Expecting Change (Jonathan Josephs)

0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.280 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.600 Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:20.600 new sermons every week. Hope you're blessed today. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:22.599 Slipped our hands together for a moment. 0:00:22.720 --> 0:00:25.680 Let's have a prayer of consecration as we head into 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:33.199 a new year together as a church family. Jesus, it's 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:36.120 your name we exalt today. We exalt you in our lives. 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:40.519 As we head into a new year. We just re 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.000 establish in our own hearts today that Jesus, you are 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:50.000 our priority, You are our desire, You are one ambition. 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:53.720 I don't know what this year holds, whether it's hills, 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:55.200 whether it's valleys. 0:00:54.760 --> 0:00:57.600 But I know that you go with me, and that 0:00:57.720 --> 0:00:58.560 you go before me. 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.160 Head into this new year, we thank you God that, 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:05.160 oh the weapons might be formed against us, they will. 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:06.720 Not prosper or prevail. 0:01:07.360 --> 0:01:11.680 I thank you that surely goodness and mercy will follow 0:01:11.720 --> 0:01:14.720 me all the days of my life, and I will 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.440 dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Thank you 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:22.080 for your abiding presence, Thank you for your strength this year. 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:25.199 Thank you for a spirit of perseverance. 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:27.080 Falling on your people. God thank you Lord. That is 0:01:27.120 --> 0:01:29.840 we orient our hearts towards you. We will see your 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:33.520 kingdom come. Your will be done here on earth. 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:37.280 As it is in heaven. We honor you Lord. We 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.360 give you our hearts, we give you our lives. It's 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:50.640 in your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Well, Happy New Year, everybody. 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.240 It feels good to start out the year in worship, 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:53.720 doesn't it. 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:56.520 If I haven't got a chance to meet you. My 0:01:56.600 --> 0:01:58.320 name is Jonathan. I know we have so many new 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:00.720 people here today. My name is Jonathan. I'm one of 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:01.520 the pastors here. 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:03.920 And let me show you a picture of my family 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:05.240 real quick, they'll throw it up there. 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:11.079 It's my wife, Anna and our three kids. And we've 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.800 been a part of this church for thirteen years now, 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:16.280 and for us, it's such a joy to be able 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:16.600 to be a. 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:19.400 Part of this church family, this church community, and to 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:21.840 be under the incredible leadership of our pastor. 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:23.919 Can we thank the Lord for our pastor. 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:31.680 And you know, not too long ago after I preached recently, 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:33.560 someone came up to me and they said, man, I 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:34.600 really enjoyed. 0:02:34.320 --> 0:02:36.320 The sermon you preach. I said, thank you so much. 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:39.320 And then what they said next, They said it like 0:02:39.360 --> 0:02:42.200 it was the big accomplishment. They said, you know, I 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:45.000 used to get so upset when Pastor Stephen wasn't preaching, 0:02:45.680 --> 0:02:46.360 and they said. 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.080 But now I've decided, when he's not. 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:50.120 Preaching, I'm just going to thank God that he's getting 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:51.600 to rest his voice. 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:53.680 And I didn't really know how to take that. 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:55.919 But let's get in on it together, and let's thank 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:57.400 God that our pastors getting. 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:59.080 To rest his voice this weekend. 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:02.280 And who are kidding, He's probably writing a brand new 0:03:02.360 --> 0:03:05.560 song for us to sing right now. But I'm really 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.720 excited about what the Lord has given me to share 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:10.880 with you today on the cusp of this new year. 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:13.640 And we're gonna look at a scripture from Acts three 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:17.200 that I think has several implications for us today, but 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:18.440 we'll also set the tone for us. 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:20.520 We're gonna read our scripture. You can stay standing for 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:23.040 just a moment and then we'll get to sit down 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:24.440 after that. It's optional, but. 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:31.639 Acts Chapter three, One day, everybody say one day. 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:34.000 I won't have you repeat every two words, but just. 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.560 To feel along the way, everyone say one day. Peter 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:39.440 and John were going up to the temple at the 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:41.200 time of prayer at three. 0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:41.840 In the afternoon. 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:45.640 Now, a man who was lame from birth was being 0:03:45.680 --> 0:03:49.200 carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was 0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:52.080 put every day to beg from those going into the 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:56.480 temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about the enter, 0:03:56.520 --> 0:04:00.720 he asked them for money. Peter looks straight at him, 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:05.800 as did John. Then Peter said, look at us. So 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:10.360 the man gave him. Gave them his attention, expecting to 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:11.800 get something from them. 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:17.000 Everyone say expecting. Then Peter said, silver or gold I 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:17.520 do not have. 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.520 But what I do have, I give you in the 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:25.920 name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk Taking him by 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:29.440 the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:34.159 man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet, 0:04:34.279 --> 0:04:37.040 and he began to walk. Then he went with them 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:41.400 into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God. 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.440 Did anyone walking to church like that today? Walking and 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:50.599 jumping and praising God. When all the people saw him 0:04:50.640 --> 0:04:54.239 walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:57.880 man who used to sit begging at the temple gate 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:02.560 called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:06.760 at what had happened to him. My title for today 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:14.800 is expecting change. Expecting change, go ahead and grab a seat. 