Knock Knock

0:00:02.040 --> 0:00:04.560 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:07.080 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:10.440 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:12.480 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:15.240 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 0:00:17.800 --> 0:00:20.560 The message that I have to share with you comes 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:24.640 from Acts chapter twelve. And why I want to share 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:28.160 this passage today is because God told me to. How's 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.760 that no other logic, no other reason, but just I 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:35.360 found myself coming to this passage for our time together today, 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:38.159 and I want you to give it your attention. This 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:42.479 story in the Bible may relate to the situation in 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:46.440 your life. Acts chapter twelve, Verse one. It was about 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:49.360 this time the King Herod arrested some who belonged to 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:55.280 the church, intending to persecute them. He intended to persecute them. 0:00:56.120 --> 0:01:02.720 And yet God's purpose will always overrule human intention. And 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.640 no matter what people do to you, and no matter 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:09.520 what people conspire against you, all of it is working 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:12.520 for the purpose of the God, who is greater than 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:16.199 any person. That's what it means to say. If God 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:20.280 is for me, who can be against me. You can 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.920 try to stand against me, but in the end it 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:26.280 will be God's purpose for me that will prevail. How 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:33.080 many believe that? How many believe that? Now y'all got 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:34.840 to calm down, because that was one verse and it's 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.520 a long chapter. I'm just so glad to be back. 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:40.039 I love the Bible. It says that Herod intended to 0:01:40.080 --> 0:01:43.840 persecute them, and it says in verse two he had James, 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:46.360 the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:49.600 When he saw that this pleased the Jews and gained 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:54.760 him political clout, he proceeded to seize Peter. Also. This 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:57.960 happened during the feasts of Unloved Bread, and after arresting him, 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:00.800 he put him in prison, handing him over to be 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:05.560 guarded by four squads of four soldiers. Herod intended to 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:10.440 bring him to public trial after the passover. So verse five, 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:18.160 Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:22.800 praying to God for him. And so now we've got 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:29.560 a showdown. It's Herod's prison versus the church's prayers. It's 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:36.320 a cage match between Herod's intention and God's purpose. And 0:02:36.360 --> 0:02:40.800 it says that they were earnestly praying to God. It 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:43.720 doesn't mean that they were saying one of those nice, 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:48.440 quiet whisper prayers. It means that they wouldn't stop. It 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:51.960 means that even though it hurt, they prayed. Even though 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:54.960 they were disappointed, they prayed. Even though they had no 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:58.120 clue if it was working, they prayed. It's the same 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:01.480 word that describes prayer when Jesus knelt in the garden 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:04.720 of gethsemone and said, not what I will, but what 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:08.480 you will be done. They prayed like that. It's the 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:12.000 kind of prayer that Jesus described in Matthew chapter seven, 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:15.440 verse seven. He said, Ask and it will be given 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:22.040 to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.680 door will be open to you. That's my topic for today. 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:31.520 The title of this message is Knock knocked. Look at 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:35.680 your neighbors, say who's there. You may be seated. You 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:42.440 may be seated. One of the weird things about living 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:48.160 with other human beings in the same house is the 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:52.200 idiosyncrasies that you notice about them, whether you want to 0:03:52.320 --> 0:04:04.240 or not. Oh that sounded tender processor over here. Watch out, yeah, 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:07.200 because like my kids, I can tell which one of 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:10.080 them is knocking on the door. Just by the way 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:14.520 they knock, just by how they use their knuckles. I 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.279 know my kids by their knock. In that weird as apparent, 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:23.000 you you learn to identify which kid because Abby has 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:26.880 a very polite knock, very gentle knock. It's very it's 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:29.800 a very delicate knock. It's a beautiful knock. It's a 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:32.440 knock that says, if you have the time to open 0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:35.839 the door, and this is the opportune time, would be 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:38.640 possible that you do. So it's just a very gentle knock. 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:43.760 It's a tender knock. And then Elijah was totally different. 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:47.720 Now he's very chill, but when he was smaller, his 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:54.039 knock was undeniable, meaning he's not stopping until you open 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:59.000 the door. And even back then, he's actually really good 0:04:59.000 --> 0:05:01.799 at making beat and he's making a lot of beats 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.360 these days. Do the dash on YouTube, by the way, 0:05:04.600 --> 0:05:08.560 you owe me for that. That's a big plug man. 