Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Bold - The Blueprint Series
50 Plays1 year ago
In this inspiring sermon, Pastor Ridley Barron dives into the Book of Acts, Chapter 4, to uncover the lessons on boldness demonstrated by the apostles Peter and John. As they stood firm in their faith against the Sanhedrin, we too are called to live boldly in a world that often challenges our beliefs.
Recommended
Transcript
Recap and Introduction to Acts Chapter 4
00:00:01
Speaker
So if you were here last week, we were at the end of chapter three and we were wrapping up a story where Peter and John are entering the temple and as they go in, they help a man who has been lame for over 40 years of his life. They help him get up and walk. And we're gonna pick up the end of that story in the beginning of chapter four today.
Martyrdom and Sacrifice: A Reflection
00:00:19
Speaker
But as we're thinking about that, I was drawn back to an image, many of you probably will instantly remember it, back in 2015, the video that shocked the world as 21 young Coptic Christians were marched out onto a seashore in Libya by terrorists, were forced to kneel on a beach and were asked to recant their faith. And if you remember that image, thankfully most of us were spared the brutal part of it,
00:00:48
Speaker
But in that video, those men, one by one, profess their undying commitment to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, even in the last seconds of their life. And as I thought about that then and even think about it now, the question that I have asked myself many times and the question I hope you will ponder here this morning is, would you be willing to give your life so that someone else may know Jesus?
00:01:14
Speaker
Would you be willing to lay everything you've got down so that somebody else might be able to embrace the forgiveness that Christ has offered us? It's a hard question, but it's one that we have to consider as followers of Jesus Christ because to enter into a relationship with Jesus, we are commanded very clearly by the master himself. Unless a man is willing to lay down his life, he's not worthy of following me.
00:01:39
Speaker
And can I just say to you, this Bible, 2000 years old, is still just as true today as it was 2000 years
Peter and John Arrested for Preaching
00:01:46
Speaker
ago. Jesus' words reach across the centuries to us and say to us, ponder this question, are you willing to give your all so that someone else may know me? We're gonna start in Acts chapter four, verse one.
00:02:05
Speaker
says while they were speaking to the people, the priest, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them because they were annoyed
00:02:15
Speaker
Underline that word, annoyed, we're gonna come back to it. They were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening. But many of those who heard the message believed and the number of the men came to be about 5,000.
00:02:36
Speaker
The Sadducees of that day, who were the guys who made up the Sanhedrin for the most part, were the progressives of their day and age. They were the ones who were trying to move beyond what had been taught for centuries and generations. They were trying to create an environment that was entirely anti-biblical or at that point anti-Jesus and what he had taught. They were trying to force on the people a morality that they thought if you can just be more moral
00:03:03
Speaker
then you will be more acceptable to God and will create this culture, this great nirvana, if you will, will create this environment, which is what we all see. That might sound familiar to you because it's a message that progressives have taught for thousands of years. If humans can just get better, then the world will get to be a better place. That is completely anti-biblical because the Bible says, you and I can't get better. We don't have that ability inside of us. What we need is a savior who died on a cross and who emptied out his own tomb so that he could be resurrected for our benefit.
00:03:33
Speaker
That's what these apostles are teaching here. They're teaching the truth of what Jesus had shown them. The Sanhedrin, the Sadducees on the other hand, did not believe in miracles. They did not believe in resurrection. They did not believe in angels. And the irony of all this is that all three of them are going to be shown to them in the next few days as we go through the book of Acts.
00:03:52
Speaker
They're going to see miracles occur over and over and over again. They're gonna hear about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from people who were firsthand witnesses. And oh, by the way, angels are gonna show them up on multiple occasions to rescue the apostles as they try to apply their persecution to
Peter's Bold Defense and the Exclusivity of Salvation
00:04:08
Speaker
them. So I want us to dig into the rest of the story because it's an interesting story. It's gonna show a lot to us about our own courage, our own boldness and our willingness to live for Jesus and speak the name of Jesus.
