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Transcript

The Gospel Was Always for Everyone · The Grove Church

• 0:01
  Charlie Loften: Hello, and welcome to The Grove Church podcast. I'm Charlie Loften, the lead pastor there, and we are so glad that you're joining us. Whether you are a member and you're just catching up on a sermon that you missed or you're someone who's brand new, we are really glad that you are joining us. And if you are new in some way, and I know that a lot of people will do that, we'll listen to sermons first before they visit. I want you to know that we would love to meet you at any point.
• 0:25
  You can join us live in our services on Sunday, nine and 10:30 or our streaming service at 10:30. Either way, we would love to be able to get to know you. And regardless of why you are here listening to this sermon today, thank you so much for joining us.
• 0:42
  Mark Freeman: Alright. Well, hey, good morning. My name is Mark, and I lead the small group ministry here. And I'll just make a quick shameless plug. You know, school's about to start, fall's about to kick.
• 0:54
  I know if you're like our family, everything's starting to spin back up, and everybody's gonna be back around on a week to week basis, and our small groups will start really, really kicking. And if you're you're in one, I just would encourage you to really lean into that. And if you're not, then you you totally should be. You know, it it seems like this is pretty basic, but, you know, the the church and the steeple and the people, like, the people are the point. So we are we are here in this building, but it's really it's really about us and doing life together.
• 1:28
  And so and if you if you have your people, lean into those people. If you don't have your people yet, I would love to help you with that at the end of the service. Like Abigail said, I'll be in the back of the room. I would love to help you with that. And over the coming weeks, we'll talk more about it and how to get you connected.
• 1:45
  So, yeah, put that on your list. We've been working through this series where we're talking about these foundations, and today is actually the last week. And if you haven't been with us, I'd encourage you to go back and listen. Those are on YouTube, and get you those through the website. But, you know, these have been just some critical we're not covering all of the major stories through the scriptures.
• 2:10
  We we, you know, we didn't take all of them, but a few critical moments where we get this picture of who this this living God is, this creator God. How how has he revealed himself, and what has he done in history? And like the the title, I mean, what are the the foundations of our faith? The things you better get right. We're Terry and I are in the midst of trying to rebuild a house on a foundation, and man, we gotta make sure that foundation is solid to be able to hold the weight of our home.
• 2:48
  Is your foundation solid? And so these are just some of those key stories. And I think, at least for me, part of it is just like a a little bit of a get to know you, you know, like these things that God did that if you just have only heard the CliffsNotes version, or somebody that's just gonna pass by it in one sermon, maybe you missed it. I know for me, the week that I got to talk about Noah, I just I just looked at it at a deeper level than I had before. In that story, there's there's things that I think I missed that are critical to my understanding of of who he is, and each each week has kind of been that way.
• 3:30
  I you know, Terry and I listen to country music. That may have just gotten points with you, or you like me less now, but that's fine. We country music quite a bit, and there's this new song I've been hearing here recently by Riley Green called Jesus Saves. And it's about, like, keeps on passing by this guy on the side of the road that's asking for for money and obviously down on his luck, and he's he's got a sign that says Jesus saves. And he's wondering what his story is, but all he's seeing is this sign on this little piece of cardboard.
• 4:05
  And finally, one day, he stops. He takes him for coffee, and the guy tells him the backstory of how he ended up on that street corner with that with that sign. And in the chorus, he he says, man, I I need a bigger piece of cardboard. There's everything I I can tell you about what led to this, there's so much, but all I can put on the sign is is just those two words. But there's so much behind that.
• 4:35
  And I think that's a lot of times, we don't put in the effort or the energy to really to go to that next level and find out who this real God is and get to know him. And so all we get is just the the short the the version, and you miss so much. And so as we've been working through these things, all of them have been really critical, and I don't wanna put one maybe above the other. But, man, last week, you know, the day of Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit of Almighty God sets down on the early church is really big. And I would say it's definitely one of those that is misunderstood, one of the things that is misunderstood maybe as much as anything, neglected, just not talked about because we're not exactly sure what to do with the Holy Spirit.