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:11.400 This is international. But when you used to knock on 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:13.520 the door, you used to make beats on the door. 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:15.799 That's when you started making your beats just on the door, 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:18.920 and they were relentless. I mean, he's not stopping. It's 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:21.160 like a trap beat on the door just to get 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:26.320 him to let you in. But then Graham, Graham is 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:30.680 the one who doesn't knock, and you don't even know 0:05:30.720 --> 0:05:32.960 he was at the door until three weeks later when 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:35.400 he says something that he overheard in the conversation that 0:05:35.440 --> 0:05:40.000 he wasn't supposed to hear. And you know, like, because 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.120 you get to know somebody when you're living with them, 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.440 so you can tell who's at the door just by 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:51.919 how the knock sounds. Living in relationship with God, you 0:05:52.040 --> 0:05:57.839 learn to discern when it's him knocking. And if you don't, 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:02.159 you'll open the door to people who don't have the 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:05.640 best intentions in mind, and you'll open the door to 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:08.560 the enemy who may bring you what you want in 0:06:08.600 --> 0:06:13.600 your feelings that is destructive to your faith. And if 0:06:13.600 --> 0:06:16.800 God lives in your heart, over time, you'll learn to 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:21.479 discern his knock. At first, you think that God knocks 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:26.279 with a sledgehammer, because that's what church teaches you about 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:30.120 God pretty early on, at least in the Southeastern United States, 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.960 if it's a fired up church, they teach about God 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:36.000 coming through the door. You know, with a have you 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.159 ever seen this kind of God? That God? He is 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:41.359 a battering ram and people say things like, oh, I 0:06:41.400 --> 0:06:44.240 love that sermon today, pastor God was just kicking my 0:06:44.360 --> 0:06:47.400 butt all over the place. And yet you learn that 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:54.000 when you really live with God, his knock doesn't take 0:06:54.080 --> 0:07:02.080 much because you know his knock, knock, knock. And you 0:07:02.120 --> 0:07:05.440 also learn that a lot of times what you will 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:09.320 initially think is the devil knocking on your door to 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:14.440 attack you is actually God knocking on your door to 0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:19.560 develop you. And what knocks on the door looking like 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:25.440 trouble sometimes is training to teach you to trust in God. 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:30.520 And this takes time walking with God to learn that 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.880 sometimes even if you don't like what's standing at the 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:37.320 door when you hear the knock, that by the time 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:41.720 God gets done working in your situation, that even what 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:45.840 the enemy meant for evil, God will turn it for good. 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:48.720 And it enables you to live with a kind of 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:51.960 faith that is very peculiar to people who think that 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:55.720 everything that God brings into your life looks nice, because 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:59.960 sometimes when you pray for an opportunity, you'll be surprised 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.720 to open the door and find opposition instead. Have you 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:11.040 ever prayed for patience? That's a dumb idea. I never 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.200 pray for patience because I know exactly what God is 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:18.760 gonna send to the door if I do trouble. God 0:08:18.840 --> 0:08:21.440 is going to send something to get on my nerves 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:24.360 so bad. God is gonna send a bad driver in 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:27.960 front of me on Providence Road with an elevation sticker. Y'all. 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:31.000 The other day, I was coming to church and I 0:08:31.080 --> 0:08:33.400 was singing in the car, and I was singing, this 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:35.280 is I M see a victory or something like that, 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.240 one of these good songs that we sing around here. 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:39.200 And the person in front of me was such a 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:42.280 bad driver. I lost all of the Holy Spirit. I 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.720 lost twelve percent of my anointing per minute that I 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:47.280 was behind this person, And I was so mad. I 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:49.439 came right up on them and then I passed them, 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:51.680 and I slowed down just to teach them a lesson. 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:53.800 And then they turned into the parking lot with me, 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:55.839 and they were coming to church and they were volunteered. 0:08:56.240 --> 0:09:05.480 So I'm having to learn that you might not like 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:08.120 the package that your prayer request shows up in when 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:11.960 it comes to your door, knock knock, But no matter 0:09:12.120 --> 0:09:16.160 the delivery system, you can trust that God is the 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:19.280 one who is superintending. Now, the early Church had to 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:20.839 believe this in a way that very few of us 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:24.640 will ever have to lay hold of it, because they 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:28.480 were experiencing such a time of persecution and a time 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:30.600 where they had to trust God for their very provision. 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:35.120 Especially in Jerusalem. There's a famine. In chapter eleven, they're 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:37.280 taking up offerings just so the church can make it, 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.760 and around about that time they're getting the famine sorted out. 