This broadcaster has 2044 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
September 5, 2021 3:00 am
Notes
We are living in a time where right is wrong and wrong is right.
Pray for divine intervention.
The word revolution not only means “upheaval” and “change;” it also means “turning around” or “rotating.”
The death of Jesus was God’s predetermined plan (Acts 2:23–24).
“Organized Christianity which fails to make a disturbance is dead.” —G. Campbell Morgan
The book of Acts is simply a picture of normal Christianity.
The book of Acts is a record of the acts of the Holy Spirit, covering a 30-year period from AD 33–63.
The book of Acts was authored by the Holy Spirit, speaking through Dr. Luke.
The name Theophilus means, “Lover of God.”
1. Before you can change the world, you must first be changed.
The disciple’s greatness was not because of who they were as individuals; it was because God put His hand on them.
Jesus did not call these men who became apostles because they were great; they were great because Jesus called them!
The word used for appeared refers to the eyeball.
Before they could change the world, Jesus needed to change them.
Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
2. The church had a job to do, and so do we!
“You will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere!” (Acts 1:8).
Jesus is not late in returning; there is something He wants from us.
3. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do what God calls us to do.
The word power comes from the Greek word “Dunamis.”
It’s never too late to be used by God.
Scripture Referenced
Isaiah 5:20
Acts 17:6
1 Corinthians 1:26–31
1 John 1:1
2 Peter 3:9
---
SoCal Harvest is back at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. If you are in Southern California, make plans to join us. Learn more at https://harvest.org/socal-harvest-2021/.
This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
Support the show: https://harvest.org/support
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hey there, thanks for listening to the Greg Laurie podcast, a ministry supported by harvest partners. I'm Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries and learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org everyone were starting a brand-new series that were simply calling upside down living. I'll explain why in a moment, and it's based on the book of acts, so grab your Bible or your tablet or your phone and go to acts chapter 1 review to be reading some verses together. The title of this message is the first Jesus movement. I think we would all agree that our world is a mess right now we see global instability again.
Things redirecting in the Middle East. We all know what's happening in Afghanistan. The tragic loss of American lives over there. 13 American servicemembers lost their lives to see the reemergence of Islamic terrorism. Specifically, a group now identifies himself as Isis K, then we have the emergence of China as a major superpower come back home and we have the conflict were seen in the streets of America and then the breakdown of the American family, which is at the root of so many of our social ills today. You can almost take every social ill every societal problem in our nation and trace it directly back to the breakdown of the family is not just the breakdown of the family is the redefinition of the family and in some cases the redefinition of what a man or a woman actually is. We have immorality being promoted and pushed on us from every direction not just in media but in our classrooms. Pretty much everywhere we look around this, we see a breakdown in our culture were living in a time right now where it seems like Vaughn is being celebrated as right and right is being mocked as if it were wrong by the above verse from the Bible Isaiah 520 that says what sorrow for those who say evil is good and good is evil and dark as light and light is dark and bitter is sweet and sweet is better. It seems like everything is upside down right now doesn't it.
And add to this the fact that we still have a global pandemic called COBIT with variance coming from it. There seems to be no end in sight but are we to do. I think these are signs of the times, reminding us there were living in the last days, and what we are to do as we are to watch and pray.
Jesus talking about as the signs are coming before us, reminding us of his imminent return. He said watch and pray in Jesus also said when you see these things begin the cabin look up for your redemption is drawing near. So we need divine intervention. We need the Lord to hear our prayers and help us we need well another Jesus movement now when we think of the Jesus movement or the Jesus revolution as Time magazine described that we remember long-haired kids with beards wearing sandals and beads and bellbottoms that we remember how bad America was in the late 60s and the early 70s and all God heard the prayers of his people and sent a great spiritual awakening affect many believe it was the greatest awakening in American history and we need to see that happen again.
So I think as a point of reference, we need to go back to the late 50s and the early 60s. Oh, I don't mean 1960.
I mean AT&T 60 I'm talking about the first Jesus movement on talking about the movement that Christ himself started on this earth. After he was crucified, and rose again from the dead, and by the way things were very dark when the first Jesus movement happened by the Rome had pretty much beaten the world into submission and Rome ruled with an iron fist, immorality was rampant. If you would go into a Roman city. There would be thousands of prostitutes roaming the streets looking for people to prey upon it.
