WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:18.000 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:19.679 Good morning, everybody. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.039 Would you join me in prayer? 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:23.920 Lord Jesus, we want to thank you. 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:26.800 Thank you for this book that we're about to study. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:34.479 Lord, I thank you that you work through the apostles and those under other 120 people, and because of what happened in this book, we stand here today. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:38.079 Thank you for their radical obedience to you, Lord. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:41.439 And I pray that we'd get more and more of that in our own hearts. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:44.320 Lord, would you come and would you work in our hearts? 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:48.159 I pray this morning as I'm preaching, would you speak through me? 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:49.039 Would you challenge us? 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:50.320 Would you encourage us? 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:52.159 Lead us closer to you, Jesus. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:53.359 We want to know you more. 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:54.719 In your name I pray. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:55.439 Amen. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:57.200 So we're going to be in Acts chapter 1. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:57.920 You can sit down. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:00.399 Acts chapter 1, verses 12 through 26. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:05.840 Acts 1, 12 through 26, let me just give you a little bit of background of where we're at here in Acts. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:13.200 And what I want you to think about first is if you were one of those apostles, what kind of emotions would you be feeling at this point? 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:15.359 The emotions that they were going through. 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:16.319 So think about it. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.000 40 days earlier, Jesus had died on the cross. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:27.120 And for those two days before he rose again, must have been some of the saddest days in their entire lives. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:28.799 They must have thought, what were we doing? 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:30.400 Why were we following this guy? 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:32.079 He's not the real deal. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:33.120 He's dead. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:36.159 What was I doing with my life, right? 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:38.480 Must have been so disappointed. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:40.640 And then he rises again. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.319 And your life's completely changed. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.799 Your hopeless life, now you're suddenly hopeful. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:55.760 And then he spends 40 days with them, explaining to them from Scripture why this all happened, what's going on, and you have Jesus teaching you each and every day. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:58.959 It must have been amazing, amazing. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:06.799 And so last week at the end of the end of Neil's message, he he said this verse, and these were the words from God to them. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:16.719 He said, You're going to receive power when my Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you're going to be witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and to the Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to the ends of the earth. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:18.400 That's what you're called to. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:25.680 So here's what you guys need to do: wait here in Jerusalem for my Holy Spirit to be poured out, and then go. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:26.080 Right? 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.000 Like that is that's their marching orders. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:29.680 Okay, so that's where we're at. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:33.919 Let's read chapter 1, verses 12 through 26. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:39.680 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olive, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:44.400 And when they'd entered, they went up to the upper room where they were staying. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:54.319 Peter and John, James, Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the zealot, and Judas, the son of James. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:03:02.240 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:18.800 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers, the company of person was in all about a hundred and twenty, and he said, Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:22.800 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:30.000 Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:32.560 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:37.759 So the field was called in their own language Acadelma, that is field of blood. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:47.520 For it is written in the book of Psalms, may his camp become desolate, let there be no one to dwell in it, and let another take his office. 00:03:48.159 --> 00:04:03.759 So, one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us, one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:09.520 And they've put forward two Joseph called Bar Sabbas, who was also called Justice, and Matthias. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:21.439 And they prayed and said, You Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take this place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:28.079 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthews, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:30.800 So, guys, we know what's coming in chapter two, right? 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:38.560 Chapter two, the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out, tongues of fire, one of the most amazing stories, and has a huge impact on church history. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.519 And this is kind of the passage before that, right? 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.240 And it's a little bit like, well, can we just get to chapter two? 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:45.839 Like that's what I want to get to. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.439 Like that's the exciting part, right? 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.680 But here's kind of what I want to put before you this morning. 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:55.040 I think if chapter one hadn't happened, if this passage hadn't happened, I don't know if we ever get chapter two. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.120 Um, how many of you have seen Avengers Endgame? 00:04:59.360 --> 00:04:59.680 Right? 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:03.519 And yeah, the great part about that movie is at the end, that battle, right? 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:04.480 Like it's amazing. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.040 All like all the fighting and amazing. 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:10.000 But do you remember the scene before the battle? 