Everyone's Secret Need

I'm a little OCD, so Have that light right in the middle, is alright with me? Oh, let's see. I asked 82 Acts chapter number. 3 and we're going to continue where we've been going through the book of Acts and We've this is the second sermon that will see, Peter preach it in Acts. And we've been going verse by verse last week. We kind of talked about a big idea from a passage but turn with me. They are two Acts chapter 3 and we're going to resume where we were last time and a very interesting passage of scripture. A very interesting compelling sermon that Peter is given that I think Tyson very well with the idea of celebrating communion which will do today. Acts chapter 3. Bubba get in there with first number 11, now is the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John all the people ran together to them in the porch, which is called Solomon's greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people men of Israel. Why do you Marvel at this or why? Look so intently at us as though by our own power godliness. We had made this man, walk the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the god of our fathers glorified, his servant, Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the present pilot when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the, Holy One, and just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of Life. Whom God raised from the dead of which we Are Witnesses. And his name through faith in his name, has made this man, strong whom you seeing no, yes, the faith which comes through him, has given him this perfect. Sound this in the presence of you all. It now brother. And I know that you Did it in ignorance. As did, your rulers is also did your rulers but those things which God foretold by the mouth of All His prophets that the Christ would suffer, his dust fulfilled. Repent. Therefore, and be converted that. Your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you before. Whom Heaven Must receive until the times of restoration, of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophet since the world began for Moses, truly sad to the father's. The Lord your God will raise up for you. A prophet like me from your brother and him you shall hear and all things whatever he says to you and it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that profit shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. Yes. And all the profits from Samuel and those who follow as many as have spoken, have also foretold these things. You are the sons of the prophets and of the Covenant, which God made with your father, saying and Abraham and in your seat. All the families of the Earth shall be blessed to you. First. God, having raised up his servant, Jesus sent him to bless you and turning away. Every one of you from your iniquities. Thank you for the Bible. We are blessed or your word. We're blessed through the assurance that you loved us and gave us a record in the count of your mind and heart and will. And so we pray today. As we look at Scripture that you make it alive in our ears and hearts, God, give us the willingness to obey. You. Give us the desire within ourselves to, to live out scripture to be people of Faith who are witness to you, and I are families and them in our, in our lives. We pray today, that you'll cleanse us and forgive us in ways that we fail to, give us a tentative Nash. God, give us a worship in desire to draw near to you. We pray that your spirit will do the work that he alone is able to do and we commit ourselves to you. Now, in Jesus name, amen. Sweep in the first sermon that we saw by Peter. It was prompted by a question and an issue problem. So is this one, the first time was the day of Pentecost prayer to the Holy Spirit comes in, the people of the prophets, the apostles speak and preach and everyone hears in their own language. And the people that have gathered to listen, say these men must be drunk. And Peter says, no, we're not drunk. It's only 9 a.m. And so he preaches to clarify their misconception about what was happening. When the spirit of God came in this situation of lame, man, who is never walked in his entire life has been lifted up by Peter and he'll, then he stands to his feet and the people come together and they're amazed at what they see and so, Peter preaches to them, to clarify this problem in their, my who's responsible for this. Peter says, it's not us, it's Jesus. And then he tells them a very pointed messages preaches to them. This pointed message about about Jesus. The one who with, as we said before, within months of this event, had been crucified right there in their city and Jerusalem by their leaders and by the Romans. And so, Peter, preaches on this moment of expectation and wonder to clarify to them an issue, this important, he could have said, okay you seen this lame, man, healed. I want you to go get all of the sick and the lame and the infirm, and I want you to bring them here, and we're going to heal them all. But that's not what he did. He what he did? Instead of speak to a need that is universally true and and needed in every person's life. He takes them to the heart of every person's matter and he drills down into that, in preaching, the Messiah Jesus who had come I've encountered, at least a couple of times in my life. People who had near-death experiences and is they related to me that the idea of like what that meant to them. They would say this. That I know that God spared me for a reason. I've had people tell me that I know God spared me for a reason. But in their mind as I talked with him, it felt like that. They they they were saying something heroic, there's something heroic that God spared me for But I thought the truth is God's will for