Acts chapter 5, but I'm going to give
a rather long introduction, so I'm preparing you
beforehand before I read Acts 5.
And we're beginning in verse 17.
There should be a Bible in the pew
if you don't have one.
Acts chapter 5, verse 17, the message this
morning is the truth will cost you.
The truth will cost you.
And this, I've never realized this more than
in the last probably five years.
The more you stand up for truth, the
more it will cost you.
And if the truth isn't costing you something,
you may want to examine your life.
Because we're supposed to count the cost, and
following Jesus has a cost.
And the truth upsets, the truth offends.
And I want to be careful on this
topic, because often I've given...
Oh, something fell.
It's alright, it's a chair.
See, I told you, the enemy doesn't want
me to go forward this morning.
My back was hurting, things were breaking, the
heater's next door, the PowerPoint's not working, worship
team's sick, you know, and lots of different
things.
So, back on track.
If the truth isn't costing you something, you
may want to examine your life.
Where I want to be careful is I've
given people permission, not on purpose, but to
take this topic and run with it without
letting love and grace underscore everything we do.
So they say, yeah, I should be offending
people.
No, you shouldn't.
The truth will, but your attitude shouldn't.
Yeah, I go beat them up with the
Bible.
No, you don't beat them up with the
Bible.
You present the Bible.
And so I'm going to talk about that,
because, you know, we talk about truth will
cost you.
Yeah, it'll cost me, and I'm going to
be a jerk at work, and I'm going
to press people into the kingdom, and I'm
going to fight with my family.
No, the truth doesn't do that.
The truth actually humbles you.
And you know how to present it in
a godly way.
And I have not mastered this area yet.
I'll just be the first to admit I
probably upset somebody on Facebook every day.
And I usually have to hold, ask my
wife, 99% of my comments I hold
on Facebook, or posts, or different things.
The 1%, you know, you just, oh, you
just got to say something, right?
And you got to make a difference.
So I'm going to talk about that.
But the interesting thing is the context of
Acts 5, that we're going to read in
a minute, is great miracles were done in
Jesus' name.
And we've been talking about the last month.
If you haven't been there, you might want
to go check out some of the messages
on the power of the Holy Spirit, the
anointing of the Holy Spirit, the need to
be filled with the Holy Spirit.
And you know it.
You either have it or you don't.
And this topic sometimes offends people.
Like, why are you talking about the Holy
Spirit?
Well, because the Bible talks a lot about
the Holy Spirit.
It's the work of the Spirit in this
church.
It's the work of the Spirit in our
own lives to bring us to maturity.
It's the work of the Spirit that leads
people to the cross.
It's the work of the Spirit that allows
brokenness and humility to change and transform us.
That's the transforming power of God through the
Holy Spirit.
And I've seen a lot of neglect in
this area.
And I wasn't joking when a lot of
people say it's the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Word.
They avoid, they want to avoid that aspect
of the Holy Spirit because of many times
that things are done misrepresented by the Holy
Spirit that's not the Holy Spirit.
And we see things on TV and we
think, oh, I don't want that.
Well, neither do I.
Many times.
But we want the power of God.
If you want the power of God, you
have to be open to the work of
the Holy Spirit in your life.
So that's what we've been seeing is miracles
and things taking place.
Great miracles are done in Jesus' name.
And so what the people decided to do
was, the leaders decided to do is imprison
the Apostles.
Wonderful miracles, let's put them in prison.
And we read that and we're like, what's
wrong with these people?
Well, that's what the truth does.
It offends.
These were religious leaders.
They were jealous.
They were upset.
They were turning the whole world upside down.
What are we going to do with them?
Instead of bowing our knee like the song
said, every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that Christ is Lord.
You will bow to the lion.
You will bow to the lamb.
It doesn't matter.
You will bow to Christ.
They didn't want to bow to him.
They fought him and they put the disciples
in prison thinking that would silence them.
And it didn't.
So that's the context we're getting into in
just a minute.
But I want to encourage you before I
discourage you is don't get discouraged because the
world will rarely agree with you and God.
The world will rarely agree with you and
God when it comes to bringing integrity into
your workplace.
Do you think your boss is going to
be happy about that?
When it comes to integrity in certain areas
or you're in the school district or the
government or wherever you work, if you can
get by through life without any challenges, any
problems nobody has set at you, you might
want to look at what this little light
of mine, I'm going to let it shine.
That's the time of year we sing that
song and people get offended by that light.
Now, I'm not endorsing of being offensive and
mean.
I hope you understand that.
But when you stand for truth, when you
say, I can't allow that, I can't agree
with that, I don't want that, you will
offend the world.
