919 It says that those that are weak become strong through the power of God working through them. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:04.960 And so this is what I want us to all get behind this morning. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:09.439 I want us to understand that there is power through surrender. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:11.680 That there is power in surrender. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:19.279 Now, I know that doesn't sound right because when you throw in the towel, when you wave the white flag, you want to give up power. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.120 You're saying we don't have what it takes. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:22.240 We're throwing in the towel. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:24.160 We're not going to continue. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.079 But there's power ultimately in our surrender. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.800 And we're gonna see that in Scripture this morning. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:34.240 We're gonna be in the book of Acts, one of my favorite books of Scripture. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:36.959 And so if you have a Bible at home, I would encourage you to open that up. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.519 You can also follow along on our Church at the Grove app. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:44.959 But um, Acts chapter one and two is kind of the birth of the early church. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.240 And today is actually Pentecost Sunday. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:52.000 And if you've grown up in church, maybe you've heard that term a time or two before. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.480 But Pentecost Sunday is simply 50 days after Easter. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:57.199 That's what it means. 00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:03.920 The word Pentecost means 50, and it was a celebration that the Jews had that was the celebration of the first fruits. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:12.240 And so for them, they were celebrating the Pentecost, the first fruits, 50 days after what we would celebrate as Easter. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:16.879 And Easter is, of course, the day that Jesus rose from the grave. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:22.399 And so, 50 days after the resurrection, the story we're going to read takes place. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:28.319 Now, just to catch everybody up on the story, just to make sure we're all clear that Jesus came, he lived a perfect life. 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:32.879 He died a death on a cross that he didn't deserve to die. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:35.279 And then on the third day he rose again. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:42.399 And after his resurrection, he didn't just go back to heaven, but instead, he spent 40 days walking on the earth. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:46.959 He spent it with his disciples, he spent it with the people that he knew, he walked around. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:51.199 There were multitudes of people that saw the resurrected Jesus. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:54.879 He ate and drank with them, he talked and had conversations with them. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:05:57.360 He was very, very much alive. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:06.240 And so for 40 days, Jesus walks with them, and he's even eating dinner with them in uh Acts chapter 1, starting in verse 4, and it says this. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:19.680 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. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:21.439 So Jesus is eating with his disciples. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:23.839 He's saying, Listen, hey guys, I know you were gonna want to get started. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:29.279 I know you're gonna want to go and and go after the mission that I've given you, but listen, I want you to not do anything. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:34.319 I want you to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit that's about to come. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.319 Now listen, we don't like to wait. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.839 Nobody likes to wait. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:46.000 If you can remember what it was like to fly before everything was shut down, if you ever had a layover, you know how terrible it is. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:54.079 You're not in your destination that you want to be in, and you're just having to wait in an airport, and it's not fun to simply wait in an airport. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:07:12.319 I I've never met someone that was that was so excited about going to the doctor's office and waiting in a doctor's waiting room, which I've never understood, by the way, that we have to sit and wait in a doctor's waiting room for 30 or 40 minutes, and then we've got to go to another room and wait for another 30 and 40 minutes just to see the doctor. 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.560 I hate going to the doctor because I have to wait. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:16.319 No one likes waiting in traffic. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.600 Waiting is never easy. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.560 But here's the truth that we're going to see this morning. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.000 Without the waiting, there is no power. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.639 Because there's power in the waiting. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:40.560 There's power in abiding and spending time with Jesus and waiting for the Spirit to empower us to move forward in what God has called us to do. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.439 And so Jesus tells his disciples, wait. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:45.199 And then he tells them this in verse 8. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:50.160 He says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:56.399 And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:07:56.560 --> 00:07:59.279 So he tells him, I need you to wait for the Holy Spirit. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:02.399 Don't go off and do your own thing, but wait. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:05.439 And I'm sure for the disciples, it was probably pretty difficult. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.439 I mean, imagine for a second, you've seen a guy come back to life. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:10.480 He was dead. 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:20.560 You saw him buried, you saw the stone rolled in front of the tomb, and you know that he was dead, and now he's telling you to not tell anybody about it. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.560 Don't engage in the mission. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:28.560 And I'm sure Peter, who was always kind of that disciple that was out in front, like he could have gone and started a fishing ministry, right? 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:34.399 You know, he was a fisherman before he became a follower of Jesus, and so he could have gone and started a fit fishing ministry. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:42.240 Matthew was a tax collector, he could have done the greatest financial peace university you could ever imagine, and he could have helped tons of people. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:51.679 John, who was the beloved disciple, could have done a character study on the person of Jesus and taught people about Jesus' heart and what he was ultimately all about. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:59.440 But Jesus tells his disciples, I don't want you to go in your own power, but instead I want you to wait. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:03.919 Don't move, don't go, but wait. 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:12.720 And after Jesus gives these words that his disciples are going to be witnesses in all the world, he then disappears. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:17.360 He ascends to the heavens, he just starts to ascend and go up right before them. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:24.000 And the disciples are standing there as Jesus goes back to be with the Father, and they're just scratching their head, going, Okay, now what? 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.559 We're supposed to wait. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.440 And no one likes to wait. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:38.639 And so one day goes by, and two days go by, and three days go by, and four days, and five, and six, and you get a little antsy, right? 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:44.320 We've experienced shelter in place, and we know how difficult it is to wait. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:50.559 And it takes ten days for God to show up in a miraculous way. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.600 And that's what we see in Acts chapter two. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:04.879 It says this in Acts chapter two, starting in verse one, fifty days now after Easter, the day that we're celebrating today, Pentecost Sunday, is this. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:10.159 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:15.279 So all the disciples, about 120 people all together, were gathered together. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:30.159 They're all in one place, they're waiting for the Holy Spirit to come, the gift that was promised to them, when all of a sudden, verse 2, suddenly a sound like a blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:37.279 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:38.639 So this is what they're doing. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:51.759 They're sitting there, they're eating, they're they're hanging out with one another, and then all of a sudden this tornado-like wind comes blowing in through the house, and then what appears to be tongues of fire settles on each individual person. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.519 Now, I don't know what that looks like. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:55.440 That must have been a sight, right? 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:01.919 To think about tongues of fire landing on each of these disciples, each of these followers of Jesus. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:07.759 And here they see this wind and fire come indoors. 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:16.159 And what's interesting here is that in the Old Testament, fire and wind always symbolize the presence of God. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:20.399 In the book of Job, God shows up in a whirlwind. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:27.279 Abraham, with Abraham and him making the covenant with Abraham, God comes carrying a burning torch. 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:34.559 Moses, when he is called to go and rescue the people from Egypt, he's God appears to him in a burning bush. 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:45.279 You know, when they eventually leave Egypt and they're going to the promised land, God leads them out of Egypt with a fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:47.919 That's how God led them with fire, right? 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.960 Then they get out of Egypt, they cross over the Red Sea, and God meets them. 00:11:53.039 --> 00:12:14.720 In fact, the very first Pentecost happens when God gives the people the Ten Commandments, and He's going to meet with them on Mount Sinai, and on top of Mount Sinai, as God comes down, there's fire and there's wind and there's storms all around the top, and the people that are God's chosen people, they are scared to death. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:18.879 And they begin to back up and they say, Hey, Moses, you go up and meet with that. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:22.080 We're gonna stay as far away as we possibly can. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:27.519 And so Moses goes up and it's the representative to the people. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:37.200 But what's drastically different from then to this scene that's unfolding in the book of Acts is that the fire is now falling on every disciple. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:54.639 That it's not up on some mountain where we have to ascend to some summit so that we can meet with God, but instead, God has come down to us and he's not just met with us, but he's actually in filling and empowering every single believer with the presence of God. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:56.480 This is incredible. 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:05.200 If you were Moses for a second, Moses was someone that walked with God in such a unique and a creative and a close relationship. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:09.679 And Moses at one point in his story, he wants to see God. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.799 And God says, You can't see my face and continue to live. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:21.360 So God puts him in the cleft of the rock, and Moses just happens to see the back of God as he passes by, and he almost dies because of it. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:30.559 And now we're seeing that after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit comes, and it's not just seeing God, but we get to be partakers of the divine nature. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:36.240 That we get to have God actually living in and through us. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:37.679 This is incredible. 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:46.240 Verse 4 says, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.519 Now, I you're probably listening to this and you're going, Oh, great, Nathan. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:56.879 Like I invited somebody to come and to watch online with me this morning, and we're talking about speaking in tongues. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:13:58.799 Listen, I don't understand it all. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.799 I just know that the Bible talks about speaking in tongues. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:20.639 And the disciples and the followers of Jesus, they begin to speak, and as they speak, all the people, all the different nations, all the different races that are represented in this situation, in the Pentecost celebration, they all hear in their own language. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:30.080 Now, I just want to take a little pause for a second and just address something that's been going on in our culture and our world recently when it comes to race. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:41.919 I love this story because not only are the people empowered by the Holy Spirit, but on the very first day that the church is born, he doesn't just come for one group of people. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.159 He doesn't just come for the Jewish race. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:52.000 He doesn't just come for the people that were the chosen few, but he comes with a message for all people. 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:59.840 The message of the gospel, the good news, is not just for one segment of the population, but it's for all people. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:13.360 And it's a message of justice, it's a message of freedom, it's a message of power, it's a message of forgiveness, and it's not just for one group, but it's for all groups. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:22.879 And as a church and as a people and as followers of God, we should always be for all people, for all races. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:27.919 We should stand up for justice because that is at the heart of God. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:36.879 And on day one, in the very beginning of the church, it wasn't just a message for some and not for others, but it was a message for everybody. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:50.399 And I want our church, I want Church at the Grove to be a church that stands up for righteousness, that we want to live holy lives, that we want to be set apart, that we want to follow the commands in Scripture. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:59.279 But I also want us to be a church that stands up for justice and speaks out for the plight of the poor and the oppressed. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:02.480 That we should be a light to all people. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:04.960 So the Holy Spirit comes. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.440 The message is spread for all people. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:15.120 And here's what I love about this: the Holy Spirit is given to the people not because they needed a little pep talk. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:19.600 He wasn't given to them so that they could feel better about themselves. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.679 He wasn't given them because they were a little insecure and they needed more confidence. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:29.759 The Holy Spirit was given to them so that they could be his witnesses. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:41.519 The Holy Spirit provokes them and pushes them to live on mission for the kingdom of God, to share the good news, to do the work that God has called them to do. 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:45.360 This is what the Holy Spirit has been given to us for. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:48.559 Not so that we just feel good about ourselves. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:53.919 He's given it to us so that we can be his witnesses and live on mission for him. 00:16:54.320 --> 00:17:02.159 Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher, said every believer is either a missionary or an imposter. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:13.519 We have been given the Holy Spirit so that we can live on mission for God, not so that we can just feel better about ourselves. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:17.119 And so we live on mission for Him. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.720 There's power here in surrender. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:30.640 These uneducated Jewish men that just a few weeks before this takes place, they were all cowards. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:35.279 I mean, Jesus is arrested in the garden, and all the disciples desert him. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:45.200 And the only one that really sticks with him is Peter, and Peter goes to the courtyard, and in the courtyard, Peter denies Jesus three different times. 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:52.319 He denies him to these little servant girls, and he's scared to admit that he's a follower of Jesus. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:18:04.000 And now they're standing up in front of the multitudes, and they're proclaiming the good news of God, and they're proclaiming the gospel message, and we're seeing incredible things happen. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:08.480 This is not because they just got overnight, they became fearless. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:18.240 This is because the Holy Spirit was living and residing and empowering them to do the mission that God has called them to do. 