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 --> 00:00:17.760 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:18.239 Amen. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:22.320 If you can have a seat if you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open up to Acts chapter 10. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:23.280 Acts chapter 10. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.359 If you're our guest, we're preaching books of the Bible. 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:27.199 We're preaching through the book of Acts. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:30.640 It's basically that it's called Acts because it's an Acts of the Apostles. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.439 It basically records under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:37.520 Hey, this is what happened when God went public and began to change the world. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.399 And so I want to talk to you this morning about gospel momentum. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:41.600 Gospel momentum. 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:45.280 There's things that come from believing, the three things that we'll see in the text. 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:48.479 And then what happens is what I call gospel momentum. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:49.520 You don't have to create it. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:50.880 You don't have to get pumped up. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:53.920 You just kind of go, oh, hey, hey, yeah, this is right here. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:54.960 This is what's happening. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.560 And so Acts chapter 10, I'll start reading in verse 24, okay? 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.079 The Bible says this. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:04.079 It says that on the following day, they entered Caesarea and Cornelius. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:04.719 Let me stop right here. 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:06.079 I forgot to give you a little context. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:07.840 I asked you to read chapter 10. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.560 This morning while I'm shaving, my wife's like, hey, I read chapter 10. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.000 There's a lot happening in there. 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:13.519 It's been a little bit. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:14.959 So let me just give you the context. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:18.640 God appears to this man, uh, these two men, Peter and Cornelius. 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:21.920 Peter is one of the apostles, he's a Christian, he's a Christ follower. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:23.200 Cornelius is not. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:24.560 Cornelius is a good man. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:27.120 You'll see in the text today that Cornelius is a good man. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:32.000 He believes in God, he prays to God, he gives money to those in need, but he's not a Christian. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:35.359 The church in America is full of a lot of Cornelius's, okay? 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:43.840 You're good people, you believe in God, you even pray, and especially around Christmas time, you'll give money to people in need, but your heart has never been changed. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.239 This is the thing that happens right here in Cornelius. 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:50.480 And so God orchestrates circumstances, as you'll see and hear here in just a moment. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:56.560 He orchestrates circumstances, and so this guy, Cornelius, has a Peter, excuse me, has a vision of a sheep coming down. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:58.159 Peter was a rule keeper, and okay. 00:01:58.319 --> 00:01:59.599 Peter was a devout Jew. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:06.400 They had dietary laws, but a sheet comes down in this vision that he has, and it's full of these unclean animals that they were forbidden to eat. 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:11.280 And the voice uh in the in his vision says, Rise up, get up, kill, and eat. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:13.680 And he goes, Oh Lord, no, I would never do that. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:14.560 I'm a good Jew. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:15.520 This isn't kosher. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:16.240 I'm getting out of here. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:16.960 Where's catches? 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:18.080 I don't eat this stuff. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.000 And God says, Oh, no, no, no, no. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:20.719 It's all clean. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:23.039 Do not call anything common or unclean. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:23.919 It's all clean. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:29.599 Now, later, what we're gonna see in this part, Peter realizes that God's not just talking about food, he's talking about people. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:31.840 Because the Jews they prided themselves. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:38.479 They thought they were better than the Gentiles and these unclean people that didn't have the law, they didn't have the promises, they didn't have God. 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:40.479 And the Jews loved it that way. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.479 They were pretty prejudice people, pretty arrogant and self-righteous. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:55.680 And so, what God's doing, this is what we're gonna read this morning, is known as the Gentile Pentecost because the gospel, we got a little sample in chapter 8 with this Ethiopian eunuch, but he lived at another country. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.680 God saying to the Jews, hey, I'm not just the God of the Jews, I'm God of everybody. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:03.520 I say it like this: God says, I'm not the God of people that can keep the rules. 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:07.120 I'm I'm also want to be the savior of those who can't keep the rules. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:14.639 So if you're here today and you've had a hard time keeping the rules, or if you're like, when you hear the rules, you're like, I can't, I can't wait to break that. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.919 Jesus says, I want to be your savior. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.280 I don't want to just forgive you, I want to change you, okay? 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:25.759 And so this guy, Peter, has a vision, but also Cordillus has a vision. 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.000 See, God's orchestrating more than just one event. