Sunday, March 24th, 2019 - AM - Mark 16:14-20

What this time? We invite our little ones that are with us to join my wife by the door. If you'd like to join her for a Children's Service. She's going to lead you to the room down the hall here and have a Bible lesson with you and spend some time together learning about Jesus and so you can join her and she'll take you right where you need to go. You'll be in good hands. Trust me. I know from experience. She's she's very good at what she does some praise the Lord and for those who will remain here in this service and those who are listening outside of the service your listing of the Broomfield Baptist Church, it's Sunday morning. This is the pastor bringing the Sunday morning message will be in The Gospel According to Mark chapter number 16 Mark chapter number 16.

I'd like to begin reading with you and verse number 14.

And this is the context of following the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Afterward it says in verse 14. He Jesus appeared unto the 11 as they sat at meat. And upbraided them with their unbelief and Hardness of Heart.

That's a great way to start isn't it? Here comes the Lord. Jesus came in and noticed. This is a strong word. It says he upbraided them but notice why he abraded them he a braided them for exactly what were the mic was singing about? Because they weren't believing they weren't trusting like they should and so he comes there sitting at me give braided them with their unbelief and Hardness of Heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen let that sink in here comes some folks telling the greatest news that the world ever could hear or need that Jesus Christ is no longer in the Tomb and they were just probably like you and me what know you're kidding. What did you eat last night? Did you have pizza too late? You understand the context here. So Jesus comes and basically says you should you should have listened to them. You should have given them a better ear. So because they believed them they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Noticed right after he upbraids them and this is our loving Lord. Okay that I don't think this was harsher than what they could handle. It was spoken with all the grace that our Lord had has said he was just so magnetic. I mean think about the people that would come and sit at his feet and listen to him teach and be drawn to him and hear it, you know, your your your lingering over every word that the Savior would say and then he says okay after after we clear the air here and and get the corrections that need to be done bring a little reproof and it braiding now, let's move on. Let's put the past behind us. There's something we need to focus on together read with me verse 15 and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature. Let's read that out loud together and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature. He that believeth in his band. I shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name. They shall cast out Devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. First 20 and they went forth and preach everywhere. The Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen Lord. I pray that you would help us to understand your word this morning. In a way that would change our life. May we see these words. NBA not just remain written to this group of 11 on this day when they saw the Lord but may we see that they are written even to us today as Disciples of the Lord followers of Jesus that we to carry this baton. We pass this torch. We hold High the word of God and we hold it for its as both said in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation. We hold up the truth and it is to the church that becomes the pillar and ground of that truth and made that never falter made that never fail here at Broomfield Baptist Church. May we always be that Beacon of Hope and rest where folks can find the good news that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and can save them if they'll believe Lord. I pray that you will bless all that's done in our hearts and lives make us more like Jesus when we leave then we came to inform us to his image and I'll know that I've done what I've been called to do by you and each per And that receives your word with faith will be built up by you and your power and I'll thank you and rejoice with the angels in heaven of for what you'll do in in the days to come. We thank you and pray this in Jesus name. Amen. I feel like I'm behind the behind the the starting line on this year because we're coming to the end of the Gospel of Mark and and we're jumping right in and so there's a lot of things that we already have to have figured out before we even come to this passage. We need to know that Jesus Christ has been born of a virgin and lived a sinless life and and done all the Miracles of the Bible records. We need to know that our Lord was such a personal Lord and Savior that he was so compassionate and loving and also we need to understand that when he was in The Garden of Gethsemane before he was headed to the cross in John 17. We have the record of that high Priestly prayer. Now I have everything I could pick out in the Life of Christ. We can spend a long time going through that. Couldn't we all that the Lord did it can't even be written down here. Why then do I draw your attention to John 17 in particular for where we're going to be spending time this morning simply because of this when our Lord prayed in that Garden, He asked his father not to take his disciples out of the world. Remember that part don't take them out, but he prayed that they would be in the world. But also you've heard the phrase may be in the world. Not of the world. Okay, keep them from the evil protect them watch over them. Don't take them out leave them here because something needs to be done to get the gospel forward after I after he is sent back to the heaven and so don't take him out but protect them watch over them sanctify them through that truth that word is truth. So with that being a backdrop and Usher understanding together that Jesus wants us in the world, but he doesn't doesn't want us of the world then when we approach this passage. It ought to be taught to say something to us about going for the Lord and let's just walk through this together and maybe this can be an encouragement to you as you figure out. What it is. God wants you to do as you follow Jesus. We come to him and we say what I want to follow you. What does that look like? But what is it that I need to do as a follower of the Lord and so we're in the world. We've been commissioned. This is Mark's account of the Great Commission in and Mark just about way of of background really Mark's gospel is the shortest out of all the four he's very succinct. It's written to not a Jewish audience. It's written to a Roman audience more than anything. If so when he's talking about things not going to go into a lot of detail about Jewish custom. He's not going to go into a lot of the things that Matthew does he's not going to cover things in the way that loot does being the doctor in the position that he was he goes into my new detailing and he footnotes documents everything. I'm I'm kind of paraphrasing that okay, but he he cites his sources. He he does his homework. He make sure that everything is his chronological this inconvenient and Lucas very thorough in his research. Because of his academic standing to do that Mark and this is this is an exciting gospel. You are the action gospel. This is the action gospel Mark hits the ground running and within 16 chapters. We have the whole life of Christ the death burial