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.240 I thought that would be a good title for your 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:22.320 first Sunday of a new year. Anyone expecting change going 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:25.680 into this year? Now, I know that there's probably sixty 0:05:25.720 --> 0:05:27.720 percent of you that when it comes to a new year, 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.839 you roll your eyes at the thought of new year's resolutions. 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.080 You're like, it's January fourth, and already most people have 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:35.880 already failed at the things that they set out to 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.560 do this year, and so this is not a new 0:05:38.640 --> 0:05:41.200 Year's resolution message. Don't worry even though there's others of 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:44.000 you who who I mean? This is like your favorite 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:45.839 time of the year. You've already had an off site 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.640 with your spouse, You've reflected on the prior year, You've 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:51.920 set your budget, all your vacations planned, every date night, 0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:53.320 all your workouts. 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:54.039 You've got all locked in. 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:56.320 Anybody like that, You're just so excited for a new 0:05:56.360 --> 0:05:59.640 year and the possibility of change. No one, Okay, cool, 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:02.960 we're talking into a cynical church today. That's amazing o good. 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.360 But there is even though I know there's a part 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:09.479 of us that goes, what's so different about you know? 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.400 December thirty first to January. First, it's just a change 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:16.520 on the calendar. And yet there's something about transitions in 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:20.880 our life that create a sense of expectation or even 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:24.279 anticipation for change to happen in our life. Often God 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:28.720 will use external transition to bring about internal change in 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:29.240 our lives. 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:30.240 So even though you're. 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:31.640 Heading into a new year and some of your I 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:33.480 don't know what's going to be different from this year 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:37.159 to next, there is a sense of optimism, let's say, 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:40.400 in the atmosphere even today, that maybe something could be 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:44.280 different as we head into a new year. Now, new 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:46.680 year's resolutions, that's that's one thing. If you're trying to 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:48.880 lose weight this year or set up an emergency fund, 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:49.479 that's amazing. 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:51.760 You can come up with your plan and set your goals. 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.480 But what I want to talk to you about today 0:06:54.560 --> 0:06:59.760 is less about those those type of changes that you 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:01.480 need to see happen in your life and that you 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:03.840 want to work towards this year. I want to talk 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:06.719 to you more so about the God changes that you 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:10.320 need to see happen in your life. As we ended 0:07:10.400 --> 0:07:13.320 last year, many people in our church participated in our 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:15.800 year on offering once again, thank you to everyone who 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:18.600 is a part of our trust in God offering this year, 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:22.560 and as part of that process, we ask everyone in 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:24.880 our church to write down a word that represents what 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:27.960 they're believing God for as we head into a new year, 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.680 and as our staff was praying over those words, there 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:32.600 wasn't a single word that I saw that looked like 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.240 a new year's resolution. I didn't see go to the 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:41.040 gym eat more vegetables. I saw words like restoration. I 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:45.200 saw words like healing. I saw words like forgiveness. These 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:48.800 aren't ordinary changes, These are God changes. These are things 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:51.400 that can only happen in our life when God begins 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:53.640 to create change in us. 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:55.680 So I love the story. 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:57.040 Of this man in Acts, and I was drawn to 0:07:57.080 --> 0:08:01.040 it because on this ordinary day, a day, remember, Luke 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.240 starts out Luke, who wrote the who wrote the Book 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:06.400 of Acts, and the Gospel of Luke starts off by 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:09.360 painting this as just a day like any other day. 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.520 This is not December thirty first, This is not January first. 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:14.800 This is not Peter's birthday, this is not the Man's birthday. 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.960 It's not Christmas, it's not Easter. It's an ordinary day, 0:08:18.240 --> 0:08:21.960 and yet something extraordinary happens in the middle of an 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.160 ordinary day. How many you believe that God can do 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:31.240 something extraordinary on an ordinary day. Everything about his language 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.360 is indicating that there's nothing special about today. One day, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.760 Peter and John are going to the temple. They're going 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:38.400 at the time of prayer. This would have been part 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:40.760 of their custom. This is just what they do. And 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:42.520 then it tells us that there is a man who 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:45.920 every day, every day was put out by the temple 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:48.800 gates to beg for money. It's an ordinary day, and 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:52.760 yet something so profound happens to this man on this day. 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:55.520 This man who was lame. Luke later tells us that 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:58.600 who's about forty years old, but all his life, this 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:01.599 was his routine in the morning. And I don't know 0:09:01.640 --> 0:09:04.160 who took him to the gates, whether it's his parents 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:05.800 or whether it's for his friends. 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:08.640 But someone took him and set him outside that gate, 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:11.120 and day after day he would sit there and beg 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:11.640 for money. 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:15.160 And yet something happens on this day that changed this 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:19.000 man's life forever. Now, when you come to church, it's 0:09:19.000 --> 0:09:21.360 so important that you come in with a level of 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:24.960 expectation that God could do something in your life today. 