• 5:28
  We talk about God the Father and Jesus the Son. Man, the Spirit, we seem to struggle with. We either remove him. There are circles in Christendom that just want to remove the Holy Spirit from the whole thing because they're not sure what to do with him. Or other circles who kinda wanna turn him into a to a circus trick, you know, and and make and make him into something that he's not.
• 5:51
  And a lot of times on either ditch, we miss we miss who he really is. I mean, this is a huge thing that happened. The spirit sets down on the early church, and and it says he comes in this violent wind, and and these flames settle on each one of them. And the whole game changes so much so that Jesus would say, it's better for you if I leave so that the helper will come. Because you need the helper, and the helper is going to empower you to do all the things that I've modeled for you, all the things that I'm calling you to do.
• 6:35
  You know, Charlie talked about this, you know, the fruits of the spirit. I mean, that's the way that love is possible. It's the way that peace is possible. It's the way that self control is how is all that how is all that possible? Well, it's possible because he gave us the spirit within us to empower us towards that.
• 6:51
  But if we don't know what to do with that power, then then it's it's just often often lost. And just before this this happens, you know, Charlie looked at this last week, that's where I'd like to pick up today. Acts chapter one verse six. It says, so when they had come together, they asked him, the disciples, this is after the resurrection, just before the ascension of Jesus. It says they asked, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
• 7:21
  Are you is this the time it's gonna happen? And like Charlie was talking about, he's like, it's not for you to know the times of the season that the father has fixed in his own authority. You're asking a question that's above your pay grade. Like, God's got that one. God's got that one.
• 7:36
  And I it's just worth calling out. We do this a lot. Like, we try to jump in and make the question and the discussion about this over here, and that's that's a God it's in God's bucket thing. Like, that's something that he does that he's got under his control. And it's like, yeah, okay.
• 7:52
  Well, we can waste time talking, but it's a God but over here, he says, but this is what you need to be concerned about. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria into the end of the earth, the furthest possible place you can imagine. This power that's coming is going to propel you, it's gonna give you passion, it's gonna press you out in confidence to go not just one step further, not just to the next town, not to just the next state, to the very end of the earth. And when he'd said these things as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and cloud took him out of their sight. Power.
• 8:52
  Power. It says that that this power is coming. And and again, that scene, man, if you just take a second and think about what that was like. I mean, they're waiting. I actually saw a dramatization, a play of this one time, and the one thing that really stuck out to me is that he says, wait.
• 9:11
  You know, when you're reading through Acts, it's like, well, that happens pretty quick. But imagine waiting after what had just happened, and Jesus says this, and then you're waiting for you don't know what? This this this power? And and in the play, when they they're waiting, and then all of a sudden, they cut the lights, they cut the sound, and it was just pitch darkness, and they just paused. And as we were all sitting there in the darkness, man, I bet that was pretty crazy.
• 9:41
  Because what happens after that, man? This tornado comes into the room, and then there's flames of fire dropping on everybody. Like, that's that's that's pretty crazy. Like, power. Power Promised to everyone who turns from sin and self to trust in this Jesus.
• 10:02
  Power. You know, I back in high school, I had a buddy who his dad somehow found an old Stingray Corvette, and I just I just this is just, like, one of my favorite cars of all time, and I had never actually been in one. And he got it one night. I'm not sure if his dad lent it to him or if he just took the keys. But anyway, we ended up in this Corvette doing what you did in Dequeen, Arkansas, Southwest small town Arkansas.
• 10:30
  We were cruising the Strip, you know, going from the Sonic to the Dairy DQueen, because we didn't have a Dairy Queen, we had a Dairy DQueen. It was at one end of the Strip, main main Strip, and then Sonic was at the other. And so we were just kinda going back and forth. It was a rainy night, pavement was a little wet. We pull into the Sonic.
