Trouble in Paradise

This week as I was reading our texts. I was realizing again how much I loved the church. And I am convinced that the church really is. the greatest thing on earth really truly is God's chosen people really truly. It truly is the Kingdom of Heaven. I believe that the church is a foretaste of Glory. I believe that the church is the Kingdom of Heaven the greatest nation on Earth. I believe this and I want to say that very clearly because of what I'm about to say. Because as convinced as I am of those truths I am equally convinced that the church is one of the most frustrating organizations ever to exist. infuriatingly slow to change unbelievably thick-headed and stubborn full of hypocrites full of sin An incredible mess. now How can these two things be true? How can I on the one hand say the church? Is the most glorious thing going and simultaneously say it is one of the most despicable. things in existence

now some of you are really offended right now. And if anybody walks out in the next five minutes, I'm going to be silently judging, you know, I'm kidding.

Well, I'm going to ask though is if you're offended by what I just said. bear with me hang on because we're going to be looking here in Acts chapter 5 in the first part of Acts chapter 6 at some of the first inklings that there might be some trouble in Paradise because we've been walking through the book of Acts. We celebrated all these things that God is doing like look at these signs and wonders look at the unity of the church. Look at them caring for one another and there's been if if you're anything like me as we've been walking through this first part of Acts, we've been thinking There seems to be a disconnect between what we're reading about and the real Fellowship that we're trying to walk in right everything seems like it was so glorious then. What happened? Here's the reality. There's always been problems in the church. There's always been these tensions. And today we're going to look at them in the first church some of these things that were causing problems. You guys know I'm a reader. I read really sophisticated books to one of my favorite books and I really wanted to have a copy of it here this morning, but I couldn't find it. So just pretend you see it right here is Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. Talking about sophisticated books here, right. I read this book probably for the first time in like first grade and it's stuck with me and it's still one of my favorite books. And if you read the book you familiar with the book. All right. I love that book because Alexander reminds me so much of me Alexander gets up and he knows it's going to be a terrible horrible. No good very bad day because he gets up on the wrong side of the bed literally steps on his skateboard has gum in his hair gets in a fight with his brother. The teacher doesn't like his artwork as much as he like somebody else's artwork and it just goes down from there a dentist appointment blah blah blah blah blah and he decides you know what? This is such a terrible horrible. No good very bad day. I might as well just move to Australia. Now what that did for first grade me was conjured up this picture of Australia and this incredible place where nothing bad ever happens. Accepting you read the rest of the book and how does it end? Mom said that some days are just like that even in Australia. I want you to understand when we look at the New Testament. We look at the early church, and we see these things were like all we want to see that we want to see that understand. Did some days are like that even in the early church, it's not perfect this Fellowship that we share is never ever going to be perfect. Some days are just like that. But there's hope in the midst of that before we get to the hope. So I want to walk us through what is the source of this trouble right if if the church If this is the place where God has chosen to reveal his son to the world if this is the place indwelled by the very presence of God the holy spirit inside of us if this is where that takes place and where we see God working in the world today. How in the world could there be trouble in the midst of that three reasons? three primary sources of trouble in the church both today and in Acts chapter 5 and so I want you to look at this with me as receive these three sources first individual sin. Second external punishment persecution and third corporate failure. Let's look at Acts chapter 5 and we'll see the first of these shown out Acts chapter 5 verse 1 But a man named ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property and with his wife's knowledge. He kept back for himself some of the proceeds now. I want to stop right there for just a second and give some context if you were with us last week. If you got your Bible open in front of you can look back a chapter 4 and see how it ended. At the end of chapter 4 we read that dust Joseph was also called by the apostles Barnabas a levite a native of Cyprus solderfield that belong to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet with red several times before in Acts chapter 2 in an ax chapter 4 that nobody considered their property their own, but they would sell it and give the proceeds to any as they had need and I made the statement several weeks ago. This is not socialism. This is not the church telling them you have to sell your stuff and give it away know. This was just the free response of God's people as they saw a need and they recognize that they themselves had the means to me that they freely gave And that's important because we need to understand ananias and Sapphira has motivations here. We need to understand what's going on. So they see this happening. They see Barnabas sell his field and then it says and ananias and Sapphira they sold some property but he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles feet. But Peter said ananias why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land while it remains unsold did it not remain your own and after is it was so was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God when ananias heard these words he fell down and breathe his last and great fear Came Upon all who heard it. The young men Rose and wrapped him up and carry him out and buried him. This is important for us to get here. This passage is slightly terrifying. I'll be honest. Right, but I want I don't want us to miss What's Happening Here. The problem is not that ananias didn't give all the money. That's not the problem. The problem is Peter is calling out is ananias said he gave all the money, but didn't why because he wanted the celebration. He wanted a claim. He wanted to honor. That he had just seen Barnabas get that. He had seen the other people yet, but he didn't want to go all the way with the sacrifice. He didn't want to give up all of the money. He could have brought a part of it so long as he said, hey, we just sold a field here some of the money. There was not a requirement for this to take place, but he was not seeking to bless others. He was not seeking God's glory. He was seeking his own Glory.