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:27.880 Sometimes we get in the habit of treating it like, Oh, 0:09:27.960 --> 0:09:30.400 it's just another Sunday, I'm gonna hear some worship songs, 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:31.480 I'm gonna hear a message. 0:09:31.520 --> 0:09:32.640 But what if you came. 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:36.360 In with the expectation and belief that today God could 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:37.440 do something in your. 0:09:37.320 --> 0:09:39.720 Life that would change you for the rest of your life. 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:48.000 Anybody believed that anything is possible with God today. Now, 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:50.560 as I read about this man's miracle, the question and 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:52.439 the tension for me of why I kept going back 0:09:52.480 --> 0:09:54.640 to this passage is I think it's so amazing that 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.360 as he meets Peter and he meets John, and that 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.839 his legs are strengthened, and he jumps and he leaps 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:02.840 in he praises God. I want to celebrate the miracle 0:10:02.880 --> 0:10:04.959 that happened in his life. But the question that brings 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:10.400 up in me is why now, after forty years of 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:15.480 waking up day after day, why now, why did God 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:19.439 choose to heal them this day? Even pastorally, I wonder 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:21.640 that a lot. It's amazing what I get to see 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:23.680 God do in the lives of the people of this church. 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:25.959 And when someone lets me know that God set them 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:29.280 free from PTSD or God set them free from a 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:32.640 pornography addiction. I'm the first one to celebrate and praise 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:34.640 God for what he's done when someone tells me how 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:38.760 God completely restored their marriage after all kinds of betrayal. 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:41.560 I want to praise God, jump leap, praise God with 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:43.400 them for what he's done. But in the back of 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:47.760 my mind sometimes I'm asking the question, why now? And 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:50.800 maybe you found yourself in that place too, where you're like, God, 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:53.360 I'm so thankful after all these years of being single, 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:56.839 you finally brought a man into my life. But God, 0:10:57.320 --> 0:11:02.040 why now? Why now? Is it about today? What was 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:04.960 it about this one day that led to this man 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:07.320 being changed? And so look at the story with me, 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.360 says day after day, every day he was put at 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.880 the temple to beg from those going into the temple courts, 0:11:12.880 --> 0:11:15.640 and he sees Peter and John and he asked them 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:18.280 for money. Peter looks at him, as did John. And 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:20.800 look at this in verse five. So the man gave him, 0:11:21.240 --> 0:11:25.280 gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:29.240 But he's not expecting a healing that day. He's just 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:33.800 expecting some money. He's just expecting change. And yet what 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:34.800 he got was so. 0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.040 Much greater than even what he was expecting. 0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:39.520 Now, I wonder if there was ever a point in 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.720 this man's life where he was expecting a miracle. 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:44.160 It wasn't this day. 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:47.200 But I wonder maybe if in his teenage years he 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:48.800 had days where he would just wake up in the 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.360 morning and try to wiggle his toes, wondering, maybe things 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:54.600 will be different from me today. Maybe today I won't 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:56.120 have to call my friends and ask them. 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:57.080 To take me to the gate. 0:11:57.440 --> 0:11:59.640 But some of us get stuck in a condition for 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:02.680 so long that it becomes our reality in such a 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.760 way that when it comes to our relationship with God, 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:10.320 we've even given up on expecting anything to change. And 0:12:10.400 --> 0:12:13.480 yet I'm so thankful that God is a God who 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:15.880 exceeds our expectations. 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.160 There's this phrase I've picked up somewhere that I used to. 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:21.520 Say that God will often meet you at the level 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.120 of your expectation. And I would love to say that 0:12:24.200 --> 0:12:26.440 coming into church because and on one hand, it means 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:29.440 that that if I come into church just expecting it 0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:32.360 to be an ordinary day or ah, the message was okay, 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:34.000 then I'll often. 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:35.040 That's what I'll experience. 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:37.319 And so it say God will often meet you at 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:39.600 the level of your expectation. If you come into church 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:41.840 with an open heart and an open mind, if you 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:44.640 come in expecting that through the Holy Spirit, God will 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:47.200 speak to you, often that's the very thing you receive. 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.160 And yet when I think about that statement, I couldn't 0:12:50.160 --> 0:12:53.199 be more wrong, because when I look back over my life, 0:12:53.280 --> 0:12:55.400 I'm so grateful that God did not meet me. 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:56.920 At the level of my expectation. 0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:00.719 I'm so grateful that time and time again, God has 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:04.880 done exceedingly more than I could ever ask or imagine. 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:06.439 Is that anyone's testimony? 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.760 Like you didn't expect to even be alive today. 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.040 You didn't expect to be where you are. 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:15.000 You didn't expect to be blessed with this family, blessed 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:17.680 with this purpose. You certainly didn't expect that you would 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:19.280 be in church in twenty twenty six. 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:20.439 But how many you want to. 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:22.959 Praise God that he did more than you could ever 0:13:23.040 --> 0:13:30.600 expect or imagine. So he's expecting to get some change 0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:32.840 from them, and instead Peter speaks to him. 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:35.000 And it's so swaggy the way Peter does it. 