everybody. At first is exactly identical and it is that you receive eternal life. As a free gift, if you are still living and breathing God's will for you, is that you receive eternal life as a free gift that you received. Jesus and that's the what, Peter, when he thought. All of the things that I could say is a result of this miracle. That's what he said is that everybody needs Jesus. Even people that want it knowledge, it, that's their need. They have a less obvious. More important concern, Beyond physical safety, and healing. And so that's where this message comes to us. As we think about, I'm going to let the secret out in the very beginning. I titled to message everyone secret need will. Your secret need is that you need? Jesus. That's it. You're like we can go home now. I will stick around and see what Peter said here, but everyone needs first to connect the dots to Jesus. Because when they, the people are expecting some new information or Insight from Peter, he says, look this man was not raised as a result of us. He was raised because of who Jesus is because there's a living savior who raised him up. And so, Jesus, the crucifixion has occurred in the resurrection and Ascension have already happened. And so we see what's happening here. Jesus, Peter says healed, the lame name and not us. He said we didn't do it. It was Jesus. And that's always a good posture for anybody. Is that when people in our life, I want to know what's different about you. What is it about you, that unique? When we want to point people, to Jesus, the one who brings transformation and in the passage, one thing that you can see is that there's a movement behind this miracle, the miracle matter course, it mattered to the man, whose healed. We talked about before that for him, his existence was like this, some friends, some family members, somebody that loved and cared about him came every day and picked him up and took him to the gate. So that he could beg, you know, we see people all the time, like, you go to Savannah with signs on street corners and making their livelihood by asking people to give them a hand out. And of course, we'll never know their motives. We know this guy's mode of this guy could not work. This guy was doing what he could do. And radically instantly his life was changed because Peter saw embarrasses, what silver and gold. I don't have I don't have anything to give to you but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he says stand up and walk and immediately. The Bible says he got strength in his feet in his ankles and he began leaping worshipping. Immediately he connected the dots, right? He saw that this physical healing matter but what really mattered was directing his wife and worship toward God. He got it, just like that, but the people around, or have misgivings, or don't they need some clarity? Just like you, everybody. What's Life about? Undeniably something extraordinary has happened, but what does it mean? That's the question that they had observed. This guy they saw him. There was no doubt that the majority of people who could see this man. Now knew that he had previously been crippled for his entire life. He been unable to walk and stand until now, they knew that they just didn't know. The whole backstory of God was up to in that healing and what the miraculous signs pointed to and what it pointed to was. This need that even if we are fully able-bodied.

Even if we feel like we don't need anything, this is still what we need. That's why Peter preach this message that has a application to everybody in the world at all times. We see that God is capable of changing a person's life in an instant. The miracle of healing for the sky but he's able to do the same thing in our life through the miracle of forgiveness and redemption. In an instant. He can take a wife, that's destined for hell. He can take a wife of alienation and isolation hopelessness and inject into that life hope.

I like the human parts of this story. Like when I'm reading verse 11 is he's a little wobbly. Do you noticed that like Peter and John have to kind of help the guy? You know how babies never walk before. I like that, human part of the story that it's like they grabbed him by the arms and they're helping him as he as it gets used to being able to walk. That's what it looks like to get to me. I thought, you know, that's a good analogy about life and spiritual Community to. When we're learning to walk, we need people that will come alongside us and take us by the elbow and help us along the beautiful truth about what God does when he gives us the church family when he gives his community. That's how it's meant to be when I came to faith in Christ. Frankie and I was 24 years old and I can think about all the people in my church. Family that was a solid church that we came to faith in Christ and that disciple to stay put a stamp An uncomfortable situation sometimes so that we could learn how to be Servants of Christ through Us in the deep end of the pool. But often times today, we're just people that were alongside us to help us and reinforce what we were learning and discipling. It happens in community. Discipleship is the idea of learning and internalizing spiritual truth, so that we're able to flush it out and live it out in all of the situations that we're going to encounter. And all of that part of the story. I like how the scripture says in the Book of Psalms that he get that God knows our frames, he knows that we're done, there's a kind of a weakness built in the human condition that requires help Beyond ourselves. God knows what we were like, how were made. And so, there's this movement behind the miracle. And then there's meaning behind that, the miracle that occurs, where Peter divert attention