Steve Gentry
[0:00] Thank you so much for being here. [0:02] My name is Steve. [0:03] I’m one of the other pastors here. [0:06] And just join me in a moment just to pray. [0:09] Father, we come before you and we thank you for everything.
[0:19] I want to praise your name because you are our sovereign God. [0:25] You’re the ruler of heaven and earth and the universe. [0:27] You’re the creator of all that is.
[0:32] Lord, in moments we need reminders of that more than ever. [0:37] I want to pray right now for the family members of those who passed away in Arizona yesterday.
[0:47] We hold them up and pray that they would seek you.
[0:52] For those that were wounded, we pray healing. [0:57] We pray that they would find comfort, Holy Spirit, from you. [1:06] That the gospel would shine through and people would proclaim your gospel in this time, in this horrendous act.
[1:18] Father, in our own lives, in our own tragedies, Lord, we just pray that you would give us the faith and the power to glorify your name and praise you. [1:30] This is in his precious name, I pray. Amen. [1:33] Acts chapter 5 is where we’re going to be today. [1:37] If you want to go ahead and get going there, that would be great. [1:40] Today we’re going to have the second part of a small two-week series entitled, Sun Stands Still. [1:48] This is actually going to serve as sort of a preface for our next four weeks.
[1:54] Starting next week and then the three weeks after that, we’re going to be going verse by verse through the Book of Habakkuk. [2:00] If you didn’t know how to pronounce it, it’s okay. [2:02] Barely anyone ever makes it there in their yearly Bible reading plan. [2:06] You may have never made it that far before, but if you have, congratulations, you win.
[2:14] We’re going to be there for the next four weeks. [2:16] Really, just the thought behind that is in times of famine, and we all have different areas in our lives when we would think of it as a famine. [2:26] In times of famine, how can we have a vision for God, and not simply just for God, but a vision for the fact that God has plans to prosper us. [2:38] When sometimes it really doesn’t appear that way to the naked eye. [2:43] Today we’re going to start that with just a little bit of a preface to that book. [2:48] Part two of Sun Stands Still, last week, and if you were here last week, you’re probably confused because you’re like, last week was just about miracles and stuff.
[2:55] Last week we discussed a story in the Old Testament, a narrative where God literally made the sun stop moving in the sky. [3:04] Where the army of Israel was going against five different armies, and God promised victory, and they go headlong into it. [3:12] Joshua was the leader of the army, and he trusts God. [3:16] He trusts his promises. [3:18] He’s aligned his life with God’s purposes, and he’s going headlong into his will. [3:23] And he sees God begin to make these armies crumble before just a small Jewish army, and then they retreat, and God sends a hailstorm.
[3:34] And it says more people died from the hailstorm than died in the actual fight. [3:38] And the sun is beginning to set, and Joshua in his mind is like, it’s going to be a lot harder to kill people if I can’t see them. [3:46] So he says, Sun, stand still.
[3:50] And history tells us for the next 24 hours, there was daylight, and the sun stood still. [3:58] And Israel was victorious, and God delivered all of the armies, every single member of those armies, even the leaders of the armies, into the hands of the Israelites. [4:08] And God preserved his people, and then for the next few thousand years, God continued to preserve his people so that Jesus would come out of Israel to reconcile all men to God the Father.
[4:24] And so we see stuff like that, and we’re like, wow. [4:28] God is truly sovereign. [4:31] God is truly the Creator, because he controls everything in the universe. [4:37] So in light of those stories where we see these audacious miracles take place, it’s really easy to read the book of Deuteronomy where it says, the heavens belong to God, and the heavens, heavens belong to God. [4:51] And then in Romans 11, where we read, and for from him, of him, and through him are all things to his glory. [4:59] And it’s like in light of a story like that, if that’s true, yeah, he’s got the whole world in his hands.
[5:06] It’s like we used to sing in the kids choir. [5:09] All right. No, not so much.
[5:12] Maybe you guys, I was I was a tenor. It was gloriously embarrassing.
[5:18] You know, when you’re the biggest kid, all right, and don’t don’t lie, you know how big I am. [5:23] But if you’re the biggest kid in the class, and you’re also a tenor.
[5:30] It’s just rough, rough life I’ve had. [5:33] But I was just kidding. It was great.
[5:37] But it’s easy to look at those types of stories and say, man, what an amazing God. [5:42] But then what happens? [5:45] All right. When you’re in your life and you read a story like that, and you’re like, Joshua had faith. [5:51] Let’s do a little logic here. [5:53] Joshua had faith in God. [5:56] He lived his life in God’s will.
[6:01] He prayed that God would do a mighty miracle on his behalf. [6:05] The miracle happened.
[6:10] So if I have faith in God, I live my life according to God’s will. [6:16] I ask God to do a miracle on my behalf. [6:18] God will do that miracle. [6:20] And I would venture to say that that is probably a lot of the church in the modern era of evangelicalism’s understanding of the gospel. [6:33] Of what we say we believe. [6:35] So when bad things happen, they say, your faith is counterfeit.
