The Heroic Heart that Propelled the Movement

JD degree was in faith during the problem is more important than fixing the problem. I'm just saying that maybe you stock in whatever situation is that God I know that your sovereign sovereign Lord. All these things happen is your directing them and I would be still, I know that you're got mature to be exalted among the nations gospel centered Bible teaching ministry JD Greer, pastor of the stomach church in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina. I'm your host Molly that events notice that when bad things happen.

Many of us spend more time focusing on the problem that sometimes we actually lose sight of the solution. But today Pastor JD explained that our focus should be on our failures should be on her feet were continuing our study the book of acts, and if you missed any of the previous messages in this theory can always find them online or download any complete, unedited message transcript JD Greer.com Pastor Katie has titled today's message of heroic heart health study. The motive actually received Christianity did not start out as an institution start out as a building program started out as a movement around the message. It was a very unlikely movement because those that started it had no money, they had no power had no armies but even that have been even have people in strategic positions of influence by which they could sway the society writing for the New York Times that were serving in Congress, every movement has heroes. Heroes are people who act in certain ways that inspire the rest of us what you see today as you see inside of the heart of the first Christian heroes. They had very little to work with.

They were truly heroic to see what made them heroes to see how as a result of their heroism gospel swept the world without money, without armies without power.

You and I are sitting here today because of that.

My hope in this is that you're gonna see that this kind of heart can be yours. She's first Christian heroes didn't start out that way thing about Peter he's timid he's fearful he's unfaithful fled from Jesus of the first sign of danger denied even knowing him. He became a hero to his experience with the gospel. Now will you do see that you can become just like him. If you believe what he believed in you experience what he experience then you can become what he became. That's what I hope that you will see my hope is that you can have a common type of hero for those that are around you way that these first Christians were for us this, even though the gospel movement swept the world for many of us it has not yet swept through our local communities but also local communities, I mean very local.

I mean like it hasn't yet swept your family.

It hasn't yet swept through your school, your high school or college campus. Your generation of college students workplace your neighborhood. This is all about right. I'm really grateful that the gospel has swept the world and Jesus is build his church, but hasn't swept through our community. I can be responsible for everybody. I can be responsible for every generation that I can be responsible for my generation, and I want to be a kind of uses language hero for my generation. In this passage or to see what real heroes look like a warning or not flashy, but what you see is quiet and behind-the-scenes. We have no way of knowing about it.

If the Holy Spirit had recorded it for us. But you see how they responded to the threat see how they responded to danger in your to see what made them heroes. I accept before we begin in verse 23.

Millimeter context.

First, in case you how you were here last week or you got a bad memory.

Acts 423. What happened as the apostles had been preaching. There is a miracle. And so they were put in prison, but the rulers had to release them because the people.

It was just to popular what was happening and so the rulers threatened them and said you can do this anymore some much worse to you next time will put you back in prison. We will kill you. Whatever I so what you think they did after receiving death threats always assesses what we have done at the summit church of that would've happened are typically our responsibility. Your Peter and John to never be together again right because we can have them both taken out the same time so they gotta be separate, yet I got a big insurance policy so that they get. We have yet to hire somebody else come in and do it. You gotta put a fleet escalates around in armor bearers so that they cannot be tides. We got our eye. Maybe as we gonna rethink the message a little bit because this whole like you crucified Jesus and he can hold you accountable is playing well, so maybe we'll prodigal son was leaving with the prodigal son I wasn't going I will be able we would have typically done but look at what baby in verse 23 when they were released they went to their friends and reporting of the chief priests and the elders had said to them, and when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God. Notice that in the first sign of danger their instinctive reflex is what this prayer you see when you are aware of how much the Spirit is actually doing it through you, then prayer becomes the natural response, not because you are commanded to not because the leaders call a prayer meeting just because it's like breathing to you right now you used to be before I told you that the least discipline person listening to me right now whoever is that whichever one you can't study you procrastinate right you never get stuff done on time. You never work out, you never eat alfalfa sprouts, whichever one he was in the most least discipline category does not be reminded to breathe everyday. Nobody ever calls up a friend says hey I have a good day today. I got a brief signage you hold me accountable. What do you call me now attaching this as you have a brief but nobody does that right because your body craves air and you will need to be commanded to breathe because it just rises up internally and you naturally brief when you understand how desperate you are on the spirit of God to do anything then prayer will become as natural to you as breathing. See a lot of you have a problem maintaining a prayer life and what you're looking for some new treadmill new habit that you can grab a seat you're trying to correct an internal problem with natural sex amount of work because what needs to happen is you need to grow in your awareness of how desperate you are, the spirit of got you got to start walking with the spirit of God because he started walking with the spirit of God and prayer will go natural processes assigned or disconnected from the spirit.