Resurrection ascension all of it the Great Commission Mark just summarize. Is it for a lovely and he's very succinct and what he said, so it's very rapid paste very move of moves very quickly. So is Mark is here telling us about his account. This this may have been even one of the earliest records of that Great Commission being written down. I'm not sure that but I think it's important what he says none the less. We have a commission. And if we are going to have an effective in a pic that word on purpose and effective impact. Upon the world with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're going to have to understand and live out what Mark and the others think there's five accounts of the Great Commission that are given in the New Testament. We've got to live this out. If we're going to make a difference being in the world not of the world and so as we look at his past as you want to know who's winning this morning thoughts really aren't original with me. I mean, how many times can you come to a passage like this and come up with something new on it? If I found something new here, then I would probably be a little cautious. Amen. So I want you to remember this and I want this to be a help to you three things here that we can really set her mind around there's a task. That we need to accept. There are terms. That we're looking for others to accept in other words, there's boundaries for the gospel. The gospel has been grossly mystifying today in our society in our culture. And I think was dr. David Gibbs and one of his messages. I was listening to recently he said he was talking about discernment and having discernment and he made a striking statement. He said in one of those messages it in the message. I was listening to about discernment. He said if something was ever wrong before And truly wrong. Okay, and you need to understand where he's coming from the contacts if something is was wrong before then it's always going to be wrong. From God's perspective if something was right, and we need to have discernment. He was in Hebrews 5, you know about being exercise done to determine if something's right in God's eyes then it's going to be right and his people are called to have that kind of discernment between right and wrong. So there are boundaries when it comes to giving the gospel and we'll look at those and then I want you to see the tests or maybe want to call it the trials because if this is the unadulterated true Gospel of the Bible, then we need to be able to validate that somehow we need to be able to test it and needs to measure up. We don't just take somebody's word for it without doing our diligence to say is this genuine is this genuinely from God. So so that gives us a kind of a framework of where we're headed today. Are you with me? So let's look at the first aspect of that and this is the task or the work the work of of the Gospel. The invitation is here really I would say it's a command to the followers of the Lord notice to contact says it's the 11 that sat at meat when you canceled the commentary some of them, you know reference the 500 that were there and it but I think it's important to Mark points out there. They're specifically to these 11 but as typical in Jesus's Ministry think about The Sermon on the Mount you had the disciples that were there he was giving the sermon to the disciples but the multitudes were within earshot. So maybe that's something similar that we're seeing here we can think about it. That way he comes he have braids them for their unbelief with their unbelief and Hardness of Heart. I think that's striking, you know, these are the people that are supposed to have it all together when it comes to following Jesus and how many times did the Lord tell them that this was exactly what was going to happen. He was going to have to be killed. And raising in the third day and it's like they just never had that lightbulb moment until later. When the Holy Spirit you worked on their heart and a new Skylight and John tells us about that then they remember, you know, all the things that he who yet in the put this together the Lord does that for us? Sometimes hindsight's always 20/20 and its 10:10 with the help of the Holy Spirit, right? Is that better Vision? I forget tinted Better Business of the Holy Spirit helps us see things that maybe we miss Didn't believe now I think this is so striking to the context because aren't they doing what Jesus is about to tell his disciples to do that. That's so striking to me, They're so excited because they've seen the Lord and they know it and then they get this rebuffed. I know you didn't see that Trevor Thomas where this is occurring. I think if we go read John will find out they're in there in the upper room in the doors are bolted. I think this is that appearance. I really do comparing the gospels. So Jesus appeared in their midst in the door was was bolted. It was when you read the word shut their means it was bolted tight like Loctite when we shut the door. That means you hear that little click in the bolt goes in and it and it locks and latches. So it's not just clothes. It's actually shut bolted and Jesus appears in the midst which is interesting because he wasn't in there and now he is so he comes and he have braids in for them to remember Thomas. You guys are crazy, except I see this the Stars the nails remember that and Jesus, you know, you was gone the first time Jesus appeared and then Jesus comes back. I think just for Thomas think about Thomas we felt Thomas behold my hands and my side reach 4th and at that Thomas. What's up, Brayden? I think in his heart and said and just an immediate 180 right there. I mean, that's all it took. face to face with the resurrected Lord Rotten to his knees. He said Lord my Lord and my God now it's not stayed in the text. But I think we can we can see what's going on there. He gets her braids and he's proven his heart play changes his mind immediately. He's in the leaf uses. This is the Risen Lord. This is the savior that I love and he's come now. I think that's that's where I think all of that fits hand-in-glove right here with what Mark is describing. So so quickly eloquently and succinctly He says under them. Go ye into all the world the task is to be going into the world. And here it is preach the gospel to Every Creature Southwest Baptist Church, Heartland Baptist Bible College visit. I think last January when he was back on break at rent. Is there Trent and Severin Severin was with his sister. Will he's at Heartland. And when you go to Heartland, you'll notice up on the on the back of the auditorium. They have their slogan, you know, Iris that's on our banners. I think he might be below the you can't see it. But when we started this this ministry here, we we had a slogan found it on the word focused on the world meaning we want to get the gospel out of the world, but we want to be founded on the Bible. They have a similar slow and it says preaching the word reaching the world. I like that. It just sticks in my mind. So I want to kind of take that and build on it if I can and borrow that you can you can ask Pat. Gaddis if it's okay, I guess later ask for forgiveness picture walk or use your slogan this morning is message, but I think it will help us remember what we're looking at here when it comes to the task at hand. I'm not going to just take it as it's on their wall. I want to actually invert it. Because of the text he says go ye into all the world. So as we accept this task as followers of the lord, we are to be going into all the world. So let's turn that around from what's on their wallet. Let's let's call it reaching the whole world.