00:04:20
Speaker
Verse five, it says, the next day, the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem with Annas the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high priestly family. You might recognize some of those names. These are the same guys who conducted the kangaroo trial that had Jesus put to death, okay? So these are the same guys who were responsible for that.
00:04:42
Speaker
After they had Peter and John stand before them, they began to question them, by what power or in what name have you done this? What's so ironic about that question, if you were here last week, Peter's already very clearly stated, it wasn't us that did this, it was the name of Jesus Christ. So this has already been answered for them, but they're asking it again, trying to pick holes in Peter and John's explanation for what's going on.
00:05:07
Speaker
So Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, this is one of those moments where I wish I could go back in time and be in the room. You know? Peter, full of the Holy Spirit. That's like saying Peter, ramped up on the strongest power there is. He's all fired up. Now keep in mind, this is a guy who just a few weeks ago in Jerusalem was scared of a 14-year-old servant girl.
00:05:28
Speaker
All right, but he's about to speak to the elders. He says, rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, let it be known. Let me make it really perfectly clear to you because you are a bunch of dunces and you can't figure this out, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing here before you healthy.
00:05:57
Speaker
This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved. If you don't currently practice the Christian discipline of scripture memory, this is a great verse to start with.
00:06:19
Speaker
because it puts to bed every argument for every other religion there is. We're gonna get deeper into this a little bit later, but Peter is very clear, there is no other name under heaven. Buddha can't do it, Muhammad can't do it, Joseph Smith can't do it, your grandma can't do it, your favorite college professor can't do it. There's nobody else who can save you outside of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
00:06:47
Speaker
Verse 13, when they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, can I get amen there? They were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. And since they saw the man who had been healing
Sanhedrin's Attempt to Silence the Apostles
00:07:01
Speaker
standing with him, they had nothing to say in opposition.
00:07:06
Speaker
After they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they conferred among themselves, saying, What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign has been done through them, clear to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. In other words, the evidence is right here in front of us.
00:07:27
Speaker
We can't explain it away, we can't pretend like it's not there, it's right here in front of us. But so that this does not spread any further among the people, let's threaten them against speaking to anyone in his name again. So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered them. Whether it's right in the sight of God for us to listen to you, rather than to God, you decide.
00:07:56
Speaker
For we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old. After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priest and the elders had said to them.
00:08:23
Speaker
When they heard this, when they heard that the chief priests and the elders had threatened them with imprisonment or torture or maybe even their life, when they heard this, they rang their hands and sat around and worried about what they should do next. No. They worshiped God. They said, Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth and the sea and everything in them. We acknowledge that you're still in control of us.
00:08:53
Speaker
And I hope that this morning, this word finds its way into your heart because I already have warned you once, I will warn you again, it's a heavy word.
Jesus' Prophecy on Persecution and Suffering
00:09:04
Speaker
You see, before the resurrection, like I said, Peter had been a coward. He hadn't really had much to say. He had been afraid of the opinions or the ideas of other people, including a servant girl. But here, he clearly is a changed man who is no longer afraid of what others think.
00:09:22
Speaker
This whole story is just another example of how a prophecy that Jesus made came true over in Luke 21. Jesus told them, and I want you to hear this, this isn't just a story for them. It's not just a preparation for his young apostles there as the church is getting started. It is a prophecy for you and I. It is a reminder that you and I as participants in this world are going to face conflict and suffering and trials and persecution if we choose to stand with Jesus.
00:09:52
Speaker
He says, before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.
00:10:04
Speaker
This will give you an opportunity to bear witness. Listen to that, listen carefully to it, take note. He didn't say, I will rescue you from those arrests. He didn't say, I will get you out of those prisons. He didn't say, I will make sure that nobody ever opposes you. He said, I want you to realize those are the opportunities I want you to look for. Because by putting you in prison, I can put you in front of those who don't believe.
00:10:31
Speaker
and you will have the opportunity to bear witness to my name. Guys, we have a wrong view of this life.