Then it says for 7 after an interval of about 3 hours. His wife came in not knowing what it happened and Peter said to her tell me whether you sold the land for so much and she said yes for so much. But Peter said to her, how is it that you have agreed together to test the spirit of the Lord behold the feet of those who have married your husband are at the door and they will carry you out immediately. She fell down at his feet and breathe her last when the young man came in they found her dead and They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Same thing he gives her an opportunity. Just just say that you just sold it for more and you kept some of it because you needed the money. You don't have to give everything. But she enters into the lie as well. It seems like a really harsh punishment. Right if this is what God does to those who lie.

Why exactly are any of us breathing?

I'm not going to make any assumptions that you are as big as sooner as I am, but I can point to probably. More instances that I could count even with my shoes off. Where I have lied to make myself look good. Even if it's just a little half truth, even if it's just I don't correct. What somebody says right? That's the same idea. I'm wanting to receive Glory. from the people around me and so I lie fake its pretends did I'm different than what I actually am. Again, that's nice and I don't want to put that on you, but we need to recognize. This is serious. Why then are we not dead? Because God is making a point here. God is helping us to understand something and we're not going to understand it will keep thinking. This is really harsh unless we put ourselves into the context unless we recognized they're not thinking about things the same way that were thinking about things You and I by and large I don't want to make any blanket statement there, but by and large were operating from a western perspective of right and wrong we're operating on the idea lines always bad feelings always bad, right? This is the wrong thing to do. The right thing to do is not to do those things. We don't understand the mindset in the first century was much less focused on legal right or wrong and was much more focused on honor. versus shame Think of another story in the Bible how many of you are familiar with David and Bathsheba? David and Bathsheba write the most mind-boggling thing about that story is not that the man after God's Own Heart King David could commit adultery. Not that he could have his friend murdered. The most mind-boggling thing about that story is he doesn't even feel guilty about it.

He doesn't even feel guilty about it until. Is Finn is made public? Until somebody stands up and says you're the man. You did that then all of a sudden we see the guilt. Why why is David not just up at night worrying over his sin because he was operating from a different mindset than we do. We operate from a mindset of guilt of mindset of what's right and what's wrong if we don't measure up to that external standard, then we feel guilty David and ananias and Sapphira are operating in what's known as an honor. Shame culture, right? What matters is not so much what you do? But who sees you doing it? What matters is the fact that they see Barnabas being honored for making the sacrifice and they say we want that honor as well. We want to be acclaimed as well. You don't want to be shamed. We don't want people to think that we're stingy. You can see where they're looking. They're looking at themselves another three major ways of looking at the world and most of us are indoctrinated in that's right wrong mindset, but there's also that honor shame component in their cultures today that have that same honor same component and it's fascinating when you go to share the gospel with somebody who's coming from an honor shame perspective. You have to rethink what you talked about cuz you easy safe. Well, you're a sinner. No, not everybody loves me. Look at how honored I am. I'm not a sinner. I receiving honor nobody shaming me. Well, yeah, but haven't you ever lied? Yeah, so what?