• 10:50
  We're pulling out. Sonic kinda came down a hill and then went into the main strip. There was a car coming, and so he gave it a little gas. And I'm just saying a little gas. Now later on in the night, he may have given it a little bit more gas.
• 11:01
  He was not trying to do anything. We were not hot riding hot riding at this point. We were just trying to pull out in front of this car, and he gave it a little gas. And that car, way too much engine to be so light. Right?
• 11:14
  I mean, crazy amounts of power. He gives it a little bit on that wet pavement, and we cut a full doughnut in the middle of Main Street in front of all those cars and then come back around, and both of us are just like this, hanging on to the to the dash. Power. I mean, just like like, more power than we could we were immature. We were unable to control that much power.
• 11:37
  We didn't even know we didn't even know what to do with it. In contrast, about the same time, I was mowing a friend of the family. I was mowing their yard. He had, like, this garage that was on the backside of the property. I was I was mowing around it, and I just kinda looked in the garage door.
• 11:54
  Sitting in there, there is a Porsche nine eleven, silver, perfect condition, basically basically brand new. I had known this family for a long time, and I'd never seen this guy drive this car. It's just it's just sitting there, locked up in a garage. He's got the keys to this incredible, beautiful, powerful car, and it's just sitting in a garage. Guys, as followers of Jesus, we have this power, this power.
• 12:39
  But we have to know and be mature enough to know what that means and how to walk in that power. And also, we gotta exercise it. We can't lock it up in the garage. And he says here that we have this power, and look what he says it's for. Now again, I mean, we you know, it's it's it's the power that allows us to to live out the things that Jesus has called us to.
• 13:03
  It it is the way that that the fruit of the spirit is possible in our lives. But he calls out something specific here. He says, this power is going to cause you to be witnesses, that it's gonna empower you for bold proclamation, bold ability to testify to the truth that you've experienced, to who this Jesus really is and how you have tasted and seen that it is good. It's gonna empower you to do that. And again, in all places, to all people, bold, courageous witness.
• 13:41
  And if you look at it, I mean, we're gonna see here as as the the gospel begins to go out to just beyond just the Jews to the to the Gentiles, it seems like over and over again, the the evidence of true genuine faith is that they see the Holy Spirit's presence. They see the Holy Spirit changing lives. They see the Holy Spirit's power. And so if you think about this in the way that he words it, if you've got the Holy Spirit, then it says you have received power, and he will he will cause us witness. You will you will be witnesses.
• 14:15
  So you got the spirit, you're going to testify of his of his power and his presence in your life. That just that that happens. And it's you're gonna have a desire to take it out to everywhere. Gonna be a part of your life. Jesus said something similar when he was calling the first disciples.
• 14:31
  He said, come follow me, and I, by my power, will make you fishers of men. So if if you're following, then he's gonna he's gonna make you a if you're following, you're fishing. If you're if you're fishing, then that that is an indication that you're following. Here, if if you got the spirit, you're going to be a witness. That's what he empowers us to do.
• 14:54
  If we're not witnessing, then there's this question about the presence of the spirit in our lives because that's what this power wants to do. Wants to change our lives, and it wants to allow us to speak of this good news to to others. What does it mean to to witness? What is what is this word? I think it's interesting because if I use the e word, that evangelism word, I know that's a naughty word, so I'm not gonna use that today.
• 15:21
  There's other words that people talk about. You know, witnessing's maybe one that that you've heard. But if you just slow down a little bit and think about what the word witness means, I mean, I am I am going to bear testimony. I am going to bear testimony of what God has done in my life, and that I've I've tasted and seen that it's real, that it's true. Honestly, I the moments I love the most with with friends, with family, but in particular with my with my kiddos, when we're riding a car, and I'm trying to explain something about the way that that God moves in your life, or how they can pray for that and expect him to show up, or or things like that.
• 16:02
  And then there's this moment where I get to look them in the eyes and say, I can tell you this, son. I can I can tell you this, girl, because I have seen it? I have experienced it. This God is real, and his power is real, and he will change things. He will move.