00:10:40
Speaker
We have a wrong view of this life. We have taught generations of people that death is the thing that they should fear. And if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, death is what you should be unafraid of.
The Nature of Prayers and Trust in Trials
00:10:52
Speaker
You should be unafraid of death because death is the ultimate release from this life to the one that God really wants for us. Now, if you don't know Jesus Christ this morning, you should be very afraid of death. It should be the biggest fear you have.
00:11:08
Speaker
that if you know today that Jesus Christ is your savior and Lord, I want you to kind of push that thinking back that death is something we should, that we should somehow avoid, okay? Now I'm not telling you to go walk out in front of the car after church today, okay? Let's use our common sense on this. What I am telling you is that believers, as believers, many of us spend more time praying good saints out of heaven than we do praying sinners into heaven. Think about that.
00:11:37
Speaker
How many times have we prayed that prayer? Lord, could you just spare them? Can you give them back life? Can you raise them out of that bed? And I'm not saying those are bad prayers because God usually works according to those prayers. He does something in those, but what happens, what happens if God says, I choose this one to go so that I may receive glory?
00:11:58
Speaker
What happens if I say, or God says, I choose in this situation to make them go through the suffering you're trying to pray them out of, because when they come out of the other side of this suffering, they're gonna be a stronger believer, and I'm gonna get glory for what they go through. I told you this is a heavy teaching this morning, because it's not the way most Western Christians think.
00:12:21
Speaker
We think that our first response should be to pray everybody out of the trial they're in when God says, I'm the one who put them there in the first place. Let's keep reading.
00:12:33
Speaker
He says, therefore, make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time, for I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to restrict or contradict. How many of you have ever done this where you know that you're going to have an opportunity to talk to somebody who is not a believer or is not a strong believer and so you spend all night the night before lying awake thinking about, okay, what am I going to say tomorrow?
00:12:55
Speaker
What if they bring this up? What verse can I use here? What if they question this? Am I ready for this? And we stop and we think about those things. And Jesus says to a bunch of, remember what the description was? Untrained, uneducated guys. That's most of us. I'm not saying you don't have a college education, but college is indoctrination, not education. Ooh.
00:13:23
Speaker
But here's the reality, here's the reality. Right here, in this moment, what Jesus is saying is if you will trust in my spirit, you won't have to give a moment's thought to what you will say. Because you won't need a seminary degree. You won't need a college degree. You won't need to know the Bible backwards and forwards because in that moment, I will give you what to say.
00:13:48
Speaker
Now, some of you are real uncomfortable, because what you realize, because you're a smart person, is I just removed every excuse you have for sharing the gospel.
The Apostles' Courage from Resurrection Knowledge
00:13:59
Speaker
Lorenzo, who didn't say amen, are still trying to figure out why. But I promise, before it's over with, we're going to rethink this.
00:14:09
Speaker
I think these guys were absolutely radically different. Peter speaking boldly, James and John are sharing the gospel. Every one of these early apostles would eventually give their life speaking the name of Jesus. Peter was so bold that he literally looked at the guys who put Jesus to death and said, you're responsible. His blood is on your hands.
00:14:32
Speaker
And even though Peter knew that they held his life in their hands, his future in their hands, he boldly spoke these words and said to them, you can't get around it. The religious establishment of our day has ruined the one who has come to save us. So what caused these guys to have this renewed courage? What caused them to be bold when boldness had been lacking in the days before? I wanna look at this a little bit this morning because guys, I believe with all my heart that Luke 21 is gonna come true.
00:15:01
Speaker
that there will come a time even here in the United States of America where we will face direct conflict and confrontation because of our willingness to stand like Jesus. And can I just suggest to you if you're not facing any opposition for your stance for Jesus, it may be because you're not standing for Jesus. It may be that you're blending in so much with the world around you that the world doesn't notice there's a difference. So they have no reason to feel threatened by you.