[6:42] It’s not real. [6:44] The sun didn’t stand still. [6:45] Well, if you have faith, make the sun stand still.
[6:50] And we talked about last week about how the faith wasn’t really the power. [6:55] It was God that was the power. [6:58] Joshua simply had faith in God, and God moved how he wanted to. [7:03] And Joshua lived his life according to God’s path, no matter what happened. [7:08] But then you might respond and say, but the sun still stood still? [7:11] OK, you got me.
[7:12] It did.
[7:16] So what does it say about our faith?
[7:19] And this is a legitimate question. [7:20] I really believe it is. [7:21] And this is something that a lot of people are uncomfortable talking about. [7:23] Maybe you don’t want to talk about and talk about it anyway. [7:25] What does it say about your faith when you are sick?
[7:30] I mean, really sick, maybe even terminal. [7:34] And you pray, God, heal me or God, heal my mother or brother or husband or wife, child. [7:40] Whoever.
[7:42] And that healing never comes.
[7:47] Or there’s a circumstance or a situation in your life, and you’re just like, God, you made the sun stand still. [7:53] I know and believe that you have that power. [7:56] I trust your word. [7:58] I know you can part the Red Sea. [8:01] I know you can make the blind to see, the lame to walk. [8:03] I know you can do these things.
[8:06] But my life is falling apart. [8:08] My husband or my wife has left me. [8:11] My family has disowned me. [8:13] My friends have all forsaken me. [8:15] I’m alone and I’m hurting. [8:18] Bring them back.
[8:22] They never come back.
[8:26] I had a niece. [8:29] Many years ago, I was young. [8:31] And my cousin, I guess she wasn’t my niece. [8:33] I’m not very good at genealogy. [8:34] My older cousin, 10 years older than I, had a daughter. [8:41] And she was born with spina bifida and a hole in her heart.
[8:45] So for the next year, maybe two years, my entire family, I come from a long line of believers. [8:53] And my family just prayed and begged God, heal her. [8:58] There’s two or three heart surgeries. [9:00] Even at a young age, you watch a parent go through this and you can see how painful it is. [9:06] And we prayed. [9:09] And she passed on.
[9:11] The healing never came. [9:14] She died.
[9:16] But we had faith. [9:19] We believed.
[9:22] And the son didn’t stand still. [9:24] So what is happening when we trust God and we believe and we beg and the sun sets and night comes and our loved one dies?
[9:53] Or we endure disease and we die?
[10:01] This is your first Sunday here. [10:04] You picked a real humor filled one. [10:08] No, I’m just kidding. [10:10] Acts chapter 5.
[10:13] I’ll fill you in one time. [10:14] If this is your first Sunday here, when we have questions, and we do, I do. [10:20] I’ve been to seminary and a lot of questions were formed there that I still haven’t gotten answered. [10:25] But when I do have questions, I do not turn to anyone first. [10:30] We turn to God’s Word. [10:31] We turn to scripture.
[10:32] We’re devout, we believe that this is the inspired Word of God. [10:37] So when we do have questions, I go here. [10:39] Not that I believe that this is God’s manual for life, but I believe it’s God’s Word. [10:44] In Acts chapter 5, let me tell you about Acts chapter 5. [10:48] In a period of my life when I was very sick, and my wife remembers it well, I went from her knight in shining armor to her crying husband in the corner.
[11:03] She’s laughing. [11:05] She was embarrassed. [11:06] But there was a period in my life a few years back, and it’s really, if we have time to get coffee, I’ll tell you about it. [11:12] But it’s really what propelled me into church planting. [11:15] I got really sick, and the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me. [11:20] And it turns out I just needed to have an organ removed and everything was fine.
[11:24] But I was really sick, and God just used that time of just bitter weakness where I could really look at my life and say, in my weakness, He’s shown strong. [11:38] And I never thought in a million years I would get that text, and I got it there. [11:43] Because in my weakness, He was shown strong. [11:45] And Acts chapter 5 is one of those stories that God just, as I was greeting, as I was devouring Scripture, God just led me there. [11:52] And it really helped me endure in times of uncertainty. [11:55] Because when you are in your 20s, and the doctor says you possibly have a disease that could kill you, it is life altering and life shattering.
[12:08] But I went here, and after going here, I just said, okay. [12:14] Okay. [12:15] And then I was embarrassed a week later when I found out what was actually wrong with me. [12:19] I was just too fat, folks. [12:21] I was just too fat. [12:23] Acts chapter 5, and we’re going to read a story, and then we’re going to talk about this story.
[12:28] In Acts chapter 5, the apostles, these are the guys that were following Jesus. [12:32] They are going throughout Jerusalem, and they’re preaching the Gospel. [12:38] They have already seen a few thousand people get saved, come to know Jesus, be reconciled to God, and they’re just continuing that work. [12:48] And we’re going to pick up in verse 12, right after the first type of church discipline took place. [12:54] In verse 12, we read,
[13:48] But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors and brought them out and said,
[14:02] So let’s unfold these few verses here. [14:06] Ridiculous. [14:07] Son, stand still.