• 16:21
  It's all true. You you may not but I believe it, and I believe it because I have experienced it, not just because it's some stuffy thing that's collecting dust on my shelf. It is it is real, and I testified. And then part of this bearing witness is, man, finding the places and the people who who don't know that yet and being willing to step in the middle of it, make friends, know people, and then and then testify. You you know what?
• 16:53
  It's it's true. And sometimes the way that testimony happens is things happen in your life that make it a spectacle, and they get to watch you go, I still believe. And I'm watching him show up again and again and again. That kind of bold witness, that kind of sharing testimony. It says that he empowers us to do that to everyone everywhere.
• 17:22
  And if you follow the the book of Acts, which we are gonna what we're talking about today happens in Acts chapter 15, and we're in Acts chapter one. I promise you in ten minutes, we're gonna make it there. That seems like a long ways to go. So if you begin to to work through the book of Acts, this this witness happens. And it's it's early in the beginning.
• 17:44
  Man, it it really is to to the Jews in Jerusalem. And and and they're receiving this this opposition, and they this boldness is required of them. And so, man, they continue to pray for for boldness. There's one point in chapter four where they're praying for boldness, and again, the the place that they are, that they're praying, the found the foundation shake because the power is so great. It's so great.
• 18:11
  To empower them to boldly testify even in the face of persecution, even in the face of opposition. And then that opposition continues, and by the time you get to chapter eight, you've got you've got Stephen bearing witness, and he's he's he's murdered for it. And so we we have somebody giving up their life in proclamation that this this whole thing is is true. And something really happens, really interesting happens there because, you know, we've got this thing that that Jesus said. It's gonna be Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the to the ends of the earth, but they've really just kinda stayed in the in the same place.
• 18:48
  And we could do a a bigger study of this, but it's interesting the way through the scriptures that God when he wants to do something, the way he gets it done sometimes, you know, sometimes we we volunteer. Jerusalem, Judea is to the ends of the earth. Yeah. Ends of the earth, I'm in. Sometimes we don't.
• 19:06
  Sometimes we're scared, and sometimes we we're slow to obey, especially, you know, we're talking about those things that we're told to do. Sometimes the don't dos, we're better at the to dos. Sometimes we struggle in obedience, and so we kinda have to be pushed out involuntarily. So the church is gathering and not scattering with this good news. And then at the persecution of of Stephen, guess what happens?
• 19:33
  Yeah. They start to scatter because now it's pretty scary to be where they are. So they start to go out, and the gospel does go to other places. And they they begin to testify in other places. And one story, and in last few weeks, preparation for today, I I saw this story in a new light, and this this is just really cool.
• 19:51
  So he got this one this one guy, Philip, and God asked him to direct him to go to this road, and he goes to this road, and he sees this chariot, and there's this Ethiopian eunuch who is a high ranking official in Ethiopia, and he's been to Jerusalem to worship. He knows that he wants to give his worship to this to this one true God, so he's he's come to do it, but he's confused in what it means to connect with him. And honestly, I mean, he you know, there at the at the temple, he's kind of an outsider, and there's even, you know, background in the Old Testament where it's like a eunuch. It really is an outsider in that community. And so, I mean, he's I'm sure he's feeling very much on the outside, but his heart is to follow this this creator God, and so he knows there's some truth there.
• 20:42
  And he's he's in his chariot, and he's reading from Isaiah 53, and he's got that scroll out. And then then Philip comes up to him, and he's like, hey, you know, understand what you're reading? And he's like, how can I? Nobody's helping me. And so Philip jumps up in the seat beside him, and I I imagine they probably could've done it about that time.
• 20:57
  And and, you know, because there's so much power happening right now. Nobody got that joke, but I thought it was really funny. And then and then Philip starts to explain it to him, and that passage is talking about, you know, who Jesus really is. And I got to believe in that scroll. He got to read a little bit further because Isaiah 56, look what it says.