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:44.960 The writer here, Luke of Acts, says about that same time, 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:48.240 he connects the events. He said, while they're dealing with 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:49.920 the famine on one hand, they have to deal with 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.840 the fight on the other hand. And now Herod starts 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:56.079 throwing their leaders in jail. Some of the disciples, if 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:58.400 they were thrown in jail, you probably wouldn't miss them, 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.440 because Bartholome, you really, you know, I'm sure he's a 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.720 good guy. But James is one of the three. When 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:07.880 Jesus got ready to go up on the mountain and 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:12.319 transfigure in front of them to reveal his glory, James, 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:15.000 John and Peter got to go up and see it. 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:18.160 One of the sons of Zebedee, the sons of Thunder. 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:24.160 James was one of the guys, and he's dead. And 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:28.840 now they got Peter too, and remember Peter is their preacher, 0:10:30.040 --> 0:10:33.080 and so it's one thing to lose James, it's painful, 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:38.880 but to lose Peter threatens the very purpose of God. 0:10:39.160 --> 0:10:43.160 And there's so much opportunity because the Kingdom of God 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:48.360 is spreading and advancing, and there's so much opposition, and 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:53.600 there's so much opportunity, and there's so much opposition. Don't 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:56.079 you know that when opportunity comes to the door, opposition 0:10:56.160 --> 0:11:02.240 comes with it. Don't you know that sometimes they are 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:07.440 one and the same. This is what I'm learning. I'm 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:11.520 learning that a lot of times, when I open the 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:14.280 door and see something that I would love to send 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:17.920 away in my life, a challenge that I wish didn't come, 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:23.080 it is actually the opportunity for God to teach me 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:27.760 to trust him. Kind Of hard to say amen to that, 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:31.480 because usually you want God to knock and come in 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:35.960 with a flower bouquet. It's kind of hard to know 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:38.520 that it's God knocking unless he walked with him a while, 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:43.560 and then you hear the knock the next time, and 0:11:43.640 --> 0:11:48.160 you know, whatever is at the door, even if God 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:54.960 didn't send it, He's going to use it. And the 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:59.760 church is praying for Peter, but they're still broken hearted 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:03.360 about James. Did you notice that part in the passage 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.120 where it said that he had just killed James with 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.840 the sword. That means he cut his head off. That 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:12.640 means that he was coming after the head. He was 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:17.280 trying to stop the movement of Christianity because he knew 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:20.640 it would appease the Jews, and he knew that in 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.959 this great time of opportunity for the Church, it was 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:29.360 a time of opportunity for him to advance his human agenda. 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.480 And so the church is praying. That the church is 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.800 knocking on the door of Heaven asking God to do 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:42.560 something in the situation, and Peter is in prison while 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:47.360 the church is praying. Now, one interesting thing about this text, 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:50.280 is it right if I teach the Bible for a minute? Okay, 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:54.880 Because it's interesting to note that Peter has no idea 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.880 at this moment what the people are doing, and the 0:12:57.920 --> 0:13:02.079 people have no idea how Peter is doing. Sometimes you've 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.520 got to pray by faith, not even knowing if it's 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:09.720 doing any good in your life. And sometimes the proof 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:13.040 that your prayers and faith are working is that the 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:17.320 opposition increases. Good. God, help me get this message to 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:20.680 the back row, because somebody has been wondering, is God 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:23.520 even still with me? Is God using me? Is this 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:26.680 even worth it? But there's something about that that should 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:29.320 let you know that if the devil showed up in 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:33.320 the first place, there must be something important and he 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:37.000 must be defending his territory or else he wouldn't bother 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:48.400 with you. So Peter was in prison, but the church 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.679 was praying, and now would be a good time for 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.040 us to check on Peter, right because we got to 0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:57.920 see we know what the church was doing. They gathered 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:00.120 together for prayer meeting, and they got in there and 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:04.079 they started joining their faith together. And Peter is in 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:09.200 prison and he's just hours away from his trial, and 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.120 if it turns out the same way that James has 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:14.600 turned out, this will be his last night on the planet. 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:19.000 So it's that kind of pressure. Let's see what he's doing. 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.680 Let's check in on a nannycam on Peter the Rock. 