One of things I do every single morning when I get up, as I remind myself of the words of Jesus in John 15 five that apart from me. I can do nothing that music can be a data can be a good husband.

I can't do my job right can't treat other people like I to do anything without the spirit of God. Now I'm not saying you are the perfect model of what about manner.

Prayer want to be but I can tell you that started me out on a day I begin to pray much more reflexively and instinctively because I begin to crave the spirit of God's power and everything that I'm doing prayerless. This is a sign not that you're not disciplined enough.

It's a sign that you disconnected from the spirit of God right they were not so they went right to prayers what they say. One of the site also get sovereign Lord sovereign means in controlled everything you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them into the mouth of our father David, your servant said by the Holy Spirit. Why did the Gentiles rage the peoples plot against us in vain.

The kings of the earth set themselves in the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed, they saw what was happening as a fulfillment of a prophecy.

For truly, in the city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. In other words, everybody to do what ever your hand and your plan had what's in it for church predestined to take place. So now Lord look upon their threats and grant to your servants… Little hook up. It would appear the network.

What you think – four wheeling that will we have asked for traveling mercies right grant and protection, but please change the rulers guess you guys in there who will you be more sympathetic to our movement.

Think of what I pray for them. Grant that we could continue to speak your word with all with that word boldness boldness. They asked for more boldness. You know what got into this mess is boldness, what you pray for and persecution what you pray for and pay. Typically we pray for protection. We pray for deliverance from the pain and I'm sure they one of those things, and by the way, I'm sure they eventually got around asking for them is nothing wrong with asking for those things. But before they pray for those things I pray for God to make them bold within the circumstances, take a no drag us down before they asked for a positive outcome around them. They pray for a faithful spirit within them before they pray for a positive outcome around the May pray for a faithful spirit within them. They pray for faith to be able to respond in a faithful way to whatever the situation will be May pray that's what they asked for Dennis boldness Amber starting while you stretch out your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed for the name of your holy servant Jesus.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken. They're all filled with the Holy Spirit and they continue to speak the word of God with even more boldness, heroes heroes because they prayed this way because they respond in this way the gospel would continue to spread around the world and eventually become overweight us their heroism led to our salvation. So here is my question for you. What is boldness and courage like that one does not come from. I daresay just in my knowledge of you and people like us. We want more courage we will love to be bold without all the time.

I just wish anything is a person out of a man which I was like you I was I was bold like you was always an extrovert was always knew what to say. What is courage come from is boldness, you can willed up inside you doing what you do about that.

I heard the strategy before visualize a positive outcome and then I will help you be bold if you give her the strategy actually got this on the website was a list when you feel fear about something. First, take a deep breath and relax after you relax, visualize doing the behavior that you fear successfully.

See yourself doing the thing that you've been afraid up. Imagine yourself in that situation without all the unpleasant consequences that might happen. Enjoy the feeling of mastery that comes with having dealt successfully with a situation that is up until now made you fearful and then you will feel more confident that it could not be officers and over that strategy were still positive thinking. I know people use that frequently counter work for. But there's a problem. The problem is is even if you visualize good things happening that things can still happen. So, the matter how much you visualize positive things happening bad things are still happening. Which means if you don't even allow the possibility bad things that happened delusional to know to become courageous. You gotta become delusional and I just don't look like that's a good strategy is a sample to be courageous by being delusional at there's gotta be a better way right there is and you'll see five elements in their prayer that made them bold that you be to review number one they believe in God's sovereignty in their trial, they believe in God's sovereignty and their trial, supra, 24 sovereign Lord sovereign means in controlled everything truly in the city were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus always people to do whatever your hand in your planet predestined that take place. The apostles are not looking to situation will man Judas totally messed everything up. I came out of nowhere with the stripping bottles and Judas betrays us what was going on the Caiaphas the high priest if you stuck up for us, they would know they saw all these things as perfectly controlled by a sovereign God who was working all things according to the plan that he'd laid out to glorify Jesus and get the gospel around the world what you believe, that kind of sovereignty was over your pay.