If that wasn't bad enough, you would open idolatry and spiritism and demon worship and add to this the fact that the religious establishment was almost completely corrupt. Sounds a good good time for divine intervention and they had their Jesus movement because Jesus himself appeared on the scene and began his public ministry, fulfilling hundreds of prophecies in the old testament. At first he was welcomed with great fanfare and open arms and his followers numbered in the thousands.
As he healed their sick and raise their dead and gave the greatest teachings for people. It ever heard.
Then suddenly or so it seemed everything just came off the rails. Jesus is charged falsely.
He's betrayed by one of his own disciples. He said to the religious leaders and then ultimately to Pontius Pilate who was Christ scourged and then sent to a cross to be crucified but actually this was not an aberration. Everything was going according to plan God's perfect plan because history is his story.
In fact, on the day of Pentecost, Peter summed it up when he said in acts 224 this man speaking of Jesus, was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge with the help of wicked men. He was put to death by being nailed to the cross. But God raised him from the dead. The Romans unwittingly fulfilled Bible prophecy because the Old Testament told us the Messiah would suffer and die. Isaiah 53 written hundreds of years before Jesus died, told us that he would be beaten and you wouldn't even be able to tell he was a man. Psalm 22 written hundreds of years before crucifixion even existed as the Messiah, saying they pierced my hands and my feet again in the Old Testament. We also read that the Messiah is answering the question, where did you receive these wounds. He said I receive them in the house of my friends yes Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. Isaiah 53 reminds us it was all part of the plan of the Messiah coming to the earth and dying voluntarily on the cross of the sin of the world but also to rise again from the dead and after his resurrection, his followers were transformed in the passionate preachers of the gospel so room tried to stop this new movement of followers of Jesus, and they began to persecute the Christians was a series of persecutions that came starting with Caesar Nero anyone Diocletian both Roman emperors Nero was so cruel and twisted. He would take Christians and cover them with pit and set them on fire to light his garden as he would ride his chariot around Diocletian was so certain that he had eradicated the Christian faith of from the earth even had a special commemorative coin struck with these words on a quote Christian religion is destroyed in the worship of the Roman gods is restored." Famous last words ultimately mighty Rome was reduced to ruins and yet today the church still marches on persecution did not weaken the church. It springs in the church and because the church is spread out around their area and ultimately around the world proclaiming the gospel today we name our children after apostles and our dogs after emperors. Dear Caesar, get your food that's the way it works out what is wrong. Remember, for its remembered for what Caesar salad and Little Caesars pizza, a nice place to visit on vacation, but the church is alive and growing around the world. By the way, with their churches heavily persecuted its growing I read many accounts of all the churches blowing up in a Good Way in Iran. Even though the government tries to suppress it. Many people are coming to Christ. The same thing is happening in Afghanistan.
So God is at work through followers of Jesus Christ all around the world. So let's think about these first century believers there turned their world upside down. One of my calling this upside down living because there is a statement made in acts chapter 17 verse six.
It's a critical statement given by the religious leaders about the growth of the church when they said Paul and Silas have churned the rest of the world upside down. Another disturbing artist city I love that they've turned the world upside down. By the way that that was not a compliment that was a criticism. You could almost call it a couple soul. I don't know if that word exists. I think maybe I coined that word maybe someone else is used in performing a couple assault accomplice soul is what you might call a backhanded compliment as an illustration, I went to the fair here in Orange County not long ago with my family and Levi Lesko and his wife Jenny and their family.
So we went to that event will you ring the bell. You know you pick up the big hammer and then you cross it down on the little spot and hopefully you ring the bell. So Levi went first, he's younger, stronger than I am told me had it. He did not ring the bell. Then I went I took the same hammer brought it down. I ring the bell.
Then we did it again. He could not ring the bell. Second time I ring the bell and Levi grudgingly said well you of old man's strength that's accomplice soul all you have strength thank you old man strength, really.