• 21:24
  Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, the Lord will surely separate from me from his people, and let not the eunuch say, behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast to my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name, and they shall not be cut off. You think that was probably good news to the to the eunuch? But in this same scroll, it's clear that this God wants him too, better than sons and daughters.
• 22:11
  This this special place. And that's probably the reason, man. They're rolling along, and then the eunuch looks up, there's some water. He's like, well, then I should be baptized. Right?
• 22:19
  Like, if I'm if I'm included too, then I should also I want to also be a part of this. He was like, yeah. Yeah. You. You too.
• 22:32
  In that same passage, you know, Jesus, when he goes into the temple and he's he's flipping over the tables, and we tell that story, and usually the story gets told, like, he's he's flipping over the tables because they're selling things, and and, you know, they're probably cheating people, and and and all that and all that's really true. But the place that they were set up in at this at the temple that the eunuch had been to, there was there was an outer court that was for people from other nations to come and worship the God of Israel. And they were set up in that court. So Jesus quotes a little bit further in Isaiah 56. He quotes it and says, no, this is supposed to my house is a prayer for for everybody, for all nations.
• 23:13
  So he's flipping over tables because they're blocking guys like this from coming to worship the one true God. So he's angry. Yes. Clean this place out. Because this is not just for one group of people.
• 23:25
  It's not just for one tribe. It's not just for one nation. It's for everybody, everywhere. Let it be known. And when the Ethiopian gets it, man, he's like, I I want it too.
• 23:38
  So then you move on, and then in chapter 10, we're introduced to this guy, Cornelius, who's a Roman military leader, at least a 100 soldiers under his command. And he's like like the eunuch. He's he's seeking after the the true God. But there's there's a problem. He's seeking him, but he's a Gentile.
• 23:57
  He's he's not a Jew. And God does this cool thing where he, like, he he tells Cornelius to go get Peter, and he tells Peter that he should go to Cornelius. But before that happens, he he comes in a vision to Peter, and three times, this food is in front of him, this food that he has his whole life considered forbidden. In his understanding, those are unclean things that I shouldn't eat. And and look what happens.
• 24:29
  Act Acts chapter 10 verse 25. When Peter entered so so now he's at the house of Cornelius. Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted lifted him up saying, stand up, I too am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.
• 24:51
  And he said to them, you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate or to visit with anyone of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any persons uncommon or unclean, So when I was sent for, I I came without objection. I asked them, why have you sent for me? So Peter sees this vision, and he's and and he hears this voice like this. These things are are clean.
• 25:19
  God has made them clean. And so then he's confused. He walks over to he gets to Cornelius' house. He he walks in. He's like, man, I am not even supposed to come in here.
• 25:28
  You people are unclean. These the the you heathen. I I feel like I'm dirty even stepping into the place. But at the same time, God has made really clear that I've been looking at this the wrong way, and and I need to I need to step in here. But, boy, I I feel awkward being in here, but I but I'm gonna step in here.
• 25:44
  And then he and he goes in, and then he he begins to share. And it says that the the Holy Spirit, when he testifies, they respond and the and the Holy Spirit falls on them too. And then in chapter 11, it says, now the the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him saying, you went to uncircumcised men and ate with them? How dare you?
• 26:19
  But Peter's like, but but the spirit fell on them too. This evidence of genuine faith, it happened with them too. We thought it was just for us, but God's doing something because it's I guess it's for them too. And it says, when they heard these things, they fell silent and glorified God saying, then to the Gentiles also, God has granted repentance that leads to life. Well, then you got now Paul and Barnabas, they they send out, and they're they're out sharing now with Gentiles, not just the Jews, but now, man, again, the doors have been blown off, man.
• 27:00
  They're they're starting to share with everybody. But there are some that are coming in and and telling those new believers that they have to be circumcised, that they have to to basically become a part of the the Jewish community to be real followers of Jesus. And it says after that that Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension with them, which I would have loved to have watched. You know? I just would have loved to see what no small dissension looked like, because these guys are these new believers, these guys are coming in and trying to tell them that they're not real, and but he knows they're real, and he's he's putting the whole thing together, and he had no small dissension.