The world does not like to hear the
message of the gospel.
So the first point under the truth will
cost you, it will cost you, and I'm
going to use a Facebook thing here, likes.
It will cost you likes.
And what I mean by that is people
will not like you to the degree that
you want to be liked.
And that's a struggle we all have, even
me.
We want to be liked, don't we?
And I imagine, what about Jesus, if he
was here now and what would he post?
I am the way, the truth, the life,
nobody comes to the Father except through me.
You think everybody would be happy with that
statement?
Oh, he would have comments from here to
China.
Who are you?
You're narrow-minded, you're arrogant.
But to be politically correct, you'd say, well,
I'm one of the ways.
I mean, if you guys want to embrace
me, it's okay, you can embrace me.
But there's other ways too, and I don't
want to offend anybody, I don't want to
upset anybody.
But if you embrace the truth, you will
not be liked by people to the degree
you want to be liked.
Now the Bible encourages us to have a
good name, choose a good name over riches
and wealth.
And that means have a good character and
be a person of integrity, but when it
comes down to it, people will be offended
because of the truth.
Galatians 1.10, I'm going to paraphrase, Paul
says, do I want the approval of man
or God?
If I was trying to please men, I
would not be a bondservant of Christ.
See, it's impossible to please men and also
please God.
Now this doesn't mean everything is going to
upset people, but as I'm pleasing God, it's
not people aren't going to be happy with
that.
I mean, just think about it, every sermon
that goes out upsets somebody.
Every article that goes out sure upsets somebody.
The blogs, whatever, it's people get upset.
They don't like to hear that, can't you
just be politically correct?
Can't you just not be so this and
so that?
And so that will cost you likes.
You'll watch your likes on Facebook go down
probably, not up.
But this is also a good reminder that
in a lot of times I think we
stop and we don't do things because we
don't our friends or family are feeling judged.
Has it ever stopped you from doing something?
Or just me?
They're feeling judged by me.
But be careful here because when you live
for God and you love people, you're living
for God, they don't want to be around
you sometimes because of that light and that
reflection, that conviction.
So it's not necessarily you're being mean to
them, you're just living your life for Christ
and they don't want to be around you.
I feel judged around you.
How?
I'm loving, I don't bring up anything.
You know where I stand.
So you have to be careful there because
if you are making people feel bad by
your attitude and actions and words you say
and they are feeling judged and it's not
good, we have to be careful in that
area.
But I've seen a lot of people put
out their light, let this light shine, put
out the light because well people feel judged.
No, they're just convicted.
They're just convicted.
If you live for Jesus, you will convict
people.
I've got friends and family that don't have
anything to do with me.
Not because of the conviction there.
Be gentle.
Here's how to approach this topic of truth.
Be gentle, not in your face.
Be selective.
Be very selective.
Have you noticed the difference between a rifle
and a shotgun?
A rifle, very selective, right at the target.
A shotgun has a little copper thing called
a primer.
The trigger hits the primer, the metal hits
the primer and engages the powder.
The powder shoots out a wad and about
200 little BB's go everywhere.
And you hope you hit the target.
Sometimes that's what we do with our mouth.
We just well I know it's going to
get somebody maybe and we just.
There's no thought behind it.
There's no gentleness and so be careful when
you proclaim truth.
You don't always have to be right or
win an argument.
Let love and grace be the driving force.
I mean all the time I get things
from people and you just got to lovingly
encourage them, lovingly see where they're coming from
but still hold to the truth.
When you are targeted, prayed up, sincere, loving
and humble, God can work.
God, see what he does, he works in
the midst of truth.
You proclaim the truth and the people see
the truth.
But not everybody likes it but there are
some that are changed.
And so we have to remember that, that
we think that everybody's going to embrace this
message.
Everybody's going to love my Facebook post.
Everybody's going to love what I stand for.
No they're not.
Most often, more often than not they don't.
For example, I've taught and you've heard me
teach on gay marriage or homosexuality and loving
those who struggle with it but still saying
what the Bible says.
Well I get emails often, negative ones but
there's positive ones of people coming out of
that lifestyle because they found the video on
YouTube.
Just this morning, just this morning when I
got here I was going back and forth
on Facebook with a Mormon in Utah.
He said this, I read your article about
whose truth is true.
I'm a Mormon, I do agree with you
on your points that the Book of Mormon
contradicts the Bible and it's wrong to believe
that only salvation lies in belonging to the
church.
I feel that the scripture in Romans 10
9 confessing that Christ is Lord and Savior
is my saving grace and I'm eternally grateful
for you pointing that out especially in your
video where you talk about your encounter with
the Mormon missionaries.