I think that's good reaching the whole world. Let's look at the text and see if that would help us understand it Go ye into how much of the world. The whole world go into all the world. So reaching the world now when you study this out and compared it it's interesting because of the same tenses of verbs are used here by Mark as are used in Matthew for the longest time. I read this and I read the passage in Matthew 28 1820 where Jesus said go into all the world and teach All Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever have commanded. You know, I'm with you always even unto the end of the world. I took that go ye therefore as an imperative because that's how I read it in the English, but I would say that you're you're not going to be off base with that because there is an imperative in this but that's not the sense behind it when you understand it in this perspective. I think it'll unlock some things for you like it did for me. Some of you for me explain this before but when Jesus says go ye into all the world. It has the sense of you're already going to be going. So that's not the command. Okay, go into the world. That's not the command the command is to preach. The going happens life happens doesn't it? And so as you go out from this place and and you're following the Lord you're going to be in the byways and the address you're going to be out here in life. And Jesus is why you're going it's a possible tzinares participle. So you're already there. He says, oh it's a passive is well. It's a passive. This was interesting because when you compare other passages like Ephesians 6 where it says be ye angry and sin not how many of you like me before have read that and thought it was a command will the Lord's, you know, he's commanding me not to be angry and sin in that that's not a command. It's the same kind of erised since that's here. It's it's passive in the fact that there are some things that are going to happen in your life that if you're not a robot, and I hope you're not You have emotions because God created you to have them things are going to hit you at a point of spiritual impact and you ought to get upset about them. If you have any emotion, if you have any feeling he says don't send when that happens. That's the command send not when things happen to you that trigger that emotion of anger. Now let's let's play that since here as you're going passively life is just going to happen to you and you're going to be out a hopefully you're not going to you know, live on the top of some column for 60 years of your life or something like that. You're you're not going to be so isolated from everything that you don't have any impact on anybody around you in a meaningful way in life. Now some of you understand what I'm basing that off of his historically you're going to be going you're going to be impacting people in some way shape or form Jesus's as you're living your life as you're out here as you're in the world and all the world now that's interesting if we're talking about reaching the whole world. Hey, Colorado.