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:38.600 In the name of Jesus, get up and walk and 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:40.400 look at this taking him by the right hand, he 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:44.679 jumped up and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.040 He jumped to his feet and he began to walk. 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:49.320 And this is key. It says that he went with 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:54.120 them into the temple courts. That's a key detail because 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.680 all this, all his life, he was not allowed to 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:03.480 go into the temple. Every single day of his forty years, 0:14:03.559 --> 0:14:07.600 he was sat down outside of the temple gates. His 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:12.280 condition prohibited from prohibited him from going into the temple. 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:14.480 And yet when God heals his. 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:18.400 Condition that day, not only does he jump and walk 0:14:18.760 --> 0:14:21.360 and praise God, but it says that he went into 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.360 the temple. I want you to know that when God 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:26.520 brings about a change in your life, it's not just 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:27.160 to fix you. 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:28.520 It's to restore you. 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:33.480 Because him going into the temple is significant because it 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:38.080 represents him being restored to worship with God and restored 0:14:38.160 --> 0:14:41.080 into community with others. The things that God wants to 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:43.600 bring in your bring about in your life, the changes 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:46.280 that God wants to do on a deep level, they're 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:48.560 not just meant to fix your condition, to make you 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:52.360 feel better or to alleviate your pain temporarily. They're meant 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:56.080 to restore you. In worship and restore you in community. 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:59.000 That's this most significant change that happens to this man. 0:14:59.040 --> 0:15:02.800 He goes into temple and as he's in there, everybody 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:05.480 recognized him as the man who, look at this, used 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:09.800 to sit at the gate, called beautiful. I love that language, 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:14.160 because y'all this just happened to him. This just happened 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.000 to him. And yet they're already calling him the man 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:19.240 who used to sit. That's like you introducing your husband 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:21.160 to someone in the lobby after church and say, oh, 0:15:21.240 --> 0:15:23.480 this is Frank who used to have road rage, and 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:25.680 they're like, what are you talking about? I just saw 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.120 him getting angry in the parking lot on the way in. 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:30.360 It wasn't all that long ago. No, No, he used 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:32.560 to have road rage. He's a changed man because he 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.240 was a church and God touched him and he changed 0:15:36.240 --> 0:15:38.760 the man who used to sit. And they're filled with 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:42.160 wonder and amazement because they recognized him. 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:43.960 This guy for forty years. 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:45.920 Has been sitting at this gate, and isn't that the 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:49.880 same guy? Now he's walking, he's leaping, he's jumping, he's 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:53.520 praising God, and they're filled with wonder and amazement. Look 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:55.960 what God does in their life. Because of what He's 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.720 done in this man's life. God heals him, but he 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:04.000 fill them with wonder and amazement. When God, when a 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:07.040 God change happens in your life, it creates wonder in 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.120 other people. If it's possible for him, I wonder what 0:16:10.160 --> 0:16:15.000 God could do for me. And they're filled with wonder 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:17.760 and amazement because look at that this man who had 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:22.280 just been sitting there instantly his feet and ankles became 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:26.720 strong instantly. And as I thought about that word, I thought, man, 0:16:26.760 --> 0:16:28.920 it must have been so amazing for everyone to see 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.440 this man who had just been sitting there lame, suddenly walking. 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:38.440 And yet for this man, this miracle is anything but sudden. 0:16:40.000 --> 0:16:41.240 It's been forty years. 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:45.120 And often the God changes that happened in your life 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:49.280 will look sudden to other people. But for you, I mean, 0:16:49.320 --> 0:16:51.840 you know all the labor and all the prayer and 0:16:51.880 --> 0:16:54.320 all the tears you cried to get to this place, 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.520 and so other people are filled with wonder and amazement. 0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.680 Look what God has done in your life, and it 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:02.560 looks so easy to them. And yet you know all 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:05.199 the petitions when you went before God saying God, can 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:07.280 you do something about my situation? 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:07.680 God? 0:17:07.920 --> 0:17:10.040 Can you help me right now. And so it was 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:13.879 sudden to them, but it was slow to him. And 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:17.520 it brought back up that question in my mind. So 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:23.280 why now, forty years, day after day, this man is 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.359 put by the temple gates to beg for money. It 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:30.680 was just his way of surviving. Day after day he 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:33.920 was placed there begging. And yet on this ordinary day 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:39.320 something happens in his life that changes him forever? Why today? 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:42.200 And I sat there with this question looking for some 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:45.639 deep answer, you know, something beyond just oh, well, in 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:47.720 God's timing, because how many you know when you're really 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:50.600 wrestling with something, When you've been chained up and bound 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:52.760 by something for so long, the last thing you want 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:55.480 to hear as you're working to get free is just oh, 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:57.840 in God's timing. I want to be able to trust 0:17:57.840 --> 0:17:59.600 God's time. But that's not the thing I want. 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:00.000 To hear all the time. 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:03.199 And so I'm looking at this passage going what was 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:07.119 different about today? One day, every day time of prayer, 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:10.760 one day, every day, time of prayer? What was different 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:14.120 about today that led to this god change in this 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.800 man's life? And the answer is right on the surface. 