So now this guy's struggling with being in
this, what do I do now?
But that message has not made a lot
of people happy.
But it's not done in mean and arrogance
like guys look at the difference.
Isn't this interesting?
All you have to do is say here's
what you teach, here's what the Bible teaches,
that's all.
And they get upset.
All I posted the other day was here's
what Roman Catholicism teaches, here's what historical biblical
Christianity teaches in the Bible.
That's all, here's the difference.
Do I upset people?
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
How dare you put down the Pope.
Here's the differences, that's all.
You have to remember the truth invites scrutiny.
If a Mormon ever said Shane here's what
the Book of Mormon teaches, here's what the
Bible teaches, I'd say yep, you're right, absolutely,
good job.
Not get upset.
So when people get upset it's because that
word and that truth is convicting them.
But you have to make sure it's of
God because there's a lot of loose cannons
out there.
Shotguns that will just shoot everything and everybody
and they're not doing anything.
But if you come out, I understand they
call it the sandwich approach in business, right?
You build somebody up then you bam, sandwich
them and then you build them back up
again.
You know like Chris, you're a wonderful employee,
you've done so much here and all this
but it's not cutting it, we're going to
have to let you go.
Oh no.
But you know what?
God's got a good plan for you and
you sandwich that in there.
And that's how I fire a lot of
people, a lot of people at 24 Hour
Fitness and they always say, I feel good
about being fired.
Because you sandwich them.
And the same thing with the truth.
The same thing, you build and I understand
where you're coming from, I understand your heart.
And I told the Roman Catholics, I said
listen I understand but just compare, just compare
what the Bible teaches and what that teaches.
Just compare.
That's all I'm asking.
Why is that so upsetting?
But see it's the truth that offends.
So you have to be targeted, prayed up,
sincere, loving and humble.
Choose your battles carefully.
And you know who those people are, you
have friends and family that don't need to
hear another word from you.
I've got close family members, they don't need
to hear another word from Shane Eidelman.
They don't need to hear a sermon, they
don't need to hear, watch this little video,
they don't need to hear anything.
I just need to be quiet and love
them.
But there's other people that God will direct
you to say something.
Like those Mormon missionaries I mentioned, there's a
video clip and I talked to them, I
ran into four of them up on the
aqueduct a few years ago and they just,
they didn't have any answers to the questions.
But God set that up.
I mean here I am jogging and here's
four guys sitting down studying the Book of
Mormon.
And I tried for ten minutes, I'm not
going to talk.
Lord please I'm just here to exercise and
just, I can't do it but it was
like a magnet.
You know?
And then you play stupid, what are you
guys reading?
The sandwich approach, the sandwich approach.
But they didn't have answers.
But I love these guys.
It wasn't me, I love, guys listen, you're
not going to be a God someday like
God is.
That's blasphemy.
And their jaws drop.
Yes, that's blasphemy.
You can love someone and tell them the
truth.
Who said that the truth shouldn't offend?
Who said that those who love can't speak
the truth?
Jesus did.
They think that Jesus just walked around this
mild, meek, mannered, little, turn the other cheek
Jesus.
He was bold.
He was in your face.
He called out religious leaders.
He called out entire cities because they did
not repent.
He was bold but loving, compassionate, caring, but
spoke the truth.
He said don't be afraid of those who
can kill your body, but be afraid of
those who can, be afraid of Him, God
who can kill both body and soul and
cast your soul in hell.
Boy, how's that going to go over today?
Post that on Facebook.
Just post that verse on Facebook and you'll
watch all the disgruntled people because the truth,
what has happened, I've seen in our nation,
I've read sermons from, you know, 150, I
start even way back, 1700s, The Great Awakening,
Whitfield, Wesley, going to Spurgeons, Charles Finney, all
these revivalists, different sermons.
And you look at sermons now and you're
like, what happened?
What happened?
You got the milk, you got the God
is love, that's all He is, forgiveness and
grace, just continue in your sin, don't worry
about anything.
And you're like, what happened?
So that shift, I believe, in the pulpit
has also shifted the culture.
So now we need to be politically correct
and not offend.
We got to be careful what we say
and don't, that's going to hurt this, and
that's going to do this, and that's going
to, we don't want to talk about those
difficult things, you better just spend time with
God and ask Him, what do you want
me to say, Lord?
Because an anointed word from the Holy Spirit
with love and grace will do more than
10 years of sermon from somebody who is
not spending time with God.
A.W. Tozer said listen to no man
who doesn't listen to God.