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:28.800 Let's check on Peter on the eve of his potential 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:34.080 probable execution. Verse six, The night before Herod was to 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:41.640 bring him to trial, Peter was I need somebody to 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:43.920 fix that in the back. That can't be what the verses, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:50.360 how are you going to sleep when your life is 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:53.680 on the line. Y'all need to fix that verse, because 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:58.480 that's not That's not possible, is it. The night before 0:14:58.720 --> 0:15:06.680 Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was what pacing, praising, 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:15.160 praying how can you sleep at a time like this? 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.480 That really got me because I did not expect Peter 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:25.520 to be sleeping at this moment. I there is Let 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:26.600 me tell you this right now, and this is just 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:29.760 a confession. There is not enough lunesta in the pharmacy. 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:34.400 There is not enough ambient on earth that I could 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:38.760 sleep when I have to, especially after what happened to James, 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:43.360 especially knowing this might not turn out well. We prayed 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:45.720 for James, and look what happened to him, And now 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:47.840 they got me too. And Peter put it back up. 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:55.280 There is sleeping between two soldiers. How about that? Have 0:15:55.400 --> 0:16:01.720 you ever had to sleep in between? Come on, y'all, 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:03.640 I came back to preach. I didn't come back to 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:08.760 have coffee. Have you ever had to sleep between. I 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:10.600 don't know how this is gonna turn out, but I 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:14.520 got to sleep in between. I gotta sleep. I don't 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:16.720 really know if this situation is gonna get better or 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:18.920 what the doctor's gonna say next time I go back. 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:22.080 But I got to sleep in between. I'm in a 0:16:22.160 --> 0:16:24.040 tight space and I don't know if I'm gonna make 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:30.480 it out, but I got to sleep in between. Peter 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:34.320 was sleeping in between. No, he's come a long way, 0:16:34.440 --> 0:16:39.000 hasn't he. Remember when Jesus was telling Peter, you gotta 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.520 go to the cross, and Peter's arguing with Jesus and 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:45.560 he's trying to tell Jesus, you'll never go to the cross. 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:49.160 He's trying to give Jesus his plan for Jesus. He's 0:16:49.200 --> 0:16:51.680 trying to create the itinerary for the son of God 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:56.640 who created time and space. And now he's sleeping. What 0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:03.720 did Peter know enabled him to sleep between two soldiers? 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.240 He was sleeping. Put it back up. I'm not done 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:12.440 with that verse. He was sleeping in the greatest trial 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:18.000 of his life. He was sleeping between two soldiers bound 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:21.840 with two chains. Some scholars think that Lil Wayne could 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:25.399 have been in the next cell. A lot of people 0:17:25.400 --> 0:17:30.680 were there, and Sentry stood guard at the entrance, and 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:35.520 so he was sleeping. What did he know that enabled 0:17:35.600 --> 0:17:45.600 him to sleep in between? What did he maybe suggestion 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:50.760 he wasn't sleeping because of something he knew with his senses. 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:55.040 Maybe he was sleeping because of something that he saw 0:17:56.160 --> 0:18:02.679 in his spirit. And maybe what he saw in his 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.960 spirit was a direct reflection of an experience that he 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:12.680 had with Jesus. Because remember in the boat one night 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:17.880 when they were going to the other side, but then 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:21.800 in between where they were and where they were going, 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:26.800 they hit a storm. Sometimes you set out for the destination, 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:30.840 but it's in between that your faith has to kick 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:36.760 in to believe God. And when all the disciples were straining, 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:40.520 the Bible says they were straining at the ore. They 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:45.000 were straining against the wind, they were straining against the waves. 0:18:45.240 --> 0:18:48.520 And while they were straining, they went down to check 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:52.120 out Jesus, and they were surprised to find out that 0:18:52.160 --> 0:19:00.920 while they were straining, Jesus was sleeping. So maybe when 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:05.760 Peter found out, they might kill me. He decided, there's 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:09.040 only so much I can do about this, and when 0:19:09.119 --> 0:19:12.320 I get to the other side, I'm gonna need all 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:17.080 my strength, So I'm gonna sleep in between. This is 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:20.639 God's word for somebody. God said, I can do more 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:24.199 while you're sleeping than you can while you're strained. And 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:26.440 if you will get out of the way and out 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:36.560 of your flesh and out of your anxiety. The disciples said, Jesus, 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.120 don't you care we're in this storm. Jesus said, this 0:19:40.160 --> 0:19:51.400 is how I fight mine, my friend, Joseph, Princess rip 0:19:53.080 --> 0:20:02.800 rest is power. And so it's a beautiful picture that 0:20:02.880 --> 0:20:08.800 he would sleep and trust God. When Herod comes knocking, 0:20:10.119 --> 0:20:16.320 Peter's faith answers the door knock coming to get you, Peter, 0:20:17.480 --> 0:20:24.200 but he's learned something. He's learned that obedience always comes 0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:29.879 before freedom. Now. I mentioned this because I see a 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:35.920 lot of people on Instagram. I haven't been on Instagram 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.120 in two months, y'all. And let me tell you, it's amazing. 