[14:10] They’re preaching the Gospel. [14:12] And as they preach the Gospel, God moves through them in ridiculous ways, and it says,
[14:19] In other words, miracles were happening. [14:22] Things that were extraordinary were taking place. [14:25] And God was showing the validity of their faith through miracles. [14:29] And it says,
[14:34] And then it says, [14:35] Things became so crazy, so much spiritual awakening took place in this city, that as Peter would walk through the streets, [14:43] Mothers, sons, fathers running into the house, dragging cots out into the streets of sick people, [14:50] So that Peter’s shadow would even pass over them. [14:53] And his shadow was healing people.
[14:59] And then of course the authorities catch wind that crazy stuff that’s not following the laws of the Old Testament, [15:05] Is actually being done in the name of the one that they just crucified a couple of months ago, [15:11] Is being done. [15:12] And the High Council gets together, the High Priests, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees, [15:15] Like, we’ve got to stop this. [15:16] Go arrest the apostles.
[15:17] We know who followed Jesus. [15:18] Go arrest them. [15:19] So they go arrest them. [15:21] Put them in prison. [15:21] The next day they’re going to take care of the situation. [15:25] In the middle of the night, an angel comes down, opens the prison doors,
[15:33] And the apostles just walk out and go home, have a good night’s sleep. [15:36] And the angel tells them, go into the temple, keep preaching the name of Jesus. [15:41] Alright, I’m going to put myself in this situation, [15:43] And that’s what I really think is smart when you’re reading a narrative, [15:46] Is put yourself in that situation after you’ve devoured what the situation actually was. [15:50] Alright, now, I have seen signs and wonders take place.
[15:53] I’ve seen the blind see. [15:54] I’ve seen the lame walk. [15:55] I’ve seen through my hands, God do miracles, [15:58] That I saw the Son of God do while He was on earth. [16:02] Alright, that’s going to really help my faith. [16:05] No, it would help mine.
[16:06] I don’t know about you. [16:07] If I’m like, okay, you can see now, and He can. [16:09] I’m like, okay, I believe God.
[16:12] Alright, then, even more so, [16:15] Even when they’re not paying attention, [16:18] And they’re just walking down the road, and the sun is casting a shadow, [16:22] The lame can walk, the sick are healed, the blind can see. [16:26] Oh, okay, God exists.
[16:29] Alright, then, they’re in prison. [16:35] Even between that, it says they went into synagogues, [16:37] And there were more blind people, [16:38] And then the demon possessed started coming in, [16:40] And they’re pulling Jesuses where they’re like demons depart, [16:43] And they do.
[16:45] Then, they’re put in prison. [16:47] And in the middle of the night, when they’re like, [16:48] Well, that was a good run, guys. [16:50] Oh, well. [16:52] An angel comes down, opens the door, and is like, [16:54] Hey, I’m springing you.
[16:57] Huh? [16:59] It’s like, okay. [17:00] They get up, and they walk out, [17:01] And we’re going to see that they even walk past guards who are on duty, [17:05] And the guards can’t see them. [17:08] So God makes them invisible.
[17:12] And they go home, and they’re like, [17:13] Look, an angel told us to go preach the gospel in the temple, [17:17] Which, if you know anything about the temple, [17:18] That’s like going into the lion’s den when you say the name of Jesus. [17:22] All right. [17:22] But, in light of everything they’ve seen God do,
[17:28] A prison can’t hold them. [17:30] Okay, I’m going to go preach in the temple. [17:33] I’m like Rambo. [17:35] Nobody can touch me. [17:38] All right? [17:40] And so, they get up the next day,
[17:43] And they go to the temple, [17:44] And they’re preaching the name of Jesus. [17:47] And the council gets together. [17:49] I’m just going to summarize a few of the verses. [17:50] The council gets together. [17:52] And they say,
[17:54] Go get those apostles out of our jails. [17:57] And the guards go, and they’re like,
[18:00] Yeah, the doors were locked, [18:02] And the guards were still there, [18:04] But the apostles, they’re gone. [18:07] They’re like, what? [18:09] So they call in Mr. Enforcer, the captain of the guard, [18:12] And they’re like, go find them.
[18:15] And so the captain of the guard goes to the temple. [18:21] And he goes and he gets them. [18:22] And the scriptures actually say, [18:24] And they didn’t bring them with force, [18:25] Because they were afraid of the people. [18:27] Yeah, I would be too.
[18:29] I’ve seen some miracles. [18:31] Somehow, they, you know, birdman of Alcatraz died here. [18:34] They’ve got favor with everybody. [18:36] There’s more believers every single day of the week. [18:40] All right. [18:41] These guys have some power,
[18:42] So we’re not going to take them by force. [18:43] This is the captain, okay? [18:44] This is Mr. Navy Seal, [18:46] And he’s afraid of the apostles, [18:48] A bunch of fishermen. [18:50] All right.
[18:50] So they go and they get them, [18:52] And they bring them back in.