And we do this all the time we we try to complement someone but in a way we kind of insulting. For instance, when you say that some of them arrives on time while you're actually on time. You're implying that there not usually on time, or about this like you're really good driver for a woman that that's not that side insult, I don't even know if that's accomplice.
So here's another one. You look great for your age for that a few times, you look great for your age peers even another one you're so pretty. Why are you still single. What is that of the a second-class citizen because they're not married yet couple assaults so the religious leaders said these people of turned the world upside down. Another disturbing artist city. My prayer is that the church will disturb more cities.
My hope is that more Christians will create a disturbance others. The Bible commentator named Giacomo Morgan who made the statement and I quote organized Christianity which fails to make a disturbance is dead."
You should be making a difference. You should be turning your world upside down facts of the matter is, wherever Paul went there was either a conversion or a riot. Never a dull day with these followers of Jesus, and they did not have modern technology at their disposal. Thomas did not tweet. Paul didn't have a TV show. Peter didn't use social media, but just in a relatively short period of time. These disciples change their world.
They permeated their culture. There's church. Julian, a Christian leader from many years ago that was a contemporary of these early followers of Christ, and he made this statement. Speaking of the church quote we have filled everyplace among you, cities, islands, fortresses, towns marketplaces, the very Tribes companies calluses Senate.
The forum we will have nothing to you, but the temples of your gods." I love that Julian is pointing out that the church infiltrated they permeated everything even in the palace of Caesar. There were Christians and this is what we need today. We need Christians to go out and make a difference. We need more Christians involved in the art making great films creating graphic design. We need Christians in politics, electing godly men and women, the places of authority because the Bible says on the right just roll the people rejoice when the Christian doctors.
We need Christian lawyers. We need Christian business people. We need believers to go out and let their light shine in this culture today and that's what happened in the first century because every believer understood they were called to do their part. They took risks they love their comfort zones. We see their fearless preaching their expected prayer and their willingness to obey God.
But listen to this, the book of acts is simply a picture of normal Christianity. It's normal. Christianity now as we read it was there. I don't know if that's normal.
That seems pretty radical to me. Fact of the matter is it's normal and if it seems radical, it's because we have a diluted version we should be living like these first century believers impacting our culture now historically looking back, the book of acts was written over a 30 year period from around A.D. 33 263. Of course there's a lot of miracles.
A lot of amazing events when it's over 30 years.
I don't think a miracle happened every day but I think what you see is believers living by faith doing what God has called them to do these were perfect Christians. They made mistakes there the little divisions they had their disagreements. They have the problems there their challenges, but despite that, they made a huge difference and turned their world upside down.
Why can't we do the same thing. The author of the book of acts, of course, is the Holy Spirit speaking through Dr. Luke that we remember Luke because he has his own gospel and what unique about Lucas. He was not one of the disciples that walk with Jesus. He came along later and apparently he was hired by a well-to-do Christian what the name Theophilus so Theophilus underwrote Luke's research project to get the story of what happened in the life and ministry of Jesus in Luke with a great attention to detail and with a beautiful poetic 10 GB the gospel we call Luke and now here's a second writing also sponsored by Theophilus called the book of acts, but the difference between the gospel of Luke, the book of acts is in this particular document that he wrote Luke was part of the story he was in on the action. He was an eyewitness to what was happening. By the way, the name, Theophilus means lover of God. So this book wasn't just written. For Theophilus it was written for all of us for all of you who love God, we have the book of acts, and I might add it sent on finish book and never really ended in the way of chapters are still being written. I'm not suggesting we write new chapters and insert them in the Bible to the book of acts, but I'm simply saying we should not put up.
Or God is put a comma.
The work continues on the work of the church in the world today. I could sum up the book of acts this way. It's the spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God. Let me say that again it's the spirit of God working through the word of God in the hearts of the people of God. So let's read now some verses from the book of acts, and then I will give you my first point.