And that's what we're seeing, why we're departing
from truth.
If we could just get the pulpits back
again and families back again and fathers leading
in this area of truth, you would see
a radical change.
Because it's okay to stand up and say,
this is not right.
This is not right.
That thing with Target still has me upset.
You know, a man can go in the
bathroom with my daughter.
Well, Shane, just don't want to upset, we
don't, we still want to shop there.
You know, no, I mean, I don't know,
we just want to, somebody has to say
something, or the agenda, all these things that
are happening.
So when you are that voice of truth,
it will cost you a lot of likes.
People will not like you.
It's not our goal.
It's never our goal.
It's never my goal.
My goal is to get as many people
to like me as I can, but understand
that that's not going to happen.
What I mean by that is the reputation
and how I treat them.
So they might like the reputation, they might
like, hey, he's a nice guy, but I
don't agree with what he says.
Versus he's a jerk, he's in your face,
he's just, I just can't stand that guy.
You want to have a good reputation, you
want to have that image of Christ in
you.
So it's an area that's delicate.
Acts 5.17, then the high priest rose
up.
Now, here's what happened, I better give you
some background, because I have the background up
here because I've been studying it.
But the apostles just did many, many wonderful
works in Jesus' name.
People were healed, they were set free, they
were delivered from all kinds of things.
Tormenting spirits, and I believe that God can
deliver people from tormenting spirits, that the name
of Christ is stronger than any other name
out there, if we seek Him and we
look to Him.
So all these miracles are happening.
Then the high priest rose up.
Now, the high priest back, if you start
with Moses and the Levitical priesthood, God appointed
priests to be intercessors to go before the
people.
The people couldn't go before God.
The priest, once a year, would walk into
the Holy of Holies and give an offering
for the sins of the people.
And then he'd back out of there until
next year.
He'd make sure his heart was right.
He would make sins for the people.
So he was the intercessor.
He was the priest.
But then we read in Hebrews that now
we have a high priest through Jesus Christ,
who's been tempted and tested in all points
like we are, but without sin.
So we can come boldly to the throne
of grace because Christ is our high priest.
So it eliminated that office.
Jesus Christ eliminated that office.
So now you have somebody, which to me,
I laughed, because now you have the high
priest, who's really not a high priest.
He's just fulfilling that role.
The great high priest was resurrected many, many
weeks ago, and now he's working through these
apostles.
But this person rose up and all those
who were with him, which is a sect
of the Sadducees, the Sadducees did not believe
in the resurrection, and they were filled with
indignation.
This is not just anger.
Indignation is where you're plotting to kill somebody.
And they laid their hands on the apostles
and they put them in the common prison.
So it's interesting, this word indignation.
It's very disgruntled.
It's very upset.
And that's what the truth will do.
The reason the truth hurts and makes people
so angry and so disgruntled is because it's
a spiritual battle.
You can mention any other name, it doesn't
upset people.
But when you mention Jesus Christ, people get
visibly upset.
They change, they're, why don't talk about that
name?
Why?
Because it's that demonic realm, it's that spiritual
battle.
You can mention every other name under the
sun, everybody's, oh, they're listening, but Jesus, oh,
don't mention that name here.
They get very disgruntled.
We saw the same thing here in this,
in the apostles' ministry.
It will cost you an easy life.
Following the truth will cost you an easy
life.
These men were thrown into the common prison.
And that's a big misconception.
I talked about it last week, that following
Jesus is not always a bed of roses.
You don't get that big house on the
hill and tons of money in your bank
account in this easy life.
Actually, it's a life of dying to self.
Paul, Jesus, Peter, all the disciples.
You look back at the Old Testament, prophets,
you look back at different areas throughout biblical
history, the martyrs, different things.
Following him has a cost.
It will cost you an easy life.
And people are like, oh, Shane, an easy
life, no likes, no, you're making this, no.
When you follow God, it's the most abundant
life you've ever known.
People are miserable right now.
Christians are miserable.
They enjoy their sin, but they're miserable.
They don't want the abundant life that Christ
spoke of.
It will cost you an easy life.
Leonard Ravenhill said if Jesus had preached the
same message that ministers preach today, he would
never have been crucified.
Tell us smooth things.
Tell us smooth things, easy things.
Because when you talk about true things, people
get disgruntled.
And usually the haters are these groups, the
world, religious people, and legalistic groups.
So the world will obviously hate you, but
so will religious people.
Religious people who have a form of godliness,
but they don't know God.
Have you ever met any of them?
They go to a certain church or this,
and they're very religious and very this, or
legalistic groups, occults that come out, and they're
so legalistic.