[18:56] And the apostles come back, [18:58] And they, when they had brought them, [19:00] They set them before the council, [19:01] And the high priest questioned them, saying, [19:04] And he basically says, [19:05] Didn’t we tell you to stop that?
[19:07] And let’s pick up in verse 29.
[19:11] And again, given the series of events, [19:14] I understand Peter’s response to the highest court in Jerusalem. [19:18] But Peter and the apostles answered, [19:19] We must obey God rather than men. [19:22] In other words, you have no authority here, bud. [19:25] That took some moxie.
[19:27] The God of our fathers raised Jesus, [19:29] Whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. [19:32] God exalted him in his right hand as leader and savior [19:35] To give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, [19:37] And we are witnesses to these things, [19:39] And so is the Holy Spirit,
[19:40] Whom God has given to those who obey him. [19:45] Bold talk. Bold. [19:48] In other words, I’m going to obey the guy you killed rather than you.
[19:55] Wow. [19:57] And then the high priest, he is incensed. [19:59] He is angry.
[20:02] But then this one guy, [20:05] This one Sadducee, his name is Gamaliel, [20:07] He says, [20:08] Wait a second. [20:09] Can you tell the apostles to leave the room? [20:13] Even the Sadducees are afraid.
[20:14] Sadducees who don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, [20:16] Who don’t believe in superstitious things, [20:18] They were the deists of the day, [20:20] They don’t believe in anything miraculous taking place, [20:22] So they think everything that the disciples are claiming is not true. [20:27] Even he’s a little afraid,
[20:28] And he’s like, I don’t want them to hear what I’m about to say. [20:30] So can you tell them to leave? [20:31] And then Gamaliel looks at him and he says, [20:33] He tells them a couple of stories, [20:34] And he says, look, if this is of God, [20:38] There’s nothing we’re going to be able to do with these guys to get them to stop.
[20:43] And we’re going to pay a big price if it’s true. [20:46] So let’s not kill them, [20:48] Because I’m afraid. [20:50] Some people look at Gamaliel as this guy that may have been a believer, [20:52] He was not. [20:54] He was just scared.
[20:56] He says, let’s let them go.
[20:59] And so they decide, [21:01] And they’re like, we’re not going to kill them, we’re going to let them go. [21:02] And they call the disciples back in, [21:04] And then look down to verse 40.
[21:11] And when they had called in the apostles, [21:13] They beat them, [21:15] And charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus. [21:19] When we’re reading this, [21:20] It’s very easy to be tempted to read that word beat them, [21:24] And think it’s something that took place in like a little action movie,
[21:27] Like in the longest yard, Steve Austin punches Adam Sandler in the face, [21:30] And we’re like, they took a few punches and they walked out. [21:33] That’s not what the language is implying here. [21:36] What the language is implying according to scholars is that they were flogged. [21:41] [21:42] Flogging means that they were beaten with the 40 lashes minus one.
[21:48] Paul makes reference to this later, and he endured this twice. [21:51] And what it is, is they took a really strong whip, [21:54] And they just ripped your clothes off, [21:57] Threw you over a stump, [21:58] And just whipped, and whipped, and whipped. [22:04] And it was such a severe beating that history tells us,
[22:08] Many people actually died before they ever got to the 39th hit. [22:14] So this is about as severe a beating as you can take in this life, [22:19] And still walk away, and some people did not. [22:22] So this is not just they sent the guard, [22:24] Okay guard, go punch them in the stomach. [22:26] Punch them in the stomach.
[22:27] Now don’t you do that again. [22:29] No. This is where they are beaten within an inch of their lives.
[22:36] And then they say, you want more of that? [22:40] Okay, well if you don’t, don’t you dare go and preach in the name of Jesus again.
[22:48] I’ve never endured a beating like that in my life. [22:51] I don’t know what my response would be. [22:53] But what fascinates me about this story is their response.
[23:01] Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing. [23:07] Rejoicing in what? That they lived? No. [23:09] Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. [23:15] And every day in the temple and from house to house, [23:19] They did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
[23:27] What?
[23:31] This is insanity to like the sixth degree.
[23:35] They’re beaten within an inch of their lives, and they walk out high-fiving each other. [23:39] Beaten, bruised, bleeding, black-eyed, dragging a leg behind them. [23:44] They look at each other and say, yeah, praise God from whom all blessings flow.
[23:53] We just got beaten for Jesus.
[23:56]
[24:01] It doesn’t compute. [24:03] Because in my life, when it works out the way I wanted it, praise you Jesus. [24:10] When I take my son to another checkup, he’s completely healthy, your great parents. [24:18] Praise God!
[24:23] That’s when we praise God.
[24:27] When I’m beaten within an inch of my life, is there a God?
[24:33] What kind of faith is that?
[24:38] That’s not sun-standstill faith, I’ll tell you that right now. [24:41] That’s something else.
[24:44] Because when Joshua says the sun stands still, he’s already seeing hailstones fall from heaven on his behalf, killing people. [24:54] And the disciples are in a situation where they have seen God make the sun stand still. [24:59] They’ve seen God heal people through the name of Jesus on their behalf. [25:02] They’ve seen God spring them from prison and send an angel with a message just for them.