Let's read acts chapter 1 verses 1 to 3. By the way I'm reading from the new living translation. Luke writes in my first book, I told you Theophilus about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving his chosen apostles further instructions to the Holy Spirit during the 40 days after he suffered and died. He appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive and he talked to them about the kingdom of God. There is point number one if you're taking notes before you can change the world. You yourself must be changed before you can change the world you must first be changed. Look at verse three. During the 40 days after he suffered and died. He appeared to the apostles snow we think of the apostles. We think of Peter, James, John, Matthew and later Paul, we put them on pedestals eight. These seem like superhuman individuals, but they were ordinary people just like you and me, we still know they were living, breathing Saints didn't make any mistakes. All they made mistakes in the Bible is honest about the mistakes they made but they were saying she got that part right. What is the St. heard about a Sunday school teacher that was talking to her class and she said class can any of you Joe me what is St. Kitts one of the little girls thought about how she would see those apostles and stained glass and how the light would come through so the little girl said a saint.
Those are people that the light shines through. And that's true that's really what is seen as a by the way, you're a saint. If you're Christian, I'm a saint. Not because I performed a miracle and I've been canonized because the word saint is just another word for believer or follower of Jesus Christ. But here's the thing we need to understand these were perfect people. They were ordinary people, but God did extraordinary things through ordinary people listen. The disciples greatness was not because of who they were it was because of God's hand on the first Corinthians 126 says is not obvious.
The God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks God chose those nobodies to expose the hollow pretensions of the sum bodies are true is that God seems to go out of his way to choose unexpected people to go to unexpected places to do unexpected things.
I read an article about some individual that paid $1 million for offender Stratocaster help that's way too much money to pay for offender strap you can go out and find one of those guitars are around $600 to maybe $1500. So why did this guy pay so much for this guitar will it's because it was the guitar that Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport folk Festival. So prior to that Dylan was known for playing an acoustic guitar is little harmonica right and all of a sudden Dylan comes out with the offender Stratocaster. He plugs it in and plays like a Rolling Stone that would later be declared by Rolling Stone magazine as a greatest rock song ever written them all the folk purists thought this was an abomination and they were so angry, so became an historic event and that guitar the Dylan played at the Newport pop Festival sold for $1 million. Maybe that makes a little more sense than some guy who paid $380,000 for a burned guitar how to guitar get burned well. Jimi Hendrix plated at the Monterey pop Festival. He had just finished playing the song while thing and he took his guitar off put it on the stage put lighter fluid on it and set it on fire and the pickup pieces of the guitar and threw them into the audience in a part of that dismembered guitar ended up in someone's hands later sold it to someone for 380 grand so it's not about the value of a burned guitar is not about the value of the guitar that is called offender Scott offender Stratocaster. The value was and who played it's because Dylan played the guitar or Jimi Hendrix play the guitar. If I play the guitar. It would go down in value. If Eric Clapton picked up that seeing guitar and recorded a song on it. It would be a collectors item. Bring all this up to simply say this thing. Jesus did not call these apostles because they were great. They were great because Jesus called his thoughts.
The instrument is the one who holds the instrument in God can take you despite your flaws and shortcomings and use you for his glory and to their eternal credit. These disciples, later to be called apostles left everything to follow Jesus, he was crucified. There were devastated. He resurrected again from the dead in their lives were never the same.
And this is Lucas saying in acts chapter 1 verse two he appeared to be apostles from time to time and proved of them. He was actually a lot it says he was seen by them and that's an interesting where the user because the words he means to eyeball something I've ever seen something that I can't believe my eyes. That's how the disciples felt when they saw Jesus again. Remember, I pointed out to her that Isaiah speaking prophetically said Jesus would be so beaten in his body so traumatized. You wouldn't even be able to tell he was a man and the disciples thought will never see him again will never talk to him again but he was alive and he appeared to them. He still carried in his body the marks of the crucifixion in his hands and feet.
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene there in the garden outside of the tomb. Then he appeared after that to Simon Peter. Then he appeared in the upper room to Thomas, who had been doubtful up to that point. And Jesus said go ahead Thomas put your hands into the wounds in my hands and all Thomas could say was all my Lord my God, Jesus appeared again to two disciples walked on the him him walking on the Emmaus Road. Then he appeared again the Simon Peter abide of the Sea of Galilee and told Peter to go feed his sheep. On another occasion he appeared to 500 people at one time. So for 40 days Jesus just showing up here showing up there everywhere you look, Jesus would turn up some words of encouragement for all of them so they're saying we saw. We eyeballed him we know he was alive. Listen to this before they could change the world. Jesus needed the first change that in verse John one verse one John writes we proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning who we have heard and who we have seen, we've seen him with our own eyes. We've touched him with our own hands and he is the word of life.