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:44.080 The birds are chirping, the sun is beautiful. You'd be 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:47.320 shocked how nice the world looks when there's not a 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:52.000 screen in front of your face, a pretend universe, just 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:56.800 a thought. I've had a great summer. I got ten 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:00.000 I detoxed from everybody's pretend life, and I'm just happy 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:06.840 about it. And then, and then, and then Peter has 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:09.720 to do something that's very difficult to do because you know, 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:13.560 we all, we all want opportunities to come our way 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.000 and opportunities are weird because they don't show up looking 0:21:17.040 --> 0:21:20.719 like opportunities. When they knock, they just look like obedience. 0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:25.160 Everybody will say like I want to kill my goliath. 0:21:25.160 --> 0:21:26.720 I want to take down my giant. You know, in 0:21:26.800 --> 0:21:29.240 church we say stuff like that. I probably don't say 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:32.480 that if they don't go to church. But you know, well, 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:37.600 Goliath didn't come knocking on David's door. Hey David, I'm Deliath. 0:21:37.640 --> 0:21:38.879 If you come me today, you can become a king 0:21:38.880 --> 0:21:40.879 of Israel and have great status. And well that's it. 0:21:42.200 --> 0:21:45.480 David's dad came to his door, say get this bread 0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:48.679 down to your brothers. Because when opportunity knocks, it just 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:51.760 looks like obedience. That's all. It looks like. It doesn't 0:21:51.760 --> 0:21:54.040 look like something big, It doesn't look like something extraordinary. Now, 0:21:54.040 --> 0:21:55.840 Peter's about to get a big miracle, but I want 0:21:55.840 --> 0:21:57.480 you to notice how he gets it, and most of 0:21:57.520 --> 0:21:59.920 us would not have gotten it because spoiler alert, Peter's 0:22:00.000 --> 0:22:01.480 about to get out of jail. He's not going to die. 0:22:01.480 --> 0:22:05.359 He's still got work to do. Peter's not going to 0:22:05.440 --> 0:22:08.040 die in this moment because God still has a purpose, 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:12.480 because Peter is invincible until God's purpose for him is completed. 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:14.840 And so Peter's not going to die in this but 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:17.000 he doesn't know that yet. As far as he knows, 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:19.840 it's over. But he's sleeping. And so while he's asleep, 0:22:19.920 --> 0:22:24.480 look at verse six and how God interrupts his what 0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:27.440 do you call it? Rim cycle? Because Peter's in a 0:22:27.480 --> 0:22:29.280 deep sleep. I'll show you in a minutes in the text. 0:22:29.320 --> 0:22:31.040 Bible is so fun to read. I want you to 0:22:31.080 --> 0:22:35.440 read it between Sundays. It's real good. It's real good 0:22:35.520 --> 0:22:39.119 without me here talking about it. It's real good. So 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:43.119 it says suddenly verse seven, just like in a deep sleep. 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:49.760 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared. And he didn't 0:22:49.840 --> 0:22:53.840 not he just came in and a light shone in 0:22:53.880 --> 0:22:57.840 the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke 0:22:57.880 --> 0:23:03.159 him up. And and I guess Peter wasn't all the 0:23:03.160 --> 0:23:08.280 way awake because the angel said, quick get up, and 0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:11.960 the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Now, please leave that 0:23:12.040 --> 0:23:14.119 verse on the screen because I want to show you something. 0:23:14.560 --> 0:23:18.879 It said, quick get up, and the chains fell off 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:24.959 Peter's wrist. Now the natural sequence would be the chains 0:23:25.040 --> 0:23:29.199 fell off Peter's wrist, and so he got up, but 0:23:29.280 --> 0:23:32.360 it doesn't say that. It says that the angel told 0:23:32.440 --> 0:23:35.920 him get up, and when he got up, the chains 0:23:35.920 --> 0:23:41.200 fell off his wrist. You see it. So we think 0:23:41.600 --> 0:23:44.360 the chains are gonna fall off and it's gonna get 0:23:44.400 --> 0:23:48.120 easier and we're gonna feel free, and then we can 0:23:48.160 --> 0:23:53.080 obey God. No, you get up and then chains fall off, 0:23:54.640 --> 0:24:01.240 because obedience comes before freedom to answer the door and knock, 0:24:01.280 --> 0:24:04.040 even if you're not sure it's God. You gotta be 0:24:04.160 --> 0:24:05.800 kind to people, even if you don't know if they're 0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:09.800 gonna do anything for you in return. So obedience that 0:24:09.840 --> 0:24:12.800 creates freedom, freedom from what, freedom from needing to know 0:24:12.880 --> 0:24:18.679 the outcome before you take the step. So if he 0:24:18.720 --> 0:24:21.399 doesn't get up, the change stay on. And if you 0:24:21.400 --> 0:24:23.440 don't do what God has told you to do right now, 0:24:23.480 --> 0:24:25.320 God can't do what he's going to do that you 0:24:25.359 --> 0:24:28.520 don't know he's going to do. God already intended to 0:24:28.560 --> 0:24:30.960 take his chains off. But if he waits till the 0:24:31.040 --> 0:24:33.159 chains fall off to get up, he's never gonna get 0:24:33.240 --> 0:24:36.639 up because the chains aren't gonna fall off. When I 0:24:36.680 --> 0:24:39.240 get my financial situation in order, I'll tell you I'm 0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:41.919 gonna put God first, because I've heard about that and 0:24:42.119 --> 0:24:44.480 praising the Lord and putting him first with the first 0:24:44.480 --> 0:24:47.560 fruits of my womb, and all the and all the 0:24:47.600 --> 0:24:49.720 things that the Bible says, I'm gonna do it. No, 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:51.960 you're not, not if you won't do it with the 0:24:52.040 --> 0:24:58.879 little because he who is faithful in a little. So 0:24:59.040 --> 0:25:05.159 it's that first step. It's getting up, Get up, and 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:09.600 the change will fall off. Get up and you say, God, 0:25:09.680 --> 0:25:12.000 take the chains off, and I'll get up. No, get 0:25:12.080 --> 0:25:15.080 up and the change will fall up. And I love 0:25:15.160 --> 0:25:18.479 this part because there is no indication in this text 0:25:18.600 --> 0:25:22.440 that Peter had faith to be free from prison. All 0:25:22.440 --> 0:25:27.560 he's doing is going through the motions. And sometimes that's 0:25:27.560 --> 0:25:33.240 all you can do. Sometimes all you can do is 0:25:33.280 --> 0:25:40.560 come to church and fake, I mean faith it until 0:25:40.600 --> 0:25:49.760 you feel it. Now, most of us wouldn't have gotten 0:25:49.760 --> 0:25:51.439 a miracle if