And we have trouble putting ourselves in that place. We have trouble with this story here because we're thinking we'll it was wrong. Of course, they should have known that now in their culture. They're like well, yeah, this is what you do you want people to think good of you so you get some honor We need to rethink. It's not that we're right and they're wrong understand that right and there's a third culture II it's it's fear power culture. What matters is whether or not you have power over somebody if you don't have power than you live in fear, right and fear and power the dynamic versus honor and shame versus right and wrong. I want to tell you something that is going to offend you even more than everything. I said about the church. Western American Christian your perspective is not the only one nor is it necessarily the right one? As a matter of fact what God is doing in the story is he's taking us Beyond right and wrong. He's taking us Beyond honor shame and he takes us Beyond fear and power and he points us to this reality what matters in the people of God, what causes problems whatsoever that what causes problems in the people of God is individual sent weather that sin is out of a Pursuit Of Honor whether it's out of pursuit of power or whether it's out of our pursuit of doing the right thing. for the wrong reasons Here's the problem. It's personal sin. What is sin? Well, you're a Westerner. So you're thinking well as Sin is to lie a sin is to cheat on your taxes a sentence to kill somebody.

You're right. Those are sins. but not for the reason you think because sin is bigger than just right and wrong thing is bigger than that. It doesn't matter what other people think of you as an action that brings shame to your family is not necessarily wrong an accident brings honor to your family is not necessarily right and action that brings you power is not necessarily wrong, but it's not necessarily right either. Here's the key. What we need to understand ananias and Sapphira. We're living out their culture. And they paid a heavy penalty for it because God needed to teach the church something. God needed to teach us something whether we live in that culture this culture. Here it is. Holiness is not found in doing the right thing. Or in doing the honorable thing. Now some of you are really freaking out right now. Holiness is found in always doing that. Which brings the most glory to God. And does not steal any of it for ourselves.

Let me see it a different way. Sin, is that which robs Glory from God? And seeks to directed our way. Do you see how that definition that way of looking at things changes our perspective changes? There's no matter what culture we live in what matters is am I focused on what I'm getting out of this or am I focused on God getting what he deserves out of this, which is Glory. Am I focused on people thinking well of me or am I thinking focus on people thinking well of God. That is what needs to motivate our actions and did an admirable thing. We look through a lot of people in the church today. Thank you know if I give my 10% the 90% smile more than likely this is a reverse percentage ananias and Sapphira like we'll just keep 10% and 1% To the church because people knew what land cost people knew the approximate value of a piece of property. And so if they came in like here's five bucks, it's everything we got from the sale. They're like, so right they wouldn't get any on there giving a chunk of change here. They're doing an admirable thing in bringing money that's in the church can use to meet the needs of people around and but their sin is found. in the fact that the light Did Rob Glory from God and bring it to themselves Church?

Let me ask us.

Are we? Doing the right thing. to glorify us That's been.

Are we doing The Honorable thing? So that people will honor us that's sin. That's why the church is a mess. You get how much bigger this is if if all that sin was was just not doing the right thing. You'll be pretty easy to just check the list and be like, all right. I didn't lie to anybody in the church this week. I didn't steal from anybody in the church this week. I didn't kill anybody in the church this week mission accomplished.