Hey, Colorado. There's some people in our culture. They're living Godless lives. That don't know the Lord right here.

Can we have a heart of compassion enough to truly let them see who Jesus is by the way we live by the way, we talk by the what we share with them their people. I hear that they don't agree with this Bible. They know they don't see the same things that we do here in the way that it's presented. There are some that have taken an atom its stance in the opposite direction of the truth of this word. So does that mean that we going to say? Okay, I'll go after the ones that want to listen to me, but the ones that don't

If you compare what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Believers, he says that that they ought to be a saver under god notice the saver is not to the world to save her is under God but it comes up before him and that saver is a saver of life to some so those that would receive the message and they hear it and they and they say yes, I want Jesus. That's a saver of Life. They get life. They get eternal life. But he also says it's a saver of death to others. Because they hear about Jesus and a hardener heart. Didn't you break them for that? They stiffen their neck against the truth of God not against us necessarily unless our personality is a brace of so much that were offending people, please don't do that. They Harden in a turn away from God and they had to destruction. Does it change the fact of what we need to do and stand here with this book and hold forth the truth and say here is the truth. God never forces himself on anyone. He won't he's too loving. He's gracious and compassionate but he also knows what it takes to get people's attention. So let's not be so fatalistic that we just mark them off as done before God's done with them. Let's hold out. Let's be faithful. Let's be long-suffering.

Boys lot easier to just talk to these people over here, but want to listen to me. They want to hear. Thank you Jesus. These people they're not very nice sometimes. They don't agree with where we stand but you know what? We can love them. The way Jesus loved them notice. I didn't say we can condone their sin. I said we can love them as a person the way Jesus did their soul is invaluable to the Lord. The angels in heaven Rejoice for the Robert ready. They were Joyce over how many?

