back to index2015-11-08 A Servant's Perspective
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I pray, Lord, that truly your spirit would help 00:00:13.700 |
in preparing our hearts and the soil of our heart 00:00:20.740 |
would continue to be transformed by your truth 00:00:42.400 |
God, that they would continue to be transformed, 00:01:00.240 |
about a frame of thinking, a way of seeing things. 00:01:05.240 |
And I don't know if you've heard this one already, 00:01:08.160 |
short little anecdote here, about a college girl. 00:01:20.360 |
"I didn't tell you just 'cause fire was my fault." 00:01:33.280 |
that on December 15th we're gonna get married. 00:01:45.760 |
"I actually emailed you and contacted you now 00:01:48.600 |
"is to tell you all this stuff, but what's more, 00:01:50.720 |
"is it okay if we move in after we get married?" 00:01:53.880 |
And you can imagine what the parents were thinking 00:01:59.840 |
But then on the very bottom, she like scrolls down more 00:02:02.080 |
and then writes, "P.S., obviously none of this stuff is true. 00:02:05.480 |
"There was no fire, there was no young dashing boy, 00:02:09.300 |
"I'm not pregnant, and of course I'm not getting married. 00:02:20.440 |
Thought that was hilarious, it's really good. 00:02:25.920 |
that we all have pertaining to certain matters. 00:02:45.560 |
Well, the reason why I'm talking about perspective 00:02:48.000 |
is because I'm reading through the Book of Acts, 00:03:00.840 |
Apostle Peter, I see a change in perspective. 00:03:04.720 |
I see a change in the way that they view the world, 00:03:12.520 |
And they're constantly having a change of perspective. 00:03:19.680 |
not simply to observe what did they do, let me imitate, 00:03:34.400 |
Jesus constantly was trying to guide and lead them, 00:03:42.080 |
majority of the time they just didn't get it. 00:03:44.480 |
Even though Jesus said, "I want you to be fishers of men," 00:03:49.920 |
And then Jesus talked about the kind of sacrifice 00:03:52.920 |
it requires, the kind of walk they would have to go through, 00:03:55.640 |
through the path of suffering in order to get there. 00:04:05.440 |
"Can we have the power with you when you come? 00:04:11.360 |
But then if you look at their lives in the book of Acts, 00:04:29.980 |
But you know what's quite interesting is that 00:04:31.540 |
subsequent to the Holy Spirit coming in in the book of Acts, 00:04:37.980 |
You see him even designate himself as a servant of God. 00:04:59.040 |
We're gonna be reading from verse four through nine 00:05:07.740 |
and then various passages from chapters one through five. 00:05:11.040 |
But in Acts chapter one, verses four through nine, 00:05:13.680 |
this is what is happening as Jesus is guiding the disciples. 00:05:18.420 |
Gathering together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem 00:05:22.100 |
but to wait for what the Father had promised. 00:05:41.780 |
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs 00:05:45.300 |
"which the Father has fixed by his own authority. 00:05:51.040 |
"And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem 00:06:08.100 |
He wanted them to be disciples, carriers of the gospel, 00:06:15.660 |
And he's telling them, not just simply what to do, 00:06:19.500 |
but the plan by which they are going to do it, 00:06:23.220 |
and by the power to which they're going to do this. 00:06:32.620 |
which is, as we take a look at Apostle Peter, 00:06:47.780 |
to when Jesus was walking with the disciples on earth, 00:06:56.820 |
is he has a greater understanding of God's purpose. 00:07:00.580 |
There's a sense in which each and every single one of you, 00:07:10.380 |
But then there is a point to be made, which is, 00:07:33.220 |
hey, let me hear an encouraging word from me today. 00:07:46.980 |
Is that something we have a conviction about? 00:07:52.080 |
Because I believe Apostle Peter starts to gain insight 00:07:58.500 |