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:40.400 Cordius has a vision, and his is uh that this angel appears from his bedroom and says, Hey, go get this guy, Peter, and tell him to come because I I'm coming in response to your prayers and that you've been helping people. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.439 Now, when you give, you don't manipulate God, but God, what happens? 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:48.960 You demonstrate to God that you're a person that can be trusted for something as small as money, and so God's gonna trust you with more. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:54.000 The reason God doesn't trust most of you in this room with more is because you can't be trusted with your money. 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:55.599 More is better than money. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:56.319 Amen. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:03:59.919 Some of you don't believe that. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.439 You're kind of like, oh, let me think about that, preacher. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:04.400 Okay, that's great. 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:06.159 But I'm gonna go on record. 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:08.560 More is better than money, and nothing wrong with money. 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.479 I'm not with people like money's of the devil. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:14.240 No, no, no, but it it more is better than money. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:18.319 And a lot of people never get trusted with more because they can't trust God with money. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:19.920 It's just a biblical fact. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:24.879 And so, rough summary right there, and now this this thing's already been set in motion. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:28.480 We drop in at halftime, Acts chapter 10, verse 23. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:30.399 And I'm and then these guys are on the way. 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:37.680 They went and got because God said, Hey, told Cordius in a vision, go get this guy, Peter, and he's gonna come and he's gonna explain Christianity to you guys. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:38.720 You're good people. 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:46.560 You pray to me, you believe in me, you give money to help a brother out that's riding the struggle bus all the way to Pity City, but your heart's never been changed. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.560 Many of you in this room relate to that. 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:49.519 That's you. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:54.399 You believe, you pray, you give, but your heart has never been changed. 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.199 Doing all the right things doesn't make you a Christian. 00:04:57.439 --> 00:04:59.920 Your heart being changed by God makes you a Christian. 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.000 Acts 10, verse 24. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.399 And on the following day, they entered Caesarea. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:08.160 Cornegus was expecting him and had called together his relatives and close friends. 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:12.079 When Peter entered, Cornegus met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.680 But Peter lifted him up, saying, Stand up, I too am a man. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:17.279 Now just put a little mark by that. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:24.000 We'll come back to that in three Sundays, because God does not like it when you let people think more highly of you than they ought. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:25.519 He just doesn't, okay? 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:26.560 That's all I'm gonna say. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:27.680 Verse 27. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:37.759 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered, and he said to them, You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or visit any one of another nation. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:41.839 But God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.639 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.279 I asked then, why you sent for me? 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:50.160 In other words, I'm here, I don't even know why I'm here. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:55.120 I have gone from Caesarea to Joppa, and now I'm here in your city. 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:56.000 Why am I here? 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:08.240 In verse 30, and Cornelius said, Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.920 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.959 He is lodged in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.079 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:22.959 Now, therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:24.319 You following so far? 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:28.240 He says, Hey, God has orchestrated all of this just to get these people in the room. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:28.800 Who are the people? 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:30.879 Is Cordillus, his friends, and family? 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:38.079 You should ask yourself this morning if you could fill one room with people who needed to hear the gospel, who would you invite to that party? 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:39.600 They're all there. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.240 God orchestrates everything, gets it to this point. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:43.360 Verse 34. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:48.480 So Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly, I understand that God shows no partiality in every nation. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.839 Anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:57.519 As for the word he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:08.079 You yourselves know what happened throughout all of Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.000 He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:17.439 For God was with him, and we are witnesses of all that he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:19.680 They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:29.680 But God raised him on the third day and made him to appear not to all people, but to us who have been chosen by God as witnesses who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:36.959 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify, he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:44.560 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:50.800 Now, while Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who interrupted the uh excuse me, who heard the word. 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.519 Uh now, the Holy Spirit interrupts what Peter's doing. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:54.720 Isn't that a great thing? 