away from himself. And so anybody that is ever in a situation of leading, egoism is a great detriment to spirituality and spiritual leadership. You know, people get platform than it's really easy to think how great we are and stuff like that. But what Peter does he says, I'm that's what Jesus said to and John 15:5. He says, I am the vine and you are the branches whoever bites in me and I in them produces fruit, he says, but apart from me, you can do nothing. And Peter says that he says, this isn't because of me, it's because of Jesus. And in the passage, we see that God is amazing. And it, we shouldn't be surprised that sometimes that amazing aspect of who got is, is put on display for us. What you hear, people say God, showed up and showed off, you know, it's good when God shows up and shows off, I was talking to a friend yesterday that was talking about how it is. Sometimes, just in the tiny things that he shows up at a place where he needs encouragement, and the person not knowing anything about his needs speaks exactly into his life. What was needed at the moment? And it's just the way that God in his grace personalized has our faith and understands us and knows what we need and God's amazing and they didn't lose a lot of that. In the early church, they kept drilling into that belief of how great God was showing up and showing off and all the good that happens in our life has Jesus as its stores. That's what the Bible teaches do. People always acknowledge it or see it. No. I mean, I remember having a conversation with the person one time and talking about, I'm sure before that God rescued me out of some broken, this out of addiction and excess. When I was 24 years old, I spent about six years, just being stupid. And at the end of the stupidity when got interrupted me and I was able to repent and turn to him and I shared my testimony with people, they would say, you know how, I remember, share my testimony in person. So I did all that without God. And I thought about that and I thought, I know you just did all that without acknowledging God. That's what you actually did. Because the scripture says this it says every good and perfect gift is from above comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. So anything good in our life, anything good that God would call. Good came from God and it's for God and about God. And so people sometimes don't acknowledge that, but it's still the truth. In the reluctance of people to connect the dots to God is just evidence of spiritual blindness. Here's what the Bible says about that is in 2nd Corinthians 4:6, even if our gospel is veiled. It's veiled to those who are perishing. Whose Minds the God of this age is blind date. Who. Do not believe less. The light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who's the image of God shine on them. So it's saying that there are humans in this condition of blindness. Blindness is rizon open it, so they're not going to scribe. Good things to God, even though they come from God and connecting, the dots is important. And that's what Peter was helping them doing this narrative today. He's showing them, this is how God was it work in the healing of this, man? And in the story that God wanted them to hear and understand there's a, I don't know how many of, you know, Andrew Peterson's music. He's one of my favorite Christian writers and he's such a talented person who's kind of person that makes you jealous, you know, artistically gifted and musically unbelievably talented. I've seen him in concert a couple of times and I'm always just impressed with his humility and the inside that God's given him, but he's got a song that's based on who Peter wasn't part of the lyrics. Say, I've seen too much I've seen two Too many faces are shining like the sun. I've seen too many skies on fire. Like the face of the Holy One. I've seen too many eyes wide open that once were so blind, all burn with beauty of the same. Love the same, love that, open mind, I love that. I love this song cuz it it's a describe somebody who's struggling, but who's like, wait a minute, you know, even though sometimes life is difficult, I'm going to meditate on the things that I've seen from God. I'm going to go back and remember in my story that God has been faithful again. And again, all the way through He said, I've seen too much. I'm not going to turn away. I'm not going to turn back. How could I based on God's goodness that everybody needs to connect the dots but also everybody needs to see themselves in the passion narrative. That's what he preaches to this audience. The passion Jesus suffering, which was told to us through the prophets. That's what I like, studying the message that he preached because it helps us see how the apostles preached. And what they did was go to the Old Testament prophets and say look there's Jesus hears, Jesus God didn't stumble onto anything. He was telling a story all the way through that was for thought and planned. Because God is wise and before everything and everyone. And Jesus is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the earth. God knew when people fail that there was going to be a need for recovery and restoration and forgiveness and all the way through. Hundreds of years, thousands of years before Jesus was ever historical person God in human flesh. God already had purposed everything that he was going to do to rescue people in the bring hope into our lives. So we need to see ourselves in this passion narrative. I love the old spiritual song. We usually, usually here around Easter season, Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? That's all Were you there? When the sun refused to shine, but what's the rider saying, in the song? You were there. That's what he