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:24.800 What was different about today? He met Peter? That's what 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:30.679 was different about today he met Peter, and y'all, the 0:18:30.760 --> 0:18:35.959 man's not the only one changing. Peter's changing too. And 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:40.000 I realized that as Luke writes this story, the man 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:42.760 who was healed, that was lame from birth, he's not 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:43.840 even the main character. 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:45.480 Peter is. 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:48.960 And Luke is trying to get us to see that 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:53.280 Peter is changing, as there's a whole bunch of transition happening. 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:56.040 Let me give you some context. Luke wrote the Gospel 0:18:56.240 --> 0:18:58.600 of Luke, where he recorded the words and deeds that 0:18:58.680 --> 0:19:01.679 Jesus did on the earth, and then he continues his 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:04.120 Gospel of Luke with the Book of Acts. 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:04.960 Acts. 0:19:05.080 --> 0:19:07.960 Chapter one starts out with Jesus, who is resurrected from 0:19:07.960 --> 0:19:10.960 the dead ascending into Heaven. So Luke's trying to get 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:13.080 you to see there's a God change happening. 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:14.960 Jesus, who had been. 0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:18.320 Doing ministry on earth for three years has now resurrected 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:22.840 and ascended to the Father. That's Acts Chapter one. Acts 0:19:22.920 --> 0:19:27.119 Chapter two. There's another God change that happened as the Apostles, 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:29.760 the people who had been with Jesus during his earthly 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:33.119 ministry are in an upper room in Jerusalem praying God 0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:36.240 sends the spirit, the Holy Spirit, and it falls on 0:19:36.320 --> 0:19:38.880 them like tongues of fire, and the church. 0:19:38.680 --> 0:19:39.920 Begins that day. 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:44.320 In Acts chapter two, y'all, that's a god change. God 0:19:44.359 --> 0:19:47.440 is saying, although Jesus in his physical body has ascended 0:19:47.480 --> 0:19:50.320 into heaven, Luke wants us to know that the ministry 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:54.320 of Jesus is now continuing, but it continues through his church. 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:58.320 And then in Acts chapter three, where we are, Luke 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:00.440 is trying to get you to see that not only 0:20:00.520 --> 0:20:03.080 is there so much change happening, but as the way 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:06.240 God is working in the earth is changing, he's changing. 0:20:06.680 --> 0:20:11.160 Peter two, the Peter we read about in Acts chapter three, y'all, 0:20:11.200 --> 0:20:13.560 if you read about him and the gospels, this is 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:14.440 not the same Peter. 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:17.960 This Peter in the name. 0:20:17.760 --> 0:20:20.480 Of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk. But y'all, it wasn't 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:22.840 too long ago. Right now he's healing people, but not 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:25.359 too long ago he was cutting off someone's ear with 0:20:25.440 --> 0:20:27.879 a sword. How many you know this is not the 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:32.600 same Peter. This Peter here who's boldly declaring who Jesus 0:20:32.640 --> 0:20:35.199 is and what he's done, not too long ago, just 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:39.199 weeks earlier, was keeping his distance as Jesus went to 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:42.400 the cross and even denying that he knew him. 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:43.720 This is not the same Peter. 0:20:44.040 --> 0:20:47.680 He's somewhere between fishermen Peter and Saint Peter. He's not 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:50.359 there yet, but he's certainly not who he used to be. 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:53.760 And a miracle takes place. 0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:57.800 In this man's life because God is changing. Peter is 0:20:57.880 --> 0:21:00.800 going through a God change right now. I want to 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:03.800 show you a few things that are changing in Peter's life. 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:06.600 The first one is this. It says that Peter looked 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:10.480 straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, look 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:14.760 at us. So the man gave him his attention, expecting 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:17.439 to get something from him. It's amazing to me that 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.920 before the man gave Peter his attention, Peter gave him 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:26.720 his Peter's changing because Peter had a tendency, if you 0:21:26.760 --> 0:21:29.040 read about his life, to always be caught up in 0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:32.720 what he was doing, always be caught up in his agenda, 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:36.720 always be focused on what's in it for Peter. Right now, 0:21:37.240 --> 0:21:40.000 and it's amazing that is Peter is doing his thing, 0:21:40.480 --> 0:21:42.520 going up to the temple to pray. It was the 0:21:42.640 --> 0:21:44.840 right thing to do. It was on his calendar for 0:21:44.920 --> 0:21:47.600 the day. I'm going to the temple to pray. It's 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:52.080 amazing that Peter, as God is changing him, stops to 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:56.879 see someone in their condition who needed help. The fact 0:21:56.920 --> 0:22:01.320 that Peter saw him is incredible. Lets me know that 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:04.280 Peter is changing, because that's not like Peter. 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:04.600 Now. 0:22:04.840 --> 0:22:07.640 When the scripture says that he saw him, it's an 0:22:07.640 --> 0:22:10.119 echo to when the scripture uses the word saw, it's 0:22:10.119 --> 0:22:12.680 an indication of It means he was filled with compassion 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:15.560 and a sense of responsibility. 0:22:16.040 --> 0:22:16.280 Y'all. 0:22:16.320 --> 0:22:18.120 This is Peter who would say, Hey, tell the little 0:22:18.200 --> 0:22:20.640 children to get away from Jesus, I'm spending time with them. 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:25.080 He's now filled with compassion and a sense of responsibility. 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:28.560 Like when Jesus was about to heal, about to raise 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:30.320 a little boy from the dead, it says that he 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:32.880 saw his mother and his heart went out for him. 0:22:32.960 --> 0:22:36.920 Jesus saw people and had compassion, And after three years 0:22:36.920 --> 0:22:40.480 of being of Jesus and not always getting it, now 0:22:40.520 --> 0:22:41.399 Peter is changing. 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:44.680 And as he's going to the temple, he sees this man. 0:22:44.840 --> 0:22:49.160 Now, every day, thousands of people would have walked past 0:22:49.160 --> 0:22:51.640 this man, and many of them would have given him 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:54.040 money as they went to the temple. The worship part 0:22:54.080 --> 0:22:56.560 of their worship was giving alms to the poor. So 0:22:56.560 --> 0:22:59.040 there would have been beggars all around the temple, and 0:22:59.080 --> 0:23:01.200 people as they would walk to the temple, they would 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:04.359 walk past them and maybe throw them some money. They 0:23:04.359 --> 0:23:07.399 would look past them, but they wouldn't look at them. 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:11.879 What's different about this is that Peter stops and he 0:23:11.960 --> 0:23:16.439 sees the man. He gives him his attention instead of 0:23:16.480 --> 0:23:21.919 just giving him money. This isn't transactional, it's relational. And 0:23:21.960 --> 0:23:23.840 one of the ways that I know God is changing 0:23:23.880 --> 0:23:25.880 me in my life is when I begin. 0:23:26.000 --> 0:23:30.400 To see people, see people. Not get so caught. 