00:15:24
Speaker
But if you and I are living the gospel, if we're living the word of truth, then we will absolutely come into confrontation with people who do not understand why we choose to believe what we believe. So what changed these guys and what could change us? Number one, they knew the resurrection was true. The apostles knew for a fact that the tomb was empty.
00:15:45
Speaker
Why? Because every single one of those early guys had stood at the foot of the cross, watched Jesus be hung on that cross, watched Jesus' ribs be punctured by a spear, watched as Jesus had breathed his last and said, it is finished, and then watched as another one of the members of the Sanhedrin, the council, had come and taken down his body and carried him off to be buried in a tomb that was borrowed from him. But that was not the end of the story.
00:16:12
Speaker
You see, they also stood there at that empty tomb days later and went, wow, we didn't see this end coming. We didn't see this being the result. And because of that, they realized that Jesus had the final word over the worst fear that they knew.
00:16:32
Speaker
If you sit here today and profess that Jesus is your savior and Lord, then you have the confidence that the worst thing that you would have to face has already been faced by your savior. And so you don't have to fear those things. That is a radical mind shift, but it is a mind shift that we have to accept as we follow Jesus, because it's going to be asked of us at some point, are you willing to die so that someone else may know the gospel?
00:17:03
Speaker
Now immediately all of you are thinking physical death, but it might just be dying to your own desires. It might be just dying to your own dreams. It might be dying to your selfish plans so that somebody else might have the opportunity to be introduced to Jesus. So they believed with all their heart Jesus had the last word for them, and I believe Jesus has the last word for us.
Love, Sacrifice, and the Spread of the Gospel
00:17:24
Speaker
Martin Luther, the great reformer wrote in his hymn, A Mighty Fortress, is our God, these words, the body they may kill, but his truth abideth still.
00:17:35
Speaker
Second reason I think they became more courageous is they were driven by love for their neighbors. They knew what they had experienced. They knew the reality that they had been welcomed into a promise that really wasn't necessarily theirs to begin with. Remember that the promise, the original covenant that God had given had been with Abraham and his descendants. The Jews were the people of promise.
00:17:55
Speaker
But what we didn't know until Jesus arrived on the scene, or maybe even the prophets at that some point began to reveal it to us, what we didn't understand was that it was God's plan all along that he would use the Jewish people to open up this to the whole world.
00:18:10
Speaker
That's why later on Jesus himself would say, for God so loved the whole world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him, not just the Jews, not just the people of the Middle East, not just certain parts of the world, but the entire world has the same invitation to receive the blessing of Jesus Christ if they will choose to follow him. And because they had been recipients of that love, they were willing to turn and love others in the same manner.
00:18:38
Speaker
How selfish is it of us to experience the grace of God and then deny somebody else's ability to know it? This morning as we celebrated the Lord's Supper, part of that Lord's Supper is God's awareness of what kind of human beings we are, right? We're forgetful people. We forget a lot of things, right? How many of you forgot it was Mother's Day? You're lying. Some of you forgot, I know you did. You're still scrambling around in your head trying to figure out what to get your wife before you get home.
00:19:09
Speaker
But the truth is, we forget. We forget very easily. And so Jesus says, so that you don't forget what I've done for you, I want you to do this on a regular basis to be reminded of what I have done on your behalf. So that you don't ever forget the price that was paid for you, what it costs for you to have your freedom.
Exclusivity of Salvation through Jesus
00:19:29
Speaker
The third thing that I think that happened, and this is really important, really important, they were reminded of the exclusivity of the gospel.
00:19:37
Speaker
What do I mean by that? Well, the gospel is incompatible with universalism. What is universalism? That's a fancy way of saying that we all make it to God somehow at some point. And some of you are going, well, who really believes that? Well, a lot of people. Well, it's actually becoming a growing problem in many mainstream religions today. This idea that I'm okay, you're okay, and we'll all get to God some point. God's so loving that he's opened the door wide for everybody and he will take us in just as we are and won't try to do anything to change us.