But Ten Commandments base morality is not enough. It's not enough for us to reveal the righteousness of God instead. We have to take ourselves and our desire for honor and our desire to be seen as right. And not just put it on the Shelf. We got to dig a hole and bury it. It's a from now on everything we do is about glorifying God. Everything we do as a church everything I do as an individual or find got to see how hard that is. Do you know why the church has problems? Because Holiness is more. Seeking God's glory above us. And so anytime we coming to church and we say hey. You need to recognize. my guess you need to recognize. What I bring to the table. Will the church that's falling apart immediately. Cuz we're making it about ass instead of making it about him. I think you get the point. God had to work on my heart this week on it though. So forgive my belaboring it. Individual season individual robbing of Glory from God create the problems in our fellowship. God deals with that problem and what we consider a harsh way in Acts chapter 5, but they are to give us a reminder it matters what we're trying to get out of this thing called Church it matters what we're trying to do together in the heart behind why we do it, but it's not just individual sin within the church that creates problems for the church. Look at the response of the people outside the church look at acts 5 in start in verse 17 with me. In Acts chapter 5 verse 17 we read this but the high priest rose up and all who are with him. That is the party of the Sadducees and filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison, but during the night in Angel the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said go and stand in the temple and speak to the people. All the words of this life that huge phrase. Wish we had more time to spend with it. And when they heard this they entered the temple at Daybreak and began to teach now in high priest came and those who are with him. They called together the council and all the Senate of the people of Israel and they sent to the prison to have them brought but when the officers came they didn't find him in the prison so they returned the report that we found the prison security lock the guard standing at the doors, but when we open them we found no one inside now in the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words. They were greatly perplexed about them. Wondering what this would come to and someone came and told him look the man whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people then the captain with the officers went and brought them but not by force for they were afraid of being Stoned by the people what's going on here. We've seen already an axe how much the culture around them hated. The message of these christ-followers hated them saying Jesus rose from the dead hated it. They've how it had a hold of me and they've had him up on trial. They've babe said they're drunk. They've just been slandering them now. They can't take it anymore, especially because they locked them up and the very next thing you know, these guys are back out on the street preaching and nobody knows how they got there. Right? We talked about honor shame from our last point there. They are just been shamed the chief priests the guards. Everybody's just been ashamed in front of everybody. They have to seek to address that so they bring the people back whenever they bring the Apostle back when they brought them. They sent them before the council and the high priest question them saying we strictly charged you not to teach in this name yet here, you are still Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us, but Peter and the apostles replied we must obey God rather than men the god of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging on a tree God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and the Forgiveness of sins and we are witnesses to those things and so is the holy spirit from God has given to those who obey him when they heard that they were in Rage and wanted to kill them but a Pharisee in the council name Gamaliel a teacher of the law held in Honor by all the people stood up and gave orders to put them in outside for a little while. And he said that the men of Israel take care of what you're about to do with these men. Prayer before these days through just rose up and claiming to be somebody and a number of men about 400 joined him. He was killed and all who follow him were dispersed and brought to nothing after him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the sentence Andrew away some of the people after him he to Paris and all who followed him were scattered. So in this present case, I tell you keep away from these men and let them alone for this plan or this undertaking of man, it will fail but if it is of god, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God so they took his advice when they called in the apostles. They beat them and charge them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. You see what is happening here Gamaliel speaks up in the counseling says look guys. I know these people have brought shame on you. I know you're mad. Look, if it's not of God, it's going to die. Anyways, any points do several past Messiahs who dress up you need to understand 1st Century. Israel was a hotbed of religious upheaval and there were all kinds of Messiahs who are popping up and saying, I'm the Christ know, I'm the Christ know. I'm the Christ Jesus stepping up and saying to the woman at the well, I who speak to you and he I am the Christ in the religious leaders might see just one more. In This Crowd of failed Messiahs the mail says why you why you guys getting all hot about this and it says they took his advice what kind of they didn't have nothing to do with these men. What did they do? They beat them? They beat these map. Here's the reality. We know now with the benefit of hindsight that Jesus was not just another Failed Messiah why because of what Gamaliel said, right if this is a god you can't stop it. Guess what? It didn't stop in Jerusalem the message that Jesus is risen and that he's the Christ didn't stop in Jerusalem. It went out from there. Did it not it went out into Antioch. It went out into North Africa. It went out into the Mediterranean area. It went from there across the seas to North America and South America to Asia all through Europe. There is no continent. even Australia that the gospel is not being proclaimed because if it's a god you can't stop it. But that doesn't mean that every single generation of Christians has not seen somebody try here the first generation of Christians. There's maybe you know, probably about $10,000 right now. men women children Play about 10,000 Believers in Jerusalem. If ever there's a time to stop a movement, it's not when there's 2.1 billion in the movement. It's when there's just a few thousand. They couldn't do it. They tried they beat these guys, but every single place the church has been since has seen people reject not just Christ, but to reject his followers through persecution and persecution comes in a lot of different ways lot of different ways. There's governmental persecution. That's where a state looks at Christianity and says, no, this is what you saw in the old Soviet Union. This is what you see popping up in places like North Korea where the government says this thing is bad for our business. He also see it in cultural settings where the government may not necessarily persecute Christians, but the culture surrounding Christianity says no, we're not. We're not down with this. This is way too different from what we believe to allow it to continue on. Let me see somewhere, even if the government okay with Christianity and the culture is not radically opposed to it. You have some places where the families. Are radically opposed to what's happening because it's usually because of his honor shame Dynamic we mentioned earlier where the family says you're bringing Shame On Us by rejecting your family heritage by rejecting what we've taught you.