Center hopeful that leaves me out. Yeah, right. That's all of us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So even when just one no matter the sin and no matter how bad it is or or how you know, unless we think it is on our scale. We're not measuring the right standard. We measure this standard we find all have sinned. So even when one sinner finds repentance angels in heaven or rejoicing so as we go we need to be reaching the whole world. That means every culture. Every dialect Every Nation every people every every type of humanity when you study the word world really is in the context of the New Testament talking about a place that is is full of ungodly people and by that, I don't mean they're just Wicked. I mean, they're just living their life without God. They don't know him yet. And so in these cultures it's up to us as followers of Jesus to to be going into these areas not avoiding them. But going in these areas and living out Christ before them sharing his word with them and praying that they will receive Jesus because that's where they'll find life. That's where the find blessing that's where the find the longing of their soul that fills that void and vacuum that they so desperately need To reach in the whole world. Thank you, Sam Davison and brother Gattis and Folks at Heartland for helping me along this morning in my message. Reaching the whole world and then noticed this one Falls right hand in hand with it the second phrase there is preach the gospel to Every Creature. So we might phrase this as preaching the whole word. We need to hear that don't we? Baby. Broomfield Baptist we try to do that and there are other churches in this area as well that are really endeavoring to preach the whole counsel of God, but we've got to take all of it or we don't really have any of it solid. We can't just pick and choose and focus on it. It's the same kind of application. Okay, we want to we want to have those people that listen to us. And if they're going to keep listening to us, then we're going to water down or message. We're not going to be so heavy when I get to be so hard on Saint we're going to we're going to cater to them. We're going to keep sliding this way. I don't mean to be on I don't mean for you to take this and go out and be unloving you've seen those people. They're so harsh. They just bulldoze you over and by the time you get done, you're so torn down sleep. Can I even do anything for God know we need to be edifying but we need to speak the truth in love and the truth is there's some things that are right in God's eyes and there's some things that are wrong in God's eyes and that's the message. We need to hear here Colorado, isn't it? There's right and there's wrong. And sometimes we waiver but God is the same yesterday today and forever. Isn't he? What's what's right is right what's wrong is wrong. We need to discern that. Preaching the whole gospel preaching the whole word when Paul was getting ready to make his final Journeys. He was an episis for quite some time and he had been a tremendous relationship with him. He was getting ready to depart and it was a sad sad going away really they were rejoicing as much as they could be he was getting ready to leave and he called the the Ephesian Believers together in the pastures and he gave them some warnings and Acts chapter number 20, but one of the things that he said there is striking because he basically pointed out to them. Look when I stand before God your blunts not going to be on my hands. That's a striking statement. if I don't do this and I let things go to the point where I'm off balance with it. I'm not preaching the whole world preaching the whole word. I'm not reaching the whole world. Then there's a chance then according what Paul was saying that he can stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and have somebody has blood on his hands. He says not the case here in Ephesus. That was a that was a tumultuous Journey there who have to insist that was some hard going there were unbelievers there. There were people who were upset with Paul being there preaching the way that he wasn't upsetting business and and turning the city council around in and just turning things on its head and and destroying a Dollar Tree in people's hearts and Minds helping them find Jesus and and it was just upsetting the whole apple cart there and they got upset at him through one thing that he said in one of his letters. I actually think they throw them to the Lions now, I won't be. Matic about that, but I think he he went through the wringer there and can you imagine how much those Believers would be would be connected with him and sad to see him go and he says hey your blood's not going to be on my hands. Why because I've not shunned to preach unto you. The whole counsel of God all of it good and bad because there's good things in this good book and there's some things that ought to disturb Us in this book. There's some things that ought to unsettle us about the truth of God with whom we have to do and so when we stand forward, we've got to hold the Integrity of this High good or bad. We must give the whole counsel case study on that. If you want a good Bible character that had to do that in a difficult time Jeremiah hands down Jeremiah the weeping prophet. Sometimes as we go forth. Remember the psalmist said they that go forth weeping. Bearing precious seed shall doubtless come and bring their seeds with them go. Ye therefore go. Ye into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature. So that's the task at hand. Now, let's look at the terms are the boundaries if you will of what this gospel is. What is it that we are to be preaching? What are we proclaiming? This isn't just to the to the Pastors in the school teachers in the mission. This is every disciple of the lord we can all proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ to our family or friends are co-workers and on out we can let people know about Jesus and how to believe in him. So look at verse 16 because this has trip some folks up, but I think when you see the whole verse together, it'll make sense to you. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall be damned. So what are the boundaries what what are the terms that we are? We are asking people to agree to when it comes to the gospel. We are asking them. to look to Jesus