• 27:39
  I bet that was fun to watch. And they decided that they would take these questions to the leaders in Jerusalem. And those leaders gonna meet together and decide, is that something that we need to add? And this confusion is it makes sense. Right?
• 27:58
  It it would for us. I think it's actually something that we still deal with today. What what does it look like to be in the world but not of the world? What does it mean to to separate? There there's it's true.
• 28:12
  I mean, the the the history of Israel, God had done this thing. He had called out this tribe, and he had set them apart, and circumcision was part of that. And there were the other peoples that were worshiping up, but they but they were worshiping the one true God was showing his power through Israel, and through them, he brought Jesus, and then the whole thing changed. And it's not like all of a sudden then, hey, guess what? Now everybody's welcome.
• 28:39
  No, this goes back to the original call when when when the covenant was made with Abram. He's like, hey, I'm gonna bless your family, but the end result of that is everybody on the planet's gonna be blessed. I'm doing this in this you in this family so that all families, ultimately, all families are welcome. And this game change for these guys had to be had to be really tough. So now you're telling me that I'm supposed to walk into somebody's house and have dinner with somebody like Cornelius?
• 29:11
  It's okay? This is for him? This is for him too? And he and he doesn't have to be circumcised. He can be a a Roman soldier and follow Jesus and be Roman?
• 29:21
  Are you serious? It was absolutely blowing their mind. You could see it was just a huge jump. Galatians' book talks about this. In one place, it says that the law was the tutor, the teacher, the guy that would bring us to Christ.
• 29:40
  And now in Jesus, it's not doing things because you gotta do them. Now it's doing things because Jesus has rocked your world, and your only response is to love him in obedience. It's like this game change that was just hard to to understand. But it's like it's it's critical. It's like like teaching my kids how to use chopsticks.
• 30:00
  You know? You've got those little things you can get that make it where they can hold them together, but I don't want them to be using those things when they're my age. I want to learn how to use chopsticks. Right? There's a there's a place that we that we move on.
• 30:10
  And honestly, if they're gonna eat Thai food, I don't want them using chopsticks because because I've been Italian, people don't use chopsticks. They use spoons. So let's let's use spoons if we're gonna eat Thai food. If we're gonna eat barbecue, we'd eat with your hands. You're catching my drift.
• 30:22
  Like, have to you have to graduate on. This is yeah. This is what God did, but now he's he's doing this, And it means following the model of Jesus and leaving heaven and coming to earth and engaging, loving the lost, having dinner with the sinners, testifying of good news in the darkest of places, not running from the dark places, running to the dark places. Jesus said it, right? He said, this is the church, the church, hey, the gates of hell are not gonna prevail against you.
• 30:58
  Sometimes I feel like we're running away from gates. I don't run from doors. I tear doors down. I open doors. He's saying when you go to open a door, the doors of hell will not stop you because the power we're talking about is too powerful, and it will knock the doors down.
• 31:17
  Sometimes we struggle with that, especially we we struggle with coming from from, you know, who we are and who we're trying to be, and then really making genuine friendships with people who don't come from this background and don't understand it and don't act like it. But shouldn't we act expect that Cornelius is gonna act like a a like a Roman soldier? Shouldn't we expect those who haven't heard this good news to act like people who haven't heard this good news? The other day, I was trying to introduce my boy Jack to Fresh Prince of Bel Air, because everybody needs to watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Right?
• 31:56
  In this in the episode we watched, Fresh Prince took Carlton back to Philly. And they're out on the basketball courts in in in Philly, And Carlton's not able to interact with the people in Philadelphia because he's from Bel Air, and he doesn't get it. Y'all, we don't wanna be Carlton's. Right? Like, Jesus wasn't that.