00:20:08
Speaker
And that's where the gospel falls apart. Because that's not the truth. The truth is that God does open the door wide for any who will come. The truth is that God does accept us just as we are. But the truth is that he will only accept us on the terms that he has set. That we would give up our life and accept the life of Jesus Christ in us. That we would accept the forgiveness that he has offered by the shedding of his blood.
00:20:36
Speaker
I want you to hear something. To say there is another way is unloving and untrue. To say that there's some other way to get to God is to misdirect people who don't yet understand, who still live in darkness. Imagine that you came over to spend the night at my house. You're not going to, because I'm not going to invite you, but if you came over and spent the night at my house and you were upstairs in the house and a fire broke out,
00:21:00
Speaker
And I made it outside and you picked up the phone and said, it's dark, the smoke is heavy, I don't know how to get out of that house. How unkind and unloving would it be of me to say, will you just pick your own path? You just figure out your own way. What's most comfortable for you, try it out.
00:21:22
Speaker
The only loving answer for me would be for me to say, this is how you find the nearest door, and if you can't get there yourself, I'll come bring you. That's the only way that love is shown the way Christ tells us to.
00:21:38
Speaker
So for us to try to say to others, there's some other way, maybe it's the Buddhist way, maybe it's the Islamic way, maybe it's the Mormon way, maybe you just pick the millions of religions that are out there, just find one that fits you, no, no, no. The gospel says there's only one name under heaven by which man may be saved, and Jesus himself said, I am the way, the truth, the life, and there is no other way besides me. I think it's also important
00:22:08
Speaker
that we understand is not the sincerity of our faith that saves us, but the object of our faith that saves us. Guys, you cannot find more devoted people than the Muslims. That's why you see frequently stories around the world of them dying for their faith. It's not sincerity that saves you, it's the object of your faith. You see, their confidence is placed in a man.
00:22:35
Speaker
And by the way, not just any man, a bad man. If you study the history of who Muhammad was, he was evil just like you and I.
00:22:46
Speaker
He had a sinful life, a sinful past. He had selfishness about him. He was ruthless to people who opposed him. He was not the answer for mankind. And oh, by the way, just to emphasize that and highlight it and underline it for you, his tomb is still full. The object of your faith is the only thing that matters.
00:23:12
Speaker
And so as you and I stand in the shadow of an empty tomb that reaches 2,000 years, we can stand with boldness and confidence and say, we know what we know to be true because of the power of Jesus Christ.
Transformation through Jesus and Bold Preaching
00:23:28
Speaker
I think something else that we need to be reminded is if there's another way for people to be saved, then Jesus went through everything he did for no reason. You know, that's actually becoming a common argument
00:23:40
Speaker
Nowadays, again, among mainstream, what they call themselves to be Christian. I would argue they're not Christian because they don't follow the one true gospel. But there is a growing sentiment in many of these progressive denominations that make statements like this, God committed infanticide if he killed his son. God is a murderer, nothing better than a murderer if he put his son to death for us. At which point, you might look back at them and go back and reread the Bible.
00:24:10
Speaker
Jesus chose to come, Jesus chose to die, Jesus chose to be the sacrifice for us. His father didn't make him do anything. Go to Philippians chapter two and read one of the first hymns in the early church where it says, Jesus himself did not see equality with God as something to hold onto and grasp, but he set aside that divinity so that he could become flesh for us.
00:24:38
Speaker
knowing that he would ultimately have to pay a price for us. But if there's some other way to do this, then what Jesus did was worthless. What Jesus did does not matter. I want you to look back at verse 13, chapter four, verse 13, it says this.
00:24:55
Speaker
When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized they had been with Jesus. You knew I was going to come back to this, right? I mean, it's such a cool part of the story because these guys had had no formal training of any kind. They had no formal education of any kind.
00:25:16
Speaker
They were not expected to speak eloquently. They were not supposed to be fluid in all the information that you and I have been blessed with. And especially in the face of overwhelming authority, they would have had every excuse to just scatter and run. The only explanation that the leaders could give was the right one. They had been with Jesus. Guys, when you're with Jesus, it changes you. When you're with Jesus, he rewrites your story.