we were in Act chapter twelve, if 0:25:51.480 --> 0:25:53.040 we were in here at a grip of the first prison, 0:25:53.080 --> 0:25:59.119 we'd stay right there because we wouldn't. We wouldn't follow 0:25:59.160 --> 0:26:04.199 instructions until we knew details. We'll be like, get up, 0:26:04.280 --> 0:26:11.200 why who are you? You see some identification? No? No, no, 0:26:11.720 --> 0:26:13.760 is this God? Is this? No? No? You just get up, 0:26:14.840 --> 0:26:18.600 get up, and when you're in a place of rest, 0:26:19.760 --> 0:26:23.600 you're able to respond without overthinking it. Just just get up. 0:26:25.359 --> 0:26:27.600 Some of y'all think too hard when we're worshiping in here. 0:26:29.119 --> 0:26:31.640 You know you're thinking too hard. You're thinking too hard. 0:26:31.760 --> 0:26:34.320 I'm gonna see you a victim. I can't sing that. 0:26:34.359 --> 0:26:35.840 I don't know if I really am. You need to 0:26:35.880 --> 0:26:41.800 start singing it so you can start seeing it. Because 0:26:42.000 --> 0:26:46.119 faith is the substance of things hoped for and the 0:26:46.240 --> 0:26:57.680 evidence of things not seeing. So help me showing God. 0:26:57.880 --> 0:27:00.720 The old Peter, remember the old Peter who argued all 0:27:00.760 --> 0:27:03.000 the time. The old Peter would have been like, get 0:27:03.080 --> 0:27:05.360 up for what? Go up for what? I don't understand. 0:27:05.400 --> 0:27:07.520 I was getting some sleep while I interrupt my sleep. 0:27:07.560 --> 0:27:09.000 I'm trying to get in a good, nice sleep. I 0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:10.760 got a big day tomorrow. It's a really important day. 0:27:10.800 --> 0:27:12.640 I need to be sharp so I can offend myself. 0:27:12.720 --> 0:27:14.560 But he just did it in this place. In fact, 0:27:14.560 --> 0:27:16.800 that's exactly what the Bible says. It's a quick get up. 0:27:16.840 --> 0:27:18.760 And the chains fell off vers eve, and then the 0:27:18.920 --> 0:27:24.399 Angel said to him, put on your clothes and sandals. 0:27:24.440 --> 0:27:29.520 He has still not told him his destination. But faith 0:27:29.640 --> 0:27:33.600 is getting dressed. Even when you don't know where you're going, 0:27:40.400 --> 0:27:45.119 And Peter did so. He got dressed with no destination. 0:27:46.240 --> 0:27:52.439 Is this God, I hope? So no details, just obedience, 0:27:53.760 --> 0:27:59.439 not a Peter, get up, get dressed. You know how 0:27:59.440 --> 0:28:03.520 God knocks just little things, and you know as him, 0:28:04.359 --> 0:28:07.159 you know as him, just little things, a little this 0:28:07.240 --> 0:28:09.000 thing can happen. Get up, good dress, put on your 0:28:09.000 --> 0:28:11.080 cloak and sandals. To me, this all, this whole, this 0:28:11.119 --> 0:28:14.080 whole thing seems like very small, Like I don't mind 0:28:14.119 --> 0:28:15.720 getting out of here in my underwear. If we're getting 0:28:15.760 --> 0:28:17.440 out of prison, why am I getting dressed for it? 0:28:20.320 --> 0:28:23.520 But but that's that's us trying to make sense of things. 0:28:24.960 --> 0:28:27.480 This is a different kind of freedom. This is not 0:28:27.520 --> 0:28:30.000 a freedom that can be achieved in your mind. The 0:28:30.040 --> 0:28:33.360 Angel said to him, put on your clothes and sandals, 0:28:33.359 --> 0:28:37.760 and Peter did so, just that simple, wrap your cloak 0:28:37.800 --> 0:28:40.160 around you, and follow me, the angel told him. And 0:28:40.200 --> 0:28:43.719 notice what Peter didn't ask, where are we going? Just 0:28:43.760 --> 0:28:48.320 follow I'm just following Grace, I'm just following Mercy. I'm 0:28:48.360 --> 0:28:51.400 just I'm just following cooperating with God. I'm getting my 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:53.160 heart in harmony with what he's doing in this season. 0:28:53.160 --> 0:28:55.880 I'm coming into agreement and acceptance of the situation that 0:28:55.920 --> 0:29:00.840 he's placed me in step by step. You know the 0:29:00.880 --> 0:29:04.000 thing on your GPS where you know if you put 0:29:04.000 --> 0:29:06.320 it on at least on mind I use Google Maps 0:29:07.520 --> 0:29:11.160 looking for a sponsorship, where it just tells you the 0:29:11.200 --> 0:29:13.720 next turn, But then if you click on and you 0:29:13.720 --> 0:29:16.959 can see details, and that'll tell you every turn. And 0:29:17.000 --> 0:29:19.200 for somebody like me that has no sense of direction, 0:29:19.520 --> 0:29:22.280 I never put on the details because it'll get me lost. 0:29:23.480 --> 0:29:26.800 I can't think seven turns ahead. I just need to 0:29:26.840 --> 0:29:32.640 know the next one. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. 0:29:34.400 --> 0:29:38.160 And so all Peter has to do is the next thing. 0:29:39.320 --> 0:29:44.440 That's all you have to do, the next thing. Anything 0:29:44.440 --> 0:29:47.360 else is too much right now, you don't have to 0:29:47.360 --> 0:29:51.920 be Peter to be in prison. You don't have to 0:29:51.920 --> 0:29:55.840 be some important apostle to be in prison. Addiction is 0:29:55.880 --> 0:30:00.600 a prison. Depression is a prison. You don't have to 0:30:00.600 --> 0:30:05.040 be Peter to be in prison. Mindsets are a prison, 0:30:06.360 --> 0:30:12.320 Rumination is a prison. Trauma can be a prison. Prison. 0:30:12.560 --> 0:30:18.120 Isolation can be a prison. Never really engaging in real 0:30:18.160 --> 0:30:22.600 relationships can be a prison. Hiding and concealing it can 0:30:22.640 --> 0:30:25.440 be a prison. But if you've been in prison lately. 0:30:25.880 --> 0:30:29.719 All you need to do is the next thing. You 0:30:29.760 --> 0:30:32.920 can't predict the path of your freedom. You can only 0:30:33.000 --> 0:30:35.960 respond to the light that you have that's shown in yourself. 0:30:36.480 --> 0:30:38.440 And so when Peter got up, this is a very 0:30:38.480 --> 0:30:41.040 profound moment in Peter's life, and he doesn't know it yet. 0:30:41.160 --> 0:30:44.680 For all he knows, he's just dreaming. He doesn't even 0:30:44.800 --> 0:30:47.320 know yet. Read it in the passage with me. Peter 0:30:47.400 --> 0:30:49.720 followed him out of the prison, but he had no 0:30:50.120 --> 0:30:54.560 idea that what the angel was doing was really happening. 0:30:55.520 --> 0:30:59.400 He thought he was seeing a vision. You know, most 0:30:59.400 --> 0:31:01.120 of the time you don't even know that it was 0:31:01.200 --> 0:31:06.120 God until after the fact. While you're in it, it 0:31:06.160 --> 0:31:09.920 feels so confusing and so uncertain, and you're like, I 0:31:09.920 --> 0:31:12.400 don't even know, I don't know what this is right now. 0:31:12.760 --> 0:31:15.440 It is only after you have been through it that 0:31:15.560 --> 0:31:18.680 Romans eight twenty eight makes sense, and then you can 0:31:18.800 --> 0:31:24.000 say all things work together for the good. But it's 0:31:24.040 --> 0:31:27.040 hard to say that in the process of it. And 0:31:27.040 --> 0:31:30.360 Peter's just going through the motions, he's just worshiping, he's 0:31:30.400 --> 0:31:33.600 just moving, he's just obeying, he's just doing the next 0:31:33.640 --> 0:31:37.560 practical thing. And then He kind of has this moment 0:31:38.840 --> 0:31:42.080 when he passes verse ten. The first and second guards 0:31:42.400 --> 0:31:44.880 and came to the iron gate leading to the city. 0:31:45.080 --> 0:31:48.120 And watch what happened to the gate. It opened for 0:31:48.200 --> 0:31:52.280 them by itself. You know, God will do for you 0:31:52.320 --> 0:31:58.720 what you can't do for you. Now, y'all uncle clap 0:31:58.720 --> 0:32:00.520 for this one. But he won't do for you what 0:32:00.560 --> 0:32:07.400 you can do for you. So God opened the gate 0:32:07.400 --> 0:32:10.800 for Peter. But watch what Peter did when they had 0:32:10.840 --> 0:32:17.000 walked through it. They walked through it. Angel did. Can't 0:32:17.000 --> 0:32:23.920 carry Peter through the gate piggyback style. Peter's too big 0:32:23.960 --> 0:32:26.600 to be carried through the gate. Now you got to 0:32:26.640 --> 0:32:30.880 go through it. Do me a real truth favor. Look 0:32:30.880 --> 0:32:32.880 at your neighbor with eye contact, say you got to 0:32:32.920 --> 0:32:39.360 go through it. You know how many people that are 0:32:39.360 --> 0:32:42.800 listening to me preach right now are standing and knocking 0:32:43.720 --> 0:32:50.920 at a door that's already opened. The gate was open. 0:32:52.000 --> 0:32:54.520 You can stand there and knock all you want, but 0:32:54.560 --> 0:32:57.880 you got to go through it. And every second we 0:32:57.960 --> 0:33:01.280 spend not going through it, every second that we've been 0:33:01.400 --> 0:33:05.040 wishing that it wasn't there, every second we've been waiting 0:33:05.040 --> 0:33:09.720 for something miraculous to happen it already happened. It already happened. 