0:23:30.240 --> 0:23:33.000 Up in my world and what I have to do 0:23:33.280 --> 0:23:35.960 and what I think should happen. But I want God 0:23:35.960 --> 0:23:38.920 to give me eyes to see people for where they are, 0:23:39.320 --> 0:23:41.919 and that he would fill me with compassion. I'm so 0:23:42.040 --> 0:23:44.320 glad Tad's sitting in church today. You're always in church, 0:23:44.359 --> 0:23:46.240 but I was glad you're here today. One of the 0:23:46.280 --> 0:23:48.439 things I love about Tad is this is one of 0:23:48.440 --> 0:23:52.239 the things I admire about Tad because Katie, when we 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:54.800 do baptisms as a church and there's sometimes hundreds of 0:23:54.800 --> 0:23:58.199 people lining outside the tank waiting to get baptized, you 0:23:58.240 --> 0:24:00.000 can see them kind of shaky tears in their eyes 0:24:00.000 --> 0:24:02.719 as such a big and special moment for them. I 0:24:02.760 --> 0:24:04.840 love watching your husband because he has a way of 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:08.679 seeing people. And Tad will walk through the line and 0:24:08.720 --> 0:24:12.439 stop and talk to each person and pray for every 0:24:12.480 --> 0:24:13.560 single person being. 0:24:13.440 --> 0:24:17.320 Baptized that day because he's a changed man. God saw 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:21.400 him and now he sees others. I wonder what. 0:24:26.880 --> 0:24:28.760 I wonder what God might do through you if you 0:24:28.840 --> 0:24:31.359 become a person who has eyes to see people who 0:24:31.440 --> 0:24:34.280 are in need. That was a prayer I had for 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:35.960 a year. I'd wake up every day. It was simply 0:24:35.960 --> 0:24:38.080 went like this, God help me see Christ in others 0:24:38.080 --> 0:24:41.919 that they might see Christ in me. God help me 0:24:41.960 --> 0:24:44.800 see Christ in others that they might see Christ in me. 0:24:45.200 --> 0:24:48.040 See Peter, he's not seeing like he used to see. 0:24:48.320 --> 0:24:51.560 He's seeing like Jesus. He's noticing people in their need, 0:24:51.840 --> 0:24:54.560 in their condition, and he senses not only compassion, not 0:24:54.640 --> 0:24:56.800 just I feel for them, but I have a sense 0:24:56.840 --> 0:24:59.200 of responsibility to do something about it. 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:01.880 And look what happens. Not only does Peter see him, 0:25:02.240 --> 0:25:03.600 but Peter then says. 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:07.399 Silver or gold, I do not have if anyone had 0:25:07.440 --> 0:25:09.840 an excuse just to walk by this man, that day. 0:25:10.200 --> 0:25:13.000 It was Peter because he did not have what the 0:25:13.040 --> 0:25:14.080 man was asking for. 0:25:14.640 --> 0:25:17.000 He didn't have silver or gold. 0:25:17.240 --> 0:25:19.400 And as this man is asking for money, Peter could 0:25:19.400 --> 0:25:22.400 have just been nope, gone on his way. 0:25:22.880 --> 0:25:23.840 But he stops and. 0:25:23.760 --> 0:25:25.720 He says, silver or gold I do not have, but 0:25:25.760 --> 0:25:29.120 look at this, But what I do have I give 0:25:29.680 --> 0:25:33.480 to you. I know Peter is changing because most of 0:25:33.520 --> 0:25:37.239 his life Peter operated from a place of scarcity. Like 0:25:37.280 --> 0:25:40.280 when crowds of people were waiting around to hear Jesus, 0:25:40.480 --> 0:25:42.600 Peter's the one saying, send the crowds away so they 0:25:42.640 --> 0:25:45.240 can get something to eat, because he himself was hungry. 0:25:45.400 --> 0:25:48.080 Peter had a way of just thinking about being protective, 0:25:48.119 --> 0:25:50.359 and yet here he is in this scenario. I know 0:25:50.480 --> 0:25:52.640 God is changing him because he says, I don't have 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:56.359 what you're asking for, but what I do have, I 0:25:56.400 --> 0:25:58.679 want to give it to you. I know God is 0:25:58.800 --> 0:26:01.520 changing me when I begin to give more than what 0:26:01.560 --> 0:26:05.919 people ask for. If you can get this idea in 0:26:05.960 --> 0:26:08.760 your heart, I really believe it will unlock your ministry 0:26:08.800 --> 0:26:10.560 this year and the things that God wants to do 0:26:10.640 --> 0:26:11.359 through your life. 0:26:11.880 --> 0:26:12.640 So many of. 0:26:12.640 --> 0:26:15.200 Us live our lives going well. If someone asked for it, 0:26:15.600 --> 0:26:18.840 I'll give it to them. But something fundamentally shifts in 0:26:18.840 --> 0:26:21.080 the way that God can use you when you stop 0:26:21.160 --> 0:26:24.919 limiting your ministry by what people are asking for and 0:26:24.960 --> 0:26:27.400 you begin to look at God, what have you already 0:26:27.440 --> 0:26:29.720 given me in my life that I can give to 0:26:29.760 --> 0:26:32.360 be a blessing and make a difference in someone's life. 0:26:33.040 --> 0:26:35.879 Because you have to realize people will rarely ask you 0:26:35.920 --> 0:26:38.840 for what they actually need. They just ask you for 0:26:38.880 --> 0:26:42.959 what they want. This man, he wasn't asking for healing, 0:26:43.440 --> 0:26:47.080 he was asking for money. An example in my life, 0:26:47.119 --> 0:26:49.040 my friend Levi's here today. I didn't tell him I 0:26:49.080 --> 0:26:50.719 was gonna use him as an example. But when we 0:26:50.720 --> 0:26:52.600 were getting to know each other, we'd hung out a 0:26:52.640 --> 0:26:54.959 couple times through a mutual friend, and one day that 0:26:55.000 --> 0:26:57.560 friend of ours he pulls me aside privately, I've never 0:26:57.560 --> 0:26:59.879 told you this, and he said, he said, leave, I 0:27:00.119 --> 0:27:01.960 wants to go to church with you so bad. 0:27:02.680 --> 0:27:06.080 I said what? And two things came through my mind. 0:27:06.080 --> 0:27:07.800 I said, all the times we've hung out, he's never 0:27:07.840 --> 0:27:08.920 asked me about going to church. 0:27:08.960 --> 0:27:11.920 What's up with that? And second of all, it's a church. 0:27:11.960 --> 0:27:13.800 He doesn't need a special invite to come. 0:27:13.800 --> 0:27:15.320 If he wants to come. You can just come. 0:27:15.359 --> 0:27:17.720 You don't need an invite from the campus pastor to 0:27:17.760 --> 0:27:19.320 show up here. But I thought about it, I said, 0:27:19.400 --> 0:27:20.919 he said, no, he really wants to go with you. 0:27:21.000 --> 0:27:22.800 I bet if you ask him, he'll come. 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:25.840 And so on his encouragement, I invited Levi to church 0:27:25.840 --> 0:27:27.119 and guess what he came. 0:27:27.520 --> 0:27:29.040 Now, this isn't a dramatic story. 0:27:29.080 --> 0:27:32.199 He already had a relationship with Christ, but he was 0:27:32.280 --> 0:27:35.760 outside of Christian community and he didn't have a place 0:27:35.800 --> 0:27:39.439 of regular worship. And I knew that, and I knew that, 0:27:40.119 --> 0:27:42.879 and I knew I had what he needed, but I 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:43.920 never offered. 0:27:43.640 --> 0:27:46.280 It because he never asked. 0:27:47.800 --> 0:27:51.240 And I wonder if there are people in your life 0:27:51.440 --> 0:27:55.440 who need what you have, but you are withholding it 0:27:55.520 --> 0:27:57.960 because you're waiting for them to ask you. 0:27:58.920 --> 0:28:00.480 And I wonder, well, you're a assuming. 0:28:00.640 --> 0:28:02.480 Well, if they wanted to come to church with me, 0:28:02.640 --> 0:28:04.000 if they wanted me to pray. 0:28:03.760 --> 0:28:05.920 With them, they would ask. And they're going, I don't 0:28:05.920 --> 0:28:08.000 get it. I know they love their church. They talk 0:28:08.040 --> 0:28:08.640 about it all. 0:28:08.520 --> 0:28:10.919 The time, they post the messages, they're always playing the 0:28:10.920 --> 0:28:13.080 worship song. I wonder how they love their church so 0:28:13.160 --> 0:28:15.600 much and yet they've never asked me to come. 0:28:17.440 --> 0:28:19.080 My dad's here today, so I want to use him 0:28:19.080 --> 0:28:19.800 as an example. 