00:25:45
Speaker
When you're with Jesus, things that used to matter change, your priorities become different. So if you're here today and you're going, I don't know about speaking the name of Jesus, I don't know about going to school and acting like a Christian, I don't know about these things, I would argue that the first most important thing you can do is find a way to get with Jesus.
00:26:07
Speaker
Spend more time in his word, spend more daily conversation with him so that you are face to face with the one who died for you, the one whose name you profess, because only in spending time with Jesus will you have the ability to act like the Jesus you proclaim. They notice these men had been Jesus. You don't have to have a formal education to speak the name of Jesus. You don't have to have some great religious training in order to be like Jesus.
00:26:35
Speaker
Now, perhaps the saddest part of this story went back to it, we talked about it earlier, where they were talking about the fact that they were annoyed about what these guys were preaching.
Praying for Boldness and the Holy Spirit's Power
00:26:44
Speaker
They were annoyed by what was being said. These men recognized the truth that was right in front of them. They saw the evidence that was before them, but they were more concerned about their status and reputation than they were about their obedience to God. Did you hear how they responded? We see it, we know the evidence is there. We can't deny it.
00:27:05
Speaker
But what can we do to protect ourselves at this point? So let's just tell them not to speak. Let's just tell them not to talk about Jesus anymore. You contrast that with the response of the apostles who later in verse 19 and 20 say, hey, you can throw us in jail if you want to, but what we're gonna say is this. We can't help but talk about this Jesus. We can't help but testify to the things that we have seen and heard.
00:27:30
Speaker
You see, the early church aligned itself with Christ and his sufferings, which enabled them to have the maximum amount of impact. Remember, in just a few short months or years, they've gone from 12 apostles to now over 5,000 followers of Jesus Christ. That's a pretty good return on your investment. Verse 29 through 31, look at this, it says,
00:27:50
Speaker
And now, Lord, consider their threats and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing and signs and wonders, or perform through the name of your holy servant Jesus. When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly." So they get together,
00:28:15
Speaker
They have been threatened yet again by the officials. They've been told keep your mouth shut and they get together and what do they go? What do they say? Give us more boldness. Give us more courage. All of us love to hear these stories where it says they got together and where they were assembled that the Holy Spirit showed up and there was smoke and tongues of fire and the building was shaking.
Challenge of Sacrificing Comfort for God's Plan
00:28:40
Speaker
We love that, right?
00:28:43
Speaker
but these kind of displays of God's power don't happen until we'll be obedient first, until we are obedient first. You see, Peter and John had already said, we will go and do what we've gotta do. We will offer our lives for God's purposes for his kingdom. Then they were shown the power of the Holy Spirit. Your time to say, I'm gonna obey is not after the smoke and mirrors have come, it's before. It's not after the Holy Spirit shows up, it's before.
00:29:15
Speaker
Now, I want to challenge you a little bit. We're fixing to go just a little bit heavier for a second. Could it be that our prayers are more about maintaining our comfort than they are about bringing God His glory? I'm guilty. I imagine most of you are. Pray in that prayer, Lord, will You just take care of my children? Will You keep them safe today?
00:29:42
Speaker
Will you just watch over them? Will you make sure that they're not harmed, that no one's mean to them, no one bullies them? Would you make sure that they're just solid in who they are? But what if our prayers are more about protecting our status rather than elevating his? What if our prayers are more about enhancing our reputation more than elevating God's reputation? What if we're praying the wrong prayers by praying all the time for the safety of our kids?