of all that he's experienced before and then now, 00:08:01.020 |
and he's able to see this is the purpose of God. 00:08:21.880 |
as you are turning your Bibles to that passage, 00:08:25.400 |
Essentially, as Jesus commanded them, they waited. 00:08:39.340 |
And a lot of other people's observing were thinking, 00:08:45.820 |
Apostle Peter takes that opportunity to preach, 00:08:49.040 |
to preach about Christ, Christ who was crucified, 00:08:54.500 |
And then, here he is in verse 17, talking about this. 00:08:59.460 |
So, I'm jumping in to where Apostle Peter is preaching. 00:09:10.020 |
that I will pour forth my Spirit on all mankind, 00:09:12.380 |
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 00:09:35.380 |
There's a whole bunch of references to the Old Testament. 00:09:42.820 |
There could be a sense in which maybe it's because 00:10:00.300 |
And if you notice that short verse I read to you 00:10:13.660 |
"God wanted to reach out, not just to the Jews, 00:10:16.900 |
"He wanted to reach out, not just to the rich, 00:10:31.620 |
This is what God has been doing from ages before. 00:10:38.180 |
Apostle Peter has a grip and grasp on what God is doing. 00:10:52.620 |
"Jesus, the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God 00:10:58.440 |
"which God performed through him in your midst." 00:11:05.220 |
"this man delivered over to the predetermined plan 00:11:10.740 |
"You nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men 00:11:20.420 |
"since it is impossible for him to be held in its power." 00:11:25.420 |
So what I'm saying is, as I read through the book of Acts, 00:11:29.460 |
I saw not only was it just historical accounts, 00:11:32.940 |
a story of how the early church came to rise, 00:11:37.460 |
and 3,000, 5,000 people were coming to the church. 00:11:49.420 |
And so you will see, if you continue to read the book, 00:11:52.380 |
that Apostle Peter is going to constantly reference, 00:12:12.900 |
It's because I bet every single one of us here 00:12:15.660 |
has at one point or another asked a question, 00:12:24.460 |
What is my role, lot in life, that God has laid out for me? 00:12:48.660 |
Because a servant's heart could get inundated 00:12:54.060 |
But the fact of the matter is he needs to first ask, 00:12:57.220 |
master, what are you trying to accomplish here? 00:13:25.980 |
when are you gonna give me authority over the other slaves? 00:13:28.980 |
When are you gonna give me the key to the house? 00:13:39.500 |
The heart of the servant understands first and foremost 00:13:42.860 |
the purposes of God, and he has a conviction, 00:13:54.460 |
I believe that's what we need more than anything in our day. 00:13:59.660 |
A clear purpose to which we can attach ourselves to. 00:14:09.380 |
As I'm thinking about that, I'm brought to a thought. 00:14:19.700 |
some people say, oh, I think you have good leadership traits, 00:14:21.820 |
some people say, yeah, you don't have certain things, 00:14:24.180 |
and I appreciate that 'cause they're being truthful. 00:14:26.940 |
There are things that I just am not naturally good at. 00:14:35.060 |
I'm not a vision setter, you know what I mean? 00:14:37.620 |
I'm not one who's creative and all that kind of stuff. 00:14:44.020 |
for a Reformation night, and some people were like, 00:14:45.500 |
oh, you're so artistic, but in my mind, I'm not. 00:14:59.660 |
I think there are people, I'm just gonna point that way, 00:15:01.340 |
he's really creative because he's expressing stuff 00:15:04.780 |
that's in his mind and in his heart in an original way. 00:15:07.820 |
He's not looking on Google Docs and being like, 00:15:27.700 |
Because your secular environment will tell you 00:15:30.100 |
leadership means you do have to be an innovator. 00:15:33.100 |
You have to be creative, and you have to be a visionary. 00:16:11.860 |
many Christian leaders have made a muck of the situation 00:16:24.300 |
Apostle Peter didn't need new, innovative stuff. 00:16:31.460 |