What is your first response and whatever painful situation you find yourself in. Was this what is God's purpose in this vein, my friend. Listen, I'm not trying to tell you that God is delighting in your pain. I'm not even saying he's the one that is causing it.

What I'm saying is, what if you recognize that all the events of your life.

God had a sovereign purpose and that purpose was to glorify Jesus and before you ask God to resolve that pain you at least first stop and ask God what he was. He wanted to do through that pain is even a sovereign God that allowed it to happen because he will my favorite verses on this Psalm 46. It is verse you probably know, when I started going by little tester be still and know that I that I what that I'm gonna get about three quarters of you know that you know the next verse. So if you're okay going for about a be still and know that I'm God I will be exalted among the nations testing. This is one of things that I'm genuinely ticked off what the Christian subculture has done to this verse because we always use the first phrase of members and we put on a coffee cup right so they settle picture about you know the Bible rainbow and a baby mega baby Angel playing hard right and we drink it with our coffee and we look at him have this refill be still and know that I'm God and we never ask for Jesus is not just had the serene moment with your cup of Folgers in the morning.

The point is, in whatever painful situation your red God is exalting himself in the nations so I can know that, in whatever circumstances. I find myself God, greater purpose.

I know that if I lost my job.

God has a purpose for that in the great commission.

I know that if I go through some kind of disability or disease.

I know that it's painful, but I know I can be still and know that he is God that he will be exalted among the nations that he turns my tragedy in his triumphs but he has dominion over my difficult and so I know that in whatever situation I met what he promised to do and I can be still sometimes I just know that he is God I love it will phrase be still good.

I'm a fixer like a lot of you men that is like to fix the problem and there's nothing wrong. God made you that way.

What is before you got to fixing the problem you ask God what his purpose was and that problem she was in faith during the problem is more important than fixing the problem and affectionate.

I'm just saying that maybe you stop in whatever situation you said God, I know that your sovereign sovereign Lord. All these things happen because you were directing them to be still and know that you got the children be exalted among the nations is in the flipside, before doing out your blessings. Your sourcing guide you get this blessing you gave me this new job you gave me this raise you. Can you give me to think what was your purpose in giving me that one of your first question was not how can this new situation.

Benefit me what you saw yourself as a part of God's mission and use it. Whatever blessings, whatever cursing coming to my not cursing, but whatever bad things come into my life all their part of God's purpose to exalt himself among the nations. So for someone asking this raise, but I just got to see you. You say what is God's purpose and that why God give me this blessing given to me maybe was for his purposes, and not my thing.

That's what I want you to start thinking about as you get into these things. I want you to be still and know that he is God. Number two, they knew the Scriptures that in the Scriptures. One. They believe in God sovereign purpose of his mission over to the new prescription for just the other first thing out of their mouths and prayer was an Old Testament Psalm where they claim the promises of God know that shows you shows you the needed to pray in various situations because there were so bathed in the word of God that when like sharp images came out saying time run consult their Bibles and get other concordance to look something up. They just knew it. I told you this before. The book that you hold in your hands. The Bible is a book of promises that some of the wish we could write that on the cover of the book of promises over 3000 promises given to the people of God cannot tell you something I want to know every single one of them because I want to make sure that whatever situation I'm in I am asking God for the promise that he is given I love what Eugene Peterson says about this true prayer is not just talking to God. True prayer is answering God. God's already spoken in his word prayers as a response to what you said Peyton Manning NFL quarterback furthers you better totally disconnected from the world. Peyton Manning best quarterbacks around right now they say that I read article which going him. He said that he spends get this more time in the film room than any other quarterback not just clearly been any of the quarterback that is ever lived any spare moment that man gets you down. They say in the basement watching these films of these other things and they say the result is in the middle of the play when things go differently than planned. He knows exactly what the defense is doing and he knows exactly where things are going to end up there watching play using this app knows more than the coach knows more than the guy that is up there in the little your boxes watching and radio and install for regular goat stuff is more than all that because you study these play so many times that he knows when that person's goes over there. That means discussing the come here and that means I got to be open. I read… Tell want to be with the word of God because I don't have time in the midst of a bad situation. I don't have time to figure it out. I just want to know that whatever happens to me when the play changes the promises of God spring out of my heart on my lips.