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:12.079 And and I couldn't remember it. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:14.480 Like I actually was thinking, like, do I even remember that scene? 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:15.519 I have no idea what happened to it. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.839 I remember the battle, I remember everything that happened in that, but I do not remember the scene before the battle. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:21.199 I had to go back and look. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:32.480 So I went back and I looked at the scene, and it's actually, you know, they've collected those five infinity stones, the same stones that previous movie, Thanos had snapped his fingers when he put them all on, he snapped his fingers and he wiped out what? 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:35.120 It was like a third of humankind all died, right? 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:46.319 So they get these five stones, and Iron Man makes this glove that you can put on this mechanical glove, and the idea is they're gonna snap their fingers again, and then it's gonna bring everybody back, right? 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:48.079 But I didn't even remember that. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.240 All I remembered was the battle. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:55.519 But in that movie, if if the guy never snaps his fingers, the battle never happens, right? 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:56.639 You see that. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:58.560 And I think it's the same in this book. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:02.720 If this passage doesn't happen, I don't know that we get Acts chapter 2. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:07.360 Yes, God's sovereign, yes, it was gonna happen, and it did happen, but you understand what I'm saying here. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.040 This is an important passage. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:10.639 So let's let's begin. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:15.680 So they return to Jerusalem from the mount called Olive, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:23.199 And it's just that this is them, the first thing you need to notice, and this is all through the passage, they have a heart to want to obey God. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:41.199 And so they go to this place that's like it's about a half of a quarter or to three-quarters of a mile away, and it's still in Jerusalem, and they go to this place, probably to like the the previous upper room, might have been the same one, we're not sure, but they're in an upper room, it had to be a big facility for all these people to fit in, and they're they're just seeking God, right? 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:46.399 And so as you're growing in Jesus, you more and more should have a heart that wants to obey him. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:51.680 And you're gonna see that through this passage, how they more and more they just want to obey Jesus, they want to do what he has asked them to do. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.360 And so that's what they're doing here. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:56.240 As we continue, we get to verse 13. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:04.959 They enter, they go to the upper room, and where they were staying, and Peter and John and James and Andrew and Philip, so all these disciples, it lists 11 names, were there. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:06.480 So this is significant for two reasons. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:16.079 The first one is there's only 11 names, and that's because Judas betrayed Jesus, and so he's no longer considered part of the 12, and it's because he's passed away and he betrayed him. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:20.639 There's another reason this is here, though, as well, and this is early on in this book. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:26.800 Um, this book was written probably about 30 years after Jesus' death, right? 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:37.040 And if you'd read this book, what you would see is they they had to, there was a cost to the this witness, this message that they were going to carry, there was a great cost to it. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.240 They they end up getting in prison, they get beaten. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:43.839 Some of them die because they're witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.839 They pay a great price for this. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.839 So the early believers, when they would have read this book, right? 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:51.759 This is like 30 years after Jesus died. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:54.079 So Luke writes this book and then they would have got it. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:59.279 And as they're reading it, they wouldn't read this, these names, it's just, oh, that's a list of the disciples. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:01.920 It would actually read as a list of martyrs. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.839 The majority of these disciples at this point in history have already passed away. 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:07.360 They've been martyred for the kingdom. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:10.319 It'd be almost like if you're reading a newspaper and you're reading obituaries. 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:11.839 That's what you're reading here. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:14.480 Uh I'll give you an example. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:20.639 Peter, they when he when they wanted to kill him, they said, We want you need to be crucified. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:21.680 And they did it, they were gonna mock him. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:22.480 They're like, You're a Christian? 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:23.519 Well, we'll crucify you. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:27.839 And Peter's like, Oh no, I'm not worthy to be killed in the same way my Lord Jesus was killed. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.519 Crucify me upside down. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:30.160 Right? 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:31.600 That's just an example. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:34.799 All of these guys, like one of them died in Iran, another one in India. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.720 They really did take the gospel to the ends of the earth. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:41.120 But this is in here. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:42.480 Well, why is Lou put this in here? 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.159 What's this in here today for us? 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:47.279 We need to realize that there's a cost to this message. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.000 Your life is not going to be easy if you follow Jesus. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:51.840 There will be some times that are difficult. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:53.919 People will make fun of you sometimes. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.080 It won't always be simple. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:03.679 You may face persecution, you probably will face persecution, but the message is it's worth it. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:05.279 Jesus is worth it. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:13.120 If you really get the gospel, and you really get that he really did die for your sins, he really has forgiven you and wiped your slate completely clean. 