He needed to recognize what God has been doing for ages. 00:16:43.380 |
that is a faith that is from an age-old time. 00:16:52.180 |
doesn't necessarily mean being this creative guy 00:17:04.180 |
And if you have a servant's heart, then you buy into that. 00:17:14.700 |
I want people to recognize me as a servant of God. 00:17:20.940 |
I see the purposes of God, and I lean into it. 00:17:29.500 |
Have you asked, "Lord, what's your plan for me?" 00:17:49.380 |
Because do you remember in Romans chapter nine, 00:18:04.800 |
What if God chose to show his long-suffering patience? 00:18:18.200 |
"I know, I know, but what's your plan for me?" 00:18:35.760 |
And remember, that this is what Apostle Peter 00:18:40.280 |
that when Jesus Christ said, "I'm going to die," 00:18:42.440 |
Apostle Peter would be the first one to be like, 00:19:28.040 |
Apostle Peter has different opportunities to preach. 00:19:31.320 |
What essentially happens is there is this paralytic. 00:19:47.320 |
Oh my gosh, we have a miracle working on here, you know? 00:20:01.920 |
But then Apostle Peter again takes this opportunity 00:20:29.280 |
So that, in order that, that this may happen. 00:20:43.280 |
of restoration of all things about which God spoke 00:20:50.160 |
Moses said the Lord God will raise up for you 00:20:58.140 |
For me, what I see is Apostle Peter getting convicted 00:21:05.520 |
Let me highlight for you from just that short little phrase 00:21:11.160 |
saying God wants to see the forgiveness of sins. 00:21:19.000 |
Have you ever said I've bought into this vision, 00:21:33.760 |
his own wrath, be avoided by the children of men. 00:21:36.560 |
God wants to see blessings realized in the life of men. 00:21:39.440 |
He wants to see obedience to the Son, the Lord of all. 00:21:43.000 |
These are some purposes that we can attach ourselves to. 00:22:01.040 |
And what's gonna happen is that as you do this, 00:22:05.520 |
you will have greater clarity about your own life. 00:22:14.600 |
If you start from you, your perspective is like this. 00:22:41.480 |
and when he knows for certain that this is the will of God, 00:22:49.840 |
You see, the story unfolds in the book of Acts. 00:22:54.160 |
the apostles are preaching with confidence and boldness, 00:22:57.720 |
and then it says that 3,000 people come to faith. 00:23:01.000 |
Can you imagine 3,000 people coming to faith? 00:23:05.240 |
If you've ever been to a high school graduation, 00:23:12.440 |
with all the high schoolers in there, 3,000 people. 00:23:14.960 |
Can you imagine that many people coming to faith 00:23:19.080 |
For those of you guys who are logistical and administrative, 00:23:32.640 |
and God was providing, God was raising up leaders, 00:23:35.360 |
God was using the ministry of the apostles and the teaching, 00:23:39.240 |
There was fellowship, and things were going great. 00:23:41.880 |
So you would think that after all this preaching, 00:23:49.240 |
In our day, I mean, if you have a church of 3,000 people, 00:24:06.600 |
when there is advancement of the gospel in the kingdom, 00:24:20.160 |
it's quite profound, and we need to take a look. 00:24:30.040 |
and there's all these people coming to faith, 00:24:32.200 |
and then there's people who are being healed, 00:24:38.640 |
well, let me just start if I read from verse six, 00:24:41.360 |
but many of those who had heard the message believed. 00:24:43.960 |
And the number of men came to be about 5,000. 00:24:47.280 |
On the next day, their rulers and elders, scribes, 00:25:02.320 |
by what power or what name have you done this? 00:25:13.800 |
These high priests aren't supposed to be together like this, 00:25:42.360 |
People who wouldn't even normally get together, 00:26:07.280 |
You know that these people are going to arrest, 00:26:26.320 |
the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. 00:26:45.200 |
who believe they literally are the way to God. 00:26:56.080 |
In front of the face of the religious leaders and scribes, 00:27:16.760 |