and to make a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ to be committed to him to make a confession of Christ those two things summarize the boundaries the terms of the Gospel. Look at it verse 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. So he that believe it's not Shelby Dan. Don't let this verse throw you off and then having baptism thrown in there. Okay, when you two things to consider here, when you look at the whole of the New Testament baptism always follow salvation every occurrence, you see it and in baptism doesn't wash away any sin when you study the rest of the New Testament now this will play out secondly in the rest of the verse. I want you to look at the purse very carefully and answer. The question is not condemned. Is it the person that believes that's not condemned or is it the person that believes and is baptized is not condemned in other words. Do you have to have baptism to escape condemnation according to this verse read it?

Key that believe it's not.

It doesn't say anything about baptized when it comes to the condemnation. So contextually this verse fits with the rest of the New Testament then doesn't it and we can see baptism follow salvation. We're not save by getting baptized but it is look how important your baptism is to the Lord when you get saved it ought to be natural for you to want to identify with him and have that outward public picture following the lord and basically what you're doing in baptism is your mercy in those Waters picturing the death of Jesus Christ your emerging from those Waters picturing his Victorious Resurrection. Buried in the likeness the likeness of his death raised to walk in newness of life. I have a new life old things are passed away behold. All things are become new, you know, I was saved for years before I really got I got baptized and I'll tell you I wish I would have waited as long as I did because when I got baptized it wasn't I didn't get saved at my baptism but me and it was like just this whole new chapter began in my life because there was no turning back for me at that point and I knew what I was doing when I went in those Waters, it was a big decision for me. It took much prayer. It took a lot to get me there. But I said Lord once I hit these Waters this is it I'm not going back now looking back. When I was saved but not baptized. I was kind of dabbling in the world still in and wasn't totally sold out for Christ when I got baptized. I identified with him identified with his church and I can go back to that moment that alter my pastor and and my other Pastor that was there with me and rejoice e and the church family that was with me and they stood with me and they were so so encouraging to me to be able to go serve God do what he wants you to do follow his word put this before you and don't look back and I haven't I've not looked back once. That's my wife. I just Rejoice there's been good times and there's been bad times. But God speaking like he's saying God's giving me grace through it all and then the clouds roll back even in the discouragement and I feel and I sense the Peace of the Lord and He guides me. So he that believes is saved. He that believes is saved. Baptism of the follow that it's important to the Lord. That's our confession of Christ. So we make a commitment to the Lord we're going to believe that he is the Son of God that he comes and he saves us from our sins and then we confess him openly before everyone. That's the boundaries of the gospel and isn't that doesn't that correlate with Matthew? He said go ye into all the world and preach the and teach All Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things. You know, I'm with you always even of the world. Okay, certainly here. I want you to notice. There's some tests that have to be applied. So back to the back to the passage, here we have. We have before us these tests. That Jesus gave this is another passage that some have stumbled over. But I don't think we need to stumble over at I think we can read it with common sense and see that everything. The Lord says here with the exception of one that I I have to wait until I get to heaven to find out but I think I can get a pretty good handle on it. When I read some things. He has kind of one of those unspoken things that the Lord protect them from. when Jesus gave this to the disciples that we're going out to establish the church and then also they be they would become his Apostles write these disciples these 11 note verse 14 says who the 11 XI Let's keep it in that context from the 11. They go out and they do these things that Jesus Christ says here and Mark and in the early Church in that first the first years of the church, we see these things happening. Why is that important? Because God's message had to be validated and I'll tell you what Liars even down to the corridors of even more recent history have stood with this book some have come to this book and try to try to undo it and try to find some kind of hole or some way that they could present it. You know it before a judge and say this is a contradiction this doesn't this doesn't stand up but one reason why there's more lawyers that you read in well not are more recent history, but towards the turn of century blackstone's lazos Catholic many of those attorneys and lawyers would come of this book and they would find out this evidence stands up in any court of law. It is solid and they can't get away from it. The eyewitness accounts. There's no holes in them. It is sure it is solid and we can stake out our destiny on a we can stake our eternal life on this book. So, what's that? We look here. And if Jesus is going to give us something that is going to be validated as true. As truly from God then we need some kind of verification of that. Don't we we need some way to determine that this genuinely was from God. He says here's what's going to happen. When you go into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature every culture every day like every time when you do that, here's what's going to happen read the list. These signs shall follow them that believe in my name in the name of Jesus Christ. They shall cast out Devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