saying. Yes, you were there. You were There When They Crucified My Lord, I was there in his crucifixion. We we all are there. That's what Peter is safe, he blames them for what happened. Again it's the only reason person would do this is Holy Spirit boldness. The holy spirit is filled Peter. He knows that these people in the audience crucified, Jesus and he stands up and he says you did this to them. But you know, what else? He says, you did this to them. I did this. That's what else he saying, because we're there and this narrative. We're there in Jesus betrayal. He talks about the fact that Jesus has betrayed in verse 13. He says the god, the god of Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob Glorified, his servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Paul when he was determined to let him go. You who? What? This group of people, many of them who would have been there for that event, or who knew about it? Who were influence, who thought, who thought the same way about those, the incident who are still going to the temple. But with no knowledge of Christ, he says that to this is about, this is about them, but it's not only about them. He says, you denied the Holy One in, Justin asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of Life. From God raised from the dead of which we Are Witnesses. So, heavily about the resurrection, And he says, there's only one God, who has consistently been telling the story through the progress of humanity. So that's why it says God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, that God, the very same God, who in the beginning, created the Heaven and the Earth has same God who made people and put them on the earth. The same guy that was there at in the garden when the broken this and fall of humanity cards. The same guy who's telling this human Story, the same guy that threw two people, put people all over the face of the Earth. Until now there are eight billion of them. And however, many nations there are hundreds and hundreds of Nations that same God, he says, this is the god who gave to us, Jesus, who became man who lived among us and so in Jesus betrayal, he's placing them in the story. He said, the scripture says he honored his son whom his own people betrayed. That's what happened. Jesus was a Israelite. Jesus was born tribe of Judah. Jesus was born to a Jewish family so I can see why they did. And so, when we look at what the scripture says out, I put this in here so fast night and when you read Psalm 2, to think about this event or to think about the events that led up to the crucifixion. Psalm 26 wide of the nation's rage and people quite a vain thing, the kings of the earth set themselves in the rulers, take counsel together against the Lord and he gets his anointed saying, let us break their Bonds in pieces in Castaway their courts from us which is basically saying, this is what's in the heart of all people at least initially is the idea that we are going to live self-directed lives that we that we live life and we decide we're going to be the person Direct in live in charge of our life. That's the natural situation. If people are born into and then they live in until God intervenes. But this is the attitude that he the songwriter hundreds and hundreds of years before identified, as the very same culture and invite They was prevalent when Jesus came in the first century and was crucified. This was the thinking that was manifest in the leaders. They just have the power to be able to do something with it and they did. And they think we're getting rid of this past. Jesus, that's what they thought they were doing. Let's break the bonds and pieces. Listen to this, how God responds, he who sits in the heavens, shall laugh? The Lord shall hold them in derision because God knows better. God knows that what God is doing is going to hold sway. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them and his deep displeasure yet, I have set my king on my whole he loves on Lisa's, Jesus is enthroned as king. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, you are my son today. I've been gotten you, this is all messy and we saw this in Hebrews if you remember because the rider Hebrews says, hey he's talking about Jesus hear. You're my son today, I'll be guiding. You don't be confused about the word begat and sometimes people are, it doesn't mean made. It doesn't mean that he came into existence, the pre-existent. Eternal God put on flash. That's what we begotten means, had a human history, his birth date as a human. That's what it's talking about today. I've been got you and it's just telling us the gospel stories, ask him, and I'll give you the nation's for your inheritance, the ends of the Earth for your pee. You shall break them with a rod of iron you show dashed into pieces like a Potter's vessel. Now, therefore it's telling people how to respond be wise Old Kings be instructed. You judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling kiss, the son pay homage, that's what it say. Unless he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled. But a little Blaster all those who put their trust in him, I love to read that song in view of what's happening in this story because it just let the Bible explain the Bible. That's what we're doing. The Bible shows you that Jesus Christ is who the songwriter was talking about hundreds and hundreds of years before, and that a wise person, when it says kiss the son, it means surrender lay down your Rebellion. show affection at worship to this, the one who is the Sun It it says in John's gospel, he was in the world. In the world was made through him in the world. Did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. That's what we're Peter say. In this passage, this