is the fact that Apostle Peter is persistent. 00:27:24.040 |
So, the Pharisees, the scribes, the high priests, 00:27:32.240 |
they're going to command him now, knock it off. 00:28:06.120 |
a pastor, a missionary, or a Christian educator, 00:28:09.040 |
whatever it may be, you have been called to be a witness. 00:28:15.240 |
We have been called to take a testimony and give it boldly. 00:28:19.560 |
And I pray that every single person in our church 00:28:28.560 |
To, in the face of persecution, to persist and say, 00:28:45.040 |
When I was at, you know, when I worked regular jobs 00:28:47.400 |
and I'm like, okay, like I wanna share the gospel, 00:28:50.000 |
I took him out to lunch, I wanna say something, 00:28:51.920 |
but I don't know what to say 'cause it'd get awkward. 00:29:06.720 |
And as chairman, these are names written in the gospels 00:29:10.160 |
because these are the ones who murdered Jesus Christ. 00:29:12.880 |
So essentially, Apostle Peter is looking at these guys 00:29:30.520 |
They saw the master's purpose, they know where they fit, 00:29:33.680 |
they are committed, they bought into the program, 00:29:41.600 |
If you take a look, chapter four, verse 27, 28, 00:29:53.480 |
I'm gonna read a little bit more longer here, okay. 00:29:57.200 |
So, they were persecuted, the apostles are released, 00:30:02.040 |
they go back to their brothers and sisters to reconvene 00:30:08.680 |
For truly in this city they were gathered together 00:30:11.160 |
against your holy servants, Jesus, whom you anointed, 00:30:14.720 |
both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles 00:30:18.560 |
You notice he's connecting what's happening with them 00:30:24.400 |
Verse 28, to do whatever your hand and your purpose 00:30:27.560 |
destined to occur, there's our thought again. 00:30:36.200 |
And now, Lord, take note of their threats and grant to 00:30:38.920 |
that your bondservants may speak your word with confidence 00:30:42.280 |
while you extend your hand to heal and the signs 00:30:44.760 |
and wonders take place in the name of your holy servant, 00:30:47.560 |
Jesus, and when they prayed, the place where they had 00:30:52.240 |
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 00:30:54.280 |
and began to speak the word of God with boldness. 00:30:58.960 |
That's so amazing to see that, what it means to be filled 00:31:03.640 |
with the Spirit in this context, in light of the persecution, 00:31:08.640 |
the injustice, the ridicule, the questioning, 00:31:17.600 |
They prayed, God, we knew this was gonna happen. 00:31:22.240 |
And when they were filled with this Holy Spirit, 00:31:34.280 |
There's people sacrificing and the church gets together 00:31:37.840 |
But also, the apostles deal with sin in the church. 00:31:41.480 |
Ananias and Sapphira, being all prideful and using it 00:31:51.480 |
they're still preaching, they're still being bold, 00:31:53.480 |
and now even more and more people come to the Lord. 00:32:05.120 |
Now they become violent, now they become incredibly, 00:32:13.120 |
And so verse 17 says, but the high priest rose up 00:32:15.760 |
along with the associates, that is a sect of the Sadducees. 00:32:19.040 |
You know the Sadducees, they were like politically 00:32:23.480 |
They didn't believe in parts of the Old Testament, 00:32:39.320 |
They had a APB out on them, they caught them, 00:32:49.480 |
But then, the way that they respond to me again 00:33:06.640 |
before the council, and the high priest questioned them, 00:33:09.160 |
saying, we gave you strict orders not to continue 00:33:12.080 |
teaching in his name, and yet you have filled 00:33:14.720 |
Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring 00:33:25.520 |
Because if you remember, these guys were the ones 00:33:30.880 |
and when Pontius Pilate said, I don't see any fall 00:33:35.400 |
you know what, I am clear of this man's blood. 00:33:39.640 |
Let his blood be on us, on us and our children. 00:33:45.600 |