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:25.839 And here's the incredible truth that there is always power in our surrender. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:37.279 If Peter, James, John, all the disciples, if they would not have surrendered to Jesus, there would be no power of Jesus. 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:42.240 Power ultimately comes in our surrender. 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:54.799 And so we have to come to a place in our lives where we're willing to surrender ourselves so that we can see the power of God working in and through us. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:59.440 And so these guys are full of the Spirit and they're speaking boldly. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:29.200 That's the reason that they're speaking in these other languages, and the guys were saying, Hey, it's nine in the morning. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:30.640 They're not they're not drunk, right? 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.599 This is not happening. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:34.000 Now, for some of us that might not be the case, right? 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:40.559 Nine in the morning is maybe not too early, but for the disciples and back in this day, it was too early for someone to apparently be drunk. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:42.000 And so that was out of the question. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:45.119 It was the move of the spirit that was happening. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:55.839 And then it says in verse 37, when the people heard the message that was preached, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what shall we do? 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:04.559 So the message of the gospel, the message that Peter preached is not some eloquent speech that Peter contrived of his own ability. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:11.759 It wasn't because Peter was just such an incredible communicator that the spirit uh that people were responding to his message. 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:18.799 No, it was because the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to preach, and as a result, hearts were cut to the core. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:24.559 And they were asking the question, okay, if this is true, then Peter tell us what do we need to do? 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:30.880 And his responses in verse 38, Peter replied, Repent and be baptized. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:39.119 Every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:46.799 So we see another crazy, crazy thing here is that the Holy Spirit was not just for the select few. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:58.079 It wasn't just for the core disciples, but it was for anyone and everyone that believed in the name of Jesus, that was willing to surrender their life to him. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:02.319 And the gift of the Holy Spirit was given as a result. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:12.079 Verse 41, it says those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3,000 were added to the number that day. 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:15.599 3,000 people, first day of the church, it's born. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.559 They stand up. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:30.160 These cowardly disciples stand up, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and 3,000 people put their faith and trust in Jesus and are baptized on day one of the church. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:37.920 But that only happens because the disciples, the followers of Christ, were fully surrendered. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:44.160 And when we surrender, there is power that comes as a result. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.000 So the church is born. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:48.480 3,000 people are added to the number. 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:52.880 All different nationalities, all different languages, they're all put together. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.880 And listen to what they describe the church that's empowered by the Spirit. 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.279 Here's what a church empowered by the Spirit looks like. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:07.839 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:13.599 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:17.599 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 00:22:17.839 --> 00:22:22.240 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:25.599 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:33.759 They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:39.200 And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:42.720 This is what a church full of life looked like. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:23:00.160 That they were willing to share whatever they had because they wanted to make sure that no one in their midst, no one in their community had any needs whatsoever. 00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:02.079 They lived in community with one another. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:09.920 They ate together, they had favor with all people, and the Lord was adding to their number every single day. 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:14.400 This is what church should look like. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:17.200 A church that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:22.240 People that are fully surrendered to God, to Jesus. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:25.200 This is what it should look like. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:29.519 People that are living in a supernatural way. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:31.359 The church was alive. 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:36.559 And the church was alive because it was it wasn't alive because they had incredible services. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:46.720 The church wasn't alive because they had some fantastic kids program, or the church wasn't alive because there was great facilities that you could come into and gather together. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:53.759 No, the church was alive because the Holy Spirit showed up and changed everything. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:24:03.759 There's much more to God and following the ways of Jesus than just getting a bunch of talented people in a room and making a great service. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:08.880 And listen, we have some talented people and we try to put on great services. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:12.720 But listen, the church is so much more than that. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:15.119 And listen, it's been it's been long. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:16.160 Let's be honest. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:21.119 It's been, like I said, 12 weeks, 84 days. 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:26.240 It's been almost three months since we were last able to gather together. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:30.880 And Russ and myself, we've spoken to cameras. 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:36.000 And let me just be honest with you, it's not super fun to speak to empty rooms with cameras pointed at you. 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:36.960 It's just not. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:47.039 We can't wait for that to happen. 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:49.599 But here's what I don't want to happen. 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:53.359 I don't want us to miss today. 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:57.839 I don't want us to miss this season that we have. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:00.480 We're unable to gather together physically. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.359 It's a blessing that we can do these online gatherings. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:09.599 But listen, I don't want us just to come back together and just everything go back to normal. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:16.240 I don't want us just to be a people that gather and like each other and have fellowship with one another. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:21.279 I want us to be a church that's empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:26.559 I don't want us to be people that are just half-heartedly committed to Jesus. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:31.519 But instead, I want us to be people that are fully surrendered to Him. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:34.880 That we're willing to give Him everything that we have. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:40.799 And when we are fully surrendered to Him, power comes. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.640 I want our church to be a place of power. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:49.200 I want it to be not something that we can conjure up in our own abilities. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:54.319 I want it to be something that's a supernatural move of God. 00:25:54.640 --> 00:26:00.319 But that only comes when we fully surrender our lives to Jesus. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:09.839 Right before we had to cancel our online services or cancel our physical services and move everything online, we had United Weekend. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:17.119 And United Weekend is our gathering for uh students sixth through twelfth grade, and we had about 300 kids that attended this event. 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:34.799 And leading up to this event, um, I had been telling our campus and social circle, I didn't kept telling them week after week after week, I said, guys, I just I just believe that God is going to use this event, and he's going to use this gathering of teenagers to break down strongholds in our community. 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:44.960 That he's going to do something supernatural in this gathering to begin to change our community, to begin to change our church. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:46.960 And God did just that. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:53.119 We met, we gathered, and God showed up in ways that we could not even begin to imagine. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:57.200 And we gathered together that Sunday morning on March 8th. 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:03.039 And at our social circle location, we had, you know, probably 400 people between both services. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:06.880 Most of our teenagers were there in one of our services. 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:10.319 And the spirit of the Lord just kind of fell on that place. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:21.839 And we just opened up the floor and said, Hey, who today is wanting to surrender their life to Jesus and publicly declare that for the world? 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:26.799 And we thought that there was maybe one or two students that were going to get up and be baptized that day. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.519 It wasn't something that we had necessarily planned. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:49.440 And as the two people that we knew were going to come started to stand up and come, there were 13 others, high school students, middle school students, that stood up and said, Hey, I want to fully surrender my life to Jesus, and I want to declare that to all the world. 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:55.680 And if you were there, you know, but if you weren't there, I'm telling you, power. 00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:01.519 It was powerful, it was a move of God. 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:05.680 It's something that I can't even begin to put words truly to. 00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:07.920 It was a move of God. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:16.319 And it was because there were 15 students that said, hey, I'm going to surrender. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:20.559 And when we surrender, there's power. 00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:29.119 When we surrender, that's when the Holy Spirit comes and moves in a way that only He can. 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:46.880 And so I want us all to not just go through the motions, not just to do church like normal, to not just be kind of cultural followers of Jesus, but I want us to be people that are fully surrendered to Jesus. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:53.359 And as we're fully surrendered to Jesus, I promise that the power will come. 00:28:54.240 --> 00:29:03.279 And so my question for you, wherever you're watching at this morning, is are you fully surrendered to Jesus? 00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:08.559 For some of you, you need to take the first step. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:13.279 You need to give your life to Jesus for the very first time. 