• 32:21
  Jesus Jesus entered in and became friends with the people who needed him most, and he provides a model for us and the power, the power to do it. So then this beautiful thing happens in Acts chapter 15. The apostles and the elders gathered together to consider this matter, and after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, brothers, you know that in the early days, God made a choice among you that by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart, God's work, he knows, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. So God did this and he showed and left no doubt.
• 33:08
  Now oh, and he made no distinction between them and us. They're the same. Having cleansed their hearts by faith in the same way that our hearts were cleansed by faith, their hearts were cleansed by faith. The same way that we receive the Holy Spirit, they receive the Holy Spirit. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
• 33:36
  But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will, by grace through faith. For me, by grace through faith for you, by grace through faith for your neighbor, by grace through faith for your coworker, by grace through faith for the person on the other side of the planet right now who has never heard the name of Jesus, by grace through faith. And so they send out a letter, and they wanna make sure it's known to everybody everywhere, that all the obstacles have been removed. The only things they add in there are a few things that have to do with idol worship, man, the things that you really need to stay away from. But there's this clear picture that, no, you can follow Jesus too, that you don't have to be circumcised, you don't have to become Jewish.
• 34:31
  It's by grace through faith alone. All obstacles removed. What would it look like for us, y'all, to look at our community and to remove every obstacle that prevents them from seeing Jesus as he truly is. It's testifying to who he really is and knocking down anything that's in between them and experiencing his power and his goodness in their life. We don't we don't wanna be we don't wanna be a Porsche that's locked up in a garage.
• 35:09
  You know, that that day I finished mowing, and I walked out, and the owner came up to me, he's like, hey, I'll pay you for mowing my yard today, or I'll take you for a ride in the Porsche. I saw you looking in there. And I said, okay. Porsche all day. Yeah.
• 35:25
  Keep your money. I wanna ride the Porsche. So we go in there, he starts to scribe. He walks me around it. We're looking at it.
• 35:31
  He had just put these new tires on it that were supposed to have this, like, super soft rubber, like like, you can only use them a few times. They're like racing tires. And I'm just I'm in awe. I'm in awe all the way around. We get in this car.
• 35:43
  I mean, it just sounds so sweet. We pull out. He takes me on this real windy road that goes out to the lake, and y'all know, joke, he pinned my face up against the window. I mean, like like this. I mean, I'm riding back and forth, and I with a huge smile on my face.
• 36:00
  Like, this is I I this is so much fun. I mean, this this is what this car is supposed to do. And Grove Church, it's time to get the car out of the garage. It's time to let this power loose in all the ways, but here it's called out. It's gonna empower us to bear testimony in Fayetteville, in Springdale, in Arkansas, in our country, to the very ends of the earth, to the very ends of the earth.
• 36:39
  And anything shy of that is insufficient because our Jesus, the lamb is worthy. The one who died for us and came back to life, who gave us this he's worthy. And so let us put the keys in the car, let let him do what only he can do. Father, I I ask that you would. I I believe that this is true.
• 37:04
  It's the only reason I stand up here and talk about it is because it's true. I would not I would not talk about it if I didn't believe it with everything in my soul, father, that you gave that good news to us and that a lot of the world, a lot of the people around us wait to hear it. It is for everyone everywhere, but not everyone has equal access and opportunity, and it is us. We are the ones that bear the message. And so, father, would you cause us to open up our eyes and open up our hearts and our lives and our mouths to proclaim your goodness, to invite people into this place so that this can be a place that they can experience it as well.
• 37:52
  Father, let us experience and taste what this power means for your glory. Amen.
• 38:01
  Charlie Loften: Thanks again for joining us on our sermon podcast, and you can learn more about us at the grovechurch.org. And if you go to the grovechurch.org/connect, there's a form you could fill out. Just us know that you've been listening. And if you want to dig deeper on some of these topics that we cover in our sermon podcast or just another issues of dealing with culture or theology, those kinds of things, you can check out our cultivate podcast, which on the same feed, however you found this particular podcast. So again, this is Charlie, the lead pastor at The Grove, and thank you so much for joining us.