and here he is, like, look at what you're doing, 00:34:01.600 |
whom you had put to death by hanging him on a cross. 00:34:04.720 |
He is the one whom God exalted to the right hand 00:34:07.560 |
as a prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel 00:34:40.960 |
When I'm hurt, my defenses go automatically up. 00:34:47.880 |
and I'm willing sometimes to accuse other people. 00:34:53.680 |
of him not being arrogant, but him being humble, 00:35:00.840 |
I believe this really does come with a perception, 00:35:18.080 |
it says that the righteous of God are as bold as lions? 00:35:29.520 |
Does that seem arrogant for us to be like bold as lions? 00:35:37.060 |
But the fact of the matter is the scripture analogously 00:35:41.000 |
describes those who are in God as bold as lions. 00:35:50.460 |
they're just like lazy bums lying everywhere. 00:36:00.440 |
and they just slump, and then they just like sleep. 00:36:02.840 |
And you want them to do something, but they won't. 00:36:16.280 |
It's a humble boldness that comes from the servant's heart, 00:36:23.880 |
We have to turn there and look at this passage. 00:36:44.920 |
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 00:36:49.080 |
Who shall bring any charge against the elect? 00:37:06.840 |
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 00:37:15.280 |
What is such a huge danger for the Christian who has God? 00:37:43.760 |
And so what we see so far is that the Apostle Peter 00:37:46.800 |
had the servant's heart to see the purpose of God. 00:37:49.880 |
We also see that he has a servant's heart to say, 00:37:52.080 |
if I see the purpose of this sovereign God, I obey. 00:38:08.680 |
This is actually the reason why I'm preaching 00:38:22.220 |
To have a servant's heart like Apostle Peter, 00:38:26.480 |
to see what he's going through as a privilege. 00:38:30.240 |
Take a look at Acts chapter five, verse 40 through 42. 00:38:36.960 |
And as you go there, I'm gonna give you the background. 00:38:43.820 |
The priests, the high priests, the scribes, the Sadducees, 00:38:49.900 |
gathering together against the apostles of God. 00:38:57.320 |
We put them in jail, and they just looked at us 00:39:12.220 |
But then there's a rabbi, his name is Gamaliel, okay? 00:39:20.480 |
He was known to be one of the greatest rabbis, 00:39:24.320 |
not of their generation, but of all generations. 00:39:35.000 |
It wasn't just, hey, rabbi, it was rabban, okay? 00:39:38.800 |
So if you guys are into the comics and stuff, 00:39:50.480 |
And he says, hey, if this is something of men, 00:39:55.600 |
Remember those peevish people, Thaddeus and the rebellion, 00:40:20.760 |
But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow him. 00:40:24.440 |
Or else you may even be found fighting against God. 00:40:34.920 |
if you take a closer look at what's going on, 00:41:06.800 |
Jesus Christ is the stone, he is the salvation, 00:41:16.760 |
And for Gamaliel to say, eh, we'll just give it time, 00:41:40.600 |
is the part that I want you guys to highlight, 00:41:50.720 |
So they went on their way from the presence of the council, 00:41:53.840 |
rejoicing that they had been considered worthy 00:41:59.800 |
And every day in the temple and from house to house, 00:42:09.080 |
you see their submission to the purposes of God, 00:42:11.680 |
but one of the things that's highlighted in this passage 00:42:19.280 |
They view all that they experienced as a privilege. 00:42:32.640 |
essentially, like, they don't have possessions of their own, 00:42:34.560 |
they didn't take along the wife and et cetera. 00:42:46.520 |
We just got beat up and flogged by the religious leaders. 00:42:56.760 |
Aw, I was hoping this would turn out well, you know? 00:43:18.520 |
after giving of myself and devoting and giving, 00:43:31.400 |
and worst and foremost, you'd probably be bitter at God. 00:43:42.480 |
But that wasn't the heart of the apostles at all, 00:43:46.640 |