And this persecution that comes from the family so from governments and culture to family to individual. There's all these different levels that persecution can take but every single one of them is motivated. By the Same Heart persecution is always motivated by the same ultimate Regent reason, you know what it is.

It is a fundamental opposition to the authority of Jesus in the life of his people. It's a fundamental opposition to the authority of Jesus in the life of his people a government persecutes Christians for the same reason Rome did. Because the kingdoms of this Earth to man the allegiance of their citizens. And the church says no King, but Christ. No, Lord, but Jesus. A true in Rome. It's true today. Governments hate it. When we don't give them. What they demand? And they will reject anyone who says there is an authority greater than you there is an authority higher than you. And it's only to him that I give my allegiance. Cultures do the same thing for the same reason a culture has vas power. We don't realize that when we're looking at our own culture will realize the power of our culture because like fish swimming in water don't know what it means to be wet. We don't know what it's what it means to be a western American right? We don't know what it means because we're living it cultures are so powerful and it creates this kind of common narrative that is so incredibly pervasive that when Christ comes along and says, no, Just like the Jews persecuted the Christians because they went against their culture. It's because when we submit to Christ is King when his authority is the only one that we acknowledge. It shines a sharp lights on the places where our culture is not submitted to Christ on the places that are different. Between us and nobody likes to have their flaws pointed out. Following Christ point out the flaws in our culture and so a culture May persecute Christian families persecute Christians for the same reason, how offensive is it to look at your own. Can your own blood? And say there's a blood that's more important to me. There's a connection that matters more. I have a family. through Christ and his black it transcends my commitment to this family and this Blood.

Got Authority, and the rejection of it is always at the root of persecution. Enter church, we ought not to be surprised when. We are persecuted. as a matter of fact, what should be even more startling is when we're not If we're not being persecuted by our government by our culture or by our family, it might be because we've not taken seriously Jesus's claims to authority over us. It might be because we've not taken seriously what it means to acknowledge. Jesus is Lord.

It might be because we've not taken seriously Christ command take up your cross and follow me external persecution comes and threatens the church and that causes problems. causes problems, you know, what would not work if the government of the United States suddenly said you can't meet Red Hills. You can't meet on Sundays not that this would ever happen in America.

If that were to come up. What we do how much of our activity of the church? Is based around this gathering on Sunday mornings?

You have churches. Much larger than Red Hills who don't even blink an eye when their government says you can't meet and how high can catch us if you can. We're meeting at homes. We're hanging out around the dinner table.