[25:09] And in the moment when it seems to me that they need God to do something miraculous more than ever.
[25:23] Nothing. [25:25] God is seemingly silent.
[25:32] What? [25:34] When the going was good, God was there. [25:37] He was doing something. He was healing people. [25:39] We were making real progress. [25:41] But when times got tough and I really needed Him to do something, He abandoned me.
[25:49] At least, let me just be authentic.
[25:54] That may have been my response.
[25:58] That may have been your response too. [26:00] That you may have responded that way at some point in your life.
[26:09] The disciples.
[26:14] They endure the beating of a lifetime in their response.
[26:21] Yeah.
[26:23] Praise God. [26:25] I tell you, that type of faith is not the type of faith that believes because a miracle happened.
[26:37] Let me unpack this. [26:39] What type of faith did the apostles have to where they’re enduring and they walk out of that enduring suffering. [26:46] Probably scarred for life.
[26:50] And they’re just praising God. [26:51] Because that type of faith is not the type of faith that says, God, if you’ll just do this one thing.
[27:01] I’ll read my Bible every day for a year.
[27:05] God, if you’ll just do this one thing, I will never miss church again. [27:10] Or if you’ll just get me this job.
[27:15] I’ll join the set up team. [27:18] I’ll do it. I’ll do it, God.
[27:24] That’s not gospel faith. [27:27] My thesis to you guys this morning is that this is what gospel faith is all about. [27:33] That it is one thing to see God moving in miracles. [27:37] And then say, I want to be on that team. [27:39] Because it’s kind of like in high school, the A team and the B team. [27:42] The A team was stacked with the varsity ball players in PE.
[27:45] And the B team was like, you didn’t make the team. [27:48] And so in PE, there was one team that got beaten time and time and time again. [27:53] No one wants to be on the B team. I was always on the B team.
[28:01] Two inch vertical.
[28:06] Everybody wants to be on the A team. [28:07] So when God, let me tell you, what happens in Jerusalem is God is doing some wild stuff. [28:12] And everybody wants to be on the A team.
[28:17] But then what happens when the A team loses? [28:20] According to our standards.
[28:24] That’s when real faith is separated from false faith. [28:28] Because there’s one thing to have faith in miracles. [28:29] There’s another thing to have faith in God.
[28:32] Here’s what I mean. [28:34] Last week we started this thread of audacious faith. [28:37] And what’s taking place here is that the disciples are caught up in this amazing move of God. [28:43] Where he is walking in the middle of the room. [28:43] He is moving on their behalf. [28:45] He is just knocking it out of the ballpark.
[28:48] And then they go in and they suffer. [28:51] Because here’s why God was doing all of the miracles. [28:54] God was doing all of their miracles because they had audacious faith in the gospel. [29:00] They did not have audacious faith in the blind seeing. [29:05] They did not have audacious faith in the lame walking. [29:09] They did not have audacious faith in getting broken out of prison.
[29:12] They had audacious faith in the gospel. [29:16] Here’s where the defining moments of their life came from a foundation of. [29:22] It’s in Colossians chapter 2. [29:24] Here’s where they’re basing everything that you see in verses 12 through 16 on. [29:28] Colossians chapter 2 starting in verse 13 says. [29:31] And you who were dead in your trespasses in the uncircumcision of your flesh.
[29:35] God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses. [29:40] By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. [29:45] This he set aside nailing it to the cross. [29:48] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them. [29:55] In other words their audacious faith had a foundation built on being reconciled to God by the works of Jesus. [30:08] Their faith was built simply on this.
[30:12] I can know God be known by God and he will not pour his wrath on me because he has made his son a propitiation. [30:24] He has in other words put his son in a place that I deserve to be in. [30:30] Where the wrath of God for the sins of mankind was poured onto his son.
[30:36] And now he looks at me and he sees the righteousness of his son because our sin was exchanged for his righteousness. [30:44] And Jesus said I’m going to put my righteousness on you. [30:47] And so when God looks at the apostles he sees the righteousness of his very son. [30:54] Alright. [30:55] That’s the gospel.
[30:58] And they lived their entire lives in light of that. [31:03] And Colossians 2 right there it springs out of that foundation. [31:09] Where all that matters to them is that the record of debt for sin that they owed God has been cancelled through Jesus Christ. [31:17] And they say wow I’ve rebelled against God my whole life and now I can know God.
[31:27] And not be killed. [31:29] And more than that be adopted by him. [31:32] And more than that be made an heir to his throne. [31:35] And more than that when I die I’ll spend an eternity worshiping him in his kingdom.
[31:45] That’s the gospel. [31:47] And so that’s what they’re building their faith on top of. [31:51] So when you see the miracles happening you’re not seeing a faith that is simply in God make good things happen and I’ll do good things for you. [32:01] They’re saying God I’ve done nothing but make bad things happen. [32:05] But you make good things happen for me on my behalf through putting my punishment onto your son who was perfect. [32:12] And he’s given me his righteousness which I don’t even deserve so I can know you forever and be known by you forever and be your child forever.