And all these groups will not like the
truth, because it's the same spirit, the anti
-Christ spirit, anti-against Christ, the same ruler
of this world, the devil, influences that group
of people.
And then carnal Christians also won't like this
type of message.
Because although they're carnal, they're Christians, they're influenced
by the world's system.
So when you're influenced in the world's system,
you don't like to hear the truth.
I'm enjoying the world's system, Shane, don't tell
me the truth.
Are you telling me I can't go to
Vegas for the weekend and put some Everclear
in my margarita and watch Cain West?
Well, that's probably not a good idea.
I can't go here and do this, and
I can't enjoy this type of relationship.
The Bible says this.
Well, I don't like what you say.
Right, because you're enjoying your carnal lifestyle.
So once we lovingly just say, hey, you
might want to consider what the Bible says.
Well, I don't know, you're judging me.
No, the Bible's judging you.
I'm not judging you.
But be careful, because we're not called to
be sin-sniffers.
Right?
Just walk around.
Hmm, let me see what I can find.
Let me see what I can find.
Hmm.
Right?
Because that's what we're called to be fruit
inspectors.
And if somebody's hurting their life, and you're
praying, God, give me some open doors here
to speak with them, have them approach me,
go to God first, ask for wisdom, ask
for discernment, and God will open tremendous doors.
But if you steamroll ahead, you're going to
hurt that person often.
And they're not going to be receptive.
They're not going to be open until God
opens that door.
So carnal Christians do not like the truth
either.
I've noticed that.
It's like, leave me alone.
I like this comfortable Christianity that I developed,
that God is love and he's just going
to wink while I live my life carnally.
And I'll come to church when it fits
my schedule.
And I'll like the Bible, I guess I
have it somewhere in my house.
And they just hate the carnality.
The carnal Christians, they drive me crazy because
I was one.
I know exactly I could live that life
for many years, right?
You show up to church.
I'm a good person.
I'm here.
Aren't I good?
I'll see you next month.
Or I'll see you to Easter.
I'll see you Christmas and probably at a
funeral.
And but I love that sin, even though
he's miserable.
And so when somebody told me the truth,
here's because here's the truth.
God has a standard.
And the problem isn't that we raise the
standard and miss it.
It's that we lower it and hit it.
And the standard is holiness and purity and
living right and removing things and removing weights
and distractions so we can be filled with
the Spirit of God.
I wouldn't trade that for anything.
So when you tell people here's what's involved
to do that, they don't want to hear
it because they're enjoying that type of carnal
lifestyle.
So let's go back to this again.
The high priest role.
The New Testament does not recognize this role.
Like I said in Hebrews 4 that we
have Jesus now is our high priest.
So this brings up the question.
The uscatholic.org says this.
Current church teaching sees celibacy as a gift
bestowed to those who are called to the
priesthood.
That's why priests are celibate.
Among the church's argument in defense of celibacy
is the example of Jesus, which must be
reflected in the life of a priest.
Two problems.
Number one, God doesn't call people to the
priesthood.
We have a priest.
That mediator is Jesus Christ.
You don't go to man to get to
Christ.
You don't go to Mary to get to
Christ.
You go boldly to Jesus Christ.
And I'm already going to get a lot
of upset people on this message for sure.
But when did we read or where do
we read that we need to be quiet
about these things?
See, if Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah, any religion
out there, if it's good and it's right,
let's talk about it.
Let's see the differences.
But see, we don't want to talk.
So Shane, why do you do this?
Why are you bringing it?
Why?
Because I'm showing you the difference and the
distinction.
And there's a big difference here.
There's no priesthood anymore.
Now, so what does God do?
He calls elders.
He calls pastors.
He calls leaders according to guidelines in 1
Timothy that they must be the husband of
one wife.
There goes your celibacy argument.
And if you go to the Old Testament,
he told the priests, marry virgins.
Don't marry widows and don't marry those who
have been divorced.
Marry virgins.
Priests.
There's no grounds for celibacy.
Zero grounds for celibacy.
Actually, in my opinion, that will lead to
perversion if you're not allowing God to work
in this area and you're creating all these
rules and regulations.
So there's no priesthood.
It doesn't exist anymore.
It's a wasted office.
And celibacy is not taught in the Bible
unless you have the gift of celibacy.
And if you have that gift, let me
tell you, you will know it.
You will.
It's clear.
I know a few people that they're fine.
They have this gift of celibacy.
They're fine.
God's called them to be single.
I'm like, bless you, brother.
Just thank God he didn't call me that.
Because it's a gifting.
So see, you miss it in this area.
And I'm preparing.