Church, we need to understand that external persecution always comes always comes to those who feed knowledge Christ as king. My question is are we Equipped for that are we structured for that? Or would that throw us into a tailspin? The problems in the church, they come from individuals. Then they come from external persecution. The final thing that will see you as they come from corporate failure when I say corporate I'm not talking to light about like, you know, LLC or Incorporated right talking about us together, right? There's times where are individual sin affects the church in a negative way. There's times when external persecution affects the church in a negative way and create some of the problems that we see but there's times where it's just the mirror Act of gathering together. Brings with it some stress points some places of fracture some corporate failures and we see one of those in Acts chapter 6 Acts chapter 6 now in those days when the disciples were increasing in number a complaint by the hellenists you understand what helenus is so there were kind of two groups in the early church here in Jerusalem there everybody was Jus, but some of these were Jews who grew up outside of Palestine who grew up in different places. They were Greek speaking primarily and they were called the hellenists long-term logical reason for that but basically means the Greek Jews. All right, and then you had these groups who is the text refers to as the Hebrews these would be those Jews who chose to follow Christ, but who grew up in Palestine and spoke Aramaic who who spoke a different language had a different culture because of their proximity to the temple answer you had these two groups. Everybody was Jewish But they're starts to be some conflict between the Greek speakers in the air make speakers. All right, so this complaint against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution and the 12 summon the full number of the disciples and said it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore Brothers pick out among you 7-minute good repute full of spirit and wisdom whom we will appoint to this duty, but we will devote ourselves to prayer into the ministry the word and what they said, please the whole Gathering they chose Stephen A Man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and Phillip and procris and Nick Norton. Timon and parm anus and Nicholas this is really hard. Proselyte of Antioch these they said before the apostles and they prayed and laid hands on them. There's a problem in the church and it comes from the corporate nature of the fellowship. It comes from the fact that you got a bunch of people who speak one language and share one culture. And then you got a bunch of other people who speak another language and have another culture and you're trying to bring them all together and make them Unified. That's difficult to say the least that's hard because any human system any human organization will always have flaws because people are imperfect and then you add cultural differences and then you add economic differences and then you add racial differences and then you add all these other things on top of it. And you get a really imperfect system and when the church stands up and says, hey we're United around Christ come in whether you're rich or poor black or white male or female business owner or employee. It doesn't matter. We're all together. Guess what Jesus is enough to unite that guess what we're not perfect. And so those flaws will come to the foreground and it may be the cause of the problem like here you have what was probably motivated by some racism. What's motivated by some favoritism read the complaint comes because the Greek speakers and I take your given all the food to the Hebrew speakers. We're not getting any that's a legitimate complaint folks. Right. That's the same thing today when racism when favoritism when selfishness. Are part of the church guess what problems arise sometimes it's the failures more subtle than those things. Sometimes it's just we're unaware how many how many you guys have heard the term shot blindness Rashad blind this is it a term when I was in the automotive industry. I was working in shop sand and you know, we have guys from corporate come in and they did you like that the mess over there in that corner. You guys need to clean that up. What's this jumbled over here clean that up? Why are these tires out of order over here like I don't know. I've worked here for like everyday for a month and somehow I just never saw the dust bunnies under the chairs in the waiting room. Why because we get used to it we get shopline that nasty thing happens in church. Same thing happens in church. Where is it? We assume hey, we're so friendly we're so welcoming and somebody watching her like nobody even said hi. We're like no no no, no, no,

Now we're just shopline people. We see the people we used to seeing and we Overlook those that were not used to sing. That's a problem in the church that the corporate failure in the church. Sometimes it's organizational and this is a particularly. likely outcome here because the guy that you guys have said hey, you're in charge of making sure we're organized can't organize anything.

All right, so maybe it's poor organization and people fall through the cracks and things get forgotten right? These are corporate failures if you're a guest of ours this morning. And you're hearing me say all this I want to make you a guarantee. If you said hey, I want to start coming to Red Hills. I want to make this my home. Here's my guarantee to you. We will disappoint you. How's that for sales pitch? Come here, and we will frustrate you. And you will get so annoyed with us.

If somebody might think I'm just saying that to make appointment talk to somebody that's been here for a while. At some point they've been frustrated at some point. They seen a problem at some point. There's been something like, how are we missing this? What in the world are we doing? I'll tell you why.

We're human. And Jesus is King, but we're still learning how to work that all out. And so we're going to make mistakes together and there will be failures like we see here in Acts chapter 6 there will be failures my prayer though is not That there wouldn't be failures because I'm recognizing more and more. There's going to be those my prayers that we were made aware of them when the shop blinders come off with a yeah, that's a problem. We need to address that and through Christ and through the Holy Spirit in the Sky Grace towards one another we say instead of making accusations. This is your fault. They look how do we fix this? How do we honor Christ is King better as a church? Because whether it's individual sin. Or external persecution or a corporate failure like that. Look there's going to be problems in the church. And at this point now that we're all you know, just thoroughly depressed. Let's pray and go home. No.