is what happened. Jesus came. This is how you responded to him. If you didn't receive God's King and he's Jesus, threaten the established religious order of his day to the point that they scheme to eliminate him. That's what he says. In his message pilot was determined to release Jesus in the crowd demanded that he be releasing a torious murderer. We think about Hooper rabbits was an insurrectionist murderer. Peter and the apostles and everybody in the first century would have known that better than anyone is like us. Reading the paper about some contemporary thing. They knew Barabbas, they knew his character. They said it. This is who he is. He was a murderer. But God is not warded his purposes prevailed. Even though it appeared, that Darkness was having its moment. That's what it looks like is going on. God is so perfect and Powerful that he can accomplish his will even through people who are intent on, follow their own heart that interesting, cuz here's what God wanted, God, wanted that Barabbas to be released to God. Also wanted that Barabbas to be released in Jesus, to be crucified. That was God's plan. These people think we are getting what we want but in reality the subtext is God's getting what God wants. God is the one deciding. And we know that that is a picture of The Sovereign reality of God's power. Not that. He manipulates, I guess. In some way, God is operating in a way that his outcome is happening super naturally, God's not to Arden. God takes the foolishness of people and he turns it into Redemption. And that's what we see in that passage God's generosity, cause the release of a murderer so that his son would be sacrificed in the place of Barabbas in our place as well. That's what the story is. Trying to show, wash Jesus death, permits us all to experience a similar acquittal We are just like Barabbas Brabus was acquitted, right? He was even though he was guilty, was found not guilty. That's Redemption people who are guilty, found, not guilty, because Jesus, stepped in, and did the job that we can't do. He took the he became for us, what God required in righteousness, So this story, this narrative is telling us exactly how the Salvation works and how God was at work. We need to see herself in this passion. There it is and we were there in this crisis of belief because he's going to eat. He tells them. Here's what you have to do. It already told the first group that he preached to cuz they asked, what should we do, what must we do? And he tells them to repent and put their faith in Jesus. And he says, the same thing here that there's this crisis that's occurring that you have to respond appropriately. It look at verse, 15, killed Prince of Life. Think about the words there, they didn't know what it says, whom God raised from the dead where witnesses that his name through faith in his name is made this man, strong whom you seeing no, yes, the faith which comes through him is given this perfect sound. This in the presence of you all yet. Now, brother, and he says I know that you did it. In ignorance is also did your rulers. He gives them An app. he says, you did this ignorant like Satan know who Jesus was for sure. He knew that Jesus was the Prince of Life, the architect, the Creator. That's what it's saying. Jesus create off. All things came through him without him, there's nothing created. It came to be. That's what John says, in John 1. But we must assume that the people of Jesus generation didn't know what they were doing in. Jesus, Pride, you remember how Jesus prayed, he says, father, forgive them for. They do not know what they're doing when Jesus was hanging on the cross. That was his, forgive them. They don't understand what they're doing. so, They're caught up in a cosmic battle. They don't know it, it's not obvious to them. But that's what God says, is happening are caught up in a cosmic battle because they behaved ignorant the only they could still repent. That's what Peter preaches to them, even though you were complicit in Jesus death, you can still repent. He says, There's still hope. If we don't understand Grace, any other way, that should help us understand Grace. That's what it is in a nutshell, even though humans were the cause of Jesus death. We can still repent, even because it happened because of our Rebellion. and we saw last week or Romans 5:12 says that sin came into the World by one man, and by sin, death and death spread to All Because all send We can't say, hey, that was Adam. Not me because the Bible says it wasn't just Adam. It was you two? because all of sin because all rebattle, Because all of us missed Mark. And so, this is their turning point and it's one that all people need. The Bible says, in Acts chapter 17, which will get to eventually truly these times of ignorance, got overlooked, but now, commands, all men everywhere to repent. Same thing. Peter says here. Paul says, later, when he preaches at Mars Hill, Mars Hill in Athens, Greece, same thing I told us the same story all the way through, he says, What you have done in ignorance? Ignorance is only an excuse until you get information, and then it's not an excuse anymore. And Peter says, look I'm giving you the information that you need. And so, consequently ignorance is no longer an excuse, you can use, it's not a way you can rationalize away your guilt in your need to respond to Christ. He says, now, you know, in a person who knows the Bible says to him that knows to do, right? And doesn't do it to him. It is sin. That's what James says. So now we know and if you know, you're responsible, that's what the Bible says. That's what the Apostle is preaching here since you did it. Ignorantly, but now the time of ignorance is over and it's the time of response is the time to repent.