00:30:14
Speaker
Now don't misunderstand me. I think there's a place for us to pray those kinds of prayers. God watch over my kids, take care of my kids. But what if today God's saying you need to change your prayers just a little bit? Because what if I want one of your children to serve me? Yesterday
00:30:38
Speaker
I'm convinced my wife told my youngest daughter, hey, why don't we celebrate on Mother's Day because when daddy gets home from church, he's grumpy. So we had brunch yesterday to celebrate Mother's Day with our youngest daughter who lives here in town. She brought our two granddaughters down. And beautiful, beautiful. I have phone pictures if anybody wants to come see them later. Beautiful, beautiful little granddaughters. Love them to death. Love my daughter and her husband. Just a sweet family.
00:31:07
Speaker
And so we sat on the back porch and as I sat there and laughed and created some memories, kind of stored some things away in my head, this sermon is in the background. And I'm thinking this thought, okay, God, what if you ask my granddaughter to go to some Islamic country to share Jesus? God, what if...
00:31:36
Speaker
What if your desire for my granddaughter is something different than what I have for her? What if she's never meant to get married or have children and instead she's to go live a life in China witnessing to people who don't know gospel? Then my mind went to my daughter. Lord, what if you're gonna ask her to go through some trial?
00:32:02
Speaker
What if you're gonna take her to the brink of death? What if you're gonna take her to death so that one more person may know Jesus? Am I willing to give that? What if he asked that of my wife? We'll be celebrating 17 years this summer. What if Jesus comes to me and says, your wife is fixing to have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death
00:32:34
Speaker
but you should fear no evil, for I am with you. And when this is all done, when this is all done, people will come to know me in a way they couldn't any other possible way. I'll have their attention because of what she goes through. That's a hard question.
00:33:01
Speaker
I stepped down off the stage after the last service, my wife looked at me and said, well, happy Mother's Day to me. And just preparing this sermon, I thought about it, and I'm not ignorant, I saw that it was going to follow Mother's Day. But can you be a better mother than to turn your child over to Jesus? Is there a way to be a better dad?
00:33:33
Speaker
then to model total submission to the authority of God and say, if I have to go through the valley of shadow of death, I'll do it. No man who's not willing to lay down his life to follow me is worthy.
00:34:00
Speaker
No husband, no father, no mother, no wife, no child, unless they're willing to lay down their life, take up their cross, and follow after me. And when we get to that place as a church, as we get to that place as followers of Jesus Christ, we'll see the power of God fall in ways we never anticipated.
00:34:30
Speaker
because finally, finally he'll have the vessels he wants to use.
Conclusion and Call to Align with God's Will
00:34:38
Speaker
Will you pray with me? Father, these are not easy words to speak. They're really not even easy words to hear. And as I think about this morning,
00:35:00
Speaker
Looking back over my day yesterday, what is it I would be willing to do for the kingdom? What is it that I would be willing to offer? I have to be honest and say that there are probably times I would love to preach something much softer and nicer.
00:35:29
Speaker
that would love just be able to look at people and say, hey, you're okay like you are. God will figure it out for you. To say that there's some way to come to God without giving up what is yours and accepting what is His. I would love to say, like many people in this culture, you pick your own path, dream your own dream.
00:35:57
Speaker
Pursue whatever you wanna pursue because you deserve it, but that's not what my Bible tells me. It's not what the gospel shares with us. So forgive me, Father, for preaching anything but the truth. Forgive us for not being willing to hear anything but the truth. But most of all, forgive us for not laying it all down just if you asked.
00:36:25
Speaker
and then raising our hands at you and going, why aren't you here when we need you? Father, we love you because you've assured us that this path, as hard as it may seem, is absolutely the best path because it's the one you're on. Thank you for paying the ultimate price so we can be set free from the things that hold us back.
00:37:00
Speaker
In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Will you stand with us this morning? Maybe God is speaking to you and you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we would welcome this opportunity to have those conversations with you. Maybe, maybe you just want to come back and recommit yourself to what you knew was the path God called you to.
00:37:19
Speaker
Maybe this morning, maybe it's time for somebody to say, you know what, my plans have been really good and I like them, but they're not what God's plans are for me and I recognize that now and it's time for me to change my plans for the plans that God has for me.