Listen if I want someone to follow Jesus, I must first be a follower of Jesus, so I can show them what a living, breathing, Christian looks like as I've often said you're the only Bible. Some people are ever going to read a Christian is a walking epistle written by God and read by men. So be a good example. I mean, think about this and say you went to a dentist and he was missing most of his teeth and these at Safari, so my teeth are missing from decay and neglect, but I can fix your teeth out when I go to that dentist about this when I go have a trainer in the gym who was morbidly obese and needed help getting up or here's another one would you take voice left lessons from someone who sang out of pitch. If you didn't teach me how to sing, you better know how to sing. If you teach me how to get in shape, you better be in shape if you're going to fix my did you better have a great set of teeth yourself and if you're arresting people to follow the Jesus you follow, you need to be a good example.
The apostle Paul said, follow me as I follow Jesus Christ.
Point number two this early church. They had a job to do and so do we.
Let's go back to acts chapter 1. Look at verse seven he replied Jesus speaking the father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they're not for you to know, but you will receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth was in those words are not just given to those first century believers were still called to tell people about Jesus everywhere. This statement of Christ was prompted by a question from the disciples when they said, Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore your kingdom think here's what was going on. Many of the people, including the disciples had a miss guided notion about Jesus they thought as Messiah. He was coming to establish the kingdom of God on the earth then that's why it seemed like an aberration or a mistake when he was crucified. If they had read their Bibles more carefully, they would've discovered Messiah was coming first to suffer and die for the sins of the world and later to return back to the earth and establish his kingdom. So basically, other than going back to original settings. Okay Lord were so glad you're alive again and are you will establish the kingdom and in Jesus is a very convincing guys.
We got over that I'm not establishing my kingdom on the earth right now. So the disciples asked Lord what are you going to establish your kingdom and Jesus as a response in acts one verses 7 to 8. The father alone has the authority to set those dates in times they are not for you to know Jesus is effectively saying because we you get over this already, I'm not doing is going to establish my earthly kingdom.
Right now, that's coming later. Stop focusing on when I am returning and instead focus on what you are to do until I return. Let me say that again because it applies to us. Stop focusing on when Jesus is returning and instead focus on what you and I are supposed to do while we await his coming. People still ask today when is Jesus coming. Why is Christ not come back yet. And then there is the occasional misguided person who will say they know the exact date of the return of Christ was going to happen this month. Don't believe those people. Jesus says no man knows the day or the hour when the Son of Man will return, not even the angels. Only the father in heaven.
Our focus should be on what we should be doing as we await his return and what is it we should be doing as we await the return of Christ.
Verse eight you will be witnesses, telling people about me everywhere you can escape it.
It's the great commission given to us in Matthew 28, also in Mark 16 Jesus is going to all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples of all nations teaching them to observe everything that I've commanded you and low I am with you, even to the end of the eight, you know, it's a funny thing when it comes to the subject of studying Bible prophecy.
Sometimes folks miss the point. By the way, remember I taught on the book of Revelation, not that long ago. It's now out in the book simply called Revelation a book of promises you know is as we designed this. I spoke to our our designer lead designer's name is Josh Hoffman very talented guy. I said I wanted to be a bright, hopeful, happy cover usually when you see a commentary on the book of Revelation.
It's black and red and almond is looking. I said no.