And it's time to be to act. So then also the past that shows us that everyone needs to Redemption, God has thoughtfully and deliberately delivered. That's what the remainder of the passage is about everybody. Needs this Redemption that God has thoughtfully deliberately delivered, got a Jesus is God's promised Messiah. That answer the Christ, the anointed one. He was the one that the prophets were telling about him. That's what Peter does. He goes back to the prophecy evidence compellingly says that Jesus is the awaited Messiah. And so the Messiah when we learned about him was, it was predicted that he would suffer and that's fulfilled in Jesus. And that's what he says in verse 18, those things which were foretold and you say, where do you find that in the Old Testament? The most obvious places that we see that, this, the Mossad would suffer Isaiah 53. When you read Isaiah 53. It reads basically like an account of everything that happened at the cross and sodas Psalm 22. Psalm 22, Isaiah 53. Psalm 34:20, in fact, when Jesus is on the cross, what we see is that he quotes the Psalms from the cross at times there the words that are in the psalmist, Come out of Jesus Mi historically as an application of the of what it, what was happening. And also read, when you read the gospels and pay attention, to each time, the rider side and Old Testament, prophecies in makeup application to Jesus the Messiah. We see that they're saying the prophet said, this would have and then it did happen in in Jesus experience. The evidence that Jesus is the Messiah demands, an appropriate response and that's he's appealing to them. He is saying to them. Now, this is what you have to do. Repent there be converted. That your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. And so, this is what the Bible says, as far as the East is from the West so far. Has he removed our transgressions from us when it says here, that your sins can be blotted out? That's the message that how far is the east from the West. It's a idiom that is meant to say, you know, they never meet, they start this way. They go that way and it as far as space would go in your imagination Easton when it's that you're not thinking about traveling the planet till you run back into East again. No, that's not the image. The image is that these two things will never run into one another as far. The East is from the West so far. Has he removed our transgressions from us and in another place, the Bible says, in the book of Colossians, he having wiped out the handwriting requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, he's taking it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross. That's what Jesus did as he wiped away. The handwriting with a cleansed. It be blotted. It out there. As the scripture says here from your town in from my account, so that our names could be written down and in the Lamb's Book of Life indelibly, that's how God works. He takes Jesus sacrifice his innocence. The beauty of his Holiness, and he puts it over our sin and he brings justification and cleansing and forgiveness, and peace. And this is the gospel that does the apostles preach to Their audience is so repentance means irrefutable change. When we believe and repent God, watch the record of our offense is clean, so think about that. Repentance means irrefutable change. In other words, observable tangible, when somebody what we think about how do we know if faith is real in our life? Because there's been a change of Direction because there's been something that others, observe we call it a witness, we call it a testimony. But other people know that in our life where we were headed one way, we're headed. Another one, it's not only in our life, it's in our mouths, right? It's on our behavior is why I keep saying, like, leaving home and coming to Church to worship with other people, is a very fundamental way that we acknowledge the other people that we're following Jesus. A basic way, a way. but an important one, but in many ways in our lives, repentance means that there is proof Repent. Turn to God, do work switch, give evidence of repentance. It's not what we do in our own strength or power is what God begins to do in the life of an authentic League. Converted person, that's what the Bible is showing us. And so the evidence also that Jesus as Messiah means, there's only one Pathway to God. And that's what the writer shows in versus 23:23, In this passage that he may send you Jesus. Who is preached before, whom heaven and must receive until the times of restoration, of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophet since the war begin. And what this is not talking about, this is talking about One Singular human event. One Singular human movement that there aren't many different religious wasted the world in judgment and Reconciliation workout. God is working one single thing that we've got to get on board with to the rest. Bryson of all things. He says when God consummate the world and brings history to a conclusion. Moses truly said to the father's the Lord, your God will raise up for you. A prophet like me from your brother and him you show here in all things, whatever he says to you and he says this is who were preaching Jesus and it shall come to pass that every soul. Who will not hear that profit shall be utterly destroyed from the people, how many Souls does it say, every? So that's what it says every soul who want hear this Prophet, what prophet, Jesus? Because that to Moses was talking about y'all be utterly destroyed. It says, she'll be cut off from God's. Life is what it says. And so I love how Isaiah Express this. This is the way, the prophet, put the same idea of hundreds and hundreds of years before he says, a highway shall be there in