[32:19] That’s the gospel.
[32:21] Secondly, audacious faith that they had was for the gospel.
[32:32] They have faith in the gospel that’s the foundation. [32:35] But secondly they had faith for the gospel. [32:40] What’s the difference there? [32:41] In other words they’re living their lives in this reality through which God has made them his own. [32:52] And they now know God and are known by God.
[32:56] And their lives are just given wholly over to him and they say God there’s nothing better than knowing you. [33:02] There’s nothing better than living with you. [33:03] There’s nothing better than being able to talk to you. [33:05] There’s nothing better than being able to live this journey of life where I have you on my side. [33:10] I’ll do whatever you want. [33:13] Ephesians 2.10 springing right out of that verse that if you were in Sunday school like I was or if you were in Awana this was like day one.
[33:20] Where it’s like for grace you were saved by faith. [33:23] Let’s get the God in. [33:25] But then outside of that verse 10 comes. [33:29] And this is what having faith for the gospel means. [33:33] For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [33:41] In other words we’re saved by grace through faith.
[33:45] I may have gotten that backwards. I have no idea. I don’t have it in front of me. [33:48] I do that sometimes. Maybe you do too. [33:50] But they’re saved totally apart from themselves. [33:53] Nothing they’ve done. All that Jesus is. [33:55] And then what verse 10 says and God takes us in that faith and he fashions us. [34:00] And we’re his workmanship.
[34:01] It gives the idea of a workman. [34:04] And he takes us and he forms us. He transforms us. [34:06] He just completely renews us from the inside out. [34:10] And we’re just brand new. [34:12] And we walk into a life that he has prepared for us to walk in. [34:19] He’s prepared good works for us.
[34:21] In other words there is something that God wants us to do that springs out of that faith in the gospel. [34:27] And it says those good works. [34:30] Gotcha. No rated R movies. No drinking. [34:34] Girls need to wear skirts all the time. They can’t wear those pants anymore. [34:37] That’s the good works. No it’s not. [34:41] 2 Corinthians chapter 5 is where the good works are.
[34:46] Therefore.
[34:50] If anyone is in Christ he’s going to reiterate the very beginning of verse 10. [34:53] Check it. [34:54] He’s a new creation. The old is passed away. Behold the new has come.
[35:00] This is 2 Corinthians 5. 17-20 by the way. Maybe I didn’t say that. [35:03] All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. [35:10] That is in Christ. God was reconciling the world to himself. [35:14] Not counting their trespasses against them. [35:16] And entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [35:19] Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ.
[35:22] God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ. Be reconciled to God. [35:27] Do you get that? He defines the good works. [35:31] We’re not left hanging in the tree. Oh God show me your will. We’re given his will. [35:35] So if you’re in your 20’s and you’re like I just want God’s will. [35:39] Just looking for that bullseye. [35:41] And if I miss that bullseye I’ll miss out on the life God had for me.
[35:45] No that’s not how it works. He’s not going to have a bush burning on the side of the road. [35:49] It’s not how it works. He tells you his will right there. [35:52] Here’s what you live for. You live to be an ambassador for the message that saved you.
[36:01] And everything that you do comes under that. [36:04] So if it doesn’t propel the gospel you don’t do it. [36:07] If it does propel the gospel you do it.
[36:13] And the disciples had audacious faith in that. [36:16] They really believed.
[36:21] If I live for the gospel.
[36:24] If I live for it. [36:26] I’ll have the best life possible.
[36:31] No matter what happens.
[36:38] We are created in Christ Jesus. [36:43] Old gone, new come. [36:45] And that new.
[36:49] That new. [36:51] Is reconciled to God.
[36:55] We need this reminder not just at the beginning of the year. [36:58] I constantly go back to 2 Corinthians 5. [37:00] Constantly to remind myself. [37:02] I have been reconciled to God. [37:04] I have been. [37:06] Past tense. I’m not still being reconciled.
[37:09] I have been reconciled to God. [37:11] I need to do nothing more. [37:15] Because He loves me.
[37:18] And He’ll never stop. [37:22] You know when God will stop loving you. [37:24] If you’ve been reconciled to God. [37:26] When Jesus stops being His son.
[37:30] And that’s never going to happen.
[37:35] And they said. [37:37] We’ve been reconciled to God. [37:39] And now we live to be reconcilers for God.
[37:44] It’s really simple.
[37:47] It’s that easy.
[37:51] That’s the Gospel.
[37:55] So audacious faith is in the Gospel. [37:57] It’s for the Gospel.
[38:00] But then what comes out of that. [38:03] Is verses 17 through 42. [38:06] Where they’re beaten within an inch of their life. [38:10] What’s that all about?
[38:12] When you live for the Gospel. [38:14] And when you live in the Gospel. [38:16] You have audacious faith. [38:19] And what it does is. [38:20] Is your audacious faith is translated. [38:23] Into a place where your faith finds its joy in God.
[38:28] And nowhere else. [38:30] Nowhere else do you find joy. [38:33] But in being known by God. [38:36] In knowing God. [38:37] And living for God. [38:39] When we live in His mission.