This is a hopeful book. It tells us that God is in control her to story of a man by the way, you can get this book from us now and harvest ministries for your gift of any size, but heard about a man that was on a great Bible student and he had been reading Revelation. He was talking with some other better educated theologians and telling them he understood Revelation they said you don't understand Revelation no one understands Revelation. It's a mystery it's an enigma. No one can understand that this man said no. I understand it, they said no you don't. He said I said I do all right explained, was the book of Revelation, the sky said the book of Revelation tells us we win in the end that is not a bad summation, but sometimes we can become sort of obsessed with things that we think are fulfillments of Bible prophecy that actually are not. And we forget the fact that Bible prophecy is not given to inflate our brains but to a large our hearts if we really understand what Bible prophecy is about, it should cause us to want to live godly lives know the Lord is not late in returning to planet Earth. He's been patient. Here's what second Peter 39, says the Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think he's been patient for your sake he does not want anyone to be destroyed. He wants everyone to repent for God's waiting for more people to believe a member back in the early 70s when I became a Christian.
Everyone was talking about Jesus returning we were praying Lord come back. Aren't you glad Jesus didn't answer our prayer, because I bet there's a lot of you right now that are watching me out of come to Christ since 1970 the Lord is waiting and I believe there may be walking this earth somewhere. A person who was the last one to believe before the Lord calls this church home to heaven will we often call the rapture of the church will Lord himself will discern from heaven with a shot of the voice of the archangel, the dead in Christ will rise first. We were dry live in remaining shall be caught up together with them in the clouds so we will forever be with the Lord born if you knew that last person was an be tempting to apply a little pressure like can you believe in Jesus, like now, so we can go to heaven.
Imagine you could be talking to someone share the gospel with them. Leave them the present boom were all in heaven. I just woke up a bunch of people with a cup good. You need to be attention. Here's what we know God is waiting for more people to believe. So Jesus lays out for the early church's battle plan on reaching people and it's the same battle plan we should follow today again X1 verse eight. You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. There is so it's Jerusalem Judeo Samaria in the ends of the soul apply this in your life. Jerusalem is your home. You started home. By the way, the hardest people reach of the gospel are your family because they've known you all your life and now you believe in Jesus.
I remember when I became a Christian I it was not well received by my family. It took me years to reach my mother well over 30 years before she actually prayed and committed her life to Christ.
Even Jesus did not reach his family before he died and rose again from the dead, we read that he has family would show up and they would say he's lost his mind. We needed to come home again we read that Jesus could do no miracles in his hometown of Nazareth because of their unbelief because the people said Messiah. We've known Jesus since he was a little boy is is not the carpenter's son hardest people to reach are your family but start there. Start with your spouse. If you're married, start with your mom your dad your grandparents your children your extended family that your Jerusalem then you go to your Judeo now you're sort of leaving your comfort zone is not just your home, your Judeo would be maybe your workplace, your sphere of influence. The people that fall you one social media now you going to your Judeo your larger circle and you share your faith, and then finally you go to people everywhere. Jesus is Samaria, and the ends of the earth. By the way, to say to a Jew, that they should go to Samaria was not appealing because as you know there was a conflict between the Samaritans and the Jews and remember when Jesus went to the woman at the well was a Samaritan. She has a question. Why are you a Jew talking to me, a Samaritan, don't you know Jews and Samaritans of nothing to do with each other that was largely true, but what did Jesus do. He went out of his way to reach someone way out of his comfort zone if you will. Are you willing to do that Jonah was actually called a breach of the people of Nineveh. They were the avowed enemies of Israel. And he didn't want to do it. God want you to reach people everywhere go outside of your comfort zone go even to your enemies with the gospel. As with a guttural ministry and we been doing this now for around 50 years. First we reached our Jerusalem and when we first started our church in Riverside. Here's a couple of pictures of what looked like back then that was our Jerusalem. Then we went to our Judeo that was what was called the inland Empire.
The area around Riverside and then we planted the church in Orange County and that's a larger area of Orange County are Judeo and then we have our church on the island of Maui called harvest, longing, so we start there and then we reach outside of that area and we reach the island and the other islands as well and then are Samaria would've been the United States.
Say you know reaching the rest of our nation and then the uttermost parts of the earth. That's only gone global.
And God is open up doors for us to reach people all around the world and I know this because I read comments from people who watch us. In fact, if you do me a big favor right now. If you're watching on our YouTube channel or my Facebook page or or perhaps in harvest.org is a please either comment tell me where you're watching from. I know in the past I've seen people say or watching from the Philippines were watching from Australia were watching from New Zealand were watching from Japan or the United Kingdom and in Monaco Singapore people watching from all around the world.