0:28:19.840 --> 0:28:24.120 And it's a good one too, okay. But so often 0:28:24.119 --> 0:28:25.840 when I call my dad to talk to him, talk 0:28:25.920 --> 0:28:27.800 to him, he'll tell me how he got the minister 0:28:28.000 --> 0:28:30.320 to someone, how he got to pray with someone, whether 0:28:30.359 --> 0:28:34.440 that's praying for someone in an employee at his office 0:28:34.480 --> 0:28:38.440 who got a cancer diagnosis, or someone at the gym 0:28:38.440 --> 0:28:41.160 who's going through a divorce. And he always call me 0:28:41.200 --> 0:28:42.920 with these stories, I got to pray for so and so. 0:28:42.960 --> 0:28:44.920 They're going through this, they're going through that. And I 0:28:44.960 --> 0:28:47.840 was always wondering, why are so many people asking my 0:28:47.920 --> 0:28:50.760 dad to pray for him pray pray for them, because, y'all, 0:28:50.800 --> 0:28:52.600 I'm a pastor, and people don't even ask me. 0:28:52.520 --> 0:28:54.680 To pray for them as often as they ask him. 0:28:55.160 --> 0:28:57.239 Time after time he tells me these stories, and then 0:28:57.280 --> 0:29:02.480 I realize, no one's asking him to pray with them, 0:29:02.640 --> 0:29:06.680 no one's asking him to pray with them. But somewhere 0:29:06.680 --> 0:29:09.760 along the way, he decided to be intentional with what 0:29:09.840 --> 0:29:13.040 God has given him, and instead of waiting for someone 0:29:13.040 --> 0:29:16.480 to ask, he decided to give. So when someone said 0:29:16.520 --> 0:29:19.600 I just got a diagnosis. He knows he can't heal 0:29:19.640 --> 0:29:24.320 their cancer, but he gave what he had. Can I 0:29:24.360 --> 0:29:27.040 pray for you when someone's going through a divorce. He 0:29:27.080 --> 0:29:29.200 knows I don't know how to fix your marriage right now, 0:29:29.600 --> 0:29:31.200 but can I pray for you? 0:29:31.680 --> 0:29:33.240 He gave what he had. 0:29:33.800 --> 0:29:36.120 And I want to let you know, brothers and sisters, 0:29:36.160 --> 0:29:37.080 that God. 0:29:37.080 --> 0:29:38.960 Has given you so much. 0:29:39.600 --> 0:29:42.280 And what God has done in your life is not 0:29:42.440 --> 0:29:45.680 just meant for you, It's meant for other people around you. 0:29:46.120 --> 0:29:48.840 There are people in your world who need the peace 0:29:48.880 --> 0:29:51.440 you have, who need the joy you have, who need 0:29:51.480 --> 0:29:53.719 the hope you have, who need the strength you have, 0:29:54.120 --> 0:29:56.800 and God has given it to you. God has changed 0:29:56.840 --> 0:30:00.640 you so that you can give it to them. Peter says, 0:30:00.680 --> 0:30:03.840 silver or gold I don't have, but what I do 0:30:03.960 --> 0:30:06.440 have I give to you. He gave the man something 0:30:06.640 --> 0:30:09.920 so much greater than what he asked for. And that's 0:30:09.960 --> 0:30:12.840 my heart for this year, not only for myself, but 0:30:12.880 --> 0:30:14.840 for all of us as a chruth. What would this 0:30:15.000 --> 0:30:18.120 city look like if we became a people who did 0:30:18.160 --> 0:30:21.560 not wait to be asked, but decided that we're gonna 0:30:21.560 --> 0:30:25.720 freely give what God has given us. He gave what 0:30:25.800 --> 0:30:28.280 he had look at this last thing that's changing in 0:30:28.320 --> 0:30:30.960 Peter's life, and it shows up in this powerful statement 0:30:31.680 --> 0:30:38.480 he says next, in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk, y'all. 0:30:38.520 --> 0:30:42.400 This is a change for Peter too. Now, sometimes when. 0:30:42.280 --> 0:30:44.160 We read these stories, it's easy for us to kind 0:30:44.160 --> 0:30:44.880 of strip. 0:30:44.600 --> 0:30:46.040 The humanity out of it. 0:30:46.120 --> 0:30:48.880 Sometimes Peter sounds so bold, in the Name of Jesus 0:30:49.000 --> 0:30:52.400 Christ of Nazareth, Walk, But I wonder, do you think 0:30:52.880 --> 0:30:57.960 maybe underneath the surface Peter's heart was racing a little bit. 0:30:58.680 --> 0:31:00.440 Do you think maybe, as he said in the Name 0:31:00.480 --> 0:31:03.600 of Jesus Christ, walk, that his voice got a little 0:31:03.640 --> 0:31:07.920 bit shaky, wondering, man, I've seen Jesus do miracles before, 0:31:08.000 --> 0:31:12.080 But what if this doesn't work. There's all these people around. 0:31:12.080 --> 0:31:13.440 What if I say, get up in the name of 0:31:13.520 --> 0:31:15.920 Jesus and this man can't. What if it doesn't work, 0:31:15.960 --> 0:31:18.200 What if he can't walk? Worse, what if I set 0:31:18.280 --> 0:31:21.320 him up to hope again and it doesn't work. I 0:31:21.360 --> 0:31:24.400 wonder if Peter was feeling a little bit anxious as 0:31:24.440 --> 0:31:27.160 he walked past this man and decided that day I'm 0:31:27.200 --> 0:31:28.000 gonna pray. 0:31:27.960 --> 0:31:28.719 For his healing. 0:31:29.480 --> 0:31:31.800 Maybe he was a little bit anxious or the old 0:31:31.800 --> 0:31:33.840 Peter certainly would have been arrogant. 0:31:33.920 --> 0:31:35.880 You know, Peter had a way of just doing things 0:31:35.920 --> 0:31:37.160 his way. I know what's best. 0:31:38.040 --> 0:31:42.960 But whether it's insecurity or conceitedness, it's all self consciousness. 0:31:43.800 --> 0:31:45.840 And one of the changes that God wants to bring 0:31:45.880 --> 0:31:48.920 about in our life is taking us from being self 0:31:48.960 --> 0:31:54.040 conscious to Christ conscious. When he says in the name 0:31:54.160 --> 0:31:56.600 of Jesus, this is not just like a formality, like 0:31:56.640 --> 0:31:58.640 what you pray at the end of giving a blessing 0:31:58.680 --> 0:32:00.720 over your food, thank you for the carrots, thank you 0:32:00.720 --> 0:32:02.360 for this chicken. Bless it to our bodies, in the 0:32:02.440 --> 0:32:05.200 name of Jesus. Amen, no, no, no. When he says 0:32:05.200 --> 0:32:08.440 in the name of Jesus, it means that it's in reference. 0:32:08.440 --> 0:32:12.120 It means that he is walking in the identity of Jesus, 0:32:12.760 --> 0:32:17.120 the power of Jesus, and the authority of Jesus. 0:32:17.640 --> 0:32:18.680 So as Peter. 0:32:18.560 --> 0:32:21.040 Stands before this man, this is a change for Peter 0:32:21.400 --> 0:32:23.840 because for once in his life, he's not trying to 0:32:23.920 --> 0:32:27.160 do it in his own strength. He's doing it in 0:32:27.240 --> 0:32:30.120 the strength and in the name and in the authority 0:32:30.200 --> 0:32:32.360 and in the power of Jesus. 0:32:35.320 --> 0:32:36.480 Some of us talk. 0:32:36.280 --> 0:32:38.600 Ourselves out of being used by God because we're going, 0:32:38.640 --> 0:32:41.000 how can I give someone advice on how to fix 0:32:41.000 --> 0:32:43.880 a relationship when there's people I'm afraid to pick up 0:32:43.920 --> 0:32:45.760 the phone and call. How am I going to talk 0:32:45.800 --> 0:32:48.400 to someone about their addiction when I've got this plank 0:32:48.440 --> 0:32:49.440 in my own eye? 0:32:49.520 --> 0:32:50.120 And so we. 0:32:50.080 --> 0:32:53.920 Disqualify ourselves from being used by God because we think, 0:32:54.040 --> 0:32:57.040 how can God use someone like me? But the reality 0:32:57.120 --> 0:32:59.920 is that if you are in Christ, it has nothing 0:33:00.080 --> 0:33:02.920 to do with your worst days or your best days. 0:33:03.160 --> 0:33:06.200 When you stand up in front of someone to minister or. 0:33:06.160 --> 0:33:08.720 To be used, you're not doing it in your name. 0:33:09.240 --> 0:33:15.440 You're doing it in the name of Jesus. Do you 0:33:15.560 --> 0:33:19.719 have his power, you have his authority? You're doing it 0:33:19.720 --> 0:33:22.160 in his name, y'all. Yesterday Anna said to. 0:33:22.120 --> 0:33:23.720 Me, she said, do you try to be nicer to 0:33:23.760 --> 0:33:25.920 me before you preach? I think she said, to you 0:33:26.040 --> 0:33:27.959 being so nice lately, it's like I need to come 0:33:28.000 --> 0:33:29.320 up here with a clear conscience. 0:33:30.480 --> 0:33:32.800 And uh, I said in my head, I thought, well. 0:33:32.640 --> 0:33:36.200 It's better than the alternative, right, because not too long 0:33:36.240 --> 0:33:38.560 ago I used to be so mean before I preached. 0:33:38.800 --> 0:33:40.880 Wouldn't that be mean? I can't believe I'm telling them 0:33:40.880 --> 0:33:41.360 this right now. 0:33:43.640 --> 0:33:46.960 And honestly, for a long time, it was the pressure 0:33:47.040 --> 0:33:49.400 and the anxiety I would feel around preaching, because I 0:33:49.440 --> 0:33:52.880 would I would think, what do I have to say? 0:33:53.760 --> 0:33:56.800 What do I have authority to speak on? Who am 0:33:56.800 --> 0:33:59.840 I to stand up there and talk to people? And 0:34:00.120 --> 0:34:02.200 through the work of God in my life, something began 0:34:02.320 --> 0:34:05.960 to shift where all that anxiety started to go away 0:34:06.040 --> 0:34:10.239 because I realized it's not me standing here that when 0:34:10.280 --> 0:34:13.239 God gives me an opportunity to minister, I'm not doing 0:34:13.239 --> 0:34:16.360 it as Jonathan josephs, I'm here to minister in the 0:34:16.440 --> 0:34:23.239 name of Jesus. So it's not about what I have 0:34:23.360 --> 0:34:23.719 to say. 0:34:24.520 --> 0:34:25.919 It's about what he has to say. 0:34:26.680 --> 0:34:29.040 And it's not about my worthiness, whether I was mean 0:34:29.120 --> 0:34:30.640 or whether I was nice. But I'm glad I'm being 0:34:30.719 --> 0:34:34.880 nice now. It's not about that. It's about what he's done. 0:34:35.320 --> 0:34:38.759 It's about what he did. Peter looks at the man 0:34:38.800 --> 0:34:41.640 and says, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, 0:34:42.280 --> 0:34:46.279 walk and instantly the man's healed, and he gets to 0:34:46.320 --> 0:34:49.839 his feet, and he's jumping and he's leaping, and he's 0:34:49.880 --> 0:34:54.399 praising God because on this ordinary day something changed. He 0:34:54.440 --> 0:34:59.280 met Peter, and Peter's a changed man. There are things 0:34:59.280 --> 0:35:01.400 that God will do in your life that aren't just 0:35:01.480 --> 0:35:05.040 meant for you, They're meant for other people too. God 0:35:05.160 --> 0:35:08.680 changes you so that he can change others. And look 0:35:08.680 --> 0:35:11.560 at this. As people are standing looking at this man 0:35:11.680 --> 0:35:14.719 in wonder and amazement, it says that a bunch of 0:35:14.760 --> 0:35:17.520 people start to come together, the words getting out about 0:35:17.560 --> 0:35:20.720 what has happened. And in verse twelve, look what Peter says. 0:35:21.320 --> 0:35:23.759 When Peter saw this, he said to the crowd. He 0:35:23.880 --> 0:35:27.400 uses every miracle as an opportunity to declare the gospel. 