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:58.959 Peter's preaching away, the Holy Spirit goes, That's enough, I'll take it from here. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:10.639 This is why it's called Gentile Pentecost, because what happened in Acts chapter 2 to the disciples happens to these unclean people who don't think they deserve God or the gospel. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:12.480 Peter is still saying these things. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:20.160 The Holy Spirit fell on those who heard the word, and the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:22.720 Hear this even on the Gentiles. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.560 Oh trailer trash. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.759 For they were hearing them speak in tongues and extoling God. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:36.559 Then Peter declared, Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who've received the Holy Spirit just as we have? 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:39.519 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.399 So they asked him to remain some days. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:43.519 Long passage. 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.360 We never apologize for reading long part. 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:51.519 We want you to get the flow and the movement of who God is and what God is doing, why he does it and who he does it to. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:57.440 What you see here is the gospel is not just limited to people that are goody, goody two shoes and don't have any problems. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:00.080 The gospel is for people who have problems. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:02.159 The native environment of the good news. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:03.360 That's what the gospel is. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:05.120 Good news of Christianity. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:06.559 It's native environment. 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:10.960 Johnny Cash sang about it in that great, that great hymn, a boy called Sue. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:14.480 He says, you know, he talks about they were they got in a bar fight. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:17.840 He says they were kicking and a gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.320 That is the native environment for the gospel. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:22.799 It's not in this room, it's out there. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.120 Does that make sense to anybody besides me? 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:35.200 And so you're here today to be equipped with the gospel, to hear the gospel, to respond to the gospel, and to take the gospel with you out there where people get in bar fights, okay? 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:36.960 Like on North End and AM. 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:37.679 Amen? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:42.399 Don't you talk about AM. 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:44.159 Listen, y'all paying your coach too much. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:45.279 Y'all gotta get a new coach. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.080 But anyway, is Jimbo gonna give some of that back? 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:49.200 Hey, I feel kind of dirty. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:49.919 Take some back. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:50.720 No, he's not. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.559 Anyway, uh, gospel momentum. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:53.360 Where does it come from? 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:54.399 Three things in the text. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.720 Number one, you have to believe and see these three things. 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:00.159 Number one, you have to see and believe that God orchestrates all things. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.759 It's uh it's all of chapter 10, uh the first 33 verses. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:05.360 God orchestrates all things. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:20.480 Going back to the beginning of the chapter, you see that God is moving things and people into place so that these people who've been treated as if they were unclean and unworthy of God could actually get into a room where someone would speak a language they could understand, they could hear the gospel. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:30.559 Now, this orchestration takes place over four days, involves 10 people, two visions, two cities, uh, one angel, and Cornelius' friends and family, okay? 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:35.360 It's a large group of people that are traveling with Peter, they go to get him, ends up being 10 men. 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.399 They're just rolling down the road like a street gang, okay? 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.799 And God is orchestrating all of this. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:42.799 You say, Why do you mean orchestration? 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:47.919 Either you believe God orchestrates that life is connected or life is random. 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:54.000 If you think life is random, then you may be in a circumstance right now where it doesn't make sense, you don't know what you're gonna do next. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:11:00.159 And if life feels random to you, it's pretty overwhelming and pretty sad, especially if you're a dude, you don't say that. 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:01.120 Like, how you doing? 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:06.240 Well, I feel pretty disconnected and like my life doesn't have any rhyme or reason or purpose to it. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:08.240 That's if you believe life is random. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:20.320 But if you believe God orchestrates all things, not just your biggest need, your your your loudest need, the thing you're most uncertain about, but he orchestrates all things, then you can say, Hey, you know what? 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.039 I don't know. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:24.000 I'm kind of doing what I know to do right now in this moment. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:28.720 But why I find comfort is I don't look around and compare myself to all my other everybody else my age. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:36.639 I look around and kind of go, you know what, God, I know that you're moving people and parts and places and things, because my God is a God of orchestration. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.559 This is why everybody in America loves Romans 8.28. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.159 But most of us get it wrong. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:47.919 Romans 8.28 says this that God causes all things to work together for the good. 