See when life cuts me honorably God's word because I listen I once and I want you to see the world to the lens of gospel promises because when the word of God is in your heart and the word of God is on your lives in the spirit of God be working through you to bring the power of God in your situation thing number three.

They were in all the greatest hero number three they were in all the greatest hero you see in the next chapter that God answers are forever more boldness and so they get in more trouble this time and Peter is defending themselves to the rulers.

He says this 75 or 30 to God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree by the way piercings like that. Frank is coming is a chance also I like about what you killed right so would whatever verse 31 God exalted him at his right hand as leader is a great word about the event that you be on the lights of the ball on the line. It did all that is hold your finger on the iPad litmus. I like leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins word for leader. There is the word in Greek RK ghosts may sound weird word to you, but you actually recognize it arc means highest ego means meet your person highest person or when we would say that is permits or Superman, he used the word. There is a very unusual word in Greek because it meant superhero authorities for Hercules Hercules was the RK go because he was so strong he was there superhero now. Peter takes that word and he applies the superhero status to Jesus was significant about that Jesus is totally different than Hercules is very different than every other C4 superhero.

We never come up with. You want to know why superheroes become superheroes with their massive strength, but Peter just said that Jesus was superhero because he died in weakness, in fact, he leveraged his power not to crush his enemies. He leveraged his power to die weakness for his enemies so that he can reconcile his enemies back to himself and see that fundamentally change how the apostles sold themselves. See they were people that were supposed to dominate the world and power.

They were people that would offer their lives as a sacrifice in weakness because that's how God bring salvation to the world we see. They believe that there superhero Jesus not only risked his life actually gave his life. Rather, salvation made sense to them that that's what they should do to give their lives as a sacrifice for the world.

They believe that if God had raised Jesus from the dead.

They believe that whatever the world through them. Overcoming though I had you kill Jesus God resurrected him.

So what you kill also can have a nice DOS imprisoned one second house I can stop things. God loves it when you do this kind of stuck because it just gives them the power is in the ability to show off his power, the more they believe that in the Holy Spirit they been given the greatest possession.

They believe that they been given the God who had saved them in the God he brought Jesus out of the grave now lived inside saying things like paying God's word often being a Christian is seeking to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit. John would sprint for the spirit. So now that we know the five things that give us boldness when we do join us tomorrow for the conclusion. Application of this passage of Scripture on Senate life JD Greer greatest series called sense and were discussing the birth of the early church and God's mission for our lives today. If you missed any part of this setting, the book of acts you can find all the messages online, free of charge@jdgreer.com. Every believer is supposed to become a pastor or move overseas as a paid missionary that we are all called to be on mission around Senate life say it this way, you either missionary or hear the mission field.

So for some listeners medial decide to move overseas and for others medial move across town to support new church plants. Or maybe I'll stay right where you are much more intentional about meeting her neighbors and spending time with your coworkers to help you discover your calling in the mission of God. We got a great new resource for you that gets more in depth regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. It's called sent the book of acts, volume 1 copy of it into your hands, and our prayer is that through this series and through the work, but that we created to accompany that you will be encouraged to join the mission to leverage the opportunities and gifts that you think having to reach your community with the gospel.

The first work but covers chapters 1 through eight of acts, and we will be offering the second workbook in James, you can complete the study and ask will send you a copy with our thanks when you support the Bible teaching ministry assignment might first ask that he had done. He suggested level of $25 and give us a call at 866-335-5220 866-335-5220 air.com while you're on the website to get ministry information about the resources on street my financially clear.com Molly benefits tomorrow is pastor JD describes which hero might even look like you that's Friday and the