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:16.080 And not only has he done that, but he said, You're now righteous in me. 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:19.360 I give you my righteousness and you're now perfect in Christ Jesus. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:22.080 That's amazingly good news. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:26.320 And it's the kind of good news that what they all decided was we can't keep this to ourselves. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.320 We've got to go and share it with other people. 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:30.320 And if we die, we die. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:32.720 That's what they decided. 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:36.799 So look at verse 14. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:45.120 All of these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer together with women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.720 So what you see with the early church is they're amazingly unified. 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:52.000 They're all together, they're devoting themselves to prayer. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:55.440 And this is like what we all want the church to be. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:02.799 I I was talking to a guy a couple years ago, and he he said to me, he said, Brent, if you if you make unity your goal, you'll never get unity. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:04.879 I'm like, that's kind of negative, a little bit debt. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.360 But then I started to think about it and I was like, yeah, he's right. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.360 If unity is my goal, I'm not going to get unity. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:11.120 He said, Here's what you need to make your goal. 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:12.960 Make your goal seeking Jesus. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:16.879 If seeking Jesus is your goal, then a byproduct of that will be unity. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:22.240 And so what you see with these people is they're seeking Jesus, they're waiting on the Holy Spirit to come, right? 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.720 And then they also know their mission, right? 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.080 Like they know what God's called them to. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.559 He's called them to be witnesses to this resurrection. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:32.320 Seek Jesus, wait on the Holy Spirit, and know your mission. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:36.080 And when you have those three things together, you're going to have a unified body of Christ. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:42.480 So if you have any disunity in your life right now, if there's some believers that you're like, yeah, we're getting a little sideways here. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:47.519 I I would ask you, maybe, maybe look at your relationship with them, and they're one of these three areas. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.000 Are you are you kind of out of whack, right? 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:52.639 Are one of you not really seeking God right now? 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.720 Are you not really waiting on the Spirit, or does one of you not realize the mission that you've been called to? 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:59.679 And I would say it's probably one of those three things, right? 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:03.440 The second half of this passage has some interesting stuff as well. 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:05.440 It says, with the women. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:08.799 And I think modern day we look at that and we're like, yeah, no big deal. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:09.919 Of course there are women there. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:12.240 But you got to understand the context this was written into. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.159 This wasn't our context. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:16.080 This was the Bible context. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:17.039 This was their culture. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:20.399 And in their culture at their time, there weren't, it wasn't like there's a ton of feminists. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.759 I don't know if there were any feminists. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:25.039 If you were a woman, you were you were a property of your husband, right? 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.279 That's the kind of culture this is written into. 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:34.559 And so Luke is being very counter-cultural by adding in it wasn't just the men in the upper room, the women were there too. 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:35.840 What's Luke saying? 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.080 He's saying, women, you have value, you have worth, you can do things for the kingdom of God. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:47.279 Yes, men and women have different roles, but women, you have value and worth, and you can make a difference for God's kingdom as well. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.879 So you can see that throughout this book. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:55.840 He includes this kind of stuff all throughout the book, and it's like Luke's kind of whispering to you, you have value and worth too. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.000 The second thing in here is even more interesting. 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:03.840 It says, Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers are there too. 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:05.279 That's interesting. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:15.759 So if you're a skeptic in our church this morning, if you if you're coming here and you're like, yeah, I like the church, I met some nice people, I even think Jesus is a nice guy, but I don't know that I would say that he's God. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:17.919 That's a little bit too far for me. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:21.039 This is a passage that you have to deal with. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:25.519 Because you can lie to your friends, and your friends will often believe you. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:31.360 But if you try to lie to your mom and your brothers, it's not gonna go well for you because they know you too well. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:41.279 So, chapter one, Jesus, he's basically saying, I rose from the dead, I died on a cross, and I did all that for you, and that is the truth, and I'm gonna be coming back with in the form of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:49.919 And his Mary, his mother, and his brothers are like, Yeah, we believe that, and we're gonna be there, and we are waiting right now for this Holy Spirit to come. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:57.519 Do you see what a what a strong apologetic that is for the fact that what Jesus is saying, it's not just a bunch of garbage. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:00.639 They wouldn't be there if they knew Jesus was a liar. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:02.159 They know that he's the truth. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:05.600 So if you're a skeptic this morning, this is something you have to deal with. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:11.360 And it's something that should begin to move your heart closer to Jesus and convince you that this is really the truth. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.799 He really did die and rise again. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:19.840 And if you're a believer today, you should be greatly encouraged by the fact that Luke included Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers were there as well. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:24.960 Verse 15. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:28.399 In those days, Peter stood up among the brothers. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.279 Peter stood up among the brothers. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:33.919 Anybody else catching what I'm catching there? 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:34.879 That's weird for me. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:39.039 So if you remember the past book in Luke, so we'll just go with Luke. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:46.000 At the end of that book, right before Jesus dies, he goes to Peter and he says, Hey man, you're gonna deny me three times tonight. 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.120 And Peter, full of bravado, is like, No, I won't. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:50.399 I'm willing to die for you, man. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:52.000 I will not deny you three times tonight. 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:53.360 What's Peter do? 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:56.399 Denies Jesus three times that night. 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:03.279 And now in Acts, the very first apostle to stand up is Peter. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:07.679 How did Peter deal with that shame? 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.720 So in our culture, I don't know that we completely get shame. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:15.840 Like there are cultures that are honor-sham cultures that's certainly not ours. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:19.440 I think at our at this point in our culture, I don't know that we feel much shame about our sin. 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:23.120 I think we actually should probably feel more shame about our sin, and it would probably be better for us. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:25.279 But I used to live in an honor-shamed culture. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.399 I lived in Taiwan. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:32.080 And I remember one day I'm walking down the street, and there were these two fruit stands that these two older gentlemen ran. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:33.519 They were almost exactly the same. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.200 They sold fruit to people. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:38.480 One day I walk by and I see that these two older men are arguing. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.080 They're both in their 70s or 80s. 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.000 And the argument keeps to get more heated. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:45.279 And as it gets more heated, a bigger crowd starts to form. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.759 And eventually it comes to fist. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:49.600 And I and I know why they're fighting. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:51.840 I don't know what they were fighting about, but I know why they were fighting. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:54.399 One of those men had shamed the other man. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:58.639 And he realized the only way I'm gonna get my honor back is I've got to beat him up. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.879 And if I beat him up, then I can get my honor back. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.240 And that is why they're fighting. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.799 And so there was no way you were gonna stop him, you just gotta let it go. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:06.320 And so we all stood back, we let it go. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:10.639 I don't know if you've ever seen older guys fight, but they're a little bit wobbly, they're almost falling down. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.600 One of the guys pulled the shirt over the other guy's head and starts wailing on him. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:14.960 It was it was crazy. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:17.519 There was blood, glasses were broken, it was. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.799 But that's an honor-shame culture. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:24.720 So with Peter, we never see anywhere that he went and beat anybody up. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.960 There's no way that this was resolved in that, in man's way of resolving things. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:30.240 What happened with Peter? 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.000 How did all that shame that he was feeling? 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:36.559 I mean, Peter did probably, in my opinion, probably the most shameful thing that you can do. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:41.440 Jesus, one of his best friends in his hour of greatest need, denies he even knows him. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:47.919 And Jesus has now been proven he's he's the he's the son of God, the savior of the world. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:49.840 That's super shameful. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.159 How did he ever deal with that? 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.960 Well, remember, Jesus has been speaking to them for 40 days. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:58.159 And we actually have record in John, Jesus spoke specifically to Peter. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:04.480 And here's the thing that Peter got: He finally understood I'm a witness to the resurrection. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:09.360 And what the resurrection means for me is when Jesus died on the cross, my shame went with him. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:15.120 He buried my shame in the ground, and now when he rose again, he's given me honor. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:19.919 And that's why I can now get up and be the leader of all these apostles. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.080 If you don't believe me, go to 1 Peter 2.9. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:26.320 1 Peter 2.9. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:28.080 This is this is what Peter says. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:29.360 These are his words. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:40.399 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.039 And so when we read that, we're like, man, that's encouraging. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:44.960 Thank you, Peter, for writing that for us. 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:45.759 And he did. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.919 In a sense, it was written for you. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:49.200 But here's something I know. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:54.720 When I preach sermons, I try to, you know, I want to know my audience and I want to preach a message that's going to impact you. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.360 But also every time I preach a sermon, a lot of it is for me as well. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.320 Right? 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.559 And I think Peter, when he wrote this, he was also preaching to himself. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:08.559 And he was saying, Peter, this he's saying, you know, this isn't just for them, this is for me too. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:09.839 I'm a chosen race. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.440 I'm a holy nation. 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:13.039 I am a royal priesthood. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:24.880 I'm a people that is God's own possession, and he's called me, he's taken me out of that darkness and all that shame of my sin, and he has brought me into his marvelous light, and the light has washed the shame away. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.319 And now he's given me honor in place of that shame. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:37.200 So anybody here this morning that you're feeling some shame over something you did in the past, like right now, as I said that, you think of it and you're like, man, I can't believe I did that. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:38.480 That was so dumb. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:44.160 Peter did something, I promise, it's way dumber than what you did. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:52.319 And he was able to get past it because of this truth of the gospel, that he's no longer that old person, but he is a new creation in Christ. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:55.920 And God has taken his shame, and instead he has replaced it with honor. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.480 Let's carry on. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:05.759 Verse 15, second half of it here, and it's in parentheses. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:09.759 It says, the company of persons was in all about 120. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:11.680 About 120 people. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:21.200 So what we just found out, Jesus uses 120 people to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.079 That is crazy visionary. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:30.400 To stand in front of 120 people and say, hey guys, we're going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, we're going to go to the ends of the earth. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:30.880 We got this. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:31.599 Let's do it. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:32.880 That's crazy visionary. 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:41.359 So if a guy came to you this week, if a pastor of a Southern Baptist church of 120 people, if he came to you this week and he says, Hey, I think God spoke to me. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:43.359 God is calling me and my church. 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:44.640 We're going to go to the nations. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.440 We are going to affect every single nation on earth. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:48.880 That is what God's called us to. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:53.039 If a guy came to me and said that, I'd be like, man, what are you talking about? 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:54.160 Are you in some kind of cult? 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:54.880 Like what? 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:56.480 That's too visionary for me. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:57.599 It's too big. 00:18:57.759 --> 00:18:59.440 Like, what's going on with you, man? 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:00.720 Have you been smoking too much weed? 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:03.359 Like, what is too much, right? 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:06.319 Here's the clear distinction, though. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:08.559 This is a vision from God. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:10.880 It's not a vision that came from man's heart. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:13.759 So I wonder if there's anybody this morning. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:16.160 Maybe maybe you have a dream that God has placed on your heart. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:19.200 Not your own dream, but a dream that He has placed on your heart. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:24.000 If He has placed a dream in your heart and it really is from Him, it's going to happen. 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:25.839 There's nothing that can stop it. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.720 Maybe you're a little bit scared to share it even with other people, but if He has placed a dream on your heart, it will happen. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.480 Maybe this is a season of waiting. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:38.960 Maybe you need to spend some time in prayer and just be praying and waiting for the right time to share it with other people. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:43.440 But if he has placed a dream on your heart, it's not your own dream, it's his dream, it will happen. 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:46.880 Verse 16. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:49.119 16 through 19. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:57.119 It says, Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled with the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:00.559 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:07.359 Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out. 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:14.960 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language, Acadelma, that is the field of blood. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:16.799 So this is another one of these passages. 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:20.559 First of all, you see Peter's high view of scripture here. 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:26.319 He says in the first verse here, the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:32.400 So he's referencing Old Testament Scripture, and he's saying the Holy Spirit spoke through David as he wrote this. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:39.599 So the apostles, you see here their view of scripture, they believe that all of Scripture, all the Old Testament, is the very words of God. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.359 And that's what I'm saying is that's what we should be believing as a people of God, too. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:50.079 We should believe that the Old Testament and the New Testament are the very words of God. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:52.960 So that's the first thing we see. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:58.559 The next thing we see, this is another one of those passages that I think it's a good one for the skeptics. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:04.559 So there's a story about Judas where it says, you know, that he how he killed himself and he bought this field, right? 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:10.160 The issue with this passage is if you go to Matthew 27, Matthew chapter 27, turn there with me. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.559 Matthew 27, 3 to 8, it says this. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:15.839 It's the exact same story, but just note some of the differences. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:26.720 But then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:28.559 They said, What is that to us? 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:29.839 See to it yourself. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:34.640 And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed and he went and he hanged himself. 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:40.319 But the chief priest, taking the pieces of silver, said, It's not lawful to put them in the treasury since it's blood money. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:46.720 So they took the counsel and bought brought with them the pot they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:50.960 Therefore, that field to this day has been called the field of blood. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:52.799 Do you see the differences? 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:56.079 So if you're a skeptic here, you're probably like, Man, that's not true. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:57.440 The Bible's that's messed up. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.440 The Bible says one thing here and something else here. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.279 Can't believe this. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.799 This is actually proof that the Bible is accurate. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.400 So I've read some books on this. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:13.200 I also talked to a member of our church, Michael Jackson, he's a policeman for the Sugarland Police Department, right? 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:23.839 And I so I talked to him this week, and I and here's what he said when when um when you're an eyewitness of a traumatic event, you think that you remember everything perfectly. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:32.400 But the thing is, because of the emotions that spring up during that eyewitness event, you often don't remember things as perfectly as you think you do. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:42.240 And so what policemen have learned is when a bunch of people are giving their eyewitness testimonies, they actually expect that the testimonies aren't going to be exactly the same. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:44.799 But they're all seeing it from a different angle. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:48.480 And just because they see it from a different angle doesn't make something untrue. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:52.640 It just means it probably fits together a little more differently than you may think. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:53.039 Right? 00:22:53.200 --> 00:23:07.759 And in fact, policemen, if you give your eyewitness testimony to them and three people have the exact same testimony and there's no difference at all, it makes them a little suspicious because they're like, maybe these three people talked and they said, hey, we don't want to get in trouble, let's make sure we share the exact same thing. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:08.400 Okay? 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:18.559 And so, if you look at this passage, it actually, like Luke and Matthew didn't get together and say, hey man, this Jesus thing is not true. 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.799 So let's make sure we have this exactly the same and let's put that in the book. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:23.680 That's not what happened. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:26.160 They simply were eyewitnesses and they wrote their account. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.319 So this makes this more trustworthy. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:31.839 And both of these things can actually be true. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:40.559 Judas could have hung himself, and then after he hung himself, somebody cut him down or he fell down, and when he fell, he could have landed on rocks or something, and his bowels could have gushed out. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:43.440 That could have happened, and probably is what happened. 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:49.519 Another thing, it's that one passage seems to hint that the chief priest paid for it, the other passage seems to say that Judas paid for it. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:54.400 Well, in Matthew 27, when he gives the chief priests that money, do they ever truly accept it? 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:55.279 They don't really. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.480 They're like, no, we don't want it. 00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.160 They don't ever put it in the treasury, and then they kind of go and buy the field with it. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:05.279 And so I think the chief priests, in their mind, Judas had bought the field, not really them. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:06.160 Do you see that? 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:10.000 And so both of these eyewitness accounts can actually be true. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:15.920 And I don't think there's I also read in one of the commentaries, it said no lawyer or judge would have any trouble with this testimony. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:18.799 They would all say, Yeah, this is they're they're both telling the same story. 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:21.519 And so this isn't something that should discredit scripture. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:25.119 It should actually make scripture more true and more reliable to us. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:26.400 You see that? 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:32.720 All right, so let's go, 120 to 26. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:35.039 Acts 120 to 26. 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:42.319 For it's written in the book of Psalms, may his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it, and let another take his office. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:54.960 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us, one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:56.079 And they put forward two. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:10.079 Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justice, and Matthias, and they prayed and said, You Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you've chosen to take the place in this ministry in apostleship with Jesus with Judas turned aside to go to his own place. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:14.880 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthews, and he was numbered among the eleven apostles. 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:22.720 So these apostles, during these 40 days, and and then now we're a little bit after, I think they spent their time just pouring through scripture. 00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:28.880 They had the Old Testament open and they're pouring through it, and as they're looking at it, it's coming alive to them in a way it never has before. 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:33.680 Because now they're looking at it through the eyes of the resurrection, and they're seeing things completely different. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:40.880 And what they're looking for, and this is again, this heart that is tilted toward, I want to obey God, they're looking for God, what do you want us to do? 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:42.640 How do we obey you? 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:51.440 And one of the conclusions that they reach is that even though what Judas did was terrible, it was actually God's will because he'd spoken of it happening beforehand. 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:58.400 And then they find the scripture, this is from Psalms in verse 20, Mays can't become desolate, let there be no one to dwell in, let another take his office. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:03.519 Those are two passages in Psalms, and they see from this we need to replace him, right? 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:05.279 Like that's something that needs to happen. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:09.440 So in your life, you probably have times where you face difficult decisions. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.319