You'll notice that I've skipped versus through this passage, right? You'll notice that I I jumped around in here if you were following along in your Bible. Let's get to the good stuff because there's no denying that we're still going to be individually Sinners and when we come together that sins going to affect the rest of us. There's no denying that there will always be pressure from outside seeking to take away from the work that God is doing where there's no denying that there's going to be corporate failures points that we overlooked things that we miss but God has Pastor Richard says, you know, the two most important words in the Bible, but God I want to still look even though those words are not said quite like that at the but got here look at it chapter 5 verse 11 to 16. Dua after ananias and Sapphira sin potentially derails the work of the church. Look at this summary and great fear Came Upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. Well, yeah just died. Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the People by the hands of the Apostles and they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest are join them, but the people held him in high esteem and more than ever Believers were added to the Lord multitude about men and women so they even carried out the sick into the streets and lay them on cots and mats. That is Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them the people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem. Bringing the sick and those Afflicted with unclean spirits and they were all healed. Guess what there is sin in the church. But God keep saving people and healing people anyways, this is not to minimize our sin. But to recognize it's not about us. This is not to minimize the impact of my decision to seek my own Glory. But to recognize that God's going to bring glory to himself. Anyways that there is hope in spite of our sin when we come together recognize that and see what God can do. Can take our broken and turn it into this incredible display of his glory. He can take our feeble efforts. Change the world. So, yes you and I send yes, we are to repent. Yes. We have to be continually seeking to give God more glory and not take glory for ourselves. But God is still at work in spite of us. Look at versus 41 through 42 of that chapter. So that the Jews beat the apostles trying to stop they charge them don't speak anymore in this name. Verse 41 then they left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name and every day in the temple and from house to house. They did Nazis teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Church if persecution isn't happening today. You better expect it's coming tomorrow, but doesn't happen tomorrow. You better expect it to come the next day because anytime Jesus is proclaimed as king the world the culture. Our families will say we don't want any part of that knock it off.

And yet the work doesn't stop. There is persecution but Christ followers rejoice and do what God Said to do anyways. Christ-followers don't see persecution as a cakewalk. They just don't see it as something that's desirable And yet when it comes they don't quit church. That should give us a great deal of Hope. There are some of you guys who are in fear right now saying where is our country going? What's going to happen? I'm here to tell you. It doesn't matter. What happens. Ultimately Jesus is King. Jesus is King vote be smart. Don't be dumb. Jesus is King regardless of what happens in this country. Jesus is on his throne and no matter what opposition we Face the work can continue through the power of the spirit that they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer. Are we cutting ourselves off from rejoicing because we're not willing to suffer. question for future consideration Look at versus seven and eight.

There's this corporate failure. There's favoritism in the church. There's neglect of certain pockets of the population.

4-7 the word of God continued to increase and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith and Stephen Full of Grace Grace and power was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

this failure could be real the church could have started the gossip campaign that just flooded the community. Can you believe what those are make speaking people did Dua Screech speaking people. Can you believe how they treated our people?

Instead the word of God increases the messages being proclaimed in the number of disciples X great Lee. The church isn't perfect. But it is God's plan A. For changing the world. The church isn't perfect. But this is the mechanism that God has given for giving the gospel to all tribes all tongues All Nations. This is the Hope. It's not that we shouldn't continually seek to improve. It's not that we shouldn't continually seek to address our blind spots as a corporate corporate body. It's not that we shouldn't try to change but This truth means that we can love the church, even though she's in perfect. Even as we acknowledge there's a lot of work to do because God isn't done using Us in the World Church. You walked in this morning a sinner. You walked in this morning with people who hate what you stand for as a Christ follower. You walked in this morning to a place. That is not perfect. Guess what? When you walk out of here God's not done yet and he can use you he can use us. To change the world. Let's pray.