I guess I'm really kind of a rabbit
trail here because I'm meeting with a couple
of priests, one in a large church away
from here, because they want, somebody set up
this conversation on why can't Catholics and Christians
just get along.
So I said, well, I'll meet you and
I'll tell you why, even though I like,
I wish we could.
Here's why we can't.
I've got a whole list of 10 things.
Because we desire that, but the priesthood, praying
to Mary as co-redeemer, purgatory, we actually
have to go to purgatory and be purged
of our sin.
What is the point of this?
What is the point of that?
It makes no sense.
And if you die or you're dying in
a deathbed, hurry, go get a priest for
last rites.
You have to confess to the priest.
So you have to keep confessing after every
sin.
I'm in heaven now.
I'm in hell tomorrow.
I'm in heaven now.
I'm in hell tomorrow.
I'm in this, see, it's all unbiblical.
It's all unbiblical.
And these are leading millions of people astray.
Why should we not be passionate?
One lady said, well, I love my Catholic
faith.
And I want to say, but do you
love Jesus?
But do you love Jesus?
That's the answer.
And I was caught in that system.
I was an altar boy.
I know that it's a dangerous system.
And so people get upset.
So if it's true, why not talk about
it?
But when you talk about, well, here's what
the Bible says, yeah, but you know, the
papacy meant and they've decreed certain things, 1516,
they decree this and 1620, they decree, I
don't care what they decreed, what does this
say?
What does this say?
And they teach apostolic succession that Peter was
the first Pope, and that's been passed down.
And you just follow that.
And there's, there's, there's not good reason for
that.
It's not biblical.
So here's the dilemma.
We know the truth, but we can't present
the truth because it's going to offend people.
Isn't that?
Isn't that ironic?
You think Jesus will be having the struggle
that people have?
He just, he would just lay it out.
You're wrong.
Here's where you're wrong.
He told the religious leaders, here's where you're
wrong.
Your traditions make the word of God of
no effect.
You say, whatever we're supposed to give to
our parents, we're going to give to God
so we don't have to help them.
And Jesus said, you just, you just rule
out the word of God because of your
ungodly traditions.
And that's what's happening.
People are caught in a false system from
all these different religions.
And people get upset.
Well, Shane, who are you to say that
your way is the only way?
I didn't say it.
I'm quoting from 2000 years ago that I
am the only way, the only truth, the
only life.
Nobody comes to the father except through Christ.
Either you believe that or you don't.
If you believe it, you're going to live
a lot different.
You're going to be bold in your faith.
You're going to tell all these different movements
that want to remove God from everything.
You know, you came up against the wrong
person.
I'm bold now.
I'm filled with the spirit of God.
I'm going to hold this ground that God
has given us.
That's what they used to do.
But now we've become passive and weak and
we don't want to offend people.
And I feel the pain because I don't
want to offend people either.
I don't want to.
But it's a byproduct of living for the
Lord.
It's just God just opens tremendous.
Yesterday, we're moving furniture before Jehovah's Witness walked
right past me.
So what are you guys doing?
I said, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're a
church and we're helping people move and okay,
good thing.
Like, Lord, open that door.
Open that door.
Come on, open that door.
But he didn't.
Okay, thank you.
Bye.
But we'll, we'll just keep walking.
But see, there's so many.
So what would I do?
Well, I mean, what, what do you do?
Do you just encourage and we're on the
same page or do you say I'm Jehovah's
Witness?
You're not.
You're in a cult.
What?
You removed all the deity of Christ from
the Bible.
The Bible calls that Antichrist.
That's blasphemy.
Do you tell them the truth?
I mean, what, how do you know you
don't might not want to just go right
off the bat and say that you might
want to talk with them, get to know
them a little bit and say, you know,
have you considered this?
You know, we've got Greek manuscripts that say
that in the beginning was the word and
the word was God.
Your Bible says a God.
Do you know how that happened?
And oh, can you listen and sandwich approach?
Remember the sandwich approach?
You don't get to the meat yet.
Kind of work, work there.
But the truth will offend because it's almost
and I can't explain.
It's just, it's just bubbling over.
It's like, I, you gotta say something.
Have you ever been there?
I gotta say something.
I mean, I gotta, I gotta, I'm still
called a hater now that I said when
Hillary endorsed partial birth abortion, I've got a
problem with that.
I've got a problem when you can remove
baby parts from the womb and say it's
okay.
Call me stupid.
Call me silly.
But that's wrong.
That is wrong.
But see, don't don't change.
Don't get political.
Well, really, you tell the child that who's
in the trash can.
You tell all those millions of children, don't
get political.