It was, thanks, God, for giving me this opportunity. 00:44:10.640 |
And then as I thought and thought and meditated on it, 00:44:16.400 |
In different scenarios, different life circumstances, 00:44:21.160 |
I can give an example, perhaps, of a young man. 00:44:38.280 |
and he'd be willing if he keeps going down that path, 00:44:48.120 |
But in his mind, it's like, I got to give her a ride. 00:44:54.000 |
But in his friend's eyes, it's like, you got used. 00:44:57.600 |
But in his mind, it's not a sacrifice, is it? 00:45:00.360 |
You know, there was a time when I was in seminary. 00:45:02.720 |
My seminary was on the Grace Community Church campus. 00:45:35.120 |
I need to go right now to the speaking engagement. 00:45:37.560 |
You get to just come to the engagement and listen. 00:45:39.720 |
So they booked it, they hit traffic together, 00:45:42.320 |
and then they went to the venue, they came back, 00:45:46.040 |
this guy was just like, you know, he's just like crazy. 00:45:50.280 |
He's like, I got to be in traffic with MacArthur. 00:45:53.040 |
And the rest of us are sitting here thinking like, 00:46:09.000 |
Anything, just anything feels good to do for you. 00:46:15.240 |
Why do grandparents just want to feed the baby? 00:46:18.120 |
Like, they want an opportunity just to feed the baby, why? 00:46:22.400 |
Food is everywhere, it's like they don't need it, 00:46:38.840 |
anywhere near me, it's like, go home, sit on me, you know? 00:47:01.280 |
it's all worth it when you love that person, right? 00:47:10.360 |
"Thank you, you thought of me to give me this opportunity." 00:47:21.680 |
In the Mishnah, which is kind of like a commentary 00:47:29.240 |
who is being flogged would be tied their hands 00:47:31.240 |
to a post, basically like this, so that they'd be stretched. 00:47:36.200 |
a rock or a stone, pressed up against their chest 00:47:38.560 |
so that they could not lean forward and dodge the whipping. 00:47:50.400 |
And then next thing you know, they go down 40 times. 00:48:16.400 |
to be like, thank you for giving me this opportunity 00:48:23.640 |
Because perhaps the opportunities I want are glamorous. 00:48:27.280 |
Because perhaps the opportunities I want are X, Y, and Z. 00:48:30.040 |
But for them, anything, God, anything you ask me to do, 00:48:36.640 |
And that's what I'm getting at with this sermon. 00:49:06.440 |
Brothers and sisters, are there any of us in here 00:49:10.120 |
and perhaps we've said, this is not worth it. 00:49:14.860 |
This is not worth it for me to stress over so much. 00:49:18.600 |
It's not worth it for me to invest this much time. 00:49:41.920 |
the questioning, the imprisonment, jail, flogging. 00:50:12.360 |
"that you are suffering, as though something strange 00:50:22.960 |
"So that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 00:50:27.060 |
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, 00:50:33.220 |
"If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer, 00:50:49.360 |
all these servants of God has a servant's heart. 00:50:55.960 |
"It's a blessing to have the name of God on you." 00:51:05.560 |
that we should just be thankful that God is using us. 00:51:15.680 |
But to your glory, to your purpose, to your cause, 00:51:21.680 |
And if you would have me be used for whatever purpose, 00:51:37.080 |
Father God, we again wanna thank you so much. 00:51:45.960 |
I believe Apostle Peter can have this perspective 00:51:49.600 |
who was the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 00:51:52.620 |
And so thank you, Lord, that you are the sovereign one 00:51:55.640 |
who promises that God, if we serve, nothing is in vain. 00:52:02.080 |
if we invest into people, nothing is in vain. 00:52:09.440 |
Everything will happen according and exactly as you say. 00:52:14.260 |
God, I pray that each and every single one of us 00:52:24.480 |
never questioning, God, committing to your way 00:52:30.040 |
the humble heart, Lord, to see it as a privilege