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:26.480 We say here at Church of the Grove, it's kind of as simple as ABC that it's admitting that we're sinful, that we be, that we believe that Jesus died on a cross for our sins and rose again on the third day. 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:31.200 And then we finally see we confess that Jesus is the Lord of our lives. 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:35.519 In other words, we're confessing that we're truly and totally surrendered. 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:43.359 And when we do that, the Bible tells us that we have new life in our bones and our souls. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:50.799 And so if that's the step that you need to take, we would love to give you some tools to help you in your spiritual development. 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:57.440 If you'll just simply text the word, start to follow, all one word, to 9700. 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:01.279 Again, start to follow to 9700. 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:05.519 And we would love to be able to follow up with you this week. 00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:13.839 And for those of you that have maybe taken that initial step, but there's something that's holding its grip on you. 00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:23.279 And maybe it's an addiction, maybe it's some type of sin, maybe it's a relationship, maybe it's your finances. 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:34.960 And for too long you've held tightly in your grips and said, I know I should surrender, but I'm gonna keep holding it myself. 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:43.680 I'm telling you, you're missing out on the power of God working in and through your life. 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:46.720 When we fully surrender, the power comes. 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:52.400 When we're obedient to God's word and what he has called us to do, power comes. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:57.920 When we are at our weakness, God makes us strong. 00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:03.519 And so what is it tonight, today, that you need to surrender? 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:09.599 What is it today that you need to fully surrender to Jesus? 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:13.359 We have people that would love to pray with you right now. 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:16.880 In our live prayer option, you can you can click that. 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:22.000 We'd love to be able to pray for you right now and walk through some of the whatever you're dealing with. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:24.480 Maybe you need to reach out to a friend. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:26.000 We're here, we're available to you. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:31.599 We'd love to be able to communicate or email or talk to you this week and help you walk through this. 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:35.839 But let's not let this season go to waste. 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.960 Let's not let the waiting be wasted. 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:49.440 But instead, let us surrender in this time now so that we can see the power of God tomorrow. 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:52.720 I can't wait for us to gather together. 00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:54.400 I don't know what it's gonna look like. 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:59.759 I don't know if we're gonna be able to hug each other or high five or handshake or what it's gonna look like. 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:22.400 But my prayer is that what Satan thought he was going to stop with a virus, the beginning moves of God with United Weekend, was actually an opportunity that God was going to use to prepare our hearts now for what he was going to do and what he is going to do in the future. 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:35.200 And I can't wait to gather together again and see the power of God working through our lives as the Spirit of God moves and works within each of us. 00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:36.960 Let me pray for us. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:40.240 Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for who you are. 00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:44.400 And Lord, I am humbled this morning. 00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:48.240 Lord, that we get to be partakers in the divine nature. 00:32:48.559 --> 00:33:03.279 And it's not that we just get to know you or to even know about you, but Lord, we get to actually be empowered and you actually reside within those that put their faith and trust in you. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:07.920 Lord, I thank you for that. 00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:17.279 Lord, I praise you for being willing to not force us to come up the mountain, but you come down the mountain. 00:33:17.599 --> 00:33:20.640 And Lord, I want to surrender everything I have to you. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:27.599 And I pray that we would be a church that was willing to surrender everything we have to you. 00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:36.960 And as a result, Lord, we stand on the foundation and on the promise that power ultimately comes in our surrender. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:42.079 And so, Lord, I pray for the person struggling even right now with fully surrendering to you. 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:46.960 Lord, give them the courage and the boldness to fully surrender. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:34:00.960 And Lord, I pray the days that we get to gather again together, Lord, that they would not be days of just mundane, normal kind of religious activity. 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:09.519 But instead, Lord, they would be full of your spirit, your power, and that you would move in the way that only you can. 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:10.960 Lord, we love you. 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:15.440 We thank you again for today, for this morning, and for this time that we have together. 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:20.719 And as we sing this last song, we declare, Lord, that we surrender all. 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:23.280 It's in your name we pray. 00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:24.239 Amen.