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:53.840 God causes, God exerts influence over all things and moves them as they ought to be. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:04.080 So if you're in the room right now and you're thinking, I'm kind of not in a good space, and my head space is kind of negative and not positive, you need to hear today that God is a God of orchestration. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.360 He's not just working on one thing, he's working on all things. 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:08.159 Does that make sense? 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.200 Say amen. 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:15.919 He's not just working on one thing, he's not just like because some of y'all got one thing, you're like, hello, Jesus, would you do something about this? 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.960 I'm 23 and I'm not married. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.480 Count yourself lucky, okay? 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:24.559 Now I'm not I'm not saying marriage isn't good. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:26.399 Stop looking over there at my life, okay? 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:27.440 30 years. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:28.480 I'm happily married. 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:32.240 I highly recommend marriage, but you're not married because you hadn't found the right person. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:35.679 If you have to compromise, then you shouldn't be in that. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:38.320 You shouldn't be in that, okay? 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:40.240 See, God is a God of orchestration. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:49.279 So if you if you're just holding up, you know, well, hi, I'm 23, I'm 22, and I'm kind of knowing what I'm doing, what's going on here, then your life has a sound to it, okay? 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:53.519 This is you just hear one instrument and it has a sound, and it sounds something like this. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.120 Just give this a listen. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:01.360 Recognize that song. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.480 Oh, some of you recognize it. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.240 If you're under 30, you're like, I got nothing, bro. 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:14.960 If you're old, you're like, I think that's enough. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:15.840 That's enough. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:18.720 That's not, no, no one's gonna buy a CD of that. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:20.399 That, by the way, is a tuba. 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:22.720 Boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:29.440 But if you believe that God is the God of orchestration and that God orchestrates all things, your life doesn't sound like that. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:30.639 It sounds like this. 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:32.399 A little bit of a difference. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.480 Oh yeah. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:44.320 Yeah, baby, I'm gonna get on a horse and go save a woman. 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:48.960 I need a slim gym and a Paps Blue ribbon. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:49.840 Let's go. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:54.080 Don't you want to go kill somebody right now? 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:56.320 Yeah. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:57.759 Yeah. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:13:58.879 See? 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:06.080 If you just believe life is random, your life sounds like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:10.320 When your parents turn on your bedroom light in the morning, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.000 And you're like, oh, God's good. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:12.879 Shut up, mother. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:14.080 You're a moron. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:18.320 But if you believe God's a god of orchestration, there's always a little sound coming. 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.559 It's not just a sound, it's surround sound. 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.279 You hear it in here before you hear it in here. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:26.559 And so what you see in the text, and this is what creates gospel momentum. 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.360 You can be stuck, you can be like, I can't see a way forward. 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:32.480 I never thought I'd be here at this stage, this age in my life. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:34.399 But hey, God's a God of orchestration. 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.320 He orchestrates all things. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:38.639 This is the first thing that causes gospel momentum. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:42.879 The second thing is you got to see that what you do when no one is looking matters. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.320 What you do when no one is looking, you say, Well, where do you get that? 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:47.519 Verse 30 and 31. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:15:00.960 And Cornelius said, Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.240 Now, listen very carefully. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:03.519 I don't want you to misquote me. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.600 I got ain't got the energy to fight all of you. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.039 I can get about half of you, okay? 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.240 But don't walk out here day and go, can you believe the preacher said that? 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:12.720 I never apologize for saying what the Bible says. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:13.200 Okay? 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:16.159 Look back at verse 4 of chapter 10, if you got a Bible. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:25.519 He says, and because it's he has the vision, and he says that uh go, he says, and he stared, this angel stared at him in terror, or he stared at the angel in terror and said, What is it, Lord? 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:30.399 And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:32.000 Your prayer and your alms. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.919 In other words, what you do when no one is looking. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.120 You say, What do you mean, alms? 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.039 Alms is not a word we use nowadays. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:38.799 Uh, alms is different. 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:42.080 Say, when I say what you do when no one is looking matters. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:47.679 What I'm saying is back, don't turn there, but in Matthew 6, there's three things Jesus assumes we do in the New Testament. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:52.240 Some of you like to run to the Old Testament, go, well, the Old Testament talked about this, it doesn't talk about this anymore. 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:57.840 Uh, let me just kind of pull the curtain back and give us a little biblical framework for this whole this whole thing. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:02.879 There's three things Jesus assumes that you do, that we do as Christians in Matthew chapter six. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:07.039 And here's how you know you assumes, because it says, and when, and when, and when. 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:08.000 It doesn't say if. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:12.240 He says, and when you give alms, and when you pray, and when you fast. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:18.639 Give alms, to be clear, is different than because to give in alms is sexier than tithing, but it's totally different. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:23.679 Uh, to get to be clear, giving alms is giving to special needs, and it's different from the tithe. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:30.320 Tithe means 10%, and the Bible's very clear that if you'll be obedient with the tithe, that you'll be able to give to those in need. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:35.200 Now, a lot of people don't tithe, they just give to those in need because it makes them look really generous and magnanimous. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.559 That's why uh let me say here pretty consistently. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:41.919 Uh, I stopped saying it because some of you would mock me, like I know what you're gonna say at the end. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:49.919 I used to say, hey, if today's the day you you you you you worship God through obedience or generosity, and people go, What do you mean obedience and generosity? 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:51.279 Obedience is the tithe. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.679 No cookie for you, just being obedient, okay? 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:54.879 That belongs to God. 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:55.840 You say, How do you know? 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:59.759 Well, the Bible says in Malachi chapter 3, if you don't give it to God, you're robbing God. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:03.360 How can you be robbing somebody if it didn't belong to them in the first place? 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:05.839 Does that make sense to anybody but me? 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:09.279 I'm losing you more and more. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:10.559 Wonderful. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:17.519 Uh and so he says, Hey, yeah, and when you give alms, and when you pray, and when you fail, he just assumes you're gonna do these things. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:28.240 Here's what we we we we fail to recognize the way God is structured this, if God says, if you'll just trust me with the tithe, I will bless you such that you'll always be able to give to people as the Spirit prompts your heart. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:30.559 A lot of people say, Well, I know what the Bible says about tithing. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.640 Everybody give is a purpose in their heart. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.839 That's not about the tithe, that's about an offering for the poor in Jerusalem. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.680 It's in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.279 Okay, again, we we we don't have a biblical framework for this. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:43.440 Let me just read Malachi chapter 3, verse 10. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:49.200 He says, Bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house, and thereby put me to the test. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:54.720 Tithing is about testing, not testing you to see if you have enough faith, but testing God. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:03.599 God says, put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there's no more need. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:05.039 A guy walked up on me recently. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:06.480 I was at a gas station getting gas. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:07.279 He goes, Hey, brother. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:09.680 And I said, I doubt we're related, but come on, man. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.839 And he's like, Oh, oh, oh, hey, brother, you you you you got some money you can give me? 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:14.480 You know what? 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.279 God's been so good to me, and I've been faithful to the tithe. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:18.319 Absolutely, I do. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:19.440 What do you need? 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:23.440 And he's like, now I was the crazy one. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.640 Pumping gas at him, just backing up slowly. 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:28.079 And I said, No, come here, man. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:29.119 You're good, you're good. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:30.160 He goes, What'd you say? 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:31.440 God's been so good to me. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:35.119 I said, I'm able to be generous and give to people in need because I tithe. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:39.839 And God says, Hey, I'm gonna take care of you so you'll be able to bless people as you feel prompted to. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.079 I don't have to give to everybody, but I want to give to you. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:43.119 What do you need? 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:45.279 Just a couple dollars. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:47.680 Well, the smallest thing I have in my pocket is a 10. 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:48.799 He goes, How do you know that? 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.519 Because my wife gives me$50 a week to spend. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:53.599 It's two 20s and a 10. 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:55.200 And you ain't getting a 20. 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:57.680 He goes, Man, nobody gives me$10. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.119 I said, here's$10, man. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:18:59.759 There you go. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:00.640 Be blessed. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.119 Okay. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:04.400 Now you need to understand the God that makes all this possible. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:06.400 I am not a generous person, okay? 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.960 I am a blessed person because I'm obedient. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:10.319 I get to be generous. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:15.279 And he's just backing up, going, okay, okay, like some of you right now, that's enough. 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:15.839 Okay. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:17.359 Thank you for the$10. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.839 I'm gonna go buy some mad dog anyway. 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:22.640 If you know what mad dog is, say amen. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:24.880 Yeah, what about Thunderbird? 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.599 Oh, yeah, you know, bird like the Thunderbird. 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.079 Uh I just want you to see this, okay? 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.920 Look at the Bible, look at verse 32. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.440 When I say that what you do when no one's looking matters, look at verse 32. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:37.680 Very simple phrase in the Bible. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:43.279 After he says, hey, he says to him, Your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:44.559 Look at verse 32. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.240 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:49.680 It's that word, therefore. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:50.720 Send therefore. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:56.319 Hey, what I'm fixing to do, I'm doing because of what you've been doing when no one was looking. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:01.599 Now, I'm not talking about works or legalism, I'm just talking about an observation of what's in the text. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:02.000 Okay. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.720 Here's the third thing that creates gospel momentum. 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:05.200 Okay. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:07.279 Uh you you gotta understand this. 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:10.480 Uh, you gotta understand the third thing is that the gospel is sufficient. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.400 The gospel is sufficient. 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:22.960 One of my concerns in the American church, one of my concerns in our church, this church, is that we we love communities so much that if we're not careful, we can lose the gospel. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:26.480 Mac Brunson wrote a great little book years ago called Evangelism. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:30.559 And in the book, he talks about how we've lost the gospel from one generation to another. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:36.720 He says that first of all, the gospel in one generation, the gospel is believed, in the next generation it is assumed. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:37.359 Of course. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.400 Of course, I'm a Christian. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:39.200 Live in Texas. 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:39.839 Come on, man. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:47.839 Uh, so the gospel's believed, the next generation it's assumed, the next generation it's confused, and then the subsequent generation it's lost. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:51.599 We now live in the age of the generation that lost the gospel. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:54.240 We we don't you say, oh, that's kind of negative. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:58.480 Ask yourself this question: When's the last time someone stopped you and shared the gospel with you? 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:01.200 And take it to the next level. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.839 When's the last time you shared the gospel with someone? 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:06.400 See, we've lost the gospel. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.279 So I just want to I just want to say the gospel is sufficient. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:15.599 And when the church stops sharing the gospel, we stop growing and we obligate ourselves to the management of the status quo. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:21.599 We here at Grand Park Way, we don't want to succeed at community and fail at the gospel. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:23.599 You say, Well, I don't know what you mean. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:28.720 You know you're doing this if you're more mindful of who did or didn't talk to you than what you learned today. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:34.640 If you get to your minivan here a little bit and kind of go, ah, I walked by Susie, I thought we were friends, she didn't even say hi. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:38.880 And you don't walk out and go, Golly, I think I'm losing the gospel. 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:44.000 Before you crank this thing, let's just pray, because I ain't shared the gospel with anybody in years. 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:47.279 The gospel is sufficient. 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:54.160 You've been coming to church for two years, and all you have to show for is more friends, then we are failing you, and you're failing at the gospel. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:59.680 You are succeeding at community and you're failing and actually learning things that make you a consequential. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:00.720 Person. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:05.519 I want you to notice from the text what the gospel is, what it does, and what it is. 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.039 The first thing it does is it establishes universal need. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:10.160 Look at verse 34. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:18.079 So Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:21.119 Every nation, anyone. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:25.279 The gospel slays everybody, Jew and Gentile alike. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.880 Good person, bad person, rule keeper, rule breaker. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:33.519 The gospel slays all of that, establishes universal need. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:42.160 He says, God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:49.039 Now, this is of great significance because the Jews had long believed they were special, they were even superior to the Gentiles. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:53.039 That's why Peter, when he walked in the room, he said, Hey, it's against the law for me to even be in here. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:57.839