Be quiet.
You don't want to sit.
No, it's time to upset.
It's time to set.
Trust me, if I was a married knight
and didn't have kids, I would upset a
lot more people.
I'd be I'd be just full of fire
in the spirit.
But you have to be careful safety issues.
Because the world's getting getting difficult.
So qualifications of an elder is that's who's
God is called to lead the church.
Now, as elders, we see that not priest
and you see all these differences.
So it will cost you likes, it will
cost you an easy life, it will cost
you comfort, comfort.
By the way, what I'm doing, it's called
I think I made it up myself expository
topical.
Because people go, well, are you is your
church expository?
Are you topical?
What they mean by that is exposition.
Are you exposit?
Are you an expository teacher where you take
the verb and the nuance and the participle
in the present participle in the Greek and
the Hebrew and you you break down every
little thing, which is wonderful.
I listened to a lot of those guys,
I read those types of books.
But then you have a topical like say,
Spurgeon, you take a just you just take
a verse, blessed are those who call upon
the name of the Lord, and they shall
be saved.
And the whole sermon is focused on that
verse.
But I like to go through the Bible,
but then also bring in topics that are
relevant.
And this topic is very relevant right now,
because the truth will cost you comfort, it's
not comfortable to speak the truth.
But at night, verse 19, an angel, the
Lord opened the prison doors and brought them
out.
Can you imagine that the angel opens the
prison doors, you know what, what I'd say
it's time for a hot dinner, and a
hot shower, and I'm going to bed or
I'm hiding.
When you I'm, let's run, let's get out
of here in the flesh, right?
The Spirit probably have you do something different.
But here's what the Spirit of God said,
go and stand in the temple and speak
to the people again.
Wait, isn't God, he's funny sometimes.
He will, you're released, now don't go and
hide, go and speak to the people again.
Listen to this, speak to the people all
the words of this life.
Isn't that interesting?
All the words of this life.
This is life.
That's why Jesus said you feed on me.
He wasn't talking about cannibalism, you feed, it's
life, it's living, it's active, it's sharper than
any double-edged sword.
You live on that life.
He said go and preach all the words
of this life.
And when they heard that, they entered the
temple early in the morning and taught.
But the high priest and those with him
came and called the council together with all
the elders of the children of Israel, and
they sent to the prison to have them
brought.
So isn't that funny?
The disciples are freed, they're out preaching, the
priest and all the leaders think they're still
in prison, so they said, okay, go get
them, we need to talk to them.
Now, I'm going to cover the rest next
week on what happens there, so it's a
cliffhanger, you need to be here for that.
But I thought about this, if you're sitting,
because here's where I kind of just, just
my own personal struggle.
Why does he deliver them but not others?
Why does he rescue Daniel from the lion's
den, but John the Baptist gets beheaded?
Why the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, escape the fiery furnace, but it said
that Isaiah was sawn in two?
I don't know about you, but being sawn
in two, you're stretched out on this board,
and they saw you, Manasseh, Wicked King, Lord,
help me understand this, because I know you're
able, but will you?
And I want to encourage you, you have
to get to a point to where you
totally trust God's sovereignty in this area, because
it will not be comfortable.
Actually, the three Hebrew boys, right before they
were thrown in, they said, oh, Wicked King,
we will not bow down to you.
Our God is able to deliver us, but
even if he doesn't, how many of us
could say that?
Even if you don't heal me?
Even if you don't set me free?
God, even if this relationship isn't restored, I
will still serve you.
I serve you unconditionally.
That's a very healthy balance to have.
God, I know you're able, but will you?
I'm trusting in you regardless.
So living for the truth will cost you
comfort.
Speak the words of life.
There is no other name.
There is no other truth.
Don't be embarrassed.
Don't be like, oh, I don't know how
people are going to take it.
When God gives you a word to give
to somebody, speak the truth.
Listen, I don't see too many mentions of
cowards in this book, and I am one
from time to time.
I'll back away from things, and I know
I shouldn't have, and it's hard, but when
God calls us to do something and lovingly
speak the truth, you will see lives changed,
and here's what you'll hear at first.
People get upset, but you've planted that seed.
If I ever get about eight minutes, I'm
going to read this testimony.
I think it happened in Australia many years
ago about this little old man that would
run out of his store and give people
a track.
It said, if you die tonight, do you
know where you're going?
And they'd be like, give me that old
man.
They'd get upset, throw in the trash.
For years, I think it was like 15,
20 years, he would do that, and then
this minister, I don't remember exactly who he
was, but he began to hear stories all
over the world, like a leader at some
conference.