You just got a summary outline for Mark Mark's perspective of the book of Acts. Read through the history of the early church what the apostles did and how the Lord was with them and powering them and then what signs followed so that people would believe that they were genuinely sent by the Lord. So in that context and we don't go out from here and and start, you know, trying to cast out devils and and try to speak with new tongues and and take up so please don't take up serpents. Okay, please don't start playing with snakes and then just the messages like to do that and you know, the safety precautions that need to be taken there. And please don't go out and try to drink something deadly and think that you're going to leave through that okay poison is bad don't drink poison. But what what he's saying is these things are going to happen as a sign. Was that signed validated in the book of Acts? Did that sign fulfill its purpose did the church grow did did the gospel make it to the ends of the Earth? Like Jesus wanted in that first generation. It sure did and every one of these things validated all the Jesus said, so what I'm telling you today friend is that we can look at this book and we can stake our faith in it. We can believe that this is a credible account that these things really occur and if we will believe remember Jesus told Thomas back to the upper room. He said blessed are they that have not seen Thomas you're blessed because you seen me. But the ones who have not seen and yet believe or even more blessed go read that that's powerful. We can read this and we've got to make a decision. I'm either going to believe it or I'm not like Ripley's Believe It or Not. Well, you can believe this or you cannot believe it but it's all written down for you and you can validate it. You can prove it. These Luke says are given by many infallible proofs. There's no holes in this argument none. You won't find one and if you do come let me know and I'll probably be able to help you find where you're off base and come to the knowledge in the scriptures and see where God's word is true. And every man is a liar. God is true. His word is true from the beginning. So every one of these things that are listed. We can we can go to an account and actually validate it in the book of Acts and I don't have time to do that with you this morning, but you can cross-reference chapter verse check it out. The list. Jesus said this would happen check this would happen check this would happen check. The only one you're going to have to really kind of dig on is the drinking the poison one. But you know, there was an account with Peter where they drank some stuff to know if it was poisoned if they didn't die. Guess we have to wait till they have and find out what out it wasn't poisoned. I don't know but I tend to think that if all of this was fulfilled than it was just contextually. So this test does the gospel. Pass the test as we close this morning, I invite you to follow the lord if you haven't trusted him as your savior you need to do that before it's eternally too late my grandfather before he went to be with Jesus. He used to pray that around the dinner table and that just spoke to my heart. He he was so compassionate and so burden for the lost and in here. He just love the Lord and he would pray and his Prairie would say Lord, please help so and so and he did name them by name. Please help them to trust Jesus before it's eternally too late. Cuz there will come a day where you'll hear God's Final Call. And so I invite you if you've never trusted Jesus you can do that. You can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved but I also trust that I'm talking to a room full of not people that need to be upgraded for their unbelief. I'm talking to a room full of people who believe in the Lord and you want to do something for him. Will you accept this task?

You understand the terms the boundaries of the Gospel not to go beyond that. Don't get caught up in the social gospel stuff that's out there and think you got to get the world ready for Jesus to come back all that's God's going to take care of all of that preach the gospel to Every Creature stand those boundaries don't get sidetracked to the right hand or to the left Timeless Timeless truths. These things will last and can you help people understand that this is the gospel that passes the true litmus test that it is from God. This is the way of Salvation. This is the way he lined out and his word for us to find Jesus. Will you accept that task?