0:35:27.880 --> 0:35:30.440 When Peter saw this, he said to them, fellow Israelites, 0:35:31.160 --> 0:35:34.279 why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at 0:35:34.400 --> 0:35:38.600 us as if it's by our own power or godliness? 0:35:38.920 --> 0:35:40.840 We had made this man walk. 0:35:41.520 --> 0:35:45.760 Look at verse sixteen by faith in the name of Jesus. 0:35:46.320 --> 0:35:50.080 This man whom you see and know, was made strong. 0:35:50.760 --> 0:35:54.160 It is in Jesus's name and the faith that comes 0:35:54.200 --> 0:35:57.160 through him that has completely healed him. 0:35:57.760 --> 0:36:02.799 As you all can see. It is in Jesus's name 0:36:03.080 --> 0:36:06.160 and the faith that comes through him. Peter said, what 0:36:06.800 --> 0:36:07.879 are you looking at us? For? 0:36:09.360 --> 0:36:12.640 It's not by our power, it's not by might it's 0:36:12.680 --> 0:36:14.839 by the power of Jesus that this man can walk, 0:36:14.920 --> 0:36:17.600 not only Jesus's name, but he says by faith in 0:36:17.600 --> 0:36:18.440 the name of Jesus. 0:36:18.480 --> 0:36:20.400 Now the question is whose faith? 0:36:22.120 --> 0:36:27.560 Whose faith in Jesus healed this man, this man never 0:36:27.680 --> 0:36:31.640 asked to be healed, was in his faith. There's no 0:36:31.719 --> 0:36:35.440 indication this man even knew who Jesus was. It was 0:36:35.480 --> 0:36:43.920 in his faith. So whose faith in Jesus? Peters? Peters, 0:36:45.000 --> 0:36:48.960 Your faith isn't just meant to change you. 0:36:48.960 --> 0:36:51.520 Your faith is meant to change others. 0:37:00.680 --> 0:37:02.600 And some of us that are in the habit of just, 0:37:02.680 --> 0:37:05.040 you know, coming to church when we need something from God. 0:37:05.080 --> 0:37:07.080 I got to get the church today. I need encouragement, 0:37:07.440 --> 0:37:08.240 I need strength. 0:37:08.760 --> 0:37:10.680 And as long as you look at your faith that way, 0:37:10.680 --> 0:37:12.439 as if it's just for you to help you get 0:37:12.440 --> 0:37:16.200 through and to help you get by, you always limit 0:37:16.239 --> 0:37:19.080 what God can do through your life. But what if 0:37:19.120 --> 0:37:22.760 you decided that, hey, I'm coming to church anyway, because 0:37:23.080 --> 0:37:25.600 even though I might not have a need today, maybe 0:37:25.600 --> 0:37:28.200 there's someone else coming to church that needs a touch 0:37:28.239 --> 0:37:31.759 from God, and maybe God has given me what they need. 0:37:32.680 --> 0:37:36.000 Your faith isn't just meant to change you. It's meant 0:37:36.000 --> 0:37:39.839 to change the people around you, and Luke goes on 0:37:39.880 --> 0:37:42.320 to say that there were many, many people who place 0:37:42.400 --> 0:37:43.160 their faith in. 0:37:43.200 --> 0:37:44.200 Jesus that day. 0:37:44.840 --> 0:37:48.759 People's lives were changed because God changed that man. But 0:37:48.840 --> 0:37:54.200 God changed that man because he changed Peter. And I 0:37:54.239 --> 0:37:56.960 see this year being different for you because I know 0:37:57.040 --> 0:37:59.400 all of us have things in our life that we're saying, God. 0:37:59.480 --> 0:38:02.000 Just help me. But I want to expect you. I 0:38:02.040 --> 0:38:03.239 want to have expectation. 0:38:03.360 --> 0:38:04.919 I want to have faith, I want to have hope, 0:38:04.920 --> 0:38:06.520 I want to have trust. There are things in my 0:38:06.600 --> 0:38:08.400 life that I want to see God change. But I 0:38:08.400 --> 0:38:10.839 have to remember too that some of the things that 0:38:10.880 --> 0:38:13.080 God wants to change in my life aren't just meant 0:38:13.120 --> 0:38:16.200 for me. It's because God has blessed me to be 0:38:16.239 --> 0:38:20.200 a blessing. God changes me so that he can change others. 0:38:20.400 --> 0:38:23.600 I need eyes to see, I need open hands to 0:38:23.640 --> 0:38:26.040 give what He's given me. And I don't do it 0:38:26.080 --> 0:38:28.120 in my own strength. I do it in the name 0:38:28.160 --> 0:38:32.879 of Jesus. I see this year being a year where 0:38:32.920 --> 0:38:35.319 you go from just coming to God like Peter used 0:38:35.360 --> 0:38:38.120 to do. So much of Peter's life was following Jesus 0:38:38.120 --> 0:38:40.399 because of what was in it for him, and. 0:38:40.320 --> 0:38:41.520 Now Peter's changing. 0:38:42.480 --> 0:38:45.920 Peter's changing, and he sees his purpose in life not 0:38:46.040 --> 0:38:48.640 just knowing Jesus for his own sake, but for the 0:38:48.719 --> 0:38:51.160 sake of others. I see this changing in your life 0:38:51.200 --> 0:38:53.640 this year. I see you coming to church not just 0:38:53.680 --> 0:38:56.880 to receive, but to give. I see you praying for 0:38:56.960 --> 0:38:59.320 people out in the lobby after church because you saw 0:38:59.520 --> 0:39:01.920 an orange Bible in their hands and you said, I 0:39:01.920 --> 0:39:03.120 can pray for them, I can. 0:39:03.000 --> 0:39:04.360 Give them a word of encouragement. 0:39:04.719 --> 0:39:06.759 I see you looking at someone in worship and God 0:39:06.840 --> 0:39:09.040 giving a scripture on your heart, and you going up 0:39:09.040 --> 0:39:10.960 to them and being a blessing to them. Because your 0:39:11.040 --> 0:39:14.960 faith is not just for you. God changes you so 0:39:15.000 --> 0:39:19.800 that He can change others. So I want to close 0:39:19.880 --> 0:39:24.280 by just praying over you a prayer of activation today 0:39:24.320 --> 0:39:27.759 as we head into this new year, that this would 0:39:27.760 --> 0:39:29.560 be a year that not only do you see God 0:39:29.680 --> 0:39:32.160 changes in your own life, but that God would change 0:39:32.160 --> 0:39:34.399 people through you as well. 0:39:34.480 --> 0:39:35.760 Can you stand to your feet. 0:39:40.560 --> 0:39:42.160 H hm. 0:39:43.640 --> 0:39:48.040 Hm, And let's do it like this. 0:39:48.120 --> 0:39:51.440 Let's put our hand on the shoulder of someone around 0:39:51.560 --> 0:39:54.880 us right now, and in the spirit of this message. 0:39:55.560 --> 0:39:57.240 I'm gonna pray and you're. 0:39:57.120 --> 0:39:59.799 Gonna repeat after me, and I haven't planned this out, 0:39:59.800 --> 0:40:01.600 so there's not like a nice cadence to it. 0:40:02.000 --> 0:40:03.040 You just got to go with me. 0:40:05.080 --> 0:40:06.839 But you're going to pray for the person on your 0:40:06.920 --> 0:40:09.160 right and on your left because you have been given 0:40:09.200 --> 0:40:11.560 the spirit of God and you are in Christ. The 0:40:11.600 --> 0:40:14.040 Bible says that the prayers of the righteous are powerful 0:40:14.360 --> 0:40:18.040 and effective, and God is getting ready to do incredible 0:40:18.040 --> 0:40:19.359 things in our church this year. 0:40:20.000 --> 0:40:22.160 God is getting ready to do amazing things in. 0:40:22.120 --> 0:40:26.319 Your life, things that will exceed your wildness imagination. But 0:40:26.360 --> 0:40:27.960 it's not just what he wants to do in you, 0:40:28.600 --> 0:40:31.239 it's what he wants to do through you. So with 0:40:31.280 --> 0:40:34.640 your hand on the shoulders of the people next to you, 0:40:34.680 --> 0:40:36.959 do your best to flow with me as we say 0:40:36.960 --> 0:40:40.000 this prayer together. Okay, say Father, I thank you for 0:40:40.080 --> 0:40:45.560 the person on my right and on my left. Thank 0:40:45.600 --> 0:40:49.120 you for what you've done in them, thank you for 0:40:49.160 --> 0:40:53.120 what you're going to do in them, and I thank 0:40:53.160 --> 0:40:56.560 you for what you want to do through them. 0:40:57.239 --> 0:40:59.359 I pray that you would give them boldness this year. 0:41:01.360 --> 0:41:03.160 I pray that you would open up their eyes to 0:41:03.200 --> 0:41:09.799 see the opportunities that you're giving them to make a 0:41:09.840 --> 0:41:18.800 difference for your glory, strengthen them, increase their expectation, stir 0:41:18.920 --> 0:41:23.600 up their faith that we would see you move like 0:41:23.719 --> 0:41:24.400 never before. 0:41:25.719 --> 0:41:32.120 We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Let's 0:41:32.160 --> 0:41:33.319 give God a praise. 0:41:39.640 --> 0:41:42.160 And I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 0:41:42.719 --> 0:41:45.319 make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 0:41:45.360 --> 0:41:47.920 get you all of these new messages as soon as 0:41:47.960 --> 0:41:50.719 they're available. I also want to take a moment and 0:41:50.840 --> 0:41:52.600 thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. 0:41:53.120 --> 0:41:56.480 Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 0:41:56.880 --> 0:41:59.520 just share these messages, it's because of you that we're 0:41:59.560 --> 0:42:02.520 able to each people all around the world. And if 0:42:02.560 --> 0:42:05.040 you want more information on how to be a part 0:42:05.080 --> 0:42:09.000 of Elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks again 0:42:09.040 --> 0:42:11.960 for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share the message, 0:42:12.040 --> 0:42:12.799 and subscribe. 0:42:13.160 --> 0:42:13.759 God bless you.