0:33:10.560 --> 0:33:13.920 The worst thing that could happen already happened on the cross. 0:33:14.600 --> 0:33:18.920 It was already transformed into resurrection power in your spirit. 0:33:19.640 --> 0:33:23.800 So it already happened, is already open. But you've got 0:33:23.800 --> 0:33:26.680 to go through it. And when you go through it, 0:33:26.880 --> 0:33:30.120 that is the proof that you trust God even while 0:33:30.120 --> 0:33:35.160 you're in it, that you stay in the fire, that 0:33:35.240 --> 0:33:38.760 you stay in the furnace, and you still survive. And 0:33:38.800 --> 0:33:41.440 he walked through the gate. Now the power of God 0:33:41.480 --> 0:33:44.560 did not prevent the attack, but it protected Peter within 0:33:44.640 --> 0:33:47.560 it and it enabled him to go through it. God 0:33:47.640 --> 0:33:50.800 is going to get me through this. I don't know how, 0:33:51.200 --> 0:33:54.240 I don't know when, but God is going to get 0:33:54.280 --> 0:33:57.800 me through this. The gate is open, the way is made. 0:33:58.080 --> 0:34:01.200 Faith has already provided for me the grace that I need. 0:34:06.680 --> 0:34:10.960 And when they had walked the length tenby of one street, 0:34:11.000 --> 0:34:14.239 suddenly the angel left him and now he's got to 0:34:14.239 --> 0:34:18.560 figure out where to go. And suddenly wakes up and 0:34:18.600 --> 0:34:20.960 he comes to this moment that I believe we come 0:34:21.000 --> 0:34:26.200 to sometimes when when God knocks on our situation, or 0:34:26.239 --> 0:34:28.319 when the when the enemy knocks to come get us. 0:34:28.360 --> 0:34:31.560 But God won't let him. He comes to this realization, 0:34:31.680 --> 0:34:38.239 He's like, I gotta go, and I wonder what door 0:34:39.920 --> 0:34:45.600 he's gonna knock on. See, it's really important that you 0:34:45.719 --> 0:34:50.440 know where to knock when you're in trouble. That's how 0:34:50.480 --> 0:34:53.520 some of us got our hearts broken and our minds 0:34:53.520 --> 0:34:58.319 messed up because we knocked on the wrong door. And 0:34:58.360 --> 0:35:01.560 you know what was really weird about it. Sometimes we 0:35:01.719 --> 0:35:05.760 run back to the same door that disappointed us last time, 0:35:07.719 --> 0:35:13.440 knocking on it as if there's anything inside that's crazy. 0:35:13.600 --> 0:35:16.600 And Christians will do this, They'll pray the devil away 0:35:17.560 --> 0:35:20.799 and knock when and he knocks on the door, leave 0:35:20.840 --> 0:35:23.080 it wide open for him to come in, and put 0:35:23.080 --> 0:35:25.480 out a fruit basket and welcome him as a guest 0:35:25.680 --> 0:35:29.400 with the monogram towel, just leaving yourself wide open to everything. 0:35:29.560 --> 0:35:32.000 But when you run around knocking on the wrong doors 0:35:32.360 --> 0:35:34.680 and the wrong people and the wrong patterns, and you 0:35:34.760 --> 0:35:38.200 keep going back to that place, it's very important that 0:35:38.280 --> 0:35:40.680 you know where to knock. And thank God that Peter 0:35:41.600 --> 0:35:46.400 knew where to knock. See, he knew about John Mark's 0:35:46.440 --> 0:35:51.839 mother's house. Apparently this was the same place that they 0:35:51.880 --> 0:35:55.640 had been praying for James, and he knew that if 0:35:55.640 --> 0:35:59.200 he would knock on that door there would be some 0:35:59.239 --> 0:36:02.080 praying people. I want to say something to everybody who 0:36:02.080 --> 0:36:03.799 came to church today. Okay, I don't know what your 0:36:03.800 --> 0:36:05.279 life is like right now, and I don't know what 0:36:05.320 --> 0:36:06.840 you need God to do, but you knocked on the 0:36:06.880 --> 0:36:10.680 right door today, because everything you need is in the 0:36:10.719 --> 0:36:14.000 presence of God. Come on, look at somebody say, you 0:36:14.120 --> 0:36:17.400 knocked on the right door today. God has got what 0:36:17.600 --> 0:36:21.000 you need. The fridge is full, the bet is me, 0:36:21.560 --> 0:36:24.759 there's a prayer meeting going on. There's a fire in 0:36:24.800 --> 0:36:32.480 the kitchen. So watch this. I gotta show you something. 0:36:32.800 --> 0:36:37.040 Somebody say, knock knock. Peter said, Now I know without 0:36:37.080 --> 0:36:40.160 a doubt it was the Lord coming into my prison cell. 0:36:40.600 --> 0:36:43.880 It wasn't Herod's intention that brought me here. It was 0:36:43.960 --> 0:36:47.719 God's purpose. The Lord sent his angel and rescued me 0:36:47.800 --> 0:36:52.040 from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating. 0:36:52.320 --> 0:36:55.120 You know what he was saying, Herod came knocking. He 0:36:55.160 --> 0:36:57.719 came to get me. It came to kill me, but 0:36:57.800 --> 0:37:00.400 it couldn't have me. That's how I know God was 0:37:00.480 --> 0:37:03.280 with me, because it came for me, but it couldn't 0:37:03.360 --> 0:37:05.919 kill me. It came for me, but it couldn't take 0:37:05.960 --> 0:37:08.799 me out. It came for me, but it couldn't have me. 0:37:08.880 --> 0:37:14.120 And now I know that God was with me. And 0:37:14.160 --> 0:37:16.120 when this had dawned on in verse twelve, he went 0:37:16.160 --> 0:37:20.200 to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also 0:37:20.239 --> 0:37:22.560 called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 0:37:24.239 --> 0:37:29.680 Ended amazing that they were still praying, still asking, still seeking, 0:37:30.840 --> 0:37:36.799 still knocking, because like, really, I don't know if I 0:37:36.800 --> 0:37:40.839 would have if I prayed for James and they cut 0:37:40.840 --> 0:37:44.080 his head off. I don't know if I would have 0:37:44.080 --> 0:37:50.239 faith to pray for Peter. I think a lot of 0:37:50.320 --> 0:37:57.040 us pray for things, or hope for things, or secretly 0:37:57.080 --> 0:38:00.000 wish for things that we really don't believe could even happen. 0:38:02.680 --> 0:38:06.360 We sing things that we no longer believe really happened. 0:38:07.640 --> 0:38:10.920 We sing a freedom, but we learned a long time 0:38:10.960 --> 0:38:16.399 ago to stop dreaming about it. And Peter is out 0:38:16.480 --> 0:38:20.120 of prison, but they don't know it yet, but they're 0:38:20.160 --> 0:38:25.520 still praying. Ah. That takes faith, man, It takes faith 0:38:25.560 --> 0:38:30.239 to pray for Peter when you just lost James. It 0:38:30.320 --> 0:38:34.000 takes faith to believe in this situation because you know, 0:38:35.040 --> 0:38:36.720 when you've seen him move the mountain and you believe 0:38:36.719 --> 0:38:39.399 he can do it again, It's one thing. But when 0:38:39.400 --> 0:38:41.719 that mountain's still there and you got to pray about 0:38:41.719 --> 0:38:45.480 that one, this is a difficult moment. And yet it 0:38:45.480 --> 0:38:48.080 didn't stop their prayer, It didn't stop their persistence. It 0:38:48.120 --> 0:38:53.160 didn't stop. So Peter shows up and they're still praying. 