How did you come to know the Lord?
Well, back in Australia, there was this little
old man who handed me this pamphlet, and
I couldn't sleep all night, asking me where
would I spend eternity, and then he'd get
to some other place, and he'd meet this
person who was leading some event.
He'd go, how'd you come to know the
Lord?
Well, there's this little old man in Australia.
He gave me, and he kept hearing these
stories everywhere.
He says, I got to find this guy,
and he went and found him.
By now, he's old, he's frail, he's in
his apartment, and he's sitting down to have
a cup of coffee, and he shared with
him.
That old man began to cry because he
said, I never heard, never heard that I
ever led anybody to the Lord through that,
but I promised God, I promised God that
I would do it for the rest of
my life.
My goodness.
You got to hear the testimony of that.
I'm tempted to play it, but that's what
we do.
We don't know about this.
See, we want to see the fruit.
I don't know about you, but when I
go to Home Depot and get an apple
seed, I'm not going to, I don't want
to wait three years.
I'm ready for that apple now.
So you'll go, and you'll buy those trees
that are already made, and you want it
now, but God says, plant the seed, plant
the seed, and there might be, there's some
people in this room you know you need
to be bold with, and there's other people
you know you need to be loving with.
It's hard to decide, Lord, do I push
on the gas pedal, or do I push
on the brake?
Help me, help me, but as you wait,
and here's the thing, is you're filled with
the Spirit.
If you're filled with all the news, you're
going to go off on everybody, but if
you're filled with the Spirit of God, it's
timely.
It's like a rifle that hits the target.
It will cost you comfort, and finally, it
will cost you your will.
It will cost you your will.
My will, Shane's will, and God's will are
not friends, never friends, because my will, right,
wants comfort, and ease, and God's will is
not what my will is.
What I mean by that, my carnal nature,
the Adamic nature, theologians would call it, this
DNA I inherited from Adam does not like
God's will, because it's difficult, it's challenging, it
pulls you out of your comfort zone, you've
got to get up early for prayer, you've
got to be nice to people, you've got
to have the right attitude, you've got to
be careful what you view, what you watch,
how you raise your kids, everything.
My will doesn't like God's will, but nevertheless,
Lord, not my will, but your will be
done.
Hang on to your plans very loosely is
the point I want to make here, because
these disciples, I'm guessing when they're freed from
prison, wanted to go home.
They probably did not want to do that,
or maybe they were receptive, I'm not sure,
but it will cost you your will.
You can't keep going on in a certain
direction unless you're ready to repent and give
it to God.
But what could be better than allowing the
God of the universe to guide you?
Have you ever heard of Youth for Christ?
There's a person who founded that named Torrey
Johnson, I'm gonna get to the end real
quick here, so don't worry.
He was being, God was putting on his
heart, commit to go to Africa, commit to
go to Africa.
He's like, no, no, no, no, he was
miserable for days, he was miserable.
And then finally he couldn't win anymore, he
just said, Lord, I will go to Africa.
And then he said the desire left.
That's it, he didn't go.
God began to work, but he showed him
what's your, what's your thing you need to
give to God?
Is it your house?
It doesn't mean go sell, but is your
career, is your image, is your reputation?
There's something, there's often something, our will we
have to give to God.
Is it a habit?
Is it a relationship?
Is it unforgiveness?
Is it anger?
Is it pride?
Something has to be given to God, something
in our will is holding us back.
But Shane, how do I know?
How do I know?
It's very easy because the Bible says, if
you believe on me, as the scriptures say,
out of your belly will flow rivers of
living water.
So if all these millions of people believe
in America, I want to know where the
river of living water is.
Where is it?
Because we don't see it that often.
There's a disconnect there.
So God says, come back to me and
rekindle the fire.
Come back to me and rekindle the fire.
You've got to want it bad enough.
And I believe, I truly believe I'm going
on record saying this.
I believe one of the reasons God put
Westside out here is so that it's not
convenient.
If I hear one more person say, well,
that's not very convenient.
Well, listen, they'll go watch Coldplay in Anaheim,
Cain West at the Forum.
They'll go to Bakersfield for George Strait Reunion
and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw when they're
in Vegas.
They'll be there.
But when it comes to seeking the one
true and living God and to be broken
before him, we don't have time.
Why not?
Do you see where I'm going with this?
God has to be the priority.
You've got to be desperate for more of
God.
He's got to be an all-consuming passion.
My will gets out of the way, but
Lord, let your will be done.
The truth will cost you.
Folks, the truth will cost you.
How long are you going to keep holding
on to attitudes and wrong things and all
these things that are getting in the way
and not be