[38:41] When the outpouring of His reconciliation. [38:43] Just pours out. [38:45] And it springs out of us. [38:47] We have this joy in God. [38:51] That is so undefinable. [38:53] That the Scripture defines it.
[38:54] Because sometimes I think we’re really sullied. [38:56] And we’re like. [38:58] It’s joy unspeakable and full of glory. [39:01] So I’m not going to speak of it. [39:02] Because I don’t know how.
[39:05] And you go home and you’re still depressed like the rest of us. [39:09] Alright, no? Okay. [39:10] Luke chapter 12. [39:12] Here’s what this passage is talking about. [39:14] Luke chapter 12. [39:16] And you’re not going to get it until I talk about it.
[39:18] Jesus is speaking here. [39:20] And so He’s a really good guy to go to in times like this. [39:23] I tell you my friends. [39:25] Do not fear those who kill the body. [39:27] And after that have nothing more that they can do. [39:29] But I will warn you whom to fear.
[39:32] Fear Him who after He has killed has authority to cast them in hell. [39:36] Yes I tell you. [39:37] Fear Him! [39:39] If you went to an independent Baptist church camp. [39:41] This was screamed at you. [39:42] And you ran to the front.
[39:45] To get saved. [39:46] You were scared just to death. [39:48] I am afraid!
[39:50] I don’t want to be cast in hell. [39:52] Anything but that. [39:53] No joy in God. Just fear.
[39:57] And you’re like, but that’s what the verse says to be. [39:59] Yes it does. [40:01] But here’s how Jesus’ words. [40:03] And you’ve got to remember the apostles that were beaten were there. [40:06] When Jesus said that. [40:08] And so I can just imagine being in front of them.
[40:10] And this may go through their mind. [40:11] But here’s what happened. [40:13] They’re like Jesus said not to fear those who after killing me. [40:18] Have no power over my soul. [40:21] But to fear Him who after killing me. [40:23] Can cast me into hell because He does have authority over my soul.
[40:26] And that is the authority that God the Father has. [40:29] He absolutely has that authority. [40:31] And that’s why He’s so ferocious. [40:33] Because His control is endless. [40:36] But here’s where in the gospel you look at that and you’re like. [40:40] Yes!
[40:41] So they’re standing before Him and they’re like. [40:43] Jesus said not to fear you. [40:45] And to fear the Father. [40:46] And then Jesus took every ounce of the wrath. [40:51] Of that ferocious God. [40:53] On to Himself.
[40:54] And I’ll never have to face it. [40:57] So my fear in God translates into an absolute joy. [41:02] That His terror and His ferocity. [41:05] And His just anger.
[41:09] Was absorbed by His Son.
[41:15] And so in light of those two truths. [41:18] That He’s fearful. [41:21] But He loves us. [41:22] And Jesus is how much He loves us. [41:25] The disciples and the apostles are just like.
[41:30] Okay I’ll take a beating from you.
[41:37] This is why sometimes some of the things that the apostles write in the New Testament. [41:41] Is really hard for us to grasp. [41:43] Because we’re just so earthly minded. [41:46] And it’s okay because you’re human. [41:48] That’s why Peter and Paul were not crazy. [41:50] Because here’s what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4.
[41:52] He says, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings. [41:59] That you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.
[42:05] So Peter’s like, when you suffer like Jesus did. [42:09] Praise Him. [42:10] And this is a guy that had been through that in Acts chapter 5. [42:13] And then Paul says this in Philippians chapter 3. [42:16] He says, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. [42:21] And most of us are like, yeah.
[42:23] That new life. [42:25] But then he says, and may share His sufferings.
[42:32] Becoming like Him in His death. [42:35] That by any means possible. [42:37] I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [42:40] Not that I have already obtained this. [42:42] Or I’m already perfect. [42:44] But I press on to make it my own.
[42:47] Because Christ Jesus has made me His own. [42:51] And then in verse 17, He caps it off when He’s like, imitate me. [42:55] Do that.
[42:58] And so are Peter and Paul crazy? [43:00] They’re like, okay, we have this new life. [43:02] But we also rejoice in suffering. [43:05] No! [43:07] Because here, when you find your joy in God. [43:10] When you have this absolute, secure God.
[43:14] Who is for you and not against you. [43:17] Because without Jesus, He’s against us. [43:20] That’s hell!
[43:25] And when you have Him on your side. [43:28] You look at anything this life has to offer. [43:31] Cancer. [43:33] You look at any sickness. [43:34] You look at any trial in relationships. [43:37] You look at any beating that may possibly come at you from the government.
[43:41] And when I say that, I’m thinking about the underground church in China. [43:44] In Sudan. [43:45] In India. [43:46] Where that’s real!
[43:54] And you face it. [43:56] And you say,
[43:59] I could lose everything.
[44:05] But I’ll never lose God.
[44:14] That is gospel faith.
[44:22] That’s what Peter means when he says, rejoice. [44:27] When you share Christ’s suffering.