0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:57.480 And when he got there verse thirteen, the Bible says, Peter, 0:39:02.320 --> 0:39:05.200 my knuckle is so sore, I'm gonna have to ice 0:39:05.239 --> 0:39:11.440 it before the eleven thirty. Peter, Well, come on, this 0:39:11.480 --> 0:39:19.480 is Peter. You know. Peter's loud. Peter. Peter's not knocking 0:39:19.520 --> 0:39:22.479 like Abby. Peter's banging on the door because they're still 0:39:22.480 --> 0:39:27.120 looking for him. He just broke out of prison. You're 0:39:27.160 --> 0:39:32.000 knock different when you're desperate. You pray different when you 0:39:32.080 --> 0:39:40.320 know you need God. Peter knocked at the outer entrance 0:39:40.320 --> 0:39:43.080 and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the 0:39:43.080 --> 0:39:45.839 door while they were praying for Peter, and he's at 0:39:45.840 --> 0:39:51.919 the door. Their prayer request is standing in the form 0:39:51.920 --> 0:39:54.720 of an answer on the other side of the door, 0:39:56.160 --> 0:39:59.040 and when looking forwarteen, when she recognized Peter's voice, I 0:39:59.040 --> 0:40:02.719 think she recognized as not and nobody knocking as loud 0:40:02.760 --> 0:40:06.799 as Peter. Nobody knocks like Peter. Nobody is persistent like Peter. 0:40:07.080 --> 0:40:09.720 Nobody makes it through denying him three times and comes 0:40:09.719 --> 0:40:13.239 back to preach on Pentecost. My failures taught me persistence. 0:40:13.600 --> 0:40:17.040 Nobody knocks like Peter. Nobody knocks like the one who 0:40:17.120 --> 0:40:20.600 knows that even through my mistakes, God it's working the 0:40:20.640 --> 0:40:26.000 miracles in this moment, nobody knocks like Peter. And when 0:40:26.040 --> 0:40:32.399 she recognized his voice, Hey, she was so overjoyed that 0:40:32.480 --> 0:40:37.920 she ran back without opening it and told the people, 0:40:38.320 --> 0:40:43.360 Peter is at the door. It's Peter. Y'all, Hey guys, 0:40:43.400 --> 0:40:47.080 it's Peter. Hey guys, Peter wrote as a fourteen year 0:40:47.080 --> 0:40:49.360 old white girl in my mind, Hey guys, it's Peter. 0:40:51.640 --> 0:40:53.960 And watch what they say. You're out of your mind. 0:40:54.719 --> 0:40:58.080 Well that's a compliment because my mind has been my 0:40:58.160 --> 0:41:04.319 prison all along. That's what I've been trying to get 0:41:04.640 --> 0:41:07.719 is out of my mind. That's what's making me miserable, 0:41:07.960 --> 0:41:11.480 being in my mind and my thoughts, for his thoughts 0:41:11.840 --> 0:41:16.120 are higher than my thoughts, and his ways are higher 0:41:16.160 --> 0:41:28.439 than my ways. I'm out of my mind. I Rohota 0:41:28.520 --> 0:41:34.600 said no, no, She kept insisting that it was so, 0:41:35.880 --> 0:41:38.480 and they said, watch how much faith they had. It 0:41:38.560 --> 0:41:44.279 must be his angel. It was easier for them to 0:41:44.280 --> 0:41:47.759 believe that Peter died and his angel came to the 0:41:47.800 --> 0:41:53.239 door than it was actually him. Sometimes it is easier 0:41:53.280 --> 0:41:57.600 for you to believe that you are worthless. It is 0:41:57.680 --> 0:42:01.839 easier for you to believe that it's than it is 0:42:01.880 --> 0:42:03.959 for you to believe that dry bones can live again 0:42:04.000 --> 0:42:18.760 at the word of the Lord. But Peter kept on knocking, 0:42:20.600 --> 0:42:25.400 and I hear God saying to somebody today, don't stop knocking. 0:42:27.160 --> 0:42:34.680 You're at the right door. Don't stop knocking just because 0:42:34.760 --> 0:42:40.919 Rhoda ran back and the people didn't believe. God can 0:42:41.040 --> 0:42:46.880 use even the imperfect faith of a hurting church to 0:42:46.960 --> 0:42:52.360 break Peter out of prison. And if you keep knocking, 0:42:55.800 --> 0:42:58.920 if you keep knocking, keep asking. Yeah, I know you 0:42:58.960 --> 0:43:01.880 don't have the answers yet, but now you're learning the questions. 0:43:04.000 --> 0:43:09.800 If you keep seeking, if you keep knocking, I declare 0:43:09.800 --> 0:43:12.600 in the name of Jesus, Peter is at the door. 0:43:15.600 --> 0:43:23.360 Peter is at the door, and the only way for 0:43:23.440 --> 0:43:26.680 you to find out is to open it. But when 0:43:26.800 --> 0:43:33.879 James died, you stop believing in this season of your life. 0:43:34.120 --> 0:43:38.480 I believe Revelation three twenty that Jesus stands at the 0:43:38.520 --> 0:43:43.400 door and knocks. Now, I would have to think that today, 0:43:44.280 --> 0:43:48.600 somewhere in this building online, at one of our locations 0:43:48.640 --> 0:43:51.800 that meet all across this nation, I have to believe 0:43:52.800 --> 0:43:56.760 that God is knocking on the door of someone's faith 0:43:58.200 --> 0:44:00.200 to believe again in an area of your life where 0:44:00.200 --> 0:44:02.680 it has been easier for you to just lock the door, 0:44:03.800 --> 0:44:06.799 and you've just been going through motions, just kind of 0:44:06.800 --> 0:44:10.560 holding to the facade of your faith. But I sense 0:44:10.840 --> 0:44:17.759 the spirit of the Lord. Knock, knock, who's there? And 0:44:17.760 --> 0:44:22.959 Peter said, boo. Rota said Boo. Peter said, don't cry, 0:44:23.280 --> 0:44:33.440 I'm alive. Open the door in this moment. Yes, it's 0:44:33.520 --> 0:44:35.919 hard to trust people again when people have let you down. 0:44:36.080 --> 0:44:37.919 But what are you gonna do Stay in there and 0:44:38.000 --> 0:44:41.520 die and just pretend like you're living and really on 0:44:41.560 --> 0:44:44.240 the inside. No, I stand at the door and knock, 0:44:44.400 --> 0:44:46.759 And if you will open the door to me, Jesus said, 0:44:46.800 --> 0:44:49.200 I will sit down and I will eat with you. 0:44:49.480 --> 0:44:51.920 And I have prepared a table for you in the 0:44:51.960 --> 0:44:55.319 presence of your enemies, and I am your Shepherd, and 0:44:55.360 --> 0:44:58.359 I am your Angel, and I am your Light, and 0:44:58.400 --> 0:45:01.520 I am your defender, and I am your Hope, and 0:45:01.560 --> 0:45:05.040 I am your promise. And upon this rock I will 0:45:05.080 --> 0:45:08.480 build my church, and the case of hell will not 0:45:08.640 --> 0:45:13.880 prevail against it. For I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning, 0:45:13.920 --> 0:45:17.240 in the end, the first and the last. I died 0:45:17.280 --> 0:45:25.400 and I live. Peter is at the door because guess 0:45:25.400 --> 0:45:30.879 what church. At the end of Acts chapter twelve, Peter 0:45:31.160 --> 0:45:39.840 wasn't dead. Herod was because let me tell you why. 0:45:40.640 --> 0:45:44.279 The only reason that God allowed the trial was to 0:45:44.320 --> 0:45:47.600 free you from what was holding you captive. God is 0:45:47.640 --> 0:46:01.600 a mighty warrior. When God knocks, he keeps knocking. He 0:46:01.640 --> 0:46:06.040 doesn't give up on people. God doesn't knock one time, 0:46:07.320 --> 0:46:11.400 two times you failed, That's all right, He's still knocking. 0:46:11.760 --> 0:46:15.960 If your heart is still beating, God is still knocking. 0:46:16.640 --> 0:46:19.440 He is not going to let you go until He 0:46:19.520 --> 0:46:26.040 accomplishes his purpose for your life. Thank you for joining us. 0:46:26.320 --> 0:46:28.799 Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 0:46:28.840 --> 0:46:32.360 this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 0:46:32.800 --> 0:46:35.319 You can click the link in the description to give now, 0:46:35.880 --> 0:46:39.239 or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for more 0:46:39.239 --> 0:46:43.080 information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 0:46:43.320 --> 0:46:45.399 You can share it with your friends. 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