a road and it shall be called The Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although up a fool, shall not go astray. That's encouraging. It, even if you're a fool, if you get on this road and your jostled along with other people and God is upholding, you you'll get to your destination but it's the same thing that the apostles said and asked for 12 or they said, nor is their salvation. And any other for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be safe. It's the same thing. Jesus said in John 14:6, when he said, I am the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the father, except through me. There's no other approach to God, except for what God did in Jesus, dad is the testimony of scripture in the apostles and the evidence. That Jesus is the Messiah. Satisfies, the biblical prophetic expectations. That with you, you can see in the remainder of this passage that he says all the profits from Samuel as many and those who follow as many of spoken and foretold these days, you are sons of the prophets in the Covenant, which God made with your father, saying, Abraham, and in your seed, all the families of the Earth shall be blessed at Jesus. That's prophecy about Christ. Do you first got having raised up his servant? Jesus sent him to bless you and turning you everyone away from your iniquity. So, The scripture is saying that what all everything got. It been promised and came to its culmination in Jesus. It was credibly laid out in the Bible. Anybody can read the Bible and see that life is not random. Can see that God has been purposeful. It's not an accident and he has been moving us to this place where his son came, even if it was sometimes messy, if you read the book of Genesis and you see the Patriarchs, you see all the things that happened to Israel. It was messy, the God got us to this place where Jesus came to turn, everyone away from their iniquities. Psalm 106 is a Chronicle of Israel's waywardness in God's Khan faithfulness there to show us. This is the disposition of paper. We are no different than they were. And that song says, this in part, then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people. Nevertheless, he regarded their Des. Grass when he heard their cry, I was reading a devotional this week from Eugene Peterson, who is a favorite writer of mine? He says, we can it cause and effect with a dare for God, connects them with a nevertheless, The Logical consequence of sin is damnation. The gospel consequence is salvation. Nevertheless is one of the most important words and scripture for it miraculously, joins human sin with God's salvation. Not a beautiful. Thought. What God did is he goes? Yes, it's true about you that you've broken my wall. It's true about you that you've been a rebel. It's true about you that you've chosen your way and not my way. Nevertheless, I'm offering you compassion. I'm offering you forgiveness. I'm offering you kindness. And then we respond to God. That's the how our response to God is to be at to give to God's a worshipping life. A focus life of worship, that is a testimony to his goodness and his forgiveness.

I was talking to someone church friends recently about why churches may be more difficult in our day than it has been in some time. And I said, here's what I think. I think it's because we know that we have what we need, but it's not always what they want it. We live in a culture full of people that I know that that's what I need, maybe they would say that, but it's definitely not what I want. Well, what this passage is showing us today is that this is how what everyone needs, this is what everyone needs. We're going to conclude our service day with the Lord's Supper in the moment. But here's what I'd like to do. I definitely want to offer you the opportunity to respond to God's salvation if you never have before, if you've never trusted Christ, as your savior, everybody has some intersection some turning point in their life or they say yes to God, I've shared many times. I sat in Church, White Knuckle holding onto the front of a chair Pew in those days rather than just go and okay, I know this is true. Why don't I just stop being hard hard headed about it? But there was a point in time where I had to say, I'm not going to be hard headed in the longer. I'm going to release my own stubbornness and Trust in God's Gift in his goodness and so I'm going to have a Tom Scott, we're just having music for the communion town right now, but here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask you to stand with me and I'm going to ask you if there is if you would like to the prayer prayer today and it's a sample. Kind of thing is the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. That's what it says. So, that's basic. Anybody can call on the name of the Lord? We just cry out and say, I think it's as simple as saying, Help. That's where I got to do, is just say help. And maybe today, you'd say this is where life finds me. Just had a place where I know what I need is to say, yes to God. I'm going to pry. I'm going to ask you then if you need to respond just to come up quickly, I'll pray with you and set up a time to council following and We'll have our time of celebrating communion together, and if you would like to open your heart up to Christ, you might pray something like this. Heavenly father,

I know that my son has been separating me from you.

I believe that Jesus died for my son. I believe that he was raised from the dead for me. I want to follow you and make you my lord, and my master. And I pray this in Christ name, amen. And if today, that reflects the attitude of your heart and courage you for just a few moments. Now, if you, if you would like to respond to do so. As we have an attitude prayer.