[44:31] Rejoice. [44:32] Not because it’s going to be fun. [44:36] Don’t hear that.
[44:39] Not because sickness is easy. [44:41] Don’t hear that.
[44:45] But because Jesus said, catch this, Jesus said,
[44:50] at the end of Matthew, [44:52] when He gives us the Great Commission, He says, be about making disciples. [44:56] And He says, and behold, I’ll be with you always to the end of the age.
[45:02] He’s going to endure us. [45:06] But here’s the thing. [45:07] Here’s why. [45:10] Peter ends chapter 4 verse 13 when he says, [45:13] that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. [45:16] Because Jesus promised, He’s going to be with me till the end of this age.
[45:22] But He’s also promised that I’m going to be with Him for eternity in the next age. [45:28] So when Jesus says, don’t fear those that can kill the body, [45:31] and then when they’ve killed the body, they can’t do anything else, [45:34] because when they kill the body, they just send me to heaven.
[45:39] I get God.
[45:42] So my joy can be in nothing else. [45:45] Because there’s nothing better. [45:46] If your joy is taken away by anything, that’s God. [45:52] But if your joy is in God, and you can never lose Him, [45:55] you’ll always have joy, and you’ll always have your reward. [45:57] Because I close and I just say, audacious faith finds its reward in God.
[46:03] It does.
[46:05] Because that is what we get. [46:08] God is the Gospel. [46:11] Piper says, God is the Gospel. [46:14] God is what we get, because there’s nothing better than Him. [46:18] He is our great reward. [46:20] Because in this life, we will suffer.
[46:23] And when those health and wealth guys get up, and they say you won’t suffer, [46:28] they’re lying, because we will.
[46:32] Jesus said, greater suffering than I go through, you’ll go through.
[46:38] Real faith is found in hope and suffering. [46:45] So when the disciples walk away, when they drag their beaten bodies away, [46:51] and they say, praise God, we were counted worthy to suffer like Jesus did. [46:57] That’s because their measuring line was not comfort, it was not leisure. [47:02] They weren’t begging God, give me a better car, give me a better job. [47:06] They weren’t just begging God for simple things.
[47:09] They were begging God for souls saved through their faith. [47:13] And the validity of their faith is shown by the actions in their life.
[47:22] In the coming year and years, I’m begging God to create disciples in the village.
[47:38] But when I see a disciple from the village, I want to see people that leave this building, [47:44] this auditorium, and see people who rejoice in suffering.
[47:53] Not because we’re masochistic, but because we get God.
[48:03] And when we do suffer, rather than saying, why? [48:07] Sometimes you’ll say it, it’ll be okay, we’ll be there for you.
[48:13] If you really want to know why, ask us. [48:16] I want to pray with you. [48:18] I want to tell you this. [48:20] Because you’re going to need the reminder. [48:22] Because trust me, tomorrow morning when I wake up and my back hurts, I’m going to need this reminder.
[48:28] That’s how silly I am.
[48:32] But because we’re going to look to how God can redeem our suffering to see more people get saved.
[48:42] So when you get that diagnosis, that’s troubling. [48:49] And it will come, and for some of you it already has.
[48:55] You say, God, this hurts.
[49:00] It’s going to be hard. [49:02] But help me use it to propel the Gospel by any means necessary.
[49:09] A disciple of the village, I want to see us looking at everything that happens in our life and say that.
[49:18] Because that’s joy unspeakable.
[49:27] Right now I’m going to ask Joey to come up for a minute. [49:31] Gospel faith is a faith that has a sure footing. [49:36] And circumstances won’t dictate it, but eternal joy will steer it.
[49:42] And in a few moments we’re going to take communion. [49:46] We’re going to preach the Gospel to each other through communion.
[49:52] I don’t know how this is going to go. I didn’t plan to do it.
[49:57] But sometimes you hear it.
[50:00] There’s some people in here, and I know you’re here. [50:04] And you’re suffering. [50:06] And you’re hurting. [50:08] You’re sick. [50:10] Okay?
[50:16] Or, you have relationships in your life that are hurting. [50:24] And those relationships are sick. [50:26] And you’re begging God for something. [50:32] Something.
[50:35] What I want to do right now, and we don’t do this often. [50:37] This is your first Sunday here. [50:39] This is awkward for me.
[50:45] If you’re hurting in here, I want you to come up. [50:49] And I want to pray for you. [50:52] But more than that, I want your community group of leaders and your community group to come up. [50:58] And pray for you. [50:59] I want them to pray, number one, for the circumstance, but number two, for your joy.
[51:09] That your joy will be in God.
[51:13] And not your situation. [51:15] [51:16] And I’m going to be down here. [51:18] And other pastors are going to be down here. [51:21] And we just want to pray for you. [51:23] I’m not going to embarrass you beyond that.
[51:28] But I do want to pray for you. [51:30] So as Joey plays, I want us to all in this room bow our heads, close our eyes. [51:36] And if you’re a community group leader or in a community group, look out for somebody in your community group that comes up and come pray for them and with them. [51:44] Let’s pray.