Where are you watching from right now. Comment. Let us see where you're from, but that's the idea we go first to the people closest to us and then the people around us and then we go wherever God calls us to go one final point, then I'm done. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do what God is called us to do. Let me say that again we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do what God has called us to do. Look at verse eight. Ask one more time, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you'll be witnesses for me telling people about me everywhere I mean think about how is this ragtag group of individuals going to change the world. There were 12 in total.
I watched the movie it's been around for a long time not long ago called the dirty dozen. I'm not seeing these guys with the dirty dozen, but I'm saying that there were a flawed group of individuals. We have some fishermen. We have a tax collector. We have others very ordinary people. How were they going to do it. I mean their leader next to Jesus was Simon Peter, and Simon Peter would be demoralized for the words of a servant girl, the high priest courtyard, causing him to deny Christ. How could any of them go out anywhere preaching this message, Jesus answers the question you receive power, after the Holy Spirit comes upon you the way they're going to do it in the way were going to do it is with the power we don't possess naturally and super natural power of power to do beyond what we have done before a power to change the world a power to be a witness, a power to share your faith, a power to turn the world upside down. Good news will read about this later when the Holy Spirit is poured out on those first century believers on the day of Pentecost. That same power that set the church and the motion is available to you right now because we read Peter saying in acts 239. This promise is to your children and to the Gentiles and all who have been called by the Lord our God. What promise.
The promise of the Holy Spirit. The word that is used here for power is noteworthy is the Greek word do the mess. Years ago there was a man named Alfred Nobel. We know him best for the Nobel Peace Prize.
But before he created the Nobel Peace Prize. He created a divide explosive substance known as dynamite but he never name for the first invented this this explosive device of this explosive substance, and he went to a friend who knew Greek. He said what is the Greek word for explosive and the man said it's the Greek word do no mess and so Nobel says okay I want to call it dynamite. So basically the Bible is think God is going to give you explosive dynamite power in your life from the Holy Spirit to do what he is called you to do this is real power. People want power.
You don't guys get cars. They like to get the most powerful engine, so they can brag on right you know what I have another stood we like power we like horsepower. We like manpower only like political power to just watch the news and using people grappling for more political power. God is talking about spiritual power. Power to change your life power to change the world.
One of the ministries we do in our church is into assisted living homes and there's a man that was teaching one of these studies is name is Steve was telling the older folks how God wanted to use them, and he told them his teaching from the book of acts of the early church impacted their world because they were filled with the Holy Spirit and encourage them to do the same.
So there is a lady 82 years old and she prayed every day for God to fill her with the Holy Spirit that he would give her a boldness to share the gospel and so whilst he was leaving the study. This lady raise her hand.
She said I have a praise report. I've been praying for God's power in my life and I was able to lead an 85-year-old gentleman to Christ the other day the great so this isn't just for 18-year-olds. This is for 82-year-old this is for everybody to go on and all of your world and preach the gospel and you can do this. This is the message were given to proclaim what is the gospel. I've use that word a few times. The word gospel simply translated means good news. Saw some good news for you God loves you now have some bad news for you. You're separated from this loving God by your sin. When I see you I mean me. I mean all of us because the Bible says we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There's nothing I can do through good works are moral living or even religious rituals to reach God. The good news is, God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin. Remember I told you earlier it was God's plan. Jesus summed it up when he said for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. The father sent the son and the son willingly went and died on the cross for your sin. Now, if you will turn from your sin and believe in Jesus. He will forgive you.
Have you been forgiven of your sent. Do you know that you go to heaven when you die. Are you ready for the Lord's return. If you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life.
If you would like him to forgive you of your sin.
If you would like to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ on the stop right now and pray a simple prayer I would ask that you would pray this prayer with me and if you will pray this prayer and mean it. God will hear you gobble answer this prayer so if you want Jesus to come into your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want to fill that hole in your heart. Pray this prayer with me right now. Wherever you are.
Just pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I also know you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin rose again from the dead. I choose to follow you know Jesus from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord is my God and friend. Thank you for sharing this prayer in answering this prayer in Jesus name, amen. Everybody thinks or listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God